[ 502 •} {Nov. 



SPANISH HIGH-WAYS AND BY-WAYS. — N°. V.* 



I PASSED two days pleasantly with my friend the Marquess of Roca 

 Verde, at St. Sebastian, on my return to Madrid, and arrived at the capital 

 just in time to witness a grand bull-fight. Having already given a full 

 description of one of these national exhibitions in my paper on Seville, 

 I can now only observe, that the costliness of this spectacle was deemed 

 worthy of the metropolis of Spain. The spo)-t was declared to be 

 excellent — several banderillos being disabled, one picador mortally 

 wounded, and twelve buUs, with as many hoi-ses, left dead in the arena. 



By the way, during the progress of my journey from London, a sin- 

 gular discovery was made near Bordeaux, of eighty human bodies in a 

 singular state of preservation, having, it was supposed, been buried for 

 many ages. I was dining at the Table d'Hote at Bordeaux, when I 

 heard of the circumstances, and was prompted by curiosity to inspect 

 them. I was conducted to a tower near the church of St. ]\Iichael, 

 whither they had been removed, and descending a flight of stone steps, 

 entered one of the dungeons belonsins to the place, and beheld the 

 bodies arranged in an erect position around the walls. They presented 

 the appearance of embalmed corpses ; for the place of their sepulture 

 had proved of so antiseptic a nature, that they, for a time, had escaped 

 the lot of mortality. Their skin resembled hard leather ; but their 

 features were still distinct, and the hair on their heads and beards was 

 perfect. The violent nature of the death of one was sufficiently evident. 

 The forehead had been perforated by a ball. 



The morning after my arrival at jiadrid, the sentence of the law was 

 carried into effect on an unfortunate shoemaker, who had been found 

 guilty of treasonable practices against the constitutional government. 

 The mode of execution was rather novel, at least to a foreigner. A plat- 

 form about sixteen feet square, was erected, at the height of eighty feet 

 from the ground, in the Plaza de Cevada. In the centre of the platform 

 stood an upright post, to which was affixed an iron collar, and a seat for 

 the criminal. About half an hour previous to the time appointed for the 

 culprit to suffer, the executioner ascended the stage, and adjusted the 

 apparatus of death — after which, the prisoner appeared, accompanied by 

 his confessor and two priests. The unhappy man betrayed no symp- 

 toms of fear ; but immediately addressed the multitude. In as firm and 

 audible a voice he confessed the crime of which he had been adjudged 

 guilty, and declared his intention to have been the overthrow of the 

 constitution. He expressed no contrition ; but on the contrary, deeply 

 regretted that he had not succeeded in proving his blind devotion to his 

 sovereign. At that part of his harangue he was desired by the exe- 

 cutioner to desist, and more properly employ his few remaining moments 

 in preparing for death. The iron collar was then affixed to his neck, 

 his legs having been previously bound to the post during the time he 

 had harangued the people. The confessor placed in his hands the pic- 

 ture of the Virgin, and engaged with him for some minutes in prayer ; 

 at the conclusion of which, he desired him to repeat the apostles' creed. 

 This he did in a loud and firm voice, until hec ame to the words, " Crco 

 in Je.su Christo," which being the fatal signal, the executioner by means 

 of an instrument attached to the collar, tightened it in such a degree, as 



* Extracted from the Note-Book of Sir Paul Ba^hott. 



