The Bible in Spain

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As it is my belief that the cura of Villallos is a person capable
of any infamy, I beg leave humbly to intreat your Lordship to cause
a copy of the above narration to be forwarded to the Spanish
government.--I have the honour to remain, My Lord, Your Lordship's
most obedient,

GEORGE BORROW.

To the Right Honourable
LORD WILLIAM HERVEY.

After the rescue of Lopez we proceeded in the work of distribution.
Suddenly, however, the symptoms of an approaching illness came over
me, which compelled us to return in all haste to Madrid. Arrived
there, I was attacked by a fever which confined me to my bed for
several weeks; occasional fits of delirium came over me, during one
of which, I imagined myself in the market-place of Martin Munos,
engaged in deadly struggle with the chieftain Balmaseda.

The fever had scarcely departed, when a profound melancholy took
possession of me, which entirely disqualified me for active
exertion. Change of scene and air was recommended; I therefore
returned to England.

CHAPTER XLV

Return to Spain--Seville--A Hoary Persecutor--Manchegan Prophetess-
-Antonio's Dream.

On the 31st of December, 1838, I again visited Spain for the third
time. After staying a day or two at Cadiz I repaired to Seville,
from which place I proposed starting for Madrid with the mail post.
Here I tarried about a fortnight, enjoying the delicious climate of
this terrestrial Paradise, and the balmy breezes of the Andalusian
winter, even as I had done two years previously. Before leaving
Seville, I visited the bookseller, my correspondent, who informed
me that seventy-six copies of the hundred Testaments entrusted to
his care had been placed in embargo by the government last summer,
and that they were at the present time in the possession of the
ecclesiastical governor, whereupon I determined to visit this
functionary also, with the view of making inquiries concerning the
property.

He lived in a large house in the Pajaria, or straw-market. He was
a very old man, between seventy and eighty, and, like the
generality of those who wear the sacerdotal habit in this city, was
a fierce persecuting Papist. I imagine that he scarcely believed
his ears when his two grand-nephews, beautiful black-haired boys
who were playing in the courtyard, ran to inform him that an
Englishman was waiting to speak with him, as it is probable that I
was the first heretic who ever ventured into his habitation. I
found him in a vaulted room, seated on a lofty chair, with two
sinister-looking secretaries, also in sacerdotal habits, employed
in writing at a table before him. He brought powerfully to my mind
the grim old inquisitor who persuaded Philip the Second to slay his
own son as an enemy to the church.

He rose as I entered, and gazed upon me with a countenance dark
with suspicion and dissatisfaction. He at last condescended to
point me to a sofa, and I proceeded to state to him my business.
He became much agitated when I mentioned the Testaments to him; but
I no sooner spoke of the Bible Society and told him who I was, than
he could contain himself no longer: with a stammering tongue, and
with eyes flashing fire like hot coals, he proceeded to rail
against the society and myself, saying that the aims of the first
were atrocious, and that, as to myself, he was surprised that,
being once lodged in the prison of Madrid, I had ever been
permitted to quit it; adding, that it was disgraceful in the
government to allow a person of my character to roam about an
innocent and peaceful country, corrupting the minds of the ignorant
and unsuspicious. Far from allowing myself to be disconcerted by
his rude behaviour, I replied to him with all possible politeness,
and assured him that in this instance he had no reason to alarm
himself, as my sole motive in claiming the books in question, was
to avail myself of an opportunity which at present presented
itself, of sending them out of the country, which, indeed, I had
been commanded to do by an official notice. But nothing would
soothe him, and he informed me that he should not deliver up the
books on any condition, save by a positive order of the government.
As the matter was by no means an affair of consequence, I thought
it wise not to persist, and also prudent to take my leave before he
requested me. I was followed even down into the street by his
niece and grand-nephews, who, during the whole of the conversation,
had listened at the door of the apartment and heard every word.

In passing through La Mancha, we staid for four hours at
Manzanares, a large village. I was standing in the market-place
conversing with a curate, when a frightful ragged object presented
itself; it was a girl about eighteen or nineteen, perfectly blind,
a white film being spread over her huge staring eyes. Her
countenance was as yellow as that of a Mulatto. I thought at first
that she was a Gypsy, and addressing myself to her, inquired in
Gitano if she were of that race; she understood me, but shaking her
head, replied, that she was something better than a Gitana, and
could speak something better than that jargon of witches; whereupon
she commenced asking me several questions in exceedingly good
Latin. I was of course very much surprised, but summoning all my
Latinity, I called her Manchegan Prophetess, and expressing my
admiration for her learning, begged to be informed by what means
she became possessed of it. I must here observe that a crowd
instantly gathered around us, who, though they understood not one
word of our discourse, at every sentence of the girl shouted
applause, proud in the possession of a prophetess who could answer
the Englishman.

She informed me that she was born blind, and that a Jesuit priest
had taken compassion on her when she was a child, and had taught
her the holy language, in order that the attention and hearts of
Christians might be more easily turned towards her. I soon
discovered that he had taught her something more than Latin, for
upon telling her that I was an Englishman, she said that she had
always loved Britain, which was once the nursery of saints and
sages, for example Bede and Alcuin, Columba and Thomas of
Canterbury; but she added those times had gone by since the re-
appearance of Semiramis (Elizabeth). Her Latin was truly
excellent, and when I, like a genuine Goth, spoke of Anglia and
Terra Vandalica (Andalusia), she corrected me by saying, that in
her language those places were called Britannia and Terra Betica.
When we had finished our discourse, a gathering was made for the
prophetess, the very poorest contributing something.

After travelling four days and nights, we arrived at Madrid,
without having experienced the slightest accident, though it is but
just to observe, and always with gratitude to the Almighty, that
the next mail was stopped. A singular incident befell me
immediately after my arrival; on entering the arch of the posada
called La Reyna, where I intended to put up, I found myself
encircled in a person's arms, and on turning round in amazement,
beheld my Greek servant, Antonio. He was haggard and ill-dressed,
and his eyes seemed starting from their sockets.

As soon as we were alone he informed that since my departure he had
undergone great misery and destitution, having, during the whole
period, been unable to find a master in need of his services, so
that he was brought nearly to the verge of desperation; but that on
the night immediately preceding my arrival he had a dream, in which
he saw me, mounted on a black horse, ride up to the gate of the
posada, and that on that account he had been waiting there during
the greater part of the day. I do not pretend to offer an opinion
concerning this narrative, which is beyond the reach of my
philosophy, and shall content myself with observing that only two
individuals in Madrid were aware of my arrival in Spain. I was
very glad to receive him again into my service, as, notwithstanding
his faults, he had in many instances proved of no slight assistance
to me in my wanderings and biblical labours.

I was soon settled in my former lodgings, when one my first cares
was to pay a visit to Lord Clarendon. Amongst other things, he
informed me that he had received an official notice from the
government, stating the seizure of the New Testaments at Ocana, the
circumstances relating to which I have described on a former
occasion, and informing him that unless steps were instantly taken
to remove them from the country, they would be destroyed at Toledo,
to which place they had been conveyed. I replied that I should
give myself no trouble about the matter; and that if the
authorities of Toledo, civil or ecclesiastic, determined upon
burning these books, my only hope was that they would commit them
to the flames with all possible publicity, as by so doing they
would but manifest their own hellish rancour and their hostility to
the word of God.

Being eager to resume my labours, I had no sooner arrived at Madrid
than I wrote to Lopez at Villa Seca, for the purpose of learning
whether he was inclined to co-operate in the work, as on former
occasions. In reply, he informed me that he was busily employed in
his agricultural pursuits: to supply his place, however, he sent
over an elderly villager, Victoriano Lopez by name, a distant
relation of his own.

What is a missionary in the heart of Spain without a horse? Which
consideration induced me now to purchase an Arabian of high caste,
which had been brought from Algiers by an officer of the French
legion. The name of this steed, the best I believe that ever
issued from the desert, was Sidi Habismilk.

CHAPTER XLVI

Work of Distribution resumed--Adventure at Cobenna--Power of the
Clergy--Rural Authorities--Fuente la Higuera--Victoriano's Mishap--
Village Prison--The Rope--Antonio's Errand--Antonio at Mass.

In my last chapter, I stated that, immediately after my arrival at
Madrid, I proceeded to get everything in readiness for commencing
operations in the neighbourhood; and I soon entered upon my labours
in reality. Considerable success attended my feeble efforts in the
good cause, for which at present, after the lapse of some years, I
still look back with gratitude to the Almighty.

All the villages within the distance of four leagues to the east of
Madrid, were visited in less than a fortnight, and Testaments to
the number of nearly two hundred disposed of. These villages for
the most part are very small, some of them consisting of not more
than a dozen houses, or I should rather say miserable cabins. I
left Antonio, my Greek, to superintend matters in Madrid, and
proceeded with Victoriano, the peasant from Villa Seca, in the
direction which I have already mentioned. We, however, soon parted
company, and pursued different routes.

The first village at which I made an attempt was Cobenna, about
three leagues from Madrid. I was dressed in the fashion of the
peasants in the neighbourhood of Segovia, in Old Castile; namely, I
had on my head a species of leather helmet or montera, with a
jacket and trousers of the same material. I had the appearance of
a person between sixty and seventy years of age, and drove before
me a borrico with a sack of Testaments lying across its back. On
nearing the village, I met a genteel-looking young woman leading a
little boy by the hand: as I was about to pass her with the
customary salutation of vaya usted con Dios, she stopped, and after
looking at me for a moment, she said: "Uncle (Tio), what is that
you have got on your borrico? Is it soap?"

"Yes," I replied: "it is soap to wash souls clean."

She demanded what I meant; whereupon I told her that I carried
cheap and godly books for sale. On her requesting to see one, I
produced a copy from my pocket and handed it to her. She instantly
commenced reading with a loud voice, and continued so for at least
ten minutes, occasionally exclaiming: "Que lectura tan bonita, que
lectura tan linda!" What beautiful, what charming readings!" At
last, on my informing her that I was in a hurry, and could not wait
any longer, she said, "true, true," and asked me the price of the
book: I told her "but three reals," whereupon she said, that
though what I asked was very little, it was more than she could
afford to give, as there was little or no money in those parts. I
said I was sorry for it, but that I could not dispose of the books
for less than I had demanded, and accordingly, resuming it, wished
her farewell, and left her. I had not, however, proceeded thirty
yards, when the boy came running behind me, shouting, out of
breath: "Stop, uncle, the book, the book!" Upon overtaking me, he
delivered the three reals in copper, and seizing the Testament, ran
back to her, who I suppose was his sister, flourishing the book
over his head with great glee.

On arriving at the village, I directed my steps to a house, around
the door of which I saw several people gathered, chiefly women. On
my displaying my books, their curiosity was instantly aroused, and
every person had speedily one in his hand, many reading aloud;
however, after waiting nearly an hour, I had disposed of but one
copy, all complaining bitterly of the distress of the times, and
the almost total want of money, though, at the same time, they
acknowledged that the books were wonderfully cheap, and appeared to
be very good and Christian-like. I was about to gather up my
merchandise and depart, when on a sudden the curate of the place
made his appearance. After having examined the book for some time
with considerable attention, he asked me the price of a copy, and
upon my informing him that it was three reals, he replied that the
binding was worth more, and that he was much afraid that I had
stolen the books, and that it was perhaps his duty to send me to
prison as a suspicious character; but added, that the books were
good books, however they might be obtained, and concluded by
purchasing two copies. The poor people no sooner heard their
curate recommend the volumes, than all were eager to secure one,
and hurried here and there for the purpose of procuring money, so
that between twenty and thirty copies were sold almost in an
instant. This adventure not only affords an instance of the power
still possessed by the Spanish clergy over the minds of the people,
but proves that such influence is not always exerted in a manner
favourable to the maintenance of ignorance and superstition.

In another village, on my showing a Testament to a woman, she said
that she had a child at school for whom she would like to purchase
one, but that she must first know whether the book was calculated
to be of service to him. She then went away, and presently
returned with the schoolmaster, followed by all the children under
his care; she then, showing the schoolmaster a book, inquired if it
would answer for her son. The schoolmaster called her a simpleton
for asking such a question, and said that he knew the book well,
and there was not its equal in the world (no hay otro en el mundo).
He instantly purchased five copies for his pupils, regretting that
he had no more money, "for if I had," said he, "I would buy the
whole cargo." Upon hearing this, the woman purchased four copies,
namely, one for her living son, another for her deceased husband, a
third for herself, and a fourth for her brother, whom she said she
was expecting home that night from Madrid.

In this manner we proceeded; not, however, with uniform success.
In some villages the people were so poor and needy, that they had
literally no money; even in these, however, we managed to dispose
of a few copies in exchange for barley or refreshments. On
entering one very small hamlet, Victoriano was stopped by the
curate, who, on learning what he carried, told him that unless he
instantly departed, he would cause him to be imprisoned, and would
write to Madrid in order to give information of what was going on.
The excursion lasted about eight days. Immediately after my
return, I dispatched Victoriano to Caramanchal, a village at a
short distance from Madrid, the only one towards the west which had
not been visited last year. He staid there about an hour, and
disposed of twelve copies, and then returned, as he was exceedingly
timid, and was afraid of being met by the thieves who swarm on that
road in the evening.

Shortly after these events, a circumstance occurred which will
perhaps cause the English reader to smile, whilst, at the same
time, it will not fail to prove interesting, as affording an
example of the feeling prevalent in some of the lone villages of
Spain with respect to innovation and all that savours thereof, and
the strange acts which are sometimes committed by the real
authorities and the priests, without the slightest fear of being
called to account; for as they live quite apart {20} from the rest
of the world, they know no people greater than themselves, and
scarcely dream of a higher power than their own.

I was about to make an excursion to Guadalajara, and the villages
of Alcarria, about seven leagues distant from Madrid; indeed I
merely awaited the return of Victoriano to sally forth; I having
dispatched him in that direction with a few Testaments, as a kind
of explorer, in order that, from his report as to the disposition
manifested by the people for purchasing, I might form a tolerably
accurate opinion as to the number of copies which it might be
necessary to carry with me. However, I heard nothing of him for a
fortnight, at the end of which period a letter was brought to me by
a peasant, dated from the prison of Fuente la Higuera, a village
eight leagues from Madrid, in the Campina of Alcala: this letter,
written, by Victoriano, gave me to understand that he had been
already eight days imprisoned, and that unless I could find some
means to extricate him, there was every probability of his
remaining in durance until he should perish with hunger, which he
had no doubt would occur as soon as his money was exhausted. From
what I afterwards learned, it appeared that, after passing the town
of Alcala, he had commenced distributing, and with considerable
success. His entire stock consisted of sixty-one Testaments,
twenty-five of which he sold without the slightest difficulty or
interruption in the single village of Arganza; the poor labourers
showering blessings on his head for providing them with such good
books at an easy price.

Not more than eighteen of his books remained, when he turned off
the high road towards Fuente la Higuera. This place was already
tolerably well known to him, he having visited it of old, when he
travelled the country in the capacity of a vendor of cacharras or
earthen pans. He subsequently stated that he felt some misgiving
whilst on the way, as the village had invariably borne a bad
reputation. On his arrival, after having put up his cavallejo or
little pony at a posada, he proceeded to the alcalde for the
purpose of asking permission to sell the books, which that
dignitary immediately granted. He now entered a house and sold a
copy, and likewise a second. Emboldened by success, he entered a
third, which, it appeared, belonged to the barber-surgeon of the
village. This personage having just completed his dinner, was
seated in an arm chair within his doorway, when Victoriano made his
appearance. He was a man about thirty-five, of a savage truculent
countenance. On Victoriano's offering him a Testament, he took it
in his hand to examine it, but no sooner did his eyes glance over
the title-page than he burst out into a loud laugh, exclaiming:-
"Ha, ha, Don Jorge Borrow, the English heretic, we have encountered
you at last. Glory to the Virgin and the Saints! We have long
been expecting you here, and at length you are arrived." He then
inquired the price of the book, and on being told three reals, he
flung down two, and rushed out of the house with the Testament in
his hand.

Victoriano now became alarmed, and determined upon leaving the
place as soon as possible. He therefore hurried back to the
posada, and having paid for the barley which his pony had consumed,
went into the stable, and placing the packsaddle on the animal's
back, was about to lead it forth, when the alcalde of the village,
the surgeon, and twelve other men, some of whom were armed with
muskets, suddenly presented themselves. They instantly made
Victoriano prisoner, and after seizing the books and laying an
embargo on the pony, proceeded amidst much abuse to drag the
captive to what they denominated their prison, a low damp apartment
with a little grated window, where they locked him up and left him.
At the expiration of three quarters of an hour, they again
appeared, and conducted him to the house of the curate, where they
sat down in conclave; the curate, who was a man stone blind,
presiding, whilst the sacristan officiated as secretary. The
surgeon having stated his accusation against the prisoner, namely,
that he had detected him in the fact of selling a version of the
Scriptures in the vulgar tongue, the curate proceeded to examine
Victoriano, asking him his name and place of residence, to which he
replied that his name was Victoriano Lopez, and that he was a
native of Villa Seca, in the Sagra of Toledo. The curate then
demanded what religion he professed? and whether he was a
Mohometan, or freemason? and received for answer that he was a
Roman Catholic. I must here state, that Victoriano, though
sufficiently shrewd in his way, was a poor old labourer of sixty-
four; and until that moment had never heard either of Mahometans or
freemasons. The curate becoming now incensed, called him a tunante
or scoundrel, and added, you have sold your soul to a heretic; we
have long been aware of your proceedings, and those of your master.
You are the same Lopez, whom he last year rescued from the prison
of Villallos, in the province of Avila; I sincerely hope that he
will attempt to do the same thing here. "Yes, yes," shouted the
rest of the conclave, "let him but venture here, and we will shed
his heart's blood on our stones." In this manner they went on for
nearly half an hour. At last they broke up the meeting, and
conducted Victoriano once more to his prison.

During his confinement he lived tolerably well, being in possession
of money. His meals were sent him twice a day from the posada,
where his pony remained in embargo. Once or twice he asked
permission of the alcalde, who visited him every night and morning
with his armed guard, to purchase pen and paper, in order that he
might write to Madrid; but this favour was peremptorily refused
him, and all the inhabitants of the village were forbidden under
terrible penalties to afford him the means of writing, or to convey
any message from him beyond the precincts of the place, and two
boys were stationed before the window of his cell for the purpose
of watching everything which might be conveyed to him.

It happened one day that Victoriano, being in need of a pillow,
sent word to the people of the posada to send him his alforjas or
saddlebags, which they did. In these bags there chanced to be a
kind of rope, or, as it is called in Spanish, soga, with which he
was in the habit of fastening his satchel to the pony's back. The
urchins seeing an end of this rope, hanging from the alforjas,
instantly ran to the alcalde to give him information. Late at
evening, the alcalde again visited the prisoner at the head of his
twelve men as usual. "Buenas noches," said the alcalde. "Buenas
noches tenga usted," replied Victoriano. "For what purpose did you
send for the soga this afternoon?" demanded the functionary. "I
sent for no soga," said the prisoner, "I sent for my alforjas to
serve as a pillow, and it was sent in them by chance." "You are a
false malicious knave," retorted the alcalde; "you intend to hang
yourself, and by so doing ruin us all, as your death would be laid
at our door. Give me the soga." No greater insult can be offered
to a Spaniard than to tax him with an intention of committing
suicide. Poor Victoriano flew into a violent rage, and after
calling the alcalde several very uncivil names, he pulled the soga
from his bags, flung it at his head, and told him to take it home
and use it for his own neck.

At length the people of the posada took pity on the prisoner,
perceiving that he was very harshly treated for no crime at all;
they therefore determined to afford him an opportunity of informing
his friends of his situation, and accordingly sent him a pen and
inkhorn, concealed in a loaf of bread, and a piece of writing
paper, pretending that the latter was intended for cigars. So
Victoriano wrote the letter; but now ensued the difficulty of
sending it to its destination, as no person in the village dare
have carried it for any reward. The good people, however,
persuaded a disbanded soldier from another village, who chanced to
be at Fuente la Higuera in quest of work, to charge himself with
it, assuring him that I would pay him well for his trouble. The
man, watching his opportunity, received the letter from Victoriano
at the window: and it was he who, after travelling on foot all
night, delivered it to me in safety at Madrid.