Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/26

SEVIGNE. 14 SEVILLE. Roclifiis, and visits, not always welcome, to her daugliter. In 1076 she visited V'iehy. From 1677 to 1678 Madame de Grignan was chiefly in Paris and the correspondence lagged. It was after- wards resumed in quite its early volume. Mother and daughter were together also at Paris from 1691 to 1694, but it was at Grignan that Madame de Sevigne died, April 17, 1696. The disease was smallpox and she was unattended by her daughter at the last. But Madame dc Grignan, by a certain poetic justice, died nine years later oi' the very malady whose infection she had ap- parently sacrificed her filial instinct to escape. The letters of Madame de Sevigiie are un- rivaled for their fresli charm, shrewd wit, and easy gaiety of heart. They form an almost com- plete and familiar chronicle of the Court and high society of the time (1669-1695). Their vi- vacity scarcely ever flags, whether she is telling of Court life, of scenes at the baths of Vichy, or of country society and diversions. She writes spontaneously, sketches vivid ])ictures in a few ra]iid strokes, or gives in sparkling narrative the social happenings of the day, meanwliile unwit- tingly revealing her own character. Madame de Sevigne enjoyed some literary fame during her lifetime. Her letters, as edited by Regnier and others (Paris, 1862-68, 2d ed. 1887 et seq.), fill, with some other correspondence, fourteen vol- umes, of whigh the first contains a Life, and two others (vols, xiii., xiv. ) a lexicon. Tliis is sup- plemented by Capmas, Lettres inMites de J/a- dame dc Scriffuc (Paris, 1876). There are many other editions complete and partial, the first in 1726, the most noteworthv. bv Monmerque. in 10 vols, (ib., 1818-19). 'Consult: Walckenaer, Memoires touchnnts la vie et les Merits de Madame de Sevigne (ib., 1842-52) ; Puliga, Madame de Serignd: Her Correspondents and Her Contemporaries (London, 1873); Miss Thackeray (Mrs. Ritchie). Madame de SH'igne in "Foreign Classics" (Edinburgh, 1881) : Bois- sieur, "Madame de Sevigne." in Lcs grands i^ci'i- ruins fram^ais ( I'aris, 1887) : Mason, ^yomen of the French i^aloiis (New York, 1891) ; Leon de la Bri&re, Madame de Hcvignf en Bretagne (Paris, 1882) ; Saporta, La famille de Madame de Se- vigne en proxnnee (ib., 1889) ; Sainte-BeuA-e, Por- traits de femmes (ib., 1856) ; id., Gauscries, vol. i. (ib., 1857-62) ; id., Nouveavx lundis. vol. ii. (ib., 186.1-72) ; Scherer, Etudes, vols. ii. and iii. (ib., 186.3-74) ; Re.vnaud, Les dcfauts de la conttcssc de Grignan (ib., 1895). SEVILLE, sc-vil' (Sp. Semlla, sa-ve'Iya). The capital of the province and of the former kingdom of Seville, in Andalusia, Spain, situ- ated on the left bank of the Guadalquivir, 58 miles north-northeast of Cadiz, and 75 miles soutliwest of Cordova (Map: Spain, C 4). Al- though the city lies 60 miles from the mouth of the river, the tide ascends 12 miles above it. Large portions of it lie below the high-water level of the river, with the result that the city has frequently suffereil from disastrous inundations. The climate is delightful, though the summers are very warm. The surrounding plain is e.x- ceedingly fertile and well cultivated. The city was formerly surroimded by a high wall, por- tions of which still remain. There is a wide and open strip of embankment along the river, and the latter is crossed by three bridges, one a rail- road bridge, to the suburb of Barrio de Triana. The city itself is a labyrinth of narrow, wind- ing streets and lanes: it still preserves its old jNIoorish aspect, and the Jloorish style of con- struction is seen here more characteristically, perhaps, than in any other Spanish city. The houses are generally of two stories and inclose the arcaded patio in the centre. Large sections of the city, however, especially the northern and western parts, have been encroaclied on by straight and regular streets. The principal squares within the city are the Alameda de Her- cules in the north, adorned with statues and several rows of trees ; the Plaza de San Fer- nando, faced by the city hall ; and the Plaza del Triunfo in the south, on which stand three of the most interesting buildings in the city, the cathedral, the Alcazar, and the Casa Lonja or exchange. The Cathedral of Seville is one of the largest and grandest Gothic structures in existence. It was begun in 1402 on the site of the old Moorish mosque which had formerly served as cathedral, and parts of which still remain as the Patio de los Xaranjos or Orange Court. It measures 380 by 250 feet; the nave is 53 feet wide and 132 feet high. It contains a wealth of art treasures. In 1882 restorations were begun, as the vaulting had been weakened by earthquakes, hut in 1888 the entire dome collapsed, destro.ying a great part of the interior. Adjacent to the cathedral and forming a part of the old mosque stands the remarkabk> tower of La Giralda. perhaps the most beautiful building in the city. It is a square tower 330 feet liigh. the upper 100 feet being a belfrv and dome added in the si.xteenth century. The top is surmounted by a bronze statue of Faith, 13 feet higli, which moves in the wind like a vane (giralda). The Alcazar was the palace of the Moorish kings and later of the Spanish sovereigns. It originally included the now isolated Torre de Oro, which stands on the river bank, and contains several beautiful patios almost rivaling those of the Alhambra. Other interesting buildings in the cit.v are the Casa de Pilatos; the magnificent Moorish-Renaissance palace of the Duke of Jledinaceli: the Palacio de Santelmo, situated among the parks near the river; the immense Fabrica de Tabacos, covering more than 6 acres; the bull ring, which is the largest in Spain next to that of Madrid and capable of seating 12,000 spectators. The educational establishments include a uni- versity founded in 1502, with faculties of law, pliilosophy. and science, a medical faculty situ- ated at Cadiz, and about 1400 students. There are also a provincial school of art. the Seminary of Saint Francis Xavier. an institute for secondary education, a normal school, numernus minor acad- emies, and the provincial librarv with 80.000 volumes. In the cathedral is installed the valu- able Columbian Library of 30.000 volumes, formed by Fernando Colon, son nf the discoverer, and including manuscripts of Columbus. The Indian archives, a collection of documents relating to the discoveries of the Indies, are installed in the Casa Lonja. and the city has also an interesting collection of municipal archives and a museum of archaeology. The Museum of Paintings eon- tains the largest and best collection of Murillo, wlio was born in Seville, and whose house is still to be seen there. A number of his works are also scattered through the various churches of the city. Among the charitable establishments