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SPAIN   IN   1830. 


By  the  same  Authoj-, 
In  2  vols.,  Post  8vo.,  Price  16s. 

SOLITARY  WALKS  THROUGH  MANY  LANDS, 

—with  TALES  and  LEGENDS. 

The  descriptions  are  diversified  and  graphic, — the  tales  introduced,  in- 
teresting and  clever, — and  the  author's  narrative  style,  sprightly  and  un- 
affected.— New  Monthly  Magazine. 

It  is  all  pleasing,  and  always  interesting, — the  author  has  at  once  the 
eye  of  a  keen  observer,  and  the  pen  of  a  ready  writer. — Atheiueum. 


SPAIN    IN    1830. 


HENRY  D.  INGLIS, 


AUTHOR     OF      "  SOI>ITARY    WALKS    THROUGH    MANY    LANDS;"      "a    JOURNEY 
THROUGH    NORWAY,"    &C.  &C. 


IN  TWO  VOLS. 


VOL.  I. 


LONDON: 

VVHITTAKER,  TREACHER,  AND  CO..  AVE-MARIA  LANE. 
1831. 


PlINTED    BY    S.    MANNING     AND    CO. 
Lon<ioii.lioiisc-\  ;ii(l,  St.  Paul's. 


6/- 


iS*:*^-^ 


^-    /^/7 


V.  I 


THE  RIGHT  HONOURABLE 

HENRY      DAVID, 
EARL   OF   BUCHAN. 


My  dear  Lord, 

Since  I  parted  from  your  Lordship,  eight 
years  ago,  on  the  bridge  of  Namur,  changes 
have  happened  both  to  you  and  to  myself. 
You  have  become  a  Lord, — I  have  become 
an  author.  When  a  man  acquires  a  handle 
to  his  name,  all  the  world  knows  it;  but 
when  a  man  begins  to  handle  his  pen,  it  is  a 
chance  whether  any  one  knows  it  but  himself. 
It  is  very  likely,  therefore,  that  your  Lordship 
may  be  as  ignorant  upon  this  point,  as  1  fear 


VI  DEDICATION. 

the  rest  of  the  world  are  ;  but  it  will  doubt- 
less surprise  your  Lordship  to  be  told,  that 
upon  you  I  lay  all  my  sins  of  authorship. 

It  was  in  those  daily  and  delightful  strolls 
on  the  banks  of  the  Meuse,  that  you  inspired 
me  with  the  desire  of  hunting  the  wild  boar 
in  the  forest  of  Ardennes ;  and  when  I  went 
to  bury  myself  there, — at  the  time  that  your 
Lordship  sought  the  busier  scenes  of  Paris, — 
I  carried  with  me  that  little  green  writing- 
desk  and  its  golden  key,  the  gift  of  the  la- 
mented Mrs.  Erskine.  Figure  to  yourself, 
my  Lord,  my  isolated  dwelling,  with  six  feet 
of  snow  around  my  doors,— no  companion 
but  my  great  shaggy  dog,  and  my  blazing 
faggots,  and  the  little  green  writing-desk 
upon  a  table  by  my  side, — and  your  Lord- 
ship will  admit,  that  I  could  not  do  other- 
wise than  use  the  golden  key  and  blot  my 
paper. 

The  dedication  of  my  first  book  was  there- 
fore most  certainly  due  to  your  Lordship; 
but  besides  its  own  unworthiness,    another 


DEDICATION.  VU 

reason,  applicable  to  all  that  I  have  subse- 
quently written,  hindered  me  from  laying  at 
your  feet  this  tribute  of  affection  and  respect. 
I  was  then  younger  than  I  am  now,  and 
probably  more  foolish  ;  and  asking  the  notice 
of  the  Public  under  a  fictitious  name,  your 
Lordship  would  have  said,  "  who  is  this 
Derwent  Conway,  who  impertinently  ad- 
dresses me.  My  dear  Lord,  and  subscribes 
himself  my  Cousin?"  But  Spain  is  a  coun- 
try so  associated  with  romance,  that  a  ficti- 
tious name  to  a  book  of  travels  in  that  coun- 
try, might  almost  warrant  the  conclusion, 
that  the  book  was  altogether  a  fiction :  and 
so  now  throwing  off  this  veil  which  was  un- 
meaningly assumed,  I  take  this  earliest  op- 
portunity of  making  your  Lordship's  ac- 
quaintance in  the  character  of  an  author. 

Sweet  shades  of  Ammondell !  I  remember 
them  well, — that  Gothic  bridge,  that  planta- 
tion that  skirts  the  river ;  where,  when  a 
boy,  "  just  let  loose  from  school,"  1  used 
to  be  met  and  welcomed  by  that  fine,  grey- 


Vlll  DEDICATION. 

headed  man,  your  Lordship's  sire, — the  ele- 
gant, the  learned,  the  witty,  the  eloquent, 
the  consistent  politician,  the  upright  man, 
the  unrequited  ; — Ay !  the  unrequited  ;  hea- 
ven rest  His  soul !  who  remembered  not  his 
friends  in  the  day  of  His  prosperity. 

It  is  difficult  to  tear  oneself  from  the 
"deep  solitudes"  and  quiet  glades  of  Am- 
mondell ;  and  I  know  that  your  Lordship 
enjoys  there  the  elegancies  of  life — the 
delights  of  rural  retirement — and  the  sweets 
of  literary  leisure ;  but  your  honourable 
father  had  battled  with  the  world,  and  in 
the  cause  of  independence  and  freedom, 
before  he  retired  to  the  tranquil  shades  of 
the   Amnion,   and  said — 

Give  me  a  nook  in  some  secluded  spot 
That  business  shuns,  and  din  approaches  not ; 
Some  quiet  retreat,  where  I  may  never  know 
Which  monarch  reigns, — what  ministers  bestow. 

Your  Lordship  inherits  the  genius,  with 
the   titles   of  your   family ;     and    it  were   a 


DEDICATION.  IX 

J^v'    noble   spectacle    to   see   the    Aristocracy   of 
C^  the    land     stand    forth,     the     champion    of 

Political  Liberty,  and  lending  the  weight 
of  its  influence  to  the  claims  of  those  who 
have  only  right  and  reason  on  their  side. 
Forgive,  my  dear  Lord,  this  boldness  ;  which 
must  only  be  attributed  to  the  respect  and 
great  regard  with  which  I  have  the  honor 
to  subscribe  myself. 

Your  Lordship's  aftectionate  Cousin, 

HENRY  DAVID  INGLIS. 


Barcellona^  Jan.  2nd,  1831. 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.   I. 


CHAPTER  I. 


BISCAY. 

PAGE 

Departure  from  Bayonne,  the  Bidassoa,  and  entrance  into 
Spain  ;  Precautions  against  Robbery ;  Black  Mail,  and 
Anecdote  ;  Charming  and  novel  Scenery  ;  Mail  Ti'avelling 
in  Spain  :  Vittoria  ;  Spanish  Bread  ;  Priests  ;  the  Spanish 
Cloak;  Women;  Arrival  of  the  Infante  Don  Francis;  a 
National  Trait ;  Spanish  Money  and  Expense  of  Travel- 
ling ;  Journey  through  Biscay  to  Bilbao  ;  Chocolate ;  the 
Plain  of  Vittoria;  Passage  of  the  Biscayan  Mountains; 
Durango;  a  Village  Misfortune;  Biscayan  Recreation; 
the  Muleteer's  Song;  Bilbao;  Traits  of  Spanish  Charac- 
ter ;  Markets ;  Biscayan  Political  and  Religious  Opinions ; 
State  of  the  Inhabitants,  and  Mode  of  Life;  Riches  of  the 
Corporation  of  Bilbao ;  Prices  of  Provisions ;  the  Campo 
Santo ;  the  Iglesia  de  Bigonia  and  its  Superstitions  ;  Trait 
of  Spanish  Pride  and  Generosity  ;  the  Convents  and  their 
Inmates  ;  the  Hospital ;  cmious  Customs,  and  extraor- 
dinary scene  in  a  Coffee  House ;  Improvement  of  Land 
in  Biscay,  Climate,  Disease,  &c. ;  peculiar  Rights  and 
Privileges  of  Biscay  ...  i 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  II. 


JOURNEY  FROM  BISCAY  TO  MADRID. 

PAGE 

Waggon  Travelling ;  Scenery ;  Bills  of  Fare,  and  Expenses  ; 
Second  Visit  to  Vittoria;  Departure  for  Madrid;  the  Ebro; 
Privileges  of  the  Military ;  Old  Castile ;  Husbandry ; 
Burgos ;  Beggars ;  Posadas ;  Traits  of  Misery  in  a  Cas- 
tilian  Village ;  New  Castile ;  Quixotic  Adventure ;  the 
Somo-Sierra,  and  Approach  to  the  Capital;  Sketches  of 
the  Environs,  and  Arrival  in  Madrid  ;  Information  for 
Travellers.  -  -  -  -  -  -     44 


CHAPTER  III. 


MADRID. 

Streets  and  Street  Population  ;  Female  Dress  :  the  Mantilla ; 
the  Fan;  Aspect  of  the  Streets  of  Madrid  at  different 
hours ;  the  Siesta ;  Shops ;  Good  and  Bad  Smells ;  State 
of  the  Lower  Orders  ;  Analysis  of  the  Population ;  Street 
Sketches;  Sunday  in  Madrid;  the  Calle  de  Alcala;  Con- 
vents ;  the  Street  of  the  Inquisition ;  Private  Apartments 
in  Madrid;  the  Pi-ado  and  its  Attractions;  Ludicrous 
Incongruities  ;  Spanish  Women,  and  their  Claims ;  the 
Fan  and  its  Uses  ;  Portraits ;  Inconvenient  Exaction  of 
Loyalty  ;  the  Philosophy  of  Good  Walking ;  the  Retiro ; 
CastiHan  Skies ;  the  Cafe  Catalina  and  its  Visitors ;  other 
Coffee  Rooms,  and  Political  Reflections ;  the  Botanical 
Garden,  strange  Regulation  on  entering ;  the  Theatres ; 
Spanish  Play  Bills ;  Teatro  del  Principe  ;  the  Cazuela  and 
Intrigue ;  Spanish  Comedy  ;  the  Bolero  ;  the  Italian  Com- 
pany ;  Cultivation  of  Music  in  Madrid ;  the  Guitar ; 
Vocal  Music ;  Spanish  Music      -  -  -  -     65 


CONTENTS.  Vll 

CHAPTER  IV. 


MADRID. 

PAGE 

The  King,  Queen,  and  Royal  Family  ;  Personal  Appearance 
of  Fei'dinand;  a  Royal  Jeu  d'esprit ;  the  King's  Confidence 
in  the  People,  and  Examples ;  Character  of  the  King ;  a 
Carlist's  Opinion  of  the  King  ;  Favourites, — Calomarde, 
— Alegon, — Salsedo, — the  Duque  d'Higar;  Rising  In- 
fluence of  the  Queen  ;  Habits  of  the  Royal  Family  ;  Court 
Diversions ;  Rivalry  of  Don  Carlos ;  the  Queen's  Ac- 
couchement, and  Views  of  Parties  ;  Detection  of  a  Carlist 
Plot ;  the  Salic  Law  ;  Court  Society  ;  Persons  of  Distinc- 
tion, and  Ministerial  Tertulias;  Habits  and  Manner  of 
Life  of  the  Middle  Classes ;  a  Spanish  House,  and  its 
Singular  Defences ;  Abstemiousness  of  the  Spaniards  ; 
Evening  and  Morning  Visits ;  Balls  and  Spanish  Dancing; 
Character  of  Spanish  Hospitality ;  Spanish  Generosity  and 
its  Origin  ;  Examples  of  Ostentation  ;  Morals  ;  Gallantry 
and  Intrigue;  the  Morals  of  the  Lower  Orders  ;  Religious 
Opinions  in  the  Capital,  and  Decline  of  the  Priestly  In- 
fluence ;  Jesuitical  Education  ;  the  Influence  of  the  Friars ; 
Causes  of  the  Decline  of  Priestly  Influence,  and  the  Con- 
tinuance of  that  of  the  Friars  ;  Convent  Secrets  ;  Curious 
Expos^  at  Cadiz ;   Devotion  in  Madrid       -  -  112 


CHAPTER  V. 


MADRID. 

The  Profession  of  a  Nun  ;  Reflections ;  Description  of  the 
Interior  of  a  Convent;  the  Monastic  Life;  Description  of 
a  Bull-Fight ;  Sketches  of  Spanish  Character ;  a  Horse 
Race  -  '  -  -  -  -  -  168 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VI. 


PAGE. 

Memoir  of  Murillo    -  -  -  -  -  -203 


CHAPTER  Vn. 


MADRID. 

The  Picture  Gallery;  the  Works  of  Murillo;  the  Annuncia- 
tion ;  the  Virgin  Instructed  by  her  Mother  ;  Landscapes ; 
Velasquez  and  his  Works ;  Meeting  of  Bacchanalians ;  the 
Forges  of  Vulcan ;  Espanoletto  and  his  Works ;  Villan- 
cencio;  Juanes;  AlonzoCano;  Cerezo;  Morales;  Juanes' 
Last  Supper ;  the  Modern  Spanish  School ;  Aparicio ; 
the  Famine  in  Madrid;  Italian  Gallery;  Flemish  School; 
the  Sala  Reservada ;  Statuary ;  Cabinet  of  Natural  His- 
tory; Sala Reservada ;  the  Patrician's  Dream;  the  Dese7i- 
gano  de  la  Vida  ;  Private  Collections  ;  the  Duke  of  Liria's 
Gallery ;  Churches  and  Convents ;  Church  of  San  Isodro ; 
San  Salvador ;  Santa  Maria  ;  San  Gines ;  Santiago  ;  San 
Antonio  de  Florida ;  Convent  of  Las  Salesas ;  de  la  En- 
carnation  ;  the  Franciscans  ;  Santa  Isabella  ;  Hidden  Pic- 
tures ;  San  Pasqual ;  Santa  Teresa ;  the  Palace.         -  233 


CHAPTER  Vni. 


Literature ;  Difficulties  to  be  encountered  by  Authors ;  the 
Book  Fair ;  Digression  respecting  the  Claims  of  Spain  to 
Gil  Bias;  Public  and  Private  Literary  Societies;  Libraries; 
Obstacles  to  Improvement,  from  the  State  of  Society ;  Fe- 
male Education ;  Education  for  the  Liberal  Professions ; 
Course  of  Study  for  the  Bar;  Course  of  Medical  Studies; 
Charitable  Institutions ;  Consumption  of  Madrid  ;  Prices  of 
Provisions.  -.--._  265 


CONTENTS.  IX 

CHAPTER  IX. 


PAGE 

State  of  Parties,  and  Political  Pi'ospects.        -  .  .  293 


CHAPTER  X. 


THE  ESCURIAL— ST.  ILDEFONSO— SEGOVIA. 

Journey  from  Madrid ;  First  View  of  the  Escurial ;  Pliilip  II. ; 
Situation  of  the  Escurial ;  the  Church ;  Lucas  Jordan ;  the 
Relics ;  the  Santa  Forma ;  the  Sacristy  and  its  Pictures ; 
a  Reverie ;  the  Hall  of  Recreation ;  the  Library ;  the 
Tomb  of  the  Kings ;  the  Manuscript  Library ;  Ignorance 
and  Idleness  of  the  Monks,  and  Anecdotes ;  Manner  of 
Life  among  the  Monks ;  the  Palace ;  Particulars  of  the 
Extent  and  Cost  of  the  Escurial;  Pedestrian  Journey 
across  the  Sierra  Guaderrama  to  Ildefonso ;  the  Palace, 
Waters,  and  Garden  of  La  Granja ;  Road  to  Segovia ;  its 
Remains,  and  Present  Condition  ;  Expensiveness  of  Royal 
Honours ;  Return  to  Madrid       -  -  _  .  328 


CHAPTER  XI. 


TOLEDO. 
Journey  from  Madrid;  Proofs  of  the  backwardness  of  Spain; 
Appearance  of  the  Covmtry ;  Spanish  Mule-driving ;  a 
Venta ;  First  View  of  Toledo ;  Toledo  Recreations  and 
Society ;  Remains  of  Former  Grandeur,  and  Proofs  of 
Present  Decay ;  Picturesque  Views ;  the  Tagus  ;  Intricacy 
of  Toledo;  Bigotry  and  Priestcraft;  Reasons  for  the  Pre- 
valence of  Religious  Bigotry  in  Toledo ;  Proofs  of  Bigo- 
try ;  Aspect  of  the  Population ;  the  Cathedral  and  its 
Riches ;  Scene  in  the  Cathedral ;  the  Alcazar ;  Historical 
Retrospect ;  Praiseworthy  Institutions  of  the  Archbishop 
Lorenzana;  the  University;  Toledo  Sword  Manufactory; 
the  Franciscan  Convent ;   Return  to  Madrid         -  -  305 


SPAIN    IN    1830. 


CHAPTER  I 


BISCAY. 

Departiive  from  Bayonne,  the  Bidassoa,  and  entrance  into  Spain  ; 
Precautions  against  Robbery ;  Black  Mail,  and  Anecdote ; 
Charming  and  novel  Scenery  ;  Mail  travelling  in  Spain ;  Vitto- 
ria;  Spanish  Bread;  Priests;  the  Spanish  Cloak;  Women;  Ar- 
rival of  the  Infante  Don  Francis;  a  National  trait;  Spanish 
Money  and  expense  of  Travelling  ;  Journey  through  Biscay  to 
Bilbao ;  Chocolate ;  the  Plain  of  Vittoria ;  Passage  of  the  Bis- 
cayan  Mountains;  Diu-ango;  a  Village  Misfortune;  Biscayan 
Recreation;  the  Muleteer's  Song;  Bilbao;  Traits  of  Spanish 
Character ;  Markets ;  Biscayan  Political  and  Religious  Opinions ; 
State  of  the  Inhabitants  and  mode  of  Life;  Riches  of  the 
Coi-poration  of  Bilbao ;  Prices  of  Provisions ;  the  Campo 
Santo;  the  Iglesia  de  Bigonia  and  its  Superstitions;  Trait  of 
Spanish  Pride  and  Generosity;  the  Convents  and  their  Inmates ; 
the  Hospital ;  curious  Customs,  and  extraordinary  scene  in  a 
Coffee  House;  Improvement  of  .Land  in  Biscay,  Climate,  Dis- 
eases, &c. ;  peculiar  Rights  and  Privileges  of  Biscay. 

I  left  England  in  the  early  part  of  the  spring  of 
1830,  with  the  intention  of  visiting  Spain  ;  and 
taking  a  circuitous  route  through  the  Southern 
parts  of  France,  to  Bayonne,  I  left  that  city  on 
the  14th  of  May,  by  the  Madrid  Courier,  for 
Vittoria,  and  in  a  few  hours  we  crossed  the 
Bidassoa  and  entered  Spain, 
vol..  I.  B 


2  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

It  is  impossible  to  enter  any  foreign  country 
for  the  first  time,  without  experiencing  some 
mental  excitement ;  and  it  seems  to  me,  that 
among  all  the  countries  of  Europe,  Spain  is  the 
most  calculated  to  awaken  interest  and  expecta- 
tion :  for  even  if  it  were  possible  to  forget  all  that 
links  the  history  of  Spain  with  Carthagenian 
enterprise,  and  Roman  ambition,  and  Moorish 
grandeur,  the  present  condition  of  the  country, 
and  the  desire  of  gratifying  curiosity,  respecting 
the  manners,  character,  and  condition  of  the 
Spanish  people,  would  still  be  sufficient  to 
justify  a  strong  feeling  of  excitement. 

When  I  had  crossed  the  Bidassoa,  I  knew 
that  I  was  in  Spain ;  and  every  object  imme- 
diately acquired  a  new  interest.  Three  several 
demands  for  my  passport,  within  the  short  space 
of  ten  minutes,  had  not  the  effect  of  putting  me 
out  of  humour ;  I  was  prepared  for  inconveni- 
ences greater  than  this,  in  journeying  through  a 
country  so  little  visited  as  Spain,  and  had  wisely 
laid  in  a  stock  of  philosophy  to  meet  them  all. 

The  frontier  town  of  Spain,  Irun,  lies  within 
half  a  league  of  the  Bidassoa :  it  is  an  insigni- 
ficant village,  no  way  calculated  to  create  a 
favourable  impression  ;  but  it  is  improper  to 
form  any  judgment  of  a  country,  from  the  places 
that  lie  along  its  frontier.     At  Irun,  the  mail 


SPAIN  IN  1831).  O 

stops  a  short  time ;  and  before  proceeding  on 
its  journey,  formidable  precautions  are  taken 
against  the  possibility  of  robbery.  I  saw  three 
carabines,  and  four  cases  of  pistols,  deposited 
about  the  coach ;  and  three  additional  guards, 
each  armed  with  a  long  sabre,  took  their  seats 
behind  and  in  the  cabriolet.  These  preparations 
naturally  create  doubts  in  the  mind  of  the  tra- 
veller, as  to  his  personal  safety  :  nor  are  these 
altogether  without  foundation :  there  is  undoubt- 
edly some  exaggeration  on  the  subject  of  robbery 
of  the  public  conveyances  in  Spain ;  but  it  is 
certain,  that  the  mails  are  occasionally  stopped, 
especially  in  the  southern  parts.  It  is  beneath 
the  dignity  of  the  government,  to  enter  into  a 
treaty  with  banditti,  for  the  safety  of  the  mails  ; 
and  as  resistance  must  be  made  in  case  of  an 
attack,  the  traveller  by  the  mail  is  necessarily 
placed  in  a  dangerous  position  ;  but  in  the  dili- 
gence, he  runs  comparatively  little  risque.  I 
can  state,  upon  certain  information  received  in 
Madrid,  that  every  one  of  the  principal  Spanish 
diligences,  with  the  exception  of  that  from  Bar- 
cellona  to  Perpignan,  pays  Black  Mail  to  the 
banditti  for  their  protection.  This  arrangement 
was  at  first  attended  with  some  difficulty  ;  and 
from  a  gentleman  who  was  present  at  the 
interview    between    the    person    employed   to 

B  2 


4  SPAIN  IN   1S3I1 

negotiate  on  behalf  of  the  diligences,  and  the 
representative  of  the  banditti,  1  learned  a  few 
particulars.  The  diligences  in  question  were 
those  between  Madrid  and  Seville ;  and  the  sum 
offered  for  their  protection  was  not  objected  to  ; 
but  another  difficulty  was  started :  "I  have 
nothing  to  say  against  the  terms  you  offer,"  said 
the  negotiator  for  the  banditti,  "  and  I  will  at 
once  ensure  you  against  being  molested  by 
robbers  of  consequence ;  but  as  for  the  small 
fry  (Lctdrones  de  ninguna  considtracion),  I  cannot 
be  responsible ;  tve  respect  the  engagements 
entered  into  by  each  other ;  but  there  is  no- 
thing like  honour  among  the  petty  thieves." 
The  proprietors  of  the  diligences,  however,  were 
satisfied  with  the  assurance  of  protection  against 
the  great  lobbers,  and  the  treaty  was  concluded ; 
but  not  Ion  J  afterwards,  one  of  the  coaches  was 
stopped  and  rifled  by  the  petty  thieves :  this 
led  to  an  arrangement  which  has  ever  since 
proved  effectual ;  one  of  the  chiefs  accompanies 
the  coach  on  its  journey,  and  overawes  by  his 
name  anJ  reputation,  the  robbers  of  inferior 
de,9Tee. 

Nothing  can  exceed  the  beauty  of  the  country 
between  the  frontier,  and  Tolosa ;  the  road  lies 
through  the  most  enchanting  valleys,  green  and 
fertile,  beyond  any  that  I  had  seen  in  the  French 


SPAIN  IN  183D.  O 

Pyrenees ;  and  there  is  one  feature  in  the 
scenery,  peculiar  to  this  part  of  the  Biscayan 
provinces :  the  sides  of  the  mountains  are  not 
covered  with  forest  trees,  as  in  the  Pyrenees,  nor 
with  fir,  as  in  the  Alps,  but  with  fruit  trees  :  the 
effect  of  this  was  striking,  and  beautiful ;  chiefly 
owing  to  the  variety  of  colour  in  the  different 
fruits  with  which  every  tree  was  bowed  to  the 
ground.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  up  the 
mountain  side,  it  rested  upon  a  variegated  carpet 
of  the  many  rich  and  nameless  tints  that  lie 
upon  the  finest  and  mellowest  fruits.  The  abun- 
dance of  fruit  was  sufficiently  shewn  in  the  little 
value  that  seemed  to  be  attached  to  it ;  in  place 
of  flowers  being  thrown  into  the  coach  by  chil- 
dren, as  is  customary  in  many  parts  of  France, 
the  early  fruits  of  the  season  were  tossed  in  at 
the  windows  ;  and  the  smallest  coin  was  gladly 
received  as  a  sufficient  compensation 

It  will  probably  create  some  surprise  when  I 
say,  that  in  no  part  of  Europe  is  it  possible  to 
travel  with  so  much  comfort,  or  with  so  great 
rapidity,  as  by  the  Spanish  Courier.  The  coach 
is  more  commodious  and  roomy  than  an  Eng- 
lish private  carriage ;  it  is  well  cushioned  and 
seated  ;  the  windows  are  furnished  with  Vene- 
tian blinds,  by  which  the  air  may  be  admitted 
and  the  sun  excluded  ;  and  with  silk  curtains. 


6  SPAIN  IN   183D. 

by  which  the  sun  may  be  excluded  even  when 
the  glass  windows  are  closed  ;  and  two  passen- 
gers only  are  admitted  inside :  another  is  ad- 
mitted into  the  cabriolet  along  with  the  guards. 
The  coach  is  drawn  by  four  mules,  which  are 
kept  at  a  gallop  the  whole  way,  up  hill  and  down 
hill ;  and  the  road  from  Bayonne  to  Madrid, 
is  generally  as  smooth  as  the  very  best  roads 
in  England.  I  ascertained  that  the  rate  of  tra- 
vellinof  exceeded  twelve  miles  an  hour.  No 
time  is  lost  in  useless  stoppages  ;  the  mules  are 
changed  with  as  great  expedition  as  in  England  ; 
the  traveller  must  be  contented  with  few  meals  ; 
and  against  the  assaults  of  thirst,  the  guards  are 
provided  with  a  well  filled  wine-skin,  to  which 
they  never  apply,  without  first  offering  it  to  the 
passengers,  who  are  expected  to  accept  the 
civility. 

AtTolosa,  an  inconsiderable  town,  we  stopped 
to  sup :  it  was  then  nearly  dark,  so  that  I  was 
unable  to  see  much  of  it;  and,  indeed,  no 
more  time  was  allowed  than  sufficed  for  the 
meal.  This  was  the  first  meal  I  had  taken  in 
Spain,  and  the  first  inn  I  had  entered :  of  the 
latter,  I  was  scarcely  entitled  to  form  an  opi- 
nion from  seeing  only  one  room ;  but  the  exag- 
gerated accounts  I  had  heard  of  the  badness 
and   filthiness   of    the    Spanish  posadas,    were 


SPAIN  IN   183D.  7 

well  calculated  to  put  me  in  good  humour  with 
the  inn  at  Tolosa.  After  the  variety  and  excel- 
lence of  the  French  adsirie,  the  supper  table 
seemed  a  little  meagre,  but  every  thing  was 
eatable ;  the  table  was  cleanly  and  neatly  set 
out,  and  the  servants  were  active  and  attentive. 
In  most  of  the  Spanish  posadas  in  the  north  of 
Spain,  where  Malaga  is  prized,  a  glass  of  it  is 
presented  to  the  traveller  after  every  meal. 

When  morning  dawned,  I  found  myself  still 
travelling  through  a  mountainous  country,  but 
less  fertile  than  that  which  lies  nearer  the 
frontier.  In  ascending  the  mountains  that 
bound  the  plain  in  which  Vittoria  is  situated, 
the  usual  rapidity  of  our  travelling  was  inter- 
rupted ;  here,  the  mules  were  changed  for 
oxen,  which  are  used  throughout  Spain,  for 
every  kind  of  laborious  work :  we  are  accus- 
tomed to  associate  with  oxen,  remarkable  slow- 
ness of  movement ;  and  presuming  upon  this, 
and  upon  the  steepness  of  the  ascent,  I  left  the 
carriage,  in  the  intention  of  walking  to  the 
summit;  but  contrary  to  my  expectation,  I  found 
myself  unable  to  keep  pace  with  the  oxen,  and 
had  great  difficulty  in  regaining  my  place. 

In  approaching  Vittoria,  the  country  became 
less  interesting ;  at  the  highest  part  of  the 
ascent,  the  oxen  were  again  changed  for  mules. 


8  SPAIN  IN  183D. 

and  we  descended  into  the  plain  at  a  rapid 
pace,  and  soon  after  entered  Vittoria,  after  pass- 
ing a  number  of  prisoners,  chained  together, 
workiner  on  the  roads ;  and  several  Ions'  trains 
of  mules. 

I  had  been  warned  of  the  strictness  of  the 
custom-house  at  Vittoria,  especially  in  the 
search  for  books ;  but  this,  like  much  of  the 
information  I  had  received  before  entering  Spain, 
proved  an  exaggeration.  I  never  passed  a  cus- 
tom house  with  so  slight  a  scrutiny;  not  one 
book  was  opened,  and  the  whole  examination 
did  not  occupy  five  minutes. 

I  had  been  recommended  to  go  to  the  "  Pa- 
rador,''  which  has  the  reputation  of  being  the 
best  hotel  in  Spain  ;  I  found,  however,  that  the 
whole  house  was  engaged  for  the  reception  of 
the  Infante  Den  Francis,  and  his  suite,  who 
were  expected  the  same  morning  from  Bilbao ; 
but  accommodaticn  was  provided  fcr  me  in  the 
house  adjoining,  where  I  was  immediately  pre- 
sented with  the  usual  Spanish  refresco,  a  cup  of 
chocolate,  and  the  most  excellent  bread  in  Eu- 
rope. In  this,  I  found  that  report  had  for  once 
spoken  the  truth  :  I  have  no  where  tasted  bread 
that  will  compare  with  that  of  Spain  ;  and  this 
remark  applies  to  the  whole  country,  and  not 
only  to  the  cities  and  towns,  but  even  to  the 


SPAIN  IN  183U  9 

villages :  in  the  little  village  of  St.  Lorenzo,  in 
the  midst  of  the  Sierra  Guadarrama,  I  found 
bread  equal  to  any  that  can  be  purchased  in 
Madrid  or  Seville. 

Vittoria  being  the  first  Spanish  town  that  I 
had  seen  by  daylight,  I  quickly  finished  my 
refresco,  that  I  might  walk  into  the  streets. 
The  first  thing  that  attracted  my  attention,  as 
being  characteristic  of  Spain,  was,  the  great 
number  of  priests,  and  members  of  different 
religious  orders ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  it  was 
impossible  to  avoid  remarking  the  difference  in 
the  appearance  of  the  Spanish  clergy,  and  the 
clergy  of  most  of  the  other  Catholic  countries, 
especially  of  France.  I  saw  no  poor  looking, 
half  starved  priests,  in  thread-bare  garments, 
and  looks  of  humility;  all  were  well  clothed, 
and  seemingly  well  fed ;  they  were  not  ashamed 
to  hold  up  their  heads,  and  appeared,  as  the 
French  say,  a  leur  a'lse. 

The  next  thing  that  struck  me  as  being  re- 
markable, was  the  Spanish  cloak.  It  was  about 
noon,  on  a  summer  day,  and  the  sun  was  out ;  and 
yet,  every  second  or  third  person  was  muffled 
up  in  his  ample  cloak  ;  these  persons  were, 
however,  chiefly  of  the  inferior  ranks ;  and  I 
could  not  help  suspecting,  that  the  cloak  covered 
many  an   infirmity,   and    perhaj)s    with    some, 


10  SPAIN  IN  183U 

stood  in  stead  of  an  under  garment :  even  the 
school-boys  had  their  cloaks  thrown  over  their 
shoulders  ;  and  there  appeared  something  very 
ludicrous  in  the  spectacle  of  boys  at  play,  en- 
cumbered with  these  useless  appendages.  I 
remarked  that  brown  was  the  universal  colour  of 
the  cloak  among  the  lower  ranks  ;  blue,  or 
black,  among  the  upper  classes. 

In  the  appearance  of  the  women,  I  noticed 
nothing  very  remarkable.  The  Spanish  national 
dress  is  scarcely  seen  so  far  north — the  lower 
orders  wore  their  hair  plaited,  and  descending 
behind,  to  the  waist ;  and  but  few  of  the  ladies 
were  to  be  seen  with  the  Spanish  mantilla.  I 
am  not  entitled  to  say  a  single  word  respecting 
the  personal  appearance  of  the  Spanish  women, 
from  a  cursory  glance  at  the  streets  of  Vittoria; 
upon  this  subject  my  expectations  were  highly 
excited, — but  I  reserve  my  judgment  upon  so  in- 
teresting a  matter,  until  I  have  seen  the  Capital. 

In  returning  to  the  hotel,  that  I  might  see 
the  arrival  of  the  Infant  from  my  window,  I 
stopped  for  a  moment  in  the  bread  market, — the 
display  was  tempting  and  beautiful ;  loaves  of 
all  shapes  and  dimensions,  and  as  white  as  un- 
kneaded  flour,  were  piled  along  the  street,— but 
I  was  obliged  to  hasten  towards  my  apartment 
by  a  flourish  of  trumpets,  announcing  the  ap- 


SPAIN  IN  183n  11 

proacli  of  the  Infante, — and  in  a  few  minutes 
more  his  advanced  guard  entered  the  street.  I 
can  scarcely  expect  to  be  credited,  when  I  say 
that  the  Infant,  Don  Francis,  the  brother  of  the 
King  of  Spain,  arrived  in  a  diligence, — yet  such 
is  the  fact.  He,  his  consort,  and  his  family, 
occupied  one  diligence,  and  his  suite  occupied 
another, — the  first  drawn  by  seven  mules, — 
the  second,  by  six.  The  royal  party  was  re- 
ceived with  respect  by  a  considerable  concourse 
of  people,  and  with  the  military  honours  usually 
paid  to  persons  in  so  exalted  a  station. 

In  the  afternoon,  I  made  a  second  tour  of 
the  town ; — I  walked  into  three  or  four  of  the 
churches,  but  found  no  fair  devotees  before  any 
of  the  altars ;  only  two  or  three  poor  old  women 
were  at  their  devotions.  I  was  particularly  amused 
with  a  spectacle  that  presented  itself  in  the 
Plaza — a  square,  by  the  by,  little  inferior  to  the 
Place  Vendome  in  Paris :  between  two  and  three 
hundred  girls,  from  eight  to  thirteen  or  fourteen 
years  of  age,  were  assembled  in  the  middle  of 
the  area,  dancing  with  each  other,  to  the  music 
of  a  fife  and  a  drum,  played  by  a  musician  whom 
they  had  hired  to  contribute  his  aid  to  their 
favourite  pastime :  the  dances  were  slow,  and 
conducted  with  the  utmost  gravity ;  every  one 
seemed  to  consider  herself  engaged  in  an  im- 


12  SPAIN  IN  183n 

portant  affair,  and  among  the  two  or  three  hun- 
dred countenances,  there  was  scarcely  a  smile 
to  be  seen. 

The  neighbourhood  of  the  hotel  continued  to 
be  the  point  of  attraction  to  the  inhabitants  of 
Vittoria  all  the  evening ;  an  Infante  is  a  rarity 
in  the  provincial  towns  of  Spain,  and  the  citizens 
testified  their  sense  of  the  honour  of  a  visit,  by 
assembling  in  the  street  opposite  to  the  hotel, 
and  by  hanging  cloths  and  mattings  of  various 
colours  from  the  windows :  a  mark  of  respect, 
which  in   Spain  is   always  considered  due    to 
royal,  or  religious  processions.     Deputations  of 
the  principal  inhabitants  also  arrived,— among 
others,  one  of  Capuchin  friars;  and  to  my  great 
annoyance,   a  band   of  indifferent   music   con- 
tinued to  entertain  the  Infante  till  after  mid- 
night. 

There  was  nothing  to  detain  me  long  in 
Vittoria,  and  I  hired  a  cabriolet  and  two  mules, 
to  carry  me  to  Bilbao,  the  capital  of  Biscay ;  the 
distance  is  eleven  leagues  of  the  country,  or 
something  more  than  fifty  English  miles,  and 
for  this  I  paid  200  reals ;  and  as  I  may  probably 
have  frequent  occasion  to  mention  the  expense 
of  travelling,  and  the  value  of  different  articles, 
the  following  few  explanations  will  be  found  of 
use.     Generally  speaking,  every  thing  in  Spain 


SPAIN  ,IN  1S3U.  13 

is  calculated  by  reals,  from  the  price  of  a  ticket 
to  the  bull-light,  up  to  the  State  expenditure. 
The  value  of  a  real  is  nearly  2}/L, — so  that  four 
reals  are  equal  to  a  French  franc,  or  10^.  English ; 
ail  accounts  in  reals  may  therefore  be  easily 
understood  by  dividing  by  four.  But  in  small 
values,  the  calculation  is  made  in  quartos,  eight 
and  a  ha^f  of  which  are  equal  to  a  real,  or  2ld. 
In  stating  prices,  I  shall  always  make  use  of 
these  two  denominations  of  money,  so  that  the 
reader  may  at  once  be  able  to  substitute  English 
value. 

From  Eayonne,  into  Biscay,  the  nearest  road 
is  not  by  Vittoria,  but  along  the  sea  shore  by 
St.  Sebastian;  but  the  muleteers  considering 
the  coast  road  unsafe,  from  the  chances  of  rob- 
bery, I  was  obliged  to  take  the  more  circuitous 
line  by  Vittoria,  which  I  left  about  five  in  the 
morning,  after  the  usual  refresco.  Chocolate  in 
Spain,  is  very  different  from  chocolate  in  Eng- 
land :  it  is  served  in  a  very  small  cup,  about  the 
size  of  the  old  India  china  coffee  cup ;  it  is 
about  the  consistence  of  thick  cream,  and  is 
highly  spiced  with  cinnamon :  the  traveller  in 
Spain  who  dislikes  chocolate,  will  often  find 
himself  exposed  to  great  inconvenience. 

Leaving  Vittoria,  I  entered  upon  the  extensive 
plain  in  which  it   is  situated,   and  proceeded 


14  SPAIN  IN  183D. 

along  a  good  road,  and  at  a  pleasant  pace, 
towards  the  mountains.  The  plain  of  Vittoria 
is  entirely  a  corn  country,  and,  at  this  early 
season,  harvest  had  already  begun :  the  soil  is 
naturally  bad  and  scanty;  but  the  proverbial 
industry  of  the  Biscayans  forces  from  it  an  un- 
willing crop.  From  Vittoria  to  the  entrance  of 
the  mountains,  is  about  three  leagues ;  I  passed 
through  two  or  three  small  villages,  and  at 
another,  somewhat  larger,  just  on  the  limits  of 
the  plain,  we  stopped  to  water  the  mules :  it 
was  Sunday  morning ;  there  was  a  fine  display 
of  vegetables  and  fruit  in  the  market-place,  and 
several  hundred  villagers  and  peasants  were 
assembled,  waiting  the  summons  to  go  to  mass. 
I  walked  round  the  market-place,  and  observed 
with  pleasure,  not  unmixed  with  surprise,  that 
every  individual  was  clean  and  well  dressed.  I 
was  not  accosted  by  a  single  beggar. 

Immediately  upon  leaving  this  village,  I  en- 
tered the  mountains — a  delightful  change  from 
a  wide  treeless  plain.  About  a  league  from  the 
entrance,  at  the  end  of  a  winding  valley,  and  just 
before  beginning  a  steep  ascent,  I  noticed  a 
house  where  guards  were  to  be  hired ;  the 
muleteer  asked  me  whether  I  chose  to  have  any, 
but  being  at  that  time  rather  an  unbeliever  in 
the  frequency  of  robbery,  and  liking  the  ex- 


SPAIN  IN  1831X  15 

pression  of  the  muleteer's  countenance,  I  replied 
in  the  negative,  and  we  passed  on. 

The  passage  of  the  Biscayan  mountains  by 
this  road,  affords  some  very  magnificent  pro- 
spects ;  the  lower  parts  of  the  mountains  are 
covered  with  oak  and  Spanish  chestnut,  and  the 
summits  rise  to  the  height  of  at  least  5000  feet, 
in  the  form  of  numerous  fantastic  pinnacles  of 
a  reddish  colour ;  the  road  is  constructed  upon 
the  most  scientific  principle,  reaching  the  sum- 
mit by  a  zigzag,  and  very  easy  ascent,  and  is  as 
broad  and  as  smooth  as  the  best  roads  in  any 
other  country.  The  descent  towards  the  north- 
west is  much  greater  than  the  ascent  from  Vit- 
toria,  proving  the  great  elevation  of  the  province 
of  Alava  above  that  of  Biscay  Proper ;  the  pro- 
vinces both  of  Alava,  and  of  Gidpuscoa,  are 
called  Biscayan  provinces,  but  Biscay  Proper  is 
confined  to  the  country  lying  to  the  north  of 
the  mountains,  and  bounded  by  the  sea. 

We  stopped  at  Durango,  the  first  town  after 
descending  the  mountains,  to  dine,  and  rest  the 
mules  during  the  hottest  part  of  the  day.  I 
was  equally  pleased  and  surprised  witli  the 
excellence  of  the posa da  at  Durango;  the  most 
scrupulous  cleanliness  was  visible  in  every 
thing  ;  the  dinner  was  unobjectionable  ;  and  I 
remarked  a  refinement  to  which  the  best  French 


■16  SPAIN   IN   183D. 

inns  are  strangers — the  knives  and  forks  were 
changed  with  every  plate.  I  learned  from  the 
Soiorita  who  waited  at  table,  that  a  sad  misfor- 
tune had  that  day  befallen  the  village  ;  the 
bishop  to  whose  diocese  it  belonged,  had  jour- 
neyed from  Navarre  to  pay  his  respects  to  the 
Infante  at  Bilbao ;  on  his  return  he  had  stopped 
at  Durango,  as  it  was  improper  to  travel  on 
Sunday,  and  after  condescending  to  preach  a 
sermon  in  the  village  church,  he  had  reproved 
the  levity  of  the  people,  and  forbade  that  there 
should  be  any  dancing  in  the  village  that  even- 
ing ;  but  the  girl  added,  that  she  v/culd  go  to 
another  village,  half  a  league  distant,  to  which 
the  injunction  did  not  extend  :  this  trifling  trait, 
added  to  another  which  I  shall  just  now  record, 
first  led  me  to  suspect,  that  the  influence  of  the 
priesthood  was  on  the  decline,  in  Biscay  at 
least.  The  landlord,  having  discovered  that  I 
was  English,  asked  me  how  many  priests  we 
might  have  in  England  in  a  town  such  as  Du- 
rango ?  I  replied,  that  we  might  have  one  or 
two;  *'  O  Dm,'"  said  he,  "  we  have  here  more 
than  forty !  " 

After  dinner,  we  continued  our  journey  to- 
wards Bilbao.  Leaving  the  town,  I  remarked  on 
passing  the  church,  that  the  market  was  held 
under  the  portico,  and  in  the  environs  I  noticed 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  17 

a  few  specimens  of  Biscayan  enjoyment ; 
groups  of  men  were  lying,  and  sitting  under 
the  trees,  playing  at  cards ;  and  women  were 
seen  here  and  there,  seated  on  the  grass,  sing- 
ing, and  playing  the  tamborine.  The  road  to 
Bilbao  continued  excellent,  and  lay  through  a 
fine  fertile  valley,  bearing  luxuriant  crops  of 
Indian  corn,  diversified  by  meadows,  and  wood, 
which  also  covered  the  sides  of  the  neighbour- 
ing hills.  I  saw  no  carriage  on  the  road  but 
my  own  ;  carts,  and  long  trains  of  mules,  occa- 
sionally passed,  and  the  only  travellers  I  saw, 
were  two  gentlemen  mounted  on  mules,  accom- 
panied by  four  guards  on  foot,  each  provided 
with  a  carabine. 

All  the  way  from  Vittoria,  the  muleteer  who 
drove  the  carriage,  sung  a  remarkably  beautiful, 
but  somewhat  monotonous  air.  I  was  greatly 
pleased  with  the  muleteer's  song,  and  was 
anxious  that  I  should  not  forget  it ;  but  I  after- 
wards found  that  I  need  not  have  been  appre- 
hensive of  this :  every  where  throughout  Castile 
I  heard  the  same  air,  and  in  Madrid,  nothing- 
else  was  sung  by  the  lower  orders.  I  was 
anxious  to  purchase  it,  and  applied  at  one  of 
the  music-shops,  but  they  told  me  they  dared 
not  sell  it;  it  was  forbidden  by  the  government. 

VOL.   I  .  c 


18  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

The  air  was  old  Arragonese,  but  it  was  revived 
to  new  words,  in  a  little  comedy  that  somehow 
slipped  through  the  censorship  a  few  months 
before,  and  related  how  a  certain  friar  knew 
too  well  the  road  into  a  certain  convent. 

As  the  road  approaches  Bilbao,  the  moun- 
tains that  inclose  the  valley  increase  in  height, 
make  a  curve,  and  run  directly  into  the  Bay  of 
Biscay;  and  Bilbao  is  situated  in  their  bosom  : 
it  is  this  that  gives  to  Bilbao  its  peculiar  cha- 
racter. Mountains  generally  diminish  in  height 
as  they  approach  the  sea ;  but  here,  this  rule  is 
reversed,  and  Bilbao  possesses  the  singularity 
of  being  a  sea-port,  and  of  yet  being  all  but 
surrounded  by  lofty  mountains.  Owing  to  this, 
nothing  can  be  more  striking  and  novel  than 
the  view  of  the  city  where  it  is  first  seen  from 
the  bridge  that  crosses  the  small  river  about  a 
mile  before  entering  it.  I  was  obliged  to  leave 
the  carriage  at  the  entrance  to  the  town,  and 
walk  to  the  posada;  for  it  is  the  rule  that  no 
wheeled  carriages  of  any  kind  are  allowed  to 
drive  through  the  streets  of  Bilbao.  This  regu- 
lation has  arisen  from  a  praiseworthy  desire  to 
preserve  the  purity  of  the  water,  which  is  con- 
veyed in  a  stone  tunnel  under  the  streets ;  all 
goods  are  therefore  carried  through  the  town 
either   in  panniers,    on   mules,  or   in   sledges, 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  19 

which  are  provided  with  a  contrivance  by 
which  they  constantly  moisten  their  path  with 
water. 

Walking  through  the  streets,  to  the  posada  de 
St.  Nicola,  the  only  good  inn  in  Bilbao,  and 
one  of  the  very  best  in  the  Peninsula,  I  was 
attracted  by  two  curious  exhibitions,  one  of 
them  very  forcibly  reminding  me  that  I  was  in 
Spain :  two  well-dressed  peasants  danced  be- 
fore me  the  whole  length  of  a  long  street  while 
another  walked  behind,  playing  a  sort  of  trum- 
pet; and  in  the  open  space  before  the  principal 
fountain,  some  boys  were  amusing  themselves 
with  the  representation  of  a  bull-fight ;  one  boy 
was  mounted  on  another's  back,  the  undermost 
representing  the  horse  of  the  picador,  the  other 
was  armed  with  a  long  pole,  while  a  third  on 
foot,  his  head  covered  with  a  basket  in  which 
he  had  fixed  two  horns,  imitated  the  motions 
and  bellowing  of  the  bull ;  several  others  with 
handkerchiefs,  represented  the  torredores,  throw- 
ing them  in  the  bull's  face.  The  bull-fights  at 
Bilbao  had  newly  concluded  ;  the  Infante  had 
been  treated  with  eight  exhibitions,  in  which 
thirty-two  bulls  were  killed.  This  is  the  high- 
est mark  of  respect  that  Spanish  authorities  can 
shew  to  a  visitor,  and  the  greater  the  number 

(   2 


20  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

of  bulls  that  are  sacrificed,  the  greater  of  course 
is  the  compliment. 

I  remained  in   Bilbao  a  fortnight,   which  I 
found  amply  sufficient  to  see  all  that  merited 
attention,  and  to  inform  myself  respecting  some 
of  the  peculiarities  of  the  province  of  Biscay. 
I  have  already  spoken  of  the  situation  of  Bilbao, 
as  striking  and  beautiful,  but  the  town  itself  is 
not  remarkable  for  its  beauty  or  cleanliness ; 
the  smells  are  most  offensive;   and  lying  as  it 
does  in  so  deep  a  basin  among  the  mountains, 
which  even   shut  it  out  from  the  sea,   I  can 
scarcely  think  Bilbao  a  healthy  city.     But  by 
the  side  of  the  river,  there  is  a  fine  promenade 
all  the  way  to  the  port,  ^yhich  lies  about  two 
miles  from  the  city,  and  here  the  inhabitants 
may  catch  some  of  the  sea  breeze  which  gene- 
rally comes  up  with  the  tide ;    a  part  of  this 
promenade  is  allotted  to  the  fruit  and  vegetable 
market,  which  I  strolled  through,  the  morning 
after  my  arrival ;  there  was  a  most  abundant 
display  of  every  sort  of  which  the  season  ad- 
mitted, including  an  extraordinary  quantity  of 
tomata, — this  is  known  in  the  south  of  .France 
by  the  name  of  pomme  d'amour,  and  is  an  impor- 
tant ingredient  in  Spanish  cookery.    The  bread 
market  is  held  along  with  the  fruit  market,  and 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  21 

I  found  the  bread  of  Bilbao  quite  equal  to  that 
of  the  other  parts  of  Spain. 

When  I  looked  from  my  window  in  the  hotel, 
I  found  that  I  was  well  situated  for  observing 
the  inhabitants  of  all  classes  :  opposite,  stood 
the  church  of  St.  Nicholas ;  at  one  side  was  a 
public  fountain,  and  on  the  other  a  brass  basin — 
reminding  me  of  Membrino's  helmet — indicated 
a  barber's  shop.  At  all  hours  therefore  I  might 
see  some  going  to  mass,  and  others  filling  their 
pitchers  at  the  fountain.  The  Biscayan  de- 
serves the  character  of  strength,  that  has  been 
given  to  him;  and  the  contrast  between  the  Bis- 
cayan, and  the  Andalusian  peasant,  who  inhabit 
the  two  extremes  of  Spain,  is  remarkable :  the 
latter,  dark,  tall,  upright,  slim,  with  something 
of  elegance  in  his  appearance ;  and  the  look  of 
pride  generally  visible  in  his  air  and  counte- 
nance, seeming  to  have  some  reference  to  his 
personal  attractions :  the  Biscayan,  broad,  ath- 
letic, lounging,  with  something  of  peculiar 
roughness  in  his  look  and  manner;  and  his 
expression  of  blunt  independence,  having  no 
reference  to  himself  individually,  but  arising 
from  the  knowledge  that  he  is  a  Biscayan,  and 
as  such,  the  hereditary  possessor  of  peculiar 
and  exclusive  rights.  Such  seemed  to  me  the 
Biscayan  peasant,  whether  he  filled  his  pitcher 


22  SPAIN   IN  1830. 

at  the  fountain,  or  entered  St.  Nicholas  to 
mass.  As  for  the  women,  I  do  not  feel  myself 
obliged  to  use  the  same  reserve  in  speaking  of 
them  as  of  the  women  of  Vittoria :  because  the 
inhabitants  of  Biscay  being  a  distinct  race,  my 
opinion  of  them  does  not  compromise  the  cha- 
racter and  claims  of  Spanish  women  generally. 
I  saw  little  beauty  in  Bilbao,  and  less  elegance  ; 
and  in  the  manner  of  the  women  I  remarked 
the  same  bluntness  as  that  which  characterizes 
the  men. 

But  along  with  Biscayan  bluntness,  there  is 
much  good  heartedness  and  honesty,  and  a  great 
deal  of  intelligence ;  and  even  the  pride  of  a 
Biscayan,  has  given  rise  to  much  of  the  industry 
and  enterprise  which  in  the  province  of  Biscay 
are  so  conspicuous  in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil, 
in  the  construction  of  useful  works,  and  in 
the  establishment  of  praiseworthy  institutions. 
Many  of  the  inhabitants  of  Biscay  in  the  upper 
classes  have  made  voyages  into  other  countries, 
and  have  returned  with  diminished  prejudices, 
and  increased  liberality  of  sentiment ;  and  the 
consequence  of  this  has  been,  that  among  the 
educated,  and  better  classes  of  society,  there  is 
little  narrowness  in  political  sentiment,  and  little 
bigotry  in  religion.  I  heard  several  of  the  most 
respectable  inhabitants  of  Bilbao  express  openly 


SPAIN  IN  IS30.  23 

much  dissatisfaction  at  the  political  debasement 
of  Spain,  and  breathe  ardent  wishes  for  the  dif- 
fusion of  intellectual  and  religious  light;  but 
they  added,  what  my  own  knowledge  has  since 
fully  confirmed,  that  I  should  not  find  in  any 
other  part  of  Spain,  the  same  enlightened  views 
as  I  had  found  in  Biscay.  Among  the  lower 
orders  in  Bilbao,  and  in  Biscay  generally,  there 
is  still  much  bigotry  both  in  politics  and  reli- 
gion, but  more  especially  in  the  latter  ;  during 
the  existence  of  the  constitution,  the  prejudices 
of  the  lower  ranks  made  it  necessary  to  affix  in 
large  letters  over  the  doors  of  all  the  churches, 
and  attested  by  the  existing  authorities,  these 
important  words,  —  "  The  Roman  Catholic  is 
the  only  true  religion." 

In  Biscay  there  are  not  many  poor,  nor 
many  rich.  Formerly,  Bilbao  contained  many 
wealthy  citizens ;  but  the  export  trade  in  wool 
was  then  flourishing.  At  that  time  the  clear- 
ances were  more  than  double  their  present  num- 
ber; but  ever  since  the  preference  of  Saxon  wool 
has  begun  to  be  shewn  in  the  foreign  markets, 
the  trade  of  Bilbao  has  declined,  and  now,  not 
more  than  between  thirty  and  forty  British  ves- 
sels visit  Bilbao  in  the  course  of  a  year.  Some 
few  houses  in  Bilbao  have  still  considerable 
returns  from  the  fish  trade,  and  one  or  two,  from 


24  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

the  iron  export  trade ;  but  this  has  also  fallen 
off,  since  the  demand  for  Swedish  iron  has  in- 
creased. Biscayan  iron  would  still  command  a 
preference  in  the  foreign  markets,  from  its  supe- 
rior qualities  for  finer  purposes,  if  it  could  enter 
them  at  the  same  price  as  Swedish  iron ;  but  this 
is  impossible,  both  on  account  of  the  expense 
of  fuel  for  furnaces,  and  the  want  of  inland 
navigation.  Timber  is  not  scarce  in  the  pro- 
vince of  Biscay ;  but  there  is  an  old  Biscayan 
law  which  tends  to  keep  up  its  price,  enacting 
that  for  every  tree  cut  down,  six  must  be  planted 
in  its  stead ;  this  is  often  felt  to  be  an  inconveni- 
ence, and  produces  scarcity  in  the  midst  of  plenty. 
I  was  informed  that  two  or  three  houses  in  Bilbao 
realize  from  2  to  3000/.  a-year ;  but  I  believe  I 
may  assert  that  no  one  spends  300/.  It  is  diffi- 
cult to  spend  money  in  Bilbao  :  in  no  part  of 
Spain,  least  of  all  in  Biscay,  is  it  the  custom  to 
live  extravagantly  or  luxuriously.  The  table  of 
a  Biscayan  is  remarkable  for  its  simplicity  and 
sameness :  of  whatever  rank  he  may  be,  he 
takes  his  cup  of  chocolate  and  bread,  followed 
by  a  glass  of  sugar  and  water,  about  eight  o'clock ; 
he  dines  about  one,  and  six  days  out  of  seven, 
his  dinner  consists  of  broth,  and  dipudiero,  which 
is  boiled  beef,  with  a  small  bit  of  pork,  sur- 
rounded either  by  cabbage,  or   Spanish  peas. 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  25 

(garbanzos),  and  varied  occasionally  with  a  sau- 
sage ;  a  cup  of  chocolate  again  in  the  afternoon, 
and  for  supper,  boiled  lettuce  prepared  with 
vinegar,  oil  and  pepper,  finish  the  repasts  of  the 
day.  The  menage  at  home,  therefore,  costs  but 
a  trifling  sum ;  and  neither  does  the  Biscayan 
spend  any  thing  upon  entertaining  his  friends ; 
not  that  he  is  unsocial;  he  is  social  according  to 
the  custom  of  his  country.  During  the  winter, 
a  circle  of  six,  eight,  or  ten  families  form  them- 
selves into  a  society,  and  agree  to  visit  each 
other ;  each  chooses  a  week,  and  during  each 
week  the  circle  assembles  every  evening  at  the 
same  house;  they  take  chocolate  before  going 
out,  and  sup  when  they  return ;  the  entertain- 
ment is  entirely  intellectual ;  music,  cards,  and 
dancing  fill  up  the  evening.  Upon  one  occasion 
only,  does  the  circle  eat  together :  all  the  money 
lost  and  won  at  cards,  is  made  a  purse,  and  is 
confided  to  one  of  the  party;  and  during  the 
summer  it  is  converted  into  a  dinner  in  the 
country,  of  which  all  the  members  of  the  circle 
partake. 

There  are  no  public  amusements  in  Bilbao, 
excepting  occasional  bull  fights.  Two  attempts 
to  establish  a  theatre  have  failed ;  a  handsome 
stone  theatre  erected  some  years  ago,  was  burnt 
down  not  long  after  it  was  erected ;  and  there 


26  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

was  strong  reason  to  believe,  that  the  conflagra- 
tion was  wilful,  and  that  the  friars  were  at  the 
bottom  of  it :  another  theatre  constructed  of 
wood,  was  subsequently  opened ;  but  after  a 
very  short  time  it  was  pulled  down  by  order  of 
the  public  authorities ;  and  this  was  also  gene- 
rally believed  to  have  been  owing  to  the  inter- 
ference of  the  friars. 

The  town  of  Bilbao  is  extremely  rich.  On 
the  occasion  of  the  king's  visit  a  (ew  years  ago, 
the  corporation  expended  no  less  than  two 
million  of  reals  (20,000/.)  in  feasts,  decorations, 
bull-fights,  &c.,  and  to  cover  these  expenses,  it 
was  not  necessary  to  lay  on  any  additional  im- 
positions. These  funds  arise  from  dues  upon  the 
entry  of  all  the  necessaries  of  life,  whether  by 
land  or  by  sea :  beef  is  entirely  a  town  monopoly ; 
the  meat  is  farmed  to  butchers  at  certain  prices, 
and  retailed  by  them,  and  by  this  monopoly  the 
Corporation  realizes  1500  reals  per  day.  The 
duties  upon  wine,  soap,  and  oil,  are  also  con- 
siderable, and  the  dues  of  port  entry  upon  all 
articles  of  subsistence  are  2id.  per  cent.  But 
notwithstanding  these  dues,  living  is  not  ex- 
pensive. The  following  are  the  prices  of  some 
articles:  beef  is  10  quartos,  or  about  3^.; 
mutton,  3ir/.,  but  it  is  generally  of  an  indifferent 
quality  ;  a  lamb  costs  from  20^/.  to  2*. ;  veal  is 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  27 

about  4^/.  per  lb.,  all  of  17  oz.  Bread  varies  in 
price,  according  to  the  quality  :  the  best  is  l^d. 
per  lb.,  but  the  coarsest  kinds,  and  the  bread  of 
Indian  corn,  is  not  sold  by  weight.  Many  kinds 
of  game  are  both  plentiful  and  cheap  :  wood- 
cocks are  frequently  to  be  had  at  lOd.  or  Is. 
per  pair.  Groceries  are  also  reasonable,  and  it 
is  a  curious  fact,  that  loaf  sugar,  coming  from 
England,  is  cheaper  than  raw  sugar,  direct  from 
the  Havannah :  good  wine  costs  a  little  less  than 
3^/.  per  bottle.  The  Spanish  country  wines 
taste  unpleasantly  to  a  stranger,  for  they  have 
almost  all  contracted,  less  or  more,  a  peculiar 
flavour  from  the  skins  in  which  they  are  carried. 
There  are  two  reasons  why  the  Spanish  wines 
are  carried  in  skins:  in  the  wine  countries  there 
is  little  wood  to  make  casks ;  but  the  principal 
reason  is,  that  the  cross-roads  are  not  suited  for 
carriages,  and  that  mules  can  more  conveniently 
carry  skins  than  casks.  Throughout  Biscay, 
the  wages  of  labour  are  from  10^/.  to  ly. ;  and 
workmen,  such  as  carpenters,  masons.  Sec.  re- 
ceive from  20d.  to  2s.  per  day. 

Among  the  first  days  of  my  residence  in 
Bilbao,  I  visited  the  new  cemetery,  the  model 
of  which  is  worthy  of  being  adopted  in  other 
places.  This  Campo  Scoito  has  been  inclosed  in 
consequence  of  a  quarrel  between  the  Franciscan 


28  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

Convent  and  the  Chapter  of  Bilbao,  respecting 
the  dues  of  burial,  in  a  place  to  which  both 
claimed  right ;  and  the  Corporation  completed 
the  new  cemetery,  at  an  expense  of  not  less 
than  30,000/.  The  gateway  is  beautiful  and 
chaste,  with  this  appropriate  inscription  over  it: 

"  Cada  Paso,  que  vais  dando 
Por  la  senda  de  la  vida 
Mas  y  mas  os  va  acercando 
Mortales,  a  la  partida, 
Que  en  vano  estais  evitando." 

The  design  of  the  Campo  Santo  is  this  :  a  square 
area  of  about  six  acres  is  surrounded  by  a  covered 
arcade,  supported  by  doric  columns ;  the  back  of 
the  arcade  is  an  immense  wall  of  brickwork,  in 
which  there  are  four  rows  of  spaces  for  coffins, 
the  opening  one  yard  square,  and  six  feet  and  a 
half  long;  into  this,  the  coffin  is  deposited;  the 
spaces  which  are  not  occupied  are  slightly  closed 
up;  and  a  ring  in  the  centre,  shews  that  they  are 
vacant.  When  a  coffin  is  deposited,  the  opening 
is  built  up  with  brick  and  lime,  and  a  stone  or 
marble  slab,  fitted  into  it,  records  the  name  of 
the  buried.  The  cemetery  is  fitted  to  receive 
3000  dead — a  great  number  for  so  small  a  space ; 
and  the  area  beyond  the  arcade,  is  tastefully 
laid  out  as  a  garden  and  shrubbery.  Besides 
the  inscription  I  have  noted  down,  there  are 


SPAIN  IN  1830. 


29 


several  others  that  struck  me  as  being  beautiful 
and  well  chosen.  The  following  particularly, 
over  the  inner-gate,  is  striking: — 

"  Deten  sus  pasos  inciertos 
O  Caminente !  repara, 
En  que  esta  Puerta  separa 
A  Los  vivos  de  los  muertos." 

Which  may  be  freely  translated  : — "  Stop, 
thoughtless  wanderer !  and  reflect, — this  gate 
separates  the  dead  from  the  living." 

In  returning  from  the  cemetery  to  the  town, 
I  made  a  long  circuit,  visiting  in  my  way  the 
Iglesia  de  Bigofia,  a  church  which  takes  its  name 
from  a  miraculous  image  of  our  Lady  of  Bigoiia, 
deposited  in  it,  and  looked  upon  with  extra- 
ordinary veneration  by  the  lower  orders  in 
Bilbao.  It  happened  to  be  a  feast  day,  and  a 
great  number  of  persons  were  collected  in  the 
church,  because  upon  all  such  days,  the  curtain 
that  screens  the  miraculous  image  is  withdrawn 
for  a  few  moments — an  opportunity  not  to  be 
disregarded  by  any  good  Biscayan  who  desires 
to  ensure  the  kind  offices  of  the  sainted  Lady  of 
Bigoiia.  Before  the  service  began,  the  officiating 
priest  shewed  me  the  sacristy,  and  a  head  of 
John  the  Baptist  in  wood;  a  very  clever  per- 
formance, by  a  native  artist ;  and  I  afterwards 


30  SPAIN  IN  18.30. 

waited  in  the  church  long  enough  to  see  the 
curtain  withdrawn,  and  the  prostrations  of  three 
or  four  hundred  devotees.  There  is  a  small 
foundation  left  to  this  church,  for  a  curious  pur- 
pose. The  curate  must  go  to  the  gate  of  the 
church  at  the  commencement  of  every  thunder 
storm, — say  a  certain  prayer, — and  sprinkle  the 
sky  with  holy  water.  It  appears,  however,  that 
the  virtue  of  the  water,  as  well  as  the  water  itself, 
has  been  sometimes  dissipated  before  reaching 
the  clouds ;  for  the  church  tower  has  been  twice 
struck  by  lightning. 

In  the  course  of  my  walk,  I  learned  a  curious 
fact,  illustrating  strongly  the  mixture  of  pride 
and  generosity  which  is  often  found  in  the 
Spanish  character.  The  Corporation  being  de- 
sirous of  conducting  an  aqueduct  and  a  road  to 
Bilbao  from  a  mountain  about  a  league  distant, 
applied  to  the  proprietor  (a  grandee  of  Spain) 
to  purchase  the  land  through  which  these  were 
to  be  carried.  He  refused  to  sell  it;  but  said, 
that  if  the  Corporation  would  petition  him  for  a 
grant  of  the  land,  he  would  make  them  a  pre- 
sent of  it :  they  however  wanted  no  favour,  and 
would  not  condescend  to  this ;  but  supposing 
that  the  proprietor  would  be  prevailed  upon  to 
sell,  they  commenced,  and  at  length  nearly 
finished  the  work.     The  grandee,  offended  at 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  31 

this  insolence,  applied  to  the  king  for  an  order 
to  demolish  the  work,  and  obtained  it ;  but  just 
in  time  to  prevent  this,  the  Corporation  peti- 
tioned the  grandee,  and  the  order  was  not  only- 
rescinded,  but  the  grant  of  the  land  was  com- 
pleted. The  water  conveyed  in  this  aqueduct 
forms  a  reservoir  at  the  entrance  of  the  town 
for  a  useful  and  rather  a  novel  purpose :  by 
opening  a  sluice,  seven  of  the  lov^'est  streets  in 
the  town  are  inundated  ;  this  is  done  every  week 
during  the  summer  heats,  and  is  doubtless  very 
useful  in  carrying  away  impurities.  I  walked 
through  one  of  the  lowest  of  the  streets  an  hour 
before,  and  an  hour  after  the  purification ;  and 
the  difference  in  smell,  freshness,  and  coolness, 
was  most  striking. 

Walking  either  in  the  streets,  or  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Bilbao,  the  convents  and  monas- 
teries are  very  conspicuous :  they  are  almost  all 
immense  piles  of  building,  of  little  architectural 
beauty,  and  are  at  once  distinguished  by  the 
strong  gratings  that  cover  their  windows.  In 
the  town  there  are  four  monasteries — the  Fran- 
ciscans, the  Capuchins,  the  Augustins,  and  tlie 
Carmelites  :  the  two  former  of  these  subsist  on 
charity,  which  is  liberally  bestowed,  and  they 
in  their  turn  give  charity  to  others.  Every 
day,  a  great  number  of  poor  are  fed  after  the 


32  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

Franciscan  friars  have  dined,  and  as  they  are  a 
hundred  and  ten  in  number,  the  refuse  of  their 
dinner  must  be  considerable.  I  visited  the 
Franciscan  convent  accompanied  by  an  English 
lady,  and  although  I  found  the  utmost  polite- 
ness from  the  Superior,  he  was  deaf  to  all  my 
entreaties  to  permit  the  lady  to  enter  the  sa- 
cristy, to  see  a  picture  said  to  be  by  Raphael. 
This  convent  was  partly  destroyed  by  the 
French,  and  it  was  under  its  gateway  that 
several  of  those  military  executions  took  place, 
which  so  disgraced  the  conduct  of  the  French 
during  their  occupation  of  the  province  of  Bis- 
cay. In  the  Carmelite  convent,  there  are  only 
five  friars,  who  want  for  nothing  that  money 
can  purchase ;  they  are  extremely  rich,  and 
possess  a  charming  property  not  far  from  Bil- 
bao, called  ''el  Desierto ;"  but  which  might 
with  greater  propriety  be  called  "el  Faradaiso.'" 
Besides  these  monasteries  within  the  town, 
there  are  two  at  a  short  distance  from  it — the 
Burcena  convent  of  Mercenarios,  and  the  Friars 
of  San  Mames,  both  of  the  Franciscan  order. 

The  female  convents  are  also  numerous  ;  these 
are,  La  Conception,  a  Franciscan  order,  in 
which  there  are  14  nuns;  Santa  Clara,  also 
Franciscan,  in  which  there  are  10  nuns;  El 
Convento  de  la  Encarnacion,  where  there  are  27 


SPAIN  IN  1830. 


33 


nuns ;  el  Convento  de  la  Cruz,  containing  12 
nuns ;  Santa  Monica,  an  Augustinian  order, 
with  12  nuns;  La  Esperanza,  containing  12, 
and  La  Merced,  containing  10.  There  are 
altogether  about  350  friars  and  nuns  in  Bilbao, 
and  about  120  priests.  In  the  province  of  Bis- 
cay, females  profess  at  a  very  early  age ;  their 
noviciate  generally  commences  about  fifteen, 
and  at  the  expiration  of  a  year  they  take  the  veil. 
A  nun  must  carry  into  the  convent  about  30,000 
reals  (300/.) ;  and  to  La  Merced  and  Santa  Mo- 
nica, considerably  more.  I  ascertained,  from  a 
source  of  the  most  authentic  kind,  that  three- 
fourths  of  the  nuns  who  take  the  veil  at  this 
early  age,  die  of  a  decline  within  four  years.  The 
climate,  which  in  Biscay  is  so  prolific  in  con- 
sumption, added  to  the  \o\v  and  damp  situation 
of  some  of  the  convents,  may  perhaps  be  ad- 
mitted to  have  some  influence  upon  this  pre- 
mature decay ;  but  1  should  incline  to  attribute 
a  greater  influence  to  causes  more  immediately 
referable  to  the  unhappy  and  unnatural  condi- 
tion of  those  who  are  shut  out  from  the  common 
privileges,  hopes,  and  enjoyments  of  their  kind. 
I  visited  the  convent  of  Santa  Monica  in 
company  with  an  old  gentleman,  an  inhabitant 
of  Bilbao,  who  had  known  several  of  the  in- 
mates  from   childhood.      We   were   only   per- 

VOL.   1.  D 


34  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

mitted  to  converse  through  a  double  grating, 
which  separated  the  small  antechamber  where 
we  stood,  from  the  convent  burying-ground, 
where  three  of  the  nuns  were ;  two  of  them 
seemed  to  be  above  thirty,  the  other  was  under 
twenty ;  my  companion,  a  very  jocose  old  man, 
jested,  and  amused  them;  and  they  in  their  turn 
prated,  and  laughed  immoderately,  and  appeared 
to  be  in  excellent  spirits ;  but  the  sight  of  an  old 
acquaintance,  and  the  novelty  of  a  visit  from  an 
English  lady,  had  probably  produced  a  tempo- 
rary excitement :  while,  in  the  midst  of  their 
mirth,  they  were  suddenly  sent  for  by  the  ab- 
bess, who  probably  thought  it  wise  to  turn  their 
thoughts  into  another  channel.  It  is  a  pity,  I 
think,  that  those  who  have  separated  themselves 
from  the  world,  should  afterwards  be  permitted 
to  hold  any  communication  with  it;  feelings 
may  be  stifled,  and  hopes  buried,  and  time  and 
habit  may  lead  to  forgetfulness,  and  even  un- 
consciousness, of  a  busier,  and  it  may  be,  a 
brighter  scene ;  but  recollections  are  easily 
awakened,  and  it  is  cruel  to  revive  that  which 
must  again  be  buried. 

Walking  one  evening  to  see  the  new  hospital, 
which  lies  on  the  outskirts  of  the  toMai,  I  was 
surprised  at  the  great  number  of  mules  which 
were  entering  and  leaving  Bilbao ;  the  former 


SPAIN  IN  1S;5().  35 

laden  with  wine,  soap  and  oil ;  the  latter  with 
dried  cod,  which  forms  the  staple  of  the  Bilbao 
trade,  and  is  an  article  of  diet  very  extensively 
used  throughout  the  greater  part  of  Spain. 
There  is  a  curious  regulation  respecting  the 
trade  of  Bilbao  with  the  interior, — no  muleteer 
from  Castile  can  carry  away  a  load  from  any 
part  of  Biscay,  unless  he  has  brought  a  load 
with  him ;  and  this  load  must  consist  of  some- 
thing that  may  be  eaten,  drank,  or  burnt :  this 
regulation  ensures  at  all  times  to  the  Biscayan 
market  an  abundant  supply,  at  a  reasonable 
rate,  of  all  the  articles  that  come  from  the 
interior;  nor  is  the  regulation  thought  a  hard 
one  by  the  muleteer ;  because,  although  owing 
to  the  abundant  supply,  he  is  frequently  a  loser 
by  it,  he  knows  that  it  would  be  insecure  to 
carry  money  so  far  to  the  market :  it  is  in  fact 
a  remnant  of  the  original  commerce  of  all  na- 
tions— barter. 

I  found  the  hospital  well  worthy  of  a  visit ; 
it  is  not  yet  completed,  but  is  calculated  to  ac- 
commodate 2o0  patients.  When  I  visited  it, 
there  were  only  50  patients,  whose  diseases 
were  consumption  and  old  age.  One  part  of 
the  establishment  I  greatly  approve  of;  a  ward 
of  the  building  is  appropriated  for  the  reception 
of  strangers,  or  persons  of  a  superior  rank  in 

D  2 


36  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

life,  who  may  be  desirous  of  good  advice  at  a 
moderate  expense,  and  without  occasioning 
trouble  to  friends  or  relations  :  these  pay  half  a 
dollar  per  day,  and  have  all  the  best  hospital 
attendance  united  with  the  comforts  of  a  pri- 
vate house.  I  can  scarcely  conceive  a  more 
welcome  piece  of  intelligence  to  an  unfortunate 
stranger,  seized  with  a  severe  malady  in  a 
foreign  place,  than  the  existence  of  an  institu- 
tion like  this. 

In  walking  through  the  wards,  I  noticed  books 
in  the  hands  of  several  of  the  patients ;  these 
were  chiefly  forms  of  prayer ;  but  seeing  one 
sick  man  laughing  heartily  over  his  studies,  I 
had  the  curiosity  to  approach  his  bed  near 
enough  to  ascertain  that  he  was  engaged  with 
a  comedy  of  Lopez  ck  Vega. 

Passing  along  the  streets,  I  frequently  met 
the  boys  belonging  to  a  charity  school,  the  only 
one  in  Bilbao ;  they  were,  with  few  exceptions, 
very  raggedly  dressed,  and  most  of  them  pro- 
vided with  little  bells,  with  which  they  produced 
not  an  inharmonious  music :  the  cause  of  their 
ragged  dress  is  easily  explained  by  the  want  of 
funds,  which  arise  solely  from  the  trifling  im- 
position of  four  reals  per  ton  upon  every  foreign 
vessel  entering  the  port.  The  only  explanation 
I  was  able  to  get  of  the  ringing  of  bells  is,  that 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  37 

this  custom  is  pleasing  to  the  virgin.  There  is 
another  sort  of  music  peculiar  to  Biscay,  of  the 
most  discordant  kind,  and  which  I  cannot  re- 
collect even  now,  without  unpleasant  sensations. 
This  music  is  produced  by  the  wheels  of  the 
carts  drawn  by  oxen :  these  are  solid,  without 
spokes,  and  a  strong  wooden  screw  is  made  to 
press  upon  the  axle  of  the  wheel ;  the  con- 
sequence of  this,  is  a  sound  so  horribly  grating, 
that  the  faintest  conception  of  it  cannot  be  con- 
veyed by  words.  The  peasant  supposes,  that 
without  this  noise,  the  oxen  would  not  go 
willingly;  and  if  they  be  once  accustomed  to 
it,  this  may  perhaps  be  true.  No  carriage  being 
allowed  to  pass  along  the  streets  of  Bilbao, 
they  are  of  course  free  from  this  intolerable 
nuisance  :  in  the  town  of  Orcluna,  also,  it  is  not 
permitted ;  but  on  all  the  roads  of  the  Basque 
provinces,  and  especially  in  the  streets  of  Vit- 
toria,  this  noise  is  so  unintermitting,  that  no- 
thing could  tempt  me  to  reside  in  that  town. 

Every  evening  while  I  remained  in  Bilbao,  I 
spent  half  an  hour  in  the  Swiss  Coffee-house — 
the  only  one  in  the  town ;  and  one  evening,  I 
was  much  amused  by  a  very  curious  scene  I  wit- 
nessed there.  Four  gentlemen  were  seated  at  a 
card-table  when  I  entered  the  coffee-house,  and 
at  first  I  paid  no  particular  attention  to  them  ; 


38  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

but  accidentally  resting  my  eye  upon  them  while 
sipping  my  coffee,  I  was  surprised  to  see  one  of 
the  players  shut  one  eye,  and  at  the  same  time 
thrust  his  tongue  out  of  his  mouth ;  from  him, 
my  eyes  wandered  to  another,  who  at  the  same 
moment  squinted  with  both  eyes,  and  thrust 
forward  his  under-lip  :  I  now  saw  that  it  was  a 
constant  succession  of  face-making,  while  all 
the  while  the  game  went  on.  It  is  impossible 
to  describe  the  strange,  ludicrous,  and  hideous 
faces  of  the  players  ;  I  was  at  first  dumb  with 
astonishment,  and  then  convulsed  with  laughter, 
and  all  the  while  dying  with  curiosity  to  know 
the  reason  of  so  grotesque  an  exhibition.  It 
was  a  Biscayan  game,  called  mus; — answering 
to  each  card  there  is  a  particular  contortion  of 
the  face,  which  interprets  its  value  ;  and  the 
point  of  the  game  consists  in  the  dexterity  with 
which  partners  are  able  to  convey  to  each  other 
by  grimaces,  the  state  of  each  other's  hand. 
This  is  a  favourite  game  in  Biscay,  but  it  is  said 
to  require  a  lifetime  to  become  expert  in  it :  I 
should  think  it  requires  also  the  natural  gift  of 
grimace. 

There  are  many  charming  walks  around 
Bilbao,  up  the  river,  and  down  the  river,  and 
among  the  neighbouring  mountains ;  and  in 
whatever   direction   one    turns,    proofs   are   at 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  39 

hand,  of  the  enterprising  spirit,  and  great  in- 
dustry of  the  inhabitants  in  the  improvement  of 
land.  Within  the  last  ten  years,  much  waste 
land  has  been  brought  under  cultivation :  of  this 
waste  land,  there  are  two  kinds ;  one,  which 
is  the  property  of  the  jurisdiction,  and  which  is 
parcelled  out  to  individuals,  the  price  being 
fixed  by  arbitration :  the  other,  which  is  the 
property  of  individuals  who  possess  entailed 
estates,  and  cannot  dispose  of  waste  land.  Some 
enterprising  person  oifers  to  cultivate  a  portion 
of  this  land,  under  the  agreement  that  the  pro- 
duce for  a  certain  period,  ten,  or  twelve  years 
perhaps,  is  to  be  the  property  of  the  cultivator, 
and  that  at  the  expiration  of  that  term,  the  cul- 
tivator is  to  rent  the  land  of  the  proprietor.  By 
these  two  modes,  a  great  part  of  the  cultivable 
land  of  Biscay  has  been  brought  under  cultiva- 
tion ;  and  the  vine  is  now  extensively  grown 
upon  all  the  surrounding  slopes. 

The  following  few  particulars  respecting  the 
climate,  diseases,  &c.  of  Biscay,  I  obtained  from 
a  report  drawn  up  by  a  few  of  the  principal 
medical  men  of  the  province,  at  the  request  of 
the  Royal  College  of  Physicians  in  London. 
The  medium  heat  of  the  thermometer  in  sum- 
mer is  from  19  to  21  of  Reaumur,  and  in  winter 
from    5    to   7.     In  summer,    the    thermometer 


40  SPAIN  IN   1830. 

scarcely  ever  rises   above  26,   and   in   winter, 
rarely  falls  below  0  :  changes  in  the  tempera- 
ture are  sudden  and  extraordinary  ;  the  mercury 
having  been  known  to  rise  and  fall  from  3"  to 
4"  within  a  few  minutes.     The  most  prevalent 
winds  are  S.  and  N.  W. ;  the  S.  the  most  con- 
stant in  autumn,   the  N.  W.  in  spring.     The 
finest  months  are  August,  September,  October, 
and  sometimes  November ;  the  spring  months 
are  the  most  unsettled,  rains  being  then  almost 
as  frequent  as  in  winter.     The  summer  months 
are  the  most  salubrious ;  autumn  less  so ;  and 
winter  and  spring  may  be  said  to  be  unhealthy. 
The  diseases  most  common  in  Biscay  are  cuta- 
neous diseases ;  and  catarrhs,   especially  pul- 
monary,   which    often    terminate    in    pulmon. 
phthisis.     Inflammations  of  the  pleura,  lungs, 
and  bowels, — and  rheumatism,   are  the   most 
numerous  after  the  class  of  pulmonary  diseases; 
and  of  all  these,  the  atmospheric  changes  may 
be   considered    the   predisposing   cause.      The 
province  of  Biscay  abounds  in  medicinal  plants  ; 
but  excepting  a  few  simples  used  by  the  inha- 
bitants,  these  do   not  enter  into  the   Spanish 
pharmacopeia.  Amongst  these  medicinal  plants, 
are  laurus  nobilis,  arbutus  unedo,  rabnus  car- 
tarticus,  erica  cantabrica,   smilax  aspera,    hu- 
mulus  lupulus,  tormentila  erecta,  poligala  amara, 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  4  1 

digitalis  purpurea,  daphne  laureola,  gentiana 
luthea,  anethenus  nobilis.  The  number  of 
deaths  in  Bilbao,  calculated  from  the  parochial 
register  by  an  average  of  five  years,  amounts  to 
one  in  forty-six  yearly. 

The  Basque  provinces  enjoy  many  separate 
privileges,  of  which  they  are  extremely  jealous ; 
but  Biscay  Proper  enjoys  more  privileges  than 
either  of  the  other  Basque  provinces.     I  shall 
mention  a  few  of  the  most  remarkable.     Biscay 
acknowledges  no   king;  the  king  of  Spain  is 
not  king,  but  lord  of  Biscay.     This  is  but  a 
nominal  privilege  :  but  the  next  is  more  impor- 
tant.    The  conscription  does  not  extend  to  Bis- 
cay ;  in  case  of  invasion  only,  Biscay  is  bound 
to  furnish  troops,  but  as  soon  as  the  demand 
upon  their  services  is  past,  they  are  entitled  to 
disband   themselves.      The    next   is   a   highly 
honourable  privilege,  whatever  may  be  thought 
of  its  solid  advantage :  a  Biscayan  cannot  be 
hanged,  but  must  be  strangled,  like  a  Spanish 
noble ;  nor  can  stripes  be  inflicted  as  a  punish- 
ment.    The  only  difl'erence  between  hanging 
and  strangling  consists  in  this,  that  the  punish- 
ment of  strangulation  is  inflicted  while  the  cri- 
minal is  seated.     The  next  Biscayan  privilege 
is  a  privilege  annexed  to  his  religion ;  it  is,  that 
no  foreigner  is  entitled  to  establish  himself  in 


42  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

any  trade,  unless  he  profess  the  Roman  Catholic 
religion.  The  code  of  laws  by  which  Biscay 
is  governed,  is  different  not  only  from  those  of 
Spain,  but  also  from  those  of  the  other  Basque 
provinces  :  this  is  no  doubt  a  right,  but  whether 
it  be  a  right  conveying  any  advantage  is  more 
questionable.  I  understood  that  justice  in  Bis- 
cay was  badly  administered,  and  that  a  code  of 
separate  laws  in  no  respect  increased  the  chances 
of  the  poor  in  a  contest  with  the  rich.  Ques- 
tions arising  in  Biscay,  although  decided  by  the 
laws  of  Biscay,  are  not  decided  within  the  pro- 
vince, but  are  subject  to  numerous  appeals. 
They  originate  with  the  Court  of  the  Corregidor; 
from  which  the  first  appeal  is  to  the  Chancery 
of  Valladolid  ;  from  this  to  the  Council  of  Cas- 
tile ;  then  to  the  tribunal  de  mil  ducados,  so  called 
because  that  sum  must  be  deposited  before  the 
appeal  can  be  received  ;  and  lastly  to  the  king, 
under  the  name  of  "  appelar  de  notoria  injusticia" 
It  is  evident,  that  with  the  power  of  thus  pro- 
longing the  term  of  litigation,  and  the  necessity 
of  a  large  deposit,  the  richest  litigator  must 
enter  upon  his  lawsuit  with  very  reasonable 
hopes  of  success. 

Biscay  is  not  obliged  to  pay  any  government 
impositions :  the  king  has  no  certain  revenue 
from  Biscay,   but  when  money  is  wanted,  he 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  43 

must  ask  it,  and  a  part  of  what  is  demanded  is 
generally  given ;  but  if  any  demand  be  made 
inconsistent  with  the  laws  or  privileges  of  Bis- 
cay, a  thing  that  has  sometimes  happened, 
Biscay  returns  this  contradictory  answer;  "  Se 
obedese,  y  nose  cunipk." 

The  head  of  the  province,  is  the  Corregidor, 
who  is  named  by  the  king  of  Spain ;  but  an  appeal 
from  the  corregidor  to  the  deputies,  seems  to 
render  the  precedence  of  the  corregidor  merely 
nominal.  The  deputies  are  elected  thus :  the 
general  election  for  the  nomination  of  deputies, 
syndics,  and  regidores,  takes  place  every  three 
years.  Each  village  within  the  province  sends 
one  or  two  electors,  according  to  its  size ;  the 
names  of  the  villages  are  written  upon  separate 
pieces  of  paper,  and  all  are  put  into  a  wheel, 
and  the  first  four  that  turn  up,  have  the  right  of 
election,  or  of  naming  the  public  functionaries 
of  the  province. 

The  privileges,  the  civil  laws,  and  the  mari- 
time laws  of  Biscay,  are  contained  in  three 
separate  volumes  ;  the  latter  of  these  form  the 
basis  of  the  maritime  laws  of  Spanish  South 
America. 


CHAPTER  II. 


JOURNEY  FROM  BISCAY  TO   MADRID. 


Waggon  travelling;  Scenery;  Bills  of  Fare,  and  Expenses;  second 
Visit  to  Vittoria ;  Departure  for  Madrid  ;  the  Ebro  ;  Privileges 
of  the  Military;  Old  Castile;  Husbandry;  Burgos;  Beggars; 
Posadas ;  Traits  of  Misery  in  a  Castilian  Village  ;  New  Castile  ; 
Quixotic  Adventure;  the  Somo-sierra  and  Approach  to  the 
Capital ;  Sketches  of  the  Environs,  and  Arrival  in  Madrid ; 
Information  for  Travellers. 

Upon  those  roads  in  Spain  where  there  are  no 
diligences,  the  traveller  may  generally  find  an 
ordinario,  or  galera ;  two  kinds  of  waggons,  the 
former  without,  the  latter  commonly,  but  not 
alv/ays,  with  springs,  in  either  of  which  he  may 
be  accommodated  with  a  place,  — a  seat  I  can 
scarcely  call  it, — at  a  price,  moderate  in  compa- 
rison with  the  enormous  expense  of  hiring  a 
private  conveyance.  In  one  of  these  ordinarios, 
I  left  Bilbao  for  Vittoria,  by  a  road  different 
from  that  by  which  I  had  already  travelled. 
Nothing  can  be  more  luxurious  than  travelling 
by  a  waggon  on  springs  during  hot  weather : 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  45 

neither  diligence  nor  private  carriage  can  be 
compared  with  it :  it  is  open  before  and  behind, 
so  that  there  is  a  fine  current  of  air;  it  is  covered 
above,  so  that  the  sun  is  excluded,  and  the  tra- 
veller may  lie  all  his  length  upon  clean  straw. 
As  for  the  rate  of  travelling,  it  is  not  indeed 
very  rapid ;  but  fifty  miles  a  day  is  a  sufficient 
distance  for  one  who  is  desirous  of  seeing  the 
country  he  passes  through :  waggons  with 
springs,  however,  are  much  more  rarely  to  be 
met  with,  than  those  without  them ;  and  the 
jolting,  of  course,  neutralizes  in  part  the  other 
advantages  I  have  named. 

Leaving  Bilbao,  the  road  winds  through  a 
narrow  valley  among  hills  covered  to  the  sum- 
mit with  oak,  and  rising  to  the  height  of 
between  2000  and  3000  feet ;  the  valley,  vary- 
ing in  breadth  from  one  to  two  miles,  is  every 
where  cultivated  ;  the  crops,  even  at  this  early 
period,  were  already  partly  reaped;  and  in  many 
places  the  country  people  were  busy  in  the 
fields.  Every  where  around,  there  was  much 
picturesque  beauty  and  many  rural  pictures  : 
a  little  rivulet  flowed  in  capricious  turnings 
through  the  valley ;  and  as  Biscayan  industry 
always  carries  a  road  straight  forward,  what- 
ever obstacles  are  encountered,  the  stream  was 
spanned  every  few  hundred  yards  by  a  stone 


46  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

bridge,  built  in  the  form  of  an  aqueduct,  and 
generally  grown  over  with  ivy  :  fine  old  Spanish 
chestnut  trees  were  scattered  over  the  meadows 
that  bordered  the  stream,  and  here  and  there 
groups  of  cattle  stood,  or  lay  under  them.  This 
kind  of  scenery  continued  the  same  for  about 
six  leagues,  when  we  stopped  at  a  small  town  to 
dine,  and  refresh  the  mules.  At  this  village  we 
were  destined  to  fare  ill.  We  were  ushered  into 
a  room  where  a  priest,  and  two  other  persons, 
had  finished  what  seemed  by  its  wrecks  to  have 
been  an  excellent  repast :  and  the  table  was 
immediately  cleared  to  make  way  for  our  enter- 
tainment :  silver  spoons  and  forks,  handsome 
wine  decanters,  of  crystal  gilt,  and  clean  nap- 
kins, seemed  to  announce  something  respect- 
able ;  but  the  dinner,  when  it  appeared,  consisted 
of  a  little  cold  fish,  and  the  bones — literally  the 
bones,  of  the  chickens  which  the  priest  and  his 
friends  had  picked !  I  made  my  way  into  the 
kitchen,  and  discovering  a  fine  fat  hen  roasting, 
and  almost  ready  for  the  table,  I  began  to 
repent  my  too  hasty  condemnation  of  the  enter- 
tainment ;  but  upon  telling  the  master  that  the 
fowl  was  sufficiently  roasted,  I  was  informed 
that  it  was  not  for  me,  but  for  the  muleteer, 
who  in  Spain  always  fares  better  than  those 
whom  he  conducts.    I  was  forced,  therefore,  to 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  47 

return  to  the  cold  fish  and  chicken  bones,  for 
which  the  landlord  had  the  effrontery  to  charge 
twelve  reals.  I  paid  him,  however,  only  one 
half  of  his  demand,  and  got  into  the  waggon, 
followed  only  by  a  few  Biscayan  growls. 

After  leaving  this  town,  we  began  to  ascend 
the  mountains  which  separate  Biscay  Proper 
from  the  province  of  Alava.  In  passing  these 
mountains,  a  curious  illusion  is  produced  by  the 
extreme  whiteness  of  the  stone  which  composes 
the  peaks  of  some  of  the  Biscayan  range.  It  is 
scarcely  possible  to  persuade  oneself  that  these 
are  not  snow  peaks  ;  nothing  indeed  but  a  pre- 
vious knowledge  of  the  elevation  of  this  range, 
and  of  the  consequent  impossibility  of  snow 
lying  upon  it,  could  dismiss  the  illusion.  A 
little  before  dusk  we  alighted  at  the  parador  at 
Vittoria,  where,  as  the  Infante  was  no  longer 
an  inmate,  I  found  comfortable  accommoda- 
tion. At  this  hotel,  and  at  all  the  posadas 
between  Bayonne  and  Madrid,  in  connexion 
with  the  establishment  of  the  royal  diligences, 
there  is  a  tariff  of  prices,  which  I  shall  here 
transcribe,  for  the  information  of  those  who  may 
wish  to  know  something  of  the  expenses  of  tra- 
velling in  this  part  of  Spain. 

Desayuno,   which    means  a   slight  morning's 
repast,  and  which  may  consist  either  of  a  cup 


48  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

of  chocolate,  tea,  or  coffee,  with  bread ;  or  of 
two  eggs,  with  bread  and  wine,  is  charged  two 
reals,  or  five  pence. 

Almuerzo  (Dejeune  a  la  fourchette),  eight  reals. 

Comida  (Dinner),  twelve  rxals,  or  2s.  6d.  This 
being  the  most  important  meal,  the  tariff  speci- 
fies the  articles  of  v/hich  it  must  consist,  though, 
for  some  of  these,  equivalents  are  allowed.  The 
following  is  the  bill  of  fare  : — Soup  ;  an  olla,  or 
puchero,  which  is  composed  of  fowl,  bacon,  beef, 
sausage,  Spanish  peas,  and  pot-herbs;  a  fritter, 
or  ham  and  eggs  ;  two  dishes  of  dressed  meat ; 
a  pudding ;  pepper  in  the  pod,  dressed  with  a 
sauce  ;  small  white  beans  (haricots)  ;  a  roast ; 
a  salad ;  a  dessert  of  three  dishes ;  a  glass  of 
brandy ;  and  bread  and  wine  at  discretion. 
Melon  is  not  included  in  the  dessert  of  three 
dishes ;  this  fruit  is  not  eaten  in  the  north  of 
Spain  at  the  dessert,  but  is  introduced  after 
soup.  The  dinner,  it  must  be  admitted,  is  suf- 
ficiently abundant;  but,  considering  the  low 
price  of  provisions,  it  is  not  cheap.  The  only 
one  of  these  dishes  which  a  stranger  can  eat,  is 
the  most  truly  Spanish  among  them, — the 
pudiero, — because  it  is  the  only  one  in  which 
there  is  neither  oil  nor  garlic.  The  tariff  also 
provides  for  the  traveller's  comfort  in  bed ;  this 
is  charged  at  four  reals  {\0d.)^  and  the  follow- 


SPAIN  IN  1S;30.  49 

ing  articles  are  ordered  to  be  provided  :  a  straw 
mattress ;  another  of  wool ;  two  clean  sheets ; 
two  pillows,  and  clean  pillow-cases;  a  quilt; 
and,  in  winter,  a  blanket.  All  that  the  tariff 
enjoins,  is  rigidly  complied  with  ;  and,  where- 
ever  there  is  a  tariff,  the  traveller  may  always 
depend  upon  a  sufficient  meal,  a  clean  bed,  and 
a  just  charge. 

Vittoria  may  at  present  be  considered  a 
decayed  town.  Ever  since  the  war  of  independ- 
ence, it  has  been  a  falling  place ;  and  this  may 
be  easily  accounted  for,  from  the  insecurity  of 
possessions  in  a  town  lying  so  near  the  French 
frontier.  At  the  time  when  Napoleon  threat- 
ened to  annex  to  France  all  that  part  of  Spain 
which  lies  to  the  north  of  the  Ebro,  many  left 
Vittoria;  and  several  persons  exchanged  their 
estates  in  that  neighbourhood,  for  possessions 
farther  in  the  interior.  At  present,  there  are 
numerous  houses  untenanted,  and  not  a  few  in 
a  state  of  ruin ;  and  the  manufactures  of  which 
Vittoria  formerly  could  boast,  now  scarcely 
exist, — no  one  being  disposed  to  sink  capital  in 
establishing  that  which  the  first  commotion 
upon  the  frontier  might  be  the  means  of  de- 
stroying. 

I  experienced    some  difficulties   at  Vittoria 

VOL.  I.  E 


50  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

with  my  passport.  I  had  intended  to  have 
entered  Spain  by  Perpignan,but  having  changed 
my  intention,  I  was  in  possession  of  only  a 
French  provisional  passport,  backed  by  the 
Spanish  Consul  at  Bayonne.  I  was  at  first 
told,  that  I  could  not  be  allowed  to  proceed ; 
but,  upon  producing  a  letter  of  recommendation, 
from  Lord  Aberdeen  to  Mr.  Addington,  the 
British  Minister  at  Madrid,  the  difficulties  were 
overcome,  and  1  was  permitted  to  proceed. 

I  was  detained  two  days  in  Vittoria,  waiting 
a  vacant  place  in  the  Madrid  diligence,  which 
I  stepped  into  at  three  o'clock  on  the  morning 
of  the  third  day ;  and,  after  a  few  hours'  drive 
through  a  well -cultivated  corn  country,  we 
reached  Miranda,  and,  crossing  the  Ebro, 
entered  old  Castile.  The  Ebro  is  here  a  very 
insignificant  stream,  little  resembling  the  majes- 
tic river  which  I  afterwards  crossed  in  Cata- 
lunia  ;  but  the  interest  with  which  a  river  is 
regarded,  is  of  a  borrowed  kind;  even  where 
the  traveller  is  able  to  step  over  it,  it  is  invested 
with  a  dignity  commensurate  with  its  future 
destinies.  But  the  Ebro,  even  if  it  were  pos- 
sible to  deprive  it  of  that  charm  which  is 
common  to  every  great  river  when  beheld  near 
its  source,  has  claims  peculiarly  its  own ;  it  is 
full  of  historic  recollections — it  gave  its  name 


SPAIN  IN   1830.  51 

to  the  whole  of  ancient  Spain — and  memory, 
set  sail  upon  its  waters,  floats  towards  the 
empires  of  Carthage  and  of  Rome.  And  the 
Ebro  possesses  still  another  source  of  interest 
to  all  who  visit  Spain ;  for  it  is  upon  its  banks 
that  we  are  first  reminded  of  the  exploits  of  the 
valorous  Knight  of  La  Mancha,  and  of  the 
undying  genius  of  Cervantes, — one  of  whose 
happiest  inventions  is  the  fancy  of  his  hero, 
that  his  boat,  floating  down  the  Ebro,  has 
crossed  the  equinoctial ;  and  the  proof  of  this, 
which  he  demands  of  Sancho. 

I  had  been  told  that  on  entering  old  Castile 
we  should  be  subjected  to  a  rigorous  custom- 
house search ;  but  in  Spain,  such  matters 
always  depend  upon  circumstances.  A  Colonel 
in  the  Spanish  service  chanced  to  occupy  a  seat 
in  the  diligence ;  and  no  custom-house  officer  in 
Spain,  dare  to  put  a  person  holding  a  military 
commission  to  a  moment's  inconvenience.  The 
consequence  was,  that  in  place  of  being  detained 
three  hours  upon  the  bridge,  until  every  pack- 
age should  be  lowered  and  opened,  the  Colonel 
merely  thrust  his  arm  out  of  the  window;  and 
the  custom-house  officers,  seeing  around  his 
wrist  the  proofs  of  his  military  rank,  doffed 
their  caps,  and  stood  back  ;  and  the  diligence 

E  2 


52  SPAIN  IN  1S30. 

passed  on.  Superior  military  rank  in  the  Spa- 
nish service  is  not  indicated  by  more  gorgeous 
trappings :  the  Colonel  discards  the  epaulets, 
and  is  known  by  two  narrow  stripes  round  the 
wrist,  while  the  General  merely  invests  his  loins 
with  a  crimson  girdle. 

Upon  first  entering  Castile,  the  country 
affords  some  promise  of  interest.  We  traverse 
a  narrow  defile,  guarded  by  precipitous  and 
majestic  rocks,  and  are  pleased  by  the  pic- 
turesque views  which  are  caught  at  intervals 
on  both  sides  ;  but  this  defile  does  not  extend 
more  than  a  league  in  length,  and  we  then 
enter  upon  an  open  and  flat  corn  country, 
which  stretches  all  the  way  to  Burgos.  The 
soil  in  this  tract  of  land  appeared  to  be  very 
unequal.  I  saw  whole  fields  covered  with 
thistles,  among  which  flocks  of  sheep  were 
picking  a  scanty  meal ;  and,  although  I  was 
unable  to  judge  of  the  productiveness  of  other 
parts  by  the  growing  crops,  the  harvest  being 
in  many  places  already  gathered,  I  observed 
vast  heaps  of  grain  every  half  league  or  less ; 
part  of  it  thrashed  and  winnowed,  and  part 
going  through  these  operations.  All  through 
both  the  Castiles,  the  grain  is  not  housed  ; 
large  flat  spots,  one  or  two  hundred  yards 
across,  are  selected  for  its  reception — here  it  is 


SPAIN   IN   1830.  53 

thrashed  and  winnowed  ;  the  former  operation 
being  performed  by  passing  over  it  a  sledge 
with  a  curved  bottom,  drawn  by  one  mule, 
which  is  guided  by  a  woman  who  stands  upon 
the  sledge,  and  who  facilitates  the  operation  by 
her  weight.  This  custom  of  keeping  the  grain 
in  the  open  air,  adds  much  to  the  labour  of  the 
husbandman  :  if  rain  come,  there  is  no  remedy 
but  to  cover  the  grain  heaps  with  cloths,— a  very 
ineffectual  protection  against  the  torrents  that 
sometimes  descend  from  Spanish  skies ;  and 
when  the  rain  ceases,  it  is  necessary  again  to 
spread  the  grain,  and  expose  it  to  the  influence 
of  the  sun. 

We  reached  Burgos  early  in  the  afternoon, 
and  the  short  interval  allowed  us  there,  sufficed 
for  a  glance  at  the  cathedral.  In  its  exterior, 
the  cathedral  of  Burgos  will  yield  to  no  other 
in  Spain :  in  the  number,  and  elegance  of  the 
pinnacles  which  surmount  it,  it  surpasses  them 
all ;  but  the  interior,  although  remarkable  for  the 
beauty  of  the  workmanship  -with  which  in  some 
parts  it  is  decorated,  and  although  entitled 
to  rank  among  the  most  magnificent  temples 
dedicated  to  religion,  is  yet  inferior  to  the 
cathedrals  both  of  Toledo  and  of  Seville,  in 
grandeur,  as  well  as  in  richness ;  and  as  I 
purposed    seeing  both    of  these   cathedrals,    I 


54  SPAIN  IN  1880. 

regreted  less,  the  impossibility  of  examining 
minutely,  the  cathedral  of  Burgos.  The  little 
that  I  saw  of  Burgos  pleased  me  ;  and  had  I  not 
subsequently  visited  Toledo,  I  should  have  set 
down  Burgos  as  the  best  specimen  I  had  seen  of 
an  old  Castilian  city  :  but  in  this,  Toledo  stands 
unrivalled. 

Between  Burgos  and  Lerma,  I  passed  through 
vast  tracts  of  uncultivated,  and  much  of  it, 
uncultivable  land,  mostly  covered  with  a  thick 
underwood  of  aromatic  and  medicinal  plants ; 
in  some  parts,  the  perfume  from  these  was  so 
strong,  that  I  could  scarcely  believe  myself  to 
be  elsewhere  than  in  an  apothecary's  shop.  I 
found  all  this  part  of  Old  Castile  very  scantily 
peopled  ;  and  the  quantity  of  cultivated  land 
seemed  to  be  quite  equal  to  the  probable 
demand  upon  its  produce.  At  night- fall  we 
reached  Lerma,  where  a  comfortable  posada 
received  us.  We  were  beset  at  the  door  by  a 
crowd  of  ragged  beggars,  who  however,  urged 
their  claims  scarcely  more  obtrusively  than  the 
poor  Franciscan  monk  of  Sterne,  who  crossed 
his  hands  upon  his  breast,  and  retired.  The 
Spanish  beggar  is  unlike  the  beggar  of  every 
other  country,  in  this — that  he  is  easily  repulsed ; 
he  seldom  urges  his  claim  twice ;  but  indeed, 
his  raggedness,  and  apparent  destitution,  often 


SPAIN  IN   1830.  00 

render  a  second  appeal  unnecessary.    I  observed 
that  every  one  of  these  beggars  wore  three  or 
four  necklaces,  and  several  rings— baubles,  no 
doubt  blessed  at  the  shrine  of  some  saint.     In 
the  posada  at  Lerma,  I  found  iron  bedsteads, 
a  most  acceptable  discovery  in  a  hot  climate ; 
and  the  supper  table  was  both  neatly  laid  out, 
and  well  provided.     The  miseries  of  an  Anda- 
lusian  Venta  were   yet  in  reserve.      Between 
Vittoria   and   Madrid,    the   traveller  has  little 
cause  of  complaint ;   I  always  found  a  clean  bed, 
and  something  upon  the  table,  of  which  it  was 
possible  to  make   a  tolerable  meal.     There  is 
only  one  part  of  the  arrangement  defective :  in 
place  of  supping   when  the  diligence  arrives, 
there    is    generally  an   interval   of  two   hours, 
which  might  be  spent  in  sleep,  if  the  arrange- 
ments were  better.     In  all  the  posadas  upon 
this   road,    the   traveller   pays   for   dinner  and 
supper  whether  he    partakes  of  them  or  not : 
this  is  what  the  Spaniards  call  indemnificacion, 
which  is  charged  at  two- thirds  of  the  price  of 
the  meal.    This  indemnification  I  think  perfectly 
fair  ;  were  it  otherwise,  the  traveller  could  find 
nothing  upon  his  arrival ;  for  upon  a  road  where 
there  are  no  travellers,  the  innkeeper  dare  not 
trust  to    the  appetites,   or  will,    of  those   who 
arrive   by   the  diligence  ;   because  if  his  meal 


56  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

should    be   rejected,    he   could   find    no   other 
market  for  it. 

The  country  to  the  south  of  Lerma  is  a 
desert ;  indeed  it  is  nothing  better  than  a  desert 
that  stretches  between  the  Ebro  and  the  Diioro. 
I  passed  this  latter  river  at  Aranda ;  a  small, 
wretched  place,  full  of  misery  and  rags  ;  and 
afterwards  traversed  extensive  woods  of  chestnut 
and  ilex,  which  stretch  three  or  four  leagues  to 
the  foot  of  a  low  sierra,  which  is  the  natural 
boundary  between  Old  and  New  Castile.  Soon 
after  entering  this  sierra,  I  passed  through  the 
most  miserable  village  that  I  have  seen  in  any 
part  of  Spain :  it  is  quite  impossible  for  one 
who  has  never  seen  the  very  lowest  of  the 
Spanish  poor,  to  form  the  smallest  conception  of 
the  general  appearance  of  the  inhabitants  of 
this  village.  I  saw  between  two  and  three 
hundred  persons  ;  and  among  these,  there  was 
not  one,  whose  rags  half  covered  his  nakedness. 
Men  and  women  were  like  bundles  of  ill-assorted 
shreds  and  patches  of  a  hundred  hues  and  sizes ; 
and  as  for  the  children,  I  saw  several  entirely 
naked,  and  many  that  might  as  well  have  been 
without  their  tattered  coverings.  I  threw  a  few 
biscuits  among  the  children ;  and  the  eager- 
ness with  which  they  fought  for,  and  devoured 
them,  reminded  mc  rather  of  young  wolves  than 


SPAIN  IN  18;50.  57 

of  human  beings.  The  badness  of  tlie  pavement, 
and  the  steepness  of  the  street,  made  it  neces- 
sary for  the  diligence  to  go  slowly ;  and  I 
profited  by  the  delay  to  look  into  one  or  two 
of  the  miserable  abodes  of  these  unfortunate 
beings.  I  found  a  perfect  unison  between  the 
dweller  and  his  dwellins^ :  I  could  not  see  one 
article  of  furniture ;  no  table,  no  chair  :  a  few 
large  stones  supplied  the  place  of  the  latter ; 
for  the  former  there  was  no  occasion ;  and 
something  resembling  a  mattress  upon  the  mud 
floor,  was  the  bed  of  the  family.  Leaving  this 
village,  I  noticed  two  stone  pillars,  and  a 
wooden  pole  across,  indicating  that  the  proprie- 
tor possesses  the  power  of  life  and  death  within 
his  own  domain.  I  forget  the  name  of  the 
grandee  at  whose  door  lies  all  this  misery ;  but 
if  the  power  of  life  and  death  be  his,  and  if  he 
cannot  make  the  former  more  tolerable,  it 
would  be  humanity  to  inflict  the  latter. 

A  short  distance  beyond  this  village,  we 
passed  into  New  Castile,  and  stopped  for  the 
night  at  a  small  hamlet  at  the  entrance  of  the 
Soino  Sierra.  Here,  I  cannot  refrain  from  re- 
lating a  somewhat  ludicrous  incident  that  took 
place  during  the  night.  The  chamber  in  which 
I  slept,  was  div  ided  from  another  smaller  cham- 


58  SPAIN  IN  1880. 

ber  merely  by  a  curtain ;  and  this  inner  room 
was  occupied  by  a  young  Spaniard.    We  retired 
to  our  respective  beds  about  the  same  hour,  and 
1  was  speedily  fast  asleep.     Some  time  during 
the   night,    I   was   awoke   by   loud,    and  most 
uncommon  noises;    and  when  I  was  sufficiently 
awake  to  be  master  of  my  senses,  I  discovered 
that   the   noises   proceeded  from   the  adjacent 
chamber ;  but  the  nature  of  the  noise  was  such, 
as  set  at  defiance  all  conjecture  as  to  its  cause. 
I  heard  the  stamping  of  feet,  the  clanking  of 
spurs,  and  the   strokes  of  some  heavy  instru- 
ment ;   but  the  combatants,  whoever  they  were, 
fought  in  silence,  for  not  a  word  was  uttered.     1 
need  scarcely  say  that  sounds  so  unaccountable 
in   my  immediate  vicinity,  excited  my  utmost 
curiosity  ;  and  stealing  out  of  bed,  I  groped  my 
way  to  the  door  leading  into  the  passage,  that  I 
might  obtain  a  light ;  this,  I  soon  procured,  and 
returning  to   the    scene  of  action,  I  found  the 
noises  as  loud  and  as  strange  as  ever.     I  cau- 
tiously drew  aside  the  curtain,  and  a  spectacle 
was  revealed  almost  worthy  of  Don  Quixote. 
There  stood  the   Spaniard  in  his  shirt,   booted 
and  spurred,  his  cloak  thrown  over  one  arm,  and 
the  other,  dealing  blows  right  and  left  with  a 
naked  sword.     I  was  about  to  make  a  hasty 


SPAIN  IN   1830.  59 

retreat,  conceiving  the  unfortunate  gentleman  to 
be  in  a  state  of  derangement,  when  he  called 
out  to  me  to  give  him  a  light,  and  at  the  same 
time  ceased  battle.  The  explanation  is  this — 
not  being  able  to  get  off  his  boots,  my  com- 
panion had  lain  down  booted  and  spurred  ;  and 
as  was  his  usual  custom,  he  had  deposited  a 
sword  near  his  bed ;  he  was  awoke  by  the 
tread  of  several  rats  over  his  face  ;  at  least  so  he 
asserted;  and  in  a  state  between  sleeping  and 
waking,  he  had  jumped  from  bed,  grasped  his 
sword,  seized  his  cloak  as  a  buckler,  and  com- 
menced warfare.  But  for  my  own  part,  1  believe 
the  action  of  the  Spaniard  to  have  begun  in 
sleep,  and  to  have  been  the  result  of  a  dream. 
We  were  afterwards  intimately  acquainted,  and 
saw  each  other  almost  every  day  while  I 
remained  in  Madrid ;  and  we  often  laughed 
together  at  the  recollection  of  the  Quixotic 
adventure  in  the  posada. 

We  left  the  village  where  we  had  slept,  some 
hours  before  day-break.  I  never  beheld  a  more 
refulgent  moon  than  shone  that  ni^ht.  I  was 
never  before  able  to  distinguish  colours  by 
moonlight ;  but  this  night,  the  scene  presented 
almost  the  distinctness  and  variety  of  a  sun- 
lit landscape,  with  the  soft  and  dewy  mellow- 


60  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

ness  of  a  tenderer  light.  The  scenery  of  the 
Somo-Sierra  is  rocky,  wild  and  dreary;  robbers 
are  occasionally  seen  here  ;  and  the  diligence 
had  taken  two  additional  guards  from  the  last 
village.  Before  day-break  we  had  passed  the 
Sierra,  and  we  then  entered  upon  the  wide  arid 
desert,  in  the  centre  of  which  stands  the  capital 
of  Spain.  As  we  approached  Madrid,  we  passed 
long  trains  of  mules,  laden  with  cut  straw  for 
the  use  of  the  mules  in  the  metropolis ;  and  we 
also  passed  some  trains  laden  with  bales  of 
goods,  every  mule  having  a  carabine  slung  by 
its  side. 

From  the  Somo-Sierra  to  the  gates  of  Madrid, 
a  distance  of  nearly  thirty  miles,  there  is  not  a 
tree  to  be  seen  :  not  a  garden  ;  not  one  country 
house ;  scarcely  an  isolated  farm-house  or  cot- 
tage, and  only  three  or  four  very  inconsiderable 
villages.  Great  part  of  the  land  is  uncultivated, 
and  that  part  of  it  which  is  laboured,  and  which 
produces  grain,  is  mostly  covered  with  weeds 
and  stones.  In  the  midst  of  this  desert  stands 
Madrid,  which  is  not  visible  until  you  approach 
within  less  than  two  leagues  of  the  gate.  Its 
appearance  from  this  side  is  not  striking :  the 
city  seems  small ;  and  although  we  may  count 
upwards  of  50  spires  and  towers,  none  of  these 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  Gl 

are  so  elevated  or  imposing,  as  to  awaken  cu- 
riosity like  that  which  is  felt  when  we  first 
discover  the  towers  of  some  of  the  temples  dedi- 
cated to  religion,  in  others  of  the  Spanish  cities. 
If  the  traveller  turned  his  back  upon  Madrid 
when  within  half  a  mile  of  the  gates,  he  might 
still  believe  himself  to  be  a  hundred  miles 
from  any  habitation :  the  road  stretches  away, 
speckled  only  by  a  few  mules ;  there  are  no 
carriages ;  no  horsemen ;  scarcely  even  a  pedes- 
trian :  there  is,  in  fact,  not  one  sign  of  vicinity 
to  a  great  city. 

I  entered  Madrid  about  mid- day,  and  after  a 
very  slight  examination  of  luggage  at  the  cus- 
tom-house, I  took  up  my  residence  at  the  Cruz 
de  Malta.  There  are  only  two  hotels  in  Madrid 
that  are  habitable — the  Cruz  de  Alalia,  and  the 
FontaJia  de  Oro,— hut  both  of  these  are  as  far  as 
possible  from  being  comfortable.  I  was  charged 
at  the  Cruz  de  Malta,  the  extraordinary  sum  of 
60  reals,  \2s.  6d.,  for  one  room,  for  one  day ;  a 
charge  that  immediately  suggested  to  me  the 
propriety  of  establishing  myself  in  private  lodg- 
ings as  speedily  as  possible. 

Before  concluding  this  chapter,  let  me  say 
a  single  word  respecting  the  mode  and  con- 
veniences,   and    expenses    of   travelling    from 


62  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

Bayonne  to  Madrid.  There  are  only  a  few 
roads  in  Spain  that  are  passable  for  carriages, 
and  these  of  course  connect  the  great  towns. 
These  roads  are,  from  Madrid  to  Bayonne, — 
from  Madrid  to  Seville, — from  Madrid  to  Za- 
ragossa  and  Barcellona,  —from  Madrid  to  Va- 
lentia, — from  Madrid  to  Salamanca, — and  from 
Madrid  to  Portugal.  There  are  also  a  few  others 
from  one  provincial  town  to  another ;  such  as 
from  Valencia  to  Barcellona, — from  Barcellona 
to  the  frontier, — from  Burgos  to  Valladolid,  and 
perhaps  two  or  three  others.  There  are  not 
more  than  twelve  roads  in  Spain  passable  for  a 
four-wheeled  carriage ;  and  upon  all  of  these, 
there  are  now  diligences  established  ;  of  which, 
the  accommodation  and  conveniences  are  nearly 
equal.  I  confine  my  remarks  at  present  to 
diligence  travelling;  I  shall  by  and  by,  have 
many  opportunities  of  enlarging  upon  the  very 
different  modes  of  travelling  in  Andalusia, 
Murcia,  and  Granada.  I  have  no  hesitation  in 
affirming,  that  the  Spanish  diligences  are  the 
best  in  the  world  ;  they  are  extremely  commo- 
dious, well  cushioned,  and  well  hung,  and  are 
admirably  contrived  for  the  exclusion  of  both 
heat  and  cold.  Like  the  French  diligences,  they 
have  a  coupe,  in  all  respects  as  good  as  a  post- 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  63 

chaise,  and  generally  they  have  no  rotonde :  they 
are  drawn  by  seven,  eight,  or  nine  mules,  ac- 
cording to  the  nature  of  the  road,  and  travel  at 
the  rate  of  seven  miles  an  hour.  The  conductors 
are  remarkably  civil ;  and  in  punctuality  as  to 
the  hours  of  departure  and  arrival,  and  in  every 
arrangement  that  can  conduce  to  the  comfort  of 
the  passengers,  there  is  no  room  for  improve- 
ment. When  a  passenger  secures  his  seat,  he 
receives  a  paper  from  the  bureau,  specifying  the 
precise  place  he  is  to  occupy ;  and  when  he 
delivers  his  baggage,  he  is  presented  with  a 
receipt  for  the  articles  delivered,  and  for  which 
the  proprietors  are  responsible.  The  price  of 
places  in  the  Spanish  diligences  varies  greatly. 
In  some  roads  the  fare  is  as  low  as  in  France  or 
England ;  on  others,  it  is  more  expensive  than 
travelling  post.  From  Bayonne  to  Madrid,  the 
fare,  including  conductor  and  postilions,  is  some- 
thing less  than  5/. ;  but  from  Madrid  to  Seville, 
about  one-fourth  greater  distance,  the  expense 
is  nearly  double ;  and  it  may  be  right  to  men- 
tion that  each  passenger  is  allowed  25  lb.  weight 
of  baggage ;  for  every  pound  beyond  this,  he 
pays  one  real,  2^d.  These  details  may  appear 
to  some  to  be  insignificant ;  but  independently 
of  the  obligation  that  lies  upon  a  traveller,  to 


CA  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

withhold  no  useful  information,  I  cannot  but 
think  that  such  details  may  occasionally  throw 
some  light  upon  the  state  of  a  country.  For  my 
own  part,  I  may  say  most  truly,  that  the  regu- 
larity and  order,  I  might  almost  say,  the  per- 
fection, visible  in  every  department  of  the 
establishment  of  public  conveyances  throughout 
Spain,  struck  me  with  astonishment,  and  may 
perhaps  afford  some  data  by  which  we  may 
judge  of  the  improvement  of  which  Spain  might 
be  susceptible  under  more  favourable  circum- 
stances. 


CHAPTER  III. 


MADRID. 


Streets  and  Street  Population ;  Female  Dress :  the  Mantilla,  the 
Fan ;  aspect  of  the  Streets  of  Madrid  at  different  hours ;  the 
Siesta ;  Shops ;  good  and  bad  Smells  ;  State  of  the  lower  Orders  • 
Analysis  of  the  Population ;  Street  Sketches ;  Sunday  in  Ma- 
drid ;  the  Calle  de  Alcala ;  Convents  ;  the  Street  of  the  Inquisi- 
tion; private  Apartments  in  Madidd;  the  Prado  and  its  Attrac- 
tions; ludicrous  Incongruities;  Spanish  Women,  and  their 
Claims ;  the  Fan  and  its  uses ;  Portraits ;  inconvenient  Exaction 
of  Loyalty ;  the  Philosophy  of  good  walking ;  the  Retiro ;  Cas- 
tilian  Skies;  the  Cafe  Catalina  and  its  Visitors;  other  Coffee 
Rooms,  and  Political  Reflections ;  the  Botanical  Garden,  strange 
Regulation  on  entering ;  the  Theatres ;  Spanish  Play  Bills  • 
Teatro  del  Principe ;  the  Cazuela  and  Intrigue ;  Spanish  Comedy ; 
the  Bolero ;  the  Italian  Company ;  cultivation  of  Music  in 
Madrid ;  the  Guitar ;  Vocal  Music  ;  Spanish  Music. 

The  traveller  who  arrives  in  Madrid  from  the 
north,  has  greatly  the  advantage  over  him  who 
reaches  the  capital  from  any  other  point :  every 
thing  is  newer  to  him.  If  one  enter  Spain  at 
Cadiz,  and  travel  through  Seville  and  Cordova 

VOL.    I.  J. 


66  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

to  Madrid,  the  edge  of  curiosity  is  blunted ; 
much  of  the  novelty  of  Spanish  life  is  already 
exhausted ;  and  Madrid  possesses  comparatively 
little  to  interest :  but  travelling  to  the  capital, 
through  Castile,  one  arrives  in  Madrid  almost  as 
unlearned  in  the  modes  of  Spanish  life,  as  if  the 
journey  had  been  performed  by  sea ;  nor  is  the 
interest  with  which  the  traveller  afterwards 
sees  Cardova  and  Seville  greatly  diminished, 
by  having  previously  seen  Madrid.  For,  al- 
though the  aspect  of  a  Spanish  town,  and  the 
modes  of  Spanish  life  are  then  familiar  to  him, — 
Cordova,  and  Seville,  and  the  other  cities  of 
the  south,  possess  an  exclusive  interest,  in  the 
remains  of  the  Moorish  empire, — in  the  pecu- 
liarity of  the  natural  productions  around  them 
— in  the  climate,  which  exercises  an  important 
influence  upon  the  habits  of  the  people, — and  in 
the  taint  of  Moorish  usages,  visible  in  all  those 
provinces  which  continued  the  longest  time 
under  the  dominion  of  the  Moors.  With  curi- 
osity therefore  on  the  tiptoe,  to  see  the  capital 
of  Spain,  and  the  Spaniards  in  their  capital,  I 
hastened  into  the  streets. 

The  stranger   who  walks  for  the  first  time 
through  the  streets  of  Madrid,  is  struck  with 


SPAIN  IN  18,30.  G7 

the  sombreness  of  the  prospect  that  is  presented 
to  him  :  this,  he  speedily  discovers,  arises  from 
the  costume  of  the  women.     It  is  the  varied 
and  many-coloured   attire   of  the  female  sex, 
that  gives  to  the  streets  of  other  great  cities 
their  air  of  gaiety  and  liveliness.     No  pink,  and 
green,  and  yellow,  and  blue  silk  bonnets,  nod 
along  the  streets  of  Madrid  ;    for  the  women 
wear  no  bonnets, — no  ribbons  of  more  than  all 
the   hues   of  the  rainbow,   chequer  the  pave- 
ment ;  for  the  women  of  Madrid  do  not  under- 
stand the  use  of  ribbons.     Only  conceive  the 
sombreness  of  a  population  without  a  bonnet  or 
a  ribbon,  and  all,  or  nearly  all,  in  black !  yet 
such    is    the    population   of    Madrid.      Every 
woman  in  Spain  wears  a  mantilla,  which  varies 
in  quality  and  expense,  with  the  station  of  the 
wearer  :    and,    for   the  benefit   of  those    who, 
though  they  may  have  heard  of  a  mantilla,  have 
an  imperfect  idea  of  what  it  is,  I  shall  describe 
it.     A  mantilla,  is  a  scarf  thrown  over  the  head 
and   shoulders ;    behind,    and   at   the   sides,   it 
descends   nearly  to   the  waist ;  and   falling  in 
front  over  a  very  high  comb,  is  gathered,  and 
fastened,  generally  by  something  ornamental, 

F  2 


68  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

just  above  the  forehead,  at  the  lower  part  of 
the  hair.  Of  old,  there  was  a  veil  attached  to 
the  fore-part  of  the  mantilla,  which  was  used 
or  thrown  back,  according  to  the  fancy  of  the 
wearer;  but  veils  are  now  rarely  seen  in  Spain, 
excepting  at  mass.  Of  the  rank  and  means  of 
a  Spanish  woman,  something  may  be  gathered 
from  the  mantilla,  though  this  cannot  be  consi- 
dered any  certain  criterion,  since  Spanish 
women  will  make  extraordinary  sacrifices  for 
the  sake  of  dress.  Yet  there  are  three  distinct 
grades  of  the  mantilla:  the  lady  in  the  upper 
ranks  of  life,  and  most  of  those  in  the  middle 
ranks,  wear  the  lace  mantilla ;  some  of  blond — 
some  of  English  net,  worked  in  Spain  ;  and 
these  vary  in  price,  from  41.  or  51.  to  20/.  The 
Bourgeoises  generally  wear  the  mantilla,  part 
lace  and  part  silk  ;  the  lace  in  front,  and  the 
silk  behind,  with  lace  trimmings ;  and  the 
lower  orders  wear  a  mantilla  wholly  of  silk,  or 
of  silk,  trimmed  with  velvet.  Spain  is  the  only 
country  in  Europe  in  which  a  national  dress 
extends  to  the  upper  ranks  ;  but  even  in  Spain 
this  distinction  begins  to  give  way.  In  the 
streets,  no  one  yet  ventures  to  appear  without 
the  mantilla;   but  French  hats  are  frequently 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  69 

seen  in  carriages  and  in  the  theatre ;  and  the 
black  silk  gown,  once  as  indispensible  as  the 
mantilla,  sometimes  gives  place  to  silks  of  other 
colours ;  and  even  a  French  or  English  printed 
muslin,  may  occasionally  be  seen  on  the  Prado. 
But  although  the  sombre  dress  of  the  women, 
and  the  consequent  absence  of  bright  colours, 
seemed  at  first  to  give  a  gloomy  cast  to  the  ex- 
terior of  the  population  of  Madrid,  a  little  closer 
observance  of  it  disclosed  a  variety  and  pic- 
turesqueness  not  to  be  found  in  any  other  of 
the  European  countries.  The  dress  of  the 
women,  although  sombre,  bears  in  the  eye  of  a 
stranger  a  character  of  both  novelty  and  grace. 
The  round  turned-up  hat  and  crimson  sash  of  the 
peasant ;  the  short  green  jacket  and  bare  legs 
and  sandals  of  the  innumerable  water-carriers, 
who  call  aqua  fresca ;  the  sprinkling  of  the  mi- 
litary costume ;  and  above  all,  the  grotesque 
dresses  of  the  multitudes  of  friars  of  different 
orders,  gave  to  the  scene  a  character  of  origi- 
nality exclusively  its  own.  No  feature  in  the 
scene  before  me  appeared  more  novel  than  the 
universality  of  the  fan;  a  Spanish  woman  would 
be  quite  as  likely  to  go  out  of  doors  without  her 
shoes,  as  without  her  fan.    I  saw  not  one  female 


70  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

in  the  streets  without  this  indispensible  append- 
age. The  portly  dame,  and  her  stately  daughter; 
the  latter  six  paces  in  advance,  as  is  the  uni- 
versal custom  throughout  Spain,  walked  fanning 
themselves ;  the  child  of  six  years  old,  held 
mamma  with  one  hand,  and  fanned  herself  with 
the  other ;  the  woman  sitting  at  her  stall  selling 
figs,  sat  fanning  herself;  and  the  servant  coming 
from  market,  carried  her  basket  with  one  arm, 
and  fanned  herself  with  the  other.  To  me,  who 
had  never  before  seen  a  fan  but  in  the  hands  of 
a  lady,  this  seemed  ridiculous  enough. 

The  streets  of  Madrid  present  a  totally  dif- 
ferent aspect,  at  different  hours  of  the  day  : 
before  one  o'clock,  all  is  nearly  as  I  have  de- 
scribed it;  bustling  and  busy,  and  thronged 
with  people  of  all  ranks,  of  whom  the  largest 
proportion  are  always  females  ;  for  the  women 
of  Madrid  spend  much  of  their  time  in  the 
streets,  going  and  coming  from  mass,  shopping 
(a  never  failing  resource,)  and  going  and  coming 
from  the  Prado.  But  from  one  o'clock  till  four, 
tlie  aspect  of  every  thing  is  changed:  the  shops 
are  either  shut,  or  a  curtain  is  drawn  before  the 
door ;  the  shutters  of  every  window  are  closed ; 
scarcely  a  respectable   person  is  seen  in  the 


SPAIN  IN  18;50.  71 

street ;  the  stall-keepers  spread  cloths  over 
their  wares,  and  go  to  sleep ;  groups  of  the 
poor  and  idle  are  seen  stretched  in  the  shade ; 
and  the  water-carriers,  throwing  their  jackets 
over  their  faces,  make  pillows  of  their  water 
casks.  But  the  siesta  over,  all  is  again  life  and 
bustle;  the  curtains  are  withdrawn,  the  balconies 
are  filled  with  ladies,  the  sleejDcrs  shake  off  their 
drowsiness,  and  the  water-carriers  resume  their 
vocation,  and  deafen  us  with  the  cry  of  aqua 
fresca.  These  water-carriers  are  a  curious  race, 
and  are  as  necessary  to  the  Spanish  peasant  as 
the  vender  of  beer  is  to  the  English  labourer : 
with  a  basket  and  glass  in  the  right-hand,  and 
a  water  jar  on  the  left  shoulder,  they  make  in- 
cessant appeals  to  the  appetite  for  cold  water, 
and  during  the  summer,  drive  a  lucrative  trade ; 
and  so  habituated  is  the  Spaniard  to  the  use  of 
cold  water,  that  I  have  observed  little  diminu- 
tion in  the  demand  for  it,  when  the  morning 
temperature  of  the  air  was  such  as  would  have 
made  even  an  Englishman  shrink  from  so  com- 
fortless a  beverage. 

Frequently,  while  in  Madrid,  1  walked  out 
early  in  the  morning,  that  I  might  hear  the  de- 
lightful music  that  accompanies   the   morning 


72  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

service  in  the  Convento  de  las  Salesas ;  and  then 
the  streets  wore  a  different  appearance, — flocks 
of  goats  were  bevouacked  here  and  there  to 
supply  milk  to  those  who  cannot  afford  to  buy 
cows'  milk.  Porters,  water-carriers,  stall- 
keepers,  and  market  people,  were  making  a 
breakfast  of  grapes  and  bread ;  and  here  and 
there  a  friar  might  be  seen,  with  his  sack  slung 
over  his  back,  begging  supplies  for  his  convent. 
One  morning,  I  had  the  curiosity  to  follow  a 
young  friar  of  the  Franciscan  order  the  whole 
length  of  the  Calk  de  Montera ;  he  asked  up- 
wards of  forty  persons  for  alms,  and  entered 
every  shop,  and  only  two  persons  listened  to  his 
petition, — one  of  these  was  an  old  lame  beggar, 
sitting  at  a  door,  who  put  half  a  quarto  into  his 
hand ;  the  other  was  an  old  gentleman  with  a 
cocked  hat,  and  certain  other  insignia  of  holding 
some  government  employment. 

In  my  first  perambulation  of  the  streets  of 
Madrid,  I  remarked,  with  astonishment,  the 
extraordinary  number  of  shops  appropriated  to 
the  sale  of  combs.  Throughout  Spain,  but 
especially  in  Madrid,  the  comb  is  an  indispens- 
ible  and  important  part  of  every  woman's 
dress,   and  a  never   failing  accompaniment  of 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  73 

the  mantilla.  A  fashionable  Spanish  comb  is 
not  less  than  a  foot  long,  and  eight  or  nine 
inches  broad ;  and  no  woman  considers  from 
nine  to  fifteen  dollars  (from  2/.  to  3/.)  too  much 
to  give  for  this  appendage  ;  accordingly,  every 
tenth  shop,  at  least,  is  a  comb  shop.  Another 
very  numerous  class  of  shops  appeared  to  belong 
to  booksellers ;  and  a  third — shops  filled  with 
remnants  and  shreds  of  cloth  of  all  kinds  and 
colours,  which  partly  accounts  for  the  patched 
appearance  of  the  garments  of  the  lowest  orders, 
who  doubtless  find  in  these  repositories  the 
means  of  repairing  their  worn-out  clothes.  I 
had  one  day  the  curiosity  to  walk  leisurely 
through  two  of  the  principal  commercial  streets, 
and  to  take  a  note  of  the  different  shops  they 
contained.  In  the  Calic  de  Carretas,  I  found 
sixteen  booksellers,  ten  venders  of  combs,  three 
jewellers,  two  hardware  shops,  two  gold  and 
silver  embroiderers,  two  chocolate  shops,  two 
fan  shops,  six  drapers  and  silk  mercers,  one 
woollen  draper,  one  hatter,  one  perfumer,  one 
fruiterer,  one  print  shoj),  one  wine  shop,  and 
one  stocking  shop.  In  the  Calk  de  Montcra, 
I  found  eight  drapers  and  silk-mercers,  eight 
jewellers,   five    hardware    shops,    four   watch- 


74  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

makers,  three  china  and  crystal  shops,  three 
grocers,  five  embroiderers,  three  booksellers, 
three  perfumers,  three  pawnbrokers,  three  choco- 
late shops,  two  fan  shops,  four  comb  shops,  four 
provision  shops,  two  money  changers,  two  ven- 
ders of  ornaments  for  churches,  two  glove  shops, 
two  shoemakers,  two  gunsmiths,  three  venders 
of  cocks  and  hens,  and  two  of  singing  birds. 

Walking  through  the  streets  of  Madrid,  you 
are  one  moment  arrested  by  a  pleasant  smell, 
and  the  next  stunned  by  a  bad  one ;  among 
the  former,  is  the  fragrant  perfume  from  the 
cinnamon  to  be  mixed  with  the  chocolate  :  at 
the  door  of  every  chocolate  shop,  a  person  is  to 
be  seen  beating  cinnamon  in  a  large  mortar. 
Another  pleasant  smell  arises  from  the  heaps  of 
melons  that  lie  on  the  streets.  This  custom, 
by-the-by,  of  heaping  fruit  on  the  street,  re- 
quires that  one  unaccustomed  to  the  streets  of 
Madrid  should  look  well  to  his  feet, — melons, 
oranges,  apples,  and  many  other  kinds  of  fruit, 
lie  every  where  in  the  way  of  the  passenger, 
who  is  in  constant  dangerof  being  toppled  over. 
Among  the  bad  smells  that  assail  one,  the  most 
common,  and  to  me  the  most  offensive,  is  the 
smell  of  oil  in   preparation  for  cooking.     The 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  75 

Spanish  oil  is  unpleasant  both  to  the  taste  and 
smell ;  but  I  have  heard  well-informed  persons 
say  that  the  fault  does  not  lie  in  the  oil,  but  in 
the  manner  of  expressing  it ;  this  may  proba- 
bly be  true, — the  oil  of  Catalunia  is  as  unpleas- 
ant as  that  of  Andalusia,  and  yet  the  olives  of 
Catalunia  grow  in  a  latitude  little  different  from 
the  most  southerly  parts  of  France,  from  which 
the  most  excellent  oil  is  produced.  As  I  have 
mentioned  offensive  smells,  let  me  not  omit 
one  offensive  sight, — I  allude  to  the  constant 
practice  of  combing  and  cleaning  the  hair  in  the 
street :  in  most  of  the  less  frequented  streets, 
persons  are  seen  at  every  second  or  third  door 
intent  upon  this  employment;  and  sometimes 
the  occupation  includes  a  scrutiny,  at  the  nature 
of  which  the  reader  must  be  contented  to  guess ; 
and  even  in  the  most  frequented  streets,  if  two 
women  be  seated  at  fruit-stalls  near  each  other, 
one  is  generally  engaged  in  combing,  assorting, 
and  occasionally  scrutinizing  the  hair  of  the 
other.  Sights  like  these  neutralize,  in  some 
degree,  the  enjoyment  which  a  stranger  might 
otherwise  find  in  the  delicious  flavour  of  Mus- 
catel grapes. 

I  was  prepared  to  find  much  more  wretched- 


76  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

ness  and  poverty  among  the  lower  orders  in 
Madrid,  than  is  apparent — I  might  perhaps  say, 
than  exists  there.  There  is  much  misery  in 
Madrid,  but  it  lies  among  a  different  class,  of 
whom  I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  after- 
wards :  at  present,  I  speak  merely  of  the  lowest 
class  of  the  inhabitants,  among  whom,  in  every 
great  city,  there  is  always  a  certain  proportion 
of  miserably  poor.  I  purposely  walked  several 
times  into  the  lowest  quarters  of  the  city,  but  I 
never  encountered  any  such  pictures  of  poverty 
and  wretchedness  as  are  to  be  found  abundantly 
in  Paris,  London,  Dublin,  Manchester,  and 
other  great  towns  of  France  and  England. 
When  the  king  arrived  in  Madrid  from  La 
Granja,  there  were  at  least  10,000  persons 
present  at  his  entree ;  and  upon  the  occasion  of  the 
queen's  accouchement,  there  were  three  times 
that  number  in  the  court  of  the  palace  ;  and  yet 
I  did  not  see  a  single  person  in  rags — scarcely 
even  a  beggar.  It  is  possible,  however,  that 
a  cloak  may  conceal  much  wretchedness  ;  and 
of  this  I  had  one  day  an  example.  Sauntering 
one  morning  in  the  retired  part  of  the  Prado,  in 
front  of  the  botanical  garden,  I  sat  down  upon 
the  low  wall  that  supports  the  iron  railing :  a 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  77 

man,  with  a  decent  cloak  wrapped  around  him, 
sat  a  few  paces  distant,  seemingly  in  a  reverie  ; 
he  happened  to  have  taken  his  seat  upon  some 
prohibited  place,  and  one  of  the  guards,  un- 
perceived  by  him,  walked  forward,  and  tapped 
him  on  the  shoulder  with  his  musket :  whether 
the  sudden  start  which  this  intrusion  occa- 
sioned had  unfastened  the  cloak,  or  whether  he 
had  accidentally  let  go  his  hold  of  it,  is  of 
no  consequence  ;  but  the  cloak  dropped  half  off 
his  body,  and  I  discovered  that  it  was  his  only 
garment,  excepting  his  neckcloth :  the  man  was 
no  beggar ;  he  hastily  replaced  the  cloak,  and 
walked  away.  He  was  probably  one  of  that 
class  who,  in  Madrid,  sacrifice  all  to  the  ex- 
terior ;  or,  possibly,  one  of  those  very  few  Cas- 
tilians,  who  yet  inherit  old  Castilian  pride,  and 
who  would  die  rather  than  ask  an  alms. 

But  it  is  not  difficult  to  assign  plausible 
reasons  for  the  fact,  that  the  utterly  destitute 
form  but  a  very  trifling  proportion  of  the  in- 
habitants of  Madrid.  Madrid  lives  by  the 
court ;  it  is  said  that  the  employees,  including  all 
grades,  and  the  military,  form  one  fourth  part  of 
the  whole  inhabitants.  The  professional  per- 
sons, especially  those  connected  with  the  law. 


78  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

form  a  large  body  ;  the  friars  and  priests,  a  still 
larger.  In  Madrid,  too,  are  assembled  the 
greater  number  of  the  nobles  and  rich  pro- 
prietors ;  so  that  more  than  one  half  of  the 
inhabitants  live  upon  their  salaries  and  rents. 
We  have  then  to  consider  the  great  number 
of  tradespeople,  artificers,  and  shopkeepers  re- 
quired to  supply  the  wants  of  the  former  classes ; 
add  to  these,  the  common  labourers,  servants, 
market  people,  itinerant  venders,  porters,  water 
carriers,  fruiterers,  and  the  seminaries,  hos- 
pitals, and  prisons ;  and  if,  as  is  said  to  be  the 
case,  the  employees,  the  military,  the  profes- 
sional men,  and  all  their  families,  together  with 
priests  and  friars,  amount  to  80,000  persons,  we 
may  easily  account  for  the  other  80,000,  without 
the  necessity  of  filling  up  a  blank  with  the 
utterly  destitute.  Indeed,  the  lowest  orders  in 
Madrid,  are  the  water-carriers  and  fruiterers  ; 
and  these  are  not  a  fixed  population ;  many 
belong  to  the  neighbouring  villages,  and  to  the 
fruit  countries  bordering  on  the  Tagus  ;  and  in 
the  winter  months,  these  leave  the  capital.  There 
is  always  a  resource  for  the  most  destitute  in 
Madrid,  in  the  trade  of  a  water-carrier :  he 
weaves  a  little  basket  of  rushes  ;  pays  a  couple 


I 


SPAIN  IN  18.30.  79 

of  reals  for  a  couple  of  glasses,  and  he  is  at  once 
equipped  as  a  vender  of  aqua  fresca.  Madrid 
has  no  manufacture,  so  that  labour  is  not  at- 
tracted to  the  capital,  to  be  afterwards  subject 
to  the  vicissitudes  of  trade ;  nor  is  there  any 
spirit  of  enterprise,  whose  caprices  demand  a 
constant  supply  of  superabundant  labour.  These 
may,  or  may  not,  be  deemed  sufficient  reasons 
for  the  fact  I  have  wished  to  account  for, — the 
reader  may  probably  be  able  to  add  others.  The 
fact,  however,  is  certain,  that  in  no  city  of 
Europe  ranking  with  Madrid,  is  there  so  little 
apparent  wretchedness. 

There  is  less  appearance  of  business  in  the 
streets  of  Madrid,  than  in  any  city  I  have  ever 
seen:  the  population  seem  to  have  turned  out 
to  enjoy  themselves.  Two  things  contribute 
mainly  to  give  that  air  of  ease  and  pleasure  to 
the  pursuits  of  the  inhabitants  of  Madrid ;  the 
great  proportion  of  women  of  whom  the  street- 
population  is  composed, — and  the  extreme 
slowness  of  movement.  The  women  of  Madrid 
have  nothing  to  detain  them  at  home ;  the 
ladies  have  no  home  occupations  as  in  London ; 
nor  have  the  majority  of  the  bourgeoises  any  shop 
duties  to  perform   as  in  Paris, — the  street  is, 


80  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

therefore,  their  only  resource  from  ennui.  And 
there  is  something  in  extreme  slowness  of 
motion,  that  is  entirely  opposed  to  business  and 
duties, — a  quick  step,  and  a  necessary  one,  are 
closely  allied ;  but  the  street  population  of 
Madrid,  with  few  exceptions,  merely  saunter; 
and  wherever  you  reach  an  open  space,  especially 
the  Puerta  del  Sol, — a  small  square  in  the  centre 
of  the  city, — hundreds  of  gentlemen  are  seen 
standing,  with  no  other  occupation  than  shaking 
the  dust  from  their  segars.  The  great  numbers  of 
military  too,  strolling  arm  in  arm,  and,  above  all, 
the  innumerable  priests  and  monks,  with  whom 
we  at  once  connect  idleness  and  ease,  give  to  the 
street  population  of  Madrid  an  appearance  of 
pleasure  seeking,  which  is  peculiar  to  itself, 
and  is  perhaps  little  removed  from  truth. 

On  Sunday,  Madrid  presents  the  same  aspect 
as  on  other  days,  with  this  difterence,  that  the 
shops  and  the  streets  are  more  crowded ;  and 
that  the  lower  classes,  and  the  bourgeoises,  are 
better  attired.  On  Sunday  evening,  the  houses 
are  deserted ;  the  whole  population  of  Madrid 
pours  down  the  Calle  de  Alcala,  to  the  Prado. 
Every  Sunday  afternoon,  from  four  o'clock  until 
six  or  seven,  this  street,  nearly  a  mile  in  length, 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  81 

and,  at  least,  twice  as  broad  as  Portland  Place, 
is  crowded  from  end  to  end,  and  from  wall  to 
wall,  so  that  a  carriage  finds  some  difficulty  in 
making  its  way.  Among  this  crowd,  I  have 
often  looked  in  vain,  to  find  an  ill-dressed  per- 
son ;  but  this  exterior  is  no  real  index  to  the 
condition  of  those  who  throng  the  Prado.  I 
have  reason  to  know,  that  hundreds,  who  by 
their  dress  might  pass  for  courtiers,  have  dined 
upon  bread  and  a  bunch  of  grapes,  and  go  from 
the  Paseo  to  hide  themselves  in  a  garret ;  and 
females  have  been  pointed  out  to  me,  whose 
mantilla,  comb,  and  fan  could  not  have  cost 
less  than  10/.,  who  were  starving  upon  a  pen- 
sion of  2,500  reals  (25/.). 

As  I  have  mentioned  the  Calle  de  Alcala,  let 
me  speak  of  this  street  as  it  deserves  to  be 
spoken  of.  I  know  of  no  finer  entry  to  any  city ; 
I  might  perhaps  say,  no  one  so  fine,  as  that  to 
Madrid  by  the  Calle  de  Alcala.  Standing  at  the 
foot  of  this  street,  you  have  on  the  right  and  left 
the  long,  wide  Prado,  with  its  quadruple  row  of 
trees  stretching  in  fine  perspective  to  the  gates 
that  terminate  it;  behind  is  the  magnificent  gate 
of  Alcala,  a  fine  model  of  architectural  beauty; 
and  before  lies  the  Calle  de  Alcala,  reaching  into 

VOL.   I.  G 


82  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

the  heart  of  the  city, — long,  of  superb  width, 
and  flanked  by  a  splendid  range  of  unequal 
buildings, — among  others  the  hotels  of  many  of 
the  ambassadors  ;  the  two  fine  convents  of  Las 
Calatravas,  and  Las  Ballecas,  and  the  Custom- 
house. But  theCalle  de  Alcala  is  the  only  really 
fine  street  in  Madrid  ;  many  of  the  other  streets 
are  good,  and  very  many  respectable,  of  toler- 
able width,  and  the  houses  lofty  and  well  built; 
but  there  is  no  magnificent  street,  excepting  the 
Calle  de  Alcala.  Like  all  the  other  cities  in  Spain, 
the  streets,  abstracted  from  the  population,  have 
a  sombre  aspect,  owing  to  the  number  of  con- 
vents, whose  long  reach  of  wall,  grated  windows, 
and  lack  of  doors,  throw  a  chill  over  the  mind  of 
the  passer  by.  There  are  no  fewer  than  sixty- 
two  convents  for  men  and  women  in  Madrid; 
and  it  frequently  happens  that  one  side  of  a 
whole  street  is  occupied  by  a  convent :  in  the 
Calle  de  Atocha  there  are  no  fewer  than  eight 
convents ;  and  some  of  the  streets  on  the  out- 
skirts, contain  scarcely  any  houses,  but  those 
dedicated  to  religion. 

Walking  one  day  in  company  with  a  priest, 
— a  very  intelligent  and  learned  man,  of  whose 
society  I  was  always  glad, — I  chanced  to  observe 
the  inscription  upon  the  corner  of  one  of  the 


ll 


.1 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  83 

streets,  and  read  Calle  de  la  luquisicion ;  my 
curiosity  was  immediately  awakened ;  I  had 
intended  before  leaving  Madrid,  to  have  sought 
out  the  spot  memorable  from  the  atrocities  with 
which  it  is  connected  ;  and  this  accidental  ren- 
contre saved  me  the  trouble  of  a  search.  I  im- 
mediately expressed  my  anxiety  to  see  the 
building,  and  to  enter  it  if  possible ;  and 
requested  my  companion  to  have  the  goodness 
to  be  my  Cicerone ;  but  I  found  that  the  terrors 
of  the  Inquisition  had  outlived  its  power ;  my 
companion  assured  me  there  was  nothing  to  see ; 
the  building  he  believed  was  shut  up,  and  no 
one  could  enter ;  indeed  he  doubted  if  he  per- 
fectly knew  where  the  building  was  situated.  I 
saw  the  difficulty  of  the  priest ;  there  might'  be 
danger  in  guiding  a  heretic  to  the  precincts  of 
the  holy  office  ;  and  so,  requesting  him  to  wait 
for  me,  I  went  in  search  of  the  building.  I  had 
no  difficulty  in  finding  it,  but  there  was  little  to 
reward  my  search ;  it  was  the  building  in 
which  prisoners  were  confined,  but  not  that  in 
which  they  were  judged  and  tortured.  This 
was  in  an  immediately  adjoining  street,  formerly 
called  the  street  of  the  Grand  Inquisitor,  whose 
house,  including  all  the  offices  of  the  court,  fills 

c;  2 


84  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

almost  one  side  of  the  street.  It  seems  at  first 
sight  surprising,  that  the  Inquisition,  like  the 
Bastile,  was  not  torn  down  during  the  time  of 
the  Constitution ;  but  the  prime  movers,  and 
even  the  instruments  in  that  revolution,  were 
of  the  upper  ranks ;  and  it  is  a  certain  fact, 
that  many  among  the  Pueblo  Bajo  look  even  now 
without  any  horror,  some  with  veneration,  upon 
the  building  once  dedicated  to  the  maintenance 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  faith.  The  building- 
used  as  the  prison  of  the  Inquisition,  was  con- 
structed above  immense  vaults,  originally  formed 
by  the  Moors ;  and  afterwards  converted  into 
dungeons.  I  requested  permission  to  visit  them, 
but  I  was  told  that  the  air  in  the  dungeons  was 
such  as  to  render  a  visit  to  them  unsafe. 

From  the  prisons  I  went  to  the  other  branch 
of  the  Inquisition  in  the  adjoining  street.  A 
part  of  the  house  of  the  Grand  Inquisitor  is  in  a 
dilapidated  state,  but  other  parts  are  inhabited 
by  private  individuals.  The  porter,  notwith- 
standing a  liberal  bribe,  made  much  difficulty 
in  allowing  me  to  enter,  but  I  at  last  prevailed 
with  him,  and  he  conducted  me  to  the  room 
formerly  used  as  the  hall  of  justice,  or  rather  of 
judgment;  and  although  I  saw  nothing  but  a 


SPAIN   IN  1830.  85 

long  gloomy  room  without  one  article  of  fur- 
niture, it  required  but  little  exercise  of  imagina- 
tion to  see,  in  fancy,  the  Inquisitors  and  their 
satellites,  the  trembling  accused,  and  the  instru- 
ments of  torture.  It  appears  incredible,  that 
any  others  than  those  to  whom  its  existence 
would  bring  power  or  wealth,  should  desire  the 
re-establishment  of  the  Inquisition;  and  yet,  I 
feel  myself  justified  in  believing,  that  many 
would  look  upon  its  restoration  with  com- 
placency; and  that  the  great  majority  of  the 
lower  orders  would  behold  this  with  perfect 
indifference.  If  so,  they  deserve  to  be  cursed 
with  it. 

The  dirtiness  and  want  of  comfort  in  the  Cniz 
de  Malta,  would  have  driven  me  into  private 
lodgings,  even  if  the  charges  in  the  hotel  had 
been  supportable ;  I  hastened  therefore  to  de- 
liver my  letters,  that  I  might  be  aided  in  my 
search  by  those  to  whom  I  carried  recommenda- 
tions ;  and  by  the  kind  assistance  of  Sr.  Mozo, 
one  of  the  Consejeros  del  Rey,  I  was  soon  es- 
tablished in  comfortable  apartments  in  the  Calk 
de  la  Madalena.  It  may  be  interesting  to  some, 
to  know  the  nature  and  price  of  private  accom- 
modation in  Madrid.     My  apartments  were  on 


86  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

the  second  floor,  (in  Madrid  every  floor  is  a 
separate  house,  excepting  among  the  very 
highest  ranks)  and  consisted  of  one  very  large 
room,  40  feet  long,  by  22  broad,  with  tw^o  very 
large  windows  facing  the  street ;  a  small  bed- 
room, separated  from  this  large  room  by  a  glass 
door;  and  another  small  room,  beyond  the  bed- 
room, to  be  employed  as  an  eating  room.  These 
rooms  were  brick-floored,  as  every  room  is,  in 
the  northern  and  central  parts  of  Spain  ;  and 
the  walls  white-washed.  The  apartments  were 
furnished  with  basket-chairs  and  sofas,  a  bed, 
and  two  or  three  tables ;  and  for  this  accommo- 
dation, including  service  and  cooking,  I  paid 
20  reals  per  day,  or  1/.  9^.  2d.  per  week.  This 
was  certainly  not  remarkably  cheap ;  but  the 
situation  was  good,  and  the  rooms  were  clean 
and  airy. 

Being  thus  established  in  lodgings,  my  first 
duty  was  to  find  the  hotel  of  the  British  minis- 
ter, and  to  present  to  him  my  letter  of  intro- 
duction from  Lord  Aberdeen ;  and  I  gladly 
avail  myself  of  this  opportunity  to  express  my 
obligations  to  Henry  Unwin  Addington,  Esq. ; 
not  only  for  his  uniform  kindness  and  attention 
while  we  remained  in  Madrid,  and  for  the  often 


' 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  87 

repeated  hospitalities  of  his  house  ;  but  for  his 
readiness  to  assist  me  in  whatever  way  the 
representative  of  the  British  Government  could 
make  his  interest  available  in  forwarding  my 
objects.  For  some  lesser  favours,  I  am  also 
Mr.  Addington's  debtor ;  among  others,  the 
privilege  of  perusing  the  English  newspapers, 
no  small  privilege  in  a  country  where  the  only 
journal  is  the  Gaceta  de  Madrid.  Walking  one 
day  towards  my  lodgings,  with  a  file  oi  Courier's 
in  my  hand,  I  noticed  that  I  was  followed,  and 
narrowly  scrutinized  by  some  persons  in  au- 
thority ;  but  they,  no  doubt,  became  informed 
where  I  procured  this  forbidden  fruit,  and  I 
never  suffered  any  farther  interruption. 

The  day  after  my  arrival  in  Madrid  was  Sun- 
day, and  having  finished  my  puchero,  and 
drank  a  reasonable  quantity  of  Val  de  Penas, 
I  prepared  to  join  the  tide  that  was  slowly 
rolling  towards  the  Prado. 

Every  Spaniard  is  proud  of  the  Prado  at 
Madrid  ;  and  but  for  the  Prado,  the  inhabitants 
of  Madrid  would  look  upon  life  as  a  thing  of 
very  little  value  ;  every  body  goes  every  night 
to  the  Prado ;  every  body — man,  woman,  and 
child— looks  forward  to  the  evening  promenade 


88  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

with  pleasure  and  impatience  ;  every  body  asks 
every  body  the  same  question,  shall  you  be  on 
the  Paseo  to  night  ?  how  did  you  like  the  Paseo 
last  night  ?  every  night,  at  the  same  hour,  the 
dragoons  take  their  place  along  the  Prado,  to 
regulate  the  order  and  line  of  carriages :  and 
the  only  difference  between  Sunday  night  and 
any  other  night  on  the  Prado  is,  that  on  Sun- 
day it  is  frequented  by  those  who  can  afford 
to  dress  only  once  a  week,  as  well  as  by  those 
who  can  dress  every  day.  It  was  impossible 
that  I  could  permit  the  first  Sunday  to  pass 
away  without  seeing  the  Prado;  accordingly, 
accompanied  by  a  colonel  in  the  Spanish  ser- 
vice, whose  name,  for  certain  reasons,  I  refrain 
from  mentioning,  I  took  the  road  to  the  Prado. 

The  Prado,  divested  of  its  living  attraction, 
is  certainly  not  entitled  to  the  extravagant 
praises  bestowed  upon  it  by  the  Spaniards  : 
it  is  a  fine  spacious  paseo,  at  least  two  miles 
long,  and  from  200  to  300  yards  broad,  adorned 
with  rows  of  trees,  and  with  several  fountains  ; 
the  frequented  part,  however,  is  not  more  than 
half  a  mile  in  length,  and  has  scarcely  any 
shade.  But  the  Prado,  although  in  itself  not 
possessing   the   natural   attractions   of  that  of 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  89 

Vienna,  or  perhaps  of  some  others,  is  an  admir- 
able resort  for  a  stranger  who  is  desirous  of 
seeing  the  population  of  Madrid.  When  I 
reached  it,  it  seemed  already  crowded,  though 
a  dense  stream  of  population  was  still  pouring 
into  it  from  the  Calk  de  Alcala.  On  the  part 
appropriated  to  carriages,  there  was  already  a 
double  row  of  vehicles,  bespeaking,  by  their 
slow  motion,  the  stateliness  of  character  said  to 
belong  to  the  Spanish  aristocracy.  The  turn-out 
of  carriages  presented  a  strange  melange  of  ele- 
gance and  shabbiness  ;  some  few  were  as  hand- 
some as  can  be  seen  in  Hyde  Park  ;  some — truly 
Spanish, — were  entirely  covered  over  with  gild- 
ing and  painting ;  many  were  like  worn-out  post 
chaises ;  and  several  like  the  old  family  pieces 
that  are  yet  sometimes  to  be  seen  at  the  church 
door  on  Sunday,  in  some  remote  parishes  in 
England.  I  observed  the  most  ludicrous  in- 
congruity between  the  carriages  and  the  ser- 
vants ;  many  a  respectable,  and  even  handsome 
carriage  might  be  seen  with  a  servant  behind, 
like  some  street  vagabond  who,  seeing  a  vacant 
place,  had  mounted  for  the  sake  of  a  drive.  I 
actually  saw  a  tolerably  neat  carriage  driven 
by  a  coachman  without  stockings ;  and  another 


90  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

with  a  rheumatic  lacquey  behind,  whose  head 
was  enveloped  in  flannel.  But  let  me  turn  to 
the  pedestrians. 

The  Paseo  was  crowded  from  end  to  end,  and 
from  side  to  side ;  so  crowded,  indeed,  that  by 
mixing  with  the  tide,  it  was  impossible  to  see 
more  than  one's  next  neighbour ;  and  that  I 
might  better  observe  the  elements  of  the  crowd, 
I  contrived,  with  some  difficulty,  to  extricate 
myself  from  the  stream,  and  get  into  the  car- 
riage drive.  Before  visiting  Spain,  I  had  heard 
much  of  the  beauty  of  Spanish  women, — their 
graceful  figures, — their  bewitching  eyes, — their 
fascinating  expression, — in  short,  their  personal 
attractions.  Whether  owing  to  the  representations 
of  travellers,  or  the  unreal  descriptions  of  poets, 
or  the  romance  with  which,  in  the  minds  of 
many,  every  thing  in  Spain  is  invested, — it  is 
certain,  that  a  belief  in  the  witchery  of  Spanish 
women  obtains  very  general  credence  in  Eng- 
land. With  curiosity,  therefore,  considerably 
excited,  I  took  up  a  station  to  decide  upon  the 
claims  of  the  ladies  of  Spain.  In  my  expecta- 
tions of  beauty  I  was  miserably  disappointed  ; 
beauty  of  features  I  saw  none.  Neither  at  that 
time,  nor  at  any  subsequent  visit  to  the  Prado, 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  91 

did  I  ever  see  one  strikingly  lovely  countenance  ; 

and  the  class  so  well  known  in  England,  because 

so  numerous,  denominated  "  pretty  girls,"  has  no 

existence  in  Spain.     The  women  were,  without 

exception,  dark, — but  the  darkness  of  the  clear 

brunette,  is  darkness  of  a  very  different  kind 

from  that  of  the  Castilian.     I  saw  no  fine  skin, 

no  glossy  hair  :  dark  expressive  eyes  I  certainly 

did  see,  but  they  were  generally  too  ill  supported 

to  produce  much  effect.      But  let  me  do  justice 

to  the  grace  of  the  Spanish  women.     No  other 

woman  knows  how  to  walk, — the  elegant,  light, 

and  yet  firm  step  of  the  small  and  well  attired 

foot  and  ancle, — the   graceful   bearing  of  the 

head  and  neck, — the  elegant  disposition  of  the 

arms,  never  to  be  seen  hanging  downward,  but 

one  hand  holding  the  folds  of  the  mantilla,  just 

below  the  waist ;  the  other  inclining  upward, 

wielding,  with  an  effect  the  most  miraculous, 

that  mysterious  instrument,  the  fan, — these  are 

the  charms  of  the   Spanish  women.      As  for 

the  fan,  its  powers  are  no  where  seen  displayed 

to  such  advantage  as  on  the  Prado.     I  believe 

I  shall  never  be  able  to  look  at  a  fan  in  the 

hands  of  any  other  tlian  a  Spanish  woman, — 

certainly   no    other   woman    understands    the 


92  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

management  of  it.  In  her  hands  it  is  never  one 
moment  at  rest, — she  throws  it  open,  fans  her- 
self, furls  it  to  the  right, — opens  it  again,  again 
fans  herself,  and  furls  it  to  the  left,  and  all  with 
three  fingers  of  one  hand.  This  is  absolutely 
marvellous  to  one  who  has  been  accustomed  to 
see  a  fan  opened  with  both  hands,  and  furled 
only  on  one  side.  But  that  I  may  at  once 
exhaust  the  subject  of  fans,  let  me  add,  that  in 
the  hands  of  its  true  mistress,  the  fan  becomes 
a  substitute  for  language,  and  an  interpreter  of 
etiquette.  If  a  lady  perceives  that  she  is  an 
object  of  attention  to  some  inquisitive  and 
admiring  caballero,  she  has  immediate  recourse 
to  her  fan,  that  she  may  convey  to  him  one  most 
important  piece  of  information.  If  she  be 
married,  she  fans  herself  slowly  ;  if  still  seiio- 
rita,  rapidly.  The  caballero,  therefore,  at  once 
ascertains  his  chances  and  his  risks.  This  fact 
I  obtained  from  a  Spanish  lady  of  rank  in 
Madrid,  the  wife  of  a  gentleman  in  a  high  offi- 
cial situation.  The  motion  of  the  fan  too, 
marks  distinctly,  and  with  the  utmost  nicety, 
the  degree  of  intimacy  that  subsists  between  one 
lady  and  another.  The  shake  of  the  fan  is  the 
universal  acknowledgment  of  acquaintance;  and 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  93 

according  as  the  fan  is  open  or  shut,  the  inti- 
macy is  great  or  small.  These  are  trifling  things, 
yet  they  are  worth  telling.  But  let  me  return 
to  the  Prado,  where,  having  decided  upon  the 
claims  of  the  Castilian  ladies,  I  had  leisure  to 
observe  its  other  novelties.  Here  I  saw  little 
of  the  sombreness  I  had  remarked  on  the  streets, 
for  many  of  the  ladies  wore  white  mantillas ; 
and  in  the  evening,  coloured  rather  than  black 
gowns  are  the  mode.  The  very  great  number, 
too,  of  officers  of  the  guards,  with  their  high 
cocked  hats,  and  coats  entirely  covered  with 
silver  lace,  gave  additional  animation  to  the 
scene.,  Other  pictures  of  a  different  kind  the 
eye  occasionally  caught, — here  and  there  a 
portly  priest,  with  his  ample  gown  and  great 
slouched  hat,  mingling  in  the  throng,  and  evi- 
dently enjoying  the  scene  and  its  gaiety, — - 
aloof  from  the  crowd,  and  in  the  most  retired 
walks,  with  hurried  step  and  downcast  head,  a 
friar,  in  his  grey,  brown  or  white  cassock, — 
now  and  then  a  tall  Andalusian  peasant,  with 
his  tapering  hat,  his  velvet  and  silver  embroi- 
dered jacket  and  crimson  sash,  his  unbuttoned 
gaiters  and  white  stockings, — the  Asturian 
nurse,  with  her  short  brown  jerkin,  petticoat  of 


94 


SPAIN  IN  1830. 


blue  and  yellow,  trimmed  with  gold,  and  bare 
head.  It  is  always  a  mark  of  a  woman's  con- 
sequence in  Madrid  to  hire  an  Asturian  nurse  ; 
they  are  supposed  to  be  models  of  health  and 
strength,  and  certainly  if  breadth  of  figure  be 
the  criterion  of  these,  the  ladies  of  Madrid 
make  a  prudent  choice  :  I  never  saw  such 
women  as  the  women  of  the  Asturias.  In 
France,  where  the  women  are  generally  mmce, 
one  of  them  might  be  exhibited  as  a  curiosity. 

There  is  one  very  unpleasant  thing  connected 
with  a  promenade  on  the  Prado,  whether  in  a 
carriage  or  on  foot;  this  is  the  necessity  of  pay- 
ing honour  to  every  branch  of  the  royal  family, 
however  frequently  they  may  pass  along.  Every 
carriage  must  stop,  and  those  within  must  take 
off  their  hats,  or  if  the  carriage  be  open  stand  up 
also ;  and  every  person  on  foot  is  expected  to 
suspend  his  walk,  face-about,  and  bow,  with 
his  head  uncovered.  When  the  king  passes,  no 
one  perhaps  feels  this  to  be  a  grievance ;  because, 
however  little  respect  the  king  may  in  reality 
be  entitled  to  from  his  subjects,  it  is  felt  to 
be  nothing  more  than  an  act  of  common  good 
breeding  to  take  off  one's  hat  to  a  king ;  but  I 
have  fifty  times  seen  all  this  homage  paid  to  a 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  95 

royal  carriage  with  a  nurse  and  an  infant — not 
an  infanta — in  it ;  and  one  evening  I  was  abso- 
lutely driven  from  the  Prado  by  the  unceasing 
trouble  of  being  obliged  to  acknowledge  the 
royal  presence  every  few  minutes,  the  spouse 
of  the  Infante  Don  Francis  having  found  amuse- 
ment in  cantering  backward  and  forward  during 
an  hour  at  least.  From  the  expected  homage,  no 
one  is  exempt :  even  the  foreign  ambassadors 
must  draw  up,  rise,  and  uncover  themselves,  if 
but  a  sprig  of  royalty  in  the  remotest  degree, 
and  of  the  tenderest  age,  happens  to  drive  past. 
Both  the  British  and  the  American  Minister 
told  me,  that  for  that  reason  they  never  went  to 
the  Prado. 

The  promenade  continues  long  after  dark  ; 
and  on  fine  moonlight  nights  in  the  month  of 
September,  1  have  seen  it  continued  without 
any  diminution  in  the  crowd  until  after  ten 
o'clock ;  generally,  however,  when  dusk  begins 
to  usher  in  darkness,  and  when  the  great  object 
of  going  to  the  Prado  is  accomplished, — seeing 
and  being  seen — the  crowd  thins,  and  there  is 
soon  no  remnant  of  it  visible,  excepting  pairs, 
or  single  individuals,  here  and  there,  who  have 
their  reasons  for  remaining.   In  Madrid, — indeed 


96  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

throughout  all  Spain,  nobody  walks  for  pleasure; 
at  all  events  no  woman  :  and  this  fact  is  I  think 
sufficient  to  account  for  the  superiority  of  the 
Spanish  women  in  the  art  of  walking,  without 
making  it  necessary  for  us  to  suppose  any  defi- 
ciency in  elegance  of  limb  or  symmetry  of  form 
among  the  women  of  other  countries.  An  En- 
glishwoman walks  for  health :  she  puts  on  her 
bonnet,  and  a  pair  of  strong  shoes,  and  a  shawl, 
and  walks  into  the  country ;  and  the  nature  of 
the  climate  creates  a  necessity  for  walking  fast ; 
there  is  no  one  to  look  at  her,  and  she  thinks  of 
nothing  so  little  as  her  manner  of  walking  :  but 
a  Spanish  woman  never  walks  for  health  or 
exercise ;  she  never  goes  out  but  to  go  to  the 
Paseo,  and  never  without  having  paid  the  most 
scrupulous  attention  to  her  toilette.  On  the 
Paseo,  she  studies  every  step,  because  the 
object  of  going  there  is  to  be  seen  and  admired, 
and  the  nature  of  the  climate,  obliges  her  to 
walk  slow. 

My  evening  walk  in  Madrid  was  more  fre- 
quently to  the  Retiro  than  to  the  Prado ;  this  is 
a  vast  and  ill-laid  out  garden  and  shrubbery, 
three  or  four  miles  in  circumference,  situated 
upon  an  elevation  behind  the  Prado,  the  en- 


SPAIN  IN  18.30.  97 

trance  to  which  is  by  the  court  of  the  old  palace, 
which  was  destroyed  during  the  war.  The 
Retiro  possesses  no  particular  attraction,  ex- 
cepting its  fresh  air,  and  freedom  from  dust. 
There  are  some  elevations  in  this  garden,  from 
which  an  extensive  prospect  is  enjoyed  ;  but  it 
embraces  little  that  is  interesting,  excepting  the 
city,  and  the  skies — an  object  of  no  small  interest 
to  one  accustomed  to  the  dense  atmosphere  and 
cloudy  heavens  of  a  northern  latitude.  During 
the  several  months  that  I  remained  in  Madrid, 
I  scarcely  ever  saw  a  cloud ;  and  I  frequently 
walked  to  the  Retiro  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
looking  at  the  glorious  sky,  and  the  gorgeous 
sun-set:  such  skies  are  glorious,  even  when 
they  canopy  a  desert.  From  the  Retiro,  the  eye 
ranges  over  nothing  but  a  desert,  bounded  on 
one  side  by  the  Sierra  Guadarama,  on  the  other 
by  the  Toledo  mountains;  and  Madrid,  standing- 
alone  in  the  midst  of  this  treeless  and  lifeless 
plain,  seemed,  when  the  setting  sun  flamed 
upon  its  domes  and  spires,  to  have  been  placed 
there  by  enchantment. 

Returning  from  the  Prado,  or  the  Retiro,  1 
frequently  stepped  into  the  Cafe  de  Santa  Cala- 
lina,    the    most  brilliant  place  of  the   kind   in 

VOL.   I.  H 


98  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

Madrid,    and   generally   resorted   to   after   the 
promenade,  by  many  of  the  most  distinguished 
persons.      I  greatly  prefer  this  cafe  to  any  in 
Paris ;  to  any,  indeed,   that  I  have  seen  else- 
where.     You  pass  through  a  magnificent  and 
brilliantly  illuminated  room,  where  those  who 
love  the   light   are   assembled,    into   an   open 
court, — open  to  the  skies  above,  but  surrounded 
by   the   backs   of  lofty   buildings ;    a   covered 
arcade  runs  round  the  court,  dimly  lighted  by 
suspended  lamps,  to  meet  the  taste  of  those 
who  desire  a  certain  quantity  of  light  and  no 
more.      But   this    light   scarcely   reaches  the 
centre  of  the  court,  which  is  illuminated  only 
by  the  stars;  and  here,  as  well  as  under  the 
arcade,  tables  and  chairs  are  placed  for  those 
who  are  indifferent  about  light.     All  sorts  of 
refreshments  suited  to  a  warm  climate,  are  to 
be  found  in  this  cafe ;  and  rows  of  sweet  smell- 
ing flowers  in  pots,  add  to  the  luxury  of  the 
place.     It  may  easily  be  believed,  that  the  Caf^ 
Catalina  is  celebrated  on  other  accounts  than  for 
the  excellence  of  the  refreshments  which  it  fur- 
nishes.    In  the  illuminated  room,  all  is  mirth 
and  gaiety  :  the  ladies,  escaped  from  the  mono- 
tony,   and   proprieties,    and    etiquette   of    the 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  99 

Prado,  give  way  to  their  natural  liveliness  and 
wit;  and  accept,  with  smiling  looks  of  conscious 
merit,  and  with  quick  flutterings  of  the  fan,  the 
proffered  courtesies  and  gallantry  of  the  cabal - 
leros  who  escort  them.  In  the  court,  the  scene 
is  different :  within  the  arcade,  quieter  parties 
are  seated,  enjoying  a  sort  of  half-seclusion; 
while,  throughout  the  centre,  are  scattered,  pairs 
in  conversation ;  and  the  light  of  a  lamp,  as  it 
occasionally  flashes  upon  their  privacy, — reveal- 
ing a  sparkling  eye,  and  the  flutter  of  a  fan, — 
interprets  its  nature.  The  use  of  the  tokdo  or 
the  bravo,  to  avenge  private  wrongs  among  the 
upper  ranks,  is  now  comparatively  unknown  in 
Spain ;  else  I  should  often  have  run  some  risk, 
by  strolling  leisurely  through  the  centre  of  the 
Caf(6  Catalina,  that  I  might  get  some  insight 
into  the  state  of  Castilian  morals. 

There  is  a  great  paucity  of  caf(6s  in  Madrid; 
excepting  the  Cafe  de  Santa  Catalina,  and  an- 
other, the  name  of  which  I  forget,  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  Prado,  there  is  only  the  Fon- 
tana  de  Oro  in  the  Calk  de  San  Geronimo.  But  it 
is  not  likely  that  there  should  be  many  coffee- 
houses in  a  country  where  there  are  no  news- 

n  2 


100  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

papers.  Both  in  France  and  in  England,  the 
majority  of  persons  who  frequent  coffee-houses, 
go  to  read  the  newspapers ;  but  in  Spain,  no 
one  enters  a  coffee-room  except  to  sip  iced 
water.  During  the  forenoon,  indeed,  the  doors 
of  the  caf<6s,  excepting  the  Fontana  de  Oro,  are 
generally  shut,  and  nobody  is  within.  An 
Englishman,  or  a  Frenchman,  who  is  accus- 
tomed to  connect  with  a  coffee-room, — half-a- 
dozen  public  journals, — organs  of  intelligence 
and  public  opinion,  upon  subjects  connected 
with  his  political  rights,  and  with  the  state  of 
his  country, — is  instantly  reminded  on  entering 
a  Spanish  coffee-room,  of  the  degraded  political 
condition  of  the  country  he  is  in :  and  the  dif- 
ference between  the  enjoyment  and  the  want  of 
political  rights,  is  forcibly  thrust  upon  him.  He 
takes  up  the  Gaceta  de  Madrid,  and  finds  there 
a  royal  ordinance,  breathing  vengeance  against 
those  who  desire  to  be  restored  to  their  homes 
and  their  country ;  and  whose  prayers  are  for  its 
happiness.  He  turns  over  the  leaf,  and  he  finds 
another  ordinance,  declaring  that  the  universi- 
ties shall  be  closed,  and  education  suspended, 
during  his  Majesty's  pleasure ;  and  he  then 
looks  for  the  comment   upon   these  facts  :   but 


SPAIN  IN   1830.  101 

he  looks  ill  vain.  He  sees  that  his  Majesty 
and  the  royal  family  enjoy  good  health ;  that 
the  king  has  appointed  a  bishop  to  one  cathe- 
dral ;  and  that  the  bishop  has  named  a  canon 
to  another ;  and  that  the  procession  of  St.  Rosalia 
will  issue  from  the  convent  of  St.  Thomas,  pre- 
cisely at  four  o'clock  next  day  ;  but  he  sees  not 
a  syllable  about  the  ordinances  that  deal  out 
injustice,  or  strangle  improvement;  and  he  says 
within  himself,  this  is  the  most  wonderful 
country  under  the  sun;  for  here,  intellect  wields 
no  power. 

Before  dismissing  the  Paseos  of  Madrid,  I 
must  notice  the  Botanical  Garden ;  not  much 
used  as  a  Paseo,  but  certainly  the  most  charming 
of  them  all.  While  I  remained  in  Madrid, 
waiting  until  the  heats  had  so  far  subsided  as 
to  allow  me  to  journey  into  Andalusia,  I  gene- 
rally walked  there  during  an  hour  or  two  after 
breakfast,  having  access  to  it  at  all  times, 
through  the  interest  of  a  friend.  The  garden 
is  very  extensive;  the  trees  are  full-grown;  and 
there  is  a  charming  variety  of  rare  and  beau- 
tiful plants.  The  garden,  although  not  by  any 
means  neglected,  is  not  in  such  ])erfect  order, 
or  under  such  excellent  manauemcnt  as  it  was 


102  SPAIN  IN   1830. 

during  the  time  of  the  constitution :  it  was 
then  under  the  direction  of  *S*'^"  La  Gasca, 
Professor  of  Botany,  and  a  Member  of  the 
Cortes;  now  a  resident  in  England,  where  I  be- 
lieve his  learning  is  appreciated  as  it  deserves. 
There  is  a  curious  and  very  unmeaning  regu- 
lation, connected  with  the  entree  of  this  garden. 
Every  lady,  on  entering,  must  throw  aside  her 
mantilla,  and  walk  with  the  head  uncovered ; 
she  is  not  even  allowed  to  drop  it  upon  her 
neck ;  it  must  be  carried  upon  the  arm.  This 
regulation  is  almost  an  order  of  exclusion  to 
a  Spanish  woman,  who  considers  the  proper 
arrangement  of  the  mantilla  no  trifling  or  easy 
matter,  and  not  to  be  accomplished  without 
the  aid  of  a  mirror  ;  it  is  rarely,  therefore,  that 
a  Spanish  woman  subjects  herself  to  a  regu- 
lation by  which  she  runs  the  risk  of  after- 
wards appearing  on  the  Paseo  with  her  mantilla 
awry. 

The  only  occasion  upon  which  a  Spaniard 
absents  himself  from  the  Paseo,  is  when  he  goes 
to  the  theatre.  The  inhabitants  of  Madrid  are 
a  theatre-going  population;  but  their  propensi- 
ties that  way  are  sadly  cramped  for  want  of 
room ;    if,  however,    the   theatre  now  erecting 


SPAIN  IN   1830.  103 

in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  palace  be  ever 
finished — a  point  certainly  doubtful,  since  the 
palace  itself  makes  no  progress  towards  com- 
pletion— half  Madrid  will  find  accommodation 
in  it,  and  have  the  honour  of  being  seated  in 
the  largest  theatre  in  Europe.  I  should  pro- 
bably not  have  visited  the  theatre  so  soon,  if 
the  road  from  my  lodgings  to  the  Calle  de  Alcala 
had  not  led  me  daily  past  the  theatre,  where  I 
generally  stopped  a  moment  to  read  "  the  bills 
of  the  play."  These,  as  in  the  olden  times  in 
England,  set  forth  the  merits  of  the  play, — 
narrate  a  few  of  the  principal  events, — tell  how, 
in  one  act,  there  is  a  most  witty  dialogue, — 
and  how,  in  another,  there  is  a  scene  which 
must  delight  every  body;  and  conclude  with 
some  eulogy  upon  the  genius  of  the  writer. 
The  first  visit  I  made  to  the  theatre  was  to  wit- 
ness the  representation  of  a  comedy  by  Solisy  to 
be  acted  in  the  Teatro  del  Principe.  I  walked  in 
and  took  my  seat  without  any  one  asking  for 
my  ticket,  which  is  not  demanded  until  the 
play  is  nearly  concluded  ;  so  that  a  lover  of  the 
theatre,  who  might  be  scarce  of  money,  might 
gratify  his  appetite  for  nothing. 

The  Teatro  del  Principe  is  miserably  small  for 


104  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

a  metropolitan  theatre  :  it  will  contain  no  more 
than  1500  persons  ;  but  it  is  light  and  pretty, 
painted  in  white  and  gold,  and  round  the  ceiling 
are  the  busts  of  the  principal  Spanish  poets,  dra- 
matists and  novelists,  their  names  being  inscribed 
under  each.  The  six  in  front  are  no  doubt 
intended  to  occupy  the  most  honourable  places : 
they  are  Calderon,  Lopez  de  Vega,  Cervantes, 
Garcilaso,  Ercillo,  and  Tirso.  Calderon  and 
Lopez  are  placed  in  the  front,  w^here  I  think 
Cervantes  ought  to  have  been.  The  house  was 
well  filled ;  the  ladies  generally  wore  mantil- 
las, but  some  were  in  full  dress;  and  a  few  had 
ventured  upon  French  hats.  There  is  one  pe- 
culiarity in  the  Spanish  theatres,  which  seems 
at  first  sight,  inconsistent  with  the  state  of 
society  and  manners.  Excepting  the  private 
boxes,  there  is  scarcely  any  place  to  which  a 
lady  and  a  gentleman  can  go  in  company.  In 
Madrid  the  only  places  of  this  description  will 
not  contain  thirty  persons ;  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  an  ample  provision  is  made  for  ladies. 
The  greater  part  of  the  space  occupied  by  the 
first  tier  of  boxes  in  the  English  theatres,  is 
thrown  into  one  space,  called  the  cazuela;  and 
here,  ladies,  and  only  ladies,  have  the  right  of 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  105 

entree.  The  most  respectable  women  go  to  the 
cazuela,  and  sit  there  unattended;  nor  is  this 
arrangement  unfavourable  to  intrigue.  The 
entree  to  the  cazuela  secures  the  entree  of  the 
whole  house ;  and  between  the  acts  the  cazuela 
is  almost  deserted,  some  having  gone  to  visit 
persons  in  the  boxes,  but  the  greater  number 
getting  no  farther  than  the  lobby,  where  it  is 
not  unusual  to  meet  a  friend ;  and  when 
the  comedy  ends,  every  lady  finds  an  escort 
ready.  It  is  a  fact  too,  that  if  the  cazuela  be 
crowded  during  the  first  act,  there  is  generally 
room  enough  during  the  second,  and  more  than 
enough  during  the  third.  This  needs  no  expla- 
nation. 

I  saw  only  one  really  beautiful  countenance 
in  the  theatre  ;  but  there  were  some  expressive 
faces,  and  inexpressibly  fine  eyes,  almost 
worthy  of  a  serenade.  Here,  the  fan  seemed  a 
most  indispensible  companion ;  for  besides  its 
common  uses,  it  exercised  the  powers  of  a 
critic,  expressing  approbation  or  dislike ;  and 
between  the  acts,  it  proved  itself  a  powerful 
auxiliary  to  the  language  of  the  eyes. 

The  play,  like  most  of  the  Spanish  comedies, 
was  a  piece  of  intrigue,  plot  within  plot,  and 


106  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

abounding  in  strange  situations,  and  innumer- 
able perplexities  and  difficulties,  scarcely  to  be 
comprehended  by  a  spectator  unless  possessing 
a  previous  knowledge  of  the  piece ;  and  to  be 
thoroughly  enjoyed  by  a  Spaniard  only.  The 
acting  was  spirited,  the  dresses  characteristic, 
and  the  orchestra  not  contemptible ;  and  the 
satisfaction  of  the  audience  was  shewn  in  im- 
moderate bursts  of  laughter. 

The  play  being  ended,  the  next  part  of  the 
entertainment  consisted  in  the  Bolero.  This  is 
danced  by  two  persons ;  the  man,  in  the  dress 
of  an  Andalusian  peasant — for  to  Andalusia  the 
dance  properly  belongs— with  dark  embroidered 
jacket,  short  white  embroidered  waistcoat,  crim- 
son sash,  white  tight  small  clothes,  white 
stockings,  and  the  hair  in  a  black  silk  knot ; 
his  partner  in  a  gaudy  dress  of  red,  embroi- 
dered with  gold.  These  are  nothing  more  than 
the  usual  holiday-dresses  of  the  Andalusian 
peasantry.  The  dance  itself,  is  a  quick  minuet ; 
advancing,  retiring,  and  turning;  the  feet  all 
the  time  performing  a  step,  and  the  hands 
occupied  with  the  castanets.  I  had  heard  much 
of  the  indelicacy  of  the  Bolero,  but  I  could  find 
nothing  in  it  in  the  slightest  degree  indecorous. 


SPAIN  IN  1830,  107 

The  dance  is  long,  at  least  it  is  often  repeated ; 
three  or  four  times  the  dancing  ceases,  the 
music  continuing,  and  the  dancers  standing 
opposite  to  each  other ;  and  after  a  short  interval, 
the  entertainment  is  resumed. 

At  this  theatre,  and  at  the  Teatro  de  la  Cruz, 
Italian  operas  are  performed  twice  a  week ; 
sometimes  at  the  one  theatre,  and  sometimes  at 
the  other ;  a  very  bad  arrangement,  because  it 
forces  the  lover  of  Italian  music  to  have  a  box 
in  both  houses ;  and  after  all,  one  is  apt  to 
make  a  mistake  as  to  the  house  in  which  the 
opera  is  performed.  The  Italian  opera  is  a 
losing  concern  in  Madrid  ;  the  prices  are  too 
low,  and  the  house  is  not  large  enough  to  ensure 
a  return.  The  star,  when  I  was  in  Madrid,  was 
a  Signora  To-si,  who  received  no  less  than  1 ,200/. 
sterling  to  perform  three  nights  a  week  for  five 
months.  This  Signora  Tossi  was  a  remarkable 
favourite  in  Madrid ;  she  performed  in  an  opera 
which  had  been  written  expressly  for  her;  and 
when  this  opera  was  announced,  the  house 
would  have  been  filled  even  if  it  had  been  three 
times  larger.  Nothing  could  gain  admittance 
but  bribery ;  if  one  inquired  for  a  ticket,  the 
answer  invariably  was,  that  all  were  sold  :   but 


108  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

if  one  chose  to  add,  '*  I  would  give  a  handsome 
gratuity  for  a  ticket,"  a  ticket  was  produced, 
and  an  additional  dollar  given  for  it.  Upon  this 
occasion  the  corregidor  of  Madrid  pocketed  as 
many  as  40  or  50  dollars  a  day  by  trafficking  in 
tickets ;  he  bought  40  or  50  tickets  before  the 
theatre  opened,  and  sold  them  during  the  day 
at  different  prices,  according  to  the  demand. 
So  great  was  the  rage  for  the  opera,  and  so 
great  the  dearth  of  tickets,  that  the  most  dis- 
graceful means  were  resorted  to  in  order  to  gain 
admittance :  one  evening  I  myself  saw  two  per- 
sons detected  with  forged  tickets.  The  excel- 
lence of  the  Opera  of  Madrid  last  season,  almost 
excused  the  madness, — not  the  meanness  of  the 
public.  Tossi,  I  thought  a  great  singer  :  she 
resembles  Catalini  more  nearly  than  any  one  I 
have  ever  heard ;  but  she  possesses  more  sweet- 
ness and  melody  of  tone  ;  and  is  a  better  actress, 
and  a  finer  woman  than  Catalini  ever  was.  The 
other  vocal  parts  were  well  supported,  and  the 
orchestra,  with  a  hint  and  a  rebuke  now  and  then 
from  Tossi,  acquitted  itself  well.  The  prices  of 
the  theatres  in  Madrid  are  as  moderate  as  the 
poorest  amateur  could  desire;  the  best  places  in 
the  house  are  to  be  had  for  2s.  Qd.,  and  very 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  109 

excellent  seats  cost   but   Is.   3(1. ;    the    public 
benches  in  the  pit  are  only  10^/. 

The  existence  of  a  good  Italian  opera  in 
Madrid,  and  the  easy  access  to  it,  have  no  doubt 
had  some  eifect  in  fostering  a  taste  for  music, 
especially  Italian  music.  Spain,  with  all  its 
sins,  has  not  to  answer  for  the  sin  of  neglecting 
the  fine  arts.  There  are  at  this  moment  four 
Italian  operas  in  Spain :  in  Madrid, — in  Malaga, 
in  Granada,  and  in  Barcellona ;  and  this  is 
fewer  than  usual ;  for  Cadiz  and  Seville  can  also 
generally  boast  of  an  Italian  company ;  and 
wherever  there  is  an  operatic  company,  there  is 
also  a  company  of  comedians.  I  shall  have 
occasion  afterwards,  to  notice  the  operas  of 
Malaga,  Granada,  and  Barcellona ;  at  present  I 
confine  myself  to  Madrid.  There,  music  is 
universally  cultivated;  and  it  is  rare  to  find  a 
Spanish  woman,  even  in  the  middle  ranks,  who 
is  not  a  good  pianist.  The  music  of  Rossini,  set 
to  the  piano,  is  the  most  in  vogue ;  but  the 
German  masters  also  are  known  to  many, — and 
justice  is  done  to  them.  That  instrument  so 
interwoven  with  our  ideas  of  Spain — the  guitar, 
is  now  little  cultivated  in  Castile  by  the  higher 
or  middle  ranks  ;  it  is  in  the  southern  provinces, 


110  SPAIN  IN   1830. 

and  in  some  of  the  more  retired  Spanish  towns, 
such  as  Toledo,  that  the  guitar  still  maintains 
its  power,  and  exercises  its  witcheries.  In 
Madrid  too,  in  the  evening,  the  lower  orders  are 
frequently  seen  sitting  at  their  doors  thrumming 
their  guitars ;  and  I  have  more  than  once  observed 
a  soldier  sitting  before  the  guard-house  with  his 
guitar,  while  his  comrades  sat  on  the  ground 
listening,  and  joining  in  the  chorus.  If  the 
ladies  of  Madrid  know  how  to  play  the  guitar, 
they  refrain  from  displaying  their  knowledge. 
The  piano  is  their  instrument,  and  they  do  it 
justice.  In  vocal  music,  the  ladies  of  Madrid 
are  not  proficients ;  there  is  a  want  of  melody 
in  their  voices  which  forbids  excellence.  This 
roughness  in  the  voices  of  the  Spanish  women, 
forcibly  strikes  a  stranger  upon  his  first  entrance 
into  Spanish  society,  and  is  felt  to  be  disagree- 
able even  in  conversation  :  of  its  effect  in  vocal 
performance,  one  has  rarely  an  opportunity  of 
judging. 

In  Madrid,  Spanish  music  is  not  much  culti- 
vated,— this  is  a  pity ;  for  although  it  knows 
neither  operatic  performances,  nor  any  composi- 
tions of  a  sustained  character,  it  owns  many 
beautiful  and  original  airs,  well  worthy  of  being 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  1  1  I 

preserved.  A  collection  of  these  has  lately, 
I  believe,  been  published  in  England,  accom- 
panied with  some  charming  poetry,  from  the 
pens  of  Mrs.  Hemans  and  Dr.  Bowring. — 
These  are  to  be  heard  in  the  theatres,  and 
occasionally  in  the  mouths  of  the  lower  orders. 
If  a  lady  be  requested  to  play  a  Spanish 
air,  she  will  comply ;  but  otherwise,  she  will 
always  prefer  Italian  music. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


MADRID. 


The  King,  Queen,  and  Roj^al  Family;  Personal  Appearance  of 
Ferdinand ;  a  Royal  Jeu  cVesprit ;  the  King's  Confidence  in 
the  People,  and  Examples ;  Character  of  the  King ;  a  Carlist's 
Opinion  of  the  King;  Favourites, — Calomarde, — Alegon, — 
Salsedo, — the  Duque  d'Higar ;  rising  Influence  of  the  Queen  ; 
Habits  of  the  Royal  Family ;  Court  Diversions ;  Rivalry  of 
Don  Carlos ;  the  Queen's  Accouchement,  and  Views  of  Parties; 
Detection  of  a  Carlist  Plot ;  the  Salic  Law ;  Court  Society ; 
Persons  of  Distinction,  and  Ministerial  Tertulias ;  Habits  and 
Manner  of  Life  of  the  Middle  Classes ;  a  Spanish  House,  and  its 
singular  Defences ;  Abstemiousness  of  the  Spaniards;  Evening 
and  Morning  Visits ;  Balls  and  Spanish  Dancing ;  Character 
of  Spanish  Hospitality ;  Spanish  Generosity  and  its  origin  ; 
Examples  of  Ostentation  ;  Morals ;  Gallantry  and  Intrigue  ; 
the  Morals  of  the  Lower  Orders ;  Religious  Opinions  in  the 
Capital,  and  decline  of  Priestly  Influence ;  Jesuitical  Educa- 
tion ;  the  Influence  of  the  Friars ;  Causes  of  the  decline  of 
Priestly  influence,  and  the  continuance  of  that  of  the  Friars ; 
Convent  Secrets ;  curious  Expose  at  Cadiz ;  Devotion  in 
Madrid. 

There  is  perhaps  no  European  Court  about 
which  so  little  is  known,  as  the  Court  of 
Madrid, — nor  any  European  sovereign  whose 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  1  13 

character  and  habits  are  so  little  familiar  to 
us,  as  those  of  Ferdinand  VII.  The  first  time 
I  saw  the  king,  was  on  the  day  of  my  arrival 
in  Madrid :  he  was  expected  to  return  from 
St.  Ildefonso,  and  I  mixed  with  the  crowd  in 
the  palace-yard  about  an  hour  before  he 
appeared.  There  were  several  thousand  per- 
sons present,  of  all  ranks,  and  his  Majesty 
was  received  with  respect,  but  with  no 
audible  demonstrations  of  welcome.  Upon 
this  occasion,  1  was  not  sufficiently  near  to 
observe  the  countenance  and  demeanour  of 
the  king. 

The  next  time  I  saw  his  majesty,  was  on 
the  Prado,  the  Sunday  following,  when  he 
appeared  in  his  state  equipage,  followed  by 
the  equipages  of  the  two  Infantes.  The  dis- 
play was  regal :  his  majesty's  carriage  was 
M'orthy  of  a  more  powerful  monarch :  it  was 
drawn  by  eight  handsome  horses^  elegantly 
caparisoned,  and  was  followed  by  the  two 
carriages  of  Don  Carlos  and  Don  Francis, 
and  by  that  of  the  Princess  of  Portugal,  each 
drawn  by  six  horses  ;  and  the  cavalcade  ^ras 
attended  by  a   numerous    party  of   huzzars. 

VOL.  I.  J 


114  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

There  were  no  other  persons  than  their 
Majesties  in  the  royal  carriage.  The  king 
was  dressed  in  military  uniform,  and  his 
royal  consort  wore  a  pink  French  crape  hat, 
and  printed  muslin  gown.  When  the  royal 
cavalcade  passed,  the  king  was  received  with 
the  usual  silent  tokens  of  respect ;  but  when 
the  carriage  of  the  infante  Don  Carlos 
appeared,  I  could  distinguish  a  few  vivas. 
The  king  took  scarcely  any  notice  of  the 
obeisances  of  his  subjects;  but  the  queen 
seemed  anxious  to  conciliate  their  favour  by 
many  sweet  smiles  and  affable  bendings  of 
the  head.  As  for  Don  Carlos,  none  of  the 
vivas  were  lost  upon  him :  he  had  a  bow  and 
a  grim  smile  for  every  one.  It  is  said,  and 
I  believe  with  truth,  that  the  king  does  not 
like  this  public  competition  with  his  brother 
for  popular  favour;  but  it  has  long  been  the 
invariable  custom  for  all  the  branches  of 
the  royal  family  of  Spain,  to  attend  prayers 
every  Sunday  evening  in  the  royal  chajDcl 
in  the  convent  of  San  Geronimo,  and  afterwards 
to  drive  along  the  Prado. 

A  few  days  afterwards  I  met  the  king  and 
queen  in  the  Retire,  on  foot ;  they  had  been 


SPAIN  IN  1S30.  115 

viewing  the  menagerie,  and  were  returning  to 
their  carriage.  Ferdinand  VII.  king  of  Spain, 
is  like  a  lusty  country  gentleman,  not  the 
meagre  figure  he  appears  in  Madame  Tassaud's 
exhibition ;  he  is  large,  almost  to  the  extent 
i  of  corpulency ;    his   countenance   is  fat   and 

heavy;  but  good  natured,  with  nothing  of 
hauteu7\  still  less  of  ferocity  in  it :  it  betrays, 
in  fact,  a  total  want  of  character  of  any  kind. 
The  queen  is  a  remarkably  pleasing,  and, 
indeed,  a  remarkable  pretty  woman ;  and  the 
charm  of  affability,  which  is  universally  grant- 
ed to  her  by  those  who  have  had  the  honour 
to  approach  her  person,  shines  conspicuously 
in  her  countenance :  she  looks  like  28  years 
of  age,  but  I  believe  she  is  some  years 
younger.  The  king  took  little  notice  of  the 
people  who  stood  by,  and  who  acknowledged 
the  royal  presence;  but  the  queen  bestowed 
upon  them  her  usual  smiles  and  curtesies. 
She  was  then  an  object  of  much  interest  with 
the  public,  for  she  was  expected  shortly  to 
give  birth  to  an  heir  to  the  Spanish  throne  ; 
and  to  this  event,  most  thinking  persons 
looked  forward,  as  one  that  must  produce 
I  2 


116  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

an  important  influence  upon  the  future  con- 
dition of  Spain.  His  majesty  stepped  into 
the  carriage  first,  leaving  the  queen  to  the 
gallantry  of  an  old  general,  who  was  their 
only  attendant, — perhaps  this  is  Spanish  court 
etiquette :  but  that  I  may  not  be  the  means 
of  fixing  upon  his  majesty  the  character  of 
an  ungallant  monarch,  I  must  relate  a  cir- 
cumstance that  will  certainly  make  amends 
for  this  seemingly  ungracious  act. 

I  happened  to  be  walking  one  day  in  the 
Calle  de  Alcala,  when  the  royal  carriage  drove 
up  to  the  door  of  the  Cabinet  of  Natural  History, 
and  being  close  by,  I  stopped  to  see  the  king 
and  queen.  The  king  stepped  from  the  carriage 
first;  he  then  lifted  from  the  carriage,  a  very 
large  poodle  dog,  and  then  the  queen  followed, 
whom,  contrary  no  doubt  to  royal  etiquette,  his 
majesty  did  not  hand,  but  lifted,  and  placed  on 
the  pavement;  and  then  turning  to  the  crowd 
who  surrounded  the  carriage,  he  said  to  them 
"Pesa  menos  el  matriomoni,"  which  means.  Ma- 
trimony is  a  lighter  burden  than  the  dog, — a 
very  tolerable  jeu  d'espiit  to  have  come  from 
Ferdinand  VH. 

It  is  a  general  belief  in  England,  that  the 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  117 

king  of  Spain  seldom  trusts  himself  out  of  his 
palace ;  at  all  events,  not  without  a  formid- 
able guard :  but  this  idea  is  quite  erroneous  ; 
no  monarch  in  Europe  is  oftener  seen  with- 
out guards  than  the  king  of  Spain.  I  could 
give  numerous  instances  of  this,  which  have 
fallen  under  my  own  observation ;  but  I  shall 
content  myself  with  one.  A  few  days  before 
leaving  Madrid,  while  walking  in  the  Retiro 
about  six  in  the  evening,  in  one  of  the  most 
private  walks,  I  observed  a  lusty  gentleman, 
in  blue  coat  and  drab  trowsers,  with  one 
companion,  about  twenty  paces  in  advance; 
and,  as  ray  pace  was  rather  quicker  than 
their's,  I  caught  a  side  look  of  the  lusty 
gentleman's  face  :  it  was  the  king,  accompa- 
nied by  a  new  valet,  who  had  just  succeeded 
Meris,  who  died  a  week  or  two  before,  of 
apoplexy.  I  had  frequently  seen  the  king 
without  guards  ;  but  never  before,  at  so  great 
a  distance  from  attendants,  or  in  so  retired 
a  place ;  and  that  I  might  be  (juite  certain 
that  this  was  indeed  the  redoubtable  Fer- 
dinand, I  followed,  in  place  of  passing.  He 
walked  the  whole  lengtli  of  the  Retiro,  parts 
of  which  are  more  than  a  mile  from  any  guard 


118  SPAIN   IN  1830. 

or  gate ;  the  garden  is  open  to  every  body ; 
some  of  the  walks  are  extremely  secluded ;  so 
that  he  was  the  whole  of  the  time,  entirely  in 
the  power  of  any  individual  who  might  have 
harboured  a  design  against  him ;  and  all 
this  struck  me  the  more  forcibly  since,  upon 
that  very  day,  it  had  been  announced  for  the 
first  time  in  the  Gaceta  de  Madrid,  that  the 
refugees  had  passed  the  frontier;  and  in  the 
same  paper  the  ordinance  had  appeared,  for 
closing  the  universities.  The  king  walked 
like  a  man  who  had  nothing  to  fear;  and  never 
once  looked  behind  him,  though  his  com- 
panion occasionally  did.  Before  making  the 
circuit  of  the  Retiro,  he  reached  the  frequented 
walks,  which  were  then  crowded,  and  where 
he  was  of  course  recognized,  and  received  as 
usual.  This  exposure  of  himself  seemed  to  me 
extraordinary,  and  scarcely  to  be  accounted 
for :  the  best  of  kings  have  occasionally 
suffered  by  their  temerity ;  and  surely  Fer- 
dinand can  have  no  right  to  suppose  himself 
without  an  enemy  :  his  conduct  shewed  either 
a  very  good,  or  a  very  hardened  conscience. 

But,    in   truth,    the    king   has    not   many 
enemies;   many  despise  him,   but  few  would 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  119 

injure  him.  I  have  heard  men  of  all  parties, 
— the  warmest  Carlists,  the  most  decided 
liberals,  speak  of  him  without  reserve ;  and 
all  speak  of  him  as  a  man  whose  greatest 
fault  is  want  of  character ;  as  a  man  not 
naturally  bad ;  good  tempered ;  and  who 
might  do  better,  were  he  better  advised. 
An  honest  adviser,  a  lover  of  his  monarch, 
and  a  lover  of  his  country,  Ferdinand  has 
never  had  the  good  fortune  to  possess ;  but, 
counselled  always  by  men  who  desire  only 
to  enrich  themselves,  and  to  maintain  their 
power,  he  is  constantly  led  to  commit  acts 
both  of  injustice  and  despotism,  which  have 
earned  for  him  the  character  of  tyrant.  A 
despicable  king  might  often  make  a  respect- 
able private  gentleman.  That  capital  failing 
in  the  character  of  an  absolute  king,  which 
may  be  called  want  of  character, — leading 
him  to  listen  to  every  tale  that  is  told,— is  the 
fruitful  source  of  injustice  in  every  depart- 
ment of  the  Spanish  government.  And  the 
same  fault  that  in  a  king,  leads  to  the  advance- 
ment of  knaves,  and  the  neglect  of  deserving 
men — to  robbery  of  the  nation,  and  the  ill- 
serving  of  the  state,  would,  in  a  private  sphere, 


120  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

only  lead  to  the  dismissal  of  a  footman,  or  the 
change  of  a  fruiterer.     I  am  acquainted  with 
a  Colonel  in  the  Spanish  service,  who,  after 
serving  his  country  fifteen  years,  and  receiv- 
ing seventeen  wounds,  was  rewarded  with  the 
government    of   an   important   fortress ;    two 
months  after  being  appointed  to  this  employ- 
ment he  lost  it;  and  a  distant  connexion  of 
the  mistress  of  one  of  the  ministers,  was  put 
in   his    place.     The   colonel   demanded,    and 
obtained  an   audience  of  the    king ;  shewed 
his  wounds,   and  asked  what  crime  he  had 
committed :    the  king  said  he   must  inquire 
of  Salmon,   who  had   told   something  to   his 
disadvantage;  and  this  was  all  the  satisfac- 
tion   he   ever  obtained.     This    man,  a  brave 
officer,   and   a  loyal   subject,    was   converted 
into  a  disaffected  person ;  and  yet  even  he, 
although  then  leagued  with  the  Carlists,  spoke 
of  the  king  as  a  man  who  would  act  better 
if  he    were   better   advised  :     "  Leave   him," 
said  he,    "the  name  of  king;  let  him  per- 
ceive  no  difference  in  the  externals  of  roy- 
alty ;    leave  him  his  secretaries  and  valets ; 
give   him  his   segar ;   and    let   him   have  his 
wife's  apartments  at  hand  ;  and  he  would  con- 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  121 

sent  to  any  change  that  might  be  proposed  to 
him  by  an  honest  and  able  minister."  A  bad 
education  has  produced  its  worst  effects  upon 
a  naturally  irresolute  and  rather  weak  mind. 
Ferdinand  was  badly  brought  up,  by  his 
mother ;  at  an  early  age  he  was  shamefully 
kidnapped  by  Napoleon,  and  long  kept  a 
prisoner,  where  he  could  learn  nothing  of  the 
art  of  good  government.  He  afterwards  fell 
into  the  hands  of  a  bigot,  his  late  wife:  and 
constantly  assured  by  those  around  him  of  the 
precariousness  of  his  throne,  with  the  liberals 
on  one  side,  and  the  apostolicals  on  the  other, 
he  has  felt  the  impossibility  of  acting  for  him- 
self; and  has  confided  all,  to  those  who  have 
undertaken  to  keep  the  state  vessel  afloat. 

The  man  who  has  most  the  ear  of  the  king, 
is  Don  Francisco  Tudeo  Calomarde,  minister  of 
justice,  as  he  is  called  in  Spain.  The  private 
opinions  of  Calomarde,  are  decidedly  aposto- 
lical ;  but  the  opinions  of  his  colleagues  being 
more  moderate,  he  is  obliged  to  conceal  his 
sentiments,  and  to  pretend  an  accordance  with 
theirs.  The  ministers  who  are  reputed  to  be 
moderate  in  sentiment  are  Don  Luis  Ballas- 
teros,  minister  of  finance  ;     Don  Luis  Maria 


122  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

Salagar,  minister  of  marine,  and  generally 
considered  the  most  able  in  the  cabinet ;  and 
Don  Manuel  Gonsalez  Salmon,  secretary  of 
state,  and  nominally  prime  minister.  This 
minister,  for  several  years,  held  only  the  office 
of  interim  secretary  of  state ;  because,  as  was 
generally  believed,  etiquette  forcing  the  king 
to  take  the  prime  minister  along  with  him  to 
his  country  palace,  the  advancement  of  Sal- 
mon would  have  deprived  Calomarde  of  this 
privilege :  lately,  however,  Salmon  has  been 
named  secretary  of  state  without  reserve,  pro- 
bably because  he  would  not  serve  upon  other 
conditions  ;  or,  according  to  another  version, 
because  he  threatened  Calomarde  with  some 
e.vposk  if  he  opposed  his  advancement. 

Calomarde,  unquestionably  no  fool,  is  un- 
derstood to  keep  all  together ;  the  minister  of 
the  marine  is  the  only  other  man  of  talent,  and 
he  is  a  new  man,  possessing  little  influence, 
and  who  could  not,  for  a  moment,  support 
himself  against  Calomarde  ;  he  was  only  a 
few  months  ago  presented  with  the  rank  of 
general,  that  etiquette  might  enable  him  to 
hold  some  office  with  which  the  king  wished 
to  reward  his  services. 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  123 

But  Calomarde  had  not  the  king's  un- 
divided ear;  and,  if  report  speak  truly,  he 
has  tale-telling  and  cabal  to  encounter,  as 
well  as  those  in  inferior  stations.  There  are 
other  two  individuals  who,  without  high  state 
offices,  possess  great  private  influence,  and  are 
generally  looked  upon  in  the  light  of  favourites. 
These  are  the  Duque  de  Alegon  and  Salsedo. 
The  former  was  appointed  last  autumn  to  the 
office  of  captain-general  of  the  guard ;  an 
office  that  keeps  him  much  about  the  king's 
person.  This  Alegon  is  a  dissipated  old  man, 
long  known  to  the  king,  and  who  used,  in 
former  days,  to  pander  to  his  pleasures  ;  the 
king  has  never  forgotten  the  convenient  friend 
of  his  younger  days,  and  has  now  thought  of 
rewarding  him.  The  services  of  the  Duque 
de  Alegon  refer  to  many  years  back.  Before 
the  king  wedded  his  bigot  wife,  not  affection, 
but  religious  fear  kept  him  faithful  during 
that  connexion  ;  and  now,  the  love  he  bestows 
upon  the  young  queen,  entirely  supersedes 
any  call  upon  the  services  of  Alegon. 

The  other  individual,  who  is  justly  con- 
sidered the  royal  favourite,  par  excellence,  is 
Salsedo,  who  holds  the  office  of  private  secre- 


124  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

tary.  A  dishonourable  link  formerly  bound 
him  to  his  sovereign,  and  he  still  retains  his 
influence.  It  is  generally  known,  that  pre- 
vious to  the  marriage  of  the  king  with  his 
present  wife,  the  wife  of  Salsedo  was  in  royal 
favour.  Salsedo  is  decidedly  a  man  of  good 
tact,  if  not  of  talent ;  his  having  retained  his 
post  fourteen  years  is  some  proof  of  both .  His 
principles  are  understood  to  be  moderate  ;  at 
all  events  his  advice  is  so,  for  he  has  sense  to 
perceive  that  an  opposite  policy  would  pro- 
bably accelerate  the  ruin  of  both  his  master 
and  himself.  Salsedo  possesses  more  in- 
fluence in  the  closet  than  Calomarde, — the 
king  likes  him  better,  and  confides  in  him 
more.  The  influence  of  Calomarde  is  not 
favouritism  ;  the  king  looks  to  his  opinion, 
because  he  trusts  to  his  knowledge.  There 
are  still  one  or  two  others  who  have  some- 
thing to  say  at  court,  particularly  the  Duque 
d'Higar,  the  best  man  of  the  Camarilla,  and  a 
man  both  of  talent  and  information :  but  the 
influence  of  the  Duque  d'Higar  is  not  great. 
The  favourite  valet  de  chambre,  who  died  of 
apoplexy  some  months  ago,  was  also  fast  creep- 
ing on  towards  high  favour  ;  and  his  death  has 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  125 

thrown  more  influence  into  the  hands  of  Sal- 
sedo. 

But  it  is  now  generally  supposed,  that  the 
rising  influence  of  the  queen  will  in  due  time 
discard  every  other  influence  about  court. 
No  king  and  queen  ever  lived  more  happily 
together,  than  the  present  king  and  queen  of 
Spain.  The  king  is  passionately  attached  to 
her;  and  it  is  said  she  is  perfectly  satisfied 
with  her  lot.  He  spends  the  greater  part  of 
the  day  in  her  apartments  ;  and  when  engaged 
in  council,  leaves  it  half  a  dozen  times  in  the 
course  of  an  hour  or  two,  to  visit  his  queen. 
The  habits  of  the  court  are  extremely  simple  : 
the  king  rises  at  six,  and  breakfasts  at  seven  ; 
he  spends  the  morning  chiefly  with  the  queen, 
but  receives  his  ministers  and  secretary  at  any 
time  before  two ;  at  half-past  two  he  dines, 
always  in  company  with  the  queen.  Dinner 
occupies  not  more  than  an  hour;  and  shortly 
after,  he  and  the  queen  drive  out  together:  he 
sups  at  half-past  eight,  and  retires  early.  The 
queen  does  not  rise  so  early  as  the  king ;  she 
breakfasts  at  nine;  and  the  king  always  sits 
by  her.  There  is  scarcely  any  gaiety  at  court. 
The  queen  is  fond  of  retirement ;  and  excepting 


126  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

now  and  then  a  private  concert,  there  are  no 
court  diversions. 

While  I  vv^as  in  Madrid,  the  favourite  pas- 
time of  the  king  and  queen  was  of  rather  an 
extraordinary  kind  ;  especially  as  the  queen 
was  on  the  eve  of  her  accouchement.  It  con- 
sisted in  looking  at  the  wild  beasts,  which  are 
kept  in  the  Retiro.  Almost  every  evening 
about  five  o'clock,  the  royal  carriage  might  be 
seen  crossing  the  Prado,  on  its  way  towards 
the  menagerie ;  and  as  the  Retiro  was  generally 
my  afternoon  lounge,  I  had  frequent  oppor- 
tunities of  seeing  this  royal  diversion.  There 
is  a  large  square  court  about  200  yards  across, 
inclosed  with  iron  railings,  and  round  the  in- 
terior of  this  court,  are  the  cages  of  the  wild 
animals;  and  in  this  court,  sat  the  king  and 
queen  upon  a  bench,  while  the  animals  were 
turned  out  for  their  amusement, — such  of  them 
at  least  as  were  peaceable, — camels,  elephants, 
zebras,  &c.  &c.  The  keepers  mounted  upon 
the  backs  of  the  animals,  and  made  them  trot 
round  the  area ;  and  when  this  had  been  done 
often  enough  to  please  their  majesties,  the  beasts 
were  led  in  front  of  their  royal  visitors,  and 
made  to  kneel, — which  act  of  homage  however 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  127 

they  sometimes  refused  to  perform.  Upon  one 
occasion,  the  man  who  rode  the  camel,  not 
being  able  to  keep  his  seat,  turned  his  face 
towards  the  tail,  sitting  upon  the  neck  of  the 
animal ;  their  majesties  were  in  ecstasies  at 
this  exhibition ;  the  king,  I  thought,  would 
have  died  with  laughing. 

T  was  witness,  another  time,  to  a  strange 
scene  of  rivalry  between  the  king  and  Don 
Carlos.  When  the  king's  carriage  drove  up  to 
the  gate  of  the  court,  Don  Carlos  and  his  wife 
and  family  were  seated  in  the  area,  and  his 
carriage  was  in  waiting :  upon  this  occasion, 
the  king  arrived  in  state ;  a  party  of  dragoons 
attended  him,  and  his  coachmen  were  in  court 
dresses.  The  carriage  of  Don  Carlos  was  in 
strange  contrast  with  that  of  the  king ;  it  was 
drawn  by  six  mules,  harnessed  with  ropes  ;  in 
place  of  postilions  in  court  dresses,  his  servants 
were  in  the  dress  of  Spanish  peasants  in  their 
holiday  clothes, — one  on  the  coach-box, — the 
other  employed  as  a  runner  by  the  head  of  the 
mules.  Don  Carlos  affects  all  this  appearance 
of  simplicity  and  Spanish  usage,  to  please  the 
people ;  and  for  the  same  reason,  his  wife 
generally  appears  in  a  mantilla.    The  moment 


128  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

the  king's  carriage  appeared,  Don  Carlos  left 
the  court  with  his  wife,  and  continued  to  walk 
in  the  most  crowded  part  of  the  garden  while 
the  king  and  queen  remained,  dividing  the 
attention  which  their  majesties  would  other- 
wise have  received,  and  indeed  engrossing  the 
larger  share  of  it.  I  could  not  avoid  remarking 
the  greater  popularity  of  Don  Carlos  among 
the  lower  orders :  while  they  only  took  off 
their  hats  as  the  king  passed,  they  bowed 
almost  to  the  ground  at  the  presence  of  the 
Infante.  The  appearance  of  the  queen,  how- 
ever, always  produced  a  favourable  impres- 
sion, especially  when  contrasted  with  that 
of  her  aspiring  rival.  One  cannot  look  at 
the  spouse  of  Don  Carlos,  without  perceiving 
that  she  covets  a  crown;  while  in  the  coun- 
tenance of  the  queen,  we  read  indifference 
to  it. 

Upon  frequent  other  occasions  while  in 
Madrid,  I  had  proofs  of  the  anxiety  of  Don 
Carlos  to  recommend  himself  to  the  people. 
The  most  marked  of  these,  was  upon  the 
evening  when  the  queen  gave  birth  to  a  prin- 
cess :  not  an  hour  after  this  was  known,  the 
Infante  drove  through  the  streets  and  along 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  129 

the  Prado,  in  an  open  carriage,  along  with 
his  three  sons,  who,  by  the  repeal  of  the 
Salic  law,  were  that  day  cut  out  of  their  in- 
heritance. 

The  event  to  which  I  have  alluded, — the 
accouchement  of  the  queen — was  a  matter 
of  deep  interest  in  Madrid  ;  and  before  its 
accomplishment  there  was  the  utmost  anxiety 
among  all  ranks.  Each  party  had  its  own 
views.  The  moderate,  or  government  party, 
and  many  belonging  to  the  other  parties, 
who  desired  peace  and  tranquillity,  anxiously 
looked  to  the  birth  of  a  prince,  as  an  event 
that  would  at  once  extinguish  the  claims  of 
those  who,  but  for  the  repeal  of  the  Salic 
law,  would  have  had  a  right  to  the  throne, 
in  case  of  the  birth  of  a  princess.  The  Car- 
lists  secretly  wished  that  the  event  might 
be  precisely  the  opposite ;  and  the  liberal 
party,  seeing  some  possible  advantage  in 
whatever  should  tend  to  unsettle  the  existing 
government,  united  their  wishes  with  those 
of  the  Carlists :  but,  the  great  majority  of 
the  respectable  inhabitants,  perceiving  in  the 
birth  of  a  prince,  a  guarantee  for  the  tran- 
quillity of  the  kingdom,  and  the  security  of 

VOL.   I.  K 


130  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

property,  devoutly  wished  that   such  might 
be  the  event. 

The   anxiety  that  filled  the  public    mind, 
was  fully  partaken  by  the  government;  for 
it  was  well  known  to  the  heads  of  the  state, 
that  conspiracies  were  on  foot ;  and  that,  in 
the  event  of  the  birth  of  a  princess,  the  Car- 
lists  would  have  a  pretext  for  an  open  mani- 
festation of  their  views.     They,  however,  had 
resolved  not  to  wait  this  event,  but  to  anti- 
cipate it ;    and  a  plot,  which  might  possibly 
have   proved    successful,    and   which,    at  all 
events,   must  have   led    to   scenes   of  blood, 
perhaps    to   revolution,   was   fortunately  dis- 
covered  on   the    day  before    that   appointed 
for  its  execution ;  and  the  most  prompt  mea- 
sures were   immediately   taken  for   crushing 
it.     On  the  fifth  of  October,  about  midnight, 
carriages,  accompanied  by  sufficient  escorts, 
were  taken   to   the   houses  of  Padre   Cirilo, 
the  chief  of  the    Franciscan  order  of  friars  ; 
of    Don    Rufino    Gonsalez :    of    Don    Man. 
Herro,   both    Counsellors   of    State,    and    of 
thirteen   others  ;    the   conspirators  were  put 
into  the  carriages,  and  driven  off, — Cirilo  to 
Seville  ;   Rufino  to  La  Mancha,  and  the  others 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  131 

to  different  places  distant  from  the  metropolis. 
The  conspirators  intended  that  some  of  the 
heads  should  have  repaired  to  the  inner  court 
of  the  palace  while  the  king  was  engaged  in 
his  evening  drive ;  that  about  a  thousand  of 
the  royalist  volunteers — who  are  for  the  most 
part  Carlists — should  assemble  at  the  palace 
yard ;  that  the  entrance  to  the  palace  should 
be  taken  possession  of;'  the  king  seized  upon 
his  return,  and  forced  to  change  his  ministers, 
and  to  restore  the  Salic  law.  I  feel  little 
doubt,  that  if  this  plot  had  not  been  dis- 
covered, it  would  have  led  to  more  than  a 
change  of  ministers.  Among  the  military, 
and  even  among  the  guards,  there  are  many 
discontented  men,  who  fancy  they  see  in  the 
elevation  of  Don  Carlos,  a  guarantee  for  a 
more  impartial  system  of  promotion  ;  and  the 
royalist  volunteers  of  Madrid,  6000  strong, 
and  all  provided  with  arms,  and  accustomed 
to  manoeuvre  them,  are,  with  few  exceptions 
of  the  lowest  classes,  and  chiefly  Carlists. 

I  walked  to  the  palace  yard  the  evening 
when  it  was  expected  the  event  would   be 
known :  it  presented  a  dense  mass  of  persons, 
iv  2 


132  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

chiefly  of  bourgeois  and  of  the  middle  classes, 
all  waiting  with  anxiety  the  announcement  of 
the  event,  upon  which  the  tranquillity  of  the 
country  so  greatly  depended.  At  length  the 
white  flag — the  announcement  of  a  princess — 
was  slowly  hoisted.  There  was  a  universal 
and  audible  expression  of  disappointment : 
''Que  lastima!  que  lastima T  and  the  crowd 
slowly  dispersed. 

The  repeal  of  the  Salic  law  was  not  in 
itself  an  unpopular  measure;  and  had  there 
been  no  claimants  to  the  crown  under  the 
old  law,  or  no  party  to  take  advantage  of 
disunion,  and  support  these  claims,  it  would 
have  been  a  matter  of  indiflerence  to  the  peo- 
ple, whether  the  queen  gave  birth  to  a  son  or 
a  daughter :  the  repeal  of  the  Salic  law  was 
only  the  revival  of  the  ancient  law  of  Castile, 
andjoer  se,  gave  no  dissatisfaction.  It  was  the 
peculiar  circumstances  in  which  the  country 
was  placed,  and  the  state  of  parties,  that 
rendered  the  birth  of  a  prince  or  a  princess 
a  matter  of  importance :  the  event  created 
much  disappointment  to  the  government  party, 
but  no  discontent :  it  is  well  known  that  the 
Constitutionalists  on  the  frontier  had  trusted 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  133 

to  the  latter,  and  hoped  to  profit  by  it:  but 
the  effect  was  rather  against  than  favour- 
able to  that  party;  because  the  Carlists,  seeing 
their  own  ultimate  chances  increased,  were 
therefore  more  interested  in  assisting  govern- 
ment to  suppress  the  Constitutionalists,  whose 
ascendancy  would  leave  them  no  hope. — But 
to  return  to  the  court. 

There  is  nothing  of  court  society  at  Madrid : 
the  secluded  habits  of  the  king  and  queen, 
I  have  spoken  of  already;  and  there  is  scarcely 
any  visiting  among  the  courtiers.  The  persons 
of  distinction  in  Madrid  lead  a  most  mono- 
tonous life:  one  lady  only,  the  Duchess  of 
Benevente,  opens  her  house  once  a  week, — 
this  is  on  Sunday  evening,  and  she  receives, 
among  others,  those  of  the  foreign  ministers 
who  choose  to  visit  her.  Her  parties,  how- 
ever, are  far  from  being  agreeable  :  the  Spa- 
niards of  distinction  who  frequent  her  tertulia, 
generally  withdraw  when  the  foreign  ministers 
are  announced.  This  disinclination  on  the 
part  of  the  Spanish  grandees,  and  others 
holding  high  court  preferment,  to  associate 
with  the  foreign  ambassadors,  is  notorious  in 
Madrid.     At  the  tertulia,  of  the  wife  of  Don 


134  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

Manuel  Gonsalez  Salmon,  the  foreign  ministers 
used  formerly  to  be  present,  but  they  dis- 
covered that  they  were  regarded  in  a  light 
little  different  from  that  of  spies  ;  and  they 
are  now  never  seen  at  these  tertulias.  In 
Madrid  there  are  no  ministerial,  no  diplomatic 
dinners ;  and  among  the  persons  of  most 
distinction,  entertainments  are  extremely  rare. 
There  is,  in  fact,  nothing  like  gaiety  among 
the  upper  ranks  in  the  Spanish  metropolis. 
And  yet,  if  you  remark  to  a  Spanish  lady  that 
there  is  little  society  among  the  higher  classes 
in  Madrid,  she  will  express  the  utmost  astonish- 
ment that  you  should  have  imbibed  so  false  a 
notion  of  Madrid  and  its  society  ;  but  her 
idea  of  society  and  yours  differ  widely.  If  a 
dozen  houses  are  open,  into  which  a  Spanish 
lady  may  go  when  she  pleases,  sit  down  on 
the  sofa  with  her  friend,  fan  herself,  and  talk 
till  she  is  tired ;  this  she  considers  society, — 
and  this  is  the  only  form  of  society  to  be  found 
among  the  highest  classes  in  Madrid, — gaiety 
there  is  none. 

Previous  to  travelling  into  Spain,  I  had 
heard  much  of  the  difficulty,  if  not  impossi- 
bility, of  obtaining  access  to  Spanish  society  ; 


SPAIN   IN  1830.  135 

and  before  I  had  the  means  of  judging  for 
myself,  I  received  frequent  corroboration  of 
this  opinion.  One  of  his  majesty's  consuls, 
whom  I  accidentally  met  in  the  Pyrenees,  and 
whose  appointment  lies  in  the  largest  city  of 
Spain,  next  to  Madrid ;  a  man  too,  who,  both 
by  his  rank,  for  he  is  the  nephew  of  a  peer, 
and  by  the  affability  of  his  manners,  Avould 
be  likely  to  be  every  where  well  received, 
told  me  that  I  should  probably  leave  Spain 
with  no  greater  knowledge  of  Spanish  society 
than  when  I  entered  it ;  that  it  was  more  than 
probable  I  should  never  see  the  inside  of  a 
Spanish  house  :  and  he  concluded  by  saying, 
that  he  had  been  four  years  in  Spain,  and 
actually  did  not  know  if  the  Spaniards  dined  off 
a  table  doth.  This  was  rather  disheartening: 
and  when  I  waited  upon  the  British  minister 
upon  my  arrival  in  Madrid,  1  received  from 
him  no  greater  encouragement.  He  told 
me  that  Spanish  houses  were  closed  against 
foreigners;  and  that,  for  his  own  part,  he 
knew  nobody,  and  visited  no  where. 

I  am  not  able  to  reconcile  these  opinions, 
and  the  experience  of  others,  with  my  own  ; 
my  advantages,  considerable  as  they  certainly 


136  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

were,  could  not  be  compared  with  those  of  the 
accredited  representatives  of  government,  who 
had  resided  many  years  in  the  country.  It  is 
a  fact,  however,  that  I  had  not  been  many 
days  in  Madrid,  before  I  had  the  entr6e  of 
several  Spanish  houses,  both  in  the  higher  and 
in  the  middle  classes  of  society :  this  good 
fortune  I  may  partly  attribute  to  my  intimacy 
with  an  attache  of  the  Spanish  embassy  in 
London,  who,  grateful  for  the  attentions  he 
had  received  from  my  countrymen,  repaid 
them  in  the  manner  most  acceptable  to  me, — - 
namely,  by  making  me  acquainted  with  a 
numerous  circle  of  friends  and  relatives.  His 
father,  a  member  of  the  council  of  state, 
may  easily  be  supposed  to  have  possessed  the 
power  of  assisting  the  inquiries  of  a  traveller; 
and  to  him,  and  to  my  young  friend,  now 
secretary  to  one  of  the  legations  in  Italy,  I 
have  to  return  my  best  thanks  for  a  hundred 
civilities. 

It  is  the  habits  of  the  middle  classes,  that 
best  interpret  the  condition  and  character  of  a 
people  ;  and  to  these  I  mean  at  present  to  con- 
fine myself.  I  shall  begin  by  giving  the  reader 
some  idea  of  the  interior  of  a  Spanish  house ; 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  137 

but  let  me  premise,  that  the  houses  in  the 
different  cities  of  Spain,  bear  scarcely  any 
resemblance  to  each  other :  the  houses  of 
Madrid  differ  in  almost  every  thing  from 
those  of  Seville, — w^hich,  again,  are  in  many 
respects  different  from  the  houses  in  Malaga 
and  Valencia.  These  distinctions  are  suffi- 
cient to  excuse  a  detail  so  apparently  trifling, 
as  the  description  of  a  house ;  because  they 
arise  from  a  distinction  in  the  manners  and 
habits  of  the  people  inhabiting  the  different 
provinces  of  Spain. 

In  Madrid,  the  whole  of  the  middle  classes, 
and,  indeed,  all  excepting  the  very  highest 
ranks,  live  in  stories,  or  flats,  as  they  are 
called  in  Scotland, — each  story  being  a  dis- 
tinct house.  The  outer  door  of  every  house 
in  Madrid  is  of  an  enormous  strength,  more 
like  the  door  of  a  prison,  or  of  a  convent, 
than  of  a  private  dwelling  house  ;  and  m 
the  centre,  there  is  a  small  window,  about 
six  inches  long  by  two  broad,  grated  with 
iron,  and  with  a  sliding  shutter.  When  one 
rings  at  the  door  of  a  Spanish  house,  the 
answer  to  the  bell  is  a  voice,  which  calls 
out  "  Quien  es  ?" — who  is  it  ?  or  who  comes  ? 


138  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

and  the  person  wishing  to  be  admitted,  must 
answer  "  Gente  de  paz,"' — literally,  People 
peace.  But  this  assertion  does  not  content 
the  person  within,  who  then  shoves  aside  the 
shutter  and  peeps  through ;  and  the  usual 
colloquy  is  carried  on  through  the  grating, 
before  the  door  be  thrown  open,  unless  the  per- 
son without,  be  known  to  the  servant  within. 
One  cannot  help  endeavouring  to  account  for 
the  origin  of  so  singular  a  custom ;  and 
perhaps  the  truest  guess  that  can  be  made,  is, 
to  refer  it  to  the  suspicion,  and  feeling  of  per- 
sonal insecurity,  which  are  the  offspring  of  bad 
government,  of  political  persecution,  and  re- 
ligious inquisition.  The  window  shutters  of 
the  houses  are  as  massive  as  the  doors ;  and 
the  glass  of  the  windows  is  purposely  so  bad, 
that  it  is  impossible  to  see  into  a  house  from 
the  opposite  side  of  a  street:  three  panes, 
however,  are  always  of  good  glass,  so  that 
one  may  be  able  to  see  out. 

The  house  which  I  select  for  a  descrip- 
tion of  its  interior,  as  a  fair  sample  of  the 
dwelling-houses  of  the  middle  classes  in 
Madrid,  belonged  to  a  gentleman  holding  a 
government  appointment  of  50,000  reals  (500/.) 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  139 

per  annum  ;  which  may  be  equal  to  about 
700/.  a-year  in  London :  and,  with  very  few 
variations,  this  house  may  be  taken  as  an 
average  specimen  of  the  houses  of  profes- 
sional men,  employees,  and  independent  per- 
sons, of  from  500/.  to  1,000/.  per  annum. 
The  principal  room,  answering  to  the  English 
drawing-room,  is  large,  and  well-lighted ;  a 
handsome  straw  matting,  worked  in  a  pat- 
tern of  coloured  flowers,  and  which  looks 
quite  as  pretty  as  a  carpet,  entirely  covers 
the  floor,  which  is  generally  of  brick.  There 
is  no  fire-place  in  the  room ;  the  walls  and 
roof  are  both  what  is  called  stained,  and  this 
is  as  well  executed  as  I  have  ever  seen  it 
in  England ;  and  the  furniture  of  the  room 
consists  of  a  large  mahogany  sofa,  with  hair 
cushion,  covered  with  flowered  black  satin  ; 
mahogany  chairs,  with  green  and  straw- 
coloured  basket-seats ;  four  small  mahogany 
tables,  of  good  material,  and  prettily  carved, 
and  a  large  round  table  in  the  centre  of  the 
room — ^just  an  English  loo-table — upon  which 
stands  a  handsome  service  of  china  ;  a  mirror, 
and  two  marble  slabs  between  the  windows, 
and   a   few   pictures  —  copies    from    Spanish 


140  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

masters, — complete  the  furniture  :  but  let  me 
not  omit  five  or  six  low  stools,  scattered  here 
and  there;  for  every  lady  has  her  footstool. 

At  one  end  of  this  room,  opening  from  the 
side,  is  a  recess,  twelve  or  thirteen  feet  square, 
and  not  concealed  by  any  curtain.  This  is  a 
bed-room," — a  bed-room  too  in  constant  use. 
The  bedstead  is  of  steel  or  brass  wire ;  the  bed 
is  covered  with  a  counterpane,  trimmed  with 
broad  lace ;  the  furniture  is  all  of  mahogany, 
and  the  wash-hand  basin  and  ewer  are  of 
brass. 

A  wide  archway  opening  at  the  other  end 
of  the  drawing-room,  leads  to  an  ante-room, 
covered  with  the  same  matting  as  the  draw- 
ing-room, and  furnished  with  a  couch,  chairs, 
and  footstools,  covered  with  blue  satin.  At 
the  side  of  this  ante-room  is  another  recess, 
open  like  the  other,  containing  two  beds, 
between  them  a  small  marble  slab,  with  a 
vessel  of  holy-water,  and  at  the  head  of  each 
a  small  image  of  Christ  in  ivory.  This  is  the 
matrimonial  chamber.  The  rest  of  the  house 
consists  of  a  long,  tortuous,  and  rather  dark 
passage,  from  which  the  other  rooms  enter: 
these  are,  a  small  parlour,  or  study,  always 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  ]41 

poorly  fitted  up  ;  a  boudoir,  with  a  low  couch 
covered  with  black  satin,  a  couple  of  foot- 
stools, a  table,  and  very  handsome  looking- 
glass;  this  important  room  is  either  matted,  or 
floored  with  Valencia  tiles;  and  the  walls  are 
generally  covered  with  a  French  paper,  and 
adorned  or  disfigured  as  the  case  may  happen, 
with  a  few  pictures,  religious,  or  of  an  opposite 
character,  or  both,  according  to  the  taste  of  the 
seiiora. 

T]:.e  worst  room  in  almost  every  Spanish 
house,  is  the  dining-room,  or  rather  eating- 
room,  for  every  meal  is  taken  in  the  same 
room  :  the  floor  has  generally  no  matting, — the 
walls  are  unadorned, — the  furniture  is  of  the 
commonest  description, — and  the  room  itself 
so  small,  that  the  table,  which  nearly  fills  the 
room,  is  rarely  large  enough  for  more  than  six 
persons.  This  at  once  lets  a  stranger  into  an 
important  secret  in  the  economy  of  Madrid 
society ;  that  there  is  no  probability  of  receiving 
an  invitation  to  dinner.  I  say  Madrid  society, 
because  in  the  southern  provinces,  the  dining- 
room  and  its  uses  are  different.  But  although 
a  stranger  must  not  expect  many  invitations  to 
dinner  in  Madrid,  yet,  if  he  be  once  received 


142  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

into  a  family  upon  a  familiar  footing,  and 
should  pay  a  visit  while  the  family  are  at 
dinner,  or  just  sitting  down  to  dinner,  he  will 
not  be  denied  admittance,  but  will  be  re- 
quested to  walk  into  the  eating-room,  and  a 
chair  will  be  immediately  placed  for  him  at 
table.  This  civility,  however,  must  be  accepted 
with  discretion ;  because  the  civil  speech,  which 
is  invariably  addressed  to  a  stranger,  when 
he  concludes  his  first  visit, — Esta  casa  es  a  la 
disposicion  de  V^-, — "  This  house  is  at  your 
disposal," — is  a  form  of  words  not  to  be 
always  interpreted  literally.  I  have  omitted 
to  mention  the  Spanish  kitchen,  which  is 
provided  with  a  stone  table,  in  which  there 
are  six  or  eight  circular  holes  for  charcoal, 
and  numerous  earthen  vessels  to  fit  these 
holes.  Generally  speaking,  respectable  Spanish 
houses,  whether  in  Madrid,  Seville,  or  Valencia, 
are  scrupulously  clean.  I  have  never  in  any 
country,  seen  kitchens  and  bed-rooms  so  clean 
as  they  are  in  Spain.  The  description  I  have 
given  may  serve  to  convey  to  the  reader  a 
tolerably  accurate  idea  of  the  houses  of  Madrid : 
some  may  contain  a  greater  number  of  apart- 
ments, and  others  fewer ;  and  some  may  be  a 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  143 

little  better,  others  a  little  worse  furnished ; 
but  in  the  material  points,  they  are  all  the 
same ;  they  have  all  an  elegant  drawing-room, 
bed-rooms  in  recesses,  a  wretched  dininir- 
room,  and  a  luxuriously  fitted-up  boudoir. 

In  a  former  chapter,  I  spoke  of  the  manner 
of  living  among  the  middle  classes  in  the 
northern  provinces.  In  Madrid,  and  generally 
in  Castile,  there  is  somewhat  more  luxury  in  the 
table,  though  the  Spaniards  as  a  nation,  may 
justly  be  characterized  as  abstemious,  and  little 
addicted  to  the  pleasures  of  the  table.  The 
olla  or  puchero,  is  not  the  sole  dish  that  graces 
the  tables  of  the  middle  and  upper  classes  in 
Madrid :  there  is  generally  a  stew  of  some  kind 
added,  and  dinner  is  always  followed  by  cakes, 
sweetmeats,  and  fruit ;  but  this  is  after  all  but 
an  indifferent  dinner  for  one  with  an  income 
of  700/.  or  800/.  a-year.  And  there  are  still 
very  many  in  Madrid,  even  in  the  upper  ranks, 
who  are  contented  with  the  puchero;  and  I 
was  myself  acquainted  with  one  or  two  families 
in  good  circumstances,  who  yet  lived  in  a  way 
which  we  should  call  piggishly  in  England, 
sending  to  the  cook-shop  for  a  puchero,  and  to 


144  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

the  wine-shop,  for  the  daily  portion  required 
at  dinner. 

The  inhabitants  of  Madrid,  excepting  the 
trades  people,  rise  late,  and  breakfast  between 
ten  and  eleven,  upon  a  cup  of  chocolate,  with 
scarcely  any  bread,  and  a  glass  of  cold  water. 
Going  to  mass,  dressing,  paying  and  receiving 
visits,  and  walking  the  streets,  occupy  the 
ladies  till  the  dinner  hour;  and  this,  following 
the  example  of  the  court,  and  in  order  that  it 
may  not  interfere  with  the  claims  of  the  Prado, 
is  early,  even  among  the  highest  ranks.  Then 
follows  the  siesta;  and  the  interval  between 
the  siesta  and  dressing  for  the  Prado,  is 
usually  passed  upon  the  balcony.  After  the 
Prado,  is  the  tertulia,  which  may  be  said  to  be 
the  only  form  of  Spanish  society.  When  you 
have  the  entr6eof  a  house  in  Madrid,  and  pay 
your  visit  in  the  evening,  you  find  the  family 
assembled  near  the  windows,  with  two  or 
three  strangers,  chatting  and  laughing;  the 
ladies  of  the  house  without  mantillas,  and  the 
visitors  generally  wearing  them.  The  young 
ladies,  or  seiioritas,  are  in  one  part  of  the 
room,  with  one  or  two  caballeros ;    and  the 


SPAIN  IN   IS/JO.  145 

Senora  de  Casa  in  another,  probably  con- 
versing" with  a  priest  or  friar;  unless  she  be 
young,  in  which  case  there  is  no  division  in 
the  society.  The  room  is  usually  badly  lighted, 
most  commonly  with  a  semi-luna  at  the  far- 
thest corner, — and  the  master  of  the  house  is 
rarely  one  of  the  party.  He  is  a  member  of 
another  tertulia.  The  conversation  is  always 
lively,  and  somewhat  piquante,  and  the  visitors 
stay  late,  and  are  not  presented  with  any  re- 
freshment. 

If  the  visit  be  made  in  the  morning,  the  lady, 
if  not  walking  the  streets,  or  gossiping,  is  found 
in  her  boudoir,  seated  upon  a  low  couch,  in  a 
black  silk  dress ;  her  feet  upon  a  footstool ;  and 
beside  her,  a  large  basket,  such  as  Murillo  has 
so  often  painted.  She  is  always  engaged  in 
some  kind  of  embroidery, — and  her  fan,  which 
she  resumes  the  moment  you  enter,  lies  on  the 
table  before  her. 

The  only  kind  of  party  to  which  a  stranger 
is  invited  in  Madrid,  is  a  ball ;  but  there  is  no 
necessity  for  an  invitation,  if  one  has  the  entree 
of  the  house.  At  these  parties,  the  ladies  are 
rarely  dressed   in  the  Spanish  fashion,   but 

VOL.    I.  L 


146  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

generally  a  la  Francaise,  with  white  or  coloured 
dresses, — the  only  distinguishing,  and  never 
to  be  mistaken  mark  of  a  Spanish  woman,  being 
the  fan.  The  Spanish  ladies  invariably  dance 
well ;  and  yet  their  mode  of  dancing  is  as 
opposite  as  possible  from  the  French  style : 
it  is  the  management  of  the  head  and  shoul- 
ders ;  and  the  manner,  not  the  power  of  motion 
in  the  limbs,  that  distinguish  the  Spanish 
woman.  There  is  another  remarkable  differ- 
ence between  the  Spanish,  and  the  French  or 
English  dance  :  the  gravity  of  countenance, — 
and  generally,  the  silence  that  prevails  among 
quadrillers,  both  in  France  and  England,  is 
remarkable,  and  even  ludicrous ;  but  the 
Spanish  ladies  talk  and  laugh  while  they 
dance, — seeing  no  reason  why  one  pleasure 
should  suspend  another.  At  these  parties 
there  is  rarely  any  refreshment  offered ;  a 
glass  of  water  may  be  had,  but  nothing  more. 
Are  the  Spaniards  a  hospitable  people  ? — 
This  is  a  question  that  cannot  be  answered 
by  a  simple  monosyllable :  it  seems  difficult 
to  separate  hospitality  from  generosity ;  and 
yet  this  distinction  must  be  made  in  speak- 
ing  of    the    conduct    of    Spaniards    towards 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  147 

strangers.  A  Spaniard  considers  himself  to 
be  remarkable  for  his  hospitality,  because  he 
is  at  all  times  happy  to  see  a  stranger  within 
his  doors :  he  says,  speaking  to  an  English- 
man, "  in  your  country  you  invite  a  foreigner 
to  your  house,  and  there  the  civility  ends ; 
he  cannot  return  without  another  invitation. 
But  here,  if  a  stranger  be  once  received 
within  our  houses,  they  are  ever  afterwards 
at  his  disposal ;  he  needs  no  farther  invita- 
tion." This  is  true  enough,  but  it  scarcely 
amounts  to  hospitality.  This  word,  from  the 
days  of  Abraham,  who  fed  the  angels,  has  sig- 
nified setting  meat  before  one ;  but  a  stranger 
might  live  years  in  a  Spanish  city,  and  be 
on  terms  of  intimacy  with  many  wealthy 
Spaniards,  and  might  yet  never  break  bread 
within  a  Spanish  house, — certainly  never  by 
invitation.  I  speak  at  present  of  Madrid,  and 
the  cities  of  the  interior.  In  Cadiz,  Malaga, 
Valencia,  and  Barcellona,  dinner  parties  are 
occasionally  given.  But,  with  this  seeming- 
want  of  hospitality  towards  strangers,  there 
is  much,  and  very  uncalled-for  generosity. 
Wherever  a  stranger  goes  in  company  with 

r.  2 


148  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

a  Spaniard,  —  if  to  a  coffee-house,  to  the 
theatre,  to  a  bull-fight, — even  to  shops  where 
fancy  articles  are  sold,  the  Spaniard  insists 
upon  paying  :  any  remonstrance  offends  him  ; 
nor  will  he  ever,  at  any  after  time,  permit 
you  to  repay  the  obligation  in  a  similar 
way.  He  is  at  all  times  ready  with  his  purse  ; 
and  draws  its  strings  with  the  alacrity  of  a 
man  who  is  eager  to  give  away  his  money. 
It  is  difficult  to  refer  to  any  common  principle, 
the  different  ways  in  which  a  Spaniard  and  an 
Englishman  shew  kindness  to  a  stranger.  The 
Spaniard  lays  out  his  money  upon  him  cheer- 
fully; but  gives  him  nothing  to  eat:  the  En- 
glishman, on  the  other  hand,  would  dislike 
paying  a  crown  for  a  foreigner,  but  would  ask 
him  to  dinner  again  and  again,  and  thus  lay  out 
ten  times  its  amount. 

I  fear  this  apparent  disregard  of  money,  may 
have  some  connexion  with  that  great  and  un- 
fortunate failing  in  the  character  of  the  middle 
classes  in  Spain,  particularly  in  Castile — love 
of  display,  or  ostentation.  This  failing  belongs 
to  the  middle  and  upper  classes  in  an  extra- 
ordinary degree;  while  inconsiderateness,  and 
carelessness  of  to-morrow,  are  conspicuous  in 


II 


SPAIN   IN   1830.  149 

the  characters  both  of  the  middle  and  lower 
classes.  Almost  every  one  in  Spain  lives  up 
to  his  income.  Even  the  employees,  who  hold 
their  posts  by  a  very  uncertain  tenure,  seldom 
lay  by  any  thing ;  they  generally  die  penny- 
less:  and  it  is  a  certain  fact,  that  the  families 
of  employees  who  have  died  beggars,  have 
swelled  the  Spanish  pension  list  to  a  most 
formidable  length.  A  Spaniard  will  dine 
without  a  table-cloth,  to  save  the  expense  of 
washing;  but  this,  not  that  he  may  lay  by 
his  money, — but  that  he  may  have  the  eclat, 
not  t\ie  pleasure,  of  frequenting  the  opera;  the 
pride,  not  the  gratification,  of  eating  ice  in  the 
Cafe  Catalina.  I  have  known  some  extraor- 
dinary instances  of  this  love  of  display :  a 
Spanish  officer,  with  whom  we  had  some  ac- 
quaintance, invited  us  to  accompany  him  and 
his  wife  to  the  Prado.  A  handsome  carriage 
drove  up  to  the  door,  attended  by  two  servants 
in  gay  liveries :  will  it  be  believed,  that  the 
carriage  and  servants  were  hired  for  the  occa- 
sion ;  and  that  this  officer  was  married,  had  a 
family,  and  possessed  only  his  pay,  amounting 
to  about  140/.  a-year?  What  sacrifices  must 
have  been   made  for  the  indidgence  of  this 


150  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

piece  of  vanity !  I  knew  the  family  of  a  judge, 
consisting  of  a  widow,  and  four  daughters,  all 
of  whom  appeared  every  Sunday  on  the  Prado 
with  new  satin  shoes  and  clean  white  gloves : 
the  pension  of  a  judge's  widow  is  8000  reals, 
(80/.  sterling).  There  is  nothing  remarkable  in 
these  instances  ;  and  the  same  love  of  display 
is  visible  among  the  lower  orders  in  Madrid, 
as  far  as  this  can  be  shewn  in  their  rank  of  life. 
Persons  in  very  humble  circumstances  are  seen 
in  most  expensive  dresses ;  and  it  is  not  at  all 
unusual  to  meet  a  female  servant  with  a  comb, 
fan,  and  mantilla,  whose  united  expense  would 
amount  to  41.  or  51. 

In  the  upper  and  middle  classes  of  society 
in  Madrid,  morals  are  at  the  lowest  ebb :  though 
veils  are  almost  thrown  aside,  and  serenades 
are  rare,  Spain  is  still  the  country  of  gallantry 
and  intrigue.  Want  of  education  among  the 
women,  and  the  absence  of  moral  and  religious 
principle  among  the  men,  are  the  fruitful 
sources  of  this  universal  demoralization.  In 
the  education  of  a  Spanish  woman,  all  has 
reference  to  display;  knowledge  forms  no  part 
of  it.  The  business  of  her  life,  is  dress  and 
show;  and  its  object,  admiration:  this  leads  to 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  151 

gallantry,  and  all  its  train  of  consequences.  It 
is  impossible  to  walk  into  the  street,  or  along 
the  Prado,  without  perceiving  even  among 
children,  that  the  rudiments  of  Spanish  in- 
discretion are  already  laid.  Little  girls  of  the 
tenderest  age  shew  by  their  gait  and  manner, 
that  they  are  already  initiated  in  the  business 
of  life.  I  have  heard  others,  scarcely  escaped 
from  childhood,  talk  in  a  manner  that  would 
have  made  an  English  married  woman  blush, — 
and,  to  gather  something  even  from  infancy, 
I  have  heard  a  child  five  or  six  years  old,  ask 
its  companion,  how  it  could  disregard  appear- 
ance so  much  as  to  venture  out  without  a  pro- 
per ceinture. 

In  married  life,  I  have  reason  to  think  that 
infidelity  is  more  universal  than  in  Italy;  but 
the  origin  of  it  is  different,  and  the  thing  is 
differently  managed  in  the  two  countries.  It 
is  a  great  error  to  imagine — as  some  old  writers 
upon  Spain,  and  accurate  writers  in  other 
respects,  have  asserted — that  there  is  any 
connivance  in  Spain  on  the  part  of  the  hus- 
band :  Spanish  husbands,  with  few  exceptions, 
are  too  proud  to  bargain  for  their  own  disho- 
nour.    While  I  was  in  Madrid,  two  instances 


152  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

occurred,  in  which  husbands  murdered  their 
wives  in  fits  of  jealousy:  in  neither  of  these 
cases  was  the  thing  sifted  to  the  bottom ;  be- 
cause it  was  known  that  in  doing  this  the 
villany  of  two  priests  would  have  been 
brought  to  light.  The  Cortejo  of  Spain  is 
by  no  means  the  Cisesbeo  of  Italy.  The  liaison 
in  Spain  is  a  secret  one ;  it  has  not  originated 
in  interest  or  vanity,  but  in  passion  ;  and  the 
greatest  pains  are  taken  to  conceal  it  from  the 
husband,  and  even  (intimates  excepted)  from 
the  world.  There  are  not  in  Madrid  the  same 
opportunities  for  the  formation  and  prosecu- 
tion of  intrigue,  as  in  Seville  and  the  cities  of 
the  south.  In  these,  the  gardens  and  summer 
houses, — the  walls  of  both  forming  a  part  of 
the  street,  —  are  particularly  favourable  to  the 
serenade,  the  billet-doux,  and  their  recom- 
pense. In  Madrid,  opportunities  are  more 
precarious  :  the  mass,  the  street,  the  balcony, 
are  the  only  places  of  rendezvous  ;  and  of 
these,  the  latter  is  the  most  prized.  Walking 
the  streets,  while  all  the  world  enjoys  the 
siesta,  wakeful  sehoras  and  serioritas  are  here 
and  there  seen  behind  the  curtains  that  fall 
over  the  balconies,  and  which  are  supposed  to 


SPAIN  IN   1830.  153 

shade  the  light  from  the  eyes  of  the  sleeper; 
and  now  and  then  some  medium  of  intelli- 
gence is  seen  fluttering  downward,  to  be  picked 
up  by  a  cloaked  cabalero.  There  is  another 
important  difference  between  the  gallantries 
of  Spain,  and  of  Italy  or  France :  in  Spain, 
they  are  not  confined  to  married  women :  im- 
proper liaisons  are  not  unfrequently  formed  by 
unmarried  ladies ;  and  those  whom  one  sees 
on  the  balconies,  are  much  more  frequently 
seiioritas  than  senoras. 

Intrigue  is  not  confined  in  Madrid  to  the 
upper,  or  even  the  middle  classes  of  society; 
but  is  found  also  among  the  trades  people. 
Sometimes  during  the  hours  of  sleep  and 
silence,  I  have  ventured,  in  passing  along  the 
street,  to  draw  aside  the  curtain  that  is  meant 
to  secure  an  uninterrupted  siesta  to  the  in- 
mates of  the  embroiderers,  perfumers,  or 
dress-makers'  shops ;  and  I  have  more  than 
once  interrupted  a  tete-a-tete.  It  is  fair  to  add, 
however,  that  I  oftener  found  the  seiiorita  fast 
asleep.  It  is  well  understood  in  Madrid,  that 
during  the  time  of  siesta,  no  one  enters  a  shop 
where  a  curtain  is  drawn  ;  but  a  stranger  may 


J  54  SPAIN  IN   1830. 

sometimes  do  unpermitted  things,  under  pre- 
tence of  ignorance. 

The  lower  orders  in  Madrid  cannot  be 
characterized  as  grossly  immoral :  they  are  not 
drunken  and  brutal,  like  the  mob  of  London; 
nor  ferocious  and  insolent,  like  the  canaille 
of  Paris.  In  walking  the  streets  of  Madrid, 
it  is  rarely  that  one  sees  either  quarrelling  or 
gambling  ;  and  I  believe  it  might  be  possible 
to  walk  through  any  part  of  the  city  with  the 
corner  of  a  handkerchief  hanging  out  of  the 
pocket,  and  to  return  with  it  in  its  place : 
petty  larceny,  a  Castilian  thinks  beneath  him. 
Between  the  character  of  the  Castilian  and 
the  Andalusian,  there  is  as  marked  a  dis- 
tinction as  that  which  exists  in  the  characters 
of  any  two  people  inhabiting  different  king- 
doms ;  but  I  will  not  anticipate. 

I  suspect  that  among  the  upper  and  middle 
ranks  in  Madrid,  religion  is  as  low  as  morals  : 
among  them,  priestcraft  exercises  very  little  in- 
fluence ;  and,  indeed,  ridicule  and  dislike  of  all 
orders  of  religion,  form  a  very  common  season- 
ing to  conversation.  There  can  be  no  doubt 
that  the  occupation  of  the  Peninsula  by  the 


SPAIN  IN   18:50.  155 

French  army,  has  gone  far  towards  diminish- 
ing the  respect  in  which  the  priesthood  was 
formerly  held  by  the  great  majority  of  all 
classes  in  Spain.  In  Madrid,  I  have  never 
heard  one  individual  above  the  rank  of  a  small 
tradesman,  speak  with  respect,  of  religion, — or 
with  affection,  of  the  priesthood.  There  can- 
not be  the  smallest  doubt  that,  in  the  capital 
at  least,  both  the  clergy  and  the  friars  are 
sensible  of  a  great  diminution  in  the  power 
which  they  formerly  enjoyed  ;  and  their  tone 
and  bearing  are  altered  accordingly.  At  pre- 
sent, they,  at  all  events  the  regular  clergy, 
yield  a  little  to  the  tide  that  has  set  in  against 
them.  I  have  been  surprised  to  hear  the 
freedom  with  which  some  of  the  priests  have 
spoken  of  the  state  of  Spain.  1  have  heard 
them  particularly  lament  the  difficulties  that 
stand  in  the  way  of  publishing  books,  and 
admit  the  oppressive  nature  of  the  enactments 
that  regard  education.  The  clergy  have  not 
the  same  interest  as  the  friars,  in  supporting 
the  present  system,  because  they  have  not 
the  same  fears.  A  revolution  that  might 
possibly  chase  every  monk  from  the  soil,  and 
which  would,  at  all   events,   des|)oil  them  of 


156  SPAIN  IN   1830. 

their  possessions  and  terminate  their  dominion, 
would  probably  but  slightly  affect  the  clergy 
of  the  church  ;  and  I  have  observed  that  since 
the  French  revolution,  their  fears  have  di- 
minished. The  example  of  France,  in  the 
respect  it  has  shewn  for  the  rights  of  the 
church,  they  look  upon  as  a  guarantee  of 
their  own  security;  and  perhaps  justly.  Go- 
vernment still  seeks  for  support  in  the  in- 
fluence of  the  church,  and  endeavours,  by 
every  means,  to  keep  up  this  influence.  This, 
it  may  easily  be  supposed,  is  attempted 
through  the  medium  of  education,  which, 
throughout  Spain,  may  be  said  to  be  a  go- 
vernment concern.  The  schools  in  Madrid 
are  all  conducted  by  Jesuits  ;  and  the  educa- 
tion received  in  them,  is  such  as  might  be 
expected  from  their  heads.  This  surveillance 
commenced  when  the  king  returned  to  the 
head  of  the  government,  in  1824.  The  col- 
leges were  then  remodelled ;  and  all  the  pub- 
lic seminaries,  even  those  destined  for  military 
education,  were  placed  under  Jesuit  heads.  I 
have  frequently  met  in  the  streets  of  Madrid, 
long  lines  of  students  of  the  Colegio  Imperial, 
and  of  the  Samnario  de  Noblcfi,  some  in  military 


SPAIN  IN   18:30.  157 

uniform,  and  each  company  headed  by  a  priest. 
And  no  choice  is  left  to  the  people,  as  to  the 
education  of  their  children :  the  only  choice 
is,  the  government  school,  or  no  school ;  for 
obstacles,  almost  insurmountable,  are  thrown 
in  the  way  of  private  tuition.  Before  a  family 
dare  employ  a  tutor,  the  permission  of  govern- 
ment must  be  obtained ;  and  the  tutor  must 
provide  himself  with  a  license  :  this  implies 
minute  inquiries  into  character,  political  and 
religious  opinions,  &c. ;  so  that,  in  fact,  no 
tutor  is  ever  licensed,  unless  there  is  a  perfect 
security  that  the  system  of  education  to  be 
pursued  by  him, — intellectual,  political,  and 
religious, — shall  be  precisely  the  same  as  that 
taught  in  the  public  seminaries  :  there  is  no- 
thing therefore  gained  by  private  tuition. 
Whether  the  priesthood  may  possibly  regain 
any  part  of  its  lost  influence,  owing  to  the 
present  system  of  education,  may  admit  of  a 
question.  If  Spain  should  remain  in  its  pre- 
sent condition,  without  revolution  or  change, 
it  is  probable  that  the  growth  of  liberal 
opinions  may  be  retarded  ;  the  thousands  now 
educated  on  Jesuitical  principles,  and  denied 
the  means  of  real  knowledge,  were  not  old 


158  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

enough  during  the  existence  of  the  constitu- 
tion, to  have  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  light 
which  at  that  time  dawned  upon  the  darkness 
of  Spain ;  nor  have  they  had  opportunities 
of  being  influenced  by  French  principles, 
during  the  time  of  the  occupation  of  the  Pe- 
ninsula. The  policy  of  the  Spanish  govern- 
ment, therefore,  with  respect  to  its  surveil- 
lance of  education,  is  not  unworthy  of  a 
government  that  desires  to  maintain  itself  by 
the  blindness  of  the  people. 

The  influence  of  the  friars  is  much  greater 
than  that  of  the  priests ;  though  this  also 
diminishes  daily.  I  speak  of  Madrid  only. 
In  many  of  the  other  cities  of  Spain,  of  which 
I  shall  afterwards  speak  more  in  detail — par- 
ticularly in  Toledo,  Seville,  Granada,  Lorca, 
and  Murcia,  and  in  most  of  the  smaller  towns, 
I  think  it  almost  impossible  that  the  influence 
of  the  friars  could  ever  have  been  much  greater 
than  it  is.  In  Madrid,  less  attention  is  paid 
to  religious  ceremonials  and  processions,  than 
in  any  other  city  of  Spain:  and  one  sees  fewer 
external  proofs  of  the  veneration  of  the  people 
for  the  character  of  friar.  A  Franciscan  may 
pass  from  one  end  of  Madrid  to  the  other, 


SPAIN  IN  ISnO.  159 


without  having  one  claim  made  upon  his  pater- 
nal blessing  by  a  grown-up  person.  I  have 
seen  the  Virgin  of  St.  Rosalio,  and  an  image 
of  St.  Thomas,  carried  through  the  streets, 
with  some  hundreds  of  friars  accompanying 
them,  without  any  one  being  excited  to  a 
greater  act  of  devotion  than  raising  the  hat 
from  the  head  :  and  during  my  morning  walk, 
when  I  invariably  looked  into  the  churches 
belonging  to  whichever  of  the  convents  that 
happened  to  lie  in  my  way,  I  seldom  saw 
more  than  half  a  dozen  persons  at  their  devo- 
tions. All  this  is  very  different  at  Toledo  and 
Seville  ;  and  judging  by  the  difference  I  have 
observed  in  the  proofs  of  bigotry  apparent  in 
the  different  Spanish  cities,  I  feel  myself  jus- 
tified in  believing  that  the  influence  of  the 
friars,  as  well  as  that  of  the  priests,  has  sensi- 
bly diminished  in  Madrid.  But  it  is  far 
from  being  small :  it  still  exists,  with  less  or 
more  force,  among  all  ranks  :  and  the  breast  of 
a  friar  is  still  the  favourite  depository  of  family 
secrets.  From  my  house,  I  could  see  the 
regular  visits  made  by  friars  to  several  houses 
within  the  range  of  my  window ;  and  little 
children    may    at   all   times   be  seen   in   the 


160  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

street,  running  after  the  monk  of  any  order,  to 
kiss  his  hand  and  beg  his  blessing. 

There  are  many  reasons  why  the  influence 
of  the  friars  should  decline  more  slowly  than 
that  of  the  priesthood:  as  the  first  of  these 
may  be  mentioned,  the  greater  immorality  of 
the  lives  of  the  latter.  This  immorality  is 
notorious  throughout  Spain ;  and,  indeed, 
they  take  little  pains  to  conceal, — I  will  not 
say  their  pecadillos, — but  the  opportunities  and 
temptations  to  commit  them,  which  they  create 
for  themselves  ;  and  they  obtain  full  credit  for 
yielding  to  these  temptations.  Perhaps  it  is 
doing  wrong  to  the  clergy  to  assign  to  the  friars 
greater  purity  of  life  than  to  them  ;  but  what- 
ever may  be  the  immoralities  of  the  monks, 
they  have  more  the  art,  and  they  possess 
better  opportunities  too  of  concealing  them. 
Priests  live  in  the  world,  and  have  worse 
opportunities  of  concealment  than  other  men, 
because  their  profession  lays  them  open  to 
scrutiny ;  but  friars  live  in  a  world  of  their 
own,  fenced  round,  not  only  by  walls  of  stone, 
but  by  a  more  impenetrable  wall  of  prescrip- 
tive veneration, — and  they  are  very  daring 
eyes  that  pry  into  the  secrets  of  the  cloister. 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  IGl 

But  strange,  and  even  dreadful  events,  occa- 
sionally occur,  to  lay  open  the  hidden  scenes 
that  are  transacted  within  a  convent's  w^alls. 
One  such  occurred  last  September,  while  I 
was  in  Madrid.  One  morning,  the  Superior 
of  the  monastery  of  San  Basilio  was  found  in 
bed  murdered, — ^his  throat  cut,  his  hands  tied, 
and  several  stabs  in  his  body.  There  could  be 
no  doubt  that  the  murder  had  been  committed 
by  the  friars ;  and  as  no  pretence  could  be 
found  against  instituting  an  inquiry,  a  com- 
mission was  accordingly  appointed  to  investi- 
gate, and  sat  during  several  days.  Strange 
disclosures  were  made :  it  appeared  that  the 
superior  had  been  a  good  man,  and  remarkably 
strict  in  the  observances  enjoined  upon  the 
order, — too  much  so  for  the  inclination  of  the 
friars,  who  had  been  accustomed  to  commit 
every  kind  of  excess,  and  to  transgress  in  the 
most  essential  points,  the  rules  of  the  convent; 
particularly  in  being  absent  during  the  night. 
The  superior  used  to  reprove  this  laxity,  and 
exerted  his  authority  to  restrain  it ;  and  dis- 
like towards  him  was  naturally  produced.  In 
these  circumstances,  no  doubt,  rested  in  the 

VOL.  I.  M 


162  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

mind  of  any  one,  that  the  murder  was  com- 
mitted by  the  monks ;    but  it  had  been  re- 
solved, that  in  some  way  or  other  the  affair 
should  be  got  rid  of.     The  porter  of  the  con- 
vent, who,  previous  to  the  appointment  of  the 
commission,  had  declared  that  no  one  had 
entered,  so  qualified  his  words  before  the  com- 
missioners,  that  through  his  evidence,   they 
found  a  loop-hole  by  which  justice  might  ooze 
out : — he  said,  that  he  had  some  recollection, 
when  half  asleep,   of  having  seen  a  person 
enter;    but  besides  the  impossibility  of  any 
one  entering,   unless  the  porter  had  been  so 
much  awake  as  to  open  the  gate,  the  murder 
could  not  have  been  committed  by  one  person. 
The  result  was,  that  the  commission  broke  up 
without  coming  to  any  decision;  but  as  a  sacri- 
fice to  public  opinion,  three  of  the  friars  were 
committed  to  prison  on  suspicion.      It  was 
well  understood  that  the  affair  would  never  go 
further ;  and  I  was  assured  by  the  wife  of  a 
person  holding  a  high  official   employment, 
that  in  a  few  months  the  imprisoned  monks 
would  be  found  again  in  their  convent.     When 
the  king  returned  to  Spain  in  1823,  he  hanged 
a  friar  for  a  murder ;  but  this  was  done  at  that 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  1G3 

particular  juncture  to  please  the  Constitu- 
tionalists ;  and  while  the  investigation  I  have 
mentioned  v^^as  proceeding,  every  one  knew 
that  his  majesty  dared  not  venture  upon  a 
repetition  of  this. 

A  few  years  ago,  a  curious  expos^  was  made 
at  Cadiz,  which,  as  I  am  upon  the  subject  of 
friars,  I  shall  mention  in  this  place.  There 
was,  and  still  is,  a  banker  named  Gargallo, 
one  of  the  richest  men  in  Cadiz,  whose  magni- 
ficent dwelling-house  is  separated  from  the 
wall  of  the  Franciscan  monastery  only  by  one 
small  house ;  and  this  house  also  belonged  to 
Sr.  Gargallo,  although  it  was  not  inhabited. 
The  master  of  the  house,  who  though  a  rich 
man,  looked  closely  into  his  affairs,  perceived 
that  his  cook's  bill  greatly  exceeded  the  sum 
necessary  for  the  subsistence  of  the  family; 
and  after  bearing  this  during  a  considerable 
time,  he  at  length  discharged  his  cook.  The 
cook  applied  for  service  elsewhere ;  and  upon 
his  new  master  applying  to  Gargallo  for  a 
character,  he  refused  to  give  one,  alleging  as  a 
reason,  the  dishonesty  of  his  servant :  the  cook 
enraged  at  this  injustice,  and  more  solicitous 
M  2 


164  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

to  preserve  his  own  good  character  than  that 
of  the  friars,  returned  to  Gargallo's  house, 
taking  witnesses  along  with  him;  and  aloud  in 
the  court-yard  told  this  story:  that  every  day 
he  had  carried  a  hot  dinner  into  the  house 
adjoining,  where  Gargallo's  wife  and  daughter 
entertained  a  select  party  of  Franciscan  friars ; 
and  what  was  worse  still,  his  late  master's 
money  had  been  expended  in  the  support  of 
three  children  and  a  nurse,  who  all  lived  in 
the  adjoining  house.  The  truth  of  this  story 
was  easily  put  to  the  test ;  the  three  children 
and  a  nurse  were  found  in  the  house,  and  the 
whole  affair  was  brought  to  light.  The  especial 
favour  of  the  ladies  was  reserved  for  only  two 
of  the  friars :  the  very  reverend  father  Anto- 
nio Sanches  de  la  Camissa,  Sacristan  Mayor, 
was  the  favourite  of  the  wife ;  and  another, 
whose  name  I  forget,  but  who  was  next  in 
rank  to  the  prior,  and  had  formerly  been  con- 
fessor in  Gargallo's  house,  was  the  selection  of 
his  daughter.  These  had  the  entree  of  Gar- 
gallo's house  at  all  hours ;  and  in  order  to 
keep  quiet  a  few  others,  who  were  supposed 
to  be  in  the  secret,  a  savoury  dinner  was  pro- 
vided every  day  for  the  self-denying  Francis- 


SPAIN  IN   1830.  165 

cans.  Gargallo  married  his  daughter  to  an  old 
apothecary,  at  Chiclana,  where  she  now  lives 
a  widow ;  and  he  confined  his  wife  during  two 
years  in  an  upper  room  in  his  own  house ;  but 
she  now  lives  again  with  her  husband.  At 
the  first  disclosure  of  the  affair,  he  wished  to 
send  both  offenders  to  the  Penitentiary ;  but 
the  captain-general  of  the  province  interfered, 
to  prevent  so  much  publicity  in  an  affair  com- 
promising the  character  of  the  Franciscans. 
No  notice  whatever  of  this  disgraceful  trans- 
action was  taken  in  the  convent.  Both  reverend 
fathers  continned  to  bear  the  character  of  good 
Franciscans ;  and  doubtless  returned  for  a  time, 
to  the  austerities  of  the  order, — and  when  I 
was  in  Cadiz,  one  of  them  every  day  accom- 
panied Manuel  Munoz,  the  superior,  and  Ce- 
rillo,  who  had  been  banished  to  Seville,  in  an 
evening  walk. 

But  these  immoralities  of  the  friars,  al- 
though some  such  are  occasionally  brought 
to  light,  and  although  much  that  exists  is 
hidden,  are  yet  far  more  rare  than  the  immo- 
ralities of  the  priests  ;  and,  it  is  without 
doubt,  the  greater  immorality  of  the  clergy, 
and  the   greater  belief  in    that    immorality. 


166  SPAIN   IN  1830. 

that  are  the  primary  reasons  why  the  influ- 
ence of  the  friars  diminishes  more  slowly  than 
that  of  the  priesthood. 

Several  other  reasons  might  be  given,  why 
the   influence   of  the    friars   maintains   itself 
better  than  that  of  the  clergy,  in  the  minds 
of  the  people, —  especially  the  lower  orders: 
one  may  be  stated  to  be,  the  known  austeri- 
ties practised  by  some  of  the  orders,  particu- 
larly by  the  Franciscans,  the  Capuchins,  and 
the  Carthusians  ;    another,  the  greater  alms 
given  by  the  convents  than  by  the  church ; 
another,  the  mystery  that  involves  the  lives 
and  habits  of  the  friars, — for  mystery  recom- 
mends   any    thing    to   the    ignorant ;    and   a 
fourth,  which  addresses  itself  to  all  classes, 
is,  the  direct  tax  which  the  support  of  the 
clergy  imposes.     The  friars,  whether  poor  or 
not,  have  the  semblance  of  poverty  ;    at  all 
events,  the  sources  of  their  revenues  are  not 
seen  to  flow  into  their  treasury;  and,  although 
the  nation  at  large  groans  under  the  weight, 
individuals  feel  no  part  of  it.     Such  are  a  few 
of  the  causes  which,   in  my  opinion,  operate 
in  supporting  the  influence  of  the  friars ;  and 
in  diminishing  that  of  the  clergy. 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  1G7 

Comparatively  with  the  rest  of  Spain,  there 
is  little  attention  paid  to  the  ceremonials  of 
religion  in  Madrid.  I  often  strolled  into  the 
churches  at  all  hours ;  and,  excepting  at  time 
of  mass,  few  were  to  be  seen  at  prayer.  One 
morning  I  walked  into  the  collegiate  church 
of  St.  Isodro,  and  found  the  pulpit  occupied 
by  a  priest,  who  was  exclaiming,  apparently 
extempore,  and  with  great  vehemence,  against 
the  sin  of  religious  infidelity.  St.  Isodro  is 
the  principal  church  of  Madrid,  and  yet  I  do 
not  believe  there  were  300  listeners  to  the 
discourse ;  and  of  these  at  least  five-sixths  were 
women.  It  is  a  curious  spectacle  to  see  the 
women  all  sitting  upon  the  ground  a  la  Turqice, 
on  little  round  mats,  and  every  fan  in  quick 
motion.  The  entrance  of  a  stranger  into  a 
church  during  mass,  always  creates  a  sensa- 
tion :  a  hundred  eyes  may  at  any  time  be 
withdrawn  from  the  contemplation  of  either 
a  preacher  or  an  image,  by  the  slightest  pos- 
sible cause. 


CHAPTER  V. 


MADRID. 


The  Profession  of  a  Nun ;  Reflections ;  Description  of  the  Interior 
of  a  Convent;  the  Monastic  Life ;  Description  of  a  Bull-Fight; 
Sketches  of  Spanish  Character ;    a  Horse  Race. 

No  one  ever  visited  a  Roman  Catholic  coun- 
try, without  feeling  some  curiosity  upon  the 
subject  of  nuns  and  convents,  monks  and 
monasteries;  and  there  is  certainly  no  country 
in  the  world  that  affords  so  many  incitements 
to  this  curiosity,  or  so  many  facilities  for  grati- 
fying it,  as  Spain.  Among  all  the  ceremonies 
belonging  to  the  church  of  Rome,  none  per- 
haps possesses  so  much  interest  in  the  eyes 
of  a  stranger,  as  that  which  is  denominated 
"  taking  the  veil ;"  chiefly,  because  it  is  the 
only  one  of  them  all,  that  addresses  the  heart 
more  than  the  eye.     I  had  always  felt  great 


SPAIN   IN  18.30.  169 

curiosity  to  witness  this  extraordinary  sacri- 
fice of  reason  and  nature,  at  the  altar  of  bigotry 
and  ignorance;  but  I  found  the  gratification 
of  this  curiosity  more  difficult  than  I  had 
imagined.  Heretics  are  no  welcome  guests  at 
such  times ;  and  during  the  first  month  of  my 
residence  in  Madrid,  I  made  two  unsuccessful 
attempts  to  witness  the  ceremony  of  taking 
the  veil !  It  fortunately  happened,  however, 
that  the  priest  whom  1  had  engaged  at  my 
arrival  in  Madrid,  to  speak  Spanish,  and  read 
Don  Quixotte  with  me,  and  with  whom  I 
passed  much  of  my  time,  was  the  officiating 
priest  in  the  convent  of  Comendadoras  de  Calci- 
trava;  and  as  I  had  often  expressed  a  strong 
desire  to  see  a  profession,  he  came  one  day 
with  the  welcome  intelligence,  that  in  that 
convent,  a  profession  would  take  place  on  the 
Sunday  morning  following  ;  and  as  it  was  his 
dutv  to  officiate  on  the  occasion,  and  to  ad- 
minister  the  sacrament  to  the  new  sister,  he 
had  it  in  his  power  to  gratify  my  wishes,  and 
to  admit  me  at  an  early  hour :  and  he  also  all 
but  promised,  that  after  the  ceremony,  I  should 
be  permitted  to  see  the  interior  of  the  con- 
vent— a  privilege  even  greater  than  the  other. 


170  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

The  chapel  of  the  convent  is  separated  from 
the  other  apartments  by  a  wide  iron  grating — 
so  wide,  that  every  thing  which  takes  place  on 
the  other  side,  is  seen  as  distinctly  as  if  there 
was  no  separation  whatever.  I  placed  myself 
close  to  this  grating  some  little  time  before  the 
ceremony  commenced. 

How  many  strange,  wild,  and  romantic  as- 
sociations are  connected  with  *'  taking  the 
veil !"  The  romances  of  our  earlier  days, — the 
tales,  that  professed  to  reveal  the  mysteries  of 
the  cloister,  crowd  upon  our  memory  :  we  see 
standing  before  us  the  creatures  of  our  imagin- 
ation— the  inflexible  lady  abbess — the  trem- 
bling nun — we  hear  the  authoritative  question, 
and  the  timid  reply — we  see  the  midnight 
procession,  and  hear  the  anthem  of  sweet  and 
holy  voices — and  a  crowd  of  mysterious  and 
half-forgotten  dreams  and  visions  float  before 
us.  Some  of  these  early  visions  I  had  learned 
to  doubt  the  reality  of, — I  had  already  caught 
occasional  glimpses  of  those  mysterious  crea- 
tures who  inhabit  convent  walls,  without  find- 
ing any  realization  of  my  vision  of  charms 
more  than  mortal.  I  had  learned  to  know 
that  nuns  grow  old,  and  that  the  veil  does  not 


SPAIN  IN  ISnO.  17  J 

always  shadow  loveliness  ;  but  having  under- 
stood that  the  victim  about  to  sacrifice  herself 
was  scarcely  seventeen,  I  dismissed  from  my 
mind  all  the  realities  that  warred  with  my 
romantic  illusions,  and  recurred  to  the  dream 
of  my  earlier  days. 

At  the  hour  appointed,  the  abbess  entered 
the  room  on  the  other  side  of  the  grating, 
accompanied  by  all  the  nuns,  and  by  several 
ladies,  friends  and  relatives  of  the  novice.  She 
entered  a  moment  after ;  and  immediately 
knelt  down,  with  her  face  towards  the  grat- 
ing, so  that  I  had  a  near  and  distinct  view  of 
her.  She  was  attired  in  the  novice's  robe  of 
pure  white,  and  wore  a  crown  of  flowers  upon 
her  head.  She  seemed  scarcely  more  than 
sixteen.  Her  countenance  was  gentle,  sweet, 
and  interesting; — there  was  an  expression  of 
seriousness,  but  not  of  sadness,  in  her  face ; 
and  a  skin,  fairer  than  usually  falls  to  the  lot 
of  Spanish  women,  was  sensibly  coloured  with 
a  fine  carnation, — the  glow  of  youth,  and 
health,  and  happiness,  yet  lingering  on  her 
cheek;  and  connecting  her  with  the  world  of 
light,  and  life,  and  freedom,  about  to  close 
upon  her  for  ever. 


172  SPAIN  IN   1830. 

The  administrator  now  entered  by  the  chapel, 
and  placed  himself  in  a  chair  close  to  where 
I  was  stationed,  and  at  the  side  of  an  opening 
in  the  grating  of  about  a  foot  square.  The 
novice  then  rose,  and  walking  forward  to  the 
grating,  presented  him  with  a  paper,  which 
he  read  aloud  :  this  was  the  act  of  renuncia- 
tion of  all  property,  then  and  for  ever ;  and 
during  this  ceremony  the  novice  retired  and 
knelt  as  before,  holding  in  her  hand  a  long 
lighted  taper,  with  which  the  abbess  pre- 
sented her.  The  preparatory  service  then 
commenced  by  reading  and  chanting ;  and 
this,  although  monotonous,  was  pleasing  and 
impressive,  according  well  with  the  solemnity 
of  the  scene  that  had  introduced  it ;  and  in 
this  service  the  novice  joined,  with  a  clear 
sweet  voice,  in  which  nothing  of  emotion 
could  be  distinguished.  When  this  was  con- 
cluded, the  novice  again  rose,  and  advanced 
to  the  grating,  and  pronounced  slowly  and 
distinctly  the  three  vows  that  separate  her  from 
the  world, — chastity,  poverty,  and  obedience. 
Her  voice  never  faltered  ;  nor  could  I  perceive 
the  slightest  change  of  countenance  ;  the  colour 
only,   seemed  to  be   gradually  forsaking  her. 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  173 

The  lady  abbess,  who  stood  close  by  her  side, 
wept  all  the  while.  Ah !  if  each  tear  could 
have  told  why  it  flowed,  what  a  history  might 
have  been  unfolded.  Indignation  was  the 
feeling  produced  in  my  mind.  I  wished  for 
the  cannon  of  the  Constitutionalists,  to  throw 
down  these  most  odious  of  prisons ;  and  even 
to  the  priest,  who  stood  by  me  in  his  crim- 
son and  gilded  surplice,  I  could  not  restrain 
myself  from  saying,  half  audibly,  "  Que  in- 
famia ! " 

When  the  vows  that  could  never  be  re- 
called had  been  pronounced  by  this  misguided 
child,  she  stepped  back,  and  threw  herself 
prostrate  upon  the  ground, — this  is  the  act 
confirmatory  of  her  vows,  —  symbolical  of 
death,  and  signifying  that  she  is  dead  to  the 
world.  The  service  was  then  resumed, — a 
bell  continued  slowly  to  toll ;  and  the  priest 
read ;  while  the  nuns  who  stood  around  their 
new-made  sister,  responded, — "  dead  to  the 
world — separated  from  kindred — bride  of  hea- 
ven ! "  and  the  nun  who  lies  prostrate  is  sup- 
posed, at  the  same  time,  to  repeat  to  God  in 
secret,  the  vows  she  has  already  pronounced 
aloud.      When   this   was  concluded,   a   slow 


174  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

organ  peel,  and  a  solemn  swell  of  voices  rose, 
and  died  away ;  and  the  abbess  then  raised 
the  nun  from  the  ground,  and  embraced  her ; 
and  all  the  other  nuns  and  her  relations  also 
embraced  her.  I  saw  no  tear  upon  any  cheek, 
excepting  upon  the  cheek  of  the  abbess,  whose 
face  was  so  full  of  benignity,  that  it  half  re- 
conciled me  to  the  fate  of  the  young  initiated 
who  had  vowed  obedience  to  her.  When  she 
had  embraced  every  one,  she  again  knelt  for 
a  few  moments^  and  then  approached  the 
grating  along  with  the  abbess ;  and  the  priest 
handed  to  the  abbess  through  the  opening,  the 
vestments  of  a  nun.  Then  came  the  last  act 
of  the  drama: — the  crown  was  lifted  from  her 
head ;  the  black  vestment  was  put  on,  and  the 
girdle  and  the  rosary ;  and  the  black  hood  was 
drawn  over  her  head ; — she  was  now  a  nun, 
and  she  again  embraced  the  abbess  and  all 
the  sisters.  Still  I  could  not  discover  a  single 
tear,  excepting  on  the  cheek  of  the  abbess, 
who  continued  to  weep  almost  without  ceasing 
to  the  very  end  :  the  countenance  of  the  young 
nun  remained  unmoved.  The  crown  was 
again  replaced  upon  her  head,  to  be  worn  all 
that  day  ;    the  sacrament  was  administered. 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  175 

and  one  last  embrace  by  friends  and  relations 
terminated  the  scene. 

I  had  thus  seen  what  I  had  long  felt  so 
much  anxiety  to  see, — "  taking  the  veil ;"  and 
I  found  it,  at  the  same  time,  a  stirring  and 
a  melancholy  spectacle  :  stirring,  because  it 
filled  the  mind  with  indignation  against  those 
whose  cruel  and  insidious  counsel  had  mis- 
led an  innocent  girl ;  and  melancholy,  because 
it  pointed  to  a  life  uncheered  by  life's  sweetest 
charities, — unblest  by  its  holiest  ties, — life 
without  interest,  without  change,  without 
hope  ;  its  sources  of  enjoyment  dried  up;  and 
its  wells  of  affection  frozen  over. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  account  for  such  sacri- 
fices as  this.  A  young  person  enters  a  convent 
as  a  novice  at  fifteen  or  sixteen  :  this  requires 
little  persuasion,  —the  scene  is  new,  and  there- 
fore not  without  its  attraction.  Mothers, 
sisters,  and  friends  are  occasionally  seen ;  and 
no  vow  prevents  a  return  to  the  world.  During 
the  noviciate,  she  forms  attachments  among 
the  nuns,  who  exert  themselves  to  the  utter- 
most to  please  her.  The  attractions  of  the 
world  are  not  presented  to  her,  and  they  are, 
therefore,  not  felt  to  be  attractions  ;  and  all 


176  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

the  while,  the  priests  and  confessors  have  been 
labouring  to  impress  her  with  a  notion  of  the 
excellence  of  a  religious  life, — its  pure  enjoy- 
ment in  this  world,  and  its  certain  and  great 
reward  in  another ;  and  these  arguments  are 
enforced  by  strictures  upon  the  vexations  and 
evils  of  the  world  without,  and  the  lack  of 
enjoyment  to  be  found  in  it.  Such  reasoning 
cannot  fail  to  produce  its  effect  upon  the  mind 
of  a  young  person  who  has  never  known  the 
world,  and  who  is  daily  assured  by  the  sisters 
in  the  convent  that  they  are  happy :  add  to 
this,  a  certain  eclat  in  taking  the  veil, — ^ex- 
tremely  captivating  to  a  youthful  mind, — and 
it  will  scarcely  seem  surprising,  that  when  the 
noviciate  expires,  there  should  be  nothing  ter- 
rible, or  even  very  affecting  in  the  ceremonial 
that  fixes  the  destiny  of  the  novice.  She 
feels  that  she  is  vowing  a  continuance  of  the 
same  life  that  she  has  already  led,  and  for 
which  habit  may  even  have  taught  her  an  in- 
clination; and  her  days  are  to  be  spent  with 
those  whom  she  probably  loves  more  than  any 
others  without  the  convent  walls.  And  what 
are  the  vows,  to  a  child  who  has  entered  a 
convent  at  fifteen  ?     She  vows  obedience  to 


SPAIN  IN   18.10.  177 

one  whom  she  feels  pleasure  in  obeying.  She 
renounces  property  she  never  enjoyed,  and 
whose  uses  are  not  understood  ;  and  in  vowing 
chastity,  she  knows  only  that  she  is  dedi- 
cating herself  to  heaven.  The  profession  of  a 
girl  of  sixteen  or  seventeen,  is  an  abomina- 
tion ;  and  admitted  so  to  be,  even  by  the 
priests.  A  canon  at  Seville — nay,  more,  a 
Dominican  friar  near  Alicante,  agreed  with 
me  in  opinion,  that  no  woman  ought  to  be 
permitted  to  take  the  veil  at  an  earlier  age 
than  twenty-four.  If  a  woman  who  has  tried 
the  world,  and  knows  its  enjoyments  and  its 
dangers,  chooses  to  renounce  it,  and  retire 
into  a  convent,  she  can  only  accuse  herself  of 
folly,  or  bigotry ;  but  it  is  altogether  a  piece 
of  villany  when  a  child  leaves  the  nursery  to 
begin  her  noviciate. 

The  priest,  who  had  led  me  to  hope  that 
I  might  be  permitted  to  visit  the  interior  of 
the  convent,  did  not  disappoint  me.  This 
convent  is  one  of  the  most  complete,  and  the 
best  fitted  up  of  any  in  Madrid.  No  one 
enters  it  who  cannot  bring  to  its  treasury  a 
considerable  fortune  ;  and  its  accommodations 

VOL.   I.  N 


178  SPAIN   IN   1830. 

are  accordingly  upon  a  scale  of  corresponding- 
comfort.  In  company  with  the  priest  and  the 
porteress,  an  old  nun,  I  went  over  the  greater 
part  of  the  building.  The  accommodations  of 
each  nun  consist  of  a  small  parlour  and  a  dor- 
mitory adjoining,  and  a  small  kitchen.  The 
nuns  do  not  eat  in  company.  The  dinners 
are  separately  cooked,  and  the  whole  is  then 
carried  to  a  public  room,  where  it  is  blessed ; 
and  again  carried  back  to  the  separate  apart- 
ments, where  each  nun  eats  alone.  The  little 
parlours  of  the  nuns  are  plain  and  clean ;  the 
walls  white- washed,  and  the  floors  generally 
matted  ;  but  the  room  is  without  any  fire- 
place, and  contains  a  table  and  two  chairs. 
The  beds  are  extremely  small,  and  extremely 
hard  ;  and  upon  the  table,  in  every  dormitory, 
there  is  a  crucifix.  Among  other  parts,  I  was 
conducted  to  the  chamber  of  the  new-made 
nun.  The  bed  was  strewn  with  flowers  — 
marigolds  and  dahlias, — and  a  crown  of  jilly- 
flowers  lay  upon  the  pillow.  Here  every 
thing  was  new ;  yet  all  would  grow  old  along 
with  the  inmate.  A  new  bright  lamp  stood 
upon  the  table  ;  and  as  I  looked  at  it,  I  could 
not  avoid  the  picture  that  presented  itself  in 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  179 

fancy,  —  the  dull  light  falling  upon  the  white 
wall ;  and  the  silent  inmate  of  the  chamber 
with  her  book  and  rosary,  through  the  long- 
chill  evenings  of  winter; — what  a  contrast 
from  the  picture  of  a  cheerful  home ! 

The  rooms  of  the  nuns  all  look  into  the 
garden.  Those  in  front  are  occupied  by  ladies 
who  have  not  taken  the  veil,  but  who  have 
retired  from  the  world,  and  who  live  there 
in  tranquillity  and  seclusion.  Many  of  these 
rooms  are  prettily  fitted  up,  and  contain  small 
libraries,  altogether  of  religious  books,  and  a 
few  pictures  of  the  same  character.  In  going 
through  the  convent,  I  saw  two  of  the  nuns, — 
old,  disagreeable,  ill-favoured  women, —  the 
younger  sisters  were  not  visible,  excepting  the 
new-made  nun,  who  seemed  that  day  to  be 
allowed  the  range  of  the  convent ;  for  I  saw 
her,  with  her  crown  still  upon  her  head,  in 
her  own  chamber,  in  one  of  the  corridors,  and 
in  the  garden :  she  looked  quite  happy.  After 
having  been  conducted  through  almost  every 
part  of  the  convent,  I  was  introduced  into  the 
refectory,  and  presented  with  wine  and  cake. 
I  shall  never  forget  the  taste  of  that  cake;  it 
N  2 


180  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

seemed  to  me,  to  taste  of  the  tomb  ;  and  crum- 
bled in  one's  hand  like  something  touched  by 
the  finger  of  decay. 

The  order  to  which  this  convent  belongs,  is 
not  so  strict  as  many  others.  The  chief  differ- 
ence in  strictness  between  one  order  and 
another,  consists  in  the  more  rigid  observance 
of  fasts,  the  number  of  meagre  days,  the  obli- 
gation to  night  prayers,  and  the  rules  as  to 
solitude  and  society.  In  some  of  the  orders, 
dispensation  from  the  vows  of  poverty  and 
obedience  may  be  obtained  ;  and  such  dispen- 
sations occasionally  are  obtained, — if,  for  ex- 
ample, the  labour  or  service  of  a  nun  should 
be  required  for  the  support  or  comfort  of  a  des- 
titute or  aged  mother.  Dispensation  from  the 
vow  of  chastity  is  scarcely  to  be  obtained  ;  yet 
even  this  has  sometimes  been  known.  Last 
year,  a  lady  of  high  family  who  had  taken  the 
vows  in  Barcellona,  obtained  a  general  dispen- 
sation, and  married, — it  is  said  that  she  was 
never  happy ;  and  she  died  a  few  months  after- 
wards. It  may  easily  be  supposed,  that  long 
accustomed  prejudices,  and  a  superstitious 
bias,  acting  upon  the  imagination,  might  pro- 
duce disastrous  effects  both   upon  mind  and 


SPxVIN  IN  I8;50.  181 

body.  Ill  the  case  of  the  late  Countess  Ofalia, 
a  dispensation  was  also  obtained.  She  was 
five  years  a  nun.  She  entered  the  convent  at 
the  age  of  fourteen  ;  and  the  dispensation  was 
granted  upon  the  ground  of  her  youth,  and 
also  because  her  consent  was  supposed  to  have 
been  extorted.  This  lady  had,  fortunately, 
less  superstition  than  the  other.  She  left  the 
convent  at  nineteen;  and  married  the  Count 
Ofalia,  with  whom  she  lived  happily. 

During  the  French  government  in  Spain, 
under  Joseph  Buonaparte,  and  also  during  the 
time  of  the  constitution,  the  doors  of  the  con- 
vents were  open  to  whosoever  might  choose  to 
go  again  into  the  world  :  it  is  said,  that  not 
more  than  two  in  Madrid,  and  four  or  five 
throughout  the  rest  of  Spain,  availed  them- 
selves of  this  privilege.  This  is  scarcely  to 
be  wondered  at ;  superstitious  fears,  and  con- 
scientious scruples,  interfered  no  doubt  with 
the  wishes  of  many  ;  others  had  grown  grey 
within  their  convent  walls,  and  to  whom 
could  they  return  ?  Some,  M'ho  might  yet 
have  found  enjoyment  in  the  world,  had  no 
means  of  living  in  it,  having  renounced  their 
inheritance  ;    and  many,  no  doubt,  had   con- 


182  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

tracted  a  partiality  for  a  religious  life,  and 
were  actuated  by  pious  motives. 

Next  to  the  curiosity  I  had  felt  to  witness 
the  profession  of  a  nun,  was  my  curiosity  to 
witness  an  exhibition  of  a  very  different  kind  : 
the  spectacle  of  a  bull-fight.  This  is  one  of 
the  many  things  that  are  to  be  seen  in  Spain, 
and  in  no  other  country  in  the  world ;  and, 
however  barbarous  the  spectacle  must  seem 
to  every  one  but  a  Spaniard,  it  is,  neverthe- 
less, one  of  so  stirring  and  so  extraordinary 
a  kind,  that  1  think  it  would  almost  repay  a 
journey  to  Madrid,  even  if  the  traveller  set 
off  next  morning  upon  his  return. 

The  bull-fight  is  the  national  game  of  Spain; 
and  the  love  of  the  Spaniards  for  this  spec- 
tacle, is  almost  beyond  belief.  Monday,  in 
Madrid,  is  always,  during  the  season  of  the 
bull-fights,  a  kind  of  holiday;  every  body 
looks  forward  to  the  enjoyments  of  the  after- 
noon ;  and  all  the  conversation  is  about  los 
toros.  Frequency  of  repetition  makes  no  differ- 
ence to  the  true  amateur  of  the  bull-fight ;  he 
is  never  weary  of  it;  at  all  times  he  finds 
leisure  and  money  to  dedicate  to  his  favour- 
ite pastime.     The  spectacle  is  generally  an- 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  183 

nounced,  in  the  name  of  his  majesty,  to  begin 
at  four  o'clock ;  and,  before  three,  all  the 
avenues  leading  towards  the  gate  of  Alcala, 
are  in  commotion ;  the  Calle  de  Alcala,  in 
particular,  throughout  its  whole  immense  ex- 
tent, is  filled  with  a  dense  crowd,  of  all  ranks 
and  conditions,  pouring  towards  the  gate :  a 
considerable  number  of  carriages  are  also  seen 
— even  the  royal  carriages ;  but  these  arrive 
later  :  and  there  are  also  many  hack  cabri- 
olets, their  usual  burden  being  a  peasant,  and 
two  girls,  dressed  in  their  holiday  clothes ; 
for  there  is  no  way  of  shewing  gallantry  so 
much  approved  among  the  lower  orders,  as 
treating  to  a  bull-fight ;  and  when  this  is  car- 
ried so  far  as  to  include  a  drive  in  a  red  and 
gilded  cabriolet,  the  peasant  need  sigh  no 
longer. 

I  had  been  able  to  secure  a  place  in  one  of 
the  best  boxes,  through  the  kindness  of  one 
of  my  friends;  and,  some  little  time  before  the 
fight  begun,  I  was  comfortably  seated  in  the 
front  row,  with  quite  enough  to  occupy  my 
attention,  until  the  commencement.  The 
spectacle  was  most  imposing.  The  whole 
amphitheatre,  said  lo  contain   17,000  persons. 


184  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

was  filled  in  every  part,  round  and  round, 
and  from  the  ground  to  the  ceiling ;  carrying 
the  imagination  back  to  antiquity,  and  to 
*'  the  butcheries  of  a  Roman  holiday."  The 
arena  is  about  230  feet  in  diameter ;  this  is 
surrounded  by  a  strong  wooden  fence,  about 
six  feet  in  height,  the  upper  half  retiring  about 
a  foot,  so  as  to  leave,  in  the  middle  of  the 
fence,  a  stepping- place,  by  which  the  men 
may  be  able,  in  time  of  danger,  to  throw 
themselves  out  of  the  arena.  Behind  this 
fence,  there  is  an  open  space  about  nine  feet 
wide,  extending  all  the  way  round,  meant  as 
a  retreat;  and  where  also  the  men  in  reserve 
are  in  waiting,  in  case  their  companions 
should  be  killed,  or  disabled.  Behind  this 
space,  is  another  higher  and  stronger  fence 
bounding  the  amphitheatre,  for  the  spectators; 
from  this  fence  the  seats  decline  backward, 
rising  to  the  outer  wall ;  and  above  these  are 
the  boxes,  which  are  all  roofed,  and  are,  of 
course,  open  in  front.  Those  on  the  east  side, 
which  are  exposed  to  the  sun,  (for  the  spec- 
tacle always  takes  place  in  the  evening),  have 
awnings ;  but  these  are  insufficient  to  screen 
the  spectators  from  the  heat ;  and  accordingly, 


SPAIN  IN   18.30.  J85 

the  price  of  the  places  on  the  west  side,  is  con- 
siderably more  than  the  price  of  those  exposed 
to  the  sun.    Below,  in  w^hat  may  be  called  the 
pit,  the  difference  in  price,  according  to  sun  or 
shade,  is  still  greater,  because  there  are  there 
neither  coverings  nor  awnings :   so  important, 
indeed,    is   this   distinction    considered,    that 
there  is  not  only  one  price  for  places  in  the 
sun,  and  another  for  places  in  the  shade,  but 
there  is  an  intermediate  price  for  places  partly 
in  the  sun  and  partly  in  the  shade, — exposed 
to  the  sun  during  the  first  part  of  the  evening, 
but  left  in  shade  the  latter  part  of  it.     The 
best  places  in  the  boxes  cost  about  4*. ;  the 
best  in  the  amphitheatre  below,  about  2so  6d. ; 
the  commonest  place,  next  to  the  arena,  costs 
four  reals.     In  the  centre  of  the  west  side,  is 
the  king's  box  ;  and  scattered  here  and  there, 
are   the  private   boxes  of  the    grandees   and 
amateurs,  distinguished  by  coloured  silk  dra- 
pery hanging  over  the  front.     In  the  boxes,  I 
saw  as  many  women   as   men, — and   in   the 
lower  parts,  the  female  spectators  were  also 
sufficiently    numerous ;    all    wore    mantillas : 
and   in  the  lower  parts  of  the  amphitheatre 
which  were  exposed  to  the  sun,  every  spec- 


186  SPAIN   IN   1830. 

tator,  whether  man  or  woman,  carried  a  large 
circular  paper  fan,  made  for  the  occasion,  and 
sold  by  men  who  walk  round  the  arena  before 
the  fight  begins,  raising  among  the  spectators 
their  long  poles,  with  fans  suspended,  and 
a  little  bag  fixed  here  and  there,  into  which 
the  purchaser  drops  his  four  quartos  (lid). 

The  people  now  began  to  shew  their  im- 
patience, and  shouts  of  el  toro  were  heard  in  a 
hundred  quarters ;  and  soon  after,  a  flourish 
of  trumpets  and  drums  announced  that  the 
spectacle  was  about  to  commence.  This 
created  total  silence, — one  of  the  results  of 
intense  interest, — and  the  motion  of  the  fans 
was  for  a  moment  suspended  : — First  entered 
the  chief  magistrate  of  the  city,  on  horseback, 
preceded  by  two  alguacils,  or  constables,  and 
followed  by  a  troop  of  cavalry,  who  imme- 
diately cleared  the  arena  of  every  one  who  had 
no  business  there  ;  next,  an  official  entered  on 
foot,  who  read  an  ordonnance  of  the  king,  com- 
manding the  tight,  and  requiring  order  to  be 
kept ;  and  these  preliminaries  having  been 
gone  through,  the  magistrates  and  cavalry  re- 
tired, leaving  the  arena  to  the  two  picadores, 
who  entered  at  the  same  moment.    These  are 


SPAIN   IN  1S30.  187 

mounted  on  horseback, — each  holding-  a  Jong- 
lance  or  pike,  and  are  the  first  antagonists 
the  bull  has  to  encounter;  they  stationed  them- 
selves on  different  sides  of  the  arena,  about 
twenty  yards  from  the  door  at  which  the  bull 
enters  ;  and  at  a  new  flourish  of  trumpets,  the 
gate  flew  open,  and  the  bull  rushed  into  the 
arena :  this  produced  a  deafening  shout,  and 
then  total  silence.  The  bulls  differ  very 
widely  in  courage  and  character :  some  are 
rash, — some  cool  and  intrepid, — some  wary 
and  cautious, — some  cowardly.  Some,  im- 
mediately upon  perceiving  the  horse  and  his 
rider,  rush  upon  them ;  others  run  bellowing 
round  the  arena, — some  make  towards  one  or 
other  of  the  Chulos,  who  at  the  same  moment 
that  the  bull  appears,  leap  into  the  arena  with 
coloured  cloaks  upon  their  arms ;  others  stop, 
after  having  advanced  a  little  way  into  the 
arena,  look  on  every  side,  and  seem  uncertain 
what  to  do.  The  blood  of  the  bull  is  generally 
first  spilt:  he  almost  invariably  makes  the  first 
attack,  advancing  at  a  quick  trot  upon  the 
picador,  who  generally  receives  him  upon  his 
pike,  wounding  him  somewhere  about  the 
shoulder.    Sometimes  the  bull,  feelinjj-  himself 


188  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

wounded,  retires,  to  meditate  a  different  plan 
of  attack ;  but  a  good  bull  is  not  turned  back 
by  a  wound, — he  presses  on  upon  his  enemy, 
even  if  in  doing  so,  the  lance  be  buried  deeper 
in  his  flesh.  Attached  to  the  mane  of  the  bull 
is  a  crimson  ribbon,  which  it  is  the  great  object 
of  the  picador  to  seize,  that  he  may  present 
to  his  mistress  this  important  trophy  of  his 
prowess.  I  have  frequently  seen  this  ribbon 
torn  off  at  the  moment  that  the  bull  closed 
upon  the  picador. 

The  first  bull  that  entered  the  arena,  was  a 
bad  bull:  he  was  deficient  both  in  courage 
and  cunning :  the  second,  was  a  fierce  bull  of 
Navarre,  from  which  province  the  best  bulls 
are  understood  to  come ;  he  paused  only  for  a 
moment  after  entering  the  arena,  and  then 
instantly  rushed  upon  the  nearest  picador, 
who  wounded  him  in  the  neck ;  but  the  bull 
disregarding  this,  thrust  his  head  under  the 
horse's  belly,  and  threw  both  him  and  his  rider 
upon  the  ground  :  the  horse  ran  a  little  way; 
but  encumbered  with  trappings,  he  fell, — and 
the  bull,  disregarding  for  a  moment  the  fallen 
picador,  pursued  the  horse,  and  pushing  at 
him,    broke   the    girths   and    disengaged    the 


SPAIN  IN  1S30.  189 

animal,  which  finding  itself  at  liberty,  galloped 
round  the  arena — a  dreadful  spectacle,  covered 
with  gore,  and  its  entrails  trailing  upon  the 
ground.  The  bull  now  engaged  the  chulas : 
these  young  men  shew  great  dexterity  and 
sometimes  considerable  courage,  in  the  running 
fight,  or  rather  play,  in  which  they  engage  the 
bull, — flapping  their  cloaks  in  his  face,^ — 
running  zig-zag  when  pressed,  and  throwing 
down  the  garments  to  arrest  his  progress  a 
moment,  and  then  vaulting  over  the  fence, — an 
example  which  is  sometimes  followed  by  the 
disappointed  animal.  But  this  kind  of  war- 
fare, the  bull  of  Navarre  seemed  to  consider 
child's  play, — and  leaving  these  cloaked  anta- 
gonists, he  made  furiously  at  the  other  picador, 
dexterously  evading  the  lance,  and  burying 
his  horns  in  the  horse's  breast :  the  horse  and 
his  rider  extricated  themselves,  and  galloped 
away ;  but  suddenly  the  horse  dropped  down, 
the  wound  having  proved  mortal.  The  bull, 
victorious  over  both  enemies,  stood  in  the 
centre  of  the  arena,  ready  to  engage  another ; 
but  the  spectators,  anxious  to  see  the  prowess 
of  the  bull  directed  against  another  set  of 
antagonists,  expressed  their  desire  by  a  mono- 


190  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

tonous  clapping  of  hands,  and  beating  of  sticks, 
a  demonstration  of  their  will  perfectly  under- 
stood, and  always  attended  to. 

The  banderilleros  then  entered  :  their  busi- 
ness is  to  throw  darts  into  the  neck  of  the 
bull ;  and  in  order  to  do  this,  they  are  obliged 
to  approach  with  great  caution,  and  to  be  ready 
for  a  precipitate  retreat ;  because  it  sometimes 
happens  that  the  bull,  irritated  by  the  dart, 
disregards  the  cloak  which  the  banderillero 
throws  down  to  cover  his  retreat,  and  closely 
pursues  the  aggressor.  I  saw  one  banderillero 
so  closely  pursued,  that  he  saved  himself  only 
by  leaping  over  the  bull's  neck.  The  danger, 
however,  is  scarcely  so  great  as  it  appears  to 
the  spectator  to  be  ;  because  the  bull  makes 
the  charge  with  his  eyes  shut.  The  danger 
of  the  picador  who  is  thrown  upon  the  ground, 
is  much  greater ;  because,  having  made  the 
charge,  the  bull  then  opens  his  eyes,  and  the 
life  of  the  picador  is  only  saved  by  the  address 
of  the  chulos,  who  divert  the  attention  of  the 
victor.  Generally,  the  banderilleros  do  not 
make  their  appearance  until  the  bull  appears 
by  his  movements,  to  declme  the  combat  with 
the  picadors;  which  he  shews  by  scraping  the 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  191 

ground  with  his  feet,  and  retiring.  If  the  bull 
shew  little  spirit,  and  the  spectators  wish  that 
he  should  be  goaded  into  courage,  the  cry  is 
"fitego,'''  and  then  the  banderilleros  are  armed 
with  darts,  containing  a  kind  of  squib,  which 
explodes  while  it  sticks  in  the  animal's  neck. 

When  the  people  are  tired  of  the  banderil- 
leros, and  wish  to  have  a  fresh  bull,  they 
signify  their  impatience  in  the  usual  way,  and 
the  signal  is  then  given  for  the  matador,  whose 
duty  it  is  to  kill  the  bull.  The  matador  is  in 
full  court  dress,  and  carries  a  scarlet  cloak 
over  his  arm,  and  a  sword  in  his  hand  :  the 
former  he  presents  to  the  bull ;  and  when  the 
bull  rushes  forward,  he  steps  aside  and  plunges 
his  sword  in  the  animal's  neck ;  at  least  so 
he  ought  to  do,  but  the  service  is  a  dangerous 
one,  and  the  matador  is  frequently  killed. 
Sometimes  it  is  impossible  for  the  matador  to 
engage  upon  equal  terms  a  very  wary  bull, 
which  is  not  much  exhausted.  This  was  the 
case  with  the  sixth  bull  which  1  saw  turned 
out :  it  was  an  Andalusian  bull,  and  was  both 
wary  and  powerful.  Many  times  the  matador 
attempted  to  engage  him,  but  witiiout  success  ; 
he  was  constantly  upon    the   watch,  always 


192  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

disregarding  the  cloak,  and  turning  quick 
round  upon  the  matador,  who  was  frequently 
in  imminent  danger.  At  length  the  people 
were  tired  of  this  lengthened  combat,  and 
seeing  no  prospect  of  it  ending,  called  for  the 
semi-luna,  an  instrument  with  which  a  person 
skulks  behind,  and  cuts  the  ham- strings  of 
the  animal :  this  the  bull  avoided  a  long  while, 
always  turning  quickly  round  ;  and  even  after 
this  cruel  operation  was  performed,  he  was 
still  a  dangerous  antagonist,  fighting  upon  his 
knees,  and  even  pursuing  the  matador.  The 
moment  the  bull  falls,  he  is  struck  with  a 
small  stiletto,  which  pierces  the  cerebellum ; 
folding  doors,  opposite  to  those  by  which  the 
bull  enters,  are  thrown  open,  and  three  mules, 
richly  caparisoned  and  adorned  with  flags, 
gallop  in ;  the  dead  bull  is  attached  by  a  hook 
to  a  chain,  and  the  mules  gallop  out,  trailing 
the  bull  behind  them :  this  is  the  work  of  a 
moment, — the  doors  close, — there  is  a  new 
flourish  of  trumpets ;  and  another  bull  rushes 
upon  the  arena. 

And  how  do  the  Spaniards  conduct  them- 
selves during  all  these  scenes? — The  intense 
interest  which  they  feel  in  this  game  is  visible 


I 


SPAIN   IN  1830.  193 

throughout,  and  often  loudly  expressed  ;  an 
astounding  shout  always  accompanies  a  critical 
moment : — whether  it  be  the  bull  or  the  man 
who  is  in  danger,  their  joy  is  excessive ;  but  their 
greatest  sympathy  is  given  to  the  feats  of  the 
bull.  If  the  picador  receives  the  bull  gallantly, 
and  forces  him  to  retreat ;  or  if  the  matador 
courageously  faces,  and  wounds  the  bull,  they 
applaud  these  acts  of  science  and  valour :  but 
if  the  bull  overthrow  the  horse  and  his  rider; 
or  if  the  matador  miss  his  aim,  and  the  bull 
seems  ready  to  gore  him,  their  delight  knows 
no  bounds.  And  it  is  certainly  a  fine  spectacle 
to  see  the  thousands  of  spectators  rise  simul- 
taneously, as  they  always  do  when  the  interest 
is  intense :  the  greatest  and  most  crowded 
theatre  in  Europe  presents  nothing  half  so 
imposing  as  this.  But  how  barbarous,  how 
brutal  is  the  whole  exhibition !  Could  an 
English  audience  witness  the  scenes  that  are 
repeated  every  week  in  Madrid  ? — a  universal 
burst  of  "  shame !  "  would  follow  the  spectacle 
of  a  horse,  gored  and  bleeding,  and  actually 
treading  upon  his  own  entrails,  while  he  gal- 
lops round  the  arena  :  even  the  appearance  of 
the  goaded  bull  could  not  be  borne, — panting, 

VOL.  I.  o 


194  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

covered  with  wounds  and  blood,  lacerated  by 
darts,  and  yet  brave  and  resolute  to  the  end. 

The  spectacle  continued  two  hours  and  a 
half;  and  during  that  time,  there  were  seven 
bulls  killed,  and  six  horses.  When  the  last 
bull  was  dispatched,  the  people  immediately 
rushed  into  the  arena,  and  the  carcass  was 
dragged  out  amid  the  most  deafening  shouts. 

The  expenses  of  the  bull-fights  are  great ; 
but  the  receipts  far  exceed  them,  leaving  a 
very  handsome  sum  for  the  benefit  of  the  hos- 
pital, which,  it  is  said,  draws  a  revenue  from 
these  entertainments  of  300,000  reals,  (3000/. 
sterling).  Some  persons  begin  to  afiect  a 
dislike  of  the  bull-fight,  but  they  go  to  it  not- 
withstanding ;  and  I  think  I  may  venture  to 
say,  from  my  own  observation,  that  this  na- 
tional entertainment  is  not  yet  on  the  decline. 
The  king  occasionally  goes ;  Don  Carlos  rare- 
ly;  but  Don  Francis  and  his  wife  are  generally 
to  be  seen  there ;  and  I  noticed,  that  the 
private  boxes  of  the  nobility  were  as  well 
filled  as  any  other  part  of  the  house.  On 
leaving  the  amphitheatre,  1  counted  forty- 
five  private  carriages  in  waiting. 

A  few  weeks  afterwards,  I  was  present  at 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  195 

another  bull-fight.  I  have  no  intention  of 
describing  this  also;  but  I  gathered  some  in- 
formation from  it  that  had  escaped  me  upon 
the  former  occasion.  This  time,  I  paid  more 
attention  to  the  demeanour  of  the  people,  than 
to  the  fight ;  and  instead  of  securing  a  place 
in  the  boxes,  I  took  my  seat  in  the  commonest 
division,  that  I  might  the  better  observe  the 
character  of  the  lower  orders.  It  is  not  at  all 
unusual  for  those  of  the  nobility  who  are 
amateurs  of  the  bull-fight,  to  place  themselves 
among  the  lowest  classes  ;  a  true  lover  of  the 
bull-fight  likes  to  be  under  no  restrictions, 
but  to  express  his  delight  as  loudly  as  a  pea- 
sant. In  that  place  he  is  at  his  ease  ;  he  gives 
himself  up  to  the  full  enjoyment  of  his  passion  ; 
he  applauds,  he  condemns,  and  gives  vent  to 
his  joy  like  the  people  that  surround  him. 
This  is  true  happiness  to  him.  It  is  said  that 
Don  Francis  occasionally  disguises  himself; 
and  enjoys,  even  though  Infante,  the  pleasure 
of  a  water-carrier. 

At  this  fight,  all  the  bulls  were  indifi'erent 
excepting  one ;  but  he  proved  himself  a  per- 
fect master  of  the  science.     He  rushed  first 
o  2 


196  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

at  one  picador  and  then  at  the  other,  and  over- 
threw both  the  horses  and  then'  riders;  killing 
both  horses,  and  wounding  one  of  the  pica- 
dores.  Two  fresh  picadores  immediately  ap- 
peared ;  and  these,  he  served  in  a  precisely 
similar  way :  but  the  overthrow  was  more 
tragical — one  of  the  horses  and  his  rider  were 
raised  fairly  into  the  air;  and  the  horse  falling 
so  as  to  crush  the  rider  between  its  body  and 
the  fence,  he  was  killed  upon  the  spot.  The 
bull  was  now  master  of  the  arena ;  he  had 
cleared  it  of  men — three  horses  lay  dead — and 
he  stood  in  the  midst,  lashing  his  tail,  and 
looking  round  for  another  enemy.  This  was 
a  time  to  observe  the  character  of  the  people. 
When  the  unfortunate  picador  was  killed,  in 
place  of  a  general  exclamation  of  horror,  and 
loud  expressions  of  pity,  the  universal  cry  was 
'' Que  es  bravo  ese  totv!"  Ah,  the  admirable 
bull ! — the  whole  scene  produced  the  most  un- 
bounded delight ;  the  greater  horror,  the  greater 
was  the  shouting,  and  the  more  vehement  the 
expressions  of  satisfaction — I  did  not  perceive 
a  single  female  avert  her  head,  or  betray  the 
slightest  symptom  of  wounded  feeling.  Acci- 
dents do  not  occur  so  frequently  as  a  spec- 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  197 

tator  would  be  apt  to  imagine :  danger  is  in 
fact  more  apparent  than  real,  because  those 
who  engage  the  bull  are  well  trained  to  the  com- 
bat. There  is,  both  in  Madrid  and  at  Seville, 
a  regular  school  of  instruction,  where  those 
destined  for  Las  Corridas,  practise  the  art 
with  young  animals  ;  and  excepting  the  mata- 
dores,  who  are  occasionally  killed,  no  other  of 
the  combatants  runs  great  risk  from  the  bull. 
When  the  picador  is  killed,  the  catastrophe 
is  always  occasioned  by  the  horse  falling 
upon  his  rider,  or  crushing  him  against  the 
inclosure. 

Every  time  I  attended  a  bull-fight,  I  was 
more  and  more  impressed  with  a  conviction 
of  its  cruelty  and  brutality.  It  is  improperly 
termed  a  fight,  because  the  bull  has  never  a 
chance  of  victory  and  escape  ;  it  is  merely 
a  massacre, — and  the  series  of  abominable 
cruelties  exhibited  in  the  treatment  of  the 
horses,  stamps  the  whole  with  a  character  of 
brutality  and  barbarism,  sufficient,  in  my 
opinion,  to  separate  Spain  from  the  list  of 
civilized  nations.  It  is  not  merely  the  atro- 
cities that  an  interested  contractor  for  the  bull- 
fights may  permit, — not  merely  that  the  pica- 


198  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

dor  continues  to  ride  upon  an  animal  bathed 
in  blood,  and  whose  entrails  trail  upon  the 
ground, — but  that  the  Spanish  people  can 
witness  and  tolerate  such  barbarity.  I  do 
not  wish  to  seem  prejudiced;  but  I  cannot 
believe  that  there  are  many  among  the  very 
lowest  ranks  in  this  country  who  would  not, 
at  such  a  spectacle,  cry  out  "  kill  him !"  It 
was  proposed  by  the  present  queen  to  en- 
velope the  horses  in  a  net,  by  M'hich  the  most 
disgusting  part  of  the  exhibition  would  have 
been  concealed  ;  but  this  was  a  refinement 
which  it  was  thought  would  not  be  relished 
by  the  mob,  and  I  believe  it  was  never  at- 
tempted. By  the  horses  having  no  power  of 
defence,  and  by  their  being  deprived  of  the 
means  of  consciousness  of  their  condition,  the 
cruelty  of  the  spectacle  is  increased.  Towns- 
liend,  that  very  respectable  and  accurate 
writer,  is  in  error  when  he  speaks  of  the  cou- 
rage shewn  by  the  horses  in  facing  their  ene- 
mies :  this,  if  true,  would  give  a  character  of 
greater  nobility  to  the  entertainment ;  but  the 
horses  know  neither  their  enemies  nor  their 
danger;  their  eyes  are  blinded,  and  their  ears 
are  tied  up.      If  the  horses  were  netted  round 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  199 

the  body,  and  if  they  were  led  off  the  arena 
when  wounded  ;  if  their  eyes  were  uncovered, 
that  when  the  rider  was  unhorsed,  they  might 
have  a  chance  of  escape,  in  place  of  stand- 
ing to  be  gored,  unconscious  of  the  vici- 
nity of  the  enemy, — if  the  semi-luna  were 
discontinued; — and,  above  all,  if  a  valiant  bull, 
which  could  unhorse  two  picadores  without 
being  Avounded,  and  parry  two  or  three  thrusts 
of  the  matador,  were  allowed  the  reward  of 
its  victory — life  :  then  the  bull-fight  would 
be  divested  of  much  of  its  barbarism,  without 
losing,  but,  on  the  contrary,  greatly  adding  to 
the  interest  which  it  at  present  possesses. 

It  is  impossible  to  witness  a  spectacle  like 
this,  without  being  impressed  with  a  convic- 
tion that  such  exhibitions  must  produce  some 
influence  upon  the  character  of  a  people.  One 
would  naturally  argue  that  there  must  be  an 
affinity  between  the  character  of  a  people  and 
their  amusements,  especially  since  we  actually 
find  this  affinity  among  several  savage  nations  ; 
and  yet  I  should  be  doing  gross  injustice  to 
the  Spanish  character,  if  I  said  that  any  such 
affinity  existed  in  Si)ain.  There  is  nothing 
of  deliberate    cruelty  in    the  character    of  a 


200  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

Spaniard, — less  hard-heartedness  than  I  have 
found  among  most  other  nations: — he  invari- 
ably treats  his  mule  with  the  utmost  kindness, 
he  is  mindful  even  of  his  dog  and  his  cat.  The 
murders  which  are  so  frequent  in  the  south 
of  Spain,  are  the  result  of  an  irascible  temper, 
brandy,  and  a  hot  climate ;  but  are  never  de- 
liberate :  and  the  robberies,  which  originate 
in  poverty,  and  which  bad  laws  encourage, 
are  rarely  attended  by  violence.  All  this  is  a 
riddle, — nor  is  it  less  a  riddle,  that  the  females 
who  can  look  unmoved,  and  even  with  plea- 
sure, upon  scenes  from  which  a  woman  of  any 
other  nation  turns  away  disgusted,  do  not  pos- 
sess less  refinement  than  the  females  of  other 
countries.  Generally  speaking,  the  character 
of  the  Spanish  woman  is  kind  and  compas- 
sionate ;  and  even  among  the  lower  ranks,  I 
have  heard  sentiments  that  would  do  honour 
to  the  women  of  those  countries  that  are 
esteemed  the  foremost  in  refinement. 

The  first  attempt  at  a  horse  race  in  Madrid, 
was  made  last  autumn  ;  and  as  I  am  upon  the 
subject  of  diversions,  I  shall  give  a  slight 
sketch  of  the  Spanish  mode  of  conducting 
these  things.    The  ground  chosen  for  the  race. 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  201 

was  a  sandy  road,  extending  from  the  bridge 
of  Toledo  along  the  canal.  The  road  is  a 
common  cart  road,  covered  with  stones,  and 
full  of  ruts ;  and  the  distance  was  about  two 
miles.  A  large  concourse  of  persons  was  at- 
tracted to  the  spot  by  the  novelty  of  the  enter- 
tainment. There  were  between  two  and  three 
hundred  horsemen,  and  upv/ards  of  twenty 
carriages  on  the  ground  :  among  others,  the 
handsome  equipage  of  the  Duke  of  San  Carlos, 
the  owner  of  one  of  the  horses,  an  English 
mare,  called  Pensive.  Her  only  opponent 
was  a  Spanish  horse.  Pensive  was  ridden  by 
a  jockey,  dressed  in  the  English  fashion  ;  the 
horse,  by  a  Spanish  groom,  in  the  dress  of  a 
peasant.  Pensive  was  a  very  indifferent 
animal,  but  had  seen  better  days,  and  would 
have  been  distanced  at  a  sixth-rate  English 
race.  Before  starting,  the  horses  were  held 
by  a  man  at  the  head  of  each,  and  at  a  signal, 
they  were  let  go.  The  greatest  possible 
anxiety  was  shewn  by  the  spectators,  that  the 
English  mare  might  be  beaten ;  but  it  came 
in  two  or  three  lengths  before  its  opponent. 
This  created  extraordinary  disappointment ; 
but  the  crowd  resolved  that  the  next  heats 


202  SPAIN   IN   1830. 

should  be  different ;  and  they  carried  their 
resolution  into  effect.  They, formed  an  avenue 
just  wide  enough  for  the  horses;  and  as  the 
Spanish  horse  passed,  every  one  struck  it  with 
a  stick,  a  whip,  a  stone,  or  whatever  was  at 
hand,  and  so  urged  it  on ;  and  partly  owing 
to  this,  and  partly  owing  to  some  carts  inter- 
cepting the  road,  the  Spanish  horse  gained 
both  heats.  This  triumph  was  followed  by 
loud  acclamations ;  and  so  intemperate  was 
the  mob  in  its  joy,  that  the  grossest  insults 
were  offered  to  the  carriage  of  the  Duke  of 
San  Carlos  as  he  left  the  ground.  I  heard  it 
reported,  that  the  Duke  intended  to  take  the 
field  again  with  better  horses,  and  upon  better 
ground;  and  that  horse  races  in  Madrid  would 
re-commence  at  a  future  time,  under  the  pa- 
tronage of  one  of  the  Infantes. 


CHAPTER  VI 


MEMOIR  OF  MURILLO. 


A  slight  sketch  of  the  life  of  Murillo,  will  not 
be  considered  an  unappropriate  introduction 
to  some  notice  of  his  principal  works,  yet  to 
be  found  in  the  Picture  Gallery  of  Madrid; 
and  in  the  churches,  convents,  and  hospitals 
of  Seville. 

EsTABAN  Murillo,  the  prince  of  painters, 
was  born  at  Seville,  on  the  1st  of  January, 
1618.  The  small  town  of  Pilm,  in  Andalusia, 
has  disputed  this  honour  with  Seville ;  but 
the  claim  of  Pilas  to  this  distinction  has  pro- 
bably arisen  from  the  fact,  that  his  mother 
was  from  Pilas,  and  that  he  inherited,  through 
her,  some  property  in  that  neighbourhood. 
But  it  is  of  little  importance  whether  the 
courtly  Seville,  or  the  lowly  Pilas,  gave  birth 


204  SPAIN  IN   1830. 

to  Murillo  ;  they  may  feel  equally  honoured 
in  his  name,  for  the  name  of  Murillo  belongs 
to  his  country.  How  he  acquired  the  name 
of  Estaban,  has  also  been  matter  of  dispute : 
some  say  he  derived  it  from  his  father,  who, 
it  is  said,  was  called  Gaspar  Estaban  Murillo ; 
and  others  are  of  opinion,  that  he  took  the 
name  of  his  maternal  uncle ;  but  this  dispute 
is  of  even  less  importance  than  that  respect- 
ing the  place  of  his  nativity.  Neither  of  the 
Estabans  are  now  alive,  to  claim  the  honour 
of  such  a  name-son  ;  and  Murillo's  honours 
are  independent  of  his  kindred. 

Great  painters,  more  than  any  other  class 
of  eminent  men,  have  given  intimation,  during 
childhood,  of  the  distinction  to  which  they 
have  afterwards  attained  ;  and  if  the  chroni- 
cles and  traditions  of  Murillo  record  truly,  his 
infancy  did  not  form  an  exception.  This  fact 
is  not  difficult  to  account  for ;  because,  at  the 
earliest  age,  the  genius  of  the  painter  finds 
facilities  for  displaying  itself.  The  infant 
musician  to  whom  nature  has  denied  a  vocal 
talent,  cannot,  without  an  acquaintance  with 
some  instrument,  convey  a  knowledge  of  his 
powers ;    still  less  can  the  infant  poet  embody 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  205 

poetic  conceptions,  without  an  acquaintance 
with  language :  but  the  painter  finds,  every 
where  around,  the  means  of  giving  expression 
to  his  thoughts  :  a  dark  and  a  light  substance 
are  all  he  requires ;  and  in  Spain,  where  the 
walls  of  the  rooms  are  almost  universally 
white-washed,  the  infant  Murillo  could  find 
no  obstacle  to  the  indulgence  of  his  genius. 

The  parents  of  Murillo  saw  no  good  likely 
to  arise  from  an  inclination  for  daubins:  the 
walls,  and  scratching  the  brick  floors  ;  and 
did  all  that  lay  in  their  power  to  discourage 
it ;  but  the  boy  knew  his  calling,  and  still 
continued  to  disappoint  the  hopes  of  his  father, 
M'ho  had  destined  him  for  the  church ;  and  to 
exhaust  the  patience  of  his  mother,  who,  as  it 
is  said,  returning  one  day  from  mass,  found 
that  her  only  picture,  which  she  prized  highly 
— an  infant  Christ  and  a  lamb — had  suffered 
an  extraordinary  transformation.  Murillo  had 
taken  the  glory  from  the  head  of  the  Christ, 
and  substituted  his  own  little  hat,  intending 
to  represent  himself;  and  the  lamb  he  had 
converted  into  a  dog — an  animal  in  which  he 
took  great  delight.  Murillo  was  then  too 
young  to  be  conscious  of  any  impiety  in  this 


206  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

transformation  ;  the  bent  of  his  mind  through 
life,  was  wholly  averse  from  this :  but  his 
parents,  despairing  of  a  cure,  thought  it  ad- 
visable to  let  him  have  his  own  way,  and  sent 
him  to  the  house  of  his  kinsman,  Juan  cle  Cas- 
tillo, who  undertook  to  teach  the  youthful 
Murillo  the  first  principles  of  design  and 
colouring. 

This  Castillo  was  no  despicable  hand ; 
especially  in  the  art  of  colouring,  for  a  know- 
ledge of  which,  he  was  partly  indebted  to  Luis 
de  Varjas,  who  had  sometime  before  returned 
to  Seville  from  Italy,  bringing  along  with  him 
the  knowledge  which  he  had  acquired  in 
Florence.  Besides  the  youthful  Murillo,  Cas- 
tillo could  boast  of  several  other  disciples 
in  his  school ;  particularly  Pedro  de  Moya, — 
of  whom,  more  hereafter, — and  Alonzo  Cano, 
whose  freedom  of  touch,  natural  design,  and 
charming  colouring,  afterwards  secured  for  him 
a  high  rank  among  Spanish  painters.  But 
Murillo,  whdse  genius  was  of  still  a  loftier 
kind,  soon  supplanted  his  companions  in  the 
favour  of  his  master,  by  the  yet  more  rapid 
progress  which  he  made  in  the  art ;  but  he 
continued,  notwithstanding,   to  discharge  the 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  207 

menial  offices  of  grinding  the  colours,  cleaning 
the  brushes,  and  preparing  the  canvas, — such 
being  the  original  conditions  upon  which  he 
had  been  admitted  into  his  relation's  work- 
shop. 

There  was  at  this  time  much  rivalry  among 
the  masters  in  Seville,  each  of  whom  had  a 
school  in  his  own  house, — and  this  rivalry  was 
fully  partaken  by  their  pupils  ;  for  the  reputa- 
tion of  the  schools  necessarily  depended,  in 
a  great  measure,  upon  the  proficiency  of  the 
pupils.  Murillo  felt  deeply  interested  in  the 
honour  of  his  kinsman's  school ;  and  he,  pro- 
bably perceiving  in  his  young  disciple,  a  pro- 
mise of  excellence  that  might  afterwards 
reflect  honour  upon  himself,  was  the  more 
assiduous  in  his  instructions ;  so  that,  after  a 
few  years,  Murillo  had  well  nigh  exhausted 
the  information  whicli  his  master  was  able  to 
communicate. 

But  at  this  time  Castillo  suddenly  quitted 
Seville  to  reside  in  Cadiz ;  his  school  was 
broken  up,  and  Murillo  was  left  without  a 
master.  It  is  probable  that  the  most  import- 
ant moment  of  his  life, — that  upon  which  has 
hinged  his  future  character,— was,  when  feeling 


208  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

the  helplessness  of  his  condition,  he  me- 
ditated upon  his  future  prospects,  and  pre- 
sent necessities ;  and  asked  himself  that  plain 
question,  which  must  be  put  and  answered 
by  all  who  are  situated  like  him,  "  What  shall 
I  do?"  How  much  depended  upon  this  re- 
solve !  for  often  has  genius  been  extinguished 
because  no  friendly  hand  was  by,  to  fan  the 
flame  yet  struggling  for  existence, — often  dis- 
couraged, by  being  left  to  grope  its  way  in 
darkness.  Some  in  Murillo's  condition,  might 
have  abandoned  a  profession  that  held  out 
no  solid  advantages ;  and  others,  would  have 
sought  a  new  master.  But  Murillo,  whether 
from  a  confidence  in  his  own  powers,  or  from 
an  unwillingness  to  enter  any  of  those  other 
schools  which  had  been  rivals  to  Castillo's, 
came  to  a  resolution  more  fortunate  for  himself 
and  for  the  world  :  he  determined  to  throw 
himself  upon  his  own  resources,  and  to  trust 
in  his  genius. 

It  happened,  at  this  time,  to  be  the  fair  at 
Seville,  at  which  season  there  was  always  a 
demand  for  devotional  pictures,  both  for  the 
uses  of  the  pious  at  home,  and  for  exportation 
to  America.     But  these  pictures  were  always 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  209 

of  the  most  wretched  description,  and  painted 
by  the  lowest  artists  ;  and  with  so  much  haste, 
that  it  not  unusually  happened  that  some 
favourite  saint  was  painted  during  the  time 
that  the  devout  purchaser  bargained  for  the 
price ;  nor  was  it  a  rare  occurrence  that  the 
painter  should  be  required  to  change  a  Mag- 
dalen into  a  Madonna ;  a  Virgin  into  St.  An- 
thony of  Padua ;  or  a  group  of  cherubs  into 
the  souls  in  purgatory.  Murillo  took  his  place 
in  the  fair,  and  painted  whatever  was  required, 
at  whatever  price  was  offered  ;  and  there  can 
be  little  doubt  that  this  varied  and  rapid  prac- 
tice gave  a  freedom  to  the  pencil,  and  a  facility 
in  the  expression  of  ideas,  which  years  of 
study  under  a  master  might  have  failed  to 
produce. 

Murillo  had  now  attained  his  twenty-third 
year ;  and  at  this  time  a  circumstance  occurred, 
which  had  an  important  influence  upon  his 
future  career  ;  this  was,  the  arrival  in  Seville 
of  Pedro  de  Moya.  It  will  be  recollected, 
that  Pedro  de  Moya  was  a  co-disciple  with  Mu- 
rillo, in  the  school  of  Castillo ;  but  he  had,  some 
years  before,  and  while  Murillo  was  still  a 
pupil,  left  it  and  Seville ;  and  had  subsequently 

VOL.   I.  p 


210  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

gone  to  Flanders  as  a  soldier,  with  a  greater 
disposition  to  see  the  world  than  to  paint. 
But  his  natural  propensities  had  only  been 
suspended  by  the  desire  of  novelty,  so  natural 
to  youth  :  for  meeting  in  Flanders  with  the 
works  of  Van  Dyk,  and  other  eminent  Flemish 
masters,  he  returned  to  his  profession,  and 
became  a  disciple  of  that  great  painter,  under 
whom  he  acquired  those  graces,  with  which 
he  returned  to  Seville,  to  excite  the  admira- 
tion and  the  hopes  of  Murillo. 

Murillo,  struck  with  the  improvement  of  his 
former  companion,  set  himself  to  imitate  his 
style  ;  but  fortunately  for  Murillo,  who  might 
otherwise  have  degenerated  into  a  copyist, 
Moya  soon  quitted  Seville,  and  he  was  left 
to  his  aspirations  and  his  difficulties.  Con- 
scious of  his  own  great  imperfections,  he  had 
obtained  a  glimpse  of  what  might  be  the  re- 
ward of  courage  and  perseverance ;  and  his 
desires  suggested  many  projects  for  their  gra- 
tification. It  is  a  trying,  and  yet  a  happy 
moment  for  genius,  that  in  which  humility 
and  pride  arise  together,  bringing  with  them 
the  discovery,  that  the  past  has  been  a  blank 
leaf  in  existence;  but  begetting  a  desire  to 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  21  1 

turn  over  another,  and  to  fill  it  with  things 
that  shall  never  be  blotted  out.  Such  was, 
doubtless,  the  state  of  the  young  painter's 
mind,  when  he  resolved  upon  quitting  his 
native  city,  and  seeking  in  Flanders,  or  Italy, 
the  opportunities  by  which  he  might  hope  to 
realise  his  dream  of  fame. 

But  Murillo  was  without  money,  and  with- 
out friends ;  and  how  could  he  travel  to  Flan- 
ders or  Italy  ?  His  reputation  in  Seville,  as  a 
painter,  was  small  ;  for  although  his  practice 
of  working  for  the  fair,  had  in  reality  increased 
his  powers,  it  was  little  likely  to  add  to  his 
respectability  ;  and  it  was  a  question,  there- 
fore, not  easily  solved,  how  he  should  obtain 
the  means  of  effecting  his  design.  But  even 
in  this  extremity,  courage  did  not  desert  him  ; 
and  an  expedient  was  found,  by  which  he 
might  modestly  replenish  his  purse.  He  pur- 
cliased  a  large  piece  of  canvas;  primed  it  him- 
self; and  dividing  it  into  unequal  parts,  painted 
upon  it,  every  possible  variety  of  subject, — 
saints,  landscapes,  animals,  flowers, — but  par- 
ticularly devotional  pieces.  With  this  trea- 
sure, he  went  to  Cadiz,  to  tempt  the  masters 

p  2 


212  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

of  the  India  vessels.  Among  so  many  sub- 
jects, the  taste  of  every  one  could  find  some- 
thing to  gratify  it,  and  he  returned  to  Seville 
without  any  of  his  canvas,  and  with  a  little 
stock  of  pistoles. 

Murillo  did  not  now  delay  a  moment  longer 
the  execution  of  his  purpose.  Communicating 
his  design  only  to  his  brother,  who  lived  at 
Seville  in  the  house  of  an  uncle,  he  left  his 
native  city  at  the  age  of  twenty-four,  to  return, 
and  afterwards  enrich  it  with  undying  memo- 
rials of  that  genius  which  is  the  glory  of  Spain, 
and  the  just  pride  of  the  city  where  it  was 
chiefly  exercised. 

It  is  a  long  and  toilsome  journey  from  Se- 
ville to  Madrid ;  and  many  must  have  been 
the  anxious  thoughts  that  filled  the  mind  of 
the  adventurer;  but  the  predominating  feeling 
would  doubtless  be  buoyant,  for  youth  and 
genius  are  fertile  in  hope.  We  think  we  see 
the  young  painter  leave  his  native  town, — 
long  visible  in  the  majestic  tower  of  the  cathe- 
dral, at  which  he  often  turns  round  to  gaze. 
We  follow  his  steps  (for  his  journey  was  per- 
formed on  foot)  up  the  banks  of  the  Guadal- 
quivir, flowing  towards  his  home  ;  we  see  him 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  213 

with  his  scanty  supplies  toiling  up  the  defiles 
of  the  Sierra  Aloraia,  and  looking  upon  the 
other  side,  over  the  wide  plain  o{  La  Mancha; 
and  we  see  him  with  a  quickened  step,  hasten 
towards  the  capital,  when  he  first  descries  its 
towers  in  the  midst  of  the  desert  that  sur- 
rounds it. 

Velasquez  was,  at  this  time,  first  painter  to 
the  king's  bed-chamber,  and  highly  esteemed 
at  the  court  of  Philip  IV. ;  he  was  then  past 
the  prime  of  life,  and  almost  beyond  its  vicis- 
situdes ;  and  surrounded  by  friends,  and  full 
of  honours,  he  could  feel  no  jealousy  of  the 
friendless  boy  who  came  to  him  for  advice  and 
protection.  Murillo  no  sooner  arrived  in 
Madrid,  than  he  bethought  himself  of  waiting 
upon  Velasquez  ;  and  he  found  in  this  good 
man,  and  excellent  painter,  a  friend  who  in- 
stantly became  his  guide;  and  who  never 
deserted  him,  even  when  the  progress  of  the 
pupil  seemed  to  point  out  a  rival  of  his  own 
immortality. 

Velasquez  questioned  Murillo  as  to  his  fa- 
mily, his  studies,  his  knowledge,  his  motives, 
and  his  wishes ;  and,  like  a  true  lover  of  his 
art,  admiring  the  spirit  and  enthusiasm  which 


214  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

were  disclosed  in  the  answers  of  Murillo,  and 
approving  the  motive  of  his  journey, — and, 
doubtless,  discovering  in  his  conversation, 
tokens  by  which  a  man  of  Velasquez's  ex- 
perience and  knowledge,  might  draw  a  pre- 
sage of  his  future  greatness,  he  took  the  young 
painter  under  his  roof  as  a  pupil,  a  friend,  and 
a  countryman.  Murillo  did  not  accept  the 
hospitality  of  Velasquez  without  immediately 
proving  himself  worthy  of  it.  The  object  of 
Ills  journey  was  uppermost  in  his  thoughts ; 
and  Velasquez,  without  delay,  afforded  him 
the  requisite  facilities  for  prosecuting  his  de- 
sign. He  sent  him  to  the  different  palaces, 
and  to  the  convent  of  the  Escurial,  that  he 
might  see,  and  study,  the  pictures  of  the  great 
masters  ;  and  directed  him  to  select  such  as 
he  might  be  ambitious  of  copying ;  and  by 
this,  Velasquez  could  not  fail  to  obtain  farther 
insight  into  the  bent  of  his  genius,  and  would 
even  be  able  to  judge  better  of  its  extent. 
What  a  moment  for  Murillo,  when,  entering 
the  sacristy  of  the  Escurial,  he  first  beheld  the 
works  of  Raphael,  and  Da  Vinci,  and  Titian, 
and  Paul  Veronese ! 

The  three  years  that  followed  the  arrival  of 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  215 

Murillo  in  Madrid,  afford  little  incident  for 
the  biographer.  During  these  years,  he  was 
no  doubt  laying  the  foundation  of  his  future 
eminence,  by  practising  his  pencil  and  his 
eye  among  the  excellent  models  to  which  he 
had  access ;  among  whom,  no  one  was  a 
greater  favourite  with  Murillo  than  his  kind 
friend  and  patron,  Velasquez.  It  is  certain, 
that  he  also  highly  esteemed  the  genius  of 
Titian  ;  and  although  he  adopted  no  exclu- 
sive model,  his  admiration  of  that  great  head 
of  the  Venetian  school  is  discernible  in  many 
of  his  works. 

It  appears,  however,  that  Murillo  did  not 
confine  himself  to  the  study  of  these  two  mas- 
ters, but  that  he  also  occupied  himself  with 
the  works  of  Van  Dyk,  and  of  Rebera  (Espa- 
noletto) ;  for  when  Velasquez  accompanied 
the  king  into  Catalunia,  Murillo,  upon  his 
return,  shewed  him  three  copies  from  pictures 
of  Van  Dyk,  Rebera,  and  himself.  These 
were  presented  to  the  king;  and  surprised 
equally  the  court  and  Velasquez,  by  their 
fidelity,  and  the  excellence  of  their  execution ; 
so  much  so,  that  Murillo  is  said  to  have  been 


216  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

advised  to  occupy  himself  henceforward  with 
the  works  of  only  these  masters. 

But  the  time  now  approached,  when  Mu- 
rillo  should  no  longer  copy  the  works  of 
others;  but  when  he  should  himself  become 
a  model  for  the  imitation  of  succeeding  ages. 
At  the  return  of  Velasquez  from  a  second 
journey,  in  which  he  had  accompanied  the 
king  to  Saragossa,  he  was  so  much  struck 
with  the  progress  of  his  protegi,  that  he  told 
him  he  could  gain  nothing  more  by  a  resi- 
dence in  Madrid;  and  advised  him  to  travel 
to  Rome,  to  which  city  he  offered,  to  furnish 
him  with  letters  of  recommendation,  and  other 
advantages ;  not  the  least  of  these,  being  the 
command  of  his  purse. 

The  true  reason  of  Murillo's  rejection  of 
this  advice,  it  is  impossible  to  ascertain  ;  but 
he  had  resolved  upon  returning  to  his  native 
city.  It  has  been  commonly  said,  that  the 
importunities  of  a  brother  whom  he  highly 
esteemed,  and  certain  domestic  causes,  recalled 
him:  but  it  seems  more  probable,  that  his 
determination  was  the  result  of  an  internal 
conviction,  that  he  had  already  accomplished 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  217 

the  end  for  which  he  left  the  place  of  his 
nativity :  and  it  is  also  possible,  that  a  disin- 
clination to  be  a  farther  debtor  for  the  good 
offices  of  Velasquez,  without  which  he  could 
not  have  journeyed  into  Italy, — may  have  had 
its  influence.  Velasquez,  although  not  ap- 
proving the  determination  of  his  young  friend, 
did  not  oppose  his  design ;  and  Murillo  re- 
turned to  his  native  city. 

It  chanced,  that  at  this  time  the  Franciscan 
friars  desired  to  have  eleven  historical  pic- 
tures, to  adorn  the  Claustro  Chico  of  their  con- 
vent; but,  as  the  sum  to  be  paid  for  these,  arose 
solely  from  alms  which  a  devout  person  had 
collected  for  the  purpose,  it  may  be  supposed 
that  the  painter  who  might  undertake  to  exe- 
cute the  order,  could  not  expect  a  very  liberal 
remuneration.  Accordingly,  the  principal 
painters  then  in  Seville,  shewed  no  great  dis- 
position to  engage  in  the  work  ;  and  the  friars, 
failing  to  secure  the  talents  of  any  of  those 
who  had  the  reputation  of  being  the  first 
masters,  found  themselves  obliged  to  be  con- 
tented with  an  inferior  hand,  and  applied  to 
Murillo,  who,  being  then  more  needy  than  his 
brethren,  willingly  undertook  the  commission, 


218  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

ill  which  he  no  doubt  perceived  other  advan- 
tages than  the  paltry  remuneration  proposed 
to  him. 

No  sooner  was  this  order  executed,  than 
Murillo  found  the  reward  of  his  perseverance, 
and  a  repayment  of  all  his  anxieties  and  diffi- 
culties. The  utmost  surprise  was  excited  in 
Seville  ;  he  was  universally  courted ;  the  per- 
formances of  his  pencil  were  greedily  sought 
after;  and  he  at  once  found  himself  the  ac- 
knowledged head  of  the  schools  of  Seville. 
This  was  indeed  an  hour  of  pride  for  the 
friendless  artist,  who,  a  few  years  before,  had 
cast  himself  and  his  fortunes  upon  the  wide 
world. 

But  another  reward  awaited  Murillo, — the 
hand  of  Donna  Beatrix  de  Cabrera  y  Soto- 
mayor,  a  lady  of  Pilas,  possessing  many  virtues, 
great  sweetness  of  temper,  and  mistress  of  a 
considerable  fortune.  Her  claims  to  beauty  have 
been  doubted ;  for  no  picture  of  her  is  known  to 
be  extant :  the  story,  however,  which  is  related 
respecting  the  manner  in  which  he  won  her, 
is  rather  at  variance  with  this  supposition.  It 
is  said  that  Murillo,  having  occasion  to  visit 
Pilas,  on  account  of  some  property  which  had 


SPAIN  IN  18:50.  219 

descended  to  him  in  right  of  his  mother,  saw 
the  Donna  Beatrix  ;  and  struck  with  the  sweet- 
ness of  her  countenance,  and  her  other  graces, 
became  enamoured  of  her.  Her  station  in  life, 
liowever,  was  higher  than  his  own ;  and  de- 
spairing of  a  successful  issue,  he  was  trying 
to  efface  the  impression  she  had  made,  when 
a  circumstance  occurred  that  renewed  the  re- 
collection of  her,  by  suggesting  a  means  of 
advancing  his  suit.  He  accepted  an  order  to 
paint  the  altar-piece  for  the  church  of  St. 
Geronimo,  at  Pilas ;  and  in  the  countenance 
of  an  angel,  he  painted  that  of  his  mistress. 
This  delicate  gallantry  is  said  to  have  won  the 
heart  of  the  Donna  Beatrix.  The  story  may, 
or  may  not  be  true  ;  but  it  is  chronicled  in 
Pilas. 

From  the  time  of  Murillo's  marriage,  he 
appears  to  have  run  a  constant  career  of  glory  ; 
advancing  in  true  excellence,  and  in  public 
estimation.  His  style  suffered  some  changes 
during  this  career;  but  always  towards  per- 
fection; improving  in  sweetness  and  delicacy, 
and  in  warmth  and  richness  of  colouring.  The 
earliest  celebrated  pitture  of  Murillo,  after  his 
first  change  in  style,  was  The  Conception,  for 


220  SPAIN  IN   1830. 

the  Franciscan  convent ;  from  the  archives  of 
which,  it  appears  that  he  received  for  it  the 
sum  of  2500  reals  (25/.  sterling) ;  a  small  sum 
even  in  those  days ;  but  it  is  probable  that 
Murillo  might  have  taken  into  consideration, 
the  reputed  poverty  of  the  order ;  and  this  is 
the  more  probable,  since  shortly  after,  in  1656, 
he  painted  the  great  picture  of  St.  Anthony  of 
Padua,  for  the  baptismal  altar  of  the  cathedral 
of  Seville,  for  which  he  received  10,000  reals 
(100/.  sterling).  But  the  most  glorious  epoch 
in  the  career  of  Murillo,  was  later  in  life  :  it 
was  between  1670  and  1680,  that  he  painted 
for  the  hospital  De  la  Caridad,  his  Santa  Isa- 
bella, the  Prodigal  Son,  the  Miracle  of  the 
Loaves  and  Fishes,  Moses  Striking  the  Rock, 
John  of  God,  and  others,  that  are  looked  upon 
as  the  most  excellent  ^of  his  works.  The 
twenty-five  celebrated  pictures  also,  that  adorn 
the  Capuchin  convent  in  Seville,  were  the  pro- 
duction of  his  ripest  genius ;  but  they  were 
painted  antecedently  to  the  pictures  of  the 
Caridad;  and  to  those  who  are  conversant  with 
the  works  of  Murillo,  there  is  a  still  more  per- 
fect charm  in  the  latter.  The  highest  price 
that  Murillo  appears  to  have  received  for  any 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  221 

picture,  is  15,975  reals, — a  little  more  than 
150/.  sterling.  This  he  received  for  the  Mira- 
cle of  the  Loaves  and  Fishes. 

In  the  year  1658,  eleven  years  after  his  re- 
turn to  Seville,  Murillo  projected  the  establish- 
ment of  an  academy  of  painting  in  his  native 
city.  This  project  was  warmly  opposed  by 
many,  especially  by  Herrera,  who  had  newly 
returned  from  Italy,  filled  with  high,  and 
doubtless  just  notions,  of  the  greatness  of  the 
Italian  schools ;  and  looking  with  suspicion 
upon  a  school,  whose  founder  had  never  tra- 
velled beyond  Spain.  But  the  genius  of  Mu- 
rillo, at  length  conquered  the  prejudices  of 
Herrera ;  and  the  academy  was  opened  on  the 
1st  of  January,  1660,  with  Murillo  at  its  head, 
as  first  president.  It  may  be  mentioned,  as 
an  instance  of  the  painter's  modesty,  that  in 
the  list  of  members  of  the  institution,  drawn 
out  by  himself,  the  name  of  Herrera  appears 
at  the  head  of  the  list. 

There  is  one  passage  in  the  life  of  Murillo, 
connected,  too,  with  some  of  the  greatest 
efforts  of  his  genius,  upon  which  there  appears 
to  hang  a  mystery.  I  allude  to  that  period 
during  which  he  painted  the  twenty-five  pic- 


222  SPAIN  IN  18.30. 

tures  that  adorn  the  Capuchin  convent.  The 
usual  version  of  the  story  is,  that  Murillo, 
finding  himself  in  some  difficulty,  took  refuge 
in  the  Capuchin  convent ;  and  in  return  for 
the  protection  afforded  him  by  the  monks, 
dedicated  his  talents  to  the  embellishment 
of  their  church.  But  it  is  difficult  to  give 
credence  to  this.  Murillo  led  a  blame- 
less life ;  and  ever  after  his  marriage,  his 
pecuniary  circumstances  were  flourishing. 
What,  therefore,  could  be  the  necessity  that 
obliged  Murillo  to  take  refuge  in  a  convent,  it 
is  impossible  to  conjecture.  At  the  same 
time,  it  is  certain  that  in  that  convent  there 
are  twenty-five  of  Murilio's  pictures ;  and  in 
the  archives  of  the  convent,  there  is  no  record 
of  any  sum  having  been  paid  for  these.  It  is 
certain,  too,  that  the  tradition  is  steadily 
maintained  within  the  convent,  that  Murillo 
was  an  inmate  of  it  during  two  years.  The 
monks  even  relate  little  traits  of  his  character 
and  habits;  and  a  picture  of  St.  John,  the 
Virgin,  and  Child,  is  shewn  by  them, — painted 
upon  a  table  napkin  ;  and  it  is  certain  that  the 
picture  is  Murilio's.  The  only  solution  of 
these  difficulties  is,  that  upon  the  death  of  his 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  223 

wife,  which  took  place  some  time  previous  to 
the  year  1G70,  he  retired  for  a  time  to  the  Ca- 
puchin convent;  for  it  is  impossible  to  believe 
that  he  was  never  an  inmate  of  it.  The  event 
which  really  took  place  in  the  life  of  Herrera 
(hermoso)  may  perhaps  have  given  rise  to  the 
false  version  of  the  story  of  Murillo.  Herrera 
was  forced  to  take  refuge  in  the  church  of  the 
Jesuits  at  Seville ;  and  his  genius  has  adorned 
its  walls. 

I  must  not  omit  the  mention  of  an  anecdote 
that  is  generally  related  of  Murillo.  At  the 
time  that  he  lived  near  the  church  of  Santa 
Cruz,  it  contained,  in  one  of  its  chapels, 
the  well-known  ''  Descent  from  the  Cross," 
by  Pedro  Campana,  now  adorning  one  of  the 
altars  in  the  cathedral.  It  is  said  that  Mu- 
rillo was  accustomed  to  spend  much  of  his 
time  in  that  church,  in  admiration  of  this 
painting ;  and  that  one  day,  the  Sacristan 
being  about  to  close  the  gates,  and  finding 
Murillo  there,  asked  him  what  detained  him 
so  long  in  tliat  chapel  ;  to  which  Murillo  is 
said  to  have  answered,  "  Estoij  espcramlo  que 
cstos  santos  varones  acabcn  de  baxar  at  Scfior  dc 
la  Craz.'" — I  am  waiting  until  these  holy  men 


224  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

take  down  the  Lord  from  the  Cross  ;  — a  com- 
pliment, perhaps,  scarcely  merited  by  the 
picture  of  Campaiia,  and  therefore  probably 
never  paid  by  Murillo. 

The  last  picture  that  engaged  the  hand  of 
Murillo,  was  one  which  he  undertook  for  the 
Altar  Mayor  of  the  Capuchin  convent  at  Cadiz. 
This  was  in  the  latter  end  of  the  year  1681  ; 
but  he  did  not  live  to  complete  the  work. 
While  engaged  upon  this  picture,  he  fell  from 
the  scaffold,  and  was  so  much  injured,  as  to 
be  obliged  to  return  to  Seville.  But  the  shock 
he  had  received,  aided  by  declining  years,  pro- 
duced disease  ;  and  his  illness  increased  until 
the  evening  of  the  third  day  of  April  in  the 
following  year,  when  he  expired  in  the  arms 
of  his  friend  and  disciple,  Don  Pedro  Nunez  de 
Villavicencio. 

From  the  will  of  Murillo,  preserved  in  the 
Franciscan  convent  of  Seville,  it  appears  that 
he  left  little  property  besides  that  which  he 
acquired  by  his  marriage.  This  was  be- 
queathed to  his  sons ;  for  his  only  daughter 
had  taken  the  veil  early  in  life.  In  this  will, 
there  is  also  contained  an  inventory  of  his 
pictures,  among  which  one  of  himself  is  men- 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  225 

tioned.  This  picture,  now  in  the  possession 
of  Mr.  Williams,  of  Seville,  represents  Murillo 
about  the  age  of  thirty,  nearly  the  time  of  his 
marriage,  and  conveys  a  very  pleasing  idea  of 
the  appearance  and  character  of  the  painter. 
The  proprietor,  himself  an  excellent  artist, 
and  an  intelligent  man,  has  made  a  masterly 
drawing  from  the  original :  the  drawing  is  in 
the  possession  of  Mr.  Brackenbury,  his  Bri- 
tannic majesty's  consul  at  Cadiz;  and  from 
that  gentleman's  admiration  of  Murillo,  it  may 
be  hoped,  that  an  engraving  from  it  may  soon 
enable  every  admirer  of  that  illustrious  man 
to  have  the  gratification  of  possessing  his 
likeness. 

The  character  of  Murillo,  as  a  painter,  can 
scarcely  be  separated  from  his  character  as  a 
man:  humility,  kindness,  benevolence,  were 
conspicuous  in  him;  and  these  are  also  seen 
in  the  choice  of  his  subjects.  Undoubtedly 
one  of  the  greatest  among  the  many  charms 
of  Murillo,  consists  in  the  beauty  of  his  inven- 
tion; his  subjects  seldom  fail  to  interest  the 
benevolent  feelings:  we  have  affection  in  all 
its  varieties  —  charity  under  its  many  forms; 

VOL.   I.  Q 


226  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

and  even  in  subjects  purely  divine,  he  con- 
trives to  throw  over  them  a  human  interest. 
Never  was  affection  more  touchingly  deli- 
neated, than  in  the  picture  of  St.  Felix,  the 
Virgin,  and  Child,  in  the  Capuchin  convent 
of  Seville;  in  which  the  virgin,  after  having 
put  the  infant  into  the  arms  of  the  holy  man, 
that  he  might  bless  him, — stretches  out  her 
own,  that  he  may  be  restored  to  a  mother's 
embrace.  Nor  were  ever  love  and  benevo- 
lence more  beautifully  blended,  than  in  the 
picture  of  ''  Santa  Isabella,  Queen  of  Portu- 
gal, curing  the  sick  and  wounded,"  wherein 
the  old  woman  watches,  with  a  mother's 
anxiety,  the  cure  of  her  wounded  son.  And 
where  shall  we  find  charity,  and  its  reward — 
the  favour  of  Heaven — more  impressively  dis- 
played, or  more  powerfully  conceived,  than  in 
the  picture  of  "  John  of  God."  This  has  al- 
ways seemed  to  me,  one  of  the  happiest  illus- 
trations of  the  genius  of  Murillo.  '*John  of 
God"  is  supposed  to  have  gone,  as  was  his 
usual  practice  during  the  night,  to  seek  and 
succour  objects  of  distress.  The  picture  re- 
presents the  Saint,  carrying  on  his  back  a 
wretched  being,  whom  he   had  found  in  his 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  227 

walk,  and  bending  under  the  weight  of  his 
burden;  but  suddenly,  feeling  himself  relieved 
of  a  part  of  his  load,  he  looks  round,  and  sees 
by  the  miraculous  light  that  encircles  his  hea- 
venly visitant,  that  an  angel  has  descended,  to 
assist  him  in  his  work  of  charity. 

Innumerable  examples  might  be  given  from 
the  works  of  Murillo,  of  that  peculiar  charm 
which  consists  in  investing  spiritual  subjects 
with  a  human  interest.  Murillo  never  painted 
a  virgin  and  child  without  blending  a  mother's 
human  love,  and  the  pride  of  a  mother  in 
her  human  child,  with  the  expression  of 
divinity,  and  with  the  loftier  pride  of  having 
given  birth  to  the  Son  of  God.  Nor  in  any 
representation  of  scenes  in  the  life  of  Christ, 
did  Murillo  ever  forget  to  unite  the  human 
with  the  divine  character.  In  the  great  paint- 
ing, also,  of  '*  Moses  striking  the  Rock,"  in 
the  Hospital  de  la  Caridad,  there  is  a  fine  ex- 
emplification of  the  excellence  of  which  I  have 
been  speaking.  This  miracle  is  not  made  a 
mere  display  of  power ;  Murillo  has  intro- 
duced into  it  many  varieties  of  human  feeling 
—the  anxiety  of  those  who  wait  for  the  ac- 

(i2 


228  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

complishmeiit  of  the  miracle — the  burning 
impatience,  and  eager  importunities  of  thirst, 
and  its  contrasted  satisfaction. 

This  peculiar  charm  of  Murillo,  consisting 
in  his  choice  of  subjects,  has  made  him  a 
painter  for  all  men  ;  for  all,  at  least,  who  have 
human  emotions  to  be  excited,  and  human 
affections  to  be  touched.  But  this  is  only  one 
excellence  of  Murillo;  and  standing  apart  from 
others,  it  might  belong  to  any  man  of  bene- 
volence and  fine  imagination,  however  indif- 
ferent a  painter  he  might  be.  Murillo  possesses, 
besides,  that  rare  union  of  high  qualities,  some 
of  them  pre-eminently  his  own,  which  has 
made  him  one  of  the  first  of  painters  in  the  eye 
of  the  learned,  and  of  all  those  who  have  loved 
and  studied  the  divine  art. 

The  most  striking  excellence  in  the  concep- 
tion of  Murillo's  figures  is  Nature,  accom- 
panied by  Grace;  but  never,  as  in  some  of  the 
Italian  masters,  grace  running  into  affectation : 
— and  what  is  there  to  desire  more  in  the 
conception  of  a  picture,  than  perfect  nature 
and  perfect  grace,  without  any  alloy  of  affec- 
tation? In  the  combination  of  these  excel- 
lences, Titian,  among  all  the  Italian  masters, 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  229 

most  nearly  resembles  Murillo  ;  but  if  a  pic- 
ture of  this  eminent  master  be  placed  beside 
a  picture  of  Murillo,  executed  in  his  ripest 
years,  the  former  appears  feebler ;  this  is  pro- 
bably owing  to  the  unapproachable  excellence 
of  Murillo's  colouring,  which  combines  the 
brilliancy  of  the  Flemish,  with  the  truth  of 
the  Venetian.  Looking  at  the  greatest  efforts 
of  Murillo's  pencil,  there  seems  nothing  left 
to  desire.  An  invention  noble  and  touching ; 
a  conception  natural  and  graceful ;  a  compo- 
sition just,  elegant,  correct ;  a  colouring  rich 
and  true ;  and  over  all  a  delicacy,  a  spiritu- 
ality, a  beauty, — arising  from  the  blending  of 
the  whole, — that  leave  the  mind  satisfied,  but 
which  never  satiate  the  eye. 

There  are  few  painters  so  difficult  to  copy 
as  Murillo;  although,  perhaps,  few  masters 
have  had  more  copies  attributed  to  them.  The 
greater  number  of  these  are  said  to  be  pictures 
in  Murillo's  early  style ;  but  the  colouring 
may  always  be  detected;  for  it  is  that  which 
constitutes  the  chief  difficulty  to  him  who  de- 
sires to  copy  this  master.  The  Italian  masters 
are,  almost  without  exception,  easier  to  copy 
than  Murillo,  because  their  colouring  is  more 


230  SPAIN   IN  1830. 

simple.  Murillo's  colouring,  although  appear- 
ing simple,  is  extremely  artful ;  and  this  the 
copyist  speedily  discovers.  Many  pictures 
of  the  Italian  schools  convey  an  idea  of  a 
marbly  surface  ;  but  the  pictures  of  Murillo, 
executed  at  the  epoch  of  his  greatest  excel- 
lence, convey  the  idea  of  flesh  and  blood. 
This  effect  cannot  be  produced  by  one  colour, 
or  one  lay  of  colours ;  nor  even  in  perfection 
by  the  glazing,  of  which  Titian  used  to  avail 
himself :  the  effect  is  produced  by  one  colour 
shining  through  another ;  and  by  the  skilful 
use  of  these,  Murillo  has  often  given  to  his 
ground,  or  back  colour,  the  effect  of  air,  in 
place  of  an  opaque  body  ;  and  the  artist  who 
attempts  to  imitate  Murillo  by  a  mixture  of 
colours,  will  find  it  impossible  to  equal  the 
effect  of  the  original. 

It  is  a  common  idea,  that  in  Spain,  the 
pictures  of  Murillo  are  scarce  ;  and  that  the 
galleries,  churches,  and  convents,  have  been 
despoiled  of  their  greatest  treasures.  This 
idea  is  very  erroneous.  Spain  has,  no  doubt, 
been  robbed  of  some  of  her  choicest  paintings, 
and  some  have  found  their  way  into  other 
countries  as  objects  of  traffic  ;  but  the  Penin- 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  231 

sula  is  still  rich  in  the  works  of  Murillo.  In 
the  gallery  of  Madrid,  of  which  I  shall  pre- 
sently speak,  there  are  thirty  pictures  of  Mu- 
rillo's,  two-thirds  of  them  at  least,  undoubted 
originals.  In  the  Cabinet  of  Natural  History, 
three  of  the  greatest  productions  of  his  pencil 
are  found.  In  private  collections  in  Madrid, 
particularly  in  those  of  the  Duke  of  Medina 
Cceli,  the  Duke  of  Liria,  Sir  John  Meade, 
and  some  other  individuals,  there  may  be 
nearly  an  equal  number.  In  Seville,  the 
twenty-five  pictures  painted  for  the  Capuchin 
convent,  are  all  in  their  places.  In  the  hospi- 
tal de  la  Caridad,  there  are  four  of  Murillo's 
greatest  productions.  The  collection  of  Mr. 
Williams  of  Seville,  is  distinguished  by  twelve 
Murillos;  and  in  other  private  houses  in 
Seville,  perhaps  as  many  more  may  be  found. 
In  the  cathedral  there  are  six  or  eight;  and 
in  Cadiz,  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Brackenbury 
— in  Murcia,— and  particularly  in  Valencia, 
Murillos  may  be  discovered  by  any  lover  of 
the  fine  arts,  whose  inquiries  are  directed 
towards  that  object. 

The  present  government  of  Spain  watches 
over  the  works  of  Murillo  with  a  jealousy,  that 


232  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

is  not  shewn  in  any  thing  else  that  concerns 
the  prosperity  or  the  honour  of  the  country. 
By  a  late  government  order,  the  works  of  Mu- 
rillo  are  prevented  from  leaving  Spain  ;  but  as 
bribery  is  able  to  conquer  many  difficulties  in 
that  country,  the  exportation  of  pictures  is  not 
impossible. 


CHAPTER  VII 


MADRID. 


The  Picture  Gallery ;  the  Works  of  Murillo ;  the  Annunciation ; 
the  Virgin  instructed  by  her  Mother ;  Landscapes ;  Velas- 
quez and  his  Works  ;  Meeting  of  Bacchanalians;  the  Forges 
of  Vulcan ;  Espanoletto,  and  his  Works ;  Villavicencio ; 
Juanes ;  Alonzo  Cano  ;  Cerezo  ;  Morales ;  Juanes'  Last  Sup- 
per; the  Modern  Spanisli  School;  Aparicio ;  the  Famine 
in  Madrid;  Itahan  Gallery  ;  Flemish  School ;  the  Sola  Reser- 
vada;  Statuary;  Cabinet  of  Natural  History;  Sola  Reser- 
vada ;  the  Patrician's  Dream;  the  Desengano  de  la  Jlda ; 
Private  Collections;  the  Duke  of  Liria's  Gallery;  Churches 
and  Convents ;  Church  of  San  Isodro  ;  San  Salvador ;  Santa 
Maria;  SanGines;  Santiago;  San  Antonio  de  Florida;  Con- 
vent of  Las  Salesas ;  de  la  Kncarnation  ;  the  Franciscans ; 
Santa  Isabella;  Hidden  Pictures;  San  Pasqual ;  Santa  Te- 
resa ;  the  Palace. 

Since  the  erection  of  the  splendid  building 
dedicated  to  the  reception  of  pictures,  most  of 
those  which  formerly  adorned  the  palaces, 
have  been  transferred  to  it ;  and  Madrid  can 


234  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

now  boast  of  a  gallery  equal  in  extent,  and 
perhaps  little  inferior  in  excellence,  to  any  of 
the  other  great  galleries  in  Europe.  To  the 
lover  of  the  Spanish  school,  the  gallery  of 
Madrid  possesses  attractions  which  no  other 
can  offer.  Besides  forty-two  pictures  of  Mu- 
rillo,  it  contains  fifty-five  of  Velasquez,  twenty- 
nine  of  Espaholetto,  seventeen  of  Juanes, 
six  of  Alonzo  Cano,  and  many  of  Ribalta, 
Cerezo,  Villavicencio,  Moralez,  &c.  ;  other 
saloons  contain  between  four  and  five  hundred 
pictures  of  the  Italian  schools,  and  about  three 
hundred  of  the  Flemish  school ;  and  in  the 
Sala  Reservada,  there  are  several  dief  (Tceiwres 
of  Titian  and  Rubens.  At  present,  I  return  to 
the  Spanish  school,  to  notice  first,  a  few  of  the 
most  distinguished  works  of  Murillo. 

The  first  we  remark  is  **  A  Holy  Family,"  a 
picture  taken  away  by  the  French,  and  after- 
wards restored.  The  invention  in  this  picture 
is  in  the  highest  degree  original  :  we  have  not 
a  mere  uninteresting  group  ;  but  life  and  feel- 
ing. The  infant  Jesus — Jesus,  but  yet  a  human 
child — holds  a  bird  in  his  hand,  which  he 
raises  above  his  head,  to  save  the  little  fa- 
vourite from  a  dog  that  tries  to  seize  it :  Saint 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  235 

Joseph  holds  the  child  between  his  knees ; 
and  the  Virgin,  who  is  engaged  in  some  female 
employment,  lays  aside  her  work,  that  she 
may  admire  the  playfulness  of  her  son.  This 
picture  is  admirably  suited  for  shewing  Mu- 
rillo's  chaste  and  charming  conception  of 
female  heads  and  children. 

Passing  over  "An  Infant  Christ,"  ''A  John 
Baptist,"  and  "The  Conversion  of  St.  Paul," 
all  three,  but  especially  the  second,  admirable 
pictures,  the  next  strikingly  fine  work  of  Mu- 
rillo's  is  "The  Annunciation."  This  is  con- 
sidered, and  with  justice,  a  very  finished  com- 
position. The  angel  Gabriel  announces  his 
heavenly  message  while  the  Virgin  is  reading; 
and  in  her  countenance,  as  she  turns  to  hear 
the  announcement  of  Divine  will,  Murillo  has 
happily  displayed  the  blending  of  human  sur- 
prise, with  the  sudden  illumination  of  divinity 
that  fills  her  mind. 

A  "  Mother  of  Griefs,"  and  a  "  Magdalen 
Seated  in  the  Desert,"  the  latter,  a  picture  in 
Murillo's  best  style  of  colouring,  might  be 
next  named ;  but  I  pass  to  "  The  Martyr- 
dom of  the  Apostle  St.  Andrew,"  which  may 
vie  with  the  most  celebrated  pictures  of  this 


236  SPAIN  IN  1S.30. 

master.  While  the  Saint  is  extended  on  the 
cross,  the  heavens  open  and  the  seraphim  de- 
scend, bearing  the  palm  branch  and  the  crown 
of  martyrdom.  The  blaze  of  celestial  light 
which  shines  upon  the  martyr,  and  its  contrast 
with  the  chiaro  sciiro,  are  unrivalled  in  their 
effect.  In  the  design  and  conception  too, 
there  is  great  beauty  of  thought,  particularly 
in  illuminating  the  martyr  with  the  same 
celestial  light  that  encircles  the  heavenly 
hierarchy. 

"  The  Adoration  of  the  Shepherds,"  and  the 
"  Infant  Jesus  and  St.  John,"  are  both  worthy 
of  an  eulogium  ;  the  one  for  its  force  and  har- 
mony of  colouring,  the  other  for  its  charming 
simplicity.  But  one  more  beautiful  than  these 
is  "  the  Virgin  receiving  a  Lesson  in  Reading 
from  her  mother,  Saint  Anne."  This  possesses 
in  a  peculiar  degree,  Murillo's  excellences  of 
nature  and  grace.  It  is  all  human,  as  it  ought 
to  be ;  and  the  divine  calling  of  the  Virgin  is 
only  known  by  two  heavenly  cherubs  hovering 
above,  and  dropping  a  crown  of  roses  upon  the 
head  of  the  unconscious  child. 

Besides  these  more  striking  pictures  of 
Murillo,  there  are  several  others  of  great  merit. 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  237 

"  Eliezar  and  Rebecca,"  two  or  three  "Con- 
ceptions," heads  of  St.  Paul  and  of  John  the 
Baptist,  the  Vision  of  St.  Bernard,  and  two 
landscapes.  The  landscapes  of  Murillo  are  at 
least  curious.  His  proficiency  in  this  depart- 
ment was  probably  acquired  in  his  early  years, 
when,  at  the  fair  of  Seville,  he  painted  what- 
ever his  customers  demanded. 

**  A  Gipsy  and  a  Spinster,"  also  in  the  gal- 
lery, are  specimens  of  that  other  class  of 
pictures  by  which  Murillo  is  known  to  many 
who  have  not  been  in  Spain.  These  pictures 
being  smaller,  and  not  preserved  by  the 
jealousy  of  the  convents,  more  easily  find  their 
way  into  other  countries  ;  accordingly,  in  this 
style,  we  find  some  of  the  choicest  morsels  of 
Murillo  in  foreign  galleries  ;  in  Munich,  in  the 
Dulwich  gallery,  and  elsewhere. 

This  slight  enumeration  affords  but  a  very 
imperfect  glimpse  of  the  pleasure  which  the 
admirer  of  Murillo  will  find  in  the  gallery  of 
Madrid ;  but  in  other  collections,  and  espe- 
cially in  Seville,  I  shall  have  occasion  to  re- 
turn to  the  works  of  this  head  of  the  Spanish 
schools ;  and    at  present  I  must  proceed    to 


238  SPAIN   IN  1830. 

notice  briefly  the  pictures  of  Velasquez,  and 
others,  in  the  Madrid  gallery. 

Velasquez,  the  worthy  rival,  and,  in  many 
points,  the  equal  of  Murillo,  whose  master  he 
was,  differs  in  many  respects  from  his  pupil. 
He  studied  in  Italy;  and  there  acquired  that 
knowledge  of  the  antique,  which  is  by  some 
esteemed  above  the  greater  simplicity  and 
unaffected  grace  that  distinguish  the  works  of 
Murillo.  In  Velasquez,  thought  and  invention 
are  not  so  spiritual  as  in  his  pupil,  but  his  com- 
position is  more  learned  ;  and  in  his  colouring, 
he  is  not  excelled  even  by  Titian.  His  colours 
often  disappear  under  his  brush,  because  they 
become  in  reality  the  thing  which  he  desires 
them  to  represent. 

One  of,  but  not  the  most  extraordinary  com- 
position of  Velasquez  in  the  Madrid  gallery,  is 
"  A  Meeting  of  Bacchanalians."  One  in  the 
midst  of  his  companions,  is  seated  across  a 
barrel,  which  is  his  throne;  he  is  crowned 
with  vine-leaves,  and  presents  a  similar  crown 
to  another,  who  receives,  with  a  kind  of  mock 
respect,  this  order  of  knighthood.  There  is 
extraordinary  truth  in  this   picture  ;   in  fact. 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  239 

the  painter  makes  the  spectator  one  of  the 
party;  he  laughs  in  spite  of  himself,  and 
almost  feels  as  if  he  too  had  drained  some 
bowls  to  the  memory  of  Bacchus. 

''  The  Infanta  Margaritta-Mary  of  Austria," 
is  one  of  the  most  splendid  compositions  of 
Velasquez.  Velasquez  is  himself  represented 
with  his  pallet  and  brushes,  painting  the  In- 
fanta; and  to  distract  the  attention  of  the 
infant  princess  from  the  portrait,  two  dwarfs, 
and  her  favourite  dog,  are  made  to  enter  the 
apartment.  This  picture,  in  composition,  de- 
sign, and  colouring,  is  absolutely  perfect. 

Several  portraits  of  Philip  the  Fourth,  the 
friend  and  patron  of  Velasquez,— particularly 
one  upon  horseback, — and  one  exquisite  por- 
trait of  the  Duque  de  Olivares,  his  prime 
minister,  deserve  the  highest  eulogium :  a  mag- 
nificent portrait  also,  which  has  obtained  the 
appellation  of  "  Esop ;"  "  a  Suitor  for  a  Place," 
who,  in  a  garment  of  worn-out  black,  presents 
his  memorial ;  a  portrait  of  a  *'  Dwarf  and  a 
Great  Dog,"  the  "  Surrender  of  the  Town  of 
Breda,"  and  a  "  Manufactory  of  Tapestry,"  in 
which  the  painter  has  introduced  a  charming- 
female  countenance,  are  all  excellent  in  their 


240  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

kind  ;  but  the  most  striking  of  all  the  pictures 
of  Velasquez  in  this  gallery  is,  The  Forges  of 
Vulcan.  The  god  of  fire  is  at  his  forge,  sur- 
rounded by  his  Cyclopes,  when  Apollo  brings 
him  intelligence  of  his  wife's  dishonour,  and 
his  own.  The  attitude  and  expression  of 
Vulcan,  are  in  Velasquez  most  powerful 
manner.  He  turns  round  as  if  scarcely  cre- 
diting the  message  of  infamy ;  but  his  dark 
countenance,  which  seems  to  grow  darker  as 
the  spectator  looks  upon  it,  expresses  that  jea- 
lousy has  taken  possession  of  him ;  his  ham- 
mer rests  idle  in  his  hand,  and  the  Cyclopes, 
also,  suspend  their  work  to  listen.  The  scene 
is  the  more  striking  from  the  true  and  brilliant 
colouring;  the  red  light  falling  upon  the  group, 
and  contrasting  with  the  darkness  of  the  sub- 
terranean world  beyond.  It  is  a  pity  that 
such  a  picture  should  contain  any  striking 
fault;  and  yet  it  is  impossible  to  avoid  per- 
ceiving that  the  Apollo  is  weakly  conceived. 

I  have  not  even  named  the  titles  of  the 
greater  number  of  Velasquez  pictures  ;  but 
these  few,  although  not  better  painted  than 
many  others,  are  more  striking,  owing  to  their 
subjects.      The   lover  of  portraits  also,    will 


SPAIN   IN  1830.  241 

find  ample  gratification  in  the  many  excellent 
works  of  this  master,  which  adorn  the  gallery 
of  Madrid. 

Of  the  works  of  Esparioletto,  the  Madrid 
gallery  contains  several  chef  cCoeiwres.  This 
painter  was  born  near  Valencia,  in  the  year 
1589;  he  was  first  the  pupil  of  Ribalta,  and 
afterwards,  at  Rome,  of  Caravaggioo  The 
style  of  Esparioletto  is,  perhaps,  more  than 
any  other  painter,  opposed  to  that  of  Murillo. 
Simplicity,  and  the  graces  of  nature,  are  no 
where  to  be  found  in  his  works,  which  are 
forcible,  — often  verging  upon  the  terrible ;  and 
whose  object  seems  to  be,  rather  to  seize  the 
imagination  than  to  touch  the  heart.  But  the 
painting  of  Esparioletto,  after  he  had  seen  the 
productions  of  Correggio,  lost  much  of  that 
exaggerated  manner  which  the  lessons  of  Ca- 
ravaggio  had  taught  him ;  and  in  his  later 
styles,  he  has  produced  pictures  which  unite 
force  with  many  other  excellences.  Among 
the  best  of  this  master's  works  in  the  Madrid 
gallery  are,  St.  Peter  the  Apostle  weeping  for 
his  sins ;  in  which  the  design,  the  composition, 
and  the  colouring,  are  all  excellent; — Jacob's 

VOL.    I.  R 


242  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

Ladder,  in  which  the  author  shews  that  he 
has  profited  by  a  study  of  the  works  of  Cor- 
reggio;^ — '*  The  head  of  a  Priest  of  Bacchus," 
full  of  character  and  vigour; — and  "  Saint  Se- 
bastian," in  the  last  and  best  manner  of  the 
painter.  Besides  these  pictures,  there  are 
many  in  the  author's  first  exaggerated  style ; 
such  as  "  Prometheus  bound,"  ''a  Magdalen  in 
the  Desert,"  and  "  Christ  in  the  Bosom  of  the 
Eternal ; "  which,  if  not  pleasing,  are  at  least 
interesting,  as  contrasts  with  the  improved 
style  of  Espanoletto's  later  compositions. 

There  are  still  other  pictures  in  the  gallery 
which  must  not  be  passed  over ;  but  I  shall 
not  classify  them.  '*  Children  Playing  at 
Dice,"  by  Villavicencio,  the  disciple  of  Mu- 
rillo,  and  in  whose  arms  he  died ; — a  picture 
full  of  nature  and  naivete,  and  charmingly 
coloured. 

"The  Visitation  of  Saint  Elizabeth,"  by 
Juanes.  Juanes  is,  undoubtedly,  one  of  the 
greatest  of  the  Spanish  painters  after  Murillo 
and  Velasquez  ;  and  this,  as  well  as  others  of 
his  compositions,  is  entitled  to  rank  imme- 
diately after  the  works  of  these  two  masters. 

*'  Saint   John   the   Evangelist   writing   the 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  243 

Revelations  in  the  Isle  of  Patmos,"  by  Alonzo 
Cano. 

A  "St.  Francis  in  ecstasy,"  by  Cerezo,  who 
was  an  excellent  painter  ;  and  who,  in  design 
and  colouring,  sometimes  approached  Van  Dyk. 

"  The  Virgin  and  the  Infant  Jesus."  By 
Morales,  sometimes  called  '*  The  divine." 

An  incomparable  "  Head  of  Christ,  crowned 
with  Thorns,"  by  Juanes. 

"  A  Dead  Christ,"  by  Alonzo  Cano. 

"  A  St.  Francis,"  by  Ribalta. 

*'  The  Entombment  of  St.  Etienne, '  by 
Juanes,  a  picture  which  partakes  largely  of 
the  graces  that  distinguish  the  school  of 
Raphael  and  his  followers. 

"  The  Supper,"  by  Juanes.  This  is  con- 
sidered the  chef  (Voeuvre  of  the  author,  and  was 
taken  by  the  French,  and  afterwards  restored. 
Love  and  devotion  have  seldom  been  more 
beautifully  painted  than  in  this  picture. 

"  Jesus  Interrogated  by  the  Pharisees, 
touching  the  Tribute,"  by  Arias. 

A  saloon  is  dedicated  to  the  modern  Spanish 
school ;  containing  the  pictures  both  of  the 
living  masters,  and  of  those  who  have  lived 
within  the  last  forty  or  fifty  years.     It  is  im- 

R  2 


244  SPAIN   IN  1830 

possible  to  look  upon  these  pictures  without 
feeling  more  and  more  the  excellences  of  those 
painters,  who  now  live  only  in  their  works ; 
for  in  the  modern  Spanish  school,  there  is  little 
to  remind  us  of  Murillo  and  Velasquez ;    or 
even  of  Juanes,  Cano,  or  Morales.    Difficult  as 
it  must  be  admitted  to  be,  to  imitate  the  unap- 
proachable excellences  of  Murillo,  it  is  sur- 
prising nevertheless,  that  the  attempt  to  do  this 
should  scarcely  ever  be  made.    After  the  death 
of  Murillo,  as  well  as  during  his  lifetime,  there 
were  innumerable  artists,  who,  although  con- 
scious of  the  immeasurable  distance  at  which 
they  followed,    yet,    thought  it  wisdom  pa- 
tiently to  seek  the  traces  of  his  footsteps :  and 
it  is  a  merit  of  no  ordinary  kind,  if  a  painter 
can  earn  the  character  of  being  a  follower  of 
Murillo  ;  because  this  at  least  proves,  that  he 
is  able  to  appreciate,   even  if  he  cannot  ap- 
proach,   his    excellences.       But    in    looking 
through  the  gallery  of  the  modern  school,  not 
one  picture  can  be  found,  of  which  it  may  be 
said,  "this  is  in  the  style  of  Murillo." 

Aparicio  and  Lopez  are  the  painters  who  at 
present  enjoy  the  highest  reputation  ;  but 
neither  of  these  will  suffer  a  comparison  with 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  245 

Bayeu,  who  died  thirty-five  years  ago,  or  with 
Goya,  who  has  long  since  retired  from  a  pro- 
fessional life,  but  who  still  lives  at  Bourdeaux. 
As  little  can  the  pictures  of  Bayeu  or  Goya 
be  compared  with  the  compositions  of  the 
ancient  school. 

The  two  great  pictures  of  Aparicio  are, 
''  The  Glories  of  Spain,"  and  "  The  Famine 
in  Madrid," — and  both  are  more  in  the  style 
of  the  modern  French,  than  of  the  ancient 
Spanish  school.  The  latter  of  these  is  intended 
to  represent  (as  the  author  of  it  says),  "  The 
Triumph  of  Spanish  Constancy."  During  the 
time  of  the  French  invasion,  in  the  winter  of 
1811-12,  the  famine  that  raged  in  Madrid, 
almost  realized  what  we  read,  of  ancient  Nu- 
mantia  ;  and  many  examples  of  heroic  patriot- 
ism are  recorded  of  this  time.  The  painter 
has  chosen  the  following : — an  old  man,  ex- 
tenuated, and  apparently  dying,  is  stretched 
upon  the  ground  ;  and  the  dead  bodies  of  his 
daughter,  and  his  grandson  are  at  his  feet : 
three  French  soldiers  passing  by,  touched  with 
compassion,  offer  him  food  ;  but  he,  disdaining 
to  accept  food  from  the  enemies  of  his  country, 
covers  his  face  with  his  hands,   that  he  may 


246  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

not  be  temjDted,  and  prefers  death  to  what  he 
considers  dishonour. 

The  subject  is  undoubtedly  fine,  and  the 
picture  has  many  merits ;  but  it  is  impossi- 
ble, in  looking  at  any  picture,  the  moral  of 
which  is  intended  to  convey  an  abhorrence  of 
French  dominion  in  Spain,  not  to  feel  that  we 
cannot  give  our  sympathy  to  it ;  and  the  same 
feeling  has  led  me,  in  walking  over  those  fields 
of  battle  that  have  been  fields  of  glory  for 
England  and  Spain,  to  ask  ''where  are  the 
fruits"?  They  are  nowhere  to  be  found  :  the 
purchase-money  was  the  blood  and  treasure 
of  England  :  and  what  did  they  purchase  ? — 
the  deeper  degradation  of  Spain. 

That  part  of  the  gallery  which  is  appro- 
priated to  the  Italian  schools,  1  shall  pass 
over  almost  without  notice;  not  because  there 
is  nothing  in  it  worthy  of  being  mentioned, 
but  because  I  could  hope  to  add  nothing  to 
what  is  already  universally  known  of  the  cha- 
racter of  the  great  Italian  masters.  In  the 
Italian  saloons,  there  are  many  copies,  and 
many  re-touched  pictures ;  but  there  are  also 
a  considerable  number  of  sterling  composi- 
tions.    Guido,   Andrea  del   Sarto,  Giordano, 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  247 

Guercino,  Leonardo  da  Vinci,  Bassano,  Alex- 
ander Veronese,  Sachi,  Salvator  Rosa,  Tinto- 
retto, Titian,  and  Raphael,  all  contribute  of 
their  abundance.  The  most  remarkable  of 
these  pictures,  is  the  portrait  of  Mona  Lisa, 
a  lady  of  incomparable  beauty,  and  the  wife 
of  Francisco  Giocondo,  a  gentleman  of  Flo- 
rence.    This  picture  cost  180,000  reals. 

In  the  saloon  dedicated  to  the  Flemish, 
German,  and  French  schools,  there  are  also 
some  fine  originals  ;  particularly,  two  Claudes; 
a  Bacchanalian  piece,  of  Nicholas  Poussin, 
remarkable  for  the  excellence  of  its  desisfn, 
and  its  inimitable  harmony  ;  "  David  and 
Goliah,"  also  by  N.  Poussin;  and  "The 
Adoration  of  the  Angels  and  the  Shepherds," 
by  Mengs. 

To  be  admitted  to  the  Sala  Reservada,  re- 
quires an  order  from  the  Director  of  the  insti- 
tution ;  but  this  is  always  politely  given  upon 
application.  In  passing  to  the  Sala  Reser- 
vada,  the  visitor  is  conducted  through  a  large 
apartment,  in  which  a  picture  of  the  King's 
landing  at  Cadiz  occupies  one  of  the  walls. 
The  painting  contains  upwards  of  twenty 
figures  as  large  as  life, — all  portraits  :    this 


248  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

room  is  a  favourite  lounge  of  his  majesty,  who, 
it  is  said,  contemplates  with  much  compla- 
cency, the  picture  that  records  his  restoration. 
In  this  Hall,  the  attention  is  speedily  with- 
drawn from  the  picture,  by  two  tables,  that 
well  merit  admiration.  At  a  little  distance, 
they  appear  like  exquisite  flower-pieces,  paint- 
ed on  glass, — but  upon  approaching,  you  dis- 
cover that  they  are  of  marble  ;  the  ground 
black,  and  the  flowers  Mosaic.  Upwards  of 
eighty  diff'erent  flowers  are  represented  :  and, 
among  the  marbles  of  Spain  and  her  late  colo- 
nies, is  found  every  variety  of  colour  necessary 
to  give  perfect  truth  to  the  representation. 

In  the  Sala  Reservada  are  two  "  Sleeping 
Venuses,"  by  Titian,  both  too  good  to  be  seen 
by  every  one  ;  "  Adam  and  Eve,"  by  Rubens; 
and  eight  other  pictures,  by  the  same  master. 
An  excellent  Tintoretto,  "Andromeda  and  Per- 
seus,'^  by  Titian;  "The  Three  Graces,"  by 
Albano  ;  and  two  delightful  compositions  of 
Breughel,  in  which  trees,  flowers,  nymphs, 
and  fountains,  are  charmingly  mingled. 

In  the  Hall  of  Statuary,  I  found  tables  quite 
equal  in  workmanship  to  those  in  the  king's 
apartment,  but  in  value,  far  exceeding  them. 


SPAIN  IN  18;50.  249 

One  represented  a  landscape,  another  a  ma- 
rine view — and  the  effect  was  produced,  not 
merely  by  marbles,  but  also  by  innumerable 
precious  stones,  especially  emeralds  and  sap- 
phires ;  these  tables  were  executed  by  a 
Spanish  workman,  about  fifty  years  ago. 
Several  good  statues  adorn  the  Hall;  and  it 
seems  to  me,  that  the  state  of  modern  sculp- 
ture in  Spain,  is  more  promising  than  that  of 
its  painting.  A  "Venus,"  by  Alvarez,  and 
another,  by  Gines,  are  both  excellent.  There 
is  also,  connected  with  this  Hall,  a  workshop, 
called  the  Hall  of  Restoration ;  there,  many 
artists  were  employed  in  repairing  the  ravages 
of  time.  Venuses  lay  on  the  ground  without 
arms;  and  Graces  without  noses.  An  Apollo 
was  getting  fitted  with  a  new  foot;  and  a 
Calliope  with  another  knee. 

There  are  two  public  days  in  the  week,  upon 
which  all  have  access  to  the  galleries ;  but  I 
had  permission  to  go  at  any  time,  and  very 
frequently  availed  myself  of  it ;  most  fre- 
quently upon  the  days  that  were  not  public. 
I  generally  saw  a  considerable  number  of 
artists  engaged  in  copying ;  and  all,  in  the 
galleries  allotted  to  the  Italian  masters.     Op- 


250  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

portunity  must  not  be  confounded  with  en- 
couragement. The  artists  of  Spain  have  suffi- 
cient opportunities,  but  there  is  no  encourage- 
ment ;  and  both  are  needed,  that  the  fine  arts 
in  a  country  may  be  flourishing.  Spain,  as 
well  as  Italy,  produced  her  great  painters 
when  the  art  was  considered  necessary,  and 
was  therefore  encouraged ;  when  the  adorn- 
ment of  the  temples  of  religion  was  deemed 
essential ;  and  when  the  different  orders  of 
friars,  perceiving  the  effect  of  externals  upon 
the  minds  of  the  people,  vied  with  each  other 
in  multiplying  these  helps  to  devotion. 

Another  building,  dedicated  to  the  recep- 
tion of  works  both  of  nature  and  of  art,  is  the 
Cabinet  of  Natural  History.  The  public  gal- 
leries are  allotted  to  mineralogy  chiefly ;  in 
which  department,  the  specimens  are  nu- 
merous, and  many  of  them  fine.  I  particu- 
larly remarked  the  very  fine  specimens  of 
native  gold  ;  but  above  all,  the  extraordinary 
number  and  beauty  of  the  precious  stones,  in 
which,  I  believe,  the  cabinet  of  Madrid  excels 
every  other  in  Europe.  I  noticed  nearly  forty 
emeralds  upon  one  piece  of  rock,  many  of 
them  of  great  size,  and  almost  all  of  the  purest 


SPAIN  IN  18.30.  251 

quality.  The  specimens  of  crystal  and  of  sul- 
phur are  also  numerous  and  fine  ;  but  the 
native  marbles  are  perhaps  the  most  interest- 
ing of  all.  I  counted  no  fev/er  than  two  hun- 
dred and  seven  different  kinds.  Other  saloons 
in  the  building  are  appropriated  to  Conchology 
and  Zoology,  in  which  the  most  perfect  de- 
partment is  considered  to  be  that  of  the  But- 
terflies. 

But  the  Salas  Reservadas  are  more  interest- 
ing than  the  public  rooms.  One  of  the  Salas 
is  entirely  filled  with  precious  stones,  and 
vessels  made  of  them ;  it  would  almost  fill  a 
volume  to  enumerate  the  riches  contained  in 
this  Hall.  In  the  lower  part  of  the  building, 
also  a  Sala  Reservada,  is  the  Hall  of  Pictures  ; 
and  here  are  preserved  some  of  the  choicest 
specimens  of  Murillo's  pencil.  I  could  not 
understand  why  these,  and  other  pictures  in 
this  Hall,  are  not  deposited  in  the  great  pic- 
ture gallery  ;  the  more  exquisite  they  are,  the 
better  reason  there  seems  to  be  for  increasing 
the  facilities  for  seeing  them, — especially  as 
there  is  nothing  in  any  of  these  pictures  im- 
proper to  meet  the  public  eye;  the  only  excu.se 
for  a  Sala  Reservada. 


252  SPAIN  IN   1830. 

Among  the  paintings  here,  is  that  exquisite 
one  of  Murillo,  "  Santa  Isabella  Queen  of  Por- 
tugal, curing  the  sick  and  wounded,"  which  I 
have  already  noticed  in  the  memoir  of  Mu- 
rillo. Another  in  this  Hall,  which  ranks 
among  the  highest  of  Murillo's  productions, 
and  which  is  less  known  than  some  others  of 
his  works,  is  '*  the  Patrician's  Dream."  A 
Roman  noble  asleep,  is  supposed  to  have  a 
vision,  in  which  a  celestial  message  commands 
the  building  of  a  temple.  The  Patrician  is 
seen  buried  in  deep  sleep,  and  an  angel  is 
near,  pointing  to  a  single  column.  The  co- 
louring in  this  picture  is  exquisite ;  and  a 
spirit  of  the  most  perfect  repose  is  thrown  over 
the  whole  composition.  In  the  same  Hall  hangs 
the  companion  to  this  picture,  in  which  the 
Patrician  is  seen  recounting  his  dream  to  the 
Pope. 

A  "  Mary  Magdalen  Penitent,"  by  Murillo, 
and  a  "St.  Geronimo,"  by  Espaiioletto,  are 
also  found  here  ;  but  one  of  the  most  extraor- 
dinary pictures  I  have  seen  in  Spain,  is  pre- 
served in  this  Sola;  it  is  by  Antonio  dePereda, 
and  is  called  "  the  Desengaiio  de  la  Vida," 
which  cannot  be  literally  translated  into  Eng- 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  253 

lish,  but  which  means  **  the  Discovery  that  Life 
is  an  Imposture."  A  Caballero,  about  thirty 
years  of  age,  handsome  and  graceful,  is  repre- 
sented asleep,  and  around  him  are  seen  all  those 
things  in  which  he  has  found  enjoyment.  Upon 
one  table  lie  heaps  of  gold,  books,  globes,  and 
implements  of  study ;  upon  another  are  the 
wrecks  of  a  feast ;  musical  instruments  are 
scattered  here  and  there  ;  magnificent  mirrors 
and  paintings  adorn  the  walls  ;  and  on  the 
floor  lies  a  jewel-box,  which  has  dropped  from 
the  hand  that  hangs  over  the  couch  where  he 
reclines  ;  and  a  miniature  of  a  beautiful  woman 
has  fallen  out  of  it.  But  in  the  air,  opposite 
to  the  sleeper,  is  seen  the  vision  of  an  angel, 
who  holds  a  scroll,  with  certain  words  in- 
scribed upon  it,  which  the  painter  has  left  for 
the  imagination  to  decipher,  and  which  may 
be  naturally  interpreted,  "  Let  all  pass, — 
eternity  lies  beyond  ;"  and  the  countenance  of 
the  sleeping  figure  shews  not  only  that  he  sees 
a  vision, — but  there  is  something  in  it  so  placid, 
so  resigned,  that  it  seems  to  express  an  acqui- 
escence in  the  advice  of  the  angel, — '*  Yes,  it  is 
all  a  cheat." 

I  have   perhaps   dwelt    too  long  upon  this 


254  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

picture  ;  but  I  was  strongly  impressed  with  its 
excellence,  both  in  design  and  execution. 

There  are  few  private  collections  of  great 
value  in  Madrid.  Those  of  the  Duke  of  Liria, 
and  of  the  Duke  of  Medina  Coeli,  are  the  best. 
The  former  of  these  collections  adjoins  the 
duke's  palace  in  the  Plaza  de  Liria;  and  having 
carried  an  introductory  letter  to  his  Grace  from 
the  Marquesa  de  Montemar,  the  duke  did  me 
honour  to  accompany  me  round  the  gallery. 
I  found  three  good  Murillos, — "  St,  Roch," 
*' Santa  Teresa,"  and  "Murillo's  Son,"— the 
latter  only  in  his  best  style  ;  several  pictures, 
which  may  or  may  not  be  Salvator  Rosa's; 
but  generally  believed  to  be  originals ;  two  of 
Rubens:  a  ''Battle  of  the  Amazons;"  and 
"Ruben's  Wives," — the  latter  in  his  best  man- 
ner; "Adam  and  Eve  chased  out  of  Para- 
dise," by  Paul  Veronese,  in  all  the  grace  and 
sweetness  of  that  esteemed  master ;  "  A  Holy 
Family,"  by  Gaspar  Poussin  ;  three  land- 
scapes, by  Nicholas  Poussin ;  a  charming 
portrait  of  Mengs,  by  himself;  two  or  three 
delightful  gems  of  Berghem,  full  of  beauty 
and  repose  ;  three  Titians,  "  A  Holy  Family," 
the  female   head  singularly  beautiful ;    "  St. 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  255 

John  in  the  Wilderness,"  a  picture  of  great 
richness  and  finish ;  and  "  A  Boy  playing* 
with  a  Lion;"  a  "Venus,"  by  Brencino;  two 
Canalettos,  but  neither  of  them  in  his  best 
style  ;  "  The  Children  of  Velasquez,"  by  Ve- 
lasquez ;  and  "  A  Holy  Family,"  by  Perucini, 
the  well  known  eleve  of  Raphael, — for  which 
the  present  possessor  paid  10,000  sequins. 

The  Duke  of  Liria's  gallery  also  contains 
some  statuary ;  a  Venus,  by  Alvarez,  the 
Spanish  Canova ;  and  the  Mother  of  the  Duke 
by  the  same  sculptor.  The  Duke  of  Liria, 
although  not  himself  a  great  connoisseur  in 
the  fine  arts,  is  their  liberal  patron,  which  is 
better.  The  chapel  in  the  Duke's  house  con- 
tains some  good  fresco,  by  Antonio  Callione 
de  Torino,  a  very  promising  Spanish  painter, 
but  who,  by  his  bad  conduct,  was  forced  to 
exile  himself,  and  who  lately  died  in  France. 

The  collection  of  ancient  armour  in  the  re- 
sidence of  the  Duke  of  Medina  Ccela,  is  more 
interesting  than  his  pictures.  It  contains, 
among  other  things,  the  armour  of  Gonsalva 
de  Cordova.  The  Duke  of  Medina  Coeli  pos- 
sesses immense  revenues ;  but,  like  the  greater 
number  of  the  grandees  in  Spain,  he  is  en- 


256  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

cumbered  with  debt,  being  robbed  by  those 
to  whom  he  has  delegated  the  management  of 
his  property.  It  is  a  certain  fact,  that  several 
of  the  Spanish  nobles  whose  property  lies  in 
Andalusia,  and  other  southern  provinces,  have 
never  seen  their  own  estates. 

The  lover  of  pictures  will  be  disappointed 
in  his  search  among  the  churches  and  con- 
vents of  Madrid.  The  collegiate  church  of 
San  Isidro  contains  the  greatest  number ;  but 
they  are  not  of  first-rate  excellence  ;  and  this 
church,  as  well  as  all  the  others  in  Madrid, 
are  so  dark,  that  it  is  impossible  to  obtain  a 
proper  view  of  any  thing  which  they  contain. 
The  church  of  San  Isidro  is  not  worthy  of 
being  the  metropolitan  church.  The  interior 
is  in  the  ornate  taste  of  the  Jesuits,  to  whom 
it  formerly  belonged ;  but  it  has  taken  a  higher 
rank  since  the  real  body  of  the  patron  saint 
of  Madrid,  and  the  ashes  of  Santa  Maria  de  la 
Cabeza,  have  been  deposited  within  its  walls. 
There  are,  however,  some  pictures  in  this 
church  which, with  a  favourable  light,  are  worth 
visiting.  Among  the  best  are  "  the  Conver- 
sion of  St.  Paul,"  and  "  San  Francisco  Xavier 
baptizing  the  Indians,"  by  Jordan  ;  a  Christ, 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  257 

by  Morales ;  another  Baptism  of  the  Indians, 
by  Jordan ;  and  several  others  of  Cano,  Coello, 
and  Palomino.  In  one  of  the  chapels  are  two 
urns,  wherein  are  deposited  the  ashes  of  Ve- 
larde y  Daoiz,  and  the  other  victims  of  the 
2d  of  May,  1808,  in  memory,  as  it  is  recorded, 
of  *'  the  glorious  insurrection  of  Spain." 

The  church  of  San  Salvador  is  only  interest- 
ing as  containing  the  tomb  of  Calderon  ;  that 
of  Santa  Maria  is  honoured  by  being  the  de- 
pository of  the  miraculous  image  of  our  lady 
of  Alumeda.  San  Gines  has  a  Christ  by 
Cano,  and  the  Annunciation  by  Jordan.  San- 
tiago contains  two  or  three  pictures  by  Jordan ; 
and  San  Antonia  de  Florida  boasts  of  a  fresco 
by  Goya.  This  limited  interest  is  all  that  the 
churches  of  Madrid  possess. 

Among  the  sixty-eight  convents  in  Madrid, 
few  possess  great  interest  from  the  treasures 
of  art  which  they  contain.  It  is  in  Seville, 
and  in  the  other  cities  of  the  south,  that  the 
convents  offer  the  chiefest  attractions  to  the 
lovers  of  painting. 

The  greatest  and  the  richest  among  the 
convents  of  Madrid,  is  Las  Salesas.     It  was 

VOL.  r.  s 


258  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

founded  by  Ferdinand  the  Vlth.,  and  is 
adorned  with  a  profusion  of  the  most  beautiful 
marbles  and  porphyries  of  Cuenca  and  Gra- 
nada. I  noticed  several  columns  of  green 
marble,  upwards  of  sixteen  feet  high,  and  each 
of  one  piece.  Both  in  the  church  of  the  con- 
vent, and  in  its  sacristy,  there  are  some  good 
pictures ;  and  a  fine  marble  monument,  raised 
by  command  of  Charles  III.  to  the  memory  of 
the  founder,  does  credit  to  the  taste  of  Fran- 
cisco Sabatini,  who  designed  it,  and  to  the 
powers  of  Francisco  Gutierrez,  who  executed 
it.  The  morning  service  in  the  church  of  this 
convent  is  enchanting ;  the  nuns,  all  of  noble 
family,  and  well  educated, — chiefly  in  the  same 
convent,  —seem  to  have  made  music  a  principal 
study.  I  have  never  heard  an  organ  touched 
with  so  delicate  a  hand,  as  in  the  Convento 
de  las  Salesas. 

The  church  of  the  Convent  de  la  Encarna- 
cion,  also  a  female  convent  of  bare-footed 
Augustins,  contains  beautiful  marbles,  and 
some  pictures  perhaps  worth  a  visit,  by  Cas- 
tillo, Bartolom6,  Roman,  and  Greco. 

The  Franciscan  convent  is  worth  visiting, 
only  on  account  of  its  great  extent ;  it  contains 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  259 

ten  courts,  and  dormitories  for  two  hundred 
monks.  Ev^ery  where  the  Franciscans  are  the 
most  numerous.  It  is  said  of  Cirillo,  the 
chief,  or  general,  as  he  is  called,  of  the  Fran- 
ciscan order, —  he  who  is  now  exiled  from 
Madrid,  —  that  he  boasted  of  his  power  of 
putting  80,000  men  under  arms :  a  force  almost 
equal  to  the  king's.  The  head  of  the  Francis- 
can order  used  formerly  to  reside  in  Rome, 
but  the  present  head  has  made  choice  of 
Spain. 

The  convent  of  Santa  Isabel  was  robbed  by 
the  French  of  many  choice  works  of  Espano- 
letto ;  but  it  still  possesses  some  pictures  by 
Cerezo,  Ccello,  and  others, — these  are  in  the 
church  of  the  convent ;  but  it  is  said  that 
there  are  others  in  the  interior,  which  it  is 
difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  see.  There  can- 
not be  a  doubt,  that  among  the  many  hundred 
convents  in  Spain,  in  the  interior  of  many  of 
which  no  man  has  ever  been, — no  one,  at  all 
events,  whose  object  has  been  to  search  for 
pictures, — there  are  hidden,  many  productions 
of  the  first  masters.  These  may  have  come 
into   their   possession    in    many  ways ;    they 

s  2 


260  SPAIN  IN  1830, 

may  have  been  the  individual  property  of  dis- 
tinguished persons  previous  to  taking  the  veil ; 
they  may  have  been  bequeathed  to  the  convent 
by  the  founder ;  the  gift  of  the  painters  them- 
selves ;  or  offerings  of  the  devout :  but  it  is 
certain,  that  pictures  of  value  and  merit  are 
shut  up  in  convents.  I  am  acquainted  with  a 
gentleman  at  Seville,  who  himself  purchased 
"Joseph's  Dream,"  by  Juanes,  and  a  portrait 
by  Giordano,  from  the  abbess  of  the  Domi- 
nican convent  at  Seville, — who  sold  them  in 
order  to  purchase  certain  ornaments  for  one  of 
the  altars. 

The  convent  of  San  Pasqual  was,  previous 
to  the  French  invasion,  the  richest  in  paintings 
of  any  of  the  convents  or  monasteries  in  Ma- 
drid. It  possessed  the  compositions  of  Van 
Dyk,  Veronese,  Titian,  Da  Vinci,  Jordan, 
and  many  other  eminent  painters.  The  greater 
number  of  these  have  been  removed ;  but  there 
are  still  several  left,  that  well  repay  the  trou- 
ble of  a  visit  to  the  church  of  the  convent. 
There  is  the  "  Taking  of  Christ  in  the  Gar- 
den," by  Van  Dyk ;  a  "  Conception,"  by 
Espanoletto ;  "St.  Francis  in  Prayer,"  by 
Veronese ;   and  one  or  two  others  by  Espa- 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  2G1 

noletto.  Several  more  valuable  than  these, 
among  the  rest,  **  Jacob  Blessing  his  Sons," 
by  Guercino,  have  been  removed  from  the 
chnrch  into  the  interior ;  but  the  porter  in- 
formed me,  that  it  was  intended  shortly  to 
restore  them  again  to  the  different  chapels  in 
the  convent  church.  These  paintings  were 
bequeathed  to  this  convent  by  its  founder, 
the  Duke  de  Medina  y  Almirante  de  Castilla ; 
affording  another  example  of  the  manner  in 
which  pictures  may  come  into  the  possession 
of  nuns. 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  in  the  con- 
vent of  Santa  Teresa  also,  there  arc  paintings 
of  value.     During  the  time  of  the  scarcity  in 
Madrid,  several  pictures  that  used  to  adorn 
the  church  of  the  convent,  were  openly  sold; 
and  these  have  since  been  replaced  by  others, — 
several  of  them,  works  of  merit,  which  could 
not  have  come  from  any  other  quarter  than 
the  interior  of  the  convent.    But  in  the  church, 
there  is  yet  preserved  a  picture  of  great  beauty 
and  value  :  this  is  a  copy  of  the  "  Transfigura- 
tion of  Raphael,"  by  Julio  Romano;  one  of 
the  most  successful   disciples   of  that  great 
master.     This  picture,  also,   was  left  to  the 


262  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

convent  by  its  founder,  the  Prince  Astillano, 
under  the  condition  that  it  should  never  be 
parted  with. 

The  only  other  convents  worth  visiting,  are 
the'  Las  Salesas  Nuevas,  which  contains  a 
Crucifixion  of  Greco ;  and  Las  Descalzas 
Reales,  in  which  will  be  found  a  good  statue 
of  the  Infanta  Dona  Juana,  daughter  of  Charles 
v.,  from  the  hand  of  Pompeyo  Leoni. 

I  regret  much  that  I  was  not  able  to  see  the 
palace  with  so  much  attention  as  it  deserves. 
I  delayed  from  time  to  time  making  any  ap- 
plication for  admission ;  and  in  the  mean  while, 
the  situation  of  the  queen  bringing  the  court 
from  La  Granja  two  months  sooner  than  usual, 
the  palace  was  only  to  be  seen  at  short  inter- 
vals, when  the  king  and  queen  left  it ;  and  as 
the  hour  of  the  sortie  was  uncertain,  the  in- 
terval between  obtaining  the  order,  and  their 
majesties  return,  was  very  limited. 

The  new  palace,  although  but  a  small  part 
of  the  original  plan,  is  nevertheless  one  of  the 
most  magnificent  in  Europe.  It  was  begun  in 
the  year  1737,  and  was  built  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Don  Juan  Bautista  Saquete,  the  dis- 
ciple of  Jubarra.      It  is  a  square,  each  front 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  263 

being  470  feet  in  length,  and  100  feet  in 
height;  a  balustrade  runs  round  the  whole, 
to  hide  the  leaden  roof,  and  the  walls  are  re- 
lieved and  adorned  by  innumerable  columns 
and  pilasters.  The  interior  of  the  palace  cor- 
responds with  its  external  magnificence ;  eveiy 
thing  within  it,  is  of  the  most  costly  and  most 
sumptuous  kind,  bespeaking  the  habitation  of 
monarchs  who  once  owned  the  riches  of  half 
the  world.  The  paintings  have  been  mostly 
removed  to  the  gallery,  but  some  yet  remain ; 
particularly  "  the  Rape  of  Proserpine,"  and 
some  others,  by  Reubens ;  '*  a  Magdalen," 
and  some  others,  by  Van  Dyk ;  several  ex- 
quisite paintings,  by  Mengs ;  and  among 
others,  "  The  Agony  in  the  Garden ;"  two 
Cattle  pieces,  by  Velasquez ;  and  several 
charming  pictures,  by  Tintoretto,  Carlo  Ma- 
ratti,  and  Andrea  Vacaro.  The  ceilings  also, 
by  Bayeu,  Velasquez,  and  Mengs,  may  well 
excite  admiration.  In  the  apartments  of  the 
Infantes  likewise,  I  understand  there  are  some 
valuable  paintings ;  but  these,  1  had  not  an 
opportunity  of  seeing.  The  great  license  that 
is  allowed  the  public,  has  sometimes  surprised 
me.      The   royal   apartments   are   of   course 


264  SPAIN  IN   1830. 

guarded ;  but  any  person  may  walk  up  the 
stairs,  and  along  all  the  corridors,  and  even 
through  the  ante-rooms  without  being  once 
questioned. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  palace,  is  the 
royal  armoury,  which  contains  many  ancient 
relics ;  among  others,  the  arms  of  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella,  of  Charles  V.,  of  King  Chico, 
the  last  of  the  Moorish  kings,  and  of  several 
kings  and  warriors, — those  hardly-used  Ame- 
ricans, who  took  the  Spaniards  for  gods,  and 
found  them  worse  savages  than  themselves. 


CHAPTER  VllI, 


Literature ;  Difficulties  to  be  encountered  by  Avithors ;  the  Book 
Fair ;  Digression  respecting  the  Claims  of  Spain  to  Gil  Bias ; 
Public  and  Private  Literary  Societies ;  Libraries ;  Obstacles 
to  Improvement,  from  the  State  of  Society ;  Female  Educa- 
tion ;  Education  for  the  Liberal  Professions ;  Course  of  Study 
for  the  Bar;  Course  of  Medical  Studies;  Charitable  Institu- 
tions ;  Consumption  of  Madrid  ;  Prices  of  Provisions. 

A  priest,  with  whom  I  was  acquainted  in 
Madrid,  telling  me  one  day,  that  he  had 
thoughts  of  going  to  London  or  Paris,  to  print 
an  English  and  Spanish  Grammar,  and  a  Ger- 
man and  Spanish  Grammar,  which  he  had 
written ;  I  asked  him  why  he  did  not  print 
them  in  Madrid,  since  they  were  intended  for 
the  use  of  his  own  countrymen, — especially  as 
they  could  contain  nothing  political  ?  His 
answer  was,  that  nothing  was  so  difficult  as 
to  obtain  a  license  to  publish  a  book,  even 
although  it  contained  no  allusion  to  politics : 


2G6  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

and  ''  the  better  the  book,"  said  he,  "  the 
more  ditficult  it  is  to  obtain  a  license,  and  the 
more  dangerous  to  publish  ;  because  Govern- 
ment does  not  wish  to  encourage  writing,  or 
even  thinking,  upon  any  subject :  and  the 
publication  of  a  good  book  sets  men  a-think- 
ing." 

This  comprehensive  reply  explains,  pretty 
nearly,  the  present  state  of  literature  in  Spain; 
judging  of  it  by  the  number  and  merit  of  pub- 
lished works : 

The  number  of  books  published,  from  1820 
to  1823,  was  very  considerable.  The  energy 
then  communicated  to  letters,  from  the  re- 
moval of  almost  all  restriction,  was  extraordi- 
nary: books  upon  all  subjects  issued  from  the 
press ;  and  the  best  proof,  perhaps,  that  can 
be  given,  that  many  of  these  were  books  of 
talent,  is,  that  most  of  them  are  now  prohi- 
bited. Literature,  however,  then  received  an 
impetus,  which  still  continues  in  some  degree 
to  affect  it,  notwithstanding  the  difficulties  to 
be  overcome :  for  there  is  a  considerably 
greater  number  of  books  published  now,  than 
previous  to  the  revolution;  and  no  reasonable 
doubt  can  be  entertained,  tl>at  another  removal 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  2G7 

of  the  restrictions  which  press  upon  literature, 
would  bring  into  the  field  a  large  accession  of 
native  talent. 

Even  after  a  license  has  been  obtained  to 
publish  a  manuscript,  its  publication  is  still  a 
dangerous  speculation  ;  because  it  frequently 
happens,  that  when  the  book  is  printed,  and 
partly  circulated,  some  great  man,  even  more 
fastidious  than  the  censors,  discovers  a  dubious 
passage,  and  the  book  is  prohibited.  There 
are  four  difficulties,  therefore,  which  an  author 
must  resolve  to  face,  before  he  sits  down  to 
prepare  his  manuscript : — the  probability  that 
he  may  be  refused  a  license  ;  the  probability 
that,  before  being  licensed,  his  manuscript 
maybe  mutilated  —  a  probability  that,  I  am 
told,  amounts  almost  to  a  certainty,  unless  the 
work  be  upon  one  of  the  exact  sciences ;  the 
probability  that,  after  the  work  be  published, 
some  caprice  may  forbid  its  sale ;  and  the 
certainty,  that  if  the  work  be  a  talented  work, 
the  author  of  it,  whether  obtaining  his  license 
or  no,  will  be  looked  upon  with  suspicion ; 
and,  if  in  Government  employment,  will  al- 
most certainly  lose  his  appointment. 

These    are    sad  drawbacks    upon   literary 


268  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

exertion.  But  there  is  yet  another :  men  are 
afraid  to  read,  as  well  as  to  write ;  and  the 
sale  of  a  work  is  therefore  insecure.  Book- 
sellers do  not  care  to  venture  upon  the  publi- 
cation without  some  guarantee  ;  the  conse- 
quence of  which  is,  that  almost  every  book 
published  in  Spain,  is  published  by  subscrip- 
tion, or  in  numbers,  or  both  in  numbers  and 
by  subscription  ;  by  either  of  which  modes 
the  risk  is  lessened.  What  should  we  say  in 
England  of  bills  posted  about  the  streets,  an- 
nouncing a  new  novel  to  be  published  by  sub- 
scription, and  in  numbers?  Yet  I  saw  an 
announcement  of  this  kind,  of  a  novel  to  be 
called  El  Dissimulador — the  Dissembler.  But 
the  greater  number  of  books  at  present  pub- 
lished in  Spain,  are  translations  from  French 
and  English,  adapted,  of  course,  to  the  Spa- 
nish censorship.  I  noticed  the  following  an- 
nouncements, by  bills  posted  on  the  walls : — 
"  Universal  History,"  from  the  French,  in 
numbers:  "the  History  of  Spain,"  a  new 
edition,  in  numbers :  "  the  History  of  Spa- 
nish America,"  an  original  work,  in  numbers. 
This  manuscript  I  should  think  must  have 
been  sadly  carved.     The  following  were  an- 


SPAIN  IN   1830.  269 

nouDced  by  subscription  : — "  Selections  from 
French  and  English  Literature;"  "Church 
History  ;  "  "  Chateaubriand's  Holy  Land  ; " 
'*  the  History  of  the  Administration  of  Lord 
North,"  a  singular  enough  choice  ;  "  the  His- 
tory of  the  English  Regicides  ; "  "  the  Works 
of  Fenelon ; "  a  new  edition  of  ''  Gil  Bias  ;  " 
** Evelina;"  and  while  I  was  in  Madrid,  pro- 
posals were  circulated  for  publishing  by  sub- 
scription, and  in  numbers,  the  whole  prose 
works  of  Sir  Walter  Scott.  I  heard  of  one 
voluminous,  and  rather  important  work,  about 
to  be  published  by  a  society  called  "  the  Aca- 
demy of  History,"  viz.,  all  *'  the  inscriptions 
in  Greek  and  Latin,  now  extant,  throughout 
Spain."  The  Arabic  inscriptions  are  not  in- 
cluded in  the  work,  these  being  already  col- 
lected and  printed. 

Although  the  Spanish  government  endea- 
vours by  every  means  to  repress  intelligence, 
and  thwart  the  progress  of  knowledge,  there 
is  no  lack  of  books  in  Spain,  to  those  who 
will,  and  dare  to  read  them.  This  is  indeed 
done  under  the  rose ;  but  it  is  done.  There 
are  two  libraries  in  Madrid,  which  contain  the 
best  French  authors  ;    and   persons  who  arc 


270  SPAIN  IN  1S30. 

known  to  the  librarian,  or  recommended  to 
him,  may  obtain  almost  any  prohibited  book. 
I  had  personal  proof  of  this.  Sitting  one 
morning  with  a  lady  connected  with  the  royal- 
ist party,  but  a  woman  of  very  liberal  views, 
and  one  of  the  few  blue-stockings  of  Madrid, 
I  was  compassionating  the  situation  of  those 
who,  like  herself,  were  lovers  of  literature, 
but  who  were  denied  the  means  of  gratifying 
their  taste.  The  lady  assured  me  she  had  no 
need  of  my  compassion  upon  this  score,  for 
that  she  might  have  any  French  author  she 
chose,  and  many  English  authors,  from  the 

library  of .     And  when  I  expressed  some 

surprise  at  this,  she  desired  me  to  fix  upon 
any  celebrated  books  that  occurred  to  me, 
and  they  should  be  put  into  my  hands  in  less 
than  half  an  hour.  I  chose  accordingly  ;  and 
in  ten  minutes,  I  had  in  my  hands  a  Paris 
edition  of  "  the  Social  Compact,"  and  the 
Basil  edition  of  *'  Gibbon's  Historical  Work." 
Books,  therefore,  may  be  had ;  but  persons 
are  afraid  to  have  and  to  read  them. 

A  considerable  number  of  prohibited  books 
slip  into  circulation  at  the  time  of  the  fair.  I 
was  then  in  Madrid,  and  spent  a  few  hours 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  271 

each  day  strolling  among  the  booths  and 
stalls,  and  talking  with  the  vendors  of  goods. 
Every  kind  of  article  is  exposed  at  this  fair, — 
clothes,  calicoes,  jewellery,  toys,  hardware, 
china,  but  especially  books  and  pictures.  The 
books  were  innumerable ;  and  their  high  prices 
seemed  to  be  an  index  to  a  good  demand  ;  and 
yet  I  thought  that,  on  the  last  day  of  the  fair, 
the  shelves  were  but  little  relieved  of  their 
burden  :  probably,  hoM'ever,  the  book  mer- 
chants had  other  copies  to  replace  those  that 
were  sold.  The  books  were  of  all  descrip- 
tions ;  but  the  most  numerous  class,  was  theo- 
logical and  religious ;  particularly  the  lives  of 
saints,  who  have  all  their  biographers.  The 
next  most  numerous  class  was  history;  chiefly 
histories  connected  with  Spain  and  America. 
Then  followed  Spanish  plays,  and  Spanish 
novels.  After  these,  Spanish  translations 
from  French  and  English  works.  And  lastly, 
books  in  foreign  languages.  Among  the  Spa- 
nish translations  from  English  works,  I  noticed 
many  copies  of  Blair's  Lectures,  Clarissa 
Harlowe,  and  Goldsmith's  Roman  History. 
Among  the  books  in  English,  I  observed  Bell's 
Surgery,   the  Life  of  Wellington,   and    Lady 


272  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

Morgan's  Italy,  whose  English  dress  had 
blinded  the  eyes  of  the  Inquisitors,  who  looked 
very  scrutinizingiy  at  the  stalls.  I  saw  several 
copies  of  Machiavelli, — a  prohibited  book,  I 
believe, — and  one  Bible  in  14  volumes,  with 
notes  by  a  Dominican  friar,  which  I  have  no 
doubt  are  sufficiently  curious. 

I  questioned  the  book-vendors,  as  to  the 
demand,  and  in  what  current  it  ran.  They  in- 
formed me,  that  the  demand  for  religious  books 
was  on  the  decline;  and  that  the  lives  of  saints 
especially,  were  almost  unmarketable.  Trans- 
lation from  French  and  English,  especially 
the  former,  and  even  works  in  the  French 
language,  were  asked  for;  the  demand  was 
also  large  and  constant,  for  the  Spanish  dra- 
matists and  novels ;  especially  Don  Quixotte 
and  Gil  Bias,  which  were  to  be  seen  on  every 
stall,  in  great  numbers,  and  of  various  editions. 
I  opened  several  copies  of  Gil  Bias,  and  found 
the  title-page  invariably  in  these  words, — 
"  Aventuras  de  Gil  Bias  de  Santillana,  robadas 
a  Espana,  y  adoptadas  en  Franc ia  por  M.  Le 
Sage ;  restituidas  a  su  patria  y  a  su  lengua 
nativa  per  un  Espaiiol  zeloso  que  no  sufre  se 
burl  en  de  su  nacion."     This  is  a  point  upon 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  273 

which  the  Spanish  nation  is  very  jealous ; 
every  educated  person  stoutly  maintaining, 
that  to  Spain  belongs  the  honour  of  having 
produced  Gil  Bias.  It  is  evident,  that  in  the 
dispute  between  France  and  Spain,  regarding 
their  respective  claims  to  Gil  Bias,  the  proofs 
must  be  drawn  from  the  internal  evidence 
afforded  by  the  work  itself.  The  only  direct 
proofs  that  could  be  obtained,  would  be  the 
production  of  the  original  manuscript.  This 
however  must  lie  upon  the  French;  because 
if  any  plausible  reason  exist  for  supposing, 
that  the  Spanish  manuscript  got  into  the  hands 
of  Le  Sage,  the  Spanish  manuscript  of  course 
cannot  be  produced ;  and  the  French  must 
produce  their  French  manuscript.  That  this 
has  never  been  done,  seems  to  atford  a  prim^ 
facie  evidence  in  favour  of  the  Spanish  claims; 
especially  if,  as  I  believe  to  be  the  case,  the 
internal  evidence  be  also  in  favour  of  Spain. 
The  belief  that  Gil  Bias  is  a  French  work, 
and  the  work  of  Le  Sage,  is  so  universal,  and 
I  feel  so  perfect  a  conviction  that  this  belief  is 
erroneous,  that  I  cannot  allow  this  opportu- 
nity to  escape,  of  introducing  a  short  digression 
upon  the  subject. 

VOL.   I.  T 


1 


274  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

The  Spanish  statement  is  this:  that  Don 
Antonio  de  Solis,  a  well-known  Spanish  author, 
wrote  in  1665  a  romance,  entitled  "  Aventuras 
del  Bachiller  de  Salamanca,  6  Historia  de  Don 
Querubim  de  la  Ronda;"  that  Solis  could  not 
publish  this  in  Spain,  owing  to  its  containing 
many  allusions  to  persons  then  existing ;  and 
that  Hugo,  Marquess  of  Lionne,  ambassador 
from  France  at  the  Spanish  court,  who  was  a 
man  of  letters,  purchased  not  only  a  library  of 
Spanish  poets  and  dramatists,  but  also  many 
manuscripts,  which  were  afterwards  seen  in 
the  library  of  the  Marquess's  third  son ;  that  it 
is  known  that  this  son,  Julio  de  Lionne,  was 
intimately  allied  in  friendship  with  M.  Le 
Sage,  and  by  him  the  manuscript  of  the 
Bachelor  of  Salamanca,  "  Don  Querubim  de 
la  Ronda,"  was  confided  to  Le  Sage,  who 
divided  the  work,  making  from  it  the  Ad- 
ventures of  Gil  Bias,  and  the  Bachelor  of 
Salamanca.  These  assertions  afford  a  pre- 
sumption ;  but  no  more.  At  the  same  time, 
it  cannot  escape  observation,  that  a  complete 
refutation  of  these  assertions,  or  at  least  of  the 
result  drawn  from  them,  would  be,  the  pro- 
duction by  the  heirs  of  M.  Le  Sage,  of  the 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  275 

manuscript,  eitherof  Gil  Bias,  or  the  Bachelor 
of  Salamanca.  But  there  are  many  proofs 
drawn  from  the  work  itself,  strongly  support- 
ing the  presumption  afforded  by  the  tale  told 
by  the  Spaniards.  Of  these  I  shall  state  a 
few: — 1st.  There  are  many  French  words  and 
phrases,  which  do  not  correspond  with  the 
usual  elegance  of  Le  Sage's  style,  and  which 
have  the  appearance  of  being  literal  transla- 
tions of  Spanish  words  and  phrases.  2nd. 
There  are  innumerable  Spanish  proper  names 
in  Le  Sage's  work,  and  particularly  small 
villages,  of  which  no  foreigner  could  know  the 
names,  still  less  their  geographical  position. 
3rd.  We  find  in  Gil  Bias  a  variety  of  particular 
circumstances,  usages,  and  habits,  peculiar  to 
Spanish  provincial  life,  of  which  no  stranger 
could  have  a  sufficient  knowledge.  4th.  There 
are  in  Le  Sage's  work  innumera])le  errors  in 
names  of  persons  and  towns,  seeming  to  prove, 
that  errors  have  arisen  in  copying  the  Spanish 
manuscript.  The  proofs  of  each  of  these  might 
extend  to  a  chapter  :  none  of  them,  taken 
singly,  amount  to  much ;  but  when  considered 
along  with  the  story  told  of  the  manner  in 
t2 


276  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

which  the  MS.  came  into  the  possession  of  Le 
Sage,  unanswered,  as  it  is,  by  the  production 
of  any  French  manuscript ;  and  along  with 
the  admitted  fact,  that  several  of  the  incidental 
stories  introduced  into  Gil  Bias  are  to  be  found 
in  old  Spanish  romances, — a  strong  conviction 
is  produced,  that  Gil  Bias  is  a  Spanish,  and 
not  a  French  work. 

A  strange  enough  answer  was  made  by  the 
Count  de  Neufchateau,  member  of  the  French 
academy,  to  the  assertion  that  Le  Sage  had 
availed  himself  of  the  Spanish  manuscript. 
He  said,  Le  Sage  would  not  have  taken  to 
himself  the  merit  of  having  written  Gil  Bias, 
if  the  work  had  been  composed  from  the  manu- 
script of  another  ;  and  the  reason  he  gives  for 
his  confidence  in  Le  Sage's  honour  is,  that  he 
did  not  hesitate  to  acknowledge  his  other 
plagiarisms.  He  acknowledged  that  he  took 
from  Spanish  authors  ''the  New  Adventures  of 
Don  Quixotte,"  published  by  him  in  1735; 
"  The  Devil  upon  Two  Sticks,"  published  in 
1732;  ''  The  Adventures  of  Guzman  de  Al- 
farache,"  published  in  1707  ;  *'  The  Life  and 
Doings  of  Estavanillo  Gonzalez,"  published  in 
1734;  and  "  The  Bachelor  of  Salamanca,''  pub- 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  277 

lished  in  1738.     What  the  force  of  this  argu- 
ment is,  I  leave  the  reader  to  judge. 

But  to  return  from  this  digression.  Private 
literary  associations  are  out  of  the  question  in 
Spain:  several  were  set  on  foot  in  1821-22; 
but  after  the  return  of  the  king,  any  thing  of 
this  kind  was  known  to  be  so  obnoxious,  that 
these  societies  dissolved  themselves,  without 
waiting  for  any  express  order  to  that  effect. 
Two  public  institutions  only,  connected  with 
literature,  exist  at  present.  Like  every  other 
institution  in  Spain,  they  are  Real,  and  there- 
fore imder  the  surveillance  of  government; — 
their  names  are,  **  The  Royal  Spanish  Aca- 
demy," and  "  The  Koyal  Academy  of  History." 
The  object  of  the  first  of  these,  is  to  perfect 
the  Castilian  language ;  and  with  this  view 
they  have  published  two  excellent  works,  a 
Dictionary  and  a  Grammar,  besides  a  treatise 
on  Orthography,  and  several  smaller  writings. 
The  object  of  the  vVcademy  of  History  is  to 
separate  truth  from  falsehood  in  the  history  of 
Spain,  and  to  collect  all  that  may  throw  light 
upon  the  ancient  and  modern  history,  as  well 
as  geography,  of  that  country.  This  society 
has  published  an  excellent  Geographical  Die- 


278  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

tionary,  which  has  gone  through  several  edi- 
tions ;  and  is  now  on  the  eve  of  publishing  the 
collection  of  Inscriptions  which  I  have  already 
mentioned,  accompanied  by  notes. 

There  is  no  want  of  public  and  valuable 
libraries  in  Spain,  particularly  in  Madrid. 
The  two  principal  of  these,  are  the  Royal 
Library,  and  the  Royal  Library  of  San  Isidro. 
The  former,  founded  by  Philip  V.,  was  en- 
riched in  the  reign  of  Charles  IIL  by  the 
accession  of  the  library  of  the  cardinal  Arquin- 
to,  purchased  in  Rome ;  and  in  the  reign  of 
his  successor,  Charles  IV.,  by  several  other 
libraries;  and  now  amounts  to  200,000  volumes. 
The  Royal  Library  also  contains  many  valu- 
able manuscripts,  particularly  Arabic  ;  and  a 
rich  collection  of  coins  and  medals,  illustrative 
of  Spanish  history.  The  Spanish  press  has 
produced  some  fine  specimens  of  printing, 
which  are  preserved  in  this  library,  particu- 
larly Don  Quixotte  and  Sallust,  both  from  the 
press  of  Ibarra.  Besides  the  library  of  San 
Isidro,  which  contains  about  60,000  volumes, 
.  there  are  some  excellent  libraries  in  the  pos- 
session of  private  persons,  particularly  the 
Duke  of  Osuna,  the  Duke  of  Infantado,  and 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  279 

the  Duke  of  Medina  Coeli :  the  latter  of  these 
was  formerly  open  to  the  public  ;  but  so 
great  public  spiritedness  looking  too  much  like 
liberalism,  it  is  now  closed. 

T  have  already  spoken  of  the  obstacles 
thrown  in  the  way  of  knowledge,  by  the  re- 
gulations respecting  the  schools  and  acade- 
mies; and  the  fetters  thrown  upon  education 
of  every  kind :  these  chiefly  affect  the  rising- 
generation  ;  but  I  may  mention,  as  another 
cause  of  the  backward  state  of  literature  in 
Sj^ain,  the  tone  of  Spanish  socicti/.  Every  Spanish 
house  has  its  tcrtulia;  and  every  man,  Moman, 
girl,  and  boy,  is  a  member  of  one  tertulia  or 
another.  The  introduction  to  the  tertulia 
begins  at  a  very  early  age.  I  have  seen  boys 
who,  in  any  other  country,  would  have  been 
in  a  school-room,  or  at  play,  present  them- 
selves regularly  at  the  tertulia,  and  throwing 
off  the  character  of  boys,  act  the  part  of 
grown-up  men.  This  necessity  of  resorting 
every  night  to  the  tertulia,  not  only  interferes 
greatly  with  habits  of  study,  by  employing 
much  valuable  time, — but  the  preparatory 
education  for  the  tcrtulia,  if  I  may  so  express 
myself,   is  of   the    most   unimproving    kind. 


280  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

The  foundation  of  the  tertulia  is  gallantry, — 
here  it  is  that  the  Spanish  woman,  after 
having  reaped  a  harvest  of  admiration  on  the 
Prado,  retires  to  receive  that  nearer  homage 
which  is  prized  still  higher ;  and  here  it  is 
that  the  Spaniard  makes  his  prelude  to  future 
conquest.  Gallantry  is  the  business  of  every 
Spaniard's  life;  his  object  in  frequenting  the 
tertulia,  is  to  practise  it ;  and  his  principal 
study,  therefore,  is  that  frivolous  and  gallant 
conversation  that  is  essential  in  the  first  place 
to  captivate  the  attention  of  the  Spanish 
woman.  The  Spanish  ladies,  with  all  their 
agreeable  wit  and  affability,  are  ignorant 
almost  beyond  belief;  and  in  a  country  where, 
more  than  any  other  in  Europe,  the  society  is 
mixed,— the  extreme  ignorance  of  the  female 
sex,  and  the  channel  into  which  conversation 
must  necessarily  run  every  evening  of  every 
day  throughout  the  year,  cannot  fail  to  have 
its  effect  upon  the  mind,  and  to  act  as  a  draw- 
back upon  the  desire  of  knowledge,  and  lite- 
rary distinction. 

I  understand  that  female  education  begins 
to  improve ;  and  that  besides  embroidery  and 
music,  a  little  history  and  geography  are  now 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  281 

taught  in  the  schools,  but  not  in  the  convents; 
so  that  the  highest  classes,  who  are  mostly 
educated  in  the  convents,  are  worse  educated 
than  the  middle  classes.  While  in  Madrid, 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  being  conducted  to  a 
girl's  Lancastrian  school  by  its  directress. 
Donna  Hurtado  de  Mendoza,  a  lady  every  way 
worthy  of  the  trust.  During  the  time  of  the 
constitution,  there  were  also  two  Lancastrian 
schools  for  boys ;  but  these  were  suppressed 
upon  the  return  of  the  king,  who  was  prevailed 
upon,  however,  to  allow  the  school  for  girls  to 
continue.  In  the  Lancastrian  school  there 
are  at  present  163  pupils,  and  the  system 
pursued  is  precisely  similar  to  that  followed 
in  England;  part  of  three  days  every  week 
is  dedicated  to  instruction  in  the  tenets  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  faith. 

There  is  one  fact  I  had  nearly  forgotten  to 
mention, — a  fact  somewhat  opposed  to  the 
narrow  policy  of  the  government  in  its  hosti- 
lity to  the  progress  of  literary  knowledge. 
Eight  young  men,  of  promising  abilities,  were 
lately  sent  by  the  Spanish  government  to 
different  cities  to  study  the  various  branches 
of  chemistry,  with  a  liberal  allowance  from 


282  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

the  public  purse  ;  and  his  majesty's  gilder 
was  also  dispatched  to  England  to  make  in- 
quiries as  to  the  manner  of  gilding  buttons, 
and  gilding  bronze,  with  an  allowance  of 
18,000  reals;  and  with  another  stipulation  as 
to  a  farther  and  much  larger  sum,  to  be  put 
at  his  disposal  for  the  purchase  of  secrets. 

In  Spain,  the  education  for  the  liberal  pro- 
fessions is  tedious  and  strict,  but  not  ex- 
pensive. The  course  of  study  required  of  a 
barrister  includes  no  fewer  than  thirteen  years, 
besides  a  previous  knowledge  of  Latin,  in  which 
the  student  is  examined  before  entering  any 
of  the  law  universities.  The  branches  of 
study  which  occupy  these  thirteen  years,  are, 
three  years  of  philosophy,  which  consists  of 
logic,  physics,  metaphysics,  and  ethics ;  and 
in  the  first  of  these  years,  the  outlines  of 
mathematics  are  taught;  but  this  branch  of 
study  is  never  pursued  farther :  after  this 
course  of  philosophy,  the  theory  of  Roman 
law  is  entered  upon,  which  occupies  two 
years ;  one  year  of  Spanish  law  then  follows ; 
next.  Ecclesiastical  law,  which  occupies  two 
years ;  and  this  is  all  that  is  required  to  take 
the  degree  of  bachelor :  but  rhetoric,  theology, 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  283 

digest  of  law,  and  medicine,  are  required  for  a 
higher  degree.     At  the  end  of  each  year,  ex- 
aminations are  gone  through,  before  granting 
certificates ;  and  the  whole  of  the  instructions 
are  in  Latin,  excepting  rhetoric  and  Spanish 
law.     The  philosophy  used,  is  that  of  Gue- 
barra.     The    expense    of  instruction    varies 
according  to  the  university  ;    at  Toledo  it  is 
all  gratis ;    at  Alcala  it  costs  about  50/.  per 
annum  ;  but  many  are  admitted  into  the  co- 
legios,  in  which  case  the  student  is  put  to  no 
expense.     These  colegios  are  particular  foun- 
dations, under  the  patronage  of  certain  great 
families.     The  education  of  an  attorney  re- 
quires only  an  apprenticeship,  and  that  the 
candidate  should  be  twenty- five  years  of  age, 
and  have  a  certificate  of  good  morals ;  he  has 
also  to  pass  one  examination  in  law.     Before 
any  barrister,  attorney,  or  notary,  be  admitted 
to  practice,  he  is  obliged  to  swear  that  he  will 
defend  the  poor  gratis.     Thirty  are  appointed 
each  year  from  each  society  to   defend    the 
poor  in  civil  cases ;  and  every  one  is  entitled 
to  be  put  upon  the  poor  list  who  chooses  to 
swear  that  he  is  not  worth  4000  reals  (40/.) ; 
and  it  is  a  curious  fact,  that,  in  criminal  cases, 


284  SPAIN  IN   1830. 

the  prisoner  is  entitled  to  make  choice  of  any 
barrister  in  Madrid  to  defend  him.  In  Spain 
they  do  not  understand  that  celebrated  legal 
fiction,  so  implicitly  believed  by  some  sound 
heads  in  England,  that  the  judge  is  counsel 
for  the  prisoner.  I  learned  that  the  course  of 
justice,  or  in  plainer  terms  a  legal  process,  is 
very  expensive  in  Madrid ;  two-third  parts, 
at  least,  of  every  account  being  absorbed  in 
court  dues  and  stamps. 

The  Spanish  government  is  not  unmindful 
of  the  lives  and  health  of  its  subjects ;  for 
medical  is  even  more  strict  and  tedious  than 
legal  education. 

There  are  three  kinds  of  medical  professors 
in  Spain  : — physicians,  medico-surgeons,  and 
cirujanos  romancistos. 

The  first  of  these,  after  a  course  of  the  usual 
regular  scholastic  studies,  go  to  the  Univer- 
sity, where  they  study  anatomy,  physiology, 
pathology,  and  the  different  branches  of  medi- 
cal education ;  in  which  four  years  are  em- 
ployed. They  then  go  through  the  hospitals, 
with  professors  appointed  for  the  purpose  — 
note  down  the  diseases  and  their  treatment, 
and   submit  their  notes  for   revision,    to  the 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  285 

instructors ;  this  occupies  two  years :  after 
which  they  undergo  examinations  upon  the 
theory  and  practice  of  medicine,  before  being- 
admitted  to  practice. 

The  medico-surgeons  profess  both  physic 
and  surgery  :  they  go  through  the  same  stu- 
dies as  the  physician,  adding  chirurgical  pa- 
thology, midwifery,  clinica  medica,  and  sur- 
gical practice  ;  and  are  subject  to  examination 
upon  all  these  branches. 

The  third  class,  the  ciriymios  iv??iancistos,  are 
literally  surgeons  who  have  not  studied  Latin, 
and  are  an  inferior  class.  They  are  not  required 
to  have  the  same  classical  education  as  the 
others ;  but  must  study,  and  pass  examinations 
in  anatomy,  physiology,  chirurgical  pathology, 
operative  surgery,  and  midwifery.  Those  be- 
longing to  this  class  of  medical  practitioners, 
are  forbidden,  by  a  royal  edict,  from  prescrib- 
ing for  inward  complaints. 

Madrid  does  not  want  institutions  for  the 
alleviation  of  bodily  infirmity  ;  there  being  no 
fewer  than  thirteen  hospitals  in  the  capital. 
The  principal  of  these  are,  the  General  Hos- 
pital, which  is  chiefly  supported  by  the  re- 
ceipts of  the  bull-fights  ;  and  the  Hospicio  real 


286  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

de  San  Fernando^  which  is  also  a  workhouse, 
and  is  supported  by  imposts  upon  the  entry 
of  goods  into  the  city.  There  is  also  an  Hos- 
pital for  Illegitimate  Children,  which  receives 
about  1200  yearly,  nearly  one-third  of  the 
number  being  foundlings,  and  which  is  sup- 
ported by  the  lottery ;  an  Orphan  Hospital, 
which  supports  about  800  orphans ;  several 
smaller  orphan  hospitals  ;  and  two  lying-in 
hospitals. 

There  are  also  in  Madrid,  ten  different 
institutions  for  philanthropic  purposes  —  the 
succour  of  the  wretched,  and  the  relief  of  the 
poor ;  among  these,  El  Monte  de  Piedad  de- 
serves mention.  It  is  a  public  establishment, 
which  lends  money  upon  goods,  which  may 
be  reclaimed  at  any  time  during  a  year,  or 
even  longer,  in  particular  cases,  upon  repay- 
ment of  the  loan  without  any  interest. 

Madrid,  I  have  mentioned  in  the  former 
chapter,  is  supposed  to  contain  170,000  inha- 
bitants;  but  this  is  partly  conjecture, — no 
census  having  been  lately  made.  In  the  year 
1790,  there  died  in  Madrid  5915  persons  ; 
and  4897  were  born:  and  in  the  year  1810, 
378G   persons  died ;     and    5282  were  born. 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  287 

The  following  was  the  consumption  of  Madrid, 
in  the  year  1 825 :  230,000  sheep ;  1 2,500  oxen ; 
70,000  hogs;  2,417,357  arrobas*  of  charcoal; 
13,245  arrobas  of  soap  ;  40,809  arrobas  of  oil; 
800,000  bushels  of  corn ;  500,000  arrobas  of 
wine;  50,000  arrobas  of  snow;  30,000  arrobas 
of  candles  ;  and  18,000  bushels  of  salt:  and 
supposing,  as  there  is  reason  to  believe,  that 
since  that  time  the  population  of  Madrid  has 
increased  5000,  the  addition  of  a  thirty-fifth 
part  to  these  sums,  will  give  nearly  the  pre- 
sent consumption  of  Madrid. 

Madrid,  although,  with  the  exception  of 
Constantinople,  the  most  interesting  city  in 
Europe  to  visit,  owing  to  the  perfect  novelty 
of  scene  which  it  presents  even  to  him  who 
has  travelled  through  every  other  country, 
would  not  be  an  agreeable  permanent  resi- 
dence. It  is  not  like  Paris,  or  Rome,  or 
Vienna ;  in  any  of  Avhicli  cities  a  stranger 
may,  if  he  pleases,  live  nearly  as  he  lived  in 
his  own  country.  In  Madrid,  this  is  impos- 
sible ;  the  hotels  are  execrable ;  boarding 
houses    there    are    none ;     and    although    a 

*  An  arroba  is  251bs.  weight. 


288  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

stranger  may  find  lodgings,  he  will  find  Spa- 
nish habits  in  them.  Of  the  state  of  society, 
and  of  the  diversions,  I  have  already  given 
some  idea.  These  possess  much  interest  to  a 
stranger,  but  not  any  permanent  attraction ; 
so  that  after  he  has  remained  in  Madrid  long 
enough  to  gratify  his  curiosity  with  the  novel 
spectacle  of  a  people  differing  from  all  the 
rest  of  the  world,  in  dress,  habits,  amuse- 
ments, modes  of  life,  and  modes  of  thinking, 
he  will  begin  to  feel  some  desire  to  know 
what  the  world  beyond  Spain  is  doing  ;  be- 
cause of  this,  he  can  know  nothing  within 
Spain.  But  let  no  traveller  leave  Madrid  to 
return  to  England.  Seville  and  Granada  lie 
beyond;  and  when  the  Castiles  have  lost  their 
attraction,  Andalusia  and  its  thousand  charms 
await  him. 

Before  closing  this  chapter, — the  last  that 
has  any  reference  to  Madrid, —  let  me  give 
some  information  respecting  the  price  of  pro- 
visions, &c. 

The  Spanish  capital  is  probably  the  dearest 
capital  in  Europe  ;  and  this  cannot  excite  sur- 
prise, when  it  is  considered  that  Madrid  is 
situated   in  the  midst  of  a   sterile  country, 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  289 

where  there  is  no  pasture  land,  no  rivers, 
scarcely  any  gardens,  and  no  communication 
with  the  sea,  or  with  any  of  the  distant  and 
more  productive  provinces.  Notwithstanding 
these  drawbacks,  the  markets  are  well  sup- 
plied ;  and  all  kinds  of  meat,  poultry,  game, 
vegetables,  and  fruit,  may  be  had  of  an  excel- 
lent quality :  fish,  and  milk,  are  the  only 
scarce  articles.  In  the  following  enumera- 
tion, the  best  quality  of  every  article  is  under- 
stood ;  it  is  not  easy  to  render  the  prices  with 
precision,  into  English  money,  because  they 
are  generally  reckoned  in  quartos ;  but  if  the 
reader  recollects  that  eight  quartos  are  nearly 
2\d.,  one  quarto  being  i?th,s  of  a  penny,  it  will 
be  no  difficult  calculation  to  bring  the  prices 
to  English  value. 

Beef,  per  lb.  of  14  oz.  18  quartos.  Veal,  per 
lb.  30  quartos.  Mutton,  per  lb.  18  quartos. 
Pork,  per  lb.  20  quartos. 

The  price  of  fish  cannot  be  stated  ^\  ith 
accuracy ;  it  is  never  seen  excepting  in  winter, 
and  the  supply  is  so  precarious,  that  it  is  im- 
possible to  approach  the  truth. 

Bread,  of  the  first  quality,  is  14  quartos 
per  lb. ;  the  second  quality  10. 

VOL.    I.  u 


290  SPAIN  IN  1830, 

Ordinary  wine  of  La  Mancha,  21  quartos. 

A  fine  fowl,  6  reals  (1^.  6d.).  A  chicken  „ 
from  7d.  to  10 J.  A  duck,  from  Is.  8d.  to  2^.  Id. 
A  goose,  3.V.  6d.  A  turkey,  from  4^.  to  10^., 
according  to  the  season.  Turkeys,  in  Madrid, 
are  not  sold  in  the  markets,  but  are  driven 
through  the  streets.  I  have  several  times 
bought  a  small  turkey  for  3,y.  Pigeons,  1*.  6d. 
or  1^.  8d.  a  couple. 

Coffee,  1*.  8^?.  per  lb.  Chocolate,  2*.  6d. 
per  lb.  Green  tea,  10.y.  Black  tea,  12^.;  but 
it  is  scarcely  to  be  found.  Sugar,  l^.  86^., 
equal  to  English  sugar  at  lid.  The  natives 
use  sugar  at  10^/. ;  but  it  is  dirty  and  bad. 

Goat's  milk  4d.  a  pint  during  summer, — half 
that  price  in  winter ;  cow's  milk  is  difficult  to 
be  had  in  summer, — in  winter  it  is  Sd.  a  pint ; 
Flanders  butter  2*.  6d.  per  lb. ;  salted  butter, 
from  the  Asturias  and  Galicia,  may  also  be 
had  at  Is.  6d. ;  but  it  is  not  good. 

Vegetables  are  rather  dearer  than  in  Eng- 
land, especially  potatoes. 

Fruit  is  always  excellent  and  cheap.  A 
melon,  such  as  cannot  be  seen  either  in  France 
or  England,  costs  5d.  ;  these  are  the  Valencia 
melons,  extremely  pale,  and  of  the  most  ex- 


SPAIN  IN  18.10.  291 

quisite  flavour.     The  finest  Muscatel  grapes 
are  lid.  per  lb. 

I  have  mentioned  in  a  former  chapter,  that 
the  bread  of  Spain  is,  without  exception,  ex- 
cellent ;  and  it  is  nowhere  finer  than  in  Ma- 
drid. The  finest,  is  called  pan  de  Majorca; 
but  this  bread  is  made  partly  with  milk,  and 
is  not  fitted  for  general  use ;  the  bread  used 
by  the  better  classes,  is  the  pan  Frances,  very 
ill  named,  because  it  is  much  superior  to 
any  French  bread.  The  lower  orders,  and 
many  too  among  the  middle  classes,  use  pian 
Candealy  in  which  there  is  no  leaven,  and 
no  salt. 

I  must  not  omit  the  mention  of  fuel ;  this  is 
an  expensive  article  in  winter  to  a  stranger 
who  is  not  accustomed  to  sit  without  a  fire. 
The  American  minister  told  me,  that  his 
fuel  cost  him  20.?.  per  day  in  the  month  of 
August. 

There  is  only  one  thing  in  Madrid  remark- 
ably cheap ;  that  is,  the  keep  of  horses.  From 
the  same  authority  I  may  state,  that  the  keep 
of  a  horse  does  not  exceed  20/.  per  annum. 
The  usual  food  of  horses  is  cut  straw,  and  a 

u  2 


292  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

little  barley ;  and  it  appears  that  they  thrive 
well  upon  this  regimen  :  but  in  Spain,  horses 
are  lightly  worked,  no  one  travelling  with  his 
own  horses,  but  invariably  with  mules  hired 
for  the  purpose. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


STATE  OF  PARTIES,  AND  POLITICAL  PROSPECTS. 


Ix  dedicating  a  chapter  to  the  consideration  of 
the  state  of  parties,  and  the  probable  political 
prospects  of  Spain,  I  am  anxious  to  avoid  the 
imputation  of  any  assumption  of  superior 
knowledge,  or  exclusive  information.  My 
knowledge  upon  these  subjects  has  no  farther 
claim  to  superiority  than  that  which  arises 
from  its  having  been  gathered  upon  tliQ  spot : 
this  ought,  no  doubt,  to  count  for  something; 
both  because  a  resident  in  a  country  is  better 
situated  for  judging  of  the  authenticity  of  in- 
formation, and  is  able  to  avail  himself  of  a 
greater  number  of  sources  ;  and  because,  from 
personal  observation,  many  helps  are  obtained. 
During  the  several  months  that  I  remained  in 


294  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

Madrid,  my  acquaintance  lay  among  men  of 
all   parties.      With   Carlists,   Royalists,   and 
Liberals,  I  was  upon  terms  of  equal  intimacy; 
and  I  never  found,  among  men  of  any  party, 
the  least  backwardness  in  speaking  privately 
the  sentiments  of  their  party ;  or  in  avowing 
its  views,  and  speculating  upon  its  prospects. 
Many  have  been  so  candid  as  to  avow  them- 
selves hypocrites.     Military  men  in  Madrid, 
and  at  Barcellona,  sworn  to  support  the  govern- 
ment, have  admitted  to  me  that  they  were 
Carlists, — associated   in   private   societies   of 
that  party  which   held  their  meetings  every 
second  night :  and  employees  in  Toledo,  de- 
pendents upon  the  existing  government,  who, 
in  that  hot-bed  of  ultraism,  found  it  prudent 
even  to  pretend  some  sympathy  with  the  opi- 
nions of  the  Carlists,  have  told  me  in  confi- 
dence, that  they  were  neither  Loyalists  nor 
Carlists,  but  Liberals.      From  this  it  may  be 
gathered,  that  a  person  residing  in  Spain,  and 
unsuspected  of  any   improper  object,   may, 
without  much  difficulty,  learn  the  opinions 
and  views  of  men  of  different  parties.     The 
conclusions  which  I  may  occasionally  draw, 
many  may  think  erroneous.     I  will  only  say, 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  295 

that  I  am  unconscious  of  being  biassed  by 
prejudice  ;  and  whatever  I  set  down  shall  be 
based  as  much  as  possible  upon  fact  and 
observation. 

I  left  England  in  the  belief  that  there  existed 
in  Spain  two  great  parties, — the  Constitution- 
alists, and  the  adherents  of  the  government ; 
the  latter  party  indeed  somewhat  divided, — 
and  comprising  many  shades  of  opinion,  rang- 
ing from  absolutism,  to  a  point  somewhere 
between  that  and  moderation.  But  this  esti- 
mate I  discovered  to  be  very  erroneous.  I 
found  three  parties  in  Spain:  the  Absolutists, 
there  denominated  Carlists;  the  Government 
party,  there  called  the  moderate  party;  and 
the  Liberals.  The  most  influential  of  these 
parties  is,  beyond  all  question,  the  first. 
Reckoning  the  total  population  of  Spain,  this 
party  is  by  far  the  most  numerous ;  it  com- 
prises the  great  mass  of  the  lower  orders 
throughout  Spain ;  and  in  many  parts,  almost 
the  whole  population, — as  inToledo,  the  towns 
and  villages  of  the  Castiles,  and  the  pro- 
vinces of  Murcia  and  Catalunia.  It  com- 
prises, with  few  exceptions,  the  130,000 
friars,  and  a  great   majority   of  the    clergy, 


296  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

and  it  comprises  a  considerable  proportion  of 
the  military,  both  officers  and  privates;  but 
chiefly  the  former.  With  such  components, 
it  is  evident  that  this  party  does  not  depend 
for  its  power,  solely  upon  its  numerical  su- 
periority. Every  one  knows,  that  there  is 
uncounted  wealth  in  the  convents  and  churches 
of  Spain.  I  do  not  speak  merely  of  the  wealth 
in  jewels,  and  golden  urns,  and  images,  locked 
up  in  Toledo,  and  Seville,  and  Murcia,  and 
the  Escurial,  and  elsewhere, — though  much  of 
this  would,  without  doubt,  be  made  a  ready 
sacrifice  to  the  necessities  of  the  party  ;  but 
also  of  the  more  available  riches,  well  known 
to  be  possessed  by  many  orders  of  frairs ; 
among  others,  by  the  Carthusians,  the  Domi- 
nicans, and  HieronomiteSo  Hundreds  of  the 
convents  in  Spain  have  no  possible  way  of 
consuming  their  revenues — for  it  is  a  fact,  that 
the  poor  orders  are  invariably  the  most  nu- 
merous ;  and  we  generally  find  a  very  limited 
fraternity  in  those  convents  whose  revenues 
are  the  largest.  In  the  Carthusian  convent, 
at  Granada,  there  are  only  nine  monks ;  and 
the  land  for  more  than  half  a  league  round, 
and  comprising  numerous  country  houses,  and 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  297 

hamlets,  is  the  property  of  this  convent.  In 
the  Convento  de  los  Reyes,  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Valencia,  there  are  indeed  twenty- 
seven  monks  ;  but  one  of  their  number  ad- 
mitted to  me,  that  the  revenues  of  the  convent 
exceeded  500,000  reals,  (5000/.  sterling) :  and 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Murviedro,  (the  an- 
cient Saguntum),  there  is  another  convent  of 
Carthusians,  which  owns  seven  villages,  and 
a  tract  of  laud  as  rich  as  any  in  Spain,  nearly 
a  league  square,  and  which  contains  only 
seven  monks. 

In  place  of  three  of  these  examples,  as 
many  hundreds  might  be  given.  The  same 
monk  who  admitted  to  me  the  amount  of  the 
revenues  of  the  Convento  de  los  Reyes,  said, 
in  reply  to  my  question  as  to  what  they  did 
with  so  much  wealth,  that  "  times  of  need 
might  come ; "  and  there  can  be  little  doubt 
that  other  friars  might  make  a  similar  reply. 
Nor  can  it  be  doubted,  that  many  of  the 
reputed  poor  orders,  who  live  upon  charity, 
have  no  need  of  it.  The  prayers,  blessings, 
and  other  godly  offices  of  the  Franciscans, 
bear  the  highest  value  in  the  market  of  super- 
stition ;   and  in  those  convents  in  which  the 


298  SPAIN  IM   1S30. 

visitor  dare  not  put  money  into  the  hands  of 
the  friar,  I  have  frequently  been  reminded, 
that  a  certain  little  golden  saint,  or  silver 
virgin,  accepted  the  iKcttas  which  were  laid 
upon  their  altars.  This  cannot  be  considered 
a  digression,  because  it  explains  another  source 
of  influence,  besides  physical  strength,  pos- 
sessed by  the  apostolicals. 

It  scarcely  requires  that  I  should  adduce  any 
proof  of  the  fact  stated,  that  the  lower  orders, 
and  the  friars,  are  attached  to  the  party  of  Car- 
lists.  The  present  government  of  Spain  is  con- 
sidered by  the  friars  to  be  guided  too  much 
by  moderate  principles.  They  perceive  that 
they  lose  a  little  groi  .id ;  and,  shut  out  as  they 
are  in  a  great  measure,  from  commerce  with 
the  world,  they  are  ignorant  of  the  pace  at 
^yhich  the  world  moves  :  and  the  secret  is 
breaking  upon  them  but  slowly,  that  the 
strength  of  governments  lies  in  free  institu- 
tions. They  still  fancy  that  men  are  to  be 
governed  by  the  scourge  and  the  cowl ;  and 
believe  that  another  Philip  II.  would  elevate 
the  fortunes  of  Spain,  and  raise  up  all  the 
props  of  the  Roman  Catholic  faith.  I  have 
myself  heard  one  of  the  monks  in  the  Escurial 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  299 

say,  that  the  king  was  no  friend  to  them  :  and 
then,  pointing  to  the  urn  of  Philip,  pass  an 
euiogium  upon  his  virtues  and  piety.  If  any 
other  proof  were  needed,  of  the  attachment  of 
the  friars  to  the  Carlist  party,  the  circumstance 
mentioned  in  a  former  chapter  might  be  stated ; 
that  the  chief  of  the  Franciscan  order  was 
detected  in  a  conspiracy  to  overturn,  or  at 
least  to  overawe  the  government.  I  need  say 
nothing  of  the  lower  orders,  because,  with  few 
exceptions,  they  and  the  friars  are  one. 

I  have  said,  that  a  great  proportion  of  the 
regular  clergy  also  are  Carlists.  I  know  that 
many  are  not ;  because  many  are  intelligent 
men,  who  have  at  all  events  the  acuteness  to 
perceive,  that  a  more  despotic  government 
would  not  secure  its  permanency  ;  and  whose 
alarm  at  the  progress  of  liberalism  in  the 
world,  is  not  so  great  as  that  of  the  friars. 
But  the  majority  of  the  priesthood  are  igno- 
rant; and  the  majority  are  therefore  Carlists. 
Besides,  their  interest  lies  that  way — the  head 
of  the  church  in  Spain,  the  Archbishop  of 
Toledo,  is  the  head  of  the  party ;  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Seville  is  one  of  its  warmest  parti- 
zans ;    and    almost   all   the   archbishops   and 


300  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

bishops,  hold  similar  sentiments  :  the  curate, 
therefore,  who  envies  the  luxuries  of  a  canon, 
must  both  profess  his  adherence  to  that  party, 
and  employ  his  influence  in  its  favour. 

To  the  friars,  the  priests,  and  the  lower 
orders,  I  have  added  a  part  of  the  military,  as 
partizans  of  the  Carlists  ;  I  might  also  include 
a  considerable  number  of  the  employees.  That 
such  is  the  fact,  I  have  had  many  personal 
proofs,  as  well  as  information  from  the  most 
authentic  sources.  The  reason  alleged  by 
those  in  government  employment,  whether 
civil  or  military,  for  being  favourably  disposed 
towards  that  party  which  would  rather  see 
Don  Carlos  than  Ferdinand  at  the  head  of  the 
government,  is,  the  indecision  of  the  king's  cha- 
racter. They  say  that  merit  is  not  rewarded  ; 
that  services  are  not  requited ;  that  promotion 
is  not  upon  a  footing  of  justice  ;  and  that 
neither  in  civil  nor  military  service,  is  there 
any  dependence  upon  government  favour, 
which  shines  or  is  withdrawn  by  caprice — 
which  favouritism  purchases,  and  slander  de- 
stroys. All  this  they  ascribe,  and  probably 
with  justice,  to  the  king's  ivant  of  character  : 
and  the  idea  among  them  is  very  general,  that 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  301 

under  Don  Carlos,  a  system  of  greater  justice, 
and  impartiality,  and  decision,  v.'ould  be  pur- 
sued in  every  department  of  the  state.  I  have 
sometimes  wished,  when  I  have  heard  these 
good  qualities  attributed  to  Don  Carlos,  that 
he  possessed,  along  with  them,  some  of  those 
other  virtues  which  Spain  requires  in  a  sove- 
reign :  there  might,  in  that  case,  be  a  more 
speedy  prospect  of  happiness  for  Spain. 

Such  appear  to  me  to  be  the  elements  of 
the  party  called  Carlists, — the  strongest  in 
numbers  and  wealth,  and  the  weakest  in  intel- 
ligence. 

Classing  the  parties  according  to  their  nu- 
merical strength,  I  must  next  mention  the 
party  called  Liberals  ;  but  generally,  in  Eng- 
land, known  by  the  name  of  Constitutionalists. 
If,  by  this  party,  be  meant  those  who  desire 
a  return  to  the  Constitution  of  1820;  or  who 
would  be  satisfied  to  leave  the  settlement  of 
the  government  to  the  wisdom  of  an  army  of 
refugees, — there  is  no  such  party  in  Spain : 
but  if,  by  the  liberal  party,  we  are  to  under- 
stand those  who  perceive  the  vices  of  the 
present  government,  and  who  dread  still  more 
the  ascendancy  of  the  Carlists  ;    those   who 


302  SPAIN  IN  1S30. 

view  with  satisfaction  the  progress  of  en- 
lightened opinions  in  politics  and  in  reli- 
gion, and  who  desire  earnestly  that  Spain 
should  be  gradually  assimilated  in  her  insti- 
tutions, with  the  other  civilized  nations  of 
Europe, — ^then  the  liberal  party  comprises 
the  principal  intelligence  of  the  country ; 
and  subtracting  from  the  population,  the 
lowest  orders,  the  employees,  the  friars,  and 
the  priests,  it  possesses  a  great  numerical 
majority.  In  any  other  country  than  Spain, 
this  party  would  wield  an  influence  to  which 
its  numerical  strength  would  not  entitle  it ; 
but  in  Spain,  the  light  of  intellect  spreads  but 
a  little  way ;  for  it  has  to  struggle  with  the 
thick  mists  of  ignorance  and  superstition ;  and 
when  we  say  that  the  liberal  party  comprises 
nearly  all  the  intelligence  of  the  country,  it 
must  be  remembered,  that  intelligence  is  but 
scantily  sprinkled  over  the  face  of  Spain ;  and 
that,  therefore,  enlightened  Spain,  and  en- 
lightened England,  ought  to  convey  very  dif- 
ferent ideas  of  numerical  strength. 

It  is  a  curious  fact,  that  the  adherents  of  the 
existing  government  should  be  the  fewest  in 
number ;  yet,  this  is  certainly  the  truth.    With 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  303 

the  exception  of  perhaps  the  majority  of  the 
employees,  a  part  of  the  regular  clergy,  and 
the  greater  part  of  the  army,  its  friends  are 
very  thinly  scattered ;  and  its  influence  scarcely 
extends  beyond  the  sphere  of  its  actual  benefits. 
Its  patronage  has  been  greatly  circumscribed 
since  the  lost  of  the  Americas ;  its  lucrative 
appointments  are  centred  in  a  few ;  and  above 
all,  its  power  and  patronage  are  held  bj''  so 
uncertain  a  tenure,  that  few,  excepting  those 
in  the  actual  enjoyment  of  office,  feel  any 
assurance  that  their  interests  lie  in  supporting 
that  which  seems  to  hang  together  almost  by 
a  miracle. 

The  only  security  of  a  despotic  government 
is  strength ;  and  this  security  the  Spanish 
government  wants  altogether.  It  has  no 
strength  in  the  affections  of  the  people  gene- 
rally;  and  even  among  t'le  military  and  em- 
ployees, which  are  its  only  strength,  there  are 
many  disaffected.  When  the  king  returned, 
after  the  overthrow  of  the  constitution,  every 
measure  was  adopted  that  might  give  a  ficti- 
tious strength  to  the  government :  a  clean 
sweep  was  made  of  all  the  employees,  from 
the  highest  to  the  lowest;   and  whether  hold- 


304  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

ing  their  offices  for  life,  or  at  pleasure.  These, 
under  the  constitution,  had  been  selected  from 
amongst  the  best  educated  classes ;  but  all 
who  had  been  connected  with  the  liberal  party 
being  excluded  from  employment  under  the 
succeeding  government,  the  public  offices  were 
necessarily  filled  up  with  persons  of  inferior 
station.  Another  stroke  of  policy  was  intended, 
in  the  distribution  of  office  :  in  no  country  is 
there  so  great  a  division  of  labour  in  public 
employments  as  in  Spain ;  the  duties  of  an 
office  formerly  held  by  one  person,  were  de- 
legated to  three,  and  the  emoluments  split  in 
proportion, — by  which  policy,  a  greater  num- 
ber of  persons  were  interested  in  upholding 
the  government. 

A  third  measure  of  policy  I  have  mentioned 
in  a  former  chapter ;  that  of  remodelling  the 
universities,  and  seminaries  of  learning,  and 
putting  them  under  the  superintendence  of 
Jesuits :  and  a  fourth,  was  intended  to  secure 
the  fidelity  and  increase  the  numerical  strength 
of  the  military.  To  effect  the  first  of  these 
objects,  a  new  body  of  guards,  in  all  nearly 
20,000  men,  was  raised,  and  officered  by 
children.     The  king  said,  he  would  not  have 


SPAIN  IN  18.30.  305 

a  single  officer  in  the  guards  old  enough  to 
understand  the  meaning  of  the  word  constitu- 
tion ;  and  even  now,  that  several  years  have 
elapsed,  the  officers  are,  almost  without  ex- 
ception, boys. 

To  protect  the  government  by  the  numerical 
strength  of  military,  his  majesty  invited  the 
organization  of  a  force  to  be  called  Royalist 
Volunteers,  to  come  in  place  of  the  national 
volunteers  who  existed  during  the  time  of  the 
constitution.  The  term  volunteer  was  a  mis- 
nomer; because  government  held  out  tempta- 
tions irresistible  to  the  lower  classes, — a  new 
suit  of  clothes,  and  pay  two  days  in  the  week, 
besides  some  other  little  gratuities :  the  con- 
sequence was,  that  a  body  called  Royalist 
Volunteers,  amounting  to  about  160,000,  was 
speedily  embodied.  Such  were  the  measures 
adopted  by  a  government  that  sought  to  base 
itself,  not  upon  the  affections  of  the  people,  or 
upon  its  own  merits;  but  which  trusted  rather 
in  the  zeal  of  hirelings,  the  precepts  of  Jesuits, 
and  the  purchased  bulwark  of  bayonets.  But 
these  acts  of  political  sagacity  have  added 
little  to  the  real  strength  of  the  government : 

VOL.   I.  X 


306  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

the  change  of  all  men  in  public  office,  made 
as  many  enemies  as  friends ;  and  the  exclusion 
of  so  many  educated  men,  created  a  necessity 
for  the  employment  of  many  low  and  unprin- 
cipled men,  who  by  their  bad  conduct,  have 
helped  to  lower  the  government  in  public 
opinion.  The  fetters  put  upon  education 
offended  many, — because  the  change  from  a 
better  to  a  worse  plan  of  education  was  soon 
perceived  by  the  heads  of  families,  in  the  more 
limited  range  of  knowledge  offered  to  their 
children;  and  the  establishment  of  a  volunteer 
force,  is  well  known  throughout  Spain  to  have 
endangered,  rather  than  strengthened  the  go- 
vernment. That  force  is  composed  for  the 
most  part  of  the  lowest  orders;  and  it  is  quite 
a  matter  of  notoriety,  that  the  great  majority 
of  these  men  are  Carlists, — a  thing  proved 
indeed  by  the  discovery  of  the  conspiracy,  in 
which  they  had  agreed  to  take  an  active  part. 
With  such  elements  as  those  which  compose 
the  adherents  of  government,  and  with  so  total 
an  absence  of  that  kind  of  support  to  which 
alone  an  absolute  government  dare  trust,  it 
seems  impossible  that  the  existing  govern- 
ment can  long  maintain  its  authority;  and  the 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  307 

probability  of  its  dissolution  will  appear  the 
greater,  by  citing  a  few  facts,  proving  its  utter 
rottenness;  its  perfect  contempt  of  honour  and 
justice  in  its  dealings  with  its  subjects;  and  its 
constant  and  flagrant  acts  of  oppression.  1 
cannot  well  separate  the  examples,  because 
the  bad  acts  of  the  government  are  not  simply 
oppression,  or  injustice ;  but  compounds  of 
oppression,  injustice,  and  weakness.  I  shall 
take  them  as  they  present  themselves  to  my 
memory. 

While  I  was  in  Madrid,  a  grandee,  a  favourite 
at  court,  whose  name  I  regret  I  cannot  recol- 
lect, being  deeply  in  debt,  and  harassed  by  his 
creditors,  and  unwilling,  although  extremely 
wealthy,  to  limit  the  number  of  his  enjoy- 
ments, went  to  the  king  and  laid  the  case 
before  his  royal  master;  who,  sympathizing  in 
the  pecuniary  distress  of  the  noble,  exercised 
the  prerogative  of  a  king  who  is  above  law,  by 
immediately  presenting  him  with  a  royal  order, 
by  which  he  was  secured  in  the  undisturbed 
possession  of  his  revenues  for  ten  years, — his 
creditors  being  interdicted  during  that  time 
from  making  any  demand  upon  their  debtor. 

X  2 


308  SPAIN  IN  1830, 

The  grandee  called  his  creditors  together;  and 
when  they  supposed  they  were  about  to  be 
paid,  he  produced  the  royal  order,  against 
which  there  was  no  appeal.  No  act  of  op- 
pression could  be  more  base  than  this  ;  it  was 
a  total  suspension  of  law,  exercised  without 
reason ;  a  royal  license  to  commit  robbery ; 
and  of  the  worst  kind,  the  robbery  of  the  poor 
by  the  rich.  It  is  more  than  probable,  how- 
ever, that  before  the  lapse  of  ten  years,  the 
signature  of  Ferdinand  VII.  will  have  ceased 
to  inspire  fear,  or  exact  obedience. 

The  following  circumstance  I  know  to  be 
true.  The  Duke  of  Liria  (Berwick)  having 
got  into  difficulties,  put  himself  under,  or  was 
put  under  secresto  (sequestration),  and  was 
allowed  10,000/.  per  annum  from  his  revenues. 
It  so  happened  that  the  duke  had  an  attack  of 
gout,  and  that  he  was  obliged  in  consequence 
to  absent  himself  a  few  weeks  from  court. 
One  evening,  while  he  was  sitting  at  home,  a 
letter  was  delivered  to  him,  sealed  with  the 
royal  seal ;  and,  upon  opening  the  letter,  he 
found  it  to  be  an  order  of  the  king,  that  he 
should  pay  2500/.  of  his  income  yearly  to  his 
grandmother  in  Paris.    Thus,  without  process, 


SPAIN  IN   1830.  309 

without  cause,  without  any  previous  intima- 
tion made  to  the  Duke  of  Berwick,  without 
any  opportunity  being  given  to  him  of  object- 
ing to  this  inroad  upon  his  property,  he  was 
deprived,  by  a  dash  of  the  king's  pen,  of  2500/. 
per  annum.  This  was  accomplislied  by  the 
intrigue  of  the  duke's  grandmother.  The 
sequel  to  the  story,  by  which  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  duke  regained  his  money,  does  not  in 
any  respect  alter  the  act  of  tyranny  that  de- 
prived him  of  it;  but  only  exemplifies  the  in- 
decision of  the  king's  character.  The  duchess, 
who  happened  to  be  a  spirited  woman,  and 
who  knew  the  character  of  the  king,  imme- 
diately ordered  her  coach,  drove  to  the  palace, 
asked  an  audience,  saw  the  king,  and  returned 
in  less  than  an  hour  with  the  revocation  of  the 
order  in  her  hand. 

While  at  Seville,  I  learned  some  very  gross 
instances  of  injustice  practised  by  the  govern- 
ment in  its  dealings  with  its  subjects.  My 
authority  could  not  be  more  authentic,  because 
my  informant — an  old  and  highly  respectable 
merchant — was  himself  the  person  who  had 
suffered.  A  debt  of  IGOO/.  was  due  to  him  by 
government,    upon   a   contract   for   supplying 


310  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

cartridge  boxes  ;  this  debt  had  been  some 
years  due,  and  he  had  applied  for  payment 
often,  and  in  vain.  At  length,  having  some 
other  business  in  Madrid,  he  resolved  to  at- 
tempt the  recovery  of  the  debt,  by  preferring 
his  claim  in  the  proper  quarter.  Day  after  day, 
he  went  to  the  minister ;  sometimes  he  was 
denied  admittance, — sometimes  he  saw  the 
minister,  and  was  always  treated  by  him  with 
the  utmost  rudeness :  this  was  his  first  trans- 
action with  government,  and  he  had  yet  to 
learn  its  way  of  doing  business.  One  day, 
when  he  was  leaving  the  minister,  and  slowly 
passing  towards  the  stair,  a  reverend  gentle- 
man touched  his  sleeve,  and  begged  to  know 
what  was  the  cause  of  his  frequent  visits  to 
the  minister :  the  merchant  told  him  his  busi- 
ness. "  And  do  you  expect  to  receive  pay- 
ment of  the  debt  ?"  demanded  the  priest.  "  I 
despair  of  it,"  replied  the  merchant.  "  Then," 
resumed  the  priest,  "  you  would  probably 
sacrifice  a  small  part  to  obtain  the  rest ;"  and 
upon  the  merchant  admitting  that  he  would 
gladly  do  this, — "  Come,"  said  the  priest, 
"^  to-morrow  early,  and  I'll  undertake  that  you 
shall  have  your  money !"    The  merchant  kept 


SPAIN  IN   1830.  311 

his  appointment;  the  priest  was  waiting — the 
merchant  never  saw  the  minister ;  and  in  less 
than  half  an  hour,  the  priest  put  into  his  hands 
an  order  for  1200/.,  upon  the  treasury  at  Se- 
ville; the  remaining  400/.  being  the  perquisite 
of  the  minister  and  his  emissary : — yet  even 
after  this,  it  was  necessary  to  sacrifice  another 
100/.,  before  payment  of  the  order  could  be 
obtained  at  Seville.  All  this  is  according  to 
usual  practice :  no  settlement  of  any  govern- 
ment account  can  be  obtained  without  makinar 
a  large  sacrifice ;  sometimes  as  much  as  a  third, 
or  even  a  half.  The  system  of  bribery  is  uni- 
versal, from  the  minister  to  the  lowest  official  : 
sometimes  the  individual  is  robbed,  sometimes 
the  treasury.  If  the  transaction  lie  between  the 
government  and  an  individual,  the  minister  and 
his  go-between  are  the  gainers,  and  the  con- 
tractor is  robbed.  If  the  affair  lie  between  indi- 
viduals and  employees — as  officers  of  the  cus- 
toms— afalse  return  of  duties  is  made  to  govern- 
ment; the  merchant  and  the  employee  pocket 
the  difference;  and  the  government  is  robbed: 
this  is  a  regular  part  of  the  settlement  of  every 
custom-house  transaction.  At  Malaga,  I  learnt 
a  curious  instance  of  this,  adding  another  to 


312  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

the  many  proofs  of  a  weak  and  disorganized 
government.  All  vessels  chartered  from  Gib- 
raltar for  Malta,  Corfu,  or  any  foreign  port  in 
the  Mediterranean,  but  carrying  part  cargo  for 
Malaga,  are  obliged,  while  they  remain  at 
Malaga,  to  deposit  all  goods  m  transitu  in  the 
custom-house,  as  a  preventive  against  smug- 
gling. Such  vessels  are  well  known  to  be 
freighted  with  English  goods,  or  with  tobacco, 
or  with  other  goods  either  prohibited,  or  upon 
which  high  duties  are  payable  :  in  fact,  the 
vessel  is  a  smuggler, — and  how  is  this  matter 
arranged  ?  The  captain  deposits  a  hundred 
bales  of  goods  in  the  custom-house,  being  the 
whole  of  the  goods  entered  for  the  foreign  port ; 
and  when  the  vessel  leaves  the  port,  the  same 
number  of  bales  must  be  shipped, — and  so 
they  are ;  but  during  their  deposit  in  the 
custom-house,  they  have  suffered  a  wonderful 
diminution  in  bulk.  Bales  which  measured  a 
yard  square,  are  reduced  to  the  size  of  foot- 
balls ;  the  bales,  such  as  they  are,  are  re- 
shipped  ; — the  vessel  has  disburdened  herself 
of  her  contraband  cargo,  and  in  place  of  pro- 
ceeding to  Malta,  returns  to  Gibraltar.  I 
relate  this,  not  of  course  as  an  example  of 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  313 

government  oppression  or  injustice,  but  as  a 
proof  of  the  lax  and  unhinged  state  of  the 
government,  and  of  the  total  want  of  integrity 
that  pervades  every  department  of  the  public 
service  :  and  before  recurring  to  other  in- 
stances of  government  oppression  or  injustice, 
let  me  mention  another  incident,  proving  that 
the  same  system  extends  even  to  the  army. 
A  regiment  of  cavalry  arrived  at  Granada 
sometime  last  spring;  and  the  soldiers  being 
in  want  of  new  spurs,  the  colonel  sent  for  a 
tradesman,  and  told  him  what  he  wanted. 
The  tradesman  named  a  certain  price  :  "  No," 
said  the  colonel,  "  you  must  let  me  have  them 
at  half  that  price;"  the  tradesman  agreed, 
premising  only  that  the  spurs  would  not  last 
a  week.  This  was  of  no  importance  to  the 
colonel;  the  spurs  were  delivered,  the  account 
was  made  out  at  the  price  first  demanded,  and 
being  presented  to  the  government  office,  the 
money  was  paid  ;  one  half  of  which  went  to 
the  blacksmith,  and  the  other  into  the  pocket 
of  the  colonel. 

The  following  case  of  extreme  hardship  was 
related  to  me  by  an  English  merchant  at 
Seville,  a  man  once  extremely  wealthy,  but 


314  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

who  has  suffered  irreparable  losses  from  the 
unjust  acts  of  the  government.  He  entered 
into  a  contract  with  government  to  supply  the 
whole  accoutrements  for  12,000  cavalry.  An 
order  so  extensive  required  great  outlay,  and 
constant  attention.  The  accoutrements  were 
completed ;  and  one  half,  according  to  the 
contract,  delivered  ;  and  when  the  time  nearly 
approached  for  the  delivery  of  the  remaining 
quantity,  an  intimation  was  received,  that  no 
more  could  be  taken,  because,  to  please  the 
people  of  Madrid,  it  was  necessary  to  employ 
the  workmen  of  the  capital.  Not  only  was 
there  no  indemnification  made  for  the  breach 
of  the  contract,  by  which  goods  to  the  value 
of  36,000/.  were  thrown  upon  the  merchant's 
hands ;  but  the  price  of  the  delivered  goods 
is  to  this  hour  unpaid.  Four  years  have 
now  elapsed,  and  he  has  no  expectation  of 
ever  receiving  one  farthing;  the  debt  being 
too  large  to  be  adjusted  by  the  sacrifice  of 
a  part. 

While  I  was  at  Seville,  considerable  discon- 
tent was  produced  by  a  most  unjust  act  of  the 
government.  All  arrears  of  taxes  due  upon 
houses  for  the  past  thirty  years,  were  claimed 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  315 

from  the  actual  proprietor :  the  consequence 
of  which  was,  that  upon  the  mere  shewing  of 
the  government  officer,  proprietors  were  forced 
to  pay  arrears  for  a  period  in  which  the  house 
was  in  other  hands,  and  even  in  many  cases, 
before  the  actual  proprietors  were  born ! 

But  more  flagrant,  at  least  more  violent, 
acts  of  injustice  and  oppression  are  some- 
times committed.  After  the  return  of  the 
king,  between  two  and  three  hundred  persons 
who  had  served  in  the  national  volunteers 
during  the  constitution,  were  seized  in  Bar- 
cellona,  and  shipped  to  Ceuta, — the  Spanish 
Botany  Bay, — ^where  they  now  remain.  Their 
crime  was  said  to  be,  unadvised  talk  in  the 
coffee  houses;  but  this  was  never  ascertained, 
because  no  form  of  trial  was  gone  through ; 
and  three  years  have  not  elapsed,  since  a  man 
was  hanged  at  Barcellona,  without  any  one 
knowing  what  crime  he  had  committed. 

The  truest  proofs  of  a  good  government,  arc 
just  laws ;  and  the  best  evidence  of  a  well 
organized  government,  is  to  be  found  in  their 
strict  execution.  Judging  the  Spanish  go- 
vernment by  these  tests,  it  will  appear  the 
worst  and  weakest  government  that  ever  held 


316  SPAIN  IN   1830. 

together.  Justice  of  no  kind,  has  any  exist- 
ence ;  there  is  the  most  lamentable  insecurity 
of  person  and  property:  redress  is  never  certain, 
because  both  judgment,  and  execution  of  the 
laws,  are  left  to  men  so  inadequately  paid, 
that  they  must  depend  for  their  subsistence 
upon  bribery.  Nothing  is  so  difficult  as  to 
bring  a  man  to  trial  who  has  any  thing  in  his 
purse,  except  to  bring  him  to  execution ;  this, 
unless  in  Madrid,  and  in  Catalunia,  where  the 
Conde  de  Espana  is  captain-general,  is  impos- 
sible ;  for  money  will  always  buy  indemnity. 
Every  thing  in  Spain  connected  with  the 
following  out  of  the  laws,  is  in  the  hands  of 
the  escrivanos  ;  these  are  the  friends  of  all 
bad  men :  for  whatever  be  the  action  a  man 
may  commit,  or  meditate,  he  has  only  to  con- 
fide in  the  escrivano,  and  pay  for  his  protec- 
tion. 

The  following  remarkable  fact,  I  had  from 
the  lips  of  an  eye-witness,  a  highly  respect- 
able American  merchant,  of  Malaga.  One  day 
last  winter,  two  butchers  quarrelled  in  the 
market-place,  and  got  to  high  words  ;  and  one 
of  them,  according  to  the  usual  practice  in 
such  cases,  put  his  hand  under  his  girdle,  and 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  317 

half  drew  forth  his  knife.  All  the  while,  an 
escrivano,  of  known  talent  in  his  profession — a 
man  who  never  allowed  any  one  who  confided 
in  him,  to  be  either  tried  or  executed,  stood 
close  by.  While  the  man  still  but  half  shewed 
his  knife,  as  if  uncertain  whether  to  use  it  or 
no,  the  escrivano  continued  to  jog  him  on  the 
elbow  :  **  Da  /e,"  (give  it  him),  said  the  law- 
yer, ^'aqui  estoy  yo  i'  (don't  you  see  that  I  am 
here,  so  that  no  harm  can  come  to  you).  The 
butcher,  however,  had  not  been  sufficiently 
roused,  for  he  put  up  his  knife ;  and  the 
escrivano,  turning  to  him  with  a  look  of  con- 
tempt, said,  "Alma  miserable!''  (mean-spirited 
creature),  "  and  so,  for  the  sake  of  400  or  500 
reals,  you  would  not  revenge  yourself  upon 
your  enemy." 

Before  concluding  these  examples  of  a  bad, 
weak,  and  tyrannical  government,  I  cannot 
refrain  from  mentioning  the  case  of  a  man, 
who  has  been  in  prison  ever  since  the  evacu- 
ation of  Spain  by  the  French  army  ;  and  who 
has  still  many  years  of  punishment  before  him. 

Shortly  after  the  Duke  D'Angouleme  took 
possession  of  Barcellona,  the  inhabitants  were 
one  morning  awoke  by  the  ringing  of  bells, 


318  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

and  other  tokens  of  rejoicing :  the  cause  of 
this  was  soon  announced  to  be,  that  the  Virgin 
of  Monte  Serrate,  an  image  of  silver  or  wood, — 
I  forget  which, — had  come  to  Barcellona,  of 
her  own  free  will,  probably  considering  herself 
more  secure  there,  than  in  the  convent  of 
Montserrat;  and  about  a  year  afterwards,  when 
it  became  evident  that  the  French  intended 
no  outrage  upon  the  convent,  it  was  given  out 
that  the  virgin  had  signified  her  intention  to 
return  ;  but  it  was  determined,  upon  this  occa- 
sion, that  she  should  not  be  allowed  to  return 
by  herself,  but  that  she  should  be  carried  with 
great  pomp.  A  Catalunian  peasant,  who  stood 
in  the  line  of  procession,  perhaps  with  better 
eye-sight — perhaps  with  less  faith,  than  his 
neighbours, — unfortunately  expressed  aloud, 
the  thought  that  passed  through  his  mind : 
*'  She  's  only  made  of  wood,"  said  he ; — and  for 
this  offence,  he  was  arrested,  tried,  and  con- 
demned to  ten  years'  imprisonment  in  the 
citadel ! 

These  various  facts  will  suffice,  I  think,  as 
proofs  of  that  which  I  intended  they  should 
illustrate  :  the  despotism  and  the  weakness  of 
the  Spanish  government — the  total  want  of 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  319 

integrity  that  characterizes  all  its  dealings — 
and  its  absolute  inefficiency  to  execute  the 
laws,  either  for  its  own  protection,  or  for  the 
redress  of  others. 

Such  being  the  condition  of  the  Spanish 
government,  we  are  naturally  led  to  ask  our- 
selves, "What  are  its  prospects?"  Is  it  to  be 
expected  that  a  government,  without  one  ele- 
ment either  of  virtue  or  of  strength — without 
the  physical  strength  that  may  long  support 
a  bad  government — and  without  the  moral 
strength  of  virtue,  will  be  able  long  to 
maintain  itself?  One  naturally  answers, — 
"  No,"  the  thing  cannot  be;  the  whole  system 
requires  ploughing  up,  and  it  is  impossible 
that  there  should  not  be  a  change,  and  that 
speedily! !  But  the  question  is,  what  change? 
After  the  French  revolution  broke  out,  a  change 
of  government  in  Spain  was  generally  ex- 
pected throughout  both  France  and  England; 
but  the  expectations  upon  this  subject  were 
certainly  grounded  upon  an  erroneous  notion 
of  the  state  of  public  feeling  in  Spain.  I  have 
no  party  to  serve  in  giving  my  opinion ;  it  is 
formed,  I  think,  without  prejudice,  upon  what 
I  have  seen  and  heard  while  in  the  country ; 


320  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

and  I  feel  a  confident  persuasion,  that  the 
change  hoped  for  by  every  friend  of  mankind, 
is  still  at  a  distance;  and  that  the  present 
government  must  yield  to  the  strongest  of  the 
two  parties  that  seek  its  downfal.  Spain,  I 
believe,  has  yet  to  pass  through  a  fiery  trial, 
before  her  days  of  freedom  and  happiness 
arrive :  the  change  first  to  be  expected,  is  one 
from  despotism  and  weakness  to  greater  des- 
potism and  greater  strength  :  and  this  will  be 
a  new  reign  of  terror.  I  am  not  stating  my 
own  opinion  merely,  but  the  opinion  of  the 
most  thinking  and  best  informed  classes  in 
Spain — liberals,  as  well  as  Carlists  and  roy- 
alists. With  many,  it  is  a  miracle  that  the 
party  of  Carlists  have  not,  long  ere  now, 
obtained  the  upper  hand  ;  a  fact  only  to  be 
accounted  for,  from  the  uncertainty  that  pre- 
vails as  to  the  sentiments  of  the  army.  I 
recollect  reading,  in  one  of  the  French  or 
English  newspapers,  a  statement,  that  about 
the  time  the  constitutionalists  prepared  to 
enter  Spain,  the  minister  sent  for  the  different 
commanding  officers  of  the  guards  stationed 
in  Madrid,  and  demanded  of  them  whether 
they  could  answer  for  their  respective   regi- 


SPAIN  IX  1830.  321 

ments  ;  and  that  the  rej3ly  was,  they  could 
answer  for  themselves  only :  this  statement 
was  true,  but  the  interpretation  put  upon  the 
answer  was  erroneous.  The  government  had 
at  that  time  greater  fears  of  the  Carlists  than 
of  the  Constitutionalists  ;  and  the  meaning  of 
the  officers,  when  they  said  they  could  answer 
only  for  themselves,  was  not — according  to  the 
interpretation  annexed  to  the  statement — that 
the  troops  were  supposed  to  be  of  liberal  sen- 
timents, but  that  it  was  feared  they  might  be 
attached  to  the  Carlists.  The  conspiracy  for 
elevating  that  party, — detected  during  the 
autumn,  —cannot  be  supposed  to  have  crushed 
it.  I  know  that  after  that  period,  meetings 
of  its  partizans  were  regularly  held ;  the  in- 
trigues of  the  clergy  still  continued  in  active 
operation ;  and  subsequently  to  that  period, 
the  birth  of  a  princess  left  the  male  succession 
open  to  the  sons  of  Don  Carlos. 

That  the  probabilities  of  a  change  to  greater 
in  place  of  to  less  despotism,  may  be  more 
obvious,  not  only  the  strength  and  influence 
of  parties  must  be  looked  to,  but  also  the 
peculiarities  of  Spanish  character.     Viewing 

VOL.   I.  Y 


322  SPAIN   IN  1830. 

the  present  state  of  Spain,  there  appears  to 
exist  a  necessity  for  a  more  enlightened  govern- 
ment; and  one  with  difficulty  persuades  him- 
self of  the  probability  of  a  revolution  which 
would  pull  down  one  despotic  government  to 
raise  another  more  despotic  in  its  place.    But 
an  Englishman  would  judge  very  erroneously 
of  the  prospects  of  Spain,  who  should  measure 
Spanish  feeling  by  his  own  ;  and  considering 
what  the  people  of  England  would  do  under 
similar  circumstances,    conclude   that  Spain 
will  do  likewise.     The  Spanish  government 
will  fall  by  its  weakness,  rather  than  by  its 
vices  ;  it  is  the  prospect  of  a  stronger,  not  of 
a  more  virtuous  government,  that  incites  the 
exertions  of  the  Carlists.      The  mass  of  the 
population  of  Spain  take   little  heed  of  the 
vices  of  the  government,  and  are  entirely  in- 
different   about     political    privileges.       The 
Basque   provinces,   which  are   the  most  en- 
lightened, have  little  to  complain  of;  for  they 
enjoy  a  multitude  of  privileges  and   exemp- 
tions which  are  well  defined,  and  jealously 
maintained :  and  as  for  the   Spaniard  of  the 
southern   provinces, — give  him  his  shade   in 
summer,  and  his  sunshine  in  winter ;  his  to- 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  323 

bacco,  his  melon,  his  dates,  his  bread,  and 
his  wine;  give  him  a  hole  to  creep  into,  and 
put  him  within  sound  of  a  convent  bell,  and 
he  asks  no  more  :  or  if  you  rise  a  degree  or 
two  in  society,  and  speak  of  the  respectable 
peasant,  then  give  to  him  his  embroidered 
jacket,  his  tasseled  hat,  his  guitar,  and  his 
mqja,  (sweetheart,  in  the  dialect  of  Andalusia), 
and  it  is  matter  of  indifference  to  him,  whether 
Spain  be  ruled  by  a  Caligula  or  a  Titus. 

The  love  of  ease  and  pleasure,  and  the  prone- 
ness  to  indolence  that  distinguish  the  charac- 
ter of  the  Spaniard,  especially  in  the  provinces 
south  of  Castile ;  and  his  total  ignorance  of  the 
uses  and  nature  of  political  freedom,  will  yet, 
for  many  years,  prove  a  barrier  to  the  progress 
of  free  institutions  in  the  Peninsula.  It  is 
true  that  this  contentedness  with  his  condi- 
tion,— this  unripeness  for  political  freedom, — 
this  ignorance  of  the  claims  of  his  species, 
ought  not  to  be  alleged  as  any  reason  against 
the  attempt  to  force  free  institutions  upon 
him.  It  is  that  very  ignorance,  that  unripe- 
ness, that  false  contentedness,  that  hasten  the 
necessity  for  revolution  ;  because  instruction, 
Y  2 


324  SPAIN   IN  1830. 

without  which  no  country  can  be  rendered 
fit  for  the  enjoyment  of  political  rights,  could 
never  carry  its  light  to  the  people,  under  a 
government  like  that  of  Spain. 

A  series  of  attempts  to  establish  liberal  in- 
stitutions in  Spain  may  be  necessary,  before  it 
be  found  possible  to  sustain  them ;  but  I 
believe  that  every  new  attempt  will  be  at- 
tended with  fewer  obstacles.  The  most  un- 
successful struggle  against  despotism,  must 
produce  good  effects :  accordingly,  I  do  not 
agree  in  opinion  with  those  who  contend,  that 
the  movements  of  1812  and  1820,  retrograded 
the  cause  of  liberty.  It  is  certain,  indeed, 
that  the  Spanish  liberals  then  attempted  im- 
possibilities ;  they  based  the  constitution  upon 
principles  of  liberty,  which  Spain,  nursed  so 
long  in  despotism,  was  unable  to  support; 
yet  the  glimpse  which  Spain  then  caught  of 
the  light  of  freedom, — the  knowledge  that  was 
conveyed  through  the  medium  of  a  free  press 
to  every  part  of  the  kingdom,  and  especially 
to  all  ranks  in  the  metropolis, — and  the  unre- 
strained interchange  of  sentiment,  opened  the 
eyes  of  many,  and  prepared  all,  for  a  future 
and  wiser  attempt.     Such   an  attempt  may 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  325 

yet  be  at  some  distance  ;  a  more  despotic,  but 
a  more  vigorous  government,  may  be  able  to 
repress,  for  some  years,  the  declaration  of 
principles  hostile  to  those  by  which  it  is  main- 
tained :  but  opinion  will  advance  neverthe- 
less ;  and  the  epoch  will  certainly  arrive  in 
the  history  of  Spain, — as  it  must  in  all  countries 
in  which  government  stands  still, — when  men's 
opinions,  which  change,  clash  with  institu- 
tions which  change  not. 

The  attempt  upon  the  Spanish  frontier 
which  followed  the  revolution  in  France, 
would  scarcely  deserve  notice,  but  for  the 
ignorance  which  it  shewed  of  the  state  of 
public  feeling  in  Spain.  I  was  then  in  Madrid ; 
and  I  think  1  may  venture  to  say,  that  this 
movement  created  less  sensation  in  Spain 
than  in  any  other  country  in  Europe.  An 
attempt  far  better  organized,  could  not  at  that 
time  have  met  with  any  success.  The  plans 
of  the  Carlists  were  then  advancing;  and  the 
party  was  becoming  every  day  more  a  subject 
of  embarrassment  and  alarm  to  the  govern- 
ment ;  but  the  views  of  that  party  were  a 
sufficient  security  against  the  designs  of  the 
other,  whose  ascendancy  would  at  once  have 


326  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

annihilated  the  hopes  of  the  Carlists,  It 
was  therefore  sufficiently  obvious,  that  if  the 
aspect  of  things  on  the  frontier  became  formid- 
able, the  interest  of  the  Carlists  would  lie  in 
strengthening  the  hands  of  government.  But 
all  the  well-informed  classes,  of  whatever 
party,  looked  upon  the  attempt  as  ill  advised, 
and  certain  of  failure.  I  conversed  at  that 
time  with  many  persons  of  liberal  sentiments, 
who,  with  scarcely  an  exception,  deprecated 
the  attempt  as  rash  and  useless ;  and  ex- 
pressed deep  regret  that  so  many  unfortunate 
men  should  expose  themselves  to  the  merciless 
policy  of  the  government.  It  was  well  known, 
that  both  the  Basque  Provinces  and  Cata- 
lunia, — the  two  points  at  which  the  entry  was 
made, — were  to  be  depended  upon  for  their 
loyalty,  or  their  ultraism — sentiments  alike 
hostile  to  the  liberals.  The  Basque  Provinces, 
which  enjoy  peculiar  privileges,  were  the  least 
interested  in  the  liberal  cause  ;  and  Catalunia, 
one  of  the  strong- holds  of  the  Carlists,  was 
governed  by  the  Conde  de  Espafia,  whose  great 
experience,  staunch  loyalty,  and  decided  cha- 
racter, are  always  considered  a  guarantee  for 
the  tranquillity  of  Catalunia.     It  was  never 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  327 

contemplated  by  the  Spanish  Government,  to 
meet  the  attempt  by  any  other  weapon  than 
force  ;  and  even  if  the  strength  of  the  Consti- 
tutionalists had  been  far  more  formidable,  and 
their  success  far  more  probable,  conciliatory 
measures  w^ould  have  been  impossible ;  it  is 
perfectly  understood  that  any  act  of  the  go- 
vernment savouring  of  liberalism,  would  at 
once  be  sealing  it  over  to  the  power  of  the 
Carlists. 

The  result  was  as  all  had  anticipated :  no 
indication  of  favourable  feeling,  on  the  part  of 
the  peasantry,  attended  the  movements  of  the 
invading  force  ;  and  without  this,  it  was  im- 
possible that  it  could  maintain  itself.  The 
events  that  took  place  upon  the  frontier,  were 
probably  better  known  in  England  than  in 
Spain :  at  all  events,  it  does  not  fall  in  with 
my  object  to  enter  into  a  detail  of  them. 


CHAPTER  X. 


THE  ESCURIAL— ST.  ILDEFONSO— SEGOVIA. 


Journey  from  Madrid;  First  View  of  the  Escurial ;  Philip  II.; 
Situation  of  the  Escurial;  the  Chuixh;  Lucas  Jordan;  the 
Relics ;  the  Santa  Forma ;  the  Sacristy  and  its  Pictures ;  a 
Reverie ;  the  Hall  of  Recreation  ;  the  Library ;  the  Tomb 
of  the  Kings ;  the  Manuscript  Library  ;  Ignorance  and  Idle- 
ness of  the  Monks,  and  Anecdotes ;  Manner  of  Life  among 
the  Monks;  the  Palace;  Particulars  of  the  Extent  and  Cost 
of  the  Escurial ;  Pedestrian  Journey  across  the  Sierra  Guader- 
rama  to  St.  Ildefonso ;  the  Palace,  Waters,  and  Garden  of 
La  Granja;  Road  to  Segovia ;  its  Remains,  and  Present 
Condition ;  Expensiveness  of  Royal  Honours  ;  Return  to 
Madrid. 

Before  leaving  Castile  for  Andalusia,  I  made 
two  excursions,  to  objects  well  deserving  a 
visit, — the  Escurial  and  Toledo.  To  the  for- 
mer of  these,  I  shall  dedicate  the  present 
chapter. 


SPAIN  IN  18:50.  329 

Having  hired  a  mule  und  a  guide,  I  left 
Madrid  one  charming  morning,  before  day- 
break; and  passing  out  of  the  city  by  the  gate 
de  San  Vincente,  I  proceeded  up  the  bank  of 
the  river  Manzanares  along  a  good  road,  bor- 
dered on  both  sides  by  poplars  and  willows. 
From  this  road,  the  palace  is  a  striking  and 
beautiful  object ;  and  the  sun  rising  shortly 
after  I  had  passed  the  gate,  its  blaze  reflected 
from  the  innumerable  windows,  produced  a 
magnificent  and  almost  magical  eftect.  A 
league  from  the  city,  the  road,  crossing  the 
river,  leaves  the  stripe  of  scanty  herbage  that 
borders  it,  and  enters  upon  the  wide  arid 
country,  that  extends  all  the  way  to  the  foot 
of  the  Sierra  Guaderrama.  Travelling  in  any 
direction  from  Madrid,  there  is  little  to  nar- 
rate ;  the  country  is  wholly  devoid  of  interest; 
there  is  scarcely  any  population;  and  no  tra- 
vellers are  seen  on  the  road,  to  relieve  its 
monotony,  or  attract  the  attention. 

During  four  leagues,  the  road  continues  to 
ascend  almost  imperceptibly,  and  then  climbs 
the  first  of  those  ridges,  that  are  connected 
with  the  outposts  of  the  Sierra  Guaderrama. 
From  the  lop  of  the  ridge,  about  four  leagues 


330  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

and  a  half  from  Madrid,  the  Escurial  is  first 
seen  reposing  at  the  foot  of  the  dark  moun- 
tain that  forms  its  back  ground  ;  and  although 
still  fourteen  miles  distant,  it  appears  in  all 
that  colossal  magnitude  that  has  helped  to 
earn  for  it  the  reputation  of  being  the  ninth 
wonder  of  the  world.  Between  this  point  and 
the  village  of  San  Lorenzo,  there  is  nothing  to 
interest,  excepting  the  constant  view  of  the 
Escurial,  increasing  in  extent,  rising  in  eleva- 
tion, and  growing  in  magnificence,  as  the 
summit  of  every  succeeding  ridge  discloses  a 
nearer  view  of  it.  After  a  ride  of  seven  hours 
and  a  half,  I  arrived  in  front  of  the  Escurial  a 
little  after  mid-day  ;  and  dismissing  my  mule. 
I  immediately  presented  myself  at  the  gate 
with  my  credentials.  These  were,  a  letter 
from  the  Marquesa  de  Valleverde,  to  El  muy 
Rev.  Padre  Buendia;  and  another  from  the 
Saxon  minister,  to  the  Librarian  to  the  Grand 
Duke  of  Hesse  Darmstadt,  M.  Feder,  who  had 
been  for  several  months  resident  in  the  Escu- 
rial, employed  in  collating  some  classical 
works.  The  monks  being  then  at  dinner,  I 
declined  interrupting  the  enjoyment  of  the 
Father  Buendia,  and  was  ushered  into  a  small 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  331 

apartment  in  one  of  the  angles  opposite  to  the 
Sierra,  where  I  remained  about  a  quarter  of 
an  hour,  while  the  monks  continued  their 
repast. 

Most  persons  know  that  the  Escurial  was 
erected  by  that  renowned  monarch,  Philip  II., 
— renowned  for  his  vices,  his  bigotry,  and  his 
ambition.  The  reasons  assigned  by  PhiHp  for 
the  erection  of  this  building  are  three-fold: — as 
a  token  of  gratitude  to  God,  on  account  of  the 
victory  gained  over  the  French  at  St.  Quintin  ; 
as  an  act  of  devotion  towards  the  holy  martyr 
San  Lorenzo  ;  and  in  fulfilment  of  the  wish 
expressed  in  the  last  will  of  Charles  V.,  that  a 
sepulchre  should  be  erected  wherein  to  de- 
posit the  bones  of  himself  and  the  empress, 
the  parents  of  Philip  II.  Another,  and  less 
ostensible  reason  assigned  by  this  religious 
monarch,  was  that  he  might  be  able  to  retire 
at  times  from  the  turmoil  of  the  court ;  and  in 
the  seclusion  of  a  royal  monastery,  profit  by 
the  lessons  of  holy  men,  and  meditate  upon 
theinstability  of  worldly  grandeur:  and  Philip 
shewed  in  his  practice  the  apparent  sincerity 
of  this  motive  ;  for  he  was  wont  often  to  be  an 
inmate  of  the  Escurial  ;  and  traits  of  his  dc- 


332  SPAIN   IN  1830 

votion  and  humiiity  are  yet  related  within  its 
walls. 

The  situation  chosen  for  the  Escurial  accords 
well  with  the  gloomy  character  of  its  royal 
founder.  There  is  no  town  or  city  nearer  to  it 
than  Madrid,  which  is  thirty-four  miles  dis- 
tant ;  a  wild  and  deserted  country  forms  its 
horizon ;  and  the  dark  defiles  and  the  brown 
ridges  of  the  Sierra  Guaderramn  are  its  cradle. 
In  the  building  itself,  Philip  royally  acquitted 
himself  of  his  vows;  for  a  structure  so  stu- 
pendous in  its  dimensions,  or  so  surpassing 
in  its  internal  riches,  is  nowhere  to  be  found. 
The  building  was  begun  in  the  year  1563, 
under  the  direction  of  Juan  Bautista  de  To- 
ledo, and  finished  in  1584;  Juan  de  Herrera 
presiding  over  the  work  during  several  years 
preceding  its  completion. 

My  meditations  were  interrupted  by  the 
welcome  entrance  of  Father  Buendia,  whom  I 
found  an  agreeable  and  rather  intelligent  man, 
although  a  great  worshipper  of  the  memory 
of  Philip  II.  I  was  first  conducted  into  the 
church  of  the  monastery,  which  certainly  ex- 
ceeds in  richness  and  magnificence  any  thing 
that  I  had  previously  imagined.       It  is  quite 


SPAIN  IN   1830.  333 

impossible  to  enter  into  minute  descriptions  of 
all  that  composes  this  magnificence :  the 
riches  of  Spain,  and  her  ancient  colonies, 
are  exhausted  in  the  materials  ;  — marbles, 
porphyries,  jaspers,  of  infinite  variety,  and  of 
the  most  extraordinary  beauty, — gold,  silver, 
and  precious  stones ;  and  the  splendid  effect 
of  the  whole  is  not  lessened  by  a  nearer  in- 
spection ;  there  is  no  deception,  no  glitter, — 
all  is  real.  The  vv^hole  of  the  altar-piece  in 
the  Capilla  Mayor,  upM'ards  of  ninety  feet  high 
and  fifty  broad,  is  one  mass  of  jasper,  por- 
phyry, marble,  and  bronze  gilded ;  the  eighteen 
pillars  that  adorn  it,  each  eighteen  feet  high, 
are  of  deep  red  and  green  jasper,  and  the 
intervals  are  of  porphyry  and  marble  of  the 
most  exquisite  polish,  and  the  greatest  variety 
of  colour.  It  is,  in  fact,  impossible  to  turn 
the  eye  in  any  direction  in  which  it  does 
not  rest  upon  the  rarest  and  richest  treasures 
of  nature,  or  the  most  excellent  works  of  art ; 
for  if  it  be  withdrawn  from  the  magnificence 
below,  by  the  splendour  of  the  ceiling  above, 
it  discovers  those  admirable  frescos  of  Lucas 
Jordan,  which  have  earned  for  him  the  charac- 
ter of  a  second  Angelo.   It  would  be  tedious  to 


334  SPAIN   IN   1830. 

enlarge  upon  the  subject  of  Jordan's  frescos  ; 
they  are  too  numerous  indeed  to  be  described 
within  the  limits  of  a  chapter  ;  but  they  com- 
prise, it  may  be  said,  the  whole  history  of  the 
Christian  Religion,  beginning  from  the  Pro- 
mises, and  are  excelled  only  by  the  works  of 
Angelo.  The  battle  of  St.  Quintin,  which 
ornaments  the  ceiling  of  the  great  stair-case, 
is  considered  to  be  one  of  the  most  excellent 
of  Jordan's  frescos. 

Lucas  Jordan  was  born  at  Naples  in  the  year 
1632.  His  father  chanced  to  live  near  Espa- 
naletto,  who  was  then  in  Italy  ;  and  Jordan, 
from  infancy,  was  constantly  in  his  neighbour's 
workshop.  At  nine  years  old,  he  is  said  to 
have  made  great  progress  ;  and  at  fourteen  he 
ran  away  from  his  father's  house,  and  went  to 
Rome,  where,  it  is  said,  his  father  following 
him,  found  him  in  the  Vatican  copying  Michael 
Angelo's  Last  Judgment.  At  Rome  he  was  the 
disciple  of  Pietro  de  Cortona;  and  he  after- 
wards visited  Florence,  Bologna,  Parma,  and 
Venice,  where  he  improved  himself  upon  the 
style  of  Paul  Veronese.  Subsequently  he 
went  to  Rome;  but  unable  to  forget  Veronese, 
he  again   returned  to  Venice,  w^here  he   re- 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  335 

niained  until  called  to  Florence,  in  1G57,  to 
paint  the  cupola  of  the  Capilla  Corsini  in  the 
church  of  Carmine.  He  was  afterwards  in- 
vited to  Spain  by  Charles  II.,  and  arrived  in 
Madrid  in  1692 ;  and  from  that  time  until  his 
death,  his  genius  was  employed  in  enriching 
the  palaces  and  convents  of  Spain,  particularly 
the  Escurial. 

Having  satisfied  my  curiosity  with  the 
church,  and  the  frescos,  I  wished  Father 
Buendia  to  conduct  me  to  the  sacristy,  where 
are  to  be  seen  those  glorious  creations  of  the 
pencil,  which  have  added  the  charm  of  beauty, 
to  the  grandeur  and  magnificence  of  the  Escu- 
rial. But  my  conductor  led  me  first  to  the 
relicary,  whose  contents  were  perhaps  more 
valuable  in  his  eyes  than  those  of  the  sacristy. 
In  this  relicary,  there  were  five  hundred  and 
fifteen  vases  before  the  invasion  of  the  French ; 
but  their  number  is  now  reduced  to  four  hun- 
dred and  twenty-two.  These  vases  are  of 
gold,  silver,  bronze  gilded,  and  valuable  wood; 
many  of  them  thickly  studded  with  precious 
stones:  and  upwards  of  eighty  of  the  richest 
of  these  vases  still  remain.  But  the  French, 
more  covetous  of  the  eold  and  silver  than  of  the 


336  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

relics,  made  sad  confusion  of  the  latter;  for 
not  caring  to  burden  themselves  with  bones, 
and  wood,  and  dirty  garments,  they  emptied 
the  little  gold  and  silver  vases  upon  the  floor, — 
irreligiously  mingling  in  one  heap,  relics  of 
entirely  different  value.    The  labels  indicating 
the  relics  having  been  upon  the  vases,  the 
bones,  &c.  were  without   any   distinguishing 
mark;  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  discriminate 
between  an  arm  of  St.  Anthonj'-,  and  the  arm 
of  St.  Teresa, — or  to  know  a  bit  of  the  true 
cross,  from  a  piece  of  only  a  martyr's  cross, — 
or  a  garment  of  the  Virgin  Sin  Pecada,  from 
one  of  only  the  Virgin  of  Rosalio  :  and  as  for 
the  smaller  relics, — parings  of  nails,  hair,  &c. 
many  were  irrecoverably  lost.     But  with  all 
this  confusion,  and  all  these  losses,  the  Escu- 
rial  is  still  rich  in  relics.     Several  pieces  of 
the  true  cross  yet  remain ;   a  bit  of  the  rope 
that  bound  Christ ;  two  thorns  of  the  crown  ; 
a  piece  of  the   sponge   that   was   dipped   in 
vinegar;  parts  of  His  garments,  and  a  fragment 
of  the  manger  in  v^hich  he  was  laid.     Making 
every  allowance  for  bigotry  and  excess  of  ill- 
directed  faith,  I  cannot  comprehend  the  feel- 
ing that  attaches  holiness  to  some  of  these 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  337 

relics :   it  is  impossible  to   understand  what 
kind  of  sacredness  that  is,  which  belongs  to 
articles   that   have   been  the  instruments   of 
insult   to   the   Divine  Being.     Besides   these 
relics  of  our  Saviour,  there  are  several  parts 
of  the  garments  of  the  Virgin;  there  are  ten 
entire  skeletons  of  saints  and  martyrs ;    the 
body  of  one  of  the  innocents,  massacred  by 
command  of  Herod ;  and  upwards  of  a  hun- 
dred heads  of  saints,  martyrs,  and  holy  men  ; 
besides  numerous  other  bones  still  distinguish- 
able. 

But  the  peculiar  glory  of  the  Escurial,  and 
its  most  wondrous  relic,  is  the  Santa  Forma, 
as  it  is  called ;  in  reality,  "  the  wafer,"  in 
which  the  Deity  has  been  pleased  to  manifest 
himself  in  three  streaks  of  blood;  thus  proving 
the  doctrine  of  transubstantiation.  This  relic 
has  been  deemed  worthy  of  a  chapel  and  an 
altar  to  itself.  These  are  of  extraordinary 
beauty  and  richness ;  and  adorned  with  the 
choicest  workmanship:  jaspers,  marble,  and 
silver  are  the  materials ;  and  bas  reliefs^  in 
white  marble,  relate  the  history  of  the  Santa 
Forma  ;  which  is  shortly  this.     It  was  origin- 

VOL.    I.  z 


338  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

ally  in  the  cathedral  church  of  Gorcum  in 
Holland,   and   certain   heretics   (Zuinglianos) 
entering   the   church,   took   this    consecrated 
host,  threw  it  on  the  ground,  trod  upon  the 
it,  and  cracked  it  in  three  places.     God,  to 
shew  his  divine  displeasure,  and  at  the  same 
time,  as  a  consolation  to  the  christians,  mani- 
fested himself  in  three  streaks  of  blood,  which 
appeared  at  each  of  the  cracks.     One  of  the 
heretics,  struck    with   the    miracle,    and   re- 
penting of  his  crime,  lifted  the  Santa  Forma 
from  the  ground,  and  deposited  it,  along  with 
a  record  of  the  miracle,  in  a  neighbouring  con- 
vent of  Franciscans,  who  kept  and  venerated 
it    long ;    the    delinquent,    who    abjured    his 
heresy,  and  who  had  taken  the  habit,  being- 
one  of  their  number.     From  this  convent  it 
was  translated  to  Vienna,  and  then  to  Prague; 
and  there  its  peregrinations  terminated :  for 
Philip  II.  being  a  better  Catholic  than  the 
Emperor  Rodolph,  prevailed  upon  the  latter 
to  part  with  it,  and  deposited  it  in  the  Es- 
curial ;  where  it  has  ever  since  remained.     It 
had  a  narrow  escape  from  being  again  trodden 
upon,  during  the  French  invasion :   upon  the 
approach  of  the  enemy  it  was  hastily  snatched 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  339 

from  the  sacred  depositary,  and  unthinkingly 
hid  in  a  wine  butt,  where  it  is  said  to  have  ac- 
quired some  new,  and  less  miraculous  stains : 
and  after  the  departure  of  the  French,  a  solemn 
festival  was  proclaimed  on  the  14th  of  October, 
1814;  upon  which  occasion,  his  present  ma- 
jesty, assisted  by  all  his  court,  and  by  half  the 
friars  of  Castile,  rescued  the  Santa  Forma  from 
its  inglorious  concealment,  and  deposited  it 
again  in  the  chapel  which  the  piety  of  Charles 
II.  had  erected  for  it.  The  Santa  Forma  is 
not  shewn  to  heretics ;  but  its  history  is  re- 
lated :  and  it  was  evident,  by  the  manner  of 
the  friar  who  related  it  to  me,  that  he  placed 
implicit  belief  in  the  miraculous  stains. 

Besides  the  general  relicary  and  the  peculiar 
chai)el  for  the  Santa  Forma,  there  is  another 
smaller  relicary,  called  the  Camarin,  into 
which  Father  Buendia  conducted  me.  Here 
I  was  shewn  an  earthen  pitcher,  one  of  those 
which  contained  the  water  that  Jesus  turned 
into  wine  ;  and  affixed  to  the  pitcher,  there  is 
a  writing,  narrating  the  manner  in  which  the 
vessel  found  its  way  into  the  Escurial.  I  was 
also  shewn  three  caps  of  Pope  Pius  V. ;  and  a 

7.  2 


340  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

stone  which  was  taken  from  his  Holiness' 
bladder ;  besides  several  manuscripts  written 
by  the  hand  of  St.  Teresa,  and  St.  Augustin ; 
and  the  ink-horn  of  the  former  saint. 

I  might  still  have  been  gratified  by  the  sight 
of  more  relics;  but  I  was  anxious  to  visit  the 
sacristy,  which  contains  relics  of  another  kind. 
The  sacristy  itself,  in  its  walls,  roof,  and  floor, 
equals  in  beauty,  any  part  of  the  Escurial ; 
but  the  beauty  of  jaspers  and  precious  stones, 
and  the  excellent  workmanship  of  many  rare 
and  beautiful  woods,  are  unheeded,  where 
attractions  are  to  be  found  so  far  excelling 
them.  It  is  in  the  sacristy  of  the  Escurial, 
where  the  choicest  works  of  the  most  illustrious 
painters  of  the  great  schools  are  preserved ; 
and  of  these  we  may  say,  what  can  rarely  be 
said  of  any  collection,  that  among  the  forty- 
two  pictures  that  adorn  the  sacristy,  there  is 
not  one  that  is  not  a  chef  (Tceuvre.  Among 
these,  there  are  three  of  Raphael,  one  of  them 
known  all  over  the  world  by  the  name  of  La 
Perla ;  two  of  Leonardo  da  Vinci ;  six  of 
Titian,  and  many  of  Tintoretto,  Guido,  Ve- 
ronese, and  other  eminent  masters.  La  Perla 
represents    the  Virgin  embracing   the    infant 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  341 

Jesus,  with  her  right  arm  round  his  body,  while 
he  rests  his  feet  upon  her  knee ;  the  Virgin's 
left  hand  lies  upon  the  shoulder  of  Saint  Anne, 
who  kneels  at  her  daughter's  side  ;  her  elbow 
resting  upon  her  knee,  and  her  head  supported 
by  her  hand.  The  child,  St.  John,  offers  fruits 
to  the  infant  Christ  in  his  little  garment  of 
camel-skin  ;  and  Jesus  accepting  them,  turns 
at  the  same  time  his  smiling  face  towards  his 
mother,  who  is  looking  at  St.  John.  Such  is 
the  subject  of  La  Perla,  a  picture  that  would 
have  placed  Raphael  where  he  now  stands 
among  the  illustrious  dead,  even  if  he  had  never 
painted  the  Transfiguration, — any  critique  upon 
a  painting  of  Raphael  would  be  impertinent. 
While  I  was  occupied  with  the  treasures  of 
the  sacristy,  a  bell  rang  for  prayers  ;  and  as  it 
was  contrary  to  the  rules  of  the  monastery  to 
leave  the  door  of  the  sacristy  open,  I  was 
locked  in,  while  Father  Buendia  went  to  his 
devotions.  This  was  precisely  the  most  agree- 
able thing  that  could  have  happened  :  a  large 
chair,  which  looked  as  old  as  the  days  of  Philip 
II.,  stood  below  the  altar  of  the  Santa  Forma ; 
and  drawing  it  into  the  middle  of  the  sacristy, 
and  sitting  down,  I  spent  the  next  half-hour 


342  SPAIN   IN   1830. 

luxuriously  ;  not  as  might  have  been  ima- 
gined, in  admiration  of  the  immortal  works 
around  me ;  but  in  a  waking  dream,  that  carried 
me  away  from  the  Escurial,  and  back  to  the 
days  of  boyhood,  when  throwing  aside  my 
Horace,  I  used  to  seize  an  old  book,  which  I 
have  never  seen  since  then,  called  "  Swin- 
burne's Travels,"  and  devour  the  descriptions 
of  the  Escurial ;  its  immensity,  its  riches,  its 
monks,  its  tomb  of  the  kings, — not  its  pictures, 
for  I  was  then  ignorant  of  even  the  name  of 
Raphael, — but  this  knowledge  came  later, 
and  all  was  blended  together  in  this  delicious 
reverie,  which  was  in  fact  a  vision  of  the  Es- 
curial, as  imagination  had  pictured  it  in  bygone 
days.  But  the  great  key,  entering  the  door, 
annihilated  twenty  years,  and  brought  me 
where  I  was,  seated  in  the  great  chair  in  the 
sacristy  of  the  Escurial ;  and  after  another 
glance  at  the  pictures,  I  followed  Father 
Buendia  to  the  old  church  and  the  cloister; 
but  in  passing  to  these,  we  entered  the  Hall 
of  Recreation,  or  as  it  is  called.  La  Sala 
Prioral.  Here  the  monks  assemble^at  cer- 
tain hours,  to  converse,  and  enjoy  each 
other's   society ;    and   for    this   pujpose,  they 


SPAIN  IN   1830.  343 

have  made  choice  of  the  most  comfortable 
room  in  the  monastery.  Although  in  Spain, 
and  only  the  beginning  of  September,  a  stove 
was  lighted ;  benches,  and  even  some  stuffed 
chairs,  were  scattered  here  and  there.  The 
windows  look  over  the  garden  and  fish-ponds, 
from  which,  on  meagre  days,  the  worthy  fathers 
contrive  to  eke  out  a  repast ;  and  the  walls  of 
the  hall  are  adorned  by  some  most  choice  pic- 
tures by  Peregrini,  Guercino,  Titian,  Guido ; 
among  others,  a  half-clothed  Magdalen,  by 
Titian, — scarcely  a  suitable  study  for  these 
holy  men ;  and,  **  Magdalen  at  the  Feet  of 
Jesus:"  ascribed  to  Correggio,  but  which, 
Mengs,  in  his  notices  of  the  life  and  works  of 
Correggio,  supposes  to  have  been  left  imper- 
fect by  that  master,  and  to  have  been  finished 
by  another  hand  :  but  it  is,  at  all  events,  a 
charming  picture. 

From  the  Sala  Prloral,  we  went  to  the  Iglcsia 
Viga,  which  is  remarkable  only  on  account  of 
its  pictures ;  among  which,  is  one  of  Raphael  : 
and  from  the  Iglesia  Vieja,  I  was  next  con- 
ducted through  the  cloisters,  also  adorned 
with  pictures,  to  the  great  Library.  This  is  a 
magnificent  room  ;    the  ceilings  in  fresco,  by 


344  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

Peregrini  and  Carducho,  represent  the  pro- 
gress of  the  sciences  ;  the  floor  is  of  chequered 
grey  and  white  marble ;  and  the  finest  and 
rarest  woods  encase  the  windows,  the  doors, 
and  the  books.  The  library  is  more  curious 
than  extensive ;  it  does  not  contain  more  than 
24,000  volumes,  but  many  of  these  are  scarce; 
and  among  others,  they  shew  a  copy  of  the 
Apocalypse  of  St.  John,  with  a  commentary, 
and  illuminated  borders,  and  the  devotional 
exercises  of  Charles  V.,  &c.  The  day  was 
almost  spent  before  I  reached  the  library ; 
the  light  streamed  but  dimly  through  the  deep 
windows ;  and  the  portraits  of  Charles,  and 
his  son, — the  gloomy-minded  founder  of  the 
monastery, — frowned  darkly  from  the  walls. 
It  was  too  late  to  examine  the  Manuscript 
Library;  and  making  an  appointment  with 
Father  Buendia  for  the  morning,  I  left  the 
Escurial  for  the  Posada,  where  I  had  ordered 
a  bed,  and  a  late  dinner.  I  was  offered  both 
refreshments  and  a  bed,  in  the  monastery ; 
but  having  a  better  opinion  of  the  dinner  I  had 
ordered  than  of  a  supper  in  the  refectory,  (for 
it  chanced  to  be  Friday),  I  forced  an  excuse 
upon  the  reverend  father. 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  345 

Although  it  was  ahiiost  niglit  within  the 
Escurial,  I  found  day  without.  It  was  yet 
too  early  to  expect  dinner  at  the  Posada;  and 
therefore,  skirting  the  small  straggling  village 
of  San  Lorenzo,  I  climbed  up  among  the  defiles 
and  ridges  of  the  sierra  that  forms  the  back- 
ground to  the  monastery  and  its  tributary 
village.  The  sun  had  already  set,  and  dusk 
was  creeping  over  the  distant  landscape  ;  and, 
excepting  the  vast  and  magnificent  building 
below,  there  was  scarcely  a  trace  of  human 
existence,  for  a  ridge  of  the  sierra  shut  out 
the  little  village  of  San  Lorenzo  :  and  the  only 
sound  I  heard,  was  the  bell  from  the  monas- 
tery. To  me,  there  is  nothing  poetic  in  a 
convent  bell ;  it  only  reminds  me  of  bigotry 
and  ignorance,  absurd  penance,  or  sinful  hypo- 
crisy. It  was  almost  dark  before  I  reached 
the  Posada,  where  I  had  the  pleasure  of  pass- 
ing an  agreeable  evening  with  M.  Feder, 
whom  I  have  spoken  of  already,  and  must 
always  speak  of,  as  a  learned  and  an  amiable 
man. 

Next  morning,  I  again  claimed  the  good 
offices  of  Father  Buendia,  and  was  conducted 
by  him  to  "the  Tomb  of  the   Kings;"   per- 


346  SPAIN   IN   1830. 

haps  the  most  magnificent  sepulchre  in  the 
world.  It  is  impossible  to  conceive  any  thing 
more  gorgeous  than  this  mausoleum  :  the  de- 
scent is  by  a  deep  staircase,  underneath  the 
great  altar  of  the  church ;  the  walls  of  the 
staircase  being  entirely  of  blood-jasper,  of  the 
utmost  beauty  and  polish.  The  mausoleum 
itself  is  circular ;  the  walls  are  of  jasper,  and 
black  marble  :  and  in  rows,  one  over  another, 
are  ranged  the  coffins  of  the  kings  of  Spain. 
They  are  all  here,  these  masters  of  a  hemi- 
sphere !  a  little  dust  in  these  gorgeous  urns,  is 
all  that  remains  of  the  mighty  kings  whose 
deeds  fill  volumes — of  Charles,  who  kept  the 
world  in  a  flame,  and  left  it  for  a  cloister, — of 
Philip,  for  whose  ambition  and  crimes  it  was 
too  narrow.  Death  certainly  owns  no  other 
palace  like  this.  The  queens  of  Spain  are  not 
all  here ;  only  those  who  have  given  birth  to 
an  heir  to  the  throne.  There  are  eight  kings, 
and  eight  queens,  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
mausoleum ;  and  a  splendid  urn  stands  empty 
and  open,  destined  to  receive  the  present  in- 
heritor of  the  throne,  who,  when  he  visits  the 
Escurial,  never  fails  to  enter  his  tomb,  there  to 
receive,  if  not  to  profit  by,  a  lesson  upon  the 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  347 

duties  of  kings,  and  the  common  destinies  of 
all.  A  lamp,  always  burning,  is  suspended 
from  the  centre  of  the  mausoleum,  giving  just 
sufficient  light  to  make  legible  the  names  of 
its  owners,  inscribed  in  gold  letters  upon  a 
bronze  tablet.  I  did  not  enter  the  Pantheon 
of  the  Infantas,  which  contains  no  fewer  than 
fifty- nine  urns. 

From  the  mausoleum,  I  was  conducted  to 
the  Manuscript  library,  which  is  far  more 
valuable  than  the  other.  Although,  previous 
to  the  conflagration  in  1671,  it  contained  many 
more  treasures  than  it  does  now,  it  is  still  one 
of  the  most  valuable  manuscript  libraries  in 
Europe.  The  number  of  manuscripts  yet  pre- 
served there,  exceeds  4000 ;  nearly  one  half 
of  the  whole  being  Arabic,  and  the  rest  in 
Latin,  Greek,  Hebrew,  and  the  vulgar  tongues. 
I  shall  name  a  very  few  of  the  most  remark- 
able. There  are  two  copies  of  the  Iliad,  of 
the  tenth  and  twelfth  centuries ;  but  these 
are  not  scarce ;  and  indeed,  a  very  great 
number  of  the  manuscripts  are  copies  of  origi- 
nals preserved  in  the  libraries  of  Italy.  There 
are  many  fine  and  ancient  Bibles,  particularly 
in  Greek  ;  and  one  Latin  copy  of  the  Gosi)els, 


348  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

of  the  eleventh  century.  There  are  two  books 
of  ancient  councils,  in  Gothic  characters,  and 
illuminated ;  the  one  of  the  year  976,  called 
the  Codigo  Vigilano,  because  written  by  a 
monk  called  Vigilia;  the  other  of  the  year 
994,  written  by  a  priest  named  Velasco.  A 
very  ancient  Koran  is  also  shewn  ;  and  a  work 
of  some  value,  written  in  six  large  volumes,  as 
it  is  said  by  the  command  of  Philip  II.,  upon 
the  Revenues  and  Statistics  of  Spain.  But 
the  most  ancient  manuscript  is  one  of  poetry, 
written  in  the  Longobardic,  and  dated  as  far 
back  as  the  ninth  century.  The  Arabic  manu- 
scripts are  also  many  and  curious ;  and  the 
manner  in  which  these  came  into  the  hands 
of  the  Spaniards  was  accidental.  Pedro  de 
Lara  being  at  sea,  met  some  vessels  carrying 
the  equipage  of  the  Moorish  king  Zidian : 
these  vessels  he  fought  with,  and  took ;  and 
found  among  other  precious  things,  more  than 
three  thousand  Arabic  manuscripts.  The 
Moorish  king,  subsequently  offered  sixty 
thousand  ducats  for  their  restitution ;  but  the 
overture  was  rejected,  and  restitution  was  pro- 
mised only  on  condition  that  the  whole  of  the 
Christian   captives   should  be   released ;    but 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  349 

this  demand   not  being  complied   with,    the 
manuscripts  were  sent  to  the  Escurial. 

The  monks  of  the  Escurial  live  too  much  at 
their  ease  to  acquire  habits  of  study.  The 
monks  in  the  olden  time  were  not  altogether 
useless ;  for  to  their  industry  and  perseverance 
we  owe  the  preservation  and  multiplication 
of  many  of  the  most  esteemed  authors  of  anti- 
quity :  but  the  friars  of  the  present  day  have 
sadly  degenerated ;  they  make  no  use  of  the 
treasures  which  their  convents  contain ;  and 
of  this  truth,  the  monks  of  the  Escurial  afford 
a  lamentable  example.  A  gentleman  with 
whom  I  am  acquainted,  and  who  passed  the 
whole  of  every  day  during  three  months  in  the 
library  of  the  Escurial,  assured  me  that  all 
that  time,  not  one  friar  ever  entered  to  ask  for, 
or  examine  a  book.  I  am  acquainted  with 
another  proof  of  the  ignorance  or  idleness  of 
the  monks  of  the  Escurial.  A  literary  society 
in  one  of  the  German  states,  being  desirous  of 
publishing  the  works  of  the  elder  Pliny,  and 
believing  that  some  assistance  might  be  ob- 
tained from  the  library  of  the  Escurial,  applied 
to  the  Spanish  government  upon  the  subject ; 
and  orders  were  accordingly  given  to  the  libra- 


350  SPAIN   IN   1830. 

rian  of  the  Escurial,  to  search,  and  to  report 
upon  the  works  of  Pliny  contained  in  the 
library.  An  answer  was  given,  that  it  con- 
tained no  complete  or  useful  work  of  Pliny, — 
but  only  an  abbreviation.  A  literary  gentle- 
man, however,  from  the  same  German  state, 
having  obtained  access  to  the  library  for  other 
purposes,  found  two  perfect  copies  of  Pliny's 
Natural  History.  It  is  scarcely  possible  to 
suppose  that  the  librarian  could  have  been 
ignorant  of  the  existence  of  these ;  and  the 
only  alternative  therefore  is,  that  he  denied 
any  knowledge  of  them,  from  the  dread  of 
receiving  some  command  that  might  interfere 
with  his  love  of  idleness. 

At  present  there  are  one  hundred  monks  in 
the  monastery  of  the  Escurial ;  and  from  all 
that  I  could  learn,  they  have  no  great  reason 
to  complain  of  their  lot.  The  order  of  St.  Ge- 
ronimo,  to  which  they  belong,  is  not  one  of  the 
strict  orders :  it  allows  a  good  table  and  un- 
interrupted rest ;  and  prescribes  few  fasts,  and 
probably  no  penance.  Each  monk  has  at  least 
two  apartments,  and  a  small  kitchen  where  a 
little  refresco  may  be  prepared  at  any  time, 
without  troubling  the  cooks  below.     There  are 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  351 

many  fine  terraces  round  the  building,  and  a 
tolerably  shady  garden,  where  the  fathers  have 
the  benefit  of  air,  without  hard  exercise ;  and 
in  the  fish  ponds,  there  is  an  inexhaustible 
source  of  amusement,  in  which  the  kino-  when 
he  visits  the  Escurial,  condescends  to  join 
every  day  after  dinner.  I  saw  no  monk,  who 
did  not  seem  contented  ;  and  although  with 
the  opportunities  which  they  enjoy,  they  are 
both  idle  and  ignorant,  I  found  them  tolerably 
well  informed  upon  common  topics,  and  greatly 
interested  in  the  news  of  the  day.  It  would 
seem,  however,  that  they  have  not  much  access 
to  know  what  passes  in  the  world  ;  for  one  of 
their  number  preferred  a  request  to  me,  that 
before  leaving  Madrid,  I  would  write  him  a 
letter  containing  the  latest  news  from  France, 
and  from  the  frontier  :  scarcely  any  one  but  a 
monk  dared  have  made  such  a  request;  but 
the  friars  are  a  privileged  class. 

The  palace  adjoining  the  monastery,  is 
scarcely  worth  a  visit  after  seeing  the  magnifi- 
cence of  the  latter:  any  where  else,  it  would 
be  a  splendid  edifice.  I  merely  walked  through 
the  apartments.  Altogether,  although  the  Es- 
curial be  scarcely  entitled  to  the  appellation 


352  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

of  the  ninth  wonder  of  the  world  ;  it  is  confess- 
edly the  most  wonderful  edifice  in  Europe, 
whether  in  dimensions  or  riches.  To  give 
some  better  idea  of  these,  than  a  general  de- 
scription can  convey,  I  shall  add  the  following 
short  enumeration. 

In  the  Escurial,  there  are  fifty-one  bells ; 
forty-eight  wine  cellars  ;  eighty  staircases  ; 
seventy-three  fountains  ;  eight  organs  ;  twelve 
thousand  windows  and  doors ;  and  eighteen 
hundred  and  sixty  rooms.  There  are  fifteen  hun- 
dred and  sixty  oil  paintings ;  and  the  frescos, 
if  all  brought  together,  would  form  a  square  of 
eleven  hundred  feet.  The  circumference  of 
the  building,  is  4800  feet — nearly  three  quar- 
ters of  a  mile. 

From  a  book  kept  in  the  monastery,  con- 
taining an  account  of  the  sums  expended  on 
the  building,  &c.,  I  made  the  following  ex- 
tracts, which  may  be  esteemed  by  some,  as 
curious.  The  mason-work  of  the  monastery 
cost  5,512,054  reals ;  the  marbles,  porphyries, 
and  jasper  employed  on  the  church,  cost 
5,343,825  reals;  the  labour  of  placing  each 
square  on  the  floor,  thirteen  reals  ;  the  painting 
of  the  church,  including  the  frescos  of  Jordan, 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  353 

291,270  reals;   the  organs  295,997  reals ;  the 
workmanship  of  the  choir  (the  king  having  pre- 
sented the  wood)  206,200  reals;  the  two  hun- 
dred and  sixteen  volumes  used  in  the  choir, 
493,284  reals  ;  the  whole  of  the  bronze  railings 
556,828  reals ;  the  wood,  lead,  bells  and  gilding 
of  the  church,  3,200,000  reals  ;  the  paintings  of 
the  library,  199,822  reals  ;  the  ornaments  of  the 
sacristy,  4,400,000  reals  ;  the  materials  of  the 
mausoleum,   1,826,031  reals.     This  is  but  a 
very  small    part  of  the  cost    of  the   edifice, 
because  here  are  none  of  the  gold  and  silver 
ornaments,  urns,  or  precious  stones ;  none  of 
the  bronze,  except  the  railings ;  none  of  the 
oil  paintings  ;  nor  almost  any  part  of  the  work- 
manship.   I  have  stated  the  cost  in  reals,  as  it 
appears  in   the  book ;    but  any  of  the  sums 
divided  by  100,  will  give  the  value  in  pounds 
sterling  nearly,  though  not  precisely. 

After  having  seen  all  that  merits  observation 
in  the  interior  of  the  building,  I  walked  over 
the  terraces  and  gardens,  where  I  met  many 
of  the  holy  fathers  taking  their  evening  prome- 
nade, several  with  segars  in  their  mouths ;  and 
then  leaving  the  garden,  1  extended  my  walk 

VOL.  I.  2  a 


354  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

to  a  country  house  which  the  present  kmg 
built  and  adorned :  there  is  nothing  regal  about 
the  place,  excepting  a  picture  of  his  majesty. 

My  intention  being  to  pass  the  Sierra  Gua- 
darrama  to  visit  St.  Ildefonso  and  Segovia,  I 
inquired  for  a  mule  at  the  village  where  I 
slept ;  but  the  price  demanded  was  so  ex- 
orbitant— no  less  than  six  dollars  each  day, 
besides  the  maintenance  of  the  guide — that  I 
resolved  to  save  the  expense  altogether,  by 
being  a  pedestrian,  and  my  own  guide.  This 
determination,  I  however  kept  to  myself,  be- 
cause it  is  never  prudent  in  Spain,  to  pub- 
lish an  intention  of  making  a  solitary  journey. 

Next  morning,  I  left  the  Escurial  at  the 
earliest  dawn;  and  following  the  only  road  I 
saw  leading  to  the  North,  I  soon  found  myself 
ascending  among  the  ridges  of  the  Sierra. 
The  sun  rose  when  1  had  walked  about  an 
hour.  The  morning  was  fresh,  and  even  chill ; 
but  the  sky  was  blue  and  cloudless,  the  sun- 
shine bright,  and  the  air  bracing  and  elastic ; 
the  road,  too,  became  more  interesting  as  I 
ascended  higher, — entering  into  the  heart  of 
the  mountain,  and  abounding  in  those  moun- 
tain views,  which  have  so  many  charms  be- 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  355 

yond  the  dull  monotony  of  a  plain.  I  did  not 
meet  a  single  traveller  during"  the  first  three 
hours ;  and  I  passed  three  crosses,  one  of 
them  recording  a  murder  committed  so  lately 
as  the  year  1828,  upon  a  merchant  of  Segovia. 
About  four  leagues  from  the  Escurial,  I  passed 
a  small  house,  situated  in  a  little  hollow,  at  a 
short  distance  from  the  road  :  and  althouirh  1 
should  have  been  glad  to  rest  awhile,  and  take 
what  refreshment  the  house  afforded,  its  situa- 
tion was  so  solitary,  and  the  scenery  around 
so  desolate,  that  I  judged  it  safer  to  continue 
my  journey.  Shortly  after  passing  this  house, 
I  reached  the  Puerto  de  Fuenfria,  the  summit 
of  the  Sierra;  taking  its  name,  "Pass  of  the 
Cold  Fountain,"  from  some  icy  springs  that 
bubble  near  ;  from  one  of  which  I  took  a  long 
and  refreshing  draught.  The  scenery  here  is 
of  the  wildest  description.  The  mountain  is 
full  of  deep  cuts  and  ravines,  most  of  them 
the  courses  of  winter  torrents ;  aged  and 
stunted  pines  hang  upon  their  edges,  and  are 
strewn  upon  the  brown  acclivities  around ; 
while  bare,  huge,  misshapen  rocks  project 
over  the  path,  and  often  force  it  to  skirt  the 
brink  of  giddy  and  undefended  precipices. 
2  A  2 


356 


SPAIN  IN  1830, 


When  the  Pass  lays  open  the  view  to  the  north 
of  the  Sierra,  the  prospect  is  fine  and  extensive ; 
but  anxious  to  reach  St.  Ildefonso,  I  scarcely 
paused  to  survey  it ;  and  in  less  than  two 
hours  more,  I  delivered  my  letter  to  Don 
Mateo  Frates,  governor  of  the  palace. 

The  palace  of  St.  lldefonso,  or  as  it  is  more 
commonly  called  in  Spain,  La  Granja,  was 
built  by  Philip  V.,  who  undoubtedly  made  a 
better  choice  than  his  predecessor,  the  founder 
of  the  Escurial ;  for  if  a  cool  breeze  is  any 
where  to  be  found  in  Spain  during  the  heat  of 
summer,  it  is  at  St.  lldefonso  that  it  must  be 
sought.  It  is  placed  in  a  spot  where  the 
mountains  fall  back,  leaving  a  recess  sheltered 
from  the  hot  air  of  the  south,  and  from  much  of 
its  sun ;  but  exposed  to  whatever  breeze  may  be 
wafted  from  the  north.  The  immediate  accli- 
vity towards  the  south,  is  occupied  by  the 
garden,  which,  although  somewhat  formal  in 
the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  palace,  is 
full  of  shade  and  coolness.  Almost  every  one 
has  heard  of  the  waters  of  La  Granja ;  these 
were  politely  oifered  to  be  displayed  for  my 
amusement;  but  artificial  water- works  have 
no  great  charms  for  me  ;  and  besides,  when 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  357 

we  see  the  fountains,  it  is  not  difficult  to  fancy 
the  play  of  the  waters.  I  have  no  doubt,  how- 
ever, that  the  effect  is  striking ;  and  during 
the  heats  of  summer,  so  many  jets  must  pro- 
duce an  agreeable  influence  upon  the  sur- 
rounding atmosphere.  The  fountains  and  falls 
are  innumerable  ;  one  of  them,  Fame  seated 
on  Pegasus,  raises  a  jet  to  the  height  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty- two  feet ;  and  in  another 
spot,  called  the  Plazuela  de  las  ocho  Calles, 
eight  fountains  unite,  forming  a  beautiful  and 
chaste  temple  of  the  Ionic  order,  adorned  by 
columns  of  white  marble.  The  expense  of 
constructing  the  garden  of  La  Granja  has  been 
enormous ;  it  has  generally  been  computed 
to  amount  to  upwards  of  seven  millions  ster- 
ling. 

The  principal  front  of  the  palace  faces  the 
garden ;  it  is  one  hundred  and  eighty  yards 
long,  and  in  every  respect  palace-like  ;  but  it 
struck  me  as  being  too  large,  too  formal,  and 
too  fine,  to  be  in  perfect  keeping  with  the  sur- 
rounding scenery ;  the  wild  defiles  of  the 
Sierra  Guadarrama  required  a  different  kind 
of  palace.    The  interior  is  in  every  thing  regal ; 


358  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

and  is  adorned  by  some  choice  works  of  the 
first  masters ;  though  many  which  formerly 
belonged  to  this  palace  have  been  removed  to 
the  Madrid  museum. 

In  speaking  of  St.  Ildefonso,  let  me  not 
omit  to  mention  the  renowned  manufactory  of 
mirrors ;  which  are,  at  all  events,  the  largest, 
if  not  the  finest  in  the  world.  The  mould  in 
which  the  largest  are  made,  is  thirteen  feet 
and  a  half  one  way,  seven  feet  nine  inches  the 
other,  and  six  inches  deep.  Some  of  the 
mirrors  made  at  St.  Ildefonso,  have  found 
their  way  into  most  of  the  royal  palaces  of 
Europe. 

I  supped  luxuriously  upon  venison,  and  ac- 
cepted a  bed  in  the  palace ;  but  before  retiring 
to  it,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  partaking  of  a  bot- 
tle of  Valde  Penas  from  the  king's  cellar.  This 
is  a  wine  of  which  no  idea  can  be  formed, 
judging  of  it  by  the  samples  commonly  found 
either  in  the  public  or  private  houses  of  Ma- 
drid. Like  many  other  of  the  Spanish  wines, 
it  requires  age  to  mellow  it ;  and  it  has  be- 
sides most  commonly  acquired,  less  or  more, 
a   peculiar   flavour  from  the  skins  in  which 


SPAIN  IN   1830.  359 

it  is  brought  from  La  Maiicha.  The  king's 
wine  is  no  doubt  carried  in  some  other 
fashion. 

Segovia  is  only  two  leagues  from  La  Granja, 
and  I  had  intended  to  have  been  there  to  an 
early  breakfast;  but  whether  it  be  that  one 
sleeps  sounder  in  a  palace  than  elsewhere,  or 
that  Val  de  Penas  is  of  a  soporific  quality,  it 
is  certain,  that  in  place  of  awaking  as  usual 
before  day-break,  half  the  mountain  was 
bathed  in  sunbeams  when  I  looked  out  of  my 
window.  I  found  a  good  breakfast  of  coffee 
and  its  adjuncts  (a  rare  luxury  in  Spain) 
waiting  me  below ;  and  I  also  found  that  a 
horse  and  a  servant  were  in  readiness  to  facili- 
tate my  transport  to  Segovia.  I  would  will- 
ingly have  dispensed  with  this  kindness ;  for 
although  I  have  no  objection  to  a  horse, 
guides  and  attendants  of  every  kind  arc  my 
abhorrence  ;  but  there  was  no  escape, — and  I 
left  La  Granja  mounted  and  escorted. 

The  road  betwixt  La  Granja  and  Segovia, 
is  particularly  pleasing  :  it  lies  along  the  ridges 
of  the  Sierra, —  ascending  and  descending, 
and  catching  every  moment  chaiining  views 
both  of  mountain  scenerv,  and  of  a  more  cul- 


360  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

tivated  and  living  landscape.  The  morning 
was  beautiful,  even  for  Spain,  v^here  all  the 
mornings  are  beautiful ;  and  I  went  no  faster 
on  my  royal  charger  than  if  I  had  been  on 
foot, — often  pausing  to  admire  the  surrounding 
prospects  :  these  did  not  rise  into  the  sublime, 
nor  could  they  be  classed  with  the  beautiful 
or  the  romantic ;  but  they  were  varied  and 
agreeable — soothing  and  exhilarating  by  turns : 
deep  silent  valleys,  running  up  into  the  moun- 
tains, spotted  with  pine,  and  covered  with  the 
enamel  of  beauteous  heaths  ;  streams,  glanc- 
ing like  liquid  silver,  or  spreading  over  little 
hollows,  gleaming  like  mirrors  set  in  a  rugged 
frame ;  smooth  knolls,  grown  over  with  aromatic 
plants  and  flowering  shrubs ;  and  herds  of 
gentle  deer,  raising  their  heads,  advancing  at 
a  short  run,  and  then  stopping  to  gaze  at  me 
as  I  passed  by.  These  deer,  however,  so 
beautiful  to  look  at,  are  a  scourge  to  this  part 
of  the  country,  which  is  in  most  parts  sus- 
ceptible of  cultivation ;  and  which,  but  for  the 
license  allowed  these  favourite  animals,  might 
yield  an  abundant  produce. 

The  first  sight  of  the  celebrated  aqueduct 
disappointed  me  ;    because  it  merges  imper- 


SPAIN   IN  1830.  361 

ceptibly  among  the  houses  ;  but  if  contem- 
plated in  its  individual  parts,  and  followed 
throughout  its  range,  it  rises  into  that  conse- 
quence which  has  been  universally  accorded 
to  it.  It  contains  no  fewer  than  one  hundred 
and  fifty-nine  arches ;  its  length  is  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  yards;  and  the  height,  in 
crossing  the  valley,  is  ninety-five  feet.  I  will 
not,  however,  avow  an  enthusiasm  which  I 
did  not  feel.  The  celebrated  aqueduct  of 
Segovia  failed  to  make  so  strong  an  impression 
upon  me  as  the  Pont  de  Garde,  near  Nismes. 
This  I  must  ever  look  upon  as  one  of  the  most 
majestic  and  striking  relics  of  antiquity  now 
extant. 

I  regret  that  I  was  tempted  to  avail  myself 
of  an  opportunity  of  returning  to  Madrid, 
which  left  me  too  little  time  to  devote  to 
Segovia.  I  arrived  in  Segovia  about  mid-day, 
and  chanced  to  learn  that  digallero,  on  springs, 
would  leave  Segovia  next  morning,  at  four 
o'clock,  and  reach  Madrid  the  same  day.  To 
walk  once  from  the  Escurial  to  Segovia,  was 
rather  desirable  than  otherwise,  but  a  repeti- 
tion of  the  walk  would  have  been  tedious  ; 


362  SPAIN   IN   1830. 

and  as  no  other  conveyance  was  likely  to  leave 
Segovia  for  some  days,  I  agreed  to  be  the 
fifth  passenger,  and  had  therefore  only  a  few 
hours  to  devote  to  Segovia.  But  this  time 
sufficed  for  the  aqueduct,  the  cathedral,  and 
the  alcazar.  The  cathedral  did  not  strike  me 
as  being  particularly  interesting ;  and  with  the 
recollection  which  I  now  have  before  me,  of 
Toledo  and  Seville,  the  cathedral  of  Segovia 
seems  scarcely  worth  a  notice.  The  Alcazar 
pleased  me  more;  but  this  too,  after  subse- 
quently seeing  the  Alhambra  of  Granada, 
appears  insignificant. 

Segovia  is  a  decayed  city,  like  most  of  the 
other  cities  of  Spain  ;  and  if  considered  with 
reference  to  its  former  opulence   and  conse- 
quence, its  decay  is  the  more  striking.     Two 
hundred  years  ago,  the  cloth  manufactory  of 
Segovia  gave  employment  to  34,000  hands, 
and  consumed  nearly  25,000  quintals  of  wool ; 
fifty  years  ago,  these  were  reduced  to  a  sixth 
part;  and  now,  the  manufactory  is  in  a  state 
of  perfect  abeyance,    the  trade   having  been 
chiefly  transferred  to  the  kingdom  of  Valencia. 
Ill  this  city,  of  twenty-five  parishes,  and  con- 


SPAIN   IN   1S30.  363 

taining  twenty-one  convents,  the  inhabitants 
scarcely  reach  ten  thousand. 

The  Posada  in  Segovia,  I  found  remarkably 
bad ;  and  the  posadero  seemed  resolved  to 
give  at  least  a  fictitious  value  to  his  articles, 
by  the  high  price  which  he  set  upon  them. 
As  I  was  to  leave  Segovia  at  the  early  hour  of 
four,  I  called  for  la  cuenta  before  going  to  bed  ; 
and  to  my  astonishment,  three  dollars  were 
demanded  for  my  stewed  rabbit,  and  a  room 
so  full  of  mosquitos  that  I  spent  half  the  night 
in  planning  warfare,  and  the  other  in  execut- 
ing slaughter.  I  told  him  no  one  would  travel 
in  his  country,  if  all  the  innkeepers  charged 
travellers  as  he  did, — such  charges  would  ruin 
any  body.  And  now  the  secret  of  his  exorbi- 
tant demand  came  out.  "  Oh,  but,"  said  he, 
*'poor  travellers  don't  ride  upon  the  king's 
horses,  escorted  by  the  king's  servants ;"  and 
so  my  royal  bearer,  and  his  royal  attendant, 
cost  me  two  dollars.  I  paid  my  money,  and 
consoled  myself  with  thinking  that  it  was  })ro- 
bably  the  last  time  I  might  bear  a  resemblance 
to  majesty. 

At  the  appointed  hour  I  took  my  place  in 


364 


SPAIN  IN  1830. 


the  gallero,  smarting  with  mosquito  bites, 
and  glad  to  rest  from  the  work  of  destruc- 
tion ;  and  after  a  drive  along  a  road  which 
I  already  knew,  I  found  myself  in  my  apart- 
ment in  the  Calle  de  la  Madelina  a  little  after 
dusk. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


TOLEDO. 


Journey  from  Madrid;  Proofs  of  the  backwardness  of  Spain; 
Appearance  of  the  Country;  Spanish  Mule-driving;  a  Venta; 
First  View  of  Toledo ;  Toledo  Recreations  and  Society ; 
Remains  of  Former  Grandeur,  and  Proofs  of  Present  Decay ; 
Picturesque  Views;  theTagus;  Intricacy  of  Toledo;  Bigotry 
and  Priestcraft;  Reasons  for  the  Prevalence  of  Religious 
Bigotry  in  Toledo ;  Proofs  of  Bigotry ;  Aspect  of  the  Popu- 
lation; the  Cathedral  and  its  Riches;  Scene  in  the  Cathedral; 
the  Alcazar ;  Historical  Retrospect ;  Praiseworthy  Institu- 
tions of  the  Archbishop  Lorenzana;  the  University;  Toledo 
Sword  Manufactory ;  the  Franciscan  Convent ;  Return  to 
Madrid. 

A  few  weeks  before  I  visited  Toledo,  a  pub- 
lie  conveyance  had  been  for  the  first  time 
established  between  that  city  and  the  capital. 
This  conveyance  left  Madrid  every  alternate 
day,  and  partook  of  the  double  nature  of  a 


366  SPAIN  IN   18;50. 

waggon,  and  of  a  diligence  :  externally,  it  was 
a  waggon ;  but  seats  within,  and  glass  win- 
dows, entitled  it  to  the  rank  of  a  diligence. 
I  took  my  place  in  this  vehicle,  at  four  in  the 
morning,  after  having  stumbled  over  more  than 
one  person  lying  asleep  on  the  pavement,  in 
groping  my  way  through  the  streets  from  my 
lodgings  to  the  waggon  office. 

It  is  a  striking  commentary  upon  the  back- 
ward state  of  Spain,  and  the  general  want  of 
enterprise  that  distinguishes  both  the  govern- 
ment and  the  people,  that  there  should  be  no 
road  from  the  capital,  to  the  largest  city  lying 
within  a  hundred  miles  of  it — the  ancient 
metropolis  of  Spain;  and  yet  such  is  the  fact: 
for  although  the  conveyance  I  speak  of  makes 
its  way  from  Madrid  to  Toledo,  a  distance  of 
nearly  sixty  miles,  in  about  fifteen  hours,  it 
travels  over  any  thing  but  a  road,  with  the 
exception  of  the  first  ten  miles  from  Madrid  : 
after  this,  there  is  sometimes  a  visible  track, 
and  sometimes  none  ;  most  commonly,  we 
passed  over  wide  sands ;  at  other  times  over 
ploughed  fields,  or  meadows  ;  and  it  was  not 
until  we  arrived  within  half  a  league  of  Toledo, 
that  we  again  found  a  road. 


SPAIN  IN  18;J0.  3G7 

The  country  between  Madrid  and  Toledo, 
1  need  scarcely  say,  is  ill  peopled  and  ill  cul- 
tivated ;  for  it  is  all  a  part  of  the  same  arid 
plain  that  stretches  on  every  side  around  the 
capital ;  and  which  is  bounded  on  this  side, 
by  the  Tagus.  The  whole  of  the  way  to 
Toledo,  I  passed  through  only  four  incon- 
siderable villages  ;  and  saw  two  others  at  a 
distance.  A  great  part  of  the  land  is  uncul- 
tivated, covered  with  furze  and  aromatic 
plants;  but  here  and  there  some  corn  land  is 
to  be  seen,  and  I  noticed  one  or  two  ploughs 
in  the  fields ;  these  were  worked  by  two 
mules  and  one  man,  and  seemed  only  to 
scratch  the  soil.  The  great  curse  of  every 
part  of  Castile,  is  want  of  water ;  in  this 
journey  of  sixty  miles,  I  passed  only  two  in- 
significant brooks, — so  very  insignificant,  that 
a  child  might  have  dammed  up  either  of  them 
in  a  few  minutes  with  stones  and  sand  :  in 
fact,  from  the  Douro  to  the  Tagus,  there  is 
not  a  stream  ancle  deep,  unless  when  swoln 
by  sudden  floods. 

I  w^as  much  amused  in  this  journey,  by  the 
manner  of  driving  our  diligence.  We  had 
seven  excellent  mules,  which  carried  us  the 


368  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

whole  way;  and  these  were  managed  in  the 
true  Spanish  mode,  which  does  not  admit  of 
postilions.  Two  men  sit  in  front ;  one  always 
keeps  his  place,  holding  the  reins,  and  guiding 
the  two  nearest  mules ;  the  other  leaps  from 
his  seat  every  few  minutes,  runs  alongside  the 
mules,  applies  two  or  three  lashes  to  each, 
gets  them  into  a  gallop,  and  as  they  pass  by, 
he  lays  hold  of  the  tail  of  the  hindermost 
mule,  and  whisks  into  his  place,  where  he 
remains  until  the  laziness  of  the  mules,  or  a 
piece  of  level  ground,  again  calls  him  into 
activity.  The  sagacity  of  the  mules  struck 
me  as  most  extraordinary ;  after  being  put 
into  a  gallop,  the  three  front  mules  were  left 
entirely  to  themselves ;  and  yet  they  unerr- 
ingly discovered  the  best  track;  avoided  the 
greatest  inequalities  ;  and  made  their  turnings 
with  the  utmost  precision. 

We  stopped  some  time  before  mid-day  at  a 
venta,  to  refresh  the  mules,  the  muleteers,  and 
the  travellers  ;  who,  besides  myself,  consisted 
of  three  priests  and  one  woman,  the  wife  of  a 
tradesman  in  Toledo.  This  was  one  of  those 
ventas  of  which  I  had  often  heard,  but  had 
not  yet  seen— where,  in  reply  to  the  question, 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  369 

''  what  have  you  got  to  eat  ?"  you  are  answer- 
ed, ''whatever  you  have  brought  with  you." 
For  my  part,  I  had  brought  nothing ;  but  the 
clerigos  had  provided  well  against  the  assaults 
of  the  flesh ;  and  a  cold  stew  of  various  fowls 
and  bacon  being  produced  by  them,  and 
heated  by  the  mistress  of  the  venta,  we  made 
a  hearty  and  comfortable  dinner ;  and  then 
continued  our  journey. 

Toledo  is  seen  about  a  league  before  reach- 
ing it;  and,  with  the  exception  of  Granada, 
its  situation  is  the  most  striking  of  any  city 
in  Spain.  Its  fine  irregular  line  of  buildings 
cover  the  summit  and  the  upper  part  of  a  hill 
of  considerable  elevation ;  behind  which,  the 
dark  romantic  range  of  the  Toledo  mountains 
forms  a  majestic  back-ground.  Even  at  this 
distance,  Toledo  is  evidently  no  city  of  yester- 
day ;  for  besides  the  innumerable  towers  of  its 
convents,  churches,  and  stupendous  cathedral 
— the  metropolitan  of  Spain — the  outline  is 
broken  by  other  buildings  of  a  more  grotesque, 
or  more  massive  form  ;  while  here  and  there, 
the  still  greater  irregularity  of  the  outline 
points   to  ages   too  remote,   to   have  left   to 

VOL.  I.  2  b 


370  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

modern  times  any  other  legacy  than  their 
ruins.  Toledo  was  still  illuminated  by  the 
setting  sun  when  I  caught  the  first  view  of  it ; 
but  before  arriving  under  its  walls,  all  was 
dusky,  excepting  the  summits  of  the  moun- 
tains behind ;  these  still  wore  the  purple 
light  of  evening ;  and  the  meanderings  of  the 
Tagus,  flowing  westward,  were  also  visible 
beneath  those  bright  orange  tints  that  are 
peculiar  to  Spanish  skies. 

I  had  no  sooner  secured  a  bed  in  the  posada, 
than  I  went  to  deliver  my  letters  ;  these  were, 
one  to  a  gentleman,  an  employee,  holding  a 
situation  in  the  finance  ;  the  other  to  a  pre- 
bendary, librarian  of  the  cathedral.  I  was 
received  with  the  greatest  civility  by  both ; 
and  after  taking  chocolate  with  the  former,  I 
accompanied  him  to  the  castle,  to  be  present 
at  what  was  considered  quite  an  event  in 
Toledo :  this  chanced  to  be  the  king's  birth- 
day ;  and  in  honour  of  it,  the  band  of  royalist 
volunteers  paraded  the  principal  streets  by 
torch  light ;  and  so  monotonous  a  thing  is  life 
in  Toledo,  that  this  occurrence  produced  quite 
a  sensation.  It  was  scarcely  possible  to  force 
one's  way  through  the  narrow  streets,  which 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  371 

were  filled  with  a  dense  mass  of  people,  almost 
entirely  men ;  for  the  ancient  Spanish  customs 
still  attach  to  Toledo  too  much,  to  sanction 
there  the  liberty  which  foreign  usage  has  con- 
ferred upon  the  women  in  most  of  the  other 
Spanish  towns. 

I  must  not  omit  a  trifling  fact,  that  throws 
some  light  upon  the  state  of  feeling  in  Tole- 
do. I  had  purchased  a  grey  hat  in  Paris,  and 
had  worn  it  constantly  in  Spain  ;  and  although 
I  had  heard  in  Madrid  that  the  wearers  of 
white  hats  were  looked  upon  with  suspicion, 
I  had  never  suffered  any  interruption  or  insult 
in  consequence,  excepting  now  and  then  a 
scrutinizing  look  from  some  royalist  volunteer 
or  police  agent.  But  the  gentleman  to  whom 
I  was  recommended  in  Toledo,  would  not  per- 
mit me  to  go  into  the  street  in  a  grey  hat ;  he 
said  he  could  not  answer  for  my  safety ;  and 
while  I  remained  in  Toledo,  he  was  so  kind  as 
to  equip  me  with  a  small  round,  high-crowned 
hat,  almost  the  only  kind  worn  by  its  inha- 
bitants. 

The  same  evening  that  I  arrived  in  Toledo, 
I  was  presented  at  a  tertulia,  which  is  the  sole 
2  B  2 


372  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

recreation  of  the  inhabitants ;  for  there  is  no 
public  diversion  of  any  kind  :  formerly  there 
was  a  theatre;  but  the  canon,  who  was  then  at 
the  head  of  the  university,  obtained  a  royal 
order  to  suppress  it,  and  it  has  remained 
closed  ever  since.  Bull-fights  even  are  for- 
bidden in  this  priest-ridden  city ;  so  that 
unless  processions  of  Saints  and  Virgins  are 
to  be  considered  an  amusement,  the  inhabit- 
ants have  positively  no  resource  but  in  the 
tertulia.  Nowhere  are  Spanish  customs  seen 
more  pure  than  in  Toledo ;  and  nowhere  is 
the  monotony  of  the  tertulia  more  striking. 
The  party  assembled  about  nine, — there  were 
fifteen  persons  present,  about  one  half  of  them 
ladies.  The  sole  amusement  was  talking,  and 
some  of  the  party  playing  basto  for  a  very  low 
stake ;  and  after  a  glass  of  agua  fresca,  the 
party  separated  about  eleven.  In  Toledo  a 
certain  circle  agrees  to  form  a  tertulia :  one 
house  is  selected,  where  it  is  to  be  held, — the 
most  central,  perhaps,  or  the  most  conve- 
nient; and  the  same  individuals  assemble  at 
the  same  house,  and  at  the  same  hour,  every 
day  throughout  the  year!  This  is  Toledo 
society. 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  373 

The  morning  after  my  arrival  in  Toledo,  I 
rose  early,  anxious  to  see  this  ancient  and 
truly  Spanish  city ;  and  crossing  the  Plaza 
Real,  which,  at  the  early  hour  of  six,  resounded 
with  the  ringing  of  the  blacksmith's  hammers, 
whose  shops  half  monopolise  the  square,  I 
followed  the  widest  street  that  presented  it- 
self; and  after  a  steep  descent,  I  found  myself 
at  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  town,  and  on 
the  bridge  over  the  Tagus.  It  is  impossible 
to  walk  a  step  in  Toledo,  or  to  turn  the  eye  in 
any  direction,  without  perceiving  the  remains 
of  former  grandeur,  and  the  proofs  of  present 
decay :  ruins  are  every  where  seen,  —some, 
the  vestiges  of  empires  past  away,  and  whose 
remains  are  crumbling  into  nothingness, — the 
empires  of  Carthage  and  of  Rome :  other  ves- 
tiges,—those  of  an  empire  equally  fallen,  but 
more  visible,  in  the  greater  perfection  of  its 
monuments, — the  Empire  of  the  Moors  :  and 
still  another  class  of  ruins, — those  more  recent 
emblems  that  record  the  decay  of  the  Spanish 
monarchy  through  the  lapse  of  a  hundred  and 
fifty  years.  Past  magnificence  and  present 
poverty  are  every  where  written  in  a  hundred 
forms,  and  in  legible  characters.     But  all  this, 


374  SPAIN   IN  1830. 

although  offering  to  the  reflecting  mind  an 
impressive  example  of  the  '*  sic  transit  gloria 
mundi,"  gives  to  Toledo  much  of  its  peculiar 
interest  in  the  eye  of  a  stranger  ;  and  adds  to 
the  picturesque  and  striking  character  of  the 
views  presented  from  every  quarter.  Few  of 
these  are  finer  than  the  view  of  this  remark- 
able city  and  its  environs,  from  the  bridge 
over  the  Tagus,  where  my  morning  walk  con- 
ducted me. 

The  Alcazar,  that  immense  pile,  once  the 
residence  of  Moors,  and  subsequently  of  the 
kings  of  Spain,  forms  one  corner  of  the  city. 
The  irregular  and  picturesque  line  of  buildings, 
at  least  one  half  of  them  convents,  each  with 
its  tower,  and  terrace,  and  hanging  garden, 
stretches  along  the  summit  of  the  hill,  towards 
the  West ;  while  strewing  the  sides  of  the 
steep  acclivity,  and  mingled  with  the  convent 
gardens,  are  seen  the  remains  of  the  Roman 
walls  that  once  entirely  inclosed  the  city, 
and  that  even  yet,  are  in  many  places  nearly 
perfect.  Withdrawing  the  eye  from  Toledo, 
and  looking  across  the  bridge,  an  elevated 
rocky  mount  presents  itself,  crowned  with  the 
ruins  of  a  Moorish  castle ;  and  leaning  on  the 


SPAIN  IN  i«;5o.  375 

parapet,  and  looking  towards  the  South,  the 
river  is  seen  far  below,  flowing  in  a  deep  rocky- 
channel,  one  of  its  banks  being  the  hill  upon 
which  the  city  stands, — and  the  other,  the 
North  front  of  the  Toledo  mountains.  The 
peculiar  situation  of  Toledo  is  best  understood 
from  this  point.  The  river  Tagus,  coming 
from  the  westward,  flows  directly  towards  the 
north-east  corner  of  the  city ;  and  in  place  of 
continuing  to  flow  in  the  same  direction — by 
which  it  would  leave  the  city  and  its  hill  upon 
the  left, — it  makes  a  sudden  turn,  sv/eeps 
behind  the  city  and  its  hill,  and  in  front  of  the 
Toledo  mountains, — and  after  describing  three 
parts  of  a  circle,  it  re-appears  at  the  opposite 
corner,  and  continues  its  course  towards  the 
west.  The  course  of  the  Tagus  is  singular ; 
the  Sierra  de  Albarracin,  where  it  rises,  is 
no  more  than  eighty  miles  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean, in  a  straight  line  across  Valencia ;  but 
the  Tagus,  taking  an  opposite  direction,  runs 
a  course  of  nearly  six  hundred  miles  to  the 
Atlantic, — traversing  the  interiorof  Spain,  pass- 
ing into  Portugal,  and  forming  the  glory  and 
the  riches  of  its  capital.  It  would  be  no  diffi- 
cult matter,  to  render   the  Tagus  navigable 


376  SPAIN   IN   1830. 

from  Toledo  to  the  sea,  a  distance  of  between 
four  and  five  hundred  miles ;  the  passage  was 
attempted  in  the  winter  of  1829,  by  a  boat 
from  Toledo,  and  succeeded,  the  boat  having 
arrived  safely  at  Lisbon ;  but  this  could  not 
have  been  done  at  any  other  season  ;  because 
in  dry  weather,  the  water  is  in  many  places 
almost  wholly  diverted  from  its  natural  chan- 
nel, for  the  use  of  the  mills  that  have  been 
erected  upon  its  banks. 

I  endeavoured  to  find  my  way  from  the 
bridge  to  the  posada  by  a  different  road, — but 
this  was  an  attempt  of  some  difficulty.  I 
believe  there  is  no  town  in  Europe  in  which  it 
is  so  difficult  to  find  ones  way,  as  in  Toledo : 
the  streets  are  innumerable  ;  few  of  them  are 
more  than  three  yards  wide;  they  are  steep, 
tortuous  and  short,  constantly  branching  off 
at  acute  angles,  so  that  all  idea  of  direction 
is  soon  lost;  and  there  are  no  open  spaces  from 
which  some  prominent  object  may  be  taken 
as  a  guide.  A  gentleman  who  had  resided 
fourteen  years  in  Toledo,  told  me  that  he  was 
not  acquainted  with  half  of  the  streets ;  and 
that  it  was  no  unusual  occurrence  to  lose  him- 
self, in  endeavouring  to  find  near  cuts  from  one 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  377 

place  to  another.  Although  I  arrived  at  the 
posada  two  hours  later  than  I  expected,  I  had 
nothing  to  regret  in  the  delay ;  my  mistakes 
having  carried  me  through  parts  of  the  town 
which  I  might  not  otherwise  have  had  an  op- 
portunity of  seeing. 

Walking  through  Toledo,  there  is  a  subject 
of  more  melancholy  reflection  than  that  which 
arises  from  the  vestiges  of  former  greatness; 
I  mean,  the  abundant  proofs  of  bigotry  and 
ignorance  that  are  gathered  at  every  step. 
There  is  no  city  of  Spain  so  entirely  given  up 
to  the  domination  of  the  priests  and  friars,  as 
Toledo;  because  there  is  no  other  city  in  which 
these  form  so  large  a  portion  of  the  population, 
or  where  the  riches  of  the  religious  bodies  are 
so  preponderating.  Toledo,  it  is  believed,  once 
contained  200,000  inhabitants  ;  forty  or  fifty 
years  ago,  it  contained,  according  to  tiie 
writers  of  those  days,  about  30,000 ;  at  this 
day,  its  inhabitants  do  not  exceed  IG  or  17,000; 
but  throughout  this  progressive  decay,  the  con- 
vents and  churches,  the  priests  and  friars, 
have  continued  undiminished  :  the  cathedral 
is  still  served  by  its  forty  canons,  and  fifty 
prebendaries,  and  fifty  chaplains  ;   the  thirty- 


378  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

eight  parish  churches  and  chapels,  have  still 
their  curates,  and  their  assistants,  and  their 
many  dependents ;  and  the  thirty-six  convents 
and  monasteries,  have  yet  their  compliment  of 
friars  and  nuns.  The  revenues,  indeed,  of  all 
these  religious  bodies,  have  suffered  some  di- 
minution during  the  last  fifty  years  ;  but  this 
diminution  has  been  nothing  in  comparison 
with  the  decrease  in  the  resources  of  all  the 
other  classes  of  inhabitants.  The  revenues  of 
the  archbishop  amounted  fifty  years  ago,  to 
seven  millions  of  reals,  (70,000/.  sterling);  at 
present  they  do  not  exceed  four  millions  of 
reals,  (40,000/.  sterling) :  the  incomes  of  the 
canons  amounted,  at  the  former  period,  to  at 
least  eighty  thousand  reals  (or  800/.  sterling) ; 
now,  they  scarcely  reach  one  half  of  this  sum  : 
all  these  diminutions  are  the  result  of  the  fall 
in  the  price  of  corn,  in  which  their  revenues 
are  computed.  But  the  incomes  of  the  curates 
of  the  parishes  are  still  more  reduced,  many  of 
the  parishes  having  entirely  fallen  into  decay : 
there  are  some,  in  which  there  are  not  now 
twenty  inhabited  houses ;  so  that  the  curates 
of  these,  are  in  a  state  of  absolute  destitution. 
The  revenues  of  the  convents  have  of  course 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  379 

suffered  a  diminution  proportionate  to  that 
which  has  affected  the  church.  But  notwith- 
standing this  decrease  in  the  revenues  of  the 
religious  bodies,  these  are  still  sufficiently 
great,  to  create  an  overwhelming  interest  in  a 
city  whose  inhabitants  scarcely  quadruple  the 
number  of  those  who  live  by  these  revenues. 
In  fact  the  whole  city,  with  the  exception  of 
the  government  employees,  lives  by  these  re- 
venues. Many  are  directly  benefited  by  their 
collection,  their  management,  and  by  the  hus- 
bandry of  the  land  that  produces  them  ;  while 
their  disbursement  must  necessarily  benefit 
every  class  of  men  who  administer  either  to 
the  necessities,  or  the  luxuries  of  life.  But 
besides  the  effect  which  self-interest  has  in 
supporting  the  influence  of  priestcraft  in  To- 
ledo, other  reasons  may  be  assigned  for  its 
preponderance. 

The  geographical  position  of  Toledo  is  highly 
favourable  to  the  success  of  this  jugglery ; 
for,  with  sufficient  resources  in  the  territory 
that  lies  along  the  Tagus,  and  with  no  passable 
road  or  navigation  of  any  kind  to  other  towns, 
the  inhabitants  have  scarcely  any  intercourse 
with  strangers, — none  whatever  with  foreigners. 


380  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

The  immense  number  of  priests  and  friars, 
also,  who  may  all  be  considered  spies  upon 
the  lives  of  the  inhabitants  ;  and  the  great  and 
secret  influence  of  the  archbishop,  cannot  fail 
to  act  as  obstacles  to  the  progress  of  infor- 
mation, both  by  reading  and  conversation  : 
and,  indeed,  there  is  in  Toledo  a  species  of 
religious  espionnage,  which  is,  in  fact,  a  rem- 
nant of  the  Inquisition :  certain  friars  call 
every  Monday  morning,  at  every  house,  to 
receive  the  certificates  of  confession  which 
have  been  given  to  the  inmates,  if  they  have 
confessed  the  day  before.  And  I  must  not 
omit  to  mention,  as  another  cause  of  the  pre- 
ponderance of  priestly  influence  in  Toledo, 
the  greater  correctness  exhibited  in  the  lives 
of  the  religious  orders  in  this  city,  than  in  the 
other  cities  of  Spain ;  and  the  larger  alms 
given  by  the  convents.  With  the  exception 
of  some  whispers  respecting  the  canons  and 
prebendaries,  who  were  said  to  be  remarkable 
for  the  number  of  infant  nephews,  nieces,  and 
cousins,  whom  they  had  humanely  taken 
under  their  fatherly  protection,  I  heard  not 
one  insinuation  against  any  other  of  the  reli- 
gious orders. 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  381 

The  great  respect,  or  rather  veneration,  in 
which  the  religious  bodies, — especially  the 
friars, — are  held  in  Toledo,  as  well  as  many- 
other  proofs  of  the  bigotry  of  the  inhabitants, 
are  every  where  visible.  A  Franciscan  friar, 
or  any  monk  belonging  to  one  of  the  poor  and 
self-denying  orders,  receives  some  obeisance 
from  every  one,  as  he  passes  along  the  street ; 
even  the  portly  canon  or  prebendary,  who 
bears  about  with  him  the  evidences  of  self- 
indulgence  in  place  of  self-denial,  receives 
some  token  of  respect :  every  shop  is  provided 
with  a  saint  in  a  niche,  to  bless  its  gains  ;  and 
upon  every  second  or  third  door,  a  paper  is 
seen  with  these  words  printed  upon  it, — 
Maria  Santa  Purissima,  sin  Pecado  concebida. 
In  the  respect  too  which  is  paid  by  the  inhabit- 
ants to  religious  processions,  abundant  proof 
is  afforded  of  the  superstition  that  still  clings 
to  the  people  of  Toledo.  I  happened  to  be  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  Carmelite  convent 
when  the  procession  of  St.  Theresa  issued 
from  it.  This  is  the  patron  saint  of  the  con- 
vent, and  her  image  was  carried  through  the 
streets,  followed  by  a  multitude  of  friars  :  it 
is  considered  a  mark  of  devotion,  to  carry  a 


382 


SPAIN  IN  1830. 


lighted  candle  upon  such  occasions  ;  and  1 
noticed  many  persons  bearing  candles,  who, 
by  their  dress  and  general  appearance,  must 
have  belonged  to  the  middle  classes.  In  the 
open  court  in  front  of  the  convent,  there  were 
not  less  than  2,000  persons  collected  ;  and 
when  the  image  was  carried  past,  I  did  not 
see  a  single  individual  in  any  other  position 
than  upon  his  knees. 

Another  time,  walking  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  city,  on  the  road,  or  rather  track, 
across  the  mountains,  I  observed  two  uni- 
versity students,  seventeen  or  eighteen  years 
of  age,  busily  employed  in  collecting  stones, 
and  laying  them  upon  a  cross  erected  by  the 
wayside  in  commemoration  of  a  murder, — and 
with  each  stone  muttering  a  prayer.  I  did 
not,  at  that  time,  understand  the  meaning  of 
this  strange  occupation ;  but  I  afterwards 
learned,  that  in  virtue  of  some  ancient  papal 
authority,  a  certain  indulgence  is  granted  for 
every  stone  laid  on  the  cross  of  a  murdered 
man,  if  accompanied  by  a  prayer. 

The  general  aspect  of  the  population  of 
Toledo  is  intensely  Spanish ;  there  is  no  ad- 
mixture of  foreign,  or  even  of  modern  innova- 


SPAIN  IN  18.30.  383 

tion,  to  be  seen.  Men  of  all  ranks  wear  the 
cloak  ;  and  the  small  round,  high-crowned, 
Spanish  hat,  is  worn  not  only  by  the  pea- 
santry, but  almost  universally,  by  persons  of 
all  classes.  Among  the  women,  no  colours 
are  to  be  seen  ;  black  is  the  universal  dress ; 
and  scarcely  any  one  enters  a  church  unveiled. 
Largely  as  the  friars  enter  into  the  street 
population  of  Madrid,  they  enter  far  more 
largely  into  that  of  Toledo.  In  Madrid  they 
are  spread  over  a  greater  surface.  In  Toledo, 
the  only  lounge  is  the  Plaza  Real ;  and  there, 
at  certain  hours,  particularly  about  two 
o'clock,  it  seems  almost  like  a  convent  hall  of 
recreation,  and  a  sacristy  of  a  cathedral  united ; 
for  canons,  and  prebendaries,  and  curates,  and 
twenty  different  orders  of  friars,  are  seen 
standing  in  groups,  strolling  under  the  piazzas, 
or  seated  upon  benches,  refreshing  themselves 
with  melons  or  grapes.  There  cannot  be  a 
more  perfect  realization  of  the  conception  of 
*'  fat,  contented  ignorance,"  than  the  Plaza 
Real  of  Toledo  presents  every  day  after  din- 
ner. Not  many  poor  are  to  be  seen  among 
the  population  of  Toledo  ;  it  has  now  dwindled 
down  to  that  point,  at  which  the  wants  of  the 


384  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

church,  the  university,  and  the  convents,  can 
sustain  it :  beyond  this  number  there  are  few  ; 
and  those  few  are  supported  by  church  and 
convent  alms  :  the  only  beggars  I  saw,  were 
three  or  four  women,  who  sat  at  the  gate  of 
the  cathedral. 

I  was  not  long  in  Toledo  before  visiting  its 
cathedral,  which  has  no  rival  but  the  cathedral 
of  Seville,  in  its  claims  to  be  the  greatest  and 
the  most  magnificent  of  Gothic  temples.  All 
the  cathedrals  I  had  ever  before  seen,  shrunk 
into  insignificance  when  I  entered  the  cathe- 
dral of  Toledo.  The  following  are  the  dimen- 
sions of  this  majestic  pile.  The  interior  of  the 
church  is  four  hundred  and  eight  feet  long, 
and  two  hundred  and  six  feet  wide  ;  and  the 
height  of  the  aisles  is  one  hundred  and  sixty 
feet.  The  columns  that  run  along  the  aisles 
are  forty-five  feet  round  :  there  are  sixty- 
eight  painted  windows;  and  surrounding  the 
choir,  and  the  Altar  Major,  there  are  one 
hundred  and  fifty-six  marble  and  porphyry 
pillars.  I  was  not  able  to  see  the  Precioci- 
dades  the  first  day  I  went  to  the  cathedral : 
to  be  so  specially  favoured,  a  separate  order 
was  required  ;   and  I  returned  accordingly  the 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  385 

following  morning  by  appointment.     I  do  not 
mean  to  enumerate  the  different  articles  that 
compose  the  riches  of  the  cathedral  of  Toledo 
— the  richest  in  the  world — but  I  shall  men- 
tion a  very  few  of  the  most  remarkable.    I  saw 
the  Virgin's    mantle, — one  mass  of  precious 
stones,  especially  pearls,  of  which  there  must 
have  been  thousands,  if  not  millions :  I  saw 
many  images  of  pure  gold,  studded  with  pre- 
cious stones  :  I  saw  the  Virgin's  crown,  also 
of  pure  gold,  but  entirely  covered  with  the 
largest  and  most  brilliant  jewels, — sapphires, 
emeralds,    rubies,   and   diamonds;    and    sur- 
mounted by  an  emerald  of  most  extraordinary 
size  and  beauty ;  the  image  which  upon  high 
days  is  arrayed  in  all  this  finery,  is  of  silver. 
There  is  another  room,  called  the  custodla,  in 
which  I  saw  innumerable  urns  of  pure  gold, 
most  of  them  studded  with  precious  stones  ; 
and  which  contain  relics  ;  these  I  did  not  ask 
to  see,  but  I  was  informed  that  there  are  few 
saints  in  the  calendar,  of  whom  this  the  relicary 
of  Toledo  does  not  contain  something.      The 
value  of  the  gold  and  silver  might  be  easily 
ascertained;  but  the  value  of  jewels  is  more 
VOL.  1.  2  c 


386  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

capricious  :  I  was  told,  however,  that  every 
article  is  inventoried  and  valued,  in  a  book 
kept  for  that  purpose;  and  although  my  in- 
formant did  not  state  to  me  the  precise  amount 
noted  in  the  book,  he  said  it  exceeded  forty 
millions  of  ducats  (10,000,000/.  sterling)  : 
whether  the  value  of  the  relics  be  included 
in  this  estimate,  I  cannot  tell.  This  is  a 
melancholy  waste  of  property ;  and  when,  in 
connexion  with  this,  we  view  the  deplorable 
condition  of  Spain,  we  naturally  inquire  whe- 
ther the  judicious  employment  of  this  wealth 
could  materially  better  that  condition.  Un- 
doubtedly it  might  accomplish  much ;  and 
had  the  whole  inert  wealth  of  Spain  been 
directed  a  hundred  years  ago  into  useful  chan- 
nels, Spain  would  at  this  day  have  been  a 
more  enlightened  and  a  more  flourishing  coun- 
try ;  but  Spain  could  never  have  been  made 
one  continued  garden,  as  some  writers  have 
supposed ;  because  the  wealth  of  the  world 
could  never  charge  Castilian  skies  with  rain- 
clouds  ;  force  springs  to  bubble  from  sandy 
deserts  ;  or  clothe  with  soil,  the  rocky  Sierras 
that  half  cover  the  Peninsula. 

The  wealth  of  the  cathedral  of  Toledo  had 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  387 

a  narrow  escape  from  the  rapacity  of  the 
French  :  upon  their  approach,  the  archbishop 
— not  the  present,  but  the  last  archbishop — 
carried  away  the  whole  of  the  portable  articles 
to  Cadiz,  and  thus  saved  them :  the  heavier 
articles  remained  in  their  places;  and  the 
French  when  they  took  possession  of  Toledo, 
asked  one  fourth  part  of  their  value  ;  but  a 
much  less  sum  was  offered,  and  accepted, 
viz.  90  arrobas,  or  2250  lbs.  of  silver — a  mere 
trifle,  scarcely  equalling  the  value  of  one  of 
the  precious  stones. 

But  the  preciocidades,  and  marbles,  and 
porphyries,  and  paintings,  are  not,  in  my 
eyes,  the  most  interesting  features  of  the  ca- 
thedral of  Toledo:  its  immensity,  its  grandeur, 
are  its  glories.  The  lofty  and  majestic  aisles 
— the  massive  and  far-stretching  columns  of  a 
temple  like  this,  seem  almost  to  shadow  forth 
the  imperishable  nature  of  the  religion  whose 
sanctuary  they  adorn  and  uphold.  The  longer 
we  contemplate  the  vastness  and  majesty 
around,  the  mind  is  more  and  more  filled  with 
awe,  and  lifted  from  the  insignificance  of  life 
to  a  sense  of  the  greatness  and  solemn  gran- 
2c  2 


388  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

deur  of  eternity ;  we  are  filled  with  enthusiasm 
and  admiration, — enthusiasm  the  more  lofty, 
because  it  is  mingled  with  religion ;  and 
admiration  the  more  profound,  since  it  is 
mixed  with  astonishment,  that  so  frail  a  crea- 
ture as  man  should  be  able  to  perpetuate  his 
memory  for  ever.  While  I  remained  in  To- 
ledo, I  spent  a  part  of  every  day  in  the  cathe- 
dral ;  and  every  evening,  about  sunset,  I 
strolled  through  the  aisles.  These  visits  will 
not  soon  be  forgotten,  for  it  is  but  rarely  that 
life  gathers  such  subjects  of  remembrance. 
The  last  evening  I  remained  in  Toledo,  I 
walked  into  the  cathedral  sometime  after  sun- 
set,— it  was  the  latest  visit  I  had  made  to  it : 
the  interior  was  all  wrapped  in  deep  dusk  ;  — 
the  lofty  aisles  stretched  darkly  beyond,  only 
shewn  by  a  solitary  lamp  burning  before  the 
shrine  of  some  inferior  saint, — its  ineffectual 
light  dimly  falling  athwart  the  gloom  ;  the 
painted  windows  had  ceased  to  throw  their 
gorgeous  hues  within, — but  a  speckled  and 
faintly-coloured  gleam  fell  upon  the  upper  part 
of  the  columns.  Two  candles  burnt  before  the 
Altar  Major ;  and  in  the  distance,  at  the  far- 
thest extremity  of  the  church,  a  bright  red 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  389 

blaze  flashed  across  the  aisle,  and  between  the 
massive  pillars, — throwing  their  broad  shadows 
across  the  marble-chequered  floor  of  the 
church  :  this  was  the  chapel  of  the  miraculous 
image,  lighted  up  with  an  infinity  of  tapers, — 
and  the  only  sound  to  be  heard,  save  my  own 
footstep,  was  the  distant  hum  of  prayer  from 
the  many  devotees  prostrated  before  her  shrine. 
Here  and  there,  as  I  walked  through  the 
aisles,  I  saw  a  solitary  kneeler  at  the  altar  of  a 
favourite  saint ;  and  at  some  of  the  remotest 
and  obscurest  spots,  a  cloaked  caballero  was 
waiting  for  good  or  for  evil. 

I  dedicated  my  second  morning  in  Toledo 
to  the  Alcazar,  one  of  the  most  striking  objects 
in  the  city,  from  almost  M'hatever  quarter  it  is 
viewed.  This  massive  fabric  was  once  the  re- 
sidence of  the  Moorish  kings,  and  more  lately 
of  the  Castilian  sovereigns.  It  was  in  the 
reign  of  Charles  V.  that  the  present  south  and 
north  fronts  were  erected,  the  former  by  Her- 
rera.  The  whole  building  is  now^  in  a  state  of 
decay, — these  magnificent  fronts  arc  falling 
into  ruin;  and  the  inside  of  the  edifice  is  no 
longer  habitable ;  one  wing  only,  which  is 
still  entire,  is  used  as  a  prison.    When  Toledo 


390  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

ceased  to  be  the  metropolis  of  Spain,  the  Al- 
cazar was  converted  into  a  workhouse,  and 
more  lately  it  was  employed  as  a  silk  manu- 
factory. The  archbishop  undertook  the  estab- 
lishment of  this  from  humane  motives,  but 
the  undertaking  proved  a  failure ;  and  it  is 
probable  that  the  Alcazar  will  now  be  de- 
livered over  to  the  hand  of  time. 

Among  other  parts  of  the  Alcazar,  I  visited 
the  vaults,  which  are  of  immense  extent,  and 
open  to  the  public,  but  are  put  to  no  use  what- 
ever :  in  one  of  the  vaults,  a  party  of  gipsies 
had  made  their  quarters ;  they  had  lighted  a 
large  fire,  around  which  some  lay  sleeping; 
and  one  woman  was  employed  in  cooking. 
The  grotesque  and  ragged  figures  of  the  gip- 
sies, and  the  high  vault  illuminated  by  the  red 
flare,  reminded  me  of  the  strong  lights,  and 
picturesque  groups  of  the  Spanish  painters. 

Standing  in  front  of  the  Alcazar,  with  the 
terrace  which  overlooks  the  city  and  the  sur- 
rounding country — with  ruins  of  Roman  walls, 
and  Moorish  castles  at  my  feet — and  with  the 
palace  of  three  races  of  kings  behind  ;  it  was 
impossible  to  avoid  a  retrospect  of  the  past 
history  of  this  remarkable  city.      More  than 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  391 

two  centuries  before  the  birth  of  Christ,  Toledo 
was  added  by  Hannibal  to  the  empire  of  the 
Carthagenians ;  and  after  being  subsequently 
a  part  of  the  Roman  empire,  it  was  wrested 
from  the  dominion  of  Rome,  by  Eurico,  king 
of  the  Goths,  in  the  year  467.  It  continued 
subject  to  the  Gothic  line  nearly  two  hundred 
and  fifty  years ;  when  the  Moors,  after  having 
subdued  the  greater  part  of  Spain,  and  reduced 
most  of  the  principal  cities,  invested  Toledo, 
and  captured  it  in  714.  In  the  year  1085, 
after  Toledo  had  remained  under  the  sove- 
reignty of  the  Moors  between  three  and  four 
hundred  years,  Alonzo  VI.,  and  Rodrigo  Diaz 
— the  Cid,  expelled  the  Moors  from  its  walls; 
and  from  that  period,  until  the  expulsion  of 
the  Moors  from  Spain,  Toledo  was  alternately 
a  stronghold  of  the  Castilians,  and  of  the 
Moors.  And,  even  after  the  settlement  of 
Spain,  it  became  the  head  of  an  insurrection, 
which  convulsed  Castile  during  twenty-two 
years;  whose  object  was,  to  restrict  the  privi- 
leges of  the  nobles,  and,  in  fact,  to  re-model 
in  many  respects  the  constitution  of  Castile: 
but,  in  the  year  1522,  Toledo  submitted  to  the 
crown ;  and  since  that  period,  its  history  has 


392  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

been  only  remarkable  as  recording  in  succes- 
sive steps  of  decay,  the  gradual  decline  of  the 
Spanish  monarchy. 

But,  although  Toledo  is  chiefly  interesting, 
for  its  monuments  of  past  glory  and  prosperity, 
it  is  not  without  some  excellent  and  flourish- 
ing institutions  even  at  this  day.  All  of  this 
kind  that  Toledo  possesses,  is  the  work  of  the 
late  Archbishop  Lorenzana,  a  man  of  very 
opposite  character  from  the  prelate  who,  at 
present  wields  the  sceptre  of  the  church. 
Lorenzana  was  an  able  man,  and  an  excellent 
ecclesiastic ;  and  gave  practical  evidence  of 
his  goodness  in  the  many  excellent  institutions 
which  he  founded.  Among  these,  I  was  par- 
ticularly pleased  with  the  lunatic  asylum, — a 
noble  edifice,  and  perfect  in  all  its  arrange- 
ments. The  spectacles  revealed  in  a  mad- 
house, are  never  agreeable ;  but  they  are 
sometimes  interesting,  and  here,  there  were 
several  of  this  character.  1  was  conducted  to 
the  cell  of  one  person,  whose  insanity  arose 
from  erroneous  views  of  religion.  The  walls 
were  entirely  covered  with  drawings  in  chalk, 
executed  with  great  spirit,  and  representing 
funerals,  tombs,  death  heads,  devils,  religious 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  393 

processions,  priests,  and  ceremonies.  Another, 
certainly  a  most  interesting  object,  I  saw  in 
the  large  hall,  where  the  inoffensive  maniacs 
are  permitted  to  be  at  large ;  this  was  a 
middle-aged  woman,  seated  upon  the  ledge  of 
the  window,  her  eyes  intently  fixed  upon  the 
sky ;  she  was  a  native  of  a  village  on  the  coast 
of  Murcia,  which  had  been  destroyed  by  the 
earthquake  the  autumn  before  :  she  had  been 
at  a  neighbouring  hamlet  selling  dates  ;  and 
on  her  return  to  her  village,  she  had  seen  her 
home,  and  with  it,  her  children,  swallowed 
up  :  she  had  never  spoken  from  that  hour,  and 
all  day  long  she  sat  on  the  window  ledge  of 
this  hall  gazing  upon  the  sky  ;  and  every  day 
the  strength  of  two  persons  was  required  to 
take  her  from  the  window  to  dinner.  I  shall 
only  mention  one  other  individual,  whose  case 
is  interesting,  as  throwing  light  upon  Spanish 
morals  and  justice.  This  was  also  a  woman, 
but  in  her  perfect  senses  ;  she  had  lived  with 
her  aunt,  who  was  housekeeper  to  a  canon  in 
Toledo;  and  the  canon  had  seduced  her. 
Instigated  by  revenge,  or  hatred,  she  after- 
wards cut  his  throat  during  the  night  ;  and 
the    public    authorities,    unwilling   to   expose 


394  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

the  affair,  by  bringing  her  to  trial,  ascribed 
the  act  to  a  fit  of  madness,  and  sent  her  to 
the  asylum. 

The  handsome  edifice  now  occupied  by  the 
university,  is  another  act  of  Lorenzana.  The 
University  of  Toledo  dates  its  origin  from  the 
time  of  the  Moors  ;  and  was  revived  after  their 
expulsion,  in  the  year  1529.  At  present,  it 
is  chiefly  celebrated  as  a  law  university ;  the 
number  of  students  on  its  books,  at  the  time 
I  visited  Toledo,  was  rather  more  than  seven 
hundred  ;  and  I  was  informed  that  nine-tenths 
of  these  were  law  students,  and  that,  of  the 
remaining  tenth,  only  eight  were  students  of 
the  theological  classes.  When  speaking  of 
the  education  of  members  of  the  liberal  pro- 
fessions, I  detailed  the  course  of  study  re- 
quired of  the  law  student  in  this  university. 

Lorenzana  also  established  a  college  for 
girls,  chiefly  the  children  of  officers  and  em- 
ployees ;  here  they  are  well  educated  in  every 
useful  and  ornamental  branch  of  education — 
and  here  they  may  remain  all  their  lives,  at 
the  charge  of  government,  if  they  neither 
marry,  nor  choose  to  go  into  a  convent.  By 
a  fundamental  rule  laid  down  by  the  founder, 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  395 

a  small  dowry  is  given  to  every  one  who  mar- 
ries, but  nothing  is  given  to  carry  into  a  con- 
vent. Formerly,  there  used  to  be  tertulias 
here  every  evening,  at  which  the  students  of 
the  university  were  welcome  visitors  ;  but  the 
entree  of  the  colegio  is  now  forbidden  to  all 
students,  even  to  those  who  reside  in  Toledo 
with  their  families.  When  I  visited  this  in- 
stitution, there  were  twenty-seven  young 
ladies:  ten  had  been  married  the  year  before; 
and  1  understand,  very  few  disappoint  the  in- 
tentions of  the  founder  by  going  into  con- 
vents. 

From  all  antiquity  the  Spaniards  have  been 
celebrated  for  the  manufacture  of  steel  arms  ; 
and  a  *'  Toledo  blade"  long  has  been,  and  still 
is,  an  expression  implying  excellence.  The 
celebrated  sword  manufactory,  to  which  I 
walked  one  afternoon,  lies  about  three  quarters 
of  a  league  from  the  city,  close  to  the  river, 
which  is  required  for  working  the  machinery. 
It  is  a  building  of  extraordinary  extent,  com- 
prising within  it  not  only  the  forges,  work- 
shops, and  depositories  of  arms ;  but  also 
accommodations  of  every  kind  for  those  em- 
ployed in    the   manufactory,  who,   in  former 


396  SPAIN  IN  1830. 

times,  were  extremely  numerous.  I  visited 
every  part  of  the  establishment,  and  saw  the 
progress  of  the  manufactory  throughout  all  its 
stages.  The  flexibility  and  excellent  temper  of 
the  blades  are  surprising  ;  there  are  two  trials 
which  each  blade  must  undergo  before  it  be 
pronounced  sound, — the  trial  of  flexibility, 
and  the  trial  of  temper.  In  the  former  it  is 
thrust  against  a  plate  on  the  wall,  and  bent 
into  an  arc,  at  least  three  parts  of  a  circle.  In 
the  second,  it  is  struck  edgeways  upon  a 
leaden  table,  with  the  whole  force  which  can 
be  given  by  a  powerful  man,  holding  it  with 
both  hands.  The  blades  are  polished  upon  a 
wheel  of  walnut  wood  ;  and  when  finished,  are 
certainly  beautiful  specimens  of  the  art. 

The  manufactory  once  employed  many  hun- 
dred hands  ;  but  it  has  long  been  on  the  de- 
cline ;  and  at  present,  only  fifty  workmen  are 
required ;  these  finish  about  eight  thousand 
swords  in  the  year.  They  work  by  piece, 
and  make  about  one  hundred  reals  per  week 
(20-y.),  and  some  of  the  most  industrious  work- 
men, twenty-four  reals  more.  Before  the 
separation  of  the  colonies,  twenty-five  more 
workmen  were  employed.      They  generally 


I 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  397 

keep  a  stock  three  years  in  advance ;  but 
owing  to  the  recent  and  unexpected  equip- 
ment of  two  regiments  of  guards,  the  number 
of  swords  when  I  walked  through  the  maga- 
zine, was  only  twenty  thousand. 

Returning  to  the  city  from  the  manufactory, 
I  visited   the   Franciscan   convent;    once   an 
immense  pile,  but  now  partly  in  ruins, — the 
effect    of   war.       It  is   still    however  a  fine 
building,  and  of  great  extent ;  and  the  alms 
of  the  devout  have  been  so  liberally  bestowed, 
that  I  found  them  busily  employed  in  raising 
a  new  and  magnificent  edifice  upon  the  ruins 
of  that  which  had  been  destroyed.     Finding 
the  gate  of  the  convent  open,  I  walked  in,  and 
ascending  a  stair,   reached  the  dormitory  of 
the  monks  without  any  one  questioning  me. 
The  Franciscans  do  not  earn  their  reputation 
for  self-denying  sanctity,  without  working  for 
it.     Judging  by  the  cells  which  I  saw  in  this 
convent,  I  may  say,  that  if  their  comforts  by 
day,  are  no  greater  than  those  provided  for 
night,   their   lives  are  truly  lives  of  penance 
and   mortification.      Near   to   the    Franciscan 
convent  are  the  remains  of  a  Roman  amphi- 
theatre ;  but  even  these  remains  are  fast  dis- 
appearing. 


398  SPAIN   IN   1830. 

I  had  spent  five  days  in  Toledo  greatly  to 
my  satisfaction.  From  both  of  the  gentlemen 
to  whom  I  had  carried  introductions,  I  re- 
ceived constant  civilities :  with  the  one, 
I  drank  chocolate  every  evening,  and  found 
in  his  son  an  admirable  cicerone, — in  himself, 
an  intelligent  companion, — and  in  his  wife 
and  daughter,  obliging  and  delightful  triflers. 
From  the  other  (the  prebendary),  I  received 
the  unusual  compliment  of  being  invited  to 
dinner, — a  dinner,  as  Dr.  Johnson  would  have 
said,  such  as  was  fit  to  invite  a  man  to  eat. 
The  chief  dish  was  a  roasted  ham,  which  I  had 
never  before  seen, — but  which  I  beg  to  recom- 
mend to  the  attention  of  all  who  are  not  above 
the  enjoyment  of  dining  well.  This  is  not  an 
unusual  dish  in  Spain,  when  it  is  intended  to 
treat  a  guest  well.  I  had  afterwards,  at  Va- 
lencia, the  pleasure  of  having  my  recollection 
of  the  prebendary's  dinner  agreeably  refreshed. 

I  had  now  gratified  my  curiosity  at  Toledo, 
and  proposed  returning  to  Madrid  by  the  same 
conveyance  that  had  brought  me  ;  but  I  found 
that  it  was  all  engaged  by  churchmen ;  and 
that  another  extra  conveyance  was  also  engaged 
by  them :  a  canon  had  died,  and  half  the  clergy 


SPAIN  IN  1830.  399 

of  Toledo  were  going  to  Madrid  to  sue  for  his 
place.  I  obtained  a  seat  in  a  galera,  in  which 
there  were  five  priests,  and  I  was  much 
amused  with  the  freedom  and  good  humour 
with  which  they  spoke  of  their  pretensions 
and  hopes ;  and  upon  this  occasion,  these 
were  more  than  usually  uncertain,  because  no 
one  knew  with  whom  the  patronage  lay.  The 
appointment  of  canons  to  the  cathedral  of 
Toledo  is  shared  between  the  king  and  the 
archbishop  ;  seven  months  in  the  year  belong 
to  the  king,  and  five  to  the  archbishop.  This 
was  the  first  canon  who  had  died  during  the 
seven  months  that  belong  to  the  king ;  but  the 
patronage  of  the  last  appointment,  about  two 
months  before,  which  had  belonged  to  the 
archbishop,  had  been  ceded  by  him  to  the  king 
for  some  particular  reason,  in  the  understand- 
ing however  that  the  first  vacancy,  during 
the  next  seven  months,  should  be  filled  up  by 
the  archbishop ;  but  the  question  was,  whether 
his  majesty  would  recollect  his  royal  promise. 
For  my  part,  I  heartily  wished  he  might ;  for 
among  the  five  candidates  who  were  my  com- 
panions, one  only  seemed  to  stand  in  need  of 
a  better  served  table  than  he  was  accustomed 


400  SPAIN   IN   18:50. 

to, — and  he,  as  the  muleteer  told  me,  was  a 
distant  relation  of  the  archbishop ;  but  perhaps 
it  was  as  likely  that  the  archbishop  might 
forget  his  relation,  as  that  the  king  might 
forget  his  promise. 

Either  our  mules  were  less  sagacious,  or 
our  drivers  less  expert  than  those  entrusted 
with  the  care  of  the  galera  that  had  brought 
me  to  Toledo ;  for,  descending  a  steep  sand- 
bank, about  two  leagues  from  the  city,  the 
conversation  of  the  clerigos  was  suddenly  and 
disagreeably  interrupted  by  the  vehicle  being 
thrown  over.  The  sand,  however,  was  so 
deep  that  no  one  sustained  any  injury ;  and 
after  the  little  delay  occasioned  by  putting  the 
galera  upright,  the  journey  and  the  conversa- 
tion were  resumed  together,  and  we  reached 
Madrid  without  any  farther  hindrance. 


END  OF  VOL.   I. 


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