196 Unexplored Spain 
five sons, all craftsmen of repute, who, in honour of their sire, 
formed a bull-fighting guild still known as the Rondénean School— 
distinguished from the later Sevillian cult by its more serious 
and dignified attack as compared with the prettiness and 
“ swagger” of the Sevillano. 
In that generation Francisco’s son, Pedro Romero, appeared 
in rivalry with PEPE-ILLO, the new-risen star in the Sevillian 
firmament. It was, by the way, the master-mind of the latter 
which completed and perfected the reorganisation on popular. 
lines of the national fiesta after Bourbon influence had alienated 
the aristocracy from their ancient diversion. The rivalry between 
these competing exponents of the two styles commenced in 1771, 
the pair representing each a supreme mastery of their respective 
schools, and only terminated with the death of Pepe-Illo in the 
Plaza of Madrid, May 11,1801. The Sevillian style has since 
attained pre-eminence, appealing more to the masses by its 
nonchalance and apparent disregard of danger. When the best 
features of both schools are combined—as has been exemplified 
in more than one brilliant exponent of the art—then the letters 
of his name are writ large on the cartels. 
One other famous name of that epoch demands notice—that of 
Costillares, who introduced the flying stroke distinguished as the 
suerte de volapié. Hitherto all lidiador's had received the onset 
of the bull standing—the swerte de recibir. In the volapié the 
charging bull is met half-way, an exploit demanding unswerv- 
ing accuracy, strength of arm, and exact judgment of distance, 
since the spot permissible for the sword to enter, the target on 
the bull’s neck, is no bigger than an orange. 
The normal difficulty of sheathing the blade at that exact 
point on a charging bull is great enough ; but is vastly increased 
in the volapié, or flying stroke, and the effect produced on the 
spectators emotional in the last degree. 
Costillares also formalised the costumes of the different classes 
of bull-fighters. He flourished in 1760, and died of a broken 
heart owing to his right arm being injured, which incapacitated 
him from further triumphs. About that period Martinho intro- 
duced the perilous pole-jump, and José Candido stood out 
prominent for skill and extraordinary resource. 
Intermediate episodes of minor importance we must briefly 
note. Thus Godoy in 1805 stopped bull-fights, but Joseph 
