The Madrilenian society from the 18th century is a stated society, with juridical rules similar to those of the previous century. The nobility and the clergy continue with most of their privileges, although they diminished numerically. Their power and their wealth were maintained.

Neither all the nobility nor the whole clergy had the same category. Among the nobles, there were some vastly rich, with big territorial properties, who lived in Madrid although their birthplace has been another.

On the other side there were the illustrious come to less, some of which hardly had to eat. Something similar happened with the clergy.

Although the political importance of the nobility continued being important it was smaller than during the 17th century. Now, the king directed the politics personally, taking decisions although he consulted surrounded of people that he considered opportune, not always belonging to the high nobility, there being a clear ascent of the illustrious with university education.

The critic against the hereditary nobility was more and more abundant, because difficultly could be justified its privilege situation and permanent idleness.

Cadalso, in the 13th of his "Marruecas Letters" defined it in this way "... Hereditary nobility is the vanity that I am founded in that, eight hundred years before my birth, somebody that called as myself died and although he was a profit man, I am useless for everything."

This is not the only testimony that runs off against this social group who not only didn't create any wealth but also who consumed great quantity of goods.

But, the Bourbons Court was very different from that of the Austrias. Those splendid parties that called the foreign travellers attention finished.

Now, the etiquette is more rigid, the work more frequent and abundant and the parties were reduced in number and duration. The hunting was the only taste that, above all, both Charles maintained.

The noblemen, occupied the different employments in charge of the king's direct service and were four the fundamental positions who were in charge of these tasks: the Charitable Chief, the Steward Chief, the Stableman Chief and the Sumillers.

The first one, used to be a cardinal or bishop. On him depended the palace chapel and he was at the same time the Army's General Vicar, being helped by different chaplains, preachers, singers, and so on.

The second one, was responsible for the Royal House. He belonged to the highest nobility and he was the most important official in palace. He supervised all relative to the life inside the Court, included the administration.

The Stableman Chief prepared and controlled the king's activities outdoors: displacements, hunting, etc.

Lastly, the Sumillers were in charge of the good operation of the Royal Camera and the whole personnel of service: from the doctors to the washerwomen depended on him.

The low nobility was very numerous. Some authors affirm that twenty five per cent of the Madrilenian homes belonged to the illustrious. Most of the components of this group had the pride to reject the manual work. They preferred living with shortage to work with their hands.

In 1783 and against this situation, it was approved a decree which allowed to gain admittance to the nobility to whom demonstrates that, along three generations carried out a mercantile or industrial activity of public utility.

The clergy, was diminishing numerically along the century, spending of the population's four per cent by the middle of century to almost two per cent at the end of it.

Madrid was not a very excellent city from the point of view of the religious organization. It belonged to Toledo diocese, and the cardinal-archbishop of that city was the one that nominated the ecclesiastical post and gave instructions.

In spite of it, the Madrilenian clergy continued having great influence in the city. They controlled a great part of the urban surface and the parishes, from the medieval time, configured the administrative structure of the city.

Around the parishes a numerous group of people were living beside the clergymen, vergers, acolytes, bellringers, gravediggers and several more people. Most of the churches had some interesting sums received, coming from their properties and the payment for the religious services that they render.

Most of the religious orders had their convents in Madrid. Frequently, it was the most important of all those of that religious order in Spain. On monks and nuns' hands were hospitals and charity institutions, as well as most of the educational and cultural centers.

These Madrilenians religious orders - monks and nuns - distributed some 30.000 portions of soup daily between the poor people of the city.

The Jesuits' expulsion not only from Madrid but from Spain was an extraordinary event. They had been also expelled from Portugal and France. Their power and influence was enormous. They controlled the education and great part of the culture. Among this, they were the confessors of almost all the nobility and they were devoted to the business, loans, etc.

Probably, one of the factors that more influenced on it was their participation in revolts against Esquilache. In 1767, on the 1st of April, the monks abandoned, before many Madrilenians's incredulous eyes, the six big buildings they had in the city.

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