sal size. They are much fresher in appearance than any thing we have ever seen from the pencil of that great master, for this simple reason, that they were painted for the places they now occupy, and a curtain is carefully drawn over them when the visitor has ceased admiring them. The one is the Pan y Paces, or the Loaves and Fishes; the other, which hangs immediately opposite, is Moses striking the Rock. Over the high altar hangs Pedro Roldan's great picture, the Descent from the Cross: part of the work is raised, and the shading is so exquisitely done it is very difficult to tell what is natural and what artificial. At the bottom of the chapel, under the organ, is a most wonderful picture, but disgusting subject. It represents an archbishop, being dead, in his tomb, dressed in all the pomp and magnificence of office: his flesh has commenced to decay; thousands of worms are crawling round the body, going into and coming out of the eyes, mouth, and nose; every thing is putrid. Murillo said he never could look on it without holding his nose. The sight made us gasp for fresh air. I. Valdes Leal was the artist.

The University of Seville contains some very fine pictures by Alonso Cano, Zurbaran, and others. Notice in the chapel the splendid monuments erected to the memory of the Ribera family by the Duke of Medina. The University now contains 600 students. In the rector's room observe a splendid St. Jerome by Pacheco.

One of the most interesting sights in Seville is the Casa de Pilatos, or Pilate's House. It was constructed by Don Fadrique de Rivera at the commencement of the 16th century. This nobleman, after having acted as Viceroy of Naples and embassador to Rome, made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and on his return erected this house as an exact fac-simile of the house of Pontius Pilate at Jerusalem. This really rich specimen of Saracen architecture now belongs to the Duke de Alcala, who has lately had the entire building restored. The grand patio is very beautiful, finely paved with variegated marble. In the centre is a beautiful alabaster fountain, supported on four dolphins, and surmounted by a bust of Janus, while the surrounding columns, twenty-eight in number, form twenty-four beautiful arches. In the four corners are the statues of Ceres,

Cao Pasirisca, Pallas Pacifor, and Pallas. The principal apartments, which are in the original Moorish style, are the ivory room, Pilate's room, and the Hall of Flagellation. On the stairway, as you ascend to the second floor, notice the cock, supposed to occupy the same position as the one of old which crew when Peter betrayed his Master. What cocks were doing, going round loose in such elegant houses, it is difficult to understand.

The

In the very handsome garden notice the ancient marbles set around on pedestals. Most of them were presents to the pilgrim marquis from Pius V. of Rome. La Casa de los Taveras, in the street of the same name, was formerly occupied by the tribunal of the Inquisition-that is, between 1626 and 1639. It is owned to-day by the Marquis del Moscosco. It has also another interest in the eyes of the Sevillian, viz., the house in which lived the famous "Star of Seville," the heroine in De Vega's comedy of Sancho Ortiz de las Roelas. king Don Sancho the Brave and Sancho Ortiz were both enamored of Estrella, the Star of Seville, the most beautiful woman of her day. The king was the more fortunate of the two lovers, and was often conducted to her chamber in the dead of night by a black slave, whom Don Bustos Tavera, brother of the lady, killed to avenge his wounded honor. The door is shown through which the king used to enter, and where the slave was killed. A most sin. gular manner of avenging one's honor! He had better have killed the horse on which the king rode. The patio, or court, is very magnificent, as are those of nearly all the fine houses in Seville. In the centre is a beautiful white marble fountain, the sculpturing of which is very elegant. The family portraits are also finely executed.

No. 15 (near to the Cathedral), in Plaza St. Tomas, is said to be the shop of the immortal Figaro, the Barber of Seville. The house of Murillo is still shown; the street bears his name.

The places of amusement of Seville are the Théâtre de San Fernando and de Principal, and the Plaza de Toros, or bull-ring. The Escuelas de Bailes, or ballroom, is open certain days in the week, and generally attracts large crowds of the curious. Here you see the originality and boldness of the Spanish dance in all its perfection.

The Casino, or club of Seville, is one of the finest in Europe. It is quite new, magnificently furnished, situated in the Plaza del Duque, the former residence of the great dukes of Medina Sidonia. The bankers of Seville are very kind in presenting travelers with cards of admission, good for one month. The billiard-tables are very numerous and very fine.

The favorite promenade of the Sevillians is the Delicias de Cristina, situated along the banks of the River Guadalquiver. It occupies the space between the Golden Tour and the palace of San Telmo, and is divided into charming walks and rides, with horticultural and botanical gardens. In the centre is a raised saloon, around which are stone seats. The entire walk is planted with acacia, cypress, and other trees; and here the beauty and fashion of Seville do their courting, flirting, and stargazing, while every breath is fragrant with rose-buds and orange-flowers.

On the right bank of the river is a large suburb, called Triana. It derives its name from the fact that the Emperor Trajan was born here. It is inhabited by the dregs of the populace. One of its principal streets is named Castilla, in which nearly all the soap-makers lived; hence the name Castile soap. The suburb is connected with Seville by a splendid iron bridge, built on stone piers. About five miles northwest of Triana stands the village of Santo Ponce, which once formed a part of Italica, and was the birthplace of Silius Italicus. Numerous ruined walls and edifices are to be seen on every side, as well as the vestiges of an amphitheatre. Here are the timeworn, broken benches whence was viewed the struggle of the gladiator and the lion. Now the arena is filled with fennel and brushwood, and, instead of the yelling of the leopard, you hear the hissing of the reptile.

In Byron's opinion, before the ladies of Seville came the oranges, and, like the ladies, there are two kinds, bitter and sweet. The trees begin to bear in their sixth year. Up to twenty years they improve. After that age they degenerate. The trees blossom in February and March, during which time the air is most highly perfumed with their odor. Finely-flavored orange-flower water and sweetmeats are made from these blossoms and sold at the confectioners'.

The oranges are generally picked in October and November, at the moment they turn yellow. But the natives rarely eat them before March, and never after sunset!

The old-fashioned style of calling the time during the night is still kept up every quarter or half hour.

"All hail, Mary, mother of Jesus! Half past 12 o'clock and a cloudy morning!" is the usual cry.

From Seville to Cadiz, via Jerez, distance 94 miles; time, 4 hours; fare, 1st class, 60 reals.

Two thirds of the distance from Seville you arrive at Jerez. Jerez, or Xerez, the Sherish Filistin of the Moors, where you must stop, else never forgive yourself. A horse railroad car, a novelty in Spain, takes you from the station to the town. The ho tel accommodation is poor. The population amounts to nearly 40,000; and the town has the same connection with Sherry wine that Bordeaux has with Claret, or Rheims with Champagne; in fact, a closer one, as it is not only the place where the wine is produced, where its owners and merchants reside, but even the name is derived from the town, the English having first changed Xeres into Sherris, and finally into Sherry. The vineyards, which lie between the rivers Guadalquiver and Guadalette, form a triangle, and inclose a space measuring about 12 miles on each side, comprising 80,000 acres. Upward of 400,000 pipes are made of all kinds, including those which are exported, and such as are consumed in the district.

The wines of Jerez have been much im

The

proved of late years. The vineyards are principally on slopes or declivities. The grapes are left to hang until they begin to shrivel in the sun. The fruit is white, and is often exposed to the sun on mats for a day or two after it is gathered. grapes are turned and sorted carefully for the better wines. The vines, which are planted five feet apart, are carefully dug round immediately after the vintage, and little hollows are left round the roots to retain the moisture. In January, or soon after, they turn up the mould, and carefully weed the ground. The pruning takes place in March; and the earth is afterward raked over, when the vines are propped with canes until the vintage. The labor

of the vineyard is continued even to hunting out the insects on the vines. There is seldom or never a failure in the wine-crop, owing to the benignity of the climate. The high price of good Sherry is not wonderful when the care in the growth and the home duties are taken into account: a bottle of very superior Sherry brings 85 cents on the spot, though the common ordinary wine of the country is worth but 12 cents. The grapes are submitted to the usual mode of pressure, being sprinkled with gypsum to saturate the malic acid in the fruit. The must is left to ferment in the cask, with all the scum retained which the fermentation raises. They do not suffer it to work over, but leave it to itself. The March after the vintage it is racked. The elements of the wine must be good when so little care is necessary in the process. The time the wines are thus left is ten or twelve weeks. Casks are left exposed in all temperatures, and sometimes in the open air, without mischief. Any kind of shelter is considered sufficient; and a good cellar, as it is held in the north, is considered of no moment.

The places in which the wine is left to ferment are strongly constructed of wood, above-ground, and the casks are placed in tiers, with the bungs slightly closed, so as to keep out all extraneous matters, but at the same time to allow full breathing to the wine. In fact, the ropiness of the wine, an accident of very frequent occurrence elsewhere, owing to the slovenly mode of treating it after fermentation, seldom occurs here. The process causes matter for surprise in some cases how so excellent a product is obtained.

the liquid be not singed or burned. This process is conducted over a gentle fire in . a large copper boiler, and when it is quite thick the fire is gradually withdrawn from it, so that the liquor may cool without being too sensibly affected. This is the arrope, which, afterward mixed in a greater or less quantity with the pale wines, makes the brown Sherry of different shades, which is so much esteemed. The wine is not at all deteriorated by this treatment, or by the mixture of wines of the same quality. The pale Sherries, then, are the pure wine, containing nothing but the admixture of a couple of bottles of brandy to the butt, and this is wholly unnecessary.

Good Sherry wine is very scarce, and it is only the growth of certain vineyards, which do not produce more than 40,000 butts a year. At this moment, to procure good wine, it is necessary to pay $300 per butt, and even as high as $1500 has been given; but it is rarely that wine reaches to this value, but when it does so it is of the most exquisite quality, and of extraordinary age. Sherry wines have one great advantage, which is, so long as their origin is of the first order, the older they get the better they are; but it is an error to keep low-priced wines in the expectation of their becoming good after a time; very generally the reverse is the case, and they turn out fit for nothing. The wine business of Jerez is one in which good faith must be observed; it is therefore necessary to place one's interests into respectable and intelligent hands in order to avoid the chance of being deceived or tricked. There are many large and good houses in Jerez; but those in the present day who do the most business are Messrs. Gonzalez, Dubosc & Co., Pemartin & Co., and Manuel Misa. Messrs. Pemartin's agents in the United States are. Maletta & Co., one of the most respectable houses in New York. These houses export from 2000 to 5000 butts, and have a stock of from 8000 to 14,000 butts on hand.

Messrs. Gonzalez, Dubosc & Co. are large proprietors and owners of vineyards. They have lately purchased one of the oldest stocks existing, belonging formerly to one of the houses first established in Jerez -Romano. They have also bought the

school."

In one of Messrs. Gonzalez' cellars are twelve large casks, called the "Twelve Apostles," each of which holds 1600 gallons. The queen, Isabel of Spain, did this house the honor last year, during her southern tour, to visit their cellars, and in commemoration of the event they have erected an immense cask, called "Isabel II.," which stands in the midst of the "Twelve Apostles," filled with 960 arrobes, or 32 butts (3684 gallons!), of their choicest wine.

These gentlemen are very particular in their attentions to travelers, showing them through their cellars, and explaining the process of making the Sherry. When you get through it is generally difficult to distinguish a picture-gallery from a winecellar! Fortunately, there are no galleries in Jerez.

The houses of Jerez are generally wellbuilt, and much good taste is displayed in their ornaments. Notice the old Alcazar, with its two picturesque towers, the Casas Municipales, and the Collegiate Church.

One half hour from Jerez we arrive at Puerto de Santa Maria, or Port of St. Mary; it contains 20,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the right bank of the Guadalette; is one of the three great wine-exporting towns, but contains little that the traveler desires to see.

Cadiz, believed to be the oldest city in Europe, having been founded by the Phonicians 1100 years before Christ, contains 75,000 inhabitants. Hotel Fonda de Paris, admirably managed by the Fallola Brothers, who keep the De Paris at Madrid, the Paris at Seville, and Suiza at Cordova.

There are few "sights" to be seen in Cadiz with the exception of its ladies; and who, while strolling along the Alameda, will not remember the poet? "Oh, never talk again to me

Of northern climes and British ladies;
It has not been your lot to see,

Like me, the lovely girl of Cadiz.
Although her eye be not of blue,
Nor fair her locks, like English lasses,
How far its own expressive hue

The languid azure eye surpasses!
"Prometheus-like, from heaven she stole

The fire that through those silken lashes In darkest glances seems to roll,

From eyes that can not hide their flashes; And as along her bosom steal

In lengthened flow her raven tresses,
You'd swear each clustering lock could feel,
And curled to give her neck caresses.
"Our English maids are long to woo,

And frigid even in possession;
And if their charms be fair to view,
Their lips are slow at Love's confession.
But born beneath a brighter sun,

For love ordained the Spanish maid is,
And who, when fondly, fairly won,

Enchants you like the Girl of Cadiz? "The Spanish maid is no coquette,

Nor joys to see a lover tremble; And if she love, or if she hate,

Alike she knows not to dissemble. Her heart can ne'er be bought or soldHowe'er it beats, it beats sincerely; And, though it will not bend to gold, 'Twill love you long and love you dearly. "The Spanish girl that meets your love

66

Ne'er taunts you with a mock denial;
For every thought is bent to prove
Her passion in the hour of trial.
When thronging foemen menace Spain,

She dares the deed and shares the danger;
And should her lover press the plain,
She hurls the spear, her love's avenger.

And when, beneath the evening star,
She mingles in the gay Bolero,
Or sings to her attuned guitar

Of Christian knight or Moorish hero;
Or counts her beads with fairy hand

Beneath the twinkling rays of Hesper, Or joins devotion's choral band

To chant the sweet and hallow'd vesper; "In each her charms the hearts must move Of all who venture to behold her; Then let not maids less fair reprove Because her bosom is not colder: Through many a clime 'tis mine to roam Where many a soft and melting maid is, But none abroad, and few at home,