44 GRANADA 



lecture, like that of all other parts of the palace, 

 is characterised by elegance rather than grandeur ; 

 bespeaking a delicate and graceful taste, and a 

 disposition to indolent enjoyment. When one 

 looks upon the fairy tracery of the peristyles, 

 and the apparently fragile fretwork of the walls, 

 it is difficult to believe that so much has survived 

 the wear and tear of centuries, the shocks of 

 earthquakes, the violence of war, and the quiet, 

 though no less baneful, pilferings of the tasteful 

 traveller : it is almost sufficient to excuse the 

 popular tradition, that the whole is protected 

 by a magic charm." 



The court is an oblong measuring 116 ft. by 

 66 ft. On each side is a peristyle or portico, and 

 at either end a graceful pavilion with a fine dome. 

 The supporting marble columns are 124 in number 

 and ii ft. high. They are placed irregularly, 

 sometimes singly, sometimes in pairs an arrange- 

 ment which does nothing to mar the general 

 impression of harmony. The arches exhibit 

 a similar variety of curve, and spring from capitals 

 decorated with rich foliage of various designs. 

 The space above the arches is filled in with the 

 usual arabesque work, and adorned with verses 

 from the Koran. The ceilings of the porticos 

 are enriched with delicate stucco work, and the 

 walls are covered to a height of five feet with a 

 dado of blue and yellow azulejos, bordered with 



