The Bible in Spain

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I remained in Cordova much longer than I had originally intended,
owing to the accounts which I was continually hearing of the unsafe
state of the roads to Madrid. I soon ransacked every nook and
cranny of this ancient town, formed various acquaintances amongst
the populace, which is my general practice on arriving at a strange
place. I more than once ascended the side of the Sierra Morena, in
which excursions I was accompanied by the son of my host,--the tall
lad of whom I have already spoken. The people of the house, who
had imbibed the idea that I was of the same way of thinking as
themselves, were exceedingly courteous; it is true, that in return
I was compelled to listen to a vast deal of Carlism, in other
words, high treason against the ruling powers in Spain, to which,
however, I submitted with patience. "Don Jorgito," said the
landlord to me one day, "I love the English; they are my best
customers. It is a pity that there is not greater union between
Spain and England, and that more English do not visit us. Why
should there not be a marriage? The king will speedily be at
Madrid. Why should there not be bodas between the son of Don
Carlos and the heiress of England?"

"It would certainly tend to bring a considerable number of English
to Spain," said I, "and it would not be the first time that the son
of a Carlos has married a Princess of England."

The host mused for a moment, and then exclaimed, "Carracho, Don
Jorgito, if this marriage could be brought about, both the king and
myself should have cause to fling our caps in the air."

The house or posada in which I had taken up my abode was
exceedingly spacious, containing an infinity of apartments, both
large and small, the greater part of which were, however,
unfurnished. The chamber in which I was lodged stood at the end of
an immensely long corridor, of the kind so admirably described in
the wondrous tale of Udolfo. For a day or two after my arrival I
believed myself to be the only lodger in the house. One morning,
however, I beheld a strange-looking old man seated in the corridor,
by one of the windows, reading intently in a small thick volume.
He was clad in garments of coarse blue cloth, and wore a loose
spencer over a waistcoat adorned with various rows of small buttons
of mother of pearl; he had spectacles upon his nose. I could
perceive, notwithstanding he was seated, that his stature bordered
upon the gigantic. "Who is that person?" said I to the landlord,
whom I presently met; "is he also a guest of yours?" "Not exactly,
Don Jorge de mi alma," replied he, "I can scarcely call him a
guest, inasmuch as I gain nothing by him, though he is staying at
my house. You must know, Don Jorge, that he is one of two priests
who officiate at a large village at some slight distance from this
place. So it came to pass, that when the soldiers of Gomez entered
the village, his reverence went to meet them, dressed in full
canonicals, with a book in his hand, and he, at their bidding,
proclaimed Carlos Quinto in the market-place. The other priest,
however, was a desperate liberal, a downright negro, and upon him
the royalists laid their hands, and were proceeding to hang him.
His reverence, however, interfered, and obtained mercy for his
colleague, on condition that he should cry Viva Carlos Quinto!
which the latter did in order to save his life. Well; no sooner
had the royalists departed from these parts than the black priest
mounts his mule, comes to Cordova, and informs against his
reverence, notwithstanding that he had saved his life. So his
reverence was seized and brought hither to Cordova, and would
assuredly have been thrown into the common prison as a Carlist, had
I not stepped forward and offered to be surety that he should not
quit the place, but should come forward at any time to answer
whatever charge might be brought against him; and he is now in my
house, though guest I cannot call him, for he is not of the
slightest advantage to me, as his very food is daily brought from
the country, and that consists only of a few eggs and a little milk
and bread. As for his money, I have never seen the colour of it,
notwithstanding they tell me that he has buenas pesetas. However,
he is a holy man, is continually reading and praying and is,
moreover, of the right opinion. I therefore keep him in my house,
and would be bail for him were he twenty times more of a skinflint
than he seems to be."

The next day, as I was again passing through the corridor, I
observed the old man in the same place, and saluted him. He
returned my salutation with much courtesy, and closing the book,
placed it upon his knee as if willing to enter into conversation.
After exchanging a word or two, I took up the book for the purpose
of inspecting it.

"You will hardly derive much instruction from that book, Don
Jorge," said the old man; "you cannot understand it, for it is not
written in English."

"Nor in Spanish," I replied. "But with respect to understanding
the book, I cannot see what difficulty there can be in a thing so
simple; it is only the Roman breviary written in the Latin tongue."

"Do the English understand Latin?" exclaimed he. "Vaya! Who would
have thought that it was possible for Lutherans to understand the
language of the church? Vaya! the longer one lives the more one
learns."

"How old may your reverence be?" I inquired.

"I am eighty years, Don Jorge; eighty years, and somewhat more."

Such was the first conversation which passed between his reverence
and myself. He soon conceived no inconsiderable liking for me, and
favoured me with no little of his company. Unlike our friend the
landlord, I found him by no means inclined to talk politics, which
the more surprised me, knowing, as I did, the decided and hazardous
part which he had taken on the late Carlist irruption into the
neighbourhood. He took, however, great delight in discoursing on
ecclesiastical subjects and the writings of the fathers.

"I have got a small library at home, Don Jorge, which consists of
all the volumes of the fathers which I have been able to pick up,
and I find the perusal of them a source of great amusement and
comfort. Should these dark days pass by, Don Jorge, and you should
be in these parts, I hope you will look in upon me, and I will show
you my little library of the fathers, and likewise my dovecote,
where I rear numerous broods of pigeons, which are also a source of
much solace and at the same time of profit."

"I suppose by your dovecote," said I, "you mean your parish, and by
rearing broods of pigeons, you allude to the care you take of the
souls of your people, instilling therein the fear of God, and
obedience to his revealed law, which occupation must of course
afford you much solace and spiritual profit."

"I was not speaking metaphorically, Don Jorge," replied my
companion; "and by rearing doves, I mean neither more nor less than
that I supply the market of Cordova with pigeons, and occasionally
that of Seville; for my birds are very celebrated, and plumper or
fatter flesh than theirs I believe cannot be found in the whole
kingdom. Should you come into my village, you will doubtless taste
them, Don Jorge, at the venta where you will put up, for I suffer
no dovecotes but my own within my district. With respect to the
souls of my parishioners, I trust I do my duty--I trust I do, as
far as in my power lies. I always took great pleasure in these
spiritual matters, and it was on that account that I attached
myself to the Santa Casa of Cordova, the duties of which I assisted
to perform for a long period."

"Your reverence has been an inquisitor?" I exclaimed, somewhat
startled.

"From my thirtieth year until the time of the suppression of the
holy office in these afflicted kingdoms."

"You both surprise and delight me," I exclaimed. "Nothing could
have afforded me greater pleasure than to find myself conversing
with a father formerly attached to the holy house of Cordova."

The old man looked at me steadfastly; "I understand you, Don Jorge.
I have long seen that you are one of us. You are a learned and
holy man; and though you think fit to call yourself a Lutheran and
an Englishman, I have dived into your real condition. No Lutheran
would take the interest in church matters which you do, and with
respect to your being an Englishman, none of that nation can speak
Castilian, much less Latin. I believe you to be one of us--a
missionary priest, and I am especially confirmed in that idea by
your frequent conversations and interviews with the Gitanos; you
appear to be labouring among them. Be, however, on your guard, Don
Jorge, trust not to Egyptian faith; they are evil penitents, whom I
like not. I would not advise you to trust them."

"I do not intend," I replied; "especially with money. But to
return to more important matters: --of what crimes did this holy
house of Cordova take cognizance?"

"You are of course aware of the matters on which the holy office
exercises its functions. I need scarcely mention sorcery, Judaism,
and certain carnal misdemeanours."

"With respect to sorcery," said I, "what is your opinion of it? Is
there in reality such a crime?"

"Que se io {12}?" said the old man, shrugging up his shoulders.
"How should I know? The church has power, Don Jorge, or at least
it had power, to punish for anything, real or unreal; and as it was
necessary to punish in order to prove that it had the power of
punishing, of what consequence whether it punished for sorcery or
any other crime."

"Did many cases of sorcery occur within your own sphere of
knowledge?"

"One or two, Don Jorge; they were by no means frequent. The last
that I remember was a case which occurred in a convent at Seville:
a certain nun was in the habit of flying through the windows and
about the garden over the tops of the orange trees; declarations of
various witnesses were taken, and the process was arranged with
much formality; the fact, I believe, was satisfactorily proved: of
one thing I am certain, that the nun was punished."

"Were you troubled with much Judaism in these parts?"

"Wooh! Nothing gave so much trouble to the Santa Casa as this same
Judaism. Its shoots and ramifications are numerous, not only in
these parts, but in all Spain; and it is singular enough, that even
among the priesthood, instances of Judaism of both kinds were
continually coming to our knowledge, which it was of course our
duty to punish."

"Is there more than one species of Judaism?" I demanded.

"I have always arranged Judaism under two heads," said the old man,
"the black and the white: by the black, I mean the observance of
the law of Moses in preference to the precepts of the church; then
there is the white Judaism, which includes all kinds of heresy,
such as Lutheranism, freemasonry, and the like."

"I can easily conceive," said I, "that many of the priesthood
favoured the principles of the reformation, and that the minds of
not a few had been led astray by the deceitful lights of modern
philosophy, but it is almost inconceivable to me that there should
be Jews amongst the priesthood who follow in secret the rites and
observances of the old law, though I confess that I have been
assured of the fact ere now."

"Plenty of Judaism amongst the priesthood, whether of the black or
white species; no lack of it, I assure you, Don Jorge; I remember
once searching the house of an ecclesiastic who was accused of the
black Judaism, and after much investigation, we discovered beneath
the floor a wooden chest, in which was a small shrine of silver,
inclosing three books in black hogskin, which, on being opened,
were found to be books of Jewish devotion, written in Hebrew
characters, and of great antiquity; and on being questioned, the
culprit made no secret of his guilt, but rather gloried in it,
saying that there was no God but one, and denouncing the adoration
of Maria Santissima as rank idolatry."

"And between ourselves, what is your own opinion of the adoration
of this same Maria Santissima?"

"What is my opinion! Que se io?" said the old man, shrugging up
his shoulders still higher than on the former occasion; "but I will
tell you; I think, on consideration, that it is quite right and
proper; why not? Let any one pay a visit to my church, and look at
her as she stands there, tan bonita, tan guapita--so well dressed
and so genteel--with such pretty colours, such red and white, and
he would scarcely ask me why Maria Santissima should not be adored.
Moreover, Don Jorgito mio, this is a church matter and forms an
important part of the church system."

"And now, with respect to carnal misdemeanours. Did you take much
cognizance of them?"

"Amongst the laity, not much; we, however, kept a vigilant eye upon
our own body, but, upon the whole, were rather tolerant in these
matters, knowing that the infirmities of human nature are very
great indeed: we rarely punished, save in cases where the glory of
the church and loyalty to Maria Santissima made punishment
absolutely imperative."

"And what cases might those be?" I demanded.

"I allude to the desecration of dovecotes, Don Jorge, and the
introduction therein of strange flesh, for purposes neither seemly
nor convenient."

"Your reverence will excuse me for not yet perfectly
understanding."

"I mean, Don Jorge, certain acts of flagitiousness practised by the
clergy in lone and remote palomares (dovecotes) in olive grounds
and gardens; actions denounced, I believe, by the holy Pablo in his
first letter to Pope Sixtus. {13} You understand me now, Don
Jorge, for you are learned in church matters."

"I think I understand you," I replied.

After remaining several days more at Cordova, I determined to
proceed on my journey to Madrid, though the roads were still said
to be highly insecure. I, however, saw but little utility in
tarrying and awaiting a more tranquil state of affairs, which might
never arrive. I therefore consulted with the landlord respecting
the best means of making the journey. "Don Jorgito," he replied,
"I think I can tell you. You say you are anxious to depart, and I
never wish to keep guests in my house longer than is agreeable to
them; to do so, would not become a Christian innkeeper: I leave
such conduct to Moors, Christinos, and Negroes. I will further you
on your journey, Don Jorge: I have a plan in my head, which I had
resolved to propose to you before you questioned me. There is my
wife's brother, who has two horses which he occasionally lets out
for hire; you shall hire them, Don Jorge, and he himself shall
attend you to take care of you, and to comfort you, and to talk to
you, and you shall pay him forty dollars for the journey.
Moreover, as there are thieves upon the route, and malos sujetos,
such as Palillos and his family, you shall make an engagement and a
covenant, Don Jorge, that provided you are robbed and stripped on
the route, and the horses of my wife's brother are taken from him
by the thieves, you shall, on arriving at Madrid, make good any
losses to which my wife's brother may be subject in following you.
This is my plan, Don Jorge, which no doubt will meet with your
worship's approbation, as it is devised solely for your benefit,
and not with any view of lucre or interest either to me or mine.
You will find my wife's brother pleasant company on the route: he
is a very respectable man, and one of the right opinion, and has
likewise travelled much; for between ourselves, Don Jorge, he is
something of a Contrabandista and frequently smuggles diamonds and
precious stones from Portugal, which he disposes of sometimes in
Cordova and sometimes at Madrid. He is acquainted with all the
short cuts, all the atajos, Don Jorge, and is much respected in all
the ventas and posadas on the way; so now give me your hand upon
the bargain, and I will forthwith repair to my wife's brother to
tell him to get ready to set out with your worship the day after
to-morrow."

CHAPTER XVIII

Departure from Cordova--The Contrabandista--Jewish Cunning--Arrival
at Madrid.

One fine morning, I departed from Cordova, in company with the
Contrabandista; the latter was mounted on a handsome animal,
something between a horse and a pony, which he called a jaca, of
that breed for which Cordova is celebrated. It was of a bright bay
colour, with a star in its forehead, with strong but elegant limbs,
and a long black tail, which swept the ground. The other animal,
which was destined to carry me to Madrid, was not quite so
prepossessing in its appearance: in more than one respect it
closely resembled a hog, particularly in the curving of its back,
the shortness of its neck, and the manner in which it kept its head
nearly in contact with the ground: it had also the tail of a hog,
and meandered over the ground much like one. Its coat more
resembled coarse bristles than hair, and with respect to size, I
have seen many a Westphalian hog quite as tall. I was not
altogether satisfied with the idea of exhibiting myself on the back
of this most extraordinary quadruped, and looked wistfully on the
respectable animal on which my guide had thought proper to place
himself; he interpreted my glances, and gave me to understand that
as he was destined to carry the baggage, he was entitled to the
best horse; a plea too well grounded on reason for me to make any
objection to it.

I found the Contrabandista by no means such pleasant company on the
road as I had been led to suppose he would prove from the
representation of my host of Cordova. Throughout the day he sat
sullen and silent, and rarely replied to my questions, save by a
monosyllable; at night, however, after having eaten well and drank
proportionably at my expense, he would occasionally become more
sociable and communicative. "I have given up smuggling," said he,
on one of these occasions, "owing to a trick which was played upon
me the last time that I was at Lisbon: a Jew whom I had been long
acquainted with palmed upon me a false brilliant for a real stone.
He effected it in the most extraordinary manner, for I am not such
a novice as not to know a true diamond when I see one; but the Jew
appears to have had two, with which he played most adroitly,
keeping the valuable one for which I bargained, and substituting
therefor another which, though an excellent imitation, was not
worth four dollars. I did not discover the trick until I was
across the border, and upon my hurrying back, the culprit was not
to be found; his priest, however, told me that he was just dead and
buried, which was of course false, as I saw him laughing in the
corners of his eyes. I renounced the contraband trade from that
moment."

It is not my intention to describe minutely the various incidents
of this journey. Leaving at our right the mountains of Jaen, we
passed through Andujar and Bailen, and on the third day reached
Carolina, a small but beautiful town on the skirts of the Sierra
Morena, inhabited by the descendants of German colonists. Two
leagues from this place, we entered the defile of Despena Perros,
which, even in quiet times, has an evil name, on account of the
robberies which are continually being perpetrated within its
recesses, but at the period of which I am speaking, it was said to
be swarming with banditti. We of course expected to be robbed,
perhaps stripped and otherwise ill-treated; but Providence here
manifested itself. It appeared that, the day before our arrival,
the banditti of the pass had committed a dreadful robbery and
murder, by which they gained forty thousand rials. This booty
probably contented them for a time; certain it is that we were not
interrupted: we did not even see a single individual in the pass,
though we occasionally heard whistles and loud cries. We entered
La Mancha, where I expected to fall into the hands of Palillos and
Orejita. Providence again showed itself. It had been delicious
weather, suddenly the Lord breathed forth a frozen blast, the
severity of which was almost intolerable; no human beings but
ourselves ventured forth. We traversed snow-covered plains, and
passed through villages and towns to all appearance deserted. The
robbers kept close in their caves and hovels, but the cold nearly
killed us. We reached Aranjuez late on Christmas Day, and I got
into the house of an Englishman, where I swallowed nearly a pint of
brandy; it affected me no more than warm water.

On the following day we arrived at Madrid, where we had the good
fortune to find everything tranquil and quiet. The Contrabandista
continued with me for two days, at the end of which time he
returned to Cordova upon the uncouth animal on which I had ridden
throughout the journey. I had myself purchased the jaca, whose
capabilities I had seen on the route, and which I imagined might
prove useful in future journeys. The Contrabandista was so
satisfied with the price which I gave him for his beast, and the
general treatment which he had experienced at my hands during the
time of his attendance upon me, that he would fain have persuaded
me to retain him as a servant, assuring me that, in the event of my
compliance, he would forget his wife and children and follow me
through the world. I declined, however, to accede to his request,
though I was in need of a domestic; I therefore sent him back to
Cordova, where, as I subsequently learned, he died suddenly, about
a week after his return.

The manner of his death was singular: one day he took out his
purse, and, after counting his money, said to his wife, "I have
made ninety-five dollars by this journey with the Englishman and by
the sale of the jaca; this I could easily double by one successful
venture in the smuggling lay. To-morrow I will depart for Lisbon
to buy diamonds. I wonder if the beast requires to be shod?" He
then started up and made for the door, with the intention of going
to the stable; ere, however, his foot had crossed the threshold, he
fell dead on the floor. Such is the course of the world. Well
said the wise king: Let no one boast of the morrow.

CHAPTER XIX

Arrival at Madrid--Maria Diaz--Printing of the Testament--My
Project--Andalusian Steed--Servant Wanted--An Application--Antonio
Buchini--General Cordova--Principles of Honour.

On my arrival at Madrid I did not repair to my former lodgings in
the Calle de la Zarza, but took others in the Calle de Santiago, in
the vicinity of the palace. The name of the hostess (for there
was, properly speaking, no host) was Maria Diaz, of whom I shall
take the present opportunity of saying something in particular.

She was a woman of about thirty-five years of age, rather good-
looking, and with a physiognomy every lineament of which bespoke
intelligence of no common order. Her eyes were keen and
penetrating, though occasionally clouded with a somewhat melancholy
expression. There was a particular calmness and quiet in her
general demeanour, beneath which, however, slumbered a firmness of
spirit and an energy of action which were instantly displayed
whenever necessary. A Spaniard and, of course, a Catholic, she was
possessed of a spirit of toleration and liberality which would have
done honour to individuals much her superior in station. In this
woman, during the remainder of my sojourn in Spain, I found a firm
and constant friend, and occasionally a most discreet adviser: she
entered into all my plans, I will not say with enthusiasm, which,
indeed, formed no part of her character, but with cordiality and
sincerity, forwarding them to the utmost of her ability. She never
shrank from me in the hour of danger and persecution, but stood my
friend, notwithstanding the many inducements which were held out to
her by my enemies to desert or betray me. Her motives were of the
noblest kind, friendship and a proper feeling of the duties of
hospitality; no prospect, no hope of self-interest, however remote,
influenced this admirable woman in her conduct towards me. Honour
to Maria Diaz, the quiet, dauntless, clever Castilian female. I
were an ingrate not to speak well of her, for richly has she
deserved an eulogy in the humble pages of The Bible in Spain.

She was a native of Villa Seca, a hamlet of New Castile, situated
in what is called the Sagra, at about three leagues' distance from
Toledo: her father was an architect of some celebrity,
particularly skilled in erecting bridges. At a very early age she
married a respectable yeoman of Villa Seca, Lopez by name, by whom
she had three sons. On the death of her father, which occurred
about five years previous to the time of which I am speaking, she
removed to Madrid, partly for the purpose of educating her
children, and partly in the hope of obtaining from the government a
considerable sum of money for which it stood indebted to her
father, at the time of his decease, for various useful and
ornamental works, principally in the neighbourhood of Aranjuez.
The justness of her claim was at once acknowledged; but, alas! no
money was forthcoming, the royal treasury being empty. Her hopes
of earthly happiness were now concentrated in her children. The
two youngest were still of a very tender age; but the eldest, Juan
Jose Lopez, a lad of about sixteen, was bidding fair to realize the
warmest hopes of his affectionate mother; he had devoted himself to
the arts, in which he made such progress that he had already become
the favourite pupil of his celebrated namesake Lopez, the best
painter of modern Spain. Such was Maria Diaz, who, according to a
custom formerly universal in Spain, and still very prevalent,
retained the name of her maidenhood though married. Such was Maria
Diaz and her family.