882 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



where incense was burned, the 

 smoke of which ascended through 

 these holes, and thus perfumed any 

 person standing over them. The 

 views from the windows of these 

 apartments are very grand ; in 

 which respect, indeed, this palace 

 even in its present state of ruin, 

 has greatly the advantage over 

 any other in Europe. The views, 

 even from " the stately brow of 

 Windsor's height,'* are not equal 

 to those from the upper windows 

 of the Alhambre, on account of 

 the romantic ridges of mountains 

 which on all sides border the plain 

 of Granada. 



It is evident that what now ex- 

 ists of this palace is but a small part 

 of the original building, of which 

 traces may yet be seen in all direc- 

 tions, whilst in many spots even the 

 ruins have perished. Among the 

 former the remains of the burying- 

 place of the Arabian monarch of 

 Granada, near that part of the 

 building called the quarter of the 

 Abencerraxes. It forms a square 

 of about four yards each side, and 

 thirteen in height, and is now part 

 of the dwelling-house of the curate 

 of the parish. No ornaments of 

 any kind can now be traced upon 

 the walls; but the roof, which 

 forms a kind of cupola, is of admi- 

 rable workmanship, with a flower 

 inscribed in a star in the center. 

 Here were found, in the year 

 1574, four marble grave-stones of 

 kings buried beneath, partly sunk 

 in the earth, but still showing, in 

 what was above, Arabian inscrip- 

 tions handsomely cut. The epi- 

 taphs were in prose, and on the 

 opposite side of each were verses, 

 which have been preserved and 

 translatedbytheRoyal Academy of 

 Saint Ferdinand. As a specimen 



of the Arabian taste, the verses of 

 the grave-stone of king Abilhagex 

 are perhaps not unworthy of 

 translation. It runs nearly as 

 follows : — 



•' In the name of God, 



" Compassionate and merciful. 



" Salute with humility and praise 

 from thy tomb the grace of God, 

 which will perpetually assist you 

 until the day when men shall arise, 

 with humbled countenances, before 

 the Awakener of the dead in hia 

 judgment seat. And thou, O se- 

 pulchre ! art not such, but rather 

 a garden of odoriferous fruits. And 

 if I wish to give you deserved 

 praise, I must say no other than — 

 Oh ! thou cover of orange blos- 

 soms and pearls! Oh ! abode of ho- 

 nour! Oh! burying-place of virtue! 

 Oh ! fall of greatness, and eclipse 

 of the moon in her full ! since 

 death has deposited in you a great 

 lord of generous blood, and the 

 most perfect of the kings of Beni- 

 nazere. In you lie buried honour, 

 generosity, and greatness, the well- 

 endowed with the fear of God. If 

 not so, who like Abilhagex dis- 

 pelled the darkness of heresy? 

 This is the blood of Zadbe el Haz- 

 ragi Aben Obeda. Oh! exceeding- 

 ly generous ! when modesty, pity, 

 honour, and gravity are mentioned, 

 and you would wish to talk of his 

 greatness, it is like talking of the 

 boundless ocean. Were opportu- 

 nities sometimes unfavourable? 

 and do you ever by chance see any 

 thing permanent, or a man uni- 

 formly prosperous ? Time has two 

 faces, one for the day, another 

 for the night; and such being its 

 nature, we must not accuse it for 

 its uncertainty. He died praising 

 God, prostrated in prayer before 

 him, filled with virtue, his tongue 



moistened 



