The royal throne was placed opposite the entrance in a recess, which
still bears an inscription intimating that Yusef I (the monarch who
completed the Alhambra) made this the throne of his empire. Every
thing in this noble hall seems to have been calculated to surround the
throne with impressive dignity and splendor; there was none of the
elegant voluptuousness which reigns in other parts of the palace.
The tower is of massive strength, domineering over the whole edifice
and overhanging the steep hillside. On three sides of the Hall of
Ambassadors are windows cut through the immense thickness of the
walls, and commanding extensive prospects. The balcony of the
central window especially looks down upon the verdant valley of the
Darro, with its walks, its groves, and gardens. To the left it
enjoys a distant prospect of the Vega, while directly in front rises
the rival height of the Albaycin, with its medley of streets, and
terraces, and gardens, and once crowned by a fortress that vied in
power with the Alhambra. "Ill fated the man who lost all this!"
exclaimed Charles V, as he looked forth from this window upon the
enchanting scenery it commands.
The balcony of the window where this royal exclamation was made, has
of late become one of my favorite resorts. I have just been seated
there, enjoying the close of a long brilliant day. The sun, as he sank
behind the purple mountains of Alhama, sent a stream of effulgence
up the valley of the Darro, that spread a melancholy pomp over the
ruddy towers of the Alhambra; while the Vega, covered with a slight
sultry vapor that caught the setting ray, seemed spread out in the
distance like a golden sea.
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