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to　Mr。　Jowett；　Mr。　Browne；　and　all　friends；　not　forgetting　Dr。　　Steinkopff；　to　whom　I　shortly　hope　to　write。

（UNSIGNED。）



LETTER：　12th　June；　1839



To　the　Rev。　G。　Browne　（ENDORSED：　recd。　July　1；　1839）　SEVILLE；　PLAZUELA　DE　LA　PILA　SECA；　No。　7；　JUNE　12；　1839。

REVD。　AND　DEAR　SIR；　…　I　received　in　due　course　of　time　your　　exceedingly　kind　letter　of　the　16th　April；　and　am　very　grateful　for　　the　various　intelligence　which　you　were　pleased　to　communicate。　　I　　should　have　replied　ere　this；　but　I　am　one　of　those；　as　I　believe　　you　are　aware；　who　are　averse　to　writing；　especially　from　a　　considerable　distance；　unless　they　possess　matter　of　sufficient　　consequence　to　fill　creditably　the　pages　of　an　epistle。　　I　could　　wish　that　at　the　present　moment　I　had　more　to　write　upon；　and　more　　interesting　details　to　send　you　than　these　which　follow。　　For　two　　or　three　weeks　after　my　arrival　at　Seville　I　was　unable　to　　accomplish　anything；　on　account　of　the　seizure　of　the　books；　with　　which　you　are　doubtless　acquainted。　　I　however　by　the　assistance　of　　the　Almighty；　for　which　I　prayed；　was　enabled；　though　not　without　　considerable　trouble；　to　overcome　that　difficulty；　and　to　obtain　　all　the　Testaments　of　which　I　was　in　need；　to　the　number　of　two　　hundred　and　upwards。　　But　still　I　commenced　not　operations；　indeed　　I　was　quite　at　a　loss；　being　in　a　strange　place　and　under　very　　peculiar　circumstances；　to　imagine　the　best　course　to　pursue。　　I　　therefore　waited　with　perfect　patience　until　it　should　please　　Providence　to　assist　me；　and　true　it　is　that　help　came　in　rather　a　　remarkable　manner。

I　was　standing　in　the　courtyard　of　the　Reyna　POSADA；　where　for　the　　time　I　had　taken　up　my　abode；　when　a　man　singularly　dressed　and　　gigantically　tall　entered。　　My　curiosity　being　excited；　I　enquired　　of　the　master　of　the　house　who　he　was；　when　he　informed　me　that　he　　was　a　foreigner　who　had　resided　a　considerable　time　in　Seville；　and　　he　believed　a　Greek。　　Upon　hearing　this　I　instantly　went　up　to　the　　stranger；　and　accosted　him　in　the　Greek　language　in　which；　though　I　　speak　it　very　ill；　I　can　make　myself　understood。　　He　replied　in　the　　same　idiom；　and；　flattered　by　the　interest　which　I　a　foreigner　　expressed　for　his　nation；　was　not　slow　in　communicating　to　me　his　　history。　　He　told　me；　that　his　name　was　Dionysius；　that　he　was　a　　native　of　Cephalonia；　and　had　been　educated　for　the　Church；　which　　however　not　suiting　his　temper；　he　had　abandoned　in　order　to　follow　　the　profession　of　the　sea；　for　which　he　had　an　early　inclination；　　that　after　many　adventures　and　changes　of　fortune　he　found　himself　　one　morning　on　the　coast　of　Spain　…　a　shipwrecked　mariner；　and　　that；　ashamed　to　return　to　his　own　country　in　poverty　and　distress；　　he　had　remained　in　the　Peninsula；　residing　chiefly　at　Seville；　　where　he　now　carried　on　a　small　trade　in　books。　　He　said　that　he　　was　of　the　Greek　religion；　to　which　he　professed　strong　attachment；　　and　soon　discovering　that　I　was　a　Protestant；　spoke　with　unbounded　　abhorrence　of　the　Papal　system；　nay　of　its　followers　in　general；　　whom　he　called　Latins；　and　whom　he　charged　with　the　ruin　of　his　own　　country；　inasmuch　as　they　sold　it　to　the　Turk。　　It　instantly　struck　　me　that　this　individual　would　be　an　excellent　assistant　in　the　work　　which　had　brought　me　to　Seville；　namely　the　propagation　of　the　　eternal　Gospel；　and　accordingly　after　some　more　conversation；　in　　which　he　exhibited　considerable　learning；　I　explained　myself　to　　him。　　He　entered　into　my　views　with　considerable　eagerness；　and　　hitherto　I　have　had　no　reason　to　repent　my　confidence；　he　having　　disposed　of　a　considerable　number　of　New　Testaments；　and　even　　contrived　to　send　a　certain　number　of　copies　to　two　small　towns；　at　　some　distance　from　Seville。

On　account　of　the　extreme　dearness　of　every　article　at　the　POSADA；　　where　moreover　I　had　a　suspicion　that　I　was　watched；　I　removed　with　　my　servant　and　horses　to　an　empty　house　in　a　solitary　part　of　the　　town；　where　I　still　am；　and　where　I　purpose　to　remain　during　my　　stay　in　Andalusia。　　Here　I　live　in　the　greatest　privacy；　admitting　　no　person　but　two　or　three　in　whom　I　have　the　greatest　confidence；　　who　entertain　the　same　views　as　myself　and　who　assist　me　in　the　　circulation　of　the　Gospel。　　One　of　these　is　a　very　remarkable　　person：　　an　aged　professor　of　music；　by　birth　an　old　Castilian；　and　　one　of　the　very　few　who　retain　traces　of　the　ancient　Spanish　　character；　which　with　all　its　faults；　its　stiffness；　its　formality；　　and　its　pride；　I　believe　（always　setting　the　character　of　the　　Christian　aside）　to　be　the　most　estimable　and　trustworthy　in　the　　world。　　This　venerable　individual　has　just　brought　me　the　price　of　　six　Testaments　and　a　Gypsy　Gospel；　which　he　has　this　day　sold　under　　the　heat　of　an　Andalusian　sun。　　What　was　his　motive？　　A　Christian　　one；　truly。　　He　says　that　his　unfortunate　countrymen；　who　are　at　　present　robbing　and　murdering　each　other；　may　probably　be　rendered　　better　by　the　reading　of　the　Gospel；　but　cannot　be　injured：　　　adding；　that　many　a　man　has　been　reformed　by　the　Scripture　but　that　　no　one　ever　yet　became　a　thief　or　assassin　from　its　perusal。

I　have　not　yet　addressed　myself　much　to　the　lower　orders　in　these　　parts。　　Indeed　the　quantity　of　books；　at　my　disposal；　at　present　　remaining　unsold　in　Spain　is　so　small；　that　I　am　almost　tempted　to　　be　niggard　of　them；　lest　in　an　unprovided　hour　an　extraordinary　　call　should　be　made。　　However；　before　leaving　Seville；　it　will　be　　well　to　pay　some　attention　to　the　poor。　　I　have　an　agent　awaiting　　my　orders；　another　Greek；　introduced　to　me　by　Dionysius；　he　is　a　　labouring　brick…layer；　a　native　of　the　Morea；　and　has　been　upwards　　of　thirty…five　years　in　this　country；　so　that　he　has　almost　　entirely　lost　his　native　language；　nevertheless　his　attachment　to　　his　own　country　is　so　strong；　that　he　considers　whatever　is　not　　Greek　to　be　utterly　barbarous　and　bad。　　Though　entirely　destitute　　of　education　he　has；　by　his　strength　of　character　and　by　a　kind　of　　rude　eloquence　which　he　possesses；　obtained　such　a　mastery　over　the　　minds　of　the　labouring　classes　of　Seville　that　to　everything　he　　asserts　they　assent；　however　his　assertions　may　shock　their　　prejudices　and　Spanish　pride；　so　that　notwithstanding　he　is　a　　foreigner　he　may　at　any　time　become　the　MASANIELLO　of　Seville。　　I　　am　happy　to　be　able　to　add　that　he　is　an　honest；　industrious　man　　notwithstanding　his　eccentricities；　so　that　should　I　employ　him；　　which　I　have　not　yet　resolved　upon；　I　may　entertain　perfect　　confidence　that　his　actions　will　be　no　disparagement　to　the　book　he　　vends。

We　are　continually　pressed　for　Bibles；　which　of　course　we　cannot　　supply；　Testaments　are　held　in　comparatively　little　esteem。　　Allow　　me　to　make　here　a　remark　which　it　is　true　I　ought　to　have　made　　three　years　ago；　but　we　live　and　learn。　　It　is　unwise　to　print　　Testaments；　and　Testaments　alone　for　Catholic　countries。　　The　　reason　is　plain。　　The　Catholic；　unused　to　Scripture　reading；　finds　　a　thousand　things　which　he　cannot　possibly　understand　in　the　New　　Testament；　the　foundation　of　which　is　the　Old。　　'Search　the　　Scriptures；　for　they　bear　witness　to　Me；'　may　well　be　applied　to　　this　point。　　It　may　be　replied　that　New　Testaments　separate　are　in　　great　demand　and　of　infinite　utility　in　England。　　But　England；　　thanks　be　to　the　Lord；　is　not　Spain；　and　though　an　English　labourer　　may　read　a　Testament　and　derive　from　it　the　most　blessed　fruit；　it　　does　not　follow　that　a　Spanish　peasant　will　enjoy　similar　success；　　as　he　will　find　many　dark　things　with　which　the　other　is　well　　acquainted　and　competent　to　understand；　being　versed　in　the　Bible　　history　from　his　childhood。　　I　confess　however　that　in　the　campaign　　of　last　summer　we　could　not　have　accomplished　with　Bibles　what　　Providence　permitted　us　to　do　with　Testaments；　the　former　being　far　　too　bulky　for　rural　journeys。　　In　conclusion；　I　am　glad　to　be　able　　to　say　that　one　of　my　principal　reasons　for　leaving　Madrid　was　an　　inability　to　answer　the　pressing　demands　for　Bibles　which　came　　pouring　upon　me　every　instant；　and　to　which　every　person　in　the　　house　where　I　lived　can　bear　witness。　　Let　the　Revd。　Doctor　Wiseman　　get　over　this　fact；　who　in　his　unchristian　and　unfounded　attack　on　　the　Bible　Society　has　stated　that　it　cannot　dispose　of　its　books　at　　any　price；　nor　indeed　get　rid　of　them　gratis！

Dear　Mrs。　Browne　shall　have　her　letter。

G。　B。

P。S。　　I　have　just　received　Mr。　Brandram's　epistle。　　Present　to　him　　my　best　thanks　for　it；　and　above　all　for　the　remarks；　which　I　will　　remember。　　Pray　let　him　send　me　the　Pamphlet　of　the　T。　S。　　I　wish　　to　see　their　observations　on　the　Vulgate。　　Likewise　the　other　　papers。



LETTER：　28th　June；　1839



To　the　Rev。　A。　Brandram　（ENDORSED：　recd。　July　15；　1839）　SEVILLE；　PLAZUELA　DE　LA　PILA　SECA；　No。　7；　28　JUNE　1839。

REVD。　AND　DEAR　SIR；　…　I　received　your　letter　of　the　22nd　May；　and　　likewise　Mr。　Jackson's　of　the　5th　June；　containing　the　conclusion　　of　the　＇Annual＇　Report；　which　you　were　so　kind　as　to　send　me。　　I　　wish　in　the　first　place　to　say　a　few　words；　which　some　passages　in　　your　communication　suggest。　　Think　not　I　pray　you　that　any　　observation　of　yours　respecting　style；　or　any　peculiarities　of　　expression　which　I　am　in　the　ha