This feebleness of spirit
hastened his downfall, while it deprived him of that heroic grace
which would have given grandeur and dignity to his fate, and
rendered him worthy of closing the splendid drama of the Moslem
domination in Spain.
Public Fetes of Granada.
MY DEVOTED squire and whilom ragged cicerone Mateo Ximenes, had a
poor-devil passion for fates and holidays, and was never so eloquent
as when detailing the civil and religious festivals of Granada. During
the preparations for the annual Catholic fete of Corpus Christi, he
was in a state of incessant transition between the Alhambra and the
subjacent city, bringing me daily accounts of the magnificent
arrangements that were in progress, and endeavoring, but in vain, to
lure me down from my cool and airy retreat to witness them. At length,
on the eve of the eventful day I yielded to his solicitations and
descended from the regal halls of the Alhambra under his escort, as
did of yore the adventure-seeking Haroun Alraschid, under that of
his Grand Vizier Giaffar. Though it was yet scarce sunset, the city
gates were already thronged with the picturesque villagers of the
mountains, and the brown peasantry of the Vega. Granada has ever
been the rallying place of a great mountainous region, studded with
towns and villages. Hither, during the Moorish domination, the
chivalry of this region repaired, to join in the splendid and
semi-warlike fetes of the Vivarrambla, and hither the elite of its
population still resort to join in the pompous ceremonials of the
church.
Pages:
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174