, 1872-12-26

SPANISH DON JUAN.
From The He,p I'orE For,d.
Our ides of the ideal Don Juan, the da5hing
| cavalier and the general lover Of women, is
drawn from French sources. He is there eur,
rounded BY halo OF music, gallantr;es, and
| teuder speeches. But quite different from this
ia the Spanish version Of the amiab's scapegrace
He ia depicted as man handsome and fasclna..
ting, OF course, but terrible in hia revenges aud
| jealouaies, invested with the mental attributes
| Of & fend, and whose rapier is seldom drawn but
| to become enRangulned with the life-blooa Of
rivals heart His name in the Spanish legend
is Don Juan Do Msgnara, and IN aoo 2 P51ay 5nsg
Gorilla has embalmed his loves aud
his crimes. This play enjoys vast popularity
in Spain. and, what ia remarheble, It is each
| year, at the approach Of All Saints Day. regular
y brought out at several Of the theatres at
Madrid, and is produced in like manner in al the
| cities Of Spain. and probably in those Of the
colonies OF that country. The fact OF this cus-
tom ia one Of those mysteries which remain u1-
explained, and no one in Madrid or elsewhere in
/ Spain has ever been found to explain It. But
one reason may be given to account Tor its
revival at the season OF this special festival OF
the Church. and this ih that IN the course Of the
many tablcaux Of its Neutrality-suspicious. plot 4
scene is put upon the stage representing .
cemetery.
The legend Of Don Juan de- Magnara, from
which zorilla's play ia drawn, is gloomy and
forbidding one In tho drama of :. Don Juan
Tenorio !" be is represented as an abdnctor OF
| women. He is coward, too, for before his
death be is depicted as, trembling like 1eat. He
fepents but only .hToagh fer; bpt nsTefsha Hha
| all his faults arc forgiven him. and he even be-
comes after death the celestial husband Of 1nez,
whom be has sent to the gravs and whose father
and excellent type Of the Don Juan OF the Span
ish drama, and gives up the ghost in the odor OF
sanctity and amid the applause Of the CALLER
4 les!
sevi1le, side By aide with the majestic paintings
OF Murillo ara two pictures by the painter valdes
Ieal which have been inspired by the dismal
legend OF the bloody Don Juan Of tradition.
completeness Of their graphic detaj!s. One rep;
Eesents q skeleton fumbAng rich dlaperies and
flashing arrnor with its bony feet; the other the
interior Of q vault where arc seen two cotfins.
The first OF these collins contains the corp6e
Of q Bishop in T. condition Of decomposition
30 far advanced that the worms crawl
upon the ehreds Of 1ivid dosh+ In the second
coffin il the body ot d cavalier, shzouded IN .
floa HbsodG5sd with ths cross ,1a Of
in whose pale features are recognized the lines-
nnents Of him who WAS once Don Juan de Mag
nara. 80 fearful Is tho effect produced BY these
paintings, it ia said, that gazars upon them, on
leaving The chapel feel cold chill creeping oyer
them. The conviction is felt that tho artist
wished to transfer thought to tho canvas, and
tho execution OF the work Ia such that sensa-
ton rs produced as though the lookers-on we're
breathing the atmosphere Of a Hepuichre.
t So much for these artistic memorials OF that
Don Juan Of spaniah tradition, the story OF
whose adventures and career has been for cen
turies theme Of recital in Seville. It WAS in
Seville that this man Of awfu1 and bloody mem-
ory dwe1t. In 9 gombre and winding alley Of
that city-and this alley is still there to witness
i the tradition ieR-in which, after dark, taper
lighted BY pious hands throws It's Pickering light
Diainherited, is placed the scene Of tho legend
Of Don Juan dc Magnara. The mama
Of this alley, given to it in comnemoration
OF the strange event which has n1ado it memor-
able in Seville, is the Street Of the Coffin. Ono
night, SO runs the tale, q cavalier Was making
: | his way through this uningitng locality. His
spurs jingled upon the earth, hardened BY the
sun OF an implacable summer; hia velvet cloak
. gathered up under his left arm, left free the
right hand, in which was tightly clasped an IN
| sheathed sword. This man was Don Juan
Magnara, he whom no woman could look upon
with Indifference, and at the mention OF whoao
I name mothers ct fair daughters ingoluutarily
signed themselves With the sign OF the CROSS.
Suddenly the gloomy alley was invaded by an
other figure, also cavalier. The noise Of bis
footballs was followed by c1ashing Of swords.
tho virgin, @ pos Juan paused to wipe bis enssn.
g1ined blade In this interval the bell Of the
Clock Of La Giralda tolls midnight, and as it the
tolling Of this bell we're signal The sound Of r.
comes lighted up, aud Don Juan perceives, ad-
vaacing toward him. q long train Of hooded pen
itents. boaring torches and preceding coffin.
%gGoS ob sss psssP s nom aas bear s you pson 10 ths
whom he addresses lifts his hood, e1hib-
iting the feslless head OF skeleton, and With
his finger points to the coffin; the second peni-
tent uncovers likewise, and displays the psle
face OF Elvira, who had dies OF grief, and in
} those whom he questions in turn Don Juan
. recognizes the features Of his many victiu.s.
But Don Juan is anxious to know who is be
,, that lies in the coffin. Mad with rage, he places
! bis band upon his sword as If about to draw it.
'Who is in that coffin :" he e1claims to a peni-
tent. "The body of the very high and very
puissant senor Don Juan de Magnara," replies
the penitent With & sspulehral yGee: Don Juan
the cloth which covers it, and in the pale corpse
i. which rises from it's reclining position aud Haya
to him Repent" |" he recognizes his own fea.
lures. Then the funeral train, moment at
rested in its progress, resumes it's march and
J slowly disappears. whils Don Juan remains over
l whelmed in gloomy reverie. He still hears
ringing In bis the injunction OF the corpse,
, "Hepaat!" aad it comes to him like an echo Of
his finally aroused conscience; and while the
frat pate light of the dawn falls upon the Bpire
. OF La Giralda, giving to it purplsh hue, he
! crosaes the street with hasty strides until he
reaches the gates of convent at which be
| knocks and when they ara opened to him, en-
t ters.
| Some years after this recorded sceno--to the
diabolism and gloomy horror Of which oven the
! annals Of Spanish romance. fruitful as they are
!: | Of mystery, would find it difficult to present Il
[ parallel-Bernardo Simon de Perada, master
in architectural works, laid the first stone OF the
!, | Charity Hospital Of Seville. Among the most
= renowned artists Of Andalnsia who came to
seyla to aid in the construction and in the dec
t oration OF this hospital we're Murillo and VAL
; des Leal. This convent Waa the pro-
: duct OF the Temorse and muni6cence
: had not waited for death to surprise him before
repentance. He had rapented with all the ein-
cerity Of his SOUL and, fleeing from the worlds
vanities he had conaecrated his last days to the
9 practice OF the most austere virtues.
An Enfcre3tinr T1ncur,ent.