everything in readiness to commence operations in the neighbourhood of
Madrid, and indeed since that period I have entered upon my labours in
reality, though unforeseen circumstances produced an unavoidable delay of
several days. It is with feelings of gratitude to the Almighty that I
now state that considerable success has attended my feeble efforts in the
good cause. All the villages within the distance of four leagues to the
east of Madrid have been visited, and Testaments to the number of nearly
two hundred have been disposed of. It will be here necessary for me to
inform you that 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 my servant Antonio to superintend matters
in Madrid, and proceeded with Vitoriano, 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 of the neighbourhood of Segovia in Old
Castile, namely, I had on my head a species of leather helmet, or
_montera_, with a jacket and trowsers of the same material. I had the
appearance of a person between sixty and seventy years of age, and drove
before me a _burrico_, 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 on your
_burrico_? Is it soap?' I replied, 'Yes; 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 it 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 reading!') 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 book 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 me 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 persons 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 books 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. He added however that the books were good books, however they
might be obtained, and concluded by purchasing and paying for 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 likewise 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 should 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, enquired 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 in that case,'
said he, 'I would buy the whole cargo.' Upon hearing this, the woman
purchased four copies: namely, one for her son, another for her husband
who was dead, 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. (Is this right?)
On entering one very small hamlet, Vitoriano 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 write to Madrid in
order to give information of what was going on. The excursion lasted
about eight days. Immediately after my return, I despatched Vitoriano to
Caramanchel, a village at the distance of half a league from Madrid, the
only one towards the west which had not been visited last year. He
stayed there about an hour and disposed of twelve copies, and then
returned, as he is exceedingly timid and was afraid of being met by the
thieves who swarm on that road in the evening. In a few days I depart
for Guadalajara and the villages of Alcarria.
(UNSIGNED.)
To the Rev. A. Brandram
(_Endorsed_: recd. Mar. 15, 1839)
NAVAL CARNERO, NEW CASTILE,
_March_ 4, 1839.
REVD. AND DEAR SIR,--I have to acknowledge the receipt of your kind
letter of the 6th ult., which I hope to be able to answer in all points
on another occasion. I am now in a small town on the road to Talavera,
to which place it is possible that I may proceed. I take up the pen in
order to give you a brief account of what has taken place since I last
wrote. I have that to communicate which I am confident will cause
yourself and the remainder of my dear friends in Earl Street to smile;
while at the same time it will not fail to prove interesting, as
affording an example of the feeling prevalent in some of the lone and
solitary villages of Spain with respect to innovation and all that
savours thereof, and the strange acts which are sometimes committed by
the rural authorities and the priests, without the slightest fear of
being called to account; for as they live quite apart {392} from the rest
of the world, they know no people greater than themselves, and scarcely
dream of a higher power than their own. In my latest communication I
stated that I was about to make an excursion to Gaudalajara and the
villages of Alcarria; indeed I merely awaited the return of Vitoriano to
sally forth: I having despatched 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_, or champaign of Alcala. This
letter, written by Vitoriano, 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 and he was unable to purchase the
necessaries of life at a great price. 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 least
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 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 _cacharros_ or
earthen pans. He subsequently stated that he felt some misgiving whilst
on the way, as the village had invariably enjoyed a bad reputation. On
his arrival, after having put up his _caballejo_, or little pony, at a
_posada_, he proceeded to the _Alcalde_ for the purpose of demanding
permission to sell books, which that dignitary immediately granted. He
now entered a house and sold a copy, and likewise in 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 Vitoriano
made his appearance. He was a man of about thirty-five, of a savage,
truculent countenance. On Vitoriano's offering him a Testament he took
it into his hand to examine it; but no sooner did his eyes glance over
the title-page than he burst 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 have arrived.' He then enquired 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. Vitoriano 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
pack-saddle 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 Vitoriano prisoner, and, after seizing the books and laying an
embargo on the pony, proceeded amidst much abuse to drag their 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 being president, 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 Vitoriano, asking him his name and place of residence--to which
he replied that his name was Vitoriano 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 Mahometan or freemason, and
received for answer that he was a Roman Catholic. I must here state that
Vitoriano, though sufficiently shrewd in his way, is a poor old labourer
of sixty-four, and until that moment had never heard 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 Vitoriano 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 Vitoriano, being in need of a pillow for his head,
sent word to the people of the _posada_ to send him his _alforjas_ or
saddle-bags, 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
Vitoriano. '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.' 'Thou art 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 to 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 Vitoriano flew into a violent rage, and after
calling the _Alcalde_ several uncivil names, he pulled the _soga_ from
his bags, and flinging it at his head, 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 Vitoriano 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, promising that I would pay him well for his trouble. The man,
watching his opportunity, received the letter from Vitoriano at the
window; and it was he who, after travelling on foot all night, delivered
it to me in safety at Madrid.
I was now relieved from my anxiety, and had no fears for the result. I
instantly went to a friend who is in possession of large estates about
Guadalajara, in which province Fuente La Higuera is situated, who
furnished me with letters to the Civil Governor of Guadalajara and all
the principal authorities, and at Antonio's request, I despatched him
upon the errand of the prisoner's liberation. He first directed his
course to Fuente La Higuera, where entering the _Alcalde's_ house he
boldly told him what he had come about. The _Alcalde_, expecting that I
was at hand with an army of Englishmen for the purpose of rescuing the
prisoner, became greatly alarmed, and instantly despatched his wife to
summon his twelve men. However, on Antonio's assuring him that there was
no intention of having recourse to violence, he became more tranquil. In
a little time Antonio was summoned before the conclave and its blind
sacerdotal president. They at first attempted to frighten him, by
assuming a loud bullying tone and talking of the necessity of killing all
strangers, and especially the detested Don Jorge and his dependents.
Antonio, however, who is not a person apt to allow himself to be easily
terrified, scoffed at their threats, and showing them his letters to the
authorities of Guadalajara said that he should proceed there on the
morrow and denounce their lawless conduct; adding that he was a Turkish
subject, and that should they dare to offer him the slightest incivility
he would write to the Sublime Porte, in comparison with whom the best
kings in the world were but worms, and who would not fail to avenge the
wrongs of any of his children, however distant, in a manner too terrible
to be mentioned. He then returned to his _posada_. The conclave now
proceeded to deliberate among themselves, and at last determined to
despatch their prisoner on the morrow to Guadalajara, and deliver him
into the hands of the Civil Governor.
Nevertheless, in order to keep up a semblance of authority, they that
night placed two men armed at the door of the _posada_ where Antonio was
lodged, as if he himself were a prisoner; these men as often as the clock
struck the hours, shouted, '_Ave Maria_! Death to the heretics!' Early
in the morning the _Alcalde_ presented himself at the _posada_, but
before entering he made an oration at the door to the people in the
street saying amongst other things: 'Brethren, these are the fellows who
have come to rob us of our religion.' He then went into Antonio's
apartment, and after saluting him with great politeness said that as a
royal or high mass was about to be celebrated that morning, he had come
to invite him to go to church with him; whereupon Antonio, though by no
means a mass-goer, rose and accompanied him, and remained two hours, as
he told me, on his knees on the cold stones to his great discomfort, the
eyes of the whole congregation being fixed upon him during the time.
After mass and breakfast, he departed for Guadalajara, Vitoriano having
been already despatched there under a guard. On his arrival he presented
his letters to the individuals for whom they were intended. The Civil
Governor was convulsed with merriment on hearing Antonio's account of the
adventure. Vitoriano was set at liberty and the books were placed in
embargo at Guadalajara: the Governor stating, however, that though it was
his duty to detain them at present, they should be sent to me whenever I
chose to claim them. He moreover said that he would do his best to cause
the authorities of Fuente La Higuera to be severely punished, as in the
whole affair they had acted in a most cruel, tyrannical manner, for which
they had no authority. Thus terminated this affair, one of those little
accidents which chequer missionary life in Spain.
Vitoriano is now with me at Naval Carnero, as he begged me almost on his
knees to be permitted to attend me and to be employed as before. At his
imprisonment he smiles. Antonio and myself have lately been very
successful at Madrid, having sold considerably upwards of a hundred
Testaments and several Bibles. It is with deep gratitude I state that
the poor of Madrid receive the Scripture with gladness: to the rich I
offer it not, their hearts are hard. I am writing a journal of the
present expedition.
GEORGE BORROW.
To Mr. W. Hitchin
(_Endorsed_: recd. March 21, 1839)
MADRID, _March_ 9, 1839.
On the other side I send you my account, which I hope you will find
correct. In order to prevent confusion, I have charged my expenses from
the period of my leaving London until my arrival at Cadiz in the Spanish,
instead of the English currency. Respecting the item of Vitoriano, it
will be as well to observe that, when employed in journeying, I allow him
six _reals_ per diem and his diet, and two when in Madrid. I do not know
that there is anything else to which I need direct your attention, except
that I have not noted my quarter's salary because ignorant of the rate of
exchange. If you please, you can credit me to the amount.
I did not go further than Naval Carnero on the way to Talavera, on
account of an accident which occurred, the clergy having raised the
country against me. Glory to God, they are becoming thoroughly alarmed,
and with much reason. I have disposed of all the Bibles bound already,
and have been compelled on account of the demand to order the rest of the
sheets to be got in readiness. We shall be compelled to evacuate our
storehouse and to seek another, as the rats are doing prodigious havoc to
the stores.
Pray, remember me to all friends, and believe me, etc.,
GEORGE BORROW.
To the Rev. A. Brandram
(_Endorsed_: recd. Apr. 8, 1839)
20 _March_ 1839,
MADRID, CALLE SANTIAGO.
REVD. AND DEAR SIR,--Having much to communicate, and of no slight
importance, I shall offer no apology for now addressing you. My last
letter was from Naval Carnero, in which I informed you of various
circumstances, connected with the distribution of the blessed Gospel,
which had recently occurred. I likewise stated that it was very probable
that I should proceed to Talavera, for the purpose of seeing what might
be done in that neighbourhood. The day, however, subsequent to
dispatching my letter ushered in events which compelled me to alter my
resolution; twenty Testaments were seized in a village in the
neighbourhood of Naval Carnero, and I learned that our proceedings, on
the other side of Madrid, had caused alarm amongst the heads of the
clergy, who made a formal complaint to the Government--who immediately
sent orders to all the _Alcaldes_ of the villages, great and small, in
New Castile to seize the New Testament wherever it might be exposed for
sale, but at the same time to be particularly careful not to detain or
maltreat the person or persons who might be attempting to vend it. An
exact description of myself accompanied these orders, and the
authorities, both civil and military, were exhorted to be on their guard
against me, and my arts and machinations; for, as the document stated, I
was to-day in one place and to-morrow at twenty leagues distance. On
receiving this intelligence, I instantly resolved to change for a time my
strategic system, and not to persist in a course which would expose the
sacred volume to seizure at every step which I might take to circulate
it. I therefore galloped back to Madrid, leaving Vitoriano to follow.
It will be as well to observe here, that we sold twenty and odd
Testaments in villages adjacent to Naval Carnero, before the orders had
arrived.
Arrived at Madrid, I lost not a moment in putting into execution the plan
which I had formed. Having an extensive acquaintance amongst the lower
orders, I instantly selected eight of the most intelligent to co-operate
with me, amongst whom were five women. All these I supplied with
Testaments, and then sent them forth to all the parishes in Madrid. I
will at once state the result which, I confess, has more than answered my
expectations. Since my return from Naval Carnero nearly six hundred
copies of the life and words of Him of Nazareth have been sold in the
streets and alleys of Madrid, a fact which I hope I may be permitted to
mention with gladness and with decent triumph in the Lord. There is a
place in Madrid called the Puerta del Sol, which is a central spot,
surrounded with shops, into which the four principal streets disembogue,
if I may be allowed the expression. These streets are the Calle Alcala,
the Calle Montera, the Calle Mayor, and that of Carreta. The wealthiest
of all these is the Calle Montera, where reside the principal merchants
and shop-keepers of Madrid; it is in fact the street of commerce, and is
in many respects similar to the Zacatin of Granada. Every house in this
street is supplied with its Testament, and the same may be said with
respect to the Puerta del Sol; nay, in some instances every individual in
the house, man and child, man-servant and maid-servant, is furnished with
a copy, which we have invariably sold, and never given. My Greek Antonio
has made wonderful exertions in this quarter, and it is but justice to
say that but for his instrumentality, on many occasions, I might be by no
means able to give so favourable an account of the spread of the Bible in
Spain, as I now conscientiously can. There was a time when, as you are
well aware, I was in the habit of saying, 'Dark Madrid,' an expression
which I thank God I may now drop; for can that city justly be called
'dark' in which thirteen hundred Testaments, at least, are in circulation
and in daily use?
It appears to me that a glorious reform is commencing in Spain; indeed
matters have lately come to my knowledge, which had they been prophesied
only a year ago by the Spirit of truth itself, I should have experienced
much difficulty in believing. You will be surprised when I tell you that
in two churches of Madrid, the New Testament is regularly expounded every
Sunday evening, by the respective curates, to about twenty children who
attend, and who are provided with copies of the Society's edition of
Madrid, 1837. The churches which I allude to are those of San Gines and
Santa Cruz. Now I humbly conceive that this fact alone is more than
equivalent to all the expense which the Society has incurred, in the
efforts which it has hitherto made to introduce the Gospel into Spain;
but be this as it may, I am certain, if I may judge by my own feelings,
that it has amply recompensed me for all the anxiety and unhappiness
which I underwent last year. Whenever I am now called upon to
discontinue my labours in the Peninsula, I shall comply without the
slightest murmur or remonstrance, my heart being filled with gratitude to
the Lord for having been permitted, useless vessel as I am, to see at
least some of the seed springing up which during two years I have been
casting on the stony ground of the interior of Spain.