L I E> RAR.Y OF THE U N IVLR5 ITY or ILLINOIS Eoas Return this book on or before the Latest Date stamped below. University of Illinois Library VO ^/1 12m A LI6I— H41 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER After adjusting his knapsack, and grasping his stick, at the early hour of four in the morning, he unbarred the gate of the strong-built tower, descended the staircase of massy steps, &c. Vol. I. p. 36. ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. IN FOUR VOI.UMKS. WJTH FOUTY-FOUR ENGRAVINGS. LONDON : I'KINTED FOR LONGMAN^ RKE8, ORME, RROWN, AND GREEN, PATERNOSTER-ROW. 182(). ^ \^ .J CONTENTS VOLUME I. Page AP. I. James, the Eccentric Traveller, sets out from the Castle of Carvanty, for the Reformation of Man- kind, and plans out a Tour in Spain for that Purpose, 36 « 's Opinion respecting Cripples, 39 moralizes upon the Vicissitudes of Life, 44 is blown away by the Wind, 4G 11. 's Introduction to Don Riazo, who, from hi> great Riches, assumed the Title of the Prince of Asturias, 51 The History of Don Riazp, or the Barber of Carmo- na, 54 IIL James's Opinion of dining at an Inn, 96 takes Shipping for Port St Mary, and conducts the Packet safelyinto the Harbour, 103 rescues Don Blazoni from the Hands of High- waymen, Ill 8032^4 viii CONTENTS. Page Chap. IV. James arrives at Cadiz, and introduces himself to Don Magi, , 122 — — discovers that the Reformation of a Chemist was a Thing impossible, 133 Don Magi makes over all his Wealth to James, for the high Opinion he had of him for em- barking in his useful Undertaking, 151 V. James's Introduction to Don Vida, a Manufac- turer of Vinegar, 164 Description of the strange Characters with whom Don Magi associated, 1 71 VI. James visits Don Vertu at the Castle of Gerona,..18' VII. is reduced to Poverty, and works as a Journey- man Cooper, , 20J The History of Don Humpho Sal vert, 21( ^ VIII. Description of the City of Seville, 236l James is imprisoned in the Castle of the Inquisi- tion, 237 and Corilla exhibit a Public Musical Con- cert, 248 dines with Don Palusco, and gives his Opi- nion of Dinner Parties, 254 — — — compares his own Condition with that of the Rich, whom he considered as Strangers to real Happiness, 264 CONTENTS. ix Page Chap, VIII. James's Religious Tenets in direct Opposition to those of the Church of Rome, 270 IX. attends the Church of Agnus Christi, 272 — — and Corilla taken by a Waggoner for Highwaymen, 270 assaulted by the Landlady of an Inn at Lebrixa, 281 Description of the City of Cadiz, 287 James and Corilla revisit Cadiz, where the former is mistaken for a Gentleman from IVIarti- nique, 28o ■' 's Introduction to Don Palydor, and the great Curiosity excited in his Family to know who James was, 298 X. Description of a Spanish Dinner, 308 Don Palydor and a Party survey the City and Shipping of Cadiz from a Turret, 309 James is taken by Don Palydor for a Prince, or Sovereign in Disguise, 319 Don Palydor and his Family change their Opi- nion of him, and suspect that he must be an Itinerant Fiddler 323 James and the Prince of Asturias. V'ol. I. p. 51. James at the Cottage of Ayamonte. Vol. I. p. 87. James piloting the Packet into Port St IMary. Vol. I. p. 105. James' Introduction to Don Magi Vol. I. p. 13G. Don Vertue's Castle, Vol. I. p. 188. i Don Vertue visits James at the Cooperage at Cadiz. Vol. I. p. 207. Humpho Salvert at Don Zeno's, followed by his Uncle. Vol. I. p. 215. James aAd Gorilla attacked by the Landlady. Vol. I. p. 283. Corilla discovers James at Don Palydor's. Vol. I. p. 320. WOOD CUTS. To front Page 1. James setting out on his Travels, Frontispiece 2. and the Prince of Asturias, 51 3. at the Cottage near Ayamonte, B7 4. piloting the Packet into Port St Mary, 105 5. 's Introduction to Don Magi, 136 6. Don Vertu's Castle, 188 7. Don Vertu visiting James at the Cooperage, 207 8. Humpho Salvert at Don Zeno's, 215 9. James and Corilla attacked by the Landlady at an Inn, . . . .283 10. Corilla discovering James at Don Palydor's, 320 M THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER CHAPTER I. In a fertile and luxuriant valley, sheltered by surrounding foliage, and close by a meand- ring stream that joins a branch of the river Alenjo, stood an ancient castle, the former residence of Silvanus Paterno, a native of Britain, who, in the memorable year 1666, had embarked for Portugal, and settled in Lisbon. There, by his eminent talents and unwearied diligence, he soon raised himself from obscurity and indigence to the posses- sion of rank and of great riches. VOL. I. A 2 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. Retiring from business at the age of fifty, he purchased the extensive domain of Car- vanty, which lay contiguous to the city of Faro, the capital of the province of Algarve, in the kingdom of Portugal. As the mansion upon his property was old and ruinous, he de- molished it, and reared such a stately edifice, as might correspond with the extent of his possessions, and the magnificence of his esta- blishment. At his death, he was succeeded by his bro- ther, who left the estate of Carvanty to his descendants ; some of whom, as it sometimes happens, were less careful of their property than the original possessors. In tracing the genealogy of this ancient fa- mily down to the present century, we find that its descendants still occupied the castle of Carvanty, and about 800 acres of fertile soil, in a province abounding with the richest vines, fruits, figs, almonds, oil, and olives. The last proprietor having died some time CASTLE OF CARVANTY. 3 ago, left his whole estate to be divided equally among his children, with the excep- tion of the castle, which devolved to his eldest son. There were two brothers — Francis, the elder ; and James, the younger, who is the hero of this narrative. There were also three sisters, whose names were Herminia, Margarita, and Fernadina. As the eldest of the brothers possessed the castle by right of inheritance, the younger branches of the family occupied only one part of it, where they lived with great frugality, associating only with a select few, and seldom going abroad. Happy in themselves, they strove alternately to serve and to please one another. The occu- pations of the ladies were those which usually engage females in the higher ranks of life, such as reading and domestic economy, — to- gether with some others not so generally pur- sued, such as painting, drawing, and em- broidery. The two elder sisters, Herminia 4 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. and Margarita, particularly excelled in the delineations of the pencil, by finishing various excellent paintings, in oil-colour, of the de- lightful scenery in the neighbourhood of their residence ; while the youngest sister, Ferna- dina, having a natural talent for embroidery, produced some exquisite pieces, of such sym- metry and elegance, as might even vie with those of the most eminent artists. The two younger brothers soon displayed very opposite dispositions, and a propensity to very different pursuits ; for, while Francis employed his time in hunting and the sports of the field, James was of a retired and studi- ous habit ; so that reading was the source of his amusement and delight, while the know- ledge of men and manners was his constant theme of study and pursuit. He knew nothing of the world, however, but from books; and, at an early period of life, he had imbibed a strong inclination for travelling and visiting foreign countries. CASTLE OF CARVANTY. 5 His chief companion was a Don Tarbet, an elderly gentleman, who resided at no great distance from the castle; and who, in his younger years, having been a captain in the Portuguese artillery, and seen much of the world, had, from his own experience and ob- servation, stored James'*s mind with a fund of useful knowledge, and thereby gained a com- plete ascendency over him. Tarbet, when talking of professions, told James that, if ever he should choose one, it should be that of arms, as the life of a sol- dier was generally attended with fame and glory. But, although he extolled the mili- tary profession, he forgot not to describe its hardships and dangers; because, although, as an old soldier, he was led to prefer it be- fore all others, he did not wish James to leave the province of Algarve, or the luxurious and fertile plains of Carvanty, as he could not enjoy life without the company of his young friend, for whom he entertained a strong at- 6 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. tachment, which many years' acquaintance had deeply confirmed. James, who was gifted with superior acute- ness in penetrating the views and designs of men, saw through all these artifices of Tar- bet ; though he could not prevail on himself to unfold to his friend and benefactor the great object which he had in view, nor disclose bis wish to travel into foreign countries. Often was Don Tarbet sent for to receive a communi- cation on this subject ; but as often did he re- turn without the knowledge of that great secret which James had for so long a period concealed from him. There was another person that James was fond of, whose name was Don Gorilla, a mu- sician, who, as he dwelt in the neighbour- hood, came in the evenings to the castle, and amused the family with his fiddle and dou- ble-bass, on each of which he performed well from his long practice. Although he lived by his profession, he made no charge for CASTLE OF CARVANTY. 7 his attendance at Carvanty twice a-week, be- ing sufficiently gratified with the complaisance of the ladies, who generally formed a select party, and added much to the happiness of the family-circle, by singing, dancing, and si- milar amusements. In order to raise a little pittance for Gorilla, they also frequently join- ed in attending any country wedding that happened in the neighbourhood, being sere- naded thither by James and himself, who played to the company, from whom a handsome sum was generally collected. A great part of this always came to the pockets of Gorilla, who indeed deserved to be well rewarded, as he was certainly a first-rate performer on the guitar, and had taught more persons the use of that instrument, than all the other mu- sicians of the province. Tarbet had instructed James in the use of arms, so that he was a perfect adept in man- aging the broad and small sword, and also in the wielding of cudgels, which he considered 8 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. would be of no small avail to him in his future travels ; for though he was aware, that a man who has acquired dexterity in the use of these weapons is very apt to get into quarrels, yet he considered this accomplishment in a very different light, as he had learned it solely for the purpose of preserving the peace, instead of disturbing . James had a natural versatility of genius that fitted him for travelling; but still he could not disclose his intention to Tarbet, whom he had fixed upon as the most proper person who should communicate it to his bro- ther and sisters. But, having finally resolved to do so, he instantly determined that no consideration whatever should thwart his purpose. Accordingly one evening, when Don Tar- bet paid him a visit at the castle, and after the young ladies had retired, James thus ad- dressed his confidential friend : — " I am fully satisfied of the great friend- I CASTLE OF CARVANTY. 9 ship I have ever experienced from you ; — the knowledge of the world, with which you have stored my mind, fills me with gratitude ; but I have something to communicate, which, am afraid, will highly displease you ; and"' — Here James was unable to proceed, and would fain have made his retreat, when Tar- bet seized him by the arm. " Hold !'' cried he ; " what means all this ? — have you not requested that I, at this late hour of the night, should attend you for the purpose of knowing what you wish to tell me ; but what that is I have yet to learn ?"" " Know then," said James, " that I have resolved to travel." " To travel !" cried Tarbet in a rage ; " you shall travel none ; the half of your na- tural life is nearly spent, and would you, at this period of it, expose yourself to all the hard- ships and dangers that accompany one who so- journs in foreign climes ? " Yes," replied James, ^' and ten thousand 10 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. times more, that I may benefit those for whom I travel." " For whom, then," said Tarbet, " do you intend to travel ?" Tarbet had no sooner asked this question, than the door opened, and his brother entered. " Whaf s all this ?" exclaimed he ; "I thought that, on coming up stairs, I heard such high words as were never before uttered in the castle of Carvanty." " Francis," replied James, " it is my fault, and nobody's else. I have long had an incli- nation to travel, and I was unfolding my in- tention of doing so to our friend, who is ex- ceedingly averse to it, as I anticipated." " And for what purpose do you intend to travel ?" asked his brother. " To see foreign countries, and for the be- nefit of mankind," said James ; " I have much to do, and I ought to have been off many years ago." " That's strange," said his brother ; " do CASTLE OF CARVANTY. 11 you know, Don Tarbet, when he first thought of such a fooUsh project ? I am rather incUned to think that you must have suggested some- thing to him upon this subject, since he is entirely guided by your advice, and by your opinion/'' " So far from having done so," replied the Captain, " I have, upon all occasions, dis- suaded him from it ; and but for me he would have been off long ago. I asked him, indeed, whither he intended to go, and what was the view he had in wishing to visit foreign countries ? He said that he intended to make the tour of Spain, and study the manners of the people in that country. Upon this, I repre- sented to him the frightful dangers to which he would be exposed, — that the country swarmed with wild beasts that would devour him, and with robbers that would assassinate him ; but the more terrific I made the picture, the more determined he was to persist in his resolution. Finding, however, that all these representa- 12 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. tions were unavailing, I at last ventured to mention that there was one important circum- stance which would prove an insurmountable obstacle to his project of travelling, — and that was, the want of money, which he had not himself, and with which, I feared, it was not in your power to furnish him for such a purpose.'** " He replied, that he wanted no money, and would contrive, like Don Quixote, to shift for himself; although he acknowledged that he himself was perhaps the first person who ever attempted to carry so mad a frolic into execution." " What can all this mean ?*" exclaimed his brother ; " are you determined to be laughed at, and to make all our family miserable by your absence ?" " That's what I cannot now prevent," re- plied James : — " What's all the wealth and grandeur of the world to me ? Am I to be guided by your contracted rules and narrow- minded views ? I have been all my life shut CASTLE OF CARVANTY. 13 up in this castle, and secluded from the world, which I have never seen, and of which I know nothing ; but I have resolved to see it soon, that I may read the living page of man, and know what the world is in reality. These books," continued he, " which I have read, shall be tried ; and I shall soon learn if they have given me a true report of men and manners." Francis and the Captain found that they could make nothing of James, and gave him up for lost, although they did not yet de- spair of being able to prevent him from under- taking his intended expedition ; and for this purpose they requested James to concur with them in keeping what had been said an invio- lable secret. But, though James most readily agreed to this proposal, and though nobody had been intrusted with the secret but themselves ; nay, even though none of the female part of the family had any apparent means of knowing it ; yet, strange to tell, the next morning in- 14 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. telligence of our hero's project was sounded abroad throughout all the parish. As the discussion had taken place in the large dining-room, with closed doors, they were all astonished that so insignificant a mat- ter should be so speedily known ; and James charged his brother and the Captain with hav- ing divulged the secret ; but they assured him positively, upon their honour, that they had not, and alleged that he himself must have mentioned his intention to some person who had reported it to the gossips in the neigh- bourhood. James denied that he had ever spoken on the subject to any except Don Tar- bet ; but it seems that one of the servants had overheard their conversation, and soon whis- pered it to all his cronies, who forthwith pub- lished it as a piece of very important intelli- gence. Our hero, however, was ignorant of this circumstance ; and having, in a manner to him inexplicable, become an object of pub- lic notoriety, he resolved to leave the castle as CASTLE OF CARVANTY. 15 soon as possible ; '' for if," thought he, " the trifling occurrence of my intention to travel be so mysterious a subject of speculation, how much more unsearchable must be the wonders of the world and the ways of men !"" Such were James's reflections on this occa- sion, whereby his anxiety for departing in- creased, as he was more and more convinced that a true insight into human nature could be obtained only from travelling, by which means he could " catch the living manners as they rise." Our hero was particularly fitted to avail himself of all the advantages that may be de- rived from visiting foreign countries, being a man of inquisitive disposition and quick parts, and having, by great application to study, improved his mind by the acquisition of gene- ral knowledge, far beyond most others at his period of life. The day was at last fixed for James' de- parture; and the melancholy tidings had 16 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. spread far and wide, through all the extensive province of Algarve. In consequence of these reports, the ladies of Tavira, a town about fifteen miles south of Faro, and about twelve miles from the castle of Carvanty, had con- vened a meeting for the purpose of present- ing James with some token of their esteem. At that meeting there were about forty present, who were all at variance with regard to what the present should be. One lady said that, as James would require something to keep him warm, a mantle of the best Spanish wool should be presented ; a second thought that a full-dress suit of rich silk, trimmed with gold, and a sword, the handle of which should be set with precious stones, were nothing beyond what his merits deserved ; a third was of opi- nion that a rich Spanish cloak of red silk, lined with white satin, trimmed with gold, and a white beaver, with a star of diamonds, and feathers, une boite de toilette, was the most chivalrous habiliment which they could pre- CASTLE OF CAEVANTY. 17 sent ; and, after some discussion, it was una- nimously agreed that this should be the token bestowed upon James by his fair admirers. As they had differed in opinion as to what it should be, — so they were now at a loss to set- tle about the manner of presenting it ; for, as they had all contributed equally to the pur- chase, they had all, of course, an equal claim to the honour of delivering it to the young hero ; — but, being too numerous to walk in procession, and the distance from Tavira to Carvanty being too far, it was at last suggest- ed that a message should be despatched to James, requesting him to be at home, and wait for the deputation the day following, at twelve o'clock. They were all, as before, of different opi- nions respecting this proposal ; and a lady, who had called the meeting, appealed to the company if she had not the best right to de- liver the present ; — another said, that she would pay the whole expense herself if she 18 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. should be chosen for that purpose ; — a third thought that the oldest would be the most pro- per person to present it, if it were not that this would be telling tales ; — and a fourth had no objection to be the bearer of the token, as she was certainly the youngest in the company, being only sixteen last Michaelmas, and de- clared that, should they confer upon her that honour, she would retain a grateful remem- brance of it all the days of her life ; nay, she would even promise to live and die an old maid, or make any other sacrifice which they desir- ed, if the commission of delivering the cloak were intrusted to her. All these offers, however, were superseded by the proposal of a lady in high life, whose carriage and livery servants waited at the door, and who was the only one present that had such an equipage. Addressing the company, she said that, were the ladies to make choice of her along with two others, she would think herself highly honoured by presenting the CASTLE OF CARVANTY. 39 cloak, which she would take along with the de- putation in her own carriage, as well as equip all her servants in the richest liveries. This proposal was unanimously agreed to, as the token would thus be presented in a style and manner worthy of the hero for whom it was intended ; whereas, had the choice of a person to deliver it been made by ballot, the lot might have fallen upon ladies who had no carriage, and who would therefore have been under the necessity of walking all the way from Tavira to Carvanty, however unfavour- able the roads and the weather might happen to be. On the day appointed, just as the clock had struck twelve, the carriage, with the deputa- tion, drove up to the castle-gate. One ser- vant alighted, and opened the carriage-door ; another took charge of the hat and cloak, with which he waited for farther orders ; while a third knocked loudly at the castle-gate. James and his brother, his sisters, and the Captain, 20 THE ECCENTRIC TTtAVELLER. who waited with anxiety for their arrival, were now all collected at a front- window, whence they saw the carriage stop, and shortly after they began to move towards the front-door. The lady, to whom the carriage belonged, walked at the head of the procession, and the young ladies followed behind her ; next came a servant in rich livery, with a highly- powdered head, who bore the cloak ; another servant carried the hat, which, by its lofty feathers, and the waving motion which they exhibited, was a truly magnificent object ; and a fourth servant closed the procession, who now waited a little, till the castle-gate should be thrown open to admit them. As it is not the custom in Spain, as in some other countries, for the master of the house to meet his company on foot, James did not therefore appear himself to receive the depu- tation. He considered it, indeed, as a mark of good breeding always to conform to estab- lished customs, however preposterous ; and CASTLE OF CARVANTY. 21 though, on the present occasion, he would wilhngly have been the first to pay his re- spects to the ladies, he forbore to do so for the reason now mentioned. By this time a prodigious crowd of persons had stationed themselves on the ramparts and battlements of the castle, to witness the pro- cession. It was impossible to prevent them from coming to see so great a sIlozv ; — as pro- cessions of every kind generally excite a pro- digious interest among all classes of people, who conceive that a sight of any thing extra- ordinary renders them much wiser than they were before. The procession having now advanced, and tlie whole array having entered the large hall or dining-room, the lady presiding stepped forward, and addressed James in the follow- ing words : — " Great and worthy Signor I we come as a deputation from the ladies of Tavira, to pre- sent you with this small token of our esteem 22 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. and regard ; may you long live to wear these badges of honour which you so justly merit ; may your journey be prosperous, and may you soon return, loaded with riches, fame, and honours." The second lady of the deputation then ad- vanced. She was very elegant and very tall, and wore a white head-dress, with plumes of yellow feathers ; her gown was of yellow silk, with a band of yellow ribbon that encircled her waist ; and she had also yellow shoes ; so that the colour of her dress very much re- sembled the plumage of a canary-bird. But though her appearance was prepossessing, and such as might have given her no small confi- dence, — yet, on attempting to address James, she could not utter a single word, but with- drew backwards, with her face towards him, as if she was either ashamed of her extraor- dinary dress, or awed with reverence for so great a man, whom she considered as equal to royalty itself. CASTLE OF CARVANTY. 23 The youngest lady of the deputation then approached, bearing the dressing-box, which was made of cypress- wood, inlaid with gold and precious stones. Her appearance was grand and elegant beyond description ; she wore a white satin gown, trimmed with sil- ver ; white satin shoes, white silk stockings, all embroidered round the ankle ; and her head- dress excelled any thing of the kind that had ever been seen before, — as there was in it a com- bination of all the colours of the rainbow ; for we could distinctly see red, blue, violet, green, white, purple, and orange, although the white predominated ; while a wreath of brilliants sur- rounded her forehead, — and her buckles were studded with shining emeralds. The profu- sion of rings on each of her hands glittered and shone forth as a thousand stars in a dark winter night ; she also wore golden hoops on her arms, that were set with topazes of vari- ous shapes and forms ; so that the jewels which she thus exhibited might have sufficed to fur- 24 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. nish a jeweller's shop. Her hair hung in loose tresses ; her cheeks had a glow of beau- tiful red ; and, upon the whole, she displayed an appearance little short of what we may suppose to be that of an angel ! She delivered the dressing-box to James with great modesty, and told him that, although she had not been so fortunate as to be chosen the head of the deputation, she was nevertheless highly gra- tified in being permitted to accompany it, and that she would ever regard it as the proudest event of her life in having had the honour to present him with this box, which contained sundry articles that might be useful to him in his foreign travels. Then, bending her head forward, and looking earnestly at James, she retired. This address being very modestly and gracefully delivered, was courteously received by the young hero, and excited the applause of the whole audience. The rich presents being now delivered into James' hands, he 8 I CASTLE OF CARVANTY. 25 bowed to the ladies, and thus rephed: — " Signoras, the honour you have this day con- ferred on me shall never be forgotten or effaced from my memory ; and I entreat that you, as the representatives of the ladies of Tavira, will convey to them my warmest ac- knowledgments and thanks for the splendid presents which they have bestowed upon me, and which are equally worthy of their muni- ficf^nce and of my gratitude."" Thus ended this august ceremony; after which the servants departed, to receive a re- freshment below stairs. The party all sat down to a cold collation previously prepared, and drank James' health, wishing him a plea- sant journey, a prosperous mission, and a safe return. The ladies then took leave, and stepped into the carriage, which drove off amidst the acclamations and shouts of the whole multi- tude that filled the ramparts. When the ladies had departed, James be- VOL. I. B 26 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. gan to examine the box presented by the youngest lady, which contained every use- ful article that is necessary or expedient for a traveller. There was, among other things, a pair of razors, with handles inlaid with silver, and mounted with gold on the one side. Were it possible that razors would shave if they were made of any metal, in that case they would have been of gold or platina ; but, as there had been hitherto no discovery beyond steel, then they would be found to an- swer the purpose for which they were intended. There was a second article, which, although less useful than the razors, it is sometimes ne- cessary to have in travelling ; — and this article iias more worshippers in all countries than any other that is manufactured of metal. It is used by kings, sovereigns, lawgivers, arch- bishops, bishops, divines, knights, and squires. It is known in all countries, and in all cli- mates ; it is a friend of the rich, and a conso- lation to the poor; the bliss of the wise, and the I CASTLE OF CARVANTY. 27 boast of the brave. It is found in the palace, as well as in the cottage ; it is used at all hours, inquired for through the day, and adored through the night. It is found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, and, of course, in the deserts of Siberia. James thought more of this curious and extraordinary article than of any thing he had ever seen. He considered that, if it was an article of such value to all these great people, it must be much more useful to him, who intended to travel ; but, as it was to be found everywhere, why, thought he, need I care so much about it ? yet, as it was a part of that valuable present sent him by the ladies ! and by the ladies of Tavira ! he would, on that account alone, preserve it while he lived, and bequeath it at his death to his brother and his posterity. Indeed, James thought that presents were as sacred as honours, and put a value on them far exceeding any thing he might otherwise possess. But a present from ladies !— -the idea 28 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. of it was enchanting — the recollection plea- sant — and the possession invaluable. How magnanimous did this appear in his eyes ! He coveted no man's goods ; he never enjoy- ed, nor could he enjoy, any thing but what he could call his own. He was now prepared and ready for his tra- vels, which had long engaged his thoughts through the day, and been his consolation through the night. The succession to a large estate, together with the near prospect of en- joying it, were but as draff and sand in com- parison to his present anticipations. — James, in addition to his other peculiarities of charac- ter, was extremely superstitious, as he believed in dreams, in goblins, and in witches,— a creed which nobody has a right to find fault with, as many good men before him believed in the same ; nay, even in ghosts and giants, of whose existence, however, James entertained some se- rious doubts. But if he should, on his travels, chance to meet with either the one or the CASTLE OF CARVANTY. 29 other of tliem, he would then beHeve in them himself, and make others do so too. He had not tlie smallest doubt, indeed, that in some thick-set hedge or meadow green, — he would see ghosts and fairies lightly skipping o'er the scene, — and giants great, with look so wondrous bold, — with club in hand, and shield and buckler bright ; — and if he should, " he'd dare them to the fight.'' He had al- so a great predilection for dreams, and firm- ly believed in them ; nay, he dreamed one night that he had become the Prince of Astu- rias ; and nothing coUld put that notion out of his head. He already fancied that he saw the palaces and castles which he had taken ; that his ministers of state were all fixed upon, and that his attendants in waiting, and his lords in waiting, were all waiting to receive his orders ; that he had carriages of tens and carriages of twenties ; that he had his priests and his bishops ; and once dreamed that he had been made the Pope of Rome ! 30 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. But, returning to the box which contained the many necessary and useful things with which he had been suppHed, he found that the two valuable articles which he had received, consisted of a pair of highly-finished razors, on the side of which, near the handle, were engrav- ed the names of Clark andOsborn, — and of an in- genious patent cork-screw, bearing the name of Thomason ; from which James was satisfied, that none of these articles had been the manu- facture of France, Spain, or Portugal. — Not- withstanding James' superstitious notions, his mind was stored with a fertile imagination, and he ranged wide in the fields of fancy. The day being at last fixed for James' de- parture, he was previously furnished with every thing which he required for his jour- ney, such as a leathern bag to hold the hat and cloak, several shirts, a dressing-box, and many other useful necessaries. In order to solemnize, with due formality, the mournful event of our hero's leaving his CASTLE OF CARVANTY. 31 native land, his elder brother gave a grand entertainment at the Castle of Carvanty, on the day before he set out on his journey ; but, though the dinner was sumptuous in the highest degree, such was the gloom that sad- dened the hearts of the whole family, that scarcely a word was exchanged among them ; and nothing was seen but melancholy glances at poor James ; and nothing was heard but the half-stifled sobbings of his brother and sisters, who seemed to anticipate that this was the last time that they would ever behold him. But, while all the rest were plunged in grief, and the very servants poured down torrents of tears in spite of every effort to suppress them, James, on the contrary, was in the highest spirits, and exhibited an extraor- dinary degree of good humour and hilari- ty. The family and domestics, however, felt deeply the loss which they were about to sustain, and expressed their lamentations for his departure in the following strains :— 32 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. " Ne'er more shall we hear tune or song ; — no more the tabor, pipe, or drum, — which cheer- ed us all with gladness, and resounded loud through the lofty halls ; — ne'er more by us shall be beheld the helmet bright, or rusty brown ; — the spear, the lance, with targets, all enclustered round in order gay. No more, ye gardens, with exotics rare, shall he e'er tread your pleasant bowers ; — no more, ye woods, shall ye e'er hear his tuneful song; • — and ye, sweet flowers of spring, shall never see him more." The dinner and dessert having been finished in the doleful manner above described, it be- came James to make a reply to the company who had drunk his health in solemn silence. He rose up, but sat down again ; he made an- other effort to address them, but a tear start- ed into his eye ; he could not rise, and he could not speak. Neither his brother nor his sisters had the courage to approach him ; and a universal burst of sorrow closed the scene. CASTLE OF CARVANTY. 33 The ladies at length retired ; while some of James' best friends remained, who, in order to drown their sorrow, drank much more co- piously than they had ever done before ; so that if the company had then separated, they would not have recollected the parting-scene ; but, being still desirous to prolong their stay, they continued drinking goblet after goblet till a very late hour, when James, perceiving the condition of his guests, rang the bell, and told the servants, that as the gentlemen must now remain all night, they should prepare the blue room, the red room, and the yellow bed- room, &c., as each must be provided with ac- commodation. When his friends had retired, he began to examine and arrange his accoutre- ments, which he had previously placed on a side-table, to save the trouble of collecting them next morning, and also to prevent him from forgetting any small articles, all of which were necessary for his journey. James now prepared to repose himself a while ; but, be- 6 34 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. ing a little flustered with wine, by which his spirits were elevated, he began to anticipate, in imagination, the glorious deeds which he was destined to execute in foreign climes, and thought that nothing could oppose his pro- gress ; that he could besiege a castle, mount the glacis, fight sword in hand, cut, hack, and destroy, — a temper of mind very different from that of our hero, who, in his sober mo- ments, was so gentle that he would not hurt a fly. James went to bed ; but the idea of his foreign expedition recurred to his fancy, and, for a moment, transported him far beyond the bounds of sober reason. " What !" cried he, " ye great, are all the wealth and riches you possess, what are all your vines, your vineyards, and your olives ? what is wealth but vanity ? or of what value to me are your banquets or your wine .? Your sweet retirements have become to me loathsome as your fields, and tiresome as your gardens ; your houses are the retreats CASTLE OF CAKVANTY. 35 of ennui, and your castles a prison. Oh ! how long will it be till my hand shall grasp the sword in glorious combat, till my legs and feet shall acquire that activity which has long l)een denied them ! — O happy day, when the road before me shall have no end, and when the dust thrown up shall be to me as a refreshing shower ! How enviable, in com- parison with my condition, is that of the driver of the waggon, who, on the shaft of his team, can whistle and can sing, without any to annoy or disturb him, as he breathes the morning air, more fragrant to him than the richest perfumes ! Oh ! that I were on the wing by to-morrow's dawn ; I shall then wit- ness the rising of the sun, and breathe Auro- ra''s sweet refreshing breeze.'^ James rose at the hour of three in the morning, and began to dress, as he could not sleep on his downy pillow. Though rest that night closed the eyelids of many a weary tra- veller, yet none was found by him, whose de- 36 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. termination had been finally fixed, that he should begin next day to perambulate the half of Spain ; whose hopes and fears, in equal balance laid, — with thought on thought, which sleep had banished quite,— left him as sober as the rising morn ; and, as the dawn diffused its fragrant light, sleep fled as sha- dows o'er the green. After adjusting his knapsack, and grasping his stick, at the early hour of four in the morning, he unbarred the gate of the strong-built tower, descended the staircase of massy steps, and, with many wishes for the health and happiness of those he left behind, bade adieu to the towers of the Castle of Carvanty : Here in this castle was no bugle heard Nor drums nor fife to beat the guard to arms ; No flag to show some beaten foe had fled, Or that the battle had been fairly won. No bonfires bright to show we've won the day ; No horse in armour, clad in gaudy steel ; CASTLE OF CARVANTY. 37 No guns or herald to proclaim the tale, That we have conquer'd and our country sav'd. A sable flag hung from the ramparts high ; And jingling bells that often ring for joy_, All muffled now at the approaching scene, The day of his departure drawing nigh. Now let all castles imitate his fame, May on his travels each good thing attend, And when at last he's made the tour of Spain, IMay he in safety then come back again. 38 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. CHAPTER IL OLETTO. James, having thus escaped from Carvanty, travelled onwards, endeavouring, if possible, that night to reach Ayamonte, a seaport town with a strong castle and commodious harbour, forty miles distant from Faro. Being soon convinced, however, that he could not travel so far in one day, — he resolved to satisfy him- self, if he could arrive that night at Oletto, a village little more than half-way to Faro. Having proceeded on his journey about fifteen miles, he began to feel himself much fatigued by the excessive heat, especially as there was not a breath of wind to cool him ; and his feet also began to fail him, so that he despaired of OLETTO. 3l9 reaching Oletto that night, as it was yet five miles off. In order, however, to while away the time and invigorate his spirits, he began to moral- ize on the beneficial effects of a due degree of exercise, too little of which he had hitherto enjoyed during his sequestered retreat at Car- vanty. James considered exercise as essen- tially necessary to health, having known per- sons, who, from the want of it, had lost the use of their limbs, and impaired their consti- tutions beyond recovery. He had been some- times at a loss to account for the lameness of some persons even from their infancy ; but he was persuaded that many who exhibit symp- toms of premature old age, may trace the ori- gin of their debility to the neglect of exercise in their younger years. James was also ac- customed to make another witty remark, which he now recollected, that a man may be a cripple who is far from being lavie ; for, in the course of his experience and observation. 40 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. he never saw a cripple man who was not a very clever man, — a proof that, if nature de- prived one of the use of his legs, it was com- pensated a thousand fold by the use which he could make of his head. Such were a few ideas that floated in James' mind, and served to amuse his ima- gination, which possessed such a high degree of livehness and versatility, that it could never be dormant or unemployed; — and, notwith- standing his sage reflections on the utility of exercise, he concluded that he would rather be a cripple possessed of talents and know- ledge, than a jumping jack, or a harlequin. Musing in this manner, he had travelled on for a considerable time without observing any thing remarkable ; but at length he espied a small house on the left side of the road, and, on coming nearer, was glad to discover that it was an inn, with the sign of a lion rampant over the door, and under the lion, an inscrip- tion of ** Veau de vie.'" The sight of this OLETTO. 41 hospitable mansion revived the spirits of our weary traveller, which were now so much ex- hausted, that he was scarcely able to proceed a step farther. James knocked gently at the door, which was opened by the landlord, a big, jolly man, who was as glad to see his intended guest, as our hero was to see him. After the customary salutations, James found himself and the landlord at a comfortable fire ; for, although the season did not require it, the latter told the former that, whether it was cold or hot, he had made it a rule all his life to put on a blazing fire in the evening. James perfectly agreed with the propriety of his landlord's custom, and went into a long phi- losophical disquisition on the advantages de- rived from having a fire to warm our rooms, alleging that, if they were damp, it became indispensably necessary to prevent catching- cold; that, even though rooms were sufficiently dry, it had an excellent effect in promoting a free circulation of air, which expelled any noxi- 42 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. ous gases that we might inhale ; and that fire was thus more conducive to health, than most people were aware of. The landlord was astonished at the pro- found learning of his unknown guest, especi- ally as nobody had ever before explained to him the benefits of a good fire ; but he acknow- ledged his utter ignorance of the matter, though he did not dispute the truth of what so gi'eat a scholar gravely asserted. James, after a good supper and a propor- tional quantity of wine-negus, went to bed. About five o'clock he awoke in a great fright : the bed shook under him : — he cried — he roared — but all in vain ; and, crawling round the room, his nose came in contact with an old press, which confounded him more than the severest blow he had ever received in his life. At last he found the bell, which he rang with such fury as threw all the domes- tics into a state of alarm. The landlord running up stairs in his shirt, opened the OLETTO. 43 door, and demanded to know what James wanted ? " I want to know/' said James, " what rattling noise that was which disturbed my repose, and whether that tremendous sound which I hear is not a gale of wind, such as is like to blow down the house about mj ears ?'' The landlord said that his conjecture about the wind was correct, and that the rattling noise was occasioned by the falling of a pile of wood behind his apartment. This intel- ligence so far satisfied our hero ; but, as he could not sleep, he therefore got up, and proceeded down stairs to learn farther par- ticulars. The landlord by this time was on foot also, and had stirred up the kitchen fire, which, at this inn, was never suffered to go out; so that in a cold morning, the kitchen was always the most comfortable part of the house. 44 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. James called for tea and coiFee to breakfast. Tea there was, although none of the best ; but coffee had never entered under the sign of the Lion Rampant. After breakfast, James found himself much at his ease, compared with his situation a few minutes before ; and he had now another theme presented for his speculations, in draw- ing a comparison betwixt the calmness and serenity of the preceding evening, and the lowering aspect of the sky produced by the hurricane of that morning. This striking contrast naturally led James to reflect on the mutability of all earthly things ; '' for," thought he, '' a man may be happy this day, and mi- serable the next — he may be fortunate to-day, and unfortunate to-morrow ; nay, we know not what changes even an hour may bring forth. This uncertainty of the human condi- tion," said James, '' should be a lesson to check the forward and the inexperienced, the young and the thoughtless, who conceive that nothing OLETTO. 45 3Lit perpetual sunshine shall for ever beam on them through the paths of life; though they know not how soon the horizon may be overcast with clouds and storms." James moralized at some length upon these reflections, and came to this conclusion, that every thing on earth was subject to changes which we can often neither foresee nor pre- vent ; that there was no resting place, on which men could build their happiness se- curely ; that the more the ingredients are of which our enjoyments consist, the more alloy will be found in the composition ; that our greatest hopes are often the sources of our greatest disappointments, and that the highest merriment is frequently succeeded by the ut- most extreme of dejection and disgust. Such were James' reflections on the unexpected i storm of wind that howled around him in this sequestered inn, and which were natural- ly suggested by the restless activity of his imagination. James having paid his bill, re- i6 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. plenished his brandy bottle, and shaken hands with the landlord, bade adieu to the Lion Rampant. As our hero had been all this time sitting by the kitchen fire, he had no idea of the state of the weather, nor of the violence of the wind, which blew still harder than it had done before, so that it was now a perfect hurricane. James had scarcely escaped from the door, when he was dashed with fury back again ; and, being unable to stand, he seized hold of the handle of it for safety ; but as that gave way, he was blown right round the corner of the house, and driven by the fury of the wind upon a hay-rick. James, on arriving at the inn, had observed this hay-rick, and was not a little displeased that it should be placed in a situation so much in the way of passengers ; although he now found that, had the hay-rick not been there, he might have lost his life. He therefore began to moralize again on the numerous accidents that are the fate of men, I OLETTO. 47 and to think what trivial things may be the means of saving one from ruin and destruc- tion. But the dangerous condition in which he now was precluded farther reflections at present ; for he grasped the rick with as much eagerness, as a half-drowned person seizes a rope to save himself from sinking ; he clung fast to it with his knees, and roared aloud to the domestics of the inn to come and relieve him. But the door and the windows were shut, so that nobody saw him ; and. the wind blew so loudly, that no one could hear his doleful lamentations. In this condition he remained for an hour, when a carriage and four drove up to the inn, and a gentleman stept out, who, with the as- sistance of the landlord, got into the inn, al- though with the utmost difficulty. The gentleman had no sooner entered, than he represented the deplorable situation of a person who was clinging to a hay-rick behind the house ; but, although the landlord and do- 48 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. mestics pitied the hapless fate of a fellow-crea- ture in these circumstances, nobody would venture out to relieve him, for fear of being blown away by the wind. However, after much consultation with his servants, the land- lord, who was always ready to assist travel- lers in distress, proposed that, if they would tie a rope round his own waist, he would, with their assistance and that of the stran- ger in holding it fast, endeavour to bring the poor fellow ashore in safety. The gentle- man, however, objected to this expedient, as he thought it so very strange and absurd, and accordingly this method for relieving James was abandoned ; but another was happily pro- posed, which had the desired effect ; for the driver of the gentleman's carriage, on looking out at the kitchen-window, saw James in this miserable plight, and suggested that, if a rope were thrown out, it was possible for him to make a noose on it to slip round his waist, and thus he might be easily drawn into the OI.ETTO. 49 inn. This expedient was no sooner proposed than adopted ; and James was soon hauled oft' from the hay-rick, the side of which he was glad to exchange for a snug seat by the kitchen-fire. It might have been expected, that our hero would have made some sage observations on the jeopardy to which human beings are ex- posed from accidental causes, and that he would have expressed his gratitude for so signal a deliverance ; but, on finding himself safe again, he made no other remark, than that " he had often heard of persons being drawn out of the zcater, but he had never heard of their being drawn out of the wind T The stranger, after congratulating James on his escape from so perilous a situation, proposed that they should dine togetlier in order to become better acquainted with each other. This was acceptable news to the land- lord, who thought that his trade was never so brisk in bad as it was in good weather, al- though he was now persuaded tliat a storm c 50 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. was not so unfavourable to him as he had supposed. Dinner being over, the wine in goblets graced the feast, while glee and jovial mirth went round. James could not conjecture who the stranger was, as he had on a large white great-coat, which gave him the appearance of the guard of a mail-coach ; but the character of the stranger did not long remain dubious, -^s he soon addressed his companion in the following words : — " May I take the liberty, signor, of asking whither you are going, and what may be the future schemes you intend to pursue ?"" To this unceremonious question James re- plied, — " I am, signor, a man who possess little knowledge of the world, from having studied men and manners only from books ; and, therefore, I have left my native place to prove if these books be true, and am now on my way to the city of Cadiz in pursuit of ad- OLETTO. 51 ventures. But pray, signor, may I ask you, in my turn, a similar question ?'' James had no sooner put this question, than the stranger drew from his pocket a bkie bea- ver, with plumes of yellow feathers ; and, un- buttoning his coat, threw it off with the quick- ness of a Mathews, while he put his right hand on the hilt of his sword, with his left extended, and vociferated, — " Behold in me the Prince of Asturias !" Having said this, he bowed gracefully for- ward, and remained in that attitude till James should sufficiently consider the importance of the jjersonage now addressing him. " Prince of Asturias !"' exclaimed James with astonishment, while he rose up in imita- tion of the stranger ; and, standing in nearly the same position which he had assumed, ex- claimed also, — " Behold in me the Prince of Asturias ! for I have often dreamt so, and you must be mistaken." 52 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. The stranger was silent, but looked askance at his companion with a malignant frown. James finding himself somewhat relieved from his first surprise, began to examine more particularly the stranger's dress. He wore a cloak of richly embroidered green silk, lined with wliite, and trimmed with gold lace ; his vest was of rich white satin, with buttons of brilliants ; his knee-buckles were of pure gold, studded with pearls ; and his sword exceeded, in its elegance and splendour, any thing of the kind that he had ever seen. After a short interval of silence, the stran- ger proceeded in the following strain : — " You see in me, signor, the second won- der of the world ; for my wealth and splen- dour exceed those of all the princes of the East !" Then, looking steadfastly at James, he continued, — " What may you, signor, who have come to know the world, think that I am ? or what may you suppose I have been ?'" OLETTO. 53 James replied, — " I think, signor, that you must be descended from a race of kings, whom, by your dress, you now represent, and that, hke myself, you are travelling in quest of information, and to increase your knowledge of the world/' While James waited for a reply, the stran- ger, extending his arm and his fore-finger, made a still more astonishing disclosure when he observed, — " Indeed, friend, you were never more mistaken in your conjectures ; for, instead of being descended from the loins of king's, I am sprung from a race of barbers ! — and if you would wish to hear my history, I shall be most happy to tell it you." Though James was confounded with this extraordinary discovery respecting the lineage of his companion, — yet, as he conceived him to be an eccentric character, and as they were likely to be detained by the storm all that qight, he consented to listen to the stranger's 54 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. account of his adventures. They accordingly called for another goblet, and the stranger, having filled a bumper, thus began : — THE HISTORY OF DON RIAZO ; OR, THK BARBER OF CARMONA. " I was born in the city of Seville, the ca- pital of the province of Andalusia. My fa- ther, who was agent for a nobleman named Don Arbino, died, and left me with a brother and two sisters totally destitute. I had al- vrays a frank and forward disposition, as you now see ; and considered, in my future views in life, that this natural turn of mind should not be lost sight of. At the early age of twelve I could judge of the folly of parents training their children to professions in which they are not likely ever to succeed, and in which they afterwards feel all the bitterness of disappointment. I was soon convinced, that a man who has no elegance of manner^ ^o Judgment, wit, or memory, is very ill qua- OLETTO. 55 lified for filling situations in which these are essentially necessary. I had been only a few years at school, when I found that ray capacity for the dead languages was a perfect mockery at learning ; I never could be taught to understand the meaning of nouns and pro- nouns, verbs and adverbs ; all my knowledge of Latin was in singular and plural, mascu- line and feminine ; but beyond this my com- prehension of its meaning was a tabula rasa^ — a mere blank. My masters threatened, beat, and flattered me ; but their arguments, however numerous, and their declamations, however incessant, just went in at the one ear, and out at the other. *' Having no money, and, of course, no friends to bring me forward in the world, and having not length of head sufficient to make my bread by it, I thought I should at once have recourse to my heels^ and fully intended to join a band of strolling dancers, and bind myself to them, as long as 56 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. they chose, for food and clothing. I thought myself qualified for standing on my liead, or dancing on the tight-rope ; and, - believing that my talents were such as would recom- mend me in this line, I applied to the mana- ger of a set of dancers who were then at Se- ville. I found this man superior in point of intelhgence to what might be expected from one of his occupation ; and he was honest enough to tell me, that he had as many harle- quins as he could maintain, and advised me to learn a trade that would enable me to make a living in any part of the globe ; — whereas, were I to engage with him, I would only spend a considerable part of that valuable time, which should be devoted to the purpose of laying the foundation of my future fortune. '' * I grant,"* continued he, 'that a strolhng band of dancers and tumblers may pick up a few pounds for a week or two at Bartholomew Fair ; but dancing and tumbling at such a plice as Seville could not last long, and, OLETTO. 57 therefore, they must soon leave it, to peram- bulate the country in quest of some other town, where they might set up their tumb- ling apparatus, with which they must move about the kingdom/ " I was very much pleased with the man's candour, and I had sense enough to discern that he spoke the honest truth. Although he was a stranger to me, he seemed to take an interest in my welfare ; and, as I had an in- chnation for the stage, advised me to join a company of strolling players, then in the city, where I might snufF the candles for the first year ; fill up the leg of an elephant or so for the second; act the part of a soldier or sailor, or any ludicrous character, for the third ; and then I might be fit to appear as a lackey, and answer. Yes, sir ; Coming, sir ; which would prepare me for assuming a higher character, and making my debut in Silvester Dagger- wood, for my own benefit^ as my first appear- ance on any stage. c 2 58 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. " ' But fine acting,' continued he, ' is the most difficult thing on earth, and requires the greatest scholarship and the greatest talent ; and therefore I have recommended to you the progressive mode of discipline above- mentioned."* On his mentioning scholarship as necessary for an actor, my hopes of success in that profession immediately vanished, as I had none, and therefore could not make my bread on the stage ; so, thanking the stranger for his attention and advice, I bade him adieu. " I now determined to acquire that scholarship, which was represented as a sine qua non for wearing the buskin; but on my return to school, my masters, finding that I was an idle boy, without any ca- pacity, and getting nothing for their in- structions, dismissed me from the school, which, they said, I was never more to enter. As well pleased to get rid of them as they were to get rid of me, I began to consider what I should do next ; — for; although I was OLETTO. , o9 no scholar, I had always a good opinion of myself, and, being conscious of possessing ta- lents, I thought that, by their means, I should sometime or other become a great man, alias, — a man of fortune. But as these prospects were very distant, and could only be realized by my engaging in some profession, I imme- diately thought of the old adage, that ' a thing once begun is half ended,' and forthwith de- termined to enter into any line of life in which I could find employment, and trust to Provi- dence for my future success. Accordingly I applied to several mercantile people in the city, for the situation of a clerk or shopman, but found that none of them needed my services. At last, one day, while I was walking on the parade, in a brown study what I ought to do, and what would become of me, I found a bill (enclosed in a letter) upon a banking-house of the city, for the payment of ten ducats. ' This," thought I, ' could never have come in a better time.' ''' 60 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. Here James interrupted his companion, and began to make some observations on his narrative, which he thought a very extraordi- nary one ; so that on hearing it, and sitting with a man whom he looked on as an emper- or, he could not believe that he was all the while in the company of a barber. Don Rai- zo, however, stretching out his legs, yawning hideously, rubbing his cheeks, and drinking success to James^ undertaking, continued his story to the following purport : — " I was saying, you may recollect, that the bank-bill I found could never have come in better time, even though it had been my own ; but as it was not, I considered it my duty to restore it instantly to the person who had lost it ; for I firmly believed, that if I pocketed a ducat, I should never afterwards prosper in the world ; although my needy circumstances, and my utter dislike of going to the poorV house, might have pleaded my apology f(3r converting the bank-bill into cash, of which I OLETTO. 61 never stood so much in need as at this period. From the contents of the letter, I found that the legal proprietor of the lost bill was a tai- lor ; wherefore, caUing at the house of Lerma, (for that was his name,) I found him at the board with his industrious assistants. He was so much pleased at the recovery of his })ill, and so much obliged to me, he said, for delivering it (and the more so, as he never expected to see it again), that I was invited to dinner, which was then on the table. I was very hungry, so that a dinner to me was never more acceptable than the one now pre- sented. Accordingly I partook heartily of every dish ; and the family w^ondered not a little at my voracity, and the repeated replenishing of my plate; but their wonder ceased, when I told them that I had tasted nothing for two days. **• Don Lerma was a very respectable trades- man, who attended to his business and sat at the same table with his own workmen ; from which circumstance, and from his assi- 62 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. duity to serve his customers, he was much es- teemed, and had acquired a sum sufficient to make him independent. The profits of hi.s trade, indeed, were so considerable, that he generally bought a house every year ; and, having been a long time in business, and pur- chased annually an additional tenement, he had become a proprietor in almost every quar- ter of the city. Don Lerma having soon learned that I was poor, and without employ- ment, generously offered, if I would bind my- self as an apprentice to him, to qualify me for earning my subsistence by the needle, in any town or city of the kingdom. This was glad news to me, who was entirely idle, and with- out any prospects of improving my condition ; so I was engaged for a week upon trial. I had nothing to complain of, as my master was very kind to all his apprentices ; for he gave us as good victuals as he took to himself; so that, if I wished to learn his business, there was not a tailor in all Spain to whom I would OLETTO. 63 have given the preference. But I had not been a week on the board, till I perceived that the sedentary hfe of a tailor was not adapted to the disposition of a sprightly active young fellow like myself; and I began to think that, if I continued at it much longer, I would run the risk of losing the use of my limbs. So, thanking Don Lerma for his kind- ness, and telling him my reason for quitting his service, I withdrew from his house, not knowing whither to go. " Don Lerma, indeed, gave me a small sum, which rendered me independent for two or three weeks; but, as soon as it was spent, I was again in a state of as great destitution as that in which I had been five days before. I called at every door that I saw open ; but the people in each house, instead of listening to what I had to say, immediately cut me short with the following question and declaration : — ' What do you want ?"* and ' we've no use for you.' This recep- tion was very discouraging ; however, I went 64 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. into so many shops and houses, seeking employ- ment, that the common people took particu- lar notice of me, and were wont to say, ' Is that poor creature always going about yet ?' " Finding that I was so much spoken of, and so much neglected, and being also aware that I was too much known as an idler in my na- tive city, I resolved to leave it, and try my fortune in another quarter. For this purpose I got up early one morning, took a stick in my hand, and set out for Carmona, fifteen miles east from Seville. Proceeding on my journey, I reached that place before dinner time, and looked about for the eating-houses, into one of which I entered, where I called for some victuals, and paid for them. I now frequented a small tavern, where people dine for one real ; and found, in this way of living, that my money would last me double the time that it would have done at Seville, — which to me was no small matter, as I usually dined at twelve, the same hour when a young man, some OLETTO. 65 years older than myself, dined there also. I became acquainted with him, and courted greater intimacy with my companion, having none in the place, and being not likely soon to have any more. One day at dinner, I ven- tured to ask him what his profession was.'' but instead of giving me a direct answer, he re- plied — " ' I wonder how any one can be at a loss to know it ; don't you see here (pointing to his coat), as much grease and flour as would, if carefully dusted out of it, fill a barber's basin ?^ " ' Then,' said I in return, ' you must be a barber.' " ' That I am,' says he, ' and I've set up a shop in the Rue de Barra, where I have a tol- erable business, which is now so much increas- ed tliat, from having only ttventy beards to shave in a day, as formerly, I have now above fijty- " ' I rejoice at that,' cried I, ' and only 66 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. wish that I could learn the profession, for I'm much inchned to an active life, and hate a se- dentary one ; so that, could I get any thing to do which requires exertion, even though it were to clean as many street-lamps as would enable me to earn my bread, and keep my legs in motion, I would engage in it instant- " ' As that is the case," replied the barber, ' if you'll come to my shop, I shall soon teach you to cut, clip, and dress hair and wigs, — to powder a duchess, and take the greatest man in the city by the nose ; — be- sides, you will soon gain a fund of useful in- formation, and hear all the news and stories that were never heard before, — for, do you know ? I am in the pay of the Carmona Flying Post, which, betwixt you and me, is a snug con- cern.'' " The barber here paused, and I was glad. that he did so ; for his imagination was so volatile, and his tongue was so loquacious, OLETTO. 67 that I thought he would never have done with his story ; so, in order to prevent his recurrence to it, and to get into his employ- ment as soon as possible, I accepted his offer, and left my wages entirely to his own discre- tion. " We carried on the trade of shaving and dressing wigs with persevering diligence ; I was his only assistant, and in ten days became so expert, that I now attended all the great people whom he used to dress, and thus saved him a great deal of time and a great deal of trouble. He soon found me honest and in- dustrious, and gave me credit for the latter quality, though he valued the former still more ; and so may I, as it laid the founda- tion of my future fortune." James here interrupted Don Riazo, by say- ing*— " Your story is excellent ; but there is one thing which you have not told me, and which I am particularly anxious to learn ; — viz., by 68 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. what means you have acquired such a fortune in the profession of a barber ?"" " Well," replied Don Riazo, " you shall soon hear it. I found,'' continued he, " that my new employer was a careful, prudent, young man, with steady and settled prin- ciples about him. He never went out at night to clubs or smoking-houses, as many master-barbers do ; he was very civil, and had the command of his tongue, which he re- gulated so well, especially when shaving or dressing his respectable customers, that he never said a word which they could take amiss; and thus gave universal satisfaction. By these means, every one, who had once employed my master, continued to employ him ; for, as no person discharges a respectable surgeon who at- tends his family, so no one thinks of changing a good barber who trims his own beard, or dresses his lady's hair ; and thus a perruquier is a person as naturally attached to a gentle- man's family as a tie or solitaire is to a wig,. OLETtO. 69 and becomes, of course, a part of his estab- lishment. But this is a digression, and I now proceed to finish my story. " Having now become a partner in my master'^s business, I lost no customers, but gained some new ones every day. We car- ried on the trade in this way for a long time ; and my master, in order to keep me as regu- larly at home as himself, permitted me to have the free use of the pantry, where I of- ten feasted on deHcate morsels, and so had no desire to spend my money in eating and drink- ing at a tavern."" Here James looked seriously at Don Riazo, and thought with himself, "How can I possibly reconcile the idea of this great man lounging in a pantr}', with the magnificence which he now displays ?''"' But, as these were only James' reflections at the moment, they did not inter- rupt the progress of the narrative, " I had now," continued Don Riazo, " be- come so great a favourite with my master, 70 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. that he could trust me with any shop in Spain, which contained powder and pomatum, tooth- brushes, soap and razors, periwigs and curl- ing-tongs, eau de Cologne, and many other articles, which were inmates in the shop of the barber of Carmona. From the day that I had entered into his employment, we always dined in the shop together ; till at last he be- came so much attached to me, that he called me not his apprentice or servant, but his as- sistant. He lost nothing by these civilities ; for, although I was very industrious, they made me still more so, and thus recommended me to the complete confidence of my worthy master. '' One day, after dinner, putting on an in- teresting look, he began to address me in the following manner : — " ' You must know, Riazo, that I have a secret to communicate ; and, if you can keep it, there can be little doubt that our fortunes must be made ; and thus we shall be saved OLETTO. 71 the trouble of toiling all our days in bleeding and blistering, dressing wigs and curling hair, and shaving beards of all dimensions. I once met with a beard that spoiled five razors be- fore I got it off; and you see that we must often twirl the curling-tongs round a lady's head for several hours together. Now, we have all this trouble, and vexation, and run- ning about, for nothing ; and as to retiring, as they call it, and living snugly on the earn- ings of one's trade, we may as well think of building castles in the air, — for very few bar- bers in Spain could ever afford to retire, — and, in this town, no barber ever died worth a ducat.' " ' I agree with all that you have said,' re- plied I ; ' but, pray, what secret have you to unfold ? and how do you propose to be re- lieved from the drudgery attending our pro- fession ?'' " * Know, then,' said he, holding out his hand, as if I were to guess what he meant. 72 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. — ' know, then, that I have tliis day received a letter from an uncle of mine, who resides in Cordova, in which he informs me of the death of a distant relation of his, who was reckoned a miser, and was thought by every one to have left a great fortune, as he had long retired from business ; and it was always understood that he had amassed more wealth than any man in the province of Andalusia. The let- ter contains, among other things, a request that I should set out immediately for Cordo- va ; because, it seems, after the death of my uncle''s relation, neither mone}- , nor books, nor papers, were found, either in his drawers or scrutoire ; and hence it is beheved, that he must have buried all his wealth in the gar- den. Now, will you join me in the pursuit of this adventure ?"" '*^ ' I shall nK)st readily agree to do so,' said I, and thought I found the doubloons already rattling in my pocket. Having in- trusted the shop, and all its contents, to the OLETTO. 73 charge of one who could do every thing but shave, by three in the morning we set out for Cordova, walking on till we came to a small town, where we rested and had breakfast ; after which we proceeded on our journey, and got half way the first day, while we arrived at Cordova on the evening of the second. " My master's uncle gave us every infor- mation respecting the supposed hidden trea- sure, and offered to accompany us next morn- ing to the spot where, he believed, it was de- posited. " After breakfast, we all set out to visit the residence of the late Don Ancas, which was about four miles distant from my master's uncle's, and arrived at it in a short time, anxious to discover the treasure which was to make us all as rich as Croesus. My master's uncle, who was a distant relation of the de- ceased, thought that he was perfectly justified in claiming it for himself, as no others appeared who could show a better title to it. So, after VOL. I. T, 74 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. taking possession of the house and garden of Quintos Mineros, (th name of the place at which Don Ancas had resided,) where the con- cealed treasure was supposed to be, we were, by the authority of his uncle, admitted for the present, as proprietors of it, along with himself. My master''s uncle, after sending for a neighbouring attorney, instructed him to make out, from some old musty papers, what he called titles to the property ; and in this way he made over to us, conjunctly and severally, all right or interest in the same, as far as he himself had acquired it. " Thus we became great men all at once ; and should we even have returned to the shop at Carmona without having discovered xhepose, we could safely say that we did not repent of our journey. " But, being now anxious to ascertain whe- ther the supposed treasure really existed, we entered the garden, which we found in better order than old men''s gardens generally are, — OLETTO. 75 as it was full of fruits and flowers, and of va- rious other horticultural productions, to which, however, in our digging-operations, little mer- cy could be shown, as every thing must fall under the trenching of the spade, and be levelled with the dust. The wall round every side of the garden was covered with fruit-trees, which, we thought, might escape without in- jury ; — ^but, as Ancas had a great predilection for fruit, the espaliers filled up at least one- third of the garden, and therefore we deter- mined that all these must fall under the axe ; and that even the hot-houses, which occupied the middle of it, must be demolished ; as we believed that at the roots of some of the for- mer, or at least under some of the latter, the unknown treasure was concealed. We were fully confirmed in this persuasion by a lucky discovery : for, in taking a survey round the walls, we observed a tablet of stone, nearly overgrown by the foliage, on which we deci- phered the following inscription : — 76 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. " If ye to labour be inclin'd. Not far from this a pose you'll find." " This welcome intelligence more and more increased our great anxiety for its discovery, and redoubled our zeal to submit to any la- bour in accomplishing our purpose. Accordingly we rose next morning, and many successive ones, with the rising sun, and never saw his beams gild the east but with the utmost dehght and joy. Day had no sooner dawned than we began our labour, which was incessantly pursued till the shades of evening closed around us, and darkness prevented its longer continuance : — the hours fled without being numbered, as we could think of nothing but the immense treasure that was now so near us ; — the anticipation of which afforded us far more exquisite delight, than its ultimate pos- session. Nine dayswe laboured in this manner; during which the hot-houses were turned up- side down, the espaliers fell around us in hun- OLETTO. 77 dreds, and even the choicest flowers were cut to pieces and trodden under foot. Some of the neighbours, who observed our labours, ex- pressed their astonishment, and inquired the cause of such incessant toil. We told them that the late proprietor had, in his last will, enjoined his heirs to trench the garden, and remove all obstructions, before laying the foundation of a new house, which was to be erected in the course of a year after his de- cease. " This account of the matter, however, did not satisfy them ; and at last we found it ne- cessary to give them the glass-cases and wood- work of the hot-houses that had been demo- lished, which they readily accepted, and thence- forth ceased to make farther inquiries. We had now laboured incessantly for several days, and began to think that the treasure would never be found ; — when at last, on a Monday afternoon, as the clock struck five, my spade rebounded against some hard substance, which 78 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. proved to be a strong iron box, about a foot square, and which, though it was nearly dark, we dug up in safet;y, and conveyed to the gar- den-house. There was, however, no key to open the box, and we had neither so much self-pos- session as to look for one, nor so much confi- dence as to allow any blacksmith whatever to touch it ; — nay, so transporting was the par- oxysm of our joy, that we forgot what we said or what we did : — we drank of the grape till we could not stand, and fell asleep in- stantly beside the treasure. " In the morning, we forgot what had been done the night before, and our joy had now become more moderate; so that we could think calmly of the most proper measures that should be adopted, and at last resolved that the box should not be opened in that place. " In the meantime, we provided pistols for its guards, and clubs of oak for its protection, till we conveyed it first to the house of my mas- ter''s uncle, where a key was provided to open OLETTO. 79 the lock ; — and, on lifting up the lid of the box to survey the treasure, our hearts were enraptured to see it filled with yellow doub- loons, which were now counted out with as much avidity as ever Don Ancas had done in amassing them. My master's uncle, who already possessed a sufficient portion of world- ly substance, declared himself satisfied with a third of the treasure, and consented that we should enjoy the remainder. Having thus ac- quired such prodigious wealth, for which a king might have justly envied us, we lost no time in preparing to carry it home to Carmo- na in safety ; and for this purpose we hired a ca- briolet that could hold twenty persons, which was drawn by four horses, that were spurred and whipt along by two drivers. We set off* from Quintos Mineros in the evening, travel- led all night, and, by ten o'clock next day, we deposited the box containing the hidden treasure in the barber's shop. " Thus, in one day we acquired fortunes 80 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. which raised us both from poverty and mean- ness to wealth and greatness. We purchased with this money the tenth part of a Province, and I, a splendid house, named Villa de Carey, near Toledo, where I shall be glad to have the honour of receiving a visit from you, when you come to that quarter." Here Don Riazo ended his narrative, with the recital of which he seemed in nowise fa- tigued. At the conclusion of this extraordinary story, James sat motionless, with his eyes fixed upon the ceiling of the room, and remained in that posture for some seconds. After he had recovered his recollection, he began to think that, if a hidden treasure had fallen to the lot of a barber, it was quite possible for him to find one too, which would amply recompense him for the toils and dangers he had under- gone, or might undergo, in quest of adven- tures. He reflected also, that he had much need to acquire a fortune in some such manner, OLETTO. 81 as he had very little patrimonial inheritance, and as his friends at home, though not poor, were not rich ; besides, that such a pose would prove to them that the great anxiety he had manifested for travelling was not more singu- lar than it had been fortunate, and that he had not, as many others, travelled in vain. In the midst of this reverie, he conceived himself re-entering the castle of Carvanty, with elephants and camels loaded with trea- sure : — then he thought what he would do with it ; — and again that he would give a handsome sum to Don Tarbet, who, although he did not need money, well deserved it, since it was ovr- ing, in a great measure, to his instruction and tuition that James had laid the foundation of his fortune. To the ladies of Tavira he would give such a sum as might enable them to buy up all the beggars of the city, and at once free the inhabitants from the plague and the pesti- lence ; — to all those who had witnessed his departure, should be given sums of money d2 ^ THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. suitable to their wants and the number of their famihes. To his sisters he wQuld give thousands of gold and silver, which should not be kept a secret, but widely divulged, that suitors might appear, who formerly kept them- selves at n distance, and husbands be procur- ed for the young ladies, worthy not only of their merits, but of their fortunes also. The castle, next, should be greatly enlarged by the addition of a west wing, which never had been built ; — a turret also remained to be raised, — and a thousand other schemes to be completed. He was proceeding in this reverie, — but, recollecting himself, found that these build- ings were all castles in the air ; — that no money had yet been acquired, no hidden trea- sure yet discovered. This had the effect of bringing him back to his senses; — and he wondered how he could be so far led away from the path of honour which he wished to pursue. He wanted no money, neither did OLETTO. 83 he travel for its discovery ; — only, if it should happen that he became rich even by accident, he should be glad of his good fortune, as it would enable him to benefit others, rather than in any measure to gratify himself. All these ideas passed through James' mind in a few seconds ; but, recovering from his re- verie, he expressed his admiration of Don Riazo's story, and, understanding that he in- tended setting off to-morrow on his journey through Portugal, requested him to take the charge of a letter, and deliver it personally to his brother. This Don Riazo promised to do, and thank- ed James for this means of introduction to his relations, to whom he would not fail to give an account of every particular of his adven- tures, and how far he had proceeded on his travels : " He who hath long traversed the fertile plain, "SVhen nature in its fairest vesture smiled. Will he not cheerless view the fairy scene. When lonely wandering o'er the barren wild ?" 84 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. CHAPTER III. AYAMONTE. Don Riazo started from his couch very early the next morning, and left the inn at five o'clock, to pursue his journey. The morning was serene, the wind was hushed, and the storm of last night had entirely ceased, so that James, on contrasting the terrific aspect of the sky, when he was yesterday clinging to the hay-rick, with the calm appearance which it now presented, was naturally led to moralize on the changeable nature of every thing under the sun. He now directed his steps to the eastward, intending to proceed next to Aya- monte, which he thought he might reach that evening. James began to reflect on what he had seen I AYAMONTE. 85 and heard at the inn last night, and to consider that, though an unfortunate accident had de- tained him longer than he wished at the Lion Rampant, the instructions which he had there received might be of lasting advantage. More especially did he recollect, with emotions of delight, the extraordinary history of Don Ri- azo, who, though he had once been a barber that shaved in a shop, and eat his scanty meals in a pantry, was now become a man of wealth and fashion. The singular incident, which occa- sioned this wonderful change in his condition, made a deep impression on James' mind, and led him to anticipate a similar good fortune ; " for if," thought he, " Don Riazo's connexion with a barber laid the foundation of his pre- sent greatness, may not some lucky adventure in my peregrinations raise me also to wealth and distinction ?" With such reflections did James entertain himself on his morning's journey, and, having walked nine miles before breakfasting, he was 86 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. tired a little, though not fatigued ; and ac- cordingly entered a small cottage on the road- side, to partake of the homely fare which it afforded. Here was an old woman baking flour-cakes, some of which she had been toasting at the fire. They had so fresh a smell, that James was persuaded they were made of good flour. The old woman was civil to her guest, and, on being asked what she could present to breakfast, placed before him a basin of milk, and a small loaf, which, she said, were the most wholesome articles of food that her cottage supplied. James began again to moralize upon his reception here, and drew a comparison betwixt the retirement of these cottagers, unaccustom- ed to the toils or the troubles of life, and the continued routs and shows of company daily exhibited among the higher ranks. " Among these simple people," thought he, " peace and quietness for ever reigned ; and, as they were satisfied with their own comforts, they could AYAMONTE. 87 not envy those who possessed rank and riches, as these were things to them unknown." Adjoining the small kitchen, in which he now sat, was a door so shattered with age, that the light of a window behind it was percepti- ble ; — and on opening it, while the old woman was turning her cakes, he saw a place filled with as much lumber as would have loaded a waggon. He there beheld trunks piled on trunks, wheels, reels, broken spades, a gun without a lock, a fishing-rod, a winding pirn, a tub with a stave out of it, a water-pail, a stoup, a hen-crib, a rake without a handle, a broken table, a watering-pan with a hole at the bottom, a piece of paper that once had been a dragon, a dusty fiddle, a broken drum, a mousetrap, an old bible, a book with one half of the binding off it, a number of pamph- lets all torn, a meal-tub, a riddle, a toasting- jack, a cuckoo-clock, a birdVcage, with vari- ous other articles of strange furniture. In the wretched apartment also where James was sit- 88 THE ECCENTRIC TRAyELLER. ting, there were several things which attracted his attention. Among others, there was an old chair, partly covered with tattered frag- ments of fine damask, and a small mahogany table with three feet : — the Avails were studded with party-coloured ornaments, and, of two broken windows, one v/as patched with brown paper, while the other was stuffed with an old hat. In short, the cottage was filled with a col- lection of antique curiosities, all of which James supposed to be relics that must have been great favourites in former years. The kitchen, however, was clean ; and round the walls hung several small pictures, — while over the mantle- piece was placed a rack with some hundred plates, ranked up in grand array. James having surveyed all these parapherna- lia, and paid for his breakfast, again pursued his journey ; and by two o'clock, the day, which before had been delightful, began to lower, and the rain soon after fell in torrents. AYAMONTE. 89 Though he was at this time near a small farm- house, yet he was not permitted to enter, by the challenge of a dog, that continued yelp- ing without intermission ; and no one came either to drive away the angry cur, or offer shelter to the weary traveller. In these cir- cumstances, James knew not what to do ; for he was aware that, should he be drenched by the rain, he might catch cold, which might be followed by a fever ; — and that, if he were seized by a fever, he might die, and thus there would be a speedy end to all his projects. In this manner James reasoned when standing be- fore the farm-house ; and, though he believed that the accommodations in it would not be so comfortable as he could desire, yet he had always considered it as a part of wisdom to submit patiently to many inconveniences, pro- vided he might thereby preserve his health, which is the most valuable of all earthly bless- ings. He would therefore willingly have forced his way into the house in spite of the 90 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. dog ; but, conceiving that its inmates might be as inhospitable as this httle Cerberus which guarded the door, he forbore to enter ; but, espying a draw-well near the gate of the farm- yard, and resolving to make a virtue of ne- cessity, he descended it, by contriving to place himself upon a board, which afforded him a rest such as he required, and, swinging him- self down, thus escaped the rain which, falU ing in a slanting direction, did not reach him. During this transaction, the furious clamour of the angry cur was incessant, and his growl- ing intolerable ; especially as it brought the people of the house to the well to see what was the matter. He saw several of them approach occasion- ally, one after another, with a tub over their heads instead of an umbrella ; from which he conjectured, that the peasantry in this part of the country were either very poor, or very barbarous. Here, then, at the bottom of a well, was James seated comfortably, at least AYAMONTE. 91 in comparison of his former situation at the door of the farm-house, where he ran the risk of being drenched by the rain from above his head, which, to a traveller, is far more dan- gerous than mud and water below his feet. This, he knew from experience, was an un- doubted truth, and, as an instance of it, he re- collected the case of a young man, twenty- three years of age, who, in travelling only six- teen miles on the top of a coach, was over- taken by a heavy shower of rain, whereby he became so wet and cold, that, on arriving at the first house, he flew straight to the kitchen- fire, where he remained for half an hour ; in consequence of which he was seized by a fe- ver, that terminated in a locked jaw, and oc- casioned his death. From this example, and various others of the same kind, James was convinced that travellers should never expose themselves to rain, if they can avoid it; as want of precaution in this respect might be followed by the most fatal results. 92 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. He also considered it as very dangerous for a person who is cold, to warm himself at a blaz- ing fire ; and equally so, for one who is over- heated to drink cold water, or expose himself to the cold air ; — but to be drenched with rain, he believed, was still worse, and therefore every one should run for shelter in a shower, if he wished to preserve his health and life. He allowed, indeed, that it was quite possible for a person who knew all this, to forget his great- coat or his umbrella ; and, on being overtaken by rain, to be completely drenched; but, then, pernicious consequences might be easily prevented by a change of clothes on his re- turn home. — But of all the things that are destructive to health, James considered sleep- ing in a damp bed to be the most destructive ; and, in order to obviate this inconvenience, he never trusted to the report of a chamber- maid, " that the sheets were well heated,"" but always hung them up before a strong fire till they were sufficiently dry ; nay, he ever AYAMONTE. 93 slept in his flannel drawers and waistcoat, and toasted his night-cap well before going to bed. There was another thing which James con- sidered to be very dangerous, though little attended to, considering what a pitch of know- ledge the world has arrived at ; and that is, taking possession of a new house, which is destruction itself; and sleeping in a newly- plastered bed-room, whicli he thought nearly as pernicious. By thus knowing what is in- jurious to health, and what precautions must be taken to preserve it, James was seldom seized by a cold or a fever ; — unless by a fever of drink, which sometimes indeed became ex- cessive, as he had taken it into his head (for it does not seem that any one had taught him), that small fevers often prevented great ones. But this happened only when he entertained his friends, whose company no man enjoyed more than himself. We must now for a little leave James snug 94 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. in the well, to ruminate there on his future progress, and to lay plans for his farther ad- vancement, while we return to consider the forlorn state of his brothers and sisters at the castle of Carvanty. When the family arose on the morning after James had taken his departure, they were overwhelmed with grief, and considered his absence the greatest loss which they had ever sustained. The castle, once famed for dance, and song, and glee, became all at once as if it were a desolate and deserted building, which death had deprived of its beloved own- er, who would henceforth return no more. In- deed, so much was his removal deplored, that all the family went into mourning ; — even the dogs and the cats had black crape hung round their necks; and, had it been possible to catch the cocks and hens, they would have been put into mourning also ; so great was the demonstration of sorrow manifested at the castle on this occasion. 1 AYAMONTE. 95 But we must now return to James himself, who, having left the well as soon as it was fair, without being perceived by a human be- ing, set out again on his journey, and arrived in safety at the town of Almonte. He there took up his abode for the night at a respect- able tavern; and, after inquiring about his route to Ayamonte, he departed next morning, and in two days reached that place not a little fatigued with his journey. Ayamonte, though only a village, bore the vestiges of ancient re- nown, as it had a fortified castle adjoining, and even at that time it was distinguished by having one of the best inns on the road for the accommodation of travellers, for cabrio- lets, and other vehicles. Travellers (that is, those who travel on business, not for the pur- pose of gaining information), generally fre- quent one particular inn, and occupy one par- ticular room in it, which is denominated the traveller's room, in which they associate with one another, and thus learn a great deal of 96 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. what is going on in different parts of the country. As travellers on business, for the most part, lodge in those inns which afford the best accommodation and the cheapest fare, hence it is advisable that travellers for plea- sure should go thither also, if they would save expense ; besides, that the landlord is gener- ally attentive to the wishes of his guests, and brings a bottle from the far binn when ever he is requested. James never enjoyed himself more than he did in dining at an inn, as he was there free from all restraint, and entirely his own mas- ter ; whereas at another's table he could not enjoy these advantages, as he must submit to the rules of his host, without presuming to dictate in any thing whatever. But at an inn, he could order what he wanted, and get what he called for, even almost instantaneously ; while, at the table of any grandee in the pro- vince of Andalusia, (where he now was) one must often wait for hours before he is sup- 8 I AYAMONTE. 97 plied with what he requires for his necessities or comfort. Moreover, though a person en- tertained by a great man may think that the dinner is long in being served up, and may look at his watch as a plain signal of his im- patience, yet this does not in the least hasten its appearance, as some favourite guest, per- haps, has not yet arrived, and the lady of the house will not be so unmannerly as even to order preparations for it, till the whole of her company are assembled. Now, when all the guests are ready to sit down to table, the repast is only preparing for them, and they must wait, perhaps, for another hour before it is presented ; so that those who arrived first are heartily sick of having spent double the time in the expectation, that they will do in the fruition, of the sumptuous ban- quet. Meantime, the guests are fretting with chagrin, traversing the room, biting their lips, and out of humour with every one, till the cloth is spread, and the dinner served up to VOL. I. E 98 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVETXER. allay their hunger. As such delay at the feasts of the great is so vexatious to those who have the honour of being invited to them, James thought that, in the interval between the arrival of the company and the appear- ance of the dinner, — it would certainly be pre- ferable to introduce cards, dice, backgammon, or chess, even in daylight, than to walk round and round a drawing-room, sometimes tread- ing on ladies' gowns, and at other times on gentlemen's toes. There is a time when peo- ple are taught to expect their dinner, and when they could partake of it with a relish ; but, as the wise man saith, " hope deferred maketh the heart sick ;'"* so a dinner long de- layed maketh the appetite to fail ; as those who have fasted long cannot eat any thing, even so much as a piece of toasted cheese on a hot plate, which most people can eat when, they can relish nothing else. It is indeed alleged by those who keep their company waiting for dinner, that they act upon AYAMONTE. 99 the maxim of " hot and hot," as if they thought that the hotter a dinner is, so much the better. But James considered this a most vulgar pre- judice, as it suggested the idea that the com- pany were dining in a pie-shop, though they had hvery-servants standing behind them. He wished much to reform the customs of man- kind in the future regulation of their dinner- hours, seeing that, if the evil complained of still continued, it would become worse and worse, although it certainly should be reme- died, if the great would listen to his advice. None of these inconveniences, however, were experienced by James at a respectable inn or tavern, where he was free from every kind of nonsensical ceremony, and where he was amused by the celerity of the waiters' movements, and the pleasure which they felt in serving up every thing with the greatest punctuality. It was even a feast to James to contrast the eimui of a splendid company, waiting impatiently for a dinner composed of loo THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. fried frogs and fricasees, with the composure which he enjoyed in having his repast, which consisted of fish, flesh, and all the birds of the air, served up even by livery-servants ; — for, in several of the towns in Spain, he met with many waiters who wore blue shoes, white stockings, red breeches, black waistcoats, and coats with buttons of the size of a dub- loon, and of all the seven colours in the rain- bow ; besides being ornamented with tassels, trimmings, and trappings, suspended from the shoulders. The colour of the coat, and of the buttons thereon, corresponded with the heraldic arms of the family, as marks of honours that were justly due to them, which, though they may be deemed a piece of ridi- culous pageantry in other countries, are not considered as such in the Spanish territories. James approved of this badge of distinction, especially as these honours were never confer- red upon any, unless as a reward for merit ; in the same manner as they are upon the man AYAMONTE. 101 who has fought the battles of his country, or done any other signal service in promoting its prosperity. But James could never understand, why not only the grandees, but even families of the middling ranks in Spain, had such a crowd of lackeys and dependants ; and often figured to himself that, if thirty-two of them were placed upon a large diamond-square painted hall, with the sixteen kings, queens, rooks, and bishops, with the sixteen pawns, — it was perfectly possible to play a game of chess with them, and make them move at the word of command, which might be the more easily done, as they could be so readily distinguished by their dress ; and that the player would be saved a great deal of time and trouble which are absolutely necessary in arranging the ar- tificial figures on a chess-board. But these were merely flights of fancy, in which he some- times indulged for his own amusement. James found at the inn where he now re- 102 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. sided nothing particular to engage his atten- tion, and therefore determined to pursue his journey ; but, having experienced the fatigue of travelling on foot, he resolved to embark in a vessel bound for Port St Mary, a sea- port town, where the English had made an unsuccessful attack, with a design to besiege Cadiz, in the year 1702. James having paid for his entertainment at the inn, was there informed that a passage- boat was ready to sail for Port St Mary that afternoon. He immediately stepped into it, regardless of the danger of a very high sea, that threatened, at the swelling of every wave, to upset the packet. He was the only pas- senger who would venture on board, although the shore was filled with trunks, boxes, and j>eople, many of whom had engaged for their passage. This was another proof of that resolute spi- rit which James possessed, — and shewed that he was fitted for the greatest enterprises.— AYAMONTE. 103 Such a man Columbus himself had been ; and James was as anxious to see the place, from which he supposed that celebrated navigator sailed, as he had been to discover the western continent. Our hero had taken it into his head to believe that St Mary, instead of Pa- hs, was the port from which Columbus began his expedition ; and that, if he himself were there, he would set out from it also in quest of adventures, and thus become as great a man as Columbus was. The captain of the packet, who, before set- ting sail, was as grave as a parson, now raged in nearly the same proportion as the storm ; the waves lashed right over the boat every minute, and this increased his fury at a man and a boy who formed the only crew in this adventurous voyage. James hung by the til- ler-rope, threw the helm aside, and turned the vessel's head to the wind. But, though James displayed the utmost dexterity in acting the pilot, the captain, instead of thanking him for 104 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. his well-meant services, pushed him from his station, and threw him down the hatchway, at the bottom of which he sunk knee-deep in a tar-barrel. James was now equally enraged in his turn ; and, after he had clambered up on deck, a wave struck the boat abaft, and drove the captain down into the cabin. James closed the hatch, — locked it down to prevent his getting up, and then grasped the helm to keep the ship to windward ; at the same time, giving his orders to the crew in a calm, con- siderate, and rational manner, which had a very different effect from those of the captain, which drove them stupid and distracted. Although the gale increased considerably, yet the superior management of James carried the packet safe into the harbour of Port St Mary, amidst the acclamations of hundreds who had assembled on the pier. Before entering the port, however, James had seized an opportu- nity, when the wind was not very boisterous, to attire himself in the dress presented to him PORT ST MAUY. 105 by the ladies of Tavira ; so that, in his grand coat, and beaver-hat of plumes and feathers, he was received by the people as another Co- lumbus, and, considering explanations as un- necessary, made the best of his way to the Ship Inn amidst the huzzas of a crowd of spectators ; thus entering the town with as great honour as if he had been the discoverer of a new world. James having now arrived on shore, was followed by the captain, who, in a violent rage for having been locked up in the cabin, threatened to knock him down on the spot. The populace, however, seized the captain, whom they would have torn to pieces for his outrageous conduct, had not James interposed to rescue him. When they had entered the inn, the cap- tain still exhibited no small degree of inso- lence, while James, who was afraid of no man, and who thought that he deserved a good cudgelling, took no notice of it, but turned £2 106 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. round on his heel, and advised him to be more civil ; " for," said he, " you know there is a Spanish proverb, that persons, whose houses are made of glass, ought to be cautious how they throtv stones at other peopWs windows.'''* This appeal to the captain"'s sense of pro- priety had the desired effect, as he touched his hat, made an apology, and walked out of the room. James having arrived at Port St Mary be- fore it was dark, had time to view this ancient town, which he found nothing short of what it had been represented. Before sallying forth, however, he changed his dress, by throwing off his splendid coat, and putting on a large boat-cloak, whereby he was so dis- guised, that he passed unnoticed by the people of the town ; and, after two or three turns round the harbour, he returned to the inn. The room into which James had been shewn was filled with ship-captains, mates, and stew- ards, who recounted the particulars of their PORT ST MARY. 107 several voyages, and strove to excel each other in the marvellous, while every sentence was ushered in by an oath and a knock on the table, on which stood a large bowl of punch. James soon perceived into what sort of com- pany he was now introduced ; and, having lighted his pipe, took his seat near a tall gruff* seaman, who seemed to James to have been placed there as an echo of the parties, for, at the end of every remark, he cried out, " en- tirely," and continued to repeat the same expression during the whole night, without ever venturing to make a single observation. James found several pipes as well employed as his own, and joined his companions in drink- ing success to all adventurers by sea and land, and contributing to empty the flowing bowl. In looking about to survey the company, he observed the captain of the packet among them, who wished to revive the quarrel which they had about locking down the hatchway ; but he was prevented by the incessant vocife- 108 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. ration of a sea-captain, who had once been at the island of Madagascar, and who gave such an incredible account of the natives, and of his narrow escape from the jaws of a croco- dile, that nobody could get a word to say ex- cept himself. But his neighbour, the echo, not- withstanding the absurdity of the captain's sto- ries, continued from time to time to roar out ^' entirely," although the word was at com- plete variance with the subject. The scene now presented was not at all to James' liking, as he neither had any desire to hear of sea-exploits, nor was the least enter- tained with descriptions of voyages, especially when he knew that they were so egregiously magnified by his companions ; and he was con- scious that, were they to tell stories till dooms- day, they could not describe any dangers or da- mages equal to those which he had so recently experienced. Besides, the purpose of his tra- vels was to attempt the reformation of man- kind in general ; but sea-captains, ship-mas- POUT ST MARY. 109 ters, and stewards, had not been included in the different classes of society, as they spend their lives on sea, not on land, like other people, and thereby acquire habits peculiar to them- selves, which he considered as incorrigible. James did not indeed disdain to associate with persons of every description, but delighted to draw comparative views of all classes and si- tuations of life ; though his chief pleasure arose from discovering the amiable qualities of the mind, whether these appeared in per- sons of high rank or of low condition,— being well convinced that the distinctions of fortune do not increase or diminish any man's intrin- sic worth as an individual. But though these ideas floated in James' imagination, he was not then in a humour for moralizing, and was glad to go to bed, having resolved to set out for Cadiz the next day. He arose by five o'clock in the morning ; and, on inquiring what he had to pay for his night's lodging, found it much more moderate 110 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. than he expected. James blessed his stars that it was so, for his purse was now reduced to two piastres, with which he set out on foot, and reached a traveller's inn by one o'clock, where, without entering, he purchased a loaf which he soaked in brandy, — and, having rested an hour, set out again with fresh vi- gour. Some persons may perhaps consider such an expedient as mean and contemptible ; but, though James resorted to it in his present cir- cumstances, he would have disdained to do so if he had been supplied with more money ; and, moreover, had he been a passenger in the mail, when a dinner was provided at the inn, and a reasonable time allowed for it, — if he should have gone to a baker's shop, and bought a biscuit, (which he might contrive to eat the best way he could, and then take his seat in the coach,) nobody would say that he acted wrong, as his purse alone could direct him what was proper to be done in these matters. PORT ST MARY. Ill As the day was fine, he went on his way rejoicing ; and, on arriving at a turn of the road, he saw two fellows binding and beating a person who appeared to be a gentleman, and who, on our traveller''s approach, called out loudly for assistance. James, in his present elevated state, flew like the wind, and attacked the fellows in a way that they did not expect, as he first knocked down the one, then the other ; and unbinding the gentleman, whom they had tied with ropes, he and his companion bound the ruffians together, — whom, after giving them a severe beating, they left sprawling on the road-side. The gentleman was so overjoyed at his narrow escape that, after many expressions of thanks, he offered James his horse, which was tied to an adjoining tree. Our hero declined the offer, by asking in return what distance they might be from Sidonia ? The gentleman told him that they were about five miles from it ; but James, notwithstanding the distance, 112 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. and the lameness of his soles, which were all blistered, still declined the offer of mounting on horseback, as his companion would then be obliged to trudge on foot. In consequence of James"' refusal, the gentleman continued walking also, and leading his horse ; ''as he would not," he said, " on any account mount his horse while the preserver of his life was on foot beside him ;*" and averred that, " if it were possible, he would hire a chaise to convey his deliverer to the place of his desti- nation." This declaration not only afforded James a proof that he had preformed a valorous achievement in saving the life of a fellow-crea- ture ; it was especially a source of satisfaction to know, that he had rescued a person who was so fully sensible of the favour done to him. They continued to walk on for some time, till James insisted that his companion should mount ; but he would not, unless on con- dition that they should both mount to- gether. To this proposal James agreed, so PORT ST MARY. 113 that the two travellers pursued their journey in the same manner as a bUnd fiddler does, with his son behind him. James and his com- panion being thus seated, began to enter into familiar conversation ; and the latter, who was very communicative, told the former, that his name was Blazoni, that he resided in the city of Sidonia, and that he had been at a friend's house in the country upon a visit for a few days ; but, on returning home, he had been waylaid by robbers, who, having hid themselves among some brushwood on the road-side, had rushed out upon him, and pull- ed him off his horse, — alleging that they had no intention of hurting him, but that, being in great poverty, and unable to find employ- ment, they wanted only a little money to sup- ply their necessities. After making this apo- logy for the act of robbery which they were about to perpetrate, they bound him with ropes, and were proceeding to rifle his pockets, when James' appearance luckily saved him 114 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. from being robbed of his money and his gold watch, which was of infinite value, as he had received it from his cousin, Don Altona Magi, a physician in Cadiz, as a pledge of his great affection for himself. But, except the risk he ran of being robbed of these articles, he believed, in justice to these poor men, that they would not have hurt a hair of his head. Our travellers had now pursued their jour- ney for some miles ; and at last they arrived at the house of Don Blazoni, who, after intro- ducing James to his wife and daughters, re- lated to them all the circumstances above- mentioned. The ladies having thus learned how much they were indebted to James for his signal services, bestowed on him marks of unbound- ed kindness, and loaded him with every possible civility; while Blazoni himself gave a grand entertainment, to which several of his friends were invited, in honour of the man who had been his preserver. i POUT ST MARY. 115 After the company had departed, Blazoni asked James whither he was going, and what was the purpose of his journey in that part of the country ? — at the same time offering to assist him in any manner that lay in his pow- er. James, who was highly gratified with the generous proposal of a person to whom he was in a great measure an utter stranger, rea- dily explained to Blazoni all the circum- stances of his condition ; in consequence of which he received an introductory letter to his host''s cousin. Magi, in the city of Cadiz. Magi, it seems, though a man of an eccen- tric turn of mind, was very friendly to those to whom he happened to take a liking ; and James, having learned this, considered him- self fortunate in having the prospect of being introduced to such a man, as he was now placed in peculiar circumstances, — having lit- tle or no money left, although his delicacy for- bade him to say so, and as he never could bor- row any even with the certain prospect of be- 116 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. ing able to repay it. But, fearing that he might not have even enough to defray his ex- penses to Cadiz, he thought proper to give an account of the motives which induced him to undertake his travels, and the slender means he had for continuing his journey. Blazoni was so highly pleased with the no- ble and heroic disposition of his guest, that he pressed him to stay all that night ; and James, having at last consented, proceeded to give a long recital of his travels, with which his host was much entertained; although, when he mentioned the adventure of his entering the harbour of St Mary as another Columbus, Blazoni could not suppress a smile, which arose instinctively in spite of all his efforts to prevent it. He was sorry to observe a man of a well-informed mind under the influence of whimsical notions, and one who possessed so good a heart misled by a dash of eccen- tricity of character, such as he had seldom read of, far less seen, in any other person PORT ST MARY. 117 with whom he was acquainted. The only one whom Blazoni conceived most to resemble James was his own cousin, who was by far the greatest oddity in all Cadiz, or through- out the province of Andalusia; and he anti- cipated, with risible emotions, the extraordi- nary nature of the interview that would take place between two such eccentric characters. But though his host was not a little disposed to laugh at James, yet, when he came to that period of his travels, when he left the inn with only two piastres in his pocket, Blazoni started from his seat, took him by the hand, and looked at him with amazement ineffable. A tear swelled in his eye; — it fell, and was succeeded by others ; — he tried to speak, but found no utterance for words, no relief from his affliction. He sat down, but was no soon- er seated than he rose again, and walked through the room with his hands behind his back ; — he tore them asunder, and beat his brow in agony. At length the overflowing of 118 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. his heart subsided ; and, wiping his eyes, he approached James, and addressed him in the following words : — " What extraordinary account is this which I have heard," said he, '' that the preserver of my life and property should be in such dis- tress, — that the man who feels another's woes should suffer poverty and want ! No, it shall never, cannot be, while I am able to relieve it. But, my friend, I admire your fortitude in sus- taining penury with so much composure ; your trials and your sufferings will yet make you happy.'' Blazoni retired; and James, who leaned upon his chair, heaved a deep sigh. He wait- ed long for Blazoni, who did not soon return, as he was so much overpowered by his feelings, that he went up stairs, and wept bitterly. He rang the bell ; upon which his wife and daughters entering, and finding him in such dis- tress, inquired the cause of his violent grief. Blazoni, fetching a sigh, informed them of the SIDONTA. 119 helpless condition of the stranger, " who," said he, " has friends that have property, who is a gentleman, — but, alas ! he is poor ! and in a foreign land ! He saved me from imminent danger ; and what,"" cried he, " shall I do for this magnanimous stranger ? I shall give liim what money he will accept of, and I shall not put it in his power to determine what that shall be."" So opening his scrutoire, he wrote an order on his banker at Cadiz, for one hundred pistoles, — an act of generosity which redounded equally to his honour, and to James^ necessities. The writing of this order, and the time which he allowed to elapse before returning down stairs, quieted his mind ; so that Blazo- ' ni resumed his wonted composure. On entering the dining-room, he found James fast asleep on a chair : for, as he was fatigued, and as nobody was near him, he had naturally fallen into the arms of Morpheus. He soon awoke, however, and found his friend 120 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. returned, and sitting beside him. Blazoni now told James, that he was a man who never could hear the tale of misery, without feeling deeply for the distressed ; and that if he felt for others with whose sorrows he had no concern, how much more did it become him to feel for one who had done him so very important a service, as no requital on his part could repay, and no length of time could ef- face ! But, in testimony of the obligation, he had one favour to ask in return, — that James would accept of a draft for one hundred pis- toles, which he put into his hand, saying, — " I request that you'll make no observations upon the subject, and that you'll not offer to make any." James bowed respectfully, and reluctantly received the draft, without making a reply to express the gratitude he felt for so signal a favour. James now wished to pursue his journey, and to take his leave of this worthy family ; • 8 SIDONIA. 121 but Blazoni would not let him depart, before receiving a promise that he would return in a month, and give him an account of the recep- tion he had met with from his cousin Magi. James gave him his hand only conditionally ; for although he promised to see him as soon as possible, yet he could not foresee what might happen to prevent his return at a distant pe- riod, — as the travels on which he had now set out ext-ended over a wide field, where he might meet with so many difficulties and obstructions as to render it impossible. So saying, James took leave of Blazoni, his wife, and daughters, and, heartily wishing them^every earthly bless- ing, hied away to pursue his journey. All ye who journey through this weary world, May from high rank to low estate be hurl'd ; Your glowing stars, which with refulgence burn, May be eclipsed and darkened in their turn. VOL. I. F 122 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. CHAPTER IV. SIDONIA. James having left Sidonia, proceeded on his journey towards Cadiz, and entertained his fancy with a thousand ideas respecting the character of Altona Magi. He had never yet met with any person who had not some pecu- liarities, and therefore doubted not that Don Magi had his also ; nay, from his particular profession as a physician, James was per- suaded that they m.ust be even of a very ex- traordinary kind. For the variety of lan- guages that a physician must study pro- duces such a confused mixture of heterogene- ous ideas as are sufficient to turn his brain ; SIDONIA. 123 but, when these are accompanied with the re- quisite knowledge of chemistry and pharma- cy, what could be expected but that such a man must possess a strange composition of mental qualities ? — Such being the ideas that James had formed of this eminent physician, he became more and more anxious to see him, and learn his character. Our eccentric traveller, whose lively fancy was ever ready to suggest objects of compari- son, naturally turned his thoughts from the contemplation of Magi's supposed character to that of m.ankind at large. — " What a strange medley," thought he, " is this world altoge- ther ! — A masquerade is a very partial repre- sentation of it, and far too limited an object of comparison ; since every man differs as much in face and mind as the masks, under which the persons there assembled speak and act their different parts." Though this was a mortifying picture of human society, it was nevertheless a true one ; 124 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. as he had often found, in his transactions with mankind, many fair pretences, — but where was common justice or honesty to be found ? — Musing on these and similar subjects, James arrived at Cadiz about three o'clock in the afternoon, and inquired at the first person he met, where he could find the residence of the great Don Altona Magi ? " What !"' answered the person he had spoken to, " is there an hihabitant of the globe who knows not a gentleman whom every one knows ? — the great, the wonderful Don Al- tona Magi ! — famed in all histories and in all languages ! — whose name has reached beyond the poles, and is as well known in any planet as it is in this ! — You can't go wrong ;" — and, moving off while he spoke, he left James in an awkward situation, — not much wiser as to Magi's residence. James thought that, if Don Magi had moved oif to a planet, he would not follow him thither at present ; and, accosting the CADIZ. 125 next person he met, asked him the same ques- tion. " Know !" answered the man whom he had addressed ; "I know Don Altona Magi very well ;'"■ — and he also stepped off. " What can such conduct as this mean .?'' thought James — " Are the people of one pro- vince so different from those of another, that these fellows refuse to answer fhe simple ques- tion of a stranger ?^ — This, he considered, was little short of what he had sometimes ex- perienced in life, as he had known persons who refused to cross a kennel to serve him, while he did nothing but cross ferries, seas, and mountains, to serve every one. James, however, resolved that he would ask a third person, who should answer his question ; and, addressing a respectable-look- ing old man, whom he took hold of by the button of his coat, repeated the same inquiry. This gentleman was very civil to James, and told him that Don Magi lived in Bena- 126 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. vente Square; — that in order to find it, he must first turn to the right hand, and then to the left, when the house would be seen at a short distance in the corner of the square. James could not but thank this gentleman for his politeness ; and began, as usual, to mo- ralize on the different receptions he had met with from the persons whom he had accosted. From his former as well as from his present ex- perience, he found that old persons took more trouble in showing strangers the right road, than the young ; and that real gentlemen, however plainly dressed, were always less proud and consequential, than fluttering fops or journeymen barbers. He next endeavoured to discover the cause of this difference in their deportment ; and finding, from observation, that common sol- diers, when promoted, were always the most cruel and tyrannical officers, and that low people, when advanced to higher stations, were always the worst and most capricious CADIZ. 127 masters, — he accounted for their conduct in the following manner : — He was persuaded that an officer who had risen from the ranks, became overbearing from knowing that the strictest discipline made the best men. But he perceived that this mode of accounting for the conduct of military officers, did not apply to that of journeymen- tailors who had become masters, nor to that of valets who had married their masters' daughters or their masters' wi- dows, as they considered themselves far above nobility , from their knowledge in having learned both professions ! Neither did it apply to jour- neymen hair-dressers, who assumed more airs than a dancing-master ; — the latter of whom had only to instruct his pupils how to use their hands and feet, while the former could take the greatest man by the nose with impunity. These matters seemed, in James' opinion, to be of the greatest importance, and well worthy of being investigated even by a philo- sopher ; — especially as the assumed greatness 128 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. and upstart dignity of the low-bred mobility rendered them the most invidious, insolent, and intolerable set of beings on the face of the earth. He acknowledged, indeed, that these fellows- might be suffered to hold up their heads, (though only among people of their own rank,) in so faF as they had ad- vanced or shoved themselves forward in so- ciety by honourable means ; but he could not help observing with regret, that because they could not obtain the wealth, respectability, or parentage of others, their plan was to level and destroy all and sundry, as an easier me- thod of arriving at distinction. All these grounds of complaint against the arrogance of the lower classes w^ere, in James' opinion, very great evils, which, above all things, he wished to remedy ; and he hoped that, dur- ing the course of his travels, he might dis- cover some effectual method of establishing such regulations in society, that they might iio longer exist in it. CADIZ. 129 Musing on these topics, our traveller was still perambulating the streets of Cadiz in quest of the residence of Don Magi, whom we must, in the meantime, introduce to the reader's attention. Don Altona Magi of Cordova was the son of Don Sabre Magi, an extensive merchant, and marshal of that city, who, by his for- tunate adventures and large concerns, had amassed the greatest fortune ever known to have been acquired in Spain. He was not only distinguished by his wealth, but illus- trious by his ancestry, being a descendant of the famous Christopherus Columbus, the first discoverer of America, a.d. 1492. At Don Sabre^s decease^ all his vast fortune and es- tates devolved to his two sons, Vertu and Al- tona. Vertu, though the eldest, was a boy of slow parts, and therefore never gained his father's esteem ; but the youngest discovered a pre- cocity of genius in his early years, which con- F 2 ]30 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLEE. vinced his father that he might one day sur- pass all his contemporaries in riches, and ac- quire possessions even larger than Spain it- self. Bred a merchant, he had taught his sons to believe that wealth was the one thing needful, and that it alone was the source of happiness. When his sons had grown up, Don Sabre Magi resolved to settle each of them creditably in the world ; and accord- ingly Vertu, the eldest, at the age of twenty- one years, was put in possession of one half of his father''s property, while Altona, the youngest, two years afterwards, obtained possession of the other half as his portion. The eldest had embarked all his wealtli in extensive commerce and shipping, and estab- lished various concerns in every quarter of the world ;^-while he retained some thousand acres of land, and built one of the largest and finest houses in Spain, within a mile of Cadiz, where he resided in all the splendour of an Asiatic prince. CADIZ. 131 Altona had, as his share of the property, a square built by his father, and named after him, which was occupied by the first grandees of the place, — and, for extent and elegance, was never surpassed. But Altona, instead of debasing his mind by commercial affairs, or worldly concerns of any kind, devoted him- self to the pursuits of literature and science ; and, from his extraordinary talents, unwea- ried application, and profound erudition, soon became one of the most wonderful scholars of the age. At the age of twenty-two, he had published three different works on scientific subjects, and a large volume on chemistry, which he pre- ferred before every other study. At that early age, he shut himself up in one of the houses of the square, where he spent his time in v/riting, and performing chemical experiments. Ten rooms of his house were filled with as many different philosophical ex- hibitions, and all the apparatus necessary for 132 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. pursuing his scientific researches. He had written as many books as would have fill- ed a moderately-sized room ; nay, the very catalogue of his works, at the time when James was first honoured with his acquaint- ance, exceeded the size of a large quarto volume; As he thus spent his life in reading and writing, he was, like most great geniuses, very deficient in the knowledge of the world, and therefore extremely liable to be taken advan- tage of, or imposed upon, by every one who wanted money; and it unluckily happened, that all his acquaintances were persons who would ratlber horrozv, than workjbr it. k\\ of these, in order to ingratiate them- selves with Don Magi, endeavoured to amuse him with an account of something new or ex- traordinary, — and thus, by imposing on his credulity and easy temper, readily persuaded him to do any thing they wished ; so that, by the extortions of these sycophants, it may CADIZ. 133 be easily conceived that he was soon reduced to poverty. With such a man was James about to be- come acquainted, although he had no doubt that he would be taken for another parasite, who had come for the purpose of borrowing money. But, though his stock of cash was now nearly exhausted, Don Altona considered the discovery of an alteration in the solution of an acid, or the neutralizing^ of an alkali, worth a thousand ducats, which he willingly expended in the purchase of an apparatus ne- cessary for performing these experiments ; so that his furniture, books, and papers, dis- solved very fast with these combinations. In consequence of this, he noticed a proportional dissolution of his friends, cronies, and ac- quaintances, who, from being almost innumer- able, were now reduced to two or three, that hung upon the very last thread of his property. There were, indeed, a few more who were really friends ; as they had now a pleasure 134 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. in assisting him, although they found, that any sum they gave him was of httle or no va- lue in retrieving his affairs, as he could, with equal ease, have lighted his pipe with all their wealth, and smoked it out with as much unconcern, as he would have smoked a pipe of canaster or tea-cut. To such a singular character was James ready to introduce himself ; and for this pur- pose he procured a new suit of clothes, believ- ing that, as he was a relation of Don Blazoni, he must therefore be a great man, whatever his profession or employment might be ! James having dressed himself as described, went straight to Don Altona''s house in the square ; and, after ascending as many steps as there were days in the year, he got at last to the attic story without finding it, — then turned down again to look at the names on every door in the stair, but was as often told, that Don Al- tona Magi lived in the upper flat. On find- ing the house at last, and on examining it CADIZ. 135 minutely, he perceived that it did not corre- spond with the description that had been given him, and began to think that a trick had been played upon him, either by Don Blazoni or the old gentleman who pointed it out to him ; however, on knocking at the door, and inquiring if Don Altona Magi lived here, an old woman who opened it, told him that her master was just getting up. This was about three o''clock in the afternoon ; for Don Magi wrote all night, and slept all day. James was shown into a place so full of books and papers, that there was scarcely room for a chair, on which he sat down ; hoping that he would have time to recover his breath be- fore his introduction to Don Magi. Here he waited for nearly an hour, and thus he had sufficient time to notice some of the ar- ticles of which this room seemed nearly full to the door. There were also several old chairs in it, that seemed to have been once red, but they were now worn out, and filled with 136 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. books, small writing-desks, old papers, pam- phlets, and other articles; together with a collection of telescopes, globes, and innumer- able philosophical instruments, so that one might have thought this apartment to be the residence of a magician. The room, besides, was so low in the ceiling, that James could scarcely stand erect in it; and being so crammed with books and papers, that he could not walk about, he therefore laid hold of a parcel of manuscripts to amuse himself; — but he had scarcely done so, when he heard a voice at some distance vociferating, " I had better be in the lunar sphere, than an inhabitant of a fflobe where there's no rest from duns f After this exclamation, Don Magi entered in great haste (for he was as quick as a needle) and, oversetting a chair near the door, brought down a whole bundle of books and papers, which he endeavoured to lift up and adjust, exclaiming again, " What a d — 1 of a place is this ! who next have we got here ? I told CADIZ. 137 you before, that I have no money ; and, therefore, sir, I hope you will discontinue these troublesome visits, seeing that, unless you take as payment such a lot of articles as I am adjusting — let me see — there is volume 10th of iEsop's Fables, and volume 3d of Erasmus, with critical notes and illustra- tions, they are certainly worth something, — old paper may surely sell for holding snufF. D — 1 a thing theyVe left me that will buy a turnip." Then turning to James, he proceeded, " Beg your pardon, — a new demand. Mercy on us ! he^s got five hundred tailors' bills — are these all owing too ? — How much ? what combination of properties are they compound- ed of? — Now, sir, be quick and walk down stairs — I'm perfectly honest in saying, that I have nothing for you." James, during this singular discourse, found his alarm somewhat abated, but not his surprise at the singular appearance of Don Magi ; while his equally singular address put 138 THE ECCENTmC TRAVELLEK. our traveller's senses totally to flight. He could not utter a word, but stood and looked at the papers he had in his hand ; while Don Magi, taking him by the arm, led him nearer the outer-door, which he intended immediately to bolt, — and continued to vociferate against the impudence of intruders of his kind, who were sufficient to knock every problem out of his head with their d — d money. Don Magi, as he appeared to James, dress- ed in a long great-coat and night-cap, was a tall thin man, with quick penetrating eyes, and an expressive countenance, at which James looked more than he attended to his words, though every one which he spoke might have been printed. Just as Magi was about kicking the sup- posed intruder down stairs, James so far re- covered the use of his speech as to be able to express the word — " mistake.'" " Mistake !" cried Magi in a fury, " there's no mistake about the matter, you're sent here by some CADIZ. .139 d — d needy fellow, to seek money in a place where it is not to be found. A very pretty story, that one should be interrupted in their study by a set of d — d low fellows, whose heads have no other employment than to create ima- ginary demands on a gentleman, as indepen- dent in principle as the greatest of them ;^ — and, giving James a shove with his shoulder, he drove him down ten steps at once, and shut the door. What a reception was this ! thought James, in place where he knew nobody ; and how un- fortunate to be, by a momentary insensibility, unable to tell the nature of his mission ; — to be taken, or rather mistaken, for a dun, and tumbled down a stair by the only man who could be of any service to him in his travels ! But James was not to be dispirited by this acci- dent, since he considered that it was the lot of mankind to be happy and miserable by turns. So, getting up the best way he could, he waited a full hour on the staircase ; and, wish- ing to have but one sight of Don Magi, that 140 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. he might tell him who he was, he knocked again at the door ; then, looking through the keyhole, he met Don Magi's eye, who was also looking through to see who it was. James, in order to obtain admittance, men- tioned Don Blazoni's name; on which the door was instantly opened, and our hero en- tered. After paying obeisance to Don Magi, " I am,*" said James, '' a friend of Don Bla- zoni, of the city of Sidonia, and travelhng in the north of Spain. I had a letter of intro- duction to you, which, however, I have unfor- tunately lost." " No matter," replied Don Magi, *' I can suppose so ; that is of no conseqence, inso- much as you know even his name. Why the d — 1 did you not tell me so before ? Why the d — 1, I say, I thought you one of those d — d tax-gatherers, tailors, or tallow-chandlers, who infest my house every day from morning till night; so that I must either build up the door, and go out at the window by a ladder, or tell a fashionable tale, and a common lie. CADIZ. 141 that * / am not at home,'' which I never did. It is a mean, low subterfuge, as if you were afraid to be seen, or could not speak to these destroyers of peace and quietness. And, therefore, the only effectual plan I have, is just to shoulder them all out ; for although I may be indebted to them, they have no right to enter my premises, or disturb my studies," Then taking James by the hand, he con- tinued, — " You see that mistakes will happen. I hope you are not the worse for your late journey ; but if so, as you know Don Blazoni, you can live in my house a few weeks, and I promise that you shall travel through every province of Spain, if you only say you ever knew me, even by name. My mode of life is considered singular ; but I think it is not. It is a rational research into the mysteries of nature, which is the only employment suited to a rational mind. Can the greatest riches, the most superb palaces, or the most elegant 142 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLEK. equipages, dispute pre-eminence with the pos- session of knowledge, the love of literature, or the study of nature ? These, sir, rank our existence in the scale of worth and excel- lence. All other things are mean and con- temptible."" James having now recovered from his agi- tation, and being so well received by Don Magi, found himself happy, when only two minutes before he was quite miserable. These, however, were but the changes of for- tune, and the different portions of good and evil which occur in the world. Joy and sor- row, happiness and misery, hopes and fears, thought he, are all in equal balance laid ; and experience constantly exhibited all these vicis- situdes. To the aged and experienced they were natural occurrences, and the compound parts of our existence. To the young and in- experienced, they became accidents, which elevated or depressed them beyond the bounds of moderation. To James these things ap- I CADIZ. 143 peared as they were ; every loss or misfor- tune he considered as casual and momentary, since he found, that an equal value or propor- tion of the good things of life was ready, at some time or other, to reward him for his losses and disappointments. On a mind such as he possessed, neither joy nor grief, riches nor poverty, ever made the slightest impression, — as he was armed by the experience which he had of life, and guarded by the command he had ob- tained over his passions, so that he was now fitted to bear the difficulties of every situa- tion ; — the world was to him a passing scene, and the fewer enjoyments or anticipations of happiness he felt, the more was he armed against disappointments. He was endued with wonderful sagacity in discovering, and ability in managing, the passions of men ; while his conduct, at the same time, was uni- formly guided by reason and discretion. Such was the character of James, who has left an 144 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. example worthy of universal imitation, and particularly suited to direct others in every trying situation of life. James spent the evening with Don Magi, who related to him the whole of his history. He was much amused with the collection of books and curiosities, of which, at Magi's re- quest, he took an inventory, that occupied him fully seven days, and filled a large volume, — as every mechanical instrument, and every article in a cutler's or hardware shop, made a part of it. His collection of swords, fishing-rods, pistols, globes, telescopes, &c., were innumerable. There was also a press that contained a hundred pair of shoes, all equally half worn, as he generally shifted them every two or three hours. The personal character of Don Magi was of a piece with his domestic property, and, therefore, it may be easily believed, that he had a great many eccentricities. — According- ly, when he drank, he rested the glass on his 3 CADIZ. 145 nose, alleging, that he had more pleasure from the touch than the taste. He had a particular aversion to butter and mustard ; the first he called an animal oil, a vile composition, pernicious to the stomach, as it engendered bile, produced flatulence and dyspepsy, which often terminated in jaundice or dropsy ; and, though the last did not contain these destructive qualities, yet it produced effects that were equally bad in many other ways; for, as it blis- tered the outside, it must consequently blister the inside also. Spirits, he said, were equally destructive, as they were strong exciting powers, or stimuli, producing a temporary violent excitement, and, if drunk to excess, were sure to blister the liver. To corroborate this allegation, he recited a story of a man who carried about with him a red pimpled face, a carbuncled nose, and an eter- nal fever, whose liver was at length burned to a cinder ; and he gave such a melancholy VOL. I. G 146 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. picture of persons destroyed by that chemical production, as created in James very serious apprehensions for the health of some of his best friends. Magi felt a peculiar satisfaction in descant- ing on this subject ; and the more so, as he perceived that James was extremely fond of Spanish brandy, which, Magi assured him, would, some time or other, in every probabi- lity occasion his death, as he made large doses of brandy-punch every evening ; and, having little or no exercise, sometimes found it ne- cessary to add sixty drops of laudanum to make him sleep ; — so that Don Magi became somewhat alarmed on account of the expense it must cost him were James to die, especial- ly as his credit was now so far gone with every one, that he believed no undertaker in Cadiz would give him credit. But, having never employed one, he consoled himself with the idea, that he might still have as much left as would bury James, who had actually fallen CADIZ. 147 off through confinement, and from snuffing up the dust of the old books. James however recovered by degrees, and became a great favourite of Don Magi, who promised, if he would consent to live with him, to make him independent ; — not consider- ing that James was very rich, while he him- sfelf was very poor. But such was the value that Magi set upon his old books, and his useless collection of instruments and trum- pery, that he believed himself to be verv rich, although he was in debt to almost every person, in every trade or profession, in Cadiz. James perceived this foible of his friend Magi, and, had he been even poor, he would not have been imposed upon by the promises of a man who had no means whatever of per- forming them. He was, therefore, not a little astonished one evening, as they sat at supper, to hear Don Magi tlius address him : — " Do you know, Don Pedro, (for that was James' assumed 148 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVEIXER. name,) that I am thinking of altering my will, and that I have some intention of leaving all my property to you ; for, although I have near relations, some of whom are rich, others poor, yet none of them ever look near me, so that I am quite neglected ? Your attention to me, and the amusement I have enjoyed since you came into my house, exceeds all that I have ever experienced."" James, whose imagination was at work in a thousand ways at such a proposal, consider- ed this as another instance of the folly of the world, and as none of the least of its wonders. Here was a man wholly engrossed in reading and writing, by which he did not gain a ducat, while he owed many individuals thousands ; what had he to leave ? He could not pay two reals in the hundred of his debts, and yet he supposed himself very rich ! Were he not in debt, he might be called so ; but then he pos- sessed nothing, even to make a compromise with his numerous creditors. I CADIZ. H9 James, fully sensible of all this, after gaz- ing with surprise at the man, replied, " Your offer, Don Magi, is rather singular. There are twenty duns a day at your door, and I am employed to tell every one that you have no money ; you're a complete bag of debt, and therefore what on earth can you leave ? From what you have already told me, I am led to understand, that you spent all your patrimony twenty years ago, and since that time you have laid it down as a rule (like many others besides yourself) to ]pay nobody. In conse- quence of this not one will trust you a ducat, and yet you are pretending to leave a will, although you must be sensible that unless you go and beg, you must inevitably die for want." James had no sooner expressed himself in this candid manner, than Don Magi made a leap nearly three feet high ; but, considering that he was particulary fond of James, and that he ran the risk of never seeing him again, 150 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. if any violence was offered, he had so far the command of his passion as to sit down in a state of great agitation, which he could hardly suppress, and after composing himself a little, lie thus began : — " You know nothing of the world, sir ; you are a mere automaton, and you should be held up in history as a kind of wonder, an unbe- lieving, incredulous mortal ; — you think no- body worth a ducat because they may owe a trifle. My wealth, sir, is great beyond all precedent. There are as many books in that closet as would provide a dowry for a duchess' daughter. I have written ten volumes of a new work, which I value at twenty thousand ducats ; and I have ten books of equal value and merit, all ready for publication ; my other works in manuscript are worth eight thousand ducats ; and my great productions in poetry, only think what value I put upon them ! they are far beyond any calculation ; and now, sir, only think of the absurdity of your CADIZ. 151 representation, besides all my great and won- derful curiosities."" Then, opening an iron chest, he brought out the will, which, after adjusting his specta- cles, and giving two or three expressive hems, he read from the third page as follows : " Item, I give and bequeath to Don Paco Magi, seventh son of my brother, Don Vertu Magi, all my chemical apparatus, philosophi- cal instruments, books, manuscripts, and all other MSS. of my writing, which may be found in my possession. " Item, To Don Cora Blazoni, of the city of Sidonia, gent., I bequeath the sum of 10,000 piastres, lawful money of Spain. " Item, To Jura Elfrida, an old faithful servant, I give 10,000 piastres, lawful money of Spain. *' Item, To Verez Secola In short, sir, there is no end to this last will and testament ; and to make you, sir, my sole heir, to the utter exclusion of all my relations, is a preference 152 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. which, however extraordinary, I am inclined to give you. With such immense wealth you may buy half of the province of Andalusia, if it be only known that you possess it. The heir of Don Altona Magi, son of the great Sa- bre Magi, who is as well known in Asia, Africa, and America, as he is in Europe ; — whose wealth, riches, and credit, are as good in the Alcala bank, as in any other, and in the city of Cadiz, as in any of these, who has been long known for his wonderful discove- ries, and, among the rest, for that of the perpe- tual motion, which, though the last, is certainly not the least of them, and for which he is en- titled to the sum of ten thousand pounds, law- ful sterling money of Great Britain ; and also to the sum of sixty thousand ducats, (principal and interest,) lawful money of Spain ; being, to- gether, a much greater sum than that paid to Dr Jenner, for his great discovery of the vac- cine ; all of which is ready to be paid to me or CADIZ. 153 my order. These sums of money aforesaid, with the^^interest thereon, are, byway of codicil, to be given over from me and my heirs, herit- ably and irredeemably, in favour of Don Pe- dro Paterna, gent, of or near to the city of Faro, and kingdom of Portugal ; besides all my right and interest in the chance of a half, two-eighths, and a sixteenth share of the pre- sent lottery ; and these you may here sell and buy, as they are all lawfully stamped, sealed, and confirmed." Don Magi, who really believed all this non- sense, spoke ten times faster than he was wont to do on reciting the foregoing articles of his will, as he could repeat them all by rote ; and this expedient had been frequently of use to him when teased by duns, whom he had tired out by rehearsing the items of his imaginary property. He played this trick more than once upon a man who had been twenty times at his door, for half a piaster, being the price of a small keg of cider. This man he used" 154 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. to take into his room, and, after reading his will to him, and to entertain with what cost himself ten times the sum he owed. This ci- vility and obsequiousness, which were highly pleasing, he particularly bestowed upon these duns ; for, it was a maxim of his, he said, which he rigidly observed, — to please every one, and to make every one pleased with himself. James, at this last rhapsody, was still more surprised than before. — " When such oddi- ties," thought he, " as Don Magi, and twenty others whom he had seen, are to be found in Cadiz, what a number of them must there be in the world !" He found that, the longer he existed in it, the more he saw of those strange, singular, and unaccountable beings ; and at last con- cluded by thinking that Don Magi was certain- ly cracked. This was a very favourable con- struction indeed ; for, if such an oddity had lived and acted so in James' country, he must have been confined as a person who was insane. CADIZ. 155 But keeping these reflections to himself, he determined to know what Don Magi meant by all this palaver, and instantly replied,— " I have no doubt, sir, but your memory at times betrays you into imaginary wealth and suppositions, which may be an error on your part of the most inoifensive kind ; but, were your opinions and doctrines on the sub- ject of money to be put in writing, and published to the world, I am afraid that you would have many followers who believed every thing that you did not say." " That is to say," answered Don Magi, " that I had better hold my tongue, as no- body would believe me ; but so far, sir, you are mistaken ; for I never yet uttered a sen- timent in my professional character as a phy- sician, but it was considered as if coming from Apollo of Delphi, the god of physic, music, poetry, and the sciences !" " True,"" replied James, " it is fortunate that people, who act in direct opposition to 156 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLEK. general principles, have a good opinion of themselves, and try to reconcile the most ri- diculous notions with the dictates of common sense, in order to impose upon their own ima- gination. This expedient may be necessary to ensure the tranquillity of fools: there were no less than twenty-seven duns at the door yesterday ; and I had the curiosity to exam- ine all these persons, both tradesmen and shop-boys, who presented their accounts for sums due by you, from the value of one pi- aster to a thousand, and from one year to twenty, all for articles too of no use what- ever." " What !" cried Don Magi in a rage, " are my philosophical and chemical apparatus of no use ? — Mercy on us, this fellow is certainly mad ! — Did you, sir, ever study chemistry .?'"* " No,"' answered James. " Then, sir, did you ever study astro- nomy T"* " No." CADI^. 157 " Then, sir, you know nothing about the matter ; and, had you studied any thing at all, you would not have made yourself so ri- diculous by talking of what you know nothing about ! — I will hear no more upon the sub- ject, — I know too much, — I know every thing, — you know nothing. — I tell you, sir, there is as great a difference betwixt us, in those points, as there is betwixt light and dark- ness, or betwixt any objects of contrast which your imagination can invent. James here desisted ; as he found that the more he argued, as he thought, Don Magi had the more to say in opposition to him, and that he had gone farther than any other person would have done in similar circumstances. To oppose the fancies, whims, humours, and ca- prices of a man who was bequeathing him all his property, was no common act of hero- ism, and convinced Don Magi that James was a person of an extraordinary and a superior cast of mind. Magi had read his last will to 158 THE ECCENl^RIC TRAVELLER. several persons besides James, all of whom acquiesced in its validity, and the propriety of the settlements therein contained ;— so na- tural is it for persons to flatter those from whom they expect any thing for their own advantage. Indeed, while Magi had an object to serve by disclosing his will, he perceived that others also had an object in view when they express- ed their approbation of it ; but James was superior to these sordid motives, and, if he was conscious that there lurked in his breast the smallest particle of self-interest, he was miserable, and peace could not exist within him. It was this uprightness and integrity of character which recommended James to the good opinion of Don Magi, with whom he had now remained for nearly six months. But, though he was glad of having had an op- portunity to study the eccentricities of this extraordinary man, he now longed to depart, I CADIZ. 159 as he was vexed with the distressing scenes which he daily witnessed ; and as he had still to accomplish the tour of Spain, the principal object which he had in view on undertaking his travels. He had, indeed, already seen enough of foreign countries, to convince him of the superior comforts enjoyed in his own, which brought to his recollection the words of a great English poet : — " Dear native land ! '■' How do the good and wise " Thy happy clime '■' And countless blessings prize !" 160 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. CHAPTER V. The conversation which James had with Don Magi the preceding day produced a deep im- pression on his mind, especially as he had no opportunity, by other occurrences, to wear it off. During the whole of his residence with this extraordinary man, he had not been abroad above twice or thrice, so that he had still the city and other wonders of Cadiz to see, which might relieve him a little from that anxiety which he daily felt in the liouse of Don Magi. But it was impossible for him to get out, as Magi by this time had found James honest and useful, and wished for nothing more than that he should live with him all his life. Though they differed in opinion about the value of philosophy, chemistry, and the CADIZ. 161 sciences in general, yet this contrariety of sen- timent did not produce that hatred and ma- lignity which often proceed from other kinds of disputes ; and Magi rather liked the oppo- sition, seeing that all his cronies and acquaint- ances, for reasons best known to themselves, never contradicted him in any thing, hut said as he said. He found that James, from his con- verse with the world, was an exception to the general characters of mankind, and acknow- ledged that it was necessary for every one at times to be positive, and forward in rejecting absurd and ridiculous propositions, so as to prevent a repetition of them ; and that, when any thing was found to be either unreasonable or inexpedient, a firm refusal to do it was the best way to obviate any farther solicitations. In Don Magi's opinion, James seemed to be a man who acted on these principles ; although no other person had ever observed any other prominent trait in his character, except that of a ready acquiescence in other people's will. 162 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. and a disposition that was easy and too good- natured. But, in whatever way it be ac- counted for, certain it is, that Don Magi en- tertained the highest esteem for James, which he so lately showed, by offering to bequeath to him all that he possessed. This, thought our traveller in jest, is another heritage which he might one day have to add to his own fortune, besides the great wealth he might acquire in his travels, exclusive of the property he might also obtain as the sole legatee of Don Tarbet. James often indulged many pleasing reflec- tions, when he thought of the happy days which he had spent with him and Gorilla the musician ; and conjectured what would be the feelings of his best friends on hearing of the immense wealth that was about to come into his possession. His greatest source of happiness, however, arose from the constant anticipation of realizing all that he possibly could, by every lawful and honourable means; so that he might, one day or another, present his trea- I CADIZ. 163 sure i7i toto, and with as good a heart as he now possessed, to his brother and sisters, Don Tarbet, and the ladies of Tavira. This amiable disposition of our traveller, in wishing to requite the kindness of his friends, is an example worthy of universal imitation ; and it were well that those who have received favours would endeavour to make the best return in their power, as they have opportunity. His opinions, indeed, on many subjects, such as its being the duty of every one to attempt the reformation of abuses in society, and its being a matter of indifference whether a man be rich or poor, cannot be re- commended to the general adoption of man- kind, since they were only applicable to his own particular case as an individual ; — neither can the disregard which he himself showed for the accumulation of wealth, and which he also reprobated in the conduct of others, be held up to the imitation of all, since it enables men to increase their own comforts and to be- 164 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. nefit others ; and, therefore, every laudable exertion should be made to acquire a competent degree of riches ; for, according to Shaks- peare, " There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune."" Among the persons with whom James be- came acquainted during his residence in Cadiz, there was a Don Vida, a manufacturer of vine- gar, a great crony of Don Magi, with whom James had agreed to go one day to see the town ; and accordingly he waited his arrival one morning at nine oVlock. This gentleman made the best possible use of his time, as he was astir after business at four o'clock in the morning, spent very little of it in sleep, and employed every moment of the day to some useful purpose. Had he lived in the same house with Don Magi, they would have been complete antipodes, as the one would have been putting on his clothes to rise, while the other would have been putting them off to go to bed. If, also, the period of human hfe be CADIZ. 165 estimated by the actual exertion of the mental faculties, Don Vida would have been double the age of Don Magi, though they were both the same ; as the former, according to this cal- culation, lived a hundred years, while the lat- ter lived only fifty. As Don Vida paid a daily visit to his friend Magi, he generally came exactly at nine o'clock, and occupied a particular room, where he tried his experiments. His oddities are far too numerous for minute description ; but he had a particular way of stamping with his feet on his approaching a door, as if to shake oif the dust or wet that might adhere to his shoes ; and he was so well known on his arrival by this signal, that it commonly saved him the trouble of ringing the bell or knocking. But how he had acquired this custom, or how many pair of shoes he thereby destroyed in a year, Don Pedro never learn- ed. When James accompanied this gentle- man to see the curiosities of Cadiz, the first ]66 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. thing which Don Vida showed him were the extensive mills and granaries, the wine and vinegar factories, &c., all of which he thought well worth seeing. But he admired more the elegance and neatness of the buildings, and the cleanhness of the place, which were so re- markable, as at once to attract James"* atten- tion. The three bridges that crossed the Gaudal quiver, resembled those across the Thames at London ; and, on the whole, the city of Cadiz presented an appearance very similar to that of Glasgow. But James did not travel to tell over again what every body knows, or has heard of a thousand times ; he travelled to tell them what his endeavours were to diffuse that light and knowledge, which lie considered so absolutely necessary for the present and future welfare of mankind. And, as every one told his story in his own way, he thought that he had an equal right to tell his also in the same manner ; though he considered that he might be suffi- CADIZ. 167 ciently satisfied, if the readers of his travels be- lieved only one-half of what he told them, be- ing a very fair average of the gatherings of a traveller ; which may be summed up in the words of Francis Quarrel : — '' Let the greatest part of what you hear be the least part of what you believe^ lest the greatest part of what you believe be the least part of what is true,'*'' James, notwithstanding the knowledge he possessed of mankind, could not understand, or in the least account for, that great and ex- traordinary difference and variety of mind and temper which he found in every individual ; and, though he often cogitated deeply on the subject, he could not come to any certain con- clusion. Indeed, this was not to be expected, as he estimated the character of others by the standard he applied in judging of himself, respecting his thoughts, and feelings, and con- duct. What, then, must have been the re- flections of a man so gifted with philanthropy as he was, to find that not one in a thousand 168 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. could stand the test of a candid examination of their conduct. With respect to his acquaintance, Don Vida, James had a hundred faults to find with him. He was fond of money. — Well, thought James, there is no harm in that, abstractedly con- sidered ; but then, he was a man who resolved to get it, and to get it per fas aut nefas. For, besides his vinegar trade, he had several others ; all of which he made subservient to his purp<^)se of acquiring a fortune. More- over, as agent and manager of a canal com- pany, he had the supplying and payment of a thousand seamen ; while he intrusted the re- pairing of the vessels to a ship-builder, with whom he had entered into a commercial con- cern ; — and the ship-builder, in buying his wood and iron, agreed to pay one-half in vine- gar, which was furnished by Vida, as his stock. When biscuit was wanted for the vessels, the baker must take one-third of the payment for it in vinegar. Don Vida had also entered 8 i CADIZ. 169 into partnership with an apothecary, which afforded him another means of settling ac- counts. Hence those persons, whom, as man- agers for the shipping company, he employ- ed in his service, were forced to take part of payment either in drugs or in vinegar. This last article became at last so plentiful in Cadiz, that in every shop window was written, "Vida's Vinegar ;" and the very sailors, on receiving their monthly pay, were obliged to take a bottle of vinegar as a part of their wages. A man who could establish a system of this kind, and persevere in it successfully, dis- covered a superior knowledge in the art of making money ; besides that his industry en- abled him to afford his articles at the cheapest rate, and therefore he could not be under- sold. He was no less active in contriving in- genious plans for making the smallest pay- ments of government-duties ; and, although he could not prevail on the collectors to take vinegar as a part of their payment, he man- VOL. I. H 170 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. aged matters equally well, by sending that part to the charging officer. James did not approve of these plans, as he was convinced that every fair trade was at an end, when it became necessary to support it by stratagem and fraud. He could not say what Don Vida thought of making money in this way, or how he could reconcile it with princi- ples of rectitude ; as he well knew that, unless the other vinegar-makers followed his plan, they must be ruined ; and that among so many, some of them must be honest ; — so that by this means the honest man " could not get Ms own.'''' James, although he knew all this, did not wish to interfere with Vida's schemes, be- cause tricks were practised in every trade, and therefore those of his acquaintance gave him the less concern. But he could not help giving his opinion of them, especially as they were carried to such an enormous extent by Don Vida, who was like to deluge the town with vinegar. Neither CADIZ. 171 did be approve of his concern in the medicine- company, as they spent a thousand piasters a year in advertising ; the duty on which could not be paid to government in drugs, but in money, and must be ultimately paid in the kst way by somebody. As this, however, was a matter which might be settled betwixt the seller and the buyer, James had there- fore the less objections to it ; but he did not think it fair in the company to send a dozen of bottles of a quack-medicine to a country apothecary, who, induced by the liberal dis- count granted by them, was often persuaded to take a gross, though he never perhaps sold a bottle. Notwithstanding all this, Don Vida was a most polite pleasant man, full of information, humour, and anecdote; who would have piassed at any time for one of the best-nature d men in the world, and done any thing to serve or ob- lige a friend ; for, to his attention was James ndebted for seeing all the mills and vinegar 172 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. works of Cadiz. To a man of less discern- ment than James, Vida would have passed as a person of superior accomplishments ; but his paltry artifices soon degraded him in the estimation of our penetrating traveller. He recommended vinegar on all occasions ; and used it himself in such quantities, that he de- stroyed the gastric juice, so that he could eat nothing without it, and wished every one else to do the same, in order to increase the con- sumption of his favourite commodity. Such are a few particulars of the character of Don Vida, manufacturer of vinegar, &c. in the city of Cadiz. Another of Don Magi's cronies was Don Felto Valero de Toledo, a man of extensive property in the province of New Castile, who had travelled over all the world, and who possessed so retentive a memory and so fertile a fancy, that he related innumerable stories which were quite incredible, and which James, who had not travelled so much, was CADIZ. 173 unable to contradict. Whatever marvellous story might be told or imagined, Don Felto was never at a loss to tell or invent one even more marvellous. A still more intimate acquaintance of Don Magi was a Don Taranga de Murcia, a phy- sician, whose practice was the greatest in the city, although he had made more widows and orphans than the French war. He would take no money, however, for his advice and attendance ; but James could never learn how he was so unfortunate in his practice, unless it arose from its extent ; for he appeared to be a man of profound knowledge in his pro- fession, and reprobated Doctor Sangrado's bleeding system and his warm water. We shall only mention one crony more, al- though there were several others equally sin- gular. This was a Don Gradi, who called occasionly on Magi, and had a strange peculi- arity of obstinately contradicting every thing. If any one happened to agree with his opi- 174 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. nions, by saying that they were correct, he would deny it,, by taking up the opposite side of the question in dispute, and maintaining it as eagerly as he had maintained tlie contrary, and thus he would argue a whole hour about nothing. He had a singular collection of cant phrases, such as, *' Something rotten in the state of Denmark," — '^ That's as you say.'* *' Corn in Egypt,"-^" All words admit of ambiguity," — " Pubhsh it not in Gath,'* &c. — He was of such an irritable temper that, with the exception of Don Magi's house, he never was in one but a combat en- sued. In consequence of his quarrelsome dis- position, he was one of the best patients of Dr Taranga, being generally four months out of five laid up with wounds and bruises of every description. He was also one of those to whom Don Magi was net at Iwme. But his ideas on that point were not very scrupulous, and, therefore, he always forced his way into the house, where he made himself at home. CADIZ. 175 " These were a few of social souls refined, He chose to bless and tranquillize the mind ; And yet the fate of all extremes is such, Men may be read as well as books,— -too much.** 176 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER CHAPTER VI. James had now lived nearly six months with Don Magi, without either regretting his loss of time, or ever entertaining a thought about it ; for, amidst the various sources of amuse- ment which he possessed, he was never at a loss to spend it agreeably. A constant suc- cession of incidents were ever occurring, which constantly kept alive all his sensibilities ; and the numerous collection of books and papers belonging to Magi afforded him so agreeable an entertainment, that ennvi was a stranger to him, and time passed as it had never been. " If employment, even of the most trifling kind," thought James, '' be so fascinating, how much more so must it be when directed to useful pursuits !" CADIZ. 177 James, however, had nothing but trifles to amuse himself with ; although, from custom, they actually became pleasant and entertain- ing. If such a man as he was engaged with baubles and trifles, what can be expected from the professed antiquarian, the sorter of differ- ent kinds of flies, and the collector of old musty coins ? and how very singular are such occupations ! James, however, at length be- came sensible of the unusual stay he had made with Don Magi, and thought of pro- ceeding to Seville, agreeably to his determi- nation when he first set out, and resolved to intimate this intention to his host that very day. During his residence at Cadiz, his friend Don Blazoni had expected James' return for the last five months, and began to entertain alarming fears for his safety, especially as our traveller had given a sort of promise that he would revisit Sidonia in the course of a month. But as the promise which James made was h2 J78 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. only conditional, he conceived that, from the circumstance in which he had been placed, he was net bound to perform it. Though our traveller wished now to pro- ceed to Seville, yet his journey was postponed for the present ; and therefore it is proper to mention several other characters which he had an opportunity of knowing during his stay at Cadiz. Among these there was one Don Al- viro Pelivo, an acquaintance of Magi, whose house he frequented on all occasions ; as he was a cousin of his and also of Don Blazoni. From daily intercourse, he had become so fascinated with James' manners, that he came oftener to see him than the antiquarian. He kept a car- riage, and drove out with James almost every day, till at last he could not live without him. He had money, and knew its value ; he paid for every thing he purchased, and was in- debted to nobody ; he had^ a wife, but no fa^ mily, and, as he consulted James on all occa- sions, he often pressed him to live with him CADIZ. 179 all his days. This proposal, however, James declined, as he did not travel to be picked up by every one who took a fancy for him ; al- though he had the best opinion of Don Alvi- ro, especially as he was a relative of Don Bla- zoni. James therefore told Alviro that he in- tended soon to set out for Seville, a place which he was most anxious to see, but that he would defer his journey f.^i• a few days. In the meantime, Alviro's wife fell ill and died. This was a dreadful stroke to Alviro, who now shut himself up in his room, where no person was admitted to see him, except James and Magi. The latter proposed to the former, that he should live a short time in Alviro's house, till he should recover from his present dejection ; and James, whose regard for all his friends was sincere, agreed most readily to the proposal. It was six weeks before Pelivo was able to leave his room, and two weeks more before he was able to enter his carriage ; so that during all this time J^mes ISO THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. had the whole charge of his house, which was just such another as Magi's, but much more splendid. Pelivo had stores of books, paintings, pic- tures, all kinds of musical instruments, or- gans, harps, piano fortes, musical glasses, and every thing connected with the sciences. He proposed that James and he should go and spend a day or two at Sidonia, as a relief to his mind from the great distress which he had lately suffered ; so James and he set out ac- cordingly. Blazoni's surprise at seeing these two friends may be more easily conceived than expressed, and he furnished them with every means of amusement in his possession. Every day James and some of the family rode out in Pelivo's carriage, and the time passed away with pleasure and delight, Pelivo had de- termined to take a long journey through Portugal, that he might thereby forget his affliction ; knowing that time and change of CADIZ. 181 place often alleviate the greatest sorrow, as it sooths the mind, by gradually restoring it again to composure. Though he wished James to accompany him, yet our traveller could not be brought to give his consent, as he was now resolved upon setting out on his long-intended expedition to Seville. Accordingly, Alviro and he bid another adieu to Blazoni and his family, although they parted with mutual regret. By this time, James had spent all the money he received for the draft given him by Blazoni; for, as he lived in Magi's house six months, he had frequently to draw his purse for provi- sions, as Magi was sometimes locked up for more than a week ; so that James and the ser- vant were often nearly starving. As he was supplied, however, with a fire whenever he had a difficult problem to solve, he made pre- vious arrangements that neither dinner nor supper should be a seeking, so as to prove an interruption to his studies. For this purpose he 182 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. bought five dozen of eggs, a bacon ham, seven pounds of cheese, a quantity of sea-biscuit, (because it would keep,^ some soft bread for the first day, a barrel of water, a tea-kettle, a dozen of red herrings, a cheese-toaster, a stock of coals and fire-wood, a keg of cider, a dozen of claret, two dozen of Cape wine, a dozen of port, and the same quantity of sherry, three gallons of brandy, tea and sugar, coffee and chocolate, and every necessary article he could think of; after which he barricadoed the door of his apartment, and gave orders that no one should disturb him. Don Alviro, before setting off, had inform- ed James that he had made a settlement in his favour, and that he had left it to the charge of his own lawyer ; who, on receiving an acknowledgment and obligation in writing, would produce it when required. This generous act of Don Pelivo to James was a proof of the honourable spirit which he had manifested, and the sure reward CADIZ. 183 that ever accompanies honesty, which in every condition is the best policy ; — as a man known to be honest is courted and admired, in the same degree as another of an opposite principle is shunned and despised. In every case, good actions are the best criteria of a person"'s worth : words are nothing, although often used by some for the purpose of deceiv- ing, and putting others off their guard. Ho- nour, honesty, and truth, are the best virtues which a man can possess ; but a verbal profes- sion of them is in the power of any one, who may be notorious for the opposite vices. An honest man is proof against every attempt which flattery, riches, or pleasure, can make to corrupt him ; but the acquisition of the smallest trifle, when obtained at the expense or disadvantage of another, tinctures with bit- terness the cup of the unjust man, who, what- ever his possessions may be, enjoys none of ^hem with the relish of an upright mind. James, having prepared every thing for his 184 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. departure from Cadiz, was somewhat surpris- ed on receiving a card, by a servant in livery, from Don Vertu Magi de Gerona, requesting that Don Paterno (James' name) would honour him with a visit for a few days at his country seat. James was very unwilling to accept of the invitation, as he had no wish to form a connexion with great people; — but still he thought that something might be learned from his visit, and that there could be no harm in passing a day or two at Gerona; nay, that the refusal of such a polite offer was con- trary to the rules which actuated him in do- ing every thing consistent with propriety. Having received Don Magi's consent that he should go, a message was returned by a card, stating, that Don Pedro would do himself the honour of complying with the invitation, in the course of a few days. James thought this delay expedient, in order to allow himself time for making the neces- sary preparations to appear at Don Vertu's CADIZ. 185 mansion, in a manner suitable to his own dig- nity. The following day, on consulting with Don Magi, it was agreed that he could not appear at Gerona, unless in a court-dress, which would cost two hundred piasters. This oc- casioned no small anxiety to James, who, hav- ing made the promise in writing, considered it as his duty to appear at all events. James spent three days in the greatest un- easiness, as he found it impossible to surmount this new difficulty ; and all his ingenuity van- ished, when he thought how he could equip himself; till at last he purchased a new suit, which, however, they assured him would never do, as it was made in the present fash- ion ; while the dress worn by visitors at the castle of Gerona, was at least a hundred years old. At length, Don Magi proposed to James, that if he would accept of the use of a suit of his, which had been locked up in a trunk for 186 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. twenty years, he should be welcome to it ;— that, at any rate, there would be no harm in trying how it fitted ; and accordingly James having found it exactly adapted to his size, was instantly equipped. The coat was of imperial purple Venetian velvet, lined with straw-coloured satin, having gold buttons studded with garnets, with large hand-cuffs; the vest and breeches were of white satin, richly embroidered, fringed, and tasselled; and there was a cloak of bright crimson velvet, decorated in the same man- ner, with light-blue silk stockings ; all of which, with a large three cocked hat, trim- med with gold lace, and an elegant sword, the hilt set with precious stones, — gave him the appearance of an actor, who intended to play his part in a theatre. But, in addition to all this superb, rich, antiquated dress, there were two articles which James thought quite ridi- culous, — a large square satin bag, that was to be tied to his wig, and a huge conspicuous so- CASTLE OF GERONA. 187 litaire, that was to be suspended from the bag, and to dangle to and fro across his shoulders. Thus accoutred, a coach was pro- cured, and he instantly set off to pay his visit at Gerona. The castle, as it appeared to James in rid- ing through the turnings and windings of a thousand avenues, was a structure of the great- est magnificence he had ever seen ; and on viewing it, he thought more than once of re- turning without proceeding farther, as he con- ceived it would be much less embarrassing to make his debut on the stage, than appear be- fore so splendid a company of persons as would be there assembled. He resolved, however, to go forward ; and the clock struck four when he arrived at a building which he supposed to be the castle ; but how was he surprised to find that it was only the stables, which, from their extent, might have been taken for a palace ! After ten minutes'* walk through the shrubbery, the castle at last made 188 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. its appearance. It stood in the centre of an extensive lawn, surrounded by tall trees ; the whistling of the wind through the foliage was like the sound of music ; and every thing contributed to give James an idea of enchant- ment. But, as he approached the castle, his alarm abated, although his surprise and asto- nishment increased every instant. The castle had seventeen windows in a row, and it was three stories high, with a flat roof covered with lead; a flight of steps led up to the first floor, the door of which stood open. Here James adjusted his dress, and prepared to enter. He went forward, but saw nobody, and, therefore, began to examine the orna- ments of the building with greater minute- ness. The hall was paved with marble ; and eight massy pillars of the same kind of stone sujDported the roof, which was nearly fifty feet high, and decorated with paintings by the first artists. Five figures of white Parian marble, as large as life, stood on pedestals ; CASTLE OF GERONA. 189 md James could not but think that he had 3een translated into one of the enchanted castles described in the Arabian Nights. Having proceeded so far, he could not now retreat, but waited the arrival of some person who might accost and relieve him from his surprise. A nobody came, he looked about, and perceived, at the entrance of the lobby, a large bell, which he ventured to pull, when a servant in rich livery appeared, and ush- ered him into a hall or saloon, previously oc- cupied by twelve or fifteen personages, all dressed in the most elegant attire. Don Pa- terno was loudly announced, when Vertu took James by the hand, and introduced him to the company as a stranger and a traveller. This was the first relief he experienced from the misery and anxiety of five days; for, under the name of Traveller, he had a right to assume any airs he chose, although he was, in reality, with regard to mental endowments, superior to them all. If he had not the for- 190 THE ECCENTRIC TUAVELLEll. mal bow and back-throw of the foot, which are so skilfully practised by the grattdees of Spain, he made, at least, such a graceful bow as good breeding had taught him ; and this was all he was bound to perform. He was superior to the stiff formality of ceremony, as he found that persons forced themselves to perform that tiresome custom, only because they had not that natural politeness which nature alone can bestow. He perceived, also, that ceremony was only used at times, but did not regulate the intercourse of modish people on all occasions ; for, where was their formality and stiffness when the knives and forks broke through all order with the rattling of plates, and the cups and goblets made a noise hke thunder ? The first thing that struck James on en- tering into this elegant assemblage, was the diminutive appearance which the company made in so large a room, and the contemptible figure to which he himself was reduced, as he CASTLE OF GERONA. 191 seemed to be shrunk up to scarcely half his dimensions. Don Vertu was a tall, elegant figure, with the manner and address of a courtier, al- though he seemed proud and distant, and a person whom few would venture to speak to. He was stiff in the extreme, and moved his arms and legs as if by clock-work ; his head seemed as if it had been fixed to his shoulders, as he turned round his whole body when he had occasion to look about ; so that the cro- codile fashion appeared to prevail in this as- semblage of high-bred people. James allow- ed that there was no great harm in all this, as it was merely a pecuhar restraint which the great chose to suffer, in order to make them- selves look different from other people ; for it was impossible that a mechanic of any kind could do so, unless he became a statue. Dress and equipage, at one time, form- ed the distinction betwixt the high and the low ; but, as trade, commerce, and manu- 192 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. factures had raised some of the latter class to an equality with the former, this mode of distinction was in a great measure laid aside ; and, after many expedients had been tried to revive it, all of which proved unavailing, the peculiar use and indescribable disposal of head, hands, and feet, were resorted to, and found effectual for this purpose. For it was soon found that, whatever riches a merchant or mechanic might acquire, the motions of his head and arms would never be altered; whereas gentlemen, who were free from the labours of the counting-house and the desk, had nothing else to do than study modes of ceremony and address; — and hence soft white hands, with nails of peculiar cut, white teeth, and a well- dressed head, formed a never-failing mark to distinguish persons of rank, which was parti- cularly necessary to be preserved. Don Vertu possessed all these marks of a gentleman in the highest perfection, and had for many years studied nothing more than how to 3 CASTLE OF GERONA. 193 look, speak, and act differently from every other person; and these formed a system of eti- quette in which he had instructed several of his intimate acquaintances, who all strove to outdo one another in modish fashion and po- lite ceremony. At five o'clock the bell rung for dinner; and, as soon as the servant opened the door, Don Vertu walked forward, when every one fol- lowed the example of their host : " And now the chiming clocks to dinner call, " A hundred footsteps scrape the marble hall." James, being the last of the company, pushed into the room, which seemed to be strict politeness here ; although, in many other houses, nobody would move, and every one was taking hold of his neigh- bour to thrust him forward, as if those that went first were to do some particular penance, which those who were last might thereby es- cape. When James entered, a seat was VOL. I. I 194 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. reserved for him at the head of the table, next the hostess. Donna Magi, whose attention to him was equal to what she paid every one of the company. They now sat down to a sumptuous din- ner, attended by seven servants in rich livery ; but scarcely a word was spoken either by the landlord or his guests, during the whole of the entertainment. Soon after dinner, the ladies retired, leaving Don Vertu with his friends and the bottle. James afforded a great source of amusement to the company, by reciting some of his tra- vels, which seemed to delight them all ; and at length they became more free as the bottle circulated. Don Vertu, in his turn, men- tioned some of the principal occurrences of his life with as much nonchalance as if he had been at James' school ; and thus our traveller discovered the superiority of a well- educated gentleman above the ignorant and the illiterate. I CASTLE OF GEEONA. 195 At nine o'clock, coifee and chocolate were announced by another bell, and cards followed till twelve, when supper was on the table. The company went to bed at two o'clock in the morning ; and, though James was a good deal fatigued with that day's occupation, — yet he was summoned to breakfast at nine next morn- ing. This family made the most of their time, — at least, they did not spend too much of it on their downy pillow. The room in which James slept was most superb ; and the bed was so high from the floor that, if he had fallen over, he would never have risen again to tell the accident that had happened. The coverlet was of quilted green satin, trimmed with gold fringe, and the curtains were of pink silk, elegantly embroidered. The splendour of the staircases, and the fine paintings, exceeded any thing of the kind that he had ever seen or heard of. The lat- ter, executed by Titian, Reubens, Vandyke, 196 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. and others, adorned every apartment of the house. The Hbrary was stored with books on all subjects and in every language, handsomely bound and richly ornamented. But what most astonished James was the grand saloon, which exceeded all that the imagination could conceive. It was 120 feet by 80, hghted from the south by five large windows ; and, on the ceiling, were paintings descriptive of PauPs shipwreck on the island of Melita, of his con- version, and of his preaching at Athens ; and on the walls hung paintings on paper, almost equal to the Cartoons of Raphael. In this grand saloon, which adorned the lofty walls, were some very exquisite paint- ings by the most celebrated artists, among which were a few that attracted James' obser- vation. These were, A Portrait of Reubens, . , by Vandyke^ Philip the Fourth of Spain, and his Queen, Velasquez^ An Italian Seaport, Morning, - Reubens, CASTLE or GERONA. 197 The Emperor Theodosius expelled the Church by St Ambrose, ... Vandyke, The Marriage of Rebecca, - Claude, The Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba, Poussin, A Concert, . _ . . . Vandyke, Pope Julius the Second, - - Raphael, Apollo and Silenus, . - - Remhrandt, Susanna and the Elders, - - Dominichino, Marriage A -la-Mode, . - - Hogarth, with many other rare and valuable paintings elegantly framed. Adjoining to the grand saloon was an ante- chamber, also richly adorned with ancient and modern sculpture, in relievo, representing sub- jects illustrative of the mythology and epic poetry of Greece. The subjects of them were, — Meleagor and Atalanta. Triumphant Procession of Bacchus and Hercules, Apollo, Minerva, and the Muses. Death of the Boar of Calydon. 198 THE ECCKNTRIC TRAVELLER. Bacchanalian Procession. Phcedra and Hippolytus. Achilles at Scyros. At the end of this antechamber was an an- tique marble vase, five feet in height, and three feet and a half in extreme width. This vase was discovered in excavating the ruins of Hadrian's villa at Rome, and adorned with sculpture round the bowl in very high re- lief, representing nine Bacchic genii employ- ed in the last labours and festivities of the vintage. Here also, on the walls, were hung engrav- ings of some of Canova''s most beautiful sta- tues and groups of sculpture ; several magi- cal views by Cuyp, Nuncguen, and others, with some magnificent landscapes by Ruys- dale, Poussin, Wynants, Salvator Rosa, Py- naker, and Ostade, — with sea-pieces by Wou- vermans, Vonde Capitle, and several others. But the elegance of this superb castle or palace being unconnected with James"* his- CASTLE OF GERONA. 199 tory, is mentioned only to prove, that the splendid residence of Don Magi's brother ex- ceeded every thing that had been said of him or of his riches, as they were formerly describ- ed to our traveller, who resided there four- teen days in the greatest luxury. But this was not the place of James' rest ; he had labours and public duties to perform for the good of mankind ; and, sensible how few of the great possess accomplishments suit- ed to the dignity of their station, he left the castle, and bade adieu to Don Vertu and his friends. He did not, however, regret his having spent a short time at the castle of Ge- rona ; as he thereby not only procured a little recreation, but also obtained another view of life and its follies, though he was equally glad to take his departure. Had this castle been his own, and had every thing in it been pur- chased by his industry, in that case only could he have found happiness, if such a thing was to be found, — and if castles, servants, and riches, could procure it. 200 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. James now hastened back to Cadiz as quickly as possible ; but, on approaching the city, his singular dress attracted such a con- course of spectators, who supposed him to be an actor, or part of the necessary appendages of a show, that he was glad to take refuge in a house, which was soon beset by thousands. From this place he wrote a card descriptive of his situation to Don Magi, who sent him one of his trunks, in which he found his sail- or's jacket and trowsers, which he put on, and then packed up his fine clothes in the trunk, which he hoisted on his shoulder, and sallied out as if nothing had happened. He soon joined the populace, and made several inquiries about the cause of such a concourse ; but he only learned that a quack-doctor had arrived, who intended to exhibit on a stage, and that they were merely waiting to know where he was to perform. Among the crowd, there happened to be one of Don Vertu''s servants, who spoke to James, inquiring whether he was the same CADIZ. 201 gentleman who had been at the castle ? James readily acknowledged that he was ; and the poor lackey, for alleging that he had seen Don Paterno in the dress of a sail- or, was instantly dismissed. James regret- ted that he had not sooner known this, as he would have readily attested the fact, and saved the lackey from the loss of his situa- tion ; but he could not help it now, and only felt the more disgust at the etiquette of the fashionable world. James delivered his theatrical wardrobe to Don Magi, and now prepared to set off by daybreak for Seville. He had found the walk from the castle so pleasant, that he resolved to travel on foot all the way ; and directed his trunks to the care of Don Palasco of Seville, an acquaintance of Don Magi. But he had no sooner sent off the trunks, than he was in- formed that a writ of extent had been served against Magi, who was that night lodged in the Conciergerie, for debts to the amount of i2 202 THE ECCENTBIC TRAVELLER. 10,000 piasters. This was a new source of uneasiness to James, especially as he had just seen Magi an hour before. But his alarm in- creased when he found the door locked ; and he now went straight to the house of Don Pe- livo, — but that gentleman had set off on his travels two days before, discharged his ser- vants, and shut up his house. James was therefore reduced to extremity, as he had despatched all his trunks containing his clothes and money, and was now in the habit of a common sailor. In this attire he went direct to Don Vida, the vinegar-maker, who was equally astonish- ed as himself at the intelligence respecting Don Magi. James could get no accommoda- tion in his house, as he had only one bed- room, which was then occupied; but he ob- tained admittance into the house of his cooper, who received James as one who was in simi- lar circumstances as himself, and who, he sup- posed, had been engaged for the work. James CADIZ. 203 submitted to have his condition misconstrued, and resolved to render himself useful in any manner for a season, till his circumstances should again change for the better. On reflecting on the fate of Don Magi, James was not surprised that he was arrested ; the only cause of wonder was, that it had not happened many years ago. But, in moraliz- ing on the character of that extraordinary man, he learned this lesson, that, however whimsi- cal and prodigal any one's mode of life might be, it ought not to be indulged at the expense of others : " The alchemist, who sports in golden dreams. In idle fancies, and in flighty whims, Should think, that ere a twelvemonth has pass'd o'er, He may have turned thousands to the door." 204 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. CHAPTER VII. James, whose philosophy excelled that of every one in teaching him to bear the trials of fortune, was now again reduced to want, and without a ducat, in a strange place. He was however very little affected by the change, as the vicissitudes of life are things that happen every day to thousands; and therefore his condition was to him not at all surprising. Neither did he contrast his pre- sent state of degradation with the dignified station which he lately held in the house of Don Magi ; — his feelings, also, towards that unfortunate man were those of sorrow, but not of pity, as he had been deluded by his own imagination ; and James was convinced that, were he possessed of the most ample CADIZ. 205 fortune, he would soon squander it away on trifles, as he preferred the airy phantoms of his own brain before the most substantial en- joyments of life. James, however, was not reduced to the destitute condition of his late patron, as he could labour for his subsistence, and was will- ing to do so, rather than be burdensome to any of his friends. Accordingly, he entered into the employment of Don Vida's cooper, and repaired several old tubs and barrels in a better style than any other of the workmen, so that the cooper was astonished at his in- genuity. James laboured three months with the cooper, and, during that period, saved as much money as would carry him to Seville. Most other persons in his condition would have been with the cooper still ; but James' talents were too great to be buried in a state of ser- vitude; and, although he could be poor as well as rich, yet he sought to avoid the former condition, because, in a state of poverty, he was unable to relieve the distressed ; and 206 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. therefore, when occasion required, he could be both industrious and economical; rather however to be useful to others, than to bene- fit himself. Before our traveller left Cadiz, Don Vertu arrived one day in his carriage and four, to inquire for his brother Magi ; and a servant came to James, intimating his master's wish to see him. James, in the dress of a cooper, was very reluctant to comply with this request ;— how- ever, assuming courage, he instantly waited upon Don Vertu, and gave him all the infor- mation he was possessed of respecting Don Magi, whose situation they equally deplored. James also took the liberty of expressing his opinion in a very unceremonious way, with regard to what seemed proper to be done with that unfortunate gentleman. He said, that, although he could not be sufficiently grateful to Don Magi for his hospitality, he could not help reprobating his arrant foibles, since they were such as render- ed him incapable of conducting his own CADIZ. 207 affairs with discretion ; and, therefore, he thought that Don Vertu should furnish him with accommodation in the castle, where he might pursue his experiments, either without being imposed upon by others, or ruining himself. Vertu was not a little astonished at the per- tinence of James"* remarks ; but could not help observing, that his present appearance in no- wise corresponded with the dress and figure he had assumed at Gerona, or with the dictatorial way in which he spoke of others, seeing he now apparently stood in need of equal assist- ance. James, in reply, begged to remind the owner of Gerona castle, that though he, as a man of independent fortune, did not need to provide for his subsistence ; — yet he himself, though also possessed of a fortune, which he would one day inherit, must, in the mean- time, labour for his daily bread, or borrow money to supply his wants ; but, as he never 208 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. chose to resort to the latter expedient, he had therefore chosen the former, as the most de- sirable. He had also learned, he said, that though troubles and embarrassments occasion- ed uneasiness, they had also their advantages, as it was found that prosperity had a greater zest, when men had at any time experienced adversity ; and that unfavourable circum- stances were of infinite value, as they had a tendency to reconcile us to all the losses and afflictions of life. To these observations Vertu seemed insen- sible, or, if he perceived their truth, at least he considered them as too refined for a jour- neyman cooper ; and he therefore considered James as mad as his brother Magi, and that they had certainly turned each other's heads. Vertu then took leave of James, without men- tioning what he intended to do with his bro- ther Magi, or offering himself any pittance to supply his necessities. James left Cadiz early next morning in a CADIZ. 209 sailor's dress, with fifteen piasters, the savings of his late employment ; intending therewith to recover his trunk, which had been previ- ously sent forward to Seville. The life he had recently led gave him fresh activity, so that he could travel any distance without be- ing tired, and soon reached Passados, where he breakfasted. The fineness of the day, and the freshness of the air, gave him an appetite unknown to those who lay in bed till nine or ten o'clock. At Passados he met with a strange-looking fellow, who was travelling to Palacios, a town in Andalusia' twelve miles south-west of Se- ville ; and James was glad of the opportuni- ty of having a person to converse with who knew the country, and who would describe the innumerable gentlemen's seats that lay along the banks of the adjoining river. On entering into conversation, the stranger told James that he had come through more troubles in life, he believed, than any other fifty persons in Spain. 210 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. He also said, that his name was Humpho Salvert, and that he was on a visit to Palacios, where a rich uncle of his had died, and left him a considerable estate, of which he could not de- prive him at his death, although he would not give him a piaster during his lifetime. James thought that there must be something singu- lar in this man's history, and begged he would relate a part of it, as they had several miles to walk, and it would be an amusement, if worth hearing ; but if not, it would at any rate while away the time during the progress of their journey. The stranger having con- sented to relate his history, took a pinch of snufF, and began as follows : HISTORY OF DON HUMPHO SALVERT. " My father died when I was very young, leaving me to the charge of a rich uncle, to whom he bequeathed all the earnings of twenty PASSADOS. 211 years' hard labour, in teaching writing, music, and mathematics. The exertions requisite in his profession contributed not a little to hasten his end; for, though he was naturally of a strong constitution, he unfortunately possess- ed very fine feelings ; so that the crosses and vexations he suffered in teaching his school, confined him to bed two days out of five, dur- ing a considerable period of his life. He sub- mitted, however, to the drudgery of his occu- pation, in order to maintain my mother and myself; but such was his eagerness to pro- vide every thing necessary for our accommo- dation, that he amassed a much greater sum than ever he could spend, and which there- fore devolved to his heir at his death. " My mother died when I was about five years old ; and every thing was left to my fa- ther's brother, Abranos Sal vert, who was a rich banker in Palacios, and a consummate miser. He had been utterly regardless of my father's comfort ; for, although he employed 212 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. six or eight clerks, w^^o had great salaries, he never offered one of their situations to my fa- ther, whose income was not a fourth part of theirs, though he had five times their labour. The reason of this I never learned, as my fa- ther and uncle lived in such friendly terms, that, when the former was at any time confin- ed to the house, the latter was accustomed to teach his school for days together. This ap- peared to be no small proof of fraternal affec- tion, as it required a considerable degree of generosity to exchange the employment of turning over the gold of a thousand nobles, for that of turning over a thousand blotted and bespattered sheets of school-books. He also took my father out in his carriage every Saturday to Panclovello, his country-seat, and brought him home on the Monday fol- lowing. " My uncle, for what reason I could never learn, bound me as apprentice to a dyer, and thus disposed of me in a very easy manner. PASSADOS. 213 When I was fifteen years of age, I applied to Salvert for money to commence the business as a master ; but he told me that I would be better employed as a journeyman in gaining two piastres a week, by working fourteen hours out of twenty-four, than in looking at a number of old empty barrels. " I tried, by every method possible, to obtain a little money from him, and to be informed of what my father had left me ; but all the information I received was, that my father had made a will and settlement in his favour, at least during my nonage, which my uncle had wisely persuaded him to fix at five and twent3^ " Every day I applied to Salvert for mo- ney ; and, to say the truth, I was as lavish of it as he was parsimonious. He had a pe- 1 culiar expression, which he used almost on all occasions ; viz., ' / declai^e Pm just robbed.'' In saying so he spoke truth for once. He had also a singular kind of vanity about him ; 214 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. for, although he lived in a mean house, and in a low neighbourhood, he had a large brass-plate on the door, with his name engraved, — ' ABRANOS SALVERT DE PANCLOVELLO.' " There was a Don Zeno, a great crony of his, who lived in an adjoining street, with- out whose advice he would do nothing ; so, one day, on applying to him as usual for mo- ney, I told him, with some warmth, that I would let Don Zeno know how he was using me. Accordingly I left his house, after driv- ing the door with no small fury after me, and off I went. My uncle, not disbelieving my assertion, followed hard after, and unper- ceived by me, having a huge powdered wig on his head, and a gold-headed cane in his hand. On arriving at the door, I in- stantly opened it, and exclaimed loudly, — " ' What think you, Don Zeno, of this rich d — d uncle of mine ? — he's seventy-five PASSADOS. 215 years of age, and yet he'll not give me a ducat !' " My uncle, who was now behind me, though unknown by his hat and wig, at this moment opened the door unperceived, when he exclaimed, — " ' It's a d — d lie, Humpho ! — I was only seventy-four last Michaelmas !' " I consulted every acquaintance I had about the treatment of my uncle ; and they all agreed that he was keeping up my property, and that I had a legal right to it, as it was my own. I no sooner learned this fact, than I resolved to pay myself out of his property ; for I thought that, if he was a rogue, I had as good a right to be a scoundrel. " Accordingly, one day while he was at Madrid, two or three of my cronies and my- self cut down as many trees from his planta- tions as loaded a bark, all of which we sold for a trifle, the better to be revenged for his knavery. Another day, when he was at break- 216 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. fast, I entered his room, and seized a silver tea-pot, which, I swore, I should instantly sell, unless he gave me thirty piasters ; but, as he refused, I made oiF with the tea-pot, and sold it for old silver. I went next to all his tenants, to whom I gave receipts for his rents ; and they, being as great rogues as myself, gave my uncle my receipt, with an assurance that they had paid the money to me. <* As he never offered to prosecute me, I believe that I was the greatest pest to him on earth, which, however, he would rather en- dure than be at the least expense to get me out of the way. His niggardly disposition, indeed, was so great, that he forbade any of his friends to call on him, lest he should have found it necessary to invite them to a meal ; and his inhospitality was such, that no person was ever known to have dined with him in his life. Indeed, in point of narrowness, he came little short of the miser, who, to save 6 PASSADOS. 217 candle, sat in the dark, until he fell upon an ingenious plan by cutting a hole through the floor, and by this means obtained the benefit of the lamp of a cobbler who wrought below him. " He resided in an old-fashioned house, which contained only one room and a kitchen, the walls of which were filled with pictures of the Prodigal Son, — a living example of which he thought he beheld in me, that de- terred him from marrying, lest he should have a progeny who would waste his sub- stance in riotous living. " Indeed, I must confess, that I teased the old fellow beyond all reasonable bounds, till at last, perceiving that it was impossible to make any thing of him, I set off one day for Cadiz, where I embarked for England, and arrived in London. " This was a place which I longed to see above all others ; and the happiest days I ever had, were those in which I anticipated my intended visit to a city full of money, and VOL. I. K 218 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. of every thing that a young fellow could wish for. I found, however, that every represen- tation of this place was utterly false, and that it was to me the poorest on earth, as I could not, by twelve hours' hard labour, earn more than seven shillings a day, one-half of which was spent in drink to keep up my spirits, while very little remained to purchase other necessaries. Besides, it required no small charge for beer, half-and-half, snufF and to- bacco, which I used to counteract the per- nicious effects of the smoke, dust, and smell, that everywhere abounded in this overgrown city, and for doctors' bills, which were enor- mously extravagant. I soon found that, after defraying these charges, I had scarcely enough of money to pay for my lodgings and break- fast, and therefore left the dinners and sup- pers, which I received at an eating-house, to be put down by the landlord to the debtor side of profit and loss. " During my residence in London, I was PASSADOS. 219 more than once clapt up in Newgate and the Kings's Bench ; and, finding that the metro- pohs of England was not a place where one could swindle with impunity, I went on board a vessel bound for Jamaica, where I landed as much a stranger to every one as I am to you. " I had then only twopence halfpenny Sterling in my pocket, and knew not what to do ; but luckily, on walking up one of the streets of Kingston, I saw something glitter- ing by the reflection of the sun, which was then setting; I turned back, and was asto- nished to find that it was a Johannes, (thirty- six shillings,) which could never have come in better time. With this small sum I pur- chased a few articles for dyeing, and hired a small room for scouring clothes, in which I succeeded so well, that in a short time I often earned thirty-six shillings a day. I also en- gaged a black girl, who kept my house, washed my clothes, and prepared my victuals ; so that I lived for some months at Kingston in a style 220 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. of magnificence. But my constant propensity to travel induced me to quit a line of life in which I was succeeding to my utmost wishes ; and it has since rendered me the poor wretch which you now behold. <' Urged by my restless disposition, I left Jamaica, whence I proceeded to America, — thence to Guinea, — ^back again to the West Indies, and home again to Spain ; so that I have sometimes been in all the quarters of the globe during one year. You may think me a strange mortal, as I cannot settle in some place or another ; but I would not give a button for a fellow without this kind of spi- rit ; — it enables him to see the world and the manners of mankind. " I came to Spain ten years ago ; and ever since I have lived by gathering old ropes and junk from the rivers, which I often sell again to advantage. I once had a bumb-boat, but could not keep it, as I had such a predilec- tion for spending, a vice which I acquired PASSADOS. 221 solely by being disgusted with the opposite one of niggardliness and parsimony. " Such, sir, has been the fortune of a man who has gone through the world without a guide or director, and who, having had no com- mand over his passions, has been tossed hither and thither on the ocean of life. My con- dition in the outset was by no means promis- ing ; and, being reckless of the consequences attending my conduct, I resolved that, if my life were short, it should at least be a merry one. But my prospects are now brighter than they have hitherto been ; for, within these few days, I have heard of my uncle's death ; and I am now on my way to take possession of estates which I never can enjoy, as the season of their enjoyment is now past; — and, while I live, I can only remain as a beacon to deter others from seizing what be- longs not to them, since it can never be en- joyed by themselves with a clear conscience ; and, should it ever revert to the lawful owner, 222 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. may be useless to him also from the want of knowing its true value." Don Salvert had no sooner ended the rela- tion of his history, as now recited, than he ob- served to James that, during all his life, he had never spoken the tenth part of what he now said without a stimulant of beer or bran- dy, which he considered very necessary to moisten the windpipe, after being parched by the emission of so much air as is requisite to tell a long story. Luckily our travellers had, at this time, come in sight of an inn, which they immediately entered ; and Don Salvert ordered a refreshment of every thing that the house could furnish, together with pipes and tobacco, which formed one of the dishes. In the corner of the room, which they now occu- pied, sat an old man, who, it seems, had been accustomed daily to drink his glass there for twenty years past. The house was composed of turf and vine-branches, and very much re- PASSADOS. 223 sembled the cottages of the Highlands of Scot- land, where they call a house a town, and a town a house. The principal object of curiosity in this inn was the great quantity of peat lying on the ground, part of which they set fire to in the mid- dle of the floor; so that they seemed literally to burn their house, and to live in the chimney, as the kitchen and bed-rooms were all within the vent. This mode of constructing houses is well adapted to supply the want of better accommodations in those that are larger ; for, as their inhabitants can sleep at the fireside as snugly as they could do in bed-rooms, hence they are insensible of the difference. The small hut where our travellers now rested, was the residence of poor but content- ed cottagers, who knew nothing but the usual occupations of a life of industry, who were ig- norant of the cares and imaginary troubles of the great and affluent, and whom James con- sidered as the happiest of human beings. 224 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. They required none of his doctrines and ad- vices ; they lived contented and unknown ; — and why should he disturb their minds about advising them to provide more than was neces- sary for their wants and their comforts ! If they possessed no riches, they were at the same time free from the cares attending their acquisition, and therefore their condition was happier than that of the opulent ; as he had invariably found, that the more a man's wealth and possessions increased, the more was his mind distracted by the thoughts of hoarding and preserving them. He could not help remarking also, that the possession of money never yields com- plete satisfaction, — since every one is running after it as the one thing needful ;-^a circum- stance which reminded him of the greediness of school-boys, who, when any of their fellows find any thing valuable, will cry out half mine. Men in this respect resemble boys, as they never see a person who possesses wealth, but PALACIOS. 225 they wish either to have a share of it, or to raise themselves to an equahty with him in point of fortune. James and his companion had now travel- led the whole day, and were pretty tired when they arrived at Palacios, about ten at night. James, as usual, looked out for the best inn, into which they both went through a covered way, that led to the rooms by a staircase, at which they were met by a person who desired them instantly to be gone. This, thought our travellers, was pretty civility to persons who intended to pay for their accommodation ; and they insisted on being admitted. The waiter, however, thrust them both out. James, in the scuffle, fell into a tub of dirty water, which the chambermaid had collected about that hour, and they were glad to get into a house less magnificent, though more hospitable. Had the landlord known who the persons were that had been treated in this manner, (two gentlemen that possessed more wealth K 2 226 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. than any other in the place,) he would sooner have dismissed the waiter for his officiousness. But doubtless the appearance of their dress did not convey that idea to the waiter ; and it was nowise improved by their attempt to force themselves upon him without his consent. Meantime, James and his companion had retired to a sorry inn, where they were ob- liged to satisfy themselves with such a supper, bed, and other accommodations, as correspond- ed with their appearance. James, now in the ancient city of Palacios, lost no time in examining every thing worth seeing, — especially one of the gates of this place, which was reckoned one of the most ex- traordinary pieces of antiquity in Spain ; be- sides many other things which, he observed, were found equally deserving of his attention. In the meantime, Salvert had gone to make inquiry about his uncle's property, and, after an absence of two hours, returned and PALACIOS. 227 found James examining the gate. Such was Salvert's joy on finding him again, that he raised a mob in the street ; and they would have been carried to the guard-house, had not the mob been attracted by the town-crier, who began to tattoo loudly on his drum, to give notice of a sale by auction, and of the arrival of a caravan with wild beasts. In the meantime, James and Salvert ran off as fast as they were able, and never stopped till they arrived at the house of Salvert's late uncle. Here James and his companion were received with the greatest politeness and at- tention, although their dress was the same for which they were turned out of the inn. The domestics of this house, however, showed no particular objection to it; on the contrary, servants in livery received them with as much respect, as if they had alighted from a carriage and four. In short, there was not a person who spoke to them, that did not add the com- pellation of " your honours,^'' a term which. 228 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. James never heard applied to himself since he rode in his carriage. In turning round to view himself, however, he could not help think- ing that it did not exactly correspond with his dress, which was not only ragged, but all dirty, from being stained with spots, &c. dur- ing his late travels. Our hero, on considering all the circum- stances now mentioned, thought that this was a singular introduction to his companion's tak- ing possession of ten thousand pistoles a year, which was the uncle's settlement in favour of his nephew, whom he had starved during his life, and whom he had now left what he had no use for, and what he could not enjoy. By this time, all the friends of Salvert's late uncle had assembled to receive the heir,^ and had prepared a dinner, which was soon announced as being on the table. There was no time for delay, and all attended. At the head of the table sat James and Don Salvert, who, from their dress, had the appearance of PALACIOS. 229 two beggars, whom the company had compel- led to come in from the highway, to afford them amusement. James and Salvert, how- ever, were not in the least discomposed about their grotesque appearance, but partook heartily of the good things with which the table was replenished ; and Salvert especially plied at the wine with such a relish, that in a short time he tumbled off his chair, and was car- ried to bed. James then took the head of the table, and entertained the company in another way, by a lecture on drunkenness, which he managed so well as to obtain the applause of his auditors, some of whom were not very sober. The following day the will of Don Abranos Salvert was read, and legally affirmed in fa- vour of his nephew; at which all were re- joicing and making merry, except the heir himself and James, both of whom agreed that all this was nonsense ; and that they had been as happy in the turf cottage, smoking their 230 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. pipes, as they had by anticipation had an equal enjoyment of every thing, except that of the carriages and servants, which, however, they had no use for ; — and, when the enter- tainment was finished, they had only had a better dinner and more drink, things that are dangerous to a man who is too fond of both. Hence, in consequence of luxurious habits, physicians and surgeons must now attend to mend the fabric as long as it will hold togeth- er ; and thus riches, instead of being a bless- ing, are often a curse to the person who pos- sesses them. Such were James' and Salvert''s reflections on this occasion ; but, m the meantime, the executors of the late banker s will opened all his repositories, that they might put his heir in posse5sion of his effects. In searching them, large bags of gold were found conceal- ed in every place which his ingenuity could contrive ; false bottoms of drawers were filled lyith bars of the purest Portuguese gold, and PALACIOS. 231 bars of American silver, of immense size and value. How a banker could make all this money was a question referred to James for solution, who wondered as much as any of them at the fact, since the profits of people in that profession were very limited, unless they lent unto strangers ; and hence he concluded, that this sort of people had been the most necessitous class among the customers of the late Abranos Salvert of Panclovello. After examining desks and drawers that had not been opened for years, and collecting as much gold in coin and bars as would have filled a cart, the executors happened to open a closet containing wearing apparel of the most superb description, an article more wanted by Salvert and James than any other. Accord- ingly each of them picked out a suitable dress, and they were both instantly equipped from head to foot in the most superb habiliments. Don Salvert made choice of an embroider- ed coat of silk and gold, with a pair of satin 3 232 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. breeches, trimmed with ermine. James select- ed a coat of yellow silk, together with a cloak of red satin, lined with green silk, and adorn- ed with silver tassel shoulder-knots ; a vest of white satin, with silver buttons, trimmed with silver lace, and interspersed with spangles; white satin breeches, and white silk stockings, and gold-laced garters round the knee; a cocked hat of crimson velvet, lined with blue, and a plume of feathers, together with a sword, the handle of which was set with pre- cious stones. In this attire they made an ex- cursion through the city in the carriage ; but how far Don Salvert was reconciled to this wonderful change in his condition, may justly be questioned. James having spent a few weeks with Sal- vert, set out again on his travels, in order to see and study the manners of men in different parts of the country. It was with the utmost reluctance that he was prevailed on by Salvert to accept of a thousand piasters, in Portu- PALACIOS. * 233 guese pieces of gold, and also of the splendid dress above-mentioned. James, however, in- sisted on having his own dress also, which, he conceived, would be of more use to him, if he should again be reduced to indigence. Our traveller now took leave of his friend Salvert, aud quitted Palacios next morning after breakfast. He had only fifteen miles to walk that day ; and, without meeting with any thing remarkable on the road, arrived at the splendid city of Seville in time for dinner. Seville, the capital of Andalusia, situate near the Gaudalquiver, is of a round form, and oc- cupies a good deal of ground. The cathedral is the largest in Spain ; the steeple is of curi- ous workmanship, and extremely high, con- sisting of three towers, one above another, with galleries and balconies. Near the cathe- dral is the royal palace, called Alcazor, which was partly built after the antique style by the Moors, and partly in the modern taste by King Pedro. 234 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. The suburb stands on the other side of the river, over which is a long bridge of boats. In this suburb the Inquisition is situated. The town-house is adorned with a great number of statues ; and there is a large square before it, with a fine fountain. There are in this city 120 hospitals richly endowed. The pleasant situation of Seville, near the sea, renders it one of the most commercial towns in Spain. Their ships anchor in the harbour of Cadiz ; but their lading is carried thence to Seville, where all the gold and silver is coined ; and there are above 600 persons employed in the mint. The country about it is extremely fer- tile in corn, wine, and the most delicious fruits which Spain produces. " Welcome, ye fields, ye fountains, and ye groves ! Ye flow'ry meadows, and extensive plains ! Where soaring warblers pour their plaintive loves, Each landscape charming with their vocal strains." SEVILLE. 235 CHAPTER VIII. The first thing which James found necessary to be done, on arriving at Seville, was to in- quire after his trunk, which had been directed to the care of Don Palusco. This gentleman was a merchant of respectability, who had the charge of the West India Company's ware- houses, and lived in one of the finest squares, in the midst of which there was a most beau- tiful fountain. James was quite delighted with the appearance of the city, and took a walk round it to view the aqueduct built by the Moors, and to visit the great cathedral and its wonderful steeple. James had a natural turn for examining curiosities of this kind, as he had studied architecture, mineralogy, and many other 236 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. sciences, with Don Magi, and therefore it may be easily conceived that he would soon dis- cover the ornaments of the steeple now before him. In order to examine it more minutely, he ascended the towers, and walked round the galleries and balconies, whence he had the finest view of the city and the shipping. The town-house, adorned with magnificent statues, and the long bridge of boats that leads across the river, were objects that particularly excit- ed his attention. The royal palace was an- other surprising object for James^ wonder, as it is a mile in extent, and flanked by large square towers, built with stones taken from the ancient temple of Hercules. In short, every thing which James saw of the city of Seville, transported him to such a degree, that he felt agreeable sensations of delight which he had never before experienced. But James, like all others, found that hap- piness and pleasure are very transitory, and that disappointment and vexation are never so SEVILLE. 237 near at hand, as when we think ourselves se- cure from their assaults. Accordingly, the truth of this remark was soon verified in his own experience ; for, on calling at Don Pa- lusco's house, to which he had directed his trunk, he was there seized by three or four persons, who conveyed him to prison, where he was lodged all night, and next day ex- amined as to who he was, and for what pur- pose he was now travelling. These were two of the most alarming: questions which the examiners of the Inqui- sition could have put, to neither of which was James wilhng to make a direct answer. He began, however, by telling them that he tra- velled for no other reason but to be useful ; that he was a native of another kingdom, and that curiosity and a desire of seeing the world had prompted him to leave his country, for a while, that he might learn something of the knowledge of mankind ; that he had resided the greater part of his life at a place near 238 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. Faro, the capital of Algarve, where he had many relations, and where he was much esteemed by his friends ; that he came last from Cadiz, and was recommended by Don Magi (with whom he had lived several months) to Don Palusco, to whom his trunk had been directed. To all this the judges had nothing to re- ply ; and satisfied themselves for the present with giving orders that he should be taken care of, till his case should be further investi- gated. Accordingly, he was carried to a low confined place, about five feet square, without any other light than what came through the ^rating of the door. In this cell James re- mained for nearly two years, during which time he never exchanged a word with any per- son ; since his dinner was conveyed to him by a man who never spoke, as he was both deaf and dumb, and therefore peculiarly qualified for the office of a turnkey. When James thought on the condition of this poor man. SEVILLE. 239 he could not help observing, that every indi- vidual, however inferior to others in many re- spects, is of greater value to society than is commonly supposed, and that the very defects with which some men are born, give them a superiority over others in particular employ- ments. The misery which James innocently suf- fered in this place was the more intolerable, as no compensation could be made for it after- wards ; since the loss of two years, at his age, was equal to that of twenty at any other pe- riod ; and, in his present active pursuits, to that of a whole lifetime. Another grievous source of vexation to James was, that he knew not when this solitary confinement would end, and therefore he was divested of hope, that sweet soother of all our woes. Musing on his melancholy situation, he wondered a thousand times why the Inquisition should be so unjust and cruel as to doom any one to confinement in a lonely prison for several years, without any crime being proved against the prisoner ; 240 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. and he thought that such a practice was the most infernal that had ever been estabUshed in civihzed society. It was not without reason that James enter- tained such a horror at an inquisitorial pri- son ; as many besides him had been shut up in a dungeon, whence they were never released, although, from the innocence of his motives, and the justness of his cause, he consoled himself with the daily expectation of being set at liberty. But these were only hopes, which, alas ! were not soon real- ized ; so that he continued to experience all those hardships which should be the por- tion only of the criminal or the traitor. Though he was allowed the use of paper, pen, and ink, yet what he wrote was strictly ex- amined, and he was restricted to the writing of one sheet only in a month. This harsh treatment of James, it seems, had been ordered on account of suspicions en- tertained against him from the evidence of Don Palusco, who had been examined respecting SEVILLE. 241 James, and had declared that he knew nothing either of him or of Don Magi, from whom he had received letters of recommendation. Don Magi had, it appears, out of friendship to James, filled his trunk with books and papers, which he thought might be of use to him dur- ing his travels ; but it unluckily happened that, among these was a long dissertation against the Inquisition and its managers, which had been sent for James' perusal, that be might thence learn to avoid such a dan- gerous tribunal. As the trunk, on its arrival at Don Palus- co's, was refused admittance, it was there- fore sent to the Consolant, a place for un- claimed goods, where it was opened by order of an officer of state, and the papers were lodged in the court of Inquisition. James wrote two or three letters to the inquisitors, declaring his innocence ; but they were pos- sessed of an excuse for detaining him, and did not choose to appear too lenient in the execu- VOL. I. L 242 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. tion of their office, by setting him at Hberty. James now finding that his imprisonment might be protracted to an indefinite period, and that it would be impossible to support it without some amusement, applied for the use of a violin, which was allowed him. On this instrument he played several hours every day, and became so excellent a perform- er, that he was considered superior in the use of the bow-arm to any gentleman that ever handled a fiddle. The dexterity which he thus acquired in playing on the violin, even afford- ed him some ground of consolation ; — as he considered that, if ever he were released from prison, it might be of use to him in earning his bread, as he saw many procure a living by this means, who had neither taste nor ear, and whose music set the teeth on edge as much as Vida'*s vinegar. Under the influ- ence of these hopes, James bore his confine- ment with greater fortitude, and soothed his sorrows in the best way he could by the SEVILLE. 243 charms of music, which have often been ef- fectual for this purpose. Sitting on© day in a pensive mood, he was astonished to hear the sound of a guitar, which was the first music, except his own, that he had heard for two years ; and, on Hstening, he found that its sound proceeded from the stair- case, and therefore concluded that the musician must be in the court. On hearkening more attentively, he was still more delighted to re- cognize some of Gorilla's favourite airs, which he recollected, and was transported with glad- ness to find that he was within hearing of an old friend. It really was the musician of Lo- grona, as he had come to see his son, who now held the office of governor of the Inqui- sition. This was a valuable discovery to James, who immediately addressed a letter to the governor about his situation, and mention- ed that he was known to Gorilla, the musician of Logrona. The governor, struck with the informa- 244 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. tion, asked his father if he knew a Don Pa- terna, of the city of Faro ? The father, in reply, asked what the question meant? at the same time stating, that he was the first and the best man in Spain, and that his own life was ready to answer at any time for his. The governor no sooner informed his father, Gorilla, that James was a prisoner, than he jumped for joy ; for it had been given out that he was dead, and that a friend of his had erected a monument to his memory near the Dominican Friars' cathedral in Algarve. The report of James' death was for a while circulated and believed, till it was contradict- ed by Don Riazo ; but, as Gorilla had left Lo- grona before that gentleman's arrival at Gar- vanty, he had heard nothing of James being alive. The consequence of this disclosure which Gorilla made respecting James may be easily anticipated ; as he was immedately set at liberty. His meeting with Gorilla was affecting beyond description ; and James had SEVILLE. 245 reason to love and esteem him before all others, not only as his former friend and asso- ciate, to whom he was endeared by the ties of affection, but also as his deliverer from capti- vity, to which he saw no other termination but death itself. Gorilla immediately took James to a house which he had hired for the time he was to re- main in Seville, whither he had come to pay his son a visit. As this was now accomplish- ed, he had nothing else to do but to enjoy James' company : — ^he was his own master, and would either stay a month or two where he was, or remove thence, just as he found it agreeable, for he was a man of independent spirit. James, after his long confinement, was afraid to venture out for some days ; he be- came quite dizzy, and every thing seemed as strange to him as if he had fallen from a planet. He could scarce recollect what a house was, or even its appearance ; he did not remember the names of the most familiar ob- 246 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. jects ; and he could hardly believe that he had ever seen any article which was presented for his entertainment. A glass of wine ele- vated his ideas beyond all conception, and he now tasted the enjoyment of life in perfection ; for his taste had not been palled with delica- cies in the prison. This was to James the hap- piest day he had ever seen ; and he thought that, were his present condition only to con- tinue, it would be to him a haven of rest, in which he should wish to dwell for ever, in the company of the musician of Logrona. But a few days banished those ideas which now floated in his imagination, and brought him back to the state of ordinary life. The plans, however, which he had formed, and the excursions he should make, were too many to be numbered, and too great to be ever ac- comphshed; although he believed that the occupation of every day he spent was a part of the great undertakings which he supposed he was destined to execute. Bet- ing now again at liberty, he revolved SEVILLE. 247 many schemes about the future prosecution of his travels, and only waited for Goril- la's opinion and advice. When James became a little more composed, it was necessary to fix on some line of life, whereby he and Gorilla might earn their sub- sistence. James was without a ducat ; and Go- rilla, he knew, would soon be in the same con- dition, unless he had changed his nature, a thing that seldom happens in the conduct of mankind. What then, thought James, was now to be done? for the rent of the house which they occupied would soon become due, al- though they had little or no money to pay it. There was, however, one source of consola- tion for our two needy travellers, that the rent was the only thing owing ; — as Gorilla pur- chased provisions with the money he obtained by playing on the fiddle, in the evening, to the people on the streets. As this expedient suc- ceeded so well, James proposed to Gorilla that they should have a public concert, to perform 248 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. different pieces ; and they accordingly agreed with two other performers, hired a large room, and stuck up bills in the corner of every street, to give notice of their intended exhibition. In consequence of this intimation, the curi- osity of the people to see the performance was so excited that, on the day of the exhibition, the room in which they intended to play was crowded to the door. The first performance was a duet by James and Gorilla, which went off with great ap- plause. The second was a soh by Gorilla on the harp, that was much applauded,— and a song by one of the other performers, who, happening unluckily to forget the words, made an apology, and was hissed out of the room. His neighbour, afraid of the same treat- ment, made his escape, and left James and Gorilla to entertain the company the best way they could; although all the weight of the per- formance lay upon the other two, whom they had engaged for that purpose. In this situa- SEVILLE. 249 tion, James came forward to the front of the orchestra, and began to address the audience, saying, " Ladies and gentlemen :" — This was followed by loud peals of coughing, hissing, and knocking on the seats ; after which, some of the most forward broke the chandeliers, and a universal uproar immediately ensued. Gorilla now fell upon his usual plan to restore harmony, and began to strum upon his big bass viol, which, for the time, drowned every thing that could be said. James, in the mean- time, rose up twice or thrice, and cried, " Ladies and gentlemen ;" — though all to no purpose. The noise now became terrific , every one tumbled over his neighbour ; and a discharge of oranges from the gallery overset the table on which the candles were standing. The company at last became outrageous, and the cry, pay hack the money, was several times vociferated from all parts of the room. In this state of confusion, a young fellow leaped forward to the stage, and, with a large l2 250 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. stick, broke Gorilla's big bass viol ; but find- ing that he was like to be overpowered, he seized a form, and James the music-table, with which, at this instant, both stood in the attitude of de- fence. The door-keeper cried out " fire !**' which had the effect of emptying the place very speedily, as every one overset another ; while the man that collected the money ran off with it, and James and Gorilla were nearly killed. Such was the issue of this public exhibition by our unfortunate travellers, who, from this specimen, were persuaded that such a mode of earnino: their subsistence would never sue- ceed. They sustained considerable damage by this unlucky adventure, from the shame, and fright, and broken bones which they met with ; and they lost every thing which they possessed — drums, violins, clarionets, and guitars, not a vestige of which was left ; — nay, the mob tore up the very seats, and were in the act of set- ting fire to the house, when the police officers entered it. The officers produced a warrant SEVILLE. 251 for apprehending them all ; and accordingly they took James and Gorilla into custody, with eight or ten of the rioters, who fought all the way with sticks, and swore that they would be fully revenged on the musicians. Go- rilla's son, however, became bail for James and his father, who were accordingly released from the custody of the officers ; — and they returned home to their house in a far more miserable plight than when they left it, with- out even a fiddle for either of them to earn their livelihood, much less to discharge the rent, for which the late exhibition had been projected. The next day James and Gorilla ventured out ; and, on being recognized, it was soon whispered that they were the two itinerant musicians. A mob collected about them, to avoid which they wisely separated, agreeing to meet at home an hour afterwards. James, in the meantime, called on Don Palusco to learn something of his trunk ; and, having knocked 252 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. at the door, was shewn into a parlour, where he had not waited long before that gentleman made his appearance. " My name, sir,"' said James, making a low bow, " is Don Pedro of Faro, of the province of Algarve, in the kingdom of Portugal ; and I am travelling to see the wonderful city of Se- ville. I had a recommendation to you from Don Magi of Cadiz, of which I so far availed myself as to address a trunk to your care, for which I have suffered two years'* imprisonment in the castle of the Inquisition." " Mercy on us !" cried Palusco, " two years imprisonment for a trunk sent to me ! I never heard any thing of it ; I have a bro- ther who mentioned something of the circum- stance, but I assure you that I know nothing whatever about it. Don Magi is my particu- lar friend, and I am very happy in having it in my power to pay you every attention pos- sible on his account." James found that he had now discovered SEVILLE. 253 the mistake, and expressed a wish that Pa- lusco 'would advise him how to proceed rela- tive to the recovery of his trunk ; as all the money he had was contamed in it. Palusco, however, advised him to say nothing about it ; for the laws of the Inquisition were par- ticularly strict, and it was dangerous to inves- tigate or arraign its proceedings ; as it had powers that were above the restraint of law. James thanked Don Palusco for his advice, and received a friendly invitation to dine with him the next day. Gorilla had, in the meantime, wandered up and down a great part of the city, and, hav- ing called on his son, told him what had oc- curred with respect to the concert which they had intended to perform. His son, the go- vernor, advised him to attempt no more ex- hibitions of the kind in future, alleging that, in Seville, there was no such thing known, and that it was the first he had ever heard of being exhibited there. Gorilla assured his son that 254 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. he certainly would not attempt another ; but lamented the want of taste in the inhabitants, who seemed to know nothing more of music, than what they had learned from the custom of serenading through the streets. The governor told his father, that even this practice was much on the decline ; but said that he did not wonder there was such a crowd at their concert; as the young people, who formed the chief part of the audience, were accus- tomed to have something extraordinary for their money. But he expressed his surprise, that any person should have advised him and James to attempt a thing of the kind, which was so completely preposterous ; and added, that they might consider themselves very for- tunate in having escaped with their lives. The governor, however, like many ungrate- ful sons, did not bestow any pittance on his father to relieve him from embarrassment; and therefore the poor musician found it ne- cessary to shift for himself. Accordingly he SEVILLE. 255 again repaired to his own house, whither James had now returned ; and there they concerted the most feasible plans for maintaining them- selves during their future peregrinations. From their late unfortunate adventures, they both agreed that the sooner they left this place the better ; and, in the meantime, applied to Gorilla's son for the loan of as much money as would pay the rent of the house, and sup- ply them with a trifling sum on their journey. They were now ready to leave Seville, and to take the first road which led towards the coast ; but, as James had promised to dine with Palusco, their departure was on that ac- count delayed till next day. James, whose dress was not such as he could have wished, nevertheless attended next day, at the hour fixed on, at Don Palusco's house, where he was saluted by a large and respectable company, whom their host had called together on our traveller's account. Every civility was shown to James as an ac- 256 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. quaintance of Don Magi, whom, by their eager inquiries after him, they all seemed to know and esteem ; — which afforded James a proof, that a good man, however whimsical or unfortunate, is respected beyond what is indi- cated by the ordinary custom of merely ask- ing after his health. Words can be employ- ed for that purpose at any time, and cost no- thing ; but it was very different on the pre- sent occasion, as this expensive entertainment was prepared and attended solely to do ho- nour to Don Magi, in the person of his friend, which was the highest mark of regard that the host and the company could bestow on both. As James was thus so handsomely treated by Don Palusco, it might have been expected that he would have disclosed to him the needy cir- cumstances to which he was reduced, and re- quested the loan of a small sum ; especially when that gentleman knew that from the wrong ad- dress put upon his trunk, from the confiscation of his whole property, and from his imprison- SEVILLE. 257 ment for two years, he must now be reduced to beggary; — yet such was the independent spirit which James possessed, that he would sooner have done any thing than apply to his friends for relief, as long as he was capable of sup- porting himself by any means whatever. He knew that he could work, and therefore he scorned to exchange independence of mind for a paltry sum of money, the value of which could not compensate for the great sacrifice he had made to obtain it. These reflections overpowered every selfish wish, which tended in the smallest degree to lead him astray from the path of honour, that always guided him through every difficulty. This was a nice question of moral casuistry, which might have been decided in a different manner by the avaricious ; and James was blamed by many for being so strictly punctili- ous on this occasion,— especially as his present condition did not warrant him to act upon those independent principles which he had 258 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. adopted. But James, by thus acting in his own way, was more the master of his own conduct, than if he had been guided by acci- dental circumstances; and he regarded the freedom of a noble mind above all the advan- tages he could acquire by resigning it. It would be fortunate for many that they had a little more of this kind of independence ; yet not one in a thousand, if placed in James"* situation, would have acted as he did on this occasion. On his arrival, the dinner was in- stantly ordered to be dished, and every thing prepared for the entertainment. This was a compliment paid to him in particular ; for se- veral of the company had not yet arrived. Palusco was very punctual in every thing, (as merchants ought to be,) and accordingly he ordered dinner about ten minntes after the hour appointed for it ; — contrary to the prac- tice of many landlords and landladies, who, from motives difficult to be explained, often detain their company, in what they call a i SEVILLE. 259 drawing-room, for nearly an hour before din- ner is presented. Our traveller had already experienced this sort of treatment since his ar- rival in Spain ; for, being invited to dine one day at four o'clock, he attended at that hour ; but was astonished to find, that the lady of the house had just then sent to market for a sir- loin of beef, which did not appear, and only half-roasted, till two hours afterwards. Dur- ing the interval of two hours, the company stood and sat alternately, and spoke round and round to each other about mere trifles, (occasionally introducing a little scandal,) ex- pecting every moment to be called to dinner. James had looked at his watch fifty times, but that hint was not attended to ; or, if it had been noticed, it would have been of no avail, as the roast was not ready. At last, when five o'^clock struck, he assur- ed the lady that he was engaged at six in another house, to spend the evening. This in- timation, however, had not the effect of has- 260 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. tening the dinner, j^r the roast was not ready ; so James departed as hungry as a hawk. To our sagacious traveller, this kind of ir- regularity was quite intolerable ; and, in order to remedy it, he proposed that cards of invi- tation should run thus, — " Mr and Mrs — — 's compliments, &c. to dine at four o'clock ; din- ner on the table at a quarter before six." This definite notice, he thought, would be attended with manifest advantages, as it would save many from running themselves out of breath that they might join the party at four o'clock, when they knew before-hand that din- ner would not be ready till nearly two hours afterwards. James also suggested another regulation for dinner-hours, which he was glad to find observed by Don Palusco, Magi's friend ; viz., to begin the dinner, and to leave seats for those who were expected to come to it, — and, if they did not till the wine was on the table, that they should receive the fragments of the dinner, but no drink. There SEVILLE. 261 was a third plan which James proposed, (for his imagination was ever at work,) and that was, to introduce cards, chess, and backgam- mon ; to play a tune on the harp ; to sing a catch ; or to engage in something that might while away the time, after the company as- sembled, till dinner was ready. But to loiter away two hours in a room, (and perhaps a smoky one, as drawing-rooms sometimes are,) where every one is more anxi- ous than another for the appearance of a grand repast, which, after it does come, is made up of jellies and glasses that require an hour to be adjusted, — and which no- body cares for, — and of a load of meat for which nobody has any appetite, besides fifty hot dishes, the smell of which is sufficient to turn the stomachs of a whole party, — was a mode of entertainment so utterly preposter- ous, that James thought it could not be too severely reprobated. James accordingly profited by these reflec- 262 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. tions, and applied them whenever he was in- vited to a sumptuous banquet ; for, when he thought that the dinner was too long in mak- ing its appearance, he related the circum- stance of his having once waited two hours, by repeating, — " When five o'clock came, there was no more appearance of dinner than there is just now ; when six came, there was no more appearance of dinner than there is at this moment."*' The dinner, at which the present company had now all collected, consisted of few, but of substantial dishes, besides jellies, ice-creams, and figures in confectionary, of no use what- ever but to look at; although they encumbered the table, or stained the cloth by tumbling over on it. Palusco had banished one-half of those useless things from his table ; but lie could not get them entirely exploded, as he had five daughters, all handsome and elegant, who wished every thing to be in the same style as themselves. SEVILLE. 263 After dinner, there was nearly as much time spent in the distribution of cheese-plates as had been occupied in dining, which was followed by another distribution of oranges, and by a third of grapes. All this profusion of luxuries, however, could not be intended to save the liquor, for, in this house, nobody went away till they had drunk as much as they could swallow ; — so that, when supper was brought in, not one could taste a morsel of any thing, and the whole party went away at a late hour, completely satisfied with the good cheer that had been provided for them. James had been so well entertained by Don Palusco, and so highly elated by the hospi- tality and friendship of so great a man, that, on retiring from his house, he could not help exclaiming, — " Blest be those walls where hospitality And welcome reign at large ! There May you oft Of social cheer partake, and love and joy, 264 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. Pleasures that to the human mind convey Ideal pictures of the bliss supreme !" Under the influence of these sentiments, James anticipated the prospect that, at some future period, he might be enabled to retire from the bustle of the world, and enjoy a few remaining years in love, peace, and friendship, in the midst of his family, and surrounded by his friends, — the most rational enjoyments in the decline of life. But that prospect immediately vanished, when he anticipated the many toils and labours he was destined to perform, which, he consid- ered, were public duties, and which would the better fit him for enjoying the retirement of domestic life, the otium cum dignitate, so much desired by the wise and the good in every age of the world. The rich and the gay, he knew, were generally strangers to that happiness : — accustomed to loll in afflu- ence and ease, they knew nothing of the world but what they learned from books, and from 2 SEVILLE. 265 fictitious representations, that were complete- ly different from the actual state of society. To correct the mistaken notions that were thus imbibed, was the chief purpose for which he travelled ; and accordingly privations, losses, and disappointments, were what he sought chiefly after ; for, by knowing the worst, he was enabled to judge of the best, and to draw a comparative view of the happiness and misery of human life, as it really exists. No ideal representations were sufficient for him ; he was resolved to learn and to know every thing" hy experience^ that he might not be deceived in his estimate of men and man- ners. Born with a restless and determined spirit which nothing could overcome, he was well fitted for the undertaking ; his motives were good, as he had no self-interest to serve, —a motive which he found more prevalent among men than almost any other. He acted, however, on an opposite principle ; not from any expectation that his example would be VOL. I. M 266 THE ECCENTRIC TliAVELLER. followed, for, alas ! philanthropy is a rai'a avis in terris ; but to aiford others the bene- fit of the useful information, which, by hard- ships and misfortunes, he had acquired himself. Such a man as this was one whose worth deserves the commemoration of posterity, — whose actions should be celebrated in all his- tories, — and whose life isworthy of being trans- mitted to all succeeding ages, as one of the brightest examples of heroic virtue that ever appeared in the world. Our hero, indeed, in undertaking his travels, was influenced by the most judicious principles ; for he consider- ed the toils and labours which he would un- dergo to be as necessary for bringing his mind under the discipline of reason, so as to enable him to act his part in life with propriety, — as those of education are for training the minds of youth to habits of attention and applica- tion, in order to qualify them for engaging successfully in the business of the world. And, though youth may consider the disci- SEVILLE. 267 pline of early education as irksome and dis- gusting, yet they afterwards perceive its uti- lity and value ; so James, though he some- times was dispirited by the crosses and vex- ations which he endured, was nevertheless persuaded, that they would one day or ano- ther redound to his glory, his honour, and his happiness. "■ In all his travels doom'd to care and toil ; No honours yet, or splendid columns rise ; And Fortune still averts her partial smile^, And views his labours with condemning eyes." 268 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. CHAPTER IX. James having paid his promised visit to Don Palusco, Vas now ready to embark on another expedition with his friend Gorilla; but, as the next day happened to be Sunday, it was necessary to postpone it till the day following. James regularly attended church, as he al- ways found a satisfaction arising from the exercise of public worship, which he thought the purest and the most sublime that a mor- tal can possess, and which is entirely unknown to those who mis-spend the sacred day in idle amusements, or in idle company. James, among his other eccentricities, had peculiar opi- nions about religion ; for he sometimes believ- ed not only in dreams, and in the existence of sorcerers and witches, but also entertained cer- SEVILLE. 269 tain notions regarding matters of chance and predestination, which generally guided all his actions. He was therefore afraid that, should he set out on a Sunday, no good would at- tend his journey ; but, on the contrary, that a series of misfortunes might befall him during the whole of his next year's peregrinations. James was not singular in his notions about lucky and unlucky days ; for seamen also are predestinarians in this respect, although they judge differently from him with regard to Sunday, as they always prefer setting sail on that day. Our traveller, however, could ne- ver discover any reason why a voyage un- dertaken on Sunday should be fortunate, and 2i journey undertaken on the same day should be unfortunate, unless it were, that the same thing done at sea and on land there- by changed its nature, as it was performed on different elements ; or that experience proved that opposite effects resulted from the same cause. But, whether there was any ground 270 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. or not for believing in lucky and unlucky days, James' resolution, never to travel on Sunday, was as fixed and settled as were the laws of the Medes and Persians. James was an Episcopalian in his religious principles, and therefore adhered to its tenets, which were at open warfare with the doctrine and the discipline of the church of Rome. It was therefore unfortunate that he was now travelling in a country where no other reli- gion but Popery was professed or tolerated ; — and consequently he must either attend di- vine service in a popish church, or stay at home. But he never did so when he could help it, and preferred the worship enjoined by a spurious religion, rather than having none at all ; and, although the service was performed in a language which neither James nor the congregation understood, that was no excuse for absence from church ; for, if he did his duty, it was the priests' business to do theirs. As James beheld the images stuck up in SEVILLE. 271 different parts of the church, he could not help making some reflections on the idola- trous kind of worship established in Catholic countries, and on the abuses to which that superstitious form of it was liable, in with- drawing the minds of the people from the great object of religious homage to those which were placed before their eyes. James considered that the unity of the Deity was a truth wherein the greatest and wisest part of mankind had always agreed, and which, there- fore, it might be fairly presumed, was either naturally dictated by the human understand- ing, or at least transmitted by tradition from the first ages, and confirmed by Socrates, Plato, Pythagoras, and the wisest heathens, in every country of the world. Hence our traveller justly concluded, that polytheism and idolatry were a degeneracy from that original notion which mankind had agreed on respecting the unity of the Supreme Being, and that the multiplications of subser- 272 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. vient or subsidiary gods or saints, as repre- sented by images, was a theory in direct op- position to what the most rational philosophers as well as divines had always maintained on this subject. But there was not one better capable of delivering a correct opinion on the point than James himself, who, for sound- ness of reason, depth of penetration, and correctness of judgment, was equal to them all. Inspired with these sentiments, he attended the morning service at the church of Agnus Christi, near the aqueduct, and took his seat in the gallery. The first officiating person that entered was a priest, a tall, stout man, dressed in a rich embroidered robe, attended by two boys, who held his train in one hand, and a large lighted wax-candle in the other ; and, while the organ chanted all the time, a man who carried a basin of water, dipt a long thin brush into it, and sprinkled the people, singing, — " I will sprinkle you with water, aad SEVILLE. 273 ye shall be clean." In the meantime, the priest went up three steps to the altar, and bowed, then kneeled (the boys doing the same,) before a large silver-gilt crucifix, cross- ing frequently his breast and forehead. After remaining some time in this posture, he rose, and turned to the congregation, — when other two priests entered, also in robes, who bowed and kneeled to the cross, and then stood on each side of the priest who had entered first. Both of these last-mentioned priests held censers, containing frankincense and per- fumes, suspended by three silver chains from their shoulders. They opened the censers and swung them round, when the smoke ascended, and perfumed the whole congregation. This vapour had an instantaneous effect on James' olfactory nerves; for it set him into such a violent fit of sneezing, as called all eyes to the spot where he was sitting. The sneezing continued without intermission, till a person in a black gown came run- M 2 274 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. nlng from below with a long wand, with which he struck James on the back, and by this means stopped the sternutation ; so that the ceremony proceeded without farther inter- ruption. After the priest had pronounced some words as loud as he could roar, two or three voices in the choir chanted a few bars ; — then the organ played, and the whole congregation joined with their voices, which, like a peal of thunder, produced a sudden and a grand ef- fect that continued for nearly twenty minutes. Towards the conclusion of the singing, the priest again advanced to the altar, and, after kneeling and crossing himself, took out the chalice or golden cup, containing wine, with which he proceeded to the front of the altar ; when a small bell began to tinkle, and the or- gan to play a soft air, which produced a sound like that of music heard at a distance. When this part of the ceremony was finished, the priest at the altar took the consecrated SEVILLE. 275 wafer, and drank the cup of wine ; after which a loud chorus was sung by the whole congre- gation, choir, and full organ ; and the priest having replaced the cup upon the altar, knelt with the other priests and boys, along with the whole congregation. This part of the service being ended, the priest then repeated some sentences in Latin, to which the people made suitable responses. After this, the priest read some time from a book, and then sprinkled holy water on all around him. The congregation then rose up ; and, when the whole of the service was completed, they were dismissed with a volun- tary on the organ. The performance of all these ceremonies oc- cupied fully tvvo hours, during which James had to kneel, and go through all the forms in the same manner as the rest of the congrega- tion. Being anxious to see every thing, he delayed gohig out as fast as others, and met an immense crowd, who were rushing back 276 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. again into the church In order to avoid them, he took shelter in a corner, where, un- fortunately-y the cistern of holy water was placed ; by which, as he could neither move backward nor forward, he was bespattered as much as if he had been overtaken by a shower of rain. On getting out with some dif- ficulty, he went straight to the house of Go- rilla, who had been at another church ; but, being all wet, he forbore at that time to give his friend an account of what he had seen, and went to bed during the time that his clothes were drying. When James had got up again, the af- ternoon was spent by him and the musi- cian, in laying plans for their journey to Cadiz, where James thought they might have a better chance of earning their sub- sistence. Accordingly, having paid their house-rent, and purchased another fiddle and bass-viol, they set off on the Monday morning at five SEVILLE. 277 ©''clock. James was particularly happy to get out of a place v/here he had suffered so much[; and they accordingly travelled on with the utmost speed. Having no money, except a few reals which remained to Gorilla after pay- ing his debt, they agreed to stop half an hour at Parina, a small village on the road, where, they thought, that, by playing a few tunes on their fiddle and bass-viol, and giving out hints about their poverty, (the common attendant of foot-travellers,) some of the charitable inhabit- ants might perhaps be induced to bestow as much as would purchase a breakfast for two hungry travellers. But though they first plead- ed poverty, no one made the generous offer which they expected ; and their appetites be- came the more craving, in proportion to the ex- pectations they had formed of being satiated with a hearty meal. But perceiving that no- thing was to be got here without something in return, they began to try the musical taste of the inhabitants by playing a tune, and soon 278 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. collected crowds of people, the greater part of whom, however, were women and children, who were highly amused with the music, but never supposed that they were to pay for it. As James would not submit to the degra- dation of handing about his hat to collect a few reals that might have been offered, our poor travellers therefore received nothing for their music ; and they had now a more severe struggle than before betwixt starving and beg- ging. However, nothing was offered them, al- though the auditors could not suppose that the musicians were under any particular obliga- tions to amuse them without some remunera- tion. After the whole town had heard of our travel- lers, they called at a house to inquire how far they were from Lebrixa ; but how were they thunderstruck to learn that it was still nearly thirty miles distant ! James next inquired if any grandees lived in the neighbourhood ? and was answered, that every house they LEBRIXA. 279 might pass on the road belonged to some of them, — ^by whom they meant merchants ; for the inhabitants of this place seemed to be ig- norant of the different gradations of rank in civil society. Having received this information, our tra- vellers again pursued their journey ; although they were like to fall down every step for want of food. They had scarcely left this miserable place, before they overtook a wag- gon which had stopped, and was proceeding by the same road to Lebrixa. The driver was uncommonly civil, and hailed James and Goril- la with — " Good morning, masters." This was so far well; but they thought that, if it were not followed by something more substantial, they could have dispensed with that civility. James, However, advanced to the waggoner, and told him that they were travelling to Lebrixa, and that, having left Seville early in the morning, they had got no breakfast. The driver, on hearing this, instantly took 280 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. a loaf of bread from a bag that hung by the waggon, and presented it to them with these words : — " There, gentlemen, is provision for the unprovided ; and I only regret that, for your sakes, my waggon is not filled with the best things in Spain." James readily accepted the loaf; and our travellers, after expressing their gratitude for this timely supply, moved forward, much to the relief of the waggoner, who took them for any thing but honest men, and reported his suspicions of them as he went along. In the meantime, James and Cor ill a had yet thirty miles to travel in a hot sultry day, entangled and incommoded with instruments which might please the ear, but could not sa- tisfy their appetite ; but, as they had now a loaf in their possession, they were not so much to be pitied ; for, after devouring it to satiate their hunger, and taking a draught of water from a spring to quench their thirst, they trudged LEBRIXA. 281 onward with renewed vigour. In this man- ner they travelled till the evening, when they beheld at a distance the town of Lebrixa rising out of a forest of trees. By this time it was nine in the evening, and they were both equally fatigued, while James' soles were full of blisters that made him hobble on very tardily ; and it was no wonder, as they had set out at the rate of three miles an hour, which had gradually di- minished to one, at which pace they were moving when they entered an inn. The mistress of the inn was a diminutive sour-looking creature, whose glance at the travellers did not promise them a very wel- come reception. On being shewn into the worst room, they called for some turnips and a bottle of wine, which was indeed execrable ; although the repast Avas not ill-suited to their dress, and fully more so to their pockets. Their landlady's temper was not improved by the entertainment they had called for; 282 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. and, finding that she was not likely to make any thing by her new customers, she entered the room, probably for the purpose of turning them out, when James inquired if she had a bed-room. " A bed-room !" answered the enraged landlady ; " I\'e no bed-rooms for parsons who sup on turnips ! there's a barn perfectly at your service ; and 111 warrant 'tis not the first time you've slept in a hamper." James and Gorilla were accordingly con- ducted to the straw-barn by this mirror of civility, whose overstrained passion could not conceal expressions which she did not wish them to hear, such as, " Trouble, — vagrants, — robbers," — that were accompani- ed by a few oaths, (some of which could not with propriety be repeated). Their rest, such as it was, on a bed of straw, was disturbed next morning by a discharge from a watering-pan, which had an instant ejBPect in rousing them up, and despatching LEBRIXA. 283 them to the room tliat they had occupied last night, where they instantly called for breakfast. *' Breakfast !'' cried the landlady again in a rage ; " we've no breakfast for beggars ;^- I'll breakfast you !" — and, seizing a red-hot poker which was in the fire, she flew with it towards them, as they ran out to the street, and aimed a blow at James, although Corilla warded it off with the bass-viol, which, in the scuffle, was set on fire with the red-hot poker. The inhabitants now inter- fered, and carried off the two musicians in the midst of a mob, not much pleased with their reception at this wretched inn. They now evidently saw, that nothing but persecution would attend them everywhere, unless they got rid of their old clothes and their musical appendages ; although for the present it .was quite impracticable. James, finding matters likely to go very hard with them, remonstrated with the musician against 284 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. this mode of travelling and living by chance, — and could not help observing, " that they would not have been the worse for a few of Alviro's pieces of eight, which he pretended so much to despise." " True," said Gorilla ; " but this mode of life, although new to you, is not new to me. I've slept often a month in a place, which was as inferior to the barn in which we slept last night, as it is to a palace." " Mercy on us i" exclaimed James, " do you intend to travel through all Spain in this way, — ^by acting the part of a sturdy beggar, in taking possession of people's houses against their wills, and paying them with abuse ?" ^' No," replied Gorilla, " I abuse nobody, — they abuse me ; and I think there's not much betwixt us at the end of the week, if I sleep in a stable, and get a dish- clout thrown at my head for my breakfast." James, however, could not be reconciled to this vagrant way of living, and plainly told LEBRIXA. 285 the musician that, unless he could point out some other method of earning their bread, so as to be able to travel respectably, he would decline going farther, and that, from this day, he would endeavour to provide for him- self. " Respectably !" answered Gorilla in a rage, " I consider myself the most respectable man in Spain.'*' " What difference is there between a mu- sician and other people, except that the pro- fession has the superiority over all others, and that the man who can play a tune on any sounding instrument, is fit to be the compa- nion of a prince, as he has no imaginary troubles but what he may blow to pieces with his mouth, or knock to atoms with his el- bow r '' That may be," replied James, ^' but if your respectability depends on your music, and your music depends on your respectabi- lity, I think that neither of them stands well 286 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. for advancement in this place, however they may succeed in any other ; and so I decUne to travel any farther in this way. Go and pro- vide a room for yourself, while I, in the mean- time, will proceed to Cadiz, where I shall be able to see you occasionally.'" Gorilla was not a little surprised at James' pertinacity, and took occasion to remind him of his confinement in prison, and that he owed his liberty to him alone. James was no sooner reminded of that cir- cumstance (which had escaped his memory in the midst of so much noise and tumult), than he begged Gorilla's pardon for his indiscre- tion ; — at the same time assuring him, that he rather would do any thing, however unplea- sant, than leave a man to whom he was more indebted than to all the other inhabitants of Spain. Matters being so far amicably settled, our travellers resumed their journey to Gadiz, which lay fifteen miles south-west from Le- brixa, and, by walking at a moderate pace. CADIZ. 287 tlie}^ arrived there about seven o'clock in the evening. The city of Cadiz, so well-known in the commercial world, contains about 150,000 in- habitants ; the houses are flat in the roofs, and every one of them is surmounted by a turret, from which the inhabitants can view the sea. The shipping and craft in the harbour are innumerable ; and the signal-house has a most singular appearance. This is a place of great trade ; and James was much delighted at see- ing it again, as there was a bustle and a stir about it, which is only to be met with in sea- port towns, and as it reminded him of the bustle of the world in general, on which his imagination delighted to expatiate. But he had little other reason to rejoice on his ar- rival at Cadiz, as he was here almost an ut- ter stranger, and neither knew whither to go nor what to do ; for his friend Don Magi was still in jail, and Don Pelivo was absent on a six months' tour through Portugal. As Co- THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. rilla and he walked along the shore^ a man of respectable appearance addressed them, by asking pardon for the intrusion, and request- ing to know from James, if his name was Le Grand ? He assured the stranger that it was not. On receiving this answer, he still gazed the more at James, who at last demanded what he meant, and what cause he had for the in- quiry ? " You,"" replied the stranger, " are certain- ly the gentleman I mean ; are not you Alvez le Grand of Martinique,^ where we have spent many happy days together?" James assured him that he never was in that island ; when the stranger, taking him by the arm, led him along the street till they came to an elegant house, then occupied by eight or ten gentlemen, and on entering, said — " Here, Don Palydor, here is a phenome- non. This gentleman, whom you and I 3 t:!ADIZ. 289 thought to be our friend le Grand, denies it;^ " Come, come, friend Le Grand," said Don Palydor, " none of this nonsense. When came you home ? by what ship ? My brother and I came home two weeks ago, and you had left us three months before." *« There can be no doubt of the fact," said his brother, who, addressing James, continued, " when did you come hither, Alvez ? how long do you intend to stay ? and how are our friends M*Dowgall, Symons, and Tickner ?" He thus continued to mention the names of a number of persons ; when James replied — " I don't know, gentlemen, what you mean. I am a gentleman, I must acknowledge, however extraordinary my dress may ap- pear^" " I know it," exclaimed the other. " I was certain of it. Now, pray, friend Alvez, what have you to say for yourself.? try to play off a deception !^ — You're too well known, — that's VOL. I. N 290 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. excellent, — the best joke that ever happened, — perhaps, in Cadiz. Come, charge a bumper to our friend Alvez le Grand." James had to drink the health of the compa- ny three times, according to regulations estab- lished in Cadiz respecting persons who join a company after the bottle is drawn ; and he had no sooner finished his third glass, than the two brothers conveyed James to a room upstairs, and then began to pull off his coat. " I'll not be used in this way,'" cried James, somewhat irritated. This was answered by a loud laugh ; — when they both fell over a chair that happened to be in the way. " Here they are, here they are !" exclaimed both together ; when one of them opened a wardrobe, and drew out two rich suits of silk. While one held James' arm, the other took off his coat, vest, and breeches, saying, at the same time, '' This will do, — the best joke that ever happened in Cadiz. They fit excellently, — the breeches CADIZ. 291 are rather tight, — but no matter. — Upon the whole, Alvez, you are a very pretty Jellow. — Now for a hat, — this one, I'm sure, will db.— And now, sir, here's a sword, defend your- self."" — In this manner, these two gentlemen, in five minutes, equipped James in an elegant suit of clothes, which they had to put upon him by actual force ; (while they could not contain themselves for laughing}, and at last declared. That Alvez was now himself again. James was no sooner possessed of a sword, than he drew it, and stood in an attitude of defence ; while the two brothers drew at the same moment, crying, " Two against one," — " that's too much. — Come, come, — this way, sir, this way," — at the same time leading James, partly by force, into the dining-room. They had no sooner entered, than two others flew forward and embraced James, and joined the others in their congratulations ; for they all spoke so fast that James could not get in a word. At last he was allowed to say— 292 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. " Well, this is singular; but I don't care. I'm only in the dress which I used to wear !^' <' Correct!" cried Palydor; " truth will always make its appearance at last; IVe a good mind, sir," — and saying so, he squeez- ed James up to the wall, and pulled his ears, till he roared for mercy ; while the company raised such a loud laugh as drowned James' exclamations. He was again seated, and asked why he played them such a trick ? James now per- ceived that this was really a mistake, for they had given such proofs of Jriendship when he was squeezed to the wall, as they durst not have ventured to give to a stranger ; — ^but he was obliged to submit to circumstances, and join them in drinking till twelve o'clock at night, when each of the brothers took an arm of James, who, by this time, had humoured the joke, and had also exceeded in the use of the bottle. The change which he now experi- CADIZ. 293 enced was so great, from being nearly starved since he left Seville, that he felt a more than ordinary degree of happiness in his present company, were it even only from flattery, as that composition is pleasant to all tastes, even when administered by a rogue. The party now broke up ; and the two bro- thers, accompanied by our traveller, went up one street and down another, while James roared out, — " Where the d — 1 are you taking me to?*" The gentlemen, however, regardless of his exclamations, proceeded on their way, and, after a full half-hour's march, they stop- ped at a door, which was opened by a servant in livery, and went straight forward to the dining-room, where two or three ladies sat as if they had been waiting for their arrival. The supper was ready on the table, and two servants attended. After supper the ladies retired ; and James was shewn to a bed-room, where he soon un- dressed, and went to bed. 294 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. " Life ! What art thou ? a variegated scene Of mingled light and shade, of joy and wo ; A sea where calms and storms promiscuous reign, A stream where sweet and bitter jointly flow.'' CADIZ. 295 CHAPTER X. Next morning, James awoke about nine o'*clock. He had quite forgotten every thing which had happened last night, except that of having been conducted by two gentlemen to his present abode ; but who they were, and where he now was, he could not form the least conjecture. He got up, surveyed the room, and, having put on his new attire, in which he looked better than in any which he had ever yet worn, went several times to the glass, which at once convinced him of his personal identity ; although he conceived him- self to be under some enchantment, from which he did not know how to be relieved. On inquiring at a servant to whom the house belonged ? he learned that it was the proper- 296 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. ty of Don Palydor, a wealthy West India merchant, whose sons, it appears, had mis- taken James for Don Alvez le Grand of Martinique^ and who, having breakfasted early, and gone to the counting-house, had related to their father the trick which, they supposed, Le Grand had played upon them. They told him that they had seen Le Grand from the window of Don Selina's house, in a very shabby dress ; that they had huj-ried him home, stripped him of his wretched clothes, and decked him with a handsome suit, that was more becoming such a fine fellow. At this recital the father laughed as heartily as his sons ; and assured them, that he was ex- tremely happy in having another visit from his particular friend, Le Grand, whose father, as they knew, had the charge of all his Mar- tinique concerns, and who was the first man in that island. In the meantime, Donna Palydor and her daughters had prepared a sumptuous break- CADIZ, 297 fast ; and all of them now sat with eager ex- pectation for Le Grand**s appearance, — parti- cularly the eldest daughter, who had received some favourable letters from him upon a dif- ferent subject from that of commercial busi- ness. James, having adjusted his dress, rang the bell, when a livery-servant entered the bed- room. He naturally inquired for the gentle- men who had accompanied him home last night, and was informed that they had gone out an hour ago. He then expressed an eager desire to know where he was ? " You are, sir," replied the servant, " in the house of Don Palydor."" *' I know that,*" replied James ; " but who the d — 1 is Don Palydor ?" The servant could not contain a loud burst of laughter, which he had smothered till he shut the door ; and, be- ing overheard below, and asked the cause of his unmannerly conduct, he instantly related his conversation with the stranger. This oc- n2 298 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. casioned some alarm to the ladies, who order- ed the servant to give his master's compli- ments to Don le Grand, and that breakfast waited for him. James, recollecting some- thing of the name they had imposed on him, — and anxious for an explanation of this mys- tery, instantly descended, — the servant show- ing the way, and opening the door of the room where the ladies were assembled. James en- tered with a low bow. Don Palydor took him by the hand, but could nor give him a name ; while Donna Palydor and her daughters re- mained in astonishment. James, to relieve them from embarrassment, accosted Don Palydor, and said, " My name, sir, is Paterna." " Paterna !" exclaimed Don Palydor, " you are not then Don Alvez le Grand .?" " I am not," answered James, " neither do I know for what reason I have been so called, and carried to this respectable abode by two gentlemen whom I never saw before.'"' CADIZ. 299 Don Palydor, scarcely able to restrain him- self, replied, " Sir, that there is a likeness betwixt you and my friend Don Alvez le Grand, there can be no doubt ; but still, al- though you are very hke him, there is always some shade of dissimilarity, however small, which distinguishes one person from another ; and I perceive that dissimilarity ."*■ James, on this explanation, was much re- lieved ; although the ladies were much disap- pointed ; but they all now sat down to break- fast. In order to carry on the joke a little farther, it was suggested by Don Palydor, that, although he had discovered that James was not Le Grand, this should remain a pro- found secret to his sons, so as to afford as much entertainment at their expense as they had already received at his. James readily acquiesced in the scheme, and agreed to act the part of Le Grand that day at dinner. Though Donna Palydor and her daughters now knew that our traveller was a stranger. 300 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. yet his superior accomplishments and elegant manners were so prepossessing, that they were eager to learn whether he was an English, French, or Italian gentleman, as he spoke all these languages so correctly, that it was diffi- cult to ascertain which of them was his native tongue ; although the accent which he gave to the Spanish shewed that he did not belong to Spain, or at least to that province of the king- dom. Don Palydor''s daughters soon exhibited that curiosity which is natural to their sex, by making indirect inquiries at James who he was, and for what purpose he was travelling. But, though James did not satisfy them with respect to these questions, he told them that he had not come to Cadiz to embark for sea, not to transact business ; that he knew very few persons in the city, and that he had no concern with any individual in this part of the country. Our traveller found it necessary to be particularly cautious in making any dis- CADIZ. i^ 301 closures respecting himself, as these hints and questions were chiefly made by Donna Mer- cia, the eldest daughter, who, though disap- pointed of her lover, by this change of name, seemed, from the way in which she spoke to James, to have no objection to a change of persons; — at least this was the construction which he put upon her incessant, eager, and polite inquiries. Dinner being at last announced, and the family being assembled, the two brothers, Don Selinus, and their other friends who saw James yesterday, were all equally anxious to shew the supposed Le Grand every possible degree of attention. Accordingly they assem- bled round him in the drawing-room, assuring him that the freedom they had used with him last night, arose entirely from the happiness they felt on again seeing one of their best friends. After dinner, the ladies had agreed to re- main a little longer than usual, to hear how 302 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. James would acquit himself in acting the cha- racter of Le Grand. They little knew how much his excellent abilities were blended with simplicity of character, which rendered his present situation a difficult part to play, espe- cially as he detested all dissimulation ; a thing which he could not reconcile with the prin- ciples of rectitude, unless from the inno- cence of the occasion that produced it ; — al- though he could easily have relieved him- self from the necessity of practising it, by throwing the blame on Don Palydor and his family, and declaring that he was not the person whom they supposed him to be, and that Le Grand was a name he had never heard of. As James, however, had consented to assume his character, he received the con- gratulations of the young gentlemen, with as much politeness as Le Grand himself could have done, if he had been present. Such, indeed, was the joy manifested by Don Palydor's sons and their acquaintances in en- CADIZ. 303 joying the supposed company of their trans- atlantic friend, that they soon began to exhi- bit towards James those marks of attachment, which the generous minds of youth feel for those whom they love and esteem. " Gentlemen," said Don Dacre, the elder brother, " charge a bumper. — This toast I propose to dedicate, in a particular manner, to our worthy visitor and friend, Don Alvez le Grand, son of the great Don Alvez le Grand of Martinique." " Don Alvez le Grand" resounded from all quarters like the guns of a fleet firing on a royal birth-day ; while James bowed to every one at the table, amidst the loudest acclamma- tions ; till the noise slackened by degrees, like spent guns at the end of a firing. At length it totally ceased ; and all paid attention to James, who, standing up, made the following reply : *' Gentlemen, the honour done to me me- rits my sincerest and warmest acknowledg- ments ; and I am highly indebted to all the 304 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. friends whom I have the honour of seeing around me ; particularly to the gentlemen by whom, as a stranger, I was fed and clothed." This speech was followed with the greatest applause ; but the risibility of the female part of the company could scarcely be restrained, on seeing the hoax played off so well on the credulity of their brothers and their acquaint- ances. James had now questions of every kind to answer, and was never at a loss ex- cept once ; — for, whenever any one of his friends in Martinique was inquired after, he had always the same thing to repeat — '* Very welP' — and " Pretty well" — as he only chang- ed these expressions to prevent their repeti- tion, and obviate suspicion of the imposition he was practising. But there was one unlucky question which very nearly discovered the trick ; — for, on inquiry being made about the health of a Don Faber, James answered, " He is very well." To this Don Dacre rejoined, " I CADIZ. 305 hope so ; although he has been dead these twelve months !" — James pretended that this was a mere lapsus ; and contrived to make the company forget it, by craving a bum- per. " A bumper to Le Grand's toast'"* then resounded through the whole room. '' Gentlemen," said James, " charge a bum- per : — This toast I liave the honour of dedi- cating to Don Alvez le Grand, senior, of Martinique."" '' Mercy on us !**' cried two or three voices at once, '' he is drinking the health of his own father .'""" Some confusion occurred on the proposal of this toast, from its being so singular and uncommon ; nay, some refused to drink it, when Don Palydor rose, and desired to be heard. He prefaced his speech by stating, that he did not see any great impropriety in the toast ; for, although Don le Grand pro- posed the health of his own father, yet he was at such a distance as might render it excusa- 306 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. ble ; — that, for his own part, he never omitted doing so while his father Uved, and that he had no doubt but his worthy friend had heard him drink it repeatedly."" " Not I, 'pon honour,"" answered James.'*'' " Hush !'''' — whispered the father ; ^' if you go on in this way, we shall soon be discovered.'" The second daughter, in a shrill tone of voice, observed, — " Gentlemen, is there any harm in drinking one's papa ? I should think it the most rational thing in the world." " Don le Grand is certainly right,'" said the eldest daughter, " in calling him father, for babies would only call him papa; — al- though I allow that, for opera-dancers, papa does very well.'" " Well said !" continued Paly dor; " I know nothing so ridiculous as an old antiquated man or woman of five and fifty, crying papa to his or her father ; as it can only have the pernicious effect of making the old fellow sup- pose he''s grown young, and the lady that CADIZ. 307 she's not of age ;— two very convenient, but impossible suppositions. — I heard a good story the other day of a friend of Dacre's, who got married ; and the next day his friends came all round him to wish him joy. — ' Well gentlemen,' said he, ' when I was married, I thought I had got a great, big, fat, plump damsel ; but what will you think, when I tell you, that I have only married a chest of car- penter's tools !' " This story dismissed the female part of the company, who reserved the particulars of it to be discussed another time. James was now the life of the party ; his stories and anecdotes were innumerable, and they spent the afternoon with as much happi- ness as ever was experienced by a social party after a good dinner, and with plenty of drink on the table before them. There is, in gene- ral, so much ceremony in dining with great people, that James considered it as a kind of penance, and thought the honour bestowed 308 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. on him by an invitation to dinner the best part of the entertainment ; — so that, in most cases, he declined invitations, or, if he ac- cepted them, it was rather with the view of pleasing his friends than of partaking in their choicest dainties. What difference, thought he, was there be- tween a two-in-hand dinner, consisting of a beef-steak and a bottle of wine, and one pre- pared for a party of five-and-twenty, consist- ing of fifty dishes ? — Nay, he regarded the latter as by far the least eligible, as he could only speak to his next neighbour, whom, per- haps, he did not like, but was obliged to con- verse with because he was the nearest,— drink a bottle of wine merely for form and ceremony, — be deafened by a person at the head of the table speaking to one at the foot as loud as he could roar, in order to be heard above the din of eight or ten in the middle, who were all roaring at the same time ; — while he himself found the person next whom he CADIZ. 309 sat such a stupid dunce, as either not to un- derstand, or to laugh at all his remarks, how- ei^er sapient they might be ! The only advantage which James allowed a large party to possess above a small one was, that he might slip out from the former, if he was not pleased, and would be less missed in one consisting of five-and-twenty, than of two or three. But, in all cases, James conceived that it was contrary to the rules of good- breeding to leave any company before a certain time ; and therefore he was guided by a sense of propriety in this, as well as in all other circumstances wherein he was placed. Don Palydor's company having retired to the drawing-room, James expressed a wish to see the city from the turret ; and the la- dies, who were pleased with the proposal, or- dered a repast of wine and fruits to be con- veyed thither. The afternoon being clear and serene, all the party who had dined together 310 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. were soon assembled on the turret, which was about 140 feet from the ground ; so that the view from it was the most enchanting which James had ever witnessed. Don Dacre un- dertook to describe the scenery by the help of a fine telescope, and thus began : — " You see, Don Alvez, on your right, the citadel and works of Cadiz, extending three miles into the sea ; at the end of the ridge of rocks is the light-house, towards the south of which you see innumerable masts of shipping. That is a place of anchorage for vessels, pro- tected against the sea ; it is formed by na- ture, and, by building a small addition to it, is become one of the finest harbours in the world. A little to the north, you may ob- serve the towns of St Mary's, Sidonia, and Port Real ; immediately behind which are the mountains of Granada. You may see dis- tinctly the opposite shore, studded with white houses, while, towards the west, Rota closes the horizon. You may see, a little towards this CADIZ. 311 side, the large bastion which juts out into the sea, on which is the custom-house, an elegant structure that was thirty-seven years in building. Turn now a little this way, and look straight towards the ocean, — there you see the men- of-war riding in the bay ; there are two eighty-gun ships and two seventy-fours. To- wards the west of these you may perceive a large vessel, with topmasts struck, and a white flag; — that is the Santa Anna of 112 guns, which escaped on the memorable defeat of the French and Spanish fleets by the Eng- lish admiral. Lord Nelson, in 1805.'' " I see her distinctly," said James ; " I see the sentinel on the deck with his musket, and a small boat alongside. And is this the very ship that escaped on that occasion .^" '* The very ship," answered Don Dacre ; " the other three, the Prince de Asturias, of 112 guns, San Juste, and San Leandre, were sent to the Tagus ; they are, with the excep- tion of a French frigate or two, the only re- 312 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELI^K. mains of the combined fleets of thirty-three sail of the line, most of which were destroyed in the battle of Trafalgar.*^ " What crowd of people are these,'** in- " quired James, who are crossing, the float- ing bridges ?*' '^ These," answered Don Dacre, " are people attending St Sebastian's feast, a kind of fair held on this day every year ; and near to this is the wooden circus, where they ex- hibit the bull-feats ; but you cannot see it now, as an old wooden chimney is in the di- rect line betwixt you and it." " So there is," said James. " But if you'll hold the glass," observed the other, '' a little this way, you will see something worth notice. That," continued Don Dacre, pointing to a tall building at a distance, *' is the round tower which saved the city from being swept away in the great earthquake of 1755 ;-^that building alone proved sufliciently solid to withstand the 3 CADIZ. 313 shock which threatened destruction to the whole island." " This is really entertaining," said James ; " but, pray, what house is that in the square, towards the left hand, having a collection of earth before it ? — is it not a hot-house for vines ? — This city abounds in all these nice things, and it is really delightful to behold them." " A hot-house !" replied Don Dacre, " I reall}' do not know of any hot-houses or vine- beds in that street. Will you give me leave to look at it through the telescope ? — O, yes : — Just so ; — I see it perfectly. — You are cor- rect, so far (replied Don Dacre), with regard to the composition ; but much mistaken with respect to its quality ; — as that is neither a hot-house nor a vine-house, but a collection of earth and rubbish." <' Rubbish !" exclaimed James, with such an emotion of surprise as drove over the stand of the telescope, and brought all the ladies and VOL. I. o 314 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. .the party to the spot where he stood. — After getting the telescope adjusted, James, again looking through it, continued, — " Rubbish ! mercy on us ! do they lay rubbish before people's houses ? That is a nuisance entirely unknown in my country." " Your country !" interrupted Paly dor ; " you mean Martinique. Recollect you are Don Ahez le Grand."" " Very true,'*'' continued James ; " what- ever country I may mean, I say, I never heard of rubbish being piled up before peo- ple's doors ; it is a kind of phenomenon — what can all this mean .?" " I will tell you the fact," replied Don Dacre ; " the proprietor of that house must submit to it, although it is not put there with his permission." " And have you no police in Cadiz .?" ask- ed James. " Yes," said Palydor; " we have an excellent police, that guards and protects us ; . CADIZ. 315 but they do not interfere in dirty maU tersr " That is the greatest wonder on earth,'" exclaimed James. " Not so great neither," repUed Don Dacre ; " for I have known the whole street filled with rubbish, which once brought a plague that swept away half of the inhabitants.'' " Mercy on us I"'"' cried James, " I would not live in a place like this for all the world. I wish I may not be seized with some fever or ague ; for filth and nastiness are the very things that engender the plague. Of what value are your fine views and refreshing sea- breezes, when one's nose is offended in every corner of the city ?" By this time the party had joined in the re- marks made by James, although they did not feel so miserable as he did, probably from be- ing accustomed to such a nuisance as the one alluded to, and from not knowing that such things might be got rid of by better regula- 316 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. tions. But James assured them that, were he to reside in any city, it would be in one where the people were cleanly, as they would soon make the place so likewise ; and clean- liness, he thought, was one of the greatest comforts of our existence. This lecture against filth, which James de- livered on the turret, met with the approba- tion of the whole company ; as they were never more fully convinced of the truth of any thing, than they were of the truth of his remarks on this subject ; and they expressed their earnest wish that he would take up his residence in Cadiz, and become their chief magistrate, that he might reform the abuses which prevailed in the city. James, however, would not consent to this proposal, for parti- cular reasons, which, he said, he could not then explain. Supper being now ready, the party left the turret, with the highest opinion of James, who, by declining the offer proposed to him CADIZ. 317 by Don Palydor, (whose interest was the greatest in the city), shewed that he was not guided by interested motives, and that he was a very extraordinary person. But who he was, Don Palydor could not divine, al- though, from what he had seen and heard, he thought more of him than of any inhabit- ant of the place ; and he now resolved to put a few questions to our traveller, which, he thought, would lead to a discovery of his real character. Accordingly, after the family had retired for the night, Palydor and James still con- tinued to enjoy each other's conversation ; and the former, taking advantage of their be- ing alone, thus began to address the latter : — " Don Paterna, we have now carried the joke far enough. To-morrow I intend to dis- close to my sons how far they have been mis- taken in supposing that you are Don Alvez le Grand. Young men are, in general, too rash and too credulous ; and this instance o2 318 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. of their credulity, among many others, may shew them that, till they reach your age or mine, they have much to learn. The part we have acted in this deception is not strictly consistent ^nth the rules of rectitude; and the innocence of our motives in carrying it on is its only excuse.^ " Your obsen^ation is correct,'* said James ; ** the proposal for attempting it was made on your part, and I see no great harm in what has been done ; only let them know to-morrow who I am.^ '' Certainly,"" replied Palydor ; " but I am at a loss to say who or what you are.**' " Say,'' replied James. " that I am Don Paterna." •• True — Don Paterna," continued Paly- dor ; " but what sort of person must I re- present you to be ?" " A gentleman r answered James, pulhng up his breeches, and putting on an air of im- portance and dignity. 8 CADIZ. 319 *• I shall say so,'' replied Don Palydor ; " but then — perhaps — I mean — I should say that — how, that that answer might perhaps — I am not certain — lead to further — inqui- ries." " Very well,"" said James, " suppose it should; is there any harm in saying that I am not the person whom they took me for ?"" *' No,"' replied Palydor ; " but they might wish to know more particularly what you are, what place you come from, — and whither you are going ; — nay, whether you are not a gentleman of fortune travelHng incog. ; or, who knows (here he made a low bow) whe- ther you may not be a prince or a sovereign in disguise/"* As Palydor uttered the last words, the door suddenly opened, when Gorilla the mu- sician flew towards James, and embraced him with rapture. James, not the least discom- posed by the unexpected appearance of his old friend, in a garb better suited to a beg- 320 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. gar than the acquaintance of a prince, was, nevertheless, heartily glad to see him again. Corilla, however, was an odd-looking figure, with his bass-viol strung across his shoulder, and a fiddle in his hand ; an old leathern apron before him, and his coat out at the elbows. Don Palydor was thunderstruck at his appearance, and stood holding the lamp in an attitude of amazement, which for some time prevent- ed the power of utterance. At last, recover- ing a little from his surprise, he thus accost- ed the stranger : — " Mercy on us ! who have we here ? a musician, I'll swear, by the necessary ap- pendages of his profession."" ^' Yes," answered James ; " this is my par- ticular friend." Don Palydor was still more confounded ;— he looked first at James, then at the fiddler, and concluded by thinking, that James was an itinerant performer, and that this man was one of the dramatis perscmce. What a strange CADIZ. 321 affair was this, thought he, that my sons should have mistaken this impostor for their friend, Don Alvez le Grand ; and that I also should have been imposed upon by his arti. fices ; — in short, it is altogether a most un- fortunate occurrence. In the meantime, James, after the kindest inquiries about Gorilla's welfare, informed Don Palydor that his friend, being accustomed to perform at all hours, had taken the liberty of calling to inquire for him, although it was rather late ; but he hoped that this piece of indiscretion would be overlooked and for- given. *' Perform at all hours !" interrupted Paly- dor in astonishment ; " does he perform ?" *' That he does,*" said James, and, unbuck- ling the bass-viol from Gorilla's shoulder, and taking the violin himself, they botli began to play, and made such a noise, that the whole house was thrown into a state of alarm. The two sons ran instantly down stairs with only 322 THE ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER. their small clothes on ; and, on entering the room, were no less surprised at the exhibition than Palydor, who, on being asked what all this meant ? gave them no other answer, than that he had called in two itinerant players for his amusement. After the performance was over, Gorilla took his musical apparatus again on his back, shaking hands with James, and wishing Don Palydor a good evening. This was the most singular occurrence that ever Don Palydor had met with in his life ; and, in order to ob- tain an explanation of it, he resumed his chair, and thus addressed James : — '' Don Paterna, may I presume to ask what is that gentleman's name .?" " That gentleman,*" said James (here Paly- dor burst into a laugh), '' that gentleman is Don Gorilla of Logrona, an honest, indutri- ous man, and a musician by profession." " I see so,'' said Palydor ; " but are you and be relations ?^ CADIZ. 323 " We are not,*" answered James. Palydor was accordingly still left in the dark with regard to the character of his un- known guest, from whom he could receive no explicit information, as James, perceiving his curiosity, determined not to gratify it ; and thus, as no mutual conversation could now be carried on, they both went to bed ; James be- ing offended at Palydor's curiosity, and Paly- dor conceiving that James was mad. *' Bear me, ye gods ! where I may calmly rest From all the follies of the night secure ; The balmy blessings of repose to taste, Nor hear the tongue of outrage at my door." END OF VOL. I. PRINTED BY OLIVER & BOYD.