part03-第6章

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

principe　del　mundo。

　　＇And　the　Moors　that　were　in　the　city　and　Castle　of　Gibraltar；

after　they　knew　that　King　Don　Alonzo　was　dead；　ordered　among

themselves　that　no　one　should　dare　to　make　any　move　against　the

Christians；　nor　to　start　fighting　against　them；　and　they　all

remained　quiet　and　told　each　other　that　on　that　day　had　died　a　noble

king　and　a　great　prince　of　the　world。＇



　　Yusef　did　not　long　survive　the　enemy　he　had　so　generously

deplored。　In　the　year　1354；　as　he　was　one　day　praying　in　the　royal

mosque　of　the　Alhambra；　a　maniac　rushed　suddenly　from　behind　and

plunged　a　dagger　in　his　side。　The　cries　of　the　king　brought　his　guards

and　courtiers　to　his　assistance。　They　found　him　weltering　in　his

blood。　He　made　some　signs　as　if　to　speak；　but　his　words　were

unintelligible。　They　bore　him　senseless　to　the　royal　apartments；　where

he　expired　almost　immediately。　The　murderer　was　cut　to　pieces；　and　his

limbs　burnt　in　public　to　gratify　the　fury　of　the　populace。

　　The　body　of　the　king　was　interred　in　a　superb　sepulchre　of　white

marble；　a　long　epitaph；　in　letters　of　gold　upon　an　azure　ground；

recorded　his　virtues。　〃Here　lies　a　king　and　martyr；　of　an

illustrious　line；　gentle；　learned；　and　virtuous；　renowned　for　the

graces　of　his　person　and　his　manners；　whose　clemency；　piety　and

benevolence；　were　extolled　throughout　the　kingdom　of　Granada。　He　was　a

great　prince；　an　illustrious　captain；　a　sharp　sword　of　the　Moslems；

a　valiant　standard…bearer　among　the　most　potent　monarchs；〃　&c。

　　The　mosque　still　exists　which　once　resounded　with　the　dying　cries　of

Yusef；　but　the　monument　which　recorded　his　virtues　has　long　since

disappeared。　His　name；　however；　remains　inscribed　among　the　delicate

and　graceful　ornaments　of　the　Alhambra；　and　will　be　perpetuated　in

connection　with　this　renowned　pile；　which　it　was　his　pride　and　delight

to　beautify。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Mysterious　Chambers。



　　AS　I　WAS　rambling　one　day　about　the　Moorish　halls；　my　attention　was；

for　the　first　time；　attracted　to　a　door　in　a　remote　gallery；

communicating　apparently　with　some　part　of　the　Alhambra　which　I　had

not　yet　explored。　I　attempted　to　open　it；　but　it　was　locked。　I

knocked；　but　no　one　answered；　and　the　sound　seemed　to　reverberate

through　empty　chambers。　Here　then　was　a　mystery。　Here　was　the

haunted　wing　of　the　castle。　How　was　I　to　get　at　the　dark　secrets

here　shut　up　from　the　public　eye？　Should　I　come　privately　at　night

with　lamp　and　sword；　according　to　the　prying　custom　of　heroes　of

romance；　or　should　I　endeavor　to　draw　the　secret　from　Pepe　the

stuttering　gardener；　or　the　ingenuous　Dolores；　or　the　loquacious

Mateo？　Or　should　I　go　frankly　and　openly　to　Dame　Antonia　the

chatelaine；　and　ask　her　all　about　it？　I　chose　the　latter　course；　as

being　the　simplest　though　the　least　romantic；　and　found；　somewhat　to

my　disappointment；　that　there　was　no　mystery　in　the　case。　I　was

welcome　to　explore　the　apartment；　and　there　was　the　key。

　　Thus　provided；　I　returned　forthwith　to　the　door。　It　opened；　as　I　had

surmised；　to　a　range　of　vacant　chambers；　but　they　were　quite　different

from　the　rest　of　the　palace。　The　architecture；　though　rich　and

antiquated；　was　European。　There　was　nothing　Moorish　about　it。　The

first　two　rooms　were　lofty；　the　ceilings；　broken　in　many　places；

were　of　cedar；　deeply　panelled　and　skilfully　carved　with　fruits　and

flowers；　intermingled　with　grotesque　masks　or　faces。

　　The　walls　had　evidently　in　ancient　times　been　hung　with　damask；

but　now　were　naked；　and　scrawled　over　by　that　class　of　aspiring

travellers　who　defile　noble　monuments　with　their　worthless　names。

The　windows；　dismantled　and　open　to　wind　and　weather；　looked　out

into　a　charming　little　secluded　garden；　where　an　alabaster　fountain

sparkled　among　roses　and　myrtles；　and　was　surrounded　by　orange　and

citron　trees；　some　of　which　flung　their　branches　into　the　chambers。

Beyond　these　rooms　were　two　saloons；　longer　but　less　lofty；　looking

also　into　the　garden。　In　the　compartments　of　the　panelled　ceilings

were　baskets　of　fruit　and　garlands　of　flowers；　painted　by　no　mean

hand；　and　in　tolerable　preservation。　The　walls　also　had　been　painted

in　fresco　in　the　Italian　style；　but　the　paintings　were　nearly

obliterated；　the　windows　were　in　the　same　shattered　state　with　those

of　the　other　chambers。　This　fanciful　suite　of　rooms　terminated　in　an

open　gallery　with　balustrades；　running　at　right　angles　along　another

side　of　the　garden。　The　whole　apartment；　so　delicate　and　elegant　in

its　decorations；　so　choice　and　sequestered　in　its　situation　along　this

retired　little　garden；　and　so　different　in　architecture　from　the

neighboring　halls；　awakened　an　interest　in　its　history。　I　found　on

inquiry　that　it　was　an　apartment　fitted　up　by　Italian　artists　in　the

early　part　of　the　last　century；　at　the　time　when　Philip　V　and　his

second　wife；　the　beautiful　Elizabetta　of　Farnese；　daughter　of　the　Duke

of　Parma；　were　expected　at　the　Alhambra。　It　was　destined　for　the　queen

and　the　ladies　of　her　train。　One　of　the　loftiest　chambers　had　been　her

sleeping　room。　A　narrow　staircase；　now　walled　up；　led　up　to　a

delightful　belvidere；　originally　a　mirador　of　the　Moorish　sultanas；

communicating　with　the　harem；　but　which　was　fitted　up　as　a　boudoir　for

the　fair　Elizabetta；　and　still　retains　the　name　of　el　tocador　de　la

Reyna；　or　the　queen's　toilette。

　　One　window　of　the　royal　sleeping…room　commanded　a　prospect　of　the

Generalife　and　its　embowered　terraces；　another　looked　out　into　the

little　secluded　garden　I　have　mentioned；　which　was　decidedly　Moorish

in　its　character；　and　also　had　its　history。　It　was　in　fact　the

garden　of　Lindaraxa；　so　often　mentioned　in　descriptions　of　the

Alhambra；　but　who　this　Lindaraxa　was　I　have　never　heard　explained。　A

little　research　gave　me　the　few　particulars　known　about　her。　She　was　a

Moorish　beauty　who　flourished　in　the　court　of　Muhamed　the　Left…handed；

and　was　the　daughter　of　his　loyal　adherent；　the　alcayde　of　Malaga；　who

sheltered　him　in　his　city　when　driven　from　the　throne。　On　regaining

his　crown；　the　alcayde　was　rewarded　for　his　fidelity。　His　daughter　had

her　apartment　in　the　Alhambra；　and　was　given　by　the　king　in　marriage

to　Nasar；　a　young　Cetimerien　prince　descended　from　Aben　Hud　the

Just。　Their　espousals　were　doubtless　celebrated　in　the　royal　palace；

and　their　honeymoon　may　have　passed　among　these　very　bowers。*



　　*　Una　de　las　cosas　en　que　tienen　precisa　intervencion　los　Reyes

Moros　es　en　el　matrimonio　de　sus　grandes：　de　aqui　nace　que　todos　los

senores　llegadas　a　la　persona　real　si　casan　en　palacio；　y　siempre　huvo

su　quarto　destinado　para　esta　ceremonia。

　　One　of　the　things　in　which　the　Moorish　kings　interfered　was　in　the

marriage　of　their　nobles：　hence　it　came　that　all　the　senores

attached　to　the　royal　person　were　married　in　the　palace；　and　there　was

always　a　chamber　destined　for　the　ceremony。…　Paseos　por　Granada。



　　Four　centuries　had　elapsed　since　the　fair　Lindaraxa　passed　away；　yet

how　much　of　the　fragile　beauty　of　the　scenes　she　inhabited　remained！

The　garden　still　bloomed　in　which　she　delighted；　the　fountain　still

presented　the　crystal　mirror　in　which　her　charms　may　once　have　been

reflected；　the　alabaster；　it　is　true；　had　lost　its　whiteness；　the

basin　beneath；　overrun　with　weeds；　had　become　the　lurking…place　of　the

lizard；　but　there　was　something　in　the　very　decay　that　enhanced　the

interest　of　the　scene；　speaking　as　it　did　of　that　mutability；　the

irrevocable　lot　of　man　and　all　his　works。

　　The　desolation　too　of　these　chambers；　once　the　abode　of　the　proud

and　elegant　Elizabetta；　had　a　more　touching　charm　for　me　than　if　I　had

beheld　them　in　their　pristine　splendor；　glittering　with　the

pageantry　of　a　court。

　　When　I　returned　to　my　quarters；　in　the　governor's　apartment；　every

thing　seemed　tame　and　common…place　after　the　poetic　region　I　had　left。

The　thought　suggested　itself：　Why　could　I　not　change　my　quart