Year: 1872

Undoubtedly the kingdom Of Don
Amadeus |. is at this moment passing
through that crisis which will decide


whether he is still to enjoy the uneasiness
Of wearing Il crown, or whether he is to


be forced to renounce it altogether. But


to stranger arriving at the hotel of the


Princes, is the Puerto del Sol taking a


tront-room and looking down on that heart


Of Madrid from very respectable ele-


walton, there is no visible sign, there is


no painful evidence of what is in the


future. Nobody seems to know anything
about it, nobody seems to care anything
about it. Everybody has nothing to do,
as usual everybody is lounging about
seeking friendly aid to help him do moth
ing, and in his turn helping everybody
else do nothing. Aud they do it so gravely
and SO courteously too. There is no pull
sation in this heart of Madrid, to-day,
which seems to be any faster or slower
than it was at my former visit, six years
ago, when Isabella IL. was on the throne,
and the famous "tradltionary obstacles"
of Olozaga were impeding the march of
liberty. The revolution has not changed
Madrid. went to walk at the fashion
able promenade of the Castilian fountains,
this afternoon, and found the same gay
equipages, the same toilets, the same
bright faces of those adorable Spanish
women, every thing pretty much as it
was six years ago, except that the blue


Bourbon livcries on the royal equipages
had been replaced by the scarlet Of Savoy,
and the style and character Of that par
ticular turnout has been re-organized.


A great deal of numbering old respect
ability has been taken out of it. Instead
of the heavy weight formerly dragged
by those six stations Of the royal breed
of Arangues, comparatively light and
elegant caleche was drawn by four
German mares. Also, instead of all
those fine equipages or the drive, drawing
rein when the royal carriage appeared
and ranging up respectfully on one side
or the other to let it pass coachmen and


tootmen with hat in hand, and the ladies
and gentlemen saluting from right and
left, nobody seems to care anything about
the scarlet liveries on the German mares
Not a coachman or footman doffed his
hat, nor did anybody salute the king or
queen, or turn out to make way for them,
or seem to pay any attention to them in
any way whatever. Here was screw
loose evidently. Something has dropped
out of old Spain since | was here before.
Here were the same duchesses, and mar
choinesses, and countesses, and viscount-
esses, and simple mortals, but where was
the respect for the monarch? In the
course of the drive young fellow went
shying right up against the kings leaders,
and half knocked the royal position out
of his saddle, and the young coxcomb
did it on purpose too, for he neither
took of his hat nor turned round to beg
pardon. He just galloped away, while
everybody was laughing and saying it
way good joke, and the poor queen
was as red as a rooster, and the king
hung his head. 1t might have been a
good joke, but it was very bad manners.
| am told such things happened not un-
frequently. The king is good looking
young man, with chin like Phillip H.,
and an eye like-well not a good eye


| cannot compliment his eyes, and |
should be rather sorry to know anybody
intimately who had that sort Of eyes


He is brave and he is patient. l met
him on the sidewalk this morning, walk
ing up the street of Alcola, all alone, and
with nothing that looked like policeman
within forty rods of him. He goes about
like any other young man of his age


plainly dressed, with little switch il
his hand, completely unattended, and
apparently free from royal etiquette and