GHL to Charles Lee Lewes, Granada, 18 February 1867
Title
GHL to Charles Lee Lewes, Granada, 18 February 1867
Title
GHL to Charles Lee Lewes, Granada, 18 February 1867
Sender
George Henry Lewes
Recipient
Charles Lee Lewes
Date(s)
- 1867-02-18
Place
Granada
Letter Content
GHL to Charles Lee Lewes, Granada, 18 February 1867
Text: Paterson, pp. 125-128. The events described in the 3d and 4th paragraphs occurred 22-23 February. Two letters may have been combined in this text.
The Alhambra. | Monday, February 18, 1867.
Dearest Children,
The address will tell you that the dream of many years has been realised and that the Mutter's more recent, but more intense longing to see this place has become a fact. To think of Granada with its plain, its mountains, and above all this Alhambra being no longer a name but a picture! Under such a sky and in such a climate the least interesting of cities and of sights would become glorified; but here it is a sober fact that the very earth has a splendour of colour and a poetic halo such as of itself would be enchanting. The "red hill" (Alhambra) it is truly named, and we have rooms in the very garden of the palace, with the snowy mountains seen from our window.
From Malaga we took the diligence to Granada -- sixteen hours 587 -- but we had the coup'e9 to ourselves, and the first part of the way was so grand and various that it was pure pleasure. The diligence is drawn up these mountains by a team of ten mules and the steepness of the ascent renders it necessary to go very leisurely, so that we have time to gloat over the scenery. One quite fairy-like effect was the sight of Malaga in the distance lighted up, as of course it is in the evening, but seemingly for our benefit. Four or five times as the road wound round the mountains we caught a sight of this lighted town some fifteen hundred feet below us. When the moonlight came we had marvellous effects!
Our week at Granada was a perfect one, the weather continuing its transcendant character, with sunsets one sees once in a lifetime elsewhere. We tore ourselves away -- though not before it was time, and on this ground: you know I never write my name legibly or in full in the hotel books, wishing to preserve the obscurity of nobodies. But at Granada, there being only two Frenchmen in the hotel 588 I wrote my name legibly for the sake of acquaintance or others who might come afterwards. The next day the hotel began to fill with English and Americans. It was whispered round at once who we were, and the attention of the guests was flattering but boring. One very pretty American woman, to whom "Romola" was a sort of Bible, made the Mutter write her an autograph. 589
We saw life in various interesting shapes -- in a potter's family 590 up in the mountains -- in gipsy quarters -- and we struck up a friendship with the captain of the gipsies 591 -- he has 3,000 under him, and is a blacksmith of genius. He introduced us to his wife. From Granada we took diligence to Martos and rail to Cordova 592 -- our first great disappointment -- all its ancient splendour vanished -- the deadest of dead cities.
Of the Alhambra I will not say a word. The effect is indescribable the bliss extreme. We are in a delightful house 593 (all the servants being part of the family) with a kitchen where one might live even if one had English notions of cleanliness, with baby and a little trot, bright eyes and simple kindly manners, good food and transcendant weather. Dinner announced.
Your loving
Pater.
Text: Paterson, pp. 125-128. The events described in the 3d and 4th paragraphs occurred 22-23 February. Two letters may have been combined in this text.
The Alhambra. | Monday, February 18, 1867.
Dearest Children,
The address will tell you that the dream of many years has been realised and that the Mutter's more recent, but more intense longing to see this place has become a fact. To think of Granada with its plain, its mountains, and above all this Alhambra being no longer a name but a picture! Under such a sky and in such a climate the least interesting of cities and of sights would become glorified; but here it is a sober fact that the very earth has a splendour of colour and a poetic halo such as of itself would be enchanting. The "red hill" (Alhambra) it is truly named, and we have rooms in the very garden of the palace, with the snowy mountains seen from our window.
From Malaga we took the diligence to Granada -- sixteen hours 587 -- but we had the coup'e9 to ourselves, and the first part of the way was so grand and various that it was pure pleasure. The diligence is drawn up these mountains by a team of ten mules and the steepness of the ascent renders it necessary to go very leisurely, so that we have time to gloat over the scenery. One quite fairy-like effect was the sight of Malaga in the distance lighted up, as of course it is in the evening, but seemingly for our benefit. Four or five times as the road wound round the mountains we caught a sight of this lighted town some fifteen hundred feet below us. When the moonlight came we had marvellous effects!
Our week at Granada was a perfect one, the weather continuing its transcendant character, with sunsets one sees once in a lifetime elsewhere. We tore ourselves away -- though not before it was time, and on this ground: you know I never write my name legibly or in full in the hotel books, wishing to preserve the obscurity of nobodies. But at Granada, there being only two Frenchmen in the hotel 588 I wrote my name legibly for the sake of acquaintance or others who might come afterwards. The next day the hotel began to fill with English and Americans. It was whispered round at once who we were, and the attention of the guests was flattering but boring. One very pretty American woman, to whom "Romola" was a sort of Bible, made the Mutter write her an autograph. 589
We saw life in various interesting shapes -- in a potter's family 590 up in the mountains -- in gipsy quarters -- and we struck up a friendship with the captain of the gipsies 591 -- he has 3,000 under him, and is a blacksmith of genius. He introduced us to his wife. From Granada we took diligence to Martos and rail to Cordova 592 -- our first great disappointment -- all its ancient splendour vanished -- the deadest of dead cities.
Of the Alhambra I will not say a word. The effect is indescribable the bliss extreme. We are in a delightful house 593 (all the servants being part of the family) with a kitchen where one might live even if one had English notions of cleanliness, with baby and a little trot, bright eyes and simple kindly manners, good food and transcendant weather. Dinner announced.
Your loving
Pater.
Signature
Pater.
Citation
George Henry Lewes, GHL to Charles Lee Lewes, Granada, 18 February 1867, Complete George Eliot Letters(2026), George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/94458