Modern Traveller
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THE MODERN TRAVELLER. A POPULAR DESCRIPTION, GEOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL, AND TOPOGRAPHICAL, OF THE VARIOUS COUNTRIES OF THE GLOBE. SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. VOL. II. LONDON: PRINTED FOR JAMES DUNCAN; OLIVER AND BOYD, EDINBURGH; M.OGLE, GLASGOW; AND R. M. TIMS, DUBLIN. 1826. m 3. MOYSS, TEMPLE PRINTING OFFICE, EOÜVEEIE STREET. - •••• CONTENTS OP THE SECOND VOLUME. .... SPAIN. PAGE SEVILLE •••• I CORDOVA 35 FROM CORDOVA TO TOLEDO 44 TOLEDO •••••• 50 FROM CORDOVA TO MADRID 59 LA MANCHA 61 ARANJUEZ 71 MADRID 76 THE ESCÜRIAL • Ill FROM MADRID TO SEGOVIA AND BURGOS 126 SAN ILDEFONSO 127 VALLADOLID 134 BURGOS 144 FROM MADRID TO OVIEDO 153 LEON 156 OVIEDO 165 FROM MADRID TO CORUNA 178 SALAMANCA 180 CORUNA 203 FROM MADRID TO LISBON 214 MERIDA 224 / CONTENTS. PAGE BADAJOZ 228 PLASENCIA 238 FROM MADRID TO BAYONNE 248 ZARAGOZA 256 SIEGES OF 1808 AND 1809 261 FROM BURGOS TO BAYONNE 271 PORTUGAL. BOUNDARIES, ANCIENT AND MODERN 287 HISTORY" OF PORTUGAL 288 LISBON • 295 CINTRA ••. 310 SETUBAL •' - • 315 BRAGA • • 324 OPORTO 325 COIMBRA 330 8ATALHA 333 EVORA 340 .. ! DIRECTIONS FOR. PLACING THE PLATES. Vol.. I. MAP of SPAIN to face the Title. PORT of BARCELONA MALL at BARCELONA 92 MONTSERRAT 101 COURT of the LIONS in the ALBAMRA... 241 Vol. II. COSTUME of TOLEDO 50 The ESCURIAL ........................ 124 VIEW of LISBON 295 THE MODERN TRAVELLER, ETC. ETC. SPAIN. SEVILLE. HISPALIS,* the capital of Hispania Baetica, of which Seville is the representative, is mentioned by Strabo, Pomponius Mela, Pliny, and Ptolemy, as being an cient even in their time. It, is supposed to have been founded by the Phenieians,—according to the popular tradition, by Hercules. By the Romans it was invested with the privileges of a colony, under the name of Julia, in honour of Julius Caesar, who is re garded as its second founder ; and it is said to have borne also the appellation of Homula, or little Rome. Over the gate called the Carne (because it leads to the shambles) is the following inscription : Condidit Alcides, renovavit Julius urban, Restituit Christo Femandus Tertiu8,7ieros. * Arias Montano derives the name Hispâlis or Ispalis from a Phenician word, Spala, signifying a plain. This name the Goths are said to have changed into Hispalia, of which the Arabians, not pronouncing the p, made Isbilla ; which again the Castilians, with whom the 5 and the v axe convertible, converted into Sev21a, its present name. PART ill. E 2 SPAIN. These two Latin verses are thus translated in another inscription over the gate of Xeres: Hercules me edifico ; Julio-Cesar me cercb He muros y torres altas ; Y el Ret/ santo me garth Con Garei Perez de Vargas,* The Gothic kings made this city their capital before they removed their court to Toledo. In711, it became an easy prey to the Saracens, after the fatal battle of Xeres. On the dismemberment of the khalifate of Cordova in 1027, Seville became an independent sove reignty under the dynasty of the Benni Abbad, which lasted for about fifty years. A succession of different governors then usurped the sovereignty, and it enjoyed a short period of civil liberty as a republic, till at length, in the year 1248, after more^han a year's siege, it capitulated to Ferdinand the Saint. Three hundred thousand Moors are said to have left the city upon this capitulation, to carry their arms and industry to countries which yet acknowledged the law of Moham med, exclusive of those who had perished during the siege. Yet, a few years after, Seville had again be come a large and populous city. Its most brilliant epoch was soon after the discovery of America, when it became the emporium of the riches which the Spanish fleets brought home from the New. World to the port of the Guadalquiver. Merchants from all parts then flocked hither, where the fortunate adven turers on their return, lavished their wealth ; and the sovereign frequently made this city his residence. * Hercules was my founder. By Julius Cassar I was surrounded with walls and lofty towers. And the saintly king won me, together with Garci Perez de Vargas,—Oyer an ancient painting of Seville is this motto: Ab Hercule et C&sare ntibilitas: a se ipsafidetitas. ^ SPAIN. •3 Then, indeed, was the time when the Spaniard might exclaim with exultation, " He who has not seen Seville, has not seen the wonder of the world." " Its court was then the most splendid in Europe. Its streets were thronged with merchants, its river was crowded with ships, and its quays were covered with all sorts of precious merchandise. Great were the buildings begun, and still more vast the projects for future ones. Its prosperity seemed proof against the fickleness of fortune. But, in the course of a few years., it fell from the highest pitch of grandeur to solitude and poverty, by the danger and embarrass,- ments in the navigation of the Guadalquiver. The superior excellence of the port of Cadiz, induced the Government to order the galleons to make that their station for the time to come." * In the year 1601, if we may believe the representa tions given in a memorial presented to Government by the seventeen companies of arts and trades, Seville had contained 16,000 silk-looms of all sizes, which gave employment to 130,000 persons.-f- In the * It was to the Guadalquiver, {Wady al Eebir, the great river,) the ancient Bastis, that Seville owed its former splendour. The largest ships then ascended to the very quays of Seville, and those of smaller burden went up as high as Cordova. «' At present," says Bourgoing, " vessels of large size advance no higher than Bonanza, a village fifteen leagues from Seville; and none above 80 tons can sail up the river, but must transport their cargoes in boats." Sir John Carr, however, says that this is an error. " I saw," he says, " merchant-ships of at least 180 or 200 tons lying off the quay at Seville." Mr. Jacob says, the river is not navigable as high as Seville for vessels drawing more than ten feet water, and even these frequently ground. " Vessels of (not) more than 150 tons load and unload about eight miles below the city, and those of greater capacity remain at San Lucar." t In the English translation of Bourgoing (vol. iii. p. 130), Seville is said to have contained this number in 1700; a palpable blunder. Mr. Townsend states, that in the year 1519, under the encourage- 4 SPAIN. year 1779, there were only 2,318 looms in this city. At the time of the great pestilence of 1800, Seville contained a population of 80,000 persons, viz. 60,000 within the walls, and 20,000 in the suburbs. Of these, 76,000 were attacked by the contagion, which carried off, between the 28th of August and the 30th of September, 14,685 persons. According to a recent census, Seville still retained a population of 90,415 souls. Few cities contain so many public edifices devoted to the purposes of religion and charity. Besides five-and-twenty parish churches, and five chapels of ease, there are thirty-one monasteries, twenty-nine nunneries, three congregations of canons regular, a commandery of San Juan d'Acre, three beaterios, two seminaries, eight hospitals, and two houses of correction. The archbishopric is one of the richest in Christendom. There is a university, founded in 1502. The principal manufacture now, is that of-snuff! The situation of Seville, M. Bourgoing pronounces admirable, its climate delicious, and the surrounding country very fertile. It stands in the midst of a rich, and to the eye a boundless plain, and its walls are washed by the Guadalquiver, on the bank of which is the new alameda. The_ shape of the city is circular. The walls, evidently of Moorish construction, are, according to Townsend, more than a league,—ac- ment given to the silk-manufacture by Alfonso the Wise, they once more reckoned in Seville 16,000 looms; but the miUones imposed by Philip II., together with the expulsion of the Moors, almost ruined this once wealthy city. Added to which, in the year 1649, an epidemic disease visited this city; and in 1655, there remained only 60 looms. But in 1713, the weavers amounted to 405. In 1732, the looms were 1000. In 1739, they were suddenly re duced, by war with England, to 140. In 1780, they amounted to 2,318, as stated above. SPAIN. 5 cording to Swinburne, " not more than fire miles and a half" in circumference. " The suburb of Triana, on the west side of the river, is as large as many towns, but is remarkable for nothing but its gloomy Gothic castle, where, in the year 1482, the Inquisition formed its first establishment in Spain. The streets of Seville are crooked, dirty, and so narrow, that, in most of them, two coaches find it difficult to pass abreast. The widest and' handsomest place is the alameda, a great walk of old elms in the heart of the city, 600 yards in length, by 150 ; it is decorated with three fountains, and the statues of Hercules, the reputed founder, and Julius Caesar, the restorer of Seville. Most of the churches are built and orna mented in a barbarous style; and the cathedral (conti nues this Traveller) is more cried up than it deserves. It is by no means equal to York Minster for lightness, elegance, and Gothic delicacy. The clustered pillars are too thick, the aisles too narrow, and the choir, by. being placed' in the. centre, spoils the coup d'wil, and renders the rest of the church little better than a col lection of long passages.