SPANISH ROMANCES. No. V. The graver poets of Spain have re- but excited religious feeling. In proved the gay and joyous character Andalusia, when death has entered which the Spaniards are wont to give the villages, the Rosario del Aurora to their devotions ; but if such devo- visits the nearest relative of the dead tions are not solemn, they are at least before the break of day, and conducts sincere—which is, perhaps, the rarer him to the tomb of the departed, and the better virtue. A romantic and where he kneels down, encircled by poetical spirit pervades almost all the his friends, who pour forth their religious acts of the people. He must plaints and their prayers. They who be made of stern and sorry stuff who have never witnessed scenes like has seen the parade, and heard the these may fancy them in all their songs, of the Rosario del Aurora with« vivid and imposing imagery—twiout sympathy. This interesting pro- light--and tears and hymns--and the cession takes place late on Saturday grave. No delirium of joy-no bitnight, and lasts till the dawning of terness of sorrow, ever left a deeper the Sabbath sun. Devout and pious impress than this funeral picture has emotions, blended with a sober mea- stamped on him who has once been sured gaiety, find utterance in a pe- present. culiar hymn which is remarkable for Thus are the religious feelings its sweetness and its melancholy; blended with the daily pursuits of and the hours which are commonly life—and those pursuits become elegiven to repose are here consecrated vated and sanctified by devout assoto the pathetic effusions of natural ciations. Que producirá mi Dios, “ Si, mas de el se han de coger tierra que regais asi ? " guirnaldas muy diferentes.” “ Las espinas para mi, Cuyas han de ser, mi Dios, y las flores para vos." esas guirnaldas, deci ? Regarda con tales fuentes “ Las de espinas para mi, jardin se habrá de hacer ! las de flores para vos."-Böhl, No. 47. WHAT SHALL THE LAND PRODUCE. What shall the land produce, that thou Art watering, God! so carefully? « Thorns to bind around my brow, “ Flowers to form a wreath for thee.” Streams from such a hand that flow Soon shall form a garden fair ! “ Yes! but different wreaths shall grow “ From the plants I water there." Tell me who, my God! shall wear, Wear the garlands round their brow? “ I the wreath of thorns shall bear, “ And the flowery garland thou.” Whatever delusions, whatever er- lady of the rosary—and our lady of rors, superstition may have intere sorrow, have their special virtues, and woven with popular belief in Spain, their particular votaries. Sometimes --there is much that is affecting and the Virgin appears a sublime and imdramatic in its external observances. posing epic heroine-and at others a The mother of God is more various tender friend, weeping with those in her forms than the Hindoo Vishnu. who weep-and mingling sympathies Her personifications are infinite with every species of woe. What and in each she has a peculiar iden- Spanish maid ever felt the first intity. The Virgin of Mount Carmen fluences of love without singing the —and the Virgin of Montserrat, are well-known coupletdistinct and separate characters. Our La virgen de las angustias the bitter pangs—the virgin of death: es la que sabe mi mal; while to every designation innume meto en su capilla merable poetical compositions, or roy no me harto de llorar. mances, are attached. Sometimes a Virgin of grief ! she knows my woe; high tone of reverence and devotion Then to her sacred shrine I'll go, is assumed-at others all the familiaRecount to her my sorrows o'er, rity of fond and tender affection. And weep till I can weep no more. Now all the chivalric ardour of ferBut Mary, when giving birth to vent and vehement love-and now the infant Jesus, is of all objects the the trembling and hesitating expresmost beloved. She is represented in sion of fear and awe. a thousand forms, and with a thou- These lines were written in the sand titles: the virgin of pain—the 15th century, by Pero Lopez de virgin of agony-the virgin of dejec- Ayala, while in prison in England. tion—the virgin of life—the virgin of Señota, Estrella luciente A canela bien oliente Al cedro en la altura la eglesia tu fermosura De la mar eres estrella LADY! STAR. OF BRIGHTEST ŘÁY. Lady! star of brightest ray, Thou art like the fragrant bough Thee has wisdom's son compar'd Brightest planet of the sea, In the Romerias-or religious fess of thousands with joyous devotiontivals, compositions are often sung, they are the intellectual spirit of the alike remarkable for their simplicity pageant—the living principle that and their tenderness. They are di- endures when the flowers are faded, vested of their magic power when the music is hushed, and the altar they are thus presented in their sunk in the dust. nakedness; but they fill the hearts Onward, fair maiden- crowing, This ass, kind and faithful, Thus again, that most energetic and condensed description of the crucis fixion, by Maria Doceo. Piedra levantada la flor al morir vida amenazada el sol sin salir : injurias oidas ¿quien tal sufre-quien ? quien quiere bien. Suspiros cansados clamores negados ¿ quien tal sufre-quien ? lagrimas vertidas quien quiere bien. glorias escondidas Luces apagadas ausencia punzante cayendo pedradas sin ver al amante : los ayres armados ¿ quien tal sufrem quien ? cabellos volados quien quiere bien. el llanto en los ojos Estrella embozada los pies entre abrojos la suerte encontrada ¿ quien tal sufre-quien ? caminar penoso quien quiere bien. temple riguroso El camino estrecho el puerto perdido oprimido el pecho de todos herido: triste el corazon ¿quien tal sufre-quien ? del mundo irrision quien quiere bien. THE STONES THEY RAISE. The stones they raise, A clouded star, But in the midst of the supersti- bald head (calva) of St. Peter, for extions that deform and degrade the ample, is bared to numberless epipublic profession of religion in Spain grams and jokes. Reverence itself -superstition itself, and especially becomes tainted by familiarity—and the faults and follies of its representa- religion, being but a garment with tives, the monks and friars, are often splendid trappings, is thrown off the subjects of pungent satire, and bit- when the pageant is over. We have ter animadversion. Of the influence heard the saints abused in language of the Spanish drama, in counteracting the most vehement and ungoverned, the gross absurdites of ultra Catho- when they have appeared unpropilicism, we may have occasion to tious to their votary-We have seen speak hereafter. In the comedies of St. Anthony dashed into the Tagus, the Principe tonto (the crazy Prince), when, after repeated prayers, he has -el Diablo Predicador (the Devil refused to bring the wind from the turned Preacher),-the abuses of the quarter friendly to the boatman's regular clergy are treated with the course. sharpest ridicule-nor does ridicule The Romanceros have versified a stop here, for there are a hundred great variety of subjects from Holy couplets, which pass from tongue to Writ. A single specimen may suftongue, in which doubt and scepti- fice, which is to be found in all the cism find vent; and among others, the old collections. Con rabia está el Rey David enemigas de razon rasgando su corazou o Jonatas que hiziste sabiendo que alli en la lid no lo merecia no le mataron Absalon miraras que era hijo cubriose la su cabeza engendrado en bendicion y subiose a un mirador que quien le dava la muerte con lagrimas de sus ojos me doblava la passion sus canas regadas son si era desobediente hablando de la su boca yo te otorgara perdon dice esta lamentacion si mi mandado cumplieras o fili mi fili mi truxeras me lo a prision o fili mi Absalon o madre que tal pariste que es de la tu hermosura como auras consolacion tu estremada perfeccion rompanse las tus entrañas los tus cabellos dorados rasgue se el corazon parecian rayos del sol lloremos le padre y madre tus ojos lindos azules el fruto de bendicion: que jacinta de Sion o fili mi fili mi o manos que tal hizieron o fili mi Absalon. DAVID THE KING IS MAD WITH GRIEF. David the king is mad with grief, |