letters-第63节

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tament　amongst　the　peasantry　of　Spain；　by　whom　I　knew　that　it　　would　be　received　with　transport　and　with　gratitude。　　I　determined　　to　commence　with　the　Sagra　of　Toledo；　where　resided　an　honest　　labourer　of　my　acquaintance；　my　foot　was　in　the　stirrup　when　I　　received　a　letter　from　home；　which　I　can　only　consider　as　having　　originated　with　the　Enemy　of　mankind　for　the　purpose　of　perplexing　　my　already　harassed　and　agitated　mind。　　In　this　letter　I　was　told；　　amongst　other　matter　which　I　need　not　repeat；　to　prepare　to　quit　　Spain。　　But　by　the　shaft　I　knew　the　quiver　from　which　it　came；　and；　　merely　exclaiming；　'Satan；　I　defy　thee；'　I　hurried　to　Sagra；　and　　disposed　of　amongst　the　peasantry　in　one　fortnight　four　hundred　　copies　of　the　New　Testament。　　But　it　is　hard　to　wrestle　with　the　　great　Enemy；　another　shaft　arrived　in　the　shape　of　a　letter；　which　　compelled　me　to　return　to　Madrid；　whilst　the　cause　of　God　was　　beckoning　me　to　Aranjuez　and　La　Mancha；　to　which　places　I　indeed　　hurried　as　soon　as　I　had　arranged　matters　at　Madrid。

Without　losing　time　or　being　dispirited　by　the　events　of　the　last　　journey；　I　repaired　to　Old　Castile；　here　my　success　was　almost　　miraculous；　nine　hundred　copies　of　the　Holy　Book　being　sold　in　less　　than　three　weeks；　but　not　in　peace　and　tranquillity；　as　the　　province　became　suddenly　a　scene　of　horrors　which　I　shall　not　　attempt　to　describe。　　It　was　not　the　war　of　men；　or　even　of　　cannibals；　which　I　witnessed；　it　seemed　a　contest　of　fiends　from　　the　infernal　pit。　　But　God　guided　me　safe　and　unharmed　through　this　　'valley　of　the　shadow；'　and　permitted　me　to　regain　Madrid；　where；　　upon　finding　myself　formally　recalled；　I　deposited　the　Society's　　property　in　as　safe　a　place　as　I　could　find；　and　was　about　to　　return　home　when　a　fever　which　had　been　long　lurking　in　my　blood　at　　last　prostrated　me；　confining　me　to　my　bed　for　many　days；　at　the　　expiration　of　which；　though　very　unfit　for　travel；　I　departed　for　　England；　where　at　last　by　God's　will　I　am　arrived　in　safety。

Before　concluding；　I　have　a　communication　to　make；　the　importance　　of　which　few；　I　believe；　will　be　tempted　to　deny。

I　have　at　various　times　stated　that　the　Bible　Cause　had　many　and　　powerful　friends　in　Spain；　though　my　statements　up　to　the　present　　moment　seem　to　have　been　hailed　with　little　attention。　　I　remember　　in　one　particular　letter　recommending　prudence；　patience；　and　co…　operation　with　the　liberal　clergy；　who　were　sincerely　disposed　to　　help　us　on；　provided　that　by　intemperateness　of　conduct　we　gave　　them　no　reasonable　ground　for　offence。　　There　is　now　a　society　　formed　at　Madrid；　determined　upon　making　the　Word　of　God；　without　　note　or　comment；　known　amongst　the　children　of　Spain。　　The　laws　　concerning　the　publishing　the　Scripture　have　been　diligently　and　　minutely　examined；　and　it　has　been　discovered　that　by　none　of　the　　laws　of　Spain；　ancient　or　modern；　whether　made　by　Cortes　or　by　　kings；　is　the　publication　of　the　Scripture；　in　the　whole　or　in　　parts；　with　or　without　comment；　forbidden　…　but　merely　and　solely　　by　particular　Bulls　of　various　Bishops　of　Rome；　which　Bulls　though　　respected　by　many　of　the　Spaniards　form　no　part　of　the　law　of　　Spain。　　Provided　resistance　be　offered　to　the　undertaking　either　by　　the　Government　or　any　portion　of　the　ecclesiastics；　it　has　been　　determined　to　bring　the　matter　before　the　Cortes；　from　whom　a　　favourable　decision　may　be　expected　with　certainty。　　An　individual　　has　been　selected　as　the　ostensible　manager　of　this　great　and　　glorious　undertaking；　this　individual　is　Mr。　C。　Wood；　whom　I　have　　already　had　occasion　to　mention；　though　it　is　in　my　power　to　state　　that　but　for　the　manner　in　which　the　name　of　the　Bible　Society　has　　on　various　occasions　been　brought　before　the　public；　and　almost　　invariably　to　its　disadvantage；　myself　its　well…known　Agent；　would　　have　been　the　person　selected。　　If　it　be　here　asked　who　are　the　　respectable　and　influential　persons　who　are　at　the　head　of　this　　undertaking　and　who　patronise　it；　I　reply　the　Archbishop　of　Toledo；　　the　Primate　of　Spain；　and　the　Bishops　of　Vich　and　Jaen。

Now　merely　one　word　in　conclusion。　　I　have　related　facts；　and　to　　attempt　to　contravene　them　would　be　as　futile　as　to　endeavour　to　　breast　the　billows　of　the　Atlantic。　　For　the　fact　that　I　have　　throughout　my　residence　in　Spain　conducted　myself　as　becomes　a　　gentleman；　a　Christian　and　an　Agent　of　a　Christian　Society；　I　can　　at　all　times　command　the　evidence　of　Sir　George　Villiers。　　For　the　　fact　that　no　act　of　mine　has　given　offence　to　the　Spanish　　Government；　or　was　calculated　to　do　so；　I　can；　if　required；　produce　　a　communication　from　Count　Ofalia；　who　has　in　writing　expressed　to　　Sir　George　Villiers　his　full　reliance　in　my　prudence　and　good　　faith。　　For　the　fact　that　the　establishment　at　Madrid　was　closed；　　not　in　consequence　of　my　own　imprudence；　but　on　account　of　certain　　proceedings　at　Valencia；　I　can　receive；　if　I　need　it；　a　testimonial　　from　Count　Ofalia。　　For　the　fact　that　proceedings　of　a　highly　　objectionable　nature　were　transacted　in　the　south　of　Spain；　I　have　　the　affidavit　of　the　unhappy　ex…priest　Pascual　Marin；　who　can　　likewise　afford；　when　called　upon；　information　on　various　points。　　　For　the　fact　that　my　depots　in　various　provinces　of　Spain　were　　seized　in　consequence　of　doings　with　which　I　had　no　connexion；　I　　can　cite　official　correspondence。　　For　the　fact　that　my　　advertisement；　in　which　I　disowned　in　the　name　of　the　Society　and　　in　my　own　any　sympathy　with　the　scenes　alluded　to；　was　productive　　of　infinite　benefit　to　the　Cause；　I　can　at　any　time　produce　　incontestable　evidence。　　And　lastly；　for　my　zeal　in　the　Bible　　Cause；　whilst　employed　in　the　Peninsula；　I　can　have　the　evidence　　not　only　of　some　of　the　most　illustrious　characters　resident　in　　Madrid；　but　likewise　that　of　the　greatest　part　of　Spain；　throughout　　which　I　believe　my　name　is　better　known　than　in　my　native　village　　in　East　Anglia。



Mr。　G。　Borrow's　Report　on　Past　and　Future　Operations　in　Spain　（ENDORSED：　recd。　Nov。　28；　1838）　LONDON；　NOVR。　1838。



HAVING　been　requested　to　commit　to　paper　my　opinion　respecting　the　　mode　most　advisable　to　be　adopted　for　the　propagation　of　the　Word　　of　God　in　Spain；　provided　the　Committee　of　the　Bible　Society　should　　consider　it　their　duty　to　resume　operations　in　that　country；　I　　shall　as　briefly　as　possible　communicate　the　results　of　an　　experience　which　three　years'　residence　has　enabled　me　to　acquire。　　　The　Committee　are　already　aware　that　I　have　traversed　the　greatest　　part　of　Spain　in　all　directions；　and　have　lived　for　a　considerable　　time　in　Madrid　and　other　large　towns。　　I　have　therefore　had　　opportunities　of　forming　a　tolerably　accurate　idea　as　to　the　mode　　of　thinking　upon　religious　subjects　of　the　Spaniards；　whether　of　　town　or　country；　and　of　their　character　in　general。　　I　need　not　　enter　into　a　repetition　of　my　labours　during　my　last　sojourn　in　　Spain。　　It　is　well　known　that；　after　printing　the　New　Testament　at　　Madrid；　I　endeavoured　to　distribute　it　in　the　principal　towns；　and　　also　in　the　rural　districts。　　Particular　circumstances　prevented　my　　experiencing　in　the　former　the　success　which　I　had　hoped　for；　and　　with　some　reason；　at　the　commencement　of　my　Biblical　labours；　and　　indeed　I　did　not　find　the　minds　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　great　　cities　which　I　visited　so　well　disposed　as　I　could　have　wished；　for　　receiving　and　relishing　the　important　but　simple　truths　of　the　　Bible。　　I　cannot　say　that　a　spirit　of　fanatic　bigotry　was　　observable　amongst　them；　except　in　a　very　few　instances；　but　rather　　of　lamentable　indifference；　their　minds　being　either　too　much　　engrossed　by　the　politics　of　the　period　to　receive　the　doctrine　of　　the　Bible；　or　averse　to　it　owing　to　the　poison　of　infidelity　　imbibed　from　the　deistical　writings　of　the　French。　　My　success　　among　the　peasants　was　however　very　different；　nearly　two　thousand　　copies　having　been　disposed　of　in　an　extraordinarily　short　space　of　　time；　and　under　much　disadvantage　owing　to　the　peculiarly　unhappy　　situation　of　those　parts　which　it　was　my　fortune　to　visit。　　I　will　　now；　without　further　preamble；　state　the　line　of　conduct　which　I　　should　wish　to　see　pursued　in　Spain　under　existing　circumstances。

As　the　minds　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　cities；　from　the　causes　　above　stated；　do　not　appear　to　be　exactly　prepared　for　the　　reception　of　the　Scripture；　it　seems　most　expedient　for　some　time　　to　come　to　offer　it　principally　to　the　peasantry；　by　the　greater　　part　of　whom　there　is　so　much　ground　for　believing　that　it　will　be　　received　with　gratitude　and　joy。　　True　it　is　that　the　Spanish　　peasantry　are　in　general　not　so　well　educated　as　their　brethren　of　　the　cities；　their　opportunities　of　acquiring　a　knowledge　of　letters　　having　always　been　inferior；　nevertheless　it　would　be　difficult　to　　enter　a　cottage　of　which　at　least　one　of　the　inmates　could　not　　read；　more　or　less。　　They　are　moreover　a　serious　people；　and　any　　book　upon　religious　subjects　is　far　more　certain　of　captivating　　their　attention　than　one　of　a　lighter　character；　and；　above　all；　　their　minds　have　hitherto　never　been　tainted　by　those　unhappy　　notions　of　infidelity　too　prevalent　amongst　the　other　class。　　There　　is　one　feature　which　I　wish　to　mention　here；　w