The whole living, moving,
thinking, and acting, of this historical little tailor, had thus
been bounded by the walls of the Alhambra; within them he had been
born, within them he lived, breathed, and had his being; within them
he died, and was buried. Fortunately for posterity, his traditionary
lore died not with him. The authentic Mateo, when an urchin, used to
be an attentive listener to the narratives of his grandfather, and
of the gossip group assembled round the shopboard; and is thus
possessed of a stock of valuable knowledge concerning the Alhambra,
not to be found in books, and well worthy the attention of every
curious traveller.
Such are the personages that constitute my regal household; and I
question whether any of the potentates, Moslem or Christian, who
have preceded me in the palace, have been waited upon with greater
fidelity, or enjoyed a serener sway.
When I rise in the morning, Pepe, the stuttering lad from the
gardens, brings me a tribute of fresh culled flowers, which are
afterwards arranged in vases, by the skilful hand of Dolores, who
takes a female pride in the decorations of my chamber. My meals are
made wherever caprice dictates; sometimes in one of the Moorish halls,
sometimes under the arcades of the Court of Lions, surrounded by
flowers and fountains: and when I walk out, I am conducted by the
assiduous Mateo, to the most romantic retreats of the mountains, and
delicious haunts of the adjacent valleys, not one of which but is
the scene of some wonderful tale.
Pages:
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78