ne of the butchery the poor fellow
burst into tears, and, though a Spaniard, cursed Spain and the Spaniards,
saying that he shortly intended to pass over to Morocco to confess
Mahomet and to learn the Law of the Moors, for that any country and
religion was better than his own. He pointed to the tree where the
corporal had been tied; though much rain had fallen since, the ground
around was still saturated with blood, and a dog was gnawing a piece of
the unfortunate wretch's skull. A friar travelled with us the whole way
from Madrid to Seville; he was _of the Missionaries_, and was going to
the Philippine Islands to conquer (_para conquistar_), for such was his
word, by which I suppose he meant preaching to the Indians. During the
whole journey he exhibited every symptom of the most abject fear, which
operated upon him so that he became deadly sick, so that we were obliged
to stop twice in the road and lay him amongst the green corn. He said
that if he fell into the hands of the factious he was a lost priest, for
that they would first make him say mass and then blow him up with
gunpowder. He had been a professor of philosophy, as he told me, in one
of the convents (I think it was San Tomas) of Madrid, before their
suppression, but appeared to be grossly ignorant of the Scripture, which
he confounded with the works of Virgil.

We stopped at Manzanares as usual; it was Sunday morning and the market
was crowded with people. I was recognised in a moment, and twenty pairs
of legs instantly hurried away in quest of the prophetess, who presently
made her appearance in the house to which we had retired to breakfast.
After many greetings on both sides, she proceeded in her admirable Latin
to give me an account of all that had occurred in the village since I had
last been there, and of the atrocities of the factious in the
neighbourhood. I asked her to breakfast and introduced her to the friar
whom she addressed in this manner; _Anne Domine Reverendissime facis
adhuc sacrificium_? But the friar did not understand her, and waxing
angry anathematized her for a witch and bade her begone. She was however
not to be disconcerted, and commenced singing in extemporary Castilian
verse the praises of friars and religious houses in general. On
departing I gave her a _peseta_, upon which she burst into tears and
entreated that I would write to her if I reached Seville in safety.

We did arrive at Seville in safety, and I took leave o