part03-第5章

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　　Alhamar　retained　his　faculties　and　vigor　to　an　advanced　age。　In

his　seventy…ninth　year　（A。　D。　1272）　he　took　the　field　on　horseback；

accompanied　by　the　flower　of　his　chivalry；　to　resist　an　invasion　of

his　territories。　As　the　army　sallied　forth　from　Granada；　one　of　the

principal　adalides；　or　guides；　who　rode　in　the　advance；　accidentally

broke　his　lance　against　the　arch　of　the　gate。　The　councillors　of　the

king；　alarmed　by　this　circumstance；　which　was　considered　an　evil　omen；

entreated　him　to　return。　Their　supplications　were　in　vain。　The　king

persisted；　and　at　noontide　the　omen；　say　the　Moorish　chroniclers；

was　fatally　fulfilled。　Alhamar　was　suddenly　struck　with　illness；　and

had　nearly　fallen　from　his　horse。　He　was　placed　on　a　litter；　and　borne

back　towards　Granada　but　his　illness　increased　to　such　a　degree　that

they　were　obliged　to　pitch　his　tent　in　the　Vega。　His　physicians　were

filled　with　consternation；　not　knowing　what　remedy　to　prescribe。　In

a　few　hours　he　died；　vomiting　blood　and　in　violent　convulsions。　The

Castilian　prince；　Don　Philip；　brother　of　Alonzo　X；　was　by　his　side

when　he　expired。　His　body　was　embalmed；　enclosed　in　a　silver　coffin；

and　buried　in　the　Alhambra　in　a　sepulchre　of　precious　marble；　amidst

the　unfeigned　lamentations　of　his　subjects；　who　bewailed　him　as　a

parent。

　　I　have　said　that　he　was　the　first　of　the　illustrious　line　of　Nasar

that　sat　upon　a　throne。　I　may　add　that　he　was　the　founder　of　a

brilliant　kingdom；　which　will　ever　be　famous　in　history　and　romance；

as　the　last　rallying　place；　of　Moslem　power　and　splendor　in　the

peninsula。　Though　his　undertakings　were　vast；　and　his　expenditures

immense；　yet　his　treasury　was　always　full；　and　this　seeming

contradiction　gave　rise　to　the　story　that　he　was　versed　in　magic

art；　and　possessed　of　the　secret　for　transmuting　baser　metals　into

gold。　Those　who　have　attended　to　his　domestic　policy；　as　here　set

forth；　will　easily　understand　the　natural　magic　and　simple　alchemy

which　made　his　ample　treasury　to　overflow。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Yusef　Abul　Hagig。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Finisher　of　the　Alhambra。



　　TO　THE　foregoing　particulars；　concerning　the　Moslem　princes　who　once

reigned　in　these　halls；　I　shall　add　a　brief　notice　of　the　monarch

who　completed　and　embellished　the　Alhambra。　Yusef　Abul　Hagig　（or　as　it

is　sometimes　written；　Haxis）　was　another　prince　of　the　noble　line　of

Nasar。　He　ascended　the　throne　of　Granada　in　the　year　of　grace　1333；

and　is　described　by　Moslem　writers　as　having　a　noble　presence；　great

bodily　strength；　and　a　fair　complexion；　and　the　majesty　of　his

countenance　increased；　say　they；　by　suffering　his　beard　to　grow　to　a

dignified　length　and　dying　it　black。　His　manners　were　gentle；　affable；

and　urbane；　he　carried　the　benignity　of　his　nature　into　warfare；

prohibiting　all　wanton　cruelty；　and　enjoining　mercy　and　protection

towards　women　and　children；　the　aged　and　infirm；　and　all　friars　and

other　persons　of　holy　and　recluse　life。　But　though　he　possessed　the

courage　common　to　generous　spirits；　the　bent　of　his　genius　was　more

for　peace　than　war；　and　though　repeatedly　obliged　by　circumstances

to　take　up　arms；　he　was　generally　unfortunate。

　　Among　other　ill…starred　enterprises；　he　undertook　a　great

campaign；　in　conjunction　with　the　king　of　Morocco；　against　the　kings

of　Castile　and　Portugal；　but　was　defeated　in　the　memorable　battle　of

Salado；　which　had　nearly　proved　a　death…blow　to　the　Moslem　power　in

Spain。

　　Yusef　obtained　a　long　truce　after　this　defeat；　and　now　his　character

shone　forth　in　its　true　lustre。　He　had　an　excellent　memory；　and　had

stored　his　mind　with　science　and　erudition；　his　taste　was　altogether

elegant　and　refined；　and　he　was　accounted　the　best　poet　of　his　time。

Devoting　himself　to　the　instruction　of　his　people　and　the

improvement　of　their　morals　and　manners；　he　established　schools　in　all

the　villages；　with　simple　and　uniform　systems　of　education；　he　obliged

every　hamlet　of　more　than　twelve　houses　to　have　a　mosque；　and　purified

the　ceremonies　of　religion；　and　the　festivals　and　popular

amusements；　from　various　abuses　and　indecorums　which　had　crept　into

them。　He　attended　vigilantly　to　the　police　of　the　city；　establishing

nocturnal　guards　and　patrols；　and　superintending　all　municipal

concerns。　His　attention　was　also　directed　towards　finishing　the

great　architectural　works　commenced　by　his　predecessors；　and

erecting　others　on　his　own　plans。　The　Alhambra；　which　had　been　founded


by　the　good　Alhamar；　was　now　completed。　Yusef　constructed　the

beautiful　Gate　of　Justice；　forming　the　grand　entrance　to　the　fortress；

which　he　finished　in　1348。　He　likewise　adorned　many　of　the　courts

and　halls　of　the　palace；　as　may　be　seen　by　the　inscriptions　on　the

walls；　in　which　his　name　repeatedly　occurs。　He　built　also　the　noble

Alcazar　or　citadel　of　Malaga；　now　unfortunately　a　mere　mass　of

crumbling　ruins；　but　which　most　probably　exhibited　in　its　interior；

similar　elegance　and　magnificence　with　the　Alhambra。

　　The　genius　of　a　sovereign　stamps　a　character　upon　his　time。　The

nobles　of　Granada；　imitating　the　elegant　and　graceful　taste　of

Yusef；　soon　filled　the　city　of　Granada　with　magnificent　palaces；　the

halls　of　which　were　paved　with　mosaic；　the　walls　and　ceilings

wrought　in　fretwork；　and　delicately　gilded　and　painted　with　azure；

vermilion；　and　other　brilliant　colors；　or　minutely　inlaid　with　cedar

and　other　precious　woods；　specimens　of　which　have　survived；　in　all

their　lustre；　the　lapse　of　several　centuries。　Many　of　the　houses　had

fountains；　which　threw　up　jets　of　water　to　refresh　and　cool　the　air。

They　had　lofty　towers　also；　of　wood　or　stone；　curiously　carved　and

ornamented；　and　covered　with　plates　of　metal　that　glittered　in　the

sun。　Such　was　the　refined　and　delicate　taste　in　architecture　that

prevailed　among　this　elegant　people；　insomuch　that　to　use　the

beautiful　simile　of　an　Arabian　writer；　〃Granada；　in　the　days　of　Yusef；

was　as　a　silver　vase　filled　with　emeralds　and　jacinths。〃

　　One　anecdote　will　be　sufficient　to　show　the　magnanimity　of　this

generous　prince。　The　long　truce　which　had　succeeded　the　battle　of

Salado　was　at　an　end；　and　every　effort　of　Yusef　to　renew　it　was　in

vain。　His　deadly　foe；　Alfonzo　XI　of　Castile；　took　the　field　with　great

force；　and　laid　siege　to　Gibraltar。　Yusef　reluctantly　took　up　arms；

and　sent　troops　to　the　relief　of　the　place。　In　the　midst　of　his

anxiety；　he　received　tidings　that　his　dreaded　foe　had　suddenly

fallen　a　victim　to　the　plague。　Instead　of　manifesting　exultation　on

the　occasion；　Yusef　called　to　mind　the　great　qualities　of　the

deceased；　and　was　touched　with　a　noble　sorrow。　〃Alas！〃　cried　he；

〃the　world　has　lost　one　of　its　most　excellent　princes；　a　sovereign　who

knew　how　to　honor　merit；　whether　in　friend　or　foe！〃

　　The　Spanish　chroniclers　themselves　bear　witness　to　this　magnanimity。

According　to　their　accounts；　the　Moorish　cavaliers　partook　of　the

sentiment　of　their　king；　and　put　on　mourning　for　the　death　of　Alfonzo。

Even　those　of　Gibraltar；　who　had　been　so　closely　invested；　when　they

knew　that　the　hostile　monarch　lay　dead　in　his　camp；　determined　among

themselves　that　no　hostile　movement　should　be　made　against　the

Christians。　The　day　on　which　the　camp　was　broken　up；　and　the　army

departed　bearing　the　corpse　of　Alfonzo；　the　Moors　issued　in　multitudes

from　Gibraltar；　and　stood　mute　and　melancholy；　watching　the　mournful

pageant。　The　same　reverence　for　the　deceased　was　observed　by　all　the

Moorish　commanders　on　the　frontiers；　who　suffered　the　funeral　train　to

pass　in　safety；　bearing　the　corpse　of　the　Christian　sovereign　from

Gibraltar　to　Seville。*



　　*　Y　los　moros　que　estaban　en　la　villa　y　Castillo　de　Gibraltar

despues　que　sopieron　que　el　Rey　Don　Alonzo　era　muerto；　ordenaron

entresi　que　ninguno　non　fuesse　osado　de　fazer　ningun　movimiento　contra

los　Christianos；　ni　mover　pelear　contra　ellos；　estovieron　todos　quedos

y　dezian　entre　ellos　qui　aquel　dia　muriera　un　noble　rey　y　Gran

principe