gs, are of
wood.

One of the last mentioned apartments has an advantage over all the rest
of the palace, derived from its position. It opens on a terrace looking
over the antique gardens,--a view the most charming and original that
can be imagined. This room must be supposed to have been the boudoir of
Maria Padilla,--the object of the earliest and most durable of Pedro's
attachments; whose power over him outlived the influence of all his
future liaisons. It is indeed probable that the taste for this
residence, and the creation of a large portion of its beauties, are to
be attributed to the mistress, rather than to a gloomy and bloodthirsty
king, as Pedro is represented to have been, and whose existence was
totally unsuited to such a residence. In the Court of Dolls the portion
of pavement is pointed out on which his brother Don Fadrique fell,
slaughtered, as some say, by Pedro's own hand,--at all events in his
presence, and by his order.

This monarch, were his palace not sufficient to immortalize him, would
have a claim to immortality, as having ordered more executions than all
the other monarchs who ever ruled in Spain, added together. It appears
to have been a daily necessity for him; but he derived more than
ordinary satisfaction when an opportunity could be obtained of ordering
an archbishop to the block. The see of Toledo became under him the most
perilous post in the kingdom, next to that of his own relatives: but he
occasionally extended the privilege to other archbishopricks. It is a
relief to meet with a case of almost merited murder in so sanguinary a
list. Such may be termed the adventure of an innocent man, who, seeing
before him a noose which closes upon everything which approaches it,
carefully inserts his neck within the circumference.

This was the case of a monk, who, hearing that Pedro, during one of his
campaigns, was encamped in a neighbouring village, proceeded thither,
and demanded an audience. His request being immediately granted, no
doubt in the expectation of some valuable information respecting the
enemy's movements, the holy man commenced an edifying discourse, in
which he informed Don Pedro, that the venerabilissimo San Somebody (the
saint of his village) had passed a considerable time with him in his
dream of the previous night: that his object in thus miraculously
waiting upon him was, to request he would go to his Majesty, and tell
him, that, owing to the unpardonable disorders of hi