A 17TH CENTURY BULL-FIGHT

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 132, 7 June 1930, Page 21

A 17TH CENTURY BULL-FIGHT

"SCARCELY BESEEMING : j CHRISTIANS"

By "Ajax."

' Last. Saturday morning found mo so busy that my usual half-hour with the "Dominion" paper had to bo reduced by about 98 per cent., and the minute or less that remained was just long enough to enablo me to skim the head-lines on the cable page and to see that under "Exciting Bull-fight—Protestors Invade- Arena—Pretty Girl as Leader" must'be the item that most concerned me. By lunch-time a holy calm prevailed which I prepared to enjoy with the aid of several books and papers. One of the books, chosen for no better reason than that it was a long time since I had opened it, and that from its reproachful look it seemed to be fully aware of the fact, was "The Harleiaii Miscellany." It is a selection made by Mr. Henry Savage from tho much larger book of the same name which was itself a selection of tracts and pamphlets in the library of Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford, and was first published in tho year's 174446. When I say tFiat Mr. Savage's selection includes such titles, as "Tho Invincible Armada," "Henry VIII.'s Love Letters," "A 17th Century Herosiarch" (the full title of this pamphlet is. "A"-Modest-Account of the wicked Life of that grand Impostor, Lodowiek Muggleton"), "The Gunpowder Treason," "Puritans in tho Pillory," "Old Parr," and "Tho Campden Mystery," it will.be seen to be not only as good as a novel for desultory readers like me, '.but' not unworthy of tho attention of more serious students.

On this occasion the took, revealed it quite .unexpected virtue and seemed to have been brought to my notice; by the Finger of Fate, for among; the flrat of the titles to catch my eye was "Bnll-iigbting'?—the one. subject in the .whole of last week's papers -that ■had .'a. few .'hours previously struck me as the niost suitable for treatment in this'column! The full title of this piece as given by Mr. Savage—one does not know how much lies concealed behindhis "ote."—is: —

An -impartial and brief Description of the Plaza, or sumptuous Market-place of Madrid, and the Bull-baitins there, etc. By James Salgado, a Spaniard. 1653.

Balgado.is fortunately more interested Jn describing the human scene, the magnitude, beauty, and cost of the preparations, the size of the crowds and the brilliance of ,the Eoyal party than to give, us details of the "sport"—unless, as seems hardly probable, this happy, disproportion is the editor's work.

: Th'e "sumptuous Market-place" of which',. Salgado speaks was evidently tho Plaza Mayor of Madrid] built by Philip 111. in 1619 and described in the "Encyclopaedia Britannica" as

a rectangle of- about 430ft t by 330 ft, foi'merly the scene of tournaments, bullfights, ■ autos da fe, acts of canonisation (including that of Ignatius Loyola in 1622), and similar exhibitions, which used to be viewed by the Royal Family from Ihe.balcoiiy of. one of the bouses called the Pa'nadcria (belonging to the gild of bakers). : - .

But at.a. bull-fight Salgado teUs us that no'less than. 30 of these balconies were needed to accommodate tho King and his Court.

Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, he writes, are neither-tso large, nor spacious, as this place''of, public resort at Madrid, which is exactly' square; being surrounded with houses, uniform al! along in their dimensions, erected to the altitude of five pair of stairs, with a great many most-curious windows,' and, balconies overlaid with the purest gold. Moreover, the square is level; to the end, that the foaming bulls, and prancing horses, may run their courses with the greater easiness and celerity. From the.ground to the first pair of stairs are reared up theatres made of timber for the people. The 30 balconies, set apart for the king and court, are sumptuously furnished with the richest tapestry, and choicest velvet, that money or art can purchase.

The present Plaza de Toros in Madrid is said to hold something over 12,000 spectators, but -from Salgado's description of the crowds in the Plaza Mayor one conjectures that the number was even larger.

The general confluence to their common play, he says, makes such a crowd that, notwithstanding the great number _of theatres, balconies, and windows mentioned elsewhere, none can purchase a-room in the first pair of stairs at a lower rate than 200 crowns; yea, and those-places which are not exposed to the scorching heat of the sun after 4 o'clock, must be supposed to amount to a greater sum of :money. Above the first row of windows, places may be got.more easily.

By S a.m., we are told, "no place can ,be found empty"—which, considering ithat the main performance was not to begin till 4 p.m., represented an enthusiasm about equal to that of the Wellington crowd which began filing into the Athletic Park at 10 a.m. on Tuesday; but.not greater. I think, if due allowance-be made for the difference beneath the June weather of Madrid — the'festival fell, Salgado says, in June or July—and that of .the Antipodes. « , •» » *

The morning game "called Encierio, or the Bringing Forth of the- Bull" is, according to Salgado, a very tame affair. .. ' It is, he says, a matter scarce worth our while, as being destitute of order or ornate! ant, by reason of the Court's absence. The afternoon begins in an extraordinary fashion suggestive of the old •Iloman days, but the writer takes so little interest in horrors that he cuts it short with a single sentence: — About two of the clock in the afternoon, 12 gladiators repair to the place, where all are permitted to fight, whom magnanimity, or boldness, shall excite thereto; which liberty would unquestionably produce sad tragedies, if full gaols, and empty purses, were not sufficient means to stop such disorder?. About 4 o'clock the nobility appear in their stately coaches, and the ground is sprinkled with water on account of the great heat of the sun. Which, while it is a setting, the King and Court, with the counsellors and -ambassadors, are' to be seen, to the great satisfaction of all persons. # * « ftBut the writer himself appears to be stirred to an intenser enthusiasm by the style and the efficiency of the constables and tho water-works.

Upon the back of this, he says, the loyal constables, being 12 in number, in good equipage, and mounted on horses, with the richest harness imaginable, drive away all persons and disorders; insomuch, that in a very short time, the constables are to be seen, and none else iu the plain square. Afterwards, 24 hogsheads of water are carried in waggons, resembling so many green mountains, because of their bigness, and being covered over with most fragrant herbs; those large vessels are the seats of 24 men, who, upon demand, open the bung-holes; so that, in au instant, tho whole plain is besprinkled with water. In the next place, the King's lifeguard, consisting of 100 Sprmiards, and as many German*, attend his ; hiajesty all along, being armed with halbcits; whom; coats ot red and yellovv; silk, and caps

!of the choicest black velvet, adorn exceedingly. After thus giving "a pretty clear idea of what is antecedaneous to the main thing in hand," Salgado naively suggests that his English readers

will be constrained, upon the most solid grounds and reasons imaginable, to join with me in the commendation of this festival, beyond any recreation in the world. I confess, France and Italy vaunt very much of their splendid gamps, as they call them; and the English, upon more just grounds, extol the costliness of their prizes, and the stateliness of their coursing horses; but, in my humble opinion, what I am a describing, may claim a right to the pre-eminence. » * » *

Having done full justice to all this "antecedaneous" matter, Salgado proceeds "to drive out one foaming bull" and to describe, with a minimum of offensive detail, its encounter with a man, apparently unmounted and armed with a lance. In a subsequent engagement six men on foot, carrying no weapon but "a dagger with some few rexones in a bag, which in length exceed not six or seven inches," are put up against four bulls. Though a sport which was then at least five or six centuries old has in the succeeding centuries been much elaborated, it seems to have been in substance then much i what it is to-day. But oven Spanish inhumanity has outgrown a few of the points mentioned by Salgado. Sometimes, he says, a very despicable peasant is set upon a. lean deformed horse, and exposed very often to a violent death because of his antagonist's strength and rage.

He also speaks of tho general engage-ment-mentioned above as being term hi. ated by a trumpet call:

then butchers' dogs and men armed with broad swords, quickly dispatch. _ the strength and violence of these formidable animals.

These horrors and those of the gladiatorial combats have gone, but otherwise there seems to have been no substantial improvement. . '■ ';# * * • *

One of these exhibitions' was brought into; touch with English history_ by. its beiiig held in honour of the Prince of Wales who afterwards became Charles I. Salgado spreads himself at great length'over a single episode. "The most furious boast yet seen which had overcome, yea, almost killed, two men of great' strength, courage, and dexterity "'was tackled by "a brisk lady in a most gorgeous apparel," who had' arrived,; attended by persons of quality.. When the bull. charged and the attendants'fled, the lady drew forth her dagger very unconcernedly, and thrust it most dexterously into the bull's neck, having catched hold of his horn; by which stroke without any more trouble, her design was brought to perfection: after which, turning about towards the King's balcony, she made her obeisance, and withdrew herself in suitable state and gravity.

This valiant lady was really a man. of great skill and experience whom they appointed to be disguised so much the rather, that the Prince ot Wales might be the more taken with the thing. The Prince was doubtless taken with the thing, but whether he was taken in is another question. Salgado's great admiration for the sport does not prevent his calling it "a recreation scarcely beseeming Christians:" The Prince's opinion is apparently not recorded.