letters-第36节

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Spain；　and　is　therefore　a　very　suitable　　squire　for　an　errant　knight；　like　myself。　　On　my　arrival　in　Biscay　　I　shall　perhaps　engage　one　of　the　uncorrupted　Basque　peasants；　who　　has　never　left　his　native　mountains　and　is　utterly　ignorant　of　the　　Spanish　language；　for　I　am　told　that　they　are　exceedingly　faithful　　and　laborious。　　The　best　servant　I　ever　had　was　the　Tartar　Mahmoud　　at　St。　Petersburg；　and　I　have　frequently　repented　that　I　did　not　　bring　him　with　me　on　my　leaving　Russia；　but　I　was　not　then　aware　　that　I　was　about　to　visit　this　unfortunate　country；　where　goodness　　of　every　description　is　so　difficult　to　find。



LETTER：　10th　May；　1837



To　the　Rev。　A。　Brandram　（ENDORSED：　recd。　May　23；　1837）　MADRID；　MAY　10TH；　1837。

REVD。　AND　DEAR　SIR；　…　I　herewith　send　the　long　promised　account　of　　my　private　expenses；　which　I　hope　will　be　found　correct。　　I　start　　to…morrow　for　Salamanca；　at　which　place　I　should　now　be；　but　for　　the　misconduct　of　my　servant；　whom　I　have　been　compelled　to　turn　　away。　　I　have　experienced　great　difficulty　in　obtaining　another；　my　　present　one　is　a　Greek；　who　formerly　waited　on　Mr。　O'Shea；　I　hope　　he　will　turn　out　well。　　Mr。　O'Shea　has　given　me　a　general　letter　of　　credit　to　his　correspondents　in　various　parts　of　Spain。　　You　will　　receive　my　draft　in　a　few　days。　　I　shall　write　from　Salamanca；　and　　various　other　places；　detailing　all　my　proceedings　and　adventures。　　　I　hope　you　received　my　last　letter。

I　remain；　etc。；

GEORGE　BORROW。



LETTER：　7th　June；　1837



To　the　Rev。　A。　Brandram　（ENDORSED：　recd。　June　21；　1837）　SALAMANCA；　June　7；　1837。

REVD。　AND　DEAR　SIR；　　…　I　arrived　at　Salamanca　about　a　fortnight　　since；　in　safety　and　in　tolerable　good　health。　　I　shall　defer　for　a　　few　days　communicating　the　particulars　of　my　journey；　though　they　　are　not　destitute　of　interest；　having　at　present　information　to　　afford　which　I　consider　of　more　importance；　and　which　I　hope　will　　afford　the　same　satisfaction　to　yourself　and　our　friends　at　home　　which　I　myself　experience　in　communicating　them。

Some　days　previous　to　my　departure　from　Madrid　I　was　very　much　　indisposed。　　Owing　to　the　state　of　the　weather　…　for　violent　and　　biting　winds　had　long　prevailed　…　I　had　been　attacked　with　a　severe　　cold　which　terminated　in　a　shrieking　disagreeable　cough；　which　the　　many　remedies　which　I　successively　tried　were　unable　to　subdue。　　I　　had　made　preparation　for　departing　on　a　particular　day；　but　owing　　to　the　state　of　my　health　I　was　apprehensive　that　I　should　be　　compelled　to　postpone　my　journey　for　a　time。　　The　last　day　of　my　　stay　in　Madrid；　finding　myself　scarcely　able　to　stand；　I　was　fain　　to　submit　to　a　somewhat　desperate　experiment；　and　by　the　advice　of　　the　barber…surgeon　who　visited　me；　I　determined　to　be　bled。　　Late　　on　the　night　of　that　same　day　he　eased　me　of　sixteen　ounces　of　　blood；　and　having　received　his　fee；　left　me；　wishing　me　a　pleasant　　journey；　and　assuring　me　upon　his　reputation　that　by　noon　the　next　　day　I　should　be　perfectly　recovered。

A　few　minutes　after　his　departure；　whilst　I　was　sitting　alone；　　meditating　on　the　journey　which　I　was　about　to　undertake；　and　on　　the　rickety　state　of　my　health；　I　heard　a　loud　knock　at　the　street…　door　of　the　house；　on　the　third　floor　of　which　I　was　lodged；　not　　very　comfortably。　　In　a　minute　or　two　Mr。　Southern　of　the　British　　Embassy　entered　my　apartment。　　After　a　little　conversation　he　　informed　me　that　Mr。　Villiers　had　desired　him　to　wait　upon　me；　to　　communicate　a　resolution　which　he；　Mr。　Villiers；　had　come　to。　　　Being　apprehensive　that　alone　and　unassisted　I　should　experience　　considerable　difficulty　in　propagating　the　Gospel　of　God　to　any　　considerable　extent　in　Spain；　he　was　bent　upon　exerting　to　the　　utmost　his　own　credit　and　influence　to　further　my　views；　which　he　　himself　considered；　if　carried　into　proper　effect；　extremely　well　　calculated　to　operate　beneficially　on　the　political　and　moral　state　　of　the　country。　　To　this　end　it　was　his　intention　to　purchase　a　　very　considerable　number　of　copies　of　the　New　Testament；　and　to　　despatch　them　forthwith　to　the　various　British　consuls　established　　in　different　parts　of　Spain；　with　strict　and　positive　orders　to　　employ　all　the　means；　which　their　official　situation　should　afford　　them；　to　circulate　the　books　in　question　and　to　assure　their　being　　noticed。　　They　were　moreover　to　be　charged　to　afford　myself；　　whenever　I　should　appear　in　their　respective　districts；　all　the　　protection；　encouragement；　and　assistance　I　should　stand　in　need　　of；　as　a　friend　of　Mr。　Villiers；　and　a　person　in　the　success　of　　whose　enterprise　he　himself　took　the　warmest　interest。

I　could　scarcely　believe　my　ears　on　receiving　this　information；　for　　though　I　had　long　been　aware　that　Mr。　Villiers　was　at　all　times　　willing　to　assist　me；　he　having　frequently　given　me　sufficient　　proof；　I　could　never　expect　that　he　would　come　forward　in　so　noble；　　and　to　say　the　least　of　it；　considering　his　high　diplomatic　　situation；　so　bold　and　decided　a　manner。　　I　believe　that　this　is　　the　first　instance　of　a　British　Ambassador　having　made　the　cause　of　　the　Bible　Society　a　national　one；　or　indeed　to　favour　it　directly　　or　indirectly。　　What　renders　the　case　of　Mr。　Villiers　more　　remarkable　is　that　on　my　first　arrival　at　Madrid　I　found　him　by　no　　means　well　disposed　towards　the　Society。　　The　Holy　Spirit　has　　probably　illumined　his　mind　on　this　point。　　Honour　be　to　him：　　I　　hope　that　by　his　means　our　institution　will　shortly　possess　many　　agents　in　Spain　with　far　more　power　and　opportunity　than　I　myself　　can　ever　expect　to　possess；　who　will　scatter　abroad　the　seed　of　the　　Gospel；　and　make　of　a　barren　and　thirsty　wilderness　a　green　and　　smiling　corn…field。

The　next　day　verified　the　prediction　of　the　barber。　　I　had　to　a　　considerable　degree　lost　my　cough　and　fever；　though；　owing　to　the　　great　loss　of　blood；　I　was　very　feeble　and　weak。　　Precisely　at　　twelve　o'clock　myself　and　man　rode　forth　from　the　gate　of　Saint　　Vincent；　directing　our　course　to　the　lofty　mountains　which　separate　　Old　from　New　Castile。　　That　night　we　rested　at　Guadarama；　a　large　　village　at　their　foot；　distant　from　Madrid　about　twenty…five　miles。　　　The　journey　to　Salamanca　occupied　four　days；　and　I　disposed　of　five　　Testaments　by　the　way。

Since　my　arrival　at　Salamanca　I　have　been　taking　measures　that　the　　Word　of　God　may　become　generally　known　in　this　place；　so　celebrated　　in　many　respects。　　The　principal　bookseller　of　the　town；　Blanco；　a　　man　of　great　wealth　and　respectability；　has　consented　to　become　our　　agent　here；　and　I　have　deposited　in　his　shop　a　certain　number　of　　New　Testaments。　　He　is　the　proprietor　of　a　small　printing　press；　　where　the　official　bulletin　of　the　place　is　published。　　For　this　　bulletin　I　have　prepared　an　advertisement　of　the　work；　in　which　　amongst　other　things　I　have　said　that　the　New　Testament　is　the　only　　guide　to　salvation。　　I　have　also　spoken　of　the　Bible　Society；　and　　the　great　pecuniary　sacrifices　which　it　is　making　with　the　view　of　　proclaiming　Christ　crucified；　and　of　making　His　doctrine　known。　　　This　step　will　perhaps　be　considered　by　some　as　too　bold；　but　I　am　　not　aware　that　I　can　take　any　more　calculated　to　arouse　the　　attention　of　the　people　…　a　considerable　point。　　I　have　also　　ordered　numbers　of　the　same　advertisement　to　be　struck　off　in　the　　shape　of　bills　which　I　am　causing　to　be　stuck　up　in　various　parts　　of　the　town。　　I　have　great　hope　that　by　means　of　these　a　　considerable　number　of　New　Testaments　will　be　sold。　　I　shall　repeat　　this　experiment　in　Valladolid；　Leon；　St。　Jago；　and　all　the　　principal　towns　which　it　is　my　intention　to　visit　in　my　wanderings；　　and　I　shall　likewise　distribute　them　as　I　ride　along。　　The　children　　of　Spain　will　thus　be　brought　to　know　that　such　a　work　as　the　New　　Testament　is　in　existence；　a　fact　of　which　not　five　in　one　hundred　　are　at　present　aware；　notwithstanding　their　so　frequently　repeated　　boasts　of　their　Catholicity　and　Christianity。

I　carry　with　me　the　Gospel　of　St。　Luke　in　the　Cantabrian　or　Basque　　language。　　It　is　my　intention　to　print　this　little　book；　either　at　　San　Sebastian　or　Pamplona；　as　it　would　be　unwise　not　to　avail　　myself　of　so　favourable　an　opportunity　of　circulating　it　as　my　　visit　to　the　provinces　where　the　language　is　spoken　will　afford　me。　　　I　have　examined　it　with　much　attention；　and　find　it　a　very　faithful　　version。　　The　only　objection　which　can　be　brought　against　it　is　　that　Spanish　words　are　frequently　used　to　express　ideas　for　which　　there　are　equivalents　in　Basque；　but　this　language；　as　spoken　at　　present　in　Spain；　is　very　corrupt；　and　a　work　written　entirely　in　　the　Basque　of　Larramendi's　Dictionary　would　be　intelligible　to　very　　few。　　I　have　read　passages　from　it　to　the　men　of　Guipuscoa；　who　　assured　me　that　they　had　no　difficulty　in　understanding　it；　and　　that　it　was　written　in　the　colloquial　style　of　their　province。

G。　B。



LETTER：　5th　July；　1837



To　the　Rev。　A。　Brandram　（ENDORSED：　recd。　July　25；　1837）　ASTORGA；　5TH　JULY；　1837。

REVD。　AND　DEAR　SIR；　…　I　avail　myself　of　the　present　opportunity　of　　giving　an　account　of　what　has　befallen　me　since　I　last　wrote　to　you　　from　Salamanca；　which　I　shortly　after　quitted。　　By　that　time　my　　advertisements　had　been　affix