GARDEN DESIGN IN SPAIN 



267 



water with a marvellous central fountain of quicksilver, whose glitter in 

 the sun is said to have been too dazzling for eyes to bear. There was also 

 a menagerie of curious animals and aviaries of rare birds, while fruits and vege- 

 tables were cultivated in rare perfection and variety. Oriental eulogy 

 is apt to be somewhat high flown, but Cordova really deserved the praise 

 that has been lavished upon it. At the time of the Ommeyads the city 

 measured twenty miles by 

 six, the greater part of which 

 area was covered by mosques 

 and palaces, many of them 

 standing in beautiful gardens. 

 These houses were palaces of 

 luxury, magnificently decor- 

 ated and kept cool in sum- 

 mer by ingeniously arranged 

 draughts of fresh air drawn 

 from the garden over beds 

 of flowers carefully chosen for 

 their perfume; an idea which 

 has been already noted in the 

 gardens of ancient Greece. 



The other cities of the 

 Arabs in Spain were no less 

 remarkable for their gardens. 

 In one of the palaces of 

 Toledo there was an artificial 

 lake, in the centre of which 

 stood a kiosk of stained glass 

 adorned with gold. The 

 architect so contrived this that water was made to ascend to the top of 

 the pavilion, dropping at both sides in the form of a dome. In this room 

 the Sultan could sit untouched by the water which fell everywhere around 

 him and refreshed the air in the hot season. Sometimes wax taper 

 were lighted within the room, producing an admirable effect on the tra ns- 

 parent walls of the Kiosk. ^ 



^ Lady Lugard, A Tropical Dependency. 



FOUNTAIN AT THE GARDEN OF THE GENERALIFE, 

 GRANADA. 



