He Was The Proprietor Of A Small Printing Press, Where
The Official Bulletin Of The Place Was Published.
For this
bulletin I prepared an advertisement of the work, in which, amongst
other things, I said that the
New Testament was the only guide to
salvation; I also spoke of the Bible Society, and the great
pecuniary sacrifices which it was 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 was
not aware that I could take any more calculated to arouse the
attention of the people - a considerable point. I also ordered
numbers of the same advertisement to be struck off in the shape of
bills, which I caused to be stuck up in various parts of the town.
I had great hope that by means of these a considerable number of
New Testaments would be sold. I intended to repeat this experiment
in Valladolid, Leon, St. Jago, and all the principal towns which I
visited, and to distribute them likewise as I rode along: the
children of Spain would 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 were then aware, notwithstanding their so frequently-
repeated boasts of their Catholicity and Christianity.
CHAPTER XXI
Departure from Salamanca - Reception at Pitiegua - The Dilemma -
Sudden Inspiration - The Good Presbyter - Combat of Quadrupeds - Irish
Christians - Plains of Spain - The Catalans - The Fatal Pool -
Valladolid - Circulation of the Scriptures - Philippine Missions -
English College - A Conversation - The Gaoleress.
On Saturday, the tenth of June, I left Salamanca for Valladolid.
As the village where we intended to rest was only five leagues
distant, we did not sally forth till midday was past. There was a
haze in the heavens which overcast the sun, nearly hiding his
countenance from our view. My friend, Mr. Patrick Cantwell, of the
Irish College, was kind enough to ride with me part of the way. He
was mounted on a most sorry-looking hired mule, which, I expected
would be unable to keep pace with the spirited horses of myself and
man, for he seemed to be twin brother of the mule of Gil Perez, on
which his nephew made his celebrated journey from Oviedo to
Penaflor. I was, however, very much mistaken. The creature on
being mounted instantly set off at that rapid walk which I have so
often admired in Spanish mules, and which no horse can emulate.
Our more stately animals were speedily left in the rear, and we
were continually obliged to break into a trot to follow the
singular quadruped, who, ever and anon, would lift his head high in
the air, curl up his lip, and show his yellow teeth, as if he were
laughing at us, as perhaps he was. It chanced that none of us was
well acquainted with the road; indeed, I could see nothing which
was fairly entitled to that appellation.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 152 of 424
Words from 80028 to 80532
of 222596
