hung with Black, wherein there is not the least glimmering of Day-light
to be seen; they sit cross-legg’d on a little Holland-Quilt. When this
Year is ended, they retire into a Chamber hung with Gray: they must have
no Pictures, nor Looking-Glasses, nor Cabinets, nor fine Tables, nor
Plate, neither must they have any Diamonds, or wear any Colours: However
modest they are, they must live so retired, that it must seem their Soul
is already in the other World. This Constrant is the cause that several
Ladies who are wealthy, and especially in rich Houshold-Goods, marry
again to have the satisfaction of making use of them.
After the first Compliments, I inform’d my self from this mournful Widow
where she was going; she told me, She had not for a long time seen a
Friend of her Mother’s who was a Religious at Lashuelgas de Burgos,
which is a famous Nunnery, wherein there is an hundred and fifty Nuns,
most of ’em the Daughters of Princes, Dukes, and Titulado’s. She added,
That the Abbess is Lady of fourteen large Towns, and above fifty other
Places wherein she chuses Governors and Magistrates; that she is
Superior of seventeen Convents; Collates to several Benefices, and
disposes of twelve Commanderships in favour of whom she pleases. She
told me she design’d to pass some time in this Monastery: ‘Can you,
Madam,’ said I to her, ‘accustom yourself to so retired a Life as is
that of a Convent?’ ‘It will be no hard matter,’ said she, ‘for I
believe I see fewer People at my own House than I shall see there; and
in effect these Religious have Liberty enough: They are commonly the
handsomest young Women of the Family who are there; these enter therein
so young, that they know not what they are made to leave, nor what they
undertake at the Age of six or seven, and it may be sooner. They are
caused to make Vows, when ’tis often the Father or Mother, or some near
Relation, who pronounce them for ’em, whilst the little Sacrifice
disports herself with Sugar-plums, and lets ’em dress her how they will:
Yet the Bargain holds, there’s no unsaying it; however, they have every
thing which can be expected in their Condition. There are at Madrid some
whom they call the Ladies of St. James: they are properly Canonnesses,
who make their Tryals like the Knights of this Order; they bear, like
them, a Sword, made in form of a Cross, embroidered with Crimson Silk;
they have ’em on their Scapularies and great Cloaks, which are white:
These Ladies House is very stately; all who come to visit ’em enter
without any difficulty; their Apartments are very fine, and every whit
as well furnisht as if they were at large in the World; they enjoy great
Pensions, and each of ’em has three or four Women to wait on them: It’s
true, they never stir out, nor see their nearest Relations, but through
several Grates. This perhaps would look horrid in another Country, but
in Spain they are accustom’d to Confinement.
‘There are Convents where the Religious see more Cavaliers than the
Women who live at large, neither are they less gallant: It is impossible
for any to have more Gayety than they; and, as I have already told you,
Madam, here are more Beauties than abroad; but it must be granted, there
are several among them who are deeply sensible at their having been so
soon sacrific’d; they think of the Pleasures which they have never
tasted, as the only ones which can make this Life Happy. They pass
theirs in a Condition worthy of Compassion, always telling you, they are
there by Force; and that the Vows they are made to repeat at the Age of
five or six Years, are to be regarded like Childrens Plays.’
‘Madam,’ said I to her, ‘it wou’d have been great pity, had your
Relations design’d you for such a Life; and one may judge, in beholding
you, that all the beautiful Spanish Ladies are not Religioses.’ ‘Alas,
Madam,’ said she, in fetching a deep Sigh, ‘I know not what I wou’d be;
it seems I am of a very odd Humor, not to be contented with my Fortune:
but one has sometimes Uneasinesses which are unaccountable to Reason.’
In ending these words, she fastened her Eyes to the ground, and fell
into such a deep fit of Musing, that I cou’d easily perceive something
disturb’d her.
Whatever Curiosity I had to know the Subject, we had been so little
together, that I dared not desire to be her Confident; but to draw her
from the melancholy Posture she was in, I entreated her to tell me some
News of the Court of Spain, seeing she came from Madrid. She did what
she cou’d to recover herself: she then told me, There were great shews
of Joy at Court on the Queen’s Birth-day: that the King had sent one of
the Gentlemen of his Chamber to Toledo, to Compliment her from him: Yet
these fine Appearances hindred not the Marquess de Mansera, the Queen’s
Major Domo, from receiving Orders to retire twenty Leagues from the
Court, which had greatly mortifi’d this Princess. She inform’d us, That
the Fleet which carried Troops to Galicia, was unhappily cast away on
the Coasts of Portugal. That the little Dutchess de Terra Nova, was to
Espouse Don Nicolo Pignatelli, Prince de Monteleon, her Uncle. That the
Marquess de Leganez had refused the Vice-royalty of Sardagnia, being in
love with a fine Lady, whom he cou’d not find in his heart to leave.
That Don Carlos de Omodei, Marquess d’ Almonazid, was dangerously ill,
at his Disappointment of being admitted a Grandee of Spain, to which he
pretended, having marry’d the Heiress of the House and Grandeurship of
Castel Rodrigue; and that which most sensibly afflicted him, was, that
Don Ariel de Gusman, this Lady’s first Husband, had enjoyed this Honour;
so that he cou’d not but look on the Difficulties thrown in his way as a
slighting of his Person: ‘In truth, Madam,’ said I to her, ‘I can hardly
comprehend how a Man of sence, can with such eagerness pursue, and be so
greatly dejected at a Disappointment of this Nature.’ ‘We are otherwise
affected in Spain,’ replied the beautiful Widow, ‘and this Instance is a
proof of it.’
Don Frederic de Cardonne, who greatly interested himself for the Duke de
Medina Celi, askt her News of him: ‘The King,’ said she, ‘has lately
made him President of the Indies. The Queen-Mother has wrote to the
King, on the Report which runs, that he is about Marrying; that she is
surpriz’d things are already gone so far, and he has not acquainted her
with them. She adds in her Letter, She advised him in the mean time,
whilst all things were ready for this Ceremony, to make a Journey to
Catalonia and Arragon. Don John of Austria sufficiently understands the
Necessity of this, and he presses the King to depart, to content these
People, in promising by Oath, according as is customary to new Kings, to
maintain all their ancient Priviledges.’ ‘Have then, Madam,’ said I to
her, interrupting her, ‘the Arrogonois any other Priviledges than the
Castillans?’ ‘Very particular ones,’ replied she, ‘and you being a
Stranger, I believe you will be willing to let me inform you of them.’
Here’s what I learnt:
The Daughter of Count Julien, named Cava, was one of the most beautiful
Ladies in the World: King Rodrigue became so passionately in love with
her, that his Affection knowing no Bounds, transported him beyond all
measure. The Father, who was then in Affrica, inform’d of the Outrage
done his Daughter, who breath’d nothing but Revenge, treated with the
Moors, and supplied ’em with the means to enter into Spain,[3] and to
make there, for sundry Ages, all those Ravages set forth at large in
History.
The Arragonois were the first who shook off the Yoak of these
Barbarians; and finding no more among them any Princes of the Race of
Gothish Kings, they agreed to Elect one, and cast their eyes on a Lord
of the Country, call’d Garci Ximinex; but they being Masters, to impose
Laws on him, and finding himself sufficiently Happy that he might Rule
over them under any Condition, these People therefore confined him
within narrow Bounds.
They agreed, That as soon as their Monarch shou’d break through any of
their Laws, he shou’d immediately forfeit his Power, and they be at full
liberty to chuse another, though he were a Pagan: and to hinder him from
violating their Priviledges, and to defend themselves against him, they
establisht a Soveraign Magistrate, whom they call’d the Justicia, whose
Office was to observe the Conduct of the King, the Judges, and the
People: but the Power of a Soveraign being likely to Awe a meer
Particular, to Assure the Justicia in the Execution of his Office, they
ordered, That he might not suffer either in his Person or Goods, but by
a compleat Assembly of the States, which they call Las Cortes.
They moreover provided, That if the King shou’d Oppress any one of his
Subjects, the great and considerable Men of the Kingdom might assemble
themselves, and hinder his receiving any of his Revenues, till the
Innocent was acquitted, and re-establisht in his former Rights. And to
make Garci Ximinez timely sensible of the Power this Man had over him,
they set him on a kind of a Throne, and made the King to kneel down bare
headed before him, to receive from him his Oath of keeping their
Priviledges. This Ceremony ended, they acknowledge him their Soveraign,
but in as odd as disrespectful a Manner, for instead of promising him
Fidelity and Obedience, they say to him, ‘We who are as good Men as
yourself, we make you our King and Governour, on Condition you keep to
us our Rights and Properties, otherwise we Disacknowledge you.’
The King, Don Pedro, in process of time coming to the Crown, rellisht
this Custom, as unworthy of the Regal State; and it so greatly disgusted
him, that by his Authority and Intreaties, and the Offers he made of
bestowing several notable Priviledges on the Kingdom, he procured the
Abolishment of this, in an Assembly of the States: he got this general
Consent in Writing, which was presented to him. As soon as he had the
Parchment, he drew out his Dagger, and pierced his Hand with it, saying,
‘’Twas fit a Law which gave Subjects the Liberty of chusing their
Soveraign, should be Efaced with their Sovereign’s Bloud.’ His Statue is
still seen in the Deputation-hall of Saragossa: he holds a Dagger in one
Hand, and the Charter in the other. The late Kings have not been such
Religious Observers of their Priviledges as the first.
But there is a Law still in force, and which is very singular, and this
they call, ‘The Law of Manifestation’; which is, That if an Arragonois
had Wrong done him in Judgment, in consigning 500 Crowns, he may bring
his Cause before the Justicia, who is obliged, after an exact
Perquisition, to punish him who has giv’n a wrong Sentence: And if he
fails therein, the opprest Person may have Recourse to the States of the
Kingdom, who Assemble and Nominate five Persons of their Body, which is
to say, of the Prime Nobility, the Ecclesiasticks, the Gentry and
Commonalty: they appoint three out of the first Rank, and two from each
of the others. But it is observable, they choose the most Ignorant to
Judge the most able Men in the Gown, whether to Disgrace ’em the more
for their Fault, or, as they alledge, ‘That Justice should be so clear,
that the very Plow-men, and those who understand the least, should
discern it without the help of Oratory.’ It is likewise affirm’d, That
the Judges tremble when they pronounce a Sentence, fearing lest it turn
against themselves, to the loss of their Lives or Estates, should they
commit the least Fault therein, either wilfully, or through
Inadvertency. It were well if this Custom were observed in all Kingdoms:
but this is rather to be wish’d than expected.
Yet what is no less singular, is, That Justice remains always Soveraign;
and though the Unjust Judge be punish’d severely for his wrong Decree,
yet it subsists in its full force, and is fully executed: If then any
Unhappy Wretch be sentenced to Death, he is not spared, tho’ his
Innocency be discovered, and made as clear as Noon-day; but his Judges
are executed too before his Face; which, in my mind, is a poor
Consolation. If the Judge accused, has justly perform’d his Office, the
Plaintiff leaves the 500 Crowns which he had consign’d: But were he to
lose an 100000 Crowns of Annual Revenue, by the Sentence he complains
of, the Sentence or Decree remains good, and the Judge is only condemn’d
to pay him likewise 500 Crowns; the rest of this Judge’s Estate is
forfeited to the King: which is, in my Opinion, another Point of
Injustice; for in fine, he ought, above all others, to have Recompense
made him who suffers by a wrong Sentence.
These same People have another Custom, to distinguish by the Punishment
the Crime committed: for Example, A Cavalier, who has kill’d another in
Duel (for they are here strictly forbid), he has his Head cut off
before; and he that has Assassinated, his is cut off behind. This is to
distinguish him who has behaved himself like a brave Man, from him that
kills you Treacherously.
She added, That to speak in general of the Arragonois, They have a
Natural Pride, which is hard to be suppress’d: but likewise to do them
Justice, there are people of brave Minds to be found among them;
insomuch, that they are easily discern’d from all the rest of the King
of Spain’s Subjects: That they have never wanted Great Men, from their
first King to Ferdinand: That they counted such a great number of them,
as would scarce be believ’d: However, they have greatly recommended
themselves by their Valour and Conduct. That as to the rest, their
Country was so little fruitful, that excepting some Valleys which were
watered by Channels, whose Water came from the Ebre, the rest was so dry
and sandy, that you meet with scarce any thing else but stony and
parched up places: That Sarragossa is a great City, the Houses finer
than at Madrid; the Publick Places adorn’d with Arches; that the Holy
Street, where the Courses are run, is so long and large, as may make it
pass for a great and vast place, having several great Mens Palaces on
it; that of Castel-morato being one of the pleasantest: That the Vault
of St. Francis’s Church was very curious, for being of extraordinary
Largeness, yet ’tis upheld by no Pillars: That the City is not strong,
but the Inhabitants so stout, that it needed no Walls; that it has never
a Fountain, this being one of its greatest Defects: That the Ebre
carried no Boats, the River being full of dangerous Rocks. As to the
rest, the Archbishoprick was worth 60000 Crowns a year: That the
Vice-Royalty brought in no Revenue, being a Place of Honour, fit only
for great Lords to bear the Expence of it, to maintain their Rank, and
keep the People under, who are Naturally Fierce and Imperious, not
Affable to Strangers; and so little desirous of making Acquaintance,
that they chuse rather to stay at Home alone all their Life-time, than
stir out to procure Friendships: That here is a severe Inquisition, who
have a stately Palace, and a most Rigid Court of Justice; Yet this does
not hinder great Troops of Robbers, call’d Bandoleros, from Ravaging,
and dispersing themselves over all Spain; who give no Quarter to
Travellers, snatching up sometimes Women of Quality, whom they
afterwards set at Ransom, for their Parents to Redeem; but when they are
Handsome they keep them: And this is the greatest Misfortune can happen
to ’em, being forced to spend their Days with the Worst of Men, who keep
them in dreadful Caves, or carry them along with them on Horse-back,
being so furiously jealous of ’em, that one of their Captains (having
been lately set upon by Souldiers sent into the Mountains to seize on
him) being mortally wounded, and having his Mistress with him, who was
of the Marquess de Camaraza, a Grandee of Spain’s Family; When she saw
him in this Condition, she thought only of making Use of this favourable
Opportunity of saving her self; which he perceiving, dying, as he was,
he catch’d hold of her Hair, and struck his Dagger into her Breast,
Being not willing, said he, that another should possess a Treasure which
had been so dear to him. And this is what himself acknowledg’d to the
Souldiers who found him, and saw this sad Spectacle.
The Beautiful Marchioness here held her peace; and I return’d her all
due Thanks for the Favour she did me, in informing me of these
Curiosities; and of which, perhaps without her, I might have been
Ignorant all my Life. ‘I do not think, Madam,’ said she to me, ‘you owe
me such Thanks; I rather fear the having deserved Reproaches for so long
and tiresome a Conversation.’
I would not let her leave me to eat elsewhere; and I obliged her to lye
with me, she having no Bed. So Civil and Courteous a Proceeding made her
much my Friend: She assured me of this in such Affectionate Terms, that
I could not doubt of it; for I must tell you, the Spanish Women are more
Caressing than we, and are far more Kind and Tender to those they
profess Friendship. In fine, I could not forbear telling her, ‘That if
she had all the Kindness for me she made profession, she must be so
complaisant, to inform me, What made her seem so melancholly? That I had
heard her fetch deep Sighs in the Night, and appear’d very Restless and
Disconsolate; That if she could find any Comfort in sharing her Grief
with me, I offered my Service to her, as a most faithful Friend.’ She
embraced me with great Affection, and told me without delay, she would
immediately satisfie my Curiosity; which she did in these Terms:
‘Seeing you are desirous to know me, I must without disguising to you
any thing, acknowledge my Weaknesses to you; and by my Sincerity and
Open-heartedness, deserve a Curiosity as obliging as yours:
‘I come not of such a Family as may claim Nobility; my Father’s Name was
Davila; he was only a Banker, but he was in good Credit, and was
moderately Wealthy: We are of Seville, Capital of Andalousia, and we
have ever dwelt there. My Mother knew the World, she saw many People of
Quality, and having no Children but me, she took great care of my
Education: It did not appear ill-bestowed on me; for I had the good
Fortune to get the good Will of most that saw me.
‘We had two Neighbours who came often to our House, who were very
welcome both to my Father and Mother: Their Condition and Age were in no
sort alike; One was the Marquess de Los Rios, a Person Wealthy and
Noble; he was a Widower, and well advanced in years: the other was the
Son of a great Merchant, who traded to the Indies; he was Young and
Handsome, he had Wit, and a very graceful Behaviour; his Name was
Mendez: He was not long before he fell passionately in Love with me; so
that he omitted nothing which might please me, and gain my Affections.
‘He was in all places where he knew I was to pass; he spent whole Nights
under my Windows, to sing Verses which he had composed and set to my
Praise, which he had very well accompany’d with his Harp.
‘But seeing his Attendancies had not all the Effect he expected, and
having past some time in this manner, without daring to mention his
Affection to me, he at length resolv’d to make use of the first occasion
to acquaint me with it. I avoided him ever since I had a Conversation
with one of my Friends, who had more Experience and Knowledge of the
World than I: I had felt, that Mendez’s Company gave me Joy, and that my
Heart had an Emotion for him, which it had not for others: That when his
Affairs, or our Visits hindred him from seeing me, I grew restless; and
loving this young Woman, above others, and being as dear to her, she
observ’d I was not so free and gay as I was wont, and that my Eyes were
sometimes attentively fixed on Mendez. One Day when she rally’d with me
about it, I said to her very innocently, “My dear Henrietta, define to
me the Sentiments I have for Mendez: I know not whether I ought to be
afraid of them, and whether I ought not to defend my self from them. I
feel I know not what sort of Trouble and Pleasure arising in my Breast.”
She began to laugh, she embraced me, and said to me, “My dear Heart, you
are in Love.” “Who, I in Love?” reply’d I, in amaze: “You joke with me;
I neither am, nor will be in Love.” “This depends not always on us,”
continued she, with a more serious Air, “our Stars decide this before
our Hearts. But in earnest, what is it so much startles you? Mendez is
in a Condition equal to yours; he deserves well, a good comely Man; and
if his Affairs go on with the same Success as they have done hitherto,
you may live very happily with him.” “And whence should I learn,”
reply’d I, interrupting her, “that he will be happy with me, and that he
so much as thinks this?” “O, take my Word for it,” answer’d she,
“whatever he has done has its Designs; for Men are not wont to pass
Nights under Windows, and the Days in following a Person for whom they
have nothing but Indifferency.”
‘After some other Discourse of this Nature, she left me, and I resolv’d,
maugre the Repugnance I felt in me, to give Mendez no opportunity of
speaking to me in particular.
‘But one Night as I was walking in the Garden, he came towards me: I was
perplext to see my self alone with him; and he had the opportunity of
observing it on my Countenance, and in the manner after which I receiv’d
him. This could not divert him from the design he had of entertaining
me: “How Happy am I Madam,” said he, “to find you alone? But do I call
my self Happy! Perhaps I know not what I say: for it may be you will not
receive a Secret with which I would entrust you.” “I am as yet so
young,” said I to him, blushing, “that I would advise you to say nothing
to me, unless you would have me impart it to my Companions.” “Alas,”
continued he, “should I tell you, I Adore you; that all my Happiness
depends on the Inclinations you have towards me: That I cannot live
without some Certainty, that I may one day please you; will you tell
this to your Companions?” “No,” said I to him, in great perplexity, “I
would look on this Confidence as a Railery; and not believing it my
self, I would not hazard its being left to be believ’d by others.”
‘We were interrupted as I ended these words; and he appear’d to me not
over-content with the Answer I made him; and a while after he found an
opportunity to reproach me with it.
‘I could not but give a favourable Ear to the Inclinations I had towards
him; every thing he told me seem’d to me to have its particular
Gracefulness: And it was no hard matter for him to perswade me, that he
lov’d me above all things in the World.
‘In the mean time, the Marquess de Los Rios took such a liking to me,
and my Person and Behaviour ran so deeply in his Thoughts, that he
wholly applied himself to please me. He was very nice and cautious; he
could not resolve with himself to owe me wholly to my Parents authority:
He well knew they would receive as an Honour the Intentions he had for
me; but he was for gaining my Consent before he demanded theirs.
‘In this Design he said all to me he thought was like to take with me. I
answer’d him I should always think it an indispensable Duty to obey my
Father: yet our Ages were so different, that I told him, I thought
’twere better he left off thinking of me; that I should have an
everlasting Acknowledgment for the advantageous Intentions he had for
me; and therefore I would esteem him, tho I could not love him. Having
heard what I said, he was some time without speaking, and immediately
taking up a very generous Resolution: “Lovely Mariana,” says he, “you
might have made me the happiest Man in the World; and if you were
ambitious, I had wherewith to satisfie you: But you refuse me, and I
desire to be anothers: I consent to it; I love you too well to be in
suspence, whether you are to be satisfied or I; I therefore wholly
sacrifice my Happiness to you, and leave you for ever.” In ending these
Words he left me, and appear’d so afflicted, that I could not forbear
being concern’d.
‘Mendez arriv’d a while after, and found me melancholly: He was so
earnest with me to know the Cause, that I could not deny him this Proof
of my Complaisance. Any one but he would have had a sensible Obligation
at the Exclusion I came from giving his Rival: But far from seeming to
value it, he told me, He saw in mine Eyes the Regret I had for a Lover,
who could place me in another sort of a Rank than he was able; and that
my Proceeding was very Cruel. In vain [I] endeavoured to make him
sensible of the Injustice of this; but all I could say, could not hinder
him from charging me with Inconstancy. I remain’d vext, and surpriz’d at
this his Way of Dealing, and was several days without speaking to him.