第55章

My interview with him lasted nearly an hour.Some singular discourse passed between us: I found him, as I had been informed, a bitter enemy to the Bible Society, of which he spoke in terms of hatred and contempt, and by no means a friend to the Christian religion, which I could easily account for.Iwas not discouraged, however, and pressed upon him the matter which brought me thither, and was eventually so far successful, as to obtain a promise, that at the expiration of a few months, when he hoped the country would be in a more tranquil state, Ishould be allowed to print the Scriptures.

As I was going away he said, "Yours is not the first application I have had; ever since I have held the reins of government I have been pestered in this manner, by English calling themselves Evangelical Christians, who have of late come flocking over into Spain.Only last week a hunchbacked fellow found his way into my cabinet whilst I was engaged in important business, and told me that Christ was coming....

And now you have made your appearance, and almost persuaded me to embroil myself yet more with the priesthood, as if they did not abhor me enough already.What a strange infatuation is this which drives you over lands and waters with Bibles in your hands.My good sir, it is not Bibles we want, but rather guns and gunpowder, to put the rebels down with, and above all, money, that we may pay the troops; whenever you come with these three things you shall have a hearty welcome, if not, we really can dispense with your visits, however great the honour."MYSELF.- There will be no end to the troubles of this afflicted country until the gospel have free circulation.

MENDIZABAL.- I expected that answer, for I have not lived thirteen years in England without forming some acquaintance with the phraseology of you good folks.Now, now, pray go; you see how engaged I am.Come again whenever you please, but let it not be within the next three months.

"Don Jorge," said my hostess, coming into my apartment one morning, whilst I sat at breakfast with my feet upon the brasero, "here is my son Baltasarito, the national; he has risen from his bed, and hearing that there is an Englishman in the house, he has begged me to introduce him, for he loves Englishmen on account of the liberality of their opinions;there he is, what do you think of him?"

I did not state to his mother what I thought; it appeared to me, however, that she was quite right calling him Baltasarito, which is the diminutive of Baltasar, forasmuch as that ancient and sonorous name had certainly never been bestowed on a more diminutive personage: he might measure about five feet one inch, though he was rather corpulent for his height; his face looked yellow and sickly, he had, however, a kind of fanfaronading air, and his eyes, which were of dark brown, were both sharp and brilliant.His dress, or rather his undress, was somewhat shabby: he had a foraging cap on his head, and in lieu of a morning gown, he wore a sentinel's old great coat.

"I am glad to make your acquaintance, senor nacional,"said I to him, after his mother had departed, and Baltasar had taken his seat, and of course lighted a paper cigar at the brasero."I am glad to have made your acquaintance, more especially as your lady mother has informed me that you have great influence with the nationals.I am a stranger in Spain, and may want a friend; fortune has been kind to me in procuring me one who is a member of so powerful a body."BALTASAR.- Yes, I have a great deal to say with the other nationals; there is none in Madrid better known than Baltasar, or more dreaded by the Carlists.You say you may stand in need of a friend; there is no fear of my failing you in any emergency.Both myself and any of the other nationals will be proud to go out with you as padrinos, should you have any affair of honour on your hands.But why do you not become one of us? We would gladly receive you into our body.

MYSELF.- Is the duty of a national particularly hard?

BALTASAR.- By no means; we have to do duty about once every fifteen days, and then there is occasionally a review, which does not last long.No! the duties of a national are by no means onerous, and the privileges are great.I have seen three of my brother nationals walk up and down the Prado of a Sunday, with sticks in their hands, cudgelling all the suspicious characters, and it is our common practice to scour the streets at night, and then if we meet any person who is obnoxious to us, we fall upon him, and with a knife or a bayonet generally leave him wallowing in his blood on the pavement: no one but a national would be permitted to do that.

MYSELF.- Of course none but persons of liberal opinions are to be found amongst the nationals?

BALTASAR.- Would it were so! There are some amongst us, Don Jorge, who are no better than they should be; they are few, however, and for the most part well known.Theirs is no pleasant life, for when they mount guard with the rest they are scouted, and not unfrequently cudgelled.The law compels all of a certain age either to serve in the army or to become national soldiers on which account some of these Godos are to be found amongst us.

MYSELF.- Are there many in Madrid of the Carlist opinion?

BALTASAR.- Not among the young people; the greater part of the Madrilenian Carlists capable of bearing arms departed long ago to join the ranks of the factious in the Basque provinces.Those who remain are for the most part grey-beards and priests, good for nothing but to assemble in private coffee-houses, and to prate treason together.Let them prate, Don Jorge; let them prate; the destinies of Spain do not depend on the wishes of ojalateros and pasteleros, but on the hands of stout gallant nationals like myself and friends, Don Jorge.

MYSELF.- I am sorry to learn from your lady mother, that you are strangely dissipated.