long difiertations. Monfieur Seguier’s method of dif-
covering the infcription on the Maifon ^uarree at Nimes,
the invention of which is originally due to that cele-.
brated antiquary, Monf. Peyrefc, might likewife ferve
to difcover that, which was formerly on the aqueduct of
Segovia, for the place o f the infcription, marks, and
holes o f the letters, are yet very vifible (a). This place
is much dwindled at prefent from what it was formerly.
The cathedral is handfome and has been lately repaired
; the mint in this city only ferves for copper: gold
and filver are coined at Madrid and Seville. The alcazar
or caftle is curious and in a fine bold fituation.
The unfortunate Duke de Ripperda was confined here,-
they ihew you the dark room, from whence he made his-
efcape, and the broken lock on the door is ftill in the
fame fituation.
(a) The little fquare in Segovia, from whence .you have a principal view of the aqueduCf,
is called El Azoguejo de Segovia, as*a diminitive of the Arabic word Zocq, which figni-
fies a fquare or a market-place. This place is mentioned in Don Quixote, and ignorant
tranflators, hccaufe the Spaniih word azoque alfo fignifies quickfiiver, call this place the
OuickfiiVer Houffe of Sfegovia. I)clpino, in his Spaniih dictionary fells us, without any
authority,, that a market i$ fo called, becaufe the people in if are coatiftuafiy moving like
quickfiiver.1
LETTER
l e t t e r xr.
Departure from Madrid fo r the city o f Burges. -
/ ^ N leaving Madrid, to go into Old Caftile, the firft
grand objeéis which iirike the eye o f a naturalifl,
are the mountains o f Guadarrama, that divide the two
Gaftiles ; you leave the famous Efcurial on the left, and
following the new road, afcend thefe lofty mountains,
whofe tops,and particularly where the marble lion Hands,
are chiefly covered with fern, which is common here,
though fcarce in other parts o f this country. From the
higheft part of the road, there is an extenfive profpe<5l
of Old Gailile, which is more elevated than NewCaftile,
and forms a fpacious plain not unlike a great fea. An
eafy defcent leads to the Hermita del Chrijlo del Calocn,
where grey and blue marble is dug out o f the adjacent
mountain, and is found almoft clofe to the road. The
mountain terminates at Villacaftin, but the grand plain
only commences at Labajos, where they fow the peas
called Garbanzos in a fine blackiih foil, but they are .not
equally tender and large every year, no more than at
Salamanca or Zamora ; for though the land is good for
P 2 this