Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-06-20
THE GAZETTE.
MONDAY MORNING, JUNE 20, 1859.
THE ESCURlAL.

THE ESCUktAL.
MIR. Brooks, OF the New York Express
now travelling IN Europe, could not 'ea'e
Spain without visiting the E'curia', Vi
..Escnrial." rs he spells it. Here rs MS nc
count
.Tbree things are combined in the Escor'al'
which make Il u novelty III this world s
structures. apart from its own intrinsic
,,r.naa,r and its enormous cost. The three
th;nas nre-u Palace for King-a Convent
f,r Pr;asts-a Tomb tor Charles the 9Th, and
his successors. The Convent had nunnery
attached; the Palace library. Philip H.
erected it to carry out the will of his father
in having a royal tomb, aud to fulfil vow
made during the battle of st, Queatm, when
he implored the aid oi San Lorenzo, on whose
day the battle was fought August III. 1851. J
San Lorenzo was broiled hy the Emperor
Valentinus "a. II. POI on Il slow fire. The
story is, that while broiling he directed the
cooks TO turn him when one side was burnt, and
that he advised them loosely. of course to eat
him after he was broiled Hence the form OF
the eridiron inverted-the architectural form
of the Escorial The interior IL divided into
courts, which represent the interstlces OF
the bars of gridiron, while the handle
forms the royal residence. The feet are the
four towers at the corners, which represent
the legs. The first stone OF tins vast and
truly enormous pile was laid IN l1da,
aud in 1854 the work was completed. The
first thing that strikes the traveller is the
inconpruity of the situation. Why should
Philip have selected the slope OF mountain
for such a wild outlay of money? The place
is cold and gloomy as we'll as lonely, and It
must have been almost impossible To create
comforts there 1t cannot have tempta-
ton as place of residence but for some two
or three months in summer. Nevertheless
Philip H. boosted that from the slope ol tins
mountain he governed the world, and doubt
less much of his gloomy life and gloomy
government were inspired by the sombre ali,
and bowling winds here. The sea is twenty
seven hundred feet lower than this building,
and from this you can guess ofthe wind and
weather here. The guides tell Us the square
of the building covers 1900 feet; that in the
centre is the Chapel surrounded by dome;
that there are G3 fountains, II cloisters, 80
staircases, lG coart- yards and 5000 feet OF
painted fresco. Its mere measurement.
however, gives yon no idea OF its vastness, its
severe grandeur, nor its beautv--for in it's
granite walls, blue states and leitden roofs,
there is no beauty. Every one at first sight
must have suggested TO him IA huge cotton
factory. tits only on entering the court yards
and the building itself, that you begin to
comprehend it, The Kings of Judah"
statues L. feet high, overlook the first court
YOU enter-statues cut from one granite
block; the hands and heads only of marble.
The vast Chapel is grand. There is reli-
gion, or rather a religious awe, in its very
design and architecture. You are shown
there the humble place where Philip III.
kneeled, prayed, sat, aud the little Oratory
near the altar where he died. looking at the
rites and ceremonies of religion. On each
side Of the high altar are ten chambers or
oratorios, of black and sombre marble, for the
royal family, while. above are placed bronze
gilt, and painted efigies, kneeling before the
King of Kings. The minor affairs number
over forty. The relicario is to the right of
the high altar. Philip IL. was relic-mad
and courters and toadies to please him sent
him relics dd infnitnm. The first relics
placed there were the bones of San Lorenzo
742l relies are enumerated as the acquisition,
II whole bodies 800 heads. GOO legs and
arms. 364 veins and arteries, HOO bits, &c
In this great Escorial are things after things
worth visiting, and We gave many hours to
them-but will not enumerate. The Royal
Tomb or Ranthcon, however. mast be named.
The Pantheon is the Royal family vault, and
is under the high altar, in order that when
the host is elevated, it may be elevated exact
ly over the heads of dead Kings and Queens.
The vault is an octagOn, 81 feet IN diameter
and 3S feet high. There are twenty-six inches
followed in the eight sides. with block mar
hle sarcophag OF urns. Those filled, that Is,
those tenanted by dead bodies, have names of
the occupants Inscribed upon them; NE empty
ones dwaH future Kings. None are buried
here save Kings and the mothers of Kings
the males are placed separately and opposite
to the females. All that is left Of Charles v.
Is here on an upper shelf in one OF these
black marble urns. The traveller lifts high
up his taper to see the shelf, and then passes
on. wondering inwardly that there rests 50
quietly the dust and ashes which once vexed
the world so widely The great Captain of
Prussia, at Potsdam, has an humber vault I'M
der the Lutheran Chapel there, but the
solemnity is all the greater, from the greater
humility of the place Of burial. Death recog-
nizes not, and mans mind follows death IN
that Palace Tomb for KingsOr great Captains,
such as here given Charles ", or such as is
building in the Invalides at Paris for the first
Napoleon. When we build tomb for Wash
ington, then, let it be simple, and then it may
become sublime in the association.
The .Sacriistd and ante Saciisfa-with Its
arabesque ceiling-tbe Camai" behind the
high altar-the cloisters-the grand stair
case--the State rooms--the royal suite of
rooms-the excellent Madrid tapestry the
marqueterie pannelings-- Moorish and
Spanish frescOed battles ON the wallsSthe
library and and its frescoes-visit each and
all. When one has done this all. one is ANA
zed at the enormous expenditure of money
here, and wonders where it came from, till
he reflects well in what era of Spain it was
built-and thinks of its Americas, its gal
Icons of gold, its possession of the ten counties
of Lombardy. &c. &c. To enjoy the Esco-
rial we'll one should be fresh from Prescott
and Motley for then one will comprehend
the character of Philip, who, architect.
fanatic, tyrant, harsh, cruel, cowardly and
bold too, and at times brave, defed even
nature here and piled up this mountain
of granite, as endurable almost as the
Pyramids. The grounds about the Esco-
rial, in spite CT the disadvantages Of the place,
are pretty and not badly kept up even now,
The HIGH tow or must be asceuded 10 see all