SECTION I.

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

I. Spain and Spaniards; National Characteristics.-II. Passports. III. Custom-house Officers; Prohibited Articles.—IV. Spanish Money.-V. Steam Communications.—VI. Travelling by Land; Roads; Posting Regulations and Charges; Post-office and Letters; Mail-coaches; Diligences; Muleteers; Riding Tours. VII. Inns. -VIII. Robbers.-IX. Geography of Spain; Provinces and Climate; what to observe; Tours in Spain; Tour for the Idler; the Grand Tour; Hints to Invalids; a Riding Tour; Mineral Baths.-X. Skeleton Tours: 1. Roman Antiquarian Tour; 2. Moorish Tour; 3. Geological and Mineralogical Tour; 4. Tour over the Cream of Spain; 5. A Summer Tour in the North of Spain; 6. A Central Tour round Madrid; 7. An Artistical Tour; 8. A Military and Naval Tour ; 9. Shooting and Fishing Tours; 10. Dilletante Tours: Spanish Sculpture, its varieties; Pasos; List of Sculptors; 11. Dilletante Tours: Painting; Spanish Painting and its Characteristics; Cautions to Purchasers; List of Painters ; 12. Spanish Architecture; its varieties and periods; List of Architects; 13. Ecclesiological Tour; Spanish Cathedrals; Disposition and Technical Terms.—XI. Religious Festivals Tour.-XII. Kings of Spain.-XIII. Table of Contemporary Sovereigns.-XIV. Royal Arms of Spain. - XV. The Era and New Style. XVI. Spanish Language and Phrases. -XVII. Relative Scales of Spanish and English Weights, Distances, and Measures.XVIII. Authorities quoted:-1. Historical and Artistical; 2. Religious; 3. Military; French, Spanish, and English; 4. Miscellaneous Books.-XIX. A Word to Book Collectors.-XX. Hints to Authors. -XXI. The Bull-fight. XXII. The Spanish Theatre: Dances, Music. - XXIII. Spanish Cigars. XXIV. Spanish Costume; Mantilla and Cloak.-XXV. General Hints and Advice on Conduct.

I. SPAIN AND SPANIARDS.

SINCE Spain appears, on the map, to be a square and most compact kingdom, politicians and geographers have treated it and its inhabitants as one and the same; practically, however, this is almost a geographical expression, as the earth, air, and mortals, of the different portions of this conventional whole, are altogether heterogeneous. Peninsular man has followed the nature by which he is surrounded; mountains and rivers have walled, and moated the dislocated land; mists and gleams have diversified the heaven; and differing like soil and sky, the people, in each of the once independent provinces now loosely bound together by one golden hoop, the Crown, has its own particular character. To hate his neighbour is a second nature to the Spaniard; no spick and span constitution, be it printed on parchment or

calico, can at once efface traditions and antipathies of a thousand years; the accidents of localities and provincial nationalities, out of which they have sprung, remain too deeply dyed to be forthwith discharged by theorists. The climate and productions vary no less than do language, costume, and manners; and so division and localism have, from time immemorial, formed a marked national feature. Spaniards may talk and boast of their country, of their Patria, as is done by the similarly circumstanced Italians, but like them and the Germans, they have the fallacy, but no real Fatherland; it is an aggregation rather than an amalgamation, every single individual in his heart really only loving his native province, and only considering as his fellow-countryman, su paisano a most binding and endearing word-one born in the same locality as himself: hence it is not easy to predicate much in regard to “the Spains” and Spaniards in general, which will hold quite good as to each particular portion ruled by the sovereign of Las Españas, the plural title given to the chief of the federal union of this really little united kingdom. Españolismo may, however, be said to consist in a love for a common faith and king, and in a coincidence of resistance to all foreign dictation. The deep sentiments of religion, loyalty, and independence, noble characteristics indeed, have been sapped in our times by the influence of transpyrenean revolutions.

In order to assist strangers in understanding the Peninsula and its people, some preliminary remarks are prefixed to each section or province, in which the leading characteristics of nature and man are pointed out. Two general observations may be premised. First. The People of Spain, the so-called Lower Orders, are superior to those who arrogate to themselves the title of being their Betters, and in most respects are more interesting. The masses, the least spoilt and the most national, stand like pillars amid ruins, and on them the edifice of Spain's greatness is-if ever-to be reconstructed. This may have arisen, in this land of anomalies, from the peculiar policy of government in church and state, where the possessors of religious and civil monopolies who dreaded knowledge as power, pressed heavily on the noble and rich, dwarfing down their bodies by intermarriages, and all but extinguishing their minds by Inquisitions; while the People, overlooked in the obscurity of poverty, were allowed to grow out to their full growth like wild weeds of a rich soil. They, in fact, have long enjoyed under despotisms of church and state, a practical and personal independence, the good results of which are evident in their stalwart frames and manly bearing.

Secondly. A distinction must ever be made between the Spaniard in his individual and in his collective capacity, and still more in an official one: taken by himself, he is true and valiant: the nicety of his Pundonor, or point of personal honour, is proverbial; to him as an individual, you may safely trust your life, fair fame, and purse. Yet history, treating of these individuals in the collective, juntados, presents the foulest examples of misbehaviour in the field, of Punic bad faith in the cabinet, of bankruptcy and repudiation on the exchange. This may be also much ascribed to the deteriorating influence of bad government, by which the individual Spaniard, like the monk in a Convent, becomes fused into the corporate. The atmosphere is too

infectious to avoid some corruption, and while the Spaniard feels that his character is only in safe keeping when in his own hands, and no man of any nation knows better then how to uphold it, when linked with others, his self-pride, impatient of any superior, lends itself readily to feelings of mistrust, until self-interest and preservation become uppermost. From suspecting that he will be sold and sacrificed by others, he ends by floating down the turbid stream like the rest: yet even official employment does not quite destroy all private good qualities, and the empleado may be appealed to as an individual.

II. PASSPORTS.

A Passport-that curse of continental travelling, and still essential in Spain-may be obtained at the Foreign-office, Downing-street, for 7s. 6d., by any British subject, backed with the recommendation of a banker. It had better be viséd by the Spanish Ambassador in London. As this Refrendacion is expressed in the Spanish language, the import of a foreign passport becomes intelligible in Spain, where, out of the large towns, few persons understand either English or French. The essence of a passport is the name and country of the bearer; all the rest is leather and prunella and red-tapeism.

Travellers who propose taking Portugal in their way to Spain, may obtain a passport from the Portuguese consul, at No. 5, Jeffreys-square, St. Mary Axe; the fee is five shillings. It must be viséd at Lisbon by the English and Spanish Ambassadors previously to entering Spain. Those who enter Spain from France must have their passports viséd at Paris by the Spanish Ambassador, and at Bayonne by the Spanish and English Consuls; the latter demanding a fee," according to Act of Parliament."

At the principal sea-ports of Spain, foreigners are constantly arriving in the steamers without passports, who, if they wish to travel into the interior, obtain one from the local authorities, which is never refused when applied for by the English Consul. This especially holds good with regard to those who visit the coast in their yachts, or in ships of war. Those English who go directly to Gibraltar require no passport; and when starting for Spain they can obtain one either from the English Governor or from the Spanish Governor of Algeciras: both of these require to be viséd by the Spanish Consul at Gibraltar, who demands a trifling fee.

Although in peaceful times, and since the decree on this subject of February 15, 1854, many rigid rules are relaxed, yet as they may be put in force, ultra-prudent travellers who intend travelling with fire-arms, (which on the whole had better be avoided, a pocket revolver perhaps excepted,) should have the circumstance mentioned on their passport by the Spanish official at starting, when it is first refrendado. And it is not amiss to have specified the particular objects of travel, such as botanising, geologizing, sketching, &c. In our and in all troublesome times a stranger making drawings or writing down notes in a book, "sacando planos," taking plans,' "mapeando el pais," "mapping the country,"-for such are the expressions for the simplest pencil sketch-was liable to become an object of suspicion in out-of-theway places, and was thought to be an engineer, a spy, and at all event

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about no good. This Oriental dislike to the impertinente curioso tribe dates from the French having, previously to Buonaparte's invasion, sent emissaries in the guise of travellers, to obtain such information as afterwards facilitated their obtaining possession of the citadels, treasures, and pictures of their deceived ally. Matters are, we are told, much mended; but let artists remember that Hogarth and Wilkie were arrested for even sketching Calais, and it is always best to be on the safe side.

All persons, moreover, had better avoid evincing particular curiosity in regard to military matters, fortresses, arsenals, barracks, &c.; and should refrain from sketching them, which, in the Draco laws of Spain, is of itself a serious offence; nor indeed are these objects deserving of notice, being mostly hors-de-combat, after the Oriental fashion, and, as the Duke said, "wanting in everything, and at the critical moment."

Our own system, which answered perfectly when Ferdinand VII. was king, and may again, was, not only to have the object of travelling and inquiries clearly explained on our passport, but on arrival at any town, to communicate intention of drawing, or anything else, to the proper authority, and obtain his sanction. We always travelled with a captaingeneral's passport, a most desirable document, as it is expressed in the Spanish language, which everybody understands, and which rouses no suspicions like one couched in a foreign tongue; it is the military document of the great military officer, under whose especial protection all foreigners are placed. Again, it is a sort of letter of recommendation to all other officers in command on the line of route, on whom the bearer should call the first thing, as when once a Spaniard's suspicions are disarmed, no person can be more courteous or attentive.

In whatever language his passport be couched, let every Englishman, like good old George III., glory everywhere in his British birthright, and proclaim it loudly and with thanks to God: Señor, gracias a Dios, soy Caballero Ingles. Again, as the thing cannot be avoided, the traveller should early form the habit, the very first thing on arrival, to ask the innkeeper what steps are necessary about passports and policewhich now in some sort represent the Inquisition-and forthwith see that he is quite en règle. The habit once established of complying with these forms practically gives little trouble, and will obviate a world of vexation, inconvenience, and loss of time. The necessary formalities are soon done; and usually great civility is shown by the authorities to those travellers who will wait upon them in person, which is not always required, and who do take off their hats-that outward visible sign of good breeding and good intentions on the continent, which is so frequently disregarded by our cool, curt, and catch-cold countrymen, to their infinite cost. The Spaniards, who are not to be driven with a rod of iron, may be led by a straw, and in no country is more to be obtained by the cheap outlay of courtesy in manner and speech; "cortesia de boca, mucho vale y poco cuesta." As a general rule, the utmost care should be taken of this odious passport, since the loss of it naturally subjects the stranger to every sort of suspicion. It should be carried about the person when travelling, as it is liable constantly to be called for: to prevent it from being worn out, it is advisable to have it laid down by Mr. Lee, 440, West Strand, on fine linen, bound into a small pocketbook, with blank leaves attached, on which signatures may be written.

III.-CUSTOM-HOUSES.

Akin to the nuisance of passports is that of the_Aduaneros, the custom-house officers, and of the receivers of the derechos de puerta, or dues levied at city-gates on comestibles de boca-articles of eating and drinking. From the number of the employed it would seem that every province and town in Spain was at war with or foreign to its neighbour. No prudent traveller will ever risk his ease and security by carrying any prohibited goods with him. The objects most searched for, are sealed letters and tobacco: if the lover of cigars has a considerable stock with him (a pound or so may pass), he is advised to declare it at once, pay the duty, and obtain a guia, or permit, which exempts him from further molestation. English fire-arms and gunpowder are altogether prohibited. Sportsmen, however, who enter Spain from Gibraltar, may manage to introduce their own guns and ammunition. As the Resguardos,—the custom-house officers and preventive service -have a right to examine baggage, it is of no use either to resist or lose thus time and temper; much more may be done by good humour, patience, civility, and a cigar: raise therefore no difficulties, but offer your keys, and profess the greatest readiness to have everything examined. Recent travellers report that bribing is now out of fashion in Spain, and that no money should be offered, as is enjoined but not practised on our railways. But in our time the grandest panacea was cash, the oriental Backshish, and those who preferred peace to pesetas, paid with both hands. The official ophthalmia created by an apposite sprinkle of gold-dust was marvellous in its rapidity and completeness, and the examination ended in being a mere farce. The empleados, used to be defined as gentlemen, who, under the pretence of searching portmanteaus, took money on the highway without incurring the disgrace of begging, or the danger of robbing. The bribe, if given, must be administered with some tact, as a "propina para echar un traguito," a something to drink your health with, &c. However, there is no great difficulty in the matter, for where there is a will on one side to give, there is a reciprocal desire on the other to receive, and the itching palm expands and contracts by instinct to the soothing and sovereign ointment. These things may be changed, but the traveller will soon see how the wind lies, and judge whether he should bribe or not.

IV.-SPANISH MONEY.

Our advice coincides with that of the roguish Ventero to Don Quixote and of honest Iago in Othello-" put money in thy purse," as it is the primum mobile in all cosas de España. "The first thing they (the Spaniards) invariably want," as the Duke said, "is money:" their paramount worship of the Virgin is secondary to the adoration of Mammon. With few exceptions, the currency consists of specie-copper, silver, and gold. Accounts are usually kept in reals, reales de vellon.

Copper Moneys-" Monedas de Cobre."-The lowest in denomination is the ancient maravedi, now an imaginary coin, on whose former value treatises have been written by Saez and others, and which still forms a numismatic bone of contention. At present 34 make a Spanish real.