oned. The Dukes of
Infantado were proprietors of this castle.

The little town of Torijos contains a Gothic, or rather semi-Moorish
palace, two Gothic churches, an ancient picturesque gateway, and the
ruins of a magnificent monastery. It is one of those towns here and
there met with on the Continent, which, at a favourable crisis of the
arts, have fallen to the proprietorship of one of those individuals
idolised by architects--men whose overplus of fortune is placed at the
disposal of their eyes, and employed in ministering to the gratification
of those organs. The greater part of the decoration of Torijos dates
from the reign of Ferdinand the Catholic, when it belonged to D.
Gutiere de Cardenas, father of the first duke of Maqueda. The following
story is related respecting the founding of the monastery by his wife
Teresa Enriquez.

This lady resided, when at Toledo, in a mansion, the ruins of which
still exist, on the opposite side of the street to the monastery of San
Juan de los Reyes, of which I sent you a description in a former letter.
Being warmly attached to religious observances, (for she went by the
name of Teresa la Santa,) and animated with an enthusiastic fervour
towards everything which appertained to the splendid establishment in
front of her residence, she had discovered a position, from which a view
could be obtained, overlooking the principal scene of the religious
ceremonies of the Franciscans. She there caused a window to be
constructed, splendidly ornamented in the Arab style, and kneeling on a
rich _prie-dieu_, she united her daily devotions with those of the
_frailes_.

No small sensation was caused by this proceeding, most perceptible
probably within the monastery, on the discovery being made by the
brethren of the addition to their holy fraternity. The cardinal became
alarmed, and intimated to Dona Teresa that the window was
ill-placed,--that it admitted too much light in a wrong direction; that,
in short, it must disappear. The veto of the all-powerful Ximenes de
Cisneros, already regarded as the dispenser of the royal frowns and
favours, could not be resisted. The window was blocked up; but the
interference was replied to in terms pointed with pious pique and holy
revenge. The lady declared verbally to the prelate that she had no need
of his convent, for she would found a more splendid one at Torijos. This
threat, immediately put in execution, produced the building I mentioned
above, the r