1809.] 
Tagus, covering with its gardens, parks, 
farms, and vineyards, the flat plain be- 
tween the river and the rising grounds on 
the South. The palace is the work of 
different periods from that of Philip the 
Second to modern times, and is richly fur- 
nished within, as well as surrounded with 
delicious shady woods watered by the Ta- 
gus, there a bright and rapid stream, 
conveying fertility and freshness to the 
neighbouring grounds. The adjoining 
town has been iaid out in regular open 
streets aud squares, subsisting entirely by 
the presence of the court; the population 
at such times amounting to ten thousand 
people. 
On the 24th I proceeded south-westerly 
down the left bank of the Tagus to Tole-~ 
do, distant about six leagues, or twenty- 
three miles. The vale is wide and open, 
bounded on both hands by high grounds, 
those on the left gradually mcreasing to 
a range of high hills. ‘The country in the 
vale is generally in culture, producing 
abundantly various kinds of grain and 
fruits: its fertility beg mantained by the 
innundations of the river in winter, and by 
artificial waterings in summer. The po- 
pulation is however disadvantageously 
drawn together in large villages, instead 
of being distributed in hamlets over the 
country. As we draw near to Toledo, the 
southern hillsand the Tagus gradually ap- 
proach each other, until a mile from the 
town the road is hemmed in between them. 
At last the city is discovered proudly situ- 
ated on the summit of a large round rocky 
hill, presenting by its numerous churches 
and towers an object particularly striking 
im the exterior, but to which the interior 
bears a very distant resemblance. 
The site of Toledo is singular, and in 
the ancient state of warfare was almost 
impregnable. It has been observed that 
the Tagus by slow degrees approaches the 
hills forming its southern boundary: but 
instead of being repelied into an opposite 
Girection by these hills, it makes its way’ 
into their solid mass of granite, and de- 
Scribing a semicircular sweep cuts off a 
large block of rock, separated from the 
great mass byadeep, rugged, narrow, and 
impassable chasm, through which the ri- 
ver forces its course. Qi the summit of 
this detached rock stands the present town, 
now nearly circumscribed within its most 
ancient limits. This vast rock is connect- 
éd on the northern side to a low isthmus, 
stretching all the way across the vale of 
the Tagus to the opposite hills. Thesum- 
mit is very uneven, of an elliptic form, 
and where highest is about 400 feet above 
Montrurx Mae. No, 182. 
Account of recent Travels in Spain. ' 199 
the bed of the river. The streets, from 
the nature of the site, and the genius of 
builders in former times, are narrow,crook- 
ed and irregularly built ; but many houses 
constructed in the good days of Spain, th 
the times.of Charles the Fifth, Philip the 
Second, &c are large and handsome stone 
structures, enclosing courts surrounded 
with arcades in the manner of the Ex- 
change of London; and both external and 
internal fronts ornamented with Grecian 
architecture. Many other edifices how- 
-ever give evident marks of their having 
either been erected whilst the Moors were 
“masters of the town, or by architects 
whose ideas had been formed on the mo- 
dels left: by that extraordmary people. 
The most elevated position within the 
town is occupied by the castle or Al-cazar, 
the Arabic term generally used over 
Spain for such places of strength. This 
castle, of great antiquity in its origin, was 
much augmented by Alonzo, or, as we call 
him, AlphonzovheTenth, in the end of the 
thirteenth century: but the building now 
in existence was in the greater part coti- 
structed underCharles the Fifth. It con- 
sists chiefly of one noble quadrangle of 
great height supported within by two of- 
ders of arcades, the corinthian and the 
composite. ‘This magnificent edifice suf- 
fered much from a fire about a hundred 
yearsago, during what is called the war of 
the Succession, and it lay neglected until 
the late king Charles the Third granted it 
for the purpose of being converted into & 
house of industry, for the edacation and 
maintenance of the idie youths of both 
sexes, froma the environs. Tt was accord- 
ingly duly fitted up within, the exterior 
appearance being still preserved ; and the 
expence is:chiefly defrayed from funds 
appropriated by the late Cardinal- Arche 
bishop, in particular from the income of a 
spacious ln in the town, erected out of 
his revenue, ; 
“The Cathedral is a vast structure of the 
Gothic of the thirteenth century, with a 
lofty tower in the centre; the whole re- 
markable for the boldness as well as the 
delicacy of the workmanship. The inside 
has at various periods heen fitted up with 
great magnificence; but not Always in a 
style corresponding either to that of the 
édifice itselfor to the Greciaw and Rotian 
orders mtended to have been imitated. 
Tt contains many capital paintings, and 
the treasures of the sacristy are immense : 
the hbrary is copious, possessing miany 
precious manuscripts. At the west end 
of the church stands the archiepiscopal 
palace a large and compnodious structure ; 
5 adjoining 
