ALHAMBRA, the palace of the Moorish kings, in the city of Granada. It had its name from the red co lour of the building, the word alhambra signifying a red house. This palace and fortress (for it was most admirably adapted for both) is said to have been begun in 1280 by Muly Mehemed Abdallah, the second Moor ish king of Granada : it was completed by succeeding kings, each of whom was ambitious of adding to its ex tent, or its beauty. It crowns the summit of one of the hills, on which the city of Granada is built. It seems to overhang the town, and commands a most delightful prospect of the picturesque and fertile country below, which, in spite of the indolence of the Spaniards, is still a kind of terrestrial paradise.
The Alhambra is quite unique, both in its architec ture, and in the nature and disposition of its ornaments. The ascent to it is by a narrow street, called Calle de los Goineles, from a great family among the Moors. This brings you to a massive gate, built by Charles V., through which you enter into the outward enclosure of the al hambra. You then continue to ascend through a very steep avenue of elms, till you come under the walls of the inner enclosure. The appearance of the alhambra, from this point of view, is that of an old town, exhibit ing a long range of high battlemented walls, interrupted at regular distances by large lofty square towers. Just before you stands the principal entrance into the castle, which, from its being the place where justice was sum marily administered, is called the gate of judgment. You pass through it under several arches, (each of which is more than a semicircle, resting upon a small impost, the ends of the bow being brought towards each other, in the form of a horse-shoe ;) the passage then winds through several turns, till it ends in a narrow street, which leads to the great square, or Plaza de los .4lgibes, so named from the cisterns, which undermine it from end to end.
Advancing from this square through another gate way, the first object that arrests attention, is the magni ficent palace begun by Charles V. This edifice is perfect square of two hundred Spanish feet. Three of the fronts are free from all other buildings; the fourth (that to the north,) is connected with the ancient palac( of the 'Moorish kings. This palace (,1 the cmperor nc ver was finished ; his constant wars, his versatility, and his frequent change of residence, soon made him drop the design of fixing his court within the walls of du alhambra; and this magnificent building is Falling has into ruins, to the regret of all the lovers of the line arts. It is conceived in the grandest style, and manifest: throughout the utmost elegance and chastity of design Adjoining (to the north,) stands a huge heap of a•. ugly buildings as can he conceived, all huddled together, seemingly without the least intention of funning one habitation out of them; yet this is the palace of the Moorish kings of Granada; the most curious place within that exists in Spain, perhaps in Europe. Swill burne, who describes this palace with enthusiasm, says. that there is nothing any where else that can convey au idea of it, " except you take it from the decorations ot an opera, or the tales of genii." You are admitted into this palace at a plain unornamented door, in a corner ; and one cannot help being filled with astonishment, on being transported all at once into a kind of fairy-land.
The Communa, or place of the common baths, which first presents itself on entering into this enchanted en closure, is an oblong square, with a deep bason of clear water in the middle ; two flights of marble steps lead down to the bottom ; on each side is a parterre of flow ers, and a row of orange trees; round the court runs a peristyle paved with marble ; the arches bear upon very slight pillars, in proportions and style different from all the regular orders of architecture. The ceilings and walls are incrustated with fret-work in stucco, so minute and intricate, that the most patient artist would find it difficult to follow it. The ceilings are gilt or painted, and time has not in the least diminished the freshness of their colours. The lower part of the vvalls is mosaic, disposed in fantastic knots and festoons. A work so new, and so exquisitely finished, affords the most agreeable sensations, which redouble every step one takes in this magic ground. It baffles all power of description to give an adequate notion of this singular edifice. To form a proper conception of it, one must have seen it, or the imagination must be aided by suitable drawings. We shall therefore barely mention, that the Quarte de los Leones, or Court of the Lions, into which you enter from the Conzmuna, surpasses in size and magnificence all the other courts within the walls of the palace. It has its name from twelve lions placed in the centre, which bear on their backs an enormous bason, out of which a smaller arises. While the pipes were kept in good re pair, a great volume of water was thrown up, which, ffilling down into the basons, passed through the lions, and issued out of their mouths into a large reservoir. The court is paved with white marble, and at the extre mities are two fine mosaic cupolas, painted in gold and azure, and supported by several groups of columns; the whole is executed with inimitable skill, and with a delicacy of finishing which is perhaps unequalled.
There are a vast number of other courts and apart ments, every one of which has its peculiar beauties; and the whole is laid out with such exquisite taste, as to render the alhambra, when it was in all its glory, the most delightful residence on the face of the earth. The walls, &cc. are covered with Arabic inscriptions, lanci _ fully interwoven with the ornaments. For a particular description of the Alhambra, we refer to Swiuburnc's through Spain, vol. i. p. 267 ; where drawings are given of the principal apartments, gates, Sic. ; and, for a more detailed account of the inscriptions, to Hour goanne's Travels in Spain, vol. iii. p. 186. The French author, when describing the alhambra, transcribes, in a note, some English verses, written on the wall of one of the apartments. The lines are not very famous either for orthodoxy or good poetry ; but, as they chew the pression made on the minds of the travellers, we shall transcribe them:— "0 most indulgent Prophet to mankind, if such on earth thy paradise we find, What must in heaven thy promised raptures prove, Where black-eyed houris breathe eternal lose ? Thy faith, thy doctrine, sure were most divine ; And though much ss ater, yet a little wine." To which is added this Latin valedictory :—His, region hen ! ninds deliciis, nixstum -vale dixerunt,