Page:Impressions of Spain in 1866.djvu/48

32 commodious, and airy, and in which they have already upwards of eighty pupils. They have a very pretty chapel, and in the parlour a very beautiful picture of St. Elizabeth, by a modern artist.

One more 'lion' was visited before leaving Madrid, and that was the Armoury, which is indeed well worth a long and careful examination. The objects it contains are all of deep historical interest. There is a collar-piece belonging to Philip n., with scenes from the battle of St. Quentin exquisitely carved ; a helmet taken from the unfortunate Boabdil, the last Moorish king of Granada; beautiftJ Moorish arms and Turkish banners taken at the battle of Lepanto, in old Damascus inlaid-work; the swords of Boabdil, and of Ferdinand and Isabella; the armour of the Cid, of Christopher Columbus, of Charles V., of St. Ferdinand, and of Philip II.; the carnage of Charles V., looking like a large bassinet; exquisite shields, rapiers, swords, and helmets; some very curious gold ornaments, votive crowns, and crosses of the seventh century ; and heaps of other treasures too numerous to be here detailed. But our travellers were fairly exhausted by their previous sight-seeing, and gladly reserved their examination of the rest to a future day. At all times, a return to a place is more interesting