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VIEW OF THE STAGE.

neighbours in the next box thought we laughed at the wit and humour of the author. It was a scene that beggars all poffible description, and I defy any theatre in EUROPE, but that of MADRID, to produce fuch another. SHUTER's favourite Beggars Bush, with all its low ribaldry, is by no means a match for it. But to return once more to the play: When this interlude was finished, there fucceeded fome other fcenes, between the king, queen, enchantress, and the rest of the actors; fuch as five or fix of them drawing their fwords upon the enchantress all at once, who parries them with her wand, and retires into her cell unhurt. They are surprised to find that their fwords made no impreffion, and fo put them up into their scabbards for a better occafion, crying, Muy grande maravilla! that is, "It is a very great wonder!" At other times the enchantress kills with one look, and makes alive with a fecond. Once the came in, fell down upon the stage, broke her nofe, got up again, went out, and returned with a black patch. Then we had another interlude, in which some husbands pursued their wives in great anger, and with clubs fomething like Goliah's ftaff, or a weaver's beam, in order to beat their brains out; but, by the friendly interpofition of fome kind neighbours, they were prevented from that rude species of divorce. In revenge for this infult, the wives in the interlude that followed at the end of the next act, dreffed themfelves up like amazons, with arms and armour, and pursued their husbands, who in their turn now fubmitted to the conquerors. I remember nothing very remarkable that paffed after this, excepting that the enchantrefs renounces the devil, and all his works, and in conclufion embraces the catholic faith, and declares the will adhere to that only.

THIS, I hope, will ferve at prefent for a short sketch of the Spanish Stage. Indeed, I had almost forgot to tell you, that TERESA, one of the actreffes, was this winter imprifoned by the King's order, for being too free of her charms to fome of the grandees; it was faid fhe would be condemned to the workhouse for life. However that be, fhe remains in prifon ftill, and, as far as I can learn, is like to remain fo for fome time longer.

CALDERONI is at prefent, and has been the favourite author upon their stage for fome years.

1

Description of the BULL-FEAST, exhibited in the Plaça Mayor at Madrid, upon occafion of His Catholic Majesty's Public Entry into his Capital, on July 15, 1760.

E arrived at the balcony of the English Ambassador in the Plaça Mayor about half an hour after three in the afternoon, and were at once ftruck with the chearfullest, gayest fight imaginable. The Square, which is large, was thronged with people; the balconies all ornamented with different coloured filks, and crouded from the top to the bottom of the houses; the avenues to the fquare were built up into balconies, and a fort of floping fcaffolding was placed round for the common people, elevated above the ground, or pit, if I may fo call it, about eight or nine feet, with openings in proper places, and wooden doors.

FIRST came in the coaches of the cavaliers, four in number, of an antique and fingular make, with glaffes at the ends, and quite open at the fides: The cavaliers were placed at the doors of their coaches, from whence they bowed to the people, and the balconies, as they paffed round the fquare; and they were accompanied by their fponfors, the Dukes of OSSUNA, of BANOS, of ARCOS,

and MEDINA CALI. Before the royal family came a company of balberdiers, after which the king's coaches in great state, I believe about feven or eight in number, preceding his Caroffe de Refpect, which was extremely rich, with red and gold ornaments, and beautiful painted pannels: Then a coach with fome of the great officers, who go always immediately before the king; next came the KING and QUEEN in a very fumptuous coach of blue, with all the ornaments of maffive filver, and the crown at the top; the trappings of the horses were likewife filver, with large white plumes. These were followed by the coaches of the Prince of ASTURIAS, the two infanta's, and Don Luis, with their attendants.

THEIR Majefties were placed oppofite to us, in a gilt balcony, with a canopy and curtains of fcarlet and gold; the queen on that occafion taking the right hand. On the right hand of the king's balcony were placed the reft of the royal family: and on the left were ranged the gentlemen of the bed-chamber in a row; all dreffed in a very fine uniform of blue and red, richly embroidered with gold. The halberdiers marched from the king's balcony, which was in the center on one fide, and forming themselves into two lines, fronting different ways, inftantly cleared the square of the croud, who retired into the scaffolding, erected for them round it. Next the halberdiers formed themselves in a line before the fcaffold, under the king's balcony. Then appeared two companies of boys, dreffed in an uniform with caps, and red taffeta jackets, ranged against the right and left hand fide of the fquare, who carrying buckets of water in their hands, watered the stage as they croffed over to the fide oppofite to them. This being performed, the fix chief Alguazils of the town, mounted upon fine horfes, covered with trappings, and dreffed in the old Spanish habits, black with flashed fleeves, great white flowing wigs, and hats with plumes of different-coloured feathers, advanced towards the king's balcony, under which they were obliged to ftay the whole time, to receive his orders; except when they were frightened away by the bulls, when they were obliged to ride for it, being abfolutely unarmed and defenceless.

HAVING obtained the king's permiffion for the bull-feast, the troops belonging to the knights entered upon the stage in four large companies, dreffed in liveries of Moorish habits of filk, richly and elegantly ornamented with lace and embroidery: These marched first to make their bow to the king's balcony, and then in proceffion round the fquare: and from the elegance, fingularity, and variety of their uniforms, made one of the most delightful fcenes that can be conceived. After them came the four knights, habited in the old Spanish drefs, with plumes in their hats, and mounted upon the most beautiful horses: each carried in his hand a flender lance, and was attended by two men on foot, dreffed in light filk, of the colour of his livery, with a fort of cloaks or mantles of the fame; these never forfake his fide, and are indeed his principal defence. After the cavaliers had done their homage to the King, their companies retired, and there remained with them only, befides those who walked by their fide, a few dressed with mantles in the fame manner, who difperft themselves over the ftage. The cavaliers then difpofed themselves for the encounter; the first placing himself oppofite to the door of the place where the bulls are kept, the other at some distance behind him, and so on.

THE KING then making the fignal for the doors to be opened, the bull appeared, to the found of martial mufic, and the loud acclamations of the people: and seeing one of the attendants of the first cavalier spreading his cloak before him, aimed directly at him; but the man eafily evaded him, and gave his mafter an opportunity of breaking his fpear in the bull's neck. In the fame manner the bull was tempted to engage the other cavaliers, and always with the fame fuccefs: till having received the honourable wounds. from their lances, he was encountered by the other men on foot: who, after playing with him, with an incredible agility, as long as they think proper, eafily put an end to him, by thrusting a fword either into his neck or fide, which brings him to the ground; and then they finish him at once, by ftriking a dagger, or the point of a fword, behind his horns into the fpine, which is always immediate death. After this the bull is inftantly hurried off by mules, finely adorned, and decked with trappings for the occafion.

This was the way the Numilians ufed to kill the elephants, when they became unruly: fee Livx, lib. xxvII. cap. 49. The words are, Rectores eorum fcalfrum cum malleo habebant; My

My apprehenfions were at firft principally for the men on foot; but I foon perceived they were in no fort of danger: their cloaks are a certain fecurity to them, as the bull always aims at it, and they can therefore easily evade the blow. Befides this, there are fo many to affift each other, that they can always lead the bull which way they please, and even in the worst cafe they can preferve themselves by leaping into the scaffold, as they frequently did.

THE knights are in much more danger; their horfes being too full of fire to be exactly directed; they cannot therefore fo well evade the aim, and are liable every moment to be overthrown with their horfes, if the attendants by their fide did not affift them. Two beautiful horfes nevertheless we faw gored; one of which was overthrown with his rider, but fortunately the man escaped any mifchief from his fall. The courage of thefe 'horfes is fo great, that they have been often known to advance towards the bull, when their bowels were trailing upon the ground.

AFTER the knights had fufficiently tired themselves with these exploits, the king gave them leave to retire and repose. We had then bulls let out (one at a time always) from another door, of a more furious nature; these were encountered entirely by the men on foot, who were so far from fearing their rage, that the whole bufinefs was to irritate them more, by throwing upon their necks, and other parts, little barbed darts, ornamented with bunches of paper, like the Bacchanalian Thyafus, fome of which were filled with gunpowder, and burst in the manner of a fquib or serpent, as foon as they were faftened to the bull. Nothing can be imagined more tormenting than thefe darts, which stick about him, and never lofe their hold. But the courage and amazing dexterity, with which they are thrown, takes off your attention from the cruelty of it. Another method they have of diverting themfelves with the fury of the bull, is by dreffing up goat-fkins, blown up with wind, into figures, and placing them before him, which makes a very ridiculous part of the entertainment. Many id, ubi fævire belluæ, & ruere in fos cæpe ant, magifter inter aures pfitum, ipfo in articulo, quo jungitur capiti cervix (in the spine) quanto maximo p terat itu adizel at. Ea celerrima via mortis in tanta molis belluâ inventa e at, ubi regendi fpem viciffent. Primufque id Aftrubal infti

tuerat.

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