"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.
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