The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-23 00:00:00

BARCELONA,

When, last year, I first visited Turin, I perceived that I
was in the Paris of Italy ; here it struck me that Barcelona
is the Paris of Spain. There is quite a French air about the
place. Ono of the nearest narrow side streets was crowded.
with people, there were no end of shops in it, with various
goods—cloaks, mantillas, fans, bright-coloured ribands, al-
luring to the eyes end attracting purchasers; there I wan-
dered about wherever chance led MO. As I pursued my
way, I found the side and hack streets still more nar-
row, the houses apparently more adverse to light ; windows
did not seem in request; the walls were thick, and there
were awnings over the courts. I now reached a small square;
a trumpet was sounding, and people were crowding together.
Some jugglers, equipped in knitted vests, with party_
coloured swimming small-clothes, and carrying with them
the implements of their profession, were preparing to exhibit
on a carpet spread over the p ivoment, for they seemed to
wish to avoid the middle of the street. A little dark-
eyed child, a mignon of the Spanish land, danced and
played the tambourine, let itself be tumbled head over
heels, and made a kind of lump of, by its half-naked
Papa. In order to sea better what was going on, I had
ascended a few steps of the entrance to an old dwelling,
with a single large window in the Moorish style; two
horse-shoe-formed arches were supported by slender
marble pillars; behind me was a door half open. I looked
in, and saw a great geranium hedge growing round a dry
dusty fountain. An enormous vine shaded one halt the
place, which seemed deserted and left to decay ; the wooden
shutters hung as if ready to fall from the one hinge which
supported each in their loose frames; within, all appeared
as if nothing dwelt there but bats in the twilight gloom.
I proceeded farther on, and entered a street, still narrow,
and swarming with still more people than those I had
already traversed. It was a street that led to a church,
Here, hid away among high houses, stands the Cathedral
of Barcelona: without auy e1:1,2e, without any magnifi-
cence, it might easily be passed by unheeded; as, like
many remarkable personages, one requires to have one's
aVention drawn to them in order to observe them. The
crowd pressed on me, and carried me through the little gate
into the open arcade, which, with some others, formed the
approaches to the cathedral, and enclosed a grove of orange
trees, planted where once had stood a mosque. Even now
water was splashing in the largo marble basins, wherein
the Musselmen used to wash their faces before and after
prayers. _ _

The littlo bronze statue here, of a knight on horseback,
is charming ; it stands alone on a metal reed out in the
basin, and the water sparkles behind and before the horse.
Close by, gold fishes aro swimming among- juicy aquatic
plants; and behind high gratings geese are also floating
about. I ought perhaps to have said swans, but one must
stick to the truth, if one wishes to be original as a writer of
travels.

When he is visiting Vslencia, cur traveller recounts
to us the legend of the Cid who, like "Douglas