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TO OUR READERS.

"A Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada," is a title which very imperfectly explains the nature of the exceedOUR readers will perceive, that with our new type, which ingly handsome book before us. On seeing it announced, we this day beg to introduce to their favour, we have made we were unable to make out whether we were to expect a one or two slight alterations and improvements in the get-piece of fiction, a history, or a mixture of both. The mixling up of the LITERARY JOURNAL. These consist princi-ture of both comes nearest the truth. Taking for the basis pally in the rejection of the lines formerly used, by which of his work certain voluminous manuscripts left scattered, means we are enabled to add materially both to the breadth through different convent libraries in Spain, by a monk of the name of Antonio Agapida, (for the existence and auand length of our columns, and to give, we think, a lighter thenticity of whose writings, we are, of course, willing to take and less monotonous air to our pages. The quarto weekly Mr Irving's word,) he contrives to present us with a wellperiodicals have now very slightly the advantage of us in connected and glowing narrative of the ten years' war, which regard to the quantity of matter they contain, while they commencing in 1748, terminated with the extinction of the have all the disadvantage of being sold at a higher price. Moorish dynasty in Spain. As we have a great deal to say As to our future literary exertions, we can only say that in favour of this production, it may be as well to pave the we shall proceed as we have begun, anxiously studying to way for our praise, by pointing out in the first place, what we feel to be its defects, although these, we are glad to say, make each succeeding number better than its predecessor. In the critical department, whatever weight may be attached to our judgment, we are resolved that our opinions shall always be delivered faithfully and impartially; and we trust that we have already acquired some character upon this score. It is, upon all occasions, our most earnest desire to avoid falling into so serious an error as that to which Pope alludes, with his usual precision, in these lines ;

""Tis hard to say, if greater want of skill
Appear in writing, or in judging ill;
But of the two, less dangerous is the offence
To tire our patience, than mislead our sense."

are not numerous.

We have to remark, primo loco, that the "Chronicle" commences too abruptly. Had Mr Irving favoured us with a brief historical introduction for the purpose of tracing rapidly the leading events which had characterized the dominion of the Moors in Spain, beginning with their memorable victory over Roderick, on the banks of the Guadalete, nearly eight hundred years before their final overthrow, and including some short notices of the Ommeyades, the Almoravides, and other illustrious houses, and of the wars they had so frequently carried on against the Christians, he would have invested his subsequent details with greater inIt is now well known that our JOURNAL enjoys the con- terest than they are at present likely to possess for the getributions of many of the most eminent men of the day; neral reader, who is plunged at once in medias res, though and hoping that what has been already done may serve as in all probability sufficiently ignorant of the political and some guarantee for what we shall yet do, we have only to civil relations which had previously subsisted between the thank the public for the smiles they have so lavishly bestow-conclusion of his Chronicle, which ends nearly as abruptly two people. In like manner, our author errs towards the ed upon us, and repeat our assurance that we wish to be judged of not by our promises and intentions, but by our deeds.

LITERARY CRITICISM.

A Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada. From the
MSS. of Fray Antonio Agapida. By Washington
Irving. In two volumes. London. John Murray.
1829. 8vo, pp. 407 and 421.

WASHINGTON IRVING'S reputation in this country de

pends on his "Sketch Book." Neither his "Tales of a
Traveller," nor his "Life of Columbus," have met with
nearly so much success.
There is a great deal of merit,
however, though of different kinds, in both these works.
Irving is not a very powerful or original thinker; but he
possesses, to perfection, the art of expressing winning senti-
ments in graceful and elegant language. He has cultivated
his taste in composition with almost Addisonian nicety;
and he sails over the summer sea of prose rejoicing in the
soft breezes that follow his track. Like his prototype,
he perhaps sacrifices too much to the Graces; yet he is so
fall of refinement and polish, that it is not difficult to
forgive him for being less masculine and nervous.

as it begins, leaving the reader's curiosity only imperfectly satisfied. Another fault we have to find is, that Mr Irving has too easily fallen into the tone of the old Monk Agapida, with regard to the comparative merit of the Moors and Christians, whom the Catholic chronicler of course viewed in very different lights, invariably undervaluing the Moors, and servilely extolling the worshippers of the cross. Irving, who affects to be indebted to Agapida only for his facts, ought to have been cautions of introducing into his own narrative, the prejudices of a party writer

Mr

In the war, whose incidents he describes, the Moors were, in point of fact, the injured people, for a kingdom and country were wrested from them, to which conquest originally, and subsequent possession for many generations, had confirmed their title. They were, besides, an heroic and noble-minded race; and it is well known that their progress in civilization, aided as that had been by the reminiscences of their Eastern descent, was more rapid and efficient than that of their Spanish neighbours. We do not therefore like to think that a "Chronicle of Granada" should deny to its most distinguished possessors, the praise so justly due to them. One other objection, and we have done. There is a little too much monotony especially in the first volume, in the perpetual succession

the Holy Land ;"-" How Queen Isabella took a view of the City of Granada, and how her curiosity cost the lives of many Christians and Moors;" &c. &c.

It would not be difficult to select numerous passages, each more interesting, and displaying finer powers of writing, than the other; but we shall content ourselves with only two or three, leaving the reader to enjoy the rest of the work at his own best leisure. Chapter XVII. begins in the following simple and beautiful manner :—

"The sentinels looked out from the watch-towers of

Loxa, along the valley of the Xenil, which passes through the mountains of Algaringo. They looked to behold the

to behold the standard of their warlike idol, the fierce Ali host, laden with the spoil of the unbeliever. They looked Aten, borne by the chivalry of Loxa, ever foremost in the

of forays, and rencounters, and petty engagements, and small military expeditions, which it describes. Some of these are highly interesting and full of romance, and as the work proceeds the operations become more important; but we cannot help regretting that the narrative is not more frequently relieved by incidents which would have broken in upon the interminable series of skirmishes, sieges, and battles, and which, in the glimpses they might have presented of the domestic manners of the times, would have afforded a profitable and agreeable variety. Mr Irving might easily have availed himself of the facilities afforded by his present residence in Spain, to achieve this additional object. As a whole, however, we have been very much charm-king returning in triumph, at the head of his shining ed with this work. The subject is a remarkably happy one; and its execution is worthy of the best days of chivalry. The Moors, who, in the time of their greatest glory, reigned masters over all Spain, had, in the decay of their power, gradually been deprived of territory after territory, till the kingdom of Granada alone remained. It remained, however, powerful and flourishing, and father who has lost all his children save one, and who heaps upon the survivor the whole affections of his heart. And Granada was worthy of a patriot's love, with the tideless Mediterranean on its shores, with its green hills and majestic sierras, with its deep, rich, and verdant valleys, with its cities and their alhambras, and with an air so pure, and sky so serene, that the Moors believed the paradise of their prophet to be situated in that part of the heaven which overhung their kingdom. When, there

there was not a Moor who did not feel towards it as a

fore, the ambition of Ferdinand and Isabella, who had

united under one sceptre, the kingdoms of Castile, Leon, and Arragon, directed its attention to the conquest of Granada, it was no marvel that one of the fiercest and

most anxiously contested wars took place that ever depopulated a country;—it was no marvel that every inch of ground was disputed, and that the Spaniards, animated by a desire to drive the infidels finally and for ever out of Spain, and the Mahometans, no less desirous of preserving a country and a name in Europe, should perform such prodigies of valour as had rarely been equalled, and have never been surpassed. These are the deeds which Mr Irving undertakes to recount, and he does so in a style such as becomes the author of the "Sketch Book," -flowing, graceful, and picturesque.

In the year 1478, a Spanish cavalier was dispatched by Ferdinand to the court of the Moorish sovereign, Muley Aben Hassan, to demand the tribute which it had been customary for his father to pay, but which the son had allowed to fall into arrear. When the Spaniard delivered his message, a haughty and bitter smile curled the lip of the fierce monarch. "Tell your sovereign," said he," that the kings of Granada, who used to pay tribute

in money to the Castilian crown, are dead. Our mint at present coins nothing but blades of cimeters and heads of lances." The defiance thus boldly thrown down was the immediate prelude to the war of ten years. It is impossible for us to attempt following that war through all its various fortunes and chivalrous exploits; but a few of the titles to the different chapters, which are given in the quaint style of the old Spanish writers, will afford our readers some notion of the nature of the contents. We meet with many such headings as these:-"How the Moor determined to strike the first blow in the war ;"

"How the people of Granada were affected on hearing of the capture of Alhama, and how the Moorish king sallied forth to regain it ;"-" How the Count de Cabra sallied forth from his castle in quest of King Boabdil;" -" Of the high and ceremonious reception at court of the Count de Cabra and the Alcayde de los Donzeles ;"“Foray of Christian knights into the territories of the Moors ;"-" How Hamet el Zegri sallied forth with the sacred banner to attack the Christian camp;"-" How two friars arrived at the camp, and how they came from

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wars of the border.

"In the evening of the 21st of April, they descried a single horseman, urging his faltering steed along the banks flash of arms, that he was a warrior; and, on nearer apof the river. As he drew near, they perceived, by the proach, by the richness of his armour, and the caparison of his steed, they knew him to be a warrior of rank. He reached Loxa faint and aghast; his Arabian courser covered with foam and dust and blood, panting and staggerHaving ing with fatigue, and gashed with wounds. brought his master in safety, he sunk down and died before the gate of the city. The soldiers at the gate gathered round the cavalier, as he stood, mute and melancholy, by Cidi Caleb, nephew of the chief alfaqui of the Albaycen his expiring steed. They knew him to be the gallant

of Granada.

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cavalier thus alone, haggard and dejected, their hearts were When the people of Loxa beheld this noble filled with fearful ferebodings. Cavalier,' said they, hand mournfully towards the land of the Christians. 'how fares it with the king and army?' He cast his There they lie!' exclaimed he: The heavens have fallen upon them! all are lost! all dead! Upon this and loud wailings of women; for the flower of the youth there was a great cry of consternation among the people, of Loxa were with the army. An old Moorish soldier, scarred in many a border battle, stood leaning on his lance by the gateway. 'Where is Ali Atar?' demanded I saw his turban cloven by the Christian sword,' rehe eagerly If he still live, the army cannot be lost!' When the soldier heard these words, he smote his breast, plied Cidi Caleb. His body is floating in the Xenil.' and threw dust upon his head; for he was an old follower of Ali Atar. The noble Cidi Caleb gave himself no repose; but, mounting another steed, hastened to carry the villages and hamlets, he spread sorrow around; for their disastrous tidings to Granada. As he passed through the chosen men had followed the king to the wars.

"When he entered the gates of Granada, and announced the loss of the king and army, a voice of horror went throughout the city.

*

"Beautiful Granada!' they exclaimed, how is thy glory faded! The vivanambla no longer echoes to the tramp of steed and sound of trumpet; no longer is it crowded with the youthful nobles, eager to display their prowess in the tourney and the festal tilt of reeds. Alas! the flower of thy chivalry lies low in a foreign land! The soft note of the lute is no longer heard in thy mournful streets, the lively castanet is silent upon thy hills, and the graceful dance of the zambra is no more seen beneath late! In vain do the orange and myrtle breathe their thy bowers! Behold, the Alhambra is forlorn and desoperfumes into its silken chambers; in vain does the nightingale sing within its groves; in vain are its marble halls refreshed by the sound of fountains and the gush of limshines within those halls; the light of the Alhambra i pid rills! Alas! the countenance of the king no longer set for ever!"-Vol. i. pp. 163-9.

Our next extract is of a more spirit-stirring kind :—

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