The Republican journal., 1900-05-31


at both ends by gate-towers and stridinp
with high arches across the Tagus as il
rushes through deep chasm in the
rock. 1t is truly a city "set upon a
hill, and with good reason-beacuse it's
'munition Of rocks made a natural
fortress. The Romans built in a plain
because their legions were strong
enough to defend an unfortified city:
but the Goths came from the North.
where feudal chiefs, who were little
better than robbers, were wont to
imure themselves behind thick walls:
from which to sally out and at
tack cities; and so they built castles
in Spain as they had built them on
the Danube and on the Rhine. But
though the present city is of Goth
ic origin, the older bridge is Roman
at least its site was chosen by them. for
since their day it has been rebuilt manv
times. 1t occupies the place of the Ro-
man structure, resting ON the same cliffs.
its noble arches, after the original Ro-
man pattern, spanning the same deep
gorge and rushing river From the far
ther bank commences the ascent bv a
steep and winding terraced road
overlooking the parapet and a wide
landscape of plains, mountains and
river. The atmosphere is so clear that
every tissure i'll the distant hills can be
counted, and each building Oh the line
of the horizon stands out against the
turquoise sky as if seen through mi
croscope. A clumsy vehicle, half wag
on, half omnibus, drawn by six mules.
harnessed three abreast, conveys pas
sengers from the railway station across
the bridge and up the military road to
the town. The mules are caparisoned
i'll true Castilian fashion, with glittering
brass and tinkling bells and gaudy tas-
sells; but are urged with cruel blows,
oaths and frantic cries by their Gipsy
driver up the winding way at a speed
which threatens to snap their slender
legs like pipe stems. The sophisticated
traveller will have none of it, but climbs
the heights OH foot, taking time to re-
cover his wind at frequent intervals,
under the very plausible pretext of fad
miring the landscape. Where the ter
raced road makes zigzag to the highest
level stands the magnificent Moorish
gateway Puerta del Sol, "Gate of the
SUM-" of a splendid orange-red color,
its four horseshoe arches, set one be-
hind the other, richly embossed with
tracery. 1t is the best preserved mon
ument of its class in the Peninsula, and
indeed the finest of its epoch. in the
world: for the defensive works of the
Saracen, despite their solidity, have suf-
fered SO much from the caprice of kings
and the cannon of besieging armies,
that perfect one is rarely to be seen.
The portocullis, studded with bolts and
spikes, still hangs by its rusty chains,
though the drawbridge disappeared
cavated with infinite labor in the living
rock, has been partially filled up. a few
guards i'll ragged uniforms, charged
with the collection of municipal duties
lounge about the gateway; and few
female heads. in dishabille thrust out
of adjacent windows as the omnibus
rattles by, are the only signs of life.
\ little farther on you encounter
another gateway: and then plunge into
streets so narrow, stony and tortuous
that you cannot believe they are streets
at all, but mere accidental riffs in the
rock, or assures worn by mountain
streams rushing down to the Tagus.
OF course, if on foot, you are lost in no
time amid the intricate tangle of alleys
and only find yourself again by secur-
ing the services of guide. The mar
roWness and irregularity of the streets
was intentional on the part of the
builders, to render them easy to defend
when attacked. Nothing in this old,
old town was the result of accident. 1t
was not run up in hurry to please a
kings caprice, but was built as solidly
as the rock upon which it stands, and
designed to endure forever. Ones first
and strongest impression of Toledo is
that of extreme massiveness. The
whole city is like one great fortress.
and in wandering through it's crooked
alleys you feel as if exploring the de-
fences of some mighty baronial castle.
Few of the houses have any windows
on the lower tloors Those that exist
are heavily barred, while the doors are
furnished with posterns, portcullfses
and iron gratings, their woodwork pro-
tected by chiselled nails of copper, six
inches in diameter, thickly driven.
Loop-holes, embrasures and salient an
giles command the streets, and the para
pets are edged with battlements.
FANNIE b. WARD.
b.