84 COLUMBIAN HISTORICAL EXPOSITION AT MADRID. 



being seen, would appear to be bare, but the presence of a jewel on the back of the 

 right hand shows that they are intended to be gloved; upon the two fingers raised 

 in benediction are two rings, upon the first and second joints respectively. They 

 are cast with the hand, and are set with simple square stones within a quarterfoil. 

 The face is a mask of thick bronze, stopping short at the hair and the ears, and it 

 has every appearance of being an actual portrait. The head rests upon a plain 

 cushion, enriched on the upper face with champleve&quot; enamel. The pattern upon 

 this is a lozenge diaper filled with open crosses. The monument as a whole is a 

 most dignified and impressive composition, and it has an additional interest apart 

 from its great intrinsic merits, and the remarkable character of the ecclesiastic it 

 represents, in the fact that the tradition in Toledo is that he was of English birth. 

 He was a trusted and valuable adviser to his King, San Fernando III, whom he 

 aided with counsel in matters far removed from his episcopal functions. 



This tomb must have been in part, if not entirely, of French work, as the enameled 

 portions differ from any examples of Spanish champleve enamel, and on the other 

 hand, agree in style with the known examples of similar work made at Limoges. 

 This is not surprising, for the bishop was a traveled man, and had relations with 

 many of the European states, and with France he could scarcely fail to have been 

 very intimate. It is, moreover, an established fact that the workmen at Limoges 

 did go into foreign countries to execute such work, even to England. 



The collection of arms and armor is, as would be expected, of great interest and of 

 considerable extent. From the royal collection many pieces of historical interest 

 are shown, the jousting suits of Charles V and Philip II, three swords stated to be 

 those of Boabdil, Pizarro, and Cortez, a steel turban inlaid with gold and silver 

 formerly belonging to Barbarroja, as well as numerous suits and single specimens of 

 interest in themselves. Private collectors also have contributed largely, the Conde 

 de Valencia sending a series of swords of high quality, while the Marques do Casa- 

 Torres has filled one of the smaller galleries with an excellent collection of arms and 

 some good suits of armor, and Senor Don Jose&quot; Estrech, of Barcelona, has a well- 

 arranged series, intended to show the history of arms and armor from the eighth 

 century down to the present time. The Marques de Mondejar also shows one of the 

 well-known papal swords, this specimen having been presented by Pope Innocent 

 VIII in 1486 to Don Ifrigo Lopez de Mendoza, second Conde de Tendilla, ambassador 

 at Rome. 



The collection at the Royal Armory in Madrid is, however, so rich in arms and 

 armor, both of the highest excellence in themselves, and a large proportion of 

 them of an historical importance equalling their technical perfection and artistic 

 merit, that it is an ungrateful task to attempt a detailed description of those in 

 the exhibition. It is no injustice to say that, fine as many of them are, they can not 

 be placed in competition with the accumulated treasures of the Armeria Real. 



It seems, for this reason, a better plan to give some account of the few objects of 

 this class which are either unrepresented in the Royal Armory, or have interests of 

 a different kind. 



Of these the most remarkable are the several swords stated to have once belonged 

 to Boabdil, the last Moorish king of Granada. One of them has been already men 

 tioned as coming from the Royal Armory, but it is plain in make, and its principal 

 interest is its history. It is far otherwise with the beautiful swords belonging to 

 the Marques de Viaue and the Marques Campotejar, and another sword, belonging 

 to the Archaeological Museum of Madrid, though somewhat older, belongs to the 

 same class. This last is made entirely of metal, the hilt and guard being of bronze 

 with gilt details, the blade of steel, the total length 40 inches. The pommel is 

 globular, flattened on the two faces, on each of which is a circular medallion 

 engraved with ornamental Cufic characters; the grip is fusiform, engraved with 

 circles joined together by a single twist, and containing also Cufic letters. The guard 

 is of the peculiar form characteristic of the Moorish swords of the late fifteenth 



