is combattre a mes cotes."

The chain of mountains of Cuenca Requena Aragon y Abaracin, in which the
Tagus rises, does contain such excavations as Rolando employed for such
purposes as Rolando mentions, (1, 3, 11.) The grace of Carlos Alfonso de
la Ventolera in managing his cloak, was an Andalusian accomplishment,
and an accomplishment which ceased to prevail when the Bourbons entered
Spain. It could not have been applied to describe a Castilian, as it was
confined to the inhabitants of Murcia, Andalusia, Valencia, and la
Mancha. How could Le Sage have known this? When the Count Azumar dines
with Don Gonzalo Pacheco, the conversation turns on bull-fights, (2, 4,
7.)

"Leur conversation roula d'abord sur une course de taureaux qui
s'etoit faite depuis peu de jours. Ils parlerent des cavaliers qui
y avoient montre le plus d'adresse et de vigueur; et la-dessus le
vieux comte, tel que Nestor, a qui toutes les choses presentes
donnoient occasion de louer les choses passees, dit en
soupirant--Helas! je ne vois point aujourd'hui d'hommes comparables
a ceux que j'ai vus autrefois, ni les tournois ne se font pas avec
autant de magnificence qu'on les faisoit dans ma jeunesse."

This alludes to the "Caballeros de Plaza," as they were called,
gentlemen by birth animated by the love of glory, very different from
the hired Picadors. This custom of the Spanish gentlemen, which many of
our fox-hunting and pheasant-shooting squires will condemn for its
cruelty, was very common during the reigns of Philip III. and IV., but
gradually declined, and was at last only prevalent at the _Fiestas
Reales_. The last example was known in 1789, to celebrate the _jura_ of
the Prince of Asturia, afterwards the pious and exemplary Ferdinand VII.
This must have been before his attempted parricide. Ambrosio de Lamela,
in order to accomplish his designs on Simon, (2, 6, 1,) purchases
articles at Chelva in Valencia, among others--

"Il nous fit voir un manteau et une robe noire fort longue, deux
pourpoints avec leurs hauts-de-chausses, une de ces ecritoires
composees de deux pieces liees par un cordon, et dont le cornet est
separe de l'etui ou l'on met les plumes; une main de beau papier
blanc un cadenas avec un gros cachet, et de la cire verte; et
lorsqu'il nous eut enfin exhibe toutes ses emplettes, Don Raphael
lui dit en plaisantant: Vive Dieu! Monsieur Ambroise, il faut