ANDALUSIAN SKETCHES. 621 



both of good blood. They were united in early youth, and have but 

 one son and one daughter. Don Carlos filled for many years the 

 distinguished office of administrador (director) of the Alcazar the 

 royal palace here. About a year since, ill-health obliged him to 

 retire upon the moderate allowance granted, in such cases, to public 

 servants. The fond parents doated upon these two children, and 

 particularly upon the boy. Ojala ! (Would to God !) the son Pepe had 

 been as deserving as that dear girl Amalia ! But, alas ! it was 

 doomed to be otherwise, doubtless as punishment for the many 

 unconfessed sins of the parents. He was a rake a spendthrift a 

 gambler. About two months since, in a night brawl, sallying from 

 a monte table, he stabbed to the heart a fellow-reprobate, and was 

 immediately secured by the police. The grief of the old people was 

 beyond description it broke the father's heart. In Spain, the laws 

 are not administered as I read they are in your country. All Seville 

 was interested for Don Carlos and Dona Isabel, and especially for the 

 gentle Amalia. For their sakes great exertions were made to save the 

 son from the ignominious fate to which he was justly doomed. A 

 pardon was obtained from the king, on condition of the culprit being 

 banished for life from his native land. I have witnessed many extra- 

 ordinary sights have seen many obdurate men during my seventy 

 years' pilgrimage in this world, but never did I look upon a more 

 unfeeling villain than Pepe proved himself to be, on the morning he 

 was delivered up to his agonized father, who was permitted to con- 

 duct the undeserving youth to Cadiz, and see him embarked on board 

 a vessel bound to the Havana. I would have attended Don Carlos, 

 but the numerous calls of my flock would not allow it. He went, 

 only accompanied by Amalia. The ship on board of which Pepe 

 was embarked has sailed for Cuba. You, good Englishman, I find 

 came up the river with the father (may he live in heaven !) and the 

 exemplary daughter, on their return. The exertion was too much for 

 the weak frame of the broken-hearted old man it killed him. But 

 for your kind assistance, the situation of the maid would have been 

 additionally lamentable. In the name of the widow then, I thank 

 you ; and if, as I hope, you propose to remain some days in Seville, 

 you must receive the acknowledgments due to you from her own 

 lips, as well as from those of Amalia. At nightfal the funeral 

 mass will be sung ; to-morrow the remains of Don Carlos will be 

 consigned to the Campo-Santo (burial-ground). Now retire, my 

 son, and again I bless you." 



I left the good old padre, and wandered about the spacious cathe- 

 dral in melancholy mood, endeavouring to recover myself in viewing 

 again the many incomparable pictures of Murillo, which adorn the 

 walls of this splendid edifice. At night, wrapped in the folds of my 

 Spanish cloak, to avoid observation, I walked towards the Casa 

 Pilata. As I entered the street, I met the funeral procession, made 

 distinct by the glare of wax lights and torches. The ceremonies of 

 the Catholic Church are always imposing. First walked four youths, 

 in white linen robes, carrying large wax candles ; then a single priest, 

 wearing his rich altar vestments, bearing the consecrated wafer, 

 placed within a glass lanthorn, at the end of a long, highly orna- 



