The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-21

Completed In the Year Of the Discovery
or America.

Completed In the Year Of the Discovery
OF AmsricA.
stsphsn Bonssl, late OF the American
legation In Spain, contributes to the
June Century an article on "Tolsdo.
the Imperial City of SPAIN" with Illus
trations By Joseph Pencil. Mr.. Bonsni
says:
10 the right, boy oud and beneath us,
rises the great basilica, the Christian
shrine built upon the foundation OF
many . strange temple. and upon corner
gotten breeds. II rises out Of the low
lying swamp-laud, and resrs it, lofty
spire fer shove the citadel that crowns
the rock bound height. But it 10 In
complstA. and far from perfect. After
ell the centuries that have passed over IL,
In their little day latorsd upon IL, We
must accept 1t Ok . true picture OF hu-
man aspiration and endeavor. always
striving ard struggling. and never as
tanning. The first cathedral church Of
St. Mary erected nsre Of which q record
has reached us Was conseorated towArd
the clcss OF the sixth century; but svsn
which have been made beneath the ca
thedrsl In recent years disoloses ths fact
that there was . place OF prayer long
before the Christian sra dawnsd.
The present edifice was completed In
the rear OF the discovery Of America. The
FIRST view OF the bold outlines Of the
mighty pile IL unfortunately imT aired and
interrupted hy the surrounding build
tnas. But IL We patch tgether laboriou s.
ly the partial views IN glimpses we OBJ
tain, We shall zee that, unlike any
other Spanish shrine. the Toledo ca
thedral equals. II IL does not surpass, In
majesty OF construction and impressive
ness the greatest cathedral churches OF
About the high altar are grouped, 40
cording to dyDssties, the alabaster tombs
Of the old kings and the new kings,
and the heads Of p~uissant houses OF
which We have never heard, and mighty
warriors whose deeds have escaped .he
recognition of history. There they sleep
With the elatter Of their trailing sworcA
Here they came with their great bAnnt 70
here Our Lady blessed them with the
blessing OF her smile: and here they
brought back upon their shields those
who fell doing her ~liiding. to sleep for
ever near her shrine. and within the
swesp OF her plying eyes. Ihs 2
Westminster of Spain. Here oil her
Glories are recorded. and here each gen
GRAFTON as It has passed from the stages,
stored 1t noblsst usad.
l rememb er with mixed feelings {, Q
two days ] spent hers, escorted ~ TIE
seven canons. each with his thain OF
Changing keys who opened to me t.e most
secret treasure Of the ahrirts. Tnis IA
vor I owe to the courteous considerations
OF the cardinal. But I remem bsr with
still greater pleasure the days that fol-
lowed. whom, safe from the courtesy OF
my cicerone, in tho disguise of capa and
straw sandal. I wandered, undisturbsd
and unenlightensd, through the sacred
precincts. Ono evening, ~ I sat and
listened to the vesper song, an open door
on . stone pier which ] bad nsvor seen
before caught my Z. i entered, and,
ascending q spiral stairway of stone,
across which the oobwets were drawn al
thick q strong 90 oords, came a OF
ths darkness It last into the light Of q
little chapel, all am Der and alnbaster.
! touched with reverence the hem oI
the vsstment worn by the image which
stood over the deserted altar, and
on tho emit IL crumbled Ia my hand
like October leaves. 1 never knew Il
what saint the chapel was dedicated, OF
Why the cult had been Withdrawn; aue
though sought IL often, ] never founs
my way again to this f~vrgottsn chapel