The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-05-05 00:00:00

KR. H. EDWARDS, IL P., IN SPAIN.
[IIILCOND Lint& ]

We have received • Willer deecription of the travels
of our excellent representative. Henry Edwards. Eel.,
bLP. during the Easter holidays, written by himself in
• Latin to • friend at Weymostn

Ormada, April, lareft.
Dear Sir. —I last wrote to you from Madrid, in a
tone that must have conveyed to your mind that I was
not over much enamoured with Spain. The cold
cutting winds of Madrid make ita climate most
treacherous. One walks in the streets nearly routed
oa ono side and &omen on the other. It is amusing to
us
the idle Spaniards—the do-nothings of a great city,
hangiag about the " Puerta del Sol," the most
frequented part of the city, in their huge eloahs,
engaged in the occupation of "making time"—as it the
Spaatarde had not more of that commodity than they
ever dream of makes, 1111111 of. Their Addy fun, with
the everlasting cigarette, are not the most pleasing to
look upon, and denote • mental condition which may
account for the backward condition of Spain. What
surprised me greatly was to us ladies walking about,
In their puska mantillas, and their heads almost bare,
whilst met wort mailed up even more than I have seen
In St. Petemburg l The Prado, or Rotten-row of
Madrid, In about two miles in length, and nearly
etrieght, with gardens ea either side. In the afternoon
there are a very large number of carriage., and many
equestrians there, but the style bean more resemblance
to the Cimino. Ripe& than to Hyde Park. I paid.
vett to the Cuter, and found the House meet more
scomfortable thee ours at RC latephens, inaseeneh that a
ossofortable seat is provided for every member of that
Legislative areembly. The streets are filled with
logo's, in spite of the law. I hear, from gorsl
authority, that the dishes, among the lower and middle
woo, 'mode deuription—the Government system of
employees breaking down entirely under the pressure of
Isanctol dilsoujues, and the short harvests, caused by
the wantof rain ; indeed, the whole system of employees
spreading over Spain, and interfering with everything
I. the spirit of • most ignorant centralization, paralyses
the country and saps ita not toe plentiful life ...blood,
for the support of ignorant and often dishonest
functionaries. I was glad to leave Madrid for • more
geoid climate, and started for Toledo, the sunaisee
Moorish city amid OSPita of She North of Spain. It
seems to have everything left (in • ruinous condition,
of course) which constitutes • great city ; but its
streets, most of which are too narrow for carriages, are
no longer trodden by the Moor, or the Jew; but merely
echo the occasional footstep of the edema Outilian : all
art, industry, and power, having left with the people
whom his ancestors expelled. The great objects of
Interest ere the remains denoting the presence of the
suosomive inhabitants of the city—the Roman, the
Muer, and the Jew, and the eirelesiestical monuments of
the Spanish of the middle area, the most interesting
nod beautiful of which is the munificent cathedral.
There hi a melancholy grandeur about it, owing to the
mem absence of activity aud life In the place, and the
wood carving is most beautiful I have often heard of
this cathedral being one the glories of Spain, but its
grandeur far exceeded my wannest exportations. The
old glum windows are most exquisite. We also visited
the Alcuar, front the terrace of which we had a
magnificent view, with the Tagus Sowing immediately
breath em, end the oloantaina of Toledo in the
&steam We had lovely
.bright weather, but the sag
norlicesfr wind, 111 at Madrid Our next meting-plane
MIII Cordova, in the sunn7 plains of Andeleala. Here
we found ourselves in quite another climate, warm.
July in England, vegetuioc In the greaten lexarlanee,
tn. 3aliatau fresh green of spring. everything Uuiss.,.
I .wely—Mme bodges of aloes, the gardnas teeming witi
palm and elate* every woman wearing natural flowers
pi hat hair! °radon, I*, Toledo, im apiaceof

Mee mesh It ems sees sailed'" the Athens of the
Week" a large floneishing city of one million
inimbilienes. It new neglected and comparatively
disesreed. With • pepulation of about 50.000, it is •
oared tit me how the people exist, for like Toledo, there
seems to keels of any kind; but I wm struck with the
*extreme chanlinese of the place. Tim hornes are
principally Moorish, and have marble payed courts, with
garden and fountain in the ouutre ; externally they are
perfectly Mean whitewashed walls. The bright blue
sky, brilliant ennatiine, and peeps of orange trees, and
this soft balmy air, throughout the whole place im-
pregnated with the delicious meet of the orange
blossom, made it most charming. The chief object
of Interest is the cathedral, and to my mind
unique and most Moorish Christian plaice of worship I
have ever wen. The interior of the cathedral appears
like a sontplete forest of columns, amounting to nearly
1,000 of the choicest marbles brought from various
parts of the world. Phis, with the Moorish building.,
fully oompemeate ate for the journey, but all else
in the city glees sad evident:4lot poverty and neglect.
Thise:evbieywthfiroaTlyth ariatotbrereegish
rich
plains Thefine.
olufoislAnduqieei
nivere,
which at UM season are covered with almost troprad
vegetation. The cathedral is surrounded by • court
filled with orange trees, and studded with
This is • delightful retreat during lb. daY• My short
stay in Cordova will long live In me memo"; ,1
could have prolonged me 'visit. but we ...0
f-
anxious to reach tieviße In Mine for the min"' •eire
which 6861 three dars. A great marly Eeths• visit
Seville daring the Holy Week, she religious
prosestols and ceremonies, but it bit: Me For
three dayis_not a carnage Is allowed is th,°.°l,i amuse.
fter
th• holy Weak they give way to every_.! Easter
nemal. fair commenced 0n,5."1""1.,, for the
week, &today was the great F!'"trire morning then
Seeniards in Seville. Horse fair
in
venom cock fights, a great ball Alit 1 th. ef
or ruin. were
at which lam informed ••••1,-,1.,;„ Duch,ss of
present, presided over by " -
family Me Daribess being nn fon.
oanodtohritrwotresp.ofw saddtimhett
maths
blymaieniees
peotititpehe
.Weeue• lersdne
eeriarneenChubrcyhtheeerßevicee.
jwsITI
epsewra.formet
wan:cum:.
prised to end ao funny English in Seville.
~The
peculiarity of this fair that the people of Seville.
leering Merl, homes during the day, erect • number of
tents, and fernish them like drawing room.. In these
tents, epee to the general promenade, they sit receiving
their friends all day, and at night appear to give mirth
MI epee to the Inspertiou of thouseeds of people.
Gentle and simple, both. credit ef the awed, be it
said, they in no way molest the people in the tents,
nor does their inspection appear to discompose the
pursuits of their oocapanta, which is • curious Niteroi&
Spanish life. Seville is a large, tolerably 'lean, and
populates city. The principal objects of interest are the
cathedral and the Massa. The cathedral is one of the
finest in Europe—of vast size, and of a good period of
Gothic architecture, though perhaps its relish:nu gioom
is greater than might be wished. Attsehed tet it ia a
lofty Moorish tower, which has beep added to by the
builders of the cathedral—the famous Gindda.
This is one of the most oonseieurnia objects in
Seville, and foe limy miles away on the pit.
is Its form very beautiful. The A lamer, the Royal
was built and decorated inside in Mk Moorish style,
and by Moorish architects, for the kings of Spain after
their conquest of Seville. I can easily describe it by
saying that the decorations much resemble the reduced
copies of those of the Albunbre In our Crystal Peluso.
From this we went to Granada old Malaga. The letter
presents but little interest. The road, however, to
Grenada, which winds up over the lefty range of
mountains behind Malaga, commands • series of moth
megnifioent views over the plain, of monu and the
Mediterranean, and farther on through the gorges of
the same, demends to the picturesque plain and town
of LejL, thence • railway leads to Granada, through •
plain or Tees, tbe lanniant vegetation of which it is ,
difficult to describe. The road throughout is flanked
by the orange, the cypress, the vine, and the olive; the
Adds are covered with • brilliant vegetation of corn,
beans, the garbanzo (the classical food of Spain), and
other plants in great variety, forming the strangest
possible contrast to the barrenness of the less favoured
portion of Spans. Here the irrigation of the Moors still
does it. work. Granada, perhaps one of the most in-
teresting eights of Europe, is fall of monuments both of
More and Christian. In the floe cathedral lie burled
Ferdinand and Isabella, the parents of the enfortunete
Catherine o/ Arragon. Thar Mahe are beautiful
works of art by Tortigi•no, the artist of the tomb of
Henry VII., at Westminster, whom son married their
daughter; and the object of the greatest attention is,
of course, the Alhambra—the pleas last occupied by
the Moore In Spain. Of the details of this structure
you can easily form • good ides from the excellent
imitation of lit. Owen Jones, but you will have some
difficulty in imagining the beauty of the views from it.
On the one hand the snowy range of the Sierra reverie.,
It. white peeks glittering in the nun; on the other,
long rinses of mountains, of singular forms, stretching
away to • vast distance beneath, s bird's eye view of the
eminent and carious city of Granada; and far away in
the valley the green plain of the Vega, which I
described above. The Alhambra itself encloses • large
space, filled with lofty trees, and watered by innuiner.
able triikling streams, it is, in short, one of the most
enchanting situations conceivable. I have now aides-
roared to give you 1100111 idea of what can be done in •
fortnight's holiday iu Spain. I have had most agreeable
companions, and oes old friend who has been residing in
Madrid for some time, and his thorough knowledge of
the language and uniform kindness most materially
aided us in making the most et our hurried trip. By
the time you receive this, I shall be again at my Par-
, liantentary detiee.—Yeers faith' ally,
H. EDWARDS.