New-York tribune., 1871-11-17

2 and meripones sscyed in wsteT The climax OF
their luxury j. cool bed walking auU. .nS S S,y @ ~
aSuons yagabonds asleep or rever dozens Of them
stretched along the rim Of the basins 10 Be ay or .
splashug water, where the least start Woua pIuhge
them In But the dreams Of these LATIN 6eggars are TOO
peaceful TO trouble their sinn6er ~ ~ vnossnd
feet their he'd the scuptured marble their covering tine
SSseP m Winds Bright with it, trOonG starr
The Providence Of the worthless watches ana guards
| them
The domestic sentiment, contrary to the impres-
sion that is often received from romance and comedy
according to Mr. Hay, Is Of peculiar strength in the
! Spanish character This has been cherished by the
whole course of the nations history. The old Celtic
population had scarcely any religion but that Of the
! family. The GOths brought III the pure TeutOnic
| regard for woman aud marriage. The Moors were
distinguished by the patriarchal structure OF their
society. The Spanards have thus learned the lesson
of home in the school of tradition. Their intensely
individual feeling favors their remarkable domes-
tcity. The CaStilian, while submissive to his
king and his priest is haughty and infexible
with his equals. His own house is refuge from
outward contests 1t is In the middle and
lower classes that the most perfect pictures
of the Spanish family life are TO be fOund.
Passing at noon by any of the squares or shady
places of Madrid, you will see dozens of laboring
people at their meals. They sit on the ground,
HIOuuu luc bltdmulB anu bdNOlb pV'NV 'h"N i"i'i
the peasant Spaniards mvaried dinner. The foun-
datiOn is of 0arban=os the large chick pea of the
country, brought originally to Europe by the Car
thaginians-the Roman ciOer, which gave its name
to the greatest Of the Latin orators. AL other avail
able vegetables are thrown in on days Of high gala
piece of meat is added and some fOrehanded house
wives attain the climax Of luxury by tGvoring the
compound with link Of sausage. The mother
brings the dinner and her tawny brood Of nestliDgs
shady spot is selected for the feastI The father
dips his wooden spoon first into the vapOry bowl,
and mother and babes follow with grave decOrum.
Idle loungcrs passing these patriarchal groups,
Oh their way to vapid French breakfast at
restaurant, catch the fragrance Of the Ola
and the chatter Of the family aud envy the dinner
Of herbs with love-"
There is no people frugal the Spanish, although
Madrid is one of the dearest capitals in Europe.
They live in good houses, dress well, entertain
their select circle, and figure with the best in
| the promenade upon incomes that would seem
pcnury to any country clergyman in America.
at is the smallness of incomes and the necessity of
looking sharply to the means of life that makes the
young people Of Madrid prudent in their love
affairs know Of place where ugly heiresses are
such bellies, and where young men with handsome
incomes are 80 universally esteemed by all who
know them The stars on the sleeves of young Off
GERS are more regarded than their dancing, and the
red belt of field officer is as winning in the eyes of
beauty az a Cestus of Venus. subaltem offered his
hand and heart to a bla0k-eyed girl of CASTLE. She
said kindly but firmly that the night was too cloudy
What said the stupefed lover, the sky is full OF
stars L see but One,' said the prudent beauty,
her fine eyes resting pensively upon his cuff,
where one lone luminary indicated his rank"
One of the most interesting chapters ill the vOlnme
An, with tho painfpro ia devoted 10
an account of the works of art in the gallery Of
Madrid 1t is no exaggeratiOn, in Mr.. Hays opinion,
to set this down as the most admirable collection in
Europe The reason of this fact is to be sought
in the vast resources of the Austrian dynasty. The
increase of the Spanish dominion cOincided with
the most glorious period of Italian art. During
| the reigns of Charles " and Philip H., those
| powerful monarchs had their choice of all the
| best work that was done in the world. There
was no artist so great but he was honOred
bv their commands. They Thus formed an invalua-
ble collection of pictures produced in the dawn of
Spanish art and the triumphant bloom of Italian
i genius Their frivolous and feeble successors
though compelled to surrender provinces and king
dOms never lost their taste for art. They cOnsoled
themselves in misfortune by the encouragement Of
the poets and painters of decaying age. As soon
as this collection was opened to the world, its In
| comparable merit was at once recognized. Mr. Hay
acknowledges hopeessness of the task of descrb
ing in detail the gems of this museum. But he has
succeeded, to remarkable degree, in accomplishing
what no skill in word painting fully effect, by
assisting the imagination to form an idea Of great
work of art without the advantage Of actual sight.
In spite of our narrowing limits, must make room
fOr the description of wonderful painting of Veas
quez, Las Meninas," which in its unadorned sug-
gestiveness presents specimen of art criticism as
1 suhfIa and nacienfinua aA il is
When Luca Giordano from Italy he inquired for
this picture, and said seeing it, "This the theology
and cannot be- absolute and unquestOnabe TRUTH Luca
the Quick worker would have been right. Velszquez
the idea him of pepetuatnG the It
was We know how we have wished to De sure OF exact
arical local color is an ILLUSTRATION Of this desire The
great artist who must have hOnOred his ART determined
to give future ages picture Of instant of
his glorious life not too much to cay he has done
Tne little princess Is gtiy posing IA the center Her
little maids are grouped about her Two hdeOus dwss
and magIanmouS to gfowl In the background at the
end Of long gallery gentleman is opening door to
rsSecOn Of the faces Of the hing and ausen in small
mirror, where You would expect to zee your own. The
possible does it that It g merely the placing Of
does not seem possible that you are looking It plane
surface There Ia stratum Of air before behind and
see how the artist is getting ON with the portrait There
space and light in this picture in any room Every
SsFeSsCops art consist MAKING aestnS mSens
immortal the True IL higher ideal than the Beaut
full then II will be hard to lind greater painting than
this. 1t Is utterly without beauty ttA tone Is cold
olive greenray; there s not one redeeming grace 0r
charm about 1t except the noble figure OF VelasQues him.
selyet in Its oustere ndety TO truth stands ineom
parable in the world II gained Velazqne1 his greatest
triumph. You his breast sprawlinR rcd cross
painted evidently by an unsklful hand. This was the
RTaaioas answes made by Philip ~. when the artist
asked him anything wanting to the picture. This
decoration daubed by the royal the accoade
| Of the mighthOod OF Santago-an honor beyoqd the
dreams of an artist of that day. It may be considered
the highest compliment ever paid 70 painter except
the one paid by C0urbe6 10 himself when he refused 70