every one who comes to a Jew
is presumed by him to have old clothes to sell, or money to borrow.
Thus, owing to the nature of the duties of the Governor of Valladolid,
every foreigner who met his eye, was a Frenchman, and an _intrigant_,
until he should prove the reverse.

Not being aware of this at the time, I had drawn up my petition in
French. On my return for the answer, my reception was any thing but
encouraging. The excessive politeness of the Spaniard was totally lost
sight of, and I perceived a moody-looking, motionless official, seated
at a desk, with his hat resting on his eyebrows, and apparently studying
a newspaper. I stood in the middle of the room for two or three minutes
unnoticed; after which, deigning to lift his head, the personage
inquired in a gruff tone, why I did not open my cloak. I was not as yet
acquainted with the Spanish custom of drawing the end of the cloak from
off the left shoulder, on entering a room. I therefore only half
understood the question, and, being determined, at whatever price, to
see San Pablo, I took off my cloak, laid it on a chair, and returned to
face the official. "I took the liberty of requesting your permission to
view the ancient monastery of San Pablo."--"And, pray, what is your
reason for wishing to see San Pablo?"--"Curiosity."--"Oh, that is all,
is it!"--"I own likewise, that, had I found that the interior
corresponded, in point of architectural merit, with the facade, I might
have presumed to wish to sketch it, and carry away the drawing in my
portmanteau."--"Oh, no doubt--very great merit. You are a
Frenchman?"--"I beg your pardon, only an Englishman."--"You! an
Englishman!!" No answer. "And pray, from what part of England do you
come?" I declined the county, parish, and house.

These English expressions, which I had expected would come upon his ear,
with the same familiarity as if they had been Ethiopian or Chinese,
produced a sudden revolution in my favour. The Solomon became
immediately sensible of the extreme tact he had been displaying.
Addressing me in perfect English, he proceeded to throw the blame of my
brutal reception on the unfortunate state of his country. "All the
French," he said, "who come here, come with the intention of intriguing
and doing us harm. You wrote to me in French, and that was the cause of
my error. The monastery is now a prison; I will give you an order to
view it, but you will not find it an agreeable scene, it is full of
crimi