628 
the victim of envy and misanthropy, cons 
fesses his obligation to this yentleman for, 
ascries of important information and rati- 
onalamusement. Tis tourin Spain exhi- 
bitsa lively portrait of the characters, man- 
ners, and public feelings, of the Spaniards 
at a time when every thing that regards 
them is so interesting to humanity. Of 
the merits of his work our readers may 
form some estimate, by: the interesting 
extracts given beneath; in justice how- 
ever to the author, we feel it proper to 
State, that we have not made our selece 
tions. as specimens of his skill, in de- 
scription and narration, but as passages 
which contain information likely, in a 
more particular manner, to interest our 
readers, We hope the author will, ere 
Jong, publish an account of the con- 
tinuance of his voyage to Sardinia, Sicily, 
and Malta; places which have a strong 
bold on that curiosity, which his pen and 
pencil are so well able to gratify. 
TIME SPANISH LADIES. 
In the evening we walked upon the 
Alameda, so called from alamo, a poplar. 
This is the name of a promenade, with 
’ which every town of any consideration 
iv Spain, is emb€llished. It is certainly 
a very agreeable walk, commanding on 
one side a fine view of the sea. The 
seats with sich it 1s furnished are of 
stone, and handsome; but the trees in- 
tended for its ornament, show by their 
wretched appearance, how unpropitious 
to their growth is thejr marine situation. 
Here I had an opportunity of seeing the 
Andalusian Jadies to the greatest ad- 
vantage, in that portion of their ancient 
costume which they never fail to assume 
whenever they go abroad. This dress is 
composed of the mantilla, or veil, which 
amongst the higher ordé:s is usually of 
black gauze, and sometimes of lace, and 
descends from the head, to which it is 
fastened, over the back and armas, is just 
crossed in front, and -then falls very 
gracefully a little below the knee, the 
monilio or jacket, and petticoat, called 
in Andalusia, the saya; and in other 
provinces, the basquina; beth black and 
generally of silk, under which usually 
appear two pretty feet, dressed in white 
silk stockings and shoes. To thege lat- 
ter articles of dress, the Spanish ladies 
pay much attention. The gala dress of 
the ladies was formerly very fine and 
preposterous, and frequently descended 
from veneration to generation; at mar- 
ringes this dress was often let out to the 
huwble classes. The grace and majesty 
Sir John Carr’s Travels in Spain. 
of their walk, in which the Spanish ladies 
take great pride, never fail to excite the 
admiration of every foreigner: but, strange 
to tell, whenever they dress after the 
English fashion, or as they call it e# 
cuerpo, of which they are very fond, a 
vulyar waddle supersedes the bewitching 
movements they display in their native 
attire. Nor ought the skill with which 
they use the fan, a much larger imstru- 
ment than that carried by our ladies, to 
be’ passed over. - It is scareely ever out 
of their hands; they manage it with the 
most fascinating dexterity. To the fa 
‘thus used by some of the Andalusian 
ladies, a beautiful couplet of the late 
Rev. Mr. Homer, might be applied: 
Go fan miscall'd! go seek a better name, 
Thou can’st not cool, thou only can’st ins 
flame. 
Little girls, scarcely twice the height of 
a fan, are also completely at home in the 
management of one. At first, the uni- 
versal blackness of the female dress pro- 
duces rather a melancholy effect; but » 
stranger soon becomes accustomed to it, 
and finds it productive of a thousand 
agreeablesensations. A beautiful Spanish: 
lady ts never seen to so much advantage 
as 10 this dress, which however is imme- 
diately laid aside when she enters, her 
house. The Spanish women iv general 
dress for thestreet, and upon their return 
home, take off their good clothes, silk 
stockings, and white shoes, and display 
an appearance for which even the effects 
of a sultry climate can scarcely offer any 
apology. They also seem to think that 
there isno charm in clean teeth, which 
they corrode and render offensive at an 
early age, by immoderately eating sweet- 
meats and confectionary, and by the lesé 
feminine indulgence of occasional smok- 
ing. A tooth-brush they never think of 
using; and I knew a British captain who 
was considered as a great caxcomb by 
several ladies “at Cadiz, beeause that 
instrument was found in his dressing- 
case. When a dady walks*out, she is 
always, fullowed by a female servant, 
attired in the dress [ have before de- 
scribed, but of coarser’ materials, car 
rying an enormous green fan in_ her 
hand. This attendant is in general old 
and ugly, especially if her mistress be 
young and handsome. I at first regarded 
the servant as a duenna,, but soon learnt 
that a guardian so offensive, and who 
often acted as the insidious tool of jea- 
lousy, had long been withdrawn; and 
that 
‘ 
