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diff --git a/40356-8.txt b/40356-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index f4b3e40..0000000 --- a/40356-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6600 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Cathedral Cities of Spain, by William Wiehe Collins - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Cathedral Cities of Spain - -Author: William Wiehe Collins - -Release Date: July 27, 2012 [EBook #40356] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CATHEDRAL CITIES OF SPAIN *** - - - - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - -CATHEDRAL CITIES OF SPAIN - - _UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME_ - - CATHEDRAL CITIES OF ENGLAND. By GEORGE GILBERT. With 60 - reproductions from water-colours by W.W. COLLINS, R.I. Demy 8vo, - 16s. net. - - CATHEDRAL CITIES OF FRANCE. By HERBERT and HESTER MARSHALL. With 60 - reproductions from water-colours by HERBERT MARSHALL, R.W.S. Demy - 8vo, 16s. net. Also large paper edition, £2 2s. net. - - _BOOKS ILLUSTRATED BY JOSEPH PENNELL_ - - ITALIAN HOURS. By HENRY JAMES. With 32 plates in colour and - numerous illustrations in black and white by JOSEPH PENNELL. Large - crown 4to. Price 20s. net. - - A LITTLE TOUR IN FRANCE. By HENRY JAMES. With 94 illustrations by - JOSEPH PENNELL. Pott 4to. Price 10s. net. - - ENGLISH HOURS. By HENRY JAMES. With 94 illustrations by JOSEPH - PENNELL. Pott 4to. Price 10s. net. - - ITALIAN JOURNEYS. By W.D. HOWELLS. With 103 illustrations by JOSEPH - PENNELL. Pott 4to. Price 10s. net. - - CASTILIAN DAYS. By the Hon. JOHN HAY. With 111 illustrations by - JOSEPH PENNELL. Pott 4to. Price 10s. net. - -London: WILLIAM HEINEMANN -21 Bedford Street, W.C. - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration: BURGOS. THE CATHEDRAL] - - - - -CATHEDRAL CITIES -OF SPAIN - -WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED -BY -W. W. COLLINS, R.I. - -[Illustration: colophon] - -LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN -NEW YORK: DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY -1909 - -_All rights reserved_ - -_Copyright, London, 1909, by William Heinemann and -Washington, U.S.A., by Dodd, Mead & Co_ - - - - -PREFACE - - -Spain, the country of contrasts, of races differing from one another in -habits, customs, and language, has one great thing that welds it into a -homogeneous nation, and this is its Religion. Wherever one's footsteps -wander, be it in the progressive provinces of the north, the mediævalism -of the Great Plain, or in that still eastern portion of the south, -Andalusia, this one thing is ever omnipresent and stamps itself on the -memory as the great living force throughout the Peninsula. - -In her Cathedrals and Churches, her ruined Monasteries and Convents, -there is more than abundant evidence of the vitality of her Faith; and -we can see how, after the expulsion of the Moor, the wealth of the -nation poured into the coffers of the Church and there centralised the -life of the nation. - -In the mountain fastnesses of Asturias the churches of Santa Maria de -Naranco and San Miguel de Lino, dating from the ninth century and -contemporary with San Pablo and Santa Cristina, in Barcelona, are the -earliest Christian buildings in Spain. As the Moor was pushed further -south, a new style followed his retreating steps; and the Romanesque, -introduced from over the Pyrenees, became the adopted form of -architecture in the more or less settled parts of the country. Creeping -south through Leon, where San Isidoro is well worth mention, we find the -finest examples of the period in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, at -Segovia, Avila, and the grand Catedral Vieja of Salamanca. - -Spain sought help from France to expel the Moor, and it is but natural -that the more advanced nation should leave her mark somewhere and in -some way in the country she pacifically invaded. Before the spread of -this influence became general, we find at least one great monument of -native genius rise up at Tarragona. The Transition Cathedral there can -lay claim to be entirely Spanish. It is the epitome and outcome of a -yearning for the display of Spain's own talent, and is one of the most -interesting and beautiful in the whole country. - -Toledo, Leon, and Burgos are the three Cathedrals known as the "French" -Cathedrals of Spain. They are Gothic and the first named is the finest -of all. Spanish Gothic is best exemplified in the Cathedral of -Barcelona. For late-Gothic, we must go to the huge structures of -Salamanca, Segovia, and the Cathedral at Seville which almost overwhelms -in the grandeur of its scale. - -After the close of the fifteenth century Italian or Renaissance -influence began to be felt, and the decoration of the Plateresque style -became the vogue. San Marcos at Leon, the University of Salamanca, and -the Casa de Ayuntamiento at Seville are among the best examples of this. -The influence of Churriguera, who evolved the Churrigueresque style, is -to be met with in almost every Cathedral in the country. He it is who -was responsible for those great gilded altars with their enormous -twisted pillars so familiar to travellers in Spain; and which, though no -doubt a tribute to the glory of God, one feels are more a vulgar display -of wealth than a tasteful or artistic addition to her architecture. The -finest of the Renaissance Cathedrals is that of Granada, and the most -obtrusive piece of Churrigueresque is the Cartuja in the same city. - -Taking the Cathedrals as a whole the two most unfamiliar and notable -features are the Coros or Choirs, and the Retablos. These -latter--gorgeous backings to the High Altar, generally ill-lit, with a -superabundance of carving sometimes coloured and gilded, sometimes of -plain stone--are of Low-country or Flemish origin. The former, with one -exception at Oviedo, are placed in the nave west of the crossing, and -enclose, as a rule, two or more bays in this direction. Every Cathedral -is a museum of art, and these two features are the most worth study. - - NOTE.--_Since the revolution in Catalonia of July-August 1909, the - King has decreed that no one can secure exemption from military - service by the payment of a sum of money._ - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - -CADIZ 1 - -SEVILLE 7 - -CORDOVA 23 - -GRANADA 31 - -MALAGA 57 - -VALENCIA 65 - -TORTOSA 77 - -TARRAGONA 83 - -BARCELONA 91 - -GERONA 101 - -TOLEDO 107 - -SALAMANCA 121 - -AVILA 137 - -SEGOVIA 145 - -SARAGOSSA 159 - -SANTIAGO 174 - -TUY 183 - -ORENSE 187 - -ASTORGA 193 - -ZAMORA 199 - -LEON 205 - -OVIEDO 217 - -VALLADOLID 225 - -BURGOS 233 - -INDEX 249 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - _To face - page_ - -Burgos. The Cathedral _Frontispiece_ - -Cadiz. The Cathedral 2 - -Cadiz. The Market Place 4 - -Seville. In the Cathedral 8 - -Seville. The Giralda Tower 12 - -Seville. In the Alcázar, the Patio de las Doncellas 14 - -Seville. View over the Town 18 - -Cordova. Interior of the Mesquita 24 - -Cordova. The Campanario Tower 26 - -Cordova. The Bridge 28 - -Cordova. Fountain in the Court of Oranges 30 - -Granada. Carrera de Darro 32 - -Granada. Exterior of the Cathedral 38 - -Granada. The Alhambra 46 - -Granada. The Alhambra, Court of Lions 50 - -Granada. Generalife 54 - -Malaga. View from the Harbour 58 - -Malaga. The Market 62 - -Valencia. San Pablo 66 - -Valencia. Door of the Cathedral 68 - -Valencia. Religious Procession 72 - -Tortosa 80 - -Tarragona 84 - -Tarragona. The Archbishop's Tower 86 - -Tarragona. The Cloisters 88 - -Barcelona. The Cathedral 92 - -Barcelona. The Rambla 96 - -Gerona. The Cattle Market 102 - -Gerona. The Cathedral 104 - -Toledo. The Cathedral 108 - -Toledo. The South Transept 110 - -Toledo. The Zócodover 114 - -Toledo. The Alcántara Bridge 116 - -Salamanca 122 - -Salamanca. The Old Cathedral 124 - -Salamanca. An Old Street 128 - -Avila 138 - -Avila. Puerta de San Vicente 142 - -Segovia at Sunset 146 - -Segovia. The Aqueduct 148 - -Segovia. Plaza Mayor 152 - -Saragossa. La Seo 160 - -Saragossa. In the Old Cathedral 164 - -Saragossa. Easter Procession 166 - -Santiago. The Cathedral 172 - -Santiago. South Door of the Cathedral 174 - -Santiago. Interior of the Cathedral 178 - -Tuy 184 - -Orense. In the Cathedral 188 - -Astorga 194 - -Zamora. The Cathedral 202 - -Leon. The Cathedral 208 - -Leon. The West Porch of the Cathedral 210 - -Leon. San Marcos 214 - -Oviedo. In the Cathedral 218 - -Oviedo. The Cloisters 222 - -Valladolid.Santa Maria la Antigua 226 - -Valladolid.San Pablo 228 - -Burgos. The Capilla Mayor 236 - -Burgos. Arch of Santa Maria 242 - - - - -CADIZ - - -At one time the greatest port in the world--"Where are thy glories now, -oh, Cadiz?" She is still a White City lying embosomed on a sea of -emerald and topaz. Her streets are still full of the colour of the East, -but alas! Seville has robbed her of her trade, and in the hustle of -modern life she is too far from the busy centre, too much on the -outskirts of everything, to be anything more than a port of call for -American tourists and a point from whence the emigrant leaves his native -country. - -This isolation is one of her great charms, and the recollections I have -carried away of her quiet clean streets, her white or pink washed houses -with their flat roofs and _miradores_, her brilliant sun and blue sea, -can never be effaced by Time's subtle hand. - -Landing from a coasting-boat from Gibraltar, I began my travels through -Spain at Cadiz; and it was with intense regret, so pleasant was the -change from the grey skies and cold winds of England, that I took my -final stroll along the broad Alameda bordered with palms of all sorts, -and lined with other exotic growth--that I bid good-bye to the Parque de -Genoves where many a pleasant hour had been spent in the grateful shade -of its trees. I shall probably never again lean idly over the sea-washed -walls and watch the graceful barques with their cargoes of salt, spread -their sails to the breeze and glide away on the long voyage to South -America. - -Looking out eastwards over the marshes I was at first much puzzled to -know what were the white pyramids that stood in rows like the tents of -an invading host. Then I was told. Shallow pans are dug out in the marsh -and the sea let in. After evaporation this is repeated again and again, -until the saline deposit is thick enough to be scraped and by degrees -grows into a pyramid. Every pan is named after a saint from whom good -luck is implored. No, I doubt if ever my eyes will wander again over the -blue waters to the marsh lands of San Fernando. - -[Illustration: CADIZ. THE CATHEDRAL] - -Life is short and I can hardly hope that Fate will carry me back to -those sea walls and once more permit me as the sun goes down to -speculate on the catch of the fishing-fleet as each boat makes for its -haven in the short twilight of a southern clime. I cannot but regret -that all this is of the past, but I shall never regret that at Cadiz, -the most enchanting of Spain's seaports, began my acquaintance with -her many glorious cities. - -In ancient times Cadiz was the chief mart for the tin of the -Cassiterides and the amber of the Baltic. Founded by the Tyrians as far -back as 1100 B.C., it was the Gadir (fortress) of the Phoenicians. -Later on Hamilcar and Hannibal equipped their armies and built their -fleets here. The Romans named the city Gades, and it became second only -to Padua and Rome. After the discovery of America, Cadiz became once -more a busy port, the great silver fleets discharged their precious -cargoes in its harbour and from the estuary sailed many a man whose -descendants have created the great Spain over the water. - -The loss of the Spanish colonies ruined Cadiz and it has never regained -the place in the world it once held. Huge quays are about to be -constructed and the present King has just laid the first stone of these, -in the hopes that trade may once more be brought to a city that sleeps. - -There are two Cathedrals in Cadiz. The Catedral Nueva is a modern -structure commenced in 1722 and finished in 1838 by the bishop whose -statue faces the rather imposing west façade. Built of limestone and -Jérez sandstone, it is white--dazzling white, and rich ochre brown. -There is very little of interest in the interior. The _silleria del -coro_ (choir stalls) were given by Queen Isabel, and came originally -from a suppressed Carthusian Convent near Seville. The exterior can -claim a certain grandeur, especially when seen from the sea. The drum of -the _cimborio_ with the great yellow dome above, and the towers of the -west façade give it from a distance somewhat the appearance of a mosque. - -The Catedral Vieja, built in the thirteenth century, was originally -Gothic, but being almost entirely destroyed during Lord Essex's siege in -1596, was rebuilt in its present unpretentious Renaissance form. - -Cadiz possesses an Académia de Bellas Artes where Zurbaran, Murillo and -Alfonso Cano are represented by second-rate paintings. To the suppressed -convent of San Francisco is attached the melancholy interest of -Murillo's fatal fall from the scaffolding while at work on the _Marriage -of St. Catherine_. The picture was finished by his apt pupil Meneses -Osorio. Another work by the master, a _San Francisco_, quite in his best -style also hangs here. - -[Illustration: CADIZ. THE MARKET PLACE] - -The churches of Cadiz contain nothing to attract one, indeed if it were -not for the fine setting of the city surrounded by water, and the -semi-eastern atmosphere that pervades the place, there is but little to -hold the ordinary tourist. The Mercado, or market-place, is a busy -scene and full of colour; the Fish Market, too, abounds in varieties of -finny inhabitants of the deep and compares favourably in this respect -with that of Bergen in far away Norway. The sole attraction in this City -of the Past--in fact, I might say in the Past of Spain as far as it -concerns Cadiz--lies on the stretch of water into which the rivers -Guadalete and San Pedro empty themselves. From the very earliest days -down to the time when Columbus sailed on his voyage which altered the -face of the then known globe, and so on to our own day, it is in the -Bahia de Cadiz that her history has been written. - - - - -SEVILLE - - -Seville, the "Sephela" of the Phoenicians, "Hispalis" of the Romans, -and "Ishbilyah" of the Moors, is by far the largest and most interesting -city of Southern Spain. In Visigothic times Seville was the capital of -the Silingi until Leovigild moved his court to Toledo. It was captured -by Julius Cæsar in 45 B.C., but during the Roman occupation was -overshadowed by Italica, the birthplace of the Emperors Trajan, Adrian, -and Theodosius, and the greatest of Rome's cities in Hispania. This once -magnificent place is now a desolate ruin, plundered of its glories and -the haunt of gipsies. - -Under the Moors, who ruled it for five hundred and thirty-six years, -Seville was second only to Cordova, to which city it became subject when -Abdurrhaman established the Western Kalifate there in the year 756. - -San Ferdinand, King of Leon and Castile, pushed his conquests far south -and Seville succumbed to the force of his arms in 1248. - -Seville is the most fascinating city in Spain. It is still Moorish in a -way. Its houses are built on the Eastern plan with _patios_, their roofs -are flat and many have that charming accessory, the _miradore_. Its -streets are narrow and winding, pushed out from a common centre with no -particular plan. It is Andalusian and behind the times. Triana, the -gipsy suburb, is full of interest. The Cathedral, though of late and -therefore not particularly good Gothic, is, on account of its great -size, the most impressive in the whole country. The Alcázar, once more a -royal residence, vies with Granada's Alhambra in beauty; and as a -mercantile port, sixty miles from the estuary, Seville ranks second to -none in Southern Spain. - -The Cathedral stands third in point of size if the ground space is alone -considered, after St. Peter's at Rome and the Mesquita at Cordova. The -proportions of the lofty nave, one hundred feet in height, are so good -that it appears really much higher. The columns of the double aisles -break up the two hundred and sixty feet of its width and add much to the -solemn dignity of the vast interior, enhanced greatly by the height of -the vaulting above the spectator. Standing anywhere in the Cathedral I -felt that there was a roof above my head, but it seemed lost in space. -And this is the great characteristic of Seville's Cathedral, _i.e._, -space. - -[Illustration: SEVILLE. IN THE CATHEDRAL] - -The _coro_ is railed off from the crossing by a simple iron-gilt _reja_. -The _silleria_, by Sanchez, Dancart, and Guillier are very fine and took -seventy years to execute. Between the _coro_ and Capilla Mayor, in Holy -Week the great bronze candlestick, twenty-five feet high, a fine -specimen of sixteenth-century work, is placed alight. When the _Misere_ -is chanted during service, twelve of its thirteen candles are put out, -one by one, indicating the desertion of Christ by his apostles. The -thirteenth left burning symbolises the Virgin, faithful to the end. From -this single light all the other candles in the Cathedral are lit. - -The _reja_ of the Capilla Mayor is a grand example of an iron-gilt -screen, and with those to the north and south, is due to the talent of -the Dominican, Francisco de Salamanca. - -The fine Gothic _retablo_ of the High Altar surpasses all others in -Spain in size and elaboration of detail. It was designed by Dancart and -many artists were employed in its execution. When the sun finds his way -through the magnificent coloured glass of the windows between noon and -three o'clock, and glints across it, few "interior" subjects surpass the -beautiful effect on this fine piece of work. - -In front of the High Altar at the feast of Corpus Christi and on three -other occasions, the _Seises's_ dance takes place. This strange ceremony -is performed by chorister boys who dance a sort of minuet with -castanets. Their costume is of the time of Philip III., _i.e._, 1630, -and they wear plumed hats. Of the numerous chapels the most interesting -is the Capilla Real. It possesses a staff of clergy all to itself. Begun -in 1514 by Martin de Gainza, it was finished fifty years later. Over the -High Altar is the almost life-size figure of the Virgin de los Reyes, -given by St. Louis of France to San Ferdinand. Its hair is of spun gold -and its numerous vestments are marvellous examples of early embroidery. -The throne on which the Virgin is seated is a thirteenth-century piece -of silver work, with the arms of Castile and Leon, San Ferdinand's two -kingdoms. Before it lies the King himself in a silver shrine. Three -times a year, in May, August and November, a great military Mass takes -place before this royal shrine, when the garrison of Seville marches -through the chapel and colours are lowered in front of the altar. In the -vault beneath are the coffins of Pedro the Cruel and Maria Padilla his -mistress, the only living being who was humanly treated by this scourge -of Spain. Their three sons rest close to them. - -On the north and south sides of this remarkable chapel, within arched -recesses, are the sarcophagi of Beatrice of Swabia and Alfonso the -Learned. They are covered with cloth of gold emblazoned with -coats-of-arms. A crown and sceptre rest on the cushion which lies on -each tomb. In the dim light, high above and beyond mortal reach rest -these two--it is very impressive. - -Each of the remaining twenty-nine chapels contains something of -interest. In the Capilla de Santiago is a beautiful painted window of -the conversion of St. Paul. The _retablo_ in the Capilla de San Pedro -contains pictures by Zurbaran. In the north transept in a small chapel -is a good Virgin and Child by Alonso Cano; in the south is the Altar de -la Gamba, over which hangs the celebrated _La Generacion_ of Louis de -Vargas, known as _La Gamba_ from the well-drawn leg of Adam. On the -other side of this transept is the Altar de la Santa Cruz and between -these two altars is the monument to Christopher Columbus. Erected in -Havana it was brought to Spain after the late war and put up here. - -Murillo's work outshines all other's in the Cathedral. The grand _San -Antonio de Padua_, in the second chapel west of the north aisle, is -difficult to see. The window which lights it is covered by a curtain, -which, however, the silver key will pull aside. Over the Altar of -Nuestra Señora del Consuelo is a beautiful Guardian Angel from the same -brush. Close by is another, _Santa Dorotea_, a very choice little -picture. In the Sacristy are two more, _S.S. Isidore_ and _Leander_. In -the Sala Capitular a _Conception_ and a _Mater Dolorosa_ in the small -sacristy attached to the Capilla Real complete the list. - -Besides these fine pictures there are others which one can include in -the same category by Cano, Zurbaran, Morales, Vargas, Pedro Campaña and -the Flemish painter Sturm, a veritable gallery! And when I went into the -Treasury and saw the priceless relics which belong to Seville's -Cathedral, priceless in value and interest, and priceless from my own -art point of view, "Surely," thought I, "not only is it a picture -gallery, it is a museum as well." - -The original mosque of Abu Yusuf Yakub was used as a Cathedral until -1401, when it was pulled down, the present building, which took its -place, being finished in 1506. The dome of this collapsed five years -later and was re-erected by Juan Gil de Hontañon. Earthquake shocks and -"jerry-building" were responsible for a second collapse in the August of -1888. The restoration has since been completed in a most satisfactory -manner--let us hope it will last. - -[Illustration: SEVILLE. THE GIRALDA TOWER] - -The exterior of the Cathedral is a very irregular mass of towers, domes, -pinnacles and flying buttresses, which give no clue to the almost -over-powering solemnity within the walls. Three doorways occupy the -west façade, which is of modern construction, and there are three also -on the north side of the Cathedral, one of which opens into the -_Segrario_, another into the Patio de los Naranjos and the third into -the arcade of the same patio. This last retains the horse-shoe arch of -the old mosque. In the porch hangs the stuffed crocodile which was sent -by the Sultan of Egypt to Alfonso el Sabio with a request for the hand -of his daughter. On the south is one huge door seldom opened. On the -east there are two more, that of La Puerta de los Palos being under the -shadow of the great Giralda Tower. - -This magnificent relic of the Moslem's rule rears its height far above -everything else in Seville. Erected at the close of the twelfth century -by order of Abu Yusuf Yakub, it belongs to the second and best period of -Moorish architecture. - -On its summit at the four corners rested four brazen balls of enormous -size overthrown by one of the numerous earthquakes which have shaken -Seville in days gone by. The belfry above the Moorish portion of the -tower, which ends where the _solid_ walls stop, was put up in 1568, and -has a second rectangular stage of smaller dimensions above. Both these -are in keeping with the Moorish work below and in no way detract from -its beauty. On top of the small cupola which caps the whole is the -world-famed figure of Faith. Cast in bronze, with the banner of -Constantine spread out to the winds of heaven, this, the _Giraldilla_, -or weather-cock, moves to the slightest breeze. It is thirteen feet -high, and weighs one and a quarter tons. Over three hundred feet above -the ground, the wonder is--how did it get there? and how has it -preserved its equipoise these last three hundred years? - -It is difficult to find a point from which one can see the Giralda -Tower, in fact the only street from which it is visible from base to -summit is the one in which I made my sketch. Even this view does not -really convey its marvellous elegance and beauty. - -Next to the Cathedral the Alcázar is the most famous building in -Seville. It is now a royal residence in the early part of the year, and -when the King and Queen are there, no stranger under any pretext -whatever is admitted. - -Its courtyards and gardens are its glory. The scent of orange blossom -perfumes the air, the fountains splash and play, all is still within -these fascinating courts save the tinkle of the water and cooing of -doves. Of its orange trees, one was pointed out to me which Pedro the -Cruel planted! and many others are known to be over two hundred years -old. - -[Illustration: SEVILLE. IN THE ALCÁZAR, THE PATIO DE LAS DONCELLAS] - -Of all its courts, the Patio de las Doncellas is the most perfect. -Fifty-two marble columns support the closed gallery and rooms above, and -the walls of the arcade are rich with glazed tiles. - -Of all its chambers, the Hall of Ambassadors is the finest and is -certainly the architectural gem of the Alcázar. Its dome is a marvel of -Media Naranja form, and the frieze of window-shaped niches but adds to -its beauty. - -Very little remains of the first Alcázar, which, by the way, is a -derivation of Al-Kasr or house of Cæsar, and the present building as it -now stands was due to Pedro the Cruel, Henry II., Charles V. and Philip -V. The first named employed Moorish workmen from Granada, who emulated, -under his directions, the newly finished Palace of the Alhambra. Many a -treacherous deed has taken place within these walls, and none more -loathsome than those credited to Pedro the Cruel. However, one thing can -be put to his credit and that is this fairy Palace, this flower from the -East, by the possession of which Seville is the gainer. - -To the east of the Alcázar is the old Jewish quarter, the most puzzling -in plan, if plan it has, and the oldest part of Seville. - -The balconies of the houses opposite one another almost touch; there -certainly, in some cases, would be no difficulty in getting across the -street by using them as steps, and if a laden donkey essayed the -passage below I doubt if he could get through. Poking about in these -narrow alley-ways one day, I fell into conversation with a _guardia -municipal_ who entertained me greatly with his own version of Seville's -history, which ended, as he melodramatically pointed down the lane in -which we were standing--"And here, señor, one man with a sword could -keep an army at bay, and"--this in confidence, whispered--"I should not -like to be the first man of the army"! - -In almost every quarter of the city fine old houses are to be found -amidst most squalid and dirty surroundings. You may wander down some -mean _calle_, where children in dozens are playing on the uneven -pavement, their mothers sit about in the doorways shouting to one -another across the street. Suddenly a wall, windowless save for a row of -small openings under the roof, is met. A huge portal, above which is a -sculptured coat-of-arms, with some old knight's helmet betokening a -noble owner, is let into this, look inside, as you pass by--behind the -iron grille is a deliciously cool _patio_, full of palms and shrubs. A -Moorish arcade runs round supporting the glazed galleries of the first -floor. A man in livery sits in a rocking chair dosing with the eternal -cigarette between his lips. Beyond the first _patio_ you can see -another, a bigger one, which the sun is lighting up. The life in this -house is as different to the life of its next door neighbours as Park -Lane is to Shoreditch. One of these great houses--owned by the Duke of -Medinaceli--the Casa del Pilatos, has a large Moorish court, very -similar to those of the Alcázar. They will tell you in Seville, that -Pilate was a Spaniard, a lawyer, and failing to win the case for Christ, -left the Holy Land, where he had a good practice, and returned to Spain -to assist Ferdinand to drive out the Moors. "Yes, señor, he settled here -and built this fine house about five hundred years ago." - -As a rule, in the better-class houses a porch opens into the street. On -the inner side of this there is always a strong iron gate with a grille -around to prevent any entry. These gates served a purpose in the days of -the Inquisition, when none knew if the Holy Office might not suddenly -descend upon and raid the house. Seville suffered terribly from the -horrors of those dark times; even now--when a ring at the bell calls -forth: "Who is there?" from the servant in the balcony above, before she -pulls the handle which connects with the catch that releases the lock of -the gate--the answer often is: "People of Peace." Some houses have -interior walls six feet thick and more, which being hollow contain -hiding-places with access from the roof by a rope. - -In the heat of summer--and Seville is called the "frying-pan of -Europe"--when the temperature in the shade of the streets rises to over -115° Fahr. family life is spent below in the cool _patio_. A real house -moving takes place as the heat comes on. The upper rooms, which are -always inhabited in the winter, the kitchen, servants' rooms and all are -deserted, every one migrates with the furniture to the lower floors. The -upper windows are closed, shutters put up and a great awning drawn -across the top of the courtyard. Despite the great heat, summer is a -perfectly healthy period. No one dreams of going out in the daytime, and -all Seville begins life towards five o'clock in the afternoon; 2 A.M. to -4 A.M. being the time to retire for the night! Seville can be very gay, -and _Sevillanos_ worship the _Torrero_ or bull-fighter (_Toreador_ is a -word unknown to the Spaniard). If a favourite _Torrero_, who has done -well in the ring during the afternoon, enters the dining-room of a hotel -or goes into a café it is not unusual for every one at table to rise and -salute him. - -[Illustration: SEVILLE. VIEW OVER THE TOWN] - -There is another life in Seville, the life of the roofs. In early spring -before the great heat comes, and in autumn before the cold winds arrive, -the life of the roofs fascinated me. Up on the roofs in the dry -atmosphere, Seville's washing hangs out to air, and up on the roofs, in -the warm sun, with the hum of the streets far below, you will hear the -quaint song--so Arabian in character--of the _lavandera_, as she pegs -out the damp linen in rows. In the evening the click-a-click-click of -the castanets and the sound of the guitar, broken by merry laughter, -tells one that perhaps the _Sevillano_ has fathomed the mystery of -knowing how best to live. And as sundown approaches what lovely colour -effects creep o'er this city in the air! The light below fades from -housetop and _miradore_, pinnacle and dome, until the last rays of the -departing majesty touch the vane of the Giralda, that superb symbol of -Faith,--and all is steely grey. - -Over the Guadalquiver lies Triana, and as I crossed the bridge for the -first time the remains of an old tower were pointed out to me on the -river bank. The subterranean passage through which the victims of the -Inquisition found their exit to another world in the dark waters below -is exposed to view, the walls having fallen away. It was therefore with -something akin to relief I reached the gipsy quarter in this quaint, -dirty suburb and feasted my eyes on the colours worn by its dark-skinned -people. The potteries of Triana are world-renowned, and still bear -traces in their output of Moorish tradition and design. - -Seville's quays are the busiest part of the city, and the constant -dredging of the river permits of vessels of four thousand tons making -this a port of call. - -Next to the Prado in Madrid, the Museum of Seville is more full of -interest than any other. It is here that Murillo is seen at his best. -The building was at one time the Convento de la Mercede founded by San -Ferdinand. The exhibits in the archæological portion nearly all come -from that ruin, the wonderful city of Italica. Among the best of -Murillo's work are _St. Thomas de Villa Nueva Distributing Alms_, _Saint -Felix of Cantalicio_ and a _Saint Anthony of Padua_. A large collection -of Zurbaran's works also hangs in the gallery, but his big composition -of the _Apotheosis of Saint Anthony_, is not so good as his -single-figure subjects, and none of these approach in quality the fine -_Monk_ in the possession of the Bankes family at Kingston Lacy in -Dorset. - -Seville is the home of bull-fights. The first ever recorded took place -in 1405, in the Plaza del Triunfo, in honour of the birth of a son to -Henry II. of Castile. The world of Fashion takes the air every evening -in the beautiful Paseo de las Delicias. The humbler members of society -throng the walks watching their wealthier sisters drive down its fine -avenues--this daily drive being the only exercise the ladies of Seville -permit themselves to take. - -It is a pretty sight to watch the carriages coming home as twilight -begins, and the last rays of the sun light up the Torre del Oro. Built -by the Almohades this Moorish octagon stood at the river extremity of -Moslem Seville. The golden yellow of the stone no doubt gave it the name -of "Borju-d-dahab," "the tower of gold," which has stuck to it under -Christian rule. But "how are the mighty fallen," and one of the glories -of the Moor debased. It is now an office used by clerks of the Port, -and, instead of the dignified tread of the sentinel, resounds to the -scribble of pens. - - - - -CORDOVA - - -It is hard to realise that the Cordova of to-day was, under the rule of -the Moor, a city famous all the world over and second only to the great -Damascus. Long before the Moor's beneficent advent, in the far-off days -of Carthage, Cordova was known as "the gem of the south." Its position -on the mighty Guadalquiver, backed by mountains on the north, always -seems to have attracted the best of those who conquered. In the time of -the Romans, Marcellus peopled it with poor Patricians from Rome, and -Cordova became Colonia Patricia, the capital of Hispania Ulterior. But -it was left to the Infidel to make it what is now so difficult to -realise--the first city in Western Europe. - -The zenith of its fame was reached during the tenth century, when the -mighty Abderrhaman III., ruler of the Omayyades reigned, and did not -begin to decrease until the death of Almanzor at the beginning of the -next century. If we are to believe the historian Almakkari, Cordova -contained at one time a million inhabitants, for whose worship were -provided three hundred Mosques, and for whose ablutions nine hundred -baths were no more than was necessary. (The arch-destroyer of all things -Infidel, Philip II., demolished these.) It was the centre of art and -literature, students from all parts flocked hither, its wealth increased -and its fame spread, riches and their concomitant luxury made it the -most famous place in Western Europe. Nothing could exceed the grace and -elegance of its life, the courtly manners of its people, nor the -magnificence of its buildings. - -From the years 711 to 1295, when Ferdinand drove him out, the cultivated -Moslem reigned in this his second Mecca. And now?--under Christian rule -it has dwindled down to what one finds it to-day--a quiet, partly -ruinous town. Of all its great buildings nothing remains to remind one -of the past but the ruins of the Alcázar--now a prison, a portion of its -walls, and the much mutilated Mesquita--the Cathedral. - -[Illustration: CORDOVA. INTERIOR OF THE MESQUITA] - -I could not at first entry grasp the size of this the second largest -church of any in existence. Coming suddenly into the cool shade of its -many pillared avenues, I felt as if transplanted into the silent depths -of a great forest. In every direction I looked the trunks of huge trees -apparently rose upwards in ordered array. The light here and there -filtered through gaps on to the red-tiled floor, which only made the -deception greater by its resemblance to the needles of a pine-wood or -the dead leaves of autumn. Then the organ boomed out a note and the deep -bass of a priest in the _coro_ shattered the illusion. - -The first Mosque built on the site of Leovigild's Visigothic Cathedral, -occupied one-fifth of the present Mesquita. It was "Ceca" or House of -Purification, and a pilgrimage to it was equivalent to a visit to Mecca. -It contained ten rows of columns, and is that portion which occupies the -north-west corner ending at the south-east extremity where the present -_coro_ begins. This space soon became insufficient for the population, -and the Mosque was extended as far as the present Capilla de Nuestra -Señora de Villavicosia. - -Subsequent additions were made by different rulers. The Caliph Al-Hakim -II., who followed Abderrhaman III., expanded its size by building -southwards as far as the inclination of the sloping ground would allow. -To him is due the third Mihrâb, or Holy of Holies, the pavement of which -is worn by the knees of the devout who went thus round the Mihrâb seven -times. This Mihrâb is the most beautiful chamber I came across in all -Spain. The Byzantine Mosaics which adorn it are among the most superb -that exist, the domed ceiling of the recess is hewn out of a solid block -of marble, and its walls, which Leo the Emperor of Constantinople sent -a Greek artist and skilled workmen to put up, are chiselled in marble -arabesques and moulded in stucco. The entrance archway to this gem of -the East, an intricate and well-proportioned feature, rests on two green -and two dark coloured columns. Close by is the private door of the -Sultan which led from the Alcázar to the Mesquita. - -The last addition of all nearly doubled the size of the Mosque. Building -to the south was impracticable on account of the fall in the land -towards the river. Eastwards was the only way out of the difficulty -unless the beautiful Court of the Oranges was to be enclosed. Eastwards, -therefore, did Almanzor extend his building, and the whole space in this -direction from the transepts or _Crucero_ of the present church, in a -line north and south, was due to his initiative. - -[Illustration: CORDOVA. THE CAMPANARIO TOWER] - -The Mesquita at one time contained twelve hundred and ninety columns. -Sixty eight were removed to make room for the _Coro_, _Crucero_ and -_Capilla Major_, which is the portion reserved for service now. In the -_coro_, the extremely fine _silleria_, are some of the best in Spain. -The Lectern is very good Flemish work in brass of the sixteenth century. -The choir books are beautifully illuminated missals, especially those of -the "Crucifixion" and the "Calling of the Apostles." All this does not, -however, compensate for the partial destruction of the Mosque. So -thought the people of Cordova, who petitioned Charles V. in vain against -the alterations which have destroyed the harmony of the wonderful -building. When passing through the city at a later date and viewing the -mischief that had been done, the King rebuked the chapter thus: "You -have built here what you, or any one, might have built anywhere else; -but you have destroyed what was unique in the world." - -Eight hundred and fifty columns now remain out of the above number. The -odd four hundred and forty occupied the place where now stand the rows -of orange trees in the courtyard, one time covered in, which is known as -the Patio de los Naranjos, or Court of the Oranges. The fountain used -for the ablutions of the Holy still runs with a crystal stream of pure -water, and is to-day the meeting place of all the gossips in Cordova. - -Of the five gates to this enchanting court, that of the Puerta del -Perdon, over which rises the great Tower, el Campanario, is the most -important. It is only opened on state occasions. Erected in 1377 by -Henry II. it is an imitation of Moorish design. The immense doors are -plated with copper arabesques. - -The exterior of the Mesquita is still Moorish despite the great church -which has been thrust through the centre and rises high above the flat -roof of the remainder of the Mosque. A massive terraced wall with -flame-shaped battlements encircles the whole, the view of which from the -bridge over the river is more Eastern than anything else I saw in Spain. - -This fine bridge, erected by the Infidel on Roman foundations, is -approached at the city end by a Doric gateway, built by Herrera in the -reign of Philip II., that Philip who married Mary of England. It -consists of sixteen arches and is guarded at its southern extremity by -the _Calahorra_ or Moorish Tower, round which the road passes instead of -through a gateway, thus giving additional security to the defence. - -The mills of the Moslem's day still work, both above and below bridge, -and the patient angler sits in the sun with his bamboo rod, while the -wheels of these relics groan and hum as they did in days gone by. More -cunning is Isaac Walton's disciple who fishes from the bridge itself. A -dozen rods with heavily weighted lines, for the Guadalquiver runs swift -beneath the arches, and a small bell attached to the end of each rod is -his armament. And when the unwary fish impales himself on the hook and -the bell gives warning of a bite, the excitement is great. Greater still -when a peal begins as three or four rods bend! - -[Illustration: CORDOVA. THE BRIDGE] - -The beggars of Cordova were the most importunate that fate sent across -my path in the whole of Spain. I found it impossible to sit in the -streets where I would gladly have planted my easel, and it was only by -standing with my back to the wall that I was able to make my sketch of -the Campanario. These streets are tortuous and narrow, and the houses, -built on the Moorish plan with a beautiful _patio_ inside, are low. At -many a corner I came across marble columns, some with Roman -inscriptions, probably from Italica, placed against the house to prevent -undue wear and tear. In the narrowest ways I noticed how the load borne -by the patient ass had scooped out a regular track on either wall about -three or four feet from the ground. Wherever I went, to the oldest -quarters of the town in the south-east corner or the modern in the -north-west, I could never rid myself of the feeling that Cordova was a -city of the past. Her life is more Eastern than that of Seville, and her -people bear more traces of the Moor. Decay and ruin are apparent at -every turn, but how picturesque it all is!--the rags, the squalor, and -the ruin. How I anathematised those beggars with no legs, or minus arms, -when I tried to begin a street sketch! The patience of Job would not -have helped me, it was the loathsomeness of these cripples that drove me -away. Begging is prohibited in Seville and Madrid and in one or two -other towns, would that it were so in Cordova. - -Away up in the southern slopes of the Sierra de Cordoba stands the -Convento de San Jerónimo, now a lunatic asylum. Built out of the ruins -of the once magnificent Medînat-az-zahrâ, the Palace that Abderrhaman -III. erected, its situation is perfect. In the old days this palace -surpassed all others in the wonders of its art and luxury. The plough -still turns up ornaments of rare workmanship, but like so many things in -Spain its glories have departed. - -Yes, Cordova has seen its grandest days, the birthplace of Seneca, -Lucan, Averroes, Juan de Mena--the Spanish Chaucer--Morales, and many -another who became famous, can now boast at best with regard to human -celebrities as being the Government establishment for breaking in horses -for the cavalry. Certainly the men employed in this are fine dashing -specimens of humanity, and they wear a very picturesque dress. But -Cordova like her world-famed sons, sleeps--and who can say that it would -be better now if her sleep were broken? - -[Illustration: CORDOVA. FOUNTAIN IN THE COURT OF ORANGES] - - - - -GRANADA - - -Spread out on the edge of a fertile plain at the base of the Sierra -Nevada, Granada basks in the sun; and though the wind blows cold with an -icy nip from the snows of the highest peaks in Spain, I cannot but think -that this, the last stronghold of the Moors, is the most ideal situation -of any place I have been in. - -The city is divided into three distinct districts, each with its own -peculiar characteristics. The Albaicin, Antequeruela, and Alhambra. The -first named covers the low ground and the hills on the bank of the -Darro, a gold-bearing stream which rushes below the Alhambra hill on the -north. The second occupies the lower portion of the city which slopes on -to the plain, and the Alhambra rises above both, a well-nigh demolished -citadel, brooding over past glories of the civilised Moor, the most -fascinating spot in all Spain. - -The Albaicin district is practically the rebuilt Moorish town, where the -aristocrats of Seville and Cordova settled when driven out of those -cities by St. Ferdinand in the thirteenth century. Many traces remain -to remind one of their occupation in the tortuous streets which wind up -the steep hill sides, and the wall which they built for greater security -is still the boundary of the city on the north. The Albaicin is a grand -place to wander in and lose oneself hunting for relics and little bits -of architecture. At every turn of the intricate maze I came across -something of interest, either Moorish or Mediæval. A mean looking house -with a fine coat-of-arms over the door had evidently been built by a -knight with the collector's craze. He had specialised in millstones; a -round dozen or more were utilised in the lower portions of the wall and -looked strange with stones set in the plaster between them. A delicious -_patio_, now given over to pigs and fowls, with a broken-down fountain -in the centre of its ruined arcaded court, recalled the luxuries of the -Infidel. The terraced gardens standing behind and above many a blank -wall carried me back to those days of old when the opulence of the East -pervaded every dwelling in this Mayfair of Granada. Of all these the -Casa del Chapiz, though degraded into a low-class dwelling, is with its -beautiful garden the most perfect remnant of the exotic Moor. - -[Illustration: GRANADA. CARRERA DE DARRO] - -In the Carrera de Darro, just opposite the spot where once a handsome -Moorish arch spanned the stream, stands a house wherein is a Moorish -bath surrounded by horseshoe arcades. The bath is 18 ft. square, and in -the vaulted recess beyond is one of smaller dimensions commanding more -privacy for the cleanly Eastern whose day was never complete without -many ablutions. - -Not far away up the hillside, in cave-dwellings amidst an almost -impenetrable thicket of prickly pears, live the _gitanos_. I fear they -now exist on the charity of the tourist, and make a peseta or two by -fortune-telling or in the exercise of a more reprehensible cleverness, a -light-fingered dexterity which is generally only discovered by those who -"must go to the gipsy quarter" on their return to the hotel. These -gipsies no longer wander in the summer months and lie up for the winter -as they did of yore. They are not the Romanies of old times, and a -nomadic life holds no charm for them now. They make enough out of the -tourist to eke out a lazy existence throughout the year, and are fast -losing all the character of a wandering tribe and the lively splendour -of their race. - -Higher up, the banks of the Darro are lined with more cave-dwellings, a -great many of which, to judge by their present inaccessibility, are -undoubtedly of prehistoric origin. Those that I took to be of later date -have a sort of level platform in front of the entrance, from which the -approach of a stranger could be seen and due warning taken by those -inside of any hostile intent. - -The Antequeruela quarter, called thus from the remnant of Moorish -refugees who driven from Antequera found here a home, extends from the -base of Monte Mauro to some distance below the confluence of the Darro -and Genil, Granada's other river. It is the most modern quarter and -busiest part of the city. - -The life of an ordinary Spanish town passes in front of me as I sit in -the sun sharing a seat with an old man wrapped closely in a _capa_. It -is April. We are in the Alameda, a broad promenade which leads to the -gardens of the Paseo de Salòn and de la Bomba. On either side are many -coloured houses with green shutters. They are very French, and to this -day I try to recall the town in France where I had seen them before. How -often this happens when we travel abroad!--a face, a scent, a sound. -Memory racks the tortuous channels of half-forgotten things stored away -somewhere in the brain, and for days with an irritating restlessness we -wander fruitlessly amid the paths of long ago. - -I turned to my companion on the seat, he looked chilled despite the -warmth of an April sun. "Tell me, sir, to whom does all the fine country -of the Vega belong?" "Absent landlords, señor; they take their rents -and they live in Madrid, and the poor man has no one to care for him." -"But surely he begs and does not wish to work or to be cared for. The -beggars in Granada are more numerous than in any place I know." "That is -true, señor," and with a shake he relapsed into silence, drawing his -_capa_ closer around him. The turn the conversation had taken was not -worth pursuing. - -New buildings are superseding the old in Antequeruela, and poverty and -squalor pushed further out of the sight of El Caballero, his Highness -the tourist. Æsthetically we appreciate the picturesque side of poverty, -the tumble-down houses, the rags, the graceful attitudes of the patient -poor for ever shifting in the patches of sunlight as the great -life-giver moves round. Dinner will be ready for us at 7 o'clock in the -hotel, there would be no call to leave home if every town we came to was -clean and its people prosperous. "But what about _Los Pobres_, the -beggars?" you ask. "Are they really deserving of charity, or only lazy -scoundrels?" I cannot answer you. I can only tell you that I have never -seen such terrible emaciated bundles of rags as those I saw in Granada. - -In Seville, though it is forbidden to beg, it was the one-eyed that -predominated; in Cordova he of no legs, who having marked down his prey, -displayed great agility as he scuttled across the street with the help -of little wooden hand-rests; but here not only were both combined, but -various horrors of crippled and disfigured humanity with open sores and -loathsome disease thrust themselves before me wherever I went. It was -disgusting--but oh! how picturesque! If only, my good _Pobres_, you -would not come so close to me! - -They say Spain is the one unspoilt country in Europe. Personally I think -she is the one country that wants regenerating. Her girls are women at -sixteen, old at thirty, and aged ten years later. Her men take life as -it comes with very little initiative to better themselves. Very few -display any energy. Their chief thoughts are woman, and how to pass the -day at ease. Luckily for the country, at the age when good food and -clean living helps to make men, her youth is invigorated by army -service. True it is not popular. In the late war they died like flies -through fever and ill-feeding, and many were the sad tales I heard of -José and Pedro returning from the front with health ruined for life. It -was a sad blow to Spain, that war. Her navy demolished and her colonies -lost. It may be the regeneration of the nation, her well-wishers hope -so, but it is a difficult thing to change the leopard's spots. The -beggar being hungry begs, and well-nigh starves, his children follow his -example and probably his great grandchildren will be in the same line -of business a hundred years hence--_Quien sabe?_ who knows? - -I still sit in the sun rolling cigarettes; it is extraordinary how soon -the custom becomes a habit, and think of all this. A string of donkeys -passes with baskets stuffed tight with half a dozen large long-funnelled -water cans. They have come in with fresh drinking water from the spring -up the Darro under the Alhambra hill, and a little later the -water-sellers will be offering glasses of the refreshingly cool contents -of their cans. Granada is a city running with water, but the pollution -from the drains and the never-ending ranks of women on their knees -wrinsing clothes in its two streams, into which, by the way, all dead -refuse is thrown, makes that which is fit to drink a purchasable -quantity only. - -I watch the peasants from the Vega, who come in with empty panniers -slung across their donkeys, scraping up the dirt of the streets which -they take away to fertilise their cottage gardens. Herds of goats go by -muzzled until milking is over. They make for that bit of blank wall -opposite, and stand licking the saline moisture which oozes from the -plaster in the shade. The goats of Granada are reckoned the finest in -Spain, and, as is the custom throughout Andalusia, graze in the early -spring on the tender shoots of the young corn. This not only keeps them -in food, but improves the quality of that part of the crop which reaches -maturity. I could sit all day here if only the sun stood still. My -companion removed himself half an hour ago and it is getting chilly in -the shade, so up and on to the Cathedral. - -What a huge Renaissance pile it is. Built on the Gothic plans of Diego -de Siloe it is undoubtedly the most imposing edifice of this style in -Spain. Fergusson considers its plan makes it one of the finest churches -in Europe. The western façade was erected by Alonso Cano and José -Granados, and does not follow Siloe's original design. The name of the -sculptor-painter is writ in big letters throughout the building. To him -are due the colossal heads of Adam and Eve, let into recesses above the -High Altar, and the seven pictures of the _Annunciation_, _Conception_, -_Presentation in the Temple_, _Visitation_, _Purification_ and -_Assumption_ in the Capilla Mayor. The two very fine colossal figures, -bronze gilt, which stand above the over-elaborated pulpits; a couple of -beautiful miniatures on copper in the Capilla de la Trinidad; a fine -Christ bearing the Cross and a head of S. Pedro over the altar of Jesus -Nazareno, are also by Cano. Many other examples from his carving tools -and brush are to be found in the Cathedral, of which he was made a -"Racione" or minor Canon, after fleeing from Valladolid when accused of -the murder of his wife. The little room he used as a workshop in the -Great Tower may still be visited and his remains lie tranquilly beneath -the floor of the _coro_. - -[Illustration: GRANADA. EXTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL] - -In the Capilla de la Antigua there is that curious little image which, -found in a cave, served Ferdinand as a battle banner; and also -contemporary (?) portraits of the King and his Queen. - -To me the thing of surpassing interest, which ought to be the most -revered building in all Spain, was the Capilla Real and its contents. -The _reja_, which separates the choir from the rest of the chapel, is a -magnificent piece of work, coloured and gilded, by Bartolomé. As the -verger unlocked the great gate he drew my attention to the box -containing the lock with its three beautifully wrought little iron -figures and intricate pattern. We passed in, the gate swung to with a -click, the lock was as good as if it had but recently been placed there. -These _rejas_ throughout the country are all in splendid condition. A -dry climate no doubt preserves them as it has preserved everything else, -and I very seldom detected rust on any iron work. The humidity of the -winter atmosphere is insufficient, I suppose, to set up much decay in -metal, and certainly the only decay in Spain is where inferior material -has been used in construction, or the negligence of man has left things -to rot. - -With the gate locked behind me I stood in front of the two marble -monuments, the one of the recumbent figures of Ferdinand and Isabella, -the other of Philip and Juana la Loca--crazy Jane. Beyond rose the steps -up to the High Altar, close at my side those--a short flight--that led -to the crypt where the coffins of these four rest. I felt surrounded by -the Great of this Earth, and certainly a feeling of awe took hold of me -as their deeds passed through my mind and I realised that here lay the -remains of those who had turned out the Moor, bidden God-speed to -Columbus, and instituted the Inquisition. - -They are wonderful tombs these two. Ferdinand wears the order of St. -George, the ribbon of the Garter, Isabella that of the Cross of -Santiago, Philip and his wife the Insignia of the order of the Golden -Fleece. Four doctors of the church occupy the corners of the first tomb, -with the twelve Apostles at the sides. The other has figures of SS. -Michael, Andrew, and John the Baptist, and the Evangelist. Both tombs -are elaborately carved, the medallions in _alto-relievo_ being of very -delicate work. Next to that magnificent tomb in the Cartuja de -Miraflores at Burgos, these are the finest monuments in all Spain. - -Above the High Altar is a florid _Retablo_ with not much artistic merit. -My interest was entirely centred in the two portrait figures of -Ferdinand and Isabella. They each kneel at a Prie-Dieu facing one -another on either side of the altar--the King to the north, the Queen to -the south. Below them in double sections are four wooden panels in -bas-relief, to which I turned after a long examination of these -authentic and contemporary portraits. These panels are unsurpassed as -records of the costume of the day and a faithful representation of their -subject. On the left is the mournful figure of Boabdil giving up the key -of the Alhambra to Cardinal Mendoza, who seated on his mule between the -King and Queen, alone wears gloves. Surrounding them are knights, -courtiers and the victorious soldiery. In the background are the towers -of the Alhambra. To the right is seen the wholesale conversion by -Baptism of the Infidel, the principal figures being monks who are very -busy over their work, inducing the reluctant Moor to enter an alien -Faith. - -There is something very impressive about these panels, they render so -well and in such a naïve manner the history they record. The surrender -of the Moor after 750 years' rule, the end of his dreams, the final -triumph of the King and Queen, who devoted the first portion of their -reign to driving him out of the country, and the great church receiving -the token of submission at the end of last act, they are all here.--The -verger touched my arm, my reverie of those stirring times was broken, he -had other things to show and noon was fast approaching. Pointing to -three iron plates let into the floor of the chapel, he inquired if I -would like to see the spot where rest the coffins of these great makers -of history. Certainly; I could not leave the Cathedral without a silent -homage to those who placed Spain first among the nations. He lifted the -plates, and lighting a small taper which he thrust into the end of a -long pole, disappeared down the steps, with a warning to mind my head -for the entry was very low. I followed, stooping. At the bottom of the -steps was a small opening heavily barred. The verger pushed his lighted -taper and pole through the bars, and beckoned to me to look. I peered -into the dark chamber, there resting on a marble slab were the rough -iron-bound coffins of the "Catholic Kings." The taper flickered and cast -long shadows in the gloom, discovering the coffins of Philip and Juana. -It was all very eerie, a fitting climax in its simplicity to the -magnificent monuments above and to the history writ on the walls of the -Capilla Real. I shall never forget it. - -In the sacristy I was shown the identical banner which floated from the -Torre de la Vela when the Alhambra had surrendered. Isabella herself had -worked this for the very object to which it was put. Next to it hangs -Ferdinand's sword, with a remarkably small handle. I had thought, from -the kneeling effigy in the Capilla Real, that both he and Isabella must -have been small-made and this verified my guess. Many other personal -relics of the two were shown me. The Queen's own missal, a beautiful -embroidered chasuble from her industrious fingers, an exquisitely -enamelled viril, &c. Time was short, my verger wanted his dinner, and I -had seen enough for one morning. He let me out through the closed door -into the Placeta de la Lonja and in a sort of dream I carried away all I -had seen. - -The next morning I returned to the Placeta and stood in the doorway of -the old Royal Palace, now used as a drapery warehouse, and commenced the -drawing figured in the illustration. The rich late Gothic ornament of -the exterior of the Capilla Real is well balanced by the Lonja which -backs on to the sacristy. Here Pradas's work has been much mutilated and -the lower stage of the arcading built up. The twisted columns of the -gallery and its original wooden roof remain to tell us what this fine -façade once was. - -There is a great deal of interest in this huge Cathedral, which to the -tourist is quite overshadowed by the Alhambra. In the north-west corner -of the Segrario which adjoins the building on the south, is the Capilla -de Pulgar. Herman Perez del Pulgar was a knight serving under -Ferdinand's banner. Filled with holy zeal, he entered Granada one stormy -night in December 1490 by the Darro conduit, and making his way to the -Mosque which then stood where the Segrario now is, pinned a scroll -bearing the words Ave Maria to its principal door with his dagger. This -daring deed was not discovered until the next morning, by which time the -intrepid knight was safe back in camp. His courage was rewarded by a -seat in the _coro_ of the Cathedral, and at his death his body was -interred in the chapel which bears his name. - -Nearly all the churches of Granada occupy the sites of Mosques. Santa -Anna, like San Nicolás, has a most beautiful wooden roof. San Juan de -los Reyes contains portraits of Ferdinand and Isabella; its tower is the -minaret of what was once a Mosque. - -The Cathedral itself is so crowded in by other buildings, that no -comprehensive view of the fabric is possible. Unfortunately this is the -case, with one or two notable exceptions, throughout the country. Its -fine proportions are thus lost, and it is only the interior with its -great length and breath, its lofty arches and fine Corinthian pilasters -that serve to dignify this House of God. - -Taking a morning off, I walked out to the Cartuja Convent. The Gran -Capitan, Gonzalo de Cordoba, at one time granted an estate to the -Carthusians and on it they erected the convent to which I turned my -steps. The Order about this time was immensely wealthy and they spent -money with reckless lavishness on the interior of their church. -Mother-of-pearl, tortoiseshell, ebony and cedar-wood entered largely -into their decorations, as well as ivory and silver. But perhaps the -marbles in the church are the most remarkable part of their scheme. -These were chosen for the wonderful patterns of the sections, and with a -little stretch of the imagination I could trace well-composed -landscapes, human and animal forms in a great many of the slabs. The -overdone chirrugueresque work, to which add these fantastic wall -decorations, makes this interior positively scream. It is nothing more -nor less than a vulgar display of wealth. The cloisters of the convent -also attest the bad taste of the Carthusians, they contain a series of -pictures which represent the most repugnant and bloodthirsty scenes of -persecutions and martyrdoms of the Order. - -In another convent, San Gerónimo, was buried the Gran Capitan. A slab -marks the spot, but his poor bones were exhumed and carried off to -Madrid in 1868 to form the nucleus of a Spanish Pantheon. Needless to -say, like so many other great ideas in Spain, nothing further was done, -and Gonzalo's remains still await a last resting-place. - -One more fact before I reach the Alhambra. In the church of San Juan de -Dios you may see the cage in which the founder, Juan de Robles, was shut -up as a lunatic. What do you think his lunacy was? Having the infirm and -the poor always before him, this tender-hearted man went about preaching -the necessity of hospitals to alleviate their distress. Aye, he was a -hundred years and more before his time, so they shut him up in a cage -and there let him rot and die. Those that came after in more enlightened -days valued the good man's crusade at its proper price, and he was -eventually canonised, and his supposed remains now rest in an _urna_. - -Up a toilsome approach, splashing through the mud, I drove on the night -I reached Granada. As the horses slowed up, I put my head out of the -carriage window, we were passing under an archway and I knew that at -last one of the dreams of my life was realised. I was in the Alhambra. I -became conscious of rows and rows of tall trees swaying in the wind. I -smelt the delicious scent of damp earth, and could just distinguish, as -the carriage crawled up the steep ascent, in the lulls of the storm, the -sound of running water. It was fairyland, it was peace. After that long, -tedious journey and the glare of the electric lit streets I had just -passed through, I sank back on the cushions and felt my reward had -come. - -[Illustration: GRANADA. THE ALHAMBRA] - -How is it possible to describe the Alhambra? It has been done so often -and so well. Every one has read Washington Irving, and most of us know -Victor Hugo's eulogy. I had better begin at the beginning, which is the -gateway erected by Charles V. under which I passed with such a happy -consciousness. Further up the hill, through which only pedestrians can -go, is the Gate of Judgment, the first gateway into the Moorish -fortress. Above it is the Torre de Justicia erected by Yusuf I. in 1348. -On the external keystone is cut a hand, on the inner a key. Much -controversy rages round these two signs and I leave it to others to find -a solution. In old days the Kadi sat in this gateway dispensing justice. -The massive doors still turn on their vertical pivots, the spear rests -of the Moorish guard are still attached to the wall, and you must enter, -as the Moors did, by the three turns in the dark passage beyond the -gate. A narrow lane leads to the Plaza de las Algibes, under the level -of which are the old Moorish cisterns. To the right is the Torre del -Vino, and on the left the Acazaba. - -Come with me up the short flight of steps into the little strip of -garden. Let us lean over the wall and look out on to the Vega. Is there -anywhere so grand and varied an outline of plain and mountain? Do you -wonder at the tears that suffused the eyes of Boabdil as he turned for a -last look at this incomparable spot? The brown roofs of Granada lie at -our feet. Far away through the levels of the green plain, the Vega, I -can see the winding of many silver streams. Beyond those rugged peaks to -the south lies the Alpujarras district, the last abiding place of the -conquered Moor. Further on the mass of the Sierra Aburijara bounds the -horizon, west of it is the town of Loja, thirty miles away, buried in -the dip towards Antequerra. To the north is Mount Parapanda, the -barometer of the Vega, always covered with mist when rain is at hand. -Nearer in is the Sierra de Elvira, spread out below which are the dark -woods of the Duke of Wellington's property--he is known in Spain as -Duque de Ciudad Rodriguez. It is clear enough for us to see the blue -haze of the mountains round Jaen, and the rocky defile of Mochin. The -Torre de la Vela shuts out the rest of the view. There is a bell hanging -in this tower which can be heard as far away as Loja. Now turn and look -behind. Right up into the blue sky rise the snow peaks of the Sierra -Nevada. Mulhacen, the highest point in all Spain, is not visible, but -we can see Veleta which is but a few feet lower. The whole range -glistens in the afternoon sun, but it is the evening hour that brings -such wonderful changes of colour over these great snowfields, and, after -the sun is down, such a pale mother-of-pearl grey silhouetted against -the purple sky. - -The entrance into what we call the Alhambra is hidden away behind the -unfinished Palace of Charles V. The low door admits us directly in the -Patio de los Arrayanes, or court of the Myrtles. Running north and south -it gets more sun than any other court of the Alhambra. What a revelation -it is! In the centre is an oblong tank full of golden carp. The neatly -kept myrtle hedges encircle this, reflected in the clear water they add -refreshing charm to a first impression of the Moorish Palace. On the -north rises the Torre de Comares, the approach to which is through a -beautifully proportioned chamber, the roof of which was unfortunately -destroyed by fire in 1890. The whole of the ground-floor of this tower -is known as the Hall of the Ambassadors. The monarch's throne occupied a -space opposite the entrance and it was here that the last meeting to -consider the surrender was held by Boabdil. The elaborate domed roof of -this magnificent chamber is of larch wood, but the semi-darkness -prevents one realising to the full extent its beauties. From the -windows, which almost form small rooms, so thick are the walls of the -Tower of Comares, fine views over the roofs of the city and the Albaicin -hill are obtained. - -The Court of the Lions, so called from the central fountain upheld by -marble representations of the kingly beast, is surrounded by a beautiful -arcade. At either end this is thrown out, forming a couple of extremely -elegant pavilions. Fairy columns support a massive roof, the woodwork of -which is carved with the pomegranate of Granada. Intricate fret-work is -arranged to break the monotony of strong sunlight on a flat surface. -Arabesques and inscriptions, stamped with an iron mould on the wet clay, -repeat themselves all round the frieze. Orange trees at one time adorned -the court and cast gracious shade on its surface. The fountain threw up -jets of splashing water, the musical sound harmonising with the -wonderful arrangement of light and shade. I tried to picture all this as -I sat making my sketch, but even in April, though hot in the sun, I -required an overcoat in the shadow, and I must own that the ever-present -tourist with his kodak sadly disturbed all mental attempts at the -reconstruction of Moorish life. - -[Illustration: GRANADA. THE ALHAMBRA, COURT OF LIONS] - -On the south side of the court is the hall of the Abencerrages, named -after that noble family. The massive wooden doors, which shut it off -from the arcade, are of most beautiful design. The hall is rectangular -and has a fine star-shaped stalactite dome. The _azulejos_, or tiles, -are the oldest that remain in the Alhambra. A passage leads to what was -once the Royal Sepulchral Chamber. - -On the east side is the so-called Sala de la Justicia divided into -several recesses and running the whole length of this portion of the -court. The central recess was used by Ferdinand and Isabella when they -held the first Mass after the surrender of the Moors. The chief interest -of the Sala I found to be in a study of the paintings on the -semicircular domed roofs. They portray the Moor of the period. The -middle one, that in the chapel-recess, no doubt contains portraits of -Granada's rulers in council. The other two represent hunting scenes and -deeds of chivalry. It is supposed that the Koran forbids the delineation -of any living thing. The Moor got over this difficulty by portraying -animal life in as grotesque a manner as possible, or by employing -foreign captives to do this for him. One theory of the origin of the -Lion Fountain is that a captive Christian carved the lions and gave his -best--or his worst--as the price of his liberation. Personally I think -they are of Phoenician origin. Animals and birds in decoration reached -the Moor from Persia, where from unknown ages they had always been -employed in this way; and the Môsil style of hammered metal work is -replete with this feature. - -On the north side of the court lies the Room of the Two Sisters, with -others opening out from it, which seems to point to the probability that -this was the suite occupied by the Sultana herself. Moorish art has here -reached its highest phase. The honeycomb roof contains nearly five -thousand cells, all are different, yet all combine to form a -marvellously symmetrical whole. Fancy ran free with the architect who -piled one tiny cell upon another and on these supported a third. Pendant -pyramids cluster everywhere and hang suspended apparently from nothing. -In the fertility of his imagination the designer surpassed anything of -the kind that went before or has since been attempted. Truly the verses -of a poem copied on to the _azulejos_ are well set. "Look well at my -elegance, and reap the benefit of a commentary on decoration. Here are -columns ornamented with every perfection, the beauty of which has become -proverbial." - -Beyond this entrancing suite of rooms is the Miradoro de Daraxa with -three tall windows overlooking that little gem of a garden the Patio de -Daraxa. It was here that Washington Irving lodged when dreaming away -those delicious days in the Alhambra. - -The old Council Chamber of the Moors, the Meshwâr, is reached through -the Patio de Mexuar. Charles V. turned this chamber into a chapel, and -the hideous decorations he put up are still extant. An underground -passage, which leads to the baths, ran from the _patio_ and gave access -to the battlements and galleries of the fortress as well as forming a -connecting link between each tower. - -The baths are most interesting, but to me were pervaded by a deadly -chill. I felt sorry for the guardian who spends his days down in such -damp, icy quarters. A remark I made to him inquiring how long his duty -kept him in so cold a spot, called forth so terrible a fit of coughing -that I got no reply. I was told afterwards that he was only placed there -as he was too ill for other duty, and it was expected he would not live -much longer! There are two baths of full size and one for children. The -_azulejos_ in them are very beautiful, as they also are in the disrobing -room and chamber for rest. - -An open corridor leads from the Hall of the Ambassadors to the Torre del -Peinador which Yusuf I. built. The small Tocador de la Reina, or Queen's -dressing-room, with its quaint frescoes, was modernised by Charles V. -Let into the floor is a marble slab drilled with holes, through which -perfumes found their way from a room below while the Queen was -dressing. - -The glamour of the East clings to every corner of the Alhambra, and the -wonder of it all increased as I began to grow familiar with its -courtyards and halls, the slender columns of its arcades, with their -tracery and oft-repeated verses forming ornament and decoration, and the -well thought-out balance of light and shade. What must it all have been -like when the sedate Moor glided noiselessly through the cool corridors, -or the clang of arms resounded through the now silent halls! It is -difficult to imagine. The inner chambers were then lined with matchless -carpets and rugs and the walls were covered with subtly coloured -_azulejos_. - -Many are the changes since those days of the Infidel who cultivated the -art of living as it has never been cultivated since. Restoration is -judiciously but slowly going on, and every courtesy is shown to the -visitor. A small charge might be levied, however, to assist the -Government, even in a slight degree, with restoration, and I am sure no -one would grudge paying for the privilege of sauntering through the most -interesting remains of the Moorish days of Spain. - -The unfinished Palace of Charles V. occupies a large space, to clear -which a great deal of the Moorish Palace was demolished. The interior is -extremely graceful. The double arcades, the lower of which is Doric and -the upper Ionic, run round a circular court which for good proportion it -would be hard to beat. - -[Illustration: GRANADA. GENERALIFE] - -On the Corre de Sol, a little way out of the Alhambra and situated above -it, is the Generalife. It belongs to the Pallavicini family of Genoa, -but on the death of the present representative becomes the property of -the Spanish Government. A stately cypress avenue leads to the entrance -doorway, through which one enters an oblong court full of exotic growth -and even in April a blaze of colour. Through a tank down the centre runs -a delicious stream of clear water. At the further end of this -captivating court are a series of rooms, one of which contains badly -painted portraits of the Spanish Sovereigns since the days of Ferdinand -and Isabella. - -Up some steps is another garden court with another tank, shaded by more -cypress trees. One huge patriarch is over six hundred years old, and it -is supposed that under it Boabdil's wife clandestinely met Hamet the -Abencerrage. - -Space will not permit me to tell of the many entrancing excursions I -made to the foot-hills of the Sierra Nevada and up the two rivers. I can -only add that the valleys disclosed to the pedestrian are a wealth of -rare botanical specimens, and if time permits will well repay a -lengthened sojourn in the last stronghold of the Moors in Spain. - - - - -MALAGA - - -Malaga disputes with Cadiz the honour of being the oldest seaport in the -country. In early days the Phoenicians had a settlement here, and in -after times both the Carthagenians and Romans utilised "Malacca" as -their principal port on the Mediterranean littoral of Spain. In 571 the -Goths under their redoubtable King, Leovigild, wrested the town from the -Byzantines. Once more it was captured, by Tarik, in the year 710 and -remained a Moorish stronghold until Ferdinand took it after a long siege -in 1487. - -It is said that gunpowder was first used in Spain at this siege, when -the "seven sisters of Ximenes," guns planted in the Gibralfaro, belched -forth fire and smoke. - -In the year 709 the Berber Tarif entered into an alliance with Julian, -Governor of Ceuta, who held that place for Witiza the Gothic King of -Spain. With four ships and five hundred men he crossed the narrow and -dangerous straits to reconnoitre the European coast, having secretly in -view an independent kingdom for himself on the Iberian peninsula. He -landed at Cape Tarifa. - -This expedition was so far successful that in two years' time another -Berber, of a name almost similar, Tarík to wit, was sent over with -twelve thousand men and landed near the rock which received the name of -Jabal-Tarík, or mountain of Tarík, the present Gibraltar. - -Witiza in the meantime died and was succeeded by Roderic, who, hearing -of the invasion of this Moorish host, hastened south from Toledo and met -his death in the first decisive battle between Christian and Infidel on -the banks of the Guadalete near Cadiz. Tarík then commenced his -victorious march, which ended in less than three years with the -subjugation of the whole country as far as the foot of the -Pyrenees--Pelayo, in his cave at Covadonga near Oviedo, alone holding -out with a mere remnant against the all-conquering Moor. - -[Illustration: MALAGA. VIEW FROM THE HARBOUR] - -If you ask me, "What is Malaga to-day?" I can reply with truth, "The -noisiest town in Spain." Like all places in the south it is a babel of -street-cries, only a little more so than any of the others. The -_seranos_, or night-watchmen, disturb one's rest as they call out the -hour of the night, or whistle at the street corners to their comrades. A -breeze makes hideous the hours of darkness by the banging to and fro of -unsecured shutters. The early arrival of herds of goats with tinkling -bells heralds the dawn, which is soon followed by the discordant clatter -of all those, cracked and otherwise, which hang in the church belfries. -The noisiest town I visited, most certainly, but for all that a very -enchanting place. In a way not unlike Naples, for the Malagueno is the -Spanish prototype of the Neapolitan. Lazy, lighthearted, good-natured, -but quick to take affront, he gets through the day doing nothing in a -manner that won my sincere admiration. "Why work, señor, when you have -the sun? I do not know why the English travellers are always in such a -hurry. And the North American, he is far worse. I earned two pesetas -yesterday. To-day I have no wants, I do not work. To-morrow? Yes, -perhaps to-morrow I work, but to-day I sit here in the sun, I smoke my -cigarette, I am content to watch others, that is life!"--and who can say -that the Malagueno is far wrong? Not I. - -Malaga's Cathedral, an imposing building of a very mixed Corinthian -character, occupies the site of a Moorish mosque which was converted -into a church. Of this early church of the Incarnation, the Gothic -portal of the _Segragrio_ is the only portion remaining. The present -edifice was begun in 1538 from the plans of that great architect Diego -de Siloe, but being partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1680, was -not completed until 1719. It cannot be called complete even now, and -the long period over which its construction has been spread accounts for -the very many inconsistencies in a building which is full of -architectural defects. - -The west façade is flanked by two Towers, only one of which has been -finished; this is drawn out in three stages like the tower of La Seo at -Saragossa, and has a dome with lantern above. The doors of the north and -south Transepts are also flanked by towers, but they do not rise beyond -the cornice line. The interior, reminding one of Granada's Cathedral, is -seemingly immense. The proportions are massive and decidedly good. It -was in his proportions that Siloe excelled. The length of this is three -hundred and seventy-five feet, the width two hundred and forty, and the -height one hundred and thirty feet. The columns which support the heavy -roof consist of two rows of pillars one above the other. The vaulting is -of round arches. - -A picture by Alonso Cano in the chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary, and -one of a _Virgin and Child_, in that of San Francisco, by Morales, were -the only two objects that I could say interested me, besides the -magnificently carved _silleria del coro_, the work of many hands, but -chiefly those of Pedro de Mena, a pupil of Cano. - -With all its architectural incongruities it is an impressive fabric, and -rises high above the surrounding roofs, like a great Liner with a crowd -of smaller boats lying around her. So it struck me as I sat on the -quayside of the Malagueta making my sketch, sadly interfered with by an -unpleasant throng of idling loafers. - -Beyond Malagueta lies Caleta, and on the hill above them is the Castilla -de Gibralfaro, from which when the sky is clear the African mountains -near Ceuta can be seen. Below the Gibralfaro and between it and the -Cathedral, lies the most ancient part of the city, the Alcazába, the -glorious castle and town of Moorish days. And now?--like so many of -Spain's departed glories, it is not much more than a ruined -conglomeration of huts and houses of a low and very insanitary order. - -At the other end of Malaga is the Mercado, and close by is the old -Moorish sea gateway, the Puerta del Mar, washed by the waters of the -blue Mediterranean in their day, but at the present time well away from -the sea and surrounded by houses. - -The everyday market is held in the dry bed of the treacherous -Guadelmedina, a stream which rose in the fatal October of 1907 and swept -away all the bridges, swamping the lower quarters of the city. Many -lives were lost in this disastrous flood and many bodies picked up by -fishing-boats far out at sea. However, when I made my sketch there was -no chance of such a visitation, and I found the market folk more polite -than the loafers on the quay. - -The country lying at the back of the city and at the base of the -sun-baked and scarred mountains by which it is surrounded, produces -almost everything that grows. From this--the Vega--come grapes, raisins, -figs, oranges, lemons, water and sweet melons, quinces, pomegranates, -medlars, plantains, custard-apples, guava, olives and sugar-cane--a -veritable paradise for the fruit grower. Up the hill slopes, where the -olive luxuriates, fine woods of sweet acorn and cork trees are passed, -and any day you may see large herds of swine feeding on the acorns that -have fallen, and routing out other delicacies that their sensitive noses -tell them lie hidden beneath the surface. The pork of Estremadura is -reckoned the best in Spain, and that from these oak woods a good second. -The pig in Spain is a clean feeder, and you can eat him with perfect -safety anywhere. Such a thing as the offensive pig-sty, the disgrace of -rural England, is absolutely unknown here. - -[Illustration: MALAGA. THE MARKET] - -Malaga's climate is delightful, despite the fierce winds and the dust -they raise. Though rain seldom falls the cool sea breezes in summer -bring a refreshing tonic to the dweller up country; and many Spaniards -at this season come here for bathing, and obtain a maximum of sunshine -without the intense heat of the interior. - - - - -VALENCIA - - -Valencia del Cid is inseparably connected with the hero of Spanish -romance, Rodrigo Diaz of Bivar, to give him his real name, "Cid" being a -corruption of the Moorish _Seyyid_, and first appearing in historical -documents of the year 1064. Rising to great power, Alfonso of Leon -appointed him to the command of his army, but through jealousy banished -him in 1081. From that date the Cid became a true knight-errant. Barred -from the kingdom of Leon, he was ever ready to sell his services to the -highest bidder; and after many wanderings found himself with a goodly -following of knights, only too eager in those days, when might was -right, to be in the train of so redoubtable a champion, _en route_ to -Saragossa. The Moorish ruler of that city being at logger-heads with the -Count of Barcelona accepted the Cid's proffered services, and the result -was a battle in which the Catalans were badly beaten. - -With no prospects of further service in Aragon, the Cid turned his face -south and marched on Valencia, whose Moorish King Yahya was only too -pleased to request his protection in advance, instead of succumbing to -his conquering arm. Thus began Rodrigo's connection with the city, which -with one or two intervals ended only at his death. - -It was from the top of the Miguelete Tower, which is pictured in my -illustration of the Cathedral, that he showed his wife Ximena and their -daughters the fair land he had conquered. This was in 1095, when after -having rejoined Alfonso and left him again, he had returned and -recaptured the city after a siege of twenty months. Four years later -died the man whose name was a terror to the Infidel, and his widow -Ximena, following the traditions of her warrior husband, held Valencia -against overwhelming hordes of Moors. The story of the bitter end, how -she placed his body on his favourite war-horse and drove it through the -ranks of the enemy, has always been a theme for the balladmonger of -Spain. - -It was in 140 B.C. that Junius Brutus founded a small Roman colony on -the banks of the river Turia. Pompey destroyed this settlement and -rebuilt it. In 413 the Goths took possession. The Emir of Cordova -captured it in 714 and Valencia remained a vassal state until the fall -of the Omayeh dynasty. Like other provinces, it became merged under the -single banner that floated over the greater part of the Peninsula at the -union of Aragon and Castile. Being a coast town and savouring of the -south, it was not until the time of the bigoted Philip III. that the -industrious and unfortunate Moriscoe was finally expelled from the -shelter of Valencia's walls. - -[Illustration: VALENCIA. SAN PABLO] - -Souchet sacked the place in the Napoleonic wars and received the title -of Duke of Albufera from his master. Rather an empty honour, Albufera -being the large and malarious tract of marshland along the coast a few -miles to the south of El Grao, and worth but very little. - -El Grao is Valencia's Port, and is three miles distant from the city. -The road which connects the two is about the busiest high road I saw in -Spain. From sunrise till long after sunset two streams of vehicles pass -to and fro. Strings of laden donkeys, waggonettes crammed with -good-humoured laughing fisher and country folk pass along, an electric -tram carries those who can afford the extra _centimos_, and the -carriages of Valencia's well-to-do citizens take them to the harbour for -a breath of sea air out on the breakwaters. Everything seems alive, and -though there is that balmy feeling in the air which one gets in -Andalusia, there is none of the indolence and seductive _dolce far -niente_ of that enchanting province. No! quite the other way in -Valencia. The peasants are extremely industrious. The soil of the -_Huerta_ bears them three crops during the year. The system of -irrigation, the old Moorish system by-the-way, is perfect, and though -the product of a soil which is forced to bear more than it naturally -can, is reinforced at sowing time, in the case of corn, by Russian -grain, it cannot be said that Valencia depends on any outside help for -her prosperity. The swamps bordering the coast grow the finest rice in -the world. The wines of the province are good and cheap, held in much -esteem by French merchants to fortify the lighter produce of their own -country. So cheap are they in fact, that in some parts of the province -it costs more to get a drink of water than a glass of wine. Yet -drunkenness is unknown. If a Valencian took a drop too much, he would be -promptly boycotted by his neighbours, and for ever after looked upon as -a disgusting and outlandish boor, a disgrace to his village and a man to -be shunned. - -The peasant is very illiterate and scrupulously honest--the one follows -the other. Like the Andalusian, he is absolutely trustworthy in all his -dealings, which are conducted by word of mouth. In buying and selling no -signatures to documents pass between the contracting parties. If any -paper is ever signed, it is confirmed by certain scratches or marks -known to belong to so and so--the signee. His word is his bond, it is -generally all he can give, but it is enough and is worth more than -signatures sometimes are. Further north, where modern ways of life are -more in vogue, and where all is more "advanced," there are ten lawyers -to the one in Valencia and the south. - -[Illustration: VALENCIA. DOOR OF THE CATHEDRAL] - -The Cathedral was originally a Gothic structure, but one fashion -following another, has been at different times so altered and robbed of -all architectural beauty that there remains but little of interest in -the building. It was founded in 1262 and finished two hundred years -later. El Miguelete, the celebrated Bell Tower, is so named because the -bells were first hung on St. Michael's Day. Like the Torre de Vela of -the Alhambra, a bell is here struck which regulates the irrigation of -the _Huerta_. - -In this connection, and as an exemplification of the peasant's -trustworthiness, once a month, on a Thursday, the Tribunal de Aguas sits -in the Plaza de la Seo outside the Puerto de los Apóstoles or north door -of the Cathedral. Its presiding members are chosen by their fellow -peasants for their integrity and general standing in the community. They -exercise absolute control over the seven different irrigation districts. -The Government has once or twice interfered with this, but -unsuccessfully. Plaintiffs and defendants appear before this primitive -tribunal seated in a public square. The case is stated, _pros_ and -_cons_ weighed, and judgment given fairly on its merits. Any one passing -can stop and hear the arguments of both sides. As a proof of the -shrewdness the peasants possess and the confidence they have in their -dealings with one another, no appeal is ever made from the judgment of -their elders. - -This north door has good sculptured figures in the jambs and archivolt. -Above is a fine rose window. These are among the remains of the first -building. Another relic of the early structure is the octagonal -_cimborio_ erected about the same time as the doorway, _i.e._, 1350. The -lancet windows over the Puerta del Paláu, which is surmounted by a round -arch with carvings in the jambs, are all of the same period. The third -doorway, the Puerta del Miguelete, is florid and overdone, and dates -from the eighteenth century. Its bronze doors however are extremely -fine. - -The best features of the much-spoilt interior are the octagon and the -very beautiful Corinthian _silleria del coro_. The original _retablo_ -over the High Altar was set on fire by the lighted cotton attached to a -pigeon let loose at a religious ceremony in 1469. The side panels alone -were saved from the results of the terrified bird's erratic flight. -Close by on a pillar is hung the armour of James I. of Aragon. - -Over the sacristy door is a good painting by Ribalta of _Christ Bearing -the Cross_, and in the ante-room an _Adoration_ by Ribera, besides five -good examples of Juanes' brush. - -Among the treasures of the Cathedral is an extraordinary piece of -goldsmith's work, a Calix, showing four different periods of this art, -_i.e._, Roman, IXth, XVth and XVIth centuries. It figures in -the picture of the _Last Supper_ by Juanes, which is now in the Prado at -Madrid. An interesting trophy also belongs to the Cathedral in the shape -of the chain which at one time closed the old Port of Marseilles. - -The many different varieties of marble used in the decoration of the -building form a very pleasing series, and go some way towards -compensating the disappointment one experiences with the much-altered -style of what ought to be a grand interior. - -I saw a good procession one evening wending its way through the crowds -which lined the narrow street near the church of Santa Catalina. The -balconies were filled with occupants who showered rose leaves down as -the effigy of St. John passed by. The light from the torches carried by -some boys flickered upwards and caught the faces of those peering over -from their vantage posts above. The crowd knelt as the saint passed, and -once more the vitality of the Church, which I could not but feel -wherever I went in Spain is _the_ thing that lives, was again in -evidence. - -Over the door of the church of San Martin is a good equestrian group in -bronze. San Domingo has some very beautiful cloisters of late Gothic -date, and San Salvador possesses Valencia's miraculous image. Nicodemus -is reputed to have made this, the Christ of Beyrout. The marvellous -relic navigated itself from Syria across the waters of the Mediterranean -and reached Valencia against the river's stream. A monument on the bank -marks the spot where the wonderful voyage ended by the safe landing of -the Christ. It is much visited by the devout. In the chapel attached to -the Colegio del Patriarca hangs Ribalta's fine _Last Supper_. Every -Friday morning at ten o'clock the _Miserere_ is celebrated here. The -impressive ceremony commences with the slow lowering of this picture -from its place above the High Altar. The void is filled by a dark cloth, -which, as the service proceeds, is gently drawn aside disclosing a -second cloth, this is again repeated, followed by another, and when -this, the fourth cloth, is parted asunder a fine painting of _Christ -Crucified_ is revealed. Meanwhile chants appropriate to the solemn -service have been filling the church and increasing the tension of the -congregation. The whole ceremony is a very good piece of stage -management and certainly most thrilling and inspiring. The black -_mantilla_ for ladies is _de rigeur_. - -[Illustration: VALENCIA. RELIGIOUS PROCESSION] - -Valencia's walls, erected in 1356, were demolished in 1871 to give work -to the unemployed, and the spacious _Paseo_ made in their stead. The -trees planted along this carriage drive have added materially to the -health of the city. - -Of the two remaining gates, the Torres de Serranos is much the better. -Built in the second half of the fourteenth century on Roman foundations, -its massive construction and great height are very grand. It is one of -the best gates I know. The archway itself is rather low. The double -floors above have fine Gothic vaulting and are approached by a flight of -steps. The gallery is supported on heavy corbels, and the cornice has -deep machicolations. The whole rises in isolated grandeur and may -perhaps gain, from the painter's point of view, by the absence of -flanking walls. - -The Torre de Cuarto is another enormous gateway with two huge round -towers on either side. It still bears the marks of Souchet's -artillery--whose round shot did apparently no damage whatever. Not far -from this gate lies the Mercado situated in the middle of the old -quarters of the city. Valencia is quite a modern town, it is rapidly -losing everything of any age, and changing its narrow insanitary -streets for spacious well-built thoroughfares. - -The Mercado is by far the largest and most attractive market in Spain. -Fruit and vegetables, wicker goods of all sorts, baskets, chairs, toys, -leather-work and harness, brightly coloured mule trappings, every -description of wood and metal-work, the usual assortment of old iron, -lamps antique and modern, oleographs and chromos, saints and virgins -jostling the latest cheap reproduction of a famous _Torrero_ or -_Bailarina_, furniture, worn-out field implements and new cutlery, lace, -everything, in fact, including smells, the variety of which I found -unequalled anywhere. Strong garlic assaulted my nostrils--in three more -steps I was in the midst of roses and carnations, half a dozen more and -a horribly rank cheese made the air vibrate; and so it continued from -one end to the other of this most fascinating kaleidoscopic throng, to -study which I returned every day of my sojourn in Valencia. - -On one side of this wonderful market-place stands the Lonja de la Seda. -It dates from 1482 and occupies the site of the Moorish Alcázar. Perhaps -of all the examples of Gothic civil architecture in Europe, the Lonja de -la Seda can claim the first place. The west façade, facing the Mercado, -has a double row of square-topped Gothic windows, above which is a -traceried gallery running round the entire building with gargoyles and -a frieze of heads below the embattled parapet. - -In the centre is a Tower with a couple of Gothic windows. There are two -separate buildings in this "Silk Exchange," one of which has a beautiful -court. The whole of the other is occupied by the Exchange Hall. The rich -star vaulting of the interior is borne by two rows of spiral columns -without capitals; they branch out to the roof like the leaves of a palm -tree and it is very evident that this beautiful treatment was suggested -by the growth of the tree. - -Valencia has always been celebrated for a certain style or school of -painting, and in the Museum, which occupies the buildings of the old -Convento del Carmen, Ribalta, Espinosa and Juanes are seen at their -best. The school is noted for the peculiar deep red undertone of the -shadows, which is very markedly apparent in the works hanging on these -walls. There are also some beautiful examples of native faience and -pottery, for Valencia is still the home of Spanish lustre ware. - -The Valencians are great bird fanciers, and very keen pigeon shots. -Numerous lofts built on the roofs for these birds cut the sky-line in -the old quarters of the city. Sunday sees the dry bed of the Turia full -of competitors in shooting matches, when toll is taken of the feathered -inhabitants of these airy dwellings. - -If it were not for the rather bad drinking water and the malarious -marshes, the breeding-ground of a most particularly venomous mosquito, -Valencia would be as pleasant and lively a spot for residence as any in -Spain. The climate is good and it is near the sea. It stands on the edge -of a veritable fruit garden, and its people are pleasant and friendly. - - - - -TORTOSA - - -Journeying to Valencia from the north one is carried along a grand bit -of coast with glimpses of the blue Mediterranean rolling in on stretches -of yellow sand, and breaking into spray on the rocks above which the -train runs. The _rapido_ stops for lunch at Tortosa, and I got out -intending to stay if there was anything in the famous old city or its -Cathedral which might bear illustrating in this book. - -I reached the best _fonda_ in the place, and was heartily welcomed by -its lively little landlord, who immediately handed me one of his cards, -whereon was set out, amongst many superlatives, the news that an -interpreter was attached to the house. "Gone away for the day, señor," -was the reply when I asked for an interview. He was always away I fear; -however, I did not need his services and my host and I became fast -friends. So friendly indeed that I only just avoided an embrace at -parting on the day I left. He took great interest in my doings, and on -his side gave me much information. He explained to me how the mighty -Ebro, on which Tortosa is situated, and to which it owes its existence, -had risen in flood during the disastrous October of 1907. "Right up to -here, señor"--this while I was having lunch--and he pointed to a spot a -couple of inches off the floor of the _comedor_, which was on the first -floor of the house--"A terrible flood that?"--"Yes, señor, the streets -were for weeks full of mud and all sorts of things. Hundreds of poor -people lost everything and many were swept out to sea." - -Another day I remarked on the gas that lit the _fonda_ and asked my host -why he had not put in electric light. "It is too expensive, señor; some -people have it, and the Market Hall is lit by it; but you must -understand that Tortosa long ago did away with oil lamps and was one of -the first places in Spain to use gas. And now?--well it is enough for -us, and the electric light is too expensive." - -Elsewhere in Spain I have been told with pride that the country is still -in the foremost rank of civilisation--whatever the Progressive Press -says--and the almost universal use of electricity has been pointed out -to verify the boast. But Tortosa, which led the van when gas was a -novelty, is the only place of any importance that I know which is still -lit by this means. - -Local tradition has it, that the city dates back to the time of St. -Paul who, I was told, settled here and built himself a nice little -house. Whatever the saint did it is on record that before his day the -town was an important Iberian port of the Ilercaones tribe, and in later -years under the Romans, possessed a mint of its own, being then known as -Julia Augusta Dertosa. Strategically the key of the great river, Tortosa -was subject to repeated attempts at capture by those not in occupation. -During the time when it was held by the Moors, Charlemagne's son Louis, -after an unsuccessful attempt, gained possession, only to be driven out -in the year 810. It was not until 1148 that the Infidel's reign was -finally terminated by Ramon Bereuguer, Count of Barcelona. - -In the following year a desperate attempt was made by the Moors to -retake their stronghold, and the inhabitants, reduced to the last stage -of despair, contemplated the sacrifice of their women and children, and -then a final sortie to end their own lives. The women, however, showed a -true militant spirit, they courted death, but not in this mean manner. -Mounting the hardly defensible walls with every and any weapon they -could lay hands on, the men were directed to sally forth. The gates were -opened, and cheered on by their wives and daughters, the sterner sex -rushed out. So determined was the onslaught that the Moorish host was -beaten back and fled leaving all the plunder in his camp behind. - -Ramon, to show his appreciation of the heroism displayed by the fair -ones, invested them with the Order of the Axe (La Hacha) and decorated -them with the red military scarf. Also decreeing that at their marriage -they should precede mankind, and to this added the privilege of -duty-free dress materials. What more could woman want? - -The Cathedral occupies the site of a mosque erected in 914 by -Abderrhaman. A Cufic inscription in the wall at the back of the sacristy -relates this with the date. Bishop Lanfredo dedicated the building to -the Virgin in 1158, but the present structure dates from 1347. It is -extremely good Gothic, with a heavy baroque west façade, ugly and -ill-proportioned. Of the exterior but little is visible, and my sketch -simply includes the upper part of the façade, visible over the roofs of -the quaint old town, with the river flowing in front. - -The interior is very simple and dignified. The slender columns of the -nave rise to a great height; the light that filters through the few -clerestory windows that are not blocked subdues the garishness of a bad -_trascoro_, and finds its way amongst the tracery of the arches of the -double apse. In Avila Cathedral this same feature prevails. A double -aisled apse with open-work tracery between the arches and below the -vaulting of the aisles. - -[Illustration: TORTOSA] - -The _silleria_ of the _coro_ were carved by Cristóbal de Salamanca in -1588, and are really beautiful. The two pulpits are covered with -interesting iron bas-reliefs, and the High Altar encased in a mass of -plateresque silver work. The _retablo_ is a good specimen of early -Gothic work, and I could not help thinking how much better such an one -is than the many overdone chirrugueresque atrocities met with in more -famous places. - -Tortosa is the centre of a district the mountains of which yield many -different kinds of marble, and the Cathedral is especially rich in -these. Perhaps the chapel of Cinta contains the best; the most used is -the _broccatello di spagna_ a purple colour with tiny marine molluscs -embedded in the hard clay. The Cathedral is adorned at certain festivals -with a series of splendid tapestries, and amongst many relics overlooked -and left by the French is a fine Moorish casket of ivory. - -Pope Adrian IV., the Englishman, was at one time Bishop of Tortosa, a -fact which added interest to this beautiful little Cathedral. - -The cloisters are early pointed Gothic, now much dilapidated and uncared -for. On the encircling walls are many highly interesting mural tablets, -a few of which have recumbent figures cut in low relief with their backs -to the wall, as is the case in the earliest Gothic effigies of this -sort. - - - - -TARRAGONA - - -My recollections of Tarragona can be summed up in three words--blue sea, -sunshine, and peace. - -Some fifteen or twenty years ago the quays of its fine harbour were full -of life and bustle, ships entered the port and ships went out. The trade -with France in light wines was good, and with England and America in -those of heavier quality, better still. - -Nowadays it is cheaper to send wines by rail. Reus, a railway centre a -few miles inland, has captured a great deal of Tarragona's trade, and -modern history repeats itself once more. Cheap and quick delivery are -the watchwords. Hurry and hustle are leaving the old trading towns -behind. Barcelona is not far away. Centralisation is everything, and -thus it happened that I found very few places in Spain so reposeful as -Tarragona. And I might add so beautifully situated as this old city -which climbs and crowns a hill that rises from the very edge of the blue -Mediterranean. - -Very few cities in Spain can boast of prehistoric walls still extant. -Tarragona can do so. The huge uneven blocks of granite, which may be -seen in my sketch of the Archbishop's Tower, occupy the lower portion of -the old Roman walls. On the north side of the city they are even more -visible than in the sketch. Some of the blocks measure thirteen by seven -by five feet. Three of the ancient portals, the stone of which is faced -inside, still exist, but apparently no records do, to tell us who placed -these Cyclopean defences where they stand to-day. - -Many remains of Roman days may be seen built into the houses of the old -and higher town, tablets, mural inscriptions, bits of columns, &c. The -Cathedral possesses numerous plinths and pillars of marble from the -quarries at Tortosa, built into its walls, and the Font in the -Baptistery is an old Roman basin. What a glorious city it must have been -when the Emperor Augustus made it his capital! and the overland trade -met the sea-going in the harbour below. - -Twenty miles away at Gayá the Romans tapped a continuous supply of fresh -water, and their aqueduct, a good deal of which remains, ranks next to -that of Segovia in size, and stands as an example of how the Romans -built. Roman villas with incomparable views out to sea, dotted the -hillsides; temples to every god and goddess rose in the city, which -contained a million inhabitants. It possessed a mint of its own, and, -favoured by nature and art, became known as "Colonia victrix togata -turrita." - -[Illustration: TARRAGONA] - -The Moslem sacked Tarragona, and for four centuries one of the glories -of Colonial Rome lay a heap of ruins. In 1089, at the commencement of -the building of the Cathedral, the see, much to the disgust of Toledo, -was raised to metropolitan dignity. Thenceforth, between the two cities, -endless disputes have arisen as to the Primacy of Spain. - -Though begun at the above date, most of the Cathedral is of twelfth and -early thirteenth-century work. It is not known who designed this -magnificent church, the finest example of Transition in Spain. The -interior is very simple and very dignified. The roof is borne by grand -piers, thirty-five feet in circumference. Their bases are broken by four -seats, one in each corner, placed thus to enhance the line of the -composition, and break the otherwise too great severity of the -foundations. - -There is no triforium; but an early pointed clerestory of large bays, -and a superb rose window in the west, of date 1131, admit a flood of -light. Nothing could well be simpler than the pairs of massive columns -which carry the centre arches of the vaulting, nor finer than the -delicate single attendant at their sides from which spring the -transverse sections. All these are capped with square Romanesque -capitals. - -The chancel is pure Romanesque and very beautiful. The semicircular end -of the Capilla Mayor and the two small apses are the oldest part of this -noble building. The _retablo_ of the High Altar is alabaster, and carved -with reliefs of the martyrdom of Santa Tecla, Tarragona's patroness. The -delicate tapering finials and the figures under canopies below, are -carved in wood. Behind the High Altar is a very interesting urn which -contains the ashes of Cyprian, a Gothic archbishop. - -The fine _cimborio_ which rises above the crossing has eight windows of -three and four lights alternately, which contain fragments of very -brilliant coloured glass. In the transepts are two magnificent wheel -windows full of good glass, indeed I know of no better scheme of colour -than that which adorns this window on the south side. - -The _silleria del coro_ are the work of Francisco Gomar and date from -1478. The body of James I. of Aragon lies in a tomb at the west end of -the _trascoro_, having been brought here from the ruined Monastery of -Poblet--the Escorial of Aragon. A ruin where still lie under their much -despoiled and mutilated tombs some of the rulers of that kingdom. - -[Illustration: TARRAGONA. THE ARCHBISHOP'S TOWER] - -This grand Cathedral is not dependent on gloom or subdued light for its -great impressiveness. On the contrary it is the best lit of any of -Spain's Cathedrals, and it is on its excellent proportions and scale -alone that its reputation for solemnity will always rest, and its -majesty be ever remembered. - -The west façade, commenced in 1248, is constructed of a light-coloured -stone, which time has improved into a very beautiful sienna brown. The -upper portion is unfinished. In the centre is a fine and deeply recessed -Gothic portal, flanked by two massive buttresses. Under Gothic canopies -stand statues of the Apostles and Prophets, the lintel of the doorway is -supported by a Virgin and Child, above which is the Saviour, and a row -of figures rising out of their tombs on the Judgment Day. Above all is -the already-mentioned rose window. So well does the mass of the building -rise above the adjacent roofs that this window is visible from the -breakwater of the harbour. The two doorways on either side of the façade -are pure Romanesque. Each is surmounted by a small wheel window. The -iron work which covers the doors is of a very intricate design; and the -huge iron knockers with grotesque heads, the hinges of the doors, and -the copper work as well, gave me many pleasant moments in marvelling at -the skill of the smiths of days gone by. - -It was in the cloisters however that I found the greatest charm of the -whole Cathedral. The court is a veritable garden, where date palms, fig -trees and oleanders crowd one another in the neatly arranged beds behind -box hedges. I spent many pleasant hours in this delightful spot, my -solitude broken by occasional visits from the Sacristan, who, in his -faded and patched purple cassock, came in at odd times for a chat. Very -proud of his Cathedral was this quiet custodian, and I shall never -forget his soft voice and winning smile, nor the great interest he -evinced in my sketch. The swifts rushed screaming past, the bees hummed -from flower to flower, the scent of the plants was delicious, the warm -sun and the splash of the fountain--turned on for my benefit--all went -to help the welcome repose and forgetfulness of the outer world that -overcame me as long as I was at work in this little Paradise. - -The double doorway in the north transept through which one enters the -cloisters from the Cathedral, is the finest of all. The capitals of its -detached shafts are wonderfully carved. They represent the Awaking of -the Three Kings by an Angel, the Nativity and the Journey of the Magi. -The arcading of the cloisters consists of six bays on all four sides, -these bays are subdivided into three round arches, with a couple of -circular openings above and enclosed within the arch. Some of these -openings contain very beautifully carved tracery. - -[Illustration: TARRAGONA. THE CLOISTERS] - -The capitals of the columns are a museum of quaint fancy and good -carving. In one set, all the incidents of a sea voyage are cut, in -another, mice are seen carrying a cat to his grave, who, shamming death, -turns and devours some of them before his obsequies are complete. There -is a Descent from the Cross, where one of the Faithful wields a pair of -pincers much longer than his own arms, so determined is he to pull out -the nails that cruelly wound Christ's hands. - -Many fragments of Roman sculpture are let into the walls; and a lovely -little Moorish arch, with a Cufic inscription and date 960, reminds one -of the Infidel's rule over the city. - -To reach times nearer our own, there are two inscriptions telling of the -occupation by British troops, which run--_5th Company_ and further on -_6th Company_--obviously pointing to the fact that these lovely -cloisters sheltered some of our own troops during the Peninsular War. -Like many other Cathedrals, Tarragona's possesses a grand series of -tapestries, which are hung round the columns and walls during certain -festivals. They are mostly Flemish and not in any way ecclesiastical. -One indeed that I saw was anything but this. Cupid was leading a lady, -who was in _déshabille_, into her chamber, wherein, by a four-post bed, -stood a gentleman with a lighted taper in his hand! - -It was pleasant in the evening to stroll down to the harbour and out -along the mole, to watch the deep-sea fishing fleet race home with the -long sweeps out in every boat as the wind dropped and the sea became an -oily calm. I must own it was with great regret I left this now peaceful -spot--a city that once boasted of a million inhabitants, and prior to -that was a great Phoenician port! Of all the Cathedral Cities of Spain -I would rather return to Tarragona than any other, hold converse with my -friend the Sacristan, who knows and loves his Cathedral so well, and end -the day as the sun goes down watching the boats return from long hours -of toil. - - - - -BARCELONA - - -Barcelona the Progressive, the finest port of Spain, with its large -harbour, its wide boulevards, splendid suburbs, good hotels, huge -factories and modern prosperity has well earned the title of first city -of the New Spain. - -Amilcar Barca in 225 B.C. founded the Carthagenian city which occupied -the Taber hill on which the Cathedral now stands, and twenty years later -it became a colony of Rome. Remnants of the old walls can still be -traced in the narrow streets which centre round the Holy Fabric. Under -the Goths, Barcino, as it was then called, rose to some importance, -money coined here bears the legend "Barcinona." The Moors were in -possession of the sea-washed fortress for about one hundred years, and -then the reign of the Counts of Barcelona, independent sovereigns, -began. - -Count Ramon Berenguer I., who ruled from 1025 to 1077, instituted the -famous "Códego de los Usatjes de Cataluña," an admirable code of laws, -to which was added in the thirteenth century the "Consulado del mar de -Barcelona." This latter code obtained in the commercial world of Europe -the same authority as the old "Leges Rhodiæ" of the ancients. - -When at the height of its prosperity, Barcelona, the centre of commerce, -received a severe blow by the union of Cataluña with Aragon, on the -occasion of the marriage of Count Ramon Berenguer IV. to Petronila -daughter of Ramiro II. King of Aragon. When Aragon and Castile were -united Barcelona became subject to the "Catholic Kings," and ever since, -in language, in habits and enterprise has shown her dislike for and her -struggle against the ways of Castile. - -To-day Barcelona is far in advance of any other city of Spain. I felt I -was once more in Europe when the comfortable hotel 'bus rattled along -through the well-lit streets. Perhaps I was getting tired of life in the -Middle Ages, and was obsessed with Mediæval Cities! At any rate, a clean -bed in a modern hotel was a luxury I thoroughly appreciated, and I -started the next morning to explore, with a mind at ease and a -consciousness that there would be no irritating little pin-pricks, no -_mañana_ for a couple of weeks at least. - -[Illustration: BARCELONA. IN THE CATHEDRAL] - -The Cathedral stands on the site of a Pagan Church converted by the -Moors into a Mosque. The present edifice replaced the Christian Church -which superseded this Mosque, and was begun in 1298. The crypt was -finished in 1339 and the cloisters in 1388. The west façade was covered -with scaffolding while I was there, and so may perhaps be completed in -another thirty years. - -The interior of this splendid Gothic church is very dark. The pointed -windows are all filled with magnificent fifteenth-century glass. At the -sunset hour, when the rays of light strike low and filter through the -many colours of these windows, the effect in the gloom of this solemn -building is most beautiful. As the orb of day sinks lower and lower the -light lingers on column after column right up the lofty nave to the High -Altar until he suddenly disappears, and all within is wrapt in deep -twilight. - -The nave is very narrow and very high. The clustered columns seem to -disappear into space, and the vaulting is almost lost in the darkness. -There are deep galleries over the side chapels in the aisles, which have -a rather curious arrangement of vaulting. From the roof of the aisles at -each bay depend massive circular lamps which catch the light and -heighten the effect of mystery which is omnipresent throughout the -Cathedral. - -A flight of steps in front of the High Altar--an almost unique -feature--leads down to the crypt, where rests the body of Santa Eulalia, -Barcelona's patron saint. Her alabaster shrine is adorned with reliefs -of different incidents in her life. - -The _retablo_ of the High Altar is richly ornate with tapering Gothic -finials of the fifteenth century; below it is a sarcophagus containing -the remains of St. Severus. - -Above the Gothic _silleria del coro_ hang the coats-of-arms of the -Knights of the Golden Fleece. Among them are those of Henry VIII. of -England. The only installation of the Order was held here by Charles V. - -The side chapels contain very little of interest, but the cloisters are -otherwise. Entered either from the street or the south door of the -Cathedral their beauty is very striking. In the centre palms and orange -trees rear their heads, and the splash of the fountains, in one of which -the sacred geese are kept, is refreshingly cool after the bustle of -streets outside. - -San Pablo del Campo, now a barrack, is the most interesting of -Barcelona's ecclesiastical remains. This church, built by Wilfred II. in -913, is more like the ancient churches of Galicia than those of -Catalonia. Very small and cruciform, a solid dome rises from the centre. -Its cloisters are perfect, the arcading is composed of double shafts -with well-cut figures on the capitals. - -The peculiarity of Catalonia's churches is well illustrated in the -aisleless Santa Maria del Mar, San Just, and Santa Maria del Pi. The -first named has some magnificent glass and four good pictures by -Viladomát, and in the crypt beneath the High Altar a curious wooden -figure of San Alajo. San Just has the belfry common to the churches of -Catalonia, an open iron-work screen, from which depend the bells, and -Santa Maria del Pi contains a fine wheel window and more magnificent -glass. - -A relic of Loyola, the sword that he offered on the Altar of the Virgin -at Montserrat, is still preserved in the old Jesuit Church of Nuestra -Señora de Belen. - -Among the many notable buildings in Barcelona is the Casa Consistorial, -or Town Hall. It was built in 1378, and has a very original Gothic -front. A beautiful _patio_ with slender arches and twisted columns adds -to the interest of the interior. - -The Casa de la Diputacion opposite contains the picture on which Fortuny -was at work when he died. The _patio_ here is perhaps better than that -in the Casa Consistorial. It is in three stages, from the topmost of -which huge gargoyles of all sorts of devils and monsters rear their ugly -heads. - -In the old quarters of the city, where the five-and six-storied houses -almost touch, the streets are very tortuous and not considered safe at -night. - -In this respect, however, Barcelona does not stand alone. Any one who -ventures into the low parts of a Mediterranean seaport after dusk -generally does so at his own risk. Very few brawls commence among the -hot-blooded lower orders of the south without the finale of the knife. - -By far the most interesting suburb of the city is Barceloneta. This -self-contained town is entirely given up to the fisherfolk and seafaring -portion of Barcelona's inhabitants. Philip V., when planning his -citadel, now demolished, turned out the people who dwelt where he -afterwards erected it. To compensate them for loss of home and property, -he built this well-planned and well-paved suburb out along the coast to -the north-east. With the breeze coming in every afternoon off the sea my -favourite walk was through the park to Barceloneta. Of all the seaports -I know, Naples not excepted, though the Sta. Lucia of five-and-twenty -years ago might have beaten it, the harbour front of Barceloneta is -without an equal. Here one may watch the boat-builders at work under the -oddest roofs imaginable, carpenters busy with the shaping of masts and -oars, and ship's painters putting the finishing touches to boat -accessories. I used to stand awhile admiring the inventive turn -displayed on the exterior embellishments of the marine-dealers' stores. -Wonderful pictures, of ships that could never float, from brushes -wielded by very local talent in glaring vermilion and green. I watched -the holiday-makers sitting in ramshackle booths, rapidly putting away -all sorts of curiosities of the shell-fish order, and I wondered if they -would survive the day. Perhaps the copious draughts of wine they took -was an antidote, at any rate their laughter and good humour gave point -to my unspoken thought--"let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die." - -[Illustration: BARCELONA. THE RAMBLA] - -Going on, I often spent some time comparing the drill of artillery -recruits, whose instructors marched them up and down on a quiet bit of -the roadway, with those at home, and I generally finished my walk and -sat me down on the glorious stretch of sand that runs away north as far -as eye can follow. The evening would then draw in, and the twinkling -lights on the ships in the harbour warn me it was time to return. While -twilight lasted I retraced my steps homewards along the quay-side, -invigorated by an afternoon of sea breeze and salt spray. - -The focus of Barcelona's life is the celebrated Rambla. The derivation -of this word is Arabic--"Raml-sand"--a river bed, for a small stream at -one time meandered down to the sea where now is the liveliest street in -the north of Spain. - -On either side of the central promenade, under the shade of stately -plane trees, are the carriage drives. The broad walk itself is -thronged, especially in the morning when marketing is done, with an -ever-changing crowd. Boys distribute hand-bills, dog-fanciers stroll -about bargaining with dealers, itinerant merchants cry their wares. A -family of father, mother, and children cross the stream of promenaders, -followed by a pet lamb. Acquaintances meet and gossip away a good ten -minutes. - -At the top end of the Rambla are situated the stalls of the -bird-sellers, who also deal in mice, a great place this for mama and her -small daughters. Lower down, the flower-sellers congregate under their -red-striped umbrellas. It was here that I made my sketch, in which -luckily, for a bit of colour, I was able to include the blue-bloused -porters in their red caps who wait about for a job with the rope of -their calling slung over their shoulders. Here too all the odd job men -stand awaiting hire. House painters in white blouses with insignia of -their trade--a whitewash brush on the end of a pole--held high, and -others--an endless variety. - -Barcelona, being a business town, is democratic to the core, it is also -to the core, Catalan. The names of streets are displayed in Catalan as -well as Spanish. The animals in the Zoological Gardens also are known by -their Catalan, and Castilian as well as Latin names! Barcelona will have -no dealings with Castile, its people speak their own language and -address the foreigner in French. Barcelona is go-ahead. In the houses of -the new suburbs l'art nouveau screams at one, and everything is -up-to-date! - -The Spaniard is well-known to be lazy, not so the Catalan. I have never -seen a Spaniard running, but I have seen a Catalan walking fast! - - - - -GERONA - - -The siege of Gerona is as celebrated in the Spanish history of the -Napoleonic wars as that of Saragossa. Both exemplify the bravery and -tenacity of the Spaniard of the north. In the first siege in 1808, three -hundred men of the Ulster Regiment, under their gallant leader O'Daly, -helped to garrison the place against two ferocious attacks by Duchesne -and his French soldiery. The first failed and the second ended in the -utter rout of the besiegers with the loss of all the artillery and -baggage train. - -In the following year three French generals with an army of thirty -thousand men invested the city. Alvarez, the Spanish Governor, was -almost without any means of defence, and the women of Gerona enrolled -themselves under the banner of Santa Barbara, the patron saint of -Spain's artillery, and took their places on the ramparts side by side -with their husbands and sweethearts. Alvarez, ably seconded by a few -English under Marshall, held out until he was struck down by disease and -death. The city then, without a leader, its inhabitants starving, at -length surrendered. - -So ancient is Gerona that its early history is lost in the mist of ages. -Charlemagne drove the Moors out when they were in possession, but it -soon passed back into their hands again. The Counts of Barcelona ruled -over the place until the union of Catalonia and Aragon, an event which -gave birth to the Crown Prince's title of Principe de Gerona. Hence we -know that in the twelfth century it was a city of great importance. In -consequence of its adhesion, at the end of the War of Succession, to the -house of Hapsburg, Gerona was deprived of its privileges and university, -since which time it has steadily gone down hill. - -Down hill it may have proceeded, but I found it a very pleasant, quaint -old-world city set in the midst of verdant hills and running waters. -Shady walks are taking the place of now useless fortifications; and have -not I sat in one of the most delightful rose gardens you could wish to -rest in, and heard the note of the nightingale trilling on the perfumed -air? Most of Spain has gone down hill, and most of Spain is nothing but -enchanting. - -[Illustration: GERONA. THE CATTLE MARKET] - -Gerona is bisected by the river Oñar, and from its waters which wash -them, the houses rise tier above tier up the hill side. In the summer -when the river is running low, and if it happens to be a Saturday, you -will see one of the most remarkable sights that Spain can boast of. -Under and around the arches of the old bridge are congregated hundreds -of brown and fawn-coloured cattle. The background of ancient houses, -yellow, grey, white, brown--every tone, rises up above this throng. -Coloured garments, the week's washing, flutter in the breeze, green -shutters and blinds hang from the creeper-clad balconies. - -It is market day. The lowing of oxen, mingled with the hum of bargaining -humanity in red caps and Prussian-blue blouses, surges up like the sound -of breakers on a distant shore. You who enter Spain by the east route, -go to Gerona at the end of the week--you will never regret its Saturday -market. - -The Cathedral stands well. The west façade, a Renaissance addition, is -approached from the Plaza below by a grand flight of ninety steps in -three tiers. In the unfinished jambs of the south door are a series of -interesting terra-cotta figures dating from 1458. - -There is nothing else in the exterior worthy of note, but directly I -entered I stopped in amazement at the daring of an architect who could -build so enormous a span as that under which I found myself. This span -is seventy-three feet, the clear width of the nave, and unsupported by -any pillars. No flying buttresses outside give additional strength to -the thrust of the roof. The stonework is perfect and the vaulting inside -simple. So bold and hazardous were the plans of Guillermo Boffy that the -chapter at first refused to sanction them. Being in doubts as to his -sanity, they sought the opinion of twelve other architects, who were -examined separately. As they all approved and passed Boffy's plans, the -construction of this marvel was commenced, and the first stone laid in -1416. - -The apsidal chancel had been begun a century earlier and finished in -1346, pretty much on the same lines as this part of Barcelona's -Cathedral. - -Unfortunately--how often does one have to acknowledge this!--the _coro_, -with its hideous _respaldos_, painted to imitate Gothic arches in -perspective, almost ruins this splendid and solemn interior. Among the -seats of the _silleria del coro_ there are still preserved some that -date from the fourteenth century. - -Early carved work of the same period is found in the elaborate _retablo_ -over the High Altar, which is surmounted by three fine processional -crosses. The _baldaquino_, also of wood, is covered like the _retablo_ -with plates of silver. It is a mass of precious metal, enamelled -coats-of-arms and gems, and is an extremely interesting relic of that -century. - -[Illustration: GERONA. THE CATHEDRAL] - -Over the sacristy door are the tombs of Count Ramon Berenguer II. and -his wife Ermensendis, who died in 1058, predeceasing her husband by -twenty-four years. The sacristy itself contains a remarkable piece of -twelfth-century crewel work, said to be the earliest known specimen in -existence. It is covered with figures of a type similar to those of -contemporary MSS. The Romanesque cloisters form an irregular trapezium. -The columns are doubled and about a foot apart, not unlike those of -Tarragona. - -The finest Romanesque example that Gerona possesses is the church of San -Pedro de los Galligans. The apse, little damaged during the siege, forms -a tower in the town wall. There is no doubt of the great antiquity of -this building, which dates probably from the early part of the tenth -century. The east end is mostly constructed of black volcanic scoriæ. -The nave and aisles, the bays of which are very simply built, are almost -prehistoric in their roughness. - -In the cloisters attached to the church is the Museo Provincial. Many -relics of Gerona's heroic defence can here be seen, as well as some -early Christian and Hebrew remains. - - - - -TOLEDO - - -Standing high above the yellow Tagus, which, confined in a deep gorge, -rushes and swirls far below between precipitous granite cliffs, Toledo -was always an ideal position for a fortress before modern firearms -rendered Nature's defences of little avail. - -Its name is associated with the great Cardinals of the Rodrigo, Tenorio, -and Foncesca families, as well as scions of the houses of Ximenes, -Mendoza, Tavera, and Lorenzana. The wealth of these Prelates was -immense, and their power, Ecclesiastical and Temporal, proportionate. -They practically had no rivals, they certainly feared none, they ruled -kings as well as countries, and their allegiance to Rome was purely -nominal. They made wars and fought in them. For their patronage of art -and literature future generations have had good cause to be grateful. -They built schools and improved the means of communication throughout -the land. Under their influence the Church was omnipotent, and they have -written their names deep in the pages of Spanish history. In fact, so -great was the power of Toledo's clergy that it grew to be the cause of -the foundation of the Capital at Madrid. Philip II., who removed the -Court from Valladolid to Toledo, found it better, after a short -residence here, to take himself and his Court to a town where he no -longer encountered the arrogance of Ecclesiastical rule. - -Under the Romans, who captured it in 193 B.C., "Toletum" became the -capital of Hispania. Leovigild removed hither from Seville, and his -successor, Reccared, who embraced the orthodox form of Christianity, -made it the ecclesiastical as well as political capital of his -dominions. - -For nearly four centuries, from 712, when the Moors took Toledo, it was -under their rule; but divided counsels and the treachery of the -down-trodden Hebrew enabled Alfonso VI. to enter in triumph with the -Cid. The King then styled himself Emperor, and promoted the Archbishop -to the Primacy of Spain. Under Alfonso's rule the city grew rapidly in -every way. Churches and convents were built, defences strengthened, and -Toledo knew no rival. - -With far-seeing wisdom, Moor and Christian were allowed to intermarry, -and lived together in peace for wellnigh one hundred and fifty years. -The advent in 1227 of that ecclesiastical firebrand, St. Ferdinand, -however, altered this. One of his first acts was to pull down the -Mosque, wherein the Moors of the city, by Alfonso's royal prerogative, -had been allowed to worship, and commence the building on its site of -the great Cathedral. - -[Illustration: TOLEDO. THE CATHEDRAL] - -For two hundred years and more did the architects who followed Pedro -Perez add bit by bit, leaving their mark on its stones. Partly -constructed of granite it is immensely strong. A softer stone has been -used with great discretion in the decorative portions of the building. - -No comprehensive view of the Cathedral is obtainable, so closely do the -houses surround it on the south and east, and creep up the hill on which -it is built, on the north. The west front is best seen from the Plaza -Ayuntamiento, a pleasant little garden which the Town Hall bounds on one -side. I managed a sketch from the narrow street below this garden. - -Only one of the two towers of the west façade is finished as originally -intended. The other is capped by a dome, designed by El Greco, that -painter of the weird, and under which is the chapel wherein the -Mozárabic ritual is celebrated daily at 9 A.M. - -The great west door, La Puerta del Perdon, is enriched with embossed -bronze work. Flanking on it either side are the doors of Las Palmas, and -de los Escribanos. The arches of all three have figures in the jambs, -which are continued round each arch in the very best Gothic of the -fifteenth century. Above the doors the façade is adorned with a -sculptured Last Supper and colossal figures in niches. In the centre is -a splendid rose window twenty-eight feet in diameter. - -The north transept is entered from the steep Calle de la Chapineria by -La Puerta del Reloj, the oldest doorway of the Cathedral. Its bronze -doors, of later date than the doorway, were cast to match those of La -Puerta de los Leones in the south transept. This doorway's name is -derived from the Lions, which holding shields, occupy positions on its -pillars. Another entrance is through La Puerta de la Presentacion which -opens on the cloisters. - -The effect produced by the magnificent interior is much enhanced by the -beauty of the glass which fills most of the windows. The earliest are on -the north side of the nave, and form a series which was commenced in -1418 and finished one hundred and fifty years later. The glass in the -rose window over the west door is superb, and the same may be said for -that in the north transept and the wheel window over La Puerta de los -Leones. - -There is no triforium, and the transepts do not project beyond the nave. -The arches of the very beautiful chancel serve as niches for figures. -Here in each bay is a rose window forming a clerestory, and the colours -in the glass of these shine like jewels in a crown. - -[Illustration: TOLEDO. THE SOUTH TRANSEPT] - -There are in all twenty chapels, every one of which contains something -worth study. The lofty _retablo_ in the Capilla Mayor is of the richest -Gothic. Above is a colossal Calvary of later workmanship. Cardinal -Ximenes built this chapel, among the many monuments of which are the -tombs of Spain's earliest kings. Separating it from the _crucero_ is a -magnificent Plateresque _reja_, on either side of which stands a gilded -pulpit. - -Behind the _retablo_ is the _transparente_, much admired by Toledans, -but the one jarring note in the finest of Spain's Cathedrals. This -theatrical mass of marble figures, in the midst of which the Archangel -Rafael kicks his feet high in the air and squeezes a gold fish in one -hand! is lit from a window let into the roof of the apse. - -The Capilla de Reyes Nuevos contains the tombs of the kings descended -from Henry II. His tomb and that of his wife, as well as the spouse of -Henry III., a daughter of John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster, are among the -many that crowd the walls. - -The Capilla de San Ildefonso is an extremely beautiful example of early -Gothic work. The much-mutilated tomb in the centre of Cardinal Albornoz -is a masterpiece of the same style. Many other great Ecclesiastics rest -in this elegant octagon, notably Inigo de Mendoza, Viceroy of Sardinia, -who was killed at the siege of Granada. - -The Capilla de Santiago was erected in 1435 by Alvaro de Luna, the man -who saved Spain for Juan II. by repressing the turbulent nobles, and who -for his fidelity was rewarded by disgrace and execution in the Plaza -Mayor at Valladolid. The scallop shells which decorate the walls -represent de Luna's office of Grand Master of the Order of Santiago. - -Cardinal Ximenes re-established the Mozárabic Ritual, which is -celebrated in the Capilla Mozárabe, as a reminder to the Pope that Spain -did not owe implicit allegiance to Rome. - -The small detached Capilla de la Descension de Nuestra Señora stands -against the second pier in the north aisle. It marks the spot where the -Virgin came down and presented San Ildefonso with the _casulla_ or -chausable. - -The Salle Capitular is a grand example of early sixteenth-century work, -with a Plateresque frieze and gilt _artesonado_ ceiling by Francisco de -Lara. It contains a series of portraits of the Cardinal Archbishops of -Toledo, and frescoes by Juan de Borgoña. The work of this painter is to -be met with throughout the Cathedral. - -The _coro_ occupies two bays of the nave and is a veritable museum of -carving and sculpture. Its _silleria_ are in two rows. The lower is of -walnut and enriched with scenes representing the campaigns of Ferdinand -and Isabella. The upper of the same wood is a perfect classical contrast -and is inlaid not carved. Berruguete, whose work may be best studied in -Valladolid, executed the seats on the south side, and Vigarney those on -the north. A small figure of the Virgin in blackened stone looks really -ancient. It stands in the middle of the _coro_ on a pedestal. Nicolas de -Vergara was responsible for the two reading desks, which are -masterpieces of gilded metal work. - -The Gothic cloisters enclose a delightful garden, and have an upper -cloister reached by a door in the Archbishop's Palace. From this -pleasant _claustro alto_ a very good idea of the size of the Cathedral -is obtained. - -Space does not permit me to enlarge on the manifold works of art which -this noble building contains. The pictures, the iron work--though I must -just mention a beautifully fanciful knocker of two nude nymphs hanging -downwards from the head of a satyr whose hands clasped together form the -handle, which adorns La Puerta de la Presentacion--the sculpture, -notably that on the _respaldo_, or outer wall of the _coro_, and the -many relics in the Treasury, would all occupy more than I can afford. -Suffice it to say that nowhere in Spain is there a Gothic building of -such well-proportioned dimensions, such simplicity in its leading -features, such a fine idea in the interior of the spacing out of light -and shade, as in this magnificent Cathedral--the grandest of the three -due to French influence. - -And Toledo's churches? There are nearly sixty still remaining, every -street seems to contain one! And Toledo's convents? There are almost as -many. Of the former, San Juan de los Reyes, on the high ground above the -bridge of Saint Martin, the last remnant left of a once wealthy -Franciscan convent, was built by Cardinal Ximenes in commemoration of -the "Catholic Kings" victory of Toro. On its outer walls still hang the -manacles and chains of the captive Christians who were set free at the -conquest of Granada, and the interior is embellished with the arms of -Ferdinand and Isabella, and covered with sculptured heraldry. - -[Illustration: TOLEDO. THE ZÓCODOVER] - -Santa Maria la Blanca, originally a Jewish synagogue, is in the -_Mudéjar_ style, and has some charming arabesques, with a fine cedar -ceiling said to be of wood from the trees at Lebanon. Almost -opposite--we are in the Juderia, or Jews' quarter, to the south-east of -San Juan de los Reyes--is another synagogue, el Transito. Built in 1366 -by Samuel Levi, Pedro the Cruel's treasurer, in the Moorish style, it is -almost a better piece of architecture than Santa Maria la Blanca. Levi -lived next door, in the house known now as La Casa del Greco, that -painter having occupied it during his residence in Toledo. The house and -synagogue are connected by a secret passage from the vaults of the -former. These are of immense size and strength, and in Levi's day held -an enormous amount of treasure--too much for the poor man's good. His -royal master, when sufficient was accumulated, put him to death and -appropriated all he could find. - -El Cristo de la Luz, one of the most interesting churches in Toledo, was -originally a tiny mosque. It is divided into nine different compartments -by four columns, from the capitals of which spring sixteen arches. It -was here that Alfonso VI. attended the first Mass after the city was -captured. Close by is the Convent of San Domingo el Real, where a -glimpse may be had of picturesque nuns while at their devotions during -early service. - -As the station 'bus rattled up the steep winding ascent to the Despacho -Central we dashed through the Zocodovér, the square celebrated for -numerous _auto de fés_ and other executions. All day long it is crowded -with sauntering folk, who walk up and down, quietly enough now, on the -scene of much former cruelty, bloodshed, and many bull-fights. - -On its eastern side a fine Moorish arch leads down the hill by a -footpath to the Bridge of Alcántara. Immediately the arch is passed on -the left lies the old Hospital de Santa Cruz. It is one of the best -examples of the Transition to Renaissance in Spain. The portal is deeply -undercut and elaborately carved in soft "white rose" stone and marble. -The inner gate is plateresque and only surpassed by San Marcos at Leon -and the gateway of the university at Salamanca. Cardinal Mendoza's arms -adorn the beautiful _patio_, which has a double arcade of great -elegance, and the stone work on the balustrade of the staircase leading -out of this is very fine. Opposite, on the other side of this steep -descent, are the Military Governor's quarters which are dominated by the -huge Alcázar, now the Military Academy for Infantry Cadets. Destroyed by -fire in 1886, the present edifice, rebuilt soon after, is seen in the -illustration of the Alcántara Bridge rising a great square mass on the -top of the hill. It was the fortress and palace of Moorish days. Alvaro -de Luna had a share in its alteration and Herrera completed it to the -present size by additions executed for Philip II. Many a time has it -been sacked by the conquerors of Toledo and many a prisoner of note -passed his last hours within its gloomy walls, before being led out to -death in the Zocodovér. - -[Illustration: TOLEDO. THE ALCÁNTARA BRIDGE] - -Both Toledo's bridges are magnificent. The Alcántara, crossed on the way -from the station, has but a couple of arches which span the mighty river -at a great height. It is defended by a gateway at either end, that on -the inner side being the Moorish Tower in my sketch. The Bridge of Saint -Martin has one arch of enormous span with four smaller, which carry it -over the rushing Tagus. Between these two bridges from the opposite bank -of the river one gets the best idea of Toledo's strength. Nothing in -Spain surpasses the grim majesty of the city, which rises above the -sun-baked and wind-blistered crags that form the gorge below through -which the river has cut its way. No spot could have been better chosen -for defence than the hill enclosed in this "horseshoe" of mad waters. -Small wonder that within its encircling walls grew up a race of Prelates -whose rule spread far beyond the borders of Castile, and whose powerful -hand was felt in countries of an alien tongue. - -Of the eight city gates the most interesting is the Puerta del Sol, a -Moorish structure with two towers on either side of a horseshoe arch. It -is close to the little church of el Cristo de la Luz, and from either of -the towers a very good idea is obtained of Toledo's defences. Near the -Puerta del Cambon, another of the gates, is the site of the old palace -of the last of the Spanish Goths, Roderic, who lost his life on the -banks of the Guadalete near Cadiz when giving battle to Tarik and his -Berbers. - -My whole impression of Toledo was that of a city of gloom. Its larger -houses were forbidding in the extreme. In these a huge portal, with -armorial bearings and massive pillars, defended by a stout iron-bound -door, opens into a dark porch, from which one enters the _patio_ through -an equally strong entrance. The windows that look on to the street are -heavily barred and none are within reach of the pedestrian. Its streets, -too narrow and steep for vehicular traffic, are as silent as the grave -(most Spaniards wear shoes made of esparto grass or soft leather), save -when a young cadet from the Alcázar passes along rattling his sword, and -attracts the attention of the señoritas who sit high up in those -inaccessible balconies. Built on the Moorish plan, these tortuous -thoroughfares twist and turn like a maze, and it seemed to me that the -sun never entered them. - -Houses and streets, walls and towers, still remain as they were in the -great Cardinal's days, and stand, even now, as symbols of the iron rule -of the Church. The Cardinal's hat is to be found graved in stone over -many a door, and the "Sheaf of Arrows," the arms of the "Catholic -Kings," is still to be seen over the entrance of what was once the -palace of Pedro the Cruel. - -Toledo blades are still made and proved in the ugly factory a mile -outside the city. Toledo ware (made in Germany) is sold by most of the -shops. The growing trade in liquorice is a modern industry, but if it -were not for another recent innovation, the Military Academy, it would -take no stretch of the imagination to carry one back again into the -Middle Ages and to sink one's individuality and become a human atom -under the rule of the great Church. - - - - -SALAMANCA - - -Before I ever thought that Fate would take me to Spain, I had formed in -my mind, as one is apt to do, a Spain of my own, a Spain of glorious -romance. I had been in many cities throughout the country, but it was -not until I reached Salamanca that, "Surely," thought I, "the Spain of -my imagination is now realised." - -Here in the middle of the plain, with which one's thoughts are somehow -familiar, rises the great Cathedral, its towers are landmarks for miles -round. Here is a beautiful river winding through valleys deep cut in the -ochre-coloured soil, its banks are clad with verdure and it is spanned -by an ancient bridge. Away over the plain, just visible in the haze, are -the blue mountains of the south. In the midst of all, the dull mud and -yellow walls of the city, the many-hued roofs of red and brown, with -deep shadows under their eaves, rise tier above tier to the Cathedral -above. And this, the prototype of Spain's greatness, her Church, the -ever-present reminder that in days gone by its princes led her armies -to victory and placed her in the van of nations. - -I am standing on the noble bridge, half of which is even now as it was -in the days of the Roman occupation. Those massive walls up there of -monasteries and convents always formed part of the picture of my -imagination. They bake under a September sun, just as all Spain ought to -do. A long string of heavily laden mules trots past, their bells -jingling merrily, their drivers shouting and cracking their whips. A -well set-up peasant with his head in a handkerchief and broad-brimmed -hat, cut-away tunic, red sash and tight knee breeches, canters by seated -on a high peaked saddle. His well-bred horse shows a good deal of the -Arab strain, across its quarters are a couple of rugs and its rider -carries an umbrella. A beggar stops before me, and prays that, for the -love of the Holy Mary, I will give him a _perro chico_. Two wizened old -cronies go by chattering about Manuelo's wife. One carries a couple of -fowls tied together by their legs, the poor birds are doing their best -to hold their heads in a natural position. Some little urchins are -throwing stones at the washerwomen by the riverside below. An old man -seated on a donkey's rump ambles past. Yes, this is what I imagined -Spain to be. I turn my steps towards the city. I wander by the Cathedral -and reach the great university of the middle ages. What would Salamanca -have been without its university! I pass many fine houses, with -coats-of-arms emblazoned over their portals. I gaze at their high walls -and windows barred to keep the intruder from the fair sex. Most of them -seem falling into decay, but this only adds to the romance. At length I -reach an arcaded square. The columns of the arcades are wooden, they are -at all sorts of angles, but the houses above still stand. The sun blazes -down on scores of picturesque market folk, who sell almost everything -from peaches and fowls to little tinsel images and double-pronged hoes. -Dogs are sniffing about picking up stray scraps. Children run in and -out, fall down and get up laughing. Every one is busy. The animation of -this little square, as I suddenly come upon it out of a deeply shaded -and aristocratic street, is just the Spain I had always thought of--a -Spain of contrasts. Brilliant sun and grateful shade. Seclusion behind -high walls, and a strange medley of noisy folk, for ever bargaining, -buying and selling. Certainly in Salamanca it is all here. I hear the -click of the castanets and the sound of the guitar in the evening, I see -the ardent lover standing at those iron bars whispering soft raptures to -his mistress, and the picture is complete. - -[Illustration: SALAMANCA] - -Salamanca is a sleepy old city which the world seems to have left -behind. In the summer it is a veritable furnace, in the winter it is -swept by icy blasts. Before the Christian era it was known as -Salmantica. Hannibal came and captured it in B.C. 247 and under the -Romans it was the ninth military station on the great road which they -built connecting Cadiz and Merida with Astorga and Gijón. Alfonso IX. of -Leon founded the university, which reached its zenith as a seat of -learning during the sixteenth century. Philip II., having transferred -his Court from Valladolid to Toledo, made Salamanca's bishop suffragan -to that city's, since when it seems to have been left out in the cold -and slowly but surely proceeded down hill. This is the reason, I think, -why it attracted me so much. It is essentially a city with a Past and of -the Past. The French under Thiébaut pulled it to pieces and used the -material from its demolished buildings to fortify the place. This was in -1811. The following year saw Marmont's troops utterly routed by -Wellington, three miles south of the fortifications. It was this victory -that gained him his Marquisate and a grant from Parliament of £100,000. - -Like Saragossa, Salamanca possesses two Cathedrals. The older intensely -interesting in every way, the later, a huge late Gothic pile begun in -1513 and finished in 1733. This immense structure affords a good study -of the changes of architectural taste spread over the years which -intervened between these two dates. - -[Illustration: SALAMANCA. THE OLD CATHEDRAL] - -The west façade is a marvel of intricate sculpture in the -richly-coloured soft stone that has been used as if it were plaster or -wax. Late Gothic predominates amidst a deal of Plateresque and Barroque -ornament. Despite its incongruities it is extremely fine, but would look -even better if some of the numerous niches had not lost their statues, -and if little boys did not find a pastime in lodging stones amongst -those that are left, greatly I fear to their detriment. Over the double -doorway are high reliefs of the Nativity and Adoration of the Magi, a -negro prince being an especially good figure in the latter subject. -Above is a Crucifixion. - -The north porch is also very fine and gains in effect, as indeed does -the whole of this side of the Cathedral, by the raised piazza on which -it is built. The approach is up some dozen steps, the whole of the -piazza being surrounded by pillars as at Leon and Seville. - -Juan Gil de Hontañon, who designed this and the sister Cathedral at -Segovia, surpassed himself with the Great Tower and its -finely-proportioned dome, the top of which is 360 feet high. The -crocketed pinnacles, the flying buttresses, the dome over the crossing, -and the wonderful deep yellow of this huge church, whatever may be -one's opinion about the architecture, make it one of the most -impressive of Spain's Cathedrals. - -I was disappointed with the interior on first acquaintance, but it has -only to be known to be appreciated. The imposing proportions, it is 340 -feet long, 158 feet wide and close on 100 feet high, gradually asserted -themselves, and before I left Salamanca I was much in love with -Hontañon's masterpiece. A pierced balustrade takes the place of a -triforium, flamboyant Renaissance in the aisles and classical in nave. -It runs round the whole church and in the transepts and choir these two -occur together. Medallions in the spandrils of the arches add to the -rich effect. - -Many details in this interior I found to be worth a second and third -visit. The Chapel of Dorado, a veritable museum, contains the tomb of -the builder, Fransico de Palenzuela. Its walls are covered with a -profusion of coloured saints on gilt pedestals. There is a very curious -old organ, standing at the back of an also curious old minstrel's -gallery. A sad-looking skeleton, with "Memento Mori" cut on a slab at -his feet, occupies a dark hole in one of the walls. Fine _azulejos_ -decorate the chapel, and many other antiquities too, which I cannot -enumerate. - -In the Capilla del Carmen rest the remains of Gerómino, the Cid's bishop -and confessor. An ancient wooden crucifix stands over the altar, it is -the identical one carried by the bishop in the wars of the Cid. Another -relic of the great Campeador is to be seen in the Relicario. A small -Byzantine bronze, "el Crucifijo de las Batallas," studded with chequer -work--a fine specimen of early Limoges enamel. - -All this interested me muchly, but the "Catedral Vieja," a grand example -of late Romanesque style, interested me more. Fortis Salmantica, as it -was called, on account of the thickness of its walls, has not been used -for service since its huge neighbour was erected. - -I made a drawing of the only view which can be obtained of the exterior -from the Plazuela chica. The central lantern is surmounted by the emblem -of nobility, a cock, and is formed by an octagonal tower with a stone -dome. The tower is arcaded and has four domed turrets and dormers at the -corners similar to those at Zamora. Street considers that he has "never -seen any central lantern more thoroughly good and effective from every -point of view than this is." - -To reach the interior one has to retrace one's steps to the "Catedral -Nueva" and from its south aisle pass through a doorway into the other -building. This was erected on a lower level than its big neighbour and -with the attendant verger I descended ten steps and found myself in a -very beautiful mellow-coloured church. The arches of the nave and aisles -are pointed, but the windows and arcading are round. The capitals of the -columns are a museum of carved fantasies, imps, animals, birds, &c. On -the wall of the north aisle, which was partly demolished when the -"Catedral Nueva" was built, are some very curious frescoes; the church -has a clerestory of single lights but no triforium. - -There is a wonderful _retablo_ in the Capilla Mayor by an Italian, -Nicolas Florentino. It is still in perfect preservation, and the -fifty-five frescoes set in white and gold of which it is composed have a -beautiful effect in the semi-gloom of the dark chapel. The Mozárabic -Ritual is celebrated six times a year in another chapel, La Capilla de -Talavera. The groining of its roof is the only one of the sort I have -seen, it is composed of parallel ribs which cross one another. In the -Capilla de San Bartolomé lies Bishop Diego de Anaya. His tomb is -surrounded by one of the finest examples of wrought and hammered iron -work in the whole of Spain. Some other members of this family are also -interred in the chapel, which contains a mediæval organ covered by a -screen of coloured Moorish arabesques. - -[Illustration: SALAMANCA. AN OLD STREET.] - -The cloisters were built in 1170, but have been partly modernised and -totally disfigured by a coat of whitewash. An uncared-for garden filled -with rubbish occupies the centre. Surely some one might be found to tend -this little secluded patch of quietness and make it a place for -delightful repose instead of the disgrace it now is! - -Before the French occupation Salamanca was a city of churches and -monastic buildings. To build their fortifications they destroyed -thirteen convents and twenty colleges besides many churches. The -south-west corner of the city is still an empty desert full of rubble -and stone strewn about everywhere, the remains of the now dismantled -fortress which overlooked the valley of the Tormes. - -Among the churches left, that attached to the now suppressed Dominican -Convent of San Estéban is by far the finest. It is a miniature Cathedral -in itself. The Gothic exterior is extremely good. The great west façade -is highly enriched with Plateresque ornament. An elliptical arch of -great dimensions roofs the porch. Below it is a realistic group -illustrating the martyrdom of St. Stephen, with the date 1610 cut upon a -stone which one of the figures is picking up to hurl at the saint. The -_coro_ is over the west end, and for once the whole of the interior is -visible. This is very lofty, and the view up to the immense High Altar, -executed by Chirriguera himself, superb. There are two more altars in -the church by the same hand, and although his flamboyant style is not to -my liking, I could not help admiring the way in which he had evidently -allowed himself all the licence he was capable of in their sumptuous -design. - -To the south of the little _plaza_ in which San Estéban stands are the -cloisters of the convent, in the upper storey of which is Salamanca's -museum. Unfortunately it contains nothing of interest. Columbus was -lodged by the Dominicans in this convent, and propounded those schemes -to the monks, which the learned members of the university had pronounced -worthless and crack-brained. He found in Fray Diego de Deza and the -other brothers warm supporters. - -The once magnificent Convent of las Agustinas Recoletas, founded by the -Count of Monterey, has a beautiful church in the shape of a Latin Cross. -Over the High Altar is one of Ribera's masterpieces--_The Immaculate -Conception_. Monterey was known as "the good slow man" and was Viceroy -of Naples in Philip IV.'s reign. He accumulated great wealth during his -Viceroyalty and built himself the fine palace which stands close to the -convent. There is an anecdote current in Salamanca that when a peasant -woman craved an audience of the King, which he granted, she prayed "God -might make him also Viceroy of Naples." - -The University which made Salamanca famous was united with that of -Palencia by Ferdinand, and very soon took the foremost rank as a seat of -learning in Europe, though at the Council of Constance in the year 1414, -Oxford was given precedence, a ruling which much disgusted the patriotic -Spaniard. - -The building was entirely altered by the "Catholic Kings," who erected -the marvellous west façade, one of the best examples of Plateresque work -in the country. Like that of the Cathedral and San Estèban, it is a -wonderful example of what can be done with soft stone, and how well the -most delicate modelling has survived in this dry climate. Some of the -Moorish ceilings of the interior have been restored. The grand staircase -leading to the upper floors and cloister is especially well carved with -dancers and foliage. Over the door of each _aula_, or lecture room, is a -tablet denoting the science taught within. The fine library is rich in -theological lore and early editions of Aristotle, &c. - -The little square on to which the west façade opens also leads through a -good doorway into the Grammar School, with a delicious cloister and -shady garden. - -The four sides of the square and the walls of the Cathedral are covered -with numerous hieroglyphics and names in Roman characters. They are the -initials, signs, and names of the numerous scholars who have -distinguished themselves in different walks of life. A custom now -followed in all our own schools on boards of honour. - -The Collegio Mayor de Santiago Apostol is a seminary for Irish priests. -The number in training is generally about twenty. This building, -originally founded in 1592 by Philip II. and dedicated to St. Patrick, -is a very good example of cinquecento architecture. - -Among the many fine houses still left after French depredations, that of -La Casa de las Conchas is the most celebrated. It dates from 1512, and -is so named on account of the scallop shells which decorate the exterior -walls. The window grilles are exceptionally fine. The Spanish proverb -"La mujer y el vidrio siempre estan en peligro"--"a woman and glass are -always in danger," evidently held good when these intricate and -beautiful guards were let into the stone. The house has a lovely _patio_ -and a very fine staircase. La Casa de Sal is another house with a good -court, the gallery above being supported by life-size figures. La Casa -de las Duendes, or Ghosts, built by Archbishop Fonseca, was supposed to -be haunted, hence the name. The Torre del Clavero is a good specimen of -the Castilian keep. It was built in 1488 by a Sotomayer who was Clavero -or Key-bearer to the Alcántara Order, and is still in the possession of -this noble family. - -Throughout the churches, in these houses, and the convents which remain -unsuppressed are many fine pictures, and except for Seville, I found -here more of interest than in any other city of Spain. In the convents -of course mortal man is forbidden entrance, and I could only look at -their lofty walls and wish myself a nearer acquaintance with the -artistic treasures which I was told lay buried behind them. - -Perhaps the best example of a square in the whole of the country is the -Plaza Mayor. A lofty colonnade runs around the four sides and every -evening the beauties and others of Salamanca make it their promenade. -The men stroll round in one direction and the women in the opposite. The -social life of a Spanish town passed in view before me, with all its fan -and language of the eyes, as I sat at one of the small tables of a café -and got this cheap and harmless entertainment for one _real_. The square -dates from 1720; the houses are four storeys high and on the north and -south sides bear medallions of kings and celebrated men. The -Ayuntamiento, with its chirrigueresque façade, occupies the centre of -the north side and adds greatly to the appearance of this fine Plaza -where up to fifty years ago bull fights took place. - -My work over, I nearly always found myself wandering on to the desert -created by the French at the south-west angle of the city, and with my -pipe spending half an hour or so meditating on the Salamanca of the Past -and its contrast with the Present. The rock stands high here over the -road and river below, and there is a drop of 100 feet or more down on to -the former. It is but a narrow lane hedged in by a high wall and this -forbidding-looking rock. When walking along this lane one day I noticed -many crosses cut in the wall and chalked red. On inquiry I was told that -each cross represented a suicide. From the height above, those tired of -life or disappointed in love hurl themselves down and it is the -unwritten law or prerogative of him who finds the mutilated body to -carve a little cross on the wall at the spot where the unhappy mortal -has ended his days. But it was not to prevent suicides that I wandered -there and sat smoking my afternoon pipe. No, I fear it was something -inglorious, it was to get away from the stenches and filth of the town -and breathe the fresh air of the plain. I do not think that anywhere, -unless it be in Tarragona, were my olfactory nerves so insulted as in -Salamanca. Flies in thousands settled on my colour box and paper -wherever I sat sketching. I can now appreciate fully the torture of the -Egyptians during the plague. - -Add to the flies beggars innumerable, with horrible sores, offal and -filth in the streets and some of the romance vanishes. Yet Salamanca -still remains the Spain of my imagination, for was not all this part and -parcel of my dream? - - - - -AVILA - - -Avila is one of the most perfectly preserved towns in Spain. It gave me -the impression of having been dropped from the sky,--complete as it -is--so desolate and barren is the boulder-strewn waste that surrounds -it. A sort of suburb pushes its mean houses straggling beyond the walls, -but Avila itself lies snugly within them. They are perfect--these walls -that entirely encircle the old portion of the town. Forty feet high, -twelve thick, with eighty-six defensive towers and bastions, and ten -gates, they are constructed of slabs of granite set end upwards, and -were always a hard nut for invaders to crack. - -The Roman Avela afterwards fell into the hands of the Moors, who for -long held it as a fortress of the first class. Alfonso VI., the -conqueror of Toledo, drove them out after a lengthy siege, and Avila was -rebuilt by his son Ramon of Burgundy. It was then that the present walls -were built, being erected under the supervision of two foreigners, a -Frenchman and an Italian, Florian de Pituenga and Cassandro. Since their -day Avila has played an important _rôle_ in the history of the country -and witnessed many strange events. - -In 1465 an extraordinary scene took place on the plain outside the city. -That unpopular king, Enrique IV., was reigning at the time, and the -hatred of the people towards him reached its height when his effigy was -dragged from the city and set upon a throne which had been prepared for -the ceremony of degradation. The Archbishop of Toledo having recounted -the people's grievances, removed the crown from the effigy's head, -others high in the land insulted it and at length pushed it off the -throne, the people then kicked it about and a game of "socker" ensued. -Prince Alfonso, a mere boy, was raised to the unoccupied seat, and -hailed King by the Archbishop, nobles and people, amidst a blare of -trumpets and general rejoicing. - -Avila is an intensely cold place, frosts often occur here in May, but -the summer months are delightful. Every street, every house almost is of -interest, and in the old days of its importance there could have been -few strongholds in the country so safe as this. - -The Cathedral is almost a fort in itself. The east end forms part of the -city walls, the apse abutting in line with the next two towers on either -side forms part of the defensive works. - -[Illustration: AVILA] - -Commenced at the end of the eleventh century by Alva Garcia, a native of -Navarre, this early Gothic building is still unfinished. Not much is, -however, of this early date, for the general style of the building is of -the end of the next century, and many alterations have followed this in -later years. - -The west front has but one tower, the north--the other, the south, does -not rise above the roof. The favourite ball decoration of late Gothic -Spain is in evidence, and guarding the doorway are a couple of uncouth -mace-bearers. Very terrible are these hairy granite men, but not so -dangerous looking as the two lions which stand on pedestals and are -chained to the Cathedral walls. Always on guard, these four strange -figures have no doubt many a time struck a holy terror into the hearts -of would-be evil-doers as they entered the church, and I daresay kept -the thoughts of others in the straight line. - -The north door is early pointed and carries figures in each jamb, the -tympanum is decorated with reliefs of the Betrayal and Last Supper, but -all the figures are sadly mutilated. - -The third entrance is at the south-east corner of the Cathedral, and is -a later addition, opening outside the walls of the city on to the Calle -de S. Segundo. - -The interior of the Cathedral is very simple and massive, partaking more -of strength than elegance. It is a fitting inside to the severity of the -fortress-like exterior. The nave is narrow and lofty, and so are the -aisles. The large clerestory windows have their tracery above blocked -up, and the lower lights have been treated in the same way, thus giving -a certain resemblance to a triforium, a feature the church does not -possess. - -The aisles in the apse are double, like those at Tortosa, and although -the single columns in the centre are very beautiful, these aisles have -not the elegance of those in the other Cathedral. The apse is very dark, -the stone work at one time was painted red and the little that remains -of this colour adds to the religious gloom of its double aisles. - -The columns throughout the Cathedral were built to bear great weight, -their capitals are simple and their bases the same. The little light -that glimmers through the windows adds greatly to the sombre strength of -this fine building, which, more than any other of its size, reflects the -life of the Spain of those days in which it was erected. Street thinks -it less influenced by outside art than any other building in the -country, and instances the unique method of laying the stone of the root -as supporting this opinion. - -The transepts contain some good glass, as also do the windows in the -chancel. There are many good early tombs throughout the Cathedral. -Judging from their style Avila was left alone when Chirriguera was -erecting monstrosities elsewhere, and to me it is the most homogeneous -of Spain's Cathedrals. The _retablo_ over the High Altar rises in three -stages and contains pictures by Berruguete, Santos Cruz and Juan de -Borgoña. On this account my last remark might be criticised, for the -whole piece is a jumble of styles. The chancel is, however, too narrow -for a view of this medley from the body of the church, and wherever one -roams in the building nothing attracts the eye or disturbs the mind by -being too flagrantly incongruous. - -So dark is the apse that the Renaissance _trassegrario_ does not obtrude -in the early Gothic of its surroundings. The very fine tomb of Bishop -Alfonso de Madrigal, the Solomon of his day, is fortunately illumined by -a little light, and I could see the effigy of this wise Prelate seated -at his desk busily engaged with his pen and scroll, while above him the -Magi and Shepherds are adoring in a good relief. - -There are some early paintings in most of the chapels, the _retablo_ in -that of San Pedro being perhaps the best. - -The work of Cornielis, a Flemish sculptor, _circa_ 1537-47, is admirably -displayed in the very beautiful carving of the _silleria de coro_, and -there is no better example of Spanish metal work of the fifteenth -century to be found than in the two iron-gilt pulpits. - -The sacristy contains a splendid silver monstrance by Arfe, and an -Italian enamelled chalice of the fourteenth century by Petrucci Orto of -Siena. The cloisters are disappointing, having been much mutilated and -the fourteenth-century tracery of the arches blocked up. - -Avila, like its neighbour Segovia, contains some of the best examples of -Romanesque work, and its many churches are archæologically as -interesting as the Cathedral. - -Sheltering from the keen north wind under the arcade of San Vicente I -made a sketch of the gateway of that name. The church was founded in -1307 and dedicated to three martyrs who were put to death on the rock -which may still be seen in the crypt below. The west façade has two -incomplete towers, between which is a most elaborately carved Romanesque -doorway, standing in a deeply recessed arch. - -[Illustration: AVILA. PUERTA DE SAN VICENTE] - -The pure Romanesque nave has both triforium and clerestory and the -unusual feature of pointed vaulting. The proportions of this noble -church are very fine, but the interest of the non-architectural visitor -will be centred in the Tomb of San Vicente and his two sisters SS. -Sabina and Cristeta. A metal work canopy resting on twisted columns -surmounts the tomb which is a sarcophagus of the thirteenth century. The -legend tells how, after the martyrdom of these three, the body of the -first-named was cast out to the dogs, and that a serpent came out of the -hole in the rock (still visible) and watched over it. A Jew who mocked -was smitten unto death by the reptile and lies buried in the south -transept. - -The transept choir and three semicircular apses are Transitional, and -carry a barrel vaulting. - -Outside the city wall, a little way down the hillside and beyond the -dirty suburb that intervenes, is the late Gothic church of San Tomás. It -possesses a fine _retablo_ of the patron St. Thomas Aquinas. The High -Altar is placed in a gallery above a low elliptical arch, this feature -being repeated at the west end with the _coro_ above. At the crossing of -the transepts is the beautiful but greatly mutilated tomb of Prince -Juan, the only son of Ferdinand and Isabella, by whose untimely death -the crown of Spain passed to Austria. Two other tombs of great interest -are those of Juan de Avila and Juana Velasquez. Messer Dominco, the -Florentine, executed them both. - -San Pedro, standing at the east side of the Mercado Grande, is another -Romanesque church of great beauty. Over the west door is a fine wheel -window. The interior is pure Romanesque and rich in ornament, and the -north portal is replete with the same. - -Santa Teresa was born of noble parents in Avila. In her early youth her -heart hungered for saintly adventures in the broiling sun of Africa and -her mind was set upon martyrdom at the hands of the Moors. Fate, -however, decreed otherwise. At twenty years of age she took the veil and -within a few years had founded seventeen convents of bare-footed -Carmelite nuns. A favourite saint of Spain, the date of her death, -August 27, is kept all over the Peninsula and her festival celebrated -with great honour in Avila on October 15. - - - - -SEGOVIA - - -Dirty, dilapidated and sleepy, but the most enchanting town in Spain. -What a treat it was to find myself once more in the Middle Ages after -the bustle and noise of Madrid! - -The springs of a Spanish 'bus are good. I never entered one without -great misgivings as to how long I was fated to remain in this world. To -drive into a town such as Segovia is a grand test for the nerves. Crack -goes the whip, off start the sorry-looking horses with a jerk. I am -flung violently against my neighbour. I hasten to apologise. A -disconcerting jolt knocks the hat over my eyes, before it is adjusted I -find myself in an attitude of prayer with my head buried in the lap of -the stout lady who pants opposite, another bump and she is embracing me, -we disentangle ourselves, we apologise, every one in the 'bus is doing -the same. The Jehu on the box fears no obstacles, a rock or a rut, they -are all the same to him, he takes them all with utter disregard to -everything in his way. We fly along, and somehow we land safely. We -always do. Yes, the steel of those spiderlike springs must be good, or -the saints are watching our venture. Perhaps both. - -The scenery on the journey from Madrid is very fine after the train -leaves the junction at Villalba. Slowly we crawled up the incline -winding round and doubling on our course. Merry little snow-fed streams -eager to join with their fellows below sped along in a race to the sea. -The summer villas of the Madrileños dot the hill slopes on the ground -above the withy beds. We went up and up until the highest point on the -line was reached under the road along which, marching north, Napoleon's -troops toiled in the face of a fearful blizzard. Before entering the -tunnel at the top of the pass a glorious panorama is spread out to the -south. Away in the distance are the mountains of Toledo and the spires -of far-off Madrid. On leaving this point the descent became rapid, and -we whirled through a magnificent valley amidst true Alpine scenery. The -rugged tops of the Sierra rose above thick forests of pine, brawling -torrents dashed headlong down through green pastures, grand cattle were -browsing on every side, it was indeed more Swiss than Spanish. - -[Illustration: SEGOVIA AT SUNSET] - -One often hears the question asked--why are there no trees in Spain? A -French writer answers, that the Moors are responsible for the lack of -shade in a Spanish landscape. He tells us they cut down all the trees -they found, because trees harbour birds, and birds destroy all fruit and -grain!--a truly ingenious theory, quite worthy of the fertile brains of -the French, but surely a most ridiculous solution. The Moor brought the -orange and the lemon to Europe; he was a lover of shade, he was also a -great gardener. No, the reason why Spain has apparently no trees, is -that very few have been planted for hundreds of years. Wood is necessary -for fires in a country where there is practically no coal. The peasant -has always been poor, he has always taken anything that came to hand. He -helped himself to the wood of the forests around him. His betters did -the same. All the trees near Madrid are known to have been ruthlessly -cut down and sold to defray the expenses of Philip II.'s Court; and it -is only of recent years that any replanting has been taken in hand. - -When the present King was a boy of four years old, a ceremony, now -repeated every year at the Fiesta del Arbol, was inaugurated. The Queen -Mother took him to Guindebra outside Madrid, where he planted several -trees. At every anniversary the day is devoted by school children all -over the country to this same object. As many as 10,000 saplings have -been put into the ground in a single day, thus laying by a store of -wealth for future generations. - -Segovia is surrounded by trees. Hidden from the great plain in which the -town lies, they cover the banks of the two streams which join issue -below the city, thus forming the mass of rock on which it stands. These -valleys, eaten out by the running water, are among the great charms of -this romantic place. Nothing can exceed the beauty of early spring. -Fruit trees in full blossom, tall poplars bending their graceful heads -in the breeze and chestnuts bursting into leaf. The air is filled with -the twitterings of nesting birds, the sloping banks covered with the -tender green of young grass; all nature is alive, the sun is warm and -the sound of rushing waters brings peace to the soul. Perched high up, -hanging apparently on mighty rocks, the Alcázar broods grimly over the -gorge below. Still further up and beyond, rises the mass of the -Cathedral, towers, domes and pinnacles. Three hundred and thirty feet -high, the great tower rears itself like a sentinel, a landmark for many -miles. Round the base cluster the houses of the town like chickens -seeking shelter under the wings of a mother hen. No place in all Spain -appealed to me so much. No town was so replete with subjects for my -brush, and nowhere else did I feel the romance of this marvellous -country as in Segovia. - -[Illustration: SEGOVIA. THE AQUEDUCT] - -A town of Iberian origin and name, under the Roman rule it was of some -importance. The great aqueduct, which spans the valley that divides -Segovia in the Plaza del Azoquéjo, brought pure water from a mountain -torrent, the Rio Frio, ten miles away. It does the same to-day. -Constructed of granite blocks, laid Cyclopean fashion without mortar or -cement, it commences near San Gabriel. To break the force of the rushing -stream the conduit has many angles. Without doubt it is the most -important Roman remain in Spain, for this alone Segovia would be famous. - -Once upon a time his Satanic Majesty fell desperately in love with a -beautiful Segovian. To further his suit, an offer was made to do -anything she might require. Her home was on a hill; her work, to fetch -water from the stream below. Finding the continual tramp down and up -rather irksome, this daughter of Eve bethought herself of a request to -mitigate her toil. "Done," said the Evil One, and the aqueduct was built -in one night! In terror she fled to the church, and the church -discovered that one stone had been left out, also that the aqueduct was -extremely useful. The contract was declared void and the maiden freed -from the rash promise she had playfully given his majesty. The country -folk still know it by the name of the Puento del Diabolo. - -During the siege of Segovia, the Moors destroyed thirty-five of the -arches, but these were cleverly rebuilt in 1493 by Juan Escovedo, a -monk of El Parral, who received the scaffolding in payment for his work. -More recently, extensive repairs in the same way have been successfully -carried out. The most imposing view is in the Plaza del Azoquéjo, from -which it towers upwards in a double line of arches one above the other, -and its length is best grasped from El Calvario, a hill to the south of -the town. - -The Cathedral is a late Gothic pile, built of a warm yellow stone, and -looks particularly impressive from the shady walk among the rocks on the -left bank of the Clamores, the stream which cuts off Segovia from the -southern plateau. It was begun in 1525 by the builder of Salamanca's -Cathedral which it greatly resembles, Juan Gil de Hontañon, and -continued at his death by his son. The weak point in the exterior, which -masses very grandly, is the western façade. The interior is very -striking. The wide span of the arches, the richness of the admirable -vaulting, the splendid late Gothic windows and the feeling of light and -space are fine examples of the last stage of Gothic work, just before -the influence of the oncoming Renaissance took hold of the architects of -that day. The floor is beautifully laid with red, blue and white -diamond-shaped slabs of marble; and the very necessary notice--"No -escupir, la religiosidad y higiene la prohibur"--keeps it clean and -decent. - -In the _coro_, which occupies nearly the whole of the centre of the -nave, there is a _retablo_ by Sabatini. The _silleria_ are very fine. -They were rescued from the old Cathedral, which was destroyed in Charles -V.'s time by the Comunéros, who started business by pulling down -churches, appropriating all they could lay hands on, plundering the -wealthy and generally behaving as a mob that has the upper hand always -does. The outer walls of the _coro_ are stucco, painted to represent -different species of marble; described, by the way, in a reputable guide -book--"beautifully coloured marbles"! - -Most of the _rejas_ which shut off the side chapels are good gilded iron -work. In that of la Piedad there is a good _retablo_ with life-sized -figures by Juan de Juni, 1571; and in the chapel of the Segragrio a -wooden figure of Christ by Alonso Cano. Through a fine Gothic portal in -the Capilla del Cristo del Consuelo I entered the cloisters in company -with a verger, who took great pride in his Cathedral. These cloisters -are surpassingly beautiful; a very good example of flamboyant Gothic. In -vain did I search for a corner from which to make a sketch. The -courtyard was overgrown with shrubs, tall cypresses and vines climbing -at random shut out everything. The garden itself was a mass of rubbish -and old timber. The well in the centre, overgrown with creepers and -weeds; while in the cloisters themselves preparations were afoot for the -coming Easter processions, and all available space taken up by -carpenters and painters at work on the Pasos. - -In the little dark chapel of Santa Catalina on the west side, is the -tiny tomb of the unfortunate Infante Pedro, the three-year-old son of -Henry II. The poor little child was dropped by his nurse from a window -in the Alcazar, and ended his young life on the rocks below. 'Tis a -pitiful object this pathetic tomb, alone, here in this damp spot where -daylight only enters when the door is opened. - -In the sacristy there is a Custodia in the form of a temple, six feet -high, silver and exquisitely chased. The vestments possessed by the -clergy are most rarely worked and of great value. - -Segovia was once rich in churches. Like the rest of the city, a great -many have alas! fallen into decay, and those not in this state are -rapidly approaching it. They are mostly small and retain the apse. -Several are cloistered and every one of them is architecturally of great -interest. Here again is another charm of this romantic old city, -evidence of past glories and ecclesiastical power, the history of Spain -written in its stones. - -[Illustration: SEGOVIA. PLAZA MAYOR] - -San Millan, a Romanesque structure of the twelfth century, is the best -preserved church in Segovia. The exquisite arcades on the north and -south sides have coupled columns with elaborately carved capitals. Like -most of the buildings of this period solidity rather than grace was the -effect aimed at by their architects. It possesses a triple apse; the -piers supporting the roof are very massive, the capitals to the columns -are formed of semi-grotesque figures of man and beast. The two doorways -are good. In the church of San Martin there is a carved wooden Passion. -Four life-sized figures take the place of shafts in the great doorway, -and again a cloister forms the exterior of the south and west walls. - -In the Dominican convent of Santa Cruz, founded by Ferdinand and -Isabella, is still to be seen a sepulchral urn of one of the original -companions of St. Dominic. "Tanto monta" the motto of the King and Queen -is cut both inside and out on the walls. Over the west portal are good -reliefs of the Crucifixion and the Pietà. La Vera Cruz, a church built -by the Templars in 1204, is difficult of access. I procured the key -after much trouble, and found the twelve-sided nave forming a sort of -ambulatory round the central walled-in chamber. It is an imitation of -the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. The Templars were suppressed in 1312, -so this gem had but a short existence as their house of prayer. - -Nestling amidst a grove of acacia trees, hidden away under the rock, is -the Santuario de Fuencisla. Built to commemorate the miraculous rescue -of Maria del Salto, a beautiful Jewess, this little sanctuary is much -affected by pilgrims. The rock which overshadows it is known as La Peña -Grajera, or "Crow's Cliff," taking this name from the multitude of -carnivorous birds who always assembled here for a meal after a victim -had been hurled down to expiate his crime in a death below. Maria, -accused of adultery, was led to the top and pushed off the edge to find -the fate of so many before her. With great presence of mind she called -loudly on the Virgin, who hearing, came to her assistance; and so -retarded her downward flight that she alighted gently, escaping unhurt. -Here in days long gone by lived a hermit, whose good life and deeds are -still a much-reverenced legend among Segovians. - -The monastery of El Parral, once a wealthy and powerful house of the -brotherhood of San Gerónimo, contains a very good _retablo_ by Diego de -Urbina. It was founded by a member of the great Pacheco family, who -fought three antagonists one after another and came off successful. He -vowed to build a church on the spot where his skill and prowess gave -him so splendid a victory, and to endow it as well. It is now a convent -of Franciscan nuns. - -Next in importance to the Cathedral is the comparatively new building of -the Alcázar. Standing high up on the crags, below which the Eresma and -Clamores meet, it occupies an unrivalled position. A fine view of this -truly Castilian fortress is obtained from the beautiful walk which -encircles the city on the further bank of each stream. Above the tall -poplars and thick scrub rise its turrets and spires. The massive walls -go sheer up from the rock on which their foundations rest. The huge -embattled tower and drawbridge assist the feeling of strength; and it -only requires the weathering of years, adding broken colour to the -somewhat new-looking exterior, to make this a perfect specimen of -mediæval architecture. - -The building was originally Moorish, but the many vicissitudes of -troublous times saw it in a bad state when Henry IV., "el Impotente," -repaired and made it his residence. Within its walls Isabella was -proclaimed Queen of Castile in 1474. Cabrera, the husband of her -greatest friend, Beatrice of Boabdilla, held the fortress and its -treasure, and it was mainly through his valour that Isabella succeeded -to the throne. During the Comunéros insurrection the Alcázar held out -for Charles V. At the quelling of the revolt Charles did all in his -power to thoroughly restore the building and furnish it with great -splendour. His son Philip added much that the father's death had left -unfinished. Our own King, Charles I., was here entertained, and Gil Blas -confined a prisoner. The great fire, originated by some of the students -of the military college, almost entirely destroyed the whole castle in -1862. The present edifice dates from shortly after that year and is now -used as a storehouse for military archives and an academy for artillery -officers. - -A very good gateway spans the road that leads out past the Santuario de -Fuencisla along the right bank of the Eresma. The river here is an ideal -looking trout stream, but alas! fish are not as plentiful now as when -Charles I. was entertained and fed on "fatte troute" in the Alcázar. -Follow the path over the bridge to the left, it soon narrows into a mere -goat track as it skirts the rock; a few steps farther on and the -wonderful position of the fortress-castle bursts into view. How -fascinating it looked as I saw it one night in the moonlight with the -silver beams glinting on its spires. All was very still as I entered the -wood of stunted pines beyond. Across the ravine rose the mighty -Cathedral silhouetted against a dark star-laden sky. A light here and -there shone from a window in the houses beneath. I heard the distant -cry of the watchman on his rounds. A faint scent from the heavy dew rose -to my nostrils, a scent of mother earth. It was with unwilling steps I -crossed the stream and sought my bed that night. Such moments are rare. - -On the left bank of the Eresma, almost hidden in the trees, stands a -building which once was the mint of Spain. Up till the year 1730 all -Spain's money was coined here, the proximity to the impregnable Alcázar, -which was used as the Treasury, affording security against untimely -raids. The old mint is now a flour mill, but still bears the royal arms -over its gateway. - -At one time Segovia was the great Castilian mart for wool. The church, -and monasteries of El Parral, El Paular, and the Escorial owning immense -flocks. These were driven to the pure waters of the Eresma, to be -cleansed before being shorn. After the sheep-washing, the animals were -put into the sweating house, and their legs tied together. The shearer -then commenced operations, and as each sheep passed out of his hands it -was branded; the shepherds standing by made a selection of the older -animals for the butcher, the remainder being taken away to their -mountain pastures. Even now there are many flocks in the country around, -particularly on the lower hills near La Granja, where I noticed a large -number not at all unlike the Kentish breed of Romney Marsh. - -Seven miles from Segovia the summer Royal Palace of La Granja lies in -the midst of beautiful woods and clear streams. At the foot of the -Sierra, the highest peak of which, La Peñalara, raises its crest a few -miles off, this elysium is a beautiful spot for those who have earned a -holiday from the cares of State. The gardens are most charmingly -arranged, and the fountains with a never ending supply of water, better -than those at Versailles. Built by Philip V., whose tastes and -inclinations were thoroughly French, La Granja has been the scene of -important events in the history of the country. The treaty which handed -Spain over to France in 1796 was here signed by Godoy. In 1832 Ferdinand -VII. revoked the decree by which he had abolished the Salic law, and -summoned Don Carlos to the palace as heir to the throne, a call which -plunged his unhappy country into civil war. Four years later the Queen -Regent was compelled within its walls, by the leader of the -revolutionary soldiery, to accept the constitution of Cadiz. - -Every corner of Spain holds history, but none can compare with Segovia -and its surroundings in romance and old-world charm. - - - - -SARAGOSSA - - -Saragossa lies midway on the railway between Madrid and Barcelona, and, -having about it a touch of both these, can qualify as one of Spain's -progressive cities. The unsightly factory chimney is beginning to sprout -up in the suburbs; old and narrow streets are making way for broader and -better; and insanitary quarters giving place to modern hygiene. - -Aragon is the poorest portion of this fair land, and Saragossa is its -capital. In every age this little kingdom has been torn by war and has -suffered heavily, but its people have never wavered in their faith, and -are still among the most pious and superstitious of the many different -races that people the Iberian Peninsula. They possess that strong -attachment for their sterile plains and barren mountains so common to -those who wring from Nature a bare existence. - -The Emperor Augustus, in the year 25 B.C., vastly improved "Salduba," -and gave it the title of Cæsarea Augusta. When in the occupation of Rome -it was a free city and had a coinage of its own. The first place in -Spain to renounce Paganism, Saragossa has always been a city of great -holiness. When besieged by the French under Childebert in 540, the -inhabitants carried the stole of San Vicente round the walls--and the -invader fled. - -The Infidel, however, proved less susceptible to a Christian relic, and -the city fell to the weight of his arms in the eighth century. Being a -Berber Infidel he recognised no Kalif of Cordova, and between the two -there soon began one of those internecine conflicts that in the end led -to the termination of Moorish rule. - -It was in this connection that Charlemagne was implored to assist the -Northern Moor against the Andalusian and crossed the Pyrenees with an -eye, no doubt, in the long run, to the acquisition of new territory. No -sooner had he reached the plains of Aragon than he was recalled to quell -a rising in his own dominions. His back turned, and he being presumably -in retreat, the ungrateful people, eager for plunder, followed and -inflicted on his rearguard a terrible defeat in the most famous Pyrenean -Pass, the Pass of Roncesvalles, a disaster in which Roland, that hero of -romance, lost his life. - -Thence onward, as the centuries went by, Saragossa was the scene of many -a fight. Alfonso I. in 1118 recovered it from the Moor after a long -siege, and Moslem rule was ended. - -[Illustration: SARAGOSSA. LA SEO] - -Saragossa is best known in the annals of its warfare for the heroic -defence, immortalised by Byron, in the war with France. In the month of -May 1808, the invader was close at hand, and the citizens organised -themselves for defence. A young aristocrat, José Palafox, was chosen as -the nominal leader, and had at his right hand the redoubtable peasant, -Tio Jorge Ibort--Gaffer George. His two lieutenants were Mariano Cerezo -and Tio Marin, while the courageous priest Santiago Sas assisted -greatly, through his influence with the populace, to keep things -together and prevent petty squabbles. One hundred _duros_ supplied the -sinews of war! Sixteen cannon, a few old muskets and two hundred and -twenty fighting men were all that the leaders could count upon to repel -the army of Lefebvre. - -The siege began in June and was abandoned in August, in consequence of -the disaster to Dupont at Bailén. In the following December four -Marshals of France, Junot, Lannes, Mortier and Moncey, with eighteen -thousand men, invested the city, but it was not until February of the -next year that, having driven the defenders out of the Jesuit convent -across the river, the French were able to establish a foothold in the -outskirts of the city itself. - -Every one knows how the Maid of Saragossa took the place of her dead -artillery lover who was killed at his gun; an episode that has since -become a theme to instil the young with heroic ideals. Such was the -spirit that gained for the city the proud title of _siempre heróica_. -Her citizens fought from house to house, every street had barricades, -and it was only that when decimated by pestilence and famine, with half -the place a smoking ruin, one of the most celebrated sieges of history -came to end. - -As in Cadiz and Salamanca, there are two Cathedrals in Saragossa, La Seo -and El Pilar. The former occupies the site of a church which stood here -before the Moors took possession of the place and turned it into a -mosque. A year after the advent of Alfonso I., Bishop Pedro de Lebrana -reconsecrated La Seo, and its walls have witnessed many historical -events in the life of Aragon before the kingdom became merged into one -with Castile. It was before the High Altar that her Kings were crowned, -and at the font many a royal babe baptized. - -La Seo is constructed almost entirely of the dull brown brick with which -the older part of the city is also built; the interior piers and -vaulting alone being of stone. On the north-east wall, which faces the -gloomy palace of the archbishop, there is still extant the most -elaborate arrangement of brick work, inlaid with coloured glazed tiles, -blue, green, red, white and yellow, forming a very harmonious and -attractive scheme. - -From the centre of the north-west façade, which is extremely ugly, rises -a well-proportioned tower arranged in four stages, with Corinthian -columns, the top of which is surmounted by a red tiled cupola and spire. -The colour of this took my fancy, it "sang out" so much against the blue -of the sky--a contrast I thought worthy of an illustration. - -Entering the building by the door in the façade, I was immediately -nonplussed as to the orientation of the Cathedral. To add to the puzzle, -for the structure is almost square, four rows of columns seemed mixed up -in endless confusion, and the dim light admitted from the few windows -only accentuated the mystery. Very beautiful, however, is this Gothic -interior which runs north-east and south-west, and I soon found a spot -from whence to make a sketch. The columns rise from marble bases of a -rich crimson; the vaulting above was lost in gloom, the light coming in -from the south-west window struck vividly on portions of the Renaissance -_respaldos_, the niches of which are filled with saints and -archbishops, and the pattern of the marble floor served but to heighten -the general effect. In the picture may be seen a tabernacle with twisted -black marble columns, this marks the spot where the Virgin suddenly -appeared and held converse with Canónigo Fuenes. - -Besides the archbishop's throne, the _coro_, which is not particularly -interesting, contains a huge reading desk. There is a great deal of -alabaster throughout the Cathedral, notably the very fine Gothic -_retablo_ of the High Altar by Dalman de Mur, around which are many -tombs of the Kings of Aragon. Close by, a black slab marks the place -where rests the heart of Don Baltazar Carlos, the son of Philip IV., who -was immortalised by the brush of Velasquez, and who died in Saragossa at -the early age of seventeen. - -Among the chapels, that used as the _segrario_, or parish church, has a -magnificent Moorish ceiling, and the fine alabaster tomb of Bernardo de -Aragon. The Cathedral is rich in splendid tapestries and ecclesiastical -vestments. Among the former is certainly the best I have ever set eyes -upon. It is a very early piece and has a wonderful blue sky. In it are -woven the Last Supper, Christ bearing the Cross, the Agony in the Garden -and the Crucifixion, while in the lower right-hand corner our Saviour is -assisting with a long pole to stir up devils who are roasting in Hades. -Among the vestments is an extremely beautiful chasuble brought here at -the time of the Reformation from Old St. Paul's in London. I wondered, -when I looked at it, whether Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII.'s consort, -had been instrumental in its removal from England. - -[Illustration: SARAGOSSA. IN THE OLD CATHEDRAL] - -The Cathedral of El Pilar is thus named as it possesses the identical -pillar on which the Virgin descended from Heaven and appeared to St. -James. At first a modest chapel, it has grown by the addition of -cloisters and subsidiary chapels to the present stupendous building. The -length is close on five hundred feet and the breadth two hundred. The -possession of this miraculous pillar has brought untold wealth to the -Cathedral. Votive offerings on the anniversary of the festival at the -shrine often amount to many thousands of pounds. Jewelry, gems and -costly objects of every description are given; these are now sold by -auction, the large sum of £20,000 being realised a few years ago. To -these sales we owe a fine rock crystal and gold medallion, given to the -Virgin of El Pilar by Henry IV. of France, and now in South Kensington -Museum. Many examples of old Spanish goldsmith's work have also been -acquired for the same collection in this way. - -The towers and pinnacles of El Pilar pile up grandly, and are best seen -from the fine bridge which spans the yellow flood of the river Ebro. -Silhouetted against the evening sky, with the smooth running waters -below, it seemed to me a worthy example in brick and stone of the -church's magnificence. - -The interior is an immense temple, the frescoes of which are from the -brush of that extraordinary genius, Goya, who turned his talent to any -job that was productive of the cash he spent so freely. The _retablo_ of -the High Altar is a fine piece of work from the alabaster quarries at -Escatron. Composed of three good Gothic canopies with tapering finials, -it has seven smaller divisions below. Damian Forment was the artist who -designed and carried out this, one of the most beautiful _retablos_ in -the country. The _reja_ which stands in front of _coro_ is superb, and -considered to be Juan Celma's masterpiece. Behind the High Altar is the -celebrated chapel of the Virgin. The figure itself is of very old -blackened wood, evidently a specimen of early Christian work. On October -12, the anniversary of her descent, thousands of pilgrims flock hither -to kiss her foot through a hole in the wall at the back of the chapel. -The city is then full of visitors and it is next to impossible to find -quarters or a room of any sort. - -[Illustration: SARAGOSSA. EASTER PROCESSION] - -I happened to be in Saragossa for _Semana Santa_. and watched the -processions of groups of heavy wooden figures, illustrative of our -Lord's life-history, proceed through crowded streets. My sketch shows -the last _paso_ of the Crucifixion, with a figure of the Virgin bringing -up the rear, as they passed the intensely devout throngs on Good Friday. -Masked members of different religious brother and sisterhoods, walk -along keeping the route clear. The whole procession was led by soldiery, -and "Romans," men attired in the garb of ancient Rome, while an infantry -band followed the Virgin. The _pasos_ are deposited in the Church of -Santiago built on the spot where St. James passed a night. In the belfry -of this church is an old Gothic bell of which the inhabitants are justly -proud. - -San Pablo is a very interesting fabric, dating from the year 1259. The -floor of the church is a dozen steps below the street. The _retablo_ is -another fine example of Damian Forment's art. The aisles are cut off -from the nave by a flat wall with square pillars and ill-proportioned -pointed arches. The _coro_ is at the west end, from whence also issue -the notes of a very beautifully toned organ. The extraordinary octagonal -brick steeple might pass as of Russian or Tartar origin. - -Of all the gateways to the city, there remains but one, the Puerta del -Carmen. It has been left as it stood after the French bombardment, and -retains many marks of shot and soft-nosed bullets. The site of the -historic Puerta del Portillo, where the Maid of Saragossa won immortal -fame, is in the square of the same name. Outside it stands the Castillo -de la Aljaferia, the Palace of the Sheikhs of Saragossa, and the -residence of the Kings of Aragon. Ferdinand gave it to the Holy Office, -and from out its portals issued many terrible orders for the suppression -of the wretched heretic. There still remains a small octagonal mosque, -and many of the rooms have their original _artesonado_ ceilings. In it -also is the "Torreta," the dungeon in _Il Trovatore_; while from the -tower can be seen the Castillo de Castlejar, mentioned in the drama by -Garcia Gaturrio, from which the libretto of the opera was taken. This -one-time fine palace is now a barrack, and I used to watch the recruits -drilling and exercising outside. When the recruiting season commences, -the numbers are drawn among those liable to serve--the lucky ones being -those who are not compelled to take any part in the military service of -their country. There exist societies in Spain to which a sum of 750 -pesetas can be paid, that undertake to pay another 750 pesetas to the -State, if the payee's name is drawn for service, 1500 pesetas being the -sum which enables any one to forego his military career. If his number -is not drawn, he loses his deposit, if it is, the society pays the full -sum. - -In the old days the nobles of Aragon safe-guarded their privileges by -the Fuéros de Sobrarbe, a code something like our Magna Charta, which -reduced the King's authority to almost vanishing point. Pedro IV. got -rid of the Fuéros by cutting to pieces the parchment incorporating the -union or confederacy, whose members, if the King was thought to have -exceeded his prerogative, were absolved from allegiance. They were a -hard-headed race, these Aragonese, and are still like those of the other -northern provinces, very independent and jealous of Castile's rule. - -Among other things handed down from time immemorial is a national dance, -and the Jota Aragonesa, the national air, known beyond the limits of -Spain. Very few of these old airs still exist. As a fact, the old songs -of Spain and their music are better known in the Jewish colony of -Salonika than in the country of their origin. The upper classes of this -colony still speak the pure Castilian of Cervantes' time, and being the -descendants of Spanish refugees hounded out of the country by the -Inquisition, still observe the customs, songs and language of their -immigrant forefathers. - -The Aragonese also have a national game, Tirando a la Barra, which -consists in passing an iron bar from one hand to the other, thereby -gaining impetus for the final swing which sends it hurtling through the -air towards a mark on the ground, like a javelin. One or two good old -houses still remain in Saragossa to testify to its former greatness, -notably that of the great Luna family. Two gigantic uncouth figures with -clubs stand on either side of the doorway which is the centre of a -simple but good façade. The cornice above is very heavy and the eaves -project far out, a feature that I noticed was very characteristic of the -old quarters of the city. It was in this house that the besieged, during -the French war, held their councils. The Casa Zaporta can boast of a -very fine staircase and beautiful _patio_ with elegant fluted columns -and reliefs and medallions breaking the spandrils. A few other good -houses still exist, but as they are in the old quarters of the city, and -as these are rapidly disappearing, I fear that Saragossa will not -contain for long anything beyond her Cathedrals that is of tangible -interest. - - - - -SANTIAGO - - -The evening train from Pontevedra deposited me sometime about midnight -at Cernes, the hamlet outside Santiago where the line ends. The full -moon during the latter portion of the journey had been a source of -endless delight. My face was glued to the window watching the -ever-changing hills and valleys through which the train crept, shrouded -in that mystery which obliterates detail and suggests so much in great -masses of subdued light and deep shade. - -I reached the hotel, procured a room, threw open the window, and stood -on the balcony listening to the intense stillness of a wonderful night. -Suddenly a dull rumbling down some side street disturbed my reverie of -the Santiago of days gone by. The only thing to be expected at this time -of night was the station 'bus, but I heard no clattering hoofs and was -lost in surmise, when out of the dark shadow of a narrow lane into the -moonlight swung a yoke of oxen drawing a long cart with slow majestic -pace. But what a cart! a low sort of wooden box balanced between two -solid wooden wheels. The rumbling was explained. It was primitive and -the most mediæval thing I had yet seen in a country which is barely -European. - -The peasant owner, a few steps in advance, never turned his head, but -guided his beasts with a long stick which he waved from side to side -over his back. There was no shout, no cry of command. The _mise en -scène_ was beautifully arranged, it was complete. There was the -background of ancient grey houses, beyond them, tapering into the starry -sky, the slender pinnacles of the great Cathedral. A row of stunted -trees occupied places down one side of the little square which filled my -stage. The subdued colour and silence of the moonlit night, and the slow -passage of the ox-cart as it passed out of sight, bettered Irving's best -effects at the Lyceum. - -A clock in a neighbouring tower struck the quarters, the moment had -arrived for the anti-climax! I expected every minute to see a door open, -a light stream across the square, a cloaked figure steal furtively out, -and disappear down into the shadow of the lane. It was perfect, nothing -could have been arranged better as an introduction to Santiago de -Compostela. - -[Illustration: SANTIAGO. THE CATHEDRAL] - -The body of St. James landed itself at Padron on the coast not far from -Santiago, and his bones were brought to the spot where now stands the -Cathedral. In the course of time their whereabouts was forgotten and it -remained for Bishop Theodomir to rediscover the sacred spot in 829, -guided thither by a star. Hence the Campus Stellæ--or Compostela. - -The shrine of the saint is still visited by innumerable pilgrims, and -perhaps more arrive in Santiago than any other city of Spain. In olden -days so great was the number that "El Camino de Santiago"--"The road to -Santiago," gave rise to the Spanish term for the "milky way." I have -watched them in the Cathedral, peasants, men and women, come from afar, -to judge by their dress. They each carried a staff decorated with tufts -of herbs and little star-shaped pieces of bread tied on with gay -ribbons. I have seen women making the round of the altars in the -different chapels with great bundles of clothes, through which were -thrust umbrellas, balanced on their heads. They never lost the poise of -their burden as they knelt and rose again. But of all the pilgrims I -saw, one who might have stepped out of Chaucer's pages carried me back -to the days of long ago. She wore a short skirt of thick brown material, -sandals protected her stockinged feet, from her girdle hung rosary, -scallop shells and a stoneware pilgrim's bottle, a hooked staff lent -support to her bent, travelled-stained figure. Her leather wallet was -stuffed with bread, and covering her short cropped hair was a grey felt -hat, mushroom shaped. A little black dog entered the Cathedral with her, -and squatted silently by his mistress's side as she knelt praying in the -dim light of a grey day. Chaucer's "Wyt of Bath" had made a pilgrimage -to "Seynt Jame," and my pilgrim with her little lame companion might -very well have been with him too. - -The Cathedral, founded in 1078, was built on the site of one destroyed -by Almanzor in 997. The legend of the destruction of the first church, -which had been standing for just one hundred years, was thus--Almanzor, -after sacking Leon and Astorga, swept all the country westwards with his -Moorish hosts until he reached Santiago. So great was his fame and in -such terror was his name held that no one had the courage to face him -and fight for saint and city. Riding through its deserted streets he -came to the church, and to his surprise at last espied a solitary -Christian, a monk, praying alone at the shrine of the saint. "What dost -thou here?" inquired the haughty Moor. "I am at my prayers," curtly -answered the holy man, continuing his devotions. This reply and the -courage of the single enemy so called forth the admiration of Almanzor, -that his life was spared and an infidel guard set over the tomb. - -[Illustration: SANTIAGO. SOUTH DOOR OF THE CATHEDRAL] - -The west façade, a Renaissance outer covering, so to speak, of the older -façade, would not look so imposing as it does if granite had not been -used in its construction. The grey tones of the lichen-covered stone -redeem the somewhat overdone florid design, and it stands well above a -double flight of steps on the east side of the huge Plaza Mayor. - -The south door, or Puerta de las Platerias, takes this name from the -silversmiths whose workshops are still under the arcades around the -Plaza on to which it opens. It is the oldest portion of the Cathedral -and dates from the foundation. The shafts contain tiers of figures in -carved niches, and the tympanum has rows of smaller ones. - -The north door fronts on to the Plaza Fuente San Juan, and faces the -convent of San Martin Pinario, which was founded in 912 by Ordoño II. In -the days before this Plaza was officially given its present name, it was -known as Azabacheria, _azabache_ is jet, and it was here that vast -quantities of rosaries made of this were sold to pilgrims. - -In the south-east angle of the Cathedral is the Puerta Santa, bearing -the inscription "Hace est domus Dei et porta coeli." It is only opened -in the Jubilee year and then by the archbishop himself. The entrance to -it is from the Plaza de los Literarios. It will be seen from this that -the Cathedral is practically set in four great Plazas, el Mayor, de las -Platerías, la Fuente San Juan, and de los Literarios, and for this -reason, although the roof towers high above, it is one of the few -Cathedrals the size of which can be appreciated by an exterior view. - -The early Romanesque interior is superb, and not unlike our own Ely -Cathedral. The finest thing in it of archæological interest is the -"Portico de la Gloria," which Street calls "one of the greatest glories -of Christian Art." This Portico, situated at the west end of the nave, -formed at one time the façade. The idea of the whole doorway is Christ -at the Last Judgment. His figure, twice life-size, occupies the centre. -Below Him is seated St. James, while around them are angels worshipping. -Four and twenty elders are arranged in the circumference of the -archivolt; each one holds a musical instrument, most of which are shaped -like violas and guitars. A most beautifully sculptured marble column -supports this in the centre, resting on a base of devils, with the -portrait of Maestro Matio, who executed the whole from his own designs, -facing the nave. An inscription under this doorway states that the work -was finished in 1188. To the right and left are smaller arches, -portraying in well-cut granite good souls on their way to Paradise and -wicked ones in the clutches of devils on their way to Hell. Nothing can -exceed the primitive religious feeling pervading this work. Mateo must -have given his whole soul with fervour to his labours; and the almost -obliterated traces of painting and gilding enhance their result by -giving a touch of warmth to the cold colour of the stone. - -West of the portico, above which are the remains of a fine wheel window, -has been built the present Renaissance façade known as El Obradorio, the -two being connected by quadripartite vaulting. The nave itself has a -walled-in triforium, but no clerestory and the vaulting of the roof is -barrel. - -The saint's shrine is in the crypt beneath the Capilla Mayor. The extra -extravagant _retablo_ above the High Altar is chirrigueresque, and -hardly redeemed by the lavish employment of jasper, alabaster and silver -with which it is decorated. A jewelled figure of St. James is seated in -a niche above the mass of precious metal in which the altar is encased. - -It is all very gorgeous and must impress the pious pilgrim who has -journeyed hither from afar, but I could not help wishing it were -simpler. However, the one living vital thing in Spain is her religion, -and her Church knows so well how to conduct its business that my -feelings of regret are purely æsthetic. - -The _cimborio_ is a fine creation, under which swings on certain -_fiestas_ the huge silver _incensario_, a lamp wellnigh six feet high. -The two bronze pulpits are real masterpieces of cinquecento art and are -adorned by subjects from the Old Testament by Juan Bantista Celma. - -In one of the side chapels, known as the Relicario, are recumbent -figures on the tombs of Don Ramon, the husband of Urraca, Berenguela -1187, Fernando II. 1226, Alfonso XII. of Leon 1268, and that faithful, -pitiable figure Juan de Castro, wife of Pedro the Cruel. Even now, after -the spoliation by Soult, who carried away ten hundredweight of precious -metal in sacred vessels, the Relicario is a perfect museum. All the -other chapels contain good tombs, especially that of Espiritu Santo in -the north transept; and among other beautiful objects with which the -Cathedral is replete are two ancient _limosneras_ or alms-boxes, two -very ancient gilt pyxes, a carved wooden cross, similar to the -much-revered cross of los Angeles at Oviedo, given by Don Alfonso and -Doña Jimena in 874. - -The large cloisters to the south-west of the Cathedral were built by -Archbishop Fonseca in 1521. They are bad Gothic enriched with -Renaissance details. The centre court is paved with granite and gives an -impression of bareness which is not redeemed by the architecture. - -It was in this Cathedral that John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, was -crowned King of Spain. - -[Illustration: SANTIAGO. INTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL] - -Santiago possesses a much frequented university, which is extremely well -provided with books. - -In the church of Santa Maria de la Sar may be seen relics of the Holy -Office which held its sittings in the adjoining monastery. The -president's chair, marked with a palm, a cross and a red sword is -perhaps the most notable. This monastic church, at one time owned by -Templars, is situated outside the city boundary on the Orense road. Like -all the others, in fact like the whole of Santiago, it is built of -granite. It possesses a triple apse; the nave is of five bays without a -triforium or clerestory, and the interior, in consequence, is very dark, -heavy and gloomy. In it is the tomb of Archbishop Bernardo, 1242. The -cloister at one time must have been exceptionally fine, but alas! only -nine arches now remain; and the whole edifice is of the fast-crumbling -away type not uncommon in the country. - -The fine Plaza Mayor, or Plaza Alfonso Doce, is bounded on the north by -the huge Hospice erected by Enrique de Egas for Ferdinand and Isabella -for the use of poor pilgrims. The royal coat-of-arms is in evidence over -the entrance portal, enriched, in addition, with figures of saints and -pilgrims. The massive cornice has a course of heavy chain work and the -ball decoration so common in Toledo. This huge pile of buildings is now -used as a hospital. It is divided into four courts with fountains and -is admirably adapted for its present use. The small chapel is one of the -gems of Santiago. The roof springs from four arches with Gothic statues -and niches clustered round a central column. - -On the west side of the Plaza stands the great Seminario founded in 1777 -for the education of young priests. The ground floor is now occupied as -the Ayuntamiento of Santiago. - -To the south is the Collegio de San Gerónimo, with a remarkable early -doorway. The college was known as _Pan y Sardina_ from the poverty of -its accommodation. Sardines, the staple industry of Vigo and other coast -towns of the district, are the cheapest food obtainable, hence the -appellation. Santiago is delightfully situated amidst heather-clad -hills, the lower slopes of which are well wooded with oak, fir, and -eucalyptus. Great boulders of granite stand out like the monoliths of -prehistoric ages. Many a pleasant walk through the purple heather -revealed to me a landscape such as one sees in parts of Cornwall and -Scotland. The grey city with its red-tiled roofs, its huge deserted -monastic buildings, the many spires and domes of the Cathedral and other -churches, all set in patches of brilliant green meadows and maize fields -look particularly beautiful from Monte Pedroso, a fine vantage point -surmounted by a huge Calvary. - -The climate is comparatively moist, ferns of all sorts grow in the shade -of garden walls, and bracken is thick in the oak woods. The Galician is -well favoured by Nature, and being a patient, hard-working man of not -much mental capacity, very pious and an ardent advocate of small -holdings, gets through life with a contented spirit. He is very close -and knows the value of a peseta. Unfortunately he is looked down upon by -the Castilian, and the term "Gallego" is rather one of abuse than -respect. Driven to emigration by the subdivision of land which cannot -support more than those who own and work it now, he goes south in great -numbers and is the trusted _concierge_ in many a large house and hotel -in Madrid and elsewhere. The Panama Canal too attracts him from his -native hills, in fact the Gallego is to be met with wherever Spanish is -the spoken language. - - - - -TUY - - -The train deposited me one morning at this little frontier town. It was -very hot, and it was Sunday. The only porter in the station volunteered -to carry my bag to the Fonda, so we joined a long file of peasants and -tramped up the dusty road to the old Gothic capital which stands -splendidly situated above the river Minho. - -From a distance the Cathedral rises like a fort, capping the white -houses and brown roofs which are terraced below. At one time in the far -away past Tuy was a town of great importance. Greek remains have been -dug up here, but history does not go further back than Ætolian Diomede, -the son of Tydeus, who founded what became under King Witiza the Gothic -capital. This was in the year 700. Ordoño I. rebuilt it two hundred -years later, and I did not find it difficult to trace the massive -granite walls which sheltered the inhabitants, and preserved it as the -most important city of these parts. - -Truly a crown to the fortress, the castellated walls of the Cathedral -give it a martial air. The nave of five bays is early pointed, with a -blind triforium and blocked up clerestory. So narrow and dark are the -aisles and so massive the columns which support the fine vaulting of the -roof, that I could never get rid of the feeling that I was in some great -hall of an ancient castle. It only wanted a few halberdiers or -men-at-arms, instead of the black-garbed peasant women kneeling at the -different altars, to make the illusion perfect. - -The transepts, which have aisles, are Romanesque with an early pointed -triforium. After the great earthquake at Lisbon many strengthening -additions were made to the interior, blocking out most of the light. In -the case of the aisles arches were run up at different intervals with no -sense of proportion, quite hap-hazard, and creating a very much askew -appearance in this part of the building. Transoms were built across the -nave to add to the disfigurement of one of the most perfect little -Cathedrals in Spain. - -The west doorway is very fine, with four detached columns on either -side, thus forming a narrow porch. The upper half of these columns each -consists of a good figure of a saint whose feet rest on a devil. In the -tympanum are good reliefs and a well-cut Adoration of the Magi. The -archivolt is seven-fold and is an excellent piece of rich carving. All -is granite, and all is solemn, quite in keeping with this hard -material. - -[Illustration: TUY] - -The Cloister Court, round which runs a most beautiful arcade of early -pointed work with detached shafts, has unfortunately fallen into decay. -But the charming little garden in the centre somewhat compensates for -this. When I strolled in the silence was only broken by the cooing of -doves and the hum of bees. The sun seemed to find his way into every -nook and cranny, and here, thought I, is peace. - -Away beyond the outer wall, a wall which is part of the old defence of -Ordoño's day, is the road to Portugal. Passing through vineyards it -reaches the river a mile distant and crosses the water by a very fine -bridge. It was from this road that I made my sketch of the quaint -old-world town. Down by the river at the end of the one broad street -that Tuy possesses is the old Convent of Santo Domingo. Now a barrack, -it still keeps its grand Transitional church. The chancel is extremely -fine and among its many tombs a knight in armour with his lady at his -side I thought the best. On the grassy platform in front of the church I -spent one or two pleasant evenings. The river flows below and the -mountains of Portugal rise sublimely from the opposite bank. I was -decidedly pleased with my short sojourn in this typical Spanish town, -the wonderful position of which, right on the frontier overlooking -another land, makes it one of Spain's most unique Cathedral cities. - - - - -ORENSE - - -"In the gold district," such is the meaning of Orense. In Roman days it -was the headquarters for working the gold in which the district -abounded. - -Three warm springs, situated close to the road which leads out of the -town to the south-west, also brought fame to Orense, though they -possessed, apparently, no medicinal properties. Nowadays the poorer -classes use the water for domestic purposes, thereby saving fires. - -In Visigothic times Orense was the capital of the Suevi, and was the -scene of the renunciation of Paganism by this tribe. Besides its warm -springs the town boasts of two other wonders, its bridge and its -Cathedral. The former is certainly a grand piece of work. The centre -arch rises one hundred and thirty-five feet above the river Minho, with -a magnificent span of one hundred and forty feet. Of the six remaining -arches some are pointed and some are round. - -The Cathedral is a most interesting structure, more's the pity it is so -little known. Built on an artificial platform to throw it out from the -hillside, it rises well above the neighbouring roofs. Silversmiths and -metal workers ply their trades in the dark shops between the buttresses -which hold up this platform on three sides. - -There is nothing much to attract one in the exterior of the Cathedral -except the Gothic north and south doors. They both have rounded arches -with good figures in the jambs and archivolts. The south is the better -of the two, as the north bears traces of alteration, the case in the -whole appearance of the exterior. A third door opens in the second bay -west of the north aisle, and is approached from the street below by -steps leading up between two shops. The massive north-west tower is -adjoining and stands over perhaps half a dozen small rooms where all day -long the musical tap of the metal workers' hammers are heard. - -The side chapels of the interior are all recessed, and standing in the -south-west corner of the Cathedral I obtained an uninterrupted view for -my sketch along the south aisle into the apse. There is no triforium in -the nave, but a beautiful lancet clerestory enhances both this and the -aisles. I thought the octagon at the crossing extremely good. Two rows -of lights, one above the other, have an interior gallery with an -unobtrusive balustrade round each. The supporting corbels are well-cut -bosses. The spandrils between the arches are recessed with well-carved -figures of angels and archangels playing on musical instruments. Of -course this octagon bears no comparison with that at Burgos, it is much -simpler and much smaller, but has a tentative beauty of its own. - -[Illustration: ORENSE. IN THE CATHEDRAL] - -The transepts are of earlier date, and have been altered, though not -injudiciously. The _coro_ is small, very dark and solemn, and in this -respect bears favourable comparison with many another which may be far -finer. Its _reja_, like that of the Capilla Mayor, is a very good -example of wrought and hammered iron-work, and does credit to the skill -of those who no doubt sat in the little shops below giving their -life-work to the adornment of the church above. - -The High Altar is a mass of silver with a background of glittering -carving which forms the gilded _retablo_. The warm yellow of the -Cathedral stone and the time-worn colour of the figures which decorate -this _retablo_ have a very pleasing effect to the eye. The ashes of -Santa Eufemia, Orense's patroness, rest beneath her effigy which stands -to the south of the High Altar, and those of SS. Facundo and Primivo -under theirs on the north side. Santa Eufemia's body was found by a poor -shepherdess lying out on the mountain slopes of the Portuguese border, -and was brought here to rest. - -The Cathedral is full of fine tombs, among which that of Cardinal -Quintata in Carrara marble is the best. It is placed on the north side -of the chancel facing a much earlier Gothic tomb with a well-carved -canopy which stands on the south side. The present edifice was founded -in 1220 by Bishop Lorenzo, displacing the older church erected in 550 -and dedicated to Saint Martin. - -Wandering at random up the narrow streets which covered the hill I found -myself outside the Convent of San Francisco. Like so many institutions -of a kindred nature it is now a barrack, and difficult of access. -However, I managed to get in and found the chief interest centred in the -cloisters. They are beautiful relics of the thirteenth century. Sixty -arches complete the arcade, with coupled shafts standing free. The -capitals are well carved and the dog-tooth moulding above them has not -suffered much from the ravages of time. - -Here, as in other towns where money in late mediæval days was scarce, it -is pleasant to find untouched remains of an earlier past. The streets -are mostly arcaded and very tortuous and quaint. The market is held on -the Plaza of the Cathedral, and fruit vendors sit in the sun on the -steps which lead into the Holy Fane. The _Alamedas_ are thronged at -night with a crowd which, for Spain, seemed to take life seriously. - -I had finished my usual after-dinner stroll one evening, and returned to -my hotel. It was a balmy night and I pulled my chair out on to the -balcony. The lights in the cottages on the hill opposite went out one by -one, and away down below, amongst the dark foliage of a vineyard, I -heard the sound of a guitar. A voice breathed out a love song, and once -more I felt the romance of the South--that indescribable feeling which -comes over one when nerves are attune to enchanting surroundings. - - - - -ASTORGA - - -"No, you won't find much for your brush to do in Astorga, señor"--was -the answer to a query addressed to a fellow passenger in the train. I -fear he was not far wrong, though I knew with the Cathedral I should not -be disappointed. - -It was a wet evening, and I landed at the station in the dark; gave my -traps to a porter, and found myself after a tramp through the mud at the -only Fonda in the place. My baggage was deposited in a sort of glorified -cupboard containing a bed. The small window had no glass, and I -discovered the next day that it opened on to the stables. I objected to -these quarters, and later on in the evening my belongings were moved -into a room just vacated by some one who had gone on to Madrid in _el -rapido_. - -The next morning I made my way to the Cathedral. It stands well and -quite isolated, except for the "New Art" Bishop's Palace which is in -course of erection. The Cathedral is late Gothic, built in the fifteenth -and sixteenth centuries on the site of a former church. The interior is -lofty and very beautiful, though spoilt by a bad _trascoro_ in execrable -taste and quite out of keeping with the elegant columns of the nave. -This consists of seven bays. The bases of the piers run up ten feet or -more, and resemble the later additions to Leon Cathedral and those at -Oviedo. The intersecting mouldings on them are the very last style of -Gothic work and exemplify the beginning of a more florid taste. There is -no triforium. The clerestory windows are of unusual height, as at Leon, -and are filled with very fine glass. - -The aisles are also very lofty. The chapels attached to that on the -north have their vaulting carried up to the height of the aisle, a very -unusual feature. All the windows on this side, with one exception, are -blocked. In the south aisle the vaulting of the lateral chapels is low. -The windows are glazed and contain good glass; and in the first chapel -from the west is a very fine early German _retablo_. - -The transepts are of one bay only. The south has perhaps the best glass -in a Cathedral which is specially rich in this. - -[Illustration: ASTORGA] - -There is much good iron work in the different _rejas_, and the walnut -_silleria_ in the _coro_ are exceptionally well carved. But the gem of -the Cathedral is undoubtedly the magnificent _retablo_ over the High -Altar. Its author, Gaspar Becerra, was a native of Baeza, and studied in -Italy under Michael Angelo. It is his masterpiece, and well merits this -title. Of the fourteen panels, _The Disputation_ and _Ascension_ are the -best. The exterior of this lofty church is much enhanced by its flying -buttresses. The west façade is good Renaissance work, with flanking -towers, only one of which is, however, finished. A flying buttress -connects them with the centre of the façade as at Leon, in fact I could -not help drawing comparison, when I knew them both, between these two -Cathedrals. - -The warm red stone of which this at Astorga is built has weathered most -beautifully, and contrasts with the grey balustrade composed of figures -holding hands--a very quaint device, by the way--which adorns the ridge -above the clerestory. At the south-east corner, instead of the usual -pinnacle, a huge weathercock stands. It is a wooden statue of Pedro -Mato, a celebrated Maragato, in the dress of his tribe. - -La Maragateria is a territory of small extent in the middle of which -Astorga is situated. The inhabitants, the Maragatos, mix with no one. -They live exclusively to themselves, preserve their costume and their -customs, and never marry out of their own clan. The men hire themselves -out as carriers, the women stay at home and work. It is supposed that -as they have many Arabic words still in use, they are a remnant of the -Moorish occupation left behind when Christian armies finally swept the -Infidel back into the south. This may be so, for the Moors are past -masters at caravan work, and the Maragatos are the great carriers of -Spain. When on the road their strings of mules take precedence, and -everything clears out of their way. The men dress in loose baggy -knickers and the women attire themselves in short red or canary-coloured -skirts with green or light blue lining, one pleat remains open and shows -either of these colours. They wear white stockings, black shoes, and -very gaily-coloured handkerchiefs cover their heads. On a Sunday they -swarm into the town, going off in the evening at sundown to their -different villages in picturesque chattering throngs. Twice a year the -whole tribe assembles at the feasts of Corpus Christi and the Ascension, -when they dance for an hour, el Cañizo, a dance which if an outsider -dare join in is immediately stopped. - -I had heard a great deal of the dignity of the Spaniard, before I went -to Spain, and had failed to find that this reputation was at all -justified, except in the case of the _Guardia Civil_, until I came -across the Maragatos. I found them to be among the most self-respecting -and courteous folk that one could meet anywhere; they certainly are -amongst the most interesting of the many distinct tribes that people the -Peninsula. - -Astorga, the Asturia Augusta of the Romans, is described by Pliny as a -"magnificent city." It was once the capital of southern Asturia and was -always an important outpost fortress. As indicative of its strength I -may mention that Astorga bears for arms a branch of oak. - -Like Leon, the importance of its position as a base, both for those who -lived in the mountains to the north and west, as well as for those who -came from the plain, was always appreciated, and was for ever a bone of -contention between the inhabitants of these districts. The Bishopric was -founded in 747 by Alfonso el Catolico, but no man of note has ever been -appointed to the See as far as I could discover. Indeed, Astorga is -another of those old Spanish cities which are passed by in the train, -with the remark--"How nice the old walls look, I do wish we had time to -stop here." - -A saunter round the walls I must own is very disappointing. It is so -evident that but little veneration is felt, or respect shown, for any -antiquities or historical associations. In many places they have been -pulled about for the sake of the building materials they yielded. They -are the rubble heaps of Astorga and have fallen into sad decay. One -portion is, however, preserved. In the south corner, where a pretty -little _paseo_ garden affords shade and a pleasant promenade, a splendid -view is obtained "over the hills and far away." Here, at any rate, -restoration has been undertaken for the sake of the common ground where -men and women walk, as custom dictates, every evening. - -At the spot where the Cathedral stands a great deal of demolition has -taken place, and even to-day the huge new château-like palace of the -bishop, now in process of erection, closes in a fine space and detracts -from the little antiquity which is left in this corner of Astorga. Such -is modern taste in Spain. Besides its walls, Astorga is celebrated for -its _mantecadas_, small square sponge-cakes, neatly folded in pieces of -greased paper, which find their way all over this part of the country; -but the farther off you find them the less do they resemble the -originals, and these are very good. - - - - -ZAMORA - - -Travelling through the great plain of Leon by train is apt to become -intensely monotonous, especially when, as in the case of reaching -Zamora, fate decreed that I should sit baking for hours in the slowest -of all, the undesirable _mercantilo_. Very few villages enlivened the -yellow landscape, which bare of vegetation lay blistering under the -midday sun; those that were visible were all _tapia_ built with unglazed -lights, and seemed to have grown outwards from the little brown-walled -churches in their midst. On rising ground beyond the limits of these -sad-looking hamlets, I could see the dwellings of the poorest of the -poor. Dug out of the bank-sides, they resemble rabbit holes more than -anything else. A door gives light, ventilation and access to the -interior, a tiny chimney sticking out of the ground above carries off -the extra fumes of smoke. Life inside must be nearer that of the beasts -than that of any other race in Europe; and as the slow _mercantilo_ -crawled along I had plenty of time to note the stunted growth and -wearied mien of those whose day of toil ends in these burrows under the -earth. In many places, the year's vintage is stored in these -subterranean holes. At last the train crept into the station and I read -the name of my destination on its wall. - -Zamora adds another to the list of those very interesting old cities of -Spain which still have a remnant of their ancient walls left standing. -Known at one time as Ocellum Duri, "The eye of the Douro," from its -strategical position on that barrier river, it still bears many traces -of a glorious past. Of old, an outpost for defence against the Infidel -of the south, with its natural barrier, Zamora nevertheless changed -hands many times. The veracious chronicler records how in 939 Ramiro II. -came to the city's relief and slew forty thousand Moors--their whole -force, in fact, to a man!--only to be revenged a few years later by the -all-conquering Almanzor. - -Ferdinand I. in 1065 rebuilt the defences which this redoubtable warrior -had levelled and presented the city to his daughter Urraca, whose son, -Alfonso VI., was the first King of united Leon and Castile. Zamora -figures, too, in the Cid's meteoric life. He appointed Geronimo, his -confessor, who lies buried in Salamanca, to the Bishopric, and when -Sancho besieged the place, it being then held by Urraca, the defence was -so excellent that "no se tomó Zamora en una hora" (Zamora was not taken -in one hour) became a proverb. It was at this siege that five Moorish -sheiks brought the Cid tribute and saluted him as "Campeador." - -There are more tangible remains of the quaint old city's importance to -be found in its Cathedral and streets than its proverbs and anecdotes. -Here is the house of Urraca, with an almost obliterated inscription over -the gateway--"Afuera! Afuera! Rodrigo el soberbio Castellano"--culled -from the ballad of the Cid, and referring to his exclusion from the -place. - -In the church of San Pedro y Ildefonso are a couple of fine bronze-gilt -shrines containing the remains of SS. Ildefonso and Atilano. The -Romanesque church of the Templars, La Magdalena, dates from the twelfth -century. Its rose window is formed with small columns like the Temple -Church in London; and within are some beautiful tombs. - -The Hospital is a good building with an overhanging porch, very -effectively coloured and having the appearance of glazed tiles. Many old -houses of the nobility now slumber tranquilly in slow decay, and Zamora, -like so many other Spanish towns of its class, seems left behind in the -modern hurry of life; and this is one of its greatest charms, the charm -that is so typical of old Spain. - -The Cathedral abuts on to the city wall and is almost surrounded by a -bare piece of ground, where the remains of dismantled fortifications -give a deserted and forlorn air to the very unecclesiastical aspect of -the exterior. I made a sketch among these ruins and could not help -feeling the result looked more like an Eastern farm enclosure than a -really fine Cathedral. There was the huge unfinished square tower, baked -a brilliant yellow, the _cimborio_ and dome, with its eight curious -little domes, all roofed in cement, and a copy of, if not contemporary -with, the same in the old Cathedral of Salamanca; the low mud walls and -almost flat roofs; a party of peasants in a sort of nomad encampment, -innumerable fowls pecking at the dust--what more could you have to -remind one of the East. The sun was broiling, and nothing disturbed this -"bit" of the Spain of long ago. - -The exterior of the Cathedral has been much marred by the poor -Renaissance north façade, not visible in my drawing, and a tower with a -slate roof. The south porch is, however, intact, and from it, for the -building stands high above the Douro, the view must have been grand -before the Bishop's Palace was built and obliterated the whole prospect. -A dozen steps, narrowing as they approach the portal, lead up to the -door which is surrounded by four good round arches with scroll mouldings -of simple design. Inside this I found myself in the south transept. - -[Illustration: ZAMORA. THE CATHEDRAL] - -The interior, with the exception of that portion east of the crossing, -which is poor Renaissance with perpendicular vaulting, is exceedingly -massive. The nave is but twenty-five feet in width, the columns which -support the bays are ten feet through; the aisles are very narrow, but -so good are the proportions of all these that this miniature Cathedral -is one of the finest Romanesque churches in the country. - -The _cimborio_ is round in plan with sixteen windows from which the ribs -of the vaulting spring. Unfortunately the columns have been decorated -with a spiral pattern of a chocolate colour, quite destroying the beauty -and simple grandeur of a feature which for simplicity ranks next to that -of the Catedral Vieja at Salamanca. - -In the Capilla del Cardenal at the west end of the nave is a very fine -_retablo_ divided into six panels painted by Gallegos, whose signature -is on the central one. I was examining this one morning when an old -priest passed through into the adjoining sacristy. He stopped and -explained the subjects to me, taking particular interest in this when he -learnt I was a painter and what my mission to Zamora was. I cannot -forget his courtesy and pride while showing me some of the treasures -the Cathedral possesses, and shared his regret that the wonderful -tapestries were only on view at certain festivals. In this chapel are -some good tombs of the great Romero family, others too of interest are -in the Capilla de San Miguel, and the finest of all that of Canon Juan -de Grado has the genealogy of the Virgin sculptured above the effigy of -the Canon. I was very grateful for the seats which here are available -for a rest and quiet examination of the church. In Burgos is the only -other Cathedral where it is possible to sit and gaze. - - - - -LEON - - -Situated on the edge of the great plain which stretches away south to -the Sierra de Gredos and beyond to Toledo, Leon served as a sort of -buffer town between the Highlanders of the north and the dwellers on the -Castilian uplands. - -The headquarters of the seventh Roman Legion, from which the name is -derived, it may be described as a great fortress of bygone days. -Astorga, some thirty miles westwards, being an outpost in that direction -no doubt helped to preserve Leon from the ravages of the Galician -Visigoths. - -The Romans held their fortress for five hundred years until Leovigild in -586 captured it after a long and strenuous siege. So highly was the -position and strength of these two towns appreciated, that when Witiza, -the King of the Goths, issued a decree levelling all defensive works to -the ground, they were exempted and their fortifications preserved. - -The Moors held Leon for a very short spell, and then only as a defence -against northern invasion. When Ordoño I. descended from his mountain -fastnesses and drove them out, Leon changed front with its new -occupants, and became a stronghold to be held at all costs against -invaders from the south. - -The great Almanzor, in his victorious march north with the soldiery of -Cordova, swept away all opposition and this buffer town was sacked. -However, after his defeat at Calatanavor and subsequent death, the -banner of Christ was once more unfurled to the breeze from what little -was left of its walls. - -These were almost entirely rebuilt of _tapia_ and cob-stones by Alfonso -V., since whose time they have remained or slowly fallen away. - -Leon stands in a verdant pasture valley intersected by many streams and -shady roads lined with tall poplars. The fields on either side are -divided from one another by hedges and willow trees, thick scrub follows -the streams and grows down to the water edge, and walking in these -pleasant places it was not difficult to imagine myself back in England. -The city itself is really little better than a big village, and -considering the important part it has played in the history Spain, seems -sadly neglected and left out in the cold. This, too, despite the fact -that it is an important junction and railway centre. There are no -buildings of any present importance, and those that once could lay claim -to this are in a state of decay. It is only on Sundays and market days, -when the peasants in picturesque costume and gay colours come in, that -Leon can boast of the smallest animation. I remember one Sabbath evening -as I stood on my balcony, that vantage ground from which one sees all -the life of the place pass by in the street below, watching the folk -parade up and down. A military band discoursed "brassy" music, the crowd -was packed as tight as sardines in a tin, when suddenly the "toot, toot" -of a motor horn was heard above the clash of cymbals and boom of the -drum. A large car came down a by-street opposite, turned sharply and -charged the crowd. The Spaniard is of an excitable temperament, loud -cries of disapproval, and screams from the gentler sex drowned all else. -The chauffeur discovered his mistake none too soon and attempted to turn -the car. At this the uproar grew louder and he brought it to a -standstill. Youths climbed the steps, boys hung on behind, "Toot, toot" -went the horn; the bandmaster, with an eye to the situation, waved his -_bâton_ more energetically than ever, the big drum boomed, the trombones -blurted out for all they were worth, but the hooting and whistling -drowned everything. - -At last the car began to back and became disengaged, the chauffeur -adroitly turned, and started down the street followed by the noisier -elements of the crowd eventually pulling up at a café, just out of the -parade zone. In Leon as elsewhere, fashion dictates a limit to the walk -in either direction and the chauffeur had stopped beyond this. The two -occupants of the car got out in a very unconcerned manner, sat down at a -table and ordered a drink. For at least a quarter of an hour, while -these two were taking their coffee, the crowd stood round booing, -whistling and shouting. I do not think I have ever seen anything cooler -than the way in which, their thirst satisfied, and the account settled, -they got up and walked slowly after the car which long ago had -disappeared out of danger. - -By this time, despite the presence of a couple of the _Guardia Civil_, -the crowd was excited. A cart full of peasant folk next essayed the -perils of the thoroughfare, they however got through safely after much -badinage and fun. No sooner had they gone, the band meantime had -vanished, when out from a wine shop came some peasants with castanets a -little light-headed for once. There were four of them, two men and two -women. They immediately began a dance on the pavement. A ring was formed -and a storm of hand-clapping encouraged them, for ten minutes they -footed it admirably. More castanets appeared from somewhere and soon -half Leon was dancing in the middle of the Calle. The feeble-looking -policemen, who had been terribly worried over the motor-car incident, -thrust out their chests, or tried to, and beamed all over. The scene had -changed from what had first looked very much like an ugly row, to one of -pure enjoyment, they were safe, every one else was out of danger, and -Leon too was saved. - -[Illustration: LEON. THE CATHEDRAL] - -The night I arrived in Leon, having finished dinner, I left the hotel -and taking the first turn hap-hazard wandered up the street. The -electric lights were soon behind me and I found myself in what seemed to -be a huge deserted square. The dark night was lit by milliards of -twinkling stars, and gazing upwards at them my eye followed the line of -what appeared to be immensely tall poplar trees. I looked again, I had -never seen trees that colour, then it slowly dawned on me that I was in -front of the great Cathedral. Slowly, slowly as my eye became accustomed -to the dark I made out tapering spires that met the very stars -themselves embedded in the purple-blue sky, an infinitude of pinnacles, -with a wonderful building beneath. The mystery of a beautiful night -conjures up all that is best in this country. Squalor and dirt are -hidden; one's thoughts take flight and wander back to the Spain of old, -the glorious Spain of bygone days. At moments like this I certainly -would never have been surprised to hear the clatter of hoofs and see a -band of knights with pennons flying and armour glinting appear suddenly -in the semi-darkness. Well, the days of chivalry have gone but the -romance of a starry night will never die. - -The next morning I returned eager to discover what my impressions would -unfold. Much to my delight I found the restoration of the Cathedral, -which I knew was in progress, so far finished that not a single scaffold -pole, nor any rubbish heaps of old stones were anywhere to be seen. -Extremely well have the designs of Señor Don Juan Madrazo been carried -out, and the Cathedral to-day stands a magnificent church and grand -monument of Christianity. - -Santa Maria de Regla is the third Cathedral which has existed in Leon. -The site of the first is supposed to have been outside the city walls. -The second was built where once stood the Palace of Ordoño II., and this -had been raised on ground occupied by Roman baths. - -The present edifice was founded in 1190 by Bishop Manrique de Lara, a -scion of a great family which was always in revolt, but was not -completed until the early part of the fourteenth century. - -With Toledo and Burgos, Leon's Cathedral forms the group of three great -churches that are distinctly French, and closely resemble Amiens and -Rheims. It would be difficult to find another building the interior of -which exceeded the colour elegance and grace of this airy structure. - -[Illustration: LEON. THE WEST PORCH OF THE CATHEDRAL] - -The west porch is the finest Gothic specimen of its kind which exists in -Spain and recalls those of Notre Dame de Paris and the Cathedral at -Chartres. Three archways are supported by cloistered columns to which -are attached figures under beautiful canopies. The archivolts and -tympanum are covered with sculpture representing the Reward of the Just -and Unjust, the Nativity, Adoration, Flight in Egypt, and Massacre of -the Innocents. All are extremely interesting, many of the figures being -in contemporary costume. Two grand towers flank the west façade, of -which the north is the older and some thirty feet less in height than -its neighbour. Both are surmounted by spires, that of the south being an -excellent example of open filigree work, rivalling those at Burgos and -very much better than that of Oviedo. - -Between these towers and above the porch is a pediment with spires and a -glorious wheel window, underneath which is a row of windows that -corresponds to the triforium. This portion is part of the late -restoration. - -The south porch also has three arches, which have been well renovated. -The centre one alone has a door to admit into the interior, it is double -and surrounded by figures in the archivolt with reliefs in the tympanum. -On the centre column is a figure of San Froilan, at one time Bishop of -Leon. - -A beautiful balustrade follows the sky-line of the whole Cathedral. This -is broken by many pinnacles, some of which are spiral, with others on -the façades and finishing the supports of the flying buttresses, give -the exterior a resemblance to a forest of small spires. - -The interior is a marvel of beauty and lightness. The nave and aisles -consist of six bays, no lateral chapels disfigure the latter with -chirrigueresque atrocities. The triforium runs round the whole -Cathedral. So cleverly has the spacing here been arranged, that with the -clerestory it makes one magnificent panel of gorgeous light. The windows -of this, forty feet high, were at one time blocked up for safety. They -now contain stained glass, and soar upwards to the vaulting of the roof. -Every window in the Cathedral is coloured and the effect as the sun -streams through can well be imagined. - -No flamboyant _retablo_ spoils the simplicity of the east end, the place -of what might have been a jarring note amidst the Gothic work being -taken by good paintings in flat gilded frames. It was Señor Madrazo's -idea to remove the _coro_ from the centre of the nave, and had this been -done Santa Maria de Regla would have gained immensely. The carved -stalls are good, and the _trascoro_ sculptured in white marble, which -age has toned, and picked out in gold, is decidedly a fine work. - -Among the chapels in the apse that of La Nuestra Señora del Dado -contains a miraculous Virgin and Child. Tradition tells that a gambler -who had lost heavily threw his dice at her and smote her on the nose. -This forthwith bled copiously, hence the miracle and the name of "Dado" -or "die." Another chapel contains the tomb of a great benefactress of -the Cathedral, the Condesa Sancha. An expectant nephew, seeing her -property slowly dwindling in the cause of the Faith, put an end to his -aunt, and thereby met his own death by being pulled asunder by horses to -which he was tied. - -However, the chapels are not very interesting, but the tombs in the -Cathedral are. Of all these that of Ordoño II., behind the chancel, is -certainly the finest. The king lies at full length with a herald at his -head and a monk at his feet holding a scroll inscribed "aspice." He -wears his crown and carries the royal emblems. This tomb was erected -five hundred years after the king's death, and is guarded by a quaint -iron grille. - -The cloisters, entered from a door in the north transept, are a jumble -of Gothic and Renaissance, with a Romanesque arcade and a good deal of -plateresque work as well. Some of the earliest frescoes in Spain are -fast disappearing from the walls. They illustrate events in the Life of -Christ, and are in an early Italian style that places their origin in -doubt. From the western spires to the angular exterior of the chevet, a -good idea is obtained of the beauty of the Cathedral as one stands in -these cloisters, and when they, too, are restored the great work begun -in 1860 will be finished. - -Next to the Cathedral, and perhaps in a way more interesting, is the -convent of San Isidoro el Real. This, the Escorial of Leon and Castile, -is a building which Soult's soldiers desecrated in a most abominable -manner; next to the lower or Roman portion of the city walls it is the -most ancient building in Leon. The body of San Isidoro was brought -hither in the reign of Ferdinand I. who obtained it from the Emir of -Seville, and the present church was erected to receive it. This was in -1063, the original convent being a hundred years older. San Isidoro was -declared by the Council of Toledo to be the Egregious Doctor of Spain, -and in his capacity of titular saint fought with cross and sword at the -battle of Baeza against the Moors. - -The church is Romanesque and dark with a lofty clerestory but no -triforium. The High Altar shares with that at Lugo in Galicia the -privilege of having the host always _manifestado_. - -[Illustration: LEON. SAN MARCOS] - -In the Panteon, a small low chapel at the west end, lie buried the Kings -and Queens and other royalties of Leon. The columns are very massive -with heavy capitals; the ceiling is adorned with early frescoes which -happily escaped the depredations of the French, they are crude, but the -colour adds to the impressiveness of this gloomy abode of the Dead. -Representing scenes from the Lives of our Lord and His Apostles, with -signs of the Zodiac and months of the year, they date from 1180. The -whole convent is replete with mural paintings, and before Soult sacked -it contained many extremely interesting and rare missals of the seventh -and eighth centuries. - -Unique is another convent, that of San Marcos, which stands on the river -bank outside the city on the road to Astorga. Founded as a chapel in -1168 for the knights of Santiago, it was rebuilt in 1514-49 by Juan de -Badajos, and is certainly his masterpiece. It would be difficult to find -a façade of greater beauty than this marvel of plateresque work. The -remarkable pink and golden colour of the stone, intensified against the -background of a deep blue sky, the delicacy of the carving in which -angels and cherubs, griffons and monsters intermingle with floral -wreaths and branches of fruit in orderly confusion, the elegant pillars -and pilasters, all so truly Spanish under the blazing sun, fascinated -me immensely as time after time I returned to wonder and admire. - -Here again I could conjure up the past, the romance of Spain's greatest -Order; well housed were those knights of old in their glorious Hospice, -and now--the river still runs under the walls of what afterwards became -a convent, its banks are lined with tall poplars, far away rise the -mountains of the north in rugged outline just as they did of yore--and -San Marcos? Alas! half is a museum and the rest a barrack. A forlorn air -pervades the place, the old garden wants tending, and despite the life -of the military, I could not help sighing once again, as I have so often -sighed in Spain--"How are the mighty fallen!" - - - - -OVIEDO - - -Oviedo, seldom visited by the foreigner, lies well situated on rising -ground in a fine open valley. Grand mountains surround and hem it in on -the east, south and west, to the north the country undulates until it -reaches the Biscay coast twenty odd miles away. These natural barriers -gather the clouds and the climate is humid; on an average there are but -sixty cloudless days in the year. While I was in Oviedo it rained almost -incessantly, and the "clang of the wooden shoon" kept the streets lively -with a clattering "click-clack." All the poorer classes wear sabots in -wet weather, sabots that are pegged on the soles, difficult to walk in, -but kept well out of the mud and puddles by these pegs. This particular -make is common to Asturias, just as the ordinary French shape is to -Galicia. - -Oviedo is one of Spain's university cities, and I happened to strike the -week when the festivities in celebration of its tercentenary were in -progress. Wet weather and pouring rain never damp the ardour of the -Spaniard during a _fiesta_, and despite the rain, powder was kept dry -somehow or other, and enthusiasm vented itself regularly up to eleven -o'clock every night by terrific explosions. Functions of some sort -seemed to be going on all day long. Societies from the country paraded -the streets, led by music, in most cases bagpipes and a drum, and Oviedo -was evidently "doing itself proud." - -I happened on a ceremony in the Cathedral one morning. The bishop was -preaching to an immense crowd when I entered. Seated in the nave were -the Professors of the University, Doctors of Law and Medicine, the -Military Governor and his Staff, the Alcalde and Town Councillors, -besides representatives from the universities of every European country, -except, strangely enough, Germany, and one from Harvard, the first to -attend a function of this sort since the war. It was a really wonderful -sight, for the Cathedral is not marred by a _coro_ in the nave. The hues -of the many-coloured robes, from canary yellow and scarlet to cerulean -blue and black, the vast throng literally filling every available bit of -space, even on to the pulpit steps, gave me a subject for my brush, and -I surreptitiously made a hasty sketch, to be finished afterwards in my -room. - -[Illustration: OVIEDO. IN THE CATHEDRAL] - -The Cathedral was founded by Fruela in 781, and enlarged in 802 by -Alfonso the Chaste, who made Oviedo the capital of Asturias, and with -his Court resided here. He created the See in 810. The present edifice -was begun by Bishop Gutierrez of Toledo in 1388, and the tower added by -Cardinal Mendoza in 1528. - -Hedged in, although fronting on to a little _plaza_, the grand west -façade with its beautiful porch can hardly be said to be visible. This -lofty portico of richly ornamented Gothic, under the shelter of which -the gossips parade to and fro, leads into the Cathedral and stands -thrust out and between the two towers. Only one of these towers is -completed, and it is surmounted by a good open-work spire the top of -which rises two hundred and seventy feet from the ground. - -I wandered about hopelessly trying to gain some idea of the exterior of -the Cathedral and found that it was only by walking outside the city -that anything at all can be seen of it, and then the towers and roof of -the nave, with the flying buttresses attached, were the only features -that came into view. - -The entrance by the south door leads through a dark passage, in which -many votive offerings hang over a tiny shrine where burnt a little -flickering lamp; going in I found myself at the spot from which I had -made my sketch the previous day. What a relief it was to find no _coro_ -blocking up the nave! The eye could wander over the whole of this lofty -interior--could follow the beautiful open work of the triforium and rest -on the stained glass of the clerestory windows. The aisles are very -shadowy, all the light being concentrated in the nave and the crossing, -and the vision, with a great sense of good effect, is led up to the -white tabernacle on the High Altar and the immense _retablo_ beyond. A -little theatrical if you like, but it is business, and the Church -understands this so well. - -Among the chapels, good, bad and indifferent, is one containing a -gorgeous silver-gilt shrine wherein rests the body of Santa Eulalia, -Oviedo's patroness. In another, tucked away behind the north transept, -the Capilla del Rey Casto, lies buried Alfonso the Chaste who did so -much for the city. Six niches in the walls contain stone coffins, which -are supposed to hold the remains of Fruela I., Urraca, wife of Ramiro -I., Alfonso el Católico, Ramiro, and Ordoño I. The bodies of these -royalties at one time lay here, and a modern inscription on a mural -tablet relates how they were removed, but not how their tombs were -destroyed. Many other kings and princes we are told by this tablet also -lie here, and as there are but half a dozen coffins their bones must be -_bien mélange_. - -There are the usual overdone chirrigueresque altars which do their best -to mar this imposing church, though I am glad to say they hardly -succeed. From them, however, it was a relief to be taken by a very -intelligent verger up the winding stairs which led to the Cámara Santa. - -This is by far the most interesting portion of the Cathedral. Built by -Alfonso in 802 to hold the sacred relics brought hither from Toledo at -the time of the Moorish invasion, it stands above a vaulted basement; -the reason for this arrangement evidently being the damp climate, and -the wish to keep so holy a charge free from moisture. The chapel is -divided into two parts. The inner, of very small dimensions, has a low -barrel vaulting borne by arches with primitive twelfth-century figures. -The _sanctum sanctorum_ is slightly raised, and from this inmost Holy of -Holies the relics are shown to the devout who kneel in front of a low -railing every day at 8.30 A.M. and 3.30 P.M. The cedar wood _arca_ in -which they are kept is of Byzantine workmanship. The relics include some -of Mary Magdalene's hair, and crumbs left over from the feeding of the -five thousand. - -The outer chamber of the chapel has a finely-groined roof, attached to -the columns supporting which are statues of the twelve apostles. The -richly-tesselated pavement resembles the Norman-Byzantine work of -Sicily, and was not uncommon in Spain prior to the thirteenth century. - -A bell tower, in which at one time hung "Wamba," the great bell of the -church cast in 1219, stands partly on the roof and at the south-east -corner of the Cámara Santa. It was erected by Alfonso VI., and to judge -by its present state will not long survive, most decidedly "Wamba" could -not swing there now. - -The Cathedral possesses three remarkable crosses, La Cruz de los -Angeles, Maltese in shape, is studded with uncut gems. It dates from -808, and like the cross at Santiago is 1200 years old. La Cruz de la -Victoria, the cross of Pelayo, is encased in beautiful filigree work, -and is the identical one borne aloft before Pelayo at his glorious -victory over the Moor at the Cave of Covadonga. The third is a crucifix -on an ivory diptych, absolutely identical with the Cristo de las -Batallas of the Cid at Salamanca. Many other relics of great -archæological interest belong to the Cathedral, and make it well worth -the journey to see. This journey from Leon is long and trying, but the -line, which climbs to an altitude of 4110 feet, is one of the finest -pieces of engineering skill in Spain. - -[Illustration: OVIEDO. THE CLOISTERS] - -The dark entry of the south door leads not only into the Cathedral and -up to the Cámara Santa, but also through a side door opens on to the -fourteenth-century cloisters. They are well kept and the little garden -court a paradise in comparison with some of those I know. The capitals -of the columns are well carved with prophets and saints under canopies, -angels and angels' heads, grotesques and good floral cutting; while into -the walls beneath them and round the arcades are let many tombs and -gravestones brought here from different ruined or desecrated churches. - -I went off one morning to see the earliest Christian church in the -country. Braving the rain I tramped through mud ankle-deep for an hour -up the hill slopes westward. It was a case of two steps forward and one -back, but the spirit of the tourist was on me. I could not leave Oviedo -and acknowledge I had not been to Naranco. I was desperate and I got -there. What a charming out-of-the-way spot it is! Hidden behind a grove -of ancient chestnut trees, under the brow of the mountain, stands Santa -Maria. - -A triple arched porch at the top of a dozen steps gives entrance on the -north side to this minute and primitive place of worship. I entered and -found myself in a barrel-vaulted parallelogram, with a curious arcade -running round the walls. The west end is raised three steps above the -nave, from which it is cut off by three arches ten feet high at the -centre. The east end also has this feature, but the floor is level with -the nave. All the columns in the church are of twisted cable design -with shield capitals containing figures in low relief. The arcades, -which are walled up, have depending from the plain groining bands slabs -of cut stone with plaques below, something like a ribbon and medal in -the way they hang. The interior is but thirty-five feet in length and -fifteen feet across. - -Beneath the church is a semicircular stone crypt, similar to that -beneath the Cámara Santa; it is entered from the cottage in which at one -time lived the officiating priest. The caretaker inhabits this cottage, -which is built on to the church, and I had come at her dinner hour. -Alas! she could not leave me in peace, and I must own to a defeat. I was -practically driven away, for the meal was spoiling and required her -undivided attention, but I had seen Santa Maria de Naranco; I had -grasped how in the early days, when the Infidel was overrunning the -land, this little building on the lone hillside was a centre of the -Faith, and how from the surrounding mountain fastnesses worshippers had -gathered here and gone away strengthened by prayer, and how from this -little seed of the Church sown on the forest-clad hill Spain's -mightiness had grown. - - - - -VALLADOLID - - -For nearly one hundred and fifty years, from the reign of Juan II., -1454, to Philip II., 1598, Valladolid was a royal city and the capital -of Castile. It lies on the plain through which the river Pisuerga -meanders, just touching the outskirts of the city on the western side. -In the Moorish days Valladolid was known as Belad al Wali, "The Town of -the Governor," and flourished as a great agricultural centre. It is -still the focus of the corn trade of Old Castile. It was here that -Prince Ferdinand, despite attempts on the part of his father Juan II. to -frustrate it, was introduced to Isabella the reigning Queen of Castile -and Leon. Many suitors had proposed themselves and paid their addresses -to this paragon among women, but possessing a will of her own she made -her choice and selected the Prince whom she married on October 19, 1469. - -Valladolid suffered more severely at the hands of the French than any -other city of Spain. They demolished most of the good houses and -despoiled the churches; among those that are left, however, I found -plenty to interest me and to make a stay, after I had discovered them, -well worth the while. - -I made a sketch of Santa Maria la Antigua, which is the most interesting -edifice in the place. The fine Romanesque tower is surmounted by a tiled -steeple which recalls Lombardy, and although many additions have been -made to the original fabric the whole building piles up very well, the -early Gothic east end being particularly beautiful. This church dates -from the twelfth century, but the greater part of it is pure Gothic. The -roof is richly groined; there are three parallel apses, and the _coro_ -is at the west end--an always welcome place to find it. The _retablo_ by -Juan de Juni, whose work is scattered throughout the churches of -Valladolid, is fine though over-elaborate. - -Another good church is San Pablo, partly rebuilt by the great Cardinal -Torquemada, whose name will for ever be associated with the terrors of -the Inquisition. I found another subject for my brush in its very -intricate late Gothic west façade. The upper part of this contains the -arms of the Catholic Kings, below which on either side are those of the -Duque de Lerma. The niches are luckily all filled with their original -figures, and the wonderful tracery of the round window is also in good -preservation. The grey finials are weather-worn and contrast well with -the rich yellow and pink of the rest of the front, a façade which is -absolutely crammed with intricate design. Two hideous towers of later -date and of the same stone as that with which the Cathedral is built, -flank this and detract unfortunately from one of the best examples of -late Gothic work in the country. - -[Illustration: VALLADOLID. SANTA MARIA LA ANTIGUA] - -Hard by, up the street pictured in my sketch, stands the Colegiata de -San Gregorio, with an equally fine façade, though being an earlier -Gothic it is more severe in type. The doorway of this is surmounted by a -genealogical tree and the arms of Ferdinand and Isabella. Some of the -figures of rough hairy men with cudgels are very primitive. San Gregorio -was a foundation of Cardinal Ximenes, it is now used as municipal -offices. Passing through the doorway I entered a beautiful little court, -rather dark, but with sufficient light to enable me to appreciate the -good artesonade ceiling of its cloisters. The second court is a blaze of -light. Spiral fluted columns form the cloister, the ceiling of which is -picked out in a cerulean blue and white; they support a recently -restored gallery, a mixture of Moorish, Romanesque and plateresque work, -into which the sheaves and yoke of the Catholic Kings is introduced as -at Granada and Santiago, making a very effective whole. A fine old stone -stairway leads from this court up to what in the old collegiate days was -a library. - -Of the Cathedral I fear I can write but little. It is a huge gloomy -edifice without a single redeeming feature, and of all those I saw the -most incomplete and disappointing. The exterior north and south walls -are still unfinished, the stone work is not even faced! The east are -built of brick, and the west façade, altered by Chirriguera himself from -the original plan of Herrara, is extremely bald and ugly. - -This enormous building is four hundred feet in length and over two -hundred wide, yet these proportions give it no grandeur. The interior is -absolutely devoid of ornament, and if it were not for the _silleria_ in -the _coro_, which were originally intended for San Pablo and are good, -there would be nothing to warrant a visit to this cold and depressing -church. By the way, the sacristy contains a silver _custodia_ in the -shape of an open temple, a good example of the work of Juan de Arfe. - -There is a third-rate French air about Valladolid, at least so it struck -me, and it was only after a visit to the old Colegio de Santa Cruz, -wherein is the museum, that my first disappointment wore off and I felt -that I was still in Spain. - -[Illustration: VALLADOLID. SAN PABLO] - -The contents of the museum are mostly objects which the French plundered -from the churches and monasteries of Castile, and were recovered after -their disastrous defeat at Vitoria. The styles of Berruguete, Hernandez -and Juan de Juni can be examined here at leisure. Some of the life-size -carved wooden figures of the last named, formerly used on the -processional cars which parade the streets at certain festivals, are -remarkable more from the extravagant attitudes of the figures than from -their artistic merit. The custodian who accompanied me was a pleasant -fellow, and evinced surprise that a _pintor_ could not see the beauties -he pointed out. I fear he thought little of my artistic discrimination; -especially when in the Sala de Juntas he invited me to ascend a pulpit -over which hung a large crucifix, and with fervour solicited my -admiration of the face of Christ, on which was a most agonised look, -"cheap" and quite according to academic rules. "No, no, it is bad." -"But, señor, He suffers." I could not make him understand that acute -suffering need not be so painfully apparent. - -In this Sala are placed the whole of the _silleria de coro_ from the -church of San Benito. Arranged on either side of the room they give it a -superb effect. At the far end are the red velvet-covered chairs of -Spanish Chippendale used by the Council of the Academy of Arts at their -meetings. Beyond them, on a raised platform, are the two bronze-gilt -kneeling figures of the Duke and Duchess de Lerma. A few pictures hang -on the walls and other treasures and relics help to make this fine Sala -an ideal council chamber for the academicians. - -Of the hundreds of carved figures in other rooms those by Berruguete, -very Greek in type, flat brow and straight nose, are artistically by far -the best, though the "Death of our Lord," a life-size composition by -Hernandez, follows not far behind. Just as Madrid contains the finest -armoury in the world, I doubt if any other museum can compete with -Valladolid's for figures and compositions of carved wood. - -The University holds at present a high rank, most of its professors -being progressive. The building itself is a chirrigueresque concern of -the seventeenth century with a very extravagant façade. It possesses a -good library which is get-at-able, and not like others belonging to the -church which are very difficult of access. À propos of this one of the -professors here told me the following hardly credible experience of a -friend of his, whom I will call A. - -There is a movement at present in Spain to catalogue some at least of -the many thousands of priceless historical Arabic documents and MSS. -which, hidden away in Cathedral and other libraries, would throw -invaluable light on the history of early times if they could be -examined. A. is engaged in trying to compile this catalogue, and, -hearing that in a certain Cathedral city--not Valladolid--the Cathedral -library contained some treasures of Arabic lore, procured an -introduction to the bishop, and requested permission to search the -archives of the diocese. - -Explaining that he was unable to help in the matter, the bishop sent A. -to the chapter authorities. The basis of their refusal was that any MS. -if taken down from its shelf might be injured, and if once taken down -might not be replaced in the same position! "Yes, they certainly -possessed many supposed Arabic documents, but as none had been disturbed -in living memory, why take the trouble to make a catalogue? Surely this -would be superfluous, the books were there no doubt, A. could see them -in their shelves, the librarian would be happy to show them, but no, -they could not be taken down." - -In the library of the Escorial the books are all placed with their -titles against the wall and their edges turned towards the spectator, so -that no vulgar touch could defame them by reading. Small wonder that the -Progressists of Spain shrug their shoulders sometimes at the many petty -obstacles encountered in their attempts to better their country, and -regard it as an almost hopeless task. - -Two foreign colleges are situated in Valladolid, the Scotch and the -English. The first named was founded by Colonel Semple in Madrid and -removed hither in 1771, the second by Sir Francis Englefield, who came -to Spain after the execution of Mary Queen of Scots. They are both -seminaries for the education of young priests and with the Irish College -in Salamanca complete the trio. - -The focus of the city's life is in the Plaza Mayor, a fine square where -the first _auto da fé_, which Philip II. and his court witnessed, took -place in October 1559. It was here also that Alvaro de Luna was -executed, after faithfully serving his King, Juan II., for thirty years. -Spain thereby lost the strong will and the arm which enforced it, and -which out of chaos had brought the country into a semblance of order by -quelling the turbulent nobles. Such has been in the past the fickleness -of Spain's rulers that not one of the great men who have served their -country, with perhaps the exception of General Prim, and he died a -disappointed man, has ever ended his life in peace and quiet. They have -nearly all died at the stake, on the scaffold, or been foully murdered. - -The much dilapidated house in a narrow street where Columbus died is -fast falling into ruin, but that in the Calle de Rastro, where Cervantes -lived and wrote the first part of Don Quixote, is in better condition. - - - - -BURGOS - - -Unlike most folk who enter the country from the north, I left Burgos for -the end of my last visit to Spain, and found it in a way not unlike -Cadiz, the first place I arrived at. They are both clean cities--for -Spain; the streets in both are narrow, and the houses tall with -double-glazed balconies. There is but little traffic in either, the -squares in both are numerous, but the resemblance stops at this. The -streets of Burgos run east and west in lines more or less parallel with -the river Arlanzón. They are draughty and cold. The city stands 2785 -feet above sea level and the winds sweep down from the distant sierra in -bitter blasts. The life of Burgos is eminently ecclesiastical with a -large sprinkling of the military element, for here all three branches of -the service are quartered. It is a quiet place and I worked in peace -unmolested. - -What a pity the builders of the great Cathedral could not find another -site whereon to erect their wonderful church. How much better it would -have looked if placed on the flat ground near the river than on the -spot where a summer palace of Gonzalez once stood. However, one cannot -move mountains and I was perforce obliged to plant my easel on the slope -of the hill and paint the stock view from in front of the west façade. - -In 1075 Alfonso VI. moved the Archiepiscopal See from Oca to Burgos and -gave the site of the royal palace for its erection. The present edifice -was founded in 1221 by Ferdinand el Santo on the occasion of his -marriage with Beatrice of Swabia, who in her train brought the -Englishman, Bishop Maurice. Employing a French architect, Maurice was -more or less responsible for the present building, though another -foreigner, John of Cologne, added the beautiful open work spires with -their parapets to the towers of the west end. It is curious that this, -the most richly ornate Cathedral in the country, should be the outcome -of patronage of the foreigner, though at the same time it is the most -Spanish of the three "foreign" Cathedrals. So rich is this magnificent -Church in every style of architectural decoration that it would take a -lifetime to know it thoroughly. - -John of Cologne's beautiful spires are better than those at Leon and -Oviedo, and rise with the towers that support them to a height close on -300 ft. The gorgeous central lantern, with its twelve traceried -pinnacles, the grace of those that surmount the Constable's Chapel, the -many, many others that break the skyline and adorn this glorious fabric, -all go to make it a building that, despite the different styles -employed, will be a wonder and a joy as long as man's handiwork lasts. - -The lower portion of the west front was renewed in 1790. The Puerta -Principal in the centre is flanked by two small doors, with reliefs of -the Conception and Crowning of the Virgin, while the chief door has four -statues of Ferdinand el Santo, Alfonso VI., and Bishops Oca and Maurice. -Large Gothic windows occupy the third stage of the front, their bases -being filled with statues. The central stage, which has a single arch, -contains a splendid rose window. The upper portion of the two towers is -occupied by very beautiful perforated double windows in which crochet -decoration is profusely used. It is altogether a wonderful façade which -I greatly wished could be seen from the level. - -The chief entrance on the north is closed. It is on the street, and -through it the descent into the north transept is by the well-known -Escalada Dorada. The early Gothic portal--Puerta alta--is adorned by -statues and with the whole of this façade is one of the earliest -portions of the Cathedral. The door, which on this side leads into the -Cathedral, is the Puerta de la Pellejeria and opens on to the -north-east angle of the transept below the Golden Staircase. - -On the south the Puerta del Sarmental is approached from the street by -three tiers of steps, it is also part of the original Gothic and is -decorated with statues and coats-of-arms. Above it rises a similar -façade to that of the north transept. The arcading in both these façades -is most beautiful and from some points, where the roof-line can be seen -cutting the sky, they look like two towers surmounted by an elegant -balustrade. Very probably the pitch of the roofs was intended to be -higher, and the building of the central lantern has interfered with the -original design. - -The nave of pure early Gothic is lofty but sadly spoilt by the height of -the _coro_. The aisles are low, but very beautiful. The _cimborio_ runs -up in double stages with windows in each and balustrades, it is a -perfect maze of intricate design and fine carving. The walls are covered -with the royal arms of Charles V. and the City of Burgos; there are -figures of patriarchs and prophets standing in the niches, seraphim and -angels occupy the recesses of the spandrils, and the beautiful groining -of this superb octagon is quite unmatched anywhere in Spain. It all -looks as if just finished, the stone is white and in perfect -preservation. How my neck used to ache when looking aloft, unweaving the -intricacies of that splendid interior! To strengthen the Cathedral and -support the weight of this addition, the original piers were altered at -the crossing, and the huge cylindrical columns, which are richly chased -with Renaissance decoration, substituted. One can hardly say that Juan -de Vallejo has spoilt the church by this octagon, for his work here -would grace any building, but all the same I think the Gothic of the -interior has suffered by the introduction of his designs, and I would -sooner have seen the crossing in its original state. - -[Illustration: BURGOS. THE CAPILLA MAYOR] - -The triforium is composed of wide bays with an uneven number of closed -lights in each. A single arch, the mouldings of which are surmounted by -carved heads, spans each group. - -The clerestory contains a little modern glass, most of the old having -been destroyed by a powder explosion in the fort on the hill above. - -In the _coro_ the _silleria_ are exquisitely carved; the main panels -represent subjects from the New Testament, the lower, which are divided -by pilasters with arabesques, represent scenes of martyrdom. Philip -Vigarni, who was responsible for this fine _coro_, surpassed himself in -some of its decoration, which adds one more item to all that ought to be -thoroughly studied in the great Cathedral. - -On the north side of the High Altar, in front or which hangs a -magnificent silver lamp, are the tombs of three of the Infantes of -Castile. Behind this, the _trassagrario_ is covered with well-executed -reliefs in white stone, some of this is very soft and has crumbled away -a good deal. Every morning a deposit of dust is swept up and it will -soon be necessary to thoroughly restore these fine panels or the designs -will be lost for ever. They represent the Agony in the Garden, our Lord -bearing the Cross, the Crucifixion, the Descent, the Resurrection and -the Ascension. The three centre are by Vigarni, and the others by -Alfonso de los Rios. - -Nearly all the chapels are replete with interest, be it architecture, -tombs, pictures or relics, but of them all the Capilla del Condestable -is the grandest. Built in 1487 by John of Cologne for the Hereditary -Constable of Castile, Don Pedro Fernandez de Velasco, it is the private -property of the Duque de Frias. The _reja_, the masterpiece of Cristobal -Andino, bears date MDXXIII. and is certainly the finest in the -Cathedral. It is a worthy entrance to this magnificent octagon, which, -viewed from outside, rises detached from the main building with eight -elaborate pinnacles pointing heavenwards. The tracery of the pierced -ceiling of the Lantern with its gilded bosses, vies in intricacy with -that of the Cathedral itself. There is a double clerestory with -sculptured knights at the bases of the columns holding coloured metal -banners. The undercutting of the mouldings in the arches is very -marvellous, the lowest course is formed of detached figures hanging -downwards and from a little distance off looks like a piece of lacework. -In front of the _retablo_ and High Altar are the superbly sculptured -tombs of the Constable and his wife. He is in full armour, she lies by -his side on a richly embroidered cushion with her little lap-dog -nestling comfortably in the folds of her robe near her feet. The chapel -teems with interest; the wealth of red marble from the quarries of -Atapuerca and the very effective chequer arrangement of black and white -steps leading to the High Altar give it just the note of colour its -whiteness otherwise would lack. - -Attached to the chapel is a small vestry entered through a diminutive -plateresque doorway of exquisite design. Amongst other priceless relics -the vestry contains a fine gold chalice studded with precious stones and -a good Madonna by Luini. - -Another fine picture, a _Virgin and Child_ by Sebastian del Piombo, -hangs over the altar in the Capilla de La Presentacion. In the Capilla -del Santissimo Cristo is a very ancient crucifix of life-sized -proportions. Tradition and the vergers say that it came from the East -and was carved by Nicodemus. The figure is flexible and very -attenuated, it is covered with a buff-coloured leather to represent -dried flesh and is very gruesome. In San Juan de Sahagun are six panels -of the fifteenth century; good specimens of the early Spanish school, -they represent the Nativity, Adoration and four scenes from the Passion. - -The great Bishop Alfonso de Cartagena lies interred in the Capilla de -San Enrique, and his tomb is remarkably fine. Others in this chapel and -in the cloisters are cut in slate and have been worked with great -cleverness considering the way in which a blow splinters this material -so easily. - -The Chapel of Santa Ana, unfortunately restored recently, belongs to the -Duque de Abrantes, and contains the best _retablo_ in the Cathedral. On -it are displayed incidents in the Life of Christ which spring from and -are enclosed by the branches of a genealogical tree. It is a quaint idea -very well carried out. - -It is a difficult task to try and give an idea of the contents and -admirable style of all these chapels in the space of a short chapter, -suffice it to say that they are, one and all, worthy pendants to the -rest of the great church, and exemplify in their contents the glorious -age of the ruling bishops and nobility of Old Castile. - -In the south transept is a wonderful low doorway in front of which I had -often stood examining the well-carved wooden panels on the doors -themselves. It leads into the cloisters, but it was not until I had -become thoroughly acquainted with the groups representing the Entry into -Jerusalem and the Descent into Hades which grace this portal, that I -passed through. The door dates from the early fifteenth century and -considering the many thousands of times it has swung open and shut is in -most excellent preservation. - -The cloisters are fourteenth-century work and form an upper storey to a -basement cloister of low arches surrounding a courtyard which at the -time of my visit was undergoing extensive repair. In the centre is a -huge cross; the flagstones of the court were all up, and the bones from -many disturbed graves were being thrown into a pit. The beautiful -cloisters proper are filled with modern opaque glass--"Muy frio" -answered the verger to my question, "Por que?"--and no doubt it is in -the winter months. But the charm about a cloister is the vista through -the arches; this Burgos has lost for the sake of the well-being of her -priests; the pity is that funds would not allow of better glass when the -utilitarian aspect demanded the shutting out of the cold winds. - -The sacristy on the east side of the cloisters is a very beautiful early -fifteenth-century room with a fine groined roof, the peculiarity of -which is that it has no supporting columns. The half-piers end in -corbels of hunting scenes and I daresay have often recalled to many a -priest days of his early boyhood. - -The Chapter House, with an artesonade ceiling, contains some good -pictures and is reached through the Capilla del Corpus Christi. High up -on the wall of this chapel, and fixed to it with iron clamps, is the -Cofre del Cid, a wooden coffer which the Campeador filled with sand, and -telling the Jews it was full of gold, raised six hundred marks. He -redeemed the pledge later on and paid up the sum he had borrowed. The -tomb of Enrique III.'s head cook, who is lying in armour with a sword, -occupies a space on the floor. He was not a bad-looking man and I -daresay took his turn at the enemy and used his sword when occasion -offered. Street writes of these cloisters--"I know none more interesting -and more varied"--but I left them and the many fine tombs and statues -they contain wishing that priests were not mortal nor liable to chills. - -[Illustration: BURGOS. ARCH OF SANTA MARIA] - -The capital of Old Castile is a quiet little place and I felt I was in a -northern clime far away from the charm of Andalusia and the south. The -name Burgos is of Iberian origin, "Briga" signifying "a fortified hill." -Founded as long ago as 884 by Diego de Porcelos, it was for many -generations the capital of Castile. At the marriage of Ferdinand I. in -1067 Castile and Leon became one and ten years later the seat of -Government was removed by Alfonso VI. to Toledo. Serious troubles ensued -between the inhabitants of the two cities. Old Castile could not brook -the interference of the great archbishops of New Castile and the loss of -prestige attached to royalty and its court. - -In Charles V.'s reign Burgos joined the Comunéros, the opponents of -centralised government, but was wisely pardoned with other towns by the -King, who held a court in state for this purpose in the Plaza Mayor at -Valladolid. As a result of this forgiveness the inhabitants erected the -fine entrance gateway of Santa Maria of which I made a sketch. Since -that day, except for Wellington's futile sieges, Burgos has slept the -sleep of the just and being an eminently ecclesiastical city will -continue in this happy state. - -Much of interest lies tucked away in the narrow streets. There is the -Casa del Cordon, at one time the palace of the Velasco family, and a -royal residence. Within its walls the Catholic Kings received Columbus -on his return from the New World, and here was signed the incorporation -of Navarre with Castile. This fine example of a town house is flanked by -two square towers, with a rope from which it takes its name carved over -the portal. The Casa de Miranda, with a noble courtyard and -well-proportioned fluted columns, near which is the Casa de Angulo a -strong fortress-like building. The façade of the old Collegio de San -Nicolas is replete with fine workmanship and the church of this name -with tombs. The richly-carved stone _retablo_, illustrating events of -the saint's life, is also a work of real art. Under the wall of the -cemetery stood the house wherein the Cid was born, and in the Castle on -the hill, now a ruin, he was married. The nuptials of Edward I. of -England with Eleanor of Castile were celebrated in this fortress, which -can also claim the birth of Pedro the Cruel. - -For a provincial town Burgos possesses a most interesting museum. Among -the many relics I saw was a bronze altar font with coloured enamels of -saints and a Moorish ivory casket, both from the monastery of San -Domingo de Silos. The fine kneeling figure in alabaster of Juan de -Padilla, who lost his life at an early age during one of the sieges of -Granada, is almost as beautiful as that of the Infante Alfonso in the -Cartuja. Roman and mediæval remains, found at different times and taken -from disestablished convents, added to the interest of a short visit. -There is so much to see in Burgos and its surroundings, and the seeing -of it all is so pleasant, so undisturbed, and so different to the south, -where for ever I was annoyed by touting loafers and irrepressible boys, -that when I left it was with feelings of great regret. - -[Illustration] - -Across the river, about an hour's walk one morning brought me to the -Convent of Las Huelgas, which is still inhabited by shy nuns. Founded in -1187 by Alfonso VIII. it has always loomed large in the history of -Castile. Many of her kings have kept vigil before the High Altar, when -receiving knighthood, our own Edward I. among them. Many royal pairs -have been wedded within the church, and many sleep their long sleep -within its quiet precincts. The Abbess was mitred, she possessed powers -of life and death, she ranked as a Princess-palatine next to the Queen, -and she was styled "Por la gracia de Dios." Her nuns were, and still -are, daughters of noble houses, and some even of royal birth. In the -chapel of Santiago hangs a copy of the embroidered banner captured at -the great fight of Las Navas de Tolosa, a victory which crippled and -drove out the Infidel from the north. The original hangs in the nun's -choir, a fitting pendant to the splendid tapestries which cover the -walls. I was told of other treasures invisible to the eye of man and -once again wished I could have changed my sex for a short time. Being -mere man, I heard the gate shut as I left the convent with a rather -crestfallen feeling, so walked another half-mile on to the Hospital del -Rey. - -Alfonso VIII. built this Hospice for pilgrims _en route_ to Santiago. -But little remains of the original building, though the Renaissance -façade and thirteenth-century doorway, with curious figures of Adam and -Eve, repaid me for my extra trudge and I returned to my hotel with the -imagined slight dissipated and my _amour propre_ restored. - -My last pilgrimage in Spain happened one cold afternoon when I went out -to the Cartuja de Miraflores. The clouds hung low over the hills and the -damp smell of autumn was in the air. The road thither passes through -avenues of great poplars. The leaves had begun to fall and it was wet -under foot. A slight drizzle was imperceptibly saturating everything and -I thought the time of my departure from sunny Spain not ill-chosen. -Despite all this, and the depressing day, I can always recall with -pleasure the road that my companion and I traversed before we passed -under the arch that marks the monastic boundary. - -Beggars accosted us at the door of the monastery, for once I gave them -alms and received a blessing. We passed in, and found ourselves in a -pretty little courtyard filled with dahlias and other autumnal flowers. -The bright colours cheered us a bit, the church lay on our left, we -entered it under a Gothic arch. A monk in the stalls was at prayer, he -also kept an observant eye on the two visitors. Our footsteps seemed to -sound intensely loud on the stone pavement, and we spoke in very low -whispers. The cold white-washed walls and this solitary figure droning -out his prayers were depressing. - -We furtively admired the finely-carved stalls, the grand _retablo_ over -the High Altar with its terribly life-like crucifix, all the time with a -feeling on my part of that vigilant eye boring a hole in my back like a -gimlet. We next examined the alabaster tomb the masterpiece of Gil de -Siloe, executed to the order of Isabella the Catholic, which stands in -front of the altar. Juan II. and his wife Isabella of Portugal lie side -by side clothed in their robes of state. At his feet are two Lions, at -hers a Lion and a Dog. I forgot the solitary monk and the gimlet stopped -its work as I became lost in admiration while following the intricacies -of Gil de Siloe's greatest production. - -At the eight corners of this magnificent tomb, most undoubtedly the -finest I have ever seen, and by some considered unsurpassed in Europe, -sixteen lions support the royal arms, above them along the cornice -beautiful little statuettes stand under canopies which are a marvel of -delicate tracery. The embroidery on the robes of the royal pair is -exquisite and the imitation of the lace work unsurpassed. - -For a long time we stood discussing and admiring the marvellous -cleverness of the designer of a monument which is worthy of the great -and pious woman who erected it to the memory of her parents. - -Hard by in the west wall of the church is the tomb of the Infante -Alfonso, whose death at the early age of sixteen left the accession -vacant for Isabella and so changed the history of Castile. It is -likewise a wonderful piece of work by the same skilful hand. The young -Prince kneels alone in an attitude of prayer which gains dignity from -the half-shadow thrown by the recess in which the monument is placed. -The arch above is decorated with a twining vine, while men-at-arms -support the tomb. - -We turned from the contemplation of these two memorials and the monotone -of the old monk's prayer filled the church. I think we both shared a -feeling of relief when we found ourselves once more outside under the -grey sky, though I shall ever remember the impression of that aisleless -church with its magnificent tombs, that white robed monk with his -droning voice, the chill of the autumn air and those long lines of -stately poplars under which I passed in my last pilgrimage in Spain. - - - - -INDEX - - -Abderrhaman, mosque of, 80 - -Adrian IV., Pope, 81 - -Albornoz, Cardinal, tomb of, 111 - -Alfonso VI., 234, 235 - -Alfonso VIII., 245 - -Alfonso de Cartagena, Bishop, 240 - -Alfonso el Catolico, 197; - coffin of, 220 - -Alfonso the Chaste, 218, 220 - -Alfonso the Learned, sarcophagus of, 10 - -Alfonso de los Rios, 238 - -Alhambra, 31, 46, _sqq._ - Court of Lions, 50 - -Almakkari, historian, 23 - -Almanzor, 200 - -Alva Garcia, 138 - -Alvaro de Luna, 232 - -Antequerra, 48 - -Arabic documents, 230 - -Aragon, union of, with Castile, 67 - -Arfe, silver monstrance by, 142 - -Arfe, Juan de, 228 - -Arlanzón, river, 233 - -Astorga, 193-198 - Cathedral, 193, _sqq._ - Historical sketch, 197 - -Augustus, Emperor, 84 - -Averroes, 30 - -Avila, 137-144 - Cathedral, 81, 138 - -Avila, Historical sketch, 137 - -Avila, tomb of, 143 - - -Badajos, Juan de, 215 - -Baeza, 195 - -Barcelona, 83, 91-99 - Cathedral, 92, _sqq._ - Church of San Pablo del Campo, 94 - Church of Santa Marica del Mar, 95 - Church of Santa Marica del Pi, 95 - Historical sketch, 91, _sqq._ - Rambla, 97 - -Barceloneta, suburb of Barcelona, 96 - -Bartolomé, and the Capilla Real, Granada, 39 - -Beatrice of Swabia, sarcophagus of, 10 - -Becerra, Gaspar, 195 - -Beggars, at Cordova, 29, 30; - at Seville, 30, 35; - at Madrid, 30 - -Bernardo de Aragon, tomb of, 164 - -Berruguete, carvings by, 113, 141, 228 - -Boabdil, figure of, at Granada, 41 - -Brutus, Junius, founds colony on the Turia, 66 - -Bull-fights, at Seville, 20 - -Burgos, 233-248 - Capilla del Condestable, 238 - Capilla del Corpus Christi, 242 - Capilla de la Presentacion, 239 - Capilla de San Enrique, 240 - Capilla del Santissimo Cristo, 239 - Cathedral, 233, _sqq._ - Chapel of Santa Anna, 240 - Church of San Domingo de Silos, 244 - Church of San Juan de Sahagun, 240 - Convent of las Huelgas, 245 - Collegio de San Nicolas, 244 - Historical sketch, 234, _sqq._ - Museum, 244 - - -Cadiz, 1-5 - Académia de Bellas Artes, 4 - Cathedral, 3, 4 - Historical sketch, 3 - Mercado, 4 - -Cæsar, Julius, captures Seville, 7 - -Calix at Valencia, 71 - -Campaña, Pedro, pictures at Seville, 12 - -Cano, Alonso, pictures by, at Cadiz, 4; - at Seville, 11, 12; - builds façade of Cathedral at Granada, 38; - pictures by, 38; - pictures by, at Malaga, 60; - figure by at Segovia, 151 - -Cartuja de Miraflores, 246 - -Casa Consistorial, Barcelona, 95 - -Casa del Cordon, Burgos, 243 - -Cataluña, union with Aragon, 92 - -Cervantes, house of, 232 - -Charles V., palace of, 54; - arms of, 236 - -Chartres Cathedral, 211 - -Chirriguera, High Altar by, 129, 141, 228 - -Cid, the, 65, 201 - -Cofre del Cid, 242 - -Columbus, monument at Seville, 11; - house of, 232 - -Comunéros, 243 - -Cordova, 23-30 - Capilla de Nuestra Señorade Villavicosia, 25 - Cathedral, 24, _sqq._ - Convent de San Jeronimo, 30 - Historical sketch, 23, 24 - Mosques, 24, 25 - -Cornielis, work of, 141 - -Corre de Sol, Granada, 55 - -Cristóbal, carving by, at Tortosa, 81 - - -Dalman de Mur, High Altar by, 164 - -Damian Forment, retablo, 166, 167 - -Darro, river at Granada, 31, 33, 34, 37 - -De Gainza, Martin, 10 - -Diego de Porcelos, 242 - -Diego de Siloe, plans Cathedral at Granada, 38; - at Malaga, 59 - -Duque de Lerma, 226 - - -Edward I., marriage of, 244, 245 - -El Calvario, 150 - -El Campanario, tower at Cordova, 27 - -El Cristo de la Luz, Toledo, 115 - -El Grao, port of Valencia, 67 - -El Parral, Segovia, 154 - -El Transito, Toledo, 114 - -Englefield, Sir Francis, 232 - -Escovedo, Juan, 150 - -Essex, siege of Cadiz by Lord, 4 - - -Ferdinand I., 200, marriage of, 243 - -Ferdinand and Isabella, monument at Granada, 40; - portraits, 41, 44, 225; - arms of, 227 - -Ferdinand el Santos, 234, 235 - -Francisco de Lara, ceiling by, 112 - -Francisco de Palenzuela, tomb of, 126 - -Fruela I., coffin of, 220 - - -Gallegos, panels by, 203 - -Gayá, 84 - -Genil, river at Granada, 34 - -Geromino, tomb of, 126 - -Geronimo, 200 - -Gerona, 101-10 - Cathedral, 103, _sqq._ - Church of San Pedro de los Gallegans, 105 - Historical sketch, 101, _sqq._ - -Gibraltar, 58 - -Gil de Siloe, 247 - -Giralda Tower, Seville, 13, 14 - -Gomar, Francisco, work at Tarragona, 86 - -Gonzalo de Cordoba, 45 - -Grado, Canon Juan de, tomb of, 204 - -Granada, 31-35 - Albaicin, 31 - Alhambra, 31, _sqq._ - Antequeruela, 31 - Capilla de la Antigue, 39 - Capilla de Pulgar, 44 - Capilla Real, 42 - Capilla de Trinidad, 38 - Cathedral, 38, 44 - Church of San Juan de los Reyes, 44 - Church of San Nicólas, 44 - Church of Santa Anna, 44 - Convent of Cartuja, 45 - Convent of San Geronimo, 45 - -Greek remains, Tuy, 183 - -Guadalete, river at Cadiz, 5; - battle on banks of, 58 - -Guadalquiver, position of Cordova on, 23 - -Guadelmedina, the, 61 - -Guillermo Boffy, 104 - -Gutierrez, Bishop, 219 - - -Hernandez, 229, 230 - -Hontañon, rebuilt dome of Seville Cathedral, 12; - Salamanca Cathedral, 125; - Segovia, 150 - -Hospital de Santa Cruz, Toledo, 116 - - -Infante Alfonso, tomb of, 248 - -Inigo de Mendoz, tomb of, 112 - - -James I., of Aragon, armour of at Valencia, 70; - tomb of, 86 - -Jews at Seville, 15 - -John of Cologne, 234, 238 - -John of Gaunt, 178 - -José Granados, builds western facade of Cathedral, Granada, 38 - -Juan II., 24 - -Juan Bantista Celma, 178 - -Juan, Prince, tomb of, 142 - -Juan de Borgoña, frescoes by, 112, 141 - -Juan de Castro, 178 - -Juan de Juni, 228 - -Juan de Mena, 30 - -Juan de Padilla, figure of, 244 - -Juan de Vallejo, 237 - -Juanes, _Last Supper_ by, 71 - - -La Magdena, Zamora, 201 - -Lanfredo, Bishop, 80 - -La Peña Gajera, 154 - -La Peñarala, 158 - -Las Navas de Tolosa, 245 - -Leon, 205-216 - Cathedral, 209 - Chapel of La Nuestra Señora del Dado, 213 - Convent of San Isidoro el Real, 214 - Convent of San Marcos, 215 - Historical sketch, 205, _sqq._ - -Leovigild, 205 - -Loja, 48 - -Loyola, relic of, 95 - -Lucan, 30 - - -Madrazo, designs by, 210 - -Maestro Matio, portrait of, 176 - -Malaga, 57-63 - Alcazába, 61 - Cathedral, 59 - Historical sketch, 57, _sqq._ - Mercado, 61 - -Malagueta, river, 61 - -Manrique de Lara, Bishop, 210 - -Maragatos, the, 195 - -Marcellus peoples Cordova, 23 - -Maria Padilla, mistress of Pedro the Cruel, coffin of, 10 - -Maurice, Bishop, 234, 235 - -Mena, Pedro de, pupil of Cano, 60 - -Mendoza, Cardinal, 219 - -Meshwâr, 53 - -Miguelete Tower, 66 - -Minho, river, 183 - -Monte Mauro, 34 - -Morales, 30 - -Mulhacen, 48 - -Murillo, pictures at Cadiz, 4; - _San Antonio de Padua_ at Seville, 11; - in Seville Museum, 20 - -Museum, Seville, 20 - - -Napoleonic Wars, 67 - -Naranco, 223 - Church of Santa Maria, 223, 224 - -Nicodemus, 239 - -Nicolas Florentino, retablo by, 128 - -Nicolas de Vergara, carving by, 113 - -Notre Dame de Paris, 211 - - -Oca, Bishop, 235 - -Oñar, river, 102 - -Ordoño I., coffin of, 220 - -Ordoño II., 213 - -Orense, 187-191 - Cathedral, 187, _sqq._ - Convent of San Francisco, 190 - Historical sketch, 187 - -Oviedo, 217-224 - Capilla del Rey Casto, 220 - Cathedral, 218 - Historical sketch, 218, _sqq._ - - -Panteon, Leon, 215 - -Parapanda, Mount, 48 - -Pedro the Cruel, coffin of, 10; - trees planted by, 14 - -Pedro Mato, statue of, 195 - -Pelayo, 222 - -Petrucci Orto, chalice by, 142 - -Philip II. destroys mosques at Cordova, 24 - -Philip Vigarni, 237, 238 - -Philip and Juana la Loca, tomb of, at Granada, 40; - coffins of, 42 - -Pisuerga, river, 225 - -Pliny quoted, 197 - -Pradas, work of, at Granada, 43 - - -Quintata, Cardinal, tomb of, 190 - - -Ramiro II., 200 - -Ramiro, coffin of, 220 - -Ramon Berenguer I., Count, 91 - -Ramon Berenguer II., and Emensendis, tombs of, 104 - -Reus, 83 - -Ribalta, painting by, at Valencia, 71 - -Ribera, _Adoration_ by, 71 - -Roman remains, at Tarragona, 84; - at Segovia, 149 - -Roman Sculpture at Tarragona, 89 - - -Salamanca, 121-135 - Capilla del Carmen, 126 - Capilla Mayor, 128 - Capilla de San Bartolomé, 128 - Capilla de Talavera, 128 - Cathedrals, 121, 124, _sqq._, 127 - Church of San Pedro, 143 - Collegio Mayor de Santiago Apostol, 132 - Convent of las Agustinas Recoletas, 130 - Grammar School, 131 - Historical sketch, 123, _sqq._ - University, 131 - -San Pedro, river at Cadiz, 5 - -Santa Eulalia, body of, 93, 220 - -Santiago, 171-181 - Cathedral, 173, _sqq._ - Collegio de San Gerónimo, 180 - Historical sketch, 172 - -Santos Cruz, pictures by, 141 - -Saragossa, 101, 159-170 - Church of San Pablo, 167 - Cathedrals, 162, _sqq._ - El Pilar, 165 - Historical sketch, 159, _sqq._ - La Seo, 162, _sqq._ - -Sebastian del Piombo, 239 - -Segovia, 145-158 - Capilla del Cristo del Consuelo, 152 - Cathedral, 150, _sqq._ - Chapel of Santa Cantalina, 152 - Church of San Martin, 153 - Church of San Millan, 153 - Church of la Vera Cruz, 153 - Convent of Santa Cruz, 153 - Historical sketch, 149, _sqq._ - -Semple, Colonel, 232 - -Seneca, 30 - -Seville, 7-21 - Capilla de San Pedro, 11 - Capilla de Santiago, 11 - Cathedral, 8, _sqq._ - Historical sketch, 7 - Jewish quarter, 15 - -Sierra de Elvira, 48 - -Sierra Nevada, 48, 55 - -Souchet, sacks Valencia, 67 - - -Tarragona, 83-90 - Cathedral, 84, _sqq._ - Historical sketch, 83, _sqq._ - -Toledo, 107-119 - Bridges, 116, 117 - Cathedral, 109 - Capilla de la Descension de Nuestra Señora, 112 - Capilla de Reyes Nuevo, 111 - Capilla de San Ildefonso, 111 - Capilla de Santiago, 112 - Church of San Juan de los Reyes, 114 - Church of Santa Maria la Blanca, 114 - Convent of San Domingo el Real, 115 - Historical sketch, 107, _sqq._ - Jews' quarter, 114 - -Torquemada, Cardinal, 226 - -Tortosa, 77-82 - Carving at, by Cristobal, 81 - Cathedral 80, _sqq._ - Historical sketch, 78, _sqq._ - -Triana, 19 - -Tribunal de Aguas, 69 - -Tuy, 183-185 - Cathedral, 183, _sqq._ - Convent of Santa Domingo, 185 - Historical sketch, 183, _sqq._ - - -Urraca, 200; - coffin of, 220 - - -Valencia, 65-76 - Cathedral, 69 - Church of San Martin, 72 - Church of Santa Catalina, 71 - Convent del Carmen, 75 - Convent Espinose, 75 - Convent Juanes, 75 - Convent Ribalta, 75 - Historical sketch, 65, _sqq._ - Mercado, 73, 74 - -Valladolid, 225-232 - Church of Santa Maria la Antigua, 226 - Colegiata de San Gregorio, 227 - Collegio de Santa Cruz, 228 - Historical sketch, 225 - Scotch and English Colleges, 232 - University, 230 - -Vargas, Louis de, _La Gamba_ at Seville, 11, 12 - -Vega, the, 62 - -Velasquez, tomb of, 142 - -Vigarney, carvings by, 113 - -Viladomát, pictures by, at Barcelona, 95 - - -"Wamba," great bell, Oviedo, 222 - -Wellington, Duke of, 48 - -Ximenes, 112, 227 - - -Yahya, Moorish King, 65 - - -Zamora , 199-204 - Capilla del Cardinal, 203 - Capilla de San Miguel, 204 - Cathedral, 201, _sqq._ - Church of la Magdalena, 201 - Church of San Pedro of Ildefonso, 201 - Historical sketch, 200 - Hospital, 201 - -Zurbaran, pictures at Cadiz, 4; - at Seville, 11, 12 - -Printed by BALLANTYNE & CO. LIMITED Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, -London - - * * * * * - -Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber. - -matyrdoms of the Order=>martyrdoms of the Order - -Witiza in the meantime died and was suceeded=>Witiza in the meantime -died and was succeeded - -The whole rises in isolated grandeur and and may perhaps gain=>The whole -rises in isolated grandeur and may perhaps gain - -and if it happen to be a=>and if it happens to be a - -the arches of the the old bridge=>the arches of the old bridge - -so named on acount of the scallop shells=>so named on account of the -scallop shells - -she is embracing me, we disentagle ourselves=>she is embracing me, we -disentangle ourselves - -but a short exsistence as their house of prayer=>but a short existence -as their house of prayer - -who fought three antagonists one ofter another and came off -successful=>who fought three antagonists one after another and came off -successful - -I was immediatley nonplussed=>I was immediately nonplussed - -Bernardo de Arragon, tomb of, 164=>Bernardo de Aragon, tomb of, 164 - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Cathedral Cities of Spain, by William Wiehe Collins - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CATHEDRAL CITIES OF SPAIN *** - -***** This file should be named 40356-8.txt or 40356-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/0/3/5/40356/ - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Cathedral Cities of Spain - -Author: William Wiehe Collins - -Release Date: July 27, 2012 [EBook #40356] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CATHEDRAL CITIES OF SPAIN *** - - - - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - -CATHEDRAL CITIES OF SPAIN - - _UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME_ - - CATHEDRAL CITIES OF ENGLAND. By GEORGE GILBERT. With 60 - reproductions from water-colours by W.W. COLLINS, R.I. Demy 8vo, - 16s. net. - - CATHEDRAL CITIES OF FRANCE. By HERBERT and HESTER MARSHALL. With 60 - reproductions from water-colours by HERBERT MARSHALL, R.W.S. Demy - 8vo, 16s. net. Also large paper edition, £2 2s. net. - - _BOOKS ILLUSTRATED BY JOSEPH PENNELL_ - - ITALIAN HOURS. By HENRY JAMES. With 32 plates in colour and - numerous illustrations in black and white by JOSEPH PENNELL. Large - crown 4to. Price 20s. net. - - A LITTLE TOUR IN FRANCE. By HENRY JAMES. With 94 illustrations by - JOSEPH PENNELL. Pott 4to. Price 10s. net. - - ENGLISH HOURS. By HENRY JAMES. With 94 illustrations by JOSEPH - PENNELL. Pott 4to. Price 10s. net. - - ITALIAN JOURNEYS. By W.D. HOWELLS. With 103 illustrations by JOSEPH - PENNELL. Pott 4to. Price 10s. net. - - CASTILIAN DAYS. By the Hon. JOHN HAY. With 111 illustrations by - JOSEPH PENNELL. Pott 4to. Price 10s. net. - -London: WILLIAM HEINEMANN -21 Bedford Street, W.C. - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration: BURGOS. THE CATHEDRAL] - - - - -CATHEDRAL CITIES -OF SPAIN - -WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED -BY -W. W. COLLINS, R.I. - -[Illustration: colophon] - -LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN -NEW YORK: DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY -1909 - -_All rights reserved_ - -_Copyright, London, 1909, by William Heinemann and -Washington, U.S.A., by Dodd, Mead & Co_ - - - - -PREFACE - - -Spain, the country of contrasts, of races differing from one another in -habits, customs, and language, has one great thing that welds it into a -homogeneous nation, and this is its Religion. Wherever one's footsteps -wander, be it in the progressive provinces of the north, the mediævalism -of the Great Plain, or in that still eastern portion of the south, -Andalusia, this one thing is ever omnipresent and stamps itself on the -memory as the great living force throughout the Peninsula. - -In her Cathedrals and Churches, her ruined Monasteries and Convents, -there is more than abundant evidence of the vitality of her Faith; and -we can see how, after the expulsion of the Moor, the wealth of the -nation poured into the coffers of the Church and there centralised the -life of the nation. - -In the mountain fastnesses of Asturias the churches of Santa Maria de -Naranco and San Miguel de Lino, dating from the ninth century and -contemporary with San Pablo and Santa Cristina, in Barcelona, are the -earliest Christian buildings in Spain. As the Moor was pushed further -south, a new style followed his retreating steps; and the Romanesque, -introduced from over the Pyrenees, became the adopted form of -architecture in the more or less settled parts of the country. Creeping -south through Leon, where San Isidoro is well worth mention, we find the -finest examples of the period in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, at -Segovia, Avila, and the grand Catedral Vieja of Salamanca. - -Spain sought help from France to expel the Moor, and it is but natural -that the more advanced nation should leave her mark somewhere and in -some way in the country she pacifically invaded. Before the spread of -this influence became general, we find at least one great monument of -native genius rise up at Tarragona. The Transition Cathedral there can -lay claim to be entirely Spanish. It is the epitome and outcome of a -yearning for the display of Spain's own talent, and is one of the most -interesting and beautiful in the whole country. - -Toledo, Leon, and Burgos are the three Cathedrals known as the "French" -Cathedrals of Spain. They are Gothic and the first named is the finest -of all. Spanish Gothic is best exemplified in the Cathedral of -Barcelona. For late-Gothic, we must go to the huge structures of -Salamanca, Segovia, and the Cathedral at Seville which almost overwhelms -in the grandeur of its scale. - -After the close of the fifteenth century Italian or Renaissance -influence began to be felt, and the decoration of the Plateresque style -became the vogue. San Marcos at Leon, the University of Salamanca, and -the Casa de Ayuntamiento at Seville are among the best examples of this. -The influence of Churriguera, who evolved the Churrigueresque style, is -to be met with in almost every Cathedral in the country. He it is who -was responsible for those great gilded altars with their enormous -twisted pillars so familiar to travellers in Spain; and which, though no -doubt a tribute to the glory of God, one feels are more a vulgar display -of wealth than a tasteful or artistic addition to her architecture. The -finest of the Renaissance Cathedrals is that of Granada, and the most -obtrusive piece of Churrigueresque is the Cartuja in the same city. - -Taking the Cathedrals as a whole the two most unfamiliar and notable -features are the Coros or Choirs, and the Retablos. These -latter--gorgeous backings to the High Altar, generally ill-lit, with a -superabundance of carving sometimes coloured and gilded, sometimes of -plain stone--are of Low-country or Flemish origin. The former, with one -exception at Oviedo, are placed in the nave west of the crossing, and -enclose, as a rule, two or more bays in this direction. Every Cathedral -is a museum of art, and these two features are the most worth study. - - NOTE.--_Since the revolution in Catalonia of July-August 1909, the - King has decreed that no one can secure exemption from military - service by the payment of a sum of money._ - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - -CADIZ 1 - -SEVILLE 7 - -CORDOVA 23 - -GRANADA 31 - -MALAGA 57 - -VALENCIA 65 - -TORTOSA 77 - -TARRAGONA 83 - -BARCELONA 91 - -GERONA 101 - -TOLEDO 107 - -SALAMANCA 121 - -AVILA 137 - -SEGOVIA 145 - -SARAGOSSA 159 - -SANTIAGO 174 - -TUY 183 - -ORENSE 187 - -ASTORGA 193 - -ZAMORA 199 - -LEON 205 - -OVIEDO 217 - -VALLADOLID 225 - -BURGOS 233 - -INDEX 249 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - _To face - page_ - -Burgos. The Cathedral _Frontispiece_ - -Cadiz. The Cathedral 2 - -Cadiz. The Market Place 4 - -Seville. In the Cathedral 8 - -Seville. The Giralda Tower 12 - -Seville. In the Alcázar, the Patio de las Doncellas 14 - -Seville. View over the Town 18 - -Cordova. Interior of the Mesquita 24 - -Cordova. The Campanario Tower 26 - -Cordova. The Bridge 28 - -Cordova. Fountain in the Court of Oranges 30 - -Granada. Carrera de Darro 32 - -Granada. Exterior of the Cathedral 38 - -Granada. The Alhambra 46 - -Granada. The Alhambra, Court of Lions 50 - -Granada. Generalife 54 - -Malaga. View from the Harbour 58 - -Malaga. The Market 62 - -Valencia. San Pablo 66 - -Valencia. Door of the Cathedral 68 - -Valencia. Religious Procession 72 - -Tortosa 80 - -Tarragona 84 - -Tarragona. The Archbishop's Tower 86 - -Tarragona. The Cloisters 88 - -Barcelona. The Cathedral 92 - -Barcelona. The Rambla 96 - -Gerona. The Cattle Market 102 - -Gerona. The Cathedral 104 - -Toledo. The Cathedral 108 - -Toledo. The South Transept 110 - -Toledo. The Zócodover 114 - -Toledo. The Alcántara Bridge 116 - -Salamanca 122 - -Salamanca. The Old Cathedral 124 - -Salamanca. An Old Street 128 - -Avila 138 - -Avila. Puerta de San Vicente 142 - -Segovia at Sunset 146 - -Segovia. The Aqueduct 148 - -Segovia. Plaza Mayor 152 - -Saragossa. La Seo 160 - -Saragossa. In the Old Cathedral 164 - -Saragossa. Easter Procession 166 - -Santiago. The Cathedral 172 - -Santiago. South Door of the Cathedral 174 - -Santiago. Interior of the Cathedral 178 - -Tuy 184 - -Orense. In the Cathedral 188 - -Astorga 194 - -Zamora. The Cathedral 202 - -Leon. The Cathedral 208 - -Leon. The West Porch of the Cathedral 210 - -Leon. San Marcos 214 - -Oviedo. In the Cathedral 218 - -Oviedo. The Cloisters 222 - -Valladolid.Santa Maria la Antigua 226 - -Valladolid.San Pablo 228 - -Burgos. The Capilla Mayor 236 - -Burgos. Arch of Santa Maria 242 - - - - -CADIZ - - -At one time the greatest port in the world--"Where are thy glories now, -oh, Cadiz?" She is still a White City lying embosomed on a sea of -emerald and topaz. Her streets are still full of the colour of the East, -but alas! Seville has robbed her of her trade, and in the hustle of -modern life she is too far from the busy centre, too much on the -outskirts of everything, to be anything more than a port of call for -American tourists and a point from whence the emigrant leaves his native -country. - -This isolation is one of her great charms, and the recollections I have -carried away of her quiet clean streets, her white or pink washed houses -with their flat roofs and _miradores_, her brilliant sun and blue sea, -can never be effaced by Time's subtle hand. - -Landing from a coasting-boat from Gibraltar, I began my travels through -Spain at Cadiz; and it was with intense regret, so pleasant was the -change from the grey skies and cold winds of England, that I took my -final stroll along the broad Alameda bordered with palms of all sorts, -and lined with other exotic growth--that I bid good-bye to the Parque de -Genoves where many a pleasant hour had been spent in the grateful shade -of its trees. I shall probably never again lean idly over the sea-washed -walls and watch the graceful barques with their cargoes of salt, spread -their sails to the breeze and glide away on the long voyage to South -America. - -Looking out eastwards over the marshes I was at first much puzzled to -know what were the white pyramids that stood in rows like the tents of -an invading host. Then I was told. Shallow pans are dug out in the marsh -and the sea let in. After evaporation this is repeated again and again, -until the saline deposit is thick enough to be scraped and by degrees -grows into a pyramid. Every pan is named after a saint from whom good -luck is implored. No, I doubt if ever my eyes will wander again over the -blue waters to the marsh lands of San Fernando. - -[Illustration: CADIZ. THE CATHEDRAL] - -Life is short and I can hardly hope that Fate will carry me back to -those sea walls and once more permit me as the sun goes down to -speculate on the catch of the fishing-fleet as each boat makes for its -haven in the short twilight of a southern clime. I cannot but regret -that all this is of the past, but I shall never regret that at Cadiz, -the most enchanting of Spain's seaports, began my acquaintance with -her many glorious cities. - -In ancient times Cadiz was the chief mart for the tin of the -Cassiterides and the amber of the Baltic. Founded by the Tyrians as far -back as 1100 B.C., it was the Gadir (fortress) of the Phoenicians. -Later on Hamilcar and Hannibal equipped their armies and built their -fleets here. The Romans named the city Gades, and it became second only -to Padua and Rome. After the discovery of America, Cadiz became once -more a busy port, the great silver fleets discharged their precious -cargoes in its harbour and from the estuary sailed many a man whose -descendants have created the great Spain over the water. - -The loss of the Spanish colonies ruined Cadiz and it has never regained -the place in the world it once held. Huge quays are about to be -constructed and the present King has just laid the first stone of these, -in the hopes that trade may once more be brought to a city that sleeps. - -There are two Cathedrals in Cadiz. The Catedral Nueva is a modern -structure commenced in 1722 and finished in 1838 by the bishop whose -statue faces the rather imposing west façade. Built of limestone and -Jérez sandstone, it is white--dazzling white, and rich ochre brown. -There is very little of interest in the interior. The _silleria del -coro_ (choir stalls) were given by Queen Isabel, and came originally -from a suppressed Carthusian Convent near Seville. The exterior can -claim a certain grandeur, especially when seen from the sea. The drum of -the _cimborio_ with the great yellow dome above, and the towers of the -west façade give it from a distance somewhat the appearance of a mosque. - -The Catedral Vieja, built in the thirteenth century, was originally -Gothic, but being almost entirely destroyed during Lord Essex's siege in -1596, was rebuilt in its present unpretentious Renaissance form. - -Cadiz possesses an Académia de Bellas Artes where Zurbaran, Murillo and -Alfonso Cano are represented by second-rate paintings. To the suppressed -convent of San Francisco is attached the melancholy interest of -Murillo's fatal fall from the scaffolding while at work on the _Marriage -of St. Catherine_. The picture was finished by his apt pupil Meneses -Osorio. Another work by the master, a _San Francisco_, quite in his best -style also hangs here. - -[Illustration: CADIZ. THE MARKET PLACE] - -The churches of Cadiz contain nothing to attract one, indeed if it were -not for the fine setting of the city surrounded by water, and the -semi-eastern atmosphere that pervades the place, there is but little to -hold the ordinary tourist. The Mercado, or market-place, is a busy -scene and full of colour; the Fish Market, too, abounds in varieties of -finny inhabitants of the deep and compares favourably in this respect -with that of Bergen in far away Norway. The sole attraction in this City -of the Past--in fact, I might say in the Past of Spain as far as it -concerns Cadiz--lies on the stretch of water into which the rivers -Guadalete and San Pedro empty themselves. From the very earliest days -down to the time when Columbus sailed on his voyage which altered the -face of the then known globe, and so on to our own day, it is in the -Bahia de Cadiz that her history has been written. - - - - -SEVILLE - - -Seville, the "Sephela" of the Phoenicians, "Hispalis" of the Romans, -and "Ishbilyah" of the Moors, is by far the largest and most interesting -city of Southern Spain. In Visigothic times Seville was the capital of -the Silingi until Leovigild moved his court to Toledo. It was captured -by Julius Cæsar in 45 B.C., but during the Roman occupation was -overshadowed by Italica, the birthplace of the Emperors Trajan, Adrian, -and Theodosius, and the greatest of Rome's cities in Hispania. This once -magnificent place is now a desolate ruin, plundered of its glories and -the haunt of gipsies. - -Under the Moors, who ruled it for five hundred and thirty-six years, -Seville was second only to Cordova, to which city it became subject when -Abdurrhaman established the Western Kalifate there in the year 756. - -San Ferdinand, King of Leon and Castile, pushed his conquests far south -and Seville succumbed to the force of his arms in 1248. - -Seville is the most fascinating city in Spain. It is still Moorish in a -way. Its houses are built on the Eastern plan with _patios_, their roofs -are flat and many have that charming accessory, the _miradore_. Its -streets are narrow and winding, pushed out from a common centre with no -particular plan. It is Andalusian and behind the times. Triana, the -gipsy suburb, is full of interest. The Cathedral, though of late and -therefore not particularly good Gothic, is, on account of its great -size, the most impressive in the whole country. The Alcázar, once more a -royal residence, vies with Granada's Alhambra in beauty; and as a -mercantile port, sixty miles from the estuary, Seville ranks second to -none in Southern Spain. - -The Cathedral stands third in point of size if the ground space is alone -considered, after St. Peter's at Rome and the Mesquita at Cordova. The -proportions of the lofty nave, one hundred feet in height, are so good -that it appears really much higher. The columns of the double aisles -break up the two hundred and sixty feet of its width and add much to the -solemn dignity of the vast interior, enhanced greatly by the height of -the vaulting above the spectator. Standing anywhere in the Cathedral I -felt that there was a roof above my head, but it seemed lost in space. -And this is the great characteristic of Seville's Cathedral, _i.e._, -space. - -[Illustration: SEVILLE. IN THE CATHEDRAL] - -The _coro_ is railed off from the crossing by a simple iron-gilt _reja_. -The _silleria_, by Sanchez, Dancart, and Guillier are very fine and took -seventy years to execute. Between the _coro_ and Capilla Mayor, in Holy -Week the great bronze candlestick, twenty-five feet high, a fine -specimen of sixteenth-century work, is placed alight. When the _Misere_ -is chanted during service, twelve of its thirteen candles are put out, -one by one, indicating the desertion of Christ by his apostles. The -thirteenth left burning symbolises the Virgin, faithful to the end. From -this single light all the other candles in the Cathedral are lit. - -The _reja_ of the Capilla Mayor is a grand example of an iron-gilt -screen, and with those to the north and south, is due to the talent of -the Dominican, Francisco de Salamanca. - -The fine Gothic _retablo_ of the High Altar surpasses all others in -Spain in size and elaboration of detail. It was designed by Dancart and -many artists were employed in its execution. When the sun finds his way -through the magnificent coloured glass of the windows between noon and -three o'clock, and glints across it, few "interior" subjects surpass the -beautiful effect on this fine piece of work. - -In front of the High Altar at the feast of Corpus Christi and on three -other occasions, the _Seises's_ dance takes place. This strange ceremony -is performed by chorister boys who dance a sort of minuet with -castanets. Their costume is of the time of Philip III., _i.e._, 1630, -and they wear plumed hats. Of the numerous chapels the most interesting -is the Capilla Real. It possesses a staff of clergy all to itself. Begun -in 1514 by Martin de Gainza, it was finished fifty years later. Over the -High Altar is the almost life-size figure of the Virgin de los Reyes, -given by St. Louis of France to San Ferdinand. Its hair is of spun gold -and its numerous vestments are marvellous examples of early embroidery. -The throne on which the Virgin is seated is a thirteenth-century piece -of silver work, with the arms of Castile and Leon, San Ferdinand's two -kingdoms. Before it lies the King himself in a silver shrine. Three -times a year, in May, August and November, a great military Mass takes -place before this royal shrine, when the garrison of Seville marches -through the chapel and colours are lowered in front of the altar. In the -vault beneath are the coffins of Pedro the Cruel and Maria Padilla his -mistress, the only living being who was humanly treated by this scourge -of Spain. Their three sons rest close to them. - -On the north and south sides of this remarkable chapel, within arched -recesses, are the sarcophagi of Beatrice of Swabia and Alfonso the -Learned. They are covered with cloth of gold emblazoned with -coats-of-arms. A crown and sceptre rest on the cushion which lies on -each tomb. In the dim light, high above and beyond mortal reach rest -these two--it is very impressive. - -Each of the remaining twenty-nine chapels contains something of -interest. In the Capilla de Santiago is a beautiful painted window of -the conversion of St. Paul. The _retablo_ in the Capilla de San Pedro -contains pictures by Zurbaran. In the north transept in a small chapel -is a good Virgin and Child by Alonso Cano; in the south is the Altar de -la Gamba, over which hangs the celebrated _La Generacion_ of Louis de -Vargas, known as _La Gamba_ from the well-drawn leg of Adam. On the -other side of this transept is the Altar de la Santa Cruz and between -these two altars is the monument to Christopher Columbus. Erected in -Havana it was brought to Spain after the late war and put up here. - -Murillo's work outshines all other's in the Cathedral. The grand _San -Antonio de Padua_, in the second chapel west of the north aisle, is -difficult to see. The window which lights it is covered by a curtain, -which, however, the silver key will pull aside. Over the Altar of -Nuestra Señora del Consuelo is a beautiful Guardian Angel from the same -brush. Close by is another, _Santa Dorotea_, a very choice little -picture. In the Sacristy are two more, _S.S. Isidore_ and _Leander_. In -the Sala Capitular a _Conception_ and a _Mater Dolorosa_ in the small -sacristy attached to the Capilla Real complete the list. - -Besides these fine pictures there are others which one can include in -the same category by Cano, Zurbaran, Morales, Vargas, Pedro Campaña and -the Flemish painter Sturm, a veritable gallery! And when I went into the -Treasury and saw the priceless relics which belong to Seville's -Cathedral, priceless in value and interest, and priceless from my own -art point of view, "Surely," thought I, "not only is it a picture -gallery, it is a museum as well." - -The original mosque of Abu Yusuf Yakub was used as a Cathedral until -1401, when it was pulled down, the present building, which took its -place, being finished in 1506. The dome of this collapsed five years -later and was re-erected by Juan Gil de Hontañon. Earthquake shocks and -"jerry-building" were responsible for a second collapse in the August of -1888. The restoration has since been completed in a most satisfactory -manner--let us hope it will last. - -[Illustration: SEVILLE. THE GIRALDA TOWER] - -The exterior of the Cathedral is a very irregular mass of towers, domes, -pinnacles and flying buttresses, which give no clue to the almost -over-powering solemnity within the walls. Three doorways occupy the -west façade, which is of modern construction, and there are three also -on the north side of the Cathedral, one of which opens into the -_Segrario_, another into the Patio de los Naranjos and the third into -the arcade of the same patio. This last retains the horse-shoe arch of -the old mosque. In the porch hangs the stuffed crocodile which was sent -by the Sultan of Egypt to Alfonso el Sabio with a request for the hand -of his daughter. On the south is one huge door seldom opened. On the -east there are two more, that of La Puerta de los Palos being under the -shadow of the great Giralda Tower. - -This magnificent relic of the Moslem's rule rears its height far above -everything else in Seville. Erected at the close of the twelfth century -by order of Abu Yusuf Yakub, it belongs to the second and best period of -Moorish architecture. - -On its summit at the four corners rested four brazen balls of enormous -size overthrown by one of the numerous earthquakes which have shaken -Seville in days gone by. The belfry above the Moorish portion of the -tower, which ends where the _solid_ walls stop, was put up in 1568, and -has a second rectangular stage of smaller dimensions above. Both these -are in keeping with the Moorish work below and in no way detract from -its beauty. On top of the small cupola which caps the whole is the -world-famed figure of Faith. Cast in bronze, with the banner of -Constantine spread out to the winds of heaven, this, the _Giraldilla_, -or weather-cock, moves to the slightest breeze. It is thirteen feet -high, and weighs one and a quarter tons. Over three hundred feet above -the ground, the wonder is--how did it get there? and how has it -preserved its equipoise these last three hundred years? - -It is difficult to find a point from which one can see the Giralda -Tower, in fact the only street from which it is visible from base to -summit is the one in which I made my sketch. Even this view does not -really convey its marvellous elegance and beauty. - -Next to the Cathedral the Alcázar is the most famous building in -Seville. It is now a royal residence in the early part of the year, and -when the King and Queen are there, no stranger under any pretext -whatever is admitted. - -Its courtyards and gardens are its glory. The scent of orange blossom -perfumes the air, the fountains splash and play, all is still within -these fascinating courts save the tinkle of the water and cooing of -doves. Of its orange trees, one was pointed out to me which Pedro the -Cruel planted! and many others are known to be over two hundred years -old. - -[Illustration: SEVILLE. IN THE ALCÁZAR, THE PATIO DE LAS DONCELLAS] - -Of all its courts, the Patio de las Doncellas is the most perfect. -Fifty-two marble columns support the closed gallery and rooms above, and -the walls of the arcade are rich with glazed tiles. - -Of all its chambers, the Hall of Ambassadors is the finest and is -certainly the architectural gem of the Alcázar. Its dome is a marvel of -Media Naranja form, and the frieze of window-shaped niches but adds to -its beauty. - -Very little remains of the first Alcázar, which, by the way, is a -derivation of Al-Kasr or house of Cæsar, and the present building as it -now stands was due to Pedro the Cruel, Henry II., Charles V. and Philip -V. The first named employed Moorish workmen from Granada, who emulated, -under his directions, the newly finished Palace of the Alhambra. Many a -treacherous deed has taken place within these walls, and none more -loathsome than those credited to Pedro the Cruel. However, one thing can -be put to his credit and that is this fairy Palace, this flower from the -East, by the possession of which Seville is the gainer. - -To the east of the Alcázar is the old Jewish quarter, the most puzzling -in plan, if plan it has, and the oldest part of Seville. - -The balconies of the houses opposite one another almost touch; there -certainly, in some cases, would be no difficulty in getting across the -street by using them as steps, and if a laden donkey essayed the -passage below I doubt if he could get through. Poking about in these -narrow alley-ways one day, I fell into conversation with a _guardia -municipal_ who entertained me greatly with his own version of Seville's -history, which ended, as he melodramatically pointed down the lane in -which we were standing--"And here, señor, one man with a sword could -keep an army at bay, and"--this in confidence, whispered--"I should not -like to be the first man of the army"! - -In almost every quarter of the city fine old houses are to be found -amidst most squalid and dirty surroundings. You may wander down some -mean _calle_, where children in dozens are playing on the uneven -pavement, their mothers sit about in the doorways shouting to one -another across the street. Suddenly a wall, windowless save for a row of -small openings under the roof, is met. A huge portal, above which is a -sculptured coat-of-arms, with some old knight's helmet betokening a -noble owner, is let into this, look inside, as you pass by--behind the -iron grille is a deliciously cool _patio_, full of palms and shrubs. A -Moorish arcade runs round supporting the glazed galleries of the first -floor. A man in livery sits in a rocking chair dosing with the eternal -cigarette between his lips. Beyond the first _patio_ you can see -another, a bigger one, which the sun is lighting up. The life in this -house is as different to the life of its next door neighbours as Park -Lane is to Shoreditch. One of these great houses--owned by the Duke of -Medinaceli--the Casa del Pilatos, has a large Moorish court, very -similar to those of the Alcázar. They will tell you in Seville, that -Pilate was a Spaniard, a lawyer, and failing to win the case for Christ, -left the Holy Land, where he had a good practice, and returned to Spain -to assist Ferdinand to drive out the Moors. "Yes, señor, he settled here -and built this fine house about five hundred years ago." - -As a rule, in the better-class houses a porch opens into the street. On -the inner side of this there is always a strong iron gate with a grille -around to prevent any entry. These gates served a purpose in the days of -the Inquisition, when none knew if the Holy Office might not suddenly -descend upon and raid the house. Seville suffered terribly from the -horrors of those dark times; even now--when a ring at the bell calls -forth: "Who is there?" from the servant in the balcony above, before she -pulls the handle which connects with the catch that releases the lock of -the gate--the answer often is: "People of Peace." Some houses have -interior walls six feet thick and more, which being hollow contain -hiding-places with access from the roof by a rope. - -In the heat of summer--and Seville is called the "frying-pan of -Europe"--when the temperature in the shade of the streets rises to over -115° Fahr. family life is spent below in the cool _patio_. A real house -moving takes place as the heat comes on. The upper rooms, which are -always inhabited in the winter, the kitchen, servants' rooms and all are -deserted, every one migrates with the furniture to the lower floors. The -upper windows are closed, shutters put up and a great awning drawn -across the top of the courtyard. Despite the great heat, summer is a -perfectly healthy period. No one dreams of going out in the daytime, and -all Seville begins life towards five o'clock in the afternoon; 2 A.M. to -4 A.M. being the time to retire for the night! Seville can be very gay, -and _Sevillanos_ worship the _Torrero_ or bull-fighter (_Toreador_ is a -word unknown to the Spaniard). If a favourite _Torrero_, who has done -well in the ring during the afternoon, enters the dining-room of a hotel -or goes into a café it is not unusual for every one at table to rise and -salute him. - -[Illustration: SEVILLE. VIEW OVER THE TOWN] - -There is another life in Seville, the life of the roofs. In early spring -before the great heat comes, and in autumn before the cold winds arrive, -the life of the roofs fascinated me. Up on the roofs in the dry -atmosphere, Seville's washing hangs out to air, and up on the roofs, in -the warm sun, with the hum of the streets far below, you will hear the -quaint song--so Arabian in character--of the _lavandera_, as she pegs -out the damp linen in rows. In the evening the click-a-click-click of -the castanets and the sound of the guitar, broken by merry laughter, -tells one that perhaps the _Sevillano_ has fathomed the mystery of -knowing how best to live. And as sundown approaches what lovely colour -effects creep o'er this city in the air! The light below fades from -housetop and _miradore_, pinnacle and dome, until the last rays of the -departing majesty touch the vane of the Giralda, that superb symbol of -Faith,--and all is steely grey. - -Over the Guadalquiver lies Triana, and as I crossed the bridge for the -first time the remains of an old tower were pointed out to me on the -river bank. The subterranean passage through which the victims of the -Inquisition found their exit to another world in the dark waters below -is exposed to view, the walls having fallen away. It was therefore with -something akin to relief I reached the gipsy quarter in this quaint, -dirty suburb and feasted my eyes on the colours worn by its dark-skinned -people. The potteries of Triana are world-renowned, and still bear -traces in their output of Moorish tradition and design. - -Seville's quays are the busiest part of the city, and the constant -dredging of the river permits of vessels of four thousand tons making -this a port of call. - -Next to the Prado in Madrid, the Museum of Seville is more full of -interest than any other. It is here that Murillo is seen at his best. -The building was at one time the Convento de la Mercede founded by San -Ferdinand. The exhibits in the archæological portion nearly all come -from that ruin, the wonderful city of Italica. Among the best of -Murillo's work are _St. Thomas de Villa Nueva Distributing Alms_, _Saint -Felix of Cantalicio_ and a _Saint Anthony of Padua_. A large collection -of Zurbaran's works also hangs in the gallery, but his big composition -of the _Apotheosis of Saint Anthony_, is not so good as his -single-figure subjects, and none of these approach in quality the fine -_Monk_ in the possession of the Bankes family at Kingston Lacy in -Dorset. - -Seville is the home of bull-fights. The first ever recorded took place -in 1405, in the Plaza del Triunfo, in honour of the birth of a son to -Henry II. of Castile. The world of Fashion takes the air every evening -in the beautiful Paseo de las Delicias. The humbler members of society -throng the walks watching their wealthier sisters drive down its fine -avenues--this daily drive being the only exercise the ladies of Seville -permit themselves to take. - -It is a pretty sight to watch the carriages coming home as twilight -begins, and the last rays of the sun light up the Torre del Oro. Built -by the Almohades this Moorish octagon stood at the river extremity of -Moslem Seville. The golden yellow of the stone no doubt gave it the name -of "Borju-d-dahab," "the tower of gold," which has stuck to it under -Christian rule. But "how are the mighty fallen," and one of the glories -of the Moor debased. It is now an office used by clerks of the Port, -and, instead of the dignified tread of the sentinel, resounds to the -scribble of pens. - - - - -CORDOVA - - -It is hard to realise that the Cordova of to-day was, under the rule of -the Moor, a city famous all the world over and second only to the great -Damascus. Long before the Moor's beneficent advent, in the far-off days -of Carthage, Cordova was known as "the gem of the south." Its position -on the mighty Guadalquiver, backed by mountains on the north, always -seems to have attracted the best of those who conquered. In the time of -the Romans, Marcellus peopled it with poor Patricians from Rome, and -Cordova became Colonia Patricia, the capital of Hispania Ulterior. But -it was left to the Infidel to make it what is now so difficult to -realise--the first city in Western Europe. - -The zenith of its fame was reached during the tenth century, when the -mighty Abderrhaman III., ruler of the Omayyades reigned, and did not -begin to decrease until the death of Almanzor at the beginning of the -next century. If we are to believe the historian Almakkari, Cordova -contained at one time a million inhabitants, for whose worship were -provided three hundred Mosques, and for whose ablutions nine hundred -baths were no more than was necessary. (The arch-destroyer of all things -Infidel, Philip II., demolished these.) It was the centre of art and -literature, students from all parts flocked hither, its wealth increased -and its fame spread, riches and their concomitant luxury made it the -most famous place in Western Europe. Nothing could exceed the grace and -elegance of its life, the courtly manners of its people, nor the -magnificence of its buildings. - -From the years 711 to 1295, when Ferdinand drove him out, the cultivated -Moslem reigned in this his second Mecca. And now?--under Christian rule -it has dwindled down to what one finds it to-day--a quiet, partly -ruinous town. Of all its great buildings nothing remains to remind one -of the past but the ruins of the Alcázar--now a prison, a portion of its -walls, and the much mutilated Mesquita--the Cathedral. - -[Illustration: CORDOVA. INTERIOR OF THE MESQUITA] - -I could not at first entry grasp the size of this the second largest -church of any in existence. Coming suddenly into the cool shade of its -many pillared avenues, I felt as if transplanted into the silent depths -of a great forest. In every direction I looked the trunks of huge trees -apparently rose upwards in ordered array. The light here and there -filtered through gaps on to the red-tiled floor, which only made the -deception greater by its resemblance to the needles of a pine-wood or -the dead leaves of autumn. Then the organ boomed out a note and the deep -bass of a priest in the _coro_ shattered the illusion. - -The first Mosque built on the site of Leovigild's Visigothic Cathedral, -occupied one-fifth of the present Mesquita. It was "Ceca" or House of -Purification, and a pilgrimage to it was equivalent to a visit to Mecca. -It contained ten rows of columns, and is that portion which occupies the -north-west corner ending at the south-east extremity where the present -_coro_ begins. This space soon became insufficient for the population, -and the Mosque was extended as far as the present Capilla de Nuestra -Señora de Villavicosia. - -Subsequent additions were made by different rulers. The Caliph Al-Hakim -II., who followed Abderrhaman III., expanded its size by building -southwards as far as the inclination of the sloping ground would allow. -To him is due the third Mihrâb, or Holy of Holies, the pavement of which -is worn by the knees of the devout who went thus round the Mihrâb seven -times. This Mihrâb is the most beautiful chamber I came across in all -Spain. The Byzantine Mosaics which adorn it are among the most superb -that exist, the domed ceiling of the recess is hewn out of a solid block -of marble, and its walls, which Leo the Emperor of Constantinople sent -a Greek artist and skilled workmen to put up, are chiselled in marble -arabesques and moulded in stucco. The entrance archway to this gem of -the East, an intricate and well-proportioned feature, rests on two green -and two dark coloured columns. Close by is the private door of the -Sultan which led from the Alcázar to the Mesquita. - -The last addition of all nearly doubled the size of the Mosque. Building -to the south was impracticable on account of the fall in the land -towards the river. Eastwards was the only way out of the difficulty -unless the beautiful Court of the Oranges was to be enclosed. Eastwards, -therefore, did Almanzor extend his building, and the whole space in this -direction from the transepts or _Crucero_ of the present church, in a -line north and south, was due to his initiative. - -[Illustration: CORDOVA. THE CAMPANARIO TOWER] - -The Mesquita at one time contained twelve hundred and ninety columns. -Sixty eight were removed to make room for the _Coro_, _Crucero_ and -_Capilla Major_, which is the portion reserved for service now. In the -_coro_, the extremely fine _silleria_, are some of the best in Spain. -The Lectern is very good Flemish work in brass of the sixteenth century. -The choir books are beautifully illuminated missals, especially those of -the "Crucifixion" and the "Calling of the Apostles." All this does not, -however, compensate for the partial destruction of the Mosque. So -thought the people of Cordova, who petitioned Charles V. in vain against -the alterations which have destroyed the harmony of the wonderful -building. When passing through the city at a later date and viewing the -mischief that had been done, the King rebuked the chapter thus: "You -have built here what you, or any one, might have built anywhere else; -but you have destroyed what was unique in the world." - -Eight hundred and fifty columns now remain out of the above number. The -odd four hundred and forty occupied the place where now stand the rows -of orange trees in the courtyard, one time covered in, which is known as -the Patio de los Naranjos, or Court of the Oranges. The fountain used -for the ablutions of the Holy still runs with a crystal stream of pure -water, and is to-day the meeting place of all the gossips in Cordova. - -Of the five gates to this enchanting court, that of the Puerta del -Perdon, over which rises the great Tower, el Campanario, is the most -important. It is only opened on state occasions. Erected in 1377 by -Henry II. it is an imitation of Moorish design. The immense doors are -plated with copper arabesques. - -The exterior of the Mesquita is still Moorish despite the great church -which has been thrust through the centre and rises high above the flat -roof of the remainder of the Mosque. A massive terraced wall with -flame-shaped battlements encircles the whole, the view of which from the -bridge over the river is more Eastern than anything else I saw in Spain. - -This fine bridge, erected by the Infidel on Roman foundations, is -approached at the city end by a Doric gateway, built by Herrera in the -reign of Philip II., that Philip who married Mary of England. It -consists of sixteen arches and is guarded at its southern extremity by -the _Calahorra_ or Moorish Tower, round which the road passes instead of -through a gateway, thus giving additional security to the defence. - -The mills of the Moslem's day still work, both above and below bridge, -and the patient angler sits in the sun with his bamboo rod, while the -wheels of these relics groan and hum as they did in days gone by. More -cunning is Isaac Walton's disciple who fishes from the bridge itself. A -dozen rods with heavily weighted lines, for the Guadalquiver runs swift -beneath the arches, and a small bell attached to the end of each rod is -his armament. And when the unwary fish impales himself on the hook and -the bell gives warning of a bite, the excitement is great. Greater still -when a peal begins as three or four rods bend! - -[Illustration: CORDOVA. THE BRIDGE] - -The beggars of Cordova were the most importunate that fate sent across -my path in the whole of Spain. I found it impossible to sit in the -streets where I would gladly have planted my easel, and it was only by -standing with my back to the wall that I was able to make my sketch of -the Campanario. These streets are tortuous and narrow, and the houses, -built on the Moorish plan with a beautiful _patio_ inside, are low. At -many a corner I came across marble columns, some with Roman -inscriptions, probably from Italica, placed against the house to prevent -undue wear and tear. In the narrowest ways I noticed how the load borne -by the patient ass had scooped out a regular track on either wall about -three or four feet from the ground. Wherever I went, to the oldest -quarters of the town in the south-east corner or the modern in the -north-west, I could never rid myself of the feeling that Cordova was a -city of the past. Her life is more Eastern than that of Seville, and her -people bear more traces of the Moor. Decay and ruin are apparent at -every turn, but how picturesque it all is!--the rags, the squalor, and -the ruin. How I anathematised those beggars with no legs, or minus arms, -when I tried to begin a street sketch! The patience of Job would not -have helped me, it was the loathsomeness of these cripples that drove me -away. Begging is prohibited in Seville and Madrid and in one or two -other towns, would that it were so in Cordova. - -Away up in the southern slopes of the Sierra de Cordoba stands the -Convento de San Jerónimo, now a lunatic asylum. Built out of the ruins -of the once magnificent Medînat-az-zahrâ, the Palace that Abderrhaman -III. erected, its situation is perfect. In the old days this palace -surpassed all others in the wonders of its art and luxury. The plough -still turns up ornaments of rare workmanship, but like so many things in -Spain its glories have departed. - -Yes, Cordova has seen its grandest days, the birthplace of Seneca, -Lucan, Averroes, Juan de Mena--the Spanish Chaucer--Morales, and many -another who became famous, can now boast at best with regard to human -celebrities as being the Government establishment for breaking in horses -for the cavalry. Certainly the men employed in this are fine dashing -specimens of humanity, and they wear a very picturesque dress. But -Cordova like her world-famed sons, sleeps--and who can say that it would -be better now if her sleep were broken? - -[Illustration: CORDOVA. FOUNTAIN IN THE COURT OF ORANGES] - - - - -GRANADA - - -Spread out on the edge of a fertile plain at the base of the Sierra -Nevada, Granada basks in the sun; and though the wind blows cold with an -icy nip from the snows of the highest peaks in Spain, I cannot but think -that this, the last stronghold of the Moors, is the most ideal situation -of any place I have been in. - -The city is divided into three distinct districts, each with its own -peculiar characteristics. The Albaicin, Antequeruela, and Alhambra. The -first named covers the low ground and the hills on the bank of the -Darro, a gold-bearing stream which rushes below the Alhambra hill on the -north. The second occupies the lower portion of the city which slopes on -to the plain, and the Alhambra rises above both, a well-nigh demolished -citadel, brooding over past glories of the civilised Moor, the most -fascinating spot in all Spain. - -The Albaicin district is practically the rebuilt Moorish town, where the -aristocrats of Seville and Cordova settled when driven out of those -cities by St. Ferdinand in the thirteenth century. Many traces remain -to remind one of their occupation in the tortuous streets which wind up -the steep hill sides, and the wall which they built for greater security -is still the boundary of the city on the north. The Albaicin is a grand -place to wander in and lose oneself hunting for relics and little bits -of architecture. At every turn of the intricate maze I came across -something of interest, either Moorish or Mediæval. A mean looking house -with a fine coat-of-arms over the door had evidently been built by a -knight with the collector's craze. He had specialised in millstones; a -round dozen or more were utilised in the lower portions of the wall and -looked strange with stones set in the plaster between them. A delicious -_patio_, now given over to pigs and fowls, with a broken-down fountain -in the centre of its ruined arcaded court, recalled the luxuries of the -Infidel. The terraced gardens standing behind and above many a blank -wall carried me back to those days of old when the opulence of the East -pervaded every dwelling in this Mayfair of Granada. Of all these the -Casa del Chapiz, though degraded into a low-class dwelling, is with its -beautiful garden the most perfect remnant of the exotic Moor. - -[Illustration: GRANADA. CARRERA DE DARRO] - -In the Carrera de Darro, just opposite the spot where once a handsome -Moorish arch spanned the stream, stands a house wherein is a Moorish -bath surrounded by horseshoe arcades. The bath is 18 ft. square, and in -the vaulted recess beyond is one of smaller dimensions commanding more -privacy for the cleanly Eastern whose day was never complete without -many ablutions. - -Not far away up the hillside, in cave-dwellings amidst an almost -impenetrable thicket of prickly pears, live the _gitanos_. I fear they -now exist on the charity of the tourist, and make a peseta or two by -fortune-telling or in the exercise of a more reprehensible cleverness, a -light-fingered dexterity which is generally only discovered by those who -"must go to the gipsy quarter" on their return to the hotel. These -gipsies no longer wander in the summer months and lie up for the winter -as they did of yore. They are not the Romanies of old times, and a -nomadic life holds no charm for them now. They make enough out of the -tourist to eke out a lazy existence throughout the year, and are fast -losing all the character of a wandering tribe and the lively splendour -of their race. - -Higher up, the banks of the Darro are lined with more cave-dwellings, a -great many of which, to judge by their present inaccessibility, are -undoubtedly of prehistoric origin. Those that I took to be of later date -have a sort of level platform in front of the entrance, from which the -approach of a stranger could be seen and due warning taken by those -inside of any hostile intent. - -The Antequeruela quarter, called thus from the remnant of Moorish -refugees who driven from Antequera found here a home, extends from the -base of Monte Mauro to some distance below the confluence of the Darro -and Genil, Granada's other river. It is the most modern quarter and -busiest part of the city. - -The life of an ordinary Spanish town passes in front of me as I sit in -the sun sharing a seat with an old man wrapped closely in a _capa_. It -is April. We are in the Alameda, a broad promenade which leads to the -gardens of the Paseo de Salòn and de la Bomba. On either side are many -coloured houses with green shutters. They are very French, and to this -day I try to recall the town in France where I had seen them before. How -often this happens when we travel abroad!--a face, a scent, a sound. -Memory racks the tortuous channels of half-forgotten things stored away -somewhere in the brain, and for days with an irritating restlessness we -wander fruitlessly amid the paths of long ago. - -I turned to my companion on the seat, he looked chilled despite the -warmth of an April sun. "Tell me, sir, to whom does all the fine country -of the Vega belong?" "Absent landlords, señor; they take their rents -and they live in Madrid, and the poor man has no one to care for him." -"But surely he begs and does not wish to work or to be cared for. The -beggars in Granada are more numerous than in any place I know." "That is -true, señor," and with a shake he relapsed into silence, drawing his -_capa_ closer around him. The turn the conversation had taken was not -worth pursuing. - -New buildings are superseding the old in Antequeruela, and poverty and -squalor pushed further out of the sight of El Caballero, his Highness -the tourist. Æsthetically we appreciate the picturesque side of poverty, -the tumble-down houses, the rags, the graceful attitudes of the patient -poor for ever shifting in the patches of sunlight as the great -life-giver moves round. Dinner will be ready for us at 7 o'clock in the -hotel, there would be no call to leave home if every town we came to was -clean and its people prosperous. "But what about _Los Pobres_, the -beggars?" you ask. "Are they really deserving of charity, or only lazy -scoundrels?" I cannot answer you. I can only tell you that I have never -seen such terrible emaciated bundles of rags as those I saw in Granada. - -In Seville, though it is forbidden to beg, it was the one-eyed that -predominated; in Cordova he of no legs, who having marked down his prey, -displayed great agility as he scuttled across the street with the help -of little wooden hand-rests; but here not only were both combined, but -various horrors of crippled and disfigured humanity with open sores and -loathsome disease thrust themselves before me wherever I went. It was -disgusting--but oh! how picturesque! If only, my good _Pobres_, you -would not come so close to me! - -They say Spain is the one unspoilt country in Europe. Personally I think -she is the one country that wants regenerating. Her girls are women at -sixteen, old at thirty, and aged ten years later. Her men take life as -it comes with very little initiative to better themselves. Very few -display any energy. Their chief thoughts are woman, and how to pass the -day at ease. Luckily for the country, at the age when good food and -clean living helps to make men, her youth is invigorated by army -service. True it is not popular. In the late war they died like flies -through fever and ill-feeding, and many were the sad tales I heard of -José and Pedro returning from the front with health ruined for life. It -was a sad blow to Spain, that war. Her navy demolished and her colonies -lost. It may be the regeneration of the nation, her well-wishers hope -so, but it is a difficult thing to change the leopard's spots. The -beggar being hungry begs, and well-nigh starves, his children follow his -example and probably his great grandchildren will be in the same line -of business a hundred years hence--_Quien sabe?_ who knows? - -I still sit in the sun rolling cigarettes; it is extraordinary how soon -the custom becomes a habit, and think of all this. A string of donkeys -passes with baskets stuffed tight with half a dozen large long-funnelled -water cans. They have come in with fresh drinking water from the spring -up the Darro under the Alhambra hill, and a little later the -water-sellers will be offering glasses of the refreshingly cool contents -of their cans. Granada is a city running with water, but the pollution -from the drains and the never-ending ranks of women on their knees -wrinsing clothes in its two streams, into which, by the way, all dead -refuse is thrown, makes that which is fit to drink a purchasable -quantity only. - -I watch the peasants from the Vega, who come in with empty panniers -slung across their donkeys, scraping up the dirt of the streets which -they take away to fertilise their cottage gardens. Herds of goats go by -muzzled until milking is over. They make for that bit of blank wall -opposite, and stand licking the saline moisture which oozes from the -plaster in the shade. The goats of Granada are reckoned the finest in -Spain, and, as is the custom throughout Andalusia, graze in the early -spring on the tender shoots of the young corn. This not only keeps them -in food, but improves the quality of that part of the crop which reaches -maturity. I could sit all day here if only the sun stood still. My -companion removed himself half an hour ago and it is getting chilly in -the shade, so up and on to the Cathedral. - -What a huge Renaissance pile it is. Built on the Gothic plans of Diego -de Siloe it is undoubtedly the most imposing edifice of this style in -Spain. Fergusson considers its plan makes it one of the finest churches -in Europe. The western façade was erected by Alonso Cano and José -Granados, and does not follow Siloe's original design. The name of the -sculptor-painter is writ in big letters throughout the building. To him -are due the colossal heads of Adam and Eve, let into recesses above the -High Altar, and the seven pictures of the _Annunciation_, _Conception_, -_Presentation in the Temple_, _Visitation_, _Purification_ and -_Assumption_ in the Capilla Mayor. The two very fine colossal figures, -bronze gilt, which stand above the over-elaborated pulpits; a couple of -beautiful miniatures on copper in the Capilla de la Trinidad; a fine -Christ bearing the Cross and a head of S. Pedro over the altar of Jesus -Nazareno, are also by Cano. Many other examples from his carving tools -and brush are to be found in the Cathedral, of which he was made a -"Racione" or minor Canon, after fleeing from Valladolid when accused of -the murder of his wife. The little room he used as a workshop in the -Great Tower may still be visited and his remains lie tranquilly beneath -the floor of the _coro_. - -[Illustration: GRANADA. EXTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL] - -In the Capilla de la Antigua there is that curious little image which, -found in a cave, served Ferdinand as a battle banner; and also -contemporary (?) portraits of the King and his Queen. - -To me the thing of surpassing interest, which ought to be the most -revered building in all Spain, was the Capilla Real and its contents. -The _reja_, which separates the choir from the rest of the chapel, is a -magnificent piece of work, coloured and gilded, by Bartolomé. As the -verger unlocked the great gate he drew my attention to the box -containing the lock with its three beautifully wrought little iron -figures and intricate pattern. We passed in, the gate swung to with a -click, the lock was as good as if it had but recently been placed there. -These _rejas_ throughout the country are all in splendid condition. A -dry climate no doubt preserves them as it has preserved everything else, -and I very seldom detected rust on any iron work. The humidity of the -winter atmosphere is insufficient, I suppose, to set up much decay in -metal, and certainly the only decay in Spain is where inferior material -has been used in construction, or the negligence of man has left things -to rot. - -With the gate locked behind me I stood in front of the two marble -monuments, the one of the recumbent figures of Ferdinand and Isabella, -the other of Philip and Juana la Loca--crazy Jane. Beyond rose the steps -up to the High Altar, close at my side those--a short flight--that led -to the crypt where the coffins of these four rest. I felt surrounded by -the Great of this Earth, and certainly a feeling of awe took hold of me -as their deeds passed through my mind and I realised that here lay the -remains of those who had turned out the Moor, bidden God-speed to -Columbus, and instituted the Inquisition. - -They are wonderful tombs these two. Ferdinand wears the order of St. -George, the ribbon of the Garter, Isabella that of the Cross of -Santiago, Philip and his wife the Insignia of the order of the Golden -Fleece. Four doctors of the church occupy the corners of the first tomb, -with the twelve Apostles at the sides. The other has figures of SS. -Michael, Andrew, and John the Baptist, and the Evangelist. Both tombs -are elaborately carved, the medallions in _alto-relievo_ being of very -delicate work. Next to that magnificent tomb in the Cartuja de -Miraflores at Burgos, these are the finest monuments in all Spain. - -Above the High Altar is a florid _Retablo_ with not much artistic merit. -My interest was entirely centred in the two portrait figures of -Ferdinand and Isabella. They each kneel at a Prie-Dieu facing one -another on either side of the altar--the King to the north, the Queen to -the south. Below them in double sections are four wooden panels in -bas-relief, to which I turned after a long examination of these -authentic and contemporary portraits. These panels are unsurpassed as -records of the costume of the day and a faithful representation of their -subject. On the left is the mournful figure of Boabdil giving up the key -of the Alhambra to Cardinal Mendoza, who seated on his mule between the -King and Queen, alone wears gloves. Surrounding them are knights, -courtiers and the victorious soldiery. In the background are the towers -of the Alhambra. To the right is seen the wholesale conversion by -Baptism of the Infidel, the principal figures being monks who are very -busy over their work, inducing the reluctant Moor to enter an alien -Faith. - -There is something very impressive about these panels, they render so -well and in such a naïve manner the history they record. The surrender -of the Moor after 750 years' rule, the end of his dreams, the final -triumph of the King and Queen, who devoted the first portion of their -reign to driving him out of the country, and the great church receiving -the token of submission at the end of last act, they are all here.--The -verger touched my arm, my reverie of those stirring times was broken, he -had other things to show and noon was fast approaching. Pointing to -three iron plates let into the floor of the chapel, he inquired if I -would like to see the spot where rest the coffins of these great makers -of history. Certainly; I could not leave the Cathedral without a silent -homage to those who placed Spain first among the nations. He lifted the -plates, and lighting a small taper which he thrust into the end of a -long pole, disappeared down the steps, with a warning to mind my head -for the entry was very low. I followed, stooping. At the bottom of the -steps was a small opening heavily barred. The verger pushed his lighted -taper and pole through the bars, and beckoned to me to look. I peered -into the dark chamber, there resting on a marble slab were the rough -iron-bound coffins of the "Catholic Kings." The taper flickered and cast -long shadows in the gloom, discovering the coffins of Philip and Juana. -It was all very eerie, a fitting climax in its simplicity to the -magnificent monuments above and to the history writ on the walls of the -Capilla Real. I shall never forget it. - -In the sacristy I was shown the identical banner which floated from the -Torre de la Vela when the Alhambra had surrendered. Isabella herself had -worked this for the very object to which it was put. Next to it hangs -Ferdinand's sword, with a remarkably small handle. I had thought, from -the kneeling effigy in the Capilla Real, that both he and Isabella must -have been small-made and this verified my guess. Many other personal -relics of the two were shown me. The Queen's own missal, a beautiful -embroidered chasuble from her industrious fingers, an exquisitely -enamelled viril, &c. Time was short, my verger wanted his dinner, and I -had seen enough for one morning. He let me out through the closed door -into the Placeta de la Lonja and in a sort of dream I carried away all I -had seen. - -The next morning I returned to the Placeta and stood in the doorway of -the old Royal Palace, now used as a drapery warehouse, and commenced the -drawing figured in the illustration. The rich late Gothic ornament of -the exterior of the Capilla Real is well balanced by the Lonja which -backs on to the sacristy. Here Pradas's work has been much mutilated and -the lower stage of the arcading built up. The twisted columns of the -gallery and its original wooden roof remain to tell us what this fine -façade once was. - -There is a great deal of interest in this huge Cathedral, which to the -tourist is quite overshadowed by the Alhambra. In the north-west corner -of the Segrario which adjoins the building on the south, is the Capilla -de Pulgar. Herman Perez del Pulgar was a knight serving under -Ferdinand's banner. Filled with holy zeal, he entered Granada one stormy -night in December 1490 by the Darro conduit, and making his way to the -Mosque which then stood where the Segrario now is, pinned a scroll -bearing the words Ave Maria to its principal door with his dagger. This -daring deed was not discovered until the next morning, by which time the -intrepid knight was safe back in camp. His courage was rewarded by a -seat in the _coro_ of the Cathedral, and at his death his body was -interred in the chapel which bears his name. - -Nearly all the churches of Granada occupy the sites of Mosques. Santa -Anna, like San Nicolás, has a most beautiful wooden roof. San Juan de -los Reyes contains portraits of Ferdinand and Isabella; its tower is the -minaret of what was once a Mosque. - -The Cathedral itself is so crowded in by other buildings, that no -comprehensive view of the fabric is possible. Unfortunately this is the -case, with one or two notable exceptions, throughout the country. Its -fine proportions are thus lost, and it is only the interior with its -great length and breath, its lofty arches and fine Corinthian pilasters -that serve to dignify this House of God. - -Taking a morning off, I walked out to the Cartuja Convent. The Gran -Capitan, Gonzalo de Cordoba, at one time granted an estate to the -Carthusians and on it they erected the convent to which I turned my -steps. The Order about this time was immensely wealthy and they spent -money with reckless lavishness on the interior of their church. -Mother-of-pearl, tortoiseshell, ebony and cedar-wood entered largely -into their decorations, as well as ivory and silver. But perhaps the -marbles in the church are the most remarkable part of their scheme. -These were chosen for the wonderful patterns of the sections, and with a -little stretch of the imagination I could trace well-composed -landscapes, human and animal forms in a great many of the slabs. The -overdone chirrugueresque work, to which add these fantastic wall -decorations, makes this interior positively scream. It is nothing more -nor less than a vulgar display of wealth. The cloisters of the convent -also attest the bad taste of the Carthusians, they contain a series of -pictures which represent the most repugnant and bloodthirsty scenes of -persecutions and martyrdoms of the Order. - -In another convent, San Gerónimo, was buried the Gran Capitan. A slab -marks the spot, but his poor bones were exhumed and carried off to -Madrid in 1868 to form the nucleus of a Spanish Pantheon. Needless to -say, like so many other great ideas in Spain, nothing further was done, -and Gonzalo's remains still await a last resting-place. - -One more fact before I reach the Alhambra. In the church of San Juan de -Dios you may see the cage in which the founder, Juan de Robles, was shut -up as a lunatic. What do you think his lunacy was? Having the infirm and -the poor always before him, this tender-hearted man went about preaching -the necessity of hospitals to alleviate their distress. Aye, he was a -hundred years and more before his time, so they shut him up in a cage -and there let him rot and die. Those that came after in more enlightened -days valued the good man's crusade at its proper price, and he was -eventually canonised, and his supposed remains now rest in an _urna_. - -Up a toilsome approach, splashing through the mud, I drove on the night -I reached Granada. As the horses slowed up, I put my head out of the -carriage window, we were passing under an archway and I knew that at -last one of the dreams of my life was realised. I was in the Alhambra. I -became conscious of rows and rows of tall trees swaying in the wind. I -smelt the delicious scent of damp earth, and could just distinguish, as -the carriage crawled up the steep ascent, in the lulls of the storm, the -sound of running water. It was fairyland, it was peace. After that long, -tedious journey and the glare of the electric lit streets I had just -passed through, I sank back on the cushions and felt my reward had -come. - -[Illustration: GRANADA. THE ALHAMBRA] - -How is it possible to describe the Alhambra? It has been done so often -and so well. Every one has read Washington Irving, and most of us know -Victor Hugo's eulogy. I had better begin at the beginning, which is the -gateway erected by Charles V. under which I passed with such a happy -consciousness. Further up the hill, through which only pedestrians can -go, is the Gate of Judgment, the first gateway into the Moorish -fortress. Above it is the Torre de Justicia erected by Yusuf I. in 1348. -On the external keystone is cut a hand, on the inner a key. Much -controversy rages round these two signs and I leave it to others to find -a solution. In old days the Kadi sat in this gateway dispensing justice. -The massive doors still turn on their vertical pivots, the spear rests -of the Moorish guard are still attached to the wall, and you must enter, -as the Moors did, by the three turns in the dark passage beyond the -gate. A narrow lane leads to the Plaza de las Algibes, under the level -of which are the old Moorish cisterns. To the right is the Torre del -Vino, and on the left the Acazaba. - -Come with me up the short flight of steps into the little strip of -garden. Let us lean over the wall and look out on to the Vega. Is there -anywhere so grand and varied an outline of plain and mountain? Do you -wonder at the tears that suffused the eyes of Boabdil as he turned for a -last look at this incomparable spot? The brown roofs of Granada lie at -our feet. Far away through the levels of the green plain, the Vega, I -can see the winding of many silver streams. Beyond those rugged peaks to -the south lies the Alpujarras district, the last abiding place of the -conquered Moor. Further on the mass of the Sierra Aburijara bounds the -horizon, west of it is the town of Loja, thirty miles away, buried in -the dip towards Antequerra. To the north is Mount Parapanda, the -barometer of the Vega, always covered with mist when rain is at hand. -Nearer in is the Sierra de Elvira, spread out below which are the dark -woods of the Duke of Wellington's property--he is known in Spain as -Duque de Ciudad Rodriguez. It is clear enough for us to see the blue -haze of the mountains round Jaen, and the rocky defile of Mochin. The -Torre de la Vela shuts out the rest of the view. There is a bell hanging -in this tower which can be heard as far away as Loja. Now turn and look -behind. Right up into the blue sky rise the snow peaks of the Sierra -Nevada. Mulhacen, the highest point in all Spain, is not visible, but -we can see Veleta which is but a few feet lower. The whole range -glistens in the afternoon sun, but it is the evening hour that brings -such wonderful changes of colour over these great snowfields, and, after -the sun is down, such a pale mother-of-pearl grey silhouetted against -the purple sky. - -The entrance into what we call the Alhambra is hidden away behind the -unfinished Palace of Charles V. The low door admits us directly in the -Patio de los Arrayanes, or court of the Myrtles. Running north and south -it gets more sun than any other court of the Alhambra. What a revelation -it is! In the centre is an oblong tank full of golden carp. The neatly -kept myrtle hedges encircle this, reflected in the clear water they add -refreshing charm to a first impression of the Moorish Palace. On the -north rises the Torre de Comares, the approach to which is through a -beautifully proportioned chamber, the roof of which was unfortunately -destroyed by fire in 1890. The whole of the ground-floor of this tower -is known as the Hall of the Ambassadors. The monarch's throne occupied a -space opposite the entrance and it was here that the last meeting to -consider the surrender was held by Boabdil. The elaborate domed roof of -this magnificent chamber is of larch wood, but the semi-darkness -prevents one realising to the full extent its beauties. From the -windows, which almost form small rooms, so thick are the walls of the -Tower of Comares, fine views over the roofs of the city and the Albaicin -hill are obtained. - -The Court of the Lions, so called from the central fountain upheld by -marble representations of the kingly beast, is surrounded by a beautiful -arcade. At either end this is thrown out, forming a couple of extremely -elegant pavilions. Fairy columns support a massive roof, the woodwork of -which is carved with the pomegranate of Granada. Intricate fret-work is -arranged to break the monotony of strong sunlight on a flat surface. -Arabesques and inscriptions, stamped with an iron mould on the wet clay, -repeat themselves all round the frieze. Orange trees at one time adorned -the court and cast gracious shade on its surface. The fountain threw up -jets of splashing water, the musical sound harmonising with the -wonderful arrangement of light and shade. I tried to picture all this as -I sat making my sketch, but even in April, though hot in the sun, I -required an overcoat in the shadow, and I must own that the ever-present -tourist with his kodak sadly disturbed all mental attempts at the -reconstruction of Moorish life. - -[Illustration: GRANADA. THE ALHAMBRA, COURT OF LIONS] - -On the south side of the court is the hall of the Abencerrages, named -after that noble family. The massive wooden doors, which shut it off -from the arcade, are of most beautiful design. The hall is rectangular -and has a fine star-shaped stalactite dome. The _azulejos_, or tiles, -are the oldest that remain in the Alhambra. A passage leads to what was -once the Royal Sepulchral Chamber. - -On the east side is the so-called Sala de la Justicia divided into -several recesses and running the whole length of this portion of the -court. The central recess was used by Ferdinand and Isabella when they -held the first Mass after the surrender of the Moors. The chief interest -of the Sala I found to be in a study of the paintings on the -semicircular domed roofs. They portray the Moor of the period. The -middle one, that in the chapel-recess, no doubt contains portraits of -Granada's rulers in council. The other two represent hunting scenes and -deeds of chivalry. It is supposed that the Koran forbids the delineation -of any living thing. The Moor got over this difficulty by portraying -animal life in as grotesque a manner as possible, or by employing -foreign captives to do this for him. One theory of the origin of the -Lion Fountain is that a captive Christian carved the lions and gave his -best--or his worst--as the price of his liberation. Personally I think -they are of Phoenician origin. Animals and birds in decoration reached -the Moor from Persia, where from unknown ages they had always been -employed in this way; and the Môsil style of hammered metal work is -replete with this feature. - -On the north side of the court lies the Room of the Two Sisters, with -others opening out from it, which seems to point to the probability that -this was the suite occupied by the Sultana herself. Moorish art has here -reached its highest phase. The honeycomb roof contains nearly five -thousand cells, all are different, yet all combine to form a -marvellously symmetrical whole. Fancy ran free with the architect who -piled one tiny cell upon another and on these supported a third. Pendant -pyramids cluster everywhere and hang suspended apparently from nothing. -In the fertility of his imagination the designer surpassed anything of -the kind that went before or has since been attempted. Truly the verses -of a poem copied on to the _azulejos_ are well set. "Look well at my -elegance, and reap the benefit of a commentary on decoration. Here are -columns ornamented with every perfection, the beauty of which has become -proverbial." - -Beyond this entrancing suite of rooms is the Miradoro de Daraxa with -three tall windows overlooking that little gem of a garden the Patio de -Daraxa. It was here that Washington Irving lodged when dreaming away -those delicious days in the Alhambra. - -The old Council Chamber of the Moors, the Meshwâr, is reached through -the Patio de Mexuar. Charles V. turned this chamber into a chapel, and -the hideous decorations he put up are still extant. An underground -passage, which leads to the baths, ran from the _patio_ and gave access -to the battlements and galleries of the fortress as well as forming a -connecting link between each tower. - -The baths are most interesting, but to me were pervaded by a deadly -chill. I felt sorry for the guardian who spends his days down in such -damp, icy quarters. A remark I made to him inquiring how long his duty -kept him in so cold a spot, called forth so terrible a fit of coughing -that I got no reply. I was told afterwards that he was only placed there -as he was too ill for other duty, and it was expected he would not live -much longer! There are two baths of full size and one for children. The -_azulejos_ in them are very beautiful, as they also are in the disrobing -room and chamber for rest. - -An open corridor leads from the Hall of the Ambassadors to the Torre del -Peinador which Yusuf I. built. The small Tocador de la Reina, or Queen's -dressing-room, with its quaint frescoes, was modernised by Charles V. -Let into the floor is a marble slab drilled with holes, through which -perfumes found their way from a room below while the Queen was -dressing. - -The glamour of the East clings to every corner of the Alhambra, and the -wonder of it all increased as I began to grow familiar with its -courtyards and halls, the slender columns of its arcades, with their -tracery and oft-repeated verses forming ornament and decoration, and the -well thought-out balance of light and shade. What must it all have been -like when the sedate Moor glided noiselessly through the cool corridors, -or the clang of arms resounded through the now silent halls! It is -difficult to imagine. The inner chambers were then lined with matchless -carpets and rugs and the walls were covered with subtly coloured -_azulejos_. - -Many are the changes since those days of the Infidel who cultivated the -art of living as it has never been cultivated since. Restoration is -judiciously but slowly going on, and every courtesy is shown to the -visitor. A small charge might be levied, however, to assist the -Government, even in a slight degree, with restoration, and I am sure no -one would grudge paying for the privilege of sauntering through the most -interesting remains of the Moorish days of Spain. - -The unfinished Palace of Charles V. occupies a large space, to clear -which a great deal of the Moorish Palace was demolished. The interior is -extremely graceful. The double arcades, the lower of which is Doric and -the upper Ionic, run round a circular court which for good proportion it -would be hard to beat. - -[Illustration: GRANADA. GENERALIFE] - -On the Corre de Sol, a little way out of the Alhambra and situated above -it, is the Generalife. It belongs to the Pallavicini family of Genoa, -but on the death of the present representative becomes the property of -the Spanish Government. A stately cypress avenue leads to the entrance -doorway, through which one enters an oblong court full of exotic growth -and even in April a blaze of colour. Through a tank down the centre runs -a delicious stream of clear water. At the further end of this -captivating court are a series of rooms, one of which contains badly -painted portraits of the Spanish Sovereigns since the days of Ferdinand -and Isabella. - -Up some steps is another garden court with another tank, shaded by more -cypress trees. One huge patriarch is over six hundred years old, and it -is supposed that under it Boabdil's wife clandestinely met Hamet the -Abencerrage. - -Space will not permit me to tell of the many entrancing excursions I -made to the foot-hills of the Sierra Nevada and up the two rivers. I can -only add that the valleys disclosed to the pedestrian are a wealth of -rare botanical specimens, and if time permits will well repay a -lengthened sojourn in the last stronghold of the Moors in Spain. - - - - -MALAGA - - -Malaga disputes with Cadiz the honour of being the oldest seaport in the -country. In early days the Phoenicians had a settlement here, and in -after times both the Carthagenians and Romans utilised "Malacca" as -their principal port on the Mediterranean littoral of Spain. In 571 the -Goths under their redoubtable King, Leovigild, wrested the town from the -Byzantines. Once more it was captured, by Tarik, in the year 710 and -remained a Moorish stronghold until Ferdinand took it after a long siege -in 1487. - -It is said that gunpowder was first used in Spain at this siege, when -the "seven sisters of Ximenes," guns planted in the Gibralfaro, belched -forth fire and smoke. - -In the year 709 the Berber Tarif entered into an alliance with Julian, -Governor of Ceuta, who held that place for Witiza the Gothic King of -Spain. With four ships and five hundred men he crossed the narrow and -dangerous straits to reconnoitre the European coast, having secretly in -view an independent kingdom for himself on the Iberian peninsula. He -landed at Cape Tarifa. - -This expedition was so far successful that in two years' time another -Berber, of a name almost similar, Tarík to wit, was sent over with -twelve thousand men and landed near the rock which received the name of -Jabal-Tarík, or mountain of Tarík, the present Gibraltar. - -Witiza in the meantime died and was succeeded by Roderic, who, hearing -of the invasion of this Moorish host, hastened south from Toledo and met -his death in the first decisive battle between Christian and Infidel on -the banks of the Guadalete near Cadiz. Tarík then commenced his -victorious march, which ended in less than three years with the -subjugation of the whole country as far as the foot of the -Pyrenees--Pelayo, in his cave at Covadonga near Oviedo, alone holding -out with a mere remnant against the all-conquering Moor. - -[Illustration: MALAGA. VIEW FROM THE HARBOUR] - -If you ask me, "What is Malaga to-day?" I can reply with truth, "The -noisiest town in Spain." Like all places in the south it is a babel of -street-cries, only a little more so than any of the others. The -_seranos_, or night-watchmen, disturb one's rest as they call out the -hour of the night, or whistle at the street corners to their comrades. A -breeze makes hideous the hours of darkness by the banging to and fro of -unsecured shutters. The early arrival of herds of goats with tinkling -bells heralds the dawn, which is soon followed by the discordant clatter -of all those, cracked and otherwise, which hang in the church belfries. -The noisiest town I visited, most certainly, but for all that a very -enchanting place. In a way not unlike Naples, for the Malagueno is the -Spanish prototype of the Neapolitan. Lazy, lighthearted, good-natured, -but quick to take affront, he gets through the day doing nothing in a -manner that won my sincere admiration. "Why work, señor, when you have -the sun? I do not know why the English travellers are always in such a -hurry. And the North American, he is far worse. I earned two pesetas -yesterday. To-day I have no wants, I do not work. To-morrow? Yes, -perhaps to-morrow I work, but to-day I sit here in the sun, I smoke my -cigarette, I am content to watch others, that is life!"--and who can say -that the Malagueno is far wrong? Not I. - -Malaga's Cathedral, an imposing building of a very mixed Corinthian -character, occupies the site of a Moorish mosque which was converted -into a church. Of this early church of the Incarnation, the Gothic -portal of the _Segragrio_ is the only portion remaining. The present -edifice was begun in 1538 from the plans of that great architect Diego -de Siloe, but being partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1680, was -not completed until 1719. It cannot be called complete even now, and -the long period over which its construction has been spread accounts for -the very many inconsistencies in a building which is full of -architectural defects. - -The west façade is flanked by two Towers, only one of which has been -finished; this is drawn out in three stages like the tower of La Seo at -Saragossa, and has a dome with lantern above. The doors of the north and -south Transepts are also flanked by towers, but they do not rise beyond -the cornice line. The interior, reminding one of Granada's Cathedral, is -seemingly immense. The proportions are massive and decidedly good. It -was in his proportions that Siloe excelled. The length of this is three -hundred and seventy-five feet, the width two hundred and forty, and the -height one hundred and thirty feet. The columns which support the heavy -roof consist of two rows of pillars one above the other. The vaulting is -of round arches. - -A picture by Alonso Cano in the chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary, and -one of a _Virgin and Child_, in that of San Francisco, by Morales, were -the only two objects that I could say interested me, besides the -magnificently carved _silleria del coro_, the work of many hands, but -chiefly those of Pedro de Mena, a pupil of Cano. - -With all its architectural incongruities it is an impressive fabric, and -rises high above the surrounding roofs, like a great Liner with a crowd -of smaller boats lying around her. So it struck me as I sat on the -quayside of the Malagueta making my sketch, sadly interfered with by an -unpleasant throng of idling loafers. - -Beyond Malagueta lies Caleta, and on the hill above them is the Castilla -de Gibralfaro, from which when the sky is clear the African mountains -near Ceuta can be seen. Below the Gibralfaro and between it and the -Cathedral, lies the most ancient part of the city, the Alcazába, the -glorious castle and town of Moorish days. And now?--like so many of -Spain's departed glories, it is not much more than a ruined -conglomeration of huts and houses of a low and very insanitary order. - -At the other end of Malaga is the Mercado, and close by is the old -Moorish sea gateway, the Puerta del Mar, washed by the waters of the -blue Mediterranean in their day, but at the present time well away from -the sea and surrounded by houses. - -The everyday market is held in the dry bed of the treacherous -Guadelmedina, a stream which rose in the fatal October of 1907 and swept -away all the bridges, swamping the lower quarters of the city. Many -lives were lost in this disastrous flood and many bodies picked up by -fishing-boats far out at sea. However, when I made my sketch there was -no chance of such a visitation, and I found the market folk more polite -than the loafers on the quay. - -The country lying at the back of the city and at the base of the -sun-baked and scarred mountains by which it is surrounded, produces -almost everything that grows. From this--the Vega--come grapes, raisins, -figs, oranges, lemons, water and sweet melons, quinces, pomegranates, -medlars, plantains, custard-apples, guava, olives and sugar-cane--a -veritable paradise for the fruit grower. Up the hill slopes, where the -olive luxuriates, fine woods of sweet acorn and cork trees are passed, -and any day you may see large herds of swine feeding on the acorns that -have fallen, and routing out other delicacies that their sensitive noses -tell them lie hidden beneath the surface. The pork of Estremadura is -reckoned the best in Spain, and that from these oak woods a good second. -The pig in Spain is a clean feeder, and you can eat him with perfect -safety anywhere. Such a thing as the offensive pig-sty, the disgrace of -rural England, is absolutely unknown here. - -[Illustration: MALAGA. THE MARKET] - -Malaga's climate is delightful, despite the fierce winds and the dust -they raise. Though rain seldom falls the cool sea breezes in summer -bring a refreshing tonic to the dweller up country; and many Spaniards -at this season come here for bathing, and obtain a maximum of sunshine -without the intense heat of the interior. - - - - -VALENCIA - - -Valencia del Cid is inseparably connected with the hero of Spanish -romance, Rodrigo Diaz of Bivar, to give him his real name, "Cid" being a -corruption of the Moorish _Seyyid_, and first appearing in historical -documents of the year 1064. Rising to great power, Alfonso of Leon -appointed him to the command of his army, but through jealousy banished -him in 1081. From that date the Cid became a true knight-errant. Barred -from the kingdom of Leon, he was ever ready to sell his services to the -highest bidder; and after many wanderings found himself with a goodly -following of knights, only too eager in those days, when might was -right, to be in the train of so redoubtable a champion, _en route_ to -Saragossa. The Moorish ruler of that city being at logger-heads with the -Count of Barcelona accepted the Cid's proffered services, and the result -was a battle in which the Catalans were badly beaten. - -With no prospects of further service in Aragon, the Cid turned his face -south and marched on Valencia, whose Moorish King Yahya was only too -pleased to request his protection in advance, instead of succumbing to -his conquering arm. Thus began Rodrigo's connection with the city, which -with one or two intervals ended only at his death. - -It was from the top of the Miguelete Tower, which is pictured in my -illustration of the Cathedral, that he showed his wife Ximena and their -daughters the fair land he had conquered. This was in 1095, when after -having rejoined Alfonso and left him again, he had returned and -recaptured the city after a siege of twenty months. Four years later -died the man whose name was a terror to the Infidel, and his widow -Ximena, following the traditions of her warrior husband, held Valencia -against overwhelming hordes of Moors. The story of the bitter end, how -she placed his body on his favourite war-horse and drove it through the -ranks of the enemy, has always been a theme for the balladmonger of -Spain. - -It was in 140 B.C. that Junius Brutus founded a small Roman colony on -the banks of the river Turia. Pompey destroyed this settlement and -rebuilt it. In 413 the Goths took possession. The Emir of Cordova -captured it in 714 and Valencia remained a vassal state until the fall -of the Omayeh dynasty. Like other provinces, it became merged under the -single banner that floated over the greater part of the Peninsula at the -union of Aragon and Castile. Being a coast town and savouring of the -south, it was not until the time of the bigoted Philip III. that the -industrious and unfortunate Moriscoe was finally expelled from the -shelter of Valencia's walls. - -[Illustration: VALENCIA. SAN PABLO] - -Souchet sacked the place in the Napoleonic wars and received the title -of Duke of Albufera from his master. Rather an empty honour, Albufera -being the large and malarious tract of marshland along the coast a few -miles to the south of El Grao, and worth but very little. - -El Grao is Valencia's Port, and is three miles distant from the city. -The road which connects the two is about the busiest high road I saw in -Spain. From sunrise till long after sunset two streams of vehicles pass -to and fro. Strings of laden donkeys, waggonettes crammed with -good-humoured laughing fisher and country folk pass along, an electric -tram carries those who can afford the extra _centimos_, and the -carriages of Valencia's well-to-do citizens take them to the harbour for -a breath of sea air out on the breakwaters. Everything seems alive, and -though there is that balmy feeling in the air which one gets in -Andalusia, there is none of the indolence and seductive _dolce far -niente_ of that enchanting province. No! quite the other way in -Valencia. The peasants are extremely industrious. The soil of the -_Huerta_ bears them three crops during the year. The system of -irrigation, the old Moorish system by-the-way, is perfect, and though -the product of a soil which is forced to bear more than it naturally -can, is reinforced at sowing time, in the case of corn, by Russian -grain, it cannot be said that Valencia depends on any outside help for -her prosperity. The swamps bordering the coast grow the finest rice in -the world. The wines of the province are good and cheap, held in much -esteem by French merchants to fortify the lighter produce of their own -country. So cheap are they in fact, that in some parts of the province -it costs more to get a drink of water than a glass of wine. Yet -drunkenness is unknown. If a Valencian took a drop too much, he would be -promptly boycotted by his neighbours, and for ever after looked upon as -a disgusting and outlandish boor, a disgrace to his village and a man to -be shunned. - -The peasant is very illiterate and scrupulously honest--the one follows -the other. Like the Andalusian, he is absolutely trustworthy in all his -dealings, which are conducted by word of mouth. In buying and selling no -signatures to documents pass between the contracting parties. If any -paper is ever signed, it is confirmed by certain scratches or marks -known to belong to so and so--the signee. His word is his bond, it is -generally all he can give, but it is enough and is worth more than -signatures sometimes are. Further north, where modern ways of life are -more in vogue, and where all is more "advanced," there are ten lawyers -to the one in Valencia and the south. - -[Illustration: VALENCIA. DOOR OF THE CATHEDRAL] - -The Cathedral was originally a Gothic structure, but one fashion -following another, has been at different times so altered and robbed of -all architectural beauty that there remains but little of interest in -the building. It was founded in 1262 and finished two hundred years -later. El Miguelete, the celebrated Bell Tower, is so named because the -bells were first hung on St. Michael's Day. Like the Torre de Vela of -the Alhambra, a bell is here struck which regulates the irrigation of -the _Huerta_. - -In this connection, and as an exemplification of the peasant's -trustworthiness, once a month, on a Thursday, the Tribunal de Aguas sits -in the Plaza de la Seo outside the Puerto de los Apóstoles or north door -of the Cathedral. Its presiding members are chosen by their fellow -peasants for their integrity and general standing in the community. They -exercise absolute control over the seven different irrigation districts. -The Government has once or twice interfered with this, but -unsuccessfully. Plaintiffs and defendants appear before this primitive -tribunal seated in a public square. The case is stated, _pros_ and -_cons_ weighed, and judgment given fairly on its merits. Any one passing -can stop and hear the arguments of both sides. As a proof of the -shrewdness the peasants possess and the confidence they have in their -dealings with one another, no appeal is ever made from the judgment of -their elders. - -This north door has good sculptured figures in the jambs and archivolt. -Above is a fine rose window. These are among the remains of the first -building. Another relic of the early structure is the octagonal -_cimborio_ erected about the same time as the doorway, _i.e._, 1350. The -lancet windows over the Puerta del Paláu, which is surmounted by a round -arch with carvings in the jambs, are all of the same period. The third -doorway, the Puerta del Miguelete, is florid and overdone, and dates -from the eighteenth century. Its bronze doors however are extremely -fine. - -The best features of the much-spoilt interior are the octagon and the -very beautiful Corinthian _silleria del coro_. The original _retablo_ -over the High Altar was set on fire by the lighted cotton attached to a -pigeon let loose at a religious ceremony in 1469. The side panels alone -were saved from the results of the terrified bird's erratic flight. -Close by on a pillar is hung the armour of James I. of Aragon. - -Over the sacristy door is a good painting by Ribalta of _Christ Bearing -the Cross_, and in the ante-room an _Adoration_ by Ribera, besides five -good examples of Juanes' brush. - -Among the treasures of the Cathedral is an extraordinary piece of -goldsmith's work, a Calix, showing four different periods of this art, -_i.e._, Roman, IXth, XVth and XVIth centuries. It figures in -the picture of the _Last Supper_ by Juanes, which is now in the Prado at -Madrid. An interesting trophy also belongs to the Cathedral in the shape -of the chain which at one time closed the old Port of Marseilles. - -The many different varieties of marble used in the decoration of the -building form a very pleasing series, and go some way towards -compensating the disappointment one experiences with the much-altered -style of what ought to be a grand interior. - -I saw a good procession one evening wending its way through the crowds -which lined the narrow street near the church of Santa Catalina. The -balconies were filled with occupants who showered rose leaves down as -the effigy of St. John passed by. The light from the torches carried by -some boys flickered upwards and caught the faces of those peering over -from their vantage posts above. The crowd knelt as the saint passed, and -once more the vitality of the Church, which I could not but feel -wherever I went in Spain is _the_ thing that lives, was again in -evidence. - -Over the door of the church of San Martin is a good equestrian group in -bronze. San Domingo has some very beautiful cloisters of late Gothic -date, and San Salvador possesses Valencia's miraculous image. Nicodemus -is reputed to have made this, the Christ of Beyrout. The marvellous -relic navigated itself from Syria across the waters of the Mediterranean -and reached Valencia against the river's stream. A monument on the bank -marks the spot where the wonderful voyage ended by the safe landing of -the Christ. It is much visited by the devout. In the chapel attached to -the Colegio del Patriarca hangs Ribalta's fine _Last Supper_. Every -Friday morning at ten o'clock the _Miserere_ is celebrated here. The -impressive ceremony commences with the slow lowering of this picture -from its place above the High Altar. The void is filled by a dark cloth, -which, as the service proceeds, is gently drawn aside disclosing a -second cloth, this is again repeated, followed by another, and when -this, the fourth cloth, is parted asunder a fine painting of _Christ -Crucified_ is revealed. Meanwhile chants appropriate to the solemn -service have been filling the church and increasing the tension of the -congregation. The whole ceremony is a very good piece of stage -management and certainly most thrilling and inspiring. The black -_mantilla_ for ladies is _de rigeur_. - -[Illustration: VALENCIA. RELIGIOUS PROCESSION] - -Valencia's walls, erected in 1356, were demolished in 1871 to give work -to the unemployed, and the spacious _Paseo_ made in their stead. The -trees planted along this carriage drive have added materially to the -health of the city. - -Of the two remaining gates, the Torres de Serranos is much the better. -Built in the second half of the fourteenth century on Roman foundations, -its massive construction and great height are very grand. It is one of -the best gates I know. The archway itself is rather low. The double -floors above have fine Gothic vaulting and are approached by a flight of -steps. The gallery is supported on heavy corbels, and the cornice has -deep machicolations. The whole rises in isolated grandeur and may -perhaps gain, from the painter's point of view, by the absence of -flanking walls. - -The Torre de Cuarto is another enormous gateway with two huge round -towers on either side. It still bears the marks of Souchet's -artillery--whose round shot did apparently no damage whatever. Not far -from this gate lies the Mercado situated in the middle of the old -quarters of the city. Valencia is quite a modern town, it is rapidly -losing everything of any age, and changing its narrow insanitary -streets for spacious well-built thoroughfares. - -The Mercado is by far the largest and most attractive market in Spain. -Fruit and vegetables, wicker goods of all sorts, baskets, chairs, toys, -leather-work and harness, brightly coloured mule trappings, every -description of wood and metal-work, the usual assortment of old iron, -lamps antique and modern, oleographs and chromos, saints and virgins -jostling the latest cheap reproduction of a famous _Torrero_ or -_Bailarina_, furniture, worn-out field implements and new cutlery, lace, -everything, in fact, including smells, the variety of which I found -unequalled anywhere. Strong garlic assaulted my nostrils--in three more -steps I was in the midst of roses and carnations, half a dozen more and -a horribly rank cheese made the air vibrate; and so it continued from -one end to the other of this most fascinating kaleidoscopic throng, to -study which I returned every day of my sojourn in Valencia. - -On one side of this wonderful market-place stands the Lonja de la Seda. -It dates from 1482 and occupies the site of the Moorish Alcázar. Perhaps -of all the examples of Gothic civil architecture in Europe, the Lonja de -la Seda can claim the first place. The west façade, facing the Mercado, -has a double row of square-topped Gothic windows, above which is a -traceried gallery running round the entire building with gargoyles and -a frieze of heads below the embattled parapet. - -In the centre is a Tower with a couple of Gothic windows. There are two -separate buildings in this "Silk Exchange," one of which has a beautiful -court. The whole of the other is occupied by the Exchange Hall. The rich -star vaulting of the interior is borne by two rows of spiral columns -without capitals; they branch out to the roof like the leaves of a palm -tree and it is very evident that this beautiful treatment was suggested -by the growth of the tree. - -Valencia has always been celebrated for a certain style or school of -painting, and in the Museum, which occupies the buildings of the old -Convento del Carmen, Ribalta, Espinosa and Juanes are seen at their -best. The school is noted for the peculiar deep red undertone of the -shadows, which is very markedly apparent in the works hanging on these -walls. There are also some beautiful examples of native faience and -pottery, for Valencia is still the home of Spanish lustre ware. - -The Valencians are great bird fanciers, and very keen pigeon shots. -Numerous lofts built on the roofs for these birds cut the sky-line in -the old quarters of the city. Sunday sees the dry bed of the Turia full -of competitors in shooting matches, when toll is taken of the feathered -inhabitants of these airy dwellings. - -If it were not for the rather bad drinking water and the malarious -marshes, the breeding-ground of a most particularly venomous mosquito, -Valencia would be as pleasant and lively a spot for residence as any in -Spain. The climate is good and it is near the sea. It stands on the edge -of a veritable fruit garden, and its people are pleasant and friendly. - - - - -TORTOSA - - -Journeying to Valencia from the north one is carried along a grand bit -of coast with glimpses of the blue Mediterranean rolling in on stretches -of yellow sand, and breaking into spray on the rocks above which the -train runs. The _rapido_ stops for lunch at Tortosa, and I got out -intending to stay if there was anything in the famous old city or its -Cathedral which might bear illustrating in this book. - -I reached the best _fonda_ in the place, and was heartily welcomed by -its lively little landlord, who immediately handed me one of his cards, -whereon was set out, amongst many superlatives, the news that an -interpreter was attached to the house. "Gone away for the day, señor," -was the reply when I asked for an interview. He was always away I fear; -however, I did not need his services and my host and I became fast -friends. So friendly indeed that I only just avoided an embrace at -parting on the day I left. He took great interest in my doings, and on -his side gave me much information. He explained to me how the mighty -Ebro, on which Tortosa is situated, and to which it owes its existence, -had risen in flood during the disastrous October of 1907. "Right up to -here, señor"--this while I was having lunch--and he pointed to a spot a -couple of inches off the floor of the _comedor_, which was on the first -floor of the house--"A terrible flood that?"--"Yes, señor, the streets -were for weeks full of mud and all sorts of things. Hundreds of poor -people lost everything and many were swept out to sea." - -Another day I remarked on the gas that lit the _fonda_ and asked my host -why he had not put in electric light. "It is too expensive, señor; some -people have it, and the Market Hall is lit by it; but you must -understand that Tortosa long ago did away with oil lamps and was one of -the first places in Spain to use gas. And now?--well it is enough for -us, and the electric light is too expensive." - -Elsewhere in Spain I have been told with pride that the country is still -in the foremost rank of civilisation--whatever the Progressive Press -says--and the almost universal use of electricity has been pointed out -to verify the boast. But Tortosa, which led the van when gas was a -novelty, is the only place of any importance that I know which is still -lit by this means. - -Local tradition has it, that the city dates back to the time of St. -Paul who, I was told, settled here and built himself a nice little -house. Whatever the saint did it is on record that before his day the -town was an important Iberian port of the Ilercaones tribe, and in later -years under the Romans, possessed a mint of its own, being then known as -Julia Augusta Dertosa. Strategically the key of the great river, Tortosa -was subject to repeated attempts at capture by those not in occupation. -During the time when it was held by the Moors, Charlemagne's son Louis, -after an unsuccessful attempt, gained possession, only to be driven out -in the year 810. It was not until 1148 that the Infidel's reign was -finally terminated by Ramon Bereuguer, Count of Barcelona. - -In the following year a desperate attempt was made by the Moors to -retake their stronghold, and the inhabitants, reduced to the last stage -of despair, contemplated the sacrifice of their women and children, and -then a final sortie to end their own lives. The women, however, showed a -true militant spirit, they courted death, but not in this mean manner. -Mounting the hardly defensible walls with every and any weapon they -could lay hands on, the men were directed to sally forth. The gates were -opened, and cheered on by their wives and daughters, the sterner sex -rushed out. So determined was the onslaught that the Moorish host was -beaten back and fled leaving all the plunder in his camp behind. - -Ramon, to show his appreciation of the heroism displayed by the fair -ones, invested them with the Order of the Axe (La Hacha) and decorated -them with the red military scarf. Also decreeing that at their marriage -they should precede mankind, and to this added the privilege of -duty-free dress materials. What more could woman want? - -The Cathedral occupies the site of a mosque erected in 914 by -Abderrhaman. A Cufic inscription in the wall at the back of the sacristy -relates this with the date. Bishop Lanfredo dedicated the building to -the Virgin in 1158, but the present structure dates from 1347. It is -extremely good Gothic, with a heavy baroque west façade, ugly and -ill-proportioned. Of the exterior but little is visible, and my sketch -simply includes the upper part of the façade, visible over the roofs of -the quaint old town, with the river flowing in front. - -The interior is very simple and dignified. The slender columns of the -nave rise to a great height; the light that filters through the few -clerestory windows that are not blocked subdues the garishness of a bad -_trascoro_, and finds its way amongst the tracery of the arches of the -double apse. In Avila Cathedral this same feature prevails. A double -aisled apse with open-work tracery between the arches and below the -vaulting of the aisles. - -[Illustration: TORTOSA] - -The _silleria_ of the _coro_ were carved by Cristóbal de Salamanca in -1588, and are really beautiful. The two pulpits are covered with -interesting iron bas-reliefs, and the High Altar encased in a mass of -plateresque silver work. The _retablo_ is a good specimen of early -Gothic work, and I could not help thinking how much better such an one -is than the many overdone chirrugueresque atrocities met with in more -famous places. - -Tortosa is the centre of a district the mountains of which yield many -different kinds of marble, and the Cathedral is especially rich in -these. Perhaps the chapel of Cinta contains the best; the most used is -the _broccatello di spagna_ a purple colour with tiny marine molluscs -embedded in the hard clay. The Cathedral is adorned at certain festivals -with a series of splendid tapestries, and amongst many relics overlooked -and left by the French is a fine Moorish casket of ivory. - -Pope Adrian IV., the Englishman, was at one time Bishop of Tortosa, a -fact which added interest to this beautiful little Cathedral. - -The cloisters are early pointed Gothic, now much dilapidated and uncared -for. On the encircling walls are many highly interesting mural tablets, -a few of which have recumbent figures cut in low relief with their backs -to the wall, as is the case in the earliest Gothic effigies of this -sort. - - - - -TARRAGONA - - -My recollections of Tarragona can be summed up in three words--blue sea, -sunshine, and peace. - -Some fifteen or twenty years ago the quays of its fine harbour were full -of life and bustle, ships entered the port and ships went out. The trade -with France in light wines was good, and with England and America in -those of heavier quality, better still. - -Nowadays it is cheaper to send wines by rail. Reus, a railway centre a -few miles inland, has captured a great deal of Tarragona's trade, and -modern history repeats itself once more. Cheap and quick delivery are -the watchwords. Hurry and hustle are leaving the old trading towns -behind. Barcelona is not far away. Centralisation is everything, and -thus it happened that I found very few places in Spain so reposeful as -Tarragona. And I might add so beautifully situated as this old city -which climbs and crowns a hill that rises from the very edge of the blue -Mediterranean. - -Very few cities in Spain can boast of prehistoric walls still extant. -Tarragona can do so. The huge uneven blocks of granite, which may be -seen in my sketch of the Archbishop's Tower, occupy the lower portion of -the old Roman walls. On the north side of the city they are even more -visible than in the sketch. Some of the blocks measure thirteen by seven -by five feet. Three of the ancient portals, the stone of which is faced -inside, still exist, but apparently no records do, to tell us who placed -these Cyclopean defences where they stand to-day. - -Many remains of Roman days may be seen built into the houses of the old -and higher town, tablets, mural inscriptions, bits of columns, &c. The -Cathedral possesses numerous plinths and pillars of marble from the -quarries at Tortosa, built into its walls, and the Font in the -Baptistery is an old Roman basin. What a glorious city it must have been -when the Emperor Augustus made it his capital! and the overland trade -met the sea-going in the harbour below. - -Twenty miles away at Gayá the Romans tapped a continuous supply of fresh -water, and their aqueduct, a good deal of which remains, ranks next to -that of Segovia in size, and stands as an example of how the Romans -built. Roman villas with incomparable views out to sea, dotted the -hillsides; temples to every god and goddess rose in the city, which -contained a million inhabitants. It possessed a mint of its own, and, -favoured by nature and art, became known as "Colonia victrix togata -turrita." - -[Illustration: TARRAGONA] - -The Moslem sacked Tarragona, and for four centuries one of the glories -of Colonial Rome lay a heap of ruins. In 1089, at the commencement of -the building of the Cathedral, the see, much to the disgust of Toledo, -was raised to metropolitan dignity. Thenceforth, between the two cities, -endless disputes have arisen as to the Primacy of Spain. - -Though begun at the above date, most of the Cathedral is of twelfth and -early thirteenth-century work. It is not known who designed this -magnificent church, the finest example of Transition in Spain. The -interior is very simple and very dignified. The roof is borne by grand -piers, thirty-five feet in circumference. Their bases are broken by four -seats, one in each corner, placed thus to enhance the line of the -composition, and break the otherwise too great severity of the -foundations. - -There is no triforium; but an early pointed clerestory of large bays, -and a superb rose window in the west, of date 1131, admit a flood of -light. Nothing could well be simpler than the pairs of massive columns -which carry the centre arches of the vaulting, nor finer than the -delicate single attendant at their sides from which spring the -transverse sections. All these are capped with square Romanesque -capitals. - -The chancel is pure Romanesque and very beautiful. The semicircular end -of the Capilla Mayor and the two small apses are the oldest part of this -noble building. The _retablo_ of the High Altar is alabaster, and carved -with reliefs of the martyrdom of Santa Tecla, Tarragona's patroness. The -delicate tapering finials and the figures under canopies below, are -carved in wood. Behind the High Altar is a very interesting urn which -contains the ashes of Cyprian, a Gothic archbishop. - -The fine _cimborio_ which rises above the crossing has eight windows of -three and four lights alternately, which contain fragments of very -brilliant coloured glass. In the transepts are two magnificent wheel -windows full of good glass, indeed I know of no better scheme of colour -than that which adorns this window on the south side. - -The _silleria del coro_ are the work of Francisco Gomar and date from -1478. The body of James I. of Aragon lies in a tomb at the west end of -the _trascoro_, having been brought here from the ruined Monastery of -Poblet--the Escorial of Aragon. A ruin where still lie under their much -despoiled and mutilated tombs some of the rulers of that kingdom. - -[Illustration: TARRAGONA. THE ARCHBISHOP'S TOWER] - -This grand Cathedral is not dependent on gloom or subdued light for its -great impressiveness. On the contrary it is the best lit of any of -Spain's Cathedrals, and it is on its excellent proportions and scale -alone that its reputation for solemnity will always rest, and its -majesty be ever remembered. - -The west façade, commenced in 1248, is constructed of a light-coloured -stone, which time has improved into a very beautiful sienna brown. The -upper portion is unfinished. In the centre is a fine and deeply recessed -Gothic portal, flanked by two massive buttresses. Under Gothic canopies -stand statues of the Apostles and Prophets, the lintel of the doorway is -supported by a Virgin and Child, above which is the Saviour, and a row -of figures rising out of their tombs on the Judgment Day. Above all is -the already-mentioned rose window. So well does the mass of the building -rise above the adjacent roofs that this window is visible from the -breakwater of the harbour. The two doorways on either side of the façade -are pure Romanesque. Each is surmounted by a small wheel window. The -iron work which covers the doors is of a very intricate design; and the -huge iron knockers with grotesque heads, the hinges of the doors, and -the copper work as well, gave me many pleasant moments in marvelling at -the skill of the smiths of days gone by. - -It was in the cloisters however that I found the greatest charm of the -whole Cathedral. The court is a veritable garden, where date palms, fig -trees and oleanders crowd one another in the neatly arranged beds behind -box hedges. I spent many pleasant hours in this delightful spot, my -solitude broken by occasional visits from the Sacristan, who, in his -faded and patched purple cassock, came in at odd times for a chat. Very -proud of his Cathedral was this quiet custodian, and I shall never -forget his soft voice and winning smile, nor the great interest he -evinced in my sketch. The swifts rushed screaming past, the bees hummed -from flower to flower, the scent of the plants was delicious, the warm -sun and the splash of the fountain--turned on for my benefit--all went -to help the welcome repose and forgetfulness of the outer world that -overcame me as long as I was at work in this little Paradise. - -The double doorway in the north transept through which one enters the -cloisters from the Cathedral, is the finest of all. The capitals of its -detached shafts are wonderfully carved. They represent the Awaking of -the Three Kings by an Angel, the Nativity and the Journey of the Magi. -The arcading of the cloisters consists of six bays on all four sides, -these bays are subdivided into three round arches, with a couple of -circular openings above and enclosed within the arch. Some of these -openings contain very beautifully carved tracery. - -[Illustration: TARRAGONA. THE CLOISTERS] - -The capitals of the columns are a museum of quaint fancy and good -carving. In one set, all the incidents of a sea voyage are cut, in -another, mice are seen carrying a cat to his grave, who, shamming death, -turns and devours some of them before his obsequies are complete. There -is a Descent from the Cross, where one of the Faithful wields a pair of -pincers much longer than his own arms, so determined is he to pull out -the nails that cruelly wound Christ's hands. - -Many fragments of Roman sculpture are let into the walls; and a lovely -little Moorish arch, with a Cufic inscription and date 960, reminds one -of the Infidel's rule over the city. - -To reach times nearer our own, there are two inscriptions telling of the -occupation by British troops, which run--_5th Company_ and further on -_6th Company_--obviously pointing to the fact that these lovely -cloisters sheltered some of our own troops during the Peninsular War. -Like many other Cathedrals, Tarragona's possesses a grand series of -tapestries, which are hung round the columns and walls during certain -festivals. They are mostly Flemish and not in any way ecclesiastical. -One indeed that I saw was anything but this. Cupid was leading a lady, -who was in _déshabille_, into her chamber, wherein, by a four-post bed, -stood a gentleman with a lighted taper in his hand! - -It was pleasant in the evening to stroll down to the harbour and out -along the mole, to watch the deep-sea fishing fleet race home with the -long sweeps out in every boat as the wind dropped and the sea became an -oily calm. I must own it was with great regret I left this now peaceful -spot--a city that once boasted of a million inhabitants, and prior to -that was a great Phoenician port! Of all the Cathedral Cities of Spain -I would rather return to Tarragona than any other, hold converse with my -friend the Sacristan, who knows and loves his Cathedral so well, and end -the day as the sun goes down watching the boats return from long hours -of toil. - - - - -BARCELONA - - -Barcelona the Progressive, the finest port of Spain, with its large -harbour, its wide boulevards, splendid suburbs, good hotels, huge -factories and modern prosperity has well earned the title of first city -of the New Spain. - -Amilcar Barca in 225 B.C. founded the Carthagenian city which occupied -the Taber hill on which the Cathedral now stands, and twenty years later -it became a colony of Rome. Remnants of the old walls can still be -traced in the narrow streets which centre round the Holy Fabric. Under -the Goths, Barcino, as it was then called, rose to some importance, -money coined here bears the legend "Barcinona." The Moors were in -possession of the sea-washed fortress for about one hundred years, and -then the reign of the Counts of Barcelona, independent sovereigns, -began. - -Count Ramon Berenguer I., who ruled from 1025 to 1077, instituted the -famous "Códego de los Usatjes de Cataluña," an admirable code of laws, -to which was added in the thirteenth century the "Consulado del mar de -Barcelona." This latter code obtained in the commercial world of Europe -the same authority as the old "Leges Rhodiæ" of the ancients. - -When at the height of its prosperity, Barcelona, the centre of commerce, -received a severe blow by the union of Cataluña with Aragon, on the -occasion of the marriage of Count Ramon Berenguer IV. to Petronila -daughter of Ramiro II. King of Aragon. When Aragon and Castile were -united Barcelona became subject to the "Catholic Kings," and ever since, -in language, in habits and enterprise has shown her dislike for and her -struggle against the ways of Castile. - -To-day Barcelona is far in advance of any other city of Spain. I felt I -was once more in Europe when the comfortable hotel 'bus rattled along -through the well-lit streets. Perhaps I was getting tired of life in the -Middle Ages, and was obsessed with Mediæval Cities! At any rate, a clean -bed in a modern hotel was a luxury I thoroughly appreciated, and I -started the next morning to explore, with a mind at ease and a -consciousness that there would be no irritating little pin-pricks, no -_mañana_ for a couple of weeks at least. - -[Illustration: BARCELONA. IN THE CATHEDRAL] - -The Cathedral stands on the site of a Pagan Church converted by the -Moors into a Mosque. The present edifice replaced the Christian Church -which superseded this Mosque, and was begun in 1298. The crypt was -finished in 1339 and the cloisters in 1388. The west façade was covered -with scaffolding while I was there, and so may perhaps be completed in -another thirty years. - -The interior of this splendid Gothic church is very dark. The pointed -windows are all filled with magnificent fifteenth-century glass. At the -sunset hour, when the rays of light strike low and filter through the -many colours of these windows, the effect in the gloom of this solemn -building is most beautiful. As the orb of day sinks lower and lower the -light lingers on column after column right up the lofty nave to the High -Altar until he suddenly disappears, and all within is wrapt in deep -twilight. - -The nave is very narrow and very high. The clustered columns seem to -disappear into space, and the vaulting is almost lost in the darkness. -There are deep galleries over the side chapels in the aisles, which have -a rather curious arrangement of vaulting. From the roof of the aisles at -each bay depend massive circular lamps which catch the light and -heighten the effect of mystery which is omnipresent throughout the -Cathedral. - -A flight of steps in front of the High Altar--an almost unique -feature--leads down to the crypt, where rests the body of Santa Eulalia, -Barcelona's patron saint. Her alabaster shrine is adorned with reliefs -of different incidents in her life. - -The _retablo_ of the High Altar is richly ornate with tapering Gothic -finials of the fifteenth century; below it is a sarcophagus containing -the remains of St. Severus. - -Above the Gothic _silleria del coro_ hang the coats-of-arms of the -Knights of the Golden Fleece. Among them are those of Henry VIII. of -England. The only installation of the Order was held here by Charles V. - -The side chapels contain very little of interest, but the cloisters are -otherwise. Entered either from the street or the south door of the -Cathedral their beauty is very striking. In the centre palms and orange -trees rear their heads, and the splash of the fountains, in one of which -the sacred geese are kept, is refreshingly cool after the bustle of -streets outside. - -San Pablo del Campo, now a barrack, is the most interesting of -Barcelona's ecclesiastical remains. This church, built by Wilfred II. in -913, is more like the ancient churches of Galicia than those of -Catalonia. Very small and cruciform, a solid dome rises from the centre. -Its cloisters are perfect, the arcading is composed of double shafts -with well-cut figures on the capitals. - -The peculiarity of Catalonia's churches is well illustrated in the -aisleless Santa Maria del Mar, San Just, and Santa Maria del Pi. The -first named has some magnificent glass and four good pictures by -Viladomát, and in the crypt beneath the High Altar a curious wooden -figure of San Alajo. San Just has the belfry common to the churches of -Catalonia, an open iron-work screen, from which depend the bells, and -Santa Maria del Pi contains a fine wheel window and more magnificent -glass. - -A relic of Loyola, the sword that he offered on the Altar of the Virgin -at Montserrat, is still preserved in the old Jesuit Church of Nuestra -Señora de Belen. - -Among the many notable buildings in Barcelona is the Casa Consistorial, -or Town Hall. It was built in 1378, and has a very original Gothic -front. A beautiful _patio_ with slender arches and twisted columns adds -to the interest of the interior. - -The Casa de la Diputacion opposite contains the picture on which Fortuny -was at work when he died. The _patio_ here is perhaps better than that -in the Casa Consistorial. It is in three stages, from the topmost of -which huge gargoyles of all sorts of devils and monsters rear their ugly -heads. - -In the old quarters of the city, where the five-and six-storied houses -almost touch, the streets are very tortuous and not considered safe at -night. - -In this respect, however, Barcelona does not stand alone. Any one who -ventures into the low parts of a Mediterranean seaport after dusk -generally does so at his own risk. Very few brawls commence among the -hot-blooded lower orders of the south without the finale of the knife. - -By far the most interesting suburb of the city is Barceloneta. This -self-contained town is entirely given up to the fisherfolk and seafaring -portion of Barcelona's inhabitants. Philip V., when planning his -citadel, now demolished, turned out the people who dwelt where he -afterwards erected it. To compensate them for loss of home and property, -he built this well-planned and well-paved suburb out along the coast to -the north-east. With the breeze coming in every afternoon off the sea my -favourite walk was through the park to Barceloneta. Of all the seaports -I know, Naples not excepted, though the Sta. Lucia of five-and-twenty -years ago might have beaten it, the harbour front of Barceloneta is -without an equal. Here one may watch the boat-builders at work under the -oddest roofs imaginable, carpenters busy with the shaping of masts and -oars, and ship's painters putting the finishing touches to boat -accessories. I used to stand awhile admiring the inventive turn -displayed on the exterior embellishments of the marine-dealers' stores. -Wonderful pictures, of ships that could never float, from brushes -wielded by very local talent in glaring vermilion and green. I watched -the holiday-makers sitting in ramshackle booths, rapidly putting away -all sorts of curiosities of the shell-fish order, and I wondered if they -would survive the day. Perhaps the copious draughts of wine they took -was an antidote, at any rate their laughter and good humour gave point -to my unspoken thought--"let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die." - -[Illustration: BARCELONA. THE RAMBLA] - -Going on, I often spent some time comparing the drill of artillery -recruits, whose instructors marched them up and down on a quiet bit of -the roadway, with those at home, and I generally finished my walk and -sat me down on the glorious stretch of sand that runs away north as far -as eye can follow. The evening would then draw in, and the twinkling -lights on the ships in the harbour warn me it was time to return. While -twilight lasted I retraced my steps homewards along the quay-side, -invigorated by an afternoon of sea breeze and salt spray. - -The focus of Barcelona's life is the celebrated Rambla. The derivation -of this word is Arabic--"Raml-sand"--a river bed, for a small stream at -one time meandered down to the sea where now is the liveliest street in -the north of Spain. - -On either side of the central promenade, under the shade of stately -plane trees, are the carriage drives. The broad walk itself is -thronged, especially in the morning when marketing is done, with an -ever-changing crowd. Boys distribute hand-bills, dog-fanciers stroll -about bargaining with dealers, itinerant merchants cry their wares. A -family of father, mother, and children cross the stream of promenaders, -followed by a pet lamb. Acquaintances meet and gossip away a good ten -minutes. - -At the top end of the Rambla are situated the stalls of the -bird-sellers, who also deal in mice, a great place this for mama and her -small daughters. Lower down, the flower-sellers congregate under their -red-striped umbrellas. It was here that I made my sketch, in which -luckily, for a bit of colour, I was able to include the blue-bloused -porters in their red caps who wait about for a job with the rope of -their calling slung over their shoulders. Here too all the odd job men -stand awaiting hire. House painters in white blouses with insignia of -their trade--a whitewash brush on the end of a pole--held high, and -others--an endless variety. - -Barcelona, being a business town, is democratic to the core, it is also -to the core, Catalan. The names of streets are displayed in Catalan as -well as Spanish. The animals in the Zoological Gardens also are known by -their Catalan, and Castilian as well as Latin names! Barcelona will have -no dealings with Castile, its people speak their own language and -address the foreigner in French. Barcelona is go-ahead. In the houses of -the new suburbs l'art nouveau screams at one, and everything is -up-to-date! - -The Spaniard is well-known to be lazy, not so the Catalan. I have never -seen a Spaniard running, but I have seen a Catalan walking fast! - - - - -GERONA - - -The siege of Gerona is as celebrated in the Spanish history of the -Napoleonic wars as that of Saragossa. Both exemplify the bravery and -tenacity of the Spaniard of the north. In the first siege in 1808, three -hundred men of the Ulster Regiment, under their gallant leader O'Daly, -helped to garrison the place against two ferocious attacks by Duchesne -and his French soldiery. The first failed and the second ended in the -utter rout of the besiegers with the loss of all the artillery and -baggage train. - -In the following year three French generals with an army of thirty -thousand men invested the city. Alvarez, the Spanish Governor, was -almost without any means of defence, and the women of Gerona enrolled -themselves under the banner of Santa Barbara, the patron saint of -Spain's artillery, and took their places on the ramparts side by side -with their husbands and sweethearts. Alvarez, ably seconded by a few -English under Marshall, held out until he was struck down by disease and -death. The city then, without a leader, its inhabitants starving, at -length surrendered. - -So ancient is Gerona that its early history is lost in the mist of ages. -Charlemagne drove the Moors out when they were in possession, but it -soon passed back into their hands again. The Counts of Barcelona ruled -over the place until the union of Catalonia and Aragon, an event which -gave birth to the Crown Prince's title of Principe de Gerona. Hence we -know that in the twelfth century it was a city of great importance. In -consequence of its adhesion, at the end of the War of Succession, to the -house of Hapsburg, Gerona was deprived of its privileges and university, -since which time it has steadily gone down hill. - -Down hill it may have proceeded, but I found it a very pleasant, quaint -old-world city set in the midst of verdant hills and running waters. -Shady walks are taking the place of now useless fortifications; and have -not I sat in one of the most delightful rose gardens you could wish to -rest in, and heard the note of the nightingale trilling on the perfumed -air? Most of Spain has gone down hill, and most of Spain is nothing but -enchanting. - -[Illustration: GERONA. THE CATTLE MARKET] - -Gerona is bisected by the river Oñar, and from its waters which wash -them, the houses rise tier above tier up the hill side. In the summer -when the river is running low, and if it happens to be a Saturday, you -will see one of the most remarkable sights that Spain can boast of. -Under and around the arches of the old bridge are congregated hundreds -of brown and fawn-coloured cattle. The background of ancient houses, -yellow, grey, white, brown--every tone, rises up above this throng. -Coloured garments, the week's washing, flutter in the breeze, green -shutters and blinds hang from the creeper-clad balconies. - -It is market day. The lowing of oxen, mingled with the hum of bargaining -humanity in red caps and Prussian-blue blouses, surges up like the sound -of breakers on a distant shore. You who enter Spain by the east route, -go to Gerona at the end of the week--you will never regret its Saturday -market. - -The Cathedral stands well. The west façade, a Renaissance addition, is -approached from the Plaza below by a grand flight of ninety steps in -three tiers. In the unfinished jambs of the south door are a series of -interesting terra-cotta figures dating from 1458. - -There is nothing else in the exterior worthy of note, but directly I -entered I stopped in amazement at the daring of an architect who could -build so enormous a span as that under which I found myself. This span -is seventy-three feet, the clear width of the nave, and unsupported by -any pillars. No flying buttresses outside give additional strength to -the thrust of the roof. The stonework is perfect and the vaulting inside -simple. So bold and hazardous were the plans of Guillermo Boffy that the -chapter at first refused to sanction them. Being in doubts as to his -sanity, they sought the opinion of twelve other architects, who were -examined separately. As they all approved and passed Boffy's plans, the -construction of this marvel was commenced, and the first stone laid in -1416. - -The apsidal chancel had been begun a century earlier and finished in -1346, pretty much on the same lines as this part of Barcelona's -Cathedral. - -Unfortunately--how often does one have to acknowledge this!--the _coro_, -with its hideous _respaldos_, painted to imitate Gothic arches in -perspective, almost ruins this splendid and solemn interior. Among the -seats of the _silleria del coro_ there are still preserved some that -date from the fourteenth century. - -Early carved work of the same period is found in the elaborate _retablo_ -over the High Altar, which is surmounted by three fine processional -crosses. The _baldaquino_, also of wood, is covered like the _retablo_ -with plates of silver. It is a mass of precious metal, enamelled -coats-of-arms and gems, and is an extremely interesting relic of that -century. - -[Illustration: GERONA. THE CATHEDRAL] - -Over the sacristy door are the tombs of Count Ramon Berenguer II. and -his wife Ermensendis, who died in 1058, predeceasing her husband by -twenty-four years. The sacristy itself contains a remarkable piece of -twelfth-century crewel work, said to be the earliest known specimen in -existence. It is covered with figures of a type similar to those of -contemporary MSS. The Romanesque cloisters form an irregular trapezium. -The columns are doubled and about a foot apart, not unlike those of -Tarragona. - -The finest Romanesque example that Gerona possesses is the church of San -Pedro de los Galligans. The apse, little damaged during the siege, forms -a tower in the town wall. There is no doubt of the great antiquity of -this building, which dates probably from the early part of the tenth -century. The east end is mostly constructed of black volcanic scoriæ. -The nave and aisles, the bays of which are very simply built, are almost -prehistoric in their roughness. - -In the cloisters attached to the church is the Museo Provincial. Many -relics of Gerona's heroic defence can here be seen, as well as some -early Christian and Hebrew remains. - - - - -TOLEDO - - -Standing high above the yellow Tagus, which, confined in a deep gorge, -rushes and swirls far below between precipitous granite cliffs, Toledo -was always an ideal position for a fortress before modern firearms -rendered Nature's defences of little avail. - -Its name is associated with the great Cardinals of the Rodrigo, Tenorio, -and Foncesca families, as well as scions of the houses of Ximenes, -Mendoza, Tavera, and Lorenzana. The wealth of these Prelates was -immense, and their power, Ecclesiastical and Temporal, proportionate. -They practically had no rivals, they certainly feared none, they ruled -kings as well as countries, and their allegiance to Rome was purely -nominal. They made wars and fought in them. For their patronage of art -and literature future generations have had good cause to be grateful. -They built schools and improved the means of communication throughout -the land. Under their influence the Church was omnipotent, and they have -written their names deep in the pages of Spanish history. In fact, so -great was the power of Toledo's clergy that it grew to be the cause of -the foundation of the Capital at Madrid. Philip II., who removed the -Court from Valladolid to Toledo, found it better, after a short -residence here, to take himself and his Court to a town where he no -longer encountered the arrogance of Ecclesiastical rule. - -Under the Romans, who captured it in 193 B.C., "Toletum" became the -capital of Hispania. Leovigild removed hither from Seville, and his -successor, Reccared, who embraced the orthodox form of Christianity, -made it the ecclesiastical as well as political capital of his -dominions. - -For nearly four centuries, from 712, when the Moors took Toledo, it was -under their rule; but divided counsels and the treachery of the -down-trodden Hebrew enabled Alfonso VI. to enter in triumph with the -Cid. The King then styled himself Emperor, and promoted the Archbishop -to the Primacy of Spain. Under Alfonso's rule the city grew rapidly in -every way. Churches and convents were built, defences strengthened, and -Toledo knew no rival. - -With far-seeing wisdom, Moor and Christian were allowed to intermarry, -and lived together in peace for wellnigh one hundred and fifty years. -The advent in 1227 of that ecclesiastical firebrand, St. Ferdinand, -however, altered this. One of his first acts was to pull down the -Mosque, wherein the Moors of the city, by Alfonso's royal prerogative, -had been allowed to worship, and commence the building on its site of -the great Cathedral. - -[Illustration: TOLEDO. THE CATHEDRAL] - -For two hundred years and more did the architects who followed Pedro -Perez add bit by bit, leaving their mark on its stones. Partly -constructed of granite it is immensely strong. A softer stone has been -used with great discretion in the decorative portions of the building. - -No comprehensive view of the Cathedral is obtainable, so closely do the -houses surround it on the south and east, and creep up the hill on which -it is built, on the north. The west front is best seen from the Plaza -Ayuntamiento, a pleasant little garden which the Town Hall bounds on one -side. I managed a sketch from the narrow street below this garden. - -Only one of the two towers of the west façade is finished as originally -intended. The other is capped by a dome, designed by El Greco, that -painter of the weird, and under which is the chapel wherein the -Mozárabic ritual is celebrated daily at 9 A.M. - -The great west door, La Puerta del Perdon, is enriched with embossed -bronze work. Flanking on it either side are the doors of Las Palmas, and -de los Escribanos. The arches of all three have figures in the jambs, -which are continued round each arch in the very best Gothic of the -fifteenth century. Above the doors the façade is adorned with a -sculptured Last Supper and colossal figures in niches. In the centre is -a splendid rose window twenty-eight feet in diameter. - -The north transept is entered from the steep Calle de la Chapineria by -La Puerta del Reloj, the oldest doorway of the Cathedral. Its bronze -doors, of later date than the doorway, were cast to match those of La -Puerta de los Leones in the south transept. This doorway's name is -derived from the Lions, which holding shields, occupy positions on its -pillars. Another entrance is through La Puerta de la Presentacion which -opens on the cloisters. - -The effect produced by the magnificent interior is much enhanced by the -beauty of the glass which fills most of the windows. The earliest are on -the north side of the nave, and form a series which was commenced in -1418 and finished one hundred and fifty years later. The glass in the -rose window over the west door is superb, and the same may be said for -that in the north transept and the wheel window over La Puerta de los -Leones. - -There is no triforium, and the transepts do not project beyond the nave. -The arches of the very beautiful chancel serve as niches for figures. -Here in each bay is a rose window forming a clerestory, and the colours -in the glass of these shine like jewels in a crown. - -[Illustration: TOLEDO. THE SOUTH TRANSEPT] - -There are in all twenty chapels, every one of which contains something -worth study. The lofty _retablo_ in the Capilla Mayor is of the richest -Gothic. Above is a colossal Calvary of later workmanship. Cardinal -Ximenes built this chapel, among the many monuments of which are the -tombs of Spain's earliest kings. Separating it from the _crucero_ is a -magnificent Plateresque _reja_, on either side of which stands a gilded -pulpit. - -Behind the _retablo_ is the _transparente_, much admired by Toledans, -but the one jarring note in the finest of Spain's Cathedrals. This -theatrical mass of marble figures, in the midst of which the Archangel -Rafael kicks his feet high in the air and squeezes a gold fish in one -hand! is lit from a window let into the roof of the apse. - -The Capilla de Reyes Nuevos contains the tombs of the kings descended -from Henry II. His tomb and that of his wife, as well as the spouse of -Henry III., a daughter of John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster, are among the -many that crowd the walls. - -The Capilla de San Ildefonso is an extremely beautiful example of early -Gothic work. The much-mutilated tomb in the centre of Cardinal Albornoz -is a masterpiece of the same style. Many other great Ecclesiastics rest -in this elegant octagon, notably Inigo de Mendoza, Viceroy of Sardinia, -who was killed at the siege of Granada. - -The Capilla de Santiago was erected in 1435 by Alvaro de Luna, the man -who saved Spain for Juan II. by repressing the turbulent nobles, and who -for his fidelity was rewarded by disgrace and execution in the Plaza -Mayor at Valladolid. The scallop shells which decorate the walls -represent de Luna's office of Grand Master of the Order of Santiago. - -Cardinal Ximenes re-established the Mozárabic Ritual, which is -celebrated in the Capilla Mozárabe, as a reminder to the Pope that Spain -did not owe implicit allegiance to Rome. - -The small detached Capilla de la Descension de Nuestra Señora stands -against the second pier in the north aisle. It marks the spot where the -Virgin came down and presented San Ildefonso with the _casulla_ or -chausable. - -The Salle Capitular is a grand example of early sixteenth-century work, -with a Plateresque frieze and gilt _artesonado_ ceiling by Francisco de -Lara. It contains a series of portraits of the Cardinal Archbishops of -Toledo, and frescoes by Juan de Borgoña. The work of this painter is to -be met with throughout the Cathedral. - -The _coro_ occupies two bays of the nave and is a veritable museum of -carving and sculpture. Its _silleria_ are in two rows. The lower is of -walnut and enriched with scenes representing the campaigns of Ferdinand -and Isabella. The upper of the same wood is a perfect classical contrast -and is inlaid not carved. Berruguete, whose work may be best studied in -Valladolid, executed the seats on the south side, and Vigarney those on -the north. A small figure of the Virgin in blackened stone looks really -ancient. It stands in the middle of the _coro_ on a pedestal. Nicolas de -Vergara was responsible for the two reading desks, which are -masterpieces of gilded metal work. - -The Gothic cloisters enclose a delightful garden, and have an upper -cloister reached by a door in the Archbishop's Palace. From this -pleasant _claustro alto_ a very good idea of the size of the Cathedral -is obtained. - -Space does not permit me to enlarge on the manifold works of art which -this noble building contains. The pictures, the iron work--though I must -just mention a beautifully fanciful knocker of two nude nymphs hanging -downwards from the head of a satyr whose hands clasped together form the -handle, which adorns La Puerta de la Presentacion--the sculpture, -notably that on the _respaldo_, or outer wall of the _coro_, and the -many relics in the Treasury, would all occupy more than I can afford. -Suffice it to say that nowhere in Spain is there a Gothic building of -such well-proportioned dimensions, such simplicity in its leading -features, such a fine idea in the interior of the spacing out of light -and shade, as in this magnificent Cathedral--the grandest of the three -due to French influence. - -And Toledo's churches? There are nearly sixty still remaining, every -street seems to contain one! And Toledo's convents? There are almost as -many. Of the former, San Juan de los Reyes, on the high ground above the -bridge of Saint Martin, the last remnant left of a once wealthy -Franciscan convent, was built by Cardinal Ximenes in commemoration of -the "Catholic Kings" victory of Toro. On its outer walls still hang the -manacles and chains of the captive Christians who were set free at the -conquest of Granada, and the interior is embellished with the arms of -Ferdinand and Isabella, and covered with sculptured heraldry. - -[Illustration: TOLEDO. THE ZÓCODOVER] - -Santa Maria la Blanca, originally a Jewish synagogue, is in the -_Mudéjar_ style, and has some charming arabesques, with a fine cedar -ceiling said to be of wood from the trees at Lebanon. Almost -opposite--we are in the Juderia, or Jews' quarter, to the south-east of -San Juan de los Reyes--is another synagogue, el Transito. Built in 1366 -by Samuel Levi, Pedro the Cruel's treasurer, in the Moorish style, it is -almost a better piece of architecture than Santa Maria la Blanca. Levi -lived next door, in the house known now as La Casa del Greco, that -painter having occupied it during his residence in Toledo. The house and -synagogue are connected by a secret passage from the vaults of the -former. These are of immense size and strength, and in Levi's day held -an enormous amount of treasure--too much for the poor man's good. His -royal master, when sufficient was accumulated, put him to death and -appropriated all he could find. - -El Cristo de la Luz, one of the most interesting churches in Toledo, was -originally a tiny mosque. It is divided into nine different compartments -by four columns, from the capitals of which spring sixteen arches. It -was here that Alfonso VI. attended the first Mass after the city was -captured. Close by is the Convent of San Domingo el Real, where a -glimpse may be had of picturesque nuns while at their devotions during -early service. - -As the station 'bus rattled up the steep winding ascent to the Despacho -Central we dashed through the Zocodovér, the square celebrated for -numerous _auto de fés_ and other executions. All day long it is crowded -with sauntering folk, who walk up and down, quietly enough now, on the -scene of much former cruelty, bloodshed, and many bull-fights. - -On its eastern side a fine Moorish arch leads down the hill by a -footpath to the Bridge of Alcántara. Immediately the arch is passed on -the left lies the old Hospital de Santa Cruz. It is one of the best -examples of the Transition to Renaissance in Spain. The portal is deeply -undercut and elaborately carved in soft "white rose" stone and marble. -The inner gate is plateresque and only surpassed by San Marcos at Leon -and the gateway of the university at Salamanca. Cardinal Mendoza's arms -adorn the beautiful _patio_, which has a double arcade of great -elegance, and the stone work on the balustrade of the staircase leading -out of this is very fine. Opposite, on the other side of this steep -descent, are the Military Governor's quarters which are dominated by the -huge Alcázar, now the Military Academy for Infantry Cadets. Destroyed by -fire in 1886, the present edifice, rebuilt soon after, is seen in the -illustration of the Alcántara Bridge rising a great square mass on the -top of the hill. It was the fortress and palace of Moorish days. Alvaro -de Luna had a share in its alteration and Herrera completed it to the -present size by additions executed for Philip II. Many a time has it -been sacked by the conquerors of Toledo and many a prisoner of note -passed his last hours within its gloomy walls, before being led out to -death in the Zocodovér. - -[Illustration: TOLEDO. THE ALCÁNTARA BRIDGE] - -Both Toledo's bridges are magnificent. The Alcántara, crossed on the way -from the station, has but a couple of arches which span the mighty river -at a great height. It is defended by a gateway at either end, that on -the inner side being the Moorish Tower in my sketch. The Bridge of Saint -Martin has one arch of enormous span with four smaller, which carry it -over the rushing Tagus. Between these two bridges from the opposite bank -of the river one gets the best idea of Toledo's strength. Nothing in -Spain surpasses the grim majesty of the city, which rises above the -sun-baked and wind-blistered crags that form the gorge below through -which the river has cut its way. No spot could have been better chosen -for defence than the hill enclosed in this "horseshoe" of mad waters. -Small wonder that within its encircling walls grew up a race of Prelates -whose rule spread far beyond the borders of Castile, and whose powerful -hand was felt in countries of an alien tongue. - -Of the eight city gates the most interesting is the Puerta del Sol, a -Moorish structure with two towers on either side of a horseshoe arch. It -is close to the little church of el Cristo de la Luz, and from either of -the towers a very good idea is obtained of Toledo's defences. Near the -Puerta del Cambon, another of the gates, is the site of the old palace -of the last of the Spanish Goths, Roderic, who lost his life on the -banks of the Guadalete near Cadiz when giving battle to Tarik and his -Berbers. - -My whole impression of Toledo was that of a city of gloom. Its larger -houses were forbidding in the extreme. In these a huge portal, with -armorial bearings and massive pillars, defended by a stout iron-bound -door, opens into a dark porch, from which one enters the _patio_ through -an equally strong entrance. The windows that look on to the street are -heavily barred and none are within reach of the pedestrian. Its streets, -too narrow and steep for vehicular traffic, are as silent as the grave -(most Spaniards wear shoes made of esparto grass or soft leather), save -when a young cadet from the Alcázar passes along rattling his sword, and -attracts the attention of the señoritas who sit high up in those -inaccessible balconies. Built on the Moorish plan, these tortuous -thoroughfares twist and turn like a maze, and it seemed to me that the -sun never entered them. - -Houses and streets, walls and towers, still remain as they were in the -great Cardinal's days, and stand, even now, as symbols of the iron rule -of the Church. The Cardinal's hat is to be found graved in stone over -many a door, and the "Sheaf of Arrows," the arms of the "Catholic -Kings," is still to be seen over the entrance of what was once the -palace of Pedro the Cruel. - -Toledo blades are still made and proved in the ugly factory a mile -outside the city. Toledo ware (made in Germany) is sold by most of the -shops. The growing trade in liquorice is a modern industry, but if it -were not for another recent innovation, the Military Academy, it would -take no stretch of the imagination to carry one back again into the -Middle Ages and to sink one's individuality and become a human atom -under the rule of the great Church. - - - - -SALAMANCA - - -Before I ever thought that Fate would take me to Spain, I had formed in -my mind, as one is apt to do, a Spain of my own, a Spain of glorious -romance. I had been in many cities throughout the country, but it was -not until I reached Salamanca that, "Surely," thought I, "the Spain of -my imagination is now realised." - -Here in the middle of the plain, with which one's thoughts are somehow -familiar, rises the great Cathedral, its towers are landmarks for miles -round. Here is a beautiful river winding through valleys deep cut in the -ochre-coloured soil, its banks are clad with verdure and it is spanned -by an ancient bridge. Away over the plain, just visible in the haze, are -the blue mountains of the south. In the midst of all, the dull mud and -yellow walls of the city, the many-hued roofs of red and brown, with -deep shadows under their eaves, rise tier above tier to the Cathedral -above. And this, the prototype of Spain's greatness, her Church, the -ever-present reminder that in days gone by its princes led her armies -to victory and placed her in the van of nations. - -I am standing on the noble bridge, half of which is even now as it was -in the days of the Roman occupation. Those massive walls up there of -monasteries and convents always formed part of the picture of my -imagination. They bake under a September sun, just as all Spain ought to -do. A long string of heavily laden mules trots past, their bells -jingling merrily, their drivers shouting and cracking their whips. A -well set-up peasant with his head in a handkerchief and broad-brimmed -hat, cut-away tunic, red sash and tight knee breeches, canters by seated -on a high peaked saddle. His well-bred horse shows a good deal of the -Arab strain, across its quarters are a couple of rugs and its rider -carries an umbrella. A beggar stops before me, and prays that, for the -love of the Holy Mary, I will give him a _perro chico_. Two wizened old -cronies go by chattering about Manuelo's wife. One carries a couple of -fowls tied together by their legs, the poor birds are doing their best -to hold their heads in a natural position. Some little urchins are -throwing stones at the washerwomen by the riverside below. An old man -seated on a donkey's rump ambles past. Yes, this is what I imagined -Spain to be. I turn my steps towards the city. I wander by the Cathedral -and reach the great university of the middle ages. What would Salamanca -have been without its university! I pass many fine houses, with -coats-of-arms emblazoned over their portals. I gaze at their high walls -and windows barred to keep the intruder from the fair sex. Most of them -seem falling into decay, but this only adds to the romance. At length I -reach an arcaded square. The columns of the arcades are wooden, they are -at all sorts of angles, but the houses above still stand. The sun blazes -down on scores of picturesque market folk, who sell almost everything -from peaches and fowls to little tinsel images and double-pronged hoes. -Dogs are sniffing about picking up stray scraps. Children run in and -out, fall down and get up laughing. Every one is busy. The animation of -this little square, as I suddenly come upon it out of a deeply shaded -and aristocratic street, is just the Spain I had always thought of--a -Spain of contrasts. Brilliant sun and grateful shade. Seclusion behind -high walls, and a strange medley of noisy folk, for ever bargaining, -buying and selling. Certainly in Salamanca it is all here. I hear the -click of the castanets and the sound of the guitar in the evening, I see -the ardent lover standing at those iron bars whispering soft raptures to -his mistress, and the picture is complete. - -[Illustration: SALAMANCA] - -Salamanca is a sleepy old city which the world seems to have left -behind. In the summer it is a veritable furnace, in the winter it is -swept by icy blasts. Before the Christian era it was known as -Salmantica. Hannibal came and captured it in B.C. 247 and under the -Romans it was the ninth military station on the great road which they -built connecting Cadiz and Merida with Astorga and Gijón. Alfonso IX. of -Leon founded the university, which reached its zenith as a seat of -learning during the sixteenth century. Philip II., having transferred -his Court from Valladolid to Toledo, made Salamanca's bishop suffragan -to that city's, since when it seems to have been left out in the cold -and slowly but surely proceeded down hill. This is the reason, I think, -why it attracted me so much. It is essentially a city with a Past and of -the Past. The French under Thiébaut pulled it to pieces and used the -material from its demolished buildings to fortify the place. This was in -1811. The following year saw Marmont's troops utterly routed by -Wellington, three miles south of the fortifications. It was this victory -that gained him his Marquisate and a grant from Parliament of £100,000. - -Like Saragossa, Salamanca possesses two Cathedrals. The older intensely -interesting in every way, the later, a huge late Gothic pile begun in -1513 and finished in 1733. This immense structure affords a good study -of the changes of architectural taste spread over the years which -intervened between these two dates. - -[Illustration: SALAMANCA. THE OLD CATHEDRAL] - -The west façade is a marvel of intricate sculpture in the -richly-coloured soft stone that has been used as if it were plaster or -wax. Late Gothic predominates amidst a deal of Plateresque and Barroque -ornament. Despite its incongruities it is extremely fine, but would look -even better if some of the numerous niches had not lost their statues, -and if little boys did not find a pastime in lodging stones amongst -those that are left, greatly I fear to their detriment. Over the double -doorway are high reliefs of the Nativity and Adoration of the Magi, a -negro prince being an especially good figure in the latter subject. -Above is a Crucifixion. - -The north porch is also very fine and gains in effect, as indeed does -the whole of this side of the Cathedral, by the raised piazza on which -it is built. The approach is up some dozen steps, the whole of the -piazza being surrounded by pillars as at Leon and Seville. - -Juan Gil de Hontañon, who designed this and the sister Cathedral at -Segovia, surpassed himself with the Great Tower and its -finely-proportioned dome, the top of which is 360 feet high. The -crocketed pinnacles, the flying buttresses, the dome over the crossing, -and the wonderful deep yellow of this huge church, whatever may be -one's opinion about the architecture, make it one of the most -impressive of Spain's Cathedrals. - -I was disappointed with the interior on first acquaintance, but it has -only to be known to be appreciated. The imposing proportions, it is 340 -feet long, 158 feet wide and close on 100 feet high, gradually asserted -themselves, and before I left Salamanca I was much in love with -Hontañon's masterpiece. A pierced balustrade takes the place of a -triforium, flamboyant Renaissance in the aisles and classical in nave. -It runs round the whole church and in the transepts and choir these two -occur together. Medallions in the spandrils of the arches add to the -rich effect. - -Many details in this interior I found to be worth a second and third -visit. The Chapel of Dorado, a veritable museum, contains the tomb of -the builder, Fransico de Palenzuela. Its walls are covered with a -profusion of coloured saints on gilt pedestals. There is a very curious -old organ, standing at the back of an also curious old minstrel's -gallery. A sad-looking skeleton, with "Memento Mori" cut on a slab at -his feet, occupies a dark hole in one of the walls. Fine _azulejos_ -decorate the chapel, and many other antiquities too, which I cannot -enumerate. - -In the Capilla del Carmen rest the remains of Gerómino, the Cid's bishop -and confessor. An ancient wooden crucifix stands over the altar, it is -the identical one carried by the bishop in the wars of the Cid. Another -relic of the great Campeador is to be seen in the Relicario. A small -Byzantine bronze, "el Crucifijo de las Batallas," studded with chequer -work--a fine specimen of early Limoges enamel. - -All this interested me muchly, but the "Catedral Vieja," a grand example -of late Romanesque style, interested me more. Fortis Salmantica, as it -was called, on account of the thickness of its walls, has not been used -for service since its huge neighbour was erected. - -I made a drawing of the only view which can be obtained of the exterior -from the Plazuela chica. The central lantern is surmounted by the emblem -of nobility, a cock, and is formed by an octagonal tower with a stone -dome. The tower is arcaded and has four domed turrets and dormers at the -corners similar to those at Zamora. Street considers that he has "never -seen any central lantern more thoroughly good and effective from every -point of view than this is." - -To reach the interior one has to retrace one's steps to the "Catedral -Nueva" and from its south aisle pass through a doorway into the other -building. This was erected on a lower level than its big neighbour and -with the attendant verger I descended ten steps and found myself in a -very beautiful mellow-coloured church. The arches of the nave and aisles -are pointed, but the windows and arcading are round. The capitals of the -columns are a museum of carved fantasies, imps, animals, birds, &c. On -the wall of the north aisle, which was partly demolished when the -"Catedral Nueva" was built, are some very curious frescoes; the church -has a clerestory of single lights but no triforium. - -There is a wonderful _retablo_ in the Capilla Mayor by an Italian, -Nicolas Florentino. It is still in perfect preservation, and the -fifty-five frescoes set in white and gold of which it is composed have a -beautiful effect in the semi-gloom of the dark chapel. The Mozárabic -Ritual is celebrated six times a year in another chapel, La Capilla de -Talavera. The groining of its roof is the only one of the sort I have -seen, it is composed of parallel ribs which cross one another. In the -Capilla de San Bartolomé lies Bishop Diego de Anaya. His tomb is -surrounded by one of the finest examples of wrought and hammered iron -work in the whole of Spain. Some other members of this family are also -interred in the chapel, which contains a mediæval organ covered by a -screen of coloured Moorish arabesques. - -[Illustration: SALAMANCA. AN OLD STREET.] - -The cloisters were built in 1170, but have been partly modernised and -totally disfigured by a coat of whitewash. An uncared-for garden filled -with rubbish occupies the centre. Surely some one might be found to tend -this little secluded patch of quietness and make it a place for -delightful repose instead of the disgrace it now is! - -Before the French occupation Salamanca was a city of churches and -monastic buildings. To build their fortifications they destroyed -thirteen convents and twenty colleges besides many churches. The -south-west corner of the city is still an empty desert full of rubble -and stone strewn about everywhere, the remains of the now dismantled -fortress which overlooked the valley of the Tormes. - -Among the churches left, that attached to the now suppressed Dominican -Convent of San Estéban is by far the finest. It is a miniature Cathedral -in itself. The Gothic exterior is extremely good. The great west façade -is highly enriched with Plateresque ornament. An elliptical arch of -great dimensions roofs the porch. Below it is a realistic group -illustrating the martyrdom of St. Stephen, with the date 1610 cut upon a -stone which one of the figures is picking up to hurl at the saint. The -_coro_ is over the west end, and for once the whole of the interior is -visible. This is very lofty, and the view up to the immense High Altar, -executed by Chirriguera himself, superb. There are two more altars in -the church by the same hand, and although his flamboyant style is not to -my liking, I could not help admiring the way in which he had evidently -allowed himself all the licence he was capable of in their sumptuous -design. - -To the south of the little _plaza_ in which San Estéban stands are the -cloisters of the convent, in the upper storey of which is Salamanca's -museum. Unfortunately it contains nothing of interest. Columbus was -lodged by the Dominicans in this convent, and propounded those schemes -to the monks, which the learned members of the university had pronounced -worthless and crack-brained. He found in Fray Diego de Deza and the -other brothers warm supporters. - -The once magnificent Convent of las Agustinas Recoletas, founded by the -Count of Monterey, has a beautiful church in the shape of a Latin Cross. -Over the High Altar is one of Ribera's masterpieces--_The Immaculate -Conception_. Monterey was known as "the good slow man" and was Viceroy -of Naples in Philip IV.'s reign. He accumulated great wealth during his -Viceroyalty and built himself the fine palace which stands close to the -convent. There is an anecdote current in Salamanca that when a peasant -woman craved an audience of the King, which he granted, she prayed "God -might make him also Viceroy of Naples." - -The University which made Salamanca famous was united with that of -Palencia by Ferdinand, and very soon took the foremost rank as a seat of -learning in Europe, though at the Council of Constance in the year 1414, -Oxford was given precedence, a ruling which much disgusted the patriotic -Spaniard. - -The building was entirely altered by the "Catholic Kings," who erected -the marvellous west façade, one of the best examples of Plateresque work -in the country. Like that of the Cathedral and San Estèban, it is a -wonderful example of what can be done with soft stone, and how well the -most delicate modelling has survived in this dry climate. Some of the -Moorish ceilings of the interior have been restored. The grand staircase -leading to the upper floors and cloister is especially well carved with -dancers and foliage. Over the door of each _aula_, or lecture room, is a -tablet denoting the science taught within. The fine library is rich in -theological lore and early editions of Aristotle, &c. - -The little square on to which the west façade opens also leads through a -good doorway into the Grammar School, with a delicious cloister and -shady garden. - -The four sides of the square and the walls of the Cathedral are covered -with numerous hieroglyphics and names in Roman characters. They are the -initials, signs, and names of the numerous scholars who have -distinguished themselves in different walks of life. A custom now -followed in all our own schools on boards of honour. - -The Collegio Mayor de Santiago Apostol is a seminary for Irish priests. -The number in training is generally about twenty. This building, -originally founded in 1592 by Philip II. and dedicated to St. Patrick, -is a very good example of cinquecento architecture. - -Among the many fine houses still left after French depredations, that of -La Casa de las Conchas is the most celebrated. It dates from 1512, and -is so named on account of the scallop shells which decorate the exterior -walls. The window grilles are exceptionally fine. The Spanish proverb -"La mujer y el vidrio siempre estan en peligro"--"a woman and glass are -always in danger," evidently held good when these intricate and -beautiful guards were let into the stone. The house has a lovely _patio_ -and a very fine staircase. La Casa de Sal is another house with a good -court, the gallery above being supported by life-size figures. La Casa -de las Duendes, or Ghosts, built by Archbishop Fonseca, was supposed to -be haunted, hence the name. The Torre del Clavero is a good specimen of -the Castilian keep. It was built in 1488 by a Sotomayer who was Clavero -or Key-bearer to the Alcántara Order, and is still in the possession of -this noble family. - -Throughout the churches, in these houses, and the convents which remain -unsuppressed are many fine pictures, and except for Seville, I found -here more of interest than in any other city of Spain. In the convents -of course mortal man is forbidden entrance, and I could only look at -their lofty walls and wish myself a nearer acquaintance with the -artistic treasures which I was told lay buried behind them. - -Perhaps the best example of a square in the whole of the country is the -Plaza Mayor. A lofty colonnade runs around the four sides and every -evening the beauties and others of Salamanca make it their promenade. -The men stroll round in one direction and the women in the opposite. The -social life of a Spanish town passed in view before me, with all its fan -and language of the eyes, as I sat at one of the small tables of a café -and got this cheap and harmless entertainment for one _real_. The square -dates from 1720; the houses are four storeys high and on the north and -south sides bear medallions of kings and celebrated men. The -Ayuntamiento, with its chirrigueresque façade, occupies the centre of -the north side and adds greatly to the appearance of this fine Plaza -where up to fifty years ago bull fights took place. - -My work over, I nearly always found myself wandering on to the desert -created by the French at the south-west angle of the city, and with my -pipe spending half an hour or so meditating on the Salamanca of the Past -and its contrast with the Present. The rock stands high here over the -road and river below, and there is a drop of 100 feet or more down on to -the former. It is but a narrow lane hedged in by a high wall and this -forbidding-looking rock. When walking along this lane one day I noticed -many crosses cut in the wall and chalked red. On inquiry I was told that -each cross represented a suicide. From the height above, those tired of -life or disappointed in love hurl themselves down and it is the -unwritten law or prerogative of him who finds the mutilated body to -carve a little cross on the wall at the spot where the unhappy mortal -has ended his days. But it was not to prevent suicides that I wandered -there and sat smoking my afternoon pipe. No, I fear it was something -inglorious, it was to get away from the stenches and filth of the town -and breathe the fresh air of the plain. I do not think that anywhere, -unless it be in Tarragona, were my olfactory nerves so insulted as in -Salamanca. Flies in thousands settled on my colour box and paper -wherever I sat sketching. I can now appreciate fully the torture of the -Egyptians during the plague. - -Add to the flies beggars innumerable, with horrible sores, offal and -filth in the streets and some of the romance vanishes. Yet Salamanca -still remains the Spain of my imagination, for was not all this part and -parcel of my dream? - - - - -AVILA - - -Avila is one of the most perfectly preserved towns in Spain. It gave me -the impression of having been dropped from the sky,--complete as it -is--so desolate and barren is the boulder-strewn waste that surrounds -it. A sort of suburb pushes its mean houses straggling beyond the walls, -but Avila itself lies snugly within them. They are perfect--these walls -that entirely encircle the old portion of the town. Forty feet high, -twelve thick, with eighty-six defensive towers and bastions, and ten -gates, they are constructed of slabs of granite set end upwards, and -were always a hard nut for invaders to crack. - -The Roman Avela afterwards fell into the hands of the Moors, who for -long held it as a fortress of the first class. Alfonso VI., the -conqueror of Toledo, drove them out after a lengthy siege, and Avila was -rebuilt by his son Ramon of Burgundy. It was then that the present walls -were built, being erected under the supervision of two foreigners, a -Frenchman and an Italian, Florian de Pituenga and Cassandro. Since their -day Avila has played an important _rôle_ in the history of the country -and witnessed many strange events. - -In 1465 an extraordinary scene took place on the plain outside the city. -That unpopular king, Enrique IV., was reigning at the time, and the -hatred of the people towards him reached its height when his effigy was -dragged from the city and set upon a throne which had been prepared for -the ceremony of degradation. The Archbishop of Toledo having recounted -the people's grievances, removed the crown from the effigy's head, -others high in the land insulted it and at length pushed it off the -throne, the people then kicked it about and a game of "socker" ensued. -Prince Alfonso, a mere boy, was raised to the unoccupied seat, and -hailed King by the Archbishop, nobles and people, amidst a blare of -trumpets and general rejoicing. - -Avila is an intensely cold place, frosts often occur here in May, but -the summer months are delightful. Every street, every house almost is of -interest, and in the old days of its importance there could have been -few strongholds in the country so safe as this. - -The Cathedral is almost a fort in itself. The east end forms part of the -city walls, the apse abutting in line with the next two towers on either -side forms part of the defensive works. - -[Illustration: AVILA] - -Commenced at the end of the eleventh century by Alva Garcia, a native of -Navarre, this early Gothic building is still unfinished. Not much is, -however, of this early date, for the general style of the building is of -the end of the next century, and many alterations have followed this in -later years. - -The west front has but one tower, the north--the other, the south, does -not rise above the roof. The favourite ball decoration of late Gothic -Spain is in evidence, and guarding the doorway are a couple of uncouth -mace-bearers. Very terrible are these hairy granite men, but not so -dangerous looking as the two lions which stand on pedestals and are -chained to the Cathedral walls. Always on guard, these four strange -figures have no doubt many a time struck a holy terror into the hearts -of would-be evil-doers as they entered the church, and I daresay kept -the thoughts of others in the straight line. - -The north door is early pointed and carries figures in each jamb, the -tympanum is decorated with reliefs of the Betrayal and Last Supper, but -all the figures are sadly mutilated. - -The third entrance is at the south-east corner of the Cathedral, and is -a later addition, opening outside the walls of the city on to the Calle -de S. Segundo. - -The interior of the Cathedral is very simple and massive, partaking more -of strength than elegance. It is a fitting inside to the severity of the -fortress-like exterior. The nave is narrow and lofty, and so are the -aisles. The large clerestory windows have their tracery above blocked -up, and the lower lights have been treated in the same way, thus giving -a certain resemblance to a triforium, a feature the church does not -possess. - -The aisles in the apse are double, like those at Tortosa, and although -the single columns in the centre are very beautiful, these aisles have -not the elegance of those in the other Cathedral. The apse is very dark, -the stone work at one time was painted red and the little that remains -of this colour adds to the religious gloom of its double aisles. - -The columns throughout the Cathedral were built to bear great weight, -their capitals are simple and their bases the same. The little light -that glimmers through the windows adds greatly to the sombre strength of -this fine building, which, more than any other of its size, reflects the -life of the Spain of those days in which it was erected. Street thinks -it less influenced by outside art than any other building in the -country, and instances the unique method of laying the stone of the root -as supporting this opinion. - -The transepts contain some good glass, as also do the windows in the -chancel. There are many good early tombs throughout the Cathedral. -Judging from their style Avila was left alone when Chirriguera was -erecting monstrosities elsewhere, and to me it is the most homogeneous -of Spain's Cathedrals. The _retablo_ over the High Altar rises in three -stages and contains pictures by Berruguete, Santos Cruz and Juan de -Borgoña. On this account my last remark might be criticised, for the -whole piece is a jumble of styles. The chancel is, however, too narrow -for a view of this medley from the body of the church, and wherever one -roams in the building nothing attracts the eye or disturbs the mind by -being too flagrantly incongruous. - -So dark is the apse that the Renaissance _trassegrario_ does not obtrude -in the early Gothic of its surroundings. The very fine tomb of Bishop -Alfonso de Madrigal, the Solomon of his day, is fortunately illumined by -a little light, and I could see the effigy of this wise Prelate seated -at his desk busily engaged with his pen and scroll, while above him the -Magi and Shepherds are adoring in a good relief. - -There are some early paintings in most of the chapels, the _retablo_ in -that of San Pedro being perhaps the best. - -The work of Cornielis, a Flemish sculptor, _circa_ 1537-47, is admirably -displayed in the very beautiful carving of the _silleria de coro_, and -there is no better example of Spanish metal work of the fifteenth -century to be found than in the two iron-gilt pulpits. - -The sacristy contains a splendid silver monstrance by Arfe, and an -Italian enamelled chalice of the fourteenth century by Petrucci Orto of -Siena. The cloisters are disappointing, having been much mutilated and -the fourteenth-century tracery of the arches blocked up. - -Avila, like its neighbour Segovia, contains some of the best examples of -Romanesque work, and its many churches are archæologically as -interesting as the Cathedral. - -Sheltering from the keen north wind under the arcade of San Vicente I -made a sketch of the gateway of that name. The church was founded in -1307 and dedicated to three martyrs who were put to death on the rock -which may still be seen in the crypt below. The west façade has two -incomplete towers, between which is a most elaborately carved Romanesque -doorway, standing in a deeply recessed arch. - -[Illustration: AVILA. PUERTA DE SAN VICENTE] - -The pure Romanesque nave has both triforium and clerestory and the -unusual feature of pointed vaulting. The proportions of this noble -church are very fine, but the interest of the non-architectural visitor -will be centred in the Tomb of San Vicente and his two sisters SS. -Sabina and Cristeta. A metal work canopy resting on twisted columns -surmounts the tomb which is a sarcophagus of the thirteenth century. The -legend tells how, after the martyrdom of these three, the body of the -first-named was cast out to the dogs, and that a serpent came out of the -hole in the rock (still visible) and watched over it. A Jew who mocked -was smitten unto death by the reptile and lies buried in the south -transept. - -The transept choir and three semicircular apses are Transitional, and -carry a barrel vaulting. - -Outside the city wall, a little way down the hillside and beyond the -dirty suburb that intervenes, is the late Gothic church of San Tomás. It -possesses a fine _retablo_ of the patron St. Thomas Aquinas. The High -Altar is placed in a gallery above a low elliptical arch, this feature -being repeated at the west end with the _coro_ above. At the crossing of -the transepts is the beautiful but greatly mutilated tomb of Prince -Juan, the only son of Ferdinand and Isabella, by whose untimely death -the crown of Spain passed to Austria. Two other tombs of great interest -are those of Juan de Avila and Juana Velasquez. Messer Dominco, the -Florentine, executed them both. - -San Pedro, standing at the east side of the Mercado Grande, is another -Romanesque church of great beauty. Over the west door is a fine wheel -window. The interior is pure Romanesque and rich in ornament, and the -north portal is replete with the same. - -Santa Teresa was born of noble parents in Avila. In her early youth her -heart hungered for saintly adventures in the broiling sun of Africa and -her mind was set upon martyrdom at the hands of the Moors. Fate, -however, decreed otherwise. At twenty years of age she took the veil and -within a few years had founded seventeen convents of bare-footed -Carmelite nuns. A favourite saint of Spain, the date of her death, -August 27, is kept all over the Peninsula and her festival celebrated -with great honour in Avila on October 15. - - - - -SEGOVIA - - -Dirty, dilapidated and sleepy, but the most enchanting town in Spain. -What a treat it was to find myself once more in the Middle Ages after -the bustle and noise of Madrid! - -The springs of a Spanish 'bus are good. I never entered one without -great misgivings as to how long I was fated to remain in this world. To -drive into a town such as Segovia is a grand test for the nerves. Crack -goes the whip, off start the sorry-looking horses with a jerk. I am -flung violently against my neighbour. I hasten to apologise. A -disconcerting jolt knocks the hat over my eyes, before it is adjusted I -find myself in an attitude of prayer with my head buried in the lap of -the stout lady who pants opposite, another bump and she is embracing me, -we disentangle ourselves, we apologise, every one in the 'bus is doing -the same. The Jehu on the box fears no obstacles, a rock or a rut, they -are all the same to him, he takes them all with utter disregard to -everything in his way. We fly along, and somehow we land safely. We -always do. Yes, the steel of those spiderlike springs must be good, or -the saints are watching our venture. Perhaps both. - -The scenery on the journey from Madrid is very fine after the train -leaves the junction at Villalba. Slowly we crawled up the incline -winding round and doubling on our course. Merry little snow-fed streams -eager to join with their fellows below sped along in a race to the sea. -The summer villas of the Madrileños dot the hill slopes on the ground -above the withy beds. We went up and up until the highest point on the -line was reached under the road along which, marching north, Napoleon's -troops toiled in the face of a fearful blizzard. Before entering the -tunnel at the top of the pass a glorious panorama is spread out to the -south. Away in the distance are the mountains of Toledo and the spires -of far-off Madrid. On leaving this point the descent became rapid, and -we whirled through a magnificent valley amidst true Alpine scenery. The -rugged tops of the Sierra rose above thick forests of pine, brawling -torrents dashed headlong down through green pastures, grand cattle were -browsing on every side, it was indeed more Swiss than Spanish. - -[Illustration: SEGOVIA AT SUNSET] - -One often hears the question asked--why are there no trees in Spain? A -French writer answers, that the Moors are responsible for the lack of -shade in a Spanish landscape. He tells us they cut down all the trees -they found, because trees harbour birds, and birds destroy all fruit and -grain!--a truly ingenious theory, quite worthy of the fertile brains of -the French, but surely a most ridiculous solution. The Moor brought the -orange and the lemon to Europe; he was a lover of shade, he was also a -great gardener. No, the reason why Spain has apparently no trees, is -that very few have been planted for hundreds of years. Wood is necessary -for fires in a country where there is practically no coal. The peasant -has always been poor, he has always taken anything that came to hand. He -helped himself to the wood of the forests around him. His betters did -the same. All the trees near Madrid are known to have been ruthlessly -cut down and sold to defray the expenses of Philip II.'s Court; and it -is only of recent years that any replanting has been taken in hand. - -When the present King was a boy of four years old, a ceremony, now -repeated every year at the Fiesta del Arbol, was inaugurated. The Queen -Mother took him to Guindebra outside Madrid, where he planted several -trees. At every anniversary the day is devoted by school children all -over the country to this same object. As many as 10,000 saplings have -been put into the ground in a single day, thus laying by a store of -wealth for future generations. - -Segovia is surrounded by trees. Hidden from the great plain in which the -town lies, they cover the banks of the two streams which join issue -below the city, thus forming the mass of rock on which it stands. These -valleys, eaten out by the running water, are among the great charms of -this romantic place. Nothing can exceed the beauty of early spring. -Fruit trees in full blossom, tall poplars bending their graceful heads -in the breeze and chestnuts bursting into leaf. The air is filled with -the twitterings of nesting birds, the sloping banks covered with the -tender green of young grass; all nature is alive, the sun is warm and -the sound of rushing waters brings peace to the soul. Perched high up, -hanging apparently on mighty rocks, the Alcázar broods grimly over the -gorge below. Still further up and beyond, rises the mass of the -Cathedral, towers, domes and pinnacles. Three hundred and thirty feet -high, the great tower rears itself like a sentinel, a landmark for many -miles. Round the base cluster the houses of the town like chickens -seeking shelter under the wings of a mother hen. No place in all Spain -appealed to me so much. No town was so replete with subjects for my -brush, and nowhere else did I feel the romance of this marvellous -country as in Segovia. - -[Illustration: SEGOVIA. THE AQUEDUCT] - -A town of Iberian origin and name, under the Roman rule it was of some -importance. The great aqueduct, which spans the valley that divides -Segovia in the Plaza del Azoquéjo, brought pure water from a mountain -torrent, the Rio Frio, ten miles away. It does the same to-day. -Constructed of granite blocks, laid Cyclopean fashion without mortar or -cement, it commences near San Gabriel. To break the force of the rushing -stream the conduit has many angles. Without doubt it is the most -important Roman remain in Spain, for this alone Segovia would be famous. - -Once upon a time his Satanic Majesty fell desperately in love with a -beautiful Segovian. To further his suit, an offer was made to do -anything she might require. Her home was on a hill; her work, to fetch -water from the stream below. Finding the continual tramp down and up -rather irksome, this daughter of Eve bethought herself of a request to -mitigate her toil. "Done," said the Evil One, and the aqueduct was built -in one night! In terror she fled to the church, and the church -discovered that one stone had been left out, also that the aqueduct was -extremely useful. The contract was declared void and the maiden freed -from the rash promise she had playfully given his majesty. The country -folk still know it by the name of the Puento del Diabolo. - -During the siege of Segovia, the Moors destroyed thirty-five of the -arches, but these were cleverly rebuilt in 1493 by Juan Escovedo, a -monk of El Parral, who received the scaffolding in payment for his work. -More recently, extensive repairs in the same way have been successfully -carried out. The most imposing view is in the Plaza del Azoquéjo, from -which it towers upwards in a double line of arches one above the other, -and its length is best grasped from El Calvario, a hill to the south of -the town. - -The Cathedral is a late Gothic pile, built of a warm yellow stone, and -looks particularly impressive from the shady walk among the rocks on the -left bank of the Clamores, the stream which cuts off Segovia from the -southern plateau. It was begun in 1525 by the builder of Salamanca's -Cathedral which it greatly resembles, Juan Gil de Hontañon, and -continued at his death by his son. The weak point in the exterior, which -masses very grandly, is the western façade. The interior is very -striking. The wide span of the arches, the richness of the admirable -vaulting, the splendid late Gothic windows and the feeling of light and -space are fine examples of the last stage of Gothic work, just before -the influence of the oncoming Renaissance took hold of the architects of -that day. The floor is beautifully laid with red, blue and white -diamond-shaped slabs of marble; and the very necessary notice--"No -escupir, la religiosidad y higiene la prohibur"--keeps it clean and -decent. - -In the _coro_, which occupies nearly the whole of the centre of the -nave, there is a _retablo_ by Sabatini. The _silleria_ are very fine. -They were rescued from the old Cathedral, which was destroyed in Charles -V.'s time by the Comunéros, who started business by pulling down -churches, appropriating all they could lay hands on, plundering the -wealthy and generally behaving as a mob that has the upper hand always -does. The outer walls of the _coro_ are stucco, painted to represent -different species of marble; described, by the way, in a reputable guide -book--"beautifully coloured marbles"! - -Most of the _rejas_ which shut off the side chapels are good gilded iron -work. In that of la Piedad there is a good _retablo_ with life-sized -figures by Juan de Juni, 1571; and in the chapel of the Segragrio a -wooden figure of Christ by Alonso Cano. Through a fine Gothic portal in -the Capilla del Cristo del Consuelo I entered the cloisters in company -with a verger, who took great pride in his Cathedral. These cloisters -are surpassingly beautiful; a very good example of flamboyant Gothic. In -vain did I search for a corner from which to make a sketch. The -courtyard was overgrown with shrubs, tall cypresses and vines climbing -at random shut out everything. The garden itself was a mass of rubbish -and old timber. The well in the centre, overgrown with creepers and -weeds; while in the cloisters themselves preparations were afoot for the -coming Easter processions, and all available space taken up by -carpenters and painters at work on the Pasos. - -In the little dark chapel of Santa Catalina on the west side, is the -tiny tomb of the unfortunate Infante Pedro, the three-year-old son of -Henry II. The poor little child was dropped by his nurse from a window -in the Alcazar, and ended his young life on the rocks below. 'Tis a -pitiful object this pathetic tomb, alone, here in this damp spot where -daylight only enters when the door is opened. - -In the sacristy there is a Custodia in the form of a temple, six feet -high, silver and exquisitely chased. The vestments possessed by the -clergy are most rarely worked and of great value. - -Segovia was once rich in churches. Like the rest of the city, a great -many have alas! fallen into decay, and those not in this state are -rapidly approaching it. They are mostly small and retain the apse. -Several are cloistered and every one of them is architecturally of great -interest. Here again is another charm of this romantic old city, -evidence of past glories and ecclesiastical power, the history of Spain -written in its stones. - -[Illustration: SEGOVIA. PLAZA MAYOR] - -San Millan, a Romanesque structure of the twelfth century, is the best -preserved church in Segovia. The exquisite arcades on the north and -south sides have coupled columns with elaborately carved capitals. Like -most of the buildings of this period solidity rather than grace was the -effect aimed at by their architects. It possesses a triple apse; the -piers supporting the roof are very massive, the capitals to the columns -are formed of semi-grotesque figures of man and beast. The two doorways -are good. In the church of San Martin there is a carved wooden Passion. -Four life-sized figures take the place of shafts in the great doorway, -and again a cloister forms the exterior of the south and west walls. - -In the Dominican convent of Santa Cruz, founded by Ferdinand and -Isabella, is still to be seen a sepulchral urn of one of the original -companions of St. Dominic. "Tanto monta" the motto of the King and Queen -is cut both inside and out on the walls. Over the west portal are good -reliefs of the Crucifixion and the Pietà. La Vera Cruz, a church built -by the Templars in 1204, is difficult of access. I procured the key -after much trouble, and found the twelve-sided nave forming a sort of -ambulatory round the central walled-in chamber. It is an imitation of -the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. The Templars were suppressed in 1312, -so this gem had but a short existence as their house of prayer. - -Nestling amidst a grove of acacia trees, hidden away under the rock, is -the Santuario de Fuencisla. Built to commemorate the miraculous rescue -of Maria del Salto, a beautiful Jewess, this little sanctuary is much -affected by pilgrims. The rock which overshadows it is known as La Peña -Grajera, or "Crow's Cliff," taking this name from the multitude of -carnivorous birds who always assembled here for a meal after a victim -had been hurled down to expiate his crime in a death below. Maria, -accused of adultery, was led to the top and pushed off the edge to find -the fate of so many before her. With great presence of mind she called -loudly on the Virgin, who hearing, came to her assistance; and so -retarded her downward flight that she alighted gently, escaping unhurt. -Here in days long gone by lived a hermit, whose good life and deeds are -still a much-reverenced legend among Segovians. - -The monastery of El Parral, once a wealthy and powerful house of the -brotherhood of San Gerónimo, contains a very good _retablo_ by Diego de -Urbina. It was founded by a member of the great Pacheco family, who -fought three antagonists one after another and came off successful. He -vowed to build a church on the spot where his skill and prowess gave -him so splendid a victory, and to endow it as well. It is now a convent -of Franciscan nuns. - -Next in importance to the Cathedral is the comparatively new building of -the Alcázar. Standing high up on the crags, below which the Eresma and -Clamores meet, it occupies an unrivalled position. A fine view of this -truly Castilian fortress is obtained from the beautiful walk which -encircles the city on the further bank of each stream. Above the tall -poplars and thick scrub rise its turrets and spires. The massive walls -go sheer up from the rock on which their foundations rest. The huge -embattled tower and drawbridge assist the feeling of strength; and it -only requires the weathering of years, adding broken colour to the -somewhat new-looking exterior, to make this a perfect specimen of -mediæval architecture. - -The building was originally Moorish, but the many vicissitudes of -troublous times saw it in a bad state when Henry IV., "el Impotente," -repaired and made it his residence. Within its walls Isabella was -proclaimed Queen of Castile in 1474. Cabrera, the husband of her -greatest friend, Beatrice of Boabdilla, held the fortress and its -treasure, and it was mainly through his valour that Isabella succeeded -to the throne. During the Comunéros insurrection the Alcázar held out -for Charles V. At the quelling of the revolt Charles did all in his -power to thoroughly restore the building and furnish it with great -splendour. His son Philip added much that the father's death had left -unfinished. Our own King, Charles I., was here entertained, and Gil Blas -confined a prisoner. The great fire, originated by some of the students -of the military college, almost entirely destroyed the whole castle in -1862. The present edifice dates from shortly after that year and is now -used as a storehouse for military archives and an academy for artillery -officers. - -A very good gateway spans the road that leads out past the Santuario de -Fuencisla along the right bank of the Eresma. The river here is an ideal -looking trout stream, but alas! fish are not as plentiful now as when -Charles I. was entertained and fed on "fatte troute" in the Alcázar. -Follow the path over the bridge to the left, it soon narrows into a mere -goat track as it skirts the rock; a few steps farther on and the -wonderful position of the fortress-castle bursts into view. How -fascinating it looked as I saw it one night in the moonlight with the -silver beams glinting on its spires. All was very still as I entered the -wood of stunted pines beyond. Across the ravine rose the mighty -Cathedral silhouetted against a dark star-laden sky. A light here and -there shone from a window in the houses beneath. I heard the distant -cry of the watchman on his rounds. A faint scent from the heavy dew rose -to my nostrils, a scent of mother earth. It was with unwilling steps I -crossed the stream and sought my bed that night. Such moments are rare. - -On the left bank of the Eresma, almost hidden in the trees, stands a -building which once was the mint of Spain. Up till the year 1730 all -Spain's money was coined here, the proximity to the impregnable Alcázar, -which was used as the Treasury, affording security against untimely -raids. The old mint is now a flour mill, but still bears the royal arms -over its gateway. - -At one time Segovia was the great Castilian mart for wool. The church, -and monasteries of El Parral, El Paular, and the Escorial owning immense -flocks. These were driven to the pure waters of the Eresma, to be -cleansed before being shorn. After the sheep-washing, the animals were -put into the sweating house, and their legs tied together. The shearer -then commenced operations, and as each sheep passed out of his hands it -was branded; the shepherds standing by made a selection of the older -animals for the butcher, the remainder being taken away to their -mountain pastures. Even now there are many flocks in the country around, -particularly on the lower hills near La Granja, where I noticed a large -number not at all unlike the Kentish breed of Romney Marsh. - -Seven miles from Segovia the summer Royal Palace of La Granja lies in -the midst of beautiful woods and clear streams. At the foot of the -Sierra, the highest peak of which, La Peñalara, raises its crest a few -miles off, this elysium is a beautiful spot for those who have earned a -holiday from the cares of State. The gardens are most charmingly -arranged, and the fountains with a never ending supply of water, better -than those at Versailles. Built by Philip V., whose tastes and -inclinations were thoroughly French, La Granja has been the scene of -important events in the history of the country. The treaty which handed -Spain over to France in 1796 was here signed by Godoy. In 1832 Ferdinand -VII. revoked the decree by which he had abolished the Salic law, and -summoned Don Carlos to the palace as heir to the throne, a call which -plunged his unhappy country into civil war. Four years later the Queen -Regent was compelled within its walls, by the leader of the -revolutionary soldiery, to accept the constitution of Cadiz. - -Every corner of Spain holds history, but none can compare with Segovia -and its surroundings in romance and old-world charm. - - - - -SARAGOSSA - - -Saragossa lies midway on the railway between Madrid and Barcelona, and, -having about it a touch of both these, can qualify as one of Spain's -progressive cities. The unsightly factory chimney is beginning to sprout -up in the suburbs; old and narrow streets are making way for broader and -better; and insanitary quarters giving place to modern hygiene. - -Aragon is the poorest portion of this fair land, and Saragossa is its -capital. In every age this little kingdom has been torn by war and has -suffered heavily, but its people have never wavered in their faith, and -are still among the most pious and superstitious of the many different -races that people the Iberian Peninsula. They possess that strong -attachment for their sterile plains and barren mountains so common to -those who wring from Nature a bare existence. - -The Emperor Augustus, in the year 25 B.C., vastly improved "Salduba," -and gave it the title of Cæsarea Augusta. When in the occupation of Rome -it was a free city and had a coinage of its own. The first place in -Spain to renounce Paganism, Saragossa has always been a city of great -holiness. When besieged by the French under Childebert in 540, the -inhabitants carried the stole of San Vicente round the walls--and the -invader fled. - -The Infidel, however, proved less susceptible to a Christian relic, and -the city fell to the weight of his arms in the eighth century. Being a -Berber Infidel he recognised no Kalif of Cordova, and between the two -there soon began one of those internecine conflicts that in the end led -to the termination of Moorish rule. - -It was in this connection that Charlemagne was implored to assist the -Northern Moor against the Andalusian and crossed the Pyrenees with an -eye, no doubt, in the long run, to the acquisition of new territory. No -sooner had he reached the plains of Aragon than he was recalled to quell -a rising in his own dominions. His back turned, and he being presumably -in retreat, the ungrateful people, eager for plunder, followed and -inflicted on his rearguard a terrible defeat in the most famous Pyrenean -Pass, the Pass of Roncesvalles, a disaster in which Roland, that hero of -romance, lost his life. - -Thence onward, as the centuries went by, Saragossa was the scene of many -a fight. Alfonso I. in 1118 recovered it from the Moor after a long -siege, and Moslem rule was ended. - -[Illustration: SARAGOSSA. LA SEO] - -Saragossa is best known in the annals of its warfare for the heroic -defence, immortalised by Byron, in the war with France. In the month of -May 1808, the invader was close at hand, and the citizens organised -themselves for defence. A young aristocrat, José Palafox, was chosen as -the nominal leader, and had at his right hand the redoubtable peasant, -Tio Jorge Ibort--Gaffer George. His two lieutenants were Mariano Cerezo -and Tio Marin, while the courageous priest Santiago Sas assisted -greatly, through his influence with the populace, to keep things -together and prevent petty squabbles. One hundred _duros_ supplied the -sinews of war! Sixteen cannon, a few old muskets and two hundred and -twenty fighting men were all that the leaders could count upon to repel -the army of Lefebvre. - -The siege began in June and was abandoned in August, in consequence of -the disaster to Dupont at Bailén. In the following December four -Marshals of France, Junot, Lannes, Mortier and Moncey, with eighteen -thousand men, invested the city, but it was not until February of the -next year that, having driven the defenders out of the Jesuit convent -across the river, the French were able to establish a foothold in the -outskirts of the city itself. - -Every one knows how the Maid of Saragossa took the place of her dead -artillery lover who was killed at his gun; an episode that has since -become a theme to instil the young with heroic ideals. Such was the -spirit that gained for the city the proud title of _siempre heróica_. -Her citizens fought from house to house, every street had barricades, -and it was only that when decimated by pestilence and famine, with half -the place a smoking ruin, one of the most celebrated sieges of history -came to end. - -As in Cadiz and Salamanca, there are two Cathedrals in Saragossa, La Seo -and El Pilar. The former occupies the site of a church which stood here -before the Moors took possession of the place and turned it into a -mosque. A year after the advent of Alfonso I., Bishop Pedro de Lebrana -reconsecrated La Seo, and its walls have witnessed many historical -events in the life of Aragon before the kingdom became merged into one -with Castile. It was before the High Altar that her Kings were crowned, -and at the font many a royal babe baptized. - -La Seo is constructed almost entirely of the dull brown brick with which -the older part of the city is also built; the interior piers and -vaulting alone being of stone. On the north-east wall, which faces the -gloomy palace of the archbishop, there is still extant the most -elaborate arrangement of brick work, inlaid with coloured glazed tiles, -blue, green, red, white and yellow, forming a very harmonious and -attractive scheme. - -From the centre of the north-west façade, which is extremely ugly, rises -a well-proportioned tower arranged in four stages, with Corinthian -columns, the top of which is surmounted by a red tiled cupola and spire. -The colour of this took my fancy, it "sang out" so much against the blue -of the sky--a contrast I thought worthy of an illustration. - -Entering the building by the door in the façade, I was immediately -nonplussed as to the orientation of the Cathedral. To add to the puzzle, -for the structure is almost square, four rows of columns seemed mixed up -in endless confusion, and the dim light admitted from the few windows -only accentuated the mystery. Very beautiful, however, is this Gothic -interior which runs north-east and south-west, and I soon found a spot -from whence to make a sketch. The columns rise from marble bases of a -rich crimson; the vaulting above was lost in gloom, the light coming in -from the south-west window struck vividly on portions of the Renaissance -_respaldos_, the niches of which are filled with saints and -archbishops, and the pattern of the marble floor served but to heighten -the general effect. In the picture may be seen a tabernacle with twisted -black marble columns, this marks the spot where the Virgin suddenly -appeared and held converse with Canónigo Fuenes. - -Besides the archbishop's throne, the _coro_, which is not particularly -interesting, contains a huge reading desk. There is a great deal of -alabaster throughout the Cathedral, notably the very fine Gothic -_retablo_ of the High Altar by Dalman de Mur, around which are many -tombs of the Kings of Aragon. Close by, a black slab marks the place -where rests the heart of Don Baltazar Carlos, the son of Philip IV., who -was immortalised by the brush of Velasquez, and who died in Saragossa at -the early age of seventeen. - -Among the chapels, that used as the _segrario_, or parish church, has a -magnificent Moorish ceiling, and the fine alabaster tomb of Bernardo de -Aragon. The Cathedral is rich in splendid tapestries and ecclesiastical -vestments. Among the former is certainly the best I have ever set eyes -upon. It is a very early piece and has a wonderful blue sky. In it are -woven the Last Supper, Christ bearing the Cross, the Agony in the Garden -and the Crucifixion, while in the lower right-hand corner our Saviour is -assisting with a long pole to stir up devils who are roasting in Hades. -Among the vestments is an extremely beautiful chasuble brought here at -the time of the Reformation from Old St. Paul's in London. I wondered, -when I looked at it, whether Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII.'s consort, -had been instrumental in its removal from England. - -[Illustration: SARAGOSSA. IN THE OLD CATHEDRAL] - -The Cathedral of El Pilar is thus named as it possesses the identical -pillar on which the Virgin descended from Heaven and appeared to St. -James. At first a modest chapel, it has grown by the addition of -cloisters and subsidiary chapels to the present stupendous building. The -length is close on five hundred feet and the breadth two hundred. The -possession of this miraculous pillar has brought untold wealth to the -Cathedral. Votive offerings on the anniversary of the festival at the -shrine often amount to many thousands of pounds. Jewelry, gems and -costly objects of every description are given; these are now sold by -auction, the large sum of £20,000 being realised a few years ago. To -these sales we owe a fine rock crystal and gold medallion, given to the -Virgin of El Pilar by Henry IV. of France, and now in South Kensington -Museum. Many examples of old Spanish goldsmith's work have also been -acquired for the same collection in this way. - -The towers and pinnacles of El Pilar pile up grandly, and are best seen -from the fine bridge which spans the yellow flood of the river Ebro. -Silhouetted against the evening sky, with the smooth running waters -below, it seemed to me a worthy example in brick and stone of the -church's magnificence. - -The interior is an immense temple, the frescoes of which are from the -brush of that extraordinary genius, Goya, who turned his talent to any -job that was productive of the cash he spent so freely. The _retablo_ of -the High Altar is a fine piece of work from the alabaster quarries at -Escatron. Composed of three good Gothic canopies with tapering finials, -it has seven smaller divisions below. Damian Forment was the artist who -designed and carried out this, one of the most beautiful _retablos_ in -the country. The _reja_ which stands in front of _coro_ is superb, and -considered to be Juan Celma's masterpiece. Behind the High Altar is the -celebrated chapel of the Virgin. The figure itself is of very old -blackened wood, evidently a specimen of early Christian work. On October -12, the anniversary of her descent, thousands of pilgrims flock hither -to kiss her foot through a hole in the wall at the back of the chapel. -The city is then full of visitors and it is next to impossible to find -quarters or a room of any sort. - -[Illustration: SARAGOSSA. EASTER PROCESSION] - -I happened to be in Saragossa for _Semana Santa_. and watched the -processions of groups of heavy wooden figures, illustrative of our -Lord's life-history, proceed through crowded streets. My sketch shows -the last _paso_ of the Crucifixion, with a figure of the Virgin bringing -up the rear, as they passed the intensely devout throngs on Good Friday. -Masked members of different religious brother and sisterhoods, walk -along keeping the route clear. The whole procession was led by soldiery, -and "Romans," men attired in the garb of ancient Rome, while an infantry -band followed the Virgin. The _pasos_ are deposited in the Church of -Santiago built on the spot where St. James passed a night. In the belfry -of this church is an old Gothic bell of which the inhabitants are justly -proud. - -San Pablo is a very interesting fabric, dating from the year 1259. The -floor of the church is a dozen steps below the street. The _retablo_ is -another fine example of Damian Forment's art. The aisles are cut off -from the nave by a flat wall with square pillars and ill-proportioned -pointed arches. The _coro_ is at the west end, from whence also issue -the notes of a very beautifully toned organ. The extraordinary octagonal -brick steeple might pass as of Russian or Tartar origin. - -Of all the gateways to the city, there remains but one, the Puerta del -Carmen. It has been left as it stood after the French bombardment, and -retains many marks of shot and soft-nosed bullets. The site of the -historic Puerta del Portillo, where the Maid of Saragossa won immortal -fame, is in the square of the same name. Outside it stands the Castillo -de la Aljaferia, the Palace of the Sheikhs of Saragossa, and the -residence of the Kings of Aragon. Ferdinand gave it to the Holy Office, -and from out its portals issued many terrible orders for the suppression -of the wretched heretic. There still remains a small octagonal mosque, -and many of the rooms have their original _artesonado_ ceilings. In it -also is the "Torreta," the dungeon in _Il Trovatore_; while from the -tower can be seen the Castillo de Castlejar, mentioned in the drama by -Garcia Gaturrio, from which the libretto of the opera was taken. This -one-time fine palace is now a barrack, and I used to watch the recruits -drilling and exercising outside. When the recruiting season commences, -the numbers are drawn among those liable to serve--the lucky ones being -those who are not compelled to take any part in the military service of -their country. There exist societies in Spain to which a sum of 750 -pesetas can be paid, that undertake to pay another 750 pesetas to the -State, if the payee's name is drawn for service, 1500 pesetas being the -sum which enables any one to forego his military career. If his number -is not drawn, he loses his deposit, if it is, the society pays the full -sum. - -In the old days the nobles of Aragon safe-guarded their privileges by -the Fuéros de Sobrarbe, a code something like our Magna Charta, which -reduced the King's authority to almost vanishing point. Pedro IV. got -rid of the Fuéros by cutting to pieces the parchment incorporating the -union or confederacy, whose members, if the King was thought to have -exceeded his prerogative, were absolved from allegiance. They were a -hard-headed race, these Aragonese, and are still like those of the other -northern provinces, very independent and jealous of Castile's rule. - -Among other things handed down from time immemorial is a national dance, -and the Jota Aragonesa, the national air, known beyond the limits of -Spain. Very few of these old airs still exist. As a fact, the old songs -of Spain and their music are better known in the Jewish colony of -Salonika than in the country of their origin. The upper classes of this -colony still speak the pure Castilian of Cervantes' time, and being the -descendants of Spanish refugees hounded out of the country by the -Inquisition, still observe the customs, songs and language of their -immigrant forefathers. - -The Aragonese also have a national game, Tirando a la Barra, which -consists in passing an iron bar from one hand to the other, thereby -gaining impetus for the final swing which sends it hurtling through the -air towards a mark on the ground, like a javelin. One or two good old -houses still remain in Saragossa to testify to its former greatness, -notably that of the great Luna family. Two gigantic uncouth figures with -clubs stand on either side of the doorway which is the centre of a -simple but good façade. The cornice above is very heavy and the eaves -project far out, a feature that I noticed was very characteristic of the -old quarters of the city. It was in this house that the besieged, during -the French war, held their councils. The Casa Zaporta can boast of a -very fine staircase and beautiful _patio_ with elegant fluted columns -and reliefs and medallions breaking the spandrils. A few other good -houses still exist, but as they are in the old quarters of the city, and -as these are rapidly disappearing, I fear that Saragossa will not -contain for long anything beyond her Cathedrals that is of tangible -interest. - - - - -SANTIAGO - - -The evening train from Pontevedra deposited me sometime about midnight -at Cernes, the hamlet outside Santiago where the line ends. The full -moon during the latter portion of the journey had been a source of -endless delight. My face was glued to the window watching the -ever-changing hills and valleys through which the train crept, shrouded -in that mystery which obliterates detail and suggests so much in great -masses of subdued light and deep shade. - -I reached the hotel, procured a room, threw open the window, and stood -on the balcony listening to the intense stillness of a wonderful night. -Suddenly a dull rumbling down some side street disturbed my reverie of -the Santiago of days gone by. The only thing to be expected at this time -of night was the station 'bus, but I heard no clattering hoofs and was -lost in surmise, when out of the dark shadow of a narrow lane into the -moonlight swung a yoke of oxen drawing a long cart with slow majestic -pace. But what a cart! a low sort of wooden box balanced between two -solid wooden wheels. The rumbling was explained. It was primitive and -the most mediæval thing I had yet seen in a country which is barely -European. - -The peasant owner, a few steps in advance, never turned his head, but -guided his beasts with a long stick which he waved from side to side -over his back. There was no shout, no cry of command. The _mise en -scène_ was beautifully arranged, it was complete. There was the -background of ancient grey houses, beyond them, tapering into the starry -sky, the slender pinnacles of the great Cathedral. A row of stunted -trees occupied places down one side of the little square which filled my -stage. The subdued colour and silence of the moonlit night, and the slow -passage of the ox-cart as it passed out of sight, bettered Irving's best -effects at the Lyceum. - -A clock in a neighbouring tower struck the quarters, the moment had -arrived for the anti-climax! I expected every minute to see a door open, -a light stream across the square, a cloaked figure steal furtively out, -and disappear down into the shadow of the lane. It was perfect, nothing -could have been arranged better as an introduction to Santiago de -Compostela. - -[Illustration: SANTIAGO. THE CATHEDRAL] - -The body of St. James landed itself at Padron on the coast not far from -Santiago, and his bones were brought to the spot where now stands the -Cathedral. In the course of time their whereabouts was forgotten and it -remained for Bishop Theodomir to rediscover the sacred spot in 829, -guided thither by a star. Hence the Campus Stellæ--or Compostela. - -The shrine of the saint is still visited by innumerable pilgrims, and -perhaps more arrive in Santiago than any other city of Spain. In olden -days so great was the number that "El Camino de Santiago"--"The road to -Santiago," gave rise to the Spanish term for the "milky way." I have -watched them in the Cathedral, peasants, men and women, come from afar, -to judge by their dress. They each carried a staff decorated with tufts -of herbs and little star-shaped pieces of bread tied on with gay -ribbons. I have seen women making the round of the altars in the -different chapels with great bundles of clothes, through which were -thrust umbrellas, balanced on their heads. They never lost the poise of -their burden as they knelt and rose again. But of all the pilgrims I -saw, one who might have stepped out of Chaucer's pages carried me back -to the days of long ago. She wore a short skirt of thick brown material, -sandals protected her stockinged feet, from her girdle hung rosary, -scallop shells and a stoneware pilgrim's bottle, a hooked staff lent -support to her bent, travelled-stained figure. Her leather wallet was -stuffed with bread, and covering her short cropped hair was a grey felt -hat, mushroom shaped. A little black dog entered the Cathedral with her, -and squatted silently by his mistress's side as she knelt praying in the -dim light of a grey day. Chaucer's "Wyt of Bath" had made a pilgrimage -to "Seynt Jame," and my pilgrim with her little lame companion might -very well have been with him too. - -The Cathedral, founded in 1078, was built on the site of one destroyed -by Almanzor in 997. The legend of the destruction of the first church, -which had been standing for just one hundred years, was thus--Almanzor, -after sacking Leon and Astorga, swept all the country westwards with his -Moorish hosts until he reached Santiago. So great was his fame and in -such terror was his name held that no one had the courage to face him -and fight for saint and city. Riding through its deserted streets he -came to the church, and to his surprise at last espied a solitary -Christian, a monk, praying alone at the shrine of the saint. "What dost -thou here?" inquired the haughty Moor. "I am at my prayers," curtly -answered the holy man, continuing his devotions. This reply and the -courage of the single enemy so called forth the admiration of Almanzor, -that his life was spared and an infidel guard set over the tomb. - -[Illustration: SANTIAGO. SOUTH DOOR OF THE CATHEDRAL] - -The west façade, a Renaissance outer covering, so to speak, of the older -façade, would not look so imposing as it does if granite had not been -used in its construction. The grey tones of the lichen-covered stone -redeem the somewhat overdone florid design, and it stands well above a -double flight of steps on the east side of the huge Plaza Mayor. - -The south door, or Puerta de las Platerias, takes this name from the -silversmiths whose workshops are still under the arcades around the -Plaza on to which it opens. It is the oldest portion of the Cathedral -and dates from the foundation. The shafts contain tiers of figures in -carved niches, and the tympanum has rows of smaller ones. - -The north door fronts on to the Plaza Fuente San Juan, and faces the -convent of San Martin Pinario, which was founded in 912 by Ordoño II. In -the days before this Plaza was officially given its present name, it was -known as Azabacheria, _azabache_ is jet, and it was here that vast -quantities of rosaries made of this were sold to pilgrims. - -In the south-east angle of the Cathedral is the Puerta Santa, bearing -the inscription "Hace est domus Dei et porta coeli." It is only opened -in the Jubilee year and then by the archbishop himself. The entrance to -it is from the Plaza de los Literarios. It will be seen from this that -the Cathedral is practically set in four great Plazas, el Mayor, de las -Platerías, la Fuente San Juan, and de los Literarios, and for this -reason, although the roof towers high above, it is one of the few -Cathedrals the size of which can be appreciated by an exterior view. - -The early Romanesque interior is superb, and not unlike our own Ely -Cathedral. The finest thing in it of archæological interest is the -"Portico de la Gloria," which Street calls "one of the greatest glories -of Christian Art." This Portico, situated at the west end of the nave, -formed at one time the façade. The idea of the whole doorway is Christ -at the Last Judgment. His figure, twice life-size, occupies the centre. -Below Him is seated St. James, while around them are angels worshipping. -Four and twenty elders are arranged in the circumference of the -archivolt; each one holds a musical instrument, most of which are shaped -like violas and guitars. A most beautifully sculptured marble column -supports this in the centre, resting on a base of devils, with the -portrait of Maestro Matio, who executed the whole from his own designs, -facing the nave. An inscription under this doorway states that the work -was finished in 1188. To the right and left are smaller arches, -portraying in well-cut granite good souls on their way to Paradise and -wicked ones in the clutches of devils on their way to Hell. Nothing can -exceed the primitive religious feeling pervading this work. Mateo must -have given his whole soul with fervour to his labours; and the almost -obliterated traces of painting and gilding enhance their result by -giving a touch of warmth to the cold colour of the stone. - -West of the portico, above which are the remains of a fine wheel window, -has been built the present Renaissance façade known as El Obradorio, the -two being connected by quadripartite vaulting. The nave itself has a -walled-in triforium, but no clerestory and the vaulting of the roof is -barrel. - -The saint's shrine is in the crypt beneath the Capilla Mayor. The extra -extravagant _retablo_ above the High Altar is chirrigueresque, and -hardly redeemed by the lavish employment of jasper, alabaster and silver -with which it is decorated. A jewelled figure of St. James is seated in -a niche above the mass of precious metal in which the altar is encased. - -It is all very gorgeous and must impress the pious pilgrim who has -journeyed hither from afar, but I could not help wishing it were -simpler. However, the one living vital thing in Spain is her religion, -and her Church knows so well how to conduct its business that my -feelings of regret are purely æsthetic. - -The _cimborio_ is a fine creation, under which swings on certain -_fiestas_ the huge silver _incensario_, a lamp wellnigh six feet high. -The two bronze pulpits are real masterpieces of cinquecento art and are -adorned by subjects from the Old Testament by Juan Bantista Celma. - -In one of the side chapels, known as the Relicario, are recumbent -figures on the tombs of Don Ramon, the husband of Urraca, Berenguela -1187, Fernando II. 1226, Alfonso XII. of Leon 1268, and that faithful, -pitiable figure Juan de Castro, wife of Pedro the Cruel. Even now, after -the spoliation by Soult, who carried away ten hundredweight of precious -metal in sacred vessels, the Relicario is a perfect museum. All the -other chapels contain good tombs, especially that of Espiritu Santo in -the north transept; and among other beautiful objects with which the -Cathedral is replete are two ancient _limosneras_ or alms-boxes, two -very ancient gilt pyxes, a carved wooden cross, similar to the -much-revered cross of los Angeles at Oviedo, given by Don Alfonso and -Doña Jimena in 874. - -The large cloisters to the south-west of the Cathedral were built by -Archbishop Fonseca in 1521. They are bad Gothic enriched with -Renaissance details. The centre court is paved with granite and gives an -impression of bareness which is not redeemed by the architecture. - -It was in this Cathedral that John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, was -crowned King of Spain. - -[Illustration: SANTIAGO. INTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL] - -Santiago possesses a much frequented university, which is extremely well -provided with books. - -In the church of Santa Maria de la Sar may be seen relics of the Holy -Office which held its sittings in the adjoining monastery. The -president's chair, marked with a palm, a cross and a red sword is -perhaps the most notable. This monastic church, at one time owned by -Templars, is situated outside the city boundary on the Orense road. Like -all the others, in fact like the whole of Santiago, it is built of -granite. It possesses a triple apse; the nave is of five bays without a -triforium or clerestory, and the interior, in consequence, is very dark, -heavy and gloomy. In it is the tomb of Archbishop Bernardo, 1242. The -cloister at one time must have been exceptionally fine, but alas! only -nine arches now remain; and the whole edifice is of the fast-crumbling -away type not uncommon in the country. - -The fine Plaza Mayor, or Plaza Alfonso Doce, is bounded on the north by -the huge Hospice erected by Enrique de Egas for Ferdinand and Isabella -for the use of poor pilgrims. The royal coat-of-arms is in evidence over -the entrance portal, enriched, in addition, with figures of saints and -pilgrims. The massive cornice has a course of heavy chain work and the -ball decoration so common in Toledo. This huge pile of buildings is now -used as a hospital. It is divided into four courts with fountains and -is admirably adapted for its present use. The small chapel is one of the -gems of Santiago. The roof springs from four arches with Gothic statues -and niches clustered round a central column. - -On the west side of the Plaza stands the great Seminario founded in 1777 -for the education of young priests. The ground floor is now occupied as -the Ayuntamiento of Santiago. - -To the south is the Collegio de San Gerónimo, with a remarkable early -doorway. The college was known as _Pan y Sardina_ from the poverty of -its accommodation. Sardines, the staple industry of Vigo and other coast -towns of the district, are the cheapest food obtainable, hence the -appellation. Santiago is delightfully situated amidst heather-clad -hills, the lower slopes of which are well wooded with oak, fir, and -eucalyptus. Great boulders of granite stand out like the monoliths of -prehistoric ages. Many a pleasant walk through the purple heather -revealed to me a landscape such as one sees in parts of Cornwall and -Scotland. The grey city with its red-tiled roofs, its huge deserted -monastic buildings, the many spires and domes of the Cathedral and other -churches, all set in patches of brilliant green meadows and maize fields -look particularly beautiful from Monte Pedroso, a fine vantage point -surmounted by a huge Calvary. - -The climate is comparatively moist, ferns of all sorts grow in the shade -of garden walls, and bracken is thick in the oak woods. The Galician is -well favoured by Nature, and being a patient, hard-working man of not -much mental capacity, very pious and an ardent advocate of small -holdings, gets through life with a contented spirit. He is very close -and knows the value of a peseta. Unfortunately he is looked down upon by -the Castilian, and the term "Gallego" is rather one of abuse than -respect. Driven to emigration by the subdivision of land which cannot -support more than those who own and work it now, he goes south in great -numbers and is the trusted _concierge_ in many a large house and hotel -in Madrid and elsewhere. The Panama Canal too attracts him from his -native hills, in fact the Gallego is to be met with wherever Spanish is -the spoken language. - - - - -TUY - - -The train deposited me one morning at this little frontier town. It was -very hot, and it was Sunday. The only porter in the station volunteered -to carry my bag to the Fonda, so we joined a long file of peasants and -tramped up the dusty road to the old Gothic capital which stands -splendidly situated above the river Minho. - -From a distance the Cathedral rises like a fort, capping the white -houses and brown roofs which are terraced below. At one time in the far -away past Tuy was a town of great importance. Greek remains have been -dug up here, but history does not go further back than Ætolian Diomede, -the son of Tydeus, who founded what became under King Witiza the Gothic -capital. This was in the year 700. Ordoño I. rebuilt it two hundred -years later, and I did not find it difficult to trace the massive -granite walls which sheltered the inhabitants, and preserved it as the -most important city of these parts. - -Truly a crown to the fortress, the castellated walls of the Cathedral -give it a martial air. The nave of five bays is early pointed, with a -blind triforium and blocked up clerestory. So narrow and dark are the -aisles and so massive the columns which support the fine vaulting of the -roof, that I could never get rid of the feeling that I was in some great -hall of an ancient castle. It only wanted a few halberdiers or -men-at-arms, instead of the black-garbed peasant women kneeling at the -different altars, to make the illusion perfect. - -The transepts, which have aisles, are Romanesque with an early pointed -triforium. After the great earthquake at Lisbon many strengthening -additions were made to the interior, blocking out most of the light. In -the case of the aisles arches were run up at different intervals with no -sense of proportion, quite hap-hazard, and creating a very much askew -appearance in this part of the building. Transoms were built across the -nave to add to the disfigurement of one of the most perfect little -Cathedrals in Spain. - -The west doorway is very fine, with four detached columns on either -side, thus forming a narrow porch. The upper half of these columns each -consists of a good figure of a saint whose feet rest on a devil. In the -tympanum are good reliefs and a well-cut Adoration of the Magi. The -archivolt is seven-fold and is an excellent piece of rich carving. All -is granite, and all is solemn, quite in keeping with this hard -material. - -[Illustration: TUY] - -The Cloister Court, round which runs a most beautiful arcade of early -pointed work with detached shafts, has unfortunately fallen into decay. -But the charming little garden in the centre somewhat compensates for -this. When I strolled in the silence was only broken by the cooing of -doves and the hum of bees. The sun seemed to find his way into every -nook and cranny, and here, thought I, is peace. - -Away beyond the outer wall, a wall which is part of the old defence of -Ordoño's day, is the road to Portugal. Passing through vineyards it -reaches the river a mile distant and crosses the water by a very fine -bridge. It was from this road that I made my sketch of the quaint -old-world town. Down by the river at the end of the one broad street -that Tuy possesses is the old Convent of Santo Domingo. Now a barrack, -it still keeps its grand Transitional church. The chancel is extremely -fine and among its many tombs a knight in armour with his lady at his -side I thought the best. On the grassy platform in front of the church I -spent one or two pleasant evenings. The river flows below and the -mountains of Portugal rise sublimely from the opposite bank. I was -decidedly pleased with my short sojourn in this typical Spanish town, -the wonderful position of which, right on the frontier overlooking -another land, makes it one of Spain's most unique Cathedral cities. - - - - -ORENSE - - -"In the gold district," such is the meaning of Orense. In Roman days it -was the headquarters for working the gold in which the district -abounded. - -Three warm springs, situated close to the road which leads out of the -town to the south-west, also brought fame to Orense, though they -possessed, apparently, no medicinal properties. Nowadays the poorer -classes use the water for domestic purposes, thereby saving fires. - -In Visigothic times Orense was the capital of the Suevi, and was the -scene of the renunciation of Paganism by this tribe. Besides its warm -springs the town boasts of two other wonders, its bridge and its -Cathedral. The former is certainly a grand piece of work. The centre -arch rises one hundred and thirty-five feet above the river Minho, with -a magnificent span of one hundred and forty feet. Of the six remaining -arches some are pointed and some are round. - -The Cathedral is a most interesting structure, more's the pity it is so -little known. Built on an artificial platform to throw it out from the -hillside, it rises well above the neighbouring roofs. Silversmiths and -metal workers ply their trades in the dark shops between the buttresses -which hold up this platform on three sides. - -There is nothing much to attract one in the exterior of the Cathedral -except the Gothic north and south doors. They both have rounded arches -with good figures in the jambs and archivolts. The south is the better -of the two, as the north bears traces of alteration, the case in the -whole appearance of the exterior. A third door opens in the second bay -west of the north aisle, and is approached from the street below by -steps leading up between two shops. The massive north-west tower is -adjoining and stands over perhaps half a dozen small rooms where all day -long the musical tap of the metal workers' hammers are heard. - -The side chapels of the interior are all recessed, and standing in the -south-west corner of the Cathedral I obtained an uninterrupted view for -my sketch along the south aisle into the apse. There is no triforium in -the nave, but a beautiful lancet clerestory enhances both this and the -aisles. I thought the octagon at the crossing extremely good. Two rows -of lights, one above the other, have an interior gallery with an -unobtrusive balustrade round each. The supporting corbels are well-cut -bosses. The spandrils between the arches are recessed with well-carved -figures of angels and archangels playing on musical instruments. Of -course this octagon bears no comparison with that at Burgos, it is much -simpler and much smaller, but has a tentative beauty of its own. - -[Illustration: ORENSE. IN THE CATHEDRAL] - -The transepts are of earlier date, and have been altered, though not -injudiciously. The _coro_ is small, very dark and solemn, and in this -respect bears favourable comparison with many another which may be far -finer. Its _reja_, like that of the Capilla Mayor, is a very good -example of wrought and hammered iron-work, and does credit to the skill -of those who no doubt sat in the little shops below giving their -life-work to the adornment of the church above. - -The High Altar is a mass of silver with a background of glittering -carving which forms the gilded _retablo_. The warm yellow of the -Cathedral stone and the time-worn colour of the figures which decorate -this _retablo_ have a very pleasing effect to the eye. The ashes of -Santa Eufemia, Orense's patroness, rest beneath her effigy which stands -to the south of the High Altar, and those of SS. Facundo and Primivo -under theirs on the north side. Santa Eufemia's body was found by a poor -shepherdess lying out on the mountain slopes of the Portuguese border, -and was brought here to rest. - -The Cathedral is full of fine tombs, among which that of Cardinal -Quintata in Carrara marble is the best. It is placed on the north side -of the chancel facing a much earlier Gothic tomb with a well-carved -canopy which stands on the south side. The present edifice was founded -in 1220 by Bishop Lorenzo, displacing the older church erected in 550 -and dedicated to Saint Martin. - -Wandering at random up the narrow streets which covered the hill I found -myself outside the Convent of San Francisco. Like so many institutions -of a kindred nature it is now a barrack, and difficult of access. -However, I managed to get in and found the chief interest centred in the -cloisters. They are beautiful relics of the thirteenth century. Sixty -arches complete the arcade, with coupled shafts standing free. The -capitals are well carved and the dog-tooth moulding above them has not -suffered much from the ravages of time. - -Here, as in other towns where money in late mediæval days was scarce, it -is pleasant to find untouched remains of an earlier past. The streets -are mostly arcaded and very tortuous and quaint. The market is held on -the Plaza of the Cathedral, and fruit vendors sit in the sun on the -steps which lead into the Holy Fane. The _Alamedas_ are thronged at -night with a crowd which, for Spain, seemed to take life seriously. - -I had finished my usual after-dinner stroll one evening, and returned to -my hotel. It was a balmy night and I pulled my chair out on to the -balcony. The lights in the cottages on the hill opposite went out one by -one, and away down below, amongst the dark foliage of a vineyard, I -heard the sound of a guitar. A voice breathed out a love song, and once -more I felt the romance of the South--that indescribable feeling which -comes over one when nerves are attune to enchanting surroundings. - - - - -ASTORGA - - -"No, you won't find much for your brush to do in Astorga, señor"--was -the answer to a query addressed to a fellow passenger in the train. I -fear he was not far wrong, though I knew with the Cathedral I should not -be disappointed. - -It was a wet evening, and I landed at the station in the dark; gave my -traps to a porter, and found myself after a tramp through the mud at the -only Fonda in the place. My baggage was deposited in a sort of glorified -cupboard containing a bed. The small window had no glass, and I -discovered the next day that it opened on to the stables. I objected to -these quarters, and later on in the evening my belongings were moved -into a room just vacated by some one who had gone on to Madrid in _el -rapido_. - -The next morning I made my way to the Cathedral. It stands well and -quite isolated, except for the "New Art" Bishop's Palace which is in -course of erection. The Cathedral is late Gothic, built in the fifteenth -and sixteenth centuries on the site of a former church. The interior is -lofty and very beautiful, though spoilt by a bad _trascoro_ in execrable -taste and quite out of keeping with the elegant columns of the nave. -This consists of seven bays. The bases of the piers run up ten feet or -more, and resemble the later additions to Leon Cathedral and those at -Oviedo. The intersecting mouldings on them are the very last style of -Gothic work and exemplify the beginning of a more florid taste. There is -no triforium. The clerestory windows are of unusual height, as at Leon, -and are filled with very fine glass. - -The aisles are also very lofty. The chapels attached to that on the -north have their vaulting carried up to the height of the aisle, a very -unusual feature. All the windows on this side, with one exception, are -blocked. In the south aisle the vaulting of the lateral chapels is low. -The windows are glazed and contain good glass; and in the first chapel -from the west is a very fine early German _retablo_. - -The transepts are of one bay only. The south has perhaps the best glass -in a Cathedral which is specially rich in this. - -[Illustration: ASTORGA] - -There is much good iron work in the different _rejas_, and the walnut -_silleria_ in the _coro_ are exceptionally well carved. But the gem of -the Cathedral is undoubtedly the magnificent _retablo_ over the High -Altar. Its author, Gaspar Becerra, was a native of Baeza, and studied in -Italy under Michael Angelo. It is his masterpiece, and well merits this -title. Of the fourteen panels, _The Disputation_ and _Ascension_ are the -best. The exterior of this lofty church is much enhanced by its flying -buttresses. The west façade is good Renaissance work, with flanking -towers, only one of which is, however, finished. A flying buttress -connects them with the centre of the façade as at Leon, in fact I could -not help drawing comparison, when I knew them both, between these two -Cathedrals. - -The warm red stone of which this at Astorga is built has weathered most -beautifully, and contrasts with the grey balustrade composed of figures -holding hands--a very quaint device, by the way--which adorns the ridge -above the clerestory. At the south-east corner, instead of the usual -pinnacle, a huge weathercock stands. It is a wooden statue of Pedro -Mato, a celebrated Maragato, in the dress of his tribe. - -La Maragateria is a territory of small extent in the middle of which -Astorga is situated. The inhabitants, the Maragatos, mix with no one. -They live exclusively to themselves, preserve their costume and their -customs, and never marry out of their own clan. The men hire themselves -out as carriers, the women stay at home and work. It is supposed that -as they have many Arabic words still in use, they are a remnant of the -Moorish occupation left behind when Christian armies finally swept the -Infidel back into the south. This may be so, for the Moors are past -masters at caravan work, and the Maragatos are the great carriers of -Spain. When on the road their strings of mules take precedence, and -everything clears out of their way. The men dress in loose baggy -knickers and the women attire themselves in short red or canary-coloured -skirts with green or light blue lining, one pleat remains open and shows -either of these colours. They wear white stockings, black shoes, and -very gaily-coloured handkerchiefs cover their heads. On a Sunday they -swarm into the town, going off in the evening at sundown to their -different villages in picturesque chattering throngs. Twice a year the -whole tribe assembles at the feasts of Corpus Christi and the Ascension, -when they dance for an hour, el Cañizo, a dance which if an outsider -dare join in is immediately stopped. - -I had heard a great deal of the dignity of the Spaniard, before I went -to Spain, and had failed to find that this reputation was at all -justified, except in the case of the _Guardia Civil_, until I came -across the Maragatos. I found them to be among the most self-respecting -and courteous folk that one could meet anywhere; they certainly are -amongst the most interesting of the many distinct tribes that people the -Peninsula. - -Astorga, the Asturia Augusta of the Romans, is described by Pliny as a -"magnificent city." It was once the capital of southern Asturia and was -always an important outpost fortress. As indicative of its strength I -may mention that Astorga bears for arms a branch of oak. - -Like Leon, the importance of its position as a base, both for those who -lived in the mountains to the north and west, as well as for those who -came from the plain, was always appreciated, and was for ever a bone of -contention between the inhabitants of these districts. The Bishopric was -founded in 747 by Alfonso el Catolico, but no man of note has ever been -appointed to the See as far as I could discover. Indeed, Astorga is -another of those old Spanish cities which are passed by in the train, -with the remark--"How nice the old walls look, I do wish we had time to -stop here." - -A saunter round the walls I must own is very disappointing. It is so -evident that but little veneration is felt, or respect shown, for any -antiquities or historical associations. In many places they have been -pulled about for the sake of the building materials they yielded. They -are the rubble heaps of Astorga and have fallen into sad decay. One -portion is, however, preserved. In the south corner, where a pretty -little _paseo_ garden affords shade and a pleasant promenade, a splendid -view is obtained "over the hills and far away." Here, at any rate, -restoration has been undertaken for the sake of the common ground where -men and women walk, as custom dictates, every evening. - -At the spot where the Cathedral stands a great deal of demolition has -taken place, and even to-day the huge new château-like palace of the -bishop, now in process of erection, closes in a fine space and detracts -from the little antiquity which is left in this corner of Astorga. Such -is modern taste in Spain. Besides its walls, Astorga is celebrated for -its _mantecadas_, small square sponge-cakes, neatly folded in pieces of -greased paper, which find their way all over this part of the country; -but the farther off you find them the less do they resemble the -originals, and these are very good. - - - - -ZAMORA - - -Travelling through the great plain of Leon by train is apt to become -intensely monotonous, especially when, as in the case of reaching -Zamora, fate decreed that I should sit baking for hours in the slowest -of all, the undesirable _mercantilo_. Very few villages enlivened the -yellow landscape, which bare of vegetation lay blistering under the -midday sun; those that were visible were all _tapia_ built with unglazed -lights, and seemed to have grown outwards from the little brown-walled -churches in their midst. On rising ground beyond the limits of these -sad-looking hamlets, I could see the dwellings of the poorest of the -poor. Dug out of the bank-sides, they resemble rabbit holes more than -anything else. A door gives light, ventilation and access to the -interior, a tiny chimney sticking out of the ground above carries off -the extra fumes of smoke. Life inside must be nearer that of the beasts -than that of any other race in Europe; and as the slow _mercantilo_ -crawled along I had plenty of time to note the stunted growth and -wearied mien of those whose day of toil ends in these burrows under the -earth. In many places, the year's vintage is stored in these -subterranean holes. At last the train crept into the station and I read -the name of my destination on its wall. - -Zamora adds another to the list of those very interesting old cities of -Spain which still have a remnant of their ancient walls left standing. -Known at one time as Ocellum Duri, "The eye of the Douro," from its -strategical position on that barrier river, it still bears many traces -of a glorious past. Of old, an outpost for defence against the Infidel -of the south, with its natural barrier, Zamora nevertheless changed -hands many times. The veracious chronicler records how in 939 Ramiro II. -came to the city's relief and slew forty thousand Moors--their whole -force, in fact, to a man!--only to be revenged a few years later by the -all-conquering Almanzor. - -Ferdinand I. in 1065 rebuilt the defences which this redoubtable warrior -had levelled and presented the city to his daughter Urraca, whose son, -Alfonso VI., was the first King of united Leon and Castile. Zamora -figures, too, in the Cid's meteoric life. He appointed Geronimo, his -confessor, who lies buried in Salamanca, to the Bishopric, and when -Sancho besieged the place, it being then held by Urraca, the defence was -so excellent that "no se tomó Zamora en una hora" (Zamora was not taken -in one hour) became a proverb. It was at this siege that five Moorish -sheiks brought the Cid tribute and saluted him as "Campeador." - -There are more tangible remains of the quaint old city's importance to -be found in its Cathedral and streets than its proverbs and anecdotes. -Here is the house of Urraca, with an almost obliterated inscription over -the gateway--"Afuera! Afuera! Rodrigo el soberbio Castellano"--culled -from the ballad of the Cid, and referring to his exclusion from the -place. - -In the church of San Pedro y Ildefonso are a couple of fine bronze-gilt -shrines containing the remains of SS. Ildefonso and Atilano. The -Romanesque church of the Templars, La Magdalena, dates from the twelfth -century. Its rose window is formed with small columns like the Temple -Church in London; and within are some beautiful tombs. - -The Hospital is a good building with an overhanging porch, very -effectively coloured and having the appearance of glazed tiles. Many old -houses of the nobility now slumber tranquilly in slow decay, and Zamora, -like so many other Spanish towns of its class, seems left behind in the -modern hurry of life; and this is one of its greatest charms, the charm -that is so typical of old Spain. - -The Cathedral abuts on to the city wall and is almost surrounded by a -bare piece of ground, where the remains of dismantled fortifications -give a deserted and forlorn air to the very unecclesiastical aspect of -the exterior. I made a sketch among these ruins and could not help -feeling the result looked more like an Eastern farm enclosure than a -really fine Cathedral. There was the huge unfinished square tower, baked -a brilliant yellow, the _cimborio_ and dome, with its eight curious -little domes, all roofed in cement, and a copy of, if not contemporary -with, the same in the old Cathedral of Salamanca; the low mud walls and -almost flat roofs; a party of peasants in a sort of nomad encampment, -innumerable fowls pecking at the dust--what more could you have to -remind one of the East. The sun was broiling, and nothing disturbed this -"bit" of the Spain of long ago. - -The exterior of the Cathedral has been much marred by the poor -Renaissance north façade, not visible in my drawing, and a tower with a -slate roof. The south porch is, however, intact, and from it, for the -building stands high above the Douro, the view must have been grand -before the Bishop's Palace was built and obliterated the whole prospect. -A dozen steps, narrowing as they approach the portal, lead up to the -door which is surrounded by four good round arches with scroll mouldings -of simple design. Inside this I found myself in the south transept. - -[Illustration: ZAMORA. THE CATHEDRAL] - -The interior, with the exception of that portion east of the crossing, -which is poor Renaissance with perpendicular vaulting, is exceedingly -massive. The nave is but twenty-five feet in width, the columns which -support the bays are ten feet through; the aisles are very narrow, but -so good are the proportions of all these that this miniature Cathedral -is one of the finest Romanesque churches in the country. - -The _cimborio_ is round in plan with sixteen windows from which the ribs -of the vaulting spring. Unfortunately the columns have been decorated -with a spiral pattern of a chocolate colour, quite destroying the beauty -and simple grandeur of a feature which for simplicity ranks next to that -of the Catedral Vieja at Salamanca. - -In the Capilla del Cardenal at the west end of the nave is a very fine -_retablo_ divided into six panels painted by Gallegos, whose signature -is on the central one. I was examining this one morning when an old -priest passed through into the adjoining sacristy. He stopped and -explained the subjects to me, taking particular interest in this when he -learnt I was a painter and what my mission to Zamora was. I cannot -forget his courtesy and pride while showing me some of the treasures -the Cathedral possesses, and shared his regret that the wonderful -tapestries were only on view at certain festivals. In this chapel are -some good tombs of the great Romero family, others too of interest are -in the Capilla de San Miguel, and the finest of all that of Canon Juan -de Grado has the genealogy of the Virgin sculptured above the effigy of -the Canon. I was very grateful for the seats which here are available -for a rest and quiet examination of the church. In Burgos is the only -other Cathedral where it is possible to sit and gaze. - - - - -LEON - - -Situated on the edge of the great plain which stretches away south to -the Sierra de Gredos and beyond to Toledo, Leon served as a sort of -buffer town between the Highlanders of the north and the dwellers on the -Castilian uplands. - -The headquarters of the seventh Roman Legion, from which the name is -derived, it may be described as a great fortress of bygone days. -Astorga, some thirty miles westwards, being an outpost in that direction -no doubt helped to preserve Leon from the ravages of the Galician -Visigoths. - -The Romans held their fortress for five hundred years until Leovigild in -586 captured it after a long and strenuous siege. So highly was the -position and strength of these two towns appreciated, that when Witiza, -the King of the Goths, issued a decree levelling all defensive works to -the ground, they were exempted and their fortifications preserved. - -The Moors held Leon for a very short spell, and then only as a defence -against northern invasion. When Ordoño I. descended from his mountain -fastnesses and drove them out, Leon changed front with its new -occupants, and became a stronghold to be held at all costs against -invaders from the south. - -The great Almanzor, in his victorious march north with the soldiery of -Cordova, swept away all opposition and this buffer town was sacked. -However, after his defeat at Calatanavor and subsequent death, the -banner of Christ was once more unfurled to the breeze from what little -was left of its walls. - -These were almost entirely rebuilt of _tapia_ and cob-stones by Alfonso -V., since whose time they have remained or slowly fallen away. - -Leon stands in a verdant pasture valley intersected by many streams and -shady roads lined with tall poplars. The fields on either side are -divided from one another by hedges and willow trees, thick scrub follows -the streams and grows down to the water edge, and walking in these -pleasant places it was not difficult to imagine myself back in England. -The city itself is really little better than a big village, and -considering the important part it has played in the history Spain, seems -sadly neglected and left out in the cold. This, too, despite the fact -that it is an important junction and railway centre. There are no -buildings of any present importance, and those that once could lay claim -to this are in a state of decay. It is only on Sundays and market days, -when the peasants in picturesque costume and gay colours come in, that -Leon can boast of the smallest animation. I remember one Sabbath evening -as I stood on my balcony, that vantage ground from which one sees all -the life of the place pass by in the street below, watching the folk -parade up and down. A military band discoursed "brassy" music, the crowd -was packed as tight as sardines in a tin, when suddenly the "toot, toot" -of a motor horn was heard above the clash of cymbals and boom of the -drum. A large car came down a by-street opposite, turned sharply and -charged the crowd. The Spaniard is of an excitable temperament, loud -cries of disapproval, and screams from the gentler sex drowned all else. -The chauffeur discovered his mistake none too soon and attempted to turn -the car. At this the uproar grew louder and he brought it to a -standstill. Youths climbed the steps, boys hung on behind, "Toot, toot" -went the horn; the bandmaster, with an eye to the situation, waved his -_bâton_ more energetically than ever, the big drum boomed, the trombones -blurted out for all they were worth, but the hooting and whistling -drowned everything. - -At last the car began to back and became disengaged, the chauffeur -adroitly turned, and started down the street followed by the noisier -elements of the crowd eventually pulling up at a café, just out of the -parade zone. In Leon as elsewhere, fashion dictates a limit to the walk -in either direction and the chauffeur had stopped beyond this. The two -occupants of the car got out in a very unconcerned manner, sat down at a -table and ordered a drink. For at least a quarter of an hour, while -these two were taking their coffee, the crowd stood round booing, -whistling and shouting. I do not think I have ever seen anything cooler -than the way in which, their thirst satisfied, and the account settled, -they got up and walked slowly after the car which long ago had -disappeared out of danger. - -By this time, despite the presence of a couple of the _Guardia Civil_, -the crowd was excited. A cart full of peasant folk next essayed the -perils of the thoroughfare, they however got through safely after much -badinage and fun. No sooner had they gone, the band meantime had -vanished, when out from a wine shop came some peasants with castanets a -little light-headed for once. There were four of them, two men and two -women. They immediately began a dance on the pavement. A ring was formed -and a storm of hand-clapping encouraged them, for ten minutes they -footed it admirably. More castanets appeared from somewhere and soon -half Leon was dancing in the middle of the Calle. The feeble-looking -policemen, who had been terribly worried over the motor-car incident, -thrust out their chests, or tried to, and beamed all over. The scene had -changed from what had first looked very much like an ugly row, to one of -pure enjoyment, they were safe, every one else was out of danger, and -Leon too was saved. - -[Illustration: LEON. THE CATHEDRAL] - -The night I arrived in Leon, having finished dinner, I left the hotel -and taking the first turn hap-hazard wandered up the street. The -electric lights were soon behind me and I found myself in what seemed to -be a huge deserted square. The dark night was lit by milliards of -twinkling stars, and gazing upwards at them my eye followed the line of -what appeared to be immensely tall poplar trees. I looked again, I had -never seen trees that colour, then it slowly dawned on me that I was in -front of the great Cathedral. Slowly, slowly as my eye became accustomed -to the dark I made out tapering spires that met the very stars -themselves embedded in the purple-blue sky, an infinitude of pinnacles, -with a wonderful building beneath. The mystery of a beautiful night -conjures up all that is best in this country. Squalor and dirt are -hidden; one's thoughts take flight and wander back to the Spain of old, -the glorious Spain of bygone days. At moments like this I certainly -would never have been surprised to hear the clatter of hoofs and see a -band of knights with pennons flying and armour glinting appear suddenly -in the semi-darkness. Well, the days of chivalry have gone but the -romance of a starry night will never die. - -The next morning I returned eager to discover what my impressions would -unfold. Much to my delight I found the restoration of the Cathedral, -which I knew was in progress, so far finished that not a single scaffold -pole, nor any rubbish heaps of old stones were anywhere to be seen. -Extremely well have the designs of Señor Don Juan Madrazo been carried -out, and the Cathedral to-day stands a magnificent church and grand -monument of Christianity. - -Santa Maria de Regla is the third Cathedral which has existed in Leon. -The site of the first is supposed to have been outside the city walls. -The second was built where once stood the Palace of Ordoño II., and this -had been raised on ground occupied by Roman baths. - -The present edifice was founded in 1190 by Bishop Manrique de Lara, a -scion of a great family which was always in revolt, but was not -completed until the early part of the fourteenth century. - -With Toledo and Burgos, Leon's Cathedral forms the group of three great -churches that are distinctly French, and closely resemble Amiens and -Rheims. It would be difficult to find another building the interior of -which exceeded the colour elegance and grace of this airy structure. - -[Illustration: LEON. THE WEST PORCH OF THE CATHEDRAL] - -The west porch is the finest Gothic specimen of its kind which exists in -Spain and recalls those of Notre Dame de Paris and the Cathedral at -Chartres. Three archways are supported by cloistered columns to which -are attached figures under beautiful canopies. The archivolts and -tympanum are covered with sculpture representing the Reward of the Just -and Unjust, the Nativity, Adoration, Flight in Egypt, and Massacre of -the Innocents. All are extremely interesting, many of the figures being -in contemporary costume. Two grand towers flank the west façade, of -which the north is the older and some thirty feet less in height than -its neighbour. Both are surmounted by spires, that of the south being an -excellent example of open filigree work, rivalling those at Burgos and -very much better than that of Oviedo. - -Between these towers and above the porch is a pediment with spires and a -glorious wheel window, underneath which is a row of windows that -corresponds to the triforium. This portion is part of the late -restoration. - -The south porch also has three arches, which have been well renovated. -The centre one alone has a door to admit into the interior, it is double -and surrounded by figures in the archivolt with reliefs in the tympanum. -On the centre column is a figure of San Froilan, at one time Bishop of -Leon. - -A beautiful balustrade follows the sky-line of the whole Cathedral. This -is broken by many pinnacles, some of which are spiral, with others on -the façades and finishing the supports of the flying buttresses, give -the exterior a resemblance to a forest of small spires. - -The interior is a marvel of beauty and lightness. The nave and aisles -consist of six bays, no lateral chapels disfigure the latter with -chirrigueresque atrocities. The triforium runs round the whole -Cathedral. So cleverly has the spacing here been arranged, that with the -clerestory it makes one magnificent panel of gorgeous light. The windows -of this, forty feet high, were at one time blocked up for safety. They -now contain stained glass, and soar upwards to the vaulting of the roof. -Every window in the Cathedral is coloured and the effect as the sun -streams through can well be imagined. - -No flamboyant _retablo_ spoils the simplicity of the east end, the place -of what might have been a jarring note amidst the Gothic work being -taken by good paintings in flat gilded frames. It was Señor Madrazo's -idea to remove the _coro_ from the centre of the nave, and had this been -done Santa Maria de Regla would have gained immensely. The carved -stalls are good, and the _trascoro_ sculptured in white marble, which -age has toned, and picked out in gold, is decidedly a fine work. - -Among the chapels in the apse that of La Nuestra Señora del Dado -contains a miraculous Virgin and Child. Tradition tells that a gambler -who had lost heavily threw his dice at her and smote her on the nose. -This forthwith bled copiously, hence the miracle and the name of "Dado" -or "die." Another chapel contains the tomb of a great benefactress of -the Cathedral, the Condesa Sancha. An expectant nephew, seeing her -property slowly dwindling in the cause of the Faith, put an end to his -aunt, and thereby met his own death by being pulled asunder by horses to -which he was tied. - -However, the chapels are not very interesting, but the tombs in the -Cathedral are. Of all these that of Ordoño II., behind the chancel, is -certainly the finest. The king lies at full length with a herald at his -head and a monk at his feet holding a scroll inscribed "aspice." He -wears his crown and carries the royal emblems. This tomb was erected -five hundred years after the king's death, and is guarded by a quaint -iron grille. - -The cloisters, entered from a door in the north transept, are a jumble -of Gothic and Renaissance, with a Romanesque arcade and a good deal of -plateresque work as well. Some of the earliest frescoes in Spain are -fast disappearing from the walls. They illustrate events in the Life of -Christ, and are in an early Italian style that places their origin in -doubt. From the western spires to the angular exterior of the chevet, a -good idea is obtained of the beauty of the Cathedral as one stands in -these cloisters, and when they, too, are restored the great work begun -in 1860 will be finished. - -Next to the Cathedral, and perhaps in a way more interesting, is the -convent of San Isidoro el Real. This, the Escorial of Leon and Castile, -is a building which Soult's soldiers desecrated in a most abominable -manner; next to the lower or Roman portion of the city walls it is the -most ancient building in Leon. The body of San Isidoro was brought -hither in the reign of Ferdinand I. who obtained it from the Emir of -Seville, and the present church was erected to receive it. This was in -1063, the original convent being a hundred years older. San Isidoro was -declared by the Council of Toledo to be the Egregious Doctor of Spain, -and in his capacity of titular saint fought with cross and sword at the -battle of Baeza against the Moors. - -The church is Romanesque and dark with a lofty clerestory but no -triforium. The High Altar shares with that at Lugo in Galicia the -privilege of having the host always _manifestado_. - -[Illustration: LEON. SAN MARCOS] - -In the Panteon, a small low chapel at the west end, lie buried the Kings -and Queens and other royalties of Leon. The columns are very massive -with heavy capitals; the ceiling is adorned with early frescoes which -happily escaped the depredations of the French, they are crude, but the -colour adds to the impressiveness of this gloomy abode of the Dead. -Representing scenes from the Lives of our Lord and His Apostles, with -signs of the Zodiac and months of the year, they date from 1180. The -whole convent is replete with mural paintings, and before Soult sacked -it contained many extremely interesting and rare missals of the seventh -and eighth centuries. - -Unique is another convent, that of San Marcos, which stands on the river -bank outside the city on the road to Astorga. Founded as a chapel in -1168 for the knights of Santiago, it was rebuilt in 1514-49 by Juan de -Badajos, and is certainly his masterpiece. It would be difficult to find -a façade of greater beauty than this marvel of plateresque work. The -remarkable pink and golden colour of the stone, intensified against the -background of a deep blue sky, the delicacy of the carving in which -angels and cherubs, griffons and monsters intermingle with floral -wreaths and branches of fruit in orderly confusion, the elegant pillars -and pilasters, all so truly Spanish under the blazing sun, fascinated -me immensely as time after time I returned to wonder and admire. - -Here again I could conjure up the past, the romance of Spain's greatest -Order; well housed were those knights of old in their glorious Hospice, -and now--the river still runs under the walls of what afterwards became -a convent, its banks are lined with tall poplars, far away rise the -mountains of the north in rugged outline just as they did of yore--and -San Marcos? Alas! half is a museum and the rest a barrack. A forlorn air -pervades the place, the old garden wants tending, and despite the life -of the military, I could not help sighing once again, as I have so often -sighed in Spain--"How are the mighty fallen!" - - - - -OVIEDO - - -Oviedo, seldom visited by the foreigner, lies well situated on rising -ground in a fine open valley. Grand mountains surround and hem it in on -the east, south and west, to the north the country undulates until it -reaches the Biscay coast twenty odd miles away. These natural barriers -gather the clouds and the climate is humid; on an average there are but -sixty cloudless days in the year. While I was in Oviedo it rained almost -incessantly, and the "clang of the wooden shoon" kept the streets lively -with a clattering "click-clack." All the poorer classes wear sabots in -wet weather, sabots that are pegged on the soles, difficult to walk in, -but kept well out of the mud and puddles by these pegs. This particular -make is common to Asturias, just as the ordinary French shape is to -Galicia. - -Oviedo is one of Spain's university cities, and I happened to strike the -week when the festivities in celebration of its tercentenary were in -progress. Wet weather and pouring rain never damp the ardour of the -Spaniard during a _fiesta_, and despite the rain, powder was kept dry -somehow or other, and enthusiasm vented itself regularly up to eleven -o'clock every night by terrific explosions. Functions of some sort -seemed to be going on all day long. Societies from the country paraded -the streets, led by music, in most cases bagpipes and a drum, and Oviedo -was evidently "doing itself proud." - -I happened on a ceremony in the Cathedral one morning. The bishop was -preaching to an immense crowd when I entered. Seated in the nave were -the Professors of the University, Doctors of Law and Medicine, the -Military Governor and his Staff, the Alcalde and Town Councillors, -besides representatives from the universities of every European country, -except, strangely enough, Germany, and one from Harvard, the first to -attend a function of this sort since the war. It was a really wonderful -sight, for the Cathedral is not marred by a _coro_ in the nave. The hues -of the many-coloured robes, from canary yellow and scarlet to cerulean -blue and black, the vast throng literally filling every available bit of -space, even on to the pulpit steps, gave me a subject for my brush, and -I surreptitiously made a hasty sketch, to be finished afterwards in my -room. - -[Illustration: OVIEDO. IN THE CATHEDRAL] - -The Cathedral was founded by Fruela in 781, and enlarged in 802 by -Alfonso the Chaste, who made Oviedo the capital of Asturias, and with -his Court resided here. He created the See in 810. The present edifice -was begun by Bishop Gutierrez of Toledo in 1388, and the tower added by -Cardinal Mendoza in 1528. - -Hedged in, although fronting on to a little _plaza_, the grand west -façade with its beautiful porch can hardly be said to be visible. This -lofty portico of richly ornamented Gothic, under the shelter of which -the gossips parade to and fro, leads into the Cathedral and stands -thrust out and between the two towers. Only one of these towers is -completed, and it is surmounted by a good open-work spire the top of -which rises two hundred and seventy feet from the ground. - -I wandered about hopelessly trying to gain some idea of the exterior of -the Cathedral and found that it was only by walking outside the city -that anything at all can be seen of it, and then the towers and roof of -the nave, with the flying buttresses attached, were the only features -that came into view. - -The entrance by the south door leads through a dark passage, in which -many votive offerings hang over a tiny shrine where burnt a little -flickering lamp; going in I found myself at the spot from which I had -made my sketch the previous day. What a relief it was to find no _coro_ -blocking up the nave! The eye could wander over the whole of this lofty -interior--could follow the beautiful open work of the triforium and rest -on the stained glass of the clerestory windows. The aisles are very -shadowy, all the light being concentrated in the nave and the crossing, -and the vision, with a great sense of good effect, is led up to the -white tabernacle on the High Altar and the immense _retablo_ beyond. A -little theatrical if you like, but it is business, and the Church -understands this so well. - -Among the chapels, good, bad and indifferent, is one containing a -gorgeous silver-gilt shrine wherein rests the body of Santa Eulalia, -Oviedo's patroness. In another, tucked away behind the north transept, -the Capilla del Rey Casto, lies buried Alfonso the Chaste who did so -much for the city. Six niches in the walls contain stone coffins, which -are supposed to hold the remains of Fruela I., Urraca, wife of Ramiro -I., Alfonso el Católico, Ramiro, and Ordoño I. The bodies of these -royalties at one time lay here, and a modern inscription on a mural -tablet relates how they were removed, but not how their tombs were -destroyed. Many other kings and princes we are told by this tablet also -lie here, and as there are but half a dozen coffins their bones must be -_bien mélange_. - -There are the usual overdone chirrigueresque altars which do their best -to mar this imposing church, though I am glad to say they hardly -succeed. From them, however, it was a relief to be taken by a very -intelligent verger up the winding stairs which led to the Cámara Santa. - -This is by far the most interesting portion of the Cathedral. Built by -Alfonso in 802 to hold the sacred relics brought hither from Toledo at -the time of the Moorish invasion, it stands above a vaulted basement; -the reason for this arrangement evidently being the damp climate, and -the wish to keep so holy a charge free from moisture. The chapel is -divided into two parts. The inner, of very small dimensions, has a low -barrel vaulting borne by arches with primitive twelfth-century figures. -The _sanctum sanctorum_ is slightly raised, and from this inmost Holy of -Holies the relics are shown to the devout who kneel in front of a low -railing every day at 8.30 A.M. and 3.30 P.M. The cedar wood _arca_ in -which they are kept is of Byzantine workmanship. The relics include some -of Mary Magdalene's hair, and crumbs left over from the feeding of the -five thousand. - -The outer chamber of the chapel has a finely-groined roof, attached to -the columns supporting which are statues of the twelve apostles. The -richly-tesselated pavement resembles the Norman-Byzantine work of -Sicily, and was not uncommon in Spain prior to the thirteenth century. - -A bell tower, in which at one time hung "Wamba," the great bell of the -church cast in 1219, stands partly on the roof and at the south-east -corner of the Cámara Santa. It was erected by Alfonso VI., and to judge -by its present state will not long survive, most decidedly "Wamba" could -not swing there now. - -The Cathedral possesses three remarkable crosses, La Cruz de los -Angeles, Maltese in shape, is studded with uncut gems. It dates from -808, and like the cross at Santiago is 1200 years old. La Cruz de la -Victoria, the cross of Pelayo, is encased in beautiful filigree work, -and is the identical one borne aloft before Pelayo at his glorious -victory over the Moor at the Cave of Covadonga. The third is a crucifix -on an ivory diptych, absolutely identical with the Cristo de las -Batallas of the Cid at Salamanca. Many other relics of great -archæological interest belong to the Cathedral, and make it well worth -the journey to see. This journey from Leon is long and trying, but the -line, which climbs to an altitude of 4110 feet, is one of the finest -pieces of engineering skill in Spain. - -[Illustration: OVIEDO. THE CLOISTERS] - -The dark entry of the south door leads not only into the Cathedral and -up to the Cámara Santa, but also through a side door opens on to the -fourteenth-century cloisters. They are well kept and the little garden -court a paradise in comparison with some of those I know. The capitals -of the columns are well carved with prophets and saints under canopies, -angels and angels' heads, grotesques and good floral cutting; while into -the walls beneath them and round the arcades are let many tombs and -gravestones brought here from different ruined or desecrated churches. - -I went off one morning to see the earliest Christian church in the -country. Braving the rain I tramped through mud ankle-deep for an hour -up the hill slopes westward. It was a case of two steps forward and one -back, but the spirit of the tourist was on me. I could not leave Oviedo -and acknowledge I had not been to Naranco. I was desperate and I got -there. What a charming out-of-the-way spot it is! Hidden behind a grove -of ancient chestnut trees, under the brow of the mountain, stands Santa -Maria. - -A triple arched porch at the top of a dozen steps gives entrance on the -north side to this minute and primitive place of worship. I entered and -found myself in a barrel-vaulted parallelogram, with a curious arcade -running round the walls. The west end is raised three steps above the -nave, from which it is cut off by three arches ten feet high at the -centre. The east end also has this feature, but the floor is level with -the nave. All the columns in the church are of twisted cable design -with shield capitals containing figures in low relief. The arcades, -which are walled up, have depending from the plain groining bands slabs -of cut stone with plaques below, something like a ribbon and medal in -the way they hang. The interior is but thirty-five feet in length and -fifteen feet across. - -Beneath the church is a semicircular stone crypt, similar to that -beneath the Cámara Santa; it is entered from the cottage in which at one -time lived the officiating priest. The caretaker inhabits this cottage, -which is built on to the church, and I had come at her dinner hour. -Alas! she could not leave me in peace, and I must own to a defeat. I was -practically driven away, for the meal was spoiling and required her -undivided attention, but I had seen Santa Maria de Naranco; I had -grasped how in the early days, when the Infidel was overrunning the -land, this little building on the lone hillside was a centre of the -Faith, and how from the surrounding mountain fastnesses worshippers had -gathered here and gone away strengthened by prayer, and how from this -little seed of the Church sown on the forest-clad hill Spain's -mightiness had grown. - - - - -VALLADOLID - - -For nearly one hundred and fifty years, from the reign of Juan II., -1454, to Philip II., 1598, Valladolid was a royal city and the capital -of Castile. It lies on the plain through which the river Pisuerga -meanders, just touching the outskirts of the city on the western side. -In the Moorish days Valladolid was known as Belad al Wali, "The Town of -the Governor," and flourished as a great agricultural centre. It is -still the focus of the corn trade of Old Castile. It was here that -Prince Ferdinand, despite attempts on the part of his father Juan II. to -frustrate it, was introduced to Isabella the reigning Queen of Castile -and Leon. Many suitors had proposed themselves and paid their addresses -to this paragon among women, but possessing a will of her own she made -her choice and selected the Prince whom she married on October 19, 1469. - -Valladolid suffered more severely at the hands of the French than any -other city of Spain. They demolished most of the good houses and -despoiled the churches; among those that are left, however, I found -plenty to interest me and to make a stay, after I had discovered them, -well worth the while. - -I made a sketch of Santa Maria la Antigua, which is the most interesting -edifice in the place. The fine Romanesque tower is surmounted by a tiled -steeple which recalls Lombardy, and although many additions have been -made to the original fabric the whole building piles up very well, the -early Gothic east end being particularly beautiful. This church dates -from the twelfth century, but the greater part of it is pure Gothic. The -roof is richly groined; there are three parallel apses, and the _coro_ -is at the west end--an always welcome place to find it. The _retablo_ by -Juan de Juni, whose work is scattered throughout the churches of -Valladolid, is fine though over-elaborate. - -Another good church is San Pablo, partly rebuilt by the great Cardinal -Torquemada, whose name will for ever be associated with the terrors of -the Inquisition. I found another subject for my brush in its very -intricate late Gothic west façade. The upper part of this contains the -arms of the Catholic Kings, below which on either side are those of the -Duque de Lerma. The niches are luckily all filled with their original -figures, and the wonderful tracery of the round window is also in good -preservation. The grey finials are weather-worn and contrast well with -the rich yellow and pink of the rest of the front, a façade which is -absolutely crammed with intricate design. Two hideous towers of later -date and of the same stone as that with which the Cathedral is built, -flank this and detract unfortunately from one of the best examples of -late Gothic work in the country. - -[Illustration: VALLADOLID. SANTA MARIA LA ANTIGUA] - -Hard by, up the street pictured in my sketch, stands the Colegiata de -San Gregorio, with an equally fine façade, though being an earlier -Gothic it is more severe in type. The doorway of this is surmounted by a -genealogical tree and the arms of Ferdinand and Isabella. Some of the -figures of rough hairy men with cudgels are very primitive. San Gregorio -was a foundation of Cardinal Ximenes, it is now used as municipal -offices. Passing through the doorway I entered a beautiful little court, -rather dark, but with sufficient light to enable me to appreciate the -good artesonade ceiling of its cloisters. The second court is a blaze of -light. Spiral fluted columns form the cloister, the ceiling of which is -picked out in a cerulean blue and white; they support a recently -restored gallery, a mixture of Moorish, Romanesque and plateresque work, -into which the sheaves and yoke of the Catholic Kings is introduced as -at Granada and Santiago, making a very effective whole. A fine old stone -stairway leads from this court up to what in the old collegiate days was -a library. - -Of the Cathedral I fear I can write but little. It is a huge gloomy -edifice without a single redeeming feature, and of all those I saw the -most incomplete and disappointing. The exterior north and south walls -are still unfinished, the stone work is not even faced! The east are -built of brick, and the west façade, altered by Chirriguera himself from -the original plan of Herrara, is extremely bald and ugly. - -This enormous building is four hundred feet in length and over two -hundred wide, yet these proportions give it no grandeur. The interior is -absolutely devoid of ornament, and if it were not for the _silleria_ in -the _coro_, which were originally intended for San Pablo and are good, -there would be nothing to warrant a visit to this cold and depressing -church. By the way, the sacristy contains a silver _custodia_ in the -shape of an open temple, a good example of the work of Juan de Arfe. - -There is a third-rate French air about Valladolid, at least so it struck -me, and it was only after a visit to the old Colegio de Santa Cruz, -wherein is the museum, that my first disappointment wore off and I felt -that I was still in Spain. - -[Illustration: VALLADOLID. SAN PABLO] - -The contents of the museum are mostly objects which the French plundered -from the churches and monasteries of Castile, and were recovered after -their disastrous defeat at Vitoria. The styles of Berruguete, Hernandez -and Juan de Juni can be examined here at leisure. Some of the life-size -carved wooden figures of the last named, formerly used on the -processional cars which parade the streets at certain festivals, are -remarkable more from the extravagant attitudes of the figures than from -their artistic merit. The custodian who accompanied me was a pleasant -fellow, and evinced surprise that a _pintor_ could not see the beauties -he pointed out. I fear he thought little of my artistic discrimination; -especially when in the Sala de Juntas he invited me to ascend a pulpit -over which hung a large crucifix, and with fervour solicited my -admiration of the face of Christ, on which was a most agonised look, -"cheap" and quite according to academic rules. "No, no, it is bad." -"But, señor, He suffers." I could not make him understand that acute -suffering need not be so painfully apparent. - -In this Sala are placed the whole of the _silleria de coro_ from the -church of San Benito. Arranged on either side of the room they give it a -superb effect. At the far end are the red velvet-covered chairs of -Spanish Chippendale used by the Council of the Academy of Arts at their -meetings. Beyond them, on a raised platform, are the two bronze-gilt -kneeling figures of the Duke and Duchess de Lerma. A few pictures hang -on the walls and other treasures and relics help to make this fine Sala -an ideal council chamber for the academicians. - -Of the hundreds of carved figures in other rooms those by Berruguete, -very Greek in type, flat brow and straight nose, are artistically by far -the best, though the "Death of our Lord," a life-size composition by -Hernandez, follows not far behind. Just as Madrid contains the finest -armoury in the world, I doubt if any other museum can compete with -Valladolid's for figures and compositions of carved wood. - -The University holds at present a high rank, most of its professors -being progressive. The building itself is a chirrigueresque concern of -the seventeenth century with a very extravagant façade. It possesses a -good library which is get-at-able, and not like others belonging to the -church which are very difficult of access. À propos of this one of the -professors here told me the following hardly credible experience of a -friend of his, whom I will call A. - -There is a movement at present in Spain to catalogue some at least of -the many thousands of priceless historical Arabic documents and MSS. -which, hidden away in Cathedral and other libraries, would throw -invaluable light on the history of early times if they could be -examined. A. is engaged in trying to compile this catalogue, and, -hearing that in a certain Cathedral city--not Valladolid--the Cathedral -library contained some treasures of Arabic lore, procured an -introduction to the bishop, and requested permission to search the -archives of the diocese. - -Explaining that he was unable to help in the matter, the bishop sent A. -to the chapter authorities. The basis of their refusal was that any MS. -if taken down from its shelf might be injured, and if once taken down -might not be replaced in the same position! "Yes, they certainly -possessed many supposed Arabic documents, but as none had been disturbed -in living memory, why take the trouble to make a catalogue? Surely this -would be superfluous, the books were there no doubt, A. could see them -in their shelves, the librarian would be happy to show them, but no, -they could not be taken down." - -In the library of the Escorial the books are all placed with their -titles against the wall and their edges turned towards the spectator, so -that no vulgar touch could defame them by reading. Small wonder that the -Progressists of Spain shrug their shoulders sometimes at the many petty -obstacles encountered in their attempts to better their country, and -regard it as an almost hopeless task. - -Two foreign colleges are situated in Valladolid, the Scotch and the -English. The first named was founded by Colonel Semple in Madrid and -removed hither in 1771, the second by Sir Francis Englefield, who came -to Spain after the execution of Mary Queen of Scots. They are both -seminaries for the education of young priests and with the Irish College -in Salamanca complete the trio. - -The focus of the city's life is in the Plaza Mayor, a fine square where -the first _auto da fé_, which Philip II. and his court witnessed, took -place in October 1559. It was here also that Alvaro de Luna was -executed, after faithfully serving his King, Juan II., for thirty years. -Spain thereby lost the strong will and the arm which enforced it, and -which out of chaos had brought the country into a semblance of order by -quelling the turbulent nobles. Such has been in the past the fickleness -of Spain's rulers that not one of the great men who have served their -country, with perhaps the exception of General Prim, and he died a -disappointed man, has ever ended his life in peace and quiet. They have -nearly all died at the stake, on the scaffold, or been foully murdered. - -The much dilapidated house in a narrow street where Columbus died is -fast falling into ruin, but that in the Calle de Rastro, where Cervantes -lived and wrote the first part of Don Quixote, is in better condition. - - - - -BURGOS - - -Unlike most folk who enter the country from the north, I left Burgos for -the end of my last visit to Spain, and found it in a way not unlike -Cadiz, the first place I arrived at. They are both clean cities--for -Spain; the streets in both are narrow, and the houses tall with -double-glazed balconies. There is but little traffic in either, the -squares in both are numerous, but the resemblance stops at this. The -streets of Burgos run east and west in lines more or less parallel with -the river Arlanzón. They are draughty and cold. The city stands 2785 -feet above sea level and the winds sweep down from the distant sierra in -bitter blasts. The life of Burgos is eminently ecclesiastical with a -large sprinkling of the military element, for here all three branches of -the service are quartered. It is a quiet place and I worked in peace -unmolested. - -What a pity the builders of the great Cathedral could not find another -site whereon to erect their wonderful church. How much better it would -have looked if placed on the flat ground near the river than on the -spot where a summer palace of Gonzalez once stood. However, one cannot -move mountains and I was perforce obliged to plant my easel on the slope -of the hill and paint the stock view from in front of the west façade. - -In 1075 Alfonso VI. moved the Archiepiscopal See from Oca to Burgos and -gave the site of the royal palace for its erection. The present edifice -was founded in 1221 by Ferdinand el Santo on the occasion of his -marriage with Beatrice of Swabia, who in her train brought the -Englishman, Bishop Maurice. Employing a French architect, Maurice was -more or less responsible for the present building, though another -foreigner, John of Cologne, added the beautiful open work spires with -their parapets to the towers of the west end. It is curious that this, -the most richly ornate Cathedral in the country, should be the outcome -of patronage of the foreigner, though at the same time it is the most -Spanish of the three "foreign" Cathedrals. So rich is this magnificent -Church in every style of architectural decoration that it would take a -lifetime to know it thoroughly. - -John of Cologne's beautiful spires are better than those at Leon and -Oviedo, and rise with the towers that support them to a height close on -300 ft. The gorgeous central lantern, with its twelve traceried -pinnacles, the grace of those that surmount the Constable's Chapel, the -many, many others that break the skyline and adorn this glorious fabric, -all go to make it a building that, despite the different styles -employed, will be a wonder and a joy as long as man's handiwork lasts. - -The lower portion of the west front was renewed in 1790. The Puerta -Principal in the centre is flanked by two small doors, with reliefs of -the Conception and Crowning of the Virgin, while the chief door has four -statues of Ferdinand el Santo, Alfonso VI., and Bishops Oca and Maurice. -Large Gothic windows occupy the third stage of the front, their bases -being filled with statues. The central stage, which has a single arch, -contains a splendid rose window. The upper portion of the two towers is -occupied by very beautiful perforated double windows in which crochet -decoration is profusely used. It is altogether a wonderful façade which -I greatly wished could be seen from the level. - -The chief entrance on the north is closed. It is on the street, and -through it the descent into the north transept is by the well-known -Escalada Dorada. The early Gothic portal--Puerta alta--is adorned by -statues and with the whole of this façade is one of the earliest -portions of the Cathedral. The door, which on this side leads into the -Cathedral, is the Puerta de la Pellejeria and opens on to the -north-east angle of the transept below the Golden Staircase. - -On the south the Puerta del Sarmental is approached from the street by -three tiers of steps, it is also part of the original Gothic and is -decorated with statues and coats-of-arms. Above it rises a similar -façade to that of the north transept. The arcading in both these façades -is most beautiful and from some points, where the roof-line can be seen -cutting the sky, they look like two towers surmounted by an elegant -balustrade. Very probably the pitch of the roofs was intended to be -higher, and the building of the central lantern has interfered with the -original design. - -The nave of pure early Gothic is lofty but sadly spoilt by the height of -the _coro_. The aisles are low, but very beautiful. The _cimborio_ runs -up in double stages with windows in each and balustrades, it is a -perfect maze of intricate design and fine carving. The walls are covered -with the royal arms of Charles V. and the City of Burgos; there are -figures of patriarchs and prophets standing in the niches, seraphim and -angels occupy the recesses of the spandrils, and the beautiful groining -of this superb octagon is quite unmatched anywhere in Spain. It all -looks as if just finished, the stone is white and in perfect -preservation. How my neck used to ache when looking aloft, unweaving the -intricacies of that splendid interior! To strengthen the Cathedral and -support the weight of this addition, the original piers were altered at -the crossing, and the huge cylindrical columns, which are richly chased -with Renaissance decoration, substituted. One can hardly say that Juan -de Vallejo has spoilt the church by this octagon, for his work here -would grace any building, but all the same I think the Gothic of the -interior has suffered by the introduction of his designs, and I would -sooner have seen the crossing in its original state. - -[Illustration: BURGOS. THE CAPILLA MAYOR] - -The triforium is composed of wide bays with an uneven number of closed -lights in each. A single arch, the mouldings of which are surmounted by -carved heads, spans each group. - -The clerestory contains a little modern glass, most of the old having -been destroyed by a powder explosion in the fort on the hill above. - -In the _coro_ the _silleria_ are exquisitely carved; the main panels -represent subjects from the New Testament, the lower, which are divided -by pilasters with arabesques, represent scenes of martyrdom. Philip -Vigarni, who was responsible for this fine _coro_, surpassed himself in -some of its decoration, which adds one more item to all that ought to be -thoroughly studied in the great Cathedral. - -On the north side of the High Altar, in front or which hangs a -magnificent silver lamp, are the tombs of three of the Infantes of -Castile. Behind this, the _trassagrario_ is covered with well-executed -reliefs in white stone, some of this is very soft and has crumbled away -a good deal. Every morning a deposit of dust is swept up and it will -soon be necessary to thoroughly restore these fine panels or the designs -will be lost for ever. They represent the Agony in the Garden, our Lord -bearing the Cross, the Crucifixion, the Descent, the Resurrection and -the Ascension. The three centre are by Vigarni, and the others by -Alfonso de los Rios. - -Nearly all the chapels are replete with interest, be it architecture, -tombs, pictures or relics, but of them all the Capilla del Condestable -is the grandest. Built in 1487 by John of Cologne for the Hereditary -Constable of Castile, Don Pedro Fernandez de Velasco, it is the private -property of the Duque de Frias. The _reja_, the masterpiece of Cristobal -Andino, bears date MDXXIII. and is certainly the finest in the -Cathedral. It is a worthy entrance to this magnificent octagon, which, -viewed from outside, rises detached from the main building with eight -elaborate pinnacles pointing heavenwards. The tracery of the pierced -ceiling of the Lantern with its gilded bosses, vies in intricacy with -that of the Cathedral itself. There is a double clerestory with -sculptured knights at the bases of the columns holding coloured metal -banners. The undercutting of the mouldings in the arches is very -marvellous, the lowest course is formed of detached figures hanging -downwards and from a little distance off looks like a piece of lacework. -In front of the _retablo_ and High Altar are the superbly sculptured -tombs of the Constable and his wife. He is in full armour, she lies by -his side on a richly embroidered cushion with her little lap-dog -nestling comfortably in the folds of her robe near her feet. The chapel -teems with interest; the wealth of red marble from the quarries of -Atapuerca and the very effective chequer arrangement of black and white -steps leading to the High Altar give it just the note of colour its -whiteness otherwise would lack. - -Attached to the chapel is a small vestry entered through a diminutive -plateresque doorway of exquisite design. Amongst other priceless relics -the vestry contains a fine gold chalice studded with precious stones and -a good Madonna by Luini. - -Another fine picture, a _Virgin and Child_ by Sebastian del Piombo, -hangs over the altar in the Capilla de La Presentacion. In the Capilla -del Santissimo Cristo is a very ancient crucifix of life-sized -proportions. Tradition and the vergers say that it came from the East -and was carved by Nicodemus. The figure is flexible and very -attenuated, it is covered with a buff-coloured leather to represent -dried flesh and is very gruesome. In San Juan de Sahagun are six panels -of the fifteenth century; good specimens of the early Spanish school, -they represent the Nativity, Adoration and four scenes from the Passion. - -The great Bishop Alfonso de Cartagena lies interred in the Capilla de -San Enrique, and his tomb is remarkably fine. Others in this chapel and -in the cloisters are cut in slate and have been worked with great -cleverness considering the way in which a blow splinters this material -so easily. - -The Chapel of Santa Ana, unfortunately restored recently, belongs to the -Duque de Abrantes, and contains the best _retablo_ in the Cathedral. On -it are displayed incidents in the Life of Christ which spring from and -are enclosed by the branches of a genealogical tree. It is a quaint idea -very well carried out. - -It is a difficult task to try and give an idea of the contents and -admirable style of all these chapels in the space of a short chapter, -suffice it to say that they are, one and all, worthy pendants to the -rest of the great church, and exemplify in their contents the glorious -age of the ruling bishops and nobility of Old Castile. - -In the south transept is a wonderful low doorway in front of which I had -often stood examining the well-carved wooden panels on the doors -themselves. It leads into the cloisters, but it was not until I had -become thoroughly acquainted with the groups representing the Entry into -Jerusalem and the Descent into Hades which grace this portal, that I -passed through. The door dates from the early fifteenth century and -considering the many thousands of times it has swung open and shut is in -most excellent preservation. - -The cloisters are fourteenth-century work and form an upper storey to a -basement cloister of low arches surrounding a courtyard which at the -time of my visit was undergoing extensive repair. In the centre is a -huge cross; the flagstones of the court were all up, and the bones from -many disturbed graves were being thrown into a pit. The beautiful -cloisters proper are filled with modern opaque glass--"Muy frio" -answered the verger to my question, "Por que?"--and no doubt it is in -the winter months. But the charm about a cloister is the vista through -the arches; this Burgos has lost for the sake of the well-being of her -priests; the pity is that funds would not allow of better glass when the -utilitarian aspect demanded the shutting out of the cold winds. - -The sacristy on the east side of the cloisters is a very beautiful early -fifteenth-century room with a fine groined roof, the peculiarity of -which is that it has no supporting columns. The half-piers end in -corbels of hunting scenes and I daresay have often recalled to many a -priest days of his early boyhood. - -The Chapter House, with an artesonade ceiling, contains some good -pictures and is reached through the Capilla del Corpus Christi. High up -on the wall of this chapel, and fixed to it with iron clamps, is the -Cofre del Cid, a wooden coffer which the Campeador filled with sand, and -telling the Jews it was full of gold, raised six hundred marks. He -redeemed the pledge later on and paid up the sum he had borrowed. The -tomb of Enrique III.'s head cook, who is lying in armour with a sword, -occupies a space on the floor. He was not a bad-looking man and I -daresay took his turn at the enemy and used his sword when occasion -offered. Street writes of these cloisters--"I know none more interesting -and more varied"--but I left them and the many fine tombs and statues -they contain wishing that priests were not mortal nor liable to chills. - -[Illustration: BURGOS. ARCH OF SANTA MARIA] - -The capital of Old Castile is a quiet little place and I felt I was in a -northern clime far away from the charm of Andalusia and the south. The -name Burgos is of Iberian origin, "Briga" signifying "a fortified hill." -Founded as long ago as 884 by Diego de Porcelos, it was for many -generations the capital of Castile. At the marriage of Ferdinand I. in -1067 Castile and Leon became one and ten years later the seat of -Government was removed by Alfonso VI. to Toledo. Serious troubles ensued -between the inhabitants of the two cities. Old Castile could not brook -the interference of the great archbishops of New Castile and the loss of -prestige attached to royalty and its court. - -In Charles V.'s reign Burgos joined the Comunéros, the opponents of -centralised government, but was wisely pardoned with other towns by the -King, who held a court in state for this purpose in the Plaza Mayor at -Valladolid. As a result of this forgiveness the inhabitants erected the -fine entrance gateway of Santa Maria of which I made a sketch. Since -that day, except for Wellington's futile sieges, Burgos has slept the -sleep of the just and being an eminently ecclesiastical city will -continue in this happy state. - -Much of interest lies tucked away in the narrow streets. There is the -Casa del Cordon, at one time the palace of the Velasco family, and a -royal residence. Within its walls the Catholic Kings received Columbus -on his return from the New World, and here was signed the incorporation -of Navarre with Castile. This fine example of a town house is flanked by -two square towers, with a rope from which it takes its name carved over -the portal. The Casa de Miranda, with a noble courtyard and -well-proportioned fluted columns, near which is the Casa de Angulo a -strong fortress-like building. The façade of the old Collegio de San -Nicolas is replete with fine workmanship and the church of this name -with tombs. The richly-carved stone _retablo_, illustrating events of -the saint's life, is also a work of real art. Under the wall of the -cemetery stood the house wherein the Cid was born, and in the Castle on -the hill, now a ruin, he was married. The nuptials of Edward I. of -England with Eleanor of Castile were celebrated in this fortress, which -can also claim the birth of Pedro the Cruel. - -For a provincial town Burgos possesses a most interesting museum. Among -the many relics I saw was a bronze altar font with coloured enamels of -saints and a Moorish ivory casket, both from the monastery of San -Domingo de Silos. The fine kneeling figure in alabaster of Juan de -Padilla, who lost his life at an early age during one of the sieges of -Granada, is almost as beautiful as that of the Infante Alfonso in the -Cartuja. Roman and mediæval remains, found at different times and taken -from disestablished convents, added to the interest of a short visit. -There is so much to see in Burgos and its surroundings, and the seeing -of it all is so pleasant, so undisturbed, and so different to the south, -where for ever I was annoyed by touting loafers and irrepressible boys, -that when I left it was with feelings of great regret. - -[Illustration] - -Across the river, about an hour's walk one morning brought me to the -Convent of Las Huelgas, which is still inhabited by shy nuns. Founded in -1187 by Alfonso VIII. it has always loomed large in the history of -Castile. Many of her kings have kept vigil before the High Altar, when -receiving knighthood, our own Edward I. among them. Many royal pairs -have been wedded within the church, and many sleep their long sleep -within its quiet precincts. The Abbess was mitred, she possessed powers -of life and death, she ranked as a Princess-palatine next to the Queen, -and she was styled "Por la gracia de Dios." Her nuns were, and still -are, daughters of noble houses, and some even of royal birth. In the -chapel of Santiago hangs a copy of the embroidered banner captured at -the great fight of Las Navas de Tolosa, a victory which crippled and -drove out the Infidel from the north. The original hangs in the nun's -choir, a fitting pendant to the splendid tapestries which cover the -walls. I was told of other treasures invisible to the eye of man and -once again wished I could have changed my sex for a short time. Being -mere man, I heard the gate shut as I left the convent with a rather -crestfallen feeling, so walked another half-mile on to the Hospital del -Rey. - -Alfonso VIII. built this Hospice for pilgrims _en route_ to Santiago. -But little remains of the original building, though the Renaissance -façade and thirteenth-century doorway, with curious figures of Adam and -Eve, repaid me for my extra trudge and I returned to my hotel with the -imagined slight dissipated and my _amour propre_ restored. - -My last pilgrimage in Spain happened one cold afternoon when I went out -to the Cartuja de Miraflores. The clouds hung low over the hills and the -damp smell of autumn was in the air. The road thither passes through -avenues of great poplars. The leaves had begun to fall and it was wet -under foot. A slight drizzle was imperceptibly saturating everything and -I thought the time of my departure from sunny Spain not ill-chosen. -Despite all this, and the depressing day, I can always recall with -pleasure the road that my companion and I traversed before we passed -under the arch that marks the monastic boundary. - -Beggars accosted us at the door of the monastery, for once I gave them -alms and received a blessing. We passed in, and found ourselves in a -pretty little courtyard filled with dahlias and other autumnal flowers. -The bright colours cheered us a bit, the church lay on our left, we -entered it under a Gothic arch. A monk in the stalls was at prayer, he -also kept an observant eye on the two visitors. Our footsteps seemed to -sound intensely loud on the stone pavement, and we spoke in very low -whispers. The cold white-washed walls and this solitary figure droning -out his prayers were depressing. - -We furtively admired the finely-carved stalls, the grand _retablo_ over -the High Altar with its terribly life-like crucifix, all the time with a -feeling on my part of that vigilant eye boring a hole in my back like a -gimlet. We next examined the alabaster tomb the masterpiece of Gil de -Siloe, executed to the order of Isabella the Catholic, which stands in -front of the altar. Juan II. and his wife Isabella of Portugal lie side -by side clothed in their robes of state. At his feet are two Lions, at -hers a Lion and a Dog. I forgot the solitary monk and the gimlet stopped -its work as I became lost in admiration while following the intricacies -of Gil de Siloe's greatest production. - -At the eight corners of this magnificent tomb, most undoubtedly the -finest I have ever seen, and by some considered unsurpassed in Europe, -sixteen lions support the royal arms, above them along the cornice -beautiful little statuettes stand under canopies which are a marvel of -delicate tracery. The embroidery on the robes of the royal pair is -exquisite and the imitation of the lace work unsurpassed. - -For a long time we stood discussing and admiring the marvellous -cleverness of the designer of a monument which is worthy of the great -and pious woman who erected it to the memory of her parents. - -Hard by in the west wall of the church is the tomb of the Infante -Alfonso, whose death at the early age of sixteen left the accession -vacant for Isabella and so changed the history of Castile. It is -likewise a wonderful piece of work by the same skilful hand. The young -Prince kneels alone in an attitude of prayer which gains dignity from -the half-shadow thrown by the recess in which the monument is placed. -The arch above is decorated with a twining vine, while men-at-arms -support the tomb. - -We turned from the contemplation of these two memorials and the monotone -of the old monk's prayer filled the church. I think we both shared a -feeling of relief when we found ourselves once more outside under the -grey sky, though I shall ever remember the impression of that aisleless -church with its magnificent tombs, that white robed monk with his -droning voice, the chill of the autumn air and those long lines of -stately poplars under which I passed in my last pilgrimage in Spain. - - - - -INDEX - - -Abderrhaman, mosque of, 80 - -Adrian IV., Pope, 81 - -Albornoz, Cardinal, tomb of, 111 - -Alfonso VI., 234, 235 - -Alfonso VIII., 245 - -Alfonso de Cartagena, Bishop, 240 - -Alfonso el Catolico, 197; - coffin of, 220 - -Alfonso the Chaste, 218, 220 - -Alfonso the Learned, sarcophagus of, 10 - -Alfonso de los Rios, 238 - -Alhambra, 31, 46, _sqq._ - Court of Lions, 50 - -Almakkari, historian, 23 - -Almanzor, 200 - -Alva Garcia, 138 - -Alvaro de Luna, 232 - -Antequerra, 48 - -Arabic documents, 230 - -Aragon, union of, with Castile, 67 - -Arfe, silver monstrance by, 142 - -Arfe, Juan de, 228 - -Arlanzón, river, 233 - -Astorga, 193-198 - Cathedral, 193, _sqq._ - Historical sketch, 197 - -Augustus, Emperor, 84 - -Averroes, 30 - -Avila, 137-144 - Cathedral, 81, 138 - -Avila, Historical sketch, 137 - -Avila, tomb of, 143 - - -Badajos, Juan de, 215 - -Baeza, 195 - -Barcelona, 83, 91-99 - Cathedral, 92, _sqq._ - Church of San Pablo del Campo, 94 - Church of Santa Marica del Mar, 95 - Church of Santa Marica del Pi, 95 - Historical sketch, 91, _sqq._ - Rambla, 97 - -Barceloneta, suburb of Barcelona, 96 - -Bartolomé, and the Capilla Real, Granada, 39 - -Beatrice of Swabia, sarcophagus of, 10 - -Becerra, Gaspar, 195 - -Beggars, at Cordova, 29, 30; - at Seville, 30, 35; - at Madrid, 30 - -Bernardo de Aragon, tomb of, 164 - -Berruguete, carvings by, 113, 141, 228 - -Boabdil, figure of, at Granada, 41 - -Brutus, Junius, founds colony on the Turia, 66 - -Bull-fights, at Seville, 20 - -Burgos, 233-248 - Capilla del Condestable, 238 - Capilla del Corpus Christi, 242 - Capilla de la Presentacion, 239 - Capilla de San Enrique, 240 - Capilla del Santissimo Cristo, 239 - Cathedral, 233, _sqq._ - Chapel of Santa Anna, 240 - Church of San Domingo de Silos, 244 - Church of San Juan de Sahagun, 240 - Convent of las Huelgas, 245 - Collegio de San Nicolas, 244 - Historical sketch, 234, _sqq._ - Museum, 244 - - -Cadiz, 1-5 - Académia de Bellas Artes, 4 - Cathedral, 3, 4 - Historical sketch, 3 - Mercado, 4 - -Cæsar, Julius, captures Seville, 7 - -Calix at Valencia, 71 - -Campaña, Pedro, pictures at Seville, 12 - -Cano, Alonso, pictures by, at Cadiz, 4; - at Seville, 11, 12; - builds façade of Cathedral at Granada, 38; - pictures by, 38; - pictures by, at Malaga, 60; - figure by at Segovia, 151 - -Cartuja de Miraflores, 246 - -Casa Consistorial, Barcelona, 95 - -Casa del Cordon, Burgos, 243 - -Cataluña, union with Aragon, 92 - -Cervantes, house of, 232 - -Charles V., palace of, 54; - arms of, 236 - -Chartres Cathedral, 211 - -Chirriguera, High Altar by, 129, 141, 228 - -Cid, the, 65, 201 - -Cofre del Cid, 242 - -Columbus, monument at Seville, 11; - house of, 232 - -Comunéros, 243 - -Cordova, 23-30 - Capilla de Nuestra Señorade Villavicosia, 25 - Cathedral, 24, _sqq._ - Convent de San Jeronimo, 30 - Historical sketch, 23, 24 - Mosques, 24, 25 - -Cornielis, work of, 141 - -Corre de Sol, Granada, 55 - -Cristóbal, carving by, at Tortosa, 81 - - -Dalman de Mur, High Altar by, 164 - -Damian Forment, retablo, 166, 167 - -Darro, river at Granada, 31, 33, 34, 37 - -De Gainza, Martin, 10 - -Diego de Porcelos, 242 - -Diego de Siloe, plans Cathedral at Granada, 38; - at Malaga, 59 - -Duque de Lerma, 226 - - -Edward I., marriage of, 244, 245 - -El Calvario, 150 - -El Campanario, tower at Cordova, 27 - -El Cristo de la Luz, Toledo, 115 - -El Grao, port of Valencia, 67 - -El Parral, Segovia, 154 - -El Transito, Toledo, 114 - -Englefield, Sir Francis, 232 - -Escovedo, Juan, 150 - -Essex, siege of Cadiz by Lord, 4 - - -Ferdinand I., 200, marriage of, 243 - -Ferdinand and Isabella, monument at Granada, 40; - portraits, 41, 44, 225; - arms of, 227 - -Ferdinand el Santos, 234, 235 - -Francisco de Lara, ceiling by, 112 - -Francisco de Palenzuela, tomb of, 126 - -Fruela I., coffin of, 220 - - -Gallegos, panels by, 203 - -Gayá, 84 - -Genil, river at Granada, 34 - -Geromino, tomb of, 126 - -Geronimo, 200 - -Gerona, 101-10 - Cathedral, 103, _sqq._ - Church of San Pedro de los Gallegans, 105 - Historical sketch, 101, _sqq._ - -Gibraltar, 58 - -Gil de Siloe, 247 - -Giralda Tower, Seville, 13, 14 - -Gomar, Francisco, work at Tarragona, 86 - -Gonzalo de Cordoba, 45 - -Grado, Canon Juan de, tomb of, 204 - -Granada, 31-35 - Albaicin, 31 - Alhambra, 31, _sqq._ - Antequeruela, 31 - Capilla de la Antigue, 39 - Capilla de Pulgar, 44 - Capilla Real, 42 - Capilla de Trinidad, 38 - Cathedral, 38, 44 - Church of San Juan de los Reyes, 44 - Church of San Nicólas, 44 - Church of Santa Anna, 44 - Convent of Cartuja, 45 - Convent of San Geronimo, 45 - -Greek remains, Tuy, 183 - -Guadalete, river at Cadiz, 5; - battle on banks of, 58 - -Guadalquiver, position of Cordova on, 23 - -Guadelmedina, the, 61 - -Guillermo Boffy, 104 - -Gutierrez, Bishop, 219 - - -Hernandez, 229, 230 - -Hontañon, rebuilt dome of Seville Cathedral, 12; - Salamanca Cathedral, 125; - Segovia, 150 - -Hospital de Santa Cruz, Toledo, 116 - - -Infante Alfonso, tomb of, 248 - -Inigo de Mendoz, tomb of, 112 - - -James I., of Aragon, armour of at Valencia, 70; - tomb of, 86 - -Jews at Seville, 15 - -John of Cologne, 234, 238 - -John of Gaunt, 178 - -José Granados, builds western facade of Cathedral, Granada, 38 - -Juan II., 24 - -Juan Bantista Celma, 178 - -Juan, Prince, tomb of, 142 - -Juan de Borgoña, frescoes by, 112, 141 - -Juan de Castro, 178 - -Juan de Juni, 228 - -Juan de Mena, 30 - -Juan de Padilla, figure of, 244 - -Juan de Vallejo, 237 - -Juanes, _Last Supper_ by, 71 - - -La Magdena, Zamora, 201 - -Lanfredo, Bishop, 80 - -La Peña Gajera, 154 - -La Peñarala, 158 - -Las Navas de Tolosa, 245 - -Leon, 205-216 - Cathedral, 209 - Chapel of La Nuestra Señora del Dado, 213 - Convent of San Isidoro el Real, 214 - Convent of San Marcos, 215 - Historical sketch, 205, _sqq._ - -Leovigild, 205 - -Loja, 48 - -Loyola, relic of, 95 - -Lucan, 30 - - -Madrazo, designs by, 210 - -Maestro Matio, portrait of, 176 - -Malaga, 57-63 - Alcazába, 61 - Cathedral, 59 - Historical sketch, 57, _sqq._ - Mercado, 61 - -Malagueta, river, 61 - -Manrique de Lara, Bishop, 210 - -Maragatos, the, 195 - -Marcellus peoples Cordova, 23 - -Maria Padilla, mistress of Pedro the Cruel, coffin of, 10 - -Maurice, Bishop, 234, 235 - -Mena, Pedro de, pupil of Cano, 60 - -Mendoza, Cardinal, 219 - -Meshwâr, 53 - -Miguelete Tower, 66 - -Minho, river, 183 - -Monte Mauro, 34 - -Morales, 30 - -Mulhacen, 48 - -Murillo, pictures at Cadiz, 4; - _San Antonio de Padua_ at Seville, 11; - in Seville Museum, 20 - -Museum, Seville, 20 - - -Napoleonic Wars, 67 - -Naranco, 223 - Church of Santa Maria, 223, 224 - -Nicodemus, 239 - -Nicolas Florentino, retablo by, 128 - -Nicolas de Vergara, carving by, 113 - -Notre Dame de Paris, 211 - - -Oca, Bishop, 235 - -Oñar, river, 102 - -Ordoño I., coffin of, 220 - -Ordoño II., 213 - -Orense, 187-191 - Cathedral, 187, _sqq._ - Convent of San Francisco, 190 - Historical sketch, 187 - -Oviedo, 217-224 - Capilla del Rey Casto, 220 - Cathedral, 218 - Historical sketch, 218, _sqq._ - - -Panteon, Leon, 215 - -Parapanda, Mount, 48 - -Pedro the Cruel, coffin of, 10; - trees planted by, 14 - -Pedro Mato, statue of, 195 - -Pelayo, 222 - -Petrucci Orto, chalice by, 142 - -Philip II. destroys mosques at Cordova, 24 - -Philip Vigarni, 237, 238 - -Philip and Juana la Loca, tomb of, at Granada, 40; - coffins of, 42 - -Pisuerga, river, 225 - -Pliny quoted, 197 - -Pradas, work of, at Granada, 43 - - -Quintata, Cardinal, tomb of, 190 - - -Ramiro II., 200 - -Ramiro, coffin of, 220 - -Ramon Berenguer I., Count, 91 - -Ramon Berenguer II., and Emensendis, tombs of, 104 - -Reus, 83 - -Ribalta, painting by, at Valencia, 71 - -Ribera, _Adoration_ by, 71 - -Roman remains, at Tarragona, 84; - at Segovia, 149 - -Roman Sculpture at Tarragona, 89 - - -Salamanca, 121-135 - Capilla del Carmen, 126 - Capilla Mayor, 128 - Capilla de San Bartolomé, 128 - Capilla de Talavera, 128 - Cathedrals, 121, 124, _sqq._, 127 - Church of San Pedro, 143 - Collegio Mayor de Santiago Apostol, 132 - Convent of las Agustinas Recoletas, 130 - Grammar School, 131 - Historical sketch, 123, _sqq._ - University, 131 - -San Pedro, river at Cadiz, 5 - -Santa Eulalia, body of, 93, 220 - -Santiago, 171-181 - Cathedral, 173, _sqq._ - Collegio de San Gerónimo, 180 - Historical sketch, 172 - -Santos Cruz, pictures by, 141 - -Saragossa, 101, 159-170 - Church of San Pablo, 167 - Cathedrals, 162, _sqq._ - El Pilar, 165 - Historical sketch, 159, _sqq._ - La Seo, 162, _sqq._ - -Sebastian del Piombo, 239 - -Segovia, 145-158 - Capilla del Cristo del Consuelo, 152 - Cathedral, 150, _sqq._ - Chapel of Santa Cantalina, 152 - Church of San Martin, 153 - Church of San Millan, 153 - Church of la Vera Cruz, 153 - Convent of Santa Cruz, 153 - Historical sketch, 149, _sqq._ - -Semple, Colonel, 232 - -Seneca, 30 - -Seville, 7-21 - Capilla de San Pedro, 11 - Capilla de Santiago, 11 - Cathedral, 8, _sqq._ - Historical sketch, 7 - Jewish quarter, 15 - -Sierra de Elvira, 48 - -Sierra Nevada, 48, 55 - -Souchet, sacks Valencia, 67 - - -Tarragona, 83-90 - Cathedral, 84, _sqq._ - Historical sketch, 83, _sqq._ - -Toledo, 107-119 - Bridges, 116, 117 - Cathedral, 109 - Capilla de la Descension de Nuestra Señora, 112 - Capilla de Reyes Nuevo, 111 - Capilla de San Ildefonso, 111 - Capilla de Santiago, 112 - Church of San Juan de los Reyes, 114 - Church of Santa Maria la Blanca, 114 - Convent of San Domingo el Real, 115 - Historical sketch, 107, _sqq._ - Jews' quarter, 114 - -Torquemada, Cardinal, 226 - -Tortosa, 77-82 - Carving at, by Cristobal, 81 - Cathedral 80, _sqq._ - Historical sketch, 78, _sqq._ - -Triana, 19 - -Tribunal de Aguas, 69 - -Tuy, 183-185 - Cathedral, 183, _sqq._ - Convent of Santa Domingo, 185 - Historical sketch, 183, _sqq._ - - -Urraca, 200; - coffin of, 220 - - -Valencia, 65-76 - Cathedral, 69 - Church of San Martin, 72 - Church of Santa Catalina, 71 - Convent del Carmen, 75 - Convent Espinose, 75 - Convent Juanes, 75 - Convent Ribalta, 75 - Historical sketch, 65, _sqq._ - Mercado, 73, 74 - -Valladolid, 225-232 - Church of Santa Maria la Antigua, 226 - Colegiata de San Gregorio, 227 - Collegio de Santa Cruz, 228 - Historical sketch, 225 - Scotch and English Colleges, 232 - University, 230 - -Vargas, Louis de, _La Gamba_ at Seville, 11, 12 - -Vega, the, 62 - -Velasquez, tomb of, 142 - -Vigarney, carvings by, 113 - -Viladomát, pictures by, at Barcelona, 95 - - -"Wamba," great bell, Oviedo, 222 - -Wellington, Duke of, 48 - -Ximenes, 112, 227 - - -Yahya, Moorish King, 65 - - -Zamora , 199-204 - Capilla del Cardinal, 203 - Capilla de San Miguel, 204 - Cathedral, 201, _sqq._ - Church of la Magdalena, 201 - Church of San Pedro of Ildefonso, 201 - Historical sketch, 200 - Hospital, 201 - -Zurbaran, pictures at Cadiz, 4; - at Seville, 11, 12 - -Printed by BALLANTYNE & CO. LIMITED Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, -London - - * * * * * - -Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber. - -matyrdoms of the Order=>martyrdoms of the Order - -Witiza in the meantime died and was suceeded=>Witiza in the meantime -died and was succeeded - -The whole rises in isolated grandeur and and may perhaps gain=>The whole -rises in isolated grandeur and may perhaps gain - -and if it happen to be a=>and if it happens to be a - -the arches of the the old bridge=>the arches of the old bridge - -so named on acount of the scallop shells=>so named on account of the -scallop shells - -she is embracing me, we disentagle ourselves=>she is embracing me, we -disentangle ourselves - -but a short exsistence as their house of prayer=>but a short existence -as their house of prayer - -who fought three antagonists one ofter another and came off -successful=>who fought three antagonists one after another and came off -successful - -I was immediatley nonplussed=>I was immediately nonplussed - -Bernardo de Arragon, tomb of, 164=>Bernardo de Aragon, tomb of, 164 - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Cathedral Cities of Spain, by William Wiehe Collins - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CATHEDRAL CITIES OF SPAIN *** - -***** This file should be named 40356-8.txt or 40356-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/0/3/5/40356/ - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Collins, R.I. -</title> -<style type="text/css"> - p {margin-top:.2em;text-align:justify;margin-bottom:.2em;text-indent:4%;} - -.c {text-align:center;text-indent:0%;} - -.cb {text-align:center;text-indent:0%;font-weight:bold;} - -.errata {color:red;text-decoration:underline;} - -.hang {text-indent:-2%;margin-left:2%;} - -.letra {font-size:250%;float:left;margin-top:-.75%;} - -.nind {text-indent:0%;} - -small {font-size: 70%;} - - h1 {margin-top:5%;text-align:center;clear:both;} - - h2 {margin-top:6%;margin-bottom:3%;text-align:left;clear:both;margin-left:3%; - font-size:120%;} - - hr.full {width: 50%;margin:5% auto 5% auto;border:4px double gray;} - - table {margin-top:5%;margin-bottom:5%;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;border:none;text-align:left;} - - body{margin-left:2%;margin-right:2%;background:#fdfdfd;color:black;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;font-size:medium;} - -a:link {background-color:#ffffff;color:blue;text-decoration:none;} - - link {background-color:#ffffff;color:blue;text-decoration:none;} - -a:visited {background-color:#ffffff;color:purple;text-decoration:none;} - -a:hover {background-color:#ffffff;color:#FF0000;text-decoration:underline;} - -.smcap {font-variant:small-caps;font-size:95%;} - - img {border:none;} - - sup {font-size:75%;vertical-align:top;} - -.caption {font-weight:bold;font-size:90%;} - -.figcenter {margin-top:3%;margin-bottom:3%; -margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;text-align:center;text-indent:0%;} -</style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -Project Gutenberg's Cathedral Cities of Spain, by William Wiehe Collins - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Cathedral Cities of Spain - -Author: William Wiehe Collins - -Release Date: July 27, 2012 [EBook #40356] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CATHEDRAL CITIES OF SPAIN *** - - - - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="411" height="550" alt="image of the book's cover" title="image of the book's cover" /> -</p> - -<p class="cb">CATHEDRAL CITIES<br /> -OF SPAIN</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;max-width:40%;"> - -<tr><td align="center"><i>UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME</i></td></tr> - -<tr><td><p class="hang">CATHEDRAL CITIES OF ENGLAND. By G<small>EORGE</small> G<small>ILBERT</small>. With 60 -reproductions from water-colours by <span class="smcap">W.W. Collins</span>, R.I. Demy 8vo, -16s. net.</p></td></tr> - -<tr><td><p class="hang">CATHEDRAL CITIES OF FRANCE. By H<small>ERBERT</small> and H<small>ESTER</small> M<small>ARSHALL</small>. With 60 -reproductions from water-colours by H<small>ERBERT</small> M<small>ARSHALL</small>, R.W.S. Demy -8vo, 16s. net. Also large paper edition, £2 2s. net.</p></td></tr> - -<tr><td align="center"><i>BOOKS ILLUSTRATED BY JOSEPH<br /> -PENNELL</i></td></tr> - -<tr><td><p class="hang">ITALIAN HOURS. By H<small>ENRY</small> J<small>AMES</small>. With 32 plates in colour and -numerous illustrations in black and white by J<small>OSEPH</small> P<small>ENNELL</small>. Large -crown 4to. Price 20s. net.</p></td></tr> - -<tr><td><p class="hang">A LITTLE TOUR IN FRANCE. By H<small>ENRY</small> J<small>AMES</small>. With 94 illustrations by -J<small>OSEPH</small> P<small>ENNELL</small>. Pott 4to. Price 10s. net.</p></td></tr> - -<tr><td><p class="hang">ENGLISH HOURS. By H<small>ENRY</small> J<small>AMES</small>. With 94 illustrations by <span class="smcap">Joseph -Pennell</span>. Pott 4to. Price 10s. net.</p></td></tr> - -<tr><td><p class="hang">ITALIAN JOURNEYS. By <span class="smcap">W.D. Howells</span>. With 103 illustrations by <span class="smcap">Joseph -Pennell</span>. Pott 4to. Price 10s. net.</p></td></tr> - -<tr><td><p class="hang">CASTILIAN DAYS. By the Hon. J<small>OHN</small> H<small>AY</small>. With 111 illustrations by -J<small>OSEPH</small> P<small>ENNELL</small>. Pott 4to. Price 10s. net.</p></td></tr> - -<tr><td align="center">London: W<small>ILLIAM</small> H<small>EINEMANN</small><br /> -21 Bedford Street, W.C.</td></tr> -</table> - -<p><a name="BURGOS_THE_CATHEDRAL" id="BURGOS_THE_CATHEDRAL"></a></p> - -<p><a name="FRONT" id="FRONT"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_005_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_005_sml.jpg" width="387" height="550" alt="BURGOS. THE CATHEDRAL" title="BURGOS. THE CATHEDRAL" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">BURGOS. THE CATHEDRAL</span> -</p> - -<h1>C A T H E D R A L C I T I E S<br /> -O F S P A I N</h1> - -<p class="cb">WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED<br /> -BY<br /> -W. W. COLLINS, R.I.<br /><br /><br /> -<br /> -<img src="images/colophon.jpg" width="100" height="98" alt="colophon" title="colophon" /> -<br /> -<br /><br /><br /> -LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN<br /> -NEW YORK: DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY<br /> -1909<br /> -<br /><br /><br /> -<small><i>All rights reserved</i><br /> -<br /> -<i>Copyright, London, 1909, by William Heinemann and<br /> -Washington, U.S.A., by Dodd, Mead & Co</i></small><br /> -</p> - -<h2 class="c"><a name="PREFACE" id="PREFACE"></a>PREFACE</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">S</span>PAIN, the country of contrasts, of races differing from one another in -habits, customs, and language, has one great thing that welds it into a -homogeneous nation, and this is its Religion. Wherever one's footsteps -wander, be it in the progressive provinces of the north, the mediævalism -of the Great Plain, or in that still eastern portion of the south, -Andalusia, this one thing is ever omnipresent and stamps itself on the -memory as the great living force throughout the Peninsula.</p> - -<p>In her Cathedrals and Churches, her ruined Monasteries and Convents, -there is more than abundant evidence of the vitality of her Faith; and -we can see how, after the expulsion of the Moor, the wealth of the -nation poured into the coffers of the Church and there centralised the -life of the nation.</p> - -<p>In the mountain fastnesses of Asturias the churches of Santa Maria de -Naranco and San Miguel de Lino, dating from the ninth century and -contemporary with San Pablo and Santa Cristina, in Barcelona, are the -earliest Christian buildings in Spain. As the Moor was pushed further -south, a new style followed his retreating steps; and the Romanesque, -introduced from over the Pyrenees, became the adopted form of -architecture in the more or less settled parts of the country. Creeping -south through Leon, where San Isidoro is well worth mention, we find the -finest examples of the period in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, at -Segovia, Avila, and the grand Catedral Vieja of Salamanca.</p> - -<p>Spain sought help from France to expel the Moor, and it is but natural -that the more advanced nation should leave her mark somewhere and in -some way in the country she pacifically invaded. Before the spread of -this influence became general, we find at least one great monument of -native genius rise up at Tarragona. The Transition Cathedral there can -lay claim to be entirely Spanish. It is the epitome and outcome of a -yearning for the display of Spain's own talent, and is one of the most -interesting and beautiful in the whole country.</p> - -<p>Toledo, Leon, and Burgos are the three Cathedrals known as the "French" -Cathedrals of Spain. They are Gothic and the first named is the finest -of all. Spanish Gothic is best exemplified in the Cathedral of -Barcelona. For late-Gothic, we must go to the huge structures of -Salamanca, Segovia, and the Cathedral at Seville which almost overwhelms -in the grandeur of its scale.</p> - -<p>After the close of the fifteenth century Italian or Renaissance -influence began to be felt, and the decoration of the Plateresque style -became the vogue. San Marcos at Leon, the University of Salamanca, and -the Casa de Ayuntamiento at Seville are among the best examples of this. -The influence of Churriguera, who evolved the Churrigueresque style, is -to be met with in almost every Cathedral in the country. He it is who -was responsible for those great gilded altars with their enormous -twisted pillars so familiar to travellers in Spain; and which, though no -doubt a tribute to the glory of God, one feels are more a vulgar display -of wealth than a tasteful or artistic addition to her architecture. The -finest of the Renaissance Cathedrals is that of Granada, and the most -obtrusive piece of Churrigueresque is the Cartuja in the same city.</p> - -<p>Taking the Cathedrals as a whole the two most unfamiliar and notable -features are the Coros or Choirs, and the Retablos. These -latter—gorgeous backings to the High Altar, generally ill-lit, with a -superabundance of carving sometimes coloured and gilded, sometimes of -plain stone—are of Low-country or Flemish origin. The former, with one -exception at Oviedo, are placed in the nave west of the crossing, and -enclose, as a rule, two or more bays in this direction. Every Cathedral -is a museum of art, and these two features are the most worth study.</p> - -<div style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;max-width:40%;"><p>N<small>OTE</small>.—<i>Since the revolution in Catalonia of July-August 1909, the -King has decreed that no one can secure exemption from military -service by the payment of a sum of money.</i></p></div> - -<h2 class="c"><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h2> - - -<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="font-weight:bold;"> -<tr><td><a href="#CADIZ">CADIZ</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_001">1</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SEVILLE">SEVILLE</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_007">7</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CORDOVA">CORDOVA</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_023">23</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#GRANADA">GRANADA</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_031">31</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#MALAGA">MALAGA</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_057">57</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#VALENCIA">VALENCIA</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_065">65</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#TORTOSA1">TORTOSA</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_077">77</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#TARRAGONA1">TARRAGONA</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_083">83</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#BARCELONA">BARCELONA</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_091">91</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#GERONA">GERONA</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_101">101</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#TOLEDO">TOLEDO</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_107">107</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SALAMANCA1">SALAMANCA</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_121">121</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#AVILA1">AVILA</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_137">137</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SEGOVIA">SEGOVIA</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_145">145</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SARAGOSSA">SARAGOSSA</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_159">159</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SANTIAGO">SANTIAGO</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_174">174</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#TUY1">TUY</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_183">183</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#ORENSE">ORENSE</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_187">187</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#ASTORGA1">ASTORGA</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_193">193</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#ZAMORA">ZAMORA</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_199">199</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#LEON">LEON</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_205">205</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#OVIEDO">OVIEDO</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_217">217</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#VALLADOLID">VALLADOLID</a> </td><td align="right"><a href="#page_225">225</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#BURGOS">BURGOS</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_233">233</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#INDEX">INDEX</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_249">249</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<h2 class="c"><a name="ILLUSTRATIONS" id="ILLUSTRATIONS"></a>ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="font-weight:bold;"> -<tr><td align="right" colspan="2"><small><i>To face<br /> -page</i></small></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#BURGOS_THE_CATHEDRAL">Burgos. The Cathedral</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#FRONT"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CADIZ_THE_CATHEDRAL">Cadiz. The Cathedral</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_002">2</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CADIZ_THE_MARKET_PLACE">Cadiz. The Market Place</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_004">4</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SEVILLE_IN_THE_CATHEDRAL">Seville. In The Cathedral</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_008">8</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SEVILLE_THE_GIRALDA_TOWER">Seville. The Giralda Tower</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_012">12</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SEVILLE_IN_THE_ALCAZAR_THE_PATIO_DE_LAS_DONCELLAS">Seville. In The Alcázar, The Patio De Las Doncellas</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_014">14</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SEVILLE_VIEW_OVER_THE_TOWN">Seville. View Over The Town</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_018">18</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CORDOVA_INTERIOR_OF_THE_MESQUITA">Cordova. Interior Of The Mesquita</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_024">24</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CORDOVA_THE_CAMPANARIO_TOWER">Cordova. The Campanario Tower</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_026">26</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CORDOVA_THE_BRIDGE">Cordova. The Bridge</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_028">28</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CORDOVA_FOUNTAIN_IN_THE_COURT_OF_ORANGES">Cordova. Fountain In The Court Of Oranges</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_030">30</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#GRANADA_CARRERA_DE_DARRO">Granada. Carrera De Darro</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_032">32</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#GRANADA_EXTERIOR_OF_THE_CATHEDRAL">Granada. Exterior Of The Cathedral</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_038">38</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#GRANADA_THE_ALHAMBRA">Granada. The Alhambra</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_046">46</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#GRANADA_THE_ALHAMBRA_COURT_OF_LIONS">Granada. The Alhambra, Court Of Lions</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_050">50</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#GRANADA_GENERALIFE">Granada. Generalife</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_054">54</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#MALAGA_VIEW_FROM_THE_HARBOUR">Malaga. View From The Harbour</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_058">58</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#MALAGA_THE_MARKET">Malaga. The Market</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_062">62</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#VALENCIA_SAN_PABLO">Valencia. San Pablo</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_066">66</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#VALENCIA_DOOR_OF_THE_CATHEDRAL">Valencia. Door Of The Cathedral</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_068">68</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#VALENCIA_RELIGIOUS_PROCESSION">Valencia. Religious Procession</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_072">72</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#TORTOSA2">Tortosa</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_080">80</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#TARRAGONA2">Tarragona</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_084">84</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#TARRAGONA_THE_ARCHBISHOPS_TOWER">Tarragona. The Archbishop's Tower</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_086">86</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#TARRAGONA_THE_CLOISTERS">Tarragona. The Cloisters</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_088">88</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#BARCELONA_IN_THE_CATHEDRAL">Barcelona. In The Cathedral</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_092">92</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#BARCELONA_THE_RAMBLA">Barcelona. The Rambla</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_096">96</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#GERONA_THE_CATTLE_MARKET">Gerona. The Cattle Market</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_102">102</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#GERONA_THE_CATHEDRAL">Gerona. The Cathedral</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_104">104</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#TOLEDO_THE_CATHEDRAL">Toledo. The Cathedral</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_108">108</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#TOLEDO_THE_SOUTH_TRANSEPT">Toledo. The South Transept</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_110">110</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#TOLEDO_THE_ZOCODOVER">Toledo. The Zócodover</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_114">114</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#TOLEDO_THE_ALCANTARA_BRIDGE">Toledo. The Alcántara Bridge</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_116">116</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SALAMANCA2">Salamanca</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_122">122</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SALAMANCA_THE_OLD_CATHEDRAL">Salamanca. The Old Cathedral</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_124">124</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SALAMANCA_AN_OLD_STREET">Salamanca. An Old Street.</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_128">128</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#AVILA2">Avila</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_138">138</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#AVILA_PUERTA_DE_SAN_VICENTE">Avila. Puerta De San Vicente</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_142">142</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SEGOVIA_AT_SUNSET">Segovia At Sunset</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_146">146</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SEGOVIA_THE_AQUEDUCT">Segovia. The Aqueduct</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_148">148</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SEGOVIA_PLAZA_MAYOR">Segovia. Plaza Mayor</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_152">152</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SARAGOSSA_LA_SEO">Saragossa. La Seo</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_160">160</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SARAGOSSA_IN_THE_OLD_CATHEDRAL">Saragossa. In The Old Cathedral</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_164">164</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SARAGOSSA_EASTER_PROCESSION">Saragossa. Easter Procession</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_166">166</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SANTIAGO_THE_CATHEDRAL">Santiago. The Cathedral</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_172">172</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SANTIAGO_SOUTH_DOOR_OF_THE_CATHEDRAL">Santiago. South Door Of The Cathedral</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_174">174</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#SANTIAGO_INTERIOR_OF_THE_CATHEDRAL">Santiago. Interior Of The Cathedral</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_178">178</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#TUY2">Tuy</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_184">184</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#ORENSE_IN_THE_CATHEDRAL">Orense. In The Cathedral</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_188">188</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#ASTORGA2">Astorga</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_194">194</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#ZAMORA_THE_CATHEDRAL">Zamora. The Cathedral</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_202">202</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#LEON_THE_CATHEDRAL">Leon. The Cathedral</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_208">208</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#LEON_THE_WEST_PORCH_OF_THE_CATHEDRAL">Leon. The West Porch Of The Cathedral</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_210">210</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#LEON_SAN_MARCOS">Leon. San Marcos</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_214">214</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#OVIEDO_IN_THE_CATHEDRAL">Oviedo. In The Cathedral</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_218">218</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#OVIEDO_THE_CLOISTERS">Oviedo. The Cloisters</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_222">222</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#VALLADOLID_SANTA_MARIA_LA_ANTIGUA">Valladolid. Santa Maria La Antigua</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_226">226</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#VALLADOLID_SAN_PABLO">Valladolid. San Pablo</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_228">228</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#BURGOS_THE_CAPILLA_MAYOR">Burgos. The Capilla Mayor</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_236">236</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#BURGOS_ARCH_OF_SANTA_MARIA">Burgos. Arch Of Santa Maria</a></td><td align="right"><a href="#page_242">242</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<p><a name="page_001" id="page_001"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="CADIZ" id="CADIZ"></a>CADIZ</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">A</span>T one time the greatest port in the world—"Where are thy glories now, -oh, Cadiz?" She is still a White City lying embosomed on a sea of -emerald and topaz. Her streets are still full of the colour of the East, -but alas! Seville has robbed her of her trade, and in the hustle of -modern life she is too far from the busy centre, too much on the -outskirts of everything, to be anything more than a port of call for -American tourists and a point from whence the emigrant leaves his native -country.</p> - -<p>This isolation is one of her great charms, and the recollections I have -carried away of her quiet clean streets, her white or pink washed houses -with their flat roofs and <i>miradores</i>, her brilliant sun and blue sea, -can never be effaced by Time's subtle hand.</p> - -<p>Landing from a coasting-boat from Gibraltar, I began my travels through -Spain at Cadiz; and it was with intense regret, so pleasant was the -change from the grey skies and cold winds of England, that I took my -final stroll along the broad Alameda<a name="page_002" id="page_002"></a> bordered with palms of all sorts, -and lined with other exotic growth—that I bid good-bye to the Parque de -Genoves where many a pleasant hour had been spent in the grateful shade -of its trees. I shall probably never again lean idly over the sea-washed -walls and watch the graceful barques with their cargoes of salt, spread -their sails to the breeze and glide away on the long voyage to South -America.</p> - -<p>Looking out eastwards over the marshes I was at first much puzzled to -know what were the white pyramids that stood in rows like the tents of -an invading host. Then I was told. Shallow pans are dug out in the marsh -and the sea let in. After evaporation this is repeated again and again, -until the saline deposit is thick enough to be scraped and by degrees -grows into a pyramid. Every pan is named after a saint from whom good -luck is implored. No, I doubt if ever my eyes will wander again over the -blue waters to the marsh lands of San Fernando.</p> - -<p><a name="CADIZ_THE_CATHEDRAL" id="CADIZ_THE_CATHEDRAL"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_022_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_022_sml.jpg" width="550" height="285" alt="CADIZ. THE CATHEDRAL" title="CADIZ. THE CATHEDRAL" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">CADIZ. THE CATHEDRAL</span> -</p> - -<p>Life is short and I can hardly hope that Fate will carry me back to -those sea walls and once more permit me as the sun goes down to -speculate on the catch of the fishing-fleet as each boat makes for its -haven in the short twilight of a southern clime. I cannot but regret -that all this is of the past, but I shall never regret that at Cadiz, -the<a name="page_003" id="page_003"></a> most enchanting of Spain's seaports, began my acquaintance with -her many glorious cities.</p> - -<p>In ancient times Cadiz was the chief mart for the tin of the -Cassiterides and the amber of the Baltic. Founded by the Tyrians as far -back as 1100 <small>B.C.</small>, it was the Gadir (fortress) of the Phœnicians. -Later on Hamilcar and Hannibal equipped their armies and built their -fleets here. The Romans named the city Gades, and it became second only -to Padua and Rome. After the discovery of America, Cadiz became once -more a busy port, the great silver fleets discharged their precious -cargoes in its harbour and from the estuary sailed many a man whose -descendants have created the great Spain over the water.</p> - -<p>The loss of the Spanish colonies ruined Cadiz and it has never regained -the place in the world it once held. Huge quays are about to be -constructed and the present King has just laid the first stone of these, -in the hopes that trade may once more be brought to a city that sleeps.</p> - -<p>There are two Cathedrals in Cadiz. The Catedral Nueva is a modern -structure commenced in 1722 and finished in 1838 by the bishop whose -statue faces the rather imposing west façade. Built of limestone and -Jérez sandstone, it is white—dazzling white, and rich ochre brown. -There is very little of interest in the interior. The <i>silleria del -coro</i><a name="page_004" id="page_004"></a> (choir stalls) were given by Queen Isabel, and came originally -from a suppressed Carthusian Convent near Seville. The exterior can -claim a certain grandeur, especially when seen from the sea. The drum of -the <i>cimborio</i> with the great yellow dome above, and the towers of the -west façade give it from a distance somewhat the appearance of a mosque.</p> - -<p>The Catedral Vieja, built in the thirteenth century, was originally -Gothic, but being almost entirely destroyed during Lord Essex's siege in -1596, was rebuilt in its present unpretentious Renaissance form.</p> - -<p>Cadiz possesses an Académia de Bellas Artes where Zurbaran, Murillo and -Alfonso Cano are represented by second-rate paintings. To the suppressed -convent of San Francisco is attached the melancholy interest of -Murillo's fatal fall from the scaffolding while at work on the <i>Marriage -of St. Catherine</i>. The picture was finished by his apt pupil Meneses -Osorio. Another work by the master, a <i>San Francisco</i>, quite in his best -style also hangs here.</p> - -<p><a name="CADIZ_THE_MARKET_PLACE" id="CADIZ_THE_MARKET_PLACE"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_028_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_028_sml.jpg" width="550" height="377" alt="CADIZ. THE MARKET PLACE" title="CADIZ. THE MARKET PLACE" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">CADIZ. THE MARKET PLACE</span> -</p> - -<p>The churches of Cadiz contain nothing to attract one, indeed if it were -not for the fine setting of the city surrounded by water, and the -semi-eastern atmosphere that pervades the place, there is but little to -hold the ordinary tourist. The Mercado,<a name="page_005" id="page_005"></a> or market-place, is a busy -scene and full of colour; the Fish Market, too, abounds in varieties of -finny inhabitants of the deep and compares favourably in this respect -with that of Bergen in far away Norway. The sole attraction in this City -of the Past—in fact, I might say in the Past of Spain as far as it -concerns Cadiz—lies on the stretch of water into which the rivers -Guadalete and San Pedro empty themselves. From the very earliest days -down to the time when Columbus sailed on his voyage which altered the -face of the then known globe, and so on to our own day, it is in the -Bahia de Cadiz that her history has been written.<a name="page_006" id="page_006"></a></p> - -<p><a name="page_007" id="page_007"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="SEVILLE" id="SEVILLE"></a>SEVILLE</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">S</span>EVILLE, the "Sephela" of the Phœnicians, "Hispalis" of the Romans, -and "Ishbilyah" of the Moors, is by far the largest and most interesting -city of Southern Spain. In Visigothic times Seville was the capital of -the Silingi until Leovigild moved his court to Toledo. It was captured -by Julius Cæsar in 45 <small>B.C.</small>, but during the Roman occupation was -overshadowed by Italica, the birthplace of the Emperors Trajan, Adrian, -and Theodosius, and the greatest of Rome's cities in Hispania. This once -magnificent place is now a desolate ruin, plundered of its glories and -the haunt of gipsies.</p> - -<p>Under the Moors, who ruled it for five hundred and thirty-six years, -Seville was second only to Cordova, to which city it became subject when -Abdurrhaman established the Western Kalifate there in the year 756.</p> - -<p>San Ferdinand, King of Leon and Castile, pushed his conquests far south -and Seville succumbed to the force of his arms in 1248.</p> - -<p>Seville is the most fascinating city in Spain. It<a name="page_008" id="page_008"></a> is still Moorish in a -way. Its houses are built on the Eastern plan with <i>patios</i>, their roofs -are flat and many have that charming accessory, the <i>miradore</i>. Its -streets are narrow and winding, pushed out from a common centre with no -particular plan. It is Andalusian and behind the times. Triana, the -gipsy suburb, is full of interest. The Cathedral, though of late and -therefore not particularly good Gothic, is, on account of its great -size, the most impressive in the whole country. The Alcázar, once more a -royal residence, vies with Granada's Alhambra in beauty; and as a -mercantile port, sixty miles from the estuary, Seville ranks second to -none in Southern Spain.</p> - -<p>The Cathedral stands third in point of size if the ground space is alone -considered, after St. Peter's at Rome and the Mesquita at Cordova. The -proportions of the lofty nave, one hundred feet in height, are so good -that it appears really much higher. The columns of the double aisles -break up the two hundred and sixty feet of its width and add much to the -solemn dignity of the vast interior, enhanced greatly by the height of -the vaulting above the spectator. Standing anywhere in the Cathedral I -felt that there was a roof above my head, but it seemed lost in space. -And this is the great characteristic of Seville's Cathedral, <i>i.e.</i>, -space.<a name="page_009" id="page_009"></a></p> - -<p><a name="SEVILLE_IN_THE_CATHEDRAL" id="SEVILLE_IN_THE_CATHEDRAL"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_036_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_036_sml.jpg" width="334" height="550" alt="SEVILLE. IN THE CATHEDRAL" title="SEVILLE. IN THE CATHEDRAL" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">SEVILLE. IN THE CATHEDRAL</span> -</p> - -<p>The <i>coro</i> is railed off from the crossing by a simple iron-gilt <i>reja</i>. -The <i>silleria</i>, by Sanchez, Dancart, and Guillier are very fine and took -seventy years to execute. Between the <i>coro</i> and Capilla Mayor, in Holy -Week the great bronze candlestick, twenty-five feet high, a fine -specimen of sixteenth-century work, is placed alight. When the <i>Misere</i> -is chanted during service, twelve of its thirteen candles are put out, -one by one, indicating the desertion of Christ by his apostles. The -thirteenth left burning symbolises the Virgin, faithful to the end. From -this single light all the other candles in the Cathedral are lit.</p> - -<p>The <i>reja</i> of the Capilla Mayor is a grand example of an iron-gilt -screen, and with those to the north and south, is due to the talent of -the Dominican, Francisco de Salamanca.</p> - -<p>The fine Gothic <i>retablo</i> of the High Altar surpasses all others in -Spain in size and elaboration of detail. It was designed by Dancart and -many artists were employed in its execution. When the sun finds his way -through the magnificent coloured glass of the windows between noon and -three o'clock, and glints across it, few "interior" subjects surpass the -beautiful effect on this fine piece of work.</p> - -<p>In front of the High Altar at the feast of Corpus Christi and on three -other occasions, the <i>Seises's</i> dance takes place. This strange ceremony -is<a name="page_010" id="page_010"></a> performed by chorister boys who dance a sort of minuet with -castanets. Their costume is of the time of Philip III., <i>i.e.</i>, 1630, -and they wear plumed hats. Of the numerous chapels the most interesting -is the Capilla Real. It possesses a staff of clergy all to itself. Begun -in 1514 by Martin de Gainza, it was finished fifty years later. Over the -High Altar is the almost life-size figure of the Virgin de los Reyes, -given by St. Louis of France to San Ferdinand. Its hair is of spun gold -and its numerous vestments are marvellous examples of early embroidery. -The throne on which the Virgin is seated is a thirteenth-century piece -of silver work, with the arms of Castile and Leon, San Ferdinand's two -kingdoms. Before it lies the King himself in a silver shrine. Three -times a year, in May, August and November, a great military Mass takes -place before this royal shrine, when the garrison of Seville marches -through the chapel and colours are lowered in front of the altar. In the -vault beneath are the coffins of Pedro the Cruel and Maria Padilla his -mistress, the only living being who was humanly treated by this scourge -of Spain. Their three sons rest close to them.</p> - -<p>On the north and south sides of this remarkable chapel, within arched -recesses, are the sarcophagi of Beatrice of Swabia and Alfonso the -Learned. They<a name="page_011" id="page_011"></a> are covered with cloth of gold emblazoned with -coats-of-arms. A crown and sceptre rest on the cushion which lies on -each tomb. In the dim light, high above and beyond mortal reach rest -these two—it is very impressive.</p> - -<p>Each of the remaining twenty-nine chapels contains something of -interest. In the Capilla de Santiago is a beautiful painted window of -the conversion of St. Paul. The <i>retablo</i> in the Capilla de San Pedro -contains pictures by Zurbaran. In the north transept in a small chapel -is a good Virgin and Child by Alonso Cano; in the south is the Altar de -la Gamba, over which hangs the celebrated <i>La Generacion</i> of Louis de -Vargas, known as <i>La Gamba</i> from the well-drawn leg of Adam. On the -other side of this transept is the Altar de la Santa Cruz and between -these two altars is the monument to Christopher Columbus. Erected in -Havana it was brought to Spain after the late war and put up here.</p> - -<p>Murillo's work outshines all other's in the Cathedral. The grand <i>San -Antonio de Padua</i>, in the second chapel west of the north aisle, is -difficult to see. The window which lights it is covered by a curtain, -which, however, the silver key will pull aside. Over the Altar of -Nuestra Señora del Consuelo is a beautiful Guardian Angel from the same -brush. Close by is another, <i>Santa<a name="page_012" id="page_012"></a> Dorotea</i>, a very choice little -picture. In the Sacristy are two more, <i>S.S. Isidore</i> and <i>Leander</i>. In -the Sala Capitular a <i>Conception</i> and a <i>Mater Dolorosa</i> in the small -sacristy attached to the Capilla Real complete the list.</p> - -<p>Besides these fine pictures there are others which one can include in -the same category by Cano, Zurbaran, Morales, Vargas, Pedro Campaña and -the Flemish painter Sturm, a veritable gallery! And when I went into the -Treasury and saw the priceless relics which belong to Seville's -Cathedral, priceless in value and interest, and priceless from my own -art point of view, "Surely," thought I, "not only is it a picture -gallery, it is a museum as well."</p> - -<p>The original mosque of Abu Yusuf Yakub was used as a Cathedral until -1401, when it was pulled down, the present building, which took its -place, being finished in 1506. The dome of this collapsed five years -later and was re-erected by Juan Gil de Hontañon. Earthquake shocks and -"jerry-building" were responsible for a second collapse in the August of -1888. The restoration has since been completed in a most satisfactory -manner—let us hope it will last.</p> - -<p><a name="SEVILLE_THE_GIRALDA_TOWER" id="SEVILLE_THE_GIRALDA_TOWER"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_044_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_044_sml.jpg" width="283" height="550" alt="SEVILLE. THE GIRALDA TOWER" title="SEVILLE. THE GIRALDA TOWER" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">SEVILLE. THE GIRALDA TOWER</span> -</p> - -<p>The exterior of the Cathedral is a very irregular mass of towers, domes, -pinnacles and flying buttresses, which give no clue to the almost -over-powering solemnity within the walls. Three<a name="page_013" id="page_013"></a> doorways occupy the -west façade, which is of modern construction, and there are three also -on the north side of the Cathedral, one of which opens into the -<i>Segrario</i>, another into the Patio de los Naranjos and the third into -the arcade of the same patio. This last retains the horse-shoe arch of -the old mosque. In the porch hangs the stuffed crocodile which was sent -by the Sultan of Egypt to Alfonso el Sabio with a request for the hand -of his daughter. On the south is one huge door seldom opened. On the -east there are two more, that of La Puerta de los Palos being under the -shadow of the great Giralda Tower.</p> - -<p>This magnificent relic of the Moslem's rule rears its height far above -everything else in Seville. Erected at the close of the twelfth century -by order of Abu Yusuf Yakub, it belongs to the second and best period of -Moorish architecture.</p> - -<p>On its summit at the four corners rested four brazen balls of enormous -size overthrown by one of the numerous earthquakes which have shaken -Seville in days gone by. The belfry above the Moorish portion of the -tower, which ends where the <i>solid</i> walls stop, was put up in 1568, and -has a second rectangular stage of smaller dimensions above. Both these -are in keeping with the Moorish work below and in no way detract from -its beauty. On top of the small cupola which<a name="page_014" id="page_014"></a> caps the whole is the -world-famed figure of Faith. Cast in bronze, with the banner of -Constantine spread out to the winds of heaven, this, the <i>Giraldilla</i>, -or weather-cock, moves to the slightest breeze. It is thirteen feet -high, and weighs one and a quarter tons. Over three hundred feet above -the ground, the wonder is—how did it get there? and how has it -preserved its equipoise these last three hundred years?</p> - -<p>It is difficult to find a point from which one can see the Giralda -Tower, in fact the only street from which it is visible from base to -summit is the one in which I made my sketch. Even this view does not -really convey its marvellous elegance and beauty.</p> - -<p>Next to the Cathedral the Alcázar is the most famous building in -Seville. It is now a royal residence in the early part of the year, and -when the King and Queen are there, no stranger under any pretext -whatever is admitted.</p> - -<p>Its courtyards and gardens are its glory. The scent of orange blossom -perfumes the air, the fountains splash and play, all is still within -these fascinating courts save the tinkle of the water and cooing of -doves. Of its orange trees, one was pointed out to me which Pedro the -Cruel planted! and many others are known to be over two hundred years -old.<a name="page_015" id="page_015"></a></p> - -<p><a name="SEVILLE_IN_THE_ALCAZAR_THE_PATIO_DE_LAS_DONCELLAS" - id="SEVILLE_IN_THE_ALCAZAR_THE_PATIO_DE_LAS_DONCELLAS"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_050_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_050_sml.jpg" width="372" height="550" alt="SEVILLE. IN THE ALCÁZAR, THE PATIO DE LAS DONCELLAS" title="SEVILLE. IN THE ALCÁZAR, THE PATIO DE LAS DONCELLAS" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">SEVILLE. IN THE ALCÁZAR, THE PATIO DE LAS DONCELLAS</span> -</p> - -<p>Of all its courts, the Patio de las Doncellas is the most perfect. -Fifty-two marble columns support the closed gallery and rooms above, and -the walls of the arcade are rich with glazed tiles.</p> - -<p>Of all its chambers, the Hall of Ambassadors is the finest and is -certainly the architectural gem of the Alcázar. Its dome is a marvel of -Media Naranja form, and the frieze of window-shaped niches but adds to -its beauty.</p> - -<p>Very little remains of the first Alcázar, which, by the way, is a -derivation of Al-Kasr or house of Cæsar, and the present building as it -now stands was due to Pedro the Cruel, Henry II., Charles V. and Philip -V. The first named employed Moorish workmen from Granada, who emulated, -under his directions, the newly finished Palace of the Alhambra. Many a -treacherous deed has taken place within these walls, and none more -loathsome than those credited to Pedro the Cruel. However, one thing can -be put to his credit and that is this fairy Palace, this flower from the -East, by the possession of which Seville is the gainer.</p> - -<p>To the east of the Alcázar is the old Jewish quarter, the most puzzling -in plan, if plan it has, and the oldest part of Seville.</p> - -<p>The balconies of the houses opposite one another almost touch; there -certainly, in some cases, would be no difficulty in getting across the -street by<a name="page_016" id="page_016"></a> using them as steps, and if a laden donkey essayed the -passage below I doubt if he could get through. Poking about in these -narrow alley-ways one day, I fell into conversation with a <i>guardia -municipal</i> who entertained me greatly with his own version of Seville's -history, which ended, as he melodramatically pointed down the lane in -which we were standing—"And here, señor, one man with a sword could -keep an army at bay, and"—this in confidence, whispered—"I should not -like to be the first man of the army"!</p> - -<p>In almost every quarter of the city fine old houses are to be found -amidst most squalid and dirty surroundings. You may wander down some -mean <i>calle</i>, where children in dozens are playing on the uneven -pavement, their mothers sit about in the doorways shouting to one -another across the street. Suddenly a wall, windowless save for a row of -small openings under the roof, is met. A huge portal, above which is a -sculptured coat-of-arms, with some old knight's helmet betokening a -noble owner, is let into this, look inside, as you pass by—behind the -iron grille is a deliciously cool <i>patio</i>, full of palms and shrubs. A -Moorish arcade runs round supporting the glazed galleries of the first -floor. A man in livery sits in a rocking chair dosing with the eternal -cigarette between his lips. Beyond the first <i>patio</i> you can see -another, a bigger<a name="page_017" id="page_017"></a> one, which the sun is lighting up. The life in this -house is as different to the life of its next door neighbours as Park -Lane is to Shoreditch. One of these great houses—owned by the Duke of -Medinaceli—the Casa del Pilatos, has a large Moorish court, very -similar to those of the Alcázar. They will tell you in Seville, that -Pilate was a Spaniard, a lawyer, and failing to win the case for Christ, -left the Holy Land, where he had a good practice, and returned to Spain -to assist Ferdinand to drive out the Moors. "Yes, señor, he settled here -and built this fine house about five hundred years ago."</p> - -<p>As a rule, in the better-class houses a porch opens into the street. On -the inner side of this there is always a strong iron gate with a grille -around to prevent any entry. These gates served a purpose in the days of -the Inquisition, when none knew if the Holy Office might not suddenly -descend upon and raid the house. Seville suffered terribly from the -horrors of those dark times; even now—when a ring at the bell calls -forth: "Who is there?" from the servant in the balcony above, before she -pulls the handle which connects with the catch that releases the lock of -the gate—the answer often is: "People of Peace." Some houses have -interior walls six feet thick and more, which being hollow contain -hiding-places with access from the roof by a rope.<a name="page_018" id="page_018"></a></p> - -<p>In the heat of summer—and Seville is called the "frying-pan of -Europe"—when the temperature in the shade of the streets rises to over -115° Fahr. family life is spent below in the cool <i>patio</i>. A real house -moving takes place as the heat comes on. The upper rooms, which are -always inhabited in the winter, the kitchen, servants' rooms and all are -deserted, every one migrates with the furniture to the lower floors. The -upper windows are closed, shutters put up and a great awning drawn -across the top of the courtyard. Despite the great heat, summer is a -perfectly healthy period. No one dreams of going out in the daytime, and -all Seville begins life towards five o'clock in the afternoon; 2 <small>A.M.</small> to -4 <small>A.M.</small> being the time to retire for the night! Seville can be very gay, -and <i>Sevillanos</i> worship the <i>Torrero</i> or bull-fighter (<i>Toreador</i> is a -word unknown to the Spaniard). If a favourite <i>Torrero</i>, who has done -well in the ring during the afternoon, enters the dining-room of a hotel -or goes into a café it is not unusual for every one at table to rise and -salute him.</p> - -<p><a name="SEVILLE_VIEW_OVER_THE_TOWN" id="SEVILLE_VIEW_OVER_THE_TOWN"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_058_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_058_sml.jpg" width="550" height="397" alt="SEVILLE. VIEW OVER THE TOWN" title="SEVILLE. VIEW OVER THE TOWN" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">SEVILLE. VIEW OVER THE TOWN</span> -</p> - -<p>There is another life in Seville, the life of the roofs. In early spring -before the great heat comes, and in autumn before the cold winds arrive, -the life of the roofs fascinated me. Up on the roofs in the dry -atmosphere, Seville's washing hangs out to air, and up on the roofs, in -the warm sun, with the <a name="page_019" id="page_019"></a>hum of the streets far below, you will hear the -quaint song—so Arabian in character—of the <i>lavandera</i>, as she pegs -out the damp linen in rows. In the evening the click-a-click-click of -the castanets and the sound of the guitar, broken by merry laughter, -tells one that perhaps the <i>Sevillano</i> has fathomed the mystery of -knowing how best to live. And as sundown approaches what lovely colour -effects creep o'er this city in the air! The light below fades from -housetop and <i>miradore</i>, pinnacle and dome, until the last rays of the -departing majesty touch the vane of the Giralda, that superb symbol of -Faith,—and all is steely grey.</p> - -<p>Over the Guadalquiver lies Triana, and as I crossed the bridge for the -first time the remains of an old tower were pointed out to me on the -river bank. The subterranean passage through which the victims of the -Inquisition found their exit to another world in the dark waters below -is exposed to view, the walls having fallen away. It was therefore with -something akin to relief I reached the gipsy quarter in this quaint, -dirty suburb and feasted my eyes on the colours worn by its dark-skinned -people. The potteries of Triana are world-renowned, and still bear -traces in their output of Moorish tradition and design.</p> - -<p>Seville's quays are the busiest part of the city, and the constant -dredging of the river permits<a name="page_020" id="page_020"></a> of vessels of four thousand tons making -this a port of call.</p> - -<p>Next to the Prado in Madrid, the Museum of Seville is more full of -interest than any other. It is here that Murillo is seen at his best. -The building was at one time the Convento de la Mercede founded by San -Ferdinand. The exhibits in the archæological portion nearly all come -from that ruin, the wonderful city of Italica. Among the best of -Murillo's work are <i>St. Thomas de Villa Nueva Distributing Alms</i>, <i>Saint -Felix of Cantalicio</i> and a <i>Saint Anthony of Padua</i>. A large collection -of Zurbaran's works also hangs in the gallery, but his big composition -of the <i>Apotheosis of Saint Anthony</i>, is not so good as his -single-figure subjects, and none of these approach in quality the fine -<i>Monk</i> in the possession of the Bankes family at Kingston Lacy in -Dorset.</p> - -<p>Seville is the home of bull-fights. The first ever recorded took place -in 1405, in the Plaza del Triunfo, in honour of the birth of a son to -Henry II. of Castile. The world of Fashion takes the air every evening -in the beautiful Paseo de las Delicias. The humbler members of society -throng the walks watching their wealthier sisters drive down its fine -avenues—this daily drive being the only exercise the ladies of Seville -permit themselves to take.<a name="page_021" id="page_021"></a></p> - -<p>It is a pretty sight to watch the carriages coming home as twilight -begins, and the last rays of the sun light up the Torre del Oro. Built -by the Almohades this Moorish octagon stood at the river extremity of -Moslem Seville. The golden yellow of the stone no doubt gave it the name -of "Borju-d-dahab," "the tower of gold," which has stuck to it under -Christian rule. But "how are the mighty fallen," and one of the glories -of the Moor debased. It is now an office used by clerks of the Port, -and, instead of the dignified tread of the sentinel, resounds to the -scribble of pens.<a name="page_022" id="page_022"></a><a name="page_023" id="page_023"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="CORDOVA" id="CORDOVA"></a>CORDOVA</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">I</span>T is hard to realise that the Cordova of to-day was, under the rule of -the Moor, a city famous all the world over and second only to the great -Damascus. Long before the Moor's beneficent advent, in the far-off days -of Carthage, Cordova was known as "the gem of the south." Its position -on the mighty Guadalquiver, backed by mountains on the north, always -seems to have attracted the best of those who conquered. In the time of -the Romans, Marcellus peopled it with poor Patricians from Rome, and -Cordova became Colonia Patricia, the capital of Hispania Ulterior. But -it was left to the Infidel to make it what is now so difficult to -realise—the first city in Western Europe.</p> - -<p>The zenith of its fame was reached during the tenth century, when the -mighty Abderrhaman III., ruler of the Omayyades reigned, and did not -begin to decrease until the death of Almanzor at the beginning of the -next century. If we are to believe the historian Almakkari, Cordova -contained at one time a million inhabitants, for whose<a name="page_024" id="page_024"></a> worship were -provided three hundred Mosques, and for whose ablutions nine hundred -baths were no more than was necessary. (The arch-destroyer of all things -Infidel, Philip II., demolished these.) It was the centre of art and -literature, students from all parts flocked hither, its wealth increased -and its fame spread, riches and their concomitant luxury made it the -most famous place in Western Europe. Nothing could exceed the grace and -elegance of its life, the courtly manners of its people, nor the -magnificence of its buildings.</p> - -<p>From the years 711 to 1295, when Ferdinand drove him out, the cultivated -Moslem reigned in this his second Mecca. And now?—under Christian rule -it has dwindled down to what one finds it to-day—a quiet, partly -ruinous town. Of all its great buildings nothing remains to remind one -of the past but the ruins of the Alcázar—now a prison, a portion of its -walls, and the much mutilated Mesquita—the Cathedral.<a name="page_025" id="page_025"></a></p> - -<p><a name="CORDOVA_INTERIOR_OF_THE_MESQUITA" id="CORDOVA_INTERIOR_OF_THE_MESQUITA"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_068_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_068_sml.jpg" width="550" height="375" alt="CORDOVA. INTERIOR OF THE MESQUITA" title="CORDOVA. INTERIOR OF THE MESQUITA" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">CORDOVA. INTERIOR OF THE MESQUITA</span> -</p> - -<p>I could not at first entry grasp the size of this the second largest -church of any in existence. Coming suddenly into the cool shade of its -many pillared avenues, I felt as if transplanted into the silent depths -of a great forest. In every direction I looked the trunks of huge trees -apparently rose upwards in ordered array. The light here and there -filtered through gaps on to the red-tiled floor, which only made the -deception greater by its resemblance to the needles of a pine-wood or -the dead leaves of autumn. Then the organ boomed out a note and the deep -bass of a priest in the <i>coro</i> shattered the illusion.</p> - -<p>The first Mosque built on the site of Leovigild's Visigothic Cathedral, -occupied one-fifth of the present Mesquita. It was "Ceca" or House of -Purification, and a pilgrimage to it was equivalent to a visit to Mecca. -It contained ten rows of columns, and is that portion which occupies the -north-west corner ending at the south-east extremity where the present -<i>coro</i> begins. This space soon became insufficient for the population, -and the Mosque was extended as far as the present Capilla de Nuestra -Señora de Villavicosia.</p> - -<p>Subsequent additions were made by different rulers. The Caliph Al-Hakim -II., who followed Abderrhaman III., expanded its size by building -southwards as far as the inclination of the sloping ground would allow. -To him is due the third Mihrâb, or Holy of Holies, the pavement of which -is worn by the knees of the devout who went thus round the Mihrâb seven -times. This Mihrâb is the most beautiful chamber I came across in all -Spain. The Byzantine Mosaics which adorn it are among the most superb -that exist, the domed ceiling of the recess is hewn out of a solid block -of<a name="page_026" id="page_026"></a> marble, and its walls, which Leo the Emperor of Constantinople sent -a Greek artist and skilled workmen to put up, are chiselled in marble -arabesques and moulded in stucco. The entrance archway to this gem of -the East, an intricate and well-proportioned feature, rests on two green -and two dark coloured columns. Close by is the private door of the -Sultan which led from the Alcázar to the Mesquita.</p> - -<p>The last addition of all nearly doubled the size of the Mosque. Building -to the south was impracticable on account of the fall in the land -towards the river. Eastwards was the only way out of the difficulty -unless the beautiful Court of the Oranges was to be enclosed. Eastwards, -therefore, did Almanzor extend his building, and the whole space in this -direction from the transepts or <i>Crucero</i> of the present church, in a -line north and south, was due to his initiative.<a name="page_027" id="page_027"></a></p> - -<p><a name="CORDOVA_THE_CAMPANARIO_TOWER" id="CORDOVA_THE_CAMPANARIO_TOWER"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_074_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_074_sml.jpg" width="287" height="550" alt="CORDOVA. THE CAMPANARIO TOWER" title="CORDOVA. THE CAMPANARIO TOWER" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">CORDOVA. THE CAMPANARIO TOWER</span> -</p> - -<p>The Mesquita at one time contained twelve hundred and ninety columns. -Sixty eight were removed to make room for the <i>Coro</i>, <i>Crucero</i> and -<i>Capilla Major</i>, which is the portion reserved for service now. In the -<i>coro</i>, the extremely fine <i>silleria</i>, are some of the best in Spain. -The Lectern is very good Flemish work in brass of the sixteenth century. -The choir books are beautifully illuminated missals, especially those of -the "Crucifixion" and the "Calling of the Apostles." All this does not, -however, compensate for the partial destruction of the Mosque. So -thought the people of Cordova, who petitioned Charles V. in vain against -the alterations which have destroyed the harmony of the wonderful -building. When passing through the city at a later date and viewing the -mischief that had been done, the King rebuked the chapter thus: "You -have built here what you, or any one, might have built anywhere else; -but you have destroyed what was unique in the world."</p> - -<p>Eight hundred and fifty columns now remain out of the above number. The -odd four hundred and forty occupied the place where now stand the rows -of orange trees in the courtyard, one time covered in, which is known as -the Patio de los Naranjos, or Court of the Oranges. The fountain used -for the ablutions of the Holy still runs with a crystal stream of pure -water, and is to-day the meeting place of all the gossips in Cordova.</p> - -<p>Of the five gates to this enchanting court, that of the Puerta del -Perdon, over which rises the great Tower, el Campanario, is the most -important. It is only opened on state occasions. Erected in 1377 by -Henry II. it is an imitation of Moorish design. The immense doors are -plated with copper arabesques.<a name="page_028" id="page_028"></a></p> - -<p>The exterior of the Mesquita is still Moorish despite the great church -which has been thrust through the centre and rises high above the flat -roof of the remainder of the Mosque. A massive terraced wall with -flame-shaped battlements encircles the whole, the view of which from the -bridge over the river is more Eastern than anything else I saw in Spain.</p> - -<p>This fine bridge, erected by the Infidel on Roman foundations, is -approached at the city end by a Doric gateway, built by Herrera in the -reign of Philip II., that Philip who married Mary of England. It -consists of sixteen arches and is guarded at its southern extremity by -the <i>Calahorra</i> or Moorish Tower, round which the road passes instead of -through a gateway, thus giving additional security to the defence.</p> - -<p>The mills of the Moslem's day still work, both above and below bridge, -and the patient angler sits in the sun with his bamboo rod, while the -wheels of these relics groan and hum as they did in days gone by. More -cunning is Isaac Walton's disciple who fishes from the bridge itself. A -dozen rods with heavily weighted lines, for the Guadalquiver runs swift -beneath the arches, and a small bell attached to the end of each rod is -his armament. And when the unwary fish impales himself on the hook and -the bell gives warning of a bite, the excitement is great. Greater still -when a peal begins as three or four rods bend!<a name="page_029" id="page_029"></a></p> - -<p><a name="CORDOVA_THE_BRIDGE" id="CORDOVA_THE_BRIDGE"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_080_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_080_sml.jpg" width="550" height="283" alt="CORDOVA. THE BRIDGE" title="CORDOVA. THE BRIDGE" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">CORDOVA. THE BRIDGE</span> -</p> - -<p>The beggars of Cordova were the most importunate that fate sent across -my path in the whole of Spain. I found it impossible to sit in the -streets where I would gladly have planted my easel, and it was only by -standing with my back to the wall that I was able to make my sketch of -the Campanario. These streets are tortuous and narrow, and the houses, -built on the Moorish plan with a beautiful <i>patio</i> inside, are low. At -many a corner I came across marble columns, some with Roman -inscriptions, probably from Italica, placed against the house to prevent -undue wear and tear. In the narrowest ways I noticed how the load borne -by the patient ass had scooped out a regular track on either wall about -three or four feet from the ground. Wherever I went, to the oldest -quarters of the town in the south-east corner or the modern in the -north-west, I could never rid myself of the feeling that Cordova was a -city of the past. Her life is more Eastern than that of Seville, and her -people bear more traces of the Moor. Decay and ruin are apparent at -every turn, but how picturesque it all is!—the rags, the squalor, and -the ruin. How I anathematised those beggars with no legs, or minus arms, -when I tried to begin a street sketch! The patience<a name="page_030" id="page_030"></a> of Job would not -have helped me, it was the loathsomeness of these cripples that drove me -away. Begging is prohibited in Seville and Madrid and in one or two -other towns, would that it were so in Cordova.</p> - -<p>Away up in the southern slopes of the Sierra de Cordoba stands the -Convento de San Jerónimo, now a lunatic asylum. Built out of the ruins -of the once magnificent Medînat-az-zahrâ, the Palace that Abderrhaman -III. erected, its situation is perfect. In the old days this palace -surpassed all others in the wonders of its art and luxury. The plough -still turns up ornaments of rare workmanship, but like so many things in -Spain its glories have departed.</p> - -<p>Yes, Cordova has seen its grandest days, the birthplace of Seneca, -Lucan, Averroes, Juan de Mena—the Spanish Chaucer—Morales, and many -another who became famous, can now boast at best with regard to human -celebrities as being the Government establishment for breaking in horses -for the cavalry. Certainly the men employed in this are fine dashing -specimens of humanity, and they wear a very picturesque dress. But -Cordova like her world-famed sons, sleeps—and who can say that it would -be better now if her sleep were broken?<a name="page_031" id="page_031"></a></p> - -<p><a name="CORDOVA_FOUNTAIN_IN_THE_COURT_OF_ORANGES" id="CORDOVA_FOUNTAIN_IN_THE_COURT_OF_ORANGES"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_086_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_086_sml.jpg" width="370" height="550" alt="CORDOVA. FOUNTAIN IN THE COURT OF ORANGES" title="CORDOVA. FOUNTAIN IN THE COURT OF ORANGES" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">CORDOVA. FOUNTAIN IN THE COURT OF ORANGES</span> -</p> - -<h2><a name="GRANADA" id="GRANADA"></a>GRANADA</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">S</span>PREAD out on the edge of a fertile plain at the base of the Sierra -Nevada, Granada basks in the sun; and though the wind blows cold with an -icy nip from the snows of the highest peaks in Spain, I cannot but think -that this, the last stronghold of the Moors, is the most ideal situation -of any place I have been in.</p> - -<p>The city is divided into three distinct districts, each with its own -peculiar characteristics. The Albaicin, Antequeruela, and Alhambra. The -first named covers the low ground and the hills on the bank of the -Darro, a gold-bearing stream which rushes below the Alhambra hill on the -north. The second occupies the lower portion of the city which slopes on -to the plain, and the Alhambra rises above both, a well-nigh demolished -citadel, brooding over past glories of the civilised Moor, the most -fascinating spot in all Spain.</p> - -<p>The Albaicin district is practically the rebuilt Moorish town, where the -aristocrats of Seville and Cordova settled when driven out of those -cities by St. Ferdinand in the thirteenth century. Many<a name="page_032" id="page_032"></a> traces remain -to remind one of their occupation in the tortuous streets which wind up -the steep hill sides, and the wall which they built for greater security -is still the boundary of the city on the north. The Albaicin is a grand -place to wander in and lose oneself hunting for relics and little bits -of architecture. At every turn of the intricate maze I came across -something of interest, either Moorish or Mediæval. A mean looking house -with a fine coat-of-arms over the door had evidently been built by a -knight with the collector's craze. He had specialised in millstones; a -round dozen or more were utilised in the lower portions of the wall and -looked strange with stones set in the plaster between them. A delicious -<i>patio</i>, now given over to pigs and fowls, with a broken-down fountain -in the centre of its ruined arcaded court, recalled the luxuries of the -Infidel. The terraced gardens standing behind and above many a blank -wall carried me back to those days of old when the opulence of the East -pervaded every dwelling in this Mayfair of Granada. Of all these the -Casa del Chapiz, though degraded into a low-class dwelling, is with its -beautiful garden the most perfect remnant of the exotic Moor.<a name="page_033" id="page_033"></a></p> - -<p><a name="GRANADA_CARRERA_DE_DARRO" id="GRANADA_CARRERA_DE_DARRO"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_092_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_092_sml.jpg" width="374" height="550" alt="GRANADA. CARRERA DE DARRO" title="GRANADA. CARRERA DE DARRO" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">GRANADA. CARRERA DE DARRO</span> -</p> - -<p>In the Carrera de Darro, just opposite the spot where once a handsome -Moorish arch spanned the stream, stands a house wherein is a Moorish -bath surrounded by horseshoe arcades. The bath is 18 ft. square, and in -the vaulted recess beyond is one of smaller dimensions commanding more -privacy for the cleanly Eastern whose day was never complete without -many ablutions.</p> - -<p>Not far away up the hillside, in cave-dwellings amidst an almost -impenetrable thicket of prickly pears, live the <i>gitanos</i>. I fear they -now exist on the charity of the tourist, and make a peseta or two by -fortune-telling or in the exercise of a more reprehensible cleverness, a -light-fingered dexterity which is generally only discovered by those who -"must go to the gipsy quarter" on their return to the hotel. These -gipsies no longer wander in the summer months and lie up for the winter -as they did of yore. They are not the Romanies of old times, and a -nomadic life holds no charm for them now. They make enough out of the -tourist to eke out a lazy existence throughout the year, and are fast -losing all the character of a wandering tribe and the lively splendour -of their race.</p> - -<p>Higher up, the banks of the Darro are lined with more cave-dwellings, a -great many of which, to judge by their present inaccessibility, are -undoubtedly of prehistoric origin. Those that I took to be of later date -have a sort of level platform in front of the entrance, from which the -approach of<a name="page_034" id="page_034"></a> a stranger could be seen and due warning taken by those -inside of any hostile intent.</p> - -<p>The Antequeruela quarter, called thus from the remnant of Moorish -refugees who driven from Antequera found here a home, extends from the -base of Monte Mauro to some distance below the confluence of the Darro -and Genil, Granada's other river. It is the most modern quarter and -busiest part of the city.</p> - -<p>The life of an ordinary Spanish town passes in front of me as I sit in -the sun sharing a seat with an old man wrapped closely in a <i>capa</i>. It -is April. We are in the Alameda, a broad promenade which leads to the -gardens of the Paseo de Salòn and de la Bomba. On either side are many -coloured houses with green shutters. They are very French, and to this -day I try to recall the town in France where I had seen them before. How -often this happens when we travel abroad!—a face, a scent, a sound. -Memory racks the tortuous channels of half-forgotten things stored away -somewhere in the brain, and for days with an irritating restlessness we -wander fruitlessly amid the paths of long ago.</p> - -<p>I turned to my companion on the seat, he looked chilled despite the -warmth of an April sun. "Tell me, sir, to whom does all the fine country -of the Vega belong?" "Absent landlords, señor; they<a name="page_035" id="page_035"></a> take their rents -and they live in Madrid, and the poor man has no one to care for him." -"But surely he begs and does not wish to work or to be cared for. The -beggars in Granada are more numerous than in any place I know." "That is -true, señor," and with a shake he relapsed into silence, drawing his -<i>capa</i> closer around him. The turn the conversation had taken was not -worth pursuing.</p> - -<p>New buildings are superseding the old in Antequeruela, and poverty and -squalor pushed further out of the sight of El Caballero, his Highness -the tourist. Æsthetically we appreciate the picturesque side of poverty, -the tumble-down houses, the rags, the graceful attitudes of the patient -poor for ever shifting in the patches of sunlight as the great -life-giver moves round. Dinner will be ready for us at 7 o'clock in the -hotel, there would be no call to leave home if every town we came to was -clean and its people prosperous. "But what about <i>Los Pobres</i>, the -beggars?" you ask. "Are they really deserving of charity, or only lazy -scoundrels?" I cannot answer you. I can only tell you that I have never -seen such terrible emaciated bundles of rags as those I saw in Granada.</p> - -<p>In Seville, though it is forbidden to beg, it was the one-eyed that -predominated; in Cordova he of no legs, who having marked down his prey, -displayed great agility as he scuttled across the street<a name="page_036" id="page_036"></a> with the help -of little wooden hand-rests; but here not only were both combined, but -various horrors of crippled and disfigured humanity with open sores and -loathsome disease thrust themselves before me wherever I went. It was -disgusting—but oh! how picturesque! If only, my good <i>Pobres</i>, you -would not come so close to me!</p> - -<p>They say Spain is the one unspoilt country in Europe. Personally I think -she is the one country that wants regenerating. Her girls are women at -sixteen, old at thirty, and aged ten years later. Her men take life as -it comes with very little initiative to better themselves. Very few -display any energy. Their chief thoughts are woman, and how to pass the -day at ease. Luckily for the country, at the age when good food and -clean living helps to make men, her youth is invigorated by army -service. True it is not popular. In the late war they died like flies -through fever and ill-feeding, and many were the sad tales I heard of -José and Pedro returning from the front with health ruined for life. It -was a sad blow to Spain, that war. Her navy demolished and her colonies -lost. It may be the regeneration of the nation, her well-wishers hope -so, but it is a difficult thing to change the leopard's spots. The -beggar being hungry begs, and well-nigh starves, his children follow his -example and probably his great grandchildren will be in the<a name="page_037" id="page_037"></a> same line -of business a hundred years hence—<i>Quien sabe?</i> who knows?</p> - -<p>I still sit in the sun rolling cigarettes; it is extraordinary how soon -the custom becomes a habit, and think of all this. A string of donkeys -passes with baskets stuffed tight with half a dozen large long-funnelled -water cans. They have come in with fresh drinking water from the spring -up the Darro under the Alhambra hill, and a little later the -water-sellers will be offering glasses of the refreshingly cool contents -of their cans. Granada is a city running with water, but the pollution -from the drains and the never-ending ranks of women on their knees -wrinsing clothes in its two streams, into which, by the way, all dead -refuse is thrown, makes that which is fit to drink a purchasable -quantity only.</p> - -<p>I watch the peasants from the Vega, who come in with empty panniers -slung across their donkeys, scraping up the dirt of the streets which -they take away to fertilise their cottage gardens. Herds of goats go by -muzzled until milking is over. They make for that bit of blank wall -opposite, and stand licking the saline moisture which oozes from the -plaster in the shade. The goats of Granada are reckoned the finest in -Spain, and, as is the custom throughout Andalusia, graze in the early -spring on the tender shoots of the young corn. This not<a name="page_038" id="page_038"></a> only keeps them -in food, but improves the quality of that part of the crop which reaches -maturity. I could sit all day here if only the sun stood still. My -companion removed himself half an hour ago and it is getting chilly in -the shade, so up and on to the Cathedral.</p> - -<p>What a huge Renaissance pile it is. Built on the Gothic plans of Diego -de Siloe it is undoubtedly the most imposing edifice of this style in -Spain. Fergusson considers its plan makes it one of the finest churches -in Europe. The western façade was erected by Alonso Cano and José -Granados, and does not follow Siloe's original design. The name of the -sculptor-painter is writ in big letters throughout the building. To him -are due the colossal heads of Adam and Eve, let into recesses above the -High Altar, and the seven pictures of the <i>Annunciation</i>, <i>Conception</i>, -<i>Presentation in the Temple</i>, <i>Visitation</i>, <i>Purification</i> and -<i>Assumption</i> in the Capilla Mayor. The two very fine colossal figures, -bronze gilt, which stand above the over-elaborated pulpits; a couple of -beautiful miniatures on copper in the Capilla de la Trinidad; a fine -Christ bearing the Cross and a head of S. Pedro over the altar of Jesus -Nazareno, are also by Cano. Many other examples from his carving tools -and brush are to be found in the Cathedral, of which he was made a -"Racione" or minor Canon, after fleeing from Valladolid when accused of -the murder of his wife. The little room he used as a workshop in the -Great Tower may still be visited and his remains lie tranquilly beneath -the floor of the <i>coro</i>.<a name="page_039" id="page_039"></a></p> - -<p><a name="GRANADA_EXTERIOR_OF_THE_CATHEDRAL" id="GRANADA_EXTERIOR_OF_THE_CATHEDRAL"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_102_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_102_sml.jpg" width="398" height="550" alt="GRANADA. EXTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL" title="GRANADA. EXTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">GRANADA. EXTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL</span> -</p> - -<p>In the Capilla de la Antigua there is that curious little image which, -found in a cave, served Ferdinand as a battle banner; and also -contemporary (?) portraits of the King and his Queen.</p> - -<p>To me the thing of surpassing interest, which ought to be the most -revered building in all Spain, was the Capilla Real and its contents. -The <i>reja</i>, which separates the choir from the rest of the chapel, is a -magnificent piece of work, coloured and gilded, by Bartolomé. As the -verger unlocked the great gate he drew my attention to the box -containing the lock with its three beautifully wrought little iron -figures and intricate pattern. We passed in, the gate swung to with a -click, the lock was as good as if it had but recently been placed there. -These <i>rejas</i> throughout the country are all in splendid condition. A -dry climate no doubt preserves them as it has preserved everything else, -and I very seldom detected rust on any iron work. The humidity of the -winter atmosphere is insufficient, I suppose, to set up much decay in -metal, and certainly the only decay in Spain is where inferior material -has been used in construction,<a name="page_040" id="page_040"></a> or the negligence of man has left things -to rot.</p> - -<p>With the gate locked behind me I stood in front of the two marble -monuments, the one of the recumbent figures of Ferdinand and Isabella, -the other of Philip and Juana la Loca—crazy Jane. Beyond rose the steps -up to the High Altar, close at my side those—a short flight—that led -to the crypt where the coffins of these four rest. I felt surrounded by -the Great of this Earth, and certainly a feeling of awe took hold of me -as their deeds passed through my mind and I realised that here lay the -remains of those who had turned out the Moor, bidden God-speed to -Columbus, and instituted the Inquisition.</p> - -<p>They are wonderful tombs these two. Ferdinand wears the order of St. -George, the ribbon of the Garter, Isabella that of the Cross of -Santiago, Philip and his wife the Insignia of the order of the Golden -Fleece. Four doctors of the church occupy the corners of the first tomb, -with the twelve Apostles at the sides. The other has figures of SS. -Michael, Andrew, and John the Baptist, and the Evangelist. Both tombs -are elaborately carved, the medallions in <i>alto-relievo</i> being of very -delicate work. Next to that magnificent tomb in the Cartuja de -Miraflores at Burgos, these are the finest monuments in all Spain.<a name="page_041" id="page_041"></a></p> - -<p>Above the High Altar is a florid <i>Retablo</i> with not much artistic merit. -My interest was entirely centred in the two portrait figures of -Ferdinand and Isabella. They each kneel at a Prie-Dieu facing one -another on either side of the altar—the King to the north, the Queen to -the south. Below them in double sections are four wooden panels in -bas-relief, to which I turned after a long examination of these -authentic and contemporary portraits. These panels are unsurpassed as -records of the costume of the day and a faithful representation of their -subject. On the left is the mournful figure of Boabdil giving up the key -of the Alhambra to Cardinal Mendoza, who seated on his mule between the -King and Queen, alone wears gloves. Surrounding them are knights, -courtiers and the victorious soldiery. In the background are the towers -of the Alhambra. To the right is seen the wholesale conversion by -Baptism of the Infidel, the principal figures being monks who are very -busy over their work, inducing the reluctant Moor to enter an alien -Faith.</p> - -<p>There is something very impressive about these panels, they render so -well and in such a naïve manner the history they record. The surrender -of the Moor after 750 years' rule, the end of his dreams, the final -triumph of the King and Queen, who devoted the first portion of their -reign to<a name="page_042" id="page_042"></a> driving him out of the country, and the great church receiving -the token of submission at the end of last act, they are all here.—The -verger touched my arm, my reverie of those stirring times was broken, he -had other things to show and noon was fast approaching. Pointing to -three iron plates let into the floor of the chapel, he inquired if I -would like to see the spot where rest the coffins of these great makers -of history. Certainly; I could not leave the Cathedral without a silent -homage to those who placed Spain first among the nations. He lifted the -plates, and lighting a small taper which he thrust into the end of a -long pole, disappeared down the steps, with a warning to mind my head -for the entry was very low. I followed, stooping. At the bottom of the -steps was a small opening heavily barred. The verger pushed his lighted -taper and pole through the bars, and beckoned to me to look. I peered -into the dark chamber, there resting on a marble slab were the rough -iron-bound coffins of the "Catholic Kings." The taper flickered and cast -long shadows in the gloom, discovering the coffins of Philip and Juana. -It was all very eerie, a fitting climax in its simplicity to the -magnificent monuments above and to the history writ on the walls of the -Capilla Real. I shall never forget it.</p> - -<p>In the sacristy I was shown the identical banner<a name="page_043" id="page_043"></a> which floated from the -Torre de la Vela when the Alhambra had surrendered. Isabella herself had -worked this for the very object to which it was put. Next to it hangs -Ferdinand's sword, with a remarkably small handle. I had thought, from -the kneeling effigy in the Capilla Real, that both he and Isabella must -have been small-made and this verified my guess. Many other personal -relics of the two were shown me. The Queen's own missal, a beautiful -embroidered chasuble from her industrious fingers, an exquisitely -enamelled viril, &c. Time was short, my verger wanted his dinner, and I -had seen enough for one morning. He let me out through the closed door -into the Placeta de la Lonja and in a sort of dream I carried away all I -had seen.</p> - -<p>The next morning I returned to the Placeta and stood in the doorway of -the old Royal Palace, now used as a drapery warehouse, and commenced the -drawing figured in the illustration. The rich late Gothic ornament of -the exterior of the Capilla Real is well balanced by the Lonja which -backs on to the sacristy. Here Pradas's work has been much mutilated and -the lower stage of the arcading built up. The twisted columns of the -gallery and its original wooden roof remain to tell us what this fine -façade once was.</p> - -<p>There is a great deal of interest in this huge<a name="page_044" id="page_044"></a> Cathedral, which to the -tourist is quite overshadowed by the Alhambra. In the north-west corner -of the Segrario which adjoins the building on the south, is the Capilla -de Pulgar. Herman Perez del Pulgar was a knight serving under -Ferdinand's banner. Filled with holy zeal, he entered Granada one stormy -night in December 1490 by the Darro conduit, and making his way to the -Mosque which then stood where the Segrario now is, pinned a scroll -bearing the words Ave Maria to its principal door with his dagger. This -daring deed was not discovered until the next morning, by which time the -intrepid knight was safe back in camp. His courage was rewarded by a -seat in the <i>coro</i> of the Cathedral, and at his death his body was -interred in the chapel which bears his name.</p> - -<p>Nearly all the churches of Granada occupy the sites of Mosques. Santa -Anna, like San Nicolás, has a most beautiful wooden roof. San Juan de -los Reyes contains portraits of Ferdinand and Isabella; its tower is the -minaret of what was once a Mosque.</p> - -<p>The Cathedral itself is so crowded in by other buildings, that no -comprehensive view of the fabric is possible. Unfortunately this is the -case, with one or two notable exceptions, throughout the country. Its -fine proportions are thus lost, and it is only the interior with its -great length and breath,<a name="page_045" id="page_045"></a> its lofty arches and fine Corinthian pilasters -that serve to dignify this House of God.</p> - -<p>Taking a morning off, I walked out to the Cartuja Convent. The Gran -Capitan, Gonzalo de Cordoba, at one time granted an estate to the -Carthusians and on it they erected the convent to which I turned my -steps. The Order about this time was immensely wealthy and they spent -money with reckless lavishness on the interior of their church. -Mother-of-pearl, tortoiseshell, ebony and cedar-wood entered largely -into their decorations, as well as ivory and silver. But perhaps the -marbles in the church are the most remarkable part of their scheme. -These were chosen for the wonderful patterns of the sections, and with a -little stretch of the imagination I could trace well-composed -landscapes, human and animal forms in a great many of the slabs. The -overdone chirrugueresque work, to which add these fantastic wall -decorations, makes this interior positively scream. It is nothing more -nor less than a vulgar display of wealth. The cloisters of the convent -also attest the bad taste of the Carthusians, they contain a series of -pictures which represent the most repugnant and bloodthirsty scenes of -persecutions and martyrdoms of the Order.</p> - -<p>In another convent, San Gerónimo, was buried the Gran Capitan. A slab -marks the spot, but his<a name="page_046" id="page_046"></a> poor bones were exhumed and carried off to -Madrid in 1868 to form the nucleus of a Spanish Pantheon. Needless to -say, like so many other great ideas in Spain, nothing further was done, -and Gonzalo's remains still await a last resting-place.</p> - -<p>One more fact before I reach the Alhambra. In the church of San Juan de -Dios you may see the cage in which the founder, Juan de Robles, was shut -up as a lunatic. What do you think his lunacy was? Having the infirm and -the poor always before him, this tender-hearted man went about preaching -the necessity of hospitals to alleviate their distress. Aye, he was a -hundred years and more before his time, so they shut him up in a cage -and there let him rot and die. Those that came after in more enlightened -days valued the good man's crusade at its proper price, and he was -eventually canonised, and his supposed remains now rest in an <i>urna</i>.</p> - -<p>Up a toilsome approach, splashing through the mud, I drove on the night -I reached Granada. As the horses slowed up, I put my head out of the -carriage window, we were passing under an archway and I knew that at -last one of the dreams of my life was realised. I was in the Alhambra. I -became conscious of rows and rows of tall trees swaying in the wind. I -smelt the delicious scent of damp earth, and could just distinguish, as -the <a name="page_047" id="page_047"></a>carriage crawled up the steep ascent, in the lulls of the storm, the -sound of running water. It was fairyland, it was peace. After that long, -tedious journey and the glare of the electric lit streets I had just -passed through, I sank back on the cushions and felt my reward had -come.</p> - -<p><a name="GRANADA_THE_ALHAMBRA" id="GRANADA_THE_ALHAMBRA"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_114_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_114_sml.jpg" width="550" height="368" alt="GRANADA. THE ALHAMBRA" title="GRANADA. THE ALHAMBRA" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">GRANADA. THE ALHAMBRA</span> -</p> - -<p>How is it possible to describe the Alhambra? It has been done so often -and so well. Every one has read Washington Irving, and most of us know -Victor Hugo's eulogy. I had better begin at the beginning, which is the -gateway erected by Charles V. under which I passed with such a happy -consciousness. Further up the hill, through which only pedestrians can -go, is the Gate of Judgment, the first gateway into the Moorish -fortress. Above it is the Torre de Justicia erected by Yusuf I. in 1348. -On the external keystone is cut a hand, on the inner a key. Much -controversy rages round these two signs and I leave it to others to find -a solution. In old days the Kadi sat in this gateway dispensing justice. -The massive doors still turn on their vertical pivots, the spear rests -of the Moorish guard are still attached to the wall, and you must enter, -as the Moors did, by the three turns in the dark passage beyond the -gate. A narrow lane leads to the Plaza de las Algibes, under the level -of which are the old Moorish cisterns. To the right is the Torre del -Vino, and on the left the Acazaba.<a name="page_048" id="page_048"></a></p> - -<p>Come with me up the short flight of steps into the little strip of -garden. Let us lean over the wall and look out on to the Vega. Is there -anywhere so grand and varied an outline of plain and mountain? Do you -wonder at the tears that suffused the eyes of Boabdil as he turned for a -last look at this incomparable spot? The brown roofs of Granada lie at -our feet. Far away through the levels of the green plain, the Vega, I -can see the winding of many silver streams. Beyond those rugged peaks to -the south lies the Alpujarras district, the last abiding place of the -conquered Moor. Further on the mass of the Sierra Aburijara bounds the -horizon, west of it is the town of Loja, thirty miles away, buried in -the dip towards Antequerra. To the north is Mount Parapanda, the -barometer of the Vega, always covered with mist when rain is at hand. -Nearer in is the Sierra de Elvira, spread out below which are the dark -woods of the Duke of Wellington's property—he is known in Spain as -Duque de Ciudad Rodriguez. It is clear enough for us to see the blue -haze of the mountains round Jaen, and the rocky defile of Mochin. The -Torre de la Vela shuts out the rest of the view. There is a bell hanging -in this tower which can be heard as far away as Loja. Now turn and look -behind. Right up into the blue sky rise the snow peaks of the Sierra -Nevada. Mulhacen, the highest point<a name="page_049" id="page_049"></a> in all Spain, is not visible, but -we can see Veleta which is but a few feet lower. The whole range -glistens in the afternoon sun, but it is the evening hour that brings -such wonderful changes of colour over these great snowfields, and, after -the sun is down, such a pale mother-of-pearl grey silhouetted against -the purple sky.</p> - -<p>The entrance into what we call the Alhambra is hidden away behind the -unfinished Palace of Charles V. The low door admits us directly in the -Patio de los Arrayanes, or court of the Myrtles. Running north and south -it gets more sun than any other court of the Alhambra. What a revelation -it is! In the centre is an oblong tank full of golden carp. The neatly -kept myrtle hedges encircle this, reflected in the clear water they add -refreshing charm to a first impression of the Moorish Palace. On the -north rises the Torre de Comares, the approach to which is through a -beautifully proportioned chamber, the roof of which was unfortunately -destroyed by fire in 1890. The whole of the ground-floor of this tower -is known as the Hall of the Ambassadors. The monarch's throne occupied a -space opposite the entrance and it was here that the last meeting to -consider the surrender was held by Boabdil. The elaborate domed roof of -this magnificent chamber is of larch wood, but the semi-darkness -prevents one<a name="page_050" id="page_050"></a> realising to the full extent its beauties. From the -windows, which almost form small rooms, so thick are the walls of the -Tower of Comares, fine views over the roofs of the city and the Albaicin -hill are obtained.</p> - -<p>The Court of the Lions, so called from the central fountain upheld by -marble representations of the kingly beast, is surrounded by a beautiful -arcade. At either end this is thrown out, forming a couple of extremely -elegant pavilions. Fairy columns support a massive roof, the woodwork of -which is carved with the pomegranate of Granada. Intricate fret-work is -arranged to break the monotony of strong sunlight on a flat surface. -Arabesques and inscriptions, stamped with an iron mould on the wet clay, -repeat themselves all round the frieze. Orange trees at one time adorned -the court and cast gracious shade on its surface. The fountain threw up -jets of splashing water, the musical sound harmonising with the -wonderful arrangement of light and shade. I tried to picture all this as -I sat making my sketch, but even in April, though hot in the sun, I -required an overcoat in the shadow, and I must own that the ever-present -tourist with his kodak sadly disturbed all mental attempts at the -reconstruction of Moorish life.</p> - -<p><a name="GRANADA_THE_ALHAMBRA_COURT_OF_LIONS" id="GRANADA_THE_ALHAMBRA_COURT_OF_LIONS"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_122_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_122_sml.jpg" width="550" height="395" alt="GRANADA. THE ALHAMBRA, COURT OF LIONS" title="GRANADA. THE ALHAMBRA, COURT OF LIONS" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">GRANADA. THE ALHAMBRA, COURT OF LIONS</span> -</p> - -<p>On the south side of the court is the hall of the <a name="page_051" id="page_051"></a>Abencerrages, named -after that noble family. The massive wooden doors, which shut it off -from the arcade, are of most beautiful design. The hall is rectangular -and has a fine star-shaped stalactite dome. The <i>azulejos</i>, or tiles, -are the oldest that remain in the Alhambra. A passage leads to what was -once the Royal Sepulchral Chamber.</p> - -<p>On the east side is the so-called Sala de la Justicia divided into -several recesses and running the whole length of this portion of the -court. The central recess was used by Ferdinand and Isabella when they -held the first Mass after the surrender of the Moors. The chief interest -of the Sala I found to be in a study of the paintings on the -semicircular domed roofs. They portray the Moor of the period. The -middle one, that in the chapel-recess, no doubt contains portraits of -Granada's rulers in council. The other two represent hunting scenes and -deeds of chivalry. It is supposed that the Koran forbids the delineation -of any living thing. The Moor got over this difficulty by portraying -animal life in as grotesque a manner as possible, or by employing -foreign captives to do this for him. One theory of the origin of the -Lion Fountain is that a captive Christian carved the lions and gave his -best—or his worst—as the price of his liberation. Personally I think -they are of Phœnician origin. Animals and birds in decoration reached -the Moor from<a name="page_052" id="page_052"></a> Persia, where from unknown ages they had always been -employed in this way; and the Môsil style of hammered metal work is -replete with this feature.</p> - -<p>On the north side of the court lies the Room of the Two Sisters, with -others opening out from it, which seems to point to the probability that -this was the suite occupied by the Sultana herself. Moorish art has here -reached its highest phase. The honeycomb roof contains nearly five -thousand cells, all are different, yet all combine to form a -marvellously symmetrical whole. Fancy ran free with the architect who -piled one tiny cell upon another and on these supported a third. Pendant -pyramids cluster everywhere and hang suspended apparently from nothing. -In the fertility of his imagination the designer surpassed anything of -the kind that went before or has since been attempted. Truly the verses -of a poem copied on to the <i>azulejos</i> are well set. "Look well at my -elegance, and reap the benefit of a commentary on decoration. Here are -columns ornamented with every perfection, the beauty of which has become -proverbial."</p> - -<p>Beyond this entrancing suite of rooms is the Miradoro de Daraxa with -three tall windows overlooking that little gem of a garden the Patio de -Daraxa. It was here that Washington Irving lodged when dreaming away -those delicious days in the Alhambra.<a name="page_053" id="page_053"></a></p> - -<p>The old Council Chamber of the Moors, the Meshwâr, is reached through -the Patio de Mexuar. Charles V. turned this chamber into a chapel, and -the hideous decorations he put up are still extant. An underground -passage, which leads to the baths, ran from the <i>patio</i> and gave access -to the battlements and galleries of the fortress as well as forming a -connecting link between each tower.</p> - -<p>The baths are most interesting, but to me were pervaded by a deadly -chill. I felt sorry for the guardian who spends his days down in such -damp, icy quarters. A remark I made to him inquiring how long his duty -kept him in so cold a spot, called forth so terrible a fit of coughing -that I got no reply. I was told afterwards that he was only placed there -as he was too ill for other duty, and it was expected he would not live -much longer! There are two baths of full size and one for children. The -<i>azulejos</i> in them are very beautiful, as they also are in the disrobing -room and chamber for rest.</p> - -<p>An open corridor leads from the Hall of the Ambassadors to the Torre del -Peinador which Yusuf I. built. The small Tocador de la Reina, or Queen's -dressing-room, with its quaint frescoes, was modernised by Charles V. -Let into the floor is a marble slab drilled with holes, through which -perfumes found their way from a room below while the Queen was -dressing.<a name="page_054" id="page_054"></a></p> - -<p>The glamour of the East clings to every corner of the Alhambra, and the -wonder of it all increased as I began to grow familiar with its -courtyards and halls, the slender columns of its arcades, with their -tracery and oft-repeated verses forming ornament and decoration, and the -well thought-out balance of light and shade. What must it all have been -like when the sedate Moor glided noiselessly through the cool corridors, -or the clang of arms resounded through the now silent halls! It is -difficult to imagine. The inner chambers were then lined with matchless -carpets and rugs and the walls were covered with subtly coloured -<i>azulejos</i>.</p> - -<p>Many are the changes since those days of the Infidel who cultivated the -art of living as it has never been cultivated since. Restoration is -judiciously but slowly going on, and every courtesy is shown to the -visitor. A small charge might be levied, however, to assist the -Government, even in a slight degree, with restoration, and I am sure no -one would grudge paying for the privilege of sauntering through the most -interesting remains of the Moorish days of Spain.</p> - -<p>The unfinished Palace of Charles V. occupies a large space, to clear -which a great deal of the Moorish Palace was demolished. The interior is -extremely graceful. The double arcades, the lower of which is Doric and -the upper Ionic, run round a circular court which for good proportion it -would be hard to beat.<a name="page_055" id="page_055"></a></p> - -<p><a name="GRANADA_GENERALIFE" id="GRANADA_GENERALIFE"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_130_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_130_sml.jpg" width="375" height="550" alt="GRANADA. GENERALIFE" title="GRANADA. GENERALIFE" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">GRANADA. GENERALIFE</span> -</p> - -<p>On the Corre de Sol, a little way out of the Alhambra and situated above -it, is the Generalife. It belongs to the Pallavicini family of Genoa, -but on the death of the present representative becomes the property of -the Spanish Government. A stately cypress avenue leads to the entrance -doorway, through which one enters an oblong court full of exotic growth -and even in April a blaze of colour. Through a tank down the centre runs -a delicious stream of clear water. At the further end of this -captivating court are a series of rooms, one of which contains badly -painted portraits of the Spanish Sovereigns since the days of Ferdinand -and Isabella.</p> - -<p>Up some steps is another garden court with another tank, shaded by more -cypress trees. One huge patriarch is over six hundred years old, and it -is supposed that under it Boabdil's wife clandestinely met Hamet the -Abencerrage.</p> - -<p>Space will not permit me to tell of the many entrancing excursions I -made to the foot-hills of the Sierra Nevada and up the two rivers. I can -only add that the valleys disclosed to the pedestrian are a wealth of -rare botanical specimens, and if time permits will well repay a -lengthened sojourn in the last stronghold of the Moors in Spain.<a name="page_057" id="page_057"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="MALAGA" id="MALAGA"></a>MALAGA</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">M</span>ALAGA disputes with Cadiz the honour of being the oldest seaport in the -country. In early days the Phœnicians had a settlement here, and in -after times both the Carthagenians and Romans utilised "Malacca" as -their principal port on the Mediterranean littoral of Spain. In 571 the -Goths under their redoubtable King, Leovigild, wrested the town from the -Byzantines. Once more it was captured, by Tarik, in the year 710 and -remained a Moorish stronghold until Ferdinand took it after a long siege -in 1487.</p> - -<p>It is said that gunpowder was first used in Spain at this siege, when -the "seven sisters of Ximenes," guns planted in the Gibralfaro, belched -forth fire and smoke.</p> - -<p>In the year 709 the Berber Tarif entered into an alliance with Julian, -Governor of Ceuta, who held that place for Witiza the Gothic King of -Spain. With four ships and five hundred men he crossed the narrow and -dangerous straits to reconnoitre the European coast, having secretly in -view<a name="page_058" id="page_058"></a> an independent kingdom for himself on the Iberian peninsula. He -landed at Cape Tarifa.</p> - -<p>This expedition was so far successful that in two years' time another -Berber, of a name almost similar, Tarík to wit, was sent over with -twelve thousand men and landed near the rock which received the name of -Jabal-Tarík, or mountain of Tarík, the present Gibraltar.</p> - -<p>Witiza in the meantime died and was succeeded by Roderic, who, hearing -of the invasion of this Moorish host, hastened south from Toledo and met -his death in the first decisive battle between Christian and Infidel on -the banks of the Guadalete near Cadiz. Tarík then commenced his -victorious march, which ended in less than three years with the -subjugation of the whole country as far as the foot of the -Pyrenees—Pelayo, in his cave at Covadonga near Oviedo, alone holding -out with a mere remnant against the all-conquering Moor.<a name="page_059" id="page_059"></a></p> - -<p><a name="MALAGA_VIEW_FROM_THE_HARBOUR" id="MALAGA_VIEW_FROM_THE_HARBOUR"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_138_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_138_sml.jpg" width="550" height="283" alt="MALAGA. VIEW FROM THE HARBOUR" title="MALAGA. VIEW FROM THE HARBOUR" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">MALAGA. VIEW FROM THE HARBOUR</span> -</p> - -<p>If you ask me, "What is Malaga to-day?" I can reply with truth, "The -noisiest town in Spain." Like all places in the south it is a babel of -street-cries, only a little more so than any of the others. The -<i>seranos</i>, or night-watchmen, disturb one's rest as they call out the -hour of the night, or whistle at the street corners to their comrades. A -breeze makes hideous the hours of darkness by the banging to and fro of -unsecured shutters. The early arrival of herds of goats with tinkling -bells heralds the dawn, which is soon followed by the discordant clatter -of all those, cracked and otherwise, which hang in the church belfries. -The noisiest town I visited, most certainly, but for all that a very -enchanting place. In a way not unlike Naples, for the Malagueno is the -Spanish prototype of the Neapolitan. Lazy, lighthearted, good-natured, -but quick to take affront, he gets through the day doing nothing in a -manner that won my sincere admiration. "Why work, señor, when you have -the sun? I do not know why the English travellers are always in such a -hurry. And the North American, he is far worse. I earned two pesetas -yesterday. To-day I have no wants, I do not work. To-morrow? Yes, -perhaps to-morrow I work, but to-day I sit here in the sun, I smoke my -cigarette, I am content to watch others, that is life!"—and who can say -that the Malagueno is far wrong? Not I.</p> - -<p>Malaga's Cathedral, an imposing building of a very mixed Corinthian -character, occupies the site of a Moorish mosque which was converted -into a church. Of this early church of the Incarnation, the Gothic -portal of the <i>Segragrio</i> is the only portion remaining. The present -edifice was begun in 1538 from the plans of that great architect Diego -de Siloe, but being partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1680, was -not completed<a name="page_060" id="page_060"></a> until 1719. It cannot be called complete even now, and -the long period over which its construction has been spread accounts for -the very many inconsistencies in a building which is full of -architectural defects.</p> - -<p>The west façade is flanked by two Towers, only one of which has been -finished; this is drawn out in three stages like the tower of La Seo at -Saragossa, and has a dome with lantern above. The doors of the north and -south Transepts are also flanked by towers, but they do not rise beyond -the cornice line. The interior, reminding one of Granada's Cathedral, is -seemingly immense. The proportions are massive and decidedly good. It -was in his proportions that Siloe excelled. The length of this is three -hundred and seventy-five feet, the width two hundred and forty, and the -height one hundred and thirty feet. The columns which support the heavy -roof consist of two rows of pillars one above the other. The vaulting is -of round arches.</p> - -<p>A picture by Alonso Cano in the chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary, and -one of a <i>Virgin and Child</i>, in that of San Francisco, by Morales, were -the only two objects that I could say interested me, besides the -magnificently carved <i>silleria del coro</i>, the work of many hands, but -chiefly those of Pedro de Mena, a pupil of Cano.<a name="page_061" id="page_061"></a></p> - -<p>With all its architectural incongruities it is an impressive fabric, and -rises high above the surrounding roofs, like a great Liner with a crowd -of smaller boats lying around her. So it struck me as I sat on the -quayside of the Malagueta making my sketch, sadly interfered with by an -unpleasant throng of idling loafers.</p> - -<p>Beyond Malagueta lies Caleta, and on the hill above them is the Castilla -de Gibralfaro, from which when the sky is clear the African mountains -near Ceuta can be seen. Below the Gibralfaro and between it and the -Cathedral, lies the most ancient part of the city, the Alcazába, the -glorious castle and town of Moorish days. And now?—like so many of -Spain's departed glories, it is not much more than a ruined -conglomeration of huts and houses of a low and very insanitary order.</p> - -<p>At the other end of Malaga is the Mercado, and close by is the old -Moorish sea gateway, the Puerta del Mar, washed by the waters of the -blue Mediterranean in their day, but at the present time well away from -the sea and surrounded by houses.</p> - -<p>The everyday market is held in the dry bed of the treacherous -Guadelmedina, a stream which rose in the fatal October of 1907 and swept -away all the bridges, swamping the lower quarters of the<a name="page_062" id="page_062"></a> city. Many -lives were lost in this disastrous flood and many bodies picked up by -fishing-boats far out at sea. However, when I made my sketch there was -no chance of such a visitation, and I found the market folk more polite -than the loafers on the quay.</p> - -<p>The country lying at the back of the city and at the base of the -sun-baked and scarred mountains by which it is surrounded, produces -almost everything that grows. From this—the Vega—come grapes, raisins, -figs, oranges, lemons, water and sweet melons, quinces, pomegranates, -medlars, plantains, custard-apples, guava, olives and sugar-cane—a -veritable paradise for the fruit grower. Up the hill slopes, where the -olive luxuriates, fine woods of sweet acorn and cork trees are passed, -and any day you may see large herds of swine feeding on the acorns that -have fallen, and routing out other delicacies that their sensitive noses -tell them lie hidden beneath the surface. The pork of Estremadura is -reckoned the best in Spain, and that from these oak woods a good second. -The pig in Spain is a clean feeder, and you can eat him with perfect -safety anywhere. Such a thing as the offensive pig-sty, the disgrace of -rural England, is absolutely unknown here.<a name="page_063" id="page_063"></a></p> - -<p><a name="MALAGA_THE_MARKET" id="MALAGA_THE_MARKET"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_496_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_496_sml.jpg" width="550" height="374" alt="MALAGA. THE MARKET" title="MALAGA. THE MARKET" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">MALAGA. THE MARKET</span> -</p> - -<p>Malaga's climate is delightful, despite the fierce winds and the dust -they raise. Though rain seldom falls the cool sea breezes in summer -bring a refreshing tonic to the dweller up country; and many Spaniards -at this season come here for bathing, and obtain a maximum of sunshine -without the intense heat of the interior.</p> - -<h2><a name="VALENCIA" id="VALENCIA"></a>VALENCIA</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">V</span>ALENCIA del Cid is inseparably connected with the hero of Spanish -romance, Rodrigo Diaz of Bivar, to give him his real name, "Cid" being a -corruption of the Moorish <i>Seyyid</i>, and first appearing in historical -documents of the year 1064. Rising to great power, Alfonso of Leon -appointed him to the command of his army, but through jealousy banished -him in 1081. From that date the Cid became a true knight-errant. Barred -from the kingdom of Leon, he was ever ready to sell his services to the -highest bidder; and after many wanderings found himself with a goodly -following of knights, only too eager in those days, when might was -right, to be in the train of so redoubtable a champion, <i>en route</i> to -Saragossa. The Moorish ruler of that city being at logger-heads with the -Count of Barcelona accepted the Cid's proffered services, and the result -was a battle in which the Catalans were badly beaten.</p> - -<p>With no prospects of further service in Aragon, the Cid turned his face -south and marched on Valencia, whose Moorish King Yahya was only too<a name="page_066" id="page_066"></a> -pleased to request his protection in advance, instead of succumbing to -his conquering arm. Thus began Rodrigo's connection with the city, which -with one or two intervals ended only at his death.</p> - -<p>It was from the top of the Miguelete Tower, which is pictured in my -illustration of the Cathedral, that he showed his wife Ximena and their -daughters the fair land he had conquered. This was in 1095, when after -having rejoined Alfonso and left him again, he had returned and -recaptured the city after a siege of twenty months. Four years later -died the man whose name was a terror to the Infidel, and his widow -Ximena, following the traditions of her warrior husband, held Valencia -against overwhelming hordes of Moors. The story of the bitter end, how -she placed his body on his favourite war-horse and drove it through the -ranks of the enemy, has always been a theme for the balladmonger of -Spain.</p> - -<p>It was in 140 <small>B.C.</small> that Junius Brutus founded a small Roman colony on -the banks of the river Turia. Pompey destroyed this settlement and -rebuilt it. In 413 the Goths took possession. The Emir of Cordova -captured it in 714 and Valencia remained a vassal state until the fall -of the Omayeh dynasty. Like other provinces, it became merged under the -single banner that floated over the <a name="page_067" id="page_067"></a>greater part of the Peninsula at the -union of Aragon and Castile. Being a coast town and savouring of the -south, it was not until the time of the bigoted Philip III. that the -industrious and unfortunate Moriscoe was finally expelled from the -shelter of Valencia's walls.</p> - -<p><a name="page_065" id="page_065"></a></p> - -<p><a name="VALENCIA_SAN_PABLO" id="VALENCIA_SAN_PABLO"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_152_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_152_sml.jpg" width="294" height="550" alt="VALENCIA. SAN PABLO" title="VALENCIA. SAN PABLO" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">VALENCIA. SAN PABLO</span> -</p> - -<p>Souchet sacked the place in the Napoleonic wars and received the title -of Duke of Albufera from his master. Rather an empty honour, Albufera -being the large and malarious tract of marshland along the coast a few -miles to the south of El Grao, and worth but very little.</p> - -<p>El Grao is Valencia's Port, and is three miles distant from the city. -The road which connects the two is about the busiest high road I saw in -Spain. From sunrise till long after sunset two streams of vehicles pass -to and fro. Strings of laden donkeys, waggonettes crammed with -good-humoured laughing fisher and country folk pass along, an electric -tram carries those who can afford the extra <i>centimos</i>, and the -carriages of Valencia's well-to-do citizens take them to the harbour for -a breath of sea air out on the breakwaters. Everything seems alive, and -though there is that balmy feeling in the air which one gets in -Andalusia, there is none of the indolence and seductive <i>dolce far -niente</i> of that enchanting province. No! quite the other way in -Valencia. The peasants are extremely<a name="page_068" id="page_068"></a> industrious. The soil of the -<i>Huerta</i> bears them three crops during the year. The system of -irrigation, the old Moorish system by-the-way, is perfect, and though -the product of a soil which is forced to bear more than it naturally -can, is reinforced at sowing time, in the case of corn, by Russian -grain, it cannot be said that Valencia depends on any outside help for -her prosperity. The swamps bordering the coast grow the finest rice in -the world. The wines of the province are good and cheap, held in much -esteem by French merchants to fortify the lighter produce of their own -country. So cheap are they in fact, that in some parts of the province -it costs more to get a drink of water than a glass of wine. Yet -drunkenness is unknown. If a Valencian took a drop too much, he would be -promptly boycotted by his neighbours, and for ever after looked upon as -a disgusting and outlandish boor, a disgrace to his village and a man to -be shunned.</p> - -<p>The peasant is very illiterate and scrupulously honest—the one follows -the other. Like the Andalusian, he is absolutely trustworthy in all his -dealings, which are conducted by word of mouth. In buying and selling no -signatures to documents pass between the contracting parties. If any -paper is ever signed, it is confirmed by certain scratches or marks -known to belong to so and so—the signee. His word is his bond, it is -generally all he can give, but it is enough and is worth more than -signatures sometimes are. Further north, where modern ways of life are -more in vogue, and where all is more "advanced," there are ten lawyers -to the one in Valencia and the south.<a name="page_069" id="page_069"></a></p> - -<p><a name="VALENCIA_DOOR_OF_THE_CATHEDRAL" id="VALENCIA_DOOR_OF_THE_CATHEDRAL"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_158_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_158_sml.jpg" width="382" height="550" alt="VALENCIA. DOOR OF THE CATHEDRAL" title="VALENCIA. DOOR OF THE CATHEDRAL" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">VALENCIA. DOOR OF THE CATHEDRAL</span> -</p> - -<p>The Cathedral was originally a Gothic structure, but one fashion -following another, has been at different times so altered and robbed of -all architectural beauty that there remains but little of interest in -the building. It was founded in 1262 and finished two hundred years -later. El Miguelete, the celebrated Bell Tower, is so named because the -bells were first hung on St. Michael's Day. Like the Torre de Vela of -the Alhambra, a bell is here struck which regulates the irrigation of -the <i>Huerta</i>.</p> - -<p>In this connection, and as an exemplification of the peasant's -trustworthiness, once a month, on a Thursday, the Tribunal de Aguas sits -in the Plaza de la Seo outside the Puerto de los Apóstoles or north door -of the Cathedral. Its presiding members are chosen by their fellow -peasants for their integrity and general standing in the community. They -exercise absolute control over the seven different irrigation districts. -The Government has once or twice interfered with this, but -unsuccessfully. Plaintiffs and defendants appear before this primitive -tribunal seated in a public<a name="page_070" id="page_070"></a> square. The case is stated, <i>pros</i> and -<i>cons</i> weighed, and judgment given fairly on its merits. Any one passing -can stop and hear the arguments of both sides. As a proof of the -shrewdness the peasants possess and the confidence they have in their -dealings with one another, no appeal is ever made from the judgment of -their elders.</p> - -<p>This north door has good sculptured figures in the jambs and archivolt. -Above is a fine rose window. These are among the remains of the first -building. Another relic of the early structure is the octagonal -<i>cimborio</i> erected about the same time as the doorway, <i>i.e.</i>, 1350. The -lancet windows over the Puerta del Paláu, which is surmounted by a round -arch with carvings in the jambs, are all of the same period. The third -doorway, the Puerta del Miguelete, is florid and overdone, and dates -from the eighteenth century. Its bronze doors however are extremely -fine.</p> - -<p>The best features of the much-spoilt interior are the octagon and the -very beautiful Corinthian <i>silleria del coro</i>. The original <i>retablo</i> -over the High Altar was set on fire by the lighted cotton attached to a -pigeon let loose at a religious ceremony in 1469. The side panels alone -were saved from the results of the terrified bird's erratic flight. -Close by on a pillar is hung the armour of James I. of Aragon.<a name="page_071" id="page_071"></a></p> - -<p>Over the sacristy door is a good painting by Ribalta of <i>Christ Bearing -the Cross</i>, and in the ante-room an <i>Adoration</i> by Ribera, besides five -good examples of Juanes' brush.</p> - -<p>Among the treasures of the Cathedral is an extraordinary piece of -goldsmith's work, a Calix, showing four different periods of this art, -<i>i.e.</i>, Roman, IX<sup>th</sup>, XV<sup>th</sup> and XVI<sup>th</sup> centuries. It figures in -the picture of the <i>Last Supper</i> by Juanes, which is now in the Prado at -Madrid. An interesting trophy also belongs to the Cathedral in the shape -of the chain which at one time closed the old Port of Marseilles.</p> - -<p>The many different varieties of marble used in the decoration of the -building form a very pleasing series, and go some way towards -compensating the disappointment one experiences with the much-altered -style of what ought to be a grand interior.</p> - -<p>I saw a good procession one evening wending its way through the crowds -which lined the narrow street near the church of Santa Catalina. The -balconies were filled with occupants who showered rose leaves down as -the effigy of St. John passed by. The light from the torches carried by -some boys flickered upwards and caught the faces of those peering over -from their vantage posts above. The crowd knelt as the saint passed, and -once more the vitality of the Church, which I could not but feel<a name="page_072" id="page_072"></a> -wherever I went in Spain is <i>the</i> thing that lives, was again in -evidence.</p> - -<p>Over the door of the church of San Martin is a good equestrian group in -bronze. San Domingo has some very beautiful cloisters of late Gothic -date, and San Salvador possesses Valencia's miraculous image. Nicodemus -is reputed to have made this, the Christ of Beyrout. The marvellous -relic navigated itself from Syria across the waters of the Mediterranean -and reached Valencia against the river's stream. A monument on the bank -marks the spot where the wonderful voyage ended by the safe landing of -the Christ. It is much visited by the devout. In the chapel attached to -the Colegio del Patriarca hangs Ribalta's fine <i>Last Supper</i>. Every -Friday morning at ten o'clock the <i>Miserere</i> is celebrated here. The -impressive ceremony commences with the slow lowering of this picture -from its place above the High Altar. The void is filled by a dark cloth, -which, as the service proceeds, is gently drawn aside disclosing a -second cloth, this is again repeated, followed by another, and when -this, the fourth cloth, is parted asunder a fine painting of <i>Christ -Crucified</i> is revealed. Meanwhile chants appropriate to the solemn -service have been filling the church and increasing the tension of the -congregation. The whole ceremony is a very good piece of stage -management and certainly most thrilling and inspiring. The black -<i>mantilla</i> for ladies is <i>de rigeur</i>.<a name="page_073" id="page_073"></a></p> - -<p><a name="VALENCIA_RELIGIOUS_PROCESSION" id="VALENCIA_RELIGIOUS_PROCESSION"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_166_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_166_sml.jpg" width="314" height="550" alt="VALENCIA. RELIGIOUS PROCESSION" title="VALENCIA. RELIGIOUS PROCESSION" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">VALENCIA. RELIGIOUS PROCESSION</span> -</p> - -<p>Valencia's walls, erected in 1356, were demolished in 1871 to give work -to the unemployed, and the spacious <i>Paseo</i> made in their stead. The -trees planted along this carriage drive have added materially to the -health of the city.</p> - -<p>Of the two remaining gates, the Torres de Serranos is much the better. -Built in the second half of the fourteenth century on Roman foundations, -its massive construction and great height are very grand. It is one of -the best gates I know. The archway itself is rather low. The double -floors above have fine Gothic vaulting and are approached by a flight of -steps. The gallery is supported on heavy corbels, and the cornice has -deep machicolations. The whole rises in isolated grandeur and may -perhaps gain, from the painter's point of view, by the absence of -flanking walls.</p> - -<p>The Torre de Cuarto is another enormous gateway with two huge round -towers on either side. It still bears the marks of Souchet's -artillery—whose round shot did apparently no damage whatever. Not far -from this gate lies the Mercado situated in the middle of the old -quarters of the city. Valencia is quite a modern town, it is rapidly -losing everything of any age, and changing<a name="page_074" id="page_074"></a> its narrow insanitary -streets for spacious well-built thoroughfares.</p> - -<p>The Mercado is by far the largest and most attractive market in Spain. -Fruit and vegetables, wicker goods of all sorts, baskets, chairs, toys, -leather-work and harness, brightly coloured mule trappings, every -description of wood and metal-work, the usual assortment of old iron, -lamps antique and modern, oleographs and chromos, saints and virgins -jostling the latest cheap reproduction of a famous <i>Torrero</i> or -<i>Bailarina</i>, furniture, worn-out field implements and new cutlery, lace, -everything, in fact, including smells, the variety of which I found -unequalled anywhere. Strong garlic assaulted my nostrils—in three more -steps I was in the midst of roses and carnations, half a dozen more and -a horribly rank cheese made the air vibrate; and so it continued from -one end to the other of this most fascinating kaleidoscopic throng, to -study which I returned every day of my sojourn in Valencia.</p> - -<p>On one side of this wonderful market-place stands the Lonja de la Seda. -It dates from 1482 and occupies the site of the Moorish Alcázar. Perhaps -of all the examples of Gothic civil architecture in Europe, the Lonja de -la Seda can claim the first place. The west façade, facing the Mercado, -has a double row of square-topped Gothic windows, above which is a -traceried gallery running round<a name="page_075" id="page_075"></a> the entire building with gargoyles and -a frieze of heads below the embattled parapet.</p> - -<p>In the centre is a Tower with a couple of Gothic windows. There are two -separate buildings in this "Silk Exchange," one of which has a beautiful -court. The whole of the other is occupied by the Exchange Hall. The rich -star vaulting of the interior is borne by two rows of spiral columns -without capitals; they branch out to the roof like the leaves of a palm -tree and it is very evident that this beautiful treatment was suggested -by the growth of the tree.</p> - -<p>Valencia has always been celebrated for a certain style or school of -painting, and in the Museum, which occupies the buildings of the old -Convento del Carmen, Ribalta, Espinosa and Juanes are seen at their -best. The school is noted for the peculiar deep red undertone of the -shadows, which is very markedly apparent in the works hanging on these -walls. There are also some beautiful examples of native faience and -pottery, for Valencia is still the home of Spanish lustre ware.</p> - -<p>The Valencians are great bird fanciers, and very keen pigeon shots. -Numerous lofts built on the roofs for these birds cut the sky-line in -the old quarters of the city. Sunday sees the dry bed of the Turia full -of competitors in shooting matches,<a name="page_076" id="page_076"></a> when toll is taken of the feathered -inhabitants of these airy dwellings.</p> - -<p>If it were not for the rather bad drinking water and the malarious -marshes, the breeding-ground of a most particularly venomous mosquito, -Valencia would be as pleasant and lively a spot for residence as any in -Spain. The climate is good and it is near the sea. It stands on the edge -of a veritable fruit garden, and its people are pleasant and friendly.<a name="page_077" id="page_077"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="TORTOSA1" id="TORTOSA1"></a>TORTOSA</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">J</span>OURNEYING to Valencia from the north one is carried along a grand bit -of coast with glimpses of the blue Mediterranean rolling in on stretches -of yellow sand, and breaking into spray on the rocks above which the -train runs. The <i>rapido</i> stops for lunch at Tortosa, and I got out -intending to stay if there was anything in the famous old city or its -Cathedral which might bear illustrating in this book.</p> - -<p>I reached the best <i>fonda</i> in the place, and was heartily welcomed by -its lively little landlord, who immediately handed me one of his cards, -whereon was set out, amongst many superlatives, the news that an -interpreter was attached to the house. "Gone away for the day, señor," -was the reply when I asked for an interview. He was always away I fear; -however, I did not need his services and my host and I became fast -friends. So friendly indeed that I only just avoided an embrace at -parting on the day I left. He took great interest in my doings, and on -his side gave me much information. He explained to me how the mighty<a name="page_078" id="page_078"></a> -Ebro, on which Tortosa is situated, and to which it owes its existence, -had risen in flood during the disastrous October of 1907. "Right up to -here, señor"—this while I was having lunch—and he pointed to a spot a -couple of inches off the floor of the <i>comedor</i>, which was on the first -floor of the house—"A terrible flood that?"—"Yes, señor, the streets -were for weeks full of mud and all sorts of things. Hundreds of poor -people lost everything and many were swept out to sea."</p> - -<p>Another day I remarked on the gas that lit the <i>fonda</i> and asked my host -why he had not put in electric light. "It is too expensive, señor; some -people have it, and the Market Hall is lit by it; but you must -understand that Tortosa long ago did away with oil lamps and was one of -the first places in Spain to use gas. And now?—well it is enough for -us, and the electric light is too expensive."</p> - -<p>Elsewhere in Spain I have been told with pride that the country is still -in the foremost rank of civilisation—whatever the Progressive Press -says—and the almost universal use of electricity has been pointed out -to verify the boast. But Tortosa, which led the van when gas was a -novelty, is the only place of any importance that I know which is still -lit by this means.</p> - -<p>Local tradition has it, that the city dates back to<a name="page_079" id="page_079"></a> the time of St. -Paul who, I was told, settled here and built himself a nice little -house. Whatever the saint did it is on record that before his day the -town was an important Iberian port of the Ilercaones tribe, and in later -years under the Romans, possessed a mint of its own, being then known as -Julia Augusta Dertosa. Strategically the key of the great river, Tortosa -was subject to repeated attempts at capture by those not in occupation. -During the time when it was held by the Moors, Charlemagne's son Louis, -after an unsuccessful attempt, gained possession, only to be driven out -in the year 810. It was not until 1148 that the Infidel's reign was -finally terminated by Ramon Bereuguer, Count of Barcelona.</p> - -<p>In the following year a desperate attempt was made by the Moors to -retake their stronghold, and the inhabitants, reduced to the last stage -of despair, contemplated the sacrifice of their women and children, and -then a final sortie to end their own lives. The women, however, showed a -true militant spirit, they courted death, but not in this mean manner. -Mounting the hardly defensible walls with every and any weapon they -could lay hands on, the men were directed to sally forth. The gates were -opened, and cheered on by their wives and daughters, the sterner sex -rushed out. So determined was the onslaught that the Moorish<a name="page_080" id="page_080"></a> host was -beaten back and fled leaving all the plunder in his camp behind.</p> - -<p>Ramon, to show his appreciation of the heroism displayed by the fair -ones, invested them with the Order of the Axe (La Hacha) and decorated -them with the red military scarf. Also decreeing that at their marriage -they should precede mankind, and to this added the privilege of -duty-free dress materials. What more could woman want?</p> - -<p>The Cathedral occupies the site of a mosque erected in 914 by -Abderrhaman. A Cufic inscription in the wall at the back of the sacristy -relates this with the date. Bishop Lanfredo dedicated the building to -the Virgin in 1158, but the present structure dates from 1347. It is -extremely good Gothic, with a heavy baroque west façade, ugly and -ill-proportioned. Of the exterior but little is visible, and my sketch -simply includes the upper part of the façade, visible over the roofs of -the quaint old town, with the river flowing in front.</p> - -<p>The interior is very simple and dignified. The slender columns of the -nave rise to a great height; the light that filters through the few -clerestory windows that are not blocked subdues the garishness of a bad -<i>trascoro</i>, and finds its way amongst the tracery of the arches of the -double apse. In Avila Cathedral this same feature prevails. A double -aisled apse with open-work tracery between the arches and below the -vaulting of the aisles.<a name="page_081" id="page_081"></a></p> - -<p><a name="TORTOSA2" id="TORTOSA2"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_178_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_178_sml.jpg" width="550" height="290" alt="TORTOSA" title="TORTOSA" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">TORTOSA</span> -</p> - -<p>The <i>silleria</i> of the <i>coro</i> were carved by Cristóbal de Salamanca in -1588, and are really beautiful. The two pulpits are covered with -interesting iron bas-reliefs, and the High Altar encased in a mass of -plateresque silver work. The <i>retablo</i> is a good specimen of early -Gothic work, and I could not help thinking how much better such an one -is than the many overdone chirrugueresque atrocities met with in more -famous places.</p> - -<p>Tortosa is the centre of a district the mountains of which yield many -different kinds of marble, and the Cathedral is especially rich in -these. Perhaps the chapel of Cinta contains the best; the most used is -the <i>broccatello di spagna</i> a purple colour with tiny marine molluscs -embedded in the hard clay. The Cathedral is adorned at certain festivals -with a series of splendid tapestries, and amongst many relics overlooked -and left by the French is a fine Moorish casket of ivory.</p> - -<p>Pope Adrian IV., the Englishman, was at one time Bishop of Tortosa, a -fact which added interest to this beautiful little Cathedral.</p> - -<p>The cloisters are early pointed Gothic, now much dilapidated and uncared -for. On the encircling<a name="page_082" id="page_082"></a> walls are many highly interesting mural tablets, -a few of which have recumbent figures cut in low relief with their backs -to the wall, as is the case in the earliest Gothic effigies of this -sort.<a name="page_083" id="page_083"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="TARRAGONA1" id="TARRAGONA1"></a>TARRAGONA</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">M</span>Y recollections of Tarragona can be summed up in three words—blue sea, -sunshine, and peace.</p> - -<p>Some fifteen or twenty years ago the quays of its fine harbour were full -of life and bustle, ships entered the port and ships went out. The trade -with France in light wines was good, and with England and America in -those of heavier quality, better still.</p> - -<p>Nowadays it is cheaper to send wines by rail. Reus, a railway centre a -few miles inland, has captured a great deal of Tarragona's trade, and -modern history repeats itself once more. Cheap and quick delivery are -the watchwords. Hurry and hustle are leaving the old trading towns -behind. Barcelona is not far away. Centralisation is everything, and -thus it happened that I found very few places in Spain so reposeful as -Tarragona. And I might add so beautifully situated as this old city -which climbs and crowns a hill that rises from the very edge of the blue -Mediterranean.</p> - -<p>Very few cities in Spain can boast of prehistoric<a name="page_084" id="page_084"></a> walls still extant. -Tarragona can do so. The huge uneven blocks of granite, which may be -seen in my sketch of the Archbishop's Tower, occupy the lower portion of -the old Roman walls. On the north side of the city they are even more -visible than in the sketch. Some of the blocks measure thirteen by seven -by five feet. Three of the ancient portals, the stone of which is faced -inside, still exist, but apparently no records do, to tell us who placed -these Cyclopean defences where they stand to-day.</p> - -<p>Many remains of Roman days may be seen built into the houses of the old -and higher town, tablets, mural inscriptions, bits of columns, &c. The -Cathedral possesses numerous plinths and pillars of marble from the -quarries at Tortosa, built into its walls, and the Font in the -Baptistery is an old Roman basin. What a glorious city it must have been -when the Emperor Augustus made it his capital! and the overland trade -met the sea-going in the harbour below.</p> - -<p>Twenty miles away at Gayá the Romans tapped a continuous supply of fresh -water, and their aqueduct, a good deal of which remains, ranks next to -that of Segovia in size, and stands as an example of how the Romans -built. Roman villas with incomparable views out to sea, dotted the -hillsides; temples to every god and goddess rose in the city, which -contained a million inhabitants. It possessed a mint of its own, and, -favoured by nature and art, became known as "Colonia victrix togata -turrita."<a name="page_085" id="page_085"></a></p> - -<p><a name="TARRAGONA2" id="TARRAGONA2"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_186_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_186_sml.jpg" width="550" height="281" alt="TARRAGONA" title="TARRAGONA" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">TARRAGONA</span> -</p> - -<p>The Moslem sacked Tarragona, and for four centuries one of the glories -of Colonial Rome lay a heap of ruins. In 1089, at the commencement of -the building of the Cathedral, the see, much to the disgust of Toledo, -was raised to metropolitan dignity. Thenceforth, between the two cities, -endless disputes have arisen as to the Primacy of Spain.</p> - -<p>Though begun at the above date, most of the Cathedral is of twelfth and -early thirteenth-century work. It is not known who designed this -magnificent church, the finest example of Transition in Spain. The -interior is very simple and very dignified. The roof is borne by grand -piers, thirty-five feet in circumference. Their bases are broken by four -seats, one in each corner, placed thus to enhance the line of the -composition, and break the otherwise too great severity of the -foundations.</p> - -<p>There is no triforium; but an early pointed clerestory of large bays, -and a superb rose window in the west, of date 1131, admit a flood of -light. Nothing could well be simpler than the pairs of massive columns -which carry the centre arches of the vaulting, nor finer than the -delicate single<a name="page_086" id="page_086"></a> attendant at their sides from which spring the -transverse sections. All these are capped with square Romanesque -capitals.</p> - -<p>The chancel is pure Romanesque and very beautiful. The semicircular end -of the Capilla Mayor and the two small apses are the oldest part of this -noble building. The <i>retablo</i> of the High Altar is alabaster, and carved -with reliefs of the martyrdom of Santa Tecla, Tarragona's patroness. The -delicate tapering finials and the figures under canopies below, are -carved in wood. Behind the High Altar is a very interesting urn which -contains the ashes of Cyprian, a Gothic archbishop.</p> - -<p>The fine <i>cimborio</i> which rises above the crossing has eight windows of -three and four lights alternately, which contain fragments of very -brilliant coloured glass. In the transepts are two magnificent wheel -windows full of good glass, indeed I know of no better scheme of colour -than that which adorns this window on the south side.</p> - -<p>The <i>silleria del coro</i> are the work of Francisco Gomar and date from -1478. The body of James I. of Aragon lies in a tomb at the west end of -the <i>trascoro</i>, having been brought here from the ruined Monastery of -Poblet—the Escorial of Aragon. A ruin where still lie under their much -despoiled and mutilated tombs some of the rulers of that kingdom.<a name="page_087" id="page_087"></a></p> - -<p><a name="TARRAGONA_THE_ARCHBISHOPS_TOWER" id="TARRAGONA_THE_ARCHBISHOPS_TOWER"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_192_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_192_sml.jpg" width="375" height="550" alt="TARRAGONA. THE ARCHBISHOP'S TOWER" title="TARRAGONA. THE ARCHBISHOP'S TOWER" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">TARRAGONA. THE ARCHBISHOP'S TOWER</span> -</p> - -<p>This grand Cathedral is not dependent on gloom or subdued light for its -great impressiveness. On the contrary it is the best lit of any of -Spain's Cathedrals, and it is on its excellent proportions and scale -alone that its reputation for solemnity will always rest, and its -majesty be ever remembered.</p> - -<p>The west façade, commenced in 1248, is constructed of a light-coloured -stone, which time has improved into a very beautiful sienna brown. The -upper portion is unfinished. In the centre is a fine and deeply recessed -Gothic portal, flanked by two massive buttresses. Under Gothic canopies -stand statues of the Apostles and Prophets, the lintel of the doorway is -supported by a Virgin and Child, above which is the Saviour, and a row -of figures rising out of their tombs on the Judgment Day. Above all is -the already-mentioned rose window. So well does the mass of the building -rise above the adjacent roofs that this window is visible from the -breakwater of the harbour. The two doorways on either side of the façade -are pure Romanesque. Each is surmounted by a small wheel window. The -iron work which covers the doors is of a very intricate design; and the -huge iron knockers with grotesque heads, the hinges of<a name="page_088" id="page_088"></a> the doors, and -the copper work as well, gave me many pleasant moments in marvelling at -the skill of the smiths of days gone by.</p> - -<p>It was in the cloisters however that I found the greatest charm of the -whole Cathedral. The court is a veritable garden, where date palms, fig -trees and oleanders crowd one another in the neatly arranged beds behind -box hedges. I spent many pleasant hours in this delightful spot, my -solitude broken by occasional visits from the Sacristan, who, in his -faded and patched purple cassock, came in at odd times for a chat. Very -proud of his Cathedral was this quiet custodian, and I shall never -forget his soft voice and winning smile, nor the great interest he -evinced in my sketch. The swifts rushed screaming past, the bees hummed -from flower to flower, the scent of the plants was delicious, the warm -sun and the splash of the fountain—turned on for my benefit—all went -to help the welcome repose and forgetfulness of the outer world that -overcame me as long as I was at work in this little Paradise.</p> - -<p>The double doorway in the north transept through which one enters the -cloisters from the Cathedral, is the finest of all. The capitals of its -detached shafts are wonderfully carved. They represent the Awaking of -the Three Kings by an Angel, the Nativity and the Journey of the Magi. -The arcading of the cloisters consists of six bays on all four sides, -these bays are subdivided into three round arches, with a couple of -circular openings above and enclosed within the arch. Some of these -openings contain very beautifully carved tracery.<a name="page_089" id="page_089"></a></p> - -<p><a name="TARRAGONA_THE_CLOISTERS" id="TARRAGONA_THE_CLOISTERS"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_198_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_198_sml.jpg" width="366" height="550" alt="TARRAGONA. THE CLOISTERS" title="TARRAGONA. THE CLOISTERS" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">TARRAGONA. THE CLOISTERS</span> -</p> - -<p>The capitals of the columns are a museum of quaint fancy and good -carving. In one set, all the incidents of a sea voyage are cut, in -another, mice are seen carrying a cat to his grave, who, shamming death, -turns and devours some of them before his obsequies are complete. There -is a Descent from the Cross, where one of the Faithful wields a pair of -pincers much longer than his own arms, so determined is he to pull out -the nails that cruelly wound Christ's hands.</p> - -<p>Many fragments of Roman sculpture are let into the walls; and a lovely -little Moorish arch, with a Cufic inscription and date 960, reminds one -of the Infidel's rule over the city.</p> - -<p>To reach times nearer our own, there are two inscriptions telling of the -occupation by British troops, which run—<i>5th Company</i> and further on -<i>6th Company</i>—obviously pointing to the fact that these lovely -cloisters sheltered some of our own troops during the Peninsular War. -Like many other Cathedrals, Tarragona's possesses a grand series of -tapestries, which are hung round the<a name="page_090" id="page_090"></a> columns and walls during certain -festivals. They are mostly Flemish and not in any way ecclesiastical. -One indeed that I saw was anything but this. Cupid was leading a lady, -who was in <i>déshabille</i>, into her chamber, wherein, by a four-post bed, -stood a gentleman with a lighted taper in his hand!</p> - -<p>It was pleasant in the evening to stroll down to the harbour and out -along the mole, to watch the deep-sea fishing fleet race home with the -long sweeps out in every boat as the wind dropped and the sea became an -oily calm. I must own it was with great regret I left this now peaceful -spot—a city that once boasted of a million inhabitants, and prior to -that was a great Phœnician port! Of all the Cathedral Cities of Spain -I would rather return to Tarragona than any other, hold converse with my -friend the Sacristan, who knows and loves his Cathedral so well, and end -the day as the sun goes down watching the boats return from long hours -of toil.<a name="page_091" id="page_091"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="BARCELONA" id="BARCELONA"></a>BARCELONA</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">B</span>ARCELONA the Progressive, the finest port of Spain, with its large -harbour, its wide boulevards, splendid suburbs, good hotels, huge -factories and modern prosperity has well earned the title of first city -of the New Spain.</p> - -<p>Amilcar Barca in 225 <small>B.C.</small> founded the Carthagenian city which occupied -the Taber hill on which the Cathedral now stands, and twenty years later -it became a colony of Rome. Remnants of the old walls can still be -traced in the narrow streets which centre round the Holy Fabric. Under -the Goths, Barcino, as it was then called, rose to some importance, -money coined here bears the legend "Barcinona." The Moors were in -possession of the sea-washed fortress for about one hundred years, and -then the reign of the Counts of Barcelona, independent sovereigns, -began.</p> - -<p>Count Ramon Berenguer I., who ruled from 1025 to 1077, instituted the -famous "Códego de los Usatjes de Cataluña," an admirable code of laws, -to which was added in the thirteenth century the "Consulado del mar de -Barcelona." This latter<a name="page_092" id="page_092"></a> code obtained in the commercial world of Europe -the same authority as the old "Leges Rhodiæ" of the ancients.</p> - -<p>When at the height of its prosperity, Barcelona, the centre of commerce, -received a severe blow by the union of Cataluña with Aragon, on the -occasion of the marriage of Count Ramon Berenguer IV. to Petronila -daughter of Ramiro II. King of Aragon. When Aragon and Castile were -united Barcelona became subject to the "Catholic Kings," and ever since, -in language, in habits and enterprise has shown her dislike for and her -struggle against the ways of Castile.</p> - -<p>To-day Barcelona is far in advance of any other city of Spain. I felt I -was once more in Europe when the comfortable hotel 'bus rattled along -through the well-lit streets. Perhaps I was getting tired of life in the -Middle Ages, and was obsessed with Mediæval Cities! At any rate, a clean -bed in a modern hotel was a luxury I thoroughly appreciated, and I -started the next morning to explore, with a mind at ease and a -consciousness that there would be no irritating little pin-pricks, no -<i>mañana</i> for a couple of weeks at least.<a name="page_093" id="page_093"></a></p> - -<p><a name="BARCELONA_IN_THE_CATHEDRAL" id="BARCELONA_IN_THE_CATHEDRAL"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_206_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_206_sml.jpg" width="290" height="550" alt="BARCELONA. IN THE CATHEDRAL" title="BARCELONA. IN THE CATHEDRAL" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">BARCELONA. IN THE CATHEDRAL</span> -</p> - -<p>The Cathedral stands on the site of a Pagan Church converted by the -Moors into a Mosque. The present edifice replaced the Christian Church -which superseded this Mosque, and was begun in 1298. The crypt was -finished in 1339 and the cloisters in 1388. The west façade was covered -with scaffolding while I was there, and so may perhaps be completed in -another thirty years.</p> - -<p>The interior of this splendid Gothic church is very dark. The pointed -windows are all filled with magnificent fifteenth-century glass. At the -sunset hour, when the rays of light strike low and filter through the -many colours of these windows, the effect in the gloom of this solemn -building is most beautiful. As the orb of day sinks lower and lower the -light lingers on column after column right up the lofty nave to the High -Altar until he suddenly disappears, and all within is wrapt in deep -twilight.</p> - -<p>The nave is very narrow and very high. The clustered columns seem to -disappear into space, and the vaulting is almost lost in the darkness. -There are deep galleries over the side chapels in the aisles, which have -a rather curious arrangement of vaulting. From the roof of the aisles at -each bay depend massive circular lamps which catch the light and -heighten the effect of mystery which is omnipresent throughout the -Cathedral.</p> - -<p>A flight of steps in front of the High Altar—an almost unique -feature—leads down to the crypt, where rests the body of Santa Eulalia, -Barcelona's<a name="page_094" id="page_094"></a> patron saint. Her alabaster shrine is adorned with reliefs -of different incidents in her life.</p> - -<p>The <i>retablo</i> of the High Altar is richly ornate with tapering Gothic -finials of the fifteenth century; below it is a sarcophagus containing -the remains of St. Severus.</p> - -<p>Above the Gothic <i>silleria del coro</i> hang the coats-of-arms of the -Knights of the Golden Fleece. Among them are those of Henry VIII. of -England. The only installation of the Order was held here by Charles V.</p> - -<p>The side chapels contain very little of interest, but the cloisters are -otherwise. Entered either from the street or the south door of the -Cathedral their beauty is very striking. In the centre palms and orange -trees rear their heads, and the splash of the fountains, in one of which -the sacred geese are kept, is refreshingly cool after the bustle of -streets outside.</p> - -<p>San Pablo del Campo, now a barrack, is the most interesting of -Barcelona's ecclesiastical remains. This church, built by Wilfred II. in -913, is more like the ancient churches of Galicia than those of -Catalonia. Very small and cruciform, a solid dome rises from the centre. -Its cloisters are perfect, the arcading is composed of double shafts -with well-cut figures on the capitals.</p> - -<p>The peculiarity of Catalonia's churches is well<a name="page_095" id="page_095"></a> illustrated in the -aisleless Santa Maria del Mar, San Just, and Santa Maria del Pi. The -first named has some magnificent glass and four good pictures by -Viladomát, and in the crypt beneath the High Altar a curious wooden -figure of San Alajo. San Just has the belfry common to the churches of -Catalonia, an open iron-work screen, from which depend the bells, and -Santa Maria del Pi contains a fine wheel window and more magnificent -glass.</p> - -<p>A relic of Loyola, the sword that he offered on the Altar of the Virgin -at Montserrat, is still preserved in the old Jesuit Church of Nuestra -Señora de Belen.</p> - -<p>Among the many notable buildings in Barcelona is the Casa Consistorial, -or Town Hall. It was built in 1378, and has a very original Gothic -front. A beautiful <i>patio</i> with slender arches and twisted columns adds -to the interest of the interior.</p> - -<p>The Casa de la Diputacion opposite contains the picture on which Fortuny -was at work when he died. The <i>patio</i> here is perhaps better than that -in the Casa Consistorial. It is in three stages, from the topmost of -which huge gargoyles of all sorts of devils and monsters rear their ugly -heads.</p> - -<p>In the old quarters of the city, where the five-and six-storied houses -almost touch, the streets are very tortuous and not considered safe at -night.</p> - -<p>In this respect, however, Barcelona does not stand<a name="page_096" id="page_096"></a> alone. Any one who -ventures into the low parts of a Mediterranean seaport after dusk -generally does so at his own risk. Very few brawls commence among the -hot-blooded lower orders of the south without the finale of the knife.</p> - -<p>By far the most interesting suburb of the city is Barceloneta. This -self-contained town is entirely given up to the fisherfolk and seafaring -portion of Barcelona's inhabitants. Philip V., when planning his -citadel, now demolished, turned out the people who dwelt where he -afterwards erected it. To compensate them for loss of home and property, -he built this well-planned and well-paved suburb out along the coast to -the north-east. With the breeze coming in every afternoon off the sea my -favourite walk was through the park to Barceloneta. Of all the seaports -I know, Naples not excepted, though the Sta. Lucia of five-and-twenty -years ago might have beaten it, the harbour front of Barceloneta is -without an equal. Here one may watch the boat-builders at work under the -oddest roofs imaginable, carpenters busy with the shaping of masts and -oars, and ship's painters putting the finishing touches to boat -accessories. I used to stand awhile admiring the inventive turn -displayed on the exterior embellishments of the marine-dealers' stores. -Wonderful pictures, of ships that could never float, from brushes -wielded by very local talent in glaring vermilion and green. I watched -the holiday-makers sitting in ramshackle booths, rapidly putting away -all sorts of curiosities of the shell-fish order, and I wondered if they -would survive the day. Perhaps the copious draughts of wine they took -was an antidote, at any rate their laughter and good humour gave point -to my unspoken thought—"let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die."<a name="page_097" id="page_097"></a></p> - -<p><a name="BARCELONA_THE_RAMBLA" id="BARCELONA_THE_RAMBLA"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_214_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_214_sml.jpg" width="375" height="550" alt="BARCELONA. THE RAMBLA" title="BARCELONA. THE RAMBLA" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">BARCELONA. THE RAMBLA</span> -</p> - -<p>Going on, I often spent some time comparing the drill of artillery -recruits, whose instructors marched them up and down on a quiet bit of -the roadway, with those at home, and I generally finished my walk and -sat me down on the glorious stretch of sand that runs away north as far -as eye can follow. The evening would then draw in, and the twinkling -lights on the ships in the harbour warn me it was time to return. While -twilight lasted I retraced my steps homewards along the quay-side, -invigorated by an afternoon of sea breeze and salt spray.</p> - -<p>The focus of Barcelona's life is the celebrated Rambla. The derivation -of this word is Arabic—"Raml-sand"—a river bed, for a small stream at -one time meandered down to the sea where now is the liveliest street in -the north of Spain.</p> - -<p>On either side of the central promenade, under the shade of stately -plane trees, are the carriage<a name="page_098" id="page_098"></a> drives. The broad walk itself is -thronged, especially in the morning when marketing is done, with an -ever-changing crowd. Boys distribute hand-bills, dog-fanciers stroll -about bargaining with dealers, itinerant merchants cry their wares. A -family of father, mother, and children cross the stream of promenaders, -followed by a pet lamb. Acquaintances meet and gossip away a good ten -minutes.</p> - -<p>At the top end of the Rambla are situated the stalls of the -bird-sellers, who also deal in mice, a great place this for mama and her -small daughters. Lower down, the flower-sellers congregate under their -red-striped umbrellas. It was here that I made my sketch, in which -luckily, for a bit of colour, I was able to include the blue-bloused -porters in their red caps who wait about for a job with the rope of -their calling slung over their shoulders. Here too all the odd job men -stand awaiting hire. House painters in white blouses with insignia of -their trade—a whitewash brush on the end of a pole—held high, and -others—an endless variety.</p> - -<p>Barcelona, being a business town, is democratic to the core, it is also -to the core, Catalan. The names of streets are displayed in Catalan as -well as Spanish. The animals in the Zoological Gardens also are known by -their Catalan, and Castilian as well as Latin names! Barcelona will have -no dealings<a name="page_099" id="page_099"></a> with Castile, its people speak their own language and -address the foreigner in French. Barcelona is go-ahead. In the houses of -the new suburbs l'art nouveau screams at one, and everything is -up-to-date!</p> - -<p>The Spaniard is well-known to be lazy, not so the Catalan. I have never -seen a Spaniard running, but I have seen a Catalan walking fast!<a name="page_100" id="page_100"></a><a name="page_101" id="page_101"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="GERONA" id="GERONA"></a>GERONA</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">T</span>HE siege of Gerona is as celebrated in the Spanish history of the -Napoleonic wars as that of Saragossa. Both exemplify the bravery and -tenacity of the Spaniard of the north. In the first siege in 1808, three -hundred men of the Ulster Regiment, under their gallant leader O'Daly, -helped to garrison the place against two ferocious attacks by Duchesne -and his French soldiery. The first failed and the second ended in the -utter rout of the besiegers with the loss of all the artillery and -baggage train.</p> - -<p>In the following year three French generals with an army of thirty -thousand men invested the city. Alvarez, the Spanish Governor, was -almost without any means of defence, and the women of Gerona enrolled -themselves under the banner of Santa Barbara, the patron saint of -Spain's artillery, and took their places on the ramparts side by side -with their husbands and sweethearts. Alvarez, ably seconded by a few -English under Marshall, held out until he was struck down by disease and -death.<a name="page_102" id="page_102"></a> The city then, without a leader, its inhabitants starving, at -length surrendered.</p> - -<p>So ancient is Gerona that its early history is lost in the mist of ages. -Charlemagne drove the Moors out when they were in possession, but it -soon passed back into their hands again. The Counts of Barcelona ruled -over the place until the union of Catalonia and Aragon, an event which -gave birth to the Crown Prince's title of Principe de Gerona. Hence we -know that in the twelfth century it was a city of great importance. In -consequence of its adhesion, at the end of the War of Succession, to the -house of Hapsburg, Gerona was deprived of its privileges and university, -since which time it has steadily gone down hill.</p> - -<p>Down hill it may have proceeded, but I found it a very pleasant, quaint -old-world city set in the midst of verdant hills and running waters. -Shady walks are taking the place of now useless fortifications; and have -not I sat in one of the most delightful rose gardens you could wish to -rest in, and heard the note of the nightingale trilling on the perfumed -air? Most of Spain has gone down hill, and most of Spain is nothing but -enchanting.<a name="page_103" id="page_103"></a></p> - -<p><a name="GERONA_THE_CATTLE_MARKET" id="GERONA_THE_CATTLE_MARKET"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_224_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_224_sml.jpg" width="550" height="376" alt="GERONA. THE CATTLE MARKET" title="GERONA. THE CATTLE MARKET" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">GERONA. THE CATTLE MARKET</span> -</p> - -<p>Gerona is bisected by the river Oñar, and from its waters which wash -them, the houses rise tier above tier up the hill side. In the summer -when the river is running low, and if it happens to be a Saturday, you -will see one of the most remarkable sights that Spain can boast of. -Under and around the arches of the old bridge are congregated hundreds -of brown and fawn-coloured cattle. The background of ancient houses, -yellow, grey, white, brown—every tone, rises up above this throng. -Coloured garments, the week's washing, flutter in the breeze, green -shutters and blinds hang from the creeper-clad balconies.</p> - -<p>It is market day. The lowing of oxen, mingled with the hum of bargaining -humanity in red caps and Prussian-blue blouses, surges up like the sound -of breakers on a distant shore. You who enter Spain by the east route, -go to Gerona at the end of the week—you will never regret its Saturday -market.</p> - -<p>The Cathedral stands well. The west façade, a Renaissance addition, is -approached from the Plaza below by a grand flight of ninety steps in -three tiers. In the unfinished jambs of the south door are a series of -interesting terra-cotta figures dating from 1458.</p> - -<p>There is nothing else in the exterior worthy of note, but directly I -entered I stopped in amazement at the daring of an architect who could -build so enormous a span as that under which I found myself. This span -is seventy-three feet, the clear width of the nave, and unsupported by -any pillars. No flying buttresses outside give additional strength<a name="page_104" id="page_104"></a> to -the thrust of the roof. The stonework is perfect and the vaulting inside -simple. So bold and hazardous were the plans of Guillermo Boffy that the -chapter at first refused to sanction them. Being in doubts as to his -sanity, they sought the opinion of twelve other architects, who were -examined separately. As they all approved and passed Boffy's plans, the -construction of this marvel was commenced, and the first stone laid in -1416.</p> - -<p>The apsidal chancel had been begun a century earlier and finished in -1346, pretty much on the same lines as this part of Barcelona's -Cathedral.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately—how often does one have to acknowledge this!—the <i>coro</i>, -with its hideous <i>respaldos</i>, painted to imitate Gothic arches in -perspective, almost ruins this splendid and solemn interior. Among the -seats of the <i>silleria del coro</i> there are still preserved some that -date from the fourteenth century.</p> - -<p>Early carved work of the same period is found in the elaborate <i>retablo</i> -over the High Altar, which is surmounted by three fine processional -crosses. The <i>baldaquino</i>, also of wood, is covered like the <i>retablo</i> -with plates of silver. It is a mass of precious metal, enamelled -coats-of-arms and gems, and is an extremely interesting relic of that -century.<a name="page_105" id="page_105"></a></p> - -<p><a name="GERONA_THE_CATHEDRAL" id="GERONA_THE_CATHEDRAL"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_230_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_230_sml.jpg" width="377" height="550" alt="GERONA. THE CATHEDRAL" title="GERONA. THE CATHEDRAL" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">GERONA. THE CATHEDRAL</span> -</p> - -<p>Over the sacristy door are the tombs of Count Ramon Berenguer II. and -his wife Ermensendis, who died in 1058, predeceasing her husband by -twenty-four years. The sacristy itself contains a remarkable piece of -twelfth-century crewel work, said to be the earliest known specimen in -existence. It is covered with figures of a type similar to those of -contemporary MSS. The Romanesque cloisters form an irregular trapezium. -The columns are doubled and about a foot apart, not unlike those of -Tarragona.</p> - -<p>The finest Romanesque example that Gerona possesses is the church of San -Pedro de los Galligans. The apse, little damaged during the siege, forms -a tower in the town wall. There is no doubt of the great antiquity of -this building, which dates probably from the early part of the tenth -century. The east end is mostly constructed of black volcanic scoriæ. -The nave and aisles, the bays of which are very simply built, are almost -prehistoric in their roughness.</p> - -<p>In the cloisters attached to the church is the Museo Provincial. Many -relics of Gerona's heroic defence can here be seen, as well as some -early Christian and Hebrew remains.<a name="page_106" id="page_106"></a></p> - -<p><a name="page_107" id="page_107"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="TOLEDO" id="TOLEDO"></a>TOLEDO</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">S</span>TANDING high above the yellow Tagus, which, confined in a deep gorge, -rushes and swirls far below between precipitous granite cliffs, Toledo -was always an ideal position for a fortress before modern firearms -rendered Nature's defences of little avail.</p> - -<p>Its name is associated with the great Cardinals of the Rodrigo, Tenorio, -and Foncesca families, as well as scions of the houses of Ximenes, -Mendoza, Tavera, and Lorenzana. The wealth of these Prelates was -immense, and their power, Ecclesiastical and Temporal, proportionate. -They practically had no rivals, they certainly feared none, they ruled -kings as well as countries, and their allegiance to Rome was purely -nominal. They made wars and fought in them. For their patronage of art -and literature future generations have had good cause to be grateful. -They built schools and improved the means of communication throughout -the land. Under their influence the Church was omnipotent, and they have -written their names deep in the pages of Spanish history.<a name="page_108" id="page_108"></a> In fact, so -great was the power of Toledo's clergy that it grew to be the cause of -the foundation of the Capital at Madrid. Philip II., who removed the -Court from Valladolid to Toledo, found it better, after a short -residence here, to take himself and his Court to a town where he no -longer encountered the arrogance of Ecclesiastical rule.</p> - -<p>Under the Romans, who captured it in 193 <small>B.C.</small>, "Toletum" became the -capital of Hispania. Leovigild removed hither from Seville, and his -successor, Reccared, who embraced the orthodox form of Christianity, -made it the ecclesiastical as well as political capital of his -dominions.</p> - -<p>For nearly four centuries, from 712, when the Moors took Toledo, it was -under their rule; but divided counsels and the treachery of the -down-trodden Hebrew enabled Alfonso VI. to enter in triumph with the -Cid. The King then styled himself Emperor, and promoted the Archbishop -to the Primacy of Spain. Under Alfonso's rule the city grew rapidly in -every way. Churches and convents were built, defences strengthened, and -Toledo knew no rival.</p> - -<p>With far-seeing wisdom, Moor and Christian were allowed to intermarry, -and lived together in peace for wellnigh one hundred and fifty years. -The advent in 1227 of that ecclesiastical firebrand, St. Ferdinand, -however, altered this. One of his first acts was to pull down the -Mosque, wherein the Moors of the city, by Alfonso's royal prerogative, -had been allowed to worship, and commence the building on its site of -the great Cathedral.<a name="page_109" id="page_109"></a></p> - -<p><a name="TOLEDO_THE_CATHEDRAL" id="TOLEDO_THE_CATHEDRAL"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_238_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_238_sml.jpg" width="288" height="550" alt="TOLEDO. THE CATHEDRAL" title="TOLEDO. THE CATHEDRAL" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">TOLEDO. THE CATHEDRAL</span> -</p> - -<p>For two hundred years and more did the architects who followed Pedro -Perez add bit by bit, leaving their mark on its stones. Partly -constructed of granite it is immensely strong. A softer stone has been -used with great discretion in the decorative portions of the building.</p> - -<p>No comprehensive view of the Cathedral is obtainable, so closely do the -houses surround it on the south and east, and creep up the hill on which -it is built, on the north. The west front is best seen from the Plaza -Ayuntamiento, a pleasant little garden which the Town Hall bounds on one -side. I managed a sketch from the narrow street below this garden.</p> - -<p>Only one of the two towers of the west façade is finished as originally -intended. The other is capped by a dome, designed by El Greco, that -painter of the weird, and under which is the chapel wherein the -Mozárabic ritual is celebrated daily at 9 <small>A.M.</small></p> - -<p>The great west door, La Puerta del Perdon, is enriched with embossed -bronze work. Flanking on it either side are the doors of Las Palmas, and -de los Escribanos. The arches of all three have<a name="page_110" id="page_110"></a> figures in the jambs, -which are continued round each arch in the very best Gothic of the -fifteenth century. Above the doors the façade is adorned with a -sculptured Last Supper and colossal figures in niches. In the centre is -a splendid rose window twenty-eight feet in diameter.</p> - -<p>The north transept is entered from the steep Calle de la Chapineria by -La Puerta del Reloj, the oldest doorway of the Cathedral. Its bronze -doors, of later date than the doorway, were cast to match those of La -Puerta de los Leones in the south transept. This doorway's name is -derived from the Lions, which holding shields, occupy positions on its -pillars. Another entrance is through La Puerta de la Presentacion which -opens on the cloisters.</p> - -<p>The effect produced by the magnificent interior is much enhanced by the -beauty of the glass which fills most of the windows. The earliest are on -the north side of the nave, and form a series which was commenced in -1418 and finished one hundred and fifty years later. The glass in the -rose window over the west door is superb, and the same may be said for -that in the north transept and the wheel window over La Puerta de los -Leones.</p> - -<p>There is no triforium, and the transepts do not project beyond the nave. -The arches of the very beautiful chancel serve as niches for figures. -Here in each bay is a rose window forming a clerestory, and the colours -in the glass of these shine like jewels in a crown.<a name="page_111" id="page_111"></a></p> - -<p><a name="TOLEDO_THE_SOUTH_TRANSEPT" id="TOLEDO_THE_SOUTH_TRANSEPT"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_244_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_244_sml.jpg" width="367" height="550" alt="TOLEDO. THE SOUTH TRANSEPT" title="TOLEDO. THE SOUTH TRANSEPT" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">TOLEDO. THE SOUTH TRANSEPT</span> -</p> - -<p>There are in all twenty chapels, every one of which contains something -worth study. The lofty <i>retablo</i> in the Capilla Mayor is of the richest -Gothic. Above is a colossal Calvary of later workmanship. Cardinal -Ximenes built this chapel, among the many monuments of which are the -tombs of Spain's earliest kings. Separating it from the <i>crucero</i> is a -magnificent Plateresque <i>reja</i>, on either side of which stands a gilded -pulpit.</p> - -<p>Behind the <i>retablo</i> is the <i>transparente</i>, much admired by Toledans, -but the one jarring note in the finest of Spain's Cathedrals. This -theatrical mass of marble figures, in the midst of which the Archangel -Rafael kicks his feet high in the air and squeezes a gold fish in one -hand! is lit from a window let into the roof of the apse.</p> - -<p>The Capilla de Reyes Nuevos contains the tombs of the kings descended -from Henry II. His tomb and that of his wife, as well as the spouse of -Henry III., a daughter of John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster, are among the -many that crowd the walls.</p> - -<p>The Capilla de San Ildefonso is an extremely beautiful example of early -Gothic work. The much-mutilated tomb in the centre of Cardinal<a name="page_112" id="page_112"></a> Albornoz -is a masterpiece of the same style. Many other great Ecclesiastics rest -in this elegant octagon, notably Inigo de Mendoza, Viceroy of Sardinia, -who was killed at the siege of Granada.</p> - -<p>The Capilla de Santiago was erected in 1435 by Alvaro de Luna, the man -who saved Spain for Juan II. by repressing the turbulent nobles, and who -for his fidelity was rewarded by disgrace and execution in the Plaza -Mayor at Valladolid. The scallop shells which decorate the walls -represent de Luna's office of Grand Master of the Order of Santiago.</p> - -<p>Cardinal Ximenes re-established the Mozárabic Ritual, which is -celebrated in the Capilla Mozárabe, as a reminder to the Pope that Spain -did not owe implicit allegiance to Rome.</p> - -<p>The small detached Capilla de la Descension de Nuestra Señora stands -against the second pier in the north aisle. It marks the spot where the -Virgin came down and presented San Ildefonso with the <i>casulla</i> or -chausable.</p> - -<p>The Salle Capitular is a grand example of early sixteenth-century work, -with a Plateresque frieze and gilt <i>artesonado</i> ceiling by Francisco de -Lara. It contains a series of portraits of the Cardinal Archbishops of -Toledo, and frescoes by Juan de Borgoña. The work of this painter is to -be met with throughout the Cathedral.<a name="page_113" id="page_113"></a></p> - -<p>The <i>coro</i> occupies two bays of the nave and is a veritable museum of -carving and sculpture. Its <i>silleria</i> are in two rows. The lower is of -walnut and enriched with scenes representing the campaigns of Ferdinand -and Isabella. The upper of the same wood is a perfect classical contrast -and is inlaid not carved. Berruguete, whose work may be best studied in -Valladolid, executed the seats on the south side, and Vigarney those on -the north. A small figure of the Virgin in blackened stone looks really -ancient. It stands in the middle of the <i>coro</i> on a pedestal. Nicolas de -Vergara was responsible for the two reading desks, which are -masterpieces of gilded metal work.</p> - -<p>The Gothic cloisters enclose a delightful garden, and have an upper -cloister reached by a door in the Archbishop's Palace. From this -pleasant <i>claustro alto</i> a very good idea of the size of the Cathedral -is obtained.</p> - -<p>Space does not permit me to enlarge on the manifold works of art which -this noble building contains. The pictures, the iron work—though I must -just mention a beautifully fanciful knocker of two nude nymphs hanging -downwards from the head of a satyr whose hands clasped together form the -handle, which adorns La Puerta de la Presentacion—the sculpture, -notably that on the <i>respaldo</i>, or outer wall of the <i>coro</i>, and the -many relics in the<a name="page_114" id="page_114"></a> Treasury, would all occupy more than I can afford. -Suffice it to say that nowhere in Spain is there a Gothic building of -such well-proportioned dimensions, such simplicity in its leading -features, such a fine idea in the interior of the spacing out of light -and shade, as in this magnificent Cathedral—the grandest of the three -due to French influence.</p> - -<p>And Toledo's churches? There are nearly sixty still remaining, every -street seems to contain one! And Toledo's convents? There are almost as -many. Of the former, San Juan de los Reyes, on the high ground above the -bridge of Saint Martin, the last remnant left of a once wealthy -Franciscan convent, was built by Cardinal Ximenes in commemoration of -the "Catholic Kings" victory of Toro. On its outer walls still hang the -manacles and chains of the captive Christians who were set free at the -conquest of Granada, and the interior is embellished with the arms of -Ferdinand and Isabella, and covered with sculptured heraldry.<a name="page_115" id="page_115"></a></p> - -<p><a name="TOLEDO_THE_ZOCODOVER" id="TOLEDO_THE_ZOCODOVER"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_252_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_252_sml.jpg" width="550" height="369" alt="TOLEDO. THE ZÓCODOVER" title="TOLEDO. THE ZÓCODOVER" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">TOLEDO. THE ZÓCODOVER</span> -</p> - -<p>Santa Maria la Blanca, originally a Jewish synagogue, is in the -<i>Mudéjar</i> style, and has some charming arabesques, with a fine cedar -ceiling said to be of wood from the trees at Lebanon. Almost -opposite—we are in the Juderia, or Jews' quarter, to the south-east of -San Juan de los Reyes—is another synagogue, el Transito. Built in 1366 -by Samuel Levi, Pedro the Cruel's treasurer, in the Moorish style, it is -almost a better piece of architecture than Santa Maria la Blanca. Levi -lived next door, in the house known now as La Casa del Greco, that -painter having occupied it during his residence in Toledo. The house and -synagogue are connected by a secret passage from the vaults of the -former. These are of immense size and strength, and in Levi's day held -an enormous amount of treasure—too much for the poor man's good. His -royal master, when sufficient was accumulated, put him to death and -appropriated all he could find.</p> - -<p>El Cristo de la Luz, one of the most interesting churches in Toledo, was -originally a tiny mosque. It is divided into nine different compartments -by four columns, from the capitals of which spring sixteen arches. It -was here that Alfonso VI. attended the first Mass after the city was -captured. Close by is the Convent of San Domingo el Real, where a -glimpse may be had of picturesque nuns while at their devotions during -early service.</p> - -<p>As the station 'bus rattled up the steep winding ascent to the Despacho -Central we dashed through the Zocodovér, the square celebrated for -numerous <i>auto de fés</i> and other executions. All day long it is crowded -with sauntering folk, who walk up and down, quietly enough now, on the -scene of much former cruelty, bloodshed, and many bull-fights.<a name="page_116" id="page_116"></a></p> - -<p>On its eastern side a fine Moorish arch leads down the hill by a -footpath to the Bridge of Alcántara. Immediately the arch is passed on -the left lies the old Hospital de Santa Cruz. It is one of the best -examples of the Transition to Renaissance in Spain. The portal is deeply -undercut and elaborately carved in soft "white rose" stone and marble. -The inner gate is plateresque and only surpassed by San Marcos at Leon -and the gateway of the university at Salamanca. Cardinal Mendoza's arms -adorn the beautiful <i>patio</i>, which has a double arcade of great -elegance, and the stone work on the balustrade of the staircase leading -out of this is very fine. Opposite, on the other side of this steep -descent, are the Military Governor's quarters which are dominated by the -huge Alcázar, now the Military Academy for Infantry Cadets. Destroyed by -fire in 1886, the present edifice, rebuilt soon after, is seen in the -illustration of the Alcántara Bridge rising a great square mass on the -top of the hill. It was the fortress and palace of Moorish days. Alvaro -de Luna had a share in its alteration and Herrera completed it to the -present size by additions executed for Philip II. Many a time has it -been sacked by the conquerors of Toledo and many a prisoner of note -passed his last hours within its gloomy walls, before being led out to -death in the Zocodovér.</p> - -<p><a name="TOLEDO_THE_ALCANTARA_BRIDGE" id="TOLEDO_THE_ALCANTARA_BRIDGE"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_258_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_258_sml.jpg" width="375" height="550" alt="TOLEDO. THE ALCÁNTARA BRIDGE" title="TOLEDO. THE ALCÁNTARA BRIDGE" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">TOLEDO. THE ALCÁNTARA BRIDGE</span> -</p> - -<p><a name="page_117" id="page_117"></a></p> - -<p>Both Toledo's bridges are magnificent. The Alcántara, crossed on the way -from the station, has but a couple of arches which span the mighty river -at a great height. It is defended by a gateway at either end, that on -the inner side being the Moorish Tower in my sketch. The Bridge of Saint -Martin has one arch of enormous span with four smaller, which carry it -over the rushing Tagus. Between these two bridges from the opposite bank -of the river one gets the best idea of Toledo's strength. Nothing in -Spain surpasses the grim majesty of the city, which rises above the -sun-baked and wind-blistered crags that form the gorge below through -which the river has cut its way. No spot could have been better chosen -for defence than the hill enclosed in this "horseshoe" of mad waters. -Small wonder that within its encircling walls grew up a race of Prelates -whose rule spread far beyond the borders of Castile, and whose powerful -hand was felt in countries of an alien tongue.</p> - -<p>Of the eight city gates the most interesting is the Puerta del Sol, a -Moorish structure with two towers on either side of a horseshoe arch. It -is close to the little church of el Cristo de la Luz, and from either of -the towers a very good idea is obtained of Toledo's defences. Near the -Puerta del Cambon, another of the gates, is the site of the old<a name="page_118" id="page_118"></a> palace -of the last of the Spanish Goths, Roderic, who lost his life on the -banks of the Guadalete near Cadiz when giving battle to Tarik and his -Berbers.</p> - -<p>My whole impression of Toledo was that of a city of gloom. Its larger -houses were forbidding in the extreme. In these a huge portal, with -armorial bearings and massive pillars, defended by a stout iron-bound -door, opens into a dark porch, from which one enters the <i>patio</i> through -an equally strong entrance. The windows that look on to the street are -heavily barred and none are within reach of the pedestrian. Its streets, -too narrow and steep for vehicular traffic, are as silent as the grave -(most Spaniards wear shoes made of esparto grass or soft leather), save -when a young cadet from the Alcázar passes along rattling his sword, and -attracts the attention of the señoritas who sit high up in those -inaccessible balconies. Built on the Moorish plan, these tortuous -thoroughfares twist and turn like a maze, and it seemed to me that the -sun never entered them.</p> - -<p>Houses and streets, walls and towers, still remain as they were in the -great Cardinal's days, and stand, even now, as symbols of the iron rule -of the Church. The Cardinal's hat is to be found graved in stone over -many a door, and the "Sheaf of Arrows," the arms of the "Catholic -Kings," is still to<a name="page_119" id="page_119"></a> be seen over the entrance of what was once the -palace of Pedro the Cruel.</p> - -<p>Toledo blades are still made and proved in the ugly factory a mile -outside the city. Toledo ware (made in Germany) is sold by most of the -shops. The growing trade in liquorice is a modern industry, but if it -were not for another recent innovation, the Military Academy, it would -take no stretch of the imagination to carry one back again into the -Middle Ages and to sink one's individuality and become a human atom -under the rule of the great Church.<a name="page_120" id="page_120"></a><a name="page_121" id="page_121"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="SALAMANCA1" id="SALAMANCA1"></a>SALAMANCA</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">B</span>EFORE I ever thought that Fate would take me to Spain, I had formed in -my mind, as one is apt to do, a Spain of my own, a Spain of glorious -romance. I had been in many cities throughout the country, but it was -not until I reached Salamanca that, "Surely," thought I, "the Spain of -my imagination is now realised."</p> - -<p>Here in the middle of the plain, with which one's thoughts are somehow -familiar, rises the great Cathedral, its towers are landmarks for miles -round. Here is a beautiful river winding through valleys deep cut in the -ochre-coloured soil, its banks are clad with verdure and it is spanned -by an ancient bridge. Away over the plain, just visible in the haze, are -the blue mountains of the south. In the midst of all, the dull mud and -yellow walls of the city, the many-hued roofs of red and brown, with -deep shadows under their eaves, rise tier above tier to the Cathedral -above. And this, the prototype of Spain's greatness, her Church, the -ever-present reminder that in days gone by its princes<a name="page_122" id="page_122"></a> led her armies -to victory and placed her in the van of nations.</p> - -<p>I am standing on the noble bridge, half of which is even now as it was -in the days of the Roman occupation. Those massive walls up there of -monasteries and convents always formed part of the picture of my -imagination. They bake under a September sun, just as all Spain ought to -do. A long string of heavily laden mules trots past, their bells -jingling merrily, their drivers shouting and cracking their whips. A -well set-up peasant with his head in a handkerchief and broad-brimmed -hat, cut-away tunic, red sash and tight knee breeches, canters by seated -on a high peaked saddle. His well-bred horse shows a good deal of the -Arab strain, across its quarters are a couple of rugs and its rider -carries an umbrella. A beggar stops before me, and prays that, for the -love of the Holy Mary, I will give him a <i>perro chico</i>. Two wizened old -cronies go by chattering about Manuelo's wife. One carries a couple of -fowls tied together by their legs, the poor birds are doing their best -to hold their heads in a natural position. Some little urchins are -throwing stones at the washerwomen by the riverside below. An old man -seated on a donkey's rump ambles past. Yes, this is what I imagined -Spain to be. I turn my steps towards the city. I wander by the Cathedral -and reach <a name="page_123" id="page_123"></a>the great university of the middle ages. What would Salamanca -have been without its university! I pass many fine houses, with -coats-of-arms emblazoned over their portals. I gaze at their high walls -and windows barred to keep the intruder from the fair sex. Most of them -seem falling into decay, but this only adds to the romance. At length I -reach an arcaded square. The columns of the arcades are wooden, they are -at all sorts of angles, but the houses above still stand. The sun blazes -down on scores of picturesque market folk, who sell almost everything -from peaches and fowls to little tinsel images and double-pronged hoes. -Dogs are sniffing about picking up stray scraps. Children run in and -out, fall down and get up laughing. Every one is busy. The animation of -this little square, as I suddenly come upon it out of a deeply shaded -and aristocratic street, is just the Spain I had always thought of—a -Spain of contrasts. Brilliant sun and grateful shade. Seclusion behind -high walls, and a strange medley of noisy folk, for ever bargaining, -buying and selling. Certainly in Salamanca it is all here. I hear the -click of the castanets and the sound of the guitar in the evening, I see -the ardent lover standing at those iron bars whispering soft raptures to -his mistress, and the picture is complete.</p> - -<p><a name="SALAMANCA2" id="SALAMANCA2"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_268_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_268_sml.jpg" width="550" height="383" alt="SALAMANCA" title="SALAMANCA" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">SALAMANCA</span> -</p> - -<p>Salamanca is a sleepy old city which the world<a name="page_124" id="page_124"></a> seems to have left -behind. In the summer it is a veritable furnace, in the winter it is -swept by icy blasts. Before the Christian era it was known as -Salmantica. Hannibal came and captured it in <small>B.C.</small> 247 and under the -Romans it was the ninth military station on the great road which they -built connecting Cadiz and Merida with Astorga and Gijón. Alfonso IX. of -Leon founded the university, which reached its zenith as a seat of -learning during the sixteenth century. Philip II., having transferred -his Court from Valladolid to Toledo, made Salamanca's bishop suffragan -to that city's, since when it seems to have been left out in the cold -and slowly but surely proceeded down hill. This is the reason, I think, -why it attracted me so much. It is essentially a city with a Past and of -the Past. The French under Thiébaut pulled it to pieces and used the -material from its demolished buildings to fortify the place. This was in -1811. The following year saw Marmont's troops utterly routed by -Wellington, three miles south of the fortifications. It was this victory -that gained him his Marquisate and a grant from Parliament of £100,000.</p> - -<p>Like Saragossa, Salamanca possesses two Cathedrals. The older intensely -interesting in every way, the later, a huge late Gothic pile begun in -1513 and finished in 1733. This immense structure affords a good study -of the changes of architectural <a name="page_125" id="page_125"></a>taste spread over the years which -intervened between these two dates.</p> - -<p><a name="SALAMANCA_THE_OLD_CATHEDRAL" id="SALAMANCA_THE_OLD_CATHEDRAL"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_274_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_274_sml.jpg" width="398" height="550" alt="SALAMANCA. THE OLD CATHEDRAL" title="SALAMANCA. THE OLD CATHEDRAL" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">SALAMANCA. THE OLD CATHEDRAL</span> -</p> - -<p>The west façade is a marvel of intricate sculpture in the -richly-coloured soft stone that has been used as if it were plaster or -wax. Late Gothic predominates amidst a deal of Plateresque and Barroque -ornament. Despite its incongruities it is extremely fine, but would look -even better if some of the numerous niches had not lost their statues, -and if little boys did not find a pastime in lodging stones amongst -those that are left, greatly I fear to their detriment. Over the double -doorway are high reliefs of the Nativity and Adoration of the Magi, a -negro prince being an especially good figure in the latter subject. -Above is a Crucifixion.</p> - -<p>The north porch is also very fine and gains in effect, as indeed does -the whole of this side of the Cathedral, by the raised piazza on which -it is built. The approach is up some dozen steps, the whole of the -piazza being surrounded by pillars as at Leon and Seville.</p> - -<p>Juan Gil de Hontañon, who designed this and the sister Cathedral at -Segovia, surpassed himself with the Great Tower and its -finely-proportioned dome, the top of which is 360 feet high. The -crocketed pinnacles, the flying buttresses, the dome over the crossing, -and the wonderful deep yellow of this huge church, whatever may be -one's<a name="page_126" id="page_126"></a> opinion about the architecture, make it one of the most -impressive of Spain's Cathedrals.</p> - -<p>I was disappointed with the interior on first acquaintance, but it has -only to be known to be appreciated. The imposing proportions, it is 340 -feet long, 158 feet wide and close on 100 feet high, gradually asserted -themselves, and before I left Salamanca I was much in love with -Hontañon's masterpiece. A pierced balustrade takes the place of a -triforium, flamboyant Renaissance in the aisles and classical in nave. -It runs round the whole church and in the transepts and choir these two -occur together. Medallions in the spandrils of the arches add to the -rich effect.</p> - -<p>Many details in this interior I found to be worth a second and third -visit. The Chapel of Dorado, a veritable museum, contains the tomb of -the builder, Fransico de Palenzuela. Its walls are covered with a -profusion of coloured saints on gilt pedestals. There is a very curious -old organ, standing at the back of an also curious old minstrel's -gallery. A sad-looking skeleton, with "Memento Mori" cut on a slab at -his feet, occupies a dark hole in one of the walls. Fine <i>azulejos</i> -decorate the chapel, and many other antiquities too, which I cannot -enumerate.</p> - -<p>In the Capilla del Carmen rest the remains of Gerómino, the Cid's bishop -and confessor. An<a name="page_127" id="page_127"></a> ancient wooden crucifix stands over the altar, it is -the identical one carried by the bishop in the wars of the Cid. Another -relic of the great Campeador is to be seen in the Relicario. A small -Byzantine bronze, "el Crucifijo de las Batallas," studded with chequer -work—a fine specimen of early Limoges enamel.</p> - -<p>All this interested me muchly, but the "Catedral Vieja," a grand example -of late Romanesque style, interested me more. Fortis Salmantica, as it -was called, on account of the thickness of its walls, has not been used -for service since its huge neighbour was erected.</p> - -<p>I made a drawing of the only view which can be obtained of the exterior -from the Plazuela chica. The central lantern is surmounted by the emblem -of nobility, a cock, and is formed by an octagonal tower with a stone -dome. The tower is arcaded and has four domed turrets and dormers at the -corners similar to those at Zamora. Street considers that he has "never -seen any central lantern more thoroughly good and effective from every -point of view than this is."</p> - -<p>To reach the interior one has to retrace one's steps to the "Catedral -Nueva" and from its south aisle pass through a doorway into the other -building. This was erected on a lower level than its big neighbour and -with the attendant verger I<a name="page_128" id="page_128"></a> descended ten steps and found myself in a -very beautiful mellow-coloured church. The arches of the nave and aisles -are pointed, but the windows and arcading are round. The capitals of the -columns are a museum of carved fantasies, imps, animals, birds, &c. On -the wall of the north aisle, which was partly demolished when the -"Catedral Nueva" was built, are some very curious frescoes; the church -has a clerestory of single lights but no triforium.</p> - -<p>There is a wonderful <i>retablo</i> in the Capilla Mayor by an Italian, -Nicolas Florentino. It is still in perfect preservation, and the -fifty-five frescoes set in white and gold of which it is composed have a -beautiful effect in the semi-gloom of the dark chapel. The Mozárabic -Ritual is celebrated six times a year in another chapel, La Capilla de -Talavera. The groining of its roof is the only one of the sort I have -seen, it is composed of parallel ribs which cross one another. In the -Capilla de San Bartolomé lies Bishop Diego de Anaya. His tomb is -surrounded by one of the finest examples of wrought and hammered iron -work in the whole of Spain. Some other members of this family are also -interred in the chapel, which contains a mediæval organ covered by a -screen of coloured Moorish arabesques.<a name="page_129" id="page_129"></a></p> - -<p><a name="SALAMANCA_AN_OLD_STREET" id="SALAMANCA_AN_OLD_STREET"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_282_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_282_sml.jpg" width="398" height="550" alt="SALAMANCA. AN OLD STREET." title="SALAMANCA. AN OLD STREET." /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">SALAMANCA. AN OLD STREET.</span> -</p> - -<p>The cloisters were built in 1170, but have been partly modernised and -totally disfigured by a coat of whitewash. An uncared-for garden filled -with rubbish occupies the centre. Surely some one might be found to tend -this little secluded patch of quietness and make it a place for -delightful repose instead of the disgrace it now is!</p> - -<p>Before the French occupation Salamanca was a city of churches and -monastic buildings. To build their fortifications they destroyed -thirteen convents and twenty colleges besides many churches. The -south-west corner of the city is still an empty desert full of rubble -and stone strewn about everywhere, the remains of the now dismantled -fortress which overlooked the valley of the Tormes.</p> - -<p>Among the churches left, that attached to the now suppressed Dominican -Convent of San Estéban is by far the finest. It is a miniature Cathedral -in itself. The Gothic exterior is extremely good. The great west façade -is highly enriched with Plateresque ornament. An elliptical arch of -great dimensions roofs the porch. Below it is a realistic group -illustrating the martyrdom of St. Stephen, with the date 1610 cut upon a -stone which one of the figures is picking up to hurl at the saint. The -<i>coro</i> is over the west end, and for once the whole of the interior is -visible. This is very lofty, and the view up to the immense High Altar, -executed by Chirriguera himself, superb. There are two more<a name="page_130" id="page_130"></a> altars in -the church by the same hand, and although his flamboyant style is not to -my liking, I could not help admiring the way in which he had evidently -allowed himself all the licence he was capable of in their sumptuous -design.</p> - -<p>To the south of the little <i>plaza</i> in which San Estéban stands are the -cloisters of the convent, in the upper storey of which is Salamanca's -museum. Unfortunately it contains nothing of interest. Columbus was -lodged by the Dominicans in this convent, and propounded those schemes -to the monks, which the learned members of the university had pronounced -worthless and crack-brained. He found in Fray Diego de Deza and the -other brothers warm supporters.</p> - -<p>The once magnificent Convent of las Agustinas Recoletas, founded by the -Count of Monterey, has a beautiful church in the shape of a Latin Cross. -Over the High Altar is one of Ribera's masterpieces—<i>The Immaculate -Conception</i>. Monterey was known as "the good slow man" and was Viceroy -of Naples in Philip IV.'s reign. He accumulated great wealth during his -Viceroyalty and built himself the fine palace which stands close to the -convent. There is an anecdote current in Salamanca that when a peasant -woman craved an audience of the King, which he granted, she prayed "God -might make him also Viceroy of Naples."<a name="page_131" id="page_131"></a></p> - -<p>The University which made Salamanca famous was united with that of -Palencia by Ferdinand, and very soon took the foremost rank as a seat of -learning in Europe, though at the Council of Constance in the year 1414, -Oxford was given precedence, a ruling which much disgusted the patriotic -Spaniard.</p> - -<p>The building was entirely altered by the "Catholic Kings," who erected -the marvellous west façade, one of the best examples of Plateresque work -in the country. Like that of the Cathedral and San Estèban, it is a -wonderful example of what can be done with soft stone, and how well the -most delicate modelling has survived in this dry climate. Some of the -Moorish ceilings of the interior have been restored. The grand staircase -leading to the upper floors and cloister is especially well carved with -dancers and foliage. Over the door of each <i>aula</i>, or lecture room, is a -tablet denoting the science taught within. The fine library is rich in -theological lore and early editions of Aristotle, &c.</p> - -<p>The little square on to which the west façade opens also leads through a -good doorway into the Grammar School, with a delicious cloister and -shady garden.</p> - -<p>The four sides of the square and the walls of the Cathedral are covered -with numerous hieroglyphics<a name="page_132" id="page_132"></a> and names in Roman characters. They are the -initials, signs, and names of the numerous scholars who have -distinguished themselves in different walks of life. A custom now -followed in all our own schools on boards of honour.</p> - -<p>The Collegio Mayor de Santiago Apostol is a seminary for Irish priests. -The number in training is generally about twenty. This building, -originally founded in 1592 by Philip II. and dedicated to St. Patrick, -is a very good example of cinquecento architecture.</p> - -<p>Among the many fine houses still left after French depredations, that of -La Casa de las Conchas is the most celebrated. It dates from 1512, and -is so named on account of the scallop shells which decorate the exterior -walls. The window grilles are exceptionally fine. The Spanish proverb -"La mujer y el vidrio siempre estan en peligro"—"a woman and glass are -always in danger," evidently held good when these intricate and -beautiful guards were let into the stone. The house has a lovely <i>patio</i> -and a very fine staircase. La Casa de Sal is another house with a good -court, the gallery above being supported by life-size figures. La Casa -de las Duendes, or Ghosts, built by Archbishop Fonseca, was supposed to -be haunted, hence the name. The Torre del Clavero is a good specimen of -the Castilian keep. It was built in 1488 by a<a name="page_133" id="page_133"></a> Sotomayer who was Clavero -or Key-bearer to the Alcántara Order, and is still in the possession of -this noble family.</p> - -<p>Throughout the churches, in these houses, and the convents which remain -unsuppressed are many fine pictures, and except for Seville, I found -here more of interest than in any other city of Spain. In the convents -of course mortal man is forbidden entrance, and I could only look at -their lofty walls and wish myself a nearer acquaintance with the -artistic treasures which I was told lay buried behind them.</p> - -<p>Perhaps the best example of a square in the whole of the country is the -Plaza Mayor. A lofty colonnade runs around the four sides and every -evening the beauties and others of Salamanca make it their promenade. -The men stroll round in one direction and the women in the opposite. The -social life of a Spanish town passed in view before me, with all its fan -and language of the eyes, as I sat at one of the small tables of a café -and got this cheap and harmless entertainment for one <i>real</i>. The square -dates from 1720; the houses are four storeys high and on the north and -south sides bear medallions of kings and celebrated men. The -Ayuntamiento, with its chirrigueresque façade, occupies the centre of -the north side and adds greatly to the appearance of this fine Plaza -where up to fifty years ago bull fights took place.<a name="page_134" id="page_134"></a></p> - -<p>My work over, I nearly always found myself wandering on to the desert -created by the French at the south-west angle of the city, and with my -pipe spending half an hour or so meditating on the Salamanca of the Past -and its contrast with the Present. The rock stands high here over the -road and river below, and there is a drop of 100 feet or more down on to -the former. It is but a narrow lane hedged in by a high wall and this -forbidding-looking rock. When walking along this lane one day I noticed -many crosses cut in the wall and chalked red. On inquiry I was told that -each cross represented a suicide. From the height above, those tired of -life or disappointed in love hurl themselves down and it is the -unwritten law or prerogative of him who finds the mutilated body to -carve a little cross on the wall at the spot where the unhappy mortal -has ended his days. But it was not to prevent suicides that I wandered -there and sat smoking my afternoon pipe. No, I fear it was something -inglorious, it was to get away from the stenches and filth of the town -and breathe the fresh air of the plain. I do not think that anywhere, -unless it be in Tarragona, were my olfactory nerves so insulted as in -Salamanca. Flies in thousands settled on my colour box and paper -wherever I sat sketching. I can now appreciate<a name="page_135" id="page_135"></a> fully the torture of the -Egyptians during the plague.</p> - -<p>Add to the flies beggars innumerable, with horrible sores, offal and -filth in the streets and some of the romance vanishes. Yet Salamanca -still remains the Spain of my imagination, for was not all this part and -parcel of my dream?<a name="page_136" id="page_136"></a><a name="page_137" id="page_137"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="AVILA1" id="AVILA1"></a>AVILA</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">A</span>VILA is one of the most perfectly preserved towns in Spain. It gave me -the impression of having been dropped from the sky,—complete as it -is—so desolate and barren is the boulder-strewn waste that surrounds -it. A sort of suburb pushes its mean houses straggling beyond the walls, -but Avila itself lies snugly within them. They are perfect—these walls -that entirely encircle the old portion of the town. Forty feet high, -twelve thick, with eighty-six defensive towers and bastions, and ten -gates, they are constructed of slabs of granite set end upwards, and -were always a hard nut for invaders to crack.</p> - -<p>The Roman Avela afterwards fell into the hands of the Moors, who for -long held it as a fortress of the first class. Alfonso VI., the -conqueror of Toledo, drove them out after a lengthy siege, and Avila was -rebuilt by his son Ramon of Burgundy. It was then that the present walls -were built, being erected under the supervision of two foreigners, a -Frenchman and an Italian, Florian de Pituenga and Cassandro. Since their -day Avila has played an<a name="page_138" id="page_138"></a> important <i>rôle</i> in the history of the country -and witnessed many strange events.</p> - -<p>In 1465 an extraordinary scene took place on the plain outside the city. -That unpopular king, Enrique IV., was reigning at the time, and the -hatred of the people towards him reached its height when his effigy was -dragged from the city and set upon a throne which had been prepared for -the ceremony of degradation. The Archbishop of Toledo having recounted -the people's grievances, removed the crown from the effigy's head, -others high in the land insulted it and at length pushed it off the -throne, the people then kicked it about and a game of "socker" ensued. -Prince Alfonso, a mere boy, was raised to the unoccupied seat, and -hailed King by the Archbishop, nobles and people, amidst a blare of -trumpets and general rejoicing.</p> - -<p>Avila is an intensely cold place, frosts often occur here in May, but -the summer months are delightful. Every street, every house almost is of -interest, and in the old days of its importance there could have been -few strongholds in the country so safe as this.</p> - -<p>The Cathedral is almost a fort in itself. The east end forms part of the -city walls, the apse abutting in line with the next two towers on either -side forms part of the defensive works.</p> - -<p><a name="AVILA2" id="AVILA2"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_296_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_296_sml.jpg" width="550" height="287" alt="AVILA" title="AVILA" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">AVILA</span> -</p> - -<p>Commenced at the end of the eleventh century by Alva Garcia, a native of -Navarre, this early Gothic <a name="page_139" id="page_139"></a>building is still unfinished. Not much is, -however, of this early date, for the general style of the building is of -the end of the next century, and many alterations have followed this in -later years.</p> - -<p>The west front has but one tower, the north—the other, the south, does -not rise above the roof. The favourite ball decoration of late Gothic -Spain is in evidence, and guarding the doorway are a couple of uncouth -mace-bearers. Very terrible are these hairy granite men, but not so -dangerous looking as the two lions which stand on pedestals and are -chained to the Cathedral walls. Always on guard, these four strange -figures have no doubt many a time struck a holy terror into the hearts -of would-be evil-doers as they entered the church, and I daresay kept -the thoughts of others in the straight line.</p> - -<p>The north door is early pointed and carries figures in each jamb, the -tympanum is decorated with reliefs of the Betrayal and Last Supper, but -all the figures are sadly mutilated.</p> - -<p>The third entrance is at the south-east corner of the Cathedral, and is -a later addition, opening outside the walls of the city on to the Calle -de S. Segundo.</p> - -<p>The interior of the Cathedral is very simple and massive, partaking more -of strength than elegance. It is a fitting inside to the severity of the -fortress-like<a name="page_140" id="page_140"></a> exterior. The nave is narrow and lofty, and so are the -aisles. The large clerestory windows have their tracery above blocked -up, and the lower lights have been treated in the same way, thus giving -a certain resemblance to a triforium, a feature the church does not -possess.</p> - -<p>The aisles in the apse are double, like those at Tortosa, and although -the single columns in the centre are very beautiful, these aisles have -not the elegance of those in the other Cathedral. The apse is very dark, -the stone work at one time was painted red and the little that remains -of this colour adds to the religious gloom of its double aisles.</p> - -<p>The columns throughout the Cathedral were built to bear great weight, -their capitals are simple and their bases the same. The little light -that glimmers through the windows adds greatly to the sombre strength of -this fine building, which, more than any other of its size, reflects the -life of the Spain of those days in which it was erected. Street thinks -it less influenced by outside art than any other building in the -country, and instances the unique method of laying the stone of the root -as supporting this opinion.</p> - -<p>The transepts contain some good glass, as also do the windows in the -chancel. There are many good early tombs throughout the Cathedral. -Judging<a name="page_141" id="page_141"></a> from their style Avila was left alone when Chirriguera was -erecting monstrosities elsewhere, and to me it is the most homogeneous -of Spain's Cathedrals. The <i>retablo</i> over the High Altar rises in three -stages and contains pictures by Berruguete, Santos Cruz and Juan de -Borgoña. On this account my last remark might be criticised, for the -whole piece is a jumble of styles. The chancel is, however, too narrow -for a view of this medley from the body of the church, and wherever one -roams in the building nothing attracts the eye or disturbs the mind by -being too flagrantly incongruous.</p> - -<p>So dark is the apse that the Renaissance <i>trassegrario</i> does not obtrude -in the early Gothic of its surroundings. The very fine tomb of Bishop -Alfonso de Madrigal, the Solomon of his day, is fortunately illumined by -a little light, and I could see the effigy of this wise Prelate seated -at his desk busily engaged with his pen and scroll, while above him the -Magi and Shepherds are adoring in a good relief.</p> - -<p>There are some early paintings in most of the chapels, the <i>retablo</i> in -that of San Pedro being perhaps the best.</p> - -<p>The work of Cornielis, a Flemish sculptor, <i>circa</i> 1537-47, is admirably -displayed in the very beautiful carving of the <i>silleria de coro</i>, and -there is no better example of Spanish metal work of the<a name="page_142" id="page_142"></a> fifteenth -century to be found than in the two iron-gilt pulpits.</p> - -<p>The sacristy contains a splendid silver monstrance by Arfe, and an -Italian enamelled chalice of the fourteenth century by Petrucci Orto of -Siena. The cloisters are disappointing, having been much mutilated and -the fourteenth-century tracery of the arches blocked up.</p> - -<p>Avila, like its neighbour Segovia, contains some of the best examples of -Romanesque work, and its many churches are archæologically as -interesting as the Cathedral.</p> - -<p>Sheltering from the keen north wind under the arcade of San Vicente I -made a sketch of the gateway of that name. The church was founded in -1307 and dedicated to three martyrs who were put to death on the rock -which may still be seen in the crypt below. The west façade has two -incomplete towers, between which is a most elaborately carved Romanesque -doorway, standing in a deeply recessed arch.</p> - -<p><a name="AVILA_PUERTA_DE_SAN_VICENTE" id="AVILA_PUERTA_DE_SAN_VICENTE"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_304_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_304_sml.jpg" width="369" height="550" alt="AVILA. PUERTA DE SAN VICENTE" title="AVILA. PUERTA DE SAN VICENTE" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">AVILA. PUERTA DE SAN VICENTE</span> -</p> - -<p>The pure Romanesque nave has both triforium and clerestory and the -unusual feature of pointed vaulting. The proportions of this noble -church are very fine, but the interest of the non-architectural visitor -will be centred in the Tomb of San Vicente and his two sisters SS. -Sabina and Cristeta. A metal work canopy resting on twisted <a name="page_143" id="page_143"></a>columns -surmounts the tomb which is a sarcophagus of the thirteenth century. The -legend tells how, after the martyrdom of these three, the body of the -first-named was cast out to the dogs, and that a serpent came out of the -hole in the rock (still visible) and watched over it. A Jew who mocked -was smitten unto death by the reptile and lies buried in the south -transept.</p> - -<p>The transept choir and three semicircular apses are Transitional, and -carry a barrel vaulting.</p> - -<p>Outside the city wall, a little way down the hillside and beyond the -dirty suburb that intervenes, is the late Gothic church of San Tomás. It -possesses a fine <i>retablo</i> of the patron St. Thomas Aquinas. The High -Altar is placed in a gallery above a low elliptical arch, this feature -being repeated at the west end with the <i>coro</i> above. At the crossing of -the transepts is the beautiful but greatly mutilated tomb of Prince -Juan, the only son of Ferdinand and Isabella, by whose untimely death -the crown of Spain passed to Austria. Two other tombs of great interest -are those of Juan de Avila and Juana Velasquez. Messer Dominco, the -Florentine, executed them both.</p> - -<p>San Pedro, standing at the east side of the Mercado Grande, is another -Romanesque church of great beauty. Over the west door is a fine wheel -window. The interior is pure Romanesque<a name="page_144" id="page_144"></a> and rich in ornament, and the -north portal is replete with the same.</p> - -<p>Santa Teresa was born of noble parents in Avila. In her early youth her -heart hungered for saintly adventures in the broiling sun of Africa and -her mind was set upon martyrdom at the hands of the Moors. Fate, -however, decreed otherwise. At twenty years of age she took the veil and -within a few years had founded seventeen convents of bare-footed -Carmelite nuns. A favourite saint of Spain, the date of her death, -August 27, is kept all over the Peninsula and her festival celebrated -with great honour in Avila on October 15.<a name="page_145" id="page_145"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="SEGOVIA" id="SEGOVIA"></a>SEGOVIA</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">D</span>IRTY, dilapidated and sleepy, but the most enchanting town in Spain. -What a treat it was to find myself once more in the Middle Ages after -the bustle and noise of Madrid!</p> - -<p>The springs of a Spanish 'bus are good. I never entered one without -great misgivings as to how long I was fated to remain in this world. To -drive into a town such as Segovia is a grand test for the nerves. Crack -goes the whip, off start the sorry-looking horses with a jerk. I am -flung violently against my neighbour. I hasten to apologise. A -disconcerting jolt knocks the hat over my eyes, before it is adjusted I -find myself in an attitude of prayer with my head buried in the lap of -the stout lady who pants opposite, another bump and she is embracing me, -we disentangle ourselves, we apologise, every one in the 'bus is doing -the same. The Jehu on the box fears no obstacles, a rock or a rut, they -are all the same to him, he takes them all with utter disregard to -everything in his way. We fly along, and somehow we land safely. We -always do. Yes, the<a name="page_146" id="page_146"></a> steel of those spiderlike springs must be good, or -the saints are watching our venture. Perhaps both.</p> - -<p>The scenery on the journey from Madrid is very fine after the train -leaves the junction at Villalba. Slowly we crawled up the incline -winding round and doubling on our course. Merry little snow-fed streams -eager to join with their fellows below sped along in a race to the sea. -The summer villas of the Madrileños dot the hill slopes on the ground -above the withy beds. We went up and up until the highest point on the -line was reached under the road along which, marching north, Napoleon's -troops toiled in the face of a fearful blizzard. Before entering the -tunnel at the top of the pass a glorious panorama is spread out to the -south. Away in the distance are the mountains of Toledo and the spires -of far-off Madrid. On leaving this point the descent became rapid, and -we whirled through a magnificent valley amidst true Alpine scenery. The -rugged tops of the Sierra rose above thick forests of pine, brawling -torrents dashed headlong down through green pastures, grand cattle were -browsing on every side, it was indeed more Swiss than Spanish.</p> - -<p><a name="SEGOVIA_AT_SUNSET" id="SEGOVIA_AT_SUNSET"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_312_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_312_sml.jpg" width="550" height="380" alt="SEGOVIA AT SUNSET" title="SEGOVIA AT SUNSET" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">SEGOVIA AT SUNSET</span> -</p> - -<p>One often hears the question asked—why are there no trees in Spain? A -French writer answers, that the Moors are responsible for the lack of -shade in a Spanish landscape. He tells us they cut down <a name="page_147" id="page_147"></a>all the trees -they found, because trees harbour birds, and birds destroy all fruit and -grain!—a truly ingenious theory, quite worthy of the fertile brains of -the French, but surely a most ridiculous solution. The Moor brought the -orange and the lemon to Europe; he was a lover of shade, he was also a -great gardener. No, the reason why Spain has apparently no trees, is -that very few have been planted for hundreds of years. Wood is necessary -for fires in a country where there is practically no coal. The peasant -has always been poor, he has always taken anything that came to hand. He -helped himself to the wood of the forests around him. His betters did -the same. All the trees near Madrid are known to have been ruthlessly -cut down and sold to defray the expenses of Philip II.'s Court; and it -is only of recent years that any replanting has been taken in hand.</p> - -<p>When the present King was a boy of four years old, a ceremony, now -repeated every year at the Fiesta del Arbol, was inaugurated. The Queen -Mother took him to Guindebra outside Madrid, where he planted several -trees. At every anniversary the day is devoted by school children all -over the country to this same object. As many as 10,000 saplings have -been put into the ground in a single day, thus laying by a store of -wealth for future generations.<a name="page_148" id="page_148"></a></p> - -<p>Segovia is surrounded by trees. Hidden from the great plain in which the -town lies, they cover the banks of the two streams which join issue -below the city, thus forming the mass of rock on which it stands. These -valleys, eaten out by the running water, are among the great charms of -this romantic place. Nothing can exceed the beauty of early spring. -Fruit trees in full blossom, tall poplars bending their graceful heads -in the breeze and chestnuts bursting into leaf. The air is filled with -the twitterings of nesting birds, the sloping banks covered with the -tender green of young grass; all nature is alive, the sun is warm and -the sound of rushing waters brings peace to the soul. Perched high up, -hanging apparently on mighty rocks, the Alcázar broods grimly over the -gorge below. Still further up and beyond, rises the mass of the -Cathedral, towers, domes and pinnacles. Three hundred and thirty feet -high, the great tower rears itself like a sentinel, a landmark for many -miles. Round the base cluster the houses of the town like chickens -seeking shelter under the wings of a mother hen. No place in all Spain -appealed to me so much. No town was so replete with subjects for my -brush, and nowhere else did I feel the romance of this marvellous -country as in Segovia.</p> - -<p><a name="SEGOVIA_THE_AQUEDUCT" id="SEGOVIA_THE_AQUEDUCT"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_318_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_318_sml.jpg" width="400" height="550" alt="SEGOVIA. THE AQUEDUCT" title="SEGOVIA. THE AQUEDUCT" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">SEGOVIA. THE AQUEDUCT</span> -</p> - -<p>A town of Iberian origin and name, under the Roman rule it was of some -importance. The<a name="page_149" id="page_149"></a> great aqueduct, which spans the valley that divides -Segovia in the Plaza del Azoquéjo, brought pure water from a mountain -torrent, the Rio Frio, ten miles away. It does the same to-day. -Constructed of granite blocks, laid Cyclopean fashion without mortar or -cement, it commences near San Gabriel. To break the force of the rushing -stream the conduit has many angles. Without doubt it is the most -important Roman remain in Spain, for this alone Segovia would be famous.</p> - -<p>Once upon a time his Satanic Majesty fell desperately in love with a -beautiful Segovian. To further his suit, an offer was made to do -anything she might require. Her home was on a hill; her work, to fetch -water from the stream below. Finding the continual tramp down and up -rather irksome, this daughter of Eve bethought herself of a request to -mitigate her toil. "Done," said the Evil One, and the aqueduct was built -in one night! In terror she fled to the church, and the church -discovered that one stone had been left out, also that the aqueduct was -extremely useful. The contract was declared void and the maiden freed -from the rash promise she had playfully given his majesty. The country -folk still know it by the name of the Puento del Diabolo.</p> - -<p>During the siege of Segovia, the Moors destroyed thirty-five of the -arches, but these were<a name="page_150" id="page_150"></a> cleverly rebuilt in 1493 by Juan Escovedo, a -monk of El Parral, who received the scaffolding in payment for his work. -More recently, extensive repairs in the same way have been successfully -carried out. The most imposing view is in the Plaza del Azoquéjo, from -which it towers upwards in a double line of arches one above the other, -and its length is best grasped from El Calvario, a hill to the south of -the town.</p> - -<p>The Cathedral is a late Gothic pile, built of a warm yellow stone, and -looks particularly impressive from the shady walk among the rocks on the -left bank of the Clamores, the stream which cuts off Segovia from the -southern plateau. It was begun in 1525 by the builder of Salamanca's -Cathedral which it greatly resembles, Juan Gil de Hontañon, and -continued at his death by his son. The weak point in the exterior, which -masses very grandly, is the western façade. The interior is very -striking. The wide span of the arches, the richness of the admirable -vaulting, the splendid late Gothic windows and the feeling of light and -space are fine examples of the last stage of Gothic work, just before -the influence of the oncoming Renaissance took hold of the architects of -that day. The floor is beautifully laid with red, blue and white -diamond-shaped slabs of marble; and the very necessary notice—"No -escupir, la religiosidad<a name="page_151" id="page_151"></a> y higiene la prohibur"—keeps it clean and -decent.</p> - -<p>In the <i>coro</i>, which occupies nearly the whole of the centre of the -nave, there is a <i>retablo</i> by Sabatini. The <i>silleria</i> are very fine. -They were rescued from the old Cathedral, which was destroyed in Charles -V.'s time by the Comunéros, who started business by pulling down -churches, appropriating all they could lay hands on, plundering the -wealthy and generally behaving as a mob that has the upper hand always -does. The outer walls of the <i>coro</i> are stucco, painted to represent -different species of marble; described, by the way, in a reputable guide -book—"beautifully coloured marbles"!</p> - -<p>Most of the <i>rejas</i> which shut off the side chapels are good gilded iron -work. In that of la Piedad there is a good <i>retablo</i> with life-sized -figures by Juan de Juni, 1571; and in the chapel of the Segragrio a -wooden figure of Christ by Alonso Cano. Through a fine Gothic portal in -the Capilla del Cristo del Consuelo I entered the cloisters in company -with a verger, who took great pride in his Cathedral. These cloisters -are surpassingly beautiful; a very good example of flamboyant Gothic. In -vain did I search for a corner from which to make a sketch. The -courtyard was overgrown with shrubs, tall cypresses and<a name="page_152" id="page_152"></a> vines climbing -at random shut out everything. The garden itself was a mass of rubbish -and old timber. The well in the centre, overgrown with creepers and -weeds; while in the cloisters themselves preparations were afoot for the -coming Easter processions, and all available space taken up by -carpenters and painters at work on the Pasos.</p> - -<p>In the little dark chapel of Santa Catalina on the west side, is the -tiny tomb of the unfortunate Infante Pedro, the three-year-old son of -Henry II. The poor little child was dropped by his nurse from a window -in the Alcazar, and ended his young life on the rocks below. 'Tis a -pitiful object this pathetic tomb, alone, here in this damp spot where -daylight only enters when the door is opened.</p> - -<p>In the sacristy there is a Custodia in the form of a temple, six feet -high, silver and exquisitely chased. The vestments possessed by the -clergy are most rarely worked and of great value.</p> - -<p>Segovia was once rich in churches. Like the rest of the city, a great -many have alas! fallen into decay, and those not in this state are -rapidly approaching it. They are mostly small and retain the apse. -Several are cloistered and every one of them is architecturally of great -interest. Here again is another charm of this romantic old city, -evidence of past glories and ecclesiastical power, the history of Spain -written in its stones.</p> - -<p><a name="SEGOVIA_PLAZA_MAYOR" id="SEGOVIA_PLAZA_MAYOR"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_326_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_326_sml.jpg" width="550" height="374" alt="SEGOVIA. PLAZA MAYOR" title="SEGOVIA. PLAZA MAYOR" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">SEGOVIA. PLAZA MAYOR</span> -<a name="page_153" id="page_153"></a></p> - -<p>San Millan, a Romanesque structure of the twelfth century, is the best -preserved church in Segovia. The exquisite arcades on the north and -south sides have coupled columns with elaborately carved capitals. Like -most of the buildings of this period solidity rather than grace was the -effect aimed at by their architects. It possesses a triple apse; the -piers supporting the roof are very massive, the capitals to the columns -are formed of semi-grotesque figures of man and beast. The two doorways -are good. In the church of San Martin there is a carved wooden Passion. -Four life-sized figures take the place of shafts in the great doorway, -and again a cloister forms the exterior of the south and west walls.</p> - -<p>In the Dominican convent of Santa Cruz, founded by Ferdinand and -Isabella, is still to be seen a sepulchral urn of one of the original -companions of St. Dominic. "Tanto monta" the motto of the King and Queen -is cut both inside and out on the walls. Over the west portal are good -reliefs of the Crucifixion and the Pietà. La Vera Cruz, a church built -by the Templars in 1204, is difficult of access. I procured the key -after much trouble, and found the twelve-sided nave forming a sort of -ambulatory round the central walled-in chamber. It is an imitation of -the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. The Templars were suppressed in<a name="page_154" id="page_154"></a> 1312, -so this gem had but a short existence as their house of prayer.</p> - -<p>Nestling amidst a grove of acacia trees, hidden away under the rock, is -the Santuario de Fuencisla. Built to commemorate the miraculous rescue -of Maria del Salto, a beautiful Jewess, this little sanctuary is much -affected by pilgrims. The rock which overshadows it is known as La Peña -Grajera, or "Crow's Cliff," taking this name from the multitude of -carnivorous birds who always assembled here for a meal after a victim -had been hurled down to expiate his crime in a death below. Maria, -accused of adultery, was led to the top and pushed off the edge to find -the fate of so many before her. With great presence of mind she called -loudly on the Virgin, who hearing, came to her assistance; and so -retarded her downward flight that she alighted gently, escaping unhurt. -Here in days long gone by lived a hermit, whose good life and deeds are -still a much-reverenced legend among Segovians.</p> - -<p>The monastery of El Parral, once a wealthy and powerful house of the -brotherhood of San Gerónimo, contains a very good <i>retablo</i> by Diego de -Urbina. It was founded by a member of the great Pacheco family, who -fought three antagonists one after another and came off successful. He -vowed to build a church on the spot where his<a name="page_155" id="page_155"></a> skill and prowess gave -him so splendid a victory, and to endow it as well. It is now a convent -of Franciscan nuns.</p> - -<p>Next in importance to the Cathedral is the comparatively new building of -the Alcázar. Standing high up on the crags, below which the Eresma and -Clamores meet, it occupies an unrivalled position. A fine view of this -truly Castilian fortress is obtained from the beautiful walk which -encircles the city on the further bank of each stream. Above the tall -poplars and thick scrub rise its turrets and spires. The massive walls -go sheer up from the rock on which their foundations rest. The huge -embattled tower and drawbridge assist the feeling of strength; and it -only requires the weathering of years, adding broken colour to the -somewhat new-looking exterior, to make this a perfect specimen of -mediæval architecture.</p> - -<p>The building was originally Moorish, but the many vicissitudes of -troublous times saw it in a bad state when Henry IV., "el Impotente," -repaired and made it his residence. Within its walls Isabella was -proclaimed Queen of Castile in 1474. Cabrera, the husband of her -greatest friend, Beatrice of Boabdilla, held the fortress and its -treasure, and it was mainly through his valour that Isabella succeeded -to the throne. During the Comunéros insurrection the Alcázar held out -for Charles V.<a name="page_156" id="page_156"></a> At the quelling of the revolt Charles did all in his -power to thoroughly restore the building and furnish it with great -splendour. His son Philip added much that the father's death had left -unfinished. Our own King, Charles I., was here entertained, and Gil Blas -confined a prisoner. The great fire, originated by some of the students -of the military college, almost entirely destroyed the whole castle in -1862. The present edifice dates from shortly after that year and is now -used as a storehouse for military archives and an academy for artillery -officers.</p> - -<p>A very good gateway spans the road that leads out past the Santuario de -Fuencisla along the right bank of the Eresma. The river here is an ideal -looking trout stream, but alas! fish are not as plentiful now as when -Charles I. was entertained and fed on "fatte troute" in the Alcázar. -Follow the path over the bridge to the left, it soon narrows into a mere -goat track as it skirts the rock; a few steps farther on and the -wonderful position of the fortress-castle bursts into view. How -fascinating it looked as I saw it one night in the moonlight with the -silver beams glinting on its spires. All was very still as I entered the -wood of stunted pines beyond. Across the ravine rose the mighty -Cathedral silhouetted against a dark star-laden sky. A light here and -there shone from a<a name="page_157" id="page_157"></a> window in the houses beneath. I heard the distant -cry of the watchman on his rounds. A faint scent from the heavy dew rose -to my nostrils, a scent of mother earth. It was with unwilling steps I -crossed the stream and sought my bed that night. Such moments are rare.</p> - -<p>On the left bank of the Eresma, almost hidden in the trees, stands a -building which once was the mint of Spain. Up till the year 1730 all -Spain's money was coined here, the proximity to the impregnable Alcázar, -which was used as the Treasury, affording security against untimely -raids. The old mint is now a flour mill, but still bears the royal arms -over its gateway.</p> - -<p>At one time Segovia was the great Castilian mart for wool. The church, -and monasteries of El Parral, El Paular, and the Escorial owning immense -flocks. These were driven to the pure waters of the Eresma, to be -cleansed before being shorn. After the sheep-washing, the animals were -put into the sweating house, and their legs tied together. The shearer -then commenced operations, and as each sheep passed out of his hands it -was branded; the shepherds standing by made a selection of the older -animals for the butcher, the remainder being taken away to their -mountain pastures. Even now there are many flocks in the country around, -particularly on the lower hills<a name="page_158" id="page_158"></a> near La Granja, where I noticed a large -number not at all unlike the Kentish breed of Romney Marsh.</p> - -<p>Seven miles from Segovia the summer Royal Palace of La Granja lies in -the midst of beautiful woods and clear streams. At the foot of the -Sierra, the highest peak of which, La Peñalara, raises its crest a few -miles off, this elysium is a beautiful spot for those who have earned a -holiday from the cares of State. The gardens are most charmingly -arranged, and the fountains with a never ending supply of water, better -than those at Versailles. Built by Philip V., whose tastes and -inclinations were thoroughly French, La Granja has been the scene of -important events in the history of the country. The treaty which handed -Spain over to France in 1796 was here signed by Godoy. In 1832 Ferdinand -VII. revoked the decree by which he had abolished the Salic law, and -summoned Don Carlos to the palace as heir to the throne, a call which -plunged his unhappy country into civil war. Four years later the Queen -Regent was compelled within its walls, by the leader of the -revolutionary soldiery, to accept the constitution of Cadiz.</p> - -<p>Every corner of Spain holds history, but none can compare with Segovia -and its surroundings in romance and old-world charm.<a name="page_159" id="page_159"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="SARAGOSSA" id="SARAGOSSA"></a>SARAGOSSA</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">S</span>ARAGOSSA lies midway on the railway between Madrid and Barcelona, and, -having about it a touch of both these, can qualify as one of Spain's -progressive cities. The unsightly factory chimney is beginning to sprout -up in the suburbs; old and narrow streets are making way for broader and -better; and insanitary quarters giving place to modern hygiene.</p> - -<p>Aragon is the poorest portion of this fair land, and Saragossa is its -capital. In every age this little kingdom has been torn by war and has -suffered heavily, but its people have never wavered in their faith, and -are still among the most pious and superstitious of the many different -races that people the Iberian Peninsula. They possess that strong -attachment for their sterile plains and barren mountains so common to -those who wring from Nature a bare existence.</p> - -<p>The Emperor Augustus, in the year 25 <small>B.C.</small>, vastly improved "Salduba," -and gave it the title of Cæsarea Augusta. When in the occupation of Rome -it was a free city and had a coinage of its<a name="page_160" id="page_160"></a> own. The first place in -Spain to renounce Paganism, Saragossa has always been a city of great -holiness. When besieged by the French under Childebert in 540, the -inhabitants carried the stole of San Vicente round the walls—and the -invader fled.</p> - -<p>The Infidel, however, proved less susceptible to a Christian relic, and -the city fell to the weight of his arms in the eighth century. Being a -Berber Infidel he recognised no Kalif of Cordova, and between the two -there soon began one of those internecine conflicts that in the end led -to the termination of Moorish rule.</p> - -<p>It was in this connection that Charlemagne was implored to assist the -Northern Moor against the Andalusian and crossed the Pyrenees with an -eye, no doubt, in the long run, to the acquisition of new territory. No -sooner had he reached the plains of Aragon than he was recalled to quell -a rising in his own dominions. His back turned, and he being presumably -in retreat, the ungrateful people, eager for plunder, followed and -inflicted on his rearguard a terrible defeat in the most famous Pyrenean -Pass, the Pass of Roncesvalles, a disaster in which Roland, that hero of -romance, lost his life.</p> - -<p>Thence onward, as the centuries went by, Saragossa was the scene of many -a fight. Alfonso I. <a name="page_161" id="page_161"></a>in 1118 recovered it from the Moor after a long -siege, and Moslem rule was ended.</p> - -<p><a name="SARAGOSSA_LA_SEO" id="SARAGOSSA_LA_SEO"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_338_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_338_sml.jpg" width="288" height="550" alt="SARAGOSSA. LA SEO" title="SARAGOSSA. LA SEO" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">SARAGOSSA. LA SEO</span> -</p> - -<p>Saragossa is best known in the annals of its warfare for the heroic -defence, immortalised by Byron, in the war with France. In the month of -May 1808, the invader was close at hand, and the citizens organised -themselves for defence. A young aristocrat, José Palafox, was chosen as -the nominal leader, and had at his right hand the redoubtable peasant, -Tio Jorge Ibort—Gaffer George. His two lieutenants were Mariano Cerezo -and Tio Marin, while the courageous priest Santiago Sas assisted -greatly, through his influence with the populace, to keep things -together and prevent petty squabbles. One hundred <i>duros</i> supplied the -sinews of war! Sixteen cannon, a few old muskets and two hundred and -twenty fighting men were all that the leaders could count upon to repel -the army of Lefebvre.</p> - -<p>The siege began in June and was abandoned in August, in consequence of -the disaster to Dupont at Bailén. In the following December four -Marshals of France, Junot, Lannes, Mortier and Moncey, with eighteen -thousand men, invested the city, but it was not until February of the -next year that, having driven the defenders out of the Jesuit convent -across the river, the French were<a name="page_162" id="page_162"></a> able to establish a foothold in the -outskirts of the city itself.</p> - -<p>Every one knows how the Maid of Saragossa took the place of her dead -artillery lover who was killed at his gun; an episode that has since -become a theme to instil the young with heroic ideals. Such was the -spirit that gained for the city the proud title of <i>siempre heróica</i>. -Her citizens fought from house to house, every street had barricades, -and it was only that when decimated by pestilence and famine, with half -the place a smoking ruin, one of the most celebrated sieges of history -came to end.</p> - -<p>As in Cadiz and Salamanca, there are two Cathedrals in Saragossa, La Seo -and El Pilar. The former occupies the site of a church which stood here -before the Moors took possession of the place and turned it into a -mosque. A year after the advent of Alfonso I., Bishop Pedro de Lebrana -reconsecrated La Seo, and its walls have witnessed many historical -events in the life of Aragon before the kingdom became merged into one -with Castile. It was before the High Altar that her Kings were crowned, -and at the font many a royal babe baptized.</p> - -<p>La Seo is constructed almost entirely of the dull brown brick with which -the older part of the city is also built; the interior piers and -vaulting alone<a name="page_163" id="page_163"></a> being of stone. On the north-east wall, which faces the -gloomy palace of the archbishop, there is still extant the most -elaborate arrangement of brick work, inlaid with coloured glazed tiles, -blue, green, red, white and yellow, forming a very harmonious and -attractive scheme.</p> - -<p>From the centre of the north-west façade, which is extremely ugly, rises -a well-proportioned tower arranged in four stages, with Corinthian -columns, the top of which is surmounted by a red tiled cupola and spire. -The colour of this took my fancy, it "sang out" so much against the blue -of the sky—a contrast I thought worthy of an illustration.</p> - -<p>Entering the building by the door in the façade, I was immediately -nonplussed as to the orientation of the Cathedral. To add to the puzzle, -for the structure is almost square, four rows of columns seemed mixed up -in endless confusion, and the dim light admitted from the few windows -only accentuated the mystery. Very beautiful, however, is this Gothic -interior which runs north-east and south-west, and I soon found a spot -from whence to make a sketch. The columns rise from marble bases of a -rich crimson; the vaulting above was lost in gloom, the light coming in -from the south-west window struck vividly on portions of the Renaissance -<i>respaldos</i>, the niches of which are<a name="page_164" id="page_164"></a> filled with saints and -archbishops, and the pattern of the marble floor served but to heighten -the general effect. In the picture may be seen a tabernacle with twisted -black marble columns, this marks the spot where the Virgin suddenly -appeared and held converse with Canónigo Fuenes.</p> - -<p>Besides the archbishop's throne, the <i>coro</i>, which is not particularly -interesting, contains a huge reading desk. There is a great deal of -alabaster throughout the Cathedral, notably the very fine Gothic -<i>retablo</i> of the High Altar by Dalman de Mur, around which are many -tombs of the Kings of Aragon. Close by, a black slab marks the place -where rests the heart of Don Baltazar Carlos, the son of Philip IV., who -was immortalised by the brush of Velasquez, and who died in Saragossa at -the early age of seventeen.</p> - -<p>Among the chapels, that used as the <i>segrario</i>, or parish church, has a -magnificent Moorish ceiling, and the fine alabaster tomb of Bernardo de -Aragon. The Cathedral is rich in splendid tapestries and ecclesiastical -vestments. Among the former is certainly the best I have ever set eyes -upon. It is a very early piece and has a wonderful blue sky. In it are -woven the Last Supper, Christ bearing the Cross, the Agony in the Garden -and the Crucifixion, while in the lower right-hand corner our Saviour is -assisting with a long pole to stir <a name="page_165" id="page_165"></a>up devils who are roasting in Hades. -Among the vestments is an extremely beautiful chasuble brought here at -the time of the Reformation from Old St. Paul's in London. I wondered, -when I looked at it, whether Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII.'s consort, -had been instrumental in its removal from England.</p> - -<p><a name="SARAGOSSA_IN_THE_OLD_CATHEDRAL" id="SARAGOSSA_IN_THE_OLD_CATHEDRAL"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_346_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_346_sml.jpg" width="424" height="550" alt="SARAGOSSA. IN THE OLD CATHEDRAL" title="SARAGOSSA. IN THE OLD CATHEDRAL" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">SARAGOSSA. IN THE OLD CATHEDRAL</span> -</p> - -<p>The Cathedral of El Pilar is thus named as it possesses the identical -pillar on which the Virgin descended from Heaven and appeared to St. -James. At first a modest chapel, it has grown by the addition of -cloisters and subsidiary chapels to the present stupendous building. The -length is close on five hundred feet and the breadth two hundred. The -possession of this miraculous pillar has brought untold wealth to the -Cathedral. Votive offerings on the anniversary of the festival at the -shrine often amount to many thousands of pounds. Jewelry, gems and -costly objects of every description are given; these are now sold by -auction, the large sum of £20,000 being realised a few years ago. To -these sales we owe a fine rock crystal and gold medallion, given to the -Virgin of El Pilar by Henry IV. of France, and now in South Kensington -Museum. Many examples of old Spanish goldsmith's work have also been -acquired for the same collection in this way.</p> - -<p>The towers and pinnacles of El Pilar pile up<a name="page_166" id="page_166"></a> grandly, and are best seen -from the fine bridge which spans the yellow flood of the river Ebro. -Silhouetted against the evening sky, with the smooth running waters -below, it seemed to me a worthy example in brick and stone of the -church's magnificence.</p> - -<p>The interior is an immense temple, the frescoes of which are from the -brush of that extraordinary genius, Goya, who turned his talent to any -job that was productive of the cash he spent so freely. The <i>retablo</i> of -the High Altar is a fine piece of work from the alabaster quarries at -Escatron. Composed of three good Gothic canopies with tapering finials, -it has seven smaller divisions below. Damian Forment was the artist who -designed and carried out this, one of the most beautiful <i>retablos</i> in -the country. The <i>reja</i> which stands in front of <i>coro</i> is superb, and -considered to be Juan Celma's masterpiece. Behind the High Altar is the -celebrated chapel of the Virgin. The figure itself is of very old -blackened wood, evidently a specimen of early Christian work. On October -12, the anniversary of her descent, thousands of pilgrims flock hither -to kiss her foot through a hole in the wall at the back of the chapel. -The city is then full of visitors and it is next to impossible to find -quarters or a room of any sort.</p> - -<p><a name="SARAGOSSA_EASTER_PROCESSION" id="SARAGOSSA_EASTER_PROCESSION"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_352_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_352_sml.jpg" width="340" height="550" alt="SARAGOSSA. EASTER PROCESSION" title="SARAGOSSA. EASTER PROCESSION" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">SARAGOSSA. EASTER PROCESSION</span> -</p> - -<p>I happened to be in Saragossa for <i>Semana Santa</i>. <a name="page_167" id="page_167"></a>and watched the -processions of groups of heavy wooden figures, illustrative of our -Lord's life-history, proceed through crowded streets. My sketch shows -the last <i>paso</i> of the Crucifixion, with a figure of the Virgin bringing -up the rear, as they passed the intensely devout throngs on Good Friday. -Masked members of different religious brother and sisterhoods, walk -along keeping the route clear. The whole procession was led by soldiery, -and "Romans," men attired in the garb of ancient Rome, while an infantry -band followed the Virgin. The <i>pasos</i> are deposited in the Church of -Santiago built on the spot where St. James passed a night. In the belfry -of this church is an old Gothic bell of which the inhabitants are justly -proud.</p> - -<p>San Pablo is a very interesting fabric, dating from the year 1259. The -floor of the church is a dozen steps below the street. The <i>retablo</i> is -another fine example of Damian Forment's art. The aisles are cut off -from the nave by a flat wall with square pillars and ill-proportioned -pointed arches. The <i>coro</i> is at the west end, from whence also issue -the notes of a very beautifully toned organ. The extraordinary octagonal -brick steeple might pass as of Russian or Tartar origin.</p> - -<p>Of all the gateways to the city, there remains but one, the Puerta del -Carmen. It has been left<a name="page_168" id="page_168"></a> as it stood after the French bombardment, and -retains many marks of shot and soft-nosed bullets. The site of the -historic Puerta del Portillo, where the Maid of Saragossa won immortal -fame, is in the square of the same name. Outside it stands the Castillo -de la Aljaferia, the Palace of the Sheikhs of Saragossa, and the -residence of the Kings of Aragon. Ferdinand gave it to the Holy Office, -and from out its portals issued many terrible orders for the suppression -of the wretched heretic. There still remains a small octagonal mosque, -and many of the rooms have their original <i>artesonado</i> ceilings. In it -also is the "Torreta," the dungeon in <i>Il Trovatore</i>; while from the -tower can be seen the Castillo de Castlejar, mentioned in the drama by -Garcia Gaturrio, from which the libretto of the opera was taken. This -one-time fine palace is now a barrack, and I used to watch the recruits -drilling and exercising outside. When the recruiting season commences, -the numbers are drawn among those liable to serve—the lucky ones being -those who are not compelled to take any part in the military service of -their country. There exist societies in Spain to which a sum of 750 -pesetas can be paid, that undertake to pay another 750 pesetas to the -State, if the payee's name is drawn for service, 1500 pesetas being the -sum which enables any one to forego his military<a name="page_169" id="page_169"></a> career. If his number -is not drawn, he loses his deposit, if it is, the society pays the full -sum.</p> - -<p>In the old days the nobles of Aragon safe-guarded their privileges by -the Fuéros de Sobrarbe, a code something like our Magna Charta, which -reduced the King's authority to almost vanishing point. Pedro IV. got -rid of the Fuéros by cutting to pieces the parchment incorporating the -union or confederacy, whose members, if the King was thought to have -exceeded his prerogative, were absolved from allegiance. They were a -hard-headed race, these Aragonese, and are still like those of the other -northern provinces, very independent and jealous of Castile's rule.</p> - -<p>Among other things handed down from time immemorial is a national dance, -and the Jota Aragonesa, the national air, known beyond the limits of -Spain. Very few of these old airs still exist. As a fact, the old songs -of Spain and their music are better known in the Jewish colony of -Salonika than in the country of their origin. The upper classes of this -colony still speak the pure Castilian of Cervantes' time, and being the -descendants of Spanish refugees hounded out of the country by the -Inquisition, still observe the customs, songs and language of their -immigrant forefathers.</p> - -<p>The Aragonese also have a national game, Tirando a la Barra, which -consists in passing an<a name="page_170" id="page_170"></a> iron bar from one hand to the other, thereby -gaining impetus for the final swing which sends it hurtling through the -air towards a mark on the ground, like a javelin. One or two good old -houses still remain in Saragossa to testify to its former greatness, -notably that of the great Luna family. Two gigantic uncouth figures with -clubs stand on either side of the doorway which is the centre of a -simple but good façade. The cornice above is very heavy and the eaves -project far out, a feature that I noticed was very characteristic of the -old quarters of the city. It was in this house that the besieged, during -the French war, held their councils. The Casa Zaporta can boast of a -very fine staircase and beautiful <i>patio</i> with elegant fluted columns -and reliefs and medallions breaking the spandrils. A few other good -houses still exist, but as they are in the old quarters of the city, and -as these are rapidly disappearing, I fear that Saragossa will not -contain for long anything beyond her Cathedrals that is of tangible -interest.<a name="page_171" id="page_171"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="SANTIAGO" id="SANTIAGO"></a>SANTIAGO</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">T</span>HE evening train from Pontevedra deposited me sometime about midnight -at Cernes, the hamlet outside Santiago where the line ends. The full -moon during the latter portion of the journey had been a source of -endless delight. My face was glued to the window watching the -ever-changing hills and valleys through which the train crept, shrouded -in that mystery which obliterates detail and suggests so much in great -masses of subdued light and deep shade.</p> - -<p>I reached the hotel, procured a room, threw open the window, and stood -on the balcony listening to the intense stillness of a wonderful night. -Suddenly a dull rumbling down some side street disturbed my reverie of -the Santiago of days gone by. The only thing to be expected at this time -of night was the station 'bus, but I heard no clattering hoofs and was -lost in surmise, when out of the dark shadow of a narrow lane into the -moonlight swung a yoke of oxen drawing a long cart with slow majestic -pace. But what a cart! a low sort of wooden box balanced between two -solid<a name="page_172" id="page_172"></a> wooden wheels. The rumbling was explained. It was primitive and -the most mediæval thing I had yet seen in a country which is barely -European.</p> - -<p>The peasant owner, a few steps in advance, never turned his head, but -guided his beasts with a long stick which he waved from side to side -over his back. There was no shout, no cry of command. The <i>mise en -scène</i> was beautifully arranged, it was complete. There was the -background of ancient grey houses, beyond them, tapering into the starry -sky, the slender pinnacles of the great Cathedral. A row of stunted -trees occupied places down one side of the little square which filled my -stage. The subdued colour and silence of the moonlit night, and the slow -passage of the ox-cart as it passed out of sight, bettered Irving's best -effects at the Lyceum.</p> - -<p>A clock in a neighbouring tower struck the quarters, the moment had -arrived for the anti-climax! I expected every minute to see a door open, -a light stream across the square, a cloaked figure steal furtively out, -and disappear down into the shadow of the lane. It was perfect, nothing -could have been arranged better as an introduction to Santiago de -Compostela.</p> - -<p><a name="SANTIAGO_THE_CATHEDRAL" id="SANTIAGO_THE_CATHEDRAL"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_362_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_362_sml.jpg" width="550" height="381" alt="SANTIAGO. THE CATHEDRAL" title="SANTIAGO. THE CATHEDRAL" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">SANTIAGO. THE CATHEDRAL</span> -</p> - -<p>The body of St. James landed itself at Padron on the coast not far from -Santiago, and his bones were brought to the spot where now stands the -<a name="page_173" id="page_173"></a>Cathedral. In the course of time their whereabouts was forgotten and it -remained for Bishop Theodomir to rediscover the sacred spot in 829, -guided thither by a star. Hence the Campus Stellæ—or Compostela.</p> - -<p>The shrine of the saint is still visited by innumerable pilgrims, and -perhaps more arrive in Santiago than any other city of Spain. In olden -days so great was the number that "El Camino de Santiago"—"The road to -Santiago," gave rise to the Spanish term for the "milky way." I have -watched them in the Cathedral, peasants, men and women, come from afar, -to judge by their dress. They each carried a staff decorated with tufts -of herbs and little star-shaped pieces of bread tied on with gay -ribbons. I have seen women making the round of the altars in the -different chapels with great bundles of clothes, through which were -thrust umbrellas, balanced on their heads. They never lost the poise of -their burden as they knelt and rose again. But of all the pilgrims I -saw, one who might have stepped out of Chaucer's pages carried me back -to the days of long ago. She wore a short skirt of thick brown material, -sandals protected her stockinged feet, from her girdle hung rosary, -scallop shells and a stoneware pilgrim's bottle, a hooked staff lent -support to her bent, travelled-stained figure. Her leather wallet was<a name="page_174" id="page_174"></a> -stuffed with bread, and covering her short cropped hair was a grey felt -hat, mushroom shaped. A little black dog entered the Cathedral with her, -and squatted silently by his mistress's side as she knelt praying in the -dim light of a grey day. Chaucer's "Wyt of Bath" had made a pilgrimage -to "Seynt Jame," and my pilgrim with her little lame companion might -very well have been with him too.</p> - -<p>The Cathedral, founded in 1078, was built on the site of one destroyed -by Almanzor in 997. The legend of the destruction of the first church, -which had been standing for just one hundred years, was thus—Almanzor, -after sacking Leon and Astorga, swept all the country westwards with his -Moorish hosts until he reached Santiago. So great was his fame and in -such terror was his name held that no one had the courage to face him -and fight for saint and city. Riding through its deserted streets he -came to the church, and to his surprise at last espied a solitary -Christian, a monk, praying alone at the shrine of the saint. "What dost -thou here?" inquired the haughty Moor. "I am at my prayers," curtly -answered the holy man, continuing his devotions. This reply and the -courage of the single enemy so called forth the admiration of Almanzor, -that his life was spared and an infidel guard set over the tomb.</p> - -<p><a name="SANTIAGO_SOUTH_DOOR_OF_THE_CATHEDRAL" id="SANTIAGO_SOUTH_DOOR_OF_THE_CATHEDRAL"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_368_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_368_sml.jpg" width="369" height="550" alt="SANTIAGO. SOUTH DOOR OF THE CATHEDRAL" title="SANTIAGO. SOUTH DOOR OF THE CATHEDRAL" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">SANTIAGO. SOUTH DOOR OF THE CATHEDRAL</span> -<a name="page_175" id="page_175"></a></p> - -<p>The west façade, a Renaissance outer covering, so to speak, of the older -façade, would not look so imposing as it does if granite had not been -used in its construction. The grey tones of the lichen-covered stone -redeem the somewhat overdone florid design, and it stands well above a -double flight of steps on the east side of the huge Plaza Mayor.</p> - -<p>The south door, or Puerta de las Platerias, takes this name from the -silversmiths whose workshops are still under the arcades around the -Plaza on to which it opens. It is the oldest portion of the Cathedral -and dates from the foundation. The shafts contain tiers of figures in -carved niches, and the tympanum has rows of smaller ones.</p> - -<p>The north door fronts on to the Plaza Fuente San Juan, and faces the -convent of San Martin Pinario, which was founded in 912 by Ordoño II. In -the days before this Plaza was officially given its present name, it was -known as Azabacheria, <i>azabache</i> is jet, and it was here that vast -quantities of rosaries made of this were sold to pilgrims.</p> - -<p>In the south-east angle of the Cathedral is the Puerta Santa, bearing -the inscription "Hace est domus Dei et porta cœli." It is only opened -in the Jubilee year and then by the archbishop himself. The entrance to -it is from the Plaza de los Literarios. It will be seen from this that -the Cathedral is practically set in four great Plazas, el<a name="page_176" id="page_176"></a> Mayor, de las -Platerías, la Fuente San Juan, and de los Literarios, and for this -reason, although the roof towers high above, it is one of the few -Cathedrals the size of which can be appreciated by an exterior view.</p> - -<p>The early Romanesque interior is superb, and not unlike our own Ely -Cathedral. The finest thing in it of archæological interest is the -"Portico de la Gloria," which Street calls "one of the greatest glories -of Christian Art." This Portico, situated at the west end of the nave, -formed at one time the façade. The idea of the whole doorway is Christ -at the Last Judgment. His figure, twice life-size, occupies the centre. -Below Him is seated St. James, while around them are angels worshipping. -Four and twenty elders are arranged in the circumference of the -archivolt; each one holds a musical instrument, most of which are shaped -like violas and guitars. A most beautifully sculptured marble column -supports this in the centre, resting on a base of devils, with the -portrait of Maestro Matio, who executed the whole from his own designs, -facing the nave. An inscription under this doorway states that the work -was finished in 1188. To the right and left are smaller arches, -portraying in well-cut granite good souls on their way to Paradise and -wicked ones in the clutches of devils on their way to Hell. Nothing can -exceed the primitive<a name="page_177" id="page_177"></a> religious feeling pervading this work. Mateo must -have given his whole soul with fervour to his labours; and the almost -obliterated traces of painting and gilding enhance their result by -giving a touch of warmth to the cold colour of the stone.</p> - -<p>West of the portico, above which are the remains of a fine wheel window, -has been built the present Renaissance façade known as El Obradorio, the -two being connected by quadripartite vaulting. The nave itself has a -walled-in triforium, but no clerestory and the vaulting of the roof is -barrel.</p> - -<p>The saint's shrine is in the crypt beneath the Capilla Mayor. The extra -extravagant <i>retablo</i> above the High Altar is chirrigueresque, and -hardly redeemed by the lavish employment of jasper, alabaster and silver -with which it is decorated. A jewelled figure of St. James is seated in -a niche above the mass of precious metal in which the altar is encased.</p> - -<p>It is all very gorgeous and must impress the pious pilgrim who has -journeyed hither from afar, but I could not help wishing it were -simpler. However, the one living vital thing in Spain is her religion, -and her Church knows so well how to conduct its business that my -feelings of regret are purely æsthetic.</p> - -<p>The <i>cimborio</i> is a fine creation, under which swings on certain -<i>fiestas</i> the huge silver <i>incensario</i>, a<a name="page_178" id="page_178"></a> lamp wellnigh six feet high. -The two bronze pulpits are real masterpieces of cinquecento art and are -adorned by subjects from the Old Testament by Juan Bantista Celma.</p> - -<p>In one of the side chapels, known as the Relicario, are recumbent -figures on the tombs of Don Ramon, the husband of Urraca, Berenguela -1187, Fernando II. 1226, Alfonso XII. of Leon 1268, and that faithful, -pitiable figure Juan de Castro, wife of Pedro the Cruel. Even now, after -the spoliation by Soult, who carried away ten hundredweight of precious -metal in sacred vessels, the Relicario is a perfect museum. All the -other chapels contain good tombs, especially that of Espiritu Santo in -the north transept; and among other beautiful objects with which the -Cathedral is replete are two ancient <i>limosneras</i> or alms-boxes, two -very ancient gilt pyxes, a carved wooden cross, similar to the -much-revered cross of los Angeles at Oviedo, given by Don Alfonso and -Doña Jimena in 874.</p> - -<p>The large cloisters to the south-west of the Cathedral were built by -Archbishop Fonseca in 1521. They are bad Gothic enriched with -Renaissance details. The centre court is paved with granite and gives an -impression of bareness which is not redeemed by the architecture.</p> - -<p>It was in this Cathedral that John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, was -crowned King of Spain.</p> - -<p><a name="SANTIAGO_INTERIOR_OF_THE_CATHEDRAL" id="SANTIAGO_INTERIOR_OF_THE_CATHEDRAL"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_376_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_376_sml.jpg" width="289" height="550" alt="SANTIAGO. INTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL" title="SANTIAGO. INTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">SANTIAGO. INTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL</span> -<a name="page_179" id="page_179"></a></p> - -<p>Santiago possesses a much frequented university, which is extremely well -provided with books.</p> - -<p>In the church of Santa Maria de la Sar may be seen relics of the Holy -Office which held its sittings in the adjoining monastery. The -president's chair, marked with a palm, a cross and a red sword is -perhaps the most notable. This monastic church, at one time owned by -Templars, is situated outside the city boundary on the Orense road. Like -all the others, in fact like the whole of Santiago, it is built of -granite. It possesses a triple apse; the nave is of five bays without a -triforium or clerestory, and the interior, in consequence, is very dark, -heavy and gloomy. In it is the tomb of Archbishop Bernardo, 1242. The -cloister at one time must have been exceptionally fine, but alas! only -nine arches now remain; and the whole edifice is of the fast-crumbling -away type not uncommon in the country.</p> - -<p>The fine Plaza Mayor, or Plaza Alfonso Doce, is bounded on the north by -the huge Hospice erected by Enrique de Egas for Ferdinand and Isabella -for the use of poor pilgrims. The royal coat-of-arms is in evidence over -the entrance portal, enriched, in addition, with figures of saints and -pilgrims. The massive cornice has a course of heavy chain work and the -ball decoration so common in Toledo. This huge pile of buildings is now -used as a<a name="page_180" id="page_180"></a> hospital. It is divided into four courts with fountains and -is admirably adapted for its present use. The small chapel is one of the -gems of Santiago. The roof springs from four arches with Gothic statues -and niches clustered round a central column.</p> - -<p>On the west side of the Plaza stands the great Seminario founded in 1777 -for the education of young priests. The ground floor is now occupied as -the Ayuntamiento of Santiago.</p> - -<p>To the south is the Collegio de San Gerónimo, with a remarkable early -doorway. The college was known as <i>Pan y Sardina</i> from the poverty of -its accommodation. Sardines, the staple industry of Vigo and other coast -towns of the district, are the cheapest food obtainable, hence the -appellation. Santiago is delightfully situated amidst heather-clad -hills, the lower slopes of which are well wooded with oak, fir, and -eucalyptus. Great boulders of granite stand out like the monoliths of -prehistoric ages. Many a pleasant walk through the purple heather -revealed to me a landscape such as one sees in parts of Cornwall and -Scotland. The grey city with its red-tiled roofs, its huge deserted -monastic buildings, the many spires and domes of the Cathedral and other -churches, all set in patches of brilliant green meadows and maize fields -look particularly beautiful from Monte Pedroso, a fine vantage point -surmounted by a huge Calvary.<a name="page_181" id="page_181"></a></p> - -<p>The climate is comparatively moist, ferns of all sorts grow in the shade -of garden walls, and bracken is thick in the oak woods. The Galician is -well favoured by Nature, and being a patient, hard-working man of not -much mental capacity, very pious and an ardent advocate of small -holdings, gets through life with a contented spirit. He is very close -and knows the value of a peseta. Unfortunately he is looked down upon by -the Castilian, and the term "Gallego" is rather one of abuse than -respect. Driven to emigration by the subdivision of land which cannot -support more than those who own and work it now, he goes south in great -numbers and is the trusted <i>concierge</i> in many a large house and hotel -in Madrid and elsewhere. The Panama Canal too attracts him from his -native hills, in fact the Gallego is to be met with wherever Spanish is -the spoken language.<a name="page_182" id="page_182"></a><a name="page_183" id="page_183"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="TUY1" id="TUY1"></a>TUY</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">T</span>HE train deposited me one morning at this little frontier town. It was -very hot, and it was Sunday. The only porter in the station volunteered -to carry my bag to the Fonda, so we joined a long file of peasants and -tramped up the dusty road to the old Gothic capital which stands -splendidly situated above the river Minho.</p> - -<p>From a distance the Cathedral rises like a fort, capping the white -houses and brown roofs which are terraced below. At one time in the far -away past Tuy was a town of great importance. Greek remains have been -dug up here, but history does not go further back than Ætolian Diomede, -the son of Tydeus, who founded what became under King Witiza the Gothic -capital. This was in the year 700. Ordoño I. rebuilt it two hundred -years later, and I did not find it difficult to trace the massive -granite walls which sheltered the inhabitants, and preserved it as the -most important city of these parts.</p> - -<p>Truly a crown to the fortress, the castellated walls of the Cathedral -give it a martial air. The<a name="page_184" id="page_184"></a> nave of five bays is early pointed, with a -blind triforium and blocked up clerestory. So narrow and dark are the -aisles and so massive the columns which support the fine vaulting of the -roof, that I could never get rid of the feeling that I was in some great -hall of an ancient castle. It only wanted a few halberdiers or -men-at-arms, instead of the black-garbed peasant women kneeling at the -different altars, to make the illusion perfect.</p> - -<p>The transepts, which have aisles, are Romanesque with an early pointed -triforium. After the great earthquake at Lisbon many strengthening -additions were made to the interior, blocking out most of the light. In -the case of the aisles arches were run up at different intervals with no -sense of proportion, quite hap-hazard, and creating a very much askew -appearance in this part of the building. Transoms were built across the -nave to add to the disfigurement of one of the most perfect little -Cathedrals in Spain.</p> - -<p>The west doorway is very fine, with four detached columns on either -side, thus forming a narrow porch. The upper half of these columns each -consists of a good figure of a saint whose feet rest on a devil. In the -tympanum are good reliefs and a well-cut Adoration of the Magi. The -archivolt is seven-fold and is an excellent piece of rich carving. All -is granite, and all is solemn, quite in keeping with this hard -material.</p> - -<p><a name="TUY2" id="TUY2"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_386_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_386_sml.jpg" width="550" height="285" alt="TUY" title="TUY" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">TUY</span> -<a name="page_185" id="page_185"></a></p> - -<p>The Cloister Court, round which runs a most beautiful arcade of early -pointed work with detached shafts, has unfortunately fallen into decay. -But the charming little garden in the centre somewhat compensates for -this. When I strolled in the silence was only broken by the cooing of -doves and the hum of bees. The sun seemed to find his way into every -nook and cranny, and here, thought I, is peace.</p> - -<p>Away beyond the outer wall, a wall which is part of the old defence of -Ordoño's day, is the road to Portugal. Passing through vineyards it -reaches the river a mile distant and crosses the water by a very fine -bridge. It was from this road that I made my sketch of the quaint -old-world town. Down by the river at the end of the one broad street -that Tuy possesses is the old Convent of Santo Domingo. Now a barrack, -it still keeps its grand Transitional church. The chancel is extremely -fine and among its many tombs a knight in armour with his lady at his -side I thought the best. On the grassy platform in front of the church I -spent one or two pleasant evenings. The river flows below and the -mountains of Portugal rise sublimely from the opposite bank. I was -decidedly pleased with my short sojourn in this typical Spanish town, -the wonderful position of which, right on the frontier overlooking -another land, makes it one of Spain's most unique Cathedral cities.<a name="page_186" id="page_186"></a><a name="page_187" id="page_187"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="ORENSE" id="ORENSE"></a>ORENSE</h2> - -<p>"In the gold district," such is the meaning of Orense. In Roman days it -was the headquarters for working the gold in which the district -abounded.</p> - -<p>Three warm springs, situated close to the road which leads out of the -town to the south-west, also brought fame to Orense, though they -possessed, apparently, no medicinal properties. Nowadays the poorer -classes use the water for domestic purposes, thereby saving fires.</p> - -<p>In Visigothic times Orense was the capital of the Suevi, and was the -scene of the renunciation of Paganism by this tribe. Besides its warm -springs the town boasts of two other wonders, its bridge and its -Cathedral. The former is certainly a grand piece of work. The centre -arch rises one hundred and thirty-five feet above the river Minho, with -a magnificent span of one hundred and forty feet. Of the six remaining -arches some are pointed and some are round.</p> - -<p>The Cathedral is a most interesting structure, more's the pity it is so -little known. Built on an<a name="page_188" id="page_188"></a> artificial platform to throw it out from the -hillside, it rises well above the neighbouring roofs. Silversmiths and -metal workers ply their trades in the dark shops between the buttresses -which hold up this platform on three sides.</p> - -<p>There is nothing much to attract one in the exterior of the Cathedral -except the Gothic north and south doors. They both have rounded arches -with good figures in the jambs and archivolts. The south is the better -of the two, as the north bears traces of alteration, the case in the -whole appearance of the exterior. A third door opens in the second bay -west of the north aisle, and is approached from the street below by -steps leading up between two shops. The massive north-west tower is -adjoining and stands over perhaps half a dozen small rooms where all day -long the musical tap of the metal workers' hammers are heard.</p> - -<p>The side chapels of the interior are all recessed, and standing in the -south-west corner of the Cathedral I obtained an uninterrupted view for -my sketch along the south aisle into the apse. There is no triforium in -the nave, but a beautiful lancet clerestory enhances both this and the -aisles. I thought the octagon at the crossing extremely good. Two rows -of lights, one above the other, have an interior gallery with an -unobtrusive balustrade round each. The supporting corbels are well-cut -<a name="page_189" id="page_189"></a>bosses. The spandrils between the arches are recessed with well-carved -figures of angels and archangels playing on musical instruments. Of -course this octagon bears no comparison with that at Burgos, it is much -simpler and much smaller, but has a tentative beauty of its own.</p> - -<p><a name="ORENSE_IN_THE_CATHEDRAL" id="ORENSE_IN_THE_CATHEDRAL"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_394_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_394_sml.jpg" width="385" height="550" alt="ORENSE. IN THE CATHEDRAL" title="ORENSE. IN THE CATHEDRAL" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">ORENSE. IN THE CATHEDRAL</span> -</p> - -<p>The transepts are of earlier date, and have been altered, though not -injudiciously. The <i>coro</i> is small, very dark and solemn, and in this -respect bears favourable comparison with many another which may be far -finer. Its <i>reja</i>, like that of the Capilla Mayor, is a very good -example of wrought and hammered iron-work, and does credit to the skill -of those who no doubt sat in the little shops below giving their -life-work to the adornment of the church above.</p> - -<p>The High Altar is a mass of silver with a background of glittering -carving which forms the gilded <i>retablo</i>. The warm yellow of the -Cathedral stone and the time-worn colour of the figures which decorate -this <i>retablo</i> have a very pleasing effect to the eye. The ashes of -Santa Eufemia, Orense's patroness, rest beneath her effigy which stands -to the south of the High Altar, and those of SS. Facundo and Primivo -under theirs on the north side. Santa Eufemia's body was found by a poor -shepherdess lying out on the mountain slopes of the Portuguese border, -and was brought here to rest.<a name="page_190" id="page_190"></a></p> - -<p>The Cathedral is full of fine tombs, among which that of Cardinal -Quintata in Carrara marble is the best. It is placed on the north side -of the chancel facing a much earlier Gothic tomb with a well-carved -canopy which stands on the south side. The present edifice was founded -in 1220 by Bishop Lorenzo, displacing the older church erected in 550 -and dedicated to Saint Martin.</p> - -<p>Wandering at random up the narrow streets which covered the hill I found -myself outside the Convent of San Francisco. Like so many institutions -of a kindred nature it is now a barrack, and difficult of access. -However, I managed to get in and found the chief interest centred in the -cloisters. They are beautiful relics of the thirteenth century. Sixty -arches complete the arcade, with coupled shafts standing free. The -capitals are well carved and the dog-tooth moulding above them has not -suffered much from the ravages of time.</p> - -<p>Here, as in other towns where money in late mediæval days was scarce, it -is pleasant to find untouched remains of an earlier past. The streets -are mostly arcaded and very tortuous and quaint. The market is held on -the Plaza of the Cathedral, and fruit vendors sit in the sun on the -steps which lead into the Holy Fane. The <i>Alamedas</i> are thronged at -night with a crowd which, for Spain, seemed to take life seriously.<a name="page_191" id="page_191"></a></p> - -<p>I had finished my usual after-dinner stroll one evening, and returned to -my hotel. It was a balmy night and I pulled my chair out on to the -balcony. The lights in the cottages on the hill opposite went out one by -one, and away down below, amongst the dark foliage of a vineyard, I -heard the sound of a guitar. A voice breathed out a love song, and once -more I felt the romance of the South—that indescribable feeling which -comes over one when nerves are attune to enchanting surroundings.<a name="page_192" id="page_192"></a><a name="page_193" id="page_193"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="ASTORGA1" id="ASTORGA1"></a>ASTORGA</h2> - -<p>"No, you won't find much for your brush to do in Astorga, señor"—was -the answer to a query addressed to a fellow passenger in the train. I -fear he was not far wrong, though I knew with the Cathedral I should not -be disappointed.</p> - -<p>It was a wet evening, and I landed at the station in the dark; gave my -traps to a porter, and found myself after a tramp through the mud at the -only Fonda in the place. My baggage was deposited in a sort of glorified -cupboard containing a bed. The small window had no glass, and I -discovered the next day that it opened on to the stables. I objected to -these quarters, and later on in the evening my belongings were moved -into a room just vacated by some one who had gone on to Madrid in <i>el -rapido</i>.</p> - -<p>The next morning I made my way to the Cathedral. It stands well and -quite isolated, except for the "New Art" Bishop's Palace which is in -course of erection. The Cathedral is late Gothic, built in the fifteenth -and sixteenth centuries<a name="page_194" id="page_194"></a> on the site of a former church. The interior is -lofty and very beautiful, though spoilt by a bad <i>trascoro</i> in execrable -taste and quite out of keeping with the elegant columns of the nave. -This consists of seven bays. The bases of the piers run up ten feet or -more, and resemble the later additions to Leon Cathedral and those at -Oviedo. The intersecting mouldings on them are the very last style of -Gothic work and exemplify the beginning of a more florid taste. There is -no triforium. The clerestory windows are of unusual height, as at Leon, -and are filled with very fine glass.</p> - -<p>The aisles are also very lofty. The chapels attached to that on the -north have their vaulting carried up to the height of the aisle, a very -unusual feature. All the windows on this side, with one exception, are -blocked. In the south aisle the vaulting of the lateral chapels is low. -The windows are glazed and contain good glass; and in the first chapel -from the west is a very fine early German <i>retablo</i>.</p> - -<p>The transepts are of one bay only. The south has perhaps the best glass -in a Cathedral which is specially rich in this.</p> - -<p><a name="ASTORGA2" id="ASTORGA2"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_404_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_404_sml.jpg" width="550" height="286" alt="ASTORGA" title="ASTORGA" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">ASTORGA</span> -</p> - -<p>There is much good iron work in the different <i>rejas</i>, and the walnut -<i>silleria</i> in the <i>coro</i> are exceptionally well carved. But the gem of -the Cathedral is undoubtedly the magnificent <i>retablo</i> <a name="page_195" id="page_195"></a>over the High -Altar. Its author, Gaspar Becerra, was a native of Baeza, and studied in -Italy under Michael Angelo. It is his masterpiece, and well merits this -title. Of the fourteen panels, <i>The Disputation</i> and <i>Ascension</i> are the -best. The exterior of this lofty church is much enhanced by its flying -buttresses. The west façade is good Renaissance work, with flanking -towers, only one of which is, however, finished. A flying buttress -connects them with the centre of the façade as at Leon, in fact I could -not help drawing comparison, when I knew them both, between these two -Cathedrals.</p> - -<p>The warm red stone of which this at Astorga is built has weathered most -beautifully, and contrasts with the grey balustrade composed of figures -holding hands—a very quaint device, by the way—which adorns the ridge -above the clerestory. At the south-east corner, instead of the usual -pinnacle, a huge weathercock stands. It is a wooden statue of Pedro -Mato, a celebrated Maragato, in the dress of his tribe.</p> - -<p>La Maragateria is a territory of small extent in the middle of which -Astorga is situated. The inhabitants, the Maragatos, mix with no one. -They live exclusively to themselves, preserve their costume and their -customs, and never marry out of their own clan. The men hire themselves -out as<a name="page_196" id="page_196"></a> carriers, the women stay at home and work. It is supposed that -as they have many Arabic words still in use, they are a remnant of the -Moorish occupation left behind when Christian armies finally swept the -Infidel back into the south. This may be so, for the Moors are past -masters at caravan work, and the Maragatos are the great carriers of -Spain. When on the road their strings of mules take precedence, and -everything clears out of their way. The men dress in loose baggy -knickers and the women attire themselves in short red or canary-coloured -skirts with green or light blue lining, one pleat remains open and shows -either of these colours. They wear white stockings, black shoes, and -very gaily-coloured handkerchiefs cover their heads. On a Sunday they -swarm into the town, going off in the evening at sundown to their -different villages in picturesque chattering throngs. Twice a year the -whole tribe assembles at the feasts of Corpus Christi and the Ascension, -when they dance for an hour, el Cañizo, a dance which if an outsider -dare join in is immediately stopped.</p> - -<p>I had heard a great deal of the dignity of the Spaniard, before I went -to Spain, and had failed to find that this reputation was at all -justified, except in the case of the <i>Guardia Civil</i>, until I came -across the Maragatos. I found them to be among<a name="page_197" id="page_197"></a> the most self-respecting -and courteous folk that one could meet anywhere; they certainly are -amongst the most interesting of the many distinct tribes that people the -Peninsula.</p> - -<p>Astorga, the Asturia Augusta of the Romans, is described by Pliny as a -"magnificent city." It was once the capital of southern Asturia and was -always an important outpost fortress. As indicative of its strength I -may mention that Astorga bears for arms a branch of oak.</p> - -<p>Like Leon, the importance of its position as a base, both for those who -lived in the mountains to the north and west, as well as for those who -came from the plain, was always appreciated, and was for ever a bone of -contention between the inhabitants of these districts. The Bishopric was -founded in 747 by Alfonso el Catolico, but no man of note has ever been -appointed to the See as far as I could discover. Indeed, Astorga is -another of those old Spanish cities which are passed by in the train, -with the remark—"How nice the old walls look, I do wish we had time to -stop here."</p> - -<p>A saunter round the walls I must own is very disappointing. It is so -evident that but little veneration is felt, or respect shown, for any -antiquities or historical associations. In many places they have been -pulled about for the sake of the building materials they yielded. They -are the<a name="page_198" id="page_198"></a> rubble heaps of Astorga and have fallen into sad decay. One -portion is, however, preserved. In the south corner, where a pretty -little <i>paseo</i> garden affords shade and a pleasant promenade, a splendid -view is obtained "over the hills and far away." Here, at any rate, -restoration has been undertaken for the sake of the common ground where -men and women walk, as custom dictates, every evening.</p> - -<p>At the spot where the Cathedral stands a great deal of demolition has -taken place, and even to-day the huge new château-like palace of the -bishop, now in process of erection, closes in a fine space and detracts -from the little antiquity which is left in this corner of Astorga. Such -is modern taste in Spain. Besides its walls, Astorga is celebrated for -its <i>mantecadas</i>, small square sponge-cakes, neatly folded in pieces of -greased paper, which find their way all over this part of the country; -but the farther off you find them the less do they resemble the -originals, and these are very good.<a name="page_199" id="page_199"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="ZAMORA" id="ZAMORA"></a>ZAMORA</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">T</span>RAVELLING through the great plain of Leon by train is apt to become -intensely monotonous, especially when, as in the case of reaching -Zamora, fate decreed that I should sit baking for hours in the slowest -of all, the undesirable <i>mercantilo</i>. Very few villages enlivened the -yellow landscape, which bare of vegetation lay blistering under the -midday sun; those that were visible were all <i>tapia</i> built with unglazed -lights, and seemed to have grown outwards from the little brown-walled -churches in their midst. On rising ground beyond the limits of these -sad-looking hamlets, I could see the dwellings of the poorest of the -poor. Dug out of the bank-sides, they resemble rabbit holes more than -anything else. A door gives light, ventilation and access to the -interior, a tiny chimney sticking out of the ground above carries off -the extra fumes of smoke. Life inside must be nearer that of the beasts -than that of any other race in Europe; and as the slow <i>mercantilo</i> -crawled along I had plenty of time to note the stunted growth and -wearied mien of those whose day of toil ends in these burrows<a name="page_200" id="page_200"></a> under the -earth. In many places, the year's vintage is stored in these -subterranean holes. At last the train crept into the station and I read -the name of my destination on its wall.</p> - -<p>Zamora adds another to the list of those very interesting old cities of -Spain which still have a remnant of their ancient walls left standing. -Known at one time as Ocellum Duri, "The eye of the Douro," from its -strategical position on that barrier river, it still bears many traces -of a glorious past. Of old, an outpost for defence against the Infidel -of the south, with its natural barrier, Zamora nevertheless changed -hands many times. The veracious chronicler records how in 939 Ramiro II. -came to the city's relief and slew forty thousand Moors—their whole -force, in fact, to a man!—only to be revenged a few years later by the -all-conquering Almanzor.</p> - -<p>Ferdinand I. in 1065 rebuilt the defences which this redoubtable warrior -had levelled and presented the city to his daughter Urraca, whose son, -Alfonso VI., was the first King of united Leon and Castile. Zamora -figures, too, in the Cid's meteoric life. He appointed Geronimo, his -confessor, who lies buried in Salamanca, to the Bishopric, and when -Sancho besieged the place, it being then held by Urraca, the defence was -so excellent that "no se tomó Zamora en una hora" (Zamora was not taken -in<a name="page_201" id="page_201"></a> one hour) became a proverb. It was at this siege that five Moorish -sheiks brought the Cid tribute and saluted him as "Campeador."</p> - -<p>There are more tangible remains of the quaint old city's importance to -be found in its Cathedral and streets than its proverbs and anecdotes. -Here is the house of Urraca, with an almost obliterated inscription over -the gateway—"Afuera! Afuera! Rodrigo el soberbio Castellano"—culled -from the ballad of the Cid, and referring to his exclusion from the -place.</p> - -<p>In the church of San Pedro y Ildefonso are a couple of fine bronze-gilt -shrines containing the remains of SS. Ildefonso and Atilano. The -Romanesque church of the Templars, La Magdalena, dates from the twelfth -century. Its rose window is formed with small columns like the Temple -Church in London; and within are some beautiful tombs.</p> - -<p>The Hospital is a good building with an overhanging porch, very -effectively coloured and having the appearance of glazed tiles. Many old -houses of the nobility now slumber tranquilly in slow decay, and Zamora, -like so many other Spanish towns of its class, seems left behind in the -modern hurry of life; and this is one of its greatest charms, the charm -that is so typical of old Spain.<a name="page_202" id="page_202"></a></p> - -<p>The Cathedral abuts on to the city wall and is almost surrounded by a -bare piece of ground, where the remains of dismantled fortifications -give a deserted and forlorn air to the very unecclesiastical aspect of -the exterior. I made a sketch among these ruins and could not help -feeling the result looked more like an Eastern farm enclosure than a -really fine Cathedral. There was the huge unfinished square tower, baked -a brilliant yellow, the <i>cimborio</i> and dome, with its eight curious -little domes, all roofed in cement, and a copy of, if not contemporary -with, the same in the old Cathedral of Salamanca; the low mud walls and -almost flat roofs; a party of peasants in a sort of nomad encampment, -innumerable fowls pecking at the dust—what more could you have to -remind one of the East. The sun was broiling, and nothing disturbed this -"bit" of the Spain of long ago.</p> - -<p>The exterior of the Cathedral has been much marred by the poor -Renaissance north façade, not visible in my drawing, and a tower with a -slate roof. The south porch is, however, intact, and from it, for the -building stands high above the Douro, the view must have been grand -before the Bishop's Palace was built and obliterated the whole prospect. -A dozen steps, narrowing as they approach the portal, lead up to the -door which is surrounded by four good round arches with scroll mouldings -<a name="page_203" id="page_203"></a>of simple design. Inside this I found myself in the south transept.</p> - -<p><a name="ZAMORA_THE_CATHEDRAL" id="ZAMORA_THE_CATHEDRAL"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_416_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_416_sml.jpg" width="550" height="378" alt="ZAMORA. THE CATHEDRAL" title="ZAMORA. THE CATHEDRAL" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">ZAMORA. THE CATHEDRAL</span> -</p> - -<p>The interior, with the exception of that portion east of the crossing, -which is poor Renaissance with perpendicular vaulting, is exceedingly -massive. The nave is but twenty-five feet in width, the columns which -support the bays are ten feet through; the aisles are very narrow, but -so good are the proportions of all these that this miniature Cathedral -is one of the finest Romanesque churches in the country.</p> - -<p>The <i>cimborio</i> is round in plan with sixteen windows from which the ribs -of the vaulting spring. Unfortunately the columns have been decorated -with a spiral pattern of a chocolate colour, quite destroying the beauty -and simple grandeur of a feature which for simplicity ranks next to that -of the Catedral Vieja at Salamanca.</p> - -<p>In the Capilla del Cardenal at the west end of the nave is a very fine -<i>retablo</i> divided into six panels painted by Gallegos, whose signature -is on the central one. I was examining this one morning when an old -priest passed through into the adjoining sacristy. He stopped and -explained the subjects to me, taking particular interest in this when he -learnt I was a painter and what my mission to Zamora was. I cannot -forget his courtesy and pride while showing me some of the<a name="page_204" id="page_204"></a> treasures -the Cathedral possesses, and shared his regret that the wonderful -tapestries were only on view at certain festivals. In this chapel are -some good tombs of the great Romero family, others too of interest are -in the Capilla de San Miguel, and the finest of all that of Canon Juan -de Grado has the genealogy of the Virgin sculptured above the effigy of -the Canon. I was very grateful for the seats which here are available -for a rest and quiet examination of the church. In Burgos is the only -other Cathedral where it is possible to sit and gaze.<a name="page_205" id="page_205"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="LEON" id="LEON"></a>LEON</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">S</span>ITUATED on the edge of the great plain which stretches away south to -the Sierra de Gredos and beyond to Toledo, Leon served as a sort of -buffer town between the Highlanders of the north and the dwellers on the -Castilian uplands.</p> - -<p>The headquarters of the seventh Roman Legion, from which the name is -derived, it may be described as a great fortress of bygone days. -Astorga, some thirty miles westwards, being an outpost in that direction -no doubt helped to preserve Leon from the ravages of the Galician -Visigoths.</p> - -<p>The Romans held their fortress for five hundred years until Leovigild in -586 captured it after a long and strenuous siege. So highly was the -position and strength of these two towns appreciated, that when Witiza, -the King of the Goths, issued a decree levelling all defensive works to -the ground, they were exempted and their fortifications preserved.</p> - -<p>The Moors held Leon for a very short spell, and then only as a defence -against northern invasion. When Ordoño I. descended from his mountain -fastnesses and drove them out, Leon changed front<a name="page_206" id="page_206"></a> with its new -occupants, and became a stronghold to be held at all costs against -invaders from the south.</p> - -<p>The great Almanzor, in his victorious march north with the soldiery of -Cordova, swept away all opposition and this buffer town was sacked. -However, after his defeat at Calatanavor and subsequent death, the -banner of Christ was once more unfurled to the breeze from what little -was left of its walls.</p> - -<p>These were almost entirely rebuilt of <i>tapia</i> and cob-stones by Alfonso -V., since whose time they have remained or slowly fallen away.</p> - -<p>Leon stands in a verdant pasture valley intersected by many streams and -shady roads lined with tall poplars. The fields on either side are -divided from one another by hedges and willow trees, thick scrub follows -the streams and grows down to the water edge, and walking in these -pleasant places it was not difficult to imagine myself back in England. -The city itself is really little better than a big village, and -considering the important part it has played in the history Spain, seems -sadly neglected and left out in the cold. This, too, despite the fact -that it is an important junction and railway centre. There are no -buildings of any present importance, and those that once could lay claim -to this are in a state of decay. It is only on Sundays and market days, -when the peasants in picturesque costume and<a name="page_207" id="page_207"></a> gay colours come in, that -Leon can boast of the smallest animation. I remember one Sabbath evening -as I stood on my balcony, that vantage ground from which one sees all -the life of the place pass by in the street below, watching the folk -parade up and down. A military band discoursed "brassy" music, the crowd -was packed as tight as sardines in a tin, when suddenly the "toot, toot" -of a motor horn was heard above the clash of cymbals and boom of the -drum. A large car came down a by-street opposite, turned sharply and -charged the crowd. The Spaniard is of an excitable temperament, loud -cries of disapproval, and screams from the gentler sex drowned all else. -The chauffeur discovered his mistake none too soon and attempted to turn -the car. At this the uproar grew louder and he brought it to a -standstill. Youths climbed the steps, boys hung on behind, "Toot, toot" -went the horn; the bandmaster, with an eye to the situation, waved his -<i>bâton</i> more energetically than ever, the big drum boomed, the trombones -blurted out for all they were worth, but the hooting and whistling -drowned everything.</p> - -<p>At last the car began to back and became disengaged, the chauffeur -adroitly turned, and started down the street followed by the noisier -elements of the crowd eventually pulling up at a café, just out of the -parade zone. In Leon as<a name="page_208" id="page_208"></a> elsewhere, fashion dictates a limit to the walk -in either direction and the chauffeur had stopped beyond this. The two -occupants of the car got out in a very unconcerned manner, sat down at a -table and ordered a drink. For at least a quarter of an hour, while -these two were taking their coffee, the crowd stood round booing, -whistling and shouting. I do not think I have ever seen anything cooler -than the way in which, their thirst satisfied, and the account settled, -they got up and walked slowly after the car which long ago had -disappeared out of danger.</p> - -<p>By this time, despite the presence of a couple of the <i>Guardia Civil</i>, -the crowd was excited. A cart full of peasant folk next essayed the -perils of the thoroughfare, they however got through safely after much -badinage and fun. No sooner had they gone, the band meantime had -vanished, when out from a wine shop came some peasants with castanets a -little light-headed for once. There were four of them, two men and two -women. They immediately began a dance on the pavement. A ring was formed -and a storm of hand-clapping encouraged them, for ten minutes they -footed it admirably. More castanets appeared from somewhere and soon -half Leon was dancing in the middle of the Calle. The feeble-looking -policemen, who had been terribly worried over the motor-car incident, -thrust <a name="page_209" id="page_209"></a>out their chests, or tried to, and beamed all over. The scene had -changed from what had first looked very much like an ugly row, to one of -pure enjoyment, they were safe, every one else was out of danger, and -Leon too was saved.</p> - -<p><a name="LEON_THE_CATHEDRAL" id="LEON_THE_CATHEDRAL"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_426_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_426_sml.jpg" width="367" height="550" alt="LEON. THE CATHEDRAL" title="LEON. THE CATHEDRAL" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">LEON. THE CATHEDRAL</span> -</p> - -<p>The night I arrived in Leon, having finished dinner, I left the hotel -and taking the first turn hap-hazard wandered up the street. The -electric lights were soon behind me and I found myself in what seemed to -be a huge deserted square. The dark night was lit by milliards of -twinkling stars, and gazing upwards at them my eye followed the line of -what appeared to be immensely tall poplar trees. I looked again, I had -never seen trees that colour, then it slowly dawned on me that I was in -front of the great Cathedral. Slowly, slowly as my eye became accustomed -to the dark I made out tapering spires that met the very stars -themselves embedded in the purple-blue sky, an infinitude of pinnacles, -with a wonderful building beneath. The mystery of a beautiful night -conjures up all that is best in this country. Squalor and dirt are -hidden; one's thoughts take flight and wander back to the Spain of old, -the glorious Spain of bygone days. At moments like this I certainly -would never have been surprised to hear the clatter of hoofs and see a -band of knights with pennons flying and armour glinting appear suddenly -in the semi-darkness.<a name="page_210" id="page_210"></a> Well, the days of chivalry have gone but the -romance of a starry night will never die.</p> - -<p>The next morning I returned eager to discover what my impressions would -unfold. Much to my delight I found the restoration of the Cathedral, -which I knew was in progress, so far finished that not a single scaffold -pole, nor any rubbish heaps of old stones were anywhere to be seen. -Extremely well have the designs of Señor Don Juan Madrazo been carried -out, and the Cathedral to-day stands a magnificent church and grand -monument of Christianity.</p> - -<p>Santa Maria de Regla is the third Cathedral which has existed in Leon. -The site of the first is supposed to have been outside the city walls. -The second was built where once stood the Palace of Ordoño II., and this -had been raised on ground occupied by Roman baths.</p> - -<p>The present edifice was founded in 1190 by Bishop Manrique de Lara, a -scion of a great family which was always in revolt, but was not -completed until the early part of the fourteenth century.</p> - -<p>With Toledo and Burgos, Leon's Cathedral forms the group of three great -churches that are distinctly French, and closely resemble Amiens and -Rheims. It would be difficult to find another building the interior of -which exceeded the colour elegance and grace of this airy structure.<a name="page_211" id="page_211"></a></p> - -<p><a name="LEON_THE_WEST_PORCH_OF_THE_CATHEDRAL" id="LEON_THE_WEST_PORCH_OF_THE_CATHEDRAL"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_432_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_432_sml.jpg" width="391" height="550" alt="LEON. THE WEST PORCH OF THE CATHEDRAL" title="LEON. THE WEST PORCH OF THE CATHEDRAL" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">LEON. THE WEST PORCH OF THE CATHEDRAL</span> -</p> - -<p>The west porch is the finest Gothic specimen of its kind which exists in -Spain and recalls those of Notre Dame de Paris and the Cathedral at -Chartres. Three archways are supported by cloistered columns to which -are attached figures under beautiful canopies. The archivolts and -tympanum are covered with sculpture representing the Reward of the Just -and Unjust, the Nativity, Adoration, Flight in Egypt, and Massacre of -the Innocents. All are extremely interesting, many of the figures being -in contemporary costume. Two grand towers flank the west façade, of -which the north is the older and some thirty feet less in height than -its neighbour. Both are surmounted by spires, that of the south being an -excellent example of open filigree work, rivalling those at Burgos and -very much better than that of Oviedo.</p> - -<p>Between these towers and above the porch is a pediment with spires and a -glorious wheel window, underneath which is a row of windows that -corresponds to the triforium. This portion is part of the late -restoration.</p> - -<p>The south porch also has three arches, which have been well renovated. -The centre one alone has a door to admit into the interior, it is double -and surrounded by figures in the archivolt with reliefs in the tympanum. -On the centre column is<a name="page_212" id="page_212"></a> a figure of San Froilan, at one time Bishop of -Leon.</p> - -<p>A beautiful balustrade follows the sky-line of the whole Cathedral. This -is broken by many pinnacles, some of which are spiral, with others on -the façades and finishing the supports of the flying buttresses, give -the exterior a resemblance to a forest of small spires.</p> - -<p>The interior is a marvel of beauty and lightness. The nave and aisles -consist of six bays, no lateral chapels disfigure the latter with -chirrigueresque atrocities. The triforium runs round the whole -Cathedral. So cleverly has the spacing here been arranged, that with the -clerestory it makes one magnificent panel of gorgeous light. The windows -of this, forty feet high, were at one time blocked up for safety. They -now contain stained glass, and soar upwards to the vaulting of the roof. -Every window in the Cathedral is coloured and the effect as the sun -streams through can well be imagined.</p> - -<p>No flamboyant <i>retablo</i> spoils the simplicity of the east end, the place -of what might have been a jarring note amidst the Gothic work being -taken by good paintings in flat gilded frames. It was Señor Madrazo's -idea to remove the <i>coro</i> from the centre of the nave, and had this been -done Santa Maria de Regla would have gained immensely.<a name="page_213" id="page_213"></a> The carved -stalls are good, and the <i>trascoro</i> sculptured in white marble, which -age has toned, and picked out in gold, is decidedly a fine work.</p> - -<p>Among the chapels in the apse that of La Nuestra Señora del Dado -contains a miraculous Virgin and Child. Tradition tells that a gambler -who had lost heavily threw his dice at her and smote her on the nose. -This forthwith bled copiously, hence the miracle and the name of "Dado" -or "die." Another chapel contains the tomb of a great benefactress of -the Cathedral, the Condesa Sancha. An expectant nephew, seeing her -property slowly dwindling in the cause of the Faith, put an end to his -aunt, and thereby met his own death by being pulled asunder by horses to -which he was tied.</p> - -<p>However, the chapels are not very interesting, but the tombs in the -Cathedral are. Of all these that of Ordoño II., behind the chancel, is -certainly the finest. The king lies at full length with a herald at his -head and a monk at his feet holding a scroll inscribed "aspice." He -wears his crown and carries the royal emblems. This tomb was erected -five hundred years after the king's death, and is guarded by a quaint -iron grille.</p> - -<p>The cloisters, entered from a door in the north transept, are a jumble -of Gothic and Renaissance, with a Romanesque arcade and a good deal of<a name="page_214" id="page_214"></a> -plateresque work as well. Some of the earliest frescoes in Spain are -fast disappearing from the walls. They illustrate events in the Life of -Christ, and are in an early Italian style that places their origin in -doubt. From the western spires to the angular exterior of the chevet, a -good idea is obtained of the beauty of the Cathedral as one stands in -these cloisters, and when they, too, are restored the great work begun -in 1860 will be finished.</p> - -<p>Next to the Cathedral, and perhaps in a way more interesting, is the -convent of San Isidoro el Real. This, the Escorial of Leon and Castile, -is a building which Soult's soldiers desecrated in a most abominable -manner; next to the lower or Roman portion of the city walls it is the -most ancient building in Leon. The body of San Isidoro was brought -hither in the reign of Ferdinand I. who obtained it from the Emir of -Seville, and the present church was erected to receive it. This was in -1063, the original convent being a hundred years older. San Isidoro was -declared by the Council of Toledo to be the Egregious Doctor of Spain, -and in his capacity of titular saint fought with cross and sword at the -battle of Baeza against the Moors.</p> - -<p>The church is Romanesque and dark with a lofty clerestory but no -triforium. The High Altar shares with that at Lugo in Galicia the -privilege of having the host always <i>manifestado</i>.<a name="page_215" id="page_215"></a></p> - -<p><a name="LEON_SAN_MARCOS" id="LEON_SAN_MARCOS"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_440_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_440_sml.jpg" width="385" height="550" alt="LEON. SAN MARCOS" title="LEON. SAN MARCOS" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">LEON. SAN MARCOS</span> -</p> - -<p>In the Panteon, a small low chapel at the west end, lie buried the Kings -and Queens and other royalties of Leon. The columns are very massive -with heavy capitals; the ceiling is adorned with early frescoes which -happily escaped the depredations of the French, they are crude, but the -colour adds to the impressiveness of this gloomy abode of the Dead. -Representing scenes from the Lives of our Lord and His Apostles, with -signs of the Zodiac and months of the year, they date from 1180. The -whole convent is replete with mural paintings, and before Soult sacked -it contained many extremely interesting and rare missals of the seventh -and eighth centuries.</p> - -<p>Unique is another convent, that of San Marcos, which stands on the river -bank outside the city on the road to Astorga. Founded as a chapel in -1168 for the knights of Santiago, it was rebuilt in 1514-49 by Juan de -Badajos, and is certainly his masterpiece. It would be difficult to find -a façade of greater beauty than this marvel of plateresque work. The -remarkable pink and golden colour of the stone, intensified against the -background of a deep blue sky, the delicacy of the carving in which -angels and cherubs, griffons and monsters intermingle with floral -wreaths and branches of fruit in orderly confusion, the elegant pillars -and pilasters, all so truly Spanish under the blazing sun,<a name="page_216" id="page_216"></a> fascinated -me immensely as time after time I returned to wonder and admire.</p> - -<p>Here again I could conjure up the past, the romance of Spain's greatest -Order; well housed were those knights of old in their glorious Hospice, -and now—the river still runs under the walls of what afterwards became -a convent, its banks are lined with tall poplars, far away rise the -mountains of the north in rugged outline just as they did of yore—and -San Marcos? Alas! half is a museum and the rest a barrack. A forlorn air -pervades the place, the old garden wants tending, and despite the life -of the military, I could not help sighing once again, as I have so often -sighed in Spain—"How are the mighty fallen!"<a name="page_217" id="page_217"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="OVIEDO" id="OVIEDO"></a>OVIEDO</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">O</span>VIEDO, seldom visited by the foreigner, lies well situated on rising -ground in a fine open valley. Grand mountains surround and hem it in on -the east, south and west, to the north the country undulates until it -reaches the Biscay coast twenty odd miles away. These natural barriers -gather the clouds and the climate is humid; on an average there are but -sixty cloudless days in the year. While I was in Oviedo it rained almost -incessantly, and the "clang of the wooden shoon" kept the streets lively -with a clattering "click-clack." All the poorer classes wear sabots in -wet weather, sabots that are pegged on the soles, difficult to walk in, -but kept well out of the mud and puddles by these pegs. This particular -make is common to Asturias, just as the ordinary French shape is to -Galicia.</p> - -<p>Oviedo is one of Spain's university cities, and I happened to strike the -week when the festivities in celebration of its tercentenary were in -progress. Wet weather and pouring rain never damp the ardour of the -Spaniard during a <i>fiesta</i>, and despite<a name="page_218" id="page_218"></a> the rain, powder was kept dry -somehow or other, and enthusiasm vented itself regularly up to eleven -o'clock every night by terrific explosions. Functions of some sort -seemed to be going on all day long. Societies from the country paraded -the streets, led by music, in most cases bagpipes and a drum, and Oviedo -was evidently "doing itself proud."</p> - -<p>I happened on a ceremony in the Cathedral one morning. The bishop was -preaching to an immense crowd when I entered. Seated in the nave were -the Professors of the University, Doctors of Law and Medicine, the -Military Governor and his Staff, the Alcalde and Town Councillors, -besides representatives from the universities of every European country, -except, strangely enough, Germany, and one from Harvard, the first to -attend a function of this sort since the war. It was a really wonderful -sight, for the Cathedral is not marred by a <i>coro</i> in the nave. The hues -of the many-coloured robes, from canary yellow and scarlet to cerulean -blue and black, the vast throng literally filling every available bit of -space, even on to the pulpit steps, gave me a subject for my brush, and -I surreptitiously made a hasty sketch, to be finished afterwards in my -room.</p> - -<p><a name="OVIEDO_IN_THE_CATHEDRAL" id="OVIEDO_IN_THE_CATHEDRAL"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_448_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_448_sml.jpg" width="375" height="550" alt="OVIEDO. IN THE CATHEDRAL" title="OVIEDO. IN THE CATHEDRAL" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">OVIEDO. IN THE CATHEDRAL</span> -</p> - -<p>The Cathedral was founded by Fruela in 781, and enlarged in 802 by -Alfonso the Chaste, who <a name="page_219" id="page_219"></a>made Oviedo the capital of Asturias, and with -his Court resided here. He created the See in 810. The present edifice -was begun by Bishop Gutierrez of Toledo in 1388, and the tower added by -Cardinal Mendoza in 1528.</p> - -<p>Hedged in, although fronting on to a little <i>plaza</i>, the grand west -façade with its beautiful porch can hardly be said to be visible. This -lofty portico of richly ornamented Gothic, under the shelter of which -the gossips parade to and fro, leads into the Cathedral and stands -thrust out and between the two towers. Only one of these towers is -completed, and it is surmounted by a good open-work spire the top of -which rises two hundred and seventy feet from the ground.</p> - -<p>I wandered about hopelessly trying to gain some idea of the exterior of -the Cathedral and found that it was only by walking outside the city -that anything at all can be seen of it, and then the towers and roof of -the nave, with the flying buttresses attached, were the only features -that came into view.</p> - -<p>The entrance by the south door leads through a dark passage, in which -many votive offerings hang over a tiny shrine where burnt a little -flickering lamp; going in I found myself at the spot from which I had -made my sketch the previous day. What a relief it was to find no <i>coro</i> -blocking up<a name="page_220" id="page_220"></a> the nave! The eye could wander over the whole of this lofty -interior—could follow the beautiful open work of the triforium and rest -on the stained glass of the clerestory windows. The aisles are very -shadowy, all the light being concentrated in the nave and the crossing, -and the vision, with a great sense of good effect, is led up to the -white tabernacle on the High Altar and the immense <i>retablo</i> beyond. A -little theatrical if you like, but it is business, and the Church -understands this so well.</p> - -<p>Among the chapels, good, bad and indifferent, is one containing a -gorgeous silver-gilt shrine wherein rests the body of Santa Eulalia, -Oviedo's patroness. In another, tucked away behind the north transept, -the Capilla del Rey Casto, lies buried Alfonso the Chaste who did so -much for the city. Six niches in the walls contain stone coffins, which -are supposed to hold the remains of Fruela I., Urraca, wife of Ramiro -I., Alfonso el Católico, Ramiro, and Ordoño I. The bodies of these -royalties at one time lay here, and a modern inscription on a mural -tablet relates how they were removed, but not how their tombs were -destroyed. Many other kings and princes we are told by this tablet also -lie here, and as there are but half a dozen coffins their bones must be -<i>bien mélange</i>.</p> - -<p>There are the usual overdone chirrigueresque altars which do their best -to mar this imposing<a name="page_221" id="page_221"></a> church, though I am glad to say they hardly -succeed. From them, however, it was a relief to be taken by a very -intelligent verger up the winding stairs which led to the Cámara Santa.</p> - -<p>This is by far the most interesting portion of the Cathedral. Built by -Alfonso in 802 to hold the sacred relics brought hither from Toledo at -the time of the Moorish invasion, it stands above a vaulted basement; -the reason for this arrangement evidently being the damp climate, and -the wish to keep so holy a charge free from moisture. The chapel is -divided into two parts. The inner, of very small dimensions, has a low -barrel vaulting borne by arches with primitive twelfth-century figures. -The <i>sanctum sanctorum</i> is slightly raised, and from this inmost Holy of -Holies the relics are shown to the devout who kneel in front of a low -railing every day at 8.30 <small>A.M.</small> and 3.30 <small>P.M.</small> The cedar wood <i>arca</i> in -which they are kept is of Byzantine workmanship. The relics include some -of Mary Magdalene's hair, and crumbs left over from the feeding of the -five thousand.</p> - -<p>The outer chamber of the chapel has a finely-groined roof, attached to -the columns supporting which are statues of the twelve apostles. The -richly-tesselated pavement resembles the Norman-Byzantine work of -Sicily, and was not uncommon in Spain prior to the thirteenth century.<a name="page_222" id="page_222"></a></p> - -<p>A bell tower, in which at one time hung "Wamba," the great bell of the -church cast in 1219, stands partly on the roof and at the south-east -corner of the Cámara Santa. It was erected by Alfonso VI., and to judge -by its present state will not long survive, most decidedly "Wamba" could -not swing there now.</p> - -<p>The Cathedral possesses three remarkable crosses, La Cruz de los -Angeles, Maltese in shape, is studded with uncut gems. It dates from -808, and like the cross at Santiago is 1200 years old. La Cruz de la -Victoria, the cross of Pelayo, is encased in beautiful filigree work, -and is the identical one borne aloft before Pelayo at his glorious -victory over the Moor at the Cave of Covadonga. The third is a crucifix -on an ivory diptych, absolutely identical with the Cristo de las -Batallas of the Cid at Salamanca. Many other relics of great -archæological interest belong to the Cathedral, and make it well worth -the journey to see. This journey from Leon is long and trying, but the -line, which climbs to an altitude of 4110 feet, is one of the finest -pieces of engineering skill in Spain.</p> - -<p><a name="OVIEDO_THE_CLOISTERS" id="OVIEDO_THE_CLOISTERS"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_456_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_456_sml.jpg" width="550" height="392" alt="OVIEDO. THE CLOISTERS" title="OVIEDO. THE CLOISTERS" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">OVIEDO. THE CLOISTERS</span> -</p> - -<p>The dark entry of the south door leads not only into the Cathedral and -up to the Cámara Santa, but also through a side door opens on to the -fourteenth-century cloisters. They are well kept and the little garden -court a paradise in comparison with <a name="page_223" id="page_223"></a>some of those I know. The capitals -of the columns are well carved with prophets and saints under canopies, -angels and angels' heads, grotesques and good floral cutting; while into -the walls beneath them and round the arcades are let many tombs and -gravestones brought here from different ruined or desecrated churches.</p> - -<p>I went off one morning to see the earliest Christian church in the -country. Braving the rain I tramped through mud ankle-deep for an hour -up the hill slopes westward. It was a case of two steps forward and one -back, but the spirit of the tourist was on me. I could not leave Oviedo -and acknowledge I had not been to Naranco. I was desperate and I got -there. What a charming out-of-the-way spot it is! Hidden behind a grove -of ancient chestnut trees, under the brow of the mountain, stands Santa -Maria.</p> - -<p>A triple arched porch at the top of a dozen steps gives entrance on the -north side to this minute and primitive place of worship. I entered and -found myself in a barrel-vaulted parallelogram, with a curious arcade -running round the walls. The west end is raised three steps above the -nave, from which it is cut off by three arches ten feet high at the -centre. The east end also has this feature, but the floor is level with -the nave. All the columns in the church are of twisted cable design<a name="page_224" id="page_224"></a> -with shield capitals containing figures in low relief. The arcades, -which are walled up, have depending from the plain groining bands slabs -of cut stone with plaques below, something like a ribbon and medal in -the way they hang. The interior is but thirty-five feet in length and -fifteen feet across.</p> - -<p>Beneath the church is a semicircular stone crypt, similar to that -beneath the Cámara Santa; it is entered from the cottage in which at one -time lived the officiating priest. The caretaker inhabits this cottage, -which is built on to the church, and I had come at her dinner hour. -Alas! she could not leave me in peace, and I must own to a defeat. I was -practically driven away, for the meal was spoiling and required her -undivided attention, but I had seen Santa Maria de Naranco; I had -grasped how in the early days, when the Infidel was overrunning the -land, this little building on the lone hillside was a centre of the -Faith, and how from the surrounding mountain fastnesses worshippers had -gathered here and gone away strengthened by prayer, and how from this -little seed of the Church sown on the forest-clad hill Spain's -mightiness had grown.<a name="page_225" id="page_225"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="VALLADOLID" id="VALLADOLID"></a>VALLADOLID</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">F</span>OR nearly one hundred and fifty years, from the reign of Juan II., -1454, to Philip II., 1598, Valladolid was a royal city and the capital -of Castile. It lies on the plain through which the river Pisuerga -meanders, just touching the outskirts of the city on the western side. -In the Moorish days Valladolid was known as Belad al Wali, "The Town of -the Governor," and flourished as a great agricultural centre. It is -still the focus of the corn trade of Old Castile. It was here that -Prince Ferdinand, despite attempts on the part of his father Juan II. to -frustrate it, was introduced to Isabella the reigning Queen of Castile -and Leon. Many suitors had proposed themselves and paid their addresses -to this paragon among women, but possessing a will of her own she made -her choice and selected the Prince whom she married on October 19, 1469.</p> - -<p>Valladolid suffered more severely at the hands of the French than any -other city of Spain. They demolished most of the good houses and -despoiled the churches; among those that are left, however,<a name="page_226" id="page_226"></a> I found -plenty to interest me and to make a stay, after I had discovered them, -well worth the while.</p> - -<p>I made a sketch of Santa Maria la Antigua, which is the most interesting -edifice in the place. The fine Romanesque tower is surmounted by a tiled -steeple which recalls Lombardy, and although many additions have been -made to the original fabric the whole building piles up very well, the -early Gothic east end being particularly beautiful. This church dates -from the twelfth century, but the greater part of it is pure Gothic. The -roof is richly groined; there are three parallel apses, and the <i>coro</i> -is at the west end—an always welcome place to find it. The <i>retablo</i> by -Juan de Juni, whose work is scattered throughout the churches of -Valladolid, is fine though over-elaborate.</p> - -<p>Another good church is San Pablo, partly rebuilt by the great Cardinal -Torquemada, whose name will for ever be associated with the terrors of -the Inquisition. I found another subject for my brush in its very -intricate late Gothic west façade. The upper part of this contains the -arms of the Catholic Kings, below which on either side are those of the -Duque de Lerma. The niches are luckily all filled with their original -figures, and the wonderful tracery of the round window is also in good -preservation. The grey finials are weather-worn and contrast well with -the rich yellow and <a name="page_227" id="page_227"></a>pink of the rest of the front, a façade which is -absolutely crammed with intricate design. Two hideous towers of later -date and of the same stone as that with which the Cathedral is built, -flank this and detract unfortunately from one of the best examples of -late Gothic work in the country.</p> - -<p><a name="VALLADOLID_SANTA_MARIA_LA_ANTIGUA" id="VALLADOLID_SANTA_MARIA_LA_ANTIGUA"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_464_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_464_sml.jpg" width="391" height="550" alt="VALLADOLID. SANTA MARIA LA ANTIGUA" title="VALLADOLID. SANTA MARIA LA ANTIGUA" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">VALLADOLID. SANTA MARIA LA ANTIGUA</span> -</p> - -<p>Hard by, up the street pictured in my sketch, stands the Colegiata de -San Gregorio, with an equally fine façade, though being an earlier -Gothic it is more severe in type. The doorway of this is surmounted by a -genealogical tree and the arms of Ferdinand and Isabella. Some of the -figures of rough hairy men with cudgels are very primitive. San Gregorio -was a foundation of Cardinal Ximenes, it is now used as municipal -offices. Passing through the doorway I entered a beautiful little court, -rather dark, but with sufficient light to enable me to appreciate the -good artesonade ceiling of its cloisters. The second court is a blaze of -light. Spiral fluted columns form the cloister, the ceiling of which is -picked out in a cerulean blue and white; they support a recently -restored gallery, a mixture of Moorish, Romanesque and plateresque work, -into which the sheaves and yoke of the Catholic Kings is introduced as -at Granada and Santiago, making a very effective whole. A fine old stone -stairway leads from this court up to what in the old collegiate days was -a library.<a name="page_228" id="page_228"></a></p> - -<p>Of the Cathedral I fear I can write but little. It is a huge gloomy -edifice without a single redeeming feature, and of all those I saw the -most incomplete and disappointing. The exterior north and south walls -are still unfinished, the stone work is not even faced! The east are -built of brick, and the west façade, altered by Chirriguera himself from -the original plan of Herrara, is extremely bald and ugly.</p> - -<p>This enormous building is four hundred feet in length and over two -hundred wide, yet these proportions give it no grandeur. The interior is -absolutely devoid of ornament, and if it were not for the <i>silleria</i> in -the <i>coro</i>, which were originally intended for San Pablo and are good, -there would be nothing to warrant a visit to this cold and depressing -church. By the way, the sacristy contains a silver <i>custodia</i> in the -shape of an open temple, a good example of the work of Juan de Arfe.</p> - -<p>There is a third-rate French air about Valladolid, at least so it struck -me, and it was only after a visit to the old Colegio de Santa Cruz, -wherein is the museum, that my first disappointment wore off and I felt -that I was still in Spain.</p> - -<p><a name="VALLADOLID_SAN_PABLO" id="VALLADOLID_SAN_PABLO"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_470_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_470_sml.jpg" width="393" height="550" alt="VALLADOLID. SAN PABLO" title="VALLADOLID. SAN PABLO" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">VALLADOLID. SAN PABLO</span> -</p> - -<p>The contents of the museum are mostly objects which the French plundered -from the churches and monasteries of Castile, and were recovered after -their disastrous defeat at Vitoria. The styles of Berruguete, <a name="page_229" id="page_229"></a>Hernandez -and Juan de Juni can be examined here at leisure. Some of the life-size -carved wooden figures of the last named, formerly used on the -processional cars which parade the streets at certain festivals, are -remarkable more from the extravagant attitudes of the figures than from -their artistic merit. The custodian who accompanied me was a pleasant -fellow, and evinced surprise that a <i>pintor</i> could not see the beauties -he pointed out. I fear he thought little of my artistic discrimination; -especially when in the Sala de Juntas he invited me to ascend a pulpit -over which hung a large crucifix, and with fervour solicited my -admiration of the face of Christ, on which was a most agonised look, -"cheap" and quite according to academic rules. "No, no, it is bad." -"But, señor, He suffers." I could not make him understand that acute -suffering need not be so painfully apparent.</p> - -<p>In this Sala are placed the whole of the <i>silleria de coro</i> from the -church of San Benito. Arranged on either side of the room they give it a -superb effect. At the far end are the red velvet-covered chairs of -Spanish Chippendale used by the Council of the Academy of Arts at their -meetings. Beyond them, on a raised platform, are the two bronze-gilt -kneeling figures of the Duke and Duchess de Lerma. A few pictures hang -on the walls<a name="page_230" id="page_230"></a> and other treasures and relics help to make this fine Sala -an ideal council chamber for the academicians.</p> - -<p>Of the hundreds of carved figures in other rooms those by Berruguete, -very Greek in type, flat brow and straight nose, are artistically by far -the best, though the "Death of our Lord," a life-size composition by -Hernandez, follows not far behind. Just as Madrid contains the finest -armoury in the world, I doubt if any other museum can compete with -Valladolid's for figures and compositions of carved wood.</p> - -<p>The University holds at present a high rank, most of its professors -being progressive. The building itself is a chirrigueresque concern of -the seventeenth century with a very extravagant façade. It possesses a -good library which is get-at-able, and not like others belonging to the -church which are very difficult of access. À propos of this one of the -professors here told me the following hardly credible experience of a -friend of his, whom I will call A.</p> - -<p>There is a movement at present in Spain to catalogue some at least of -the many thousands of priceless historical Arabic documents and MSS. -which, hidden away in Cathedral and other libraries, would throw -invaluable light on the history of early times if they could be -examined. A. is<a name="page_231" id="page_231"></a> engaged in trying to compile this catalogue, and, -hearing that in a certain Cathedral city—not Valladolid—the Cathedral -library contained some treasures of Arabic lore, procured an -introduction to the bishop, and requested permission to search the -archives of the diocese.</p> - -<p>Explaining that he was unable to help in the matter, the bishop sent A. -to the chapter authorities. The basis of their refusal was that any MS. -if taken down from its shelf might be injured, and if once taken down -might not be replaced in the same position! "Yes, they certainly -possessed many supposed Arabic documents, but as none had been disturbed -in living memory, why take the trouble to make a catalogue? Surely this -would be superfluous, the books were there no doubt, A. could see them -in their shelves, the librarian would be happy to show them, but no, -they could not be taken down."</p> - -<p>In the library of the Escorial the books are all placed with their -titles against the wall and their edges turned towards the spectator, so -that no vulgar touch could defame them by reading. Small wonder that the -Progressists of Spain shrug their shoulders sometimes at the many petty -obstacles encountered in their attempts to better their country, and -regard it as an almost hopeless task.</p> - -<p>Two foreign colleges are situated in Valladolid,<a name="page_232" id="page_232"></a> the Scotch and the -English. The first named was founded by Colonel Semple in Madrid and -removed hither in 1771, the second by Sir Francis Englefield, who came -to Spain after the execution of Mary Queen of Scots. They are both -seminaries for the education of young priests and with the Irish College -in Salamanca complete the trio.</p> - -<p>The focus of the city's life is in the Plaza Mayor, a fine square where -the first <i>auto da fé</i>, which Philip II. and his court witnessed, took -place in October 1559. It was here also that Alvaro de Luna was -executed, after faithfully serving his King, Juan II., for thirty years. -Spain thereby lost the strong will and the arm which enforced it, and -which out of chaos had brought the country into a semblance of order by -quelling the turbulent nobles. Such has been in the past the fickleness -of Spain's rulers that not one of the great men who have served their -country, with perhaps the exception of General Prim, and he died a -disappointed man, has ever ended his life in peace and quiet. They have -nearly all died at the stake, on the scaffold, or been foully murdered.</p> - -<p>The much dilapidated house in a narrow street where Columbus died is -fast falling into ruin, but that in the Calle de Rastro, where Cervantes -lived and wrote the first part of Don Quixote, is in better condition.<a name="page_233" id="page_233"></a></p> - -<h2><a name="BURGOS" id="BURGOS"></a>BURGOS</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="letra">U</span>NLIKE most folk who enter the country from the north, I left Burgos for -the end of my last visit to Spain, and found it in a way not unlike -Cadiz, the first place I arrived at. They are both clean cities—for -Spain; the streets in both are narrow, and the houses tall with -double-glazed balconies. There is but little traffic in either, the -squares in both are numerous, but the resemblance stops at this. The -streets of Burgos run east and west in lines more or less parallel with -the river Arlanzón. They are draughty and cold. The city stands 2785 -feet above sea level and the winds sweep down from the distant sierra in -bitter blasts. The life of Burgos is eminently ecclesiastical with a -large sprinkling of the military element, for here all three branches of -the service are quartered. It is a quiet place and I worked in peace -unmolested.</p> - -<p>What a pity the builders of the great Cathedral could not find another -site whereon to erect their wonderful church. How much better it would -have looked if placed on the flat ground near the<a name="page_234" id="page_234"></a> river than on the -spot where a summer palace of Gonzalez once stood. However, one cannot -move mountains and I was perforce obliged to plant my easel on the slope -of the hill and paint the stock view from in front of the west façade.</p> - -<p>In 1075 Alfonso VI. moved the Archiepiscopal See from Oca to Burgos and -gave the site of the royal palace for its erection. The present edifice -was founded in 1221 by Ferdinand el Santo on the occasion of his -marriage with Beatrice of Swabia, who in her train brought the -Englishman, Bishop Maurice. Employing a French architect, Maurice was -more or less responsible for the present building, though another -foreigner, John of Cologne, added the beautiful open work spires with -their parapets to the towers of the west end. It is curious that this, -the most richly ornate Cathedral in the country, should be the outcome -of patronage of the foreigner, though at the same time it is the most -Spanish of the three "foreign" Cathedrals. So rich is this magnificent -Church in every style of architectural decoration that it would take a -lifetime to know it thoroughly.</p> - -<p>John of Cologne's beautiful spires are better than those at Leon and -Oviedo, and rise with the towers that support them to a height close on -300 ft. The gorgeous central lantern, with its twelve traceried -pinnacles, the grace of those that surmount<a name="page_235" id="page_235"></a> the Constable's Chapel, the -many, many others that break the skyline and adorn this glorious fabric, -all go to make it a building that, despite the different styles -employed, will be a wonder and a joy as long as man's handiwork lasts.</p> - -<p>The lower portion of the west front was renewed in 1790. The Puerta -Principal in the centre is flanked by two small doors, with reliefs of -the Conception and Crowning of the Virgin, while the chief door has four -statues of Ferdinand el Santo, Alfonso VI., and Bishops Oca and Maurice. -Large Gothic windows occupy the third stage of the front, their bases -being filled with statues. The central stage, which has a single arch, -contains a splendid rose window. The upper portion of the two towers is -occupied by very beautiful perforated double windows in which crochet -decoration is profusely used. It is altogether a wonderful façade which -I greatly wished could be seen from the level.</p> - -<p>The chief entrance on the north is closed. It is on the street, and -through it the descent into the north transept is by the well-known -Escalada Dorada. The early Gothic portal—Puerta alta—is adorned by -statues and with the whole of this façade is one of the earliest -portions of the Cathedral. The door, which on this side leads into the -Cathedral, is the Puerta de la Pellejeria and opens on to the<a name="page_236" id="page_236"></a> -north-east angle of the transept below the Golden Staircase.</p> - -<p>On the south the Puerta del Sarmental is approached from the street by -three tiers of steps, it is also part of the original Gothic and is -decorated with statues and coats-of-arms. Above it rises a similar -façade to that of the north transept. The arcading in both these façades -is most beautiful and from some points, where the roof-line can be seen -cutting the sky, they look like two towers surmounted by an elegant -balustrade. Very probably the pitch of the roofs was intended to be -higher, and the building of the central lantern has interfered with the -original design.</p> - -<p>The nave of pure early Gothic is lofty but sadly spoilt by the height of -the <i>coro</i>. The aisles are low, but very beautiful. The <i>cimborio</i> runs -up in double stages with windows in each and balustrades, it is a -perfect maze of intricate design and fine carving. The walls are covered -with the royal arms of Charles V. and the City of Burgos; there are -figures of patriarchs and prophets standing in the niches, seraphim and -angels occupy the recesses of the spandrils, and the beautiful groining -of this superb octagon is quite unmatched anywhere in Spain. It all -looks as if just finished, the stone is white and in perfect -preservation. How my neck used to ache when looking aloft, <a name="page_237" id="page_237"></a>unweaving the -intricacies of that splendid interior! To strengthen the Cathedral and -support the weight of this addition, the original piers were altered at -the crossing, and the huge cylindrical columns, which are richly chased -with Renaissance decoration, substituted. One can hardly say that Juan -de Vallejo has spoilt the church by this octagon, for his work here -would grace any building, but all the same I think the Gothic of the -interior has suffered by the introduction of his designs, and I would -sooner have seen the crossing in its original state.</p> - -<p><a name="BURGOS_THE_CAPILLA_MAYOR" id="BURGOS_THE_CAPILLA_MAYOR"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_482_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_482_sml.jpg" width="355" height="550" alt="BURGOS. THE CAPILLA MAYOR" title="BURGOS. THE CAPILLA MAYOR" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">BURGOS. THE CAPILLA MAYOR</span> -</p> - -<p>The triforium is composed of wide bays with an uneven number of closed -lights in each. A single arch, the mouldings of which are surmounted by -carved heads, spans each group.</p> - -<p>The clerestory contains a little modern glass, most of the old having -been destroyed by a powder explosion in the fort on the hill above.</p> - -<p>In the <i>coro</i> the <i>silleria</i> are exquisitely carved; the main panels -represent subjects from the New Testament, the lower, which are divided -by pilasters with arabesques, represent scenes of martyrdom. Philip -Vigarni, who was responsible for this fine <i>coro</i>, surpassed himself in -some of its decoration, which adds one more item to all that ought to be -thoroughly studied in the great Cathedral.</p> - -<p>On the north side of the High Altar, in front<a name="page_238" id="page_238"></a> or which hangs a -magnificent silver lamp, are the tombs of three of the Infantes of -Castile. Behind this, the <i>trassagrario</i> is covered with well-executed -reliefs in white stone, some of this is very soft and has crumbled away -a good deal. Every morning a deposit of dust is swept up and it will -soon be necessary to thoroughly restore these fine panels or the designs -will be lost for ever. They represent the Agony in the Garden, our Lord -bearing the Cross, the Crucifixion, the Descent, the Resurrection and -the Ascension. The three centre are by Vigarni, and the others by -Alfonso de los Rios.</p> - -<p>Nearly all the chapels are replete with interest, be it architecture, -tombs, pictures or relics, but of them all the Capilla del Condestable -is the grandest. Built in 1487 by John of Cologne for the Hereditary -Constable of Castile, Don Pedro Fernandez de Velasco, it is the private -property of the Duque de Frias. The <i>reja</i>, the masterpiece of Cristobal -Andino, bears date MDXXIII. and is certainly the finest in the -Cathedral. It is a worthy entrance to this magnificent octagon, which, -viewed from outside, rises detached from the main building with eight -elaborate pinnacles pointing heavenwards. The tracery of the pierced -ceiling of the Lantern with its gilded bosses, vies in intricacy with -that of the Cathedral itself. There is a double clerestory with -sculptured knights at<a name="page_239" id="page_239"></a> the bases of the columns holding coloured metal -banners. The undercutting of the mouldings in the arches is very -marvellous, the lowest course is formed of detached figures hanging -downwards and from a little distance off looks like a piece of lacework. -In front of the <i>retablo</i> and High Altar are the superbly sculptured -tombs of the Constable and his wife. He is in full armour, she lies by -his side on a richly embroidered cushion with her little lap-dog -nestling comfortably in the folds of her robe near her feet. The chapel -teems with interest; the wealth of red marble from the quarries of -Atapuerca and the very effective chequer arrangement of black and white -steps leading to the High Altar give it just the note of colour its -whiteness otherwise would lack.</p> - -<p>Attached to the chapel is a small vestry entered through a diminutive -plateresque doorway of exquisite design. Amongst other priceless relics -the vestry contains a fine gold chalice studded with precious stones and -a good Madonna by Luini.</p> - -<p>Another fine picture, a <i>Virgin and Child</i> by Sebastian del Piombo, -hangs over the altar in the Capilla de La Presentacion. In the Capilla -del Santissimo Cristo is a very ancient crucifix of life-sized -proportions. Tradition and the vergers say that it came from the East -and was carved by Nicodemus. The figure is flexible and very<a name="page_240" id="page_240"></a> -attenuated, it is covered with a buff-coloured leather to represent -dried flesh and is very gruesome. In San Juan de Sahagun are six panels -of the fifteenth century; good specimens of the early Spanish school, -they represent the Nativity, Adoration and four scenes from the Passion.</p> - -<p>The great Bishop Alfonso de Cartagena lies interred in the Capilla de -San Enrique, and his tomb is remarkably fine. Others in this chapel and -in the cloisters are cut in slate and have been worked with great -cleverness considering the way in which a blow splinters this material -so easily.</p> - -<p>The Chapel of Santa Ana, unfortunately restored recently, belongs to the -Duque de Abrantes, and contains the best <i>retablo</i> in the Cathedral. On -it are displayed incidents in the Life of Christ which spring from and -are enclosed by the branches of a genealogical tree. It is a quaint idea -very well carried out.</p> - -<p>It is a difficult task to try and give an idea of the contents and -admirable style of all these chapels in the space of a short chapter, -suffice it to say that they are, one and all, worthy pendants to the -rest of the great church, and exemplify in their contents the glorious -age of the ruling bishops and nobility of Old Castile.</p> - -<p>In the south transept is a wonderful low doorway in front of which I had -often stood examining<a name="page_241" id="page_241"></a> the well-carved wooden panels on the doors -themselves. It leads into the cloisters, but it was not until I had -become thoroughly acquainted with the groups representing the Entry into -Jerusalem and the Descent into Hades which grace this portal, that I -passed through. The door dates from the early fifteenth century and -considering the many thousands of times it has swung open and shut is in -most excellent preservation.</p> - -<p>The cloisters are fourteenth-century work and form an upper storey to a -basement cloister of low arches surrounding a courtyard which at the -time of my visit was undergoing extensive repair. In the centre is a -huge cross; the flagstones of the court were all up, and the bones from -many disturbed graves were being thrown into a pit. The beautiful -cloisters proper are filled with modern opaque glass—"Muy frio" -answered the verger to my question, "Por que?"—and no doubt it is in -the winter months. But the charm about a cloister is the vista through -the arches; this Burgos has lost for the sake of the well-being of her -priests; the pity is that funds would not allow of better glass when the -utilitarian aspect demanded the shutting out of the cold winds.</p> - -<p>The sacristy on the east side of the cloisters is a very beautiful early -fifteenth-century room with a fine groined roof, the peculiarity of -which is that<a name="page_242" id="page_242"></a> it has no supporting columns. The half-piers end in -corbels of hunting scenes and I daresay have often recalled to many a -priest days of his early boyhood.</p> - -<p>The Chapter House, with an artesonade ceiling, contains some good -pictures and is reached through the Capilla del Corpus Christi. High up -on the wall of this chapel, and fixed to it with iron clamps, is the -Cofre del Cid, a wooden coffer which the Campeador filled with sand, and -telling the Jews it was full of gold, raised six hundred marks. He -redeemed the pledge later on and paid up the sum he had borrowed. The -tomb of Enrique III.'s head cook, who is lying in armour with a sword, -occupies a space on the floor. He was not a bad-looking man and I -daresay took his turn at the enemy and used his sword when occasion -offered. Street writes of these cloisters—"I know none more interesting -and more varied"—but I left them and the many fine tombs and statues -they contain wishing that priests were not mortal nor liable to chills.<a name="page_243" id="page_243"></a></p> - -<p><a name="BURGOS_ARCH_OF_SANTA_MARIA" id="BURGOS_ARCH_OF_SANTA_MARIA"></a></p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_492_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_492_sml.jpg" width="392" height="550" alt="BURGOS. ARCH OF SANTA MARIA" title="BURGOS. ARCH OF SANTA MARIA" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">BURGOS. ARCH OF SANTA MARIA</span> -</p> - -<p>The capital of Old Castile is a quiet little place and I felt I was in a -northern clime far away from the charm of Andalusia and the south. The -name Burgos is of Iberian origin, "Briga" signifying "a fortified hill." -Founded as long ago as 884 by Diego de Porcelos, it was for many -generations the capital of Castile. At the marriage of Ferdinand I. in -1067 Castile and Leon became one and ten years later the seat of -Government was removed by Alfonso VI. to Toledo. Serious troubles ensued -between the inhabitants of the two cities. Old Castile could not brook -the interference of the great archbishops of New Castile and the loss of -prestige attached to royalty and its court.</p> - -<p>In Charles V.'s reign Burgos joined the Comunéros, the opponents of -centralised government, but was wisely pardoned with other towns by the -King, who held a court in state for this purpose in the Plaza Mayor at -Valladolid. As a result of this forgiveness the inhabitants erected the -fine entrance gateway of Santa Maria of which I made a sketch. Since -that day, except for Wellington's futile sieges, Burgos has slept the -sleep of the just and being an eminently ecclesiastical city will -continue in this happy state.</p> - -<p>Much of interest lies tucked away in the narrow streets. There is the -Casa del Cordon, at one time the palace of the Velasco family, and a -royal residence. Within its walls the Catholic Kings received Columbus -on his return from the New World, and here was signed the incorporation -of Navarre with Castile. This fine example of a town house is flanked by -two square towers, with a rope from which it takes its name carved over -the<a name="page_244" id="page_244"></a> portal. The Casa de Miranda, with a noble courtyard and -well-proportioned fluted columns, near which is the Casa de Angulo a -strong fortress-like building. The façade of the old Collegio de San -Nicolas is replete with fine workmanship and the church of this name -with tombs. The richly-carved stone <i>retablo</i>, illustrating events of -the saint's life, is also a work of real art. Under the wall of the -cemetery stood the house wherein the Cid was born, and in the Castle on -the hill, now a ruin, he was married. The nuptials of Edward I. of -England with Eleanor of Castile were celebrated in this fortress, which -can also claim the birth of Pedro the Cruel.</p> - -<p>For a provincial town Burgos possesses a most interesting museum. Among -the many relics I saw was a bronze altar font with coloured enamels of -saints and a Moorish ivory casket, both from the monastery of San -Domingo de Silos. The fine kneeling figure in alabaster of Juan de -Padilla, who lost his life at an early age during one of the sieges of -Granada, is almost as beautiful as that of the Infante Alfonso in the -Cartuja. Roman and mediæval remains, found at different times and taken -from disestablished convents, added to the interest of a short visit. -There is so much to see in Burgos and its surroundings, and the seeing -of it all is so pleasant, so undisturbed, and so different to the <a name="page_245" id="page_245"></a>south, -where for ever I was annoyed by touting loafers and irrepressible boys, -that when I left it was with feelings of great regret.</p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/ill_496_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/ill_496_sml.jpg" width="550" height="374" alt="" title="" /></a> -</p> - -<p>Across the river, about an hour's walk one morning brought me to the -Convent of Las Huelgas, which is still inhabited by shy nuns. Founded in -1187 by Alfonso VIII. it has always loomed large in the history of -Castile. Many of her kings have kept vigil before the High Altar, when -receiving knighthood, our own Edward I. among them. Many royal pairs -have been wedded within the church, and many sleep their long sleep -within its quiet precincts. The Abbess was mitred, she possessed powers -of life and death, she ranked as a Princess-palatine next to the Queen, -and she was styled "Por la gracia de Dios." Her nuns were, and still -are, daughters of noble houses, and some even of royal birth. In the -chapel of Santiago hangs a copy of the embroidered banner captured at -the great fight of Las Navas de Tolosa, a victory which crippled and -drove out the Infidel from the north. The original hangs in the nun's -choir, a fitting pendant to the splendid tapestries which cover the -walls. I was told of other treasures invisible to the eye of man and -once again wished I could have changed my sex for a short time. Being -mere man, I heard the gate shut as I left the convent with a rather -crestfallen<a name="page_246" id="page_246"></a> feeling, so walked another half-mile on to the Hospital del -Rey.</p> - -<p>Alfonso VIII. built this Hospice for pilgrims <i>en route</i> to Santiago. -But little remains of the original building, though the Renaissance -façade and thirteenth-century doorway, with curious figures of Adam and -Eve, repaid me for my extra trudge and I returned to my hotel with the -imagined slight dissipated and my <i>amour propre</i> restored.</p> - -<p>My last pilgrimage in Spain happened one cold afternoon when I went out -to the Cartuja de Miraflores. The clouds hung low over the hills and the -damp smell of autumn was in the air. The road thither passes through -avenues of great poplars. The leaves had begun to fall and it was wet -under foot. A slight drizzle was imperceptibly saturating everything and -I thought the time of my departure from sunny Spain not ill-chosen. -Despite all this, and the depressing day, I can always recall with -pleasure the road that my companion and I traversed before we passed -under the arch that marks the monastic boundary.</p> - -<p>Beggars accosted us at the door of the monastery, for once I gave them -alms and received a blessing. We passed in, and found ourselves in a -pretty little courtyard filled with dahlias and other autumnal flowers. -The bright colours cheered us a bit, the church lay on our left, we -entered it under a<a name="page_247" id="page_247"></a> Gothic arch. A monk in the stalls was at prayer, he -also kept an observant eye on the two visitors. Our footsteps seemed to -sound intensely loud on the stone pavement, and we spoke in very low -whispers. The cold white-washed walls and this solitary figure droning -out his prayers were depressing.</p> - -<p>We furtively admired the finely-carved stalls, the grand <i>retablo</i> over -the High Altar with its terribly life-like crucifix, all the time with a -feeling on my part of that vigilant eye boring a hole in my back like a -gimlet. We next examined the alabaster tomb the masterpiece of Gil de -Siloe, executed to the order of Isabella the Catholic, which stands in -front of the altar. Juan II. and his wife Isabella of Portugal lie side -by side clothed in their robes of state. At his feet are two Lions, at -hers a Lion and a Dog. I forgot the solitary monk and the gimlet stopped -its work as I became lost in admiration while following the intricacies -of Gil de Siloe's greatest production.</p> - -<p>At the eight corners of this magnificent tomb, most undoubtedly the -finest I have ever seen, and by some considered unsurpassed in Europe, -sixteen lions support the royal arms, above them along the cornice -beautiful little statuettes stand under canopies which are a marvel of -delicate tracery. The embroidery on the robes of the royal pair is -exquisite and the imitation of the lace work unsurpassed.<a name="page_248" id="page_248"></a></p> - -<p>For a long time we stood discussing and admiring the marvellous -cleverness of the designer of a monument which is worthy of the great -and pious woman who erected it to the memory of her parents.</p> - -<p>Hard by in the west wall of the church is the tomb of the Infante -Alfonso, whose death at the early age of sixteen left the accession -vacant for Isabella and so changed the history of Castile. It is -likewise a wonderful piece of work by the same skilful hand. The young -Prince kneels alone in an attitude of prayer which gains dignity from -the half-shadow thrown by the recess in which the monument is placed. -The arch above is decorated with a twining vine, while men-at-arms -support the tomb.</p> - -<p>We turned from the contemplation of these two memorials and the monotone -of the old monk's prayer filled the church. I think we both shared a -feeling of relief when we found ourselves once more outside under the -grey sky, though I shall ever remember the impression of that aisleless -church with its magnificent tombs, that white robed monk with his -droning voice, the chill of the autumn air and those long lines of -stately poplars under which I passed in my last pilgrimage in Spain.<a name="page_249" id="page_249"></a></p> - -<h2 class="c"><a name="INDEX" id="INDEX"></a>INDEX</h2> - -<p class="cb"><a href="#A">A</a>, -<a href="#B">B</a>, -<a href="#C">C</a>, -<a href="#D">D</a>, -<a href="#E">E</a>, -<a href="#F">F</a>, -<a href="#G">G</a>, -<a href="#H">H</a>, -<a href="#I">I</a>, -<a href="#J">J</a>, -<a href="#L">L</a>, -<a href="#M">M</a>, -<a href="#N">N</a>, -<a href="#O">O</a>, -<a href="#P">P</a>, -<a href="#Q">Q</a>, -<a href="#R">R</a>, -<a href="#S">S</a>, -<a href="#T">T</a>, -<a href="#U">U</a>, -<a href="#V">V</a>, -<a href="#Y">Y</a>, -<a href="#Z">Z</a></p> - -<p class="nind"> -<a name="A" id="A"></a>Abderrhaman, mosque of, <a href="#page_080">80</a><br /> -Adrian IV., Pope, <a href="#page_081">81</a><br /> -Albornoz, Cardinal, tomb of, <a href="#page_111">111</a><br /> -Alfonso VI., <a href="#page_234">234</a>, <a href="#page_235">235</a><br /> -Alfonso VIII., <a href="#page_245">245</a><br /> -Alfonso de Cartagena, Bishop, <a href="#page_240">240</a><br /> -Alfonso el Catolico, <a href="#page_197">197</a>;<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">coffin of, <a href="#page_220">220</a></span><br /> -Alfonso the Chaste, <a href="#page_218">218</a>, <a href="#page_220">220</a><br /> -Alfonso the Learned, sarcophagus of, <a href="#page_010">10</a><br /> -Alfonso de los Rios, <a href="#page_238">238</a><br /> -Alhambra, <a href="#page_031">31</a>, <a href="#page_046">46</a>, <i>sqq.</i><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Court of Lions, <a href="#page_050">50</a></span><br /> -Almakkari, historian, <a href="#page_023">23</a><br /> -Almanzor, <a href="#page_200">200</a><br /> -Alva Garcia, <a href="#page_138">138</a><br /> -Alvaro de Luna, <a href="#page_232">232</a><br /> -Antequerra, <a href="#page_048">48</a><br /> -Arabic documents, <a href="#page_230">230</a><br /> -Aragon, union of, with Castile, <a href="#page_067">67</a><br /> -Arfe, silver monstrance by, <a href="#page_142">142</a><br /> -Arfe, Juan de, <a href="#page_228">228</a><br /> -Arlanzón, river, <a href="#page_233">233</a><br /> -Astorga, <a href="#page_193">193-198</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_193">193</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_197">197</a></span><br /> -Augustus, Emperor, <a href="#page_084">84</a><br /> -Averroes, <a href="#page_030">30</a><br /> -Avila, <a href="#page_137">137-144</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_081">81</a>, <a href="#page_138">138</a></span><br /> -Avila, Historical sketch, <a href="#page_137">137</a><br /> -Avila, tomb of, <a href="#page_143">143</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="B" id="B"></a>Badajos, Juan de, <a href="#page_215">215</a><br /> -Baeza, <a href="#page_195">195</a><br /> -Barcelona, <a href="#page_083">83</a>, <a href="#page_091">91-99</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_092">92</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of San Pablo del Campo, <a href="#page_094">94</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of Santa Marica del Mar, <a href="#page_095">95</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of Santa Marica del Pi, <a href="#page_095">95</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_091">91</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Rambla, <a href="#page_097">97</a></span><br /> -Barceloneta, suburb of Barcelona, <a href="#page_096">96</a><br /> -Bartolomé, and the Capilla Real, Granada, <a href="#page_039">39</a><br /> -Beatrice of Swabia, sarcophagus of, <a href="#page_010">10</a><br /> -Becerra, Gaspar, <a href="#page_195">195</a><br /> -Beggars, at Cordova, <a href="#page_029">29</a>, <a href="#page_030">30</a>;<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">at Seville, <a href="#page_030">30</a>, <a href="#page_035">35</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">at Madrid, <a href="#page_030">30</a></span><br /> -Bernardo de Aragon, tomb of, <a href="#page_164">164</a><br /> -Berruguete, carvings by, <a href="#page_113">113</a>, <a href="#page_141">141</a>, <a href="#page_228">228</a><br /> -Boabdil, figure of, at Granada, <a href="#page_041">41</a><br /> -Brutus, Junius, founds colony on the Turia, <a href="#page_066">66</a><br /> -Bull-fights, at Seville, <a href="#page_020">20</a><br /> -Burgos, <a href="#page_233">233-248</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla del Condestable, <a href="#page_238">238</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla del Corpus Christi, <a href="#page_242">242</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla de la Presentacion, <a href="#page_239">239</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla de San Enrique, <a href="#page_240">240</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla del Santissimo Cristo, <a href="#page_239">239</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_233">233</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chapel of Santa Anna, <a href="#page_240">240</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of San Domingo de Silos, <a href="#page_244">244</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of San Juan de Sahagun, <a href="#page_240">240</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Convent of las Huelgas, <a href="#page_245">245</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Collegio de San Nicolas, <a href="#page_244">244</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_234">234</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Museum, <a href="#page_244">244</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<a name="C" id="C"></a>Cadiz, <a href="#page_001">1-5</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Académia de Bellas Artes, <a href="#page_004">4</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_003">3</a>, <a href="#page_004">4</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_003">3</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mercado, <a href="#page_004">4</a></span><br /> -Cæsar, Julius, captures Seville, <a href="#page_007">7</a><br /> -Calix at Valencia, <a href="#page_071">71</a><br /> -Campaña, Pedro, pictures at Seville, <a href="#page_012">12</a><br /> -Cano, Alonso, pictures by, at Cadiz, <a href="#page_004">4</a>;<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">at Seville, <a href="#page_011">11</a>, <a href="#page_012">12</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">builds façade of Cathedral at Granada, <a href="#page_038">38</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">pictures by, <a href="#page_038">38</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">pictures by, at Malaga, <a href="#page_060">60</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">figure by at Segovia, <a href="#page_151">151</a></span><br /> -Cartuja de Miraflores, <a href="#page_246">246</a><br /> -Casa Consistorial, Barcelona, <a href="#page_095">95</a><br /> -Casa del Cordon, Burgos, <a href="#page_243">243</a><br /> -Cataluña, union with Aragon, <a href="#page_092">92</a><br /> -Cervantes, house of, <a href="#page_232">232</a><br /> -Charles V., palace of, <a href="#page_054">54</a>;<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">arms of, <a href="#page_236">236</a></span><br /> -Chartres Cathedral, <a href="#page_211">211</a><br /> -Chirriguera, High Altar by, <a href="#page_129">129</a>, <a href="#page_141">141</a>, <a href="#page_228">228</a><br /> -Cid, the, <a href="#page_065">65</a>, <a href="#page_201">201</a><br /> -Cofre del Cid, <a href="#page_242">242</a><br /> -Columbus, monument at Seville, <a href="#page_011">11</a>;<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">house of, <a href="#page_232">232</a></span><br /> -Comunéros, <a href="#page_243">243</a><br /> -Cordova, <a href="#page_023">23-30</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla de Nuestra Señorade Villavicosia, <a href="#page_025">25</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_024">24</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Convent de San Jeronimo, <a href="#page_030">30</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_023">23</a>, <a href="#page_024">24</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mosques, <a href="#page_024">24</a>, <a href="#page_025">25</a></span><br /> -Cornielis, work of, <a href="#page_141">141</a><br /> -Corre de Sol, Granada, <a href="#page_055">55</a><br /> -Cristóbal, carving by, at Tortosa, <a href="#page_081">81</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="D" id="D"></a>Dalman de Mur, High Altar by, <a href="#page_164">164</a><br /> -Damian Forment, retablo, <a href="#page_166">166</a>, <a href="#page_167">167</a><br /> -Darro, river at Granada, <a href="#page_031">31</a>, <a href="#page_033">33</a>, <a href="#page_034">34</a>, <a href="#page_037">37</a><br /> -De Gainza, Martin, <a href="#page_010">10</a><br /> -Diego de Porcelos, <a href="#page_242">242</a><br /> -Diego de Siloe, plans Cathedral at Granada, <a href="#page_038">38</a>;<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">at Malaga, <a href="#page_059">59</a></span><br /> -Duque de Lerma, <a href="#page_226">226</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="E" id="E"></a>Edward I., marriage of, <a href="#page_244">244</a>, <a href="#page_245">245</a><br /> -El Calvario, <a href="#page_150">150</a><br /> -El Campanario, tower at Cordova, <a href="#page_027">27</a><br /> -El Cristo de la Luz, Toledo, <a href="#page_115">115</a><br /> -El Grao, port of Valencia, <a href="#page_067">67</a><br /> -El Parral, Segovia, <a href="#page_154">154</a><br /> -El Transito, Toledo, <a href="#page_114">114</a><br /> -Englefield, Sir Francis, <a href="#page_232">232</a><br /> -Escovedo, Juan, <a href="#page_150">150</a><br /> -Essex, siege of Cadiz by Lord, <a href="#page_004">4</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="F" id="F"></a>Ferdinand I., <a href="#page_200">200</a>, marriage of, <a href="#page_243">243</a><br /> -Ferdinand and Isabella, monument at Granada, <a href="#page_040">40</a>;<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">portraits, <a href="#page_041">41</a>, <a href="#page_044">44</a>, <a href="#page_225">225</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">arms of, <a href="#page_227">227</a></span><br /> -Ferdinand el Santos, <a href="#page_234">234</a>, <a href="#page_235">235</a><br /> -Francisco de Lara, ceiling by, <a href="#page_112">112</a><br /> -Francisco de Palenzuela, tomb of, <a href="#page_126">126</a><br /> -Fruela I., coffin of, <a href="#page_220">220</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="G" id="G"></a>Gallegos, panels by, <a href="#page_203">203</a><br /> -Gayá, <a href="#page_084">84</a><br /> -Genil, river at Granada, <a href="#page_034">34</a><br /> -Geromino, tomb of, <a href="#page_126">126</a><br /> -Geronimo, <a href="#page_200">200</a><br /> -Gerona, <a href="#page_101">101-10</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_103">103</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of San Pedro de los Gallegans, <a href="#page_105">105</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_101">101</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -Gibraltar, <a href="#page_058">58</a><br /> -Gil de Siloe, <a href="#page_247">247</a><br /> -Giralda Tower, Seville, <a href="#page_013">13</a>, <a href="#page_014">14</a><br /> -Gomar, Francisco, work at Tarragona, <a href="#page_086">86</a><br /> -Gonzalo de Cordoba, <a href="#page_045">45</a><br /> -Grado, Canon Juan de, tomb of, <a href="#page_204">204</a><br /> -Granada, <a href="#page_031">31-35</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Albaicin, <a href="#page_031">31</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Alhambra, <a href="#page_031">31</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Antequeruela, <a href="#page_031">31</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla de la Antigue, <a href="#page_039">39</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla de Pulgar, <a href="#page_044">44</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla Real, <a href="#page_042">42</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla de Trinidad, <a href="#page_038">38</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_038">38</a>, <a href="#page_044">44</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of San Juan de los Reyes, <a href="#page_044">44</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of San Nicólas, <a href="#page_044">44</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of Santa Anna, <a href="#page_044">44</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Convent of Cartuja, <a href="#page_045">45</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Convent of San Geronimo, <a href="#page_045">45</a></span><br /> -Greek remains, Tuy, <a href="#page_183">183</a><br /> -Guadalete, river at Cadiz, <a href="#page_005">5</a>;<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">battle on banks of, <a href="#page_058">58</a></span><br /> -Guadalquiver, position of Cordova on, <a href="#page_023">23</a><br /> -Guadelmedina, the, <a href="#page_061">61</a><br /> -Guillermo Boffy, <a href="#page_104">104</a><br /> -Gutierrez, Bishop, <a href="#page_219">219</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="H" id="H"></a>Hernandez, <a href="#page_229">229</a>, <a href="#page_230">230</a><br /> -Hontañon, rebuilt dome of Seville Cathedral, <a href="#page_012">12</a>;<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Salamanca Cathedral, <a href="#page_125">125</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Segovia, <a href="#page_150">150</a></span><br /> -Hospital de Santa Cruz, Toledo, <a href="#page_116">116</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="I" id="I"></a>Infante Alfonso, tomb of, <a href="#page_248">248</a><br /> -Inigo de Mendoz, tomb of, <a href="#page_112">112</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="J" id="J"></a>James I., of Aragon, armour of at Valencia, <a href="#page_070">70</a>;<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">tomb of, <a href="#page_086">86</a></span><br /> -Jews at Seville, <a href="#page_015">15</a><br /> -John of Cologne, <a href="#page_234">234</a>, <a href="#page_238">238</a><br /> -John of Gaunt, <a href="#page_178">178</a><br /> -José Granados, builds western facade of Cathedral, Granada, <a href="#page_038">38</a><br /> -Juan II., <a href="#page_024">24</a><br /> -Juan Bantista Celma, <a href="#page_178">178</a><br /> -Juan, Prince, tomb of, <a href="#page_142">142</a><br /> -Juan de Borgoña, frescoes by, <a href="#page_112">112</a>, <a href="#page_141">141</a><br /> -Juan de Castro, <a href="#page_178">178</a><br /> -Juan de Juni, <a href="#page_228">228</a><br /> -Juan de Mena, <a href="#page_030">30</a><br /> -Juan de Padilla, figure of, <a href="#page_244">244</a><br /> -Juan de Vallejo, <a href="#page_237">237</a><br /> -Juanes, <i>Last Supper</i> by, <a href="#page_071">71</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="L" id="L"></a>La Magdena, Zamora, <a href="#page_201">201</a><br /> -Lanfredo, Bishop, <a href="#page_080">80</a><br /> -La Peña Gajera, <a href="#page_154">154</a><br /> -La Peñarala, <a href="#page_158">158</a><br /> -Las Navas de Tolosa, <a href="#page_245">245</a><br /> -Leon, <a href="#page_205">205-216</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_209">209</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chapel of La Nuestra Señora del Dado, <a href="#page_213">213</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Convent of San Isidoro el Real, <a href="#page_214">214</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Convent of San Marcos, <a href="#page_215">215</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_205">205</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -Leovigild, <a href="#page_205">205</a><br /> -Loja, <a href="#page_048">48</a><br /> -Loyola, relic of, <a href="#page_095">95</a><br /> -Lucan, <a href="#page_030">30</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="M" id="M"></a>Madrazo, designs by, <a href="#page_210">210</a><br /> -Maestro Matio, portrait of, <a href="#page_176">176</a><br /> -Malaga, <a href="#page_057">57-63</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Alcazába, <a href="#page_061">61</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_059">59</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_057">57</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mercado, <a href="#page_061">61</a></span><br /> -Malagueta, river, <a href="#page_061">61</a><br /> -Manrique de Lara, Bishop, <a href="#page_210">210</a><br /> -Maragatos, the, <a href="#page_195">195</a><br /> -Marcellus peoples Cordova, <a href="#page_023">23</a><br /> -Maria Padilla, mistress of Pedro the Cruel, coffin of, <a href="#page_010">10</a><br /> -Maurice, Bishop, <a href="#page_234">234</a>, <a href="#page_235">235</a><br /> -Mena, Pedro de, pupil of Cano, <a href="#page_060">60</a><br /> -Mendoza, Cardinal, <a href="#page_219">219</a><br /> -Meshwâr, <a href="#page_053">53</a><br /> -Miguelete Tower, <a href="#page_066">66</a><br /> -Minho, river, <a href="#page_183">183</a><br /> -Monte Mauro, <a href="#page_034">34</a><br /> -Morales, <a href="#page_030">30</a><br /> -Mulhacen, <a href="#page_048">48</a><br /> -Murillo, pictures at Cadiz, <a href="#page_004">4</a>;<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><i>San Antonio de Padua</i> at Seville, <a href="#page_011">11</a>;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">in Seville Museum, <a href="#page_020">20</a></span><br /> -Museum, Seville, <a href="#page_020">20</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="N" id="N"></a>Napoleonic Wars, <a href="#page_067">67</a><br /> -Naranco, <a href="#page_223">223</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of Santa Maria, <a href="#page_223">223</a>, <a href="#page_224">224</a></span><br /> -Nicodemus, <a href="#page_239">239</a><br /> -Nicolas Florentino, retablo by, <a href="#page_128">128</a><br /> -Nicolas de Vergara, carving by, <a href="#page_113">113</a><br /> -Notre Dame de Paris, <a href="#page_211">211</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="O" id="O"></a>Oca, Bishop, <a href="#page_235">235</a><br /> -Oñar, river, <a href="#page_102">102</a><br /> -Ordoño I., coffin of, <a href="#page_220">220</a><br /> -Ordoño II., <a href="#page_213">213</a><br /> -Orense, <a href="#page_187">187-191</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_187">187</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Convent of San Francisco, <a href="#page_190">190</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_187">187</a></span><br /> -Oviedo, <a href="#page_217">217-224</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla del Rey Casto, <a href="#page_220">220</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_218">218</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_218">218</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<br /> -<a name="P" id="P"></a>Panteon, Leon, <a href="#page_215">215</a><br /> -Parapanda, Mount, <a href="#page_048">48</a><br /> -Pedro the Cruel, coffin of, <a href="#page_010">10</a>;<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">trees planted by, <a href="#page_014">14</a></span><br /> -Pedro Mato, statue of, <a href="#page_195">195</a><br /> -Pelayo, <a href="#page_222">222</a><br /> -Petrucci Orto, chalice by, <a href="#page_142">142</a><br /> -Philip II. destroys mosques at Cordova, <a href="#page_024">24</a><br /> -Philip Vigarni, <a href="#page_237">237</a>, <a href="#page_238">238</a><br /> -Philip and Juana la Loca, tomb of, at Granada, <a href="#page_040">40</a>;<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">coffins of, <a href="#page_042">42</a></span><br /> -Pisuerga, river, <a href="#page_225">225</a><br /> -Pliny quoted, <a href="#page_197">197</a><br /> -Pradas, work of, at Granada, <a href="#page_043">43</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="Q" id="Q"></a>Quintata, Cardinal, tomb of, <a href="#page_190">190</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="R" id="R"></a>Ramiro II., <a href="#page_200">200</a><br /> -Ramiro, coffin of, <a href="#page_220">220</a><br /> -Ramon Berenguer I., Count, <a href="#page_091">91</a><br /> -Ramon Berenguer II., and Emensendis, tombs of, <a href="#page_104">104</a><br /> -Reus, <a href="#page_083">83</a><br /> -Ribalta, painting by, at Valencia, <a href="#page_071">71</a><br /> -Ribera, <i>Adoration</i> by, <a href="#page_071">71</a><br /> -Roman remains, at Tarragona, <a href="#page_084">84</a>;<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">at Segovia, <a href="#page_149">149</a></span><br /> -Roman Sculpture at Tarragona, <a href="#page_089">89</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="S" id="S"></a>Salamanca, <a href="#page_121">121-135</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla del Carmen, <a href="#page_126">126</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla Mayor, <a href="#page_128">128</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla de San Bartolomé, <a href="#page_128">128</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla de Talavera, <a href="#page_128">128</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedrals, <a href="#page_121">121</a>, <a href="#page_124">124</a>, <i>sqq.</i>, <a href="#page_127">127</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of San Pedro, <a href="#page_143">143</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Collegio Mayor de Santiago Apostol, <a href="#page_132">132</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Convent of las Agustinas Recoletas, <a href="#page_130">130</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Grammar School, <a href="#page_131">131</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_123">123</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">University, <a href="#page_131">131</a></span><br /> -San Pedro, river at Cadiz, <a href="#page_005">5</a><br /> -Santa Eulalia, body of, <a href="#page_093">93</a>, <a href="#page_220">220</a><br /> -Santiago, <a href="#page_171">171-181</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_173">173</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Collegio de San Gerónimo, <a href="#page_180">180</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_172">172</a></span><br /> -Santos Cruz, pictures by, <a href="#page_141">141</a><br /> -Saragossa, <a href="#page_101">101</a>, <a href="#page_159">159-170</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of San Pablo, <a href="#page_167">167</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedrals, <a href="#page_162">162</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">El Pilar, <a href="#page_165">165</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_159">159</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">La Seo, <a href="#page_162">162</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -Sebastian del Piombo, <a href="#page_239">239</a><br /> -Segovia, <a href="#page_145">145-158</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla del Cristo del Consuelo, <a href="#page_152">152</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_150">150</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chapel of Santa Cantalina, <a href="#page_152">152</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of San Martin, <a href="#page_153">153</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of San Millan, <a href="#page_153">153</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of la Vera Cruz, <a href="#page_153">153</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Convent of Santa Cruz, <a href="#page_153">153</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_149">149</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -Semple, Colonel, <a href="#page_232">232</a><br /> -Seneca, <a href="#page_030">30</a><br /> -Seville, <a href="#page_007">7-21</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla de San Pedro, <a href="#page_011">11</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla de Santiago, <a href="#page_011">11</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_008">8</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_007">7</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Jewish quarter, <a href="#page_015">15</a></span><br /> -Sierra de Elvira, <a href="#page_048">48</a><br /> -Sierra Nevada, <a href="#page_048">48</a>, <a href="#page_055">55</a><br /> -Souchet, sacks Valencia, <a href="#page_067">67</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="T" id="T"></a>Tarragona, <a href="#page_083">83-90</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_084">84</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_083">83</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -Toledo, <a href="#page_107">107-119</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bridges, <a href="#page_116">116</a>, <a href="#page_117">117</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_109">109</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla de la Descension de Nuestra Señora, <a href="#page_112">112</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla de Reyes Nuevo, <a href="#page_111">111</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla de San Ildefonso, <a href="#page_111">111</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla de Santiago, <a href="#page_112">112</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of San Juan de los Reyes, <a href="#page_114">114</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of Santa Maria la Blanca, <a href="#page_114">114</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Convent of San Domingo el Real, <a href="#page_115">115</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_107">107</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Jews' quarter, <a href="#page_114">114</a></span><br /> -Torquemada, Cardinal, <a href="#page_226">226</a><br /> -Tortosa, <a href="#page_077">77-82</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Carving at, by Cristobal, <a href="#page_081">81</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral <a href="#page_080">80</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_078">78</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -Triana, <a href="#page_019">19</a><br /> -Tribunal de Aguas, <a href="#page_069">69</a><br /> -Tuy, <a href="#page_183">183-185</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_183">183</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Convent of Santa Domingo, <a href="#page_185">185</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_183">183</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<br /> -<a name="U" id="U"></a>Urraca, <a href="#page_200">200</a>;<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">coffin of, <a href="#page_220">220</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<a name="V" id="V"></a>Valencia, <a href="#page_065">65-76</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_069">69</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of San Martin, <a href="#page_072">72</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of Santa Catalina, <a href="#page_071">71</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Convent del Carmen, <a href="#page_075">75</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Convent Espinose, <a href="#page_075">75</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Convent Juanes, <a href="#page_075">75</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Convent Ribalta, <a href="#page_075">75</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_065">65</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mercado, <a href="#page_073">73</a>, <a href="#page_074">74</a></span><br /> -Valladolid, <a href="#page_225">225-232</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of Santa Maria la Antigua, <a href="#page_226">226</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Colegiata de San Gregorio, <a href="#page_227">227</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Collegio de Santa Cruz, <a href="#page_228">228</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_225">225</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Scotch and English Colleges, <a href="#page_232">232</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">University, <a href="#page_230">230</a></span><br /> -Vargas, Louis de, <i>La Gamba</i> at Seville, <a href="#page_011">11</a>, <a href="#page_012">12</a><br /> -Vega, the, <a href="#page_062">62</a><br /> -Velasquez, tomb of, <a href="#page_142">142</a><br /> -Vigarney, carvings by, <a href="#page_113">113</a><br /> -Viladomát, pictures by, at Barcelona, <a href="#page_095">95</a><br /> -<br /> -"Wamba," great bell, Oviedo, <a href="#page_222">222</a><br /> -Wellington, Duke of, <a href="#page_048">48</a><br /> -Ximenes, <a href="#page_112">112</a>, <a href="#page_227">227</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="Y" id="Y"></a>Yahya, Moorish King, <a href="#page_065">65</a><br /> -<br /> -<a name="Z" id="Z"></a>Zamora , <a href="#page_199">199-204</a><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla del Cardinal, <a href="#page_203">203</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capilla de San Miguel, <a href="#page_204">204</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cathedral, <a href="#page_201">201</a>, <i>sqq.</i></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of la Magdalena, <a href="#page_201">201</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Church of San Pedro of Ildefonso, <a href="#page_201">201</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Historical sketch, <a href="#page_200">200</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hospital, <a href="#page_201">201</a></span><br /> -Zurbaran, pictures at Cadiz, <a href="#page_004">4</a>;<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">at Seville, <a href="#page_011">11</a>, <a href="#page_012">12</a></span><br /> -</p> - -<p class="c">Printed by <span class="smcap">Ballantyne & Co. Limited</span><br /> -Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, -London<a name="page_256" id="page_256"></a></p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="padding:2%;border:3px double gray;"> -<tr><th align="center">Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber.</th></tr> -<tr><td align="center"><span class="errata">matyrdoms</span> of the Order=>martyrdoms of the Order</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">Witiza in the meantime died and was <span class="errata">suceeded</span>=>Witiza in the meantime died and was succeeded</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">The whole rises in isolated grandeur <span class="errata">and and</span> may perhaps gain=>The whole rises in isolated grandeur and may perhaps gain</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">and if it <span class="errata">happen</span> to be a=>and if it happens to be a</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">the arches of <span class="errata">the the</span> old bridge=>the arches of the old bridge</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">so named on <span class="errata">acount</span> of the scallop shells=>so named on account of the scallop shells</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">she is embracing me, we <span class="errata">disentagle</span> ourselves=>she is embracing me, we disentangle ourselves</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">but a short <span class="errata">exsistence</span> as their house of prayer=>but a short existence as their house of prayer</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">who fought three antagonists one <span class="errata">ofter</span> another and came off successful=>who fought three antagonists one after another and came off successful</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">I was <span class="errata">immediatley</span> nonplussed=>I was immediately nonplussed</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">Bernardo de <span class="errata">Arragon</span>, tomb of, 164=>Bernardo de Aragon, tomb of, 164</td></tr> -</table> - -<hr class="full" /> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Cathedral Cities of Spain, by William Wiehe Collins - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CATHEDRAL CITIES OF SPAIN *** - -***** This file should be named 40356-h.htm or 40356-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/0/3/5/40356/ - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html> -<html lang="en"> -<head> - <meta charset="utf-8"> -</head> -<body> -<div> -Versions of this book's files up to October 2024 are here.<br> -More recent changes, if any, are reflected in the GitHub repository: -<a href="https://github.com/gutenbergbooks/40356">https://github.com/gutenbergbooks/40356</a> -</div> -</body> -</html> |
