The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-06-07
Goth echoes amid Roman ruins, and
the stems Of tho Chric+ia,, +roo1 ~, ~

the steps OF the Christian tread on the
heels of the Moor" The place abounds
with noble examples of Saracen archi-
lecture, for the reason that few of it's
ruins have been restored" heaven
save the mark.-or disfgured by white
wash. Turn where you will. the eve is
delighted by ornate facades, carved
gateways quaint windows with balloon
les and croSS-bars, soft-tinted azuelos
and the horseshoe arch with its beauti-
full curve: and upon all is the mellow
hue of withered pomegranate. Time
was when Toledo had one hundred and
eleven churches, including the magnifi-
cent cathedral, crowded with wor=
shippers, now only sixty are used, the
rest being mostly in ruin. Out of "a
hospitals only two remain, and the
former population of more than 200, 900
has dwindled to less than 10000 But
the poor old place is eminently fitted
for its present role adepository of de
parted grandeur, a hiding place for i'm
poverished mobiles and broken-down
gentility-and also for mandatory of
that Renaissance Of past ages, the
Toledo blade"
One of the first things that most
tourists do is to visit the celebrated
"Fabrica d'Armas" which for centuries
turned out swords as strong and tleX-
ible as those of Damascus. 1t stands
on the right bank of the Tagus about a
mile northwest of the city. The pres
ent huge rectangular, unsightly build
ing was erected for Charles III. in l7SS,
and is we'll provided with FORCES and all
accessories. including chapel for the
| pious laborers. dedicated to Santa
! Barbara, the patroness OF cannons. All
I the Armas blancas for Spain's soldiers
are made here, but most of the swords
now manufactured have neither the
temper nor the beauty of the antique
specimens displayed in the museum
Some of them have notices enamelled
in gold upon the blade: such as
''Soldadoes valientes del Rey,' I'm de
fence of my lady do not draw me
honor" Time was when the choicest
Toledo blades We're SO elastic that they
were packed in boxes for shipment,
curled up like the handspring of a
watch: or, as Falstaff says. 'compassed
like good Bilboa, in the circumference
of peck, hilt point, heel to head
If you desire to secure ''blade," OF
even the tiniest sword-hairpin or paper
cutter. as a souvenir of Toledo on no
account purchase it outside of the fac
tory: and even there you must pay a
very high price for it. There is large,
well-lit and excellently arranged show
room i'll the building, open every day
from 8 \. NJ. to e 2. NJ, with civil at
PENDANTS who speak little French,
! English and German besides their ma
tive Spanish. Swords, daggers, inlaid
paper-knives. scissors and all kinds OF
fancy cutlery are displayed in cases,
the price of each article distinctly
marked in peSetaS ana centavos. Every
blade bears the word .\rtilleria, Toledo
Fabrica De Toledo. with the date Those
merely stamped with the word Toledo
have not been made in the government
factory and are largely sold in the city
Among the beautiful ecuerdos are
steel daggerS for the hair. beautifully
encrusted with ara besQue designs in colo
and silver.
At one time the manufacture of arts
tic silks at Toledo, for church vestments
constituted one of the greatest industries
of Spain. Only one of these is now il
operation established about a century
ago. Its silks woven With gold are very
fine. The other special industry of the
city is the manufacture of liquorice, il
large amounts. for export to America
FANNIE B. WARD.