in Spain than in any other country. At every inftant in affemblies and other meetings they are down upon their knees in adoration of the women, with whom they often hold converfations in this attitude. French customs, however, are fo introduced. into this place, that the more ancient begin to wear off. Tho' my rank would not permit me to go into the apartment where the king and queen were converfing with their ambaffadors and grandees, yet, as the doors were large and wide open, I heard what they faid nearly the fame as if I had been in the room. The queen complained of many things in Spain, and feemed to regret her banishment from Naples, for I can call her abfence from thence no other, tho' attended with the honor of being queen over a greater kingdom. She fays fhe cannot bear looking out of her chamber every morning into a court-yard, where there is nothing but a brazen ftatue of Philip the fifth. She muft undoubtedly regret the beautiful fea and

country

At

country views Naples ufed to afford. In her prefent converfation with the ambaffa-dors, the expreffed a great diflike to mules, which you know are almost the only animals made use of for draft in Spain. She declared she could not bear their great long shaking ears. But what the feemed moft enraged against, and with juftice, was the filthinefs of the streets of Madrid. "No, fays fhe, "to the king, I will not give thee a mo"ment's peace till they are cleaned." last, however, a bow and courtesy from the king and queen terminated the converfation, and they retired. Upon this the ambassadors and grandees came out of the drawing room to where we were, and we all went down ftairs together. I ought not to forget to tell you, that there was a great ftamping when the ambaffadors came out of the palace; for it is the custom for every fentry to ftamp with his feet when any ambaffador The coach being at

or grandee paffes.

VOL. II.

L

length

length come up, I rolled away with the -ambaffador to his houfe to dinner.

I will now proceed to my prefentation to the queen mother, which was yesterday. She was confort to Philip the fifth, and daughter of the duke of Parma, after whofe death the obtained that dutchy for her younger fon, the infant don Philip, tho' at the expence of embroiling all Europe. She has inverted almoft all the hours of the day. She gets up at one, dines at feven, fups at four in the morning, and goes to bed about day-break. Her rifing fo late makes her levee exceffively inconvenient. It is from two o'clock to half an hour after three, juft the time when most people are going to their after-dinner's repose in this place. We were obliged, however, to appear about one at the palace, to defire the lady in waiting to fpeak about my prefentation. The royal family all live separately and have feparate courts; the king and

queen

queen by themselves; the queen mother by herself; and the little family by themselves, and fo on. Tho' the whole palace of the Retiro is extremely ugly, the apartments of the queen mother are, I think, by far the worst. The entrance into her rooms seems more like going up to the boxes of a play-houfe than any thing elfe. Upon returning to court at the proper time, we came into her ante-chamber, where we were obliged to wait till word was brought of the queen's being ready to receive company. Many other perfons were in the room upon the fame errand as our ambaffador and myfelf, tho' fhe has lefs vifitors at her levee than if he was to receive company at a more convenient hour. The person who here ftruck me principally was, the inquifitor general, whofe face feemed entirely to correspond with the severity of his office. We converfed with various people, but no perfon entertained me fo much as the queen mother's physician. He talked much about L 2

her

her royal blood being in a very good difpos fition, and feveral other things in the fame ftrain. The doors, at laft, opened, and we were introduced into the queen's apartment. She was feated in a state chair next the wall, with her maids of honor ftanding by her. Upon my being introduced as an English gentleman, I made a low bow, and the queen began converfation with us all, as we ftood in a ring before her. She asked me in French how I liked Seville, as our ambaffador upon her enquiry had told her I came from thence laft. Upon my commending it, " yes, indeed, faid fhe, it is a very fine

city. I like it one of the beft in Spain; "but its neighbour, Grenada, is what I

66

can not endure." She had been about moft parts of Spain with her husband Philip the fifth, before that monarch was eftablished upon his throne by the peace of Utrecht, and afterwards he resided a good deal at Seville, where his mind is faid in great measure to have failed him before he