The New York herald., 1879-01-06

| Jowl; Chsfles L. IN armor, ana one OF tnc thlrV'
Philip, almost great fool Charles H.. with a
weak but human face. The floors OF this library are
MARBLE and the walls are gayly colored. and you OBJ
serve that the edges OF the books are
turned toward you. and not the backs. There
seemed to be no reason for this. but
it had always been the custon in the Escurial. You
observed. however, that the names of the books
were printed the edges in light letters and so Tor
all useful purposes the books as accessible as II
the backs were toward you. The library has shifted
backward and forward. and during one Of the shift
ings, when the later Ferdinand was king, about ten
thousand volumes were lost. What became of them
no one knows. 1t is not. polite to ask
questions OF a king. 1t must have been
rare library in its day. especially IN
works of chivalry and theology. ran along some
Of the shelves party was pattering about the
room. but they seemed mostly works of fathers and
commentaries the faith. We were shown some
prayer books and missals-the real book from which
Philip sang and prayed--well thumbed. and the
prayer books OF others OF the family. There were
also some Arabic manuscripts. said to be OF great
value. but not attractive to any of our party.
scHooLDoys IN THE EscuEIAL.
We stroIled about the corridors and looked at some
curious wall paintings in a room where the guards
assembled to wait majesty and protect it. These
curious frescoes. showing the Moors at war
with the Christians They not in the best preser
walton. Frenchmen have been here-so the guides
assert-and the palace has been neglected. and rain
and damp, and the fearful storms that sometimes
come down from the mountains. have affected
them. As types of medieval civilization,
of war as it was before America was
discovered. these frescoes are valuable. The
painter sincere. and gave the Mbor chance
at the Christian. but made his work encourage
m To fn: III hris we
peces-Lepanto and San Quentin where St. Lawrence
down with his gridiron and whipped the
French-leading, among other consequences, to this
convent. As we stroll through the corridors. and
hear our guides humming over their narratives-hav-
ing our own thoughts, and feeling at times as if we
would like to murder the guides for inruding upon
them-as we walk through these stern cloisters
and look out into the courtyards at fountains
which Do not play, and trace the magni-
tude and uselessness Of this stupendous
pile. hear the voices Of children-of lads
scampering and at play. They comp upon you
with a peculiar import. these laughing, Joyous
sounds ringing through these vaulted corridors.
Why should they disturb the we'll earned gloom
which rests the ashes of Philip? Bt alas for the
decadence of the age We learn that here in the
Escuria school has been opened and that the boys
have broken from their lessons and are at play SO
sad the inroads of this iconocastc age when even
the school1naster invades the Escurial.
OF THE EscURIAL
In it's days Of glory the Escurial was the home
Of monks We are shown the cells, their refectory.
where they prayed and washed and waited for dinner
The monks have vanished. although the few priests
who remain might have served One priest showed
his quarters which were cosey and pleasant with
a good outlook upon the gardens and the rocks, so
that the holy man might turn his thoughts to
nature when he wearied the Psalms. There
was not much hardship in the cells if
all were pleasant this, although early
prayers in the chapter house must have been test
OF piey. We pass along other corridors toward the
church. If you visit these clostcrs you will see
how severe and plain they are. There is no Gothic
wosgishness, grotesque carvings. no sem
blance OF fruits and flowers to divert the
worshipper from his books. AL is stone
heavy, we'll clamped arched stone with
few lines at the top of the columns-plain
straight lines-no more. No imagination. no poetry
no harnony-simpie strength. The builder had no
time to waste on the beautiful One idea pervadcd
the whole design-the idea of stern, remorseless
strength. / can think of nothing more wearisome
in time than life in these sombre. ptiless walls
through which you wander and wander until there
would TO be end. How grateful 1t is to hear
the shouts Of the children at play.
THE EscuRIAL CHURCH.
We open door. the handle of which is Of steel.
shaped like gridiron, and pause moment to
note how well the workman did that bit OF work.
But for that matter and this let it DO said in passing
all the work in the Escuria has been we'll done--wel
hammered, well paved, well Joined 1t US IL
the workmen had only left IL: and yet for ls0 years
the storms have beaten on these walls. But the eye
of the master was upon the workmcn. and whoever
labored under that eye did honest work. We open
door and come into the church. the heart of the
Escurial, from which the building draws it's hfe
There is not much in the church. and the impression
ct first is of disappointment. We have heard so
much of it-and is this all We pass into the en-
closure, and soc only space. few worshippers are
kneeling the stone floor. We hear the voices
of priests chanting their Offices The bell
tinkles and we know that the mass is saying
late mass at a side altar for tardy Christians In
few minutes the priest passes carrying the sacred
vessels in his hand, couple of boys in surplices
tugging after. The priest has his eyes partly shut
and mutters prayer. group of assisting priests
follow, also muttering prayers. The is over,
and they hurrying to breakfast The congrcga-
ton, not more than dozcn dissolves. two of
them as they pass stopping to know If any of MS
would, for the sake OF God and the Virgin and
the saints, givo them aims All OF this VIC wander
into tho church and try to work out the problem Of
its bcnuty II is vast enoughin fact the impression
is of space. There seems room to have done much
more. We told by guide that these aises arc
800 feet long, 80 feet wide and $40 high. and that
there are three Of them. But the mind has become
80 accustomed to other things in the way
of churches, to tho Gothic magnificenco Of
Burgos and Seville and Toledo. to the marvellous
sweep of St. Pauls; wo familiar with Italian
and other schools to the high vanlted arch and
the groned coluipns. that something wanting.
&c. NJ we are hidden. go up the grand altar and
study that. Note those broad marble stops that you
are ascending. That screen, which is nearly o
hundred feet high. was the work of an
Italian. who gave years to its fulhlmcnt.
There columns of jasper and bronze, medallicns
and statues. Tho bronze tabernacle that was once
wonder Of the world has gone. and what see
is wood. Somc French soldiers came here. and they
were very much in the position of Bismarck when
before Paris-they wanted money. Bismarck got his