Star.
London, England, 1823-10-18 00:00:00

THE ESCURIAL-SEGOVIA.

Extract of a letter from Segovia, dated September
21 :—Not having any particular engagement till the
return of his Majesty to Madrid, I am induced to make
an excursion for a short time in the vicinity of the me-
tropolis. So I put my alforcas on my horse, with the
few necessaries required for the road, and started for
the Escurial. The only object of notice there was large
droves of turkeys, one cavana, or flock, consisted of one
thousand, driven by four men, with dogs—they de-
manded 2s. to $3. each.
In the morning of the 18th, I was delighted to see a
fine regiment of French infantry, the 85th, march in
from Corunna. The officers complained much of the
fare they got passing through the country. Afterwards
I visited the Palace. The Royal apartments are all
covered with tapestry, the manufacture of Madrid ; it
is in high condition, and only one degree inferior to the
Gobelins. The subjects are various, mostly embracing
Spanish amusements; and the characters of the people
in the various piovinces are well pourtrayed. There is
but little furniture; and the small windows give the
rooms a gloomy aspect. There is also a gallery and
the battle of St. Quintin painted in fresco,lso feet long;
a most interesting picture. Afterwards I visited the
church and convent of St. Lorenzo, 700 feet long by
500 feet, and the height nearly GO. This forms part of,
the palace built in the shape of a gridiron, the machine
on which they. tell you St. Lorenzo suffered, after the
battle of St. Quintin. _ _

A friar conducted me to a small cabinet and shevVed
me many valuable relics; in a large glass-case was con-
tained part of the Cross. Ili another was one of Herod's
victims; this little innocent was curiously wrapped up
in a costly garment, which he unfolded with great care
—it appeared to have been embalmed. On a pedestal
stood one of the water-pots from Canx, and many other
rare gems.
The library is extensiv e and valuable, the manuscripts
of the Four Gopels a: e written in gold letters; a work
of the eleventh century.
The pictures that most claimed my attention were
the Last Supper, by Titian; a Holy Family, by Raphael,
called La Perla, which was restored by France at the
peace, and I was told this picture belonged to Charles I.
and was sold by Cromwell.
The Pantheon, or receptacle of the Royal family,
contains the remains of six Kings, with their Queens, in
massive marble sarcophagi placed in catacombs oppo-
site to each other, and there are also many more ready
to receive their prey. The situation is fine. • There is
some pretty wood in front, and Madrid is seen twenty-
[eight miles off. The back ground is a barren lefty

11'4ticr, S3.7,VE.'*-PE

mountain, called the Guadarama, extending
distance. From the Escurial I went to. &pin;
Villa Caqine; from this place the Marquis La '
sent his Mayoral to conduct me to Avila ; we t'

a near way through the woods helonsjog to ti,e C,
Polentino ; they are the largest range of covers
seen in the Castilles, and abouLA with game, boar, wolf,
fox, and deer.

Avila is a curious Nl,orish town, built on a rock of
grturite, with 80 projecting towers. Tae cathedral is a
very fine part of it ; I think it was a Moorish mosque ;
there are good specimens of painted glas. The city
contains eight parish churches, and sixteen convents, a
considerable woollen factory, and there is an excellent
market, abounding with fruit in the greatest plenty, and
very cheap. Melons id. per lb. grapes Id. peaches Id.
wheat 3s. 10d. to 4s. for SOlb's. bailey 2s. to 3s. for
601br. oats are very little gtown in Spain. A large cow
may he bought for 20 dollars, and an ox for 30. The
average price of a she: s is two dollars ; and you may
at this moment buy twenty cavanas el Merino sheep for
two dollars per head t and I have given sixty guineas
for a ram of a spurious Merino breed in Bath.
On reachhig Segovia, the city was thronged. with
2,603 troops, comman.'ed by the Cura Nlerico. I
never saw such men, except those commanded by the
Baron Doles. The Curate is about five feet eight
inches, very dark complexion, and wears a black frock,
with a cocked hat.

I called on my ft knd at the Alcazar, he was shut up
with seventy other persons of the best families in Sego-
via, merely for giving their opinions; they were sum-
moned together in my pi esence by an officer, and a de-
mand made by the Cura Merino, of one thousand pounds
sterling, or, 100,000 teals for the use of his troops;
besides this, his men are quartered in their houses.
The first object in Segovia that attracts your notice
is the aqueduct. It contains upwards of 150 arches;
it is 700 yards long, and in one place 90 yards in height;
it is perfect, built of granite, without mortar, in the
time of Hannibal, as is supposed, and conveys the
water to the city.
There is a very considerable cloth manufactory, well
furnished with every kind of machine, equal to anything
I have seen in England. The Government has been at
a very considerable expense in bringing the valious ma-
chines from Sedan and the Low Countries, and they
I have several very excellent workmen from France and
Liege, to keep the machinery in orders.

SP,4IA.

BATTLE IN ESTREMADURA.
TALAVERA. OCTOBER 4.

Brigadier Larocliejaquelin, after tour months constant .
marching and very painful services, rested lor •ome days
on the banks cf the Tvgus, until he should pass that
river to proceed on Zuxillo, and attack the Constitu-
tional troops of Estreinadui a. On the 29. h of Sei.tem-
ber, he learned that the ConsTitutionalists «rte moving
on the Tagus, and he marched immediately s.ith the
Ist Regiment of Hussars and the Ist Light. In the even-
ing be arrived on the Tagus, and was informed that the
Constitutionalists had been endeavouring to pass it, and
had been repulsed by General Quesada's advanced guard
stationed a the ford. Next day the General was joined
by the 2d battalion of the 7th Light, and the 7.h regi-
ment of Horse Chasseurs. He ordered the rise- to be
passed, which was executed by the, cavali y and the ari-
tillery at the ford, and by the 7th Light by the pontoon.
The enemy occupied a valley with a vet y na: row and
rapid outlet, the defence-ot which was e.iFy. The Ge-
neral having caused this position to be wined by the
Voltigeurs of the 7th, the enemy did wit attempt to
maintain it, and the brigade, after (hiving before them
a few posts, debouched into the extensive plain on the
road to Truxiilo.

For the first time since the opening of the campaign,
the brigado had the satisfaction of seeing the enemy
ranged in order of battle in the plain. Gene: al Palencia
had drawn up in the plain eight fine squadron F, consist-
ing of cuirassiers and heavy cavalry. His right was
protected by high and precipitous heights, where he had
posted a considerable number of infantry in ambuscade,
among the almost inaccessible rocks. On his left he
had two battalions of infantry, protected by a deep
ravine; and three pieces of artillery defenOed the front
of his line. In this position lie offered battle to General
Larochejaquelin. •
Emboldened by the superiority of his numbers, and
persuaded that our light cavalry could not compete
with his cuirassiers and heavy cavalry, he had forgotten
that he bad to do with Frenchmen. _ _

General Larochejaquelin, having reconnoitred the
enemy's position, ordered Colonel Lambot to CAI I y with
the greatest celerity the heights which covere ! his right.
'fire Colonel executed this order with such vigour and
promptitude, that notwithstanding the esti eine difficul-
ties of the ground, he socn gained the summit of the
position in which the infantry in ambuscade kept up a
Close fire. Though he had at first only about a score of
carbineers with him, he made them charge the enemy,
clambering over rocks ; and they put to flight a whole
battalion, by which they had for a moment been almost
surrounded.
General Larochejaquelin viewed the field• of battle
with an attentive eye, and was waiting for the 7th light
becoming disposable, that he might direct it against
the enemy's left flank, while he, probably 101 l atient of
inaction, broke his order of battle, and formed in co-
lumns to advance to the attack through a confined
position. Tl.e General I•erceivir'g this manoeuvre, by
which the ene'ny lest the superiority of the extensiorr of
his line, did not hesitate to order an immediate charge.
The Constitutional cavalry engaged with great order
and coolness; they relied on their cuirassiers. Their
sabres were crossed, and the fighting was man to man.
Colonel Simoneau, of the Ist Hussars, and Colonel
Wimpffen, of the 7th Chasseurs, charged at the head,
of their regiments with • all the vigour and intrepidity
which belongs to Frenchmen. The lancers had orders
to knock off the cuirassiers' helmets, in order that they
might be sabred on the head. .The Constitutiowal ca-
,
ralry, unable to resist the valour of the French regi-
ments, turned'rouad,was pursued, sabred and completely
routed, with the loss of one piece of cannon, one cos-
soon, and a number of- kided and prisoners.
While this was passing in the plain, Colonel Lembot

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