63b 



SPAIN. 



brated, the feast of the glorious martyr, San Poncio, advocate and protector against bed-bugs." 

 The Gazette commences, by announcing the heahh and occupation of their majesties, and in- 

 serts the quantity and kind of news, that is pleasing to the government. 



17. State of the Jlrts, Sciences^ and Literature. In the time of the troubadours, and in the 

 middle ages, there arose, in Spain, a profusion of ballads and songs. Of the ballads concern- 

 ing Rodiigo Diaz de Vivar, or the Cid, alone, there are about a hundred. After the conquest 

 of Naples, the introduction of the Italian literature gave a better form to the literature of 

 Spain. Spain has never produced an epic poet of much eminence. The drama is exceed- 

 ingly rich, though irregular ; it is a mine, to which the writers of other nations have freely re- 

 sorted. The Spanish division of the drama is peculiar ; it is not into tragedy and comedy, 

 but into plays divine and human. The former, includes legends of the saints, &;c. The 

 latter, includes historical or heroical plays, comedies "of the cloak and sword," founded on 

 tue intrigues of high life, and other comedies, in which the characters are rogues, pickpockets, 

 and their ladies. Lope de Vega excelled in all these, and his principal plays are contained in 

 no less than 25 volumes. But Don Pedro Calderon de la Barca, is the boast of the Spanish 

 theatre. He wrote 127 dramas, besides an incredible number of smaller pieces. There are 

 a great many of the romances of chivalry ; and one novel, ridiculing them, has pervaded the 

 world. Don Quixote is unrivaled in wit, philosophy, and the painting of human life and char- 

 acter. There are few writers at the present day, and the sciences are almost entirely neglect- 

 ed. Natural philosophy, chemistry, and mathematics, are, in Spain, centuries in arrear. 



The Moors, in Spain, were so polished and gentle a people, that their expulsion was a na- 

 tional calamity. They had a library at Cordova, of 600,000 volumes, and there were 70 pub- 

 lic libraries in the Andalusian kingdom. This was at a time, when the rest of Europe was 

 sunk in the deepest ignorance. Many Spanish Jews, of great learning, flourished at the same 

 time. 



Painting has been more successfully cultivated, than the rest of the arts, and the Spanish 

 school is much celebrated. Ribera, better known as Espanoleto, excelled in the most perfect 

 representation of sufTerings and of sorrow, such as are furnished by the death of martyrs. Ve- 

 lasquez was so excellent in portraits, that he is ranked with Titian and Vandyke. Murillo, 

 who never left Spain, is yet correct, and has great finish and warmth of coloring. Morales is 

 called the divine, from the excellence of his heads of Christ. The Spaniards have a passion 

 for music, and many, in all grades of life, perform on some instrument, generally the guitar. 



The national airs of Spain are numerous and beautiful, though her composers are few in 

 number ; and the chief singers at Madrid are imported from Italy. The music of Spain par- 

 takes of the character of her language, described, by a modern writer, as being " grave and 

 decent, like the dances of ancient chivalry." It is as pathetic as the Italian, but it has an en- 

 ergy and romantic character, which the former has not. It speaks of a more mountainous 

 country, of a more high-souled and chivalrous people. The Italian airs breathe of little but 

 of love. The songs of Spain are mingled with romance, devotion, and glory, as well as ten- 

 derness. Music is not cultivated, as in Italy ; but it is the amusement of all ranks and condi- 

 tions in Spain. The muleteer sings, to beguile the long hours as he speeds on his way, and 

 his rude carol is mingled with the wild jingling of the bells. The peasants sing, as they dance 

 the ieguidilla, to the sounds of the Castanet and guitar. The cavalier joins his voice to the 

 music of his guitar, when he serenades his high-born beauty beneath her latticed window. 



The guitar is universally played by the Spaniards ; and suits well with the wild, romantic 

 melody of the Spanish airs. The Moorish ballads, which remain, are mournful and tender, 

 breatliing the very spirit of gallantry and impassioned devotion. The conquest of Granada, 

 called forth all the musical strains of her minstrels, whether in lamentations over the fallen city, 

 or in reproaches of the conquerors ; and the ballad entitled " The Siege and Conquest of Al- 

 hama," had such an effect, that it was forbidden to be sung by the Moors, on pain of death, 

 within the walls of Granada. 



18. Religion. The religion is strictly Roman Catholic. The number of archbishoprics is 8, 

 and there are 51 bishoprics. The archbishop of Toledo is primate of Spain, and his income 

 IS nearly i;^ 450,000. The ecclesiastics of all classes, including monks and nuns, are 188,625, 

 or more probably, near 200,000. There are 32,000 females confined in cloisters. The 

 king nominates to all ecclesiastical dignities, and even to the smaller benefices. The clergy 

 are rich, ignorant, and dissolute. They are the most powerful body in Spain, but their influ- 

 ence is diminishing. Thev retain a strong hold upon the favor of the lower class, and dis 



