The playhouses.

many inward great endowments to stand in need of any outside decoration."

Of all diversions, the King takes most delight in that of shooting, which he performs with great exactness and dexterity. I have seen him divert himself at swallow shooting, (by all, I think, allowed to be the most difficult,) and exceeding all I ever saw. The last time I had the honour to see him, was on his return from that exercise. He had been abroad with the Duke of Medina Sidonia, and alighted out of his coach at a back door of the palace, with three or four birds in his hand, which, according to his usual custom, he carried up to the Queen with his own hands,

There are two playhouses in Madrid, at both which they act every day; but their actors, and their music, are almost too indifferent to be mentioned. The theatre at the Bueno Retiro is much the best; but as much inferior to ours at London, as those at Madrid are to that. I was at one play,

when both King and Queen were present. There was a splendid audience, and a great concourse of ladies; but the latter, as is the custom there, having lattices before them, the appearance lost most of its lustre. One very remarkable thing happened while I was there; the Ave-bell rung in the middle of an act, when down on their knees fell every body, even the players on the stage, in the middle of their harangue. They remained for some time at their devotion; then up they rose, and returned to the busi ness they were before engaged in, beginning where they left off.

The ladies of quality make their visits in grand state and decorum. The lady-visitant is carried in a chair by four men; the two first, in all weathers, always bare. Two others walk as a guard, one on each side; another carrying a large lanthorn for fear of being benighted; then follows a coach drawn by six mules, with her women, and after that another with her gentlemen; several servants walking after, more or less,

according to the quality of the person. They never suffer their servants to overload a coach, as is frequently seen with us; neither do coachmen or chairmen go or drive, as if they carried midwives in lieu of ladies. On the contrary, they affect a motion so slow and so stately, that you would rather imagine the ladies were every one of them near their time, and very apprehensive of a miscarriage.

I remember not to have seen here any horses in any coach, but in the King's, or an ambassador's; which can only proceed from custom, for certainly finer horses are not to be found in the world.

At the time of my being here, Cardinal Giudici was at Madrid; he was a tall, proper, comely man, and one that made the best appearance. Alberoni was there at the same time, who, upon the death of the Duke of Vendosme, had the good fortune to find the Princess Ursini his patroness; an instance of whose ingratitude will plead pardon for this little digression. That Princess

first brought Alberoni into favour at court. They were both of Italy, and that might be one reason of that lady's espousing his interest; though some there are that assign it to the recommendation of the Duke of Vendosme, with whom Alberoni had the honour to be very intimate, as the other was always distinguished by that Princess. Be which it will, certain it is, she was Alberoni's first and sole patroness; which gave many people afterwards a very smart occasion of reflecting upon him, both as to his integrity and gratitude. For when Alberoni, upon the death of King Philip's first Queen, had recommended this present lady, who was his countrywoman, (she of Parma, and he of Placentia, both in the same dukedom,) and had forwarded her match with the King with all possible assiduity; and when that Princess, pursuant to the orders she had received from the King, passed over into Italy to accompany the Queen elect into her own dominions; Alberoni, forgetful of the hand that first advanced

him, sent a letter to the present Queen, just before her landing, that if she resolved to be Queen of Spain, she must banish the Princess Ursini, her companion, and never let her come to court. Accordingly, that lady, to evince the extent of her power, and the strength of her resolution, dispatched that Princess away, on her very landing, and before she had seen the King, under a detachment of her own guards, into France; and all this without either allowing her an opportunity of justifying herself, or assigning the least reason for so uncommon an action. But the same Alberoni (though afterwards created cardinal, and for some time King Philip's prime minion) soon saw that ingratitude of his rewarded in his own disgrace, at the very same court.

I remember when at La Mancha, Don Felix Pachero, in a conversation there, maintained, that three women at that time ruled the world, viz. Queen Anne, Madam Maintenon, and this Princess Ursini.

Father Fahy's civilities, when last at Ma