Spain and the Spaniards, in 1843

Chapter I

Page Route to Madrid — Xefe Politico and Captain-General — Jaen — The Guadalquivir— The Negro — Spanish travelling — Arrival at Madrid I

Chapter II

Madrid— Public changes and situation of affairs— The Catalans— Echalecu's fidelity — Festival of Corpus — Costume — Education — University of Alcala — The Court Dwarf — Affairs of Granada— The Malnguenos — The Regent — reviews the National Guard, and proceeds to Valencia — The Queen — A slight disturbance - . - - 10

Chapter III

Road to Valladolid — Arrival in the City — The Museum — The Cathedral — San Benito — The Pronunciamento— Road-making — The Xefe Politico — Medina de Rio Seco — Mayorga — Ceynos — Tow-er of the Templars — fllansilla— Bridge of Villarente — Natural History 23

Chapter IV

Leon — The Convent of S. Domingo — San Isidoro — The Cathedral — Convent of S. Marcos — Roman Walls— The Maragatos — Examination by the Authorities of Leon — The Alcalde — The Pronunciamento 47

Chapter V

Journey to Oviedo — Wolves — Valley of Bernesga — River Fish — Female Costume — Appearance ofthe Country — The Guide's village — Buisdongo — The Hostess — The Cura — Pajares— Campomanes — Mieres — Arrival at Oviedo - - vi CONTENTS. 110 125 151 1(52 171

Chapter VI

Page Oviedo — Music — Dancing* — Spanish Songs — The Cathedral — The Camara Santa— Old Churches— The Convent— The Monastery- Churches of S. Maria and S. Miguel - - - - 87

Chapter VII

Oviedo — University — Tribute of Damsels — Asturian Coal-field — Coal Companies— State of the Mines — Asturian Costume — Xefe Politico — Agitators in Oviedo — Pardinas — Flamboyant window in the Convent of S. Francisco - ------

Chapter VIII

Road to Aviles— Church of Manzanera — Curious verses — Senor Bello — Church supposed to have belonged to the Templars— Aviles —Natural History — Coal Mine of Arnao— The Ferry — The Country Inn — The Host — Soto de Rudinia — Courtesy of the Peasants — Singular Cure of a Horse— Luarco — Navia — The Ulex Stricta— Castropol — Scene at the Ferry - -____--

Chapter IX

Entry into Galicia — Ribadeo — Mondonedo — Troop of Maragatos — The river Tamboga — Villalba — The Ladra — Female Labour — Betanzos — The road to Coruna ------

Chapter X

Coruna — Religious Procession — Costumes — Old Churches — The Inns — Market Gardens — Moore's Monument — The Secretary — Pronunciamento - -------

Chapter XI

Route to Santiago— The ex-Dominican— Shrine of Santiago— Chapel of the Pilar— The Cortesela— Royal Tombs— Chapel ofthe Pilgrims— The Library — Hospital of Santiago — The Casas Consistoriales— Archbishop's Palace— The Canons— Convents of San Martin — S. Francisco —and S. Agostino— Convent of Benedictine Ladies— The native artist Prado— The University— Musical Performance— Sunday Market— The President of the Junta - CONTENTS. vii

Chapter XII

Page Journey to Vigo — Padron — Baths of Cuntis — Pontevedra — The Author arrested — Examination by the Junta — Cause of Arrest — Letter to the Junta of Coruna— Vigo — Pronunciamento — Departure from Spain ------- 204

Chapter XIV

On the Church — Number of Monks — Their Attachment to the Cause of Don Carlos — Suppression of the Monasteries — Fatal Effects of the Church Endowments on the prosperity of Spain — Condition of the Nuns — Pay assigned to the Hierarchy — Parochial clergy — Result ofthe invasion of Napoleon — Sale of Church property — State of Religion — Mr. Borrow and the Bible in Spain - 277

Chapter XV

On the Organic Changes in the Administration, and Decrees respectin; them, subsequent to the Death of Ferdinand 307

Chapter XVI

Miscellaneous Observations — Bull Fights — Robbers— The Generals of Don Carlos — Zumalacarregui — Cabrera — Maroto — Don Carlos de Espana — The Army— Christina — Commerce - - - 336

Chapter XVII

Proceedings of Narvaez— Church Property — The Clergy — The Queen — The Basques— Court of Don Carlos — General Eguia — Moreno — Colonel Manzanares — Queen Christina — Finances — Road-making — Changes of Ministry — Causes of the Fall of the Regent — Future Prospects — Conclusion ------ SPAIN IN 1843.

Chapter I. Route To Madrid

— XEFE POLITICO AND CAPTAIN- GENERAL — TROOPS MARCHING — JAEN — GUADAL QUIVIR — NEGRO — OCANA ARRIVAL AT MADRID. We had great difficulty in finding places in the diligence to Madrid, all the better seats being secured for weeks beforehand ; there were two rival com panies, and we were obliged to take the coach of the inferior administration ; but they assured me there was little difference in the arrangements, especially in the important article of the time consumed upon the road. I must beg the attention of the reader particularly to the ensuing pages, because in them will be re lated an event of no small importance in the extra ordinary and unexpected scenes that shortly after wards followed in the south of Spain, and it formed a hinge, on which a part of the results from the movements we have seen, turned.

We left Granada at a very early hour, and the first halt made to change the tiro, was at the Venta de vol. ir. B XEFE POLITICO Zegri, which has preserved the name of the cele brated Moorish family, the lineal descendants of whom are still settled in their ancient capital. At Campillo de Arenas, a large village half way be tween Jaen and Granada, where we stopped to take chocolate, there was an officer in uniform, of middle age, most pleasing manners and respectable ap pearance, who entered into conversation with us and made many inquiries about the state of Granada. This was the Xefe Politico or civil governor of the province, who as well as the Captain-general was absent from his post, at Madrid, when the disturbances broke out, which their being on the spot might very probably have prevented.

" Cosas de Espana !" He told us his object was to precede the Captain-general, who was following with the troops we began already to see upon the road, and by parleying with the pronunciados, persuade them to return to their allegiance without the necessity of employing compulsory measures ; we shall see here after the consequence of this humane but ill-judged mode of proceeding. In about an hour after we left Campillos, the diligence was ordered to stop and a military officer rode up to the window. This was the aide-de-camp of the Captain-general, who was on horseback at the side of the road. I happened to be sitting next the window when he approached, and it devolved on me to answer the questions he successively put, carrying back the replies to his chief and then returning AND CAPTAIN-GENERAL. with others.

Of course all that could be said, was, that the place was in a perfect state of order and tranquillity, and no attempts making for defence or movement of any kind. I observed, that as the answers were given, the countenance of the Captain general which has a most pleasing expression, not at all belied by the high and universally known character of General Alvarez, rather fell ; no doubt this feeling, which was too strongly expressed to fail of being noticed, proceeded from his unwillingness to take severe measures ; probably the hope that his approach would have been the signal for the Junta to disperse, and the restoration of the authority of Government, without the necessity of employing the forces under his orders. It appeared afterwards that he had private cause also for the uneasiness he evi. dently felt, having that very morning left his wife in a very delicate state of health at Jaen.

When we had answered the questions put to us, we moved on, meeting many detachments of troops of all descriptions that were hastening to the ex pected scene of operations. At a venta between Campillos and Jaen, we arrived at the same instant with a battalion of young but rather good-looking infantry, who had already made a march of twenty miles to their first halt. I was standing by the door when they successively came up, inquiring eagerly some for wine, others for bread, but the catalogue of negatives was even stronger than usual in these places, and the sole answer was " Nada, the troops b JAEN who passed in the night have taken every thing and the place is empty." Not the smallest murmur or expression of any kind passed their lips, and taking a drink of water, which was to be had, they formed groups under the bushes or wherever a scanty shelter from the powerful sun could be pro cured, intending to start again and make the same, or greater distance, before reaching their quarters for the night.

We dined at a new and spacious venta outside the town of Jaen, of which I should have regretted not seeing the interior, but from my previous acquaintance with it ; and that excepting the cathedral, which strongly resembles that of Malaga, as already mentioned, and I have no doubt was built by Siloe, and the ruined castle, there is little worth notice in this ancient capital of a Moorish kingdom. The pass in descending from Campillos to Jaen, is so fine, that if it were covered with forest very few in Spain would exceed or equal it in picturesque beauty. The stream that runs through the valley is equally pretty, and the situation of Jaen, commanding the fine and fertile plains of the Guadalquivir, which it overlooks as from a terrace, backed by a lofty range of limestone, is one of the finest in the country.

It has always been celebrated for the fruits, especially pears and apples, which the territory pro duces in the greatest abundance. They have a round pear not to be distinguished in appearance THE GUADALQUIVIR. from an apple, of extremely good flavour, which I never saw elsewhere, and they are sent to all parts of Andalucia. We took the new line to Madrid as it is called, although it is any thing but new, being so old and inconvenient that at a village a short distance after we set off we were "invited" to get out and walk to the ferry ofthe Guadalquivir, which is a considerable way from it, where we were detained some time before the lumbering vehicle was landed on the opposite side. Nothing was to be seen worthy notice, ex ceptingraimmense quantities of the liquorice plant, that were growing wild in the sandy alluvial soil of the river and were now in flower.

This is an ex tremely troublesome inmate of cultivated grounds in this climate, and they declare if once established, it can hardly be exterminated. Beyond this the road is totally unfinished, in fact hardly commenced, a curious contrast with that beyond Jaen, which is magnificent. In parts we had to cross olive grounds and corn lands, and in wet weather the transit must be excessively difficult for the mules. The sum they told me the tiros cost from Granada to Baylen was enormous, almost incredible, so that the fares were proportionably high, and more than double the price of those upon the great line of Seville. We had a tolerably pleasant party of fellow travel lers, one of the inside passengers being a campaigner of the old time and a very superior well-informed THE NEGRO. person. The coupe was occupied by a gentleman from the Habana with his black servant, as owing to this peculiar encumbrance he had been obliged to take the whole.

In a short time, a very agree able looking family of females who were in the hin der compartment, shewed evident signs of what the Spaniards call codicia, or hankering after places in the front, and after a good deal of neat and pretty manœuvring they effected an entrance : but before the arrangement could be completed the poor black was obliged to be dislodged, which operation produced rather a curious scene. We had no room in the centre, and the remainder of the party behind, refused him admittance to the place of the lady who had taken his seat in the coupe. They next tried to obtain a vacant place by the escort who was perched outside, but this fellow, who was a half reclaimed robber and if he had had his deserts instead of riding there, should have been in presidio, or possibly on the horca or gibbet, not only refused to let him keep company, but declared aloud, that if he presumed to get up he would pitch him off!

At last it was settled in some way, and the black disappeared ; I found afterwards that he was packed among the baggage under the " vache," or leather cover, which in the state of the atmosphere, must have been a perfect black hole. The people carried their insolence so far, that they would not allow the man to eat in company with them, and as I suppose he thought it probable those of thc posada would refuse to serve him, his master SPANISH TRAVELLING. told me afterwards, that he never tasted anything during the journey ! I felt very much for the poor fellow, and took the first opportunity when we stopped for the night, of entering into conversation with him ; I found him to be a very superior person in his station, ex tremely well-informed on all matters relating to the colony he belonged to, and speaking the language in the utmost purity ; he was nearly as much dissatis fied as his master with the manners and customs of travelling in Spain.

The latter gave me some curious details he had observed in the Spanish steamers, and criticised their general style and con versation in very severe terms. They had already travelled in Italy, which country afforded rather strong modes of comparison to one accustomed to the half European luxury of thc Habana, with that of the fatherland of his ancestors, for which he ap peared to have much the same feeling as some of our descendants for that to which they owe their original descent. We had another scene rather in the bad Spanish style, at a posada where we breakfasted ; whilst at table, a sort of officer came in, who was extremely desirous of forming an addition to the party in the vehicle which was already quite full. He stood be hind the chairs the whole time, too proud to ask a favour at thc risk of being refused as he certainly would have been, and endeavouring to make out a kind of claim, amounting to obligation, on his own ARRIVAL AT MADRID. part.

He persevered, long after it was evident he had no chance of success, and the tact with which he managed to avoid the asking was extremely cha racteristic. He completely failed, not at all to my regret, for although courteous in manner as they invariably are, his appearance was far from prepos sessing and in the state of the weather the taking such an addition, of considerable diameter, would have been a high price to pay for the pleasure of his company, had it been ever so agreeable. We met both this day and the next great numbers of troops of all descriptions on their march to Granada, some in very good order, others by no means so. They were making forced marches of fifty miles per day, with very slight rations to recruit their strength after the exertion ; I did not observe a single officer march with the men, even the sub alterns being mounted on donkies and mules which they hire for the purpose.

The next evening we slept at a new and half or ganized posada belonging to the company, and there was'considerable difficulty in procuring very scanty accommodation. The peasantry were amusing themselves with pitching the bar, which was of con siderable weight, and required both force and skill in the exercise ; I never saw this game in any other part of the country excepting La Mancha. The following day we dined at Ocaha, and in the afternoon arrived at Madrid. The whole arrange ments of the great route of Andalucia had been ARRIVAL AT MADRID. altered within these few years, and the travelling pace considerably accelerated, but the accommodations are not at all improved, and there is nothing so good as the famous fonda of the Catalans at Ocaiia, which was the general sleeping-place for all the roads passing through it, but is now avoided, except for the purpose of temporary stoppage.

Chapter II. Madrid

— PUBLIC CHANGES AND SITUATION OF AF- FAIRS — TIIE FESTIVAL OF CORPUS — COSTUME — PREPARATION FOR JOURNEY TO VALLADOLID REVIEWS. The few weeks which had elapsed since we left Madrid had been sufficient to exhibit a very different state of things, as far as the situation of the Govern ment was concerned, to that which prevailed when we set out for Estremadura. Pronunciamentos were announced in various quarters where they were very little expected, and some rather curious and charac teristic scenes were being acted in the provinces. There was every symptom to announce that the disease must run its course, and that the same spirit which had overset so many governments or admi nistrations, was ready to work the same result in the present case. The worst, and by far the most impor tant outbreak had taken place at Valencia, where the people, in the mode they are too truly accused of being prone to follow, had at once assassinated the Xefe Politico, apparently on the same principle that Dost Mahomed proposed to apply, by hangino the Russian envoy; in order to satisfy the friends of that personage, that neither peace nor truce could exist with them.

The widow and family of this PUBLIC CHANGES. poor man, whose name was Camacho, and his melancholy fate sufficiently proves that he had faith fully discharged his duty, arrived shortly afterwards from the scene of his disgraceful murder. After his death, the only hope of maintaining the authority of Government, rested in the Captain-general, who was quite a young man, a brave and active soldier, and for his good conduct in the civil war, especially at the memorable siege of Peiia Cerrada, had been rapidly promoted by the Regent, to whom, as I un derstand, he owed every thing. This officer wrote to the Duke, stating that plans were in agitation to disturb and unsettle the place, but that whilst he was there and had such troops as he commanded, under his orders, they need be under no apprehen sion for the consequences.

This letter was immediately ordered to be answered in corresponding terms, but a day intervening in course of post, the answer was not forwarded, and before the time arrived, Government received intelligence that the writer, whose name I think was Zabala, had changed his mind, and joined the pronuncia mento ! This strange occurrence was of course the subject of general conversation, and I heard the facts not only from various authorities of certain confidence, but a Spanish gentleman of high rank whom I knew very well, assured me he had seen the original documents. The singularity of the transaction was not diminished by the announce ment in the course of a few days, that this officer THE CATALANS. embarked in a French steamer and left Spain. These were serious occurrences in a place and province of such importance as Valencia, and the junta finding, as may be supposed, that they must go through and could not possibly recede, seized not only the money in the treasury, but began to levy duties at the gates to raise the necessary funds and make preparations for defence.

This, as far as I could hear, was the first attempt to collect money in this illegal manner ; but in this country the fatal example was too readily followed, and was one of the causes by which the general catastrophe was produced. In the mean time the Catalans were not idle, and under General Serrano, who was employed there and an officer called Prim, who had already figured in the preceding disturbance of that province, gave ample employment to Generals Seaone and Zurbano, the best officers the Regent had, who were barely holding their ground, and evidently must finally be beaten by that strange portion of the Spanish people. The town of Barcelona was in the hands of the revolted troops, most of whom had followed the officers, but the citadel of Montjuich still held out, under the command of an officer called Echalecu, a native of the Basque provinces, who has left a long and distinguished name in the history of his country and of Spanish fidelity.

Finding threats and intimidation of no use in prevailing on him to give up his post, bribery ECHALECU's FIDELITY. 13 was tried, and as it was probably thought he might require a large amount, four millions of reals were offered, with a French steamer put at his disposal to convey him away, when he should have given up the fort. This large sum, which to a Spanish officer is at least equal to 100,000 pounds in this country, and would have made him a very rich person, was firmly and inexorably refused, and he retained the fort until the complete overthrow of the Government, when of course he surrendered. He was continued in command of it, which I believe is the only instance of such a compliment being paid by the Afrancesado rulers to those who had opposed them. He remained in charge until the absurd revolt of Amettler took place, when, refusing to bombard the town, he of course resigned the command, retiring with a degree of honour for ever attached to his name, which with sorrow it must be admitted, very few employed in these times share with him.

It must be mentioned that the history of the bribery is not a case of suspicion, but is an official and publicly known fact. The sum alluded to was offered by the Ayuntamiento, who were nominally the bidders : whether they were really so is another consideration, which we shall notice hereafter. Every day news arrived of fresh pronunciamentos, the fashion having extended to the north, and several places in Galicia had already declared themselves. There was very good news respecting FESTIVAL OF CORPUS. the Basque Provinces, where many persons thought there might be disturbances, and an attempt once more to re-establish the fueros ; but from the first they declared they were satisfied with the new system, and should take no part in any proceedings against the Regent. Estremadura, Aragon, Leon, and Asturias, with great part of Andalucia, were also perfectly tranquil.

The pronunciamentos were announced, very often prematurely, by the press in opposition to the Government, although it generally turned out afterwards that they were right as to the final consequences ; no doubt these notices arose from the correspondence of certain parties in Madrid with the discontented in the provinces, and they simply miscalculated the time intended for the rising. We shall leave this subject for the present and proceed with a few remarks on the capital. The great festival of Corpus took place very soon after our arrival. In the old time, as all the orders of monks and other religious bodies sent deputations, the procession which followed the host was of im mense length. These of course were no longer in their accustomed place, but they were replaced by 10 to 12,000 national guards, who lined the streets and successively presented arms as the host passed.

The houses were hung with flags and other orna ments as before, and no other difference was to be observed, the whole passing off with the greatest possible order and solemnity. Neither the Regent nor the Court took any part, the former having quite COSTUME. enough public business on his hands to plead his excuse, and the Queen being under age, did not follow the procession on foot, as she would other wise most probably have been required to do. Some of the principal streets were hung with toldos or awnings stretched across them to protect the pro cession from the sun, and all day crowds of people of every rank were seen promenading after the ceremony was ended. It is probably thc day in the year when the population of Madrid is seen in the largest number and to the greatest advantage. The prevailing costume amongst the men in Spain is that curious vestment now extended over Europe, a modification of thc " pea coat," for which I believe we are indebted to the Yacht club.

The patterns used at Madrid have been drawn from France, and our neighbours with their usual taste have added a little embroidery, which improves the appearance of this rather singular shaped garment. The ma terial at this season is in general light, and however ungraceful the form may be, nothing was ever better imagined for a warm climate, as it hangs loose with neither encumbrance of collar or length, allowing the air to circulate freely round the person. The capa and jacket are quite superseded by this dress, and are seldom seen but in the provincial towns or in the winter season. The female costume is very little altered since the death of Ferdinand, when the great sweeping change of striking or doing away the comb that for- COSTUME. merly supported the mantilla and gave the peculiar character to the carriage of the women, took place.

From what I could learn, there is not the slightest probability of that national ornament resuming its station, as unfortunately the times, by making the strictest economy necessary to almost every class, have helped the barbarous innovation, by perma nently establishing what might be hoped was merely a fashion of the day, and in its turn would give way. The mantilla, which now hardly deserves the name, is cut accordingly, and instead of being entirely of lace, is a broad scarf or piece of silk edged with it, that rests on the top of the head, leaving the front hair in sight, but covering the neck and shoulders completely. The chief and only recommendation of this costume is its being extremely comfortable in cold or unsettled weather, and the introduction of it here, especially for the benefit of those who attend concerts and other public entertainments, where the bonnets are frequently a nuisance to every one near, would be a general benefit, as it is no weight or incumbrance and enables a shawl, unless in bad weather, to be entirely dispensed with.

The worst of the new style is, that the graceful carriage of the head has almost entirely passed away, the adjusting the mantilla as it floated from the lofty supporter giving a grace which no other style can confer. The effect of the alteration is ex tremely visible in the rising generation who have been born or bred under the new system, and any COSTUME. 17 eye accustomed to observe these matters, can in an instant distinguish between one of the old and new school by the manner the head and neck are carried. The bad effect of this bastard mantilla is increased by many ladies having adopted the shawls in the French fashion, not for use, but as they conceive for ornament ; when this is the case, between the new covering of the head, the shawl, a long and very loose skirt or basquiha, the figure is as com pletely disguised as in the East.

Bonnets still hardly gain ground, and are scarcely more numerous than before ; and it did so happen that at the Prado and other promenades, the wearers of the most barbarous and unseemly costume ever put on the female form, left less regret that they had chosen so to travesty themselves. Many of them had adopted the small bonnet that was the fashion, for it generally travels to Madrid by the arrieros, or in some other mode which throws them several months behind the rest of the world ; this head dress was exaggerated to the extent of caricature, being merely, as they wore it, a sort of dish, covering the back and middle of the head which it scarcely touched, leaving the front en tirely uncovered. The Queen and her sister were occasionally seen in this most absurd fashion, but at the Palace chapel they invariably wore the old Spanish mantilla.

There were however exceptions to this general rule, and in the provincial towns as well as the vol. n. c EDUCATION. Corte, many figures and carriages were to be seen which neither fashion nor style could disguise. These were seen chiefly in the forenoon, in those parts where shops were the object of fashionable resort, and amongst others there were two sisters, Sevillanas, of the highest rank, one a Duchess, who always appeared in the ancient style, having the good taste to preserve what became them, above all others, and to have resisted the torrent of foreign fashion, which is denationalizing every thing around them. I inquired about the system of education, and found that owing to the want of funds most of the universities were not yet provided with professors in many departments which were very necessary, but would in due course of time be supplied.

Every thing is otherwise done to promote the education of the people, and I was glad to see in all parts of the town, boards, announcing gratuitous schools for the children of both sexes. The ladies are great promoters of a better system for the infant females, and there are societies for this purpose under the care of some of those of the highest rank. There is a board for the superintendence of the books to be issued for the use of schools, at the head of which is my friend the celebrated Don Nicasio Gallego, a canon of Seville, who resides in Madrid for the purpose of directing the operations. Don Nicasio is the well known author ofthe famous poem on the insurrection of May 1808, which even UNIVERSITY OF ALCALA. 19 at this day is constantly quoted, and has been re printed in very many forms, being one of the most simple and beautiful effusions existing in any language.