L E T T E R V I I .
Mifcellaneous obfervations made at Madrid*. with fome account of. the royal
cabinet o f Natural Hijlory.
T H E town of Madrid is now become the capital
o f the monarchs of Spain, iituated in the center
o f their dominions, and from one of the filthieft places
imaginable, is at prefent on a par for cleanlinefs with fefince
his prefent majefty’s arrival from Naples at Madrid, which was on the gth o f December
1-759. For the greater encouragement o f agriculture, all the old laws .relative to, com were
repealed in 1765, and the embarraffments with \yhich they were clogged, totally removed t new
la\vs more favourable to induftfy, were ena&ed, and a fpirit of freedom and liberty introduced
in the commerce o f grain, in order to give every encouragement to the farmer. To improve
the minds of the people, Academies were ere&ed in Madrid, Valladolid, Seville, Valencia,
arid Barcelona, befides many literary focieties in different parts of the kingdom, particularly
.one at Madrid, with the nobleft of' titles “ Los Amigos: del pais,” The Friend's of their country,
in which every fubjeibis to be confidered, tending to the advancement of arts, manufac-i
tures, and commerce; and the better to convey thefe ideas to the public, the art of printing-,
has been particularly attended to, and brought to very great perfe&ion r however as all thefe
.literary eflabliihments are iUll.in their infancy, time only will difcover their intended effe<5j:s.
The new roads through the kingdom form a principal branch of modern improvement, and
for the better compleating the fame,- they have been again put under the direction of the general
poft office, by a royal decree of the 8th O&ober, 1778, with new revenues affigned for the
purpofej but with refpe& to the want of inns, and conveniencies for travellers, Don Antonio.
Ponz, in his laft volume infills, that every' thing that has, or can be faid, on the fubjefl, is-
ftill fhort o f the truth. 11 La verdad es, que en quanto a la penuria que fe padece en eila ma-
' teria, qualquiera fe quedara corto por mucho que diga.” Viage de ‘ F.fpana, tom. 8. folio.
• 212. Madrid 1778»
veral
veral principal cities o f Europe, being likewife well payed
and lighted, but in refpetft to population, it is far
inferior to London, Paris, or Naples, (a ) Madrid is in
a high fituation, all the rivers and brooks in its neighbourhood
fall into the Tagus, whofe waters roll down
to the ocean. The Guadarama mountains, to thy
north weft o f the town, are covered with fnow feveral
months o f the year, which added to the piercing north
o f population in that town.
PariiheS.
St* Mary
Marriages.
- ! 13 -
St. Martin - - - - 343 *
St. Gines 74
St. Lewis »
m m , I07 H
St. Jofeph - - 1 14 -
St. Nicholas - '¿ ¡¡¡A m t 7 -
St. Saviour - • 9 -
St.John h i 2 -
Holy Crofs - 86 -
Sri Peter
■ St. Andrew - ‘ 1 3 1 M - 108 -
St. Michael j£ - 18 -
St. Juft W if e - 213 % •
St. Sebailian | | S | - 341 J
St. Iago 5 18 -
There died this year in
1466
the pariihes and in the i
Births. Deaths.
41 - - - s8
930 ,3.38
308 - - - - 108
S39 - I - - 79
212 - - H - ■ 121
12 -, - - 15
11 - 3 ' . ' - 13
17 . - ... , 5
208 - - - -, 108
3° - ^ - 24
341 - - - ,log
87 . . . - j o
723 . . . j 48
801 - - . - I 27,
71 -j r,.- - 48
4° 3" 1577
•ing infants, and thofe who died in communities, nunneries,' and'the other hofpltals o f the
court; and there have been 4372 births, including thé foundlings baptifed in,St. Ginés.
This year 6 n infants have been brought to the royal foundation of La Inclufa for foundlings,
o f which 34, have been baptifed in the pariih of St. Gines. Kalèndario manual, y
Guta de foraftcros en Madrid para el ano de 177.8.
I 2 winds,