, 1870-08-28
THE ESCURIAL.
Church, palace, md Monn~tcfss
ttr;nxo yvr me tNs9go 7rtsunc,

s,R,urcft ssn1lacc, nnd Monn$tcf9s
u5fta<s yyr The tRsssgo Tribune,
TIC t.iplet known as tho Escuzial, the vast |
cst structure in Spain, or on tho earth, Of |
modern date, is the common pride Of the |
Spaniard, and wonder OF tho foreigner. This
rride il legal, for tho Escurial il no remsins
OF tl,s Moors, the AlhAmbra, md hAs no
rival, the cathedral OF Seville. The foro,gn-
er may wonder, for Lo beho1ds
. EturcndouH relic OF sturanlous
empire, like the Macedonian, Roman, and
csrlovingian in exteut, power, and wealth.
The plumber of newly discovered aud con-
auescl world, the hartered riches Of India,
and the spoiis Of successful wara in the Meth
erlan1s were amassed by the superstitious
son Of Charles v, for this edifice, which he
Lad vowed to St. Lawrence, before the battle
| Of st. Quentin Considering tho means Of it's
erection, the Escurial is a monument to victory,
though dedicated to religion. Unuaua! a.
| the extent OF these singular RESOURCES was,
| il is still moro remarkable that the under
tnLcr and linal executor Of tile building should
have been one King. The te,np!es Of Egypt,
| whose gigantic bodies stretch thousands Of
feet on tfle banks q tue Siie, arc the fnl.mcuts
Of vows Of many pharaol's;-xes, dynasties OF
Eings,-tnt Ike solomon. Philip H. complct-
ed Lis work A1onc. We discover in the f;,as-
sive piles Of the Escurial Is iu the chief or
only rcnlki,'s OF Homo and Groecc, and still
older empires, y common religious impulse
that ueed to sway the a1ms Of Kings aud
| peoples.
| Though in part palace, aud part church.,
| the ruling purpose Of tho structure would
secm 10 have been nouAstic, since tho site
| chosen rises nhovo desert plains and befora
desert mountains. The sombre mountain
Gzny is wrapped about the grauito walls. thst
rise III stern DcIic grandeur. Though you
would not de.cc. it, tho design is very odd
odd enough to please the moody founder.
At ,1,o siege Of ST. Qucutin kiug Philip was
obliged to cannonade tho church Of St Law
renee. In case OF victory, he vowed to rear
vastcs and more splcnall cathedral to that
Saint, and fulfilled his pgomise with rare
kinglv fidelity. griGiron, tho instrument OF
, the Vatron's mart tyrdom, suggested the plan
executed. Nine towe1s represent the urturued
feet OF the Erate; tho eight galleries Of tue
. | palace and numerous corridors OF the cloir.
, : teri, the bars; and tho tweut,y,#evea open
!; stands in the handle. ln the farihcst come.
: Of the gallery Of this vAst ctlihce tic royal
l il,qnleitor used to come, for fourteen years
. AID Fit. and mutter prayers, and sock relief il
. the ott-rcrea.el uass from the memories Of i
= crnel life. No wUnder he shudlercd to lit
: : ard meet at judgment the souls Of thousauls
! Of innocent Lcretics. slaughtered by his com
u tnanl at many brilliant auto ia .je. Towa1l
), the last he lived in little chamber adjacen,
to tho high altar, whose services he could al.
When the Eecurial Was dourishing. seventeen
= masses were performed annually in the seven
y oratoFioa Of tho monastery, aud at the forty
. al,ars OF tho basilica, for the souls Of the
y sizty-fre royal percentages inferred in the
:, magnificent gloon, OF the mausolcunl. Or
every cosuy stonc and adorned with paintings
~ and gilt b1onzes, more beautiful by contrast
!, With bare gray ssaIls, the families Of Charles
>. V. aud Lis eon arc kneelinE, turned deyoutl,
I Ian
J. 10 the holy place arc Of jasper: tho twin pal
!" rits attheir bsse, too slight aud graceful To-
the messlyc surroundings. arc rut togethc
:. with yari-colorel slabs OF transparent mar
=. ~ Elrr. tar most rayishlng structures conceiva
~ bic. A leautiful curiosity is to be found il
- the sac1iety, in q painting by the careful tocl
~ 10. that depicts some grand festival held i
!! the chapel in which it stands, and re1ests
II yourself participant Of the jt:e. Nearly thgc'
~ ~ Thousand winauws shed light on the walls o
~ saloons. where Ii, 600 painting, in oil used t
- hang, transforming or wedding the plsce O
=, prayer to the palace Of art. Before the treas
H. urer oltthe Escutial were sought sitter to en-
- Fore was such numerous, authenticated au
II precious collection OF works u the rcnAissauc
Ia 70 ee found II you recall The opening OF thi
es laster; ti!e vaet professions and nnliuaite'
"a stand why Titan, E,bcra, 1tabena, and til
IL rest so eagerly sought the patronage Of Spain
,lv To-day tho eighty staircaseA and twelve thou
a. saha Ionrs OF the palace arc deserted an
vi ciosed the nine organs Of the cathedral II
20 CONC IN an,iluity-A place for ltIc visitors
~ ssuntcr tl,zouEt:--worthlces, e1cept a. r1ou
- monument Of tho past. 1io~ distant fro,
II Philips mind was the Thought that his ow
VI people would discahatlt his mpnax,ry. an
~ that in little moro than threa centuries af,t
-. he laid the corncr-stoae 10 this ediace, cstal
~ ~ liaLing the glory Of the Catholic Chun