GRANADA CONTINUED--THE ZACATIN--MARKET
PLACE--BAZAAR--POPULATION--THE GRANADINOS--THEIR PREDILECTION FOR
THE FRENCH COSTUME--LOVE OF MASKED BALLS--MADAME MARTINEZ DE LA
ROSA'S TERTULIA--AN ENGLISH COUNTRY DANCE METAMORPHOSED--SPECIMEN
OF SPANISH TASTE IN FITTING UP COUNTRY HOUSES--THE MARQUES DE
MONTIJO--ANECDOTE OF THE LATE KING AND THE CONDE DE
TEBA--CONSTITUTIONAL ENTHUSIASM OF GRANADA--ENDS IN SMOKE--MILITARY
SCHOOLS--OBSERVATIONS ON THE SPANISH ARMY--DEPARTURE FOR
CORDOBA--PINOS DE LA PUENTE--PUERTO DE LOPE--MOCLIN--ALCALA LA
REAL--SPANISH PEASANTS--MANNER OF COMPUTING DISTANCE--BAENA--NOT
THE ROMAN TOWN OF ULIA--CASTRO EL RIO--OCCUPIED BY A CAVALRY
REGIMENT--VALUABLE FRIEND--CURIOSITY OF THE SPANISH OFFICERS--DITTO
OF OUR NEW ACQUAINTANCE--INFLUENCE OF "SHERRIS SACK"--HE RELATES
HIS HISTORY--CONTINUATION OF OUR JOURNEY TO CORDOBA--FIRST VIEW OF
THAT CITY.
Granada is the see of an archbishop, and the seat of one of the two high
courts of Chancery of Spain. It is not a place of much trade, its
inhabitants being chiefly employed in horticultural pursuits; but it
contains manufactories of gunpowder, of silk and woollen goods on a
small scale, and numerous tanneries.
The busiest part of the city is a narrow crooked street, which still
retains its corrupted Moorish name, _El Zacatin_,[145] the little
market. But the square where the market is now held (likewise a relique
of the Moors,) presents also, at certain times, a scene of considerable
bustle. The houses encompassing it are very lofty, and, at each
successive story, have wide projecting galleries, wherein dwell the
lowest classes of Granada's inhabitants. The arches of these galleries
are patched up with old pieces of board, canvas, and other materials, of
all sizes and shapes, between the chinks, and crevices, and rents of
which, smoke issues in every direction.
Towards the centre of the city is a _bazaar_, constructed, not like our
London toy fairs so called, but on the oriental plan, each little gloomy
stall being boarded off from the rest. The goods, also, as in the east,
are offered for sale by smoking men, instead of being, as with us,
handed to you by smiling houries. The modern merchants, however, enter
their shops by a door, instead of clambering over the counter; and they
occupy chairs instead of sitting in the cross-legged fashion of the
founders of this remnant of Mohammedanism. At a certain hour in the
evening the bazaar is closed, and given over to the care of three or
four large dogs, which, shut into the building for the night, will not
suffer any one to enter but him whose office it is to feed them, and to
unlock the gates.
The population of Granada may be reckoned at 60,000 souls; and I think
the female portion of it the _least good looking_, not to speak harshly,
of all the dark complexioned natives of southern Spain. The _Granadinas_
have not the carriage of either the _Sevillanas_, or _Gaditanas_, nor
even of the _Malagueñas_, who are celebrated rather for beauty than
_gracia_; and, consequently, the lovely _Alameda_, on the banks of the
Genil, has no attraction for strangers beyond that of its own intrinsic
beauty.
The ladies of Granada lose somewhat, perhaps, in the comparison with the
fair of other places, from having adopted, in a greater degree, a
harlequin French costume, that but ill becomes them,--or, more correctly
speaking, perhaps, that they do not become. Thus, the admirable _set_ of
their well poised heads is lost under a huge silk _chapeau_ and groves
of _Roses de Meaux_, clematis, and woodbine; their lustrous eyes no
longer range, _en barbette_, as it were, over three quarters of a
circle, but, pointed through a narrow embrasure, can only carry
destruction in one direction. Their fans, too,--telegraphs of their
slightest wishes or commands,--can no longer be flirted with the wonted
effect; and their stately, though somewhat peculiar gait, does not
receive its just tribute of admiration, unless set off by the black silk
_basquiña_, under whose graceful folds their well tutored limbs have
been accustomed to move.
The _Granadinas_ of all classes are passionately fond of masked balls;
which circumstance may partly be accounted for by one of the above-named
disadvantages under which they labour-want of beauty; and all the
masquerades at which I "assisted" seemed expressly got up for carrying
on intrigues. No _character_, in any sense of the word, appeared to be
maintained; and the whole amusement seemed to consist in the ladies
going about to the gentlemen, who were almost all unmasked, and asking
in a screaming voice, "_mi conoces?_"[146]
Although every body went to these balls, which were held at the theatre,
yet, amongst the _elite_, it was deemed _fashionable_ (now quite a
Spanish word) for the ladies to have a box and receive masks. But the
temptation of the waltz was too strong to be resisted, and all, I
observed, descended occasionally, putting on a mask and domino, to join
in its fascinating circumgyrations.
A letter of introduction to Madame _Martinez de la Rosa_,[147] equally
noted for her accomplishments and her hospitality, gave us an
opportunity of seeing the best society of Granada. The same want of
beauty was observable amongst the _beau monde_ at her _Tertulia_, as on
the _paseo_ on the banks of the river; but, to make amends, the music
and waltzing were particularly good. The Spaniards may certainly be
reckoned the best waltzers in Europe, now that the Germans have
converted that graceful dance into a mere bear's hug.
I afforded some amusement in the course of the first evening passed at
Madame Martinez' house, by asking a Spanish gentleman the name of a most
laborious performance, which all appeared to be engaged in with great
delight, to the total sacrifice of the graces. He started back with
astonishment. "What description of dance? why it is an _English country
dance_!" He thought it too good a joke to keep to himself, and, the
performance concluded, went about telling all the ladies they had so
disguised an English country dance that one of its countrymen did not
recognise it. This information occasioned great dismay, _contra danzas
Inglesas_ being, at that particular juncture, "_muy facionables_;" and
all the _Señoritas_ crowded round with exclamatory "_Jesuses!_" to
gather the appalling truth from my own lips, and ask instructions as to
their future proceedings.
I explained, in the best manner I could, that, though the ladies and
gentlemen in our national dance were deployed in two long opposing
lines; in the same way that their sexes had respectively been drawn up,
yet that various preliminary evolutions were performed by us, ere the
parties began racing up and down the middle at full speed, in which
their imitation entirely consisted; and, moreover, that we did not hurry
the matter over, by beginning at _both ends_, as they did.
Before leaving Granada, a favourable opportunity presenting itself, I
will enable my readers to form some idea of the taste and style in which
the Spanish aristocracy fit up their country houses, taking as my
pattern that of the _Marques de Montijo_, which, combining the comforts
of the English with the classic taste of the French, I was assured I
should find a very choice specimen. It is situated on a slightly
elevated hill, rising from and commanding a lovely view over the wide
_vega_. For the selection of the site, small praise is due, however, to
the Marquis, as he would have had difficulty in fixing on any spot
within the same distance of the city, that did not afford equally as
fine a view. But the embellishments of the house and grounds are "all
his own;" to these, therefore, I shall confine my description.
The grounds are laid out in stiff parterres, intersected with twisting
footpaths, "_à la Inglesa_," as they call it; a portion being hedged off
as a labyrinth, which is thickly studded with rustic arbours, furnished
with modern sofas. On the summit of an artificial hillock is a shallow
fish-pond, from the centre of which rises a cave, or grotto (built, I
believe, in imitation of the Giant's Causeway), composed of fragments of
stalactites, brought at a great expense from a cavern in a distant
mountain.
A whirligig, with two horses and two _coches_--such as may be seen at
Bartholomew fair--weathercocks of all sizes and devices, sun-dials
innumerable, hedge-rows of zoophytes, &c. are scattered tastefully
about, and in fact nothing is wanting but "the sucking pig in lavender,"
and "Adam and Eve in juniper," of the inimitable Mr. Drugget, to
complete the long catalogue of absurdities.
The show-suite of apartments consists of a succession of small
carpetless rooms on the ground-floor, each furnished with a bed, a few
shabby gilt chairs, a sofa, some yet more Monmouth-street-looking chintz
window curtains, a profusion of miserly little mirrors, and two or three
old family pictures.
In the library, which contained some hundreds of ill-bound books,
chiefly French, sat the Marquis himself--the genius of the place--a
grandee of Spain of the first class, a reputed scholar, dilettante, and
patron of the fine arts; a distinguished statesman, and at one time a
pretender to the regency of Spain; now, alas! the victim of paralysis,
disappointed intrigues, inordinate vanity, and insane ambition.[148]
Whilst at Malaga I had become slightly acquainted with the Marquis's
brother, the _Conde de Teba_, who, by turns, a violent _Legitimista_,
_Afrancesado_, and _Exaltado_, was then, in the latter character, doing
duty as corporal in the _City Light Horse_, and bore about on his
crippled person the just reward of his treason to his country, having
received a wound which disfigured him for life, whilst serving in the
French ranks.
The _Conde_ married a Miss K----, "the beautiful and accomplished
daughter" (as the newspapers say) of one of the first British merchants
of Malaga. His union with this lady had been forbidden by the late king
of Spain, on the grounds that the pure blood of a Spanish grandee was
not to be contaminated by admixture with the grosser current flowing in
plebeian veins. To overcome this objection, reference was made to the
heraldic records of Scotland (the country of the lady's family), and a
genealogical tree was shipped off to Spain, which proved without flaw,
cross-bar, or blemish, that the family of K---- was an offset from the
great Fingal himself. Ferdinand, who, morose as he has usually been
represented, enjoyed a joke as much as most people, burst into a hearty
laugh on this document being placed before him, exclaiming at length,
"In God's name, let Teba marry the Scotch king's daughter!"
This speech, though made in perfect good humour, was not soon forgotten
by the lady, who, when I had the pleasure of meeting her, wore round her
king-hating person (forgetting her high descent) the terrific words,
_constitucion ò muerte_, embroidered on a green sash ribbon.
Granada, by the way, is reckoned a most constitutional city. I first
visited it a few months previous to the invasion of the Duc d'Angoulême,
when every one breathed the most deadly hate against the French, and
every thing promised a most sanguinary struggle. The streets of Granada,
if the vile _Gavachos_ ever got so far, were to be their burial place;
the city was to be another Zaragoza; the contest another "_guerra hasta
el cuchillo_."[149] I pictured to myself the beauteous groves of the
Generalife formed into abattis to defend the town; the pure streams of
the Darro and Genil reddened with the gore of its brave inhabitants; the
tottering towers of the elevated Alhambra pounded into dust; the
venerable deputy-governor[150] of the royal palace exposed to the
insults of a licentious soldiery! Happily, however, all my anticipated
fears were groundless. The French troops marched quietly into the city
long after the garrison had left it by an opposite gate, and the
invaders were received by the inhabitants with every outward mark of
neighbourly esteem and affection.
During the first days of the constitutional portion of the reign of
Ferdinand "the beloved," military schools were established in most of
the principal cities of the kingdom. That of Granada was on a scale
proportioned to the "_exaltacion_" of the place, 90 students being
maintained at it. A large monastery, which, ever since the expulsion of
the Moslems, had been under the protecting care of St. Jerome, was
handed over to the more bellicose _Santiago_,[151] for the purpose of
training up the youthful _Granadinos_ to deeds of arms; and if the
saint-militant attended to their studies as well as he did to their
feeding and clothing, no complaint could possibly be brought against
him.
The attempt to regenerate the national army by the infusion of a body of
_educated_ officers, whose advancement should depend entirely upon their
own conduct and acquirements, was a praiseworthy effort to break through
the barriers of presumption, ignorance, and vice, with which the
pampered nobles of Spain had, until then, closed the door of promotion
against every kind of merit; reserving for themselves all the most
influential and lucrative posts, and placing in the inferior, the
illegitimate branches of their houses, their numerous hangers-on and
menials, and, even yet worse, the debased panders to their vices.
But venality is so strictly entailed upon all public departments in
Spain, that the same gross corruption and glaring favouritism continued,
as before, to regulate the distribution of favour and promotion. The
patronage had passed into other hands, but the new hands were not more
delicate than the old; "_aunque vistan à la mona de seda, mona se
queda_."[152] Legitimists and liberals were both equally corrupt; their
object was the same, namely, to fill their pockets from the public
purse. The difference between them consisted merely in the means by
which they effected their purpose. The intrigues that had formerly been
employed to manage the _court_ were now directed to influence the
_political clubs_, and, under their dictation, the constitutional
ministers (to retain their places) were obliged to nominate the noisiest
braggarts to the command of their armies, and select for all the minor
posts such as were most vociferous in their cries of "constitution
or death." These, as might naturally have been expected, were,
for the most part, lawyers' clerks, tavern waiters, and barbers'
apprentices--self-imagined _Gracchi_ and _Bruti_, who thought they would
be doing a great public good by bettering their own particular
condition. The youths, who, under the _new system_, crowded the military
schools, were all chosen under the same influence, and mostly from the
same class. But whatever germs of future Cids and Gonzalvos these
seminaries may have cherished, not any were destined to reach maturity,
for, Santiago not being so quick in his operations as San Anton, the
French army cut up the tree of liberty, root and branch, ere these seeds
of military greatness had even sprung up.
The extraordinary deterioration that has taken place in the Spanish
army, since the days of Philip II., is only to be accounted for by the
demoralized state of the upper ranks of society, and the consequent
corruption that pervades every department of the state. The soldiers,
who now _run away_, are chosen from the same race of men, that fought so
gallantly under the Dukes of Alba and Parma; the religion they profess
is the same that it was then, nay is stript in some slight degree of its
bigotry and superstition. The last king to whom they swore obedience,
was not a whit more despotic than any of his predecessors; so that it is
futile to say, that tyranny or liberty had any weight in the matter.
Could any sway be more absolute than that of the Spanish sovereigns of
the House of Hapsburg? and yet under them the Spaniards behaved most
nobly. Would it be possible to frame a more liberal constitution than
that of 1820? and yet no troops ever conducted themselves more
shamefully than those ranged under its standard.
Nor can this marked change be attributed to any inferiority of
theoretical military knowledge on the part of the Spanish nation; for
their schools of artillery and engineers are indisputably good, and
their military writers by no means behind the age. Indeed, the
"_reflexiones militares_" of the _Marques de Santa Cruz_ may be traced
throughout the scientific pages of Jomini and Dumas, and are, in fact,
the groundwork of some tactical compilations of recent date in our own
language.
The experience of the _War of Independence_ proved, however, that very
few officers of superior rank in the Spanish army were qualified to
command;[153] and, at the same time, one cannot but be struck at the
very small number amongst the inferior grades, who rose to distinction
during the long period of its continuance.
The civil war that followed brought forward no new men of military
talent; and the invasion of the French, in 1823, proved the utter
incapacity of all the leaders who had been transformed into generals
under the constitutional government.
The bombast of these latter worthies rendered their imbecility the more
ridiculous. I heard one say to the late Sir George Don, just before the
entry of the Duc d'Angoulême into Spain, "If _we Spaniards_ drove the
French across the Pyrenees, like a flock of sheep (!) when commanded by
Napoleon's best generals, with how much greater ease shall we now do so,
being led only by a despotic Bourbon!"
Not very long after, I witnessed an act of imbecility yet more
laughable. In ascending the staircase of the government house at
Gibraltar one morning, I saw, on the landing place, a Spanish general
officer (then, as _at this moment_, holding a most important command)
explaining to an officer of the governor's staff how, by "_una grande
combinacion_," he, Riego, and other "_inclitos heroes_," proposed
cutting off Marshal Molitor's division of the French army, then marching
on Granada. As the success of their combined operations depended
entirely upon the _secrecy_ and celerity with which they were to be
conducted, it could not but be extremely amusing to hear the gallant
general explain the "whole progress" of the affair, before a host of
orderly serjeants, messengers, and servants; who, attracted to the spot
by his loquacity and gesticulations, were listening with open-mouthed
astonishment, to the elucidation of his cunningly devised plan. Ere I
passed on, I too was fortunate enough to witness the hypothetical
termination of "his marchings and counter-marchings," in the most
complete success; as, suiting the action to the word, he described a
wide circle with his outstretched arms and gold-headed cane, and
enclosed the outmanoeuvered French marshal and his entire _corps
d'armée_.
The result of this "_grande combinacion_" turned out, however, to be
that the Marshal effected the passage of the mountains between Guadiz
and Granada, ere the Spanish captain general had yet fully explained the
impossibility of his escaping from the strategical toils _about to be_
spread for him.
Return we now to Granada--from which city, having announced at Madame
Martinez' tertulia that it was our intention to depart on the following
morning, taking the road to Cordoba, certain symptoms of uneasy
curiosity were manifested, attended with sundry mysterious hints, that
led us to fancy some extraordinary perils were to be encountered on that
particular road. Less communicative than the Spanish captain general,
however, the utmost we could elicit from our various acquaintances was,
that the country round about the city whither we were about to proceed,
was in a very _volcanic_ state, and that a political explosion might be
daily expected.
As none of our party had professed an over-boiling admiration of the
existing state of things, I believe we were set down as aiders and
abettors in the revolt of the troops which shortly afterwards took
place--though not until we had safely returned to the shelter of the
British fortress.
We left Granada as proposed, taking the direct road to Cordoba, by
Alcalà la real. As far as that town, the road, at the period of which I
write, was the only carriage route leading from Granada towards Madrid.
Another by way of Jaen has been opened within the last few years. If
ocular demonstration of this first-named road being practicable for
carriages had not, however, been afforded us, we should certainly have
doubted the possibility of any thing less fragile than a bullock's cart
getting over some parts of it; but as far as Piños de la Puente, that
is, for the first twelve miles, it is tolerably good, traversing the
north-eastern portion of the _Vega_, and leaving the Sierra de Elvira at
some little distance on the right. The village of Piños stands on the
right bank of the river Cubillas, and inscriptions, which have been
found and are preserved there, prove it to have been the town of Ilurco,
mentioned by Pliny. It is celebrated, in more recent times, as a spot
where many a fierce struggle took place between the Moors and
Christians; for, in their forays into each other's country, the bridge
of Piños was generally the point chosen for effecting a passage across
the impracticable little stream that, in this direction, bounds the
_Vega_.
The hilly country begins immediately on leaving Piños de la puente, and
a fine view is obtained from the heights above the village: Granada, and
the line of mountains beyond, are seen to great advantage, and to the
right lies the rich _vega_, stretching westward as far as Loja. The
_Soto de Roma_[154] occupies the very heart of the fruitful plain;
appearing from hence to be thickly wooded. Such, however, is not the
case, although some well grown timber is upon one part of it.
Proceeding onwards, over a very hilly country, and crossing the little
river Moclin, in an hour and a half we reached the _Venta del puerto
Lope_, (pass of Lopez) distant six miles from _Piños de la puente_.
About three miles beyond the _Venta_, a view of the most romantic kind
presents itself. The _Sierra Nevada_, and part of the plain of Granada,
are seen through a tremendous rent that intersects the lofty mountains
which now encircle the traveller; the entrance of the rugged defile
being defended by two towers, standing on bold, and almost inaccessible,
rocks.
Some miles up this impracticable _tajo_, is situated the crag-based
fortress of Moclin, which, from the command it possessed of the
principal pass through this mountain range, was called by the Moors,
"the Shield of Granada." The celebrated _Conde de Cabra_ experienced a
signal defeat in attempting to surprise this fortress; which, a few
years after, (A.D. 1487) fell into the hands of Ferdinand the Catholic,
by the accidental explosion of its powder-magazine.
About a league from the _Puerto de Lope_, the town of Illora,
erroneously placed _on_ the road in most maps, is seen two miles off, on
the left. It stands on a rocky eminence, crowned by an old castle, and
overlooking a fertile plain. The ancient name of the place is lost; but
it was one of the strongholds of the Moors, and fell to the Christian
arms only a few weeks prior to the capture of Moclin, when the renowned
_Gonzalvo_ was appointed its _Alcaide_.
The country henceforth becomes more open and cultivated, but the soil
looks cold and ungrateful after that of the plain of Granada. The hills
bordering the road are studded with towers at the distance of about a
league asunder, which, in the days of the Moslems, must have formed a
very perfect line of telegraphic communication between the capital and
the northern frontier towns of the kingdom of Granada.
The old castle of _Alcalà la real_, situated on an eminence, is seen at
a considerable distance, and, on a near approach, some modern works
thrown up by the French give it rather an imposing appearance. The town
is so pent in by hills as not to be seen until one has passed under the
triumphal arch by which it is entered. It was called by the Moors
_Alcalà Abenzaide_, the Castle (_Al Kala_) of Abenzaide, and received
its present distinguished name on falling to the victorious arms of
Alfonzo XI. A.D. 1340. From this date it became the principal bulwark of
the Christian frontier, and the base of most of the offensive operations
undertaken against Granada. A remarkable brick tower, built by the
_Conde de Tendilla_ as a night beacon, to assist the erring footsteps of
the Christians in escaping from captivity, still stands on an elevated
knoll, clear of all the other hills, on the opposite side of the town to
the castle.
Antiquaries are at issue as to what Roman town stood in this important
position. Some imagine it to be the situation of the _Agla menor_ of
Pliny; whilst others--as it appears to me with more reason, considering
the order in which that methodical writer enumerated the cities of note
lying between Boetis and the Sea--are of opinion that it is the site
of _Ebura Cerealis_.
Alcalà la real has always been considered a military post of importance,
and many a desperate conflict has been witnessed from its walls. The
last (not a very desperate one, however) was in January, 1810, between a
division of the French army, commanded by General Sebastiani, and a
disorganized mob of Spaniards, under Areizaga,--by turns the most rash,
and most desponding, and always the least successful, of all the Spanish
generals. By the defeat of the Spanish host, the road to Granada was
thrown open to the invaders.
The Old Castle, called _La Mota_, is a Moorish work, which the French
strengthened by some interior retrenchments. The city, though sunk in a
deep hollow, stands high as compared with the surrounding country; the
springs on the opposite sides of the chain on which it is situated
falling to the Guadalquivir and Genil respectively. The streets are
tolerably wide and well paved, but steep; the _plaza_ is spacious, and
rather handsome; the Alameda is shady, and abounding in fountains; and
the _Posada_ vile, and overrun with vermin. The population may be
estimated at 4000 _vecinos escasos_,[155] or 20,000 souls, including the
inmates of six large convents.
On our next day's journey, to _Castrò el Rio_, we were most disagreeably
convinced of the little dependence that can be placed on the information
of the peasantry respecting distance. They invariably compute space by
_time_; an hour's ride being reckoned one league. As, however, the rate
at which their animals travel is by no means the same, their computation
of distance varies accordingly; so that a man possessed of a good mule
reckons that distance seven leagues, which the owner of the more tardy
_burro_ estimates at nine. To exemplify this by our own case--we set out
from Alcalà under the impression, received overnight from information
obtained from a party of _arrieros_--that the distance to _Baena_ was
seven leagues. After riding _an hour_ we overtook two peasants, mounted
on sorry animals, who told us it was still seven leagues. Ten minutes
after, (fancying we must have taken a wrong road) we questioned a
priest, bestriding a sleek mule, and learnt that it was four leagues to
Baena, _or five_ from a knoll some _hundred yards_ behind us. In another
hour the distance had increased to four leagues and three quarters; but
for the next hour and a half, we proceeded in the proper descending
progression, until we had reduced the distance to three leagues, and a
shrug of the shoulders, implying good measure.
With this radius, and Baena as a centre, we were doomed to describe the
arc of a circle for two tedious hours; and at length, by a figure which
it would be difficult to explain geometrically, found ourselves suddenly
within a league and a half of our destination. From this stage, our
journey diminished pretty regularly to its end, excepting that we were a
quarter of a league from that desideratum before we were half of one!
I think the real distance may be reckoned twenty-four English miles; for
it occupied us seven hours to accomplish. The country is rough and
intricately broken, without being elevated; and it is devoid of much
interest. The road is a mere mule track, (for from Alcalà the Madrid
road proceeds to Alcaudete) and must be almost impassable in winter, as
well from the stiff, clayey nature of the soil, as from the depth of the
mountain rivulets which have to be forded, and which are very numerous.
The plains, which here and there present themselves, are well, that is
generally, cultivated; producing corn chiefly. The line of beacon-towers
is continued along the points of the distant hills.
The town of _Alcaudete_ (distant three leagues from Alcalà) lies about
six miles off the road on the right; and _Luque_ (some little distance
farther on) stands on a slight eminence, about a mile and a half off, on
the left.
On drawing near _Baena_, the country becomes wooded with olives, and the
hills lose somewhat of their asperity. It is a large town, containing
1000 _Vecinos_, and stands on the side of a rugged mound, overhanging
the right bank of the little river _Marbella_. The summit of the crag,
in the usual Moorish fashion, is crowned by an old castle, the enceinte
of which is rather extensive. The walls of the town are also standing,
and, within the last few years, have been plastered up and loop-holed,
to enable them to resist a _coup de main_, or an attack of cholera.
Baena is another town to which antiquaries are puzzled to affix a Roman
name. By some it is imagined to be _Ulia_; but this I do not think at
all likely, for, in the first place, the Itinerary of Antoninus makes
_Ulia_ distant but eighteen Roman miles from Cordoba, whereas Baena is,
at least, thirty two; and, in the next, because Cæsar, who, on his
second coming to Spain, found his own army assembled at _Obulco_,
(Porcuna) and that of his adversaries besieging _Ulia_,[156] would
scarcely have ventured to make a flank movement on _Cordoba_, to draw
Cneus Pompey from the siege of _Ulia_, leaving his own magazines exposed
to the enemy within half a day's march of that place. Had he been strong
enough to act in the bold manner this would imply, it seems more
probable that he would have marched at once with his whole army to the
relief of the beleaguered fortress. It strikes me, as being more
probable, that _Baena_ is the _Baebro_ of Pliny, enumerated by that
author (amongst the towns of note on the left bank of the Guadalquivir)
next in order to _Castra Vinaria_, now _Castrò el Rio_.
The last Moslem King of Granada, the "luckless" _Boabdil_, made prisoner
at the battle of Lucena, (A.D. 1483), was confined for some time in the
castle of _Baena_; in which also the banners and other trophies, taken
on the field of battle, were deposited by the victor, the enterprising
_Conde de Cabra_.
The accommodation of the Posada we found very _hard_; so, after
exploring the place, and attempting to take a _Siesta_, we proceeded on
to _Castrò El Rio_. The distance from _Baena_ to this place is two very
short leagues--scarcely more than six miles. The road, during the
greater part of the way, is along the confined valley of the _Marbella_;
but, on approaching Castrò, the bounding hills gradually lose themselves
in an extensive plain, that stretches along the winding course of the
River _Badajocillo_.
_Castrò El Rio_ has all the appearance of a very ancient place, and
almost all accounts agree in placing at this spot the Roman city of
_Castra Vinaria_, called, in some authors, _Castra Postumii_.[157] It is
now an insignificant and thinly populated place, having little or no
trade; and most of the land in its vicinity is laid out in pasture. The
River _Badajocillo_, or _Guadajoz_, washes its walls, and, by many, is
supposed to be the _Salsus_, so frequently mentioned in the "Spanish
war" of Hirtius; but without any reason, that I have been able to
discover, if we are to place reliance in that author's description of
the river and adjacent country.
We found Castrò occupied by the head-quarters and greater part of one
of the royal regiments of Carbineers; and every stable in the place
being crowded with the troopers' horses, we had the greatest difficulty
in obtaining accommodation for our own wearied animals. Indeed, but for
the interference of a _Caballero_, muffled up in a capacious cloak (who
seemed to possess extraordinary influence over the Innkeeper), we should
have been obliged to proceed on, or bivouac outside the walls of the
town. His interference, however, caused a small shed, crowded with mules
and _borricos_, to be cleared for the reception of our horses, into
which, after some little trouble, they were all squeezed. A room for
ourselves we were assured was quite out of the question;--and, as for
beds, every mattress, bolster, _manta_, and blanket, that the _posada_
afforded, had been secured by the Spanish officers. The same civil and
influential personage again, however, befriended us, for, after a short
time, whilst we were consulting where we should spread our cloaks for
the night, the Innkeeper came to acquaint us that "_ese Caballero
Español_"[158] had resigned in our favour "_una pequeñissima
sala_,"[159] which had been reserved for his use; and that he had
further directed it to be furnished with four sacks of chopped straw for
our accommodation.
The Spanish officers, who had entered into conversation with us whilst
standing at the portal of the posada, evinced great curiosity to know
whence we had come, whither we were going, and what was the motive for
our travelling, and very civilly invited us to pass the evening with
them at some house where they were in the habit of assembling nightly.
But being both hungry and weary, we made the latter an excuse for
declining their invitation. They then plied us with questions touching
the state of Granada; asked our opinion of the political condition of
the kingdom in general; and, complaining of the difficulty experienced
in obtaining news of any kind that could be relied on, begged to be
informed if we had recently heard of any thing stirring at Madrid, and
whether we purposed visiting that capital. To all these queries we
replied that, our object being merely amusement, we had not troubled
ourselves much by inquiring into the state of parties--that every thing
seemed to be quiet wherever we had been--and that our future plans were
undetermined.
With numerous offers of service, they then wished us good night, and we
betook ourselves to the _Sala_, sending a message to the _Caballero_,
who had so kindly given it up, to request he would do us the pleasure of
joining his smoke with our's; an invitation that did not require
pressing.
Our visitor, whom we now had an opportunity of inspecting more closely
and critically, was a tall, powerful man, with marked but good features,
though the general expression of his countenance was decidedly bad. His
brows were dark and shaggy, his cheeks covered with a forest of whisker,
and his fierce, uneasy eyes intimated that he was one who had stopped
and would stop at nothing to effect his purpose.
His curiosity concerning the object of our travels was not less, though
more guardedly expressed, than that of the Spanish officers; and, by
degrees, a kind of distrust, with which at first he evidently regarded
us, wore off, and he expressed his unbounded love for and admiration of
the English nation, collectively and individually. "I have seen much of
your compatriots," he proceeded, filling himself a bumper of wine,
"though of late years my opportunities of mixing with them have been but
few. I have ever found them to be true lovers of liberty--ever ready to
lend a helping hand to neighbours in distress; yes, yes! whenever an
oppressed people stand up for their rights, _carajo!_[160] an Englishman
has a G--d--n in his mouth, and a musket on his shoulder in a
_credo_.--_Pardiez, Señores!_ but these are excellent cigars! They are
indeed _legitimos_,[161] and, entre nous, they are the only things being
_legitimas_ that I have any great taste for. To you Englishmen I may say
as much. You, like myself, are lovers of constitutional
liberty--detesters of absolutism, of a domineering aristocracy, of
religious bigotry, and priestly mummery. These things are all very well
for the ignorant; but we, who have read, and studied, and reflected,
know the just value to set upon them."
We gave a ready assent.
"This wine is sad trash," he continued, after a flask of execrable black
strap had been disposed of, "and I know that you English like a good
glass of _Xeres seco_. I will therefore take the liberty, _con
licencia_, of sending for some that I think will please your palate."
Upon which, calling the _mozo_ charged with the care of the stables, he
directed him to go to the house of a certain Don Hilario, and request
_su merced_ to send some bottles of wine.
"Say it is for _me_, Juan," added our guest, or rather our host, with a
marked emphasis on the personal pronoun; "say it is for _me_, and he
will be sure to give you the right sort; but _cuida'o_![162] Tell him I
have some friends with me--English _officers_; is it not so?" turning
interrogatively to us, "and that half a dozen bottles will not be too
many."
Juan took his departure with a knowing glance at our friend, and in less
than the "_fumar de un cigarro_,"[163] returned with the wine. It was
excellent--the real "Sherris sack." Bottle after bottle was drained, and
every draught of the "fertile" liquor seemed, in the words of
Shakspeare's droughty knight, to have a "two-fold operation" upon our
convivial entertainer; "drying him up the crudy vapours" that environed
his suspicious brain concerning us, and rendering him extremely
communicative respecting his own affairs: so that long before even the
second bottle was emptied, he had pronounced us to be _gente_ with whom
he saw he could converse "_con toda confianza_,"[164] and had awakened
much curiosity on our parts, with regard to himself.
Although he had appeared to us to be on a friendly footing with the
officers of Carbineers, he now abused them in most unmeasured terms;
asking if they had not evinced very impertinent curiosity, (how much
sooner are the faults of others seen than our own!) to know all about
our movements. "Those _alacranes_,"[165] said he, "are all traitors to
their country, enemies to our glorious charter of liberty, and--whatever
professions they may make to the contrary--have as little liking for a
free-born Englishman as Sancho Panza had for unadulterated water."
"Indeed," we replied;--truly enough, though somewhat jesuitically
perhaps, wishing to draw him out;--truly, "from some observations they
let fall, it is evident they are no great admirers of the present
constitutional government." "Admirers!" he exclaimed; "no, indeed, it
brings them down to their proper level. But, _carajo!_ if I had my way I
would bring them down something lower; for I'd shoot every mother's son
of them, without the benefit of a dying confession. I'll tell you how
_I_ would set about establishing a constitutional government,
_caballeros_. I would first hang up the king; then give the _garrote_ to
all your dukes, marquisses, and _condes_; and lastly, to make things
sure, root every bishop, priest, _cura_, and _fraile_, out of their snug
hiding-places. That would be----" "But your religion?" interrupted we.
"_Qu ... e Religion! disparate!_[166] That would be the way to keep the
French on their own side the Pyrenees! But let them come! they will find
us ready to receive and able to beat them, in spite of the defection of
our dastardly nobles. As for these carbineer officers, they are a set of
_fanfarrones_, who are only fit to _pavonearse por las calles_.[167] I
have done more service to my country than the whole of them put
together. Look here," he added, removing the handkerchief bound across
his forehead,[168] and exhibiting a formidable scar; "this was not
obtained in a brothel brawl; nor this," showing a mutilated hand. "No,
no, caballeros, my skin would not serve to carry wine in."
"You have seen much service then," we observed.--"Wherever any was to be
seen," he replied. A fresh supply of cigars was brought, another cork
drawn, and before the bottle was finished, we had persuaded our visitor
to give us his whole history.
The narration occupied the best part of the night, and will consequently
require a proportionate space in these pages. Not therefore to detain my
readers in a miserable country venta, and break the thread of my
journey, I will reserve it for future chapters, concluding this with a
brief description of the remaining portion of the road between Granada
and Cordoba.
We left Castrò at dawn, (minus the curb chains, valise straps, and
divers other little detachable articles of our equipment, which are
serviceable to cavalry soldiers); taking leave of our new acquaintance,
who, though he had impressed us with no great feeling of admiration for
his character or principles, had, nevertheless, greatly interested us by
the narration of his adventures.
The road to Cordoba is dreary in the extreme; being principally across
extensive plains of pasture, uninterrupted by a single tree, uncheered
by a solitary cottage, or even _rancha_, and after leaving the banks of
the _Guadajoz_, unrefreshed by a single drop of water. It does not,
however, leave the river immediately on quitting Castrò; on the
contrary, so eccentrically does the stream wind, that it is twice
crossed (by fords) within a very short distance of the town, and then
continues for a considerable distance along its right bank. Indeed,
until arrived within a league and a half of Cordoba, the road does not
altogether lose sight of the winding river.
The quality of the route depends upon the season. In summer it is
_carriageable_;[169] in winter, knee-deep in mud, and liable to be
flooded. The distance between the two towns is reckoned six _leguas
regulares_, i. e. about 24 miles.
On reaching some high table land, about five miles from Cordoba, the
glorious capital of the western caliphs, and the splendid valley of the
Guadalquiver, first burst upon the sight. The view is less extensive,
perhaps, but far more striking than that on approaching Granada from
Alhama; and when arrived at the edge of the range of hills bordering
the rich valley, it becomes perfectly enchanting. The bright city, with
its venerable cathedral, its Moorish bridge, its castle and royal
palace, is offered to the spectator's close inspection. The gracefully
winding Guadalquiver, bathing its mouldering walls, may be traced for
miles along the spacious plain that stretches to the East; its flat and
fertile banks covered with the varied foliage of the olive, pomegranate,
and citron. Beyond the city, a range of wooded mountains, studded with
numerous _cortijos_, convents, and _quintas_, rises abruptly from the
plain; presenting a fine relief to the sun-lit edifices of the city; and
behind this, again, successive ranges of wild mountains show themselves,
terminating at length in the cloud-capped ridge of the _Sierra Morena_.