The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-19

Then slowly climb the many winding way.
And frequent turn to linger as yougo.
from loftier rocks new loneliness survey,
And rest We at sour Lady's House of Woe,
Where frugal monks their little relics show,
And sundry legends to the stranger tell;
Here imrous men have punished been and 10!
Deep in yon cave Honorias long did dwell.
In hope to merit heaven By making earth a he'll.
CHANGES SINCE BYRoN's TINE
Nearly seventy years have passed since Byron WIS.,
tied Cintra and the picture is perfect now as when
drawn. There difficulty in finding thecork
trees and General Grant began to be sceptca as to
their existence and thinking of Offering reward
to Mr.. Dimon to find one. But the Consul redeemed
Byron's veracity painter of scenery by bringing
q small cork grove on the side Of the mountain
Many changes have taken place since Byron was
here. The "toppling convent was seized by tie
government. and in time became the prop
erty of Don Fernando, ana at vast en-
pense he has rebuilt it into chateau or
palace. of the most beautiful in the world.
The 'horrid crags traversed By good roads. and
we ride upon our donkeys easily could ride
mp Fifth avenue. The mountain moss and the sunken
gens have all been covered with rich vegetation.
notably OF the canea, which is rarely in this ati-
tude. bur which His Majesty has made grow in pro-
fusion. Our Lalys House of Woe is the palace of
prince, and we ride under the overarching door
way attendants in royal livery waiting. The house
is in Norman-Ciothic STYLE and the rooms are what
you might see in other palaces. There is a small
chapel Of rare beauty, with exquisite carvings in
marble and jasper illustrating the passion OF our
Lord. The beauty OF Cintra is in its fulness US
you stand the lofty turrets. 1t is built on
the summit of rocky hill 5000 feet high. The
descent side to the village is triumph Of ex-
quisite gardening. On the other side the descent is
almost PERCEPTIONS. You look from the giddy height
at the trees and the tumbed masses of rock tossed
and heaped in volcanic age. You see the land
scape rise and swell in undulating beauty, and the
lengthenng shadows ripping over it. Far off are
the lines OF Torres vedras. built by Wellington's
armies to defend Lisbon from the French. Beyond
is the sea, cleaning like amber and pearl. 1t was
over that vasco de CANA sailed and from this
lofty summit King Manuel watched his coming
and in time saw him come. bringing tribute and en-
pirc from the Indies. You if yon look
carefully the outlines of MARIA palace built to rival
the Escu-al. You the Tagus spreading out to
the forcing it's way through forests and hills and
valleys until it falls into the oceans arms. Lisbon
lies under the Monsanto hills, but the view sweeps
far beyond Lisbon until it is lost in the ocean.
There was fascination in this view that made us
10th to leave it. and for long time fingered.
watching every tint and shadow of the picture under
the changing sunlight. 1t is indeed 1.-THE glorious
Eden" of Byron's verse.
MoNTsERRAT.
There long ride through the gardens and the
woods our donkcys until came to Montserrat.
1t here that Bedford author of ''vahek, whom
Byron calls "Englands wealthest SON. built a
chateau The view is almost beautiful as that
from the towers of Don Fernando's palace. Beck
fords house came into the possession of wealthy
English merchant named Cook. but upon whom the
King has lately conferred the title of viscount of
Montserrat. Mr.. Cook has spent vast sum of money
upon the house and grounds. The house is in the
Oriental style-a long paralelogram in the centre.
with two oval wings. and all surrounded with columns
and balconies from which you can look out upon the
valley. the plains that sweep toward the sea, the
sea alone breaking the horizon. The grounds
however. are among the finest in Europe
for the value and rarity Of the plants and the care
with which all is preserved. Notwithstanding its
beauty Mr.. Cook only spends two months OF the year
at Montserrat. His other months spent in Eng
land managing his affairs There is old royal
palace to be seen. which the Alhambra of the
Moors in their day of triumph. The kings of Portu
gal lived here before the discovery of America and
Of the legends goes back to century before that
time. The palace is large. struggling building with
many chambers, and 1t is longer used as a
royal residence the General curious to know
why it could not be rented as summer boarding
house and made to contribute to the of the
King. In its day it was, no doubt, pleasant home
but with the three four vast palaces in Lisbon
and its suburbs, palaces with modern comforts. the
old Moorish castle can well be kept as one of the
monuments of the nation.
S4.s BACK LISBON.
We walked and drove around Cintra village
General Grant charmed with the place that
he regretted he could not remain longer. There
a,royal engagement bidding him to Lisbon. SO we
dined at victors Hotel, and the night shadows
came down bundled into our carriages for the long
drive home. The air clear. the skies bright:
and it was pleasant to bound the stony roads
and watch the brown fields: to pass the taverns.
where peasants were laughing and chatting
their wne to roll into the city and feel the breezes
from the river came to our hotel. We had
made long journey, and the hills We climbed made
it fatigung. But no spoke of fatigue, only of
the rapturous beauty which had Cntra
itself worth long journey to sec. and be re-
membcred when seen a dream of Paradise.