The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-04-01
d ral.sl OF this far.famed structure no,ade-.
auate conception can be formed but by the

Huatc SSoASeptAoa S6u pt 3ofiaSu UntkpJ VIZ
sight Of it.r It is!ts vast quadrangular
building of massive and elaborate architec-
ture, erected on, o, site, where once stood q
tenn pie of Venus, which was transformed
into Christian church, and followed by q
mosque, which, being burned by an invader,
was succeeded by another mosque, which
has made way In turn for the present tenn
pie, requiring hundreds of years and labor
and money incalculable tordevelope it to Its
present ma jestic form. Within, arises CO.
lumn after column of yast, proportions, with
broad saislese between sustaining lofty
arches of noble work rkmsnship, and the light
comes dimly in through stained windows
depicting religious subjects--among the
finest specimens Of painting on glass that
have ever been done. Here are numerous
lchapels, magnifcen tly adorned, and sacred
utensils, chalices, crosses, and crucifxes,
works in gold and silver and precious stones
of inestimable value. One of these chapels
| is furnished with railing Of pure silver.
There are carvings in wood, representing
scripture scenes, ,,so elaborately done that it
tires the imagination to conceive the patient
labor lit must have required to execute
them while all around are paintings which
are esteemed treasure all the world over
| wherever art is cultivated. And here have
mouldered and are mouldering into dust
| tie bodies of men and women mighty and
powerful centuries ago In one Of the
chapels is Inferred King San Fernando, and
there I read in antique Latin the panegy7
RIGS on the tombs of Alfonso the Learned,
his son, and. Beatri1, his wife, who went
the way Of all the earth many and many q
| day long gone. In this same chapel
the fair and unfortunate Maria de Padil-
la rests secure from the prosecutions of
herlover, the cruel Don Pedro. But to me,
as an American, the most Interesting Of all
these monuments to the departed was the
plain slab in the floor of the cathedral over
the grave of fernando, the son of Colum-
bus. Upon it is long inscription, apart Of
which is the celebrated dictum,."'' Columbus
gave to CASTLE and Leon new world" and
It is accompanied by representations of the
peculiar shaped vessels by which was effect
ed the discovery of America. feel that
can convey but poor idea of this, perhaps,
the noblest fame ever erected by man for
the worship of the Creator. 1t is, indeed,
grand. and solemn temple and bigoted
and insensitive must he be who, whatever
his creed, can inger in its venerable pre-
cincts without finding his soul stirred by
some passing thrill of alteration. Even my
companion, as matter-of-fact traveller as
needs to be, with the rheumatism staring at
him bodily from the cold marble pavement,
was touched, and remained till he got a
little chilly. 1fe z-r "a. ii. zd1 e ,. Is lsrg
Incorporated with the cathedral is the
Giralda-the muezZin tower of one of the
former mosques. 1t was erected in 1196,
and is o curious and beautiful specimen Of
Moorish architecture. It rises to the very
effective height of $50 feet, and is sur
mounted by rather heavy weathercock of
$500 pounds weight. assembled it, and
was rewarded bya scene full of grandeur
and beauty, and vertigo. Nothing could
be more delectable than the view from this
sublime perch, albeit somewhat marred by
the moral certainty labored under the
whole time Was thus perched that the en-
tire concern was tumbling over with me.
Our next visit was made to the Aicazar,
the palace Of the old Moorish kings, and
dignifed or disgraced by the residence of
several of the Spanish monarchs. Here
Don Pedro the Cruel, a fellow who appears
to have figured pretty largely almost every
where. played many Of his pranks; and
here the Emperor Charles V. was once mar
ried. 1t is magnificent example of what
the Moors could do, but nearly ruined by
improvements My description Of it
must be slight, One of the noted portions
of it is that called "The Hall Of the Maid
ens,'' 60 called, according to our guide, be-
cause here were every year brought hun
dred virgins, from whom the King was
empowered to select as many as he thought
he could manage. It is magnificent court,
| adorned with no less than ffty-two mar
BILE columns. By direction of our guide
we sat down where old Abdul Axis
used to sit when making his selection, and
pondered. My companion is married, and
what his thoughts were do not presume 70
divine. am still spared to myself, and
my thoughts, must honestly confess, had
rather wistful leaning towards +" the good
old times.'' We next saw the bed-chamber
of Charles ", and the seraglio, and many
other apartments interesting for their his
torical associations, and beautifully adorned
with arabesques and tracery-work and Ara
bic inscriptions worked in Mosaic. Under
meath, in the cellar as it we're, is the old
bathing tuba most commodious affair-in
which the Moorish, and after them the
Christian, ladies were wont to perform
their oblutions. Here the lady Mary de
PadilIa used TO bathe, and it is stated that
our old friend Don Pedro and his gang would
be on hand to see the operation, and that, 1t
was held to be a piece of high gallantry
to take drink of the water and it is fur
ther stated that on one occasion one of this
honorable body declined to partake, to the
scandal and Indignation of all beholders,
but was accounted eXcusable when he as.
signed as reason that if the sauce should
prove good he might want a taste of the
bird" The gardens attached to the Alcs-
Ear are not the least beautiful portion Of it.
Under the walks are subterranean foun-
tains, made to play through the creyices Of
the bricks in multitude OF, little streams.
The aforesaid Pedro was accustomed to be-
guile his lady visitors into these walks,
and then turn on the water-a most joyful
and right royal amusement. The gardener
set the fountains at work for our better un-
derstanding of the modus operandi, and ne
were satisfied that it must have been capital
fun. - J,
i n Perhaps the most interesting of ell the
sights of Seville, to many persons, are the
paintings Of the illustrious Spanish mas
ters, which abound =here.-Now,- be it nn-
derstood, I have an EYE for a house, or 3
sign, or a lady's cheek, when skifuuy
painted, but in the walks Of art higher
than, these L humbly acknowledge my u nn-
worthiness to tread. I shal!, therefore, not
point out the rexcellencies pcr oriticise the
defects oP the Murjllos and the rest which