The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-04-19

1O THE DEVOUT ROMAN CATHOLIC Jew
places in Europe offer more interesting
associations than the splendid pile, called
the Escurial, at once palace, monastery,
and mausoleum, FIVE miles from Madrid
in the desolate Guadarramas. There is a
fine picture of this edifce in the Chris
tian Weekly of the 18th inst, and an ex-
tended account, from which we derive
the facts here mentioned. That repre-
sentative embodiment of the Roman Cath
Ollie spirit of the 10th century, Philip II
of Spain ESQ well remembered in the
Netherlands) built the Escurial in 1868,
in commemoration of his victory in the
year 1867 over Henry II. of France at
st. Quentin, some rs miles southeast
from Paris. 1t was, erected in fulflment
of VOW which Philip had made previ-
Gus to this battle, and was consecrated to
st. Lawrence, on whose day the battle
had been fought. 1t was finished in
1884. The full name of the edifce is
Ell Sitio de San Lorenzo ell Real del
Escurial," that is to say, "The Seat of
st. Lawrence the Royal Palace of the Els
curial" The word Escurial' is derived
from the word Scorie, there having been
a number of iron mines in the Guadarra-
mas and, in view of the fact that st.
Lawrence was martyred on a gridiron.
the palace was built in the form of this
implement. The entire length of the
building is TAO feet by $50 wide. 1t is
regarded as one of the grandest edifces
in the worlds known, in fact, as "the
Eighth Wonder of the World" Philip
spared no money in its establishment and
in filling it with the costliest works of
art. 1t was furnished with not only the
best paintings of the Italian and Spanish
masters-and especially Titian-and with
tapestries, velvets, damasks, precious
stones, and objects manufactured in gold,
silver, bronze, and steel, but the monarch
obtained for it treasures yet more valua-
BILE in his eyes-many hundred cases of
the skeletons and bones of saints and
martyrs of the Catholic Church, which
he deposited in shrines of silver. AL
though the Escurial was plundered by
the French during the Napoleonic wars
there yet remain 1000 relics of the Holy
Army of Martyrs within its walls-in-
Guiding some of uncommon richness in
this department of sacred archaeology.
There are ten whole bodies, to begin
with, very rare thing in the museums
of the Church, besides 40 heads, and
300 arms and legs" There are also one
of the bars of the gridiron on which st.
Lawrence was broiled, with portions of
his flesh adhering to it, and one of ST.
LIS feet, with piece of coal yet between
the toes-a spectacle well calculated to
touch the piety of the most obdurate.
When one reflects on the influence
which must be exerted on the minds of
the Spanish people, and especially the
citizens of Madrid $50 famous for its bull
fights, by the presence of this great body
of precious relics in their midst, he will
understand at once the elevated religious
tone and the noble type of piety which
for three hundred years have so con-
spicuously characterised the Iberian pen
insula. We can well imagine that that
surviving bar Of the Sacred Gridiron and
that consecrated bit of charcoal yet held
between the toes of St. Lawrence would
of themselves keep alive in Spain flame
of devout feeling akin to that which we
know actuated the soldiers of Philip in
Flanders. What might we not expect
from the possession of ten whole bodies
of the medieval saints five miles from the
capital Happy Spain happy home of
the Inquisition happy propagation of the
faith in Mexico and Peru under Cortez
and Pizarro