1830.] Secrets of the Court of Charles the Fourth of Spain. 189 



embarkation. Days, and months, and years elapsed, before his name, 

 his crime, his country, the cause of his disappearance, and his eventual 

 elevation to royal favour, became known to the people of Cadiz. 



In the year 180 the whole of the province of Andalusia was thrown 

 into a pleasing ferment by the joyful intelligence of the intended visit of 

 their monarch, Charles the IVth, his meretricious consort, and her para- 

 mour Godoy, the Prince of Peace (then High-Admiral of Spain), attended 

 by the whole of their gay and guilty court, to the port of Cadiz, to take 

 a first, and, as it proved, a last look, at the united fleet of France and 

 Spain, then collected in splendid array in the bay ; that fleet which a 

 few short months saw annihilated by the British thunder, wielded by 

 our own immortal Nelson ! 



The citizens of Cadiz, wantoning in the wealth acquired by their 

 monopoly of the commerce of the New World, and prodigal in their 

 display of it, vied with each other in the liberality of their contributions 

 for giving eclat to the royal visit by the most splendid reception. Mag- 

 nificent triumphal arches were erected, through which the royal cortege 

 was to pass, and every house was decorated. Amongst the other amuse- 

 ments with which it was intended to treat the royal guests, a grand 

 Fiesto de Toros was projected. Hundreds of artificers were employed 

 by day and night fitting up the Plaza for a grand display of that great 

 national festival. 



The Andalusians had always laid claim to the superiority of their pro- 

 vince in the exhibition of this barbarous relic of ancient chivalry ; and 

 no expense was spared on this occasion to present it with imposing pomp 

 and splendour ; the animals selected for torture were drawn from the 

 wildest recesses of the Utrerean mountains. All the most celebrated 

 heroes of the corrida, or bull-ring, were engaged ; and not less than one 

 hundred thousand dollars were, in the course of a few days, expended in 

 rendering this grand amphitheatre capable of accommodating, with ease 

 and safety, upwards of twenty thousand spectators. 



To form a just idea of the Plaza de Toros, the reader must take into 

 his mind's eye a circus of sixty yards diameter, enclosed on all sides by 

 a wooden partition of ponderous strength, of about seven feet in height; 

 at regular distances of from fifty to sixty feet, there are secondary par- 

 titions, equally strong, but which do not extend to a greater length than 

 from four to five yards, forming slips ; the entrances to which at either 

 end, and the two apertures in front, are just of sufficient breadth to admit 

 into this sanctuary the body of a man. To these bays (as they are termed) 

 the persons whose duty it is to combat the bull on foot, or assist the 

 mounted picador (when too closely pressed by his powerful antagonist, 

 fly for security ; or in which the unhorsed, or disabled picador, seeks 

 a temporary refuge), being painted and decorated, en suite, with the grand 

 circular partition, these safeguards, at first sight, scarcely appear as pro- 

 jections ; and as they seldom exceed one foot in depth, they do not 

 destroy that beautiful uniformity which such an extensive area presents. 



The grand partition (as has been stated) is generally about seven feet 

 in height ; but besides this security against the intrusion of the enraged 

 animal by a sudden spring, a double tier of strong ropes passed through 

 iron stanchions to the height of three feet more, surmount the whole of 

 the partition ; thus combining the most perfect safety with an uninter- 

 rupted view to the occlipants of the lower rows of the amphitheatre, of 

 the interesting combats in the arena. The places just mentioned are 



