File:Impressions of Spain in 1866 (1867) (14743239426).jpg

Identifier: impressionsofspa00herbuoft (find matches)
Title: Impressions of Spain in 1866
Year: 1867 (1860s)
Authors: Herbert of Lea, Mary Elizabeth Herbert, Baroness, 1822-1911
Subjects: Spain -- Description and travel
Publisher: London, Bentley
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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sual foun-tain and orange-trees ; while a double cloisterruns round the quadrangle, and generally a pic-turesque side staircase, with a beautifully carvedbalustrade, leading up to the cloisters above, withtheir delicate tracery and varied arches. Thebeauty of the towers and campanile is also verystriking. They are generally thoroughly Romanin their character, being built of that narrowbrick (or rather tile) so common for the purposein Italy, but with the horse-shoe arch : that ofS. Romano is the most perfect. There is alsoa lovely little mosque, with a wxll in the court-yard near the entrance, which has now been con-verted into a church under the title of Sta. Cruzde la Luz, with a wonderful intersection of horse-shoe arches, like a miniature of the cathedi^alat Cordova. Toledo certainly does not lackchurches or convents; but those who served andprayed in them, where are they? The terriblewant of instruction for the peoj)le, caused by theclosing of all the male religious houses, which
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T^iVJ^ CInirch of La Criiz, Toledo. TOLEDO. 203 were the centre of all missionary work, is felttliroiighout Spain; but nowhere more than in thisgrand old town, which is absolutely dead. Thechildren are neglected, the poor without a friend,the widow and orphan are desolate, and all seekin vain for a helper or a guide. On the opposite side of the Tagus, and not farfrom the railway station, are the ruins of a curiousold chateau, to which a legend is attached, so cha-racteristic of the tone of thought of the peoplethat it is given verbatim here.* The owner hadbeen a bad and tyrannical man, hard and unjustto his people, selfish in his vices as in his plea-sures ; the only redeeming point about him washis great love for his wife, a pious, gentle, lovingwoman, who spent her days and nights in deplor-ing the orgies of her husband, and praying forGods mercy on his crimes. One winters night,in the midst of a terrible tempest, a knockingwas heard at the castle door, and presently a ser-vant came

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