as it is, it is not much overdrawn. All we have to say is, that if it contribute in the smallest degree to produce an amelioration of morals, by pointing out to humanity scenes of the most dreadful cruelty, the author must feel himself amply rewarded; and entitled to the praise of all good men.

A Visit to Spain, detailing the transactions which occurred during_a residence in that Country, in the latter part of 1822, and the first four months of 1823. By Michael Quin, Barrister at Law, &c. London, 1823. 8vo. pp. 359.

CONSIDERING the proximity of Spain to England, and the easy communication between the two countries, and considering also, that the peninsula must, in every point of view, be an object of primary importance, we cannot help feeling some surprize at our ignorance of that country. How few English literary travellers have made Spain the object of their historical and scientific researches. Townsend was a classical and intelligent traveller, but since his work was published, Spain has undergone such numerous changes, that his volume has become rather one of historical curiosity, than of present information. We have had several amusing volumes of light narraratives of the events which have taken place in that country since the year 1807, when it became the scene of military and naval exploits; but invaluable as works describing the Peninsula more minute. ly would be, we are yet totally destitute of them. No person of science, of political sagacity, or of statistical information, appears as yet to have made Spain the object of his personal inquiries, although that country, more than any other in Europe, would seem to invite travellers of such a description.

Mr. Quin left London in October, 1822, and proceeded to Madrid, viâ Calais, Paris, Bordeaux, Bayonne, Tolosa, and Vittoria; and from Madrid, he pursued his journey to Cadiz, through Toledo, Aranjuez, Ocana, La Carolina, Andujar, and -Seville. In this route, he had, necessarily, opportunities of ascertain

ing the state of public sentiment, and of witnessing the condition of the country.

The travelling in Spain is extremely bad; all but the military roads are in a state almost impassable, and infested with robbers and mendicants. The inns are of the most wretched description, destitute of provisions, frequently without even a supply for travellers of coffee or eggs; either without furniture, or with beds of the worst description, and full of filth and vermine. At the principal inn, only eight leagues from Madrid, they found but two beds, one rusty knife, and a few wooden forks and spoons. In his journey, he witnesses no "neat cottages or well tilled gardens" on the road side, and no country houses even in the neighbourhood of the largest cities, the capital included. Such are the wretched effects of despotism and superstition. The condition to which the old government had reduced this fine country, is almost incredible. The people are without morals, without industry, and in the grossest state of ig norance. The trade of Cadiz and Seville was in decay, and even the Royal Cloth Manufactory, which used to employ upwards of 3,000 workmen, latterly employed scarcely one thousand. So grossly ignorant are the Spaniards of all machinery, that in this great manufactory to this day, all the yarn is spun by hand; the common spinning-jenny, or any other spinning machine being unknown amongst them.

So destitute are they of all manufacturing industry and intelligence, that even the most humble ribbon is supplied from France.

The opinions of all Spain, except the grandees and clergy, were decidedly in favour of the Constitution:

but the subsequent apathy which the people displayed at the triumph of the enemy and of the constitutional faction, is easily accounted for by the influence which the priesthood exercised over the public mind, and by the circumstances of the country requiring a greater sacrifice in support of liberty than the lower orders of any country are ever found willing to submit to.

量

Our author describes the hall of the Cortes at Madrid as rich and well

decorated; and it appears to have been far handsomer than either of our houses of legislature. The public are admitted to hear the debates with much greater liberality than in our gallery of the House of Commons. Reports of speeches are openly allowed by the Spaniards instead of being done by stealth, as with us; and, finally, the Spanish Cortes avoid that absurdity of the British Parliament of turning the public out of the house during the division of a question. The Spanish deputies speak from their individual places, and not from any rostrum like the French.

We have a long history of the Laudaburian Society; a society which took its name from an officer of the King's guard, who conscienciously resisted the insurrection of these men against the constitution, and was murdered by the soldiery. The refectory of the suppressed convent of St. Thomas was assigned to its use; but the debates became rather too inflammatory, and the society was deprived of the protection of Government. In these debates the party called the Exaltados, or what we should call the extreme radicals, shewed much talent and real eloquence, but often accompanied with great violence.

The climate of Madrid, it appears, is far from salubrious, and the keen north winds carry off a number of the inhabitants by inflammation of the lungs. Our author describes Madrid, with its elegant Prado, and its one superb street, the Alcald; with the stately dulness of the inhabitants, and their dislike to English society.

We have a chapter descriptive of the Escurial and of its present condition, and a sort of travelling description of the country between Madrid and Seville, and of the city of Seville itself. The population of Seville, according to a late census, is 90,415 persons whilst that of the capital is only 140,000. The houses in Seville are only two stories high, and constructed round a quadrangular area, paved with polished tile, cool ed by fountains, decorated with vases, or planted with trees; and the retreat into these beautiful areas from the close, narrow and burning streets is described by all travellers

to be delightful. The obvious mode of building streets in hot climates is to make them extremely wide, to shade them either with trees, or with colonades, and to shade the houses with virandas; but these are luxuries which the Spaniards have not yet arrived at, and their system is to render streets shady by making them extremely narrow. In thus excluding the sun, they likewise exclude the breeze, and in consequence their large towns like Seville, are infected with fever during the heat of summer. The Cathedral of Seville is of Moorish architecture, and the most superb in Europe. The theatre is tolerably good, and the coffee houses on the plan of those at Paris.

As our limits will not suffer us to make such extracts as we could wish from this interesting work, we shall confine ourselves to one from Mr. Quin's description of the Spanish theatres and bull fights.

Although the theatrical amusements of Madrid are yet behind those of Paris and London, so far as good acting and changes of fine scenery are concerned, still they are not altogether unworthy of notice. The opera particularly, is at least as good as we had some years ago in London. It is conducted at the principal theatre (El Teatro del Príncipe) by an Italian company, which, though not numerous, possesses one or two enengaging singers. The theatre is about the size of the Lyceum, in the Strand, and is well calculated for the equal distribution of sound. The boxes have a dull appearance, as they are all painted a dead French grey, without gilding or decoration of any sort, except that one or two have velvet cushions, fringed with gold, which belong to noblemen. The King's box, which is in the second circle opposite the stage, is, I am told, handsomely ornamented; but when his Majesty is not present (and it is very seldom lately that he attends the theatre), his box is covered over with a curtain of faded crimson tapestry, which only increases the dull aspect of the house. The boxes in the first circle are mostly private property, being rented by annual subscriptions; a considerable space in the first cirale immedi

ately under the royal box is formed into a kind of tribune, which is allotted to females exclusively. On the other hand, the pit is reserved as exclusively for the men; and, indeed, nothing can be more desirable for an amateur of music than one of the seats in this part of the theatre. They are separated from each other by rails, which support the arm, and each affords ample accommodation for one person. They are all numbered, and the visitor occupies the number which he finds written on his card of admission. Thus, in the first place, the inconvenience of a crowd is avoided, for no tickets can be issued beyond the number which the seats amount to. In the next place, by a timely application in the morning, one may purchase whatever seat he pleases; and if, during the performance, he wishes to go out and return, his place is still reserved. The convenience of such an arrangement is so obvious, that the London managers would do well to adopt it.

"The theatres, however, do not excite the public attention here so much as they do in Paris and London. In Madrid, as in the other principal towns of Spain, the amusement to which the people are most fervently actached is that of the bull-fights. In summer these exhibitions are carried to their highest degree of excellence in winter they are limited to six or seven bulls of inferior breed; which, however, sometimes afford what is considered good entertainment. They are presented every Sunday (except during the Lent), the weather permitting, in a large amphitheatre, specially constructed for these exhibitions.

"The amphitheatre of Madrid is a short distance beyond the walls, about one hundred yards from the gate of Alcala. It is capable of accommodating from six to eight thousand spectators. Let the reader imagine, in the first place, an extensive circular arena, which is bounded by a high and strong wooden partition that runs all round, and has in it four gates at the four points of the compass. One of these gates is used for the entry of the director of the games and the performers engaged in them; another for the entry of the bulls; the third for the egress of those bulls which are not killed;

and the last affords a passage to the horses which drag out the bulls that are slain. The lower gallery for spectators is at a distance of five or six feet from the wooden boundary of the arena; this unoccupied space runs all round, in order that if the bulls overleap the boundary, as they sometimes do, they might be prevented from injuring the spectators, and be driven back to the arena, the nearest gate being opened. The lower gallery, as well as the arena, is exposed to the open air. The second gallery, which is above the first, is protected from the sun and rain by a tier of boxes, and the latter are roofed with tiles. Fifty reals are paid for the use of a whole box, four for a seat in the second gallery, and two for a place in the lower one.

"My prejudices against bull-fights were strong, but happening one Sunday to see crowds of men, women, and children hastening to the amphitheatre, I could not avoid following in their train. Shortly after three o'clock, crowds began to pour in rapidly. The women and young girls were all in their hair, but covered, the better sort with black lace veils, and those of the less affluent classes, with a black silk veil bordered with lace. The greater number of them had also their fans, which the Spanish women use not only to cool their faces in warm weather, but to guard their eyes from the sun, as their head-dress is ill calculated for this purpose. It was not uninteresting to a stranger to hear the members of different parties recognizing each other by such names as Barbara, Maragita, Herminia, Olimpia, Nicanora, Nicolassa, Fernandina, Innocentio, Patricio, Francisco, Pedro, and others of similar termination.

"The director, dressed in the ancient Spanish style, with a short black mantle, a hat turned up at the sides, and on the left side a plume of red and white feathers, rode into the arena upon a handsome charger. After receiving the keys of the den from the Alcalde, who presided, and who sat in a box on the right of the king's box, he gave directions for the entertainment to commence. Two horses immediately appeared in the arena, each laden with two clownish riders, who were seated on a pad back to back. The hinder

most rider kept his place by holding in his hand a cord attached to the pad. In his right hand he bore a long wooden staff, pointed with iron. A bull was then let into the arena the tips of whose horns were made harmless by being covered with lead As soon as he saw the horses, he proceeded directly against one of them, and the combatants, who were apparently new to the office, offer ing no effectual resistance with their spears, he easily overthrew both horse and riders. He then attacked the other, and this contest was continued for some time with alternate success, the bull, however, being most frequently the conqueror, to the great amusement of the spec

tators..

"Upon a flourish of trumpets being given, this bull retired, and two fresh horsemen, on separate horses, entered. They were handsomely dressed, in white and red silk jackets, decorated with gold lace; their hats were white, with a wide leaf, and a low round crown. These also carried each a long wooden staff or spear, with an iron spike in the end of it, A bull was then admitted, whose horns were in their natural condition. Nothing can be finer than the entry of a fierce proud bull into the arena. He rushes in; astonished by the crowd of spectators: he stops a while, looks around him, but when his eye lights on the horsemen in the arena, he paws the ground with the majesty of a lion, and summons up all his fury for the contest. This engagement being attended with danger, both to the horse and rider, it excited strong interest. One of the combatants, or as they are call ed in Spanish, picadores (pikemen), was thrown to the ground, but happening to be near the boundary of the arena, some of the spectators came to his assistance, and delivered him from the rage of the ferocious animal. The attention of the bull was, in the meantime, diverted by the banderilleros. These are pedestrian performers, who carry in one hand a flag (banderilla) of yet low or red silk, with which they approach the bull. As soon as he sees the gaudy colour, he rushes towards it, and the flag bearer runs with all his speed to escape over the boundary, trailing the flag behind

him. If he be in danger of being overtaken, he lets the flag fall on the ground: the bull immediately stops and vents all his rage upon it, as if under the impression that it conceals his adversary, while the fugitive has time to get away in safety.

"The bull being now pretty well fatigued, the banderilleros, who were also handsomely though very lightly dressed, armed themselves with two strong steel darts each. They were short, fitted for the hand, and decorated with pieces of cut paper, so as to disguise them. It was the object of each performer to run towards the bull with agility, and just as the animal was in the act of stooping the head to toss him, to fix the two darts in the back of the neck. As soon as the bull felt the points of the weapons, he lifted his head again from pain, without attempting to touch his adversary, who thus had time to escape. The animal immediately endeavoured by tossing his head to get rid of the darts; but this he was not often able to accomplish, as they were strongly bearded, and sometimes he was seen raging round the arena, his neck bristled with these torturing instruments. At length, when he was almost exhausted, a matador (slayer) approached him, holding in his left hand a large red flag, with which he engaged the bull's attention for a while, until, finding him in a convenient position, he thrust beneath the shoulders and up to the very hilt a long sword, which he held in his right hand, and which he had hitherto concealed from the eye of the animal as much as possible. The bull now fell, but was not yet quite dead, when an attendant came with a short knife, which he infixed at the junction of the spine with the head, and instantly put an end to his agonies. He was then dragged across the arena by three horses, and carried away. Two bulls were killed in this manner. The second was an immensely strong one: he leaped after the banderilleros twice over the boundary, bot from the arrangement already men tioned, he was driven back into the arena without doing any mischief.

"A third bull was killed in the following barbarous way. A green fir-tree was planted in the aréns, immediately opposite the gate at

which the bulls enter. Before this tree, a man covered with a kind of armour of stiff canvas, and having a false head of a monster with the mouth open superadded to his own stature, knelt on one knee. A thick wooden pole, pointed with a strong steel blade, was given to him, and fixing the lower end of it in the ground, he sloped the point so as to meet the bull on entering at the gate. The pole being so fixed, the gate was opened, and a wild bull immediately rushed in with such amazing force, that the spear pene trated completely through the ribs, and came out near the back. Still the animal was not mortally wound, ed. He attacked his adversary furiously, who pretending to be dead, permitted himself to be rolled about. The bull seeing the thing before him apparently shapeless and void of life, soon left it, and ran maddened over the arena, the spear still remaining in his side. It was a shocking spectacle; but still so strong was the animal, that the matador could not get near. enough, without manifest danger, to kill him, At length- by means of a curved knife, which was fixed on a long pole, one of the assistants cut the ham-strings. Even after this the victim made efforts to move; but at last he fell, and his agonies were terminated in the usual manner. The whole concluded with a display of fire-works which was upon a limited scale.There was about five or six thousand persons present." Our limits will not permit us to proceed farther in our notice of this interesting work; interesting at any time from the judgment which Mr. Quin has evinced in his selection of circumstances and traits of national character, but more particularly interesting at the present moment, from the important scenes of which Spain has been made the theatre.

We know there are some who suspect Mr. Quin, not only of entertaining, but of giving expression to political feelings, which incline to toryism and abitrary rule; but if we can offer an opinion derived from the impression made upon us by the perusal of his work, we must say, that we would be more inclined to suspect him of indulging in the

IT has been observed by moral and political writers of high autho rity, and the observation has been frequently reiterated, that the world has not yet seen a class of books adapted to the lower orders of society. Those who entertain, what we should call, the reprehensible opinion that the poor ought not to be educated, triumphantly ask, after the labouring classes are taught to read and write, what are the occa sions on which their writing can be useful, and where are the books that are at all adapted to an order of people who are instructed merely in the initiatory branches of education? For our parts, we should reply to such arguments, that the want of such a description of books is mere→ ly the effect of the ignorance in which the poor have been kept, that, with books as with all other things, demand naturally produces supply, and therefore as soon as education is diffused amongst the lower orders of society, there will be an abundance of works adapted to their capacities, and to the extent of their knowledge. Our Gallic neighbours have by no means been struck with this obvious reflection, for apprehensive of a want of books, adapted to the poor who are now receiving instruction in France, the government has employed a number of persons to write narrative and didactic works, of a description suited to the lower classes. In this country several individuals have lately published works of practical utility to the lower orders, such as will materially assist in the diffusion of sound morals and decent habits throughout the humbler