the king; the second, are those who put on their hats after they have begun to speak; the third, are those who only put on their hats, having spoke to him. The ladies of the grandees have also great respect showed them. The queen rises up when they enter the chamber, and offers them cushions.

No married man, except the king, lies in the palace; for all the women who live there are widows, or maids of honour to the queen. I saw the prince of Asturia's dinner carried through the court up to him, being guarded by four gentlemen of the guards, one before, another behind, and one on each side, with their carbines shouldered; the queen's came next, and the king's the last, guarded as before; for they always dine separately. I observed, that the gentlemen of the guards, though not on duty, yet they are obliged to wear their carbine belts.

St. Isidore, who, from a poor labouring man, by his sanctity of life arrived to the title of saint, is the patron of Madrid, and has a church dedicated to him, which is richly adorned within. The sovereign court of the Inquisition is held at Madrid, the president whereof is called the inquisitor-general. They judge without allowing any appeal for four sorts of crimes, viz. heresy, polygamy, sodomy, and witchcraft; and when any are convicted, it is called the act of faith.

Most people believe, that the king's greatest revenue consists in the gold and silver brought from the West Indies, which is a mistake; for most part of that wealth belongs to merchants and others, that pay the workmen at the golden mines of Potosi, and the silver mines at Mexico; yet the king, as I have been informed, receives about a million and a half of gold.

The Spaniards have a saying, that the finest garden of fruit in Spain is in the middle of Madrid, which is the Plaza, or market-place; and truly the stalls there are set forth with such variety of delicious fruit, that I must

confess I never saw any place comparable to it; and, which adds to my admiration, there are no gardens or orchards of fruit within some leagues.

They seldom eat hares in Spain but whilst the grapes are growing; and then they are so exceeding fat, they are knocked down with sticks. Their rabbits are not so good as ours in England; they have great plenty of partridges, which are larger and finer feathered than ours. They have but little beef in Spain, because there is no grass; but they have plenty of mutton, and exceeding good, because their sheep feed only upon wild potherbs; their pork is delicious, their hogs feeding only upon chesnuts and acorns.

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Madrid and Valladolid, though great, yet are only accounted villages in the latter, Philip the Second, by the persuasion of Parsons, an English Jesuit, erected an English seminary; and Philip the Fourth built a most noble palace, with extraordinary fine gardens. They say, that Christopher Columbus, who first discovered the West Indies, died there, though I have heard he lies buried, and has a monument at Sevil.

The palace in the town stands upon eleven arches, under every one of which there are shops, which degrade it to a mere exchange. Nevertheless, the stairs by which you ascend up to the guard-room, (which is very spacious too,) are stately, large, and curious. So soon as you have passed the guard-room, you enter into a long and noble gallery, the right hand whereof leads to the king's apartment, the left to the queen's. Entering into the king's apartment, you soon arrive at a large room, where he keeps his levee; on one side whereof, (for it takes up the whole side,) is painted the fatal battle of Almanza. I confess the view somewhat affected me, though so long after, and brought to

mind many old passages. However, the reflection concluded thus in favour of the Spaniard, that we ought to excuse their vanity in so exposing, under a French

general, a victory, which was the only material one the Spaniards could ever boast of over an English army.

In this state room, when the king first appears, every person present receives him with a profound homage; after which, turning from the company to a large velvet chair, by which stands the father confessor, he kneels down, and remains some time at his devotion; which being over, he rising, crosses himself, and his father confessor having with the motion of his hand intimated his benediction, he then gives audience to all that attend for that purpose. He receives every body with a seeming complaisance, and with an air more resembling the French than the Spanish ceremony. Petitions to the king, as with us, are delivered into the hands of the secretary of state: yet in one particular they are, in my opinion, worthy the imitation of other courts; the petitioner is directly told what day he must come for an answer to the office; at which time he is sure, without any further fruitless attendance, not to fail of it. The audience being over, the king returns through the gallery to his own apart

ment.

I cannot here omit an accidental conversation, that passed between general Mahoni and myself in this place. After some talk of the bravery of the English nation, he made mention of general Stanhope, with a very peculiar emphasis. But, says he, I never was so put to the nonplus in all my days as that general once put me in. I was on the road from Paris to Madrid, and having notice, that that general was going just the reverse, and that in all likelihood we should meet the next day, before my setting out in the morning, I took care to order my gayest regimental apparel, resolving to make the best appearance I could to receive so great a man. I had not travelled above four hours before I saw two gentlemen, who appearing to be English, it induced me to imagine they were forerunners,

and some of his retinue. But how abashed and confounded was I, when putting the question to one of them, he made answer, Sir, I am the person! Never did moderation put vanity more out of countenance: though, to say truth, I could not but think his dress as much too plain for general Stanhope, as I at that juncture thought my own too gay for Mahoni. But, added he, that great man had too many inward great endowments to stand in need of any outside decoration.

Of all diversions, the king takes most delight in that of shooting, which he performs with great exactness and dexterity. I have seen him divert himself at swallow-shooting, (by all, I think, allowed to be the most difficult,) and exceeding all I ever saw. The last time I had the honour to see him, was on his return from that exercise. He had been abroad with the duke of Medina Sidonia, and alighted out of his coach at a back door of the palace, with three or four birds in his hand, which according to his usual custom, he carried up to the queen with his own hands.

There are two playhouses in Madrid, at both which they act every day; but their actors and their music are almost too indifferent to be mentioned. The theatre at the Bueno Retiro is much the best; but as much inferior to ours at London, as those at Madrid are to that. I was at one play, when both king and queen were present. There was a splendid audience, and a great concourse of ladies; but the latter, as is the custom there, having lattices before them, the appearance lost most of its lustre. One very remarkable thing happened while I was there; the Ave-bell rung in the middle of an act, when down on their knees fell everybody, even the players on the stage, in the middle of their harangue. They remained for some time at their devotion; then up they rose, and returned to the business they were before engaged in, beginning where they left off.

The ladies of quality make their visits in grand state and decorum. The lady-visitant is carried in a chair by four men; the two first, in all weathers, always bare. Two others walk as a guard, one on each side; another carrying a large lantern for fear of being benighted; then follows a coach drawn by six mules, with her women, and after that another with her gentlemen; several servants walking after, more or less, according to the quality of the person. They never suffer their servants to overload a coach, as is frequently seen with us; neither do coachmen or chairmen go or drive, as if they carried midwives in lieu of ladies. On the contrary, they affect a motion so slow and so stately, that you would rather imagine the ladies were every one of them near their time, and very apprehensive of a miscarriage.

I remember not to have seen here any horses in any coach, but in the king's, or an ambassador's ; which can only proceed from custom, for certainly finer horses are not to be found in the world.

At the time of my being here, cardinal Giudici was at Madrid; he was a tall, proper, comely man, and one that made the best appearance. Alberoni was there at the same time, who, upon the death of the duke of Vendosme, had the good fortune to find the princess Ursini his patroness; an instance of whose ingratitude will plead pardon for this little digression. That princess first brought Albéroni into favour at court. They were both of Italy, and that might be one reason of that lady's espousing his interest; though some there are that assign it to the recommendation of the duke of Vendosme, with whom Alberoni had the honour to be very intimate, as the other was always distinguished by that princess. Be which it will, certain it is, she was Alberoni's first and sole patroness; which gave many people afterwards a very smart occasion of reflecting upon him, both as to his integrity and gratitude. For when Alberoni, upon the death of king