The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-17
GOING TO COURT IN MADRID.

The Madrid correspondent of the Londo1
Daily Telegraph thus describes visit to tn
royal palace on q reception day:
"The Palacio Real of Madrid is situated
the western extremity of the capital, and
| forms an immense quadrangle, fabout foul
hundred feet in length on each side; but the
| four facades, although almost precisely similar
as regards their architecture, differ consider.
| ably IN their altitude, the southern and east.
| ern wings being only about eighty-tiye feet
high, while the remaining two. owing to the
decllvity OF the ground, are nearly twice that
height.
Seen from the old highway of CASTLE, from
the Northern Railway terminus, from the
banks of the much illuminated Mancanares-
which is really at times highly respectable
| river-or from the summit of the hill of the
Principe Pro, the Royal Palace of Madrid,
with its controforts, its terraces and its gar
dens-which last, slopipg downward, give the
edlflce magnificent pedestal of verdue-de-
taches ITSELF in its huge white masses of
carved stone, in most imposing manner from
the surrounding landscape, and may contrast
not at all untavorably with the noble and ven
cradle pile OF ST. Germain-en-L near Paris.
This is no place to speak of the showroom
ders OF the abode OF SO many kings; of the as
tonishingly rich, but somewhat garish and
meretriciously decorated chapel; OF the guar
dGjoyas or treasury: of the library, the thea
ter. and the cabaNerizas-the enormous stables
and coach houses; in which are kept whole
generations of state carriages and sets of state
harness. Some of these days, perhaps, ere
leave Madrid, we will go sightseeing. This
instant, Sunday, my business is only with the
first floor of this prodigious palace which
alone contains thirty saloons of colossal dimen-
sions. We left our carriage at the first of the
three gates after passing the Plaza del Orienta,
and passed between two ranges of soldiers
with fixed bayonets into large circular stone
There one of the finest staircases ever
saw, composed of single blocks of marble,
led US to long range of stone logic and cor
ridors, hung for the nonce with large pieces
Of fine old tapestry, the like of which is not |
to be seen anywhere out OF Spain. At last we
reached a grand antechamber, decorated with |
numerous trophies of arms and armor of
antique form. and here were gathered sundry
lenchmen, in long doublets of crimson
1elvet, heavily embroidered with gold, which
strange "reminiscences of our own
Royal Yoemen of the guard, whose quaint
,arbs, indeed, antiquaries maintain was
lot devised by Henry VIII, but was in
reduced into England by Philip of Spain
When he came to our shores to wed that Queen
larry to whom, it would seem, it is no longer
leld to be good manners to apply her only
OutriQda. In the next antechamber to this
n immense room hung with yellow Utrecht
elvet and satin damask, adorned besides by
cores of masterpieces of the Spanish, Italian
nd Flemish schools-a closely packed crowd '
as assembled, anxiously waiting to be ush- {
red into the royal presence Through this
rowd. shortly after o'clock lane was r
la6p for the nf ahp,f bur6roI |
dies, few in full court costume and blazing :
| diamonds, but the majority in morning
ress after the latest Paris fashion"