I found him, as I had been informed,
a bitter enemy to the Bible Society, of which he spoke in terms of
hatred and contempt, and by no means a friend to the Christian
religion, which I could easily account for. I was not discouraged,
however, and pressed upon him the matter which brought me thither,
and was eventually so far successful, as to obtain a promise, that
at the expiration of a few months, when he hoped the country would
be in a more tranquil state, I should be allowed to print the
Scriptures.
As I was going away he said, "Yours is not the first application I
have had; ever since I have held the reins of government I have
been pestered in this manner, by English calling themselves
Evangelical Christians, who have of late come flocking over into
Spain. Only last week a hunchbacked fellow found his way into my
cabinet whilst I was engaged in important business, and told me
that Christ was coming. . . . And now you have made your
appearance, and almost persuaded me to embroil myself yet more with
the priesthood, as if they did not abhor me enough already. What a
strange infatuation is this which drives you over lands and waters
with Bibles in your hands. My good sir, it is not Bibles we want,
but rather guns and gunpowder, to put the rebels down with, and
above all, money, that we may pay the troops; whenever you come
with these three things you shall have a hearty welcome, if not, we
really can dispense with your visits, however great the honour."
Myself. - There will be no end to the troubles of this afflicted
country until the gospel have free circulation.
Mendizabal. - I expected that answer, for I have not lived thirteen
years in England without forming some acquaintance with the
phraseology of you good folks. Now, now, pray go; you see how
engaged I am. Come again whenever you please, but let it not be
within the next three months.
"Don Jorge," said my hostess, coming into my apartment one morning,
whilst I sat at breakfast with my feet upon the brasero, "here is
my son Baltasarito, the national; he has risen from his bed, and
hearing that there is an Englishman in the house, he has begged me
to introduce him, for he loves Englishmen on account of the
liberality of their opinions; there he is, what do you think of
him?"
I did not state to his mother what I thought; it appeared to me,
however, that she was quite right calling him Baltasarito, which is
the diminutive of Baltasar, forasmuch as that ancient and sonorous
name had certainly never been bestowed on a more diminutive
personage: he might measure about five feet one inch, though he
was rather corpulent for his height; his face looked yellow and
sickly, he had, however, a kind of fanfaronading air, and his eyes,
which were of dark brown, were both sharp and brilliant.
