The Sun.
London, England, 1837-03-30 00:00:00

abbess—the trembling nun—we hear the authoritative ques—
tion, and the timid reply—we see the midnight procession, and
hear the anthem of sweet and holy voices—and a crowd of mys—
terious and half-forgotten dreams and visions float before us.
Some of those early visions I had learned to doubt the realty
of—l had already caught occasional glimpses of those myste-
rious creatures who inhabit convent walls, without finding 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
always shadow loveliness ; but having understood that the
victim about to sacrifice herself was scarcely seventeen, I dis-
missed from my mind all the realities that warred with my ro-
mantic 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 en-
tered a moment after ; and immediately knelt down, with her
face towards the grating, 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 mere 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 and happiness,
yet lingerinc, on her cheek ; and connecting her with the
world of and life, and freedom, about to ei,
nse upon her

for ever.
" The administrator now entered by the chapel, an, .p
placed
himself close to a chair where I was stationed, and at ti:e 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 ret.'uo-
elation of all property, then and for ever ; and during this cO-
remony the novice retired and knelt as before, holding in her
hand a long lighted taper, with which the abbess presented
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 distin-
guished. When this was concluded, the novice again rose,
and advanced to the grating, and pronounced slowly and dis-
tinctly 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. The lady
abbess, who stood close by her side, wept all the While. Ah 1
if each tear told why it flowed, what a history might have
been unfolded. Indignation was the feeling produced .in ray
mind. I wished for the cannon of the eonstitutionaliso, to
throw clown these most odious of prisons ; and even to the
priest, who stood by me in his crimson and gilded surpl:ce,
I could not restrain myself from saying, half audibly, Qu'c
iiffamia P
" When the vows that could never be recalled had been pro-
nounced 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 heaven 1' and
the nun who lies prostrate is supposed, at the same time, to re-
peat to God in secret, the vows she has already pronounced
aloud. When this was concluded, a slow organ peal, and It
solemn swell of voices rose, and died away ; and the abbess
then raised the nun from the ground, 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-reconciled me to the fate of the young
initiated who had bowed obedience to her. When she had cm-,
braced 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 re-
placed upon her head, to be worn all that day ; the sacrament
was admin'stered, and one last embrace by friends and rela-
tions terminated the scene."
While in Madrid, Mr. Inglis had frequent opportuni-
ties of seeing the late King, the Regent, and Don Car-
los. He relates several anecdotes of them, some of which
are sufficiently characteristic of the Spanish Court, to
account for much that has since taken place. After
carefully examining whatever was worth seeing in the
capital, he visited the Escurial, of which he has pre-
served the most faithful description that has yet ap-
peared in our language. Want of space prevents us
it,
from quoting but to make some amends to our
readers, we extract a no less faithful description of
the ancient cathedral of Toledo :
" I was not long in Toledo before visiting its cathedrals
which has no rival but the cathedral of Seville, in its clairnS
to be the greatest and the most magnificent of Gothic temples.
All the cathedrals I had ever before seen, shrunk into insigni-
ficance when I entered the cathedral of Toledo. The follow-
ing are the dimensions of this majestic pile: the interior of
the church is four hundred and eight feet long, and two hun-
dred 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 win-
dows ; 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[lades the first day I went to
the cathedral : to be so specially favoured, a separate order
was required ; and I returned accordingly the following morn-
ing by appointment. Ido riot mean to enumerate the different
articles that compose the riches of the cathedral of Toledo--
the richest in the world—but I shall mention a very few of the
most remarkable. I saw the Virgin's mantle—one mass or
precious stones, especially pearls, of which there must have
been thousands, if not millions : I saw many images of pure
gold, studded with precious stones : I saw the Virgin's crow],
also of pure gold, but entirely covered with the largest and
most brilliant jewels—sapphires, emeralds, rubies, and dia-
monds ; and surmounted 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 cztstodia, in which I saw innumerable urns of pure golds
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 relic:ll
of Toledo, does not contain something. The value of the
gold and silver might be easily ascertained ; but the value of
jewels is more capricious : I was told, however, that every ar-
ticle is inventoried and valued, in a book kept for that pur-
pose; and although my informant did not state to me the
precise amount noted in the book, he said it exceeded fort)
millions of ducats (10,000,0001. 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 con-
nection with this, we view the deplorable condition of Spain'
we naturally inquire whether the judicious employment of thiis
wealth could materially better that condition. Undoubtedly It
might accomplish much ; and had the whole inert wealth or
SPain been directed a hundred years ago into useful chew:
nets, Spain would at this day have been a more enlightened
and a more flourishing country, but Spain could never hays
been made one continued garden, as some writers have sor_
posed ; because the wealth of the world could never chargo
Castilian skies with rain-clouds; force springs to bubble ftlf
sandy deserts ; or clothe with soil the rocky sierras that
cover the Peninsula."
n the course of his journeying through Spain Mr'
Inglis had ample opportunities of noting the corruption
which prevailed in every department of the Govern"
ment, and of convincing himself of the fatal in'
fluence of such a system upon the morals and the
social happiness of the people. We shall con-
clude our notice of this invaluable work on SW"'
with a brief extract illustrating the scandalous extent
°
to which corruption prevailed in 1830—premising that
the same practices prevail now as generally and as
openly as they did then, in every part of Spain ex
cept the capital
While at Seville, I learned some very gross instaseesig
injustice prdctised by the Government in its dealings ,
its subjects. My authority could not be more autheritic_t
because my informant—an old and highly respectable merchaa
—was himself the person who bad suffered. A debt of 1,6°.0g
was due to him by Government, upon a contract for suPPl)cillie
cartridge boxes ; this debt had been some years due, an„;og
had applied for payment often, and in vain. At length, ha'2.o..
some other business in Madrid, lie resolved to attempt the
covery of the debt, by preferring his claim in the prort q. be
ter, Day after day, he went to the Minister; sornetitne-aed
was denied admittance—sometimes he saw the Minister, as
was always treated by him with the utmost rudeness : th'icarit
his first transaction with Government, and he had yet to ' the
its way of doing business. One day, when he was leaving en.
Minister, and slowly passing towards the stair, a reverend :the
tleman touched his sleeve, and begged to know what vtl told
cause of his frequent visits to the Minister : the merchant
him his business. And do you expect to receive PaYer,iied
of the debt?' demanded the priest. ' I despair of it,' mould
the merchant. Then,' resumed the priest, Y°ll_„, „woo
probably sacrifice a small part to obtain the rest ;' an"thig'
the merchant admitting that he would gladly d° dprtslte
u
' Come,' said the priest, 'to-morrow early, and I'll n ;is ap-
that you shall have your money l"fhe merchant kept eaff
he
; the priest was waiting—the merchant lie
..t into
the minister; and in less than half an hour the priest g"oyilie;
his hands an order for 1,2001., upon the treasury
at
mini sacrifice
the remaining 4001. being the perquisite of the nun_ sacrifice,
his emissary :—yet even after this, it was necessary too
_btainea
another 100/., before payment of the order could h
settle-
at Seville. All this is according to usual practice : without
ment of any Government account can be obtaineo
third' cr
making a large sacrifice ; sometimes as much as a the
1, -
even a half. The system of bribery is univer a
is
minister to the lowest official : sometimes the insll; lie be.;
robbed, sometimes the treasury. If the transaction
and
tween the Government and an individual, the rnirlbbed.
If
go-between are the gainers, and the contractor i rwefficers
the affair lie between individuals and employers--as _wont
the customs—a false return of duties is made to Gore e an
u
the
Government
merchant
s and
robbed
ed : employedthi s
is
a regularpocket the p
aelritffue s'e ttle
the
meat of every custom-house transaction."