The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-06-13
The EScurial.

A two hours journey on the road north
from Madrid brings one to the Escurial.
Outside the capital, beyond the sandy
| ManZanares, where the washerwomen rub
and scrub their linen beneath network
of clotheslines, the fields are only par
TALLY cultivated. The country is almost
incapable of cultivation, because of the
rocks and bouldcrs that burden the earth
At one little station lame beggarwoman
without the railing of the platform cries
garrulously: Give me an aims, senoras
and senoies, for love Of God, and Maria
Santissima will repay you" dozen
times in ten minutes. Never was q more
bleak and unattractivc place selected for
a royal residence than the barren, rugged
height among the Sierras, where Philip
H. erected this cold, stony monument to
his favorite and favoring saint, Lawrence,
or Lorenzo, of the Gridiron. This Philip
is better known to us than most Spanish
monarchs, having been the son of Charles
! V. and the husband Of Bloody Mary of
! England
1t is said that the only time Philip ever
appeared i'll battle array, in Spain at least,
was at the battle of st. Quentin, which
was fought on San Lorenzo's day, to
which saint the king ascribes his victory,
and vowed to build grand temple to
his honor; he had also to obey the in
functions of his imperial father and
build tomb worthy the relics of their
illustrious family. The temple and
mausoleum were accordingly begun in
/ 1865, and finished in twenty-one years,
at an enormous cost.
The name cscurial is derived from the
scorla or refuse of iron from former iron
mines near the site. Philip commanded
! that the form of the edifice should repre-
sent the gridiron on which his patron
saint is supposed to have suffered martyr
dom. During its construction Philip
turned royal recluse, and dwelt mostly in
a little house a few rods away, in order
70 watch its progress. The exterior is
severely plain, and is built of the coolest
possible granite, and within the halls are
of freezing temperature always. That
part of the building which constitutes
the palace contains some valuable paint
ings and itch tapestry and furnishings.
The library was once one of the richest
in Europe in manuscript, as well as print
ed literature, Of the Arabs, Spaniards,
Greeks, and Lstins, but it has suffered
tremendously from theft, iconoclasm, pill
lage during wars, and fires, the last as
late as 1872. In the centre of the pile
rises the dome of the grand chapel, $50
feet high. The roof is otherwise vauted,
the columns massive, the high altar mag
niicent; beautiful and varied marbles
pI w ar oil e. Ia of ho
chancel is the window of the royal cell
where Philip died gazing out upon the
shrine he had erected. The stone ceiling
of the yestibule is flat, and has no cen
trail support, and is considered marvel
of architectural skill. 1t is said that
when the architect, Juan de Herrera, in
vted Philip at last to inspect the result
of his labors, he placed pasteboard pill
lar there. When Philip entered the por-
tai he paused to gaze upon the solemn
grandeur before him, but presently showed
IL discomfort. The architect. on inquiry,
learned that it WAS the pillar which dis
turbed his maiesty's peace, because it
obsructed his view. Whereupon the
former gave the pillar gentle push il
fell, and that difficulty WAS easily ic-
he said some of those wonderful things
that kings are always saying to their de-
voted subjects, but which the writer here
of does not remember A solemn, gloomy, |
black pail stands in the centre Of the
chapel under the dome. Under all this !
Is the pantheon, or royal tomb, most
magnificent death chamber, octagon in !
shape, with tiers Of green marble slr- /,
cophagi bearing the names of the occu- !
pants in gilt. Only kings and the moth .
ers Of kings may lie here; Charles Y. and !
Philip II. are among the number, and /
unlctieced coilius await Alphonso and !
his disrcputabe mother, Isabella. There |
arc other vaults richly sculptured and |
adorned, but yet unfinished, where the ,
various infants of Spain do aud will rest /,
\ wonderful, a splendid resting place, +.
Dtt cold as death itself.
Sunshine was delicious and warm, fresh !
air reyiying, after emerging from this.
There are no other sights worthy of men !
ton in the E,curial village, with perhaps |
a passing glance at a iorlorn summer |
place and garden near the station, and |
the great chocolate mandatory of Mar F.,
tine Lokcs.
And now we leave the Escurial, that !
eighth wonder of the world, up among !
the barren but grand Sierras, and are
hurried northward; past Avila and the !
convent where once the great Isabella /
rested for Il while, and where dwelt the |
"seraGca madre,n st. Teresa. AS twilight |
falls the scenery becomes grand and aw
full under the shadows and the lurid re-
Election of the sunset. Before midnight !
the train snorts into the station of Val !