ARANJUEZ 



with the pillars and inscription plus ultra^ 

 and various scenes from the " Labours of Her- 

 cules." The palace is full of art treasures. The 

 Porcelain Room, constructed for Carlos III by 

 the Neapolitan Guiseppe Gricci, in 1763, is a 

 marvel. The walls are made of the famous 

 Buen Retiro porcelain, the manufactory of which 

 no longer exists, as it was destroyed by the 

 English soldiers when helping the Spaniards 

 against Napoleon. 



The ceiling of the Moorish smoking-room is 

 copied from the Sala de las dos Hermanas in the 

 Alhambra. 



It was in the Palace of Aranjuez that Carlos IV 

 was forced to sign his abdication in favour of 

 Ferdinand VII on the i9th March, 1808. 



E. DELANEY 



2 I 249 



