CHAPTER IX.

EPILOGUE.

A few words in conclusion. Spain is far from being a worn-out country. On the contrary, both in the character and capacities of its varied populations, in the mineral riches of its soil, in its agricultural wealth, in industrial resources, and in the artistic taste of its workmen, it is capable of vast development.

Two things hinder this, and will probably hinder it for some time. These are the political separation of Spain and Portugal, so ill-adapted to the geographical conformation of the Peninsula. The great rivers of Spain run westward, but the benefit of these fluvial highways is entirely lost to the country through the intercalation of Portugal into the western sea-board, thus making useless to Spain her natural system of river transport, and cutting her off from her best and most direct Atlantic ports. It is Lisbon, and not Madrid, which should be the capital of the whole Peninsula. Scarcely less an evil to Spain is the possession of Gibraltar by the English, which, besides the expense of watching the fortress, and the loss to Spain of the advantage of the possession of the great port of call for the whole maritime traffic of the East, is a school of smuggling and contraband, and a focus of corruption for the whole of South-western Spain. Were the whole Atlantic and Mediterranean sea-board in sole possession of one nation, the expenses of the custom-house would be greatly lessened, while the smuggling on the Portuguese and British frontiers would wholly disappear. In no point was the effect of the narrow and jealous policy of Philip II. more disastrous, than in his failure even to attempt to attach the Portuguese to his rule when the kingdoms were temporarily united under his crown.

The second evil, and one of still graver proportions, is that of the exceedingly corrupt administration of the central government, and of almost every branch of public employment. It is difficult to exaggerate this mischief. It is not bad external political government, it is not a faulty constitution, but it is an administration in which corruption has become a tradition and the rule, that is the real evil in Spain. It is this which baffles every ministry that tries to do real good. Only a ministry, or succession of ministries, composed of men of thorough honesty, of iron will, and of competence in financial administration, supported by strong majorities, can hope to deal with this gigantic growth. Even then it must be a work of time. With an honest administration, and prudent and sagacious development of her resources, Spain would soon regain financial soundness and recover her place among the nations.

The contest between the opposite commercial systems of protection and free trade is not yet concluded, nor is likely to be, in Spain. As long as England, which has the greatest interest of any foreign power in the establishment of the latter system, maintains a tariff which unduly favours the wines of France in comparison with those of Spain free trade is not likely to be popular. From the varied character of her products, Spain is of all European countries naturally the most self-sufficing. Her north-western provinces furnish her with cattle in abundance; no finer wheat is grown than that on the central plateau, and it could easily be produced in quantity more than sufficient for her wants; wine, oil, and fruits she possesses in superfluity; even sugar is not wanting in the south; cotton, indeed, she has not; but wool of excellent quality is the produce of her numerous flocks, and it needs only the establishment of efficient manufactories for Spanish cloth and woollen stuffs to regain their ancient renown. All the most useful minerals abound, and are of the finest quality, especially the iron, and the development of the working of the Asturian and Andalusian coal-fields renders Spain yearly more and more independent of England in this respect. True it is that foreign capital is, and will for some time be necessary to assist in extracting this hidden wealth; but if the ordinary Spaniard of the educated classes, instead of seeking a bare, and too often a base, subsistence in petty government employment or in ill-paid professions--instead of seeking the barren honour of a university degree--would apply himself to scientific, industrial, or agricultural enterprise, he might soon obtain his legitimate share of the profits which now go mainly into the hands of foreign speculators and shareholders.

Spaniards are commonly said to be cruel and bloodthirsty, with little regard for the sufferings of others or respect for human life; and undoubtedly there is some truth in this charge, but it does not apply to the whole Peninsula. Many of Spain's best writers deplore it, and inveigh strongly against it and against the bull-fights, which, in their present form, are not more than a century old. As a national sport, the modern bull-ring, with its professional torreadors and its hideous horse-slaughtering, differs from the pastime in which Charles V. and his nobles used to take part as much as a prizefight from a tournament. The appeals of Fernan Caballero to the clergy, the efforts of Tubino, Lastre, and others to arouse the public against this wanton cruelty have hitherto been of no avail. We can only hope in the future. On the other hand, it is unjust to shut our eyes to the noble charities of Spain. She was the first to care for lunatics. Many of her hospitals and asylums for the aged were conducted with a tenderness and consideration unknown in other lands. Even a beggar is treated with respect, and is relieved without contumely. The treatment of her prisoners and the condition of her prisons, which was long so foul a blot, is now being efficiently removed; she is at least making an earnest effort to attain the level of European civilization in this respect.

Intellectually, in science, and especially in literature, Spain is advancing rapidly. The historical treasures long buried in the archives of Simancas, and those of the Indies at Seville, are now thrown open to the world, and are eagerly consulted by native historians. Her literary and scientific men, though comparatively few in number, are full of zeal and intelligence. There needs only a larger and more appreciative audience to encourage them in their labours in order to bring the literature of Spain to a level with that of any European country of equal population.

APPENDIX I.

PROVINCES OF SPAIN AND THEIR POPULATION IN 1877.

Per square Provinces. Inhabitants. Kilometer.

Alava 93,191 30 Albacete 219,122 14 Alicante 408,154 75 Almeria 349,854 41 Avila 180,457 23 Badajoz 432,809 19 Barcelona 835,306 108 Burgos 332,461 23 Caceres 306,594 15 Cadiz 430,158 59 Castellon 283,961 45 Ciudad-Real 260,641 13 Cordova 385,582 28 Corunna 595,585 75 Cuenca 237,497 14 Gerona 299,002 51 Granada 477,719 37 Guadalajara 201,288 16 Guipuzcoa 167,207 88 Huelva 210,641 20 Huesca 252,165 17 Jaen 422,972 32 Leon 350,210 22 Lerida 285,297 23 Logrono 174,425 34 Lugo 410,387 42 Madrid 593,775 77 Malaga 500,231 68 Murcia 451,611 39 Navarre 304,184 29 Orense 388,835 55 Oviedo 576,352 54 Palencia 180,785 22 Pontevedra 451,946 100 Salamanca 285,500 23 Santander 235,299 44 Saragossa 400,266 23 Segovia 149,961 21 Seville 505,291 36 Soria 153,654 15 Tarragona 330,105 52 Teruel 242,296 17 Toledo 334,744 23 Valencia 679,030 60 Valladolid 247,453 31 Vizcaya 189,954 86 Zamora 250,004 23 ---------- -- 16,053,961 32 Balearic Isles 289,035 60 Canaries 280,388 37 ---------- -- 16,623,384 33 ---------- --

In area of surface Spain ranks the 5th of European States. In number of population 7th " In density of population to the square mile 14th " In extent of colonies 5th " Rates of women to men, 1044 to 1000. The infantile mortality is said to be 24-1/2 per cent. in first year. Expectation of life at 2 years old is said to be 49 years; the average 41.

APPENDIX II.

PRINCIPAL EVENTS OF SPANISH HISTORY.

A.D.

Visigoth kings rule from 414 to 711 Entry of Moors, battle of Guadelete, death of last Visigothic king 31 July, 711 Reconquest begun by Pelayo at Covadonga in the Asturias 719 Toledo captured by Alphonso VI. 1085 Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa 1212 Final union of Leon and Castile 1230 Alphonso X. (Law Codes: The Fuero Real and Las Siete Partidas) 1252 Union of Aragon with Castile under Ferdinand and Isabella 1474 Inquisition established (first Auto de Fe, 1488) 1484 Conquest of Granada 1492 Discovery of America 1492 Expulsion of Moors from Castile, 1501; from Granada 1502 Conquest of Naples and Sicily 1504 _Austrian Dynasty_:--Philip I. and Joanna 1504 Charles I. (Emperor of Germany, Charles V.) 1516 War of Comunidades of Castile, Battle of Villalar 1521 Battle of Pavia, Francis I. prisoner 1525 Capture of Tunis 1535 Abdication of Charles I. 1556 Philip II.:--Greatest extension of Spanish monarchy, comprising Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, Sardinia, Milan, Roussillon, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Franche-Comte, Tunis, Oran, the Canaries, Fernando Po, St. Helena, The Americas, Philippine Isles, &c. Insurrection of Low Countries 1566 First rebellion and expulsion of Moriscos 1568 Battle of Lepanto 1571 League of Provinces and independence of Holland, 25 Jan., 1579 Conquest of Portugal (1580-1640) 1580 Defeat of Armada 1588 Death of Philip II. 1598 Final expulsion of Moriscos 1609 Insurrection of Catalonia 1640 Loss of Portugal 1640 Battle of Rocroy 1643 Peace of the Pyrenees and marriage of Louis XIV. 1659 Death of Charles II., last of Austrian dynasty 29 Oct., 1700

_Bourbon Dynasty_:--War of Succession between Archduke Charles and Philip V., 1701-13 Loss of Gibraltar 1704 Treaty of Utrecht 1713 Salic Law voted in Cortes 1713 Abolition of Constitution of Catalonia 1716 Charles III. 1759 Family Pact 1761 Expulsion of Jesuits 1767 Siege of Gibraltar 1782 Charles IV. 1788 Godoy, Prince of Peace 1795 Battle of Trafalgar 1805 Abdication of Charles IV. 1808 Ferdinand VII., Renunciation at Bayonne 1808 Joseph Bonaparte, King (1808-14) Uprising of Spain 2 May, 1808 Peninsular War, 1808-14 Expulsion of French 1814 Cortes of Cadiz, suppression of Inquisition, of Feudal Rights, and establishment of Constitution 1812 Return of Ferdinand VII., Inquisition re-established, and Constitution abolished 1814 Insurrection of Riego, new Constitution (1820-23) 1820 Invasion of French, violation of Constitution 1823 Loss of American colonies. Buenos Ayres 1811 Chili 1818 Columbia 1819 Mexico 1821 Peru 1824 Absolutism till death of Ferdinand VII. (1823-33). Birth of Isabella II., abolition of Salic Law, expulsion of Don Carlos 1830 Death of Ferdinand VII. 1833 Regency of Christina, the queen-mother, 1833; expelled 1840 1833 First Carlist War, 1833-39. Majority of Isabella II. 1844 War with Morocco 1860 Insurrection and expulsion of Isabella 1868 Provisional Government, 1868-70 1868 Amadeo I., November, 1870, to February, 1873 1870 Republic, Cantonalist insurrections 1873 Second Carlist War, 1873-76. Alphonso XII. Dec., 1874 Don Carlos entered France, February, 1876 1876 Abolition of Basque Fueros 1876 Downfall of Canovas del Castillo 1881

APPENDIX III.

LIST OF BOOKS CHIEFLY MADE USE OF IN THE FOREGOING PAGES.

_Geography_:--

La Nouvelle Geographie Universelle, par Elisee Reclus, series 5 and 6. Hachette, Paris, 1876.

Spanien und die Balearen. Willkomm, Berlin, 1879.

The Balearic Isles, by T. Bidwell. London.

Boletin de la Sociedad Geografica de Madrid, various years.

Introduccion a la Historia Natural y a la Geografica Fisica de Espana, por Don Guillermo Bowles. Madrid, 1775.

Espagne, Algerie, et Tunisie, par P. de Tchikatchef. Paris, 1880.

Libro de Agricultura, por Abu Zaccaria. Spanish translation Seville, 1878.

_Meteorology_:--

Reports of the Meteorological Society of Madrid, various years.

Revista Contemporanea, tomo xxx. 4. December, 1880.

_Philology_:--

Grammaire des Langues Romaines, par F. Diez, 2nd German edition. French translation, Paris.

Etudes sur les Idiomes Pyreneenes, par A. Luchaire. Paris, 1879.

Various articles in Spanish Literary and Provincial Journals.

_History, General_:--

Dunham's History of Spain and Portugal, 5 vols. Lardner's Cabinet Encyclopaedia.

Resumen de Historia de Espana, por F. de Castro, 12th edition. Madrid, 1878.

Compendio Razonado de Historia General, por Sales y Ferre, last edition, 4 vols. Madrid, 1880.

History of Civilization, by Buckle, 3 vols. London.

_Particular Histories_:--

Investigaciones sobre la Historia de Espana, por Dozy, Spanish translation, 2 vols. Seville, 1877.

Los Mudejares de Castillo, por Fernandez Gonzalez. Madrid, 1866.

Vida de la Princesa Eboli, by G. Muro, with introductory letter by Canovas del Castillo. Madrid, 1877.

Text of various Fueros, and of the Constitutions since 1812.

Espagne Contemporaine, par F. Garrido. Bruxelles, 1865.

_Ecclesiastical History_:--

Die Kirchengeschichte von Spanien, von P. B. Gams, 5 vols. Berlin, 1879.

Historia de los Heterodoxos Espanoles, por M. Menendez Pelayo, tomos i. and ii. (Tomo iii. not yet published.) Madrid, 1880.

_History of Property, &c._:--

Ensayo sobre la Historia del derecho de Propiedad y su Estado actual en Europa, por G. de Azcarate. Tomos i. and ii. (Tomo iii. not yet published.) Madrid, 1879-80.

Estudios filosoficos y politicos, por G. de Azcarate. Madrid, 1877.

La Constitucion Inglesa y la politica del Continente, por G. de Azcarate. Madrid, 1878.

Ensayo sobre la Propiedad Territorial en Espana, per Cardenas, 2 vols. Madrid, 1875.

_Art_:--

Street's Gothic Architecture in Spain. Murray, 1865.

The Industrial Arts of Spain, by Juan F. Riano. London 1879.

Discurso de Recepcion, by Juan F. Riano. Madrid, 1880.

Numerous articles in Spanish Periodicals.

_Literature_:--

Ticknor's History of Spanish Literature, 4 vols. London, 1845.

Sismondi's Literature of the South of Europe. Bohn, London, 1846.

Hubbard's Litterature Contemporaine en Espagne. Paris, 1876.

_Guide-Books_:--

Ford's last edition, and O'Shea's Guide to Spain, with numerous Spanish general and local guides, and particular descriptions of towns, provinces, &c.

Tourist Books in Spanish, German, French, and English. The only ones needing mention, as going out of the common round are--

Untrodden Spain, by J. H. Rose. Bentley, 1875.

Among the Spanish People, by J. H. Rose. Bentley, 1877.

Government and Consular reports too numerous to specify; but we must except Phipps' masterly Report on Spanish Finance to the close of 1876.

INDEX.

AGRICULTURE, 41.

Alhambra, 113, 198.

Alphonso XII., 160.

Amadeo I., 138, 168.

Andorra, republic of, 100.

Arabs, 75.

Architecture, Roman, 194; Arab, 195; Mudejar, 200; Renaissance, 202; Churrigueresque, 203.

Army, 167.

Art, Visigothic, 195; Arabic, 196; Christian, 205; industrial, 210.

BALEARIC ISLES, 141.

Bardenas Reales, 13, 97.

Basque language, 71, 77, 78.

Behetria, 145.

Bidassoa, 12, 56.

Budgets, 175.

Bulls and bull-fighting, 121, 234.

CABALLERO, Fernan, 223.

Calderon, 216.

Camel breeds in Spain, 34, 65.

Canada, La, pass of, 5, 135.

Canals, 13, 16, 18, 133.

Canovas del Castillo, 161, 228.

Carlists, 155, 159.

Castelar, 158, 159, 228.

Cerro de San Felipe, 6, 133.

Cervantes, 215, 217.

Charles I., 13, 150.

Charles III., 13, 152.

Chuetas of Balearic Isles, 90, 143.

Church, councils of, 75, 187; furniture and art, 205.

Clergy, 82, 191.

Coal-mines, 65, 94, 101, 122, 234.

Colleges, British, 141, 183.

Comunidades of Aragon, 40, 99.

Congress of deputies, 162.

Constitutions of Spain, 153, 162.

Contrabandistas, 90.

Cortes, 146, 162.

Cordova, mosque of, 124, 196, 198.

DEBT, public, 174.

Despena-Perros, pass of, 3, 125.

Despoblados and Destierros, 7, 111, 130.

Douro, 15, 139.

EBRO, 12, 97, 99.

Escorial, 36, 132, 203.

Esparto grass, 43, 107, 111.

Exports and imports, 177.

FAUNA, 52.

Ferdinand VII., 153.

Finance, 174.

Fiords or Friths in Galicia, 3, 31, 92.

Fisheries, 56, 93, 118.

Flora, greatly exotic, 41, 42; herbaceous aromatic, 45; African, 108.

Fueros, 146, 147, 150, 158, 161.

Funds, 175.

GATA, Cabo de, 2, 9, 109.

Gibraltar, 9, 119.

Guadalaviar and irrigation, 24, 104.

Guadalquiver and affluents, 20, 109.

Guadarrama, range of, 6, 129, 135.

Guadiana and affluents, 19.

Guardias civiles, 156.

Guisando, Toros de, 71, 134, 194.

HISTORICAL school in Spain, 220, 226.

Hospitals, 171.

Hurdes, 90, 138.

IBERI, 70.

Imports and exports, 177.

Inquisition, 149, 188.

Irrigation of Llobregat, 26; Esla, 17; Henares, 18, 19, 193; in Valencia and Murcia, 24, 25, 104, 106, 107.

Isabella II., 154.

JEWS of Balearic Isles, 77, 143.

Justice, administration of, 169.

KELT and Keltiberi, 70, 76.

LACE, 211.

Lakes, 19, 26, 105, 108.

Laya, Basque tool, 40.

Lead-mines, 64, 125.

Lemosin dialects, 77.

Locusts, 48, 53.

Lunatic asylums, 171, 235.

MAJOLICA ware, 105, 144, 211.

Manufactures, cotton, 81, 82, 102.

Maragatos, 105, 144, 211.

Marismas of Guadalquiver, 22, 121.

Merino sheep, 54.

Mesta, 47, 83, 84, 156.

Mineral springs, 28.

Minho, 11, 93.

Mining districts, 64, 94, 95, 102, 107, 110, 111, 122, 125, 140.

Monkeys at Gibraltar, 52, 120.

Mudejar art, 201.

Municipal administration, 164.

Mules, 55.

Murillo, 120, 206, 207, 209.

NAVY, 168.

Nevada, Sierra, 8, 109, 115.

OLIVES, 33, 47, 59, 101, 109, 116.

Orange cultivation, 39, 43, 46, 105, 109.

PAINTING, schools of, 206, 209.

Palms, 33, 44, 106.

Passiegos of Bilbao, 90.

Philip II., 132, 232.

Population, census of, 80, 82; diverse of Spain, 69, 85; occupations of, 81.

Post and letters, 172.

Pottery and porcelain, 105, 144, 211.

Prisons, 170, 234.

Professors, salary of, 182.

Property, distribution of, 83, 153; Church, sale of, 83, 154, 191.

Provinces, administration of, 164.

Provincial literature, 228.

RAILWAYS, 172.

Rainfall, 10, 28, 31.

Republic of Andora, 100.

Rice cultivation, 42, 44, 105.

Rivers, comparative table of, 28.

Romans in Spain, 17, 41, 76, 93, 102, 108, 194.

SALINAS, 22, 26, 29, 108, 109, 118.

Salt-mine, 63, 100.

Schools and schoolmasters, 184.

Sea-board of Spain, 2.

Seguro, sierra and rivers, 8, 24, 107.

Silk, 17.

Sugar, 42, 44, 115.

TAGUS and its affluents, 17.

Taxes, 176.

Telegraphs, 173.

Tobacco factories, 121, 176.

Toleration, early religious, 147, 165, 188.

UNIVERSITIES, 182.

VISIGOTHS, 74, 187, 195.

WATER, names connected with, 27.

Wines of Galicia, 38, 93; Riojas, 33, 96; Navarre and Aragon, 33; Catalonia, 33, 102; Valencia, 104; La Mancha, 127; Malaga 116; Andalusia sherries, 118, 119, 124.

LONDON: PRINTED BY GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, LIMITED, ST. JOHN'S SQUARE.