The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-03-31 00:00:00

AN EXECUTION AT MADRID.

The square at Cebada, at Madrid, is what the Greve is at Paris,
the spot where executions take place. It is opposite to the chapel
of St. [sitlore, on the way between the gate of Toledo and the
Pieta Mayor. It is an irregular space, suraninded by mean houses,
aed having barracks, black-looking and dirty, erected in the middle
of It. Their tops were crowded with spectaeora when we entered ;
for, upon the most open side were two wooden posts, united at the
top by a cross beam, being the horn?, or gallows, prepared for an
execution. That morning, men clothed in black had gone from
street to street with a bell, begging alms and the prayers of thepeo-
phi for the poor convietti—.-a young girl and her lover, who were
hanged at noon. The girl had been in service, and had robbed her
*fleeter, and the young man had advised and aided hercrime. The
condemned persons had been since the previous day in the chapel,
whale, before a large black crucifix, surrounded by monks and
priests, and already loaded with the irons which were not again
to be taken oft, they prepared themselves for the fatal moment,
and heard the prayers for the dead, which the other prisoners
chaunted for them at no great distance. The route by which
they arrive at the elect of execution is a mournful lengthening
out of the agony of the prisoners. There is an altar on the staircase
of the prison, where they stop as they are descending, and hear the
long last exhortation pronounced. Ordinarily they say something to
the other prisoners, who crowd to the grates, and throw themselves
on their knees before the culprits, already, as they believe. remise
cited to Heaven, and ere long to discharge the debt of earthly jus-
tice. Two asses waited without, to carry them to the place of
punishment. Early in the morning of an executicn, guards, sta-
tioned at the gate of Toledo, loot out for the arrival of the peasants
of the neighbourhood, who commonly arrive riding upon their
anew. and the first of these animals that make their appearance are
laid hold et, tikencombered of their riders, and led towards the
. prison. It is not t1:1 after they have performed their part ist the sad
tragedy preparing that they are again permitted to go at large. Be.•
tore they are released a slit is made in one of their ears, and a con-
.alderatien paid to the owner..
As the cunons crowded into the Cebada, the soldiers famed a
circle round the seaffitld, and a man of large size, with a vest of
brown velvet, and a slouched hat, came out front an adjacent cha-
pel. where he had been praying since the morning, and made his
way through the assembler multitude, who gave place before
ben with exclamations of hotter, " Christaval ! stand aside."
" foes, Ines, beware, will you? his cloak has touched you two
times." Without minding their words, he snide his way
to the scaffold, laid aside his cloak and hat, ascended the
ladder midway, and composedly arranged the rope to the cross.
tseam. While these prepatatioos were making, persons were
.busy selling to the crowd, for a son (iil.) each, broadsides of
the petitions which culprits repeat on the way to the scaffold, not for-
getting at the end, as enumeration of those indulgences which
the Popes have promised to those who unite themselves in heart
with the prayent of the condemned, and follow them to the
place of punishment. As the procession approached, in the
present instanee, the sound of a large bell was beard at a dis-
tance, and the beating of the drum before the troops called out
to preserve order. Then came the cross of wood, borne before
the prisoners, and the eninpany of penitents, with torches of
green wax in their hands. The female came first, and was
obliged to be supported upon the ass, answering meanwhile,
with much earnestness, " Amen." and " Credo," to the priest
who walked beside her. giving her his ghostly consolation in a
loud voice, and presenting at every step a crucifix close to her
countenance. She was dressed in the habit of the alms-house.
A panic was made, for the last donfession, at the foot of the
fatal ladder, where, concealed under the priest's robe, she lis-
tened to his consolations whilst her feet were securing. The
confession over, the executioner grasped her under the arms, and
lilting her towards him, made her thus mount the ladder. At
each step she invocated some "Male or female saint, the priest
who followed her suggesting the names, which she repeated
with a loud voice. On coming to the height of the cross-beam
they stopped; the prisoner on the last step but one, having her
bend between the legs of the executioner, who was on the last
seep. While he was passing the rope round her neck her head-
dress fell off and she regarded the crowd with a calm eye.
Recommeneing the confession of her crime, and her pro-
negations of repentance, she beseeched the people aloud,
" Pardon me, and pray for me;" and they answered, " Yes,
yea, pardon and prayers for the repentant culprit." The priest
began the credo, and as she repeated after him, he suddenly broke
off from it, saying, " Depart to eternal glory." At this moment
the executioner threw himself from the ladder, and dragged the
priootter with his:. The weight of both fell upon the rope, and
tamed round in the space between the two upright posts. The
executioner remained for a moment upon the shoulders of the pri-
soner, while his assistants pulled her by the feet. He then leaped
upon the ground. and all was over. I bare carried my description far
enough. The other culprit waited close by. dressed in a sort of r: kite
Surplice, with a grey cap on his head. Ile became of a horrible
paleness when the bell began to sound the last moment of I;is
mistress. and the attendant monk answered his confession with,
k'ou shall shortly be with her." On the night of the same day,
the members of the brotherhood who acecnnpar.y and assist con-
deemed persons. came in a procession to remove the corpses from
the gallows. Placed in coffins, and billowed by a great number of
torches, they were transported into a neighbouring chapel, there to
wait, in the midst of prayers for the good of their souls, the time
of burial. As for the man in the brown velvet waistcoat, after
kneeling in the next chapel, he probably retired to treasure up the
two gold pieces, which are his perquisite of office, congratulating
himself upon having made a good day's work..—/theu re Pepagaoka,