The Bible in Spain

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The wind still howled, and the rain descended in torrents. I sat
before the fire in a very drowsy state, from which I was presently
aroused by the conversation of the host. "Senor," said he, "it is
now three years since I beheld foreigners in my house. I remember
it was about this time of the year, and just such a night as this,
that two men on horseback arrived here. What was singular, they
came without any guide. Two more strange-looking individuals I
never yet beheld with eye-sight. I shall never forget them. The
one was as tall as a giant, with much tawny moustache, like the
coat of a badger, growing about his mouth. He had a huge ruddy
face, and looked dull and stupid, as he no doubt was, for when I
spoke to him, he did not seem to understand, and answered in a
jabber, valgame Dios! so wild and strange, that I remained staring
at him with mouth and eyes open. The other was neither tall nor
red-faced, nor had he hair about his mouth, and, indeed, he had
very little upon his head. He was very diminutive, and looked like
a jorobado (hunchback); but, valgame Dios! such eyes, like wild
cats', so sharp and full of malice. He spoke as good Spanish as I
myself do, and yet he was no Spaniard. A Spaniard never looked
like that man. He was dressed in a zamarra, with much silver and
embroidery, and wore an Andalusian hat, and I soon found that he
was master, and that the other was servant.

"Valgame Dios! what an evil disposition had that same foreign
jorobado, and yet he had much grace, much humour, and said
occasionally to me such comical things, that I was fit to die of
laughter. So he sat down to supper in the room above, and I may as
well tell you here, that he slept in the same chamber where your
worship will sleep to-night, and his servant waited behind his
chair. Well, I had curiosity, so I sat myself down at the table
too, without asking leave. Why should I? I was in my own house,
and an Asturian is fit company for a king, and is often of better
blood. Oh, what a strange supper was that. If the servant made
the slightest mistake in helping him, up would start the jorobado,
jump upon his chair, and seizing the big giant by the hair, would
cuff him on both sides of the face, till I was afraid his teeth
would have fallen out. The giant, however, did not seem to care
about it much. He was used to it, I suppose. Valgame Dios! if he
had been a Spaniard, he would not have submitted to it so
patiently. But what surprised me most was, that after beating his
servant, the master would sit down, and the next moment would begin
conversing and laughing with him as if nothing had happened, and
the giant also would laugh and converse with his master, for all
the world as if he had not been beaten.

"You may well suppose, Senor, that I understood nothing of their
discourse, for it was all in that strange unchristian tongue in
which the giant answered me when I spoke to him; the sound of it is
still ringing in my ears. It was nothing like other languages.
Not like Bascuen, not like the language in which your worship
speaks to my namesake Signor Antonio here. Valgame Dios! I can
compare it to nothing but the sound a person makes when he rinses
his mouth with water. There is one word which I think I still
remember, for it was continually proceeding from the giant's lips,
but his master never used it.

"But the strangest part of the story is yet to be told. The supper
was ended, and the night was rather advanced, the rain still beat
against the windows, even as it does at this moment. Suddenly the
jorobado pulled out his watch. Valgame Dios! such a watch! I will
tell you one thing, Senor, that I could purchase all the Asturias,
and Muros besides, with the brilliants which shone about the sides
of that same watch: the room wanted no lamp, I trow, so great was
the splendour which they cast. So the jorobado looked at his
watch, and then said to me, I shall go to rest. He then took the
lamp and went through the gallery to his room, followed by his big
servant. Well, Senor, I cleared away the things, and then waited
below for the servant, for whom I had prepared a comfortable bed,
close by my own. Senor, I waited patiently for an hour, till at
last my patience was exhausted, and I ascended to the supper
apartment, and passed through the gallery till I came to the door
of the strange guest. Senor, what do you think I saw at the door?"

"How should I know?" I replied. "His riding boots perhaps."

"No, Senor, I did not see his riding boots; but, stretched on the
floor with his head against the door, so that it was impossible to
open it without disturbing him, lay the big servant fast asleep,
his immense legs reaching nearly the whole length of the gallery.
I crossed myself, as well I might, for the wind was howling even as
it is now, and the rain was rushing down into the gallery in
torrents; yet there lay the big servant fast asleep, without any
covering, without any pillow, not even a log, stretched out before
his master's door.

"Senor, I got little rest that night, for I said to myself, I have
evil wizards in my house, folks who are not human. Once or twice I
went up and peeped into the gallery, but there still lay the big
servant fast asleep, so I crossed myself and returned to my bed
again."

"Well," said I, "and what occurred next day?"

"Nothing particular occurred next day: the jorobado came down and
said comical things to me in good Spanish, and the big servant came
down, but whatever he said, and he did not say much, I understood
not, for it was in that disastrous jabber. They stayed with me
throughout the day till after supper-time, and then the jorobado
gave me a gold ounce, and mounting their horses, they both departed
as strangely as they had come, in the dark night, I know not
whither."

"Is that all?" I demanded.

"No, Senor, it is not all; for I was right in supposing them evil
brujos: the very next day an express arrived and a great search
was made after them, and I was arrested for having harboured them.
This occurred just after the present wars had commenced. It was
said they were spies and emissaries of I don't know what nation,
and that they had been in all parts of the Asturias, holding
conferences with some of the disaffected. They escaped, however,
and were never heard of more, though the animals which they rode
were found without their riders, wandering amongst the hills; they
were common ponies, and were of no value. As for the brujos, it is
believed that they embarked in some small vessel which was lying
concealed in one of the rias of the coast."

Myself.--What was the word which you continually heard proceeding
from the lips of the big servant, and which you think you can
remember?

Host.--Senor, it is now three years since I heard it, and at times
I can remember it and at others not; sometimes I have started up in
my sleep repeating it. Stay, Senor, I have it now at the point of
my tongue: it was Patusca.

Myself.--Batuschca, you mean; the men were Russians.

CHAPTER XXXIII

Oviedo--The Ten Gentlemen--The Swiss again--Modest Request--The
Robbers--Episcopal Benevolence--The Cathedral--Portrait of Feijoo.

I must now take a considerable stride in my journey, no less than
from Muros to Oviedo, contenting myself with observing, that we
proceeded from Muros to Velez, and from thence to Giyon, where our
guide Martin bade us farewell, and returned with his mare to
Rivadeo. The honest fellow did not part without many expressions
of regret, indeed he even expressed a desire that I should take him
and his mare into my service; "for," said he, "I have a great
desire to run through all Spain, and even the world; and I am sure
I shall never have a better opportunity than by attaching myself to
your worship's skirts." On my reminding him, however, of his wife
and family, for he had both, he said, "True, true, I had forgotten
them: happy the guide whose only wife and family are a mare and
foal."

Oviedo is about three leagues from Giyon. Antonio rode the horse,
whilst I proceeded thither in a kind of diligence which runs daily
between the two towns. The road is good, but mountainous. I
arrived safely at the capital of the Asturias, although at a rather
unpropitious season, for the din of war was at the gate, and there
was the cry of the captains and the shouting. Castile, at the time
of which I am writing, was in the hands of the Carlists, who had
captured and plundered Valladolid in much the same manner as they
had Segovia some time before. They were every day expected to
march on Oviedo, in which case they might perhaps have experienced
some resistance, a considerable body of troops being stationed
there, who had erected some redoubts, and strongly fortified
several of the convents, especially that of Santa Clara de la Vega.
All minds were in a state of feverish anxiety and suspense, more
especially as no intelligence arrived from Madrid, which by the
last accounts was said to be occupied by the bands of Cabrera and
Palillos.

So it came to pass that one night I found myself in the ancient
town of Oviedo, in a very large, scantily-furnished, and remote
room in an ancient posada, formerly a palace of the counts of Santa
Cruz. It was past ten, and the rain was descending in torrents. I
was writing, but suddenly ceased on hearing numerous footsteps
ascending the creaking stairs which led to my apartment. The door
was flung open, and in walked nine men of tall stature, marshalled
by a little hunchbacked personage. They were all muffled in the
long cloaks of Spain, but I instantly knew by their demeanour that
they were caballeros, or gentlemen. They placed themselves in a
rank before the table where I was sitting. Suddenly and
simultaneously they all flung back their cloaks, and I perceived
that every one bore a book in his hand; a book which I knew full
well. After a pause, which I was unable to break, for I sat lost
in astonishment, and almost conceived myself to be visited by
apparitions, the hunchback, advancing somewhat before the rest,
said in soft silvery tones, "Senor Cavalier, was it you who brought
this book to the Asturias?" I now supposed that they were the
civil authorities of the place come to take me into custody, and,
rising from my seat, I exclaimed, "It certainly was I, and it is my
glory to have done so; the book is the New Testament of God: I
wish it was in my power to bring a million." "I heartily wish so
too," said the little personage with a sigh. "Be under no
apprehension, Sir Cavalier, these gentlemen are my friends; we have
just purchased these books in the shop where you placed them for
sale, and have taken the liberty of calling upon you, in order to
return you our thanks for the treasure you have brought us. I hope
you can furnish us with the Old Testament also." I replied that I
was sorry to inform him that at present it was entirely out of my
power to comply with his wish, as I had no Old Testaments in my
possession, but did not despair of procuring some speedily from
England. He then asked me a great many questions concerning my
biblical travels in Spain, and my success, and the views
entertained by the Society, with respect to Spain, adding that he
hoped we should pay particular attention to the Asturias, which he
assured me was the best ground in the Peninsula for our labour.
After about half an hour's conversation, he suddenly said, in the
English language, "Good night, Sir," wrapped his cloak around him,
and walked out as he had come. His companions, who had hitherto
not uttered a word, all repeated "Good night, Sir," and, adjusting
their cloaks, followed him.

In order to explain this strange scene, I must state that in the
morning I had visited the petty bookseller of the place, Longoria,
and having arranged preliminaries with him, I sent him in the
evening a package of forty Testaments, all I possessed, with some
advertisements. At the time he assured me that, though he was
willing to undertake the sale, there was, nevertheless, not a
prospect of success, as a whole month had elapsed since he had sold
a book of any description, on account of the uncertainty of the
times, and the poverty which pervaded the land; I therefore felt
much dispirited. This incident, however, admonished me not to be
cast down when things look gloomiest, as the hand of the Lord is
generally then most busy; that men may learn to perceive, that
whatever good is accomplished is not their work but his.

Two or three days after this adventure, I was once more seated in
my large scantily-furnished room; it was about ten, of a dark
melancholy morning, and the autumnal rain was again falling. I had
just breakfasted, and was about to sit down to my journal, when the
door was flung open and in bounded Antonio.

"Mon maitre," said he, quite breathless, "who do you think has
arrived?"

"The pretender, I suppose," said I, in some trepidation; "if so, we
are prisoners."

"Bah, bah!" said Antonio, "it is not the pretender, but one worth
twenty of him; it is the Swiss of Saint James."

"Benedict Mol, the Swiss!" said I, "What! has he found the
treasure? But how did he come? How is he dressed?"

"Mon maitre," said Antonio, "he came on foot if we may judge by his
shoes, through which his toes are sticking; and as for his dress,
he is in most villainous apparel."

"There must be some mystery in this," said I; "where is he at
present?"

"Below, mon maitre," replied Antonio; "he came in quest of us. But
I no sooner saw him, than I hurried away to let you know."

In a few minutes Benedict Mol found his way up stairs; he was, as
Antonio had remarked, in most villainous apparel, and nearly
barefooted; his old Andalusian hat was dripping with rain.

"Och, lieber herr," said Benedict, "how rejoiced I am to see you
again. Oh, the sight of your countenance almost repays me for all
the miseries I have undergone since I parted with you at Saint
James."

Myself.--I can scarcely believe that I really see you here at
Oviedo. What motive can have induced you to come to such an out-
of-the-way place from such an immense distance?

Benedict.--Lieber herr, I will sit down and tell you all that has
befallen me. Some few days after I saw you last, the canonigo
persuaded me to go to the captain-general to apply for permission
to disinter the schatz, and also to crave assistance. So I saw the
captain-general, who at first received me very kindly, asked me
several questions, and told me to come again. So I continued
visiting him till he would see me no longer, and do what I might I
could not obtain a glance of him. The canon now became impatient,
more especially as he had given me a few pesetas out of the
charities of the church. He frequently called me a bribon and
impostor. At last, one morning I went to him, and said that I had
proposed to return to Madrid, in order to lay the matter before the
government, and requested that he would give me a certificate to
the effect that I had performed a pilgrimage to Saint James, which
I imagined would be of assistance to me upon the way, as it would
enable me to beg with some colour of authority. He no sooner heard
this request, than, without saying a word or allowing me a moment
to put myself on my defence, he sprang upon me like a tiger,
grasping my throat so hard that I thought he would have strangled
me. I am a Swiss, however, and a man of Lucerne, and when I had
recovered myself a little, I had no difficulty in flinging him off;
I then threatened him with my staff and went away. He followed me
to the gate with the most horrid curses, saying that if I presumed
to return again, he would have me thrown at once into prison as a
thief and a heretic. So I went in quest of yourself, lieber herr,
but they told me that you were departed for Coruna; I then set out
for Coruna after you.

Myself.--And what befell you on the road?

Benedict.--I will tell you: about half-way between Saint James and
Coruna, as I was walking along, thinking of the schatz, I heard a
loud galloping, and looking around me I saw two men on horseback
coming across the field with the swiftness of the wind, and making
directly for me. Lieber Gott, said I, these are thieves, these are
factious; and so they were. They came up to me in a moment and
bade me stand, so I flung down my staff, took off my hat and
saluted them. "Good day, caballeros," said I to them. "Good day,
countryman," said they to me, and then we stood staring at each
other for more than a minute. Lieber himmel, I never saw such
robbers; so finely dressed, so well armed, and mounted so bravely
on two fiery little hakkas, that looked as if they could have taken
wing and flown up into the clouds! So we continued staring at each
other, till at last one asked me who I was, whence I came, and
where I was going. "Gentlemen," said I, "I am a Swiss, I have been
to Saint James to perform a religious vow, and am now returning to
my own country." I said not a word about the treasure, for I was
afraid that they would have shot me at once, conceiving that I
carried part of it about me. "Have you any money?" they demanded.
"Gentlemen," I replied, "you see how I travel on foot, with my
shoes torn to pieces; I should not do so if I had money. I will
not deceive you, however, I have a peseta and a few cuartos," and
thereupon I took out what I had and offered it to them. "Fellow,"
said they, "we are caballeros of Galicia, and do not take pesetas,
much less cuartos. Of what opinion are you? Are you for the
queen?" "No, gentlemen," said I, "I am not for the queen, but, at
the same time, allow me to tell you that I am not for the king
either; I know nothing about the matter; I am a Swiss, and fight
neither for nor against anybody unless I am paid." This made them
laugh, and then they questioned me about Saint James, and the
troops there, and the captain-general; and not to disoblige them, I
told them all I knew and much more. Then one of them, who looked
the fiercest and most determined, took his trombone in his hand,
and pointing it at me, said, "Had you been a Spaniard, we would
have blown your head to shivers, for we should have thought you a
spy, but we see you are a foreigner, and believe what you have
said; take, therefore, this peseta and go your way, but beware that
you tell nobody any thing about us, for if you do, carracho!" He
then discharged his trombone just over my head, so that for a
moment I thought myself shot, and then with an awful shout, they
both galloped away, their horses leaping over the barrancos, as if
possessed with many devils.

Myself.--And what happened to you on your arrival at Coruna?

Benedict.--When I arrived at Coruna, I inquired after yourself,
lieber herr, and they informed me that, only the day before my
arrival, you had departed for Oviedo: and when I heard that, my
heart died within me, for I was now at the far end of Galicia,
without a friend to help me. For a day or two I knew not what to
do; at last I determined to make for the frontier of France,
passing through Oviedo in the way, where I hoped to see you and ask
counsel of you. So I begged and bettled among the Germans of
Coruna. I, however, got very little from them, only a few cuarts,
less than the thieves had given me on the road from Saint James,
and with these I departed for the Asturias by the way of Mondonedo.
Och, what a town is that, full of canons, priests, and pfaffen, all
of them more Carlist than Carlos himself.

One day I went to the bishop's palace and spoke to him, telling him
I was a pilgrim from Saint James, and requesting assistance. He
told me, however, that he could not relieve me, and as for my being
a pilgrim from Saint James, he was glad of it, and hoped that it
would be of service to my soul. So I left Mondonedo, and got
amongst the wild mountains, begging and betting at the door of
every choza that I passed, telling all I saw that I was a pilgrim
from Saint James, and showing my passport in proof that I had been
there. Lieber herr, no person gave me a cuart, nor even a piece of
broa, and both Gallegans and Asturians laughed at Saint James, and
told me that his name was no longer a passport in Spain. I should
have starved if I had not sometimes plucked an ear or two out of
the maize fields; I likewise gathered grapes from the parras and
berries from the brambles, and in this manner I subsisted till I
arrived at the bellotas, where I slaughtered a stray kid which I
met, and devoured part of the flesh raw, so great was my hunger.
It made me, however, very ill, and for two days I lay in a barranco
half dead and unable to help myself; it was a mercy that I was not
devoured by the wolves. I then struck across the country for
Oviedo: how I reached it I do not know; I was like one walking in
a dream. Last night I slept in an empty hog-sty about two leagues
from here, and ere I left it, I fell down on my knees and prayed to
God that I might find you, lieber herr, for you were my last hope.

Myself.--And what do you propose to do at present?

Benedict.--What can I say, lieber herr? I know not what to do. I
will be guided in everything by your counsel.

Myself.--I shall remain at Oviedo a few days longer, during which
time you can lodge at this posada, and endeavour to recover from
the fatigue of your disastrous journeys; perhaps before I depart,
we may hit on some plan to extricate you from your present
difficulties.

Oviedo contains about fifteen thousand inhabitants. It is
picturesquely situated between two mountains, Morcin and Naranco;
the former is very high and rugged, and during the greater part of
the year is covered with snow; the sides of the latter are
cultivated and planted with vines. The principal ornament of the
town is the cathedral, the tower of which is exceedingly lofty, and
is perhaps one of the purest specimens of Gothic architecture at
present in existence. The interior of the cathedral is neat and
appropriate, but simple and unadorned. I observed but one picture,
the Conversion of Saint Paul. One of the chapels is a cemetery, in
which rest the bones of eleven Gothic kings; to whose souls be
peace.

I bore a letter of recommendation from Coruna to a merchant of
Oviedo. This person received me very courteously, and generally
devoted some portion of every day to showing me the remarkable
things of Oviedo.

One morning he thus addressed me: "You have doubtless heard of
Feijoo, the celebrated philosophic monk of the order of Saint
Benedict, whose writings have so much tended to remove the popular
fallacies and superstitions so long cherished in Spain; he is
buried in one of our convents, where he passed a considerable
portion of his life. Come with me and I will show you his
portrait. Carlos Tercero, our great king, sent his own painter
from Madrid to execute it. It is now in the possession of a friend
of mine, Don Ramon Valdez, an advocate."

Thereupon he led me to the house of Don Ramon Valdez, who very
politely exhibited the portrait of Feijoo. It was circular in
shape, about a foot in diameter, and was surrounded by a little
brass frame, something like the rim of a barber's basin. The
countenance was large and massive but fine, the eyebrows knit, the
eyes sharp and penetrating, nose aquiline. On the head was a
silken skull-cap; the collar of the coat or vest was just
perceptible. The painting was decidedly good, and struck me as
being one of the very best specimens of modern Spanish art which I
had hitherto seen.

A day or two after this I said to Benedict Mol, "to-morrow I start
from hence for Santander. It is therefore high time that you
decide upon some course, whether to return to Madrid or to make the
best of your way to France, and from thence proceed to your own
country."

"Lieber herr," said Benedict, "I will follow you to Santander by
short journeys, for I am unable to make long ones amongst these
hills; and when I am there, peradventure I may find some means of
passing into France. It is a great comfort, in my horrible
journeys, to think that I am travelling over the ground which
yourself have trodden, and to hope that I am proceeding to rejoin
you once more. This hope kept me alive in the bellotas, and
without it I should never have reached Oviedo. I will quit Spain
as soon as possible, and betake me to Lucerne, though it is a hard
thing to leave the schatz behind me in the land of the Gallegans."

Thereupon I presented him with a few dollars.

"A strange man is this Benedict," said Antonio to me next morning,
as, accompanied by a guide, we sallied forth from Oviedo; "a
strange man, mon maitre, is this same Benedict. A strange life has
he led, and a strange death he will die,--it is written on his
countenance. That he will leave Spain I do not believe, or if he
leave it, it will be only to return, for he is bewitched about this
treasure. Last night he sent for a sorciere, whom he consulted in
my presence; and she told him that he was doomed to possess it, but
that first of all he must cross water. She cautioned him likewise
against an enemy, which he supposes must be the canon of Saint
James. I have often heard people speak of the avidity of the Swiss
for money, and here is a proof of it. I would not undergo what
Benedict has suffered in these last journeys of his, to possess all
the treasures in Spain."