Spain in 1830, vol. 1Inglis, Henry D. (Henry David)
History
Spain in 1830, vol. 1
Inglis, Henry D. (Henry David)
Spain -- Description and travel
In the appearance of the women, I noticed nothing very remarkable. The
Spanish national dress is scarcely seen so far north--the lower orders
wore their hair plaited, and descending behind, to the waist; and but
few of the ladies were to be seen with the Spanish mantilla. I am not
entitled to say a single word respecting the personal appearance of the
Spanish women, from a cursory glance at the streets of Vittoria; upon
this subject my expectations were highly excited,--but I reserve my
judgment upon so interesting a matter, until I have seen the Capital.
In returning to the hotel, that I might see the arrival of the Infant
from my window, I stopped for a moment in the bread market,--the display
was tempting and beautiful; loaves of all shapes and dimensions, and as
white as unkneaded flour, were piled along the street,--but I was
obliged to hasten towards my apartment by a flourish of trumpets,
announcing the approach of the Infante,--and in a few minutes more his
advanced guard entered the street. I can scarcely expect to be credited,
when I say that the Infant, Don Francis, the brother of the King of
Spain, arrived in a diligence,--yet such is the fact. He, his consort,
and his family, occupied one diligence, and his suite occupied
another,--the first drawn by seven mules,--the second, by six. The royal
party was received with respect by a considerable concourse of people,
and with the military honours usually paid to persons in so exalted a
station.
In the afternoon, I made a second tour of the town;--I walked into three
or four of the churches, but found no fair devotees before any of the
altars; only two or three poor old women were at their devotions. I was
particularly amused with a spectacle that presented itself in the
_Plaza_--a square, by the by, little inferior to the _Place Vendome_ in
Paris: between two and three hundred girls, from eight to thirteen or
fourteen years of age, were assembled in the middle of the area, dancing
with each other, to the music of a fife and a drum, played by a musician
whom they had hired to contribute his aid to their favourite pastime:
the dances were slow, and conducted with the utmost gravity; every one
seemed to consider herself engaged in an important affair, and among
the two or three hundred countenances, there was scarcely a smile to be
seen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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