The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-10-03
MADRID.
The city and its Parks.

The climate of Madrid is such that
it has become a household word all
over Europe. "As hot as Madrid, -
GAS cold as Madrid" Alexandra Du-
mas says in his "Esquisses d'Espagne:'
=" For the meanest climate on earth,
recommend me to Madrid :" and AL
phonce de Lamartine speaks of the
"horrors of Madrilene heat and the
distressing chills of Madrilene cold -
Nevertheless, you must not talk to a
true childof Madrid about all this. For,
if ever people passionately loved their
native city, it is the Madrilenos. The
Napolitans invite strangers to see their
incomparably beautiful city, and then
die; the Viennese talk and sing about
there being but one imperial city, and
that the one ON the banks of the beauti-
full blue Danube. The Russians say
that Moscow is holy, and that st. Pc
tersburg is the city of palaces. The
Swede calls his Stockholm the Venice
of the north, and the Germans point
with the greatest pride to the magnii-
cent city of Berlin. The Saxons may
we'll boast of their beautiful city of Dres-
den, which is, as they call it, the second
home of all Americans. But what is all
this in comparison with the extravagant
praises bestowed by the people of Ma
drid upon their beloved city? Accord
ing to them, who has ever seen more
magnificent metropolis than theirs?
Who has ever feasted his eyes on more
magnificent marble palace than the Al
cazar? Who has ever seen finer gale
ries than those of the museum? Who
has ever sauntered up and down more
splendid avenue than the Puerta del
Sol? Who, finally, has ever recreated
himself better in any public garden
than in the parks of Madrid? ? Yes, the
parks of Madrid. There are three of
these public walks, the famous Prado,
nearly two miles in length, from north
to south, on the eastern outskirts of the
city, with superb and regular rows of
trees and several fountains of surpass-
ing beauty the Pasos de las Delicias,
along the banks of the Manzanares, on
the west side of the city, and the Buen
Retro gardens to the east, beyond the
Prado. Without these three gardens,
it is safe to assert, life in Madrid would
almost be intolerable; and none of the
monarchs of the unfortunate. Iberian
peninsula not even those who seemed to
take a special delight in expressing
their people, ever ventured to interfere
with the inhabitants of Madrid enjoy
ing themselves in their peculiar manner
in these three public resorts But these
gardens you must never visit in the day
time. Then everything looks deserted,
the trees and plants hang their leaves
under the depressing influence of pitt
less sun the very grass on the lawns
looks yellow and dropping, and in the
ponds the water, receding as it is al
ways, is covered with green film, in
dicative of sluggishness and stagnation.
Pedestrians you do not meet anywhere
only now and then lazy waiter lolling
in front of a restaurant, whom you must
call five times before he will answer you
with 81, SenOr!" At the end of
fifteen minutes walk, you will ask your
self in surprise, els this the famous
Prado ?" He who would dare to COM
pare it with the Partisan Bois de Bou-
logne, with Hyde Park in London, the
Prater in Vienna, or the Thiergarten in
Berlin, would absolutely appear to you
an idiot. But wait until the bells of
the innumerable churches of Madrid
have rung their vespers, and wait until
the fiery sun has sunk behind the bleak
crests of the Sierra Guadarama, and
until the myriads of stars, with wonder
full clearness, sparkle in the deep-blue |
southern sky, wait until then, and you
will find a new, most enchanting and |
life in the Prado. The balmy |
night air seems to infuse fresh vitality |
into the sluggish blood of the hidalgos. |
They hasten to their beloved park, and |
long before 9 o'clock it is thronged with |
the beauty and fashion of the capital. |
Poets have often sung of the charms of |
the fair daughters of Madrid. If you
want to admire them in all their sur
passing grace, if you want to bask your
eyes in the dark depths of orbs lustrous
and unfathomable, and arched with
brows, just saunter through
those alleys of the Prado, and look and
listen, such sylph-like forms, such
faultless contours, such sweet accents
Of one of the noblest tongues that Pro
vidence has given to mankind But do
not believe that only the aristocracy of
Madrid is to be found of evenings in
the dark, delightful recesses of the
Prado. The plebeians are there like
wise, and the beautiful and character
stic costumes of the working girls. who
still adhere to the mantilla and the
rebozo, lend special charm to the ami
mated scene. And, o the delights of
.he great pond No city in the world
is more destitute of water than Madrid
and the pleasures of catching and sail
ng are unknown to the Madrilenos. It
IS only the mirror-like surface of the
grand pond of the Prado that they can
enjoy boat-ride of over 200 yards in
ength. It costs money toenter one of
;hese famous barques, and those whose
poverty prevents them from riding on
he watery deep can buy, for penny or
;wo, a seat on the estrade, where hun
lreds of spectators feast their eyes upon
hose who, more fortunate than them
selves, navigate on the only decent
Iheet of water in New CASTLE. For
hree or four hours the scene in the
2rado is animated. The rich and the
Door congregate there as if the society
If Madrid were the most democratic in
he world. That old gentleman, with a
ovely blonde girl on his arm, is the
Marquis de Medina-Sidoni, in whose
reins flows the blood alike of the an
lent grandees of Spain and of the
Moorish kings of Granada. The hand
ome young fellow who passes him is
SenCr Escuviaz, the president of the
of Madrid. At that
ound table sits Genl Daniel Sickles,
he ambassador of the United States.
The tall, bald gentleman, who jokes
With him, and who for the world looks
ike grim old Bismarck, is no other than
emilio CASTELAR,, the foremost orator of
europe, and the noblest patriot of his
,wn country. And then there is music,
lot Spanish music though, for, strange
o say, the Spaniards of our times have
hardly any national music worth speak
ng of. The band plays the plaintive
lotes of Verdi's Miserere from "Il
rrovatore :" and next follows "The
Watch on the Rhine" Enthusiastic ap-
,lause covers the stirring German hymn,
or you must bear in mind that Spain
nd Germany are fast friends, even
hough the Emperor William has not
ret recognized the Spanish republic.
The air is fragrant with floral odors and
With the equally fragrant emanations of
igars; for one thing is certain, and that
5, that the nicotian weed is nowhere
moked more fastidiously than in Ma
rid. The Madrilenos will put up with
ny thing but bad cigars. You may OPP
,vaec them Won NAV starva them Won |