the whole an extraordinary air of grandeur. The king's palace is on the north, nearest that mountain whence the stone it is built of was hewn ; and all the south part is set off with many galleries, both beautiful and sumptuous.

This prodigious pile, which, as I have said, exceeds all that I ever saw, and which would ask of itself a volume to particularise, was built by Philip II. He laid the first stone, yet lived to see it finished; and lies buried in the Pantheon, a part of it set apart for the burial place of succeeding princes, as well as himself. It was dedicated to St. Lawrence in the very foundation; and therefore built in the shape of a gridiron, the instrument of that martyr's execution, and in memory of a great victory obtained on that saint's day. The stone of which it is built, contrary to the common course, grows whiter by age; and the quarry, whence it was dug, lies near enough, if it had sense or ambition, to grow enamoured of its own wonderful production. Some there are, who stick not to assign this convenience as the main cause of its situation; and for my part, I must agree, that I have seen many other parts of Spain where that glorious building would have shown with yet far greater splendour.

There was no town of any consequence presented itself in my way to Burgos. Here I took up my quarters that night; where I met with an Irish priest, whose name was White. As is natural on such rencounters, having answered his inquiry, whither I was going, he very kindly told me, he should be very glad of my company as far as Victoria, which lay in my road; and I with equal frankness embraced the offer.

Next morning, when we had mounted our mules, and were got a little distance from Burgos, he began to relate to me a great many impious pranks of an English officer, who had been a prisoner there a little before I came; concluding all, with some vehemence, that he had given greater occasion of scandal and infamy to his native country, than would easily be wiped off, or in a little time. The truth of it is, many particulars, which he related to me, were too monstrously vile to admit of any repetition here; and highly meriting that unfortunate end, which that officer met with some time after. Nevertheless, the just reflections, made by that Father, plainly manifested to me the folly of those gentlemen, who, by such inadvertencies, to say no worse,

VOL. II.

G G

cause the honour of the land of their nativity to be called in question. For though, no doubt, it is a very false conclusion, from a singular, to conceive a general character; yet, in a strange country, nothing is more common. A man, therefore, of common sense, would carefully avoid all occasions of censure, if not in respect to himself, yet out of a humane regard to such of his countrymen as may have the fortune to come after him; and, it is more than probable, may desire to hear a better and juster character of their country and countrymen, than he perhaps might incline to leave behind him.

As we travelled along, Father White told me, that near the place of our quartering that night, there was a convent of the Carthusian order, which would be well worth my seeing. I was doubly glad to hear it, as it was an order most a stranger to me; and as I had often heard from many others, most unaccountable relations of the severity of their way of life, and the very odd original of their institution.

The next morning, therefore, being Sunday, we took a walk to the convent. It was situated at the foot of a great hill, having a pretty little river running before it. The hill was naturally covered with evergreens of various sorts; but the very summit of the rock was so impending, that one would at first sight be led to apprehend the destruction of the convent, from the fall of it. Notwithstanding all which, they have very curious and well-ordered gardens; which led me to observe, that, whatever men may pretend, pleasure was not incompatible with the most austere life. And indeed, if I may guess of others by this, no order in that church can boast of finer convents. Their chapel was completely neat, the altar of it set out with the utmost magnificence, both as to fine paintings, and other rich adornments. The buildings were answerable to the rest; and, in short, nothing seemed omitted, that might render it beautiful or pleasant.

When we had taken a full survey of all, we, not without some regret, returned to our very indifferent inn; where, the better to pass away the time, Father White gave me an ample detail of the original of that order. I had beforehand heard somewhat of it; nevertheless, I did not care to interrupt him; because I had a mind to hear how his account would agree with what I had already heard.

REMARKABLE INTERMENT AT A CONVENT.

451

Bruno, said the father, the author or founder of this order, was not originally of this, but of another. He had a holy brother of the same order, that was his cell-mate, or chamber-fellow, who was reputed by all that ever saw or knew him, for a person of exalted piety, and of a most exact holy life. This man, Bruno had intimately known for many years; and agreed, in his character, that general consent did him no more than justice, having never observed anything in any of his actions, that, in his opinion, could be offensive to God or man. He was perpetually at his devotions; and distinguishably remarkable for never permitting anything but pious ejaculations to proceed out of his mouth. In short, he was reputed a saint upon earth.

This man at last dies, and, according to custom, is removed into the chapel of the convent, and there placed with a cross fixed in his hands: soon after which, saying the proper masses for his soul, in the middle of their devotion, the dead man lifts up his head, and with an audible voice cried out, Vocatus sum. The pious brethren, as any one will easily imagine, were most prodigiously surprised at such an accident, and therefore they earnestly redoubled their prayers; when, lifting up his head a second time, the dead man cried aloud, Judicatus sum. Knowing his former piety, the pious fraternity could not then entertain the least doubt of his felicity; when, to their great consternation and confusion, he lifted up his head a third time, crying out in a terrible tone, Damnatus sum; upon which they incontinently removed the corpse out of the chapel, and threw it upon the dunghill.

Good Bruno, pondering upon these passages, could not fail of drawing this conclusion:-that if a person, to all appearance so holy and devout, should miss of salvation, it behoved a wise man to contrive some way more certain to make his calling and election sure. To that purpose he instituted this strict and severe order, with an injunction to them, sacred as any part, that every professor should always wear hair-cloth next his skin; never eat any flesh, not speak to one another, only, as passing by, to say, Memento mori.

This account I found to agree pretty well with what I had before heard; but at the same time, I found the redouble of it made but just the same impression it had at first made upon my heart. However, having made it my observation, that a spirit the least contradictory best carries a man

through Spain, I kept Father White company, and in humour, till we arrived at Victoria; where he added one thing, by way of appendix, in relation to the Carthusians, that every person of the society is obliged every day to go into their place of burial, and take up as much earth as he can hold at a grasp with one hand, in order to prepare his grave.

Next day we set out for Victoria. It is a sweet, delicious, and pleasant town. It received that name in memory of a considerable victory there obtained over the Moors. Leaving this place, I parted with Father White; he going where his affairs led him, and I to make the best of my way to Bilboa.

CHAPTER XI.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF BISCAY AND OTHER TOWNS-ISLE OF CONFERENCE, AND INTERVIEW BETWEEN THE KINGS OF FRANCE AND SPAIN-NARROW ESCAPE FROM BEING DROWNED TEMPEST IN THE BAY OF BISCAY, AND MIRACULOUS DELIVERANCE-ARRIVAL IN

ENGLAND

CONCLUSION.

ENTERING into Biscay, soon after I left Victoria, I was at a loss almost to imagine what country I was got into. By my long stay in Spain, I thought myself a tolerable master of the tongue; yet here I found myself at the utmost loss to understand landlord, landlady, or any of the family. I was told by my muleteer, that they pretend their language, as they call it, has continued uncorrupted from the very confusion of Babel; though, if I might freely give my opinion in the matter, I should rather take it to be the very corruption of all that confusion. Another rhodomontado they have (for in this they are perfect Spaniards), that neither Romans, Carthaginians, Vandals, Goths, or Moors, ever totally subdued them. And yet any man that has ever seen their country, might cut this knot without a hatchet, by saying truly, that neither Roman, Carthaginian, nor any victorious people, thought it worth while to make a conquest of a country so mountainous and so barren.

However, Bilboa must be allowed, though not very large, to be a pretty, clean, and neat town. Here, as in Amsterdam,

TOWNS OF BILBOA AND ST. SEBASTIAN.

453

they allow neither cart nor coach to enter; but everything of merchandise is drawn and carried upon sledges; and yet it is a place of no small account as to trade, and especially for iron and wool. Here I hoped to have met with an opportunity of embarking for England; but to my sorrow I found myself disappointed, and under that disappointment obliged to make the best of my way to Bayonne.

Setting out for which place, the first town of note that I came to was St. Sebastian. A very clean town, and neatly paved; which is no little rarity in Spain. It has a very good wall about it, and a pretty citadel. At this place I met with two English officers, who were under the same state with myself; one of them being a prisoner of war with me at Denia. They were going to Bayonne to embark for England as well as myself; so we agreed to set out together for Port Passage. The road from St. Sebastian is all over a wellpaved stone causeway; almost at the end whereof, there accosted us a great number of young lasses. They were all prettily dressed, their long hair flowing in a decent manner over their shoulders, and here and there decorated with ribbons of various colours, which wantonly played on their backs with the wind. The sight surprised my fellow-travellers no less than me; and the more, as they advanced directly up to us, and seized our hands. But a little time undeceived us, and we found what they came for; and that their contest, though not so robust as our oars on the Thames, was much of the same nature; each contending who should have us for their fare. For it is here a custom of time out of mind, that none but young women should have the management and profit of that ferry. And though the ferry is over an arm of the sea, very broad, and sometimes very rough, those fair ferriers manage themselves with that dexterity, that the passage is very little dangerous, and in calm weather very pleasant. In short, we made choice of those that best pleased us; who, in a grateful return, led us down to their boat under a sort of music, which they, walking along, made with their oars, and which we all thought far from being disagreeable. Thus were we transported over to Port Passage; not undeservedly accounted the best harbour in all the Bay of Biscay.

We stayed not long here after landing, resolving, if possible, to reach Fonterabia before night; but all the expedition we could use, little availed; for before we could reach thither,