Inhabitants　of　the　Alhambra。
  I　HAVE　often　observed　that　the　more　proudly　a　mansion　has　been
  tenanted　in　the　day　of　its　prosperity；　the　humbler　are　its　inhabitants
  in　the　day　of　its　decline；　and　that　the　palace　of　a　king　commonly　ends
  in　being　the　nestling…place　of　the　beggar。
  The　Alhambra　is　in　a　rapid　state　of　similar　transition。　Whenever　a
  tower　falls　to　decay；　it　is　seized　upon　by　some　tatterdemalion　family；
  who　become　joint…tenants；　with　the　bats　and　owls；　of　its　gilded　halls；
  and　hang　their　rags；　those　standards　of　poverty；　out　of　its　windows
  and　loopholes。
  I　have　amused　myself　with　remarking　some　of　the　motley　characters
  that　have　thus　usurped　the　ancient　abode　of　royalty；　and　who　seem　as
  if　placed　here　to　give　a　farcical　termination　to　the　drama　of　human
  pride。　One　of　these　even　bears　the　mockery　of　a　regal　title。　It　is　a
  little　old　woman　named　Maria　Antonia　Sabonea；　but　who　goes　by　the
  appellation　of　la　Reyna　Coquina；　or　the　Cockle…queen。　She　is　small
  enough　to　be　a　fairy；　and　a　fairy　she　may　be　for　aught　I　can　find　out；
  for　no　one　seems　to　know　her　origin。　Her　habitation　is　in　a　kind　of
  closet　under　the　outer　staircase　of　the　palace；　and　she　sits　in　the
  cool　stone　corridor；　plying　her　needle　and　singing　from　morning　till
  night；　with　a　ready　joke　for　every　one　that　passes；　for　though　one
  of　the　poorest；　she　is　one　of　the　merriest　little　women　breathing。　Her
  great　merit　is　a　gift　for　story…telling；　having；　I　verily　believe；
  as　many　stories　at　her　command；　as　the　inexhaustible　Scheherezade　of
  the　thousand　and　one　nights。　Some　of　these　I　have　heard　her　relate
  in　the　evening　tertulias　of　Dame　Antonia；　at　which　she　is　occasionally
  a　humble　attendant。
  That　there　must　be　some　fairy　gift　about　this　mysterious　little
  old　woman；　would　appear　from　her　extraordinary　luck；　since；
  notwithstanding　her　being　very　little；　very　ugly；　and　very　poor；　she
  has　had；　according　to　her　own　account；　five　husbands　and　a　half；
  reckoning　as　a　half　one　a　young　dragoon；　who　died　during　courtship。
  A　rival　personage　to　this　little　fairy　queen　is　a　portly　old　fellow
  with　a　bottle…nose；　who　goes　about　in　a　rusty　garb　with　a　cocked　hat
  of　oil…skin　and　a　red　cockade。　He　is　one　of　the　legitimate　sons　of　the
  Alhambra；　and　has　lived　here　all　his　life；　filling　various　offices；
  such　as　deputy　alguazil；　sexton　of　the　parochial　church；　and　marker　of
  a　fives…court　established　at　the　foot　of　one　of　the　towers。　He　is　as
  poor　as　a　rat；　but　as　proud　as　he　is　ragged；　boasting　of　his　descent
  from　the　illustrious　house　of　Aguilar；　from　which　sprang　Gonzalvo　of
  Cordova；　the　grand　captain。　Nay；　he　actually　bears　the　name　of
  Alonzo　de　Aguilar；　so　renowned　in　the　history　of　the　conquest；
  though　the　graceless　wags　of　the　fortress　have　given　him　the　title
  of　el　padre　santo；　or　the　holy　father；　the　usual　appellation　of　the
  Pope；　which　I　had　thought　too　sacred　in　the　eyes　of　true　Catholics
  to　be　thus　ludicrously　applied。　It　is　a　whimsical　caprice　of　fortune
  to　present；　in　the　grotesque　person　of　this　tatterdemalion；　a　namesake
  and　descendant　of　the　proud　Alonzo　de　Aguilar；　the　mirror　of
  Andalusian　chivalry；　leading　an　almost　mendicant　existence　about
  this　once　haughty　fortress；　which　his　ancestor　aided　to　reduce；　yet；
  such　might　have　been　the　lot　of　the　descendants　of　Agamemnon　and
  Achilles；　had　they　lingered　about　the　ruins　of　Troy！
  Of　this　motley　community；　I　find　the　family　of　my　gossiping
  squire；　Mateo　Ximenes；　to　form；　from　their　numbers　at　least；　a　very
  important　part。　His　boast　of　being　a　son　of　the　Alhambra；　is　not
  unfounded。　His　family　has　inhabited　the　fortress　ever　since　the　time
  of　the　conquest；　handing　down　an　hereditary　poverty　from　father　to
  son；　not　one　of　them　having　ever　been　known　to　be　worth　a　maravedi。
  His　father；　by　trade　a　ribbon…weaver；　and　who　succeeded　the　historical
  tailor　as　the　head　of　the　family；　is　now　near　seventy　years　of　age；
  and　lives　in　a　hovel　of　reeds　and　plaster；　built　by　his　own　hands；
  just　above　the　iron　gate。　The　furniture　consists　of　a　crazy　bed；　a
  table；　and　two　or　three　chairs；　a　wooden　chest；　containing；　besides
  his　scanty　clothing；　the　〃archives　of　the　family。〃　These　are　nothing
  more　nor　less　than　the　papers　of　various　lawsuits　sustained　by
  different　generations；　by　which　it　would　seem　that；　with　all　their
  apparent　carelessness　and　good　humor；　they　are　a　litigious　brood。　Most
  of　the　suits　have　been　brought　against　gossiping　neighbors　for
  questioning　the　purity　of　their　blood；　and　denying　their　being
  Cristianos　viejos；　i。　e。　old　Christians；　without　Jewish　or　Moorish
  taint。　In　fact；　I　doubt　whether　this　jealousy　about　their　blood　has
  not　kept　them　so　poor　in　purse：　spending　all　their　earnings　on
  escribanos　and　alguazils。　The　pride　of　the　hovel　is　an　escutcheon
  suspended　against　the　wall；　in　which　are　emblazoned　quarterings　of　the
  arms　of　the　Marquis　of　Caiesedo；　and　of　various　other　noble　houses；
  with　which　this　poverty…stricken　brood　claim　affinity。
  As　to　Mateo　himself；　who　is　now　about　thirty…five　years　of　age；　he
  has　done　his　utmost　to　perpetuate　his　line　and　continue　the　poverty　of
  the　family；　having　a　wife　and　a　numerous　progeny；　who　inhabit　an
  almost　dismantled　hovel　in　the　hamlet。　How　they　manage　to　subsist；
  he　only　who　sees　into　all　mysteries　can　tell；　the　subsistence　of　a
  Spanish　family　of　the　kind；　is　always　a　riddle　to　me；　yet　they　do
  subsist；　and　what　is　more；　appear　to　enjoy　their　existence。　The　wife
  takes　her　holiday　stroll　on　the　Paseo　of　Granada；　with　a　child　in
  her　arms　and　half　a　dozen　at　her　heels；　and　the　eldest　daughter；　now
  verging　into　womanhood；　dresses　her　hair　with　flowers；　and　dances
  gayly　to　the　castanets。
  There　are　two　classes　of　people　to　whom　life　seems　one　long　holiday；
  the　very　rich；　and　the　very　poor；　one　because　they　need　do　nothing；
  the　other　because　they　have　nothing　to　do；　but　there　are　none　who
  understand　the　art　of　doing　nothing　and　living　upon　nothing；　better
  than　the　poor　classes　of　Spain。　Climate　does　one　half；　and　temperament
  the　rest。　Give　a　Spaniard　the　shade　in　summer；　and　the　sun　in
  winter；　a　little　bread；　garlic；　oil；　and　garbances；　an　old　brown　cloak
  and　a　guitar；　and　let　the　world　roll　on　as　it　pleases。　Talk　of
  poverty！　with　him　it　has　no　disgrace。　It　sits　upon　him　with　a
  grandiose　style；　like　his　ragged　cloak。　He　is　a　hidalgo；　even　when
  in　rags。
  The　〃sons　of　the　Alhambra〃　are　an　eminent　illustration　of　this
  practical　philosophy。　As　the　Moors　imagined　that　the　celestial
  paradise　hung　over　this　favored　spot；　so　I　am　inclined　at　times　to
  fancy；　that　a　gleam　of　the　golden　age　still　lingers　about　this
  ragged　community。　They　possess　nothing；　they　do　nothing；　they　care　for
  nothing。　Yet；　though　apparently　idle　all　the　week；　they　are　as
  observant　of　all　holy　days　and　saints'　days　as　the　most　laborious
  artisan。　They　attend　all　fetes　and　dancings　in　Granada　and　its
  vicinity；　light　bonfires　on　the　hills　on　St。　John's　eve；　and　dance
  away　the　moonlight　nights　on　the　harvest…home　of　a　small　field
  within　the　precincts　of　the　fortress；　which　yields　a　few　bushels　of
  wheat。
  Before　concluding　these　remarks；　I　must　mention　one　of　the
  amusements　of　the　place　which　has　particularly　struck　me。　I　had
  repeatedly　observed　a　long　lean　fellow　perched　on　the　top　of　one　of
  the　towers；　manoeuvring　two　or　three　fishing…rods；　as　though　he　were
  angling　for　the　stars。　I　was　for　some　time　perplexed　by　the　evolutions
  of　this　aerial　fisherman；　and　my　perplexity　increased　on　observing
  others　employed　in　like　manner　on　different　parts　of　the　battlements
  and　bastions；　it　was　not　until　I　consulted　Mateo　Ximenes；　that　I
  solved　the　mystery。
  It　seems　that　the　pure　and　airy　situation　of　this　fortress　has
  rendered　it；　like　the　castle　of　Macbeth；　a　prolific　breeding…place　for
  swallows　and　martlets；　who　sport　about　its　towers　in　myriads；　with　the
  holiday　glee　of　urchins　just　let　loose　from　school。　To　entrap　these
  birds　in　their　giddy　circlings；　with　hooks　baited　with　flies；　is　one
  of　the　favorite　amusements　of　the　ragged　〃sons　of　the　Alhambra；〃
  who；　with　the　good…for…nothing　ingenuity　of　arrant　idlers；　have　thus
  invented　the　art　of　angling　in　the　sky。
  The　Hall　of　Ambassadors。
  IN　ONE　of　my　visits　to　the　old　Moorish　chamber；　where　the　good　Tia
  Antonia　cooks　her　dinner　and　receives　her　company；　I　observed　a
  mysterious　door　in　one　corner；　leading　apparently　into　the　ancient
  part　of　the　edifice。　My　curiosity　being　aroused；　I　opened　it；　and
  found　myself　in　a　narrow；　blind　corridor；　groping　along　which　I　came
  to　the　head　of　a　dark　winding　staircase；　leading　down　an　angle　of
  the　Tower　of　Comares。　Down　this　staircase　I　descended　darkling；
  guiding　myself　by　the　wall　until　I　came　to　a　small　door　at　the　bottom；
  throwing　which　open；　I　was　suddenly　dazzled　by　emerging　into　the
  brilliant　antechamber　of　the　Hall　of　Ambassadors；　with　the　fountain　of
  the　Court　of　the　Alberca　sparkling