INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. SPAIN, forming a peninsula, and separated from the rest of Europe by a chain of lofty, and almost inaccessible mountains, has been rarely visited by travellers from motives of mere curiosity. Its real condition, therefore, in respect to the moral and social state of the inhabitants, is still but imperfectly understood; and indeed, since the expedition to Valencia, under the Earl of Peterborough, during the War of the Succession, it had almost ceased to be an object of interest or importance to Great Britain. We had, it is true, Consuls in some of her seaports, and an ambassador generally at Madrid; but we knew as little of the interior of Spain as we still do of Africa, Turkey, or any other barbarous country, imperfectly laid down in Maps and Gazetteers. Eighty years ago, Montesquieu, in his Persian Letters, said it was quite unknown by its neighbours the French; and assuredly the British knew it still less. It is therefore surprising, that all our preconceived opinions of that people have been found, on better acquaintance with them, to be grounded in error and prejudice? Spain, in point of fact, appears to be rather an assemblage of Cantons, like Switzerland, than one complete, perfect, and united nation. Overrun or conquered successively by Tyrians, Carthaginians, Phoenicians, Grecians, Romans, Goths, Visigoths, Moors, &c. each district has retained more or less a distinct character, from the prevalence of the races who have peopled it. For whilst, in the mountains, the Celtic and aboriginal races prevail, in the plains we find more traces of its various conquerors. A Biscayan or Asturian, therefore, looks down on the inhabitants of the other provinces-and a Castilian holds in contempt an Andalusian. An Arragonese hates and despises an Andalusian or Galician, and so in turn throughout the country. Neither is the King's power equally absolute all over Spain. In one or two provinces it is limit ed, and scarcely obeyed in a third. In reality, there is but one strong and perfect chain binding all these discordant elements together, which is their belief in the superstitions of the Holy, Apostolic, Roman Catholic Church. The Church, in fact, is the real sovereign of Spain: for while the decrees of the monarch are in some provinces registered, but not obeyed, the bulls of the Pope of Rome are fulfilled to the very letter, in every nook and valley of the Peninsula. The Conde de Aranda, one of the most despotic of prime ministers, having been at length deposed, disgraced, and banished from Madrid, went to reside at Paris. Being one day present at a dinner-party where the Statesmen of Spain were discussed, and being silent, he was at length asked his opinion. Laying down his cigar, he replied" We Spaniards have neither any laws nor system. Every thing with us is managed according to the caprice of the Ruler; and in our mode of government, we are merely Moors with a periwig. The only difference between us and the Africans is, that when the Church deprived us of our turbans, it replaced them with periwigs."-" Nosotros los Españoles no tenemos in leyes ni systema-todo es el capricho del Mandon; y en nuestro modo de gobernar, somos Moros con Peluca, y la unica differencia entre nosotros y los Africanos es, que la Iglesia nos quitò el turbante y paisola peluca. As to the conduct and economy of their armies, the Spaniards have been for many centuries behind their neighbours the Algerines. Dr Curtis, the Principal of the Irish College at Salamanca, and now an Archbishop in Ireland, used to say to "I have lived amongst these Spaniards nearly forty years, and know their troops well. When they have muskets, they generally want can us |