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g　made　the　cause　of　　the　Bible　Society　a　national　one；　or　indeed　to　favour　it　directly　　or　indirectly。　　What　renders　the　case　of　Mr。　Villiers　more　　remarkable　is　that　on　my　first　arrival　at　Madrid　I　found　him　by　no　　means　well　disposed　towards　the　Society。　　The　Holy　Spirit　has　　probably　illumined　his　mind　on　this　point。　　Honour　be　to　him：　　I　　hope　that　by　his　means　our　institution　will　shortly　possess　many　　agents　in　Spain　with　far　more　power　and　opportunity　than　I　myself　　can　ever　expect　to　possess；　who　will　scatter　abroad　the　seed　of　the　　Gospel；　and　make　of　a　barren　and　thirsty　wilderness　a　green　and　　smiling　corn…field。

The　next　day　verified　the　prediction　of　the　barber。　　I　had　to　a　　considerable　degree　lost　my　cough　and　fever；　though；　owing　to　the　　great　loss　of　blood；　I　was　very　feeble　and　weak。　　Precisely　at　　twelve　o'clock　myself　and　man　rode　forth　from　the　gate　of　Saint　　Vincent；　directing　our　course　to　the　lofty　mountains　which　separate　　Old　from　New　Castile。　　That　night　we　rested　at　Guadarama；　a　large　　village　at　their　foot；　distant　from　Madrid　about　twenty…five　miles。　　　The　journey　to　Salamanca　occupied　four　days；　and　I　disposed　of　five　　Testaments　by　the　way。

Since　my　arrival　at　Salamanca　I　have　been　taking　measures　that　the　　Word　of　God　may　become　generally　known　in　this　place；　so　celebrated　　in　many　respects。　　The　principal　bookseller　of　the　town；　Blanco；　a　　man　of　great　wealth　and　respectability；　has　consented　to　become　our　　agent　here；　and　I　have　deposited　in　his　shop　a　certain　number　of　　New　Testaments。　　He　is　the　proprietor　of　a　small　printing　press；　　where　the　official　bulletin　of　the　place　is　published。　　For　this　　bulletin　I　have　prepared　an　advertisement　of　the　work；　in　which　　amongst　other　things　I　have　said　that　the　New　Testament　is　the　only　　guide　to　salvation。　　I　have　also　spoken　of　the　Bible　Society；　and　　the　great　pecuniary　sacrifices　which　it　is　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　am　　not　aware　that　I　can　take　any　more　calculated　to　arouse　the　　attention　of　the　people　…　a　considerable　point。　　I　have　also　　ordered　numbers　of　the　same　advertisement　to　be　struck　off　in　the　　shape　of　bills　which　I　am　causing　to　be　stuck　up　in　various　parts　　of　the　town。　　I　have　great　hope　that　by　means　of　these　a　　considerable　number　of　New　Testaments　will　be　sold。　　I　shall　repeat　　this　experiment　in　Valladolid；　Leon；　St。　Jago；　and　all　the　　principal　towns　which　it　is　my　intention　to　visit　in　my　wanderings；　　and　I　shall　likewise　distribute　them　as　I　ride　along。　　The　children　　of　Spain　will　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　　are　at　present　aware；　notwithstanding　their　so　frequently　repeated　　boasts　of　their　Catholicity　and　Christianity。

I　carry　with　me　the　Gospel　of　St。　Luke　in　the　Cantabrian　or　Basque　　language。　　It　is　my　intention　to　print　this　little　book；　either　at　　San　Sebastian　or　Pamplona；　as　it　would　be　unwise　not　to　avail　　myself　of　so　favourable　an　opportunity　of　circulating　it　as　my　　visit　to　the　provinces　where　the　language　is　spoken　will　afford　me。　　　I　have　examined　it　with　much　attention；　and　find　it　a　very　faithful　　version。　　The　only　objection　which　can　be　brought　against　it　is　　that　Spanish　words　are　frequently　used　to　express　ideas　for　which　　there　are　equivalents　in　Basque；　but　this　language；　as　spoken　at　　present　in　Spain；　is　very　corrupt；　and　a　work　written　entirely　in　　the　Basque　of　Larramendi's　Dictionary　would　be　intelligible　to　very　　few。　　I　have　read　passages　from　it　to　the　men　of　Guipuscoa；　who　　assured　me　that　they　had　no　difficulty　in　understanding　it；　and　　that　it　was　written　in　the　colloquial　style　of　their　province。

G。　B。



LETTER：　5th　July；　1837



To　the　Rev。　A。　Brandram　（ENDORSED：　recd。　July　25；　1837）　ASTORGA；　5TH　JULY；　1837。

REVD。　AND　DEAR　SIR；　…　I　avail　myself　of　the　present　opportunity　of　　giving　an　account　of　what　has　befallen　me　since　I　last　wrote　to　you　　from　Salamanca；　which　I　shortly　after　quitted。　　By　that　time　my　　advertisements　had　been　affixed　in　all　parts　of　the　city；　and　　several　New　Testaments　had　been　sold；　I　myself　had　the　pleasure　of　　seeing　three　despatched　in　less　than　a　quarter　of　an　hour　that　I　　remained　in　the　shop。　　From　Salamanca　I　proceeded　to　Valladolid；　　distant　about　twenty…five　leagues；　where　I　employed　the　same　means　　which　I　had　adopted　at　Salamanca　for　the　promulgation　of　God's　　Word。　　I　must　here　observe　that　Valladolid　is　a　place　where　　literature　of　every　description　is　at　the　lowest　ebb；　and　　bookselling　there　is　merely　carried　on　in　connexion　with　other　　business；　it　being　in　itself　quite　insufficient　to　afford　a　　livelihood　to　those　who　pursue　it。　　Nevertheless　during　the　five　　days　that　I　continued　there　my　labours　were　so　far　favoured　that　　twenty　copies　were　disposed　of；　and　a　fair　prospect　opened　that　　many　more　would　be　demanded。　　Before　leaving　I　gave　orders　that　the　　advertisements　should　be　renewed　every　week；　as　evil…disposed；　　persons　probably　of　the　Carlist　or　Papist　party；　had　defaced　or　　torn　down　a　great　number　of　those　which　had　been　put　up。　　From　　pursuing　this　course　I　expect　that　much　and　manifold　good　will　　accrue；　as　the　people　of　these　parts　will　have　continual　　opportunities　of　acquainting　themselves　that　a　book　which　contains　　the　LIVING　WORD　is　in　existence　and　within　their　reach；　which　may　　induce　them　to　secure　it　and　consult　it　even　unto　salvation。

Quitting　Valladolid；　I　directed　my　route　to　Leon　by　the　Palencia　　road；　the　greatest　part　of　the　way　was　barren　and　uninteresting　to　　a　high　degree；　consisting　of　wide　dusty　plains　scantily　sown　with　　barley；　but　unrelieved　with　trees　or　waters。　　The　people　are　　ignorant　and　brutal；　though　they　boast　themselves　to　be　Old　　Castilians；　which　is　however　not　the　fact；　as　these　desolate　and　　benighted　regions　belong　to　what　was　once　the　kingdom　of　Leon。　　　Their　inhospitality　is　so　great　that　I　have　been　refused　a　glass　of　　water　in　their　villages；　though　I　asked　it　in　the　name　of　God；　　though　I　have　subsequently　obtained　it　by　paying　for　it；　for　their　　hearts　can　always　be　opened　by　the　key　of　interest；　though　　inaccessible　to　every　noble　and　generous　sentiment。　　I　suffered　　dreadfully　during　this　journey；　as　did　likewise　my　man　and　horses；　　for　the　heat　was　the　fiercest　which　I　have　ever　known；　and　　resembled　the　breath　of　the　simoom　or　the　air　from　an　oven's　mouth。　　　Leon　is　beautifully　situated　in　a　smiling　blooming　country　　abounding　in　grass　and　trees；　and　watered　by　many　streams　which　　have　their　source　in　a　mighty　chain　of　mountains　in　the　　neighbourhood；　which　traverse　a　great　part　of　Spain　and　are　　connected　with　the　Pyrenees；　but　unfortunately　it　is　exceedingly　　unhealthy；　for　the　heats　of　the　summer…time　raise　noxious　　exhalations　from　the　waters；　which　generate　all　kinds　of　disorders；　　especially　fevers　and　tertian　agues。　　It　is　the　Feversham　of　Spain。

NOMEN　CUI　INFAUSTA　FATA　DEDERE　FEBRIS　＇sic＇。

I　had　scarcely　been　at　Leon　three　days　when　I　was　seized　with　a　　fever；　against　which　I　thought　the　strength　even　of　my　constitution　　would　have　yielded；　for　it　wore　me　almost　to　a　skeleton；　and　when　　it　departed；　at　the　end　of　about　a　week；　left　me　in　such　a　　deplorable　state　of　weakness　that　I　was　scarcely　able　to　make　the　　slightest　exertion。　　I　had　however　previously　persuaded　a　　bookseller　to　undertake　the　charge　of　vending　the　Testaments；　and　　had　published　my　advertisements　as　usual；　though　without　very　　fervent　hope　of　success；　as　Leon　is　a　place　where　the　inhabitants；　　with　very　few　exceptions；　are　furious　Carlists　and　ignorant　and　　blinded　followers　of　the　old　Papal　Church。　　It　is；　moreover；　a　　Bishop's　see；　which　was　once　enjoyed　by　the　prime　councillor　of　Don　　Carlos；　whose　fierce　and　bigoted　spirit　still　seems　to　pervade　the　　place。　　Scarcely　had　the　advertisements　appeared　when　the　clergy　　were　in　motion；　they　went　from　house　to　house；　banning　and　cursing　　and　denouncing　misery　on　whomsoever　should　either　purchase　or　read　　'the　accursed　books'　which　had　been　sent　into　the　country　by　　heretics　for　the　purpose　of　perverting　the　innocent　minds　of　the　　population。　　They　did　more：　　they　commenced　a　process　against　the　　bookseller　in　the　ecclesiastical　court。　　Fortunately　this　court　is　　not　at　present　in　the　possession　of　much　authority；　and　the　　bookseller；　who　is　a　bold　and　determined　man；　set　them　at　defiance；　　and　went　so　far　as　to　affix　an　advertisement　to　the　gate　of　the　　very　cathedral。　　Notwithstanding　the　cry　raised　against　the　work　　several　copies　were　sold　at　Leon；　two　were　purchased　by　ex…friars；　　and　the　same　number　by　parochial　priests　from　neighbouring　　villages。　　I　believe　the　whole　number　disposed　of　during　my　stay　　amounted　to　fifteen；　so　that　my　visit　to　this　dark　corner　has　not　　been　altogether　in　vain；　as　the　seed　of　the　Gospel　has　been　sown；　　though　sparingly。　　But　the　palpableness　of　the　darkness　which　　envelops　Leon　is　truly　lamentable；　and　the　ignorance　of　the　people　　is　so　great　that　printed　charms　and　incantations　against　Satan　and　　his　host　and　against　every　kind　of　misfortune　are　publicly　sold　in　　the　shops　and　are　in　great　demand；　such　are　the　results　of　Popery；　　a　delusion　which　more　than　any　other　has　tended　to　debase　and　　brutalise　the　human　mind。

I　had　scarcely　risen　from　the　bed　where　the　fever　had　cast　me；　when　　I　found　that　my　servant　had　become　alarmed；　he　informed　me　that　he　　had　seen　several　soldiers　in　the　uniform　of　Don　Carlos　knocking　at　　the　door　of　the　POSADA；　and　that　they　had　been　making　enquiries　　concerning　me。　　It　was　indeed　a　singular　fact　connected　with　Leon　　that　upwards　of　fifty　of　these　fellows；　who　had　on　various　accounts　　left　the　ranks　of　the　pretender；　were　walking　about　the　streets　　dressed　in　his　livery；　and　with　all　the　confidence　which　the　　certainty　of　the　protection　of　the　local　authorities　could　afford　　them；　should　any　one　be　disposed　to　interrupt　them。　　He　moreover　　informed　me　that　the　person　in　whose　house　we　were　living　was　a　　notorious　ALCAHUETE；　or　spy　to　the　robbers　in　the　neighbourhood；　　and　that　unless　we　took　our　departure　speedily　and　unexpectedly；　we　　should　to　a　certaint