SS 
gers; so that the Puerto del Sol, is be- 
come the most stirring quarter of the 
town. 
’ The streets are in general of a good 
breadth, clean, and well lighted; and, ab- 
stracting from the number of houses be- 
longing to the great, constructed gene- 
Fally on the Italian model, with courts 
within supported on arcades. The houses 
are sulidly built. 
At the meetings of the streets are se- 
veral irregular open spaces, or plazas, re- 
sembling our Charing-cross: but the only 
square is that in the middle of the town, 
dalled the Great Square,or Plaza Mayor, 
a regular quadrangle surrounded with 
uniform houses, supported on a narrow, 
shallow, portico; in the centre is a mar- 
ket for vegetables, and in it the great 
public exhibitions are made, on the ac- 
cession of a new sovereign, or other in- 
portant public oceasions: 
~ The most remarkable edifice in Madrid 
is the new palace, so called because it is 
a modern building inthe room of the old, 
.ds also to distinguish it from the old pa- 
lace of Buen Retiro. “This majestic work 
stands on the top of the steepest part of 
the bank of the Manzanares, on the west 
side of the town. It forms a regular 
square of about 450 feet each side, with 
a quadrangle in the centre surrounded by 
rows of arcades, the lower row being 
open, and those above glazed, to give 
light to the corridores, which communi- 
cate with the different apartments. The 
height of the west, south, and east fronts 
} 
-is 100 feet, but that of the north is more, 
as the ground sinks down on that side. 
Tn the columns and other decorations, the 
architéct, an Italian, attempted to intro- 
duce certain variations in the proportions 
amd figure of the capitals, to create a 
sixth order, but in general resembling 
the Corinthian; which to examiners has 
rather a capricious appearance. The in- 
terior of the building being all cunstruct- 
ed‘on arches, and the walls of unreason- 
able thickness, this noble palace has ac- 
quired an air of massive solidity not so 
accordant with the idea we attach to the 
residence of an European monarch of 
the present times, The interior, how- 
ever, is fitted up with great splendour, 
and contains one of the best collections 
of paintings, by the most eminent mas- 
térs, which Europe presents. 
~The old palace of Buen Retiro, on the 
opposite side of the town, is an assem- 
blage of many buildings, constructed at 
different times, and in different styles; 
and is now chiefly visited for the masterly 
Account of recent Travels in Spain. 
- ane ?, 
works of Luca Giordano, representing the 
institution of the Order of the Golden 
Fleece. The gardens are extensive, but 
neglected ; but the southern part has 
been converted into a botanic garden, 
rich in transmarine, particularly Ame- 
rican, plants. 
Many of the churches are well en- 
dowed and adorned; but, excepting that 
of the late Jesuits, called San Isidro, and 
one or two more, they offer litthe archi 
tectural beauty. ; 
The bridge of Segovia is in length 
about 450 feet, and that of Toledo about 
750 feet; but however disproportionate 
these works may at some seasons appear 
to the humble stream beneath, yet, when 
the snows inelt in the Guadarama moun- 
tains, they are barely sufficient, especially 
that of Segovia, to give a passage to the 
waters, which hurry down quantities of 
sand and gravel, threatening soon to 
choak up the arches. 
Near the bridge of Toledo commences 
a navigable canal, following the course of 
the Manzanares to its junction with the 
Henares, a dozen miles below Madrid, 
and opening a communication by means 
of that stream with the Tagus, alittle be- 
low Aranjuez. : 
On the west side of the Manzanares, 
and under the windows of the new pa- 
lace, is a small royal seat, called La casa 
del Campo (the country-house), chiefly - 
visited for the statue of Philip the Third, 
by the famous John of Bologna: this sta- 
tue and its companion, Philip the Pourth, 
in the Retiro, by Bologna’s pupil, Tacca, 
are reckoned master-pieces of modern 
sculpture. 
Eight miles above Madrid, on the east 
side of the river, is avother palace, or 
country seat, called El Pardo. 
Of the public walks in and aboutMadritl, 
the most noticeable is that so often quoted 
in Spanish romance, under the name of 
the Prado (the meadov’), occupying a 
long depression in the ground separating 
the town, on the west, from the gardens 
of the Retiro on the east. This valley is 
now laid out in smooth straight walks, 
planted with trees, accommodated with 
seats, enlivened and refreshed with foun- 
tains ornamented with excellent gculp- 
ture; and towards the south or lowerend, 
being séparated only by an iron railing 
from the botanic garden, the company 
may enjoy the interesting view of the 
curious exotics there assembled. 
The royal and other public libraries ; 
the museum of natural history; the dif- 
ferent academies or learned societies ; 
these 
