letters-第45节

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n　say　why；　but　I　　made　him　no　answer；　and　proceeded；　indeed　I　was　so　weary　and　unwell　　that　I　cared　not　what　became　of　me。　　We　entered　…　the　rocks　rose　　perpendicularly　right　and　left；　entirely　intercepting　the　scanty　　twilight；　so　that　the　darkness　of　the　grave；　or　rather　the　　blackness　of　the　valley　of　the　shadow　of　death；　reigned　around　us；　　and　we　knew　not　where　we　went；　but　trusted　solely　to　the　instinct　　of　the　horses；　who　moved　on　with　their　heads　close　to　the　ground。　　　The　only　sound　which　we　heard　was　the　splash　of　a　stream　which　　tumbled　down　the　pass。　　I　expected　every　moment　to　feel　a　knife　at　　my　throat；　but　…　IT　WAS　NOT　SO　WRITTEN。　　We　threaded　the　pass　　without　meeting　a　human　being；　and　within　three　quarters　of　an　hour　　after　the　time　we　entered　it；　we　found　ourselves　within　the　POSADA　　of　the　town　of　Onas；　which　was　filled　with　troops　and　armed　　peasants　expecting　an　attack　from　the　grand　Carlist　army；　which　was　　near　at　hand。

Well！　we　reached　Burgos　in　safety；　we　reached　Valladolid　in　safety；　　we　passed　the　Guadarama　in　safety；　and　now　we　are　safely　housed　in　　Madrid。　　People　say　we　have　been　very　lucky；　Antonio　says；　'It　was　　so　written'；　but　I　say；　'Glory　be　to　the　Lord　for　His　mercies　　vouchsafed。'

I　did　not　find　matters　in　a　very　prosperous　state　in　Madrid。　　Few　　copies　of　the　New　Testament　have　been　sold；　yet　what　else　could　be　　rationally　expected　in　these　latter　times？　　Don　Carlos　with　a　large　　army　has　been　at　the　gates；　plunder　and　massacre　were　expected；　and　　people　have　been　too　much　occupied　in　planning　to　secure　their　　lives　and　property　to　have　much　time　to　devote　to　reading　of　any　　description。　　I　have　had　an　interview　with　Dr。　Usoz；　and　have　just　　received　a　most　interesting　letter　from　him；　replete　with　　patriotism　and　piety；　amongst　other　things　he　says；　'only　　circumstances　and　the　public　poverty　are　the　cause　of　the　works　not　　having　met　with　sale　at　Madrid。'　　Of　this　letter　I　shall　send　a　　translation。　　It　contains　some　remarks　respecting　Father　Scio's　　version；　which　I　consider　to　be　of　high　importance；　and　humbly　　recommend　to　the　attention　of　the　Committee。

But　I　am　at　present　in　Madrid；　and　am　thus　enabled　to　superintend　　in　person　the　measures　calculated　to　secure　the　sale　of　the　work。　　　I　shall　forthwith　cause　a　thousand　advertisements　to　be　printed　and　　affixed　from　time　to　time　in　every　part　of　the　city。　　I　shall　　likewise　employ　colporteurs　to　vend　them　in　the　streets；　and　shall　　perhaps　establish　a　stall　or　small　shop；　where　Testaments　and　　Testaments　alone　will　be　sold。　…　No　exertion　of　which　I　am　capable　　will　be　spared；　and　if　'the　Word　of　the　Lord'　become　not　speedily　　better　known　at　Madrid；　it　will　be　because　the　Lord　in　His　　inscrutable　wisdom　does　not　so　will　it。

Whilst　in　the　northern　provinces　I　ordered　a　hundred　copies　to　be　　despatched　from　Madrid　to　each　of　the　three　great　towns；　Valencia；　　Seville；　and　Cadiz；　with　advertisements；　I　am　glad　to　be　able　to　　state　that　advice　has　been　received　that　the　books　have　reached　　their　destination。　　At　the　commencement　of　the　coming　year　it　is　my　　intention　to　visit　those　parts；　for　no　work　seems　to　prosper　in　　Spain　which　is　not　closely　attended　to　by　the　master。　　Whilst　at　　Valladolid　I　ordered　all　the　copies　which　remained　unsold　of　the　　second　supply　to　be　sent　to　Burgos；　and　I　am　now　going　to　despatch　　a　third　fifty　to　the　former　town；　and　a　still　larger　quantity　to　　Oviedo；　those　which　I　carried　thither　having　been　all　sold　during　　my　short　stay。

In　a　few　days　it　is　my　intention　to　commit　to　the　press　Luke　in　　Basque　and　in　Rommany；　the　latter　of　which　versions　I　propose　to　　carry　with　me　to　Andalusia　and　Valencia；　the　two　provinces　which　　most　abound　with　the　Rommany…Chai；　of　whom；　by　the　way；　I　found　no　　trace　in　Old　Castile；　Galicia；　or　the　Asturias。　　As　for　the　Basque　　version；　it　is　probable　that　even　in　Madrid　it　will　not　be　without　　demand；　as　many　Biscayans　residing　there　will　doubtless　be　eager　to　　read　the　Gospel　when　placed　within　their　reach　in　their　native　　tongue。

I　will　now　conclude　by　begging　pardon　for　all　errors　of　commission　　and　omission。　　I　am　a　frail　foolish　vessel；　and　have　accomplished　　but　a　slight　portion　of　what　I　proposed　in　my　vanity。　　Yet　　something；　though　but　little；　has　been　effected　by　this　journey；　　which　I　have　just　brought　to　a　conclusion。　　The　New　Testament　of　　Christ　is　enjoying　a　quiet　sale　in　the　principal　towns　of　the　north　　of　Spain；　and　I　have　secured　the　FRIENDLY　INTEREST　and　co…operation　　of　the　booksellers　of　those　parts；　particularly　him；　the　most　　considerable　of　them　all；　Rey　Romero　of　Compostella。　　I　have；　　moreover；　by　private　sale　disposed　of　one　hundred　and　sixteen　　Testaments　to　individuals　entirely　of　the　lower　classes；　namely；　　muleteers；　carmen；　CONTRABANDISTAS；　etc。

My　accounts　will　follow　in　a　few　days。　　Now　may　the　Lord　bless　you；　　and　dispose　you　to　pray　for　myself　and　all　in　this　land　of　misery　　and　sorrow。

G。　B。



LETTER：　20th　November；　1837



To　the　Rev。　A。　Brandram　（ENDORSED：　recd。　Dec。　2；　1837）　MADRID；　No。　16　CALLE　ST。　IAGO　PISO　3RO。　NOVR。　20；　1837。

REVD。　AND　DEAR　SIR；　…　On　the　other　side　you　have　an　account　of　the　　money　which　I　expended　during　my　journey；　and　also　of　what　I　have　　laid　out　in　the　Society's　service　since　my　return。　　In　respect　to　　my　expenses；　I　wish　to　state　that　most　articles　are　very　dear　in　　Spain；　especially　in　the　parts　where　I　have　travelled；　and　that　I　　have　been　subjected　to　many　expenses　which　I　have　not　specified　in　　the　account；　for　example　the　gate…dues　for　the　books；　in　every　town　　where　I　have　introduced　them　…　the　printing　of　advertisements　…　and　　particularly　farriers'　bills；　as　the　poor　horses　were　continually　　ailing　from　over…work；　bad　provender　and　falls　received　amongst　the　　mountains。　　In　the　account　of　Testaments　sold　you　will　observe　that　　I　make　no　mention　of　by　far　the　greater　number；　namely　those　　disposed　of　at　Lugo；　Saint　James；　etc。；　etc。；　as　I　have　not　yet　　received　the　money　from　the　booksellers。　　About　a　week　since　I　　received　advice　from　Leon　that　the　forty　copies　which　I　had　left　　there　had　been　all　sold；　and　that　the　money　was　in　readiness；　I　　have　despatched　a　fresh　supply　of　fifty　to　that　important　town；　　where　last　summer　I　nearly　lost　my　life　in　a　burning　fever。　　I　am　　expecting　every　day　a　fresh　order　from　Salamanca；　and　hope　that；　as　　the　circle　widens　in　the　lake　into　which　a　stripling　has　cast　a　　pebble；　so　will　the　circle　of　our　usefulness　continue　widening　　until　it　has　embraced　the　whole　vast　region　of　Spain。

I　have　delayed　writing　for　nearly　a　fortnight；　as　during　that　　period　I　have　been　looking　out　for　a　suitable　shop　in　which　to　　commence　operations　in　Madrid。　　I　have　just　found　one　quite　to　my　　mind；　situated　in　the　CALLE　DEL　PRINCIPE；　one　of　the　principal　　streets。　　The　rent；　it　is　true；　is　rather　high　（eight　REALS　per　　diem）；　but　a　good　situation；　as　you　are　well　aware；　must　be　paid　　for。　　I　came　to　the　resolution　of　establishing　a　shop　from　finding　　that　the　Madrid　booksellers　entrusted　with　the　Testaments　gave　　themselves　no　manner　of　trouble　to　secure　the　sale；　and　even　　withheld　advertisements　from　the　public　with　which　they　were　　supplied。　　But　now　everything　will　be　on　another　footing；　and　I　　have　sanguine　hopes　of　selling　all　that　remain　of　the　edition　　within　a　short　time。

A　violent　and　furious　letter　against　the　Bible　Society　and　its　　proceedings　has　lately　appeared　in　a　public　print；　it　is　prefixed　　to　a　Pastoral　of　the　Spiritual　Governor　＇I。E。　Bishop＇　of　Valencia；　　in　which　he　forbids　the　sale　of　the　London　Bible　in　that　see。　　　About　a　week　since　I　inserted　in　the　ESPANOL　an　answer　to　that　　letter；　which　answer　has　been　read　and　praised。　　I　send　you　　herewith　an　English　translation　of　it。　　You　will　doubtless　deem　it　　too　warm　and　fiery；　but　tameness　and　gentleness　are　of　little　avail　　when　surrounded　by　the　vassal　slaves　of　bloody　Rome。　　It　has　　answered　one　purpose　…　it　has　silenced　our　antagonist；　who；　it　　seems；　is　an　unprincipled　benefice…hunting　curate。　　As　you　read　　Spanish；　I　have　copied　his　own　words　respecting　the　omission　of　the　　Apocrypha；　nevertheless；　lest　you　should　find　some　difficulty　in　　understanding　it；　I　subjoin　here　the　English。

'If　the　works　of　Luther　were　to　be　given　to　the　world　curtailed　of　　their　PRINCIPAL　CHAPTERS；　and　his　maxims　and　precepts　to　a　certain　　degree　transformed；　what　would　his　followers　and　disciples　do？　　　Would　they　not　rise　with　one　accord　in　numerous　bands；　and；　in　　order　to　sustain　the　honour　of　their　preceptor；　would　they　not　　recur　to　the　original　writings　and　produce　in　his　support　his　　manuscripts？　　Would　they　not　resort　to　all　kinds　of　argument　to　　prove　the　spuriousness　of　that　edition；　and　employ　declamation　and　　reasoning　in　order　to　blacken　the　illicit　and　fraudulent　means　　which　the　Catholics　were　employing？'　etc。；　etc。；　etc。

I　deemed　it　my　duty；　as　Agent　of　the　Bible　Society　in　Spain；　not　to　　permit　so　brutal　an　attack　upon　it　to　pass　unanswered。　　Indeed　I　　was　called　upon　by　my　friends　to　reply；　and　though　I　am　adverse　to　　all　theological　and　political　disputes；　I　feared　to　refuse；　lest　　the　motives　of　my　silence　should　be　misconstrued。　　But　now　I　must　　be　permitted　to　say　（between