pointed in the slightest degree to Abul Hassan as their author, it is much more reasonable to suppose, that their greater inducements to revenge toward the father, would have prompted Spanish writers to fix the story upon him than upon Boabdil. The fact that they did not, is, with those whose judgments have not been warped by misapplied sympathies, Abul Hassan's sufficient vindication.

Mr. Irving says-"One would have thought too, that the unfortunate Boabdil had suffered enough for his justifiable hostility to the Spaniards, by being stripped of his kingdom, without having his name thus wantonly traduced, and rendered a bye-word and a theme of infamy in his native land, and in the very mansions of his fathers!" Surely, if such consideration should make us lean to kindly judgment of his acts, how much more strongly does it apply to the case of Abul Hassan; to whom Mr. Irving has not hesitated to transfer the imputation without shadow of evidence, and, against every probability of its truth. For, entering into no compromises of honour and patriotism, as did Boabdil more than once, with the enemies of his religion and cf his race, but doing all that valour could achieve, in maintenance of his own, and his nation's rights and independence, he not only suffered the calamities of unsuccessful war, but that greater than all of being "stripped of his kingdom" by the very hands which should have been before others in its defence-those of his own child; that same rebel Boabdil, for whom our pity has been so touchingly, yet partially invoked, by the writer referred to.

Differing thus with the author of "Tales of the

Alhambra," we nevertheless, accept his abstract opinion, that, while "great latitude is undoubtedly to be allowed to romantic fiction, there are limits which it must not pass, and the names of the distinguished dead, which belong to history, are no more to be calumniated than those of the illustrious living." But, it may be added, if this should be the rule of fiction, how strictly should it be applied to pages, which, however professedly coloured by the iris-hues of fancy, yet at times claim to shed pure and perfect light, without which truth cannot be seen in its clear and consistent beauty.

The stains near the fountains in the Hall of the Abencerrajes, were probably produced by a discolouring ferruginous ingredient of the marble-often the friend of story-tellers who seek to gratify a craving for tales of blood.

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CHAPTER XIV.

THE ALHAMBRA CONTINUED. HALL OF JUSTICE. CONSECRATION OF THE PALACE TO CHRISTIAN USES— COLUMBUS PRESENT AT THAT CEREMONIAL THE UNGRATEFUL, UNJUST, AND CRUEL TREATMENT OF HIM BY THE SOVEREIGN HE HAD SERVED. HALL OF JUSTICE SOMETIMES USED AS A HALL OF AUDIENCE AND COUNCIL CHAMBER. HERE THE STIPULATIONS FOR THE SURRENDER OF GRANADA TO THE CHRISTIANS WERE SIGNED BY BOABDIL AND HIS COUNCILLORS-PROTESTED AGAINST BY MUSA. HALL OF THE TWO SISTERS. HAREM. HALL OF ORANGES. CABINET AND GARDEN OF LINDARAJA. RUINED APARTMENTS OF CHARLES V AND PHILIP V. MIRADOR OF ZORAYA. COURT OF THE RAILING. DONA JUANA. HALL OF AMBASSADORS -ITS ANTE-ROOM. FERDINAND'S DEMAND FOR TRIBUTE MADE IN THIS HALL-ABUL HASSAN'S REFUSAL-DE VERA'S POINTED SPEECH.

OPENING from the arcade at the east end of the Court of Lions-that opposite to the ante-chamber by which the Court is approached-are three entrances to the "Sala del Tribunal "--Hall of Justice; sometimes called "Sala de la Audiencia "-Hall of Audience; and occasionally used also as a Council Chamber. It is supposed that the trial of most important and grave cases, in which the safety of the State, and dignity of its government, were concerned, took place here. The grievances

of the people, and their personal differences, were disposed of elsewhere; generally, as has already been intimated, at the Gate of Justice. But there is nothing to forbid the belief, that this Hall was also used as an Audience Chamber; and certain pictorial representations on a part of the ceiling, in which a number of Moors are seen as if in deliberation, is considered. significant of the fact; and that these are the King's Councillors, whose presence was required by the Sovereign on occasions of official hearing. Each of the three entrances to this Hall is between slender columns, supporting a stalactite arch as diversified in details as harmonious in the assemblage of parts. The Hall has a length of about eighty-four feet, by sixteen in width, and is subdivided into three chambers separated by spaces several feet wide, which may have indicated distinctive functions of each. At the two ends of the series of chambers are ante-rooms, for the admissson and discharge of those summoned before the Royal Tribunal. Their passage through the Patio de los Leones would not have been compatible with the privacy of the Royal Family. Each Court Chamber has an alcove, where sat —as is said-respectively its appropriate Judge of Civil, Criminal, and Political Law; when the will of the Sovereign-probably the Supreme Law-preferred a judicial formulary from motives of policy; an exceptional usage of despotism also in later, and professedly Christian epochs. At one end of each of the intermediate spaces of the Chambers is a small room, which may have been for the keeping of records, or-as some say-for the detention of those on trial. Each Court is covered by a pyramidal honeycombed stalactite ceiling. The ceilings

of the ante-chambers and interspaces, are concave, but with similar cellular surface: while those of the vaulted alcoves are frescoed, in colour and gold, on a surface of plaster-prepared leather; representing in one case-as before stated-Moors in Council; in others scenes of war, hunting, love, and tournament. This is the only part of the palace in which Moresco paintings have been found; and by some these have been supposed to have been executed by Christian captives. Though of a very low style of art, they are interesting as pictures of Moorish dress, attitudes, arms, and knight-errantry, of that time. Standing at one end of this suite of rooms and their vestibules, and looking along the line of their overhanging arches, a perspective is presented of beautiful proportion, and efflorescent decoration: the gold, blue, crimson, and white honeycomb of which-surmounting walls of arabesque lettering significant of Moslem faith in the power of Him to whom is due "praise for ever" and "thanks for ever," and azulejos with mosaic pilasters distinguished by brilliant colouring in the near view-fade away in the distance into an indefinite rainbow richness, as they converge toward a vanishing point of beauty, well befitting the effulgence of the Cross, which, on the conquest, was planted at that spot. For, it was in this magnificent hall-as of collective chapels in an affluent Basilica, opening into each other-that the grand religious ceremonial took place, when Ferdinand and Isabella consecrated the Alhambra to the uses of a Christian Court. With the fall of Granada the Moorish dominion in Spain ended. And with the footprints of the Moslem, his religion was likewise to pass away. The danger had gone by to European Chris