gly cheap. A royal requisition is about to be issued
for 5000, and the consequence is that an immense number are for sale; for
by virtue of this requisition the horses of any person not a foreigner
can be seized for the benefit of the service. It is probable that when
the number is made up the price of horses will be treble what it is at
present, which consideration induced me to purchase this animal before I
exactly want him. He is a black Andalusian stallion of great size and
strength, and capable of performing a journey of 100 leagues in a week's
time, but he is unbroke, savage and furious. However, a cargo of Bibles
which I hope shortly to put on his back will, I have no doubt, thoroughly
tame him, especially when labouring up the flinty hills of the north of
Spain. I wished to purchase a mule, according to my instructions, but
though I offered 30 pounds for a sorry one, I could not obtain her;
whereas the cost of both the horses, tall, powerful, stately animals,
scarcely amounted to that sum.

I will now say a few words respecting the state of Spain, though what I
communicate will probably startle you, as in England you are quite in the
dark respecting what is going on here. At the moment I am writing,
Cabrera, the tiger-friar, is within nine leagues of Madrid with an army
nearly ten thousand strong; he has beaten the Queen's troops in several
engagements, and has ravaged La Mancha with fire and sword, burning
several towns; bands of affrighted fugitives are arriving every hour
bringing tidings of woe and disaster, and I am but surprised that the
enemy does not appear, and by taking Madrid, which is at his mercy, put
an end to the war at once. But the truth is, the Carlist generals do not
wish the war to cease; for as long as the country is involved in
bloodshed and anarchy, they can plunder and exercise that lawless
authority so dear to men of fierce and brutal passions. Cabrera is a
wretch whose sole enjoyment consists in inflicting pain and torture and
causing woe and misery to his fellow creatures; he is one of the
instruments of the anger of the Almighty, a scourge in the hand of
Providence to chastise a land whose wickedness had become intolerable.
For the elect's sake, and there are a few even in Spain, may it please
the Lord to shorten the affliction of these days, or all flesh must
succumb.

I remain, dear Sir, most truly yours,