ried; when I, by reason of my Wounds, and want of Health, had been
left behind. Others I understood lay ready, and some were on their March
to _Bayone_ in _France_; where Ships were ordered for their
Transportation into _England_. So after a Residence of three Years and
three Months; having taken leave of all my Acquaintance, I left a Place,
that was almost become natural to me, the delicious _Sainte Clemente de
la Mancha_.

Nothing of Moment, or worth observing, met I with, till I came near
_Ocanna_; and there occurred a Sight ridiculous enough. The Knight of
the Town, I last came from, the ever renown'd _Don Quixot_, never made
such a Figure as a _Spaniard_, I there met on the Road. He was mounted
on a Mule of the largest size, and yet no way unsizeable to his Person:
He had two Pistols in his Holsters, and one on each side stuck in his
Belt; a sort of large Blunderbuss in one of his Hands, and the fellow to
it slung over his Shoulders hung at his Back. All these were accompany'd
with a right _Spanish Spado_, and an Attendant _Stiletto_, in their
customary Position. The Muletier that was my guide, calling out to him
in _Spanish_, told him he was very well arm'd; to which, with a great
deal of Gravity, the Don returned Answer, _by Saint Jago a Man cannot be
too well arm'd in such dangerous Times_.

I took up my Quarters that Night at _Ocanna_, a large, neat, and well
built Town. Houses of good Reception, and Entertainment, are very scarce
all over _Spain_; but that, where I then lay, might have pass'd for good
in any other Country. Yet it gave me a Notion quite different to what I
found: for I imagined it to proceed from my near Approach to the
Capital. But instead of that, contrary to all other Countries, the
nearer I came to _Madrid_, the Houses of Entertainment grew worse and
worse; not in their Rates do I mean (for that with Reason enough might
have been expected) but even in their Provision, and Places and way of
Reception, I could not however forbear smiling at the Reason given by my
Muletier, that it proceeded from a piece of Court Policy, in Order to
oblige all Travellers to hasten to _Madrid_.

Two small Leagues from _Ocanna_ we arrived at _Aranjuez_, a Seat of
Pleasure, which the Kings of _Spain_ commonly select for their place of
Residence during the Months of _April and May_. It is distant from
_Madrid_ about seven Leagues; and the Country round is the pleasantest
in all _Spain, Valencia_ excepted. The Ho