The Alhambra . f birds by a Jewish Rabbin,who had received it in lineal transmission from Solomon the^Vise, who had been taught it by the queen of Sheba. At thevery mention of such astudy, the eyes of theprince sparkled with ani-mation, and he appHedhimself to it with suchavidity, that he soon be-came as great an adeptas his master. The tower of theGeneralife was no lonsjera solitude; he had com-panions at hand \\ithwhom he could con-verse. The first ac-quaintance he formedwas with a hawk, whobuilt his nest in a creviceof the lofty battlements,whence he soared far andwide in quest of
The Alhambra . f birds by a Jewish Rabbin,who had received it in lineal transmission from Solomon the^Vise, who had been taught it by the queen of Sheba. At thevery mention of such astudy, the eyes of theprince sparkled with ani-mation, and he appHedhimself to it with suchavidity, that he soon be-came as great an adeptas his master. The tower of theGeneralife was no lonsjera solitude; he had com-panions at hand \\ithwhom he could con-verse. The first ac-quaintance he formedwas with a hawk, whobuilt his nest in a creviceof the lofty battlements,whence he soared far andwide in quest of prince, however,found little to like or esteem in him. He was a mere pirateof the air, swaggering and boastful, whose talk was all aboutrapine and carnage, and desperate exploits. His next acquaintance was an owl, a mighty wise-lookingbird, with a huge head and staring eyes, who sat blinking andgoggling all day in a hole in the wall, but roamed forth atnight. He had great pretensions to wisdom, talked something. TJic highest Tauer. ^22 THE ALHAMBRA of astrology and the moon, and hinted at sciences ; hewas grievously given to metaphysics, and the prince found hisprosings even more ponderous than those of the sage EbenBonabben, Then there was a bat, that hung all day by his heels in thedark corner of a vault, but sallied out in slipshod style at twi-light. He, however, had but twilight ideas on all subjects,derided things of which he had taken but an imperfect view,and seemed to take delight in nothing. Besides these there was a swallow, with whom the prince wasat first much taken. He was a smart talker, but restless,bustling, and for ever on the wing; seldom remaining longenough for any continued conversation. He turned out in theend to be a mere smatterer, who did but skim over the surfaceof things, pretending to know everything, but knowing nothingthoroughly. These were the only feathered associates with whom theprince had any opportunity of exercising his newly acqui
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherlondon, bookyear190
