382 len Years of my Lije. 



of which the authenticity is as doubtfal as of many more holy 

 relics. There is, ior instnnce, a sword of the Cid, rather short 

 and broad ; the sword c. Roland, etc. As very interesting, 

 were pointed out to me t\vo oM curious shooting-irons, said to 

 have come noni Majorca, already one hundred years before 

 the invention o. gunpowder by Berthold Schwarz. 



I went also fre(]uently to the theatres, and saw at the Italian 

 Opera-house ' Anna Bolena,' which was perJormed rather badly. 

 Excellent, however, was the Spanish theatre, where I enjoyed 

 many lively comedies, which I witnessed without understand 

 ing much oi the language. Still more pleased was I with the 

 Theatro del Principle, where historical pieces were represented 

 most beautitully, and where I admired tha correct costumes. 



Whilst waiting lor the commencing at the theatre, we had 

 a little characteristic adventure. We were sittmg down on 

 some empty chairs, when a rather wild and suspicious-looking 

 extremely dirty individual placed himself close before me. 

 Robberies being by no means rare in Madrid — my purse was 

 cut out of my dress in a church — I lelt alarmed, and so did 



Count W , who accompanied us. As the iellow did not 



moved, the count pushed him somewhat rudely back, without 

 imagining that by doing so he would raise a storm. The in 

 jured man made a great noise ; a crowd collected at once, and 

 with them came some policemen. The dirty robber-like iel- 

 low turned out to be the owner of the chairs, and came only 

 to collect his tare. After the thing v/as explained the count 

 offered, as a peace-ofiering, an apology in the shape of a gold 

 coin ; but the dirty Spaniard retused it with the disdain oi a 

 caballero, declaring himseli, however, satisfied i( the count 

 would shake hands with him. The count would have rather 

 parted with his goldpiece, lor the ofiered hand was shockingly 

 dirty, but knives being very loose in Madrid he bomplied with 

 the dirty caballero's request though he telt all the evening un- 

 comfortable, no water being at hand. 



We went, ot course, frequently to the Prado, where we ad- 

 mired the Spanish ladies m their yellow satin robes, black 

 mantillas, and big fans. . I, of course, bought at once such a 

 mantilla and a fan, and as my complexion is somewhat Spanish, 

 I flatter myself thlt I looked much J ike a native. 



In the Prado I saw Irequently a very c/iic coupe, with a lady 

 dressed elegandy in the Paiisian style. She was the Duchess 

 ae la Torre, the wife of Marshal Serrano — a great man now. 



