own romance.

I will quote again from the letters, for they reveal the man quite as
well as the more formal and better known writings. His first sight of
the Alhambra is given in a letter to Mademoiselle Bollviller:--

"Our journey through La Mancha was cold and uninteresting,
excepting when we passed through the scenes of some of the exploits
of Don Quixote. We were repaid, however, by a night amidst the
scenery of the Sierra Morena, seen by the light of the full moon. I
do not know how this scenery would appear in the daytime, but by
moonlight it is wonderfully wild and romantic, especially after
passing the summit of the Sierra. As the day dawned we entered the
stern and savage defiles of the Despena Perros, which equals the
wild landscapes of Salvator Rosa. For some time we continued
winding along the brinks of precipices, overhung with cragged and
fantastic rocks; and after a succession of such rude and sterile
scenes we swept down to Carolina, and found ourselves in another
climate. The orange-trees, the aloes, and myrtle began to make
their appearance; we felt the warm temperature of the sweet South,
and began to breathe the balmy air of Andalusia. At Andujar we were
delighted with the neatness and cleanliness of the houses, the
_patios_ planted with orange and citron trees, and refreshed by
fountains. We passed a charming evening on the banks of the famous
Guadalquivir, enjoying the mild, balmy air of a southern evening,
and rejoicing in the certainty that we were at length in this land
of promise....

"But Granada, _bellissima_ Granada! Think what must have been our
delight when, after passing the famous bridge of Pinos, the scene
of many a bloody encounter between Moor and Christian, and
remarkable for having been the place where Columbus was overtaken
by the messenger of Isabella, when about to abandon Spain in
despair, we turned a promontory of the arid mountains of Elvira,
and Granada, with its towers, its Alhambra, and its snowy
mountains, burst upon our sight! The evening sun shone gloriously
upon its red towers as we approached it, and gave a mellow tone to
the rich scenery of the vega. It was like the magic glow which
poetry and romance have shed over this enchanting place....

"The more I contemplate these places, the more my admiration