Post on 25-Jan-2023
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I N T H E Y E A R 1 8 5 9 .
BY THE
R e v . R i c h a r d R o b e r t s , B . A . ,
TRINTTy COU.SGE, CAMBRIDQE,
Viek* v ' MtLToM A tiA i, Dosirr.
L O N D O N :
S A U N D E R S , O T L E Y , A N D C O . ,
5 0 , COWDUIT S fR E E T , H a N 0 7 B R SquA R B .
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THE EAia Oï PORTAllLINOTüS.
r s « * tM O R T o r K A 3 T T M * P K T C â T R R P W J ft l O G E T H R S
B f v r R A T H O M E A J t P A H tO A J ) ,
l iU H lM O i ? K i r , ( * M F 3 r O f K O M T H A Ï T f f ï S T Ï .
T n is VOUUUB
I « a P 7 s <i t i o k a t b i . y i K e o n i B S u .
K O T T C E .
T h e A n t l i o r t a k e s t h e p r e s e n t o p p o r tu n i ty o f
a c k n o w le d g in g h i s o b l ig a t io n s t o C . C liffo rd ,
Í 3si¿,, I S , C a l le dfr L a s I n f a n t a s , M a d r id , w h o ,
w i t h g r e a t X iodncíás a n d I jh e r a l i ty , h a s p e r m i t t e d
t h e u s e o f h ig a d m ir a b le P h o to g r a p h s t o i l lu s -
t r a t e t h i s V o lu m e .
CONT ENT S .
C ilA P T E R V
f i O t
S iiB T from Tàris— F re o ch R ail w a y s -P r eW y C ouutjy — F in e o ld C h iie a u i— T oure— CBSheOnd— Q uaint
B nil< iings— M edieval H o ste lr y — S tarin g N s t lta s — U b iq u ito u s Y i ù K T — P o ic t ier s— 13or0e*tux— CaUje-
drai— T o k ea» o f A pproach to S p a n ish F ro n tier—
B orde«o;( to B ayoD ne— T h e L a n d e s— H o te l S t M ftM in -B a y o n n e — l U B e s u t y - B e a q u e P opulation
— H id in g en cnrcUt--JU>ad to B iftm ts— 1(b Se«-v iew — V ili» E u g e n ie — E str e m e H e a t - C h a n g e o f PJan I
C H A P T lil l I I .
ftcA-bathing a t l iia r r ita -S lx n n g e S c « n # - r i n e B reakers — A n in verted Sh ow er-b a lh — T h e E m p e r o i, En>- p r « 8 , Riid PrificB Im p er ia l-C h u r c iis i^ r v ic e in a
»fiHe á -tn a n ^ r — L e l i im to B ayon n e — K m phaüc Po«t-mQ8ter—T h e M a n ju ise a n d C o q iic U e ^ llo u i«
to P » u - I t a S itu a ilo n — i ’ryiD P a u to C«iilf*ret»—L a c d e ü a u b « — P yrenean C b a racteiistirs * L iu to
G a v em ie— T h e C irque— A sc e n t o f th e F íe d u M id i d e B igorrc— G loriou s V ie w -G o c n l-b y o to F y rcn eee 18
C H A P T E R H I .PtUiE
R v p a r e tio n s for SpiÙQ— A guaei-CoiU’icr— S p an ish C onsu l— B a ;o n ii0 Cfttbedral— A ftu th ia l N u is e . 80
C H A P T E R XV,
C h ange o f T cm pereture— Ii^te i e * FaijoD s— S p an ish S e o t r j — C a 4 to m -h o < u ^ 'U » rb o u r o f P a sa a g cs— 8 t Seb astian — P ttá to ro lS ccn er j— T oloB a^Sp& iiibh In n__ T in y M en dican t— flpftniah C ookery— S ou p and
Cb'ick-peas — P o r k — P opalfttion — T h e B a sq u ea ,
B u tts o f th e P « n i n ^ ..........................................................41
C H A P T E R V .
C am bonr*— O ld r a m ily roanwona — G ood P inhing-
co u n tty — C h urch a t M o n d r ia n — S p a n ish P w tir ig — D ifficn llie s o f a Start— A n o ld J ew — V ittoria—T h o S orrow s o f an E n g lis h G room in S p ù fi— D eso -
cratad C h u r c h ......................................................................51
C H A P T E R V L
V ittoria to B 'lrg o s — A b se n c e o f L ak«e In S p a in — P oplar^T etiuc« — S p a iiisb B<'ggars — F o rn iu la for g e ttin g n d o f Ui«ra— M inuKla— A tm ospheric E£Fe<;ti— FaDe<>rTo— ATChbish<^’» T u m * o u t— B r ir ic sca —
SfATcity o f M ilk —I ’iu e S n n sc t . . . . 1 5 0
C H A P T E R V I I .
B u r g o s - B o t id — Sw arm i o f C ats— Cathedral— Ita Ex*
t^rior__P ecu lia r A rran gem ent o f S p a n ish C athe-
VAC*»(Irslu— C » p ilU d e l C o n d eeu b le— ItJ T o m b s and S cu lp tu re— 31agn i£cen t lrya*w ork— T h e Cim borio— OoDvcDt i t M iradorcs— RciAblo a n d H o ;a l T orob
— D e so la tio n o f tb e C on?eot— B paiush B cU -rinfpng — In sln jc t io n in M anners— A C om patriot • 69
C H A P T E R V I I I .
H oW l-b n i— VaJiie o f CiTilitiea io S p a in — A Friernl in K e e d — I ’urioUfl L a n d la d j— C am bour a n d the
Bl(u^k-*trtp— S cen ery— B rillia n cy o f S p a n i^ D y e in g — Oafl tillo jo— lo h o sp ita b te Ijan d U d y — T a k in g D ed s b y Storm — C lev fr A p peal— N o M ilk — Pasb o f
th e S o m o S ierra — Ic y B la s ts — C haotic W ild — N ig b tfa ll— E n ter M adrid . , . , . SS
C H A P T E R IX .
F ir s t IiBpreeslonB o f M adrid - I t s m o d e m A ir— Puerta
¿ c l S o l— F o n d a P e n in s u la r e s - T h e R oyal C ortíge— Spaiitedi B everon e« fo r Carriages - T h e E a g l is h £xr> h^»si^^Tabl^d'h& u • UüheiJtJjlj^»« o f M adrid > A n
b)n glial) m an's F u n e r a l .......................................................... OS
C H A P T E R X.
T 1 i « M u « o ..............................................................................................l o a
C H A P T E R XL
A B u U ' ñ g h t .................................................................................H R
CH A F-rER X II.
AnD«ria Reftl— R oja l S u b le s— A ProUbtAiH in iberi«>B
Stud . m
C H A P T E R X III,
V ieit t*# tbe E s c o r ia l .................................................................
C H A P T E R X IV,
E scorial ooritinued, j»ud concluded . . > . 1 5 3
OH AK TEB XV.
Laftving Madrid— ProTisions for ih e Boad— T oledo: il9 A epect; naixow Streets— Carriages seW om seen__B u ild in g s; Synagogaee : Alcazar— San Jn*n delo8 Reyee— Cathedral— Corning— Rfitablo-Mo^^ara- bic C hapel aJid L itu rg j— Painlcd G U ss -L o d g in g s
and L a n d l a d y .................................................................
C H A P T E R X VI.
S e llin g on t oil ft Rid ing-tour—Siart under DitTicnlties — S cen ery -M id -d a y H alt— A R ide in ih e Dark— S t OUala— P osad a- 8 liort CoinDioos the B id e io
Span ish I n o s ...........................................................................
C H A P T E R XVIX.
Riuny B ide to Talarer»— F rench Equestrian— Rom an R em ains — Talavcra W are — D oplorablelookiog
n o KT ow n— RouW to Oropewis— F in e B ange o f M oun- t,fuiui^Gvuu^i& Civil— T h e Brigand’s Vow—^ o n - fiocs o f E atrem adura-^Dex Forests— Estrcm enian P ig i—Oropcaas— Prim ili*« Posada—C a st le -T ip sy la n d lo r d -S e t t lin g Accounta— A diantagcs o f bar* gw ning beforebitnd 190
C H A P T E I; X V I I I .
D ifficu lty v f g i'ttin g accurate lufonnatio»»— B o a d to C u acos — llo m a u tlc 8con ery*— S a n B eD ito — S can t
H o sp ita lity a n d i t s C o n s e q u e n c e s -W e t M orn in g—A S p a n ish CWr«— lid lin O onversation . . . 201
C H A P T E U X IX .
f ic l o u t for C iiacos— In cid e n ta o f t lie I ’o iv s t— Croee- in g th e T ied a r— T h e o ld M asU fl se e k io g h is l ’o ^
to n e — C hfinge o f S cen ery— V ile R oads— A m o n n . ta in B r i d g e — A proTidentlul E s c a p e - - S teady
H o r s e 009
C H A P T E K X X ,
X apandilla; its C liiraie and Fortllity— CbarbB V.'s Sojourn — K igbt& ll— IH ssppoiutQient— Arrival at CuaooB— W retched Posada— Cwa'» H ospitality— Accom m odation for S erv a n ta -T h e ir Good-huraour and Cheerfulness . , , . . 017
C U A P l’liR X XI.
Y u ste; its Sltiiatjuii and general A spect—Prozent Con- dition— C harles V .’s Coffin— Proposed Rostorotion
s i i
PA or
o f BuiM ings— T h e Kcaperor s Haunts— Chat w iih tbe 0 « r a —E n glish Prayer-book— R etniB to Cutoos— Curiosity o f NaljTes — Ch«rl©t( s N eighbours —
Origin o f the N a m e ......................................................
C H A P T E R 3ULII.
Cuaeos to P leuentia-B eautU 'ul Scenery— Autamnal__P u sM o n — Poleni'icsl Oum— Delieew« and
D o e p o b la d o s ...........................................................................
CHAPTER x x m .
Plflcenllft; i u t ^ k o f Com etribles— P iw itW e PosaJa — Shopping Expediliot) and its R esnlla— Bedroom P leu i'ih ing — Charming Situation o f PlaceDtia — R iyer Xert«— P k asant RAmbld—G nm d F v n n o a — Irreverent Behaviuvu* o f Clergy— Sermon— Cathedral— Rom an Ik m eins— Aqueduct—Spanish Shep* herds— Autum nal M igration*» Shepherdti' Watch- 4og9 '-V is it to a Oollego— Appearance o f Students — Parting Incident— C ase o f Wife«9tabbxng . .
C H A P T E R X X IV .
E a rl; Carousals— R oute from Placentia to Trujillo— Nature left to herself • Pueria de la Serraui»— Lair o f B rigands— Bowers o f Arbmiis— Approach to the T agus— Puente d e l Cardenol— Concert o f Cioaltts— E\e<*i‘able Road— Torrejon e l B iibio-^ N igh t Quiu^ tens— L ate l>iuuer— U alieri^ d t Cum««— Cleanli* ness o f Spanish P etea n try - -VuiiareB and other birds— Parkdike Scenery— Early D a j i o f Pizajxo— In cidcots in Kalural H i s l o i y ...........................................
P A O B
C H A P T E R X X V .
Trujillo— O ocxi In n — PleA^aiiti3«nMnn'0>- t io iu z i is g —-
Pizarro’s M a n sio a — O ld J lo u se s— T o w a w — GaW - wAjB— lA b j r a t h i i ie ^tre^tB— B a d W estL er * Storm P f 0g n 0*lie*— R oad to M oDt*nrhe^— A D o w n -p o u r l io b p i t ^ le o ld Couple>.>AbimdAii«^ o f I^ n en — D o-
c e p tir e n e s s o f U u ta u c « « in 8p a in — b fo o U cc b M H tm ^ ^ D is ^ p o in tm e n t— Cur«'« llou fid — S tD g o ltf R «o«ption— M ontanchcs* H oeplU klitj a n d I^stive C o iu le ey — K in d o ld D a m e— D in in g in P u b lic —
V iew from t i ie C astle— S-^ea«rj*— R n t«r M erida by M o o n lig h t . . . . . . . . Se i
C H A P T E R X X V I.
M erida— In d ifferen t P osada— C asa d e P iip illo s— IU>< m an I k r a s in s —I'ord's D e«eription o f th em — P re- bent C on d ition o f A q nedn ct— F in e V ie w o f M orida — G en era i Charart<u‘ o f N e lg h b o u A o o d — T h s Com*
miÄsariat— A P r e se o t o f W in e — I t s I>«e(iny . , 3 7 i
C i U P T E B X X V II .
M erida to À n dram alq o— U Q intere«tÌtig CouDtry— A large V illa g e — K ig h t H ccnc a t a P o sa d a — B o n te to Zafra— A G roup o f W atcr-nym pha— R a n eo n in w ith
M ulftteera— W arm A t t e m o o a - T o d o u lo s Santo»—
Z a fr a ^ E z c c U c n t T x>dging-hoiiss— A g o o d D in n er — Im portane« o f a tten d in g to th e PruTeod In Spain— A Café— A good-natnrod V ig il— T h e o ld C a s t l e T aurom achy a n d A ^ o ii lO ir « — A D raper’s P a tio — R p ooish H i g h w h y s .......................................................... Sfil
C IIA P T E U XXVIITP A C K
Won&ateri(5— A M unicipftl 8 « retA ry — IndilTcrent Ac- cotrim odatiou fo llow ed by ft L o n g BUI— l* u m in g o f
th e W aters— L o r e ly S n cn ejy— G lo r io u s S u n set— lio n q n ilio— S ie n a M oreon— T)l0oucbBntmeDt— F.n-
tr a a e e in to ......................................................................................
C E A P T E R X X ^X
A n U n w on ted A d d ition to th e Bi'eakfftst*table— Varlon* I lea so n s for g o in g to SeTÌlle —H o l d ¿4 L o ru im —C old W eather—A y o u iig H un garian— T h e Cathedr*!
— Iti> So len in ity an d (r r iu iilf 'i ir -S p a n ish E cc lcs i- a stlca l A r t - -T h e groat C h urch -bu ild ing A g e o f
S p i d n .............................................................................................800
C H A P T E R X X X ,
S e v ille C on tin u ed — Jía(4R-"í MuwcüÍí»— T h e O pera— D ea<l-alive A u d ien ce— Inexpi*»8Í’ ene8s o f B panlsh
P h y sio g n o tn j, ^f»le a n d F em ale— t a c / “**« do P i» «— H isp a n o -E n g lish A d vord so in on t—T iie Alcftzar;I w B eau ty— T h e G ardens— P au city o f WortiHippera
in C athedntl— P r o c f is lo n in U o n o u r o f th e V irgin__W ar w ith M o r o c c o - I ta M otive— S h y n o ss o f the
Spanihh C haracter - A b seu ce o f D r u n k e n n e s s - M u rillo 's P ah i l in g s — M erced GftUcry; D u e de M ontp en fliers PriTate Co)Ip<ition— C aridad— H ou se*
a t S e v i lle - -C a s a d e P íla lo s— A n O rgan ic A dventure
— P ftst O ffica— E x c u r s io n i o A lcala d e O uadaira—
T n p i a W a l l s ..................................................................................3*^
€ H A P T F R X X X I.
FAOSR « n e« a l o f E rg a g « ro eo t w ith M am ns a n d T om a«; re
c o u n t o f tb e m -^ B a d W eath er — Co^llo^'a— ArrivaJ by N ig h l— F ir s t Im prcs»ion& by D a y lig h e— P o sitio n o f
T o w n — Meicqiiiia— C ourt o f O ran ges— Sfm ctuary— O eiiera l blaiikn«>ss aod v a D t o f om aiD cnt#ition— Metal'W ork— Palace o f Z a b r a - Cordovan —
F ilig ree— D iam al H ot«I— Clerk o f Diligeuce*ofB ce—A ll A fternoon W alk— L»n<Iscape in th e N e ig h b w r - h o o d sop erior to S eT ill« — B ad W 'eatber— A O liange and a RtarC . . ...............................................83^
C H A P T E ll X X X II .
B M om m ertee our T o u m fy — R p aiu ifu l D a y a n d F in e C ou ntry — B »ctri ¡»n D roo) &d ary — 01Ì7e-harvc*t— F e m a a N ufie*— llill-fo r ts— M on tilla— C old N igh ts— Rnut^ lo Cííbra— A f i l a r — W'caihep-tnfeeng— L u n ch
tU /r w c o — N e » S c e n e r j— M ounta in G le n ¡o A n tu m n- Cabra— A d v en t S u n d a y - K a n e s o f P o sa d a s— M oorish R em ains— B a in y M o m in g — Cros9 L and lady
— R u d e P o p u U tiu n — D e se c r e iio n o f the L ord ’s D ay — Ila ir -c lea o in g . . , . . . 5 5 1
CllAPTLB XXXIIL
M ountain ride to P ricg o — A n ln m n a l T in ts— Trnffic on
th « W'ay— C on n ection b e tw een Ba<l R oads and F in e 8 een »ry— F o rest S c e n e . . . . . S64
C H A P T E R X X X IV .
P lie g o — C row d o f L o u n g ers S earch fo r L o d ^ g s
u n d er DifiicuH'idu— M istaken for B a g m en — B clig iou e E n ih u s io sm — S p a n ish F ig u re o f S p ccch — B ea u tifu l —
F o u n ta in — A L ev iv— A a E a r ly W alk a o d L o rely L a o d K a p e ................................................................................. 36T
CHAPTIjJJi X X X V .
U o u n u in -r o a d s— D «atb n) em ori aU— lo e a p a b le G uide — T yirent-pM h— M id-dny h a l t —F ir s t V iew o f Sierra N eT oda— A sso c ia tio o s o f ibn P is tr ie t— B en io r^ ia ed
D o n k e y s— M arch in the I>ark— SiiepU erds’ W alch- firea— C asa L u p e— lU J e to G n a a d a — B rid g e o f P io o s — T h e V e g o ^ E se c r a b lc R oad— F ntraD ce
G r a n a d a ................................................................................. 97tt
C H A P T E R X X X V I.
G ranada— Cathedral— C ap illa d e lo s R eyce— R eja-T o ra b s— V ault— A ltar-C ar'inga— C onversion o f th e > foors— In terestin g B e lie s— C lerical D a n d y ism .
O H .^ P T iia X X X V I I ,
O u r T .a ^ iia u d* P U c* , X iin en e« — A lham b ra-> G ate o f
J n s tic e — P lace o f th e C istern s— C h arles's P o la e e — E x terio r o f A lham b ra— T h e A lb erca —-H all o f A m b assa d o rs—Cuurt o f L io n s H a il o f th e A beneer-
fACErtig<^g_.BloodJ S te in s —H tJl o í tli6 T « o SUlf*J8—S s la d«9 Just'tcU— T ocador d e la R em s— " T a le s <A th e A iham br»"— T o w o d e la V ela— Panoram a—
A b im d aiice o f W a te r —Asefteslnfilion— H panish In* difference to H u m a n O rigin , th o B n ll-figb t— U n iv e r sa l love o f the S p ort . . . , 401
C H A P T E U X X X V I I I .
V iito r ia H o te l— Q arlic lo v in g Pepi^— S e a so n fo r v is it in g OnmAd»— T ii S iiiD m er attractiona— B a d now s— (se n e rs lifc — A n U p la n d W alk— A stroke ol' b u sin ess__S a n Oeroiiimc— M oo rish H o u sc s— Caita C bapis—
iJm n d e l C arbon— W o o d -ia rr in g — Iin*^ e-w orsh lp
— EffecLB o f v a te r Id S p a i n ...............................................42T
C H A F i’lfiR X X X IX .
Fftrcw cll to G m ia J a — D rive to L o ja — S a n ta F l— L oja__P>tirbaros«a'6 p r o g r e s s - A n e w ai^uaintance, and
o u o ld— T lir c a ic n in g w e a th e r -W o o d la n d Scenery__ 1 ^ 8 1 Righi o f B arbarossa— R ia e n d — Ai*chidouft
- X Ix>’ er's l > i a p - A K ig h t S c e n e . . . 4 3 0
C H A P T E R X L .
A n teq u era — P oead a— A n u n ex p ec ted A lly— D c n t^ S o r g e r y -S ta r t l in g Sp ectacles—A u toq u crion do-no- ih ingiieH s — S cen ery — S a lt lak e — C ainp illoa — A F a m ily G roup— iln se t t lc d w eather— tJnearth ly bell-
r in g in g — T e b a — A b sen ce o f F a rm b u i l O i o g s -
b
TACFT hregln ng-floow — S p w iish fttraw— A profiw b le spe*
c u ia tio n — ü fit ler — S ín ecu r i «la — O eologloftl Speci«
r a e o s ..........................................................................................
C H A P T E R X L 1 .
T ^naeioua w a y s— T rcraeu d ou s Q u n r r e l-T r in n ip h o f
leg itim atti au th ority— W ay.gide flow ers— A d e l u s io n s— T ria l« o f p a tien ce— M o o n lig h t R id e —R o n d »— B » r g iin in g — Iftixeais Siyrt»—lio n d a and I is inba- bitfm te— S m u ^ l in g — C h anged circumetADCeS — A C h ip o f th e o ld B lo c k — R o b b er L a ir s— U on da
“ L io n « A laraed»— T ojo— M oorish M ills A 6«
C H A P T E R X L I l ,
T r i ^ u p o n T raT ellers— Feroalft dof^g«s— A lo s i
r a j a .............................................................................................
C H A P T L R X L l i r ,
T h e VftUey o f t h e G a a d a iro — E iv e r - s c e n c r y -C a i’s
C a r e -R a d e n e s " o n tli# road— K T e r - f l id e - V f io » -
Q uei^tionable in v i t a t io n - L a R im e r a -B « d * b c g in n g C ottage-in tir lor— P u b lic cook in g— V il ls g c 13arb^r—
S p a n is li M eg M erriJw a- U nsftQ sooable g if l^ - l'ir e
s id e g r o u p - B l o o d - l o t t i n g ...............................................
C l l A P T F .B X T .IV .
V a n ity o f e a r ly -r is in g -M o o n lig h t V lo w - P a r t w it h theB a r l; i> r - C o f le s - C b a n 6 e o f S c e n e r y - Q i i i t tlie
. 486Guada^ro
C H A P T E R X L V .
Philology— Gan pm—B o«a d ^ L eo n — An Error—S teep Pull— It* Rewart]— I^irst S ig b to f OibroIUr— U nei*|>ecCed llen cu n tre— Compatriot^i— A C h at iu t h e Road
— Di#icuU ieA — A tm ij— Gai<Je— V e n ta do G uadairo — P d stitu tio n — CoQsdcjoeDces o f o u r In iiiscretaou* • A Q nin tett— M id n ig h t Rid»5— C ork-w ood . dftft
C irA P l'E B XLVr.
San R oq ii^ —H o t Cotfoe— Qnii-firc—ParltDgtio u s —E n v iro u s o f G ib r a lta r -E n tr a n c e , 5 0 2
C H A P T E R x r . T r i -
Ci i braltar— L o tters— T o ile t te — S u n d a y D r o ss — G ¡brat* tar C a ih sd ra l— C onutisl w iih Span I eh C a th ^ O ra ls-
Mt‘ipltic©d E c o n o m y .......................................................507
C H A PTER X L V Iir.
W eJeorne Arri%'aJ — M ulete^re ’ A d v e n t i ir « — T h«ir 0 'enaperanf’O— V ictoria H o te l— G ibraltar S ig h t* —
Masi^uorad« o f N ations— O ur S toam or— S e tt lin g Ac* co u n K — \Vind*m g-up o f A ffairs— I ’iDtJ M ea su res— On<Ml-bje to M areo^ a n d T o m a s— T b e ir s a fe Arrival a l T o le d o —M id n ig h t Ezp<w;iAr.ion— B a n g ]— Ijig h t S leep ers a n d h ea v y — P urkias’ fina l A p pearan ec, io
C b w a c t e r .................................................................................. 010
CoHÍenU.
C H A P T E ll X L I X ,9 i C S
M orüont o f D epariure— Eá^ged-Staff Siw rs— ItomAn- t ie I n c id e n ts — NaiTüw E s c ^ e — exiort iou'p
. . 5^1..............................................................
C líA P T E R L .
F ir t t ln jv r« 8 Íü n B o f our n e w L ió m e— XTnwonlfd Brcftkfftsl— F A tüig a n d D r u ib in g - H o w w c sp en t th e D a y o n Injard th e C ey lo n "— E a rly tea— Bi>eak- f a s t - L i m c l i e o n - D ir m e r - T e a - P r e p a r a ü o u ? for th o N i g h t - A n A nom aly— Ftó& engers -A n In v a lid
— PastoTiil w o r k - S u i iJ a y W o rsh ip o n b o a r d - S o - Jentw Y P ra jcrs — ?AintiU B u ly eo t — C h auge the S ,» b j e c l - W e a t h e r - T h o C L a n n e l-R e sU e ttD e e s— B r e s i i ü g u p - A w lu te W orld— C uM om -honse—
P a n in g — E n d ......................................................................
AUTUM N TO U R IN SPAIN.
C iL A P T liH I.
E F T P aris on i lo n d a y m orning, Septem ber
19tli, 1 859 , a t ten , arriving at Toiirs,
w here w c proposed %t^iymg tlie niglit» soon aiter
tw o. I t is quite a pleaaure to travel b y any o f
til« principid railw ays in Prance, so pnnctual
and wcU>managed arc t h e y ; and tHe bri^f halt
o f five or ten m inutes, occurring every fifty or
s ix ty milcd, m ig lit be introduced w ith advantage
on th is aide llie Channel, W ith a lo n g journey
in prospect, i t is w orth a traveller’s w h ile to
remember, th at th e Guards are quite open to
conviction, w hen argum ent takes th e form o f a
couple o i francs, in consideration o f w h ich th ey
w ill at once conduct h im to a com fortable scat.
a n d h e t h i i s ea c a p c a d e t e n t i o n i n t h e c ro w d c d
w a itin g -ru O D i, a n d t h e f in a l a c ra E ib le f o r p la ie s ,
w h e n t h e d o o ra l e a d in g t o t h e p l a t f o r m a r c afc
l e n ^ i n n lo o k c d .
M uch o f tJie country along the Bordeaux line
is very pretty, and scarcely a village is passed, tliat df>68 not recall some historical incident; hut
th e portion o f th e famed Tonraine w c traversed is sadly deficient in attraction for English
eyes, being little else tlian a vast monotonous
plain, w hich frequent inundations o f th e Loire
have converted in many places into a desert of
sand and dibris. Several fine old chatcaux came
in to sigh t from tim e to tim e, among which Chambord, Chaumont, and Amboise were most conspicuous, tho hasty glim pses w o caught of
their h igh -p itch ed roofs, and sharply - defined
gables, raiJsing us long for a nearer and more
lengthened inspection.T had always promised myeelf, in ease I ever
chanced to be at Tours, tho gratification o f visitin g Pleftsis, the well-known scene o f Quentin
Durward's earlier adventures, and as i t is not
more than a mile and a luilf from th e town, it seemed feasible enough. "But there are few occasions when good intentions are more easily
frustrated than upon a journey, and, from
variniie causes, 1 was TUîâble to a«3Complish my
little pilgrimage to P le s a is les T o t i t s , one o f the
myriad sim ncs consecrated by the geoius of Scott,
Tours disappointed us, exhibiting, in conse- qacnce o f m odem impiOTCment#, xery little of
the antique quaintnees o f an old Frcnch d ty , which occupied so distinguished a position in
mediîBval history; nor did the cathedral, with
its debased western facade, and bare, unadorned
nave glaring w ith whitowasli, harmonize with the associations callcd forth by a eccnc so famoiis
in the annals of the Gallican Chiu\îh, as the See
o f St. Martin and Gregory. The choir, how ever, contains acme painted glass o f oiqnisito
beauty, which m ust have been in no slight
peril at the Revolution, when tho vast cathedral o f St. Martin was destroyed. The H ôtel Growm
is a very pretty specimen o f a Bcnaissance mansion, cnriohed w ith sculptured coats o f airog, scroll-work, fruitage, and other characteristic
ornaments, though its recent restoration, and the
perfect freshness o f the fine-grained stone, unre- lievj>d by weathcr-stain and lichen, made it diffiirolt to believe we were looking at a building of the sixtoentlx centuiy. Several o f the back
streets and alleys contdin oiceedingly curiousB 2
old dwellings, o f th e rudest construction, in
wood and stone, Roincwhat after th e fashion of
the hlaek and w hite honses so rommon in
Chf^tor and ShrewBbnry ; one o f them being a
cobbler 8 abode, o f snch aciuity dimensionft, that, for aught I know to t)je eontrarj', i t may he
the identical stall immortalized in the welJ-
known rhyme.Jn st opposite tho tw o towers, which alone
remain to th e present generation some idea
o f th e old cathedral's siise and grandeur, I discovered a glorions hostelry, n o t mentioned by
Murray, dating apparently from th e thirteenth
century. I never saw b o perfect an example o f
a mediæval inn, which lo o ts quite venerable in
its dirt and untidiness, unaffected by th e lapse of
tim e ; and as I stood inside the court-yard, w ith
every external object shut out by the embattled
çatovray, save th e majestic forms o f th e Tour de St- i la r t in and Tour dc Charlemagne, I should
hardly have been Rurpri/ed had Quentin Dur-
ward, or h is unde, Le Balafré, ridden in at the
head o f a company o f Scottish archers. Feeling
very proud o f th is discovery, which 1 made ju a
ramble before breakfast, 1 took Lord Vortarlinff- ton to see i t in the course o f th e morning, and
be was even more delighted w ith it than m y self.
In no part o f Prance, wherever either o f ua
had any tim e been, east, west, north, or south, did we meot w ith snch inTeterate Ftarers as the
people o f Tours, who, in other respects, do not appear to be ixs civilized os their central position
and largo in terooum w ith th e world would k ad
one to expect. One individual, however, a
waiter at one of th e e/j/éé near our hotel, mui^t be excepted from th is chargc. Prom th e mom ent o f our arrival, he seemed to take us under
h is spycial protection, turning up continually on
every emergency in the m ost mysterious manner, as i f he possessed tho faculty o f divining
our intentions, and knew exactly where we
wanted to go. I f we ever chanced to be in
doubt as to our way, a dnnimstance that happened several times, he was instantly at hand, and, having set us tight, vanished again, almost before we were aware o f Ids presence. T fear he
m ust have sadly neglected his customers that morning, though why he should take so unwearied an interc'st in our procoid in^ , and put him se lf to such trouble for <mr convenience, remains
to th is day aa great a m ystery to us, as his talent for appearing at critical moments. W o
became at last positively nervons about looking
around us anywhere in h is neighbourhood, for
fear o f cansiiig further trouble to our good-
natured ally.Our H otel, L 'U n iT e r e , by no m e a n s camc up
to Murray’s recommendation, which classes it
among tlic first i n ÏVaQce, and w e found there
neither “ the E nglisli conveniences vaunted in
th e handbook, nor the pleasant spaciousness of
the old-feâliioned French inn.Leaving Tours at two p .m . we rcached Bor
deaux soon after ten, after an a^^ecable journey, some portions o f which, in the well-watered and
ricbly*timbcrcd pastures, reminded ua o f many
an linglisl) landscape. Poictiera, from the
beauty o f its position, and th e interesting
churches and other buildings w ith which i t ia
enrichcd, m ust be a cliarming place to stay at, had tim e permitted ms— N ôtre Dam e alone, w ith
i ts glorious array o f sculpture on the w est front, being sufficient to repay a visit.
I t was dark long before we entered Bordeaux,
so that we m issed th e eJTect of a first impression, which may account for m y being somewhat disappointed w ith th e general appearance o f the
place. The bridge and quays are certainly
m agnificent; while the Garonne, then brimiul w ith a turbid flood 2000 feet wide, présenta a
very différent aspect from the Seine at Paris,
which looks sometimes as i f it were a ll q\iay and
no wat«r.The plan o f th e catHeiljal is unusual, haTing
ft nave 56 feet wide and nearly 300 fc«t long, w ithout aisles. This dronmstancc, though in
itse lf interesting, &s another instance o f the manifold elasticity and power o f adaptation, so
characteristic o f pointed architecture, yet dwaria
th e apparent elevation o f the nave, and dim inishes th e general effect o f th e interior. The
choir exhibits far more points o f resemblance to
E nglish churches than 1 have generally noticed
in liVance, a peculiarity accounted for by its erection diiring on i possession o f Bordeaux.
T he north transept is surmounted by two very elegant spires, each 160 fee t high— the only
example, it is said, o f such an arrangement, in th e whole o f Trance. Our unfortuuate Eichard
I I . , surnamed atler the town, was baptized in
th is cathedraJ-Tlic Tarious diligence offices here reminded
us o f our increasing proxim ity to Spain, b y announcing conveyances to all parts of the Penin*
sulit; while m any a window, instead o f the Parisian shopkeepers’ stereotyped notiec, “ E nglish spoken here,” held out to the Spaniard a promise that- w ithin he m ight do business
througli the medium o f his own mother tongiie. XiOrd Portarlington haTong some intention of
taking a short run into Spain, we thought it
advisable to get a copy o f “ Ford's Handbook ”
before leaving Bordeaux. W ell indeed it was
we did 80, as that iutenti<m, w liicli at th e most scawely contemplated even a hasty v isit to
Madrid, developed ultim ately into a journey
which extended from iiayounc to (xibnkltar; through Madrid, Toledo, Plosencia, Seville, and
Gniuada, the greater part o f that distance being accomplished on horseback. That expedition
forms th e substance o f th e present publicaitiou; and i f th e narrative succeeds in imparting to
the reader on ly a small portion o f th e enjoyment we derived from the sccnes I have hero attempted
to dcscribc, he w ill not, T hope, th ink his time
altogether thrown away.W e le it Bordeaux without regret, finding the
climate damp and oppressive, and feeling anxious
to reach our destination, Biarritz, w ithout delay. T he rail to Bayonne runs right through the
Landes, which precisely resemble th e extensive
tract o f unenclosed coiintry at the back of
Bouruemoath, on the confines o f Hampshire
and Dorset, w ith the same soil, heath, and
timber, Everything, however, is on a lai^cr
âcale, and the climate, of course, m nch warmer, the heat and dust m ating our irajei anything
bnt agreeable. Tt was too proToking, that we
did not ace a single apecimen o f the shepherd
on stilts, peculiar to tbia district, our only relief from tbe m onotony o f th e scene l>eing an occasional glim pse o f some ontlying point o f the
Pyrenees, which begin about m idway to show
their gracetui forms, curving in purple folds
gently down to tb e Atlautin.lufetead o f going direct to Bmrata, we drove
from the Bayonne station to the H ôtel de St. Martin, the very model o f an old-fashioned French inn, standing in quiet and shady retirem ent w ithin a apacious courtyard— ita staircases, cerridorR, and apartments being a ll on a large
airy scale, in pleasant contrast to th e cramped
dimensions o f m odem hotels, and imparting, in a
southern climate, w ith th e thermometer at 83
degrees indoora, such a delicious seusc o f coolness and repose.
I have aeldom seen a town more to m y mind
than Bayonn«, witl» ita umbmgeous trees along
th e principal tliorougbferc, looking so cool and
i ^ h that sultry afternoon; while the quaint old-world*like streets at the back, varied here
and there by arcades not unlike those at Ifemo,
were quite a study. Tho left h io ^ o f tho Adour, below the town, is planted w ith noble arenuus, where you m ay enjoy shade, and th e sea- breezes, as they come stealing up tho river. N or is the rest o f the place devoid o f attraction; th e broad waters o f th e N iv e and Adour, which
here unite in to one stream, being lined w ith
handsome quays, and 8pann(?d by three bridges; and as we stood amid th e motley-coloured crowd, which, in various costume, military, nautical, and provincial, was passing, w ith ceaseless flow, towards the suburbs, while th e last rays o f sunset were gleam ing upon tower, housetop, and
gable, we had beforo ou i eyes the elements of
n o onlinaiy picture.A considerable portion o f th e population is
Basque, th is oldest o f oil European races (so say
ethnologists) existing not on ly in Spain, where it ertendfl over three provinces, but in a small district o f liVanee also, in the neighbourhood
o f Bayonne. Geograpliy book^ describe the
Basques as “ a lively, industrious people, nius- eular and well*made, active in body, frank in maimer, and passionate in character.” A i far
as we had th e op]>orhinity o f judging from
two or three Basquaises, who waited ou us at the hotel, they seem very good-natured and
obligTUg, having the conntenance and complexion
o f tlic gipsy, w ith th e pleasant mannerg o f tlie
Wel&h peasantry.Mnrray’s “Handbook for France” infoTras its
readeRi, that in these parts people used to ride
«r cacckt, though the practicfi has w ell n igh
become obsolete. A wooden frame, containing seats for two, is placed pannier-i’ashion acroRS
th e back o f a horse, so that the w eight o f each rider is balanced by that o f hia ct>»c<jU06trian.
The chief difficulty of th is mode o f conveyance occurs at th e bcgiim ing and end o f a r id e; ibr
i f either party m ounts or dismoimts one moment
before th e other, a caj^ize is the inevitable
coneeqnenccj and as one of th e pair— th e eon» dnctor— is usually a stout countrywoman, the
absurdity o f such an incident m ay be conceived. Now-a-days, few, except peasants and market people, adopt th is means o f locomotion, thougli the day is not yet forgotten in th e neighbour- hood, “when th e Duehesse de Berri used to ride
f% caeoletOur destination being Biarrita, where this
conveyanco was m ost in vogue, we fe lt bound, as travellers o f an inquiring turn o f mind, to
investigate eo peculiar a depj\rtment o f “ the
manners and customs'* o f th e Basques, and for
that purpose asked th e waiting-wom en a numljer o f questions pertinent to the gnbject. B ut the
very soTUid o f the words "en cacoUt^^ so suggestive oi* caehinnation, 8oeme<l to excite their
risible taenitie« to such a degree, and set them
off in to sucli iits o f laughter, that wc never
succeedcd in obtaining any coherent informa^ tion, and were obliged to content ouraclves with
tb e soW -m ijided Incubratioiui of Murray.Scarely are th e environs o f Bayonne cleared,
before you enter npon a desolate tract o f barren
heath and sand, extending m ost o f th e way to
liia ir itz , the m onotony o f th e landscape being
relieved, however, by th e magnificent outline of
th e opposite coast of the Asturias, where the
verdant slopes and craggy peaks o f the Pyrenees
rise abruptly out o f tlie western waves. N o th in g can exceed the boldness and freedom of
the sea view, wbieb stretches out into illimit- able expimsc over the broad l>oaom o f the
Atlitntie. A few years ago tho!;e five miles
between Bayonne and Biarritz m ust have been
a walk o f rare beauty, increasing in interest at every step, until at last tb e whole line o f coast li«a extended at your feet, w ith its lava-coloured
rocks, running out to m eet th e huge waves, which, liaving traversed an entire ocean, sui^e
B i a r r i t z . ^ 3
grandly iîï, to whitcD w ith their Toam th e manifold cavcsrns they bare been scooping out along
the shore ever since tim e began.B u t now the gwarms o f smart carriages, and
crowded omnibuses, which the sunshine of
Imperial favour \hls called forth into a summer
ciistenec, g ive the neighbourhood quit<i a suburban character, and instead o f gazing at the
view , you begin to spocolate whether that gaily- dressi*d crowd, disporting itse lf in a ll directions, Las left in lodging-house and hotel any place
for new comers to put their heads in.Though n igh t had n ot yet fallen, long lines
o f blazing lig h t were streaming w ith exquisite effec-t arios» the sea from the windows o f the
V illa Eugénie, w h ich stood out one maas o£
radiance as we drove into Biarritz, being illu m inated from roof to base, in honour of the
K in g o f th e Belgians, who dined that evening
w ith th e Emperor, and wearing, for the moment, th e aspect o f some fairy palace, instead o f that
commonplace, naked appearancu, i t exhibits in
th e daytime.Eoom s had been ordered several days before
at the H ôtel de France, but on going to claim
them, we found every com er crammed, and
were transferred by the landlord to a new
eFtablishmmt, H otel d’A ngletcirc, in a very
good sitnation, where we hoped to enjoy a little
rest after our long journey, and i£ m uch o f th&
8*?a-breciie as would render more tolerable the excessive heat, w hich now, at th e end of September, surpassed the warmth o f th e dofj days.
N ex t morning dawned brighttT aiid hotter
than ever, tho atmosphere being in the condition o f a dry vapour hath, while a wind from
tho eouth-wcst not only brought w ith it the
enervating in£uences o f the sirocco, making
exertion a mere misery, b a t veiled th e whole
l^ d scap e w ith a dim haze that effectually
marred a il the grace and cleamesd o f its out*
lines. B y ten o’clock th e s u n was bo powerinl, that gentlem en were walking about w ith nm- brellas, and Lord Portarlington remarked, that
his aneuroid never indicated so heavy a pressure o f air, in any country where he has taken it, aR
at Biarritz, the index standing above “ very dry,"
a point i t never reached oven in rainless Epypt,I t was a great disappointment to find so
much heat and oppressiveness at that late
period o f tho season, a ll accounts we had received o f Biarritz having reprcisented its climate as fresh and bracing, while we found it
m oie relaxing than even Torquay. W c were
not tlicn aware that tiie same liig^ temperature
and w eight o f atmospliere prevailed at tlie
moment over the greater part of France and England. I t was decided, in consequence, that
we shonld stay no longer than K onday, having
arrived there on Friday, and after a short expedition into the Pyrenees, wc were then to go
on to Madrid. This change of plan delighted
me, as I was never likely to hH,vc another opportun ity of seeing so peculiar and littb-travellcd
a country as Spain.
C n A P T E R I I .
ri^ITTS w eighty maiiCT deoided, we walked
-I - down to Bee th e hathera, m any o f whom take their dip on the open shore in iront of the
town, the operation being in that quarter very
much o f the same nature as at m ost other
waterin^*pla W58.B u t i f any one wishes to see a o f an
entirely novel description, le t h im go w ith us to
the other side of th e towTi, where he w ill witr ness a m ost amuaing apeetacle. L et th e reader
figure to him self a deep, narrow cove, walled
on each side hy eliife, aud protected at its seaward c i t r c nuty by a rocky islet, that does duty
for a breakwater, while th e npper end ia encircled
w ith long rows o f wooden bathing house«. Between these aud the sea, a bevy o f ladies, e » grande to U e i te , is s ittin g under the pleasant shade of im pending rocks. T our first glance
prompts you to say, ‘•O hl what a charming
spot for a qniet b a th e !” hut you have hardly
i:ttere<i the wonia before you discover, that, iu
spite of all ita apparent advantages o f situation, it lias little power to keep out th e terrific rufih of an Atlantic wave, which oven when broki*n on
th e beach retains force enough to knock down a powerful D ia n .
A tremendous aca is rolling in , th e waves o f any lenj^h and depth, and as tlicy are suddenly compressed into that narrow space, they
break against the rocky sides o f the cove
with the uoiac of thunder, scattering showers
o f spray and foam h igh into the air. In the
m idst o f tiiis seething wliirlpool, you catch a
glim pse of heads dotted about here aud there, now rising on a summit o f a huge mountain-
wave, now suddenly digappearin^» behind a wall o f waters, in th e m ost im m inent peril (apparently) o f being dashed to pieces eveiy
moment. I t quite tokea away your breath to
look at them, as they are tossed to and fro in
im potent helplessness in th e midst o f that foamin g f lo ^ . "Surely,” you think, “ these m ust
be some poor creatures struggling ashore from
a foundered ship." N ot a b it o f it ; all o f them, men, women, aud children together, hiivc gune in of their own free will, and iu spite o f your
c
trepidation on their behalf, which makes you look at them w ith quickened pulsp, and “ bated
brcutl),” every one is h igh ly delighted at his situation, and i f you w ill only wait a while, you
w ill soon see some more venturing in ‘‘ to take
up arras against that sea o f troubles.’"T he chair beside you ha« Ruddenly lost its
ocenpant, the best-dresaed unit in all that growp o f fashionably-attired women. I n a few minutes
a drea«ng-room door opens, and out stepa a
funny Laplander-like little “ p arty” in frook coat and trowsers, to whose waist a bathing*man
first attaches a pair o f gourd«, which not only
make her raore managt^able in the water, but
impart besides a touch o f the pilgrim to a
figure grotesque enough already, and tlien he
upsets a pailfal of “ the briny flood” over her
head. She is now fitted out for sea, and trusting to her floats, and stalwart arm o f the bathing
man, in she goes, fco increaa« the number oi black dots bobbing up and down like corks upon the yeasty sorges. and th e last you sec
o f the newly-launched pair is high among the
foam-heads o f a tremendous swell, behind whose
crest they are suddenly engulfed, to turn up
again on the first opportunity in some other
part o f the covc.
To prevent accidents from tlie extreme force
o f the imdcr-current, as tho waves retire, a ropediawu across the lower end o f the covc, and
beyond this point no one seemed to venture.The worat part o f tlie whole business is, tliat
both in go in g and returning tlic bathers have
to cross a disagreeable strip o f sand, and sliiuglc, passing w ithin a few feet o f tho spectators, who, having noth ing to do, are naturally disposed to
be critical.A ltogether it formed a m ost amiasing scene,
rather tc»o public for Eugli&h taste» tlioiigh we
observed, from tim e to time, several o f our
country «women, who jn st before had been sittin g am ong the lookers-on, reappear, after a short absence, so effectmdly disguised under
the transformation o f a bathing-dress, tlxat their nearest relations would have failed to recognize them , as they stepped into the water.*
I never on any shore saw such beautiful breakers, as at Biarritz. Tlie rocks, which in
form and colour very closely resemble those
ly in g off the Channel Islands, run out some
• U k o n lU k Q o te « w b i k a t B iA r r i t z , T a m i n d e x e d
fo r m a n ; particu lars ax th is d escr ip tioa t o th e o fth e tam o g o o d fritnid, t o w hora 1 o w ed th e opportuD ity o f TiBiim g th e ecen^.
c 2
distiince into the sea, so a« to receive the ftiU
shock o f every wave, which, breaking into ibam, falls like a veil o f w hite lace fiung suddenly upon some diirk surface, and as suddenly witlidiawn, to be followed hy wave after wave, repeating
th e same effect iu ever-recurring succession.Sometimes you are tem pted to w ish the sea
were not quite m lively, a* you *<crainl>le among the c r a g ^ paths leading to th e various islets,
witK which the shore is strewn. A n enormous
wave come« rolling in, thirty feet below the rock, on which you have perched yourself for
th e better eonteraplatiou o f th e scene 5 and
while you are admiring that glorious rush of
water so instinct w ith life and force, and wondering how any poor shipwrcekcd mariner could
ever escape on such a eoast, all of a sudden an
inverted shower-bath dashes upwards in your face, bringing your meditations to an untimely
end, and tvaching yon for th e future to give a
•wider berth to the range o f an A tlantic waveH aving never seen cither Emperor, or Empress,
I was anxious to CAtch a gliiupse o f sueh remarkable personages; and as they very good-naturedly
seem to make a point o f appearing often in
public, my wishes were soon gratified. A band
played every fine evening in frout of the iinp eri^
Villa, and at th is hour the Em pcroi generally
wulkcd fimoiig the crowd, attended b y one or two
gcntlciQCu of 111s Fiiite, and accompanied frequently b y the little i^ ince. One evening th e Court aat oo t near the extrem ity o f the p oon d s, a. slight wire fence being the only separation
between the rmperial party and the hundiods, wlio were promenading th e beach ; and as they
remained on th is spot at least an hour, I enjoyed
abondant opportonity o f gratifying m y curiosity, the Emperor, Empress, and little Princc forming
a group w ithin tw enty yards o f the general crowd. H is countenanco exhibits little in dication o f intellect, while h is lack-lustre, leadt n
eye, and thieksct heavy figure, appear altogether
out of harmony w ith the real self o f that
mysterious being, who, from a fugitive adventurer, has become th e wonder o f the age. I f the words o f an old song can be applied to so august a person as an Emperor, i t may he
daid o f }iim, that his fece is h is fortune, veiling, as it does, so effectually the workings o f the
inner man. W hen we saw him at Biarritz, he liad not long returned from h is Italian campaign, w ith a prentice ai;gmentod beyond the
wildest dreams of am bition; y e t in h is qniet unassuming demeanour not a trace o f exultafri'^n.
or eelf-complacency, could b© detected; so that
i f lie does not possess a ll the geniuR o f the first Napoleon, he is at any rate perfectly free frem
evety particle o f h is intense vulgarity.T he Empress was djes&ed w itli extreme plain
ness, and in a colour, fewn, which scarucly did
justice to her delicate complexion. H er beauty is unquestionable, though w ith her face in repose, aud fatd^od apparently at th e tim e I saw her, she could uot have appeared to the same ad>
v a n ta ^ us in her more-Huiiuntcd moments, wlien her countenance is lighted up w ith conversation. She has all th e high-bred look and
air, tliat m ight be expected in one descended
from some o f the beet blood, in tw o o f the
m ost pedigree-worshipping coimtries in Europe — Spain and Scotland.
Mor« thiin tw o m onths afberwardis, while
riding between i^anada and lionda, we passed
under Teba, th e high-perched mountain-town, which gives her the title o f Countess, and it struck me as a bleak spot indeed to enjoy the
privilege o f g iv ing “ a lo c^ habitation and a
name’' to a flower o f such rare loveliness.The little Prince dehghted \is, being one of
the m ost intelligent, and pcrfectiy-natural boys
I ever saw, w ith laj^e lustrous eyes, full o f child
like woiidernieTtt. l i e seenia fco lio brought ap
m ost judiciously, under th e chaise of an English
nurse, and some one told us, that h is g ’eat pleasure ia to ride b is donkey up aud down in
front o f the regim ent, to whicli he belongs, and when he haa finished his inspection, he
gives the wx>rd o f command to turn in , "Rentrez*' in soldier-like style.
One could not look at that innoecnt, beaming
face, w ithout longing to divine th e fortunes of
bifi life. H ad he lived a few centuries ago, how often would his nativity have been cast, how
auiiou sly his horoscope studied!T lie landlord o f th e principal hotel having
kindly permitted the use of h is soUe>a-manger
to the British Chaplain at Biarritz during the seaw n, a goodly number o f our compatriots
assembled there on Sunday, September 25, at \1 .8 0 , which appears to be tb e earliest hour at which English congregations abroad can be
induced to commence their matins. Tt is al*
way# a great comfort to have our Church-eervice
held under any circumstances abroad, th e well-
remembered words of our Common Prayer-Book liAving, to persons away from home, an increased
expre«sivenc8s, which recalls m any a devout thought, and exercises a very wholesome in»
iluene« amid the excitements o f trarel. B u t the
dining-room o f a crowded hotel, w ith bells, that
did not call to prayer, ringing on all sides, and
a crowd o f peasants chattering patois under the
open winduws, was hardly th e scene cither to invite, or austiiiii devotion; while to m yself it
presf^ntftd a m ost painful contrast to the se n ieee we had attended th e previous Sunday, at Mr. Archer Guruoy’d Chapel in Paris, where the
worship o f the Church o f England is celebrated
w ith all solem nity and reverence. B y th is lime, however, E nglish visitors at Biarritis enjoy the
advantage o f a regular chapel, built since last year, expressly for their accommodation.
Biarritii continued so h ot and oppressive, that
we were very glad to leave on Monday morning, taVuig Bayonne on our way to Pan, from whence i t was settled that we should make a sliori; excursion among the Pyrenees. A carriage had to be
engaged, and wo were recommcndcd to apply
for that purpose to the Portmaster, whose csta- h lishm entis in th e upper town, near tlie Cathedral. H e proved to be quite a character, and ag
arrangements had to he made w ith him for the
Madrid journey also, we enjoyed ample opportunity for observing h is numerous peculiarities. H e had spent some years a prisoner in England,
h a v i n g T>eeii t a k e n i n a T V iincii m s T i-o f -w a r ,
o n b o a r d w h i c h h e h o l d a co m m iasio T t. I 3y
so u io T n is ta k e h e w a s s e t d o w n a s a c o m m o n
¿ a i lo r , a n d c o n f in e d a c c o r d in g ly i n P o r c h e a te r
C a a t k ; b a t t h r o u g h t h e r e p r e s e n ta t io n s o f a
i i i n ^ ’s m e a s o D g e r , w h o l ia d k n o w n luR i a m i ly
f o r y ea rR , h o w a s l ib o r a t o d o n p a r o le aa a n
o iB cer, i n a c k u O M 'le d g m e n t o f v a l i ia b le se rv ic e s
r e n d e r e d b y h i s f a m i ly ( s e v e ra l m e m b e r s o f
w h i c h w e r e c o u r ie r s ) t o " R n g lia h m e s s e n g e r s
a b r o a d . F r o m P o r o h o s tc r C a s t le b e w a s s e n t
fir&t t o O d i lm m i n l i a m p s h i r e , a p la c e h e d e
s c r i b e d i n r a p t n r o n s t e r m s , a n d t h e n c e p a s s e d o n
t o N e w to w n , i r o n tg o m e r jT s h i r c , o f w h ic h a n d i t s
i n h a b i t a n t s h e g a v e a v e r y d i i f e r e n t a c c o u n t ,
u s i n g i n h i s d e s c r ip t io n m a n y teTm fi, t h a t h a d
t h e i r o r i g i n n e i t h e r i n h e a v e u n o r i n e a r th .
H e w a s , b y m a n y d e g re e s , t l i c m o s t e m p h a t i c
being I e v e r m e t w i th , a n d s u c h h i s v e r s a t i l i ty ,
and dramatic expression, t h a t a n in te r v ie w w i th
h i m w a s g o o d a s a p la y , i n w b ic h h e Bup-
j)orted a v a r ie ty o f characterR, becoming every*
b y tu r iif l. S o m etirn e R h i s mood w a s
indignation, w lu le l)e e n l a i ^ e d upon S p a n is h
indolence, a n d mismanagement. S o m e t im e s h e
g a v e u t t e r a n c e to a tone of s i :v e re a t i r o n y , a s
w h e n r e p ly i n g t o a u y expression of d o u b t o n
our part respecting tbe solidity and general excellence o f hia cajria^es. Occasionally his
oratory asFnimcd tlie T c h e m e n c e o f a torriado, his g^ tu rc and action being at all tim es super*
abundant; and when at the end o f an ira- passioned aentcncc, hy way o f producing a
climax o f emphasis, he throw in a few moracls
o f broken English, rasping thera between his teeth w ith a fierceness that made one shudder, the elicct wa* indescribable.
B ein g g iiled w ith a m ost fertile ionaginati<m, he exercised i t in the nomenclatiore o f his carriages, eighteen o f which, like tlie in ig lita and
steeds at Brankaome H all, stand ready for all occasions w ithin h is spacious prem ises; the
fiTD urite vehicle being the Marquise, on wliicli he exhausts h is vocabulary o f laudation. The
Coquette, an enormous yellow barouche, well known on tlie Madrid road, waa selected for
our journey into Spain, n o t so much on account o f its air of ponderous stafcclineaa, that har>
monizcd perfectly w ith Spanisli ways, but for
its superior capacity for carrying In ^ age . "When all tltese arrangement« were completed, i t was h igh tim e to start for Pau, a distance of
about siity-five m iles from Bayonne. Prencli posting is generally excellent, horses and roads
being superior, and wo liud very civil poBtiJiong, >vlio took us along at a capital pace, and in such
fine weatticT, amid beantilul scenery, the mere motiüLL was a pleasuro. Itoecnt thunderstorms
Imd elTectually laid the dust, and the heat, though it baked ns, whenever we stopped, became tolerable as soon as we eel olT again.
The situation of Pau, which we reached soon
after sunset, is oxtrcmely pleasing, bearing about the same relation in the scale o f picturesque
effect to th e position oi' Berne, that th e Pyrenees
do to the A lps. Several points o f rcscmhknco between them m ay be noted, each having its
river, terrace, and panorama o f mountains ; but here a ll comparison ccaacs. For the view
from P au commands none o f those sublime
forme, and snow-clad eummit», w hich make the
prospect from the platform at Berne a epectaele
oi ench surpassing grandeur ; the comparative
absence o f snow constituting, in m y opinion, a fatal defect in tho Pjreneee, and, when we
gazed at them from tho shady avenuee o f the Place lioyale on th e 29th of September, hardly
a capful o f that Essential clement in an Alpine landscape was vieible throughout the whole range.
W e left next m orning for Cauterets, skirting
fyi tLo greater part o f tbe way ooc o f th e loveliest streama I ever beheld, the Gave de Pan. Tt is very liJce the D ee at Llangollen, only twice
H8 large, w itli an ivy^overed bridge at Lesteile, rivalling Tuigu Jones’ arch at ^fallwydd, so well known to artists and tourists in W ales. N o-
tliin g ran exceed tlio beauty o f th is drive. I t
combines the fresliness o f iin A lpine region, w ith
tlie varied and luxuriant vegetation o f a ecuthem
climate, and reveals at every turn some sparkling
ford, or tranquil reach, o f the river; while the
rugged mo\uitain*liue, broken b y m any a peak
and pyramid, bounds one o f tho finest landscapes in the whole extent o f th e Pyrenees.
I t was dark long before we arrived at Canteret». The season being over, i t looked desolate and
deserted, as wo rode through ucxt m orning on our way to th e Lac de (iaube, which, though a
mere mountain-tam, not three miles in cireum*
terence, is the largest piece o f water in the district. I t is a charming excursion, m any
portions o f tlie road reminding me o f the neighbourhood o f th e Grande Ohartrense. For a
tim e u u r courso lav through gorges glow ing
with the brightest hues o f lichen and moss, w ith often searcoly 8|>ace for the tTruudering
torrent on tb e one hand, and the bridle-road
on the wtiicr; w liile overy aucct^sive leflge of
rock traversed by the ascending pathway had
its cascade o f bright green water, over which
t h o s w jU I o w s were dashing to and fro i t i ceaseless iliglit, w aiting, as the guide told us, tor
a dear day to crosa the frorktier into Spain, a passage they w ill not veutnie u|jon dating a fog, which at the mome'nt was hanging in
h e a ^ wreaths upon th e mountaui-tops. either
fog however, nor cloudy sky, oonld rob the little
lake of its deep, dark blue, though its waters no
longer retiected the peaks and glaciers of the
Vigne-nxaJe, the higbefit mountain un the French side, w hich riaea abruptly from th e eaeteni shore
to an elevation o f 11,000 feet.In aummcr this m ust be the very place for
spending a long day; hut on tJie 28th of September its situation, 5866 fuet above the
aea*level, and th e total absence o f sunshine, restricted our v isit to the period necessary for
leeding the horses. In descending, we turned
aside across th e P ont d’Espagne, to see tlie
junctoftn o f two streams w liich leap down a rocky chasm in tw in ca&cades o f singular purity, and brightne««, though o f no great volume. I t is a spot o f wonderful beauty, in th e nddst of a venerable pine forest, festooned w ith grey
lichon, w hile towering peaks and weather-hoatcn
procipiccs o f granite form an irregular amplá- theatre, hounding the v\ew on every side, S u d i
a acene one would im agine to be liallowcd hy
its own loveliness against the approach o f every* th in g sordid or worldly,— when, in the midst
o f our enjoyment, out pounced some peasants
Irom a small wooden cabin, and, in no cuurteoos
terms, demundod five or six %ous for cach horse, b y way of to ll for crossing th e bridge; th e very
beauty o f the phice being thus farmed out as
a profitable speculation. This made us very
wroth, ae there would bo no difficulty in collecting the toll, w ithout putting to flight at the
sajne tim e every feeling o f enjoyment, by so
harsh an intrusion Tipon th e solitude, juid grau- de\ir o f natnrp.
A s this excursion tooV np only five or six
hours, we were able, in the afternoon, to post
to L u z; and now th.it we had really penetrated
th e inner reccsscs o f th e Pyrenees, we began to
realize their peculiar attractions, and in their
magnificent defiles, wall«d*in w ith loclcs o f every
form and hue— their varied foliage and vege
tation— constant alternation o f lig h t and shade, even in the fu ll glare o f the brightest sunsWne, «im ply from natural fom iation— transparent
cLoaiQ^ o f the water, nnsnllicd h y the áefile- merits of the glacier-streams.—- in all these
respecta we soon disfioveted that the Pyrenees
have a charm o f their own, which assigns them a higher position in th e regions o f the picturesque, tlm n they could ever claim merely
ad mountains.Luz being a central point for making excur-
aicns, we stayed there three nights, finding
Madauic Cazauz’s hotel m ost comfortable, and
going &om thenee first to th e Cirque de Ga- Tamie, and tho day after to the sum m it of
the P ic du M idi de Bigorre. The road to
GaTamie abounds iji glorious scenery, threading
for miles th e folds o f a defile, where th e Gave de Pau, cleaving its w ay throngh perpendicular
rocks, tw o or three handred feet high, divides
mountains clothed w ith every variety o f timber, from th e forest tree to th e box, w hirh presented
at tho m oment a superb m ass o f autumnal colon riug. Some bridges, too, at intervals, leaping boldly aeróse th e ravine, far above the
foaming torrent, form perfect pictures.I t was w ell for us that th e interest o f our
excursion did not depend solely upon its principal object— the Cirque de Guvarnic— an enormous circular basin scooped out o f the heart o f
tLc m ountabe, wlucb, running up here into vast
cliffs, enclose one o f the most remarkable spots
I ever T i s i t e d , even though tlie fo^, whicli hannted ns, by conceulinff tlio summit of tlie rocks, marred the peculiar aspect o f tlie Cirq^ie. W e were obliged to take for granted the Broche
de K oknd, a fissure »50 feet Wgli, by 300 wide, notched in th e crown o f the enclosing rampart, l i k e the embrasure o f a battlement, the fog
m aking i t invisible. A n air o f frtemcst desola
tion, deepened by tlie gloom o f a sunless sky, and overhanging m ist, reigned aruund; while
nothing could be seen but frowning precipiccb, streaked by m any a waterfaU (whieh seemed, as
w c saw them , to descend direct from th e clouds), and the rock* strewn floor of that w ild amphitheatre, where the roaring torrent and thimder- in g avalancho find a m eet stage for enacting their
tumultuous sport.The whole scene somewhat reminded me of
points in th e Stralheck, as I crossed i t during
eimilar we-atlier in August, 18 4 S ; nor id it devoid
o f resemblance to that seclnded .£sch inen lake, imbedded at th e foot o f the Blumlia Alp, having
th is featnru in common w ith the latter, that it»
basin was, no doubt, once fdled w ith water.Our asccnt of the P ic du Midi was a perfect
sacccss, tlie day being everything we could wish, w ithout a particle o f cloud, or fog. I t is a very easy excursion, as we made it, riding w ithin ft short distance o f th e summit, 9553 feet above
tho aea, though i t is certainly man s indolence, rat)ier than nature’s intention, th^t urges any
quadruped, except a or an izzard (the chamois of th e Pyrenees), orer such ground. I
fe lt A good deal ashaJned o f doin<f so, but filially
justified m yself w ith th e consideration, that, for
80 brief a space as we were go in g to spend
am ong the inonntains, i t was hardly worth while to get into walking-triiu-
. A fter passing the Cabin, where people spend th e ni^rht before going up to sec th e sunrise, the
path becomes a mere ledge, not more than a
yard wide, cut out o f the side o f the mountain, which» out o f a lake o f m ost uncomfortable loolc, and untold dcptb, rises a sheer precipice o f about 2000 feet, nnfenced throughout its whole extent by the least protection o f mil, or wall, as even
a rampart o f adamant could not withstand the
irresistible rush o f the avalanehes, which, at certain seasons o f the yi^ar, sweep continually
over those bleak slopes. Tliere are many places
in the ascent, where riding is by no means safe
or pleasa])t, for a siuijle false step M'ould very
Midu
soon plnnge you into the Liw d’Onc«t, and a
tablet exerted at a turn o f tho path, to record the TOarvellong esciipe o f a German tounat,
reminds yon, i f you are n ot already aware of the circumstance, that oven Pyronean horaes have
their moments of weakness, and shoiild not be
too im plicitly trusted. H ow the poor (rreatnres ever managed to carry ne up that tremendous
steep T cannot iroaginf^, though we tuUy appreciated their services long before we reatkod the
summit, where th e view that suddenly buiat upon us repaid ten thousandfold our modicum
o f toil.The whole ran^e o f th e Pyrenees, from cast to
west, lay spread out before us like a raised map, g iv in g us in half an hour a fax clearer idea of the region, than a month's course o f ilu ira y . The view waa periection. The nearer ranges
w ith th e ii graceful slopes, here olive-green with
herbage, there, russet w ith fem (n special ornament o f the Pyrenees), crovmcd with a rampart o f broken rocks (over one o f w hich we espied
tw o eagk s ou the wirijj), stood ont sharp as
steel, th e whole landscape being suifused w ith an
exqiiifiite tinge o f mellow colouring; while at a
greater distance, the monajchs of the range, Vignc-inaie, M ount Perdu, and Maladetta, the
two latter being in Spain, towered above all in
nnapproached aapercinincuec. On th e side of Prancc, sleeping in cKeqnered snn&liino, an
unbroken plain stretilied ont. dotti»d w ith many a town and village. ILad the heat o f the day
been loss glowing, wc should have seen Toulouse. W e now commanded a cloudless view o f the
precipicf^ that hem in the Cirque de Gavarnie, the summit o f which the fog had concealed &om
lu) as we stood under tbem yesterday» and the
B ieche de Koland liiled itself' against the clear
bine sky, a clctin workman'llke cut, that did
th e Paladin’s a m , and Durandel's tomper, equal credit.
T1(c duecent was a tedious affair, and i t was dark ere wo reached Im z, w ith the feeling of
having enjoyed u m ost charming day, which had
thoronghiy satisfied a ll m y Pyrenean aspira* tions.
Before leaving, we went to see th e obi church
o f th e Templars, a m ost interesting building, not
80 -well known, appaj*ently, as it deserves to be
from its ec^^Ieaiolc^ieal value i and having spent Sunday at Pau, we returned to Bayonne on Mon>
day evening, October 3. being welcomed with
much kindness by tbe attentive host and goodn a tu r e people o f the H ôtel dc St, >tartin.
D 2
C H A P T E R IIT.
“I I T E had fu llj intended w ttin g out for
’ ^ Madrid next day, but so m any preparations w eie necessary l>efore venturing into so unfurnished a country as Spain, that we were
compelled to spend another night at Bayonne.
M any w ew th e inquiries we made respecting
inns, and the various circumstances o f our route, from the landlord, who had heen as fin as M adrid. Hft gare us anything bnt a checrfal report, and evidently regarded cur expedition into that
hungry land, as a mclancholy proof o f the
ingrained perversity o f hum an nature, which, not content w ith the comforts o f his good hotel, m ust needs wander forth from a soil where dinners are an indigenoue production, and go among
a people destitute o f th e m ost elementary prin* cip ks c f cooking. H is amour proprc, and patriotic
feelings were alike wounded, and he conscientiously warned us, that we mnat not expect h dine.
(ftt kaat in the French o f the torm), anywhere between liis house and Madrid, while his gtxxl*nature proniptfd him to aeire us sucli a
dinner (being h is own ch ef), on th e eve of our
departure, as would tiiJly acqui^ him o f all complicity, in oa¿<c we starved on the road.
On referring io m y aote-book, I find certain
entries, which indicate a determination on oar
part, not to perish at any rate w ithout a sbuggle. A m ong these, two liams (an article tor which
Bayonne is celebrated), a frying*pan, and a
Ruehüfort cheese (tins last comestible being a
coodesccnsinn to m y national weakness, as a
"Welshman), form the moat conspicuous itciiie. I remember, besides, that a pound o f tea, w ith more
than one packet o f flca-powder, were purchased
at a very good chemist’s shop in one o f tlie back
sfcreeta, while at th e landlord’s suggeRtion, several bottles o f his best Bordeaux were added to our
stores. A ll th is preparation, not only oceupicd
our time, but served to ealm down the apprehensions, whieh the prospect o f starvation had not
unnaturally excited, and we now began to consider ourselves justified in loo tin g forward, w ith
some degree of hopefulness, to seeing hoine and friends onct more.
Our acqnaintHnee w ith Spanish being o f the
m ost lim ited dcscHption, i t became ueceesarj* to
find some interpreting medium between the na- tives and ourselyc«, and afi no courier happened to
be available at the moment, in spite of every exertion on the part o f Captain Oraham, the British
Consul at Bayonne, an amphibious being, named
Pierre Cjmibonr, whose ostensible means of sub- sistence oscillated between the river and the
road, he being sometimes a fisherman, sometimes
a Rort o f was engaged in that capacity, having frequently made the journey to
Madrid, in the service of our Queen’s niesaen-
gers.A lthough onr passport had been regularly
signed at the Embassy in London, w o found it
m ust be vised at Bayonne, before we should be
allowed to enter th e dominionr o f Queeii Isabella, a requirement that was quite incomprehensible,
until we had been to the office of th e Spanish Consul. Fnr in reply to T^rd Porbarlington’d
inquiry, how it came to p w s, that a passport bearing th e signature of an ambasbador was not
sufficient to admit us into the country represented b y him, contrary to general practice on
the Continent, that f^ c tio n a ry retorted with
some asperity, “ Oh t but you m ust pay me three
francs, nevertheless,” a reply which seemed to
strike the key*noto of our experiences o f the
national cHaracter, and confirmed w ith ludictoua
exactness th e great Duke'e observation, “ The
first thijig the Spaniards inTariably wsmt is
money.”I t threatened to be a more serious business
than we had ever contemplated, to take the old Coquette over the frontier, the on ly method of
avoiding the lieavy duty levied on all carriage»
entering Spain, being either the deposit o f a con*
siderabie sum, £ 3 0 or £40 , at the Cuitom House, to be refunded on the return o f the ca tr i^ e , or an equivalent arrangement, which Captain Graham
most kindly undertook for Lord Portarlington, by
becoming him self responsible for th e amount.The weather being still eicessiTcly hot, and
oppressive, it waa sueh a refreshment, when all our preparations had been coropletcd, to spend
half an hour in the cathedral, which, internally IS m ost interesting, and well worthy a more
careful examination, than we were able to p v e
it. W e wore not, then, aware that its cloisters
arc son^e of th e fines t in FraJice, or w o should
certainly have contrirod to catch a glimpse oS
them. In returning to the H otel, wo wont to
see our iriend thj? Postmaster, who was highly
jfTatifiod to find, tJiat the carriage he had supplied
40 Ba^onnC-
for oiu* expedition to th e P yrcn e« had given
erery eatiefaction, and, w itli his wonted animation and emphasis, accompanied by much amitinfj o f hU bosom, he aBfrured us ho was un komme de
coi^ance, in whom no one would ever find cause
for disappointment, an assuraiicc which the
event peri’ectly verified in our own case.The landlord told us a touching story o f a
poor woman o f Bayonne, who had died two years
before. I n one of the numerons engagements, that took place in th e neighbonrhood, dviring the
Duke's advance across the French frontier, an
English ofBcer was dangerously wounded, and
carried into th e town, where, after the lapse
o f som e months» he died. H e had been nursed
to tho last by a yonng woman o f the place, and
from the tim e o f his death in 1814 to 1857, w hen her own decease occurred, she never omitted
going daily to h is grave in the Cimitiere Anglais, (a spot some little diatnnce from the town, wlierc th e remains o f m any British soldit^rs are interred),
to pray, according to the Ituman Oatholir, practiec, for tlic repose o f h is soul. For a considerable
tim e she was afflicted w ith insaaiity. but that made no difference; th e poor faithful creature still made her daily pilgrimage, and continued the
loving eustoni down to the very end of her days.
C H A P T E R IV .
Oc t o b e r a very agreeable change of
temperature took place during tlie night, and a fresh breeae from the B ay o f Biscay
breathed new life into our limbs, after th e ener- vafciu|? heats o f the laßt fortnight, when the
tliermometcr had rarely stood below S5' in the shade. A few ahoivers too, had fallen, laying
the dust opportunely for oiir jonrney into one of
the driest, and dustiest countries in Europe. M’Tien at length, after an infinity o f contrivance, and stuffing, the Coquette had absorbed her
misceHancons cargo, th e whole household turned •mt to see us oÖ’ and we parted from those kind- heartod people, w ith as nxany adieus and benedictions, as would have served for ti voyage roxmd the globe,
Bidart, St. Jean de Luz, L’rugne, were quif'kly passed, and before noon we had crossed the
Bidassoa, and entered Spain. The moment we
42 litle dfis Fai^nJi.
touched Qaccn IsubeUa’s territory, a sentry
stopped us, who, by the antique cut o f his
unifoTD), m ight have fought at Cullcnien; hip
nether ToaTt being encased in hhick overaiU, of
prcciscly th e same pattern aa those, in which our
eonntrymen used to fight the French, in the
days o f Gmcrdl Ligonier, and the Marquis of
Gxanhy.Below the bridge, in the middle o f the
river, lies th e celebrated Is le des Faifians, the
raodt deplorablc'looking strip o f mud ever
bononred w ith so imaginative a title. Y et that
iasignilicant patch o f dirt, being neutral ground between Frajice and Spain, has been the stage
on which important events have been acted, leaving their " Ibrm and pressure” on the
general history o f Europe, l ic r e i t was, that in
1463, Louis X I . had an interview w ith Enrique
IV . I lere again, h i 1615, th e two kingdoms exchanged brides, Isabella, daughter o f H enri Qnatre, going into Spain, to be the w ife of
Philip IV ., while h is sister, Anne o f Anstria, found her husband in Louis X l l l , Forty-five
years laler, the same spot witnessed another in- tervievi o f h igh import, when Cardinal Ma^aiin, and th e Spanish Minister, D on Xx^uis dc Haro,
brought th e long wars between France and Spain,
to a close by th e treaty oi’ tixe Bidassoa, and tbe
mjffriage between Ijom s X IV . and bis fiifit cousin, Maria Tlierpsa; an event wbicb in time
led to the occupation o f the Spanish tbrono by
th e Bourbon Philip V .A melancholy interest attaches to tliis last oc
casion, a$ i t ii? supposed to have can Red th e death o f S'clasquez, -who, in b is capacity o f Aposentador
Mayor to P hilip 1^’ , had to fit up tJ e royal pftviUon, erccted on the Is le des Faisans. H is
deatli, wbich to o t place on tho 7th o f August, 1060, OTtly a few d a ^ after hiR return to Madrid,
caused, some say, by a fever, others, by excessive ftitigue; his brolcen-hearted wii'e following
him to the grave before th e end of another week.This slight eircurtsas into the domain of
Spanish history, liaving given tim e to the
antliorities to inrestigate the coutentA o f onr passport, that indis|>cnsable document is restored
to us. W e are once more in m otion, and soon
find ourselves drawn up on a hill-side, in front of
tho Custom H ouse at Im n . A s there happened to be no diligence, or any other carriage under
examination at tb e moment, on i business was
speedily despatched, th e officials being verj* civil and expeditious, exliibiting w itlial far more consideration for tho interior arrangement o f port*
mAntcaox, and dressing* c«e«, than is common t<»
tlicir class. W ith a fresh team, we were ^ i n
on the road, skirting two sides of tlie harhour o f
Passages, a lake o f salt water, more kndloeked thun oven Lulworth core, and opening to the
sea hy an outlet, w hich would hardly adiuit the
(hea i En»teTn. Crossing th e V nim ea, which
more than ouix has hccn dyed w ith Eni^liah
hlood, and pnasing under a drawbridge, we
entered th e Plaza o f San Sebafffcian, a m ost uninviting, dirty-looking place, w ith a iiahy population, addicted to contemplatiTe, do-nothing
habits.Tlie scenery now bccame h igh ly pictxircsqw,
and wo passed through a sucocssion of pastoral valleys, green as emerald, in their bright
autumnal herbage, and watered b y such tem pting
trout-streams, that meandered between swelling
hills, over which copse-wood o f oak, chestnut, a!xd hazel, spread their umbrageous m antle;
while animated nature was abundantly represented
b y long files o f luagniiiceDl mules (inany o f them
being fully sixteen hands high), six to a cart, drivers w ith bright sashes, and swart unwashed
visages, and m any other accessories o f th e road. A fter the dusty highways o f France, it was quite
a pleasure to be travelling through a country, where rain had recently fellen, while th e novelty
o f finding ourselres actually in Spain, clear o f
frontier difficulties, and donaniurs, imparted a
peculiar enjoyment to th is day s journey.Our resting-place for the night was Tolosa,
where we arrired in good time, about five, putting up at an iim near the bridge, Parador N uevo, wbicH, according to tho Spanish fai^hion,
liftd its entrance side by side w itli tlie stable, the latter occupying th e grourtd*floor, while we
had to mount to the third story, which contains the best rooms. TTiis being our first oxperienoo
o f A Spanish inn, we were agreeably surprised to
find matters more promising, than we could have
anticipated, ever}“tiung looking clean aud com- fortdblc, the stxiiTy eloseneas of the rooms being
soon remedied by a general opening o f windows.Tolosa, in spite of its being the principal town
o f the fH-ovince (iriupuscoa, is a poky, dingy little
tiiwn» diimaJIy situated in a deep valley, frowned
upon by tw o mountains, E m io and Loaza, and
th e rain, whieh i^oon alter ouj arrival poured
down in torreuts, did not improve its appearance. The ncighboxu’hood seems well cultivated and
fertile, the whole breadtli o f the market*place being studded w ith piles o f enormous vegetables; among which, red*ppppor-pods, gourds, melons, and black grapes, looked quite attractive.
W e jnat glanced into the principal ehnrclj.
a spacious claiaical bnüding, Lighted up by a
single lamp, which gave it a solemn m ystcnous air in tb e deepening tw ilight. A t the door lay the
tiniest mendicant I ever srtw, a pale-faccd, sicldy
child, stretched out upon th e cohi flags of the
porch, with a pair o f diminutive crutches at his
side, hie countenance wearing a singularly touching expression, su d i as I have sometimes noticed
in a corbel-head, or quaint old maak, in church
and clol'^ter.To-day wc had our first taste o f Spanish
cootery, and fared much bettor than we had anticipated ; th e various dishes, that composed
OUT dinner, being perfectly free from garlic, oil, pa^on, and other abominations, native to the
Pcninftula, The principal dvah wai», as usual, the
pucliero or stew, and its ehief ingrédients, bacon, beef, fowl, according to the state o f the larder, w hich wore cooked in one m e » w ith chick-peas, cabbages, carrots, gourd, long-pcppcrs, a sausage
or two being thrown in by way of make-weight. Spanish Roup hears a greater resemblance to
what th e Dorsetshire peasant calls tea-kettle
broth (that is, boiling water poured upon slices
o f brt^l, and then flavoured w ith a lump of
butter, and the usual seasoning), than aiiy other
compound I have ever eaten, the turoen being
nearly choked up by layers o f bread, over which floatg a very th in liquid, dotted here, ajid there
w ith islets o f greaiie. I t possesses, however, the
nigative reconxinendation of being perfectly xm- objectionable, and i f it laUfi to e ic ite your appetite, i t fails e<jnally to offend your tasto, which is more tlian can be said for those dreadful chickpeas, ^arSangoji, the universal vegetable o f the
Peninsula. T hey are about the size o f horse- beans, and quite as unappetizing to human beings, not “ to the manner bom ,'’ beinj^ about as hard, flavourless, and in d i^ t ib le as bullets. I t was
after a meal composed chietly o f th is esculcnt, that a T'renchman compared himself, while jolted
along in the diligence, to a child’s drum filled
w ith peas, as his dinnor rattled up and down his
half-empty stomach.A ll one's ideas o f order and precedence are
upset by the courses o f a Spanish dinner, and
when you have partaken o f several kinds o f meat, two or three dishes o f fish suddenly make their
appearance, which at an earlier moment would
have received a hearty welcome.Pork, in its various phases, hacon, ham, and
sausage, is th e n ie a t / ir excfiUencfi o f Spaiii, oc- cnpying the same elevated position in the depart*
m ent o f |t<>8tronoiny, as K nglish beef, W elsh
mutton, and Irish potatoes. J u d ^ n g from the
Continent generally, an E i^lishm an is apt to
fency tliat a rasher is a delicacy confined to thè
B ritish Isle«, but, before he haa been long in
Spain, he w ill discoxer the truth o f Ford’s statement, “ The pork o f Spain has always been un
equalled in fiavonr. The bacon is fat and well- flavourcd; tho s a u a ^ g delicious, and the hams
transcend eiitly superlative, to use th e very expression o f Diodorus Siculus, a man of great taste, learning, and judgm ent. O f all tho th ings of
Spain, no one need foci ashamed to plead guilty to
a prodilection and pretbrcnce for the p ig ” Ji’or
ourscIvcB, 1 can only add, that th is w'orthy animal, whose merits are never acknowledged, until he is
dead, has laid us under tho profoundost obliga*
tions ; bat for him, wo should nnqucetionably
have been starved, when wo advanced further in to the country, while riding through the
aromatic aolitudea o f Estraniadiira, and the
mountain valleys of romantic Andalusia.
Thu Spaniards are great people for aweet«, dnicp*, and a pot o f preserved green-gages, aud
other fruits in the north, and in the south» a
rDOold o f quince j^Ily seems to form an India- pensahle complement to the dinncr*tah3e.
W e had f^xceUent at Tolosa, perfectly
free from tho ic little creatoics tliat murder
sleep; and this, though quite contrary to oni expectations, and th e ideas generally afioat respecting Spanish inns, was out almost universal experience in all parts o f th e country, from Bayonne to Gibraltar,
A railway is in course o f construction between Madrid and Irnn, portions o f i t in th is neighbourhood being considerably advanced i and this
morning, as I was dressing, the whole populace
was in a state o f excitem ent at the sig lit o f a
locomotive, whicli passed through the town drawn
by a team o f tweuty.fonr oxen, and attended by
all th e idle hoy* and girls o f the place, uttering cries o f childish delig^xt and astonishment.
The population o f th is neighbourhood has no* th in g Spaaiflh in its physiognomy or expression j itidced, I could pick out o f a Dotsetahire village
m any more* effective repre*>ntatives o f tlie J)ou, than we saw anywhere from Irun to Vittoria. Guipuscoa is one o f the three Basque provinces, and its iiihabitiuits still exhibit that compara^
tivc tiirness o f complexion, which they have in- hcnted from some sea-king, who once upon a
tim e made a descent, and then a permanent settlem ent, npon these coasts. 'Jliey du not eiao tly shine in costume, and thoir huts exceed
iû general dilapidation any worn by t t c hoif» of
Tipperary, w to m t t e y farther resemble in the
ujîe o f broj^es made o f stin s, and tied w ith
thongs, which, i f they le t in tho mud and water
o f th is rainy d istric t, possess at any ra te tbe
coEDpensating ad van t^ e o f le ttin g them out
again.The Basques appear to be th e hntt« of the
Peninsula, and m any are the jokes made at their expense, on account o f th e ii pride, lang u e , and pronimeiation. Aja they are the descendants o f th e oldest oecupiers o f Spain, untainted by any intermixture of M oorish blood, eveiy man, howev'er poor, considers h im self a
gentleman. T hey are said» to cntertoin a notion
that Adam spoke Basque, w hich language, having been imported into Spain by Tubal- Cain (a theory, tliat satisfectorily accounts for
tho unrivalled excellence o f Spamsh metalwork), long before th e confusion o f tongues
at Babel, has c>ontinued in use ever since ; th<mgh
how their chronology disposes o f th e Flood, an intervening event of &omc importance, is not
stated. I ts pronunciation seems to be more
difticuJt tlian even th e W elsh, and it is an oft- uuoted Andalusian joke, that the Basques write
Solomon, and pronounce i t Kebuchiidnezîar 1
C H A P T E R V .
T T P to tid j time Camlw-ur, the quoM-courrier
^ liom Bayonne, had hcGn o f great tise, not only in interpretiiig for us, and settling tlio postilions' accounts, but on evety cm or^ncy he
was ready to jum p down from tlio pile o f lu g gage Tjeliind, upon which he was usually perched, and at th e end o f cach stage ho unfastened the horses, and brought out th e fresh set, w ith such
man'elloujj activity, considering the country
through which we were travelling, that we
hegan to regard him as a moat valuable ac- quisition,
There being nothing to detain us at Tolosa, we were off botimes for Vittoria. The country
oontinuod very pretty, and pastoral, w ith trout- streams in every dingle and glon, wliosc water-
power was employed here and there to serve the
uses o f a iactory, m any such establishments being scattered through these highland valleys,
£ 2
to the certain detriment o f th c it beauty, and
probable demoralization o f the inhabitants, A
considerable amount o f traffic seema to be carried on in th is neighbotirhood, and we were
continually passing long files o f m ules drawing
carts o f th e eonntry, w hich presented the rndest gpecimcne o f th e wheelwright s craft I ever fell in w ith. They eonsUt raerely of a bed (to
speak in carpenters' phrase), enclosed at the
sides, but open at each end, while the wheels are solid circles of wood without spokes, larger in
eircnrnfereneo than the lai^est mill* stones, and
being utterly unacquainted w ith grease, they
makti a creakiag that can he heard a quarter o f a
m ile ofT, setting one’s teeth on edge for the rest
o f the day.W c were greatly strnck, while passing through
th e diiTertnt v ilk ges on onr route, w ith the number o f fine old houses, now, alas) in sid ly-
rednced cirfrumstanccs. B u ilt to bu the family
mMisions, 00409 ffohres, o f the noble and h ighborn, they now bear th e stamp o f abject poverty, and are tenanted by th e mendicant and pauper, though still retaining the arms of their original
possessors. These, sculptured out o f freestone
in a raasaive bold style, and enriched w ith
m ost elaborate details, overhang the principal
entrance, reminding you that you are travelling am ong a people, who have elevated '‘the pomp
o f heraldry” to a liigher position, tlian it ever
attained in any otlicr country, and within the
range o f its scanty literature no fewer than
150(1 puhlications on that single subject may be
enumerated. Manidonii o f thid description are
to be found, not here and there, but in all part«
o f th e northern provinces, hardly a village being without several such memorials o f bygone
greatnej». W ooden balconies are ve iy general, many o f them being h igh ly ornamented w ith
pretty carving», mncli after the fashion o f the
lai^er cM lets in th e Simmenthal, and a& we
patesod they loo ted bright aud gay w ith pots of carnation in fu ll bloom, that being, apparently
the favourite flower o f the non-horticultural Spaniard, as we saw it, and no other, wherever
we went, from th e 13ay o f Biseay to the Straits o f Gibraltar.
This would be a charming; country for a
flaherman to ramble thryugh in early srummer, aboimding b£ i t does w ith beautiful trout streams, one o f th e largest being the Peva, our Bee, a
name which has probably been Latiniied from
th e Celtic word du, black, m any terms traceable
to th e same source existing on each side o f the
j 4 Mondra^on.
Pyrenees, as the Adour, dcrired, like Douro, from dvfr, water, and G sts , from Jvon^ ft
riyer.Mondragon, wlicre *we changed horses soon
after midday, seems a m eat interesting •place, and wo could Lave spent a couple o f Lours Tery agfeeably in hunting out old houses, and
other relice o f antiqmty. A s it waa, we had
tim e to stje noticing bnt tho Citerior o f a chtixch
close to the posthmise, which, Irom a T e r y
hasty glance, T made out te be principally in the
first pointed style. I t has two very good door- ways o f great depth and roaflsiveness, w ith such bold, v/ell-cut mouldings, and highly-ornamented
capitals, presenting a melancholy contrast to the
general condition o f th e building in its nntidi-
ness, and disrepair. The old roof has been
replaced by a m odem a ^ r , such as would suit a respectable cottage,— a transformation that
entirely alters th e appearance of the church,
m aking the gui^oyles, and other Gothic accessories, look quite out o f character, as i f they
had no longer any business there. T he bells
hang everywhere in open turrets, exposed to the
weather, and, aa may easily be imagined, in so
rainy and tempestuous a dijnate, i t takes no
long while to convert them into real bronae.
The day was everything we could desire, fresh and sunshiny, w ith occa&ioûHl showers, producing hriUiant burata o f ligh t and shade, that imparted conatant vaiioty to th is pictü- rescue district, Tho posting, too, was escei- lent— at least in respect of its m ost eesential quality, getting over tho ground at a good p a c o ~
th o \^ h the harness, which an EnglU h cart-horsc
wonld be ashamed to wear, and th e drivers, carter*looking fellows, who would astound o u ï
postboys, did n ot quit« lealizu one’a natiomd
ideas o f a neat tum -oat. T he varioua noises
made by the postilions to get th e ii animals
along are h igh ly amusing. Every team was
eomposed, either wholly or in part, o f mules, and as they appeared to entertain a conscientious
objection to starting peaecably, we had a scene
at every stage, when it required a ll the skill and
patience o f the driver, aided by the extensive
eTperience o f Cambonr, and th e \m ited efforts of ostlers, helpera, and the other hangers-on of a
posthouso, to persuade them to take the first step. For a few m inutes our ears wyre assaikd
w ith a periect tornado o f shouts, and erics, imprecations and deprecations, which, beginning with
“ A n d a (” (gol) “ Anda! A nda!” invariably
ended, when breath and patience were oihausted.
in an ab’breriftted form, “ D a l D a l D a l ” and then, after a good deal of' kicking, starts across
th e T oad, or over beaps o f stones, w ith an occasional le g over the pole, or traces, w e used to
get o£F at a ticm endons pace, that, thioatening
at first to bring the old Coquette and her caigo
to inevitable grief, gradually subsided into a more moderate speed, and carried us merrily to
the end o f the stage.According to Ford, tlic zagal, or guard o f the
diligence, is sometimes obliged to pelt th e team
w ith stores, a store o f whicli he lays up in his
belt at every change. W e, however, were never
reduced to such an extrem ity as th is, ow ing to
our having a lighter load, and shorter stages, than
th e diligence; and the worst missiles ever
h w led at the heads of our quadrupeds were the
shocking oaths, and other scraps of bad language, to w hirh the lower classes in Spain are so grie- Yonsly addicted.
The rojwl was often very hilly, and twice today we were obliged to have a rcinfyrcement of
oxen to p iill OR up a long aaccnt. A t the la?t posthousc, Arrayabe, before entering Vittoria,
we were a good deal struck w ith the figure o f an
old Jew, who had takeil shelter from the pouring
rain, with which the afternoon closed, under the
eavea of tkc etatle. H e was dressed in a black gabardine, a garmcrkt resembling a loose cas&oct w itlioot sleeves, having holes for tb e anns, and
descending to tbe feet. H is bat was ju st like a
boef-cater'd, and undeinoatb tbere peered fortli a
pail o f 8maU, keen, prying eyes, fu ll o f distrust aud suspiciousness. H e looked tbe very picture
o f A m odem Isaac o f York, and though no longer exposed to tbe same oppression, and cruelty qa
bis prototype, he seemed to feel tbat a ll tbe
world was a^jainstblni, and in every one he saw a
probable enemy. The poor old man, however, was
not devoid o f good-natur«; for, seeing th e postilion struggling to get into an nppcr gamxent, be m eekly lent bis assistance, receiving n o thanks, nor even a nod o f acknowledgment in return,—• treatment to which he was, evidently, perfectly
accustomed. Ou looking bock, I uni glad we took
such particular notice of hini, for we never again
saw any one that bore the least resemblance
to Ixim in costume, and general appearance.Vifctoria, th e scere o f tbe D u k e s last great
victory in Spain, where, as Southey says, “ tbe
French wuro beaten before tb e town, in the
town, through th e town, out o f tbe town, behind tho town, and all about the town,” is a poor
pkce, w itli a shabby m odem air, that in this
58 An English Groom.
old-faahioned ootintry haa quite a vulgar look. B eing, however, on the great liig h road between M iulm l and Bayonne, w ith others branching off to Pamplona &nd Bilbao, i t possesses a superior
inn, where at the tahlt d'hote we m et several English, o f whom we had hitherto fallen in
w ith very few, Mr. Brasaey, th e em inent railw ay contractor, being of the party, having come
out to superintend the construction o f a railroad between Bilbao and Tudela.
B ein g obHged to move about th e «country a
good deal, he had taken several horses and
carnages from England, and on m y going out
next morning into th e stabloyard, I was soon
accosted by hia groom, who, after h is enfolded
silence am ong the natives, seemed delighted
to have a chat w ith me in h is beloved mothcr- tonguc. l i e gave a piteons uecount o f what he, an E nglish groom, had to go through in that
outlandish country, where he could get neither
hay, nor oats, and had to feed his horses with
barley, “ pigs' v ittels “ in fact,— a diet w hich he
regarded as h igh ly insulting to any respe<stable, well-bred nag, brought up ftx>m foalhood among
th e comforts o f an English stable.H e had all th e feelings o f a thorough groom,
and evidently thought much more o f th e discom-
Desecrated Church. 59
fort fco w hich “ they poor dumb creafcorea ” were exposed, than any privation o f h is own, though
th e Spanish kitchen would proxe but a sorry bu1>
stitute for th e heef, and beer o f a serrants’ hall at home. I was glad to perceive, that after he
had iinhosoned his grievances, and elicited m y
sympathy, and condolence, he «ecmcd considerably relieved, and felt disposed to take & more
cheerful view o f things.W hile taking m y usual early etroU, seeing
» good doorway to a church very similar to
tliose at Mondragon, I w ent in , and found
th e interior was in tlie Itenaissance style, h igh ly
oruarnented w ith shields, und other heraldic
devices, fruitage, flowers, &c., a ll o f moat elegant
design, and admirable worlcnianship. H aving
long been desecrated, i t now serves as a forage- »tore to some cavalry barracks, the whole area being filled w ith straw, which was piled up to
the very roof o f th e apse, jiist where th e high altax stood, w hile dirty troopers in undress
were ly ing down, and lounging about.
C H A P T E R V I.
destination to*day, Ootobcr 7, was Bur- g 08, a distance o f about cigk ty miles, and
tlic road, which lay through a sucecssion o f hasin- iOiaped tablc-lands, was interestiiig chiefly from the exactness, w ith which it satisiied one’s preconceived notions o f Spain, taking us through
desert-like plains, where treo, and hedge are
unknown, dotted w ith sparse, ahelterkss villages, and sw ept from end to end by every w ind of
heavcu.
I t has often been remarked, tlm t few countries, as delineated on the iace o f a map, are bo destitute o f lakes as Spain, none larger tlian a mere
mountain-tarn being anywhere perceptible. This is a very remarkable feature, when tho
number, and extent o f itH mountains are considered. B ut, in j>assing through the country, you have no diiEcoity in accounting for that
peculiarity. There are lakes in abundance, m any o f them covering a great extent of
STirface; bnt unfortunately, instead o f adding to
JFa^sidfl Avettufii. 6 i
the beauty oi* th e landscape, they serve a contrary purpose, being utterly devoid o f water, and
have been in that condition for hutkdreds, if
not tho-Qsand» o f years. So, to*day, those basin* shaped plains, that opened before us one alter
another in utonotonoufi succession, m ost o f the
way to B uikos, arc in iact nothing but the
beds of dried-up lakes, several o f them enclosin g a considerable area. The one ly in g between
Vittoria and La Puebla de Arganzon is about twelve m iles long by ten broad, and intersected
through its whole extent by th e river Zadorra, which, passing through a defile in the Morillas
hills, traverses in its downward euurse another
such baain of sroaller dimensions.Gfreat pains have been taken to grow avenues
o f poplars along th e w a^ id e, an undertaking of
no Bmall difficulty in th is thirsty, parched-up
land (for by th is tim e we had quitted the
pastoral scenery o f the Basque provinces, and
were approaching th e plains o f Castille), though a trench \b earefolly eut round efieh tree, to
enable it to retain aa much moisture as possible, whenever rain falls.
I t had now become qnite evident, iroui the
n\unber o f beggars, male and female, adult and juveaile, w ith thw r tattered brown clothing.
$ 1 S^anuA Beggars,
and mahogany complexion, that wo wore at length in veritable Spain, and at every post- house we were surroujided by a circle o f dimVy
beinga, more inclined to demand, than to solicit our alms. The nuisance becom ing at last
intolerable, Lord Portarlington determined to
try th e eiiect o f a specific presorihed by I'ord, as an infallible means o f getting rid o f bc^^ars; and having carefully committed to memory e?ery word o f the spell, ho addressed the leader
of the next group, th a t attaekcd us, in th e following terms, and w ith th e m ost praiseworthy
gravity, and deliberation of manner, “ Perdona
me, u s tc ” (a contraction of “ vuestra merced,”
your graec), “ per D ios, hermano ! ” “ Excusc me, your grac^, m y littio brother, for God’s sake 1”
Tho effect of th is incantation was h igh ly encouraging, W hen first uttered it produced a marked sensation in the assembly, and some of
the more m odest spirit« retired. T he secoad
tim e cleared a ll hut one, and o t iu he decamped
at the third reading, and left us in peace.A s a faithful chronicler, however, I am bound
to add, that at Brivi^ca, some stages further on, th e experiment was not attended w ith the same
success. \Vhether this was owing to the facrt, that the majority o f th e mendicants was composed
o f women, wLo have more perseverance, and
hopefiilness o f tomperainent, than the male«, 0?
tLat, Briviesca liaving once been th e residence of
the Spanish court, its inhahitants have inherited a eonrtie)*-lüo pertinacity in begging, or whether
i t was caused by tho combined action o f the two
circumstances, I am not able to dccide.A t Miranda, sum am ed after tho Ebro, which
intersects th e town, to distinguish i t from Üfteeu other plaices o f the same name, w e fmally quitted
the Basque provinces, and entered Old Castille. Tho cnatora*housc people were very (nvil, and, seeing we were iu a hurry, let ua off w ith the
mildest examination possible. I t was to
plac« that onr Astronomer-Boyal, and a large party o f aeientifc people, w ent for the purpose
o f obsen in g the eclipse o f th e sun on th e 18th
o f Ju ly laßt, an expedition that deserved the success i t achieved-
M any personfl have foncd the country, through
which we were now travelling h igh ly muntcrest- m g. Ford even goes ao far aa to recommend
sleep, as the only expedient to mako the journey
bearable. W c were more fortunate, ow ing pro- l^ lily to th e season; for the frequent rwn- storms had not only laid th e dust, which in those
plains o f chalky clay muat be iu tolerable during
h ot weather, but they were continually producing
a eucoeaaion o f such striking atmoepberic efleet«, as would have made any aceuery intereatirig. To mu th e view s were perfectly novel, glorious
in th e extreme from their v a s t extent, richness
o f colour, and th e magical alternations o f light
and shade, which ffave an endl&ss variety of
expression to th e landscape. Deepest hues of
purple and ñ o let, suffused occasionally with a
golden glow, lay upon a range o f mountains far away to the north-west, like a halo o f uneai*thly
splendour, Lord Portarlington wafl continually
reminded o f E gyp t and Syria, and even T, whose
oriental expcncnces have never extended beyond
R ehilling investm ent in liurford’s Panorama
o f Nineveh, could not help feeliug, that I wa^ now
indeed gazing at scenes which vividly realized th e im aginings, and pictures created h y descrip- tioud o f the Ea^t, N or are we the only wayiarers
that have discovered attractions in those wide
8weepÍ2ig plains. The D ue de St, Siraim, a man
by no means inclioed to sentimentalism, when
ho made tbe journey a hundred and fifty years
ago, at th e same tim e o f year, was greatly struck
w ith the transparency of the atmosphere, “ and
th e view s and perspectives, which cliangcd every
moment.”
A t no great distance from Miranda comes Pancorvo, a mountain-pnss in miniature, over*
hiinpf ^ t h such picturesque castellated roclcs, that reminded me o f more tlian one spot OQ the
way between Prum and Treves, In olden times
th is was a post o f great importanco, being on
one side th e natural portal and barrier o f Caatille, and one o f the approacLeeto Madrid, and on the otker, eendog us a pennanent obstacle to the
Moorisli advance on the nortlicm provinces. N ow it is finite dismantled, and lias nothing else
to do but to diversify th e route, and fill a com er
o f the artist’s sketch-book» wherein, th a t narrow
eleft in the limestune rock, barely wide enough
to allow passage for th e river Oroncillo and the
Queen’s liighway, combined w ith the quaint old
houses o f the little town, nestling im der the
shadow o f ruinons towers, would form veiy
effeetiTe objccts.W hen we passed through, the population was
in a state of xinnsual excitement, and tw o or
three bells were ringing furiously, in honour of
tlie Archbishop o f Biirgos, who was making a confirm ation-tour iu th is part o f his diocese. H is
carriage, an antiquated greenfly, drawn h y a pair
o f mules, in which the m ost ardent Church- reformer eonld have detected no excess of pre-
r
6 6 The Arch^iJtki^ o f Burgos.
latical pomp or iuxuTy, stood at the Chiracs door. W e aftiTwards heard a very pleasing account of
the Aiehhishop, while we stayed at Huj^os, and
having been lirought up in England, he always
shows attention and fcindncsg to any of oup
countrymen, who com? in h is way.Ik in g anxious to rsach Burgos betimes, wo
travelled cm, a ll day, w ithout stopping, cxoept to
change horse«. About sunset, feeling th e want of
some refreKhmunt, I went in aearch o f a draught
of milk, w liile halting at the post-house o f Brx- viesca. I wandered up and down the street in vain
inquiric«, the natives staring as i f they thought me demented. I was not then aware, that m ilk u
about th e last th ing you should ask fot in many parts of Spain, th e roythical articlc ascribed by
«lioolboys, on tlie U t oi April, to th e pigeon, being quito iA easily procuicd, as the produce of
the cow ixi certain seasons.Brivi«w ais rather pretty, and, being surrounded
b y gardens and orchards, has nothing of that dried-up and parched appearance so noticeable in
the towns o f th is province. I t is said to have
su^cflted the plan o f Santa Fc, built by Ferdinand and Isabella during th e siege of Granada,
though certaiiJy that place could never have derived its unequalled hideousness from Briviesca,
Brimesco, 67
I t would m a ic a r e iy good Laltmg-pliLCo for
those, who hare sufficient leisiire, and, judging
irom Pord's description, th e uld conxent o f Ona, on th e Ebro, tour leagues and a half ofi’ m ust be in every respcct worthy o f a viftlt.
I t woe dark long before we reached Burgos, having enjoyed, iic*on after leaving Briviesca, the
spectacle o f a glorious suusct, w hich spread over
the western sky some o f the finest combinations o f rich dark colouring I ever beheld, purple, vio*
let, and crimson, hem ^ the predominating hues j
and in such an atmosphere, where every object stands out in m ellow distinctness, i t was c^mte » pieMure to watch each gradually disappear in
the deepening gloom, until at last ni^ht had
swallowed up every one, and left us nothing to look at.
F 2
BC H A P T E R V II .
UEO OS being one o f Üic m ost intereetini?
towns in Spain, i t •w'aa decided we should
stay there ftxrai Friday night t ill M onday morning. I have forgotten the name ot our inn, which stood ju st opposite a cavalry barrack, so
that every moruing a t s is wc had th e fall benefit o f th e toot-a-toot-too, toot-a-toot-t-oo, reveille, w ith which Spain awakens her troopers. This
was quite a snperior hotel, having excellent rooms, handsomely fnniished, aixd very tolerable
cooking. Oiir only objection to th e house lay in
the swarms o f enormous eats, that roamed to and
fro through every apartment, w ith a free-and- easy mr, indicative o f a lengthened suprema^y; while their borrible caterwaulings, which more resembled the noctnrnal crics o f wild beauts, than the utterances o f any respectable domestic
anima], “ made n ight hideons.” Everywhere, since crossing the frontier, we had remarked the
size and numlxT o f the cats ; but at Buikos
they reached their cuhniimtmg point, and became
a positive nuieanco. W hicbever way you turned, some liardeucd old Tom o f almost Pre-adarnite
proportion 8 camc into view , jçoggÜng at you
witJi his great green eye*, aud evidently repatd- in g your presence as an impertinent intrusion
rn his hereditary domain. E ven "\Vhitting;ton
would have been shocked at the ^ n e r a l demean*
onr o f the liurgoa cats, so contrary to aE English
notions of feline propriety.The Cathedral was, o f course, our first " lion .”
L ite m ast wtch buildings in Spain, it is so
crowded w ith works o f art— sculpture, wood- carving, alabaster tombs, retahlos, ancient Church- plate,— among which a superb proceKsioiial Cross
was pre-eminent,— some choice paintings, atid a m ost glorious array o f metal*work,— Ruch as altar- gates and tailings (a spéiAcliit o i Spanish ecclesiastical art)— that days m ight well be devoted
to their examination. Such cursory visits, as wo
were able to make, served more to exhaust mind and body, than to leave a clear, satisfactory im-
presaic^n o f so multitudinous an assemblage of beautiful objects ; and it was, no doubt, from some
highly philanthropic motive, to spare future travellers auy additional conl'usion o f brain, that
7<> Cathetkal.
the French stnashtid Tiearly the whole o f the
painted glaas, which is said to have l>een bodic of
the finest in Spain.This being the first Cathedral we had scon
fincc crossing th e frontier, was natorally regarded
by 118 w ith particuhir attention. Bc^an in 12 2 1 , i t was not tinishcd till 1567, bo that the period o f its ercction extends over tho three centuries
and a half, during which Gothic architectore
passed through its succcssive stages in what we
Britons have been accustomed to call. Early E nglish, Decorated, and Perpendicular. Even the
Sacristan allowed, that i t was founded b y an E nglishman, and as none are eo jealous of strangers, or 80 much inclined to pass over in silence any
benefit conferred by a foreigner on their country, as Spaniards, such an admission may be considered conclusivc.
The exterior is greatly admired for th e variety, and richness o f its outline, which embra«3e s a
perfect forest of pinnacles, spires, and tow ers; bnt untbrtanately i t is so hemmed in with houses, that it is n o t easy to find a point taking
in the whole sweep o f th e building from one end
to th e other. I m nst say, however, that the appearance of th e w est end, which, in its original condition, F e^ n sso n pnts down as one o f the
Catkfidral. 71
h csi façades in existence, is aadly inarred in tqj
tynÿ b y th e crockets, which stand on t in so stiff
end formal a manner along the whole length of th e two spires, and, &s there ar^ e igh t angles in
each apire, and everv anj'lfl ia coxered wjth a row of
these incm stations. the effect is far from pleasing.On entering yon are at once atmck w ith fln
arrani^ezncnt peculiar to Spanish cathedrals. Instead o f having the portion to the eait
o f the transepts 3arge enough to contain a full-
sized choir, w ith the Episcopal throne, stiiUs for
the Clergy, &c., as is the case in th e Cathedrals o f other countries, the hif’h altar» Hanked by a
space o f tw o or three bays only, is entirelv cut o(T from th e rest o f th e Chiu^h by gates, and
screen*work o f iron, in front, and on each side, while th e actnal choir occnpicd by the general body o f clergy during Divine Service stands ou the western sido o f th e transept, forming, in
reality, a sort u f second choir w itli in the constructional nave. T liis western choir, w hich can
be entered only at its eastern extrernity, is connected w ith the other by low iron railings, abont five feet high, extending across th e transept, and these, us far us we had the opportunity of
judging from the five Cathedrals r tâ ted by us, are never removed. Fergusson se«ms inclined
72 CajfiUa del CondeniahU.
to derive th is arrangement from the Basilicas of
primitive tim es, instancing San Clemente at Rome in support o f his opinion, and by way of
illustration remarlcR, that i f th e western door of
th e choir o f W estm inster Ahbey were eloeed up, its plan would c iaetly represent th is peculiarity
o f a Spanish cuthedral-The obvious objection to th is arraiigement is,
that instead o f there being an open nave, allowing
the eye to range uninterruptedly from the western cxtrenuty to tho gruud central point o f the
interior, an enormous ma^w m eets the eye at every turn (the enclosure o f th e weateru choir
bein^ often a wall o f marble, thirty feet high), blocldng up the whole breadth of the nave betw een the aisles, dwarfing thp proportions, and marring, to a fatal d e j^ e , the general cffect of
the building-The m ost interesting portion o f B uikos cathe
dral is th e CapiUa del C<yndesUxbU\ built at the
east erid to be the bujial*piace o f tlie Velasco
fem ily, the hereditary Constables of Castille. For
elevation and spaciousness o f proportion, th is
chapel m ight vie w ith m any a church, while its
magnificent tombs, protiiaion of sculpture, aud
other decoration, combined w ith its general sumptuousneas, render it worthy to be the sepul
chre o f lu D ^ . Opposite the eatranco atands a stone altar-Bcrccu o f great beauty, attributed to
Juan dc Byrgona. B ut the tomhs o f the foundet and h is wife, Riirmoimtecl hy their rccumbent figure« in alabaster, have a special antiquarian interest, preserving as they do, the exact costmncs, persomd ornamentg, armoiir, and otlier characteristics o f an age when the drws o f the high-horn
and noble, had heen ckborated into an art. There
is somethin}? very stotcly and impTesfiive in these
tombs, ly ing apart in their sequestered chapel, under the softened light, tliat deacenda from its
lo fty windows ; and were they in any other part o f Spain, tliey would be regarded as prodigies of tho sculptor’s skill. B u t th e eye, frebh from the
exquisite delicacy and refinement o f the royal tomb at Miratlores, which hxjks aa i f it hud l)eeu
wrought hy no human hands, has becoTtie too
faatidious and eritieal to bestow on the monum ent o f Pedro Hernandez de Velw co, and his
wife M cneia Lopez do Mendoza, all the admiration it deserves.
Burgos, like a ll the other Spanish cathedrals
we visited, abounds in magnificent iron-work, % department o f art which appears to have been
cultivated w itli more care in th is country than in the Test oi' Christendom. Alm ost every cha
pel (and some Cathedraln contain n o fewer than
tw enty) is feneed-in b y grilles o f m ost ijracoful design, and admirable workmanship; w lnle tbe
high altiU* is enclosed on two sides by railings, and in front by gates o f tlio same material, vaeh
portion being usually a perfect marvc*! o f tlie
metal*worker’s skill. Some o f tliese gcitci$ stand
th irty feet high, and when constructed o f iron, as is almost alwa;ys tb e case, are not only richly
gilt, so as to have tl)e effect o f lig h t and shade, but covered, m addition, w ith profuse omamenta*
tion— groups o f figures representing sacred sub- jecta, which generally exhibit some type, or image o f the H o ly Jiucharist— fruit-—tiowers— animals
—-fili^ec-w ork— and heraldic dericea. The style o f these as they are called, is almost in
variably dnqae-cento, which to me was their sole defect. H ad th ey chanced to be formed of
any other material than iron and brHas, they
would never have thus survived to testify to
the eouning handiwork o f Spanish Tubal- Cains.
There is another peculiarity in Spanish Cathedrals, which m ay be noticed in passing. A t the
intersection o f th e transepts w ith th e nave, rines
tho Cimbffrio, a eonstruction in th e form o f a
dome, marked externally by a low tower, which
is often octaconal. A s tar as I can recoUcct, we
have nothing like i t i ii any o f our pointed eatho*
cirals, o ic c ^ the O cta ^ n at E3y.N oth iiig , however, at liur^fos afforded us half
the deLight we enjoyed from a v isit to the Car- thnfiian Convent at Miradores, ahout two milea
from th e town. Though a royal foundation, and
still containing the rcmwQfi o f three royal personajes, it lias shared the downfall o f other religions houaea in Spain, and now shelters only ñve
monks, who still cling to tbeir old home. Its sit nation is dreary in th e extreme, in the midst
of an arid, hongry-lookin|f plain, that reminded Lord Portarlingfcon o f the desert beliind
Cairo ; and On entering th e preeincts, we found
u melancVsolydooking woman sitting liatlw sly iu
th e ont«r cloister, typifying, unconsdooaly, the
desolate condition o f th is once illustrious convent. I ts atyle is Perpendicular o f very simple, unadorned character, while the material, granite, gives i t an air o f severitv and coldness, much
more in keeping with it* present condition, than w ith those palmy day«, when it basked in the
sunshine o f royal favour.The Chnrch contains tw o of the m ost marvel
lous productions o f art i t was ever m y good lor»
tune to b o h d d ; a R ciabh, or altar* screen, and an
aJataster tomb in front o f th e altar, both erccted
h j Queen Isabella, w ith th e first-fruits, i t is said, o f America's new ly «discovered ^ I d , th e artist, E l Maestro Oil, having completed this twin-
triumph of Ilia cm fl about the tim e that Colam*
bus returned £roui h is fiw t v o y a ^ in 14 yS.The Retablo, a spwie» o f altar*screen peculiar
to Spain, runs to a height o f alwut thirty feet
b y tw enty «five, and is divided into conipartmcnts
fiUed w t h a series o f wood-carvings, characteristically coloured t<i represent the varions ercuts
o f our Lord’s life, th e Crucifixion beinp; the grand
central design, surrounded by “ an innumerable
company o f augcls,” Nothinsf can exceed the
beauty o f th is m aster-picce; the mere arran^-
m ent o f such a uudtitudincus host o f fiinures, exhibiting th e utm ost power o f conkpression, w ithout crowding or confiwion, being itself a marvel o f skill. W orthily to describe such a
work would require the best powers o f a R ustin , and the barest outline xs more than I could rcn-
ture to attempt. I t wonld take one honrs to
examine its various details, and I longed to have
half a doxen pairs o f eyes, and a memory o f tenfold capacity, to enable me to note down, and
carry away, it» myriad beauties.The tom b erected by Isabella to her father.
Jaan I I ., ami mother, in front of the altar, U
said to be the finest work o f th e kind iu existence, an aflsertion I have x>o diiiiciilty in helieT- in g after seeing that monument. I ts material is alabaster, and the dimensions are noble, being
about twerity-one feet b y fifteen, while i t rises
five feet from the fiour o f the chnrch. I ts form
is octagonal. Upon i ts horizontal surface Ue
th e figures o f Juan aud his wife Isabella, arrayed in their royal apparel, and executed w ith such
consummate skill, that one is tem pted to fanc}' they had laid them down to rest, and were
turned to stone during sleep, by the operation of some mjigic infiuence. The sides o f the tomh
are M ed w ith subjects tivm oo i Lord’s life, the
four com ers being oceupicd by figures o f the
Evangelists nearly tw o feet high, standing in
the attitude o f watchers oxer th e royal pair. A n
air o f deepest repose and peacefulness broods
over the tomb, while its surpassing whiteness
imparts a look of peculiar purity, as it i t did nut
belong to earth. K o description I eonld give
can convey more tlian the faintest idea o f the
impression produeed upon the m ind by this
miracle of A rt, as you stand before i t in the vaiu endeavour to master its details. The eye—
challenged a t the same moment by an infinite
73 Htnerted Convent.
T i r i e t y o f objects, nvailing each other in grace* iiilntiss o f desif^n, and congnmmate execution—
tnow a not whither to turn, and glances in hope
less perplexity over th e f ib r e s < f Apostle, !Rvan- gclist> Martyr, and Saint, as they stand ont adorned w ith superh costumer, and encircled hy
wreaths o f flowers and fruita|^, looking moTe
like the creation o f Anj^l-hands than the workmanship o f any dweller in th is lower world.
A n iron railing which fonces-in the tomb, though absolutely npoesgary to preserve its delicate details from injury, ponsiderahly man
the effbct o f tlie ornaments w ith which its sides are covered, by intercepting a clear view; and
were tho tomb over phot<^fraphed, or modelled, it would bo necossaiy to remove th is obstruction.
I t was a heart-aehing sight to look at that silent, deaertod convent, with its spacions cloisters
untrodden, and its garden overgrown w ith weeds, while the Brotherhood, oneo so m ut^ visited and
honoured by the ^ e a t ones o f the earth, has now
shruiik into a poor despised company o f five, who
can only wear the hahit o f their order by stealth, and at m idnight. The vory existence, too, o f
such marveU as the tomb and altar*screen, in
a place on which the world now frowns, makes
the contrast between past and pref^ei t the more
keenly painful; and as we visited tHe spot ou that
B tom y October clay, a il the accompanimcnts—• sky, wcjatiicr, aiidlandscap«— were in mclancholy liarmony w'itb ita fallen conclitiun.
A t Burgos we first notiw d the horrible noiae
made by Spanish bell-ringers. A n Englishman, w ith h is rixsoUertions of the merry peaLi and Rwect chimes o f his own eounti^*, listens w ith
astouUhmerit and horror to the din o f a Spanish
belfry, where every ringer pnlla on hie own
aceonnt, w ithout the least regard to w hat his
fellow*jwrformers are doing, the grand object being to produce as much noiae us possible. Y ou li^teu iu vain for anything like scientific
ringing; aud th e mysteriee o f "Orandsire-bob,”
“ Singlebob-minor," " Grandaire-treble,” “ Triple
bob*major,” and a ll the other permutations of
E nglish Campanology, seem in Spain to be
xitterly unknown.The dark-eyed little maid that waited on us,
finding, I suppose, our manners did not eome up
to the standard of Spanish punctilio, which, in
forms o f address and salutation at lea«t> elevates a £aherwonian into a duchesa, and places an
ostler on the level of a grandee, took every opportunity o f g iv ing ua inatruction in th e correct phrases and modes of address, aud, by way of
8o Instm dion in Manners.
turning them to immediate acconnt, made u s tiso
them on all occa$iou8, so that we could get nothing we required from her until, like goocf
children, we Lad asVed for it “ prettily.” I f we wanted bread, we were obliged to say, “ Hapa
me, \iste, cl favor de dar m e del p<\n?” “ W ill yoar grace do me tlie favour to give me some bread?” and a similar formula was necD«?6afy
whatever wc asked for. Poor g ir l ! She was
verv painstaking for our improvement, and 1
hope her good-natured endeavours to remedy the
deficiencies o f an English education were in
some slight degree succc^sfnl, though 1 fear, that
in m v own case, a course o f instruction, extending over two days only, imparted l>ut a very thin
gla^e of Spanish politeness to th e unceremoniousness o f inaniier native to m ost Englishm en.
The environs o f liurgos contain severaJ object* o f interest, which every zealous sight«soer goes
to see, though we saw them uot. A m ong these
are the cloisters o f H uelgas, spoken o f by Fer- gusson as “ nnrivallwl for beauty both ot design
and detail, and unsurpassed perhaps by anything
o f tlicir age in any part of Europe.” T hen again
at San Pedro dc Cardena, witliin a ride o f the
town, there is tLo burial-place o f that peerless
he^o of romance and song, Itodrign K uy P i a?.,.
cominoiJy called the Cid, a spot wlucli no traveller o f bygone times, hofore the days o f chivalry were gone, wonld ever have left unvisitcd.I feci now tliat tlie omission was a grave dereliction o f duty. O f coiirSü wc fully intended
before wo reached Burgos, going there in due
form, hut after all did n o t; for in these degenerate days, the very hest intentions do not render
any one capable o f doing more than son pom hle
and, to say nothing o f the deplorable weather, ooritijLual sight-seeing, w ith all its delights and
enjoyments, is certainly verj' exhausting occupation for a middle*agcd body like myself.
W e used to take refuge from the cold and
damp, which seem to c<mtend for supremacy over Burgos, at the fireplaco o f the saJit^a-manger, which was us good as a private room, except during diligence hours, occurring generally about midnight, when we were otherwise engaged. Here we m et an English gentlem an from Leeds, w ell acquaij^ted w ith Spain, and we spent the Sundiiy evening vory pleasantly together, discussing oceleaiastical aifeirs in general, and the
probable futuro o f the Church o f England in particular.
M
C H A P T E E V n i -
O N D A Y , Ocioher 1 0 .— Packed up and
broE^afltefl, hoping to be olT immediately. H ad some diffictdty in getting th e bill, w tic li seemed to be purpc^ely kept back to tlic very last moment. W lien at length it did appear, it
proved to be a document of singnlar brevity and
oonci&eneee, indulging in none o f the details cbajacteristic o f sueh compositious. I ts sum- total, however, am oim tiug to 1041 reals, made
up for every other deficiency. Tt is tbe natural tendency of biUe, in all part« o f tbe world, to produce a startling efTect on th e recipients ; but
in Spajn, th is is infinitely aggravated by the national method o f computation, a ll accounts
being made up an reak vfllon, caeli of which is worth twopence three-ferthings, so that the
amount claimed by our host at Burgos was no
less £ 1 1 • 8e. 6 jif., a sum absurdly dispro-portioned to tho accommodation aud entertain-
Spanish Extortion. 8j
m cnt supplied between Friday niglxt and Monday morning. Particulars were asked for to enable?
us to diacover where tb e imposition lay, bnt our
Spanisli, being very sm all and broken, had no
power to elicit any tilin g satis&ctory. As Mr. Eidf'r, tbe gentlem an w ith whom wc had made
acquaintance yesterday, spoke Spanish fluently, and in such a manner s a to produce an impreB- sion, we at once availed ourselves o f h is aid, and nothing could be moro kind, patient, and businesslike, than his mctliod o f settling th e affair.
The landlord was sent for, and M r. Rider
cross-examined lum on every point. W ith great
difficulty, and considerable application o f the
screw, lie made out a bill of 672 reals, inclusive o f some gross ovcrchaiges. Eeyond that point
be could not advance, and when pressed to
account for the difFcrcnco between 1041, and
C72, ho turned sulky, and refused all iurther explanation, A t laat, finding he could not escapc, he acknowledged that Lord Portarlingtoxi, being
a great nobleman, and brother to th e Queen of
England, was charged the balance o f 36^ reals (in itse lf a tolerably large bill o f £4. 4>b. 6j£?,) for
tho various attentions and extra civilities he had received during hie stay !! N aturally considerin g these were hardly worth so much, he declined
G 2
84 A Friend in Need.
paying for them at so h igh a rate, and the
upshot was, that, th an ts to Mr, Eider’s detcrmi- . nation and f?ood management, th e b ill was
ultim ately reduced to 760 reab, not, however, before h© had been m ost grc»sly insulted b y the landlady, who, m eeting him ou tho stairs, attacked him like a bereaved tigress, and showered
upon him a torrent o f Spanish Billingsgate. As
Mr. Eider was going to stay another day at the
hotel, feeling very anxious he should not suffer on aceouut o f bis good-natured aiwistanee, we
managed to patch up a sort o f peace w ith the
landlord, who, to do bim justice, soon recovered
bis temper, and promised to bebave properly to
our countryman after ou i departure. This truce
did not include his strong-minded hclp-mate, as wu thought it the better part o f valour not to
meddle w itb her, while she stormed and raved, in th e lower regions of the hotel, at the loss of
her hoped*for spoil.This altercation delayed ua a j^ood hour, and
w hen ax last I wont down to see whether the l\^ gage had been properly stowed away, 1 found
Cambour, who sinec Tolosa had sadly declined
ftxjm h is first zeal and activity, having in fact beeomc almost useless, looking more unpromising
than ever, as, in a sort of muddled, sleepy way, he
professed to be helping Swainsop. H is face had become almost black, and every vein stood out on
his forehead w ith fearful distinctness, while hi«
goneral a,ppoarauce led one to fear he had hoen
spending h is days and nights at B uidos in swillin g th e w ine o f th e country, which has the
colour and conRisteney o f ink. H e had, at any rate, made him self a m ost deplorahle-looking
object.H aving now heen iivo days on th e road, in
cluding our halt at B u i^ s , we began to feel rather ashamed o f ourselves, and, as we were
anxious to reach Madrid by Tuesday n ight, we
determined, when once off, not to rest t ill we arrived at CaRtUlejo, a village at th e foot ol
the Somo*Sierra mountains.The had weather s till continued, bnt between
the Rhowers we had magnificent bursts of sunshine, which, contrasting w ith the deep masses
o f storm-cloud th ion gh which they broke, gave
infinite variety to the landscape. Eictenaive
woods o f ilex (a feature to w hich wc afterwards
bccame so m uch accustomed in TCatrcmadura) appeared from tim e to tim e, dotted here and there
w ith such picturesque groups of old pollards, while in many placcs th e road was bordered by
lovr scrubby vineyards, their fm it and foliage
86 Spanish Ihfeing.
being alike plastcrcd w ith a cjhalky composition, which, having originally descended upon them
in th e form of summer duRt, had be<?n converted
by the autunuml la ins into a eoatiiig o f mud, that would hardly improve th e flavour o f the
approaching vintage. W e passed several flocks
o f long'woolled sheep, on their way to winter- quartera among th e eunny dehesan o f Estremadura, attended hy skin-clad shepherds, who
looked the very picture o f dreamy do-nothingness, and entire im m unity from soap and water. Before entering Lerma we crossed the Arlauza, which, l i i e many o f tho streams in this neighbourhood, abounds w ith trout. A s wc drove into
the tow n in heavy rai; , nothinff could look more wrctched— I do n ot even remfmber a single
bcf^ar m aking his ap ea ra n ce— and the ruins o f a noble palace, built by the lauque de Lerma, in
1604, on a brow overliangij>g the town, which, after suffering pillage from the Prench, a now converted into a prison, served only to increase
i ts wretchedness.Hereabout th e eternal brown pane pardo of
the Spanish peasantry began to bo varied w ith
brighter colours, and th e women wore brilliant
red stockings, and petticoats o f blue or yellow, the latter being tlie m ost feshionablc. One
soon remarks th e extreme beauty o f Spanish
dyeing, and their scarlets, greens, and yeUows are m m valled for dearness, and distinctness of
hue, so different from the dtiH m uddy colours produced in England. Tho yclhjws « e especially good, being more like a rich, warm canary, than hy that name among us.
A t Aranda del Duero, w e managed to walk on
a couple o f mile*, in advance o f the carriage, while they were changing horses, an operation
o f somo lim e at a Spanish postnng-house; and
then on we travelled, stage after stage, for honrs, until at last, near m idnight, we diev^ up at the
p o 9oda o f Caatillcjo, in a decided state o f mind. l ia v in g now been on the road more than thirteen ho^irs, we were quite ready for bed, dinner
being altogether out o f th e question, and findin g th e people o f the inn were all asleep, we
cntcsrod through the stable, whieh, as usual, occupied the ground floor; and going on a
voyage o f discovery upstairs, we soon m et with the very th ings we were m ost in w ant of—
a couple o f very clean, comfortable bedrooms, w ithout inhabitants, and forthwith we took possession.
Presently out caoie th e mistress, and setting
her arms a-kimbo (a vory had sign, I alwyas
88 TnhospitalUy.
tliink, in the beau sexe), she OTerwhelmed us
W itt a flood o f Spanish, which, however -onin- tellif^hlc iu eenae, in soTuid conreyed an unm istakable declaration that our presence was b y no
means welcome. W e had not, however, gone all that digtanM to hud^^e for a little noise, and payin g n o heed to her ill-tim ed remarks, we began to exercise our rights o f possession. A fter a
while th e daughter, hearing the distorbanc«, came out o f her bedroom, and, so far from reinforcing her “ respected parient,” she proved
a decided acquisition to our side, for, having been
brought up at some provincial boarding-school, she could actnally speak F rench! B y her intervention we discovered that the hofltess, having
a conscientioQS ol^ection to late hours, was per- fectly seandalizcd at tho idea o f receiving travellers at m idnight. H ad we known in time of
that prejudice, which, in the abstract, is highly
commendable, we m ight have respected it. But
here we were, at the foot o f the Somo-Sierra, w ith a paas of considerable elevation to he
crossed before we conld reach any other inn, and
80 prejudice m ust needs give way to necessity.Still th e hostess would n ot give her consent
to our remaining for the n ight in her h ou se; at length Lord Fortarlington brought matters
to an issue by aakinp the daughter, " WKellier they wcr6 Catholics, or heathens ? ” and "Tf i t was
part of their religion to deny shelter to the
s t r a n ^ ? E ven the m ost uncivilized saxages are
accuatomcd to exercise hospitality towards any
wayffircrs that m ay stand in need o f i t ; while
here, in a Christian land, where th e Catholic faith is univci'saUy professed, three travellers arc
denied admittance in to a house o f public entertainm ent, at an horn when i t is impossible to
obtain lodging elsewhere i ” This appeal to the
m ost accessible side o f a Spaniard’s digposition
brought the woman to her senses, and without another word she m eeH y went for the sheets, &c., and glad enough were we to get in to oar
well-earned beds.N ex t morning we made our first acquaintance
w ith one o f th e peculiarities o f Spanish travel, which subsequent experience soon made familiar
— wc could not get a drop o f m ilk, and th e mere
fUjking for some seemed to be regarded almost as
a personal afEront!C astillgo stands at no great distance from the
m ountains dividing th e tw o CaBtillea; and such
9, wind as came rushing down th e ravxnes, lashing us right and left w ith whips and scorpions. I have never felt, *?xcept in some o f the
90 Chaotic Wild.
mosfc“6xposed A lpine pa^e«. A s a ll th e headgear, except th e hood, o f the old Coquette had
been remoTod before we started from Bayonne, we had little protection from those hlasts, and had to fend off their assaults w ith cloaks
and nmhrcll&s. T he yoad winds slowly to the sum m it o f the pass through a bleak and tree*
Less depression between the mountains, which,
despite their height o f some 5000 feet, a?e entirely devoid o f interest, being mere rounded
elcvatloTis o f no more charaeter than an ordinary
sheep-walk; and we were not sorry to find
on»elves descending th e other side, at a pace
that soon brought m in to a more-sheltered
district.Between Buitrago and Lozoyuela, we passed
through a very singular tract o f coimtry, which "Wordsworth would donhtless have described as
a chaotic wild,” though m y prosaic mind could
not help at the m oment likening i t to a vast natural stoneyard, ont o f which m any and many
a Stonehenge m ight bo hewn, covering an
extent o f about three miles, where granite blocks
o f every size and shape were strewn about in
gtrangest confusion, aa i f they had descended in
a deluge from th e tempest-shattered crags over
hanging this wilderness o f stone. T he cold gray
t)f th e granite, contrasted moat effectively w ith the rich colouring? o f the distant landsctipe, whicb, opening ont over bonndli^ss plains in th e direction of Madrid, lay flooded by streaona o f slanting sunshina. Two great birds, eagles or vultures, sailing grandly over tho serrated ridge to our
righ t, were quite in harmony w ith th e desolate
grandeur o f the spot.Jnst aa the day closed, we began to descciid
from the h igh ground, over which mc«t of today s route lay, in to the great plain surrounding Madrid 5 and though its usual appearance has no
more attraction than is comnjonly presented hy
-any boundless extent of arid corn-land, yet at that m oment th e approach o f night, and the
dark sliades o f indigo that shrouded tlie distant uplands, imparted a solemn, mysterious character
to th e scene, redeeming i t from th e commonplace aspect i t generally wears. Cambour asserted, that Madrid itself was visible from this point;
but that worthy’s moral cliaracter having greatly
declined in our estimation, we scarcely credited
th e Qjfscrtion.A t th e last stage before entering IMadrid we
had to wait some tim e for horses, and, having had nothing to eat eicvpt some fruit since
breakfast, were very glad to employ th is interval
^2 Mnier M a d rid .'
in the conenTnption of what wisic caJlod pigeons
(though, for all we coold tell, they m ight have
“been roots cookcd a la colomb':), at a rery dirty- looking renUi, where a large party o f natives
were taking their supper. Another hour saw U8 driving in to tb e porie-cockh'e o f the Ilotul Peningnlares, very thankful to have eo prosperously concluded a journey generally described
b y travellers as th e very essence o f a ll th a t is
tedious and uninteresting.
r p I I F . excellent situation o f the Peninsulares
J - gave us a very ^v^onrable iiist jmpresaon
of Madrid, when we looked ont next morning, curious to see what th is least-visited of all European capitals wus like. T he Culle do Alcalá, fn whieh the hotel stands, is spacious and hand- som e; and aa, adapting itself to tho inequality
of the ground, i t gradually rises from th e Puerta
del Sol, and then, fiT>m its central point, descends on the other side in a gentle slope towards
th e Prado, i t presents a very im posing appear- ance, and would he an ornajnent to any c ity in
Europe. A ll th e tim e, however, a sort o f nn-
conscious feeling lurks in the mind, that so thoroughly m odem and western-looking an assemblage o f shops and houses as meets tbe oje
on every side, has no business to be th e capital o f so old-ñkshioned and semi-oriental a country
aa Spain. N or docs that feeling pass away
when you estond yry*js observation into other quarters o f the town. Go where yon wiU, not
a token o f antiquity is to be deen; for even tho churches, whieh in m ost towns stand like
Patriarchs amonp; public buildings, do not here claitn an earlier date than tw o or three cen- tnriee, Tn fact, nothing at Madrid looks old, except the fountains, whose atmosphere (if T
m ay use such a term) o f moisture and damp, added to the incesiiant use made o f them, Ixas invested thoin, in a certain degree, w itb the apparance o f age.
I f we now turn another way, the front w indows o( tho hotel command tho Puerta del Sol, into w hich several principal streets, Calle dc
M onteia, and Callo de laa Carrelas, besides the
Calle de Alcala, debouch, making i t the meat animated and crowded spot in a ll Madrid, though
i ts unfnished state and low position deprive it o f every claim to beauty or picturesque eficxrt; w hile it* architectural pretensions are exceedin g ly mean and shabby. I t owes its high-
sounding title, the “ Gate o f the Sun,” which
leads you to expect som ething transcendental, to the circumatanoe, th a t wheo Madrid covered
loss groimd, tlie cast gate need to stand liere. B a t now, when new buildings extend so far
bcyoTid it towards the rising 9mi'* fcte Puerta
del Sol has become almost as oc?ntral in situation aa it ia certainly in all social reapocts; and i f you wi&h to see whatever stir aud life Madrid
contains, th is is th e place to go to, and at all hours, save and except when a buH-fight is proceeding, you arc sure to find there aomething to
catch the attention o f a foreigner.Our B u ^ o s ftcquiuntance, Mr. Rider, had
recommended us to tho Peniusulares, chiefly on
account o f its situation; and though its entrance
and basement are filtliy, in addition to some other considerable defects, yet altogether we were
tolerably comfortable there, and nothing could
exoced tb e civility and attention o f tb e landlord, an liDglish'Speaking native o f Gibraltar, who
was always at h is post, and, b y doing his own duty, took care tbat a ll his people did tbeirs
aho.Tlxere is another hotel, very auperior in point
o f comfort and cleanliness, opposite tlxe UngUsh
E m bassy; but it is so very far out o f the way, and 80 dreadfully quiet for tliose who w isb to
see what is going on, tbat we became perfeetly
reconciled to th e deficiencies c f the Peninsulares, and felt no desire to change onr quarters.
W e SCO th e Queen drive out m ost evenings
about nightfall, just when tho test o f the world
is going home, and she seldom returns before
it is quite dark. There are generally three or
four carrij^es*and*six, 'oncommonly well ap*
pointed, w ith beautiful h o ises; coachmen, pos* tiliona, and footmen, being very w ell got*np, and the whole tuin-out i& worthy o f üoyaJty. B u t what delights us m ost of all in the cortcge
is “ the coaclx o f respect/' an em pty carriage, w ith blinds down, drawn by four lovely cream- coloured horses, which brings up the rear o f the
procession, having very much the Mme office to
perform in the Koyal retinue, that em pty carriages do w ith us at funerals, l l i e idea is thoroughly Spanish, and is quite in keeping
with the traditional notions o f the m ost cere*
monious people in Europ«.W e used to remark, that when the K in g goes
out like a private gentleman, and drives a light open camage'and'pair, he hardly gets a bow, even when passing along the much-irequented
Calle de Alcalá, as i f h is state-worshipping subjects did nut think it worth while to give
themselves thu trouble of tmcovcring fur so
slender an o q u ip ^ . B nt, at the approach of
the grand proccssion, eoaches-and-sii, coche de regpetlo, and smart cscort o f Lancers, off goes
every hat in tlie presence o f sucli unmistakahle
tokens o f royalty.One o f the characters in “ Coi^txini Flem ing,”
th e hero’s atepmotker, has great K^pect for for- nitnre. The Spaniards oitertain the same feeling» towards carria^e^; and as we travellHi from
In m to Madrid in the liimbcring old Coquette, a vehicle that exhibited a good many Peninsular peculiaritiea o f construction, bows seemed to come by instinct from almost every wayfarer
w e passed.A s soon as liord Port^U ngton had left hia
name at the E nglish Embassy, an invitation to
dinner for th e same evening was sent immediately, in wliich I was kindly included, Sir
Andrew Buchanan being at the moment so much engaged w ith urgent bnainess, that he
could not call t ill next day. PeeHng unwell, I
did not avail m yself o f liady Jiuohanan’a kindness, but enjoyed afterwards tho pleasure of
joining h a party twiee, spending each tim e a
very agreeable evening- Indeed, m ost o f our
enjoyment while at Madrid was ow ing to the
great kindness received at th e Embassy, where the national hospitalitv is maintained w ith as
müch refinement, aa liberality, in the midst of a society, where dinner-giving is nnknown. I t
•H
Tt^le
is a real satisfaction to an En^lisbmaD, to observe how mxick bjg ooniktry’s representative is
respected, among a people by no means d»a- poeed to regard foreij^ners w ith too favourable
an eye.One o f tbe evenings we dined at the Embassy,
D on P . Gayaixgos, tbe autbor o f “ Maboinnjedan
D ynasties in Spain /’ and, to use the words of
Ford, " tbe first Hiapano-Arabic scholar o f bis
dny/’ was o f tbe party."Wben, for tb e first tim e, I w ent t*p to tbe
h l k (for, contrary to tbe wont of anyother hotel I was ever in , tb e saUe-a-jnan^er of
the Peninsularus is at the very top o f the bouse), I found ei^bt or ten compatriots at table. N e s t
to one o f tbese, a fine, well-grown specimen of
th e true Englishm an, o f frsmk simple manners, and open coxintenance, I bitd a place assigned
m e. Judging from bis monstache and heard, 1 set him down as an officer &om Gibraltar. H e
turned ont, however, to be a clergyman, o f tbe
name o f Southwell, and had acquired tbose
soldierly appendages in tbe Crimea, where he
served as an Army-Obaplaan. H e and I soon
struck up an acquaintance, and we saw a good deal o f him, both at Madrid, and afterwards at
S ev ille ; for be was one o f those kindly, warm-
Melancholy RccoUcctioni. 99
hearted nafcnres, so pocuharly attra^tiTo among
strangers; and when we parted for the second
tim e, i t wttS in the hope of m eeting him once m oie at 0ihraltar, where he purposed going
before he sailed from Cadiz for the Havannah. From Bome cause, however, wc never him a^ain, and the other day, greatly shocked were
wc to hear, that while on a tour in Caimda, he
was thrown irom his horse, and killed on the
spot, in the very prime, and flower o f liis age. H e had travelled mtich, both in Europe and in
the East, and his genial disposition seemed to
have won friends wherever he went. H e gave
promiflc o f eventually settling down into a very
useful coantry clergyman.1 never look hack to that dinner, without
melancholy feelings, as another o f the merry
party, w ith whom 1 spent so agreeable an hour, and he one o f th e youngest and m ost animated
of th e company, a Mr. Blake way, who resided
permanently at Madrid, has long been numbered
w ith the dead, having fallen a victim to one of
thoso deadly fevers, ko common to that climate, in the course of last winter.
Indeed, even dnring our short stay o f ten days, wo had a fatal proof o f the extreme unliealthinoss o f Madrid, in thf death from typhus o f a young
u 2
i<jo A Ft/nfraJ.
Englishman, naxned W aring. l i e was aii en
gineer o f considerable distinction and wore pro- miae. and had gone there on business connected
w ith some o f th e railways iu progress. There
being at the tim e uo Chaplain attached to the
Em bassy (a deficiency that I nnderatand has
since been supplied, chiefly hy the libcrahty, aud exertions o f Sir Andrew Buchanan), I was requested to officiate at hia funeral. I t took place
at the E nglish Cemetery, which Lord K owden had so much difficulty in securing for the nse of
our country men. I t is still \uiconsecrated, nor
ie there, I fear, muoh probability th a t Spanish
intolerance w ill grant to the reverential feelings
of Englishm en, a boon they would gricTC to have
denied to themselves. I t is, however, properly
enclosed w ith a h igh >vall, and th e authorities (especially our Cons^il, Mj . iirackenbury) take
great pains to hare everything about it kept up
w ith scropulouB care.T he first portion o f the Burial Service was
celebrated in a vaulted room within the gateway
(which a trivial outlay would soon convert into a
very tolerable substitute for a cemetery chapel), and, as the glorions words o f St. Paul fell on the
ear, like the notes o f a trumpet, the bonds o f a eommon religion, and country, seemed to come
CkrisH/tn Brotherhood. l o i
home w ith pecnliar force, while I rem aited thé
presienoe o f several persons (Sir Charles and Lady
JSastiako among the number) totally unconnected
w ith th e deceased, eaccpt hy th e ties o f Christian brotherhood in the Church o f England, who, in
spite o f rain and storm, had come that da.y to
express their sym pathy w ith his sorrowing relations, and whose demeanour gave proof, that, go where one may, there are still to he found
tender, loving hearts, whif'h can weep for them
that weep, even though they be utter strangers, and “ from their own, have learnt to m elt at
others’ woe.”
C H A P T E R X.
OTJR first enterprise, in the way o f aigkt- seeing, was a v isit to th e m a ^ fic e n t
Muaco, th e finest pictiire-j^Ucry in th e world, which is said to contain a larger number o f good
paintings, and a smaller proportion o f indifferent ones, than any in existence. A s far as regards
tlie convenicuce of stranger«, nothiug can he
better m an n ed , and every day, and all day
through, tlic massive portals o f the M useo open
to your touch, without the intervention of a silver key, and, once in, you find a number of
m ost civil attendants, who appear to take a pride
in making your v isit as agreeable as possible.N o gallery can be better adapted for the quiet
study of pictures; and as yon wander through those spacious, shady rooms, far away from tho
din o f the town, yon n ot on ly feel yourself to he
in th e presence o f some of the noblest works of
A rt in the world, but to have besides everything
you rcqnirc for the thorough enjoyment o f them.
Your sole difficulty arises Iromthe oTerpo^ering
array o f beauty m eeting the cyo on every side, which makes selection impossible, until the first burst of excitement hiuj somewhat subsided.
I t has often been remarked, how vividly the
grandenr o f Nature, as i t is revealed in some of
her snblimcst sceues, brings home the seuee of man’» insignificance. B ut there is no situation
where I so keenly realize m y own lim ited
powers o f ohserration, as when brought face to
face, for the firat time, w ith such ft multitude of maatoT'WorVa, as are contained w ithin the walls
o f some great picture-gallery. I long lo have every faculty m-ultiplied tenfold, so m to possess
in some adequate measure the capacity for ap- prehendinij, and uiastering, the myriad impressions produced b y contact w ith those Rlorious
emanations o f genius; and as one idea crowds
upon another, and im age chases image in rapid
sucoessiou through th e mind, T wander about in
helpless despair, feeling as i f “ Chaos were come
again,” and bad taken entire possession o f my
poor brniii.L et not tliat worthy individual, th e reader,
to whom so much deference ia justly due, imagine
for H moment, that in m aking the following
observations on «omu o f the contents of tbe
Masco, I am goin^ to be o f sncli unpardonable presomption, as to attempt anything
Ixke a catalogae of its treasures, an undertaking
none but a Kuakin conid safely venture upon. I crave no more tban the perm isaon accorded to every traveller, simply to pnt down what I
saw, and th e impression left on m y memory hy
the few paintings I Lad tim e to examine.Our first v isit was devoted to tho room on the
right Land as you enter, wliicli may be truly called
a National Gallery,as it contains nunc hut Spanish
paintings, hy Velasquez, ifu r illo , Bibera» .Toancs, Zurburan, and others. Velasquez, however, is
th e glory o f th is salo<m» and Leru Lc may bo
seen iii every phase of Art— portraits, landscapes, historical subjects, animals, and even th e lowest
scenes o f cc^mmon life— and in ail Lc seems
equally ut home. H is religious subjects are considered the least effective, and Ford, in his
charming Life o f Velasquez, publi'^hed in thePenny Cyclopjedia,” is dim ng enough to say
that h is sacred autgects are holy on ly in name. Y et one of h is works in th is room, a “ Cruci-
fiiion ,” marked 51, appears to m e to he absolutely perfect.
B old ly relieved a ^ in a t a sky o f deepest gloom,
our Lord's figure stands out in solitary sublim ity.
H is face partially concealed by long tresses of
diskevelled hair, failing upon i t l i t e a v e i l ; and
the mind, undistracted by the presence o f any
other object, is ahaorbed in awe-atruck contemplation o f the greatcut event man’s eye ever beheld. A n indescribable air o f dcaokllon pervades the
whole pictuic, a$ iP it were intended to represent that m oment o f nnknown agony, when onr
Saviouj cried out, “ M y God, m y God, why
hast Thon forsaken i l c ? ”— while Ibe periect sim plicity o f its compositjon, gives i t tar more
reality and ^ n d e u r , tlian i f th e canvas were
encnrohered w ith a najnher o f figures; it ia
-indeed tlic Son o f M an treading th e wine-prea»
alone.This room containa some o f Velasqnez’a finest
portrait^» among whieh 299 and B03 stand pre*
eminent, representing Philip IV . and h is Qneen, Isabella, on horseback, in which the k ing’s
»tately war-horse, and liis wife’s high-bred jennet, together w ith the countenanco«, figures, and
costumes o f th e royal pair, and a charming background to the K in g’s portrait, are painted with
as much freedom and grate, as i f such perfection o f A rt were th e easiest tilin g in the world, and
you ccTuid do it yourself, i f yon set about it. Indeed, th is is one of the m ost remarkable
to 6 S^anvsk
cliafactcristlos o f Velasqaez, that he seeras to
have done everything w ith much facility, as if
th e sXili o f a master came to him> hke Dogberry’s
reading and writing, by natnre, and he bad been
bom a painter.I f you ^ h to understand the decline and fell
o f Spain» go and study his portraits, which, bridgiDg the space o f tw o ccuturie«, set yon down
iace to face witb K in gs and Quocns, Infantes
and Infantas, so that yon see Spanish royalty in all its cliildisbness and im becility, exactly as he
saw th em ; and you w ill Boon cease to wonder
how it came to pass, that “ the first o f nations"
has so utterly lo st her pride of place, as now, in
th e year lfi60 , to be obliged to tjegini admission, as a first-rate Power, ia to tho uouncüs o f European statesmanship.
Each countcnance wears tbat peculiar expression, so noticeable in a good portrait, wbicb convinces you, even when you do not liappen to be
acqoaintod w ith the teafcures o f tlie original, that you have before you a veritable likeness.
Some o f the K ings and infantes appear in their sbootijig dress, and the dogs at their side
are painted as b y one who knew, aud appri>ciated, the nobleness o f their nature.
l^ a r fs , 80 much iu fashion at the Spanish
Court in those days, have on h is canvas, to a
startling extent, the malevolent, «»Ivish esprcswion
peculiar to Ruch deformed creaturca; and as, with
instinrtive rcpugnance, yon avert your eyes from
their repulsive figures, you feel almost airald of
exciting their enm ity by th e action, ro painfully
real aud life-like do they appear.B u t perliaps the predominating impreseion,
created b y the portraits of Velasquez, where the
subject is Vk orthy of him, ia, tliat no master evur
appreciated more keenly, the innate d ignity of man, apart from mere position and conventional eirCTimstanccs. l*et Vandyck be the limner of
princes and nobles, let T itian portray the iinearaents o f genius and intellc<rt: Velasqnez is
still th e painter o f man as he stands forth in his
true character— the noblest v ork o f Godi n the same room are m ultitiides of pictures
by other masters, m ost o f w hich vre had not
tim e to look at, though well deserving a carcful ih id y . One of tho m ost remarkable ia N o . 110, “ Jarob’s Bream,” by Kibera (S p a^ o letto ),a work
o f marvellous power, and natnralnesB, though Jacob is a mere clownish peasant iu the garb of
a monk, nor docs liis heavy, coarse countenance
exhibit the slightest indication o f the rapturous feeling that would be kindli»d by the gloriea of
fflich a viaion.
A t tlic farther end o f th e toom , to your left
on entering, a Magdalvn <!aught m y attentiou
immediately, as a picturc o f rare expressireneRe, and I returned to i t i^uin and again, w ith ever- incri:asing p ic tu r e . I t is lahelled as o f the
school o f M iuillo, bnt I cannot now rccollect
its rnunher. I nerer saw such a <lel bciition of intense, orfrw helm ing sorrow, which absorbs
the whole hcin^? o f the penitent, and renders
her totally nuccnscioiw o f all else i as i f in the
whole uniTerse there existed hut tw o objects of
thought— her ow n sin, and tho Saviour’s lore.(h ir next and subsequent visits wero devoted
w ith almost equal exciusiveneas to anotlier portion of the Museo, the room opening oo the left
side o f the ^ a t central gallery, which is called, i f I mistake not, the Queen’s Cabinet. This
room possesses more general interest, than the former, as i t contains masterpieces o f nearly
every school. H ere tlie eye lights at once on
the finest equestrian portrait in the world, IHtian s Cliarles V . I t is indeed a superb
picture, and Charles, with h is grave, thoughtful face, and firm, easy scat» rides forth, lance io
hand, like some Paladin of old, in quesit of knightly adventure, and looks every inch a
K in^. You never think o f Art, or painter, while gazin*;^at th is marvel. You have the very
man before your eyes, and i f he moves not, it is
because for the moment bu stands spcU-bonud,
aw ^ tm g your pleasure.iTear i t is VelaApiez’s reputed masterpiece,
N o, 155, called “ Laa Meninas ” (tbe Female
Pages). To those, who are conversant w ith the
meobaiucal difiicnlKes o f painting, it m ust he an endless delight to study such a triumph o f art, w hich a nun-professional eye cannot sufficiently
estimate. B n t the subject is bo disagreeable, that I found m y attention continually drawn
away by the faatinaiions o f th e nciglxbour-pic- ture, o f w h id i 1 h iv e ju st spoken.
Velasquez here painted h im self in his
«tudio, on the point o f takixig the portrait o f the
In ^ n ta Margarita, the central figure, while her two ladies, Z cs Menifuu, are doing their best to
coax the little body, a girl about twelve, fair
and irnmimate as a wax doll, in to good-humour, a ta»k o f no small difficulty, to judge from the
ill-conditioned peevishness of her countenance. On her left, tw o dwarfs, male and female, are teasing a noble mastiff' ly in g on the floor, who, thoroughly worried, and disgusted b y their im pertinence, is yet evidently determined not to be put out o f temper by such CAricatoree of
Immanity, though you expect every moment to
hear liis m nitered growl o f mdigi^ation. On
the other side of tho Inianta, withdrawn a little
from the foreground, stands Velaeqaea himself, brush and pallet in himd, w aiting w ith digni£cd
paticnce, and gravitj", for th e desired cxproasiou, while in the b a ck |^ u iid a door opens upon a
landscape, to let out a retiiing fig;ure. I t makes
you sad to see two such natures, each, man and
do^, so noble o f h is ktnd, at the mercy of l>eings
so infinitely beneath them, as tho spoilt child of
royalty, and those misahapcu butts o f a silly
court. Y ou feel that A rt is degraded, when one
o f her greatest masters is condemned to such a ta s k ; and yet out o f those unpromising jna- terials, tlie genius o f Velaaquez has wrought one
o f its moRt lastm^ monuments. For th is picture has been called “ L a Teologia,” th e Gospel o f A r ti and our ow n W ilkie declared, that its power amounts almost to inspiration.
On th e further side o f Charles V ., hangs
another o f Velasquez’p portraits, w ith a hack- grotind o f exquisite freshness and beauty, Don
Balthasar, a boy on a pony, sitting as i f lie
were glued to the saddle, and galloping bodily
out o f tl>e canvas.
Just opposite» on the other side o f th e room, is S ly , another grand work, w hich to me was
h a ^ L a n z u J t . 1 1 *
tho laoät m teresting o f a ll his hißtorical subjecta. I t represents the capitulation o f Breda, in June, 1625, after a siege o f tcu months. Spinola, the
Spanish cominander-in*chief, w ith h is refined Italian face, and high-hrcd, elegant figuic, occupies the centre o f th e picture, and as he
receives the keys of th e tow n from th e governor, i t is quite charming to ohaerve the almost feminine expression o f respect, and sym pathy, with
which he m eets h is gallant antagonist, taking»
away all the hm niliation, and m ost o f the pain, o f being obliged to surrend er to so generous a foe. K ight in the fore*ground, on one side, bristles a whole forest o f lances (from which the
picture derives its name of “ Lafl Lanzfia”), an
audacity o f A rt few eoidd have ventured upon, but producing, by the m agic o f Velasquez's
handling, a rare, and striking efiect.The gallery teem s w ith magnificent portraits,
some few o f which I cculd m ention. N o . 1515, ia marked in Ford as Kubcns’s portrait o f Sir
Thomas More, which m ust have been copied
from some earlier likeness, as H enry VTJI.’s great Chancellor had been beheaded more than
forty years before Buben s was born.N o, 902, by Albert Durer, seems absolutely
on the point o f speaking, while another (972,) by
tlio same, inscribed w ith hie signatnre, ropre- senta the painter himself, w itli a lovely h it of
Undscapc, gleam ing througk an open window
in the ba<<k^und. 905, Bapliael’e “ Cardinal Julio de i le d id ,” brings before you a master- niind, the heau idéal o f an Italian Churchman- N o. 1446, a portrait o f our Quoen Mary, b y Antonio More, a moat forbidding, pcevisli countenancc, admirably painted ; 734, a young
Italian, by Bronzino, pensive, and full o f ciprea- sion ; while 765, and 709, ar« Titian’s portrait#
o f Charles Y ., w itli his Irish wolf*honnd, and o f P hilip I I . when, young, clothed in a suit of
armour, whieh is ?till preserved in the A i- m ena Real.
Some o f theae hang in the great central saloon.
T he Queen’s Cabinet contains Beveralinterost- in g worka b y th e early Plenxish masters, the
Van E y c is , H ans H em hng, &e. A m ong them
I particularly noticed a triptych, by H cm ling, th e “ Adoration o f the M agi,” in which a c^uaint little market-place, half nnthatched, shelter# the
Infant Saxiour, tho tw o folding panels contain*
in g a N ativ ity ,” and a “ Presentation in the
Temple.” T he colouring is goigeous, and the
finish equals that o f a miniature.
The M w eo . i ï $
Anotlicr “ Adoration ” by tlic same tiand, N o. 467» is treiLted in a jnnch plainer manner, as if
th e three Kinga had gone to worship our Lord, in their erery-day dress, w liiie the colouring iâ
more sober, and subdued.I remarked also a series o f eubjeetR, catalogued
as belonging to the German school o f the fifteenth
Century, extrem ely beautiful, illu^truting religious A rt in its earlier, aud more reverent days.
The A nnunciation eomes first. W hen the Arch- angel appears, the V irgin is on her knees in a
(Gothic oratory. T he countenance o f eadi-forms quite a study, exhibiting that el-evatcd heavenly
expression so rarely observed, except in the older
masters ; while, w ith â to u d i o f that almost
oomio quaintuesa peculiar to th e art o f that ^ e , Gabriel’s w ings gliiiten w ith th e m otley splendour o f a peacock’s plumage. In each o f the
four paintings the foreground is frumed-in >vith a pointed arch o f great elegance, and the subject withdrawn w ith excellent efl'ect into the reeesA thus formed.
T he second represents the m eeting o f the
Virgin and Elizabeth, w ith a (^rm an medieval house, and pretty landscape.
In the third appear Angels, w ith th e Virgin, and Joseph, adoring our Lord, W io is painted as
tlie moat diminutiTe infant imaginable, (by way
perhaps of realising more vividly H is bnm iliai fcion in taking upon H im onr nature,) and on a h ill in the hlne distance stands Jem salem . In
the fourth, and last o f the aeriea, th e Adoration
takes place under a shed, in shape like a lych- ^ t e . I found these paintings fiiU o f interest, not merely on aecoimt o f their extreme beauty, and th e reverential spirit w ith which th e snb*
jects are treated, b u t from th e introduction of 80 m any details of Gothic architecture, a feature
very rarely to he noticed in the compositioas of
later inasterB, when the Henaissance sty le had
become almost unrversal.In the same room (the Queen’s Cabinet), there
is a m ost curious painting from th e Escorial coUcction h y Patenier (a m a^er I had never
heard o f before), th e “ Tem ptation o f St. A n thony.” T he Saint is on h is knees, sniroundüd hy
demons in every form, each more grotesque and hideous than h is fellow, from ^hich you turn
w ith pleasure to an exquisite b ac^ round suffused by a strange, and almost ghastly tinge of
green—-a landscape taken from Dream-land, exhibiting one o f those enchanting scenes of
idealized beauty, which tlie early painters delighted to depict.
The Mu$eo. \ i j
On tlie otLer side o f tlio doorway are two
him ting piece«, lOOC, 102U, by Lucas OranacL, one o f whieli represente a herd o f deer beuig
driven in to a la te , where they are slaughtered
wholesale by the cross*bow8 o f sportsmen posted
on the banks. T he figures, countenances, ooe* tum cs, buildings, and other details are all Grer- Tnn-Hj and the tw o pictures exhibit a disregard of
perspective, that makes one quite imcomfortable, ££ you foel afraid th e whole gccne, hike, sports
men, and game, is on the very p ^ n t o f slipping
down bodily, to descend like azi avahuiche on
your toes.In an Englishm an’s mind, however, that mag*
ni£eczit collection awakeui^ some very pukiiul thoughts, as several o f its choicest treasures
once belotiged to Charles I ., and were sold
aiter his death b y the Puritans. Ford states, that P hilip IV - bought eo l iu ^ ly at the sale
through his ambassadors, that eighteen mules
were rccpired to transport the purchases, when
landed in Spain. One ot* them , the famous “ Perla”
o f Baphapl, a Madonna and Child, alone cost
£3000 , a very large sum to be paid for a picture in those davs. I t is said to be inuoh damaged
by cleaning, both at Paris and M adrid, but to
my mind it still appears a masterpiece. Tbe1 2
i i 6 The
Virgin’s t'acc is fu ll o f auch tender aweetneas, and raaideuJ/ modesty, while the backgronnd is one o f those landscapea o f deepest blue, w itli which Perugino, and painters o f His date, iovvd
to invest their im aginings o f the heavenly Jeru- salera.
Close to it Imngs 741, anotlier by Bapbael, “ L a Y irgen del Pez,” T obit presenting a fish to
the Virgin. Tin« is probably an earlier work, as its style is more severe, while the countenance o f tb e Virgin wears an expression almost of
stcmnesR, and figcre ezhibits tbe lofty dign ity of a matron, rather than th e flexible grace
o f Sb maiden, i la n y prefer th is to th e “ Purla,”
over which it possesses the undoubted advan*
tage o f having suifered less irom the barbarism
o f pictnre-cleaucrs.A third of Kapilael's great paintings, 784,
called “ E l Paamo de Sicilia,” from having beoa
painted for a Church in Sicily, stands at the
upper end o f th e Queen’s Cabinet. I t represents oiir Lord, W lio ia bearing H is Cross, aa having
sunk exhausted on tb e gronnd, while the Virgin and three other women kneel beside H im , Ve
ronica being in the background. Priests, and
officers, follow on horseback, while foremost in th e proccssion come soldiers, one o f whom is in
the act of striking our Lord w ith a scourge. Calvarj w ith its three crosses, and groups of
spectiitors, rises in the distance. I was most pleased w ith tho figuru o f Veronica^ whose conn- tenaucc expresses sympathy, and reverential pity, too deep for utterance.
Thia painting, too, has undergone cruel treatm ent from the picture* eleaners, who seem ab
]^Iadrid to carry on their work of destruction on
a feurful scale.I w ill conclude th is hastv notice o f some few
o f the ilu so o ’s trea^mrus (for soreral o f its roams, filled w itli gems o f A rt from almost cvciy continental master, I Imd not tim e CTcn to enter), w ith 220, a “ Conception ” of Murillo’s, th e most hoautiful, I thought, o f a ll his paintings I saw anywhere in Spain. The V irgin’s f ^ e is radiant w ith a look o f perfect innocence and pority, m ingled w ith childlike wonderment at the un- t^peakahle honour vouchsated h er; and the
figure, while it sufficient firmness, and sub- stanee to represent hum anity, has yet marvellous lightnfisR and buoyancy, as i f she scarcely
pressed the wreaths o f cloud floating under her feet.
C H A P T E R X I.
“V l ^ I I I L E we were a t Madrid, a buU-figKt * " took placc, the eighteenth, and last of
the reason. Though feeling the greatest ic-
pugnance to w itness such a spectacle, I went
n e v e r th e l^ ; and in spite o f m any rerolting
incidents, that made me heartily glad wh«^n it
was oTer, I do n ot altogether r ^ r e t to haye been
present, sg> th e eight haa «¿nabled me to understand some points in the national charaoter, which would otherwige liave been quite unintelligible.
I t came oiF on Monday, th e 17th o f October, th is day o f the week being m ost in ^ h io n at
M adrid; wherea«, in th e provinces, those exhibitions, 80 utterly unbecoming a Christian people, take place on th e day, which abore all others is
aesociatc'd in an Englishm an s m ind w ith everyth in g that is sacred and peaoef\il. W hat is fltili more singular, religion haa taken under her
cspcciol patronage th e national sport o f Spain, aiid in that very arena, whicli more vividly than
aiiy other place o f m odem amusement recals the
bloody Bom au circus, and tlie slaughter o f the
early Chrietians, th e Spanish Churcli erects her
altars, and celebrate« th e highest m ystery o f the
Catholic iaith. I t w ill be thought almost in*
credible, being all the tim e only too true, that a
chapel forms one o f the various offices attached
to a bulhring, and whenever a buU-fight takes
place, there mass is regularly said, and attended
by all th e performers; while a priest is at hand
dnring ita continuance, to administer th e last
rites o f the Komish communion in case o f any
serious casualty. The chapel belonging to the Plaza do Toros at Madrid, which we visited the
morning before th e buil-fight, actuaJly stands in
the stable-yard, a strange situation for such a building.
N o one, I suppose, would ever t h in i o f in stitu ting a comparison between th e bull-ring, and the stage. M any persons, whose judgment
is entitled to tho highest consideration, have
thought a good play, well pcrtbrmed, calculated
to produce a direct moral cffi^ct on th e spectator; while the m ost enthusiastic rotary o f the bull
ring would hardly venture to say as much in
behalf o f h is favourite amusement. B n t the
Church o f Bom e, while she fxcommoTiicatcs
actors Mmply as each, ex oficio in fact, w ithout
the least reference to their private character, is
inconsistent enoiigh to sanction, in thig marked
manner, and w ith th e m ost solemn act o f her
worship, the spectacle o f a huU-fight,One o f Shakspeare’s m ost charming charac*
ters, Bosalind, propounda a theory, that lovers
do not m eet w ith th e treatment they d(»crv<?—
“ a dark house, aud a whip, as madmeu”—
simply because th e lunacy is universal. Does
the Clixirch o f Home in Spain extend her sanction
to that hrutalizing exhibition for the same reason
— th e n n i v e i^ t y o f the passion for hull-fightin g among all classes in th e Peniuauhi, high and
low, secular and clerical? H as bhc compromised her m ission ua a Church— to humanize
and soften tho m gged nature o f man— out of
worldly wisdom, know ing tliat th e Spaniards
would have their beloved sport at all co st; and, for the preaervation o f her temporal inllueu«^, does she sacrifice her essentiiJ principle.'i, as the
profeMed representative o f IB m , whose mercy is over all TTi« works ?
This, however, is not a l l According to Ford, who is aoything but a bigoted Protestant, she
to m s th e national pastime to her ovm endn. In
hia “ GatherinffS from Spain,” p. 287, hu thua
writes :— “ In Spain, th e Church o f Komc, never indifff'tent to its interesta, instantly marshalled
in to its own service a cercmunial at once profit*
able, and popuJar; it conaccrated butchcry by
wedding i t to the altar, availing? itself o f this
gentle handmaid, to obtain fnnds in order to
raise convents. TOven iu the last centur}'. Papal balls were granted to mendicant orders, ttuthoriz*
in g them to celebrate a certain number o f Fie&tas
de Toros, on condition o f devoting the profit to
fiuisLing their Church; aud in order to awell the
receipts at the doors, spiritual indulgences, and
releases from purgatory (the number o f years
being apportioned to the relative prices o f the
seats), were added as a bonus to a ll that was paid
for places at a spectaclc hallowed by a pious
object."Tm;\gine onr venerable Primate, Ins Grace of
York, and the other Bishops o f the Church of Englaud, advertising, imdcr tbeir distinguished
patronage, a set-to bctweeu Sayers and the
Benicia Boy, for th e benefit o f the Bona of
th e Clergy, tbe Foundling Hospital, or any
other uharitablc injititution! Or, to put the
rase in another point o f view, let u s fancy tbe
Dean and Chapter o f W estminster, renting the
I l l A Byll-fght.
Grand Stand at Epsom on a Derby P ay , as a
pioQS speculation, m tl i a view to raising funds
for tLe restoration o f tlic A h b cy !Surely charity-balls, fancy-faira, aud hazasra,
and other questionable Bubstitutes (now happily
all bnt exploded) for genuiue almsgiving, ioso
muck o f tlioir obj»>ctionable character, and ulmost acquirc m aspect o f religion and virtue, wlien
contrasted, as expedients for 'wlicedliug money
out o f Christian pockets, w ith the liorrors o f an
eleemosynary bull-fight.N oth in g can prove more incontestably the
hold gained over the Spanish mind by the
H esta de Toros, “ The Peaet o f Bulls ” (aa the
buU-iight ia called w ith grim irony, the poor
victim s having anything but a festive part to
play), than the large sums o f money expended
upon it in a country, where funds are so much
needed for important national objects. Each exhibition costs about £400 , and lasts about three honrfl I
More than twelve performers axe required, and
as m any tow ns possess a bull-riog, ^vithout being
able to support a local company, they go about from place to place during the season, a term of
iive or s is months, from Easter to th e m iddle of
October.Readers o f " Pickwick” w ill recollect Sam
W e lW s interesting statiíitícs respecting the
London piemen, who, according to hie account,
adapt their comeetihle» to the time o f year, meat- pies being in season at one period,while at another
fruit tarts are all the fjwhion; or, to «pote the pithy language of the original statement, “ W hen
fm it is in, cats is otit.”In Spoiu the p ig and th e huJl hear a similar
relation to each other, th e former never dying a
legal death between Jíaster and th e Feast ol A ll Saints, during which period the aale o f pork is
strictly prohihittd; while the slanghters o f the
hnll-ring take phwe only from abont Easter to
Michaelmas, as the bulls do not fight well in
cold weather.In the tbrenoon preceding the performane«,
w e went to see the bulls drivtn into the stalls, where they are kept till they make their first appearance, aud their last, before the pubiie. W e heard so much about th is ceremony, that
we naturally cxpected something o f no common
interest. I t proved, however, almost as tame a business, ns driving a dairy of well-condueted
E iiglish cows to their milking*ground; and were
tlxe finMerrt) as th is afTair n f driving the bulls to
th e Plasja is called, ever introduced, w ith appropriate mnsic, among the incidents o f an opera, I would humbly s u g ^ s t th a t the “ Kaua des
Vaehes” woiiM be a strain mucb more “ in accordance w ith the Rentimente o f tbe scene/’ iig it
appeared to ue, than the torero's ballad, " ERtando
toda la Corte/' eo h igh ly praieed by Ford, aud
rendered into w itb so much spirit byLoekhart.
W c took the opportunity o f iDgpecting all the
arrau^m ents o f the Plaza de ToroR, which, in
addition to tlio amphitheatre, contains qnite an
extenRive range o f buildings, ainon^ which we particularly noticed a small infirmary, where
“ casualty cases” (to adopt tbe la n g a a ^ o f Mr. Tiobcrt Sawyer) are taken direct from tb e bullr in g; aad iu tlic stables wc foond sixteen or
tw enty poor liorsea, tbe sweepings o f cab-etand, and poet-bouse, destined for that day’s »laugbtor.
l iu t really the m ost patient o f readers w ill complain (and w ith justiec) of being detained so long on the outdidc o f that “ clmrmed circle,”
«■bich coutainR the summum ^ifum o f a Spanisb mob.
L et us enter then, and ai* the kindness o f a
gentleman we m et at tlie Em bassy has supplied
us w ith tickets, oor entrance w ill cost us nothing. W e received at the same tim e a printed paper,
which, combining in a measure the characteriRtics
o f a play-bill, and tbat peculiarly E nglish docu- ment, “ a list o f all the running horses,” gives
not only tho names o f the perfonners (who at iladrid , “ the C ourt/’ axe alwa>^ tho foremost
men o f th e ii craft), hut the colouj, breeders' names, and birth*placo o f a ll th e bulls, in tho
order of their appearance.Our tickets being lirst-claee, we mount to the
upper story, on the shady side o f the building, enter box o f th e plainest description, and at once find ourselves in a vast circle, faee to foce
w ith ten thousand human beings, th e greater
part o f whom are “ Ritters in the su n /’ the price
o f places increasing in proportion to their shadi*
ness. The ground*plan of tlie amphitheatre may be described by tw o concentric circles, of
which the inner one. N o . 1, forms th e battle-
groU)i<l, and is pierced, at in tervals, by openings lai^e
enough to adm it a man »ide*
ways, through v/hich the men
ou foot, when sore pressed an d nnable to escape in any other way, dart into
the outer space, marked N o . 2. The actual ring encloses an area o f ahout tw o acres, covered w ith the fine w hite sand, so common
in m ost part« o f Spain, aiid its Buriace, now
fio smooth and »potlesa, w ill soon he crimsoned
b y many a stain of blood.
Scarccly liave we taken o\ir scat« (and uncomm only hard are tlxey) heforo a iouriah of
trumpets ia heard, th e barrier opposite \is is
m thdraw n, and in marches the entire truop oi performers (the bull alone excepted) ckulo^, handf^rilUroi, and mafadors, a team o f
four handsome m ules, gaily caparisoned, and
hung w ith bells, (whose o/Ticc ia io drag out
the carcaacs o f bulls and horses) clc«ing the procession, w hich forma th e prettiest feature
o f the whole performanee.T he appearance o f the pieadora, who alone of
a ll th e actors en g a ^ d are on horseback, is a
ludicrous caricature of the gay, active, well-
mountud cabaUpro o f ancient Spanibh knighthood. B y way o f protection against tho horns o i th e bull, their legs are encased in a species of
leathern overall, stutfed to sn th a degree, that us
they ride in they look exactly like a row of
dropsical patient«, very much in need o f tapping, l io r do their steeds cut & bettor tigure. bciiig the
«orrieat-looking jades imuginable, a« they come
Jinjping in w ith one eye bhndJoldfd, having been
reprieved from the knackors, only to bo butchered
in the bull-ring.There arc some ten, or tw elve performers
on foot, chuIoB and banderilleros, and heiTjg
all active, well-made men, Jresaed in the old- fashioned Spaniali costnmc, somotliing i i i e a
conrt-suit, consistiug o f Riltcn coat, cmbroideTed
waistcoat, spangled breeches, and giik stockings, t t e y form a m ost brilliant, picturesque group, and ligh t up th e scene w ith their flaahing oo.
lours.The matador, or e»pada (aa i t seeiris now to be
the fashion to call him), th e performer p a r ex who closes each fight h y despatching
th e hull idnglo-handcd, is dressed much io the
same style, and has h is h a ii gathered like a
woman's into a tKit>V mass at th e baisk ot his
liead.This gay prtwession, strange precujsor o f the
bloody scenes that follow, having advanced w ith
flourijih of trumpets to th e centre of the ring, halts, and makes obeisance opposite the box of
the president, who, by throwing to an alguazil th e key, which admits th e bull, g ives th e signal for the commenecment o f tb e performance,
Tho door, on which tw enty thousand eyea are
fixed in steadfast ga«e, now opens, tho bull comes
hounding forth towards tho centre of the ring, and there, stunned at once b y the sudden burst o f sunshine, after the darkness in whioh he has
been immured, and the novel scene upon which
lie has made fto abrupt an entraQCii, ho pan^e#
for an instatit tranRfiied, and glares around in
fierce amazement, i t is a moment o f intensest
excitement, bnt before you fully realize the
tum ult o f emotion compiesscd into those brief
seconds, th e bull, breaking the spell that enchained him , ha# charged one o f tiie chuloa full t ilt , and presses him so closely that he has
barely tim e to vault over tb e harrier, a heigl>t o f at k a st six feet, which the buli clears after
him w itli an activity, that stems impossible to ao large aii aniroal, only to iind h iT iis e l f , however, carried back by h is own impetuosity into
th e ring, hy one o f th e side passages provided
for such an emergency.One o f the three horsemen, always iu the
ring, riding forward now plants h im self in front o f th e bull, and couching h is Lince, armed with
a steel point, som ething like the spike o f a hoat- hool<, aims at th e junction of neck and shoulder- blade. The bull, eager to be at somebody, acct^pts tb e challenge, and, dashing at the horse
with h is tremendous horns, picrcea liim through
th e heart, and os steed and rider roll over iu the
dust, a fountain o f hhx>d (one o f th e m ost hor- lib le sights imaginable), spouting forth, w ith the
force o f a jet, two or thrcKi feet high into the
air, sooa drains ont tin? poor horac’s life, and
releases lii^n from misery.The ch-ulos hare already darted forward to
the rescue o f their comrade, and distracting the
huU’s attention hy waving their scarlet flags and
cloaks in h is face, they ertricate thu picador as he lies entangled and helpless Tinder his horse ; the other horsemen take up the game, placing
their horses always %o as to cover their own persons; chulos dart here ami there, and everywhere, and when, ruaddened and confounded hy
so uhifiuitous a swarm o f foes, th e htiU singles
out any one, and chaises home, he finds him as
unaaaailahle as a ghost, so pertect is tho coolness
and self-possession, w ith which these consummate artists evade the chai^o, stepping aside
w ith graceful ease at the very moment, when
you expect to sec them tossed into the air.In ten m inutes tw o more horses are strug
g ling in their death-agony» while those that are
still ahle to continue the fight, move about half
disembowelled, treading on their own entrails, and the sand is covered w ith m any a pool of
blood-The hull, too, now begins to show symptoms
o f distress, and, with neck and shoulders wounded
and gory, he pauses, poor creature! a momentK
for breath One would tlunk sucIl a spectaclo
had power to move tUc liardest Iioart, and that
tbe noble beast having “ proved the mcttlo of
M s pasture,” m igbt l>e allowed to retiro, and
eiyoy the life hie coorago had thue rcdeemed. In all tliat throng o f teri thousand, not a do^erv
voices would be found to g ive expreswon to such a sentiment, and the victim o f man's oru<jlty
m ust furnish to th e uttermosrt lu s portion of
the entprtainment, the first act o f which has
alone been exhibited as y e t !A nd now tlie banderDleros, each armed w ith a
pair of thn ligh t, gaily*omamented dart*, frcim
which they take their name, come forward, and, w ith astonishing dexterity, plant in the bull’s necV the&o instruments o f tortnre, to which fireworks are attached, and as they eiplodo one after another, a new ingicdieut o f horror is
thrown ijato the scene; while the poor bull, in
the midiit o f fire and blood, bellows w ith paiu and dismay, and, goaded into iic sh efFortis, rushes
w ildly through the ring, w ithout presence of
mind, or strength enough left to make a successful charge; t ill at last, black with sweat, and foaming at the mouth, he stands at bay, w ith the sullen determination o f despair, as if, having at length found out what i t all meant, he
was resolved to die like a hero. T he crisiR has come, and w ith one o f those ruthless cries, that
carry back th e mind to the butchery o f the
Boman Circus, and the martyrdom o f the early
Christians, the matador is called for, and yon feel he comes almost upon an errand of mercy,
to terminate so horrible a spectacle.Arm ed w ith a bright rapier, a trusty, well-
proved weapon o f admirable temper, and w ith a
flag ¡D hi-» left hand, he advances towards the
pre«dent 8 box, and, bowing, obtains permission to exhibit his skill. Calmly taM ng bis station
right beforu the ball, he w ares h is crimson
stfeamer across his eyea, an insxdt which in a
m oment concentrates erery enei^y of departing
life, and as tho dying beast lowers his frout for
a final onset, th e flag drops orer h is head, the death* stab paaaes through h is spine, a>d, stag*
gering like a drunken man, w itli streams of
blood gushing forth from month and nostrils, tho vast mass settles down like a sinking ship, aud in a few momenta all is stilL The gaily-
c4^>ari6oned mules eome eantering in, the hull, and the horseí^ he has slain, are dra^jged o a t at a gailop, the pools of blood are effaced by basket- loads of fresh sand, and, w ith a spevd unknown
K 2
IJ2 A BuÜ-fyh(.
in other Spanifih tranaactions, the ring ie cleared
for a fresh enooTinter.Sometdmes the matador is luilucky, or ner-
Toua, and, as we saw, does not succced in giving
th e coup de grace, n^til he has made aeveral fruitless attemptB, I n such a case, no matter
how great a favourite he may usnally he, loud
and angry are the taunting cries, that a^suil his
ears from every quarter o f th e amphitheatre.On this occasion, eight hiJls, and fifteet» or
aixtoen horses, were killed, and hlood enough
flowed to flatiaiy th e m ost truculent Englishman, for the rest o f h is days. A nything more horrible, and utterly revolting, than the whole
spectacle, I cannot conceive, and i t seems to me
impossible to overrate the brutaliziiig influence
exercised hv tlie hulUring upon the nation at la r ^ . N or do I wonder, after w itnessing such
an exhibition, and the frenzy o f delight excited
by its m ost shocking incident*, that in Spain
even hnm an life is ligh tly esteemed, among a
population, to whom hlood-shedding is au amnse- jnent, and the murderous nse o f the knife, on
the smallest provocation, has ever been so fear
fully common.T he operation o f tho same influence may be
traced ia tlie domain o f A rt, where th e most painful Bubjocte are delineated w ith a reality, that leaves noth ing to the im agination; and a
Pigur« literally drenehod w ith gore is one o f the
most cnstom ajy representation g o i the sxiifering
Bedeemer, when th e artist does not possess
sufficient refinement to e le T a t e his conception
of th e sabjeet above the level o f the national
taste.In tb e midst, however, o f th e horrors, that
surrounded us, as we sot tbat afternoon in the
Plaza de Toros, one incident oecurred that af*
forded a momentary relief.Six bolls bad akeady been killed, and when the
door opened for th e seventb, he walked in w ith
so pompous a Rolcmnity o f manner, worthy of
the stateliest alderman in a civie procession, and
looked so intensely peaceable, that he was welcomed w ith sercams o f laughter from every side, l la d he been a depntati<m iion i th e Peace Society, eomiiiissioned to remonstrate g a in s t so barbarous and Cowardly a sport, he could not have
acted h is part better. H e was a wise bull, the w isest o f b is race, and gave ns ail an emijient example o f the m agic potency o f good-hu- mour. A punster would affirm he m ost have
come from the shores of the Pacific, so perfect
was his temper, so indomitable b is love of
peace.M any and ingenious were tbe expedients em
ployed to proToke him to pngnacity, but every
one signally failed. FalstaCT him self had not a
more de<nded objection to fighting. l i e had
evidently come into the ring, w itli liis mind
made up not to break tb e pcace against any of
her M ajesty’s anbjects, no matter wbat provocation and inanlt were heaped npon inm. Hia demeanour waa a liTing comment on Horace’s description o f th e mode] citizen, and th e words, w ith one alteration, exactly represeni Inm
T e o a c o in p r o p o s i t i ¿ o m r
N od civiojQ A rdor p ra v a Ju b e n titm i.
N on vultue iui^taatis T y ram u ,'’
(a line that w ill apply to tb e President o f the
day, as he looks down from Lis stately box on th e arena,)
*' Ucntc qu&kit sollda.”
SanderH hi were tried in vain, and cracker
after cracket exploded without eliciting the
sroallejit spark of combativcnesa. In Falstaff’s
phra«, he wa* “ cold-spur” all over; and so
hopdeas a sntject for the ring did he appear,
that dogs, auxiliaries frequently euUed ifi to
ro\yie an inert, &piritlcs« buli, were not intro-
dnced on this occasion. The amphUhpatrc rose
e% tna/ffte, the fierce tum nlt of mau’s animal in- Rtincts, itó they hürat forth from that vast crowd, producdng a savage grandeur, that made one
shudder; and amid scornful cries r>f indignation, and a fluttering o f handkerchiefs, “ thick as
leaves in Vallomhrosa," demanded another h\Jl.Snch a demand is irresistible; two oxen arc
turned into the ring (for without these no bull can be driven), aud in their company, to our
great delight, D en Pacifico disappeared, amid the
laughter, and jeers o f the audience, to live, let
uá hope, according to the story-book phrase, “ happily ever aftcnvards,” while the unfortn- luvte prosy died in his stead.
Jt was really the greatest conceivable relief, when the wliolc afíair came to an end, and w ith
very much the same sensations, m ost people fed
on going away from a dentist’s at the conclusion o f some unpleasant operation, wo foxmd our
selves once more in the Cnlle de Alcalá, nor do I think either of us w ill ever again a scat w ithin th e enclosure o f a bull-ring.
C H A P T E R X n .
r I iQ E first tim e Lord Portarlington dined at the Embassy, lio m et Mr. Chrietopbcr Sykes,
o f Slcdmere, who, buyin g made a tour in tbe
nortliem provinces, was now staym g at Madrid, on hie way to the South o f Spain. An i t turned
out, on eomparing notes, tbat Mr, Sykes’ intended
route coincided, in all material respects, w ith the
ideas sketched out, in a somewbut indistinct outline, for our future proceeding, i t v/»s soon
arranged we sho\dd all combine into one party, and travel together as far as Seville, This
arrangement, by giving fixity and definitiveness
to OUI plans, was a great advantage to us, as Mr. Sykes, having spent some weeks in the country, bad carefully studied the varioxis
lOuteB laid down in Ford, and had thus been
able to settle what he purposed doing, with
more distinctness tban was yet possible in oar
case, amid the conflicting attractions presented
b y tlie pages of that must agreeable autlior, drawing ub simoltaneoualy to every quarter of
tlie compiisa.I t vras therefore decided, that on Saturday,
Octohei 22nd, we should, please God, leave
>Tadrid by rail for Toledo, and there commencc
our riding tour, taking Y ustc and Vlacentia on our w ay over th e Sierra Morena, down to SeviUe.
Our party would thus consist of six, including
Swaihsou and Mr. Sykes’ servant Elfiek, with
David Purkiss, an Englishm an, very h igh ly re- cotnmendcd hy Ford, who had lived fox dome
years at Madrid, and was perfectly acquainted w ith th e huigiiage, aud ways o f the eountry.
Ij'rom the first I took an interest in Purkiss, partly because he is one, like Dogberry, “that hath
had losses and partly because he is a descendant o f tho elLarcoal.bumer of the sarao uaiae, who
carried the body of W illiam Rnftis ftom th e X ew
Forest to W inchester, and o f whom local tradition
reports, tliat, through all the intervening centuries, a direct heir haji never once failed him, w hile the very same house and land, occupied
by him at the time he paid the la*t act ol piety to his Sovereign, is now (or wad at least
quite recently), in the possession o f hi» family.I little thought, while conversing on th e sub-
Trav^ing Coëtvme.
jôct w ith some ladies in the train, as we passed
through tho N ew Forest on m y way to town, that ¡11 a short time one o f that lam iiy would
belong to our party, and for so considerable a period have ao much to do w ith onr daily wants
and coraforta. B ut, as that eminent moralist, Mrs. Gamp, rem aris, “ Sich is l ife !" and in
travelling it i i impossible to conjecture with whom one may comc into contact.
N ow that our plans had become settled, gieat preparations for the journey were immediately
initiated, more especiAlly in getting up such a
eostnmc for th e road as would comply witb tho
dirt^etions o f Ford, who m ost u i^ n t ly counsels
travellers in Spain to dress like the natives ; and
while onr talk was o f Andalusian hata, o£ f/ijas (saahes ibr the waist, o l silk, or worsted, univer- aally worn by th e peaaantiy) and scmarras
(jackets o f black lambskin), high boots, and
buttons o f silvur filigree, we never went out
o f our apartment at the Feninsulai^s, w ithout
cnoount«ring some bootmaker, or tailor ; one of
whom, being painfuUy deaf, used to tax all the
patience o f the waiter, Alplioiise. a good-natured iVeuehman from Bonrdeanx, while he tried to
convince him o f the various short-comings of
his t^ loring, which, like a genuine Spaniard, he
considered absolutely faultless, simply because it
was hie own,I aloae vcntuied to disobey Pord’e injimctions,
Uiov^h Tarious were the arfTumeiite employed in
persuading me to adopt ssome portion, at lc»at, o f tipanidh clerical costume for m y travcllmg
dress, aud ranch ingenuity, and persevenmoc
were expended in leuomiuending the use of the
enormous shovel-hat, not much leas than a yard
from end to end, whieh crowns the pericranium
o f a Spanish priest. Feeling, however, that, apart from the weip;hty consideration of expense, onr group would be none the worse, in an artistic
point o f view, for a little toning down, I was
quite satisfied w ith m y ordinary ifarh, and preferred the freedom and ease o f m y old battered
wide-awake, to the ponderous dignity o f a cleri
cal somlrero.Lord Portarlington and Mr. Sykes thought
i t best to purchase horses at Madrid, not wishing
to trust to the contingencies of the road; and
for those who can atibrd it, and liave ftiUy made
up th c ii minds to use their purchase long CDongh to work ont the price, a period of some two or
three months, such a plan ia unqneationably the best, bccaAisc it involves no greater expense,
1^0 B e ^ h o f Bwrdisn.
than the hire o f a horee for a journey o f that diiratiioii.
A mule, however, is on tlie whole the more
serviceahle anim al; not only on acco\mt o f his
greater powers o f endurance, and freedom from
ailmentfl, hut becanse, in m any o f the out-of-the- w ay districts, the bridle-track is often bo narrow, that h is smaller hoof finds “ ample room and
verge enongh,” for sai*e action, while tlie broador
foot o f a horse, aa I afterwards naed to reroark, will sometimes al>solntely stjck fast in deep holes, so that he « tr ica tes him&elf with no small difficulty, and nocasionally loses a shoe.
M any were the consultationa held on the
matter o f horse-flesh, and kindred subjects, with
the coachman at the Embassy, who gave ns use- fn\ h ints for the road, lugh ly necessary in snc]i a country as Spain, where th e diet, and general management o f horses are RO different iiom what we arc accustomed to in England. B eing a
Yorksliircman, he regarded Mr. w ith adeference and respect, it was pleasant to remark, in eousequenct! o f his being the son of one standin g w h ig li in public estimation, as th e venerable Sir Tatton Sykes.
W e spent a morning at th e Armeria Real, one
o f tb e finest armouries in tlie world, w ith poor
i l l . Southwell for oiir cicerone. T never saw
anythinjf iu the least approaching tlic variety, and exquisite workmanship o f its eontents, tbe only drawback to our enjoyment o f them ariidng
(as osual) from the Lmposaibility o f doing justice
to more than a few objects, during th e tim e we
were able to stay there.The room, being long and narrow, 227 feet hy
86, is admirably adapted for its purpose, and the
effect, on entering, is m ost striking, when, after
m ounting a dark Rtaircafie, you emerge in to that
stately gallery, and find yourself in th e presence
o f tho$e memorials o f Spain’s prosperous days (when her troops were the hest iu the world), stretehing out before you in long perspective. Around ue hnng armour o f every sha.pc and
device, from the plainest suit o f the common
man-at-arms, up to the profusely-ornamented
panoply o f noblemen and princes; while lances
and spears, swords and pikes, muakets and
pistols, gleamed in bright array on every side.Viewed simply as an accumulation of art-
ebjectd (if so newly-coined a phrase may he introduced into th e company of so many represent atives of antiquity), th is collection o f warlike plenishing is marvellous ; nor can anything pro-
duco a more forcible conTiction o f the all*per- Tading iufluence o f A rt durii^ the RenaMRance
period, than the s iu ^ la r tw t, that in the very
region m ost hostile (as ta supposed) to her very existence— the battle *iield— she has achieved
some of her m ost enduring triuraphs. The
warrior o f that day went out to battle, not only protected £rom m any o f its dan^jcrs, but clethod
w ith apparel o f almust imperishable beauty; and
Vulcan’s craft became again, as in Homeric days, the handmaid of poetry and grace.
I f any would fnlly appreciate the beauty, and refinement of ancient aim oui, le t him lay the
headpiece o f a m odem Cjnardsman, w ith its 4X)miTion-pl^e ornamentation, and device, which
are worthy o f a coppersmith’s invention, alongside somo helmets o f th e fiiW ntli, aud sixteenth cent\iries, all rich w ith exquisite chasing, «namcl, daniascene-work, and gold, and be will n ot be long in perceiving th e diiference between
the reenlts o f mechanical contract-work, and
the creations of liv ia^ Art.To tlie Madrid Armoury, however, an interest
o f even a highur nature attaches. Those magni«
ficent suits, on which the armourers o f M ilan, and Germany, exha\wted the choicest resources
o f their skill, are not mere creations o f Art,
•serving no other purpose than to g ive proof of her boundlefls powers. T hey have all done
actual service in the midst
“ o f p lu m ed trf*op, a n d th e b ig w ars,T h a t m ake am bitioQ v irtue j "
and were wont, n o t h y name^lesa soldiers, hut by such m en o f renown, as the Crrcat Captain, Gon- fiaivo dc Cordova, Colombus, Cortez, Charles V ., and his son, the -victor o f Lepanto, whoae
])ames are consecrated in history.The room contained besides a goodly display
o f banners, many o f them won from th e Infidel at Granada und L epanto; w ith two o i three
Union-jacks, talcen, wc conjectured, from Nelson
at Vera Cruz, th e sight o f which, in the land
ofT alavw a, Ralamauea, and Vittoria, made us
Hmile.~ W e to*)V a turn afterwards through tlie royal
stables, chiefly in the hope o f seeing the ear- ria^^ s, which are said to be well worth iii- ip ection ; for tho sorics descends in unbroken
anceessioii from the earliest date o f state-coachea. W e did not, however, succeed in our object, it
not being the rif^ht day.The atahles would gixe a terrible shock to th«
notions o f an E nglish groom, being kept in a
very alovenly manuer, and from their site and
defective vontilatioTi, they mnBt he insuffcrahly hot in summer. T hey contain a large number
o f fine horses, and mnlea, w ith the name o f cac]i ft-ni-mjil puiutocl over h is stall. Oue o f the
mules, tlie m ost vicious beast in the stud, was marked out for public opprobrium, in tliis land of
the Inquisition, by th e title of “ Protestant”—• a master-stroke of satire, w hich penetrated us three Englishuien to the very soul. To be
couipured to a mule at ail, is nut eotaphnientarj' to th e feelings o f “ Britishers,” with whom
these m ongrel quadrupeds are no favourites. B u t to be condemned to a place in the same
category w ith tlic m ost vicious of th e race was
80 perfectly annihilating, that, humiliated and
crest-fallen, what could we do, but turn away
and depart in silence, sadder an«l wiser men 1A fter so severe a blow to our religions f i l
ings, who that has the spirit and heart o f a
Briton, w ill wonder, tlm t we had no desire left
for going through the interior o f the royal palace, not knowing what further outrage to
our national pride we m ight meet w ith there ?To prove, however, that, in spite o f such
aggravating provocation, we bore no malice, I will just add, that the exterior is imposing.
and the situation admirably adapted for setting
i t off to every advantage. B u t m winter it
seem s more fit to be th e palace of an ice*king, than the abode o f flesh-aod-Wood royalty : and
so fearfully exposed is i t to th e blasts sweepin g down at that season ûxnn the (juadarraroa
mountains, that sentinels stationed at one point
have been frozen to death, while on dnty. In
cold weather th ey are changed every ten m inâtes, and whett its severity increases seriously, they are altogether withdrawn, and SpanLsIi royalty is le ft to th e guardianship o f its own
circumambient divinity !
C H A P T E E X III .
r i lU E S D A T aud W ednesday, tlic 18th m d
19th o f October, were devoted to visiting
tho EecoriaJ. W o had intended to have gone there l>y one o f th e diligences, which pa«s
daily through th e adjoining village, on their way to Segovia. B ut, on mnking inqniriee, we
found they started at such inconvenient hours, th a t i t heciiine ncccssary to hire a carriage
on purpose, go in g one day and returning the
next.The weather, which, during th e previous
week, was rainy and tempestuous, had now
beeome a ll we eeuld desire, and the sun shone
forth in h is hrightness, as we eroaaed the Manzanares, Madrid’s on ly strearu, its shallow current beget by hundreds o f washerwomen, glad
to take advantage of so iino a day, while its
bonks wore sheeted, far and near, w ith linen of
all sorts, our ow n probably oontribnting its
contingent to malce up th a t miscoUaneons col
lection o f drapeTy.I l l the immediate neighbourhood o f Madrid
the road is execrable, and its broad surface, seamed with holes, and rut«, makes any pace
quicker than a walk a perilous venture to the
bones. Aa th e road improves, on okaring tho
flubnrba, th e country becomes deplorable, and
we soon ibund ourselves surrounded by a wild waste, excbeding, in aridity and utter absence
o f trees aud ve|^*tation, anything we had yet encountered— a desert, in fact, of baked earth
and sand, w ith nothing to g ive i t variety but rain*worn, calcincd ravines, bestridden here and
there, as th e highw ay approaches them , by those
characteristic features o f a Castilian kndscape— bridges w ithout a stream. N o t that their
channels are always waterless; for during tbe
tremendous down*ponrs o f th e rainy season, the
SQn-BCorched Oarranco, “ where no water is,”
becomes in a tew hours th e bed o f a roaring torrent, which, i f left unbridged, would for the
time render th e road perfectly impasBablc.The drive through such a blank, where the
m ost patient and hopefal o f tourists looks in vain
for any tilin g to attract his attention, is tedious
to a degree; and as th e road ascends a greatL 2
part o f the th irty m iles between Maiirid and the Dscorial, you cannot eren enjoy the satisfac
tion o f shortening th e tedium o f »ueh a jooiney
b y going fast. W hen, however, we had performed rather more than half the distance, th e
m onotony o f the aeene -was aomewhat m itigated
b y th e tirst glim pse o f the Usconal, of which we
caught aight on reaching th e summit o f a long
asccnt; and though we m ust still have boeu some tw elve or fourteen mile? off, yet even
there its vast size asserted itdolf, as i t rcK o, a gaunt, frowning pile, against the iDOuntalu
side, forbidding, more tlian invitiog, our nearer
approach.I t was quite a relief, when, having at length
traversed tluise dreary plains, we entered th e
royal domain, about tw o leagues from th e E s-
eorial, though for a considerable tim e we had nothing better to look at than th e walls o f the
park, E l Pardo la Zarzuela, w ith an occaaional glimpse of the ilices scattered here and there, in straggling groups over its surface. This
total want o f interest in th e routo to the
Escorial tells imm ensely to its advantage, and
prepares th e mind unconsciouiily for a favotir- able impression.
For a lo n g tim e after you have entered the
royal domain, on the iddc towards Madrid, the
building itself remains conccaled, ow ing to the
inequality o f th e ^ o n n d ; and when, wearied
w ith that monotonous driye, you begin to feel im patient to see something, the park wall sud- deuly terminates, the road traverses an open space, studded w ith primeval boulder^stones, and before you have had tim e to realize the
transition, you find you iself incc to lace with
th e eigh th wonder o f the w orld !I n a m oment we were out of the earria^^.
M ounting the grassy pedestal o f an enormous
boulder, wliiuk, weather-stained, and lichcn*
marked, towered like a monarch over th e ro»t, wo coromanded at one glance the whole extent
o f the sooth front, and the eye, iatigued so long
w ith barrenness, rested gladly on the long-drawn
ranges o f tetrace*garden, and the groves that
fringe the ptccincts o f tho palace 5 w hile, aa i f
to greet us w ith pleasant welcome, tlio mellow
glow o f snnaet burst forth, diffusing an atmosphere o f beauty on every side, and casting upon tower and dome a warmth, and richness of
colouring, that overcame, for the moment, the
chilling stem neas o f that granite pile.W e could not possibly have seen i t to greater
advantage. N o t only was th e whole landscape
I JO The B*tor%al.
bathed in sunshine, bnt the stately avenues of
poplar beneath tlie terrace, were a ll golden w ith . th e tints ot autumn, while along the slopes o f the
westward h ills gleamed m any a hue from copse*
wood, fern, and lava-cyloured soil, contrasting
m ost effectively w ith th e sober green o f th e ilex
in th e park below.A ll th is beauty took us com pletely by sur
prise ; for m ost descriptions o f th e Eacorial represent it as environed by the bleakest of
landscapes, extending to its very walls, in unm itigated b a iT c n n e ss .
W hen, however, having entered its vast courts, now silent and untrodden, we began to examine
th e building more closely, I m ast confess m y
disappointment. Prepared though we were to admire, no amount o f prepossession in its fiivour
could transmute such unmistakable ugliness
in to beauty. I t s gridiron gronnd-plan (an inspiration of ped^xtry and superstition combined) is fatal to sim plicity and ^andeur ot
design, and although no bxiilding o f its vaat proportions can be altogether destitute o f a certain grandiose majesty, you still feel it has
nothing to rccommcnd i t to your admiration,
beyond mere bolk.The window?, o f which it is sjud to contain
about 4000, are positively hideous, the least ob- jectionahlc o f them having the fonn o f those in
a modern dwelling*hou8C, while th e upper stories
are lighted hy aperturi^s, that resemhlc nothing
80 much aa the port-holes in a man-of-war.In fact, when I thought o f the sums spent
u|Kjn it, not less, it ie said, than £10,000,000, and th e different leaolts that an architect of
the IS th century would have achieved w ith such
means, I could only lam ent so golden an opportunity had been thrown away, and a building
worthy o f that magnificent site had not hccn
erected, which, not ow ing ite effcetivenesB to
sheer mase, would have combined in harmonious
proportions those united elements of grandeur
and beauty, eharacteristie o f tlie best Point^^d
Architect tire.T he effect on the m ind ie sinaply oppressive,
without one j^rain o f the elevating inliuence, that animates the creations o f the j ^ a t m edieval builders. N or does th is impreaaion wear away, as you become more faniiJiar w ith th e various featurea of th e edifice, and next day i t was as much felt by us, aa when wc first trod ite courts.
The situation, however, is superh. Backed hy a noble m o u n ti^ , an offshoot o f th e Guadar- raiua range, the Escorial stands in an attitude
o f ohserration (so to epeak), surveying the
w hole land, w ith th e stamp o f Spanish royalty, cold, ponderous, and stately, marked indelibly
on a ll its features, w hile its mixed character of
convent and paJace, typifies the intim ate con- *,nectiou between the Throne and the Church, Iexisting in the days o f its fonnder.
A s we did n ot arrive at th e Escorial until sunset, we made no attem pt that evening to 'explore any portion o f ita interior, contenting
ourselves w ith looking at i t from vm oua points
o f view, while th e deepening gloom gradually
descending on tower, and dome, veiled its un- jjgainlineas and lack o f beauty, and imparted to \\the silent, darkling pile, a solemn, unearthly
aspect, that harmonized perfectly w ith its double destination, as a sepulchre o f X ings, and a refuge from tho vanities o f the world.
WE lodged at a very tidy little inn in the
Tillage, and onr dinner introduced ub, for the first tim e in Spain, to freRh pork, wMcli
was to be henceforward onr almost daily piece de rcHsianes, T he village, w hich stands^ under
the very shadow o f the Ei^curial, thoiigh small,
Bceuis to abound in posadas and lod^Qj>*hoiiaes, being a favourite resort for the gentry o f Madrid
during th e intense lii^ats o f summer, when its
fresh mountain-air and comparative coolness, make th e neighboTirhood a delicions retreat
from thü sweltering temperature o f th e capital.In winter i t m ust be frightfully bleak, exposed
as i t is to those terri£e blasts from the G-uadar- rama chain, which, according to a ll accounts, can
be scarcely less formidable than the hurricanes
o f the Andes, Stories alm ost incredible are
told o f th e violence, w itli w hich the wind sweeps down upon th e Escorial through a gap in the
monr^tains, to the north-west, eddying through
i ts courts like some whirlpool o f air, and np!H?t- t in g cTcrythin^ it encounters. Ford mentions
th a t upon one occasion au Ambassador’s coach, a voliiclo o f some suhstaiico and w eight in the
lûst ccntm y, was torued topay-turvy by one of
those rushing m ighty winds. I n fact, so much
did the inmates euffer from th is cause, that iû
1770 a Buhterraneou5 ^tillciy, communicating
w ith th e village, wa« couetructcid by th e monks. The I>uc de St. Simon, who, in 1715, spent
Bomo part o f the winter at tho Escorial, speaks
of its intense cold, aud yet, though i t froze
fourteen or fifteen hours out o f the twenty-four, th e sun was so powerful from 11 a .m . to 4 p .m .,
that i t waa too hot for walking, while tho aky
was at all tim es perfectly serene and cloudless.I s e i t morning, takiug m y customary stroll
before breakfast, and passing we&tward through
the grove o f E nglish elm s, planted h y Philip, I preseiitly found m yself in iront o f the southwestern façado, and on the brink of a magnificent ^franite tank, some 400 feet long hy ¿00 wide, spacious as the pools o f Solomon, and fed by a
perennial rill, whose pleasant mumiTU* alone
broke the silence o f th e scene.Tt was a lovely morning, the atmosphere of
cr ^ ta l transparency, and tk o , landscape flooded
w ith unbroken snnslune \ nor did I wonder, as
80 m any have done, while I walked up and
down th e vs aTm, sequestered terrace, that Philip
should have cht»cn such a spot for h is home, ■Whatever may l>e said against th e dreariness
o f the road from Madrid, the immediate vicin ity o f th e Escorial, as wc saw it, ie extremely
beautiful. Close at hand, as I have already
mentioned, rises a mountain range, h igh ly pic- tures(jue in form and outline, and ot a colonring
s in ^ la r ly rich and vivid; w hile m any o f the
uplaud elopes arc clothed w ith thickets, and
bosky patches o f copse-wood, their autumnal tints thrown out into bright relief hy th e dark
gray rocks cropping? out here and there, along
the face of th e mountain. Imm ediately below, lies the park we skirted on our arrival, w ith its
dark foliage o f ilex, and quereus rohur, somhre- hued amid th e glories o f th e Pall, while ei^t^
ward a tin y lake, where, in bygone days, the
monks used to catch th e finest tench in the
world, glistene— th e eye of th e landscape—
under th e early eunbeams.I t wiw sad to gee the fruit-trees on th e t*.rrace
waDs, once tended so carefully, new drooping in
straggling, unpruned neglect, each in its uiche
15 ^ 1%€ Eftcorid.
or alcovo, w ith foldinff*doora to shelter i t from
the severity o f th e winter, as iu th is elevated
situation even peach and apricot trees cannot exist w ithout such protection.
Looking westward, you perceive near the
hase o f the mountain, at a distance o f more
than a mile from the palace, the SUla del Bey, or “ K ing’s S « a t/’ where Philip used to
sit and watch th e progress o f th e Escorial. Out o f th e same mountain, a ll the stone required for the building waa quarried, and
transported to tlie site along a platform of wood, which bridged over th e intervening space.
This fabric, a rcmartahle work for that age, was
constructed w ith a gentle slope towards the Escorial, so as to lessen th e draught; and such
wsa its size, that when its purpose had l>een
served by the completion o f th e palace, i t was removed v i th very great difficnlty.
H aving enjoyed the tranquillity and sunshine
o f th e terrace for a good hour, I set out on niy
return to the inn, W ish ing to seo the other
side o f th e Escorial, I descended into an orchard
ly in g under the terrace, where dome peasants
were d i c i n g potatoes, and made for th e high
wall by which i t is bounded, hoping to find
some friendly outlet in that direction. Tn th e
m idst o f th e orchard I was attiicked by a, dog belonging to one o f the potato-d ivers, and
having no stick (which, by th e way, ie always
a dearahlc companion for a country walk in
Spain, w heie d c ^ riwund), I was obliged to
have rccoxjree to Dr. Parr's expedient, and
infiicUd my eye on th e foe, so ae to keop him
from a brcach o f th e pea«i, un til h is master
called him olf. which he did w ith proToking
deliberation.1 looked in viun for gate or door, hy which to
make my exit, and, as the wall was about twelve
feet Idgh, I gladly availed U)yself o f a young
tree, which grew cimvanienf, aa an Irishman wonld say, and soon clamhercd np to th e top, only to find myself, however, confronted by a
species o f ckevaux fr isv , consisting o f a thiek
stratum o f dry bramhleR, w ith an upper crust of
large stones to keep it firm, placed there, evidently w ith no small trouble, by tho owner, for
the safe-keeping o f his apples and pears.I t required no great foresight to perceivc that
a yard op two o f th is coping woidd inevitably fall on m y unlucky pate, were I to drop down
to th e other side from the spot where I then stood, and th e peasants showed they anticipated
iiome Ruch result, by tlie eaijemess w ith whicli
they drew near to see the sport. Having, however, in n y scliool-boy days, acquited, among other uaeini accomplishments, the tnAck
o f wsJking on a hlack-thorn hedge m thou t
com ing to grief l i t e the imraortal K in g of
SicUy, 1 surraisod their benevolent anticipations
were not quite certain to be realized; und
proceediiig w ith as m uch caution as a man treading among eggs, I cleared iu due tim e the
forty or fifty yards o f wall, over w hich the
brambles and stones extended, and having
made m y bow to the seloct audience betöre
whom I luid to exhibit, iu acknowledgment oi' tlieir polite attentioue, I ibopped down comfortably ÜU th e otlier side, without bringing
dcstroctiou ou m y own head; though I almost felt as i f 1 owed an apology to the eypectant
potato-diggera, for so ruthlessly dUappointing
them o f their hoped-for entertainment.Breakfast became a pleasant episode between
m y m ondng lambhi and our exploration o f the
"Bscorial, a very formidable uudertaidug, containing as it does, according to th e guide-booli«, a j^lace, a convent, tw o colleges, for regulars
and seculars respectively, three chaptcr-houseR, and tliree libraries, w ith more halls, dormitoriw,
retectorieft. and infirmaries, than I care tu iik-
trodnce into m y page«. T liete are no fewer
than eigh ty staircases, and some one gifted w ith A turn for statistics, has calculated, that to v isit
every individiial room, and to go up and down each staircase and corridor, wo\dd occupy four
entire daya, and carry tho unhappy wight (should any such zealot for sightrseeing ever
be discovered) over a distance o f about a hun
dred and tw enty E nglish miles.W e m eetly axirrcndered ouraelvcs to the dis
posal o f onr guide, and he took us up and down
so m any staircases, along ffuch a maze o f corridors, and cloiatcrs, and through such an endless sucoession o f courts, and quadrangles, that ere long we subsided into th e condition of machines, w ith th e sensations o f a vertiginous
mill-horse, and th e wayworn leg-weariness of
the wandering Jew.Wo began w itli th e Church. I n spite of
Ford's eulogy, i t gave m e little pleaaxire, fn>m
its pagan. clMsical style, and the depressing, joyless inflnences brooding over its eold interior, w hich has more th e air o f a vast crypt, dedicated to th e dark mysteries o f some heathen superstition, than of a temple consecrated to
the worship of TTim, " Who brought life, aud
imm ortality to lig k t b y th e Gfospel.” A t the
same tim e it certainly j)osse8se8 th e merit of massive sim plicity, and the noble flight o f
steps, in polished marble, ascending to th e high
altar, produces a very striking efiect.
Before the French invasion, th e Church
teemed w ith treasures o f A it— sacred vessels o f gold and silver— m iJtitudes o f shrines— reli-
cjuane^—arid a tuhcmaele o f such exquisite workmanship, that it used to he spoken o f as
worthy to he one o f the ornaments o f th® celestial altar.
A ll thcso were destroyed h y L a Housaaye's
troopers, when they occupied tho Escorial in
1808, by w ay o f g iv ing vent to their natiumil
feeliiig respecting th e battle o f St. Queutin, where the Spaniards, w ith th e aid o f some
8000 English, in addition to other foreigners, managed to defeat tiuj French, on the
Feast o f St. Lam cnce, A ugust 20th, 1557, the interval o f tw o eenturics and a half, which
one m ight have supposed capable o f serving
as a sort o f Statute ol fjim itation, not being
a sufficient lapse o f tim e (apparently), to t rase
the defeat out o f the memories of Frenchmen, who are always sorer under a hcatiug,
than any other nation, and rWnv to its recollection w ith a tenacity, that w ill neither forget
nor foi^ive,Tho Escorial sustained a still greater loss
in 1887, dnring th e Carlist \rar, when about A hundred of th e choicest paintings were rem oved for safety’s so^e Ut th e Muaeo at Mudrid, where, being accessible to a ll comers daily, to
he studied at leisure, they uow afford a thousand-fold more Ratification to lovers of pietuxus,
and proportionate increaiie o f benefit to Art, than they ever produced while ly in g entombed
in th e remote Escorial.I t is hardly nuccssaiy to m ention here, that
th e building waa erected by P hilip I I . , in
accomplishment o f a vow addressed to Saint
Lawrcuee, (the Spauisli San Lorenzo,) during*
the battle o f St. Quentin, and that the form
o f a gridiron, in commemoration of the Saint's
martyrdom on an instrum ent of that description, VTHs adopted for its ground-plan, iu order
to do him further honour."VVe descended into tb e royal vault, called the
Panteon, an octagon o f polished marble, standin g exactly under th e h igh altar, and dart us
Erebus. St. Sinion says, “ i t tnghteued him by a sort o f Iiorror aud majesty," and i t haa
H
The S tfw ia i.
far m oie tb e app^aranc« o f a tom b intended
for them “ that have no h o p e /’ tban “ a gate o f d eath ” leading to a jo y M resurrection. I t
18 the Tcty place to hflTe inspired those lines
o f Gray, which, though prof«»edly written
amid the comparatively ohecrful associations of
a gnushiny Eniflish i'hnrchyard, are fraught w ith the influences that hover around this
royal ch&rnel-heuse.
'»T he b oast o f haroldry, U:»« pom p o f power,A nd a ll tb&£ l>e«ut/. «11 that w«adth d'orA w «ii ftliie tha iaeviU bU b o a i'^
• « « • « * *G aa eCoried uro, or ftnimAted bust.B&ek to its m aoeion call th e fleetang brc*tb?G»n hoDOur'^ roicc proToke thd v lc n t dost,O r &Lit£Ty soothe th e dull cold ear o f d«aCb ? '
T he vault contains twcnty-eix niches, most o f them being tenanted hy th e dust and ash«s
o f king«, and «uch o f their queens, as Viad
sons to ascend the throne, none others being
admissible into th is last stiODghold o f Spanish
etiquette, where even in death the proprieties
are strictly observed b y the separation o f the
sexes, th e m ales ly ing on one side, and tho females on th e other. The first niche is allotted
to Charles V ., th e earliest occupant of th is grim
abode, bis remains having beer» brought here
from Tuste. H a son ie th e next to find a tomb ■within the walls o f his own foundation, and then, in historical order, follows the long
succession o f Auatrian and Bourbon noncntitiea, tslerat^ hy Spanish ceremonial almost to the
rank o f demigods, only to come at last to the common end o f all men.
St. Sim on gives a curious account o f two
other sepnlchtaJ chambers, which we did nut see. “ In a separate place near, but n ot on the
same floor, and resembling a libraiy, the bodies
o f children, and queens, who have had no
posterity, are ranged. A third place, a sort o f antecliamber to the last named, is called ‘a
rottin^-rooiii.* In this third room nothing is
to be seen oicept four hare walls, w ith a tabic
in the middle. The walls being very thick, openings are made in them, where the bodies
are placed ; each body has an oj>ening fco itself, which is afterwards walled up. W hen it is
thoxight the corpse has been walled up suf. ficiently long to he free from odour, th e wall is opened, the body tsiken o\it, and put in
a eoflin. which allows a portion o f i t fco be seen
towards th e f ^ t . This coffin is then ci^vered
w ith a rich stuff, and carried into the adjoining room.”
M 2
AJl that is usually shown o f the Escorial we
saw, thft greater part, h w ev e r , I m ust oonfcsa, w ith Teiy UttOe interest. W h at pleaaod ur
modt were th e royal apaiimenta, very plcaaant snnny room», of moderate, habitalile size, sim ply
furnished in general, w ith here and there R o m e
articlc, a cabinet, or piece of maxiiueteric, of regal costliness. Some o f tb e rooms contained
a few good pictures, while m any were hnng
w ith the finest tapestry I ever saw, chiefly o f
Spanish manufacture, and representing for the
m ost part hunting and shooting subjects, full
o f animation, and admirably colouied.I was particularly interested in tb e Sala des
B atalks, “ tbe Gallery o f Battles,” a long corridor opening upon one o f th e patios, ao called
becauac its walls are covered w itli battle-pieces, in iresco, the m ost conspicuous being the cn- gageiTient of L a H iguerela, where th e bpaniards, under Alvaro de Luna, defeated tlie M oots, in June, 1431. J t is curious to oW rve, tbat in
th is painting both Clxristiana and Infidels axe represented as fighting iinder the crescent, that
having been the “ canting” crest o f I>e Luna, borne by him on account o f his family name, for L ana signifies “ the m oon” in Spanish as
well aa in Latin.
T h is frCBCo, copiod, it is saifl, from an older
one fbnnd ia tho AJcazar at Segovia, is well worth atndyiag, oa account o f its costumes, anauur, aad other details. T he battles o f Pavia, St. Q ucatia, and Lepaato, w ith m any ^moua aicgcs in th e Netherlands, aro delineated on a
largo scale, and Iiad not the iacxorablo necessity
o f ^ i n g the entire round o f sight-seeing prevented me, I would gladly have spent wm c
tim e ia becom iag fo lly acquainted w ith these
m ost int^restiag illustratioaa o f history.l iy way o f refresh m eat after lioajzLog that
huge buildii^f, we longed to tura out upon
the terraces, wlicre the san was sh ia ing most attractiTely, but th is was n ot allowed.
W o were much struck w ith the parterres o f
box-wood, ia geometrical patteras, in to which
the terraces aru laid out. The box haviag
attained a height of two or three feut is kept carefully trimmed oa th e top, and at the sides, aad w ith its ©vergreea foliage glistoniag ia tho
sanshine, aa excellent effect is prodaced, makin g one insensible to th e absence of flowers.
A ltogether the exterior o f th e Escorial, w ith
its gardens aad surrounding scenery, pleased \is
much more any portion o f its ia terior; during a fine aut;una it would be a very plcasaat
place to stay at, &nd there are mdny czctusions
to he made in the neighhouring mpontaici«, w hieh I Longed to expLore,
B oth ÜUJ time, and powers o f endurance, were now exhausted, aiid after a hasty lunclioon we
set off for Madrid, where we arrived early
enongh to dine, and spend a very pleasant evening, w ith Mr. A ugustus Lnm ley, the
Secretary to the Embassy.
O0 T 0 B K B 22nd. I n spite of a ll the fcind- ncas aad hospitality received from out
countrymen at Madrid, wc were n ot at last
altogether sorry to leave, as th e wcatLcr had
broken np, the »treete were delnged w ith daily
t<;>rrents o f rain, aud cbillm g blasts from the
Guadarrama m ountains assailed us a t erciy turn. In going south we hoped for sumiicr
sties , and looked forward w ith groat delight
to our ride through “ tb e untrodden ways,” of
wild Estremadura, Provision for the joumcsy
had been k id in from tb e stores o f th e Ca£e
r ila id y , and a pair o f forsiidabie • loo tm g
panniers were filled to the brim, w ith a m iscellaneous cargo o f tea, coffee, sugar, salt, pepper, mustard, wine, canuisters o f preserved meat, artd soup, pates and hams, m tb a supple- m t^t o f tea «md cofiee pots, tin jngs, kuives, forts, and gpoons. To o u t incipericnced eyes
these preparations seemed altogether extravagant, and the h igh prices, which make Madrid tho
m ost expenaive capital in Europe, swelled tho bill to an amoTint n ot pleasant to contemplate. A week’s travel, however, convinccd xi& that i f
any error had been committed in th e commia- eariat department, i t was ccrtainly not on the
aide o f excess; and m any a tim e and o il, while
wending our way through dehesas and de^
poblados, where edibles are unknown, did we
w ish some hcnefieent l^ ry would transport ns
for a eoaple o f hours to th e weU*ropleniahed
cafc o f the Calle de San Geronimo, th a t we m ight turn to account onr newly-aequired ex
perience, by doubling our ori^ nal supplies, and
by adding a few items, w hieh seldom ilnd a place in carpet-hag or portmanteau o f a tourist, thouglt hy no means superEuous to travellers
in th e Peninsnla.The rail eonveyod ua to Toledo, where we
propped taking lo the saddle, and riding hy
T uste, Placentia, and Merida, to Seville. Spanish
railways do not excel in speed, and we were
more than three hours iu duing about ibrty
miles. Tho country is a mere lifeless expani»e
o f arid plain, t il l you come to th e royal domain
of Aranjuez, on the hanks o f the Ta^ua, whieh
ToUdo. 169
is pretty and w ell wooded. H ere the co-orfc
gpendfl part oi’ th e epriug.Toledo is very strikiBgly situated on a duster
o f granite h ills (of course since Rom e set the iashion th ey are called seven), through whoec
hoeom the Tagus has cloven a deep raTine-Uke
channel surrounding three sides o f the town. I t
was now a hrimming turbid stream, after th e late
rains. 1 nuver saw any lai^e tow n w hich gave me
more the idea o f compression than Tolodu, as if, after its completion, some nnheard*of power iiad
forced i t in to half its orij^nal compaas. Its
streets never ran straight ahead, but turn and tw ist in a ll directions, after the fashion of
piwtcm towns, and have more the appearance
o f slits and creviccs between the houses, than
o f open thoroughfares. On th e land-side i t is
still cncircled by Moorish walls, and as on our
way into th e town we passed under a tower
w ith gate and portcullis yet entire, and pierced
hy a m ost graceful horseshoe arch, we seemed
to he at once carried hack to the days o f old, when the Moor was master there. I t was not at all what I had expected to see, exhibiting few
eharacteTistics o f a peaceful cathedral town, the see o f a Primate, and the centre o f ecclesi- aatieal atiairs to a great kingdom. T he houses
170 Toledo.
liavc almost the look o f fortified dwellings, aiwl tlio streets are far better contrived for keeping
out an enemy, tban for g iv in g poaccable citizens
a free passage to and fieo on their lawful avoea- tions. In fact had we n ot known it was Toledo, i t would bave bocu easy to im agine we were
eutcriiig some frontier town among the mountains, wbosie gates were for ever bearing “ th e
d in o f battle bray.” I t is a m ost uncomfortable
place to go ab ou t; i f you w ait, your feet are
tortured by Tile pavem ent; i f you venture to
take a carriage, a tare sigh t at Toledo, your
nervous system is slia ten to pieccs. The only vehicle we saw th e omnibus, that conveyed
us from th e station, and its course tbrougb tbe
streets, as it dashed m adly round corners, and
darttjd up steep slopes o f pavement, more nearly
resembled tb e jerks and hops o f u cracker, than
the sedate movements common to omnibnses in
other parts o f tb e world.Tho town is crowdcd w ith objccts o f interest
to tb e ecclesiologist, antiquarian, student of
bistory, architect, and a r tis t ; out o f which
ordinary visitors find a di& culty in m atin g a
selection. W e were, however, happily spared
th is perplexity, in having >rr. Sykes for onr
companion, who has n ot <Hily quite the gift
o f finding out what is beet worth Reeing, combined with a thorough love o f Art, but having
spent a day there the week before, he con- 8e<jucntíy knew how to employ our lim ited time
to the be*t advaiitaire. Few placea can boaat such
an iflteresting array of rcUgioue bnilditigs, J ewish, Moorish, and C lm stiaii; and. as we visited one
after another, we c o M only long for more
leúíure, and a larger share o f that inexhauatihle
enci^y and zeal, so indispensable for coubcien*
tious eight-seeing.Our first v isit was to tlie well-known syna-
g o ^ e a . Judging from th e general character
o f these buildings, the Toledan Jew s must have been u very prosperous comjuunity, and
it is a sb gn U r circumstance in tho history of
a people, who in m ost countries have heen
politically so uniufliiential, that upon two
occaaioiia they were the means o f changing
the ownersliip o f th e city— in April, 712, when they opened th e gates to th e Moors
under T an k Ih n Zeyyad; and again, M ay 25, 1085, when th ey adniitted Alonzo V I. One
o f these synagogues, now called Santa Jtfaria La
Ijlanca, dates, i t is «aid, from tbe nintli century, and, bemg tlie wurk o f a M oorish architect, ie
built in his native style. I t eon^sists o f a nave
Syn<igogHCS.
and double aisles on c ieb. side, formed b j rows
o f horse-Bhoc arclics, rising from »liurt massive
columns w itli urabc^ue capitals. Above the
tcyston e o f eacsh central row o f urchcs, a blank
unpierced arcade runs the whole length of the
nave} th e east end contains a recess, which
used to he the I lo ly o f Ilo lius. W lmt interested
m e m ost o f a ll w is th e wooden roof, not only
as being composed o f cedars of Lebanon, bat from being the hmt o f th e kind I ever remember
to have seen on th e Continent, where, as every
one knows, va,ulted roofs are w ell-nigh universal, wooden ones being almost confined to England. Eergusaon remarks that the Spanish Arabs
never seem to have paid attention to vaulting
in stone and simjlar material, but usually con- struetod their roofs of wood, painted and can ed, or of stucco. The other synagogue, called B1 Tnuisito, is simply an oblong room o f considerable dimensions, which, in its artesonado roof
and cornices, retains traccs o f gorgeous oma*
mentation, w ith latticed galleries for women
let into th e side-wall, about half-way between
tlie floor and th e coiling. This was built “ at
the sole expense” o f a Jew ish millionaire, Samuel Levi, treasurer to Pedro the CruuL
W o now varied the routine o f sight-scejng.
and walked t o th e top o f tbe h ighosi h ill w ithin
the walU, which is cxrowned w ith the shell of
ft fine palace in the Eenaissance style, built
chicfly hy Charles V ., and completed by his
son. I t is called th e Alcazar, having bocu
erected on the site o f the old M oorisli palace, o f
whieh, as &r as we could diacover, n o remains
exist. The sitiiation i s truly regal. Throned
on a platform o f rock, ia i abore every surroundin g object, i t commands T oUmIo, “ the crown of
Spain, and the lig h t o f th e whole world," aa old chronicles style the city, and overlooks the
broad stream o f th e Tagus, as it sweeps downward towards the plain. The proportions of
th e palace are m a^ ificen t, and the grand staircase, on which it is said no fewer tlm n tliree
architects were employed at different tim es, haa
“ ample room arrd verçe en ou gh ” to admit a
eoach and six. The façade is enriched with
medallions, containing heads, fignres, and otlicr
ornaments o f the cinque-cento style. On tho side next the Tagus are some o f the finest
machiolations I ever saw, projecting from the
fturfiice o f the wall w ith a depth and holdnOAS, that produced admirable efTects of lig h t and
shade ; these are probably the remains o f some
building erected after the capture o f th e place
in 10S5. The view across th e stem -looking
hilla, thiifc hem in tho river, foRiihly reminded
both Lord Portarlington jind i l r , Sykee o f tho
neighbourhood o f Jcrnsalem ; indeed their rc- collectiong o f eastern travel are constantly
awakened hy the scenes through w hich we arc now paasing.
On descending the hiJl, w o w ent to the
splendid Franciscan convent, San Juan de loa
Keyes, founded by Ferdinand and Tsabelb, to commemorate their Tiotory at Toro over Alonzo
o f Portugal, in 1476. Fergusson calls th is
building the gem o f that age, assigning to it
th e samtj position in Spanish pointed architecture, that K enry V IJ.'s chapel occupies in
English, w ith even greater richnesB o f detail. The portal wa* erected by P hilip 11. <>n the outdide o f the church, at th e cast end, hang
hundreds o f iron chains, takeix from th e limbs o f the Christian captivcs found in Granada, when
i t was surrendered by Bo&bdil in 1492, and iji their present position they may well ho regarded
both as thank-ofleringR to God, and aa emblems
o f conquest. The whole building suifored
fearfully dnring the Frencli occupation, and
wears now a m ost dismal air o f desolation and
neglect. Indeed, I m ust confess, no pari, gave
me 60 much pleasiire as thft cloisters, which, in their fo?mcr g lo iy , m nst ha.Te been an en* chantiBg retreat; even now they are invested
with a peculiar attractiveness, and wc spent a
moat pleasant hoar w ithin their precicctd, while reposing from the fktiguce of sight-seeing, find eating fruit under th e shade o f vine and
fig-tree.B ut, after all, the pride o f Toledo is the
Cathedral, which ie indeed “ glorious w ithin ,”
not merely from tlie beauty o f its architecture, hut from what in the present day is much more
rare, the profaae magnificence o f its decorations
and fom iture, in retabloa, painted glass, sculp«
fcure, wood-carving, plate, and onukmentol ironwork. T he wood-carving o f the choir alone
would occupy days to eyamine it worthily;
every stall is a study, and we turned from panel and motilding, and mieerere, w ith a feeling of
utter helplessness at our inahihty to master the
m jriad marvels that sxurround&d ns on every
side. Then there were “ glorious tomes, bound
in half-inch oak, or chestnTxt, armed and knobbed, «nd studded w ith wrought brass or silver, scaled
t<»toise-fafihion w ith metallic lappets, and hound together by the h ogstin 1>ack, relic» of
boars that had fattened themselves plentifully
in great forests o f ilex aad oork-troe; volumes
that have in itials of marvellooft dplcndour, with
flowers and fruitage curling down the side of
tho pa^^, or sym bolizing iu their very pattern
tlie m eaning o f th e Epistle, or OroRpel, which tlicy prelude.”
The lletablo, a specie« o f Reredoa in wood, carvod and richly ornamented w ith gild ing and
colour, which seems peculiar to Spain, is Iiere a
perfect concentration of b eau ty ; though unfortunately from th e graat height to which it runs, and th e “dim reHgious lig h t” tbat pervades
th e w hole interior o f th e Cathedral, some portions o f the five compartments into which i t is
divided were almost invisible. Tbese run from
base to summit, and oaeh contains thrtw» subjects
from th e principal events in our Lord’s life.
Executed in 1500, it is a masterpiece o f art, and
1 longed first o f all to illum inate it w ith a
fiood o f lig h t fluffieicntly powerful to reveal ita m inutest details, aud then to have i t photographed for th e benefit o f dear friends at home.
A t th e back o f the choir runs a series of
m ost elaborate (Gothic screens three tiers high, extendijig (no doubt) all round orig ina lly ; behind tb e altur, however, they have been cut
away to iiii^e room for a trumpery modem
luon^iment. There are besides some exquisite
hits o f tho best pointed period, particularly an
arcade nm n in g along th e transepts, whieh wonld be an ornament to any building, and a trifbrium
rouud the choii, with a sculptured figure under
each arch, which Fergusson notices as an instance o f a very natural tendency in Spanish
architect», to introdui:c ifoor ish featuros into
their designs.T he Cathedral consists, as usual in Spain, of
a double choir, w ith transepts, nave, and double
aisles on each side, to which are attached several chapels o f m ost sumptuous description.
N ojie o f them , however, exceed in interest
th e M o55arabic ehapcl, bn ilt and endowed by
Cardinal Xim encs, in 1912, for th e daily uso
o f the MoKarabic Tjitntgy, tho original com- mnnion-service o f Spain. I t is said to take
ite name from iIust*Arab, being used by
persoiis, who mixc-d with, and tried to imitate
tJii' Arab, that is, the Spanish CImstians, who
nndep X oorish rule enjoyed full toleration of their religi<^ii, liaving aa xnanv as s i i Clxurches
iu Toledo alone. Tina l itu r g y , which Pahner derives from tlie ancient (ialliean, is w ritten in
Latin, and ia copious enough to fill two fohos,N
178 Mosarahic lAturgy.
I ts construction is r e iy peculiar, differing
widely from m ost o f the "Western Liturgies, especially from the Roman aud Ambrosian, being h igh ly poetical, fu ll o f antithesis, which
«ometimes becomes almost rhetorical, and w ith
whole paasiiges that read very much like portions o f sermons introduced where prayers
m ight be looked for; it abounds moreover w ith
sdaptationfl from Scripture, especially irom the Psalter.
Ford says i t was re-established hy Xijnencs, “ to g ive th e Vatican a hint, that Spain had not
forgotten her former spiritual independence.”
This is extrem ely probable, and one cannot imagine a more legitim ate mode o f protesting
against Roman usurpation, t.Vian th e restoration
of th is ancient ritual, which is still u&ed
every day in the Mozarahic Chapel at Toledo, in compliance w ith th e terms o f th e Cardinal’s
endowment. B u t i t seems to me, that another
m otive o f a more private nature may have
exercised additional influence upon the Cardinal's mind, in his restoration o f that ritual, and a# the whole subject o f Liturgies is hegin-
ning to Attract attention, I m ay he permitted
to notice th e point more at length.Tbe religious serrice« o f the Spanish Chris
tians, received, aa we have $ieen, no material interruption from th e ii Mooriah conqnerore; and in m odem phrase, they were etill allowed
to worship God according to tlieir ow n conscience. B ut th e Roman See, having succeeded
dariog Charlemagne’B reign in substituting the Rom an L iturgy for the Galilean, attempted to
introduce it in to Spain also, in place of the
native Mozarabic ritual, which is known to have existed as early ss the sixth contuiy. This attem pt succeeded in A r a ^ n about 1060 ; but in Castile and Leon not t ill 1074, when,
through the influence o f Gregory the Seventh, AJphonso th e S ixth decreed th e abolition of
th e Mozarabic L iturgy, very much agsinst the
wishes o f both clergy and people; in fact he
did not eficct the introduction of th e Roman
Liturgy, t il l he had threatened its opponents
w ith conflscation death. I t would appear
that lioderic Xim enes was then Archbishop of
Toledo, and in h is history he relates how, while
eveiyone lamented and wept over the loss of their ancient ritual, which even the Infidels had
spared, i t passod into a proverb, Quo Fbluni lU.ffsa, Vadunt Leges, which may be paraphrased» “ W hat the K ing willeth, that th e law fill*
fiUeth."N 2
N ow , from utter ignorance o f Spanish genea-
h)gy, T cannot fluy that both these Archbishops, though bearing the Bams name, belonged to thü great fam ily of Cisneros ; if
they did, aa I w ill venturi» to surmise until better informed, do we not hf^re diaeovcr an
additional motive for the pains taken by the great Cardinal to ensure the pcrpctiial preservation o f th e ancient national I> itu i^ ?
The Cathedral contains painted glass o f exquisite beantT, ñ lling every window, i f my
memory does not deecive me, and we ?iaw i t
precisely at th e m oment for setting oft' its elicct to the h ighest a<iv.intage. I t was late oti
ft Sunday afternoori, and darkness was irradually
stealing over th e whole interior, so that you pcmld hardly discern tlie dusky forms that
passed silently to and fro over the marblft floor. The windows alone stood out bright
and glorious, in luminous contrast to the
general gloom ; and aa th e beams of th e w estering Bun camc streaming through, ligh ting
up the forms of A postle and Martyr, "Bishop
and K ing, while th e sweet sounds o f tlio
Vesper chant floated around us, we seemed to
he gaaing on some heavenly vision.
T he principal inn at Toledo having a repu-
Tjodffings. iS i
tatiou for dirt, we lodged at tlie house o f Donna
lUiQona, a gPOw»r s wife, who occasionally re- ceircs btrangers, that arc recommended to her, She Tvaa moat kind and attentive» doing her
utmost to make iw corafortahle in her cleaiv
and lucely-fiimisht-d house. H er cooking, how*
cTcr, did not suit ue at all. She gave ua so much salirou and oth#ir natioujil condiments, ahojuinahle to an E nglish taste, that we w ally
had great difficulty in mating what otherwise
would have been unexc-eptionable. Beside this, w hich affcctcd the whole party, she took an
nn fortunate fancy to m y night-dress, aud with
nfter disregard for m y I'ceUngs and prejudices, converted the skirt in to a dust<^r, and to judge
by its snbsequent appearance, applied it to
articles that had not been dusted for a long
tim e. T his 1 d id n ot consider a nieritorloxw
action, nor from iny ignorance of Spanibli had
I the satisfaction o f rcmoiistrating w ith her
afterwards, and so rd iev ing niy wounded feelings. Altogether, wo did not find a private
house answer, and decided for the futnre nevet to have recourse to onf , except in case o f absolute
necessity, which curiously enough, as it eventually turned out, was perpetually recurring. B u t at that time we were mere novices in the
18a P r iv a te L o d ^ n ^ .
art o f makiiig the beet o f th ings, and had we
chanccd to take np om abode under Donna
Ramona’s roof ft week or two later, we Bhouid
no doubt hftve felt perfectly content w ith a ll w©
found there.
A t Toledo we were to corauicncc our riding“ to-ur, us th e w ild reirfonB o f Estremadura,
in to which we were go in g to ponotrato, are
inaccessihk except to the horseman und mule*
tcer. H ere and there, it is true, th e province *is intersected hy the great roade aloit^ which
the correo, or mail, and th e diligence r n n ; hut
our object was to avoid these routes a# mnch a«
possible, which exhibit, all the world oxer, very much the same character!sties ; and to traverBe
those vast solitudes and far-reaching waates, whieh give so peculiar a charm to Spanish tours. For this purpose Lord Portarlington and Mr. Sykes had bought horses at Madrid, while I
preferred taking m y chance, and trusting to
what could he hired on th e road. Donna
Eamona’s goodman, a modest being, whose position lay «omcwhat in the background o f tbe
family picture, recommended one o f his neigh-
bouiB, Marcos Rahosos, as mnleti^CT to our
p a r iy ; and Le, for tbe sum o f abontfive shillings iu Englifth money, a day per beai«t, agreed to provide one horse, three mules, and
six donkeys, to carry myself, Swainson, Elfiek, and Purkiss, together w ith a ll and snndry onr
goods, chattels, and appnrtenances, from Toledo
to Talavera, a journey o f tw o days, hack*money, and all their provender on th e road, included. A% however, Marcos eonld n ot supply a ll these
(^nadrupedfl from h is own stable, he engaj^ed
Tomna —— , a fcUow-townsiuan w ith an nn- pronounceuble name, to prOTidc the remaining’ boasts, and to act generally ns second in
comiaand during tlie expedition. W e wore
to start on M<mdav morning, Oct. 24.M onday came, bringing w ith it a cold wind,
and bright snn&hine, which made us anxious
to be ofi' i3ut th is was no easy mttttor. To
pack s is donkeys in a narrow Toledan alley, encumbercd w ith packages o f all sorts and
sizes, was by no means a simple undertaking. Everybody was coming in to colljsiou. T he liorscs
wonld not stand still, and the mules whiled away
th e tim e iu biting and kick! og caeh other, Pack-
in g ropes were either too lo n g or too ^ho^t, or- broke just where they should have b^en strong-
eat. T he heaviest urticlea fell to the lo t o f the
weak#?at donkeys, aud th e biirden wiw by no
meana suited to the back that bore it. The confusion was tm ly Crimean, and everytliing went TTTong, to th e g;reat auju^ement of J>onna
lU nioua’e neighbours. A t le n ^ h , after much expcüditure of breath in haaty exclamatione, and
entire Iofs o f paticncc both in man and beast, the
word was gi^cn to ßtnrt. O f course, eveiy donkey
get off at onwj, janim ing hia lead into hia neighbour s ribs, and the narrow fetreet was in a
m oment chokcd up w ith a s tn ig g lio g mass, that
could neither advance nor rccede. Then one of the muJeB happening to atand in a more open
ipace, would do noth ing hut turn round in a
way i t made one quite giddy to look a t;
while one o f th e horses would persist, in spite
o f whip and spur, in going backwards, aud very
nearly carried him «elf and hia m aster in that
direction down a flight o f cellar steps. In fact there was sueh an utter abscnce o f discipline and
organization, as arg^ied ominoualy against the
prosperity o f our expedition. A t last, the
donkey w hich carried the panni era containing
th e stores, by a vigorous eiTort disengaged
himaelf üom the throng, and, w ith a hang against the com er house, violent enough to
place the precioiis contents in extreme danger, gallantly led tiie w ay through th e streets.
After clearing the ontskirts o f the town, and
producing a sensation o f rare occnrrence amid
the stagnation of Toledan life, we soon entered
upon scenery thoroughly characteristjc o f tho
Peninsula, Onr road lay sometimes along the
bed o f dried*up torrents, which a day’s rain
would render im passable; but more generally through &andy wastes where hedge and tree are
nnknown, and in that tree and open landscape, we felt wc had indeed fairly entered upon those
scenes, which, however devoid o f natural beauty, have long been placed among the remarkable
regions o f the earth b y the genius o f Cervantes.I t was in th is m ood we journeyed on for
leagues over a vast undulating plain, cnltivated
only in patches, and stretching on nil sides to
th e horizon, w ith here and there a village chequering th e waste, livery sight was a novelty
that day, and the commoziest farming operation reminded us we were really in the m ost old-
world country in Europe, where m any th ings
ate done to th e present hour exactly as o f yore
in the days o f th e Patriarchs and Prophets. Once we camo upon a party of peasants plough-
m g with twelve yoke o f oxen, calling to mind
Elisha’s omployment, wlieu summonGd to follow
Elijah.A keen north w ind was hlow irg in our faces,
and when wc stopped to Innch at a Posada
close to the hridge that crosses the Ouadarrama, 4 conflnent o f tho T a ^ s , wo were glad enough
to shelter ourselves w ithin the hroad porch, where snnahine and food cheered us for a fresh
sta r t A t th e ^ mid-day halts, which became
our role, whenever i t was practicahU, wc always
fed th e horses; while the poor mulos and donkeys had no refreshment whatever, and were condemned to a len ^ h eaed fast, ofWn of twelve
-hours, being muzzled during the halt to prevent
their eating each other’s tails, as mulca are very
^pt to do. The usual provender is barley and
chopped straw, a very powerful, but heatmg
diet, which renders horses especially liable to
sudden attacks o f inHammation.In spite o f the undeniable m onotony o f our
route, we still fonnd it m ost interesting, completely realizing as i t did all onr previous con- ceptdons o f a Spanish landscape- Our late start
caused ns to be benighted, and for about three hours we rode on in darkness o\'er a w ild heath, wher^ th e path was rough aud uncertain, and
where in by-gone times, robberies were frequent.
1 88 Svaniik Tnnâ.
Such thiuf^, however, arc seldom beard of nowadays, thanlvs to th e eaortioue of th e (Cardia Civil, and the only anxiety we felt ■was to leach
St. O lalli, where we proposed ale ’piug, aud as
the uight was pitch-dark, w ith nothiu^ to diversify our m onotonous journeying but stumbles
and collisions, we were not sorry to find ourselves at last in the oourt*yanl o f a Po&ada.
A s we arc now for several weeks to have so
much to do w ith Inns, it w ill be well to men*
tion , that in Spain they are o f three classes. The Fonda, which is seldom found cscept in
thü largest and niost*iie<juented uitiee, eorre- apunds to th e I lo te l o f other parts o f Europe. Tho Posada, whieli is univcrsid. iu town and
country, stands u|>on a level w ith a way-sidt*
inn, or bettermost pubhc*houae, while th e Venta
is about as good or hud, as the EugUsh becr- ehop, being freq\iented by only the very lowest
clafli^. In towns you m ay occasionally meet w ith decent accommodation at a Ca»u d< jmpiilos, a w rt o f boarding*hou8c.
O f all these, wc had m ost to do w ith the
Posada, and i t is only fair to slate, that we
generally found them fiir more eovofortablc thaji
we had expected. U’he Posada professes to
supply nothing but lodging, tlic beds hein^
almost mvariably clean and ooTnfottable, w ith
now and then a separate sittinfj-roora, containin g a table, some ohairs, ftnd adornpd ivit}i a
few religions prints. Tlic on ly comestible you
can reckon ttpon is bread; while eggs, wine of
the neigbbourliood, and m ilt o f owe or goat, generally belong to the category o f Ixixuries,
and cannot be had for love or money in many
places.The Pc^ada at St- Olalla, like m ost others
we m et w i t l i , is entered throu<»h u large barn- l i t e room, open to th e rt>of, and traversed by
all th e wind;« o f heaven. On one side, the fire- -pliiee withdrawn into a rece^ft formed a most picturesque chim nej-com er, welcom ing ns w ith
a, cheertnl blaze that lighted up the whole apartment, while around sat a group o f mule
teers S i n g i n g to the guitar, wa« a
long room containing no fire-place, and only one small window unglazed, and this, w i t l i two
»ide-ch ambers, rapplied us accommodation for
th e night. Opposite th e entrance, w hich is
a regular gateway, and has almost a fortified
character, is the stable, a m ost important fea-
tore in all Spanish inns.A brazier, brimful o f aromatic embers, soon
filled our sitting-room, whieh at first looted
190 Commisgariai.
dismal w id chilly, w ith warmth, and sweet odours ; and though there was noth ing hut
to he had in the honRe, y e t these, w ith shcee o f broiled ham, madf us an excellent supper. A t least we thought so at th e m oment ;
but onr ideas on the corotniasariat developed so largely afterwards, when from tim e to timo we
were regaled w ith kid, hare, partridgi^, freah
pork, and other deli<!acies, that we came to
regard our dinner at St. Olulla as th e m de
essay o f novices in th e art o f providini» for
themselves,I relate all these th ings, which in them selves
are very trivial, not on ly because they were to ns matters o f daily concern, hut as bom g so
many illnstrations o f travel in th is singular land. Before quitting the cnlinary departmentI m ust add, that we are looking forward w ith
peculiar interest to the first o f November, because on that day, pork-killirig becomes legal, and in many districts we shall have to depend
entirely upon th e flosh o f the andean beast for
animal food. Between Easter and A ll Saints' no p ig in Spain dies according to law, and as
m utton aiid beef are rarities, even in towns of
con5Ì<1erable size (such as Placentia for instance,
where w ith a population o f IS ,000, only one
OK is killed duriug th e whole tw elve months), th e late autumn, when excellent pork is plentiful, is one o f tho host seasons for travelling in
Spain for those who are not strong enough to
dispense w ith th e usual diet o f Englishmen.
CKAPTT-R X V II .
"X T TK had hardly started nost m om iug,
* * (Tiiesiky, Octoher 23,) l>eforcit began to rain, and a w alk o f abont foui m iles an
hour being oup usual pace, i t wa« not quite
enjoying “ the sunny suuth'' to g ) on toiling
hoxu* after hour, cloakcd and umbrclla-ed, along a muiMy road, m th nothing to look at
bat an endle«s sweep o f saturated cornfields. W e toiled on, however, throngh the aucceRsive
Rhowere, hoping for great th ings nt Talavera, and a name b o familiar to English ears seemed to promise more than a common welcome. W e found (alas i for the vanity o f human
wislios) a very diflercnt reception. T lic principal Posada was filled with a troupe o f French
circns.people on their way to Lisbou, und it
was only after we had wandered more* than
once up and down the tow n , and even then
cluefly by the aid o f one o f the eqiicatrians, a
Talavtra^
m ost good*natared lad, that we found any place
to put our heads in . Oar new-made acquaintance rendered ub another rnaterial service, h y initiating Purkiss into th e m ysUries of Talaxera
shopping, the reeolt o f which appeared in dne tim e nndir the shape o f a substantial Bupper.
The only ohjeots o f interest we saw at Tala- vera were some Tery fine Koman remains, and
seTeral specimens o f th e porcelain w hich takes its
name from th e town, m ost of these bein^ let
in, like panels, in to the fronts o f houses
churches. T he Tagim too is a feature, but in
other re«pi^ct8 it is one o f the m ost deplorable- look in g tow ns *wc saw anywhere in Spain; so
that wc wore n ot at all sorry next tnom ing to take our departure, setting o(T for Oropcsas, in
the ple^asant sunshine, the mere change o f weather m aking to-day's ride delightful, h y contrast
w ith yesterday's downponr.Our road lay still through tbe same great
p la in ; but we had now on our left, wide-sprcad- m g prospects, and purple distances to give it
interest, while to th e right, dense masses o f fog
and cloud reminded us o f th e recent rain. Presently np sprang a fresh breeze from th e west, the clouds and fog gradually lifted, revealiog, to
our gurprlfte and delight, the towerir>g form of
Guardia CivU.
th e Sierra de Gredoaa, a r a n ^ o f mountains more
thau 10,000 ft. high, po^rdered half-way'dovm by Btwly.fallen fmow, TheRe m ountains continued
in sigh t the whole day, adding an unexpected
charm to th e broad T a J U y o f the Ta^us, as w c
were not at all aware t ill then, that w elevated
a exists in th is part o f Spain-WhiJe we wcro at 2d^drid, Sir Andrew Bu*
ehanwi had kindly procured tor Lord Podar-
lingion an «rder irom thft H om e M inister
addressed to the ^^hiitrdia Civil* a body o f police
stationed along a ll th e great roads, and as good
©f their kind, a* th« fai-fom ed Irish constabulary, Thia was a great advantage, enabling
08 in certain localities to have an escort, i f rc?
qoired. One of their stations lies between
Talaveta and Oropesas, and the sergeant in
diary:e informed us, that orders had been aent down the line directing them to render us every
assistance.W e saw men belonging to th is force in different
parts o f th e co\uitry, and a l le y s fonnd them
p«rticnkriy civ il and in te lli^ n t. From every
th in g we heard and observed, no greater ben(^t
has been oonferred on Spain during th e present
c«utory, than th e formation by Narvaez o f th is
p©hce, wijieh has annihilated the o i^ ^ a e d
brigonda^, which tw enty years ago was an
all'perradinij nuisance. A t that m oment, the
sei^eant and h is party were in qnest o f an
enterprising individual, wbo, according to O’Connell's phrase, " liad registered a vow ” (though, I
fear, not exactly in th e flame registry as the Irish demagogue used to have recourse to), that he
would rob the first m ail, or diligence that came
in his way. W hether he suecceded in fulfilling
his vow unscathed, or whether he fe ll into the
hands o f th e police, we never heard.A» wu began to approach the confines of
Estremadura, our route, wliich had hitherto
bun through the province of Toledo, now skirted ibre?ts o f ilex, and other kinds o f evergreen oak, with w hich e iten sivc districts in
th is neighbourhood are covercd. There we
made our first acquaintance >vith th e Estreme- nian pigs, a race o f porkers held in h igh estimation all through th e Peninsula, and equalling, botli in symmetry and fiitneas, any I have ever
seen in England. A t th is season they are
driven daily into the forests from th e surroundin g viHftgee, to feed them selves fat on the « o m s o f oak, ilex, and cork tree, and for the
m oment w ith their attendant swinehetds they
impart to those solitary glades an am ount. « fo 2
aniraation, never observed there during tko Test o f the year. These herds are eicessivcly
shy, disappcariug instantly at the approach of
a stranger. If, however, any one desires a
closer inspection, he has only to boat the iim t-
laden brecs for a few rninntus, and he w ill soon
he surrounded by a swinish EDultitude attracted
from a ll quarters by the welcome aouud of
crashing boughs, and th e downfall of acorns, w hich th ey know w ill follow. I became quite an adept at the work, and th e swineherds used
to regard me w ith a frieudly eye, though
evidently wondering why 1 should give m yself
so much trouble for other people s pigs.Every now and then we fell in w ith a party
o f muluteers, going in th e same direction, and our combined tbrees presented quite an imposin g appearance. Some o f these parties, as I
cannot help recollecting, showed an anxiety to keep company w ith us, such as we never
observed on any other occusion. T hey had no doubt heard o f th e brigands' presence in
that nei^'hbourhootl, and fancying probably that
we carried fire*arms, which, however, was not
th e ease, were not sorry to avail them selves of
our escort;' their own numbers, thoui^h considerable, affording no reliable protection against
ih e mala gfnte, a single brigand having been
known to rob eighteen or tw enty natives at
once, without m eeting w ith the shghtest re-
distance.A t Oropesos, where we arrived some tim e be
fore sunset, we found the m ost primitive posada
imaginable. N o t a single pane o f glass in the
whole establiBhmvnt, th e windows being more latticed casements, that offered us th e alterna
tive of tota l darkness, op an incursion o f keen
wintry air, fresh from tbe snow-elud heights of
the neighbonring mountaind, Tho people of
the house were m ost civil, doing their best to make us comfortable, and g iving up their own
beds to increase our accommodation. Everything
was perfectly clean, and though, by way o f precaution, I blow a cloud o f flea*powder over my
bed, I quite bchcvc from the experiences o f tho rest, it was a needless ceremony. Beibre nightfall we visited the castle, a very fine medieval building, though o f no great extent, Tt is in
tolerable condition, and the battlements command an unbroken view over plain and moun- bun, which, as wo saw tliem sufiu»ed w ith the glories o f sunset> formed a panorama of rare
beauty.Purkiss to-day served us a feast o f pork and
hashed hare, so tliat w ith our atorc o f wine
we fared sum ptaously, and aa wc now hegan to nndcrfitand hotter what w© were ahoUt, and to
dieeover more resonrcos both in ourselves and in
the eonntry, we went to bed in excellent spirits,
hoping to reach Cuaeos to-niorrow.Ju st as 1 was turning in, having hy a lucky
accident Bccured the door, 1 heard a loud hammering at its massive panels, and on opening it
found m y self face tu faoe w ith the landlord, wLo woe intent upon m aking hia way to his accustom ed night-quarterg, at that tim e in m y occupation, while h is daughter, behind him , was
doing all she could to frustrate his intentions. A s he waa a puny little body, and she a sturdy
dame w ith a stalwart arm and determined will,
the struggle soon terminated, and she carried hiTTi off w ith m any words, w hich having a most vituperative sound, were interpreted to us after- warda as expressing a decided resolution to break
the head of her “ respected Porient.” I t turned
out that the little man had been tiJcing so mueh
in n e as to render him utterly oblivious o f his
duties as a landlord. To such a pitch of independence had his potations elevated him , that
he actually conceived he Imd a prior elaira to
hia own proper bed \ and it was undef th e influ
ence of th is delusion that he be§fan to hatter
th e door leading thither. Poor man 1 he looked
next morninj» smuller than ever, aod it ■wiis in a
ti>ue o f annihilatinir aarcasru that h is daughter remarked to iis, i s hft sat cowering in th e e}iim- nuy comer, “ H e was aomchcdy yesterday, to-day
h e h nobody ! ”W e always make a bargain beiorehand at
every inn we enter, Criding it ahsohitely necessary to take th is preeautdon. TTntil -wc adopted
th is plan, the mo&*t ahsord demands were made
for the m ost ordinary aceommudation, and we
observed it to be an invariable m ie, that the less we liad, th e higher the e h a i^ . A t St. Olalla, for instance, where w e had nothing but bread, e^ B , and uiilV, w ith lodging for ourselves and
the serrantft, and provender for three liorses (the
mnlet<t:ers paying for the rest o f th e heasts), the
landlord liud th e e& ontery to ask ten dollars, about £2 5«., w hieh Lord Portarlington refused
to pay, g iv ing them sevea, o.nd even that was
far too muoh.Bargaining betbrehand economizes time, tem
per, and money, and enables th e traveUer to part from hift host in a friendly mood. Indeed, since
we adopted th is plan, nothing can be more aifec-
200 BdTffaininff.
tionatc than our adieux, aud after having paid
about half th e sums previously demanded, we
set out on OUT day s roarcli amid the tenderest demonstrations o f respect and a£ection from
host, hostess, and th e whole fam ily circle.
IT is quite surprifiing what extreme difficulty
we find in getting accurate information
respeoting distances, roads, inns, und other matters aftecting the convenience o f IravellerB
PnrViss speaks Spanish tiuently, and from his
long rcBidenoe in th e country is intim ately ac- quaintc*d w ith the ways o f the people; yet with all the*e advantages, he is seldom successful in
obtaining reliable inibrmution, even in the im mediate neighbourhood o f a locidity for which
we happen to he male in g. T^Hien we stood on
the battlements o f tbe D aque de Prias’ fine
rastle at <)rop««*s, gazing at the Vera below us, i t glowed in th e sunset, tho old man, who
aceompanicd us, pointed out the direc’tio n of Ynste, and spoke o f the distance as a moderate
day’s journey. W e funnd it, however, a very
different affair. Pord directs lliose rid ing from
Madrid to Yiiste, to turn oil’ at Naval moral io
th e right, to Zazahuete six leagues ; thcnee to Til Barco del Tlio Xcrte, one leagu e; thcu three
leagues and a half through aromatic wastes to
Cuacoft, and the Convent.W e took a somewhat different route. Dc-
acendirig from Oropesas soon alter 8 a . m . on the
37th Octoher, we regained tlio Camino Heal, which we had followed the tw o previous days, aud at th e first post-house struck oii* to the
right along a hyc-ruad rainiing in a northerly direction through open eomtields, which ere long
we gladly exchanged for a picturesque tract of
woodland, where groups o f ilex and cork-tree interspersed w ith thicket, and brake o f low
shrub and wild vine, assured ns we had now escaped from the m onotony o f the high-road, and were beginning to penetrate those remoter
depths o f Spanish scenery, to which we had
hitherto been strangers. D veiy now and then
we crossed the bed o f some diied*up winter-
brook. lic ttcr riding-gromid we could not have
than th e firm aand, on which the hoof o f horse
and mule fell noiselessly, as vista, and glade
opened, luring us onward through a succession
o f forest la n ^ a p tis , that suggested any amount o f romftQtic adventure, even in tliis work*a-day
nineteenth century.
San Benito. 203
Our destuLation was San Benito, where we
hoped to get further inforraatiou, as w ell aa eomething to eat, that evcr-prewnt necessity
which " sits behind the rider" in Spain, wherever
h e ^ e s . T be diatanco wa», o f course, much
greater th»u we had bi*cj\ led to oxpect, such being almost always the co£c in th is “ land oi the u n f o r e s e e n a n d a traveller at all inclined
to practical philosophy w ill soon make a resolution never tu th ink of hie arrival ut any place, until he is actually there. This decision will save an infinity o f inquiries, loss o f tim e ajid
patience, to say noth ing o f those hopes deferred,
which make the lieart sick.A t length we reached San Benito, a farm in
th e very depths o f the forest, belonging to the
Marques de Mirabel, a Jiohleman o f historical name, who owns quite a lai^e dijstrict in the
neighbourhood. I t consists of tw o houses, one
very smart w ith paint and glass windows (features in Spanish domestic architecture we have
learnt to look upon w ith much respect, as the ne
jiltti d ir a o f civ\li7ati<m and comfort), where the
proprietor ruRticates occasionally for »hooting; w hile the other, a rambling fiirm-house, is occu* pied by th e steward and hia family. A small church completes the group o f buildings. Tt ift
204 inko*piiaHty.
a singuhLr-louking spot, reminding one, in many
respect«, of the description o f some ^ e a t Aus- traliiui sheep-farm, minns the smart honst^ and
thp chnrrhsUorc we alighted, fully intending after a
hriof lialt to proce*id on onr journey, in tho
hope o f rcuchin^ Cuacos the same evening. The steward was from hoinc, and h is represen*
tatdves showed such extroinc Cixiition, and reserve iu doing the honours, that in England they would he set down as cle<!idedJy uncivil, and as th ey would not a^k us to walk in , we
were obliged to dispense with the ct?remony, and entered the farm*houso uninTit«d.
W e now diseovered, that Cuacos was still
distant a long day's ride of very bad load, w ith
a considerable river to cross, xior wks there any
posada midway where we m ight find aocorn- modation for th e nif^ht, nor any house for m iles
round. So we found our^lves ohliged to request lodging, w ith som ething of the peremptoriness o f a highwaym an asking for a traveller’s
money, though prepared o f course to pay for all we received. T he mistress heing a dutiful
wife, would promise ns nothing, tiU her good*
man came hom e; so we made ourselves as
comfortable as circumstances permitted, fully
resolved to abide h j liis permiBsion, i f granted, bnt to i^ o r e a rcfoial altogether, as a breach o f tlic law o f nations. T h is det«Tmination
answered perfectly, and when he oame home
to flupp«r, our ofcnpation o f his houae, and
premises waa a f a i t accimpii o f too settled a
character to be overthrown.On aN/alcing next m um ing, in hope o f an
early start, we found i t had been raining most of th e night, w ith overy prospect o f continuance ; and the brook whieh yesterday babbled
by, a tin y rill, had now overilooded its banks, suggesting the obvious reflection, that many a
watercourse in the forest, which on our w ay to
San Benito miglxt have been crossed dry shod, m ust now be swollen to th e dimensions of an
nnfordrtblc torrent.I t was the feast o f St. Sinion and St. Jude,
and the Cura, wlio served th e church, had
eome a considerable diatance through the rain, to celebrate M ass at 7 a . m . A n Englishm an’s traditionary idea o f a Spanish priest is compounded o f Kosalind’s lack-Latin ecclesiastic, “ w ith whom tim e amblea,” and Jacques’ coxintry
justice “ of fair round belly w ith good capon
lined i” and when thia clergyman at San Benito
politely called on ue, T dare say, we nncon-
ic iou ily expccted to w e in him th e realization
o f nur national idea.Poor man i tbe reality proved to be mnclk
more after tlio fashion o f Komec's starveling
apothecary, and i t qaite ^ e v e d ns to see one
of M r order bearing about h im such unmistakable sif^d of poverty. The pittance be receives
for serving tlic church at San B enito is paid by the Marques de Mirabel, and i f good wishes
on our part oould have any potency, bis stipend
would soon be augmented.T he Cura, and I , tried to oonverac together
in Latin, but the E nglish accent and pronunciation in speaking that language, are unfortunately so very diiferent from those of every
other nation, tliut we could hardly understand
each other, and eooii gave np the attempt. The hospitality o f th e steward and liie iam ily remained fsfat^ quo, Cold as ice yesterday, to-day it was still unthawed, and its efiect was very visible in th e »«cantiuc«i o f our ac- commodatioiw. ftpanish households o f every
class, that came nrider onr observation, abound
w ith stores o f linen. B u t at San Reuito even
towels were nnattiiinablc Inxnries, and we had
in conflequcnee to make use o f on i own wcaring- Hnen instead. I felt a «trong inclination to
applj one o f m y aheeta to that purpose, but
the state o f th e wpathcr suggested the extreme
pivbahility o f our staying there another night, and th e comfort of «> ample a tow el wouhi have heen dearly purehased h y the diacomfort
o f a damp hed.Tt is astonish mg, however, how w ell wo man
aged to get on, despite our destitutioii o f appliances, which at hom e are as ueceasaiy as daily food; and every day, by retrenching the
range o f comforts hitherto indispensable, tanght
us more and more the truth of th e line, “ Man
wants but little here below.” W ere any of th e “ Gentlemen o f Englaod, who lire at bome
a t ease,’' to see m y linen us it comes hack from
the wash, yellow and fall o f w rintles as the
visage o f some old crone, he would be filled
w ith honor. N o oue ever beheld such “ gct-
ting-up,” and 1 am beginning to regard sueh
shirts, as one daily wears at home, w ith a feelin g o f positive reverunce, as things pertaining
to a higher state o f existence.I t was a great rosoorce to us that w et duy,
which ended, as i t hegan, w ith rain, to write
letters, and to bring up onr jouruala to the current ora, though not under the m ost favourable circunistanoes for refinement ol composi
tion ; and i f th is record prove tedious, 1 m ust
console m yself w ith the recoUeution o f the
service i t rendered m e at San Bonifco, in the
employ mcnt o f honrs, which otherwise wonid ha7e hung heavily.
Ne x t m om m g, October 29th, Fortnne
Fmiled on bs, and the sun came forth at intervals throngh the mifrt w ith every indication
o f better weather, (ilad indeed were we all to
he oi^ aa soon z s wo liud made a dcanty breakfast, and settled accounts w ith our host, the jresh air of "incense-breathing m orn” making
mcro m otion a pleasure, while th e rain had left
upon every leaf and blade o f grass a verdure, that ie rarely seen in a Spanish landscape.
T he forest, through which our road still lay, displayed timber o f lai^cr growth, and greater
variety, than any we had yot m et vrith. M any
o f the cork-trecs had been recently stripped, ezh ib itm g & e inner bark, which when first laid bare is a vivid crimson, bright as fresh
paint, as i f Nature had lately been trying
her hand a t artificial decoration, in emulation
o f the painter's skill. The wild vine with
graceful festoons depending from th e topmost
'branches o f somo ancient oak, here put forth
its m o st hriliiant hues, ligh ting up the whole
scene, and outvying even the ruby o f th e V irginian creeper. There were p igs too in the
forest eating the acorns, which yesterday’s rain
had brought down in profusion from ilex and
cork tree, w hile the prettiest jays I erer saw, neat afl Quakeresses, w ith black caps, and lavender bodies, flitted from Ixrugh to hough.
A s we adTanecd, we had to ford several brooks, which yesterday m ost hare been alto
gether impassable, and it was quite a picture to look hack at the long train o f m ules and
horses filing through the wuter. 1 never was
in any spot, which so thoroughly rwalizcd the poetry o f a forest, w ith its Tariety o f timber,
fern, heath, and low ehjuba, its brooks and iong-drawu glades leading we knew not whither. A dreamy stillness reigned around, carrying
th e m ind far back into the past, until we were
quite prepared to m eet Jacques or Touchstone, or even R ohia H ood and h is men, so
vividly were the days o f old spent " under the
greenwood tree” recalled to th e imagination
by surrounding objects. Nature had indeed
amply done her part in preparing the stage.
but no actors in keepini' w ith its scensB camc
fortii to people it, or to satisfy onr romantii aupiratiora by reproducing th© past. A few
mnleteers, and swinc*iicrd/í were the only
figure«, that gave animation to th e landscape, and they neither moralised, jested, nor demanded
our money,(h ie o f them was eJrcesaiTely surprised to
m eet so large a calvacade in that lonely spot,
w ithout a guide, th e k d who accompanied us
from i^TL Benito to show us tho way, having
hy this tim e turned homewards.W e were m aking for the Tiedar, a tributary
o f the Tagus, and in due tim e reached its banks. I t was flovk'in^ w ith a hroad, rapid stream about forty yards wide, a considerable belt of
Band on its le ft bank indicating, thut occa
sionally i t expands into three tim es that
Tolume.H ere we found a ferry*boat of m ost primitive
oonstmctiou, large enough to carry our whole
party, beasts and aJl, in tw o trips, and while
th e dilatory boatmen were rrkaking up tlwir
m inds to th e exertion o f paddling us over, we had tim e for 4 hasty lunch. Hereabout the
proriuce o f Toledo tvrminates, and the wild
ref^ous of Estremadura, to which we were look-p 2
C -
2 12 Enierpriiivg MofUff-
in g forward w ith eo mtich hope and interest,
commenee.I t amused us greatly to see an ohi mastiff,
beiongirig to th e steward at San Benito, in
anxious haste to cross hy th e first boat. H e
had accompaniixl us thua far, as we fondly
imagined, in polite acknowledgment o f various
little civilities rendered him h y the mcml>erfi o f our party, while we stayed under his master’s roof- N ow , however, we discovered he had
ulterior view s in jo in ing h im self to our company. In fact, he had a very hard life at San
Benito, in th e shape o f short-commons coupled
w ith a superahundance o f kicks and blows.
Our arrival, and a ll th e choice morsels of
Bayonne ham, and chickcn honos, that descended upon him in consequence, had cvideutly inspired th e poor drudge w ith ideas o f a plea- santer world than he had ever moved in, and
h e was now taking advantage o f our departure
to go and seek hia fortune. W e really could
n ot find heart to send him hack, and when once
he had landed on tho right bank o f the Tiedar, w e felt the Rubicon of h is career was crossed, and adopted him in to all the privileges o f oor
community, the two muleteers having ab^ady
expressed serious intentions o f offering h im a
homf) w ith them at Toledo, when oar wanderings are over. B u t a la s! that I should have
to finish the <story. N ex t m orning the invJc«
tiers having "slept on it,” discovered they
were undertaking too lieavy a re^ponsibDity; th e poor old dog was sent back by some chanee
opportunity to his rightful master at San B en ito ; and all h is bright visions o f plenty, and
good treatment, vanished into th in air.T he passage o f th e river having been safely
accomplished, we now entered upon a very different country. Extensive traets o f low oak- scrub, where scattered groups o f grey old boulders overtopping the underwood, enclosed here
and there, anud spaces o f greensward, cosy
little nooks of extreme beauty, which fairies
would delight in, had m odem civilization left
us any representatives o f “ th e Tair Fam ily.’* Now-a-daya i t would he considered th e very spot
for a pie-nic. The road was perpetually traversed by oross-patlis, m aking it moat intricate, iind so detestably had, that none hut Spanish
horses could have acrambled over such a succession o f roots, rocks, and ruts. Soon after
crossing the ferry we m et a poor man, w hi«e
pony, laden w ith tdes, had broken ita th igh
from a fall, and though wc would gladly have
helped him in hie trouble, nothing could be done to relieve his poor beast. Sometimes we
bad a rapid deiwent o f perhnps h a lf A 2Bile over
pavement o f almost Cych>pcan character, inlaid
w ith stonea o f auch size and roughneAd, that
even a good walker would find it difficnlt to
pick h is w ay in aafdy. By-aiid-hy we entered
npon a m iry ianc, where the mud w m so deep
and tenacious, that even the horses conJd hardly
get on» while the poor donkeys aeemed on the point o f sticking fast at every step. Tn fact, the roads hereabout are b o very bad, tJ\at at
Madrid we hwl been exproBBly cautioned not
to attem pt tliem on horaeback, a w am iug we
never remembered, until i t was too late.T he sccncry, however, w a s b o exqniaitely
beautiful, and so fu ll o f novelty, that we thought
o f little else, and we were now approaching the
chain o f mountains under which Yuate standa. A n artist would have filled whole portfolios with
the seoDes revesled a t every turn. One spot in
particular seemed to challenge a paixiter’a best powers.
A bridge o f rough mountain stone, mossy and grey, w ith an arch of h igh pitch, gpannod
a atreiun, which combined the rush and foam
o f a torrent» with the pellucid brightness of
some lowlantl brook, nwiaiidoring tLfongh fait
meadows. AboTe, its course divided a range
o f fern-clad rnonntains, wliicli descended in
gentle slopes o f brown to its very brink, while
below i t found a quiet bed Among patche* of
newly.sown wheiit, and strips o f pasture, fringed
w ith stately poplars in all th e glory o f their autumn tints, a ptctnresqne old m ill, that was
in itse lf a study, throw ing ont the brighter
portions o f the picture hy the m odest tone of
its colouring. I ’ar as wc had stdll to travel that
day, we could not but pause a moment here.W e passed through several villages, and the
natives stared as i f they had never seen such
an array o f strangeni, wondering no donbt what could be our inducement to penetrate these
w ild and unfrequented regions.A t nightfall I had an opporhm ity o f testing
the steadiness and good tem per of the horse
Lord Portarlington purehascd at Madrid, which
I rode to-day. W e had ju st descended the
worat picce o f paved road we had y e t m et w ith, and aeeing through the tw ilight, that a little
further on a torrent o f some depth, flanked hy
a precipice, crossed the read w ith no bridge hut
a few plankfl, I thought i t best to dismount, not knowing how my horse would behave. I
2 i 6 fiteadv H one.
liad hardly go t m y right foot to the groimd, when from resting on a loose stone i t gave way, and in a m oment I found m yself throwu oTi my
back in front o f the horse, w ith m y left foot wedged tig h t in its stirrop, an arti<de o f native worfcmanship so narrow, and cramped aa to be
qaite dangerous. To make matters worse, I
was encumbered w ith a th ick cloak, a slight
shower having recently fallen. The bridge was not above tw enty or thirty yards aliead, and
close behind, clattering over the stones, camc
the rest o f the party. M'ost horses under such ciicumetauce& would have dashed onward in
fear, and dismay, diagj^ing me along to almost
certain d eath ; but by Giid’s mercy m iiie stood*
perfectly still, and allowed me to drag m yself
upright by main fore«, pulling for dear life by
th e atirrup*leathep. N ever did horse give
better proof o f ateadiness, and good-temper, and, as may well be imagined, 1 loved him ever
alter, afi one who hiid been a true friend in &
moment o f extreme peril.
T U S T al)out sunset we passed tLiough Xaran- dilla, w heie Charles V . spent tlirec montha
while Yuste was being prepared for b is reception. Stirling (“ Cloister Life,” pp. 28, 29) says
o f it, “ Xarandilla was, and still is, the most considerable Tillage in th e Vera o f Plaocntia. W alled to the north w ith lofty Sierras, and
watered w ith abundant streams, its m ild climate, rich soil, and perpetual verdure, led some patriotic Bchokrs of Jistremadura to id en ti^ this
beautiful valley w ith th e Elysium o f Homer, ‘ The green land w ithout snow, or winter, or showers.’
“ The iuir T alley was unquestionably famous throughout Spain for it* wine, oil, chestnuta and
citEons, for its magnificent timber, for th e deer, bears, wolTes, and all other animals of the chase, which abounded in its woods, and for th e delicate tront which peopled its m oiintun waters.
“ The viliaife o f Xaranclilla is w atcd on the
side o f the Sierra o f Xaranda, and near the
confluence o f tw o mountain torrents, whichfall from th e steep Penanegra.................. Thomansion o f th e Oropesas, built in tho feudal style, w ith com er towers, bas long been in
ruins; and o f its imperial iiunatc tb e Tillage
has preserved no other memorial than a foun* tain, w hich is still called ‘ The Fonntain of
th e Empeïor, ’ in tb e garden o f a deserted
monastery, once belonging to th e order o f St. Augustine.’'
K ig h t overtook ne soon after passing Xaran- dilla, aud tbe only b g h t we had to guide us on
thig worst o f all possible roads, (aa in our inexperience we then deemed it,) wa#? th e faint beam, that tell from the slender crescent o f the
young moon as she declined towards the weet.A t lo st we saw the Eghta o f a village, and
made sure it was Cuaeoa. B u t when, at the
peril o f ÜUP necks, we l i ^ scrambled along a
series o f those stony gutters, w hich in this
neighbourhood have don« duty for streets some
three centuries or more, w ith a stream sb on g
and rapid as a small mill-race careering down
the centre, and then ernerged in to th e village
square, we found to our inflnite disappointment.
Onacoe "was stili a good le a ^ e oS, which
in Spain is a m ost elastic figure o f spcw h, re- presejitiug any distance from four to seven miles, especially in m ountain districts, where large
ideas are in v o ^ e .So on w e toiled, rather out o f humour, and
when at la st, s iler another hour and a half’s
travel, we reached our destination, men and
beasts liad done a good day’s work o f at least eleven honrs.
"VVe found th e posada so very wretched, that
we betook onrselves forthwith to that ever^pen
refuge fur th e destitute traveller in ail liom an
Catholic conntries I have v is ited -^ h e house of
th e C»ra.That gentleman, D on Lonis Setiz, gave ns a
m ost cordi U welcome, utter strangers though we
were, withoTit even an introduction except our necessities. N o t only did ho placo h is honse,
w ith all i t contained, at our disposal, in the spirit o f true Spanish courtesy, bnt took care
moreover to prove h is words were no mere
Chines#* eomplijTieiit, professing everything, but
m eaning nothing.W e m ust have eaused him considerable in-
convenience, but there was no indication o f its
existence to be traced in the perfect kindness
220 Clerieal IlospiUdify.
o f liis m aniifr the w hole tim e we remained under h is roof.
I wonder what any o f us E nglish clergymen
would say, were three gentlem en irom Spain to throw them selves on onr hospitidity some Satur
day night between eight and nine, taking pos- seesion o f th e best portion o f the Parsonage, and turm ng the Incum bent lum self ( if unmarried) out o f his own particular bedroom ? I fear
th ey woxJd hardly m eet w ith the welcomc wo received at C uacos!
Puikias Bet up his cuisine a t the posada, supp lying our meal 6 from then « 5, and there he, Swainson, and Elfick, managed to get aome
sort o f beds, after having slept in their clothes
the throe previous nights. Unhappily, however, th e loft in w hieh they lay waa so abundantly stored w ith newly.gathered pods o f red
pepper, that their eyes streamed like fountains a ll n ight long, aiid th ey hitd, poor fellows ! a
m ost miserable tim e o f it.
Ford, in h is “ G athering ,” p. 169, inveighs
against E nglish servants as worse than naeless
in Spain. “ T hey are nowhere greater incumbrances than in th is hungry, thiraty, treeless, becrlcss, beellcss la n d ; th ey give more trouble,
require more food and attention, and are
Englifik ScTtantè. 221
ten tim es moTe discontented, than their masters. ”
Our experience was altogetlier different ; no«
tldn g could exceed th e good«lmiiiour, patience
and clieeriulneas, w ith which each o f them underw ent every sort o f discomfort, privation, and
fatigue, irom the beginning to th e very end of
our long journey, and th is in a man o f Ptu'kisa’s age, between fifty and airty, waa especially
praiseworthy.
T T was on a lo v e lj m orning that we visited Yuste, under the ^^uidance o f tlie ^ o d
Cura. The day and season were in perfecst haTTnony w ith the object o f onr pilgrimage, where th e greatest monarch o f hia a ^ had
sought a hrief hrcathing-space between the
world and th e grave. T he late autumn, with
its gentle sunshine and perfect stillness, realized
to us w ith peculiar force th e m otives that in duced Cliarlcs to retire to such a spot, contrastin g so strongly b y its seclusion and repose
w ith th e turmoil and disquietude o f hie previous career.
Ynste stands a fu ll m ile above Cuacos, just
where the steeper slopes o f th e mountain, that
shelters it from the northern blast, subside towards the plain. Eastward a tract o f upland
cuts o£T a ll prospcct in that directiun, on ly to
enhance th e delight w ith whicit th e eye turns
to tlie south-weatcni e^ 'in sc , where copse-wo<Kl, and vinevard, ^ e e n b a n t and ioc)sy knoll, m ountsn -glen and shininj^ river, terminate; In
th e broad plain o f the Tagua, w ith its clitt«riiig
villages, and darlc groves of ilex. Tn tbe silvery
tliread o f water intersecting tho landscape we
recognize th e river Tiedar, crossed by us yesterday, and on th e extreme horizon we tnwje tbe
purple mountain-range, through which we hope
to make our way to Seville.liord Portarlington and I were reminded of
the hills behind Powerseourt, both in their form
and colour, by the range that overhangs the
convent, clothed w ith its rntumnal drapery of
heather, and fern, and looking to E nglish eyes
so natnral and home-like.I t was delicious to ait in Charles's favourite
balcony enjoying tho pleasant sunshine, as he
had often done, and gazing on the same landscape that once waa the companion of liis solitude T he very ait seems redolent o f peace
and tranquillity i for without bearing any impress o f that loneliness and desolation characteristic o f so m any a scene in Spain, Yuste is
pervaded w ith a soothing influence sequestering
tlie m ind from worldly associations, and drawin g it in to communion w ith better things. I
never saw any spot commanding ao erleoaive
a prospect, frangkt w ith sueh an atmosphere of
repose, as it lay hacking in th e October sun- ahine. Y ou see, i t is true, indications o f man's
presence in vineyard and cornfield, hut he
occupies a retiring position, in m odest subordination to N ature, as one ow ning her aupre- m acy over that fair region, and unw illing to
obtrude even his humble dw elling on th e view j not a single cottage being discemibh) ha the eye glaaeos over th e hroad tank, where Charles
nsed to fish, downward into th e boaoin o f the
Vera.■\Vc found the convent a complete m in , ita
central court filled w ith a chaos o f de^rix, out o f which lig-trt^o, m yrtle, and box, unpruned
and wild, struggle forth into open day. The
Church hsfi sustained little substantial injury, the museivc solidity o f its masonry having
happiJy defeated every attem pt th e French made to demolish it, and a few repwrs now
being carried on, w ill soon render it as sound
as ever. I t is a remarkably fine specimen of
th e R orid Oothic bo often seen in Spain, w ith
a noble chancel-arch, and an altar o f high
elevation.A consideraWe portion o f th e w est end is
Charléis Balcony. 225
occupied by a stone gallery, w itli a low pierced
screen in front, a leature not uncommon in
Bpaniidi cliurdies.A gainst the w n tli wall o f tlie C hurct stand
th e apartments built for Charles’s reception, consisting o f only tw o stories, w ith foior rooms
in each, liis hed*chaniber having a window
opening directly into th e chaiicel, w hich enabled
h im to witness the celebration o f mass, when too unw ell to leave his hed. I t was . here
Charles died, September 21st, 1538, having felt
tlie first approach o f death ou the S ls t August, as he sat sunning him self in h is favonrite westenx balcony.
W e saw the coffin, a rude chest o f chestnut- wood, in which his remains reposed for sixteen
years, before their ultim ate removal to the -Eaoorial.
N oth ú ig can he simpler or more unpretendin g than the im perial apartments, which rem ain substantially very much as they were at
Charles's death, and we thought ourselves fortunate in th e moment o f our v isit. Por the
present proprietor is going to restore th e building , in consequence, it is said, o f tho interest excited in the spot b y recent writers, more
especially S tiilin g in h is “ C bister L ife o f
Charles V .," the flcaifolding and building
materials being a ll prepared when we were
there.T he intention is certainly m ost praiseworthy,
but it is to be hoped, nothm g w ill be attempted
beyond necessary repairs.W e duly visited a ll Charles’s haunts, and
were especiaUy struck w ith th e situation ol* his
summer haloony, w ith its umhiageouR belt of trees, and cool n o tih em aspect. W o then
descended the sluping causoway constructed to
sare him th e fatigue o f gom g up and down
stairs, an oiertion w hich his frequent attacks
o f gout m ust have rendered very trying.O f course we did n ot fail to go to the great
walnut-tree, under which th e Emperor used to
sit, and w hich even in hia day was famous for ita size and patriarchal age. T he steward
gathered for us some o f ita fruit, and w e carried
them away as a ffouvenir o f one o f th e most interesting places I ever had the happiness to
visit. I t was a great advantage to have th#
Oura’a company, introducing us i t did to
every ciTility and attenti<m on the part o f the
good-natured steward, who did the honours in
a very pleasing manner, and, what ia even more
worthy of record, declined accepting any pecu*
Yu tp. U> Cttacos. 227
niary acVnowledgmerit of his services, though evidently ^ ^ ti£ ed by th e offer,
In going to Yuatti we had a good deal o f
fragmentary convcraation w ith th e Cura, partly
iu Latin, and partly in the f e w scrapa o f
Spanish we had managed to pick up, ckc'd out by nn occasional bit o f pantomime, when all other expedients faik*d to convey ouj meaning. H e was very much surpm cd at an ling lish
PnLyer*book I showed him, liaving hitherto never
hiiord that the Cbiorch of England possesses
a rcguhir L itu igy , w ith various services and forms o f devotion, drawn f r o m “ th e pure w e l l ”
o f Catholic Antifiuity, and that she does not
leave her people at the niercy of extemporized
e lu sions, as i s the ease w ith s o many o f the fiecta ijjto which Protestantism is divided.
The walk from Y nste fco Cuacos is so veiy
pretty that, aa we emerged irom th e hollow in
which the convent nestles, I lingered behind
m y companions to enjoy for a longer space tlio
eastward view, on which, as yet, 1 had hardly looked- H ere and there stand »mftll homesteads scattered over th e mo\mtain-side, eaoh
under a group o f chestuuts, w hile every rooky
ledge, and natural terrace, has its narrow strip o f grpon c<»m or ruddy vineyard sloping to the
q 2
fiouÜL 'flie wind carne gently sougliiog xip
th e valley, m ingled w ith the sourde o f distant
waters, thut added to th e quietr sadness uf the
scene, which I gazed npon w ith th e convictionI sh<rald never sec it again.
On returning to th e Ciira s house, we found
th e servants had been holding quite a reception during ou t ahscnce, th e villagers Id lin g a very
natural curiosity to see, and hear something
more o f the strangers whose arriTal had cauflcd
quite a sensation in th a t secluded community. The serrants very good-naturedly showed everyth in g tliat could interest them, more especially the India-rubber sponging-baths, which they
inflated in their sigh t to theu* great wonder
m ent and duhght.In Charles's day tho people of Cuacos did not
hear the best character, and i t is quite amusing
to find that th e greatest monarch o f the age, whose word was law lo so m any m illions, was utterly unahle to keep them , hia nearest neigli-
houre, in anything like order. T hey seem
actually to have given him fitr more trouble
and -worry than a ll tb e rest o f h is domiuions. T hey poached his trout, drove away h is small dairy o f tw o cows, and pelted his son D on John
o f Austria, the future hero o f Lepanlo, becausc,
l itp a boy of enterprise, he mH<!c inroad? npon
their chorry-trees. C}iarlcs seems at last to
have been iairly at h is wit«' end, and held
w lem n consultiktions w ith the gentlem en of
his suite, a#» to the hest method o f bringin|» tliem to a sense o f their duty.
There is a tradition, that the name ofthe place, Coacos, was first suggested hy some
enormity o f theirs, winch tho Umperor liappened to witness. Some assert that they had ju st
broken T)on John’s head, when h is Imperial lather came up, very wroth no doubt at sueh
an outrage, and while on the point o f venting h is indignation, a duck chancing to quack, a
sudden inspiiation seized him at the sound, and
he declared such people no longer deserved to
be treated as men, being in fact no better thau ducks, or such-Iike irrational creatures,
Stirling disbelieves the story for the best of
all reasons—Cuaeos was so called heforo Cbarles
ever went to Yuste, though he allows it may
have had its origin in some previous incident;
i t heing quite certain that even in the present day, any allusion to the name Cuacos is highly
offensive to th e v ill^ e rs , producing upon their
m inds very much the same sensation fe lt by
certain good people in the county o f Dorset
2 J O M odem Cuaco».
at th e s l^ h test reference to the history o f the
Shapwick M onster IHowever, we had every reason to speak favonr-
ably o f th e whole population, w ith th e excellent Cora at tlieir head, for they showed na every
eivUity, and were evidently much pleased and
n ot a little flatkred by onr visit-
IT was w ith much regret that w'e said gcxxi- bye to our worthy host the Cura o f Oua-
eo8, having first induced liim to accept some
return for the trouble and expense onr v isit bad occaeioncd ift his quiet household. This
h e rcccived w ith unembarrassed sim plicity of
manner, as if, like a man o f sense, he felt it to
be no discredit to possess such slender means, 9» would make the exercise o f unrequited hospitality impossible.
Placentia was o v i next destination, a distance
o f about thirty miles, aud as th e route is very
intricate, abounding w ith w hat th e Spaniards call “ partridge*paths,’* we engaged a guide at
Cuacos, who slung a couple of bairis at his
saddle-bow, intending therewith to do a little
business on his own account, after piloting us
thro\igh th e wild* that intervene between liis
2^2 M ountain Scenery.
natWo village and th e principal tow n o f the
diRtrict.H aving, wo calculated, ridden more than
a lumdred m iles since leaving Toledo, we had
gained sufficient experience to understand the necessities and requirements o f our journey, and began to looV forward hopefully to its
succcssfid accomplishment, now that we know
what man and beast coidd perform.Onr road to-day (Octoher iJlst) skirted the
lower slopes of th e Yuste chain, its fcerracedike w in d in g bringing us continually upon some
display of autumnal heauty, that would enchant an Enghsh water-colourist. I never remember
to have seen anywhere such a perfect blaze of
colour, as m et the eye along this road, from the
ruhy and lem on of th e vine, to th e aoheicr hues
o f th e oak, while th e distiint m om tain s o f
(^adalupe toned down th e picture w ith ricJi shades o f indigo and purple. I t was a most
enjoyable ride, the day heing everything wo
could desire, warm and sunshiny, y e t fresh;
and when our path left th e cultdvatod dells and
amended the mountain-side along the banks of
a lovely trout*stream, that would have converted
even old Johnswu him self in to a fiRherman, we
once move caught sight of Yixste, refreshing our
A V d m ic a l Cura. 233
Impr«8iona of yesterday, and stam ping tliem
deeper on tlic taWets o f memory. W e passed
tliTougli maaaes o f Spanisli chestnut, gr€cn as
“ in th e leaiy m onth o f June,” contrasting
m ost effectively m tli th e hro'wn fem out of
which they grew.I t -was indeed a feast o f heanty, and one
longed to summon to it, b y some m agic power, a ll who could appreciate sueh an entertain
ment.ThTou^fh oak woods orchards we dcscend(>d
upon Pasaron, which Ford describes as “ u picturesque old tow n of Prout-liko houses, “Anth toppling balconies, overhanging a brawling
htook.*’ H ere we took a h asty luncheon, w hile tho horses were feeding» and th e good
people having apparently n o important husi-
uess on hand at that particiJar m oment, clns- tered like hees round th e inn-door, headed hy
th e Cura, a brisk little man, o f decidodly controversial turn. H e soon accosted m e, and before we had exchanged half a dozen words, he plunged headlong into polemics, and tried
to draw me after h im ; asserting that there waa
one iaith aud one Church, and that w ithin the
pale o f the Romish Communion alone were
theso essentials to bti found. TTaii 1 acw^ptod
hie challenge, we m ight have been at it t il l nuw, w ith perhaps more tlian tho usual iruitlessncss
o f controversy; so I contented m yself w ith
reroaTtinfT that the Ohurcli o f England holdis
no raore and no less, than "the faith once
delivered to the Saints ” in Apostolic times. Though we parted very graciously, I fear the
little man was disappointed at m y non-com- bativcncs3, he being one o f those pugnacious spirits to whom a paasa^e o f arms is a real enjoyment, more especially amid th e stagnation
o f a accluded neighbourhood.W c now entered upon a new lino o f countiy,
fieAettoi (sheep>walks) consisting o f uncultivated
wastes, w ith extensive tracts o f oak-scrub w atered here and there by shuJlow brooks, and
th is continued nearly tho whole way to P lacentia. In Estremadura vast districts have been
i a th is condition, ever sincc th e expulsion o f the
M oots, and what was once called in Arabic, as J'ord states, “ tbe land o f com ,” is now reduced
in groat measure to a. mere barren desert, pro- dnciüg nothing but scanty pastnrage for sheep, and th ese very few compareKi w ith the immense
area over w hich they range. To Engliali eyes,
howerer» snch regvona o f solitude arc as stHking
as happily they are novel, and we journeyed on
tbrooi^h them w ith mnch enjoyment, arriving
at Pliwuntiji, o f whieh we had a lovely sunset view from the vine-clad height, Calzones, shortly
after nightfall.
C H A P T E R X X III .
”V ¥ T R had formed great hopes o f th is placp,* * w ith its popuJation of 6000, and ex-
quisit«5 position iu the teem ing valley o f the
Xerte. Our stores liad fallen into reduced cir- nimstancoA, and we now fondly flattered oiir- selves, that in so coDsiderahle a town, the eentro
o f a very estensive district, there would he no
difficulty in restoring them to their funner abundance. B u t there is nothing so disappointing as a Spanish town. Shops there were iu plenty, but not o f tho sort we required, w ith their
bright array o f mantas, and flaahy kerchiefs that
seemed to flaunt our hunger, as i f colour could
feed th e ravenous appetite we had picked up in Estremcnian wilds. W hat th e inhabitants live
on remains to th e present honr as great a m ystery to us, as when we first arrived in th e town. A vaguo rumour reachcd us tbat an ox is killed
once a year, in iTune. on the Feast of St. John
the B aptist; h a t we deriYcd little comfort from
ih e information, seeinff i t wanted nearly eight
moT^ths before the next victim could heeome
available for our neceftsitiea, and a “ Midaam- mer l i ig h t ’s D ream ” could hardly be more
nnsuhtftaiitial, than our prospects o f relief from
th a t quarter."We had found, w ith inuch difficulty, a very
primitiTc posada ja st below the Cathedral, wliere
we purposed taking “ such ea se” as could he
had for a coaple o f n igh ts; bnt when 1 sallied
fortlx w ith Purki&s on a shopping expedition, partly in tho hope of doeing Spanish life in its more intim ate haunts, and partly out o f deference
fej the ancient proverb, “ Two heads are better
than one,” w o m ight almost as w ell have gone
ibra^ijig into th e wilderiiess» so unsuecesafal did
our searcli prove aiterthe <y)mmonest necessaries o f lile . (^aTe donhts respecting th e sinfoIneRs
o f eating anything but bread and garlic began
to arise in m y miud, as wc wandered like beggars from house to house, so much out o f fashion did every other species o f food seem in
th is Cathedral to w n ; and when at last some
j^od*n»tured people to ld a s that neighbour liudrigaez liad ju st killed a a ice pig, we felt
ready, had it been necessary, to go to the ends
o f the cartli in compliance Tvitli tlic welcome
intelligence, though i t would Imvc Ixicn a trying
jounicy ju st at that moment, 7.30 p .k ., for
mun wlio had ridden a ll day through tho keen
air o f EstrcQiadura.H appily th e goodman Rodriguez Kred at no
great distaBce, down a narrow lane, and having
descended under the chapcronagc o f his sturdy
wife into the cellar, whore the defnjict porker
lay in state, wc soon purchased a goodly quantity o f apirc-rib, aud Tftnmcd in triumph to tlie po&ad2 having previously inet w ith several bottles o f M anzanilb, which Mr. Sykes and 1
hailed as a boon, though Lord Portarliugton
vowed i t was n o better than physic.O nly one o f the room* at th e posada had
glass in the window, and i t was altogether one
of those hostelries that carry back the mind to
tho sim plicity of medieval accommodation. In
m y bedi'oom, w hich was fortunately large, I
counted fifty-eight melons laid up for winter
uHe, five &ying-pau6, with a supplement of half-
a-dozen other culinary items, representing, we
m ay suppusc, the useful arts o f life, while a
c o i l pic o f guitars sn j e s t e d the ornamental, and
completcid the picture.A s a set-off against the comestible disadvan-
tagcs o f Placentiii, few towns can boast a sitaa-
tion o f rarer boaiity, ■wliich more tban satUtiea
th e expeirtationR calk'd forth by th e alleged derivation o f its namo. I t is w ell remarked by
Ford, “ Placentia seen from outeido is inde<jd
m ostp k a sin g ; here rivet, rock, and mountain—
city, castle, and aqucduet, nndcr a heaven of purest Tiltramarinc, combine to enchant the
artist.” T he stiiti^liest city indeed m igh t be
prond o f such a site.Tho Xorte, clear as crystal, sweeps round three
sidcB, rcflccting on its broad bosom th e western
portion o f the picturesque old Roman wall, w ith ita massive semicircular tow ers; and then
through a rugged belt o f rock, that recalled
some exquisite rivcr-sccncry in N orth W ales, it passes onward to “ fresh fields, and pastures
n ew /' falling eventually into th e Tagus near
Alcantara. Three-fine bridges apan the stream w ithin the space o f a mile, adding greatly to
th e architectural pretensions o f the place. To
the north, far np the valley, rises a snowcapped range o f mountains, while th e south- eastern hills are covercd w ith olivc-groTcs, vineyards, and gardens, in pleasant contrast to
th e grey rocks and naked soil that bound the
prospect westward.
T he day we ptayed there (Nov. la t) was lovely, and having saant^red over the Trujillo
bridge, we sat down on a th y m y hanlc, ju st
above th e river, where ite waters falling over
a succession o f weirs fill th e ear w ith a soothing, slumberous, iuflueoce, perfectly dclxeious to
travellers like ua, glad o f a day’s repose. Some
have comparecí Placentia to Toledo, cach city being seated on a platform o f rock, and enfolded
on three sides by a river. B ut here a ll comparison eeasos. The Tagus at Toledo flows in
a turbid stream, red as brickdust, and the aur- rotmdiug scenery frowns w ith an air o f sternness
and desolation; while the Xerte is pnrity itself, ns it glides among th e sm iling meadows of
Placentia. I t was once proposed to set up the
capital here instead o f at ^Fadrid, an amtnge-
m ent that would have given Spain a metropolis hardly to be excelled in Eurt^c for beauty, and
healthiness of situation; hut where would have
been the glassy brightness o f the Xerte, polluted
past recovery by the defilements o f a large
population ?I t being the Feast o f A ll Saints, a grand
fundón was celebrated at the nathcdral, and a
stately procession headed by the bishop, w ith a
long train o f ecclesiastics, and students from
th e neighbonring colleges, carrying crosses, tapers, and banners, sw ept along througli aisle
and cloister, singing iwme o f the sweetest
Gregorian cbannts I ever heard. T he vestments
o f the Spanwh clergy are beantifal, o f a chaster style, and m ach less overloaded w ith ornament, than those used in other branches o f tlic
Boman Commimionj and th e countenances of the wearers ozprcas more mind and refinement than the commonly-roccived notion o f the
Sj)anish priesthood prepared us to expect. Their behaviour, however, dnring eervic^time was sadly
irreverent ; even while taking a part in the
procession not a few o f them conversed freely, and after staring pertinaciously at the English
strangers, i t was evident they were making fe^tioufl remarks at onr espensc, though we
tried in every way by our demeanour to avoid
attracting the notice o f the congregation. A t
last i t became so very unpleasant, that having
letters to write, I left the church, and thns to
m y eirfreme regret m issed a sermon preachcd by
some celebrity, not being aware any would be delivered on the occasion. T he congregation consisted chiefly o f men, a rare occurrence
anywhere, more especially in Spain, where the
majority o f chujch-goers, who are not veryn
Bumeroiift, consists iwimUy o f female«. Tliis
exception may he accounted for by the preacher’s
reputation; h is manner, I was told, was particularly dignified and quiet, w ith none of thoB© hursts o f declamation wc are attiustomed to
asfiociato w ith th e foreif^n p u lp it; more, in fat*t,
after the heat style o f English prcaehing.In tJie conr»e o f the day, wu had tim e to
examine the Cathedral more carefully. I t i»
hy no means a large building, o f the date 1498, in the florid Gothic so prevalent in some parts
o f th e Peninsula, I ts maa iveI^eBS, and the
granite of which i t is constructed, impart to it a solemn stateliness, that ia very eifective. I t
has, as usual, a donhle choir, and, like most Spanish churches, contain® superb iron-work, especially a r g a or screen in front o f the a ltar; hnt there is very little painted glass. A t tho •western extrem ity stands an interesting chapel,
containing arch « o f great beauty, and from it« vaulted roof, figures, heads, &c., projeM, not
where yon would oxpect to see them , at the
central bosses, hut thrown out along the rihs
that ramify from them. Out ol th e quaint old Eomanesquc cloisters you enter a round
apartment o f exquisite beauty, that looked like a chapter-house on a small scale, enriched w ith
Konutn Aqueduct. 243
ft profusion o f stone-carving oq m oulding and capital, aud cruwncd w ith a dome. I had tdme
only for & hasty glancc, and when we all went hoping to examine it at leisure, i t was locked np, and I saw it no more.
Near the town are extcnsiTe Roman remains. G oing to v isit one o f them, an aqueduct of fifty-four arches, wc came npon a group of
shepherds at their mid-day m ea i W e are
continnaDy falling in w ith siinilar parties on
thoir w ay from tho mountains o f th e north, where they Rpend the summer, to the winter-
pastures o f llstremadura, and th is circumstance
alone gives th e later month a o f antumn a peculiar advantage oxer other seasons for making a tour of th e province.
I t was a striking picture o f pastoral life to see
the poor wayworn sheep and saucy goats, with
the hugci watchdogs, and rough-looking shep. herds clad in sheepskins, grouped togeiher in
th e warm sunshine under the weather-heaten arches o f the old aqueduct. M any o f th e ew w
had Iambs, Octoher and Novem ber being the
usual lamhing-time in Spain. On th e march
the shepherds, o f whom there are fonr or five to a ilock o f twelve or fifteen hundred, have
constantly lo carry on their shoulders some new-
it 2
bom lamb, or ailing shficp; and yen seldom
pass one o f these migratory flocks w ithout observin g flome incident that reminds yon o f pictnres
o f th e Good Shepherd. Four or five dogs of
noble size, and formidable aspect, aro attached to
each flock, having their necks prutcctcd w ith
iron-spiked collars, as the wolf, tlioir worst enemy, always flies at the throat. W e conversed w ith this party o f ehepherd«, i f that can be
called conversation, which ia carried on solely by
means of monosyllables, and gestures j and when we told them we were English, th ey seemed dc*
lighted, and one cried out “ London w ith great vivacity, though not exactly in th e tone and
•eccnt m ost commonly heard in England. They
appeared to be very good-natnred beings, and
preaaed ue ui^ently to drink out ol’ their leathern
bottle, w hich after the Oriental fashion is uni*
vcr&ally used in Spain, an invitation we declined
w ith m any thanka.Messrs. O’Shea’s correspondent at Placentia,
upon whom Lord P ort^ lin gton had oeeasion to
draw, was very civil, and finding wc were interested in the antiquities o f th e place, carried
ue off to sec a convent, whieh in hi/? estimation
waa worthy o f being classed in that category, Tiike the generality o f religious housea in Spain,
it had heen sapprt^sned and emptied o f its occupants, and was now converted into a college, bnt whether ecclesi&btieal or seciJaT, 1 cannot recollect. I t contained no ohjcct o f antiqnanan
interest, though our cicerone, wit]! no smaJl pTide and satiRfaction, pointed out a epacions
staireasc, and some far-rcaching corridors, gloomy
enough to have figured in the m ost tragic of
M rs. K adclife’e romances.I n the large court through which we entered,
about a hundred lads from sixteen to eighteen, vrore amusing themBelves in various ways, “ pitching the bar ” heing th e m ost popidai game. T he whole party exhibited an exterior
o f remarkable dingincss, unrelieved by the
sm allest scrap o f linen, the only article that indicated its existence cropping out at a
part o f one hoy’s person, where shirt does
n ot usually make its appearance. W e watched them for some tim e, and I could not help contrasting th e joyous hght-heartedness, and cxnbe- rant fan, that aniniat« the play-gronnd o f a
school in our own country, w ith the Inguhrious
air pervading th is Homhre troop o f young Spaniards, and their utter lack o f that “ go,” so
descriptive o f an E nglish schoolboy. As we
eamc awuy, unmistakablu tokens of displeasure
manifested themselves on every side, and sounds
e^ rossive o f anything hut approhation proceeded from the general body o f students, while
one o f th e masters, who chanced to be standing
by, gave vent to an amoimt o f indignation that was perfectly incomprehensible, as we had neither
said, nor done anything whieh the mc^t perverse
ingenuity conid distort into an oc<5ftMon o f offence. W e could not ask for Ciplanation, our interpreter, Purkiss, not being w ith us at th e mom ent ; hut we mad© out in a aort o f hazy, indistinct way, that th e students having czpoct©d a
present o f m oney &om u s , took this method of
expressing their disappointment, when they saw
Xi& leaving th e college, without doing so, sueh a
thought never liaving presented itself to o u r
minds. Jivery one educated at a public school m ust rccoUect th e day, when he used to look
upon the time-honoured fashion of “ tip p in g”
as on© o f the m ost precious institutions that
form th e heritage o f Britons, thongh the donors, it is probable, hardly regard th e custom w ith the
same enthusiasm, as th e recipients. B u t to
“ t ip ” a whole college at once would be an
enterprise, tliat th e m ost thoughtless schoolboy
would stigmatize aa a Quixotic extravaganoe, more especially during a tour in Spain, where tlie
Wife-Stahhinff. 247
expenses o f th e road are ever exceeding th e traveller's m ost liberal estimate.
A n occnrrence that took place while we were at Placentia, und o f which the two servants and
Pnrkiss were eye-witnesses, shocked ns exceed*
ingly. T hey had gone into a wine-shop to make provision for the road, and while standing there
w ith several others until they could 1» served, a
pooi woman was brouglit iu , who had ju st been
stabbed by her husband w ith such severity under
th e right shoiJdcr-blade, that whenever she attem pted to speak, th e blood gushed copiously
out o i her month. N ot one of the natives
offered th e least assistance, or expressed tho
slightest sym patliy for tbe poor sufferer» and
when she w « taken away to the hospital, several o f them burst out into a brutal laugh !
NC ilA P T E E X X IV .
E X T m om ing (November 2nd) we were• • ' roMsed at a very early Ijour by a party of
miileteers, who were holdlpg ‘'revel h igh and
loud ” in th e corridor of the posada, a prevalent practice o f their class, to jndge from our observation. In m ost countries evening is the season for carousing and joviality i but the Spanish mn-
letter’s h ighest flow of sp iiits seems to set in
about four in th e momii>g, which we often
found a great bore; and when we would have given anything for a quiet hour, then did jest, laughter, and snatches of old song sound forth, not exactly in th e gentle tones o f ilu ster B ottom ’s “ racking dove,” but w ith a vehemence
and energy that effectually banished sleep. "We
felt ansiouH to start betimes, having a very w ild
district to traverse to-day; but several obstacles
intervened, the principal being a long altercation
about the bill, and i t was ten o’clock before wo
crossed the T nijillo Iridge, bidding adieu to fair
Placentia, and ita lovely rivci, w bicb looked
more than ever attractive, aa it gleamed in the
morning sunsbiue.Oui next point was Trujillo, distant about
fix ty miles. T he route lay over one of the least- populated portions o f sparsely-peopled Estrema- dura, through scenery that diifered altogether
from anything we bad yet seen. On reaching tbe
feiimmit o f tb e uplands enclosing tlie valley of
the Xerfce to ib e south, we looked over a region
where Nature is le ft entirely to herself, and you
may ride a live-long sumracr-day, w ithout ever seeing moro than j>erhapi one lone group of
bouses, or any other indication o f man’s permanent presenec. A n undulating succession o f low
swelling bills, reminding ns in their outline of th e “ rolling p r ^ o s o f th e Far W est,” aa travellers describe them , stretched out before us for
many a league, elotbed w ith an expanse of gum-
cifftus, which in some directions seemed interminable ; while farther on, Nature’s own hand had la id out the masses o f cork-trec, and ilex, with
which th e moro open ground was interspersed, after the fashion o f an Englifdi park. Perfcct stilluesft reigned on every side o f this vast soli-
tadc, imparting a degree of grandeur to the
2J0 Paerta d*> hi Serrana.
Undficape, which its general featuriis conld never
produce in any other situation, and the action of
the sun on that wide breadth o f gnJm*cistu8
filled the air w ith a delicious fra^(ranoe, as i f
earth were wafting up to H eaven an unceasing
cloud o f incense, in hono\ir o f her A lm ighty Creator.
Sometimes our path lay over a loDg tract of
sand and stones, running like a highway for m iles, where, during the downpours of th e rainy
season, a torrent luay have taken its capridona
course. A ll th is country, i t is said, was oncc
xm dertheplnngb, and judfjing from the progress Spain haii made d arin|f th e last ten years, aud
the extensive c)earauee of waste places carried
on in other provinces, i t m ay again become subject to its dominion.
A bout mid-day wa readied the summit o f the
Puerta de de la Serrana, having, for more than a
mile, had to scramble up a steeply-eloping bed of stones outrivailing tlie ronghest portions of
th e well-known Cheail Beach near W eymouth. N o t long ago this spot was rtotorione for robbery
and murder, the brigands having here the double
advantage of a look-out over both sides of the
mountain at once, in addition to an ascent each
way o f such extreme difficulty, from the badness
o f the road, that escape was simply impossible.
Ilappily , the w hole gang has been routed out hy
the (iuardia Civil, and th e worst peril we m et
w ith w es caused by tlic rooks and stones that
blocked up the road. The top o f the Pass
commands a very striking panorama, the m tu s-
clad wastes looking more like gronsing-hills infin itely magnified, than any other accucry with which 1 am acquainted; but instead o f the
purple tin ts of heather, the atmosphere is t in ^ d
w ith a bluish hue, thrown out apparently from
the foliage o f that shiub, and producing a most singular, I m ight almost say, unearthly, efTect. "VVe had ample tím e to contemplate tho various features o f the scene, embracing not only a grand
sweep o f verdant wilderness towards Placentia, and the frontiers o f Portugal, bnt o f the valley
o f the Tagus also, as it opened ont far away
to the eastward, w hile we sat eating our midday meal, ensconced in extemporized bowers of
fruit-laden arbutns, w ith which the mountain
ig clothed.The descent carricd us over another villauous
road to Sati Carlos, a dcplorahle-looking hamlet
o f five or fiix hous^ , our proximity to the Tagus, which for hours we had surmised from the for-
2$2 L (u t V ie v o f the Tagu^.
ination o f tlie country, being now at eTery turn
more clearly indicated, and our curiosity proper- tionably stim ulated; though in the deep ravines,
by which the country all aronnd is lurrowed,
we could, as yet, c^tch no glimpse o f its actual presence.
W e were getting quite excited w ith expectation, and pushed on more rapidly than was safe over such a road, wlien at last th e liver burat npon us in fo il view, its broad stream newly
replenished h y the waters c>f the Ticdar, and cleaving a path through tho very heart o f moun*
tainfl, which, rising abruptly from its brink, embank i t on either side, A noble old bridge of
fine proportions, and massive construction, spans
both river and ravine at once, while below, the
ruins o f Monfrague, an old feudal castle, crown
a distant rock overhanging the sbeam , W e hailed th e Tagns as on old friend, having now
traversed its banks repeatedly, at Aran^uez, Toledo, Talavera, to bid a final adien to i t here,
at Puente del Cardenal,A t one tim e i t had been oxa intention to make
our way to Seville by Alcantara, tor th e purpose o f seeing the old Itoman bridge, which i'ord
declares is worth going a liuiKlred miles to visit.
PuenU; del Cordenal. 253
This detour, however, would have occupicd more
tim e than we could posaihly spare, and th e plan
was consequently relinquialied.The bridge we were now going to cross is
fialkd Puente del Cardcnal, from having l>een built, w ith three others along this route, by
Cardinal Juan <lc Carvajal, a native o f Placentia»
where h is family were among the magm;tcs of
their day. One cannot help believing he m ust
have been a good and benevolent man, who, for the convenience o f a thinly-populated nejgVibonr- hood, where bridl e-roads ahmc exUt, and peasants
arc tlie m ost frequent travellers, erected so costly
-a vrork, far out o f th e world’s ken. Jeremy Taylor reckons i t among acts o f mcrcy to repair
highways, and bridges m uch more, therefore, does their original construction, especially in
such a country aa Spain, deserve a pkce in the
catalogue.Aftp'r jTunset, we teard, for th e first time,
tho ciccda, a species o f cricket possessing vocal powers alm ost as shrill as a railway w h istle ; there were scores of these inscets pourirg forth
on every side their several contributions to swell the general chorus; and th e combined result, as
may easily be concoived, was somewhat overwhelming. W e proposed halting for the night
at Torrejon el Rubio, a hamlet in the m idst of
the wiids, where we arrived between eight and
nino, having, snnce sunsft, travelled over roiids
had bfiycind conception, which hardly man or
beast could have faced had there be«n dayhght
to disclose their real condition. 13ut hahit and
a Spanish horse w ill carry one through almost evGrythin^.
Torrejon had aurely never received such a
cavalcade as ours, and th e good people were sorely perplexed to find ue accommodatinn. The
posadft bcin^ a decidedly questionablc'looHn^
abode for any piitpose save dinner, we had to
hunt up and dowii for hede. Mr. Syke« was
taken in at one private house, Lord Portar- lington and xoyself at afioth^, where we were
stowed away in a tiny room about nine feet square, ju st la r ^ enough for two beds. The
ceiling was ornamented in a manner peculiar to
the Peninsula, w ith a goodly array o f melons, w hich hung like pendants in some Grothic roof, thongh we cannot say the eiTcct was either as
artdstio, or th e general arrangement carried ont w ith equal eonsiderntion for the convenience of
tho inmates. W hichever way we turned, bump
w ent our heads against some green m ass; and
i f our worthy host, Tomas Sancliea' melons did
not koop as well as usual la s t winter, i t will, no
doubt, b€ ow iog to tiie repeated coUidions that
took place on th e n igh t of November 2nd, D espite PuiViss’s best endeavours, a conRider*
able tim e elapsed before dinner was ready, os
indeed was generally the case throughout our expedition. W e found Bueh delays more ex*
hauatii4j and wearisome than the longest ride, and many were the complaints we used to ponr
forth on such occasions, without erer l>eing able, however, w ith the collective wisdom o f the
whole party, to devise any better arrangement. Tt id thought unadvisable in Spain to divide
.forces, b y sending on somo one to th e ne^t halting-plaee w ith th e baggage to secuic beds
and prepare dinner, a plan that would have
obviated th is inconvenience. W henever we had
th e good fortune to find an inn capable o f supplying anything in th e shape o f a plain dinner,
we did very well, and in a good meal and early bed soon forgot th e fatigue o f a ten or twelve
hnurs’ ride. B ut on m ost occasions th e case was
widely different w ith ue, arriving, as we did often
a t eight or nine o’clock at some posada where a larder is a th in g unheard of, and you can find
nothing to eat, except wliat is fam ished from
yo u i own store«. Y ou have not even the travel-
Icr'g never-failing reaourcc in otlier countries, bread, and chccse, or butter, such artiuloe bemg
unknown over tlie greater part o f Spain. For
weeks we saw no butter; frequently m ilk was
not to be bad, and on asking for it in some
places we were to ld none would be forthcoming before Eaater! Every preparation, tliereforc, had
to be made after our arrival, and tliie in a very
nnexpeditioua manner, as th e m«»t available
implement in Furkiss’s haUerie df cuisine was a frying-pan we had brought from Bayonne, fco
whieh he had generally to attach a stick by way
o f a supplementary handle, ou account o f the
heat o f an open fire. I t was w ith tliia soajity
apparatus tliat legs o f m utton whole, chinea of
pork» chops, fowls, hares, partridges, rabbits, and such-like “ small deer,” were each in their turn
converted in to food for us. A s a naturul consequence, w e freqiiciitly dined at ten, and w ent fco bed at m idnight, which waa not the best w ay of preparing for the work o f tlie morrow.
I remember being very much struck, years
ago, w ith a statement o f l>israeli’s in “ Contarini Fleming,” wliich at the moment I fchought exag- gprated— that the Spanish peasantry arc the
cleanest in Europe. (>ui Spanisli experiences
contimmlly verified th is ai«ertion; for though
P ark St.fi.ner . 257
often, ad at Torrejon, our sleepmg-quarters were
rongUand primitive to a degree, we could always
lie down w ith a conviction o f their perfect cleanliness, a remarkable i ^ t , I think, when the
isolation o f the coTintry and the warm th o f its climate are kejit in mind.
Torrejon had nothing to detain us n est morning , and through dehasas and de^oblcdoa (sheep- walkg and uninhahited wastes) we continued our
w ay to Trujillo, the park-like scenery o f the
ilex-woodA heing the predominating feature of
the country. Soon after starting, M r. Sykes
discovered two enormous viJtures, sitting, Hke -birds of evil omen, on a decaycd stump, and
when our approach scared them away, i t waa
w ith a heavy lethargic flight, aa if they had been eating more than was good for them ;
while chattering magpies, whiter and krger
than m England, and the pretty little jays we
haxl seen heibrc, were perpetually flitting across
our path. W e passed several streams to-day, one o f them , the Vid, where we made our noontide halt a l fresco, being of sufficient volume to
require a bridge o f considerable dimensions. A long the baiiks o f thcso Btrcams lay pleasant
meadows, refreshing the eye w ith their green- ness, which the sombre hues o f the all-perva-
&
ding ilex tlirew out by contract w ith vivid cfTect.
Alm ost the wliole way betwucu tbe V id and Trujillo, we seemed to be rid ing through a vast
domain attached to feudal caatlc, or p r iu « ly
mansion, eo perfectly did the size and arraj'ige«
m ent of the timber, and configuration o f the
ground, recal th e general charaoteriatica o f an
EngHah park. Our im agination all tlic time
pictured th e exiat«nce of some abode worthy
o f tlie situation, ly in g conetaled am ong tlic
recesRea o f the forest, and we were qmte prepared to see it iiny moment, thongh we never
did!Hereabout Pizarro, when a lad, used to feed
hia father’s pigs, aud in th e long double range
of pigstieii at A ldea del Obispo, a bleak village within sight of, though unsheltered by, the
extenBive woods o f the district, we perchance
saw tlie apot where he once had lodged liis
acorn*eating herds.A t length we came out upon the high*road
between Madrid and Badajos, in aight o f Trujillo , though, aa we found in due time, we were
still a weary distance from it. A s we rode
along, w ith no object to interest or engage our
attention in the dreary wind-swept plateau that
encircles Trujillo, we observed a narrow bbck
An IntsicUDud. 259
line extending across th e road, here abont thirty-
five feet wide. On closer inspection we funnd
i t consisted o f anta, which in grand proce&siou
were streaming over the ground by myriads, one division j^ in g to our left hand, and th e rest in the contrary direction, each individual ant g iv in g ite neighhovir a nndç^ in parsing. The
debidnation and eause o f th is movement wc
failed to discover.A füw days before, while wall^ing nuar Cuaeos,
we had onjoyed another opportunity o f studying
natural history, though not in so pacifie a phase
as that exhibited on th e Trujillo road. TSv*o
beetles were fighting furiously )iy tho wayside, one being very large, the other halJ* hia size. Aa
EpgUsliTTien we instinctively gave th e little one the benelll o f uur good wishes, though in reality
tho combatants were more equally matched, from
their relative circumstances, than their difference
in aize Jed us at first to conclnde. The hig beetle* had, in truth, a double dnty to perform;
not only did he repel the incessant assaults of
his nimble ant«goni^t, keeping his front towards
him constantly with groiit adroitness, and pomm elling him luRtily all the while, hut he was
moreover engaged iji rolling, w ith hia liind lega, the husk o f a chestnut (which we suspected to
s 2
a é o A n In s e c t-B u c î.
bc th e gage of battle l« tw een the helligerenta) up a hank so steep that it m ust have ^ u m a d in
his eyes th e diraenaons o f a prccipice. I t wia
quite aMenishijig how w ell he executed this complicated mancenTrc. W c did not witness the
final settlem ent o f th e qnanel, not w ishing to
detain onr kind host, th e Onra, who did uot
seem to participate ou j interest in th is insect
duel.
rr ^ B U J lL L O is n ot only a quaint old town, w ith narrow, tortuous streets, Inll o f pic-
tureequo hotiaca, hnt, w hat at that particular
m oment had more attraction for ns than any
amount o f autiquaiian interest or pictorial cffect, it contains th e best inn we m et w ith between
Madrid and Seville. W hile we were in quest o f it, who shoiild turn up but onr Talarcra acquaint*
ance, the little French equestrian, good-natured
as ever, and hy his aid we wero soon installed
in th e nnwonted luxury o f rooms w ith glazed
windows, carpets, and a sufficiency o f chairs and
tables. Indeed, so comfortable did w s find onr
quarters, that i t was almost provoking to quit
them on the morrow, hut we felt anxious to
reacli Merida by Sunday, and we Iiad still before ua a journey o f two days.
N ex t raom irg, Friday, November 4th, we
lionized Trujillo in a m ost hasty fashion, which
was little better than not seeing it at all- The
mansion built by Pizarro after th e conqnest o f Peru, iatands in tho Plaza, and, though indifferently situated, is a handsome building of
freestone, decorated after th e Spanish custom
w itli l*oldly«BCuIpturcd ioats of arms, and other
heraldic devices, tlie m ost conepicuoua bcini^
a couple o f pigs feeding under an oak-tree, a badge that n ot only recalled his origin and
early employment, bat proved, moreover, that
tbe conqueror o f Peru was not a«liamed to own him self th e sson o f a swineherd. W e searelied
several cliurches for liis tomb, which, according
to Ford, is ill Santa Maria dc la Concepcion, but
found ooth ing corresponding to bis description.Several old houses invited examination, had
tim e permitted 5 but we were ublij^d to content
ouiselves w ith a hasty glance at them, and at
the towers, both Moorish und Lombard, as
well as at ancicnt gateways o f massive Homan
construction whieh we fell in w ith while perambulating the town. I t is th e worst place I ever
was in for finding one's way, w hieh is seldom a diificulty to me. On m y le tu m from the
upper town 1 wished to revisit th e Square ibr
the purpose o f having one more glimpse o f
P.izarro’s house; but so narrow are the streets.
and 80 lofty the hou&es, that, in spite o f repeated attempts, I could not find m y way there, l>eirig all the tim e w ithin two hundred yards of
th e spotl In fact, T lo st m yself completely, passing and. repassing the Siuno point four times, and had 1 not chanced to emerge -upon the
town wall in sight o f onr inn, i t is impossihlo to s<iy when I should have fonnd an exit ont of
til is labyrinth o f strcxits.T)utliig the uight it had blown quite a hurri
cane, accompanied by heavy rain, and when
w e set off soon after ten, it waa under what sailors would call “ a dirty sky.” w ith every
feign o f bad weather, eo tliat TrujiEo, whieh from its sitnation had a very bleal?, cheerlces air, looked th is morning miserably chill and atorm-
beaten. A t Placentia, two days before» i had
noticed tho sun rising amid angry-looking
clouds, called in Gloucestershire “ the reds,”
wbii’h flashed from one end o f heaven to the
other. Kvcry land has its pecnliar weathcr-wis- dom ,.w hich a stranger cannot acquire speedily. N o t knowing, therefore, w hat “ the reds ” m ight
presage in Spain, I did not venture to prognosticate tlieir conecquencee. In England rain
would ccrtainly have fallen the self-same day, hut the Peninsular clerk o f the weather seemi
2 6 4 A Farpi'Aouse.
to bo a person o f more deliberate action, for
ciglit-aiid'forty h<nirB elapsed, yet not a drop
fell, 0)>ly, however, to descond upon out unlucky
heads w ith treble violence on the third day after.
Our rido to M ontaiiches lay through a hare, treeless region, utterly without shelter o f any
kind, and just as wc were wending onr spiritleRS
way over its m ost exposed portion, the sfcorm
burst upon us w ith almost tropical fary, till men and beasts fairly streamed like watcr-spouts, so that ahogethcT we had very much th e appear- anec o f a row o f gigantic gnrgoyles in full action. T he storm lasted about an hour and a half, and I was thankful to escape w ith no
worse damage than a pair o f w et l«^gs, thanks
to m y good cluak, though several o f the party
were thoroughly drenched. A s soon as the rain ceased, the sun and wind, not being on this
occasion an t^ on ists, as in th e old fable, united
their powers for our relief, and soon made
matters more coinfortable.Thore being no posada in the v ilb ge , where
we made cur mid-day halt, our whole party was
received w ith xnucli kindness at th e principal
fanji-house. T he niistress, an eld lady o f superior manners, and a good deal of quiet dignity, placed her house aud all it contained at our
disposal, tnaking her two maids wait on us ; and
when her huabuiid came in , finding to his surprise
the whole pbicc full o f shangerR, he also gave
m a cordial welcome. A young man dropped
in soon after, whom wc set down as the villaj^ doctor on seeing him feel the old lady’s pulse, i l c turned out to l>e her son. One o f tlic
things, which struck ua here, afi elsewhurc, wa«
tbe abundance, and eicellence o f the household
linen, reminding us o f the olden days o f spinsters and homespun in Eniilaud. T he kindness
o f th is worthy couple forms quite a pleasant point o f retrospect amid th e dreary, uninteresting
district o f saturated com-land, through which most o f our route from Trujillo to M ontanches led us, aud we were really sorry to say good-bye to them.
Montanchea soon came into sight, perched
upon a platform o f rock, that rose like an islet,
out o f a level expanse o f arable plain, and lookin g close at hand. B ut experience had begun to teach us, that in Spain to see a place, and to
h e near it, are two utterly different things, and it
was two honrs after nightfall ere we rode into the market-place o f th is central dépôt for “ hams,
and other bucolic meats o f ilstremadura."The liams of M ontanchcs are not only, as
t'ord informs h is readers, world-famous in the
266 M o n l a n c k e s H a m ñ .
present day, but they have enjoyed their celebri ty at least a couple o f eenfruries. From the
tim e of Anacrcon downwards, iuepiration luis
often been Bonght in th e wine-cup; h ot it was
rcecrred for the ac<?omplÌ5lied author o f “ The
Handbook in Spain,” to diRcover, first o f all Englishm en, another o f ite sources in the ilesh- pots o f MontaucheA, following therein the example o f tho prolific dramatist, Lope dc Vega, who never found him self quite up to the mark for composition, until he had refreshed him self
w ith a good rasher. Ford s account of a Mon- tanches ham is one of the m ost glowing passages
iu hi» whole hook. K indling with th e fire of
poetie rapture, he assures the reader, whom the
description makes positively hungry, that “ tho
fat when properly boiled looks like m elted topazes, and th e áuvour defies language, although
w e have dined on one this very day in order to sceuie accuracy and inspiration. The Mon- tanchca hams are superh, and it woidd perplex
a gastronomic Paris to which to adjudge the
prize— whether to th^ Jamofi dutce of Alpujarras, the tocino o f Galicia, tlio chorizo o f Vique, or
th e transci^ndental hams o f th is locality,” And
lest it should be imagined Mr. Ford’s Pe'gaaus
had taken th e bit between hig teeth, and run
MonUmciei ÎIo9pit<tiiiy.
away w ith hia rider on this occasion, T will repeat th e testim ony o f the sobor-iiiiuded Thio
du St. Siiuou, though oven he cannot approach
tlic auhjcet, w ithout catching a sparV o f poetical fervour “ Ces jambong ont un parfrim s i admi*
rable, un goût ai relevé, et ri vivifiant, qu’on
en est suipris ; ii est impossible de rien maijgur
s i exquis/'N ow I will appeal to any candid reader {if I
am tbrt\uiate enough to bave one endowed with
ao admirable a qnality) whether, after all th is flourish o f trnmpets, we were not perfectly
juatificd in expecting to lind at least wwetking
to cat at Montanches. The sequel w ill show
how far ao rcasouablo un expectation was satb>
Ced.M atters lc*okod rather ominous, methought,
when wc were to ld tliat this town o f more than
five thouaand souls has only one po&ada, a fact
that did not indicate any great amount o f communication w ith tho rest uf tlic wurld. There
o f course wc went, only to be disappointed, it
being so crowded with scampish-looking company, that we had to aeek accommodation elsewhere
without much regret, W e next tried the Cura’a, but h is reve)*ence being out, we had for three*
quarter» of an hour to play tbe agreeable to his
268 MbníancAes Magnates.
honsekecpor, ú táirewd clcTcr woman, who seemed
h igH y amused w itli our smaJl attempts at conversation. A t last in came th e Cora, D on Jose
M . de Orozco y Bulnes, a man o f good family, even in Spain. H e was very polite, but having
only one bed to offer us, could do little to satisfy
our necessities. So Purkiss waa despatched to th© Alcalde (tbe Mayor o f tho town), to inq\iirc
whether h© could do anything to aid houseless
tm vclleis. T he news of our arrival muat have circulated ertensively, for in a few minutes the
room where we sat was quite filled by the elders
o f the place, who came dropping in one after
another, the Cura’s brother among them , w ith
th© evident intention of holding a sort o f non- professional inquest on the wayiaiers, whom th©
chances o f travel had brought w ithin their
coasts. In proof that we were “ true m en /’ we
produced our passports, and letter o f recommendation to the Guardia Civil 5 and i t was highly
amuaiiig to olw?rvc tho semi-official air, w ith
which each in h is to m inspected those docu- menta. N o t one o f them however had the goodnature to render us substantial assistance by
getting ua beds, and what wa s still moro extraordinary, none appeared to entertain the notioD>
that after a ride o f nine or ten lioura, w ith a
Zudieroue Scene. 269
good w etting to boot, we m ight possibly bo hungry and g k d o f some refreshment, now
that it was drawing near nine p .m. I t was
evidently th e las* th in g they were going to
th ink of. T hey had aJI eaten their enpper, had
comtortablc beds to get into, whenever tiiey
chose ; t ill then i t was an agreeable diversion to their monotonoas cxistencc to look at, and talk
over tho strange Englishm en, who wore wanderin g through th e covuitry in a manner so nnaccount- abic to a genuine Spaniard. A ltogether, i t was
tho m ost ludicrous scene I ever played part in, and, despite hunger and fatigue, irresistibly
entertaining. I seemed all th e while to be asking m yself unconsciously, “ C anall th is be
real ? Are we at a play, or holding an interview
w itli some Polynesian Islanders, or are we snr- loundud by tho fantastic imagery o f a dream, w ith its sensations of nttor helplessness ? ” H ad
wc been tied liand and foot, wc could not be
more at th e mcrcy o f these natives, who stared
at us, talked us over, came in and w ent out with
as much nonchalance, as i f they had actually paid
us for exhibiting on^elves, and were now only
receiving their money’s worth.An incident of a somewhat sim ilar natnre
befei Lady Eaetlake a t U aiva , while on her
2 J O A C(mÍTU»Í.
way to listhonia, and is dcscriljed in Lot oliarm' in g “ Lettsrs fix>m the Baltic,”
PrcseQtly hie worship the Alcalde appearod, attended by a retinae o f humble friends, when
the recital o f our story, accompanied hy a re- pumsal o f documents, rccommcnccd a matter
o f eoursc, making a fresh demand upOD onr
almost exbansted patience. Suddenly a worthy elder conceived th e bright idea, that a couple of
beds m ight be had at tho house of a respcctuhlo
old lady o f h is acquaintance, who was accustomed to take in lodgers. Thither we adjonmed
at once, to find ourseiTt« in a totally different atmosphere, aad to m eet w ith every kindness
aud atfccation from onr warm-hearted hostess, in
rcfreahiDg contrast to th e cool iadiffereace wu
had hitherto experieaoed, and o h ! how pleasant i t was to have a comfortable wash, and to pnt on dry things 1
I t was ton o’clock before we returned to the
Cura’s, whcTO Puikias was preparing dinner, ai^d there to our horror wc found about twenty
persons, men and women, th e “ quality ” o f the
place apparently, drawn up to sec ua dine. The
room was as iull as it could hold, aud there did
they all remain the whole tiine we were at dinner, making their observations, liaving evi-
dcntly very much th e same tone o f mind as the
famous Mrs. John O ilpin; for though on pleasure they were bent (and thoroughly in their
w ay did they onjoy the entertainment we were
providing them), they still retained “ th e frugal m in d ” o f that excellent housewife. X o t a single contrihution did any o f them make to the scanty
m eai which onr ow n stores supplied, w ith the
ciccptiun o f a few grapes, which, when fruit is
scarco, m ight cost perhaps a penny, and when it is abundant, as was then the caae, tiU! Some of our wine was olTered them , and when they found
i t was not champagne, a luxury none o f ua had
tasted since Madrid, they were en d en tly disappointed, and seemed to consider i t not worth
drinking.Jt would have been art insnit to th e ffmittti
Ifxi o f M ontanches to om it th e purchase of
some o f its “ transcendental h a m s s o a couple o f wcll-rceommended ones were secnred, weighin g about fourteen pounds apiece, <md costing
rather more than a ahilling a ponnd, and never
did travclkra make a better investm ent. The
first Imiii was dryssed at Merida, and proving of
firat-rate excellence served the m ain stay of
onr commissaiiat all th e way to Seville, while the other travelled nearly to Oranadii» eaeh in
its tarn com ing in m ost convemently on all occasions, sometimes cold, sometimes in the
shape of a broil. Jndging from their sweetness
o f llavoar, we fancied they m ust have been cared
chiefly w itb sogar, there being hardly a pei-
ceptible ta«te o f salt in them.According to Ford’e theory, after eating so
m aeb M ontanches ham, we oiight to turn out first-rate Poets, and i f any o f the party docs hereafter aetoniah tlie world in that character, we shall know whence th is inspiration has
token its rise.T he ruined castle, that dominates the town,
commands a glorious view , though a d^nse fog
concealed th e la i^ c i portion o f it on the mornin g o f November oth, and M ontanches would
make an excellent ecntre for exploring the neighbourhood, those necessary pt»tulates board and
lodging being first granted; indeed oar laudlady
told US that an E nglish artist, whose name she
could uot rceollectj had stayed w ith her a considerable tim e for th e parpóse of sketching.
The Cura in parting, kindly offered us a letter
to a friend o f h b at Merida, oar next destination , who would probably Rparo us some wine from his own cellars, to replenish our exhausted
stock; and as such an introduction is alvrays
Woodlands. s y j
ftervic4?ablo in Spain, where travellers are more
dependent on any chance civility than in other
countries, wc gladly availed ourselves o f his oiTer.
Onr ride at first was dreary enough, through
a Buccession o f ploughed fields under a canopy
o f fog, that intercepted every ray o f simahine, and chilled us to the very honu. In tim e circumstances improved, und we entered upon
sunny woodland«, where herds o f swine were
doing their best to sustain th e reputation of
th e M ontanches hama, hy feeding on the crop
o f acoruB grown on th e surrounding cork*trees, >nd ilices. A lter traversing extonaive copses of arbutus, laden w ith fcstoong y f lovely ih iit, scaxkt, and primrose-coloured, we descended into
a verdant little valley watered b y a tront- sta^eam; and there, tem pted hy the abundance
o f good pasture, wo spent a pleasant hour in
refreshing man and beast. Hesuniing our tra*
vel w ith renewed spirit, about seven we crossed
the arid plain that encirclcs Merida, entering the town near the old Bom an aqueduct, which,
spanning th e earth at broken intervals w ith
colossal atride,” atood out gaunt and grand in the dim raoonlight.
C K A P T E K X X V I.
WE had beea looking forward -with great satlsf^otion to our Sunday’s rest at
Merida, haying ridden during the last week about a hundred and forty milos, which, at our
slow pace, represented a good many hours’ travel; aod it was no agreeable enrpriee to tind in so
considerable a town, on the great highway
between Madrid and Badajoz, only two wretched
posadas, both being too iuU to take ua in . After
some trouble, bowevor, wo found a Casa de
Pupillojt, or boarding-house, tbat was tolerably
comfortable, and there we remained tUI Monday
at noon, enjoying our well-earned repeae.Ford says of it, “ Merida is the Borne of
Spain, in respect o f stupendous monuments of antiquity.” A m ong these m ay be mentioned,
a noble bridge o f cighty-one arehes, and 2575
feet long, over the Guadiana; extensive waJs, finer, Mr. Sykes thought, than any iu Borne; a
theatre open to th e m i , in very pcrfect condition, w ith a circus neai i t ; a m ost euxioua auhterra- nean passa^^ leading to the r iver; and last, but -of greatest interest to us ail, th e xnagnificenfc aqueduct we passed on entering; th e n ig h t before. I t
is built o f huge granite blocks, and bricks o f a rich warm red— a combination that produced
excellent cffecte o f colouring. I t lias three tici^
o f arches, th e h ighest rising to an elevatic«i i>f about eighty Ford’s description ia so ad*mirable, that I am tem pted to quote i t ;— “ The
magnitude o f tiiuiije culossaJ monuments is very
impressive; they are the standatda th e Unmans
have left, wherehy to meaanre Iheir ambition, povicr, and intellect- 'fhere is indued a aeruiun
in these atones, and th e idea of the once Mis> tress o f the World rules even in decay. iLow, wl*en all th is greatness lias vanished, cun any
one fret abont the petty griefs o f his brief honr ? T h is is indeud a lonely scene, & thing of the
p ast; here let the stranger muse o f a still even*
atg , as we have often done,— these monuments, Hke himsoli; have notliing to do w ith th e present Emcritan, on whom their poetry, and attractions
are lost. These m ighty relics, which have defied
a ^ s , are of a different date and people, and have
outlived the names o f their founders. Y et thereT 2
276 li(ma% Aqueduct.
they atand grey and shattered, hut npright, fiup- porting: notliing. now, but the w eight o f cen- turiefl. Above them is spread, like a curtain, th e blue sky, heantifiil and bright aa at the first dawn of creation, for Nature decays not; yet
never, perhaps, were these arches, even when
perftiet, so touchingly picturesque as n o w ; the
Vandal has desboycd their proportions, hut
Tim e— and who paints like itP ^ h aa healed the
gears w ith lichens, and tinted tho woathcr-beaten fragments. Their former ^lory is indeed s ih- dued, hut how tender the pity, which the past
conjures u p !”I t >va8 on Simday afternoon (November
fith), that we visited the scene our conntryman
so poetically describes. The air breathed a
soft autumnal warmth, and the aky wore as
bright a blue, as when ho sat there years ago
m editating on Bom e’s hy-gone grandeur, while
ahove o\ir heads an nntold number o f sparrow- hawki», that nestle in safety within the weatherworn uooks and creviees o f the aqueduct, careered through the air like swallows in the summer sunshine.
I ts lateral surface, which would otherwise
want variety, is broken into hold .iltem ations of
ligh t and shade by massive buttresiies rimning
Roman Jieinaina. 2 77
fronj th e base to the summit, TTad not the
world become 80 accustomed to see the remaina o f past agea hatbarously treated, it would hardly
he credited that th e Emerit&na, aa Ford caJia
tho people o f Merida, have actually pullod down
several o f these buttresses for the mere sake of tbe stone.
Tlie finest view, perhaps, in aU >rerida, is
commanded h y a terraec at tbe back o f the
Foiada de ¿w close to the great Romanbridge. Below flows the river, spanned by the
eighty*one arches, which insure a safe passage
during the widest-spread inundation. A square tower o f th e same date, but piereed in Moorish
days hy a horae-ahoe arch, stands at ita townward extromity, and eervea as a Ute de p o n i; while a noble wall rising directly ont o f the
water, and term inating in a hroad qxiay, Banks
th e bridge to the Bouth. The salient points of
view aa you turn towards tho town, are dia- tiiictively Roman, a solitary palm-tree, the pride
o f some burgher’s garden, alone excepted, and th ey stand out w ith all the more proiiiinence
from the uninteresting character c f the general landscape. Tlic Guadiana flowing between low banks has no more beauty than is inseparable
from ever}' stream o f pure w ater; as the eye
2 7 8 A W e k v m e P r e s e n t
takes in a further range o f country, it sees noth in g more attractive tihan a featnrelesa erpansc
of coni-land. A ltogether wc perfectly coincidod
w ith Ford’s opinion, that, for ordinary toorists, there ie but one day’R oc<rapsition at Merida.
This being the last town o f any importance
before reaching Seville, we had to th ink of tho
provend, and Pnrkiss delivered th e note from Montanches, hoping the gentlem an to whom it
was addressed wonld kindly help ng, as we had
eearched th e whole toTvn for “ the excellent red
wine, eomething between claret and burgundy,”
flo h igh ly praised by Ford, w ithout discovering anything better than th e produce o f th e last
vintage, now about three monthe old, and consequently unfit ft)r use. Don Bulncd’ friend wae
nnfortuaately too ill to be seen, but the lady of
th e huuee m ost kindly sent as a present, two
magnnms o f excellent wine w ith a polite raes- eage, remarking at the eamc tim e to Purkiss, how strange it was B o n Bulne« could imagine
any o f the wine, speoified in hie note, ehould
be still left, seeing he had him self imiehed the
very last bottle, when he was at their house
on Merida fair-day!Thankful indeed were we for th is mc«t wel
come supply, and having proved its excellence
at dinner, sent i t out when th e things 'wcrc
removed, to he put up m nsiual w ith the rest of
the stores for nse on the road, N oth in g more wa^ thought o f it t ill dinner-time next diij* at Andramalejo, when one o f n s asked, “ Where is
tho Merida w ine?” That was all finished, my
Tiord, at Merida.” “ N o t hy us certainly, nor a
qnarter of it, one hottlo hein^ perfootiy full, and
tho other nearly ao, when they were removed,”
I t turned ont that th e landlady and her maid, having cleared the table, had immediately taken
the two decaliters into th e kitchen perfectly
empty, gr ^ i-tly to th e as*tonishment o f the ser- vantA, who naturally wondered what could have
become of all that w ine) N on e of us, I need hardly say, ever saw a drop o f it a ^ n ; and we
not only lost th e lady's seasonable present, hut
moreover must have la in for twei^ty-four hours
under the tacit imputation of having drunk an inordinate quantity.
W e left Merida at mid*day, Monday, Norem-
her 7th. Crossing the Homan bridge, and turnin g to tlie left, a m ile from the town, we q\utted
th e Badajoz road, taking another runnm g directly south. The eonntry improves on aaecnd- in g a gentle slope, which commands an extensive prospect. A t our feet lay the ^ e a t plain north
28o Landscape.
o f the Sierra Morena, its surfece bro):en here and
there by isolated mountains, which roae in abrupt blocka ont o f the dead level, a characteristic
feature o f th e South o f Spain, where almost eTery breadth of champaign country is dotted w ith theae detached eleTations, Ono of these
masses to thu south-east had a rcry striJdiig
appearance, ita height, which waa considerable, bvin^f a ll effective in conscquence of its poaition. W e were unable to ascertain its nsime, having
unfortunately rio maps w ith us, b a t such as
were almost worthless, their principal oftiee
being to mislead us perpetually.
r i lO -D A Y wc had a short march o f on ly five
leagues, and th e Ch-urch o f Andiamalejo
rose before as rtearly tho whole distance like
iL beacon, poiixting out our destination for the
night. T ins neighbourhood is a very Ooshen
of whoat-cnlture, and the tillf^re o f its soil have th e reputation o f being some o f the richest farmers in Spain, I t is, however, a m ost tedious
district to ride through, and, at onr slow pate, w e found those five leagues far more fatiguing
than some of our longest journeys through
scenery o f more interest and variety.Andramalqo is an oyergrown village, fu ll of
goodly houses, some o f which we longed to take
possession o f for th e night, and inhabited by
well*to-do people, w ith a decided tarn tor finery, i f w o m ight judge from tho ample stores o f
haberdashery displayed in the mercers’ shops, which, afi in m ost Spanish towns, seemed to
monopolize the commerce of th e plac«; while
we poor hungry wayfarers looked in rain» as we
rode along its streets, for some indication of
comestible merchandise. E ven tho posada was quite o f an inferior description, though th©
people o f the house, Valencians, wcro very civil, and did their beet to make ug comfortable. Kuletccra abounded in every comer. J m i before going to b ^ , T looked out o f our sitting-
toom , and at that moment the posada presented
a picture that 'iou id have delighted the eye of an artist. L ike m ost inns o f its class, i t was
divided into three parallel compartments, arranged somewhat like the nave and aislea o f a
thutch. T he central, atiH principal division, contained an open fire-place, snrroundcd b y a
group o f people a t euppor, under the dim light
o f a lamp suspended from th e roof. The floor, 1 m ay almost say, was paved w ith somnolent muleteers, sever^ of them having chosen '‘ their lo d g ii^ upon th e cold ground/' close to an open
door, largo enough for a bam, through which
streamed a flood o f m oouhght; while on all sides arose those peculiar sounds, which sleop*
in g hum anity uttors, though go conscientiously
averse to acknowled^ng them.N ex t day saw ue on our road to Zafra, and
Greetings o f the Road. 283
ju st oatsidf» o f th e town, near some stagnant
pools, which the reccnt tains had replenished, we passed the laigtsst assemhla^o o f washerwomen we had seen «ni^e Iftaving Madrid. TiVery fam ily at Andramalejo seemed to he
celebrating it« wodhing-week. There m ust have hoon, at least, a hnndred water-nymphs collected
on th e occasion, but hy th e tim e T had counted
seventy‘five, such pcala o f laugliter arose from
every group at the idea, I suppose, o f a traveller
stopping to number them , that m y feeble
powere o f arithmetie were p «t to flight hy auch
a demonstration, and the process waa never
completed.W e had now entered one of th e great olive*
districts, and, althoujfh the tree has h ttlc beauty
i>f form or f o l i ^ , its grove« serve at rate
to clotlic the nakedness o f the landscape, and
redeem i t from utter m onotony. Ever smce leaving iler id a , we had kept th e h igh road, and
were constantjy m eeting muleteers, and other
travellers, w ith whom, accordiug to tbe pleasant custom of the country, we used to exchange salotations. One o f these parties bailed us
w ith more than common animation, accompanied
hy a pry fusion o f smiles and gestures, crying
out at th e same time, “ Placentia! P lacen tia !”
having neen us, it appeared, previously in that
ueiglilwurliood. T hey were then on their way
into th is oil-growing country, and, having completed their purchases, were now returning
home into the northern wilds of Estremaduia.T he day was so warm, that any chance strip
o f shade ^ o n g th e way-side proved most w elcome, Before reaching Zafra, we passed the tow n o f Todos los Santos (A ll Saints), girdled
w ith a belt o f gaidims and orchards, in a high
state o f cultivation.Zafra nestles under the w n th em slope o f the
hill, which, on the north, overh an g Los Santos, and is one o f the hest country*towns we have
seen anywhere in Spain. I t is thriving and
clean, w ith an excellent boardini^house, kept b y very civil, attentive people, ICowhere indeed
were we better off, than at Zafra; for, in
addition to the comfort o f Inige, well-furnished
rooms, we enjoyed, and in good tim e ttx>, the rare luxury of a roast leg of m utton, which
PorkisR had cleverly managed to cook in the
frying-pan, and as i t was no bigger than a
similar jo in t o f EngHsh lamb, we consumed it
to th e very bone w ith great satisfactiun und
thankfulness.
N on e but those, who have made a riding-toor
Fropend. ^85
in th is liun|,^y land, tho very name o f which
Pord w ittily derives from av<iviof, destitute, can
nnderstand the important aspect th e commis*
sariat assumes in the incidents o f each day.In other countries, scenery, art, antiquities,
national manners, are naturally th e principal objects o f a tourist’s consideration. Inns, dinners, and such like necesFitios o f o\ir lower nature, m ay safely be taken for granted; they
aro sure to turn up, sooner or later, without taking much thought about them . In Spain, however, such ploasaat freedom from care would
ii«ue in starvation pu r ei nimplc. W e tried it
&nco, and were so thoroughly dissatisiied with the result, that we never repeated th e experi*
ment-One o f the first things that strike» a reader
o f Ford, unversed in co9o9 de Espnna, is the
pertinacity w ith which he insists on attention
to the pro vend. W h ile making out your route, and acquiring other preliminary information, you become perfectly bored with the incessant repetition o f th is advice, which the Handbook
elevates to th e d im ity o f a fundamental principle; and, liko m ost novices, you decry the
w a rn in g o f experience as b o much “ tedious
prattle.” B ut ere you have been a week in the
saddle, you discover tlie greatness o f your error, you feel to th e fu ll th e tm th o f the defmifrio)», “ Man ia a cooking animal,” and dnring the remainder o f your sojourn in Spain, “ the Art o f D ining ” w ill rank in yonr tuind as only
accond to the Fine Arts,
T liis w ill account for th e prominence occupied hy the commiaaariat in the record of moat Spanish tours. One author» jmd he, too, a
Fellow o f Trinity C oU e^, Camhf\dg;e, actually calls his book after a well-known national dish, an incontestable proof o f th e intcro&t w ith
w hich tho <;uhnary department is iuvGstt.*d in
th e eyes o f wanderers through the Peninsxila!L et th is then be m y apology for so frequentl}'
introducing the subject. A tour in Spain, which
omits all reference to the proTend, m ay he pleasant reading for fairies, elves, and other sprites, to whom the sensation o f huugoi is unknow n; bnt to subatantial humanity, svitii its daily
necessities, sueh a book w ill he only a delusion
and a snare, g iv ing no information on one im portant particular, nor showing th e reader how
he m ay traTt l through the country without
coming to an untim ely end,i cannot a bettor idea of tho supcricd*
civilization o f Zafra, than by stating that it
actually contains a wMcli waa kept by a
very gtxxl-DatuTed old dame, whose cellar rap- plied our slender storps w ith d few bottles of
ih e n y . A t intcrrals during the ni^ht, 1 had
heard raricus sonnde in the hoiuje, us i f some of
th e inmates were still up, and, on inquiring in th e motnrng what had been going on, was told
that two o f the women eat up the live-long niglit
to dry and iron some lineu o f ours, which, at
Merida, had been sent home w et as it came
irom th e Guadi^ia, and waa now in danger of becoming m ild ew o i T he payment received for
th is seasonable service does not, T think, detract from the good-nature o f th e action, moro esp<í- cially in a country where industry ifl supposed
not to be too common.Before settm g off next day (November 9) f«»
Monasterio, we w ent to see the old eastle, built
by th e Figueroas family, hut now, we- under
stood, jn the possession o f the ih ique de Medina Cell. JiVom th e battlements we gained a v m j
pretty view o f the town, whieh, enclosed by
gardens and olive groves, lies sheltered and
snug under th e low billw that screen it ftx>m the north. One o f tho m ost conspicuous objects is
the huU'ring, a building we hardly expected to
find in a remote country town, o f some five
thoasond eonls. The taste for buli-figliting
gccms, however, to increnso as we approach
Andalusia; and ye«torday, at Andramalejo, we
noticed quite an extensive P lcsa del Toroft, aug- gefiting ih e notion that, in these part», agriculture and tauromachy Üouri&h in aniicable com
panionship.There was tim e only for a hasty inspection
o f tiie town, w ith its smart drapers’ shops (the pet line o f business in Spain), one of which wc
entered. I t waa arranged with great taste, and
opeued into a patio , or Moorish court, in the centre of the house, winch looked charmingly
bright and gay, w ith marble fountain and gold- Ssh, orange trees and beds o f violets. A t
another, we bought an almanac for 1^60, and, on comparing i t w ith an Englisli one, found
that in Estremadura, daring November, the
day is longer, by an hour and eighteen m inutes, than in England at the same season, an
inmiense advantage to wayíáring people like
ns.Ohve groves afford the only relief to the
m onotony o£ the great corn-plaina extending
from Zafra tc Monasterio. I t ia a land o f com
and oil, where farmers thrive, and travellerB are
bored.W e were now travelling along what is styled
b y courtesy a highway, being such, however, only by fits and starts; aa a mile o f good
road was often succeedcd by a league or so o f holes, ruts, aud quagmires, where pa^^sengers in
the diligence arc obliged to hohl on like grim
death, i f they wonid escape a simultaneous dia- location o f their wh/>Ie system. Spanish road- making, except on the B oyal lines, which are
generally oxcdJent, appears to be an intermittent tever, w ith intervals o f varying and uneer- tffin duration. W hile the fit lasts, a m ile or
tw o, here and there, are constructed in an ad*
mirable manner, the adjoining portions heing
left in suuh deplorable condition, that, on
approaiihing them, you seem to he suddenly
exchanging a good firm road ior a ploughed swam]), where any araount of disaster may beM you.
Several tim es to-day I was ^ together In doubt, being somewhat ahead o f the party, whether I was still in the road, or hm1 divLTgcd
in to th e adjaecnt fields, as, In &ct, even diJi- genetis are often obliged to do, to avoid Rome
fdough o f deepoud m ote than commonly dan-
u
î ç o Sj/anisA Roads.
gérons. M aiiy of th e rarriagc-ioads in Spain enable one to realise what peril» and diffieultie«
used to beset the t r a T c U c r in England in the
days o f onr forefethers, and how nnconscions we
a ie of the hlesaingB we daily enjoy in tlie excellence of oup highways.
C H A P T E R XXVTTT.
T T was a long ride to Monasterio, and when
we roaehcd i t more than two honrs after
n ightM l, it was to find the very worst a4x:ommo*
dation we had yet fellen in w ith anywhere. Short ot' ly ing on tho floor, nothing conJd be
worse, and as i t wus in a private house, to
w hich our host at Zaira had given na an intri>- duction, wc could not, w ithout perhaps g iving
offence, have rcconrsc to the various expedients for bettering our condition, which woold have
been available in a posada. Out letter o f introduction was addressed to the mnnicipal iiecretary o f tlie pkcf^, a funerionary som ething like the
town-clerV o f an iilnglLsh borough, who, having
no sufficient accommodation in his ow n house, tiansferriid ns to the hospitality o f liis nuirricd
daught»T, for whom he did tha bononrs after a Tashion perfectly overwliclmiui? to ns wayworn
and bungn' travellers. »Siubad the Sailor’s Oldu 2
2^2 A Mmicipai Secrftary.
Man o f tlic Sea was liardly a greater Ixne to
th a t “ ancicnt mariner," than th is fjentleman
proved to ua tLat evening. H e had th e most
confirmed haH t o f incessant repetition I ever
olworved in any person. W ith in the apace of
leas than half an hoiir, he told lis five or six
tim es oTcr, that ho was Secretary to th e M unicipality o f Monastcrio adding once (what, to do
him justice, he did not repeat), that one CTQall head — hia own — contained all the -wiadoin, learning, and intellect o f the whole corporation; that he remembered Lord W ellington, Ijord
Bereeford, and General D oyley, being upon terms o f intim ate friendship w ith the latter;
that not long ago the ex-K ing of Bavaria
stayed at his house, and gave th e postilions
much money, &c., &e., w ith an infinity o f other
“ bald, disjointed eliat."I t was a marvel to hear precisely th e same
sentences come rolling out of h is m onth in Bono- rous Castilian, again and again, w ith hardly a
single variation, so that, in a ahort time, wo
could tell exactly what waa com ing next. Thia
infliction we bore w ith the patience o f despair, but when he insisted on ealliDg Purkiea away
from th e frying-pan, for the fourth or fifth time, to interpret to us his municipal dignities and
ACc^uaintaneo w itli great personages, both regal ajid m ilitary, we really could stand it no longer, and managed to convey to the old gcntlcrmui how sensible we felt o f h b high position and
difftinguishcd antecedente, though we b y no
meana desired selfishly to monopolize hia society, or to detain him from h is iam ily circle at that
late hour. H e was good-natured enough to act on the hint, and, to onr great relief, betook him*
se lf to the group assembled round th e kitchen
fire, where, let ns hope, he found more w illing
audience.A ll th is time, a crowd anrromided th e hoTifle»
door, and any opportunity o f peeping into the
den tliat served us for a sitting-room, was e-agcrly
cmbraccd hy the inquiriug spirit« o f the place, a man b e lo n j^ g to the family presiding over
the eih ib itioii, and ejecting cach spectator in
turn from his “ quoin o f vantage ” as soon as he
liad enjoyed a good stare at the strangers.N ex t morning, to our surprise and relief, the
old gentlem an never showed face. B ut when
th e b ill waa presented, his non-appearance was
pertectly accomited for, ho heing probably
aware, from previous acquaintance w ith E n glishmen, tliat we were hardly likely to submit to the extortion his daughter w as meditating.
294 Xhtacc^nUible
in her rnonstrous demand o f a gold piccc, more
than sliteen sliillings, for each o f our three
heda, th e servante having Lad none whatever. N o r was he far wrong in h is surmise, os even
onr veneration for the intim ate friend o f General B oyley, and Sccrctary to th e M nncipality
o f MûnHâtcrio, did not enable us to overcome
our ropu^naneo to so preposterous an over*
chaise, from which we finally struck off onc- tliiid , and then parted on th e best term s w ith
onr host and hostess.W e were now (November 10th), only two
days' ride from Seville, and aa man and beaet b e g ^ to req\die a little rest, our arrival there
waa regarded by th e whole party as the «¿«w««
bonum o f present Oiistcnec.
The muleteere, Marcos and Tomas, showed today nnusual alacrity in getting on, aj^d belabour
ed their donkeys w ith an earnestness that waa
altogother unaccountable, until some one recol« k'Cted an incident of the preceding night, which
seemed to explain this imwonted e n c i^ . A very
euspicioua-looking individual, having h is face
enyeloped in the mnifler o f his cloak, passed ns
w ith th e uhnal salutation o f the road, n ot long
before we entered Mon.'ufteiio. W e eet him
down aa a ra k tv , or footpad, th e low est cla^a
l% f Turning o f ike Waters. 295
o f Spanish highwaymon, and he Re«mcd on
the look-out for any cliance enterprise that
m ight turn up. A t that m oment our caTd- cadc was hy no means in compact order, we
three bein|ç conaiderahly ahead, then came
Swainson and Dlfick, while PurkiRs and the
mnleteers brought up the rear. O f them he
requested a lig h t for h is cigar, a very common manœuvre w ith these gentry, as it allows close
approach without exciting suspicion, and gives
an opportumty o f examining at leisure th e con
dition aud numbers o f a party. This inspection
convinced him apparently, that i t would be
nnsafe for him single-handed to attaclc the three, and he stuJked off, leaving a profound
impression on th e minds o f Marcos, and Tomaa, o f which uext day we reaped th e benefit.
From Za£ra wo had been gradually approachin g th e out-lying ranges of the Sierra Morcna, and at M onasterio reaehcd a point, which in
W ales would be called “ the turning o f the
waters,” th© northern streams seeking the
Guadiana, while th e southern take a contrary direction, and fall into the Guadalquivir. Every
now and then we camc upon scenes o f rare. heanty, awakening recollections o f m any a clioicc
landscape on the canvas of the old masters.
Glorious SuMsel.
Verdant glades stretched fer into th e rpc^ggee. o f iles'Woods, where hrooks, pure aa crystal, glittering in th e sunshine, meandered through
brates o f luxuriant underwood; while across
the overlapping folds o f gentIy*eloping hills, to
w hich distance imparted a- tinge o f m ingled
hlne and pnrple, w ith here and there a naked
strip o f bright red soil, such tem pting view s
opened to th e south, lu iin g ua onward to tho
sparkling d im e o f Andalusia. A hove us
gleamed a sky of cloudless aTure, and so fervid
was th e noontide heat, that we gladly availed
ourselves o f the shade o f Rome wayside trees
for a brief protection from its power.This lovely day closed w ith a sunset, o f which
n o words o f mine can give more than the
fcehlcst description, though it is pleasant to
refresh th e impressions i t has left on the memory. T he western sky glowed w ith
•> clouds of fill tlnctnre CoDfosed, comminglcd, munuJly inflamed,
together "
into a vision o f such unearthly loveliness, that
as they floated iu a dazzling expanse o f sapphire
fiiià amber, we seemed to he gazing on a sea of
glory studded w ith “ th e Tôles o f the Blessed I Kvery moment th e sky hecamc sufiused w ith
JntiG i^lions. 497
some new marrul o f co) curing, which, grudnally
fa<liug away w ith th e declining sun, gave place
to an Ulnmiimtioii of purest w h ite; while through the o u t , belted w ith a zone o f fire, Like a Queen came forth the moon, patdug up
th e heavens.I t was not until we Iiad passed iionquillo, our
halting-placc th e u ipht before entering Seville, that we traversed anythin<? worthy o f being dignified w ith the title o f a mouiitain-pass, and even
then i t appeared in a very m ild form, clothed
w ith dwarf forests o f arbutus iu flower, and gum-
eistus, and directly ovcriooking the broad plain
o f tha Guad^quivlr. D uring the last fsw days we had been indnlging our imagination with
ideal pictures o f almost tropical scenery, which
Seville was to realize, and had decked out
its environs w ith groves o f bananas, palm
trees, and other choicest specimens o f oriental vegetation. There were to be leagues o f orange and eitron woods skirting otu path on each
side us wc rode along; while cacti, aloes, and
such - like inferior produetiona, m ight appropriate whatever apace their betters had left
unoccupied. W e quite revelled by anticipation in th e delicioua softness o f a southern
climate.
298 Duenchantment.
N ever was uoa^^natiun so unmcrcifally
Bnubbed by tin? inexorable rcaEty o f facts \ For
aftpr descending the slopes o f the Sierra M!orena
we foand onrselves in tbe m ickt o f a m ost un- poetical landscape o f common-place com-fioldi!, wbicb, nnvaried by tree, or bed^e, or ebrub, strctchcd out before ua apparently to tb e ve iy
gates o f tbe city, dispvUing in a m oment the
fond dreams o f beauty whicb our imapination
bad conjured up. As for tbe mucb*vannted
Guadulqxiivir, that ‘'ancient r iver” o f Iberian
romance, it bas here no more character or variety than tbe m ost ordinary canal, and its
waters, a ll tlie tim e we sojourned on ita hanks, looked like notlnng so much as a mixture of
diluted mud, and brickdurt.A ltogetlicr our approach to Seville rudely
discncbanted us o f m any a fair vision, and the sallies o f Im agination w hich bad caused ua th is
disappointment, received a ehock tbat was not
soon forgotten •, so that for tb e future, whenever
w© drew near any spot o f world-vride fame, we
allowed ber less liberty o f ontrunning onr tardy
steps, and investing it w ith her own bright
Ikucs, only to mock xis afterwards b y tb e contrast between tb e actual and tbe ideal. W e
still felt, however, u£ we dismounted at the
Enter SeviUf. 299
H ôtel de Londres, how much côuse we had
for thankfulness, in having thns accomplished
th e firrt portion o f our joarney w ith such perfect aucceaa, tho whole CAvalcade, hipcd atid
quadruped, ariving safe and soxmd, somewhat wayworn, it ia true, “w ith the m any leagues we had travelled, hut all the more dis])osed for
thoroughly enjoying tlie interval o f rest we bad promised ourselves w ithin the walla of
Seville-
C H A P T E R X X IX .
ON E o f the m ost interesting contributiona
to the perfection o f m odem mapping has
bctin th e introduction o f those imaginary lines, that indicate the habitat o f the various pioduc- tions o f different countries, znineral, hotanical,
and zoological. Oue o f these lines, not generally
recognized by chartographers, we crossed on
entering Seville. Our ride through Estyemadura
had been full o f enjoyment, and in those far- reacbing solitudes, amid for^stf o f ilex, and
aromatic wastes o f gum-ciatus, we had dUcovercd
charms, uiJiuown to tbe wcll-boaten paths o f
ordinary travel, the recollection o f whieh no
lapse o f tim e can alti^ether efece. Y et even
here our pleasures were n ot without a lloy;
“ M e d i o d c l e p o m m
S oj^ t amari ^quid."
I t was a drawback moreover, which cannot fail to
Unwonted L u ^ rv , 3^’
tOToe Lome to t lie feeHngg o f every tiue-bom
Briton— we could g e t no hotter 13 From the
day w e left Madrid, to th e hoor when we passed
under the arch o f th e Pocrta Triana at Sevillo, our course had lain through a land, whore niiJli is a rarity, and hntter exists not. The excellence o f th e bread in th e South o f Spain has been
celebrated for centviriea, and we can conscientiously contribute our crumb o f evidence to the
general testim ony in ita favour. B ut what is
even th e heat htead in the world, dry.^ N o
wonder then we never fully appreciated its sweetness until wc readied Seville, where we
crossed the line o f demarcation, and re-entered
tlie K^giona o f B utter! "We did not inquire
curiously into the origin o f tliat which was set
before us, nor ask whether it had been produced
on tbe meadowy hanks o f the Guadalquivir, or
th e sunny slopes o f the Sierra Morena. Nay, wc even preserved a philosophical tranquillity,
when some one ruthlessly suggested it m ight
very ptobahly have come from climes beyond the
sea, and perhaps commenced its v o y ^ e in the tamous Core o f Cork. And, sooth to say, it ¿ad
a decided £avour of hrine, not to spocify other
peculiarities, w hich would hardly qualify i t for
appearing on an E nglish breakfaAit-table, But
iiStremadura id an admirable Reiormatory for
fastidiousness o f appotitu, and we ate o\ir ssalt and higlily-odoroua buttw , w ith as keen a zest, as i f it had been the primest Dorset, that ever
left th e daiiy'fkrms o f the V ale o f Blaekmore.
N o tow n in the South o f Spain is more visited tban Seville. A ll sorts o f people go there, -with
all sorts o f m otives. The artist goes to fill his
portfolio w ith the pictnresque forms and showy costumes of Majo, and Maja. Tho lover of
paintiugs makes a p il^ m a g e there to see M u
rillo in a ll hia fflory. T lie seasons o f th e Ch'orch, Cliristmas, I lo ly Weeir, and Easter, attraet thousands from devotion, or curiosity; the reUgious
cereniouie# of th e place being, it is said, o f peculiar interest, and unrivalled, except at Bomo.
Some even go to Seville for tho sake o f the excellent shooting, whieh abounds almost w ithin idghtol its walls. A s for onrselves, tho\igh we were
neither artists, nor professed connoisseurs, neither
sportsmen nor devotees, yet donhtless, when the
idea o f going there first enti>red our minds, we
felt a laudable desire, and foroiod exeellent reso
lutions, to make the best use o f onr visit, by
seeing all the lions. B ut. w ith th e changeableness in(!idental to poor hum anity, tw o o f n s at least approached the gutcs in a vpry altt*red
H ô tel dfi. Londres. 303
mood. The long rides, rough ways, and short*
uomuiûne o f the laßt three w cets, had corisider- ably blunted the keen edge o f our enthueiasm
for sight-seeing, and when we found ourselves
securely established am ong the creatnre-comlorts
o f the H otel dc Londres, onr first concern was " to take our ease in our inn,” and restore
üiliauÄted nature.Thift hot^l Î8 h y far th e best wc stayed at in
any part o f Spain. I t stands on one side o f a
new square {formed by the removal o f a convent), La P k z a N o e va, which, from its ertent and
openness, may be called the Inngs o f Seville. The only defect in the appointments o f the hotel seums alniust to belong to the cliTnate, and wonld have passed unnoticed at another season— tlie
doors and windows were more ready to open, than to shut, and after the ranny skies, and
pleasant warmth o f th e last three weeks, we
fonnd Seville almost as rainy and cold as Madrid, w ith even fewer resonrces for m aking auch we-a- tlier hearable. A t Madrid grates are not uncommon in aitting-roDma, and though fuel is csccs-
Bively dear, you have at any rate tlie option of
paying or starving. 13ut at Seville such things
seem to be altogether unknown, and wc had to
sit iu great-coata, and other wraps, while the
only object tLat represented to us tlic grand
central point, around which an EngUshmuii’s
domeBtdo afFectione concentrate, waa a brazier of Uvt* embers, a very indiiTerent, and costly suhsti- tutc for a glow ing p ile o f best Wallacnd. In
fact, almost the only purpose the brojstro rcalJy
serves is drying linen, after i t comes from the laimdrosB ; for in Spain its condition whcu sent
home depends entirely on the state o f th e weather: i f it is dry, your shirts will he d ry ; i f
wet, they too w ill be w et, and it ia hy no means
a pleasant procès« to dry them on one s person.W o were waited upon hy a young liungarian,
for whom, on account o f h is misfortunes and
friondlessness, we soon began to feel a hearty
sympathy. H is family, which occupied a m ost rcspoetahle position in H ungary, had heen “ ont ”
in 1848, his father being one of th e patriot leaders. A t the close o f th e war th ey emigrated to th e Vnitod States, whcncc on his fether's
death the young muu had rctximed to Europe, and tindiiig no other way o f life open, had
engaged him self as waiter to th e H ôtel de
fiondres, his partial knowledge o f EngHsh being
hia chief recommendation for the post. T never saw any one more thoroughly to be pitied, not
80 much hecaus« he thought him self utterly
Y o i i t t j H u n p a r i a n . 305
&iend!oaa (for he waa yonnj^, and in tim e m ight
have made iriends), but because he seemed to have no definite relig^ious principles, or anything
wlioreon to stay h is desires and hupea. The
only feeling that stood firm amid the tum ult of
his soul wai! an intention to commit suicide, as the surest refuge from the misery and degradation that surrounded him . O f tho sin&lncaa o f
eelf-muider he had not the slightest conception, though he waa by no means devoid o f religion, without however any power apparently to apply cither ita obligations, or consolations to h is own
circumstance». L i h is present condition he could perceive nothing but intolerable degradation, out o f whieh no possible good could be educed. W e
used to have long conversations w ith him, which
no doubt relieved his mind for the moment, and he often spoke o f our stay at the hotel as the
happiest period he had known for a long tim e 3 but I fear no permanent efiect Vk ia produced, by
giving his mind a healthier tone, and at lafrt in
parting from him, we could not help feeling very
painful forebodings regpocting h is future career.Tt has been said, “ Th^re is not a moro
solemn and beautiful temple in the world than
th e great Cathedral at S<rvillc.” W e approached
i t for the first tim e through th e Patio de los
j o 6 Giralda.
Naiaiijoe, “ the Court o f Orange*tre«8,” the
larjfcst portion ictBdiniog o f tiie old Mosqiie, on tlic site o f which the p re«n t building was erected. S u e t cncloi^uree, Rhulting out w ith their
high walle th e eoundfl and sights o f the outer
worid, and solemnizing the mind ere th e ho isft o f God is actually entorcd, appear to hav« been
usually attached to Moorish places o f 'vrorahip. The original frruntain, surronnded by rows of
iriiit-ladcn orittige-tree«, etUl occupies tbe centrc o f the court, aud at th e north-eart com er rises
one of the m ost beautiful towers in Unrope, the far-famed Girtdda, the landmark and oma- m ent o f ScTille, arid tho first object the eye
josts on as you traverse the wide phun that
encircles the city. Aa i t came forth in the
frcslmesa o f its original beauty from the bauds
o f M oorish bn ilde« , few constructions could
have more perfectly united the graccfulneRS o f a
minaret >v th the solid f in n n m of a tower, its
elevation o f one hundred and eighty-five feet
being relieved throughout by windows o f extreme elegance, and onriched w ith panelling o f
shallow arcados, and tracery o f varied pattern, w ithout sacriiicing in any degree th e impression
o f strength and solidity. B ut, in spite of
Ford’s encomium, I cannot admire what he calls
•‘th e rich filigice belfry, which, elegant aud attractixc beyond deecriptinn, was m ost happily
added in 1&68 bv Fernando Huiz.” I n Toy
humble opiiiioB, “ this happy addition” simply
dpoils th e rest o f tho tower.I t ie tim e, however, to enter th e Cathedral.
Passing through a narrow corridor termijiftted
by an old horse-shoe aroh, yon emerge in to the solem n gloom that veils the interior c f the grandest ecelesiaitical baild ing in Spain. Thu effect
is oTerwliuhning. T he sudden transition from
th e bright sunshine o f the outer air yirodnoes a sensation o f darliness; a ll is confused and indis*
tinct, while th e eye, instinctively seeking relief, looVa upward to the eloreatory, where, through
windows few and small, a feeble ray o f daylight
com es struggling in. B y degrees tlic magnifi
cent proportions o f th e building reveal them selves, and m th e awe-stmcV sense o f majesty aud grandeur, which almoat oppiessefl tlie mind, you unconsciously acfcnowledpfe the supremacy of
Pointed Architecfnre, T ill 1 stood w ithin the Cathedral at Seville, I had coiisidcTcd th e X)u- omo at Milan internally th e m ost av^e-inspiring
building I ftTer saw. B ut thongh it is hardly
fair to place the impressions o f yesterday side
by side w ith those whose freslmess ha« beenX 2
e& ccd by the lapse o f years, there can bc little
doubt that the interior grandeur, and solenmiiy
o f th is chureh is not approached by it® Italian
rival, to whieh i t has so frequently been compared. Each is justly condemned on account of
ita departure from th e atriet principles o f the
style, to which it professe<lly bebngs. Y et oven
Fei^ifison allows Seville Cathedral to be “ so
grand, bo spacious, and so richly formshed, that i t is ahuost impofirihle to criticize, when the re- sa lt is 60 splendid and imposing.” In fact, our
E nglish cathedrals, w ith all their strict wihe- rence to th e principles of true Gothic, do not
b y a)\y means so thoroughly reali?^ th e idea of
temples dedicated to th e service o f the Most H igh , from having heen stripped o f so many
accessories indispem«ahle to the fu ll development o f Pointed Architiicture, such as painted glass, sculpture, wood-earving, embroidery, mural decoration, metal-work, and other hrauchea of
Ecclesiastical A rt. 'Without these (at least in
flome measure), the nohlest hnilding w ill present a hald, cheerlesa aspect, provocative o f neither revercnce, nor devotional feeling; while, on tho
contrary, so powerfully do th e varied creations
o f A rt aiTect the mind, that aa soon aa you enter
the Cathedral at SevUle, where (apart from
Romiáli peculiarities, indicative equally o f l^ad
taste and unsound theology,) every tiling the eye rests upon luuTnoni^es w ith tho ^rcat puipoae oi th e building, its relij^ions spirit at once takes
possession o f th e rouI, and “with th e Patriarch
o f old, yon feel, “ H ow dreadful ia th is place! T h is is none other but the house o f God, this
is tlio Gate of H eaven 1 ”Every department o f A rt luw contributed to
the decoration o f th is Cathedral. Miirillo, and
his enemy, Juan Valdes Leal, Morales, Znr*
buran, Roelas, and V ainas painted for i t ; M ontañés, the Phidias o f Seville, aad Alonzo Cano, his greatest pupU, enriched i t w ith their sculptures, while its painted glass, though by no
meaus o f the best date, is yet goi^eous in
colouiTug, and h igh ly effective- Tt abounds in
superb Retablos (one o f which, above tlic high
altar, would, o f itself, Toakc any other cathodral famoug), m i^ if ic c n t tombs, chureh-plate of
untold value, some o f i t th e production o f Juan d'Atfe, the Cellini o f Spain, and last but not
le ^ t , iron-wotk o f exquisite design and execution, a species o f ihurch ornamentation, in
which Spain seems to e ire l all the rost of
Cliristendom. In fact, you are reminded at every
turn of Fei^usaon's remark, that at the very
period when the B efom ation )rail brought both
the building and decoration of chuTches to ft
complete stand-atill throughout every other por*
tron o f Europe, at that moment on increased
stimulus was given to Ecclesiastieal A rt in
Spain. “ H ere th e old faith was never shaken. T he countiy had hitely become, h y the marriage
of Perdinand and Taahclla, for th e tirst tim e, a
united monarchy. In thoir reign the diRcovery
o f ColumhMS hud opened to Spain a nevf world
ajid flic m ost brilliant proapects- T he ilnal expulsion of the flo o rs had thrown into the hands
of the Chnroh unhoundid wealth and power, and at the same tim e inspired it w ith th e zeal, which has ever prompted the expenditure of
auch wealth on monumenta for public use, before
it beciime absorbed in individual Relfshness- A ll these causes made th is the great cathcdial*
building age o f Spain."
C H A P T E R r X X .
’ V T E A liL Y every m orning daring our ten
- - ' days’ Ktay at t h é I l ô t e l de Londies, we used
to heai from abont nine to twelve, in the rooms
overhead, the various sounds, vocal and instrumental, that accompany a regular “ practice,” and occasionally a similar exercise was repeated in
th e evening. The softer and sweeter notes being nnable to penetrate the intervening floor, what w e generally caaght were decidedly fdtüsimi ; so that while wc «ould not but adinire th e e n e r ^
anâ diligence o f the performers, our love of mnaic was more tantalized than gratifiüd. On
asking th e waiter the meaning o f these mciùtécs
mimcaled. he to ld ns, tbat the prim a donna of the Seville opeïa, an Englishwom an, occnpied
an apartment above 0 3 ; and soon after, a yonng
E n^ishm an staying in th e H otel, whose acquaintance we had made at Madrid, gave us so
lavouïttblü an account o f ih e lady, and said so
m uch about tiic mdifforent reception elie had
m et w ith at Seville (England and the En^liuJi being at present in the lowest depths o f Spanish
■nnpopularity), that we determined patriotically
to go to th e theatre, by way o f expressing our
sym pathy for our countiywoman. W e were
unlucky in tlie opera, the “ TroYatore," nor was
the performance that night, we were told, an average one ; but after making aU fair allowances, it is impossible to im agine anytiiing mure
dead-alive, and injicnBihlo tiian tb e whole audience, boxes, p it, and gallery. I heartily pitied any one condemned to sing to snch an assemblage
o f stocks and stones.M ost people picture the Southern Spaniard as
a gay animated creature, breathing an atzaosphere
o f poetry, and sentim ent ; to whom m usic and
singing are an element o f existence necesaary
as v ita l air. The peasantry exhibit, no doubt, m any indications o f such a temperament but
anythm g more dull and uuimpaseioned tliaii tho upper clashes cannot be conceived ; and from m y
observation no community, which goes to the
expense o f m aintaining an opera company every
winter, can have less “ music in its soul,” than
the citiiena o f Seville, who give one more the idea o f a colony o f Ihitchm en transplanted to
the banhs o f tlio Guadalquivir, than the childTen
o f fiery Andalusia. Indeed, in walijing throngh
th e streets no one can fail to notice th e wooden, eypressionlefts character o f nearly every face, each
having precisely the same physiognom y, complexion, features, and luck of animation aa its
neighhoxir. Aud as I am inditing veritable
factft, not m ating up pretty pictures, I am obliged w ith extreme pain to state, that even the
womankind o f Seville, despite tlic fictions of poet and painter, presented to m y eyes (which, I
znust own, are but dim-sighted) the same uninteresting uniformity. W hat others have seen
let them describe; but tor m y own part, I can only
say that the ladies o f SeviUe, as I saw them, have none o f that supercmincnt attractiveness
iO often imputed to them by travellers. There
seema no variety o f feature and expression, and
Donna Bahina, who is at th is moment eroasin^
the Plaza, ia an exact duplicate in dress and general appearance o f Bolores standing on a balcony
opposite; both o f them being mere reproductions
o f Donna Carmen, whom wc m et an hour ^ o driving near tho Cathedral. Thia is all the
more remarkable, bef^ause th e costumc is so
picturesque, and th e almost universal black tells
imm ensely in favour o f the wearers, imparting
3 14 Uüfflùk Adverti^menf.
to aJi a refinement, o f w H cli coloinred dresses
would deprive the great majority. The Spanish
Udios ccrtMnIy excel in eyes, cyelushes, and eyebrows, and when you add nmgnificent hair,
glossy as a raven » w ing, and then display its bright luxuriance w ithont bonnet, or any save
the lightest head-dress, you have in m ost instances emimerated tbe principal attraotions of
Spanish beauty.The lacqm is df, place, a being seldom found in
Spanish towns, flonTishesin Seville. Ford mentions th e names o f several- W c found Joseph Serfaty, a compound o f Spaniard and Irishman,
very civil aud obliging. H is English, however, is so peculiar, both in phraseology and pronun
ciation, that sometim es i t was a severe trial to
keep one’s coimtenancc. i'rom internal evidence, I should say he mnjst have been th e
author o f th e following advertisement, spelling
incluRivc, whieh I m et w ith one day :—
“ H O T E L D E U E U K O P E .“ CALLI » is IA S SIBRPPR, SËVILLE.
“ This splendid establishment, that ha« been
(rofighout repaired, and m any improvements in
troduced, is q ferd to th e public in general, it
Aìcazftr. j 15
hecin^ cousidorcd one of tlie best in Spain; its
situation is centrai, and ncer all tbe public L^om
and Promenades. T lic most distingnished Tisi- tors Iiave favoured i t w ith patronafje.”
O f conrse we went to see the celebrated Alca- zar, which stands not &r from the Cathedral, withdrawn from th e buay lia\uits o f men into a
sequestered space, which, including gardens, &c., &c., covers a considerable extent o f ground. Authorities on M oorish architcctxire inform us
tliat it is v e iy qnestionablo how much o f the
present building is th e work o f the Moors, so
many are th e alterations and additions introduced into tlifi original design by successive pos- aesaors. Several parta, indeed, are known to
have Ixtfn bu ilt by Ferdinand and Isabella, Charles V-, and others, eaeh im itating, however, jnore or less succeRsfiiUy, the various characteris*
ties of the M oorish style. W ithout attempting
t<» deaeribc the different portions o f th e palace, or to analyze wliat ie old and what o f later
introduction, 1 w ill on ly aay that th e general effect is quite enchanting. W e passed through
about tw enty rooms, each more lovely than ita
neighbour, where the fancy and inventiveness of Oriental A rt lias expros>«d itself in every form
o f gracc and beanty \ and when the charms of
colour are snperadded, in hues S0mc‘tiai6S rich,
sometimes o f a more delicate tone— a pale, cold
green here, w ith there a scarlet or crimson of dazzling brilliancy, succeeded by blue o f deepest ultramarine, or ssoftened down by a mellow
brown—-while an exquisite taste and refinement tompers th e whole into faultless harmoiiy, an
eflect ia produced on whieh the eye dwells with ever*increasing pleasure. Marvellous indefd
(thought wc, as we gazed on tin s trinmpb of
colouring) murt be the beauty of th e Alhambra, i f it eieccd the glories o f the Aleazar \
The loveliness o f the plax», however, has not
exemptifd it from w itnessing scenes of horror,
one o f the m ost revolting having been the murder, by order o f Pedro th e Cruel, o f h is half- brother, D on Padriqne, M aster o f tlie Order of Santiago, which, according to the description of
th e old Spuuish ballad, was attended w ith circumstances o f peculiar atrocity.
N oth ing can be more attractive tlum the
view s from several o f th e rooms over th e gar
dens, laid cmt b y Charles V. in the iimiue^entQ
style, w ith fish-tanfcs and tbuntains, alcoves and sunny terraces. This was by far the prettiest
spot we saw in Seville ; and in spring, when the
feordcrs, i t is to be hoped, are put into trim
order, and the -walks weeded, a more delicious
retreat cannot bc conceived. I m nst not forget to add that restorations, in excellent taste, hare
heea commenced in aome portions of the Alca
zar, and in others completed.W e could not help remarking how few worship
pers were generally to he seen in the Cathedral, eTen the women, who, in m ost l io m ^ Cathohc countries, are so regular in their devotioha, attendiog the services in comparatively small numbers- N or was their behaviour always
reverent, i t being by no means uncommon to
gee a female, on her knees, holding quite a
lengthened conversation w ith some chance hy-
staiider. B ut, on one occasion, we saw the whole of th e vaat interior filled to overfiow-
ing.On Sunday, November 20, a grand fvnrion in
hononr o f th e V iig iu took place, to implore her
blessing on the war with Morocco, which, at that moment, seemed to be the sole subject of
thought aud conversatiou, from one end of
Spain to the other. T he principal* feat\ire in
the ceremony was a multxtudjDoua procession ot
k ity and clergy, carrying an image of the
V irgin through th e Cathedral and its precincts.
3 i 8 }f'ar v iih M o ro ^ .
in the midst o f ineeiin^ tliOTiteuds. W e had
gone for the purpose o f seeing the sight, w ithout
being at all aware o f tb e nature o f th e procession ; but when we diecoverpd that all persons
present would be expected to h te e l w liile the
ima^e passed by, we w ent away, and did not, as
tho French would say, at the ccremcny.I f i t be not idolatry to perform to aa image
such an act o f devotion as /hteeHny, which thon-
i^ands o f Protestants w ill not do (at least in th#?ir pnblic worship), eren to th e One True God, i t is difficult to understand w hat is to be considered a brcach o f th e second commandment.
B n t though we could not remain in th e Cathedral, we fltili enjoyed th e sigh t o f the vast crowd, which a ll Seville and its neighbourhood
waa pouring forth, in confinent streams, towards the grand centre o f attraction; and th e myriads of
women, clothed in the cyei-graceiul majAÜlla and
hii9fjuim, formed a perpetually-changing picturc o f national physiognom y and cosf^iroe, wliieli wc
thought onrselvea roost fortunate in witnessing.Seville is to receive the prisoners that arc io
be taken in the im pending war w ith Morocco, an
arrangement exhibiting a daring ohlivlonsness
o f Mrs. Olaase'fl immortal recipe, though i t is not without its parallel in th e history o f other
nations. In England there ie a disposition to regard th is war in a ludicrous aspect— ag a ehild-
U h p laying at soldiers; whereas to persons on
the spot it would appear to be th e expressiou of a strong national teeling, which, at the present moment, fills erery Spani^d’s mind w ith a coin- binod impulse o f patriotic and religious enthusiasm, prompting them , now that they can afford
the expense o f a war, to show forth in the sight
o f Christendom that they are the non «degenerate
descendants o f those men who drove the ilo slem
ou t o f Jiurope, and were th e foremost soldiers of
their time. In faot, th e whole nation, w hich has
Over been prono to dr&am grandly, fancies itself to be undertating a new Crusade; ts ready to
make great sacrifices for its furtherance; and, w ith a second Isabella on th e thionc, aspires to
repeat the eoujpest of (Jranada on African soil. K or can one contemplate witliout respect and
sym pathy the spectacle o f a nation like Spain, striving, after centuries o f decay, to reinstate
itself in the estimation o f mankind by recoverin g its former renown; and they are disposed
to he very angry w ith England at the present
moment, because, ift our endeavours to prevent thx$ war, they can see nothing but a desire to
shut them out o f tlie only field o f foreign con-
quest that haa bceu open to them for genera-
tions-A latent feeling seems always to reside in a
Spaniard’s mind, that foreigners look down
on th e ii nation and cou n try; h^nce arise apparently both their shyness and th c ii hahit of
boasting, the latter being perhaps nothing more
(in intention, at least), than self-assertion carried to an unduo extent, hy w ay of doing them- Relves th e justice w hich is denied them by
others. In th is they greatly rcBCmble the W elsh. Their shyness is very remarkahle. W e
used to notice tliat a Spaniard hardly ever staics
at a stranger, ntkless he can do so unobserved; and i f discovered, w ill avert h is face, as i f detected ill some guilty action. I t is th is national Rhyness wliich makes them so stifi’ and ahnipt
in their manner; but, as soon aa they are
treated an gentUmen (which all, down to m uleteers and peasants, consider themselves), their stiffness at once vaniaheR, and their manner be
comes cordial and attractive.T3nijlislLinen who know the country intimately,
speak in the highest terms of the lower classes, and th e rural population genorally, and it is
a circnmstance greatly to their credit, that, in
all our wanderings through town and country.
M erced OaUery. 3 2 1
along the liigliways and byways o f the land, from Bayoniic to Gibraltar, we never saw more
than fonr men who were in the least intoxicated. I f thoy would only leave otf those tw o national sins— bttd lan ^ ^ ge , aud miause o f th e fcnife—
they would Ix; some o f the finest peasantry iu the world,
Seville, the birth-place o f Murillo, is said to possess some o f his best paintings, and an
entire saloon at the Meretid, tb e Museo o f the
town, is monopolized by his worts. B u t none
o f them ^ave m e half the pleasure I enjoyed in
looking at the “ Concepcion," and other pictures
h y h im in th e Madrid Museo, and altogetlier I waa grievously du^appointed w ith th e Seville
colli'ction. W hether i t was the slovenly, neglected ftir o f the desecrated chureh, which forms
th e principal portion o f the Museo, or the
hejglit at whicli the pictures arc hung under a
dim iight, or whether tho fault wa^ in myself, the result was equally unsatisfactory. I derived
little enjoyment from m y v isit to the Mere^d, and there heing some difficulty in i?etting ad- mittanoe, so unlike th« facility w ith which you
can at a ll tim es enter the noble M useo at Madrid. 1 never went there again.
Two private eoilectioijs, however, aflbrded us
a great treat j one at the pal aw o f the rhio dc Montpwnsier, and anottor at the liouse o f a ^ n -
tleman in the town, T tc former contains four m a^ itioen t Zurbarans, bought in England when
Louis Pliilippe’a gallery waa sold in 1848, duiing
that terrible season o f commercial distress winch
rendered the parchaac o f first-class paintinps a
luxury few could indulge in, 'Inhere were several fine specimens o f other masters, which we
longed to see more at leisure ; hut th e attendance
o f a footman, huwever civil and ob lip ng, is fatal
to the full enjoyment o f pictnros.'fh e othor eollectior, tiiough compressed
into a small room, eontaina, in m y poor judgm ent, some ferems o f exquisite beauty. A St, Francis by M urillo comes first. The holy man
on his knees receives into hie arms the infant
Saviour, his countenance lighted up w ith such a
m ingled exprcssiosi of love and devotion, reverence and tenderness, that he eeems no longer to
belong to earth, but to be ahsorbod io the raptxires o f some ccatatic vision. A St, Sebastian hy
Tranda, struck m e as one of the mo^t ohariiiinff pajntioKs T ever saw. Such a sweet, heavenly
countenance, from which every trace of ph) sical suffering had been caat out by an expression of the m ost perfect patience and resignation, while
such wonderment as may sometimes he ohserved
in the face o f a good chihl, seemed to inquire
in mute astonishment how any onü could find
pleasure in the infliction o f pain! I t was &
picture to he gazed at for hourp. N or must I f ü i ^ a F o ly Fam ily, attrihntcd to P f^ru^o,
w ith one o f those unearthly haofcgro\ui<ls he
took so much pleasure in painting.A t the Caridad, a )dnd o f alms-house on a
large scale, I was greatly struck w ith a picture
o f Juan Valdeit Leal, the enem y and rival of
MurilJo. I l repre8ejits a bishop in h is coffin, w ith ow b and “ the creeping things man in- herite after death,” around him in th e dark
^ikult, while ahove, th e heavens are opened and
a pierc»)d iU n d comes forth holding a pair of scales, one o f them containing emhlems of earthly pleasure, the other a cross, and a heart buruing w ith D ivine love. The bahnce is perfectly a'tM, su ^ e s tio g . aa i t seemed to me, a
mnch finer moral than i f th e world had been
made to preponderate and teaching that in the
ministers o f Christ there m ust be far more than respectable blamelessncsa— entire devotion, and
finrrender o f the whole heart. I t was altogether
a fearful illustration o f our Lord’s words (líeve-
lation, iii. 15), “ I know th y works, that thou
1
art neither cold nor h o t; T would tliou wert
cold or h ot.”Tlie bouRes at Seville are proverbially pic
turesque, and, thoogh wc did n ot SC6 them at th e right season for appreciating tho foil extent
o f their attractions, yet even in Novem ber we
could not ^ i l to admire the skill w ith which the
requirements e f a sontlicm climatc are converted in to elements of bcaaty. Moorish arcliitectnre
seems to possess th is qnality in common w ith
Ch^thic, that while nothing is introduced merely
for th e sake o f ornament, essential features are
BO treated as to become in th e h ighest degree
ornamental. Passing through a kind o f porch
terminated b y a gate of open iron-work, which
is often o f extreme elegance, you enter the paHo, a central court, oceupying very much th e aajnc
position in the ground-plan o f the M<x>rish houses, as th e great hall used to hold in the
mansions o f th e Middle A ges, and determining
th e size and general arrangements of th e buildin g A long each o f the foiir sides o f the patio
runs a row o f columns supporting a gallery, into
whieh the rooms on the first floor open ; from
the centre o f the marble floor rises a fonntain of th e same material, em itting a ceaseless flow of
purest water, that BC*othes the ear w ith its gentle
Casa de P ih lo s. 315
lu lling sound, while flower-standa Tasea of
TÍolcta, myrtle and oran^-trees, till the air w ith
deliciosa fragrance. Covered w ith an awning, w hich is not removed t il l sansct, th e patio ia tlic general living*room of the fam ily for mote
than h a lf the year; und on summer evenings
m any a gi^np that would tell w ith cseellent ^ c o t in the arti$>t’s aketch-book, may be observed in these apartments through the Iron
cancel opening; to the street.
The m ost elaborate specimen o f domeatio
architecture we saw is th e Casa de Filatov, so
called from being hnilt, i t is said, in imitation o f Pontiuia P ilate’s house at Jeniaalem, by one
o f the greateat nobles o f the day, Fadriqn©
Enriquez de liabera, in 153S, to commemorate
his pilgrimage to th e H o ly City. The style is a eompoimd o f Moori:Ui and Gothic, and in spite
o f the libortitis taken w ith architectural propriety, the result is extremely pleasing. I t is
the very house for summer. T he grand staircase is a superb display of gilding, colour, and
marble ; but its glassy polish renders it the most nncomfortable mode o f going up and down stairs
i t was ever m y lo t to m eet w ith, and a fall ou
such a surface would be a certain introduction
to the tender morcies o f a Spanish Iwne* setter.
j26 A h Oriitodos; Chapifir.
T lie nsc o f colouied tiles for skirting and
oven panelling rooms, is a e tn tin g feature in
Spanisli Louses, that m ight h« transplantpd
w ith hcneiit into other lands. Tt is o f Moorish
introduction, and is adraiiahly adapted both for
ornament and cleanlines». B y means o f it, a
ffurfucc o f bright colo-oi takes tho place o f a
blank wall, g iv in g room for a groat variety of
ornamental patterns; there is n o difficulty in
keeping it clean, it has always a &OAh, cool look, which in a warm elimat^? in an esp^nal roconi- mcndation, and ahove all, i t does n ot harbour
p f i i k s htics.Lord Portarlington wished to play on one of
the great organs, feeling sure that instruments
so celebrated m ust be capable o f em itting »omen i n g better tlian th e eoarse m etallic iwunds
w ith whieh th e services o f Seville Cathedral arc usually accompanied. N oise there is in abundance, hnt m elody and devotional feeling are w anting altogether ; nothing, in fact, to indicate
a fine instrument, or superior playing. The
E nglish Oonaul, D on M anuel W illiam s, wlw w ith every kindness and attention did his best
to make onr v isit agreeable, undertook to obtain
the necessary permission ; and, finding that the regular way o f proceeding would involve, among
Orgnn-iv Advoiltire. 3^7
other charactoristics of the Circumlocution Office, a petition to the T)ean and Chapter, to whicli a reply could hardly be expected for about a
fortnight after oiir departure from ScTille, zuadu
a private applicaticn to some of th e Canona. One of them, D on CaUroarde, was utterly acandallzed
at tbe idea o f the g7*eat < rgan o f Seville being profaned by heretical manipulation, and would
have given a decided rcfu«al; aiiotlier, having a
little jnore good-naturc, did not ubeo3utely aay
“ N o ,” but b e ^ e d tlic performance m ight be us
brief as poeaible, fearing, no doubt, the orthodoxy
of tbe in&truijieut would be compromised.An appointment having been made w ith
the head-blowcr, who, >vith more liberality of
mind tban hia superiors, did all he could to
further tbe scheme, we w ent one day to the Catht'dral after morning service, and in a few
minutes had the satisfaction o f hearing very
diiicrent playing from any we had heard there before, while th e blower waR charmed to liaten
to som ething better than th e liarsh sounds
which \isualiy fell on hia cars. Just, however, aR the o i ^ i had oomc under perfect control, and a rich stream o f melody poured fortli through
the long'drawn aisles and lofty vaulting ol that glorious temple, our enjoyment came suddenly
to an end. A m eeting o f th e Cathedral Clergy, o f which we were not aware, happei^ed at that
moment to he going on in the Chapter House. On hearing the orpan in iijll career, th e Archbishop, who presided, haTing probably bw n
to ld nothing o f the ^stoA-permission that liüd
been obtained, despatohed a message to th e
blower, commandiug him instantly to stop the instrument ; and h y the tim e he had descended
tiï>r[i th e loft, here came our old cn«ray Cala- mardo and gave him snch a tremendous »cold*
ing (which was evidently intended to glance off, right iHid left, on us), that the poor Biaa vowed
he would resign his situation, th e emoluments o f which are very trifling. "VVe were verv much
vexed, both on hûi account and on that o f the
Consul, whoRe gentle nature would teel ench
rude treatment, and whose faithful attachment
to the Spanish Communion m ight havo sccured
him, without any difficulty, th e grant o f so trifling a favour. L et ur hope such iueiTility
ie p ecn li» to Seville. A fortnight later at
(Jranada, an ordinary ctyDtmifi/nntiiuiirfi obtained, for th e more asking, such a permission aa wa»
denied to th e B ritish Consul at Seville)In my visits to th e Seville Post-office, T used
to be much etrnct w ith one o f the arrangements
Alcalá de Guadaira. 329
o f th e pláce, peculiarly convenient to strangers, at the same tim o that i t proves th e lim ited
correspondenc« o f th e uoujitry. Everj' day, as
soon as posaihie aftor the arrival o f the mails, tw o lists arc prepared, one containing th e name of every native, and the other o f every foreigner, for whom there are letters- These lists arc
hung up in tb e vestibule o f th e Poet-office, remaining there a m onth; and the Spanish hand being generally an admirable specimen of
calligraphy, they are as legible as print. Such
an arrangement, though utterly impracticable
in England, entirely prevents tlxc m islaying and
detention o f letters eo coiiunou in foreign post- ofQces.
(h ie attem oon, we made an excursion to
Aicalú do Ohiadaira, a sTnnll tow n two l e a s e s
from Seville. There arc us m any Alcalas in
Spain, as Stokes and "Whitchiirchc-s in England»
cach having some sufRi to distinguish it from
the rest. This talces its name from the river, which, girdling i t on two sides, creates a verdant belt o f gardens and orchards, in the m idst of an
arid plain. Tn summer i t m nst be a delicions
spot w ith its narrow strip o f lujairiant vegetation by the water-side, a little Goshen o f fruit and flowers, while the giecnish-hued stream falls
w ith a pleasant sound over the weir o f a pic«
tiiresque old mill, that has p;round wheat since
the tim e o f the Moors.Tt was aoythini? but summer weather when
we were there; heavy rain, w ith a regular galo
from th e South*West. W e scrambled through
th e remaicfl o f the old Cairtle, in no small peril o f being carried away bodily. I t ia said to be
one o f the finest M^orisli fortresses formed of tapia still cziatin^ in Spain; and comij>g from
a coutktry wherc col>-walla are i^neral, I took
pajticuUr notice o f its construction. Tapia i«? a spédaliié o f Ford’s, and from his account it
muat bo a fai' more elaborate composition than th e cob*walls o f England and Prance. W hen a
wall is to be built, a tVamework o f wood,
fastened by m orable bolts, and shaped accordin g to th e size of the intended construction, is
laid on the proposed spot, and having been tilled
with a mixture o f earth, mortar, and pchbles, sufRpiently moisten&d to bind, the composition
is then rammed together t ill i t becomes a firm
coherent mass, th e bolts are withdrawn, the
frame m oved further on, and the same process is
repeated, t ill the whole building is completed. W hen thoroughly dried and seasoned, it is M\d
to be indestructible, not requiring a coat of
plaster, as w ith ua, to keep out the weather. I
should, however, cutircly doubt its power of
pedstinff artillery. I observed no trace o f straw, 80 much used in E nglish coh-walls. One side o f the platform on which th e Castlo stands is
occupied by a colony o f gipsies, who, as the
X enites o f old, have made their neist in th e rock. These burrows look by no moan« uncomfortable, and arc, Hke their occupants, h igh ly picturcaquc,
Alcalá 18 celebrated for its bread and its water. I ts fifty ovens supply Seville w ith th e best bread
in Sp im , and Scrfatj' quite insisted ob our carrying ofT several loaves, as an act o f homage to the
loci. T hey were bcautii'ully w liite and light, but loo close-graincd and linn for E nglish tastes, requiring a bbt^ accompaniment o f butter. This is the prettiest drive in th e neighbourhood
o f Seville, aixd as there is a very neat posada, it
would be a pleasant episode to go and spend a
couple o f nights under th e shadow o f th e old
Moorish Caatle on th e banks o f th e Ghiadaira.
L r
C H A P T E R X X X I.
H a v i n g spent ten day» at Seville, we felt
ansions to be once more on the road, and after a m ultiplicity o f business in tjettling ao*
counts, paying biUe, ard laying in a iresh store
o f provisions, we left by rail for Cordova on M onday afternoon, Novemher 21st. The enpigem cnt
w ith Marcos and Tomas, th e muleteers from Toledo, having expired at Seville, was now renewed, and extended to Gibraltar. Originally they had
agreed to go w ith ur only from Toledo to Tala- vera, a journey o f tw o days ; hut they behaved
so well, and seemed so thoroughly to enjoy the
expedition, that it heciime a mutual convenience
to travel to j^ h er all th e way to Seville. They
were moat good-hmnourod, honest feUowa, sober, and singularly frco from tbe common vice of the
Spanish peasant— bad language,— and very considerate to their beuj ta. Marcos was a grotesque compound, having th e figui^ o f Sancbo Panza
MatcoH und Tomaa. 333
w ith the coontenancre o f a CViinaroaxi; and as
he trudged along in sandalled shoon, greasy
troiisere, and hatteied wide-awake, w ith an ash- plant thrust op the back of hiis round jacket, and df'pendinp; like a taU from his waist, he presented an utter contrast to Ibe popular notion
o f a Spanish muleteer. 1ji tn ith , w ith all his
good quahtics» he was de«idedly th e imtidiest
speeinien o f his class we exer m et w ith, and we
naed to feel occasionally, that he somewhat eom-
promisfid our respectability. Tomas, w ith a
more polished exterior, was not by any means
so nsoful and serviceable on th e journey as his wealthier partner» being too fond o f taking his
e-aae, and aparing liim solf trouble, and while
Majtx)s would walk on cheerfully " from morn
t il l dewy eve,” w ith now and then a lift on one
o f his donkeys, the other rode m ost o f th e die- tano6 between Toledo and Gibraltar.
W e could not converse much w ith them , but
through th e medium o f Piorkiss every now and then a joke passed between us, to which they
always gave a hospitable rcoeption, a very
slender amount of w it being quite sufficient to
produce peab o f laughter. Their ideas o f geo*
graphy m ust have expanded l a i ^ y during the
last five weeks, and they have probably ac-
33+ F.nicr Cordcva.
qnij^d j aster notions o f the siz« ot' the
globe, than they ever poeseeaed before. Like
ourselves, they tlioioughly enjoyed th e repose
o f Seville, and, a few diiya before us, started in
great force, taking th e high-road to Cordova, there to await our airivid hy rail.
N oth in g eould be more nnprotnisiiig than
the weather. For days it had rained aluiofit inceaaantly, and we drove from th e Cordova
station in the mid&t o f a downpour, to he turned
out o f the fly some tw o hundred yards from the
hotel, which, from the narrowness o f the street, is unapproachable in a c a r r i^ , Wu had, in
consequence, to im dei^o “ a t iia l by water,” and
while m ating om* way there through a labyrinth
o f alleys, the eaves on each side diiicha^ed their
twin-torrents on our unlucky he^ds w ith over«
powering violence.H aving entered Cordova ¡n darkness and
rain, we were naturally very eager next mornin g to catch a glim pse o f a place so interestin g and famous, whieh is said in the tenth
ccutory to have contained nearly a million o f inhabitants, three hundred mosques, and
nine hundred baths. The hotel, though dismal*
looking to a degree, and anything but cloau in
some of its arrangemente, is centrically placed
on Iiigli ground, and on one e\Ae commands an
ertenaiTe view, the distant moantauui Ijeyond
the (xnadalquiTir, and the densely-packud area o f the town» fonu iog quit-e a panorama, ii\ pleas- in g contrast to the flat plains arouncl Seville. The air too, here, ha« far more elasticity and
fteBhiiess, nor did we su2<>r bo m ueh from m«4- quittw, which during our stay at Seville had, in
spito o f the cold, plagued us day and night.TTie principal “ l io n ” o f Cordova is the
quita, or Mosque, which, huilt in the eighth cen- tury hy the Caliph Ahd e l Itahniun and h is son, for Mahometan worship, wa« converted, on the
capture o f the town h y Ferdinand 111, in 1335, in to a cathedral. Ita reputation for sanctity wna inferior only to that o f the sacred tower Kaahah at Mecca, while i t claimed an equality
w ith th e celebrated i i i Aksah at Jerusalem. Tlioxisande o f pilgrima uaed to go there annually, a circumstance that w ill account for a
good m any o f the s is hundred inns the town
is said to have contained in Moorish times. Fei^usson speaks of it as th e ujc^t interesting building in the whole o f Spain, architecturaJly
considered, heing th e first o f any importance ondcrtiiken hy the X oors, and liaving hc^n
enlarged and ornamented hy succobsive Caliphs,
336 C ot^t o f Otnng^H^
i t exhibits specimens of th e various styles
adopted in Spain from the t^arliest a^es, \uitil th e erection of the Alhambra, durm g the decline o f Moorish Art,
Surrounded, by massive walls of considerable
height, i t presents externally no striking featore, e icep t a tower, which haa shared a iar worse fate than the Giralda at liieville, havinj^ been
roeased throughout in 1593, an operation that
would make it impossible for its original builder to reoognixe hia own workmanship. I ts situation, as we approached it, is very inferior to
that o f Seville Cathcfdral, whieh stands out so
boldly on its platform o f granite. Jiere too, tho principal entrance lies through a Court of Oranges, which, however, ia far finer than its
namesake at Seville, th e dimeu5i«>ns being larger, tlie cloisters more distinct aud spacious, and
wearing altogethiT much more the sequestered
air o f a religious retreat. T he area of the court is filled w ith fruit-laden orange*trees, the m ost aj^tique and veiierable I ever remember to have
seen; and their number, size, and position, so
near a place o f worship, quite recall the groves
o f idol-worship among the Jews. iBetween
their stems you catch a glim pse of a marble fonntain in ceaseless Row. In sxmimer this
mnftt be a delicious spot, a place to walk and
sit in for hours; hut on the day we first ^'iaited
it, a conside^rahle effort of imagination was re- quiretl to realize suc}i a s<.’ason; for th e recent rains liad carpeted th e coart w ith ^ e n ia h sHme, and the air was loaded w itli chillini^ damp that
forbade ua to linger; while the tribe o f mendicants, which are ever ly ing in wait at church- doors, were here more than luiuaJly imj>ortunate
and cro$s, as if, poor creatures! th ey were
pinched hy th e nntowardaees of the weather.The interior o f the Mczquiia di«ap{>ointcd me
^ e v o u s ly , the bare whitewashed walls, and low
rf»of, hardly th irty feet hi^h, producing none of
those solemn inipreaaions w hich may be called the attributes o f a cathedral; while the eye is
distracted by a forest o f short cohimus ertend*
in g in all directions, w hich look as i f they had
dropped from the clouds, w ithout arrangeniciit, or subordination o f parts to any principal object. A s may easily be believed, such a building faiU
to kindle tho lea«t spavk o f awe, or devotional feeling, Tt should however be remembered, that the Cathedral authorities liave interfered
w ith the ori^nul design, by introducing, in the sirteenth centur)', a double choir of a totally
different style, which, by blocking np a consider-z
Mesqutta.
¿ble portion of tlic central arou, has robbed thp
bxiildin^ o f its principal characteristic— space,—
the i^onnd-plan covering, i t is said, a larçcr
surface than any church in th e world, except St. Peter’s, iiefore th is alteratioTi, the interior
m ust have presented a s in ^ la r appearance, the
coup d'œ il embracin}ç an uninterm pted view of
more thmi 1200 columns, while the lowness of
the roof would incre&so enormously the apparent extent o f tlio area from whieh th ey spring. A connoifisenr in m.irhles wonld find these columns
a perfect study, consisting as they do o f polished
jasper, porphyry, verd-anti<^ue, and other choice
sorts, some o f them unknown to modern lapidaries, all being in single blocks. There are
hundreds o f verd*antiqne. Tlieir history m ust
he a cnrious one, i f Ford's aceount be true, that
some o f them were brought from France, others irom Serille, and Tarragona; while m any came
from Constantinople and N orth Africa, Fer- gusson states they were transported to Cordova, from tlic Boiuan remains at Merida, and its
neighbourhood. Some idea o f th e ssize m ay be snggested by the fact, that i t contains fifty-two aisles, o f which nineteen run
îongitûdinally, and thirty-three across the build- ing, all having a nearly uniform width of
twenty-two feet, cxecpt one near th e centre, wliieh is twenty-seven.
Another barharism o f th e Cathedral clergy
was the removal o f th e original roof o f alerce
wood, a species o f arhor v ita , w hich was carved
and painted w ith all t}ic sk ill and taste of
M oorisli art, and the substitution o f th e present hideous brick vanlting w ith its cougenial coating
o f whitewash. After sucli Vandalifim, one cannot but wonder that persons, who went to eo
much ttonble and expense in gratifying their
barbarous taste, should ever have permitted
such a gem as the Sanctuary to survive their
day. According to Fergusson, th is waa the work o f Caliph Hakeem , 695 a.d., and he considers it the roost perfect and pure specimen of
M oorish architecture in th e whole o f Spain, pointing out at th e same time, that ita graceful and ¿ow ing forms are iuilnitely superior to the
interlacing straight lines o f the AJluimbra, while
tlie materials, instead o f being mere painted
plaster, are real marbles, and true mosaic- work.
H e farther remarks that th e shortness o f the
marble columns suggested one o f the peculiar
fcatores o f the building, th e architect having
adopted the expedient of placing arch upon/. 2
340 T h SancitíttTy,
arch, iu order to eke out their height, an idea he
may hare caught from th e frequent u»e of
successive tiers o f arches in the construction of
Roman aqueducts.I t wus quite a relief to turn from blank walls
and frowning rwrf, to th e rich colouring, and
hght, graceful arches o f th e Sanctuary. Its hues have lo st none o f their brilliancy, nor lias
the lapse o f tim e dimmed tlie Rolden ccUs of
th e exqniáite honeycomb roof; and as you stand
under its fairy-like dome, you hardly regret the blankness o f the general huihiing, setting off as
i t does, in the highest dej^ee, th e mellow beauties o f th is central shríne.
M ost o f the Spanish Cathedrals we had already seen were perfect treasuries o f Art, combining under one r o o f sueh iin (»verwhelming
profusion o f carving, metal-work, painted glass, sculpture, and pictures, that ¡t is impossible to
examine them worthily, w ithout more leisure
than tourists can generally command. I t was
thewfore especially provoking that at Cordova, where our detention f o r f o u r days through bad
weather gave ua abundance o f spare time, the
Cathedral is almost devoid o f decorative detail, the m ost c<mspicnous ornament we saw hcing a rtorid display o f ma'^sive hrass railings in the
Palace o f Zahra. 3 4 1
Iiighest state o f polish, coim ccting tlic two
choirs, which a num bet o f workmen wcro busily
en g a ^ d in rubbing w ith oranges. I t was the moRt tastc'lees pioce o f metal*wor): we saw anywhere in Spain, and tlio ugh i t would probably
hare delighted tlic heart o f Alexander th e coppersmith, and men o f hU craft, i t foiled to give
11« any plcasnre, haring no more beauty than th e balusters o f an ordinary Rtairnase !
W h al a resource should we have fonnd in the
great Palace o f Zahra, which once existed in. the
neighbourhood o f Cordova, and o f which Fer- gnsson transcribes from Am biím historians so remarkable an account
“ According to these authors, the enclosing
wall o f tlic Palace w^r 4000 feet in length, East and "West; 2200 feet N orth and South. The greater part (Á th is space was occupied by
gardens, but these/ frith their marble fountains, kiosks, and ornaments o f T a r i o u s kinds, must
have surpassed in “^eauty, and perhaps even in
cost, the more strictly architoctural part of the
builduig, 4S00 columns o f the m ost precious
marbles supported the roofs o f the halls; 1013 o f these were brought from Afiica, 19 from
l io m e ; 140 wcro presented by the Emperor of
Constantinople to Abd el Pahman, the princely
founder of th is sum ptaons cdificc. A ll the
halls were pared with marhlc« in a thousand
Taried patterns. T he walls, too, were o f the same precious material, aud ornamented w ith
friezes o f the m ost brilliant coloora. T he roofo, constm cted o f cedar, were ornamented w ith gildin g on an aznre ground, w ith damasked work
and iuterlaeing designs. A ll, in short, that tho
unbounded wealth o f th e Caliphs at tiiat period could command, was lavished on th is favourite
retreat; and a ll that the art o f Constantinople
and Bagdad could contrihutc to aid the taste
and power o f execntiun o f the Spanish Arahs. was enlisted to make i t the m ost pcrfcct work
o f its age. D id this Palace o f Zahra now remain to ns, w e could aSbrd to despise the
Alhambra, and all the works of that declining
age o f Moorish art.”— V ol. i. p. 4o6.N ow , alas ! n o t a stone remains npon another
to mark th e site o£ eo marvellous a construc
tion !Cordova is a singularly quiet old town, re
sembling Toledo in the rarity o f its carriages, and narrowness o f streets, m any o f them being
mere alleys w ith a watercourse in the centre, into which the deep eaves o f the houses on eadi side discharge, during rain, a stream b o copious.
tliat it reqioires a very rohnst nrabrella to bear
up against it. I t xised to be oelel>rat«d for it®
leather (hence ou i lega l t e m , Cordwainer), aud
silver filigree, both heing creatioms o f Moorish skill. N o tow n certainly stands more io need
o f good leather, were i t only to protect the feet
o f its uiliabitants from th e vile pavement, but
the art has been carried off hy tlie exiled Moors
over th e sea to Morocco, where it still flourishes, and th e only specimens we saw o f " Cordovan,”
were n few pigskins, taniied, for holding wine. Silversmiths, however, still abound at Cordov», and in their shops wc spent a good deal o f our spare tim e and m oney. Spanish filigree, though
perlmpH hardly equal to tho Indian in dtlicacy
and elegance, is njuch more adapted to the vicissitudes o f a traveller’s portmanteau, f^ m
its remarkable fim ness and strength. This is a good place to pick up old jewellery, and hotli Lord Portarlington and Mr, Sykea made consider*
able pnrchases of ear-rings, lockets, reliquaries, &c.. in some o f the curioaity-shops.
Our hotel, being c<mBtructed ibr the oxclusit^
o f air and light, on account o f the intense heats o f summer in Andalusia, wus wofiiUy dismal, and ill adapted for " the brief Novem ber days,”
which during our v isit “ fell chill and dun ” on
the hanks o f the OoaAalquivir, as ever over
northern moorland. W e were iklmost as destitute of resources for passing th e tim e, during our four davs’ eojo\u*n at Cordova, as W ashington
Irving iu h is story of th e Stout G entlem an; and
when hooks, letters, and journals had cach in
tu iu b « u exhausted, not a few o f our odd
moments were employed in wutching the clerk
o f a dihgence-office, over tlic way, “w ith whom, from the narrowness o f the street, wc m ight almost have shaken hands, had each party been
simultHJieously disposed to do bo . Morning, nooi), and night, therc sat he at a desk under
tbe window, w riting away w ith unflagging industry and perseverance. This, in a Spaniard, quite exdted o\ir curio>+ity, and having nothing
better to do, wu wondered what could he the
cause of so remarkable a devotion to hubincss. On tbe third day our speculations on th e subjcct were happily terminated h y tlic appearance of
another actor on tlie stage, who looked like
an Inspector, severe and official, and commenctid
ft grand overhauling o f accounts, and exami
nation of ledgers. The result waft never communicated to us, BO in default o f more accurate information, let us hope it was perfectly satasfac-
tory to all parties. A t any rate, when 1 looked
A ñ AJUymoon W alk. 3 4 5
again through the deepening tw ilight, th e writin g Imd ceased, th e scriho w ith hia rclvet cap ami red tsaael had disappeared from his aicos-
tomed plai«,
‘ ‘ A n d left the «orld to darkoees and to n e t
One afternoon the weather cleared up for a
few hours» and glad to eacapu Irum onr prison- house, wu walked to the top o f oue o f the hills
behind th e town, commanding th e hest view we
had yet seen o f th e aurroimdijig neighbourhood. Bfthind us rose th e lowest runge of the Sierra
ItorcuiX, broken up into greon dells and sunny
slopes 5 w hile here imd there, in sheltered nooks
o f more than oitlinary attraotiTcncas, btood herm itages, o f w hieh thu mountain contains a host. Before us lay Cordova, g littering in almost
»nowy whiteness, w ith its broken outline of
tower, monastery, and cbnTch, while from the
o ^ tr e of the housetops, which, in the South of
Spain, form so prominent a feature in town*views, a single palm-tree reared its graceful head. Southward we caught a glim pse o f the Guadal- «^uivir, as, brimful w ith the late floods, i t poured
i ts turbid waters under the old Koman bridge. 'I’he air had all that lustrous transparency, which
piecedw, und follows rain, and a fine old castle.
34^ Siluaiion o f Cordoca.
which, at a distaaco of— 1 know not how many
leagues, crowned a promontory thrown out from
th e mountain«raiige into the lerel expanse of th e phiin, seemed to hare approached w ith in the
lim its o f A moderate walk.T he old bridge aud ck&iical gatew ay possessed
A peculiar interest for us, u being tlic principal otQects in a charming painting by Bossuet at Em o Park, whieh, from its faithfulness o f representation, enabled us to recognize them at once
as old iriends. Tn our different esplorationa
abont the tow n w e had remarked w ith mueh
plea/rore, that sereral houses o f receot erection had heen built in th e old M oorish style w ith
patio, gallery, and fountain, aa i t would indeed
be difficult to devise an arrangemeTit which would more thoroughly combine so m any ele*
merits o f th e picturcaque, w ith th e requirements
o f a southern oliniate.A ltogether, in spite of bad weather, Cordova
stm ck us as being far more agreeable in point of
situation and scenery than Seville. D ays could
be spent in delightftil rambles along tho sides of
th e Sierra Morena am ong the hermitages and
eonxents w ith which it is dotted. One o f the
latter, which came in view as wc rode away
to M ontilla, seemed more like a small town,
than a religious liouse, so vast was its ex ten t; w hile its position on a broad upland slope,
shcslt^red h y the mountain-creat £pcm th e northern blast, was perfection itse lf for beauty and
health iness; and its occnpants, w ith Cordova at their feet, could still Itx lt down on the huay hannts o f men, and, though sequestered from th e world, were n ot absolutely shut out o f its ken hy those
depths o f solitude, which surround so many
religious houses.M any an anxione look had we been casting
daily on the narrow strip o f sky visible from
our sittinj»-room, yet little could we see but the tokens o f ** pitiless, e e a se l^ , •unrelenting rain,”
w hich came down w ith as m uch enurgy and
steadiness, aj i f fair weather had departed for ever. Chir tim e meanwhile was sh rm tm g to its
shortest span. Novem ber was almost at an
end ; w e felt particularly anxious to reach Gibraltar by the ISth o f December to catch the
Peninsula! and Oriental boat for Southamptou, and w c were no less desirous to have ample
leisure for thoroughly seeing the grand culminatin g point o f onr journey— Granada. I t waa not, however, t il l Thursday, the 24th, that our
constant gaze at what sailors call “ the wind's
34^ A CIta/rÿe,
eye,” enabled us to detoct a kiudlier exppeseion, and even then, th e indication» were by no meaJis Lopeiiil. I t may he wondered, why w o did not
brave the weather, and start in the rain? The
reason is a very simple one. In many parts of Andalusia the soil is so tenaoioua, that after rain
i t acquires the adhesiveness of birdlimo w ith the heaviness of )ead, so that, had we started in bad
weather, we should very soon have stuck in the
nii;d, i t being; an utter iinpo»sibüity for even
hor&es aud midcs, much )nore the donlceys that
earned our baggage, to make way through such
road$.N ovm her 25M, — U p at daybreak, the wea-
ther-tokena having a very promUiug appearance ; packed up and breakfasted in haste, ansioui to
escape from that house of bondage ; and then to our mortification discovered, that ilarcx>a and
Tom as would not be ibrthcoming’ for a good
hour, though tl\ey had heen strictly charged
yesterday to be ready betimes. W e had
repeatedly remarked, that the more kindly and
indulgently they have been treated, the slacker
haa their service grown. N otliing conld exceed
their regularity and dihgeuce for the first fort- niglit. They were always ready in good time,
and packcd the different articlea o f baggage
w ith such care that each kept it* place firmly all through the livc-lon^i day. Tn acknowledgment o f their conduct we treated them one n igh t to a
snhstantial supper, i t was a moment i>f wea)c*
ness, and we rued i t ever after !X e x t day they were behind th c ii tim e, the
luggage was loosely pacisd , various articles were
shed along th e road, and more tim e was cnnsuined in necessary re*adju8tm ent o f almost every donkey, than had been similarly expended in the
whole course o f onr prcvions journey. H eedless
o f this, w hich ought to have served ns as a warning, so plejwed were we w itli our delightful tide
thro\^h Estremadura, that on rcuebing Seville we gave them another entertiiinment on a much
grander scale, w liieh completed th e relaxation of
discipline, and left us \drtually very much at then
mcrcy in such matlerR as punctuality, for the
remainder o f th e expedition. Indeed we fully
proved th e truth of Pord's counsel, that Spanisli servanli‘ should always he kept up to the mark, so aa to feel a master's authority ; aitcording to
‘ the T h ik es” maxim, tliat th e only way to get them to do anything is “ to lake a decided line
and frighten them."Seville and Cordova had heen Marcos aud To
mas’ Capna, and alter anch a lengthened intermission o f travel they seemed eo slow in realizin g the feet, that w e were actually about to
resume our journey, that i t was nearly ten
o'clock before we had fairly quitted th e to w n !
I^ R I D A Y , November satisfaction
at cecapiug ffom that dreary H otel Kizzi at Cordova, nnd th e pleasnre o f being once more
on horseback under one of tbe loveliest skies I ever beheld, w ith an atmosphere o f lustrous
transparency» made to-day’s ride poeuliarly agreeable ; man und boast commeneing thiB second
portion of our jonm ey w ith renovated vigouT.Qranada was our destination, and th e waters
being out in consec^nenee o f the late rains» tlie
shortest route through Castro del Hlo, and A lcalá la Iteal, had become for the m oment im
practicable, so that we were obliged to follow
the Camino Beal b y Fernán N úñez to M ontilla, where wo proposed halting for th e night. Hiding
along tlic Queen’s highw ay was never popular
w ith u s; but to-day, so delicious was th e freshness o f th e air, 80 striking and varied the atmospheric eflects, that a country o f for less interest,
than till» rich and highly-cultivated district, which produces eomo of the finest wheat in tho world, would have ass^imed at least a transient
semblance of beauty. For the first tw o hours
w e did not h>sc sight o f Cordova, every turn of
the road presenting to us some fresh aspect of
th e picturesquD old city, as it hiy shimbering in
th e sunshine, hacked by the bosky dells and
sparkling hermitages of the Sierra Morena. W ere the hroad plain o f the (juadalqyivir an
expanse o f sea, tJie whole scene m ight have
Ruggested to Guido th e landscape o f Ids A u rora.
W*e read in “ D on Quixote,” that o n t h o diiy
after h is adventure with the windmills, h e and Sancho m et “ two monkR o f the order o f St. Benedict, mounted on dromedaritis; for the
m ules ■whereon they rode were not much less.” H ad t}ie worthy knight been in oar C o m p an y
th is iDominif, he would have seen a veritable
specimen o f t h a t quadruped, hut w ithout a
Benedictine for its rider, th e whole race of
monks having become, sinee tlic suppression
o f the monasteries, an a l m o s t extinct genus
throughout th e Peninsula- Just as we were
crossing th e Gnadajoz, to onr extreme surprise, and to the manifest disg\ist of horses, muks,
OHve-ffarvesl. 5 53
and even dontcya, wo suddenly camc upon a
splendid Baetrian drom«dary, bein^ ledabout the eountiy as a show, was now on its
way to aiitoniah tho jnvenilo population o f Cor- dora. H e looi^ed hardly out o f keeping with
surrounding objects; so many aro the points in common between the South o f Spain, and the general cha^icter o f Drieutal scenery.
The olive-Iiarvcst was now at ita height, and
on all sides such merry groups of men, women, and children wore stripping the well-laden trees, remiiuiing ue hy their gaiety o f “ the joy in harvest,” 80 often alluded to in Scripture. The
berries, when fit for gathering, hare much the
same coWur and size the common damson, w ith a flAVOUr widely different, being extremely
bitter. One of the marked featuree in Spanieh
progroas during the last tw enty years ig the increased attention now paid to the cultivation of
the olive, and in aU directions phmtationg are
being formed on h n d , that was previously almost unproductive.
About three o’clock we reached Fem an Nufiez, a cleanly, thriving villago, with every house nom*
bered after the custom o f the country, which
axjcording to our obeervation seems to extend to
the smaJleet hamlet. I first rcmarted it at
A A
Guacos. H ere w« to iiave halted foran Iiour, to give tlie horsea their usual afternoon
feed j but b o a n i i o u s were we to make up for the
lateness of onr atart, that we rode on still, the scenery becoming more picturesque at every
turn, opening out from tim e to tim e into landscapes o f exiiuisite beauty, in which Castro el Bio, an old hill-fort, perched like an eyrie on
an isolated cra^ to our left, oconpied a prominent
positionA ll through th is part o f Andalusia, castiee
and towns aie similarly situated, memorials of
thcac by-gone ages, when th e district formed
“ th e Debatable Land,” aa a Borderer would
expresa it, between Christian and InfdeL Some- timea two or three such eagles’ nesta are in sight
at once.N ig h t had fallen long before we rodo into
M ontilla, the birth «place of “ the Great Captain,”
A sm all eonntry-town famoua for its wine, while the neighbourhood, like Palestine o f old, abowids
“ in wheat, and barley, vinea and fig*trees, oil- oU t c and honey.” H aving found a very homely, but clean-looking posada, elose to tho to w n ^ te , we were very glad, during the hungry interval that elapsed before snpper was ready, to take our placc among the group of muleteers, that
hemmed in th« fire; the nights having now
become quite as cold, though not no damp, &s at tho same »eaaon Id England.
Saiiirday, 2 6 ii,— Off betimes for Cabra, a moun* tain-town at th e foot o f th e Sierra Fcaileé, getting almost h o ^ c d , imm ediately after leaving Montili», in a great slough, which threatened to
swallow up bodily some of the minor don>eya. Country atill very pleasing. Sometime« our
road lay through open spaces o f heath, and
thicket, sueh as gipsies love to frcqnent 5 sometim es beside meadows, where ni'ormuring brooks create a perennial verdure. Further on a enug
olive-iaim looked out è o m its sheltering grove
upon a broad sweep o f undulating com*Iand, which tlie young wheat had elothod w ith a vesture greener tban emerald ; while right ahead,
w ith broken wall, and ruined donjon-tower, rose Aguilar, one of those curious old towns beloved
by painter, and archfeologist, which having once
been the itronghold and protection o f the
neighbourhood, still snrvivcs to bo its ornament.
The morning was lovely, but wc had not
ridden far, before uninistakable signs of a change
Appeared along the bold outline o f tho Sierra
Frailes, over which to our left, lay the road toA A S
Granada, Tlie Tapoury mists, tliat followed last
night’s frost, were not absorh«d insensibly into
the air, but after ascending in irregular spiral
wreaths, had settled in compact masses npon the moimtain*tops, an alraost infallible indication
that they would descend ^ a in in rain, ere
another sunrise, as auy one who has paid much
attention to th e weather-tokene o f a mountainous
countrj', m ight easily prognosticate.W e made ouj mid-day halt on the banks o f a
small stream, th e Cahra, and while the horses drank o f th e brook, and fed on the bailey we had
brought w itli ns, the rest o f the party (mules
and dookeyg excepted, which, like Mahometans
in Eamadan, never broke their fast iiom snuriee
to sunset), regaled themselves on Montanches*
ham, and other item s of good cheer.Our lonte now struck off from the highway,
just where a small town, named, i f I wm ember
aright, Monturque, crowns the sum m it o f a
green hill, that reminded me o f Cdrte Castle, and following the windings o f a m iry lane w ith ruta o f portentous width and unknown depth, w e at last emerged upon a terrace*likti strip of
open ground that overhung the course o f the
Cahra, and led up through m any a tangled
thicket and rocky dell, all a-glow w itli the hues
o f autumn, to th e principal town of the neigh*
l>ourhcx)d, which either owes, or gives, ite name
to tho stream, that waters th is m ost romantic m onntain glen.
Cabra is approached irom the we«t through a
broad avenue of olive-grovea, producing a state- lincaa of effect, I sliould scarcely have antici*
pated &om a tree, so generally eondemned for its
eomraonplace, charaderleag, appearance. I t is a
place of considerable antiquity, and as it came in
sight, seated on a platform o f rock terminated
abruptly by a precipitous ravine, w ith gardens
and orchards crowded into every available dpaoe, nnd gleam ing w ith th e brightest tints o f the T'ali, on cherry-tree, mulberry*, vine, poplar, and whit«
thorn, while the dark mat^ses of th e Sierra Frailes towered behind, and framed-in the picture, we agreed i t was one of the m ost remarkable landscapes we had seen anywhere in Spain, and, though o f a totally different deaeri ptiun, not unworthy to be the pendant o f heautiM Placentia.
H ere we spent Advent Sunday, November
27th, and while the good people at home were
a i n ^ g the hym n o f th e season, we had to paaa
the day, as best we could, in that dreary e iile ftom public worship which is the lot o f the
3 j 8 Namei Posadoi.
B aglisli ChnrcLiuau all through Spain, w ith the
exception o f one or two iavoured localities,Xrt antiquarian m ight have found food for
■peculation in the name o f our um , “ th e Posada o f Souls/' a strangü title to g ive to a
house o f pahlic entertainment, as in ererj
other country disembodied spirits are supposed
to have nothing to do w ith such places; unless, indeed, a delicate vein o f irony m ay bo detected
in the term, im plying that a Spanish inn. with its em pty larder, is adapted only for th e accommodation o f such beings as are no longer affected
by bodily Tranta ITn th is old-fa*liioned kingdom, where novelty
is deprecated aa an evil, and friends part w ith
the benediction, "V aya, usted, con Dioa, y quo
no haya novedad!”— “ Go w ith God, your gracc t may nothing new happen 1”— tho mnhocpcr's
sign still atteata th e connection between the
hoatel and the Church, so general in th e Middle
A ges, when pilgrim s were the chief traveller», and o f which, even in England, we retain a few
memorials, anch as the “ Lam b and F la g /’ “ The
AngcI,” “ The Oroaa K e y s /’ “ Mitre.” and “ Car- dinal’a C ap /’ Moirt o f th e inna in Spain are named after aomc saintly person, San Cristobal, San Carlos, Sant Anton, San José, de los Angeles,
Rainy Mo/rning. 359^
do las Animas, &nd occasiumdly oven the sacred
name o f oxa L otd is deeccrated to th is purpose
in tho title Jcsu Nazareno.Cahra still exhibits tra<2efl o f its occupation by
the Moors. One of th e Chnrches was originally a MosqTze, and its couTerRion to Christian nses
was oficotod w ith tho »ame harharism and want o f taste that ruined the at Cwdova.I noticed, also, that several horse-shoe arches, and other fcaturos o f Moorish arcliitectnre could
he traced ont in tho rough m ji^ury e f our
quiunt-lookmg* old posada.T he weather thi« morning did not holie oiir
prognoffticationB o f yesterday. A drizzling rain, beginning at daybreak, continued to f^ I steadily
for hours, and the fiurrouuding mountains woreII pall of immovable m ist, imparting to the
whole landscape an aapcot o f melancholy chilli»
ness. I t ie some satisfaction to an Englishman, under such circmnstanwis, to observe th a t the
sunniest lands w eai quite aa dismal an appear«
ance in bad weather as our own much-abused
climate, while they have none o f those fireside comforts that enable us to regard “ th t storm
w ithout” w ith comparative indifference. N othing, certainly, could he less cheering than our
Sunday at Cahra, and from Furkiss* account
i t Beemsxl as i f we conld hardly »«sure oniBelxea lodging for th è night, the landlady Imving what
is called “ a tcm pci o f her own," th e effects
o f which, however, were liberally imparted to
all w ithin her sphere, eoinhined w ith an extra
amonnt o f Spanish independence. Altc^ethes
Pnrkiss, being not only interpreter, but cook
and general p u n eyor to our party, found very
“ hard lines" in the liitchen, and had to exercise no amali amonnt oi* diplomacy to get on
w ith hia varions avo<ra,tions, more especially
while using the fire, w ithout com ing to an open
rupture with the worthy dame, and receiving his
before K onday m oniiug.On th e whole we camo to th e conclusion that
Cabra, despite its lovely situation, ia hardly the
q>ot where we ahonld chouse to spend all tho
days o f our life. The natives appeared to be
more im eoutli and disagreeable than any com' m unity we had yet fallen in with, either in
town or country ; and we could not stir cut
of doors w ithout being dogged by a following
of dirty boys, who, though bred among these
imsophiffticated mountains, were uot a w hit in ferior in audacity and general impcrtinynee to
the veriest gam ns o f ParU or London. Nor
did we find better manners indoors, fo i Mr.
Sykes having given a pc>ieta to one of the landlady’s grandchildren, th e mother, who happened
to be standing hy, instead of making some
acknowledgment, immediately brought forward tw o others o f her offapring as claimants more
than expectants, o f a aimilai gift. Precisely
the same incident happened to me a week later, w hile rambUng am ong the nooks and comera of
the Alhambra, th e only difference being that, while iTr. Sykes bestowed lus Uir^em in silver, m ine took the form of economical “ coppers'' One can hardly wonder, after snch instances of eflrontery, at the pertinacity o f prot'eaaional mendicants in Spain. T hey do not beg, h o t dem and; their ii^nal mood being, not, (is in other countries, optative, hnt imperative, and i f they find you do
not pay them the consideration they conceive
themaelves entitled to, they do not hesitate to
pluck yonr coat, or even to poke you in the
riba!W c observed here tho same desecration of the
Tiord’e day so noticeable a ll along our route. A t Cuacos, on inquiring whether any game
oonld be purchased in tlic village, we were told
there was every prospect o f a plentiful supply, as
the next day was Sunday 1 And so i t came to
pass. Por the schoolmaster, whom I chanced
36 î Lord‘i Da$.
to meet abont ten a .h . in foU shooting oostomo, brought home on Sunday evening i. well-filled
hag, the greater part o f which, in th e shape of
a brace of harea and aundiy partridges, Purkiâs
purchased on roui^onahle terms.Panoy the horror o f any of us “ coxmtry par-
sona” in England, were he to m eet his parish schoolmaster setting ofl’ some fine Sunday mornin g on ft shooting expedition ( t t is, however, only fair to add, that apart from th e question of “ Sports and P astim es” on the Lord’s day, to
w hich we Engliiih feel a very legitirDate dislike, 6uch Boman, Catholics as g o to church at all, (a
minority, i t i i to he feared, in Spain,) have generally attended as m any services hy ten or cbvcn
o^clock as m ost Protestants do during the wholo
day.A t Merida, again, where we spent th e follow
in g Sunday, ploughing, whoat-aowing, and all kinds o f farming-work proceeded w ith ju it as
m uch activity as daring the remainder o f the
week, and so to-day at Cahra, a large portion of
th e population was busily engaged in gathering
th e crop of olives.Hair-cleaning appears to he a favourite Sun
day occupation in all parts o f the country, and
i t is on© o f the commonest occurrences in
llaiT'clcaninff. j 6 j
walking through the streets to see groupie of
women (it being wholly a. feminine practice), operating on cach other’s heads w ith most praiseworfcljy diligence, and a gravity o f coimte*
gauce we were n erci able to imitate.
TI ride OTcr the mountaiQe from Cabra to
Pricgo is one o f extreme beauty, with
variety euough to satisfy tho m ost exacting
taste. Paaaing the Alaroeda, whieh in early
summer m ust be a little Paradise, v€*eal w ith the song o f nightingales, and the unceasing Toice of
water, miirmuring on a ll sides through orchard, and garden, we picked our way along <leep-hanked
lanes of ehulky m iic, which, ascending continually, l^ d e d us at last on a stony plateau o f con- aiderahle eleration, wild, and stern as the summit o f un Alpine pass
The masses o f cold grey rock, streaked w ith
m any n patch uf weather-beaten lichen, that
cropped out on evory side, presented a most effective contrast to the glow ing sweep of
autumnal tints, stretching before us for miles,
and marking the curves o f the glen we had threaded on Saturday, as wc turned roond to
take ft parting glance at the teem ing bolt of
Tin«yaid, garden, and oliTe-ground, which makes
Cabra proverbial for fertility. H ow a painter
would have revelitKl in that wondrous profusion o f colour 1 Cando\ir, however, o h li^ s me to add, that having at all tim es an eye to business, wo
were suddenly recalled from tlie contemplation
o f th e landscape by th e sigh t o f a woman riding
to market, w ith a fino young hare dangling from
her saddle, which at the pric^ o f a peseta, ten*
pence TJnglish, immediately changed owners.All throngh the coontry we remarked a most
intim ate connection between beauty o f eoenery, and badness o f roads. Seldom did we exijoy any
uncommon amount o f the picturesque without suoh an acecmpanirnent, the portion of bad road
w e had m ost recently travelled being always
voted the very worst we had ever fallen in with, anywhere. Our ride tn-day formed no exception
to th is rule, and slowly toiling down the moim- tain-dide, we made experiment o f every peril that can jeopardize either the knees o f a horse, or the neck of its rider. Stones o f all shapes
and sizes, from a door-step to a boulder, shelving
banks o f rotten earth, gnarled roots o f iJe« and
chestnut (not to m ention the deep holes o f the mirrow mule-track, which on roeky ground like
th is are especially dMigerous to th e wider-boofed
horse), lay in turn along o u p patii, as we descended into a hill-encircled hasin, where tuikeys
and piga were feeding nnder groups o f venerable
tree*. I t was one o f those rare sconos of sylvan beauty, onoe so common in England, which
scarcely exist now-a-days, exccpi in th e pages of " Ivanhoe." B n t for th e greater height and steep- ness o f the hills, I m ight almost have fancied
wc were riding through th e gliwlc« of Bradgato Park. A s the fem-clad slopes opened out more
and more ii>to the vale country, some new object o f interest continually came into view—distant mountain, Moorish ca»tle, or high-perched town, — the m ost conspicuous o f these being Alcalá la
Keal, through which, had the previous week
been drier, our road to Granada would have loin, while th e very soil, a rich ruddy hrown, added
its contribution o f colour to heighten the gene
ral effect.Through sueh scenes, in a day o f cloudless
sunshine, and tempered warmth, we rode along
the upland valleys o f th e Sierra Frailes from
Cabra to Priego.
T T waa quite evident, as wc rode tlirough the
streets o f Priego a good honr before sunget,
that BomethiDg o f more than common interest was going on. The c« itra l gquare was full of
men, who in their long hrown cloaks reminded me o f the gronps, that Hnger ahont street- comerg in Irish country-towns. I t could not be either market, or fair, for not a pig, cow, or
horse, was anywhere to he s«?n, nor even cabbages, potatoes, or bundles o f garlic. In these
sequestered parts, where travellers are almost un
known, we had everywhere attracted an amount
o f attention, altogether disproportionate, we
felt, to our personal merits, and thia was sometim es exhibited in ways rather enibarrassing
to a modest temperament. Nevertheless, in spite o f all the digtinction, which had now b^
come our daily portion, we coaid not flatter ourselves, that all those solemn-looking Spaniards
had come tc^otlicr in tho market-plaí« of Priego
merely to do us honour.A t present, however, wo had no leisure for
further speculation on th e subject, having yet
to discover some place where we could procuro
lodging for the night. On entering we had imme*
diately gone, a» usual, t o a posada, which chanced
to be th e only one in the town, hoping to meet w ith accommodation ; but suoh utter poverty and
omptine48 did we find there— bedrooms without
bed or chair,— four b kn k walls staring at each
other,”— the very floors threatening to give way
under our feet—that it was impossible to stay under such a roof next w ent to a m ostcomfortable ca^a de pupillo9. The proprietor
was very oivil, and having onJy one room
unoccupied, offered to put three beds into it, an
arrangement, which, as Englishm en, we rejected
w ith horror, having )xever y e t been reduced to
greater extremities, than sleeping two in a room.H e then told os o f a private house in tho
f?ame street, kept b y an old lady w ith a most
meek and obedient partner, such a one, in feet, as the generality o f wives would consider i^uite
a model husband. Here, he thonght, wc m ight
m eet w ith accommodation for the night, strangers
being occasionally taken in to lodge. Ff>rtliwith
we proceeded thither, and soon found that the
hushaud, who admitted us, was perfectly willing
to com ply w ith our wishos, but not being master
his good-will availed ue little, and we had still to await th e decisloTi of hia “ m issis.” Ou openin g n e^ tia tio n s w ith the lady, she hecame perfectly fizrioua, pgfcting oxir proposal w ith a
degree o f indignation, that wa s quite incompre- hensibJe in u pereon, who was known to he iu
the habit o f taking in lodgers I There heing evidently abundance o f room in
tho hoQse, while no more reason was as«gncd for OUI rejection, than th e rr\an who hated Dr. Fell could give for his dielike o f that venerable
Divine, we grew desperate, and determined to persevere, know ing we had no other chance of
beds. Sometimes we joked, eometimee we entreated, throwing in a hint now and then, that
i f we were absolutely compelled to sleep in the
streets, it would hardly be creditable to th e hosp itality of the good people o f Priego, nor should
we he able to g ive our inends in England, on
returning home, so tavourahle a report o f them, as we eould wish. Thu hushand from the beginning had been on onr side, and finding his
wjte’s objections gradually g iving way under
the fierceness of our assaults, he now ventured
B B
j y o Success
openly to advocatc on t caoee, until at length grievously beset, and hemmcd-rn by a circle of
entreating faces, the fa t old soxil molted into
hospitality, placed th e hoiiiie and a ll its contents
at our disposal, and len t herself heartily to make
comfortable 1I t tam ed out afterwards, that from the first
she had heen labo\uing under an entire misconception, fancying we were a party o f French
hagmeu, the only species of the genua traveller, w ith wlxich the population o f th is out-of-the-way
regiou haa any acquaintance. These people ore
b y no means a popnlat class o f )f*dgers, as thoy
give an infinity o f trouble wherever they are
taken in, extemporizing their apartment into show.roomR, for the various articles they carry
w ith them , and receiving all sorts o f eufttomera
for their wares. N o wondor, then, th e old lady shonld have declined to entertain us, as long as
she mistook us for a party o f commi^-vcya^euri.H aving thus provided for <mr m ost pressmg
necessities, we had now leisure to attend to
matters in general, and on inquiring what had
brought together that eouconrse o f men wo had
passed in tb e market-place, were told, that two
ladies having completed tlieir noviciate, had today taken the black veil at a nunnery in the
M ffure o f Speech. 371
tow n . This erent, corobined w ith the impendin g war agaiost ÄTopo«», wLicli m ost Spaniards
o f the middle and lower classes legard 0£ a new Cmsaile, had prodaced a profoimd impreaaion in
tho neighbourhood, tin d lin g a fervour o f re- ligioTis enthosijisni, which, however misdirected, i i very refreshing in those ilays o f Bceptieal in* difference. U n ln ctü y for us, E n gk u d being
snpposed to have a dirwrt interest in thwarting
th e expedition against Morocco, partly on Protestant, partly on political grounds, onr countrymen at the moment were more thaix commoidy
unpopular in Spain, and we natnraUy eamc in
for our share, so that while wc ware on onr way through th e markct-plnce at Priego, tho countenances o f th e crowd wore unytliing bat a
friendly expression, One individual w ent so fai in his zeal againet us poor “ hcretica,'* as to say, though not in our hearing, that we “ ought to
be presented witlx a blossom,” a playful figure
o f speech, which, when translated into less poetical language, intim ated hie conscientious conviction, that we deserved to be stabbed !
W e were then going to see the “ lion ” o f tho place, at the particular reqnest o f our host, who
jo e m e d very anxious to obliterate the recollection
o f any previous ticwgremem. This proved toP B 2
2J2 Beou^ful Fbunlain.
be a very pretty kind of fountain, or ratlier
water-baiim, oblong in form, w ith curved sides, o f marble, th iou gh which flowed a spring of
lim pid pnrity and eonsiderahle Tolume, falling
eventually in a fairy-like cascade over a slope of
the same material, iu its downward course towards th e town. Lime-trees w ith scats \inder- neath, are planted all round, and in warm
weather a mure delicious lounge cannot be imagined. The whole o f th is highland distriet m ight be described iu the language o f Scripture, as “ a land o f brooks o f water, o f fountains and
depths, that spring out o i valleys and hills,” and
irom that circumstance and its compajative coolness, i t m ight well be visited even in summer, and early autumn.
*We returned to onr quarters foUowcd by a
troop o f boys, a species o f eeeort, to whicli we
were becoming accustomed by frequent use. Indeed, w ithout departing from historical accuracy, 1 may say we were objects o f curiosity to
every class and age, N o t even
" tih« A iith io p o p h ig i,A s d tb e mcTi, v h o M be&de d o grow 6€ii€atih th ^ ii shoulders,
could have produced a greater sensation, ilian
our appearance in the streets; whichever way
wo turned, doors and windows were crowded
w itli e a ^ r iaccSy so that we were not sorry to
«Capo into a le»d-con*picuoii8 position. Our landlady was delighted to find one o f the party
was a clergyman, buth she and her goodman
having, ahe told us, a great respect for th e order. Tn consequence o f th is prepossession, her attentions to roe became ao m arted and párticular, that I sliould have been completely over«
whelmed, liad I not f<;lt the distinction was
ow ing to no merit o f m y o>vn, hut heeaxise I
had been elevated for th e m oment to the dign ity o f a “ Ueprosontative Man." I t seemed ■to afibrd hot special gratification to pat m e on
th e hack in m ost maternal fashion, following np
th e action w ith a sort o f purring accompaniment o f “ 0 Padre Cura ! 0 Padre Cura ! ”
W e had scarcely finished dinner, when such a jwwc' o f townsmen, and neighbours were an
nounced (professedly to pay their respects to the
Señores Inglespji, but really to gra,tify their enrío*
sity to greater advantage), that we had to hold
quite a /ctc'c, and the old lady’s hest parlour was
soon filled w ith a goodly company o f grate personages, who behaved w ith e x e m p l a iy propriety and decomm. W e did our be*t to entertain
them, though from our ignorance o f Spanish it
wàs somewhat afber the fashion o f Captain
Cook, and other circumnavi^ator&, receiving the
islanders o f tho Pacilic- There happened to he
an old piano in the room, th e bequest o f an
organist, who had once lodged there, and on
th is instrument, whose beat m elody waa u mere
metallie vibration, Lord Portarlin^on played
several tunes; while I exhibited m y compass, and a pocket-knile fitted up w ith various appliances, ono of whieh, a Lmcct, aa in iglit be
erpectcd from so blood-letting a population, excited particular admiration. B y this tim e it
was getting late, and a$ tbe Spaniards have an
unlim ited power o f sitting, we were at onr w its’- end how to bring our soirée to a conclusion, w ithout g iving oifer»c© to the company ; aud it
was only after a considerable expenditure of
palaver and circumlocution, that we efeotcd
th is object, and parted w ith m any expressions
o f good-will.
I was out of doors betimes, next morning, having sat up nearly all night, in eonscqucnce
o f a damp bod (the only occasion, by the way, on which such an incident befel me, during the whole expedition); and though sitting up in a
hard-bottomed clmir is not the m ost agreeable
method o f passing “ the small bour6,” i t is, at
any rate, preferable to the contingencies o f a
pair o f damp sheets.Soon after suuriw, I found m yself on the town
walls, and anything more lovely, than the proe- pcct that m et th e eye ou every dde, I never saw. Priego Btanda on th e extreme edge o f a predpicc, overhanging a deep ravine, laid out in garden- plots, and strips o f bright green meadow, through
which the X enil, a ncw-bom stream, struggles
forth in to th e lowlands, on its w ay to th e V ega
o f Granada. To the left, rose a m ost pietorcsque
range of monntains, their sides aeamed w ith m any
« ruddy line, which w intry torrents had ploughed
in the ochreoxw soil, while the whole landscape was flooded w itli morning STinshine, and an
atmosphere o f such peri’ect transparency as
brought the m ost distant objects into startling
proximity and distmctness.
C H A.PTEE X X X V .
IT was w ith m any tender adicnx and good wishes, that wc parted after breakfast irom
our host and hostess, who assured ua w ith much
eamestnesR, that should wo over chance to be
passing through Priego on any future occstfion, they would be delighted to receivc us again.
W e had a long ride before ns, w ishing ou the
morrow, 'N'ovemher 80th, to reach Crran^a early
in the afternoon, so aa to enjoy tho hcautifol scenery b y which i t is environed. Our course
lay entirely among th e m ountains w hich enclose
the V ega to the north-west, and was o f a veiy
dilTerent description from any we had yet travelled- For a conaiderahlc dirtance we skirted
precipices, that reminded me o f the old road
from V isp to Zefmatt, where a single false step
would ca n y horse and ridtr a good deal further
than would be pleasant, landing them at lairt, it
m ight be, on the roof o f one o f the picturcsqne
Death-Crojsi. 377
old m ills, green w ith damp and moss, whieh the ilo o r s o f by-gone days had perched here
and there, upon m any a ledge o f tocV, over the
streams o f th is w ild distriet.Ono such spot we particularly noticed, jxist
where the sum m it oi* a m ountain oppositi' is
crowned w ith a cross, to commemorate the
death of a man, whose horse having run away, carricd him sheer down the precipice. A simi*
lar monument stood by the wayside on onp approach to Cahra, recording the death o f a
gentleman, who w ith his horse was killed near
the spot d'oring a thnnder*f>turui. Moat travcb
in Spain make frequent mention o f what "Wordsworth wills “ the votivo d ea th -cT osw ,” indicatin g the scene o f a murder, op some other violent death, and we fully expected, that iu Andalusia
at least, such memorials would be as common
aa m ilestones. Ford speaka of having once
counted fifteen crosses within a space o f fifty
yards. "We saw very few in any part o f the
country, ow ing prohahly to the comparative
suppression of brigandage.The mountain*tracks being very intricate, we
eugap;ed a man to pilot us to-day, and he must
either have undertaken more than he could
accomplish, as had been the case w ith previous
guides, and so through i^noranco led ms astray, or else in thiü neighbourhood a road does not
signify the same th in g aa in other parts o f the
globe. Por m iles we had to follow the bed of a torrent, w hieh happening to bo dry was at OTir service fo r th e nouce, scrambling up suel, stairs and ledges o f rock, und then plunging
again into such deep holes and narrow gullies, as no quadruped that had not received tho
special education o f » snxu^ler's horse, could ever traverse in safety. H ad we chaneed to he
overtaken b y a thunder-storm, while ii^U|^Iing
through these difficulties, the duukcys must inevitably have heen swept away by th e torrent, the wide strips o f sand and stones, that lay
here and there in th e more open spaces, giving
a plain proof o f th e violence w ith wMch it
occasionally dashes down the defile. Happily
no such catastrophe occurred, the day being
beautiful ; and having at Jwt overcome a ll difficulties, we soon reached a v i l la ^ at the top o f th e pass.
H ere we wished to feed the horses, but our
guide being o f a different mind posted onwards
down the mountain* side, w ith an ohscure intimation, n o t very palatable to hungry men,
ignorant o f his vernacular, that further on there
S i ^ c t iVevítófl. 3 7 9
VÍA a wliere w<¡ sliould iia lt to greateradvantage. N cr did we question the judieious. ufSii. o f the arranifemeut, when liavltig quitted
th e mnje*traik we found ourselves eutering the
cuurtyafd o f a Bolitiuy farm-lioase, w ith the
snow-clad chain o f the Sierra N evada rising
Ixjfore us Íi\ cloudless majesty» at a distanoc of
ftbont forty miles. I t was our first view o f the
Spanish A lps, which iu the Picacho MulalLacen
attain a cuhuinatiiig elevation o f 12,762 feet, and although they exhibit neither the massive grandeur, nor the variety and gT'aeefnIness of
outline that distingniah the m ountains of the
Oberlar.d, Zermatt, and Chamouni, they still possess attractions o f their own, impartin^^ to
th e moToent they are ñrst sighted, au interest never to h« forgotten.
Granada, w ith all its associations o f chivalry
and roaiaiLce, was no longer a dim and shadowy
picture sketched b y th e im a^nation, but a
substantial and visible reality, and we were
now in sigh t o f a region where some of the
m ost remarkable events of Spanish history had
been transacted. E ven th e grassy slopes, and
undulating sweep of the mountain plateau, that
stretchcd before us in all the, commonplace
tameness o f an upland farm, had oncc formed a
380 Liberal M casurm i’nU.
portion o f the Border*land, which Christian and
MosUiri for so m any a^ys had made their battlefield, and over this very ground had the flower
o f Spanish linighthood dc*c»ndcd oftoitim es in
sudden raid upon the villages o f the Vega.W e had not, however, m uch leisure for day
dreaming, and after a hasty meal were onco
more on horsol>ack, having sliU an unknown
distance to travel, before we conld hope to find a halting-plaoc for the night. In fact, among
the mountains vou can form no estimate of
distances, tbe 1 e-ague o f a Spanish mountaineer
lieing quite as indefinite a meaRuremont, afi the
as^ a v a tin g “ h ittu ck ” so heartily anathematized by pedestrians in the H ighlands. From
Cahra to Priego is callcd three leagues, but
they m ust have been estimated on a very hbcral scale, as i t took us a whole day's baveDing of
average speed to accomplish the journey. A t
th is moment, while descending the muun- tain*sidc, we had very little idea, where w*e were
going, beyond a vagne belief that wc were on
OUT way to (Canada, ( hir guide, i f he could be
dignified w ith moh a title, was liardly better
informed than ourselves, having evidently noth in g hut the faintest apprehension o f the route, and so reserved in speech waa he, that question
B em ralized Donkey ». 381
jifler qnestion elidtud only the briefest replies. From time to tim e we heard m ention of Casa
Lope, but whether i t wa« a posada., or merely
a private house, where we m ight reçoive admission for tlie n ight aa a favour, seemed enveloped in the profouudeftt mystery.
The donl?eys and mules had bcoome very disorderly th is altcrnoon, ow ing to the vivacious
sallies of an undisciplined young jackass (arccent
purchase, it appeared, at Cordova), whieh, being
exempted from carrying a load in considerar
tion o f h is tender years, waa named hy us the
donVey of respect,” because, like tho unoccupied
coach o f reBpect," that makes such a figure in the royal retin ne of Spain, he had nothing to
do, TTe wa» oontinuully breaking out into noine juvenile extravagance, leaving the beaten path
aud walking in self-chosen ways, to th e serious
demüraliwtion o f the other donkeys, and then, for h is paina, getting a sound cudgelling irom
th e irate ilareo». A s i t takes some tim e tu
catch, on rough gromid, a nimhle Spaiiiah
donkey “ w ithout enemnbranee,*’ and w ith a
thrashing in prospect, we did not get on very
fast th is afternoon, and so were too late t«i see the
snow-crested peaks o f the Sierra Nevada hghted
up w ith th e rosy flush o f sunset, as we had
fondly hoptd. This was very provoking, there
bein^ eveiy probability, that had we been more
advanced ou our way, we m ight have reached
anch a point o f view as wotild have enabled us
to erijoy the glorious spectacle o f an Alpine sunset.
N ig h t soon overtook us picking oor way, as best we could, through puddle and mire, under
tlic ligh t o f a oung moon, whose slender
croscent seemed an appropriate sign to m eet the eye o f travel] era on their road to the classic
ground o f W estern Maliometanism. Thus
passed tw o or tliree hours, th e ni^ht-air among
the mountains, at the end uf November, making
the prospect o f a warm chimney-corner especially
attractive- Still uo token o f village or posada
appeared, and, to mend matters, onr guide
became confostd, and baring lo st all recollection o f the route, left us, drawn up in the middle of
tlie road, while he went to make inquiries at a
fiirm^honse. This interval we naturally devoted
to the exercise o f a privilege seldom left long in abeyance (say the critics), by our countrymen.
Lords and Commons alike, and for which there is little need “ to search for precedents." In
tlie m idst, however, o f our growling and discontent, to wliich hunger was beginning to iit*-
part additional acerbity, wc could not lielp
adiniriiig tUc beauty of tlio slicplicrds’ watch- fires, as they flashed Tip fitfully against the
murky sky, from m ouctam slope and moorland; nor could we recollect w ithont some feeling of
self-rehnke, th e hardships o f those poor men, who, every night o f the year, winter aiid
summer alike, take their tn m in w atching their Hocks, and, like Jacob of old, are "consumed
w ith drought by day, and w ith frost hy night, while sleep departs from tlieir eyes,” w ith no
Haehelfl, moreover, to sweeten their lahoors. For th e shepherds o f Spam are an almost wifeleM brotherbood, their way of life stddom perm itting
them to marry.Still, wliether we grumbled or philosophized,
it was all one. Casa Lope remained provokingly unapproachable, and beginning to regard its
existence as a m yth, we quite expected we
should soon liave to follow the example o f the
shepherds, and bivouac for th e n ight by tlio wayside. A t laat we diacovered a cottage, ar>d
on m aking the usual inquiry, “ H ow far is
it to Casa Lope ?” were answered in tones
which struggled forth w ith a muffled sound, apparently frem under heaps of bed-clothes, “ that
we muat ford a brook, climb a hill, and then
we aliOuM speedily find onrseives at onr destiria-
tio n .”In the course of h a lf an hour this prediirtion
was satisfactorily folTilled, and we entered the
gateway o f a building, wliich looked gannt and
spectral in the uncertain light, juat as the young
moon was sinking over the western hills.Thia was Oasa Lope, and though we were
never very critical o f appoarancca, much leas
after a ride o f thirteen hours, a more deplorable- looking place cannot well he imagined. Judging from its extent and proportion», we concluded it
had been built long before the formation of new
roads had drained th e general stieam o f traffic
from the Paas of Puerto Lope, on the ancient highway between Cordova and Granada. B ut
now its roomy stables were iintenimted, th e lofty chambers dismantled of their furnitnre, and our
footsteps echoed m oum fnlly along the spacious
corridor, in to which the rooms on the first fioor
opened. H aving nothing antique or veneiaWe
in ita appearance, it gave one, on a small scale, a very good idea o f the condition and aspect our
cavalry -barracks would exhibit after about tw enty years’ aaeendunoy of the Peace Society. H appily aa we entered there was a good hla^e
on the hearth, and thongh the people of the
I10U8C w e r e b y no means kindly disposed, or
eT6H civil, they could not deny us scats amon^
th e muleteers, who surrounded the fire. The
only beds available were sluike-downs on the brick £oor, in one o f the upstaif rooms, o f which
Lord Portarlingtoii and Mr- Sykes took advantage- I preferred an anangeiueut o f throe
chairs, which, i f hard, were at any rate clean, and inodorous, and I managed in th is way to get a brief doze, in spite of th e gusty draughts, that eddied through th e long corridor, where by
choice I had taken m y station. I t required no
great persuasion to start betimes next morning, and soon alter seven we had bidden (lot ns hope) an eternal farewell to Casa Lope, a boom e to which no traveller wonld w illingly return.
The groimd was crisp with hoar-froat, and the
transparent eleamesR o f the fresh morning air
brought thf' glittering crest o f the Sierra Nevada, and th e snow-white villages of the V ega into a
proximity that cheated the eye o f half tho distance. I t now beeauie evident how fortunate we
had Ixjen yesterday in ou i view o f the principal
peaks o f tho great chain, Pieacho Ifulahaecn, and
Picacho de Veleta. A s we then saw them they
were noble objects, while the greensward o f the
pastures over which we looked at them , formedc c
a foreground that threw them out to th é greatest advanta^'. B nt to-day our point o f vievvr being
changcd, other ranges o f far more pictureiique ter n , and varied outUne, camc into sight on the
north-east, though none o f them was crowncd
w ith a diadem o f snow.W ith lllora on a h ill to our right, we could
now distinctly make out the huiJdinga o f Gra
nada on the opposite side o f th e V ega, d in g in g to th^ iovrest t^^rraces o f tho Sierra
Nevada, and it wa? w ith the pkaaant feeHng o f having prosperously accomplished a long- cherished design (seasoned, T trust, w ith a
spirit o f thankfulneas), that we descended the
paved causeway leading to th e v i l l s ^ o f Pinos.Puikiss had ridden on before, to see what he
conld provide for our tnid-day meal, and on dism ounting at the cleanliest and neatest o f posa- das. which after Casa Lope looked like a tra- veller’s Paradise, we found with much satisfaction
he had heen m ost successful in his catering, und
we now made ample amends for the scantincss of
yesternight s supper. The old lady of the house, finding we were going to Granada> volunteered
some very maternal advice respecting its inhahifc- ant#, whom she did not seem to regard as the
mort virtuous communitv in the world ; and
lir id fft o f P in o i, 387
tto a g li, from oar very lim ited acquaiotance with
Spanisli, bHc did uot succecd In conveying to us
any very distinct idea of the perils that awaited
U8 in the old Moorisli capital, her kindness aud
good*will were eqnally manifested, and appr^
ciated accordingly.Just outside the village we passed a spot of
far deeper interest (to m y mind) than m ost of
th e acenes that hiitury has cnnohlcd. I t was on
th e bridge, w H cii here spans ono o f the tributi^«
ries o f the Xenil, that Queen Isabella’s messen*
ger overtook Columbns, when, disgusted w ith the
delays and disappointments ho had so long
encountered at tbe Spanish Court, he eet out in i ’ebruary, 1492, to quit Spain for ever, on his
way to oiTer b is services to our H enry V I I . For
Sloven years he had been seeking in vain for that assistance from Ferdinand, w hich was necessary
to the success o f h is grand project; and when now at la st Isabella, Iarger*hearted and more
prescient than her husband, offered her aid, it
was almost too late, and Oolnmbus, warned by
bitter experience, hesitated to expose him self anew to the vexatious intrigues o f a Court, that had already wasted some o f the best years of
his life.I t was a moment of intense interest. TFow
c c 2
m ust h is mind have been a^^tated by the tumnlfc
o f oontcnding feelings ! On the OT e hand, w ith what bitterness, aud nnavailing regret would
he look hack on the ra in struggles and hopes
deferred, which m onth by month, and year by
year, had sickened h is heart, producing a m ost natural repn^^ancc, even in hia brave spirit, to
re-embark on auch “ a sea o f troubles.” W hile on th e other, wherever else he turned, a still more chucrks» prospect opened before him, l i e waa now on hi;s way to England, but though
going there under the patronage o f H enry, he
could hardly expect to find hia path perfectly
clear. l i e would still be a stranger among
itrangera, to begin anew th e weariaom« t^isk of
disarming self-intereat, enlightening ignorance, and coneiliafcinf» prejudice. W hereas now at length, Isabella’s iinexpectcd offer seemed likely
to realize hia fondeat aspirations, and the mere word o f tlie good Queen would exercise an
influence ou him th e m ost solem n promises of
th e selfish l;\rdinand had no longer th e power
o f producing.D uring th e centurics o f war that preceded the
final expulsion o f the Moors from Spain, tbe
spot we were now passing had witnessed many a
gallant deed o f high emprise, and th e waters of
th e X ciiil were often crimsoned Trith the bravest Wood o f Oliriatian and M oslem. I t was the
pass hy which the Spanish chivalry used to
carry thoir forays up to tho enem y’s gates, from
some o f tlieir nearest stronghold», such as Alcalá
la Real, or even occasionally from Cordova itself. One of the worst disasters recorded in Spanish history took place in the immediate neighhour*
hood, Tihcn on the 26th o f Jnne, 1319, an army
o f snch numbers, “ aa covered the facc o f the
«arth,” commanded by tho Infantes Pedro and
Juan, was utterly routed by the Moors w ith the
loss of 50,UUU men, includiug the two Princes, one o f whom, Don Pedro, was skinned, stnifed, and hung up over th e gate o f Elvira. Nearly
tw o hnndred years later, th e hridge o f Pinos was th e scene o f one o f the bloodiest encounters
o f the last M oorish war, when the roval army
under Ferdinand forced th e passage after a
desperate resistance.B ut o f all the events, o f which the bridge of
P inos has been th e theatre, though they may occupy a larger space in the pages of history, none can he compared in point o f genuine in*
tcrest with th e unrecorded conflict, which took
place that memorable Fobm ary day iu the mind o f Columbus, when, in answer to Isabella’s invita*
tion, he decided to roturn to the royal camp at
Santa F e, where the K in g and Qpeen then
resided, haTing in tho previous month aecom*
plished the crowninjr achievement o f their reign
h y the conquest of Granada.IVom thi» spot nothing lay between us aud
Grunuda, but th e famous Vega, a plain which, oceupyixig the bed o f a dried-up la te , runs up to th e walls of tho town, and stretchca some thirty
m iles to tho westward, an uninterrupted expanse
o f TCrdure and fertihty. D oubling th e haic of a mountain, Elvira, w hich projects l i l e a pro*
montory into the bosom o f the Vega, we rod© in
single filo along the narrow path by which alone, for several miles, Granada was approachable on
the Cordova side. N o t but what a road o f unimpeachable dimensions exists in that direction;
hut when v e passed on the 30th o f November,
i t vi-aR a mere causeway o f mud, w ith depth and width enough to engulf a ll the donkeys in
th e neighhourhof^d, one of which, as its half- devoured carcase testified, had recently sunk
therein, to rise no more.The existence o f such a road, w ith in a league
o f such a place as Granada, would he almost incredible to those, who have not travelled in
Spain, where the highways are invariably woiee
Approach fo (hartada. 391
kept in the vicinity of large towns, than out in the country.
This portion o f th e "Vega is au uninteresting
level o f Irrigated cornfields, divided by banks of
eartli, and intersected in every direction by
water-courses, w hich at th is season were brimful, so as to Hood all the iutormediato ground» for
the pnrpose o f stim ulating the vegetation of the newly*sewn grain. H aving in due course
tuncrged upon firm road, near a grove o f the
finest cypreaa-trees T ever saw, wc soon entered
the town, tlireading several narrow lanes of most
Oriental ^pearance, aud passing th e graceful arcliway o f the well-known Casa del Carbon, while our cavaloade attracted universal notice, we crossed tho torrent-fttream o f Üie Darro, and
entering the principal thorough fari.s uliglitod w ith m uch satisfactiou at the doorway o f tlie Victoria H otel,
C H A P T E B X X X V I.
Gr a n a d a , B ecm her is?.— i t was to theCathedral we went first, on the morning
after our arrival, reserving th e Alhajjibra, which some diatancc from th e hotel, for the afternoon, when we shonld havft more tim e to
devote to th is e lim inatin g object c f our toxir. T he Cathedral, a handsome, half-Gothic, half-
classieal haild ing of the sirteentli and seven- teenth centuries, profusely ornamented with jasper, and preoious marbles, is utterly deficient in solem nity and grandeur o f appearanr«, and
its glaring, white-washed mtftrior would bo
infinitely \mproved by th e introduction o f good
painted glass. Jt ccntrajsts disadvartageous)y
by its excess of ligbt, whieli in summer niurt be quite overpowering, w ith every other Spanish
Cathedral we saw, where t t e opposite extreme
prevails; and in tbe awe-inspiring gloom, m to
which you suddenly emerge from the broad
CapilUi <J h s BeyeF. 393
sunshine, vs at Toledo and Seville especially,
painting, and seuJptnre, retablo, and alabaster
tomb, present to the eye a perplexing, undis-
tinguishahle mass, in which beauty o f det^l, and distiuclneRs o f outline, are altogether lost
in th e Rurruunding tw ilight. 1 m issed here the nearly-universal St. Christopher, which, in most Spanish <?athedrals, towers, a Colossus in fresco, near the transept-entraiico, so as to be seen by
all on going in, i t Iwing a popular belief, that no one, who looks at th is Saint, can come the
same day to an evil end.W u harried onward to the CapiUa tie
Jifiyeg, where Ferdinand and Tsahella li€ burled. Tliis chapel, a Tery good specimen o f Plorid Gothic, adjoins the southern side of the Cathedral, and is one of th e m ost interesting spots I
ever visited- I t is separated from its ante*
chapel h y th e m ost superb rfjcy or screen of
iron-work, w e saw anywhere in Spain, th e land
(as I have already remarked, mure than once), p a r excellence, for cunning workmanship in gold, silver, and all lands o f metal. The abiuidan'ce of ligh t is here a great advantage, as it reveals
every portion of £ l MaentTo Burtolomv’s exquisite design, as well as the alabaster glories
o f the royal tombs, which 611 up the whole
394 Itoyal T^mbt.
aica between tlie Acr^n, and the hi^»h-altar of
the chapul. Parsing onwarda h j a side-<loor, we stoo^ above tho vault, where the lemaius o f Ferdinand, TsahcUa, and tbeir daughter, the
poor ¡u&une Juana, w ith her hushan*!, Philip
o f B u i^ m dy, are entoinhed, irh ile ou cither
hand, a maguiCccnt monxuuont o f noble dimensions, and superb execution, ri&f« to tho height
o f some five feet above the chapel floor. Each
o f these monuments, vh ic li arc said to be fclie w ort o f an Italian gcxilptur, has the tbrm of
an altai*tomb, w ith recuiuhent figures o f a royal pair, life-si^ed, reposing on its horizonta l surface. D escfnding into th e vault helow, we pa^ the fonr coffins, which, liaving» beeti concealed during the French occupation o f Granada, remain esartly in their original condition. T hey are perfectly plain, sind almost rude in their construction, each bearing the initiiii of
its occupant. Isabella’s coffin is marked w ith
the letter T ; for the Spaniards write the name
o f thoir gre,at«6t Queen, not aa wc do, but “ Yeahel.*’
The leading idea o f th is chapel is the conquest of Granaiia, which reproduced again
find again, in every feature. ()n oach side of the high-altar are some remarkable carvings in
wood, coloured, gilt, and draped in character, so a5 to be c ia c t repreeentatione o f th e K in g
and Queen in face, form, and costumc, as they appeared at th e taking of th e city. That circumstance gives these carvings historical in terest; nor is i t \in worthy o f remark, that they
arc represented in au attitude, then beginning
to go ont of fashion in works o f art, though no other could be more suitable, even to those
powerful monarch», who in the conquest of
Granada were acknowledging th e crowning
event of tlieir glorious reign— they are on their
knees, devoutly giving tlmnkii to A lm ighty God for tho victory over the Moors. Their
feecs are precisely o f thiit character, which convinces the beholder of their lifeJike truthful-
uess, veritable portraiU in fact, and c o t mere creations of th e imagination— Ferdinand heavy, and siow-ioinded, but resolute; Isabella calm, benevoknt, and wiRe, w ith more coraelinesB
tbaa beauty.T he high*altar is panelled w ith carvings ot
the same date and description, ill\istratiiig the
surrender o f the Alhnmbra. Ford, a good judge of Art, aud perfectly accrualnted w ith all that
Spain contains o f greatest interest, remarks that
few th ings in the whole land arc more curious.
Isabella, on a wLitv palirey, rides between her
husbatLd, and Cardinal Mendoza. Boabdii oonics foi*th on foot to m eet them, .and delivers up the
bey o f the town, holding it hy the wards. Behind the K in^ and Queen appear the ladies
o f the court, bnighta, and soldiers; while tho Christiau captives, whom th e Burrender has just
restored to freedom, march out, tw o and two, in
long procession, a glad, and thankful company.The carvinga on the other side o f the altar set
forth the conversion of the Moors, who preferred
Christianity with Oranada, to ^fahometanism w ithout it. The artist may not have intended
it, but nothing can be more dismal, and unhappy,
than the countenances o f these converts, as i f th e reception of (^ ristian ity had been to them
anything but a privilege. Indeed, the manner in which they are taben to th e font for baptism, g iv ^ one far more the idea o f a flock o f sheep
heing driven into the fold, than th e voluntary
act o f free agen ts; while their number would
lead one to fear, that adequate instruction and
preparation m ust have boon altogether impossible. Tho artist has, perhaps uoconRciously, quite illustrated th e general spirit (at least) of
those “ vaiions modes— sometimes by hlandish- T n e i) t , sometimes by rigour, sometimes exhorting,
R rjrukion o f the M oon, 397
sometimes entreating, sorQetimes hanging, sometim es burning— by which the hard hearts of the
Infidels were sahdued, and ahove fifty thousand
coaxed, teased, and terrified into baptism.” *
Ford calls particnlar attention to the muiilers and leg-wrappers o f th e women, which are precisely o f the same pattern as those still worn by
the Moors o f Tctuan.I eould not help thinking how much happier
a eonntry Spain, in all probahility, would now
ho, had a different coarse b«cn adopted towards
her M oorish iuhahitantR. I f, instead of having
to make their choiwj between forsaking Mahometanism, and Ciile, they had heen allowed to
retain their old homes (with snch precautions
as m ight he deemed necessary to sccure their
peaieful submission to their new rulers), and
their gradual conversion attempted w ith a ll the
zeal, ability, and other appliances, which the
Chnreh o f Spain had then th e power to employ, th e land would in that caso hove been spared
the loss o f her moat industrious and intelliffent
inhabitants, and whole distriets, once proverbial for good forming, and fertility, saved from their
present unproductiveness, and lack o f popn-
• Quarierly Rcvictt, No. hxxT, p, 7ft.
3 9 ^ R e lia o f th i Coiuf^eni.
Ution. A b it waa, tb e Spanish hierarcby
imitated one o f the worst principios of ILahome- tanifim, and forecd Christianity upon rcluctani multitudes.
The deaf old vergor, after g iving us ample
tim e for a carefnl exaruinatiou of these most
curious carvings, and settiiig a step-ladder, from
the top o f which we gained a better view o f the
royal tombs, next proceeded to draw forth, from gome hidden roccptacle, ol^ccte o f still greater
attractiveness, which had been bequeathed to this chapel b y its fonnders. A m ong these were lea*
bclla’s sceptre, and m is!^ — Ferdinand’s sword, aud crowD— an exquisite Gothic pyx o f gold, two
feet high, covered w ith emblems o f the Eucha*
lis t , and having tbe base o f its pedestal hollowed
out so aa to contain a representiiti<m o f the Last
Supper, very similar in point o f design (but on a greatly-reduced scale) to the faiaous ono by
Leonardo da V inci, every part o f i t being gic*
eutod in th e m ost masterly manner— a small picture by H em ling, “ The Adoration of the
Mairi,” before which mass used io he said daily, during tiie siege o f Gramula— a viril (a Specie*
o f monstrance) in gold, enjunelled, and encircled
b y diamonds o f large size an embroidered cope, encrnsted w itli gold to snch a degree, that nn-
Canonical MiTTors. 399
eupporied i t would olmost stand upriglit, aud
coverod w ith subjects from our Saviours Life, th e whole being (it is said) the production of the Queen’s owu Ixand, and presented by her to
Cardinal Mendoza for the servicc of th is chapel, in addition to tw o other similar yestraentii of
even i^ a tc r beauty, richncss of colouiing, and
exquisite workmanahip— and laat, not least in
point o f interest, the identical standards used hy
th e Christian army at th e s ie ^ .A ll these relics o f the conquest o f Granada
are in excellent pr«jcrvation, and as wc examined them one by one in that quiet, antique-looking
veRtry, it &eemed all but incredible that more
than three centuries and a half had ghded away
since they were first la id up in their ponderous presses o f chestnut-wood, so vividly did they
recall the past, rnaking us almost eye-witnesses
o f tlkose momentous events, in w hich thoy had
played their part.W e were h iglJy auixised with the number and
size o f th e old-fashioned mirrors let in to the
panelling of the vestry walls for the use o f the Cathedral canons, each dignitary having a separate glass for h is own special benefit. Every
one, initiated into the mvateries of a veatry, ia
aware that a certain amount o f looking-glass
400 Canonical Mirrors.
forms an indiepei)sable item o f its furniture. Rut, until T saw th e restriea o f Uurgos and
(rrauada, t always fancied four or five inches of
that useful article were quite suiEcient for every
clerical purpose. I t is never, however, too Lite
to learn, and the m ost interesting piece of original information, respecting the Church in
Spain, I wag ahle to pick up, in our whole pro*
gross from Bayonne to Crihraltar, consists in the
fact, that a cathcdral ounou cannot don his
eccleaiastioal vestments w ithout th e aid of as m ueh looting-^lass aa would sufQce for tiie
dressing-table o f m ost la d ie s!
T ) E F O R E sotting off for the Alhamhra, I
muRt craTC pcnm ssion to introduco our
guide {tnd c(mmi^Honnaire, Ximcnes, who excited onr interest, n o t only as heing a roemher
o f th e same iam ily as thu great Caidinal, hut still more as the son o f M ateo Xim enes, whom
W aahingtou Irving has liandftd down to im m ortality in h is delightful “ Tales o f the A lhambra.”
Ximenes is th e hest hcquais de pU/re I ever
saw, being not only attentive, and obliging, intelligent, and well-mannered, h u t - ^ very
rare quality in that fraternity— n ot in the
least degree officious, and he shows you exactly
what you want to see, w ithout horing you with
the twaddle m ost guides delight in. Our hotel was the Victoria, a name which, repeated in the
i> D
402 TIu Alkamf^ra.
Calle de la Victoria, seems intended to be an
additional memorial of the conquest o f Granada, I t is well situated at th e nortlicm extrem ity of
tb e Alameda, and from its front windows commands a good view o f the Sierra Nevada, draped in its m antle o f snow. The situation is, however, better adapted for summer than winter, as
i t loses tbe before noon, and our rooms, being totally nnprovided w ith grates, or any sort o f fire-place, were miserably cold-
On our way to tlie Alhambra, we had to
traverse some o f the oldest quarters o f the town, where picturesi^ue streets and dirty alleys, l i n i n g caeh bank o f the Darro— a brawling
moTintain-stream, that intersects the whole length
o f Granada— are crowded together w ithiu the
gorge o f a narrow ravine, dominated by the
towers o f the fortress.Em erging, at length, by the Calle de los
Gómeles, and crossing a spacions plaza , we
entered the classic regions o f the Alhambra by
Charles V .’s heavy gateway. The dense grove o f elms, over wliieh, to our right, peered the
ruddy forms of the Torres licn/u^ojs, tlie walk a that opened out ixi serpentine curves, and the situation, a steep h ill overhanging the town, combiutid to recall H eidelberg; but g iving our-
C k a r U f i ÿ P a U tc c - 4 0 5
selves îîo leianre to dweîl on thpi outRlcirte, we hurried forwardu to the (îate of Justice, a m æsive tower o f Uxpia, where trials used
to be held, w ith a large open hand cut deep
into the kcyst-oiic o f the axch, under whieh we
passed, w h ik , fjirthei on in the same building?, A Irey occupies a similar position over anotlier portal. H astening onwards through a narrow
passage iu th e open air, we came upon a spa-
oioue esplanade, Plaza de los the Placeo f the Cisterns, go called from two grL»at reservoirs, cut out o f the solid roek, h y wliicli i t is underlaid, having» the T<7rre d d
w i t h its e l e j ^ t M oorish arch, on o t j p right.The mo^t eonapicuoufi object, however, that
m et th e eye, ie tho last one would either
expoct or deFdre to see in such a apot.
For juet at the moment when the mind ie
attuned to the contemplation o f some o f the
iighteet and m ost graceful architecture in the
world, and you are eager to experience the senaations o f a first impression, there, stndght
before you, on the choicest site in the whole
circuit o f th e fortress, ri^es Charles V /e un. finished palace, a building that in solidity and
maasiveuess almost rivale the m ost ponderous
constructions o f Vanhurgh. Anywhere else you
n 0 2
4 0 4 E iptcrior o f A lfxm bra .
m ight feel disposed to admire its stately form
ond coetJy materials; hut intruded here, arid
built (it ia said) even upon the foundations of the M oorish wintcr-palace, pulled down to make
w ay for it, it ia nothing better than an insolent
barbarism, nnworthy such a man as Charles. N or is one’s vexation lessened on finding that it waa never finished, in consequence o f repeated
earthqnakea, which took place during its erection, and now the roofless, naked walla stare at each other in blank vacancy. I «"as very glad w e had made our pilgrimai^e to Yuste before
going to Granada.; for I could never have enjoyed the same pleaanrc in v isiting Charles’s last
reirciit, after seeing th e havoc he committed at
th e Alhambra.Every one has noticed the extremely plain,
indeed almost shahhy, exterior of th e Alhambra, especially when viewed in juxtaposition w ith thehighly*decorated façade o f Charles’s palace. The
motive for such plainneas is not to he ascrihcd
so m uch to a desire o f producing the greatest possible contrast between its external simplicity, and internal gorgeousness, as to th e purpose of
averting the evil eye, of which Soutliem , and
Eastern nations have at all tim es felt ao uni*
versai a dread. A t any rate, a most cltarming
artistic effect is the result, and from a narrow
piissage frowned npon t y the offices of the neigh*
hour-palacc, and w ith nothing before the eye
but the eommon*place i< ^ a walls o f the Alham bra, yon step at once by a m ost unpretending
little door into the fu ll beanty o f that f^ ry crea*
tiori, consccrated at once by the asaociatione of
Poetry, A rt, and History,W c are now in the Alherco. A long marble
tank, ISO feet by 30, bordered by parterres of
roses, rows o f orange trees, and m yrtles, w ith multitudeis o f gold and silver fish darting to ' aud fro in its glassy waters, fills th e whole
k'Dgth o f its central jirea. The two longer
walls o f th is court, which on their lower surface
are perfectly devoid o f ornamentation, are pierced
above hy a row of m ost graceful MooHsh
•windows, opening towards the tank, and lookin g in that quiet spot, so fraiight w ith a sense
o f repose and retirement, aa i f they belonged to a cluster o f conventual cells. One end o f the
Alberca terminates in a m ost hcautitul donble
arcade ; at th e other rises the tower o f Comares, which, though not attaining an devotion of
more thaii 75 feet by 87, still preseuts a very
imposing appearance us it lifls itse lf abuve
the surrounding buildings, so ligh t in their
4o 6 }l< d l o f Ambassadors.
conetruction, so gracefnl in tlieir proportions. W ithin its walla stands the H a ll o f the Am bassadors, the largest, and one o f the m ost snmp- tnous apartments in the whole palace, used for
the reception of envoys from Ih r c i^ Powers.I t was here, that, in 1478, Don Juan de Vera
delivered to M uley Abcn Haasan Ferdinand's
demand o f the trihntc paid hy preceding t i n ^
of Granada to th e Castilian sovereigns— the
prelude to the final overthrow o f tho Moorish
power in Spain.I t is a noble room, 35 feet sijuare by 60 iu
height, crowncd h y a vaulted roof o f aUrve wood
o f extreme beauty, and illum inated in gold, red, and blue. Tlie walls arc riohly stnocoed, and
adorned with arabesques o f great clegancc. In
fact, it wonld seem as i f the artist had determined
to la-vish upon its ornamentation uü the resources
of M oorish art and taste, for the sake o f producin g a powerful impression on the m inds o f tho
strangers, for whose reception it was destined.I ts situation is unrivalled. A s yon stand
in the decply-reecased windows, to which the
enorinons thickness of the walls gives almost
the space o f small clmmbcrs, you command one
o f the m ost enchanting prospects in th e world, revealing at one glance the fertile bosom o f the
Court o f Iao%h. 407
Vega, boimded by ita ampTiitheatre o f mountains,
and the crowded streets of tb e Albaicin, w ith its im pending tenacea ot* tiowex-^aideD, and vineyard; while right opposite, on breezy heights, that o T e r t o p Alhambra itw lf, rise the gleam ing
walls o f the Oenuralifo, Bunounded by shady
alleys of hox-tiec, poplar, and cypress.In its o r i^ a l beauty, and in the hours of
early siimnjer, tbe H a ll of th e Ambassadors must have heen a M oslem paradise, amid the teeming
luxurianc’e of that semi-tropical vegetation, being
ao contrived, that while & constant current o f air breathes freshness throngh the apartment from
tbe windows, that pierce Its three aides, y e t by partitions of m ost elegant lattice-work the sunshine can. he tempered into a gentle twilight.
Our visit, however, was not ao happily timed, and the hleak winds, aud darksome skies o f
December forbade our indulgence in dreams of the ima^jinatien, and ui^ed u b onward stilL
Ke-entering the court o f the Alberea, we
hastened towards the Co\irt of Lions, the central shrine o f th is aanctuary of M oorish art.
M any persons, forgetting that lim iry, not
grandeur, is the leading idea o f the Alhainhra, are disappointed w ith the dimensions o f th is court, as i f they expect&d its size to be proportionate
408 Conri o f Lions.
to its fame. To ns its aetud appearancc exactly
coincided w ith otit anticipations, and we now
enjoyed tlic intense satisfaction o f realizijig an
almost life-long idea.The Court o f Liona, an oblong o f 115 feet
by C6 from wall to wall, is divided into two
portions, o f which th e central and far larger division is open to the sky, while the rest consists
o f a cloistcr-like arcade, running ro\md the four
sides, and snpported b y more than a hmidred columns, o f m ost graceful, fairy-like form, in
white alabaster. A t each cud two projections, constructed somewhat like a covercd baicocy, arc thrown out a few feet, eo as to present a
very pleasing break in th e general outline, when
you stand in th e centre o f the court beside the
Fountain o f Lions j while w ith in th e cloister, each o f the deep recesses, gained by th e projection, forms a delicious nook, where, in olden
tim e, m any a summer hour was whiled away, amid the luxurious repose o f couches and
ottomans, by the song o f th e minstrel, and the
romance of the story-teller.W hen you have maistered the first impression,
you observe, that the columns on w hich the arcade rests, are alternately single and in pairs, w ith capitals o f very graceful pattern, and tbe
walls of tlic cloister covered w itli tiles o f U ue
and yellow poicck iii, the taToorito panelling of
the Moors.r longed to do something for th e henefit of
the far-faiaed Fountain o f Lions, which, in its
present düâpidatioii and udeleasness, mars one’s
enjoyment o f the scene ; nor have th e lions
dufBcient charaoter to hear their reverse of fortune w ith dignity. Indeed, despite eveiy
preposseRsion in their favour, a «m did spec
tator, w ith th e smallest hiae towards matter- of*fact, muat acknowledge that tliey are somewhat mançfy«look ing animals, such aa exist, it
is to he hoped, only in the regions of heraldry. Ferguason assigns to th is court the date of
1325-1S83, while the comparative plainness of
the Alherca claims an earlier period.Turning to the right we next enter the H all
o f th e Aheucerraires, w ith ita exquisite honeycombed roof, and central fountain. I t was here
(according to tradition) that Boahdil massaercd
thirty-six members o f th e family, from which th e apartment derives ita title, and is not the
deed incontestably proved hy the blood-stains, which sully the purity o f thu marble floor, as
tlie guides point out w ith a positivcnesd o f belief, perfectly refreshing in th is incrcdolous age ?
4 10 2 I(^ o f ihfi Tfco Sisters.
Formerly, all pctsoue, guides and tlie ii em^
ployers alike, enjoyed the satisfaction o f be- liev ing that those m ddy atain^ ware a perpetual memorial o f the bloody event. B u t one unlucky day, somebody, utterly destitute o f rom antic feeling and reverence for th e rcUyio
loci, discovered that a tradition, elaim ing an
antiquity o f three centuries and ^ half, had
no better foondation, than gross ignoranec of
ehem iitry, and, in the hmi^uflge o f Cydopicdiafi, those time*honourixl stains “ are nothing else but th e deposit of water, impre|jnatcd w ith iron,
upon th e w liite stone” 1 !Binct- that fatal hour, no educated pfirwu
dares to indulge in th e lu iu ry o f the ancient belief, u o t even under th e protection of the
guUant appeal made by Ford in its behalf. Bomaoce is powerless to contend w ith science
in (Jie work-a-day nineteenth century.Exactly opposit«, on the other aide o f tho
court, is “ Tho H all of th e Tw o Sistcra,” so
called from tw o enormous slabs o f Macael marble, w ithout ihiw or stain, twins in form
and colour, w hich are let in to the i>avement. T ills is perhaps the m ost beautiful portion of th o Alhambra, and ia its exuberance o f oma-
mentatiou, richness and variety of eolourisg,
H aS. o f the Tko Sk iers. 411
and manifold combination o f every linA that
can produce beauty and grace, i t is simply heyond description. The proportions are so
graceful, th e coIotits bo bri|fht and gay, yet
subdued into such exquisite harmony, that
soothes? while it cncharitR the eye, and every portion down to the tiles, which form a panellin g some three teet above th e floor, bears the
stamp o f such refined taste, and inlinit« inren-
tiveness, that one looks aronnd w ith a sort of despairing wonderment, unable either to clag&i^
the various objects challenging admiration on
every side, ot to carry off anything more distinct
than a dream-like recollection, in w hich eveiy
element of dc*coration is combined, until it forms
a bewildering eliaos o f beauty.Fei^uflson calls it “ the m ost varied, and
elegaiit apartment in th e whole palace. The
walls o f all these arc ornamented w ith geometric
and Bowing pattema, o f very great beauty and
richness, aud appEed w ith unexceptionable taste
for sueh a decoration j hut i t is on the roofs and
largti* arcades, tbat the fetal fecility o f planter becomes more apparent. Instead of the simple
enrves o f the dome, th e roots are made up of
honeycombed, or stalactite patterns, which look
more like natural rock-work than the forms of
an art, which bhould bo always, moiC Oi less, foruial, and comprchunsible at a glanco, at least
in their greater Hncs, and divisions. There is perhaps no inetanco where a Sanicenic ujchitect
has so nearly approached the lim its o f good
taste as here, und it requires uU the countervailing elements o f situation, and comparison
w ith other objects, to redeem it from tho charge o f having exceeded tlicm .” *
W c were greatly struck w ith th e highly- decorated saloon, called S ola de Jufstida, to
which th e date of 1460 is as&igncd. Ten
heaided Moors, in tho costume o f that day, aro represented sitting in council, a feature
wliich has suggested the name o f th e apartment. A numhor o f subjects, hoar-hnnting, toumar
m ents, ladies fair and gallant knights, both
Christian and M oslem, birds and hcasta, make
up a m ost curious work, reminding the spectator
(as Ford suggests) of some aiitique illuminated manuscript- I t is well worth careful study, and
interested m e exceedingly, as being a sty le of
decoration I had not oxpected to find in the Alliamhra.
One o f the m ost enjoyable spots in the whole
palace is the alcove overlooking the garden of
• Fergiiseon’s lU cd b o o k of Architecture, p. 483,
Tocadof de la Beina. 4*3
Idjuicraja w ith its marble fountain aurroniidecl by roses, m yrtles, and oraiige*tret:8, from one of
which Xim enes plucked some goldeti fruit, and
presented to each o f ub as a- w avw V of
th e Alhambra, On th is alcove, callcd Tocador
dfi. la Heine, every resoiirce and combination of
Mocwish art was cshaxisted, to make i t worthy o f itB destination as the boudoir o f th e reipning
Sultana; though even here one is reminded of
Charles V / s barbarism by the hideous briclc buildings he erocted, which rise in \uiinitigated
nghnesa on th e opposite side o f the garden.I t wore endless to describe a ll tbe vaiiouB
courts, balconies, galleries, and baths, contained
w ithin the circuit of the Alhambra. TI»e M osque aloiie, w ith its esquisite niche, where
th e K oran was deposited, would long detain an
archsDologist, even in spite o f the cruel treatm ent i t expericnecd from Charles, who here
perpetrated precisely the same offence against
good taste, for which he gave tho Dean and Cliapter o f Cordova a scolding th ty richly deserved on account o f thoir stupid alterations in
that unique Cathedral-M auy vifdtors to th e Alhambra have expressed
disappointment w ith its aize, so much smaller than their im i^ nation had sketched out. W e,
on the contrary, were quite surprised to find so
much still in existence, after th e ill-u sa ^ i t has
underg;ouo from foreigner and native erer since
i t waa eurrcnde^red hy the M oors; not to mention the eurtliquakftR occiirring so freqnently at Granada, against w H ch nothing haa proved ho
eiTectual a protection, as its own lightness of
construction. O f lute the Spanish Government has begun to pay some attention to its condition, and the spirit o f restoration, which is one o f the m ost cheering aigns of the present century, has
actually penetrated th e Pemnsula, and although
a genuine Spaniard atill consid^ra (ae w e observed) Charles’s heavy structure the fairest ornament o f the Alhambra, yet now, T am
thankful to say, necessary repairs have been
effected, and a gradual restoration, c^ried ont
w ith excellent taste and exact fidelity, i going
on, to be eventually extended, le t us hope, in
theae days of Spain’s increasing prosperity, to th e entire building.
N o description I have ever read can be com- pared for a m oment w ith "Washington Irving’s " Tales o f the Alhambra,” a w ort overflowing w ith th e romantic iuspiratioTW o f the spot— no
mere crude result o f a few hnrried visits, but
th e mature production o f a lengthened residence
witliin its walls, set forth w ith all the graoe and spirit o f a consummate master in th e art of
“ o f tkfí A lham bra” 415
telling a story. In that cliarmiDg book th e last
strougliold o f M oorish power in Kpain is seen nndi?r every aspect: at one moracnt it appoars
restored to all th e freRhness ol* its antique splendour ; the magic power o f poetry lo-poople? its
courts w ith ladies fail, and g’oUaiit knights ; the
soiig o f tho minstrel, and th e clank o f arms arc
hcitrd ouee more, as irt daya o f old. A t another you see it as it now is, w ith its halls waste, and solitary; the owl h w ts Irom its battlements, tlie hawk builds in its warrior-towei«, and bats
flit about its royal chambers.”Ou leflviug th e Alhambra, we pe*croa&ed tbe
esplanade, through which we had approached it, and ascended the 2brre ck la Vela, so oalltd
because (as Ford states) “ on this wateh-towor h a n ^ a silvcr-tonjpied l>ell, whieh, struck by the
warder at certain times, is tho primitive oloek
that gives notice to th e irrigators below,” On
still evenings it can be beard at Loja, thirty
m iles otf. W e had stayed in the Alhambra till near sunset, and on m ounting th e flight o f steps
leading to th e summit o f tbe tower suddenly
found ourselves looking upon a panorama of surpassing interest and beauty.
To our left towered the vast mass o f the
Sierra Nevada, clothed halt-way down w ith a
vesture o f ni»wly*fillcn snow. Its aides are
acamod and finrowed w ith ravinea, where, even
in the iiitcnacst heats o f suaiiicr, glaciers, and
beds o f snow lie immelted, a iLCver-erapty storehouse o f Granadans m ost neoebsaiy lo im y . The first bhieh o f sonset was ju st beginning to shed
its rosy tinta over that broad expanse o f virgin
white, recalling for the m oment some vcrydiffijr- ent scene among the Alpa of Switzerland or
Savoy, while (iranada at our feet soemed trans- m nted into gold, and snch a flood o f aunahino
came streaming, in slanting txJumns from the
western sky, that we eonld scarcely diaeem the long line o f brown hills, from which Boabdil
cast his farewell look on beloved Granada— the well-known “ Last S igh o f the M oor/’
D irectly xindcT the sinking snn lay Loja, our
n e st destination, where a gap breaks in npon tlie mountain »line, and the eye paused in its survey
upon th e heights above Puerto Lope, th e pass
b y w hich the Christian armies nsed to pour
down npon th e Vega, Those heights we regarded w ith peculiar interest, because it was
from their crest we gained our first view o f Granada, and in that transparent atmosphere we
eould now trace our route, step by step, along
the aimbumt slopes, almost down to the feiuoua
bridge o f Pinos, whieh tlxe bleak and barton
rocks o f IRlTira, projecting like a promontory in to the plain, ju st concealyd irom sight.
In the centre o f the panorama, cncirclcd hy
an amphitheatre o f mountains (aomc o f which
exhibit outlines o f singular boldness, aud variety), and occupying the bed o f a dried-up lake, more
than seventy m iles in circumference, lies the renowned V ega, a plain o f almost fabulous fertility , where the broad acres clothed at th e moment w ith the emerald* green o f young wheat, hH>k
more like gardens, than com-fii:ld8; and as the
streamlets, w ith which the plain is intersected in erery direction, glisten like threads o f silver
in th e sunshine, it is hard to convince an inexperienced spectator, that instead o f gazing at a
great sweep o f water-meadott's, as he would be
tompted to fency, he has really before W ? the
novel spectacle o f irrigated wheat*land, which, even under th e disadvantages o f Spanish cultivation, yields an average harveRt o f fifty huRhels
an acre t Such, however, th e fact. As soon as
th e grain is sown, water is tnrned on t il l the
young blade appears, and thus a great impulse is given to its growth. I t is tliis eyatem o f irrigation, invented hy th e Moors, and still main*
tained w ith a certain amount o f efficiency, that£ £
4 18 Abundance o f WaUr.
bûfl p vcD the Veija o f Granada ita proverbial prodatitiveness. Whcres'er a channel conducts
the life-giving stream, there is found an inex- hanstihle pow ei o f growth, and vegetation ; one
crop is hardly off tho ground, before another has
started into being, and th e eartli seems never
weary of bearing. B ut pass th e boundary, and
enter the spots where water does not penetrate, all is ehanged at once. On your r igh t you hare an Eden, on you i left a waste, barren as the seashore, and like i t coxeicd w ith stones, and aand 1
F ew th ings at Gninada strike the stranger so
forcibly, aR th e abundant supply o f th e pnrest, und freshest water, n o t only in th e lower regions
o f th e tow n, where it can bo conveyed w ith little
diificulty, but in situations apparently inaeeea. Bible to a wate>course. T he heights o f Albaicin,
a picturesque sub\irb overhanging the Darro, are excavated here and there, w ith subtemm ean
tanks, containing an almost unhm ited supply of
water. I n fact, th e M oors o f old seem to have considered good water as necessary to their
existence as v ita l air, and th e ingenious contrivances, and appliances employed by them for
obtaining it, m ight be studied by m odem engi*
neers w ith every advantage to th e health, and
comfort o f our great towns.
How to g d a Utisband. 419
Before Icjaving tlie tower, let a s notice tlie spot, where th e Christian standard \s'as first hoisted, when iTcrdinaud, and Isabella took
formal possession o f th e Alhambra, January
2nd, 1492. I t is close to th e hell already spoken of, as regulating th e irriç;ation o f th e Vega.
Once every year, on the anniversary o f tho surrender, that bell is rung for a diiterent purpose. Crowds o f peasants then oscend th e tower, and
every unmarried woman in want o f a husband
(the majority o f th e s e i , according to th e uncharitable assumption o f th e multitude) strikes
th e hell, as a means conducive to tiie attainment o f her wishes, and th e one who makes most noise (a somewhat ominoiw preparation, for matrimony) is supposed to insure herself the
hest partner.Ford, in describing the H a ll o f th e Abencer-
ragcs, eiclaim s, " A las ! that boudoirs made for
life, and love, should w itness sccnes o f hatred
and death 1”— a sentim ent wc could not help
extending to the whole circnit o f th e palace, on hearing irom th e servants what they witnessed
that a lU m oon in the elm-grove helow tbe
Alhambra, w hile returning to th e hotel.
Purkiss, Swainson, and El£ck, w ith the two
mnleteers, Marcos and Tomas, had chanced toE E 2
come np the Torre de la Vela, wliile we were
there, and they remained somo lim e after us, for
th e fuller enjoyment o f an opora*gla6S we had
left for their use, wHcH enabled them , lilce onr- selxee, to tracc out th e route we hadtraTersud in
descffidin^ irom Pmirto Lope, On. descendinf», and passing through tlic Gate o f Jnstice, they
observed about forty yards off, in one o f the sidewalks o f th e chn-grove, three men, two being to^*ther, while th e third, m ounted on a donkty, was a sborfc distance apart. There, and then, in broad daylight, w ith in sigh t o f houses, and
close to a great city , th ey saw one o f the two m en go up to the third, who waa imarmed, and
almost helpless from intoxieation, aod attack
him w ith murdorous ferocity. The rufOan had
in his hand one o f th e formidable knives
universally worn by th e Spanish poasantrj', and
w ith tliis he first cut a groat gasli all down one
side o f the poor man's facc, aud theu stabbed
him again and again, in the ehest, until blood
HtrCAmed from mouth, and nostrih) at crcjry
breath, and he sank to the grouud wallowing in
gore. T he assassin, havii^g coolly wiped his
knife on his trousers, m uch in th e same way as a butcher after killing a beast, walked o ff with
a smiJc on his faoe, proud (apparently) o f what
he had done, leaving his victim in the p o n ie s of death.
W ith th e natural im pulse o f Englishm en, Swainson, and El£ck, as soon aa they luid
recoT w d fion i thü first shock o f horror, with whieh so hideous a sigh t had electrified them, were rushing forward to render assistance to the
poor Hum, bnt were 80 earnestly entreated, nay
almost com pclkd, to desist froui their purpose by several bystanders, Purliiss am oug the number, who knew only too w ell th e state o f Spanish
criminal law, that they were fain to submit, and
as th e poor murdered man was fast passing out
o f th e reach o f human aid, they a ll hurried
away together, know m g they m ight be detained for months, in case they were found on t!ic spot.
Snch atrocities are o f ahnost daily occurrence
in m any parts o f Spain, and, as we nnderstood, the state ol Spamsh law is calculated to render
punishment next to impossible. For the first th in g (Jovemnaent does, is to sek e the property o f th e murdered pergon, and apply i t to the
prosecution o f the murderer, and thus, in the
case o f a married man, absoluto ruin is often inflicted on his widow.
Scenes of bloodshed and violence frequently
4 ü National îiîocd-tkitéüne».
occur, âs is w ell known, in other sonthern countries, where man^a temperament is so much more inflammable, than in cooler re^ons. B ut the
m ost shocldng charattcribtic o f such occurrences
In Spain, is th e utter unconcern, and ahience of
renorse, as i f tiie murder o f a feUow*ChrÎ8tian
were a matter re<^uiring no more sorrow and repentance, than the death o f a sheep, or a p ig f M any persons (and I th ink w ith good reason) have ascribed th is himontable detect in the
national character to the brutalizing influence of
the hull-ring ; while Ford, who, strange to say. Is a staunch advocate for that sport, inaists, on
th e contrary, that it is th e effect, and n ot the
cause o f the Spaniard’s inhred cruelty. They
were cruel, lie asserts, long before th e bull-fight
was ever introduced, as we learn from claasio
authors, and Ufl introduction haa made them no worse.
B u t does not auch a o f argument ntterly
ignore all the hum anizing influence« Christianity
ought to bring in i ts train? Surely that religion, which is to elevate and purify fallen man, and make him partaker o f the P iv in e Nature»
m ust also contain w ithin itse lf tlic means o f tulftlling its secondary office, to soft«n and
humanize the ingrained ferocity o f mankind
Tf it cannot d isc lia i^ w ith euccees its inferior
mission, m ust it not M \ still more signalJy to
attain its higher piirpose ?F or m y own part, little a« I have seen of
Spain, and Jiasty as may be th e conclusions I
have formed on tlm subjoct, i t seems to m e im- possilJo to «lisconnect tiie indiiierence to hnman
life, so commonly exhibited by Spaniaxds, from
tlie revolting scenes o f the buU-riiig, where the
nation k a m s to t a ie delight in bloodshed, and somo of tho nohlcst animals (}od has bestowed
on maokiiLd are tortured to death for the a n iu ^ m ent o f tho mnltitude.. A nd th is takes pkce, we shovild remember,
not now and then, in one or two o f the largest
towns, b a t frequently, during the space o f half
the yeaj, in all parts oi' th e country, npon a
•wholesale scalc. The buU-flght wo saw at Madrid wag tho eighteenth, and last o f the
season. On that occdsion, eight bulls, and fifteen horses were killed, soch being tlie ordinary
amount o f shiughter whenever a de Tbroi is celebrated- This would give for Madrid alone a yearly average o f 144 bulls, and 270 horses, slain in cold blood for tho entertainment of
Christian m en and women. I t is tm o, the
horses are reprieved from the knackers to fiir-
Jiish sport in th e IjuU-ring; but tbat fact in no
degree neutralizes the iujurione influences ex- crcised upon tb e spectators by such wanton efiu- sion oi* blood.
N or sliould i t be forgotten that these exhibitions occur periodically all over ike country, irom
San Sebastian to Gibraltar, and tow ns o f 5000
inhabitants, especially in Andulusia, the hoad- quarters of Tanromaohy, are rarely w itliout tlicir
P laza de Thron, which is gcneriklly the largest
and best*cared-for building in th e place.So tbat, in fact, Spain is deluged w ith blood
every year from end to end, merely for luan^s
amusenient, and the more horrible the incidents
o f the spectacle, th e greater the zest and delight
w ith which i t is witnessed. The only wonder
to me is— not that the Spaniards should be what
they ore— but tliat they dtill xetain b o many
fine qualities, and are not as a nation utterly
demoralized.I t is a mere id le retort to remind an Knglish*
man o f h is national prize-fight- T he actord
there are voluntary agents, and i f they choose
to pommel each other to picees, we can only say
it is a misfortune they have n ot different ideafl respecting man’s work upon earth, than to use
their hands ii> marring “the human iace divine.”
The E nglish prize-fight is Liippily no longer
w ithin tlie pal© o f th e law, and, w ith tlic exception o f the late enconntcr, w hen national feeling was accidentally enlisted, no respectable person would bo seen in the ring at the present
day.W hereas in Spain, a ll classes,'from the highest
to th e lowest, men and women a lite , take their
place at th e buU-fight, as regiUarly as at opera
or play. Ford, in h is “ G ath erin g from Spain.”
p. 297, remarks, '‘W h at public moetinga and
dinners are to Britons, reviews aud ras^zias to Guids, mass or m usic to Italians, is thia one
aud absorbing buU-fight to Spaniards o f all ranks, seses, a^jes.” N ay, even the c l e i ^ arc
carried away by the national impxilsc, according to the same author. “ A t Seville, a choice box
in the shade, and to th e r igh t o f th e president, is allotted as th e seat o f honour to th e canons o f . the Cathedra?, who attend in. their clerical costume; and such days arc fixed upon for the
buU-fight as w ill not, by a long church*service, prevent their coming. The clergy o f Spain bave always been th e m ost uncompromising
enemies of the stage, whero they never g o ; yet
neither th e cruelty nor profligacy o f the amplii- theatre has ever aroused tlieir z e a l ........................
The Spanish clerg j pay due deference to bulls, both papal, and qnadruped; they dislike hem g
touched on this subject, and generally reply, ‘E s costumlre*— ‘ I t is th e custom ;* *Siempre
se ha j>raficado <m ‘— *Ifc has always beou
done b o ; ’ or, Son ccsas de B ipan a'— ‘T hey are
t h in ^ o f Spain; ’— the usual answer given as to eTCiything, which appuara incomprehensihle to
strangers, and which they either cannot account for, or do not choose. I n vain did St. Isidore
write a chapter against the amphitheatre— his
chapter minds him n e t; in vain did Alphonso
t lie W ise forbid their attendance. T lie sacritice o f the bull has always been m ixed up w ith the
religion o f old Bomo, and o f old and modem
Spain, where i t is classed among act« o f charity,
since it supports th e sick and wounded; therefore a ll th e feable countrymen o f Loyola hold to
the Jesuitical doctrine, that the end justities the
m eans/'— Ihid. p. 209.
Th e Victoria, w itli a little more capital, m iglit l>e made an eiccU cnt liotel, and
after tlie rough quarters we liad found at Casa Lope, and other halting-places between CordoTa
imd Granada, ita good bods and cheerful rooms
were quite a hizury. T he people o f the house were m ost atteutive, our sole complaint was, that Pepe th e waiter, who always looked to me
iiko “ th e fat h o y ” in “ Pickwick'" grown up, w</uid eat garlic to such a degree, tliat h is pro*
eence at m eals was qiiite intolerahle, being only
one remove £rom having to eat that abominable
esculent ourselves. A t last, after endiuring the odo\irs, which surrounded his person like a halo, for a couple of days, we induced him (being a
very good-natnred creature) to go into the
garden bef ore our meals, and there eat sufiicient parsley (an admirable deodorizer) to neutraliiW
4^8 Granada in S ^ n g .
at leasfc, i f not effectually remore, the objectiun* able smell.
3>ecember ia by no means tlie tim e to Oranada, for its positioii ajnoDg tb e «purs and
raTines o f tbe Sierra Nevada, combined w itli its liortbem aspect, and elevation 2445 feet above
tlie sea, make i t far from agreeable to winter- visitors. i)nring tb e fonr days o f o u t sojourn
tlicre, tb e foimtains, w ith w bicb it abound», were glazed every m orning w itb ice o f some
thickness, and it was so very cold in-dorirs, that
w e m igbt well be said more to exist than to
live, glad indeed to avail ourselves o f paletots, plaids, and otber wraps, bnt cold in spite of
them all. N or, wliat was worse, could tbe
utm ost fervour o f our im agination conjure up
warmtb enough to disuse around th e Alhambra such an atmosphere, aa would recall tb e luxury
and enjoyment o f its souiincr-houra.L et all, who have the power to choose, go to
Granada when the song o f the nightingale, and
the fragrance o f the orange-blossom, till its
groves w ith melody, and sw eetness; when the
eye, penebating th e foliage o f its elm-planted
Alameda, rests on th e dazzling crest o f iMulaha*
cen w ith a sense o f refreshment, to w hieh the
contrast o f green leaves, and summer-enow lends
H i Altracticm . 429
an unwonted charm ; when day is Elysium , aud
night a Dream-land o f romance, illum ined by the warm heams o f a southern m oon; when the
Alhamhra assumes a garh o f beauty, to which, amid the' glare of noon, its courts and howexa
are strangers, when, according to Irving’s poetical desciipfcion, “ Every rent, and chasm o f time, ©very mouldering tint, and weathcr-stain, disappears. T he marble resumes its origiDal white*
n ess; the long coionnadcs brighten in tlie m oonbeam s; the llalla arc illuminated w ith a soilcned
radiance, until th e whole edifice reminds one of
the cnclianted palace o f some Arubwn tale.”I s i t surprising, then, that Roahdil should havo
w ept on losing auch a paradise, even though, as he looked on Granada for th e hujt tim e &om
the mountain-si opes, he beheld it in its wintry
aspect; a circumstance which it pleaaea one to
think m ay have tended in some small degree
to a llevb tc h is wretchedness? Or can wo wonder, that the Moors of Tütuan, down to the
present hour, should cling, w ith the tenacity of
an hereditary afl'ectiou, to the hope o f recoverijig
what their forefathers lc«t, and retain, as they are said to do, th e ancient maps and deeds, o f
the estates and gardens o f their ancestors at
Granada, and even the very keys o f their houses;
43® Sickness.
holding them as proofs o f their claims, to be
maiie good when tho day o f restoration comes round?
I t had been our intention to leave Granada
on Saturday, Pecem bcr 3rd, to ingnre our reachin g Gibraltar in good tim e for th e Poniiiäular
and Oriental Company's next boat to England, due on th e 13th. B u t the first th in g we heard
o f on Friday m orning was th e dangerous illness o f Lord Portarlington’s horse from violent in- (lammation \ Marcos and Tomas were w ith him
all night, and he had been bled so copiously that m oving him , for two days at least, was <jiiite
out o f the question; tliough the veterinary
surgeon thonght, that w ith care he m ight then
accomplish the journey, earryinfj nothing but b is ow n weight.
W e were a ll very sorry to hear th is intelligence, for in an expedition like ours, travelling
w ith the same animals day after day for weeks, one soon leam s to take an interest in eaeh, and
every mule, aud donkey even, is regarded w ith a
Jriendly eye. I had pccdiar cause for lik ing
Barbarossa, as I used to call th e now-ailing
horse. H e had not only been the means, by his
uncomraon steadiness, of saving m e irum extreme danger, hut had carried me m ost pleasantly some
three liimdrod miles. Indeed he had but one
faolt— on no occasion would be bohavo w ith
common civility to M r. Sykes’s borse, which had
never, as far as we were aware, given bim the
smallest cause o f offence, H e was, howevir, in th is respect on ly im itating th e example o f his
betters, there being m any a biped, w ht«c antipathies seem to derive an additional degree of
accrbity from th e cireumstancc, that they are
altogether groundless and unreasonable. This
failing used to give us a world o f trouble, for it
required unceasing vigilance to keep tb e peace
between them- The moment Barbarossa came w ithin a few yards o f hia btie noire, he would
make tb© most hostile demonstrations, neighing defiance, opening his mouth, as i f b© were about to swallow him up, rearing, striking out w ith
his fure-feet— behaving, in short, mure liko a
horse in a state o f insanity, than the good-tempered creature he was in his ealmer moments. Fortunately, Mr. Sylces’s horse had seen a good dotd o f th e wurld, having belonged to th e proprie
tor o f some hvery stables at iladrid , and th e fjood temper, and forbearance, w ith which he behaved
on these trying occasions, were beyond praise; all tbe quarrelling was on one side, and as a natural consequence i t soon came to an end, to break
out again on the first opportunity. This delay
gave Tia tw o more days a t (Jrana<k,, enabling us
to see moru and more oi* the AUiambrii, as well ixa to pay a v isit to th e Gt^nfirali/e, where we liad not yet boon. W o had good rcu^on to congratolate
ourselves on our good fortune in being at such a
placc as Granada, and not, as m ight easily have
happened, in some wTstched way-side posada, or
dull conntry*town.I t was ou a bright suiisluny afternoon, that
descending &om th e Alhambra b y one o f its
dilapidated portala, callcd Puertn del Tico, and
crossing a deep ravine, which spparatis its »ito
from the S itrra del Sol, we gradually attained
th e breezy heights, and long-drawn arcades, o f
th e G^neraJifo, the sfummcr-palace o f th e iio o r -
ish K ings. I t s situation ia far more strildng
than tliat of the Alhambra, and the prospect i t commands is of the m ost varied description—
here a c r a ^ y defile, where the poplar lifts its
head (now golden with th e hues o f autumn), as i f it strove to overtop the steep, to whose
shelter i t owes its unwonted grow th; and the brawling brook leaps from rock to roek, hastenin g to reach the plain— there the teem ing
suburb o f Albaicin, ■ssith its eool Alameda ovcr-
huQging, like a terrace, the torrent stream of
GeneraUfi’, ^^3
the Darro, while furtlicr on, tJie ricli, iream- w hite muas of the Catliedral, and slender towey
o f San Jeronimo, catch th e eye ere i t finally
rests Oil th e verdurous expanse o f th e Vega, and tho dark-hrown mountain« o f Elvira» and Puerto Lo|)e.
Aa the M oor h ft it, the Generallfo m ust have
been a delicious retreat, where A rt had turned to
houily use whatever Nature ministers to bodily
enjoyment. W ater, th e great luxury o f snch a climatc, was everywhere, I t soothed th e car
w ith the plashing M o f fountains; i t cooled
the air w ith jets thrown upwards to an enormoxis
height, to descend again in spray upon iiyTile, and rose ; i t murmured a pleasant sound iu cascados; nay, the very halusterft, linM ng one
sweep o f terracc to another, were converted into
runnels, where a never-ceasing r ill trickled over
its tnarble bed.
T he villa it«elf is scarcely worth entering, havinff heen sadly marred» since the days o f
Boahilil, hy the introduction of features utterly
at variance w ith its original character, which j^ve it ahnost a eoekney air. W e passed out by
a garden-door upon th e mountain-side towards
the Sill/z del Moro, “ th e Seat o f tho Moor,”
so called, because Boabdil is said to have retiredp F
to th is sp ot d tm n ç a popular outbreak, and
** rem ained a ll day seated on th e rocky Bunmut,
loo ldng m ounifuU y dow n 0J\ h is factious city .
K o th in g can be m ore abrupt th an th e tran
sition from th e G iueralife, w ith i t s b loom ing
gardens, and groves o f cyprcss, and m yrtle , to
th e parohcd slopes a lon g w h ich w e continued
our walk, where hardly a blade o f stuuted grass
can find root. So is i t u sually in Southern
Spain ; cu ltivation , and abundance o f w ater w ill
convcrt th e w ilderness in to an E d en ; aud th«
d esert and th e garden are ever side b y side.
W e extended our wall? to som e distance, a long
inountliin paths, w h ile th e su n w as em king in to
h is couch o f saffron and purple, over th e defile
o f Loja, and i t w as tw ilig h t before w e finished
our circuit b y re-entering th e pred n cts o f tha
A lham bra a t th e B e ie 8udo^, w here, w ith an
ever-w atchfal regard to* th e in terests o f th e com
m issariat, w e purchased som e ja m m es duices de
In» Aipujarras, sw eet ham s o f Trovelez in the
Alpujarras range, irom a very good-hum oured
w om an, o f w hose com estibles X im enes gave a
highly-fiivoujable report.
O ne m orning w e w en t to th e Church o f San
Jeronim o, th e burial-place o f th e G reat Captain,
O onsalvo de Cordova- I t was designed by
Sa n Jer(fn im . 435
D iego dc Siloc, son o f E l M aeaho GKl, th e
artist to w hose gonius th o convent o f Mira-
tlorea owea its unequalled tom b and retablo.
A t present, w hen Spaniard and Frenchm an have
done th eir w orst to deface its beauty, one can
hardly ju d ge o f its original condition. L i t e the
Catbf*dral, i t greatly needs th e solem nizing cfTcct
o f painted ^lass, b ein g flooded w ith excessive
lig b t , and th e unusual span o f i t s arches
incrcascf: tb ie defect. T he m o st in teresting
objects, n ow le ft w ith in i t s walU, are tb e life-
sized effigies o f Gonsalvo, and h is w ife, placed
in tho po&*ture o f prayer, on each side o f tho
h ig h a liir , several feet above th e floor. T hese
have quite th e look o f au thentic portraits.
F ord states, th a t a t th e suppression o f th e conven ts in 1 836 , w hen th e popular feeling waa not,
as in E ngland a t th e lleform ation , wilA the
m onks, a m ob broke in to th is church, and de
stroyed everyth ing iu th e m ost w anton manner.
E v en th e bones o f th e Great C a p t ^ , th e only
em inent general Spain over produced, as w ell as
th e rem ains o f h is w ife, wcro d ug up and scat
tered to th e w inds b y tb e hands o f their own
countrym onl T he refit o f th e convent is now
converted in to a cavalry-barrack.
M any o f th e old M oorish houses still e j is t ,
TT 2
th ou gh in RaJIy-alterod circum stances. One
called th e Casa CAapis, w ith ite jyatio, and
w ooden galleries, stands charm ingly situated on
tb e hrow o f A lbaicin , fronting th e A lliainbra;
w h ile th e d fi Carbim, so w ell know n from
its Saiacen ic arch, w h ich has lo n g served
m anuals and glossaries o f architecture w ith a
stereotyped specimen o f th e M oorish stylo , waa
repeatedly jasscid b y us, on onr w ay tovrards*
tb e upper tow n- i t i s said to liave been b uilt
as early as 1 0 7 0 A . n . , and in after-ages was
usod as a royal m ews. K o th in g can be more
deplorable and filthy, than its present condition,
degraded in to th e liabitation o f charcojd-bunierB
^whence its m odem iiam e), and other m embers
o f th e “ ^ a t unw ashed ” fraternity. One m ay
h ope som ctliing w ill b e done to rescue i t from
th e iieglect in to w hich i t ha* fallen, especially
as, in addition to th e restorations carried on at
th^ Alham bra, a very pretty Moorifth arcaxie
stand ing at r ig h t angles w ith th e Zara iin (the
street o f th e silTersiniths), and ha\-in|^ a row o f
shops on each aide, w ldch from their tin y
dim cnsiiins look almoat lik e children’s p lay
th in gs, is n ow undergoijig th e sam e proeefis-
Mv. Svkea w ished to m eet w ith som e speci-
meufe o f th e illum inated wood-car\-inga, so gene-
Imagp^ Worshp. 43 7
rally introiluced in to t lic retablos and m onu
m ental rem a ini* o f Spain, during tho Rixteenth
and seventeenth centuries, and directed X im enes
to m ake ini^uiries a t th e diiferent ciiriosity-
shops o f t lic to w n for ilia t puqK>se. X im enes
wafl alw ays anxious to plea&c, and aet al>oiit
th e com m ission m t l i h ia u«>ual alacritv and
good-naturc; b u t n o t b ein g blessed w ith a
very d iscrim inating knowlcdf?© o f A rt, th e
result o f Lis in v c a ti^ t io n s w as b y no means
satisfactory. H e acemed to tb in k an yth in g in
th e sliape o f carvcd irood, w iil i p a in t u pon it,
w ould do. A s u natnral consequonce, th e lobby
o f th e h o te l frequently czbih ited a very m iscel
laneous collection o f t lic wood*carvcr’s handi-
crdft, brought th ere for inspection; and ono
day, on returuiug from a w alk, I ibund Pepe,
and tb e chamber*maid, stand ing in an attitude
o f in ten se adm iration, am ouuting alia oat to a
m inor species o f im age-worship, before a chuhby-
faced infknt, in wood, w ith a h ig h colour and
brow n drapery, having very m uch tlie same
t^'pe and oipresaion o f countenance, an the
cherubs and seraphs, w ith w hich th e chürch-
w aídená o f tlio laat century used to adorn the
altar-pieces o f our Parish-eburehes.
i lu c h h iii been said o f th e disagreeable
4 3 8 F fech o f ^afcr « Sj/ain.
effccts prodaced upon tra y c lk w in Spain l y
th e w ater, and th e len g th o f tim e required for
a cd im atiz iu g th e system to th e Iroe use o f an
elem ent, so necessary in th a t th irsty land. T o
aome con stitu tion s i t i s a lm ost dangerous to
drink copiously, as one w ou ld bc temptud to
d o in h o t w ea th er; and although , from th e com-
p aratirely low tem perature provaUing during
th e w h o le o f our stay iu th e country, we were
n o t exposed to th is tem ptation , y e t even the
l itt le w e drauk w as generally follow ed b y un
pleasant consequences. N o r , singular to say,
did th e disagreeable eifects pass off, after w e
had been som e w eeks in Spain (as m ig h t have
b een expeeted), b u t continued to b e (juite as
powerful a t ( ’ordova, and (iranacla, as a t Bur-
goa, and M adrid. 'Ib is circum staiice tbrms
another o f th e num erous objections to a summer
tour (at least in th e southern portions o f tb©
P eninsula), as d urin g tli<it season travellers
on horsebaek m u st suffer greatly from tb^rst,
w ith ou t b ein g ablo to satisfy i t w ith th e sam e
im punity aa th e natives, w h o are im m ense
water-drinkers, and ean quaff quart after quart,
w ith o u t fear o f dysentery, or any other disorder.
/ ^ N M onday m orning, D ecem ber 5th , w e hado
farewell to Granada. P n rk iss and the
m iJ etccts had started th e preced ing afternoon,
to lig h ten as m^uch as poBfdhle th o journey to
th e poor sick horse, w h ich h av in g re^fained a,
l itt le o f h is B t r e n ^ w onld n ow (w e hoped) ho
able to reach (JihraJtar b y easy stages.
F in d in g th o ron te across th e V eg a to Loja
ran th ron gh a featureless expanse o f irrigated
com *land, Lord P ortarlington engaged a car
riage, w h ich took us there com fortably in about
s ix hours. T h is trajet recalled th e days o f the
o ld C oqnette, (w hich h y tho w ay had heen sent
back from Madrid, reaching th e frontier a t Iran
on ly j i is t in tim e to save tlio deposit-m oncy,)
and our p ostin g adventures through th e plains
o f CaetiUe. M r. Sykes, fa itlifn l to tho saddle,
m ade th e jou rn ey o n horseback, so th a t th e dis-
44© Banla F6.
tance he rode cxceoded th a t riddeu by us, on the
whoh) journey lictw cen T oledo and Gibraltar,
about th ir ty m iles.
I t was a lo v e ly day, and th e chaTige o f tempe*
ratu ic, as w e descended in to th e bosom o f tho
V ega, and receded forth et from th e snow-clad
m ountains, was exceed ingly pleasant, after the
ch illy hours sp en t a t Granada. W o passed
throiigh Santa “tihe to w n huEt by IVrdinand
and Isabella dxirin^ th e siege, wlien their camp
had heen destroyed h y tire. I th in k I never saw
so hidoous a placc. I t s form i j a. bt^uaic, fenced
a ll roim d h y tapia-w alls w ith four gates, and
lo o k in g lik e n o th in g &o m uch as a vast shoep-
p en , I t is u tterly unw orthy to he v is ited hy
th ose w hose route docs n o t l ie in th a t direction.
T h e Church to o is a m onster o f u g lin e ss ; and all
Tsithin s ig h t o f exq u isite A lham bra! Santa Fo
i s verily th e N em esis o f outraged M oorish A rt
in Spain.
I t ia on ly near Loja, th a t th e country, hrofeen
u p in to m ountain and valley , and watered by
th e crystal X en il, becom es in teresting, i lu e h o f
th e p la in after L achar is a m ere w aste o f sand
and stones, w here n o th iu g w ill grow for w ant o f
water. L oja itse lf stands in a m ost picturesque
site, com m anding th e pass th rou gh w hich th e
B firà a ro i^ '^ ProgrenH. 4 4 I
X en il descends in to th e low er conntrj-, on its
w a y to jo in th e (^hiadalquivir. Perched upon
a n oTerhanging ro c t, th e old Castle, w h ich in
M oorish days w as a p ost o f im portance, do-
m inâtes th e to w n ; b elow flows th e rirt^r, w ith
its broken, w ell-w ooded b a n ts ; a précipitons
ram pârt of D\o\Uîtain, walla in th e deHle üolq th e north ; w h ile to tho aouth-cast, far away
beyond th e extrem e confines o f th e V ega, riees
th e vnst muas o f th e Sierra N evada.I t was a great satisfaction to find on arriving,
th a t th e poor horse had aocomplibhod the
jou rn ey from (:banada T c r y tolerably , under the
charge o f faithful M arcos, w ho led h im carefully
th e w hole d istance. H e wua, howexer, s t i l l unüt
for w ork ; another horae therefore w as engaged
a t L oja, to g o a ll th e w ay to Gibraltar, and as
hia m aster, a v e iy sinister-lookiûig, elderly mau.
accom panied us, for tb e purpose o f bringing
h im back, onr party n ow am ounted to n ine.
B y w ay o f change, I undertook to ride th o
new liorse, transferring to L ord Portarlington
(w lio b ad quite taken a fancy to h iin ) th e truaty
o ld hack from ïb le d o , b elon gin g to M arcos.
H is m aster used to declare he waa on ly eigh t
years old ; but h e looked m ore lik e eighteen,
and in addition to som e adm irable q u a l i t i e s a
toadstor, Lad a peculiar faculty for sp y in g o u t o f
th e com er o f each eye , w h ich ga v e h im a m ost
grotesque appearance; lead ing a bystander to
fancy h is tem per w as none o f th e b est, a conclu-
sion b elied b y h is behaviour on erery occasion;
and he becam e to u s a stand ing caution n o t to
ro ly to o im p lic itly upon th e deductions o f p hy
siogn om y in th e interpretation o f elmracter.
T he h a c t h ired a t I/oja , w h ich I rode a ll the
rest o f th e journey, proved to be a b east o f very
difTerent disposition. H e began by k ick in g up
behind on th e sm allest provocatiun, a trick whicli
m ade h im b y no m eans p le a ^ n t to follow . In a
day or tw o ho developed another qxiality m ore
im m ediately aiTccting m yself. "Whenever I
m ounted h e con td red , w ith th e perverse in
g en u ity o f vice, to k ick a t m e w ith h is near
h in d leg , and aa th e stirm p-irons ( if aueh I m ay
call th em , b ein g o f bronze) were very sm all and
narrow, o f a queer, old-fashioned shape, i t w as
n o easy m atter to g e t in to th e »addle. Then it
w as %Ay turn, and I used to g iv e h im m ore than
h e q m tc relished o f a b o i-w o o d p lan t whieh
I had cu t o u t o f th e untrim m ed parterres in th e
Em peror’s garden a t Y uate, and carried ever
since as a riding-sw itch, I m ust, however, do
th e poor beast th e jn stice to add, tlia t w hen onco
Threatening W eather. 443
m ounted, a b etter hack oonld n o t oaflily be found.
From hifi {?reat len g th o f pastern, a character-
ietio exh ib ited b y m ost w ell-bred horses in A n
dalusia» h is action waa pecuUarly sm ooth, and
pleasant, und h is canter easy as tho m otion o f a
rocking-chaip; w h ile h is powers o f endurance
m ay be conceived, w h en I m ention, th a t onr last
ride, from L a H im era to Gibraltar, extended
over a w hole day and n ig h t, consecutively,
h o r n i n g a t 7 .3 0 a .m . on Saturday, and ending
about 9 A.M. on th e morrow, relieved h y only
three halta, whieh, in all, scarcely am ounted to
five h o u rs; and y e t h e carried m e in to G ibraltar
aß fresh, as i f such protracted fa tigu e w ere m ere
p lay to him .During» our s ta y a t Granada there had boen
continual hoar-froBts, w hich, except on one occa
sion, w ere n o t follow ed b y rain, as w on ld comm only he tlie case in E ngland . S till th e w eather
waa very unsettled , w hen w e le ft Loja, D ecem
ber 6th , th ere waa every ind ication o f a change,
w h ile icy p iercing b lasts, cam e stream ing down
in capricious g u sts (fortunately to onr backs)
from th e snow -fields o f th e Sierra N evada. T he
country was very pleasant to ride throngh, m any
parts b ein g h ig h ly picturesque, lev e l sw eeps o f
va lley betw een bold, craggy h ills , w ith an occa-
L a ^ i S ig M o f Barbaroam.
sional strip o f f in e ly -t im te e d wocxlland and
forest, tb e Tery spot for a n o v elist to loc^t« u
troop o f brigands, n o t to m cutiun sparkling
trout-stream s, w h ich meandurud in graiefu l
curves th ron gh meadows f ^ e n w itli th e freslx
pasture o f autum n, und im parted life and
brightness to th e scene.T he poor sick horse hud btarted w ith us from
Loja, and for several h oars he m anaged to get
on tolerably. B u t soon after mid*day he f la g ^ d
ao m uch, th at w e w ere oblij^cd to h'Ave him at a
lon e V en ta , stand ing ou th e brinfc o f a moorland
brook, w here w e m ade our noon-tide h a lt , w ith
M arcos to tak e care o f h im . W e all d id cur
beat, before starting, to m ake h im (comfortable in
th e m ost sheltered com er o f th e stable, where
th e h o st’s cow was q u ietly ruminating», w itii
l itt le th o u g h t o f so Rummarj’ an ejcctm ent from
lier warm bed, to m ake room for a sick stranger.
W e le l l th e poor hurse w itli sad m isj^vinj^
(on ly to o speedily to be verified), for h e looked
in m iserable p lig h t, and w c ucvcr suw bun
again! P o r th o u g h M arcos m anaged to g et
h im on , “ w ith painful steps and s lo w /’ u« far
aa A rchidona, a distance o f about tw o leagues, th e sam e evening, and th ere p laced h im nnder
th e care o f a veterinary surgeon (w ho from some
jTusapprcliension liad n o t gone to t lie V enta
according to th e directions le f t a t If is to u se , as
•we passed through th e 7Ílla{?e); illness
returned n pon him sn lisequently svith sucli ticv
lenee, th a t h e ha^ n o po>?er to rally , and died
th e n ex t day.L itt le d id w e im agine, w hen he started irom
T oledo fu ll o f life , and Tigonr, carrying h im self
proudly w ith arched neck, and flash ing eye,
w h ile Ids coat shone lustrous as satin , th at after
all, h is y o u th and beauty w ere on ly lead ing h im
so soon to a grave by th e w a y sid e ! w h ile m y
o ld haclc, on w hose thinly*covored ribs, and ill*
tended hide, h e looked down w ith proud disdain,
a$ an “ o ld fogey ,” antique enough to he his
grandsire, w ou ld bravely reach tb e end o f that
lo n g joum ej', to ca m hereafter, as 1 venture to
hopo h e is n ow dohig, hard pesetws for h is
roaster, Marco« Kahosos, a t lea st s ix days in
every w eek, np and dow n th e steep streets o f
venerable Toledo-P oor B arbarossal he deserved a better fate
tlian to becom e food for th e ravens, th a t nestle
in th e rocks o f A rehidona. S ix w eeks before he
h ad cost £ 4 0 , and wa* w orth i t all.A rchidona is a lon g stragglinj? vjlla<?e, b u ilt
o n a steep slope, and paved exactly according to
th o nataral form ation o f th e ground, w ith ou t
th o least a ttem p t to la y th e pavem ent on an
even su rface; eo th a t besides th e decU vity run
n in g along ite w hole l e n ^ , w hich in placcs
is oreessively abrupt, another slope crosses tho
street, and betw een th e tw o i t beoame really
q uite a hnsiness, even after a ll our expeneneo o f
Spanish n p s and dow iis, to ride th rou gh the
place w ith ou t breaking our horses’ knees.
Im m ediately above th e v illa in a group o f
rociis, remarkahlo for form and outline, rises
in sheer precipices to an e levation o f 18 0 0 or
2000 fe e t ; and as w e vieTS'od th em from th e
plain below , (one o f th o dried*\ip lakc^bods con-
stan tly occurring in th is part o f Andalusia,) th e
effect was uncoEomonly str ik ing , nor does th e
sp ot need th e tradition o f haTing once been the
scene o f a " L over’s L e a p /’ to g iv e i t in terest
in th e eyes o f travijllers. A g a in and aga in did
w e turn round to ga^e a t th ose rocks, which
from som e p oin ts assum ed an aspect very sue-
ceesfu lly recalling, on a reduced scale, th e vast
obelisk o f M on t C errin, u n til darkness fell
n pon th e earth, ju s t a£ we entered a fine pass,
th e features o f w h ich were m ore suggested
th an fu lly revealed, h y th e fa in t beam s o f a
m id d k -fl^ d moon.
T o onr r ig h t w e m ade o u t tKe broken out
lin e o f a m ountain, and tliroiigU tb e ravine at
our feet a braw ling torrent sped downwards
tow ards tb e plain , w hile th e o w l and nigbt-jai*
w ere lioard b u t n o t seen, as th ey flitted around
n s w itb n oiseless w inga, in quest o f food, utter
in g tlic ir pliuntiTC cry.There is , I a lw ays th ink , a peculiar cbarm
in a ride b y rdgbt- So m any th in g s never
obserred during day-hours— atinoapberic eliects
unseen a t other tames, tk e g h o stly furm o f lunar
rainbow, th e flash ing sb oot o f fa lling star, and
th e fitfu l g lories o f th e Aurora Borealis— added
t o i l ie transient sounds o f an im al life, th e dis*
ta n t b ay in g o f a liousc-dog, or short, sharp,
bark o f A fox— tb e silence, and sensation o f
general repose— besides th a t spccial character
istic o f a Spanish aigbfc-seene— th e shepherds'
watch-fircs, fitfu lly flash ing up aga in st an in k y
sky— a ll tlic se com bine to in vest a ride or drive,
after dark, w itb peculiar in te r e s t; and our hours
o f n ig h tly travel introduced us occasionally to
som e o f th e m ost str ik in g incidents o f th e w hole
expedition.
C H A P T E E X L .
IT was nearly nine before wc readied A nte- quera, entering th e town b y ft m uddy lano,
that sorely taxed the nerve and strength o f out
tired donkeys. W e were fortunate enough to find
a %ery respectable cleanly poaada, almost worthy
to be dignified w ith the mox^ honourable title
o f Fonda, except that it bad no larder. The
people o f the house, accustomed to early travellers (for in Spain m ost wayfarers contrive to roach their destination by sunf?et, and we v«ry
rarely encountered any one on th e road after
night-fall), had settled down into the d \Jl and peevish somnolency that precedes hed*time, so
that i t waA no easy matter to ronse them to
even a moderate amount o f wakefulness.Autequera is a town o f considerable size,
having a population o f 16,000, %vith apparently
a eonsidtrahle amount o f traffic ; for though
th e in n w as quite an exten sive h o ild ing , th ey
coTiid on ly g ive us tw o room5> ene lo n g and
la i^ e , w h ieh h a v in g first done d u ty aa a saUe‘ h’
ittanfffir, th en served tw o o f ■os for a hod-charoher.
W hile w c were a t dinner, a very respectable
m atron came in to inform 11s , th a t th e in n eould
su pp ly different sorts o f w ines and liqueurs, and
Gvon cham pagne (the m ost popnlar o f a ll foreign
w ines in Spain) w ould be forthcom ing a t our
c a l l ! Such an announcem ent in ariy other land
woTild he q u ite RuperfluonR; but in Spain, where
i t is th e exception, and n o t th e rule, for in n s to
iu m ish travellers w ith an yth in g edible or po-
tahle, th is inform ation waa quite a surprise. W e
naturally took i t for grant<^d th a t th ia matron
m u st be th e landlady, and looked upon the
interest sh e exh ibited in our com fort as a re
markable contract to our general experience o f
posada-folk- Tt t\im ed out, how ever, th at her
atten tions were prom pted by gen u in e good
nature, as sh e really h ad n oth in g to do w ith
th e house, b ein g th e w ife o f a French dentist
sta y in g there at th e m om en t; and having
noticed, th a t th e b elongin gs o f th e establish
m ent, w ith th e uBual inxoveiance o f Spaniards,
le f t ns en tirely to our ow n devices, she very
kin d ly tried to make up in various w a y s; w hile
(j u
th e liuâland, -who, from hie professional w ^ d e r -
in g s ap and down, was th o to a g lily acqoiiinted
w ith t t e country, gaTC na som e v e iy useful in
form ation, respectin g our ront« to Gibraltar.N e x t m cm in g , as I passed tiie ir room, the
lad y appeared at t iie door, and w ith a m ost
ben ign expression o f coim tenanee, and con
siderable am ount o f pantom im ie action, in*
v ited m e to wa)k in . A lad y’s b idding b ein g
o f course a t a il tim es a m andate o f imqueRtion- able potenc7 , I entered in m eek obedience to
her behest, w ondering w h at on earth she could
w an t w ith m e ; and on th e tiireshold found
m y se lf confronted b y a com plete set o f artificial
teeth , w h ic t she th ru st forward in startling
pioM m ity to m y very nose, her w hole counte
nance irradiated b y an expression o f inteniie
d eligh t and satisfaction, as i f th e gh astly spec-
ta c k to w hich sh e had so abruptly introduced
m e, wore n o t on ly a trium ph o f her goodm an’s
professional sk ill (a position I was quite w illin g
to concede w ith ou t dispute), b u t an object o f
adm iration also to a ll th e worid Î 1 tear m y facc
gcareely reoiprocüted th e expression th at beamed
in every lin e o f hers, “ dental su rçery " being
precisely ono o f th ose departm ents o f A rt, in
w h ich no ono feels th e rem otest in terest, until
com pelled to do so hy dire necessity. N a y ,
t lie m ere e iH ln t io n o f th a t g r in n in g double
row o f polisliixl ivory, m igh t n o t unfairly be
regarded as a m ocking in su lt (had Üie ac'tion
proceeded from a m an), to a traveller in tii«
b u n griest region o f Europe, wliere a rery slen
der apparatus molars, &c., i s quite sufficient
for a ll practieal purposes ; on r so le difficulty, day
b y day, havin|^ LitUerto beeri, n o t so m nch to
provide teeti, as m aterials for k eep ing th em in
Ixealthy exercise.
T lie A nteqnerians are ev id en tly an observant
race, and had w c n o t bcoom e inured to such
dcujonetrations, w e should doubtless have felt
m uch tiattercd b y th e att'cnticn th ey paid us.
W o considered ourselves fu lly ju stified in drawin g tw o conclusions, after w itn essin g th e por-
tin acity w ith w hich a crowd o f m en and boys
h u n g about th e posada, for a t lea&t a couple ol
hours, so le ly to do us honour. F irst, th at th«
good people o f A ntequera are in no danger of
injuring their health Irom ex ce^ iv e application
to b usin ess; nor, secondly, are th ey m uch in
th e h ah it o f seeing natives o f th e £ i it ia h Isles.
Our start w as deferred u n til after eleven, as
wc hoped b y th a t hour to receive somo tid ings
o f th e poor horse ; b u t after w a itin g in va in wa
GG 2
452, A Salt-Laic.
se t oixt for Cam pillos. Our ride was m ost
enjoyable; th e day lovely» b rig h t and warm
w ith th e so ft euTi sh ine o f autum n, w h ile th e
neighbourhood o f A ntequera is h ig h ly pietu-
fesque. W e n o t o n ly recovered yesterday’s
v iew o f th e rooks o f A rchidona, and th e pass
80 d im ly diaeenicd th e n ig h t b efore; b u t other
m ountains o f even bolder charactep cam e into
sigh t, bounding tb e prospect to th e south, in
effective contrast to th e broad basin o i olive-
ground and eom -laiid (where once a lake Ixad
spread its waters), through w hich for som e tim e
our course lay.F urtlier on w e entered u pon a w ild tract o f
forest, and oak-serub. rem inding us m ore vivid ly
o f th e dehesas o f Estrem adura, th an a n y seencry
w e had fallen in w ith for som e w eeks, and as
WB approaohtid Campillus, our resting-place for
th e n ig h t, a sa lt-k k c , teem in g w ith w ild fowl,
added an en tirely nuvel feature to th e hindscape.
b ein g th e hu^ est sh eet o f w ater w e had seen
anywhere, since en tering Spain- T h is lake,
w hich d id n o t exceed a m ile and a h a lf in
len gth , is crown-property, carefully guarded by
a com pany o f custom -house officers, sa lt being
a royal m onopoly. I t waa am using to hear,
th a t one o f th e first consequcnce«, in th is out*
oi-thc*w ay d istrict, o f a pronunciamenic or re
v o lu tion a t M adrid, takes th e form o f a vigorous
inroad upon th e 8a3t*pita, th e country-pcople
glad ly availing themselTee o f every political disturbance to secure, w ith o u t eipeixse, a good
stock o f an article so indispensable to a baoon-
lovTJig population.
A s w e entered CajnpiUos, a v illago o f some
size, snrrouudod b y extem dve tracts o f w heat-
plain , w ith th e rannntaina o f H onda far away
o n th e horizon, th e ev e o f a great Bonjan
C atholic festival, th e Conception o f th e Y irgin ,
w as b ein g ushered in w ith all t lie hnbhuh and
lack o f m elody, characteristic o f Spanish bell-
riiig ing . W e alighted a t a poaada opposite
th e church, and finding th e evening*iur fresh
enough to m ake a fire agreeable, w e aat down
beside th e open hearth, w here three generations
w ere assem bled, th e you ngest b ein g represented
b y a s to u t baby in i t s eradlc, w h ich one o f our
party good-naturedly rooked, an a tten tion very
graciously received by th e senior branches o f
th e fam ily. I t w as quite one o f th ose pleasant
posada», w here travellers m eet w itli civ ility ,
cleanliness, and hom ely, native w a y s ; and
th ou gh our bed-room w indow s had n o ghiss,
and th e doves cooed above our heads a t th e
454 WtatkcT-Tokvnn.
first approach o f d ay ligh t, w ith no o th e i par«
titio n to separate u s th an a th in coiling, w e
th o u g h t ourselves w ell entertained, ai)d th e b ill
w as n o t extortionate.
A lth o u g h no rAin had fallen, and yesterday
was q u ite lovely , th e w eather had been un
settled for som e days. I was n ot, therefore, m uch aurpriaed, on first go in^ out, to cbservc
broad m asses o f dark cloud w ith r a ^ e d edges,
chafling each other in rapid flig h t across th e
heavens, an omen, 1 feared, o f an im m ediate
do WT -pour.
H a v in g a lon g day’s ride before u s, w e set off,
neTertheless, through th e corn-plain, andhadjufit
entered u pon som e broken woodland, w h en dow a
cam e a sm art shower, w hicli threatened speedily
to render th ose narrow tracks o f s t if f clay im
passable to th e donkeys, and 1 th o n g h t w e were
faaily in tor a w e ttin g a t leaat, i f n o t a detention
o f tw o or th ree days, for heavy rain goon con
verts auch roads in to channels o f tenacious mnd-
B u t suddenly th e w ind changed, th e clouds
drifted away, and th e sun cam e forth to shed
w arm th and gladness over th e landscape, inapir-
in g m an and b east w itli n ew v igour and spirit,
th a t sen t ua on onr w ay rejoicing.
A t th a t m om ent w c w ere rounding th e barren
h eigh ts upon w hich Tcha ia perchcd, i*ai above
th e plBin, a rd a lth ough th e to w n itse lf wae
quite o n t ot' slight, b ein g b u ilt on th e other side,
w e could hear its church-buUs, as th ey rang for
th e feast, soxmdiuff h i^ h am ong th e clouds, and
rem inding m e o f th ose unearthly peals descrih«fd
in legen d and gohlin-tale. T he efPect o f those
b ells p ta lin ^ forth their n otes from mid-air,
w ith ou t any visih le p o in t d 'appui, was m oat
a in ^ lo r and weird-like.Tcha, though th e b leakest sp ot w e saw any
w here in Spain, b ein g a sort o f in lan d “ W o lf s
Cra4»,” ie b y no m eans unrenowned, either in
iHodern or ancient days. T h e E m press o f the
French, aa every one ie aware, takes her t it le o f
Condesa de Teha from th is m ountain-tow n.L ook in g hack som e 500 ycMU, we read th at
a t its s i e ^ in 1 328 , w h en th e M oors h eld poa>
aesflion o f th e place, L ord Jaraea D ou glas threw
th e heart o f B oh ert B ruce, w h ich h e waa then
con vey in g to th e H o ly L and, in to th e th ickest
o f th e fray, and follow ed i t to th e death. T he
cra^^y h e ig h t upon w hich T eba standa, rises like
an is le t o u t o f a hroad sea o f com -hind. broken
u p in to m any a croek and hay ru n n in g in
and o n t am ong th e h ills, th e w hole o£ th is
singular d istrict g iv in g one q u ite the idea th at.
4 5 6 A b s e n c v 0/ F a m ^ i i d i n ^ .
once upon a tim e, th ese fertile plains, w h icli aTe
said to prodace som e o f th o iLoest w heat in the
world, w ere a ll tuider water, and formed th e door
o f an ocean.
One o f th o thinj^s th a t cannot fe il to strike a
traveller in Spain, m ore especially in th is pax-
tieu lar neighbourhood, is th e n tter absence o f
farm*hnildingR. i rom tim e to tim e y o u see, in
rid ing along, a TÜluge or sm all tow n h ig h up on
a rocky brow, a situation chosen for safety in
th ose troubloiis days w h en Ü 001 and Christian
strove for m astery, and nov? retained w ith loyal
fidelity to th e past in th is change-hating land-
B u t now here else does th e eye, as i t ranges
over a sw eep o f m any thonsand acres, discern
th e sm allest ind ication o f th ose buildings, w ith
w hich th e farms o f other lands are dotted. The
fact is , Spanish ^ m e r s have no m ore store
house, nor b am , tlian th e birds o f th e air, and
th e operations o f th resh in g and w innow m g
w heat aud barley, are carried on b y th em , at the
present hour, precisely after th e faehion w e read
o f in th e B ib le, as b ein g in vogu e throughout
th e E ast, thousands o f years a g o !
On first en tering th e country, I used to noticc,
near m oat v illages, a large paved eiiclc , perfectly
level, o f about an acre in ex ten t, and stnpidly
wondered what piirpose it could be intended to
answer ! A t last I diflcovered (whether hy dint
o f mother-wit, or thiouirh th e good-nature of some infoim ant, I cannot x>ow recollect) that
these open areas, as I ought to have b io w n from
the first, are the identical threRhing-ftoors spoken
o f so often in H oly Scriptnro, where oxen or horacs, yoked to a sort of cw t« or harrow, aud
diiven round and ronnd continually, trtjil tread
ont the com , as in the days of Patriarch and
Prophet.A ny one who wishes to read an account of
the opcrfition, w ill fijid a very spirited dt'scrip- tion in Ford’s “ Gatherings from Spain,'’ p. 115.
One o f th e natural conseqnences of adopting
th is method o f thresliing is, that the straw, throngh th e rough treatment i t m eets with
•from th e combined action o f th e teeth o f the
harrow, and the hoofs o f the horses and oxen, is broken up into very small pieces, never exceedin g tw o ot three inches in length, so that really i t is not available for m any o f the purposes to
w hich i t is applied in other countries. L et no
traveller, therefore, unable to m eet w ith a bed
o f the usual kind, and w ish ing to find a substitute, erer betake him self to that place, which
in some parts o f th e world supplies a very
4-5 N ative (hitlers.
coraiortable exfcemporized couch ready for all comera— the straw-Ioft— for in a Spanifth
he w ill find him self eoiruundcd hy a bristling
array o f that w ill cfFix'tnally banishsleep.
A portable steam-engine, for thresh ii^g out com , m igh t be safely rwommended to entor- ptiiimg capitalists, as a rcry profitable spocnla- tion in m any part* o f the Peninsnla, where fuel is procurable.
A s we journeyed along through some o f the
less interesting districts, T used to amuse myBclf, when thcro was nothing particular to engage attention, by remarking the various soils, and
road-ataing, w ith w hich the legs and flanta of
horse, mule, and donlcey were chequered. Each
poiAda is supposed to have attached to it a man calkd moso de la cuadra, im official corresponding
to the ostler o f an E nglish inn. For the most
part, however, his office is a decided sinecure. F e w ill, i t is true, i f properly loolced after, feed
th e animals placed under hU care, and lead tiiem to th e nearest fonntain for watering. Beyond
these narrow lim its hia ideas o f dnty do uot
eittjnd. A s for rubbing down a horse, or combin g out m m e and tail, or, in short, paying any
o f tJiose peiit$ m n s w ith which a good English
groom delights to make him comfortable after a
hard d a / s work, such a notion never enters his
h ead; and next m om ini; your beast comes fo iih
from th e stable w ith h is coat precisely in the
same condition as when he entered i t twelve
hours before. Every soil and stain stands out i» staU (^ 0 , while saddle aud bridle present an
appearance o f m ingled dirt and rust, tbat would send a respectable E nglish ostler, w ith tho
smallest graJii o f professional feeling, in to bya- teries, i f (mything wotdd. Indeed I used to indulge my im a ^ a t io n w ith tb e faucy that a
geo lo^ st, w ell up in Iberian formations, mi^ht
almost have made out our ronte through the
various districts o f tb e land, by a careful inspection of the different strata our horses’ coats
exhib ited; and when we drew bridle in front of
the Ihftda de Zondres at Seville, they carried upi»n hoof aud leg specimens o f m ost o f the
clays, and other soils, we had traversed during th e previous three weeks in tbe provinces of
Toledo, Estromadura, and Andalusia (
C H A P T E R X L I.
A S wc advanced to*day, December 8th , on
our road towards Itonda, we learned to
appreciate, w itli more and more thimkfuhioas, our good fortune in having dry weather. M iles
and m iles o f th is route would have been utteriy
impracticable during rain, ow ing to the nature
o f th e soil. W e had, in particular, one steep
ascent of nearly tw o m iles over a bed o f stiff clay, where every donkey m ust have “ come to
g r ie f” bad th e day been w et, and wu should
thus have been brought to a Htand*still in the midbt of a very bleak, and almost houseless
region. Even as it was, it cost Cordova, ilo r o , and th e rest o f th e donkeys, whose names used
to be ao familiar, many a hard strui^ le, ere they achieved the ascent, to enter at th e summit
upon a sounder line o f country.J \ist before we halted for luncheon, Marcos,
and h is Cordova purchase, “ the donkey o f re
spect,” Lad a tremcudoua quarrel. For eorae
reason, w hich to th is day is enveloped in
m ystery, ilurcofl, who was on h is back, could not induce him to go through a shallow brook, crossed b y cach o f his brethren w ithout boggle
or difficulty before hie TCry eye«. H is nder
applied the wonted ai^ument o f a stick with
such vigour, that, in an Irishm an 6 phrase, “ it
broke all to Rmithereena,” leaving the donkey for the moment “ roaster of tlic situation,” an ad
vantage he improved by throwing Marcos over
hifl head amid screams o f laughter from the rest o f the pariy, and then galloping off to some distance from the scene o f action. Caught m th
infmito trouble, th e rebel was driven h a ^ to th e ford by h is still weaponless owner (for in th is hedgcless countrj*, sticks are n ot to he m et
w ith at every turn), and there a fresh trial of
strength ensued, donkey palling one way, i la r -
cos another. This w ent on for several minutes, and ju s t as I was going to canter back to his
assistance, another vigorous effort haJ landed th e recalcitrant beast on the right side of the
water, and given victory where it was due, on
the side of legitim ate authority.A fter passing Teha, the wayside abounded
w ith clnmps o f iris in fu ll flower, w hich were
n ot only very pretty to look at, as tiiay gave
colon? and brightness to th e hleak slopes o f tlie
mountain*patii, and em itted a m ost fragrant perfame, hnt recalled m any a Ixome« scene far away over the sea.
In dne course the m ountain-rau^s u f tho Serram a de la Honda came into sigh t right
ahead, glow ing w ith the flaming hues o f a
superb sonset, that, according to M ilton s ftne
phrase,“ vaolted w ith fire" th e whole horizon to the westward, and gave hopeful promise for the morrow.
A m oonlight ride o f Home hours, however, still lay hotwoen us and Itonda, our destination
for the n igh t; and thoiigh oeuasionally some of
th e tnoat lung-sighted o f tho party caught a
glimpse o f th e place, it was only to mock us by i ts seeming nearness for the moment, to recede, at a fresh turn o f the road, to a greater distance (apparently) than ever.
This certainly is one of th e trying circum- s t^ c e s of <i riding-tour through Spain, though
really proceedmg from one o f th e guod qualities
o f the climate, tlie wonderful transparency of the atmosphere, which to the eye almost annihilates distance, and brings remote objects
w ithin apparent proximity- A t the end o f a
Jong clay’s march, when food and rest hare
become otgects o f special interest both to man
and beafrt (more particularly to th e nnlbrtuuate
donkeys, oondciuned to iast trom m oniiu^ to
night), it i* m no small degree tantalizing to have your domination pertinaciously thrust upon
the e i^kt for hours, during which, despite repeated experience, and many a secret resolution, yon cannot help flattering yourself, that twenty
minutes more w ill witness yonr arrival, when ail the while you have at least tw o hours’ travel still to accomplish. T liis wa« particularly the
case, I well remember, the day we entered Seville, when we conld distinctily make out,, not
only towers and chiirclies, <?«pecinJly th e Giralda and th e Cathedral, but even single houses, liours
before we actnally arrived at the gates. T ills
illusion occurs w ith m ost &cqiieiicy in Andalusia, where the towns, as I hav*e bcforo re
marked, are generally placed on the highest
ground in th e neighbourhood, and may l>e almost said to gleum w ith white-wash, which
th e Spaniards o f tho South apply to a ll their
buildings in liberal proftision.A t length our cavalcade clattered through the
stifeeta of Bonda, to stop about the m iddle of the first street at one oi t^e numerons posada*
464 Inhahitantt) o f Honda,
m th wliich th e place ahoands, prefacing ont
entrance, usnal, by that m ost neccssory prelim inary o f m aking a bargain for acooiuuiodation, which apecificd the einallest particulars, before
d%imo%niing (for thus you negotiate w ith texifoM
advantage), ^ soon aa i*uikii«i had concluded
hia iuapvction of th e premises.S tem esperience had long taught us the
necessity o f adopting th is system o f tactics, which to-day, as on many a previous occasion, soon repaid the trouhle, nor was a single donlcey unloaded at Eoncia, t ill the host had reduced
his demands by about one*half. Nowhere
should tnivt'lkrs be more upon their guard; ibr
the inhabitants bear a very equivocal character, and a glance at the countenances o f th e master
and niistresa o f th e posada, convinced us they
were perfectly np to the ways o f the world, and
thoroughly competent to take care of their own
interests. Tliia town used to be a ^ n d centre o f sm uggling for the raonntain-district, o f which
it is th e capital, and irom tlie natnre o f tho
country, and its proxim ity to GihraJtar, “ liVee
Trade ” was once a very feasible, and (in the
estimation o f the cummunity at large) a highly
respectahlf^, and even virtuous, method o f earnin g a livehhood. N or in all the South o f Spuiii
Pa^l und Pre^nf. 465
wi\ji there any spot, where travellers m et with ao mnrh dancing, and Rtrummuig o f guitar«, so much liveliness and gaiety o f manner, a nd
picturesque aplendonr o f costQinc, a few years
ago, as in the nuigLbourhood o f Bon da. "Rrery
sfcond man you m et was a contrabanduifa, while, aa a very natural result, sm uggling, in nil itb
branches, was regarded by th e public opi)iion of
the district w ith as mucli favour, as along the coast o f Cornwall, daring the palmy daya o f the
la st century.B u t no w all is ch au ged. Revenue «offi cera and
the (luanlla Ci^il have made am nggling a line
o f business that does not “ pay," and iwores of people, who once were substantial houaekeepers, know not, it is &aid, w hich way to turn for a
uieah Their only resuurec is to plunder travellers, and, to do them justice, every opportunity
for choatery und eatortion is zealously taken
ad van ta^ of.W e had, it is true, h y burgaining beforehand,
cut tliem off from th e widest field for th e exer- cisc of their craft, and any spoil they could hope to w in frnm ua. would he mere scraps and
fragments of booty, compared w ith the chance
offered by ineiperieneed travellers, not up to the
ways ot* the country Htill rheatery ia veryH u
466 j4 Juvenile E^iortioner.
elastic, and to m s up, when least expected, as
we found next morning, Friday, Decftmber 9tlu
Though imablo to make any stay at Bonda, as we ta d once proposed until detained again and again ujK>n th© road, we still felt very
arkxious to see what we could o f one ot* the m ost interesting spots in 8pain; and several of
its “ l io n s ” being qnite close to the town, wo
set oli' Lotimee on IViday morning tor t}»at purpose. A young lad of fifteen oifcrcd him*
se lf os onr guide, aud never tlnnkiug it waa
necessary to make a regular bargain w ith so young a liand, we placcd onrselves under Lift gnidanee in unRuspioioas confidenc^e. TVe were
not away altcgetkor more than au liour and a
half, and our young friend, who certainly had
been \incommonly amusing and lively, w ith a
very cheerful flow o i conversation that quit« ^scinated Lis audi«nee, had the assurance to
demand a dollar (4«. 2d.) for h is services, and
being th e son o f our host and hostess, invoked
their intervention to sxipport h is claims when
he found they were resisted, and a pretty scene
we had in tlie kitchen before startin g; though I
am happy to say, that in spit« o f all th e dit^ turbanc«, and th e air o f deeply*injurud innocence
aMumed h y our cicerone, he succeedcd in obtain
in g no more than a fair remuneration for his
eerviccs.One characteristic o f robhers, howerer, in
so eh a oouj^try aa Spain, commands admiration
(fco borrow copy*book phraseology)—tbpy gHio- rally choose some romantic scene, amid the
umbrageoua recesses o f a forest, or the
&stncHses o f a mountain-regicn, for their lair. Tliis is pre-eminently the ca«e w ith the pood
people o f Bonda. N oth in g can be finer than
the situation o f the town, which has acquired
an almost svorld-wide renowrn for beauty,A long tract of table-1 and (as w ell as wo
could make out by m oonlight th e n igh t before) terminates, with tbe abruptness o f an ocean-cliiT, in a precipice varying in hei{»ht from 800 to 1000
feet. On this natural platform stands Konda, and a single leap wonhi carry yon from the
m aigiii o f its Alameda into th e depths o f an almost Alpine Valley, thongh the orange aud
olive, flourish there iu rich luxuriance. The
view from th e bridge is perhaps still more
wonderful. A chasm, 300 feet wide, oalled the Tajo, dividing tho old town from the new, ia
spanned b y a massive m odem bridge, under
whieh, at the depth of some 700 feet, the Gua- dalviu rushes forth into open day from the
H H ^
caveiTifi, which hitherto bave imprisoned its
waters, and then w ith a bold leap over a ledge o f roek (that forms d lovely waterfall jn st where
a narrow channel drains olT an arrowy shoot to
the old MoonRh m ills below), i t daahes onward
down th e slope, nntil, having fertilized the ^ e e n
meadows o f tho valley, it finally empties itself
in to thu principal stream o f the district, the
green-hued, aud romantic Goadairo.Desiientling to tbe uiilh«, aud standing at thu
base o f the bridge, near the waterfall, wu realized more diatinctly the heij^ht and depth
o f that s in ^ la r chjft, and as we turned in the
opposite quarter, the ofl'ctt waa almoat as i f we
were looking through the tube t>f some o u o t -
mous telescope, so eloscly at th is spot do the
rocka contract into a gorge, before thuy finally
open out towards the valley. Thu sidea of the eliff are covered w ith festoons o f creepers, lookin g 80 m oist aiid freah, that to descend in tlie
summer*heiita from the sun-baked tow u into
those cool depths, where the spray o f th e \NTiter- fall, dropping» unseen like gentle dew, maintains
a perpetual freshness, miwt be a delicious transition. Tlie spot forcibly rucallk-d the iiuagery of
Lord M ornington’a well-knuwn glee, “ H ere in
cool grot,” which indeed so exactly describes its
IU FmtvTCH. 469
Tarious features, that it m ight have been
written there, thou^^h the fairies would have to
adjourn to the meadows below ere they could
“ fnsk it, frisk i t / ’ on “ th e turf w ith d^sies broider’d o’er.”
W e saw i t under circumstaiic&s widely dif- tcrent, w ith nothing to remind us o f either
fairy forms, or summer skies, th e frosty air o f a l)eeumbftr rDorning, as well as the prcssuje of
time, forbidding v£ to linger, and in another
half-hoiir we were once more in the saddle, to descend th e valley o f the (:hiadairo.
O lA P T E R XLTI.
H a r d l y liad we cleared the towii, beldre I
discovered tlie Iobh o f a very useful Spanisli scarf, or fa ja , 1 had bought at Seville, which I distinctly remembered to have had in
m y possession that muruing. Tt waa, however, too late to go back, as, w ith a long journey before us, I did not w ish to detain th e party, and though i t was doubtleaa at the posada, its
recovery out o f th e hauda o f auch gentry, more
especially while th e incident o f th e dollaj waa
still 80 froah in their recollection, would have
been simply hopeless.Judging ftv)m onr own experience i t is a very
common practiec w ith th e wom en at posada« to
conceal any article they m ay covet, belonging to
travellers, by throwiui» som ething over it, in the
hope that, on th e principle o f “ out o f sight, ont o f mind,” ita existence m ay be forgotten,
Ffim ak' Tricks tytott Travellers. 471
and so in the hurry o f departnre tbe gnest probably goes away w ithout thinking o f it, and the
mufiaeha (or waiting-maid) cornea o f couise into possession o f such waif, as a sort o f residuary
proprietor.Tricks o f th is desirription were constantly
played upon xB; for, w ith tlie n sm l uniuspi-
dousiiese o f the masculine gender, wc tmdd not hring ourselves to holieve, that tevmvn coaid be
gu ilty o f such practices ! Indeed, I m ay say, a
considerable tim e elapsed before we had fiilly tathomed the depths o f tamale artifice in S p a in ; it seemed to m eet ua at every tu rn ; no sooner
had we diseuvered one “ dodfje,'’ and turned the
knowledge to account by greater circimiapection o f conduct, than a new mauceuvre assailed us
from a tota lly opposite quarter! I t would take
a long tim e to relate all we had to go through
and I should he unw illing to dctaiu m y readers
w ith 80 paintul a subject. Ono or tw o o f their
stratagems, however, m ay be m entioned for the
benefit o f future tourists.A pair o f comfortable winter-gloves, which
our long rides, early and late, rendered worth
more than th^ir wei^jht in silver, would chance
to he ly in g on tho bed before hreakt«t, ready for th e d a y s wear; or a pocket-handkerchief, or
4 72 F m ale 2H ch upon Travellers,
tm sty knife, a oompanion in travel for years,
or small hair-brush, or any o f thfl aun<liy Vniot- knacks eo coavenient to travellers. On returnin g to your room to finish packing, something (and that o f oonrse precisely tlic article m ost
frequently in reqneat) was Biore to have disappeared. I f lucky enough to recollect its
existence, and sufficiently alive to Spanish stratagem , you would, almost to a certainty, find
your inissiiig chattel ly in g in a fold o f the Ixd* clothes, carelcsbly, yet artistically, concealed. The ohvious advantage of thu trick over downr igh t positive thieving, consisted in th e impoeei*
hility o f bringing home th e offence, while it
proved» iu m ost instaneos, an equally effectual m ethod o f conveying property frorrk one owner
to another, Tt waa nearly a« certain in its
results as actual stealing, and much more sate, b y comprOTnisin^f no one.
So it happened, no doubt, to m y m issing faja. I had carefully put it out w itli m y paletot, &c,, before we set off to »ee tlie sight« o f Bonda, so as to he quito ready for use on m y return. D uring my absence th e maid-servant had, of
course, taken th e opportunity o f reconnoitring
m y room to see whieh o f m y goods and chattels
would &erve her host. The faja, with its gay
colouis 80 dear to tlie female licart, was tlie very
tilin g to suit her complexion 1 Besides, she
may Lave had strict notions abcmt clerical costume, and perliaps thonpht 1 had no hxisincss to
array myaclf in tLe pomp and vanity ol a soaflet scarf. A t any rate, witLout rem oving it, I dare
gay, m any incLes fruQi its former position, she managed to conceal i t so clfcctually that I never
saw it again, and 1 can only now w ish her health
and strength to wear my faja from Seville 1 ^iometimeR bolder methods are adopted, and
I Lave had the pockct o f m y paletot, ly ing in m y be<l-Toom, picked, while I chanced to be ont
o f eiglit, I m ention these variona particxilars not on ly to illustrate the character o f a class
witL v^hich travellers m ust imavoidahly come into frequent contact, hnt btscanse, moreover, the very articles m ost needed ou a journey are
sure to be moat in request w ith poi^ada-keepere ; not to m ention th e additional fact that Spanish
travel soon teaches the value o f the little appliance» and comforts Enghshm en are w ont to carry alxmt w ith them , in a land where i t is
utterly impossible to replace such conveniences.
C K A P T E R X L in .
T T A V IN O achieved in w fety th e frtony de- floent from Ligh-perched Eonda, we soon
reached the banks of th e OuadaiTo, and for^iiug
its crystal biiream, followed a r^ad skirting it-s righ t hank for a considerable distance.
A more cliam iini' eom^^Hnion ibr a ride cannot he im agined than thi« bri|»bt monntain-river, as
i t sped along ewiM y, but ^ n t ly , throngh some
o f the loveliest scenery we saw anywhere in the
Peninsula. Ot’ quite a distinct character from
anything wc; fe ll in w ith elsewhere, i t reminded me, in m any places, o f scenery am ong the W icklow mountains, w ith th e addition o f Spanish
accessories, and the more varied and choice
vcj^tatLon o f a southern climate.Ford mentions a route from Rondo to Oib-
raltiir, which avoids Ga,ucin, leaving i t about three m iles to the left. T h is route wc were
anxious to follow for several reasons; but ehiefiy
Seenery o f the Guadairu. 475
because i t appeared, from Ford’s description, to
be a shorter and better way to “ the Bock» thark the one by Oaucin, and aomo oi* our animals
were beginning to show aymptoma of fatigue, w hich made it deeirahk to choose th e eaáer
line.N e x t day we enjoyed th e satisfaction o f learn
in g that, apart fi*oni facility o f travelling, the direction we were now following was fm preferable in point ot* scenery also, to th e road through
Gaucin.Our coxu*Be lay between a double mountain-
rango, which, clothed w ith many a soutiicm al^ub— olc^ d er , myrtle, arbntue, gum-cistus, Bnd Spanish ^orf^— declined in gentle slopes to
tb e water’s edge. H ere and there, when an occasional tract o f level ground gave lo o m for
m an to build h is liome, the wilder features were for tho moment »oftened down, and orange-
groves, almond and olive trees, imparted a
variety to the landscape.A bout two leagues from Honda, on th e op
posite bank o f tb e river, we paesed Z a Oveva del Chto (the Cat's CJavc), a cclebruted oavem, lyin |f
at the base of th e mountain, ont o f which leaps
fortb a full-groffn stream, which at once doubles
the volume o f the Ouadairo, by the influx o f its
s e a ^ e c n waters, A lovelier spot can7>ot he
conceived. H ow 1 1 an ged to cross the river (for
w#» had novi for some tim e retorned lo the left
banV) and explore the hidden beanties o f its
“ untrodden stalactical caverns” ! B ut the day was wearing on, a n d having no guide, we could
command no reliable i n f o n n a t i o D r e s p e c t i n | » onr
route, which was e v i d e n t l y , from w hat we saw
before m , b y no means a desirable road t o t r a v e l
over in the night-tim e. I t was seldom better than
a narrow m u l e - p a t h , s o m e t i m e s s t i r t i n g , by a
mere ledge, the precipices overhangiiig.the rivor, sometimes d e s c e n d i n g abruptly into the bed of
ravine or torrent, to ascend as steep a slope on
the Ather side. N o r waa i t always an easy matter to pass, a t such p o i n t s , the nuuicrons
trains o f mule« and donkeys we fell iu with
between Ronda aud La Hiniora. Some o f thorn, goin g in tbe same direction, w ith little regard to
civility or safety, would try to p a a s us, and push
ahead. A t another time, perliaps, we m ight
have resented such rudeness, so different frcm the general demeanour o f th e dilTerent wayfarers
wc had fallen in w itli heretofore. B u t we were
now too much absorbed in th e lovelinoss around
us, and toy fearful o f losing any portion, to
think of anything else, while every bend o f the
river euchantcd the cyo b y disclosing some new
beautV.
E very now and then the Gua^lairo opened out
between craggy banks o f brown copsB-wood into
triUK^uil reaches, that m iirored the cIoikIIcsb sky,
and caught some tin ge o f its deop a>^re; those
quiet hpeailth» o f atill water, where swamia o f
iiah were glancing to and fro, contrasting most
eflectively hy th eir repose, svilli the rushing
inill-race that borrowed from, or the tributary
mnuntain-brook th a t added to, the Tolnm e o f the
m ain strcaui.
Sumetimcs the entire landecape bccame a
hroad fiweep o f woodland, all-gorgeous w ith the
tin ts o f autumn, and th e eyo witching every
moment some new effulgenco o f culouriiig, here
a cijwa o f scajlet and gold, there a darlc rich
greeu, or mellow brown, tiaveDed onwards with
delight, to rest finally ou some hold crag or
wooded promontory, which thrnsting itse lf be
yond the general line o f mountain-alope, and
forcing th e river out o f a direct course, quick
ened it into speedier flow over rocky ledge aud
gravelly ford.
H avin g forded t}ie Guadairo on first descend
in g fW>m Itonda, w e crossed again ere noon,
keeping always afterwards to the le ft bank. B y
47 8 Snlii/2ry Venfa.
this tim e i t had attained th e dimensions o f a
goodly stream, and though tnany a m ill was
indebted to tliose crystaJ waters for tho meaos o f
setting in m otion the m d e machinery, which
had remained alm ost unchanged siuce M oorish
days, the loan w as soon repaid, and as the foam*
iu g runnel leapt out o f the iniU-sluie« to regain
the parent-etream, the Guadairo flowed on, not
as IS the w ont o f Spanish rivers (eath o f which
is generally la id under tribute for th e purposes
o f irrigation, and robbed, or, according to the
national expression bled, o f h a lf its
current), b u t w ith Tmdiminishcd, and ever-enlarg-
i7ig volume.
A bou t tw o or three o ’clock, w e made a brief
h alt beside one o f the old-fashioned m ills, nnder
the shade o f spreading walnut-trees, w hile the
horses ate tbeir mid-day allowance o f barley,
and, hastening onwards again to make up fo r the
lateness o f our start, reached in a couple o f hours
a solitary V en ta eurtounded b y orange-treea, juirt
before sunset. T h e river is here crossed b y a
ferry, intended for th e convenience o f persons
going to Cortes, one o f the l a t e s t v i lla ^ s in
th e neighbourhood.
I t was now tim e to be th in kin g o f night-
quarters, and h avijig heard o f a ham let in this
QueefioiuilU Ini'ifatiim. 479
direction, called L a H im era, w e inquired o f tlie
people, to w hom both th e V e n ta and ferry
Ijclonged, L a Ilim era, tb e y told ns, w as about
a )nile and a h a lf distant on tlia t side o f the
l i t e r ; b u t naturally desirous to take in so lai^e
a party, th ey used their best powers ol persua
sion to conTiiice ua wo should be m uch better o£T
under the roof o f the V e r ta than i f w e went on
further. B ein g deeidedly sceptical on this point,
as the whole premises appeared io contain no
more than tw o rooms, and these on th e ground*
£cM>r, like m ost Spanish honses o f ordinary de
scription, w e declined their invitation (at any
rate for the present, u n til w e had made u re*
cuunaissaiice), and d ircrg in g from th e bridlc-road
about h a lf a mile below, were not long in reach
in g L a H im cra, w hich in its breezy position,
npou a steep b to ^ nnder a range o f h ig h hills,
had a ia i drier and healthier aspect than that
damp and squalid V enta, close to th e wator’s
edge, s^iggestirc o f nothing h ut mosquitos,
malaria, and low fever.
L a H im era, w hich is l a i ^ enough to aspire to
the title o f a village, possesses a posada, whither
q{ course w o betook ourselves, only, however, to
meet w ith disappointment, tho mistress o f the
house heing too i ll to adm it o f our being taken
in thiire. Purkiss, in consequence, }»ad to go
about from door to door, like a mcndicant,
beggin g for accom m odation; and after tryirig'
several honses in vaiu, a t last, when we bad
begun to fear w e should after a ll liavc to return
to the V en ta , he discovered one th at wonld do
l t belonged to some peasants, o f whom indeed
the entire popiilAption o f tiiie scxjueetered com
m unity is compoR6Kl, there being in th e placc
not even a resident Cura-
O ur host, aud ho8te«s*clect, were moat civil
and obliging, and h avin g a very tid y chamber
containing tw o beds, iu addition to another roouj
at the house o f a relation “ up th e rtreet,’' where
M r. S ykes found comfortable quarters, they were
thus able to accommodate the whole party,
though I fear th is result w as not accomplished
w ithout much inconvenience to them selves and
th eir families.
W e could not have found a better illustratioti
o f the superior comfort aud cleanlinf«» in which
th e Spanish peasantry live, than w h at occurred
on th e present occasion. T<a Himei'a, aa already
Rtated, is a small mountain*vilIage, in a remote
district, w h ile tho only road we saw w ithin
several mileg o f the place, lies a t some distance
out o f sight, and is little freqnented b y travellers
o f any description. Y e t here, in tlie liouse o f a
cotuiuou peasant, w e m et w ith unimpcacliabli?
accommodation, and fer better beds than may
sometimes bo found a t innd o f considerable
prciension.
T h e preparation o f dinner becomo quite a
public affair, for there was b u t one fire-place, and
between our party o f nine, th e household, and
sxindry neighbours, who came dropping in, some
to assist, and a ll to have a peep at the St'%ore8 InglpseHy Purkisd bad mueli ado to get to tbe
hearth, thongh h e bore the tria l w ith liis usual
good*tempor. T h e village-barber, a poor lame
young man, particularly distinguished him self
b y his actdvity and general usefulness, turning
h is hand to anything, aVinning rabbits, wash
ing, and then slicing potatoes, and holding the
frying-pan, w ith surJi read y clieerfulness, that
it was quite a pleasure to see him.
There w as also a very ta ll woman, looking
like a domesticated M e g M errilies, w ho pro*
fessod to be m aking liersolf generally u se fu l;
b u t from th e eeeentricity o f her behaviour she
rendered, in reality, ve ry little service, thongh
w e gave her fo il credit for the best intentions.
I do nut know how many tim es she patted, nay
I may w ell say, slapped me on the back, exhibit-
I I
4 8 2 O ^H ohm O ld ff'oTfian.
in g all thft while »0 benevolent on cipression of
conntenanec, that offence, or even rcm onstranw,
w as out o f tlie question; it wiuj ber w ay o f
m anifesting regard and affection ! A fte r tbis
she proecedcd to offer her services to Purkiss,
to his sore einbarrassment, doing alw ays the
very tilin g he particularly wished not to be
done, T liis was too provokii^g, a* delaying
still further the preparation o f dinner, which
nnder tlie niost faTounible cireumstarLccs could
seldom be accomplished in a shorter Apace than
tw o hours. T h e old lady’s last freak took place
several hours after dinner, w hen slit* cutcred our
bed-room, alm ost perforec, w ith a kirge apple in
e-ach band, one o f w hich she persisted in poking
under L o rd Portarlingtoii’s bed-clothes, awaken
ing bim out o f his first sleep, w hile she pre
sented tb e other to me. Fortunately I was still
dressed, and w ith m any thanks for her unseason
able jyitts, wliich erentuaJly, however, stood us
in good srtead, 1 managed b y degrees to g et her
ont o f the room.
Despite all difficultieR, Purkif» in due course
contrived to scrrc us np a very superior dinner,
w hich w e ate in tbe bed-roAm, returning to tbe
kitchen as soon as the servants had finished
tlieir meal, and a m erry group w e formed round
V i l l a g e ' B a t h f i t . 4gj
th e fire-aide, w lille itareos, Tom as, tlic Barber,
and tiie niaii from L oja, were discussing, a little
apart, the reiuaiiis o f our dinner, out o f which,
h y the addition o f a few handfuls o f rice, sup
plemented w ith various item s o f native season
ing. th ey soon concocted a huge dish o f food,
th a t looked quite appetizing. In to this eaeh of
them dipped h is broad n t i m j n , o t clasp-knife,
after th e Spanisli fashion, and i t waji aiitonish*
in g how speedily the whole mess disappeared,
as th ey quaffed tw o or thrco bottles o f wine
w e liad giveii them, amid a ehorus o f je s t and
laughter.
T h e Barber delighted as w ith liis good-natnred.
pleasant ways. B ein g the hanily man of the
village, h e is a t every one’s ealJ on emergencies,
practising am ong h is various avocations blood
lettin g both in arm and foot, as h e took care to
inform us, lik e the barber-surgeons o f our owu
country a couple o f centuries ago. T h is art he
evidently regarded as the most honourable de
partment o f his profession. H e was v e ry anxious
fco exercise some branch o f liis calHijg upon one
o f us i and tirafc proposed lettin g a Jittle blood,
o f which th e meagreness o f Spanish diet had
left us no siiperfinity ; and when we, not un*
naturfilly, declined the proposal, he Iw ggcd at
I I 2
484 A M irrg ¡hcning.
any rate w c wonld pen n it him to exhibit hiR
tonsorial s t ill, an ofi'er th at m et with no ‘better
acceptance from any o f tLu party.
I 'h oron gh ly did wo enjoy th at evening a t L a
H im era, not o n ly becausc tbe people were so
exceedingly kind*heartcd and obliging, and wo
saw them very m uch as tb cy are at their own
fire* sides ; b u t w e felt, moreover, it was perhaps
th e b a t scene o f th e sort we shonld ever w it
ness, now w e were drawing so near tb e cud o f
onr expedition. I often look b&ck to th e night
w e spent a t L a H im era, w ith a feeling o f pecu
liar pleasure.
" I T T l T l i a day’s journ ey o f unknown Icngtli
’ * in prospect, we were called nevt mom-
in g before sis, having enjoyed an excellent ui^ht’s
rest in dean, eomfortablo boda; though the
servants, w ho w ent througli a great amount o f
fatigue aad discoujfort during tho whole expedi
tio n w ith moat praisew orthy paticnee and gotxi-
hnmoiiT, had, aa often happened, nothing but tho
floor to liu upon. W h en I tirst w eut ont into
the open air, it wad still glorious m ooulight,
w ith a solitary fire o f charcoal-burners glow ing
on the hill-side opposite, like the flam ing eye o f
a Cyclops, whiJe over mountain and valley, wood
land and river, the calmness o f perfect rcpoao
shed ita soothing influence,
Tomaa, whom b y th is tim e w e had discovered
to be a thoroughly lazy fellow, very diflercnt
irom Marcos, w ould not g et up w hen firat callcd,
and thua delayed us provokingly, a t least an
hour, 80 th at in spite o f our virtuous exertions
in qu ittiug bed lo n g before daylight, we did not
8uc»ecd in rnaking an earlier b*tart tLaii 7 .Si).
U aviD g now to regain the m ain ruod, from
w hich wu liad d iv e r^ d to reach L a TTiinera,
tho good-uatxtred Barher, thougli very lame
(apparuntly from his birth), volunteered to
guide us, and led the w ay w ith r ig h t good w ill.
W e traversed about tw o m iles o f rough ground
before wo regained th e road, not where we left
i t tlie preeeding day, bnt some distance lower
down the valley, h ig h above the (Juadairo, w ith
Cortes over again bt ue on th e opposite bank.
H ere wo parted from th e Barber, and w ishing
ns good-bye w ith h earty kindliness, he turned
homewards, suprem ely happy in the posseesion
o f h is well-merited earnings, w hile we set onr
faces down the river in the direction o f B oca dc
Leon, a point for w hich he had givuu us careful
and oft*repeated dirc*utiuus.
W h ile debuting th e evening hefure, w hither wc
should hutakc uursulves for sluuping-quarters,
w c had entcrt'aincd some thoughts o f m aking for
Cortes, fancying i t waa no great distance ahead.
W e conld now perceive, as w e appruaehud that
village, how m uch more w isely w e had acted iu
g o in g to L a H im era, Cortes being not only on
th e w rong side o f th e Guadairo (and it takes
some tim e for a party like ours to cross a
Spanish ferry, w ith ita clum sy tjoafc and dilatory
boatmen), but, waa very evident w hcu we
stood opposite, really m uch further otf than it
appeared. I ts situation is mo«t clianuing, es*
pecially w hen view ed from below, as w e saw it
basking iu th e uiorriinff suubcama, half*way up
th e mountain, and com bining, on that sheltered
plateau, the double advantage o f a w arm climate
aud frvah Inghland breezes.
T h o Gnadairo, which we still skirted for
several hours, led us to-day through sccncry o f
a diiferent description from the landscapes w ith
whielx it had made us fam iliar yesterday. Its
banks were m uch less uniform, sloping a t one
tim e down to th e w ater’s edge in a strip o f grpen
meadow, fenced b y aloe-hedges, a t another swell
in g into rounded headlands o f some elevation,
that overhung th e stream in precipices o f rich
brown s o il; and, as our path woim d in and
out between ^ o u p s o f lichen-clad oafc-stems,
river and meadow, woodland and mountain«
glen, w ould bu rst suddenly into sight, present
in g a combination o f beauty, w hich united in a
single view both the features o f E nglish foreet-
scenery, and many o f th e cliaracteristics o f a
Spanish landscape.
A b o u t mid-day w e fijially quitted our now
fam iliar companion, the Guadairo, w liicL w c bad
skirted for a day and a half. B u t before T bid
farew ell to its romantic scenery, le t m e point
out, under correction o f phiiologiste, w ho are
very apt to be ' ‘ d o w n ” upon a n y unliceneed
intruder into th eir domain, th e frequent occur
rence, in the South o f Spain, o f the first *word
w hich enters into the composition o f ita name.
A T e r y c u r s o r y gLince a t th e map w ill dis
cover a t leaat tw en ty streams, including the two
great arteriea o f the district, the (i^adiana and
th e Guadalquivir, in addition to a third almost
identical in name, tho G uadairanear SoTille, all
o f w hich begin w ith th e same prefix. T h is aji
ignoramus lik e myaelf, w ould derive from TFhda,
th e A rabic term for a river, the well-known
“ W a d y ” o f th e E a st being, I preaume, a cognate
word. T h e pronunciation too would aeem to
fiiT o u r this crude surmise o f mine, each o f those
names being pronounced as i f i t began w ith a
W, G being here ignom iniously disregarded, as
non-existent. W ords so compoimdcd are found,
as m igh t bo expected, w ith T e r y rare exceptions
(Guadarrama near M adrid bein g th e principal),
in those parts o f Spain alone, where M oorish
ascendancy was o f longest duration.
QU T T T IN G then thu river and philology,
a t once, w e strike abruptly to the left,
o u crossing a torrent, and for a fcvr miles follow
tlie road to G aucin, o f w hich tow n, perchcd like
an eyrie am ong the m ouutuius, w e ciitcli a
glimpse on reaching th e ridge o f a rough, halt-
ploughed h ill, onr proxiioato destination, accord
in g to tilic reiterated instructions o f thait faithful
ally the Barber, bein g B oca de Leon, a spot o f
w hich w c had formed the most indistJDct con
ceptions, not know ing exactly w hether i t waa
ham let, venta, or mountain-pass. From the
ridge on w hich w e now stood, w e could make
uut the ronte for some distance, aa w e looked
down upon a copse-clad glen, watered b y a small
brook, w ith Oancin to our left. Descending
about h a lf the depth o f the glen, and following
a p ath w hich ran, terrace-likc, h ig h above the
brook, w e threaded tw o or three m iles o f the
most beautiful woodland scenery imftginable, ar
riv in g in due season a t a solitary c o tt^ e , stand
in g in a vineyard, ju at where the valley makes
an abrupt bend a t r igh t an|^les to its former
direction.
H ere w e p u lk d up to take counsel. T w o paths
presented them selves, one proceeding rtraight
down to the brook, to aaccnd on th e other side a
gteep slope o f well-tim bered ground th a t almost
deserved to he called a mountain. T h e other
turn in g to the righ t, past tlic cottage, h d on to
a gorge o f singul.ir beauty, henimed-in b y lotty
clitis o f rich brown soil, through w hich the
brook made it* w ay to jo in the (iuadairo. There
being no one in th e cottage to g ive us informa
tion, w e naturally chose th e eaaier and pleasanter
couise, where th e path waa level, and the sccnciy
m ost inviting, h avin g no m ind to face th a t long
pull up-hill, to w hich th e other route would
have condemned us.
H o n v far w e should have gone on in our error
(as it turned out), i t is impossible to say; some
peasants fortunately were a t w ork further on,
and from them we learnt, th at Boca de Leon
was th at ve ry slope o f woodland on tli« other
side o f the brook, w hich w c h a d jn st declined tu
encounter. T u rn in g back wc regained the right
F irH Siffhi o f Ih f “R o c k y 491
road, aud after a laborious ascent (through
groves o f r a a ^ fic e i it chestnuts), w hich proved
m ost fatigu in g to th e horses, tlxe day Iw ing very
warm and sunshiny, w e gained a t len gth the
summit o f the pass, to descend abruptly on the
othyr side b y a long tract o f hleak wold. A
sudden bend o f the path turn in g our eyes in
anotlier direction, w hat should w e see, to our
intense satisfaction, bn t th e goal o f our jonrnyy,
aud the object o f our liopea,— the R ock o f G ib
raltar ( which, loom i)ig grandly through th e hazy
atmosphere far aw ay to tlie soutli-^aet, lilted
its vast form, tow ering in solitary m ajesty, w ith
prond defiance against the A frican cuast.
Jt waa a niom eut o f delighted surprise ; and,
in spite o f th e haiie and dimness caused b y the
east w ind, the grandeur o f its form aud outline
more than realized our eipe<rtations. A p art
from ita history, and a ll the associations called
forth in the minds o f E nglishm en sightin g it
for the first tim e, I have seldom seen a finer
natural object, its position on the dead level o f
th e 8ea*shcre rendering effeetive every foot o f
elevatioji.
“W c were, however, evidently still a lo n g w ay
off, and as the day began to draw to a close, it was
impossible to say when wc should bo able to ac-
coiuplisL tlic interveniujf epa- e, u distance (ap
parently) o f BOinc tw en ty «five or th irty ndlos.
T h e road too, alou^ those upland pastures, was
villauous, bein g a t ouco boggy, and stony,
threatening at one moment to hrcak our horses’
knees, a t another to en gu lf tbem in somo
very snspicioua-looting swarrkps, am ong which
w e had for th e tim e to p ick our w ay w ith ex
trem e caution. T ills was the o n ly occasion I
remember ever to have m et w ith anythin g o f
the kind ¡n Spain, bogs bein|» a form ation quite
foreign to th at arid climate. A s w e advanced
towards the low er eonntry th e ground gradually
became rounder and leas toilflome to the horses.
Ju st a t this moment M r. Sykes and I hap*
pened to have ridden on ahead, and on leacliing
a venta stauding in a ^ o v e o f noble orange-
trees (the loftiest and largest I ever saw), co
vered to th eir topm ost bough w ith ripe fruit, we
waited for the reat o f the party. A v e ry exten
sive prospect la y beibre us in th e direction o f
G ibraltar, and w e were in fu ll enjoym ent o f
th e scene, when, suddenly chancing to look
bade upon the road w e had heen travelling,
great was m y astonishment to behold a Skye
terrier shulUing along on three legs at a quick
tro t towards ua, and looking as natural and in
dependent as i f hia shaggy sp ciea belonged to the indigene o f the PeninRula; one’s thoui^hts
being instantly carried home-ward hy a sight so
nnespected in that out* ot-the*way spot I And
while, l itü th e flies in amber, it« appearancc
prompted U8 to think o f tho lines—•
'* K ol tbftt th e th ing ilse lf wae rich, or rare,B u t w e wond<irod b ow o n earth i t bad oom e th ere
the m ystery waa solved by th e approach of tw o horsemen, unmistakable E nglish gentlemen, w ith their strvant behind, coroing from
th e same tpiarter. Tn the pleasure o f meeting eonntry men, and exchanging a few worda, the
r i^ n r and stiffness o f .English etiquette was at
ouee caat aside, and we spoke as naturally as ships hail each other at sea.
They, like ourselves, were bound for Gibral*
t.ir, having left it on ly three days before, for a short excursion through the Serranía. They
had started from Ronda that morning, and being
in ligh t marching order, and w ell moimtcd on
(lihraltar hacks, which are supposed capable of
any amount o f exertion \uidcr E nglish riders, had accomplished in one day what had occupied
us nearly twice the time. T hey were now
making for Xiinena, the only place o f any aize
in tlio nciglibourliood, where they liftd secnired
sleeping*quarters, and, as thoy hoped to arrive shortly, T e r y good-naturedly offered to hespeafc
awommodation for ue. W e could not, howcTer, avail ourselves of* their kindness, our destination being San P^Kjue, These gentlem en proved, as we learnt at Gibraltar, to be Captain O’Hara, aud a friend, whose name T cannot at th is mo- •ment recollect. Before parting, their servant a gxdde from “ th e Roek,” thorougWy acquainted
w itli the coiuitry, gave us fu ll instructione as
to our route, 'which proved of th e greatest use. Indeed T do not know what we sho\ild have done bnt for that chance rencontre, for wc liad
no guide, and not one o f the party had ever beeu that w ay before.
Tlay was now rapidly closing, and in spite of
the directions we had so recently received, it
soon became no easy matter to find th e road, wliich lay sometim es over a tract o f arable
grouud, where the plough had newly obliterated
every vestige o f a path; sometime» i t skirted
the »tcep banks o f a rivulet on it* way, like
ourselves, to the Guadairo, wliieh we had just
discovered we m ust ford once more. Tnder the
deepening tw iligh t it became scarcely less difficult to trace thaji an Indian trail, obliging us
continually to make casts in every direction, tefore w e conld venture to proceed, more especially on one occasion in crossing th e brook. The moon, however, came erelong to our aid, and for sumo tim e we advanced at a good brisk
pace, aud had fairly reached tlie low eonntry, w hen Siiddeiily we found ourselves so hopelessly
involved in a anccession o f plo«i?hed fields, deep
w itli stiff clay, that seeing a sm all ikrm-honse standing at no great distance on a bank, 1 rode
toward* it, and with Purkiss' help aa interpreter, prevailed on a young man to ^ d e ns to tbe Y enta de Gaadairo. M onnting his mule be struck
off at once across a trackless sweep o f >vheat-1 and, where none b at a native conld find his way at
night, and in about an honr and a b a lf brought
us to a ford of tho iJundairo, at wliicb one of the mules made a difficulty, and it was some
tim e before be could be |^ t over, though the
water was not more tban two feet deep, t'ol-
lowing the right bank of th e downward stream, in another bnur we reached th e Venta, whicli stands in a m ost dismal situation not faJ* from
tlio riv6T*brink, iu an atmosphere wbere damp, fog, and m akria reign in nndiapxited supremacy.
1 had always felt a sort o f presentiment, that
»¡though wc had eyperienced a< good many vicis-
situdca o f travel, and, in F u r l’a phrase, clechned
quite us m<Luy muods and tenses o f th e verb " to
rough it,” a« scr7«<l to g ive zest to onr adventures at tbe momont, and a piquancy to their
aftcr-recoliection, y e t there was stdlJ awaiting
us somewhere, a culminating point o f th e ups«
aud-downs o f a traveller’s carecr in th is quaint old-iiishiouod land, and a still lower deep of
discomfort, ere our expedition came to a close.A t th e V enta de (juadairo we found th e com
plete fiiltilment of that prcscntiincnt. For here
•were we, six hungry men, at th e hour o f nine
P.M ., under the roof o f the m ost deplorablc-look* in g abode imaginable, w ith ju st enongh uf food
and w ine to excito ou i appetites to an insatia>
hie degree, after a ride o f fourteen hours through
frush mountain *air i N or was there th e remotest clrnnce o f adding anj^tlung to th e slender store
we liad brought w ith ns, except a few eggs, which
we hailed w ith rupture, and divided w ith as scrupulous an exactness as a shipwrecked crew doles out its scanty supplii.^.
Bnt it may he nattd, “ W here wore the panniers, of which we have heard so much, w ith
their m anifold resources of wine and eomes- tib lcs?” That was precisely the question wo
had been putting to ourselves, and to cach other,
j4h Indiffcreitfyn. 497
so m any tim es for several hours past, witLout eliciting tLc BmalJest response j uo, not even the
fcien4Iy echo, wJiich is snpposed to be always at Land, in momenta of extremity, to famiBh a
reply, when nothing else will. The fact ia (can
tlio reader wonder I am lotli to make the confession?), we had been guilty that day o f a gross
indiscretion, the i^roasest indeed, T think, comm itted dnring the whole expedition— we had
actually parted w ith our vietuala!T he prospect o f finding ourselves so soon
under th e protection o f that redoubtable quadruped, th e British L ion, at Gibraltar, had, apparently, proved too much for ns. L ike the
KamtcLadalea, as I once heard them described hy a lecturer at the Great Globe, we had suddenly become, “ w ithout any regard for fu tu rity /’ elevated by th e excitement o f th e m oment iar
above the sublunary concerns o f catdng and
drmfcing. Forgetful of th e old saw, “ i la s s and
m eat never hinder work,” we had fancied to-day, for the first tim e, that the provisions were an
incumbrance, meTc impediments to our speedier progreas, and so, after a haaty meal taken in the
forenoon, we at once pushed on, leaving Marcos, Tomas, and the mau from Loja, to come on
after ua w ith the donkeys to San Roque, ask K
498 R e tu U s o f o n Indiicreiion.
speedily as poRsible, fljittexing ourseilves we were, somehow or other, going to enter Gibraltar that
yery n ig lit, at gnn-fire, wLcn th e gates are
cloi^ed, being in December soon after five p .m .
Some one fortunately had possessed sufficient “ repani for futurity,” to put up a fowl, and half
«mother, o f very slender dimensions, w ith the
peramns of a bottle o f slierry, and to th is forethought did we owu tlie pittance o f food wc were now a wall owing w ith so much thankfulness, and still unappeased hunger, at tho V enta de
Gnadairo.A s soon B6 the sherry had disappeared, wc
tried for tlic firat tim e that vile stnff, aguardiente, which, being in taste worse than any physic, d id us, I hope, some good afterwards.
The apples, presented the previous night in
BO eccentric a manner hy th e old lady at La
H im era, and which we then regarded as ao unseasonable a gift, were now more esteemed than
gohlen fruit o f the llesperides (who, by-the-way, m ust have lived aomewherc in these parts, “ the
Far W e s t” of classic ages), while we watched
each o f u s h is own individual apple roasting in
the fire, w ith m ost jealous concern, and so eager
was our hunger, that I believe all three burnt their mouths in eating them . A t any rate 1 did.
Beds in sxtch a place were utterly out o f the
question- For any one wieliing to lie down, there was the floor and a sort o f settle, w ithout
a hack, attached to the wall rouud the fire, oq w hich the rest o f the party contrived to suatch
a aedentary nap, while I , nnable to sleep, had to
content myaelf w ith listen ing to th e peculiar
sounds uttered h y somnolent hum anity, an entertainm ent which a m usician m i^ht haply, in th is
instance, describe as a quintett, w ith on obli|^ to
accompanimcnt by one or tw o perfonners on the
only instrument available at th e moment— the
nasal organ.T his concerted piece lasted perhaps an honx
and a half, g iv ing me ample tim e to chew tho
cud o f sweet and bitter fancies,” th e latter inspired no douht by aguardiente. W ill any one wonder that on the first opportunity I should
propose to go on a ll night, now that men and
borsos were rofrashed w ith rest and food, and
there was a fu ll moon at our scrviee, so that we
m ight reaeh Gibraltar betim es next morning, in stead o f liaving to ride, soiled aud travel-worn, through the streets o f a British garrison-town h y broad day-light ou Sunday ? I t was now
between eleven and twelve, and we m ight easily
arrive soon after morning gun-fire.K X ^
N o sooner said than done; erery one was
w illing, and in a sliort tim e we were once more
on horseback, taking the landlord of the Venta
for onr guide. Tlie horses were wonderfully
fresh, considering the distance we had travelled, and mine was ready, as iisnal, to kick up behind
on every occasion. Tt will easily be imagined we were not at that m oment a very live ly party, and I had become so very sleepy, T could with
difficulty t^ep the sjxddie. For some tim e it was a m ost dismal ride, while our course lay
along a dank, m nddy valley, and aa we pene*
trated th e dense body o f fc^ extendinfj in all directions, i t seemed as i f a curtain were drawn
between us and the moon, deadening a ll her
brilliancy, and chilling m iud and l>ody alike.After fording a stream o f some depth, we
came out upon a pleasanter line o f country, and at length fonnd ourselves on a tract o f dry
sand, ju5t before entering tb e celebrated " Cork
Wood,*' w hich wc aaw as few travellers have
seen i t — amid the profound silence and solemn ity of m idnight, w itli floods o f cheqnered m oonlight streaming tliroiigh ita long-drawn
avenues, which at th e moment appeared like
the realms o f Pream-land, while, as the horse*
hoofx fell with noiseless pace on the fine pow-
through t h e ‘ 'C o r k fV ocd." $01
dery sand, our party m iglit have been taken for
a cavalcadc o f ghostA,M y iioTse te in g at all tiroes an unpleasant
neigliliour, I rode a little ahead, and in my then
dreamy state, " ’tw is t sleeping and -waking,” it
seemed the m ost natural thin^ in the world to
look any m oment for the ghostly furm o f bygone Moor, or Spaniard, issuing from the depths
o f tbe forest, to challenge us on our night*march, ns intruders on tbeir fibadowy domain.
N othing, bo^ ever, g liostly or bodily, Christian
or Paynim, did we encounter through all that
long reaclt of forest-gladea, stretching out, so it
seemed to us. some ten or tw elve m ile»; nor did even a scudding rabbit, or stealthy Jbx, once
cross our path. The solitude waa absolute. N o
liv in g thing, besides ourselves, was iu m otion, in
thicket or glade, and that strange, midnight, ride o f December the 11th (for we now bad just
passed “ tbe hour, of n ig b ts black arch the
kov-stone ”j, bccume a fitting conclusion to our
vanoua ■wanderings tiirough the andd^ftpoOlados o f Spain’s m ost solitary wilds, being
itself the m ost silent and solitary o f them all
ON approaching San Roque we bog&n to me6t
parties o f molctccrs on th e road, even at that
early hour^ and as we were going to, not &om, th e coast, and oonM not consequf^ntly he amug- glers, our cavahiade o f seven mu^jt have eic ited
some surprise, as was indicated indeed by the
tone w ith whieh th ey replied to our greetings, "While riding tlirough the silent streets, we
espied a café already open, and the proprietor
(concluding, I suppose, th a t none hnt Britons could he going about at snch an hour) called
out to us, in foreign English, that he had some c o f f e e a ll h o t /’ an announcement which fell upon
the car like pleasant music, and, as we could not
enter “ the* Hock ” before gun-fire, we once more
dismounted, to feed the horses, and regale ourselves w ith coffee and hread*and«huttcr.
Scarcc had the first glow o f dawn streaked the
E ast, when w ith a B A N G ! forth bellowed old
Old £nfflaMd's Thunder. 50J
England’s tkonder, and while the boom reverberated among the fortreRB-cavcms of “ tHe Itock,”
coming out affain and a ^ in in m oltiplied cchoes
aoross the Linos, t ill the houses of San Eoque treinWed in unison, it sounded to our cais l i ie
a welcome, homeward, call."We had now only about three miles to go,
and while “ tho R o ck ” loomed in shadowy grandfiur out o f the grey dawn, w e began to
rcalLae those m ingled sensations w hich crowd npon th e mind, when regarding th e d o se of
such an expedition as we now bad so nearly
accomplished. I t has been tru ly said, it is
always painful to do anything, coriflciousiy, for
the last time. W e had so thoroughly enjoyed every portion o f our riding*tour, » distance, as
far as J have been able to make out b y careful
calculation, o f about 1^00 m iles fi’om th e time
wc started from Toledo, that it was impossible
to contemplate its termination without feeling« o f liveliest regret; though no doubt they wcro
considerably blunted, at th e moment, by the
fatigue o f th is last ride, w H di, indudiug our
three halts, had now extended over some twenty-
five STiceeasive hotirs.S till, OD th e other hand, had we not very
preat cause to be thankful, as I trust we ail
504 A Retrospect.
were ? W e had accomplished mc«t succesafolJy, •without sickness or accident, an expedition, whieh we, at any rate, reckoned a consideruhle
achievement, th e illness and death o f poor "Bar* barosaa heinff th e sole misfortuno befalling the
party, from heg;inning to f'lid. W o had heen
able to carry out in all its details, except the
détour to Alcantara, the plan originally sketched
before starting ; had heen favoured on the whole
(considering the lateness o f th e season) with excellent weather, and had seen m ost of th e objects situated on our route to pecuhar adrantage. I t
was something, wo felt, to have become acquainted w ith one o f the m ost remarkable, and
least travelled, countries in th e world, not merely
along its highways, or through the windows of a dilijjence, but in some o f its m ost remote aud unvisited regions, under the hroad sky, in the
fresh open air, m ovinç when wo chose, and where we chose. This plan o f travelling Iiad
brought ns into contact w ith every clasa o f the
people, except the highest, more especially with
the peasantry, th e very bone and Binew o f Spain’s body politic, and (according to tlie convictions
o f foreigners well acquainted w ith the eoimtry) the hest hope and promise for her futnre. W e
had witnessed Spanish life in not a few o f it«
A Pufwrama. 505
phases, liad been received as gaests, both in
private dweUIn^a, and in houses of public
eiit^rtaininent, visitins^ n ot only cities und
towTis renowned in tho history o f mankmd, but
unheard-of v i l la g e also, and seiniestored countrj- towns, where foreigtters are almoiit vuiljnown,
XTpoii all th is it was very pleasant to look
bacV, as w e rode onwards between hed<^cs of
towering aloe, in the stinshine o f early momin'j, or skirted th e waves, which rippled gently upon th e shore of Al^esiras B ay; whiJe the superb
p a i io T f lX Q a , encircling» " thftliock,” which exterids
from th e snowy crcat of the Sierra Nevada on
the one hand, to thf lurid fastnesses o f the Africiin mountama on tho other, spread out
before th e eye a spectacle o f such beauty and interest, fis can hardly, perhaps, fmd its pandlel in any part o f tho world, where earth and sea,
m ountain and lowland, fleet and fortress, citadel and harbour, crowdcd tow n and straggling
village, present themselves to the view in bright and rapid succession.
I t was nine o’clock on Sunday morning, D ecember the 11th, and Cliurcli-Parade for the
troops under canvas had ju st concluded, as we
rodo throngh the streets o f Gibraltar,— thronged, even then, w ith market-people, and canip-follow-
Enter Gihraiiar.
era, who Buapended for a moment tiieir buying
and scUing, to etarc at so strange.Iookiug a
company as we mvAt, doubtless, have appeared
after our lopg ride,— and alighted at the Victoria, glad indeed to find ouTsekcs one« more nnder tlie roof o f a comfortahle H o te l
oU 1 t lie deUght o f opening a budget o f let. tcTS, aiter m interval of nearly tw o months
passed in drflar ignorance o f home, and its b o
loved inmates ! In travelUng, i t is always a difficulty to arrange about one’s hittfirs when the ront« cannot be determined beforehand, as was tlie
case w ith ua. This difBcult^* is greaUy increased
in Spain by ite lack o f railvrays, and remoteness
from tbe ch ief lines o f European traffic, n o t to
m ention th e fa«t, that even from tbe southernm ost districts of Andalusia, letters for England
are invariably sent np to Madrid b y correo (the
mail o f th e Peninsula), a plan which, thongli high ly proitable to the national exchequer, adds
bnmcDM»ly to th e tim e necessary for their trans- mission. Beside», our ront« having remained
undetermined until wc had quitted Madrid, it
became impossible for m e to make arrangements
for hearing from home, either at Seville or Cor-
J^ova. Tlius it came to pass, that an interval o f
seventy-five days elapsed between the date of the letter I last received (at Madrid), aud the
hour when, to m y delight and happiness, T found
no fewer than five awaiting m y arrival at Gih- raliir, every one o f them hein^, thank G od! a
messenger o f good tidings.W ith m y m ind thus relieved from suspense
and anxiety on that must important sahject, it
waa h igh tim e to think o f paying some attention
to personal appearance, which cyrtainly, on my hrst entering th e hotel, did not, in m any essential partictaI u t s , come up tu th e ideas commonly
received amon^' E nglish gentlem an, whether Jay
or elcrical A t that m oment a more unkempt, neglected figure could not easily be found, nor would I for much have been seen, as I then appeared, by
tlie m ost low ly of m y parishioners, one o f whom, a private in the 4th Pout, stationed at Gibraltar, had fur several weeks boen on the look-out for
m y arrival, so that an incident, so seem ingly
improbable, had become a very lik ely contin- gCQcy.
B u t hero we were again confronted hy the consequences o f yesterday’s indiscretion. The most ncccssary part o f our h a ^ a g e was w ith Marcos, and Toma«, wherever that m ight bo, far away
from w tere it was inost wanted. Fortunately
we had scut a ll tlio weightier dirootfrom Seville to Gibraltar, and liaving duly reached ita destination, i t was now available for
our use. B u t in apite o f all th e appliances for
t lie toilette supplied £rom that quarter, we were still destitute o f several articles considered indispensable, on Sundays especially. For instance, Ijowei’er irreproachable the rest o f liis costumc may bc, it is a m ost damaging fact to a oler*
gyman’s respectability, i f indeed it docs not
vitiate h is whole moral character, to have to go
abont on that day am ong troops of his countrymen, w ith nothing better on h is head, than a
very shabby old wide-awake.Suoh wag precisely the predicament in wHch
T found myFelf at Gibraltar, on Sunday, Decem
ber 11th, 1859. I bad somewhere or other, w itli the rest o f th e m issing baggage, one of
those head-eoTcrings, modelled after the fashion of a chimney-pot, w hich form ao important an
item in an Thiglishman’s m ost correct ooatninc. U nhappily, like many other th ings io thiii world, it waa not forthcoming when m ost w anted; and
as I desired to go to church in th e afternoon, T
had nothing bettor to put on than the battered
head*gcar above mentioned, which, though still
in a ll fnibstantial respects a m ost valuable trtr
veiling companion, exhibited some oLjcctionable
points, that did n e t exactly leoommend its adop* tion for Sunday^wear. Originally black, the
viciaeitudes o f travel had converted it in to a
neutral tint, where sun«bomt patches o f brown, and m any a road-stwin o f dust washed in by
eopioufl showers, strove for pre-eminence over
the primary colour, in which i t had come forth
fi*oiu the maker's hands, I found i t a very try- jug exercise o f moral courage to walk about
the sticuts that day in so shockingly bad a
liat ; and it argued, m ethonght, no small amonnt o f friendship u\ Mr, Sykes to be w illing to bear
me company, while we sought in vain for a
church open for afternoon sorvice.W e tried the Cathedral. Mcmoriea o f Toledo,
and Seville ! what a tu in r to dignify w ith that
augnst title, suggestive o f ao m uch grandeur, solemnity, and reverential awe ! Su iely there can hardly be in Bath, Brighton, or Cheltenham, ;no, nor y e t in London itself, a proprietary chapel even, that would not blush to see the building, where the first E nglish Bishop o f Gibraltar is
supposed to have sot up liis episcopal throne I N o wonder the bishop does not live there! And as i f i t were not anomaly enough to designate
7%e Conirast 5 ”
aucli a tabemacle hy th e eame name as the glorious fanes o f Cauterhury, and ^ ork, SuJia- bury, aud E ly , the builder {urehiieci I cannot cali him), has crowncd his work w ith an apex o f ab- aurdity, hy selecting o f all otheis the Mootxsk gtyle— the style o f the arch-encmies o f the CroBS
— to be th e exponent o f his ideas on th e subject of
Christian wofRhip, ae i f Ijngland could supply no
examples o f what a church onpht to b e ! 1A fter beholding auch tem ples to th e Most
H igh , as th e Cathedrals o f Buikos, TohAo, and Seville, i t makes one, as an EnRlishman, absolutely ashamed to stand by th e ahabhy, mean, dwarf-sized edifice, erccted by our comitrymen
beneath the shadow of that rock, where niüioMí have been spent ungrndgingly upon batteries
and fortifications. AItho\igh enjoying tlie pri- Tilege o f a purer l^ith than any professed throughout the Peninsula, y e t here in th e eye
of Spaniard, Moor, and »Tew, we content ourselves w ith a building, which none o f those
religionists (did they possess onr national wealth) wonld ever presume to dedicate to God, as ÍÁC óerí he C (M oger, as we may well beUeve
from what we actually kuow o f their various
places o f w orship! One o f the first consequen r«s
result ini? misplaced economy, is that
w
a la r ^ proportiuu o f our troops, i f not all indeed, aie compelled to celebrate DiTine W orship in the open air, a» we saw tbat morning
when riding piwt the camp, an expedient that
need n ot bc resorted to, were a real Cathedral, at once worthy (as iar may be) o f its higb purpose, aud of the nation from w hieh it prococd«, to be crccted on aome suitable site, w hew the
worship o f tbe Church o f Eugland m ight be
solemnized w ith a ll “ the beauty of holiness,” so a at th e a<uno tim e to provide for the spiritual necessities o f our own people, and, hy the
solem nity and b ecom in ^ ess o f our devotions, to prove in that thoroughfare o f nations, to
th e whole world, Christian, Hebrew, and Infidel, that “ God is in us o f a truth.”
* k T O N D A Y morning's dawn saw th« wclcomc - -* A arrival o f the m nletwrs, w ith a ll our
goods aud chattels, an event, that inmiodiat^ly restored out party to society, in whieh we had
hitherto felt o u r a c lT c s to be occupying a very
equivocal position. L ite us, Marcoa and Tomus too had m et w ith adventures on th e road, having spent Saturday night, a ia heUe ifoUey
on th e uplands where we enjoyed onr first view
o f Gihraltar; donkeys, and men finding a chilly
welcome that De<»mber n ight on tliose dreary
heights, houaelusa, and unahelteiod even by a
hedge, being all th e tim e (as to their cliagrin they afterwards discovered) w ithin a m ile of
the Venta, where Captain O'Hara, and hia
friend had overtafeen us a few hoars before. A s
tho panniers contained (they knew) an ample
supply o f provisions, the trio very sensibly
helped themselves, restricting thoir potationsL I
5 14 A M otley Bctnf.
to tlie very modoat ttllowancc o f a aingle bottU
o f Bordeaux, a fact w hich speaks volumes for
their temperance, and honesty.W e foiind th e Victoria very clean and com
fortable, in apit« of itji cramped premises, and eveiything» that conatacit civility and attention
on the port o f th e landlord, Mr. D u M onlin
(a Frenchman, who speaTca Eugliah remarkably
•well), and hifl son, could contribute to o\u*
comfort, was m ost w illingly rendered.B y way o f repose after th e fatigue of the
laafc week, i t was a never-failing armisement, to
watch irom th e windows o f our sitting-room, w hich fronted the Exchange and Commercial
Square, the various phases o f uational costume and physiognom y, presenting them selves m
cA^aseless change on th is spot o f neutral ground between East, and W est, where Europe, and
Africa exchange greetings and merchandise,
in lieu o f th e hostility aud hard knocka, of
former ages,Sometimea it would be a regiment o f dear
old red-coats marching past, as Englishm en
only can march, w ith “ all th e pomp and circumstance o f glorious war," colours flying, music playing— a sight, that ever sent a strange
thrill through the hi>art, filling i t w ith an
almost overpowering secsc o f thantfulnoss for
the privilege o f caJling Old England “ Hom e.”
Scarwly have the clang o f cym bds, and the fife’s shrill notes died away in th e distance,
ere the scene is re-peoplod, aad th e eye lights
upon a m otley crowd o f sailora,«—^passengers by
the la??t steamer from England, ruahing about fiirioualy in search o f “ lions,”— grooms, and other belongings o f the stable, productions of
unmistakable E nglish growth,— a Erenchman or
two, out o f temper, and cynical (a ehronio state
o f mind, it struck me, from what I daily ob
served at the tahle w ith French visitors at Gihraliar)— Spaniards, cloakcd as uaual,— w ith
a sprinkling o f non-descripts, o f no particular
calling, or country. Africa too sent its contingent to that m otley crowd, in th e shape of
Jew s from M orocco h y the score clothed in a
m ost becom ing coetnme o f skull-cap, belted gaberdine o f dark bine, and w hite drawers, some
o f th e wearers haring long flowing beards,
others being “ shaven and shorn,” some barelegged, others in clean white stockings. Tho
nert instant your eye is caught hy th e approach o f an Arab, in turban of scarlct and white, w ith a lonj? silk tassel drooping over his
shoulder, snowy bum oiis, and loose trousers;L L 2
j i 6 tFindiny-JIp.
w hile H ebrew women, w ith face half-veiled, and
flowing robe« of brightest hoe, remind you of
the recent expulsion o f Jew s irom Morocco,
an event that has added to the abeady-teem ing population o f GKbr?iItar siome thousands o f in -
voluntar}* immigrants. W hen I further m ention, that right opposite stands a man selling superb
soarfs o f crimson, and cloth o f gold, th e labli’ou
vivant cannot be said to lack either variety of character, or the necessary ingredient of colour.
The “ Ceylon,” we found, was expected on
Tuesday, and as ahe is said to economize about 500 tons o f fuel every v o y ^ e , since the adoption o f some now invention in her e n ^ c -r o o m , 80 as to be no longer obliged to coal at Gib- n ltar , it behoved us to be all ready for her arrival,
(generally taking place about m idnight), as she
i« olT again in tw o houra 1M eanwhile a m ultiplicity of business bad to
be transacted, Tbere were Purkias' accounts, documenta of considerable size and moat perplexing jntriciicy, including, aa they did, a ll the
bills incurred on tlic road, together w ith the
expenditure o f the varioua sum a given out from
tim e to tim e by Lord Portarlington and Mr.
Sykes. These 1 undertook to examine, and
reduce to aome aort o f order, a business that
iVinding- Vp. 517
occupied tlic whole o f Tuesday, durlug which tirne I felt m yself to be actiug th e part of an
executor winding*up th e affairs o f the dehinct
expedition.Then Mr. Sykes had his horse to sell, which
turned out a very easy m atter; for in spite of
th e long journey, h is Madrid purchase was set dow n by th e cogncscenti in horse-tiesh, as the
finest and m ost powerful animal scon at Gibraltar for m any a long day, having greatly
i m p r o T c d i n condition, since we first started
irom Toledo.Altogether we had no lack o f occupation
dxu*iug our sliort s ta y at “ tlio R ock/' aud when
Tuesday evening c&sx\e, thp steamer’s arriral being im m inent ovory momeut, several things
were still left undone.M ost passengers by th e P . & O.'s boats
prefer going on board a hulk anchored about & mile out in th e bay, the uight before; there
to await the arrival o f the steamer, which does
not approach th e tow n nearer than th is point. A s, however, th e Governor, Sir W. Codrington. had given Lord Portarlington an order, enabling
our party to go out at any hour o f th e night, we wcrc tdl very glad to stay at the H otel, >Ir. 3)n M onlin having arranged w ith a aet o f boat
m en to row us to th e etcamer imm ediately on
her arrival, an event which would bo made
known far and near, by th e firing o f a gun. T he greater part o f our b a g ^ g e was already on
board the h u li , and we retained m erely what we
wanted for the night.Before bed-iiroe we hado good*bye to Marcos
and Tomas, who were Tctumiug home w ith
their well-earned gains, am ounting altogether to
more than £ 100 , a little fortune for tlie two
men, who, on th e whole, had served our party
w ith BO much efficiency and trustworthiness. W e felt rather anxious uhout their homeward
journey, extending over that long tract o f coun*
try between Gihraltor and Toledo, w ith so large
a sum o f money on their persons, and it was a
gre^it satisfaction to us all to hear, tw o months
after reaching England, that they had, in due courac, re-entered th e bosom o f their families, safe and sound, h igh ly delighted w ith an cxpodi*
tion, w hich had so widely enlarged their knowledge o f geography and mauMnd, and furnished
them w ith stories for the ren^ainder o f their
days-In fear, and trem bling did we go to bed, on
Tuesday n ight, not knowing what m oment the
gUQ, notifying the “ Ceylon’s ” arrival, m ight
not be heard. Hoxtrs sped away, while we
slept on, thanH ul for th e enjoyment o f anch
good beds 5 m idnight came, then two, and three
o’clock, to find us still asleep; when ju£t as the town-clocks were on tho point o f striking four
— B A N G ! boomed forth on the seaward side, awaking us three at th e same instant. I was
up at once, know ing from the hour, i t m ust be
a eigtiaJ from the stcoxoer, and not th e usual morning gun, w hich would not be fired till after
fire. H urrying on a few clothes, 1 rushed out in to the passage on m y w ay to call the servants (who, worn out w ith th e greater amount of
hardship they had undergone, were not lik ely to
haTC heard th e signal), only to find m yself anticipated in that intention; and it prored as
much as all three o f us conld accomplish to wake up Pnrkisa, Swain&on, and Elfick, w]iilc
they lay w ith th c ii door bolted, immoTeable as
the Seven Sleepers, being perfectly audible to us,
though i t was a long tim e before we, in turn, succeeded in m aking ourselves audible to them.
The boatmen were now thundering at the
back-door, and between noises in-doors, and
noises out, added to the apprehension o f the
steamer 8 going off without us, m y shaving that
morning was a rather nervous operation. Pur-
kiss -was not going to leaxe t ill next day, taJring M alaga on Lis way back to Madrid, aud as he
bad nothing to pack up, while h is compauious had m any tluugs to arrange, I naturally ex
pected he would soon make h is appearance, w ishing to settle one or tw o littio mutters w ith
him before parting. I waited however in vain, and the ser>'ants being now ready, while the^
boatmen insisted that w c sLoold be too late
i f we delayed any longer, we had ju st reached th e street on our w ay to th e boat, when Puikiss
appeared A t the door, arrayed in very scanty
apparel, and holding in h is hands five bottles of
wine, the last relies o f our provision*store, while, in faint accents o f farewell, he exclaimed, "Good-bj'e, m y Lord, good-bye!" and thua wc
le ft him , “ T he Last M a n ” o f our pleasant expedition, and residuary possessor o f the five
bottles o f wine, the panniers, and all the sundry
articles b elon p n g to the Commissariat, w ith
which h© had so often, and so well, ministered
to our necessities.
HO ER O E-STR U C K at the idea of encum
bering onrBcis'fis at that moment with
such unnecessary impedim ents to speed, as
Purkiss w ith h is usual honesty ha^ ui^ed ns to
take on board, h y way o f provisiou for the
Toyage, I begged and entreated no more time should he lost, feeling assured, that from what w e had heard th e n ight before at the office, the
steamer’s departure m nst now he drawing unpleasantly near, and i t would ta ie us at least h a lf an hour to get on board. So we hurried on
through the darkuess towards “ theKa^jged-Staff
Staiii," the point Fpocifiediu the Gorcmor’s order
for OUT exit from th e jealously-guarded fortiess, none o f th e usual ways being open until after
gun-fire.T he turning-out o f the guard, the flasluag of
tho laaterus refleded in th e fitill waters o f the
jnoat, and the lowering o f one drawbridge after
another tr» give us passage, produced quite a
552 A Narrov) TUscapfi.
scenic effect, inipartiDg an air o f m ystery and
romance to onr departure from tiic eliores of
tlm t country, where every vjllage tecals the
illusions of a drama, and the commonest pedant appears like a character on the S ta ^ -
L u cty indeed did it prore, we had delayed
no longer. T he srteamor was in the very act of
starting, and, as the pTireer to ld us on reaching
th e deck, three minute« more would have seen
our lu g g ^ e on it« way ashore, entailing upon
us the delay o f a whole fortnight for th e next
boat, and condemning iis eventually to spend Christmas D ay on the hosom o f th e B ay of
B iscay I So delighted were wc to have caught the steamer, th a t hardly a demur was made
(had there l>cen tim e indeed to make it) to tbe
boatmen’s almost incredible demand o f £ 2 lOi». for conveying ourselves, and oiir baggage (at tw o trips) on board ( So that from our first contact w ith Spaniards, in th e Spanish Consul’s
ofRce at Bayonne, down to the moment we
quitted th e coast at Gibraltar, the national greed for m oney was maintained w ith a uniform ity aud consistency o f character, whieh, Horace him self would own, satisfied a ll the
requirements o f the m ost rigid dramatic propriety.
A'S soon as daylight, usbered in by a sunrise that cncircled “ the Rock w itli a
lialo o f glory, enabled us to dUtinguish objects, w c were delighted w itli our first impressions of the “ C eylon/' Everything about her wore so
trim and cleanly an appearance, and her pro- portions W4¿rc so room y and spacious, thut we
anticipated a very comfortable pusaagc, while
the commander, Captain Evans, had, even to
m y unnautical eyes, that look o f a thorough
sailor, which at once inspired confidcnee in hid
eeamanbhip,A nd then th e breakfast-table ! W bat a dpec-
tacle to gladden the eyes o f three hungry tra- vellere from Spain 1 ‘ 'hat d transition from
th e meagre d iet o f the last tw o month», to the
p ik s o f food, drawn from every region o f
edibles,— (beddts o f the field, birds o f the air)—
ciccept the lishcB o f th e aea, w hich being never
so far off from mon^a table, aa when (apparently) nearest, contributed nothing to th e provisioning o f th e “ Ceylon.” AJiier th e iarc, on
whicli we had thanlrfully sustained life thro\igh the wilds ol Estremadura, and th e mountain- valleys o f Andalusia, it was positively frightful
to observe, how m any th ings axe required by
IwBglishmen at sea, where eating becomes the
principal occupation o f the day, for the con\- plete snpply o f a single meal. A Scotch
breakfast used once to he regarded as tho »»
filu4 vllra o i m atutinal feasting; hut after wbat
I saw in the “ Ceylon,” i t m ust stand among !By settled convictions, that in point o f weight
and substance, a P . and 0 . d^euner takes rank
at tlie head o f such repasts, a ll over th e civi- lized world.
Accustomed to m eals few and far between, i t seemed to us, us i f eating and drinking on
board continued, off and on, th e whole day, and
w o were quite in circumstances to appreciate so
remarkable a transition from our recent experience.
A t s is , our very attentive Steward (who hy one o f those coincidences o f travel, th a t have
now ccascd to snrprise me, had been a brother-
clcigyman'd servant, in th e next pariah, at home)
used to bring ua some tea, and bread and butter, b y way o f preparative for breakfast at nine, w hen (according to tb e poetical fiction of public- dinner reporters) “ the tables groaned under all the delicacies of the season,” some of them
being o f a very subfltantial description. Beef-
st<“aJcg and k idacys; broiled bacon, grilled fowl, curry, muttoiiKjbops, boar’s head and braw n; ham, boiled beef and roust; ranged in lo n g line
np and down the tables; flanked b y muflins, toast, French rolls, huge loaves o f a home- baked aspect that w ent to our very hearts! N ot to speak o f th e liberal-sized cups, uut o f which
TJngUshmen are wont to quafi their m orning
Bobca.T b is meal, taking place at nine, was expected
to support nature until twelve, when bread and checse, biscuits and pale ale, appeared on the
table, inviting general attention, and, sooth to
say, receiving it to a very liberal extent. P in ner, the next act on th is gastronomic stage, followed at three p .m ., transcending so utterly
m y feeble powers o f expression, tbat I w ill not attem pt to describe its myriad attractions.
T he nearest approach to th e actual suggested
bv m y prosaic imagination, would be to say.
tiiat i t was ratlicr more than the breakfaet multiplied by two.
B ein g one o f those persons to whom,in the evening, tea or eeffec ia a poison fatal to
sleep, I felt no personal interest in the next act o f eating and drinking, occnirring somewhere
about seren, and mnch patroni;2ed by the ladies. A t nine o’clock, w ine and spirits made their appearance on th e festive boafd, w ith a cou^ n ia l accompaniment o f hot and cold water, sugar and biscuits, to fortify th e m ind against th e terrors
o f a n igh t at sea, and every one helped him self
as freely and frequently as he chose.From th is dietary o f the “ Ceylon” (which is
said to be quite paralleled by the eommissariat o f her sistei'ships), it may safely be condudcd, that long as the present regime continnes, passengers on board th e Peninsular and Oriental Company’s steam* ships are in no imTninent peril o f starvation.
One thing, however, struck ns as an anomaly. Swainson had been a pasaenger by some o f those
boats on more than one previous occasion, and it
was chiefly in consequence o f the terma in which
he described the erciilleiice o f their accommodations, that we decided to return to England by
one of tliem , instead of taking th e Frcnch steam
ers plying along th e east ooast to M aiseilles, as
originally proposed; and onr informant seemed to feel, while we were roughing i t up and down
the country, that the coni forts o f the Peninsular
and Oriental Company’s steamer from Gibraltar
would abundantly make up for any ainomit of
present priyation."When onwi we had fairly settled on board, 1
naturally inquired o f h im how they go t on in
that part o f th e ship, fo lly expecting to hear tlicy had everything they could require, more
ospeeiahy in the way o f eating and drinking. I
was very sorry to hear a totally different report, which showed that th e treatment o f the two
clasiies o f passengers on hoard was “ wide sa the poles asunder." H ad 1 not known the content-
fdnesa o f h is dieposition, I m ight have fancied
h is report had been coloured by some of the
fastidioosnesa imputed to TjOglish servants gents- ra lly ; not to m ention that after Spain the plainest fare, properly cooked, and in suSicieiit quantity, would have appeared hoth to h im and Elfick a
«umptuous feast. Such a disproportion in accommodation cannot be acoonnttd for by the
difference o f th e passage-money, which wafl but
£ 4, the first-class fare from Gibraltar to Southampton being £1S, and the second £9.
This was the only cauise o f complaint we
obstTved on board th e “ CeyloQ," and thongli it did not affect any of ua in tkc saloon, y e t wo
could n ot feel indifforent about tlic comfort of
those, who were alwaya m im stcring to ours.There were passengera enongh, from erery
part o f the ilaat, to g ive animation to tho
scx^nc, w ithout any ncccasity for tliat overcrowding 80 unpleasant to landsmen. Th& contingent contributed b y India to swell our
numbers contained, among many others, tbo
solo survivor o f tlie Cabul Tnassacre, Dr. Bry-
done, who was now returning to England, a hale«looking man, on tb e completion o f his fall term o f aorvicc; while a V ictoria Cross w on at
th e Ptiibo by anotlier of tlie passengers, re- mindtid a s o f a still more reccnt diaoatvr in flicted on th e B ritish arms. There were besides, aevcral officers returning home after the
suppression o f the m ntiny, one o f whom, a Jjieutenant in the Artillery, had for sevend days
been in such extreme danger, that the doctor belonging to th e ship a^isured me he could not
poRsibly ontlive twenty-four hours, a prediction
happily falsified by his landing alive at Southampton, and nltimat© recovery, on returning to
his native air in Devonsliire.
Pasforal Work. 529
M ilitary men are supposed not to care much
for the rainirtrations o f a c lc i^ m a ji, during síck n ¿5 ; though the incidents o f th e Crimean
war, and m any other reccnt proofs o f a like
nature, serve to show, that however correct auch
an opinion may oncc have been, a very great change has taken plaee of late years, am ong all grades in th e army. Still, i t was almost with
aa much surprise, as satisfaction, that immediately on going on board, I fonnd m y arrival welcomed by more than one o f the invalid's
hrother-offiecrs, who requested me w ith mucb
earnestness to go aud v isit him in m y ministerial capacity, there being no otlier c le i^ m a n
o f th e Church o f England in the ship, 1 need
uot say how w illingly I complied w ith tlieii wishes, and after m y long and delightful holiday (which I owe to the kindness o f one o f the hest friends any man can bc blessed with), it
seemed a very appropriate return to pastoral work, to do thü little I could in m inistering to
th e awful realities o f what then appeared to be
a death-bed.Tt was w ith far leas satisfaction, than I had
experienced amid th e stilln ^ s o f that small cabin, where there was nothing to distract the
niind from th e thoughts m ost befitting the hourK «
o f prayer, that, according to Captain Evans’ request, I ceWbrated Divmo Servie« in th e well-
filled saloon, the following Sunday. Few o f the
L aity, I snppo«e, can have the smallest coueep- tion, how extremely painful it is to a Clei^ymau
to observe tokens o f iireveTence and inattention
during the ministrations o f the sanctuary ; while, on the other hand, nothing gives a more power- fid impulse to his own devotions, than to feei tliat tlie whole congrégation is rciilly unitiug
w ith him in the act of worship, both outwardly
w ith th cii bodies, and inw aidly w ith their souls.Thi'* aatisfaotiou it was not m y happiness to
enjoy on Sunday, December the 18th, in the
saloon o f tlie “ Ceylon.'’ N o douht, a church is
infinitely better calculated to croate and sustain
devout aspirations, tium the cabin o f a well- filled steamer, w ith its incongruous associations, and undoYOtional aspect; nor would £my sane
person, Imving th e option, prefer sueh a spot for publie woKhip, to a building dedicated e>:pressiy
to th e glory o f God, and harm onizing in a ll its
features w ith so h igh a desUnation, T e t surely
i t is no valid reason for refusing to do one’s best to worship God in spirit, and in tritth, because
we cannot always bave the place best qualified
for th e purpose; nor would snch a man as St.
P aul (we may well believe) coiifider Umt professin g Christians arc, at any tiine, exempted from
the plain duty of worshipping God' both w ith
tho body, and w ith th e soul, m erely because they
may chance now and then, to have to perform
their public devotions elsewhere than in a
regular ehnrch. Indeed, do not both common
sense and habit alike, teach us the propriety o f hftfiding always at prayer; for who, ever, thinks of fdlUny down by hid bedftide to pray,
instead o f “ meekly kneeling oa hia knees ? "The congregation, however, to which i t wa^
say lo t to iTfjnister on board th e “ Ceylon/*
seemed to hold a very different opinion \ at any
rate its praetice was pamfnlly divLTse, aud not one that I $aw, h te lt dxiring any portion o f the
service, s ittin g through the whole. L itany and
all, w ith a$ complaisant an unconsciousness, a
i f nothing could be more becoming than their
behavionr, nay, almost as i f kneeling were an
act to bo abhorred o f all good Christiana? W h at happened in other parts o f the saloon, farther off, I ^ u n o t tell. There was quite
enough to giv« m e pain in m y own immediate
neighbourhood, and I hope 1 may not soon
have tho distress o f w itnessing such an utter
want o f devotiou in any congregation, either at
home, OP abroad as I observed on that occa
sion.Considering th e tim e o f year (to m a te a
iraD&ition from that pBinful aabjcct to the ono
m ost resorted to b y Englishm en in m oments of
embarrassment), th e -weather was quite as good
as eonld bo expected during a w inter-voya^ , the B ay o f B iscay g iv in g ns abundant proof, how
ever, that its reputation for storm and tempest, is by no means undeserved, though w e three
were fortunate enough to have found berths
(M'r. Sytea, and I pairing in one cabin) on the
lee*side o f th e vessel, w hich saved na from many
a shock in crossing the "Ray.i^unday saw us off TJshant, to he ateaming np
th e Channel, ere darkness closed around us, and wo “ turned in ” w ith the pleasant expectation
o f looking once more on the Hampshire coast by
the morrow’s light.Tor more than tw enty years I have not passed
Kuch a night, as th e last we spent ou board
tho “ Ceylon,” Cabin*doors slammed; heavy-
hootod feet overhead stamped; ueighbonr-pas- seniors were Bmoking, drinking and singing;
or packing, cording, and hammering theix boxes, to auch a degree as made one long to be doing
som ething o f the sort oneself, since the proper
A W lite W orld. 533
porpOBC, for which hed is intended, had become 80 hopeîeealy impoasihle. Other passengers too, thongh taking no part in those
noisier occnpations, were ahnost as great enemies
to rep<»e, go in g ahout as they did, np and down, aomctimes on deek, sometimes below» like people tronhled w ith a protracted fit o f th e “ fidgets/*
The whole scene vividly recalled “ hreaking np
at school, when scores o f hoys used to go streamin g ahout in aU the ecstasy of approaching holidays, and fill! o f th e marvellous deeds to be
done at home, having noth ing partic\ilar to
do, except that o f running in everybody's way, and w o n y in g ont o f all patience th e poor distracted servants.
M onday m orning revealed to ns a w hite world, th e shore« o f Southampton W ater being
covered w ith snow, while, still descending in dense flakes, i t lay on th e deck to th e depth of
several inches, casting over every object an air of
utter discomfort and wretchedness that made
one shiver, after a ll th e sunshine o f th e South, to m eet w ith so ch illing a leeoption on first hm ding in Old England.
So m uch ice had formed around the gates, that
it became a very tedioua bnsiness to get the
“ C eylon” to her proper place inside th e dock;
X^ntwi'llowsc.
while, vvitli the usual impatience o f fiteamerfc passen^ra, we stood, cold and miserable, on
deck, almost w itliin arm’s lungtli o f land, long
before we could possibly go asboie to take
refuge ond get some breakfast, at liad ley’s
H otel.
' I Have landed frona the Continent at seTeral bf our principal ports,— London, Dover, i ’olke- t^ n e , and N ew liaT cn , undergoing at each tbe
ordeal o f the Custom-House. B u t I muat say, tlm t in strict oonscicQtiousriess, and rigorous dischai^e o f duty to tbeir Queen, and countiy, th e Southampton officers stand pTe-eminent, andI a iT i w illing to render a ll honour to their virtue. Y et I hope i t w ill never ugain be m y fato
to land tiiere fr«)m any foreign port.Com ing from Gibraltar, tb e last point touched
at by the “ Ceylon,” we stood o f course last on
the list, and thus having to wait t ill th e b a ^ a g e
of every passenger (many o f whom wore lad ies!) from Singapore, H on g K ong, tbo whole o f
India, Australia, Aden, E gypt, and Malta, had
boen catefuUy examined, i t was nearly five
o'clock P .M . on the 19th o f December ere we
were finally released, enabling us Uj w?t off for
our different dcstinaiions, happy and thankful to be once raore in England, thongh still happier
in th e prospect o f being soon re-united to dear
friends, w hile wb cast mAoy a retrospect of
aatisfQction and enjoyment, on the Tarions vicia- eitndes and adventures o f our '‘Autnm n Tour
in Spain.”
TBK
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L O U IS C H A R L E S D E B O U R B O N ;T H E >’ P R iS O M iH O F T H E T E M P I , B ,”
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Sir E . L . Bulwer’s Eva,AND OTHER POEIkTS.
Fárl Godwin’s Feast,AND OTKFR PORMS, By Stewsrt Lork^ei.
Saint Bartholomew's Day>A N D O T H E R P 0 £ K 8 . B y S u w a r t L o « k r« r.
Sacrcd Po<ms.B j cb a k u K ig b t H o n . S ir R u tw 't O rs .n l, w iib « Nocic« by L ord Oi nelg.
Eustace;¿ B £ ^ c g j . B ; tb « R ig b t H o a . C hiu lc« T e o a jw o I> T y n c o u rt.
T he Pieasures o f Home.B y Lhv ftc v . J . T . C*fi>pbcU.
Friendship;A N D O T H E R P O £ M S . B y H ia a a m c o » . 6».
Judith;A N D O T H E R P O E M S . B y f b a s c » M t i x s M .R .C .S .L .
T he Convert,A N D O T H E R P 0 B M 5 . te .
Oberon’s Empire.AMt k.
T he Spirit o f Hom e.B y Sylvftn.
T he Moslem and the Hindoo.A P o em M tb « B evolL B } a G rtd u a W o f O ifo rd .
Palmam, qui Meruit, Ferat.B y N o r to u i B . Y om¿« .
Mtscellsineous Poems.B y a n In d ia n OBím t .
T he Shadow o f the Yew,A N D O I H E B P O E M S . B y N o n n a n B . Yacij .
Carmagnola.A n I ta l^ B T a l« o f ih « F if t« e n ih C c n to ry .
Hanjio.A T r»g«dy . T h e Scvond E<liCiofi.
W E S S R S . S A U N D E R S , Ü T L B Y . A N D C O .’S
E A S T I N D I A A B M Y , C O L O N I A L A N D
G E N E R A L A G E N C Y .
5 0 , C o s o u i T S t h h t , H a m o v ir S ^ o a u b ,
(CiM« » the •' OrifMl Cl*h.")M m u í . SfcOBOBW, O ft .sT , * o d C 6 , b e « M » fin o u o co U i*t io ct»-
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B A K B I N O S B P A R T I t B X T .P*T - P bk» íok« , F o m o A L tow 4«tM .T > i* ieB »»ps, f c e . , d « * o » M
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e V V P b V D E P A R T M E N T .M i ICBLLAMBOOB S u m i M O r B «6»7tlf*C B lrT I0W ,il»clU Ä l0 i P rov i,
t io n » , W ie « * , P lÄ » , J e w .lJ e r y , Ü ooV *, G u n a , Bfiort C)M hir>g, S '" ., «»re fv iir d e* p * » th id b y O v^ rlaod K o o te ,O f 9 4 \ i iû f S H p , t o ü e « im e Q B w id M «m w ib ÏD d i» , A « tr« k * * , m kI
O m ib s » from 0 {Ê c cre , M e m b m o f ü>* C i* J S e r t ie * , JUwlPTiia in lai\A, A o itr .l» * , * tid th o Oioaxtt g«tier»Üy, t r « «««CQ-M d w i c h o u e , « o f i o f n y , • e c i e n « y , * o d p r y » » p t ì W ( Ì * .
A li ord sr» sh o u ld b » « c r o n p fta ie d b y f o i l k od d e c a ilr f d ir««ttoM .
» B B i O N A l . A Q B N O y D £ P A B T » C B M T .T h e C o D t t i t o M U o f y \ * m n . S * o r - 1 e » , O tW y ,* n a C o , IM ? d e p « » i
oi>o*i n m r i o e e v e ry t o tf ifcr rc ^ a ir* « cQ tä * B d iM tr u c iio c »E v « f7 u a i» U o « e » J 1 b « a f fo n W t o t h « r C oft»u U i«Q « * o d tb « jf k 'M n ili« o o th e if ln E o g lM d , w ilh th a t i « # tt> r a l is v e t h mI r o n BTsry poM ibIc ¡n cM veoteoC « . , , .
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fisiro R ec im « n U l M ^ « » u f P r iv a te Iti'íividQ ala, w « hm ACCAScrtNiBO BV * ^ |* IV T « » C B , » h j * »B »)! D iaioon i; a t a ll t i * « a llo w ed .
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