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 --
 
 LiBKAKY
 
 BY THE AUTHOR OF 
 
 "DACIA SINGLETON," "ALTOGETHER WRONG,' 
 
 ETC., ETC., ETC. 
 
 THE ESCORIAL. 
 
 LONDON: 
 TINSLEY BROTHERS, 18, CATHERINE ST., STRAND. 
 
 1868. 
 
 [Right of Translation Reserved.]
 
 WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 BY 
 
 H. PEMBERTOK 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 TINSLEY BROTHERS, 18, CATHERINE ST., STRAND. 
 
 1868. 
 
 [Right of Translation Reserved,]
 
 LONDON : 
 BEADBURY, EVJLNS, AND CO., PRINTERS, WH1TEFRIARS.
 
 TO 
 
 MY TRAVELLING COMPANIONS 
 
 THESE REMINISCENCES OF OUR 
 
 WINTEE TOUR IN SPAIN 
 
 AEE AFFECTIONATELY INSCKIBED. 
 
 London, June, 1868.
 
 PEEFACE. 
 
 IN publishing " A Winter Tour in Spain," our 
 principal object is that it may prove an acceptable 
 work to those who, having travelled in Spain, may 
 like again to glance over scenes (imperfectly sketched, 
 yet true so far as they go,) that must be remembered 
 with pleasure ; for it seems to us impossible that any- 
 one can have learnt to know Spain and the Spaniards, 
 and not also have learnt to appreciate both the country 
 and people ; though neither may be free from defects.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS . 1 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 FROM LONDON TO BAYONNE 
 
 CHAPTEE II. 
 
 BIARRITZ SAN SEBASTIAN 17 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 BURGOS . . 25 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 MADRID 36 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 MADRID (continued) 52 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 MADRID (continued) A BULL-FIGHT 69 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE ESCORIAL 87
 
 viii CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 PAGE 
 TOLEDO 98 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 CORDOVA 112 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 SEVILLE . . . . r 120 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 SEVILLE (continued) 138 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 SEVILLE (continued) 154 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 JEEEZ DE LA FEONTEEA SHEEEY . . . . .171 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 CADIZ 174 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 GIBRALTAR 184 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 MALAGA . 195 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 GEANADA THE ALHAMBEA . 208 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 GEANADA (continued} 224
 
 A WINTEK TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 
 
 THERE are but two classes of travellers to be met 
 with in Spain ; those who go there for climate, and those 
 who go for pleasure, and even of these the number is 
 very limited. None flock here, as they do to most 
 other European countries, for education or economy ; 
 these are two objects as yet unattainable. Neither 
 invalids nor tourists, however, will be disappointed, 
 for they will each meet with what they seek. The 
 climate in the south and along the east coast of 
 Spain is magnificent ; the scenery and objects of 
 interest throughout the country must fulfil the expec- 
 tations of all. 
 
 But climate is not everything to those who, on 
 account of health, are driven from their own country, 
 though it may appear to be, and is, the main 
 object. There are many drawbacks to contend with 
 in encountering a winter in Spain. The journey is 
 long if by land, and longer still if by sea ; railway
 
 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 travelling has not yet arrived at perfection in this far 
 behind-hand, procrastinating land. The trains always 
 start at most unconscionable hours in the morning 
 hours utterly impossible for an invalid, and most 
 disagreeable to every one ; or else they start at night. 
 The Spaniards arrange these matters to suit them- 
 selves and not winter travellers ; the railway guides 
 are at present published but once a year, and that in 
 summer ; thus against the scorching heat of that season 
 do they seek to escape exposure during the day. 
 They are far too indolent to dream of having a change 
 made for the winter months ; they travel then so 
 little themselves, and their winter is so short, that in 
 more ways than this do they, from the want of a little 
 energy, cause people to experience discomfort, and 
 keep hundreds from visiting their beautiful country. 
 
 Medical men are much needed English, of course 
 there are plenty of Spanish, too many of them ; but 
 if Nature does not cure, they cannot, and it is best 
 to avoid them ; in but very few places are English 
 doctors to be found, and those there are, are not 
 altogether such as could be desired. Another great 
 want is fireplaces ; in none but a very few of the 
 largest and best hotels in the principal towns are 
 they to be found, and then only in the best sitting- 
 rooms. This, to an invalid, and indeed to many in 
 health, is a very serious discomfort and privation. 
 The evenings are often chilly, and one becomes more 
 sensitive to the least cold from the great heat of the
 
 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 3 
 
 sun during the day ; and with all the bright and 
 glorious sunshine which favours this magnificent land, 
 between November and April, days will sometimes 
 dawn that remind one of the season, and then, if no 
 fire can be had, an extra shawl or cloak is far away 
 better than a headache-giving, stupifying brasero. 
 These braseros are the only fires of the country ; they 
 are large pans (like big copper soup-plates) containing 
 lighted charcoal, which are placed in the middle of 
 the room on a wooden frame, and are extremely 
 unhealthy, affecting both the respiratory and nasal 
 organs, and should be carefully avoided ; besides, the 
 heat they give is very trifling. 
 
 Hotels are, as a rule, not good ; they are deficient 
 in comforts ; and the food, though far better than 
 what we were led to expect, 'is hardly such as is suited 
 to an invalid. Beef and mutton are very poor ; pork 
 is excellent, and is the best meat throughout Spain ; 
 this arises from the manner in which the pigs are 
 fed, but it is hardly the right food for a delicate 
 person. -Then the cooking : it certainly will not tempt 
 appetite, if it does not completely destroy it. To 
 the tourist, who is of course strong and healthy, or 
 ought to be, all these objections and disagreeables 
 are too trifling for him to give them a thought; he, 
 on the whole, rather likes getting up in the middle 
 of the night to start by a 4 or 5 a.m. train ; he neither 
 wants doctors nor fireplaces, and, with a good appe- 
 tite, the unartistic dishes put before him perhaps 
 
 B 2
 
 4 A WINTEE TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 even meet with approbation ; at any rate they are not 
 condemned. 
 
 The best towns for those who seek climate are 
 Alicante, Seville, Malaga, and Gibraltar, if we can 
 call the Rock, Spain. The best hotels in the country 
 are, the Hotel des Princes at Madrid ; the Hotel 
 Bossio at Alicante, and the Hotel Washington Irving 
 at Granada. 
 
 Money is indispensable to all travellers ; by money, 
 we mean a good supply, as everything, gloves ex- 
 cepted, is very dear. A slight knowledge of the lan- 
 guage is also nearly as necessary French and English 
 being useless, except in a few of the principal hotels 
 and a courier, we can state from experience, is a very 
 expensive nuisance ; the charges are fully doubled if 
 you have one, unless you happen to fall into the hands 
 of those rare individuals who, however they may rob 
 you themselves, have still honesty enough not to let 
 others do so. There are plenty of travelling servants 
 to be met with on the frontier, who are ready to 
 accompany people through Spain, and are not suffi- 
 ciently experienced in couriers' ways to have the bills 
 doubled in order to fill their own pockets. 
 
 Tea is a useful article to take with one, and a bottle 
 of spirits of wine, for boiling water, will often be found 
 invaluable. A passport is useless, except for obtaining 
 letters addressed poste restante ; and that is so unsafe 
 a direction, owing to the absurd mistakes they make 
 in copying the names, which they then post up outside
 
 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 5 
 
 the office, that it is advisable to have them addressed 
 to some one's care ; a banker is the best ; if sent to 
 an hotel they are frequently mislaid, or refused alto- 
 gether if not sufficiently pre-paid, though this is 
 invariably most indignantly denied. 
 
 Money should not be changed in Spain, either on 
 entering it or leaving it ; in both cases it is best to 
 change it at the frontier town in France, and you gain 
 on the exchange from Spanish into French ; but great 
 care must be taken that no false Spanish coins are 
 imposed on one, as it seems to be generally acknow- 
 ledged that bad money is coined annually to a certain 
 amount, and this is practically admitted by the Govern- 
 ment, as they undertake to redeem false gold pieces, 
 by paying on their presentation two-thirds of their 
 value. The money is easily understood. An Isabel 
 (worth a sovereign and tenpence) contains five duros ; 
 each duro five pesetas (each worth tenpence) ; a peseta 
 contains four reals. Accounts are made out in reals. 
 
 The two worst things in Spain are her government 
 and her laundresses ; it is hard to say which does 
 their work the worst, both are so abominably bad, 
 and the people are the victims. Spain well governed 
 what a country it might be ! Very little is known 
 of it beyond its own limits ; and of the people still 
 less. In the north, we think a Spaniard must be a 
 brigand; or, at best, he is pictured with dagger in 
 hand ready to attack the first comer. A Spanish lady 
 in Madrid told us she had just returned from Paris,
 
 6 A WINTE.R TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 and that she had been frequently asked whether she 
 did not always wear a dagger. That Spaniards fly to 
 the knife in quarrels, and that their passions are easily 
 roused, is true enough ; but treat them courteously and 
 kindly, and you will find them both ready and willing 
 to serve you to the best of their power. There is a 
 great deal of kind-heartedness about them, and they 
 are especially gentle and tender with children. As a 
 rule, they are honest and sober, and if one cannot add 
 industrious, it is on account of their climate, and still 
 more their oppressive government, that renders them 
 heedless of the future. The beauty of the women is 
 greatly exaggerated ; you will see more beauty in one 
 hour's walk in any English town than you will meet in 
 a month's travels in Spain. They are clumsily made, 
 and walk ungracefully ; they have large hands, but 
 in Castile at any rate beautiful feet ; though, with 
 their present fashion of long-training dresses, they are 
 not seen. In the south, their teeth and hair are very 
 fine ; but they have unhealthy complexions. After 
 twenty they lose all appearance of youth, and by five- 
 and-twenty they become very stout and doubly un- 
 graceful. Home life, as we understand it, they know 
 nothing about ; they are always either in their bed- 
 rooms or out of doors ; family gatherings hardly ever 
 occur, nor is there sociability of any kind amongst 
 them. They are great theatre goers ; in almost every 
 town there is a good theatre ; their greatest entertain- 
 ment, however, is within the bull-ring, but this cruel
 
 INTEODUCTOEY EEMAEKS. 7 
 
 amusement is less frequented by ladies than of yore ; 
 by degrees, their eyes seem to be opening to the fact 
 that bull-fights are brutalizing, and unfit for women to 
 witness, and the majority are satisfied with going to 
 see a sport where young bulls only fight, and where 
 precautions are taken not only to prevent either man 
 or beast from being killed, but even to protect them 
 from injury. 
 
 Spaniards are inveterate smokers, from the beggar 
 to the king ; the cigarette is everlastingly in their 
 mouths ; even at dinner, between the courses, the 
 cigarette is made and smoked, but they are not half 
 the nuisance in consequence that one might expect ; 
 the tobacco is peculiarly mild, and, were it not for the 
 results, one would care little for the actual smoke. 
 What the cigar is to the man, the fan is to the woman. 
 A lady is never without one ; walking, driving, at home, 
 in church, paying visits, even at meals, the fan will be 
 in her hand, ever restless, opening and shutting it, occa- 
 sionally making a pretence to fan herself, then talking 
 with it to her opposite neighbour, for fans aided by 
 bright eyes can say a great deal. Fans also do duty 
 for a parasol, as with a mantilla parasols are not used ; 
 bonnets are, however, now beginning to be worn by a 
 few ladies when driving ; in Barcelona they are very 
 general, but that is the only town in which they at 
 present do not look singular. Till lately, ladies were 
 not allowed in churches unless wearing a mantilla; 
 now they may go in hats, if they like, or anything
 
 8 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 else, to almost all ; but there are one or two churches 
 where the mantilla is still enforced. Any lady intend- 
 ing to pass even only a few weeks in Spain, will find 
 it advisable to adopt the fashion of the country, and 
 wear this generally becoming head-dress ; it will save 
 an amount of mobbing by children little dreamt of, 
 and they will be allowed to walk about in peace and 
 unheeded, whereas with a bonnet, and still more so 
 with a hat, everyone stares as if they had never seen 
 such things before. Let them imagine the case re- 
 versed, and fancy what would be the result of a 
 Spanish lady walking down Regent Street, or in the 
 Park, with a mantilla. A bonnet in Spain is quite as 
 uncommon ; except, as we said before, in Barcelona, 
 and by a very few in Seville and Madrid when driving. 
 
 Take as little luggage as possible ; it hampers one's 
 movements, and costs a great deal ; but let a corner 
 be found for a small medicine chest, as, except at 
 Gibraltar, it is as wise to avoid chemists as it is 
 prudent to keep clear of doctors. 
 
 Neutral tint, or blue glass spectacles will be found 
 of great service.
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PROM LONDON TO BAYONNE. 
 
 * 
 
 WITH the prospect of encountering every con- 
 ceivable, horror, conjured up by the fertile brains of 
 our friends and acquaintances, and portrayed in pain- 
 fully vivid colours, and what we should have to endure 
 on the one hand and forego on the other, if we 
 persisted in our foolish resolve of spending a winter 
 in Spain, we left London in October, resolutely deter- 
 mined to brave all, and make our way as rapidly as 
 possible to Madrid, in order to see it thoroughly before 
 the cold winds set in, which we were told amongst 
 other equally reliable information froze people to 
 death in the streets. You saw persons standing still, 
 you spoke to them, but receiving no answer, you 
 would look inquiringly and find them dead, stiff, and 
 frozen ! 
 
 In order to begin our journey quietly, children 
 being of our party, we left London by a stupidly- 
 slow train at 2'18 p.m. and reached Dover at 5'50 
 p.m., taking up our quarters for the night at the Lord 
 Warden Hotel, where fortunately we had written to 
 secure rooms, the rush being great to get in there,
 
 10 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 owing to people at the last moment resolving to take 
 a look at the Grande Exposition of 1867 before it 
 closed. 
 
 On to Paris the following day, and for a marvel 
 the sea was calm and no one ill ; for which reason 
 people were in a condition to grumble, and not half so 
 good-natured as they would have been had they 
 undergone a certain amount of suffering. Paris was 
 crowded to such an extent one could not help wonder- 
 ing where all the people found beds ; yet it looked as 
 bright and beautiful as usual, the weather clear and 
 fresh, with a warm sun, rendering it doubly delightful 
 after the yellow fogs we had been favoured with in 
 London. 
 
 After a couple of days spent in gazing at the out- 
 door portion of the great fair in the Champ de Mars, 
 we left for Bordeaux, going through in the day. We 
 started by the 10*45 a.m. train, and arrived at 1015 
 p.m. ; a long journey, especially for the little travellers ; 
 but it is better than to divide it by sleeping at Tours, 
 which is off the main line. The weather was beautiful, 
 a little too warm for those who, like ourselves, were 
 prepared for cold and not for heat. There is a capital 
 table d'hote dinner at Angouleme, which is reached at 
 7 p.m. 
 
 We were recommended the Hotel de Paris, as being 
 the best in Bordeaux ; if so, there is ample room for 
 better ones : we believe the Hotel de la Paix is on a 
 better scale.
 
 PEOM LONDON TO BAYONNE. 11 
 
 Bordeaux is a very large but not very interesting 
 town. The cathedral of St. Andre* has two beautiful 
 spires ; the interior is a single nave, and is fifty- six feet 
 wide. The Porte Royale was built by Henry 2nd of 
 England and Queen Eleanor. The facade of the 
 church of St. Croix is fine, as is also that of St. Michel ; 
 here are some fine painted windows, and a great 
 collection of human remains, mummies, &c. The 
 Palais Gallien is said to be the remains of a Eoman 
 amphitheatre. The bridge across the Garonne is fine ; 
 there are seventeen arches to it. The theatre is 
 remarkably handsome, and is worth looking at outside 
 if you do not care to go in. There is an English 
 church and a tolerable number of English residents, 
 wine merchants chiefly. We heard a very good 
 sermon the Sunday we were there, and would after- 
 wards have enjoyed a quiet walk, but for the fair then 
 being held, which caused the whole town to be in a 
 tumult. Articles were exposed for sale of every 
 description, from rusty keys and iron bedsteads to 
 bonbons and Dresden china. One great attraction 
 seemed to be a gilt carriage, the body being panelled 
 with looking glass, five musicians sitting on the roof, 
 playing various instruments, and in front were two 
 velvet-covered seats : a woman, gaudily dressed, and 
 with gold beads and braid and feathers waving in her 
 black hair, stood here inviting any one and every one 
 to ascend and take a seat while she would extract 
 their teeth, as many as they liked to part with,
 
 12 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 without pain. Several accepted her invitation, arid 
 calmly and quietly submitted to the operation, appa- 
 rently without suffering ; it was done rapidly and with 
 seeming ease ; still, on inquiring of One woman if it 
 had not hurt her, she was incapable of answering, but 
 her husband replied people must expect a little pain 
 on such occasions. He clearly did not feel on the 
 subject as she did. There was the ordinary exhibition 
 of fat women, people with three legs and two heads, 
 and the wild beast caravan. 
 
 Desiring to see Arcachon, the new station d'hiver 
 now rising into renown, though very slowly, we 
 devoted a day to it. At about thirty miles from 
 Bordeaux, and reached by railway, situated amidst 
 pine woods, and bordered on the west by a basin some 
 miles in extent, which opens into the Bay of Biscay, 
 it is one of the prettiest and most primitive looking 
 little places possible. It is a village of chalets; the 
 villas being all built in the Swiss style and studded 
 about the pine forest, each having its own private 
 garden ; most of them are detached ; here and there 
 they may be seen in couplets. Living is extremely 
 moderate, and house rent absurdly cheap. You may 
 have a furnished house with seven or eight bedrooms 
 and a proportionate number of sitting rooms for the six 
 winter months for 10 a month ; smaller, but very 
 pretty and nice, from 4 a month. One benefit 
 derived here by consumptive people is through the 
 rain water which is caught from the fir trees that
 
 FEOM LONDON TO BAYONNE. 13 
 
 have their barks cut, it having imbibed a certain 
 quantity of the turpentine. To produce enough for 
 exportation, the plan they adopt is to cut a tree down, 
 and allow water to pass slowly over the part where the 
 tree is caused to bleed ; this is caught in pails, then 
 bottled off, and sent in large quantities to Paris and 
 elsewhere. The right thing, however, is to drink it 
 on the spot straight from the tree, after rain has fallen. 
 Little pots or jars are fixed against the trees imme- 
 diately below where they are cut to catch the 
 turpentine ; these also catch the water, which any one 
 is allowed to pour off. 
 
 There is an English church and an English medical 
 man at Arcachon. The Grand Hotel is the largest, 
 newest, and best at present ; it is very well managed, 
 and the charges moderate. The Times is taken, and 
 reaches there the morning after its publication, at nine 
 o'clock. There is a Casino, admission free during the 
 winter, but 50 centimes entrance fee is charged during 
 the summer ; a museum, and the celebrated Aquarium. 
 It is also famous for oysters ; small, green, uncomfort- 
 able looking oysters, but highly appreciated by many. 
 For people of moderate incomes one can hardly 
 
 
 
 imagine a better place for the winter, it is so easy 
 of access, both in the way of distance and ex- 
 pense. 
 
 We left Bordeaux at 8 a.m. and reached Bayonne at 
 12*25, putting up at the Hotel St. Etienne the best. 
 The cathedral, which we visited first, is a fine building,
 
 14 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 with some beautiful coloured windows and a mag- 
 nificent organ. In a little quiet spot, about two miles 
 out of Bayonne, lie the officers of the Coldstream 
 Guards who fell on the 14th of April, 1814, at the 
 sortie made by the garrison from the citadel. A 
 marble tablet, erected in 1830 by their friend and 
 companion, Captain J. 0. Hervey (afterwards and for 
 many years consul at Bayonne), is placed at the head 
 and between two lines of flat grave stones ; a border of 
 cypress trees surrounds them, and a paling shuts out 
 the public, but access is easily obtained from the 
 people living in a cottage close by, who keep the key 
 and the place in order. 
 
 From the citadel the view is magnificent ; the two 
 rivers, the Nive and Adour, join here and divide the 
 town ; they form a capital harbour, and being but a 
 short distance from the Bay of Biscay, this is found of 
 great convenience. A most intelligent man showed us 
 over the citadel, and gave us a clear and distinct 
 account of the famous night of the 14th April, 1814. 
 The English coming from the Bay landed their men 
 at the mouth of the Adour, and threw a bridge across 
 the river, enabling them to place their troops on the 
 right bank ; their object being to join the Duke of 
 Wellington then engaged against Soult before Toulouse. 
 Knowing the citadel was garrisoned, they felt it neces- 
 sary in self defence to attack it, so as to avoid 
 themselves being attacked in the rear. The French 
 however were before them. There were only 1500
 
 FEOM LONDON TO BAYONNE. 15 
 
 men in the citadel, 1200 of these were passed through 
 two gates, 600 by each ; they moved quietly and 
 stealthily onwards, and surprised the sentinels on 
 watch in the British camp at eleven o'clock at night ; 
 they then forced on their way as silently as possible to 
 the general's tent, took him prisoner, and carried him 
 off to the citadel ; by this time, however, it became 
 known that something had happened ; in a moment the 
 alarm was given. It is said the French were betrayed, 
 a man having informed an English officer high in 
 command of the scanty number of troops in the 
 citadel ; the officer and his informer were killed by one 
 ball a few minutes afterwards ; the fight was now 
 fearful, and of the 1200 men who left the citadel but 
 400 returned alive. Two days afterwards the English 
 general was set at liberty, for news arrived that the 
 empire, for the time being, was overthrown. 
 
 Bayonne is a bright, cheerful town; it is scarcely 
 French, yet hardly Spanish, a mixture of the two in 
 all things, habits, manners, dress, and indolence ; the 
 people are extremely obliging, will give you any 
 information they can if you ask for it, but they are 
 utterly devoid of curiosity ; it would be too much 
 trouble for them to meddle in or seek to know aught 
 of others' affairs. For this reason, we were told, many 
 English families made Bayonne their permanent resi- 
 dence ; no one troubles to ask or inquire anything 
 about them, or what object takes them there. 
 
 The bayonet was first made at about a couple of
 
 16 A WINTEE TOUK IN SPAIN. 
 
 miles out of the town, and derived its name from it in 
 consequence. Bayonne has the sorry renown of being 
 the place where Catherine de Medicis planned the 
 massacre of St. Bartholomew.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 BIARRITZ SAN SEBASTIAN. 
 
 WE spent a day at Biarritz ; it is a charming place, 
 in every sense ; particularly clean and well-built, and 
 the day so bright and lovely, that a July day in 
 England could not compare with it. The Villa Eugenie 
 is a large red brick building, something between a 
 workhouse and a lunatic asylum in appearance, stand- 
 ing in a bare-looking park of no great dimensions, fir 
 trees planted here and there, but at present so small 
 that they in no way ornament the place. The little 
 chapel, with its Moorish entrance, is extremely pretty, 
 but, like the house, it stands too exposed. There 
 are plenty of paths, broad and narrow, cut in all 
 directions ; looking like a mass of scars over the bare 
 treeless land. The beautiful sea, the rocky, picturesque 
 coast, and, above all, the bright deep-blue sky, all 
 render it, however, an attractive spot. The sea, on 
 this day, was like a lake, as unlike what the Bay of 
 Biscay ought to be, as it is well possible. Hotels 
 abound, as do " furnished apartments " and " houses 
 to let." Already some fifteen or twenty English fami- 
 lies had arrived for the winter, and the H6tel d' Angle-
 
 18 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 terre, which is considered the best, was quite full. A 
 library with a good stock of books, and a Cabinet de 
 Lecture is open to any one for 25 cents a day ; there 
 you can read the "Times" of the previous day; it 
 reaches at 1 p.m. 
 
 The drive from Bayonne by the Adour and round 
 by La Barre is very pretty ; here there is a new light- 
 house being built; further on, going by this route 
 (which, however, is by far the longest) is the little 
 village called La Chambre d' Amour, on account of a 
 couple being drowned in a rocky cave on the coast 
 just beneath it, where, after wandering about on 
 the sands, they had sought rest and shade ; they fell 
 asleep, the tide rose, and they were awoke by the 
 huge waves breaking nearly on them ; there was no 
 escape, the sea was up to the mouth of the cave, and 
 so they fell asleep again, a long, last sleep. Soon 
 after a village sprang up near the spot, and the 
 romantic name of La Chambre d' Amour was given it. 
 Before reaching it, we drove round to see the convent 
 called La Refuge ; it is about a mile from the village. 
 
 This convent receives all who seek its shelter, either 
 from shame or sorrow ; fallen women, called " peni- 
 tents," are taken in, with or without a contribution of 
 money : they have but to prove that they are in 
 earnest. The sisters themselves are called " Servantes 
 de Marie ; " but the inmates altogether number 550. 
 Their life is spent in working, either orders for trous- 
 seaux, or making clothes and embroidering them;
 
 BIAEEITZ. 19 
 
 these are placed in a little room and exposed to 
 visitors for sale. They keep and breed their own 
 cows, bullocks, pigs, poultry, and rabbits ; they grow 
 the maize with which they make their own bread : the 
 washing, no small labour, is done every week. They 
 rise at 4 a.m., and go to bed at 9 p.m., summer and 
 winter. They have three meals a-day, but meat only 
 twice a week. They are always silent, except during 
 two hours in the day, from noon to one, and from 
 half-past three to four, and from half-past six to seven ; 
 then the noise of voices is almost deafening. 
 
 Beyond this convent, and situated in a flat but fir- 
 clad piece of land, is the Convent of the Bernardines ; 
 it is under the same Superior as La Refuge. It is an 
 Order amongst the severest that exist. They live in 
 perpetual silence, never speaking, but at confession. 
 Their dress entirely hides their faces from one another ; 
 they are not permitted by their vows to look on a 
 human face, or be seen themselves ; the large thick 
 coarse white flannel cloak with the hood all in one 
 which they wear, has an immense blue cross on the 
 back, reaching from the neck to the heels, and from 
 shoulder to shoulder. The hood comes completely 
 over the entire head, a round hole being made over 
 the mouth to admit sufficient air for them to breathe. 
 They have one hour during the day for what is termed 
 recreation ; this is from noon to one ; then they work in 
 the garden, or in their cemetery. They were building 
 a greenhouse when we were there. They live as the 
 
 c 2
 
 20 A WINTER TOUK IN SPAIN. 
 
 nuns at La Refuge ; their food being sent to them 
 from there. There are thirty-five of these poor mis- 
 guided women in this Order, many of them ladies. 
 They are obliged before entering to be postulants 
 for two years, and novices for three or four, so that 
 they may feel fully assured of their vocation : but all 
 are free to leave if they like ; indeed, as we saw, they 
 have full liberty ; but it is very safe to grant it, for where 
 could they go, if they desired it ? What other home 
 would be opened to them? If one knew the bitter 
 sorrow each carries in her heart, might we not, 
 perhaps, think as they do? Better be there than 
 spurned and sneered at by the world. It made one 
 grieve, however, to see the soft, delicate-looking, white 
 hands, which many had, doing coarse heavy work ; 
 one we saw bending over and trimming the flowers on 
 the grave of one happier than herself ; for Tier sorrows 
 were over ; none of them live very long how could 
 they? 
 
 The chapel belonging to this convent is very plain ; 
 on the altar was a life-sized image of the Virgin 
 dressed in black : the old chapel, now only used for 
 prayers, never for mass, has no flooring, and only a 
 thatched roof. The Sister who accompanied us said 
 that the Empress Eugenie, who frequently- came here, 
 always prayed in this chapel in preference to the more 
 modern one. Their cells, arranged in two long 
 straight rows, are each about six feet in height, the 
 same in length, and four in breadth ; in winter they
 
 BIAEEITZ. 21 
 
 must be intensely cold, for they are made of wood 
 and have no flooring, nothing but the bare ground; 
 they each contain a bed, a tiny stand which holds 
 a brown earthenware jug and basin, a crucifix, and a 
 piece of paper against the wall on which is written, 
 "DIEU SEUL." 
 
 Their refectory has only a long table in it and 
 wooden benches. On the table were standing some 
 earthenware mugs and jugs, all of the coarsest kind 
 and broken, the handles off all ; of course, they drink 
 nothing but water. At the Refuge there was nothing 
 to depress one, but the visit to the Bernardines made 
 one feel very sad ; it left a weight on one's spirits ; 
 and for many a long day the thought of them arose, 
 bringing with it anything but cheeriness. 
 
 We left Bayonne by the 12 '40 train, and arrived 
 at San Sebastian soon after three, having been de- 
 tained an hour at Irun, the first Spanish town after 
 crossing the frontier. All those who were bound 
 direct for Madrid had their baggage searched here; 
 ours was not looked at till we reached San Sebastian. 
 At Irun we changed carriages ; we found the Spanish 
 ones large and roomy, but dirty ; this is, unfortunately, 
 the case with all of them, smoking being permitted 
 in any of them ; and as a Spaniard cannot possibly 
 get on five minutes without a cigarette, no place 
 (except churches) but what bears traces of tobacco. 
 We were rarely troubled with fellow-passengers, 
 our party nearly filling the compartment ; but when
 
 22 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 one did get in, we had to bear with the smoking and 
 what it entails without murmuring. 
 
 At Irun nothing struck us as peculiar in the people ; 
 but for the soldiers' uniform, we could have imagined 
 ourselves still in France, the same tone seemed over 
 all. We, however, remarked a great change the 
 moment we entered San Sebastian ; and the thing 
 that seemed the most singular was the Mantilla, which, 
 of course, every woman wore, from the poorest to the 
 richest, rendering them to uneducated eyes like nuns. 
 After a while, however, one sees how very little re- 
 semblance they bear to them, at any rate in manner. 
 
 The church of Santa Maria, which we reached just 
 as vespers was over, was one living moving mass of 
 black almost all women hardly a man amongst 
 them. Being All Saints' Day, the crowd was im- 
 mense, and candles were studded like stars all over 
 the church. The building is heavy and massive, and 
 the chapels with large and disproportioned gilt orna- 
 ments, reaching to the ceiling. The font is the same 
 in which Ignatius Loyola was baptized. There is 
 little to interest one inside or out ; of the two, the 
 latter is the most worthy of notice. The citadel is 
 more interesting, to the English at any rate ; from 
 there a magnificent view is obtained, and the position 
 seen which the English troops held during the famous 
 siege of San Sebastian. The whole of this part of 
 the country is fraught with interest ; every spot has 
 some tale attached to it. The graves of some of our
 
 SAN SEBASTIAN. 23 
 
 brave men who fell during the siege, as also of others 
 who were killed in the Don Carlos revolution, are 
 studded about against the side of the rock, on the 
 summit of which stands the citadel ; some have mere 
 tablets ; others, crosses ; others, but flat graves. Many 
 of the stones are entirely broken away, and nothing 
 but a mound of earth marks the spot where they rest. 
 
 In our descent from here we came on another con- 
 vent of Bernardines, that terrible Order ! The windows 
 were not only barred so close as to admit of nothing 
 larger than a bean between each bar, but there were 
 outside this grating again thick iron bars, so that it 
 seemed utterly impossible for either light or air to 
 enter. This appeared far worse than what we saw at 
 the convent near Biarritz, as there, at any rate, the 
 poor nuns had God's beautiful blue sky above them to 
 look at and enjoy. 
 
 San Sebastian, the Scarborough of the Madrilenians, 
 has little to detain the traveller beyond a day. The 
 scenery around is very fine ; but to enjoy it, and the 
 walks and drives, you must spend a month. The 
 church and citadel are soon seen, and if time is to 
 spare, then the admirers of St. Ignatius Loyola may 
 drive through Cestona, where there are some cele- 
 brated mineral springs, and visit the college established 
 by the famous founder of the Jesuits. The house was 
 originally the home of his family, and he was himself 
 born here in 1491. 
 
 San Sebastian has a fine bull ring ; formerly the
 
 24 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 bull fights were held in the Plaza Mayor, where the 
 houses still bear the numbers on each story, which 
 marked the various tiers of seats. We stopped at the 
 Fonda Neuva de Beraza ; it is the best, and comfort- 
 able enough ; the rooms were good, and the dinners 
 better than we had at Bayonne ; even Bass's bitter ale 
 was as good here as in Paris. The entrance to the 
 house alone was objectionable ; it seemed as if we 
 were ascending from stables into a barn ; as the horses 
 occupy the rez-de-chausse'e here. The bread we 
 heard so much vaunted is certainly not Spanish at 
 San Sebastian ; it was both sour and coarse ; and they 
 have not the fashion of using saucers to their cups ; 
 there was not one in the house ; plates did duty for 
 them. The pretty waiting-maid at the Fonda was 
 worth looking at ; her bright face, her pale delicate 
 complexion, her soft eyes, coral lips, and beautiful 
 teeth, formed a picture very pleasant to dwell on.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 BURGOS. 
 
 WE left San Sebastian by the 8*17 a.m. train, and 
 reached Burgos at 5'9 p.m. As far as Miranda the 
 scenery was very grand and rich, but from there on to* 
 Burgos it was wild and desolate, and the soil poor and 
 arid. At Tolosa, the facade of the church was good ; 
 but there is little inside to arrest the traveller on his 
 road. As we went along we saw the most antiquated- 
 looking carts, drawn by bullocks yoked at the 'head 
 (as they are always throughout Spain), and with log 
 wheels, one with the axle. At Miranda we stopped 
 half an hour, where those who liked could dine at the 
 table d'hote at the station for fourteen reals, or take 
 refreshments on a more moderate scale apart. 
 
 Pancorbo is worth putting one's head out of window 
 to gaze at, if only to see what a perfect ruin an 
 inhabited place can be; few houses had roofs, and 
 those that had seemed devoid of frontage, having holes 
 for windows, and ladders for stairs. One could not help 
 wondering who were the people and what, that could 
 exist amidst such desolation. At every station along 
 the road, there always stood a small table covered
 
 26 A WINTEK TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 with a clean white cloth, and on it bottles of water, 
 lump sugar, and the pan d'Espana, the bread we had 
 heard so much of; it is very good, and as nice to 
 eat as it is to look at. From this onwards we never 
 met with anything but this white delicious bread. By 
 the side of the table, in a large deal box, lay a huge 
 pig skin full of the vino tinto or red wine, drank by all 
 the peasants of the country. 
 
 The best hotel at Burgos is now the Fonda de la 
 Rafaela : there we stopped, having previously written 
 for rooms, a precaution all travellers should take, as 
 the comfort of rinding everything ready, and the people 
 prepared for the extra call on their larder, is by no 
 means to be despised. We found good rooms and 
 fires, and if not in their places, still there they were, 
 standing in the middle of the room, or any other 
 convenient spot, consisting of smouldering ash in a 
 colossal copper soup plate ; but these charcoal fires 
 are abominations. All should avoid braseros in their 
 rooms, if they would escape headache. We had as 
 good a dinner as we could have got in any town in 
 France Paris always excepted. The attendance, 
 however, was original, as was also the manner of 
 serving the dinner ; but that in no way deteriorated 
 from the excellence of the dishes which were put on 
 table altogether, and one plate to each person was 
 considered sufficient ; plates were clearly not plentiful, 
 but we did get more. Potatoes were not to be had, 
 but garbanzos seemed to take their place, as they do
 
 BUEGOS. 27 
 
 in many other parts of Spain. In appearance they 
 are like large Indian corn, but they grow one seed in 
 a pod, and are cultivated all over the country as 
 potatoes are in England. The milk was very good, 
 the manteca (butter) fully bore out its reputation ; it 
 was not alone uneatable, but objectionable in the room. 
 However, with good bread and good milk the little 
 people fared well enough. In the dining-room were 
 hunting scenes framed on the wall ; the subjects were 
 described in French and English; the latter too 
 amusing to pass unnoticed. " Chasse au Buffle " 
 (Fox hunting to the wild ox). " Chasse au Sanglier " 
 (Fox hunting to the wild boar). They were all equally 
 well translated. 
 
 Early the next morning we went to the cathedral, 
 said to be one of the finest in Spain, and it is won- 
 drously beautiful. Fortunately it was Sunday, so we 
 saw it stripped of its curtains and hiding draperies. 
 We walked round it once or twice before attempting 
 to see it in detail, in order to realize the reality of the 
 fairy lace-like work which met us every way we 
 turned. It seemed such a pity that the vista was 
 destroyed by the coro cutting the centre nave in two ; 
 it would be as fine again if it were placed behind or 
 right and left of the high altar. The seats, however, 
 are richly carved, especially the archbishop's; the 
 whole is in walnut wood. The high altar is very 
 gorgeous, as are most of the chapels around, from the 
 great quantity of gilding; this is especially the case
 
 28 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 in the Capilla de Santa Tecla, in which it is over- 
 done ; the ceiling of this chapel is very highly coloured, 
 rendering the whole showy and gaudy. On the 
 opposite side of the church to this chapel, and the 
 second on the right hand as you enter the cathedral, 
 is the Capilla del Santisimo Cristo ; in it is the famous 
 and miraculous Cristo de Burgos. As a work of art, 
 it is very fine, painfully so ; but it is impossible to 
 look at it in that light, it is so dreadfully disfigured. 
 In the first place it is covered over with real skin, and 
 a great heavy mass of black hair hangs down all over 
 the face and chest. From the waist to the ankles it 
 is draped with a spangled tarlatan petticoat, the whole 
 being the awful, caricatured. A broad massive frame 
 is formed round it by ex-votos, some of them being 
 thick plaits of hair. This crucifix is, according to 
 " holy tradition," the work of Nicodemus, and was 
 found by a native of Burgos floating alone in the Bay 
 of Biscay ; he brought it to land, and then wondrous 
 miracles were wrought through it, which do not cease 
 in the present day ; it is an object of intense veneration 
 to the people. 
 
 There is a great deal of very beautiful sculpture in 
 many of the chapels ; the finest is to be seen in the 
 Capilla Real del Condestable ; here are the tombs of 
 the Velasco family, the hereditary Constables of Castile. 
 In front of the altar the full-length figures of the 
 founder, Pedro Hernandez de Velasco, and his wife, 
 surmount the monuments erected over the place where
 
 BURGOS. 29 
 
 their bodies lie ; they are beautifully sculptured in 
 Carrara marble ; the hands of Mencia Lopez de 
 Mendoza, the wife, are exquisitely done. The details 
 of the whole are a marvel of art ; they were carved in 
 Italy three centuries ago. In this chapel is a Magdalen, 
 said to be by Leonardo da Vinci ; it is not possessed 
 of that gentle penitent expression we are accustomed 
 to see in her pictures. In the Sacristia are some 
 little gems of work in gold and enamel, especially a 
 tiny representation of the Virgin and Child seated on 
 her lap ; both figures are in ivory and beneath a 
 canopy of richly wrought gold, the metal being some 
 of the first brought to Spain from America by Chris- 
 topher Colombus ; also, of the same gold, a cup 
 beautifully enamelled and studded with precious 
 stones ; and an exquisite cross. There is also a 
 picture with folding panels of the Virgin and Child, 
 by Albert Durer ; it is much praised, but it appeared 
 to us too hard in its outlines. In the chapel of Santa 
 Ana is a group of the Holy Family, thought to be by 
 Andrea del Sarto ; it is in any case very beautiful. A 
 picture less pleasing, yet more valued, is in the Capilla 
 de la Presentacion ; it represents the Virgin, larger 
 than life, with the Saviour on her knee ; it is ascribed 
 to Michael Angelo. There is a fine crucifixion by 
 Mateo Cerezo, in the Capilla del Cristo en Agonia. 
 The curious and richly worked double staircase in the 
 centre of the left side of the church, is by Diego de 
 Siloe ; it leads to a door, which however is never used,
 
 30 A WINTEE TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 opening to the street, between thirty and forty feet 
 above the pavement of the cathedral ; it having been 
 built on uneven ground, and instead of levelling it 
 entirely, they dug down to make the building even, 
 leaving an earth wall on this side of it. But one 
 painted glass window remains in the whole church, 
 but that is a very fine rose window ; this gives 
 ample light to see the exquisite lace work which 
 abounds. 
 
 There are some pictures in the Sala Capitular ; the 
 finest, for few are good, is a Crucifixion by Domenico 
 el Greco ; it is very beautiful. The ceiling of the first 
 room is very rich. Here, fixed against the wall, is the 
 famous old chest of the Cid, el Cofre del Cid. This 
 was the trunk he filled with rubbish and raised a loan 
 on its weighty contents, which were passed off as jewels ; 
 it being stipulated that it was not to be opened. 
 However, the Cid was honest, and the day came in 
 which he redeemed his chest,* paying, we are told, 
 interest as well as principal. Amongst the relics in 
 the Sacristia is the banner Alonso VIII. used at the 
 battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. 
 
 The cloisters, always so still and seemingly so 
 peaceful, are very beautiful ; like the church, they are 
 purely Gothic ; there are many tombs here, all worthy 
 of notice; some are as early as the 14th century. 
 This cathedral was begun in 1221 by Bishop Maurice, 
 an Englishman ; the exterior, blocked up as it is by 
 houses, is wondrously rich; the towers have spires,
 
 BUEGOS. 31 
 
 the stone work of which is so delicate and fragile 
 looking, and so white, that it seems as if a breath 
 of wind must shatter all to pieces. The effect of these 
 pure lace-like tapering spires against the blue cloudless 
 sky is lovely. 
 
 The Cid, the great hero of Spain, whose bones, 
 together with those of his wife, we went to see in the 
 town hall, where they are kept in a chest of walnut- 
 wood, in shape very like an old fashioned wine cooler, 
 was born in 1020. Great and glorious as the name of 
 the Cid has become, his character was a strange 
 mixture of good and evil, the latter predominating. 
 He was a true Spaniard in his religion, showing 
 devotion to the priest and worship to the Virgin, but 
 little of either to God. He was intensely cruel, but 
 daringly brave ; rapacious and grasping, yet liberal to 
 the church and the poor. The Cid's name had as 
 many to curse it as to bless it ; as many to rejoice at 
 his downfall in court favour, as there were at his 
 success at Valencia, which after capturing he ruled 
 over. He died in 1099. His tomb though his bones 
 are not in it still exists at San Pedro de Cardena, 
 an old convent now in ruins about eight miles out 
 of Burgos. Over the entrance gate is a statue of 
 the Cid mounted on his favourite horse, Babieca, 
 which bore his dead body from Valencia to the grave ; 
 and when his master was laid in it, his own was 
 prepared just in front of the Convent by Gil Diaz, 
 a faithful and devoted friend of the dead warrior's.
 
 32 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 It is hardly worth any one's while to go to Cardena : 
 the road to it is abominable, and therefore the drive 
 takes a long time, besides there being positively nothing 
 but the Cid's statue to see. 
 
 But every one must visit Miraflores, a now sup- 
 pressed Carthusian convent, about two miles distant. 
 It was built originally as a royal burial place by 
 Juan II. ; but being burnt in 1452, ten years only 
 after its erection, his son Henrique IV. commenced 
 rebuilding it ; Isabella the Catholic finishing it in the 
 Gothic style. She also raised the beautiful sepulchre, 
 which stands in front of the high altar, and which 
 caused Philip II. to exclaim when he saw it : " We 
 have done nothing at the Escorial." This monument 
 to the memory of Juan II. and his wife Isabella, 
 parents of Isabella the Catholic, is of alabaster, and 
 the exquisite and marvellous work of the figures, the 
 dress, the ornaments, the apostles and saints, the 
 animals and flowers, is past description ; it is impossible 
 to do justice to it with the pen. Isabella's brother, 
 who stood between her and the succession to the throne 
 of Castile, the Infante Alonso, is also buried here. 
 The monument is octagon ; Juan and his wife reposing 
 in the centre, the four Evangelists seated round, and 
 every section, a mass of intricate sculpture, contains 
 some scene from sacred history. The artist was 
 Maestro Gil, father of Diego de Siloe, who designed 
 the elaborate double staircase in the cathedral. It was 
 completed in 1493. The Altar Mayor is very fine,
 
 BUEGOS. 33 
 
 the retablo is of carved wood, Brought to Spain by 
 Christopher Columbus ; it reaches to the roof, and is 
 in tolerable order ; whilst the sepulchre is unfortunately 
 in many places very much injured. 
 
 Five old monks are the only inmates of this once 
 famous convent ; one of them took us over the entire 
 building ; there is little to see, as it is almost in ruins ; 
 but one can judge well enough what it must have 
 been. The wealth and power of these institutions are 
 even now very great in Spain, but they are but 
 shadows of what was. The thousands of men who 
 filled these magnificent monasteries always brought 
 wealth with them ; whilst the severity of their lives, 
 solitary confinement, and perpetual silence, very soon 
 killed them ; they were thus removed, but their 
 fortunes went to swell the treasury of these great 
 societies. 
 
 The town of Burgos is a mass of tumble-down, 
 quaint-looking houses; one gateway with a Moorish 
 arch remains. The market place is large and open, 
 with a colonnade running round it; every stall had 
 a bountiful supply of the large red and green 
 pimientos or capsicum ; the Spaniards delight in them 
 when made into salad. The common red pepper of the 
 country is made from them, but they have neither 
 taste nor smell. Acorns, the size of large filberts, are 
 also sold in almost every town ; the people eat them, 
 both cooked and raw. 
 
 We found Burgos very cold, a sharp cutting wind
 
 34 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 was blowing all the time we were there ; it was there- 
 fore with little regret we bade it farewell. We were 
 compelled to travel all night ; the day trains being so 
 slow that one can make no way hi them at all. We 
 were anxious also to push on at once to Madrid, in 
 order to have a few weeks there before the winter 
 set in. We left Burgos at 5.30 p.m. and reached the 
 capital at 7 '30 the following morning. 
 
 We unwisely divided our party in order to have 
 more room for the night, and consequently had three 
 vacant seats in our compartment, which at the first 
 station we stopped at were filled by three Spaniards, 
 two men and one woman, who remained till we 
 reached Valladolid. Of course the cigarette was soon 
 made and then smoked it was a cold night and the 
 windows shut then followed what was far worse, a 
 supper composed of a sausage savouring very strongly 
 of garlic ; after that the older man occupied himself by 
 being sick ; the window was quickly opened for him. 
 The lady would talk, and being deaf would shout, con- 
 sequently rest was utterly beyond one's power till they 
 were gone ; this was the more provoking, as one of our 
 little travellers was very unwell and very suffering, 
 and sleep was important ; but it was little we got that 
 night any way. It is a weary night to look back on 
 even now. 
 
 The trains have an excessively bad habit of stopping 
 everywhere even these express trams do so, and the 
 noise that is made of course wakes people up if they
 
 BURGOS. 35 
 
 have the luck to be asleep ; and they are not content 
 with stopping only, but the porters open the doors 
 of every carriage, shouting diez minutos in one's ears ; 
 often stopping longer, rarely less. 
 
 1)2
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 MADEID. 
 
 THE sandy hills and wild extensive uncultivated 
 country around Madrid opened upon us in all the 
 glory of the early morning, when Nature must indeed 
 be ugly not to call forth some admiration, and so it 
 was impossible, with the rosy tint that coloured all, 
 not to feel that even that much abused, arid, wild land 
 could be gazed on with a degree of pleasure. The 
 character of this part of Spain reminds one of the 
 mountain villages in Switzerland; there is such a 
 hopeless look of misery, which one can understand in 
 a country where never-ceasing dread and constant 
 realization of avalanches exists ; but here, where if 
 solid buildings were raised they would remain, it 
 seems utterly incomprehensible. Still the poverty and 
 wretchedness of Castile, old and new, are so renowned, 
 one ought not to be astonished. 
 
 We went to the Hotel de los Principes, on the 
 Puerta del Sol. We found all ready and extremely 
 comfortable. After a month's stay here we all agreed 
 that nowhere, except in the best of the Paris hotels, 
 had we ever found the same first-rate cooking, attend-
 
 MADKID. 37 
 
 ance, cleanliness, and general comfort. The manager, 
 who speaks English thoroughly, has quite succeeded 
 in his endeavour to make the house as good as an 
 hotel can be. It is expensive, very ; but so are the 
 inferior ones. 
 
 The first impression Madrid made on us was that 
 it was very French. It stands on an arid sandy 
 plain 2400 feet above the level of the sea, and is 
 about eight miles in circumference. The principal 
 streets branch off from the Puerta del Sol ; they are 
 broad, and the buildings handsome. The public walks 
 and gardens are numerous and very pleasant. The 
 Prado, the " drive " of Madrid, is from three to six 
 crowded with carriages ; the horses are very fine ; 
 they are more generally used here than mules. Gen- 
 tlemen ride, but few ladies; there is always a great 
 crowd of pedestrians, who go, as all the rest do, to see 
 and be seen. The " Buen Retiro " gardens are quiet 
 and retired, but yet well peopled by nursery-maids and 
 children, the little royalties included ; they are driven 
 here daily, and then get out and walk. The gardens 
 are laid out in beds of box, cultivated so as to grow in 
 all kinds of fantastical shapes, and then cut, rendering 
 them still more quaint. In hot weather the walks in 
 the wooded parts are very enjoyable, being sheltered 
 from the sun and glare by dense foliage. These 
 gardens were originally laid out for Philip IV., and a 
 palace and theatre built near them. The palace was 
 destroyed by fire, and with it many valuable works of
 
 88 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 art. Ferdinand VI. erected a new one, but it and the 
 theatre were made a mere heap of ruins by the 
 French. But these gardens and drives are only 
 frequented for pleasure, whereas, for news-seekers and 
 news-bearers the Puerta del Sol is the spot. 
 
 Here they gather in large groups, whether for dis- 
 cussing a change of ministry, a bull-fight, or the 
 results of the lottery, that constant but only mode of 
 gambling recognised and allowed in Spain. In every 
 town, large or small, men, blind men generally, go 
 about selling these tickets ; half-a-dozen are always on 
 the Puerta del Sol. From early morn till midnight is 
 this place crowded. When ignorant of this propensity 
 to congregate near the cool fountain, one asked, " What 
 is this crowd assembled for?" but a" few days teach 
 one that all who can, place-seekers especially, make 
 their way here till either the blazing midday sun 
 or hunger drive them away. It is also the meeting- 
 place for the ex-ministry. Fancy Russell, Gladstone, 
 &c., &c., meeting daily in Trafalgar Square to talk 
 over their chances of turning out Disraeli ! Nine 
 streets branch off from this Plaza, in which are the 
 principal shops ; but with all the bustle around this 
 part of the town, little real business is done. The 
 tradespeople seem utterly indifferent as to whether 
 they sell their goods or not ; you may take or leave, 
 as you please. They close up their shops, some 
 entirely, some only partially, during the middle of the 
 day, either for eating or sleeping, or both. They have
 
 MADEID. 39 
 
 no thought for the morrow few Spaniards but leave it 
 to take care of itself. The women have a better idea 
 of doing business than the men. There is little beg- 
 ging, very little compared with the rest of the country, 
 and if they do ask for anything they accept a refusal 
 at once. The very poorest have plenty of bread they 
 are never refused that when they ask for it, and it is all 
 alike, no second quality, white as milk, close, but very 
 light and sweet ; no acidity is ever found in the pan of 
 this country. 
 
 The Madrilenians have beautiful teeth and beautiful 
 feet, small and well-shaped ; their hands, however, 
 are not so good ; their thumbs are peculiarly long, and 
 curl backwards in a way that is very ugly. As a rule, 
 they are not handsome, though they are a strong 
 healthy-looking race. This does not apply to the 
 army ; the men are under-sized and mean-looking. 
 Troops are always marching about the town; it is 
 thought advisable to keep them constantly before the 
 people. There is a standing trumpeter at the bar- 
 racks in the Puerta del Sol, and whenever soldiers 
 march past, he trumpets till they are gone. This 
 trumpetting goes on also every time any of the royal 
 family drive by, and as they are constantly doing so, 
 the trumpet is rarely still. 
 
 The Royal family, unlike our own, are easily seen; 
 they are always driving out, or walking, or going to 
 some church ceremony or some public amusement, and 
 consequently they are never annoyed by a gaping,
 
 40 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 curious crowd. The Queen, though only thirty-seven 
 years of age, looks much more, on account, no doubt, 
 of her excessive size. She is heavy, awkward, and 
 ungraceful in her movements ; she looks best when 
 seated, then there is a trifle of dignity in her appear- 
 ance. She is utterly incapable, as all Spanish women 
 are, of bowing ; she will nod a recognition, but that is 
 all. The King Consort is little and common looking, 
 he is fair and foolish ; some, however, think him as 
 much of a knave as a fool. Princess Isabel,* the eldest 
 daughter, now sixteen, has the beauty of youth ; she 
 is slight and tall, and gentle looking. The Prince of 
 the Asturias, the Crown Prince, with his closely-cut 
 hair and rather heavy features, is like a French college 
 boy ; the rest of the family are mere children. 
 
 With all her outward display of devotion, Queen 
 Isabella has not the reputation amongst her loving (?) 
 subjects of being over-pious. Monseigneur Claret, 
 who rules the palace, has, since he has been her 
 Majesty's confessor, been the cause of many strange 
 rumours, and such as are not likely to help to in- 
 crease the respect due to a queen. She always keeps 
 near her the " Bleeding Nun," an object of adoration 
 almost to herself, but of loathing and aversion to the 
 educated populace. 
 
 The then prime minister, General Narvaez, was 
 intensely feared and disliked ; not so, however, his late 
 
 * Princess Isabel was married the other day to Count de Girgenti.
 
 MADRID. 41 
 
 colleague, poor Marshal O'Donnell, who had just died 
 at Biarritz, and whose magnificent funeral we wit- 
 nessed. They brought his dead body, which, when 
 living, was exiled, back to the country for funeral 
 honours. It is astonishing how grateful we can feel to 
 the dead. Narvaez was as bloodthirsty as any Spaniard 
 can be, and that is not saying a little. A few years 
 ago, in order to create terror, his only means of 
 governing, he ordered women and children who were 
 utterly innocent of any breach of law, or taking part 
 in any way with those who were endeavouring to 
 shake off his authority, to be shot down in the open 
 plain, so that all might witness the awful sight. He 
 succeeded in his object, which was to cow those he 
 could not by other means bring under subjection, by 
 slaughtering their wives and children. It is also told 
 of him that one time having ordered a child to be shot 
 in order to intimidate the father, and finding it impos- 
 sible to keep him still, Narvaez desired an orange to 
 be thrown him, and whilst the poor little fellow 
 stooped to pick it up, he gave orders for them to fire ; 
 they say the men who had to obey these orders, 
 accustomed as they were to the shedding of blood, 
 were sickened at this. But it is by these means Spain 
 is ruled, and no wonder, therefore, the people openly 
 curse the Government, and lose no opportunity of 
 endeavouring to free themselves from such a yoke. 
 
 For many long years Spain has had her towns 
 protected at night by watchmen. It was quite a
 
 42 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 pretty sight to see them at Madrid every night at ten 
 o'clock assemble in their cloaks, and holding their 
 lanterns before them, preparatory to starting off for 
 their various beats. They looked like a number of 
 glow-worms in the distance. They are a useful body 
 of men, if for nothing else than shouting out the hour, 
 for the clocks in Spain have a bad habit of not going, 
 or if they do, it is without due regard to time. 
 
 Water at one time was very scarce, but now it is 
 both plentiful and good, though it has all to be fetched 
 for household purposes from the fountains. The water 
 carriers, as in Paris, are a numerous body, and a class 
 not well to trifle with. They carry it in small barrels 
 on their shoulders. There are sometimes as many as 
 thirty or forty at one fountain filling their barrels. It 
 is sold by tumblers full all over the. streets, in the 
 theatres, and at all the railway stations. The cry is 
 " Quien quiere agua fresco,?" Certainly, from one 
 end of Spain to the other, bread and water are as 
 good as can possibly be. 
 
 There are several cafes in Madrid, but no one is 
 ever seen sitting outside them, and no ladies ever go 
 into them. Spaniards don't seem to care much about 
 either light or air ; and if a breath of wind is blowing, 
 the cloak is thrown round their shoulder so as com- 
 pletely to cover the mouth and part of the nose. 
 Putting on the capa is quite an art, and one not very 
 easily acquired. The very beggars in the street do it 
 with such grace that an Englishman would gaze at
 
 MADRID. 43 
 
 them with admiration. It is their inordinate pride which 
 shows itself in their every tone and movement, and 
 which gives an air of decayed grandeur even to those 
 who have never by fair means called a cuarto their own. 
 
 The system adopted here, and all over Spain, for 
 obtaining letters addressed ' Poste Restante ' is, though 
 apparently good at first sight, most bewildering, and 
 leads to endless loss of letters. Papers are posted up 
 all round the entrance passage of the General Post 
 Office, with the names of people for whom letters have 
 arrived not alphabetically, but according to the date 
 they come on. To each name is a number affixed, 
 which the claimant to the letter must copy and present 
 at the bureau, with a passport or some proof of their 
 identity, otherwise they will not be delivered. The 
 writing of the names is sometimes very indistinct, and 
 very often totally at variance with the original in fact 
 nothing can be worse than the working of this method ; 
 but the Spaniards are proud of it, and wonder how it 
 is other countries are so stupid as not to adopt it. 
 Letters insufficiently stamped are set aside altogether, 
 and as a rule never heard of. 
 
 Doctors have a sorry reputation in Madrid, and no 
 wonder; it was our misfortune to come in contact 
 with three of them, an alarming number anywhere, 
 but doubly so here. Dr. C., the first called in, frankly 
 owned he could make nothing of his patient, one of 
 the little people of our party ; he thought it was gout, 
 but it might be, and probably was, something else.
 
 44 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 Under this unsatisfactory conclusion, it was suggested 
 another doctor should be consulted; Dr. C. gladly 
 agreed, but said it was the fashion to have three at a 
 consultation ; so it was settled a third should be 
 present, Dr. C. of course making his own choice as to 
 who they were to be. At the appointed hour these 
 three men arrived, all dressed in the deepest mourning, 
 and smoking cigars ; it was a sight that was enough 
 to frighten the strongest hearted invalid, and to send a 
 timid one into fits, as it very nearly did the poor 
 little child ; however, she was quietly taken out of 
 sight and hearing. Then, between puffs and spitting, 
 they each delivered their opinion, which was worth as 
 much as the smoke that came from their mouths. 
 There was, first, the doctor who was the principal 
 attendant at the palace, then the head of the hospital 
 for children, and lastly, Dr. C. They all agreed that 
 it might be one thing, or it might be another, and then 
 they took their departure, and with them, each 200 
 reals ; and being 600 reals out of pocket was the only 
 fact we were made certain of by this consultation of 
 Spanish doctors. Why does not some enterprising 
 Englishman start forthwith for Madrid ? If he wanted 
 to make his fortune quickly and surely, it would be the 
 best step he could take to insure success. 
 
 There is no opening, however, for a dentist. Mr. 
 Mackeehan, an American, has resided there for upwards 
 of twenty years, and is, like most of his countrymen in 
 this branch of surgery, extremely clever. He is peculiar,
 
 MADEID. 45 
 
 not to say eccentric, in some things ; for instance, he 
 refused to take a fee for extracting a tooth ; his reason 
 for doing so was, he said, that he thought that any one 
 who lost a tooth lost quite enough at one time without 
 paying for it! Clever as he is, we doubt much his 
 ever making his fortune. We still retain very vivid 
 recollections of the pleasant cup of tea with which 
 he welcomes every English patient in that tiny, cheery, 
 sunny room overlooking the Alcala Street. 
 
 There are, however, other dentists to be found in 
 Madrid besides Mr. Mackeehan ; for one day as we 
 were walking to the Plaza Mayor, we there saw a 
 very well-dressed man on a fine horse, stooping over 
 his neck and pulling out teeth by the dozen from 
 people, who came forward amongst the crowd with 
 open mouth and open hand, the latter containing a 
 peseta. The horse never moved the whole time ; he 
 stood like a rock, and as only Spanish horses can and 
 will stand. 
 
 The visiting cards of Spanish doctors are sufficient 
 to produce fainting fits if you are not very strong 
 minded. They are perfectly black a dead black, and 
 the name written in white letters. If the devil ever 
 had visiting cards, these must surely be copies of 
 them ; that is, taking it for granted that all the doctors 
 we saw in Spain and they were not few were not 
 in black simply on account of the death of a relation, 
 but from custom. 
 
 Madrid abounds in lodging and boarding houses ; the
 
 46 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 latter are called Casas de Huespedes. The lodging- 
 houses are known by pieces of blank paper being tied 
 over the iron railings of the balconies, and the boarding- 
 houses by pieces of newspaper. These signs denote 
 the same thing all over Spain. No fire-places are 
 ever to be met with in these houses, but a brasero can 
 always be obtained. At their evening parties, the 
 Spaniards in cold weather place one of these horrid 
 substitutes for fires under a table, and then sit round it. 
 
 There is not a great deal to see in Madrid in the 
 way of sights. The great attraction, and it certainly 
 is a host in itself, is the Gallery of Paintings. It is a 
 magnificent collection, and the Spaniards may well be 
 excused when they tell you it is the finest in the 
 world. The building itself is very large, plain but 
 handsome ; the interior is strangely built, the rooms 
 and galleries branching off from a common centre, 
 others again branching off from them. This arrange- 
 ment makes it sometimes difficult to find the room you 
 want. The long gallery, facing the door as you enter, 
 contains the finest pictures of the collection, though 
 turn which way you will, the eye falls on some gem 
 which will force you to pause; it is impossible 
 thoroughly to see this gallery under several weeks. 
 
 Murillo, Velazquez, Ribera, Alonso Cano, Joanes, 
 Raphael, Titian, Andrea del Sarto, Tintoretto, Paul 
 Veronese, Guido Reni, Leonardo da Vinci, Claude 
 Lorraine, Watteau, Poussin, Rubens, Rembrandt, 
 Holbein, Van Dyck, and a host of others, whose
 
 MADEID. 47 
 
 names the lovers of art would be familiar with, can 
 here be seen to perfection, and some of them here 
 only. To begin with the Murillos, of which there 
 are forty-six: the "Purisima Concepcion," numbered 
 229 in the catalogue, is exquisite; the marvellous 
 purity, innocence, and beauty in the Virgin's face, and 
 the holy submissive expression is so in keeping with her 
 reply, "Be it unto me according to the word." The 
 one at the Louvre cannot bear comparison with this. 
 202, the Child Jesus and St. John, is a lovely picture 
 the Saviour is giving St. John to drink, out of a shell. 
 Also 46, the "Divine Shepherd:" the Child Jesus 
 is seated, holding a staff in his hand, and a lamb at his 
 feet; the child's position is so perfectly natural, and 
 the expression of the face so holy and full of love. 
 The " Asunto Mistico," 315, the Vision of St. Bernard : 
 the Virgin and Child on a cloudy throne, with angels 
 about them, appear to St. Bernard ; the saint is 
 kneeling ; the expression of his face is very fine ; the 
 whole picture is grand. Through every one of 
 Murillo's paintings one might go, and to each give 
 the praise due, but we must pass on to others. 
 
 Velazquez, the greatest of all Spanish painters, as 
 most people say, though one is not bound to agree 
 with them, can be better understood in the Madrid 
 Gallery than elsewhere, as there are not only sixty- 
 three of his paintings here, but they are his finest 
 works. The best are his portraits, but those that 
 show his power in portraying life are pictures like
 
 48 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 " Las Meninas, " perhaps his chef cFoeuvre. It is a 
 dull unpleasant-looking group, consisting of the Infanta 
 Margarita of Austria being amused by her pages, 
 whilst her dwarfs, two of them, are worrying a dog. 
 The dwarfs are so intensely disagreeable looking, that 
 one cannot give the admiration due to the painting 
 as the marvellous work of art which it is. On the 
 left hand, Velazquez is himself represented, with the 
 pallet in his hand, finishing the portrait of Philip IV. 
 This picture is numbered 155 ; next to it, 156, is the 
 portrait of Philip IV., a splendid picture. The finest 
 to our minds, being unable to tolerate the dwarfs, 
 which mar all pleasure in looking at Velazquez's 
 greatest productions, is " Nuestro Senor Crucificado," 
 51 : it is a wonderful picture ; and the agonized figure 
 of our Lord stands out from its plain black back- 
 ground in terrible reality; the hair, long and dark, 
 hangs over the face, as is seen in most crucifixion 
 representations in Spain, whether in carving or paint- 
 ing. Velazquez was born at Seville in 1599 ; he 
 founded the School of Painting in Madrid, in which 
 place he died in 1660. 
 
 u Jesus and the Magdalen," 809, by Correggio, is 
 exquisite : Mary's face of surprise, joy, and intense 
 love on recognising her Lord in the garden, is so 
 beautiful, that once seen it could never be forgotten ; 
 she is partially kneeling, and seems to have been 
 suddenly stopped from approaching the Saviour by his 
 command. Close to this picture is Rafael's Holy
 
 MADEID. 49 
 
 Family, 726, called " La Perla ; " it is very lovely ; the 
 colouring is both rich and soft. The infant Saviour is 
 seated on the Virgin's lap, St. John offering him 
 flowers and fruits ; St. Ann is near the Virgin, and 
 St. Joseph in the distance. This picture was sold to 
 Charles I. of England; at his death it was bought 
 with many others by Philip IV., who on seeing it for 
 the first time exclaimed, " Ah, here is the pearl of my 
 pictures." There are ten Rafaels in the gallery ; one 
 more we must mention, for it is considered as the best 
 of all his pictures, " La Madonna del Spasimo." It must 
 be familiar to all by the photographs that are to be 
 seen of it in almost every shop window. Our Lord 
 is borne down by the weight of the cross, and Simon is 
 about to relieve him of it ; the holy women are 
 weeping around him, and he is saying, " Weep not for 
 me, but weep for your children/' A crowd on foot 
 and soldiers on horseback, fill up the canvas ; but the 
 grand and noble figure of Our Saviour, with the sor- 
 rowing women, the bitter grief of the mother, the 
 earnest, sad, beautiful face of Veronica with the 
 napkin, form a splendid but terrible group. 
 
 There are forty-three Titians. The finest is a portrait 
 of Charles V. on horseback, the emperor looks so 
 thoroughly royal and kingly ; he is supposed to be at 
 the battle of Muehlberg ; it is numbered 685. " Salome 
 with John the Baptist's head" is very beautiful; 
 it is said to be a portrait of Titian's daughter ; it is 
 776. " The Victory of Lepanto" is wonderful, from
 
 60 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 having been painted when Titian was ninety-one years 
 of age ; 854. 
 
 Paul Veronese has twenty-eight pictures; 896 is 
 well worth analyzing, " Cain the outcast with his wife 
 and sons ; " it all portrays gloomy despair. 
 
 Twenty-seven pictures by Tintoretto ; ten by Claude 
 Lorraine, all beautiful ; twenty-one by Nicolas Poussin ; 
 sixty-two by Rubens, all coarse, unnatural, and with 
 daubs of red and white for flesh. Eight by Alonso 
 Cano ; his " St. John in the Island of Patmos," writing 
 the Revelations, 88, is very fine St. John's head is 
 beautiful; also 431, "Jesus at the Column," full of 
 pathos and very impressive. There are fourteen 
 Zurbarans, the truest portrayer of monks ; hardly any 
 of his best pictures but that one is in it ; ten in this 
 collection, however, represent Hercules in various 
 scenes of his history. 40 and 317 are sacred subjects 
 and very fine ; the first is St. Peter crucified appearing 
 to St. Peter Nolasco, and the latter, the Infant 
 Saviour, sleeping peacefully on his cross; this is a 
 charming picture; the perfect repose, the child so 
 child-like, with the calm and holy expression that is 
 rarely seen but in very young children, unconscious of 
 wrong, or of sorrow, one feels inclined gently to lift 
 the picture away and place it by itself in some quiet 
 corner where no noise of footsteps or voices could 
 disturb the sleeping child. 
 
 But we might fill a volume at this rate very quickly. 
 It will not do to linger longer amidst these' beautiful
 
 MADEID. 51 
 
 pictures, or the" " Winter Tour in Spain " will be cut 
 short at Madrid ; yet it is a pleasant subject to dwell 
 on ; for we can almost whilst writing imagine ourselves 
 once again surrounded by these great masters, which 
 stretch of fancy will in all probability be our only 
 means of ever again beholding them ; the mind's 
 eye will be the only eye with which we shall ever 
 more see them. 
 
 We must not omit to mention two cases which 
 stand in the centre of the long gallery, one containing 
 some beautiful tazzas in lapis, agate, gold, enamel, and 
 precious stones by Benvenuto Cellini, Beceriles, and 
 others ; in the second there are some fine specimens of 
 Venetian and other glass. 
 
 The gallery is in the Prado. 
 
 E 2
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 MADRID continued. 
 
 THE " Academia," the Royal Academy, is in the Calle 
 de Alcala, and there is the same amount of envy, 
 hatred, and malice amongst the R.A.'s as can be found 
 elsewhere. It was founded a little more than a 
 century ago. On the upper floor there is a very fine 
 collection of natural history ; and the pictures which 
 are below are with few exceptions worth seeing, 
 especially with the Museo so near at hand. 
 
 Murillo's grand picture called " El Tinosa," in which 
 Isabel of Hungary is washing the sore head of a poor 
 child, and others standing by waiting for their turn, is 
 too real to be pleasant ; yet the face and expression of 
 St. Isabel are exquisite. This picture was originally 
 in the Caridad at Seville, and Soult took possession of 
 it, but it was restored to Spain, though not to Seville, 
 after the battle of Waterloo. There are two other 
 Murillos, both of which had a journey to Paris from 
 Seville, being taken from Santa Maria la Blanca, also 
 by Soult ; they represent the dreams of El Patricio 
 Romano, which originated the building at Rome of the 
 church of Santa Maria la Mayor; they are semi-
 
 9 MADEID. 53 
 
 circular, and are exquisite paintings. Some splendid 
 monks, by Zurbaran, are in an adjoining room ; his 
 pictures certainly deserve more notice than they seem 
 to attract. There are some of Rubens ; and a beau- 
 tiful picture of Our Saviour, by Alonso Cano. 
 
 There are some good bronzes studded about the 
 principal rooms. Upstairs, the collection of Spanish 
 minerals is very fine ; there is, on a little stand 
 amongst them, a loadstone, Piedra Iman, which 
 weighs six pounds and holds sixty. The Spaniards 
 have a kind of religious veneration for it ; to the 
 million it is miraculous, and therefore to them almost 
 holy ; this arises from their priestly education, the only 
 kind they are permitted to receive. 
 
 Beyond this room are a number leading one out of 
 the other, with stuffed animals and skeletons, one of 
 a megatherium, found near Buenos Ayres, and said 
 to be the largest and most perfect in existence. 
 There is also the fossil skeleton of an animal, dug 
 up near Madrid ; it is enormous, and seems to have 
 long broad fins of whalebone beneath the massive 
 body. 
 
 The "Armeria" is close to the Royal Palace: the 
 collection is said to be the finest in the world, but 
 the recollection of the one at Dresden seems to be of a 
 more pleasing nature; this one however is full of 
 interest. All is collected in one room, 227 feet long; 
 the centre of the hall is filled with equestrian figures, 
 the sides are lined with armed knights, whilst the walls
 
 64 A WINTER TOTJB IN SPAIN. 
 
 are hung with war implements and armour, and above 
 these again are suspended the banners taken in war. 
 The armour of Philip II. has the arms of England 
 engraved on it. The armour of the Cid is preserved 
 here and his saddle; his sword, called La Colada, 
 1727 in the catalogue, is the most interesting of all the 
 relics exhibited here. The armour said to be worn by 
 Isabella the Catholic at the siege of Granada has 
 'Isabel' worked on the vizor; her sword, 1705, is 
 pretty and not unfitted for a queen, if she is to have 
 one at all ; it is a Valencian blade ; 1696 is that of her 
 husband Ferdinand, and was made at Toledo. 1702 
 is the sword of the Great Captain, the Wellington of 
 Spain, Gonzalvo de Cordova : his arms are engraved on 
 it in the centre, and on the hilt are the arms of Spain. 
 There are two suits of armour which belonged to 
 Boabdil el Chico, the last of the Moorish kings in 
 Spain, also several Moorish saddles and shields ; the 
 latter are made of leather. 2364 is the armour of 
 the Emperor Charles V., which Titian painted him in. 
 1632 is Jaime the Conqueror's helmet, and 1644 
 is his sword. Some of the armour is beautifully 
 chased, and every object in the collection is worth 
 examining. 
 
 At the end of the room, in a glass case, is a life- 
 sized image of San Fernando ; it is dressed in royal 
 robes, has a crown on, and is seated on a gilt throne ; 
 in the left hand he holds a globe with a cross 
 on it. and in the right a sword. On the 29th of May
 
 MADEID. 55 
 
 in each year this effigy is carried in procession to the 
 Chapel Royal for a neuvaine in commemoration of the 
 taking of Seville ; formerly it was sufficient to look on 
 this image only with faith of course to obtain 
 indulgences. 
 
 The ancient armour preserved here is said to be 
 invaluable, and the largest collection existing. 
 
 The Royal Palace, adjoining the Armeria almost, 
 is very imposing looking, and magnificently situated, 
 commanding the only fine view in Madrid, and that 
 view, with the Sierra de Guadarrama towering in the 
 distance, is splendid. The front looks on to the Plaza 
 del Oriente, which is laid out as a garden, in the 
 centre of which is the grand statue of Philip IV. on 
 horseback; the model was carved by Montanes, and 
 the bronze was cast in Florence ; it is considered one 
 of the finest equestrian statues in the world. 
 
 The palace occupies the site where stood the 
 Moorish Alcazar, which was destroyed by fire on 
 Christmas eve, 1734; then Philip V. caused a plan 
 to be drawn for a new one, which bid fair to half ruin 
 the country if it ever was carried, out ; a model was 
 made, now in the Museo, which shows completely 
 what it would have been ; the Queen, however, had 
 sense enough to make objections to such a huge pile 
 being raised, when another architect was employed and 
 the present palace built. 
 
 The interior, we were told, is very gorgeous, and 
 really palatial ; but the Queen being there it was not
 
 56 A WINTEE TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 shown; the ceilings are well painted, the best are 
 those done by Mengs. There is a fine collection of 
 china, with some Capo di Monte ware among it. The 
 Library is extremely valuable and very large, con- 
 taining upwards of 100,000 volumes. Here is the 
 beautifully illuminated missal which Louis XIV. pre- 
 sented on her marriage to one of the wives of Philip II.* 
 The Royal Chapel, actually in the palace, is open 
 every morning to the public; it is a handsome building, 
 in the Corinthian style, and very richly decorated. 
 
 The stables are close to, though not joining the palace. 
 They are greatly over-rated, and are' badly kept, 
 wanting in space, and ugly ; they are much more like 
 good livery stables. At the season we were there 
 (November) the horses numbered only 128, and the 
 mules 200. The usual annual sale had not long 
 taken place, and the vacancies thus made are not 
 filled up till the spring. The mules' stables are very 
 inferior to the horses', because, one of the grooms said, 
 " they did not care about it." With the exception of 
 a few fine carriage horses, and four very pretty ponies 
 that the Prince of Asturias drives, there is little 
 to say in their praise. The horse ridden by the 
 Empress Eugenie, and another by the King of Por- 
 tugal, were trotted out to be admired. The Queen of 
 Spain has not ridden for ten years, the reason why is 
 self-evident. 
 
 * A copy was made of this missal the other day as a present for the 
 Prince Imperial of France, on his making his first Communion.
 
 MADEH). 57 
 
 The harness rooms are on a very superior scale, and 
 well worth seeing ; the state harness is splendid, and 
 some of the saddles, especially the modern ones, de- 
 serve notice ; the old are simply curious. There are 
 several sillas de manos, which, as they all do, make 
 one wonder how ladies with hoops ever got into them. 
 They are used occasionally in church processions, 
 otherwise never ; they are very much gilt, and do not 
 seem unfitted for such a purpose, though in what 
 manner they are used was not stated ; perhaps they 
 put a saint inside, or they may carry them empty 
 merely to swell the pageant. 
 
 There are one or two glass cases full of shabby old 
 hats; ranged along one side of the room are the 
 saddles used by the picadores when the Queen attends 
 a bull-fight. 
 
 The carriages are very interesting ; there are 146, 
 and amongst them is the heavy sombre thing in which 
 poor Crazy Jane drove about with the dead body 
 of her handsome good-for-nothing husband, a ghastly 
 load, but one the poor lady clung to with all the 
 obstinacy of a weak mind ; she never cared for him in 
 life, but she loved him in death. 
 
 There is a small carriage, a kind of barouche with 
 the front seat only, which was a gift from our Queen 
 to the Queen of Spain ; it is the only English carriage 
 here, and certainly does not do us much credit ; but 
 then it is more than a quarter of a century old, having 
 been presented twenty-six years ago. There are two
 
 58 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 heavy, lumbering carriages once belonging to Napo- 
 leon I. ; another curiosity is a massive gilt car, which 
 is used at coronations, royal weddings, or any other 
 very grand or state occasions ; then children, dressed 
 like ballet girls, in gold and silver tissue and flowers, 
 are placed in it, and one little child is perched up aloft 
 with wings and a crown and other no-dress attire. 
 But the carriage of all others is the Queen's own 
 travelling carriage ; it is like three in one : the front 
 portion is like a chariot ; this the King and Queen 
 occupy ; facing them is a recess which is .made to hold 
 the " Travelling Virgin ; " in it is a small stand, fixed, 
 on which the image is placed ; this carved effigy of the 
 Blessed Virgin is appointed to accompany her Most 
 Catholic Majesty on all her journeys ; excepting that 
 she is placed back to the horses, her position is seem- 
 ingly comfortable enough. The middle portion of the 
 carriage is like a phaeton ; here the lord and lady-in- 
 waiting sit. And the third and back part is occupied 
 by the immediate attendants. In this carriage is 
 every imaginable convenience. Immediately outside 
 the coach-house and near the stables is a large fresh- 
 water bath, a luxury enjoyed by the royal horses only, 
 as these are the only stables in Madrid where one exists. 
 
 They drive here as in England, on the left side of the 
 road. -Spaniards are first-rate horsemen and capital 
 whips; and the horses, as a rule, are magnificent. 
 
 There are three houses in Madrid, or palaces, as 
 they are called, and very justly, that certainly no one
 
 MADEID. 59 
 
 ought to leave without seeing ; they are those of the 
 Dukes of'Albe, Osuna, and Salamanca. To begin 
 with the last first, as being not only the most im- 
 portant, but also that there are two houses, a town and 
 country one, both rich in works of art. Don Jose, 
 Duke of Salamanca, though reputed to be of moderate 
 fortune, has amassed such an amount of treasure that 
 no English nobleman can boast of such a collection. 
 His country villa is situated about three miles out of 
 Madrid, and in such a sandy desert that it is in very 
 truth an oasis. The gardens are beautifully laid out 
 and well timbered ; fountains abound ; there are three 
 immediately in front of the house, the others studded 
 about so as to render them as effective as possible. 
 The house is approached by a flight of broad marble 
 steps, which lead to a verandah, and then very hand- 
 some carved doors, having sliding glass doors in front, 
 admit you into the hall. The first thing the eye falls on 
 is a card, on which is written, in large distinct letters, 
 "No se permite fumar, escupir, sentarse, tocar ningun 
 objeto, ni entrar con perros." * A not unnecessary 
 prohibition to put up, we were told. 
 
 On entering you turn to the left ; this room is Don 
 Josh's bed-room, a splendid room, hung with rich silk, 
 and furnished with beautifully carved chairs, tables, 
 and bedstead. There were some curious old trunks or 
 chests in the town palace as well as in this, which 
 
 * It is forbidden to smoke, spit, sit down, touch anything, or enter 
 with dogs.
 
 GO A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 the Duke brought from Portugal, though they are 
 Roman. On the writing table were some beautiful 
 fittings of carnelian, malachite, and lapis lazuli. There 
 are some fine paintings in this room. The adjoining 
 room is the dressing-room, and excepting the bed, is 
 in all respects the bed-room ; this room opens into a 
 gallery of the chapel. Passing along a corridor run- 
 ning parallel with the chapel, we come to the late 
 Duchess's bed-room, the room in which a few months 
 since she passed away from all worldly grandeur. 
 The whole furniture of this room is buhl, and most 
 gorgeous ; the cheval glass, with a massive gold outer 
 frame, holds within it one of Dresden china, which 
 encircles the glass ; there is a profusion of the most 
 valuable Dresden china here, and of untold value. 
 Passing through the son's, daughter's, and niece's 
 rooms, we enter the reception rooms, which occupy 
 the whole remainder of the floor ; the house is built 
 square, with a, patio in the centre. 
 
 The drawing-rooms, picture gallery, boudoir, and 
 dining-room, are all full of art treasures. The largest 
 drawing-room of the suite has an Aubusson carpet 
 over it, with views of the chief towns of Spain, 
 executed as beautifully as paintings. Against the 
 walls are ten Venetian looking-glasses, bordered with 
 glass roses, and in the centre of each rose is a diamond ; 
 one glass alone has forty-five diamonds. In the centre 
 of the room is a table of exquisite mosaic, and another 
 that belonged to Louis XIV., both works of inestimable
 
 MADRID. 6I 
 
 value. Amongst the sculpture are several pieces by 
 Tadolini ; perhaps the " Slave," and " Adam and Eve" 
 are the most beautiful. There are paintings by all 
 masters ; one by Zurbaran, of the " Holy Family," 
 most exquisitely conceived. The difference of age 
 between Our Saviour and St. John is very marked. 
 One might spend a week in wandering about these 
 beautiful rooms and galleries, but so one may say of a 
 great many places in this country ; one feels so often 
 there is not time enough to see all that has to be 
 seen. 
 
 Don Jose* has the most rare and valuable collection 
 of Pompeian antiquities in the possession of any 
 private individual. Owing to his having been either 
 owner of the property about Pompeii where the railway 
 was cut, or having contracted for all valuables that 
 were discovered during the operation, he being a 
 principal mover in the undertaking, he has amassed 
 such a collection as rendered it necessary to arrange 
 them into a museum, which he has done in the build- 
 ing that was the old residence till the present villa 
 was erected. There afe some six or seven rooms 
 rilled, with these unearthed treasures ; some of the 
 vases are extremely beautiful and perfect, as also 
 many bronze statuettes ; others require the eye of the 
 antiquary to appreciate but take them as a whole 
 they are worthy of being better known, and exhibited 
 in a more recognized place for such objects, as here 
 it is the palace that is spoken of, not the works of art
 
 62 A WINTEE TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 and antiquity contained in it. The Spaniards indeed 
 are so surrounded by them, that they do not know 
 how to appreciate them as we northerners, who think 
 nothing of paying a shilling to see a single picture, 
 and that by a modern artist. 
 
 The town residence is still more magnificent, and is 
 indeed quite worthy of being called a palace ; every 
 room is filled with gems of art. The dining-room is 
 hung with pictures by De Vos ; also the supper-room, 
 which leads into a very fine and lofty conservatory, 
 with three fountains at play ; at night it is lighted up 
 by gas from above, the jets forming stars. One of 
 the prettiest of double staircases leads from a small 
 inner hall up to the picture gallery ; this staircase 
 was designed by the Duke himself. The picture 
 gallery runs along one entire side of the house, which, 
 like the country palace, and indeed like all Spanish 
 houses, great or small, is built square. There are 
 some very fine paintings in the collection by Murillo, 
 Zurbaran, Alonso Cano, Teniers, and many other 
 masters whose names are household words. From 
 the centre of this gallery }^>u enter another, which 
 runs round the principal patio ; this is lined from the 
 floor to the roof with antique china, placed in designs 
 against the wall, with cabinets intersecting them at 
 equal distances, containing precious tazzas, exquisite 
 carvings in ivory and wood, antique crosses studded 
 with fine stones, and other gems of various kinds. 
 
 The drawing-rooms, a magnificent suite, are gor-
 
 MADEID. 63 
 
 geously furnished ; one set of chairs alone are said to 
 have cost forty pounds each. The looking-glasses, 
 the chandeliers, the rich silk hangings to the walls, 
 each room having a distinct colour, the luxurious 
 carpets, canopies and couches, the beautifully-painted 
 ceilings, the Sevres and Dresden china, the cabinet 
 pictures, all form a mass of such wealth and grandeur, 
 that one feels in a fairy palace, and not merely in a 
 Spanish nobleman's house. Adjoining the first recep- 
 tion-room is what is called the armour room ; dark 
 and sombre, hung with green cloth, oak furniture, and 
 well-executed oak carvings over each door. The 
 gloomy but handsome decorations, all so thoroughly 
 in keeping, form the attraction of the room, for the 
 armour is more to ornament the apartment than for it 
 to set off the armour ; nor is there much of it, but as 
 this leads into the brilliant reception-rooms, the con- 
 trast is so great that the one serves to set off the 
 other. On the other side of the armour room is the 
 billiard room. 
 
 On the landing at the head of the grand staircase, 
 which is all of pure white marble, is a dog, cast in 
 bronze, holding a dead pheasant in his mouth ; both 
 are wonderfully executed, but the bird is so perfect 
 that one fancies one might blow the feathers apart. 
 The artist's name was not on it. 
 
 The Duke of Salamanca's town residence is decidedly 
 more worth seeing than his country villa, notwith- 
 standing the relics of Pompeii.
 
 64 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 The Duke of Albe's palace is a house full of all the 
 comforts and luxuries that wealth can amass. Mag- 
 nificent furniture, gorgeous gilding, loads of looking- 
 glasses, carpets that refuse to permit a footstep to be 
 heard ; tapestry, china, and pretty ornamental objects ; 
 splendid suites of apartments ; a ball-room, with a 
 very handsome inlaid flooring, and everything that an 
 English gentleman of fortune loves to see around him, 
 and then all is told. No statuary, unless a portrait 
 group of his children. No pictures, unless the picture 
 of his sister-in-law, the Empress Eugenie, by Winter- 
 halter, and here and there anyone's paintings to 
 decorate an untapestried wall. The whole is seen in a 
 few minutes, for there is nothing that requires one to 
 pause, nothing to arrest the lover of art or antiquity, 
 but it is handsome and very comfortable. The royal 
 arms of England are to be seen quartered with the 
 ducal arms of Albe, for the Duke of Albe is also Duke 
 of Berwick, and his motto is " Honi soit qui mal y 
 pense." 
 
 There is no portrait of any kind of the late Duchess 
 to be seen. It is a Spanish fashion to remove alto- 
 gether, or at least to curtain over, the likenesses of 
 those members of the family who are dead, unless of 
 a past generation. 
 
 The stables were in keeping with the rest, valuable 
 good horses, and well-built handsome carriages. 
 
 The Duke of Osuna has two palaces the one he 
 occupies when in Madrid (at present he is ambassador
 
 MADEID. 65 
 
 at the court of Russia) ; and the other, close to it, 
 containing his library and armoury, and the stables. 
 There is nothing very remarkable in the former ; it is 
 a handsome, well-built house, with an air of comfort 
 about it very English, as are many of the things in 
 it. There is a very small private chapel leading out 
 of a pretty morning room, with a " Conception," by 
 Murillo ; besides this, there are in one of the larger 
 apartments two very fine Van Dycks ; one the " Mater^ 
 Dolorosa," the other a "Holy Family;" and these, 
 with a very magnificent mosaic, are the chief works of 
 art. There are other pictures, several good enough; 
 amongst them some family portraits that are quite 
 worth looking at. The rooms are very numerous, and 
 handsomely furnished, but owing to the duke's absence, 
 there was a put-in-order look over the whole that 
 gave it a gloomy appearance. 
 
 There appears to be no great love felt for the present 
 duke, who by the way unites seventeen Grandeeships 
 in himself ; but his brother, now dead, was spoken of 
 with the greatest affection and devotion. The garden 
 attached to the house is very nice, and the view from 
 the upper terrace is magnificent, very much the same 
 as that seen from the palace; the snowy capped 
 Guadarrama, standing out so clearly and distinctly 
 against the dark blue sky, and the vast plain around, 
 arid and monotonous as it is, form no bad scene for 
 the eye to rest on, and one not likely to weary. The 
 cold winds, which in winter blow down from the
 
 66 A WINTER TOTJE IN SPAIN. 
 
 Guadarrama range, are so severe at times as frequently 
 to freeze the sentinels on duty to death. Why don't 
 they turn the back of the sentry boxes to these death 
 blasts ? 
 
 The other palace, on the opposite side of the road, 
 Las Vistallas, the duke inherited from his uncle, the 
 Duke of Infantado. It is like a vast barrack outside, 
 and very little better in. Ferdinand and Isabella the 
 ^Catholic occupied this palace ; it was probably in a 
 better condition then ; now the whole of the lower part 
 of the house is converted into stables. Horses are the 
 duke's hobby. At the present moment, during his ab- 
 sence, twenty-eight carriage and saddle horses and six 
 ponies are kept ; some of them very fine. The harness- 
 rooms are well worth seeing ; there are three ; they are 
 so beautifully arranged, and the Gothic decorations of 
 one of them deserve to be in a better place. Many of 
 the saddles and sets of harness are English. 
 
 Ascending from the stables by a staircase twenty 
 feet wide, only wood and whitewashed walls, which 
 from the first landing branches out right and left, we 
 came to the armoury, which contains the finest private 
 collection in Europe. There is a set of armour which 
 belonged to Charles V., another of Philip II., besides 
 a host of others of great interest ; they fill the centre 
 and cover the walls of two long rooms. There are 
 several guns of great antiquity, and a very curious and 
 handsome bronze chandelier, made of pistols, daggers, 
 cannon balls, shot, &c. &c. The library is on the same
 
 MADRID. 67 
 
 floor, and occupies the whole of the remaining rooms. 
 It is the largest library in Spain, not excepting that in 
 the palace or the public library. In the end room of 
 all there is a very valuable collection of coins and 
 medals ; in short, the palace is far more of a museum 
 than aught else. One old man has the charge of it ; 
 and as he is responsible for all the contents not the 
 stables he keeps himself well armed ; he showed us 
 three holes in the large massive door through which he 
 could fire in case of need. Blood shedding with the 
 Spaniards, whether it be of man or beast, is lightly 
 thought of ; and yet withal they are a kindly, courteous 
 race, and harmless enough if left alone. 
 
 We saw all these palaces in perfection ; there was 
 no uncovering, nothing to undo, no shutters to open, 
 as is usually the case in our own couatry, when one is 
 let in to a " show place." You see places here, if you 
 see them at all, more as a guest than a sight-seer ; you 
 are not hurried through a certain number of curtainless, 
 carpetless rooms by an independent housekeeper, with a 
 few covered up pictures which are partially shown 
 through the openings of one shutter. It is true that 
 where a hundred go to see a Chatsworth or a Belvoir 
 Castle, but one will request to see the Duke of 
 Salamanca's or Duke of Albe's palaces ; but that one is 
 let see all there is to be seen, if he is admitted at all, 
 and with every attention and courtesy. 
 
 What surprises an Englishman most in these foreign 
 palaces is, that with all the great wealth, luxury, and 
 
 F '1
 
 68 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 taste that is shown to exist in them, there should be 
 such utter disregard to actual solidity without ; and in 
 such portions of them as are not expected or supposed to 
 be seen. The frontages are always very handsome, and 
 kept in good repair, but the sides of the houses and the 
 back parts are generally in a tumble down state, as well 
 as dirty and untidy ; instead of stone being used, as is 
 for the facade, lath and plaster are thought to be good 
 enough. You may enter a house with marble stairs, 
 marble halls, and even marble walls, but the servants' 
 entrance will be with thin doors that won't shut pro- 
 perly, staircases with the banisters giving way, and 
 walls falling about from sheer neglect. This is the 
 same in the Queen's palace as it is in other great 
 houses ; keep in front, and in those parts always visible, 
 and all is solid and good ; but diverge a little from the 
 beaten track, and one is amazed at the seeming 
 poverty.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 MADRID continued. A BULL-FIGHT. 
 
 THERE are very few churches here of any interest 
 whatever ; indeed, one might also say that with one ex- 
 ception there are none. They are all large and dark, so 
 dark, that except on festivals and Sundays, it is impos- 
 sible to see anything ; then, however, they are lighted 
 up, and adorned with a multitude of ridiculously 
 dressed Virgins, more resembling figures made as pin- 
 cushion dolls than anything else ; blue silk, tinsel, tar- 
 latan, heavy gilt crowns, and white lace being the prin- 
 cipal articles used in their decoration. The Virgins are 
 many of them black and small ; the infant Saviour is 
 then, if there at all, merely seen by a head with a big 
 crown on it issuing from beneath the stiff folds of the 
 Virgin Mother's dress at the waist. 
 
 The one exception to these uninteresting churches is 
 that ofAtocha; and even then it is not the church, but 
 the interest caused by the existence in it of two mira- 
 culous Virgins ; the one black and small, the other 
 white and large. The large one has the questionable 
 honour of being appointed Mistress of the Robes to her 
 Catholic Majesty, Isabella II. ; and her perquisites con-
 
 70 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 sist in having the robes worn by the queen on the 
 Feast of the Epiphany. Some of these are very costly 
 and very gorgeous ; there are already twenty-eight of 
 them, no bad wardrobe for a lady who ever lays in a 
 glass case, the lid of which is upheld by little gilt 
 angels. This Virgin also possesses the magnificent 
 state robes worn by the queen on that memorable day 
 when, struck by the dagger of the assassin, Cur6 Me- 
 rino, she nearly lost her life ; the blow was warded off 
 by the rich embroidery of the arms of Spain, over 
 which the knife slipped, inflicting a slight wound only, 
 not more than half an inch deep, instead of a death 
 blow ; the stain of her blood dyes the white silk lining 
 of the crimson velvet robe. It is said the king was 
 at the head of this conspiracy against the life of his 
 wife ; the occurrence took place in 1852, after the 
 birth of her first living child, the present Infanta 
 Isabel, which child he declared was not his. The 
 Cure", by whose hand the plot was thus far carried into 
 effect, was executed, and his body burnt to ashes ; this 
 was to avoid portraits being taken, or any trace of him 
 left in this world. 
 
 It is, however, the little black Virgin perched up on 
 high at the Altar Mayor, to which the greatest devo- 
 tion is paid ; this little image has jewels to the value of 
 fourteen millions of reals ; the crowns, armlets, neck- 
 laces, rings, stomachers, and belts being composed of 
 precious stones; some of the diamonds, rubies, and 
 sapphires, are very large. Every Saturday, soon after
 
 MADEDD. 71 
 
 four o'clock, the king and queen, and some of the royal 
 children, go in state to this church, and attend Benedic- 
 tion, and pay their homage to the Virgin of Atocha. 
 She is said to be fifteen hundred years old, and the 
 miracles attributed to her agency are so marvellous 
 that one feels hardly disposed to relate them here. 
 Ferdinand VII., the queen's father, is reputed to have 
 embroidered a dress for her with his own hands; 
 whether this is true or not, it is quite certain he paid 
 her the same worship during his lifetime as his daughter 
 does now. Ex-votos cover, literally cover, the walls on 
 both sides of her. One day as we were leaving the 
 church, and it was about to be closed, a woman with a 
 child in her arms pressed by to get in ; on being 
 stopped, she pleaded hard she had a sick child with 
 her, for whom she desired the Virgin of Atocha's in- 
 tercession ; however, she was not let pass, so for that 
 day at least she was forced to remain unaided by the 
 sacred image. There is a very fine dead Christ in 
 the church, it is of coloured marble, the wounds are 
 terribly natural, with the broken bruised knees, the 
 blood running over the face from the torn brow ; it is 
 very awful, but as a work of art very beautiful. Hor- 
 rible things must charm Spaniards, or why so many of 
 these shocking representations ? They are extremely 
 fond of putting jeal hair on the images of our Lord, 
 generally very long, thick, and black. 
 
 There is no Protestant church, none are allowed in 
 Spain, but English service is performed every Sunday,
 
 72 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 at half-past eleven, at the British Embassy, in a small 
 room capable of holding from eighty to a hundred 
 people, but there is rarely more than a fourth of that 
 number present. They have an odd habit here, as in 
 other towns in Spain, where English service is read, of 
 omitting the Communion service entirely, except on the 
 Sunday appointed for the administration of the Holy 
 Sacrament. The Rev. W. A. Campbell is the present 
 chaplain. 
 
 All the shops are shut on Sundays and festivals, so 
 this state of things happens twice and sometimes three 
 times a week ; the people are too glad of an excuse to 
 be idle not to take advantage of it ; even the water- 
 carriers are fewer on fete days, and not to be seen at 
 all on Sundays. 
 
 Madrid used to be extremely rich in convents, but 
 since their suppression they have been pretty nearly 
 decimated. One of the largest now existing is that of 
 Santiago ; it is situated in the old part of the town, 
 and is an enormous, massive building, occupying almost 
 the entire side of the street in which it stands. Like 
 most things in Spain, it is of the past ; here, where in 
 days of yore there used to be between three and four 
 hundred professed nuns, they have dwindled down to 
 eight or nine and a few novices. An iron-barred door 
 closes them up from the outer world; at this you 
 knock, and then not the door, but a little square panel 
 is opened : this is well guarded by closely webbed iron 
 bars, and the nun on watch 'looks to see who asks ad-
 
 MADRID. 73 
 
 mittance before she grants it. Within, it is bare and 
 cheerless ; over a brasero was sitting watch nun num- 
 ber two, for none are allowed to be alone ; they are 
 always in pairs, so that one is, in fact, a spy over the 
 other. Upstairs it seemed a little more cheery, and 
 the nuns seemed happy and contented ; each has her 
 separate sitting-room and bed-room ; they might have 
 a suite of apartments apiece as far as space went ; how- 
 ever, they do have each a kitchen and a servant, and 
 seem to live in comfort. The superior, a high bred 
 charming person, still young, and with traces of beauty 
 that sorrow or illness, but not age, has partially de- 
 stroyed, has been but five years a nun, and three the 
 head of this convent. Her predecessor was for seventy- 
 three years an inmate here ; she had been Maid of 
 honour to the ill-fated Marie Antoinette, and on the 
 death of her royal mistress she escaped to Spain, and 
 shortly afterwards embraced a monastic life. 
 
 To become a member of this order is very difficult, 
 inasmuch as, after the necessary permission has been 
 obtained from the queen, the candidate is compelled to 
 produce certificates of her nobility, which must be un- 
 marred by ill-sorted marriages, or other flaws in the 
 escutcheon, for four generations on both father's and 
 mother's side. No wonder, therefore, in the present 
 day there are less than a dozen -within the walls. The 
 knights of the order (it was through one of them who 
 accompanied us to the convent we were enabled to see 
 all over it) are elected only on the same conditions, but
 
 74' A WINTEE TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 they are bound by no vows which forbid them to marry 
 or enforce a cloistered life ; they merely take solemn 
 oaths to defend the dogma of the immaculate concep- 
 tion, and to take up arms in defence of their country 
 should it ever again be attacked by the infidel. They 
 hold Chapters of the order on certain days, when they 
 wear a sort of priestly-looking garb. The nuns never 
 leave the convent, on no pretence do they ever go out ; 
 they have what they call cloisters, which are simply 
 large, wide, cold galleries, the windows looking into 
 the court or patio; into this court they go occasion- 
 ally, but it is little air or exercise that they get there ; 
 however, they evidently do not suffer for want of 
 either, as they have good health and live long. 
 
 Since the suppression of convents, a community of 
 Carmelite nuns has been allowed to reside in one por- 
 tion of this house, their own having been done away 
 with ; their rules are much severer than those of the 
 order of Santiago. The church is very spacious and 
 lofty, and contains one or "two good paintings, a few 
 relics and other usual church appendages. 
 
 There are several good theatres in Madrid, they are all 
 prettily decorated, clean, light looking, and extremely 
 well ventilated ; the principal ones are the Teatro Real, 
 Teatro del Principe, La Zarzuela, Variedades, and No- 
 vedades. They are all. very much about the same size, 
 except the Teatro Real, and that, where Italian operas 
 are performed, is considerably the largest. It is situated 
 facing the palace, the gardens intervening ; the queen
 
 MADEID. 75 
 
 is constantly present, and always when a new or 
 favourite opera is given ; the singing might be better ; 
 it might also be worse. The royal box is ornamented 
 with crimson velvet across the front, and the arms of 
 Spain embroidered in gold, all extremely dingy, and 
 either wants cleaning or renewing ; the interior is 
 padded with quilted crimson silk, as is the box next to 
 it, and the two facing it ; it is not large, or indeed so 
 large as those adjoining it ; on state occasions the box 
 in the centre of the house is used, which is very large. 
 Most of the theatres begin at half-past eight, the 
 doors opening at a quarter past ; and all is over by 
 eleven, or very soon after. They waste a great deal 
 of time between the acts, especially for those who 
 have no acquaintances; as it is the fashion during 
 these intervals for gentlemen to make a round of 
 visits, and so, chatting with their friends, the time 
 passes quickly away. Smoking is not usual within the 
 house ; but in the lobbies and foyer, between the acts, 
 the air is thick with it, and this penetrates very 
 quickly into the house itself, rendering the atmosphere 
 hazy. With all their smoking, however, Spaniards 
 are less objectionable than Germans, in this respect ; 
 the tobacco is so mild, that unless it is in very great 
 quantities, it is not annoying ; nor are the results of 
 smoking so bad as we are led to believe ; this, perhaps, 
 may arise (in the streets at any rate) from the ladies, who 
 wear their dresses so extremely long that they amount 
 to trains, and never lift them up, dragging them over
 
 76 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 the ground, streets and roads, thus doing the work of 
 a mop. It positively keeps the streets clean, and in 
 all the towns of Spain this is the same : this dress- 
 sweeping system has, therefore, advantages if not to 
 the ladies themselves. 
 
 There is a ruined bear-garden, fenced in by a hand- 
 some iron railing, which is called the " Botanical 
 Garden." No name could be more misapplied, for 
 there is positively nothing in it but a few ducks and 
 goats and weeds ; a hothouse, with a few flower-pots, 
 and not larger than you see attached to a small 
 country house in England ; and then a species of 
 museum, in a greenhouse, of stuffed birds, snakes in 
 bottles, and human skeletons, sitting upright, and 
 placed in groups ; where the latter came from, or why 
 they are there at all, no one seemed to know. The 
 much-maligned climate of Madrid would, notwith- 
 standing, allow of very fine botanical gardens, but there 
 is no energy amongst the people ; the great heat during 
 the summer, which lasts fully seven months, renders 
 them lazy for the remainder of the year. It can be 
 very cold in Madrid, but the months of November and 
 March are generally splendid, equal to our finest 
 northern summers. Snow falls during the intervening 
 months, but rarely remains ; the sun soon melts it ; 
 the winds are what the people have most to contend 
 . with ; and, coming straight from those snowy "moun- 
 tains, they should be carefully guarded against ; for it 
 must be remembered that Madrid is on an elevated
 
 A BULL-FIGHT. 77 
 
 plain, and very elevated, and so, exposed in all direc- 
 tions to the heat in summer, as it is to the cold in 
 winter. 
 
 Madrid is the only town in Spain where bull-fights 
 take place in winter ; therefore, if we were to see one 
 at all, we had to see it here ; moreover, they are sup- 
 posed to be first-rate. They take place on Sundays, 
 in the afternoon ; occasionally, but very rarely, on a 
 Thursday, and then they are not so good. With all 
 one has heard of the horrors of these barbarous exhi- 
 bitions, nothing that can be said or written can give a 
 real notion of the disgusting cruelty of this national 
 sport. Unwisely, we determined to go, as probably 
 every one will who has the opportunity ; people do not 
 care to accept the opinions of others, they prefer 
 judging for themselves. We secured an entire box on 
 the shady side of the arena, a very necessary pre- 
 caution, as the intense heat of the sun, even in No- 
 vember, is blinding and scorching to northerners. 
 
 The Madrid arena holds 12,000 spectators, and 
 could it hold double that number it would doubtless be 
 full, as we saw hundreds endeavouring, vainly, to get 
 in, notwithstanding the counter attraction of poor 
 O'Donnell's funeral, which took place the same after- 
 noon, with all military honours, and at the expense of 
 government. Thousands seemed to follow him with 
 mournful countenances. He was but fifty-nine years 
 of age, and his country's loss is great. Narvaez, his 
 friend and some time colleague, yet rival, was his chief
 
 78 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 mourner. He, too, has now passed away, having 
 outlived the Duke of Tetuan but five months. The 
 crowd of carriages and people was so dense, we, who 
 were bound for the bull-fight, were stopped short 
 about ten minutes' distance from the arena, and told 
 we must walk, only such carriages as were going to 
 the funeral service at the Atocha church could be 
 allowed to proceed. The heat was intense, the dust 
 suffocating. The building, both outside and in, is 
 shabby and dirty, and apparently run up as a tempo- 
 rary building only, so flimsy does it appear ; but this is 
 not the case ; it clearly is more substantial than it 
 looks, for no part of it has ever given way during the 
 years it has been standing. The programmes, of which 
 there are always plenty placarded in the most fre- 
 quented streets, gave glowing accounts of the exhi- 
 bition that was to take place, " weather permitting." 
 There were to be so many bulls of one breed, and so 
 many of another, and one a special one, of a very 
 favourite and fine breed, and dogs, perros depresa, bull- 
 dogs, and a seal ; also the names were given of the 
 various performers who act in this tragedy, for that is 
 truly what it too often turns out. The public have 
 their favourites amongst these men ; the most reckless 
 and daring always winning applause. 
 
 It was to begin at three ; we were in our places by 
 half-past two (and out of them by twenty minutes past 
 three but of that further on) ; the half hour before 
 the horrible scene that followed, was extremely enter-
 
 A- BULL-FIGHT. 79 
 
 taining. The arena was then occupied by sellers of 
 oranges, who threw them in the most dexterous 
 manner to the purchasers, whether they were far or 
 near; the payment for them was equally well 
 managed; if a single coin had to be given, it was 
 easy enough, but when change had to be returned, 
 the money was placed in a pocket-handkerchief, which, 
 being tied into a ball, the orange vendor caught, 
 returning the change in the same manner. Then 
 the multitudinous and varied specimens of man and 
 womankind around us, all eagerly watching for the 
 moment when their day's pleasure was to begin ; 
 young women, handsome women, old women, women 
 of all grades, had assembled; the poor with their 
 infants in their arms, the rich and medium class with 
 their fans. The men by no means outnumbered the 
 women ; clearly the taste for such exhibitions is 
 universal. 
 
 As three o'clock neared, the impatience of the mass 
 of living beings around began to manifest itself very 
 much in the same way as tfee gallery at an English 
 theatre expresses its desire for the performance to 
 commence. A band played at intervals. But now 
 the wished-for trumpet was sounded, the sign that 
 business was about to begin, which it does by a 
 procession of the actors (all but the bulls) in the 
 coming 'scene walking right across the arena and bow- 
 ing to the president, whose box faces the royal box, 
 he then presents the key, or rather throws it, of the
 
 80 A WINTEE TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 cell in which the bull is. Two horsemen, dressed in 
 black, with feathered hats, well mounted these 
 horses are not destined for the arena head the 
 procession ; then follow the picadores, they are 
 mounted on the doomed horses, and carry spears ; 
 then come the chulos, these men carry the red cloaks 
 which they throw towards the bull to anger him ; then 
 the banderilleros, they carry the arrows, which, with 
 their barbed points, are planted in the poor beast's 
 neck ; then follow the matador es, with their swords, 
 they are the actual slayers of the bull ; four bull-dogs 
 were led by cords ; and lastly came el tiro, which is a 
 team of mules, gaily harnessed and abreast, with bells 
 tinkling, and small flags waving from their heads, 
 these drag the dead bodies from the arena at the end 
 of each part of the performance. 
 
 When these had all retired, three picador es, with 
 ten or twelve chulos, returned to the arena. The 
 chulos are dressed in the gay, bright costume of the 
 south, like the majos; they wear breeches and stock- 
 ings, the former decorated with silver buttons, as are 
 also their velvet jackets ; their hair is tied with a knot 
 at the back, and put into a net ; their whole costume, 
 enlivened with the crimson cloak, is very picturesque ; 
 they are extremely graceful in their movements ; 
 active of course they must be they bound like deer, 
 and spring like monkeys. The horses are all blind- 
 folded ; poor, wretched, worn-out animals, that are 
 considered fit for nothing but death; they are thus
 
 A BULL-FIGHT. 81 
 
 condemned to act out their last scene in life in 
 tortures most frightful for the amusement of society. 
 Their riders are as well protected as they can be, by 
 wearing iron casings over their legs and a kind of 
 armour over their bodies : nothing of this is visible, 
 however. 
 
 Now the bull was let in, and his first bellow, low 
 and deep, seemed almost to electrify the thousands 
 who were so eagerly looking for him; there was an 
 instantaneous silence, singularly strange amidst such a 
 vast multitude. The bull wore floating green ribbons 
 from his neck, this, to the learned, denoted his breed. 
 Now began the real work : for a moment, the bull was 
 allowed to look around him, and then, as he did not 
 seem disposed to be the aggressor, and the audience 
 not being a patient one, a picador rode up to him at a 
 foot's pace, and then, standing still, pricked him with 
 his spear ; thus goaded, the bull made a lunge at the 
 poor horse, who being blindfolded, had not even the 
 chance of escape ; a fearful wound was inflicted, and 
 he staggered back a few paces ; in the meanwhile the 
 chulos, right and left, threw out their red cloaks, both 
 to irritate the bull and for the moment to draw him off 
 his bleeding victim : this went on, in a still, almost 
 motionless, manner, for the bull did not rush and tear 
 about as we expected him to do ; he seemed to us but 
 too willing to remain at peace with all around if 
 they would but let him. However, a few more painful 
 stabs from the picador, and the bull made another
 
 82 A WINTEE TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 attack on the horse, which this time fell over, and, 
 with one death struggle, the poor beast remained 
 motionless on the ground. The picador extricated 
 himself with wonderful rapidity and tact from the dead 
 body, bounding over the ledge which forms a barrier 
 between the arena and the people. In this manner 
 was another and another horse killed, but neither of 
 them so rapidly as the first ; they were longer dying ; 
 and one continued going round the ring for several 
 minutes with its inside trailing out on the ground : the 
 sight was so sickening, so horrible, that no words can 
 express the feeling it produced. 
 
 The next act or part was to place the arrows or 
 banderillas in the bull's neck ; six are thus placed, 
 two at a time ; they are decorated with coloured 
 ribbons and cut paper, and the thrusting them in is 
 attended with some danger. The chulo seemed to 
 rush at the bull, and at the moment of his lowering 
 his head to toss him, he dexterously plants a couple at 
 the back of his neck, and with a bound was beyond his 
 reach : the bull seemed half wild with the pain in- 
 flicted, the blood streaming down from the wounds ; it 
 was with these six torturing instruments sticking in 
 him, and that he had endeavoured vainly, of course, 
 from their barbed points to shake off by furious 
 plunging and tossing of his head, that he made for 
 the barrier. A man one amongst several, who are 
 placed about on the inner side in case of accident and 
 need prevented the maddened brute from leaping
 
 A BULL-FIGHT. 83 
 
 over, and then the poor bull, with an expression in his 
 eyes we shall never forget, stood and moaned, rather 
 than bellowed, as if pleading for assistance to save 
 him from his merciless tormentors. But pity for 
 animals is unknown in a Spaniard's heart ; their 
 natures are so brutalised by these scenes, which from 
 their infancy they are accustomed to witness, that 
 nothing in the way of cruelty in the slightest degree 
 touches them. They would as soon hand over a horse 
 they had perhaps ridden for years, if he was past 
 work, to be tortured in the bull-ring, as not ; and 
 moreover, they would, and witness his death ; so it is 
 no wonder that in this instance the man so appealed 
 to, drove the torn and bleeding animal away. 
 
 Now came the last act : the trumpet sounded, 
 which announced the president's pleasure that the 
 coup de grace should be given : this is not done with- 
 out great risk, and is the most dangerous part to 
 perform. Two matador -es, or slayjers, each armed with 
 a finely-pointed spear, about the length of an ordinary 
 sword, entered the arena : one ,only attacks the bull, 
 the other is there in case the first fails, which simply 
 means, in case the bull kills him instead of he the 
 bull. The matador advanced steadily, and faced 
 the bull; every now and then the bull seemed as 
 if he was going to attack his antagonist, and the 
 moment he actually made the rush to do so, the 
 matador made a plunge, and in went his spear up to 
 the hilt : for a second the bull stood motionless, then 
 
 G 2
 
 84 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 staggered and fell down dead ; hardly a struggle was 
 visible. The matador then drew out the sword 
 which is always driven in at the shoulder, and the 
 chulos advanced and forced out the banderillas, the 
 blood flowing in all directions ; then the mules came in 
 with their gay coloured trappings and tinkling bells : 
 first, one by one the bodies of the dead horses were 
 attached by a great iron hook to what is, we believe, 
 called a swing- tree or bar, and dragged out at a 
 rapid rate ; the mules were lashed into a wild gallop. 
 Last of all, the bull was taken. All this time the 
 shouts, and even screams, of the audience at their 
 admiration of the courage displayed either by man or 
 beast, were both deafening and bewildering. Even 
 the mules received applause when taking off the bull, 
 for they tore across the arena, and it was a heavy 
 load they dragged behind them. 
 
 Immediately after the arena was cleared, men began 
 to rake up the grave] so as to cover the pools of blood 
 that were in several places, and thus to prepare it for 
 the next fight. 
 
 What we were present at, and what we have en- 
 deavoured to describe, occupied but twenty minutes 
 from first to last; the actual bull-fight certainly not 
 more than twelve or fifteen ; yet this slaughter-house 
 exhibition was to continue till six o'clock, when the 
 fading light would put an end to further displays for 
 the day. Men are but too frequently killed in these 
 terrible scenes, and if they are killed on the spot, they
 
 A BULL-FIGHT. 85 
 
 are denied Christian burial, as not having confessed ; 
 but we were told that a priest is always present in the 
 arena, so that if an unfortunate man was gored and 
 had a few minutes' life and power of speech left him, 
 he might confess and receive absolution. 
 
 Will these bull-fights ever be put a stop to? 
 Surely if people want to see animals killed they can 
 gratify their taste by attending a slaughter-house, for 
 it is no fight; it is folly to call it such. The poor 
 animal is goaded on till he defends himself by attack- 
 ing his tormentors ; the horses are blindfolded, and 
 the men make their living by risking their lives, like 
 fools, to gratify a national taste which might be 
 directed into another and less barbarous channel, if the 
 rulers of the country would only set the example ; but 
 as long as the queen sanctions these bull-fights by her 
 presence, they will continue ; yet they do nothing but 
 harm. We feel perfectly sure that we but waste 
 words in recommending no woman to attend one of 
 these scenes of butchery, as they are as certain, just 
 as we did ourselves, to go. But we paid dearly for it. 
 For days, the horrors of those few minutes, during 
 which we witnessed barbarous, cold blooded cruelty 
 and torture inflicted on defenceless animals, were never 
 absent from our mind's eye ; and even now it is with 
 a shudder of horror that we recall the scene. 
 
 It was with no little difficulty that we managed to 
 get out of the building, for to remain to witness more 
 was impossible. The rush of people endeavouring to
 
 86 A WINTEE TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 force their way in was so great, that the Salida gate 
 had been given up for an Entrada. However, by dint 
 of patience and perseverance we succeeded in making 
 our way through the mob ; but outside we met with 
 another stoppage : the dead bodies of the bull and 
 horses had been dragged out here in the open space 
 before the principal entrance, that, by the ghastly 
 spectacle they presented, more people might be in- 
 duced to pay their money and enter on the chance of 
 finding standing room only. Clearly, the sight of 
 blood has a marvellous effect on a Spaniard. It 
 seemed to make them wild ; and with shouts of 
 delight they rushed forward towards the arena to 
 witness that which as yet they had but seen the 
 shadow of! But enough of bull-fights. It is a sicken- 
 ing subject ; and we can only hope that in a few years 
 those who now drive to these scenes in their carriage 
 and four may have found out some other entertain- 
 ment more beneficial and improving and less de- 
 moralizing and brutalizing. 
 
 Charles I. of England was present at one given in 
 his honour by Philip IV. in the Plaza Mayor, where 
 they used to take place till the arena was built. The 
 house the English king occupied during his stay here 
 is still in existence. It was built by Herrera, the 
 architect of the Escorial.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE ESCORIAL. 
 
 WE left Madrid by the 8'20 a.m. train one lovely 
 morning to visit the Escorial ; we reached the station, 
 which is not more than half a mile from it, at 1010, 
 taking nearly two hours to travel twenty-three miles 
 and a half. The road the whole way was barren and 
 wild, but very grand, especially as we neared our des- 
 tination. 
 
 The Escorial is a monastery, palace, mausoleum, 
 and college, all in one. A huge massive pile of granite, 
 built at an elevation of 2700 feet on a far stretching 
 plain, amidst rocks and desolation; there is nothing 
 about it to charm the eye or cheer the heart ; all is 
 gloomy, harsh, and dreary in it and around it, and yet 
 it is one of the wonders of the world, and so must be 
 seen, and ought to be seen. 
 
 Philip II., after his marriage with Mary of England, 
 managed to- drag our country together with his own, 
 into a war with France, in 1557 ; on the 10th of Au- 
 gust in the same year the battle of St. Quentin was 
 fought and won by Philip, by the English army, and 
 by way of showing his gratitude for this event, at
 
 88 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 which however he was not present, he vowed to St. 
 Lawrence, whose martyrdom in the third century is 
 supposed to have taken place on the day of the same 
 month on which the battle was fought, to build a mo- 
 nastery, which vow he fulfilled by erecting this superb 
 palace. It was then Philip II. transferred the govern- 
 ment from Toledo to Madrid, which henceforth became 
 the capital, the better to suit his own convenience, for 
 he lived a sort of monastic life in the Escorial. 
 
 On the 23rd of April, 1563, the first stone was laid 
 by Juan'Bautista de Toledo, a native of Madrid, but it 
 was completed by Juan de Herrera, who was in fact 
 the real architect, in September, 1584, though he was 
 compelled by Philip to carry out the absurd plan which 
 he himself gave in the form of a gridiron, out of 
 respect to the broiled Saint Lawrence. From north to 
 south it occupies 744 feet, and 580 from east to west, 
 the whole ground it covers being 431,520 square feet. 
 The handle of the gridiron forms the portion called 
 the palace, and is occupied by the royal family when 
 they go there, but Queen Isabella has been but once 
 during the last six years, and no wonder. The towers 
 at the four corners make the four feet ; the whole is 
 constructed in granite, some of the blocks being so 
 colossal that one cannot understand how they were 
 ever placed in the position they are in. The cost of 
 the whole is said to have been upwards of ten millions. 
 There are sixteen patios or courts, eighty staircases, 
 and eleven thousand windows, in memory of the eleven
 
 THE ESCORIAL. 89 
 
 thousand martyred virgins of Cologne ; some are ex- 
 tremely small, and all with few exceptions barricaded 
 by iron gratings. The interior is intersected by 
 cloisters- or arched passages (many of them decorated 
 with frescoes, representing biblical and historical 
 events), so as to form the bars of the gridiron. 
 
 The most interesting part of the building is the 
 panteon, or royal tomb. We descended by a marble 
 staircase into a vault placed immediately beneath the 
 high altar in the church. Two closed doors on the 
 right and left mid-way down, lead to the burying places 
 of the Infantes ; at the bottom of the stairs you enter 
 at once through very fine bronze gilt gates into the 
 mausoleum. In shape it is octagon, thirty-eight feet 
 high, and thirty-six in diameter. The walls and 
 columns are of Toledo and Tarragona marbles, the 
 former are very much injured from water, which is 
 constantly dripping down them. In each of the eight 
 sides are niches for the sarcophagi, seventeen are occu- 
 pied, nine still remain empty. That intended for the 
 last resting-place of the present queen, stands immedi- 
 ately beneath her father's remains, Ferdinand VII. 
 When Marie-Louise, mother of Charles IV., came to 
 see this royal tomb, and her own was pointed out to her, 
 she took a pair of scissors and scratched her name on 
 it. She died in Rome towards the latter end of last 
 century, but was brought here to be buried. Only 
 kings and queens in their own right, or the mothers of 
 reigning sovereigns, are buried in this dark, gloomy
 
 90 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 vault ; the only light that ever reaches it is from the 
 candles carried by the guide and visitors who descend to 
 see it, or when it is a blaze of wax tapers for a funeral. 
 From here we went through the ante sacristia, to the 
 sacristia, with their beautiful arabesque ceilings, the 
 colours all so bright and fresh, one -could better believe 
 they were executed three weeks ago instead of three 
 centuries ; they were painted by Granelo. The sacristy 
 is a long low room ; at the end of it, over the altar, is 
 the beautiful painting by Claudio Coello, called the 
 Apotheosis of the Wafer ; all the faces are portraits. 
 Charles II. is kneeling and worshipping the Forma. 
 This picture forms a screen to the miraculous wafer, 
 which is kept behind it. It is exposed for worship on 
 the 29th of September and 28th of October in every 
 year. It is forbidden to be shown to any but Roman 
 Catholics. This wafer is said to have bled when 
 trampled on by the Zuinglian heretics in 1525. It 
 was given to Philip II. by Rudolph II., of Germany. 
 The picture represents the apotheosis of the wafer as it 
 actually took place in this sacristy. Very few of the 
 magnificent vestments formerly belonging to the Jero- 
 nimite monks remain, but those we saw are rich and 
 gorgeous in the extreme, the heads embroidered on them 
 resembling enamel paintings more than anything else. 
 In the prior's room are the first frescoes ever done here ; 
 the date is on the centre one, 1581, and the subject 
 is the Judgment of Solomon ; nothing can exceed this 
 rich colouring.
 
 THE ESCOEIAL. 91 
 
 The church is very fine, and like the rest of the 
 building is in the Doric order, but perhaps more of in- 
 terest exists in the choir than elsewhere. Ascendin- 
 
 o 
 
 the principal staircase, each step of which is formed by 
 one solid piece of granite, fourteen feet in length, the 
 roof decorated by magnificent frescoes, by Giordano, 
 we entered the coro. Here are to be seen the beau- 
 tifully illuminated choral books, in parchment, and of 
 an enormous size ; formerly, in Philip II. 's time, there 
 were 216, now but 140 exist. In one corner Philip's 
 seat is shown, where he sat during mass with the other 
 monks ; a secret door let him pass a private way to his 
 own apartments. He was kneeling here when the 
 news was brought to him of the victory gained at 
 Lepanto. The stalls are of various woods, but richly 
 carved ; in the centre is a huge stand for the choral 
 books ; notwithstanding some unheard of weight, 
 it turns round with the gentlest touch. Above it 
 hangs a magnificent rock crystal chandelier, formed of 
 birds and flowers. Passing out behind the coro is a 
 small recess, in which is placed the marble Christ, by 
 Benvenuto Cellini, a wonderful piece of sculpture ; it 
 was in one piece, but the French, those destroyers and 
 appropriators of the beautiful and valuable in Spain, 
 broke off the arms ; they are joined on, but then there 
 is the join. 
 
 We now returned to the church ; there are a few 
 good paintings, several of them by the dumb painter, 
 Juan Fernandez Navarrete, but the light is dreadful, in
 
 92 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 fact there is hardly any. There are forty small 
 chapels, all having a painted retablo. The high altar, 
 like most in Spain, is ornamented by carved figures and 
 gilding up to the very roof, the Virgin crowning the 
 whole ; on the right side of it is a group of figures, 
 portraits of Philip II., and three of his wives, the first, 
 third and fourth, our queen does not swell the group ; 
 on the opposite side is a similar one of Charles V., his 
 wife, daughter, and two sisters ; beneath Philip's own 
 effigy is a wicket, which led to his cell, a small dark 
 room where he lived more a monk than a king, for 
 fourteen years, and there he died in the most horrible 
 state, having been for fifty-three days without leaving 
 it, or its being touched, thus the state both he and the 
 cell itself were in was revolting and disgusting. He 
 died with the crucifix in his hand which Charles V. 
 held when dying, and he crawled up to the wicket to 
 be in sight of the altar, and in this position he died on 
 the 15th September, 1598. He suffered greatly from 
 gout, and the stools on which he rested his leg and 
 foot are still in the cell, a stuffed cloth one for winter, 
 and one of horse hair for summer ; the blotting book 
 is also preserved on which he signed the treaty after 
 the battle of St. Quentin. 
 
 The church used to be extremely rich in relics, and 
 is so still. St. Lawrence's bones were the first to be 
 placed here, they were followed by others very rapidly 
 and in great numbers, Philip II. alone having accumu- 
 lated between seven and eight thousand. Amongst
 
 THE ESCOEIAL. 93 
 
 them was a bar from the veritable gridiron on which 
 San Lorenzo is said, when being broiled, to request his 
 torturers to turn him ! This bar was placed in the hand 
 of a silver effigy of the saint. The saint was taken by 
 the French, but they left the bar, which is one of their 
 most precious and prized relics. 
 
 The library is an arched room, nearly 200 feet long, 
 and between thirty and forty in height and width ; the 
 ceilings are painted in frescoes, the colours being 
 gaudily bright, too much so for a library. The books 
 are all turned with their gilded leaves to the front, for 
 the sake of harmony, as the gay colouring of the fres- 
 coes and gildings of the book cases would be too ab- 
 ruptly cut off if it were continued by the dark sombre 
 binding only. There is a portrait here of Herrera, the 
 architect of this monastic-tomb-palace. Many ab- 
 stractions took place in 1808, of valuable manuscripts 
 and books, but the catalogue never having been found 
 since that period, what really is gone cannot be ascer- 
 tained. In a glass case on a table in the centre of the 
 room are some illuminated missals of the 16th century, 
 and a Koran, in Arabic, taken at the battle of Lepanto, 
 but some doubt is cast on its authenticity, as on dit, 
 the real one was given away, and that this one actually 
 bears a later date than the battle. 
 
 In the Chapter House, besides the frescoes, which all 
 here are very fine, there are some good paintings by 
 Giordano, Ribera, Titian, and Tintoretto ; two by the 
 latter artist belonged to Charles L, of England, the
 
 94 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 subjects are, Mary Magdalen washing Our Saviour's 
 feet, and Queen Esther fainting ; as also eight small 
 pictures of flowers. At either end of the room, let 
 into the walls, are basso relievos, in porphyry, one re- 
 presents the Virgin and Child, the other the head of 
 Our Lord. 
 
 We now visited the handle of the gridiron, the royal 
 apartments ; beyond the tapestry there is little of art, 
 or interest either ; but that is wonderfully beautiful, and 
 with the exception of one or two Flemish specimens, it 
 is all of Spanish manufacture, and executed at Madrid. 
 The establishment does not exist any longer. The sub- 
 jects are chiefly from Teniers, Wouvermann, and Goya. 
 Two pieces were interesting, apart from the merit of 
 their execution, on account of the subjects : the one is 
 a portrait of the late Duchess of Albe, sister to the 
 Empress Euge'nie, dressed as a Sevillian maja, and 
 standing with her arm within that of a Spanish noble, 
 dressed d lo maj'o; they are talking with some bull 
 fighters, & picador, and matador ; the other is a group 
 of children playing at bull fighting, one boy having an 
 imitation of a bull's head on his own, others either 
 with horses' heads or representing the matadores, 
 chulos, and picadores, to perfection ; the whole is ad- 
 mirably executed, the merriment and excitement all so 
 well displayed. 
 
 In one of these rooms is a mahogany table, some- 
 thing like a bagatelle board, only instead of being 
 covered with cloth, it is padded and covered with silk ;
 
 THE ESCOKIAL. 95 
 
 on this the newly-born royal infants are laid to be 
 dressed. Clocks abound in every room, in some there 
 are even three, and in most of them two ; these clocks 
 were a weakness of Ferdinand VII. ; it is the same in 
 the palace at Madrid, clocks are everywhere. The 
 walls of the queen's own private rooms are very hand- 
 somely inlaid, as is also the flooring. The locks and 
 handles to the doors are of polished iron, and as bright 
 as steel, but the rooms are extremely small and want- 
 ing in comfort ; the chairs are hard, the sofas straight 
 and stiff, no foot stools, nor anything else inviting ; no 
 wonder she prefers her palace in Madrid, or the sunny 
 slopes of Aranjuez and La Granja, to this cold, gloomy, 
 dismal place. Even the gardens, formed by quantities 
 of box cut out in all manner of shapes, with small 
 fountains, one pipe to each, shooting a thin line of 
 water straight up ungracefully in the air, in the centre 
 of each design, breathe solitude and dreariness ; the de- 
 solation around, the arid rocks, the uncultivated plain, 
 all is more suited to birds and beasts of prey than to 
 man. The whole is vast, heavy, and unbeautiful, and 
 a morbid unhealthy mind alone could have imagined 
 and then enforced the carrying out of such a sponge- 
 for-money. 
 
 There is a wonderful echo across a large tank which 
 is in the garden ; a double echo, almost painful to hear 
 in such a land of the dead, for the voice answers, truly 
 as if from another world. 
 
 There are now but thirty-five priests in the Escorial,
 
 96 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 and about 230 scholars in the college ; all that was 
 once in it has sadly dwindled away. The world of 
 treasure it contained was almost all removed early in 
 the present century to Madrid, for safety, and what 
 was not so removed, was destroyed by the lawless 
 French soldiers under Houssaye. There is little else 
 that we can recollect worth noting, unless the curious 
 paintings in what is called the " Battle Gallery," re- 
 presenting scenes from the great wars of Spain ; they 
 are frescoes, and were done in the sixteenth century. 
 In another of these cloisters or galleries, the frescoes 
 represent scenes from the life of Our Lord, one show- 
 ing the " miraculous draught of fishes," has the Sa- 
 viour standing by the edge of the sea, and with three 
 feet, two feet only however bearing the print of the 
 nails. 
 
 Leading out of the main road, about ten minutes' 
 distance from the Escorial, is the shooting box of the 
 Infante ; it was originally built for Charles IV. There 
 is little in it deserving notice, but it is pretty ; there 
 are a few pictures and some ivory carvings ; but the 
 great attraction in this barren spot, is the avenues and 
 trees, which are really pleasant to the eye after the 
 arid rocks and bare mountains around, it is like an 
 oasis in the desert. We were very near seeing more of 
 it than we should have cared for, as by some mistake 
 we were locked up in the grounds, and both gate- 
 keepers had gone. It was only when the prospect of 
 having to pass the night there was clearly developed,
 
 THE ESCOEIAL. 97 
 
 and that the hour was fast approaching when the train 
 would be due by which we were to return to Madrid, 
 that we made up our minds to climb the stone wall 
 which enclosed us, and make our escape ; if it was not 
 done easily, it was done effectually, for we reached the 
 station just in time to catch the train. We left at 612 
 p.m., and reached Madrid at 8'30, longer by half an 
 hour than we were going. However, if Spanish rail- 
 ways are slow, they are very sure : they are punctual 
 always to a minute. 
 
 The Fonda de Miranda is by no means a bad sub- 
 stitute for an hotel. Though the Escorial season is 
 pretty well over, we had a very good dejeuner a la 
 fourchette, and some capital Valdepenas wine, which, 
 as a rule, is good throughout Spain. 
 
 La Granja, the Versailles of Spain, we did not go 
 and see, as it would have entailed three days absence 
 from Madrid, and also that the coaches which run in 
 the summer time between the railway station and the 
 palace (some twenty miles), cannot go in the winter on 
 account of the roads, which at this season are gene- 
 rally impassable ; it also requires summer weather and 
 summer heat to see it in, being at an elevation of 
 nearly 4000 feet. All these drawbacks considered, we 
 thought it wisest to give up the idea of attempting it.
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 TOLEDO. 
 
 To go to Toledo, which of course every one must do, 
 requires nevertheless a certain amount of moral 
 courage ; you must either go over night, and sleep in a 
 first-rate posada, or atrociously vile fonda, you may 
 call it either you like, it amounts to one and the same 
 thing, or else leave by 7 a.m. from the station, neces- 
 sitating the unpleasant proceeding of getting up at 5. 
 That step once taken, however, to see the sun rise 
 very nearly repays one for all disagreeables ; the purple 
 gilt sky, the fringe of gold that borders the horizon, 
 and that seems to hang over the far distant snow- 
 capped Guadarrama mountains, is a grand sight, and 
 one begins to wonder why one does not always get up 
 early ; this feeling, however, invariably dies out by the 
 following morning. 
 
 In about an hour after leaving Madrid, we lost sight 
 of everything, the whole country was enveloped in a 
 dense white mist, and so it remained till we reached 
 Toledo. At Castillejo we changed carriages, from 
 dirty to dirtier. We arrived at 10, the hour we were 
 due. The approach to Toledo is very fine ; the fog 
 cleared off just at the right moment to enable us to
 
 TOLEDO. 99 
 
 enjoy the view. The town rises up on an almost per- 
 pendicular hill, the Tagus rushing rapidly through the 
 valley below, with granite walls on either side. Though 
 perched on a hill, Toledo is twelve feet lower than Ma- 
 drid. Seen from a little distance, it looks like a dark 
 ruined tower; on a nearer approach you are unde- 
 ceived as to its form only, it is dark, and is ruined. 
 
 We drove up the winding road in the station omni- 
 bus, not a handsome one, not too luxurious ; still, it 
 might have been worse. As we entered the town, all 
 fear of being overturned was dispelled, for the four 
 mules that galloped and kicked their way along had 
 now no further chance of playing more tricks, as 
 we had not more than three or four inches on either 
 side between the wheels and the walls. We were 
 turned out in the yard of the Fonda (?) de Lino, and 
 having, in stupid ignorance, ordered a chicken, we set 
 out at once for the cathedral. It is situated in the 
 centre of the town, and all but one side is blocked up 
 by wretched buildings ; from the small Plaza de San 
 Yuste only is a view obtained, and from this point the 
 tower one alone is finished is well seen. The seve- 
 ral entrances are all extremely fine, the bronze doors 
 are lined inside with carved wooden ones. The prin- 
 cipal entrance, nearly opposite to the archbishop's 
 palace, is only opened on rare and special occasions : 
 these magnificent large doors swing on their hinges 
 for crowned heads, but for little short of them. 
 
 The interior of this Gothic cathedral is beautiful, 
 
 H 2
 
 100 A WINTEE TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 and exceeds in richness of detail that of Burgos. The 
 coup cFceil is, however, destroyed by the coro being in 
 the centre of the church, but this is the case in almost 
 all the cathedrals of Spain. According to tradition, 
 this church was built and dedicated to the Virgin in 
 her lifetime, and it has ever been under her especial 
 care ; notwithstanding this, however, it was converted 
 by the Moors into a mosque, and so remained until 
 re-converted by Alonso VI. into a Christian temple. 
 Ferdinand, however, destroyed the original building, 
 believing that what had once been defiled by the 
 Moors could never be thoroughly purified ; and in 
 1226 he himself laid the first stone of the present 
 edifice, but it was not completed till nearly the end of 
 the fifteenth century. In 1808, it was robbed by the 
 French under that lover of art and wealth, General 
 le Houssaye of such treasure as seems to have been 
 accumulated in no other church to the same extent as 
 here. Paintings by the finest artists were, if they 
 could not be carried off, torn to pieces or burnt ; the 
 church plate melted down the better to remove it ; the 
 jewelled ornaments taken; nothing, in short, slipped 
 through their fingers that once touched their hands. 
 The only thing they did not destroy were the win- 
 dows : they had much to do, and perhaps had no time 
 to waste at the last, so these still remain. And what 
 glorious windows they are! What exquisite colour- 
 ing, what softness, and depth of richness ! Nowhere 
 can these windows be surpassed.
 
 TOLEDO. 101 
 
 There are five naves, supported, perhaps, by too 
 many pillars, for they were almost clustered together, 
 and the choir and high altar occupying the entire 
 centre of the church, gives the whole an over-crowded 
 appearance. The GOTO is one mass of exquisite sculp- 
 ture, stone and wood. The stalls, of which there are 
 seventy, represent the victories gamed by Ferdinand 
 and Isabella over the Moors, especially the conquest 
 of Granada. In one the keys of that city are being 
 handed to the catholic monarch, and Isabella is seated 
 on her horse, astride, and wearing armour. The arms 
 and under-ledge of the stalls are likewise carved, the 
 subjects chosen being light and frivolous. One not 
 quite unfamiliar to us is two children : one on his 
 knees and hands, not over draped, with another 
 astride on his back with his face turned to his com- 
 panion's feet, and his right hand uplifted. We had 
 this sculptured in marble in the International Exhi- 
 bition of 1862, and called " Children at Play."* The 
 stalls are separated by red marble columns, the marble 
 carvings above representing the genealogy of our 
 Saviour. The beautiful tracery work around each 
 figure deserves careful inspection ; there is not an 
 inch of the whole choir, outside and in, that does not 
 call forth expressions of admiration. Facing the read- 
 ing-desk is a black marble Virgin of great antiquity, 
 but it is dressed up with silk, and crape, and other 
 
 * By Manfredini.
 
 102 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 hideous drapery, that its beauty, as a work of art, is 
 utterly destroyed. 
 
 Between the coros are two pulpits of gilt metal, 
 very beautifully executed. The high altar is a mass 
 of gilding, and represents scenes from the lives of our 
 Lord and the Blessed Virgin! To the right are the 
 tombs of some of the ancient kings, and to the left is 
 the tomb of Cardinal Mendoza, who, in order to have 
 himself buried in this spot, and an elaborate monument 
 erected to his memory,* caused the exquisite side 
 tracery, which existed similar to that still on the oppo- 
 site side, to be removed. Mendoza was the celebrated 
 minister-prelate in the time of Isabella the Catholic ; 
 but he must have been a Goth as well. 
 
 Behind the high altar is a mass of awkward-looking 
 people sprawling about amongst clouds and suns, 
 which is thought extremely fine. High up as it is, it 
 is an ungainly-looking object, and would be better 
 veiled off, as, however remarkable it may be as a work 
 of art, it is unsuited to the place it is in. 
 
 Chapels completely line the church, every one con- 
 taining something of interest. In San Eugenio is a 
 fine bit of Moorish workmanship ; in Santiago are the 
 tombs of the family of Alvaro de Luna: the High 
 Constable of that name, whose tomb is magnificent, 
 was executed by the orders of his king at Valladolid, 
 in 1451 : but there are other monuments here besides 
 his of great interest. In the Capilla de los Reyes 
 Nuevos, where lie a whole heap of kings and queens
 
 TOLEDO. 103 
 
 (it will be remembered that Toledo was formerly the 
 capital), are the bodies of Henrique III. and his wife 
 Catalina, who was the daughter of John of Gaunt of 
 England: she died in 1419. In San Ildefonso, tra- 
 dition says, the Virgin appeared one morning and 
 attended matins, sitting in the saint's seat; he had 
 written a work in defence of her being " ever virgin." 
 Since that moment the seat has been held sacred, and 
 of course made an object of worship, no one daring to 
 occupy it ; but one day, some faithless, unbelieving 
 person attempted to do so, when he was instantly 
 ejected by unseen hands. At the conclusion of 
 matins, the Virgin, to show she had not come for 
 nothing, decorated Ildefonso with the casulla. This 
 stone seat, whereon the mother of our Lord is said to 
 have alighted, works wonderful miracles, and faith in 
 its agency is as strong to-day as ever it could have 
 been in times past. The people of Spain believe any- 
 thing told them by the priests; and how can it be 
 otherwise, when they are taught to look on them, not 
 as men, but as gods, and moreover are never taught 
 anything else. There is not one educated man or 
 woman in all Spain that is a Roman Catholic. But 
 they dare not avow the contempt and indignation they 
 feel against the priesthood (who barely endeavour to 
 hide their lying and treachery), because the Queen 
 and Government uphold them. The mass the un- 
 educated mass on the other hand, blind and ignorant, 
 are steeped to the verge of insanity in superstition.
 
 104 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 There is less religion in Spain, less worship of God 
 and our Saviour, with all its church ceremonies and 
 notwithstanding the way the French relieved them 
 church wealth, and monasteries and nunneries, and other 
 so-called religious institutions, than exists in the heathen 
 parts of Africa and Asia. The time must come when 
 a mighty reformation will take place, and at no distant 
 period. As yet, however, the country is not ripe for 
 it ; the fire smoulders and spreads, but the flames will 
 not burst forth just yet ; but when they do, it will be 
 to burn rapidly and surely, and idolatry will be de- 
 stroyed before the priests can stay its destruction. 
 
 A very interesting chapel is the one called Muz- 
 arabic, where the so-called ritual is still used. It is 
 simple in its decorations, as it is in its forms, which 
 are said to be as near, and nearer, to those handed 
 down by our Lord than any other extant. There is a 
 painting over the altar, and a fresco covers one side 
 wall, but there are no images, no confessional boxes, 
 for auricular confession is not used (here, however, 
 they make the people confess just the same in the 
 confessionals of the cathedral), and the Host is not 
 retained. Many of the collects in the English Prayer- 
 book are taken from those used in this church. In 
 six other churches in Toledo do they observe the 
 Muzarabic ritual ; but of course the officiating priests 
 are Roman Catholics, and observe all its forms and 
 ceremonies outside of these little chapels. 
 
 There are portions of the cathedral still retaining many
 
 TOLEDO. 105 
 
 Moorish remains, as may be seen in the Winter Chapter- 
 house, where, besides the architecture, are some finely 
 carved doors, and a wonderful ceiling. In the sacristy 
 is still a marvellous collection of treasure, as well as a 
 few good paintings. In a glass case is a statuette of 
 San Francisco, carved by Alonso Cano ; the saint, 
 dressed as a monk, seems to be in a state of starvation, 
 but it is valuable as a work of art, if not agreeable to 
 look at. In the same case are the virgin's jewels and 
 jewelled robes, literally stiff with gold and pearls. Her 
 crown, armlets, and stomacher, are masses of precious 
 stones, some of rare size and value. The image in- 
 tended to represent the meek and modest virgin, on 
 Avhich all these gorgeous clothes and ornaments are 
 placed, is of black wood, life size, and seated on a 
 throne of partly silver, partly gold, the metal being 
 brought by Columbus from America. Her wardrobe, 
 which is very extensive and magnificent, is kept in a 
 separate room, where the priests' robes are also kept. 
 The number of these latter may be imagined when we 
 repeat what the sacristan told us, that there are eighty 
 vestments for each service which is performed in the 
 church, and we could well believe it by what we our- 
 selves saw. 
 
 The reliquary is very rich in its contents : amongst 
 the most precious are a piece of the cross ; some of the 
 Virgin's milk ; a bible, beautifully illuminated, which 
 belonged to St. Louis of France ; and the cross of Car- 
 dinal Mendoza, which was elevated at the Alhambra
 
 106 A WINTER TOUK IN SPAIN. 
 
 when it capitulated to the Christian army. The entire 
 room is lined with cases containing relics of saints. 
 The custodia is very gorgeous, and is of silver gilt. 
 The sword of Alonso VI. is also here. 
 
 As we passed through the church to visit the clois- 
 ters, we were much struck by the peculiar way Spanish 
 women squat themselves down, they neither kneel nor 
 sit ; seats there are none as a rule, anywhere ; mats are 
 placed in various parts., and on these they plant them- 
 selves. Dressed in black, with their mantillas and 
 restless fans, they look studded all over the building like 
 nothing we ever saw before. 
 
 The cloisters are very fine, and there is a bright 
 cheerful look about them not often seen. They are 
 of Gothic architecture, and the walls painted with 
 frescoes. 
 
 The next point of interest lies in the ruins of the 
 Franciscan Convent, San Juan de los Reyes, and there 
 we went from the cathedral. The convent was erected 
 by Isabella and Ferdinand, in commemoration of their 
 victory over the Portuguese, in 1475, at Toro. Out- 
 side of the church, and over the doors, hang some 
 chains, which are said to have been fastened on the 
 Christians when they were delivered from their infidel 
 oppressors. Within is beauty and desolation wonder- 
 fully blended ; the beauty above, the desolation below ; 
 the latter the result of the work of those destroyers of 
 everything, the French; the former, the remains of 
 what was, and what was beyond their reach. Not a
 
 TOLEDO. 107 
 
 pane of glass is left ; stones reached them and did 
 their work, which, however, fortunately did not injure 
 the beautiful Gothic carvings yet there to show what the 
 church once must have been. One or two pictures in 
 the side chapels, a statue here and a statue there, and 
 nothing else is left within the walls. A portion of the 
 convent has been sufficiently restored to make it into 
 a kind of museum ; a room, formerly the refectory, is 
 lined with bad paintings : they are hardly worth the 
 space they occupy. Leading out from here are the 
 cloisters, the most beautiful specimen of Gothic archi- 
 tecture that can be seen anywhere ; one may stand be- 
 neath their shelter from the burning sun and dream 
 dreams of other days, of days when they were peopled 
 by those whose minds then swayed the world. As yet 
 we have seen nothing anywhere to come up to them, 
 and yet here the destroyers' hands went cruelly to 
 work ; the French soldiers, under their lawless com- 
 mander, set fire to them, and for thirty days the flames* 
 raged, utterly annihilating one side, and leaving several 
 portions of the remainder partially ruined. 
 
 From the upper story a good view is obtained of 
 the site where stood the palace of Don Rodorigue, also 
 the place where stood the house of Toledo's friend, 
 Wamba. Such a city of the past ! First peopled by 
 Goths, then by Moors, then by Spaniards, then the 
 Goths returned in the shape of French soldiers. 
 
 From here we went to see the churches that were 
 formerly synagogues. The first, La Santa Maria la
 
 108 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 Blanca, was for five centuries a place of worship for 
 the Jews ; then it was turned into a Christian church, 
 which for four centuries more it remained ; then it was 
 turned into a stable by the French. It is very plain ; 
 it has three aisles, divided by pillars, having the horse- 
 shoe arch to connect them ; there are bits of Moorish 
 work about it, but nothing very remarkable. The 
 ceiling is made from cedars brought from Lebanon, and 
 the earth beneath the pavement is said to have been 
 brought from Mount Sion. 
 
 The other church, called " El Transito," is much 
 more perfect ; it was built in the fourteenth century, by 
 the Jew treasurer of Don Pedro the Cruel, who had the 
 poor man tortured and put to death when he wanted 
 his money, and no longer required his services. The 
 upper windows, looking out from a gallery, with an 
 entrance apart, were for the women, then never pub- 
 licly seen in a place of worship. There is a great deal 
 "of Moorish lace work, in stucco, against the walls, 
 which fortunately escaped destruction. This church is 
 still used for worship, Christian worship of course, as 
 no Jews even are allowed in Spain ; if there are any 
 (and there are plenty) they are compelled to call them- 
 selves Roman Catholics, and make a semblance of 
 being such. 
 
 The Alcazar, the great palace or fortress of Toledo, 
 is worth seeing, were it only for its associations ; but 
 besides, the patio, with its fine granite columns, is mag- 
 nificent; the staircase, also, is very grand. Beyond
 
 TOLEDO. 109 
 
 these it is a colossal ruin, being converted into in- 
 fantry barracks, the queen having given it up for that 
 purpose. It is here that the widow of Philip IV. was 
 confined ; the rooms may still be seen, but with no 
 little risk of having one's head broken, for stones are 
 falling in all directions, portions being pulled down and 
 others being built up, and the dust and dirt blinding. 
 
 The bridges across the Tagus, and the gates 
 entrances into the town are all worth seeing; the 
 Moorish archways are very fine. The Puerta Lodada, 
 now blocked up, is shortly to be opened, and a road 
 made through it ; it is sunk now in a kind of sand pit. 
 
 The Zocodover, a very Moorish Plaza, is the resort 
 of the Toledians in the evening, and then it is crowded 
 by the high and low, rich and poor. Formerly this was 
 their Plaza de Torres, now one has been expressly 
 built, and bull fighting goes on during nine months of 
 the year. On the opposite side of the Tagus stands 
 the famous sword manufactory, an uninteresting look- 
 ing red brick building, from whence it is said finer 
 blades are sent forth to the world than from any other 
 manufactory in Europe. 
 
 There are many little spots worth visiting in this old 
 town, where may be seen Moorish doors, bits of Moorish 
 buildings, to which modern ones have been added, here 
 and there a ceiling, an archway, a patio. Two days 
 here are better than one, for to see all in a day, though 
 it can be done, is very fatiguing, still the night comes 
 so awkwardly in the way, that had we to do it over
 
 110 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 
 
 again, we should prefer anything to sleeping in the 
 town. No one should dream of asking for a polio, 
 chicken ; the thing they gave us for one would have 
 been disowned in any poultry yard. Partridges, when 
 in season, are very good here ; bread and water capital, 
 the cofiee and milk barely drinkable, but still we have 
 had worse. A short time since the Grand Duke Con- 
 stantine of Russia came here with his suite, and 
 breakfast was ordered at the Fonda de Lino ; there 
 were twenty-seven to partake of it, and the modest 
 charge made for a dejetiner, that, however good it 
 may have been for Toledo, would have been a dis- 
 grace to a decent hotel, was 7000 reals ; however, they 
 were induced to accept three thousand ; that was at the 
 rate of more than a guinea a head. 
 
 The return train for Madrid not leaving till 8 p.m., 
 we began to find the long narrow dining room, with 
 doors that would not shut, very chilly. There was 
 what is called a " chimney " in the room, so we in- 
 sisted on lighting a fire, nearly driving the landlady mad 
 with fright : she could not understand a fire anywhere 
 but in the kitchen, and the servants of the house 
 flocked in to look at it. They were all exceedingly 
 relieved when we left, and before our backs were 
 turned began to reduce the flames that threatened, 
 they thought, to burn their house down. 
 
 Spaniards have little idea of small comforts, or else 
 not sufficient energy to insist on having them. Or 
 else why no fire-places ? -Why should trains run at
 
 TOLEDO. j j l 
 
 such unreasonable hours ? Why no order in anything ? 
 Everything takes -its chance : it is a happy-go-lucky 
 sort of country, and more frequently the luck does go, 
 and one finds oneself left in the lurch. But a Spaniard 
 does not seem to care about it ; doors will be closed 
 when they ought to be open ; appointments made will 
 be postponed ; promises given will be sure to be 
 broken : but this won't disturb a Spaniard ; gently and 
 gracefully throwing his cloak over his shoulder- 
 always his left he will say, " Bueno, esta par la 
 manana" and walks away. To-day or to-morrow, it is 
 invariably one to him. 
 
 We reached Madrid a little before midnight, not a 
 little tired with our long day. Pleasure is a very 
 wearying business, when a great deal has to be seen in 
 a short space of time. 
 
 Aranjuez, a summer palace, where the royal family 
 always pass Easter, is about an hour from Madrid by 
 railway ; we did not go to see it, as it is purely for 
 summer weather, the gardens being the great attrac- 
 tion. We passed through it going to Toledo, stopping 
 about ten minutes, just time enough to be able to judge 
 what the place might be under a June or July atmo- 
 sphere, with the fountains all playing. There are some 
 very fine elm trees, brought by Philip II. from 
 England.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 CORDOVA. 
 
 To get away from Madrid is quite as difficult as it is 
 to reach it, even more so. As, to Cordova, whither we 
 were next bound, there is but the choice of two trains : 
 one leaving at 7 a.m., and not arriving till 1'35 in the 
 middle of the night worse could not be ; and the other 
 leaving at 8 p.m., and reaching Cordova the next day, 
 at 11 '40 a.m. ; decidedly this was the best, and so by 
 it we left. It is only in Spain this prodigious time 
 would be taken to go over 150 miles. Setting aside 
 church matters, nothing in the whole country is so open 
 to reform as the railways, and yet no improvement is 
 likely to take place, for they do not pay ; and how 
 should they ? The directors will do nothing for the 
 public, and so the public won't go by railroad if they 
 can help it. 
 
 At Cordova, however, we arrived to the moment : 
 they certainly are punctual. We went to the Fonda 
 Suiza, where rooms were all ready for us, and very nice 
 ones, only no fireplaces, a want which, in the chilly 
 evening, proved great ; those horrid braseros, which give 
 out more headache than heat, were had recourse to.
 
 CORDOVA. 113 
 
 But, after all, one cannot travel and see the world 
 without coming across many disagreeables, and to see 
 the " Mezquita " something must be paid ; but surely 
 that again repays one cent, per cent., to say nothing of 
 that payment being durable and for ever, and the outlay 
 is over soon, and forgotten as quickly. 
 
 Cordova, a city of the past, like all others worth 
 seeing in Spain, contains many and very beautiful 
 Moorish remains ; at each turn something greets the 
 eye that tells of their former rule and greatness, and of 
 the marvellous refinement of their taste. The cathe- 
 dral, or " Mezquita," as it is still commonly called, is the 
 great wonder and attraction ; it stands more alone than 
 most cathedrals in Spain are allowed to do, perhaps 
 because the exterior is so simple that space around it 
 is really of no great moment, and so from pure con- 
 tradiction it is not built round. We entered by the 
 Puerta del Perdon into the patio of oranges, contain- 
 ing some magnificent trees, together with palms, both 
 being laden with fruit. In the centre, the cistern 
 placed by the Moors in 945, is still there. To the left 
 of this court is the belfry tower, a magnificent view is 
 obtained from the top ; on the right is the mosque. 
 Formerly there were nineteen entrances, now there are 
 but two, the rest are all closed ; one is in the centre, 
 and the other to the right at the furthest end. 
 
 It is difficult to give an idea of the impression pro- 
 duced on first entering this wondrous building; it cer- 
 tainly does not give one the faintest idea of being a
 
 114 A W1NTEE TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 church ; with a low roof not exceeding thirty-six feet 
 in height, amidst a very forest of columns, you find 
 yourself in a space which takes time to discover the 
 extent of, apparently very nearly square, being both 
 ways upwards of 360 feet, with the columns forming 
 nineteen aisles one way, and twenty-nine the other, the 
 whole being lined on the four sides by chapels. The 
 pillars are none alike, either in size, height, or marble, 
 some with capitals, others without, some of jasper, 
 verd-antique, porphyry, and other valuable marbles ; 
 one was shown us as being sulphur, which the guide 
 scraped in order that we might test the truth of his 
 statement by its strong smell. It is a pity this is 
 allowed, as the dilapidated state of the pillar proves 
 how common the practice of "testing" is. On two 
 other of the columns are small crucifixions scratched, 
 hardly visible without the light of a candle; one is 
 said to have been done by a Christian prisoner, who 
 was chained by his neck to the pillar, the places where 
 the chains were fixed being visible enough, but it 
 seems difficult to understand how he could scratch a 
 crucifix in that position, and just where his shoulders 
 would be against the column ; and to increase the 
 marvel, he is said to have done it with his nail ; if by 
 this was meant, as it clearly was, his finger-nail, it 
 becomes simply ridiculous. The other is much more 
 perfect and slightly larger ; it is railed over, the better 
 to preserve it ; the figure of a saint in relievo, kneel- 
 ing, is on the wall close by it.
 
 COEDOVA. 115 
 
 In all there are 850 columns, formerly there were 
 more, but the coro, which was unfortunately added in 
 1523, necessitated the removal of many. The retablo 
 of the high altar is very fine, and the dome elaborate 
 and delicate, with its white and gold ornamentation, 
 but it looks so thoroughly out of place, and much as 
 one must admire the exquisite carvings of the " sillas," 
 one feels at every moment that there the whole thing 
 is a mistake, and spoils itself, as well as this the 
 finest specimen of a Moorish temple in Europe. 
 
 The Capilla de Villaviciosa, to reach which we had 
 to pass through another chapel, having been built 
 against on either side, is rich in beautiful Moorish 
 work, and looks as if hung all round with fine lace ; 
 those horse-shoe arches, one succeeding the other, yet 
 forming in a whole one perfect one, are marvels of 
 architecture. The azulejos, or tiles, are very fine. 
 San Fernando is placed in the recess, where the 
 Alcoran was formerly ; he is painted in bright colours, 
 and as he is generally represented, holding in his hand 
 a globe with the cross on it. The large window of 
 this chapel is where the kalif prayed in public ; it faces 
 the Ceca, the Holiest of Holies. In this portion of the 
 building, the part leading to the Ceca, is such mosaic 
 work as is not rivalled at Rome, as indeed may be said 
 of the whole ; the roof, the beautiful arches, and the 
 brilliancy of colouring rendering this Mezquita a thing 
 apart. A railing separates the " Ceca" from the tomb 
 of the Conde de Oropesa, who rescued Cordova from an 
 
 I 2
 
 116 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 attack of the Moors ; the monument is perfectly plain, 
 with a badge lying across, cut into the stone, indica- 
 tive of his profession ; not even his name is recorded 
 on it, but that is not required, it is in every one's 
 mouth that you ask. 
 
 The "Ceca" is octagon shaped and richly inlaid ; the 
 roof is formed by a solid piece of white marble, in the 
 shape of a scollop-shell. All the inscriptions are in 
 Cuphic. Pilgrims who came here walked seven times 
 round this Ceca, and the pavement shows evident marks 
 of many feet. This mosque ranked second only to 
 that of Mecca, and a pilgrimage to it was thought as 
 much of by the Spanish Moors, as one to Mecca by 
 those who were better able to reach that place. St. 
 Ferdinand first converted this mosque into a Christian 
 church ; it is fortunate he did not think it necessary to 
 rase it to the ground, in order to purify it, as he did 
 that of Toledo. Double rows of arches, one over the 
 other, support the columns, and the fret-work on some 
 of them is delicate and beautiful beyond description. 
 The church plate is now of little value :-Dupont and his 
 troops admired it all too much to leave it ; the custodia 
 is, however, rich, it is silver gilt, of Gothic design, 
 and executed in 1517 by Henrique de Arphe ; it, 
 together with a few other things, was hidden, and 
 thus escaped the marauders. 
 
 Leaving the Mezquita as we entered it, by the Court 
 of Oranges, the bishop's palace, a dreary sombre-looking 
 building, stands on the right. The garden is famous for
 
 CORDOVA. 117 
 
 its lemon-trees, the fruit being peculiarly fine ; the house 
 is famous for nothing but as having been the prison 
 of Ferdinand VII., in 1823, and from where he made 
 a vain attempt to escape. Further on is the bridge 
 over the Guadalquiver ; it is of great width, and has 
 sixteen arches, varying in size and architecture : to 
 reach it you pass under a fine old gateway, built by 
 Herrera, for Philip II. ; the relievos on it, now much 
 destroyed, still bear proof of great merit : they are said 
 to be by Torrigiano. Not far from this gate is a gor- 
 geous elevation to San Rafael, the patron saint of the 
 town, whose effigy tops the whole ; a little further on, 
 on a stone let into the wall, is a request that he will 
 Ora pro nobis. 
 
 Following the road by the river, we came upon some 
 Moorish mills, which, if not very picturesque, are cer- 
 tainly interesting enough to walk through ; they are 
 still worked for grinding corn ; many of the arches 
 about them are blocked up. Towering high above, on 
 the opposite side of the road, are the gardens of the 
 Alcazar; we walked round to them. The building 
 itself was formerly the Inquisition, now it is a college ; 
 there is nothing to see in it, the gardens are plea- 
 sant. We went over several churches, but except 
 the mosque, there is nothing to see in them that 
 cannot be seen anywhere, but at every turn in the 
 town something is sure to be met, reminding one of 
 those days when the Moors ruled here with eastern 
 magnificence.
 
 118 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 Almost every house has a patio, more or less pretty. 
 All arrangements here are for coolness : thus the 
 streets are very narrow, to exclude the sun ; the floor- 
 ings of the rooms are either marble or brick tiles, and 
 a fireplace is a thing unknown in Cordova. The town 
 is extremely clean, but oh ! the pain of walking in it ! 
 The stones are so uneven and sharp, that if one filled 
 one's shoes with marbles, walking would hardly be- 
 come more difficult. No wonder the Spanish women 
 are remarkable for a peculiarity in their walk : how 
 could anyone get along without an odd gait ? It is 
 anything but graceful : they walk like ducks, slowly 
 and heavily, and with a decided waddle, but one 
 cannot be astonished, nor surprised that they never 
 walk at all if they can help it. 
 
 The Fonda Suiza, though the best hotel Cordova 
 has ever known, would bear improvement; the at- 
 tendance is bad and the food not over good ; and the 
 cold inside the house is unbearable, at this season, of 
 course. 
 
 From Cordova to Seville, as from Madrid to Cor- 
 dova, there is little to interest. The scenery is not 
 quite so monotonous; it is relieved by mountains in 
 the distance, and by olive-trees near. These trees 
 bear the large green olive, the size of an Orleans plum ; 
 they are not quite so highly flavoured as the smaller 
 kind. The olives in all Andalucia are triturated in 
 the same simple, primitive manner, as. along the north 
 coast of the Mediterranean in the Maritime Alps.
 
 COEDOVA. 119 
 
 From Cordova to Seville it is but four hours, and, as 
 we picked up the night express train from Madrid, we 
 left at a reasonable hour, starting at noon and arriving 
 at Seville at 4 p.m.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 SEVILLE. 
 
 SEVILLE, a city of beauty and romance, as Ave had 
 always pictured it to our mind, very much disap- 
 pointed us at first sight. Instead of being situated 
 amidst beautiful scenery, and intersected by groves of 
 oranges, we found it a commonplace-looking town on 
 the banks of an unornamental but useful-looking river ; 
 no country about, the land around looking like many 
 ploughed fields ; and the orange-groves away from the 
 town, and most of them walled in and quite hidden. 
 Yet all this disappointment completely wore away at 
 the end of a few days, and at the end of a fortnight we 
 were ready to agree with its most wildly-enthusiastic 
 admirers. There is an indescribable charm in it, but 
 it must be well known to be appreciated. 
 
 We were at the Fonda de Londres on the Plaza 
 Nueva. The house was dirty and dear, and we would 
 not advise any one to try it if they can get into the 
 Madrid or Paris. The weather, during the five weeks 
 we were in Seville, was, with three or four days' 
 exception, magnificent ; soft and warm as a fine Eng- 
 lish summer. We began our sight-seeing with the 
 Alcazar. This palace was built in the eleventh
 
 SEVILLE. 121 
 
 century, but has undergone many changes. It was 
 completely restored by Don Pedro El Cruel, by whom 
 the beautiful frontage was built, as an inscription in 
 Spanish bears record : this is written in Gothic letters, 
 and round the upper portion of the facade. The 
 workmen employed were Moorish, having been bor- 
 rowed from the king, Yusuf I. of Granada, who had 
 just completed the Alhambra. The principal patio is 
 splendid : one feels it almost impossible to realize the 
 reality that surrounds one ; the brilliant colouring, the 
 delicate lace-like work; the minute patterns, all so 
 perfectly executed ; the immense time it has remained, 
 many portions untouched for five centuries ; all render 
 it marvellous to behold. The apartments, as in all 
 modern as well as ancient Spanish palaces, surround 
 the patios. In the one leading from that called the 
 Hall of the Ambassadors, we were shown the spot, 
 stained, it is said, with blood, where Don Pedro so 
 treacherously murdered his half-brother, Don Fa- 
 drique, from jealousy, because he suspected him of 
 being in love with his queen, Blanche of Bourbon ; 
 and he caused her to be cruelly murdered at Chiclana, 
 not far from Cadiz, in 1361. Fadrique's death was 
 amply revenged by his own brother, Henry of 
 Transtamare ; these two brothers were the sons of 
 Alonso XL and Leonora de Guzman but all this is 
 history, and too well known to need recording here. 
 
 The Patio de las Doncellas is very magnificent ; it 
 is so called from having been the court where the
 
 122 A WINTEE TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 Moorish kings caused the virgins, always a hundred in 
 number, to pass before them, being the yearly tribute 
 imposed on their vassals, till Alphonso, surnamed the 
 Chaste, delivered them from this thraldom. The 
 Patio de los Munecas* is exquisitely delicate in its 
 decorations; the slender marble columns, the lace- 
 work arches, are so fine and pure-looking, it seems im- 
 possible to believe that all this fairy-looking building 
 is of a substance as hard and durable as stone. 
 Above the first is a second tier of pillars, and again 
 another range of arches. The lower part is very 
 ancient ; the upper part was added in the time of 
 Ferdinand and Isabella. But it is impossible to give a 
 description of this Moorish architecture and do it 
 justice; it is so elegant in design, so intricate in its 
 patterns, and so minute, that it is unlike anything we 
 ever saw before. The lower portion of the vestibules 
 and the floorings are of azulejos, the difference be- 
 tween the ancient and the modern tiles being that the 
 former were worked out with their patterns in mosaic 
 and raised work, whilst the latter are in square or 
 long pieces, and the pattern and colouring stamped on 
 them ; thus the one is very easily distinguished from 
 the other. 
 
 On the upper story is a little chapel, erected by 
 desire of Isabella the Catholic. The altar is entirely 
 of azulejos, representing the Annunciation and Visi- 
 tation of the Virgin, and the initials of Ferdinand and 
 
 * Dolls.
 
 SEVILLE. 123 
 
 Isabella with the Tanto Monta, meaning, Tanto Monta 
 Isabel como Fernando ; that is, The queen was equal 
 to the king, and they shared all honours alike. Be- 
 yond this chapel is the Cuarto del Principe, a mag- 
 nificent Moorish apartment; further on, after passing 
 several ordinary rooms, is the bedroom of Don Pedro, 
 from whence, through a private door, he had access to 
 the apartments of Maria Padilla, the only being who 
 ever exercised the smallest influence over him, so far 
 as making him occasionally human (one can hardly 
 say humane). Her gentle nature, her real love for 
 this brutal man, enabled her to mould him at times to 
 her will, and that will was always exerted for some 
 good purpose. It is said that she knew of, and by offer- 
 ing no opposition tacitly sanctioned, the murder of the 
 unfortunate and innocent queen ; but that is not so, 
 and none deplored the horrible deed more than the 
 king's mistress. 
 
 In the gardens magnificent as they are, still only 
 the reflection of bygone grandeur and beauty is the 
 long bath used by Maria Padilla : formerly it was that 
 of the sultanas. It is now walled up on either side ; 
 then it was bordered with orange-trees. Here the 
 real queen of the Alcazar received her king and court, 
 whilst in the enjoyment of her bath. There are some 
 orange-trees of enormous size and age in the gardens, 
 one which existed in Maria's time, and which is now 
 laden with its golden fruit. Myrtle-trees abound; 
 they line the paths, and in some places are formed into
 
 121 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 hedges, and so trained and at such a height that a 
 perfect maze exists of them. There are fountains in 
 all directions ; one plays along the terrace fronting the 
 bath, and up two side walks, causing an extremely 
 pretty effect. Summer-houses are studded about ; one 
 is built entirely of magnificent azulejos, by Charles V., 
 and is the principal one in the gardens. Charles V. 
 was married, at the Alcazar, to Isabel of Portugal, in 
 1526, and it was on this occasion that the Emperor 
 granted freedom to his royal prisoner, Francis I. of 
 France, who, since the battle of Pavia, had been kept 
 at Madrid. One of the large basins here has an anec- 
 dote attached to it in connection with Don Pedro. 
 He was one day in great perplexity as to the choice of 
 a judge who should decide a very important matter 
 then in agitation ; and walking up and down near this 
 water, he picked up an orange, cut it in two, and 
 throwing half away, threw the other half into it, the 
 cut side downwards. Then the king sent for one of 
 the judges, and asked him what was in the water. He 
 replied, it was an orange. The king, vexed, dismissed 
 him and sent for another, and so on for several more, 
 each having given the same answer. At last one, 
 before answering, took the branch of a tree and drew 
 the orange towards him, took it out, and said it was 
 " half an orange," upon which the king at once 
 appointed him judge over the pending matter. 
 
 Nothing is more delightful than sitting, during the 
 heat of the day, beneath the shade of these almost
 
 SEVILLE. 125 
 
 forest trees. We made friends with the old man who 
 keeps the rusty keys of the rusty lock that prevents 
 the mob from intruding, and many an hour have we 
 passed, lazily dreaming ot those great, grand old 
 bygone times we may read of, but which will never 
 come again. We have surely lived two or three 
 centuries too late for real enjoyment of life, or too 
 soon. 
 
 If the spirits of those that are gone ever revisit their 
 old haunts, what can they think of these magnificent 
 places being allowed to go to ruin ! The Duke of 
 Montpensier has won well-deserved thanks for the 
 time and money spent in endeavouring to restore the 
 Alcazar ; but these places can rarely be brought back 
 to their original perfection if once allowed to decay. 
 
 The cathedral is not far from the Alcazar, and coming 
 from the palace, the best view of the exterior is seen. 
 It is a magnificent building, and after seeing the 
 principal churches of Spain we have come to the con- 
 clusion that, taking this all and all, it is the most 
 beautiful of any, and we recall it to our recollection 
 with greater pleasure than either that of Burgos or 
 Toledo. 
 
 It is far larger and loftier, and of finer proportions 
 than any in Spain, and is built on the site and in the 
 form of the original mosque, nothing of which now 
 remains but the beautiful Giralda tower, so called 
 because on its summit is a colossal weathercock, in 
 bronze, and in the shape of a woman, representing
 
 126 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 Faith ; it is fourteen feet in height, and weighs nearly 
 three hundred pounds, yet it spins round with every 
 changing wind. Entering, by the beautiful filagree- 
 worked Moorish gate, into the Court of Oranges, the 
 Giralda rises up, straight and stately, to the left. In 
 the centre of this court is the original fountain which 
 existed in the time of the Moors. To the right is the 
 Sagrario, the parish church which really forms a 
 portion of the whole building. Facing it is the stone 
 pulpit where St. Vincent Ferrer preached, advocating 
 autos da fe, and other iniquitous proceedings. The 
 entrance to the tower is not in the court, but in the 
 outer plaza ; the ascent is easy, it being a broad path 
 on an incline, and no steps till within a short distance 
 of the summit, from whence the view is magnificent, 
 the mountains of Ronda towering to the east; the 
 Guadalquiver winding in and out amidst now well 
 seen orange groves ; the white town glistening in the 
 sunshine ; the innumerable and picturesque church 
 towers and spires ; the bull-ring, the Alcazar, and the 
 cathedral itself, at our very feet, rendering the whole a 
 scene once looked on, never to be forgotten. The 
 clock in the tower is thought much of, probably be- 
 cause a monk's hands made it ; the bells are nume- 
 rous, colossal, and as unmusical as they are big. On 
 great festivals the tower is illuminated, and the effect 
 extremely striking and pretty. Our guide to the tower, 
 a young, intelligent man, but totally blind, though he 
 pointed out correctly each object in the distance of any
 
 SEVILLE. 12 7 
 
 note, was very curious about our King Henry VIII. 
 and Katherine of Arragon, the wife of two brothers. 
 He clearly thought a greater wrong was inflicted on 
 her by the divorce than was done by marrying her to 
 her dead husband's brother. 
 
 We entered the church at all entrances, on all and 
 almost every day, and all hours, for we were never 
 weary of that beautiful building. Even the old 
 sacristan used to exclaim, when he saw us, " How you 
 must admire it to come so often ! " And so we did. 
 However, to give some account of it, it is better to 
 commence by the fine Moorish arched doorway, with 
 delicate lace-work decorations, every atom of which 
 will bear close examination. At first, all is gloomy 
 and dark within, till the eye becomes accustomed to 
 the demi-jour. Unfortunately, the two coros are 
 placed in the body of the church, spoiling the view by 
 blocking it up through the centre ; thus it is difficult 
 to realize the great size of the church. The best way 
 to do this is to go at night, and then stand at the 
 extremity of one of the aisles, looking straight down, 
 and, by the dim light of the candles which are placed 
 against each column, one can perceive the immense 
 distance it is to the opposite end. Taking the lateral 
 chapels first and turning to the right, is, in a small 
 capilla, an exquisite painting of the " Virgin and Child," 
 by Alonso Cano, a gem that one can never tire of 
 looking at. Here is the Virgin truly pourtrayed in 
 her meekness and simplicity. Next, in the Capilla de
 
 128 A WINTEE TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 Santiago, is a grand picture by Roelas; the saint is 
 represented as riding over the Moors: the frame is 
 worth noticing, not alone for its workmanship, but for 
 its great size. In the end chapel on this side, where 
 the christening font stands, is Murillo's great picture of 
 "San Antonio," thought by the Sevillians to be his 
 greatest work ; but, beautiful as it is, and marvellous 
 as the representation is of the Infant Saviour standing 
 in mid air, few will agree in this opinion after they 
 have seen those exquisite paintings in the Museum. In 
 the nearest of the two chapels at the western end, is 
 a " Holy Family," by Murillo's pupil, Alonso Miguel 
 de Tobar : it is a fine painting, and, but for its prox- 
 imity to the " Guardian Angel," by the great master 
 himself, would attract much more attention. The 
 " Guardian Angel " is a holy-looking picture. The 
 drapery of the little child is so wondrously transparent, 
 as he moves on led by the angel, the breeze seems to 
 be gently moving it. It is an exquisite painting. 
 One can never tire of it ; on the contrary, the oftener 
 we saw it, the more we desired to see it again. 
 
 Facing these chapels, at the western end, beneath 
 the pavement, between them and the con?, is buried 
 the son of Christopher Columbus, Fernando. On the 
 large flat stone which covers his remains, are told, in a 
 few short words, the great deeds of his father : " A 
 Castilla y a Leon Mundo Nuevo did Colon." There 
 are ships engraved on the stones on both sides of the 
 grave.
 
 SEVILLE. 129 
 
 Continuing up the south side in the chapel of Santa 
 Ana, is a picture of that saint, by Zurbaran, and a 
 finely-painted " Crucifixion," by a Mexican negro. This 
 was brought to Seville by a bishop sent out from there 
 to Mexico, and was justly considered worthy of a 
 place in the cathedral : the man was never known to 
 paint any other subject. Most Spanish artists paint 
 Crucifixions with three nails, and the Italian and other 
 schools with four ; they also place the wound on the 
 left side, and the Spanish on the right. In the Capilla 
 de la Santa Cruz, is a very fine " Descent," by Pedro 
 Guadalupe ; and in the Sacristia de los Calices are 
 several beautiful pictures. Amongst them is a nun, 
 "Dorothea," by Murillo ; a beautiful "Christ," by 
 Roelas ; and a " San Pedro," by Herrera el Viejo : 
 there is also a crucifix by Montanes. Painted on the 
 side wall, outside the chapel, is a huge fresco of " San 
 Christobal " with the Infant Saviour in his arms, hold- 
 ing the globe. This fresco is thirty-two feet high. 
 One sees this saint in almost all cathedrals. Beyond 
 are two enormous-looking cupboards, with a great 
 deal of good carving about them. Passing by the 
 sacristy, which we will return to presently, is, facing 
 the east, the high altar. The retablo is very grand, 
 and thought to be the finest in. Spain : there are forty- 
 four compartments, each representing a scene from the 
 New Testament, chiefly those in which the Virgin 
 plays a part. At the gospel side of the altar is the 
 stand for the " Cirio Pasqual," which now weighs ten
 
 130 A WINTEB TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 arrobas, 250 Ibs. but formerly, in more flourishing 
 days, it weighed eighty, and even ninety arrobas, and 
 towered up to the very summit of the cathedral. This 
 is only used at Easter, and every year there is a fresh 
 candle. At the foot of the marble steps leading to the 
 altar, is a natural stain in the stone so exactly resem- 
 bling a parrot that it appears to be inlaid. On the 
 upper portion of the iron gate that rails off the coro is 
 a figure representing Adam in a recumbent posture, 
 with a tree sprouting out of his side, and Eve growing 
 out of the top of that. 
 
 The coro is very fine, the carving of the stalls and the 
 whole interior is magnificent; there are 117 " sillas," 
 and in the centre is the archbishop's seat. The mar- 
 bles outside the choir are hardly in keeping with the 
 rest of the church, they are too rich and gaudy in 
 their colours, some being of a deep orange and red. 
 Continuing the round, now nearly completed, of the 
 chapels, we come, after the altar mayor, to the Ca- 
 pilla de San Pedro, rich in fine paintings, by Zurbaran, 
 all treating of the life of the apostle. To the iron 
 gates of this chapel is a marvellous bolt, in one piece 
 of iron, and of immense weight, yet it slides with the 
 greatest ease by the lightest touch ; an offer was made 
 to present a duplicate bolt in silver, if this one would 
 be given up, but the offer was declined. This is the 
 last of the lateral chapels, but around the choir are 
 several others ; one contains the Virgin of Montafies, 
 famous as one of his finest carvings ; the expression is
 
 SEVILLE. 131 
 
 soft and beautiful ; the robes on it destroy its otherwise 
 sweet simplicity. This image was, on the day that the 
 Bull of the Immaculate Conception was issued, taken 
 to the Infanta's palace, and she then and. there deco- 
 rated it with a diamond ornament for the neck, an 
 amethyst bracelet on each arm, and rings on her 
 fingers ; these are always left on the figure. 
 
 Behind the altar mayor is the Capilla Real, where 
 San Fernando, the conqueror of Seville, is buried ; his 
 body is in a silver coffin, richly embossed, standing im- 
 mediately over the altar, and in front of the miraculous 
 Virgin, " de los Reyes." St. Ferdinand's body is exposed 
 three times in the year to the faithful, when a military 
 mass is performed ; the body is in a very perfect state. 
 The silver coffin was given by Felipe V., four years 
 after he abdicated; it cost 71,000 duros. In the centre 
 is a large gold medallion, 'with a representation of the 
 keys of Seville being handed to him after the con- 
 quest. Right and left of the chapel, as you enter, are 
 the tombs containing the bodies of Alonso el Sabio, 
 St. Ferdinand's son, and Queen Beatrix. The " Virgen 
 de los Reyes," the Virgin of Seville, was given to St. Fer- 
 dinand by his cousin, St. Louis of France ; the miracles 
 she works are marvellous. The Duchess de Montpen- 
 sier is her mistress of the robes, reversing the order of 
 things as they stand at Madrid. On all great festivals, 
 the Infanta is in attendance, and directs and helps the 
 dressing of the Queen of the Sevillians. Passing be- 
 hind the altar is a quiet peaceful little chapel, which is 
 
 K 2
 
 132 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 under the especial care of the Infanta ; as in a recess, 
 leading out of it, lined with crimson velvet, are two 
 little coffins containing the remains of her youngest 
 children. The open-worked or-molu doors which 
 enclose these coffins have the arms of Spain and 
 France on them in medallions. In the same chapel, 
 but in a vault in front of the altar, Don Pedro the 
 Cruel, and Maria Padilla are buried : on the altar, lies 
 San Fernando's sword. 
 
 The Capilla Real has its own sacristy ; there are 
 some pictures, but the light is so bad we were obliged 
 to have candles, and then one could see them a little 
 better. Here are kept the Virgin's jewels. The dia- 
 mond necklace alone is worth 90,000 duros ; it belonged 
 to Dona Berenguela, the mother of St. Ferdinand ; the 
 crown she wears is the same wherewith the saint-king 
 was crowned. Her wardrobe is very extensive and 
 very gorgeous. 
 
 It was some time before we succeeded in obtaining 
 an order to see the sacristy and reliquary ; there are 
 always some difficulties raised, and day after day we 
 were put off with one excuse or another. You may 
 always see the sacristy by being at the cathedral early 
 in the morning, but you will see nothing in it ; and, 
 unless by special order, they will not show the relics. 
 
 The interior of the sacristy is very rich ; it was built 
 a few years only after the cathedral. Here are con- 
 tained all the treasures of the church, and the dresses 
 of the clergy ; the latter are gorgeous in the extreme,
 
 SEVILLE. 133 
 
 and wonderfully numerous ; the weight of some of 
 them is so great, that it is a wonder how any man can 
 bear to carry them on his shoulders, still less how he can 
 move about with them. The "relicario " is at the end 
 the room ; it is very plain, and like a cupboard out- 
 side ; when the doors are unlocked, the relics are seen 
 through glass. There are some magnificent ornaments 
 and cases with relics : The pix, used on great festivals, 
 has 1300 diamonds in it, and two pearls, each the size 
 of a small nut. A massive gold ornament, made from 
 gold brought by Columbus from America, consisting of 
 two figures, holding a globe, the globe alone weighing 
 fifteen pounds. A small gold " custodia," with precious 
 stones. A beautiful gold mounting to a circular crystal 
 case, in which is placed a thorn from the Crown of 
 Thorns. An ornament, equally valuable, containing a 
 piece of wood of the Cross. The keys that were pre- 
 sented to St. Ferdinand when he took Seville. A 
 small wooden cross, wonderfully minutely carved, re- 
 presenting, on the stand, scenes from the Old Testa- 
 ment, and on the actual cross scenes from the New. 
 A diamond cross, presented to one of the archbishops 
 of Seville ; it is placed here on account of its great 
 value. There are, besides these we have named, arm- 
 bones, legs, fingers, and other relics of saints, all hand- 
 somely mounted in silver or gold. 
 
 At the other end of the room is kept the heavy and 
 massive silver altar which is erected over the retablo of 
 the High Altar on great festivals. The silver custodia
 
 134 A WINTER TOUB IN SPAIN. 
 
 is of an enormous size, and solid silver ; it is the work 
 of a Spaniard named Arfe ; the candlesticks are so 
 massive, that it is all one man can do to raise one ; 
 the intrinsic value of this colossal mass of silver is 
 almost fabulous, for all is solid ; the altar, when up, is 
 twelve yards high, and one figure alone, which is 
 placed with others at various points, that of St. Ro- 
 salie, weighs nine arrobas and a half; her relics are let 
 into, and seen through a piece of glass in the breast. 
 The tenebrario stands here, it is an enormous bronze 
 candelabra, twenty-five feet high ; during Passion week 
 it is lighted by thirteen candles ; ' one after the other 
 are extinguished till only one is left burning, typical 
 of the desertion of our Lord by the Apostles, and the 
 fidelity of the Virgin. 
 
 Above the press containing the relics is a " De- 
 scent," by Campana, thought at the time it was painted 
 so true to life that the people looked on it with awe 
 and fear; it was painted in 1548. Murillo was never 
 weary of looking at it, and at his own request he was 
 buried before it in the church of Santa Cruz; this 
 church was pulled down by Soult, Murillo' s grave de- 
 stroyed, his remains cast away, and this picture cut up 
 into several pieces ; fortunately it was not past restora- 
 tion, but it took three months to do it. To the right 
 of it is a beautiful saint-like picture, by Zurbaran, of 
 " St. Theresa ; " and, on the other side, " San Lorenzo," 
 by Mulato, a pupil of Murillo' s. But the finest pictures 
 are two by Murillo himself, hanging right and left in
 
 SEVILLE. 133 
 
 the centre of the walls, and with a good light on 
 them ; the one is " San Leandro," and the other " San 
 Isidore," both full length, and magnificent paintings ; 
 the rich stiff silk robes of Isidore are wonderful. 
 
 We obtained permission to ascend to the galleries 
 of the cathedral ; from there a good idea may be 
 formed of its size, and the beautiful windows are also 
 seen from them. Outside on the roof is like walking 
 over hilly land, the ups and downs are so frequent ; 
 here the enormous size of the exquisitely painted rose 
 window over the western entrance can be seen ; it is 
 fourteen yards in diameter. 
 
 The ceremonies attached to the church of Rome 
 are performed here, on the various festivities, with as 
 much pomp and display as at Rome itself; and the rush 
 of visitors during the holy week is so immense that 
 fabulous charges are made for apartments, whether in 
 hotels or private houses, in fact, you pay by the hour. 
 A curious custom prevails at Seville during the octave 
 of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, it is of 
 dancing before the altar every evening at benediction 
 service. We went twice to see it. 
 
 The " altar mayor" was adorned with its massive silver 
 altar and retablo, brilliantly illuminated ; the Virgin's 
 image in the centre gorgeously attired, wearing a 
 massive gold and jewelled crown ; above all, and in 
 the centre of a gilt glory, was the precious pix,with the 
 Host exposed. The service was performed to a certain 
 point as usual ; the singing was beautiful, and the
 
 136 A WINTEE TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 organs sounded rich and full. All the clergy of the 
 town were present, the cardinal archbishop officiating. 
 Just before the time when, on other occasions, the 
 blessing would be given, a band of musicians entered 
 from behind the altar, and took up their places on the 
 right; the priests who, with the exception of those 
 officiating, were in the choir, now advanced in a body 
 to the altar, passing in between the dancers, who ap- 
 peared, like the musicians, from behind, at the same 
 moment. The priests placed themselves right and 
 left, and as far back and as close together as they t 
 could. The dancers, ten in number, were young boys 
 between twelve and fifteen years of age ; they were 
 fantastically dressed in yellow, blue, and white silk 
 jackets and breeches, slashed ; white stockings and 
 white shoes, white hat and feathers. They seated 
 themselves on benches, five on each side, till the signal 
 was given for the band to play ; the music was light 
 and pretty, and operatic ; the boys now rose and sang 
 to the music, and then, still singing, began to dance, 
 a slow measured dance, more like the Minuet de la Cow 
 than any dance of the present day ; after a little they 
 ceased singing, and played the castanets ; then again 
 they sang, but all the while dancing and the band 
 playing ; this lasted for about a quarter of an hour, 
 when the boys, having finished their part of the per- 
 formance, ran up the altar steps and disappeared be- 
 hind it, followed by the orchestra. During this ballet 
 the cardinal archbishop, and his assisting priests, stood
 
 SEVILLE. 137 
 
 by the altar; the people in the church were, the 
 women sitting on their heels, and the men standing ; 
 but now all knelt, and the cardinal gave the benedic- 
 tion : the Host, however, was not taken down for the 
 purpose, it was understood just the same, and in sign 
 of all being finished a curtain was drawn over it. Then 
 the priests, preceded by the choir, walked from the 
 altar across the church ; the cardinal was the last ; his 
 train was held up, and as he passed the kneeling mul- 
 titude, he gave his blessing with his scarlet-gloved and 
 ringed hand. Passed out well into the church, he en- 
 tered his gilt sedan chair, and was carried off home ; 
 fortunately for his bearers he had not far to go, for the 
 night was very bad, the rain pouring down, as it can 
 do in these latitudes. 
 
 The first night we witnessed this extraordinary cere- 
 mony, the Duke and Duchess of Montpensier, the Count 
 and Countess of Paris, and two younger daughters of 
 the duke were present, and sat within the altar rails. 
 
 There is something more heathenish than Christian 
 in exhibitions of this sort.
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 SEVILLE continued. 
 
 LEAVING the cathedral by the north door, a beautiful 
 Moorish horse-shoe arch, you pass beneath an ex- 
 tremely ungainly looking alligator. This was sent as a 
 present to Alonso el Sabio from the Sultan, at the 
 same time requesting the hand of the wise king's 
 daughter in marriage ; this was declined ; the alligator 
 remained all the same. Straight along the covered 
 way, at the opposite corner, is the Chapter Library. 
 It contains 35,000 books, left to the town by Fernando, 
 Columbus' son. Above the books in the first room 
 hang the portraits of all the great men Seville has 
 given birth to ; amongst them is that of Cardinal 
 Wiseman : the house he was born in, overlooking the 
 cathedra], has a tablet erected, commemorating the 
 fact. His father was consul here. In the adjoining 
 room are all the cardinals, archbishops, and bishops of 
 Seville. At the end is Murillo's beautiful picture of 
 " St. Ferdinand." Facing, as you enter, is the portrait of 
 a younger son of Charles III., who, at fourteen years of 
 age, was appointed by his father Archbishop of Toledo 
 and Seville. At the age of thirty, this youthful church
 
 SEVILLE. 139 
 
 dignitary chose to throw aside his clerical habit and 
 cast his vows to the wind, and in exchange took a 
 wife. A son of this marriage was made Bishop of 
 Seville; his portrait, a perfect Bourbon face, hangs 
 next but one to his archiepiscopal father. 
 
 Amongst the books are two in Latin, on various 
 scientific subjects, with notes on the margin written 
 by Columbus, also in Latin. There is also a most 
 interesting manuscript written by himself, proving the 
 discovery of America was foretold in Scripture ; the 
 quotations he gives from the Bible are so numerous, 
 that there is an index to them at the end. The hand- 
 writing is small but extremely distinct ; it is in Spanish, 
 and was drawn up by him when in prison, to lay before 
 the Inquisition. There is also a manuscript account of 
 his travels written by his son ; little care seems to be 
 taken of these precious relics ; they were locked up in 
 a table drawer, in no covering or case of any kind, 
 and we were permitted to handle them as we liked. 
 The sword presented to Varas, St. Ferdinand's captain, 
 at the taking of Seville, is preserved here. This sword 
 is said to have been buried for three centuries, and 
 was found when tardy honour was about to be paid to 
 the remains of its former owner, Fernan Gonzalez. 
 The number of Moors this sword has slain is unknown, 
 but it is stated that to the execution it did, the taking 
 of Seville was due. 
 
 The Lonja the Exchange is an important build- 
 ing standing on the south side of the cathedral
 
 140 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 square; it was built by Herrera, and very much 
 like the Escorial in outward design. The patio, 
 surrounded by Doric pillars, is very fine. A mag- 
 nificent marble staircase leads to the rooms containing 
 the archives of South America ; there are upwards of 
 3000 of these documents arranged in mahogany book- 
 cases. In the entrance room is a vile painting of 
 Christopher Columbus : the last room of all has four 
 maps, by Arrowsmith, of the four quarters of the globe ; 
 and a portrait of Fernan Cortes. 
 
 Seville is a city of churches, all of them having 
 something to see in them. Foremost in interest is 
 La Caridad ; the origin of this hospital was to give 
 burial to the poor ; now it is for the support of infirm 
 old men. In the chapel are six grand Murillos ; two 
 of them are very large, and painted expressly for the 
 places they occupy. They are called " El Pan y 
 Peces," and " La Sed ; " the first is " The Miracle of 
 our Lord Feeding the Multitude," and the last, " Moses 
 Striking the Rock ; " they are both magnificent paintings, 
 the expression of the faces so full of life ; the eagerness 
 of the thirsty groups, especially the anxiety of one child 
 to get his turn, pushing forward and watching till 
 another should finish drinking from the shell. In the 
 other picture, Peter seems to be bargaining for the few 
 fishes, whilst the Saviour, seated a little back, has the 
 loaves of bread before him, apparently blessing them ; 
 the hungry multitude is in the background. Of two 
 small pictures beneath these large ones, " The Infant
 
 SEVILLE. 141 
 
 Saviour " and " The Infant St. John," the latter is far 
 away the finest picture ; the Child Christ seems either 
 unfinished or injured, nor is the colouring good. 
 The other two are "The Annunciation," and "An 
 Angel's Visit ; " the light of these two beautiful pictures 
 is so bad, that unless the large doors near them are 
 thrown open, it is impossible to see them. Over the 
 principal entrance is " The Triumph of Tune ; " it is a 
 fine picture ; another, by the same artist, is " A Dead 
 Cardinal," so horrible that it is sickening to look at ; 
 he must have been dead too long when this painting 
 was done of him ; others in the background are nearly 
 as offensive. Over the high altar is a carved and 
 painted " Descent ; " it is wonderfully executed, the 
 figures around the Crucified Saviour being full of 
 expression and life ; it is by Pedro Roldan and 
 considered his chef tfceuvre. The hospital itself has 
 not much to see in it ; it is very clean and airy, and 
 the old men, just now 140 in number, seem to be well 
 cared for by the nuns who superintend the manage- 
 ment of the institution. The patio is very fine, and 
 has some well grown orange-trees in it. 
 
 There is a Moorish patio to the church of San 
 Salvador full of orange-trees. In this court is a little 
 chapel, which was built to contain what is considered 
 a miraculous crucifix ; it is perfectly imbedded in 
 ex-votos in all shapes; pictures, wax figures, wax 
 limbs, hair, crutches, and even entire wax babies. The 
 church itself, is laden with heavy massive gilding.
 
 142 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 San Pablo is a very fine church ; it is very large, with a 
 great quantity of decoration about it. From the opposite 
 side of the river the ruined exterior is very picturesque. 
 San Lorenzo has some good paintings, and the retablo and 
 the figure of the saint holding a large silver gridiron 
 are both by Montanes. The carved larch-wood roof 
 of San Clemente is beautiful ; and the azulejos on either 
 side of the high altar are extremely fine specimens of 
 the genuine ancient tile. This chapel is attached to a 
 convent, and a very curious old door leads out of it 
 into the convent, through which the nuns pass. The 
 tower of San Pedro is Moorish ; the roof is handsome. 
 There is a good picture here by Roelas of "Peter being 
 Delivered from Prison." The retablo of the high altar 
 is heavy ; in a side chapel is a virgin, celebrated as 
 being her of Saragossa. San Juan de la Palma was a 
 Moorish temple. San Diego is curiously built ; the 
 church being divided by a wall going up the entire 
 centre, communication is obtained at both ends, but it 
 has the appearance of being two churches. There is a 
 very beautifully illuminated missal here of 1642. 
 
 San Bernardo has little to recommend it beyond a 
 painting of " The Last Judgment," by Herrera el Viejo, 
 in one of the side chapels. San Felipe Neri is an 
 extremely pretty church, with a great deal of gilding 
 and rich ornaments, and some good pictures. San 
 Esteban was formerly a Muzarabic church ; the retablo 
 is by Zurbaran. Santa Maria la Blanca, once a 
 synagogue, contains some old Roman granite columns,
 
 SEVILLE. H3 
 
 and one or two good pictures ; one, said to be by Murillo, 
 of " The Last Supper ; " but we should think it very 
 doubtful. San Nicolas, with its many beautiful marble 
 columns, looks like a miniature copy of the Mezquita 
 at Cordova. Santa Paula, a beautiful little church 
 with azulejos as fine as those in the Alcazar, and 
 paintings and carvings by Alonzo Cano ; the azulejos 
 at the entrance are magnificent. This chapel is 
 attached to a convent of a very strict order. Santa 
 Catalina has a miraculous virgin, and a velvet banner, 
 embroidered with a Virgin and Child, the faces painted, 
 worth alone going to see. San Louis, the Jesuits' 
 church ; San Marcos, San Geronimo, and several others, 
 may all be visited, and in each will be found some- 
 thing to repay the trouble. 
 
 The Museo is a large plain building, with many 
 patios, and little to recommend it for architectural 
 beauty ; but it contains such gems of Murillo's that, 
 on entering the room to which the name of the great 
 master has been given, one has to pause and resolve, if 
 possible, to study one at a time quietly for one's 
 inclination is to do as one frequently does with an 
 interesting book, running the eye from page to page, 
 galloping through to see the end; and it is difficult to 
 keep from glancing on in this way till the eye has 
 rested on all these exquisite paintings, that cannot be 
 equalled in any other gallery. 
 
 It would be perplexing to say which delights one 
 most, they are all so beautiful. All but two are large
 
 144 A WINTEE TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 paintings ; but these small ones are perfect gems ; the 
 one is " The Virgin and Child," called " La Servilleta," 
 from having first been sketched on a napkin ; the child 
 is marvellous, it is leaping with life ; the other is a 
 " Conception," which formerly belonged to the Capuchin 
 convent. The others are, two of " San Antonio," one 
 with the Infant Saviour standing on the book before 
 the kneeling monk, and the other with him sitting on 
 it the latter is the finest, though both are beautiful ; 
 " The Annunciation," " The Nativity," " The Adora- 
 tion of the Shepherds," " The Virgin and Angels with 
 the Dead Saviour ; " " San Felix de Cantalicio," 
 called by himself his own picture; besides several others : 
 one feels overwhelmed with such works around one, 
 and day after day did we return and feast our eyes 
 without ever feeling we had seen them- sufficiently. 
 There are several pictures by Juan de Castillo, 
 Murillo's master; but the master could not compete 
 with the pupil. Velazquez's master, Herrera el Viejo, 
 has one or two pictures in this room ; through his " San 
 Hermenegildo " his life was spared ; he having been 
 condemned to death for forgery, Philip IV., seeing the 
 picture, and learning who it was by, sent for the artist 
 and pardoned him. Though Velazquez was a Sevillian, 
 there are none of his paintings here. Zurbaran, so 
 little known in England, yet a great master, and with 
 none to equal him in painting monks, is seen here to 
 perfection ; amongst the finest is " The Apotheosis of 
 Thomas Aquinas." There are some works of Roelas,
 
 SEVILLE. 145 
 
 Pacheo, and Valdes ; but with such a collection of 
 Murillos, one does not seem to want more. There 
 is a fine " San Geronimo," in terra-cotta, by Tor- 
 rigiano ; and a beautifully carved " San Domingo," by 
 Montanes. 
 
 In the patios are some interesting remains of sculp- 
 ture found at Italica ; also a very ancient filigree iron 
 cross, which formerly stood in the Calle de la Sierpe, 
 and was removed when improvements were being 
 made. In front of the Museo, in the centre of the 
 plaza, is a very fine bronze statue of Murillo, who 
 was born in Seville, and died there. 
 
 The next best pictures are at the Universidad. It 
 was formerly a convent belonging to -the Jesuits, but 
 suppressed by Charles III. in 1767, and converted 
 into a college. There are some fine paintings by 
 Roelas in the church; and two, very beautiful, by 
 Alonso Cano, " St. John the Evangelist," and "St. John 
 the Baptist." The two large figures above the retablo 
 of the high altar are by Montanes ; and to the right and 
 left of the altar are images of San Francisco de Borga 
 and San Ignacio, by the same artist ; the latter is said 
 to be the best portrait of the founder of the Jesuits in 
 existence, and if it is, his looks belie him, for his 
 countenance is not only honest-looking, but has a 
 thoroughly good expression, and he must have been 
 extremely handsome. Here are the tombs of the 
 Ribera family, removed by the Duke of Medina Celi 
 from the Cartuja, when that convent was suppressed ;
 
 146 A WINTEE TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 the sculpture of the marble is very fine. Two of these 
 ancestors of the Duke of Medina Celi, having each had 
 two wives, are buried with the effigies of both lying on 
 either side of them. In some of the side chapels are 
 some good paintings, and a carved " Conception," by 
 Montafies. In a small room, used as a kind of 
 secretary's room, is a fine painting on wood, by Albert 
 Durer. In the council hall are a whole string of 
 worthless portraits, with one of the present queen 
 worse than the rest. 
 
 The palace of the Duke de Montpensier was formerly 
 a naval college, founded by Fernando, son of Christo- 
 pher Columbus. The duke bought the building when 
 the college was removed to Cadiz. The exterior and 
 facade are extremely handsome ; the house, a large, 
 spreading, rambling place, is out of character with it. 
 The interior is like any other gentleman's house ; it is 
 handsomely furnished, yet with utter disregard to 
 uniformity. For example, in the ball-room, a looking- 
 glass is let into the wall, on one side, and d propos 
 of nothing ; it is framed with badly-joined marble ; 
 on the opposite side it has no match, and it seems 
 placed where it is without any reason. The room 
 when lighted up looks extremely pretty ; glass stars 
 line it, with jets of gas at each point. There are some 
 fine pictures in some of the other rooms. Amongst the 
 Murillos, of which there are two or three, is "The 
 Virgin with the Sash;" Louis Philippe paid 6000/. 
 for it. There are several by Zurbaran, and the famous"
 
 SEVILLE. 147 
 
 picture, by Ary Scheffer, of "Monica and St. Augustin." 
 Many of the paintings are modern, but all are good. 
 The gardens, if they can be called such, are very 
 extensive, but they are a mixture of park, zoological 
 gardens, and botanical gardens. The ground is very 
 flat, with carriage roads intersecting it. There is a 
 great variety of trees, a large range of greenhouses, 
 and a pinery ; here and there aviaries, large and small, 
 with all kinds of foreign birds, from parrots to an 
 owl, and a very spiteful fellow he is. There is a little 
 island, and two boats on the water ; not far from it is 
 a spiral staircase under a net-work of wire, which 
 ascends to some height ; from the summit a tolerable 
 view is obtained. One side of the gardens is skirted 
 by the Paseo de las Delicias ; the other extends to the 
 tobacco manufactory. 
 
 This Tobacco Manufactory is a wonderful establish- 
 ment, and the largest in Spain. It is a colossal square 
 building, containing thirty-seven patios; this alone 
 may give an idea of its size. Five thousand women 
 are employed in it, in the manufacture of tobacco and 
 snuff of all kinds, good, bad, and indifferent : their 
 pay, according to their capabilities, varies from one 
 real to eight a day. They find themselves in board 
 and lodging. When we went in the first time, and 
 looked down from one end to the other of one of the 
 many galleries, it seemed as if we were suddenly 
 transported into a lunatic asylum ; the dirt, the 
 squalid-looking misery, mixed up with tawdry finery 
 
 L 2
 
 148 A WINTEE TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 and flowers ; their talking, laughing, screaming ; the 
 different attitudes they were in ; the overseers men and 
 women walking to and fro, to keep a certain amount 
 of order ; the bare walls, or else draped with skeleton 
 crinolines, which they take off for convenience ; the 
 wild looks, the sullen manner ; the whole scene 
 resembled more what one might expect to see in a 
 madhouse, rather than a manufactory, where wives, 
 mothers, and daughters, were working for their daily 
 bread. The cigars of Virginian tobacco, which are 
 made for selling in the streets, are sold at a cuarto, or 
 farthing each ; cigarettes for the streets, of Manilla 
 tobacco, are sold twenty for a cuarto. The Havana 
 tobacco is the best ; the cigars made from it are one 
 real each. The smell is very slight, and new hands 
 only perceive it for a few days ; it produces a slight 
 drowsiness. They are all allowed to smoke as much 
 as they like, but they are not allowed to take any 
 away. Many of them use the privilege very freely. 
 The snuff is made less noisily, and fewer hands are 
 employed in it, as a great deal of rolling is done by 
 a machine ; the smell is so slight one can hardly be- 
 lieve the hills of brown stuff around are all snuff. It 
 is a dirty, nasty place to visit, still it ought to be 
 seen. 
 
 Many are the interesting houses in Seville, either from 
 their architecture or associations ; amongst the latter 
 is Murillo's. Here he was born, and here he died. It 
 is a large house, in the Plaza de Alfaro ; one side of it
 
 SEVILLE. 149 
 
 is so near .to the old city walls that they seem to form 
 a portion of it. The patio is hung all round with 
 pictures, not, alas! Murillo's. Rooms lead off from 
 it, all filled with worthless copies ; upstairs the same ; 
 every room is lined from the ceiling to the floor. Out 
 of the whole mass there are not mor'e than half a 
 dozen decent pictures. The house now belongs to 
 two brothers, nephews of a late canon of the cathedral, 
 Dean Cepero, by whom the collection was made, and 
 which once was really valuable, but everything worth 
 buying was bought. All the rubbish now here is to 
 be sold, house and all, if anyone wished for it. It is 
 said that there is nothing in Spain that cannot be 
 bought, provided only the price is paid. In the long 
 drawing-room, under a little glass case, was a minutely 
 carved crucifix, with the Virgin Mother standing at 
 the foot of the cross ; the whole was not longer than 
 an inch ; it was wonderfully done. There was also a 
 painted glass worth seeing ; it was the shape of a 
 soda-water glass, very ancient. This is highly prized 
 by the owner. 
 
 The archbishop's palace, Cardinal Louis de la Lastra, 
 is on the plaza, close to the cathedral, with a very 
 massive and elaborate stone-worked entrance leading 
 into the first patio, and then under arches into 
 another. Between the two is a magnificent marble 
 staircase, which goes up to the reception rooms, the 
 chapel, and the cardinal's private apartments. Not- 
 withstanding our being heretics, we were received by
 
 150 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 him most graciously, and he conducted us himself 
 through all the rooms. There are a few tolerable 
 paintings, and the ceiling of the long room is beauti- 
 fully painted with subjects from the Old and New 
 Testaments. In this room, he said, he took exercise 
 in bad weather. There were a rare sight in Spain 
 two large fireplaces in it, both tightly fastened up. 
 On asking him if he never had fires, he replied, never, 
 as, if ever he felt cold, he thought he must be ill, 
 and at once sent for the doctor. His bedroom and 
 dressing-room were large and lofty, but so devoid of 
 comfort ; there was a hard, stiff look about them, and 
 not the symptom of a bath. The secretary's room 
 looked more homely than any other part of the palace, 
 but he had a suffocating brasero in it, rendering the 
 atmosphere unbearable. The chapel has not much 
 in it, its chief recommendation being to the cardinal 
 that it is in the house. There, unless ill, he offers up 
 mass daily. We had a long talk on politics ; he was 
 well up in all the questions of the day. He spoke 
 highly of Lord Derby, and thought Mr. Disraeli had 
 a great mind, and was a great man. He denounced 
 the Fenians, and said no good Catholic would counte- 
 nance them for a moment. Everything he said 
 showed him to be tolerant and liberal minded quali- 
 ties rarely met with amongst the priesthood of Spain. 
 At parting he gave us his cross to kiss, and blessed 
 us, urging us to return for the Holy week, which, he 
 said, every one should see once, for it is a grand
 
 SEVILLE. 151 
 
 sight, and offering us every facility to see it thoroughly 
 if we would ; but it was not a question of would, but 
 could. 
 
 The house called La Casa de Pilatos was built by a 
 gentleman named Ribera, in 1533, on his return from 
 a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and is supposed to be an 
 exact copy of Pontius Pilate's house in that city. It 
 is a perfect Moorish building, and the engraved work 
 very beautiful. The patio, decidedly the handsomest 
 portion of the whole, has not two arches around it 
 of the same proportions ; thus the marble columns 
 that support them are irregularly placed, some being 
 far apart, others close together. The chapel is entered 
 from the patio. In it there is a large black cross, 
 from where the " Stations of the Cross " are com- 
 menced, which lead up to the Cruz del Campo, about 
 a mile and a half out of the town, close to the great 
 aqueduct. The stations are still made by the people, 
 but more especially at Easter. A grand staircase, 
 the walls lined with azulejos, leads to rooms now 
 turned into offices, but which formerly were copies 
 of those in which Pilate lived. Against a well is a 
 cock, with an iron grating before it. The garden 
 is a perfect bed of weeds and rubbish, broken 
 columns, broken statues ; bits heads, legs, and arms 
 lay about in all directions. A grotto or rather 
 what once was one is called Susanna's grotto. The 
 house is the property of the Duke of Medina 
 Celi, and he has moved, to his palace in Madrid,
 
 152 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 many of the works of art which were formerly 
 here. 
 
 At the Casa O'Lea is one large room, with Moorish 
 work in it ; it might be a stable (which Soult really 
 did turn it into) or a barrack, for all there is to see in 
 it ; but the embroidered arches and lace-work around 
 the walls is, as all of the same description very 
 beautiful. 
 
 The house in which Lord Holland lived, belonging 
 to the Duke of Alba, has a great deal of Moorish 
 work about it, but it is in a sadly dilapidated state. 
 The gardens and the once fountains now a desert, 
 with ruin on all sides show what the palace was, and 
 what perhaps it might be if restored ; but it is getting 
 very nearly past the possibility of it. The patios, of 
 which there are several, are very handsome, and the 
 azulejos are ancient ; but so little care seems taken of 
 anything, that even they will soon cease to exist ; for 
 if one falls out it is kicked aside, without any thought 
 of replacing it. The myrtles in the garden are quite 
 trees ; and the padre of the orange-trees is said to be 
 1100 years old. - The stem is very large, but hollow. 
 The tree was, however, when we saw it, laden with 
 fruit. 
 
 The Marquis de Mantilla's house, as a specimen of 
 a modern Spanish residence, is very good ; it is 
 extremely handsome. It has some pretty Moorish 
 work about it all modern, of course. It is within a 
 door or two of La Cuna, the Foundling Hospital ; it
 
 SEVILLE. 153 
 
 is a good institution, and in great request. There is 
 a small door in the centre wall as you enter, with a 
 kind of portico ; on knocking, this is opened, and the 
 poor little unknown is taken in without question or 
 inquiry.
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 SEVILLE continued. 
 
 THERE is a very large cannon foundry, and a copper 
 foundry, here ; both worth a visit. The former is a 
 very extensive building ; it belongs to the Government, 
 and no cannons are made for exportation. There are 
 some magnificent lions being cast, which are to adorn 
 the Cortes at Madrid ; they are as superior to those 
 at the foot of the Nelson column as gold is to brass ; 
 they are made from cannons taken during the late 
 war in Africa. The details are perfect; every hair 
 is worked artistically. The artist is a Spanish sculptor. 
 The copper foundry is at no great distance from the 
 cannon foundry; the copper is brought from Rio 
 Tinto, and made into caps and other articles required 
 for guns. The building is not large. English vessels 
 are used for making the explosive matter. Continuing 
 along the Carmona Road, where these foundries are, 
 by the old Moorish city walls, many portions of which 
 are very perfect about here, we reach La Sangre, an 
 enormous hospital, with a facade of 600 feet. It was 
 erected in 1546. Notwithstanding its size, it is 
 generally well tenanted. The patio is fine; the
 
 SEVILLE. 155 
 
 church, a handsome edifice, stands in it. There are 
 some paintings here by Zurbaran. 
 
 Very nearly facing La Sangre, on the opposite side 
 of the river, rise the sugarloaf-shaped chimneys of 
 the pottery belonging to Mr. Pickman, once the 
 famous Cartuja convent. To get to it you have to 
 cross the bridge and drive through the suburb called 
 the Triana, a populous portion of the town, the in- 
 habitants being gypsies, bull-fighters, and any other 
 class of a lower grade that may exist. A rough road 
 soon brings you to the hospitable gates that lead to 
 the wide spreading building, where the kind-hearted, 
 generous Englishman, has formed a little world of 
 his own around him. The long ranges of rooms, 
 filled with pottery, are alone sufficient to show the 
 immense business done here. In fact, Mr. Pickman 
 supplies all Spain with earthenware. A new show- 
 room, now nearly completed, is entered by two 
 magnificently carved doors, 500 years old. There 
 were two chapels to this convent ; one is still retained 
 as such, and mass is performed there on Sundays and 
 festivals, when the family, and those employed on the 
 premises, attend. In it is a beautifully-carved Virgin, 
 and the stalls are magnificent. Only half of them, 
 however, are there, the other half having been taken 
 by the government, before the property was sold, for 
 the cathedral at Cadiz. An Englishman lately offered 
 Mr. Pickman 500Z. for those in his chapel, which offer, 
 it need hardly be said, he declined. On the stairs
 
 156 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 which lead round to the back of the upper portion of 
 the altar, is a mark showing to what an enormous 
 height the water rose in 1784. These water-marks 
 are to be seen in many parts of Seville, where flood- 
 ings are very frequent. Lately precautions have been 
 taken to guard against them. The old chapel is used 
 as a work-room ; there is a rose window in it sur- 
 rounded with some fine azulejos. The ceiling of the 
 refectory is of carved cedar. What would the poor 
 monks think for they have all died off if they could 
 look down and see what their grand old convent was 
 converted into ? The prior's house and private garden 
 prove him to have been a man of taste. In the latter 
 stands a magnificent pipless-orange tree. The oranges 
 and sweet lemons here are celebrated, and they well 
 deserve their fame. The flavour of the sweet lemon 
 is so very delicate that nothing should be eaten before 
 them. The smell of the peel is like bergamot, and is 
 very powerful ; it is nice to place amongst wearing 
 apparel. The groves and groves of these orange and 
 lemon-trees occupy upwards of thirty acres, and is a 
 sight worth seeing, when either laden with their rich- 
 coloured fruit, or covered with their beautiful blossom. 
 Mr. Pickman purchased the whole property from 
 the government immediately after it was sequestered, 
 and he has resided there ever since 1839, honoured, 
 esteemed, and loved by all. At first he employed 
 English workmen only in the pottery, on account of 
 the utter ignorance of the Spaniards, but very soon he
 
 SEVILLE. 157 
 
 found that drink was ruining one half and killing the 
 other; so by degrees he introduced Spaniards, teaching 
 them the business, till now, with the exception of his 
 own family, he has none but Spaniards in the manu- 
 factory; their wages are high, and so they remain; 
 some have been there five-and-twenty years. Of the 
 produce of the pottery it is hardly necessary to say 
 that it cannot compare with that produced in Eng- 
 land ; yet there were some Moorish-patterned jars that 
 could not be matched in our country for richness of 
 design and beauty of shape. Mr. Pickman sent two 
 pairs to the International Exhibition held in Paris last 
 year, and as they have been seen by all the world, 
 very probably we may soon have their duplicates 
 produced. 
 
 The most interesting excursion out of Seville is to the 
 ruins of Italica. They are about six or seven miles distant, 
 and on the same side of the river as the Cartuja ; after 
 passing the bad road through Triana, a good carriage- 
 road takes you to within a few hundred yards of these 
 ruins ; but every one should make a point of getting 
 down to walk before passing through the turnpike, as 
 the toll is thirty-two reals, nearly seven shillings, and 
 as the previous toll close to the town is eight reals, 
 it is enough, without the exorbitant charge of the 
 second. 
 
 There is interest attached to every step one takes : 
 to be standing on the spot that gave birth to the great 
 Emperors Trajan and Adrian is alone sufficient ; but
 
 158 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 the whole history of this place is fraught with interest, 
 and more especially to those who can visit it. The 
 excavations made, for it has been treated simply as a 
 quarry by the matter-of-fact Sevillians, have brought 
 to light a great deal of sculpture, mosaic pavement, 
 bits of mosaic, and many coins : these excavations are 
 only made when material is wanted ; there is no 
 thought of digging for the hidden treasure. The 
 arena, still perfect enough to mark its size, shows also 
 the tiers of galleries as they existed, the entrance of 
 the gladiators, and that for the wild beasts, also the 
 place they were taken through from the arena when 
 dead. It held 23,000 spectators. A marble tablet, 
 hitched on to one of the old walls, records a visit from 
 Queen Isabel II. on the 23rd of September, 1862. 
 
 The old guide, who looks eighty, though it will 
 take twenty years more, according to his own reck- 
 oning, before he reaches that age, showed us his own 
 dwelling, close on to the ruins ; it was more curious, 
 decidedly, if not so interesting as the grand old relics 
 he guards. It is made of mud, which is plastered in 
 amongst and against a few huge stones, one of which 
 juts inwardly and forms his pillow ; a long flat stone, 
 over which he threw a piece of matting, being his bed ; 
 his covering a manta, that is, a sort of coarse scarf 
 worn by the peasants as a cloak. There was no 
 window, a low door ; the roof, cane, inside black from 
 smoke ; a hole in the ground, his kitchen fire ; a wooden 
 table and a broken chair, his furniture ; three spoons
 
 SEVILLE. 159 
 
 and a knife, pushed into the cane roof, his plate; a 
 brown earthenware dish, his crockery. He had, how- 
 ever, a good supply of arms and ammunition, and a 
 couple of dogs. He had a wife, but she was ill, and 
 so was down in the village being looked after. No 
 wonder the poor woman moved her quarters, if here 
 her pillow was of stone, and her bed the same. The 
 man said he slept little a fact not likely to create 
 surprise. He had meat for dinner once a week, fish 
 and vegetables on other days. 
 
 On our way back we stopped at the fine old con- 
 vent of San Isidore, close to the village of Santiponze. 
 It was built in 1301 by Alonso Perez de Guzman, 
 who is distinguished in history for his defence of Tarifa, 
 and which cost him his boy's life, which event, ac- 
 cording to tradition, he thought little of, having saved 
 the town from the Moors. The Guzman's family house 
 is still in existence in the Plaza del Duque at Seville. 
 The convent of San Isidore was destroyed by Soult 
 and turned into a prison, but is now once again a 
 convent with 230 nuns in it. The "chapel, and all 
 near and about it, tell of devastation and destruction. 
 There are two fine images of San Isidore and San 
 Geronimo by Montanes. The tombs and effigies of 
 Guzman and his wife are near the high altar. There 
 is also the tomb and effigy of Uraca Osorio. It is 
 related of this poor woman that she was condemned to 
 be burnt to death because she refused to listen to the 
 addresses of Don Pedro el Cruel, and that she was to
 
 160 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 be exposed to the fire uncovered ; her maid, Leonora 
 Davalos, seeing her mistress suffering from modesty 
 more than from the flames, sprang towards her and 
 concealed her by her own person, and thus they 
 perished together, and now lie in the tomb side by side. 
 Continuing along the Badajoz road towards Seville 
 till it divides, and by taking the narrower one to the 
 right, you reach Castilleja by an easy winding ascent, 
 for the little town is situated on the summit of the low 
 range of hills which skirt Seville on this side. Castil- 
 leja is celebrated as the place where Fernan Cortes, 
 on the 2nd December, 1547, died. The house this 
 event took place in has been bought by the Duke de 
 Montpensier, and by him converted into a pretty 
 Moorish-looking summer palace. The room Cortes 
 died in is filled with pictures relating to his great 
 deeds in Mexico, and sadly blended with those of the 
 ill-fated Maximilian, whose portrait on a gold medal 
 hangs against the wall. The room also contains a 
 very fine ivory crucifix, and in consequence claims the 
 privilege of being entered by visitors "uncovered." 
 The remainder of the house is most comfortably and 
 prettily furnished, with a great deal of English taste, 
 and many English things. From the tower the view 
 over the country is very fine. Cortes was buried at 
 first at the convent of San Isidore, but his remains 
 were afterwards taken to Mexico, where they were left 
 in peace till 1823, when they were once again moved, 
 but where to does not seem to be clearly known.
 
 SEVILLE. 161 
 
 The only other excursion is to San Juan de Alfa- 
 rache. The view from the heights of the still existing 
 Moorish wall fronting the convent is very fine. Seville 
 looks better from here than from any other point, and 
 the winding river adds considerably to the beauty of the 
 scene. Sunset is the right moment for this view. Little 
 of interest now remains in the ruined convent ; the 
 chapel has a retablo by Zurbaran, and the christening 
 font is curious ; in the time of the Moors it was a 
 drinking place for horses the excavation for the 
 horse's neck is there in the centre of the font ; a 
 natural spring used to fill it. The story told is, that 
 every Holy Thursday this font was miraculously sup- 
 plied with water, being probably turned on for the 
 occasion ; but, any way, it has given up the practice. 
 The twin wells in the patio, with their healing proper- 
 ties, still draw many of the sick and suffering to test 
 their efficacy. One priest alone resides here now ; he 
 is paid by government, his parishioners being neither 
 rich nor numerous. 
 
 In the village is a large licorice manufactory ; to 
 those who care for such sights it is a curiosity, as the 
 licorice may be seen in all its stages, from the raw 
 root to the thick hard substance, packed in wooden 
 cases ready for exportation. They manufacture thirty 
 arrobas a day. An arroba is twenty-five pounds. 
 Only the scrapings are made up into sticks here, and so 
 the sticks sold in Spain are not so good, nor are they 
 considered the best licorice. The process it goes
 
 162 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 through after cooking is very much like the trituration 
 of the olive. It is sent by river to Cadiz, and from 
 there anywhere and everywhere. There is a scent 
 manufactory and a pottery in the village. 
 
 There are a great many olive farms about here, 
 some of them on a very extensive scale, and producing 
 enormous crops. Almost in all the olive woods the 
 licorice grows, and the produce of ten acres is 
 considered worth 100?. a year ; it grows unculti- 
 vated. The olives are the large green eating olive, 
 the size of walnuts, and the small black olive, used 
 chiefly for oil, though they, too, are sometimes eaten. 
 
 There is no doubt Seville should be seen in 
 spring, that is, at Easter, when the Feria, a sight that 
 cannot be seen elsewhere in the same perfection, and 
 the bull-fights, and every description of gaiety, gives a 
 bright holiday look to everything. The Plaza de Toros 
 is a large building, and can hold 13,000 spectators ; 
 the bull-fights go on during the whole summer. But 
 Christmas is not a bad season to spend here ; the town 
 is gay with turkeys, which stand in flocks at various 
 points of the town for sale : every one has a turkey for 
 dinner on Christmas Day. There is also a fair held 
 for about ten days on the banks of the river, near the 
 bridge, where stalls and stalls sell nothing but sweet- 
 meat made with almonds : there are also plenty of toys, 
 and very noisy ones, especially the zambomba, which is 
 a flower-pot with a piece of parchment stretched over 
 the top and a piece of cane running through it in the
 
 SEVILLE. 163 
 
 centre ; the children wet their hands and draw the 
 cane through their fingers : the noise is awful. There 
 is no wintry look in any part of Andalucia during the 
 early winter, or till the end of January ; for, besides the 
 evergreens, which abound, the leaves do not fall from 
 the trees till the middle of January ; the consequence 
 is spring is very late, and when trees will be in leaf in 
 the south of France, in the south of Spain they will not 
 show a symptom of them. 
 
 The Paseo de las Delicias is a beautiful sight on 
 
 O 
 
 Christmas Day. It is the drive of Seville, and all the 
 world comes here in gala dress ; the road is filled with 
 carriages and riders, and the paths at either side with 
 pedestrians. Mules are generally used in carriages. 
 The Duke de Montpensier and the Infanta, with their 
 son and daughters, are always amongst the crowd; 
 they are much liked, and always receive a sincere 
 welcome. But it is amongst those who are walking 
 that to the foreigner the most amusement is to be 
 found to see the ladies, their long dresses raising 
 such clouds of dust, that one must be partially choked, 
 their restless fans sometimes sheltering their bright 
 eyes from the sun, sometimes conveying more meaning 
 than their words, but rarely fanning themselves ; the 
 graceful mantilla, which on these occasions is usually 
 of lace only, and therefore shows the whole figure, is 
 all so unique and charming, that one never wearies of 
 sitting here and watching them. They have summer 
 fans and winter fans, morning fans, and evening fans ; 
 
 M 2
 
 164 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 you rarely see a lady use the same two days running. 
 In the evening the theatre, the Teatro Real de San 
 Fernando, is full ; on Sundays and festivals the people 
 dress a little more : as a rule, only morning dress is 
 worn. This is the principal, and may be called the 
 only theatre. Italian operas are given on alternate 
 nights. It is open all the year round. Most of the 
 residents have their private box, which they take like 
 an empty house and furnish according to their fancy ; 
 this gives an odd look to it, some being fitted up one 
 way, and some another. All is open as in the dress 
 circle of an English theatre, only with low divisions, 
 so the interior is plainly seen. The house is large, 
 well ventilated, well lighted, and extremely clean ; the 
 decorations are white and gold ; the boxes have an 
 open-work balcony in front of them so that the ladies' 
 entire dresses are seen, which gives a gay appearance 
 to the house. The stalls occupy the entire body of 
 the house ; there is no pit at all. 
 
 Besides this theatre there are two places where the 
 Andalucian dances are given, but these are nothing 
 more than large rooms, dirty, and ill-lighted ; the men 
 and women who perform dance in the centre, the spec- 
 tators, never very numerous, and always composed of 
 foreigners and the lower class of Spaniards, line the 
 room. The dancers are heavy and ungraceful; one 
 alone did we see that had any pretensions to be called 
 a dancer ; then the castanettes or clapping of hands, 
 one of which is always used as an accompaniment, is
 
 SEVILLE. 165 
 
 so noisy and so very unmusical, that, except out of 
 curiosity, no one would dream of going to these places. 
 There were between eighteen and twenty dances with 
 different names, and they seemed very nearly their only 
 distinction. The orchestra consisted of a guitar and a 
 violin. These dances are best seen during the Car- 
 nival and La Feria ; the dresses are fresh then, and 
 the whole thing is on a better scale. 
 
 Seville is a very clean town ; the streets are, as a 
 rule, narrow, for the sake of shade ; some of the new 
 Plazas, however, render the houses so exposed that, 
 however agreeable in winter, in summer the heat must 
 be unbearable. Every house, even the very meanest, 
 has a patio, varying in size and beauty of decoration 
 according to its importance. The door is always 
 open into the entrance-hall, then a light open-worked 
 iron gate admits to the patio; this gate is of course 
 closed. They are extremely pretty all over Seville ; 
 some of the designs are beautiful. The lower rooms 
 all open on to the patio, which has usually a fountain 
 in the centre, and flowers ; around, beneath the gallery, 
 sometimes pictures are hung. This portion of the 
 house is occupied in summer, in winter the entire 
 furniture is removed to the upper floors; thus the 
 people convert one house into two residences. The 
 hall or outer door is usually ornamented with large 
 bronze nails ; some of the ancient ones are very hand- 
 some, especially those on the doors of public buildings. 
 The shops are very oriental in their bazaar-like appear-
 
 166 A WINTEE TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 ance, having no windows and being entirely open ; a 
 marble pillar is usually in the centre, against which 
 the large doors are closed when the shop is shut. The 
 pavement of the streets is quite in a position to bear 
 improvement : it is impossible to understand how the 
 horses keep their feet in some places. In some of the 
 streets they have put the large flat stone common in 
 Italian towns ; but on these they slip instead of stumble. 
 In the old parts of the town the carriages nearly 
 scrape the walls. This is especially the case about the 
 Juderia, or Jews' quarters. Here there is a sort of 
 fair held every Thursday, it is called " Of Antiqui- 
 ties ; " but it would be more properly termed a Rag 
 Fair, as these antiquities consist of rusty locks, keys, 
 fire-irons, hats, boots, chestnuts, and cotton goods. 
 Yet in the early part of the day the place is thronged ; 
 some quaint things may, perhaps, occasionally be 
 picked up, but we saw nothing, and felt rather injured 
 at having been induced to waste half a day in going 
 there, for we were long before our coachman could 
 find out this Feria. 
 
 These narrow streets are extremely good for setting 
 off processions, of which there are so many in super- 
 stitious Spain ; they are usually so poor that in a wide 
 street their banners and candles, few in number and 
 mean in appearance, would look ridiculous. Dogs, cats, 
 and watchmen are a nuisance in Seville. The former 
 abound, looking half-starved, and apparently belonging 
 to no one, but always fighting. The cats are often
 
 SEVILLE. 167 
 
 to be seen in churches, frequently springing through 
 the iron gates and across the altars. The watchmen 
 are worse in Seville than anywhere else ; they shout 
 out, " Ave Maria Purissima, las diez " (or whatever the 
 time may be) " kan dado" every hour and half hour, 
 from ten at night till six in the morning. This is 
 extremely annoying, for if it happens to be beneath 
 your window, it must awake you ; and they manage so 
 that once or twice during the night no one shall escape 
 hearing them. Beggars are also very trying ; they 
 waylay you at every corner, and frequently exhibit 
 some fearful malformation, that sometimes one will 
 give, to be delivered from the sight ; but this is an 
 extremely unwise plan, as you are sure to be seen, 
 and in a few minutes you are surrounded by them. 
 Blindness and diseases of the eye are very common in 
 and around Seville amongst all classes. 
 
 Cock-fighting is a favourite sport amongst the inha- 
 bitants of Triana, where a Sunday or feast-day never 
 passes without this cruel amusement going on in the 
 centre of the street. This Triana is thought to be the 
 artist's paradise ; and we doubt much if any one after 
 seeing it would dispute it with them ; dirt on canvas 
 may be very picturesque, but dirt in nature is most 
 repulsive. Those groups, sitting on the pavement 
 outside of their houses mothers with curly-headed, 
 black-eyed, brown-skinned, half-naked urchins, busy 
 in removing what is easily imagined by the diligence 
 with which the duty is being performed ; young girls,
 
 168 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 half-lying, half-sitting on the ground, doing some lazy 
 kind of work ; men, in their short embroidered trou- 
 sers, leather gaiters, red sashes, velvet coats, and 
 quaintly shaped hats, are charming when painted, but 
 when seen in all their living dirt, they become so 
 repulsive that the picturesque is all lost, and what is 
 disgusting alone visible. 
 
 As the cock-fighting is especially for the lowest 
 class, so is the "Sociedad Filarmonica" for the highest; 
 it is peculiarly select, and strict rules maintained as 
 regards those admitted. The Infanta and family are 
 always present ; the performance is by amateurs, and, 
 though not perfect, is extremely good. Concerts are 
 given about once a month, from October to May. It 
 is a pleasant place for meeting friends, and talking is 
 carried on with lips and eyes and fans ; and the beauty 
 of Seville is seen here better than anywhere else. 
 Evening dress, is de rigueur, which it is not at the 
 Opera. Small reunions also take place in the winter, 
 when dancing is in the open air. We were present 
 at one of these entertainments on the day after 
 Christmas Day, given at a little country house at 
 the end of the Pase"o de las Delicias. It was a 
 pretty sight and very novel ; the ladies all wore lace 
 mantillas and thin light dresses ; their fans sheltered 
 them from the sun, for there was no awning ; it was a 
 magnificent day, but too hot till about four, when it be- 
 came delightful there was every kind of refreshment 
 and wines. The " Villa Nueva," or " Vino de la Tierra,"
 
 SEVILLE. 169 
 
 is a delicious rich sweet wine, something like Tent, 
 though it is nothing but the wine made in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Villa Nueva, from whence it derives its 
 name, and is very cheap. We were told it would not 
 bear exporting. 
 
 English service is performed in a room in the 
 house of the British Consul, Mr. Williams, who is a 
 Roman Catholic married to a Spaniard, and is half 
 a Spaniard himself, his mother having been Spanish, 
 and he born and bred here. Thus every sort of diffi- 
 culty is raised, and it has frequently happened that no 
 service has taken place at all ; amongst other trifling 
 annoyances, singing is not permitted. The Rev. L. 
 Tugwell is now doing duty there, but it is a hard 
 task ; he has much to contend against, and no means 
 to do it with. There are 300 Spanish Protestants in 
 Seville, but there is no toleration for them ; the go- 
 vernment hardly permits business residents to be of 
 any persuasion but their own ; or if they are, they 
 find they must cease their occupation. There are 
 many English families amongst the working class; 
 but they have all been received into the Church of 
 Rome. There is an English priest here, whose labour 
 of love it is to make smooth the rough path of the 
 Protestant till he is a Romanist; then he passes on 
 and goes and does the same charitable deed for the 
 next. Many debts are paid for heretics that the 
 papist may pay for himself. 
 
 Mr. Williams's father, who is still living, but resides
 
 170 A WINTEK TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 out of Seville, was celebrated for his fine collection 
 of pictures, china, and antiquities; almost all are 
 now dispersed, the principal part having been sold. 
 
 Many anecdotes are related here by old residents of 
 the eccentricities of the late Mr. Richard Ford. We 
 will repeat a harmless one, which, however, proves 
 him to have been peculiar in some of his ways. He 
 one day issued invitations for a dinner to the leading 
 people of Seville, amongst them the Captain-General 
 of the Province. On their sitting down to table they 
 found the entire dinner was served up in the great, 
 heavy, coarse earthenware dishes made in Triana; 
 hideous to look at, and enough to prevent any one 
 eating the most tasty dishes off them ; they have to be 
 seen really to be understood. Mr. Ford's guests were 
 naturally extremely indignant, and considered they 
 had received an insult not easy. to forgive. 
 
 The Barber of Seville's house still stands, but it is 
 no longer a barber's shop ; a tailor has got possession 
 of the celebrated premises, but there are plenty of 
 " Barbers of Seville " to be seen.
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 JEEEZ DE LA FEONTERA. SHEREY. 
 
 FEOM Seville to Jerez de la Frontera (it is called 
 de la Frontera, because there is another Jerez to the 
 north-west) is three hours over an uninteresting 
 country, and as usual the trains start at inconvenient 
 tunes. A closed carriage, except private ones, are not 
 to be found in this town ; the carriages used are 
 waggonettes, with a water-proof covering over the top 
 and sides, clean and roomy, and pleasant enough if it 
 does not blow and does not rain and is not cold. The 
 best hotel is the Fonda de Jerez ; the rooms are good 
 and nicely furnished, but all the rest is very bad ; cook- 
 ing bad, attendance worse, everything done without 
 system or order ; gas burnt that gave no light and sent 
 forth instead such an atrocious smell, that one wished 
 it had never seen the inside of the house. Outside the 
 atmosphere was very warm and heavy, but inside the 
 house it was like a well : we tried a brasero, but were 
 compelled to send it away ; the horrid smell rendered 
 cold preferable to such heat. We asked for a warming 
 pan, the sheets seeming to be rather damp ; they did
 
 172 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 not own one, so they brought us a wine bottle with hot 
 water in it as a substitute. 
 
 Jerez is an extremely clean town, very white- 
 looking from the white-washed houses ; the streets are 
 tolerably well paved, and not so narrow as in most 
 purely Spanish towns ; almost all being traversable 
 with a carriage. The watchmen are a wonderful 
 improvement on Seville ; instead of shouting out the 
 " Ave" and time, they simply whistle it in a soft 
 melodious tone, a whistle for each hour, quite loud 
 enough to hear it if you are awake, but not sufficient to 
 awake you. 
 
 Jerez stands amidst undulating lands, covered with 
 the famous vines producing the sherry grape. The 
 wine vaults are of course what people go to see at 
 Jerez ; amongst the largest and finest are those 
 belonging to Senors Gonzalez, Domeck, and Garvey ; * 
 but in visiting one bodega you see all. The forests of 
 casks, numbered according to their flavour, value, and 
 age, are alike in each of them, as is the courtesy and 
 hospitality proffered by their owners. The way the 
 wine is made is very interesting to learn ; when out of 
 the vaults we tasted the famous Pedro Jimenez, a wine 
 hardly known in England ; it is made from the muscat 
 sherry grape, and is more of a liqueur than wine. 
 
 A visit to the vineyards in winter is utter waste 
 of time, as it neither gratifies nor edifies, the buildings 
 being deserted, and the vines black-looking, leafless roots. 
 
 * This latter gentleman is an Irishman.
 
 JEREZ DE LA EEONTEEA. SHERRY. 173 
 
 It is better to spend one's time in seeing all that is left 
 of the once famous Cartuja Convent, though now 
 little but memories of the past is left to create enthu- 
 siasm. Here, as elsewhere in Spain, the churches are 
 fine and their decorations showy, from the mass of 
 gilding there always is lavished in every available part 
 of them. The exterior of San Miguel is very fine. 
 The Alcazar is Moorish and interesting ; there are one 
 or two other specimens of Moorish work, that have 
 fortunately been permitted to remain, without their 
 entire beauty being effaced with that eternal white- 
 washing, which is always going on all over Spain. 
 The Spaniards have certainly been sadly maligned in 
 being called dirty ; in one respect only is the accusation 
 true ; and that results from an utter disregard to the 
 use of combs and brushes, This of course only applies 
 to the very lowest classes.
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 CADIZ. 
 
 FROM Jerez to Cadiz is two hours ; the road is 
 interesting enough. The first station is Puerta Santa 
 Maria, on the Bay of Cadiz ; it is the principal port 
 from whence the wine is exported, and here there are, 
 as at Jerez, very large bodegas. A little further on is 
 the place where Lord Essex landed in 1596. The last 
 station is San Fernando. . Salt is made here in 
 enormous quantities ; the pyramids of it that cover 
 the ground on all sides, make the place look like a 
 large camp : the process is very simple, narrow canals 
 are cut in lines from the sea, and the water is allowed 
 to evaporate. When the evaporation first begins the 
 much appreciated fish, called Lissa, is caught, and then 
 they are much more delicate than when taken in the 
 open sea; crabs are also caught in these canals, a 
 small kind, but very nice. Cadiz is about six or seven 
 miles further on. 
 
 Cadiz is built on a peninsula, and seems as if 
 it rose out of the sea. The pure white look of the 
 town, with the deep blue setting around it and above
 
 CADIZ. 175 
 
 it, renders it extremely pretty from a little distance ; 
 the innumerable towers (almost every house has one) 
 add very much to its picturesque appearance. The 
 streets are very clean, well paved, and wide enough for 
 carriages. It is famous for guitars, gloves, prawns, 
 and cream ; the latter like Devonshire cream, but made 
 from goat's milk. No other milk is to be had as a rule 
 in all Spain. The prawns are from seven to eight 
 inches long ; their flavour is not so good as the smaller 
 ones, which are sold here as shrimps. No one should 
 omit to send to the Pescaderia, to the " Casa del freidor " 
 for the Pescadillo ; it is pieces of fish cooked, and 
 easily warmed up, without soddening or in any way 
 being spoilt : it is most delicious, and quite a thing of 
 Cadiz. The Fish-Market is a disgusting sight, and 
 enough to prevent one eating fish to see it. There is 
 a fish, called here the Choco, an iron-grey scaleless fish, 
 with a round body and numerous snake-like legs. By 
 some it is called Calamar ; it is disgusting to look at, 
 but is thought much of in Andalucia. It is very 
 plentiful, and tastes something like lobster. Every 
 thing is good that is caught here, hence the most 
 obnoxious looking things are eaten. Nothing but 
 rain-water is to be had ; but you get it filtered for 
 drinking if you ask for it ; it has a brackish, disagree- 
 able taste if it is not, and then not wholesome. It is 
 frequently so scarce that it has to be bought ; it is then 
 brought from Puerta Santa Maria, and sold at one real 
 the arroba. There is an English company now in
 
 176 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 Cadiz, endeavouring to enter on an agreement for 
 supplying the town with spring water ; it is proposed 
 to bring it from Santa Maria by an aqueduct. When 
 there is a water famine, such houses as have tanks are 
 compelled to give a certain quantity from their store to 
 the poor of the town. 
 
 The vegetable market is very fine. In the middle of 
 January we saw new potatoes, green peas, bananas, 
 and pines in abundance. The radishes are a sight 
 from their great size they are twelve and fourteen 
 inches long ; turnips like beet root in size, but very 
 delicately flavoured, are much eaten here, so is the oak- 
 apple. Partridges, plovers, quail, woodcock, and 
 hares in quantities, and all very moderate in price, but 
 they don't understand cooking them. The shops are 
 very good, especially the silversmiths ; the Calle Ancha 
 is considered the best street for shops, but the Calle 
 San Francisco is the Oxford Street of Cadiz. The 
 hotels are vile, We were at La Vista Alegre ; and 
 the Vista was the only Alegre thing about it ; it was 
 dreadfully wanting in common necessaries, marble 
 floors without carpets or matting ; a palace of a house, 
 but nothing in it, not even food. It was here General 
 Solanowas killed in 1811. He was Captain-General of 
 Andalucia ; the recesses in which he hid himself, now 
 converted into cupboards, are still shown. He attempted 
 to make his escape by the roof, but a ball struck him 
 down and killed him. Beggars are fewer and less 
 importunate than at Seville ; here they wear a badge,
 
 CADIZ. 177 
 
 showing themselves licensed to beg ; if they do not 
 wear this, a word sends them off. 
 
 The sights of Cadiz are limited. The cathedral, 
 La Nueva, so called to distinguish it from La Vieja, is 
 a very handsome massive building too massive ; the 
 pillars are formed by eight marble columns grouped 
 into one. The coro has the beautiful carved stalls 
 taken from the Cartuja at Seville. In the sacristia is 
 a " Conception," said to be by Murillo ; but M. Blasco, 
 a very good authority, told us that it was by Clemente 
 de Torres, born in Cadiz in 1665, a pupil of Valdes 
 Leal. 
 
 Beneath the chapel del Rosario is a vaulted chapel, 
 where penitents go three times a week to pray and do 
 penance ; they used formerly to inflict on themselves 
 corporeal punishment ; the disciplines were provided 
 by the church. This practice has very lately been given 
 up. Men only are admitted, even to see the chapel, 
 but with silver keys, and being accompanied by one 
 having both power and influence, we were allowed to 
 enter not that it really repaid one the trouble. The 
 altar has a finely carved " Calvary " over it. At the 
 opposite end of the church is the seat of the priest, 
 who presides during the performance of penances. 
 
 At the Capuchinos' convent of San Francisco, 
 occupied by Lord Essex in 1596, and now converted 
 into a lunatic asylum, is Murillo's celebrated picture 
 of " Santa Catalina " the marriage of St. Catherine. 
 Apart from the exquisite beauty of the painting, a sad
 
 178 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 interest is attached to it, as being the last he ever 
 painted, and the cause of his death. He was on a 
 scaffolding working at it over the altar, where it still 
 remains, and stepping back a little to contemplate 
 what he had just done, he lost his balance and fell on 
 the marble pavement within the altar rails; he was 
 carried home to Seville, and died very shortly after. 
 This picture, not quite completed, was, however, so 
 far near it, that none ever dared put a brush to it ; 
 whilst the subjects around it separate pictures, but 
 forming a sort of frame to it and which are together 
 so large that they entirely cover the wall, were finished 
 by his pupil, Meneses. The subjects are, " San Fran- 
 cisco," and the " Guardian Angel " on the right side ; 
 above it the " Eternal Father," and on the left, 
 Michael the Archangel, and St. Joseph leading the 
 Saviour by the hand. In a side chapel is San Fran- 
 cisco receiving the Stigmata; it is by Murillo, but 
 there is no light at all to see it by. There is also a 
 "Conception" by him very beautiful. Opposite to it 
 is a portrait of a "Principal of the Capucines," by 
 Vandyke. In the centre aisle is a very fine " Mater 
 Dolorosa," by Zurbaran. This church is by far the 
 most interesting object in all Cadiz. 
 
 The Museum ranks next, but falls terribly short of it. 
 There is only one Murillo here, an " Ecce Homo," but 
 very fine. There is a good copy of his " Virgin de la 
 Faja," by Tovar. The Saviour is seated on the 
 Virgin's lap, distributing small loaves of bread to the
 
 CADIZ. 179 
 
 venerable doctors. The original belongs to the Duke 
 de Montpensier. A grand " San Bruno," by Zurbaran. 
 A head by Alonso Cano. A very fine " Crucifixion," 
 by Montanes. "Michael the Archangel," by Rubens, 
 and a " Last Judgment," by Michael Angelo, but not 
 a pleasant picture at all. Most of the other pictures 
 are modern ; one a very pretty landscape, by Bel- 
 monte. Two represent the fall of Murillo at the 
 Capuchinos. 
 
 Senor Blasco, 17, Calle Jardanille, has a small 
 collection of good pictures; the finest is by Murillo, 
 of the Infant Jesus lying asleep, his left hand resting, 
 on a skull, and his right doubled in, as children are 
 apt to place it ; three angels are looking down at him, 
 raising a curtain to do so : it is a lovely picture. The 
 child asleep is perfect. Senor Blasco obtained it from 
 a relative who was superior at a convent which was 
 suppressed. He asks 2,000/. for it. He told us he 
 was then in treaty with the authorities of the Ken- 
 sington Museum, who wished to purchase it.* There, 
 is a fine old work by Zurbaran ; a head by Velazquez, 
 and two "bocetas" original sketches; one by Murillo, 
 of a lamb, the wool of which one fancies one might 
 bury one's hand in ; and the other by Velazquez, of 
 his famous picture in the Madrid Gallery, of " Las 
 Meninas." There is a head by Goya ; a Jan Steen, 
 
 * Senor Blasco is now in London, and has brought this painting 
 with him ; it may be seen at his residence. 
 
 N 2
 
 180 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 and a few others, more valuable perhaps than pleasing ; 
 but it is, for a private collection, a very fair one. All, 
 or any of them, are for sale. 
 
 At the Hospital for Women, in the Calle del Hospital 
 de Mugeres, is a very fine patio, and a singularly 
 handsome staircase ; the latter is built like an open 
 plait, four flights of stairs branching off from the first 
 landing, and again four above that ; the arches en- 
 twining themselves cross ways above. This hospital 
 is one of the finest institutions in Cadiz ; it is entirely 
 supported by voluntary contributions, which, judging 
 by the manner it is kept, cannot be small. Nothing 
 can exceed the neatness and cleanliness. The dormi- 
 tories are large and airy ; the beds well apart ; the 
 sitting-up rooms supplied with all comforts ; the kitchen 
 a perfect sight for such a country, and indeed could 
 not be better anywhere ; a nice little garden, bright 
 with flowers ; and the patio, with fine banana-trees, 
 the broad green leaves always affording a cheery look- 
 out for the poor sick and suffering ones within. 
 
 There is but one theatre here of any pretensions, 
 or that is at all frequented by the Gaditanos, and that 
 is El Principal. It is open the whole year round, in 
 winter for the residents, and in summer for the visitors, 
 who flock here in numbers for sea bathing and sea 
 breezes. It is the first theatre that was built in Spain ; 
 and though in appearance and size it cannot vie with 
 that of Seville, in point of performances it greatly 
 excels it. The sisters Marchissio and Emma Lagrua,
 
 CADIZ. 181 
 
 star it here, and certainly well deserve the praise and 
 applause accorded them. Bottessini leads the orchestra, 
 which is first-rate. A little romance is attached to him 
 as the husband of a lady known as La Florentina 
 on the stage, daughter of the late, and sister of the 
 present English consul at Seville. At the minor 
 theatre El Balon something between a circus and a 
 theatre, and where they frequently have dancing the 
 people only are ever seen. 
 
 The cemetery lies at some little distance, close to 
 the church of San Josd, which looks from afar like 
 a miniature St. Paul's. Within the church there is 
 little to admire, but outside it looks very imposing; 
 the Plaza de Toros and the prison are passed on the 
 road to San Josd Close by here is also the plot of 
 ground where English and other heretics are buried. 
 The first person ever laid here was the late consul's 
 mother. At the church of San Felipe Neri, a small 
 plain building, is where the Cortes sat during the War 
 of Independence. There is a " Conception " here by 
 Murillo, and a " Padre Eterno " by Clemente Torres. 
 Near here is a bureau for the sale of indulgences, as 
 there is in most of the principal towns of Spain. 
 
 There is no English chaplain. Mr. Dunlop, the 
 consul, reads the service every Sunday morning at 
 half-past ten in his own house in the Calle Ahumada, 
 near to the Alameda. There are plenty of protesting 
 Spaniards, but they dare not admit their disbelief in 
 the practices of the Romish church. In almost all
 
 182 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 the churches are English clocks those old-fashioned 
 hall or kitchen clocks upright square columns. 
 
 At the pretty little town of Rota in the Bay of 
 Cadiz, the Tent wine is made that is used in our 
 church a rich sweet dark red wine called here 
 Tintillo de Rota. The grapes grow on the sloping 
 hills around the town. 70,000 butts of sherry were 
 exported from Cadiz during the year 1867 ; the grapes 
 producing it grown almost within sight of Cadiz ; each 
 butt paying at the lowest 301. The Vino del Campo 
 de Carinena is extremely nice, and it may be had at 
 six reals the bottle. Senor Moreno de Mora, the 
 owner of extensive vineyards at Jerez, and whose 
 bodejas at Santa Maria are worth seeing, if none have 
 been visited at Jerez, has one of the handsomest 
 houses in Cadiz. It is built, furnished, and decorated 
 from materials brought entirely from Paris or 
 London. The cost of it was immense. The house 
 door alone, of rosewood, made in England, cost 300, 
 and all other things are in proportion. It is more 
 like a palace than a private gentleman's house. He 
 has a relative that for forty years has been subject to 
 sleeps, lasting sometimes two or three days, and some- 
 times five and six weeks. They cannot be called 
 trances, for she eats and drinks during this strange 
 state, merely opening her mouth as a sign. When 
 she awakes she is utterly unconscious of anything 
 that has happened, or how long she has been sleeping. 
 She is generally aware when the attack is corning on,
 
 CADIZ. 183 
 
 by a sensation of uneasiness all over her. Nothing 
 has ever done her the least good, though the best 
 doctors of France and England have seen her, and 
 tried every sort of remedy. She is now 72 years of 
 age. 
 
 We ascended the Torre Tavira one bright sunny 
 afternoon; it is the signal tower, and the best to 
 obtain a good view from. From here one sees how 
 very nearly an island Cadiz is ; the narrowest sandy 
 strips of land joining it to the continent. The roofs 
 of the houses are mostly flat, and all dazzlingly white. 
 The towers somewhat relieve the monotony of the 
 buildings. 
 
 The climate is not always agreeable ; the hot damp 
 winds are terribly depressing, and headache-giving. 
 On these steamy days everything is moist, inside the 
 houses as well as out ; water trickles down the walls ; 
 one's very clothes become damp ; and during the time 
 the atmosphere is like this, the sky is dull and the 
 sun does not shine. It resembles a Turkish bath 
 more than anything else, and is quite as unpleasant 
 and enervating.
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 GIBRALTAR. 
 
 To leave Cadiz, except by sea, is a very difficult 
 matter, the trains starting at 5 a.m. for any place 
 beyond Jerez, and then they do not go further than 
 Cordova ; hence most people are driven to choose the 
 water, and if the weather happens to be as we had 
 it, the sea like a river, a cloudless sky and a hot sun, 
 the trip is most enjoyable. We were bound for Gib- 
 raltar, and though we afterwards learnt we might 
 have gone by land, sleeping two nights on the road, 
 and roughing it a little, we were told at the time that it 
 was impossible; the roads were impassable by a car- 
 riage, and mules were uncertain ; there were no inns, 
 and plenty of robbers. However, there is no doubt the 
 sea journey is the easiest, the quickest, by far the least 
 expensive, and the scenery is magnificent. 
 
 We were on board the " Adriano," a clean boat, 
 with an extremely courteous captain, by 7 '20 a.m. ; 
 she was advertised to sail punctually at 7 '30, but we 
 did not get under way till a few minutes past 8. As 
 we rounded the town, it stood out like a mass of frosted 
 silver in the rising sun-light, till, as we steamed along
 
 GIBEALTAE. 185 
 
 and left it in the distance, it looked like a mass of 
 white ruins rising up from the sea. Soon we lost 
 sight of it, then passing Torre Gorda, Isla de Leon, 
 the Castle of Santi Petri, we saw the town of Medina 
 Sidonia lying back on the side of a mountain, and 
 Chiclana, which we did not see, as it was buried in a 
 valley to the left, the scene of the murder of poor 
 Blanche of Bourbon, the unhappy queen of Pedro the 
 Cruel. Then Barrosa appears, so famous in the war 
 of 1811, quickly to be succeeded by Conil, with its 
 quaint-looking windmills, till at length we round the 
 point and enter those waters so celebrated, and the 
 very name of which must arouse enthusiasm in the 
 breast of the most apathetic Englishman. We are 
 now on the very spot where the battle of Trafalgar 
 was fought, where, on the 21st of October, 1805, 
 Nelson won the great victory that cost him his life. 
 The battle took place on the Cadiz or western side of 
 the bay ; at the point of land which juts farthest into 
 the sea, stands a lighthouse, nothing else marks the 
 spot; the sandy coast would hardly permit of any 
 monument, if even the Spaniards would, but it requires 
 none ; it is a hallowed spot, and one that is marked in- 
 delibly in the heart of every man, woman,* and child, 
 that claims to be a British subject. 
 
 The great rush of water in the Straits, the calm sea, 
 and the breeze there was, being in our favour, contri- 
 buted altogether to send us rapidly onwards, and we 
 soon saw Vejer on the hill, and Boloriia on the coast ;
 
 186 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 then we passed the ruins of Belon, till rounding the 
 point we saw Tarifa in the distance, and the grand 
 panorama of the African coast stretching so far across 
 the Straits, that it seemed from this spot as if no sea 
 lay between the two continents. Apes' Hill, the highest 
 point of this African range, gradually however receded 
 as we approached, and as we neared Tarifa, twelve 
 miles of water separated us from the empire of 
 Morocco. 
 
 At Tarifa we landed passengers, and took in some. 
 The large barrack-looking building, which stands out 
 as about the only decent house in the town, is where 
 Guzman el Bueno (?) allowed his child to be murdered, 
 this patriot preferring his boy's death to surrendering 
 Tarifa, which every one else had refused to hold, but 
 which he volunteered to do for one year. This Guz- 
 man, who is buried at San Isidore, near Italica, is said 
 to be an ancestor of the Empress Eugenie. The 
 women of Tarifa are eastern enough to wear their 
 faces covered over when in the streets, their eyes, or 
 rather only one, being visible. 
 
 From Tarifa to Cabrita, which is the western point of 
 the bay of Gib, the range of hills is covered with aloes 
 and cactus*; the former is used for making a material 
 from the fibre which is taken from beneath the outer 
 skin of the leaf, and the latter is grown for the prickly 
 pear, which the people eat ; it is grown without the 
 least labour or trouble, so that it thoroughly suits the 
 taste of the Spaniards, who find most things good that
 
 GIBEALTAE. 187 
 
 are had so easily. Now the grand old Rock rising like 
 a giant from the sea stands before us : its very look 
 seems to forbid progress if the faintest excuse rendered 
 it necessary. It is seen better when the bay is entered, 
 for then you have it from beginning to end, from 
 south to north, wholly before you. The town is prin- 
 cipally built at the northern end, though it stretches 
 in straggling houses right across the base. The 
 steamer had to land passengers at Algeciras before we 
 ourselves landed ; this occupied fully half an hour, so 
 before we put our foot on land we had been nine hours 
 on board, and we only just got in before gun-fire, which 
 was then at 5 '45 p.m., and after that neither love nor 
 money will gain admittance through the closed gates, 
 so that it was with a little anxiety we watched our 
 progress across the bay from Algeciras. Both the 
 embarking at Cadiz and the landing at Gib have to be 
 done in small boats, but it is a matter of no difficulty 
 or even inconvenience, and the distance is short. 
 All along the coast of Spain the same plan is ne- 
 cessary. 
 
 It is difficult to describe our impressions on landing 
 here after three months' travelling in Spain : it seemed 
 as if by some magic we had been transported to Dover 
 (always excepting the climate), the British flag flying 
 at all points, the English soldier, the English sailor, 
 the streets well paved, and of an ordinary breadth ; 
 the English-built houses, with the English sash-win- 
 dows ; all was such a wonderful change from Spain
 
 188 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 and its customs and people, it was difficult to realize 
 the fact, that though on British territory we were not 
 in old England. 
 
 The Club House Hotel was full, Griffith's was being 
 painted, the Hotel Espagnol was full, so we were com- 
 pelled to put up at the Hotel de Paris, of which report 
 spoke ill, but which we found no reason to complain 
 of, excepting in the way of dirt, and that surpassed all we 
 had ever met anywhere in our travels over Europe; 
 but we were told the hotels were alike in this respect, 
 the Club House being as bad as any. We had very good 
 rooms, and extremely good living, the roast beef and 
 steaks being better than what we have frequently had 
 in London. Everything in the house, from the poker 
 and tongs to the red-moreen and white (?) muslin cur- 
 tains that adorned our sitting-room windows, was 
 purely British, the pride of the Gib-ites being that 
 they have not a plate or cup and saucer that does not 
 come from their own mother country. English is 
 spoken in all the shops, though generally with a slight 
 accent. Irish outside-cars and old-fashioned high cabs 
 ply for hire; there is no fixed tariff, but they are 
 not unreasonable, though it is best to inquire what 
 the charge will be. One Hansom cab, drawn by a 
 mule, adorns the Rock. Every English comfort may be 
 had here ; it seems surprising that it does not become 
 a winter station for invalids, it is not more difficult of 
 access than Malaga, and has advantages it is impossible 
 to find there, or elsewhere in a really warm climate ;
 
 GIBRALTAR. 189 
 
 there are English doctors, English chemists, a delicious 
 climate, and one has but to look at the swarms of 
 chubby-faced children to feel assured it cannot be very 
 unhealthy ; and the least healthy season is in the 
 summer, when invalids would not be here. The 
 " Garrison Library " is one of the finest of the kind 
 in existence, every periodical is taken in, and every 
 book is in it that any one can want or require. Plenty 
 of gaiety for those who like it ; a pack of hounds, a 
 theatre, concerts, balls, and dinners, always something 
 going on, and a post daily overland, no small advan- 
 tage to many, and all the while surrounded by English 
 comforts and English friends. Foreigners are not 
 allowed to reside on the Rock even for twenty-four 
 hours, without obtaining a guarantee from some one, 
 but there is not the slightest difficulty in this surety 
 being got if the person is respectable. 
 
 To Europa Point is a charming drive ; facing you is 
 Ceuta, a large town on the African coast, now belong- 
 ing to Spain ; turning the point of the Rock to the 
 east, the Bay of Granada is before you, and the blue 
 rocky mountains bordering the Spanish coast up to 
 Mijas. The governor has his summer residence here, 
 or Cottage, as it is called, a low spreading house, 
 which, from its being due east, with the perpendicular 
 rock at its back, must be cool enough. From Europa 
 Point to the " Lines " is three miles, and the Rock 
 is only double that in circumference; the highest 
 point is between 1400 and 1500 feet. Looking at it
 
 190 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 from the bay, the outline at the summit is like a Gul- 
 liver lying asleep with his knees drawn up ; the silou- 
 hette of the face is very perfect. The " Lines " are 
 on the north side of the Rock, and on a level piece of 
 land which looks as if the Rock must have once been 
 an island. The English sentry boxes are placed across 
 from the bay to the Mediterranean, they are painted 
 dark, whilst the Spanish are white, and they are placed 
 much closer together than ours. Between the two is 
 a strip of land called the Neutral Ground, and neither 
 the Spanish nor English soldiers if in uniform cross it ; 
 it is " Nobody's." The cemetery is at the base of 
 the rock, close to the Lines, and outside its wall are 
 many flat stones placed any way, and all ways, with 
 Arabic inscriptions ; these are the graves of Moors that 
 died at Gib. Here also is the cricket ground and race- 
 course, and reviews take place, and the men are ex- 
 ercised here. It is, in fact, the only level piece of 
 ground sufficiently extensive for such purposes, though 
 the place called " The Flats," at the opposite end, at 
 Europa Point, is sometimes used for manoeuvres. 
 
 Up to the Signal Tower is a delightful ride or walk ; 
 the Rock is a mass of verdure on this, the western, 
 side ; you ascend by a tolerable road with wild flowers 
 growing in thick profusion all around. At the summit 
 the view is magnificent at every point. Though we. 
 looked long and patiently, we failed to see even one 
 monkey, there are but very few now remaining, though 
 none are ever killed ; they are extremely timid, and
 
 GIBEALTAE. t 9l 
 
 have only to see a shadow for them to make a hasty 
 retreat. Returning we stopped midway to 'visit the 
 Galleries ; they are a wonderful sight ; blasted out of 
 the solid rock they run round the perpendicular sides, 
 causing them to be alive with cannon, which peep out 
 tier above tier all along. There are two large excava- 
 tions, called " Cornwallis's Hall," and " St. George's 
 Hall ; " in the latter it is said Lord Nelson was enter- 
 tained ; the only drawback to this being a fact is, 
 that the hall was not made till after the great hero's 
 death, and that it was still being blasted at the time 
 of the siege of Gibraltar. On the queen's birthday 
 all these guns are fired, the salute beginning at the 
 signal station (where in the morning and at sunset the 
 gun is fired daily), then it continues gradually down- 
 wards, from the upper galleries to Willis's battery, 
 when the troops finish it off. The Moorish tower here, 
 forming a sort of entrance to these galleries, is said to 
 be one of the oldest in Spain ; it is kept merely as a 
 relic, no use being made of it. 
 
 To Catalan's Bay is a very nice walk if the wind is 
 not too high ; you go round by the north front, keep- 
 ing at the base of the rock till a foot-path leads round 
 to the east side. Here all is barren and the rock almost 
 perpendicular. About a quarter of a mile over a heavy 
 road, a mule track, brought us to Catalan's Bay; a few 
 houses occupied by artillerymen nestle beneath the 
 shelter of the rock ; they are built on sand, though 
 some feet above the level of the sea. There is a little
 
 192 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 Roman Catholic chapel, but no place of worship for 
 protestants. One woman told us there was no use in 
 going there, as she " could not understand the gentle- 
 man, but there was nowhere else for them." 
 
 About three miles on the other side of the Lines, 
 driving along the hard sands, bordering the bay, we 
 come to a neat little village as much English as 
 Spanish, called Campamento, and then turning inland 
 to the north, two miles further on we reach San 
 Roque, a clean, nice little town, perched on the top of 
 a hill. The view from the Alameda is splendid. 
 There is a good Plaza de Toros, and three churches, 
 the parish church being extremely full of gaily and 
 sadly dressed virgins. The town was built by the 
 Spaniards when they lost the Rock in 1704, Sir 
 George Rooke having taken it during the War of Suc- 
 cession ; then it could not defend itself, now it bristles 
 with cannon. San Roque has infantry barracks, but 
 the infantry is wanting. Many of the officers' families 
 come here during the summer months, when the heat 
 of the Rock is almost unbearable ; it is so much easier 
 of access than Tangiers, which takes from three to 
 four hours to reach, nor is it so expensive. 
 
 The Cathedral the protestant church at Gib, is 
 not striking outside, unless as being plain, but inside it 
 is intended to be pretty : the architecture is in imitation 
 of the Moorish. A monument on the right hand side 
 of the altar is erected to the memory of General Don, 
 to whom Gib owed a great deal. To him are thanks
 
 GIBRALTAR. 193 
 
 due for the beautiful Alameda, which from a desert he 
 has converted into delightful gardens. Here the " Shade 
 Tree," as they call it on the Rock, grows to an enor- 
 mous size. It is an African tree, and is rightly called 
 the bella sombra. The Virginian aloe is in great 
 perfection and profusion, the rich red flower covering 
 the rock at this season. There is a charming little 
 cottage a little beyond the Alameda, called "The 
 Aloes," from the masses of this plant that grow about 
 it, but in summer the green rock is white, all verdure 
 is parched up. In one part of the Alameda is a bust 
 of Wellington, placed on a column taken from the 
 ruins of Lepida, and erected there by Sir George Don, 
 in 1820 ; in another part is a bust of General Elliott. 
 Not far from the duke's pillar is a flat stone, covering 
 the earthly remains of a silversmith, (and three of his 
 children,) who, after living here for twenty-three years, 
 died in 1800, at the age of forty-two. Why he is 
 buried here, when consecrated ground lies not many 
 yards beyond, is a mystery. This little cemetery has 
 not been used for many years ; it is very small and very 
 full. 
 
 There are Roman Catholic churches, and a Roman 
 Catholic bishop, thus the Rock is rich in possessing 
 two ; there is also a convent where pupils are taken. 
 The people born on the Rock are called " Rock Scor- 
 pions," not a pretty name for them, but they do not 
 seem to mind it ; if you ask a man what he is, he will 
 tell you he is " a scorpion." On one of the old gate-
 
 194 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 ways leading from the town to the Alameda, are still 
 to be seen the arms of Spain. 
 
 The oranges at Gib are delicious, far finer than any 
 we got in Spain, but then they come from Africa, as do 
 many other of the good things that are to be had 
 here. 
 
 T
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 MALAGA. 
 
 To get to Gib is much easier than getting away 
 from it. Boats are said to run twice or thrice a week 
 between the Rock and Malaga, but for many a long 
 day may you disport yourself on the Rock if waiting 
 to get off by one of these. They advertise to start on 
 a given day, but you learn on the eve that they are 
 waiting for a vessel to arrive to take and give cargoes, 
 which vessel never does arrive, and so you may go on 
 not only from day to day, but from week to week. 
 This was our case, till finally we were driven to 
 go to the expense of chartering a steamer for our- 
 selves. This may be done for 261. from Mr. Eland's 
 firm, a courteous, obliging company, and their 
 steamer, the " Hercules," a trim, tidy little boat, and 
 rapid, and capable of weathering a fearful sea, as was 
 our misfortune to experience. The deep-blue sky 
 over head, and the awful sea we were pitched and 
 tossed about on for seven hours, formed a strange 
 contrast. A levant wind was blowing, the worst for 
 those bound for Malaga from Gibraltar. The round- 
 ing of Europa Point on that morning will never be 
 
 o 2
 
 196 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 effaced from our memory, not if we live to be old 
 enough to forget everything else. The sea soaked us 
 through every five minutes, whilst the hot sun kept us 
 steaming. Then, when we did get into harbour a 
 blessed moment the officers of health kept us one 
 hour and ten minutes whilst they finished their dinner, 
 before they chose to give us " pratique." However, 
 at last we were let land, the small boats fighting for 
 us as crabs might do under different circumstances ; 
 then on putting our foot on shore we were greeted by 
 the custom-house officers. At length we were let go 
 to our hotel, worn and weary. The " Fonda del 
 Alameda," is a very fine house, and we had beautiful 
 rooms ready ; but there were certain comforts wanting 
 here that we had left behind at Gib. However, we 
 found it, for Spain, a very good hotel. 
 
 The coast scenery from Gib to Malaga is said to be 
 very beautiful, but we admit honestly we did not see a 
 vestige of it ; we were far too ill to open our eyes, still 
 less to lift up our head. And supposing we had, 
 should we have thought it beautiful or anything else 
 under the circumstances ? 
 
 Malaga, the sunniest spot in Spain, a trap to catch 
 every sunbeam, a bright beautiful place, it may well 
 be the favourite resort of invalids. For the tourist or 
 lover of art there is little to interest. It is situated in 
 a lovely plain, yet walks are few, and drives fewer ; 
 there is little of art in or near it ; but for those who 
 seek health, and prefer to be where there are none of
 
 MALAGA. 197 
 
 those sights that must be seen, it is the place of all 
 others for them; they will find little to disturb the 
 monotony of their life. 
 
 The cathedral, begun by Philip II., is a huge pile, 
 heavy and uninteresting, with one tower completed ; 
 the other has yet to be finished, but when, no one 
 seems to know or care : so many of the finest of 
 the Spanish cathedrals have but one tower finished. 
 The interior is lofty and grand, but there is little to 
 make us care to visit it more than once. In the 
 chapel of La Virgin de la Rosario is a painting, by 
 Alonso Cano, of the Virgin and Child, and monks and 
 nuns looking up at them. It is said to be the last 
 painting he ever did : it seems unfinished, especially 
 the Virgin's head. In the chapel of the Incarnation 
 the altar is entirely of red marble, whilst figures in 
 pure white marble are placed in niches, which form a 
 great contrast, but it looks heavy. There are two 
 monuments on either side of the chapel. The 
 Virgin de los Reyes is thought to be well executed ; 
 but it is so dressed up that it is like a doll : the figures 
 of Ferdinand and Isabella, in kneeling posture, are to 
 the right and left of it. The pulpits are handsome : 
 they are of red marble. The coro has some good 
 carving, attributed to Pedro de Mena, a pupil of 
 Alonso Cano. There are two organs, both very finely 
 toned. The view from the tower is very grand : the 
 best time for ascending it is towards sunset; the 
 shadows then on the near mountains are beautiful.
 
 198 A WINTEE TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 The " Sagrario " has a magnificent Gothic gateway, 
 but it is in a terrible state of dilapidation, and entirely 
 bricked up. We found little worth seeing inside : the 
 high altar is like all in Spain, a mass of heavy gilding 
 up to the roof, with niches and figures placed in them. 
 The same side as the old doorway, the wall is inlaid 
 with azulejos. Opposite is the hospital of Santo 
 Tomas : the little bit of Moorish architecture at the 
 entrance, and the window with the horse-shoe arches 
 and azulejos are pretty. The church of Los Santos 
 Martires is a mass of white and gold and gaudily- 
 dressed figures, and as little like a place of worship as 
 Madame Tussaud's rooms. There are Virgins of 
 every kind young and old happy and miserable 
 with the Saviour and without great and small black 
 and white dressed in gauze, spangles, and wreaths 
 and black, gloomy, and mournful. In every corner 
 there is an image, but among the whole there is not 
 one that has the slightest claim to merit. The church 
 of Santiago, once a Moorish mosque, has nothing now 
 but the exterior to show its antiquity : the steeple and 
 bricked-up original entrance are good. The church of 
 Santa Clara, attached to the convent of the same 
 name, is pretty, and the altar mayor light, and in good 
 taste. This convent was built and founded by Fer- 
 dinand and Isabella, in 1505. 
 
 At the convent of Victoria, a Moorish flag hangs 
 in the chapel over the high altar, and a Spanish 
 one opposite to it : the Moorish flag, which is on
 
 MALAGA. 199 
 
 the right hand, was taken by Ferdinand during the 
 siege of Malaga, and is the identical one that was 
 hoisted at the tower when the town surrendered. 
 This convent was built in 1487, and was founded by 
 San Francisco de Paula. Ferdinand's head-quarters 
 were here during the siege. It was one of the many 
 convents suppressed in 1835. Now no monks remain; 
 only one sorry, sighing, but fat and courteous priest 
 resides here. The carved and gilded high altar is not 
 without merit, the subjects on it chiefly representing 
 the taking of Malaga. There are several copies of 
 Alonso Cano's painting, but only one original, " San 
 Antonio de Padua," and that is not finished, and 
 terribly injured. There is a very beautiful " Virgin of 
 Sorrows," carved by Menes. The dome at the back of 
 the high altar (beneath which the Virgin is placed), 
 representing the Conception, is very richly orna- 
 mented a great deal too much so ; it is a whole mass 
 of plaster decoration. 
 
 The Spanish cemetery is near to this convent: 
 there are some very fine monuments in it, and though 
 it is surrounded by high walls in which there are tiers 
 of niches one over the other, for coffins to be shoved 
 in this being the usual method of disposing of the 
 dead in Spain, the centre, which is very well laid 
 out, has many graves covered with richly-carved 
 monuments. The view from here is magnificent ; it 
 is on rising ground, and commands both sea and 
 mountains. Far away from here, near to the coast, is
 
 200 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 the Protestant burial-ground, and the only one that is 
 recognised by the Spanish government. It is situated 
 on a height overhanging the sea, and well planted 
 with beautiful flowers and very fine Cyprus trees ; it is 
 a pretty spot, with well laid out walks, and extremely 
 well kept. Thanks, for this concession by the govern- 
 ment, are entirely due to the late Mr. Mark, who was 
 consul here for many years. His son succeeded him, 
 and is the present consul. This grant was made, as a 
 tablet records, on the llth April, 1830. Mr. Mark is 
 buried here ; also Robert Boyd, an unfortunate but 
 enthusiastic Englishman, who suffered the penalty of 
 death, when only twenty-six years of age, with forty- 
 nine other victims, who, under Torrijos, were con- 
 victed of conspiracy in 1831. A monument is 
 erected to their memory in the Plaza del Riego : this 
 tribute of admiration was raised in 1842, when the then 
 authorities viewed their conduct in a different light. 
 
 Not far from the Protestant cemetery, a sailors' 
 hospital is being built. A Mr. Noble, an Englishman, 
 came to Malaga a year or two ago, and died within 
 a fortnight of his arrival, and suddenly. He is said to 
 have been poisoned by the use of copper saucepans, 
 used in cooking at his hotel. In consequence of this 
 event, inspectors go round at certain periods to enforce 
 the use of vessels which are in a proper state. Mr. 
 Noble, when dying, left 5000 for the erection of this 
 hospital, an institution, he heard, that was greatly 
 needed.
 
 MALAGA. 201 
 
 The large square building near the port was a 
 tobacco factory ; it is now converted into a custom 
 house. The bishop's palace. is close to the cathedral; 
 it has nothing to recommend it. The patio is bare 
 and unbeautiful; the staircase common, and a still 
 more commonly-painted domed roof. 
 
 The Moorish castle, on the summit of a conically- 
 shaped hill, well repays the labour of climbing to see 
 it, if even the sun be as blazing hot as we found it. 
 The view is most magnificent : mountain, valley, and 
 sea : and clad with such verdure that it seemed im- 
 possible that we were only at the end of January ; the 
 sea rippling and sparkling beneath the bright sun- 
 shine ; the sky so darkly blue and so cloudless ; it 
 was by far the finest scenery we had as yet come 
 across ; but then we had now only entered on the 
 picturesque part of the country. 
 
 The fortress and palace for it was both was 
 a famous stronghold of the Moors. It was built 
 towards the end of the thirteenth century. One 
 horse-shoe gateway still remains ; all the orna- 
 mental portions of the architecture, for which the 
 Moors were so celebrated, have been destroyed. 
 The siege of Malaga was very terrible, second only 
 to that of Granada in its horrors. In the town, 
 near the Alameda, is another very fine marble 
 gateway of the horse-shoe form ; it is built up 
 and huddled round by bricks and mortar. There is 
 little value set on these relics by Spaniards, nor can
 
 202 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 they understand how people can come from any 
 distance to see them. 
 
 The Alameda is the fashionable promenade. It is a 
 veiy broad, dusty walk, with plane trees forming an 
 avenue, and between them statues and busts, and two 
 fountains, one at each end. Every statue and bust 
 has its nose broken off: this was done one night not 
 long since by a tipsy man, who had no nose himself, 
 and as he walked along he began to think it was very 
 hard that he should have none and all these marble 
 figures possessing them, so he began at one end and 
 deliberately went the round and broke off every nose. 
 On Sundays and festivals the band plays ; then all the 
 Malagenians are seen in their gayest attire, which, 
 however, is never very gay to northern eyes, for black 
 is so much worn. These Spanish women have no 
 idea of what we understand by home : they have a 
 house to live in, and rooms for people to see ; but they 
 pass their existence in a dressing-gown in their bed- 
 rooms, or in the streets in a dress with a couple of 
 yards sweeping the ground ; and if they have a silver 
 jug and bason in their own room, and a box at the 
 theatre, they are satisfied. It is as common to see the 
 silver jug and bason in a lady's room in Spain, as it is 
 to see ivory-handled brushes in England; it is as 
 universal a wedding present as a butter-dish is with us. 
 To pass their evenings at tfie theatre is what they like 
 best ; there they see their friends, and are not troubled 
 as they would be if they received them at home. The
 
 MALAGA. 203 
 
 theatres at Malaga are not good; the best is El Teatro 
 del Principe Alfonso : it is large, clean, comfortable, 
 and well lighted, but having in common with all 
 others throughout Spain, Seville alone excepted a 
 horrible smell. The performances are bad, the sing- 
 ing vile, the acting absurd. We saw the " Traviata : " 
 it was dreadful. They cannot afford to pay good 
 singers, as the boxes, let by the year, are at a very 
 low price, and others for the night one can have in the 
 best part of the house for eighty reales, and a stall for 
 sixteen, entrance included. A bailie a ball, as they 
 here call a ballet followed the opera; but Spanish 
 dancing is very ungraceful they throw everything 
 about but their legs. Their heads, arms, and petti- 
 coats are in all directions, whilst their legs remain as 
 if leaded. The women are generally very fat and 
 heavy. Then the noise of the castanettes or the 
 clapping of the hands, the one or the other always 
 being their accompaniment, wearies. The music 
 is very wild, and wonderfully devoid of melody, 
 and the singing of the Andalusian is the most 
 unmusical we ever heard ; it is between moaning and 
 howling. 
 
 There is at present no bull-ring here ; owing to a 
 dispute between the proprietor of the circus and the 
 owner of the land it was pulled down, so for the pre- 
 sent they are obliged to have recourse to a circus of 
 small dimensions, in the Plaza de Victoria, which will 
 not admit of anything beyond fights with young bulls,
 
 204 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 which are never killed. They do not commence till 
 the carnival, then they have them every Sunday. 
 
 There are two country houses, situated about three 
 miles out of Malaga, the gardens of which are almost 
 worthy of being called botanical gardens. La Con- 
 ception, the farthest off, is a modern house, but the 
 garden may date back centuries ; one or two of the 
 palm trees are magnificent ; the cocoa and coffee plants 
 were growing here ; and under glass, but with no arti- 
 ficial heat, were some very fine pines. The ground was 
 carpeted with violets, scenting the whole air. San 
 Jose*, the other, is on a much larger scale ; there is a 
 great deal of water about it, and a large greenhouse ; 
 but the whole is less well cared for, and the house, a 
 large rambling building, more like a farm-house than 
 a gentleman's residence. The views from both are 
 magnificent, they stand at the foot of a range of low 
 mountains, others towering up behind. There are 
 two drawbacks to them, however : the one is to reach 
 them the bed of the river forming three-fourths of the 
 road ; and the other, that except for a couple or three 
 months they are too hot to live in ; being so far from 
 sea, they do not benefit by the breezes. The sugar 
 cane grows about here in great abundance ; in the town 
 there is a large sugar manufactory ; the sugar is very 
 white and clear. Sweet potatoes, patatas de Malaga, 
 is another of the specialities of the place ; they are much 
 eaten all over Spain ; either plainly boiled or preserved, 
 they taste very much like a not over good chestnut ;
 
 MALAGA. 205 
 
 in appearance they resemble exaggerated kidney pota- 
 toes. They are sold here about the streets ready 
 cooked, just as chestnuts are sold with us. They also 
 eat great quantities of the " cactus fig," or " prickly 
 pear," they are sold about a dozen for a farthing. 
 
 There is a fine clay found close to Malaga, out of 
 which figures and groups are made representing the 
 various costumes of the country ; some of them are ex- 
 tremely well executed, especially those of Cubero. 
 They are about a foot long, and the single figures vary 
 in price from 100 to 150 reales, according to the care 
 with which they are painted. The shops here are not 
 more tempting than in any other town in Spain. There 
 are more Escribanos, letter writers, to be seen here than 
 usual : either the Malagenians must be more ignorant 
 or great lovers of letter writing. These men sit in 
 door ways, and under arches, with little tables before 
 them, having paper, pen, and ink on them, ready to 
 write letters or anything else for any one on the pay- 
 ment of a few cuartos. Some style themselves, by a 
 card which they suspend against the wall, " public and 
 private writers," others only " private." You rarely 
 see them unemployed, the would-be letter writer dic- 
 tating beside them : these are generally women. 
 
 The beggars in Malaga are as bad as in Seville, and 
 the deformities worse and more numerous. One set 
 of them go about as acrobats, nothing can exceed the 
 horrors exhibited. 
 
 The sereno keeps his nightly watch in a peaceful
 
 206 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 manner here, whistling the hours and half hours as they 
 did at Jerez, only here one single whistle alone gives 
 notice that an hour has struck ; perhaps this may be 
 that the cocks crow here through the night, and the 
 man is wise enough to think there is noise enough. 
 Excepting at Mentone, in the south of France, we never 
 heard cocks crow at midnight as they did at Malaga. 
 
 To see Malaga at its most interesting time, one 
 ought to be there in late autumn, in order to witness 
 the process of grape-drying and raisin-packing. But 
 was ever anybody anywhere at the right season? 
 Throughout we were always told, " Oh, you should 
 be here in spring;" or "You ought to have been 
 here two months ago," or " two months hence." 
 We, however, visited Mr. Clements' s stores : his 
 are the largest and most worth seeing; of course 
 we were told the best were shipped off; still we 
 saw here such raisins as we have never seen in 
 England, some an inch long, and looking, but for 
 their colour, more like French plums. Where are 
 all these splendid raisins to be found ? for they come to 
 London direct. Mr. Scholtz, the Danish consul, is the 
 principal wine grower, and has the largest stores. 
 There are four kinds of wine : the sweet mountain, the 
 sweet muscat, the pale dry, and the Malaga sherry ; 
 this latter is exported to England in large quantities as 
 sherry ; it is made from the same kind of grape, only 
 the land causes that from Jerez to be so very far supe- 
 rior. The process of wine-making varies very little,
 
 MALAGA. 207 
 
 and though we had heard it all before, we listened 
 patiently to the end, and then tasted the " mother 
 butt," which nourishes so many : it seems a marvel she 
 is not worn out ; in these stores this old lady bears the 
 date on her of 1788 ; this is the rich dark sweet moun- 
 tain wine, and priceless in itself. After all good has 
 been extracted from the grape, warm water is poured 
 on the crushed dried refuse, and vinegar is made, 
 which is highly prized for household use. 
 
 English service is performed twice every Sunday, at 
 Mr. Mark's house, the British consulate. He has had 
 a large long room very prettily fitted up for the 
 purpose.
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 GRANADA. THE ALHAMBRA. 
 
 FROM Malaga to Granada there are two roads, and 
 several ways of accomplishing the journey, but after 
 every inquiry we found the easiest and best was to 
 hire a carriage to take us to Loja, which we could 
 reach by starting at eight a.m., as soon as the diligence, 
 which left at six, if we had sufficient relays of mules. 
 This, therefore, we did, and leaving all our heavy bag- 
 gage at the Alameda Hotel, at Malaga, we started with 
 sufficient for a fortnight, in a kind of omnibus, with 
 eight mules, changed three times en route, and arrived 
 at Loja at 3 '30 p.m. We paid 9. for the carriage. 
 The scenery the whole way is magnificent. The view 
 of the vega, or plain of Malaga, as it burst upon us 
 every now and then, winding up the steep ascent of 
 the hills, was beautiful ; it was nearly two hours before 
 we quite lost sight of Malaga. From about an hour 
 after leaving Malaga we found the road well guarded 
 by armed gendarmes, two always together. This is a 
 necessary precaution, as this mountainous, wild, un- 
 tenanted land is one of the few parts of Spain still in- 
 fested with brigands. Only so lately as on the 28th
 
 GKANADA. 209 
 
 of January of this year, one of the wealthiest Malaga 
 merchants was taken, and a ransom of 40,000 dollars 
 demanded for him. He was on horseback at the time, 
 and at no very great distance from the town. Strict 
 directions were sent by himself, in his own hand- 
 writing, to his personal servant, telling him to go by a 
 certain road to a certain spot, on the 1st of February, 
 and if some people, who were minutely described, were 
 not met at a given place, he was to return on another 
 day specified, and if he failed in any order given him, 
 his master's life would pay the penalty. The celebrated 
 brigand of Spain, the gallant highwayman who does 
 everything like a gentleman, is Jose" Pacheco, of Cor- 
 dova. He is a personal friend of many a Spanish noble. 
 The anecdotes related of his magnificence, munificence 
 and impudence are legion. He once seized two highway- 
 men himself, that were not under his orders, and de- 
 livered them up to justice at Cordova ; of course the 
 statement of the men that Pacheco was their accuser 
 was laughed at ; his disguises are so perfect that he is 
 never recognised. 
 
 We, however, reached Loja without any more start- 
 ling adventure than the fall of a couple of mules. We 
 passed two picturesque towns on the road, Colmenar 
 and Alfarnate. Till within an hour of Loja the scenery 
 is extremely wild and grand. Tiers of mountains, 
 looking in the distance as if they had bubbled up in 
 peaks out of one huge mass, the fan leaf palm growing 
 in bushes, the sides of the near hills covered with
 
 210 A WINTEE TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 vines the " mountain " wine is made from these and 
 along the edges and close to the road is a profusion of 
 broad-leaved blue flowers. 
 
 Loja is a large town, and was once a fortress of 
 great importance, being considered by the Moors as the 
 key to Granada ; they lost it in 1488, and Lord Rivers, 
 brother of Henry VII. 's queen, lost his teeth during 
 the siege. Isabella the Catholic recompensed him with 
 a pretty compliment. Loja is like a huge mound, with 
 its fortress, now a mere ruin, on the top. The streets 
 are narrow ; but since the opening of the railway from 
 here to Granada new houses are springing up, and the 
 people stirring themselves. Marshal Narvaez, the late 
 prime minister, was building himself a very fine house ; 
 now that his death will stop its completion there is a 
 talk of turning it into an hotel ; one is much wanted, 
 though there was a new one opened just before we 
 were there. The Genii runs at the foot of the town, 
 and is crossed to reach the Alameda and the railway 
 station. The Alameda is very prettily laid out, and 
 the range of mountains, the " Sierra Nevada," are well 
 seen from here, the pure white uneven mass looking 
 very beautiful against the deep blue sky. For weeks 
 had we now seen this same cloudless sky, and we be- 
 gan to understand what a gentleman, a native of Ma- 
 laga, said to us, that he sometimes longed for clouds 
 and cold weather. If he lived a year in England he would 
 understand how we pine for a blue sky and sunshine. 
 Loja to Granada is two hours by railway, the car-
 
 GBANADA. 211 
 
 riages are the most comfortable and the cleanest on 
 this short line that we have yet seen in Spain ; then 
 it has not been long open, so they still look new. 
 About a quarter of an hour after starting from Loja, we 
 suddenly came to a stand still, and were all requested 
 to get out, and walk over a bridge that had partially 
 given way, and which must of necessity some day go 
 altogether ; so the train went first, and we followed, 
 having to walk some four or five hundred yards; nothing 
 happened, and we got in again. Had it been pouring 
 with rain, this little pedestrian excursion would not 
 have been very pleasant. The latter part of the journey 
 the road passes through the Duke of Wellington's pro- 
 perty, the Soto de Roma ; it is said to yield from 5000. 
 to 70001. a year. A house is being built on it ; in the 
 old house there are some Moorish remains. An estate, 
 called El Molino del Rey, was also conferred on the 
 late duke ; they do not join, but they are both near 
 together. 
 
 We reached Granada at last ; we arrived at six, but 
 before we got away from the station and through the 
 town it was too dark to see anything, anxious as we 
 were to get even a dim glance at the Alhambra. To 
 most English people Seville and Granada are Spain 
 the former with its riches in art, and the halo of 
 romance with which its very name is surrounded ; the 
 latter with the Alhambra and a host of antiquities at 
 every turn. We went to the " Washington Irving 
 Hotel " within the Alhambra grounds ; very comfort- 
 
 p 2
 
 212 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 able, beautifully situated, and so clean, one might ima- 
 gine the proprietor had been brought up in Holland. 
 On looking out of our windows the next morning, we 
 were delighted with the surrounding gardens. A long 
 avenue cut through the centre of a hill, the slopes on 
 either side wooded by 8000 elms, that were sent as a 
 present by the duke in 1811 to the Spanish government, 
 and were planted here ; they were planted too thickly, 
 and have shot up thin and poor-looking. The violets 
 on these hills during the spring perfectly scent the at- 
 mosphere and colour the ground ; bunches of them are 
 thrust under your nose at every step by some urchin 
 looking out for a cuarto. 
 
 Granada is 3500 feet above the level of the sea, 
 and the hill on which the Alhambra is situated is be- 
 tween one or two hundred more ; around this hill are 
 walls, with towers at various points, the whole forming, 
 in the time of the Moors, one of their most powerful 
 strongholds. It was commenced in 1248, and finished 
 in 1314 ; the walls are of immense thickness, but not 
 very high. The principal entrance is by a grand 
 horse-shoe gate ; over it, an open hand is engraved ; 
 this is succeeded by a smaller horse-shoe arch, over 
 which is engraved a key ; then the entrance continues 
 by a winding way, till you issue out on the other side 
 through another horse-shoe arch : through this entrance 
 no four footed animal is allowed to pass, as a small 
 chapel is now erected here, and thus no risk of an in- 
 dignity being offered to the Virgin must be run. Im-
 
 GEANADA. 213 
 
 mediately to the right is the Torre del Vino ; a beau- 
 tiful double arch, ornamented with lace-like work, and 
 with azulejos above, used to be the entrance to it ; now 
 you enter it by a common door at the side. This tower 
 belongs to Sir Granville Temple ; he bought it about 
 the year 1849, from the queen, to whom the entire 
 Alhambra belongs. He has let the house to a French 
 photographer, To the left are the ruins of the old 
 fortress, and the Torre de la Vela, so called from the 
 great bell which is hung here, and which rings, or 
 rather tolls, out a dismal notice to the people every 
 night, letting them know that the hour for irrigating 
 their lands is at hand. This same % bell is supposed to 
 possess a peculiar charm on the 2nd of January, as 
 whatever maiden rings it, is certain to secure herself a 
 good husband during the coming year ; the louder she 
 rings the better will he be, thus the noise is deafening 
 during the entire day, and not a maiden within reach 
 but is sure to be up there. The view from this tower 
 is very grand, as indeed it is from any spot on these 
 heights. We watched a sun-set one evening; the 
 deep glen to the right, with the Darro running through 
 it and coming down from the snowy range of moun- 
 tains, the Sierra Nevada, which tower up like piles of 
 silver against the blue sky; straight before us the 
 magnificent vega, the luxuriant plain of Granada, rich 
 in gardens and groves, and in the midst of them we 
 could see, tinged with the setting sun, the town of 
 Santa-Fe, which Ferdinand and Isabella built after
 
 214 A WINTEE TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 their camp was destroyed. In this then hamlet 
 Columbus arranged with the queen how his voyage to 
 America was to be effected ; he had left in disgust 
 and despair, resolving to do for another country what 
 his own refused to let him do for her, when Isabella, 
 the Catholic, recalled him to her side, and the Western 
 world was her reward. The eye never wearies at 
 gazing at this panorama, but the red hues that still 
 capped the Sierra Nevada were fast leaving them 
 cold and grey, and we turned homewards, not joyously, 
 but silent and thoughtful : there is something in these 
 scenes with which we were surrounded, all ruins of 
 the past, their decayed grandeur, the dilapidations and 
 desolation, that is calculated to depress the spirits 
 rather than elevate them. 
 
 By far the most prominent-looking building in the 
 Alhambra is the shell of a palace,, occupy ing the very 
 centre of the hill, which Charles V. began in 1526. In 
 1633 it reached its present state, and has remained so 
 ever since ; the interior gives one the idea that it was 
 built in order to have bull fights in the patio ; this is 
 very fine, with thirty-two marble columns around it. 
 The facades are all handsome, but it so blocks up and 
 closes out the palace, that it is with difficulty the 
 entrance to it is found. Passing round on the right 
 side of Charles V.'s palace we came to a mass of 
 dirty little houses, almost forming a village. The rents 
 all go to the queen, the Alhambra being the private 
 property of the reigning sovereign ; so they can let or
 
 GBANADA. 215 
 
 sell, but in the latter case the purchaser has to pay 
 an annual fine to the crown ; in fact, rendering the pro- 
 prietors tenants that cannot be turned out. A little 
 further on is all that is left of a once celebrated Fran- 
 ciscan convent ; it is now portioned out in lodgings ; 
 the church is utterly bare, with white-washed walls ; 
 where the altar was, there is a recess with a little 
 tracery work round. It was here that the coffins con- 
 taining the bodies, of Ferdinand and Isabella rested, 
 awaiting the completion of their present tomb in the 
 cathedral. Here also the remains of the Great Cap- 
 tain were placed previous to their being taken to San 
 Geronimo. The patio has nothing but its columns to 
 recommend it ; all is in ruin, with squalid misery 
 around. The convent was built by converted Moors, 
 as most of the great buildings in Granada are that 
 were erected after the conquest, which accounts for 
 Moorish architecture being so prevalent, even after 
 their dynasty was at an end. Their grand mosque was 
 utterly destroyed, and the church of Santa Maria, be- 
 hind Charles V.'s palace was erected on its site ; it 
 was built in 1581. 
 
 Amidst a little wilderness stands a small mosque, 
 which, together with the Casa de Moneda (mint), was 
 purchased by an English colonel, for many years a 
 resident of Madrid, who, with praiseworthy exertions, 
 has restored the mosque ; and if no one had ever 
 seen Moorish work, they would enter this building and 
 gaze on it with great admiration ; the walls and arches
 
 216 A WINTER TOUK IN SPAIN. 
 
 are the original, the decorations alone are new. In a 
 room higher up is preserved a marble slab, with 
 Arabic writing on it, giving directions as to how coins 
 are to be struck. This formerly was in the mint, the 
 whole of which Colonel - sold, even to the build- 
 ing materials ; only this slab and two lions were 
 unsaleable, being too heavy to be carried away. The 
 two lions used to stand on either side of a tank in 
 front of the mint ; now they are at the entrance of the 
 garden in which is the mosque. The Marquis de 
 Zafra has a very decent-looking house near this. 
 Continuing straight on is the Torre del Pico. It is 
 the only tower that remains quite untouched ; it is as 
 it was in the time of the Moors : the window is very 
 perfect and very pretty. Beyond this were the stables 
 of the Moorish kings ; they are bricked up to prevent 
 mischievous boys and sight-seers from completely 
 destroying all traces of them. We now passed the 
 Puerta del Hierro : it still retains the original door 
 and bolt, which bolt is closed every night. Farther 
 on is the Torre del Candil, then the Torre de las 
 Captivas, where female Christian prisoners were kept ; 
 next to it is La Torre de las Infantas, where the 
 Moorish princesses once resided, but which is rendered 
 more interesting after reading Washington Irving's 
 pretty tale about it. The last existing tower is the 
 Torre de la Agua. Sebastian created such havoc here, 
 that little else but ruins remain. At this point the 
 aqueduct crosses the road which brings the water down
 
 GRANADA. 217 
 
 from Mula-Hacen to Generalife, and from there to the 
 Alhambra, down into the Darro. Boabdil cut the 
 ravine which borders the Alhambra on this side to 
 divide Generalife from it, as he gave that palace to 
 his son; the earth wall thus created appears much 
 more like a built wall, a crust of salt and magnesia 
 forms on the surface, giving it the appearance of 
 layers of mortar : cattle are brought here to lick it off, 
 which results in their giving not only very fine milk, 
 but a plentiful supply. This huge wall forms, in 
 summer, the residence of the poor, as many as can 
 find accommodation : they take up their abode in the 
 great openings that exist, looking like giant rabbit- 
 holes, and live rent-free and cool. A curious stone 
 found amidst the ruins of Illiberis, said by its inscrip- 
 tion to be dedicated by Valerius to his wife Cornelia, 
 the only name legible to us on it is placed at the 
 corner of the Torre del Homenage, and imbedded in 
 it. It was so put by the Moors. 
 
 The exterior of the Alhambra Palace is so simple 
 and plain that the contrast becomes ten tunes more 
 striking with its fairy-like interior. The entrance, a 
 mere common doorway, the original one being blocked 
 up by the huge building erected by Charles V., leads 
 one straight into the beautiful palace of the Moors. 
 To give a thorough description of this wondrous 
 mass of exquisite workmanship is impossible ; we are 
 utterly incapable of doing it justice, but a slight 
 sketch we will attempt. Its beauty cannot be ex-
 
 218 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 aggerated, and with all we had heard of it we not 
 only were not disappointed, but found it surpassing all 
 we had pictured it. We entered first the court of 
 Los Arrayanes, or Myrtle Court : a large piece of 
 water in the centre, surrounded by hedges of myrtle, 
 gives the name to it. This water is now filled with 
 fish, but it was used formerly as a bath. It is sur- 
 rounded by an exquisitely-worked gallery, and at each 
 corner are recesses which were used as sentry-boxes 
 for the eunuchs who kept watch whilst the ladies were 
 bathing. The fretwork and honeycombed roofs of these 
 recesses are beautiful ; they are in a very perfect state, 
 and in some portions of them the original colouring 
 still remains. This court is 150 feet in length and 82 
 in breadth. Leading out of this, on the right, is the 
 celebrated Court of Lions, so called on account of the 
 twelve lions which support the marble fountain in the 
 centre ; the fragile, delicate appearance of this court 
 is beyond description. It is surrounded by galleries, 
 supported by 144 slender-looking marble columns : 
 the lace-work ornamentation of the walls, the stalactical 
 pendants with which the roofs are formed, with here 
 and there the rich colouring still perfect, render the 
 whole more like fairyland than anything we are 
 accustomed to see here. To the right is the Hall of 
 the Abencerrages, so called from the massacre of the 
 thirty-five cavaliers, who, according to tradition, were 
 beheaded here by Boabdil's order, because one of 
 these Abencerrages was supposed to be in love with
 
 GEANADA. 219 
 
 his queen Zoraya : it not being quite clear which was 
 the guilty man, all were doomed to die. Here our 
 guide, Emmanuel Bensaken, el Moro, as he is called, 
 pointed out to us large stains in the white marble, 
 which is said to be the blood of Boabdil's victims. 
 The Hall of Justice occupies one entire side of the 
 Court of Lions ; the beautiful Moorish peristyles, are so 
 slight and fragile-looking that one can hardly under- 
 stand how they support the weight of the arches. 
 There are some queer paintings on leather here, 
 executed by a Christian slave. In a recess stands a 
 splendid vase ; one handle is, unfortunately, broken 
 off. This vase Boabdil filled with gold, obtained from 
 one of the neighbouring mines, and intended taking 
 with him when he left his palace ; but finding jewels of 
 greater value and more portable, he left this behind, 
 and the Spaniards benefited by its contents. There 
 are several tombstones belonging to the Moorish kings 
 placed against the walls. The arcades of open fila- 
 gree-work are lovely; it is difficult to understand 
 how all this has withstood time, earthquakes, and 
 wars; perhaps more injury has been done to it by 
 lawless soldiers than even the terrific shocks of earth- 
 quakes it has survived. 
 
 The Hall of the Two Sisters, so called on account of 
 two enormous twin slabs of marble in the pavement, is 
 opposite the Hall of the Abencerrages : this is a 
 beautiful hall, large and lofty; the lower part of the 
 walls are covered with tiles (azulejos) on which are
 
 220 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 emblazoned the escutcheons of the Moorish kings. 
 The name of Abdallah frequently occurs. The upper 
 portion is ornamented with the most exquisite stucco- 
 work, looking like the richest and finest embroidery. 
 This work is said to have been invented at Damas- 
 cus ; it is all intermingled with texts from the Koran 
 and love inscriptions. The recesses in the wall are 
 for couches and ottomans ; at the entrance to all 
 the apartments are small recesses for placing the 
 slippers which used to be taken off before entering. 
 In this hall is the only " dark-eyed window " remain- 
 ing in the palace. It is so called because the ladies 
 were able from these windows to watch what was 
 going on below without themselves being visible. 
 
 Going round Alberca Court, we entered, by a mag- 
 nificent Moorish archway, the Hall of Ambassadors, a 
 glorious apartment, with windows cut through the 
 thick wall, looking down to the valley below. The 
 ceiling is very fine, of cedar-wood, and the walls 
 a mass of elaborate rich tracery : this hall is beneath 
 the Comares Tower, the highest portion of the whole 
 building. It was here that Boabdil was confined with 
 his mother, Aija-la-Horra, by the orders of his father, 
 Aben Hassan, who, having married a second wife, a 
 Christian slave named Zorayda, and had two sons by 
 her, was instigated by her jealousy of Boabdil to have 
 his eldest son put to death, and as a preliminary step, 
 he was imprisoned with his mother ; but she effected 
 his escape, letting him down from the window in a
 
 GEANADA. 221 
 
 basket. The most perfect portion of the Alhambra 
 Palace is the Chamber of Repose : it is reached now 
 by a long, dark, narrow passage, and beyond it are 
 the large marble baths used by the kings, sultanas, 
 and royal children. This part has been thoroughly 
 restored, and the colouring is exquisitely rich. There 
 are numbers of apartments, each more beautiful than 
 the other ; it is a maze of loveliness, fitted only for 
 what it was, the abode of houris. One could not 
 imagine the tocador, the toilet-room of the sultana, to 
 be used' by an ordinary mortal. In this pavilion, open 
 on three sides, there is, in a corner, a large flat piece 
 of marble with holes : over this the queen stood, and 
 was perfumed before presenting herself to the king. 
 For such, this palace was a fitting abode : they have 
 passed away from the Western world; yet, in roaming 
 through these fairy-like apartments, we could almost 
 conjure up some dark beauties, and imagine them still 
 the occupants of this Paradise. At moonlight, with 
 the dark shadows cast around, and the white marble 
 pillars, each increasing the effect of the other, one may 
 easily indulge in these dreams; and if the distant 
 sounds of music reach the ear, which, in the present 
 day, with hotels within a stone's throw, they are very 
 apt to do, one may carry on the delusion and imagine 
 love, music, and poetry still to form the sole thought 
 and occupation of the languid, listless beauties of the 
 harem. 
 
 The palace is kept in perfect order, and well pro-
 
 222 A WINTEK TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 tected from further injury, either by accident or from 
 mischief. It is being thoroughly restored, but the 
 work goes on but slowly, owing to funds not being 
 very plentiful. An artist named Contreras has been 
 entrusted with its restoration ; it is thought that in 
 about twelve years it will be completed. Senor Cou- 
 treras has a studio which was well worth visiting ; he 
 has blocks of the Moorish work, exact copies, in 
 miniature, of various parts of the Alhambra Palace, 
 both plain and coloured. They vary in size from 
 eight to twenty inches, and in price from ten to forty 
 dollars. We brought one or two of them to England, 
 thinking they would look well inserted in a wall, but 
 the difficulty is to find a fitting site. Coutreras has 
 been commanded by the Emperor of Russia to super- 
 intend the erection of a palace at St. Petersburg 
 similar to the Alhambra Palace. He it was who 
 executed the stucco-work sent to England, and erected 
 in the Crystal Palace as a model of some portions of 
 this palace. 
 
 There are some people who compare the Moorish 
 palace at Granada with the Alcazar at Seville ; yet to 
 our eyes the comparison is no better than it would be 
 to* compare a cart-horse with a thorough-bred. The 
 azulejos (tiles) are finer at Seville, not those in the 
 Alcazar but in the summer-house ; at the Alhambra 
 Palace they have been so terribly destroyed. 
 
 The keeper of the keys of the palace is a most 
 obliging, communicative man if you happen to go in
 
 GRANADA. 223 
 
 without a guide ; but lie is a bitter enemy to all of 
 them, from Bensaken downwards ; indeed, a deadly 
 feud seems to exist between Bensaken and most of the 
 people who have anything in their care to show; 
 perhaps it is, that when he is there their fee is smaller ; 
 he is the best guide in Granada, though nearly 
 past his work now. He has a son he is trying to 
 palm off on his patrons when he can ; but his capa- 
 bilities are not remarkable. Bensaken' s father was a 
 Moor, his mother an Englishwoman, and he was born 
 at Gibraltar.
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 G R A N A D A continued. 
 
 THE Generalife Palace, once belonging to the son of 
 Boabdil, the last Moorish king that reigned at Granada, 
 stands on a hill looking down upon the Alhambra. 
 A large gateway on the high road leads into the 
 grounds. This property now belongs to the Marquis 
 de Campotejar ; he resides at Genoa, and is known 
 there as the Count of Palavicini-Grimaldi. He is 
 descended from Cidi Aya, a Moorish prince, who was 
 rewarded by Ferdinand with this palace for having 
 turned Christian. Originally it was a college, and pur- 
 chased by Boabdil for his son Omar, whose love of the 
 flute was so great, that the noise he constantly made 
 nearly drove his father wild ; so he came here, where 
 he could make all the noise he liked without annoying 
 anyone. When Boabdil quitted Granada, never to 
 return again, Omar followed. 
 
 The garden without the gate, which leads to the 
 inner garden, has a very fine avenue of cypresses, one 
 or two of great height, around which the thick stems 
 of old vines cling, reaching nearly to the top ; some 
 pomegranate-trees grow here, celebrated for their fine
 
 GRANADA. 225 
 
 fruit. The enclosed garden is a mass of bound-up 
 cypress-trees, forming all sorts of shapes, and tied 
 together at the top, making arches over the tanks of 
 water : excepting violets, which peep out of every little 
 hole and corner, hardly any flowers are to be seen. 
 The garden is in terraces, and in a lower one is a 
 myrtle against a wall, which dates back to the Moors ; 
 the root is of an enormous size. Between two tanks 
 is a place domed over by laurel and myrtle-trees, 
 called a suca, where they sometimes drank coffee and 
 smoked. One pepper-tree grows here, sent by Count 
 Palavicini from Genoa ; it is the only one in Granada. 
 On the third terrace is the famous cypress-tree called 
 the " Lover's Tree," where Zoraya is supposed to have 
 met her Abencerragian lover ; it is a magnificent tree, 
 of enormous bulk and height; it was planted in the 
 thirteenth century. At the summit of the hill, which 
 commands the house, are the ruins of a mosque, where 
 Boabdil is said to have invariably retired for peace 
 during any row, till his uncle, El Zagel, with whom he 
 was sometimes on good terms, though at heart hating 
 each other, sent word that all was quiet ; hence this 
 spot is now called La Silla del Moro. The view from 
 this spot is, if possible, finer than that from the bell- 
 tower in the Alhambra. 
 
 The house itself is a disappointment; the little 
 Moorish work that remains in it is so filled in with 
 whitewash that it is difficult to define the lacy pattern, 
 so beautiful of itself. A massive pine-wood door, in-
 
 226 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 laid, and swung on a pivot, as all Moorish doors are, 
 leads into a hall, where the decorations are rich, and 
 the ceiling inlaid and coloured ; this leads into what 
 are termed the picture galleries, two ordinary rooms, 
 but divided by a prettily-ornamented vestibule, which 
 would be worth removing the whitewash from to show 
 the stucco-work beneath ; the ceiling here is also inlaid. 
 In the first room are the portraits of Ferdinand and 
 Isabella, and their direct descendants, among them 
 Philip II., the husband of Mary of England. In the 
 second room are likenesses of the ancestors of the 
 present owner of the place, beginning with Cidi Aya ; 
 there is also a portrait of Boabdil, el Eey Chico (the 
 little king), as he was called ; El Zagel, his uncle ; and 
 a picture with two ships, those in which Columbus 
 left the Old World to seek the New. A light, arched 
 gallery, running along one side of the garden, leads to 
 a little chapel; there is nothing worth looking at 
 in it. 
 
 The owner of the Generalife never comes to Granada, 
 nor does he do anything that shows he takes the 
 remotest interest in it. He keeps an agent or manager 
 in a house which belongs to him in the town, called La 
 Casa de Tiros. This is a very curious house ; the 
 frontage is very extraordinary looking, with huge 
 figures of soldiers standing in recesses, like saints in 
 alcoves. The large massive doors, which admit into 
 the covered court, have the walls so built behind 
 them, that when they are open they touch them ; this
 
 GBANADA. 227 
 
 is for protection, to prevent any one concealing them- 
 selves in what would otherwise be dark recesses. The 
 staircase is wide and handsome. In a large drawing- 
 room, where there are a few good paintings, is a 
 ceiling painted with the portraits of the Christian 
 ancestors of the present owner, also portraits of 
 Ferdinand and Isabella. There is a beautiful Titian, 
 
 in a closed case ; it is the head of the Saviour, and 
 
 
 
 before this picture mass was said in the presence of 
 the troops, before going into battle, during the siege of 
 Granada. There are two paintings by Alonso Cano, 
 a Christ's head, and one of St. Francis. In another 
 room are two old Moorish metal plates, and two mus- 
 kets ; the great treasure preserved in this house, 
 however, is Boabdil's sword, which is said to be very 
 beautiful, and, of course, is very interesting; but we 
 failed to see it ; each time we went some excuse was 
 made the agent was absent, or it was too early or too 
 late, so we gave it up ; but it does exist, for people 
 have seen it. 
 
 The most interesting house in Granada is the 
 Cuarto Real; it was formerly the residence of Aija 
 la Horra, Boabdil's mother ; it now belongs to the 
 family of Pulgar, descendants of the Great Captain. 
 One room alone has been left with Moorish work, and 
 that is the large room facing the entrance, and used as 
 a lumber-room ; the grand doors are still there, but in 
 ruins like the rest, the beautiful engraved work filled 
 up with the destructive whitewash so dear to Spaniards ; 
 
 Q2
 
 228 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 the arches are very fine, the elaborate work, partly seen 
 and partly imagined; the light, perforated windows 
 above, all so ill-used, with ladders resting against them, 
 and poles stuck about, that if some little change is not 
 made, a few years will cause the disappearance of all 
 traces of the existence of this once beautiful palace. 
 The ceiling is a very fine specimen of the artesonado. 
 The azulejos are extremely pretty, some of them white 
 and gold, very delicate looking ; none of these exist 
 elsewhere. In the garden is a wonderful vault, be- 
 tween forty and fifty feet long, formed of cypress and 
 myrtle-trees, the trunks of the myrtles of great thick- 
 ness ; this arched promenade is about twenty to thirty 
 feet high, and ten to fifteen in width : it is closed at 
 the end by the trees. 
 
 The cathedral is erected on the site of the great 
 mosque, which was totally destroyed after the con- 
 quest. It was built by Ferdinand and Isabella, and 
 commenced in March, 1529. It is a grand, massive 
 pile, but the interior looks bare, and the eternal white- 
 wash has not been spared. The tras-coro, which faces 
 you on entering by the principal door, is of coloured 
 marbles, all found near Granada ; it is handsome, but 
 out of keeping with the rest. The dome over the high 
 altar is 220 feet high, and decorated in white and gold; 
 the last arch, opening over the coro, has a strange ap- 
 pearance from behind the altar, as it is scooped out, to 
 render the shape of the dome perfect; the arches are 
 magnificent, they are 190 feet high. Around the dome
 
 GKANADA. 229 
 
 are seven large pictures by Alonso Cano, representing 
 scenes from the life of the Virgin ; the smaller paint- 
 ings below these are by Bocanegra. The coloured 
 windows, seen from the end of the church, are very 
 effective, and give a slight look of warmth to this cold, 
 white building. The high altar, though seemingly of 
 marble, is only painted wood. On the right and left 
 are the effigies of Ferdinand and Isabella, and above 
 them the heads of Adam and Eve, carved by Alonso 
 Cano, but they are so high up it is difficult to judge of 
 their merits. All archbishops are buried beneath a 
 grating, which is before the tras-coro. The ooro has 
 nothing to see in it. Two doorways, one leading to the 
 Sala Capitular, and the other to a large recess, are 
 handsome ; over one is a very fine alto relievo by 
 Torrigiano, representing Charity ; next to it is a " Cruci- 
 fixion," painted by Bocanegra. The organs are very 
 much gilt, and showy-looking. 
 
 There is a very fine painting of "La Virgen de la 
 Soledad," by Alonso Cano, in the chapel of San Miguel; 
 the marble altar of this chapel is handsome. A little 
 beyond it is the chapel of Santiago ; above the saint's 
 figure, which is on horseback, there is a small painting 
 of the " Virgin and Child," said to be by St. Luke. The 
 altar retablo is very massive, as, indeed, all in the 
 church are. Mass is said before this little picture on 
 the 2nd January in every year, the anniversary of the 
 conquest of Granada. It was a gift from Innocent 
 VIII. to Isabella the Catholic. In the chapel of La
 
 230 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 Virgen del Rosario are two heads, carved by Cano ; 
 one, St. John the Baptist, dead and laid down : the 
 other, of St. Peter, erect and full of life, forming a 
 great contrast to St. John's, which, from being 
 coloured, is very horrible. In the next chapel, that of 
 La Virgen de la Antigua, is the image of the Virgin 
 which was brought with the Christian army, and carried 
 before the troops when they were marching towards 
 Granada. This Virgin and Child Isabella had such 
 veneration for, that she desired it might be placed in 
 this chapel, with her own portrait and that of Ferdi- 
 nand, life size, and in a kneeling posture, right and left 
 of it ; they are painted by Juan de Se villa. The 
 chapel is extremely gorgeous; the mantle forming a 
 canopy over the Virgin is very graceful and effective. 
 In the chapel of the Holy Trinity, there is a " Holy 
 Family," by Atanacio ; and a " Saviour and St. 
 Joseph," by Ribera. In the chapel of San Francisco 
 is a " Magdalen," and " St. Peter," and a head of " St. 
 Sebastian," by Ribera ; also, " The Saviour Bearing 
 His Cross," a "St. Francis," and "The Saviour with 
 the Virgin," by Alonso Cano ; these pictures form the 
 retablo over the altar. Alonso Cano was a minor 
 canon of this cathedral, and he carved and painted 
 many things for it. He was a native of Granada, yet 
 out of this church few of his works are to be seen. 
 Two very large paintings to the right of the high altar 
 are by Bocanegra. There is a Crucifix in one of the 
 small side chapels, the Saviour has a large mass of
 
 GRANADA. 231 
 
 bushy hair, tied back from off his face ; the whole is 
 more than painful. Against the walls between the 
 chapels a notice is painted, in large black letters, that 
 whoever is seen talking with women in the church, will 
 be fined two dollars and excommunicated. This was 
 put up at the time of the Inquisition, and still remains, 
 unheeded, but as a curiosity. The beggars here are 
 abominable ; they are a frightful nuisance all over 
 Granada ; they will follow you any distance, and finally 
 will lay hold of you, to force you to give : out in the 
 streets one has a chance, but here in the church one 
 cannot get rid of them ; and they will keep so close 
 that one is in fear and trembling that if one does not 
 give, one may get. 
 
 The Capilla Real, built by Charles V. as a resting 
 place for the remains of Ferdinand and Isabella, is by 
 far the most interesting portion of the cathedral, which 
 it joins and communicates with, but is otherwise inde- 
 pendent of it. The exterior is Gothic, and very rich 
 looking ; the initials Y. and F. are in shields all round 
 it ; the door leading into it from the cathedral is very 
 fine. The magnificent iron railing is by Bartolome" ; it 
 is partially gilt ; on the other side of it are the beau- 
 tiful alabaster tombs of the conquerors of Granada, 
 their daughter, " Crazy Jane," and her husband 
 Philip le Bel. These exquisite monuments were cut at 
 Genoa by Peralta. The details are wonderful : though 
 not quite so elaborate, they are much in the style of 
 the Miraflores monument. The effigies of Ferdinand
 
 232 A WINTEE TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 and Isabella lie side by side ; they are said to be por- 
 traits ; Juana la Loca, beside her handsome husband, 
 whom she loved so little in life, so much in death ; her 
 face is calm and peaceful, a contrast to her troubled 
 life. It was by Isabella's request that she and her 
 husband were buried in Granada. Beneath are the 
 coffins containing their remains ; the staircase by which 
 you descend is very awkward if you care for your 
 head ; nine chances out of ten you will give it a blow. 
 On common wooden benches stand five time-worn, 
 coarse-looking, roughly-made coffins. Initial letters 
 alone distinguish one from the other. The fifth coffin 
 is that of Prince Michael, elder brother of Charles V., 
 who was killed when seven years of age by a fall from 
 his horse. The coffins are not even paired, but placed 
 on these shelves or benches, Isabella at one end, Fer- 
 dinand at another, and the whole is sadly at variance 
 with the beautiful sepulchres above. 
 
 The high altar of this chapel royal is extremely 
 curious ; the retablo is magnificent, the lower portion 
 of it represents scenes from the conquest of Granada ; 
 thus, Boabdil followed by Christian prisoners, dressed 
 as Moors, is delivering the keys of Granada to Car- 
 dinal Mendoza, who holds out his gloved hand to receive 
 them ; the cardinal is on horseback, as well as the king 
 and queen. There is also a scene representing a whole 
 batch of unhappy Moors being baptized by monks ; 
 this retablo was executed in Charles V.'s time. To the 
 right and left are effigies of Ferdinand and Isabella,
 
 GRANADA. 233 
 
 said to be exact likenesses and correct representations 
 of their dress. 
 
 There are many interesting relics in the sacristm : 
 amongst them the sword, sceptre, and crown of Fer- 
 dinand ; the handle of the sword is of gold, the sceptre 
 and crown are silver gilt ; and the banner of the Chris- 
 tian army brought to Granada, and the flag which was 
 hoisted on the Bell Tower in the Alhambra, and was 
 the signal of victory given to Isabella who was stand- 
 ing at the time, watching with beating heart and 
 strained eyes, beneath the laurel-tree, are still in exist- 
 ence at La Bebia. In the same repository of treasures 
 is Isabella's missal, exquisitely illuminated ; it was the 
 one she always used, and had it on the occasion of the 
 grand thanksgiving mass after the surrender of Gra- 
 nada ; this is placed on the high altar on every 2nd of 
 January, the anniversary of the conquest. Beside it 
 stands her jewel-box, from out of which she took the 
 jewels she gave with her own hands to Columbus, to 
 enable him to start on that voyage which led to such 
 magnificent results to his country, but such bitter in- 
 gratitude to himself; the box is silver gilt. Cardinal 
 Mendoza's robes, embroidered by the Catholic queen, 
 and presented by her to the cardinal, are also here. In 
 the centre of these things is a beautiful painting, on 
 wood, of " The Adoration of the Kings," by Hemling; 
 the frame is silver gilt. A few pictures adorn the walls of 
 the sacristy ; the most interesting are four small paint- 
 ings, which were formerly in the private chapel of the
 
 231 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 queen, and a large picture, representing the unfortunate 
 " King Boabdil taking leave of Ferdinand after having 
 delivered him the keys of the town." This scene actu- 
 ally took place at a little spot on the banks of the 
 Genii, where there was a mosque ; at this place Fer- 
 dinand and Isabella awaited the dethroned Moor, and 
 bade him farewell ; this was at three in the afternoon, 
 on the 2nd of January, 1492, the ancestors of Boabdil 
 having ruled the country for 777 years. This little 
 mosque, of which an original arch still remains, was 
 converted into a chapel, and dedicated to St. Sebastian, 
 and on the outer wall is a marble slab, on which is 
 written an account of this farewell scene. From here 
 Boabdil went to Almeria, and as he reached the summit 
 of a low mountain from whence a view of the town and 
 plain is obtained, he turned round to take a last look, 
 and with a heavy heart turned away ; this hill has ever 
 since been called " El ultimo Suspiro del Moro," The 
 Moor's last sigh. From Almeria Boabdil went to 
 Fez, and died more gloriously than he had lived. 
 
 The Sagrario, parish church, joins the cathedral and 
 chapel royal ; it is very handsome and showy ; there is 
 a fine picture here of " St. Joseph," by Alonso Cano. 
 
 The Cartuja convent is an object of great interest ; it 
 is situated a little way out of the town. It was built 
 in the early part of the fourteenth century ; Sebastiani 
 robbed it of all its works of art and objects of value, 
 and finally it was suppressed by the Spanish govern- 
 ment, so there is but a shadow of its former greatness
 
 GRANADA. 235 
 
 left. The door into the church is of vine-wood, very 
 handsome, by Hermosa. The interior is elaborately 
 decorated with plaster scroll work ; there are one or 
 two pictures here by Cotan. The doors leading into 
 the part of the church occupied by the friars are very 
 beautifully inlaid with tortoiseshell, ivory, ebony, and 
 cedar- wood ; the framework round them is ebony, in- 
 laid with silver. Here is a picture representing the 
 " Marriage of the Virgin ; " a " Saviour's Head," said to 
 be by Murillo; and a "Virgin and Child," by AlonsoCano. 
 The high altar has gilt pillars, inlaid with bits of look- 
 ing-glass ; the plaster decorations around are coloured. 
 Other inlaid doors lead to the sacristy, which is ex- 
 tremely beautiful ; the comodas, presses where the 
 vestments are kept, are richly inlaid in the same way 
 as the doors, with the addition of mother-of-pearl; 
 these comodas are on both sides ; above the last two, 
 to the right and left of the altar, are the largest agates 
 that have ever been found in Spain ; they are nearly 
 circular, measuring twenty inches by sixteen. The 
 altar is of agate and jasper, with a carved San Bruno, 
 by Mora. On the jasper pillar to the left of the altar 
 is a vein in the marble near the ground, which has the 
 appearance of the Saviour wearing the Crown of 
 Thorns. The marble recesses on either side of the 
 altar, the one for washing the hands, the other for 
 placing the elements for consecration on, are very 
 handsome; the whole is massive and grand, and in 
 keeping. Leading out of this is the sanctuary ; it is
 
 236 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 extremely beautiful ; the marbles are magnificent, and 
 all from about Granada. There are four splendid 
 figures, one in each corner, by Alonso Cano : " St. 
 Joseph," "St. John," "St. Bruno," and "The Magda- 
 len ; " the latter is the finest the gentle, sorrowful face, 
 is beautiful ; the drapery around them is well arranged. 
 The tabernacle in the centre is entirely of marble, with 
 Corinthian pillars ; the custodia is of cedar ; portions of 
 the marble are inlaid like the Florentine work. The 
 frescos on the cupola are by Palomino. There is a 
 curious confessional chair, used for bishops ; it has but 
 one place for the penitent to kneel, and that is in front 
 of the confessor ; this all men do in Spain ; only 
 women kneel at the side. The ordinary confessionals 
 have three places, one on either side of the priest, 
 with a grating to speak through, these are for women ; 
 and one in front, face to face with the priest, this is for 
 men. Two gorgeous frames, with dark, gloomy pic- 
 tures, and one or two copies of Murillos, hang in the 
 body of the church. Passing out into the refectory, 
 there is at one point a marvellous echo. At the end of 
 this long room is a cross against the wall ; it is a fresco, 
 but people have been known fo dispute about what 
 wood it was made of! It is a wonderful piece of 
 colouring, by Cotan, and done some 250 years ago. 
 
 In the cloisters are some curious paintings, illus- 
 trating the life of San Bruno, and others representing 
 various scenes supposed to have taken place in the 
 torturing of the Carthusians by order of Henry VIII.
 
 GRANADA. 237 
 
 Some are horrible to look at. One represents the 
 king himself looking out of a window, gloating over 
 the agonies of his victims, who are being hanged ; four 
 more, about to be executed, are being dragged along 
 like dead bulls out of a ring. In another, a row of 
 shorn monks are seen, wearing crowns of thorns, and 
 an angel, in the distance, is carrying one straight up 
 to heaven. All the faces are English ; in one some 
 Moors are looking on : this is to prove that the 
 English and Moors were, in the eyes of the Spaniards, 
 the only heretics. These pictures are by Cotan. 
 Those of San Bruno are quaint enough also. One, 
 called " His Dream," represents him in bed, with his 
 slippers placed the right way for him to step into 
 them on getting up : almost all these portray some 
 miracle which occurred to this favoured saint himself. 
 It was from this convent Murillo's " Conception " C .^ 
 now in the Louvre was abstracted by the French, r? 
 and became, by right of possession, the property of \^C C i 
 Marshal Soult. 
 
 Santo Domingo was also, in its way, a grand old 
 convent : it is now converted into a museum. The 
 collection, with rare exceptions, is made up of ragged, 
 frameless daubs, fitter to burn than preserve. Those 
 worth anything are soon named : one or two by Zur- 
 baran; the finest of them is " The Saviour walking with 
 St. Joseph and Mary after their finding him in the 
 Temple;" an "Ascension," said to be by Alonso Cano, 
 but, though it is not a bad picture, it is not Cano's
 
 238 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 style ; the "Head of Holofernes," by him; a "Kneeling 
 Monk," by Cotan ; " The Presentation of the Rosa- 
 ries to the Friars," also by him, the last monk .in the 
 painting is a portrait of himself. His portraits of 
 Ferdinand and Isabella are thought to be good. His 
 only other work that is worth looking at is a " Last 
 Supper," and that more for the singular fancy of the 
 artist in representing a fight between a cat and dog in 
 the foreground. A " Kneeling Friar," by Risuelo, is 
 not bad ; and there are one or two by Juan de Sevilla 
 which, amidst the rubbish around, tell well ; but we do 
 not think they would attract much notice in a good 
 collection. The real gem in this museo is a small 
 painting, on wood, of " The Virgin's Head :" it is very 
 beautiful, and ought not to be left here. The artist is 
 not known. It hangs near the second window in the 
 last room. Bocanegra has a few monks in .the same 
 room. Amongst the hundreds of pictures collected 
 here,, these are all that bear even mentioning. 
 There are some finely-carved monks, by Mora and 
 Risuefio, forming parts of the seats in the choir ; and 
 a frame, containing six very beautiful enamels on 
 copper. This was formerly in the convent of San 
 Geronimo, presented by Gonzalez de Cordova, and 
 removed here on the suppression of that community. 
 
 In the centre of the broad staircase leading up to 
 the museum is a hideous statue of an unfortunate lady 
 named Mariana Pineda ; this was to have been placed 
 to her memory in the Plaza del Campillo, but the corpo-
 
 GBANADA. 239 
 
 ration, at whose expense the monument is to be 
 erected, decided this would not do ; another, therefore, 
 was executed : for the present it stands in a kind of 
 lumber-room, but as soon as the necessary arrange- 
 ments are made, it will be raised on the pedestal in the 
 centre of the plaza : it is a fine colossal statue in white 
 marble. This lady was the widow of a Colonel 
 Pineda, and happened to be both young and beautiful ; 
 a man named Pedroza is said to have paid his 
 addresses to her, and to have been rejected ; he then, 
 in a fit of anger and jealousy, placed, in 1831, a 
 constitutional flag in her house, and then informed 
 against her. Though unconscious of the flag being 
 there, she was arrested, accused of treason, and con- 
 demned to death. Her execution took place, by stran- 
 gulation, in May, 1831, near the Plaza de Toros : a plain 
 white cross marks the spot. Five years later, the cor- 
 poration of Granada resolved to honour the remains of 
 the innocent woman, and they caused her body to be 
 removed in state, and to erect a monument to her. 
 The pedestal is nearly completed. Besides her own 
 name and account of her death, it bears the names of 
 other victims of liberty ; amongst them the names of 
 seven officers who, in 1825, were shot for being free- 
 masons. The Spaniards are never in a hurry, nor can 
 they be made to do things quickly ; therefore, thirty- 
 two years is not so out-of-the-way a time for them to 
 make up their minds to raise a monument and carry 
 out their determination. There is little left to finish
 
 240 A WINTEE TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 now only the ornamental railings round it; but 
 no doubt a year or two more will elapse before 
 Mariana Pineda's statue is actually raised to its 
 destined position. 
 
 The facade of the church of San Domingo is very 
 handsome, though in a sad state of decay; it is the 
 work of Diego de Siloe : the initials Y. and F. are 
 above it. Inside, all is very grand ; massive, heavy 
 gilding everywhere. The decorations are too gaudy ; 
 the few pictures there are, are of little merit. In a 
 chapel on the left hand from the entrance, behind the 
 figure of the Virgin, is a fresco painting of a cross, 
 with white drapery. It is wonderfully done : even 
 when quite close to it, you cannot feel sure whether 
 it is not actually of wood, and the drapery white 
 calico. 
 
 San Geronimo is another of those vast institutions 
 which at one time Granada was overrun by ; monks 
 and beggars then peopled the town. It is a little 
 better now as far as the monks go : the beggars are 
 as bad as ever. The chapel of San Geronimo is very 
 handsome ; to the right and left of the high altar are 
 the effigies of Gonzalez de Cordova and his wife. 
 The Great Captain was the founder, and his sword 
 used to hang above his effigy ; but all was destroyed, 
 within and without, by Sebastiani. There were two 
 magnificent organs ; only one remains, the other is a 
 mere shell. The patio is very fine. The convent is 
 now used as cavalry barracks.
 
 GEANADA. 241 
 
 San Juan de Dios is a hospital founded by Juan de 
 Robles, who, because he considered foundling hospitals 
 proper and necessary institutions, was confined in a 
 cage as a lunatic. He died in the sixteenth century, 
 and was canonized a hundred years afterwards. He 
 died on his knees, and in that position he is repre- 
 sented over the entrance : the statue is by Mora. 
 There are two large patios; the first is surrounded 
 with pictures representing scenes from his life ; the 
 other has nothing particular in it, but you reach it 
 by passing by a grand staircase, over which is a very 
 fine inlaid ceiling. The hospital is well kept, well 
 managed, and extremely clean. 
 
 The Town Hall is a larg'e, plain, uninteresting 
 building, formerly a Carmelite convent. When the 
 queen, Isabel II., visited Granada, in 1860, she stayed 
 here. The facade of the convent, where the Little 
 Sisters of the Poor live, is very handsome. 
 
 Granada is full of interest. Every way you turn, 
 and every step you take, brings you to something 
 worth seeing. It would be impossible to describe 
 everything, but the principal objects we will run 
 over. 
 
 Leaving the Alhambra hill behind us, we enter the 
 town by a fine Moorish gateway, called La Puerta de 
 las Granadas ; this takes us at once into the Calle de 
 los Gomeles, so called from the house of the great 
 family of that name being in the street ; it is the first 
 on the right-hand side. Their ancestor it was who
 
 242 A WINTEE TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 aroused the jealousy of Boabdil, which resulted in the 
 murder of the Abencerrages, the bitter enemies of the 
 Gomeles. At the end of the street is the Plaza 
 Nueva ; in the centre is the Chancilleria ; it was built 
 by Philip II. in 1584. The fagade is handsome, but 
 the patio is mean, and the massive stone-work over 
 the staircase in bad taste. It is built entirely of Loja 
 stone, and designed by Herrera. Out of this Plaza, 
 continuing along the Carrera de Darro and passing the 
 church of Santa Ana, nearly opposite is the house of 
 the late Count Montijo, uncle to the Empress of the 
 French. It was from this house that, in 1816, he was 
 taken away in the night by the Inquisition, in a 
 carriage with muffled wheels, and put to such torture, 
 because he was unable to accept all their articles of 
 faith, that he lost his power of speech. At this period 
 his brother, Count de Teba, was living in the Calle 
 de Gracia, No. 12, and in this house the Empress 
 Eugenie was born, and baptized in the chapel of Santa 
 Madalena, opposite. The church is pretty, but 
 nothing more. 
 
 A little higher up the Carrera de Darro is the Casa 
 de Banuelo ; this was a public bath in the time of the 
 Moors, and it remains untouched from that period. 
 The marble columns are more perfect than one could 
 expect to find them in such a spot, for poverty and 
 wretchedness reign around. Beyond the large bath is 
 the place where they dressed and reposed. It has 
 since been used by washerwomen, but now it is left as
 
 GBANADA. 243 
 
 a mere relic of the great past. Nearly opposite are 
 the remains of a Moorish arch, which formed a bridge 
 across the Darro, from the Alhambra to the Mint, but 
 it was destroyed by Sebastiani. The Alameda, at the 
 end of the street, is the promenade for the middle 
 classes. Now in the present day, there is not the 
 same distinction amongst the people there used to be. 
 Formerly they were divided into three distinct sets, 
 which were called Blue Blood, Red Blood, and White 
 Blood : the Blue was royal and the highest of the 
 nobility ; the Red was the gentry and middle class ; 
 and the White the people. They each had everything 
 apart and distinct, even to their Alameda and cafe, 
 and never dreamt of intruding where they had no 
 right. 
 
 To the left of this walk is the quarter called the 
 Albaicin, because peopled originally by Moors from 
 Albacete, who, on the conquest of that place, fled to 
 Granada for safety ; it is inhabited by the poor only. 
 There are two houses in it, joining each other, called 
 Las Casas Chapis; they belonged to merchants, and 
 were seraglios. In the first, the roof of the verandah 
 around the patio is carved larch ; only two marble 
 pillars remain. There is a fine arched doorway, 
 ornamented with stucco work, and another handsome 
 door; but all destroyed with whitewash. The original 
 well is remaining, and still used, but not for the same 
 purposes. In the second house the patio is in a much 
 less tumble-down state ; there are five arches, with the 
 
 R 2
 
 244 A WINTEE TOTJE IN SPAIN. 
 
 decorations tolerably perfect; the stars to the right 
 and left of each arch are very pretty ; there is a door- 
 way prettily ornamented, but again the whitewash has 
 done its work. 
 
 Ascending the road, we reached the gipsies' 
 quarters, which consist of large excavations made on 
 the side of a hill covered with cactus. They reside 
 here in great numbers. At the entrance of this 
 strangely populated hill, some Spanish families reside, 
 but their caves are far cleaner than the gipsies' : all, 
 however, are whitewashed inside. They do not live 
 here rent-free ; each has a landlord ; one peseta (a 
 franc) a month is paid for dwellings that contain but 
 one room (?), and the same in proportion for larger 
 ones : some have three holes inside, the largest contain 
 five. These excavations are the size of rooms in small 
 cottages ; the front one is always the largest. The 
 hole by which these dwellings are entered is the 
 only means of obtaining daylight. The moment the 
 occupants see strangers, they all come out, and request 
 them to walk in, and offer them whatever they have, 
 of course ending by asking for money : they don't tell 
 fortunes ; this is a trade unknown to them. They 
 wave their hand downwards and inwards in token of 
 invitation, as if they were scooping in something ; but 
 all Spaniards do this. The cactus fruit forms their 
 chief food in summer, and vegetables in winter. 
 
 They will go out for six dollars, and dance ; we had 
 them up one night at the hotel ; ten of them, with their
 
 GRANADA. 245 
 
 captain, a fine handsome man, who does not burrow in 
 the earth, but lives in a decent house in the town. 
 It is a thing to see, but it is not at all graceful ; they 
 dance heavily, dragging their feet after them, hardly 
 raising them from the ground ; their arms and heads 
 work instead. Their singing is dreadfully monotonous, 
 not the least melody in it, and the noise they make 
 with clapping their hands, deafening. They are always 
 accompanied by the guitar, which the captain plays ; 
 he makes up for the disappointment created by the 
 others, as he plays and sings beautifully ; and has a 
 deep rich-toned voice. One pretty light piece of his 
 own composition he played with the guitar behind him. 
 There is a very large good room at the " Washington 
 Irving" hotel, where we had this entertainment. 
 They all shake hands with you, if you let them. 
 There is no beauty amongst either the men or the 
 women ; they are so fat and heavy ; the children are 
 lovely, every one of them is a picture, but. they grow 
 out of it very rapidly. 
 
 Near to the gipsies' hill, is San Juan de los Reyes ; 
 it was a Moorish mosque, and the first consecrated as 
 a Christian church : the old tower is still very perfect. 
 There is here a picture painted by Rincon, which was 
 presented by Isabella the Catholic to this church. 
 The subject is the dead Saviour, with the Virgin and 
 St. John on the right and left ; these are portraits of 
 Ferdinand and Isabella. There is a strange picture 
 on the right as you enter, of the Virgin seated in a
 
 246 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 chariot, and being drawn along like a goddess, the 
 people around her looking very much as if they were 
 hurrahing. 
 
 Returning towards the cathedral, facing the entrance 
 to the Royal Chapel, is an old house with a very 
 richly decorated exterior. This building was a univer- 
 sity in the time of the Moors ; after the conquest, it 
 was used as the town hall, and now it is a cotton 
 spinning manufactory. Not far from here is the old 
 Moorish silk bazaar, Alcaiseria ; it is most curious. 
 Eight years ago it was nearly destroyed by fire, but it 
 has been completely restored. The shops are all open, 
 and closed at night by large doors. The walks are not 
 more than six feet in width ; it is like a number of 
 narrow passages, with stalls on both sides : at the end 
 of one is the entrance to the mosque ; this was used 
 for the workmen. The Zacatin is the street where all 
 their cotton goods were sold ; it is now full of boot- 
 makers and silversmiths, two trades that one would 
 imagine must flourish here, so numerous are their 
 shops ; yet it being our misfortune to have a pair of 
 boots stolen from outside the bedroom door (most 
 valuable boots they were, for they withstood the 
 hard wear of the pointed stones in a most wonderful 
 manner), when we sent to replace them, it was with 
 the utmost difficulty we got anything like a boot at 
 all that was wearable. Spaniards will steal if they 
 happen to see on another what they want. We heard 
 Lady H , of L - , fyad her purse stolen here in 

 
 GRANADA. 247 
 
 the cathedral ; this was doubly wicked, for she was not 
 a heretic. 
 
 Close to the Zacatin is La Casa del Carbon, once a 
 Moorish palace, now a washerwomen's palace. The 
 gateway, all that remains worth seeing, is very beau- 
 tiful, but fast going to ruin. The work around the 
 horse-shoe arches, of which there are three the right 
 and left arches were formerly sentry boxes is very fine, 
 as are also the windows above. There are different 
 assertions as to what this palace formerly was ; some 
 say it was a Moorish noble's harem, others that it was 
 the palace of Boabdil's brother: all, however, agree 
 that it was built in the eleventh century, thus making 
 it two hundred years older than the Alhambra palace. 
 In the centre of the patio the original well remains. 
 
 There are several of these old gateways studded 
 about the town, with Moorish work about them ; the 
 finest is one with three horse-shoe arches, leading out 
 of the Plaza de Vibarambla. Granada being the last 
 place in Spain from whence the Moors were driven, 
 more of their work is to be seen here than elsewhere ; 
 at every corner is something, and if not Moorish it is of 
 the time of Ferdinand and Isabella, which is nearly the 
 same thing, as the population was entirely composed 
 of Moors, and the buildings were erected by them. 
 Granada is very much improving, the railway has done 
 an immense deal for it. Houses are springing up in 
 all directions, a large hotel is being built in the town, 
 to be called the " Alameda," though visitors will pro-
 
 218 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 bably patronise the " Washington Irving," on account 
 of its position. Many of the houses in the old por- 
 tions of the town have no glass to their windows ; mat- 
 ting is hung over them to keep out the sun ; yet there 
 is no window tax, but glass is expensive. Dried palm 
 leaves are interlaced in the rails of balconies in almost 
 every decent looking house ; they are supposed to pro- 
 tect it from lightning, not that they are efficacious in 
 themselves, but these have all been blessed, and so are 
 charmed. This is not to be seen in Granada alone, 
 but all over Spain, from the palace at Madrid, and the 
 Escorial, down to the peasant's cabin if he can 
 get it. 
 
 The place called the " Threshing Floor of Christ," 
 is where the Moors put the Christian prisoners to 
 death ; it is near the Bull Ring. The Bull Ring is a neat 
 building, but small, not holding more than 6000 
 people. 
 
 There are two theatres. The Teatro de Isabel la 
 Catolica is a fine house, with a good company, good 
 orchestra, and a good ballet, the Sefioras Olaso and Na- 
 varro being the chief dancers : the drop scene is won- 
 derfully painted. The other, El Teatro Principal, is 
 not so large, but better lighted : smells in both much 
 on a par. The dancing here was wonderful, but would 
 have to be modified for English spectators ; even one 
 of the present day could hardly sit through such a 
 ballet as was performed here before a crammed house. 
 Mdlle. Mora was the attraction ; M. Mamert also drew
 
 GKANADA. 219 
 
 down applause, but it was faint in comparison with 
 that accorded the lady. 
 
 We went one day to see an amusing scene, which 
 occasionally takes place on the exercising ground, a 
 large grassless plain on the other side of the pretty 
 little village of Armilla. It is a sham fire, at which 
 the capabilities of the firemen are tested ; it attracts all 
 the Granadinos ; of course, like every other sight in 
 this country, it takes place on a Sunday. The whole 
 thing was stupid, and if people's lives depended on 
 the house of straw being extinguished instead of their 
 minds being diverted, there would be little hope for 
 them. A huge building of thin planks of wood and 
 straw is erected, and then set fire to ; to put this out, 
 men raised on a platform at the back are handed buckets 
 of water, which are given up a ladder ; these little 
 tubs are emptied on the blazing mass, but make no 
 more impression than a teaspoonful would do ; the 
 fire, in truth, burns itself out amidst hooting and shout- 
 ing ; when the whole thing is over, the firemen are 
 entertained at a dejeuner, which to them is the only 
 really exciting event of the day. This fire, by the 
 way, reminds us of the fire tongs used in this country ; 
 they are most absurd looking things, very little larger 
 than pincers used for curling ladies' hair, and very 
 similar in shape. 
 
 The way funerals are conducted here amongst the 
 poor is distressing beyond measure to see. The bodies 
 are placed in a hired coffin, dressed in their usual
 
 250 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 clothes, and then carried to the cemetery, when they are 
 turned out into the ground, and covered over. We saw 
 the funeral procession one day of a little child between 
 three and four years old, and at first could not believe 
 it possible that the body was once that of a living 
 child. It was being carried by four boys, in a pink 
 and white box, without any lid, or any covering thrown 
 over the face, which had the eyes wide open ; a wreath 
 around the fair curling hair, and a doll lying over the 
 little hands ; they held it by cords, and were swinging 
 it from side to side, and laughingly going on their 
 errand ; three or four men followed at a short distance, 
 but no outward sign betrayed their being interested in 
 the poor little thing that was gone. On reaching the 
 cemetery, a priest and a few women were awaiting it ; 
 the body was then taken out of the gay-looking box, 
 and placed in the ground. These Spaniards are per- 
 fect Pagans about death, as they are in many other 
 points, but they have no shrinking from it, they meet 
 it as indifferently as a suttee. 
 
 The only private collection of paintings in Granada 
 is that belonging to Don Gravial Arroya ; he has some 
 very good ones. Amongst them may be found one or 
 two Murillos, with the original sketch of his " Con- 
 ception," now at the Louvre ; some by Alonso Cano, 
 and a few by Ribera. 
 
 In the Calle de San Geronimo are two houses with 
 Moorish architecture about them ; in the one called 
 La Casa del Rey, belonging to Sefior Ansotti Colonado,
 
 GKANADA. 251 
 
 there is a fine picture of the " Council of Nice ; " the 
 Holy Trinity is over the councillors, and angels are 
 upholding them. 
 
 Granada has a large number of Protestants amongst 
 its population, numbering between three and four thou- 
 sand. They all wear a small gold star beneath their 
 coats, and, Spaniard-like, daggers and revolvers as well. 
 They are a suspicious race, and very imaginative, two 
 characteristics which frequently go together ; this does 
 not apply to the Protestant community more than the 
 Eoman Catholic; on the contrary, the latter are the 
 most mistrustful of the two ; arid Mariolatry is carried 
 to such an excess in all Andalucia (one might say all 
 Spain, only then Andalucia beats Spain), that the God- 
 head is almost ignored, and at best is very secondary. 
 No wonder Protestantism is making rapid strides, 
 though silently ; who could be a Roman Catholic if the 
 religion of Spain is Roman Catholicism? We would 
 recommend any who are wavering and doubting, and 
 who are more than half disposed to follow in the foot- 
 steps of those who have left the Reformed Church for 
 the Church of Rome, to make a tour in the south of 
 Spain, and then spend a week in Valencia, and if that 
 does not open their eyes, nothing will ; if that does not 
 cure them, they must have some Pagan tendencies 
 that no human means or power can eradicate.
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 FROM GRANADA TO MURCIA. 
 
 AFTER a very pleasant fortnight at Granada, we 
 had to make up our minds to move on, though some- 
 what reluctantly, for we dreaded the long sea journey 
 from Malaga to Alicante, especially as the recollection 
 of our voyage from Gibraltar to Malaga was very fresh 
 in our memory. But when we came to talk the matter 
 over with Mariano Ramos, the hotel keeper, we found 
 it practicable to do the journey by land ; and it was 
 agreed he was to accompany us to Alicante ; and we 
 were to send our courier (always useless) back to 
 Malaga, to fetch our luggage, take it by sea, and 
 meet us with it at Alicante. The journey by sea 
 would have taken us three nights ; the days are 
 spent on land, as the steamers put in at Almeria and 
 Cartagena, to leave and take up passengers and 
 cargoes. The land journey was to occupy five days ; 
 but then we would not be losing time, as the scenery 
 was said to be magnificent ; and we also desired to 
 gain an insight into this mode of travelling. 
 
 We made all our preparations, that is, Mariano did 
 for us. We had a good strong, but not heavy, car-
 
 FROM GRANADA TO MUECIA. 253 
 
 riage, omnibus shape, that held six comfortably inside, 
 the coach-box held two, and a famous seat on the roof 
 for four ; five mules, and a first-rate coachman, Salvao 
 by name. We took provisions with us, including 
 butter and tea ; our basket also contained knives and 
 forks, plates, tumblers, and a table-cloth. The butter 
 came to an end long before it was intended : and had 
 it not been for a rivulet, where the table-cloth was 
 washed, what would it have been? for we were to 
 have been five days only on the journey, instead of 
 which we were nine ; but this by the way. 
 
 We started at nine in the morning, a little late as it 
 proved, on Friday, 14th February; a cheery, joyous 
 party, determined to brave all difficulties, and make 
 the best of all disagreeables. What a lovely morning 
 it was, and how grandly beautiful did Granada appear 
 as we ascended the hill, leaving it behind us in the 
 plain, backed by the glistening, glittering Sierra 
 Nevada. 
 
 Our first day's journey was to Guadix ; for an hour 
 or two our road was one continued ascent, with a 
 rugged, wild, mountainous country around. At Moli- 
 nillo, a little venta mid-way, we rested, and refreshed 
 ourselves and the mules : water, bread, and wine 
 being all the ventas can supply, we found the use of 
 our provision basket. We sat in the open air, but in 
 the shade, for the sun was very hot. A venta is a sort 
 of inn, yet in appearance it is more like a large shed. 
 An open archway leads into a covered barn ; one side
 
 254 A WINTER TOUK IN SPAIN. 
 
 is for man, the other for beast. The former is fitted up 
 as a sort of kitchen: jugs, mugs, plates, saucepans, 
 and other utensils hanging round ; more than half of 
 these things are beneath a huge chimney, which covers 
 a space of twelve or fourteen feet, taking up fully a 
 quarter of the barn ; in the centre, on the ground, 
 a wood fire burns. Beds are not to be had in these 
 ventas ; but the arrieros, or carriers, who require 
 nothing but their mule-cloth for their bed, frequently 
 stop all night. 
 
 As we were generally ready before the mules, we 
 used to walk slowly onwards, and let the carriage 
 overtake us. Around Molinillo there seems to be a 
 perfect sea of earth mounds, looking in the distance 
 like a colossal encampment; each of these mounds 
 forms a dwelling for the gipsy populations which 
 abound in this part of the country. None have 
 windows, many have no doors ; inside, however, is 
 much better than could be imagined from the out ; 
 and they multiply and increase as in any other above- 
 ground city. 
 
 A couple of hours before reaching Guadix, we broke 
 one of the springs of the carriage ; this arose from the 
 dreadful roads that must be gone over when passing 
 through villages ; we lost more than half an hour in 
 repairing it; and the night being very dark, and the 
 road near Guadix not over good, we were forced to 
 go at a very slow pace, thus not reaching there till 
 seven o'clock. The night was cold, but, as far as we
 
 FEOM GRANADA TO MUECIA. 255 
 
 were individually concerned, we were kept warm with 
 fright ; that, however, was the only evil, as no attempt 
 was made either to rob or carry any of us off. All 
 who understood the use of fire-arms were armed with 
 revolvers, and Mariano and Salvao had their knife- 
 daggers with them ; and this was no unnecessary 
 precaution, as such things do happen as brigands 
 making a descent on unwary travellers. 
 
 There was a little difficulty, on reaching Guadix, to 
 gain entrance to the posada, that of Naranjos ; the 
 people have a habit of going to bed with daylight in 
 these out-of-the-way spots. And how our hearts sank 
 within us when we did get in ! The description of one 
 posada, like one venta, will do for all, as there is so 
 little difference in them so much so, that it would be 
 impossible to recall any one in particular to one's 
 recollection, without making certain notes hi connec- 
 tion with each. The entrance corresponds with the 
 venta's ; the ground floor and it is the ground pure 
 and simple is occupied by animals on one side, and 
 a kitchen on the other; the space in the centre is 
 covered with sleeping muleteers from sunset to sun- 
 rise ; the mule cloth is laid on the ground, and forms 
 their bed, and their saddle or sack containing the 
 mule's food, their pillow; they never dream of un- 
 dressing, but give themselves a shake, and curl them- 
 selves up like dogs. A flight of stone stairs, towards 
 the middle of this barn, leads up to the rooms which 
 are set apart for travellers who can pay for this
 
 256 A WINTEE TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 superior kind of accommodation; up this we were 
 conducted by the light of a classically shaped lamp, 
 borne by a decent-looking woman. The rooms were 
 off the gritty paved landing ; their furniture consisted 
 of one deal table, about two feet by one, two bass 
 grass chairs, and an iron ring, standing stiff out from 
 the wall, in which was fixed a yellow earthenware 
 basin about the size of an ordinary pudding basin 
 and not a blessed thing besides. The walls were 
 white-washed, and the floor paved like the passage out- 
 side, and covered with gritty dust. The windows were 
 mere square openings in the wall, with wooden doors ; 
 not a vestige of glass; but being night, this misery 
 was not felt till the morning, when one was forced to 
 dress with the cold air blowing in upon one for up in 
 these regions the mornings and evenings were really 
 cold or else by lamp light ; the same with breakfast ; 
 and this was the case at all the posadas. Beds were 
 forthcoming, of course, only it is the custom to double 
 them up, and stow them away as we do linen ; there 
 were a dozen of them in a store room : a wooden 
 frame with a clean mattress forms the whole affair; 
 but they are very comfortable, and linen plentiful and 
 good. 
 
 We picked up, on this our first day's journey, a poor 
 little orphan boy, who was trudging proudly along in 
 rags that were not even sufficient for decency, making 
 the best of his way to Baza ; he had gone to Granada, 
 thinking he was old enough and big enough to enlist
 
 FEOM GEANADA TO MUECIA. 257 
 
 as his brother had done ; but this poor child was but 
 eleven years old, and small for his age, so having of 
 course failed, disappointed and hopeless he was re- 
 turning to his native town. We let him sit on the 
 step of the carriage when going down hill, but he was 
 to walk going up, and this he most conscientiously did. 
 Now, the poor little fellow tried in every way to be 
 useful ; there he stood over a brasero, fanning away 
 at it, as if his life depended on keeping the embers 
 a bright red ; when the sheets were being aired, he 
 held the corners over the fire, so that no portion should 
 escape being heated ; and he remained up the last, so 
 as to be assured he could do nothing more. 
 
 Butter, tea, and coffee, are things unknown in a 
 posada. Milk is obtainable, but not without great 
 difficulty. Had we had our own courier with us, 
 instead of Mariano, we should never have seen milk 
 the whole time ; as it was we were never without it : 
 once he went himself and milked somebody's cow 
 without leave or licence, much to their fury and indig- 
 nation when they found it out; in the meanwhile, 
 however, we had drank the milk. Eggs, ham, jamon 
 dulce, as they term those cured by snow, and which 
 are extremely delicate, rice, bread the same beautiful 
 white bread and good water are always to be had ; 
 but with children these things are not everything; 
 yet by Mariano's good management and forethought 
 we never really wanted for any necessary. There is 
 something awfully dreary in these posadas ; the white-
 
 258 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 wash, and bare, empty, be-shuttered rooms, with 
 paving stones for flooring, are depressing after a long 
 fatiguing hot journey ; one requires a very cheery dis- 
 position to carry one well through such a tour ; how- 
 ever, we never flagged, fortunately, till it was over, and 
 then we were intensely thankful we had done it. 
 
 Guadix is a large town, beautifully situated; the 
 Sierra Nevada, towering up behind it, forming a 
 magnificent background. There is a bishop, and a 
 population of 18,000. The Cathedral is large and 
 handsome : the pulpits are the most worthy of admira- 
 tion ; they are of marble, and very fine. The town is 
 famed for the manufacture of a peculiar shaped knife, 
 which the natives are as fond of using as having. 
 
 We left Guadix at 8.15 A.M., and left Francisco, our 
 little protege, behind us, as we made arrangements 
 with Mariano to pick him up on his return journey, 
 and take him back with him to Granada, and give him 
 some employment. The poor boy ran after the car- 
 riage for a long distance, warmly and comfortably 
 clothed, and a smart mania over his shoulders. When 
 he turned at last, and waved his farewell, he could 
 contain himself no longer, and he cried bitterly : the 
 child no doubt thought he was losing the only friends 
 he had ever met with in the world. Poor little Fran- 
 cisco ! We often talked of him, and wondered if he 
 would continue to remember us. We heard of his safe 
 arrival in Granada, and of his well-being. 
 
 * And now we have just heard that Mariano so ill-treated the
 
 FROM GRANADA TO MURCIA. 259 
 
 From Guadix to the Venta de Baul, where we made 
 our mid-day halt, the road is very beautiful, but very 
 wild and desolate : we for hours never saw a human 
 being; then we would see a convoy of muleteers 
 winding along the road : these men are always well 
 armed, as they carry on their mules merchandise, with 
 which they traffic as they go along. This is the way 
 commerce is carried on about these primitive parts. 
 They generally sing as they go along: the Spanish 
 arneros are famous for their songs ; but the melodies 
 are peculiar, like nothing we ever heard before ; and 
 we had plenty of it at all times, for Salvao, our coach- 
 man, was renowned for his voice, as well as for his in- 
 exhaustible collection of songs. On from the Venta de 
 Baul, the road lies through a mass of tent-like hills, 
 such as we passed by on the previous day ; the " Dientes 
 de la Vieja," or "The Woman's Teeth," rearing up 
 behind them ; it is like a sea of brown waves : the 
 effect produced is very curious, and the inhabitants of 
 these mounds swell the population to some twelve or 
 fourteen thousand more than exist in the town. The 
 vega around Baza is fine, but does not equal Guadix : 
 cork trees grow well in this soil, and the bass grass 
 covers the plain. The Posada del Sol is the best inn 
 here; it is a duplicate of the one we were at, at 
 Guadix. On the Alameda are some of the old cannons, 
 used during the siege at the conquest of Granada; 
 
 poor child that he ran away ; however, we have taken steps to have 
 him traced and placed in better care. 
 
 s 2
 
 260 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 they are stuck in the ground, and serve as posts ; 
 the rings attached to them forming a sufficiently firm 
 hold for the children of the town to swing themselves 
 round by.. The wine at Baza is very good, but, 
 indeed, it is rare in any part of Spain not to find both 
 wine and bread excellent. They have a bull-ring here, 
 which the inhabitants think much of, as at Guadix, a 
 much larger place, they do not possess one. 
 
 From Baza, which we left at 8.30 A.M., we went to 
 Cullar de Baza, a short day's journey, but we were 
 compelled to stop here, as at Chirivel, the station 
 beyond, there were no beds to be had. We halted for 
 our mid-day repast at the Venta del Peral, celebrated 
 for the smuggling carried on in tobacco ; at this venta 
 the finest Habana cigars can be bought for two-thirds 
 less than they can be had for in the towns. The road 
 during this day's journey was arid and wild, the esparto 
 or bass grass growing in great profusion ; many articles 
 are made of it, mattings, chair bottoms, baskets, and 
 rope ; a great deal is exported to England. From the 
 Venta del Peral to Cullar is not much more than a 
 league; a Spanish league being about four English 
 miles ; this we nearly walked ; yet the heat was intense, 
 for there was no shade, but having once started there 
 was no use in turning back. As a rule these noonday 
 walks were most enjoyable ; we left the high road, and 
 cut across the upland paths, sometimes making short 
 cuts, sometimes long detours. One day Mariano very 
 nearly shot a dog for a wolf; we had seen one in the
 
 FROM GKANADA TO MTJRCIA. 261 
 
 distance on a mountain ledge, and we imagined the 
 same brute now crossed our path within a few yards of 
 us : he was so like a wolf, that it was not till one or two 
 of us got down from the seat where we were perched 
 up aloft on the carriage, and went close up to him, 
 that all were convinced the beast was only a dog. 
 
 The Posada de la Plaza is the best at Cullar : facing 
 it is the mayor's house, and the church forms the 
 third side to the square. Inside the church there is 
 nothing to see ; but there is too much to hear outside, 
 the bells never seemed to cease, till at last we were 
 nearly driven distracted. The striped mantas worn 
 here by the natives are extremely picturesque, making 
 the dingy miserable looking town bright and cheerful. 
 Three-fourths of the town consists of holes in the 
 earth, dug out for habitations. The appearance of 
 these dwellings is very singular; and they are rendered 
 more curious by the large mud chimney which rises out 
 of what forms the roof. The hills these excavations are 
 made in, lie in ridges ; thus in the distance they have 
 almost the appearance of streets, from their rising tier 
 upon tier. 
 
 An old Moorish tower crowns the summit of a hill 
 on the opposite side which overlooks the town; the 
 view from it is very extensive, stretching far over 
 mountain and valley. A portion of this ruin had 
 clearly been turned at some time or another into a 
 Christian chapel, from the traces that still remain of 
 homage that has been paid to the Virgin : her initials
 
 262 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 are engraved on the walls, and a broken image is 
 stowed away amongst rubbish of all kinds. 
 
 The children in these towns form a large moving 
 nuisance ; they crowded round the carriage when we 
 arrived, so much so, that it was not always easy to get 
 out of it. They followed every step we took, and they 
 came so close to one, that it became serious; and 
 we were either compelled to appeal to some one to 
 free us from them, or else give up attempting to see 
 the place. 
 
 We had a tiny room lent us to dine in at the inn, 
 belonging to a commercial traveller ; it had a chimney 
 in it, which formed its only attraction, so we had a fire 
 lighted; and in the evening our hostess and her 
 handsome daughter entertained us by a monotonous 
 tom-tom sort of music on the guitar, and a howling 
 accompaniment with the voice. Spanish singing is 
 dreadfully unmusical; it is guiltless of all harmony, 
 and all appear to sing alike. They burst out in 
 snatches, then tom-tom on the guitar, then they break 
 forth again. How tired we were, and how we longed 
 to get away, but manners induced us to remain a little ; 
 doubtless, however, the attention and intention were 
 alike unappreciated. On all these occasions, smoking 
 never ceases ; so that the room is filled with it, and 
 though the smell is not strong, the atmosphere is 
 suffocating. 
 
 Our next day's journey took us to Velez-Rubio. 
 We got off by 8.15 A.M., and reached Chirivel at 12.30
 
 FEOM GKANADA TO MUKCIA. 263 
 
 and Velez-Rubio at 5.45 P.M. The road to Chirivel 
 was good ; the last league before reaching it, from 
 Vertientes, is called the " Friar's League ; " an awful 
 league it is, at least six miles. At the venta here, in 
 addition to the usual provender they supply, we had 
 a sweet radish, very large and thick, with a rose- 
 coloured skin, more like a carrot in size ; the taste was 
 something between a bad apple and a turnip. From 
 Chirivel to Velez-Rubio, the road lies along the bed of 
 a torrent, and we were obliged to hold tight to keep 
 our outside seats ; ruts, huge stones, mud, water, and 
 every possible impediment we could, we did encounter. 
 A new road is being made, but when it is to be com- 
 pleted is a question no one would like to answer. 
 Flax is grown about here in great quantities, and gives 
 ample employment to the people if they choose to 
 work; but Spaniards don't care for labour; if they 
 have enough to eat for the day, they take no thought 
 for the morrow. All about these mountain roads we 
 frequently saw rude wooden crosses, formed by two 
 sticks, or two pieces of cane : this marks the spot of 
 some violent death, preceded of course by robbery. 
 These crosses have mounds of stones around them, 
 as it is the custom for all passers-by to cast one at the 
 foot of the cross. Some we saw were very recently 
 erected; the cross new, and the stones few. These 
 victims are generally muleteers, who, instead of joining 
 a convoy, brave the dangers of the road alone ; or, 
 perhaps, have started in the hope of overtaking one.
 
 264 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 The Posada del Rosario, at Velez-Rubio, is a tre- 
 mendous house, a perfect barrack, but otherwise re- 
 sembling the rest, bare and comfortless in the extreme. 
 We always entered these inns with a sinking heart, 
 and left them with indescribable delight, for the days 
 were enjoyable beyond measure. This house was built 
 in 1785, by the then Duke of Alba and Medina Si- 
 donia, eleventh Marquis of Villafranca, as a tablet, in 
 marble, over the entrance informs all wayfarers ; it 
 seems impossible, from the utter absence of every- 
 thing but size, that the building could ever have been 
 intended for a palace. We had a big, white-washed 
 room as a sitting-room ; there was a huge chimney in 
 it, by which we succeeded in burning holes in the 
 sheets and pillow cases, for we had a roaring wood 
 fire ; the room belonged to some one else, who lent 
 it to us for a few hours, sitting up the while, for other- 
 wise the usual occupant would have been in bed. Out- 
 side, on the long, broad landing, more like a gallery in 
 size and length, there were mounds of red pepper, 
 which by morning were stowed away in sacks. This 
 red pepper is the common pepper of the country, 
 made from pimi&ntas, a capsicum of great size, grown 
 here in quantities ; fortunately it is not strong in smell, 
 any more than it is in taste, so we had no sneezing 
 fits. 
 
 From Velez-Rubio we went to Lorca. The road as 
 far as La Puerta de Lumberas, is awful ; we re-entered 
 the bed of the torrent, which we left the night before,
 
 FROM GRANADA TO MTJBCIA. 265 
 
 and bounded over a certain portion, till it became too 
 serious a matter to trust our necks on the outside of 
 the carriage, or the inside either, so we all turned out 
 to walk, which we did for a long league. The carriage, 
 miraculously enough, did not come to pieces, thanks, 
 we believe, to the springs having already been broken 
 and so well bandaged up, that they were better than 
 before ; nor did the mules break their legs, though 
 one, Pelegrino, the leader on this occasion, turned 
 right round at a very awkward point, and deliberately 
 pulled in the opposite direction ; however, after strong 
 opposition offered in the shape of violent kicks, he was 
 induced to go on the right way. It was no wonder 
 the poor beast tried to turn back, to see what was be- 
 fore him was quite enough even to make a mule 
 hesitate about going on ; Salvao, our cheery singing 
 coachman, declared, after we were safe over our diffi- 
 culties, that once or twice he had nothing but the at- 
 mosphere to drive over ; this was when he had to 
 drive along the side of a steep hill, without a sign of a 
 road, and that was so awkward looking that we 
 branched off into a mule track, expecting every mo- 
 ment to hear or see the carriage upset. A road in 
 process of being made, loomed temptingly in the far 
 distance, like a thin white thread ; the contractors have 
 received three millions of reals for its completion ; it will 
 be a great boon for man and beast when it is finished, 
 and so allow the river bed to be left for what nature in- 
 tended it ; to look over portions of this road, it seems
 
 266 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 as if it were simply impossible for a carriage to pass it 
 frightful torrents or earthquakes could alone have 
 produced such a jumble. 
 
 We stopped at La Puerta del Lumbrera for our 
 noon-day meal; the Posada de Nuestra Senora del 
 Carmen, though calling itself a posada, and not a venta, 
 is less clean than we generally found such places, and 
 is in a village, which to us was not half so enjoyable as 
 were the inns on the road side. The torrent runs through 
 the centre of the village, cutting it in two ; the portion 
 on the right is formed entirely of holes dug in the side 
 of the hill, in which the greater part of the population 
 lives. The country about here is very pretty ; there 
 is less of the bold mountain scenery, and more hill and 
 dale, with vegetation ; the peasants dress in very bright 
 colours, red or yellow petticoats, and coloured bodies, 
 contrasting admirably with their dark complexions. 
 From Lumbrera to Lorca are three long leagues, but 
 we got in by 5, having left Velez-Rubio at 8 "20 a.m. 
 
 We went to the Posada de San Vicente, but it was 
 very dirty, and altogether objectionable, so we made 
 an appeal to the amo to tell us if we could not find 
 better accommodation in the town ; he then admitted 
 we might do better if we went to a Casa de Huespedes, 
 or boarding house. Whilst some of the party went to 
 see rooms, the rest remained at the posada ; the room 
 we were in was on the ground floor, the window 
 looking into the street ; in a few minutes there was a 
 crowd round it, equal to that which surrounds a police
 
 FEOM GKANADA TO MTJKCIA. 267 
 
 court if some noted criminal is expected to appear ; 
 there were, fortunately, iron bars all the way up, or 
 they would have come into the room ; up these, how- 
 ever, boys climbed, till the grating was a mass of 
 faces ; this not being enough, a woman called Caroline 
 came in, and seated herself close to us, and began to talk 
 in French, hoping she did not intrude, but hearing 
 visitors had arrived, she came to pay them some atten- 
 tion ; we found out in a moment that she was crazy, and 
 therefore we called to the amo to turn her out ; she 
 was dressed in dirty silks and finery, and ought to have 
 been kept shut up. It was, therefore, with no little 
 feeling of thankfulness that we heard rooms could be 
 had at the house of Pablo de Pedro, 10, Calle de la 
 Parrica, and with a relief that amounted to pleasure, 
 we found very comfortable, clean, well-furnished rooms. 
 The good old maiden sister told us they had kept the 
 house for twenty-four years, and her first boarder was 
 an Englishman, so she looked especially kindly on all 
 our country people, and treated us accordingly. We 
 had an excellent dinner, excellent beds, and felt as if 
 the house was a paradise, after what we had met with. 
 Lorca is a large town, with 30,000 inhabitants; 
 there are some good houses, a fine cathedral, several 
 other churches, but nothing remarkable in any ; gold 
 and whitewash, images and paintings, rendering them 
 all very much alike. The old castle is worth going up 
 to see, because of the view ; the scenery around is 
 very grand, and the vega magnificent. The beggars
 
 268 A WINTEE TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 surpass all the beggars in any other part of Spain ; 
 they lay hold of you and positively howl at you, and 
 do everything but pick your pocket, which they pro- 
 bably would do if they thought to succeed. 
 
 We left Lorca at 7 '45 a.m. ; we halted at noon, at 
 Alhama ; there are three Alhamas in Spain, all cele- 
 brated for springs : these are subterraneous. The road 
 from Lorca is arid and uninteresting, it is straight, for 
 miles not a turn, and the cactus and aloe alone relieve 
 the monotony of the brown barren soil. At Totana 
 the oriental scenery begins, which only terminates on 
 the other side of Elche ; the flat-roofed houses, the 
 magnificent palms, the blazing sun and deep blue 
 cloudless sky, all tend to give an eastern appearance to 
 this part of the country. Every here and there are 
 hills, topped with the ruins of Moorish towers ; all the 
 land about them is arid and wild, whilst hemp and flax 
 grow plentifully in the vega, giving a bright rich look to 
 the plain. They cleanse the fibre in a very primitive 
 manner at the corners of the streets. 
 
 Our provisions were unfortunately a little the worse 
 for wear ; they were nearly eaten away, and we were 
 reduced to-day to a box of sardines, and the frugal 
 produce of the venta, but we did very well on the 
 hope of the future ; that night we were to reach Mur- 
 cia, a considerable town, with a fonda, or hotel ; yet 
 the " Live, horse, and I'll give you corn," was unfortu- 
 nately not fulfilled ; we had buoyed up ourselves with 
 the hope of finding a good hotel, and consequent com-
 
 FROM GEANADA TO HUKCIA. 269 
 
 forts, whereas that of the " Francesca " was very bad ; 
 had it been called a posada, we might have spoken of it 
 in terms of admiration, but as a fonda it fell lamentably 
 short of what it should be, and what it might be, for 
 the house is good enough, and large enough, but there 
 is enough dirt in it to frighten away even a pig, and 
 the smells are awful.
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 MURCIA. TO ELCHE AND ALICANTE. 
 
 THE approach to Murcia is beautiful ; you see it for 
 miles ahead, with the Cathedral tower, giving it in the 
 distance a look of Seville. The palm-tree is studded 
 about here and there, growing to an enormous height, 
 overtopping everything, and laden with the graceful 
 drooping bunches of fruit. The vega is very rich; 
 everything grows without man's hand interfering ; beans 
 were grown to their full size, peas plentiful; fruits 
 belonging more especially to tropical climates grow 
 about here and in the neighbourhood. But the Mur- 
 cians think more of silk than anything else ; the 
 quantities of mulberry trees show how they trade in 
 it. The silk they manufacture is more celebrated for 
 its durability than its beauty. Mantas, the coarse 
 scarfs worn by the peasants, are all manufactured here, 
 yet Murcia is about the worst place to buy them in, as 
 all the best are sent away. The dress of the Murcian 
 peasant is very like the Greek ; they wear very wide 
 white drawers, which, being gathered in at the waist, 
 and falling only to the knee, very full, seem to be a 
 petticoat ; their legs, which are much more like walk-
 
 MUECIA. 271 
 
 ing-sticks than legs, are covered from below the knee 
 with a legging of stocking material, but having neither 
 toes nor heels, only a strap passing under the sole of 
 the foot ; their shoes are called alpargata, they are 
 hempen soles, with tape sandals. Round the waist 
 they wear the bright red sash, common all over Spain. 
 It is wound round several times. Their jackets are of 
 velvet, generally ornamented with large silver buttons, 
 their sleeves open, and a white or red handkerchief 
 bound round the head, or a cap shaped like a man's 
 nightcap. Above this they wear the mania when cold ; 
 the colours of it are very bright. They throw it 
 round the shoulders in the same graceful manner they 
 do the capa, or cloak, in other parts of the country. 
 They always carry a peculiar stick, with a tremendous 
 crook at the head of it. The women's dress here also 
 differs from that worn in the western and southern parts 
 of Spain. Nothing is black but the mantilla ; all the 
 brightest colours are to be seen ; their petticoats some- 
 times very much embroidered or flounced ; the dress 
 fitting tightly to the body, all very becoming to their 
 pretty gipsy faces. They have beautiful hair, and 
 great quantities of it. There is a merry heedlessness in 
 their manner, which alone renders a marked difference 
 between them and the Andalusians. 
 
 Murcia is not an interesting town. There is little 
 to see, and less to do that can occupy one's time, which 
 we found hang very heavily the second day, on our 
 hands. The walks are being made, the streets are
 
 272 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 being made, the houses are being made, and it is the 
 railway does all this ; but during the bricks and 
 mortar era, the town is disagreeable. There is a 
 Plaza de Toros, but bull-fights occur during the sum- 
 mer only ; a theatre, not a bad one, by any means, for 
 such a town ; and the usual other public buildings that 
 are totally devoid of interest to the ordinary traveller, 
 unless they happen to contain some great work of art, 
 or that their architecture is remarkable, which in no 
 instance is the case here. The Cathedral is the prin- 
 cipal thing to see. We began by ascending the tower, 
 which, like the Giralda at Seville, we walked up by an 
 inclined plane, that is, as far as the clock tower, where 
 there is a very good whispering gallery ; from that 
 point we went up by a corkscrew staircase to the 
 summit. The view around is very fine. The range of 
 mountains which divides Murcia from the sea, the 
 splendid vega, the quaint-looking town at our feet, 
 looking so blue and white and yellow, from the strange 
 fancy the Murcians have of painting their houses this 
 colour ; the flat roofs, and occasional towers, rendered 
 it different to the generality of panoramas. The finest 
 entrance to this one-towered church is by the Portada 
 de los Apostoles; the door is handsome; the other 
 undomed ought-to-be tower is girdled round by a mas- 
 sive stone chain, in compliment to the Velez family, 
 whose badge it is ; inside the church is a chapel be- 
 longing to them, which is handsomely decorated with 
 stone carvings ; in it is a painting of St. Luke writing
 
 MTJECIA. 273 
 
 his gospel, by Francisco Garcia. In the body of the 
 church is a beautiful Virgin and Child ; it might be by 
 Alonso Cano, but nothing is known about it. The 
 pulpits are peculiar ; they are more like two jam pots 
 of iron, projecting from the screen of the high altar. 
 There is some good carving in the choir, and also in 
 the sacristy. The great treasure in this church is a 
 relic left to it by Alonso el Sabio, being nothing more 
 nor less than his own inside. This precious gift he 
 bequeathed to Murcia, because it was he who re-took 
 the town from the Moors, who again got possession of 
 it after its first conquest in 1240 by his father, San 
 Fernando. All the valuables formerly here were 
 appropriated by the French. 
 
 In the Church of San Nicholas is a large carved 
 image, over the high altar of the saint, by Cano. The 
 expression of the face is beautiful, and at a little side 
 chapel there is a small figure of San Antonio in the 
 dress of a Capuchin friar. It is wonderfully carved, 
 but little value is set upon it. A mile or two out of 
 the town is the immense College of San Geronimo. 
 It is an institution where young men are educated for 
 priests ; it is one of the largest in Spain. The walks 
 are pleasant about Murcia. There are two Alamedas ; 
 one, across the river Segura, is open all day ; the one 
 on the town side is only opened in the afternoon. The 
 former is much the largest and much the prettiest ; it 
 abounds with flowers, and along two high borders of 
 cypress trees, cut so as to form hedges, are placed blue-
 
 274 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 painted iron seats. The effect produced is extremely 
 pretty, for they seem in the distance to be beds of 
 bright blue flowers. There is a monument here, 
 erected to the Comte de Florida Blanca, in 1848. 
 Many of the houses in the town have embossed fronts ; 
 they are much admired by the natives, but by no one 
 else. One house facing the side entrance of our hotel 
 still retains two Moorish doors. The stone-work over 
 them is massive and handsome, but the two columns 
 right and left have been cut through the centre, 
 and rubbed down to nothing. The streets are gay 
 enough, and remind one somewhat of Genoa, but the 
 shops are not a bit more tempting than elsewhere. It 
 is very fortunate there is nothing to induce people to 
 fritter away their money, as enough goes with the 
 ordinary expenses that of necessity are incurred. 
 
 We left Murcia at 8 '2 5 A.M., and but for an accident 
 we might have reached Elche by 5 '30 P.M. The road 
 as far as Villa de Callosa was extremely good ; we 
 passed through Orihuela, a large picturesque town, 
 with flat roofs, square towers, and domes. There is a 
 beautiful gateway here belonging to the College. The 
 cathedral, repaired and enlarged fifty years ago, is like 
 any other. The presses for the priests' vestments are 
 curious. At Callosa we made our noon-day halt; it 
 is six leagues from Murcia, and beautifully situated, 
 with palms growing in thick abundance. The church, 
 dedicated to St. Martin, is handsome ; the pillars are 
 said to be of marble, but they did not look like it ;
 
 MUECIA. 275 
 
 the decorations were all gilt, giving a gaudy look over 
 the whole. After leaving Callosa, we branched off the 
 main road to enter an infamous mule track, which, 
 however, admitted of wheels, but certainly not of 
 springs, but then we had none left. This was the 
 nearest way to Elche. From this sorry point there 
 was little scenery but that of the purple and such a 
 purple ! hills in the distance. 
 
 About a league, certainly a friar's, from Elche, we 
 came to a bridge which spanned a ravine ; the bridge 
 had no sides to it, and was not more than eight or 
 nine feet wide ; we had the mules harnessed three 
 abreast in front, and the outsiders objecting to their 
 position, they nearly squeezed " Coronela," the centre 
 mule, to death by pressing her between them ; but at 
 the critical moment of passing, Coronela summoned up 
 courage to push too ; the consequence was that Pele- 
 grino, the outside mule on the right, being unable to 
 withstand against two pushing him, was shoved right 
 over; luckily the wheelers held hard, and so saved 
 the whole of us being pitched into the ravine. In a 
 moment we were all out of the carriage, and Salvao, 
 with his dagger-knife, instantly cut the traces and 
 let poor Pelegrino, who never before so resembled 
 Mahomet's coffin, down into the hollow ; he so fell 
 that half his body came beneath the bridge, and big 
 heavy stones rolled on the top of him. The diffi- 
 culty now was to draw the poor brute out. This was 
 first attempted by the tail, which certainly would have 
 
 T 5J
 
 276 A WINTEE TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 been out the first but for the shouts raised by us all to 
 stop that, then all available hands were lent to drag 
 him by the traces. This after a time succeeded, and 
 after a good deal of persuasion he was induced to get 
 up, which we never thought he could do, imagining 
 if his neck was not broken his legs must be ; but 
 nothing of the sort, the only harm done was to the 
 harness, but he was very much shaken, and had to 
 walk very slowly into Elche. We now regretted we 
 did not follow the order which is tried to be enforced 
 throughout Murcia, of not driving three animals 
 abreast. The law, however, is not for the sake of 
 safety, but that a heavier tax is claimed when the 
 horses or mules are put lengthways : thus you pay for 
 horses harnessed tandem double what you pay for a 
 pair harnessed abreast. Cox, a little village we drove 
 through before reaching Elche, is nestled in palm 
 groves. It is a quaint-looking little place, so clean 
 and white-looking that one felt disposed to spend a 
 day there, only that is what one cannot do, there being 
 nothing but a venta in the village. 
 
 At last we got to Elche but late, it was quite dark 
 and we had to thread our way amidst the muleteers, 
 who were already on the ground in the posada fast 
 asleep. Though this town is but three hours from 
 Alicante, and almost every one goes from there to see 
 it, for it has not its second in all Europe, yet there is 
 nothing but a wretched posada to put up at. How 
 thankful we felt at the idea of this being the last we
 
 ELCHE. 277 
 
 should ever have to stop at which it wasn't; but 
 this by the way. It is called the Posada Nueva de 
 Tadea, and has a disadvantage which none other we 
 stopped at ever had, that of a horrible smell. Hitherto 
 we found this disagreeable quite confined to the 
 theatres and Murcia ; but the posada here shares the 
 distinction. 
 
 Elche is a charming spot. It is embedded in a 
 forest of palms, the roads are cut through tracts of 
 land covered with them ; thus there are thickly grown 
 avenues branching out in all directions. By ascending 
 the tower of the church of Santa Maria one can under- 
 stand the extent of these palm plantations : all round, 
 nearly as far as the eye can reach, there is nothing 
 but palms, and they are magnificent ; we have never 
 seen any that can come up to these. It does not 
 require any very great stretch of the imagination to 
 fancy oneself in the east : the white-looking town, the 
 flat roofs, so Oriental, even the people themselves do 
 not look like Europeans. The interior of the church 
 is handsome ; the Virgin, to whom it is dedicated, is 
 enthroned above the high altar and canopied over with 
 massive gold ornaments. The doors of the church are 
 in the Moorish style, but of a later date than the 
 period when the Moors possessed the Kingdom of 
 Valencia in which Elche is situated. 
 
 We took a long rambling walk in the palm 
 woods ; they produce so perfect a shade that the air 
 beneath them is quite fresh. An old lady who died
 
 278 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 some little time back, and who owned several divisions 
 of the palm-planted land, bequeathed them, together 
 with her house property, to the Virgin. These are 
 called La Huerta (farm or orchard) de la Virgen. Of 
 course the Church of Santa Maria, or rather the priests, 
 claim the revenue derived from these lands. Many of 
 the palms are tied up, making them look like the back- 
 bone of a whale, as by this process they become 
 bleached, and are thus rendered fit for the decoration 
 of churches for Palm Sunday, and the balconies of 
 houses, which, as we before remarked, is believed 
 infallible against storms. They are called Las Ramos. 
 The fruit falls short of that which we get in Eng- 
 land, which comes from Africa ; still they are sweet, 
 and taste fresh and pleasant when gathered from the 
 tree. With even the enormous demand for palm 
 leaves in Spain, Elche can supply it and not miss 
 them. 
 
 There are 22,000 inhabitants, a theatre, a hospital, 
 five churches, one convent, and no Plaza de Toros, 
 but they manage bull-fights now and then all the 
 same. They get nothing but rain-water, and every 
 drop is carefully preserved, and not without need, for 
 rain is not plentiful at Elche. The way the peasants 
 drink here, and indeed all along the road we travelled, 
 is unlike any other people. They have bottles made 
 on purpose ; they are globe-shaped, with a long neck 
 to hold by, and out of the centre is a curved tube ; a 
 cork is in at the top ; then they hold it up in the air
 
 ALICANTE. 279 
 
 about a couple of feet from their mouths, throw their 
 heads back, and then pour down their throats a pint at 
 a time without the least distress, and they never choke. 
 This is wine they drink in this manner ; for water and 
 coffee, when they get it, they have mugs or jugs of 
 coarse earthenware, glass is too precious for this class 
 of people to use tumblers, and by this mode of drink- 
 ing the mouth does not touch the bottle. In many of 
 their ideas they are nicer than the peasantry in northern 
 countries. 
 
 From Elche to Alicante the drive is hot and dusty, 
 and the scenery nothing to speak of. Alicante is seen 
 in the distance like a pale-grey mass at the foot of a 
 pale-grey rock, all barren, bare and dusty. The cli- 
 mate is beautiful in winter. Cold is very rare, the 
 extent of evil in the way of weather is the high 
 wind which, though not cold, is abominably dis- 
 agreeable, as from the great quantity of fine dust, 
 which is like powder, it blows up at times into such 
 dense clouds that you cannot see a yard before you. 
 We were greeted with one of these dust-storms just as 
 we were driving into the town, and the mules had to 
 be brought to a standstill ; we could not see where we 
 were going, or what was before us. When it passed 
 off, we found a large heavy cart close in front of us ; 
 fortunately it, too, had pulled up. 
 
 There is a capital hotel at Alicante, Fonda Bossio ; 
 every comfort short of fire-places, but really they are 
 not wanted here, or were not during our stay ; the
 
 280 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 living excellent, and the landlord most obliging. 
 Could it be by contrast we thought so much of this 
 hotel? It may have been, yet it still stands out well 
 in our recollection. 
 
 The day after our arrival we took leave of the 
 mules, carriage, Salvao and Mariano, and not without 
 real regret, for the journey was most enjoyable : all so 
 well-managed, no trouble, no worries, not even a cross 
 or disagreeable word was spoken that could mar the 
 harmony of the whole. Mariano got a return " fare," 
 a Frenchman and his wife. They had no servant with 
 them, could not speak a word of Spanish, had nothing 
 but French money, took no provisions, and would not 
 be advised. We paid 30. for the carriage, besides 
 Mariano. They paid 5, so he vowed he would go 
 back by way of Cordova ; therefore they had but 
 Salvao, who could not understand a word of any lan- 
 guage but his own. Did they ever get to Granada? 
 If so, in what plight, we wonder ? The lady started in 
 a violet silk dress, a yard on the ground. If she only 
 had known what we did, she certainly would have cut 
 it short, as perhaps they did their journey. We did 
 pity them as we saw them start off; yet a kind of 
 satisfaction we enjoyed when we remembered we had 
 done what they had to do, and under such adverse 
 circumstances. 
 
 Alicante has very few walks. The Paseo de la 
 Reina in the town is the "promenade," and is crowded 
 on Sundays. The streets are wider than is usual in
 
 ALICANTE. 281 
 
 Spanish towns, and the shops are tolerably good. 
 There are four churches : San Nicolas, the principal 
 one, was built early in the 17th century. It is a fine 
 handsome church with paintings which, if not bad, can 
 hardly be called good. The others are Santa Maria, 
 San Francisco, and the chapel belonging to the Car- 
 melite convent. The English Consul, Colonel Barrie, 
 is a Roman Catholic, and married to a Roman Catholic, 
 which renders it disagreeable for the English, no ser- 
 vice being held at the Consulate ; however, prayers 
 are read every Sunday at the house of a Mr. Carey, 
 and those who like may go ; the only thing is, no one 
 hears of it unless inquiries are made. Many English 
 merchants used to reside here, but, with the exception 
 of five or six families, all are either dead or gone. 
 
 From the old castle on the summit of the grey hill 
 which backs the town, there is a good extensive view 
 stretching over land and sea. There is a bull circus 
 and a theatre ; we were told it was a very good one 
 and a good company, but w r e did not go ourselves. 
 There used to be a good collection of pictures, but 
 they have disappeared like the English ; perhaps they 
 went together. There is a tobacco factory ; but it is a 
 dirty place to visit, and not worth it ; in fact, none are 
 but that at Seville. We were sent to see the garden 
 of the Conde de Pino Hermoso ; in itself a proof of 
 how little there is to see at Alicante, as this was not 
 worth walking down a street to see, still less the 
 expense of driving a league and a half along the dusty
 
 282 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 high road, with a blazing sun scorching one up. It 
 might be mistaken for a cemetery at first, the rail- 
 ings enclosing it being painted black and white, and 
 arranged in the shape of a bundle of arrows spread 
 open across shields, which resemble arrows in a heart, 
 a symbol the Romanists are very fond of. The prin- 
 cipal attraction, and what gives rise to the gardener's 
 pride and admiration, is the fantastically cut cypresses ; 
 the garden is full of them, and bad coarse statuary 
 studded about, the price of each figure being duly told. 
 Not far from here, immediately on the coast, is a 
 plot of land, or rather sand, consisting of several 
 acres, which has been purchased by the Earl of A., 
 who for the last four years has lived in Bossio's hotel. 
 Here he has built a mass of walls, some high, some 
 low, some so narrow they look like chimneys ; against 
 one of them there are three recesses that look as if 
 they were intended for furnaces. Large open spaces 
 are closed up by immense iron gratings ; what his 
 object is no one knows, and perhaps no one cares, but 
 on this jumble of useless erections he spends his time 
 and money ; the workmen are sometimes occupied by 
 doing nothing more than carrying one load of stones 
 from one spot to another, with no view beyond their 
 removal. The life the poor man leads is terrible ; he 
 has two rooms in the hotel, and he lives in them 
 entirely, never allowing them to be touched ; they are 
 a heap of dirt and rubbish ; baskets, sheep skins, tin 
 pots, earthenware pans, and every conceivably useless
 
 ALICANTE. 283 
 
 article. He has no servant, and only allows one 
 waiter in, who brings him his dinner ; this, however, 
 he is very particular in having good and properly sent 
 up. His whims are all given in to, and he is watched 
 as closely and carefully as he can be, but by no one 
 except the hotel keeper. It seems strange none 
 belonging to him, not even a friend, can be found who 
 would look after him, with some more tender feelings 
 than mere duty prompts. In the summer he will 
 leave for perhaps a month or six weeks, but not longer ; 
 he returns again to the hotel and his miserable life. 
 And yet this man had once a great intellect, and in 
 years past had a turn for mechanism, which has not 
 yet died out; only his inventions now are utterly 
 incomprehensible, being articles of the queerest, 
 quaintest form. Fortunately he is, so far as it goes, 
 in good hands. Bossio is a kind-hearted man, and is 
 sure to see that he is treated with respect and care by 
 the servants. A simple act he performed not long ago 
 will show the man he is, and he deserves it should be 
 recorded of him. A lad in rags, and starving, applied 
 to him one day for charity ; Bossio asked him what he 
 had been doing, where he came from, and so forth ; 
 and finding the boy had tried to earn an honest living 
 by watching and taking care of goats, and that he was 
 an orphan, he took him into his hotel and gave him 
 employment. He worked steadily and industriously, 
 but in all his leisure moments he might be seen with 
 a pencil and any scrap of paper, drawing. Bossio
 
 284 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 watched him, and found he showed a very great talent ; 
 and in the goodness of his heart he resolved to give 
 the lad a chance, permitting him to study a certain 
 amount of time daily, and now his drawings are 
 wonderful ; he is shortly going to Madrid. His name 
 is Vicente Tortosa, and Bossio is going to place him 
 where he will have proper instruction, and there is no 
 doubt in time his name will be better known than it 
 can be by its simple mention here.
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 
 VALENCIA. 
 
 THE direct line of railway from Alicante to Valencia 
 being now open, we were able to make the journey in 
 eight hours, including three-quarters of an hour at La 
 Encima, where we changed carriage, and where 
 dinner may be had. We left Alicante at 3.15 P.M., 
 and reached Valencia at 11.10 in a storm of wind, 
 hail, and rain. The scenery was beautiful all the way 
 as far as we had daylight to see ; at Sax, a station 
 some two hours from Alicante, there is a wonderful 
 ruin of a Moorish castle perched on a sugar-loaf rock. 
 Almost on the summit of every peaked mountain some 
 ruin is to be seen ; it reminded one of the scenery on 
 the Rhine. 
 
 Valencia is a very fine town, without being a 
 pleasing one, of upwards of 100,000 inhabitants ; it is 
 especially rich in churches and relics ; there is a 
 cathedral and fourteen parish churches, all of them 
 containing something of interest. Valencia is cele- 
 brated as being the first town in Spain where a book 
 was printed, the subject of it being the Virgin and her 
 miraculous powers ; here also the Serenos, or watch-
 
 286 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 men were first organised in 1777, and it was here 
 Queen Christina abdicated. 
 
 The cathedral, as a church, is not very interesting, 
 after having seen those of Burgos, Toledo, and Seville. 
 There is nothing decided in its architecture, it looks 
 patched up, and very dark at the circular end behind the 
 high altar. The principal entrance, the Porta Coeli, is 
 the least handsome ; the doors are copper-gilt, and a 
 medley embossed on them of palm trees and roses ; the 
 other two gates, the Puerta de los Apostoles and the 
 Puerta del Arzobispo, are gothic. The church stands 
 where formerly stood the Roman Temple to Diana ; it 
 was commenced in 1262 and enlarged in 1482, the 
 loftier portion of the edifice being the part added. There 
 are three aisles, the centre filled by the coro ; the tras- 
 coro is of alabaster, and contains twelve alto-relievos of 
 sacred subjects, each divided by marble pillars. The 
 choir seats are Corinthian ; the gates are bronze, and 
 very handsome ; the organs are well carved. Over the 
 high altar are two painted doors, said to be executed 
 by Leonardo da Vinci ; there are three subjects on each 
 door ; when these are opened the panels inside are dis- 
 closed, also painted in the same way ; all the scenes relate 
 to the life of the Saviour and Virgin ; the interior is 
 occupied by a finely wrought bronze gilt retablo in the 
 Gothic style, with a Virgin and Child in the centre 
 niche ; passing round at the back of this is the Saviour, 
 with a chalice and wafer by Joanes ; the chalice is the 
 same as the Santo Calix. To the left of the high altar,
 
 VALENCIA. 287 
 
 suspended against a painted shield, are the spurs, curb, 
 chain, and bit which belonged to Jaime I. There are 
 forty-two chapels round the church and choir, all with 
 paintings more or less good. Over the altar in the 
 Capilla de San Pedro (the second on the right, if you 
 enter by the Porta Coeli) is a " Saviour with the 
 Wafer," by Joanes, a very favourite subject of his ; it 
 is an exquisite painting ; in none of his works is the 
 colouring softer or more brilliant ; the hands are espe- 
 cially beautiful. Portions of the alabaster screen, which 
 formerly was a part of the Altar Mayor is preserved 
 here. This beautiful work of art was destroyed by 
 fire on Easter Sunday, 1460 ; a dove with lighted tow, 
 intended to represent the Holy Ghost, set fire to it. 
 The frescoes on the walls are by Polomino, that on the 
 ceiling is by another artist, and possesses no great 
 merit. In the Capilla de San Miguel is an exquisite 
 Virgin's head by Sassoferrato, and above it, a picture 
 of the Saviour, standing with a globe between his feet ; 
 this picture is said to be very ancient. Facing San 
 Miguel's Chapel, in one of the small chapels which 
 surround the coro, behind the retablo, which draws 
 down, is a most exquisite Ecce Homo by Ribalta ; it is 
 glazed over and in good preservation. We had to get 
 on to the altar to see it properly, and also to have 
 candles, and by these means it may be seen very 
 well. Over the font is a painting, attributed to Joanes, 
 but not at all in his usual style, of the Saviour being 
 baptized by St. John. In a chapel behind the high
 
 288 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 altar is a Virgin and Child beautifully painted; the 
 mother's expression is so tender and loving, the child 
 is very natural ; it is glazed over, but not thought 
 much of, because it is not known by whom it is. 
 
 There are three sacrtstias, one leading out from the 
 other. Over the entrance, in the church, is a large 
 painting of " Christ bearing His Cross," by Ribalta ; 
 it is terribly dirty, but a very fine picture. The first 
 sacristy was once a mosque : a portion still remains of 
 a Moorish door, which is now raised up, forming an 
 arch over the entrance, with large iron spikes project- 
 ing ; beneath the matting of the floor we saw where 
 the well was. In this sacristy, fixed up in a small 
 case against the wall, is a tooth of San Cristobal, the 
 giant saint, who adorns most cathedrals in this country. 
 He is said to have been a Saracen ferryman, and is 
 always painted standing, with the Infant Saviour in his 
 arms. There is a very good copy here of Murillo's 
 " Dead Christ and the Three Marys ; " also a small 
 painting of the " Virgin," which belonged to King 
 Jaime I., and was carried before his army at the con- 
 quest of Valencia. In the second room is the ivory 
 crucifix, which belonged to San Francisco de Sales ; it 
 is very beautifully carved ; an exquisitely painted 
 "Ecce Homo," a copy of Joanes; the " Saviour and 
 the Lamb," by Joanes, but hardly worthy of him; and 
 a few other paintings by unknown artists. In the 
 third room is a " San Francisco," by Ribalta ; " Con- 
 version of St. Paul," very fine; a "Holy Family," a
 
 VALENCIA. 289 
 
 " Last Supper," and portraits of the." Blessed Ribera," 
 and "St. Thomas of Villanueva;" all by Joanes. 
 There is one painting by Espinola, "Abraham and 
 Isaac," but the colouring is not good. 
 
 Off this last room there is a chapel, a domed, 
 almost circular room ; here are kept the relics, about 
 the largest and most valuable collection in Spain. 
 They are placed in three cupboards. In that on the left, 
 is to be seen the right hand and arm of St. Luke ; it 
 is like a piece of black wood, and very small for a 
 man; next it is a drawing of the Virgin's head, 
 executed by St. Luke, and set in a silver frame ; 
 standing as a pendant to St. Luke's arm, is a leg of 
 St. George, but this is not so interesting (it has not a 
 foot to stand on). Besides these there are at least 
 forty bones and bits of rags arranged uniformly and 
 in handsome casings. In the right-hand press, in a 
 glass-case, is the mummy of a little child, one of those 
 sacrificed by King Herod at the Massacre of the 
 Innocents ; it is dreadful to look at, even though it 
 is perfectly black. A book and mantle belonging to St. 
 Vincent Ferrer, Valencia's great saint; the mantle is 
 black ; the book is a Bible, written in ink by his own 
 hand ; it is beautifully done. A statuette of the Virgin, 
 with a portion of the Infant Saviour's belt placed in 
 the centre of the figure, with a piece of glass over it ; 
 the belt is red (it could not be any other colour for 
 Spaniards) ; St. Augustin's mitre, a very small one ; 
 a shoulder ornament belonging to Archbishop Ribera,
 
 290 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 the " Blessed Ribera," as he is generally called ; a bit 
 of the banner of St. George, which he held when 
 destroying the dragon. The other relics in this case 
 are of minor interest, excepting the jaw of St. Bar- 
 tholomew, which we must not forget to mention the 
 lower jaw; it is under glass like everything else. And 
 now we come to the centre cupboard, in which the most 
 precious relic of all is kept : this is the Santo Calix, 
 said to be the actual cup used by our Saviour at the 
 
 Last Supper ; it is of agate ; the foot is also original but 
 is divided from the cup by a stem forming a portion of 
 the setting, which, of course, is not of the same period, 
 but is very beautiful and simple, yet very costly ; it is 
 of the purest gold, studded at the portion round the 
 foot with magnificent whole pearls and emeralds ; the
 
 VALENCIA. 291 
 
 two handles are also of chased gold; the whole is 
 very beautiful ; it is kept in a silver-gilt casket, with 
 subjects relating to our Lord's life, in relievo on the 
 sides. Only a priest can show this relic, and when it 
 is taken out all are obliged to kneel, when the priest 
 allows it to be kissed, a privilege, in truth, if our 
 Blessed Lord's lips ever touched it.* In this division 
 of the cupboard, which is within an extra lock and 
 key, is kept a piece of the sponge which was presented 
 to the Saviour with vinegar in it, when on the cross ; 
 also two pieces of the cross, and a crystal case con- 
 taining some six or seven thorns from the crown of 
 thorns ; and one alone, larger than the rest, with some 
 of His blood on it, which was given to the church 
 by St. Louis of France. On the shelves above, is the 
 Baculo or Staff of St. Augustin ; a small gold tooth- 
 comb with precious stones, which belonged to the 
 Virgin ; some of the myrrh presented by the wise men 
 of the East to our Saviour in His cradle at Bethlehem ; 
 a seamless garment worked by the Virgin's own hands 
 for her Blessed Son ; and a portion of a tunic worn by 
 the Saviour. Surely these are relics enough for a 
 whole country ; yet there are other churches in Va- 
 lencia where they actually show what is more won- 
 derful, more precious, than all these put together ; but 
 of that presently. 
 
 * This cup used to be exposed on the high altar every Holy 
 Thursday ; but owing to an accident which once happened when it 
 was being moved, this has been discontinued. 
 
 v 2
 
 292 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 The Sala Capitular of the cathedral is a magnificent 
 structure, with a richly carved alabaster altar, and in 
 good keeping ; it is the finest thing in the church, and 
 at a little cost this chapel might be restored sufficiently 
 to render it worth a pilgrimage to see. It was built in 
 1358 by Peter Compte ; it was here, being bomb- 
 proof, that the Bourbon family sought and obtained 
 refuge during the War of Independence. Over the 
 altar is a Crucifixion by Alonso Cano, almost life-size ; 
 but the brow is narrow and receding, and the features 
 small and pointed, and unlike the usual works of this 
 great master. Hanging around the wall is a chain, 
 said to have been taken from the gates of Marseilles, 
 and brought here as a trophy ; but another account is 
 that the French came with a fleet to try and gain 
 possession of the " Holy Chalice," and that this chain 
 in some miraculous manner caused the destruction of 
 the ships ; and so they had to return without the sacred 
 relic. There is a third story, and a very long one, 
 printed on a sheet of paper and framed, and hanging 
 beneath the chain ; but it is too long and too uninte- 
 resting to relate here. 
 
 In a room leading out of this are kept the altar 
 ornaments and massive silver statues of saints. 
 Amongst the former there are two Frcmtales, which 
 belonged to St. Paul's Cathedral, and were sold after 
 the Reformation ; they are richly embroidered in gold 
 and silver. The subject of the one is the Crucifixion of 
 the Saviour, and the other the Resurrection ; in this
 
 VALENCIA. 293 
 
 latter is represented a building with turrets, supposed 
 to be the Tower of London ; they are twelve feet long 
 and four wide. Two others are massively handsome, 
 with relievos in solid silver decorating them ; one of 
 these, with the vestments to match, cost 22,000 dollars. 
 The subject on the altar ornament is Peter being 
 released from prison by an angel. The custodia is 
 very magnificent, with the stand for the Host studded 
 with precious stones ; the ancient one, which the 
 French melted down and carried off, was, we were 
 told, far superior even to this. There is quite 
 a regiment of silver busts and statues. The statue 
 of St. Vincent de Ferrer stands on a silver pe- 
 destal; in the centre of his body is a hole in which 
 his mantle, already mentioned, is placed when he is 
 carried in procession ; this effigy is about four feet 
 high. The next is that of St. Vincent the Martyr, but 
 no connection of, or with, the other St. Vincent ; it is 
 so massive and heavy, and all silver, that it takes 
 eight men to carry it when it is taken out for proces- 
 sions ; part of his body, but which part it is impossible 
 to ascertain, is placed behind the piece of glass inserted 
 in the chest. The silver tabernacle for the silver 
 statuette of the Virgin is very pretty; around the 
 stand the silver ornaments hang so that they ring 
 when it is moved. Louis XL, the saint king, is here 
 in silver as far as his waist, and as large as life ; it is 
 on a massive silver stand. Inside the body, in the 
 centre, is Louis' skull ; glass is over it, so it is easily
 
 294 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 seen, but the sight is very unpleasant, the teeth giving 
 it a ghastly appearance. Does France admit that their 
 saint king's skull is here ? Next to it, and the same 
 size, is St. Thomas, and his skull is here too, only the 
 teeth are gone; no doubt each one forms a precious relic 
 in some other church. There is another silver St. Louis, 
 but he is a local saint, full length and solid silver, with 
 the exception of the face, which, as well as that of the 
 King of France, is of painted wood ; there are several 
 others, but of saints, and perhaps sinners too, that we 
 never heard of. The vestments are very gorgeous and 
 rich and numerous ; but looking at these never gave us 
 the remotest pleasure, any more than it would to go 
 through a lady's wardrobe, and they are somewhat 
 similar, with their cambric and lace, and satins, and 
 velvets. 
 
 Close to the cathedral, and with a communication by 
 a bridge thrown across the narrow street, is the chapel 
 of Nuestra Sefiora de los Desamparados, Our Lady of 
 the Unprotected. Outside it has no pretensions to a 
 church, and appears to be modern; yet it was built 
 in 1667, but was so thoroughly repaired some forty 
 years ago, that all traces of antiquity are lost. It is 
 oval in form and surrounded by marble pillars, with 
 gilt capitals. The dome is painted by Palombini, and 
 represents the Coronation of the Virgin by the Holy 
 Trinity. The image of the Virgin, which is placed 
 over the high altar in grand array, is covered over by 
 a painting representing the Mother of the Saviour ; on
 
 VALENCIA. 295 
 
 feast days and festivals this is wound up like the cur- 
 tain before a stage, and the gaudy bejewelled effigy of 
 the lowly handmaid of the Lord is exposed to the 
 faithful for worship. It is said by some that this 
 image was miraculously carved by three angels, but 
 others state it to have been executed by mortal hands 
 in 1410, by order of Benedict XIII. This Virgin 
 during the Peninsular War was created Captain-General 
 of Valencia, and carried in state about the town. The 
 rival Virgin in Valencia is La Purisima, in the Com- 
 pania, the church of the Jesuits ; it is a painting of the 
 Virgin by Juan Joanes, and is a lovely picture ; the 
 story connected with it is this : Father Martin Alberro, 
 a Jesuit, was in the year 1602, or very near that period, 
 seated under an orange-tree in the cloister garden 
 adjoining the church of La Compania, when the Virgin 
 appeared to him, and desired him to have her painted 
 as she would describe. She then said she wished to be 
 represented in a white tunic and a blue mantle, with 
 the moon at her feet, the Father and Son crowning 
 her, and the Holy Ghost appearing above the crown. 
 Upon this, Father Alberro sought the great Valencian 
 painter, Joanes, and entreated him to undertake the 
 task, which he did, and finished most exquisitely. The 
 soft, meek expression of the Virgin is very beautiful. 
 Right and left of the picture in the same lateral chapel 
 where this great work hangs, are two paintings, the 
 one representing Charles III., on his visiting Valencia, 
 coming to this chapel, and a tablet beneath records his
 
 296 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 instituting this Virgin the patroness of Spain on 29th 
 September, 1771, in token of thanksgiving for the 
 birth of his grandson, afterwards Charles IV., who in 
 the other picture is being presented to the "Purisima" 
 by his mother. In the adjoining chapel is the represen- 
 tation of the whole apparition, carved from the wood of 
 the identical orange-tree under which it happened ; this 
 work, a beautiful alto-relievo, was executed at the ex- 
 pense of a devout lady whose name is unknown, and is 
 said to have cost something enormous. 
 
 The Colegio de Corpus is one of the most interest- 
 ing churches in the town. It was founded in 1586 by 
 Archbishop Juan Bibera, afterwards canonised ; he 
 enacted many strange laws which were to be strictly 
 maintained under severe penalties ; one was, that any 
 priest who was out of the college after a certain hour, 
 was only to gain admittance by being ignominiously 
 hoisted up in a kind of bread-basket and taken in at 
 the window ; this leniency, however, w r as only shown 
 on the first offence, the second time the penalty was 
 dismissal from the society. Another, prohibited women 
 from being admitted to certain portions of the edifice, 
 the great patio being one of the places they would 
 defile if their feet touched. They were also forbidden 
 to enter the church unless wearing a mantilla, and the 
 kind is even denoted ; they must not be of lace, but of 
 some opaque material, and of course black. 
 
 The church is in the Corinthian style, and contains 
 some very good paintings. A magnificent " Last
 
 VALENCIA. 297 
 
 Supper," by Ribalta, is over the high altar ; the por- 
 trait of the mail who represents Judas is, they say, 
 that of a boot-maker against whom Ribalta owed a 
 grudge ; the apostles are kneeling round the table, our 
 Lord is sitting. Above this is a beautiful " Holy 
 Family," by the same master. The dome which 
 canopies the upper half of the church is painted by 
 Matarana ; ' the miracles of San Vicente Ferrer are 
 portrayed on it. In the chapel of Las Animas, the 
 first on the right of the high altar, is a painting by 
 Zuccaro, on lowering which the embalmed body of 
 the founder, the " Blessed Ribera," is discovered ; he 
 died in 1611. It is in a very handsome glass case, 
 richly ornamented, with the archiepiscopal robes and 
 the crozier between the legs. The chapel is too dark, 
 and the sarcophagus too high up, for the exhibition to 
 be very disagreeable. In a chapel opposite there is a 
 beautiful painting, by Ribalta, of St. Vincent being 
 visited when ill, by the Saviour and angels ; but the 
 light is so bad that without candles it is impossible to 
 see it. 
 
 The Reliquario leads out of the Sacritias ; there are 
 two. The relics are arranged in a large press, with 
 handsome folding-doors. Curtains hang before them ; 
 when these are drawn, the whole remain disclosed. 
 A priest and a couple of brothers accompanied us; 
 the. priest held a stick, and pointed them out one after 
 the other. Amongst legs and arms, and other bones, 
 enough to make up a good many perfect skeletons,
 
 298 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 there were three pieces from the cross, five thorns 
 from the Saviour's crown ; the leg-bone, from knee to 
 ankle, of St. Vincent Ferrer ; a book of church cere- 
 monies belonging to him; a piece of the shawl worn by 
 the Virgin over her head (this is placed in the centre 
 of a small image of herself) ; the skull of one of the 
 innocents massacred by Herod ; the skull-cap of the 
 holy founder, El Beato Ribera ; an excellent bit of 
 carving, excessively minute, of scenes from our Lord's 
 life ; the retablo of a small altar, containing three pic- 
 tures by Joanes (the subjects are " The Crucifixion," 
 "The Descent from the Cross," and "The Resurrec- 
 tion ; " this belonged to the founder, as also a crucifix 
 in ivory and bronze). In a pair of crystal cases similar 
 in every way, are the two most precious relics of not 
 alone this church, but we should say, as far as one of 
 them is concerned, of all the world. It is hair said to 
 be cut from our Saviour's head ; the other is of the 
 Virgin's, fair, almost golden coloured. That called 
 our Lord's is dark. We were not required to kneel 
 in presence of this, which, if genuine, would indeed 
 claim our adoration ; but the cup is another affair alto- 
 gether ; but these are verily Cosas de Espafia, and 
 that is all one can, or indeed need, say about them. 
 
 Over an altar in the Chamber of Relics is a picture 
 representing a dead bishop, with an angel on one side 
 and a devil on the other, with the Saviour above. 
 This picture was greatly valued by the Blessed Ribera, 
 and always hung in his own room. In the Rector's
 
 VALENCIA. 299 
 
 rooms are some fine paintings by Bibalta, but man- 
 tillas are not admitted within this sacred dwelling. 
 
 The ceremonies of the Church of Rome are here 
 carried out to their fullest extent; high mass on all 
 occasions is on the same scale of grandeur as it would 
 be in other churches on great festivals only ; something 
 is always going on, the priests are kept well employed, 
 and the church destroyed with the flame and smoke of 
 candles -and incense. Every Friday, soon after ten 
 o'clock, when high mass is over, the " Miserere " is 
 sung ; the church, always dark from the very few 
 windows there are, is now rendered darker still by 
 the curtain being drawn over the only one, at the end 
 facing the high altar, where a gleam of sunlight ever 
 manages to enter, thus rendering the gloomy appear- 
 ance necessary for the theatrical performance that 
 follows. The priests now enter in procession, wear- 
 ing violet vestments, the altar being covered with cloth 
 of the same colour ; numberless candles are alight, and 
 everyone kneels down in silence. After a minute 
 or two, the " Miserere " begins, beautifully sung, and 
 Ribalta's picture of "The Last Supper," which, as 
 we before said, hangs immediately over the altar, is 
 lowered by unseen, but not entirely noiseless machinery. 
 This grating disturbs one a little. A dark violet 
 curtain is seen in its place ; this is slowly drawn to 
 the right, when another with stripes becomes visible, 
 which is presently drawn to the left ; then another is 
 seen of a paler hue. This, like the other, is withdrawn
 
 300 A WINTEE TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 to the right, another to the left, and then one paler 
 still, almost grey, like a thin cloud, remains. This, 
 after a few seconds, is parted in the middle, and drawn 
 on either side, when the effigy of Our Saviour, cru- 
 cified and dying, is disclosed. The effect is wonderful, 
 yet the whole thing is too theatrical to be very painful ; 
 though the face of Our Lord is terrible, the agony is 
 so faithfully represented, that for a moment a shudder 
 passes through one. Right and left, as if suspended in 
 the air, are two candles, which cast a lurid light over 
 the head and shoulders. This vision, for such it seems 
 to be, remains till the conclusion of the " Miserere," 
 which goes on uninterruptedly the while ; then the 
 curtains fall again one after the other, as when raised, 
 but more rapidly ; the picture is drawn up, and all 
 seems as if one awoke from a dream. In silence the 
 priests withdraw, and the people retire. 
 
 San Nicolas was once a Moorish mosque; it now 
 looks like a huge twelfth-cake turned outside in ; it is 
 a mass of coloured plasterings, but otherwise a fine 
 building. To the right and left of the high altar are 
 large frames, each containing several charming pictures 
 by Joanes ; his colouring, for which he is so cele- 
 brated, is seen in these to perfection. The heads of 
 Our Saviour and the Virgin, painted on wood, in the 
 sacristy, are by him; they are very fine. The high 
 altar had just been regilt when we saw it, therefore it 
 looked very gorgeous and rich. 
 
 In San Martin there is a " Crucifixion" by Ribalta,
 
 VALENCIA. 301 
 
 but in a very bad condition. There used to be a 
 " Dead Christ with the Three Marys " by him, but 
 that has been removed, which means in this country 
 sold, for though they do not tell you so plainly, 
 there is hardly a picture in any church that cannot 
 be bought if a sufficient sum is offered. A copy 
 then replaces the original, and nothing is said about it. 
 Over the principal entrance is a statue of St. Martin 
 on horseback, of course, dividing his cloak. It is re- 
 nowned for its enormous weight ; the statue is small 
 and ugly. Beneath the portico of one of the side 
 entrances is a large stone placed against the wall in 
 honour of St. Vincent de Ferrer, and in memory of the 
 fourth century of his canonization, erected by the 
 churchwardens in 1855 over another stone on which 
 the saint had stood and preached. There are some fine 
 azulejos in this church, as there are in a great many 
 in this town. Tiles were first manufactured in Valencia, 
 and they are still made in very large quantities. 
 
 Santa Catalina has a lovely tower, built in 1688. 
 The view is very fine from here, but the cathedral 
 tower is the best to ascend for seeing the country 
 round. The church is Gothic, and once contained 
 some fine Ribaltas, but the French destroyed them.' 
 The decorations are white and gold, and images in all 
 directions. The only painting worth looking at., is 
 "The Saviour with the Wafer," probably not an 
 original, but a very good copy of Joanes. This is 
 on the door of the custodia on the high altar. It was
 
 302 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 in this church we first learnt that it is forbidden to 
 enter churches in Spain with the capa or cloak thrown 
 over the shoulder ; all are obliged to pull it down, and 
 let it hang before going in, just as much as it is neces- 
 sary to enter with the head uncovered. 
 
 The retablo over the high altar in the Church de 
 los Santos Juanes is by Munoz ; the cupola is painted 
 by Palomino ; the whole church is in such a state of 
 dingy dirtiness, that whatever paintings there may be 
 in it worth seeing are so coated over with dust that the 
 subjects are hardly visible. In the sacristy is a small 
 carved crucifix, very beautiful. 
 
 In the Church of San Andres, in the Chapel of St. 
 Joseph, is a " Holy Family," by Joanes, a perfect 
 gem ; it is well preserved under glass. Another very 
 fine picture, also by him, is in a chapel facing; the 
 subject is "The Saviour after the Crucifixion," being 
 tended by two angels, and the Father looking down 
 upon him. 
 
 The Escuela Pia is a charitable institution, founded 
 in the beginning of last century. They can receive 
 about 150 in-door pupils, which they entirely support. 
 When we went over it there were 120 boarders, and 
 1070 day-boys. The church belonging to it is a grand 
 rotunda, surrounded by small chapels. To the right 
 of the high altar is a carved image of Sta. Marcia, who 
 was martyred : her throat was cut, and this is shown 
 in her effigy. She is dressed very gorgeously, with 
 diamonds in her hair, and rings on her fingers ; she
 
 VALENCIA. 303 
 
 looks more like a sleeping eastern princess, but for the 
 ghastly gash in her throat. In the centre of the wall 
 behind the case she lies in, all her bones are placed, 
 and a tumbler full of her blood ; the former are ar- 
 ranged as they ought to be, as far as the size of the 
 box they are in admits. Every chapel has a group of 
 carved images hidden by paintings really not bad, and 
 at any rate worth a dozen of the rubbish behind ; yet 
 on festivals the pictures are all rolled down, and the 
 images exposed. The high altar has two handsome 
 green marble pillars right and left, and a well-carved 
 crucifix in the centre ; beneath is a sweet head of 
 the Virgin, a little picture about ten inches square, 
 protected by glass. In the gallery that runs round the 
 entire church, where a woman's foot never treads, is a 
 picture by Ribalta of San Antonio holding the infant 
 Saviour, and angels looking on them. In the patio 
 close to the church door is an azulejos representation 
 of " The Virgin at the Pillar, with the Child Jesus." 
 A notice beneath informs the faithful that according to 
 the archives of the church, whoever shall repeat one 
 Ave Maria before " Our Lady of the Pillar," or any of 
 her images, will gain an indulgence of 9570 days. 
 
 In the church of San Salvador is the miraculous 
 crucifix called " El Cristo de Beyrut," which we were 
 informed came all the way from Syria by itself, and 
 floated up the Guadalaviar against the current to 
 Valencia. The miracles said to be performed by this 
 image are both wonderful and numerous. It is a huge,
 
 804 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 ungainly, ill-shapen figure, thirteen feet high, of a dark 
 reddish-brown wood, and the hair hangs down like 
 dusty black wool ; this hair is considered as the greatest 
 marvel of the whole, it being the same that was on the 
 head when, seven hundred years ago, it landed at 
 Valencia. The Sacristan said many believed it to be 
 the work of Nicodemus, executed the year following 
 Our Lord's Crucifixion. A gold crown has been made 
 for it, weighing ninety-three ounces ; this is put on for 
 great occasions. The image is exposed every Friday 
 and on special days. Two pictures in the church to 
 the right and left of the high altar, represent events 
 connected with the reception of this wonderful effigy at 
 Valencia. 
 
 The only gallery of paintings in Valencia is what is 
 called the Muse"o. The building was formerly a convent 
 of Carmelites. There are 1125 pictures in it; the few 
 good are almost lost amidst the quantity of rubbish. 
 The cloister walls are completely covered with old 
 tattered and worthless paintings ; the good ones are in 
 two rooms leading one out of the other ; the best are 
 A Crucifixion, 411, by Alonso Cano ; San Francisco 
 embracing a Crucifix, 569, St. John the Baptist, 582, 
 A Crucifixion, 676, San Bruno, 759, Portrait of Pope 
 Calixto III, 815, all by Ribalta; the Virgin, St. 
 John, and Mary Magdalen, 579, by Cristobal Zarinena; 
 St. Sebastian, 581, and St. Theresa, 711, by Ribera; 
 Ecce Homo, 661, The Assumption of the Virgin, 683, 
 The Last Supper, 700, and The Saviour, 701, by
 
 VALENCIA. 305 
 
 Joanes ; The Virgin and Child, 671, by Leonardo da 
 Vinci, but the child is not pleasing ; The Communion 
 of Mary Magdalene, 672, and a passage in the life of 
 San Luis Beltran, 719, by Espinosa ; the Birth of St. 
 John, 758, by P. Borras ; a Holy Family, on copper, 
 767, school of Corregio; the Portrait of a Lady, 793, 
 by Goya; 857 is the portrait of King Jaime, and as 
 such is a curiosity the painting is not good. There 
 is a sketch, 392, by Alonso Cano of the Infant Jesus. 
 The Saviour at the Pillar, and Sta. Theresa, 396, by 
 Gaspar de la Huerta, is not devoid of merit. There 
 is one very beautiful mosaic, 757 ; the subject is a 
 centaur hurling a stone at a tiger ; the country in the 
 background is wonderfully well done. 
 
 The convent must have been very large and very 
 fine ; the patio has four splendid palm trees in it, but 
 the garden is completely overgrown with weeds. In a 
 room at the end of one of the long galleries are a 
 number of interesting old relics gathered from various 
 parts of Valencia; amongst them is the altar of the 
 first Christian chapel erected in the town, which was 
 in this very convent ; Jaime I. laid the first stone ; it 
 has paintings that deserve a better position; and a 
 curious alabaster representation of St. Vincent the 
 Martyr, with his inside hanging out as if gored by a bull ; 
 the alabaster is beautiful, the subject treated differs. 
 
 Near the cathedral is the Casa Consistorial, a very 
 fine building ; to the right, on entering, is a room in 
 which the archives of the kingdom of Valencia are all
 
 306 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 kept. The ceiling is very rich ; it is carved in panels 
 and then gilt, here and there touched up with colours, 
 red and blue, sufficient to throw up the gilding. 
 Above is a splendid room ; here in days of yore was 
 the " Salon de Cortes ;" the ceiling is the same as 
 below, but not gilt, and the room is loftier. Around 
 it, immediately below the ceiling, is a cornice, then 
 pillars, and beneath them a gallery all richly carved ; 
 the division panels are all carved with different subjects. 
 Around are frescoes representing the various members 
 of the Cortes, civil, military, and ecclesiastical. Among 
 the latter is St. Vincent Ferrer ; they are painted by 
 Cristobal Zarinena in 1592 ; the retablo of the altar 
 at the end of the room is also his work ; here mass is 
 said on feasts and festivals. The Virgin and Child are 
 prettily grouped ; the Virgin's face might be a portrait 
 of our Queen, it is so very like her. Thefrontale is 
 beautifully embroidered in silver and gold. 
 
 There are three small rooms or courts adjoining; 
 in the second is a wonderful " Crucifixion," by 
 Ribalta ; the Saviour is dying on the Cross, the 
 Virgin and St. John are standing at the foot; the 
 agony and despair depicted in the poor mother's face, 
 with her clasped hands and head thrown back are too 
 life-like not to be painful ; the Saviour is looking up to 
 heaven, his body quivering with pain, but the expres- 
 sion of resignation is perfect. St. John seems as if 
 his grief was beyond control, and that he hardly knew 
 whether to turn to the poor bereaved woman who had
 
 VALENCIA. 307 
 
 been committed to his care by his Lord, or to sink 
 beneath the weight of his own misery. It is a 
 wonderful painting, the most beautiful of Ribalta's 
 we have yet seen. In an ante-room, leading to the 
 Hall of Justice, are portraits of all the kings of Spain 
 from Jaime I. down to Ferdinand VII. The sword 
 of Jaime L, and the keys of the town, which were 
 presented to him when he entered Valencia as its con- 
 queror, used to be kept here, but they have been 
 removed to the " Ayuntamiento " or Town Hall. 
 
 There used to be a good collection of pictures at the 
 Conde de Parsent's house in the Calle de Carniceros, 
 but the best have been removed to his house in 
 Madrid, though one or two still remain : " Christ 
 breaking bread at Emmaus," by Ribalta, is fine ; there 
 are two of the same subject, but there is no difficulty 
 in discovering Ribalta's the other is very bad ; also by 
 him the " Martyrdom of St. Catherine ;" the " Saviour 
 with the Wafer and Chalice ;" " Sacrifice of Abraham ;" 
 "Melchisedec" and a peasant, two life-sized portraits 
 by Orrente, the two last are very good ; the Saviour 
 kneeling on the Cross, and the Holy Father looking 
 down upon him, by Senent Vila, the subject though 
 peculiar is well treated ; the Saviour's upturned face 
 is full of resignation, though his up-lifted arms seem 
 to be pleading for mercy. 
 
 The house itself is a very wilderness in size, the 
 rooms are handsome, but all empty ; yet they are being 
 repapered and decorated with fresco paintings on the 
 
 x 2
 
 308 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 ceilings. The count, like all Valencians, seems to 
 prefer the capital to reside in, and rarely comes here. 
 
 The house of the Marquis de dos Aguas, which has 
 the appearance outside of an embossed Valentine, or a 
 coarse wedding-cake, with a tremendous marble door- 
 way, not however used as an entrance, is inside most 
 beautifully fitted up and decorated. It is entirely 
 modern, and only very recently finished : the ceilings 
 are perfect works of art ; the walls are hung with 
 damask satin, according in pattern with the furniture 
 of the room. There is a profusion of gilding and look- 
 ing-glasses. Like all Spanish-built houses, the rooms 
 lead one out of another around a patio. The ball- 
 room is inlaid with coloured marbles, and the arms 
 and initials of the Marquis ; the place for the musicians 
 is so constructed that they cannot be seen, and they 
 enter from behind into the small room, which in front 
 has the appearance of a panel in the wall only. Lead- 
 ing out of this is a lovely boudoir, and beyond it a 
 room entirely fitted up with Dresden china furniture ; 
 that is, the frame-work of the chairs is wood, ren- 
 dered invisible by china laid over it ; the cabinets are 
 panelled with it, and the frames of the looking-glasses 
 all china ; the table is inlaid with it. Whether the 
 room is comfortable for occupation we cannot tell, but 
 it is very lovely to look at. The walls are hung with 
 blue and white satin, which agrees wonderfully well 
 with the rest. The room beyond is a toilet room, 
 hung with white satin and a little sprig of flower over
 
 VALENCIA. 309 
 
 it ; the dressing-table has a drapery of crape festooned, 
 and wreaths of flowers entwined in it. Another room 
 is entirely Chinese. The whole is more like a fairy 
 palace than an ordinary mortal's residence ; there is 
 not a thing about it to denote occupation : not a book, 
 not a writing-table ; the only life about it is below, 
 where, beneath the upper patio which is glazed in, 
 and leads off to the dining-room, are the stables, and 
 there some sleek fat horses turned lazily round at our 
 approach. All was in excellent order, stables, car- 
 riages, and harness-room, but they were kept too hot. 
 The Marquis employed only Spanish architects and 
 Spanish artists in the construction and fitting up of 
 his house, and it certainly does them great credit. 
 
 The Valenciaus rejoice in a very fine " Plaza de 
 Toros." It is the largest and best built in Spam, and 
 can hold 18,000 people ; though the arena is not so 
 large in circumference as that of Madrid, the building 
 far exceeds it, and is much cleaner and in better repair. 
 We went to see it under far more pleasing circum- 
 stances than witnessing a bull-fight, as it was a masque 
 ball, which took place on the last day of the carnival, 
 that we "assisted" at as spectators; and though it 
 was during the afternoon, and all the dresses and 
 decorations had to stand the trying glare of day- 
 light, it was very pretty. A flooring was placed in 
 the ring and decorated with orange and white flags, 
 the Spanish colours, with festooned drapery of pink 
 and white ; a green hedge was placed round the inner
 
 3TO A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 circle of the building, giving the whole a remarkably 
 gay appearance ; a good band played, the masked 
 danced as if they were there for that and nothing else, 
 and evidently enjoyed themselves. The building was 
 tolerably well filled with spectators. 
 
 There are two good theatres here, clean, nice houses, 
 well-lighted, and comfortable seats. At the " Teatro 
 de la Princesa " they occasionally have Italian operas. 
 At the " Teatro Principal " there is a good company, 
 but no singing. 
 
 The market is large and well supplied, and is best 
 seen in the early morning, when the fresh vegetables 
 and fruits look delicious. Here is the grand old Gothic 
 built " Lonja de Seda," or Silk Hall ; it has three 
 aisles divided by six spirally-fluted pillars. The three 
 gateways to the left are very beautiful ; the centre one 
 leads into the garden, which has nothing to recom- 
 mend it in itself, but the windows and battlements are 
 very fine. The "Lonja" was built in 1482. In the 
 hall, from 9 A.M. till 1 P.M., trade is carried on in raw 
 silk, sold in huge hanks, which are suspended round 
 wooden stalls. 
 
 The walks and drives around Valencia are not nu- 
 merous. About two miles along a dusty avenue is the 
 " Grao," the actual port of Valencia, for the town 
 stands far away from the sea. A magnificent sea wall, 
 jutting out a mile, forms a splendid harbour and a fine 
 walk, only to get there is the nuisance. The " tar- 
 tana," the only hackney carnage in the place, is a
 
 VALENCIA. 311 
 
 most extraordinary conveyance ; it looks like a carrier's 
 cart, and on two wheels. Five out of six do not own 
 springs at all, and those that pretend to them might 
 as well, except for the name of the thing, be without 
 them. The driver sits outside on a little seat fixed 
 against the right side by the shaft; within they are 
 roomy and clean, and comfortable when they are 
 standing still, but once on the move it rattles one's 
 bones together, and one feels after a drive as if one 
 had been bruised and beaten all over. They charge 
 six reals the first hour, and four for the succeeding 
 ones ; and it is enough, considering that they only go 
 at a foot's pace. 
 
 Just outside the " Tapia," or city walls, which were 
 built by Pedro IV. in 1356, and are very fine, and still 
 in a tolerably perfect state, passing through the Puerta 
 del Cuarte, are the Botanical Gardens, but with little 
 to see in them. A square plain, ploughed in some 
 places, trees in others, some magnolias, but not any- 
 thing like the size of those at Seville, two glass houses 
 filled with untidy-looking plants, and some ugly but fine 
 specimens of the cactus, comprise the wonders to be 
 seen. The only really good things are the violets, and 
 they are exquisite ; the flowerless beds are bordered 
 with them, the air is laden with their perfume, and they 
 almost repay one for the disappointment in all else. 
 
 The gardens belonging to Baron Rothschild, of 
 Madrid, are better worth visiting, but they are badly 
 kept. Four times a week hampers with fruit and
 
 312 A WINTEE TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 flowers are sent to Madrid ; what remains over is sold. 
 He only comes once a year for a week or ten days' 
 visit, and just before he is expected a little weeding 
 takes place. There are greenhouses and hothouses, 
 and therefore some interesting tropical plants. Close 
 to it, in the same road, is "La Huerta de Soler " 
 strawberry gardens, but nothing is flourishing this 
 spring in Valencia; even the strawberries, generally 
 plentiful at this time the beginning of March are 
 not yet ripe ; the severe winter has told on all vegeta- 
 tion. The oranges we had here were the worst we 
 met with in Spain, celebrated though they are. It 
 may be that it is a bad year for them, or perhaps, as 
 with sherry at Jerez, the good are all sent away. 
 The rice is very good, and it is grown and eaten here 
 like potatoes in Ireland ; no dinner is a dinner without 
 it. It. is stewed in grease and generally handed round 
 the first dish after soup. 
 
 The prettiest walk is the " Paseo de la Glorieta." 
 Elio, the royalist, made this garden, and was murdered 
 in it in 1820 by the Constitutionalists. In 1823 he, 
 like poor Mariana Pineda, of Granada, had justice done 
 his memory, and honour paid to his remains some 
 time afterwards. Adjoining this "promenade" is the 
 Plaza de Tetuan ; the gardens are pleasant. The Cap- 
 tain-General's house is here : it was formerly a convent 
 founded by Jaime the Conqueror. Close by is the 
 tobacco factory, a large square Herrera-ic building, as 
 dirty inside as they all are.
 
 V 
 
 VALENCIA. 313 
 
 On the site where formerly stood the gate known as 
 " La Puerta del Cid," that idol of Spain having made 
 his entry as conqueror through it, is a marble slab 
 against the walls of the Temple Church, stating this to 
 have been the spot where the Tower and Gate of Bab 
 el Schadchar stood, afterwards called the Temple, 
 where King Jaime's royal standard first flew on the 9th 
 October, 1238, and which spot was afterwards con- 
 ceded by him to the Templars, then preserved by the 
 military order of Montesa, but demolished for the ex- 
 tension of the city in 1865. 
 
 The post-office officials at Valencia are worse than 
 any in any other part of Spain. We had been for 
 some time without letters, and between doubt and 
 anxiety we requested the head man at the office to be 
 so good as to let us see the letters he had for foreigners 
 bearing the English post-mark ; but he would not till 
 we had given him the numbers which were attached 
 to such names as we thought might be for us. So we 
 picked out on chance "R., Esq./' "Post-office," and 
 one other which we now forget, as it was not for us. 
 But the other two were both distinctly addressed, and 
 no excuse for their intense stupidity; but no one should 
 ever put " Esq." on letters intended for the continent. 
 During the last week of our stay at Valencia no papers 
 reached us ; all were stopped on the frontier because of 
 a riot at Toulouse. What that had to do with English 
 newspapers is neither here nor there ; it was sufficient 
 excuse for the Spanish government to be annoying.
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 TAKRAGONA. 
 
 BARCELONA may be made in a day from Valencia, 
 leaving at five in the morning ; but for people who are 
 not in a hurry, the best thing is to sleep at Castellon 
 the first night. By taking the mid-day train Castellon 
 is reached in three hours and a half. This line has the 
 best carriages on it, and the cleanest in all Spain. We 
 went to the " Fonda del Ferro-Carril," formerly the 
 " Parador del Leon," and a " parador " it simply is, 
 with all its miseries and discomforts ; however we 
 were not likely to meet with many more of them, so 
 we made the best of it. 
 
 The chief point of interest between Valencia and 
 Castellon is Murviedro ; the ruins of the old castle 
 crown the whole summit of the hill ; the walls appear 
 to be very perfect. The little town at the foot of the 
 hill was formerly on the sea, but the waters have 
 receded nearly two miles. Its history dates back to 
 1000 years B.C. It was originally built by the Greeks 
 and rebuilt by the Romans ; then came the Goths, 
 who were succeeded by the Moors, and they were 
 driven out by the Spaniards. The great attraction to
 
 TARKAGONA. 315 
 
 the tourist is the theatre ; it is placed on the slope of the 
 hill, and so built as to have enabled the spectators to 
 enjoy the magnificent view afforded by the grand range 
 of hills and at the same time protected from the sun, 
 the castle hill sheltering it from the south and west. 
 
 Castellon " de la Plana " is six leagues further on, 
 a dreary little town with a tremendous long avenue 
 leading down to the sea : we took a moonlight walk 
 here, and mistook a railway-station lamp for a star ! 
 Jaime I. built this town and it is celebrated as being 
 the birthplace of Ribalta the painter, who was born 
 in 1551. It is full of churches and convents, notwith- 
 standing many having been suppressed they must 
 have formed the entire town before. The churches are 
 all so pitch dark, literally speaking, that it is impos- 
 sible to see anything. The Parroquia, or parish church, 
 was being repaired whilst we were there, and as the roof 
 was partially taken off we were able to see the bricks, 
 mortar, and dust accumulated within ; the churches 
 certainly shun the light of heaven in this country. 
 
 The Church of the " Sepulcro" has an altar which 
 tradition states to be the work of angels it may be 
 anybody's, and one story is good till another is told, 
 especially when all is in the dark. There is not one 
 window in this church and the doors of course are 
 kept closed ; the reason for this can be but to frighten 
 people. We heard a deep moan in a far-off corner, 
 and with beating heart we groped our way to the door. 
 
 The people have little to do here, nature does every-
 
 316 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 thing ; but they are an indolent set groups of men 
 standing about, with their striped mantas and coloured 
 handkerchiefs over the head, with seemingly nothing 
 to do but smoke; they remind one of the labourers 
 waiting in the market-place to be hired, but if they 
 thought there was a chance of their being hired they 
 would not be there, in fact they would take care to be 
 nowhere. 
 
 From Castellon to Tarragona is a long fatiguing day. 
 We left the " Fonda," or, to call things by their right 
 names, the " Posada," at 7 '30 A.M., the train leaving a 
 few minutes after 8, and we only reached Tarragona 
 at 5 P.M. Tortosa is not a bad place to stop at, where 
 a break in the railway occurs, the bridge over the 
 Ebro not yet being completed. About a mile before 
 entering Tortosa we were turned out of the train into 
 an omnibus. A hurricane was blowing, and it was all 
 we could do to keep our feet ; the violence of the wind 
 as it came across the plain was frightful, carrying 
 everything that was not very heavy before it. How- 
 ever, we jolted along without any disaster over the 
 rickety wooden bridge into the town. An hour is 
 allowed for dinner, which we had at the station, and 
 was good enough. The old town is worth seeing. It 
 is well situated, the magnificent river Ebro skirting its 
 base. It looks well from the opposite bank, and is 
 much more imposing in appearance than reality. 
 
 The Cathedral was built in the fourteenth century, 
 on the site where stood the Mosque. Amongst the
 
 TAEEAGONA. 317 
 
 relics preserved here is one of great reputation, known 
 as the Cinia. The wonders this miraculous girdle is 
 able to perform is best known to those who have tested 
 its efficacy, which is said to consist in saving women in 
 child-birth, and removing any difficulties with which 
 such cases are frequently attended. The towers of the 
 churches here are mostly octagon, and continue to be 
 so all the way till Barcelona is reached. 
 
 Cabrera's mother was executed here by the order 
 of General Nogueras, in February, 1836. The poor 
 old lady died for the sins of her son, whose deeds of 
 blood and cruelty are familiar to all. 
 
 Three hours took us from Tortosa to Tarragona. 
 The road skirts the coast all the way, and the scenery 
 is very grand, the vegetation rich and fertile, and the 
 purple hills to the left forming a beautiful back-ground. 
 On nearing Tarragona, however, the country is less 
 green-looking, the chalky nature of the soil in the 
 immediate neighbourhood giving it a grey, dried-up 
 appearance. Tarragona is well situated on an emi- 
 nence, some few hundred feet above the sea level. 
 The glare and dust are excessive, the climate is good 
 and very healthy. The town at first gives one the idea 
 of being a grand pile of ruins ; all appeared still and 
 deserted. Even the railway seems to shun a too near 
 approach, as if afraid of disturbing the terrible silence 
 that pervades the whole place. Tarragona has hardly 
 yet risen out of the depths of misery and desolation 
 into which it was cast by Suchet in 1813, when the
 
 318 A WINTER TOUK IN SPAIN. 
 
 streets flowed with the blood of the women and children 
 who, by his orders, were butchered wholesale. The 
 Oliva fort, where he entered the town, is even now 
 pointed out by the inhabitants with an irrepressible 
 shudder. It stands a little out of the town to the 
 south-west. To the east and nearly facing it is the 
 Archbishop's Palace, with its fine old square tower. 
 The scenery is very grand. The carob-tree, vines, and 
 aloes cover the land. The pod of the carob here forms 
 food for man as well as beast. The vines produce the 
 Benicarlo wine, a rich full-flavoured red wine. 
 
 Past Monte Oliva, leaving it to the right, the high 
 road winds round, and about a mile further on, in a 
 deep valley, is all that remains of the magnificent 
 Roman aqueduct now called " El Puente del Diablo." 
 A double row of arches span across the valley of 
 700 feet ; at the deepest part of the gorge the arches 
 are double, the lower tier containing eleven, the upper 
 twenty-five. The width* of the aqueduct, which is 
 formed of huge blocks of stone, is five feet and a 
 half. The highest centre arches are ninety-six feet, 
 diminishing on either side as the ground rises. The 
 view from this point is beautiful. Far away to the 
 west is the little village of Costanti. It is said that 
 formerly Tarragona reached to here. There is a very 
 fine church in this place, well worth driving to see. 
 It contains some fine marbles and some good carving. 
 Not very far from Costanti is a building which was a 
 tribunal in the time of the Moors, but nothing Moorish
 
 TAEEAGONA. 319 
 
 is about it, or anywhere else in Tarragona. The whole 
 is so essentially Roman, that one could fancy oneself 
 in some old Italian city, rather than in Spain. 
 
 Sweet-smelling herbs grow in profusion about this 
 desolate place, perfuming the air ; also the low growing 
 fan-leaf palm, which, when dried, the people convert 
 into brooms. The ruin of this great aqueduct was 
 the work of the Moors, and when in recent tunes it 
 was repaired, Suchet again destroyed it, as he did 
 everything he came across. 
 
 Precisely in the opposite direction is what is called 
 the Tomb of the Scipios. Here the two brothers are 
 supposed to have been buried. The monument is in 
 the form of a square stone tower of a reddish hue. The 
 upper portion has partly fallen. On the front side, 
 that facing the sea, are two figures ; the upper por- 
 tions are perfect, but the legs are gone. The remains 
 of an inscription are traceable. It is placed within a 
 few feet of the high road, amongst pines and sweet- 
 scented herbs. The calm blue sea, studded with 
 picturesque fishing-boats with white sails, is within a 
 hundred feet of it. The spot is worth visiting, if only 
 for the sake of the glorious view, and the beauty of its 
 own position. It lies about four miles to the north of 
 Tarragona. 
 
 The Museum is rich in Roman remains, broken 
 stones, broken statues, broken tombs all broken ; 
 even the coins, like all else in Tarragona ; even to the 
 recently built portion of the town everything is in
 
 320 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 ruins, tumbling down, dusty, and desolate. The 
 Cathedral, with a handsome entrance but all the 
 figures which adorn it are broken is of Norman 
 architecture ; the choir, as usual, blocks up the centre 
 nave. At the back of it is the tomb of Jaime I. ; it is 
 of white marble, and bears the date of 1276. Santa 
 Tecla, the patron saint of Tarragona, lies buried in the 
 chapel dedicated to her, which is built entirely of 
 marble, from the lofty dome to the pavement ; the red 
 marble pillars are very fine ; the white marble relievos 
 are by Salas, a sculptor of little talent, if these are his 
 best productions. The retablo of the high altar is 
 exquisitely sculptured. The subjects of the lower tier 
 of basso relievos are the various tortures to which 
 Santa Tecla was put, on account of her refusing to 
 marry a man named Thamiro, to whom she had 
 plighted her troth. Her excuse was having vowed 
 herself to a virgin's life, but this availed her nothing, 
 and she was condemned to every description of tor- 
 ment. The Gothic pinnacles are exquisitely carved, and 
 are all marble ; those above, which fringe relievos of 
 subjects from the life of our Lord, are of wood. In 
 the former there is a spider and a fly carved, not 
 larger than life, but the details are perfect; this was 
 all sculptured by Juan and Guillen de Mota, early in 
 the fifteenth century. A Gothic gallery runs round 
 the inner part where the high altar is placed ; to the 
 right is the tomb of the son of Jaime II. He was Arch- 
 bishop of Toledo and Tarragona. To the left is the
 
 TAEEAGONA. 321 
 
 chapel dedicated to the "Virgen de los Sastres " of 
 tailors. They are looked on as a peculiarly fortunate 
 class in Tarragona to be under such powerful pro- 
 tection. The windows are very beautiful ; there are 
 two rose windows, one over the " Capilla del Sacra- 
 mento," the other faces it. They are both very lovely, 
 but especially the latter. The dome inside this chapel 
 is singular from the way it dips on either side, so as 
 not to destroy the symmetry of the vaulted roof. This 
 chapel was built in 1560 by Archbishop Antonio 
 Augustin ; he died in 1586, aged 69. His tomb is here, 
 and is a grand work by Pedro Blay ; many of the 
 monuments in this church are by him, and some are 
 very fine. The pictures are all daubs, and fortunately 
 not a great many of them. The upper portions of the 
 seats in the coro are beautifully carved ; the archbishop 
 has two seats, one at the end in the centre, the other 
 at the corner near the high altar ; the work of both 
 is rich ; the organ also is very well carved. All was 
 done by Francisco Gomez in 1480. The marble fonts 
 for the holy water are supported against two columns, 
 by well shaped marble hands apparently growing out 
 of pillars. Cardinal Cardona's tomb, which forms a 
 division between two chapels, is very handsome ; the 
 scroll work is fine. 
 
 The Sacristy contains little worth seeing, and all is 
 so dirty and untidy ; even the relics are not cared for, 
 they stand huddled together with dust and rubbish. 
 Amongst the things is a pretty little gold cross, studded
 
 322 A WINTEE TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 with precious stones and some fine pearls, a thorn 
 from the Saviour's crown, a Gothic silver-gilt stand, 
 containing twenty-four relics of so many saints, and 
 two huge teeth belonging to some antediluvian animal, 
 which, we were informed, were not kept as relics. In 
 a room up a tower are kept the vestments audfrontales ; 
 both are extremely rich in texture and ornament. 
 
 The cloisters and cloister garden are by far the most 
 interesting portion of the cathedral ; they are full of 
 fine delicate carvings. There are 316 marble columns 
 supporting Gothic arches, and every arch varies ; so do 
 the capitals ; not two are alike. On one of these are 
 three faces, all perfect, yet only two eyes amongst them. 
 There are both Moorish and Roman remains here, 
 many of the stones embedded in the wall bearing dates 
 which correspond with their eras. There are five 
 fountains in the garden, which is a mass of flowers, 
 brilliant in colour and perfuming the air, but all are 
 growing any way ; no order, no care taken of any- 
 thing ; weeds spring up with flowers and are left to 
 bloom out their time in peace. Even the walks are 
 grass grown ; yet perhaps this is more suited to the 
 old cloisters than a neat well-trimmed garden. 
 
 Just behind the cathedral is a little church, which 
 tradition asserts to have been built by St. Paul, who 
 is also said to have preached in the cathedral ; but 
 tradition relates stranger tales in Spain than any- 
 where else. However, the church is very old and 
 very interesting. The beautiful cross of St. Anthony,
 
 TAKRAGOXA. 323 
 
 erected in 1604, is on the Plaza San Antonio, over- 
 looking the sea. The slender column, carved with a 
 diamond-shaped pattern all over it, is very pretty ; 
 the capital is formed by the Twelve Apostles. 
 
 Pilate's house, so called because Pontius Pilate, tra- 
 dition again says, was a citizen of Tarragona and lived 
 here, is now the prison ; from the tower, a splendid 
 view is obtained. The only vestige of antiquity about 
 it is a column embedded in a crumbling wall. The 
 interior of the prison is clean, and there were not many 
 prisoners. One man was being released as we were 
 let in; his crime was being without a pass-paper, 
 necessary for every Spaniard desiring to enter or leave 
 a town. There were but two female prisoners, and 
 each had a child ; here they do not part mother and 
 child. The walls are upwards of twenty feet thick 
 on the outer side of the tower, which was used as a 
 telegraph station formerly. 
 
 There are constantly being dug up remains of statues 
 or tombs ; and coins, rings, and vases occasionally ; 
 altogether, there are sufficient antiquities here to supply 
 any demand for a very long period. The people are a 
 dull, heavy set : they want rousing out of their torpid 
 state. There was a waiter at the hotel we were at, 
 the"Europa," the best in the place, who said he would 
 be so glad to get away from Tarragona, but if he did, 
 where could he go ? So he stayed on, moving about 
 as if a world of care oppressed him ; he was but a 
 type of the rest. They feel depressed and weary of 
 
 y 2
 
 324 A WINTER TOUK IN SPAIN. 
 
 their sluggish unchanging life, yet they cannot rouse 
 themselves sufficiently to try and do better. Quien 
 sabe, if they did, what might befall them ; might they 
 not find themselves worse off? This is their argument, 
 and so they go on, till they become as stupid, heavy, 
 and useless as the old stones amongst which they are 
 buried,
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 BARCELONA. 
 
 VERY different is Barcelona, different not alone to 
 Tarragona, but to all Spain. A thickly populated, 
 busy, industrious, thriving town, Barcelona is more 
 like a young Paris. It far surpasses Madrid ; the 
 streets are finer and the shops very superior. Almost 
 anything may be procured here that is to be had in 
 Paris or London ; French and English are more 
 generally understood, and one can hardly believe 
 oneself to be in a Spanish town, so little does it 
 resemble one. 
 
 Barcelona is reached from Tarragona by railway in 
 three hours and a-half ; mountains on one side and sea 
 on the other form the surroundings all the way. 
 The country is well populated, and a look of life 
 pervades the whole. Villages are numerous, and 
 every league one advances one notices an increase of 
 activity and civilization. 
 
 The Rambla, a boulevard, half a mile long, runs 
 completely through the town ; it is a broad avenue 
 between two carriage roads, where the people assemble 
 in crowds on Sundays, rendering the atmosphere foggy
 
 326 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 with dust. Here are the two theatres and the two 
 best hotels. We were at the " Four Nations ; " 
 extremely expensive : good rooms and bad food. We 
 heard that the " Oriente," just opposite, was better. 
 In continuation of the Rambla is the Champs Elysees 
 of Barcelona; here the beau monde drive. On Sun- 
 days it is a very gay scene. Handsome new houses 
 are being built on either' side, and more springing up 
 daily. Leading off from this drive are cafes and 
 gardens, the " Pre Catelan, &c., all in imitation of 
 Paris. Gracia, which a few years since was a suburb, 
 now forms a portion of the town. The drives and 
 walks are innumerable, and occupation for all tastes 
 can be found. Here ladies go into cafes another 
 innovation on Spanish customs; but there is no sitting 
 outside of them yet. Bonnets predominate, especially 
 on Sundays. The lower class, of course, wear the 
 mantilla, which on grand occasions is white ; this, seen 
 in church, has a very singular appearance. The shops 
 are extremely good ; the best are in the Plaza Real 
 and the Calle de Fernando VII. Capital gloves may 
 be bought here at fifteen-pence a pair ; the best shops 
 for them are in the Plaza Real. 
 
 The day after our arrival, we drove up to the castle, 
 as from there we could obtain a view of the whole 
 town and environs, which appear more like straggling 
 limbs of the city than villages, so nearly united are 
 they. The castle is historically interesting to us, as 
 on the 14th of September, 1 705, it was taken by Lord
 
 BAECELONA. 327 
 
 Peterborough : this was during the War of Succession. 
 It has been taken again more than once since that. 
 It is called De Monjuich. The hill it stands on rises 
 735 feet above the sea. It is garrisoned by 600 men. 
 No Spanish soldier or officer under the rank of 
 captain is permitted to marry, so they have to wash 
 and mend their own clothes, and do a hundred and one 
 little matters that in England we are accustomed to 
 see the soldiers' wives attending to. They are allowed 
 two meals a day, both of the same description a sort of 
 stew, in which potatoes and sausages form large items, 
 and of this they do not get too much; their rations would 
 hardly satisfy an Englishman. For drink they are 
 allowed an unlimited supply of water, and their pay is 
 a few cuartos a day. But the Spanish soldier can rise 
 from the ranks if he has sufficient of the right stuff in 
 him and the opportunity, which certainly is not wanting 
 in this hot-bed of revolutionary spirits. As a rule, 
 they are a slovenly and untidy set; but picked men are 
 sent here, the Catalonians being always ready to fight, 
 no matter in what cause, provided it be against the 
 existing government. So in Barcelona and Tarragona 
 there is a little more neatness and order among 
 them, the bands play in tune and the men march 
 straight ; whereas, in the other provinces, they go any 
 way and play any how. In the south of Spain, you 
 rarely see a soldier with boots or stockings ; their 
 feet are bare, and -they have on the straw soles with 
 sandals.
 
 328 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 The cathedral stands in the old part of the town 
 amidst ancient houses and arches. The principal 
 entrance is still unfinished ; it is called " La Puerta de 
 la Inquisicion," as it faces what remains of that building. 
 The interior is gloomy and grand; its great height 
 gives a narrow look to the beautiful centre nave, which, 
 as usual, is unfortunately blocked up by the choir. 
 The upper end behind the high altar is semi-circular. 
 The lofty grey stone pillars seem like giant ghosts in 
 the dim shadowy light, but the whole is very solemn 
 looking, very impressive, far more so than the gaudily 
 decorated cathedrals of Valencia, Cadiz, &c. Here the 
 side chapels are unseen till you are close by them ; they 
 stand back, hidden by the columns and darkness, 
 almost in recesses ; the light elegant gallery running 
 round the upper part of the building is seen from 
 being immediately under the little light cast down 
 through the stained glass windows. The GOTO is 
 Gothic, and the carving of the pinnacle tops to the 
 seats exquisite. Under these, but above each seat, 
 are the arms of all the knights who in 1518 were 
 decorated with the Order of the Golden Fleece, at the 
 installation held here by Charles V. in that year ; 
 amongst them are those of Henry VIII. of England. 
 All is in oak, but not of Spanish growth ; the Bishop's 
 seat and the pulpit are very delicately carved. The 
 tras-coro has relievos in marble, representing incidents 
 in the martyrdom of Sta. Eulalia ; in front of it is a 
 statue of St. Oldegar. The organ is handsome, and
 
 BARCELONA. 1329 
 
 is decorated beneath by a huge Moor's head, which 
 hangs suspended from it ; the beard is long, thick, and 
 excessively dusty. 
 
 The high altar is placed over a crypt where lies the 
 body of Sta. Eulalia, the patron saint of Barcelona. 
 She was martyred in 304 by Dacian, and was seen 
 ascending to heaven in the form of a dove. In 878 
 her body, which had been missing, was discovered 
 through the sweet odours emanating from it, and 
 brought here and buried with immense pomp and 
 display. Kings and queens and princes, besides the 
 great dignitaries of the church, all attended on the 
 occasion. The chapel itself is very simple. The Gothic 
 retablo of the high altar is copper gilt, with red marble 
 columns on either side. In the " Capilla del Sacra- 
 mento," or of " San Olegario," lies the uncorrupted, 
 incorruptible and flexible body of that miraculous old 
 man, who was Bishop of Barcelona and Archbishop of 
 Tarragona. He is not buried, he does not require 
 it placed in a glass case at the back of the altar 
 (over which is a good picture by Viladomat) ; he is 
 dressed in his robes and has on his mitre ; his hands, 
 horribly small, black and withered, are adorned with 
 rings ; only his nose is wanting, it probably was 
 unable to bear with himself. This ghastly spectacle 
 is exposed to the faithful on the anniversary 'and 
 octave of his death, which took place on the 6th March, 
 1136. Two years ago his grace had new clothes put 
 on him. Then his body was still flexible, he was sat
 
 330 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 upright and dressed ; some lady had bequeathed him 
 a new wardrobe. 
 
 Outside the Sacristy door are the coffins of Ramon 
 Berenguer and his wife Almudis ; they are covered 
 with red velvet, and stand on shelves projecting from 
 the wall. 
 
 The Sacristy is dirty and untidy, it contains little 
 beyond the custodia and a few relics. The vestments 
 and altar frontales are poor ; one only amongst the 
 latter is ancient and well embroidered ; the subject is 
 the Resurrection, the faces are good. The custodia 
 is magnificent, the finest and most valuable in Spain. 
 It is Gothic in design, and of pure gold enriched with 
 precious stones ; the pearls are enormous, and there is 
 a black diamond the size and shape of a small bean. 
 When Philip IV. came to see it he took the diamond 
 and ruby ornament he wore in his hat and hung it on ; 
 it is there still, as also the Order of the Golden Fleece, 
 which Charles V. wore at the Installation in the 
 cathedral in 1518. A solid piece of gold, in the 
 form of a wreath around the upper part, weighs alone 
 24 Ibs. ; a huge crystal, greatly valued as possessing 
 some charm, is set in the lower part. Some ridiculous 
 story is told of its being taken out of a serpent's head. 
 The custodia is placed on the silver gilt chair or 
 throne, on which Juan II. of Navarre and Arragon 
 made his triumphal entry into Barcelona, after his 
 victory over the French at Perpignan, on the 28th 
 October, 1473. It takes eight men to carry this
 
 - BAECELONA. 331 
 
 immense tabernacle, which is only used on Corpus 
 Christi day ; a belt, embroidered in coral and seed pearls, 
 reaches completely round it ; there is also a very hand- 
 some diamond pendant, which was presented by a lady, 
 and hangs in the centre. The relics are neither rich 
 nor rare : a handkerchief worked by the Virgin, the 
 material is spun silk, the colour dark dust ; wood from 
 the cross, and two thorns, are the principal ones ; there 
 is the nail with which San Severe, Bishop of Barcelona, 
 was martyred, and some odd bones of saints. 
 
 The cloisters of the cathedral are too heavy and 
 massive, still they are very fine, and would be far 
 better were they not disfigured by the chapels which fill 
 up the vacancies between every arch. There are some 
 old tombstones let into the walls, bearing dates varying 
 from 1300 to 1500. The garden -is pretty, with a 
 fountain and a tank, where two holy geese reign 
 supreme. Pepper, orange, and lemon trees grow in 
 it. The entrance into the cathedral from here is 
 magnificent. 
 
 The church of Santa Maria del Mar ranks next in 
 importance ; the exterior is extremely beautiful, purely 
 Gothic, and very light and elegant in design. It was 
 commenced on the 25th March, 1329, and finished on the 
 3rd November, 1383. The first mass offered up in the 
 church was on the 15th August, 1384. The interior very 
 much resembles the cathedral, though much smaller, 
 it being only 372 feet in length, yet the choir being 
 placed behind the altar gives an appearance of far
 
 332 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 greater size. The church, as is usual, is surrounded 
 by chapels, in each and all are one or more virgins ; 
 one chapel was formerly Mozarabic. The pictures 
 are so dirty they might be anything, and beneath 
 many are bundles of wax legs and arms, and other 
 portions of the human body. Facing the organ is 
 the royal pew, a heavy gilt projection midway up the 
 wall, which is reached by an invisible spiral staircase. 
 Some of the windows are very beautifully painted, 
 especially the large rose window. The christening 
 font was the sarcophagus which contained the body 
 of Sta. Eulalia, Barcelona's saint. When her body was 
 discovered it was in this stone coffin, close to the 
 spot where " Santa Maria del Mar" now stands. It 
 was preserved as a precious relic, and converted into 
 a font. Sta. Maria Carvellon was baptized in it on the 
 8th December, 1230. There are some of Viladomat's 
 paintings here, which rank among his best, but one 
 cannot see them for the dirt. 
 
 " Santa Maria del Pino" has a single nave ; it is a 
 large and light looking church. In a crypt beneath 
 the high altar, called " La Santa Espina," or " del 
 Sepulcro," are two thorns; the crypt is sustained by 
 five arches. The choir is behind the high altar, the 
 rose window at the end of the church over the organ 
 is very fine. The churches in Barcelona are rich in 
 painted windows. They seem to take the place of 
 pictures, of which there is a great dearth ; several 
 around the nave of this church are very good. In
 
 BAECELONA. 333 
 
 the chapel of San Miguel is the tomb of the only 
 painter Barcelona ever gave birth to, Antonio Vila- 
 domat ; he died in 1755. A simple stone let into the 
 wall records his talent as an artist, and marks the 
 place of his burial. The pavement of the church is 
 covered with old tombstones. The exterior is hand- 
 some, but some portions still remain unfinished. 
 
 San Balem, the church of the Jesuits, on the 
 Rambla, is rich in marbles ; there are various kinds, 
 and from various countries ; there are a few paintings 
 by Viladomat ; and in the rector's apartments is kept 
 the sword which Ignatius Loyola placed at the Virgin's 
 feet at Montserrat. 
 
 San Jaime was built at the end of the fourteenth 
 century ; it is a handsome church. Right and left of 
 the high altar which is tawdry and rendered like a 
 child's theatre by a stupid, highly-coloured painting, 
 with sliding scenery, representing purgatory are two 
 fine door-ways. In a chapel to the right is a richly- 
 coloured rose window. 
 
 The church of San Miguel is one of the most ancient 
 in Barcelona; it is some twenty feet below the level of the 
 street, a small, quaint, quiet, little chapel, but extremely 
 dark ; the eye must become accustomed to the light 
 before one can even see the way. A rich piece of 
 mosaic pavement is here ; it is supposed to have 
 belonged to a temple dedicated to Neptune, having 
 maritime subjects on it ; near the altar is some 
 Roman mosaic pavement : the colours are bright and
 
 334 A WINTEE TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 varied. In one of the chapels is a monumental tomb 
 belonging to Francesco Coll, Vice-Chancellor to Fer- 
 dinand the Catholic, and afterwards to Charles V. 
 There are two paintings by Viladomat ; one the "Divine 
 Shepherd," the other "Angels." The fagade of the 
 principal entrance, with its pretty Gothic towers on 
 either side, is a sight for any lover of architecture to 
 feast his eyes on. 
 
 San Justo is a handsome church with a single nave ; 
 the colouring of the church is warm, the arched roof is 
 lofty and painted with a deep blue. The chapels 
 around it are Gothic ; the choir is behind the high 
 altar ; it is very ancient and but poorly carved. The 
 organ has a huge Moor's head suspended from it. The 
 church was built in 1345. 
 
 Sta. Ana, formerly a college, was founded in 1141 
 by I^ing Alfonso II. of Arragon and William I., Patriarch 
 of Jerusalem, in imitation of the church of the Holy 
 Sepulchre. There is nothing now to see in the 
 church ; the cloisters are the attraction, they are very 
 pretty, and are of an earlier date than the church ; the 
 double range of arches are supported by slender pillars, 
 formed of four grouped together, altogether not more 
 than a few inches round. The entrance from the 
 cloisters into the church is very pretty, with windows 
 on either side, having small marble columns in the 
 centre. The patio is well filled with trees, and has a 
 large well. All is so still and quiet here, that one 
 might stroll up and down the galleries indulging in
 
 BAECELONA. 335 
 
 dreams called forth by the spot, but for the desecra- 
 tion of the place which is permitted, and which calls 
 forth anything but an odour of sanctity. 
 
 There are also some very pretty cloisters at San 
 Pablo del Campo, but they are ruined with white- 
 wash, which fills up all the delicate carvings hi the 
 stone-work. There are eight double engrailed arches, 
 similar in form to the Moorish arch, with double pillars 
 in the centre; they. now belong to the barracks ad- 
 joining. The old door leading into the church has a 
 hand sculptured over it, with two fingers extended, the 
 others being doubled in. This hand has given rise to 
 various stories ; one being that it represents the hand 
 of a wealthy nobleman who murdered a cardinal, 
 and in consequence his fortune was confiscated, and 
 devoted to the building of this church, which, however, 
 according to a stone let into the wall, was built by 
 Wilfred II. in 913 ; beneath the hand a Maltese cross 
 is cut in the stone. The church is cruciform, with a 
 dome in the centre. 
 
 Many of the public buildings are extremely interesting. 
 The patio of the " Lonja," or Exchange, in the Plaza del 
 Palacio, has four entrances ; it is a large square, with 
 statues at each corner, representing Europe and Asia, 
 Commerce and Industry, and a fountain, with Neptune 
 lazily presiding. The marble staircase is handsome. 
 Here are some rooms set apart for the "Bellas Artes;" 
 the art may exist, but most assuredly the beauty does 
 not. Two of the rooms contain only modern pictures,
 
 336 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 one little better than the other ; then in the Sala de 
 Sesiones are some more. Passing through the students' 
 rooms we then entered two or three dingy rooms, digni- 
 fied by the name of Museum. There are twenty-two 
 pictures in them by Viladomat. The Catalonians are 
 immensely proud of this painter, and yet his produc- 
 tions are not worth very much, except in their estima- 
 tion. All his works are to be found in his own province ; 
 no one has, as yet, thought them worth removing. 
 With the exception of two, the twenty-two paintings 
 are scenes from the life of San Francisco, and were 
 formerly in the cloisters of the Franciscan convent, 
 which no longer exists. Saint Francis, though the 
 founder of the great Order named after him, never 
 thought himself pure enough to offer up mass, in con- 
 sequence of his having had a vision, in which an angel 
 appeared to him with a glass of water, and told him a 
 priest must be as pure as the water he held in his 
 hand ; this St. Francis could not believe himself to be, 
 and, therefore, never dared say it. This vision forms 
 the subject of the best of Viladomat' s paintings. A 
 modern Catalonian artist, named Clave", still living, has 
 one or two good pictures here ; his " Ecce Homo," 23 
 in the catalogue, and "Various Apostles," 24, are ex- 
 tremely well done ; the latter is a copy from Rafael's 
 well-known picture. 
 
 Facing the Lonja is the Palace, it looks like a card- 
 board imitation of a Venetian house ; adjoining is the 
 house of the captain -general, a handsome building
 
 BAECELONA. 337 
 
 dating four centuries back, but it has been sufficiently 
 " improved " to destroy all marks of antiquity. 
 
 The Casa de la Ciudad, or Casa Consistorial, in the 
 Plaza de la Constitucion, with a statue of Jaime I. on 
 one side of its modern entrance (which is very like the 
 Prince of Wales), and Juan Fivaller on the other, has 
 some fine old remains of Gothic architecture about it. 
 The arms of the city, cut in stone, face the entrance ; 
 the ceiling is very handsome. The Cortes of Catalonia 
 held their meetings in the large saloon on the left ; the 
 door inside, of carved stone, is very curious ; the arms of 
 all the towns of Catalonia are painted on the panels of 
 the walls. The throne-room, a lofty half-circle, is 
 modern, as are also the session rooms. The old 
 entrance, on the left side, now nailed up, with its beau- 
 tiful Doric decorations, is partially hid by the trees in 
 front ; there are three windows and one built-up 
 entrance, all beautiful in decoration and carving ; over 
 the portal is the figure of an angel, the two wings ex- 
 tended, and over it a richly-worked Gothic pinnacle. 
 
 The " Audiencia " is on the opposite side of the 
 plaza ; this also has its original entrance at the side, 
 which is still open, and by it we entered. The whole 
 is extremely fine, and deserves careful inspection. 
 Over this entrance is St. George and the Dragon : the 
 entire fagade is elaborately decorated with quaint sub- 
 jects ; around the low arches in the court are carvings 
 of monks and monkeys' heads. A fine stone staircase, 
 beautifully carved, led us to a glazed-in gallery where
 
 338 A WINTEE TOUK IN SPAIN. 
 
 the attorneys sit in little boxes like ticket-takers at an 
 out-of-door show ; they are ready for any one who 
 may require them. This Gothic gallery is surrounded 
 by slender pillars, all marble. Occupying one corner is 
 a beautiful entrance leading into the chapel of St. 
 George; on the left hand a door leads to an upper 
 patio called the Court of Oranges ; the old walls with 
 their finely decorated windows, the rich mouldings, 
 the quaintly carved figures and heads, are extremely 
 fine. . In the large hall to the right are kept the 
 archives of Arragon, which date back to 874 ; to the 
 left are the Courts of Justice. When we entered, three 
 grave-looking old men were sitting listening to the 
 statement of a case about to be argued before them. 
 Before a case is argued here, a statement is drawn up 
 and read, by an impartial person, and when the judges 
 are thus acquainted with the subjects, the barristers 
 plead their cause. The courts are open to the public, 
 but the public does not seem to take advantage of the 
 permission. No one but those concerned in the ques- 
 tion were present when we were there, and we were 
 told it was rare to see any one else. The ceilings are 
 very rich. In the Sala de Gobierno are the por- 
 traits of the kings or rulers of this portion of the 
 country, from the Goths to the present Queen. Much 
 of the less ancient architecture here is the work of 
 Pedro Blay. The St. George's Hall is his, and it is 
 a very fine room. St. George was the protector of 
 Catalonia arid Arragon against the Saracens, and so
 
 BAECELONA. 339 
 
 constantly appeared at the critical moment that the 
 victories, in consequence, were always on the side of 
 his proteges. The frontale of the altar for the chapel, 
 used on St. George's Day, embroidered in silver and 
 gold, represents the saint fighting the dragon, and res- 
 cuing a young lady attacked by it. This frontale is 
 very ancient. Amongst the relics kept here are a rib of 
 St. George, which is in a gold case, and a redomita, or 
 small phial, with some of the saint's blood in it : this 
 is enshrined in silver. 
 
 The house of the Counts of Barcelona, in the same 
 plaza as the Cathedral, forms a portion of what is now 
 the Convent of St. Clare. The entrance and patio are 
 handsome, the staircase of stone is roofed over by an 
 elaborately carved wooden ceiling, hollowed out, and a 
 gallery running round it; it is oval in shape. This 
 was formerly the palace of the Counts of Barcelona, 
 and Kings of Arragon ; and the chapel, now in ruins, 
 but very beautiful they are, was the Hall of Ambas- 
 sadors, where the royal assent was given to laws, and 
 any important business was attended to. In this 
 chapel the Virgin is said to have appeared to Don 
 Jaime I. on the 2nd of August, 1218 ; a chapel was 
 built on the spot and dedicated to her ; beneath the 
 retablo of the High Altar are the relics of St. Benedict, 
 which were brought from Rome to be placed here. In 
 1713 this convent suffered great injury from the law- 
 less soldiery of Philip V.'s army. An old Gothic foun- 
 tain adorns the plaza fronting the church. 
 
 z 2
 
 340 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 On the opposite side of the Cathedral is the house 
 where the Inquisition resided, the terror of Spain, as 
 of every other country where its fearful power was 
 felt. All round this neighbourhood are remains of an- 
 tiquity : stones let into walls, columns buried in walls, 
 bits of arches built up, and so on. One house has the 
 remains of what is supposed to be the aqueduct which 
 came from Collcerola ; but as houses are pulled down 
 and streets widened, these treasures disappear. In 
 the Calle de Moncada are two houses, 20 and 22, 
 which both have patios with staircases and columns 
 worth seeing. In the Calle Ancha, 82, is a huge 
 head that had been dug up, placed on the facade 
 of the house, which is very ancient. The ruins of 
 the Chapel of the University are fine ; the richly- 
 worked doorways and lateral chapels are built up in a 
 cruel manner, dwelling-houses of a low, poor stamp, 
 peering above them. 
 
 There are one or two private collections of pictures, 
 but consisting mostly of copies ; the best is that of 
 Don Anton Pascual in the Calle Xucla, 19, who 
 has nearly 300 pictures, and those contained in the 
 Palacio Vireina, Rambla de San Jose", 21, w r here 
 engravings and coins are collected as well. Some of 
 the paintings are really very good, and they are chiefly 
 from the best masters. 
 
 At the end of the Paseo de San Juan is a garden, 
 that of " Del General," which is greatly admired by 
 the Barcelonians. It was laid out in 1816, and is now
 
 BAKCELONA. 341 
 
 a very untidy mass of flower-beds bordered by box, 
 pepper-trees, and Nefliers de Japan, with fountains and 
 a duck-pond, one pair of swans lording it over all. 
 The soldiers' exercise-ground is just outside of it. 
 
 The theatres are very good, and plenty of them. 
 The two principal ones, the " Liceo " and " Principal," 
 are both on the Rambla. The former is a magnificent 
 house, and the finest in Spain. It was built in 1847 on 
 the site of a convent; burnt in 1861, it was rebuilt in 
 the following year. The height of the Sala is enormous ; 
 there are five tiers of boxes above the pit tier, and 
 owing to the divisions being only on a height with the 
 frontage, they appear all to communicate. The deco- 
 rations are white and gold, with a little delicate colour- 
 ing introduced on prominent points ; the roof is painted 
 in bright frescoes, and around are medallion portraits 
 of the great composers. It is lighted by 364 jets of 
 gas, ranged, each beneath ground glass globes, in 
 groups around the house. The stalls are covered with 
 crimson velvet and gilt borders ; there are close on 
 900, and the house holds 4000 spectators. Operas 
 are given here on alternate nights ; on the intervening 
 nights there are dramas and dancing. The orchestra 
 is pretty good, but the house deserves a better. The 
 foyer is very fine. 
 
 At the "Teatro Principal," there is acting only; 
 occasionally they have a French company. The house 
 is handsome, but cannot be compared with the "Liceo; " 
 the decorations are crimson, white, and gold. There
 
 342 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 are 450 stalls ; and in front of the first tier of boxes 
 are the " Balcony Stalls." The scenery is old and 
 dirty, the orchestra tolerable. The prices at both 
 theatres are extremely moderate, and about half what 
 London theatres charge. 
 
 The Plaza de Toros is close to the port ; it can 
 hold 12,300 people In 1827 Ferdinand VII. gave 
 permission to the Casa de Caridad to give eight bull-- 
 fights in the year. In consequence of this, in May, 
 1834, the directors of the charity ceded to a company 
 a plot of ground belonging to them to build an arena ; 
 this was done and opened on the 24th July of the 
 same year, on the arrangement of their paying an 
 annual sum to the Charity. 
 
 It was in Barcelona that in April, 1493, Columbus 
 was received by Ferdinand and Isabella on his return 
 from America, and here he placed the New World as 
 a gift at their feet. 
 
 Barcelona nuts are sold in great quantities, but they 
 cook them before eating them : toasted they term it, 
 though baked would be more correct. The nuts are ex- 
 tremely nice in this way, though not equal to the 
 toasted almonds of Madrid, which are really delicious. 
 
 There are two excursions imperative on every one 
 to make who visits Barcelona : the one is to the 
 Monastery of Monserrat, the other to the Salt Mines of 
 Cardona. There are two ways of going to the monas- 
 tery ; the one is to take tickets to Martorell, on the 
 Tarragona railway, and then proceed onwards by car-
 
 BAECELONA. 343 
 
 riages to Collbato, from whence you are forwarded by 
 one means or another to the monastery ; but the best 
 and most direct is to go by rail to Monistrol, on the 
 Zaragoza line, and there omnibuses are in readiness to 
 convey people straight to Monserrat. The journey 
 takes from four to five hours. It is difficult to see 
 the monastery in the day, and impossible if the en- 
 virons are to be visited ; but sleeping another night 
 at aposada we shrank from, as most others would do 
 who had had as much of them as we had ; and the 
 posada at Collbato could hardly be called even decent, 
 though it is clean. 
 
 The one great point of interest to pilgrims (for it is 
 a real pilgrimage) is the miraculous image of the Virgin 
 here enthroned. The story of it, as told at the monas- 
 tery, is, that St. Luke carved it, and St. Peter brought 
 it to Barcelona in A.D. 50. In 715, when the Moors 
 invaded the country, the Goths hid it in a cave. It 
 was afterwards found by some shepherds in 880, 
 through the appearance of unearthly lights and sweet 
 music. They took the image, and having carried it a 
 certain distance, it would not allow itself to be moved 
 any further ; so where it remained a chapel was built 
 to place it in. About the year 970, a Benedictine 
 convent was founded by a Count of Barcelona, the 
 Virgin having done his daughter a good turn. Here the 
 image was enshrined till another new chapel was built, 
 and then Philip II. himself removed it on the llth July, 
 1599. Again in 1835 it was disturbed, on the convent
 
 344 A WINTER TOUB IN SPAIN. 
 
 being suppressed, and it was placed in the chapel, 
 where it may still be seen. In the sacristy are all 
 that remain of the Virgin's jewels and wardrobe ; the 
 rest were thought too beautiful by the French to be 
 thus buried in a napkin, so they carefully removed 
 them. The Virgin is coarsely carved, and does not 
 represent the sweet, soft, and gentle Virgin we like to 
 think she was ; the wood is dark ; the infant Saviour 
 is on her lap. 
 
 There are numerous hermitages studded about this 
 huge, strange, isolated mountain, the highest points of 
 which rise nearly 4000 feet above the sea ; most of 
 them are in ruins ; the one nearest the summit is that 
 of San Ger6nimo. The monks who, in days of yore, 
 inhabited these desolate houses, never left them after 
 once entering till death released them from their self- 
 imposed prison. The views from the various points 
 are magnificent. The miracles worked by this Virgin 
 of Monserrat are, according to Spanish historians, 
 legion. Books are published relating them, all too 
 wonderful for heretic Englishmen to accept. 
 
 The retablo of the high altar in the church is by 
 Esteban Jordan. An inscription on the wall records 
 that, in 1522, Ignatius Loyola prayed before the sacred 
 image of the Virgin previous to his founding the 
 famous Order of Jesuits. Here he dedicated himself to 
 her, and laid his sword (the one at Belem Church, in 
 Barcelona) on her altar, for he began his career as 
 a soldier ; but being seriously wounded at the battle of
 
 BAECELONA. 345 
 
 Pampeluna in 1521, against the French, he imagined 
 St. Peter came down to him and cured him. From 
 that time the soldier turned saint. The cave he buried 
 himself in at Manresa, about sixteen miles from the 
 monastery of Monserrat, still exists ; here he did 
 penance, then paid his celebrated visit to the Virgin, 
 and leaving his sword with her, started for Rome, and 
 gained permission to found his order, which soon 
 became as famous as since it has become unscrupulous, 
 and a by-word for every description of cunning and 
 deceit. 
 
 Goethe has drawn the scenery of this marvellous- 
 looking mountain in the fifth act of the second part of 
 his " Faust." 
 
 To visit the wonderful salt mines of Cardona, it is 
 best to go direct from Barcelona to Manresa. Coaches 
 then take people through Suria to Cardona for ten 
 reals each. The only thing is, if one had but the 
 courage to sleep at Cardona, one might visit the huge 
 mountain of salt at sunrise, which we were told was 
 the right thing to do, when the rainbow colours on 
 it are very beautiful ; but we did not see it. It is 
 astonishing in travelling how frequently one is told 
 that any other time or season would be better to see a 
 place in than the present. This mountain of salt is 
 nearly 500 feet high, and three miles in circumference. 
 One cave is nearly a mile in length ; it is called the 
 " Furad Mico." The hill is full of caves and grottos, 
 more like a place excavated for show than the result
 
 346 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 of mere necessary labour. There are two bazaars 
 they call them here museums in the town, where 
 articles made from the salt are sold. They keep very 
 well in this climate, but in our northern damp home 
 they would soon melt out of their pretty shapes. 
 
 The night before we left Barcelona we went to see 
 what was termed a " decapitated head." It was on 
 the same principle, no doubt, as Colonel Stodare's 
 " Sphinx," but it was very superior. The head was 
 on a round table, in a small room, hung with dark 
 cloth, and lighted by gas ; the spectators only a 
 certain number were admitted at a time^-were within 
 three or four feet of it. The head answered all our 
 questions and requests, from giving us his history to 
 looking at us, and putting his tongue out. He said he 
 had been beheaded for conspiracy in 1534, and that 
 his body was still where it was buried at the time of 
 his death, at a village not far from Barcelona. We 
 have seen many exhibitions of this sort, but none that 
 in any way came up to this one.
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 FROM BARCELONA TO PERPIGNAN. 
 
 THERE are three routes by which one may quit Spain 
 from Barcelona. One is by taking the rail to Zaragoza, 
 and then on to Miranda, which is the junction of north 
 and south ; from here, still by railway, to Bayonne. 
 The next is by an unbeaten track over the Pyrenees by 
 Urgel and Hospitalet to Ax and Tarascon ; there is 
 only a mule track over the barrier mountains at this 
 part. The journey this way may be done in two 
 days, and the scenery is said to be very beautiful. 
 The third is the beaten path w'd Gerona, and this we 
 chose. 
 
 We left Barcelona at 1 p.m., and reached Gerona 
 at 4'30 p.m. This line is the first that was opened in 
 Spain ; in the beginning it only went a portion of the 
 way. The entire road is populated ; villages lie thick 
 together, cottages intervening. The country shows the 
 people to be industrious ; it is highly cultivated ; not a 
 metre is wasted or neglected. On nearing Gerona 
 the land is more arid, and labour has less bountiful 
 results. 
 
 Gerona is not the best town for the traveller to
 
 348 A WINTER TOUE IN SPAIN. 
 
 enter and receive his first impressions of Spain from ; 
 the other side, at San Sebastian, is far better. Gerona 
 has nothing but its cathedral, a church or two, and 
 ruins ; it looks in a very tumble-down state. Many of 
 the streets are ' arched over by the houses projecting 
 from the first floor, and supported by large massive 
 pillars ; the streets being narrow, this gives them a 
 very dark stuffy look. 
 
 The " Fonda Italianos" is the best inn ; it is clean and 
 tolerable ; the entrance, as usual, through the stables, 
 is the greatest drawback. They cook the dinners 
 (which are by no means bad), the roasting part at 
 least, by the labour of an unfortunate little dog, not 
 even born a turn-spit. 
 
 The Cathedral is very fine ; it is approached by a 
 magnificent flight of eighty-five steps, divided by three 
 terraces ; the view from the top is grand. The 
 principal facade to the church is not good ; there is a 
 tawdry look about it, and only one tower to the right, 
 whilst the " Door of the Apostles " is beautiful. The 
 interior, which would be superb, is ruined by the coro, 
 and rendered ten times worse again by a huge, ungainly 
 looking organ at the back of it, thus most thoroughly 
 destroying the vista, which, from the church having 
 but one nave with a semi-circular termination behind 
 the high altar, and a double tier of gorgeously painted 
 windows above it, would otherwise have let it rank 
 amongst the finest cathedrals in Spain ; but, as it is, it 
 is completely spoiled. The choir is lightly carved ; the
 
 FROM BARCELONA TO PERPIGNAN. 349 
 
 bishop's seat is the most elaborate, and the two pulpits 
 are fine. The two large rose windows, St. George and 
 the Dragon, and a glory overshadowing the Saviour, 
 one at either extremity of the church, are not so fine as 
 the long ones that surround the high altar, nor so rich 
 as the smaller rose windows. The confessionals are 
 all placed together out of sight in the dark behind the 
 altar. A small light gallery runs completely round the 
 church. Passing by the Sala Capitular out by a 
 little door to the right, are the ruined cloisters, and in 
 such ruins ! It is like entering a place where a house 
 had recently been pulled down heaps of stones and 
 rubbish. Every step we took was on tomb-stones ; the 
 floors are literally paved with them, and the walls pro- 
 ject in all directions with the stone sepulchres placed 
 against them. The garden is like all else, a ruin ; there 
 is a huge well in the centre, overgrown with weeds. 
 It was with relief that we quitted this desolate gloomy 
 place ; a door at the side opposite to where we entered 
 led into a sort of lane, steep and stony, which took us 
 down again into the town, which seemed bright and 
 cheery in comparison with what we left behind us. 
 An octagon tower on our right hand standing out clear 
 and distinct against the blue sky, the undulating hills 
 in the background, and the town at our feet, formed 
 a very pretty picture ; and it was such a lovely 
 evening. 
 
 On reaching the bottom of the hill and turning to 
 the right we came to the College of San Felin. The
 
 350 A WINTER TOUK IN .SPAIN. 
 
 exterior has some claim, but not very much, to archi- 
 tectural beauty. The principal interest attached to the 
 church is that it contains the remains of Mariano 
 Alvarez, governor of Gerona in 1809, when the town 
 was besieged by the French. For seven long months 
 he managed to hold out; then he was struck down 
 by illness, and his successor capitulated. Alvarez died 
 soon after : how is not known, but he was found in his 
 prison, dead. He was a gallant soldier, and an honest, 
 upright man. Here in this church is he buried ; and a 
 visit to his last resting place is more worth paying than 
 one to the visible relics of San Felin, whose head is 
 here, and San Narciso, whose whole body may be 
 seen ; but they are thought a million times more 
 precious that the ashes of the man who died for his 
 country. 
 
 We had agreed at Barcelona with the Diligence Com- 
 pany on the Rambla, close to the Calle Fernando VII. 
 (for reasons which will be obvious very soon, we 
 are thus particular in stating where this office was 
 situated) to hire a carriage to take our party from 
 Gerona to Perpignan ; the carnage was to have a 
 banquette, or outside seat, to hold three at least ; a 
 rough drawing was made of the kind of carriage 
 required, so as to avoid all mistakes. Owing to a 
 slight illness of one of our party, our departure was 
 delayed on the very day we had proposed leaving for 
 Gerona. We instantly sent a telegram to say we 
 could not leave for three days, and made an agreement
 
 FEOM BAECELONA TO PEEPIGNAN. 351 
 
 with the director to pay an additional twenty francs for 
 the delay ; at the same time we paid seventy-five 
 francs, the half of the money agreed on for the journey. 
 The coachman, finding the " family " did not arrive 
 at Gerona as he expected (the carriage was sent over 
 from Perpignan to Gerona, and it had started before 
 the telegram explaining the delay had reached) came 
 over to Barcelona to enquire the reason. One of us 
 asked if the carriage had a banquette ; he said it was 
 an omnibus for six passengers, and no place outside, 
 except one by the side of himself. We at once stated it 
 would be impossible for us to travel in an omnibus ; that 
 our party was too large, and moreover a banquette was 
 indispensable. He shrugged his shoulders, and said the 
 omnibus was roomy and would hold eight, and that 
 the road was so terrific in some parts no lady could 
 possibly sit outside and witness it. This utter non- 
 sense we could not argue against, as we knew nothing 
 about it, beyond stating that our nerves were all strong 
 enough, we were quite sure, for the occasion. How- 
 ever, it ended in (for the moment) our consenting to 
 forfeit the money already paid, rather than make so 
 long a journey in such a carriage ; and we engaged 
 another, this time having a written agreement that we 
 should have a banquette. 
 
 On our leaving Gerona at 8 A.M., with our newly- 
 engaged carriage, which was, in fact, a diligence and 
 six horses ; the other, a small omnibus and three 
 horses, started also, the coachman having remained
 
 352 A WINTEE TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 the three days at Gerona, to suit himself or revenge 
 himself. The sequel a proof of how justice is dis- 
 spensed by legislators in the south of France we will 
 give presently. 
 
 Gerona gains by distance in fact, it looks a very 
 picturesque town, as one sees it from the long narrow 
 bridge which crosses the Flu via. The scenery, with 
 the magnificent range of Pyrenees before us, every 
 minute becoming nearer and nearer and more beautiful, 
 made the time seem nothing till we reached Figueras, 
 amidst pines and olives, with its grand citadel and 
 square towers. The " Hotel du Commerce " is the place 
 to breakfast at ; and wise people will so carve out their 
 journey, if they sleep en route, which those who go by 
 diligence do not, or rather cannot, as to make this place 
 the one to stop at, instead of Gerona, as the hotel 
 here is far away the best. From here the sandaled 
 shoes and scarlet caps give place to the ordinary 
 leather boots and black caps ; the mantilla also is 
 changed to a white flannel head-gear, looking more 
 like the dress of a Carmelite nun. 
 
 The last Spanish town is La Junquera ; above it, 
 towering over all, and commanding the country around, 
 is the fine fortress of Bellegarde, which Louis XIV. 
 erected in 1679, to show the new extent of his recently 
 gained possessions. The road is very winding and 
 narrow at this part. One seems surrounded and shut 
 in by mountains. Presently a straight, but still narrow 
 road, leads to a small bridge, erected during the early
 
 FEOM BAECELONA TO PEEPIGNAN. 353 
 
 part of the present queen's reign. This is the spot 
 where Spain ends and France begins. On the Spanish 
 side are the officers and custom-house of Spain ; on the 
 other, are two marble pillars, bearing the arms of Spain 
 on the south side, and those of France on the north ; 
 and there also stand French sentinels. And now we 
 are in France. 
 
 It was with no regret we left Spain. On the 
 contrary, there was a sensation of relief at feeling 
 we could not possibly encounter any more posadas ; 
 and that henceforth a higher degree of civilization 
 would be met with, even at little by-towns, and, in 
 short, that "roughing it" was over. The custom- 
 house officers were extremely civil, and only opened 
 the courier's portmanteau, perhaps for form sake, 
 perhaps thinking that there, if anywhere, tobacco 
 might be smuggled. 
 
 The road still winds in and out of the cork and pine 
 clad hills ; the cork-trees grow here, to a very large 
 size ; till the base of the Pyrenees is reached, and the 
 mountain barrier between France and Spain is fairly 
 crossed. Now the plains of Rousillon the wine 
 produced is abominable, especially after the rich full- 
 flavoured wines of Spain lay before us. Acres and 
 acres of the low, brown, unbeautiful, leafless vines, 
 not pretty even when laden with their fruit in this 
 stunted form, was all the eye had to feast on, unless 
 we looked back. Then, indeed, we were fully repaid 
 for twisting our necks. The purple hills, the snow- 
 
 A A
 
 354 A WINTEE TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 capped mountains, with the golden sky and the setting 
 sun tipping the clouds with small thin lines of crimson, 
 was a glorious sight. A sunset in the Pyrenees is 
 magnificent even in spring. The remaining road to 
 Perpignan was uninteresting; nothing but a straight 
 line between an avenue of young plane trees for 
 several miles. On arriving, we went to the "Hotel 
 de 1'Europa," certainly the best, and good, though 
 it does not look promising outside. There was a 
 shadowy resemblance to those comfortless-looking sta- 
 ble-and-coach-house entrances in second-rate Spanish 
 hotels, that for a moment made our hearts sink, and 
 wonder whether Perpignan was far enough out of 
 Spain not to be Spanish. All our doubts, however, 
 were dispelled when once in the rooms. Carpets and 
 comforts met us in every one of them, and fire-places 
 as well; but the charges were high, far exceeding 
 what they should be. But it is not our intention to 
 do more now than give a slight sketch of the journey 
 home. The Pyrenees are beaten tracks ; they need 
 little description. 
 
 In all towns there are certain " sights ;" so here, at 
 Perpignan, there is a citadel and churches, and a great 
 horse establishment belonging to the government, and 
 an avenue of plane-trees, the pride of the inhabitants, 
 .and must be seen by everyone. It is handsome ; there 
 are three avenues ; the centre one for carriages is very 
 wide, and the trees are so trained as to form Gothic 
 arches of an enormous height over each, and when
 
 FEOM BAECELONA TO PEBPIGNAN. 355 
 
 in full leaf must be very magnificent. Perpignan is 
 rich in avenues and trees, but this plane-tree avenue 
 is the king of them. 
 
 On the night after our arrival, just as we were going 
 to dinner, a decent looking man came in and delivered 
 himself of a suspiciously legal-looking paper, and of a 
 
 verbal order that M was to present himself at the 
 
 Juge de Paix's private residence, Rue de la Real, 2, at 
 once. We went off at once, guessing what it was 
 about, therefore we did not waste time in reading the 
 officially stamped document ; instinct at once suggested 
 the diligence affair what else could it be ? 
 
 On entering a dirty, dingy little room, there stood 
 our enemy, the owner of the rejected carriage, before 
 us, or rather sat, and around him his supporters. 
 The case was stated by his avocat, who trumped 
 up a story quite well enough to make one boil with 
 British indignation to think a lie could be so plau- 
 sibly told. We told ours ; we were asked for proofs. 
 Of course we had none, nor had they ; we had not 
 even our receipt for the money already paid ; we 
 had a witness, but he, being our courier, was silenced 
 at once ; and the end was, that this justice of the 
 peace decreed that we must pay 125 frs. as compen- 
 sation for the loss of time sustained by the diligence 
 proprietor, and 8 frs. 25 cents, costs. We were pre- 
 paring to pay when another man started up and said, 
 
 " I warn you if you do not pay here on the spot " 
 
 He was cut short, we could not stand that. The money
 
 356 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 being paid, we wished the dispenser of justice a good 
 night. No doubt he had one, as we heard afterwards 
 that the matter had been settled and arranged before 
 we arrived, and the profits were shared. The recol- 
 lection of this affair is still too fresh not to make us 
 feel excessively indignant.
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 FROM PERPIGNAN TO PAU. 
 
 WE left Perpignan for Narbonne by an afternoon 
 train ; it only takes two hours and a quarter to get 
 there. There is nothing interesting in the flat marshy 
 land, intersected by lagoons of salt water, which for 
 miles one passes through, nor in the arid looking rocky 
 country nearer Narbonne, where the aromatic herbs 
 grow, on which the bees feed, which produce the highly- 
 scented Narbonne honey. The Hotel Daurade is the 
 best and nearest the station, but there are odours in 
 the house which form a great distinction to the sweet- 
 scented honey, the finest of which is sold in the hotel ; 
 yet here Queen Christina passed two nights on her 
 way into Spain. It is a busy-looking town and pos- 
 sesses a fine Gothic cathedral, which, however, from 
 not being finished in length, seems altogether out of 
 proportion as its height is enormous, reaching to 
 131 feet. There are three aisles, some of the windows 
 are well painted, and there is some fine old tapestry 
 hung about. The picture by Sebastian Piombo of 
 the " Raising of Lazarus," now in England, was painted 
 for this church.
 
 358 A WINTER TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 The Hotel de Ville was formerly the Archbishop's 
 palace. The old garden is converted into a museum 
 of antiquities ; there are some Christian tombs of the 
 third and fourth centuries. The most interesting relic 
 is an altar which was erected to Augustus, 11 years B.C., 
 by the people of Narbonne. 
 
 From Narbonne to Toulouse is three hours by the 
 express train. All along this road honour is paid in 
 the shape of columns and monuments to the memory 
 of the celebrated Paul Kiquet, who made the canal 
 known as the " Canal du Midi," which joins the 
 Atlantic to the Mediterranean ; the work was com- 
 menced in 1666 and finished in 1681 ; now that rail- 
 roads intersect the country this grand achievement is 
 of little use. 
 
 Toulouse is a handsome large town, with long 
 wide streets and plenty of squares and gardens. The 
 hotels are not first rate. We were at the Hotel 
 de 1' Europe ; it was only good by comparison with 
 Spanish hotels. We believe the Hotel de 1'Empereur 
 is better; the former has the questionable advantage 
 of being nearer the railway station. The museum is 
 worth seeing, not on account of its extremely bad 
 picture galleries, the largest of which was formerly 
 the chapel of the old Augustine monastery, but for the 
 cloisters. They are very beautiful, and larger than 
 one generally sees. The Gothic arches are supported 
 by double marble pillars, and the light stone work is 
 exceedingly pretty. These cloisters are full of anti-
 
 FROM PEEPIGNAN TO PATJ. 359 
 
 quities, which destroy the quiet and solitude that 
 ought to form a part of them. Here, in fact, is the 
 real museum. 
 
 The church of St. Servin, built in 1090, is a very 
 fine building, and once had wonderful relics whole 
 apostles. The tower is octagonal, like those in Cata- 
 lonia. The cathedral is a singular old edifice, being 
 all one-sided. It was begun by Raymond VI., Count 
 of Toulouse, an excommunicated heretic ; that is to 
 say, a convert to the Reformed Faith. The churches 
 all about here are very rich in marbles, which come 
 chiefly from the quarries of Caunes, a place about 
 ten miles from Carcassonne. Toulouse has the sorry 
 renown of being the only town in France where the 
 Inquisition gained a footing. It was first established 
 here in 1221, and the tales of horror connected with it 
 will bear comparison with those of Spain. 
 
 From Toulouse to Pau is eight good hours. From 
 Montrejeau, where we stopped half an hour, and had a 
 good scrambling breakfast, the scenery is magnificent. 
 We skirted the range of the snowy-capped Pyrenees, 
 from there on to Pau. No wonder the temperature is 
 so different here ; the wind blowing from these frozen 
 regions is enough to icify one indeed, from Perpignan 
 on, we were shivering with cold. From the station at 
 Lourdes, or just beyond it, we saw very plainly the 
 celebrated grotto where the little girl (now a big one) 
 saw the Virgin, young and beautiful, as she was thirty 
 years before she died. This girl is now in a convent.
 
 360 A WINTEE TOUR IN SPAIN. 
 
 A magnificent church is being built beside the spot. 
 The grotto had half a dozen candles burning inside it, 
 flaring up before an image of the Virgin, placed on a 
 small altar. Miracles can still take place in the villages 
 buried in the Pyrenean mountains, but they will soon 
 cease. It is astonishing how railroads and civilisation, 
 to say nothing of what is more important still educa- 
 tion put a stop to them. 
 
 The approach to Pau is very fine ; but of Pau, the 
 birthplace of Henry IV., and where, in the castle, his 
 tortoise-shell cradle is so carefully preserved, there 
 is little necessity of saying a word. Every one knows 
 which they think the best hotels ; every one admits 
 that the winters are very cold, but very gay ; and 
 every one agrees (if they have any conscience) that it 
 is unfit for invalids, who are such in truth, and not 
 merely in fancy. We heard it said by a gentleman 
 who had been sent there for health, that but for the 
 name and the honour of the thing he would have been 
 better off in his own native county, Cork, where 
 skating was not one of the winter pastimes, which he 
 found it was here. 
 
 Take it in spring and autumn, and Pau must be 
 delightful, excursions are so numerous, and the scenery 
 so beautiful. But there is no use in talking or writing 
 Pau is the fashion, and as long as it remains so, the 
 sick will go there with the healthy. The sick will die, 
 and the healthy will comfort themselves that " all that 
 climate could do was done." It seems to us that it
 
 FROM PERPIGNAN TO PAU. 361 
 
 would be better far to leave the sick at home, and let 
 them die with home comforts around them, than drag 
 them to this beautiful spot to die from the effects of 
 cold unmitigated by English measures against it. 
 
 At Pau we bid adieu to our readers, for our next 
 stage is Bordeaux, which we passed through together 
 at the commencement of " A Winter Tour in Spain." 
 
 THE END. 
 
 BRADBURY, EVANS, AND CO., PRINTERS, WHITEFRIAR3.
 


 
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