of what I had been doing for
some time previous and likewise of my imprisonment. I have now been in
Madrid nearly three weeks, and immediately after my arrival I demanded
redress of the Spanish Government for the various outrages which I have
recently been subjected to at Seville. Mr. Aston, the British Minister,
not having yet arrived at Madrid, I presented my complaint through Mr.
Jerningham the first secretary of Legation, who has superseded Mr.
Southern, the latter gentleman having been appointed to Lisbon. Mr.
Southern introduced me to Mr. Jerningham, who received me with great
kindness and took up my cause very warmly. Whether I shall be able to
obtain justice I know not, for I have against me the Canons of Seville;
and all the arts of villainy which they are so accustomed to practise
will of course be used against me for the purpose of screening the
ruffian who is their instrument. An instance which I am about to give
will speak volumes as to this person's character. When I was in prison,
he forced his way into my house and searched it for Testaments, but found
none. When he was questioned by the vice-consul as to the authority by
which he made this search, he pulled out a paper purporting to be the
deposition of an old woman to the effect that I had sold her a Testament
some ten days before. This document was a forgery. I had never seen the
female in question, and during the whole time that I have been in
Andalusia I have never sold a book of any description to any such person.

I have been, my dear Sir, fighting with wild beasts during the greatest
part of the time which has elapsed since I had last the pleasure of
seeing you. None but myself can have an idea of what I have undergone
and the difficulties which I have had to encounter; but I wish not to
dilate on that subject. Thanks be to the Most High that my labours are
now brought to a conclusion. The Madrid edition of the New Testament has
been distributed, with the exception of a few hundred copies, which I
have no wish should be sold at present, for reasons stated on a prior
occasion, and which I shall endeavour to leave in safe custody. The fate
of this edition has been a singular one, by far the greatest part having
been dispersed among the peasantry of Spain and the remainder amongst the
very poor of the towns, the artisans of Madrid and Seville, the
water-carriers and porters. You will rarely find a copy of this work in
the houses of the