CHAPTER XXV.
CORDOVA, SEVILLE, AND CADIZ.
Cordova is a gloomy and desolate city withabout forty thousand inhabitants. It was oncethe capital of the kingdom of Cordova, and had twohundred thousand people within its walls; and somesay a million, though the former number is doubtlessnearer the truth. The grass grows in its streets now,and it looks like a deserted city, as it is. There is onlyone thing to see in Cordova, and that is the mosque.As soon as the party had been to breakfast, theyhastened to visit it.
“We will first take a view of the outside,” said thedoctor to his pupils when they had reached the mosque.“This square in front of it is the Court of Oranges;you observe a few palms and cypresses, as well asorange–trees. The fountain in the centre was built bythe Moors nearly a thousand years ago.”
“But I don’t see any thing so very grand about themosque, if that great barn–like building is the one,”said Murray. “It looks more like a barrack than amosque. We have been in the mosque business some,and they can’t palm that thing off upon us as a realmosque. We have seen the genuine thing in Constantinople.”
“I grant that the outside is not very attractive,”added the doctor. “But in the days of the Moors,when the mosque was in its glory, the roof was coveredwith domes and cupolas. In spite of what you say,Murray, this was the finest, as it is one of the largestmosques in the world. It covers an area of six hundredand forty–two by four hundred and sixty–two feet. Itwas completed in the year 796; and the work wasdone in ten years. It was built to outdo all the othermosques of the world except that at Jerusalem. Nowwe will go in.”
The party entered the mosque, and were amazed, aseverybody is who has not been prepared for the sight,by the wilderness of columns. There are about athousand of them; and they formerly numbered twelvehundred. Each of them is composed of a single stone,and no two of them seem to be of the same order ofarchitecture. They come from different parts of theglobe; and therefore the marbles are of various kindsand colors, from pure white to blood red. Thesepillars form twenty–nine naves, or avenues, one way,and nineteen the other. The roof is only forty feethigh, and the columns are only a fraction of this height.They have no pedestal, and support a sort of doublearch, the upper one plain, and the lower a horseshoe;indeed, this last looks like a huge horseshoe stretchingacross below the loftier arch.
For an hour the party wandered about in the forestof pillars, pausing at the _Mih–ràb_, or sanctuary of themosque, where was kept the copy of the Koran made byOthman, the founder of the dynasty of that name. Itis still beautiful, but little of its former magnificenceremains; for the pulpit it contained is said to havecost the equivalent of five millions of dollars.
“St. Ferdinand conquered Cordova in 1236; andthen the mosque was turned into a Christian churchwithout any great change,” said Dr. Winstock, as theyapproached the choir in the centre of the mosque.“The victors had the good sense and the good taste toleave the building pretty much as they found it. Butthree hundred years later the chapter of the churchbuilt this choir, which almost ruins the interior effectas we gaze upon it. The fine perspective is lost.Sixty columns were removed to make room for thechoir. When Charles V. visited Cordova, and saw themischief the chapter had wrought, he was very angry,and severely reproached the authors of it.”
The tourists looked into the high chapel, and glancedat the forty–four others which surround the mosque.Then they walked to the bridge over the Guadalquiver.Arabian writers say it was built by Octavius Cæsar,but it was entirely reconstructed by the Moors. Anold Moorish mill was pointed out; and the partyreturned to the mosque to spend the rest of their timein studying its marvellous workmanship. Early in theafternoon the excursionists left for Seville, and arrivedin three hours. The journey was through a pleasantcountry, affording them an occasional view of theGuadalquiver.
“HE SIMPLY HELD OUT HIS HAND.” Page 356.]
“To my mind,” said Dr. Winstock, as the partypassed out of the _Hotel de Londres_ to the _Plaza Nueva_,which is a small park in front of the City Hall,—“tomy mind Seville is the pleasantest city in Spain, Ihave always been in love with it since I came here thefirst time; and I have spent four months here altogether.The air is perfectly delicious; and, though itoften rains, I do not remember a single rainy day.The streets are clean, the houses are neat and pretty,the people are polite, the ladies are beautiful,—whichis a consideration to a bachelor like myself,—and, if Ihad to spend a year in any city of Europe, Sevillewould be the place.”
“What is there to see here?” asked Murray. “Ishould like a list of the sights to put in a letter I shallwrite to–day.”
“The principal thing is the cathedral; then the_Giralda_, the _Alcazar_, the tobacco–factory, the Palace ofSan Telmo, the _Casa de Pilatos_.”
“That will do, doctor. I can’t put those things inmy letter,” interposed Murray.
“You may say ‘Pilate’s house’ for the last; and addthe _Calle de las Sierpes_, which is the most frequentedstreet of the city.”
“But I can’t spell the words.”
“It is not in good taste to translate the name of astreet; but it means ‘the street of the serpents.’ But Ithink you had better wait till you have seen the sights,before you attempt to describe them in your letter.”
“I will look them up in the guide–book, when Iwrite.”
“This is the _Calle de las Sierpes_,” continued thedoctor, as they entered a narrow street leading fromthe _Plaza de la Constitucion_—nearly every Spanish cityhas one with this name—in the rear of the City Hall.“This is the business street of the town, and it isgenerally crowded with people. Here are the retailstores, the cafés, the post–office, and the principaltheatre.”
The students were interested in this street, it was sofull of life. The ends of it were barred so that no carriagescould enter it; and the whole pavement was asidewalk, as O’Hara would have expressed it. Passingthe theatre, they followed a continuation of the samestreet.
“Do you notice the name of this street?” said thedoctor, as he pointed to the sign on a corner. “It isthe _Calle del Amor de Dios_. It is so near like the Latinthat you can tell what it means.”
“But it seems hardly possible that a street shouldhave such a name,—the ‘Street of the Love of God,’”added Sheridan.
“That is just what it is; and it was given by reverentmen. There is also in this city the _Calle de Gesu_, orJesus Street; and the names of the Virgin and thesaints are applied in the same way.”
Passing through this street, the party came to the_Alameda de Hercules_.
“The city has about the same history as most othersin the South of Spain,—Romans, Goths, Vandals,Moors, Christians,” said the doctor. “But some ofthe romancists ascribe its origin to Hercules; and this_alameda_ is named after him. Now we will take acloser view of one of the houses. You observe thatthey differ from those of our cities. They are built onthe Moorish plan. What we call the front door is leftopen all day. It leads into a vestibule; and on theright and left are the entrances to the apartments.Let us go in.”
“Is this a private house?” asked Sheridan, whoseemed to have some doubts about proceeding anyfarther; but then the doctor astonished him by ringingthe bell, which was promptly answered by a voice inquiringwho was there.
“_Gentes de paz_” (peaceful people), replied the surgeon;and this is the usual way to answer the questionin Spain.
It presently appeared that Dr. Winstock was acquaintedwith the gentleman who lived in the house;and he received a cordial welcome from him. Theyoung gentlemen were introduced to him, though hedid not speak English; and they were shown the house.
In the vestibule, directly opposite the front door, wasa pair of iron gates of open ornamental work, set in anarchway. A person standing in the street can lookthrough this gateway into the _patio_, or court of themansion. It was paved with marble, with a fountain inthe middle. It was surrounded with plants and flowers;and here the family sit with their guests in summer, toenjoy the coolness of
the place. Thanking the host,and promising to call in the evening, the surgeon leftwith his pupils,—his “_pupilos_,” as he described themto the gentleman.
After lunch the sight–seers went to the _Giralda_,which is now the campanile or bell–tower of the cathedral.It was built by the Moors in 1296 as a muezzintower, or place where the priest calls the faithful toprayers, and was part of the mosque that stood on thisspot. It is square, and built of red brick, and iscrowned with a lofty spire. The whole height is threehundred and fifty feet. To the top of this tower theparty ascended, and obtained a fine view of the cityand its surroundings,—so fine that they remained ontheir lofty perch for three hours. They could lookdown into the bull–ring, and trace the Guadalquiver formany miles through the flat country. The doctorpointed out all the prominent objects of interest; andwhen they came down they had a very good idea ofSeville and its vicinity.
The next day, as Murray expressed it, they “commencedwork on the cathedral.” It is the handsomestchurch in Spain, and some say in the world. It is theenlargement of an old church made in the fifteenthcentury. On the outside it looks like a miscellaneouspile of buildings, with here and there a semicircularchapel projecting into the area, and richly ornamentedwith various devices. It is in the oblong form, threehundred and seventy by two hundred and seventy feet,not including the projecting chapels.
“Now we will enter by the west side,” said thedoctor, when they had surveyed the exterior of the vastpile. “The _Giralda_ is on the other side. By the way,did I tell you what this word meant?”
“You did not; but I supposed it was some saint,”replied Sheridan.
“Not at all. It comes from the Spanish verb _girar_,which means to turn or whirl; and from this comes_Giralda_, a weathercock. The name is accidental, comingprobably from the vane on the top of it at some formerperiod,” continued the doctor as they entered thecathedral. “The central nave is about one hundredand twenty–five feet high; and here you get an idea ofthe grandeur of the edifice. Here is the burial–placeof the son of Columbus. This slab in the pavementcontains his epitaph:—
FERNANDO COLON.
_Á Castilla, y á LeonNuevo mundo dío Colon._”
“_Hablo Español!_” exclaimed Murray. “And Iknow what that means,—‘To Castile and Leon Columbusgave a new world.’”
“It is in all the school–books, and you ought to knowit,” added Sheridan. “Colon means Columbus; butwhat was his full name in Spanish?”
“Cristobal Colon. This son was quite an eminentman, and gave his library to the chapter of this church.Seville was the birthplace and the residence of Murillo;and you will find many of his pictures in thechurches and other buildings.”
The party went into the royal chapel. The underpart of the altar is formed by the silver and glasscasket which contains the remains of St. Ferdinand,nearly perfect. It is exhibited three days in the year;and then the body lies dressed in royal robes, with thecrown on the head. The doctor pointed out the windowsof stained glass, of which there are ninety–three.Nearly the whole day was spent in the church by thoseof the students who had the taste to appreciate itsbeautiful works of art. The next morning was devotedto the _Alcazar_. It was the palace of the Moorish sovereignswhen Seville became the capital of an independentkingdom. After the city was captured, St. Ferdinandtook up his quarters within it. Don Pedro theCruel repaired and rebuilt portions of it, and made ithis residence; and it was occupied by the subsequentsovereigns as long as Seville was the capital of Spain.Though the structure as it now stands was mainlyerected by Christian kings, its Arabian style is explainedby the fact that Moorish architects were employed inthe various additions and repairs.
It is very like the Alhambra, but inferior to it as awhole. It contains apartments similar to those thestudents had seen at Granada, and therefore was notas interesting as it would otherwise have been. Thegardens of the palace were more to their taste. Theyare filled with orange–trees and a variety of tropicalplants. The avenues are lined with box, and thegarden contains several small ponds. The walks nearthe palace are underlaid with pipes perforated withlittle holes, so that, when the water is let on, a continuousline of fountains cools the air; and it is customaryto duck the visitors mildly as a sort of surprise.
The tobacco–factory is the next sight, and is locatedopposite the gardens of the _Alcazar_. It is an immensebuilding used for the manufacture of cigars, cigarillos,and smoking–tobacco. The article is a monopoly inthe hands of the Government; and many of the largercities have similar establishments, but none so large asthe one at Seville. At the time of which we write, sixthousand women were employed in making cigars, andputting up papers of tobacco. Visitors go through theworks more to observe the operatives than to see theprocess of making cigars; and the students were noexception to the rule. Most of the females were oldand ugly, though many were young. Among themwere not a few gypsies, who could be distinguished bytheir olive complexion.
These women all have to be searched before theyleave the building, to prevent them from stealing thetobacco. Women are employed for this duty, whobecome so expert in doing it that the operation isperformed in a very short time.
On the river, near the factory, is the palace of SanTelmo, the residence of the Duke de Montpensier, sonof Louis Philippe, who married the sister of the latequeen of Spain. It is a very unique structure, with anelaborate portico in the centre of the front, rising onestory above the top of the palace, and surmountedwith a clock. It has a score of carved columns, andas many statues. The rest of the building is quiteplain, which greatly increases the effect of the complicatedportico. The picture–gallery and the museumsof art in the palace are opened to the tourist, and theyrichly repay the visit. Among the curiosities is theguitar used by Isabella I., the sword of Pedro theCruel, and that of Fernando Gonzales. The buildingwas erected for a naval school, and was used as such fora hundred and fifty years. It was presented by thequeen to her sister in 1849.
Leaving the palace, the party walked along thequays by the river, till they came to the _Toro del Oro_,or tower of gold. It was originally part of a Moorishfortress; but now stands alone on the quay, and isoccupied as a steamboat–office. The Moors used it asa treasure–house, and so did Pedro the Cruel. In thetime of Columbus it was a place of deposit for thegold brought over by the fleets from the New World,and landed here. It is said that more than eight millionducats were often stored here.
Near this tower, is the hospital of _La Caridad_, orcharity. It was founded by a young nobleman whohad reformed his dissipated life, and passed the remainderof it in deeds of piety in this institution. Itis a house of refuge for the poor and the aged. Itcontains two beautiful _patios_, with the usual plants,flowers, and fountains. The institution is somethingon the plan of the Brotherhood of Pity in Florence;and the young gentlemen of the city render service init in turn. The founder was an intimate friend ofMurillo, which accounts for the number of the greatartist’s pictures to be found in the establishment. Itslittle church contains several of them. A singularpainting by another artist attracted the attention ofsome of the students as a sensation in art. It representsa dead prelate in full robes, lying in the tomb.The body has begun to decay; and the worms arefeasting upon it, crawling in and out at the eyes, nose,and mouth. It is a most disgusting picture, thoughit may have its moral.
A day was given to the museum which containsmany of Murillo’s pictures, and next to that at Madridis the finest in Spain. The _Casa de Pilatos_ was visitedon the last day the excursionists were in Seville at thistime, though it happened that they came to the city asecond time. It belongs to the Duke of Medina Celi,though he seldom occupies it. It is not the house ofPilate, but only an imitation of it. It was built in thesixteenth century, by the ancestors of the duke, someof whom had visited the Holy Land. The _Patio_ islarge and is paved with white marble, with a checkeredborder and other ornaments. In the centre is afountain, and in each corner is a colossal statue of agoddess. Around it are two stories of galleries, withfine arches and columns. The pala
ce contains a beautifulchapel, in which is a pillar made in imitation ofthat to which Christ was bound when he was scourged.On the marble staircase the guides point out a cock,which is said to be in the place of the one that crowedwhen Peter denied his Master; but of course this issheer tomfoolery, and it was lawful game for Murray,who was the joker of the officers’ party.
On another day the doctor and his pupils walkedover the bridge to the suburb of Triana, where thegypsies lived. They were hardly more civilized thanthose seen at Granada. Then, as the order was notgiven for the departure, they began to see some of thesights a second time; and many of them will bearrepeated visits. During a second examination of the_Alcazar_, Dr. Winstock told them many stories of Pedrothe Cruel, of Don Fadrique, of Blanche of Bourbon,and of Maria de Padilla, which we have not the spaceto repeat, but which are more interesting than most ofthe novels of the day. After the ship’s company hadbeen in Seville five days, the order was given to leaveat quarter before six; and the party arrived at Cadizat ten.
This city is located nearly on the point of a tongueof land which encloses a considerable bay; and, whenthe train had twenty miles farther to go, the studentscould see the multitude of lights that glittered likestars along the line of the town. Cadiz is a commercialplace, was colonized by the Phœnicians, and theysupposed it to be about at the end of the earth. Theybelieved that the high bluff at Gibraltar, which wascalled Calpe, and Abyla at Ceuta in Africa, were partof the same hill, rent asunder by Hercules; and theyerected a column on each height, which are knownas the Pillars of Hercules. Cadiz was held by theRomans and the Moors in turn, and captured by theSpaniards in 1262. After the discovery of America, itshared with Seville the prosperity which followed thatevent; and the gold and merchandise were brought tothese ports. Its vast wealth caused it to be oftenattacked by the pirates of Algiers and Morocco; theEnglish have twice captured it, and twice failed to doso; and it was the civil and military headquarters ofthe Spaniards during the peninsular war. When theAmerican colonies of Spain became independent, itlost much of its valuable commerce, and has notbeen what it was in the last century since the FrenchRevolution.
The boats of the American Prince, in charge of theforward officers and a squad of firemen and stewards,were on the beach near the railroad station; and theship’s company slept on board that night. The nextday was devoted to Cadiz. The cathedral is a modernedifice and a beautiful church, though the tourist whohad been to Toledo and Seville does not care to givemuch of his time to it. In the Capuchin Monastery,to which the doctor took his pupils, is the last picturepainted by Murillo. It is the Marriage of St. Catharine,and is painted on the wall over the high altar ofthe chapel. Before it was quite finished, Murillo fellfrom the scaffold, was fatally injured, and died soonafter. The picture was finished by one of his pupils,at his request.
There are no other sights to be seen in Cadiz;but the students were very much pleased with the place.Its public buildings are large and massive; its whitedwellings are pretty; and its squares and walks on theseashore are very pleasant. By the kindness of thebanker, the club–house was opened to the party.
“I am rather sorry we do not go to Xeres,” said thedoctor, when they were seated in the reading–room.“I supposed we should stop there on our way fromSeville. I wished to take you into the great wine–vaults.I think you know what the place is noted for.”
“_Vino del Xeres_,” replied Murray,—“Sherry wine.”
“It is made exclusively in this place; and its peculiaritycomes from the kind of grapes and methodof manufacture. The business here is in the handsof English, French, and German people, who farsurpass the Spaniards in the making of wine. Theimmense cellars and store–houses where the wine iskept are well worth seeing, though they are notencouraging to men with temperance principles. Theplace has forty thousand inhabitants, and is the _Xeresde la Frontera_, where Don Roderick was overwhelmedby the Moors, and the Gothic rule in Spain wasended.”
“Seville is a larger place than Cadiz, isn’t it?”asked Sheridan.
“More than twice as large. Seville is the third cityof Spain, having one hundred and fifty–two thousandinhabitants; while Cadiz is the ninth, with only seventy–twothousand.”
The party returned to the steamer; and the nextmorning she sailed for Malaga, where the Josephinesand Tritonias had arrived before them. The fleet immediatelydeparted for Gibraltar, and in five hours wasat anchor off the Rock.