part03-第1章

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Inhabitants　of　the　Alhambra。



　　I　HAVE　often　observed　that　the　more　proudly　a　mansion　has　been

tenanted　in　the　day　of　its　prosperity；　the　humbler　are　its　inhabitants

in　the　day　of　its　decline；　and　that　the　palace　of　a　king　commonly　ends

in　being　the　nestling…place　of　the　beggar。

　　The　Alhambra　is　in　a　rapid　state　of　similar　transition。　Whenever　a

tower　falls　to　decay；　it　is　seized　upon　by　some　tatterdemalion　family；

who　become　joint…tenants；　with　the　bats　and　owls；　of　its　gilded　halls；

and　hang　their　rags；　those　standards　of　poverty；　out　of　its　windows

and　loopholes。

　　I　have　amused　myself　with　remarking　some　of　the　motley　characters

that　have　thus　usurped　the　ancient　abode　of　royalty；　and　who　seem　as

if　placed　here　to　give　a　farcical　termination　to　the　drama　of　human

pride。　One　of　these　even　bears　the　mockery　of　a　regal　title。　It　is　a

little　old　woman　named　Maria　Antonia　Sabonea；　but　who　goes　by　the

appellation　of　la　Reyna　Coquina；　or　the　Cockle…queen。　She　is　small

enough　to　be　a　fairy；　and　a　fairy　she　may　be　for　aught　I　can　find　out；

for　no　one　seems　to　know　her　origin。　Her　habitation　is　in　a　kind　of

closet　under　the　outer　staircase　of　the　palace；　and　she　sits　in　the

cool　stone　corridor；　plying　her　needle　and　singing　from　morning　till

night；　with　a　ready　joke　for　every　one　that　passes；　for　though　one

of　the　poorest；　she　is　one　of　the　merriest　little　women　breathing。　Her

great　merit　is　a　gift　for　story…telling；　having；　I　verily　believe；

as　many　stories　at　her　command；　as　the　inexhaustible　Scheherezade　of

the　thousand　and　one　nights。　Some　of　these　I　have　heard　her　relate

in　the　evening　tertulias　of　Dame　Antonia；　at　which　she　is　occasionally

a　humble　attendant。

　　That　there　must　be　some　fairy　gift　about　this　mysterious　little

old　woman；　would　appear　from　her　extraordinary　luck；　since；

notwithstanding　her　being　very　little；　very　ugly；　and　very　poor；　she

has　had；　according　to　her　own　account；　five　husbands　and　a　half；

reckoning　as　a　half　one　a　young　dragoon；　who　died　during　courtship。

A　rival　personage　to　this　little　fairy　queen　is　a　portly　old　fellow

with　a　bottle…nose；　who　goes　about　in　a　rusty　garb　with　a　cocked　hat

of　oil…skin　and　a　red　cockade。　He　is　one　of　the　legitimate　sons　of　the

Alhambra；　and　has　lived　here　all　his　life；　filling　various　offices；

such　as　deputy　alguazil；　sexton　of　the　parochial　church；　and　marker　of

a　fives…court　established　at　the　foot　of　one　of　the　towers。　He　is　as

poor　as　a　rat；　but　as　proud　as　he　is　ragged；　boasting　of　his　descent

from　the　illustrious　house　of　Aguilar；　from　which　sprang　Gonzalvo　of

Cordova；　the　grand　captain。　Nay；　he　actually　bears　the　name　of

Alonzo　de　Aguilar；　so　renowned　in　the　history　of　the　conquest；

though　the　graceless　wags　of　the　fortress　have　given　him　the　title

of　el　padre　santo；　or　the　holy　father；　the　usual　appellation　of　the

Pope；　which　I　had　thought　too　sacred　in　the　eyes　of　true　Catholics

to　be　thus　ludicrously　applied。　It　is　a　whimsical　caprice　of　fortune

to　present；　in　the　grotesque　person　of　this　tatterdemalion；　a　namesake

and　descendant　of　the　proud　Alonzo　de　Aguilar；　the　mirror　of

Andalusian　chivalry；　leading　an　almost　mendicant　existence　about

this　once　haughty　fortress；　which　his　ancestor　aided　to　reduce；　yet；

such　might　have　been　the　lot　of　the　descendants　of　Agamemnon　and

Achilles；　had　they　lingered　about　the　ruins　of　Troy！

　　Of　this　motley　community；　I　find　the　family　of　my　gossiping

squire；　Mateo　Ximenes；　to　form；　from　their　numbers　at　least；　a　very

important　part。　His　boast　of　being　a　son　of　the　Alhambra；　is　not

unfounded。　His　family　has　inhabited　the　fortress　ever　since　the　time

of　the　conquest；　handing　down　an　hereditary　poverty　from　father　to

son；　not　one　of　them　having　ever　been　known　to　be　worth　a　maravedi。

His　father；　by　trade　a　ribbon…weaver；　and　who　succeeded　the　historical

tailor　as　the　head　of　the　family；　is　now　near　seventy　years　of　age；

and　lives　in　a　hovel　of　reeds　and　plaster；　built　by　his　own　hands；

just　above　the　iron　gate。　The　furniture　consists　of　a　crazy　bed；　a

table；　and　two　or　three　chairs；　a　wooden　chest；　containing；　besides

his　scanty　clothing；　the　〃archives　of　the　family。〃　These　are　nothing

more　nor　less　than　the　papers　of　various　lawsuits　sustained　by

different　generations；　by　which　it　would　seem　that；　with　all　their

apparent　carelessness　and　good　humor；　they　are　a　litigious　brood。　Most

of　the　suits　have　been　brought　against　gossiping　neighbors　for

questioning　the　purity　of　their　blood；　and　denying　their　being

Cristianos　viejos；　i。　e。　old　Christians；　without　Jewish　or　Moorish

taint。　In　fact；　I　doubt　whether　this　jealousy　about　their　blood　has

not　kept　them　so　poor　in　purse：　spending　all　their　earnings　on

escribanos　and　alguazils。　The　pride　of　the　hovel　is　an　escutcheon

suspended　against　the　wall；　in　which　are　emblazoned　quarterings　of　the

arms　of　the　Marquis　of　Caiesedo；　and　of　various　other　noble　houses；

with　which　this　poverty…stricken　brood　claim　affinity。

　　As　to　Mateo　himself；　who　is　now　about　thirty…five　years　of　age；　he

has　done　his　utmost　to　perpetuate　his　line　and　continue　the　poverty　of

the　family；　having　a　wife　and　a　numerous　progeny；　who　inhabit　an

almost　dismantled　hovel　in　the　hamlet。　How　they　manage　to　subsist；

he　only　who　sees　into　all　mysteries　can　tell；　the　subsistence　of　a

Spanish　family　of　the　kind；　is　always　a　riddle　to　me；　yet　they　do

subsist；　and　what　is　more；　appear　to　enjoy　their　existence。　The　wife

takes　her　holiday　stroll　on　the　Paseo　of　Granada；　with　a　child　in

her　arms　and　half　a　dozen　at　her　heels；　and　the　eldest　daughter；　now

verging　into　womanhood；　dresses　her　hair　with　flowers；　and　dances

gayly　to　the　castanets。

　　There　are　two　classes　of　people　to　whom　life　seems　one　long　holiday；

the　very　rich；　and　the　very　poor；　one　because　they　need　do　nothing；

the　other　because　they　have　nothing　to　do；　but　there　are　none　who

understand　the　art　of　doing　nothing　and　living　upon　nothing；　better

than　the　poor　classes　of　Spain。　Climate　does　one　half；　and　temperament

the　rest。　Give　a　Spaniard　the　shade　in　summer；　and　the　sun　in

winter；　a　little　bread；　garlic；　oil；　and　garbances；　an　old　brown　cloak

and　a　guitar；　and　let　the　world　roll　on　as　it　pleases。　Talk　of

poverty！　with　him　it　has　no　disgrace。　It　sits　upon　him　with　a

grandiose　style；　like　his　ragged　cloak。　He　is　a　hidalgo；　even　when

in　rags。

　　The　〃sons　of　the　Alhambra〃　are　an　eminent　illustration　of　this

practical　philosophy。　As　the　Moors　imagined　that　the　celestial

paradise　hung　over　this　favored　spot；　so　I　am　inclined　at　times　to

fancy；　that　a　gleam　of　the　golden　age　still　lingers　about　this

ragged　community。　They　possess　nothing；　they　do　nothing；　they　care　for

nothing。　Yet；　though　apparently　idle　all　the　week；　they　are　as

observant　of　all　holy　days　and　saints'　days　as　the　most　laborious

artisan。　They　attend　all　fetes　and　dancings　in　Granada　and　its

vicinity；　light　bonfires　on　the　hills　on　St。　John's　eve；　and　dance

away　the　moonlight　nights　on　the　harvest…home　of　a　small　field

within　the　precincts　of　the　fortress；　which　yields　a　few　bushels　of

wheat。

　　Before　concluding　these　remarks；　I　must　mention　one　of　the

amusements　of　the　place　which　has　particularly　struck　me。　I　had

repeatedly　observed　a　long　lean　fellow　perched　on　the　top　of　one　of

the　towers；　manoeuvring　two　or　three　fishing…rods；　as　though　he　were

angling　for　the　stars。　I　was　for　some　time　perplexed　by　the　evolutions

of　this　aerial　fisherman；　and　my　perplexity　increased　on　observing

others　employed　in　like　manner　on　different　parts　of　the　battlements

and　bastions；　it　was　not　until　I　consulted　Mateo　Ximenes；　that　I

solved　the　mystery。

　　It　seems　that　the　pure　and　airy　situation　of　this　fortress　has

rendered　it；　like　the　castle　of　Macbeth；　a　prolific　breeding…place　for

swallows　and　martlets；　who　sport　about　its　towers　in　myriads；　with　the

holiday　glee　of　urchins　just　let　loose　from　school。　To　entrap　these

birds　in　their　gi