letters-第14章

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eat　　civility。　　After　some　discourse　he　shewed　me　the　books　which　he　　used　for　the　instruction　of　his　pupils；　they　were　spelling…books　　like　those　used　in　our　village　schools　and　the　before…mentioned　　'Christian　Doctrine。'　　Upon　my　enquiring　whether　it　was　his　custom　　to　use　the　Scripture　in　his　school；　he　told　me　that　long　before　the　　children　had　acquired　sufficient　intelligence　to　understand　the　　Scriptures　their　parents　took　them　from　school　in　order　that　they　　might　assist　them　in　the　labours　of　the　field；　and　that　in　general　　they　were　by　no　means　solicitous　that　their　children　should　learn　　anything；　as　they　considered　the　time　occupied　in　acquiring　　learning　as　squandered　away。　　He　added　that　all　the　village　schools　　in　Portugal　were　supported　by　the　Government；　but　that　many　of　them　　had　lately　been　discontinued；　as　the　schoolmasters　experienced　the　　greatest　difficulty　in　obtaining　their　salaries；　but　that　he　had　　heard　that　it　was　the　intention　of　the　Government　to　establish　　schools　in　all　parts　of　the　country　on　the　Lancastrian　system　…　　which　since　my　return　to　Lisbon　I　have　discovered　to　be　a　fact。　　He　　told　me　that　he　had　a　copy　of　the　New　Testament　in　his　possession；　　which　I　desired　to　see；　but　on　examining　it　I　discovered　that　it　　was　only　the　Epistles　（from　Pereira's　version）　with　long　Popish　　notes。　　I　asked　him　whether　he　considered　that　there　was　any　harm　　in　reading　the　Scripture　without　notes；　he　said　that　there　was　　certainly　no　harm　in　it；　but　that　simple　people　without　the　　assistance　of　notes　could　derive　but　little　benefit　therefrom；　as　　the　greatest　part　that　they　read　would　be　unintelligible　to　them。　　　Whereupon　I　shook　hands　with　him；　and　on　departing　said　that　there　　was　no　part　of　Scripture　so　difficult　to　understand　as　those　very　　notes　which　were　intended　to　elucidate　it；　and　that　the　Almighty　　would　never　have　inspired　His　saints　with　a　desire　to　write　what　　was　unintelligible　to　the　great　mass　of　mankind。

For　some　days　after　this　I　traversed　the　country　in　all　directions；　　riding　into　the　fields　where　I　saw　the　peasants　at　work；　and　　entering　into　discourse　with　them；　and　notwithstanding　many　of　my　　questions　must　have　appeared　to　them　very　singular；　I　never　　experienced　any　incivility；　though　they　frequently　answered　me　with　　smiles　and　laughter。　　（I　have　now　communicated　about　half　of　what　I　　have　to　say；　the　remainder　next　week。　G。　BORROW。）



LETTER：　15th　December；　1835



To　the　Rev。　A。　Brandram　（ENDORSED：　recd。　Jan。　10；　1836）　EVORA　IN　THE　ALEMTEJO；　15TH　DEC。；　1835。

AT　length　I　departed　for　Mafra；　the　principal　part　of　the　way　lay　　over　steep　and　savage　hills；　very　dangerous　for　horses；　and　I　had　　reason　to　repent；　before　I　got　back　to　Cintra；　that　I　had　not　　mounted　one　of　the　sure…footed　mules　of　the　country。　　I　reached　　Mafra　in　safety；　it　is　a　large　village；　which　has　by　degrees　sprung　　up　in　the　vicinity　of　an　immense　building；　originally　intended　to　　serve　as　a　convent　and　palace；　and　which　next　to　the　Escurial　is　　the　most　magnificent　edifice　in　the　Peninsula。　　In　this　building　is　　to　be　seen　the　finest　library　in　Portugal；　comprising　books　in　all　　sciences　and　languages；　and　which；　if　not　suited　to　the　place　in　　which　the　building　stands；　which　is　almost　a　desert；　is　yet　well　　suited　to　the　size　and　grandeur　of　the　building　which　contains　it。　　　But　here　are　now　no　monks　to　take　care　of　it；　they　have　been　driven　　forth；　some　of　them　to　beg　their　bread；　some　of　them　to　serve　under　　the　banners　of　Don　Carlos　in　Spain；　and　many；　as　I　have　been　　informed；　to　prowl　about　as　banditti。　　The　place　is　now　abandoned　　to　two　or　three　menials；　and　exhibits　an　aspect　of　solitude　and　　desolation　which　is　truly　appalling。　　Whilst　I　was　viewing　the　　cloisters　an　exceedingly　fine　and　intelligent…looking　lad　came　up　　to　me；　and　asked　（I　suppose　in　the　hope　of　obtaining　a　trifle）　if　I　　would　permit　him　to　show　me　the　village　church；　which　he　told　me　　was　well　worth　seeing。　　I　said　'No；'　but　that　if　he　would　show　me　　the　village　school；　I　should　be　much　obliged　to　him。　　He　looked　at　　me　with　astonishment；　and　assured　me　that　there　was　nothing　to　be　　seen　in　the　school；　at　which　not　more　than　half　a　dozen　boys　were　　instructed；　and　that　he　himself　was　one　of　the　number；　but　I　told　　him　that　he　should　show　me　no　other　place；　and　he　at　last　　unwillingly　attended　me。　　On　the　way　he　said　that　the　schoolmaster　　was　one　of　the　brothers　of　the　convent　who　had　lately　been　　expelled；　and　that　he　was　a　very　learned　man　and　spoke　French　and　　Greek。　　We　went　past　a　stone　cross；　and　the　boy　bent　and　crossed　　himself　with　much　devotion：　　I　mention　this　circumstance；　as　it　was　　the　first　instance　of　devotion　which　I　had　observed　amongst　the　　Portuguese　since　my　arrival。　　When　near　the　house　where　the　　schoolmaster　resided；　he　pointed　it　out　to　me　and　then　hid　himself　　behind　a　wall；　where　he　waited　till　I　returned。

On　stepping　over　the　threshold　I　was　confronted　by　a　short　stout　　man；　between　sixty　and　seventy　years　of　age；　dressed　in　a　blue　　jerkin　and　grey　trousers；　without　shirt　or　waistcoat。　　He　looked　at　　me　sternly；　and　enquired　in　the　French　language　what　was　my　　pleasure。　　I　apologised　for　intruding　upon　him；　and　stated　that；　　being　informed　that　he　occupied　the　situation　of　schoolmaster　to　　the　place；　I　had　come　to　pay　my　respects　to　him；　and　to　beg　to　be　　informed　respecting　the　manner　of　instruction　which　he　adopted。　　He　　said　that　whosoever　told　me　that　he　was　a　schoolmaster　lied；　for　　that　he　was　a　brother　of　the　convent。　　I　replied　that　I　had　heard　　that　all　the　friaries　had　been　broken　up　and　the　brothers　　dismissed；　whereupon　he　sighed；　and　said　it　was　too　true。　　He　was　　then　silent　for　a　minute；　and　his　better　nature　overcoming　his　　angry　feelings　he　produced　a　snuff…box　and　offered　it　to　me。　　The　　snuff…box　is　the　olive…branch　of　the　Portuguese；　and　he　who　wishes　　to　be　on　good　terms　with　them；　or　to　conciliate　them；　must　never　　refuse　to　put　his　finger　and　thumb　into　it　when　preferred；　I　took　　therefore　a　large　pinch；　though　I　detest　the　dust；　and　we　were　soon　　friendly　enough。　　He　was　eager　to　obtain　news；　especially　from　　Lisbon　and　Spain。　　I　told　him　that　the　officers　of　the　regiments　at　　Lisbon　had　the　day　before　I　left　that　place　gone　in　a　body　to　the　　Queen；　and　insisted　upon　her　either　receiving　their　swords　or　　dismissing　her　Ministers；　whereupon　he　rubbed　his　hands　and　said；　　'I　am　sure　that　things　will　not　remain　tranquil　at　Lisbon。'　　Upon　　my　saying　that　the　affairs　of　Don　Carlos　were　on　the　decline；　he　　frowned；　and　said　that　it　could　not　possibly　be；　for　that　God　was　　too　just　to　suffer　it。　　I　felt　for　the　poor　man；　who　had　been　　driven　from　his　home　in　the　noble　convent　close　by；　and　from　a　　state　of　comfort　and　affluence　reduced　in　his　old　age　to　indigence　　and　misery；　for　his　dwelling　seemed　to　contain　scarcely　an　article　　of　furniture。　　I　tried　twice　or　thrice　to　induce　him　to　converse　on　　the　school；　but　he　always　avoided　the　subject　or　said　shortly　that　　he　knew　nothing　about　it；　the　idea　of　being　a　schoolmaster　was　　evidently　humiliating　to　him。

On　my　leaving　him；　the　boy　came　from　his　hiding…place　and　rejoined　　me；　he　said　his　reason　for　hiding　himself　was　fear　that　his　master　　might　know　that　it　was　he　who　brought　me　to　him；　for　that　the　old　　man　was　ashamed　of　appearing　in　the　character　of　a　schoolmaster。　　I　　asked　the　boy　whether　he　or　his　parents　were　acquainted　with　the　　Scripture　and　ever　read　it；　but　he　did　not　understand　me。　　I　must　　here　observe　that　the　boy　was　fifteen　years　of　age；　and　that　he　was　　in　many　respects　very　intelligent　and　had　some　knowledge　of　the　　Latin　language；　nevertheless　he　knew　not　the　Scripture　even　by　　name；　and　I　have　no　doubt　that　at　least　one　half　of　his　countrymen　　are；　in　that　respect；　no　wiser　than　himself。　　I　have　questioned　the　　children　of　Portugal　at　the　doors　of　village　inns；　at　the　hearths　　of　their　cottages；　in　the　fields　where　they　labour；　at　the　stone　　Mountains　by　the　way…sides　where　they　water　their　cattle；　about　the　　Scripture；　the　Bible；　the　Old　and　New　Testament；　and　in　scarcely　　one　instance　have　they　known　what　I　was　alluding　to　or　could　return　　me　a　rational　answer；　though　in　all　other　instances　I　had　no　reason　　to　complain　of　their　want　of　apprehension。　　Indeed　nothing　has　　surprised　me　more　than　the　free　and　unembarrassed　manner　with　which　　the　Portuguese　peasantry　sustain　a　conversation；　and　the　purity　of　　the　language　in　which　they　express　their　thoughts；　and　yet　very　few　　of　them　can　write　or　read；　whereas　the　peasantry　of　our　own　　country；　whose　education　is　in　general　much　superior；　are　in　their　　conversation　coarse　and　dull　almost　to　brutality；　and　absurdly　　ungrammatical　in　the　language　which　they　use；　though　the　English　　tongue；　upon　the　whole；　is　more　simple　in　its　grammar　than　the　　Portuguese。

On　my　way　back　from　Mafra　to　Cintra　I　very　nearly　lost　my　life。　　As　　the　night　was　closing　in　fast；　we　left　the　regular　road　by　the　　advice　of　the　guide；　and　descending　the　hill　on　which　Mafra　stands　　reached　the　bottom　of　the　valley；　from　which　there　is　a　narrow　　pathway　winding　round　the　next　hill；　exceedingly　steep；　with　a　　precipice　on　the　left　side；　the　horse　on　which　I　was　mounted；　and　　which　was　by　no　means　suited　for　such　climbing；　in　his　violent　　struggles　to　accomplish　the　ascent　burst　the　girth　of　the　saddle；　　so　that　I　was　cast　violently　off；　with　the　saddle　beneath　me。　　　Fortunately；　I　fell　on　the　right　side；　or　I　should　have　rolled　down　　the　hill　and　probably　have　been　killed；　as　it　was；　I　remained　　stunned　and　senseless　for　two　or　three　minutes；　when　I　revived；　and　　with　the　assistance　of　the　guide　and　the　man　who　waits　on　me；　　walked　up　the　remaining　part　of　the　hill；　when；　the　saddle　being　　readjusted；　I　mounted　again。　　I　was　very　drowsy　and　stupid　for　two　　or　three　days；　from　the　influence　of　the　fall；　but　I　am　happy　to　　say　at　present；　thanks　to　the　Almighty；　I　have　long　ceased　to　feel　　any　inconvenience　from　it。

On　my　return　to　Lisbon　I　saw　Mr。　Wilby；　who　received　me　with　great　　kindness；　the　next　ten　days　were　exceedingly　rainy　and　prevented　me　　from　making　any　excursions　into　the　country；　and　during　this　time　I　　saw　him　frequently　and　had　a　good　deal　of　conversation　with　him；　　concerning　the　best　means　of　causing　God's　glorious　Gospel　to　be　　read　in　Portugal。　　He　informed　me　that　four　hundred　copies　of　the　　Bible　and　New　Testament　were　arrived；　and　he　thought　that　we　could　　do　no　better　than　put　them　into　the　hands　of　the　booksellers；　but　I　　strongly　advised　that　at　least　half　of　them　should　be　entrusted　to　　colporteurs；　to　hawk　about；　upon　receiving　a　certain　profit　on　　every　copy　they　sold。　　He　thought　the　idea　a　good　one；　as　far　as　　regards　Lisbon；　but　said　that　no　colporteur　would　venture　to　carry　　them　about　the　country；　as　the　fanatical　priests　would　probably　　cause　him　to　be　assassinated。　　He　was　kind　enough　to　promise　to　　look　out　for　people　suited　to　make　the　essay　in　the　streets　of　　Lisbon；　and　as　the　lower　orders　are　very　poor　I　wrote　to　Mr。　　Whiteley　at　Oporto；　requesting　to　be　informed　whether　he　had　any　　objection　to　our　selling　the　books　to　the　populace　at　Lisbon　at　a　　lower　price　than　a　CRUZADO　NOVO；　which　he　had　determined　to　sell　　them　at。　　I　thought　it　but　right　to　cons