416 SWABEY DIARY. 
of its inhabitants, for it was likewise the residence of Charles V., but. 
now for the second time a ruin. It was first burnt in the war of 
Succession by some of Lord Peterborough’s Spanish friends, and 
secondly so completely destroyed by the French, that nothing but the 
front remains, which, though grand, is certainly no specimen of the 
taste that is so conspicuous in the churches of this city. 
The things that most attracted my attention were two statues with 
descriptive inscriptions in Spanish, one to a Moorish chief who in 1215, 
renounced the Moors in the first grand council of Toledo and embraced 
christianity ; the second to San Ildefonso, who is said to have cut a 
fragment from the garments of Santa Leocadia! when she rose from 
the grave to assist and encourage the exertions made by the Spaniards 
for their liberty. Strange as it may appear the few here who have 
any knowledge of antiquity, actually give credit to the tradition, and 
there is a chapel dedicated to the Santa, raised over the spot where the 
circumstance took place. The true history is that San Ildefonso 
greatly distinguished himself against the Moors and certainly dug up 
and built a chapel over the remains of Santa Leocadia, a Moorish 
princess, whose charities to the Christian captives were well known. 
This I was told by a priest, one of those now daily increasing in 
number whose minds seem to reject all the ridiculous bigotry of 
Roman Catholic imposition, without any deviation from the tenets of 
their faith. ‘These will become more numerous now that the new 
constitution,” ratified and published, has abolished that diabolical 
Synod, the Inquisition, and given an opening for instruction and 
liberty of opinion. Its plan is entirely English with a few deviations 
as to form, aud the duration of the Cortes, and the method of election 
is I think less liable to corruption. On the whole it is a limited mon- 
archy, and is embraced by all with enthusiastic hope, a national 
failing too well understood and too often the preventative of exertion. 
The feature of the new law, that which prescribes a system of general 
education, is novel, at least, unpractised since the Roman and Grecian 
schools. 
We now pass to the Cathedral, in endowments and in ornaments 
certainly richer than any other in the world. ‘To draw a comparison 
between it and Westminster Abbey would be misplaced so different 
are they one from the other. The one at Toledo wants the silent and 
solitary gloom that bespeaks the mansion of the illustrious dead, in 
the same proportion that the abbey wants the rich and curious orna- 
ments, the beautiful sculpture and painting that render this the first 
Cathedral in the world. On entering, it is not so silent and impressive 
! These two saints are the tutelars of Toledo. Santa Leocadia was cast down from the rocks 
above the city, on the site of her fall a chapel was raised where councils were held. She is said on 
one of these occasions to have appeared to the President, San Ildefonso Primate of Toledo (where 
he died in 617), and told him ‘her mistress lived through him.’ San Ildefonso was buried at the 
feet of Santa Leocadia, his body was carried off at the Moorish invasion, but miraculously discoy- 
ered in, or about 1720.—Murray’s Guide to Spain. 
2 The constitution promulgated by the Cortes in 1812, was very democratic. It was abrogated by 
Ferdinand VII. on his return to Spain in 1814, and he then adopted a very reactionary policy. 
The Monastic orders, the Inquisition, and the rack were restored, and any public impression of 
liberal opinion vigorously repressed. This resulted in a revolution in 1820, when he was forced to 
restore the constitution of 1812, This was again overthrown in 1823 through French influence.— 
Chambers’ Encyclopeedia. ; 
