letters-第66部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ready　for　distribution　a　certain　quantity　of　Testaments；　the　　wishes　of　weak　human　beings　being　influenced　by　such　strange　causes　　that　it　is　probable　that　were　it　known　at　Madrid；　or　in　other　　places；　that　there　was　a　dearth　of　Testaments；　the　demand　for　the　　same　would　instantly　become　greater　than　for　the　entire　Bible。

A　few　days　since　I　received　a　communication　from　my　correspondent　　at　Saint　James　at　Galicia；　old　Rey　Romero；　whom　I　have　mentioned　on　　a　former　occasion　when　residing　there。　　The　good　old　man　has　sent　　me　in　his　account；　by　which　it　appears　that　115　copies　of　the　New　　Testament　were　sold　at　Saint　James　between　the　months　of　August　　1837　and　May　1838；　at　which　time　the　further　sale　of　the　work　was　　forbidden；　and　35　copies；　which　remained　unsold；　placed　in　embargo。　　　The　balance　of　the　account　in　our　favour　is　950　REALS　after　　deducting　all　expenses。　　I　shall　preserve　this　letter　with　care；　as　　I　attach　some　importance　to　it。　　Who　has　not　heard　of　Saint　James　　of　Compostella；　the　temple　of　the　great　image　of　the　patron　of　　Spain；　and　the　most　favourite　resort　in　the　world　of　benighted　　Popish　pilgrims？　　Nevertheless　115　copies　of　the　pure　unadulterated　　Word　of　God　were　purchased　there　in　a　few　months　at　the　high　price　　of　ten　REALS　each。　　I　humbly　beg　leave　to　refer　you　to　my　account　　of　that　remarkable　place；　and　to　hope　that　in　the　statement　of　　proceedings　in　Spain　it　will　not　be　forgotten。　　64　copies；　it　　appears；　were　also　sold　in　the　small　town　of　Lugo；　also　in　Galicia；　　and　56　at　Leon；　the　capital　of　the　ancient　kingdom　of　the　same　　name；　and　which　perhaps　may　be　considered　as　the　least　enlightened　　and　most　fanatic　place　in　all　Spain。

By　advice　from　Madrid　from　Mrs。　Maria　Diaz；　whom　I　charged　with　the　　care　of　the　property　of　the　Bible　Society　in　that　place；　it　appears　　that　there　remain　unsold：…


Of　Testaments；　962　Of　Gospels　in　the　Gypsy　tongue；　286　Of　ditto　in　Basque；　394


The　quantity　of　Testaments　would　not　have　been　so　large　had　I　not　　recovered　before　leaving　Madrid　upwards　of　two　hundred；　which　had　　been　placed　in　embargo　at　Santander　and　subsequently　removed　to　the　　capital。　　On　a　rough　account；　therefore；　I　should　say　that　about　　three　thousand　have　been　sold　during　the　last　twelve　months　in　the　　interior　of　Spain；　for　which　I　give　praise　to　God　with　the　humility　　and　gratitude　due。　　Of　those　which　remain　I　should　wish　to　be　　permitted　on　my　return　from　my　present　expedition　to　circulate　some　　in　La　Mancha；　especially　at　Manzanares　and　Valdepenas。　　The　state　　of　that　province　is　truly　horrible；　it　appears　peopled　partly　with　　spectres　and　partly　with　demons。　　There　is　famine；　and　such　famine；　　there　is　assassination；　and　such　unnatural　assassination。　　There　　you　see　soldiers　and　robbers；　ghastly　lepers　and　horrible　and　　uncouth　maimed　and　blind；　exhibiting　their　terrible　nakedness　in　　the　sun。　　I　was　prevented　last　year　in　carrying　the　Gospel　amongst　　them。　　May　I　be　more　successful　this。

I　now　beg　leave　to　conclude　my　tedious　letter　with　requesting　that　　you　will　be　kind　enough　to　send　the　enclosed　communication　to　my　　friend　in　Russia。　　I　hope　you　will　pardon　the　trouble　I　am　giving　　you；　but　I　have　no　other　resource；　as　there　is　no　direct　mode　of　　communication　between　Russia　and　Spain。　　Present　my　kind　　remembrances　to　dear　Mr。　Jowett　and　other　friends；　and　believe　me　　to　remain；　Revd。　and　dear　Sir；

Ever　truly　yours；

G。　B。



LETTER：　4th　September；　1839



To　the　Rev。　A。　Brandram　（ENDORSED：　recd。　Oct。　7；　1839）　TANGIERS；　SEPTEMBER　4；　1839。

REVD。　AND　DEAR　SIR；　…　I　have　now　been　nearly　one　month　in　this　　place；　and　should　certainly　have　written　to　you　before　had　I　　possessed　any　secure　means　of　despatching　a　letter；　but　there　is　no　　mail　from　Tangiers　to　any　part　of　the　world；　so　that　when　writing　　one　is　obliged　to　have　recourse　to　the　disagreeable　necessity　of　　confiding　letters　to　individuals　who　chance　to　be　going　to　　Gibraltar　to　be　put　into　the　post　there；　who　not　unfrequently　lose　　or　forget　them。　　One　which　I　wrote　for　Spain　has　already　　miscarried；　which　circumstance　makes　me　cautious。　　I　will　now　　relate　the　leading　events　which　have　occurred　to　me　since　my　　departure　from　Seville；　observing　however　that　I　have　kept　a　　regular　journal；　which　on　the　first　opportunity　I　shall　transmit　　for　the　satisfaction　of　my　friends　at　home。　　You　are　already　aware　　that　I　had　determined　to　carry　the　Scripture　in　Spanish　to　the　　Christian　families　established　on　the　sea…coast　of　Barbary；　and　　more　especially　Tangiers；　the　Spanish　language　being　in　general　use　　among　them；　whether　Spaniards　by　birth　or　Genoese；　French　or　　English。　　To　enable　me　to　do　this；　having　no　copies　of　the　sacred　　volume　at　Seville；　I　determined　to　avail　myself　of　a　certain　number　　of　Testaments　in　embargo　at　the　custom…house　of　San　Lucar　a　town　at　　the　mouth　of　the　Guadalquivir；　forming　part　of　the　stock　seized　by　　order　of　the　Government　and　which　I　had　been　officially　requested　　to　remove　from　Spain。　　I　started　from　Seville　on　the　night　of　the　　31st　of　July　in　one　of　the　steamers　which　ply　upon　the　　Guadalquivir；　arriving　at　San　Lucar　early　in　the　morning。　　I　shall　　now　make　an　extract　from　my　journal；　relative　to　the　Testaments。

'It　will　be　as　well　here　to　curtail　what　relates　to　these　books；　　otherwise　the　narrative　might　be　considerably　embarrassed。　　They　　consisted　of　a　chest　of　Testaments　in　Spanish；　and　a　small　box　of　　Saint　Luke's　Gospel　in　the　Gitano　or　language　of　the　Spanish　　Gypsies。　　I　obtained　them　from　the　custom…house　of　San　Lucar　with　a　　pass　for　that　of　Cadiz。　　At　Cadiz　I　was　occupied　two　days；　and　also　　a　person　whom　I　employed；　in　going　through　all　the　required　　formalities　and　in　procuring　the　necessary　papers。　　The　expense　was　　great；　as　money　was　demanded　at　every　step　I　took；　though　I　was　　simply　complying　with　the　orders　of　the　Spanish　Government　in　　removing　prohibited　books　from　Spain。　　The　farce　did　not　end　till　　after　my　arrival　at　Gibraltar；　where　I　paid　the　Spanish　consul　a　　dollar　for　certifying　on　the　back　of　the　pass　that　the　books　had　　arrived；　which　pass　I　was　obliged　to　send　back　to　Cadiz。　　It　is　　true　that　he　never　saw　the　books　nor　enquired　about　them；　but　he　　received　the　money；　for　which　alone　he　seemed　to　be　anxious。

'Whilst　at　the　custom…house　of　San　Lucar；　I　was　asked　one　or　two　　questions　respecting　the　books　contained　in　the　chests；　this　　afforded　me　some　opportunity　of　speaking　of　the　New　Testament　and　　the　Bible　Society。　　What　I　said　excited　attention；　and　presently　　all　the　officers　and　dependents　of　the　house；　great　and　small；　were　　gathered　around　me；　from　the　governor　to　the　porter。　　As　it　was　　necessary　to　open　the　boxes　to　inspect　their　contents；　we　all　　proceeded　to　the　courtyard　where；　holding　a　Testament　in　my　hand；　I　　recommenced　my　discourse。　　I　scarcely　know　what　I　said；　for　I　was　　much　agitated　and　hurried　away　by　my　feelings；　when　I　bethought　me　　of　the　manner　in　which　the　Word　of　God　was　persecuted　in　the　　unhappy　kingdom　of　Spain。　　My　words　however　evidently　made　　impression；　and　to　my　astonishment　every　person　present　pressed　me　　for　a　copy。　　I　sold　several　within　the　walls　of　the　custom…house。　　　The　object；　however；　of　most　attention　was　the　Gypsy　Gospel；　which　　was　minutely　examined　amidst　smiles　and　exclamations　of　surprise；　　some　individual　every　now　and　then　crying　'COSAS　DE　LOS　INGLESES。'　　　A　bystander　asked　me　whether　I　could　speak　the　Gitano　language。　　I　　replied　that　I　could　not　only　speak　it　but　write　it；　and　instantly　　made　a　speech　of　about　five　minutes　in　the　Gypsy　tongue；　which　I　　had　no　sooner　concluded　than　all　clapped　their　hands；　and　　simultaneously　shouted；　'COSAS　DE　LOS　INGLESES！　　COSAS　DE　LOS　　INGLESES！'　　I　disposed　of　several　Gypsy　Gospels　likewise；　and　　having　now　settled　the　business　which　brought　me　to　the　custom…　house；　I　saluted　my　new　friends　and　departed　with　my　books。

'I　strolled　from　the　inn　to　view　the　town。　　It　was　past　noon；　and　　the　heat　was　exceedingly　fierce　。　。　。　I　became　tired　of　gazing；　and　　was　retracing　my　steps；　when　I　was　accosted　by　two　Gypsies；　men　who　　by　some　means　had　heard　of　my　arrival。　　We　exchanged　some　words　in　　Gitano；　but　they　appeared　to　be　very　ignorant　of　the　language；　and　　utterly　unable　to　maintain　a　conversation　in　it。　　They　were　　clamorous　for　a　GABICOTE；　or　book；　in　Gypsy。　　I　refused　it　them；　　saying　that　they　could　turn　it　to　no　profitable　account；　and　　learning　that　they　could　read；　promised　them　each　a　Testament　in　　Spanish。　　This　offer；　however；　they　refused　with　disdain；　saying　　that　they　cared　for　nothing　written　in　the　language　of　the　BUSNE　or　　Gentiles。　　They　then　persisted　in　their　demand；　to　which　I　at　last　　yielded；　being　unable　to　resist　their　importunity；　whereupon　they　　accompanied　me　to　the　inn；　and　received　what　they　so　ardently　　desired。'

I　arrived　at　Cadiz　on　the　second　day　of　August；　when　I　waited　upon　　Mr。　Brackenbury；　the　British　consul…general。　　His　house；　which　is　　the　corner　one　at　the　entrance　of　the　ALAMEDA　or　public　walk；　　enjoys　a　noble　prospect　of　the　bay；　and　is　very　large　and　　magnificent。　　I　had　of　course　long　been　acquainted　with　Mr。　B。　by　　reputation。　　I　knew　that　for　many　years　he　bad　filled　with　　advantage　to　his　native　country　and　with　honour　to　himself　the　　distinguished　and　highly　responsible　situation　which　he　holds　in　　Spain。　　I　knew　likewise　that　he　was　a　good　and　pious　Christian；　and　　moreover　the　firm　and　enlightened　friend　of　the　Bible　Society。　　Of　　all　this　I　was　aware；　but　I　had　never　enjoyed　the　advantage　of　　being　personally　acquainted　with　him。　　I　saw　him　now　indeed　for　the　　first　time。　　I　was　much　struck　with　his　appearance；　there　is　much　　dignity　in　his　countenance；　which　is；　however；　softened　by　an　　expression　of　good　humour　truly　captivating　and　engaging。　　His　　manner　is　frank　and　affable　in　the　extreme。　　I　am　not　going　to　　enter　into　minute　details　of　our　interview；　which　was　a　very　　interesting　one　to　myself。　　He　knew　already　the　leading　parts　of　my　　history　since　my　arrival　in　Spain；　and　made　several　comments　　thereon　which　displayed　his　intimate　knowledge　of　the　situation　of　　Spain；　as　regards　ecclesiastical　matters；　and　the　state　of　opinion　　respecting　religious　innovation。　　I　was　flattered　to　find　that　his