Beneath it rung the battle shout, And burst the cannon's roar; Shall sweep the clouds no more! Her deck, once red with heroes' blood, No more shall feel the victor's tread, Oh, better that her shattered hulk Set every threadbare sail, And give her to the god of storms, 1 Harpy: An extortioner; a rapacious person; a plunderer. GOVERNOR MANCO AND THE SOLDIER WASHINGTON IRVING Washington Irving was born in the city of New York in 1783. He is sometimes, and justly so, called the founder of American literature. His first book appeared eleven years before Cooper's "Precaution" and eight years before Bryant's Thanatopsis." Except the works of Charles Brockden Brown, which are no longer read, 66 American literature to the time of Irving was almost wholly political and theological. Irving did not attend college. In fact, he was not a student, and found study distasteful. This was due, no doubt, in large measure, to ill health. He wandered with rod and gun up and down the Hudson, becoming familiar with the country that later he was to people with imaginary and legendary characters. He began the study of law, but soon drifted into literature. At about twenty-one years of age he went abroad and remained two years. On his return he began to write for Salmagundi. In 1809 he published "Knickerbocker's History of New York." He then made a second visit to England, and in 1819 he published the "Sketch-Book." Following this came" Bracebridge Hall," "Tales of a Traveler," "Life of Columbus," "Conquest of Granada," "The Alhambra," "Tour on the Prairies," "Astoria," "Adventures of Captain Bonneville," "Life of Washington," "Life of Goldsmith," "Mahomet and his Successors," and "Wolfert's Roost." IRVING In 1832 he bought a place on the east side of the Hudson near Tarrytown, which he called Sunnyside. From 1842 to 1846 he was minister to Spain. He died in 1859. HILE Governor Manco, or "the one armed," kept WHILE up a show of military state in the Alhambra, he became nettled at the reproaches continually cast upon his fortress, of being a nesting place of rogues and contrabandistas. On a sudden, the old potentate determined on reform, and, settling vigorously at work, ejected whole nests of vagabonds out of the fortress and the gypsy caves with which the surrounding hills are honeycombed. He sent out soldiers, also, to patrol the avenues and footpaths, with orders to take up all suspicious persons. One bright summer morning, a patrol, consisting of the testy old corporal who had distinguished himself in the affair of the notary, a trumpeter, and two privates, was seated under the garden wall of the Generalife, beside the road which leads down from the mountain of the sun, when they heard the tramp of a horse, and a male voice singing in rough, though not unmusical tones, an old Castilian campaigning song. Presently they beheld a sturdy, sunburned fellow, clad in the ragged garb of a foot soldier, leading a powerful Arabian horse, caparisoned in the ancient Moresco fashion. Astonished at the sight of a strange soldier descending, steed in hand, from that solitary mountain, the corporal stepped forth and challenged him. "Who goes there?" "A friend." “Who and what are you?" "A poor soldier just from the wars, with a cracked crown and an empty purse for a reward." By this time they were enabled to view him more narrowly. He had a black patch across his forehead, which with a grizzled beard, added to a certain dare-devil cast of countenance, while a slight squint threw into the whole an occasional gleam of roguish good humor. Having answered the questions of the patrol, the soldier seemed to consider himself entitled to make others in return. "May I ask," said he," what that city is which I see at the foot of the hill?" "What city?" cried the trumpeter. 66 Come, that's too bad. Here's a fellow lurking about the mountain of the sun, and demands the name of the great city of Granada!” "Granada! Can it be possible?" 66 Perhaps not!" rejoined the trumpeter; "and perhaps you have no idea that yonder are the towers of the Alhambra." "Son of a trumpet," replied the stranger, "do not trifle with me; if this indeed be the Alhambra, I have some strange matters to reveal to the governor." "You will have an opportunity," replied the corporal, "for we mean to take you before him." By this time the trumpeter had seized the bridle of the steed, and two privates had each secured an arm of the soldier, the corporal put himself in front, gave the word, "Forwardmarch!" and away they marched for the Alhambra. The sight of a ragged foot soldier and a fine Arabian horse, brought in captive by the patrol, attracted the attention of all the idlers of the fortress, and of those gossip groups that generally assemble about wells and fountains at early dawn. The wheel of the cistern paused in its rotations, and the slipshod servant maid stood gaping, with pitcher in hand, as the corporal passed by with his prize. A motley train gradually gathered in the rear of the escort. Knowing nods and winks and conjectures passed from one to another. "It is a deserter," said one; 66 a contrabandista," said another; "a bandelero," said a third; until it was affirmed that the captain of a desperate band of robbers had been captured by the prowess of the corporal and his patrol. "Well, well," said the old crones, one to another, "captain or not, let him get out of the grasp of old Governor Manco if he can, though he is but one handed." Governor Manco was seated in one of the inner halls of the Alhambra, taking his morning's cup of chocolate in company with his confessor, a fat Franciscan friar from the neighboring convent. A demure, dark-eyed damsel of Malaga, the daughter of his housekeeper, was attending upon him. The world hinted that the damsel, who, with all her demureness, was a sly, buxom baggage, had found out a soft spot in the iron heart of the old governor, and held complete control over him. But let that pass, the domestic affairs of these mighty potentates of the earth should not be too narrowly scrutinized. When word was brought that a suspicious stranger had been taken lurking about the fortress, and was actually in the outer court, in durance of the corporal, waiting the pleasure of his excellency, the pride and stateliness of office swelled the bosom of the governor. Giving back his chocolate cup into the hands of the demure damsel, he called for his basket-hilted sword, girded it to his side, twirled up his mustaches, took his seat in a large, highbacked chair, assumed a bitter and forbidding aspect, and ordered the prisoner into his presence. The soldier was brought in, still closely pinioned by his captors, and guarded by the corporal. He maintained, however, a resolute, self-confident air, and returned the sharp scrutinizing look of the governor with an easy squint, which by no means pleased the punctilious old potentate. 66 Well, culprit," said the governor, after he had regarded him for a moment in silence, "what have you to say for yourself who are you?" |