James Howell, Who Was Of Their Train, Gives
Even More Space To It In His Instructions For Forreine Travell.
Notwithstanding, And Though Spain Was, After 1605, Fairly Safe For
Englishmen, As A Pleasure Ground It Was Not Popular.
It was a
particularly uncomfortable and expensive country; hardly improved from
the time - (1537) - when Clenardus, weary with traversing
Deserts on his
way to the University of Salamanca, after a sparse meal of rabbit, sans
wine, sans water, composed himself to sleep on the floor of a little
hut, with nothing to pillow his head on except his three negro grooms,
and exclaimed, "O misera Lusitania, beati qui non viderunt."[276] All
civilization was confined to the few large cities, to reach which one
was obliged to traverse tedious, hot, barren, and unprofitable wastes,
in imminent danger of robbers, and in certainty of the customs officers,
who taxed people for everything, even the clothes they had on. None
escaped. Henry the Eighth's Ambassador complained loudly and frantically
of the outrage to a person in his office.[277] So did Elizabeth's
Ambassador. But the officers said grimly "that if Christ or Sanct
Fraunces came with all their flock they should not escape."[278] If the
preliminary discomforts from customs-officers put travellers into an ill
mood at once against Spain, the inns confirmed them in it. "In some
places there is but the cask of a House, with a little napery, but
sometimes no beds at all for Passengers in the Ventas - or Lodgings on
the King's highway, where if passengers meet, they must carry their
Knapsacks well provided of what is necessary: otherwise they may go to
bed supperless."[279] The Comtesse d'Aunoy grumbles that it was
impossible to warm oneself at the kitchen-fire without being choked, for
there was no chimney. Besides the room was full of men and women,
"blacker than Devils and clad like Beggars ... always some of 'em
impudently grating on a sorry Guitar."[280] Even the large cities were
not diverting, for though they were handsome enough and could show
"certain massie and solid Braveries," yet they had few of the
attractions of urban life. The streets were so ill-paved that the horses
splashed water into one's carriage at every step.[281] A friend warned
Tobie Matthew that "In the Cities you shall find so little of the
Italian delicacie for the manner of their buildings, the cleannesse and
sweetnesse of their streets, their way of living, their entertainments
for recreations by Villas, Gardens, Walks, Fountains, Academies, Arts of
Painting, Architecture and the like, that you would rather suspect that
they did but live together for fear of wolves."[282]
How little the solemnity of the Spanish nobles pleased English courtiers
used to the boisterous ways of James I. and his "Steenie," may be
gathered from The Perambulation of Spain.[283] "You must know," says
the first character in that dialogue, "that there is a great deal of
gravity and state in the Catholic Court, but little noise, and few
people; so that it may be call'd a Monastery, rather than a Royal
Court." The economy in such a place was a great source of grievance.
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