The Bible in Spain

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One of my first cares was to wait on Mr. Villiers, who received me
with his usual kindness. I asked him whether he considered that I
might venture to commence printing the Scriptures without any more
applications to government. His reply was satisfactory: "You
obtained the permission of the government of Isturitz," said he,
"which was a much less liberal one than the present. I am a
witness to the promise made to you by the former ministers, which I
consider sufficient. You had best commence and complete the work
as soon as possible, without any fresh application; and should any
one attempt to interrupt you, you have only to come to me, whom you
may command at any time." So I went away with a light heart, and
forthwith made preparation for the execution of the object which
had brought me to Spain.

I shall not enter here into unnecessary details, which could
possess but little interest for the reader; suffice it to say that,
within three months from this time, an edition of the New
Testament, consisting of five thousand copies, was published at
Madrid. The work was printed at the establishment of Mr. Borrego,
a well-known writer on political economy, and proprietor and editor
of an influential newspaper called El Espanol. To this gentleman I
had been recommended by Isturitz himself, on the day of my
interview with him. That unfortunate minister had, indeed, the
highest esteem for Borrego, and had intended raising him to the
station of minister of finance, when the revolution of the Granja
occurring, of course rendered abortive this project, with perhaps
many others of a similar kind which he might have formed.

The Spanish version of the New Testament which was thus published,
had been made many years before by a certain Padre Filipe Scio,
confessor of Ferdinand the Seventh, and had even been printed, but
so encumbered by notes and commentaries as to be unfitted for
general circulation, for which, indeed, it was never intended. In
the present edition, the notes were of course omitted, and the
inspired word, and that alone, offered to the public. It was
brought out in a handsome octavo volume, and presented, upon the
whole, a rather favourable specimen of Spanish typography.

The mere printing, however, of the New Testament at Madrid could be
attended with no utility whatever, unless measures, and energetic
ones, were taken for the circulation of the sacred volume.

In the case of the New Testament, it would not do to follow the
usual plan of publication in Spain, namely, to entrust the work to
the booksellers of the capital, and rest content with the sale
which they and their agents in the provincial towns might be able
to obtain for it, in the common routine of business; the result
generally being, the circulation of a few dozen copies in the
course of the year; as the demand for literature of every kind in
Spain was miserably small.

The Christians of England had already made considerable sacrifices
in the hope of disseminating the word of God largely amongst the
Spaniards, and it was now necessary to spare no exertion to prevent
that hope becoming abortive. Before the book was ready, I had
begun to make preparations for putting a plan into execution, which
had occupied my thoughts occasionally during my former visit to
Spain, and which I had never subsequently abandoned. I had mused
on it when off Cape Finisterre in the tempest; in the cut-throat
passes of the Morena; and on the plains of La Mancha, as I jogged
along a little way ahead of the Contrabandista.

I had determined, after depositing a certain number of copies in
the shops of the booksellers of Madrid, to ride forth, Testament in
hand, and endeavour to circulate the word of God amongst the
Spaniards, not only of the towns but of the villages; amongst the
children not only of the plains but of the hills and mountains. I
intended to visit Old Castile, and to traverse the whole of Galicia
and the Asturias,--to establish Scripture depots in the principal
towns, and to visit the people in secret and secluded spots,--to
talk to them of Christ, to explain to them the nature of his book,
and to place that book in the hands of those whom I should deem
capable of deriving benefit from it. I was aware that such a
journey would be attended with considerable danger, and very
possibly the fate of St. Stephen might overtake me; but does the
man deserve the name of a follower of Christ who would shrink from
danger of any kind in the cause of Him whom he calls his Master?
"He who loses his life for my sake, shall find it," are words which
the Lord himself uttered. These words were fraught with
consolation to me, as they doubtless are to every one engaged in
propagating the gospel in sincerity of heart, in savage and
barbarian lands.

I now purchased another horse; for these animals, at the time of
which I am speaking, were exceedingly cheap. A royal requisition
was about to be issued for five thousand, the consequence being,
that an immense number were for sale, for, by virtue of this
requisition, the horses of any person not a foreigner could be
seized for the benefit of the service. It was probable that, when
the number was made up, the price of horses would be treble what it
then was, which consideration induced me to purchase this animal
before I exactly wanted him. He was a black Andalusian stallion of
great power and strength, and capable of performing a journey of a
hundred leagues in a week's time, but he was unbroke, savage, and
furious. A cargo of Bibles, however, which I hoped occasionally to
put on his back, would, I had no doubt, thoroughly tame him,
especially when labouring up the flinty hills of the north of
Spain. I wished to have purchased a mule, but, though I offered
thirty pounds for a sorry one, I could not obtain her; whereas the
cost of both the horses, tall powerful stately animals, scarcely
amounted to that sum.

The state of the surrounding country at this time was not very
favourable for venturing forth: Cabrera was within nine leagues of
Madrid, with an army nearly ten thousand strong; he had beaten
several small detachments of the queen's troops, and had ravaged La
Mancha with fire and sword, burning several towns; bands of
affrighted fugitives were arriving every hour, bringing tidings of
woe and disaster, and I was only surprised that the enemy did not
appear, and by taking Madrid, which was almost at his mercy, put an
end to the war at once. But the truth is, that the Carlist
generals did not wish the war to cease, for as long as the country
was involved in bloodshed and anarchy, they could plunder and
exercise that lawless authority so dear to men of fierce and brutal
passions. Cabrera, moreover, was a dastardly wretch, whose limited
mind was incapable of harbouring a single conception approaching to
grandeur; whose heroic deeds were confined to cutting down
defenceless men, and to forcing and disembowelling unhappy women;
and yet I have seen this wretched fellow termed by French journals
(Carlist of course) the young, the heroic general. Infamy on the
cowardly assassin! The shabbiest corporal of Napoleon would have
laughed at his generalship, and half a battalion of Austrian
grenadiers would have driven him and his rabble army headlong into
the Ebro.

I now made preparations for my journey into the north. I was
already provided with horses well calculated to support the
fatigues of the road and the burdens which I might deem necessary
to impose upon them. One thing, however, was still lacking,
indispensable to a person about to engage on an expedition of this
description; I mean a servant to attend me. Perhaps there is no
place in the world where servants more abound than at Madrid, or at
least fellows eager to proffer their services in the expectation of
receiving food and wages, though, with respect to the actual
service which they are capable of performing, not much can be said;
but I was in want of a servant of no common description, a shrewd
active fellow, of whose advice, in cases of emergency, I could
occasionally avail myself; courageous withal, for it certainly
required some degree of courage to follow a master bent on
exploring the greater part of Spain, and who intended to travel,
not under the protection of muleteers and carmen, but on his own
cabalgaduras. Such a servant, perhaps, I might have sought for
years without finding; chance, however, brought one to my hand at
the very time I wanted him, without it being necessary for me to
make any laborious perquisitions. I was one day mentioning the
subject to Mr. Borrego, at whose establishment I had printed the
New Testament, and inquiring whether he thought that such an
individual was to be found in Madrid, adding that I was
particularly anxious to obtain a servant who, besides Spanish,
could speak some other language, that occasionally we might
discourse without being understood by those who might overhear us.
"The very description of person," he replied, "that you appear to
be in need of, quitted me about half an hour ago, and, it is
singular enough, came to me in the hope that I might be able to
recommend him to a master. He has been twice in my service: for
his talent and courage I will answer; and I believe him to be
trustworthy, at least to masters who may chime in with his humour,
for I must inform you that he is a most extraordinary fellow, full
of strange likes and antipathies, which he will gratify at any
expense, either to himself or others. Perhaps he will attach
himself to you, in which case you will find him highly valuable;
for if he please he can turn his hand to any thing, and is not only
acquainted with two but half a dozen languages."

"Is he a Spaniard?" I inquired.

"I will send him to you to-morrow," said Borrego, "you will best
learn from his own mouth who and what he is."

The next day, as I had just sat down to my "sopa," my hostess
informed me that a man wished to speak to me. "Admit him," said I,
and he almost instantly made his appearance. He was dressed
respectably in the French fashion, and had rather a juvenile look,
though I subsequently learned that he was considerably above forty.
He was somewhat above the middle stature, and might have been
called well made, had it not been for his meagreness, which was
rather remarkable. His arms were long and bony, and his whole form
conveyed an idea of great activity united with no slight degree of
strength: his hair was wiry, but of jetty blackness; his forehead
low; his eyes small and grey, expressive of much subtlety and no
less malice, strangely relieved by a strong dash of humour; the
nose was handsome, but the mouth was immensely wide, and his under
jaw projected considerably. A more singular physiognomy I had
never seen, and I continued staring at him for some time in
silence. "Who are you?" I at last demanded.

"Domestic in search of a master," answered the man in good French,
but in a strange accent. "I come recommended to you, my Lor, by
Monsieur B."

Myself.--Of what nation may you be? Are you French or Spanish?

Man.--God forbid that I should be either, mi Lor, j'ai l'honneur
d'etre de la nation Grecque, my name is Antonio Buchini, native of
Pera the Belle near to Constantinople.

Myself.--And what brought you to Spain?

Buchini.--Mi Lor, je vais vous raconter mon histoire du
commencement jusqu'ici: --my father was a native of Sceira in
Greece, from whence at an early age he repaired to Pera, where he
served as janitor in the hotels of various ambassadors, by whom he
was much respected for his fidelity. Amongst others of these
gentlemen, he served him of your own nation: this occurred at the
time that there was war between England and the Porte. {14}
Monsieur the Ambassador had to escape for his life, leaving the
greater part of his valuables to the care of my father, who
concealed them at his own great risk, and when the dispute was
settled, restored them to Monsieur, even to the most inconsiderable
trinket. I mention this circumstance to show you that I am of a
family which cherishes principles of honour, and in which
confidence may be placed. My father married a daughter of Pera, et
moi je suis l'unique fruit de ce mariage. Of my mother I know
nothing, as she died shortly after my birth. A family of wealthy
Jews took pity on my forlorn condition and offered to bring me up,
to which my father gladly consented; and with them I continued
several years, until I was a beau garcon; they were very fond of
me, and at last offered to adopt me, and at their death to bequeath
me all they had, on condition of my becoming a Jew. Mais la
circoncision n'etoit guere a mon gout; especially that of the Jews,
for I am a Greek, am proud, and have principles of honour. I
quitted them, therefore, saying that if ever I allowed myself to be
converted, it should be to the faith of the Turks, for they are
men, are proud, and have principles of honour like myself. I then
returned to my father, who procured me various situations, none of
which were to my liking, until I was placed in the house of
Monsieur Zea.

Myself.--You mean, I suppose, Zea Bermudez, who chanced to be at
Constantinople.

Buchini.--Just so, mi Lor, and with him I continued during his
stay. He put great confidence in me, more especially as I spoke
the pure Spanish language, which I acquired amongst the Jews, who,
as I have heard Monsieur Zea say, speak it better than the present
natives of Spain.

I shall not follow the Greek step by step throughout his history,
which was rather lengthy: suffice it to say, that he was brought
by Zea Bermudez from Constantinople to Spain, where he continued in
his service for many years, and from whose house he was expelled
for marrying a Guipuscoan damsel, who was fille de chambre to
Madame Zea; since which time it appeared that he had served an
infinity of masters; sometimes as valet, sometimes as cook, but
generally in the last capacity. He confessed, however, that he had
seldom continued more than three days in the same service, on
account of the disputes which were sure to arise in the house
almost immediately after his admission, and for which he could
assign no other reason than his being a Greek, and having
principles of honour. Amongst other persons whom he had served was
General Cordova, who he said was a bad paymaster, and was in the
habit of maltreating his domestics. "But he found his match in
me," said Antonio, "for I was prepared for him; and once, when he
drew his sword against me, I pulled out a pistol and pointed it in
his face. He grew pale as death, and from that hour treated me
with all kinds of condescension. It was only pretence, however,
for the affair rankled in his mind; he had determined upon revenge,
and on being appointed to the command of the army, he was
particularly anxious that I should attend him to the camp. Mais je
lui ris au nez, made the sign of the cortamanga--asked for my
wages, and left him; and well it was that I did so, for the very
domestic whom he took with him he caused to be shot upon a charge
of mutiny."

"I am afraid," said I, "that you are of a turbulent disposition,
and that the disputes to which you have alluded are solely to be
attributed to the badness of your temper."

"What would you have, Monsieur? Moi je suis Grec, je suis fier et
j'ai des principes d'honneur. I expect to be treated with a
certain consideration, though I confess that my temper is none of
the best, and that at times I am tempted to quarrel with the pots
and pans in the kitchen. I think, upon the whole, that it will be
for your advantage to engage me, and I promise you to be on my
guard. There is one thing that pleases me relating to you, you are
unmarried. Now, I would rather serve a young unmarried man for
love and friendship, than a Benedict for fifty dollars per month.
Madame is sure to hate me, and so is her waiting woman; and more
particularly the latter, because I am a married man. I see that mi
Lor is willing to engage me."

"But you say you are a married man," I replied; "how can you desert
your wife, for I am about to leave Madrid, and to travel into the
remote and mountainous parts of Spain."

"My wife will receive the moiety of my wages, while I am absent, mi
Lor, and therefore will have no reason to complain of being
deserted. Complain! did I say; my wife is at present too well
instructed to complain. She never speaks nor sits in my presence
unless I give her permission. Am I not a Greek, and do I not know
how to govern my own house? Engage me, mi Lor, I am a man of many
capacities: a discreet valet, an excellent cook, a good groom and
light rider; in a word, I am [Greek text]. What would you more?"

I asked him his terms, which were extravagant, notwithstanding his
principes d'honneur. I found, however, that he was willing to take
one half.

I had no sooner engaged him, than seizing the tureen of soup, which
had by this time become quite cold, he placed it on the top of his
forefinger, or rather on the nail thereof, causing it to make
various circumvolutions over his head, to my great astonishment,
without spilling a drop, then springing with it to the door, he
vanished, and in another moment made his appearance with the
puchera, which, after a similar bound and flourish, he deposited on
the table; then suffering his hands to sink before him, he put one
over the other and stood at his ease with half-shut eyes, for all
the world as if he had been in my service twenty years.

And in this manner Antonio Buchini entered upon his duties. Many
was the wild spot to which he subsequently accompanied me; many the
wild adventure of which he was the sharer. His behaviour was
frequently in the highest degree extraordinary, but he served me
courageously and faithfully: such a valet, take him for all in
all,

"His like I ne'er expect to see again."

Kosko bakh Anton.

CHAPTER XX

Illness--Nocturnal Visit--A Master Mind--The Whisper--Salamanca--
Irish Hospitality--Spanish Soldiers--The Scriptures advertised.

But I am anxious to enter upon the narrative of my journey, and
shall therefore abstain from relating to my readers a great many
circumstances which occurred previously to my leaving Madrid on
this expedition. About the middle of May I had got everything in
readiness, and I bade farewell to my friends. Salamanca was the
first place which I intended to visit.

Some days previous to my departure I was very much indisposed,
owing to the state of the weather, for violent and biting winds had
long prevailed. I had been attacked with a severe cold, which
terminated in a disagreeable cough, which the many remedies I
successively tried seemed unable to subdue. I had made
preparations for departing on a particular day, but, owing to the
state of my health, I was apprehensive that I should be compelled
to defer my journey for a time. The last day of my stay in Madrid,
finding myself scarcely able to stand, I was fain to submit to a
somewhat desperate experiment, and by the advice of the barber-
surgeon who visited me, I determined to be bled. Late on the night
of that same day he took from me sixteen ounces of blood, and
having received his fee left me, wishing me a pleasant journey, and
assuring me, upon his reputation, that by noon the next day I
should be perfectly recovered.

A few minutes after his departure, whilst I was sitting alone,
meditating on the journey which I was about to undertake, and on
the ricketty state of my health, I heard a loud knock at the street
door of the house, on the third floor of which I was lodged. In
another minute Mr. S- of the British Embassy entered my apartment.
After a little conversation, he informed me that Mr. Villiers had
desired him to wait upon me to communicate a resolution which he
had come to. Being apprehensive that, alone and unassisted, I
should experience great difficulty in propagating the gospel of God
to any considerable extent in Spain, he was bent upon exerting to
the utmost his own credit and influence to further my views, which
he himself considered, if carried into proper effect, extremely
well calculated to operate beneficially on the political and moral
state of the country. To this end it was his intention to purchase
a very considerable number of copies of the New Testament, and to
dispatch them forthwith to the various British consuls established
in different parts of Spain, with strict and positive orders to
employ all the means which their official situation should afford
them to circulate the books in question and to assure their being
noticed. They were, moreover, to be charged to afford me, whenever
I should appear in their respective districts, all the protection,
encouragement, and assistance which I should stand in need of.

I was of course much rejoiced on receiving this information, for
though I had long been aware that Mr. Villiers was at all times
willing to assist me, he having frequently given me sufficient
proof, I could never expect that he would come forward in so noble,
and, to say the least of it, considering his high diplomatic
situation, so bold and decided a manner. I believe that this was
the first instance of a British ambassador having made the cause of
the Bible Society a national one, or indeed of having favoured it
directly or indirectly. What renders the case of Mr. Villiers more
remarkable is, that on my first arrival at Madrid I found him by no
means well disposed towards the Society. The Holy Spirit had
probably illumined his mind on this point. I hoped that by his
means our institution would shortly possess many agents in Spain,
who, with far more power and better opportunities than I myself
could ever expect to possess, would scatter abroad the seed of the
gospel, and make of a barren and thirsty wilderness a green and
smiling corn-field.

A word or two about the gentleman who paid me this nocturnal visit.
Though he has probably long since forgotten the humble circulator
of the Bible in Spain, I still bear in mind numerous acts of
kindness which I experienced at his hands. Endowed with an
intellect of the highest order, master of the lore of all Europe,
profoundly versed in the ancient tongues, and speaking most of the
modern dialects with remarkable facility,--possessed, moreover, of
a thorough knowledge of mankind,--he brought with him into the
diplomatic career advantages such as few, even the most highly
gifted, can boast of. During his sojourn in Spain he performed
many eminent services for the government which employed him;
services which, I believe, it had sufficient discernment to see,
and gratitude to reward. He had to encounter, however, the full
brunt of the low and stupid malignity of the party who, shortly
after the time of which I am speaking, usurped the management of
the affairs of Spain. This party, whose foolish manoeuvres he was
continually discomfiting, feared and hated him as its evil genius,
taking every opportunity of showering on his head calumnies the
most improbable and absurd. Amongst other things, he was accused
of having acted as an agent to the English government in the affair
of the Granja, bringing about that revolution by bribing the
mutinous soldiers, and more particularly the notorious Sergeant
Garcia. Such an accusation will of course merely extract a smile
from those who are at all acquainted with the English character,
and the general line of conduct pursued by the English government.
It was a charge, however, universally believed in Spain, and was
even preferred in print by a certain journal, the official organ of
the silly Duke of Frias, one of the many prime ministers of the
moderado party who followed each other in rapid succession towards
the latter period of the Carlist and Christino struggle. But when
did a calumnious report ever fall to the ground in Spain by the
weight of its own absurdity? Unhappy land, not until the pure
light of the Gospel has illumined thee wilt thou learn that the
greatest of all gifts is charity.

The next day verified the prediction of the Spanish surgeon; I had
to a considerable degree lost my cough and fever, though, owing to
the loss of blood, I was somewhat feeble. Precisely at twelve
o'clock the horses were led forth before the door of my lodging in
the Calle de Santiago, and I prepared to mount: but my black
entero of Andalusia would not permit me to approach his side, and
whenever I made the attempt, commenced wheeling round with great
rapidity.

"C'est un mauvais signe, mon maitre," said Antonio, who, dressed in
a green jerkin, a Montero cap, booted and spurred, stood ready to
attend me, holding by the bridle the horse which I had purchased
from the contrabandista. "It is a bad sign, and in my country they
would defer the journey till to-morrow."

"Are there whisperers in your country?" I demanded; and taking the
horse by the mane, I performed the ceremony after the most approved
fashion: the animal stood still, and I mounted the saddle,
exclaiming -