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cular, Friar Juan Gil, whose name :
lovers of literature as the deliv
endured such trials as shewed him
example of Christian heroism. I
the memory of these good fria.
effectually excite the rulers of
different course of action, any m
own clergy to have raised funds
for a society for the redemptic
the reign of George the Seco
to the credit of the governing
as to those of Spain, that the
to themselves so long, till t
by the operation of kind
the piratical ports of Mord
the resolute exertion of C
(48.) If, however, oth
blame of this unworthy
seas, Spain alone is ans
her own people at hom
a province of brigands.
vantes was a well-know
of Philip III.+ There
in bands of fifty or

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novel of "Rinconete and Cortaages in the Quixote, and "Per." are all proofs of this. He felt as our forefathers may have felt d. The feeling was natural, and xcusable, in a country where the nals, though ill executed, were un, and the social system offered few honest industry. Gongora speaks in .ns as if he had seen a young culprit bing a henroost; and Cervantes tells seems to be taken from real life :— heard of an old man who was going to nd the priests were helping him to make 'Do not concern yourselves for me,' he let me die quietly. It is true I am come ful pass; but I have often been in others nore terrible.' They asked him, what were Seeing at sunrise six little children coming to ask for bread, wh

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as great a hazard of losing his life in this way, as he will in a duel, and he may serve God and his country at the same time."* A little later we have a like testimony from the virtuous Joseph Climent, Bishop of Barcelona. The Murris of Catalonia were vagabonds who were the terror of the rural population, avenging themselves by incendiarism, if any attempt was made to put them down.t

Cabrera tells us, that there were "many old Christian robbers," using this curious misnomer, who exercised their trade in the province of Valencia at the time of the expulsion, robbing and murdering the Moriscoes when they could; but, as for that matter, it was no spirit of persecution that animated them, for they did the same by the old Christians also. The long wars of Philip II. had left numbers of discharged soldiers, who had too long lived by plunder to return to peaceful habits of industry; and they were again multiplied in the disastrous times of Philip IV.‡

(49.) It is not to be supposed that Cervantes, who has so many amusing descriptions of the life of rogues and vagabonds, was altogether disposed to favour the more truculent cut-throats of the class; but he evidently betrays much kindness for the portion of them who observed some rules of honour among

* Cartas Eruditas, tom. iv. 42, ed. 1759.

+ Obras, vol. iii. 32, Memorial to the Directors of the House of Refuge in Barcelona, 1774.

Navarrete, Viages y Navegaciones, c. I. sec. 5, 7.

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thieves, or whose witty knavery was good enough to be worthy of a better calling. His comedy of the "Happy Ruffian," his novel of " Rinconete and Cortadillo," and many passages in the Quixote, and "Persiles and Sigismunda," are all proofs of this. He felt towards them much as our forefathers may have felt towards Robin Hood. The feeling was natural, and in some degree excusable, in a country where the laws against criminals, though ill executed, were unreasonably severe, and the social system offered few inducements to honest industry. Gongora speaks in one of his poems as if he had seen a young culprit hanged for robbing a henroost; and Cervantes tells. a story which seems to be taken from real life :

"I have heard of an old man who was going to be hanged, and the priests were helping him to make a good end. 'Do not concern yourselves for me,' he said, 'only let me die quietly. It is true I am come to a dreadful pass; but I have often been in others that were more terrible.' They asked him, what were those? 'Seeing at sunrise six little children coming round me to ask for bread, when I had none to give them. It was this that first put the picklock into my hands, and fitted the felt slippers to my feet, with which I managed my thefts; it was not vice which led me to it, but poverty.' When these words were reported to the governor who had sentenced him to die, they were the means of turning justice into mercy." * Persiles, b. iii. c. 14.

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(50.) The ballads in praise of bold outlaws are far more extravagant. Though written for the lower classes, and betraying occasionally an ill-disguised hatred for the privileged orders,* like "the Smithfield Muses," or the Lives of Dick Turpin and Jack Sheppard of the last century, they also afford proofs, as Augustin Duran has very lately observed, "that persons of wealth and influence thought it a fine thing to be protectors of malefactors, to rescue them from the grasp of the law, and to employ their money and means in defending them." And this cannot be wholly attributed to the lawless element in human nature, but is in a great degree owing to the character of the laws, "which pressed heavily, not only upon the abuses of liberty, but its most sacred rights." Hence there were never wanting sympathisers with the Rob Roys of the southern provinces, the smugglers and town-bullies and country highwayman, in the middle classes, among the nobles, and even in the Church itself.+

(51.) Yet we cannot lay the whole of the blame upon the laws. There was a ferocity in the character of the people, a free and easy audacity, and high

* As in the ballad of Don Juan Merino, the hero is described as sending a bullet through the heart of Don Pablo, a noble Count, who had done him a private injury—“ so much for his Excellency."

"Sin que toda su Excelencia

Le valiera en aquel trance."

+ Duran, Romancero, ii. 383, 389; Madrid, 1851.

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