The Republican journal., 1900-08-30

only lmmeasurably shabbier and NOR
melancholy. In the centre is a stain,
% !he famous ecclesiastical poet, Fl:
LUZ de Leon, who is numbered anon,
the eminent students here with Ger
vantes, Cardinal Ximenes saarvedra
and others of whom the world ha
hearo, now long returned to mothe
earth. Over the door of each lectnr,
room is tablet denoting the particu1a.
science which is, or was, or ought to be
taught therein. Inside of each room i.
pulpit for the lecturer and rows o1
benches for the students, with a sort Of
ledge before them, on which to write
their notes. The handsome library is
lined with Louis XIV. bookcases anf
gallery, smaller room being devoted
TO a vast and most interesting collec
ton OF Illuminated manuscripts and
oooks-mostly collected from confs
Gated monasteries. Among the most
remarkable are an illuminated manu-
script OF the Fifteenth century, 'Librc
de las Claras Virtuosas muieres'
Book of the Graces and Virtues of
Women, by Don Alvaro de Luna.
original letters and manuscript books
OF Fra de Leon; volume of the Lord $
Prayer, i'll one hundred and iftv-sever
languages, ordered by the first Napo-
leon, and many rare works prohibited
by the liber xpurgatorius-al of which
the librarian will show you with bound
less pride and patience. Passing through
several tapestry -draped, musty-smelling
rooms, you come to the Sala del ClauStro,
a rather modern-looking saloon in which
the Doctors and heads of houses assem-
bic IN conclave. \ student about to
''wrangle''. or ''dispute", is shut up
here twenty-five hours, with sentinel
on guard at the door, to give him time
and opportunity to consider his subject
Next in interest in the line of colleges
is the old Colegio Mayor de Santiago
ApoStal, now called the Irish College,
founded more than four centuries ago
Here a score of Irish students are al.
ways in training for the priesthood.
There are dozens of others, all built at
incredible expense by the most skilful
artisans of their age, and all now
comparatively untenanted, with empty
courts and echoing corridors.
Even more interesting in an histori.
cal point of view, is the Dominican
Monastery of San Esteban, in the Gale
de Colon. columbus street" called
in memory Of the great Admiral, who
once resided in it. When the wise
doctors Of the University found Column
bus scheme for discovering another
continent Vain, impracticable, and
resting on grounds too weak to merit
the support of the government'-th
friars of san Esteban, under Deza, the
Inquisitor, approved and upheld the
homeless genius and entertained him
several weeks with generous hospitality.
In gratitude for the same Columbus
used the first virgin gold imported from
the New World in gliding the retablo
of the Dominican church: and most
gorgeous it still is i'll appearance. as
seen under the dark elliptical arch of
the coro. The Groom of Colon" where
the conferences took place which sub
sequently had such great control over
the destinies of the Western IIemis-
phere, is al immense. bare, vaulted
hall, two hundred feet long by perhaps
twenty-five feet wide. But it has an
other and more terrible history. Fol
many years the familiars of the Inquisi-
ton assembled here to witness the tor
ture of heretics, and the floor is neatly
paved with human vertebrae, the re
mains of the victims of that tribunal.
The cathedral, of brilliant yellow
stone, has little appearance of antiquity
though begun in BIB From It's north
aisle you pass into a second and older
cathedral, built in ll02, by the famous
Bishop Geronimo, ConfesSOr of the Cid,
who fought by his side i'll all his battles
and supported his dead body on its final
journey from Valencia. The Bishop
was buried here, and above his tomb
for five centuries hung "El Christie de
las Batallas'', the bronze crucitix of the
Cid, which he always carried to battle
1t long since disappeared! but is said
that the canons know the hiding place
where, in these days of church-robbery
it has been secreted. The tomb of Ger
nimo was opened in 1906, and clroni
cler of the day atfirms that "The body
OF the holy warrior smelled truly deli
cious".
FANNIE B. WARD.
You assume no risk when you buy Cham.
berlain's Collie, Cholera and Diarrhtea Rene.