Selected quad for the lemma: city_n
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A44736
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A new English grammar prescribing as certain rules as the languages will bear, for forreners to learn English : ther is also another grammar of the Spanish or Castilian toung, with some special remarks upon
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Howell, James, 1594?-1666.
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1662
(1662)
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Wing H3095; ESTC R23452
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103,282
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288
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besides me thinks it is a fained thing Charles I have heard say that there were at one time fifteen thousand Scholars in Salamanca which me thinks is strange Spain being so thin peepled and there being 16 Vniversities more Philip. It may well be so because Salamanca is situated almost in the center of Spain whither they have easie recourse from all parts But the major part of the Scholars are Oppidanes who lodge out of the Colledges Charles I have read a Proverb A Farthing in Salamanca is better then a fair Face but you may please to proceed Philip. From Salamanca I took the Road of Segovia a famous place for many things which are there remarkable The first is the Monastery of Parral which is without the City Then the Mâ—nt-house Then the renowned Alcâ—sar and Segovia Bridge which indeed is but an Aqueduct made of marvellous big stones but above all the fine Woollen Cloths that are made there From Segovia I pass'd the Port of Guadarrama having in the way seen a great Edifice call'd La casa del Campo built among Woods and having pass'd Guadarrama I came to the Escurial the eighth wonder of the World But because there would need a whole Volume to describe as well the Church the Librarie the Quadrangles the Kings Quarter as also the delicate Waters Orchards and Fountains which are found there therfore I referre it to the diltgence and curiosity of such who desire to know things exactly and at large Charles Well I hope to see it one day if God give me the grace but what a glorious thing it is that one House should be a Monastery a Royal Palace and an Vniversity Philip. Being departed from the Escurial I went to Madrid passing in the way by La casa del prado where the King useth to reside often Charles Since we are now come to Madrid I pray what do you think of the Catholic Court. Philip. I will tell you no more but that it may be call'd a thin Court in comparison of others Charles How can that be the Spanish King being so great a Monarch and hath he not a Court correspondent to his greatnes Philip. You must know that there is a great deal of gravity and state in the Catholic Court but little noise and few people so that it may be call'd a Monastery rather then a Royal Court Charles By this means the King of Spain spends not much Philip. So little that I dare wager the French King spends more in Pages and Laquays then he of Spain among all his Court-Attendants Charles Is it possible Yet when I think well of it I find that he is more in the right in regard that much trouble and confusion is avoided which the French Court is subject unto Moreover the wast which is made in that Court is more then what is necessarily expended Philip. You have reason on your side besides ther are not so many insolencies committed in that Court which are done in farr lesser but he who will behold the greatnes of the King of Spain let him go to Naples or Sicilia to Mexico or Peru c. where the Spanish Vice-roys live in greater lustre and magnificence then the King himself doth in his Palace for so they call the Court in Madrid Charles Well let us give over speaking further of these Courts for a whole day would not suffice to discourse of this subject and pursue if you please your journey Philip. From Madrid I took the Road of Alcala de Henares a famous Vniversity and passing thence to Aranjuez which is another of the Kings Houses but excessive hot by its situation being as they say with the circumjacent Countrey of an African temper There are many curiosities to be seen there but I stayed as little as I could and went the way of Toledo the chief City of Old Castile and an Archbishopric the richest for Revenues except the Popedom of any in Christendom There is there a sumptuous Cathedral with a rich Tresury belonging thereunto Charles Did you see the Enchanted Tower As also the great Artifiâ—e whereby the Water ascends from the River to the upper part of the City which is so curious and so much spoken of Philip. Concerning the Tower I informed my self as much as I could but I could find nothing to any purpose so that I take it for a Fable But touching the Artifices of making the River-water to mount up I have seen better in Italy and Germany The peeple of Toledo is grave and subtil which was the cause of the Proverb From a Toledan take heed night and day The purest Castilian Dialect is spoken there so that there is a law in Spain if there be any ambiguity or that there happen any difference about the sense of a word a Toledan is to be Iudge Toledo also is renowned for some Ecumenical and General Councels which have been held there Charles I humbly thank you for these remarkable observations and may you please to go on in your journey Philip. From Toledo I passed by many places but I did not stay any time in them The most remarkabâ—e places were Talavera Truxilla Merida and Badaâ—â—z the Confines of Castile where Goods and Money are to be registred And three Leagues thence I was forced to register them again paying a certain Toll going out of Castile and entring into Portugal Charles What an odd importunity 〈◊〉 that to register so often and withall to pay something out of that small parcel of Money which one carries about him to put bread in his mouth Philip. There is no appeal but to the Purse and this may be the cause why so few Passengers are found in those Countreys and truly you may believe me I think I 〈◊〉 more Passengers 'twixt Paris and Orleans then I found well neer in all this journey through Spain Charles I am easily induced to believe that because the peeple that pass that way are so thick that it may be called a Procession Philip. 'T is very tru insomuch that I think ther 's more peeple in France 'twixt the Seine and the Loire taking them from their source till they disgorge into the Sea thâ—n there is in all Spain Charles I pray proceed still in the account of your journey if you please to favour mee so much Philip. Having entred Portugal I passed to Yelvas a pretty place and so to Villa viciosa then to Evora a City of account thence to Estremoso so to Monte Mayor and so by degrees to Lisbon a great City which may be compared to the best and biggest Cities of Europe having seven miles compass Charles Lisbon being so renowned a City because there is a Proverb Who hath not seen Lisbon hath not seen a good thing I pray Sir make som relation of it Philip. The City of Lisbon must needs be very ancient for her old name is Olisippo of Ulisses who passed that way she is situated upon the River Tagus and she hath traffic and
the first fortified place of Biscay and a sea Port. Charles In those frontire places are ther not Gards to look what Travellers passe Philip. Yes that ther are t is tru that at your entrance into Spain they give no obstacle but one thing must be don when one comes to Iron which is that the party must manifest all which he carries about him whether Goods or Iewels as likewise the very Money he carries for his ordinary expences all which he must register and pay what is taxed by the Customers then they give him a little Cedule which they call Albarà n and it is a kinde of Pasport because the Gards may not seize upon what he carries for want of registring Charles And are all kind of persons used thâ—â— whether Forren or Natives Philip. They except none and that which is worse the Gards who lye at the Catch at the other Gate if they please they will make you alight for to search whether one carries any thing that is not mention'd in the Albarà n But the best cours is for preventing this importunity to throw them a piece of Money according to the quality of the person Charles By this means Sir they know what Money one carries about him and so he runs a hazard to be follow'd and rob'd or it may be to be kil'd Philip. This needs not to be fear'd for there 's little ta'lk in Spain of High-way men and Thieves unlesse it be in Catalonia which is more frequented by Passengers then any other for all those who com from Italy or from those parts of France do pass that way to the Spanish Court moreover it is the most populous Province of Spain Charles Well when you parted from San Sebastian whither did you direct your cours Philip. I took the road of Navarr where I saw Pampelona the principal City of that Kingdom and therein the famous Castle which is somewhat like that of Antwerp Charles And doth not the Kingdom of Navarr appertain to the King of France Philip. That Kingdom divides it self into two parts that on this side the Pyrenean hills which belongs to the King of France the other beyond the Hills which is the Kings of Spain a goodly Countrey and gallant peeple not ill affected to the French Charles From thence whither did you bend your cours for in my judgment you left the ordinary Road that leads to Madrid Philip. 'T is a great truth for I left the Road of Victoria and the Port of Saint Adrian and struck in at Logronio a Countrey good enough situate upon the River of Ebro neer a Mountain where in ancient time the City of Cantabria was which gave the name to that Province which at this day contains Biscay Navarre Guipuzcoa and other particular places which were too long to relate now Charles Surely you have pretermitted divers other places which I find in the Map that are of the Kingdom of Navarre Philip. You dovery well to put me in remembrance and there are two signal places which I pretermitted And those are Estella de Navarra the Star of Navarre which is the Vniversity of that Kingdom and the Town is sited in a place full of amenity The other place is La puente de la Reyna the Queens-Bridge And besides those two there is another call'd Viana a corrupted name of Diana for in ancient times there was a Temple dedicated there to that Goddess Charles I pray passe on and doe not make a halt in places of small consideration for I believe you have a great journey to make Philip. Since you will have it so I will make a leap from Logronio to Santo Domingo de la Calçada which is a Town in Rioja neer the mountains de Oca of the Goose where is to be seen neer the Church a living Cock and Hen which were of the broâ—d of those that being roasted turned to life again Charles Peradventure they may be those of that Miracle which happened to a young French Pilgrim who was hang'd in that place for a Theef whose Parents returning from performance of their Pilgrimage to Santjago and passing by the Gallowes they found him alive again Philip. They say they are of the same And the custom is that the Passengers who go in Pilgrimage that way do take some of their Feathers and wear them in their Hats and were not the story too long I would give you a more particular account but I will put it off to another time Charles However I pray do me the favour Sir as to pursue what you have begun and may it be in a good hour Philip. Since it is your pleasure and that you delight so much therein I will proceed From San Domingo I passed to Burgos the Cape City of old Castile 'twixt whom and Toledo there have been often contests for priority Charles I have read so but in a Parlement which was held once at Toledo King Philip the Second appeased this Contestation very wisely for that time which happened thus The Burgesses of both Cities sitting in Parlement they contested who should speak first and the contest grew very hot when the King did suddenly rise and said Let Burgos speak touching Toledo I will speak for Her my self and to this day the King is counted Burgess of Toledo Philip. It was a very signal passage and were it for nothing else Philip the Second deserv'd the attribute of Prudent which is given him for this speech alone but let us go â—n In Burgos there is a Monastery without the City where that miraculous Crucifix is whose nails and hair are clip'd once a moneth The great Church of Burgos is a very stately Fabric There is also a Castle but not very considerable Charles And with your favor Whither did you direct your way from the City of Burgos Philip. To Valladolid a goodly fair Village and well peepled where one of the Chanceries of Spain resides Charles But do you call Valladolid a Village being so great a place and where the Catholick Court kept so long Philip. Yes Sir 't is but a Village because 't is not encompass'd with walls and they have two Proverbs Village for Village and Valladolid in Castile City for City and Lisbon in Portugal Charles Well let us detain our selfs no longer in this place let us proceed further if you please Philip. From thence I went to Medina del Campo an indifferent good Countrey where there are famous Libraries I went thither in the Evening nnd the next morning following I took the Roâ—d of Salamanca a great place and the most illustrious Vniversity of Spain I viewed there the Colledges which are in great number and well built As also the â—ridge rear'd up by the Romans and the Bull which is at the entrance wherof Lazarillo de Tormes speaks Charles Did it fortune you to see the House of Celestina Philip. Sir they pointed at the place where it was but I had not so much curiosity to go and see it