Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-07

ly good and plentiful tasa quarry near by.
Grass and wild flowers grow luxuriously.
covering the dead city with brilliant
shroud. and this morning a herd of sheep
was grazing upon the former site Of pal
aces in which one of the greatest and no.
ble5t of the Roman emperors-the good
Trajan-was born. Hadrian and Theodo-
sius, his successors, were born here also,
and contributed much to the magn:ficence
and prosperity of their native city. The
palace of Trajan, small but beautiful ex-
ample of Grecian architecture was pre-
served in excellent condition until the earth
quake of 1855 threw down Its walls, and the
marble was soon carted away.
Little Excavation.
Very little has BEEN done in the way of
excavation, although II ought to be pro-
life field for the archaeologist and anti
quarian. Occasionally-a- pillow turns up
handful of coins, which, excites the avarice
of the entire neighborhood. and they aban-
don their regular occupation and stir things
around in lively manner for while Five
years ago a man founfs a copper box filled
with money of the coinage of the Caesars.
Several pieces are in the museum. And
last spring they struck burial vault
which Contained dozen or more lead cof-
fms which can now be seen in the museum
with the bones and articles of adornment
they contained. 1t is estimated that they
were buried In the second or third century.
might be expected from systematic and
scientific excavation; bat the Sevillanos are
more given to pleasure than to archaeology
and, as the director of the museum said.
postpone the work until they have more
time and money.
But they have plenty of time to make
bogus antiquities, and the second hand
shops are full of clever limitations of silver,
furniture. bronzes and bric-a-brac of the
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. There
is no law, as in France, to punish frauds,
but they seem to be encouraged, because
the victims are almost always foreigners,
and 1t causes them to leave much money
in Spain, where it is much needed. But
there are two three characteristic ar
ticles that cannot be initiated. A stranger
Is always safe in buying brocades, en-
broideries, fans and leather but, there
being no factories to reproduce them, they
are getting very scarce, and good bargains
are rare nowadays
Birthplace of Cortes.
Italica was not only the birthplace OF
three emperors, but also of Herman Cortes,
the conqueror of Mexico. who died here
December, 1547, and was buried in the
quaint old Church of st. Isadore, which was
built in 1901 by Guzman 1.-The God" one of
the early kings. 1t is his tomb also, and
his wife and a lot of little Guzmans lie be-
side him. Here also is buried Donna Urra-
rejected the amorous advances of King
Pedro 1.-The Cruel and to escape his inn
portunties fled to Italica and hid in a con-
vent. That amiable gentleman was an
cry at being scorned that he had her
burned alive in the market place-a warn
ing to other ladies whom he might admire
in the future. Her maid went voluntarily
with her to the stake, a remarkable case OF
devotion
After his return from Mexico Cortes
in nf nd
valiant service in Africa, but he does not
seem to have profited much by the treas
ures he captured in Mexico, nor by his
sovereigns favor, for he died poor. His
ashes are no longer here. The guides say
that they were removed to Mexico in 1923
which was soon after Mexican independ-
ence.
The Pride Of the Moors.
AS Italica is the noblest reminder we have
of the Roman period at Seville, the Alcazar
palace Is the most splendid relic of the
Moors. although 1t has been enlarged, al
tered and restored several times under the
reign Of the Christian kings. The Wanda Is
succeeded the Romans and held the place
until the year 531, when the Goths came in
and they in turn were driven out by the
Moors In 5S4. From that date for almost
100 years Seville was the Moorish capital
and the Alcazar was the residence of the
sultan. Under them Seville enjoyed its
greatest wealth and glory. 1t was the en-
porium of the world. The records show
that 10000 people were employed in the
silk trade alone, which has now entirely
vanished. The city, waA fthe pride Of the
Saracens. who adorned 1t with their refined
taste. and it's schools. like It's factories and
it's palaces were famous over the universe.
When the Spaniards came in 124S and the
Moors were driven to Granada more than
100000 persons, and among them the
wealthiest, the most important and enter