L it e r a - *
TUKE. ‘
Education.
Univemties.
Cities and
T ow n s .:
nor has the line ó f royal authors failed, an elegant tranflation o f Salluftr
having been published by the heir apparent to the moiiarehy.
The rudiments cof education» in this countrybeing chiefly imparted
by the monks, it-.cannot* be ie^:pefted that ufeful knowledge flioüld be
common. But tk®;iecept accounts of Spain have thrownvfo1 little light
on this, topic, that .it can only be generally underftobd by eomparifoh
with othef catholic countries. . It is however to be regretted that intelligent
travellers have not lent more attention to this fubje<9:,jm«3te
important in its confequences than any form öf government : n o r would
it be unufefui to know that pra&ifed in Spain, in particular; ''as the
reverie muft be excellent. ;
The univerfities, pr rather academies, in Spain are ‘computed at
upwards of twenty; o f which, the. mpft noted is that of Salamanca,'
founded in the year 1200 by Alphonfo IX king of Leon, and. afterwards
regulated by Alphonfo the wife. . The ftudents hkve,-at former
periods, been computed at .16,000, fuflkief&f tp darken the* face of the
earth; for the reign o f Ariftotlein logic and natural philofophy, and
of Thomas Aquinas in theology, continues unviolated, fo that & ftudent
o f the year 1800 may afpire to as much ignorance as one o f the
year'1300 ; andThe progeny o f dunces proceeds withoutend. In 1785
the number of ftudents was computed at 1909.' The fame antiquated
teachers are received with implicit faith m|the other univerfities,\fo
that a more liberal education at fchool muft here be obliterated. •
As a proper introdu&ion to a brief account of thé chief cities and towns»
of Spain, the following eftimate is fubjoined from an accurate author i* <
Cities—Ciudade8 - *45
Boroughtowns—Villas- - 4 »572
Villages—Lugones - . j - - . 1 # '
Hamlets—Aldeas - 11.058*
Granjas—Farm houles - - m
Cotes redondos—Parks or waftes inclofed 611
Depopulated towns - i,5 n
Parifhes 18,972
Convents - • - ' - 8,932
* Tovrofeod, ix. 79- * Ibid, ii.
Madrid,
.»Madrid,thôir^ÿaLrefidéhcet j -while' Seville is efteemed the capital of
Spain, is, pfijécléiitifame.F Philip II SVft eftablifhed his court at'Madrid ;
and the ■nbb|l'i^y-^in;'c0nfeqrtence,T^fe®:ing- numerous palaces, this foi>
m'erly obfcureutownjb^api'tb aflume'an air df »grandeur. • The centrical
pofition Teems the .chief advantage,‘for the envisens can boaft o f
litrieheautyor y a r i^ iî Winter' a; torient,
but? dr y in, fummer oVeri.k-^-^'efegs&t bridge--Which' occafioned" a'
fefg&ftic remark that «tlfefhrfdge i(howy.i'beJrfoid in -order to purchafe-
water. Thismetropolisid0n«t.îte^î|l§ pari-fhésj ^ 9 8 houfes, 32,745 families,
amOuptiqgsto É p o p u l^ n lp f' ,147^54^]^ The1-convents are 66 p
and there are fifteen gates of graïïle, many of which are elegant. * The*
chiefis thePuerta de - Alcaîaj’of three a¥cMi4‘ ¥he central being 70' feet:
in height;) T h e; churches and monaftenipeonthin many iidblfe paint—
ings, and the royal palaces > 'difplay' ' cbsfi’derable magnificence. Thé'
new. palace prefents four fronts, of 470-féet i% length and' io o in height*,
enriched with numerous pilfers and pilaftfers: Thé Foundation was
laid in 1737, -thrée'pëlfë after-the'anèient palace had fallen a ifacrifice.-
fo the- flammes. Thé 'àüdiënte ’chamber is defervedly adîniréd, being a.
doublcédhè-of 9b feet, hung with erimfon velvet, and adorned with a*
fumptuous: -canopy and painted deling. The prado is a fpacibus
courfe, in which» khé great difplay their1 elegant equipages. At Mh-
drid are the royal manufaTures-of china, faltpetre, &c.’; but the city-
has- little trade, and chiefly profpers by the prefence of the court, and
confluence of the great, whofe rents are remitted to the capital fo the:
great injury of the kingdom at large:j
Next in real importance to Madrid ate the principal ffea-ports, which»
are enriched by commerce j while* the- cities motile Interior decline-
from the want o f agriculture and intend navigation. The commerce
of America formerly centered at Seville, but was afterwards: removed
to Cadiz, a city which i&fttppofed to contain about- 70,000» fouls. The
two cathedrals are grand ; and there is an hofpital which will contain.
6000 patienté.* T h r hofpiejof/or general workhoufé, ià an interefting
eftablifhment, containing more than 800 poor of all‘ages, who are here
trained to induftry.
* Townfend,1 î. 253. • * Had. » 374.
C it ie s j k b
T ow n s .
Madrid.
CSdfae
Malagas