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Abstract
The grinning Philosopher (Fig. 1) seems to be one of the mysterious and ageless brotherhood of tramps and beggars. Coming to the palace of the Escorial with no special credentials, he was not turned away, but with four companions (Figs. 2–5), all tattered, shabby, or unkempt, he had the good luck to be lodged in the largest room of the royal suite. This was the apartment that Philip II had designed for his own use, that was once his audience-chamber and now, with the adjacent oratory and alcove, is remembered as the favorite and the last abode of the King. The somber spirit of the Prudent Monarch still pervades the suite, but the Wise Men have long since gone; and many who visit the royal habitation today and see it with its sixteenth century appointments and fittings restored are unaware that two hundred years ago the place bore an aspect very unlike either the pristine or the present.