The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-26 00:00:00

A ROYAL BULL FIGHT.

MADRID, OcT. 17.—The Gazette of this morning says
not a word about the amnesty. En revanche, how-
ever, the Grand Bull-fight came off yesterday, and no
doubt the nation will be content.

The Queen, accompanied by her husband and the
rest of the Royal family, entered her balcony at a
quarter to three o'clock, in the Casa de Panadicia of
the Plaza Mayor, or Great Square, and seated herself
under a magnificent canopy of crimson velvet embroi-
deTrewdoin
o'clock
gold
had been the hour named by her
Majestyasttwo
a companyfor t the spectacle o
commence.rssed
inAtanehiaeloft-
pfha to
lberdiers, dressed
costume, made their appearance ; and, to the sound
of clarions and drums, took their places in the space
in front of, and immediately unde;,hethe balcony set
positions
by
ynoapart for the royal personages.
occu-
pied by these domestic guardians of the Royal person,
might, no doubt, be one of high honour, but it
means one to be envied, nor was it without iwtsa danger.
Placed outside the barrier which separated the spectators
from the arena, they were exposed to an encounter
with
the furious animals whose tortures were to afford amuse-
ment to the young Queen and her sister ; and as eti-
quette prevented them from turning their backs on their
royal mistress, their danger was still the greater. As
the code of royal etiquette is not, however, so cruel as to
be unredeemed by some traits of tenderness, the halber-
diers enjoyed the enviable privilege of being permitted,
in extreme cases, to turn round for a moment when they
felt the bulf's horns at their back, and defend their lives
with the lance of their halberds—the only weapon al-
lowed them,
The Queen's appearance in the balcony was the signal
for a burst of martial music, which continued until she
and those immediately about her had taken their seats.
The Princes, Spanish and French, were dressed en
bourgeois—black dress coats; and on their breasts flashed
diamond stars. The Queens and Infanta were simply
habited, and with few ornaments. They wore light
bonnets it la Francaise, and held in their hands small
parasols to protect them from the sun, which had just
begun to shine from an almost unclouded sky.
In a short time afterwards some stir was noticed
amidst the crowd collected near the arch through which
there is a passage to the Calle Toledo. Places were
gradually made by the attendants, and then entered four
very handsome carriages, each drawn by six horses,
covered over with the richest and most massive, though
not to an English eye the most tasteful, caparisons.
From their lofty crests nodded high plumes of different
colours, designating the noble houses to which they be-
longed. They were the state-carriages of four grandees
—namely, the Count of Altamira, the Duke of Abrantes,
the Duke of Medina Celi, and the Duke of Osuna. The
horses were of the pure Andalusian breed, and were
certainly beautiful creatures.
These exhibitions are, from an ancient period, held in
the Plaza Mayor, the grand square of the capital ;
whereas the ordinary bull fights take place in the loca-
lity constructed expressly for the purpose, the Plaza de
Toros. The caballeros are brought to the ground in the
state carriages of their respective padrinos, with a long
train of domestics, habited in ancient costume, and
wearing the colours of the houses they belong to. They
are then and there conducted in front of the Sovereign,
to whom they are presented in due form. They then
mount on horseback, and the spectacle begins.
The caballeros of yesterday were—R. Roman Fernan-
dez, of the Guard of Halberdiers ; paddl), the Count of
Altamira ; he wore a c.esturne of the time of Austrian
dynasty, his colours, sky-blue and white ; the padrino
wore a court dress ; D. Antonio Romero ; padrino, the
Duke of Abrantes, costume of the same period, colour,
green ; padr•ne, the maestrante uniform ; 1). Frederico
Vare'a y Untie, padrino the Duke of Medina Celi, cos-
tume blue and white ; padrino the maestrante uniform •
D. Jose Cabanas ; padrino, the Duke of Osuna, costume
red and yellow ; padrino the uniform of a colonel of
cavalry. The caballero of the Duke of Abrantes is a
Lieutenant of the Regiment of Maria Christina ; and
that of the Duke of Osuna an officer of the llalberdiers.
After the carriages came, led by grooms dressed in
the richest livery, twenty eight horses, at the rate of
seven ft r each Cir iage. The harness of the horses was
of the most gorgeous description. A complete band of
toreros (bull- fighters), engaged to protect the caballeros
en plaza, accompahied each carriage on foot. All this
train made the circuit of the square, the angles of which
had b en rounded off for the occasion with temporary
structures, until they came in front of the royal balcony,
when each caballero and his padrino descended, and
made a profound obeisance to her Majesty. They again
entered the carriages, and having once more made the
circuit of the place, they disappeared in a direction dif-
ferent from that they entered.
About halt-an-hour then elapsed ; after which a
new spectacle made its appearance in the same place
where the carriages had entered. Seven Kings-at-
Arms, with their pages and esquires sustaining
the shields cf the house of each grandee, entered,
escorting each caballero en plaza, and followed by
the respective bands of torero:. They again placed
themse!ves in front of the royal balcony, and bowed
low. The caballeros, with the exception of one who
was flung from his horse the moment he mounted,
saluted her Majesty on horseback. The toreros knelt,
and bent their foreheads to the ground. In addition to
the above, a number of musicians, dressed in grand cos-
tume, followed the cavaliers, and with their martial
strains seemed to animate their courage. The picadors,
or hull-fighters, armed with lances, and on horses, fol-
lowed also.

The key of the stall where the bull is kept ready for
the combat is in possession of whoever the authority
may be that presides. On this occasion the cara of the
kty was entrusted to the Queen. It is flung from the
balcony with ',web grave ceremony. At the moment
th, en delivered the key, a multitude of pigeons,
their necks adorned with gay coloured ribbons, suddenly
rim from each corner 'a the placei 4u4 pleir flight