Page:Lisbon and Cintra, Inchbold, 1907.djvu/19



IGHT—sunshine—beauty—the atmosphere of these three gifts of Nature is conveyed in every name that has been given to Lisbon from ages so remote as to include its legendary origin to Ulysses.

Its oldest name of "Olisipo" became on Phœnician lips, "Alisubbo," or the friendly bay. The Romans sealed their appreciation of the happy situation of the town by the new name of "Felicitas Julia," which was dropped when the Moors came into possession of the coveted strong position for that of "Al Aschbuna"—merely a variant on the Phœnician title. From this Moorish name and "Alisubbo" seen in conjunction it becomes at once intelligible, whence, by the intermediate way of the later name of "Lissabona," was derived the Lisboa of to-day, which we English have converted into Lisbon.

The same ideas of light and sunshine, the first essentials for an ideal climate, strike one in the classical and poetical name of the country—Lusitania. Ancient geographers declare that the name Lusos united to another word which signifies terra in the Celtic language, form together the word Lusitania. Imagination inclines one to favour the poetic licence of a Camöes, who is allowed to transfigure lus into luz, light, making of Lusitania, the land of light, a licence which emphasizes none too forcibly the wonderful atmosphere of this sunny little land.

Portugal of all countries in Europe is the one towards 1