The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-04-05

Hernaa Corttz Lived and Dlea-G
 some Tales of San Isidoro-A Nigh,
 Journey to Cordova.
 Especial Correspondence of the Journal and
 Courier
 Cordova, Spain Feb. 20, 1900.
 Our departure from Seville was de layed another day, in order to accept an eleventh-hour invitation to visit ar olive farm--an excursion which I be lieve would prove as interesting tc readers of the Journal and Courier as to myself. According to arrangement our hosts travelling carriage awaited us at 4:30 o'clock in the morning, and after nasty cup of coffee we clatter- ed through the still sleeping streets oi Seville, under the lofty Giralda, among whose silent bells a colony of hawks and pigeons were callin gan early meuz- gin of their own past la Casa del Avuntamiento, the great corporation facade of silversmith chasing in stone is pronounced the most delicate exam pie of plasteresque work in existence; past churches and mosques and syna- gogues and palaces, all crumbling with the height of centuries; through the antique gate beside the Golden Tower; then several miles along the Guadalquivlr, and then due east, among farm lands and vineyards, to the foot hills of the Sierra Nevada.
 Passing through the village of Cas- tileja de Ia Cuesta, perched on a hilltop near Seville, we wanted to visit the home of Herman Cortez, the conqueror of Mexico, but time did not permit more than glimpse of the exterior of the house in which he lived and died. It is said that the rooms remain much as he left them and his fine library is still intact. Bernal Diaz his lifelong friend and the chronicles of his expe- ditions, wrote that Cortez sought retire. ment in his old home, for the purpose of preparing his soul for death, and piously adds: "When he had settled all his worldly affairs, our Lord Jesus Christ was pleased to take him from this troublesome world. Cortez was sixty-tllre years old when he died in the winter of 1557-like Columbus and many others, a broken-hearted victim of his kings and country's ingratitude. He was first buried in San Isidoro, near Italica; but not for long. After many movings and changings of sepulchre, his bones found a final resting place at Texcuco, in Mexico, the scene of bis greatest glories and crimes. Local tra- dition asserts that his unquiet ghost yet wanders about the corridors and patios of his childhood's home-per- haps pursued by vengeful wraths of Montezuma and Guatamotzin and other murdered Mexicans
 Even more interesting is the castel- lated convent of San Isidoro, five miles from Seville, close by the ruins of the Roman city that Scipio built. Though completely gutted by Soulte, it is still a magnificent building, and now serves for church The entrance is extreme ly qauint, of colored bricks and gor- geous tiling in purple and yellow. It contains a number of priceless pictures by the early Spanish masters, beauti- ful statue of Isidoro, the patron saint and many interesting tombs. Among the latter is that of Guzman el Bueno who received his title "The Good" from King Sancho el Bravo after the defense of Tarira against the Moors. Guzman had entrusted his eldest son, nine years old, to the care of Infanta Juan, who proved traitor. Having leagued himself with the infidels, Juan brought the screaming boy under the walls and threatened to disembowel him unless the fortress was immediately surrendered Guzn1an replied: "I pre- fer honor without my beloved son to dishonor with him." The child was cruelty murdered and his little body hoisted on a pike. A cry of horror from the soldiers called Guzman to the bat clements, and when the iron-hearted warrior saw the mutilated corpse of his son, he turned to the child's mother and said calmly, T was afraid the wretches had taken the city" Guz- man and his family are buried in San Isidoro and the custodian gravely as- serts that when the tomb was opened Gin 157O) the good mans body was found to have been miraculously pre- served and grown to the height of nine feet!
 Though time was pressing, we went into the old convent, as all strangers do, to place tribute of flowers upon the COmD or DOnd OTTdCd OSOrlO, ana her faithful maid who lies at her feet | You doubtless know the story-how the beautiful young daughter of noble | house unfortunately attracted the ad- miration of that terrible king, Pedro | the Cruel. Because she rejected his | shameful proposals he caused her to be chained to a stake and burned alive | in the public square. As her clothes were consumed by the flames, exposing | her beautiful form, the servant, Leono- 1 ra, faithful unto death, rushed into the fire and by her own body shielded her | beloved mistress from the gaze of the rabble.
 Since the dawn of history the neigh borhood of Seville has been celebrated | for it's olives and oil which yet form the staple commodity of Andalucia. There are hundreds of haciendas, large and small, each of which combines in itself an olive grove, a village, a man. ufactory and manor house. The es- tate of San Esteban, which we were invited to inspect, is notable one though less extensive than many-be- cause managed on lines comparatively up to date, It contains about 10000 trees, each of which yields from two to three bushels of olives every year. The