第33章

Elvas - Extraordinary Longevity - The English Nation -Portuguese Ingratitude - Illiberality - Fortifications -Spanish Beggar - Badajoz - The Custom House.

Arrived at the gate of Elvas, an officer came out of a kind of guard house, and, having asked me some questions, despatched a soldier with me to the police office, that my passport might be viseed, as upon the frontier they are much more particular with respect to passports than in other parts.

This matter having been settled, I entered an hostelry near the same gate, which had been recommended to me by my host at Vendas Novas, and which was kept by a person of the name of Joze Rosado.It was the best in the town, though, for convenience and accommodation, inferior to a hedge alehouse in England.The cold still pursued me, and I was glad to take refuge in an inner kitchen, which, when the door was not open, was only lighted by a fire burning somewhat dimly on the hearth.An elderly female sat beside it in her chair, telling her beads: there was something singular and extraordinary in her look, as well as I could discern by the imperfect light of the apartment.I put a few unimportant questions to her, to which she replied, but seemed to be afflicted to a slight degree with deafness.Her hair was becoming grey, and I said that I believed she was older than myself, but that I was confident she had less snow on her head.

"How old may you be, cavalier?" said she, giving me that title which in Spain is generally used when an extra-ordinary degree of respect is wished to be exhibited.I answered that Iwas near thirty."Then," said she, "you were right in supposing that I am older than yourself; I am older than your mother, or your mother's mother: it is more than a hundred years since I was a girl, and sported with the daughters of the town on the hillside." "In that case," said I, "you doubtless remember the earthquake." "Yes," she replied, "if there is any occurrence in my life that I remember, it is that: I was in the church of Elvas at the moment, hearing the mass of the king, and the priest fell on the ground, and let fall the Host from his hands.I shall never forget how the earth shook; it made us all sick; and the houses and walls reeled like drunkards.

Since that happened I have seen fourscore years pass by me, yet I was older then than you are now."I looked with wonder at this surprising female, and could scarcely believe her words.I was, however, assured that she was in fact upwards of a hundred and ten years of age, and was considered the oldest person in Portugal.She still retained the use of her faculties in as full a degree as the generality of people who have scarcely attained the half of her age.She was related to the people of the house.

As the night advanced, several persons entered for the purpose of enjoying the comfort of the fire and for the sake of conversation, for the house was a kind of news room, where the principal speaker was the host, a man of some shrewdness and experience, who had served as a soldier in the British army.

Amongst others was the officer who commanded at the gate.