virgin, or beatified saint. One of the latter I noticed elevating his head a considerable distance above his shoulders; and another, who was transfixed with nearly a dozen arrows; judging by the placid expression of the martyr's face, this might have been the pleasantest thing in the world. A multitude of weeping Magdalenes, bedizened in the finest apparel, meet the eye at every turn; and their sorrowtouched aspects, besmeared with a sufficiency of oil, give them a most sudatory character; and this, I apprehend, is intended: the agony of their souls is presumed to facilitate a copious sweat, and to typify the exudation of mortal sin! It is remarkable, that while they enjoin the votaries of religion in this world, to discard the vanities of dress, they heap together upon these exemplars of sanctity, these waxen personifications of good manners, all the gewgaws that female fancy could devise, or the female heart covet. Surely the prayer that is offered up at shrines so decorated, must needs participate in this their most palpable characteristic; and instead of suggesting to the mind devout sentiments, are more calculated to call up from the innermost recesses of the heart the dormant feelings of worldly vanity. The headgear of Jezebel will fix the attention under these circumstances sooner than the Song of Deborah. "RELIGION, erst so venerable, What art thou now, but made a fable? Where under lies Dissimulation, Lined with all abomination, Sacred Religion! where art thou * ?o, At a Café where the waiters spoke but little French I had some difficulty in making myself understood: after many trials, one of them brought pen and ink, and with much deliberation and affected solemnity scrawled "Non intelligo tuam linguam." Here was at least a guide for future communication: and though the latinity of this erudite "slave of the coffeeeup" was, as might have been expected, of the worst description, it was more intelligible than his French. I was curious to know where he had acquired his learning, and to what end he had dedicated any portion of time to that 5 Joshua Sylvester. which he must have found a very useless at tainment. With the precision of a parrot, however, his only answer was "Ego sum scolasticus" or " Ego Josephus à Lestone," &c. &c. Josephus seemed very proud of his knowledge, and not less of the opportunity (which I fancy occurred but seldom) of displaying it. In proof thereof he honoured me with a very cordial shake of the hand at parting. I did not see him again, but in a subsequent part of the day, having occasion to pass the door of his Café, I distinctly heard a sonorous “ Monsieur, Monsieur !" which it did not at that time altogether suit me to reply to. The rest of this day was consumed in strolling about the streets of Cadiz. The loftiness of the houses, not less than their regularity, has a pleasing appearance. The windows are generally covered with an iron grating, in most cases painted green, which forms a good contrast to the whiteness of the walls. The extreme vicinity of the opposite side of the street makes these gratings necessary for the inhabitants; and if the female part of them is as much addicted to intrigue as report avers, it is well that even such precaution is adopted. There is most commonly a balcony to every window. The lower parts of these dwellings are used as warehouses, and sometimes as stables, to which you enter by an immense door, full of iron knobs. The richer sort have them of brass, which they keep in a high state of polish. On passing through this door the visitor is brought into a small square area, which is the centre of the mansion, and being uncovered, serves to admit the air to every part of the building: around the square are the apartments of the family. In some instances the area contains a fountain, which, of course, contributes much to the coolness of the place. To the great door is attached a string, which is carried into the apartment above: when any one knocks, the door immediately opens, and you enter without observing by whom you are admitted, or to whom you are to address yourself. But a voice presently directs your ascent, and you then enter the room inhabited by the family without troubling its inmates to descend and receive your message. The women appear but little restricted in their actions; and the crowds that flock to the : Alameyda, a fashionable promenade, which almost every town in Spain is provided with, gives occasion to a world of coquetry, and, as I fear, to all its concomitant evils. The inhabitants begin to assemble about five o'clock, the females possessing themselves of stone seats arranged on each side of the Alameyda; here they sit for the inspection of those who please to honour then with their notice. I have seen servant girls in England drawn up in ranks to be hired, and I have observed cattle penned up in Smithfield for sale; the obliging reader may adopt whichever similitude he considers good-he will not err greatly in either.. Of the beauty of Spanish women, much has been said; but the specimens which are to be found in Cadiz do not justify the character, at least so far as they fell under my observation. They have almost universally brilliant eyes; but, some few excepted, their features are without regularity, and possess a degree of harshness, which, I need scarcely add, age does not improve: the majority of them are corpulent and gross; and though the eye loses little of its lustre by time, yet the face acquires |