Taking These
Circumstances Into Consideration, I Deemed It My Duty As A
Christian And A Gentleman, To Rescue My Unfortunate Servant From
Such Lawless Hands, And In Consequence, Defying Opposition, I Bore
Him Off, Though Entirely Unarmed, Through A Crowd Of At Least One
Hundred Peasants.
On leaving the place I shouted, "Viva Isabel
Segunda."
As it is my belief that the cura of Villallos is a person capable
of any infamy, I beg leave humbly to intreat your Lordship to cause
a copy of the above narration to be forwarded to the Spanish
government. - I have the honour to remain, My Lord, Your Lordship's
most obedient,
GEORGE BORROW.
To the Right Honourable
LORD WILLIAM HERVEY.
After the rescue of Lopez we proceeded in the work of distribution.
Suddenly, however, the symptoms of an approaching illness came over
me, which compelled us to return in all haste to Madrid. Arrived
there, I was attacked by a fever which confined me to my bed for
several weeks; occasional fits of delirium came over me, during one
of which, I imagined myself in the market-place of Martin Munos,
engaged in deadly struggle with the chieftain Balmaseda.
The fever had scarcely departed, when a profound melancholy took
possession of me, which entirely disqualified me for active
exertion. Change of scene and air was recommended; I therefore
returned to England.
CHAPTER XLV
Return to Spain - Seville - A Hoary Persecutor - Manchegan Prophetess-
-Antonio's Dream.
On the 31st of December, 1838, I again visited Spain for the third
time. After staying a day or two at Cadiz I repaired to Seville,
from which place I proposed starting for Madrid with the mail post.
Here I tarried about a fortnight, enjoying the delicious climate of
this terrestrial Paradise, and the balmy breezes of the Andalusian
winter, even as I had done two years previously. Before leaving
Seville, I visited the bookseller, my correspondent, who informed
me that seventy-six copies of the hundred Testaments entrusted to
his care had been placed in embargo by the government last summer,
and that they were at the present time in the possession of the
ecclesiastical governor, whereupon I determined to visit this
functionary also, with the view of making inquiries concerning the
property.
He lived in a large house in the Pajaria, or straw-market. He was
a very old man, between seventy and eighty, and, like the
generality of those who wear the sacerdotal habit in this city, was
a fierce persecuting Papist. I imagine that he scarcely believed
his ears when his two grand-nephews, beautiful black-haired boys
who were playing in the courtyard, ran to inform him that an
Englishman was waiting to speak with him, as it is probable that I
was the first heretic who ever ventured into his habitation. I
found him in a vaulted room, seated on a lofty chair, with two
sinister-looking secretaries, also in sacerdotal habits, employed
in writing at a table before him. He brought powerfully to my mind
the grim old inquisitor who persuaded Philip the Second to slay his
own son as an enemy to the church.
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