part05-第4章

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but；　when　times　grow　better；　or　sufficient　money　has　been　hoarded

for　the　purpose；　they　are　resumed　with　new　zeal　and　prodigality。

　　Mateo　informed　me　that　he　had　occasionally　assisted　at　these　fetes

and　taken　a　part　in　the　combats；　but　always　on　the　side　of　the　true

faith；　〃Porque　senor；〃　added　the　ragged　descendant　of　the　cardinal

Ximenes；　tapping　his　breast　with　something　of　an　air；　〃porque　senor；

soy　Cristiano　viejo。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Local　Traditions。



　　THE　COMMON　people　of　Spain　have　an　Oriental　passion　for

story…telling；　and　are　fond　of　the　marvellous。　They　will　gather

round　the　doors　of　their　cottages　in　summer　evenings；　or　in　the

great　cavernous　chimney…corners　of　the　ventas　in　the　winter；　and

listen　with　insatiable　delight　to　miraculous　legends　of　saints；

perilous　adventures　of　travellers；　and　daring　exploits　of　robbers

and　contrabandistas。　The　wild　and　solitary　character　of　the　country；

the　imperfect　diffusion　of　knowledge；　the　scarceness　of　general　topics

of　conversation；　and　the　romantic　adventurous　life　that　every　one

leads　in　a　land　where　travelling　is　yet　in　its　primitive　state；　all

contribute　to　cherish　this　love　of　oral　narration；　and　to　produce　a

strong　infusion　of　the　extravagant　and　incredible。　There　is　no

theme；　however；　more　prevalent　and　popular　than　that　of　treasures

buried　by　the　Moors；　it　pervades　the　whole　country。　In　traversing

the　wild　sierras；　the　scenes　of　ancient　foray　and　exploit；　you

cannot　see　a　Moorish　atalaya；　or　watchtower；　perched　among　the　cliffs；

or　beetling　above　its　rock…built　village；　but　your　muleteer；　on

being　closely　questioned；　will　suspend　the　smoking　of　his　cigarillo　to

tell　some　tale　of　Moslem　gold　buried　beneath　its　foundations；　nor　is

there　a　ruined　alcazar　in　a　city　but　has　its　golden　tradition；

handed　down　from　generation　to　generation　among　the　poor　people　of　the

neighborhood。

　　These；　like　most　popular　fictions；　have　sprung　from　some　scanty

groundwork　of　fact。　During　the　wars　between　Moor　and　Christian　which

distracted　this　country　for　centuries；　towns　and　castles　were　liable

frequently　and　suddenly　to　change　owners；　and　the　inhabitants；

during　sieges　and　assaults；　were　fain　to　bury　their　money　and　jewels

in　the　earth；　or　hide　them　in　vaults　and　wells；　as　is　often　done　at

the　present　day　in　the　despotic　and　belligerent　countries　of　the　East。

At　the　time　of　the　expulsion　of　the　Moors　also；　many　of　them　concealed

their　most　precious　effects；　hoping　that　their　exile　would　be　but

temporary；　and　that　they　would　be　enabled　to　return　and　retrieve　their

treasures　at　some　future　day。　It　is　certain　that　from　time　to　time

hoards　of　gold　and　silver　coin　have　been　accidentally　digged　up；　after

a　lapse　of　centuries；　from　among　the　ruins　of　Moorish　fortresses　and

habitations；　and　it　requires　but　a　few　facts　of　the　kind　to　give　birth

to　a　thousand　fictions。

　　The　stories　thus　originating　have　generally　something　of　an　Oriental

tinge；　and　are　marked　with　that　mixture　of　the　Arabic　and　the　Gothic

which　seems　to　me　to　characterize　every　thing　in　Spain；　and　especially

in　its　southern　provinces。　The　hidden　wealth　is　always　laid　under

magic　spell；　and　secured　by　charm　and　talisman。　Sometimes　it　is

guarded　by　uncouth　monsters　or　fiery　dragons；　sometimes　by　enchanted

Moors；　who　sit　by　it　in　armor；　with　drawn　swords；　but　motionless　as

statues；　maintaining　a　sleepless　watch　for　ages。

　　The　Alhambra　of　course；　from　the　peculiar　circumstances　of　its

history；　is　a　strong…hold　for　popular　fictions　of　the　kind；　and

various　relics；　digged　up　from　time　to　time；　have　contributed　to

strengthen　them。　At　one　time　an　earthen　vessel　was　found　containing

Moorish　coins　and　the　skeleton　of　a　cock；　which；　according　to　the

opinion　of　certain　shrewd　inspectors；　must　have　been　buried　alive。

At　another　time　a　vessel　was　dug　up　containing　a　great　scarabaeus　or

beetle　of　baked　clay；　covered　with　Arabic　inscriptions；　which　was

pronounced　a　prodigious　amulet　of　occult　virtues。　In　this　way　the　wits

of　the　ragged　brood　who　inhabit　the　Alhambra　have　been　set

wool…gathering；　until　there　is　not　a　hall；　nor　tower；　nor　vault；　of

the　old　fortress；　that　has　not　been　made　the　scene　of　some

marvellous　tradition。　Having；　I　trust；　in　the　preceding　papers　made

the　reader　in　some　degree　familiar　with　the　localities　of　the

Alhambra；　I　shall　now　launch　out　more　largely　into　the　wonderful

legends　connected　with　it；　and　which　I　have　diligently　wrought　into

shape　and　form；　from　various　legendary　scraps　and　hints　picked　up　in

the　course　of　my　perambulations；　in　the　same　manner；　that　an　antiquary

works　out　a　regular　historical　document　from　a　few　scattered　letters

of　an　almost　defaced　inscription。

　　If　any　thing　in　these　legends　should　shock　the　faith　of　the

over…scrupulous　reader；　he　must　remember　the　nature　of　the　place；

and　make　due　allowances。　He　must　not　expect　here　the　same　laws　of

probability　that　govern　commonplace　scenes　and　everyday　life；　he

must　remember　that　he　treads　the　halls　of　an　enchanted　palace；　and

that　all　is　〃haunted　ground。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　House　of　the　Weathercock。



　　ON　THE　brow　of　the　lofty　hill　of　the　Albaycin；　the　highest　part　of

Granada；　and　which　rises　from　the　narrow　valley　of　the　Darro；　directly

opposite　to　the　Alhambra；　stands　all　that　is　left　of　what　was　once　a

royal　palace　of　the　Moors。　it　has；　in　fact；　fallen　into　such

obscurity；　that　it　cost　me　much　trouble　to　find　it；　though　aided　in　my

researches；　by　the　sagacious　and　all…knowing　Mateo　Ximenes。　This

edifice　has　borne　for　centuries　the　name　of　〃The　House　of　the

Weathercock〃　（La　Casa　del　Gallo　de　Viento）；　from　a　bronze　figure　on

one　of　its　turrets；　in　ancient　times；　of　a　warrior　on　horseback；　and

turning　with　every　breeze。　This　weathercock　was　considered　by　the

Moslems　of　Granada　a　portentous　talisman。　According　to　some

traditions；　it　bore　the　following　Arabic　inscription：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Calet　et　Bedici　Aben　Habuz；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Quidat　ehahet　Lindabuz。



Which　has　been　rendered　into　Spanish：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Dice　el　sabio　Aben　Habuz；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Que　asi　se　defiende　el　Andaluz。



And　into　English：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　In　this　way；　says；　Aben　Habuz　the　wise；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Andaluz　guards　against　surprise。



　　This　Aben　Habuz；　according　to　some　of　the　old　Moorish　chronicles；

was　a　captain　in　the　invading　army　of　Taric；　one　of　the　conquerors

of　Spain；　who　left　him　as　Alcayde　of　Granada。　He　is　supposed　to　have

intended　this　effigy　as　a　perpetual　warning　to　the　Moslems　of　Andaluz；

that；　surrounded　by　foes；　their　safety　depended　upon　their　being

always　on　their　guard　and　ready　for　the　field。

　　Others；　among　whom　is　the　Christian　historian　Marmol；　affirms　〃Badis

Aben　Habus〃　to　have　been　a　Moorish　sultan　of　Granada；　and　that　the

weathercock　was　intended　as　a　perpetual　admonition　of　the

instability　of　Moslem　power；　bearing　the　following　words　in　Arabic：

　　〃Thus　Ibn　Habus　al　Badise　predicts　Andalus　shall　one　day　vanish

and　pass　away。〃

　　Another　version　of　this　portentous　inscription　is　given　by　a

Moslem　historian；　on　the　authority　of　Sidi　Hasan；　a　faquir　who

flourished　about　the　time　of　Ferdinand　and　Isabella；　and　who　was

present　at　the　taking　down　of　the　weathercock；　when　the　old　Kassaba

was　undergoing　repairs。

　　〃I　saw　it；〃　says　the　venerable　faquir；　〃with　my　own　eyes；　it　was

of　a　heptagonal　shape；　and　had　the　following　inscription　in　verse：



　　　　　　　The　palace　at　fair　Granada　presents　a　talisman。

　　　　　　　The　horseman；　though　a　solid　body；　turns　with　every　wind。



This　to　a　wise　man　reveals　a　mystery：　In　a　little　while　comes　a

calamity　to　ruin　both　the　palace　and　its　owner。〃

　　In　effect　it　was　not　long　after　this　meddling　with　the　portentous

weathercock　that　the　following　event　occurred。　As　old　Muley　Abul

Hassan；　the　king　of　Granada；　was　seated　under　a　sumptuous　pavilion；

reviewing　his　troops　who　paraded　before　him　in　armor　of　polished

steel；　and　gorgeous　silke