, 1870-05-08
SPANISH RECREAT1ONS.
ss1he Seven Dolors OF the Virgin
MarF.7


and,1d Il praa, cSrrtepondenesef tie london 79'nek
On Friday, the LIST inet., arrived at Madrid,
and the first objects which met my view were
a proera1nme OF bull fight that was to be held
on the following Sunday, and an announce-
uent tint, on that very evening, ut the Teatro
dc los yarsedades CIheatre dea Varieties, some
Dolores do Maria;" Apglice. 'iThe Seven
! Dolors Of the Virgin Mary" Here, at any
rate, WINS something out Of common. Was the
performance to consist Of plny or . moving
rieture7 ..
| At half-past 8-the time when plays gener-
ally begin at 3ladrid-I betook uygek to the
Tcatro do los Vatiedadesr and on paying the
price of admission found myself encumbered
With formidable collection Of mysterious
documents. On inquiry I learned that these
cntitle me remain III the theatre for the even
ing, inasmuch as was magnificent person.
Who had paid my reals {2 francs) for the best
place, whereas Tie more economical patzons.of
the theological drama contented themselves
with norton Of tie performance. The shalt
price familiar in London when vas -jnve-
nile has long vanished, but in Madrid they
hare "quaIter Price with taIlR core,
eTe1y ac5 bo1-keeper took away one OF my
documents as u voucher for valns received.
Was The performance to consist OF i play or
u moving picture? A play, most decidedly.
! Without any great show, or any violent efforts
at scusation, tho Life Of the Kedeemer, from
| His presentation in the temple to His descent
from the cross, was dramatically represented
| before body Of persohB who evidently re-
| garded the whole affair as q matter OF courEe.
| I've Lear Of q representation Of tho Passion
that occurs once in three years IN Southern,
Germany, and We read Of the Coventry and
Chester Mysteries; but in these We have cases
Of grand exceptional exhibitions. The
remslkable peculiarly in the Madrid
uystery ls That there is nothing sol
emn about it. On Friday in Lent
l1amatized version Of the New Testament il
as much in place as pantomino on Boxing.
day III our capital; only, let me add, that
the sacred history il contemplated With sori
Of respectful Indifference thal would Bignalize
l,thc revival Of standard comedy. The theatre
Is peithcr empty nor seey full, spd looks yeEJ
much like the theatre in. Tot;euhAm street
looked before Il was polished bg Miss Mari.
Wilton WITH the Prince of Vsle4, snd sbinatet
with tie genius of T. ". Robertson Babies
generally arc OK an humble class, and i gen
tleman wishes 10 rnako remark to hH neigh
lpr he is not In the least deferred by tht
ferre eacnteiion Of the awfm event on Cal
vary.
How WIS this monstrous piece performed
This question cannot be answered till all Eng
lish uotiuus are violently tlnust aside. II
London such performance would be- simple
aEoninatiln: in Paris It would only bo toler
attd from . morbid lore OF wickedDess bu
III Madrid one feels that it aecords with the
synpathies Of tue multitude, and may ven.
ture to affirm That tie awful subject is tIoateG
with great modesty and refinement The re
| sources OF the theatre are evidently limited
there il no luxury in the way Of decoration
but the manager Las learnt the Use Of the 1imt
Light, and 1 can scarcely conceive more effect
iyc tablctn than that which was presented te
the spectators when tle curtain rs,se for the
fourth net, and discovered the Redeemer cru
cited between the two thieves.
/ do not suppose that the actors at this Little
Tcatro do los Ta1iedeles arc TO be taken ae
specimens Of iistrionic ant but, nj fur ~
am able to judge, they play with good emgha
sis and discretion, artculating with exceeding
distinctnees. The 1irrin, the Redeemer, thf
Magdnlen, and Pontius Plate are marker
characters, and still more conspicuous Is tht
peniteut thief, rho, in the early part Of tht
story, appears as the protector OF the Holy
FANNY during their sojousn IN Egypt.
have left my Thlo and my Tischenaorf q
homo but, unless my memory greatly nils
guides me, tho craly appearance Of the thie1
IN the Bacred history is derived from
one Of the hpocryphal Gospels; and think
may say the Bame OF the miraculous preserra-
ton Of Mary and Joseph By the descent OK
ltLeir pnrsue1s. The Proteyangelium, tLt
Book OF Infancy, the Book Of AIary, md othel
apocryplal works Of the Kind, had An enor.
NOUS influence on the popular Christianity ot
tho Middle Ages, and IN Madrid the 18th cen
tury is still medieval The conventional man.
ner Of representing the three "kings," Oh
wise men, the OF, and The ass at the Nativity,
the assumption that Joseph is an old man
(Which, By tho way, do not find on tie Span.
ish stsge), arc all derived from the apocryphal
Gospels.