The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-09-29

tered in lonely places throughout the
World VINO tan say that such 'persjs-
tent thought concentration" is with
out effect looking at it from the purely
physical standpoint. The rooms OF
these austere monks are as cherries
and naked as prison cells The floors
are of stone and walls perfectly bare.
with tiny opening in one corner where
the shivering occupant may light lew
Goals to keep himself from freezing
during the severest of winter weather,
Each monk lives apart from his breth-
rem, not even taking his meals socially.
Ills scanty portion Of food IS brought
to him from the refectory by one of the
convent servants and placed at hole
in the wall, through which it is drawn
in, as by a convict in solitary contine-
ment. Overhead in the cell Is the sleep
ing nitche, containing only n coarse
sacking stuffed with straw, low stone
shelf for crucifx and candle, and
stone step on which the monk kneels to
say his prayers.
Some distance out of Burgos in an OPP
posite direction from the monastery IS
an equally quaint and characteristic
institution for Cistercian nuns. 1t Is
called Las Huelgas, and was founded
by the wife of Alfonso VIII, the beau
tiful Eleanor of England. daughter OF
Henry II, and sister of Richard Occur
de Leon. OF course only women WISH
tors are even admitted here, and they
do not get very far inside-though we
fingered as long as possible in order to
turn the tables on the male members
of our party who had enjoyed them
selves so we'll in the monastery while
the poor women waited among the beg
CARS outside. Though the grille which
divides it's splendid church you may
look upon the choir, whose stalls during
service-time are occupied by plctuf-
esoue white-robed Cistercian nuns-and
a beautiful picture they make that lin
gers in the memory long after that OF
the arches and pillars has faded away.
The transepts are very lofty and mar
row, with two chapels in each thanking
the chancel, one of which is the Chapel
Royal or burial-place of early Spanish
kings Here are the tombs of Alfonso
VIII and his English queen; of Alfonso
VII; Alfonso VIII and his wife, Leo
nora; Alfonso x Gel Sabio'O, although
his body rests at Seville; Enrique vari-
Gus kings of CASTLE We're knighted in
this edifice, after performing their noe
turnal vigil before the altar, among
whom were st. Ferdinand and Alfonso
XII. Here also the English Edward
was knighted in the year 1854 by Alonsi
ell Sabio.
No convent ever had more extraordi-
nary privileges than this. The abbess
nd
dignity TO no one but the queen. She
was mitred, like an archbishop, and
possessed the rights of a Sonora de
horca y cuchillo''-that u.s. with powers
of life and death. She was also styled
"Por la gracia de Dios"-by the grace
of God. Every nun housed here must
belong to the nobility and being with
her no mean dowry. Among those who
have taken the veil in this convent
were Berenguela, daughter Of Saint
Ferdinand Maria of Aragon, aunt to
Charles v; and many other royal per-
sonages. In the Capilla de Santiago is
still preserved the articulated statue of
Saint James, which, moved by mechan-
ism, was made to perform the ceremo-
ny of knighthood and also placed the
crown on the heads of monarchs. This
relic of the middle ages Is
now rarely shown to visitors and we
failed to get peep at It,
Another interesting convent, but
rarely visited by strangers, because 1t
lies some eight miles from Burgos over
a dreary meadow unmarked by wag
on track, is San Pedro de cardena, of
the Benedictine order. 1t was founded
as early as 537, by Queen Sancha, In
memory Of her son, Theodore, and her
husband the King of Italy, who met
tragic death while out hunting. This
was a favorite of the Cid,
whose body, in accordance with his dy-
ing request was borne here upon his
warehouse, Babinca, and buried here in
1099 His empty monument now stands
in small side chapel. The efffgies of
himself and his faithful Ximena are
placed on stone pedestals and look
gloomy enough to scare the rats and
owls away. More than a score of mon
uments of the middle ages still remain,
and as many more that ante-date the
century.
FANNIE B. WARD.