St. Landry democrat., 1882-05-27
The Cathedral Of Toledo, Spain.


The Cathedral Of Toledo, Spain.
The cathedral of Toledo. long the
seat of the Spanish primate. stands in
the first rank of cathedrals, and is in
vested with ponderous gloom that has
something almost savage about it. For
six centuries art, ecclesiasticism and
royal power lavished their resources
upon it, and its dusky chapels are load
ed with precious gems and metals, taW-
dry though the style of their ornamen-
tation often is. The huge pillars that
divide it's five naves rise with a peculiar
inward curve, which gives them an
elastic look of growth. They are the
giant roots from which the rest has
spread. Under the golden gratings and
Jasper steps of the high altar Cardinal
Mendoza lies buried, with number of
the older Kings of Spain, in grew
some sunless vault; but at the back OF
the altar there is contrived with the
atrical effect burst of white light from
a window in the arched ceiling, around
the pale radiance of which are
assembled painted figures, gradually
giving place to others in tverlta-
ble areiief, all sprawling, flying,
falling down the wall inclosing the
altar, as if one were suddenly per-
mitted to see swarm OF saints and an
gels careering IN beam OF real super
natural illumination. Aprivate covered
gallery leads above the street from the
archbishop's palace into one side OF the
mighty editice; and this, with the ram
bling, varied aspect of the, exterior, in
portions resembling fortress, with a
stone sentry-box on the roof, recalls the
DAYS of prelates who put themselves at
the head of armies, leading in war as in
everything else. A spacious adjoining
cloister, full of climbing ivy and figs,
Spanish cypress, the smooth-trunked
laurel-tree, and many other groWths,
all bathed in opulent sunshine, marks
the site of an old Jewish market, which
Archbishop Tenorio in 1889 melted a
mob to burn in order that he might
have room for this sacred garden. But
the voices of children now ring out from
the upper rooms of the cloister building,
where the widows and orphans of cathe-
dral servants are given free homes.
Through this " cloister of the great
church, il was that Cervantes says he
hurried with the MS. of Cid Hamete
Benengeli, containing Don Quixote S
history, after he had bought it for half a
real-just two cents and half.
A temple of the barbaric and the bar
barous, the cathedral dates from the
thirteenth century; but it was preceded
bv one which was built to the Virgin in
her lifetime, tradition says; and She
came down from heaven to visit her
shrine. The identical slab on which she
alighted is still preserved in one Of the
chapels. A former inscription said to
believers: s.Use yourselves to kiss it for
your much consolation, and their
Iobedient lips have in time greatly worn
4 down the stone. Later on, the church
was used as mosque by the infdel con-
querors, and when they were driven out
it was pulled down to be replaced by the
present huge and solemn structure. But
i by compromise with the subjug ated
Moors, Muzarabic mass Ca seeming
mixture of Mohammedan ritual with
Christian Worship was ordained to be
said in particular chapel; and there it is
recited still, every morning in the year.
attended this weird, half-Eastern cere-
mony, which was conducted with an ex,
traordinarv, incessant babble of rapid
prayer from the priests in the stalls
precisely like the inarticulate hum one
imagines in mosque On the fiool
below and in front OF the altar steps was
4 placed richly draped chest, perhaps
meant to represent the tomb OF Mo
{ manned in the Caaba, and around il
!. stood lighted candles. During the long
and involved mass one Of the younger
priests, in appearance almost an i'm
! beetle, had the prayer he was to reao
pointed out for him by an altar-boJ
with what looked like along knife-blade
i used for the purpose. Soon after an
incense-bearing acolyte nudged him
energetically to let him know that biz
turn had now come. This was the only
evidence I could discover of any pro
gress in knowledge or goodness result
ing from the Muzarabic mass.-Georg
/ P. Lotlsrop, in Hnrpe7''s Magazine.