they parted with mutual bows. I was puzzled on the man's
turning to me and observing that the beggars were very annoying in
Seville; but still certain my conjecture could not but be erroneous, I
said "you don't mean to say that your acquaintance"--"Oh, no
acquaintance; I never saw him before: he only came to beg."

This species of _cavallero_ pauper should by no means be encouraged; he
is not of the picturesque sort. Nowhere do the wretches look their
character better than at Seville; as all admirers of Murillo can
testify, without consulting any other nature than his canvass. But these
consider they confer a sort of obligation on the individual they
condescend to apply to. Nothing can exceed their astonishment and
indignation when refused. Their great highway is the superb polished
mosaic marble of the Cathedral; where they divide the authority with the
embroidered dignitaries of the choir. It is useless to hope for an
instant's leisure for the contemplation of this unique temple, until you
have disposed of its entire population of ragged despots.

A sort of chivalrous etiquette is observed, in virtue of which a female
chorus is the first to form your escort from pillar to pillar. These
dismissed, you are delivered over to the barefooted Murillos. There are
two modes of escape. The rich man should go in with his two hands filled
with coin, and distribute to all, even to many who will return for a
second contribution before he has done. But if economical, you may
attain the same end, and more permanently, by sacrificing four or five
days to walking up and down the nave, without looking at anything, but
simply undergoing the persecution of the mob. After the fourth visit you
will be left in peace.

These counsels I am competent to give you from dreadful experience; more
dreadful from my having pursued a middle course. To one barefooted and
rotten-scalped embryo brigand I only gave a two-_quarto_ piece
(halfpenny) about equal in real consequence to twopence in England. If
you have ever seen, in the era of mail coaches, the look of quiet
surprise on the countenance of the well-fed charioteer, who, having,
after the sixth or seventh stage, opened the door, and muttered from
behind his _cache-nez_ the usual "coachman, gen'lemen" received a
long-searched-for deprecatory sixpence from some careful knight with a
false shirt-collar--you have noticed the self-same look, which was
leisurely transferred by the urchin from the pie