SPAIN. 



635 



more liappy spectators. The bull-feasts are often dedicated to St. John and the Virgin ; and 

 the gains are bestowed in charities. Tlie fights are held only in summer, as the arenas are 

 open, and the bull has then the greater courage. The worst places in the arena cost 2 or 4 

 reals, and the best a dollar. In some places, as in Valladolid, the public square is the imposing 

 arena ; the streets are shut, and balconies are erected along the houses. After a procession of 

 all the combatants, who are to engage the bull, 2 alguazils advance, with great gravity, to the 

 president, to ask permission for the sports to begin. The arena is then cleared, and the door 

 is thrown open for the bull to come forth, when he is received wiili deafening shouts. He 

 advances to the centre, and stands amazed. He has little time, liou'ever, left for wonder. 

 The picadores, combatants on horseback, wait for him with their long lances. Theirs is a 

 service of danger, though so little disgraceful, that the grandees have followed it. Sometimes 

 the bull darts upon them ; at others, it is necessary to excite him to rage. He braves the 

 wounds of the lance in his neck, and attacks the innocent horse, who still continues the com- 

 bat, though he may be gored so dreadfully, that he treads upon his own entrails. The horse 

 and rider are often overthrown, when the combatants on foot divert the bull's attention, by 

 shaking before him pieces of colored cloth. Sometimes, however, the animal pursues them, 

 and then they require the best of their speed ; they leap the barrier, 6 feet in height, but a 

 moment before the bull dashes his horns against it. So narrow are iheir escapes, that Town- 

 send thought, that the men actually raised themselves on the horns of the bull. The animal 

 often attempts to clear the barrier, and he sometimes succeeds. This is the signal for speedy 

 retreat to the spectators, some of whom, however, have been killed. Sometimes several 

 horses are killed beneath the same rider. 



The next act in the tragedy, is commenced by the bnnderilleros, who go before the bull, and 

 when he plunges at them, step a little aside, and stick into his neck little darts, having fulmi- 

 nating powders, which explode, and drive the persecuted animal to frenzy. This is a danger- 

 ous part to perform, as the horn of the bull, in his plunges, passes within a few inches of the 

 banderilkro'' s breast. Exhausted, at length, by the loss of the blood, that streams from nu- 

 merous wounds, the last moment of the brave anip-ial approaches, for the hard laws of the circus 

 are, that he shall not go forth alive. 



The president gives the signal for death, and the matador advances with a long dagger in 

 one hand, and in the other a flag, which he waves before his adversary. Both stop and gaze 

 several minutes at each other, and the concourse are silent as the grave. The fight is now to 

 become a single combat, in which one party, at least, must die. The animal recalls his ener- 

 gies, makes a last desperate plunge at the matador, who steps lighlly aside, and strikes his dag- 

 ger into his adversary's neck, with so true an aim, that the spine is divided, and the animal falls 

 bleeding upon his knees. The circus swims before his glazing eyes, and he falls dnnd, 



" Ere ceased the inhuman shout, that hailed llie wretcli who won." 



16. Education. There are few establishments in Spain, for the diffusion of the first rudi- 

 ments of knowledge. The lower classes seldom learn to read and write ; and those above 

 them, are as seldom instructed in anything but reading, writing, and arithmetic. Those who 

 are designed for the learned professions, attend a Latin school for 3 or 4 years ; but cJ^^ssical 

 literature has made little or no progress, and Greek has been for several centuries almost un- 

 known in Spain. There are 11 universities, but they are very far behind the literary institu- 

 tions of other European countries. There is, indeed, little encouragement for education, or 

 even safety for learning, in a country, of which it has been truly remarked, that to learn the 

 names of its best scholars and finest geniuses, we need only to go to the dungeons of the In- 

 quisition. There are many associations, called learned societies. There are 12 public libra- 

 ries, besides those belonging to the monasteries. There are botanic gardens at Madrid, Cadiz, 

 Cartagena, and St. Lucar ; a cabinet of natural history, coins, and antiquities, at Madrid ; and 

 several observatories, as at Madrid, Ferrol, &c. The books, which it is the policy of the 

 monastic Mecaenases to spread, are lives of saints, deaths of martyrs, and legends of the 11,000 

 virgins. 



The contents of the newspapers may be surmised, from the nature of the books. There 

 are few, however, of any kind. The capital boasts of the Gazette and Diario, or Daily ; 

 small quarto sheets, mainly taken up with the names of the saints, whose festivals fall on that 

 day. Under the saints' days, the following notice has its turn : — " To-morrow, will be cele- 



