The Bible in Spain Volume II Part 2

_Guide_.-I am Sebastianillo, a poor broken mariner of Padron, and my master for the present is the gentleman whom you see, the most valiant and wealthy of all the English. He has two ships at Vigo laden with riches. I told you so when you first seized me up there in our _posada_.

_Alcalde_.-Where is your pa.s.sport?

_Guide_.-I have no pa.s.sport. Who would think of bringing a pa.s.sport to such a place as this, where I don't suppose there are two individuals who can read? I have no pa.s.sport; my master's pa.s.sport of course includes me.

_Alcalde_.-It does not. And since you have no pa.s.sport, and have confessed that your name is Sebastian, you shall be shot. Antonio de la Trava, do you and the musketeers lead this Sebastianillo forth, and shoot him before the door.

_Antonio de la Trava_.-With much pleasure, _Senor Alcalde_, since you order it. With respect to this fellow, I shall not trouble myself to interfere. He at least is no Englishman. He has more the look of a wizard or _nuveiro_; one of those devils who raise storms and sink launches. Moreover, he says he is from Padron, and those of that place are all thieves and drunkards. They once played me a trick, and I would gladly be at the shooting of the whole _pueblo_.

I now interfered, and said that if they shot the guide they must shoot me too; expatiating at the same time on the cruelty and barbarity of taking away the life of a poor unfortunate fellow who, as might be seen at the first glance, was only half-witted; adding, moreover, that if any person was guilty in this case it was myself, as the other could only be considered in the light of a servant acting under my orders.

"The safest plan, after all," said the _alcalde_, "appears to be to send you both prisoners to Corcuvion, where the head _alcalde_ can dispose of you as he thinks proper. You must, however, pay for your escort; for it is not to be supposed that the housekeepers of Finisterre have nothing else to do than to ramble about the country with every chance fellow who finds his way to this town." "As for that matter," said Antonio, "I will take charge of them both. I am the _valiente_ of Finisterre, and fear no two men living. Moreover, I am sure that the captain here will make it worth my while, else he is no Englishman. Therefore let us be quick, and set out for Corcuvion at once, as it is getting late. First of all, however, captain, I must search you and your baggage. You have no arms, of course? But it is best to make all sure."

Long ere it was dark I found myself again on the pony, in company with my guide, wending our way along the beach in the direction of Corcuvion.

Antonio de la Trava tramped heavily on before, his musket on his shoulder.

_Myself_.-Are you not afraid, Antonio, to be thus alone with two prisoners, one of whom is on horseback? If we were to try, I think we could overpower you.

_Antonio de la Trava_.-I am the _valiente de Finisterra_, and I fear no odds.

_Myself_.-Why do you call yourself the _valiente_ of Finisterre?

_Antonio de la Trava_.-The whole district call me so. When the French came to Finisterre and demolished the fort, three perished by my hand. I stood on the mountain, up where I saw you scrambling to-day. I continued firing at the enemy, until three detached themselves in pursuit of me.

The fools! two perished amongst the rocks by the fire of this musket, and as for the third, I beat his head to pieces with the stock. It is on that account that they call me the _valiente_ of Finisterre.

_Myself_.-How came you to serve with the English fleet? I think I heard you say that you were present when Nelson fell.

_Antonio de la Trava_.-I was captured by your countrymen, captain; and as I had been a sailor from my childhood, they were glad of my services. I was nine months with them, and a.s.sisted at Trafalgar. I saw the English admiral die. You have something of his face, and your voice, when you spoke, sounded in my ears like his own. I love the English, and on that account I saved you. Think not that I would toil along these sands with you if you were one of my own countrymen. Here we are at Duyo, captain.

Shall we refresh?

We did refresh, or rather Antonio de la Trava refreshed, swallowing pan after pan of wine, with a thirst which seemed unquenchable. "That man was a greater wizard than myself," whispered Sebastian, my guide, "who told us that the drunkards of Finisterre would play us a trick." At length the old hero of the Cape slowly rose, saying that we must hasten on to Corcuvion, or the night would overtake us by the way.

"What kind of person is the _alcalde_ to whom you are conducting me?"

said I.

"Oh, very different from him of Finisterre," replied Antonio. "This is a young _Senorito_, lately arrived from Madrid. He is not even a Gallegan.

He is a mighty liberal, and it is owing chiefly to his orders that we have lately been so much on the alert. It is said that the Carlists are meditating a descent on these parts of Galicia. Let them only come to Finisterre; we are liberals there to a man, and the old _valiente_ is ready to play the same part as in the time of the French. But, as I was telling you before, the _alcalde_ to whom I am conducting you is a young man, and very learned, and, if he thinks proper, he can speak English to you, even better than myself, notwithstanding I was a friend of Nelson, and fought by his side at Trafalgar."

It was dark night before we reached Corcuvion. Antonio again stopped to refresh at a wine-shop, after which he conducted us to the house of the _alcalde_. His steps were by this time not particularly steady, and on arriving at the gate of the house, he stumbled over the threshold and fell. He got up with an oath, and instantly commenced thundering at the door with the stock of his musket. "Who is it?" at length demanded a soft female voice in Gallegan. "The _valiente_ of Finisterre," replied Antonio; whereupon the gate was unlocked, and we beheld before us a very pretty female with a candle in her hand. "What brings you here so late, Antonio?" she inquired. "I bring two prisoners, _mi pulida_," replied Antonio. "_Ave Maria_!" she exclaimed. "I hope they will do no harm."

"I will answer for one," replied the old man; "but as for the other, he is a _nuveiro_, and has sunk more ships than all his brethren in Galicia.

But be not afraid, my beauty," he continued, as the female made the sign of the cross: "first lock the gate, and then show me the way to the _alcalde_. I have much to tell him." The gate was locked, and bidding us stay below in the court-yard, Antonio followed the young woman up a stone stair, whilst we remained in darkness below.

After the lapse of about a quarter of an hour we again saw the candle gleam upon the staircase, and the young female appeared. Coming up to me, she advanced the candle to my features, on which she gazed very intently. After a long scrutiny she went to my guide, and having surveyed him still more fixedly, she turned to me, and said, in her best Spanish, "_Senor_ Cavalier, I congratulate you on your servant. He is the best-looking _mozo_ in all Galicia. _Vaya_! if he had but a coat to his back, and did not go barefoot, I would accept him at once as a _novio_; but I have unfortunately made a vow never to marry a poor man, but only one who has got a heavy purse and can buy me fine clothes. So you are a Carlist, I suppose? _Vaya_! I do not like you the worse for that. But, being so, how went you to Finisterre, where they are all _Cristinos_ and _negros_? Why did you not go to my village? None would have meddled with you there. Those of my village are of a different stamp to the drunkards of Finisterre. Those of my village never interfere with honest people. _Vaya_! how I hate that drunkard of Finisterre who brought you; he is so old and ugly; were it not for the love which I bear to the _Senor Alcalde_, I would at once unlock the gate and bid you go forth, you and your servant, _el buen mozo_". {37}

Antonio now descended. "Follow me," said he; "his worship the _alcalde_ will be ready to receive you in a moment." Sebastian and myself followed him upstairs to a room, where, seated behind a table, we beheld a young man of low stature, but handsome features, and very fashionably dressed.

He appeared to be inditing a letter, which, when he had concluded, he delivered to a secretary to be transcribed. He then looked at me for a moment fixedly, and the following conversation ensued between us:-

_Alcalde_.-I see that you are an Englishman, and my friend Antonio here informs me that you have been arrested at Finisterre.

_Myself_.-He tells you true; and but for him I believe that I should have fallen by the hands of those savage fishermen.

_Alcalde_.-The inhabitants of Finisterre are brave, and are all liberals.

Allow me to look at your pa.s.sport? Yes, all in form. Truly it was very ridiculous that they should have arrested you as a Carlist.

_Myself_.-Not only as a Carlist, but as Don Carlos himself.

_Alcalde_.-Oh! most ridiculous; mistake a countryman of the grand Baintham for such a Goth!

_Myself_.-Excuse me, sir, you speak of the grand somebody.

_Alcalde_.-The grand Baintham. He who has invented laws for all the world. I hope shortly to see them adopted in this unhappy country of ours.

_Myself_.-Oh! you mean Jeremy Bentham. Yes! a very remarkable man in his way.

_Alcalde_.-In his way! in all ways. The most universal genius which the world ever produced:-a Solon, a Plato, and a Lope de Vega.

_Myself_.-I have never read his writings. I have no doubt that he was a Solon; and as you say, a Plato. I should scarcely have thought, however, that he could be ranked as a poet with Lope de Vega.

_Alcalde_.-How surprising! I see, indeed, that you know nothing of his writings, though an Englishman. Now, here am I, a simple _alcalde_ of Galicia, yet I possess all the writings of Baintham on that shelf, and I study them day and night.

_Myself_.-You doubtless, sir, possess the English language.

_Alcalde_.-I do. I mean that part of it which is contained in the writings of Baintham. I am most truly glad to see a countryman of his in these Gothic wildernesses. I understand and appreciate your motives for visiting them: excuse the incivility and rudeness which you have experienced. But we will endeavour to make you reparation. You are this moment free: but it is late; I must find you a lodging for the night. I know one close by which will just suit you. Let us repair thither this moment. Stay, I think I see a book in your hand.

_Myself_.-The New Testament.

_Alcalde_.-What book is that?

_Myself_.-A portion of the sacred writings, the Bible.

_Alcalde_.-Why do you carry such a book with you?

_Myself_.-One of my princ.i.p.al motives in visiting Finisterre was to carry this book to that wild place.

_Alcalde_.-Ha, ha! how very singular. Yes, I remember. I have heard that the English highly prize this eccentric book. How very singular that the countrymen of the grand Baintham should set any value upon that old monkish book!

It was now late at night, and my new friend attended me to the lodging which he had destined for me, and which was at the house of a respectable old female, where I found a clean and comfortable room. On the way I slipped a gratuity into the hand of Antonio, and on my arrival, formally, and in the presence of the _alcalde_, presented him with the Testament, which I requested he would carry back to Finisterre, and keep in remembrance of the Englishman in whose behalf he had so effectually interposed.

_Antonio_.-I will do so, your worship, and when the winds blow from the north-west, preventing our launches from putting to sea, I will read your present. Farewell, my captain, and when you next come to Finisterre, I hope it will be in a valiant English bark, with plenty of contraband on board, and not across the country on a pony, in company with _nuveiros_ and men of Padron.

Presently arrived the handmaid of the _alcalde_ with a basket, which she took into the kitchen, where she prepared an excellent supper for her master's friend. On its being served up the _alcalde_ bade me farewell, having first demanded whether he could in any way forward my plans.

"I return to Saint James to-morrow," I replied, "and I sincerely hope that some occasion will occur which will enable me to acquaint the world with the hospitality which I have experienced from so accomplished a scholar as the _Alcalde_ of Corcuvion."

CHAPTER x.x.xI.