The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-08-09

Santa Barbara, the patroness of artil
lery: and as many suits of even greater
! elegance belong to that modern fop
Don Carlos: also suits of Don Sebas.
tan, of Portugal: and a magnificent
suit of Philip H.. all black and gold
made in 1850 and looking as fresh to-
day as if laid aside only last week.
Collections of guns belonging to the
Charles Third and Fourth. many of
them inlaid with jewels, are worthy
those royal gamekeepers. Near them
are the sword of st. Ferdinand, con-
queror of Seville: of that gentle prin-
cess, Isabelle La Catolica: the Monta-
mes. OF double headed swords. sent bv
Popes to Spanish kings. who used them
as their eXecutioners; and curious leath-
ern shields of the MoorS-two hides,
fastened together by a cement com
form. each with three tassels and the
unbo or knob, very light, but perfectly
resisting spear and sword. The orna-
mentation and equipments of the Ara
bians, who, under the Sultans of Gre
NADIA, attained such excellence in the
production of weapons and armor. is
exquisite beyond description, the gold
chasings and enamelS being yet as bright
and perfect as the day they left the
| makers hands. Not least remarkable
among the Anticipated fire arms are
some pistols of Spanish workmanship
with revolving cylinders, made two
hundred years before Col. Colt was
| born, but almost Identical IN mechan-
ism with his modern revolver.
Next we visited the Royal Gallery
of Paintings, of which Madrid is
justly proud, as it contains 10y far
the finest collection of pictures III
| Europe. Every school is we'll repre-
sented. including the best works of such
masters as Titan. Rubens. Paul Nero-
nese. Murillo, Van Dyke and Nelasquez.
Whatever may be said to the discredit
Of the Austrian dynasty, they We're
certainly liberal patrons of genius and
especially to Charles v, and to the
second and fourth Philips is the world
indebted for their priceless treasures.
To see them. one must pay the small
fee of 30 centavos, which goes to the
support of the Asylum for the Poor, on
the Prado.
From Madrid to Segovia, on the othel
side of the snow-capped Gudarramas-
about 63 miles-we iourneyed part way
by diligencia i'll order to take in San
Ildefonso, where the court generally
passes the months of July. August and
September. AS we ratified across the
bridge that spans the dry gorge of the
ManZanares we came upon an interest
ing sight. Some rural fiesta was il
progress and the meadow along the
bank a mile or more was filled with
booths for eating, drinking, dancing ant
gaming, men and women offering theil
'agua fresea" from huge jugs, anC
family groups scattered about every
where, lunching on garlic-pot, salads
red peppers and oranges, with theil
wine in the same old pigskins of which
one reads in Don Quixote. Every few
often only a homemade drum, or pain
of rudely Whitfield castinets, to whose
measure youths and maidens tripped
''the light fantastic with pleasure ln
alleged. Indeed, never have | seen {
happier OF more good-natured crowd
i'll which every face wore such look OF
supreme delight. Farther up the hill
were long rows of stalls filled with pot
terry, children's toys, sweetmeats anC
other small articles for sale: and still
higher was Saints chapel, in which al
aged priest held up silver image fol
the throng to kiss and received dona
lions Of copper coins.
San Ildefonso-or La Granja as it is
generally put on the maps, is n miles
from Madrid, at an elevation of MOI
quite 1000 feet, the difference in tenn
perature being about as IS degrees tt
90 degrees Farh. This castle in the air
in the same latitude as Naples-stand!
higher than the crater of Mt Vesuvius
surrounded by rocks, forests and crys
tai streams, while Immediately abov'
it towers the peak of La Penalara, on
of the highest in Spain. Castilians art
fond of saying that this literal "castl'
in the air. is worthy chateau TO
their kings, who, being the first ant
loftiest of earthly sovereigns, deserve