Part 3

“The tribe of Zebulon cast lots for the garments, and on the same day the roof of their mouth is tortured by deep wounds.

“The tribe of Joseph made the nails for crucifying Jesus, and blunted them to increase his sufferings; and therefore their hands and feet are covered with gashes and blood.

“Those of Benjamin gave vinegar to Jesus; they all squint and are palsied, and have their months filled with little nauseous worms, which, in truth, (adds our author,) is the case with all Jewish women after the age of 25, because it was a woman who intreated the tribe of Joseph not to sharpen the nails used for the crucifixion of our Lord.”

This is a fair specimen of a book of 220 pages.

{9a} Seville, Cordoba, Santiago, Burgos, Toledo—in a word, all the places where ecclesiastical authority is most active, have been the most strenuous opposers of the progress of civil, to say nothing of religious liberty. And these, too, are universally the most barbarous of the Spanish cities. How the clergy at Santiago frustrated the attempts of the heroic Porlier to establish the Constitution, is notorious.

{9b} Informe de la Sociedad de Madrid sobre la Ley agraria, § 166.

At every step one finds in Spain enough to excite the most melancholy recollections. I went to Alcalá de Henares to visit the house in which Cervantes was born. (If I had undertaken a pilgrimage I could not have repaid the enjoyment, the delight, I have received from the works of this wonderful genius!) It had been destroyed, that a herd of friars might enlarge their kitchen-garden! I inquired for the MSS. of Ximenes Cisneros: they had been cut up for sky-rockets to celebrate the arrival of some worthless grandee!

{10a} Some of the Professors of the Spanish universities, those especially of civil law and medicine, and perhaps even some of theology, are enlightened men and lovers of liberty. This is decidedly the case at Salamanca and Alcalá, and partially so at Valencia. To the rest the text may safely be applied.

{10b} Cofradias—assemblies for religions objects.

{10c} Eunuchs are not now common in Spain. The inhuman practice, once so frequent, is now prohibited by law.

{11a} Translated from a little tract called “Pan y Torus,” attributed to Jovellanos. It was written before the Revolution.

{11b} Such men as Father Martinez, (Mercenario) who has been appointed one of the preachers of the royal chapel, should be held up to public detestation.

“¡Grande epoca de nuestra felicidad y de nuestra regeneracion! Rubricad la constitucion con un juramento inviolable, selladla con la sangre de vuestras venas. Sus legisladores han sido inspirados por la Sabiduria divina—¡Gloriosa instalacion de las Cortes! Feliz transito de una casi mortal agonia á una vigorosa robustez politica. Mejor de los gobiernos—Cortes! precioso nombre qui despierta en nuestra alma todas las ideas de la antigua libertad y grandeza Española! Solo remedio de nuestros males, suspirados por todo Español, amante de su patria. Constitucion sabia y liberal—excelsa fabrica! ¿Que ofrecen Grecia y Roma comparable á nuestro augusto congreso y á su codigo tan completamente acabado? ¡Nacion sabia y entendida, que proclama con voz enérgica su libertad, su independencia y soberania! Libre é independiente, y no el patrimonio de ninguna familia ó persona. _El Rey no puede_. _El Rey no puede_. Avergüenzense los brutales idólatras del Atila ó Gengis Khan de la Europa—la España tiene una barrera firmisima contra el despotismo. Emancipados Españoles—segunda vez, loor sempiterno, himnos de bendicion á nuestros sabios legisladores! Leyes fundamentales, liberales y sabias—despues del catecismo de la religion estudialas, meditalas, canonizalas—á la par del catecismo de la religion pon en las manos de tus hixos y nietos el codigo constitucional. Pronunciad con entusiasmo el juramento inviolable que va á ser rubricado con la sangre del divino cordero, y que los angeles habrán ya escrito en las columnas del empíreo. Los corazones Castellanos dicen mucho mas que lo que los labios pronuncian; ardientemente desean que al lado de aquella ara augusta se erija una pirámide, donde sea escrita en letras de oro esta inscripcion sencilla, _Juramos ser fieles á la constitucion_: _por ella vivirémos gloriosos_: _y por ella_, _si menester_, _fuére_, _gloriosamente morirémos_.” Sermon preached in Valladolid, 13th September, 1812.

This recreant friar in a letter to the Patriarch of the Indies, dated 20th February, 1815, thus writes:

Of the Cortes: “Hiciéron publicar y jurar con la mas escandalosa premura una constitucion ignorada. Su formacion fué viciosa é ilegal; el codigo fué hecho por los amaños y malas artes de una faccion de anarquistas. Cortes—nombre hoy de infausto agüero—Junta de cabalas Gaditanas.”

Of the constitution: “Se la publicó casi en la forma qui se publicó el Alcoran todo por sorpresa, todo premura y todo militar. ¡Sus dias de terrorismo! Juré un odio eterno á los principios democraticos de la llamada constitucion y las ideas anarquicas é irreligiosas del partido liberal.”

Of Ferdinand: “Nuestro idolatrado rey. Nuestro suspirado monarca, el mas justo de los reyes.”

Of himself: “Mi conducta me granjeó el favor de todos los buenos de Galicia, que me mirában como una columna del partido servil. El consejo de Castilla me honró confiándome la censura de varios papeles qui califiqué de sediciosos, subersivos é injuriosos á la soberania de S. M. El primer nombrado por la Junta de Obispos por la censura de todos los escritos revolucionarios é impios fué el Padre Martinez _nemine discrepante_. El ayuntamiento de Santiago me comisionó que diere gracias á S. M. por el reestablecimiento de la Inquisicion pidiendo á S. M. por los P.P. Jesuitas. ‘El Rey en atencion al distinguido merito y servicios del Padre Martinez’ me nombra su predicador supernumerario: y despues, ‘S. M. en consideracion á la solida literatura de V. S. y á los servicios hechos á su real persona, la religion y al estado,’ le nombra Consexero de la Suprema de la Inquisicion!”

Of the above sermon: “Hablé con la ligereza y superficialidad de un orador que habla de lo que no entiende. Era poco instruido en el derécho publico Español. Hablé constitucional y por conseqüente disparatadamente. Sermon de adornos, flores, y exâgerados hiperboles, sedicioso, subersivo é injurioso á la soberania de S. M.”

Another disgraceful example may be quoted in that of Father Velez, the present Bishop of Ceuta, who has lately published a book, entitled Defensa del Altar y del Trono, so infamous, so full of outrages, insults, and shameless mendacity, that the very Inquisition refused to license its impression; and our mitred libeller delivered a copy to the king, whose taste it so admirably suited, that he issued an immediate mandate, signed by his royal hand, ordering its instant publication. I believe it is the only book which has been printed for years without the Inquisition’s authority.

{12} The title of _Ingrato_ is, in fact, the Spanish despot’s right _par excellence_. A few more such examples would dissolve the spell which holds so many slaves in bondage, and lead them to doubt whether

“_Such divinity_ as doth hedge a king,”

can really be of celestial origin.

{13} I know of no city honoured with so proud a list of illustrious men in so many departments of literature, as Cordoba. Strabo (Cap. iii.) speaks of the learning of its inhabitants, and so does Cicero (Orat. pro Archiâ). The two Senecas and Lucan among the Romans; Averröes; his rival Avicenna, and Abenzoar, distinguished Arabic writers; the three most famous Hebrew Rabbies, Abenezra, Kimki and Maimonides; Ferdinand the logician; Juan de Mena, the father of Spanish poetry; Arias Montano, Nebrixa, Gongora, the poet, and Cespedes, the every thing—were all natives of Cordoba. Repeated attempts have been made to revive the spirit of learning in this interesting capital, and the literary societies there have published several striking appeals on the subject; but Cordoba continues without even a bookseller’s stall;—a striking monument of the triumphs of monkery and ignorance over all that is great, good and generous in the human character.

{14a} Notwithstanding the many discussions as to the birth-place of Cervantes, and the numerous copies that have been made of the register of his baptism, since the claims of Alcalá to the honour of his birth-place have been admitted, it is surprising that no one should have remarked that the name of his father is spelt _Carvantes_ in the original parish record, which I consulted. It is in the oldest of the registers of the church of St. Mary Mayor, at page 192.

Fray Jayme Villanueva mentioned a curious circumstance to me at Valencia, connected with Cervantes;—that among the ecclesiastical documents he had examined at Tarragona, there were a great number of letters addressed to the Cabildo, relating various acts of robbery and murder committed by Roque Guinart and his band, (vide Don Quixote, Vol. IV. Par. ii. Cap. 60,) and imploring their assistance to rid the country of these freebooters: these letters are dated 1614. Now the second part of Don Quixote was published in 1615. How soon did Cervantes avail himself of these events, and how rapid must his composition have been!

Cervantes! idol of my happiest hours! Generous and joyous spirit! who hast brought From thy rich storehouse of romantic thought Wisdom and truth and valor!—All the powers Of Poetry and Music fill thy bowers. Proud is the monument thy hands have wrought, And beautiful the lesson thou hast taught;— And now the muse of many nations showers Garlands upon thy tomb:—yet thou wert poor And desolate in life—of all bereft, In misery and melancholy left To fix thy dim eye on a prison door! Shame on the world! No other star shall shine Upon that world with such a light as thine!

“Se engendró (el Quixote) en una carcel donde toda incomodidad tiene su asiento y donde todo triste ruido hace su habitacion.”

_Prologue_ to Don Quixote.

{14b} Moratin’s translation of Hamlet is as unworthy of the Spanish as of the British bard; but any prose rendering of the beautiful poetry of this extraordinary tragedy must be intolerable to an English ear.

{15} As none of his writings have probably reached England, I shall be excused for introducing a specimen of his verses from the above comedy. Take, for example, the description of a gaming house:

_Don Carlos_.

¿Aun la colera se dura? ¿Que viste tan malo alii Que asi te altera?

_Don Severo_.

Yo vi Un infierno en miniatura Y no merece otro nombre, Porque se deja al entrar Cuanto puede recordar Los privilegios del hombre. En un ahumado aposento, Anegado en porqueria, He visto en un solo dia Lo que no pudiera en ciento. Sobre una mesa ó bufete Alii un mandil se descubre, Que mas empuerca que encumbre, Y al que se llama tapete. Yace encima un mal belon Moribundo, desdichado, Quien, á pesar de su estado, Manifestó la intencion Que de alumbrarnos tenia; Mas le faltó un requisito, Y fue el aceite maldito, Que estaba en Andalucia. Pues de esta mesa al redor, Y por tal luz alumbrados, Encontramos ya sentados, Esperando un redentor, A una percion de estafermos, Que por ser desaliñados, Flacos, puercos y estropeados, Me parecieron enfermos. Pero ¡ai Dios y que sudores Tuve! ¡Que susto me diste Cuando al oido me dijiste Estos son los jugadores; Luego descubri al banquero Fumando su cigarrito, Manejando aquel librito, O recogiendo dinero. A bosquejar no me atrevo Ni sus dedos, ni sus uñas, No se quejen las garduñas, O chille un Cristiano nuevo: Pero añadiré sencillo, Que si le encuentro en la calle, En lugar de saludalle Le doi mi capa y bolsillo. ¡Qué juramentos! ¡Qué por vidas! Y otras voces conocidas Tan solo entre jugadores. Acá gana una _judia_, Alli las sotas _se dan_, Piérdese un buen _ganarán_ O quiebra _contra judia_. Alli sin soga, se _amarra_, Se _apunta_ sin escopeta, Sin necesidad _se aprieta_. _Se mata_ sin cimitarra: Tambien _se entierra_ sin ser Doctor ni sepulturero, Y en fin se pierde el dinero Sin oir, sin hablar, sin ver. Estos, amiguito, son Los primores, que sin tasa Se encuentran en esa casa, Que llamas de diversion. Y no siento, ciertamente, Haber jugado y perdido, Sino el haber conocido Pocilga tan indecente.

{16} I have seen him join the religious processions at Madrid, but with evident indifference and impatience. In the really interesting solemnities of the 2nd of May, (to commemorate the earliest victims of the Revolution,) in the presence of the Court, the Nuncio, and the dignified ecclesiastics of Spain, he played idly with his wax taper and his pocket handkerchief, and walked out of church in the middle of mass. If he ever amused himself with embroidering garments for the Virgin, (which I do not believe,) or feigned a special devotion in the ecclesiastical ceremonies of his country, he has not thought it necessary to wear the mask of hypocrisy any longer.