covered with paintings, hangings, looking-glafs, and furniture, in all the streets, through which his majefty intended to pass; the filver-fmiths, in particular, having ornamented their houses in the nature of a long fquare, with four towers at each corner, all fet off with plate and fome jewels §. Things being thus prepared, at four in the afternoon the two companies of Spanish and Walloon guards were placed with their officers and colours, and the regimental mufick, along the Carrier.

Ar fix o'clock, his Majesty, with the Queen and royal family, came out of the back gate of the Retiro, in this order of proceffion :

1. The companies of halberdiers, with musick.

2. Three fquadrons of horfe life-guards, Spanish, Italian, and Flemish, with trumpets and kettle-drums.

3. Four gilded coaches of the king's ftables, with trumpets and kettle-drums, in which were the Mayor Domos DE SEMANA, who went before to St. MARY'S Church.

4. Coach of the queen's officers, with the Marquis de MONTE ALLEGRE, her firft fteward, the Duke of MEDINA SIDONIA, her master of the horse, and the Marquis de ANDIA, gentleman of the horse.

5. The Mayor Domos de SEMANA, in another coach.

6. Nine of the ladies of the bed-chamber in other coaches. 7. Nine coaches with four horses, in which were the gentlemen of the king's privy chamber.

8. A coach with eight horfes, richly harneffed, with four footmen and eight grooms walking on each fide.

9. A coach with eight horfes, equally rich, attended in the same manner, in which were the king's mafter of the horse, the Duke of MEDINA COELI; the Duke of ALVA, fteward of the houfhold; the Duke de LOSADA, fumilier de corps, or

The ornaments of the houses likewife were many of them immenfely expenfive; but in the worst, moft abfurd, and ridiculous tafte you can imagine that of the Marquis DONIATI was, I think, the most expensively ill-defigned of any, with mottos and devices in plenty.

fquire of the body; the Principe de MASSERANO, captain
of the Italian company of life-guards; and Don PEDRO
STUART, first equerry.

10. Twenty four of the King and Queen's footmen, and the
Ecuyers de Campo.

11. The King's coach, of maffy filver, drawn by eight fine Neapolitan horfes richly harneffed, in which were the KING and QUEEN, guarded by all the officers of the life-guard, that were not otherwife ftationed, and twelve of the king's pages in their liveries embroidered with gold, walking on each fide.

12. A large body of life-guards, with their officer.

13. The Prince of ASTURIAS, and the Infant Don GABRIEL in their coach, attended with guards.

14. The Infants Don ANTONIO PASQUAL, and Don FRANCISCO XAVIER in theirs, with their guards.

15. The Princess Donna MARIA JOSEPHA, and Donna MARIA LUISA, in another coach, with their guards.

16. The Infant Don LUIS ANTONIO JAYME, in his coach, with his guards *.

17. Ladies of honour in gilt coaches.

18. The Mayor Domos de Semana to his Majesty, in their coach. 19. Two battalions of foot, Spanish and Walloon guards.

In this order of proceffion their Majefties came up to the first triumphal arch, erected at the entrance of that fine street De Alcala, oppofite to which the QUEEN MOTHER was feated in a principal balcony, belonging to the house of the Marquis de TRIPUZI her first steward; the King and Queen made their refpects to her, as they paffed, which the returned. Their majefties then went to St. MARY'S Church.

THE Concourfe of people, both natives and foreigners, was immense in all the streets; and the balconies were lined with people of fashion, in great variety of dreffes, colours, and jewels.

* The Viva Don Luis! was by much the loudest and most hearty of the people's acclamations.

THEIR

THEIR Majestics being come to St. MARY'S Church, his Eminence the Cardinal-Archbishop of TOLEDO waited at the portico in company with the ftewards and gentlemen of the month, and houfhold, to prefent the royal family, and the reft with holy-water: after which they heard the Te Deum and Salve fung, with the band and mufic of the royal chapel: Then taking a different route, they found the houses, arches, and fountains all illuminated, it being now after fun-fet.

AFTER their return to the Buen Retiro, they faw the fire-works prepared by the town, from their own balcony, which were exhibited in the fmall Plaça de Pelota ||.

On the 14th, in the afternoon, there was a comedy reprefented before their Majefties, named the Triumph of Hercules, after which the fire-works were the fame as the night before.

On the 15th, their Majefties went to fee the bull-feaft, and were much pleafed with the spectacle, as no fatal misfortune happened to the cavaliers *. During these three days, the houses of the gentry and others were illuminated.

On the Saturday the King attended at the Jura, and took the accustomed oath. In the evening the trades-people of the town having paffed before their majefties in masquerade dreffes, one of them made a speech, and fo retired. This evening concluded alfo with fire-works and illuminations: and thus ended the folemnities celebrated on occafion of the Public Entry of Don CARLOS III. King of SPAIN.

IN In my opinion, much the most pleasing part of the fight was the ¡mmenfe mob in the streets; which being composed of all reli

|| These fire-works were very poorly contrived, and went off extremely ill.

* It was no wonder that the cavaliers on this occafion came off fo well; for the poor bulls had been kept almoft fafting for four days before, in order to lower their courage and this was done, left the Quen and the Court thould be shocked at the fight of any tragical event, that might otherwife have happened. But fee the account of this article, p. 107, & feqq.

4

gious

gious orders, of all kinds of lay, civil, and ecclefiaftical habits; in fhort, of all dreffes in the world, and of both fexes, formed the most motley scene that fancy ever painted!

THE theatre of the Buen Retiro is extremely pretty, and very finely ornamented: It will always remain as a striking proof of the genius, fancy, and invention of the celebrated FARINELLI; who had no reason to regret the leaving ENGLAND, fince SPAIN has made him ample amends: his apartments were the best in the whole palace of the Retiro, the fame that the Duke de LOSADA has now; and his levee was more crouded than the minifter's, or King's. He retired with an immenfe fortune on the death of Queen BARBARA.

THE Venetian Ambassador made his public entry into MADRID, on the 23d of July, in his Venetian black habit, on horseback. There were fome who preferred his entry to that of the King's; but his state-coaches were miferably tarnished and shabby.

LETTER VIII.

Description of the CONVENT of St. LAURENCE, commonly called the ESCURIAL.

THE

HE ESCURIAL is a village in the kingdom of NEW-CASTILE, feven leagues to the north of MADRID, fo called: From the word escoria, which fignifies the drofs of the iron mines, which were there formerly, and therefore the proper name is Es

CORIAL.

THIS little village gives name to the palace of the ESCURIAL,. which was built by GIOVANNI BAPTISTA, by order of PHILIP II. in the year 1563, as appears by this infcription:

D. O. M.

OPERI ADSPICIAT.
PHILIPP VS II.
HISPAN. REX.

A FUNDAMENTIS EREXIT

MDLXIII.

JOAN. BAPTISTA

ARCHITECTU S.

IX. KALEND. MA II.

THE motive which engaged that prince in this religious work, I fhall fpeak of hereafter; for, as he had fo little piety himself in mind or action, one cannot but be surprized at his conceiving