New-York tribune., 1886-11-07
A TALK WITH CASTELAR,.
INNER. HOUR VIEWS of MUSIC, COOKERY
AND POLITICS.

She invited to boot Senor JuareZ, hst secretary OF
the Mexissn Legation and son of the man who
stood out with so much heroism against Maxi
milan aud Bazaine; Comte de Solms, who is
grandson of Lucieu Bonaparte and great-nephew
of the Ist Napoleon; NJ. Andrieux. who was for
some time ambassador of the French Republic IN
Spain: NJ. Camille See, the author of the law IN
vrtue of which there are now in France bigh col
legiate schools for girls; Madame Camille See"
some Princess whose name did not catch but who
is the daughter OF the late Infant Don Sebastian.
with her husband M.Laguerre. the young deputy
louis Albacb, literary man OF great wit. and
Madams Gagneure, the novelist, whose works have
been translated into Spanish for Csstelars paper.
Ei Globo. There some other guests, better
known al Madrid than here. Castelar, had the
place of honor. His sister Conchn, who IS now
here with him. was too tired TO come after an even
ing spent in seeing Hamlet" at the Francals
The great Spanish orator is short and thick-set.
Anatomically speaking he has plenty OF backbone
apar of wide shoulders and deep chest The
neck Is rather short and strong without being
bull-neck. His head is of peculiar construction
Seen in profile might fancy that the trout part
OF a Uranium of extremely noble development was
stuck ON to the backpart of less splenddly
formed one. Just in front of the place where the
bump of frmness ia said to be located there is a
slight hollow above which rises in full, high and
round dome the coronal region. which towers above
all that is behind it, At the sides there is bu ginp
out above the temples and ears. which last are
beautifully shaped and slightly stick out from the
heal as if to let sound escape. Half up the
forehead. the development by reason of the full
dome above and the full and prominent brow be-
meath gives the impression of relative poverty. The
hair has all dropped of the top part of the scalp
and there is at the base of the brain what at short
distance loogs like border Of black fur. Cast
Glars eyes are very dark and closer each other
tnan | was prepared to expect His is re-
troasse with high bridge and, as the
month and chin. well modelled. When he laughs |
he set of very healthy, white and even
teeth and he laughs often. One is also strnck |
with bis flow of spirits AMI his openness of manner.
only heard him speaking French. which he speaks |
with extraordinary fnency and propriety but with |
o very strong Spanish accent.
CASTELAR, can improvise a spoken essay mat |
ter what subject won't say at a moments notice.
but no notice at all. There about twenty !
persons at table and he spoke, the hostess beside
whom he sat being deaf, for the other eighteen
gnests His voice is not so fine as Gambetta's or
Gladstones 1t has rasping tones iii it. and is not
of an even quality But it reaches far without an
effort aud on the whole is agreeable to hear One
that the eloquent Spaniard is used TO be lion
izei. Ha wthorne when in ENGLAND complained
that when he was introduced there at parties a
lion his interlocutors held their tongues. waiting
state of painful embarrassment. He thougLt
people should get up conversation for the purpose
of putting unfortunate lions at their
CASTELAR,. if am not greatly mistake n. felt
such embarrassment. He spoke of music as if
had never thought of anything else, and let off
lot of anecdotes about musicians The nmbus,
the Iournalisss now placing round the head of
Liszt greatly amused him and he ascrbed their
success to boldness side and human Gre
rr. ar q eS-
timation, the master OF masters. But he thought
that although Spain never produced great com
poser her national music vas incomparably the
richest in the world. By national he meant
@popularn Music gushes spontaneously from
Spanish tbroats and fingers 1t had extraordinary
character and expressed every mood of national
character or individual sentiment 1t was Ii, eli
ness itself when lively and could he intensely mel
auchoiy tender war-Ike or stormy There was
no foot however heavy to which its dance music
could not give life. Nobody knew of what stock
the Spaniards originally He thought from
the analogirs of their music to that of the Irish
that they must have been Celts They had that
Cetlc taste for equality which Queen Victoria re-
marked in the Scotch Highlands Spain was the
only country in Europe i'll which equality really
prevailed. 1t dominated political institutions ,
When the king was despotic in theory, etiquette ,
prevented him from rising above bis courers, who
had IA light TO remain covered IN his presence
asked Castelar, in return toan observation he
addressed me about the English Universities, why
lie did not accept the invitation sent hlm by Ok
ford TO lecture there lie replied that he did net
90 because he could not speak English, |
swercd that neither coui Renan; and yet he T
delivered in the Chapter House OF Westminster | =
series of lectures on Marcus Aurelius which had a
great success. To that CASTELAR, reoined that all
English people of any sort of education understand
French aud hardly one understands Spanish, |
suggested that he should speak IN French. Oh"
he cried laughing. IL Carries me along, which is
very good of il seeing how maui it," NJ. An c
Frenchman could not speak their tongue with more
huency and pro?riety. " But my accent" SAID 4
Castelar, does it not affront your ears" Nobody
a w haf " he oDv xbo -
agreed with the orator in pronouncIng 1t Spanish.
Cooking was touched upon CASTELAR, declared
you did NO look for it in inns There a crv out
against this al. G.rmation. What. be said was bad +
the presses in which it was made not being Kent j
clean. But Spanish dishes made with good oil were |
tempting and delicious Tie named lot. Was G
there any one who prepared salt cod so well I,
Spanish 'cookf And where was chocolate-makng !
carried TO such pitch of PERFECTION as In Spain !
Louis Albach said he accounted for Spaniaris lik-
ing ther cuisine by the fact that they the most
sober eaters nj drinkers in the world and so .
loved whatever eyer Was % set before ar the They ex
drank water in their place, and kept their vers in f.
order by perpetqaly sucking oranges
about the political situation in Spain. lie thought o
the monarchy in bad way. But it would have r.
had when he returned from exile the pretty ways
of a young animal They soon. however, left him C
and ne became prrmaturely DID, and while he loved
dissipation had the passion of miser for boarding
He had no confidence in himself or in his peoole
xnd believed that Bismarcks arm was so lonR as to
be able to keep him a throne which he valued | b
mainly because 1t was a source of income Royalty Ia
bad become ridicu by the constant reverses of
the heirs apparent. The InfanJa Isabella was Il
thrice in her life Princess of Asuras and had hom-
age paid TO her as such twice, namely when very W.
little girl AMI after the restoration. She fell
irst from that high station when her brother ?.
born, although the Sac law introduced by the ne
Bou fbons had been abroSated in 1881 and again
when her brother married. When the Infanta
Mercedes was born the Aunt Isabella had again to
abandon the title only borne by heirs apparent; .
md that little Princess was actually Queen after
Ter fathers death for live months at the end of It
which time she had to descend to the rank of o
nfanta because her mother gave birth TO "a son. va va
Hha k,pU hin nnfA |