the right the
cathedral and exchange, the embattled outer walls of the Alcazar stop
the view in front; varied here and there with square towers, and
containing in the centre an arched entrance. The present buildings
occupy the south-eastern corner of the ancient enclosure of the royal
residence, which comprised all the remaining space as far as the banks
of the river, passing round the south side of the cathedral, and, in
fact, including it in its precincts--an enclosure of about a mile and
a half in circumference. An old tower, or scrap of wall, indicates here
and there the position of the ancient buildings, the site of which is
now occupied by two or three _plazuelas_, or squares, and several
streets communicating between them. The present palace scarcely covers a
third of the original extent.

[Illustration: FACADE OF THE ALCAZAR, SEVILLE.]

Having passed through the first entrance, you are in a large square,
surrounded with buildings without ornament, and used at present as
government offices. At the opposite side another archway passes under
the buildings, and leads to a second large court. This communicates on
the left with one or two others; one of these is rather ornamental, and
in the Italian style, surrounded by an arcade supported on double
columns, and enclosing a garden sunk considerably below the level of the
ground. This court is approached by a covered passage, leading, as
already mentioned, from the left side of the second large square, the
south side of which--the side opposite to that on which we
entered--consists of the facade and portal of the inner palace of
all;--the Arab ornamental portion, the residence of the royal person.

At the right-hand extremity of this front is the entrance to the first
floor, approached by a staircase, which occupies part of the building on
that side of the square, and which contains the apartments of the
governor. The staircase is open to the air, and is visible through a
light arcade. The centre portal of this facade is ornamented, from the
ground to the roof, with rich tracery, varied by a band of blue and
white _azulejos_, and terminating in an advancing roof of carved cedar.
Right and left, the rest of the front consists of a plain wall up to the
first floor, on which small arcades, of a graceful design, enclose
retreating balconies and windows.

Entering through the centre door, a magnificent apartment has been
annihilated by two white partitions, rising from