The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-09-29
BURGOS.
THE OUEEREST CORNER or
SPAIN.
A Day Among Monks and Nuns, Dead
Kings and Queens.

Especial Correspondence of the Journal
and Corrier)
Burgos, Spain, Aug. 15.-One of the
objects of greatest interest in this
quaint old town is the Carthasan mon
astery, two or three miles from the city,
which Queen Isabella founded four
centuries ago. You proceed to the pla-
"a and secure the coach that looks least
likely to fall in pieces en- route, being
careful to make q distinct bargain in
advance with the rascally Jehu, who in
spite of it will endeavor to extort some
extra pesos from your purse. Can he
manage to give his rickety vehicle as
violent q wrench by running over boul-
der or into ditch, do you tarry mo-
ment on the way to look at some pleas
ant prospect, do the mules, backing
and jumping under the merciless whip,
rend q portion of their rotten harness
you are expected to make good the loss
several times over You cross the river,
on the other side of which Is the Ala
media, a long, narrow park planted with
elms, which furnishes a delightful re-
treat for the people of the city during
the summer heat. 1t is a charming
drive through the tree-lined avenue, or
would be but for the omnipresent beg
gars, who keep pace with your carriage
In spite of their alleged infirmities. de-
termined to be sin at the death" when
ever you come to halt On one side
of the Alameda are extensive barracks,
and you meet soldiers on parade
dressed in loose red trousers and long
u YT,1. no, 1n6
a dozen trumpeters, Is always a mus
cal treat First the trumpeters play
lively measure alone; then the band
takes up the strain, and finally all uni
ted produce an excellent effect.
The monastery occupies a noble po-
sition on top of a hill, from which an
extensive view of the surrounding
country may be had. The outer court
Of the low, rambling structure Is pre-
emptied by another troup of the noble
army of beggars, awaiting the sure
coming of all foreigners who visit Bur-
COS; and though the visitors are not
many In these days. everybody of for
eign birth Is believed to be literally
made of money and counted on as le-
ultimate prey. The only way to escape
the mendicants is to get inside the
monastery as quickly as possible. But
this advice applies only to male visi-
tors, for of course no women are ever
admitted within those sacred precincts.
Pulling a rusty bell at the gate pres
emily a small grated window is drawn
aside, revealing the cowled face of
monk. who, in answer to request for adj
mission, anxiously inquiries if there are
e., Ia IN, 1orty G If tho
ence of one of the sex would imperil his
soul Being assured that there is not
petticoat in sight-the ladies having
diecreetly retired to the other side of
the building-the heavy door is UNI
barred and the male visitor finds him
self inside a long, damp corridor. The
rest Of this narrative of the Carthusian
Monastery is. of course, hearsay evil
dence, so far as your correspondent Is
concerned, who consoled herself while
waiting ANONYMOUSLY outside that po-
sitions would presently be reversed
when we came to the nunnery. The
visitor follows his guide, who wears
frock of coarse and not over-clean
white flannel, with a cowl of the same
drawn over his closely-shaven head and
sandals on his stockingless feet; but
the rules of his order, though evidently
very severe, do not forbid him to wear
full and handsome beard. Other
monks are metal with white cowls
over their shaven heads, softly slap
ping the pavements with their heelless
slippers as they pass to and fro about
their daily duties-sweeping the corri-
doris, preparing the food, etc.-for
though some of the inmates are said to
be of noble blood, there is no distinc-
tion here, and "the Brothers" perform
all the mental offices Of the place. This
monastery was begun in the year 1442
by King John III, the father of Isabella;
and after King Johns death it was
completed by his more illustrious
daughter who here buried both her pa
rents. Hare says: Their gorgeous al
abaster monument is perhaps the most
perfectly glorious tomb in the world
On one side of this royal sepulchre, also
in front Of the high altar of the monas-
terry chapel is a tomb of far less pre-
tention to Isabella's only brother, AL
fonso, whose untimely death left her
pathway open to the throne. Isabella,
however, was not buried here in the
family mausoleum which she built and
where she expected to rest at last with
her kindred She lies beside her hus-
band in Grenada, the city which wit
messed the final conquest of the Moors.
During the later years of her life this
place was naturally the most sacred
spot on earth to the gentle and devout
queen who often came to pray before
the tombs of her loved dead; and to the
day, after the lapse of four centuries,
the Carthusian monks never speak
above a whisper in this part of the
monastery. On the wall of another
room is a curious painting of scenes In
the life of our Lord, which is made
with leaves to fold up like screen. 1t
is the veritable one that was carried by
the pious couple, Ferdinand and his
queen, in all their wars, and was placed
on an improvised altar in their every
camp, where military mass was always
celebrated In the midst of their armies.
The oldest part of the building, which
was the original chapel. has been
turned into a refectory large enough to
serve two hundred monks; but alas
there are now only tWenty-siX. The
Carthusian order, you remember, was
founded by Saint Bruno in the year
1886, and was long one of the strictest
orders of the church, subject to stern
est rules of labor, as well as constant
PRAYER and penance. For centuries the
Carthusian monks We're famous agrl-
o,,1t,,rictS, b11t in later wears their la n9S