622 
it is not designed for wheel. carriages), 
are beauuful marble fountains, from 
which transparent streams are constantly 
rushing down. The entrance is through 
an archway, over which is carved a key, 
the symbol of the Mahomedan monarchs, 
This gate, called the Gate of Judgment, 
according to Easteru forms, was the 
place where the kings administered jus- 
tice.. The horse-shiuoe arches are sup- 
ported by marble pillars, ornamented, in 
the Arabian style, with bandeaus and in- 
scriptions, one of which, in the ancient 
Cufic character, has been translated by 
some of the literati, ‘* Praise be to God. 
There is no God but one, and Maho- 
med is his propket; and there is no 
power but from God.” 
After leaving the Gate of Judgment, 
we passed through another, which is now 
converted into a chapel, and with much 
fatigue arrived at thePlaza de los Al- 
gibes, or the square of the cisterns, un- 
der which water is brought from another 
hill at, the distance of a league: these 
reservoirs are so darge, and. contain so 
much of that necessary article, that they 
provided an amp!e supply for all the nu- 
merous inhabitants who formerly dwelt 
in the Alhambra, From this prospect of 
the surrounding country was very fine, 
and the majestic Sierra Nevada secined 
impending over us, 
The Moors certainly paid less attention 
to the outside of their buildings, and in- 
finitely more to internal beauty, than their 
Christian successors. The most striking 
object which presents itself upon entering 
the first court is.a marble fountain, in 
the middle, with apartments at each end, 
which are supported by pillars of the 
same substance, in avery peculiar style 
of architecture. From these I passed, 
with mach delight and wonder, through 
various apartments of exquisite beauty. 
The most remarkable parts of the build- 
ing are the hail of ambassadors, the court 
of lions, the hall of the two sisters, that 
of the Abencerraxes, the royal baths, 
and the queen’s dressing-room, all of 
which are paved with marble, and have 
pillarsof the same substanee, supporting 
arches of the pure Arabic form, adored 
with stucco, atid a species of porcelain, 
the colouring and gilding of which, after 
a period of five hundred years, have a 
freshness and brilliancy equal to the best 
English or French China. 
The ball of Ambassadors is a square 
of forty feet, eighty feet in height, with 
nine windows, opening upon balconies, 
from which the views of the surrounding 
Mr. Jacob's Letters from Spain. 
country are extremely fine. The insevip 
tions, which are in Arabic, are warkelt 
in porcelain, with exquisite skill, so as 
to unite with the stucco ornaments, 
which every where abound; they gene- 
rally consist of those expressions of piety 
customary with the Mabomedans. The 
cieling is very beautifully inlaid wita 
wood of various colours, ‘and is adorned 
with a number of gold and silver ornas 
ments, in the form of circles, crowns, and 
stars. 
The court of the lions is the most strike 
ing part of this edifice; for nothing can 
excel the effect produced by the corridor _ 
-which surrounds it: one hundred and 
twenty-eight marble pillars are arranged 
for the support of the arches on which 
the upper apartments of the palace rest, 
in a manner at once pleasing and magni- 
ficent. In the centre of the court a laive 
marble fountain is placed, which is sup- 
ported by twelve lions, by no means 
corresponding to the splendour of the ar- 
chitecture. . Upon many parts of the 
building there are numerous inscriptions, 
partly in Cufic and partly in Arabic. cha- 
racters; and, in addition to the usual 
pious sentences, others. are mingled ia 
praise of the founder of the edifice. 
the fountain one was pointed out, the 
translation of which is, “ Blessed be he 
who gave to the prince Mahomed.a ha- 
bitauion, which by its beanty may serve 
asa model for all dwellings,” 
On one side of the court is the hall of 
the two sisters, the ornaments of which 
are similar to that of the ambassador's, 
It is remarkable only for two marble 
slabs, which form part of the floor, and 
measure fourteen fect ip length, and se- 
ven in breadth, surrounded with Cufie 
and Arabic inscriptions. The hall. of 
the Abencerraxes, which is on the op- 
posite side, is so called from a vulgar 
tradition, that thirty-two members of 
that distinguished family were murdered 
by the King Abu Abdallah in this apart- 
ment; a tradition so firmly believed by 
our guide, that he shewed-us the marks 
. of their blood in the marble fountain, and 
assured us, most solemnly, that no endea= 
vour had ever been able to remove the 
stains. The hall of the Abencerraxes 
partakes of the same species of beauty 
which is so conspicuous in the other apart- 
ments. 
The baths are most beautifully finished, 
are lighted from the tap, and possess 
every convenience and luxury which cha- 
racterises the peculiar taste of the Arabs. 
These baths, on account of the frequent 
_ablutions 
On. 
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