TORRE DE LAS INFANTAS—TOWER OF THE INFANTAS.

THE INFANTAS TOWER.

husband, and of excellence in proportion to the noise made, which, it need not be said, is considerable and continuous.

On the north-east wall of the fortress are several towers partly in ruin, which retain traces of beautiful decorations in the interior. TheTorre del Cautivoand theTorre de las Infantasare the best preserved. They appear to have formed detached habitations complete in themselves; and from their position in this retired part of the fortress, and the extreme beauty of theinternal decorations, there can be little doubt that they were isolated residences of favourite Sultanás.

The Homage Tower rises at the end of thePelota, or Fives, Court, the wall of which much disfigures the Place of the Cisterns. In this Homage Tower is a Roman votive altar, embedded by the Moors in the masonry, inscribed by “the grateful Valerius to his most indulgent wife, Cornelia.”

Close to the two Towers,Del CandilandDe la Cautiva, is the corner TowerDe la Aqua, where an aqueduct, stemming the ravine, supplies the hill with water.

The interior of the Ladies’ Tower was formerly remarkable for an alcove of extraordinary beauty. The Tower is isolated, and, unfortunately, a tourist purchased it for a trifling sum. After stripping the marvellous decoration—a masterpiece of Yúsuf I.—the aforesaid traveller magnanimously presented the denuded carcass to the State.

In a chamber near to the entrance of the Court of the Lions, a collection of Moorish remains has been brought together. A conspicuous object is the marble sarcophagus, or tank, brought from theAlcazába, with basso-relievos of animals;

DETAILS OF THE ENTRANCE DOOR TO THE MUSEUM OF THE ALHAMBRA.

among them the “deer-slaying lion,” which occurs so often in Greek art, and, like the Mithraic daughter of the bull, may be the symbol of some hieratic mystery, possibly the triumph of the evil principle. It is difficult to say whether this rude

BAS-RELIEF, NOW IN THE MUSEUM OF THE ALHAMBRA.

THE SAME SUBJECT FROM AN ENGRAVING IN MURPHY’S ARABIAN ANTIQUITIES.

sculpture is antique or Moorish. An Arabic inscription is carried round the border, but this may be later than the carving; at all events, stags are animals connected by the Orientals with the fountain—“As the hart panteth for thewater-brooks”—and the Spanish Moors, among other departures from strict Moslem rules, did not reject either paintings or carvings of living objects. The splendid vase,el jarro, has been brought hither from the Hall of the Two Sisters, and is described at page 76, with a plate at page 95.

On one side of thePlaza de los Algibes—Place of the

PALACE OF CHARLES V.

Cisterns—is an isolated Moorish tower calledLa Torre del Vino, built in 1345, by Yúsuf I., and remarkable for its exquisite arch, called the “Wine Gate” (see page 133). Opposite is the large Palace begun by Charles V., great in conception and impotent in conclusion, unfurnished and roofless. To make way for this edifice, Charles destroyed large portions of what the Moors had raised, tearing down whole ranges of the Alhambra.

ELEVATION AND SECTION OF THE PALACE OF CHARLES V.

INTERIOR, PALACE OF CHARLES V.

PART OF EXTERIOR, PALACE OF CHARLES V.

This pile of buildings, commenced for Charles V., was never finished, in consequence of his frequent absence, occasioned by the almost perpetual wars in which he was engaged, particularly in his efforts to suppress the insurrections of the Moors in the Alpujarras, and elsewhere.[12]The spot chosen for

ROMAN COURT, PALACE OF CHARLES V.

the site of the Palace commands a most beautiful view of the city of Granada, as well as its surroundingVega. As a specimen of Spanish architecture, it reflects the highest credit onPedro Machuca, who began it in 1526. It is, in every way, adapted to the climate; and its interior, which, in its chief feature, takes a circular form, is spacious and splendid. In any other situation the Palace of Charles V. would justly excite admiration: but here it is misplaced. With all its grandeur and architectural excellence, Washington Irving could only look upon the structure as “an arrogant intrusion.” It is falling rapidly to decay. The walls are crumbling, the wood-work is rotten, and the splendid apartments—all that resulted from an intention to eclipse the palace of the Moslem kings—are given up to bats and owls.

This projected Palace, begun in 1526, progressed slowly until 1633, and was then abandoned. Whatever beauty there is in the Spanish Palace at Granada, is external. On the other hand, the Moors were content with the beauty of the interior of the Alhambra.

Plan of the Alhambra Palace at Granada.Specially drawn for Mʳ Albert F. Calvert’s book on the Alhambra, from measurements by the late M. Jules Goury

Plan of the Alhambra Palace at Granada.

Specially drawn for Mʳ Albert F. Calvert’s book on the Alhambra, from measurements by the late M. Jules Goury

GROUND-FLOOR PLAN OF THE ALHAMBRA, AND OF THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE PALACE OF CHARLES V.

PLAN OF THE PALACE OF CHARLES V., AND OF THE SUBTERRANEOUS VAULTS OF THE ALHAMBRA.

HALL OF JUSTICE.

SUNK LINES ON THE WALLS, HALL OF JUSTICE AND COURT OF THE LIONS.

FRIEZE IN THE HALL OF THE TWO SISTERS.

PANEL ON JAMBS OF DOORWAYS, HALL OF THE TWO SISTERS.

ORNAMENT IN PANELS, HALL OF THE BARQUE.

ORNAMENT IN PANELS, HALL OF AMBASSADORS.

CORNICE OVER COLUMNS, COURT OF THE LIONS.

FRIEZE OVER COLUMNS, COURT OF THE LIONS.

BAND ROUND PANELS IN WINDOWS, HALL OF THE TWO SISTERS.

PANELLING IN WINDOWS, HALL OF AMBASSADORS.

ORNAMENT IN PANELS, COURT OF THE MOSQUE.

ORNAMENTS AT THE JUNCTIONS OF INSCRIPTIONS, COURT OF THE LIONS AND COURT OF THE FISH-POND.

SUNK LINES ON THE WALLS, HOUSE OF THE COMMANDANT.

ORNAMENT IN PANELS, HALL OF AMBASSADORS.

DETAILS OF THE ORNAMENTS WHICH ARE INTRODUCED INTO THE PAINTING OVER THE CENTRE ALCOVE OF THE HALL OF JUSTICE. THESE ORNAMENTS, BEING OF A STRICTLY MOORISH CHARACTER, STRONGLY SUPPORT THE OPINION THAT THE PAINTINGS ON THE CEILINGS OF THE ALCOVES OF THE HALL OF JUSTICE ARE THE WORK OF MOORISH ARTISTS.

DETAILS AND ARABIAN INSCRIPTIONS.

DETAILS OF ARABIAN WORK.

DETAILS, AND INSCRIPTIONS, AND ARABIAN CHAPITERS.

DETAILS OF ARABIAN WORK.

THE Generalife is called by the SpaniardsCuarto Real, signifying a diminutive royal palace—an appanage, or “fourth part” of the Alhambra.

In point of situation, the royal villa, or “pleasaunce,” of the Moorish Kings of Granada, is fully equal to the site chosen for the erection of the Alhambra. It stands upon an acclivity, behind which are lovely gardens, extensively timbered with trees of gigantic growth, where nightingales sing themselves hoarse in shrubberies rendered luxuriant by soft, refreshing rivulets. In the Generalife may be seen many Cufic inscriptions: the white tiles with golden scrolls occur nowhere else. TheCuarto Realand its beautiful gardens once belonged to Dalahorra, mother of “Muley Hasen,” and within three months of the capitulation of Granada they were ceded to Alonzo de Valiza, prior of Santa Cruz of Avila. Ford made an abstract of the original conveyance by which we learn how Alonzo de Valiza took possession. “Don Alonzo entered the garden pavilion, affirming loudly that he had made an entry; next, he opened and shut the door, locking it, and giving the key into the custody of oneMacafreto, a well-known householder of Granada; he then went into the garden, where he severed the branch of a tree and dug up some earth with a spade, thus exercising his rights of proprietorship.” Such was the practice of conveyancing in the time of the Moors.

A gateway of theCuarto Real, calledPuerta del Pescado, is of Moorish origin, and has three arches.

A picturesque ravine divides the hill of the Alhambra fromtheSierra del Sol. Here, the approach is under a high embowered avenue of fig trees and myrtles. The situation of the Generalife—Jennatu-l-’arif—[13]“The Garden of the Architect”—proved so entrancing to the SultánIsma’il-Ibn Farajthat he was not at rest until he had erected this mountain villa as an abode for the “Light of his Hareem,” a summer-house, devoted to seclusion, pleasure, and luxury:

“When free and uncrown’d as the Conqueror rov’dBy the banks of that lake, with his only belov’d,He saw, in the wreaths she would playfully snatchFrom the hedges, a glory his crown could not match,And preferr’d in his heart the least ringlet that curl’dDown her exquisite neck to the throne of the world.”Tom Moore.

Tom Moore.

Once again the pages of the Grand WizírIbnu-l-Khattíbfurnish testimony at first hand of transactions in which his ungrateful master, Mohammed V., was involved, and who owed his safety to an accidental visit to the Generalife.

A conspiracy, having for its object the dethronement of Mohammed V., and the usurpation of his half-brother, Isma’il, succeeded only too well. The mother of Isma’il, soon after the death of Yúsuf I., when Mohammed had rightfully ascended the throne of Granada, created a party against the monarch, and had attached to her faction all the discontented. The castle of the Alhambra was surprised in August, 1359. The conspirators, having liberated Isma’il from his place of confinement, mounted him upon a horse and proclaimed him through

GROUND PLAN OF THE GENERALIFE AT GRANADA.A. Advanced parts.B. The Inner Gallery, commanding a view of the gardens.C C C C. Terraces and Aqueducts.D D D, E E. The surrounding country.

GROUND PLAN OF THE GENERALIFE AT GRANADA.

A. Advanced parts.

B. The Inner Gallery, commanding a view of the gardens.

C C C C. Terraces and Aqueducts.

D D D, E E. The surrounding country.

THE GENERALIFE.

the city as their Sultán. How Mohammed had the good fortune to escape is thus set forth by his Wizír:

“At the time these events were taking place, the Sultán Mohammed was absent from the Alhambra, having gone, together with a son of his, to reside at a delightful country seat close to Granada, calledJennatu-l-’arif, a spot well known for the luxuriance of its trees, which never admit the rays of the sun,

THE GENERALIFE.

as well as for the healthfulness of the air, which is continually refreshed by running streams of limpid water. This garden is only separated from the royal residence by a high and strong wall, defended by a deep moat. In this place the Sultán was suddenly awakened by the clatter of arms, the cries of the assailants, and the beating of drums in the distance. Not knowing what caused the tumult, Mohammed went out in thedirection of the Alhambra; but, finding that the conspirators occupied all the avenues, he retraced his steps, and Allah was pleased to provide for his salvation; for, having mounted a fleet horse, which was always kept saddled and prepared for him, he galloped off to Guadix, where he arrived safely the same morning, and presented himself to the governor of the castle, who was very far from suspecting what had happened. Mohammed was immediately waited upon by the chief inhabitants of the place who all swore to protect him, so that he not only reigned undisturbed over Guadix and its immediate neighbourhood, but soon found himself at the head of devoted followers who hastened to him from all parts.”

Meanwhile, his brother, the usurper, despatched an embassy to the King of Castile, offering to renew the treaty of peace then existing between the two countries. The Castilian King (Pedro I.), happening then to be at war with the people of Barcelona, readily assented to the proposal, and ratified the usurper’s occupation of Granada. Isma’il, however, did not long enjoy the power he had seized. He was besieged in the Alhambra by Abú ’Abdillah, afterwards Mohammed VI., taken prisoner, and put to death, together with his brother, Kayes, in 1360.

The history of the dethroned king, Mohammed V., is particularly interesting for the reason that he it was who put the finishing touches to the decoration of the Alhambra, after the work was interrupted by the assassination of his father, Yúsuf I.

Immediately upon the death of Isma’il, Mohammed VI. was proclaimed king, and reigned for about two years, at the end of which period, seeing himself pressed on the one side by the rightful sovereign who burned to revenge the outrage done to him and recover the throne of his ancestors; and harassed, on the other hand, by Pedro, King of Castile; he formed the strange

A VIEW OF THE ROYAL VILLA OF THE GENERALIFE AT GRANADA.

TRANSVERSE SECTION OF THE ROYAL VILLA OF THE GENERALIFE AT GRANADA.

resolution of throwing himself upon the protection of the latter, and repairing to his Court. “He might just as well,” says the Wizír, “have thrown himself into the jaws of a hungry tiger thirsting for blood, for no sooner had the infidel dog cast his eyes on the countless treasures which Mohammed and his chiefs had brought with them, than he conceived the wicked design of murdering them and appropriating their riches; on the second day of Rejeb, 763 (April 27,A.D. 1362) he was put to death with all his followers, at a place called Tablada, close to Seville.”

But to return to the dethroned Sultán, Mohammed V., whose history is highly romantic.

The people of Guadix continued their allegiance, protected his person, and swore to devote their lives to his cause. Pedro was but lukewarm in his behalf; and Mohammed, obtaining only vague promises from the Christian King, crossed over to Fez at the invitation of the Sultán of Western Africa (Ibnu-l-Khattíb, in his life of Mohammed V., gives the details of

THE GENERALIFE.

this journey), and made a public entrance into Fez, where he was received with every mark of distinction.

After a long sojourn with the Sultán, Mohammed returned to Andalus in great state with a large number of followers, his adherents greatly increasing on his arrival at Guadix. All ranks flocked to his standard, the presence of the long-absent and popular sovereign infusing new vigour amongst the troops. The whole of theGharbia, or Western districts, submitted to him. Hewas then enabled to take Malaga and to march upon Granada, which surrendered without opposition, and he thus saw himself once again in possession of his dominions. His triumphant entry into Granada took place April 6th,A.D.1362, immediately before the death of the usurper, Mohammed VI., at the hands of King Pedro.

Mohammed V. reigned until the year 1391, when he was succeeded by his son, Yúsuf II.

To reach the summer resort of the Moorish Kings from the Alhambra, the better way is to leave the Palace by theTorre del Picos—Tower of the Peaks, or minarets—and thus approach the tall white towers and long arcades of the Generalife. To wander amidst its gardens and groves in the most sultry season is to enjoy a still more breezy region than that of the Alhambra.

The Generalife is a confluence of waters: the canal of the Darro empties its full virgin stream, and at times boils under evergreen arches through the Acequia Court.[14]In contemplation of its beauty, the present is forgotten in the past; old-world echoes still reverberate through the bemyrtled Courts, where the many flowers which enamel its terraces and aqueducts tranquilly attest that once a garden smiled:

“Cypress and ivy, weed and wall-flower grownMatted and mass’d together, hillocks heap’dOn what were chambers, arch crush’d, column strownIn fragments, chok’d up vaults, and frescos steep’dIn subterranean damps, where the owl peep’d,Deeming it midnight: Temples, baths, or halls?Pronounce who can; for all that Learning reap’dFrom her research hath been, that these are walls—”Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, Canto IV.

GARDEN OF THE GENERALIFE.

PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE GARDEN OF THE GENERALIFE.

ELEVATION AND GROUND PLAN OF THE PORTICO OF THE GENERALIFE.

What is pointed out as “the trysting place of the Sultána,” is a grove of cypress trees, enormous in their proportions, and old as the Moors themselves. The beautiful Zoraya, surnamed “The Morning Star,” to whom reference has been already made, is said to have been discovered under their spreading branches with her lover, the Abencerrage, but this is a calumny of theRomanceros, and they are false witnesses. The tradition is, but with little to substantiate it, that the Sultána was condemned to be burnt alive, if,

MOSAIC, PORTICO OF THE GENERALIFE.

within thirty days, she did not produce four knights to defend her cause against her four accusers. The fatal day arrived; no knights appeared, when, just at the supreme moment, there came upon the scene Don Juan de Chacon, Lord of Carthagena (whom she had implored to become her champion) accompanied by three other Christian knights, all in Saracenic armour. They fought and conquered, and the last of the conspirators, with his dying breath, confessed his invention of the false charge against the Abencerrage and the innocent Sultána.

The reader who is desirous of perusing the circumstantial narrative of this supposed transaction may be referred to thelate Mr. Henry Swinburne’s account in hisTravels in Spain, while Mr. Peyron, in hisEssays on Spain, has given a translation of an Arabian document purporting to be an official report concerning it.

Upon the naked summit of the height above the Generalife are some shapeless ruins, known as theSilla del Moro—the seat of the Moor—said to have been a point of observation of Boabdil, the Unlucky, while an insurrection was raging in the city below. An apocryphal portrait of Boabdil,El Rey Chico, hangs in the picture gallery of the Generalife. The face is mild, handsome, and somewhat melancholy, with a fair complexion and yellow hair. Other indifferent paintings are to be seen in the gallery, including those of Ferdinand and Isabella. The genealogical tree of the Marquis of Campotejar of the Grimalda Gentili family, better known as Pallavicini, of Genoa, is exhibited in the picture gallery. The villa now belongs to the Marquis, who, being an absentee, has placed the palace under the care of anadministrador. The founder of the Grimaldi family was one Cidi Aya, a Moorish prince, who was of service to Ferdinand on the expulsion of the Moors, at which time he became a Christian knight under the name of Don Pedro. His son, Don Aixa, is represented in the pedigree hanging in the picture gallery, trampling, like a renegade, on the ensigns of his ancestors. An enormous weapon, traditionally known as “The Sword of Boabdil,” having a beautifully enamelled sheath enriched with gold and silver work, is preserved in the office of the Italian Consulate at Granada.

The decorations of the Generalife are in no respect inferior to those of the Alhambra; the wood-work is ofnogal, or Spanish chestnut, and, where it has not been wantonly injured, is in its original condition. It is thought that the Moors preserved their wood-work by coating it with a substance called

FRONT VIEW OF THE PORTICO OF THE GENERALIFE.

A CEILING IN THE GENERALIFE.

THE GENERALIFE.ENTRANCE TO THE GALLERY OF RETRATOS (PORTRAIT GALLERY).

THE GENERALIFE.

ENTRANCE TO THE GALLERY OF RETRATOS (PORTRAIT GALLERY).

THE GENERALIFE.GALLERY IN THE ACEQUIA COURT.

THE GENERALIFE.

GALLERY IN THE ACEQUIA COURT.

colleandalmaqu,i.e., size mixed with a reddish earth, and rendered obnoxious to insects. The black lines which ornament the wood-work are believed to have been traced with a hot iron.

GALLERY IN THE GENERALIFE.

Nothing can exceed the symmetry of the Portico of the Generalife. The columns are of white marble, surmounted by arches and arabesques. The inscription, many times repeated, and running along the whole front of the Portico, is that which occurs so frequently in the Alhambra, “There is noconqueror but God.” The dado has a very rich effect, the colours being black, blue, gold, scarlet, and green.

The transverse section of the Royal Villa, shown in the plate at p. 411, gives an idea of the beauty of the interior decorations. The ceiling of the chief apartment is achef-d’œuvreof Arabian workmanship; the exquisite delicacy and consummate taste displayed by the artist must be seen before a full appreciation can be acquired. The ceiling is delineated at p. 425.

The Acequia Court reminds the observer of the Court of the Fishpond; or of Myrtles, in the Alhambra. Although of no such great dimensions, similar arcades, galleries, and fountains, are here seen in profusion. The slender pillars and gossamer-perforated fabrics are, as in the case of the greater Palace, like nothing so much as our conception of fairy-work, rather a dream of beauty than the production of human hands.

Halfway down the Zacatin, which was, in Moorish times, the bazaar, or market, of Granada—then alive with busy silversmiths, and with silk merchants, who offered the most wondrous productions of the loom—stands whatever remains of the elegant palace known as the Charcoal House, from having been appropriated to the sale of that commonplace article. The edifice, until recent times, bore the name by which it had been known for centuries, viz.:La Casa del Gallo de Viento—The Weather-cock House.

There is a tradition that the palace was built by Bàdìs Ibn Hàbus, the third Sultàn of Granada of the Zeyrite dynasty, about 1070A.D., by whose direction a vane was made in the

THE ACEQUIA COURT, IN THE GENERALIFE.

THE ACEQUIA COURT IN THE GENERALIFE, FROM THE MAIN ENTRANCE.

THE ACEQUIA COURT IN THE GENERALIFE.

A CORNER OF THE ACEQUIA COURT IN THE GENERALIFE.

CYPRESS COURT IN THE GENERALIFE.

GALLERY OF THE ACEQUIA COURT IN THE GENERALIFE.

shape of a warrior mounted on a steed, with a shield and levelled spear in his hands.Al-makkarìtells us that he read in the manuscript of a learned Moorish historian the following anecdote concerning it: “I was told by theFaquih Sìdì Hasan... that he was present at the taking down of the talisman, known as the weather-cock, which once stood on the top of the oldKassabah—fortified enclosure—at Granada, and was removed on account of the improvements and repairs about to be made in that building. I saw it with my own eyes; it was of heptagonal shape, and bore the following Arabic inscription in verse:

“The palace at fair Granada presents to the eye of the observer a talisman turning round with the succession of time.

“The horseman on its weather-cock, although a solid body, turns with every wind.

“This to the wise man, reveals many a mystery.

“Indeed, after subsisting a short time, a calamity shall come which shall ruin both the palace and its owner.

“Thus shall Andalus vanish one day!”

The archway-entrance to theCasa del Carbonis very richly decorated, as may be seen by the illustration at p. 443, but the interior has been greatly interfered with and disfigured. Below, is a subterranean passage, said to communicate with the Alhambra; but the Duke d’Abrantes, who owned theCasa, regarded such means of communication as “uncanny,” and blocked up the passage. An inspection of the Arabic title-deeds to this interesting property, which are still extant, would amply repay the pains of conveyancing amateurs.

La Casa Sanchez, so-called from having been the dwelling of an honest muleteer of that name, was once one of the mostpicturesque and most Moorish of dwellings. But, alas! in the year 1837, the whole front was “restored” and “beautified,” and an ancient fish-pond, similar to that of the Court of Myrtles, was filled up and converted into a garden by one of the resident officers of the Palace. The ruthlessempleado, who caused the Moorish doors of the Hall of the Abencerrages to be sawn asunder, permitted also this outrage by a man of equal

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