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MEMOIRS 
 
 OF 
 
 DON JUAN VAN HALEN; 
 
 COMPRISING THE 
 
 NARRATIVE OF HIS IMPRISONMENT 
 
 IN THE 
 
 DUNGEONS OF THE INQUISITION 
 
 AT MADRID, 
 
 AND OF HIS ESCAPE, HIS JOURNEY TO RUSSIA, 
 
 HIS CAMPAIGN WITH THE ARMY 
 
 OF THE CAUCASUS, 
 
 4c. 4-c. 
 
 EDITED, FROM THE ORIGINAL SPANISH MANUSCRIPT, 
 
 BY THE AUTHOR OF 
 
 "DON ESTEBAN" and "SANDOVAL." 
 SECOND EDITION, 
 
 WITH ALTERATIONS AND ADDITIONS. 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES. 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 HENRY COLBURN AND RICHARD BENTLEY, 
 
 NEW BURLINGTON STREET. 
 
 1830. 
 
i 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 HENRY BAYLIS, J0HNSON*S- COURT, FLEET- STREET. 
 
EDITOR'S PREFACE 
 
 TO THE 
 
 SECOND EDITION. 
 
 The spirit of revolution is again abroad, and 
 is the more welcome to us, as it now holds out the 
 flattering hope that it will not desert us until it shall 
 have broken the chains that bind the people of 
 Europe to the iron yoke of their respective tyrants. 
 During a long period of years we have seen the 
 mercenary bands of perjured royalty propping up 
 with their bayonets the tottering thrones of their 
 masters ; but the people of France have shewn to 
 the world that those glittering props were mere 
 reeds, which a few children might safely destroy. 
 The secret once discovered, other nations have 
 made the same experiment — alas for the kings ! — 
 with equal success. But the best feature of these 
 revolutions is the pious zeal manifested by men of 
 
 VOL. I. b 
 
 84622 
 
IV PBEFACE. 
 
 all nations, who, making common cause with those 
 who differ from them in language, volunteer their 
 services and lives to assist in the overthrow of 
 military despotism. Liberty is in fact the cause 
 of mankind, its language is understood by all, it 
 makes brethren of men, and in whatever country 
 it triumphs, its benefits are felt in every corner 
 of the globe. 
 
 To this kindred feeling, doubtless, which causes 
 all differences of religion, language, country, to 
 disappear, is owing the appointment of Don Juan 
 Van Halen to the chief command of the army in 
 Belgium. Whether there be wisdom or not in the 
 selection — a question which has been discussed in 
 the periodical press of this country — is probably 
 best known to the Belgic patriots themselves ; for, 
 as the Spanish proverb says, " Mas sahe el tonto 
 en su casa, que el sahlo en la agena^* For our 
 part we attach no sort of importance to that cir- 
 cumstance. But we shall heartily rejoice to find 
 their cause triumphant, whether it be through the 
 agency of Van Halen or Van Hoogvorst, because, 
 
 * A fool knows more in his own house than a wise man in that 
 of his neighbour. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 notwithstanding all that may be said to the con- 
 trary, we conceive it a just one ; being far from 
 sharing the opinion of those politicians who think, 
 that because Belgium is a country of small extent, 
 it ought therefore to be the prey of whoever it be 
 assigned to by the allied despots, and its inhabi- 
 tants to be destitute of a claim to national indepen- 
 dence. Should the Belgians succeed in the object 
 of their endeavours, we have no doubt that so long 
 as France (which is the only country by which any 
 attempt at subj ugation could now be made) enjoys 
 the blessings of freedom — and we devoutly hope 
 she may enjoy them to the end of time — their 
 independence will be respected — the age for na- 
 tional aggrandizement by an extension of territory 
 being now gone by, along with divine right. 
 
 With respect to the present edition, it has been 
 carefully revised and considerably condensed with 
 the view to diminish its cost, and thus make more 
 widely known the system of oppression and mis- 
 rule, which, up to this time, is strictly adhered to 
 by King Ferdinand and his apostolic friends — 
 whose downfal, however, we have reasons to be- 
 lieve, is now fast approaching. 
 
 h 2 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 Portrait of the Author To face the Title. 
 
 VOL. II. 
 
 Panorama of Teflis 216 
 
 Installation of Ashan Khan 325 
 
EDITOR'S PREFACE 
 
 TO THE 
 
 FIRST EDITION. 
 
 In bringing the present work before the pub- 
 lic, the Editor begs leave to observe, that the 
 original manuscript from which the Narrative 
 is drawn, has for its ground- work the copious 
 notes taken by Don Juan Van Halen at the time 
 of his trials ; and that its details are further 
 authenticated by letters, official documents, and 
 other papers now in the author''s possession. All 
 of these the Editor has carefully examined, and 
 compared with the ^vritten and oral accounts of 
 5ome of those gentlemen who have acted a part in 
 the scenes described, especially in the first part of 
 this work, to the truth of which in every par- 
 ticular they cordially join in bearing testimony. 
 
VIU PREFACE. 
 
 With respect to the work itself, it is composed 
 of two parts, unconnected in subject with, though 
 naturally following, each other. The first part 
 is interesting, not only because it relates the 
 adventures and sufferings of a man on whose 
 destruction many powerful enemies were bent, and 
 who succeeded in making his escape in a manner 
 partaking of romance; but because it offers a 
 true picture of the times, and of the character of 
 modern Inquisitors, whose sanguinary and re- 
 vengeful spirit, when we take into account the 
 softened manners of the age, yields in nothing to 
 that which roused the barbarous and remorseless 
 Torquemada and his fanatical associates to the 
 horrible deeds they perpetrated. The second 
 part is also interesting on more than one account ; 
 first, as treating of a country little known, and 
 which few have had a better opportunity of ex- 
 amining than the author ; and secondly, as dis- 
 closing some of the resources of an empire whose 
 influence is as baneful in Europe as it is beneficial 
 
 in Asia. 
 
 Of this, however, the public are to be the 
 judges ; and the Editor willingly leaves it to the 
 decision of those readers from whom he has him- 
 self experienced more than one favour. 
 
AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 
 
 During the space of nine years that have 
 elapsed since my escape from the dungeons of the 
 Inquisition of Madrid, I have, for reasons which 
 I shall briefly explain, endured in silence the ob- 
 loquy that has been lavished upon me by those 
 who are alike unacquainted with my character, 
 the actions of my life, and the motives that have 
 influenced my conduct. 
 
 The narrative of my misfortunes, therefore, 
 though the more necessary to rectify the innocent 
 errors of some and the wilful misrepresentations of 
 others, and though written in the purest spirit of 
 truth and impartiality, will not be viewed with 
 very favourable feelings either by those who are 
 inimical to the principles I advocate, or even by 
 those who, though equally sincere with myself in 
 the sacred cause for which we all suffer, have 
 questioned, without first condescending to inquire 
 into, the sincerity of my conduct, and credited 
 facts too absurd and improbable in themselves ever 
 to affect my tranquillity or my honour. 
 
 It is, however, not improbable that the silence 
 I have hitherto observed may have confirmed 
 some in their unjust suspicions ; but as it was 
 dictai-^d both by friendship and prudence, the 
 sacrifice of my feelings became an imperative 
 duty. Had I published these Memoirs on my 
 first arrival in England, the disclosures they con- 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 tain would undoubtedly have led to the ruin not 
 only of the patriots, Avho after my escape still re- 
 mained in the dungeons of the Inquisition, but 
 of those generous friends by whose efforts I ul- 
 timately succeeded in evading the pursuit of our 
 merciless enemies. Nor was the period of my 
 return to Spain better adapted to give to the 
 world details which, by awakening resentments, 
 would have marred those feelings of general re- 
 conciliation that constitute the proudest feature 
 of our bloodless though unsuccessful revolution. 
 
 Since that time, however, the events in which 
 I was concerned having been more or less cor- 
 rectly stated in various publications, and the 
 names of the individuals who shared in them 
 revealed, the necessity for withholding from the 
 public the following Narrative has therefore 
 ceased. The same circumstance encourag-ino; me 
 to hope that the details of those occurrences are 
 not unworthy the attention of the public, and 
 feeling that I owe this tribute as much to the 
 history of the times as to myself, I venture, now 
 that the inactivity of an exile''s life leaves consi- 
 derable leisure on my hands, to oiFer these pages 
 to the world ; and though I do it with feelings of 
 diffidence, it is not without a hope that the im- 
 partial reader will overlook the imperfections that 
 may be found in the work, and grant me his in- 
 dulgence. 
 
 Juan Yam Halen. 
 
 London, January Ist, 1827. 
 
NARRATIVE 
 
 OF 
 
 DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The author's parentage — He serves in the navy — Employed in the 
 Admiralty at Madrid — Taken prisoner at Ferrol — His father 
 also a prisoner and reduced in circumstances- - The author serves 
 Joseph — He follows this king to Bourdeaux, but returns to serve 
 his own countrymen — Arrives at Barcelona He obtains a copy 
 of Marshal Suchet's signet — Plan to recover the f 'atfJonian for- 
 tresses — The author takes an active part in it — His success 
 
 Lerida, Mequinenza, and Monzon are surrendered to the Spa- 
 niards — Their garrisons march out, and are captured in a defile — 
 The author is reinstated in his civil rights— He obtains a cap- 
 taincy in the Catalonian army — Restoration of Ferdinand VII. 
 — His inconsistencies — Secret association of patriots — Freemasons 
 — Apostolical faction — Despotic government. 
 
 I WAS born in the Isle of Leon, in Spain, on the 
 16th of February, 1790. At that time my father, 
 
 VOL. I. B 
 
2 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 who is a native of Cadiz, and of Belgic origin, was 
 still serving with distinction in the Spanish navy, 
 in which he had been engaged, during several 
 years of active service, in most of the naval com- 
 bats of his time, and had received many honour- 
 able wounds. My mother, to whom he has always 
 been most tenderly attached, is of an ancient 
 Spanish family. 
 
 I was sent, while very young, to the naval col- 
 lege, where, in the short space of fourteen months, 
 I successfully underwent all my public examina- 
 tions ; in consequence of which I was immediately 
 embarked on board a frigate, and, at the age of 
 sixteen, had made two naval expeditions, the last 
 of which was the memorable one that terminated 
 at Trafalgar. Promoted at that period to the 
 rank of lieutenant, I obtained the command of a 
 gun-boat belonging to the flotilla of Malaga, in 
 which service I was wounded. In the year I8O7, 
 being included in the number of those subalterns 
 who were to be employed in the Admiralty- office, 
 I proceeded to Madrid. 
 
 I still occupied this post in the capital at the 
 time of Napoleon's invasion, which took place in 
 the following year ; and, sharing in the noble in- 
 dignation manifested by the people of Madrid on 
 the memorable 2d of May, I fought against our 
 invaders till a dangerous wound arrested my efforts. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 3 
 
 Obliged to leave Madrid on the same day to 
 avoid being shot, as was the fate of so many of 
 my countrymen, I joined the army of Galicia, 
 commanded by General Blake, and was employed 
 under his immediate orders till after the battle of 
 Corunna, when Marshal Soult, laying siege to Fer- 
 rol, which was garrisoned by a few troops who 
 had taken refuge there after that battle, obliged 
 them to capitulate. By virtue of the second arti- 
 cle of the capitulation, the generals and all the 
 garrison (among whom I was one) were to take 
 the oath of submission to King Joseph, and be re- 
 stored to the situations they held previous to the 
 invasion. For my part, sincerely believing that 
 the time for resistance had passed, and that no 
 efforts, however heroic, could ever prove success- 
 ful against the victorious arms of our invader, nor 
 prevent his usurpation, 1 readily submitted to 
 take the oath required of me, still hoping to be 
 more useful to my country by remaining on its 
 soil, than by laying down my arms, and spending 
 ray life in captivity. I therefore proceeded to 
 Madrid, which was the place of my destination. 
 
 My father, who had followed the national go- 
 vernment as chief of one of the offices of the naval 
 department, had just been taken prisoner by the 
 French, and conducted to Madrid, where I met 
 him in the most pitiable condition, suffering much 
 
 B 2 
 
4 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 from his former wounds, and barely possessing the 
 means of subsistence. Some men, who by their 
 rank, talents, and established reputation, served as 
 models to others in these delicate conjunctures, 
 and who were greatly distinguished by King Jo- 
 seph, interesting themselves in my father''s welfare, 
 used their influence to have me placed in the mili- 
 tary suite of Joseph as an officer of ordinance ; a 
 post which I accepted without the least hesitation, 
 persuaded that I should thus be in a situation to 
 relieve my family, and avoid being employed in a 
 hostile manner against my countrymen. 
 
 Ever faithful to my engagements, I adhered to 
 the cause I had espoused not only during its pros- 
 perity, but followed Joseph in his bad fortunes to 
 France ; where, however, I saw myself abandoned 
 by him in a manner no less unkind than un- 
 merited. 
 
 Whilst I was living retiredly at Bordeaux in 
 1813, I received the decree just issued by the 
 Regency, in which most of the Spaniards who had 
 espoused the cause of Joseph, and taken refuge in 
 France, were invited to return to the bosom of 
 their families, promising the oblivion of the past, 
 and whatever recompences their future services to 
 their country might entitle them to. This w^as 
 what I most anxiously desired. The flattering 
 hopes, which I had hitherto entertained, of seeing 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN, 5 
 
 my country freed from the fanatical and oppressive 
 yoke which had so long weighed on it by the only 
 means it could be accomplished, namely, a change 
 of dynasty, were fast vanishing ; and I now plain- 
 ly perceived how impossible it was for us to pos- 
 sess an independent king in the person of Joseph, 
 whose authority was disregarded even by those 
 who were sent to support it. Moreover, as he had 
 withdrawn to live privately at a country seat in 
 France, (now threatened by the allies with an in- 
 vasion,) and as his power in Spain had entirely 
 ceased, nor was it likely he would ever be able to 
 recover it, my engagements with him were at an 
 end. I refused all the proposals made to me in 
 Paris to enter into the service of France, in the 
 guards of honour that were then organizing to re- 
 inforce those in Germany ; and since the Spanish 
 government, with no less wisdom than generosity, 
 endeavoured to unite all parties by opening the 
 gates of reconciliation, I resolved to return to my 
 country, and devote to it my services. I therefore 
 demanded of the French minister of war a pass- 
 port to proceed to Barcelona, where Marshal Su- 
 chet had his head-quarters, still under my former 
 character of officer in the service of Joseph ; and 
 on my arrival at Bordeaux I wrote to the Spanish 
 government, through the medium of some persons 
 of note, announcing my resolution. 
 
6 
 
 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 Four days after my arrival at Barcelona, I re- 
 ceived a letter from the second commander-in-chief 
 of the national army in Catalonia, in which he in- 
 formed me that the government, having received 
 my letter, did not oppose any obstacle to my re- 
 turn, at the same time strongly advising me to do 
 some essential service that should prove the sin- 
 cerity of my declarations. For a long time I 
 vainly endeavoured to devise the means to accom- 
 plish this, till at last it struck me that some im- 
 portant service might be rendered to the country 
 by procuring a copy of the French general-in- 
 chief's seal, to obtain which I had many obstacles 
 to surmount, especially as it was never entrusted 
 to me. Having this seal at length in my power, I 
 concerted with the national troops the hour of my 
 departure from Barcelona, which took place forty- 
 six days after my arrival there, and joined them 
 without difficulty. 
 
 The seal having been examined and compared 
 with those found on the intercepted letters of Mar- 
 shal Suchet, a plan was formed, at a meeting of 
 the generals, to effect, by means of supposed or- 
 ders and capitulations, the evacuation of the forti- 
 fied places occupied by the French on the other 
 side of the Llobregat, on the ramparts of which 
 waved a standard which had never been mine. The 
 general with whom I had communicated was ap- 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 7 
 
 pointed to superintend the execution of this plan, 
 and a drawing-master of the college of Reus coun- 
 terfeited all the signatures ; whilst I, dressed in 
 the French uniform, and passing for an aide-de- 
 camp of Marshal Suchet, though unknown to any 
 of the French generals with whom I was to treat, 
 presented myself before all the strong places, and 
 especially within the glacis of the fortress of Lerida, 
 as a negociator and the bearer of orders to the 
 governor to evacuate it immediately with his 
 troops. 
 
 Such an undertaking was no less arduous than 
 perilous in its execution ; but success crowned my 
 efforts, and Lerida, Mequinenza, and Monzon, 
 were restored to the nation. This stratagem, with- 
 out endangering any other life than my own, or 
 causing a single drop of blood to be shed, answered 
 even beyond my most sanguine expectations, and 
 produced results, the importance of which was 
 fully proved by subsequent events. The French 
 garrisons of the above-mentioned places, expecting 
 to join their army, having arrived after four days' 
 march at a narrow defile, were enveloped by supe- 
 rior forces, and obliged to lay down their arms. I 
 followed the national troops in their march as a 
 private soldier in the files of the regiment of cui- 
 rassiers of Catalonia, who, like the rest of the 
 troops and commanders, witnessed the decision 
 
8 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 with which 1 acted in behalf of the independence 
 of my country. 
 
 The general-in-chief, in acknowledgment of my 
 services, resolved that I should proceed to Madrid 
 in the company of one of his aide-de-camps, to be 
 presented to the government. 
 
 On my arrival at the capital, I found that the 
 gazette of the government had already announced 
 to the public those events, saying, among other 
 things, when speaking of me : " This is a young 
 Spaniard, who, in the first days of our sacred 
 struggle, acted the part of a true patriot, and has 
 now confirmed the innate sentiments of such by ex- 
 posing his life to the greatest dangers in behalf of 
 his country, and in vindication of his opinions.''''* 
 
 The Cortes, on being informed of those details, 
 unanimously reinstated me in my rights of citizen, 
 and recommended me to the government in the 
 most flattering terms, concluding with these words, 
 " and that Van Halen may continue to give days 
 of glory and satisfaction to his country .''"'•|- 
 
 The regency, in promoting me to the rank of 
 captain, said in their brevet : "In reward of your 
 extraordinary merit, and of the important service 
 you have rendered to the country, in conquering 
 
 * See the extraordinary gazette of the Regency, of February 
 20th, 1814. No. 24. 
 
 t See the Jovimal of the Cortes, sitting of the 19th of March, 1814. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. i| 
 
 from the enemy the strong places of Lerida^ Me-. 
 quinenza, and Monzon.**'* 
 
 I have here presented the above expressions of 
 approbation, not with the view to make a vain and 
 ostentatious display of any merits I may have had, 
 but because they not only offer the summary of all 
 the details with which I might occupy the atten- 
 tion of the reader in giving; anecdotes and disclo- 
 sing secrets, (which discretion and delicacy also 
 forbid,) but because they far exceed all that the 
 most outrageous vanity could ever prompt me to 
 say in favour of myself during this first period of 
 my political existence. 
 
 Sent immediately after by the government to 
 the army of Catalonia, I served under the imme- 
 diate orders of the general-in-chief till the end of 
 the campaign. 
 
 Here commences a new epoch, which being the 
 precursor of the great calamities that have since 
 distracted my unhappy country, appears to me de- 
 serving of notice. 
 
 Ferdinand had just been restored to the nation. 
 Our division was the first that received him on the 
 frontier. Every true Spaniard, on seeing him ap- 
 pear on our side of the Pyrenees, hoped that 
 during his long captivity he would have learned 
 something from experience, and that, grateful for 
 Royal commission of the 22nd of March, 1814. 
 B 3 
 
fo 
 
 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 the immense sacrifices they had made in his behalf, 
 he would act the part of a father to his people. 
 Vain expectations ! Ferdinand suffered himself to 
 be ruled by men who had done little or nothing 
 for their country. Regardless of the heroism of 
 those by whom he had just been rescued, he sig- 
 nalized his entry into the capital by trampling 
 upon the sacred code which had been sanctioned 
 by all the European monarch s, and which was cer- 
 tainly entitled to his oath. Perfidious as he was 
 ungrateful, he solemnly promised what he never 
 performed,* and betrayed those whom he had be- 
 fore flattered. Thus the faithful representatives 
 of their country, and his most distinguished de- 
 fenders, were thrown into dungeons ; religious and 
 political fanaticism was re-established in all its 
 vigour ; and the destiny of a nation, whose gene- 
 rosity was only equalled by its misfortunes, placed 
 at the mercy of the Holy Office. 
 
 Such a base victory, purchased by treachery 
 and ingratitude, and proclaimed upon the scaffold, 
 involved in its consequences a great number of 
 illustrious victims, and endangered the safety of 
 every patriot. Their intimate union, therefore, 
 was indispensable ; and in these calamitous cir- 
 cumstances, the utmost disinterestedness, secrecy, 
 mutual intelligence, and unanimity, became ne- 
 * See the royal decree of the 4th of May, 1814. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 11 
 
 cessary. The .common danger consolidated their 
 association ; a sacred oath united them ; and the 
 secret societies were established under the masonic 
 forms for an object purely political, namely, " To 
 support a ministry, or any body of men, who 
 should endeavour to persuade the King to fulfil 
 his royal decree of the 4th of May, in which he 
 promised to establish a representative government 
 in conformity with the ideas of the age." Such 
 was the basis of this association. 
 
 From that time there existed in Spain two 
 parties, who were not yet so inveterate against 
 each other but that the wisdom of a prudent mo- 
 narch might have succeeded in reconciling them ; 
 yet, as it was, they offered a most striking con- 
 trast. 
 
 On one hand appeared the tribunal of blood, 
 known by the name of the Holy Office, which has 
 always been the most atrocious instrument of 
 tyranny, — making victims or slaves of those who 
 acknowledge as their Father the same God of 
 mercy, proclaiming in the name of Jesus Christ 
 the most revolting impieties, and sanctioning by 
 their detestable conduct the sanguinary deeds 
 which have for ever rendered hateful the memory 
 of the Ferdinands and the Philips. Upon this 
 foundation arose, in 1814, (as soon as they saw 
 themselves masters of the King's mind,) the fac- 
 
12 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 tion entitled Apostolical, or of the Faith. To it 
 adhered with hypocritical zeal, and to the derision 
 of the people, a great number of courtiers and 
 public functionaries, all the communities of monks, 
 and, lastly, that selfish class of men who wished 
 to enjoy the comforts of life at the expense of the 
 most laborious part of the nation, in default of a 
 wise administration. 
 
 On the other hand, the close ties which united 
 the patriotic men, who were resolved to perish 
 or save the country, were daily increasing. Gra- 
 nada, towards the latter end of 1815, was the 
 cradle of the association, and in the following 
 year every city in Spain could boast of having a 
 society ; such being the unanimous impulse by 
 which they were all actuated. Many persons, 
 civil, ecclesiastical, and military, eminent for their 
 rank and talents, who, at first intimidated by the 
 violent proceedings of the ruling faction, had not 
 dared to declare their intentions, awoke from their 
 lethargy, and, sensible of the duties they owed to 
 their outraged country, joined the association, in- 
 spiring them with the hope of soon seeing an end 
 put to their calamities. 
 
 The military youth, for the most part generous 
 and intrepid, hastened to offer at the altar of their 
 country the noblest sacrifices ; and the army, so 
 frequently the scourge of the people, began from 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 13 
 
 that moment to see among their files, and at their 
 head, the heroic chieftains who were to lead them 
 to the temple of true glory. 
 
 The unmerited death of the deeply lamented 
 Porlier, who, like so many others, fell a victim to 
 the hatred of our oppressors, far from intimidat- 
 ing these patriots in their generous efforts, rendered 
 them more resolute ; so that, even previous to the 
 treacherous death inflicted on the illustrious General 
 Lacy, w^e every moment saw new victims sacrificed, 
 and fresh avengers arise in their places. 
 
 Notwithstanding this, I may safely assert that 
 the Spanish character is not the best adapted for 
 any kind of conspiracy. If bearing patiently un- 
 merited misfortunes be considered as a virtue, no 
 nation in Europe can boast of possessing a greater 
 share of it, and scarcely any can look upon the 
 regicide with greater horror. History proves the 
 Spaniards to be the people who have committed 
 fewest outrages on the persons of their monarchs. 
 The insurrections and revolutions of our country 
 have always been provoked either by the intole- 
 rable abuses of our kings, or by the arbitrary and 
 barbarous measures of inquisitors. 
 
 From the moment that Ferdinand's despotism 
 began, I was among the first to experience its 
 rigours. I shall now proceed to the narrative of 
 my misfortunes. 
 
14 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 CHAPTER IL 
 
 Spanish corps destined for South America — The author visits his 
 parents at Madrid — He commands a troop of dragoons at Jaen 
 in Andalusia— General O'Donoju—The author, visiting the 
 family of Perez, is arrested by his Colonel — Generous conduct of 
 this officer— The author is conducted to the castle of Marvella 
 near Malaga — Sinister presages of the Commandant — Visit 
 of two friars — Extreme danger — Removal to Malaga — Count 
 Montijo — Don Gonzalo Arostegui — The author owes his life to 
 them — Copy of the royal order for his military execution — Mon- 
 tijo is in favour with the King — The King appears to have been 
 ignorant of the royal order — The new governor of Malaga — Pro- 
 mulgation of his innocence — He receives the commission of Lieu- 
 tenant Colonel. 
 
 At the general peace the Spanish army was 
 divided into two bodies, one of which, composed 
 of those battalions that had not received their 
 licenses, quitted the frontiers of France to encamp 
 in the environs of Cadiz, to be eventually em- 
 barked for South America ; and the other, which 
 was not so well organized, took its cantonments in 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 15 
 
 the interior. Among the latter were some squa- 
 drons of light-horse, in which I commanded a 
 company. On the way to our place of destination, 
 we passed through the capital, where I obtained 
 leave to remain a short time with my family. 
 
 Madrid was then the theatre of all the dis- 
 orders of the new government, and the prisons 
 were crowded with the deputies and constitutional 
 authorities. During the few days I remained 
 there, I employed most of my time in visiting 
 many of the illustrious prisoners, this being the 
 only consolation I was able to afford them. 
 
 The city of Jaen, capital of the province of the 
 same name, being the place of cantonment ap- 
 pointed for my regiment, I proceeded thither. 
 From the first of my arrival, I visited at the 
 house of one of the most respectable families of 
 this city of the name of Perez, the head of which, 
 an enlightened old man, had rendered himself an 
 object of general esteem, by his strenuous endea- 
 vours to encourage and improve agriculture. On 
 the 8th of December, 1815, whilst the public 
 mind still continued in a state of alarm on account 
 of the numerous imprisonments of persons of dis- 
 tinction, among whom was General O^Donoju, 
 who had filled the post of minister of war in the 
 time of the Cortes, and to whom I was indebted 
 for many marks of favour, I received an invitation 
 
16 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 from Perez to attend a family festival which they 
 usually held on the above day. On my arrival 
 there, I found a numerous company assembled, 
 with whom I sat down to dinner in the best 
 spirits, when, soon after, I was informed that my 
 servant wished to speak with me, and learned 
 from him that the colonel and an adjutant of my 
 regiment, having presented themselves at my 
 lodgings, and not finding me at home, had com- 
 manded him to seek me, desiring my immediate 
 appearance. The guests attributed this sudden 
 call to mere matters of duty, and they all con- 
 tinued enjoying the hilarity of the day. 
 
 On entering my apartment, I found the colonel 
 and the adjutant waiting for me, when the former 
 addressed me in these words : " I am very sorry to 
 be the bearer of such disagreeable news as I have to 
 impart to you. I have just received a royal order, 
 transmitted to me by the inspector of cavalry, to 
 place you under arrest and seize all your papers. 
 Agreeable to these commands, you will accom- 
 pany the adjutant to the place that is prepared for 
 you." 
 
 I offered no reply to this, as any remark was 
 useless to one who did nothing but obey orders : 
 besides, I had no suspicion that the matter could 
 be of any great importance. The only thing that 
 could raise any anxiety in my mind was the arrest 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. i'J 
 
 of the persons above indicated, and the well-known 
 despotism of the government. I therefore followed 
 the adjutant to the guard-room of the barracks of 
 my regiment, where I remained with an officer 
 and a sentry at sight. I was then informed that 
 I might see any of my acquaintances, provided 
 they first obtained permission from the proper 
 authority, with various other requisites equally 
 restrictive and molesting. 
 
 The least timid of my friends profited by this 
 permission to keep me company, and enliven the 
 tedium of my confinement ; but their wild con- 
 jectures only contributed to increase the confusion 
 of my own. In this state I remained for the 
 space of nineteen days, when, on the night of the 
 17th, the colonel, Don Augustin de Hore, came 
 to inform me that on the following day I was 
 to set off for a castle on the coast of Malaga. The 
 countenance of this chief betraying some emotion 
 as he spoke, I ventured to ask him what could 
 be the motive of such enigmatical dispositions. 
 He then explained to me that the commandant-at- 
 arms had that afternoon received a direct order 
 from the ministry, couched in very severe lan- 
 guage, for my immediate removal to the castle of 
 Marvella with a strong escort ; adding that, under 
 these circumstances, the only service he could 
 render me was permitting me to name the officer 
 
18 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 who was to command it, and placing his purse at 
 my disposal, should I stand in need of any pecu- 
 niary assistance. I expressed my gratitude to him 
 for this kind offer, and mentioned the name of 
 the officer who was most agreeable to me ; after 
 which he informed me that he had destroyed some 
 papers of mine which he thought might be sinis- 
 terly interpreted by the government, and, kindly 
 pressing my hand, quitted the room greatly af- 
 fected. This noble conduct on the part of this 
 chief was the more commendable as we had not 
 been on the best terms for some months. 
 
 On the afternoon of the following day I com- 
 menced my journey, surrounded by an escort of 
 thirty horsemen, and in the presence of an inqui- 
 sitive populace, as is usual in similar cases. We 
 excited as much curiosity among the villagers in 
 the places through which we passed and sojourned, 
 during the four days employed in reaching our 
 destination. An old friend, whom I met on the 
 way, offered me the most secure means of escape 
 to Gibraltar, which was within a short distance ; 
 but neither the good faith which the officer re- 
 sponsible for my person reposed in me, nor the 
 attachment I had for him, nor the nature of my 
 compromise, as I thought, permitted me to avail 
 myself of such an offer. We entered Marvella 
 on the 22nd, at ten o'clock in the morning. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 19 
 
 The castle of Marvella, which overlooks the 
 strand, although almost demolished in the last 
 war with the French, and hardly offering any 
 shelter, had nevertheless a titular governor, who 
 was an old retired officer, a narrow-minded man, 
 and severe in the discharge of his functions. To 
 him the officer of my escort had orders to deliver 
 me ; but as the royal order of which the colonel 
 spoke had already reached him, he was so well 
 prepared to receive me, that a few minutes after 
 our arrival at the town, I found myself in one of 
 the rooms of the town-house, with a numerous 
 guard of infantry, two sentries at sight, and an 
 officer strictly charged with allowing no commu- 
 nication to be held with me. This silence was 
 interrupted in the afternoon by the entrance of 
 the governor, accompanied by two friars, whom, 
 as he himself expressed it, " he had taken the 
 liberty to bring, that they might console me in 
 the awful situation in which I stood ;"" adding 
 that " I ought to discharge the weight of my 
 conscience in the bosoms of those holy men, and 
 avail myself of the few moments that perhaps re- 
 mained to me." 
 
 It is impossible to express the astonishment I 
 felt at hearing these words. In the first impulse 
 of my surprise, I do not remember what I said 
 to him. All I know is, that, shortly after, the 
 
20 NAERATIVE OF 
 
 three disappeared ; that the vigilance with which 
 I was guarded was redoubled ; and that the loud 
 murmur of a populace, the more eager for no- 
 velty as the means to gratify it were fewer, con- 
 tributed to render these hours some of the most 
 unpleasant of my life. 
 
 Towards the close of this harassing day, noise 
 of whips and trampling of horses was heard, when 
 soon after an officer presented himself in the room, 
 and drawing out a paper, which he shewed to the 
 officer on guard, who immediately departed, 
 seated himself by the bed on which I was reclin- 
 ing, and with a countenance expressive of satis- 
 faction, though with a degree of mystery, dis- 
 closed to me the mission with which he was 
 entrusted. " Doubtless," said he, *' you are at 
 this moment much alarmed at your situation ; 
 but m.ake yourself easy, for though you may 
 hitherto have been, I may say, en capilla, (in 
 the condemned cell,) I come with an escort to 
 conduct you to Malaga, where both the governor 
 and the captain-general are expecting you, to 
 serve you in this emergency." 
 
 I replied that I could not conceive how, with- 
 out an accusation, without declarations, without 
 a verbal process, without a court-martial, or a 
 sentence passed or even read to me, I could be in 
 the condemned cell ; to which he said that he 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 21 
 
 was obliged to omit an explanation of it, that I 
 myself might hear it from the mouth of the mili- 
 tary authority of Malaga ; adding that the effer- 
 vescence of the people was very great, as the 
 friars had taken all possible pains to excite them 
 against me, and that the events of the day re- 
 quired that our departure should take place in 
 the dead of night. 
 
 Although, doubtless, the people guessed what 
 was in contemplation, and still remained, though 
 in less numbers, at midnight in the square before 
 the town-house where I was confined, the piquet 
 of cavalry assembled there, and at one o'clock the 
 above-mentioned officer came to warn me of our 
 departure, for which he took every necessary pre- 
 caution ; so that we left Marvella without my 
 seeing any thing more of the governor, accompa- 
 nied by the dragoons who formed the escort, and 
 who were obliged to fight their way through a 
 multitude of misled fanatics, whose purpose was 
 to assassinate me, and who might have caused me 
 some injury had it not been for the obscurity of 
 the night. 
 
 On the afternoon of the 25th we arrived within 
 sight of Malaga ; but the officer of the escort had 
 orders not to enter the city with me until it was 
 dark. Accordingly it was eight o'clock before we 
 arrived at the house of the captain general of the 
 
22 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 province, the Count of Montijo, who by a fortu- 
 nate chance was then in that city. We found him 
 in his study with the governor, the brigade-gene- 
 ral Don Gonzalo Arostegui.* They both closeted 
 themselves with me, when Montijo asked what 
 was the cause assigned for my being taken to Mar- 
 vella. I answered that I was perfectly ignorant of 
 it, and gave them an account of what had happened 
 to me from the moment of my arrest until my 
 leaving Marvella. Count Montijo, drawing a paper 
 from his escritoir, then said to me, " This will ex- 
 plain it : read, and do not be alarmed ; for both 
 the governor and myself know our duty." 
 
 I read the paper, which was the royal order 
 issued against me, the substance of which was 
 as follows : — " It is his Majesty's pleasure that 
 the captain of cavalry of the regiment of chas- 
 seurs of Madrid, Don Juan Van Halen, arrested 
 at Jaen by a royal order, and implicated in va- 
 rious subversive plans, and especially in the 
 horrible conspiracy lately discovered against the 
 precious life of his Majesty, be conducted to the 
 castle of Marvella ; and it is farther his royal 
 will that the said Van Halen be shot immediately 
 on his arrival, without allowing him more time 
 than is absolutely necessary to make his peace 
 
 * This gentleman is now living in the Havanah, his native 
 country, and to him I certainly owe my life. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 23 
 
 with Heaven, giving a full account of the same 
 to his Majesty, &c. &c." 
 
 On my returning this extraordinary document 
 to Montijo, he told me that I was at liberty to 
 select any lodging I pleased in the city, where 
 I should remain perfectly unmolested in the 
 company of an officer. " I shall return,"" he 
 added, " in the course of a few days to Gra- 
 nada, where you will follow me; and there I 
 hope I shall shortly receive an answer to the 
 express I sent yesterday to his Majesty. INIake 
 yourself easy ; take your repose, and let us meet 
 again to-morrow." 
 
 I obeyed, and withdrew to take that rest of 
 which I stood so much in need, but which it was 
 impossible for me to enjoy in my present state of 
 agitation. 
 
 Count Montijo, captain-general of the pro- 
 vince of Granada, was still at this time one of 
 the favourites of the monarch. Being on terms 
 of familiarity with him, and perfectly sincere in 
 this affair, and having, moreover, a great defe- 
 rence for the opinions of General Arostegui, 
 whose liberal ideas and rectitude of conduct 
 rendered him an object of general esteem, he had 
 agreed to do everything in his power to avoid 
 the scandal which must have resulted from the 
 atrocious deed that was intended to be perpe- 
 
24 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 trated on my person. Trusting, therefore, to 
 the influence which he still exerted over the 
 King's mind, he wrote privately to him, making 
 an appeal to his feelings, and painting the hor- 
 rible nature of this attempt in its true colours. 
 It appears that the authors of these orders in 
 the ministry had not only assumed the name of 
 the King, but also omitted registering the decree 
 issued, as is invariably done with every official 
 document. They had, moreover, sent direct or- 
 ders to the governor of Marvella, who, being but 
 a subaltern, was necessarily under the imme- 
 diate command of the higher authorities of the 
 province. Such conduct, therefore, was con- 
 trary to all the established rules of military eti- 
 quette, and likely to excite the suspicions of 
 Count Montijo and of General Arostegui, as did 
 actually happen. On the other hand, the private 
 letters received by Count Montijo from Madrid, 
 relative to the proceedings of the last got-up 
 conspiracy, said not a word by which I might 
 be implicated in it. It was on this account that 
 this nobleman did not hesitate to take upon him- 
 self the responsibility of this affair, without even 
 placing any other guard over me than that af- 
 forded by my word of honour. 
 
 Meantime he had caused a report to be cir- 
 culated respecting this affair;, by which he made 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 25 
 
 it appear as a thing of no importance, which had 
 originated in an error of the ministry. On his 
 departure for Granada, I followed him equally 
 free from all restraint, and immediately on his 
 arrival there, he sent an officer of dragoons to 
 the chiefs of Jaen to request copies of the orders 
 by which they had proceeded against me. Dur- 
 ing this interval, the express sent to Madrid by 
 the Count returned with an ansM^er to his letter, 
 wliich he shewed me, and in which his Majesty 
 said, that on learning the events imparted to him 
 by the Count, he had felt gi*eatly surprised at 
 orders given without his knowledge, of which 
 not even a copy was found in the offices of the 
 ministry ; that he approved of all the proceed- 
 ings of the Count ; and that he authorised him to 
 set me at liberty, delivering to me a passport to 
 rejoin my regiment. 
 
 If the denouement of this affair should appear 
 extraordinary, it would have been still more so 
 had I submitted to present myself at my quar- 
 ters with such an insignificant passport, when I 
 was so sure of my innocence. Consequently, I 
 begged the Count to allow me to write to his 
 Majesty through his medium ; and I represented 
 to the King that my honour was so greatly com- 
 promised in consequence of the mysterious occur- 
 rences which had taken place, that it was im- 
 
 VOL. I. c 
 
26 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 possible for me to present myself before my 
 regiment without having first received an ample 
 avowal of my innocence, concluding by entreating 
 that his Majesty might be pleased to allow me 
 to reside at Malaga until justice had been done 
 me. Meantime I obtained this permission from 
 Count Montijo. 
 
 On my arrival there, I found that the Governor 
 Arostegui had just been deposed, and his office 
 was now filled by a chief against whose whims 
 I had more than once to contend, and who was 
 as unfit for his post as his subaltern the Governor 
 of Marvella. The choice of Malaga, therefore, 
 as my place of residence was not a very happy 
 one, and I was compelled to remain there till 
 Count Montijo, by repeated applications, ob- 
 tained a royal order from his Majesty which was 
 to be circulated in all the divisions of the army, 
 by which my innocence was proclaimed. A few 
 days after, the inspector of cavalry announced to 
 me officially that his Majesty had, by special 
 decree, been pleased to promote me to the rank 
 of lieutenant-colonel, the brevet of which would 
 be delivered to me on joining my regiment. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HAL EN. 27 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 The author obtains leave of absence — He engages in the views of 
 the Liberales — Repairs to Mufcia — Power of the priests in that 
 city — Buildings of the Holy Office — Ostolaza — His infamy — Hi- 
 conducted institutions — 3Iulberry-trees of Murcia — Ignorance 
 of the priests — Religious procession — Elio, captain-general of 
 Valencia — Silks of ^lurcia — Romero Alpuente — General Torrijos 
 — Garay, the minister — Ronda — Don Antonio Calvo — Secret 
 negociations — Calvo's treacherous endeavours to obtain infor- 
 mation discovered — Medal — Don Ignacio Irriberry — The author's 
 papers are seized — Fidelity of his servants — The author is ar- 
 rested — He is carried to the Inquisition. 
 
 The insidious means resorted to by the faction 
 that swayed the mind of the monarch, could 
 not succeed in seducing the enlightened and 
 virtuous men who knew the duties they owed to 
 their country, neither could their corrupting 
 manoeuvres triumph over every Spaniard ; hence, 
 in the midst of the most frightful persecutions 
 
 c 2 
 
28 NARRATJVE OF 
 
 and disasters, a temple was raised to Liberty. 
 My late misfortunes contributed to make me feel 
 its existence, and with the most sincere heart did 
 I offer in June 1816 to sacrifice to it my repose 
 and my life. Under the pretext of re-establishing 
 my health, which through the past events had 
 been much shaken, I solicited and obtained from 
 the government four months'* leave of absence, 
 to take the mineral waters in the centre of 
 Andalusia. 
 
 After spending some time there, I visited 
 several cities, and did all that was in my power 
 to unite the different secret societies that were 
 scattered over the province. Among these, that 
 of Cadiz was remarkable for the respectable 
 persons who composed it. At the expiration of 
 the term granted me, I passed, in my way to 
 Murcia, which was the place of cantonment just 
 assigned to my regiment, through Granada, at 
 that time the great nucleus of our rising asso- 
 ciation. My friends here, satisfied with my 
 labours, authorised me to continue them in the 
 district of my new residence, and I rejoined my. 
 regiment a few days after. 
 
 Murcia is assuredly one of the towns, in the 
 interior of Spain, most backward in point of ci- 
 vilization. It can no more be placed on a pa- 
 rallel with Barcelona, Malaga, Cadiz, or Bilboa, 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 29 
 
 than Morocco with St. Petersburgh. I shall 
 here present the reader with a slight sketch of 
 the state in which I found that city on my arrival 
 there. 
 
 Situated in the midst of a rich and fertile 
 country, and enjoying one of the finest climates, 
 Murcia is one of the towns where the clerical 
 power rises in all its pride, and shares the bless- 
 ings of the land with a badly educated nobility, 
 whose ignorance can be equalled only by their 
 vanity. 
 
 The edifice of the Inquisition had suffered so 
 much during the war of independence that it 
 lay almost in ruins ; but such was the influence 
 of the monks there, that they had succeeded in 
 laying the foundations of a new one, larger and 
 more sumptuous than the former, in spite of the 
 public misery, and of the nakedness of the 
 badly-paid military, who, in bringing to mind 
 their late toils and triumphs, looked on the erec- 
 tion of a monument of barbarity and oppression 
 with the most marked indignation. 
 
 A dignitary of the cathedral of Murcia, by 
 name Ostolaza, formerly confessor of the King 
 and the royal family, well known in Spain for 
 the immorality of his public and private conduct, 
 had, under the pretext of taking under his 
 protection the charitable institution of the or- 
 
30 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 phan girls, transformed it into a harem, where 
 he abandoned himself to all kinds of excesses. 
 The details of the horrible conduct of that 
 wretch are too disgusting to hold a place in these 
 pages. 
 
 Another benevolent institution, the seminary 
 for boys, supported from its foundation by the 
 treasures of the chapter, was in such a neglected 
 state, that it might be considered rather as the 
 school of ignorance and folly than as a place of 
 public instruction. This neglect in the clergy, 
 however, did not extend to their own interests ; 
 for no sooner were the millions of mulberry- 
 trees, which adorn the numberless gardens of 
 that beautiful part of the country known by the 
 name of Huerta de Murcia, in full bloom, than 
 they laid their great white cross on the most pro- 
 mising for the payment of the tithe. Ever ready 
 to impose upon the credulity of the unfortunate 
 husbandman, and keep him subject to its influ- 
 ence, the church of Murcia preserved, in the teeth 
 of the knowledge of our age, the absurd custom of 
 making an annual solemn procession with the object 
 of bringing down rain from the clouds, which, at 
 all seasons, is so scarce and necessary in that coun- 
 try. The miraculous image of this procession was 
 brought from a hermitage to the cathedral, where 
 it was left for a certain time ; but the members 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 31 
 
 who composed the chapter having evinced some 
 longings to get it into their possession, the monks 
 to whom the image belonged, suspecting their in- 
 tention, would never deliver it into their hands 
 without first obtaining a legal document, and a 
 guarantee to prevent any attempt of the kind. 
 Some clauses of the document were so truly absurd, 
 that had it not been known to be the work of the 
 priests themselves, any one might have taken it 
 for that of some wag who wished to throw ridicule 
 on their proceedings. 
 
 On the other hand, the subaltern priests, in 
 order to second those impositions, took great care 
 to keep alive the ancient custom of making a ro- 
 sary, or a procession known by the name of the 
 Dawn, which was celebrated every Sunday, soon 
 after midnight. As this was not the most conve- 
 nient hour for the parish priests to preside over 
 it, the procession consisted only of a crowd of 
 vagabonds, who ran about the streets howling in 
 the most frightful manner, and getting drunk at 
 every public-house they met in their way, the 
 money spent in those riots being often at the ex- 
 pense of our lady of the Dawn ; for, notwithstand- 
 ing the vigilance of the parish clerks, that troop 
 of raggamuffins, favoured by the obscurity of the 
 night, robbed the cases that contained the offerings 
 made to the Virgin. 
 
32 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 • General Elio was at that time the captain- 
 general of the two provinces of Valencia and Mur- 
 cia, and all the governors under his command were 
 his creatures. The tyrannical conduct of that 
 man is too notorious to render it necessary for me 
 to say any thing respecting him. The forces of 
 the province of Malaga consisted of the regiment of 
 infantry Lorena, commanded by the Brigade-Gene- 
 ral Torrijos, three battalions of which composed 
 the garrisons of Alicante, Carthagena, and Murcia; 
 and there was another detachment of troops at 
 Origuela, besides the small number of cavalry that 
 formed the skeleton of my regiment, who, as I 
 have already observed, were at Murcia. Our 
 former colonel, Hore, had quitted the regiment, 
 disgusted at the state in which it was kept ; and 
 we had for chief a military of the old regime, as 
 eccentric as he was ignorant, and whose presence 
 invariably excited the laughter of the soldiers. 
 
 Such was, at the time of my arrival, the state 
 of a province which under a wise and protecting 
 government might, by the abundance and quality 
 of its silks, have been rendered one of the richest 
 in Europe. 
 
 Amidst so many impediments as Murcia pre- 
 sented, the society we were able to form consisted 
 only of the venerable magistrate and illustrious 
 patriot, Romero Alpuente, the Brigade-General 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 33 
 
 Torrijos, and a few officers of his regiment and of 
 my own. Our union, however, became the closer 
 as our circle was the more contracted. With the 
 view to second the intended rising of Catalonia, at 
 the head of which was General Lacy, I made some 
 journies to Alicante and Carthagena, to establish 
 there some new societies ; but when the forces of 
 our province were ready to act in unison with 
 those of Catalonia, the melancholy news of the 
 imprisonment of General Lacy reached us. 
 
 The army, who well knew the virtues of that 
 distinguished general, far from being intimidated 
 at these reverses, increased their efforts ; and in 
 I8I7 the secret authority of Granada was trans- 
 ferred to Madrid, precisely at the tim^e when the 
 system of the celebrated minister Garay seemed to 
 need a powerful support, to obtain by what the 
 advocates of legitimacy call the legitimate means, 
 (that is to say, by the King'^s own intimate per- 
 suasion,) that which the cry of the people caused 
 him at last to grant. 
 
 Shortly after General Lacy's assassination, the 
 Brigade-General Torrijos received an anonymous 
 letter, dated from Gibraltar, the hand-writing of 
 which, however, was known to him, and in which 
 the writer requested to be informed what part 
 Torrijos would take, in the event of some well- 
 intentioned men declaring themselves for the good 
 
 c 3 
 
34 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 cause ; adding, that his friends expected, from 
 the frankness of his character, a sincere answer to 
 the above question ; but that whatever might be 
 his final resolution, they fully relied on his discre- 
 tion. The letter concluded by appointing a place 
 of meeting. 
 
 At the time of receiving this letter, Torrijos 
 was residing at Carthagena, from which place, 
 owing to the duties of his station, it was impos- 
 sible for him to absent himself in order to attend 
 the appointed interview ; consequently he entrust- 
 ed this affair to me, desiring that I would visit 
 the place of meeting. This was near Gibraltar, 
 and as the greatest secrecy was necessary to avoid 
 compromising any one, I left Murcia, after obtain- 
 ing from the colonel leave of absence for fifteen 
 days, without taking with me a servant or a wit- 
 ness of any kind, except a Danish dog who follow- 
 ed me everywhere. 
 
 On my way to the place of conference, I stop- 
 ped at the village of Yelez Rubio to take some 
 repose, and refresh my horse. I had received 
 from one of my friends at Murcia letters of recom- 
 mendation for two gentlemen who resided in this 
 place : the one was Don Antonio Calvo, chief of 
 the customs ; and the other Don Francisco Bena- 
 vente, mayor of that district, and a rich proprietor 
 of that country, at whose house I alighted. As I 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 35 
 
 had been given to understand that I might freely 
 express my sentiments in their company, and as I 
 seldom lost an opportunity of increasing the num- 
 ber of our friends, I did not hesitate in touching 
 upon the wretched situation of the nation, and 
 holding out a hope, founded upon good grounds, 
 that our evils would soon be at an end. Finding 
 that they entered into my feelings, I partly initi- 
 ated them into the secret, concealing, however, in 
 conformity to our regulations, the formal exist- 
 ence of any society. 
 
 At dawn of the following day I parted from 
 them, and passed through Granada, where I stop- 
 ped but a few hours. I reached on the fourth day 
 Ronda, the place where the conference was to be 
 held. Having presented myself at the appointed 
 spot, I waited in vain for the mysterious individual, 
 so that I was obliged to retrace my steps back to 
 Malaga without seeing him. Here I found that 
 my absence had caused some disagreement among 
 my friends, which might have led to serious 
 results, had I not succeeded in quelling them. 
 A good understanding being thus established, the 
 frequent meetings we were obliged to hold induced 
 me to take a house near the barracks of my regi- 
 ment, which being detached was well suited for 
 our meetings, and in which I resided, the better to 
 conceal our object. The oiEcers of the regiment 
 
36 
 
 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 assembled there every day to hold their usual aca- 
 demical conferences on military tactics ; thus by 
 making it appear that it was destined only for 
 objects of duty, I destroyed any suspicions that 
 might rise in the minds of my neighbours of any 
 clandestine meetings, and accustomed them to see 
 it well frequented. 
 
 In the summer of that year, 181 7? I received 
 a visit from Don Antonio Calvo, who informed me 
 of the misfortune which he had just experienced, 
 of losing the employment he held from the govern- 
 ment in consequence of a reform in the plan of 
 customs, made by the minister Garay, by ^vhich 
 he and his family were left without resources of 
 any kind, and in the greatest distress. I was moved 
 by the account he gave me, and as my house 
 was sufficiently large to accommodate him during 
 his stay at Murcia, I offered him an apartment, 
 and my table, which he accepted. From this mo- 
 ment I lost no opportunity of being useful to him, 
 and rendering his situation as agreeable as was in 
 my power. His object, however, being to proceed 
 to Madrid, by way of Granada, where his family 
 was then residing, he requested me to give him 
 letters of recommendation for my friends of the 
 capital, that they might assist him in obtaining an 
 employment from the ministry, and the means to 
 transport himself there. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. SJ 
 
 During the fifteen days he remained with me, 
 he saw at my house only two individuals ; an ho- 
 nest jeweller called Raphael Esbri, by whom he 
 had been introduced to me, and another country- 
 man of his, an unfortunate young man, by name 
 Don Serafin del Rio, of respectable parents, who, 
 having a large family, had no means of support- 
 ing it ; and whose melancholy situation I could 
 not alleviate in any other way than by offering 
 him my table. With respect to our nocturnal 
 meetings, he saw nothing of them, as it so hap- 
 pened that a few days before his arrival we had 
 suspended them for a time ; neither did he know 
 of their existence, as I had been careful never to 
 disclose it to him. 
 
 A short time previous to his departure, I re- 
 ceived a letter from Valencia, warning me of an 
 approaching danger, though the nature of it was 
 not explained. To avoid a surprise, however, I 
 collected all those articles and papers which might 
 criminate me ; but not thinking it prudent to trust 
 the latter to any friend of mine residing at ^Mur- 
 cia, I put them into a case, which I carefully 
 nailed and delivered to Calvo, that he might 
 place it in the hands of our common friend the 
 mayor of Velez Rubio, requesting him to conceal 
 it in some secure place. As for the rest, being 
 
38 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 articles of some bulk, I deposited them where 
 they were never discovered. 
 
 Calvo now took his departure, carrying two 
 letters of recommendation from me ; one for a 
 captain of the militia called Rosique, and the 
 other for a clergyman, a professor of the college 
 of Santiago, who were then residing at Granada, 
 and who had it in their power to serve him. His 
 warm expressions of gratitude, on taking leave of 
 me, confirmed me in the belief that my benefits 
 had not been bestowed on a worthless man. We 
 shall presently see how correct I was in my good 
 opinion of him. 
 
 /A few days after his departure, I received a 
 letter from him dated from Granada, the contents 
 of which were sufficiently alarming, saying among 
 other things, " that having remarked a change in 
 the conduct of Benavente, the mayor of Velez 
 Rubio, who refused to take charge of my papers, 
 and wishing to shew his gratitude by something 
 more than empty words, he had concealed them 
 in a place where they would be perfectly secure ;" 
 adding, ''that he had visited the gentlemen for 
 whom he had carried letters ; but that their offers 
 of service being too vague to give him any hopes 
 of efficient aid, he had resolved to proceed to 
 Madrid, where I might forward my letters of 
 recommendation for him. 
 
DON JtJAX VAN HALEN. 39 
 
 Two or three nights after my receiving this 
 letter, being alone in my apartment, I heard my 
 man-servant disputing in the kitchen with the 
 cook. The former was an honest Asturian of 
 about thirty, faithful, like all his countrymen ; 
 and the latter was, in my opinion, too old to ex- 
 cite in him feelings of jealousy that might have 
 given rise to their present wrangling. Curious, 
 therefore, to know the motive of their disagree- 
 ment, I listened attentively, and more than once 
 caught the name of Calvo. On a nearer ap- 
 proach, I heard my man-servant say : — '' You 
 have failed in your duty towards our master : 
 had he known it, or had I seen the scoundrel 
 there, he should have rued his villainy." 
 
 The cook retorted that " her age and know- 
 ledge of the world was more than enough to 
 enable her to get rid of such a man."" 
 
 I had now heard enough to wish to know the 
 whole, consequently I called the servant, and de- 
 sired him to inform me of every thing, when I 
 learned that while Calvo was residing at my 
 house, profiting of an evening he remained at 
 home alone with the cook, he had, under the pre- 
 text of making love to her, endeavoured to dis- 
 cover all that had passed in my house since she 
 had first entered my service ; but finding that he 
 could learn nothing from her, he had ended by 
 
40 "NARRATIVE OF 
 
 entreating her not to disclose to me any thing of 
 what had happened between him and her. When 
 I reproached her with having failed in her duty 
 towards me by concealing those circumstances, 
 she farther ow^ned that, whenever I was absent 
 from home, Calvo went all over the house, look- 
 ing into every corner of it, and once she had 
 found him reading and rummaging my papers ; 
 but that, seeing the kindness with which I treated 
 him, ,she would not inform me of it, lest I should 
 not have given credit to her words. 
 
 From all appearances, Calvo had visited a place 
 in the house where I had concealed an engraved 
 medal, bearing the allegorical figures and names 
 of our association, which it was the intention of 
 my friends to place secretly between the founda- 
 tion stones of the Inquisition then erecting at 
 Murcia, and which was to serve as a memorial to 
 posterity that there existed another institution at 
 the time when this horrible monument was raised, 
 which strove for other objects than the extinction 
 of knowledge and civilization. 
 
 My alarm at hearing those facts may be easily 
 conceived ; but Don Raphael Esbri, who had in- 
 troduced Calvo to me, and to whom I communi- 
 cated them, endeavoured to quiet my apprehensions 
 by attributing that conduct to mere curiosity. 
 
 Calvo, on his arrival at Madrid, immediately 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEX. 41 
 
 informed me of it, again requesting letters of re- 
 commendation to all my friends, a favour which I 
 had now a double motive for not granting ; but 
 what principally astonished me was the rapi- 
 dity of his journey, as by the dates of his letters 
 he must have travelled post. This circumstance 
 was sufficiently suspicious in itself, the contri- 
 butions which we raised to relieve him in his 
 distress being not so great as to permit this mode 
 of travellinfT. 
 
 The 21st of September was the day appointed 
 for my new misfortunes. Orders had been issued 
 by the government to General Elio to have me 
 arrested with the most severe precautions ; a dun- 
 geon in the Inquisition was preparing to receive 
 me ; and Don Ignacio Irriberry, Governor of 
 Orijuela, was the person to whom the execution of 
 those orders was entrusted. Having no confidence 
 in the troops belonging to the regiment of Torri- 
 jos, he took a detachment of anotiier corps, and 
 entering Murcia clandestinely, concerted with the 
 inquisitors the necessary measures for my arrest. 
 
 I was in the habit of returning home early in 
 the evening ; but it happened by chance that, on 
 the night appointed for my arrest, I had gone out 
 at about eleven o'clock on some youthful frolic. 
 An hour after my leaving home the house was 
 surrounded by soldiers, and two men enveloped in 
 
42 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 their cloaks advanced towards the door. My ser- 
 vant, who heard the loud and repeated knocks, 
 appeared at the window, and was ordered by them 
 to open the door. On his refusing to do so, they 
 gave their names, one being the Governor Irriberry, 
 and the other the senior Inquisitor. The servant 
 represented to them that, whatever might be their 
 office or their authority, they raised unfavourable 
 suspicions by coming at that hour, and that, if 
 they did not withdraw, he would compel them, at 
 the same time shewing his carabine at the window. 
 At this sight the senior Inquisitor, fearing the con- 
 sequences, abandoned the field to Irriberry, who, 
 more bold, caused some soldiers to advance and 
 force the door open, when he entered with his sol- 
 diers, to whom he gave orders to secure the ser- 
 vant and search the house. Whilst they were 
 executing these orders, they discovered the cook 
 in the act of leaping from a window, endeavouring 
 to make her escape with the intention of seeking 
 me, and warning me of the danger. 
 
 ^Meantime Irriberry directed his steps towards 
 the place where I was in the habit of concealing 
 my papers, as if he himself had been a witness 
 to my most secret actions. Here he found a small 
 leather box, in which I had secreted some of the 
 papers that I did not think proper to include 
 among; those I had delivered to Calvo ; after 
 
'1 
 
 DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 43 
 
 which he began to examine my drawers and trunks, 
 putting aside whatever was not essential to his 
 first searches ; but those once open, my uniforms 
 and every other article of dress became the prey 
 of the soldiery. 
 
 At this time the voice of some one being heard 
 in the street, Irriberry, thinking it was I, ordered 
 the soldiers to secure the person, whom they dis- 
 covered to be a young officer who was returning 
 home singing. Finding that he belonged to my 
 regiment, the governor ordered him to be confined 
 in my chamber, to prevent my being informed 
 of what was passing. 
 
 Impatient of my absence, which he suspected 
 was premeditated, Irriberry incessantly questioned 
 the servants, from whom he could learn nothing ; 
 the former answering with the same firmness he 
 had always shewn, but, without failing in his 
 subordination to Irriberry, that it was very rarely 
 I went out at night, and that he did not know the 
 place where I might be found, since I was not in 
 the habit of makinoj confidants of mv domestics. 
 
 Meantime an unexpected accident happened in 
 the garden where I had gone to, which would 
 have saved me from all my subsequent misfortunes, 
 had I but known what was passing at home, and 
 been able to reconcile it with other feelings. The 
 door through which I had entered the garden 
 
44 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 \ 
 
 I 
 
 being shut after me, and the key mislaid by one 
 of the servants of the house, I could not leave 
 it otherwise than by climbing the high walls which 
 surrounded it. In this conjuncture a place of con- 
 cealment was offered me, where I might have 
 safely remained till the following evening ; but 
 the fear of compromising the honour of a family 
 I so much esteemed, and that of failing to attend 
 the daily academical meetings that were held at 
 my house, which could not but draw upon me 
 the attention of the officers, obliged me to decline 
 it. 
 
 It was about four o''clock in the morning when 
 I reached my house, in which the greatest silence 
 apparently reigned. Irriberry, who had just re- 
 turned from a little excursion, of which we shall 
 speak hereafter, had learned enough to be con- 
 vinced that my absence was wholly accidental, 
 and that I should return at day- break. On my 
 entering the house I found both doors in the same 
 state in which I had left them, and no sooner did 
 I knock at the interior one, than my servant, com- 
 pelled to shew himself at the small window just 
 above it, put the usual question and opened it. 
 Scarcely had I mounted a few steps, before I 
 found myself surrounded by soldiers whose naked 
 bayonets were pointed at my breast, a sufficiently 
 ridiculous assault against an unarmed man, whose 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 45 
 
 whole equipment consisted of a foraging cap, and 
 a cloak which concealed the light dress I had 
 assumed for that night. Whilst I cast my eyes 
 around with surprise at this multitude of soldiers, 
 who seemed to have sprung up from the ground, 
 Irriberry suddenly presented himself on the stairs, 
 saying in a haughty tone, and as if he had ob- 
 tained a great triumph, " I arrest you in the name 
 of the King," adding several offensive epithets, 
 and desiring me to follow him. He conducted me 
 through several rooms, which offered evident signs 
 of the pillage that had taken place, to my cham- 
 ber, where I met the arrested officer, whose name 
 was Cardon, who put unobservedly into my hand 
 the watch which I had left hanging at the bed- 
 head, and which he had saved from the rapacity 
 of the soldiers. 
 
 The rude conduct of Irriberry was the more 
 surprising to me, as this general had served in the 
 brigade of royal carabineers, whose officers were 
 at all times distinguished for their circumspection 
 and politeness. Sure of his prey, he filled the 
 house with his vociferations, expecting to find in 
 it considerable sums of money, destined for the 
 great conspiracy which he boasted to have stifled. 
 Having at his first arrival seized all my papers 
 and arms, and tolerated a pillage by which I was 
 deprived even of my uniforms, he obstinately de- 
 
46 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 manded my signature to the bundle of papers 
 which his assessor had filed for him. I very na- 
 turally refused to comply with this absurd request, 
 as it was impossible I could acknowledge as my 
 own the confused mass of papers which he pre- 
 sented to me, and which he had rummaged and 
 read in my absence. 
 
 It was now that I learned for the first time the 
 fatal destiny that awaited me. The day was 
 dawning, and Irriberry ordered in my presence 
 the bishop's carriage to be fetched, that I might 
 be conveyed to the Inquisition. I requested to 
 be allowed to go on foot, to which he replied that 
 the prisoners of the Inquisition were never accom- 
 panied there by an armed force ; adding ironically, 
 " they have always the honour to be taken there 
 in a convenient carriage.''"' This being now ready, 
 I entered it, accompanied by Irriberry, his asses- 
 sor, and his aide-de-camp, who gave orders to 
 some soldiers to follow the carriage on foot at a 
 distance. Thus I lost sight of my home, my 
 servants, my young comrades, and even of the hope 
 of seeing again the light of day. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 4*7 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Description of the dungeon into which the author is cast — First 
 civilities of the inquisitor — Don Seraphin del Rio is also seized 
 by Imberry — Esbry, a jeweller, is arrested at the fair of Lorca — 
 Castaneda the inquisitor — Conversation of the prisoners — The 
 author petitions Ferdinand — Character of Esbry — Character of 
 Romero Alpuente — The inquisitor anxious to have him in his 
 custody — Castaneda unlike the severer inquisitors. 
 
 It was five o''clock when we arrived before the 
 gates of the Inquisition. The prisons of the new 
 tribunal, although in a forward state, and carried 
 on with greater activity than the rest of the build- 
 ing, were not yet completed ; consequently I was 
 to be confined in the dungeon of the old one. 
 Scarcely had we entered its gates, when the inqui- 
 sitors and their subalterns made their appearance, 
 and Irriberry delivered me into their hands, hint- 
 ing to me that his mission was not yet terminated. 
 The senior Inquisitor then gave his orders to the 
 
48 NAKllATIVE OF 
 
 jailer, who, leading the way down a flight of 
 stairs, guided me through several subterraneous 
 passages to my dungeon, which, with four others, 
 had unfortunately survived the destruction of the 
 principal part of the building. 
 
 These dungeons, constructed in the primitive 
 times of the Inquisition, were on a level with the 
 river Segura, that traversed the town ; so that the 
 humidity, the cloud of gnats that entered through 
 the narrow loop-holes with which the dungeon 
 was partially lighted, the bench constructed of 
 brick, which served for a bed to the unhappy in- 
 mate, the chains and iron rings that hung from 
 the walls, all contributed to render this abode the 
 most frightful that ever met human sight. On 
 being left alone in this place, my mind naturally 
 recurred to the scenes of misery that these walls 
 must have witnessed, and to the number of victims 
 that must have sunk within this grave. 
 
 Doubtless the inquisitors had done everything 
 in their power to render tliis place as comfortable 
 as possible, since the mattress that was spread on 
 the bench, the sheets and counterpane of the bed, 
 with a little table beside it, offered a singular con- 
 trast with the rest of the dungeon. 
 
 The scenes of the morning had so much amtated 
 me, that my blood rushed to my head, and I be- 
 came insensible. This was immediately perceived 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN.' 49 
 
 by the inquisitors, who directed their familiars to 
 apply leeches to my temples. 
 
 At one in the afternoon the doors were again 
 opened, and the senior Inquisitor entered, followed 
 by an attendant bringing a chair. On the latter 
 withdrawing, he sat down near my bed, and spoke 
 in the following words : " All your papers are in 
 my hands ; we must examine them together, that 
 you may sign an inventory. This, however, may 
 be done to-morrow, when you will have recovered 
 from your indisposition. A little rest, good assist- 
 ance, and cleanliness, will contribute towards re- 
 moving it. The apartments of the new building 
 will be soon finished, and you will then quit this 
 place to occupy one of the best. I am an advo- 
 cate for cleanliness, and I would not have allowed 
 in my time such places as this to be constructed. 
 They are horrible holes. — I take a bath every day, 
 and dine between twelve and one, after which I 
 will come and see that you are properly attended. 
 All my subalterns are kind people. You must 
 not judge of our prisons by what you see. My 
 own feelings, my education, my religion, and my 
 experience, everything imposes upon me the duty 
 of acting with humanity towards those who are in 
 your unfortunate situation. Besides, you are not 
 altogether under my dependence ; you are here 
 only temporarily.— This morning as I came along 
 
 VOL. I. D 
 
50 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 the streets, I met some individuals whose counte- 
 nances betrayed much anxiety. You ought to 
 know Romero Alpuente," added he, fixing his 
 eyes steadily on mine. 
 
 " I have seen him," said I, ** but I have had 
 little acquaintance with him." He smiled incre- 
 dulously, called the alcaide, and wished me a good 
 afternoon. The doors were then shut, and I re- 
 mained reflecting on the last words of the Inquisi- 
 tor, which gave me room to fear that they sought 
 for fresh victims. 
 
 The inconsiderate conduct of Irriberry had en- 
 abled me to discover the origin of this persecution, 
 who my delator was, and who were the unfortu- 
 nate individuals involved in it. 
 
 Whilst Irriberry's soldiers were committing in 
 my house the disorders above related, this general, 
 confident that I could not escape him, left the 
 house to the care of his aide-de-camp, and taking 
 with him a party of infantry who were stationed 
 on the bridge, proceeded with them to the house 
 of the unfortunate Serafin del Rio, who lived in 
 the suburbs on the other side of the river. As, 
 long before his arrival there, Serafin and his whole 
 family had retired to bed, it was only after re- 
 peated knocks that Irriberry succeeded in making 
 himself heard. Madame del Rio, far from sus- 
 pecting the new misfortune that awaited her, was 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 51 
 
 the first to leap from her bed, and answer the dis- 
 turbers of their sleep. On discovering who they 
 were, she hastened to impart it to her husband, 
 who went to the window to speak to Irriberry. 
 Irritated by this delay, the latter peremptorily or- 
 dered Serafin to open the door, threatening to 
 burst it open if he refused to comply. Serafin, 
 without shewing any alarm, descended, followed 
 by his afflicted wife, and by some of his children, 
 before whom he heard, with perfect resignation, 
 the order for his arrest. Irriberry, though him- 
 self a father saw, without emotion, and even has- 
 tened, the tender separation of this unfortunate 
 couple ; whilst Serafin, pressing with one arm his 
 wife to his bosom, held out the other to his chil- 
 dren, who bathed it with their tears, recommend- 
 ing them to bear this misfortune with religious 
 firmness, and put their trust in Providence, which 
 would not abandon them in their desolate situa- 
 tion. Knowing, as I do at present, the intensity 
 of paternal feelings, I feel my heart beat at the 
 remembrance of this afflicting scene. 
 
 Serafin's house underwent the same scrutiny 
 as mine ; but Irriberry found in it nothing that 
 he sought. 
 
 The jeweller Esbry, the friend of Calvo, was 
 also to share our imprisonment ; but he was then 
 absent from town, having gone to the fair of Lorca^ 
 
 D 2 
 
52 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 which is within a few leagues of Murcia. No 
 sooner had Irriberry seen me safely lodged than 
 he set off for that place to arrest Esbry, who, 
 much to his surprise, saw himself seized in the 
 midst of a crowd of merchants who had gone to 
 the fair, and who were not a little alarmed at 
 these proceedings. On the following day, Esbry 
 was already immured in one of the dungeons of 
 the Inquisition ; but so great was the privacy of 
 these abodes, that, notwithstanding my watchful- 
 ness, the profound silence that reigned in them, 
 and the accustomed clamour that preceded Irri- 
 berry's steps, who accompanied him to his prison, 
 I did not notice his arrival. 
 
 At ten o'clock this general, who seemed to 
 delight in visiting these places, entered my 
 dungeon, accompanied by the jailer, and rudely 
 bade me follow him, adding, " You will now do 
 what you refused to do last night."*' 
 
 '*• What ?*" exclaimed I. " the inventory ?"*' 
 " Ay, the inventory, the inventory of your — '" 
 the expressions he added were so offensive, that 
 I was at last under the necessity of reminding 
 him that he was speaking to a gentleman and 
 a soldier, who had a right to be treated with 
 civility ; and that though at that moment I was 
 not in a situation to exact a suitable satisfaction, 
 he should give me an ample one on my libera- 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 53 
 
 tion. From this moment he restrained his un- 
 gentlemanly behaviour, and became more guard- 
 ed in his expressions ; ^vhilst at the same time 
 he stepped back to allow me a passage through 
 those subterraneous windings, and having as- 
 cended the stairs, we arrived at the great hall. 
 Here we found, seated round a large table, the 
 senior Inquisitor, the commandant-at-arms of 
 the city, his secretary, and Irriberry"'s assessor. 
 The general took his seat among the rest, and 
 desired me to sit beside him ; after which they 
 commenced an examination of my papers, which 
 were the same I had concealed in my house, and 
 which had been seized on the night of my arrest. 
 Irriberry put my commissions aside after I had 
 acknowledged them as mine, saying that he was 
 charged to send them to the minister of war, as 
 well as the rest of the documents relative to the 
 service. Whilst the gentlemen present were 
 engaged in looking over some papers and parch- 
 ments, the allegorical signs of which appeared to 
 them singular, I profited by this opportunity to 
 thrust into my sleeve a letter which was certainly 
 one of the most important of the whole collection, 
 and which, as the examination of all the papers 
 had not "yet taken place, no one missed. Thus 
 was I enabled to save from certain ruin several 
 persons, among whom was one of high rank, 
 
54 NARllATIVE OF 
 
 who, far from being suspected by government, 
 received some months after particular marks of 
 favour from the King. 
 
 More than two hours were spent in the exa- 
 mination of my papers. Irriberry then made a 
 formal delivery of them to the senior Inquisitor, 
 requesting him to draw up the inventory and 
 have it signed by me. As it would have been 
 useless, and even prejudicial to me, to refuse 
 complying with this formality, I put my signa- 
 ture to the inventory. 
 
 I was on the point of being sent back to my 
 dungeon, when a familiar entered the hall, and 
 informed the Inquisitor that an officer of my regi- 
 ment was in the antechamber, and demanded to 
 see me that I might sign some papers relative to 
 the administration of the regiment, which I did 
 in presence of them all. The officer, on with- 
 drawing, shook me by the hand, and offered me 
 in the name of his comrades any pecuniary as- 
 sistance of which I might stand in need. I was 
 on the point of expressing to him my thanks, 
 when the senior Inquisitor undertook to answer 
 for me, saying to the officer in a haughty tone, 
 '' that those who were in the Inquisition never 
 stood in want of any thing." The officer with- 
 drew, and I was reconducted to my dungeon, 
 where I had long wished to be in order to des- 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 55 
 
 troy the paper I had secreted, and which I was 
 obliged to swallow as the safest means I could 
 devise. 
 
 Soon after one oVlock, the senior Inquisitor 
 entered as on the preceding day. " General 
 Irriberry," said he, " is a man of somewhat hot 
 temper. I have learned that you have had some 
 words with him, and perhaps you do not know 
 the extent of the mischief to which^ that might 
 lead. I know you tolerably well by the various 
 informations I have had respecting you, as well 
 as by your intimacy with my brother.* You 
 have done right in signing the inventory of your 
 papers : any refusal on your part would have been 
 highly prejudicial to you, the more so as every 
 thing is now discovered. There is only one 
 individual residing at Granada who has hitherto 
 succeeded in eluding the vigilance of government, 
 but who cannot much longer escape their strict 
 searches." 
 
 I easily perceived that he spoke in this man- 
 ner only to alarm me by endeavouring to make 
 me believe that all was lost ; but he only con- 
 firmed me in the opinion that Calvo was the 
 
 * This gentleman was an officer in the army, then residing in 
 IMurcia with leave of absence, and with whom I was on very good 
 terms. His family name was Castaneda, and he was a relation of 
 the celebrated minister Ceballos. 
 
56 
 
 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 author of my present misfortunes. From what I 
 could collect, Castaiieda had not yet received 
 any orders from the supreme council of the Inqui- 
 sition respecting me, so that he considered me 
 only as a prisoner under his care, but dependent 
 upon the immediate authority of Irriberry, from 
 whom he had received a confused account, in 
 consequence of which he did not attach much 
 importance to my arrest. He therefore contented 
 himself with only observing the ordinary formali- 
 ties required with those who were under the safe- 
 guard of the Holy Office. On the other hand, as 
 he had no personal resentment against me, and 
 had probably been predisposed in my favour by 
 his brother ; and as he was in the flower of his 
 age, and did not seem to consider severity a duty 
 paramount to those claimed by humanity, I did 
 not recognise in him a fellow-labourer of the 
 monster Torquemada, who, as the historian Llo- 
 rente says, was born to render Christianity exe- 
 crated. 
 
 Among the various things that Castaneda asked 
 me, was, if I desired that the chains hanging on 
 the walls should be removed. I replied that what 
 principally troubled me were the gnats, of which 
 he might see swarms covering the black walls of 
 the dungeon ; but that, as for the irons, I never 
 imagined they were intended for me; and that, 
 
Doij Juan van halen. 5^ 
 
 above all, the want of exercise was the cause of 
 the violent head-aches to which I was subject. 
 He then promised to arrange matters so that I 
 should be allowed to walk in the passages for an 
 hour in the afternoon, a promise which he faith- 
 fully performed. 
 
 As he had not even alluded to any persons of 
 Murcia when he mentioned the individual of Gra- 
 nada, I was very anxious to ascertain if I had any 
 companions of misfortune in the neighbouring 
 dungeons, and I waited with impatience for the 
 moment of my promised walk. At last the hour 
 having arrived, the jailer, who was a young priest, 
 a novice in his office, and who had little knowledge 
 of the world, came and opened the doors of my 
 prison, saying to me on withdrawing, " You can 
 walk in this passage till my return ; but mind not 
 to make any noise.*" Having shut the doors which 
 communicated with the interior, I began to exa- 
 mine the passage, convinced, from what he had 
 said, that there were others under his safeguard. 
 This place was four feet wide by fifty long, having 
 loop-holes near the ceiling that looked into a ditch 
 close by the river, and admitted just light enough 
 to see one''s way. On one side there was a small 
 staircase leading to the door which the jailer had 
 just shut ; and on the other were the entrances to 
 
 D 3 
 
58 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 the five dungeons that were in the passage, all the 
 doors of which were shut except mine. 
 
 Having ascertained that I was not watched, I 
 began singing in a tone which might be audible 
 in the other prisons, when very soon after I heard 
 some one calling me by name. It was Seraphin 
 del Rio, who, overjoyed at hearing my voice, de- 
 sired me to attend to what he had to say. It 
 related to the manner of his arrest by Irriberry, 
 from v/hom he had collected enough to presume 
 that myself and Esbry were his only companions 
 of misfortune, and that he, as well as myself, 
 could guess from whence the blow came. Having 
 heard his account, I began to inform him of the 
 occurrences which had taken place since our last 
 meeting ; but my narrative was cut short by the 
 noise of bolts at the top of the stairs, proceeding 
 from the jailer, who made no remark on my sing- 
 ing, which fortunately had not been heard by him, 
 so deep was the passage in which we were buried. 
 
 At eight o''clock in the evening, he brought my 
 chocolate as usual ; but such were the clouds of 
 gnats which the light of his lamp attracted, that 
 I dispensed with it, that he and his light might 
 disappear the sooner. I was so greatly annoyed 
 during the night by those insects, that I could 
 not close my eyes ; I therefore spent the time in 
 
UON JUAN VAN HALEN. 59 
 
 recapitulating the various events that had oc- 
 curred. If, as appeared beyond all doubt, the 
 treacherous Calvo was my betrayer, I might be 
 certain that all the papers, without exception, which 
 I had delivered to him in the box, were now in the 
 hands of government. This circumstance ren- 
 dered my situation extremely critical, since that 
 box contained all the correspondence addressed to 
 me from persons, many of whom were of high 
 rank and of great importance to our society, but 
 whose signatures I had fortunately taken the pre- 
 caution to erase, as also the names of well-known 
 persons alluded to in them. Besides those letters, 
 there were other papers in my own hand- writing, 
 that proved me to be the author of a plan which 
 I had presented to the society of Granada, and 
 the object of which was to spread new ramifica- 
 tions throughout the peninsula. 
 
 I considered my situation in Murcia (where I 
 was almost isolated, at the mercy of the creatures 
 of Elio, and far from the source of events) as 
 extremely embarrassing. It was therefore neces- 
 sary, in order to avert the blow which threatened 
 me if my trial took place in that province, to 
 cause it to be instituted in the capital. I thought 
 this plan the more feasible, as I was pretty cer- 
 tain that Irriberry would not have failed to inform 
 the government of the prompt and secret manner 
 
60 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 in which he had conducted my arrest, and which 
 rendered it almost impossible for me to suspect by 
 what accident I had been discovered. I was still 
 engaged in these reflections, when the senior In- 
 quisitor came to pay me his usual visit. 
 
 On being left by ourselves, I asked him without 
 hesitation what had become of Irriberry, to which 
 he candidly answered, that he had gone post to 
 Valencia to consult General Elio. I again in- 
 quired if he knew when my trial would commence^ 
 and he replied that he did not, as it was not within 
 the cognizance of the holy tribunal, adding ear- 
 nestly, " The incomprehensible tenor of your 
 papers renders your situation extremely critical." 
 This was precisely the answer I wished for, to 
 bring about the plan I had just conceived, and I 
 told him, in a confidential manner, that the esteem 
 he had inspired me with did not permit my con- 
 cealing from him that, could I but obtain an 
 audience of the King, all the enigmas of which 
 he complained would be soon explained. '• How !" 
 he exclaimed, " do you say so ? Then lose not 
 an instant. I have at my disposal the means to 
 forward your petition. Write to his Majesty, and 
 I will send a courier immediately to inform Gene- 
 ral Irriberry of your resolution." 
 
 He then called the keeper, and ordered him to 
 bring the materials for writing, at the same time 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 61 
 
 whispering something into his ear. Not many 
 minutes elapsed before the jailer returned, and I 
 ^vi'ote the following petition to the King : — 
 
 " Sire, 
 " Lieutenant-colonel Don Juan Van Halen, 
 confined in the dungeons of the Inquisition of this 
 city by your Majesty's orders, convinced that this 
 rigorous measure is caused by some sinister inter- 
 pretation, apparently corroborated by the papers 
 which have been found in his possession, and de- 
 siring to give a satisfactory explanation of their 
 contents, humbly entreats your Majesty to order 
 his removal to Madrid, and to grant him an 
 audience, a grace which he hopes your Majesty 
 will not refuse him. May God preserve your 
 Majesty's life, &c. — In the dungeon of this tri- 
 bunal, September 24th, I8I7." 
 
 Whilst I was writing these lines, Castaneda 
 observed me very attentively. He then read 
 them, folded the petition, and causing the writing 
 materials to be removed, wished me a good 
 afternoon. 
 
 When the hour for my walk arrived, the jailer 
 came to open the door of my dungeon ; and on 
 his disappearing, I imparted to Serafin what I 
 had just resolved upon, as well as the motives 
 
62 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 which had induced me to do it. He approved of 
 my plan, and I left him to try if I could converse 
 with our other fellow prisoner. 
 
 Though Esbry was in the dungeon contiguous 
 to mine, unfortunately he was deaf, and I feared 
 that the inquisitors would hear the loud tones of 
 my voice sooner than himself. Owing to his good 
 humour, of which he had an inexhaustible fund, 
 and to a habit he had contracted of speaking 
 aloud when he was alone, I discovered the place 
 of his confinement. As I listened at the door of 
 his dungeon, I heard him frequently repeat the 
 name of St. Thomas, and soon collected enough 
 to know that it was the life of that saint he was 
 reading. Far, however, from being edified by its 
 perusal, the number of absurdities which the book 
 contained excited his mirth to a degree that was 
 highly ludicrous. He made the most droll com- 
 ments, and now and then burst into loud laughter. 
 I did all I could to be heard by him, but it was 
 useless ; consequently I returned to Serafin, and 
 communicated to him my bad success, which I 
 was afraid might lead to some unpleasant results ; 
 but he was of opinion that we had nothing to fear 
 from him, as the firmness of his character was 
 proof against all the rigour of the inquisitors. 
 Besides, as he never preserved any papers, no 
 accusation could be established against him, and 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 63 
 
 it was very probable that, if he suspected Calvo 
 to be the betrayer, he would deny all. 
 
 Esbry w^as the sole support of a respectable and 
 numerous family. A good son, a good husband, 
 and good father, he enjoyed, by his upright con- 
 duct, the esteem and consideration even of those 
 aristocrats who found nothing respectable out of 
 their own circle. I was ignorant of the circum- 
 stances attending his arrest, but I knew that no- 
 thing could be found in his house that might be 
 prejudicial to him or to us. His name figured in 
 my papers only in an allegorical manner, so that it 
 was known but to a few of the initiated. He had, 
 however, the misfortune of being acquainted wdth 
 the author of our calamities, and might, perhaps, 
 be accused of having engraved the medal, which 
 it was our intention to place between the founda- 
 tion stones of the Inquisition. As it was import- 
 ant he should know that we had been betrayed by 
 Calvo, I again made an effort to call his attention, 
 but it was all in vain ; and I re-entered my dun- 
 geon with this new care on my mind. 
 
 On that night the jailor brought with the cho- 
 colate a perfume, which, he said, was an antidote 
 against the gnats ; but the smxoke escaping through 
 the loop-hole, it proved ineffectual. Serafin, 
 whose dungeon w^as separated from mine by a 
 double stone wall, gave me to understand by his 
 
64< NARRATIVE OF 
 
 repeated knocks during the night, that he was as 
 much tormented by the gnats as myself ; but fear- 
 ing he might be heard above, I warned him of it 
 on the following day. 
 
 The senior Inquisitor, Castaneda. paid me his 
 visit at the usual hour. " I sent yesterday at 
 three o''clock," said he, " an express to his Majesty 
 with your petition, and wrote at the same time to 
 several personages of the court, friends of mine. 
 I have also informed General Irri berry, whom I 
 suppose to be at Valencia, of your resolution, and 
 I have no doubt that we shall obtain a favourable 
 result. I am really grieved to see you thus suffer- 
 ing, whilst such truly dangerous and j^erverted 
 men as Romero Alpuente should be freely walk- 
 ing about, and mocking the vigilance of the laws. 
 Is it not so ? Be frank with me : give me this 
 proof of your confidence." 
 
 " Sir," I answered, " I assure you I never heard 
 him speak but of the love adventures of his youth. 
 I have spent at his house some pleasant hours lis- 
 tening to the droll account he gave of his Dulci- 
 neas. I always remarked that he avoided speak- 
 ing of politics, adducing strong reasons for not 
 meddling with them. You may be sure. Sir, that 
 the historical romance of his incipient gallantries 
 was the more amusing, as one would be tempted to 
 say, in looking at him, that he was the original 
 
DOX JUAN VAN HALEN. 65 
 
 from which Cervantes drew the portrait of the 
 hero of La jNIancha." 
 
 " No, no, Mr. Van Halen," retorted Castaneda. 
 " Romero Alpuente is the hero of other exploits 
 than those you mention. The anxiety he at pre- 
 sent evinces is observed by all ; and,"" added he, 
 in a tone foreign to the sentiments of moderation 
 he had hitherto shewn, " were he to fall into my 
 hands, I would find a good place for him in this 
 house, where, trust me, he should pass the rest of 
 his days.*" 
 
 Castaneda's resentment against Romero Alpu- 
 ente was well founded ; for there never lived a 
 more decided enemy of religious and civil despo- 
 tism, or one more zealous for its overthrow, than 
 this venerable old man, whom I loved as a father 
 from the moment I became acquainted with him. 
 From him I had imbibed the purest ideas on the 
 subject of liberty and disinterested patriotism ; 
 and as I feared that Castaneda''s wishes might be 
 fulfilled, I suffered not a little in feigning indif- 
 ference at w^hat he uttered. Fortunately the sub- 
 ject of gallantry gave a new turn to the conversa- 
 tion, in the course of which Castaneda hinted that 
 a young lady, living at Malaga, had excited the 
 sympathy of many by the extreme grief she had 
 evinced at my misfortune ; adding, that it was 
 whispered by those who pretended to be well in- 
 
66 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 formed on the subject, that she had been the cause 
 of the delay experienced by Irriberry on the night 
 of my arrest. As I had good reasons for feigning 
 ignorance of the lady, I took the whole as a joke ; 
 and Castaneda continued the subject in a manner 
 not altogether consistent with his profession, 
 though he can by no means be said to be the only 
 clergyman in Spain who ventures on this topic. 
 
 In the evening I enjoyed my ordinary walk, and 
 profited of the opportunity to inform Serafin of 
 our conversation. I also struggled, though in 
 vain, with Esbry's deafness, and returned to my 
 dungeon at the usual hour. 
 
 On the following day Castaneda came to see me, 
 but remained only a short time ; during which he 
 proposed to me the- perusal of some religious 
 works. I chose the Gospel in Triumph, written 
 by the unfortunate Olavide, which I read with 
 pleasure. On withdrawing, he said that his occu- 
 pations would prevent him from seeing me next 
 day, but that on the following he would not fail 
 to come, in order to conduct me to a more com- 
 fortable and wholesome apartment, which had not 
 yet been inhabited by any one. 
 
 I have perhaps entered into details which may 
 appear trifling to the reader ; but as Castaneda 
 was the first inquisitor I came in contact with, and 
 as his conduct towards me offers such a striking 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 6^ 
 
 contrast with that of his colleagues with whom I 
 had afterwards the misfortune to deal, I thought 
 it right, in justice to him, to mention those parti- 
 culars. 
 
68 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Removal to the new prison of the Holy Office — Description — The 
 author is sent for to Madrid — Letters from his cousin— Civilities 
 of Castaiieda — Conversation with the jailer — Ceremony of exor- 
 cism— The author's devotions in the hall of the Inquisition 
 
 His departure from Murcia — He travels to Madrid under a 
 strong escort— Affection evinced towards him by the dragoons of 
 his regiment — Anecdote of.Seraphin del Rio — Inn at Corral de 
 Almaguez — Papers of the author laid before the King — Plain 
 of Ocana — Arrival at Aranjuez — Eguia, minister of war — 
 
 History of an aide-de-camp — Arrival at Madrid — Description 
 
 Reception by the senior Inquisitor — Parting with Irriberry 
 
 Dungeon. 
 
 On the first opportunity that offered, I informed 
 Serafin of the change of residence that was in con- 
 templation ; but he already knew it, and wished 
 it more ardently than myself, as he had been in- 
 dulged in walking about the passage only during 
 the short time required to clean what he humor- 
 ously called his sewer. Fearing, however, that 
 
DON JUAN VAX HALEN. 69 
 
 this change would be for the worse with respect 
 to our daily communications, we concerted the 
 plan we should adopt in case we were not near 
 enough to converse together, or at least to know 
 of our common existence. I then proceeded to- 
 wards the door of Esbry's dungeon with the inten- 
 tion of making a last effort to conquer his deafness, 
 but all to no purpose. I perceived that he was 
 not so gay as usual : he coughed frequently ; and 
 now and then apostrophised in no measured terms 
 the gnats, whom he called devils of priests trans- 
 formed into gnats, by whom, he said, he was in- 
 cessantly tormented, as if they were in the pay of 
 the inquisitors. His physical defect, which at all 
 times heightened the natural vivacity of his cha- 
 racter, rendered him extremely impatient of his 
 situation ; while on the other hand we suffered 
 equally from it, as we could not reasonably hope 
 that, without a previous understanding, our an- 
 swers would agree with his. 
 
 On the following day, September 28th, soon 
 after breakfast, I heard some noise in the passage, 
 which I rightly attributed to the removal of my 
 companions to their new habitation ; and some 
 time after I had the pleasure of seeing Castaneda 
 arrive, accompanied by the jailer, to effect mine. 
 We met with nothing worth notice on our way, 
 except that, as we removed farther from these 
 
70 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 subterraneous passages, the air became purer, and 
 I breathed more freely. On arriving at my new 
 prison, which was on the second floor of the build- 
 ing, and which certainly could not be called a 
 dungeon, Castaneda said to me, with an air of 
 satisfaction, *' You, Mr. Van Halen, are the first 
 who ever inhabited this apartment. You see that 
 we know how to unite, in its construction, security 
 with salubrity and comfort. To-morrow the place 
 you have just left will disappear, and with it all 
 ♦ the disgusting objects you have seen." He then 
 withdrew, followed by the jailer, who locked the 
 double doors of my new prison. 
 
 Situated as I have above hinted in the principal 
 part of that extensive edifice, it was the first room 
 on that floor, as appeared from the large No. 1. 
 painted on the outer door. Its size w^as five times 
 larger than the one I had just left, and formed a 
 perfect square of four-and-twenty feet : the floor 
 was brick, and the ceiling, which was eighteen feet 
 high, had at the top two large windows, cross- 
 barred and looking into a gallery. The bed was 
 placed on a large board, fastened to the wall by 
 iron hinges, as were also the bench and the table. 
 On the wall opposite the bed was a large cross, 
 painted green, representing that of the Inquisition. 
 
 I waited impatiently for the evening, to see 
 whether I should now be allowed my accus- 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. *J1 
 
 tomed walk ; but the day passed away without 
 my experiencing this indulgence. In the after- 
 noon, in the midst of the profound silence that 
 reigned there, I heard very distinctly Serafin 
 begin a hymn, by which he made me understand 
 that he was not far off, nor discontented with his 
 new abode ; but fearing that the jailer's suspicions 
 might be excited, particularly as the prisoner 
 mixed in his devout verses the number of his new 
 prison, I did not think it prudent to answer him. 
 At night the jailer left me a light, a novelty at 
 which I studiously made no remark ; and I also 
 observed in him (as I had indeed observed several 
 times before) a desire to speak with me ; but his 
 shvness seemed insurmountable ; and as I was con- 
 vinced that in the Inquisition it was wiser to listen 
 than to speak, I feigned not to perceive his em- 
 barrassment. This maxim, so difficult to be fol- 
 lowed by those who breathe the atmosphere of a 
 dungeon, deprived of all human communication, 
 was I believe of great service to me, as I had 
 afterwards many opportunities of remarking. In 
 the course of that day I amused myself in tracing 
 with my tooth-pick, on the pedestal of the green 
 cross, some verses, bearing an allusion to the 
 change of abode which I had experienced for the 
 better. 
 
 On the following day the senior Inquisitor, 
 
73 MARRATIVE OF 
 
 Castaiieda, entered, dressed in his inquisitorial 
 robes, and said to me, rubbing his hands with 
 an air of gravity, " I am at present very much 
 occupied. I suppose you are pleased with your 
 new apartment, and that there is no longer any 
 occasion for your walking out ; I have, however, 
 desired the jailer to allow you now and then to 
 take a turn or two in the gallery of the prison." 
 At these words he observed the verses I had traced 
 on the pedestal of the cross, which he read with a 
 smile, and then withdrew apparently well-pleased. 
 On the evening of that day I was allowed to go 
 out into the gallery, though accompanied by the 
 jailer, who did not leave me an instant. I passed 
 several times before Serafin's prison ; but as, under 
 these circumstances, it was impossible to say a 
 word to him, I contented myself w4th conversing 
 as loud as possible with my companion, that he 
 might understand I was not alone. The walk 
 lasted but a short time, and we returned to my 
 prison, where the jailer, after much hesitation, said, 
 presenting a receipt for me to sign, that might 
 enable him to receive in my name a month"'s pay 
 from the funds of my regiment, " that the senior 
 Inquisitor had desired him to keep the whole to 
 meet the expences I might occasion ; but that 
 I might rely on his employing the money in a 
 manner most agreeable to my wishes."" 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. ^3 
 
 I told him that he was welcome to the whole of 
 the money, and that I only desired to be fur- 
 nished with candles to burn in my prison during 
 the night. He assured me that he would imme- 
 diately procure a sufficient number of wax candles 
 for that purpose, and the more gladly as it would 
 give me an opportunity of spending part of the 
 night in reading the religious works with which 
 they had furnished me. 
 
 On the following day, I saw nothing of Cas- 
 taneda, neither was I allowed to walk in the 
 gallery, so that I found no other means of con- 
 versing with Serafin than by singing. In this 
 manner the time passed away, without any thing 
 new occurring, till the evening of the 2nd of Oc- 
 tober, when Castaneda entered my prison, fol- 
 lowed by the jailer, bringing a chair, which he 
 placed near my table. On the latter withdraw- 
 ing, the Inquisitor sat down, and drawing from 
 his pocket a letter, said : " Well, Sir, I have at 
 last received the answer which I expected to 
 your petition. General Irriberry mIU shortly be 
 here, and you will set off to-morrow for Madrid. 
 Meantime I will make every preparation neces- 
 sary for the journey. The secretary of the 
 Council of the Supreme* was the person who 
 
 * The tribunal at which the Iriquisitor-Greneral presides is so 
 called. 
 
 VOL. I. E 
 
74 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 presented your petition to his Majesty. Here is 
 what he writes to me on the subject."" 
 
 He then read to me some passages of the 
 letter, the contents of which corroborated his 
 former assertion, but from which I discovered 
 that the said secretary was his brother, with 
 more worldly-minded views than himself, as may 
 appear from the following paragraph. " The 
 affair which you have taken upon yourself, my 
 dear brother, is more delicate than you seem aware 
 of. Do not, therefore, neglect to use every pre- 
 caution to obtain from him some important com- 
 munication ; and recollect that the result of the 
 favour now granted him (meaning me), if unfor- 
 tunate, may weigh heavily on yourself."" 
 
 On the following day the jailer presented to 
 me, by order of Castaneda, the inventory of all 
 the effects found in my house, none of which, 
 he said, had been confiscated. In putting my 
 signature to the document, I added, that I 
 placed every thing contained therein at the dis- 
 posal of Don Serafin del Rio for the relief of 
 his family, thus feigning ignorance of his arrest. 
 While I was writing this, the jailer, who kept 
 his eyes fixed on my paper, was taken by sur- 
 prise, and uttered a few words respecting Sera- 
 fin"*s absence from his family, which he quickly 
 retracted, withdrawing immediately after, greatly 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. ^5 
 
 confused. I then began singing to inform Sera- 
 fin of my approaching departure. 
 
 Early in the evening I received the unex- 
 pected visit of Castaneda, Irriberry, and the 
 director of the posts, who came to treat of an 
 affair sufficiently ridiculous. Since my arrest, 
 some letters addressed to me had arrived at the 
 post-office of Murcia, which they pretended they 
 were not authorised to open until I had myself 
 received them. I could scarcely refrain from 
 smiling at hearing this declaration, as it was a 
 notorious fact that the government of Spain 
 made it a practice to open even the most re- 
 served correspondence of the ambassadors them- 
 selves. It was very evident, therefore, that 
 such formality was unnecessary to examine that 
 of an individual imprisoned, according to Irri- 
 berry ""s account, for high treason ; but I soon 
 found that the author of this farce was that 
 general, who, wishing to conciliate me, had 
 adopted the most extravagant means that could 
 be devised. Having desired the jailer to pay 
 the postage of my letters, they all withdrew 
 except Irriberry. 
 
 On breaking their seals, I immediately re- 
 cognized the hand- writing, and delivered them 
 to the general, who eagerly read them. They 
 were all from home with the exception of one, 
 
 E 2 
 
76 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 which was from a cousin of mine, formerly an 
 officer in the navy, and at that time holding a 
 public office at Madrid, to whom I was greatly 
 attached, and who will hereafter figure in my 
 narrative. As he was still ignorant of my situa- 
 tion, and had similar political notions with myself, 
 he used in his letter some expressions which 
 might have committed him with government. 
 Irriberry read to me some of the objectionable 
 passages it contained, saying earnestly as he 
 returned it me, " Burn that letter, and know by 
 this that I am a gentleman, and can prove it at 
 a pinch." 
 
 I was so greatly surprised at his conduct, 
 that I scarcely knew what to answer, particu- 
 larly as I entertained doubts of his sincerity. I 
 however took the letter without making any re- 
 mark, though I was not sorry to see that he 
 should begin to act like a gentleman. The senior 
 Inquisitor now returned, followed by the jailer, 
 bringing a bundle of clothes for my journey. 
 
 After a silence of some minutes, caused doubt- 
 less by Castaneda's curiosity to know the con- 
 tents of the letters, and Irriberry's disinclination 
 to gratify it, the Inquisitor broke the pause by 
 observing that all the preparations for the jour- 
 ney were made, the carriage was ready, and a 
 change of horses ordered at several places on the 
 
 '4 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 77 
 
 road ; then, addressing himself to me, politely 
 said, that he had placed in General Irriberry's 
 hands his service of plate (whicli was really a 
 very handsome one) for my use during the jour- 
 ney ; adding, that I might give my final orders 
 concerning my servants. I replied, that with 
 respect to my man-servant, the colonel of the 
 regiment could dispose of him from the moment 
 of my arrest, since he belonged to those destined 
 to the service of the officers, and that as to the 
 cook, I wished her to be sent to Madrid to my 
 family, if such an arrangement was agreeable to 
 herself, requesting at the same time that my Da- 
 nish dog might be delivered to me ; but I was 
 informed that he had died eight days before. 
 
 Castaiieda, accustomed as he was to a quiet 
 and methodical life, withdrew to take some re- 
 pose, that he might be able to be with us at the 
 hour of parting ; and Irriberry followed him soon 
 after to make the final arrangements for the journey. 
 
 When the jailer came at ten o'clock to serve 
 me a cup of chocolate, I was dressed, and ready 
 to depart. He had under his arm a small par- 
 cel containing some wax candles, which he placed 
 on the bed ; and sitting down before the table, 
 fixed his eyes on me with an expression of in- 
 terest, saying after considerable hesitation, " Pray, 
 Sir, is it true what I have heard respecting you ?''' 
 
78 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 a 
 
 What is it you have heard ?" I inquired. 
 
 *' They say, Sir, that you are a bishop of free- 
 masons ; that you teach the heresies and diaboli- 
 cal doctrines of that sect ; that you burn the 
 images of our Saviour, and conspire against our 
 holy religion and our catholic monarch." 
 
 I had the greatest difficulty in restraining my 
 
 inclination to laugh at hearing such a ridiculous 
 
 speech ; but not wishing to discourage him from 
 
 continuing his conversation^, I replied, that it 
 
 was impossible for me to answer such a string 
 
 of absurd accusations ; that I was sorry to hear 
 
 him talk in that way ; but that I was not so 
 
 much offended at his repeating such foolish 
 
 stories, as at his believing them. " Sir," he 
 
 continued, " from the first moment I saw you, 
 
 I have observed your actions and your manners 
 
 very closely, and in truth I can say that I have 
 
 found nothing blameable in them. I am also told 
 
 that your father and mother are most respectable 
 
 and religious people, whose conduct is a model 
 
 of devotion to the whole congregation of the Eu- 
 
 charisty at Madrid, and I am really grieved to 
 
 think that every religious person who knows you 
 
 should be under the necessity of considering you 
 
 in the light of a heretic, excommunicated by our 
 
 holy mother church." 
 
 This discourse appearing to me more important 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 7^ 
 
 than I at first thought it, I begged him openly 
 to declare upon what foundations he believed me 
 to be a heretic. " Sir," said he, " every one in 
 the town is persuaded of it. Three days after 
 your arrest, the landlord of the house you in- 
 habited, consulting his confessor, went with his 
 whole family to hear a solemn mass celebrated 
 at his parish. Immediately after, the priest, 
 dressed in his sacerdotal robes, and accompanied 
 by the various attendants of the church, went in 
 procession, followed by the landlord's family, 
 friends and other of the faithful, to your house, 
 where after the most edifying ceremony he exor- 
 cised it, in order to expel the devil, who every 
 one believes was in the house ; the whole termi- 
 nating by having a cross placed on the roof. It 
 is the opinion of most people of INIurcia, that, 
 without this religious ceremony, the place would 
 not have been habitable." 
 
 To form an exact idea of this singular dialogue, 
 it would be necessary to have seen all the gri- 
 maces with which this deluded man accompanied 
 it. At another moment the recital of it would 
 only have excited my mirth ; but when I consi- 
 dered the religious character of my father, and 
 the grief such news would occasion him, as well 
 as the unhappy lot of the unfortunate family of 
 Serafin del Rio, begging their bread among such 
 
80 / NARRATIVE OF 
 
 a fanatical people, I could not help sighing at 
 hearing an account so much calculated to increase 
 my own sorrows. 
 
 The jailer, perceiving that I was affected by 
 it, turned the conversation upon money matters, 
 saying, as he shewed me the wax candles that 
 remained, that he had brought them to me 
 thinking they might be useful on the road. I 
 told him that I destined them for a different 
 purpose, requesting he would preserve them to 
 light the altar in the great hall of the tribunal, 
 after which I begged he would permit me to 
 visit it in order to say my prayers. He was 
 greatly astonished at this request, and joyfully 
 acceded to it. As I passed by Serafin's prison, 
 I heard him singing a hymn, in which he had 
 been engaged most part of the evening. He 
 intended it as his farewell, which, indeed, was 
 the last I ever heard him utter. On arriving at 
 the hall, I knelt before the altar, at which the 
 jailer evinced the utmost surprise. He stood 
 motionless, as if he actually could not believe his 
 eyes ; but when I asked him to pray with me for 
 the good result of my journey, he shed tears of 
 joy, and from that time till the moment of my 
 departure he continued in my company. 
 
 It was one o'clock when Castaneda and Irri- 
 berry appeared. They desired me to follow them, 
 
DOX JUAN VAX HALEX. 81 
 
 and on entering the gallery 1 observed three men 
 enveloped in their cloaks, who escorted us through 
 several streets, which we found deserted even by 
 the watchmen, whilst the darkness of the night 
 was interrupted only by the light of a lantern 
 carried by one of the attendants. I walked be- 
 tween Irriberry and Castaiieda, with the three 
 muffled men behind us, the silence of those solitary 
 streets being broken only by the sounds of our 
 footsteps, till having traversed the greatest part 
 of the town, we arrived at the gate on the road to 
 Madrid. We proceeded about a mile farther, 
 when we reached a convent of Benedictine monks, 
 in front of which stood a carriage in readiness for 
 us. Before my stepping into it, Castaiieda took 
 leave of me in a very friendly manner, request- 
 ing I would write to him the moment a favourable 
 change had taken place in my situation. On 
 entering the carriage, a detachment of infantry, 
 who were in the convent, made their appearance, 
 headed by Irriberry ""s adjutant, who took his 
 seat in the carriage with his chief and myself, after 
 which we began our journey at the slow pace in- 
 dispensable to our escort. 
 
 Before day-light we had proceeded on our road 
 four leagues from Murcia without meeting a sin- 
 gle person ; and at eight o'clock a detachment of 
 cavalry, belonging to my regiment, and command- 
 
 e3 
 
82 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 ed by a serjeant, came to join us and relieve our 
 escort. The secrecy observed at our departure 
 rendered these troops ignorant of the object of 
 their march ; but on arriving at a small village 
 where we halted for a short time, and where I 
 alighted from the carriage, I was very soon recog- 
 nized both by the soldiers and the serjeant, who, 
 seeing that I wished to light my cigar, ap- 
 proached to offer me his own for that purpose, at 
 the same time whispering, " Sir, we are all at 
 your service if you wish to profit by the opportu- 
 nity.*" I was too closely watched to be able to 
 concert with him my escape, or scarcely to answer 
 him. "Do nothing, I request," was all I could 
 say to him at this or at any other time. 
 
 We changed horses at this place, our escort 
 being also relieved by an equal number of horse- 
 men from the same regiment, and at seven in the 
 evening we arrived at a solitary inn, where we 
 passed the night. Irriberry had been very atten- 
 tive to me the whole of that day, and had exerted 
 all his powers of conversation to amuse me. 
 
 Early in the morning of the following day, we 
 were already far from the wretched inn in which 
 we had passed a most uncomfortable night, and at 
 noon arrived at Albacete, where we found waiting 
 for us a numerous escort, sent by Elio from Va- 
 lencia. After taking some refreshments, we con- 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 83 
 
 tinued our journey till we arrived at Corral de 
 Almaguez, where we were to spend the night. 
 
 In the course of that day Irriberry told me 
 some anecdotes respecting various persons of Mur- 
 cia, of a different kind from those related to me 
 by the jailer. He also informed me, without 
 making any mystery of it, that Serafin and Esbry 
 remained in the prison I had just quitted, that the 
 family of the latter had been more alarmed at his 
 arrest than that of Serafin, who, on being asked in 
 the interrogatory he had undergone three days 
 previous to my departure whether he knew me, 
 had answered in the affirmative, saying jocosely, 
 on the subject of our dining so frequently toge- 
 ther, that I deprived him of the company of his 
 wife to make him the jester of my table, and that 
 consequently our dining together did not signify a 
 straw. As a proof of the ready wit and good 
 humour of this unfortunate friend of mine, Irri- 
 berry read to me some verses which he had copied 
 from those traced by Serafin on the wall of his 
 dungeon, against the gnats by which he was so 
 much tormented. I do not at present recollect 
 them, but I know that I laughed heartily at hear- 
 ing them. From what Irriberry said respecting 
 Esbry and Serafin, he appeared to be much inter- 
 ested in their favour, particularly when he owned 
 
84 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 to me that their affair was not worthy of occupy- 
 ing the attention of the tribunal. 
 
 The great inn of Corral de Almaguez, where 
 we had just alighted, had more comfortable apart- 
 ments than the one at which we had slept on the 
 previous night. Irriberry, however, shewed some 
 displeasure at seeing in the yard several equipages, 
 which seemed to indicate a great assemblage of 
 travellers. He gave orders to the commanding 
 officers to place sentries at the door of our apart- 
 ment ; but as the curiosity of the travellers had 
 been considerably excited by learning from the 
 detachment in waiting for us, that they expected 
 a mysterious personage on his way to Madrid, the 
 staircase was crowded with them in hopes of as- 
 certaining who I was ; but they were disappointed 
 in their expectations, as I walked from the car- 
 riage to the apartment so muffled up in my cloak, 
 that it was impossible for any one to recognize 
 me. 
 
 By one of those chances that sometimes occur 
 in travelling, even in Spain, where the intercourse 
 is not so great, I observed among the travellers 
 an old officer of the navy, an intimate friend of my 
 father, who, as I was afterwards informed, was 
 removing with all his family from Madrid to 
 Carthagena. Being of a frank and cheerful cha- 
 racter, and equally unceremonious, no sooner did 
 
DON JUAN VAN HAXEN. 85 
 
 Irriberry make his appearance in the kitchen 
 (which in the inns of Spain is the usual rendez- 
 vous of travellers of all ranks, particularly in win- 
 ter) than he addressed himself to him to gain some 
 information respecting me. As it may be easily 
 believed, his curiosity remained ungratified ; but 
 had he even suspected that it was the son of his 
 friend, whom he had known from his earliest in- 
 fancy, he would certainly have made an effort to 
 speak to me, and give me news of my family, who 
 were therf residing at INIadrid, and of whom I 
 ardently wished to hear. 
 
 Glad as I should have been of a visit from such 
 a traveller, whose merry voice I could hear from 
 my apartment, my resentment against Irriberry 
 was not yet sufficiently appeased to allow of my 
 asking him the smallest favour. Though his 
 conduct towards me w^as certainly changed, the 
 inconsequence of his character prevented a com- 
 plete reconciliation ; so that, when he entered the 
 apartment to sup with me, I said not a word on 
 the subject ; while he, on his side, far from ima- 
 gining I had any acquaintances in the inn, con- 
 versed on indifferent topics. During this time his 
 aide-de-camp, who, probably fatigued by the watch 
 of the preceding night, stood in need of repose, 
 was lying full length on the sofa, regaling us with 
 his sonorous snoring. 
 
86 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 Two hours before day-break, every thing being 
 ready for our departure, we left the inn long be- 
 fore any other traveller had thought of moving. 
 The weather was fine, but the road so bad that it 
 prevented our travelling at a quick pace. Irri- 
 berry then proposed my walking with him a short 
 distance ; I agreed to it, and leaving the aide-de- 
 camp asleep in the carriage, I took Irriberry's arm, 
 which he politely offered me. Had any one seen 
 us at that moment, he would have supposed that 
 the greatest intimacy existed between us. During 
 this walk he related to me several circumstances 
 which had happened at the time of my arrest at 
 Valencia, Murcia, and Granada ; but I observed 
 that he avoided mentioning the names of certain 
 persons, among others that of Brigade-General Tor- 
 rijos. He informed me that all the papers found 
 in my house at Murcia were already in the hands 
 of the King, as he had sent them to Madrid by 
 an officer in his confidence, who, on presenting 
 himself to General Eguia, minister of war, was 
 asked by him whether my arrest had been carried 
 into effect without opposition, and whether no signs 
 of fermentation existed on his leaving that city. 
 This proved to me how Calvo's denunciation must 
 have been exaggerated, in order to obtain from th^ 
 government a higher price for his perfidy. Irri- 
 berry added, that the officer had been introduced 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 87 
 
 by Eguia to his Majesty? who received him most 
 graciously, at the same time taking the case that 
 contained my papers, which he put into his escri- 
 toire. 
 
 It was Irriberry's opinion that the denouement 
 of this aftair would be as favourable as I could 
 wish ; and so firmly did he believe this, that, with 
 his accustomed superficiality, he amused himself 
 with describing the part which each of us should 
 act on our arrival at court. 
 
 Towards noon we reached the great plain of 
 Ocana, where we saw a strong detachment of cui- 
 rassiers advancing towards us, the commanding 
 officer of which, approaching the carriage, in- 
 quired for General Irriberry, who received from 
 him a despatch which he perused^ and then alight- 
 ed to speak with the new comer. On re-entering 
 the carriage, he ordered the coachman to quicken 
 the pace of his mules, and informed me that the 
 despatch was from the minister of war, but left 
 me to guess its import. A few hours after, we 
 arrived at the principal inn of Aranjuez. 
 
 As it is only during the finest months of the 
 year that the court resides here, the town was 
 wholly deserted. In the inn the same formalities 
 were observed with me as on the former night, 
 with the exception that there were more sentries 
 employed for my safeguard. Irriberry asked for 
 
88 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 his portmanteau, and ordering a postchaise, set off 
 soon after our arrival, having first recommended 
 me to the care of his aide-de-camp, and assuring 
 me that his absence would be but short. My new 
 guardian, trusting chiefly to the sentries, seemed 
 to care very little about the recommendations of 
 his chief, his whole soul being bent upon his sup- 
 per. Once the repast served, and his gorman- 
 dizing appetite gratified, he became more sociable, 
 and treated me with several anecdotes, differing 
 little from those related to me by the jailer, res- 
 pecting the exorcisms of the priests of Malaga in 
 my house. Perfectly satisfied with himself, he 
 ended by supporting his narrative with his own 
 authority, saying, "Probably you will return 
 soon to your post ; but that event has totally ruin- 
 ed you in the opinion of most. The soldiers them- 
 selves will always preserve the fatal prejudice of 
 being commanded by an heretical chief." 
 
 He said this in such a 7idive manner, that he 
 rather excited my pity than my resentment, though, 
 indeed, officers of his stamp were at that time so 
 rare in the Spanish army, that he would have 
 been laughed at and ridiculed even by the most 
 ignorant private. His absurd manner of talking 
 excited in me a wish to learn the history of his 
 life, and on the following day at breakfast he gra- 
 tified my curiosity. Born in Arragon, he was a 
 
DON JUAN VAM KALEX. 89 
 
 sexton at the beginning of the war of independence, 
 when he enlisted as a private in one of the gue- 
 rillas, and, as he knew how to write, was shortly 
 made a serjeant. Being afterwards employed in 
 the major^s office, he ascended to the rank of en- 
 sign, and at the close of the war was promoted to a 
 lieutenancy, in which rank he served in the de- 
 tachment of infantry under the orders of Irriberry, 
 at whose house he conducted himself in a manner 
 so basely officious towards the general's wife and 
 family, that he was made his aide-de-camp. It 
 seems, however, that the only hostile expedition in 
 w^hich he had figured to some purpose in the course 
 of his military career, was in the affair of my 
 arrest. 
 
 Having given me this sketch of his history, and 
 swallowed his breakfast, he informed me that we 
 were to set off in the afternoon. He then went 
 out to give his orders, and returned shortly after 
 to make his toilet. When he re-appeared en 
 grande tenue, I recognized among the articles of 
 his dress, some which convinced me that, however 
 religious in his expressions, and fanatical in his 
 practises, his conscience was not so scrupulously 
 nice as to prevent him from wearing articles which 
 he had secured at the pillage of my house. Such 
 were the officers on whom the Spanish government 
 
90 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 chiefly depended to carry on their oppressive 
 measures. 
 
 We left Aranjuez at two o'clock in the after- 
 noon, escorted by a large body of cuirassiers, and 
 continued our journey to Madrid, which is seven 
 leagues distant from this royal seat. It was sun- 
 set when we reached our Lady of the Angels,* 
 when the aide-de-camp, doubtless in conformity 
 with the instructions he had received from Irri- 
 berry, desired the coachman to drive slowly, so 
 that it was quite dark when we arrived at the 
 turnpike on this side of the river Manzanares, 
 where we halted, and he immediately alighted. 
 Soon after, Irriberry came alone to the carriage 
 door, and having informed me that another car- 
 riage was waiting for us, seized my hand, and 
 pressing it affectionately, asked me if I had for- 
 gotten the vexations he had caused me. I was 
 moved by this conduct, and answered him with 
 sincerity, that I had. "Let us then go to the 
 other carriage," he added, " where the aide-de- 
 camp of the minister of war is waiting for us.'' 
 
 I followed him, imagining for a moment that 
 the hopes he had inspired me with were on the 
 eve of being realized. Before setting off, he gave 
 
 * A hermitage so caUed, situated near the road about a league 
 from Madrid. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 91 
 
 orders to the escort to remain behind, and named 
 the hotel where his aide-de-camp was to proceed 
 with the other equipage. There was not a word 
 said in our carriage by any of the party. On 
 arriving before the gates of Madrid, we entered 
 without being at all detained, and rode through 
 the streets of San Geronimo and Preciados when 
 the retreat was sounding. Soon after I perceived 
 that our direction was not that of the palace, and 
 my hopes entirely vanished when the carriage 
 stopped at the door of the Inquisition of the 
 Court, in the street of the same name. 
 
 We went in, and ascended a handsome staircase 
 that led to the principal apartments of the build- 
 ing, in which the senior Inquisitor resided, and 
 having passed through several rooms, entered a 
 study where we found that Inquisitor seated in an 
 arm-chair. Irriberry mentioned my name to him, 
 but this appeared unnecessary, as he seemed to 
 know it well. He desired us to be seated, and 
 addressed me two or three times (whilst we waited 
 the arrival of the jailer, whom he ordered to be 
 called,) with all the imperiousness of his class, 
 and the impertinence of a man arrived at his 
 dotage. 
 
 On the jailer presenting himself, he asked him 
 if the dungeon was ready, to which the other 
 
92 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 answered : " Which ? Does your Honour mean 
 Olavide's ?" 
 
 " Yes," replied the Inquisitor ; " conduct this 
 gentleman thither f' and then informed my two 
 companions that their mission was at an end. Ir- 
 riberry, seeing that I was on the point of with- 
 drawing with the jailer, and being accustomed 
 to go over all the prisons of Murcia without any 
 obstacle, rose to follow me ; but the Inquisitor de- 
 tained him, saying with a restless and imperative 
 air, '^' No, Mr. Irriberry, that cannot be," adding, 
 as he observed his surprise, " in our secret prisons 
 no person, whatever be his rank, is permitted to 
 enter. It is only the judge and the attendants of 
 the tribunal who have that liberty, unless by spe- 
 cial order from his Majesty." 
 
 Irriberry then shook me by the hand with as 
 much interest as he had shewn insolence on former 
 occasions ; and I followed the jailer to the prison, 
 which occupied the interior part of the building, 
 and which we entered through a long narrow 
 passage. We descended several flights of stairs 
 until we arrived at the dungeon prepared for me, 
 at the doors of which we met another jailer, who 
 was waiting for us. I entered, and the doors were 
 closed upon me. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEX. 93 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Olavide, the first tenant of the author's new dungeon — Members 
 composing the Holy Office — Sketch of the keepers — ^Messenger 
 from the King's palace —Anecdotes — Ramirez de Arellano, a 
 sycophant of Ferdinand — The treachery of Calvo — The author's 
 reflections on his expected audience of the King — Scene in the 
 dungeon with Ramirez de Arellano- — The King's dress, and his 
 reception of the author — Dialogue between the King and the 
 author — Intemperate behaviour of Arellano — The King's kind 
 expression at parting — The author required to write to King 
 Ferdinand from his dungeon — Nature of the document which he 
 addresses to the monarch — Inquiries made by the author's bro- 
 ther His father is deceived by the inquisitors. 
 
 My new dungeon had been the abode of the 
 unfortunate Olavide, for whom it was purposely 
 constructed in the most retired part of that vast 
 prison. It was built on the same plan as the first 
 in which I had been confined in the Inquisition of 
 Murcia, with the exception only that the double 
 doors had each a small aperture in the middle, 
 
94 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 strongly barred, the space that intervened between 
 them being equal to the thickness of the wall. 
 At about six paces from the dungeon, and on 
 turning the short passage leading to it, was ano- 
 ther door that separated this place from the rest 
 of the prison, which was intersected by other 
 passages and staircases, also enclosed by doors, 
 and which communicated with the apartments of 
 the jailers. The members composing the Holy 
 Office of the Court were the senior Inquisitor, 
 whose name I do not recollect, the fiscal* Zo- 
 rilla, the two judges Esperanza and Riesco, (all 
 of them belonging to the higher class of the 
 clergy,) besides seven familiars, and two keepers, 
 whose names were Don Marcelino Velez Villa, 
 and Don Juan Sanchez. The secret prison was 
 surrounded by the various apartments which the 
 above members occupied, forming an extensive 
 building, called the Inquisition of the Court. 
 
 The first of the two keepers was a man of about 
 thirty-two years of age, and had rather a pre- 
 possessing appearance. He had married, while 
 very young, the daughter of his predecessor, who 
 lived in the times of the unfortunate Olavide. 
 Having no children of his ov/n, he adopted an 
 orphan girl, who performed the menial services 
 
 * A kind of attorney-general who prosecutes criminals in the 
 king's name. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 95 
 
 of the place. The other keeper, who, though 
 already in his twenty-eighth year, was usually 
 called by the diminutive of his name, that is to 
 say Don Juanito, had been brought up from his 
 earliest infancy in the bosom of that tribunal. 
 They were both laical, and of mean birth ; but 
 their office, so degrading in the eyes of the ma- 
 jority, entitled them to the appellation of Don, 
 which is the distinctive mark of nobility, though 
 previous to entering in the exercise of their func- 
 tions, they were obliged to give all those gua- 
 rantees required by the Inquisition for the better 
 security of its victims, and for the prevention of 
 all corruption. 
 
 I found the treatment which I received in the 
 Inquisition of the Court, more severe than that 
 of Murcia. A greater cleanliness was, perhaps, 
 observable; but it was necessary to eat in the 
 Asiatic manner, the use of any steel or sharp in- 
 struments being forbidden, and the food served 
 to me ready cut, with a wooden spoon to eat it 
 with. 
 
 On the day after my arrival, (the 11th of Oc- 
 tober,) I received the visit of two Inquisitors, who, 
 as I afterwards learned from the jailer, were the 
 fiscal Zorilla, and the judge Esperanza. They 
 appeared to be between thirty and forty years of 
 age, and affected a sympathy for my situation, 
 
96 XARRATIVE OF 
 
 which their satisfied looks strongly contradicted. 
 From the few insignificant questions they put to 
 me, it was very evident that curiosity was the 
 sole object of their visit. 
 
 During eight successive days I remained in a 
 state of incertitude, seeing no other persons than 
 the two jailers, who came alternately to attend on 
 me, and clean my dungeon. In Murcia I was 
 allowed to walk in the passage while this took 
 place, but here I was removed to another close 
 by, and carefully locked in, whilst the jailers, 
 assisted by a third person, employed themselves, 
 notwithstanding their ridiculous pretensions to 
 nobility, and the badge hanging at their breasts,* 
 in the most disgusting menial offices, after which 
 I was reconducted to my dungeon. This usually 
 took place every second or third day. 
 
 At length on the 18th of the same month, soon 
 after sunset, Don INIarcelino entered my dungeon 
 followed by Zorilla, and another person wrapped 
 up in his cloak, who, without saluting me, made 
 a sign to the jailer to put down the chair he 
 brought wdth him, and desiring him and Zorilla 
 to withdraw, immediately sat down. On throwing 
 open his cloak, I quickly recognized in him, not- 
 
 * All the agents of the Inquisition are decorated with the order 
 of the Holy Office, which they always wear hanging at their breasts 
 by a red ribbon. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 97 
 
 withstanding the shabby dress he wore, a mes- 
 senger from the palace. He appeared to be above 
 fifty years of age, and had a mean and wrinkled 
 face, rendered still more unprepossessing by the 
 malicious look of his quick eye, which seemed to 
 characterize him as having long been familiarized 
 with the vilest intrigues of the palace. " You 
 have demanded an audience of his Majesty,'' he 
 said, in an arrogant manner : " this unparalleled 
 favour is now granted you. Be open in your 
 communications, and shew yourself sensible of the 
 honour done you. Remember that it is with the 
 King, your master, you are going to speak. Take 
 care how you behave." 
 
 I replied, that I expected the audience with 
 anxiety, that he might be certain of my fulfilling 
 the duties I owed to myself and others, and that 
 if I succeeded in undeceiving his Majesty, my 
 happiness would be complete. 
 
 " To-m.orrow night about this time," he said, 
 " you will have the felicity of seeing our beloved 
 monarch ; but if you do not acquit yourself to 
 his Majesty's complete satisfaction, tremble ; for 
 there is no punishment, however rigorous, that 
 you will not experience." He then began to relate 
 to me a multitude of disgusting incidents of the 
 palace, which he offered as virtuous instances of 
 loyalty and devotion to the King, and which 
 
 VOL. I. F 
 
98 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 proved to me that this wretch was one of those 
 who governed his Majesty's mind, and from whose 
 undue influence I had every thing to apprehend. 
 At length wearied of wearying me, he rose and 
 called the jailer, who immediately entered with 
 Zorilla. " To-morrow," he said, addressing me 
 as a school-master would a boy, " we shall see 
 how you behave,"*' and turning to the jailer, made 
 him take the chair, saying, '' and you mind that 
 the gentleman be ready by to-morrow evening at 
 this time. Farewell," he added as he withdrew, 
 " we shall meet again, and do not forget my 
 advice."" 
 
 On being left alone, I began to reflect on all 
 the villanies he had disclosed to me, and make 
 conjectures respecting a man of such mean ap- 
 pearance and high pretensions. Among the num- 
 berless things with which he thought to intimidate 
 me, he said, " I am a true and faithful friend 
 of the King, our lord. I saw Richard,* that 
 ruffian who formed a conspiracy to assassinate 
 his Majesty. I saw him when he might have 
 saved his life by discovering the plot to me, but 
 his obstinacy in keeping it secret carried him 
 to the scaffold. Such is the fruit of a criminal 
 
 * He was executed in Madrid, in the year 18l5j for high 
 treason. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 99 
 
 tenacity.*" This ray visitor dignified with the 
 name of advice. * 
 
 When Don Marcelino came to my dungeon, 
 I asked him the name of the man who gave him- 
 self such airs. " He is a great friend of the 
 King," he replied ; ''he followed him to France 
 and every where." 
 
 *' His dress and manners, however," I observed, 
 " are those of a runaway galley-slave." 
 
 " Oh ! no," exclaimed Don Marcelino, " he 
 is a gentleman. What ! don't you know the 
 family of the Ramirez de Arellano ? Well, that 
 is his name. I suppose he came in that dress that 
 he mig-ht not be recog-nized." 
 
 I could not close my eyes during the whole 
 night, my mind being too much engaged in de- 
 vising the best means of presenting my fatal com- 
 promise to a king who was surrounded by men 
 who delighted in visiting dungeons, and rendering 
 more wretched the fate of their victims. My con- 
 versations with Castaneda, and Irriberry's com- 
 munications, placed it beyond doubt that Calvo 
 was my betrayer, and that all my papers were in 
 the hands of the government. Fortunately when 
 I delivered them to him, they were in a very con- 
 fused state, many of the letters being written 
 under feigned names, and the rest without sig- 
 natures. Thus, though Calvo's treachery dis- 
 
 r 2 
 
100 NARllATIVE OF 
 
 closed to the King the existence of an extensive 
 secret society in Spain, the names of the hundreds 
 of persons who composed it still remained a secret. 
 It was evident, however, that I should now be 
 called upon to explain every thing, or to bear 
 alone the whole weight of the vengeance of our 
 enemies. It was important I should avoid a com- 
 plicated trial, as I well knew that the secret ma- 
 noeuvres of the Inquisition were not so easily 
 evaded. When we are young, our inexperience 
 renders all things easy in our eyes ; we live in a 
 world of our own, where all is illusion, and are 
 often led by sanguine hope to meet the bitterest 
 disappointment. I trusted to my natural enthu- 
 siasm, and to the eloquence that the intimate per- 
 suasion of the upright sentiments which actuated 
 all my friends^ could not fail to give me. At 
 such a critical moment, I thought it rather ad- 
 visable that the King should learn from my own 
 lips the existence of a secret society in Spain, 
 particularly if I could also persuade him that it 
 was so skilfully combined that the members who 
 composed it did not know each other, and that, 
 therefore, he would never succeed in discovering 
 their names by entrusting my cause to a tribunal, 
 where I alone w ould be made the victim ; but 
 that if, on the other hand, his Majesty, to save the 
 monarchy from the ruin that threatened it, would 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 10^ 
 
 secretly place himself at the head of the society, and 
 grant me my liberty that I might act as his agent 
 in this affair, 1 would give the most effectual 
 guarantees for the security of my person. 
 
 When the keepers came to bring my break- 
 fast in the morning, they were accompanied by a 
 familiar of the Inquisition, whom I soon dis- 
 covered to be the barber, who performed on me 
 his office in their presence. Previous to their 
 withdrawing, they left me clean linen to wear 
 in the evening, and the only uniform that had 
 been saved from the pillage at Murcia. 
 
 To judge by the extreme civility shewn me 
 by these men, I might have been induced to 
 believe that this was the last day of my impri- 
 sonment. At four o"'clock in the afternoon they 
 brought me a light, an indulgence which I had 
 never before experienced, and at seven in the 
 evening I heard a noise of doors, caused by the 
 arrival of Arellano, whose appearance was now 
 as gaudy as it was before mean. He wore a dress 
 covered with embroideries and decorations, which 
 the King had lavished on those who at various 
 epochs followed him. His hat, ornamented with 
 a profusion of feathers, seemed nailed to his head, 
 whilst both his hands were thrust into his coat- 
 pockets. On seeing me in my uniform, he said 
 fiercely to Don Marcelino, " What is the mean- 
 
102 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 ing of this ? Away with that uniform : I will 
 have nothing that may attract attention." 
 
 He then withdrew with the jailer for a short 
 time, bringing, on their return, a hussar''s frock- 
 coat, which I sometimes wore, and the foraging 
 cap I had on at the time of my arrest. On seeing 
 myself thus attired, I could not help observing 
 that my new dress did not appear to me the most 
 becoming for the august presence of a monarch. 
 
 On arrivino; at the exterior door of the dun- 
 geon, Ramirez de Arellano, whom I followed, 
 suddenly turning round, drew his hands from his 
 pockets, and presenting two pistols at my breast, 
 which I might easily have snatched from him, 
 exclaimed, " Beware ! for the least indiscretion 
 will cost you your life." 
 
 *' Take away those arms," I said to him, " and 
 do not dishonour me by treating me as a ruffian." 
 The keeper, no less surprised than myself at this 
 untimely and absurd threat, was even bold enough 
 to hint, that in that place such acts of violence 
 were forbidden, and that the prisoners entrusted 
 to his custody were always made to undergo a 
 search which insured them against all apprehen- 
 sions. This was but too true ; for I had re- 
 peatedly been, before this day, subject to these 
 humiliating searches, and deprived of every thing 
 by which I might have effected my destruction ; 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 103 
 
 and if I preserved my watch, it was owing to the 
 condescension of the jailers, who, however, had 
 adopted the precaution of taking out the glass, 
 lest it might be used in a moment of despera- 
 tion. 
 
 After this scene, we proceeded through that 
 labyrinth of passages to the apartments of the 
 jailer, where we were joined by a stranger, 
 wrapped up in his cloak. On arriving at the 
 street door, we all four entered the carriage which 
 was waiting for us, my seat being between the 
 jailer and Arellano, who alone interrupted from 
 time to time the silence of the party with the 
 numberless absurdities that came into his head, 
 imagining that this would be the first time in my 
 life I had spoken with a king. Having shortly 
 after arrived at the palace, we ascended to the 
 principal gallery by an unfrequented staircase, 
 and then entered through a secret door, having 
 the appearance of a window, to a small apartment, 
 which communicated with that of the King, and 
 which bears the name of the Camarilla. Ramirez 
 de Arellano left us three there, and went in, pro- 
 bably to announce our arrival. 
 
 On the stranger throwing aside his cloak, I 
 observed that he wore the uniform of private 
 secretary to the King ; and, as I afterwards 
 learned, his name was Villar Frontin. We had 
 
104 
 
 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 been waiting half-an-hour when an elegant young 
 woman passed quickly through the room where we 
 sat, followed by Ramirez de Arellano, who, mo- 
 tioning to the jailer to remain there, desired me 
 and Villar Frontin to follow him, his tremulous 
 hands still thrust in the pockets of his livery coat. 
 On reaching the saloon he cried, " Sire !" 
 
 " What is the matter ?'"* inquired a thick voice 
 from within. 
 
 " Here is Van Halen,'" replied Arellano. We 
 were desired to enter, Villar Frontin remaining 
 outside the door of the cabinet. The King was 
 alone, sitting in the only chair that was in the 
 room. As we entered, he rose and advanced a 
 few steps towards us. We found him in a com- 
 plete neglige, being without a cravat, and his 
 waistcoat wholly unbuttoned. Before the arm- 
 chair stood a large table, on which there were 
 various papers, a portfolio, a writing-desk, and 
 heaps of Havannah cigars spread about. As I ap- 
 proached him, I bent a knee to kiss his hand, ac- 
 cording to the usual etiquette ; but he raised me, 
 and said, " What do you want ? Why do you 
 wish to see me ?''"' 
 
 " Sire,*'' I replied, '* because I am quite con- 
 fident that your Majesty, if you would deign to 
 hear me leisurely, will dismiss those prejudices 
 against me, which you doubtless must have been 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 105 
 
 inspired with, to have ordered the rigorous treat- 
 ment I have experienced.**' 
 
 " Well, but you belong to a conspiracy, and 
 you ought to reveal it to me. I know it all. Are 
 you not horror-stricken "^ WTio are your accom- 
 plices .?" 
 
 " To desire the good of one's country. Sire, 
 is not conspiring. I feel no hesitation in revealing 
 to your Majesty those good wishes ; on the con- 
 trary, I rejoice at having found an opportunit}^ of 
 disclosing them to you. But if your Majesty 
 know all, and know it correctly, there will be 
 nothing more for me to add. Any farther expla- 
 nation your Majesty may require will only con- 
 tribute to soften your anger towards me, and to 
 convince you that if we have hitherto concealed 
 our object from your Majesty, it was to avoid the 
 vengeance of those who are striving to render 
 hateful your illustrious name." 
 
 " Who are those who have so wilfully misled 
 you ? Tell me who they are — do not hesitate." 
 
 " Sire, if your Majesty know all, you must be 
 aware that I have not been misled by any one ; 
 but that I have always acted from self-conviction, 
 and that the events of the times and the general 
 mistrust have arrived at such a pitch, that I do 
 not personally know any one of those who labour 
 in the same cause." 
 
 F 3 
 
106 NAERATIVE OF 
 
 " But you must know the means by which they 
 are to be discovered. Your duty is to obey me. 
 Choose my favour, or your disgrace."" 
 
 " Sire, place yourself at our head, and you will 
 then know every one of us." 
 
 At these words Ramirez de Arellano came for- 
 ward foaming with rage, and, raising his hands, 
 exclaimed, in a most insolent and improper tone 
 for the presence of a monarch, " To the seed, Sir ! 
 to the seed. We want no preambles or sophisms 
 here. There is paper ; take this pen ; here, here 
 (pushing a pen and a sheet of paper towards me), 
 here, you must write the names of all the conspi- 
 rators — no roundabouts, no subterfuges ! His 
 Majesty is the King of these realms, and there 
 ought to be nothing hidden from him under the 
 sun. I have read Burroel (he meant Barruel) ; I 
 have been in France, and I know what all those 
 factions are ! Where are the sacred oaths for your 
 King and your religion ?'"' 
 
 During the whole time of this furious ranting, 
 1 kept my eyes fixed on the King, who seemed 
 converted into a statue from the moment Ra- 
 mirez commenced speaking ; but when I saw 
 him insist on my taking the pen, I said, without 
 even looking at that despicable wretch, " Sire, 
 I know no one." 
 
 " Sire, to the Inquisition with him !" cried 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 107 
 
 Ramirez. " The tribunal will easily extort them 
 from him." 
 
 . . The King, shewing some displeasure at Ra- 
 mirez's behaviour, said to me, " But it is im- 
 possible you should not know them ?'' 
 
 " Sire, if I meant to say what I could not 
 prove, or if I wished to conceal a crime, I would 
 rather avoid than seek the presence of my 
 sovereign ; but if, being guilty, I sought it, once 
 before your Majesty, I would profit of the oppor- 
 tunity to ask a pardon which my innocence does 
 not need." 
 
 The King remained a few minutes thoughtful, 
 his eyes fixed on me, and then said, " Tell me 
 by writing whatever you have to say." Another 
 short pause now ensued, after which he took a 
 cigar from the table, lighted it, and asked me 
 if I smoked. On my answering in the affirmative, 
 he said to Arellano, who heard him with displea- 
 sure, " Carry him some cigars ;" and then mo- 
 tioned me to withdraw. When I took his hand 
 to kiss it, he pressed mine with an air of interest. 
 I continued my way alone to the ante-room, where 
 Villar Frontin and the jailer were waiting, and 
 being soon after joined by Ramirez, we proceeded 
 to the carriage, and thence to my fatal dwelling. 
 During our short ride, Arellano was as unmean- 
 ingly loquacious as before ; but neither my head 
 
108 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 nor my humour allowed me to give him any 
 reply. 
 
 On the following morning, when the jailer 
 entered with my breakfast, he brought a small 
 packet containing about two hundred cigars, 
 which, he said, had been delivered to him by a 
 servant from the palace, with a note, saying 
 they were intended for me. At about noon, 
 the fiscal Zorilla entered, bringing writing ma- 
 terials and several sheets of paper, ready num- 
 bered, and bearing his signature. He informed 
 me he had been ordered to bring them that I might 
 write to his Majesty, and that he would return 
 when I desired, to seal them in my presence, and 
 send them privately to the King. I replied that 
 he might return in a few hours. 
 
 On being left alone, I began at once to write 
 without making a rough copy, lest by keeping 
 any of the sheets I might excite suspicion. I 
 commenced my exposition to the King, in a man- 
 ner in which my good intention compensated for 
 my want of accuracy, by declaring that, con- 
 vinced of the necessity of delivering his Majesty 
 from the thraldom in which he was kept by those 
 who surrounded him, and having received ano- 
 nymous letters from persons animated by the 
 same wish, I had entered into a correspondence 
 with them without making any inquiry as to 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 109 
 
 who they were, this being an indispensable con- 
 dition to become a member of the association. 
 In continuation, I said that many of the papers 
 found among those in his Majesty's possession 
 admitted of no explanation, as I had ^mtten them 
 with no other object than mere amusement, and 
 that if I had preserved the rest, it was because I 
 did not see in them any thing that could be con- 
 strued into treason, or even offend the dignity 
 of the throne ; that I was firmly convinced that 
 if his Majesty would deign to place himself at 
 the head of the association, and suspend all per- 
 secution, assigning a period of time sufficient for 
 all the members who composed it to discover 
 themselves privately to him, they would all de- 
 clare with loyal sincerity their intentions, of what- 
 ever nature they might be ; and, that I might be 
 instrumental in bringing this about, I hoped his 
 Majesty would be pleased to order my release, 
 having previously received from me such guaran- 
 tees as should be deemed sufficient : adding, that, 
 were his Majesty to adopt this magnanimous re- 
 solution, he would not only calm the general 
 alarm, but effect a complete reconciliation, and 
 at the same time prevent the calamitous results by 
 which the acts of men driven to desperation are 
 usually attended ; but that, if his Majesty, ac- 
 ceding to other counses, disregarded my prayer, 
 
110 
 
 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 he would never succeed in obtaining the principal 
 object of his wishes, as I was entirely ignorant 
 of the name, rank, or even residence of the per- 
 sons to whom the letters found in my possession 
 belonged. 
 
 This was the only means I found to disappoint, 
 not the curiosity or personal inquietude of the 
 King, but the malignant intentions of his un- 
 worthy favourites, against so many illustrious per- 
 sons who might be involved in my misfortunes 
 through the letters, lists, and other papers, sold 
 by the perfidious Calvo to the Archbishop of Gra- 
 nada, or to the Inquisition. 
 
 Lastly, I concluded my exposition by declar- 
 ing that, far from considering myself criminal, 
 I would ask no other favour from his Majesty, 
 should my anxious wishes not meet his approba- 
 tion, than to be removed to another prison, where 
 I might be treated as became a soldier, whose 
 trial did in no way fall under the cognizance of 
 the Inquisition, my detention here being an ad- 
 ditional motive for affliction, not only to myself, 
 but to my whole family, and especially to my 
 devout and religious father. 
 
 At about three, when it was already dark in 
 my dungeon, Zorilla returned to see if I had 
 finished my letter, which, being ready, he sealed 
 before me, and then withdrew. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. Ill 
 
 The exposition was to be sent by this Inquisitor 
 to the Escurial, which is seven leagues from Ma- 
 drid, for which place the court had set off to 
 celebrate in that monastery, during the first davs 
 of November, the solemn obsequies performed 
 there for the catholic kings, whose remains are 
 deposited in the magnificent pantheon of the con- 
 vent. This absence of the King, and the nu- 
 merous consultations which my exposition would 
 occasion, accounted for my remaining for several 
 days ignorant of its results. 
 
 Meantime my father, who, as I have already 
 observed, resided with the rest of my family at 
 Madrid, having heard something respecting my 
 arrest at Murcia, became naturally anxious on 
 my account, and commissioned my two brothers 
 to make inquiries. One of them, an aide-de-camp 
 of General Morillo, who had just arrived on a 
 mission at the capital, learned from Irriberry 
 (whom he was in the habit of meeting at the house 
 of one of the first families in Madrid) enough to 
 be convinced that I was no longer at Murcia. 
 Indeed, this general now manifested so great an 
 interest for me, that he had even revealed to my 
 brother the object that had brought him to the 
 capital, where he began to be neglected by the 
 ministry. Anxious to ascertain the fact, my 
 brother hastened to the Inquisition to inquire of 
 
112 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 the jailers if I was there, and if he could speak 
 to me. Surprised at the singularity of his ques- 
 tion, they answered that they did not know such 
 a person ; but on his persisting to see me, al- 
 leging that he was my brother, they requested 
 him in a surly manner to withdraw, and not to 
 importune tliem with any more questions, as they 
 had said enough. Seeing that he could gain no 
 information from them, he desisted from any far- 
 ther entreaties. 
 
 Ten days after my arrival at Madrid, my fe- 
 male servant reached my father*'s house, and gave 
 my family an account of my imprisonment at 
 Murcia, which indeed was the first correct one 
 they had hitherto received ; but as she herself was 
 ignorant of my departure from that city, it added 
 little to what they already knew. My father, 
 who very deservedly enjoyed the reputation of a 
 religious man, was intimate with most of the prin- 
 cipal ecclesiastics, and even with some of the 
 inquisitors, among whom was the judge Riesco, 
 who was much esteemed by him, and who had 
 an apartment in the Inquisition just above my 
 dungeon. But notwithstanding his frequent visits 
 to these men, the little distance that separated us, 
 and the friendship existing between them, he never 
 obtained from them the secret of my being at 
 Madrid, nor could he ever learn the origin of my 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 113 
 
 misfortunes. In the midst of his affliction, he 
 sought at the foot of the altar the consolation 
 which a deceitful friendship could not afford him ; 
 but such was his unsuspecting character, and 
 charitable manner of thinking, that he never for 
 a moment imagined he was deceived by those who 
 boasted of being the teachers of true morality and 
 religion. 
 
 No period of the Inquisition had been more 
 favourable than the present to maintain the good 
 opinion in which it was held by some, and the in- 
 difference with which it was looked upon by others. 
 The former no longer saw those dreadful human 
 sacrifices, known by the name of auto-de-fe^ which 
 moved even the hearts of fanatics ; and the latter, 
 who had known no other Inquisition than that 
 existing at the time of Godoy, regarded as ficti- 
 tious all that was reported of its rigours. Mean- 
 time the tribunal of the faith sought to maintain 
 these illusions by exercising its horrors with impu- 
 nity in the silence of its dungeons ; and though it 
 is true that it could be considered only as an in- 
 strument of tyranny in the hands of the detestable 
 men who obstructed every avenue to the throne, 
 with no other view than self-aggrandizement, it 
 would not become less formidable on that ac- 
 count than it was in the times of the sanguinary 
 Philip II. 
 
114 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Description of the camarilla — Chamorro, a waterman, becomes the 
 companion of the King — Cabal of the camarilla — Preponderating 
 influence of the Russian ambassador Tachichef at Madrid — 
 Rise of Agustin Ugarte — Character of Don Francisco Benavente 
 — Conduct of the Archbishop of Granada — Mode in which Anto- 
 nio Calvo betrayed the author — Berdeja, an inquisitor — Eguia ap- 
 points a military fiscal for the trial of the author — The examina- 
 tion and proces verbal — Diaz IMoral escapes to Gibraltar. 
 
 Having mentioned the camarilla, a slight 
 sketch of it becomes here indispensable. 
 
 The camarilla takes its name from a small room 
 in the King's apartments, formerly destined as a 
 sitting-room for the attendants of the second class, 
 whose office was to answer the King's bell. The 
 pleasure which Ferdinand, even from his infancy, 
 always found in the company of the lowest and 
 most vulgar servants of the royal household, made 
 him so often frequent this place, that at last it be- 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 115 
 
 came the general rendezvous of his friends, at the 
 head of which was Chamorro, a fellow who had 
 been a w^aterman the greater part of his life, and 
 who accompanied the King to France in a very 
 inferior situation. There also figured Ramirez de 
 Arellano, who from a shoe-black of the royal 
 household, had ascended to the office of spy on 
 both sexes, and was afterwards invested with the 
 public character of chamberlain to his Majesty, 
 as well as with that of honorary familiar of the 
 Holy Office. As it was in the camarilla where 
 most favours and offices were dispensed, all the 
 swarm of ambitious intriguers flocked there to 
 obtain admittance ; so that the ante-rooms of the 
 ministers were deserted, their porters lost their 
 scandalous perquisites, and the ancient monopoly 
 of the clerks in the offices of the secretary of state 
 was annulled. Soon a numerous tertulia ( an 
 evening society), composed of monks, inquisitors, 
 counsellors, servile and mercenary poets, military 
 sycophants, and a few Americans on the look-out 
 for places, and enemies to the independence of 
 their country, was formed in the camarilla. These 
 were the elements with which the secret society, 
 called by some The Anchor of the Faith and of 
 the Kmg^ began their labours. 
 
 It was not long before they established a regu- 
 lar plan of communication with all the captains- 
 
116 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 general of the provinces, the subaltern tribunals of 
 the Inquisition, and especially with General Elio 
 at Valencia, and with the Archbishop of Granada, 
 the personal enemy of Count Montijo, who at the 
 time of my arrest had been already deprived of 
 his government. 
 
 Such were the men who held the reins of go- 
 vernment, when the most distant cabinet of Eu- 
 rope, which one would have thought the least 
 interested in the destiny of Spain, began to assume 
 an ascendancy in that ocean of disorders. The 
 ridiculous brokerage of a few rotten ships of war, 
 negociated by the Russian government, was the 
 first step by which the Russian ambassador Ta- 
 chichef obtained an insight into the interior affairs 
 of the government. The influence which he after- 
 wards exerted was such, that even the camarilla — 
 the great dispenser of favours and places, at whose 
 mercy was the life and fate of every Spaniard — 
 became as submissive to his will as a faction of 
 Cossacks might have been. It was in vain that 
 the higher nobility of Spain openly manifested 
 their contempt for an ambassador who associated 
 himself with the most depraved and low-born men 
 of the capital. Those who have any knowledge 
 of Agustin Ugarte, once a porter in the embassy 
 of the much-esteemed Strogonoff, and who have 
 seen him afterwards, dressed more like a harle-^ 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. II7 
 
 quin than a courtier, introduced by Tachichef into 
 the palace, and going arm in arm with him 
 through those royal galleries, will easily believe 
 that in a court like that of Spain, where so much 
 etiquette is observed, such conduct on the part of 
 the ambassador would not fail to draw upon him 
 the scorn of ever}? well-educated man. I never 
 knew Ugarte personally ; but the public voice, 
 which stigmatizes only when there exists a cause, 
 represents him as the most despicable being who 
 could ever have been chosen by any man to ad- 
 vance his own views ; but who, having succeeded 
 in moulding the camarilla, as well as the King's 
 mind, according to his pleasure, proved thereby 
 that the united intellect of the whole party did 
 not amount to the very contracted one of Ugarte's. 
 The council of the supreme, its chief, the inqui- 
 sitor-general, the subaltern tribunals, the familiars, 
 all were at the disposal of the camarilla, who 
 hoped to derive from them even more wealth than 
 formerly flowed from the Americas ; because the 
 arbitrary decrees, fulminated in secret by the 
 Holy Office, sufficed to give an appearance of 
 legality to the proceedings which they would gra- 
 dually have instituted against the richest proprie- 
 tors and nobility of the country to get possession 
 of their fortunes, as had been done at the time 
 when the Inquisition was first established. 
 
118 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 Such was the state of public affairs when I fell 
 into the hands of this tribunal. I have already 
 mentioned that Don Antonio Calvo was chief of 
 the customs at Velez Rubio, and an intimate 
 friend of the mayor Don Francisco Benavente, 
 with whom he spent most of his time ; but they 
 were very differently situated in point of fortune. 
 Benavente was a wealthy proprietor, and of one 
 of the best families of the province. He was an 
 enlightened and liberal man, an agreeable and 
 entertaining companion. Calvo had no other re- 
 sources than his office ; this once lost, he had 
 neither sufficient solidity of character to support 
 a reverse of this nature, nor industry to supply 
 honourably the want of fortune. He possessed the 
 art of dissembling to the highest degree, as I learn- 
 ed to my sorrow ; and a certain cleverness, which 
 he had acquired at Madrid, in the house of a 
 grandee of Spain, where he had been brought up, 
 and which goes a great way with men who are not 
 in the habit of looking beyond the surface. I 
 have never been able to learn positively what mo- 
 tives induced him to commit the treachery which 
 he had already premeditated, when he came to my 
 house at Murcia, lamenting the loss of his office, 
 and asking my assistance. I have heard there 
 was a certain priest of Velez Rubio who had a 
 share in this affair, and who succeeded in influ- 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 119 
 
 encing his mind at the time he lost his situation ; 
 and that Benavente, rather through timidity than 
 from a wish to become an accomplice, gave such 
 explanations of his limited acquaintance with me 
 as screened him from danger, his fears preventing 
 him from communicating to me, as in honour he 
 was bound to do, the suspicions he entertained 
 against Calvo. The truth is, that this traitor, 
 wishing to get possession of all the papers and 
 documents which might serve to accomplish his 
 treachery, and having, as if by fatality, obtained 
 from me the case which contained them, went 
 triumphantly to Granada, accompanied by the 
 priest of Velez Rubio, where he presented himself 
 to the archbishop, and delivered to him the case 
 entrusted to his care. 
 
 The archbishop, who was anxious to offer vic- 
 tims to the rapacity of the camarilla, and who 
 thought this a good opportunity to involve Count 
 Montijo and other wealthy persons in my misfor- 
 tunes, joyfully received the case, and instructed 
 Calvo as to the conduct he was to pursue in deli- 
 vering the two letters of recommendation I had 
 given him, and in obtaining as much information 
 from the two gentlemen to whom they were ad- 
 dressed, as might impeach them, as well as several 
 other persons of my acquaintance. On the fol- 
 lowing day, Calvo called upon them, and faith- 
 
120 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 fully following the instructions of the archbishop, 
 learned, not indeed all that he wished, but suffi- 
 cient to know that their opinions agreed with mine. 
 The archbishop, having examined all the papers 
 contained in the box, and added his own observa- 
 tions on the similarity of the hand-writing of some 
 of the letters, &c., resolved that Calvo, accompa- 
 nied by an inquisitor of Granada, called Berdeja, 
 a man very well adapted for his mission, should go 
 post to Madrid, and present to the coryphoeus of 
 the camarilla the document obtained by the black- 
 est perfidy of that vile Judas. 
 
 On their arrival at the capital, the mission with 
 which they were entrusted was soon accomplished. 
 Berdeja, who had good reasons to expect that his 
 journey would be productive of personal advan- 
 tage, was desired to remain at Madrid, and Calvo 
 was detained, I know not whether in a private 
 house, or in a prison, under the appearance of crimi- 
 nality. On the King learning from the camarilla 
 the importance attached by the Archbishop of 
 Granada to this affair, and on hearing the glossary 
 of the emissary Berdeja, he instructed Eguia 
 immediately to issue his orders to the Captain- 
 General Elio to proceed to my arrest in the manner 
 which has already been detailed. 
 
 Whatever might be the charges which our op- 
 pressors chose to bring against me, it was very 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 121 
 
 evident that not one proof could be gathered from 
 the papers in their possession, by which I might 
 be attainted of high treason, much less could I be 
 accused of any crime against the religion which I 
 professed. Notwithstanding these facts, instead 
 of being detained in a military prison, as I had a 
 right to expect, supposing that I were really 
 guilty, I was immured in dungeons which for so 
 many ages had caused the ruin and dishonour of 
 the most virtuous families of the kingdom, and 
 where I could expect no justice. 
 
 The King, who, as I have already mentioned, 
 had left Madrid for the Escurial, received my 
 exposition on the evening of the same day on which 
 it was written ; but surrounded as he was by 
 Arellano and his camarilla friends, he formed no 
 other opinion of its contents than that which was 
 suggested by them. Anxious to discover new 
 victims, they sought in it the names of those who 
 in their imaginations were my accomplices ; but 
 being disappointed in their expectations, they gave 
 the greatest possible importance to the observa- 
 tions written on the margin of my papers by the 
 Archbishop of Grenada, and worked on the King's 
 mind till he sanctioned the violent measures which 
 they had projected against me, and which they 
 termed energetical conduct. Some doubts, how- 
 ever, being raised respecting certain passages of my 
 
 VOL. I. G 
 
122 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 papers, they ordered Berdeja to present himself at 
 the Escurial that he might explain them, which 
 being done to their satisfaction, it was finally re- 
 solved that I should be given up to the tribunal. 
 Orders being issued to this effect, the minister of 
 war, Eguia, to whom some of them had been ad- 
 dressed, wishing to be more thoroughly informed 
 on the subject, succeeded, notwithstanding the 
 strong opposition offered by the camarilla, in 
 causing the King to annul his first decree, and 
 appointed a military fiscal in whom he reposed his 
 whole confidence, and who was the same man who 
 filled that office in the trial of the commissary 
 Richard. 
 
 Displeased with this measure, the camarilla, 
 who were of the same opinion with the Archbishop 
 of Granada, that no time should be lost in insti- 
 tuting proceedings against me, lest any delay gave 
 their intended victims time to place themselves out 
 of their reach, represented to the King that three 
 days were sufficient for the Inquisition to discover 
 the whole plot. But Eguia, who was no less im- 
 patient to fill the dungeons with officers of the 
 army, and who knew that the Inquisition would 
 not give him a daily account of their operations, 
 though it might to the camarilla, among the mem- 
 bers of which were some in whom this cunning old 
 man placed no confidence, urged that every thing 
 
DOX JUAN VAN HALEN. 123 
 
 tended to a military insurrection, and that, as an 
 armed force would be required to check it, it was 
 indispensable he should hold the key of this im- 
 portant affair, that none might elude his prompt 
 resolutions, hoping that by having a fiscal entirely 
 devoted to him, and whose iniquities recommended 
 him to Arellano and his friends, every thing would 
 be conducted according to his pleasure. Mean- 
 while, the King was the one who figured least ; to 
 him all appeared to be actuated by zeal and fide- 
 lity to his person, consequently my representations 
 had no chance of success in this contention. I was 
 rather the prey which those cannibals disputed 
 among themselves. 
 
 On the 25th of October, at ten in the morning, 
 the jailer Don Marcelino entered my dungeon, 
 followed by two military men, and bringing chairs 
 and materials for writing. When I first saw 
 them, I thought that my explanation had been 
 favourably received by the King, and that I was 
 to be delivered to a military tribunal. Both offi- 
 cers belonged to the regiment of infantry of Valen- 
 gey, one of them being a lieutenant-colonel, of 
 about forty years of age, having nothing martial 
 either in his countenance or manners. The other 
 was a young subaltern, better looking, and with 
 the true mien of a soldier. When the former had 
 prepared the paper on which my declarations were 
 
 G 2 
 
124 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 to be written, he broke the silence which he had 
 observed on entering. " 1 am," said he, " the 
 fiscal appointed by his excellency the minister of 
 war, to draw up the verbal process which is to be 
 instituted against you. That gentleman," point- 
 ing to his companion, " is the secretary whom I 
 have chosen." 
 
 Having thus explained the object of his visit, 
 he proceeded to put to me the usual questions, 
 such as my name, age, rank, &c. concluding by 
 asking me if I knew the cause of my imprison- 
 ment. I answered them all, remarking on the 
 last, that I was ignorant of it. In continuation, 
 he desired me to state all the circumstances that 
 had happened at the time of my arrest, shewing 
 a great curiosity to know where I was when the 
 Brigade-General Irriberry presented himself at 
 my house, to execute his Majesty's orders. I 
 gave him a detailed account, observing, with 
 respect to his last question, that my regard for 
 a person who had nothing to do with my pre- 
 sent misfortunes forbade my answering it. He 
 then asked what suspicions I entertained, which 
 induced me to absent myself that night from my 
 home. I replied that I had none, and that my 
 return home, and the dishabille in which I was 
 found, were sufficient proofs of it. He now in- 
 quired if I had no other papers than those which 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 125 
 
 had been seized, and whether I should know 
 these again on seeing them. I replied that I 
 should recognize them ; but that it was impos- 
 sible for me to say whether there were others. 
 Of this I was certain, that none of them were of 
 importance. 
 
 He then cautiously drew from his pocket a 
 paper, which he perused for some time, and 
 afterwards continued his interrogatory, asking me 
 successively if I knew Don Jose Esbry, where I 
 had first seen him, and what acquaintance I had 
 with him ; making similar inquiries respecting 
 Don Serafin del Rio, Don Francisco Benavente, 
 Don Antonio Calvo^, Don Jose Diaz Moral (whom 
 I supposed to be the fugitive), and Don Nicolas 
 Rosique, who was one of the two gentlemen for 
 whom I had given Calvo letters of recommen- 
 dation. I answered him that I knew them all, 
 but that my acquaintance with them was but 
 slight. He then inquired if I had had any corres- 
 pondence with them, and for what object, with 
 many other questions which, being trifling, have 
 now escaped my memory. 
 
 I remembered very well that, when I wrote to 
 Calvo relative to the box containing my papers, I 
 said to him in that letter, (which could not have 
 reached him at Granada, but which I supposed was 
 in the hands of government,) that since Benavente 
 
126 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 would not take charge of my papers, I begged 
 him to deliver them to Diaz Moral, who was the 
 other gentleman for whom I had given him a letter 
 of recommendation. As however my original plan 
 was always to appear ignorant of the person who 
 had betrayed me, I confined myself, when ques- 
 tioned about Calvo, to an account of the manner 
 in which I had treated him when he came to 
 Murcia. The secretary, who wrote down all I said, 
 involuntarily started, as if struck with horror at 
 the ungrateful conduct of that abhorred traitor. 
 This was not perceived by the fiscal ; but I was 
 too attentive to the motions of both for that im- 
 pulse to escape me. 
 
 At this stage of the interrogatory, the fiscal 
 called Don Marcelino, (who did not appear much 
 pleased with his situation of plan toon at the ex- 
 terior door,) and asked him if there was not a more 
 convenient table or place where to continue the 
 examination : to which he answered, that the In- 
 quisitors would be better able to inform him. 
 
 He took the hint, and they all withdrew, 
 leaving me in my dungeon, where I employed 
 myself in combining the most trifling details of 
 this with the other interrogatories which I knew 
 would succeed. 
 
 At about 10 on the following morning, the jailer 
 came to my dungeon, and desired me to follow 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 127 
 
 him. We went through two passages, and as- 
 cended a flight of stairs that led to a third, at the 
 end of which was a spacious saloon. Here I found 
 the fiscal and his secretary seated at a large table, 
 round which were several arm-chairs. On my 
 entering, Don Marcelino withdrew, and the ex- 
 amination commenced. The fiscal began by si- 
 lently perusing his private instructions, and, after 
 various impertinent questions, came to the subject 
 of the papers, untying a bundle of them, which 
 was lying on the table, and among which I ob- 
 served my exposition to the King. He took the 
 inventory which had been made in the Inquisition 
 of Murcia, and asked me, in the same order, whether 
 I acknowledged those papers as mine. Having 
 answered them all in the affirmative, he desired me 
 to sign them again, and then said, " The papers 
 which you entrusted to Don Antonio Calvo, have 
 all been seized, and he has been arrested." This 
 he uttered as if a secret had escaped him; but 
 after a pause added. " It is useless for you to 
 endeavour to shield this individual, for every thing 
 concerning him is now discovered. Would you 
 then acknowledge the papers if they were shewn 
 you .?" 
 
 On my answering in the affirmative, he put his 
 hand under the table, which had on it a velvet 
 covering, and drawing out the same box which I 
 
128 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 had delivered to Calvo, asked, " Do you know 
 this box ? Is it not yours ?"" 
 
 On my admitting the fact, he began succes- 
 sively to draw out of the case the papers, and to 
 present them to me, that I might declare whether 
 they were mine. I told him that in order to do 
 this properly, it was indispensable for me to look 
 carefully over them, to which he subscribed, and 
 I profited, by this circumstance, of the only 
 advantage that was left me in my isolated situa- 
 tion, namely, of reading over the multitude of 
 papers in their possession, that I might be better 
 able to meet the charges which would be brought 
 against me. This lengthened our examination so 
 much, that its conclusion was postponed to the 
 following day, a delay which I anxiously desired, 
 as it was impossible for me, notwithstanding all 
 my care, to retain in my mind the numberless 
 minute circumstances which each of the papers 
 embraced ; the more so, as I found them in the 
 most disordered state, which I suspected had been 
 done with the view of defeating what I now at- 
 tempted. It was quite dark when the fiscal sus- 
 pended his interrogatory, which had lasted for 
 seven hours without intermission, during which 
 they took no other refreshment than a glass of 
 wine and a biscuit. 
 
 I was then reconducted to my dungeon, where 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 129 
 
 dinner was served me ; but of which I did not 
 taste, wishing to profit by the light usually left 
 to me till the last visit, in order to make a few 
 notes on the wall, wdth my watch-key, on the 
 most remarkable points of the papers which I had 
 just looked over. The jailer came at the usual 
 hour to take away the light, and I spent the whole 
 night struggling with the agitation of my mind. 
 
 The multitude of papers contained in the box 
 prolonged the examination for several successive 
 days, during which I endured more mental suf- 
 fering than I can well describe, the coarse and 
 abusive language of the fiscal adding fresh bitter- 
 ness to my wretched situation. In vain, to check 
 the insolence with which he every moment out- 
 raged my feelings, I had insisted, from the com- 
 mencement of the interrogatory, on having all he 
 said written down, in the hope that he would not 
 like my judges to read all he uttered. A stranger 
 to every honourable sentiment, and disregarding 
 the moderation with which I replied to his taunts, 
 he persisted in his system of abuse from first to 
 last, rendering his presence more odious to me 
 than was even the darkness of my dungeon. 
 
 At length, the examination being concluded, 
 I signed the various interrogatories which had 
 been written by the secretary, whom I desired to 
 add the following clause as indicative of my firm 
 
 G 3 
 
130 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 intentions : — ^^ I have nothing to alter in, or add 
 to, what I have already expressed, both in the 
 exposition addressed by me to his Majesty, in 
 consequence of the audience he was pleased to 
 grant me, and in the interrogatories which I have 
 since undergone ; and, moreover, I protest against 
 the nature of my present confinement, which 
 I consider as degrading to, and improper for, 
 the military class to which I belong." 
 
 Although, whilst dictating the above, the fiscal 
 attempted several times to interrupt me, I would 
 not desist from my purpose, and the secretary 
 wrote it in my own words, when I again put my 
 signature to this declaration. Every thing being 
 now concluded, the fiscal closed the scene by de- 
 livering me to Don Marcelino, -svith whom I re- 
 turned to my dungeon, in the silence of which I 
 was to experience again the incertitude of the 
 former week. 
 
 At Granada the searches after Diaz Moral had 
 been fruitless, as, fortunately, being warned of 
 the danger by an officer who commanded one of 
 the parties employed in his pursuit, he had suc- 
 ceeded in escaping to Gibraltar; so that up to 
 this time (the 30th of Oct.), Serafin del Rio, 
 and Esbry, who had remained in the prisons of 
 Murcia, were the only two who had been arrested. 
 Copies of the verbal process instituted against 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 131 
 
 them were sent to the inquisitors of Madrid, that 
 they might see if there existed any coincidence 
 between their declarations and mine. As I have 
 already mentioned, Serafin had agreed with me 
 upon what he was to declare ; but with respect to 
 Esbry, I had only the hope that he would persist 
 in denying every thing, although I feared that 
 his intimacy with Calvo offered a serious obstacle. 
 I have never learned what his declarations were ; 
 but if they ever gave the Inquisitors a greater in- 
 sight into the contents of my papers, and enabled 
 them to increase the number of the prisoners, as 
 well as the charges brought against me, we ought 
 to reflect on the isolated situation in which he re- 
 mained from the first instant of his arrest, to ac- 
 quit him of the charge of pusillanimity. 
 
132 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Villar Frontin urges the author to disclose the names of his partisans 
 — Pablo Mier, bishop of Ahneira and inquisitor -general, obtains 
 the charge of the prisoner, and the dismissal of the military fiscal 
 — Tribunal of inquisitors before whom the author appears — Arms 
 of the inquisition — Proceedings — Renewed interrogatory by Espe- 
 ranza — Attempt to force the author to implicate several respect- 
 able and noble individuals. 
 
 Seven days had now elapsed since my last in- 
 terview with the fiscal, during which I was lost 
 in conjectures, being unable to gain any informa- 
 tion from Don Marcelino respecting the state of 
 my trial, when, on the night of the sixth of No- 
 vember, I received an unexpected visit. Villar 
 Frontin, the King's secretary, who with Arellano 
 had accompanied me to the palace, entered my 
 dungeon, and desiring Don Marcelino to return 
 in two hours' time^ remained alone with me. He 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 133 
 
 explained in few words the nature of his mission ; 
 which was, to induce me to make the disclosures 
 desired by his Majesty, respecting the individuals 
 who composed the secret societies, delivering to 
 me, in a clear and concise manner, the opinion he 
 had formed of my case from the examination of all 
 the documents on which my trial was grounded ; 
 adding, that the King, on his return from the 
 Escurial, had put into his hands other papers 
 relating to me, by which it was evident that I 
 was placed in a most critical situation, and that 
 he knew of no other means of my extricating my- 
 self from it than by complying with his Majesty's 
 wish, as he saw that otherwise the King was re- 
 solved to deliver me up to the rigour of the 
 tribunal. 
 
 Villar Frontin was a man in the prime of life, 
 and of pleasing appearance ; and though the na- 
 ture of his visit was so truly distressing to me, 
 yet as I thought I discovered in him certain in- 
 dications of sensibility, which, indeed, were the 
 first I had seen in that cave of despair, I did not 
 hesitate in making an appeal to his heart, with 
 all the energy that my wounded honour, and the 
 sacred duties which I had voluntarily entered 
 into, dictated to me. I explained to him the 
 painful dilemma in which his Majesty's wish 
 placed me, and how preferable I thought the 
 
134 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 most cruel death to the bitter alternative of 
 causing a number of innocent victims to be thrown 
 into dungeons ; since by being thus rigorously 
 compelled to make disclosures, the foundation of 
 which could rest only on the most superficial con- 
 jectures, it was converting myself into an instru- 
 ment of persecution, and rendering my memory 
 hateful among my countrymen. I repeated to 
 him again and again, that rather than act the 
 part of a denunciator, I would resignedly un- 
 dergo the most excruciating tortures of the In- 
 quisition ; and that I should consider an imme- 
 diate death as an act of mercy. Indeed, so great 
 was my agony at this moment, that language 
 seemed inadequate to express my feelings. Villar 
 Frontin, moved at my distress, remained silent 
 and motionless for some minutes, his eyes fixed 
 on mine with a degree of interest which I cer- 
 tainly did not expect from one in his situation. 
 " Do not be distressed, Van Halen," he said ; "^ I 
 understand you, and do not share the opinion of 
 those by whom you are oppressed. I do you the 
 justice to believe you innocent. We are alone : 
 no one can hear us, and you are worthy of receiv- 
 ing from me a proof of confidence. I am inca- 
 pable," he added with emotion, placing his hand 
 on his heart, " of persisting in the unpleasant 
 commission with which I have been charged by 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 135 
 
 his Majesty, and which must appear to you in 
 detriment of my honour. But it is really a pity 
 lo see you sacrifice yourself to an erroneous sys- 
 tem, the theory of which is certainly seductive, 
 but which is totally impracticable. He who, like 
 myself, has in other times professed liberal ideas, 
 and who has experienced their futility, knows too 
 well the enormous distance there is between moral 
 and political notions, to act in all cases according 
 to both. If we were all enlightened, Satan him- 
 self would not be able to govern us. Our coun- 
 trymen, however, are too ignorant to be ruled 
 otherwise than by an iron sceptre ; and a long 
 time will elapse before they may be brought to 
 understand their own interests. Till that epoch 
 arrives, which can only take place when the King 
 himself decides in its favour, we must all sail 
 with the current of circumstances. You are 
 younger than myself, and are a military man ; 
 but I have been a judge, and have seen much of 
 human nature, consequently I know something of 
 its ruling passions and characteristic points. I 
 am convinced that, if you die, your friends will 
 be consoled by knowing that they are delivered 
 from the fears which night and day disturb their 
 repose. Believe me, this is a truth proceeding 
 from a man of experience ; but you shall find me 
 more a friend than a seducer. — Let us smoke a 
 
136 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 cigar, and converse of other matters." He then 
 spoke of some love-letters of mine, which had 
 been found amongst my papers, two of which had 
 been preserved by the King, who was amused by 
 their contents ; and afterwards related to me 
 various anecdotes of the court, and of some per- 
 sons who interested themselves in my destiny. 
 
 Don Marcelino having made his appearance, 
 Villar Frontin took leave of me, and I never saw 
 him again. 
 
 I ought to observe here, that many of the oc- 
 currences which took place in the camarilla res- 
 pecting me, and are now found inserted in this 
 narrative according to the course of events, were 
 communicated to me on my return to Spain by 
 some friends of mine, who were connected with 
 the men in power. Villar Frontin's visit to my 
 dungeon, however, was for some time a secret be- 
 tween him and the King, Arellano himself being 
 ignorant of it till the Inquisitors mentioned it to 
 him. This man, actuated by the basest envy 
 against the King'^s secretary,* put every spring 
 into action to prevent him from having any part 
 
 * Although Villar Frontin himself belonged to the camarilla, 
 his humanity being incompatible with the feelings that actuated 
 the rest of its members, he was in the following year banished from 
 Madrid by the King, through the intrigues of his own companions. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 137 
 
 in this affair, in which he thought none but he 
 and his friends had a right to interfere. 
 
 The Bishop of Ahueria, Don Pablo Mier, then 
 the inquisitor-general, remonstrated with the King, 
 declaring, that the conduct observed on that occa- 
 sion was an insult to the Holy Office, whose 
 judges were justly offended at the preference given 
 to a military fiscal, by allowing him to examine a 
 prisoner confined in the Inquisition. This remon- 
 strance had the desired effect, and on the 12th of 
 November the King gave his consent that the 
 cause should be resigned into their hands, from 
 which time my existence remained exclusively at 
 their mercy. 
 
 Ever since the King sent me the packet of 
 cigars, Don Marcelino had every evening spent 
 half an hour in my company ; and to amuse our- 
 selves usefully, I proposed his learning the French 
 language, which he seemed anxious to attain. On 
 the night of the 13th, however, I saw nothing of 
 him ; and on the following day his reserve on one 
 hand, and the cheerful countenance of his vile 
 colleague, Don Juanito, on the other, led me to 
 suspect that some important change was about to 
 take place. 
 
 Indeed; the tribunal was preparing for that 
 night. From the re- establishment of the modern 
 Inquisition, no instance had ever occurred of a 
 
138 
 
 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 nocturnal sitting. At seven ©""clock the two jailers 
 came into my dungeon in full dress, and with 
 swords girded at their waists, preceded by Zorrilla, 
 who commanded them to search me. This they 
 did with their usual rudeness ; after which the 
 Inquisitor ordered me, in a haughty manner, to 
 follow him. I obeyed in silence, proceeding 
 through the same passages and stairs that con- 
 ducted to the saloon where I had attended the 
 military fiscal. Having left this to the right, we 
 entered a larger one, which was the hall of the 
 tribunal, at the farther extremity of which stood 
 a long table on a platform, with the seats of the 
 Inquisitors near it, that of the president being un- , 
 der a canopy. On each side of the platform was 
 a door, communicating with a closet ; and oppo- 
 site to it the entrance to the chapel. A large 
 cross, with a palm and a sword transversely placed, 
 bearing this motto, Eoosurge, Domine, et judica 
 causam tuam^ which constitute the arms of the 
 Inquisition, stood in the middle of the table, on 
 which were burning a number of wax-lights, a 
 heap of papers lying on a corner of it, where the 
 fiscal took his seat. I did not see any black 
 tapers, neither was the saloon hung with cloth of 
 that colour, as I had heard was the case : all the 
 blackness was concentrated in the hearts of my 
 judges. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 139 
 
 Immediately after entering the hall I was led 
 to the platform to take the oath, which I did by 
 placing my hand on the cross, which was laid 
 down on the table for that purpose, and repeating 
 after the senior Inquisitor (who was the same 
 old man I had seen on the night of my arrival at 
 Madrid) an immensely long creed on all the 
 mysteries of the Catholic religion, and on the 
 duties it imposes towards the inferior deities of 
 the earth, &c. The ceremony being concluded, 
 the fiscal ordered me to fall back to the centre of 
 the saloon, where a stool was placed for me, the 
 jailers standing on each side of it. 
 
 On my sitting do^vn, Zorrilla delivered, in the 
 midst of a profound silence, a discourse, which 
 was chiefly distinguished by its immoderate 
 length, artful arrangement, and pomposity of 
 language, and in which all my papers, replies to 
 the interrogatories, and exposition to the King, 
 underwent the most minute and severe comments, 
 every sentence of which seemed dictated by ran- 
 cour and malevolence. These were still more 
 violently manifested when he touched upon the 
 protest with which I had closed the interrogato- 
 ries. In their eyes it was a crime that a soldier 
 should complain of being detained prisoner among 
 priests and friars. On Zorrilla ending his dis- 
 course, he commenced his examination, which was 
 
140 >?ARRATIVE OF 
 
 SO skilfully prepared, that my answers were limit- 
 ed to a simple yes or no ; as, '' Is not such a per- 
 son the writer of this letter ? Was it not you who 
 cut out the signature of this otlier ? Will you 
 deny that these belong to the Brigade-General 
 Torrijos ?" &c. Such was uniformly the style of 
 his interrogatory. All my answers, however, co- 
 incided with those I had given to the military 
 fiscal ; and although 1 felt greatly embarrassed at 
 some of these direct questions, particularly when 
 the letters of General Torrijos were presented to 
 me, (the signatures of which I had preserved, as 
 they treated merely on matters of amusement ; 
 but through which circumstance the Inquisitors 
 were enabled to discover the one bearing no sig- 
 nature, which he had written to me previous to 
 my clandestine departure from Murcia to Ronda, 
 and in which he expressed sentiments of the purest 
 patriotism,) I succeeded in defeating the hopes 
 of my judges, who proudly imagined they would 
 be able to extort from me dishonourable denun- 
 ciations. 
 
 During the whole of that long sitting, Zorrilla 
 was the only one who spoke and questioned me : 
 now and then Esperanza leaned his head, and 
 whispered something into his ear ; but neither the 
 senior Inquisitor, nor Riesco, uttered a word. It 
 was past ten when the fiscal addressed his dis- 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 141 
 
 course to the judges, the words of which, however, 1 
 did not very distinctly hear ; after which he begged 
 leave of the senior Inquisitor to have my signature 
 subjoined to what the secretary of the Inquisition 
 had taken down, and which, without being read 
 over to me, I was desired to sign. The senior 
 Inquisitor then ordered the jailers to reconduct 
 me to my dungeon ; but before leaving the hall, 
 I addressed the tribunal for the purpose of being 
 informed whether it was now time for me to name 
 my advocate, as was the invariable practice in 
 every trial. " Whom would you name ?'''' inter- 
 rupted Zorrilla, with the utmost eagerness. 
 
 " An advocate of Madrid,*" I replied, " who 
 has known me for several years." 
 
 '• What is his name ? Where does he live ?" 
 again inquired Zorrilla, almost breathless. 
 
 " Don Pedro Maria Cano ; he lives in the 
 street of Preciados." 
 
 I had no hesitation in mentioning his name, 
 notwithstanding the danger there was in hinting 
 even remotely the name of any individual in the 
 presence of these men ; because Cano was not in- 
 volved in my political compromise, nor were his 
 connections in Madrid such as to render him a sus- 
 picious character in the eyes of government. 
 
 On Zorrilla hearing that gentleman's name, he 
 said, in a disappointed tone, " No, it cannot be. 
 
142 NARKATIVE OF - 
 
 When the time for your appointing an advocate 
 arrives, a list will be presented to you, in which 
 you will find the names of three belonging to the 
 Holy Office, out of which you may select one ; — 
 no one else is permitted to advocate in this tri- 
 bunal." 
 
 As he uttered the last words, he cast on me a 
 haughty and contemptuous look, and motioned 
 to the jailers to take me away, which they did by 
 nearly dragging me out, without allowing me to 
 speak another word. 
 
 The excessive agitation of my mind, and the 
 thirst which tormented me during the whole of 
 that night, and which I was unable to quench, 
 owing to the seemingly intentional neglect of the 
 jailers in leaving the jug empty which was usually 
 filled with water, prevented my taking a moment's 
 repose. 
 
 My humour, soured by the treatment I receiv- 
 ed, shewed itself to those by whom I was guarded, 
 and did not fail to bring back upon me their dis- 
 pleasure, which they had the power to make me 
 feel in a thousand different ways. Don Marcelino, 
 who, as I have already observed, was less fit to 
 exercise the violences belonging to his office than 
 his companion, did not come so frequently on the 
 following day as he had been in the habit of 
 doing ; so that I was obliged to endure the pre- 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 143 
 
 sence of Don Juanito, even during my dinner, 
 which he contrived to render as unpleasant to me 
 as had been the sitting of the preceding night. 
 Wearied of hearing so many insolent remarks, I 
 desired him to hold his peace ; but this had a 
 contrary effect to what I expected. Assuming 
 more than ever an air of humility, he said, with 
 his usual feminine voice, which, coming from a 
 tall and corpulent man, made him appear very 
 ridiculous, — " He will gain nothing here who 
 behaves ill to us : we have a remedy for every 
 disease ;" and then continued his impertinent ob- 
 servations. 
 
 On the following day I was again attended at 
 dinner by the same jailer, who did everything in 
 his power to render it as disagreeable as possible, 
 when, towards the end of it, he was relieved by 
 Don Marcelino. My feelings had been wrought 
 up to such a pitch, that when his companion re- 
 mained alone with me, I could not refrain from 
 exclaiming, " Would to God I could one day see 
 this place reduced to ashes !" At these words he 
 fixed his eyes on me, but remained silent, and his 
 silence was that of an honest man ; for never did 
 the Inquisitors express a knowledge of my impru- 
 dent anathema, though, as Don Juanito had inform- 
 ed me, even on that day, the jailers of the Holy Office 
 
144 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 were obliged to report to the tribunal all that the 
 prisoners uttered. 
 
 . It is impossible for me not to feel indignant at 
 relating the occurrences that took place in those 
 days of agony and despair, and at the premedi- 
 tated cruelty displayed by every individual be- 
 longing to that unchristian and horrible tribunal. 
 
 At six o** clock on the evening of this day, the 
 16 th of November, Zorrilla again entered my 
 dungeon, accompanied by the two jailers, who 
 were armed as on the preceding night, and con- 
 ducted me to the hall of the tribunal. I was de- 
 sired to sit down on the stool placed for me in the 
 middle of the hall, my two guards standing on 
 each side of me. Zorrilla was so hoarse, that his 
 colleague Esperanza was obliged to perform the 
 duties of his office, while the former employed 
 himself in writing: with respect to the other mem- 
 bers of the tribunal, they appeared more like 
 statues than judges. During a short interval of 
 silence, 1 heard a noise proceeding from one of 
 the closets beside the platform, the door of which 
 I observed was not shut quite close, — a circum- 
 stance which proved to me that somebody was 
 concealed there witnessing the proceedings.* 
 
 * Some persons are of opinion that the individual concealed there 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 145 
 
 When Esperanza had exhausted all his ques- 
 tions, the tenor of which was similar to those his 
 colleague had addressed to me on the previous 
 nighty and he had sought by different arguments 
 to extort from me the denunciations for which 
 they manifested so much eagerness, he asked me 
 in a direct manner if I had answered the letters 
 which I said I had received anonymously, and 
 with their signatures erased or cut out. Uncon- 
 scious that they had any proofs of the contrary, 
 I replied in the same terms as I had done on pre- 
 vious occasions. Esperanza then took some papers 
 and a light from the table, and approaching me, 
 desired one of the jailers to hold the candle, 
 while he shewed me several pages composed of 
 little bits of written paper, which were sewn toge- 
 ther on very thin tissue paper, sufficiently transpa- 
 rent to allow what was written on the back to be 
 read with ease. — " That hand- writing," said he, 
 " is yours — ^is it not ?''' 
 
 I immediately recognised it ; but there was no 
 other resource left me than to deny it ;^ -accordingly 
 I replied in the negative. — '• What .'^--^ Look well 
 — read it,"" he returned, leaving the papers in my 
 hands, and resuming his seat. 
 
 The treacherous Calvo had had the villany to 
 
 was the King ; but I have always thought it was Calvo, with whom 
 every moment I expected to be confironted. 
 
 VOL. I. H 
 
146 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 collect all those pieces of papers which formed the 
 rough copies of various letters, and which with 
 several others had been thrown aside by me to be 
 burnt, and with incredible labour he put them 
 together in order to be better able to accomplish 
 his perfidious designs. They amounted in all to 
 eight pages, and contained, among others, some 
 copies of letters I had written to Torrijos, and 
 to other persons of importance, whose names, how- 
 ever, were suppressed, but who nevertheless were 
 therein represented as well known. 
 
 Though I thought it probable I might be con- 
 fronted with Calvo, I returned the papers to Ks- 
 peranza, openly denying they were mine. At 
 hearing this declaration, he could hardly contain 
 his rage : he burst into abusive language and 
 threats, affirming they were in my hand-writing. 
 " Mark me. Sir,*" he added, " you are mistaken if 
 you think that any of us will ever fail to do his 
 duty ; nor are we in want of the means to compel 
 you to declare what you infamously, but vainly, 
 attempt to conceal.'''' 
 
 Vain were, indeed, all my endeavours to con- 
 fine their charges to myself. The object of their 
 questions was not so much to obtain an explana- 
 tion of the isolated accusations that might be 
 proved against myself, as to extort from me the 
 names of persons who might become the more 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 147 
 
 wealthy objects of their eager pursuit after riches, 
 and of their thirst for blood. 
 
 Esperanza now gave me to read another paper, 
 on which were written the names of more than 
 five hundred persons, many of whom were gene- 
 rals, men of title, and even courtiers, with the gene- 
 rality of whom I had never had the remotest con- 
 nection : indeed, there were several ( among others, 
 the Prince of Anglona ) whom I had never seen. 
 In reading this list, it was impossible for me not 
 to shew a degree of surprise, and feel a secret 
 alarm at seeing the names of so many respectable 
 persons ( some of whom really were members of 
 our association ) in the hands of those detestable 
 and cruel men. This was remarked by them, 
 when Esperanza, receiving from me the list, asked 
 if I was acquainted with all the individuals men- 
 tioned in it. I replied that I knew only a few of 
 them, but that even with those few, I had scarcely 
 had any acquaintance. 
 
 " This Holy Tribunal requires straight-forward 
 answers,"''' cried Esperanza : " we do not here 
 understand such doubtful words as scarcely. — 
 With whom among these persons had you any 
 connection ?" 
 
 " It is not possible for me,''* I replied, '' to re- 
 peat the names of those with whom I became ac- 
 
 H 2 
 
148 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 quainted at different periods without reading the 
 list a second time." 
 
 Esperanza then read it, and I named those per- 
 sons with whom it was publicly known I was ac- 
 quainted, inadvertently omitting, however, the 
 Count Montijo. On this being perceived by the 
 inquisitor, he again read the list through ; and I, 
 immediately guessing the intention with which it 
 was done, mentioned that nobleman's name, as 
 well as others which I had accidentally passed 
 over ; my connection with the Count being too 
 well-known, and sufficiently justified by the hu- 
 mane conduct he had pursued towards me at the 
 time of my first arrest, when, without his timely 
 interference, I should have fallen a victim to my 
 enemies. 
 
 When the list hadbeen read through, Esperanza 
 questioned me so closely respecting Montijo, that 
 it was easy to see how eager he and his friends 
 were to implicate the Count in the present charge ; 
 but as none of the papers in their possession al- 
 luded even remotely to the secret intimacy which 
 at that time existed between us, the efforts of the 
 inquisitor proved ineffectual. Similar questions 
 were then put to me respecting other individuals 
 which I also succeeded in eluding. 
 
 Jt was half-past nine when the interrogator, 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 149 
 
 terminated, and I was desired to sign as on the 
 preceding night. While engaged in this ceremony, 
 I had an opportunity of observing the counte- 
 nances of these Ao/y judges. In those of the two 
 members of the camarilla, namely Zorrilla and 
 Esperanza, rage and malevolence were strongly 
 depicted; in that of the senior inquisitor, the weight 
 of years, joined to the exhaustion produced by 
 that long sitting, which could not but be highly 
 irksome for a decrepit old man, who was shortly 
 to be called away from that hell over which he 
 presided ; whilst in that of Riesco a certain air 
 of interest was observable. At that time I was 
 not at all aware of the friendship existing between 
 this inquisitor and my afflicted father : hence, 
 though I remarked the contrast his countenance 
 offered to those of his colleagues, and respected 
 the man, I did not feel for him the same regard 
 which I should otherwise have entertained. 
 
 Having signed as I was desired, I was recon- 
 ducted to my dungeon. 
 
150 XAKRATIVE OF 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Tests administered by the Inquisitors — Their disappointment — 
 Feeling exhibited by the jailer Marcelino — Extreme dejection of 
 the sufferer — His anxious thoughts — Fever — Insolence of Zor- 
 riUa — Indifference of the judges to his physical sufferings from 
 disease — Pizarra^ secretary of state — The author's mother appeals 
 to Garey in favour of her son — She next intercedes with the King 
 himself — His cruel answers — Palafox — Riesco, the inquisitor, 
 displaced — Berdeja succeeds to the vacant post. 
 
 On the night of the ISth, the tribunal sat some- 
 what later than usual. 
 
 The first thing I observed on entering the hall 
 was Riesco''s seat (of whom I saw nothing more) 
 occupied by a new inquisitor, whose name, as I 
 afterwards learned, was Berdeja, and whose coun- 
 tenance that of a furious fanatic. Being desired 
 to approach the table, Zorrilla administered to me 
 the same oath I had taken on a former occasion, 
 obliging me to go through a multitude of extra- 
 
DON JUAN VAX HALEN. lol 
 
 vagant ceremonies, and to repeat after him a long 
 set of prayers, when he added — " Do you swear 
 to having strictly adhered to the truth in all the 
 answers and declarations you have given to this 
 holy tribunal ?" 
 
 " I swear." 
 
 " Do you swear," he continued, ^' being aware 
 of the religious duties of which you have been 
 just reminded, and as an apostolical Roman Ca- 
 tholic, to have either intentionally or unintention- 
 ally omitted nothing, however trifling, that might 
 tend to conceal or shield any person, fact, or 
 crime against the majesty of Grod and of the 
 King r 
 
 " I swear." 
 
 " Do you swear it with a truly catholic con- 
 science ? Are you quite sure you have forgotten 
 nothing ? Do you wish to be allowed time to 
 reconsider it ?" 
 
 " I swear as a catholic, as a Spaniard, and as an 
 honest man, that I believe to have forgotten no- 
 thing important in all the answers and declara- 
 tions I have given before this tribunal." 
 
 " Then sign your name." 
 
 I took the pen that was handed to me, and 
 signed. The countenance of every one of my 
 judges reddened with passion ; I could see a 
 ferocious sternness spreading over their features, 
 
152 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 and by the restlessness of their looks and motions, 
 that they panted for the hour of my destruction. 
 No sooner had I done signing than Zorrilla mo- 
 tioned with an air of impatience to the jailers, 
 who, immediately advancing towards me, seized 
 my arms, and with very wide leather straps bound 
 them tightly together from the elbows to the 
 wrists. The extreme indignation I felt at such 
 treatment, and the circulation of the blood being 
 partially stopped by the pressure of the straps, 
 caused it to mount to my head, and I lost much 
 of my usual serenity. 
 
 2<orrilla then rose from his seat, and read to me 
 a long admonition, in which the name of the 
 Divine Redeemer, and that of the Inquisition, 
 were profanely mentioned together, and in which 
 the only thing essential I remarked was the fol- 
 lowing phrase : " We are here assembled by an 
 especial order from his Majesty, our catholic sove- 
 reign, to try this cause." 
 
 The painful position in which I was forced to 
 remain on account of this allegation being observed 
 by Zorrilla, who thought I could not hear him 
 distinctly, he ordered me to approach the table, 
 and to listen attentively to his discourse, in which 
 he exaggerated what he called the evident proofs 
 of my guilt, resulting from the inquiries, exami- 
 nations, and declarations, taken from the moment 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 153 
 
 of my arrest, concluding with the following 
 threat: — that if in four-and-twenty hours from 
 that time I did not disclose in an unreserved man- 
 ner all which with impious disloyalty I had at- 
 tempted to conceal from the holy tribunal, I 
 should be declared a perjurer, and in a state of 
 pertinacity, and accordingly subject to the severest 
 punishments reserved for similar cases." 
 
 Momentarily seized with one of those impulses 
 so natural to him who finds himself in such a 
 painful conjuncture, I begged earnestly to know 
 what they finally intended to exact from me. 
 " The truth, the truth only," hastily interrupted 
 Zorrilla : "on it depends either your salvation or 
 your ruin. Be certain that all the crimes of those 
 whom you endeavour to shield will weigh on your- 
 self." 
 
 To this I observed that I could not conscienti- 
 ously gratify the wishes of the tribunal, because 
 I should, in the very act of doing what was re- 
 quired of me, fail in the truth, as I did not possess 
 the proofs which would be indispensable to declare 
 the contrary of what I had always avowed. In 
 conclusion, I attempted an appeal to their feel- 
 ings ; but the hearts of my judges were too much 
 above human emotions to be moved by my ad- 
 dress. Interrupted by Zorrilla, who commenced 
 his speech by pouring on me a torrent of abuse, 
 
 H 3 
 
154 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 I was forced to listen to all that his malignant 
 rage dictated. " None of those whom this holy 
 tribunal has hitherto judged," he exclaimed, with 
 as much hypocrisy as fanaticism, " ever dared to 
 shew an equal insolence. How do you, detestable 
 infidel, presume to constitute yourself a judge of 
 what you ought or ought not to declare, and pre- 
 tend that you stand in need of proofs indispensa- 
 ble to fulfil your duties ? We shall to-morrow 
 night see whether you entertain the same opinion. 
 Hitherto the subterfuges of depraved individuals 
 like yourself, have never eluded the sagacity of 
 the tribunal of the faith. True to our holy reli- 
 gion, and to the King, our catholic sovereign, 
 firm and incorruptible in our high and most vir- 
 tuous duties, we are not to be deluded with pom- 
 pous expressions and unmeaning excuses, too 
 criminal in our eyes. Twenty-four hours tlie 
 charity and circumspection of this holy tribunal 
 still grants you to choose either your salvation or 
 your ruin. Take him away !" he added, address- 
 ing the jailers. 
 
 Don Juanito, ever anxious to obey the orders of 
 his superiors, immediately approaching, took the 
 end of the leather strap that hung from my wrists, 
 and obliged me to fall back. He then bowed to 
 my judges, and taking the lead, conducted me to 
 my dungeon, Don Marcelino following behind. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 155 
 
 Seeing that they intended to leave my arms bounds 
 I begged them to give me some water to drink 
 before they closed the doors on me. The latter, 
 less insensible to my sufferings than his colleague, 
 listened to my entreaty, and poured some water 
 in my mouth, at the same time saying, with some 
 emotion, that they had been forbidden to speak to 
 me, and uttering some exclamations of pity. Don 
 Juanito, who observed it, told him abruptly to 
 make haste, and even dared to reproach him with 
 acting contrary to his duties. On their closing 
 the doors, it seemed as if their whole weight fell 
 on my heart. 
 
 Were I to trace here the crowd of bitter 
 thoughts which harassed me from that moment, 
 my task would be interminable, nor could I then 
 present a true picture of the mental agony I en- 
 dured ; I shall therefore leave it to the imagina- 
 tion of my readers. 
 
 As early as one in the mornino^, I heard the 
 distant sounds of bolts becoming louder and 
 louder, till the doors of my dungeon turning 
 upon their hinges, I saw, by the feeble glimmer- 
 ings of a lamp, the odious countenance of Zor- 
 rilla, who came in, followed by Don Juanito. I 
 was lying on my bed when they entered, but the 
 former, with his usual arrogance, ordered me to 
 rise, murmuring all the while at the slow manner 
 
156 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 in which I was obliged to obey his commands. 
 Among my other sufFeringSj I had been inces- 
 santly tormented by an excessive thirst, caused by 
 a burning fever, which, as I was deprived of the 
 use of my arms, I had repeatedly, but vainly, 
 endeavoured to quench ; nay, in one of my at- 
 tempts I had been unfortunate enough to spill the 
 water that remained in the jug. Unable to resist 
 the intolerable thirst by which I was consumed, 
 and overcoming my repugnance to ask any favours 
 from my keepers, I begged them earnestly to 
 give me a little water to drink. Disregarding my 
 prayer, they proceeded to search my person in a 
 manner the most offensive to my feelings, and 
 then looked under the mattress, and even exa- 
 mined the seams of the pillow, as well as my 
 watch, which hung at the bed-head. 
 
 The search being concluded, I again entreated 
 them to give me some water in the name of that 
 religion so often blazoned by the members of the 
 holy tribunal. Zorrilla, who heard me with a 
 countenance in which the secret pleasure he felt 
 at my distress was strongly depicted, ordered the 
 jailer to bring a jug of water which was usually 
 kept in the passage, and to pour some out into 
 the washing basin, and then turning himself 
 towards me, said in a hearties and disdainful 
 tone, " Drink there, like the savages of Africa, 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 157 
 
 since you would fain have as much religion as 
 they." 
 
 Afraid that this despicable man should, on 
 some future occasion, again search the dungeon, 
 and discover the notes I had traced on the wall 
 behind the bed-head, no sooner did he withdraw 
 than I hastened to rub them out with my feet, as 
 they were no longer of any service to me, and 
 might, if observed, be highly prejudicial. 
 
 I spent the remainder of the night meditating 
 on the dreadful fate that awaited me, the reality 
 of which was becoming more apparent by every 
 fresh circumstance that occurred. Zorrilla, who 
 had now taken possession of the keys of my dun- 
 geon, hitherto under the principal control of 
 Don Marcelino, was my constant visitor. In the 
 morning he again came, followed by his worthy 
 satellite Don Juanito, bringing a loaf of bread, 
 which he insultingly threw at my feet. I stood 
 in no need of it : water alone I craved, and water 
 was left me in abundance in the same basin in 
 which the inhuman judge had resolved I should 
 drink. 
 
 On his return in the evening, he was accom- 
 panied by Esperanza, who felt my temples, ob- 
 serving, with a feigned air of compassion, that I 
 was in high fever, but that their humanity would, 
 soon find a remedy for it. The meaning of this 
 
158 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 was explained by my being shortly after conducted 
 before the tribunal in that state of suffering. 
 Here Zorrilla thrice asked me, in a very different 
 sense from what the words imported, whether I 
 was prepared to do my duty ; adding, that he 
 hoped I had thought about tiie consequences 
 which otherwise would inevitably follow, if I re- 
 fused to answer, without any equivocation, all 
 the questions that had been put to me. The old 
 senior inquisitor^ interrupting him, said, " Read 
 them over to him." 
 
 " What for ?'''' returned Zorrilla, displeased at 
 his interference. " Let him say that he is pre- 
 pared to do his duty, and then the tribunal will 
 read them over ; allow him time to examine them 
 at his leisure, and treat him as a son of our holy 
 church." 
 
 '' Gentlemen," I replied, " the fever under 
 which 1 am suffering prevents me from paying a 
 due attention to the words which are addressed to 
 me. I am not in a state to answer any interro- 
 gatories." 
 
 "How is this?" exclaimed Berdeja, striking 
 the table v/ith his clenched hand. " Are you ig- 
 norant of the manner in which the inquisitors 
 ought to be addressed ?'''* 
 
 "It does not matter if you suffer even as much 
 as you say," continued Zorrilla, without noticing 
 
DON JUAX VAN HALEN. 159 
 
 the indignation evinced by his colleague. *' You 
 were not born deaf, nor are you now so. Twenty- 
 four hours have already elapsed — do you confess, 
 or do you not ?'''' 
 
 " I assure you, Sir, with all the sincerity of 
 my heart, that I do not call to mind having any 
 thing to confess. Let this tribunal do with me 
 what they please. God, who from on high reads 
 the hearts of all his creatures, sees what passes 
 in mine." 
 
 Zorrilla again urged the necessity of my making 
 the disclosures demanded of me ; but seeing my 
 firm determination of not complying with their 
 wishes, he rose from his seat, and desiring Don 
 Juanito and another man, who filled the place of 
 Don Marcelino, to follow us, led the way to my 
 dungeon, where I was again confined. 
 
 The excess of my physical and mental sufi'er- 
 ings produced a kind of lethargy, during which 
 I scarcely noticed the nocturnal visit which my 
 oppressors did not fail to pay me, in order to 
 disturb my repose as much as lay in their 
 power. 
 
 Whilst these scenes were acting in the Inqui- 
 sition, others no less affecting for me were occur- 
 ring without its walls. My respectable father, 
 whose extreme anxiety to discover the place of 
 my confinement urged him to question whoever 
 
160 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 was likely to know any thing of the secret affairs 
 of the courtj to watch all countenances, and 
 weigh even the most insignificant expressions, at 
 length succeeded in obtaining from Riesco the 
 fatal secret of my imprisonment in the Inquisition 
 of Madrid. This clergyman, in whose bosom 
 struggled the virtuous duties of friendship and 
 religion with the cruel and severe ones of his 
 office, also warned my father, when the critical 
 moment arrived, of the dreadful trial reserved for 
 me, advising him not to lose an instant in avert- 
 ing its execution. 
 
 Prevented by his wounds and infirmities from 
 taking an active part, my father was obliged to 
 confide this bitter news to my mother, who, 
 though filled with consternation, hastened to the 
 palace, and demanded of the captain of the 
 guards an audience from his Majesty. Unable to 
 obtain it so soon as her anxiety required, she pro- 
 ceeded to visit the ministers, from whose insolent 
 porters, (among whom were some who stood 
 under many obligations to my father,) she met 
 a thousand slights, and scarcely less rudeness from 
 themselves. Eguia would not allow her even to 
 state her case. Lozano de Torres refused to see 
 her. Pizarro, who at that time was first secre- 
 tary of state, and Don Martin Garay, minister of 
 finance, were the only members of administration 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 161 
 
 who would receive her. When, however, the for- 
 mer heard the cause of my mother's affliction, he 
 told her that he was not well informed of the 
 matter ; but that my misfortunes, perhaps, ori- 
 ginated rather in my own impolitic manner of 
 conducting my defence. He then politely took 
 his leave, and did nothing to forward the object of 
 her wishes. Her distress increasing by every suc- 
 ceeding disappointment, she entered Garay's cabi- 
 net, and throwing herself at his feet, implored 
 his good offices in my behalf. This minister, 
 moved at her affliction, bestowed on her the most 
 consoling expressions ; and though, like Pizarro, 
 he observed that his knowledge of the affair was 
 but slight, as he had not inquired into the origin 
 of his Majesty''s displeasure against me, he advised 
 her to restrain her impatience a little, until he 
 should find a favourable opportunity to render her 
 some essential service, for which purpose he would 
 exert all the influence he might possess with the 
 King ; adding, that if she succeeded in seeing 
 him, she ought only to ask for my removal to 
 another prison, that my trial might be carried on 
 in the ordinary manner. Garay,* though often 
 
 * This excellent man retired soon after ftom office, and fixed his 
 residence at an estate he had in Arragon. In July 1822, as I went 
 post through this province, the postilion shewed me the house of 
 that minister as being that of a respectable individual who was the 
 benefactor of the district. I ordered him to drive to the door, and 
 
162 XAKKATIVE OF 
 
 a witness to the arbitrary measures of a court, not 
 at all suited to the rectitude of his principles, was 
 moved even to tears on taking leave of my mother, 
 to whom he reiterated his offers of service, ad- 
 vising her at the same time to try also other means 
 of obtaining the audience from his Majesty. 
 
 In vain did this afflicted lady endeavour to ac- 
 celerate this moment : she would probably have 
 remained unnoticed for a long time, had it not 
 been for one of those efficient men who are some- 
 times found about a court, and who undertook to 
 procure her the desired audience. My mother, 
 too prudent to allow herself to be accompanied by 
 her young daughters, presented herself alone at 
 the palace at the appointed hour. 
 
 The King was leaning against a marble table, 
 surrounded by the captain of the guards, and 
 other noblemen on service, when my mother en- 
 tered the saloon of audience. " What do you de- 
 sire ?'''' said the King, on her kissing his hand. 
 
 " Sire, only to entreat your Majesty that what- 
 ever be the crime of which my son is accused, 
 
 on my being announced, I met with the kindest reception from 
 the host. As the celerity of my journey prevented my remaining 
 any time with him, I was obhged to postpone to another opportu- 
 nity his kind invitation of spending some days at his house ; but 
 the course of events removing me farther and farther from that pro- 
 vince, I saw then this ornament of our country for the first and last 
 time. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 163 
 
 and whatever the punishment awarded him, you 
 may deign to lend a compassionate ear to the 
 prayer of his afflicted mother." 
 
 '' Well ! what is it you wish ?" interrupted the 
 King. 
 
 " That your Majesty may be pleased to order 
 his removal to another prison, where his parents 
 may have the consolation of hearing from him, 
 and that his crime, if he have actually committed 
 any, be made known to the world, to avoid the 
 unfavourable interpretation which is always at- 
 tached to the errors of those who are confined 
 within the walls of the Inquisition, and which 
 every day weighs heavier on the heart of his reli- 
 gious father. Sire ! grant this favour to us, I 
 entreat you. He is our most beloved son, because 
 he has always been the most unfortunate.'"* 
 
 " You would do better to forget him ; he does 
 little honour to your name," the King observed. 
 
 " Sire, recollect that two years ago some of his 
 secret enemies, making use of your royal name, 
 conspired against the life of my son, and that it 
 was almost miraculously he escaped an ignomi- 
 nious death." 
 
 " Well, it would have been better if he had 
 died then." Saying this, he turned his back on her, 
 and my unfortunate mother, fell at his feet in a 
 state of insensibility, violently striking her head 
 
164 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 against the marble table. On her recovering her 
 senses, she found herself supported by a halberdier 
 of the palace, who conducted her to a coach ; and 
 in this pitiable condition she was conveyed home, 
 where my afflicted father and sisters were impa- 
 tiently waiting for her.* 
 
 My mother's prayer, so similar to my own, was 
 a matter of surprise to the King, who would not 
 believe that this coincidence could be the eiFect of 
 mere chance. Ramirez de Arellano endeavoured 
 to persuade him that it was to be attributed to 
 Riesco, over whom he, in conjunction with his col- 
 leagues of the camarilla, had obtained a triumph 
 
 * The remembrance of this occurrence made me afterwards 
 avoid, as much as lay in my power, the presence of that seduced 
 monarch. In July of 1822, however, a commission from the junta 
 of generals in Catalonia rendering my presence at Madrid unavoid- 
 able, I was charged with informing the ministry of the state of the 
 war in that province, which had become extremely critical. Find- 
 ing myself, shortly after my arrival, in one of the secretary's offices. 
 General Palafox, who was then on duty at the palace, came in, and 
 told me confidentially that the King was very desirous of seeing me. 
 I asked him frankly if it was a mere wish or a real order. He an- 
 swered that it was not a command. I then told him how repugnant 
 such an interview would be to me, and that I wished to avoid it. 
 The characteristic prudence of Palafox seconded my wish. On the 
 following day the minister of war spoke of my commission to the 
 King, who said, " Which of the Van Halens has arrived ? Is it 
 he who escaped from the Inquisition ? I have a great esteem for 
 him. I have not seen him since his return from Russia." This 
 was related to me by that minister on the same day it occurred, and 
 is perfectly characteristic of Ferdinand. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 165 
 
 by depriving him of his office and honours. 
 Wishing to carry matters farther, and have that 
 humane inquisitor banished from Madrid, orders 
 were issued shortly after for his immediate depar- 
 ture for Seville, to fill his post of canon of that 
 chapter, a situation far better suited to his philo- 
 sophic mind than that of which he had just been 
 deprived. This venerable ecclesiastic, who, by 
 following the example of his ancient colleague 
 Llorente, might, during the time of the constitu- 
 tion, have given to the world a history of the 
 secret occurrences that took place among that 
 sanguinary triumvirate, did not think proper to 
 reveal them to any one. It has, however, been 
 asserted by a person worthy of credit, who was 
 intimate with him, that Riesco, seeing that vigo- 
 rous measures would be resorted to by the tribu- 
 nal, had spoken with great energy to the King, 
 as well as to all his colleagues, to the members 
 of the camarilla, and to the Inquisitor-General, 
 even previous to his dismissal, when he had pre- 
 sented himself before him, recommending that no 
 other measures should be adopted towards me 
 than those sanctioned by the religion of the Di- 
 vine Redeemer, namely, mild persuasion ; and 
 finally, that my respectable father should be al- 
 lowed to visit me privately in my dungeon, to 
 induce me to make the desired confessions. This 
 
166 
 
 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 is the only fact respecting Riesco for which there 
 is some foundation, and which is in some measure 
 confirmed by another, which will appear in the 
 sequel. From the moment he fell in disgrace, 
 he requested his friends to visit him no more 
 during the few days he was to remain in the capi- 
 tal, and has since made it a constant practice to 
 mention the subject to no one. 
 
 With respect to his successor Berdeja, the 
 public voice reported him to be the fruit of one 
 of the many amorous frailties to which the In- 
 quisitor-General Mier was subject in his youth. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 167 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 New endeavours by Esperanza and Zorrilla to unrest the author's 
 secrets from him — Removed by masked servants from his dun- 
 geon to the chamber of torment — Zorrilla addresses him in a cri- 
 minatory summary — The author tortiured — I\Ianner in which 
 this is done — He is carried insensible to his dungeon, where he 
 finds himself loaded with fetters — After agonies — Don Jose Gil, 
 an army-surgeon, attends him — His humane interference — The 
 author's sjTuptoms of approaching dissolution — His fetters are 
 at length removed — His protracted illness — Young female atten- 
 dant — Consolatory expressions of Dr. Gil. 
 
 The morning after the last sitting of the tri- 
 bunal, Zorrilla paid me another visit, accompanied 
 by Esperanza, who found my fever considerably 
 increased. The slight inquiries of the latter re- 
 specting my health inspiring me with the hope 
 that I should find him more humane than his 
 colleague, who seemed to have no other object in 
 his frequent visits to my dungeon than to witness 
 
168 NAERATIVE OF 
 
 my sufferings, I ventured to ask him the favour of 
 being seen by a physician, as every moment I felt 
 my fever growing worse. On hearing this, he 
 turned to Zorrilla, who met his look with a smile 
 of incredulity. Meantime some broth being 
 brought to me, Esperanza helped me to it, as my 
 arms were still bound, saying to Zorrilla that he 
 "wdshed to remain alone with me. The latter, ac- 
 ceding to his wish, immediately withdrew, and 
 Esperanza, having waded through the usual re- 
 volting preambles of charity and religion, entered 
 upon his task of persuasion to induce me to yield 
 to the Avishes of the tribunal, with arguments so 
 preposterous, and proposals so basely insulting, 
 that he offended me more than his worthy compa- 
 nion had ever done. I therefore requested him to 
 leave me, for that my unfortunate situation ren- 
 dered quiet necessary. He then said that I should 
 shortly repent my obstinacy, and turning his 
 back on me, reclosed the doors of my dungeon. 
 
 Wishing to ascertain whether my fever increased, 
 those two Inquisitors repeated their visits to my 
 prison in the afternoon, and finding that it had 
 taken a favourable turn, they expressed their satis- 
 faction, the true meaning of which I had soon an 
 opportunity of discovering. 
 
 At about eight o'clock at night of the same day 
 (Nov. 20th), Don Juanito entered my dungeon 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 169 
 
 with a lantern in his hand, followed by four other 
 men, whose faces were concealed by a piece of 
 black cloth, shaped above the head like a cone, 
 and falling over the shoulders and chest, in the 
 middle of which were two holes for the eyes. I 
 was half asleep when the noise of the doors open- 
 ing awoke me, and by the dim light of the lantern 
 I perceived those frightful apparitions. Imagining 
 I was labouring under the effects of a dream, I 
 earnestly gazed awhile on the group, till one of 
 them approached, and pulling me by the leather 
 strap with which my arms were bound, gave me 
 to understand by signs that I was to rise. Having 
 obeyed the summons, my face was covered with a 
 leather mask, and in this manner I was led out of 
 the prison. After walking through various pas- 
 sages on a level with that of my dungeon, we en- 
 tered a room, where I heard Zorrilla order my 
 attendants to untie the strap. 
 
 " Listen with attention,"" he then exclaimed, 
 addressing me, " since you have hitherto been deaf 
 to the advice which this holy tribunal has repeat- 
 edly given you in their spirit of peace, humanity, 
 and religious charity. Propagator of secret and 
 impious societies, established by the heresies of 
 their members to destroy our holy religion and 
 the august throne of our catholic sovereign, you 
 have maintained for the space of a year an unin- 
 
 VOL. I. I 
 
170 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 terrupted correspondence with more than two hun- 
 dred sectarians. You invented a project to form 
 a second ramification to involve in your plans the 
 most uninformed and incautious classes of the 
 kingdom ; you have attempted to deceive his Ma- 
 jesty, to whom you spontaneously promised from 
 Murcia to disclose with religious loyalty all you 
 knew; and instead of shewing yourself sensible 
 of the unexampled magnanimity with which he 
 condescended to hear you, you did every thing in 
 your power to mislead him, hoping to elude the 
 just and deserved rigour of the laws by an accu- 
 mulation of offences towards the supreme dignity 
 of the altar and the throne; an abominable in- 
 sult, that constitutes a new crime in aggravation to 
 those which have already been proved." 
 
 After a moments silence, which I thought was 
 intended for their hearing my reply, he proceeded 
 with increased energy. " This holy tribunal has 
 at last recourse to rigour. It will extort from 
 you the truths, which neither the duty of a reli- 
 gious oath, demanded without violence, nor the 
 mild admonitions which have been so often re- 
 sorted to in order to induce you to make the de- 
 sired declarations, have been able to obtain. This 
 evident pertinacity obliges us to use a salutary 
 severity. We judge the cause of our Divine Re- 
 deemer and of our catholic King, and we shall 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. IJl 
 
 know how to fulfil the high ministry with which 
 the supreme spiritual and temporal authority has 
 invested us. The most rigorous torments will be 
 employed to obtain from you these truths, or you 
 shall expire in the midst of them. All the charges 
 I have just mentioned in a summary manner must 
 be amply explained — yes ! — amply explained ! 
 justice, God, and the King require that it should 
 be so. This holy tribunal will fulfil their duties 
 —yes !" 
 
 The agitation of the moment permitted me to 
 utter only a few words, which, however, were not 
 listened to, and I was hurried away to the farther 
 end of the room, the jailer and his assistants ex- 
 erting all their strength to secure me. Having 
 succeeded in raising me from the ground, they 
 placed under my arm-pits two high crutches, from 
 which I remained suspended ; after which my 
 right arm was tied to the corresponding crutch, 
 whilst the left being kept in a horizontal position, 
 they encased my hand open in a wooden glove ex- 
 tending to the wrist, which shut very tightly, and 
 from which two large iron bars ran as far as the 
 shoulder, keeping the whole in the same position 
 in which it was placed. My waist and legs were 
 similarly bound to the crutches by which I was 
 supported ; so that I shortly remained without any 
 
 I 2 
 
172 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 other action than that of breathing, though with 
 difficulty. After forty eight hours, during which 
 my arms had been constantly pinioned, I did not, 
 till this moment, very acutely feel the pain caused 
 by the tightness of the new binding. 
 
 Having remained a short time in this painful 
 position, that unmerciful tribunal returned to their 
 former charges. Zorrilla with a tremulous voice, 
 that seemed to evince his thirst for blood and 
 vengeance, repeated the first of those he had just 
 read, namely, whether I did not belong to a so- 
 ciety whose object was to overthrow our holy re- 
 ligion, and the august throne of our catholic sove- 
 reign ? I replied, that it was impossible I should 
 plead guilty to an accusation of that nature : 
 " Without any subterfuge, say whether it is so," 
 he added in an angry tone. 
 
 " It is not, Sir," I replied. The glove which 
 guided my arm, and which seemed to be resting 
 on the edge of a wheel, began now to turn, and 
 with its movements I felt by degrees an acute pain, 
 especially from the elbow to the shoulder, a gene- 
 ral convulsion throughout my frame, and a cold 
 sweat overspreading my face. The interrogatory 
 continued ; but Zorrilla"'s question of " Is it so ? 
 Is it so .?" were the only words that struck my ear 
 amidst the excruciating pain I endured, which 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. IJS 
 
 became so intense that I fainted away and heard 
 no more the voices of those cannibals. 
 
 When I recovered my senses, I found myself 
 stretched on the floor of my dungeon, my hands 
 and feet secured with heavy fetters and manacles, 
 fastened by a thick chain, the nails of which my 
 tormentors were still riveting. On this being con- 
 cluded, the unpleasant mask which obstructed my 
 sight was removed, and I observed that Zorrilla 
 and Don Juanito were the only persons that re- 
 mained in the dungeon. Wishing to stifle before 
 such hateful witnesses any expression of pain that 
 might escape me amidst my severe sufferings, I 
 closed tightly the lapel of my coat with my teeth ; 
 but Zorrilla, who noticed it, said, loading me 
 with abusive epithets, that rage and despair were 
 the only pains I felt. 
 
 Left by those wretches stretched in the same 
 place, I could have wished that the doors, which 
 closed after them, should never again open. 
 Eternal sleep was all I desired, and all I asked of 
 Heaven. It was after much difficulty that I 
 dragged myself to my bed. It seemed to me that 
 the noise of my chains would awaken the vigilance 
 of my jailers, whose presence was to me the most 
 fatal of my torments. I spent the whole of the 
 night struggling with the intense pains, which were 
 the effects of the torture, and with the workings 
 
174 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 of my excited mind, which offered but a horrible 
 perspective to my complicated misfortunes. This 
 state of mental agitation, and the burning fever 
 which was every moment increasing, soon threw 
 me into a delirium, during which I scarcely 
 noticed the operation performed by my jailers of 
 opening the seams of my coat to examine the state 
 of my arm. 
 
 I continued delirious during the whole day and 
 night of the 21st ; but on the following morning 
 I became sensible of the presence of the medical 
 attendant of the secret prison, Don Jose Gil, sur- 
 geon of one of the regiments of the guards, a 
 man rather advanced in years, of an abrupt but 
 frank character, and of a humane disposition, — 
 a singular circumstance in a familiar of the Holy 
 Office. He was accompanied by Don Juanito, 
 who did not seem to agree with him as to the man- 
 ner in which I M^as to be treated. On Zorrilla 
 making his appearance, the surgeon said, without 
 hesitation, that as long as I should be kept so 
 cruelly pinioned, no amelioration could be ex- 
 pected. Zorrilla, who evinced much displeasure 
 at his expressing himself thus openly, led him 
 out of the dungeon into the passage, where they 
 remained talking for some time. On their return, 
 poultices were applied to my arm to allay the in- 
 flammation ; but as the surgeon's request, that 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. IJS 
 
 my chains should be removed, remained unat- 
 tended to, I spent the whole of that day, or 
 I should rather say of that eternal night, seeking 
 in vain a position in which I might obtain some 
 repose. This incessant restlessness fed the fever 
 which consumed me^ and rendered my agony more 
 horrible. 
 
 On the following day, when the doctor saw me 
 in that dreadful state, he exclaimed, " Why 
 should I come to see this ? Either these irons 
 must be removed, or call me no more to attend." 
 These words, so different from those I was accus- 
 tomed to hear my keepers utter, penetrated to my 
 heart's core ; and notwithstanding my endeavours 
 to repress the emotion I felt at this moment, my 
 eyes betrayed it in a manner too forcible not to be 
 observed. Stern silence, accompanied by various 
 signs of disapprobation, was the only reply given 
 to the above observation, and Doctor Gil, as if 
 hesitating on what he was to do, quitted the dun- 
 geon without having prescribed any thing for my 
 relief. He was followed by the rest ; but on ar- 
 riving at the exterior door, I heard Zorrilla ad- 
 dress the doctor in a manner which shewed a 
 perfect indifference for my existence. 
 
 On the night of the same day I experienced the 
 most dreadful agonies. No words are sufficiently 
 adequate to express the sufferings, both of body 
 
176 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 and mind, by which I was overwhelmed, and 
 which were further aggravated by the treatment 
 I received from my attendant Don Juanito, who 
 had been intrusted with the care of attending me, 
 and whose greatest pleasure was to see me suffer. 
 1 anxiously hoped that the continuation of my 
 troubles would accelerate the moment of my disso- 
 lution, for which I earnestly prayed to Heaven. 
 It was the only consolation remaining to one who 
 had no other prospect before his eyes than the 
 most cruel torments and despair. I calculated 
 that I could not live above three days in my pre- 
 sent condition ; for I remarked that though natu- 
 rally robust, and in the very vigour of my age, a 
 progressive decrease of strength, and a total in- 
 difference to my fate (which are the surest signs 
 of an approaching end), were hourly becoming 
 more apparent. But the state of exasperation to 
 which I had been reduced had such influence on 
 my mind, that the nearer I came to the gates of 
 death, the greater was my hatred for the human 
 race ; the remembrance of the authors of my days 
 being scarcely sufficient to soften at this awful 
 moment the hard-heartedness which was gaining an 
 ascendancy over my natural disposition. 
 
 It is impossible for me to guess how far Dr. 
 Gil was influenced in my favour, otherwise than 
 by the conduct he observed towards me. This 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 177 
 
 has been one of those private occurrences of the 
 Inquisition which I have never been able to in- 
 vestigate ; but whether the change that took 
 place was owing to this individual (who, I un- 
 derstand, enjoyed the favour of the royal family, 
 and of the Inquisitor-general Mier), or whether 
 the members of the tribunal feared that by my 
 death they would be deprived of their triumph, 
 it is certain that on the morning of the 26th I was 
 freed from my chains. Zorilla, who with Don Mar- 
 celino and Don Juanito was present when they 
 were removed, had the effrontery of extolling 
 this as a new act of mercy, adding the usual blas- 
 phemies with which his hypocrisy enabled him to 
 embellish his discourses. 
 
 Although I looked upon this change as an idle 
 ceremony, I could not help remarking the appear- 
 ance of Don Marcelino as a favourable omen of the 
 future. This jailer, who was under many obli- 
 gations to the inquisitor Riesco, sensible of what 
 he owed him, felt deeply his dismissal, and in 
 some measure imitated the humanity of his patron, 
 by feigning an illness and resigning the keys to 
 his colleao-ue, when he saw that matters were to 
 be carried to extremities with me, until, afraid of 
 losing his office, and seeing the final departure of 
 Riesco, he resumed his duties. 
 
 During the whole of this day, I was alternately 
 
 I 3 
 
178 NAREATIVE OF 
 
 visited by the two jailers. Don Marcelino, though 
 always more attentive than his companion, did 
 not evince much surprise at the evident alteration 
 which had taken place in my situation since our 
 last meeting. In obedience, however, to the orders 
 of Dr. Gil, who had recommended that the varia- 
 tions of my fever should be strictly observed 
 during the course of the night, he came fre- 
 quently to see me and administer the anodyne 
 which had been prescribed for me. The benefit 
 I derived from this improved attendance, and from 
 the entire disencumbrance of my irons,, was not 
 such as might have been expected. The injury 
 they had caused appeared to me irremediable ; 
 and I was the more willing to consider it in that 
 light, as otherwise new and more cruel torments 
 might be the consequence. Under these circum- 
 stances I always recurred to my last prayer, trust- 
 ing that God, who read my inmost thoughts, and 
 was a witness to my sufferings, would at length 
 listen to it, and grant me the repose I so anxiously 
 desired. 
 
 On the 27th, Dr. Gil again visited me, and ex- 
 amined my arm more attentively than he had 
 hitherto done. He was accompanied only by Don 
 Marcelino, though I could hear Don Juanito 
 coughing in the passage near the door of my 
 dungeon. The doctor, having alternately inquired 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 179 
 
 of Don Marcelino and myself what kind of nisjlit 
 I had passed, put to me several questions that 
 indicated his ignorance of the cause of my present 
 condition, and of the cruel treatment which T had 
 for so long experienced. Having prescribed to 
 Don Marcelino the method which he was to fol- 
 low, he took his leave, recommending that my 
 dungeon should be kept as clean as possible, a mea- 
 sure the more necessary as it had not been cleaned 
 or ventilated for several days, the loop-hole of the 
 prison being too small to admit sufficient air for 
 that purpose. He hoped that diet, cleanliness, 
 and sleep, would enable him to effect in me a 
 complete cure ; and that I might obtain some 
 repose, he told Don Marcelino the quantity of 
 opium he was to give me on that night, strictly 
 recommending, as he left the dungeon, never 
 to carry about him more than he should prescribe. 
 Shortly after the doctor's departure, they began 
 to execute his orders respecting the cleanliness of 
 my dungeon ; and as he had forbidden that I 
 should be removed, lest my sufferings should be 
 aggravated, I was not taken to another dungeon 
 as had been done on former occasions. They 
 therefore placed a screen before my bed, that I 
 might not be seen by the person employed in sweep- 
 ing it, who I soon perceived to be a female. Don 
 
180 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 Juanito, who affected to be greatly annoyed by 
 the inconvenience of the moment, was so deeply 
 engaged in watching her movements, that he did 
 not leave the screen for a moment ; but notwith- 
 standing all his care, when they came to arrange 
 my wretched bed, neither himself nor his com- 
 panion could prevent my being seen by this new 
 visitor. 
 
 It was a young girl, the expression of whose 
 countenance, during the rapid glance I caught of 
 her, shewed that, however humble her condition, 
 she was not formed to dwell amongst Inquisitors. 
 Horror and compassion were strongly pourtrayed 
 in her animated features, and I observed that she 
 repressed with difficulty the emotion she felt at 
 this moment. Notwithstanding my extreme lan- 
 guor, I could not help noticing, and being moved 
 at, the artless though energetic expression of sen- 
 sibility evinced by this young girl. 
 
 Don Marcelino came to administer to me the 
 opium at the hour prescribed by the doctor. I 
 took it without the least mistrust, and with all 
 the anxiety natural to one who had so long been 
 a stranger to repose. Dr. Gil had asked me in 
 the morning, probably with the intention of fix- 
 ing the quantity of opium I was to take, whether 
 I had often taken it, to which I replied in the 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 181 
 
 affirmative, in the hope that the pains I was en- 
 during would be allayed by my taking a sufficient 
 quantity. •* 
 
 Don Marcelino having given me the medi- 
 cine, and placed within my reach all that I might 
 want during the night, left me to the sepulchral 
 silence of my dungeon, which remained perfectly 
 undisturbed. On the following morning Dr. Gil 
 came very early to see me, flattering himself that 
 he would find me much improved ; but even 
 before I had informed him of it, he saw that the 
 contrary was the case. Either the small quan- 
 tity of opium, or the bad quality of it, or perhaps 
 the infamous designs of my tormentors, one or all 
 of these causes had kept me in such a dreadful 
 state of restlessness during the whole night, that 
 far from enjoying the least repose, I had struggled 
 with sufferings hitherto unknown to me. Having 
 heard the account I gave him, and my answers to 
 the questions he put to me, he ordered Don Mar- 
 celino to bring the opium from which the quan- 
 tity given me had been taken. He examined it, 
 and requested that no medicine should be admi- 
 nistered to me until his return. During the short 
 time that we remained alone, he said to me ; 
 " This, Sir, is but a trifling affair. There are 
 few of us who have not undergone troubles of 
 some kind or other. Even myself, though you 
 
182 XAURATIVE OF 
 
 see me now in this uniform, had the folly in my 
 youth to become a monk of San Juan de Dios, of 
 which I soon repented. On leaving the convent, 
 I made the last campaign against the French, and 
 could count my troubles by the dozen."" 
 
 I have already mentioned that Dr. Gil was a 
 man of an abrupt character ; but there was in him 
 a fund of good nature that inspired one with con- 
 fidence, especially in my present condition. Whe- 
 ther I owed it to the influence he exerted in the 
 Inquisition, or to other causes which were beyond 
 my reach, it is certain that Don Juanito ceased to 
 trouble me with his presence, and that Don Mar- 
 celino was wholly entrusted with the care of nurs- 
 ing me. This man, though not possessed of acute 
 feelings, and having but a limited understanding 
 (qualities rarely separated), and though too fond 
 of his ofiice to venture neglecting its cruel duties, 
 was more of a novice than Don Juanito. It was 
 easy to perceive by his manner of performing it, 
 that he was a stranger to such employment. 
 
 Towards evening Dr. Gil returned, accompanied 
 by this jailer, who had frequently visited me dur- 
 ing the day. The doctor then gave me with his 
 own hand the draught which he himself brought 
 for me, exerting all his eloquence to persuade me 
 that his medicine would prove efficacious ; after 
 which he took his leave, giving some directions to 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 183 
 
 Don Marcelino respecting me. An hour had 
 scarcely elapsed, before I began to feel the effects 
 of the draught, and fell into a profound sleep. 
 
 It was considerably after nine in the morning 
 when I awoke, and though I felt all the effects 
 consequent to a sleep stimulated by opium, my 
 pains were less acute, and the fever had greatly 
 decreased. Dr. Gil had visited me early in the 
 morning ; but unwilling to disturb my repose, 
 returned at noon, and very soon perceived the be- 
 nefit I had derived from the draught. From that 
 moment he commenced the system he proposed to 
 follow to effect my recovery, in which he after- 
 wards persevered with constancy, though owing 
 to causes which are beyond the reach of medicine, 
 the improvement in my health was not so rapid as 
 he expected. 
 
 Notwithstanding my repeated requests that my 
 dungeon should be properly cleaned, some days 
 elapsed before it was attended to, and not until I 
 was able to be removed to another. 
 
 I am now arriving at a period of my history 
 when some occurrences happened to which I un- 
 doubtedly owe the preservation of my life. I will 
 therefore pass slightly over the visits of Dr. Gil, 
 to introduce to my readers the humble heroine 
 who will shortly figure in the narrative of my 
 misfortunes. 
 
181 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Sketch of Ramona, the female orphan adopted by Marcelino the 
 jailer — Precarious health of the author — Counsels given him by 
 the surgeon — Prisons visited at Easter — Don Manuel Centurion 
 — Don Juanito's perfidy — Interest and compassion of Ramona 
 for the author's sufferings — The author writes to his cousin, 
 Captain Jacobo 3Iurfy — Don Juanito is taken ill — Ramona's 
 assiduous kindness — Murfy's friendly reply — Conference with 
 Ramona — Another prisoner whom the author suspects to be 
 Calvo. 
 
 Don Marcelino, having married the daughter 
 of his predecessor in the hope of securing a situa- 
 tion in the Inquisition, soon after obtained per- 
 mission from the Committee of Benevolence to 
 take from the Foundling of Madrid a girl who 
 might be brought up in his family in those habits 
 of retirement which the service she was destined 
 for seemed to require, and who, being treated as 
 his own child, might render herself worthy of his 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 185 
 
 entire confidence. Among the children brought 
 for his choice, the lot fell on one whose name was 
 Ramona. This girl, who had hitherto remained 
 unacknowledged, was of a reserved disposition, 
 and from her earliest infancy had shewn a prema- 
 ture solidity of character which promised to answer 
 the views of Don Marcelino, who consequently 
 gave her the preference over her companions. 
 
 Ramona was entering her sixteenth year, when, 
 in 1814, the Holy Office was re-established, and 
 Don Marcelino employed as chief jailer of the 
 secret prison of the court, as it was denominated. 
 From that time Ramona was entrusted with the 
 menial services of those prisons, in which, how- 
 ever, men were generally employed. The unalter- 
 able reserve of her character, the diligence and 
 cleanliness with which she performed her duties, 
 and the little inclination she shewed for any kind 
 of amusement that was likely to divert her atten- 
 tion from them, gained her the confidence of all 
 the familiars, with the exception of Don Juanito, 
 who, besides his hatred for her sex, being more 
 constantly employed about the prison, and there- 
 by prevented from applying some of his time to 
 other occupations by which his mean avarice might 
 be gratified, never lost an opportunity of injuring 
 her, thereby to effect her removal. 
 
 Don Marcelino, on the contrary, placing all his 
 
186 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 trust in her, permitted Ramona to enter every pri- 
 son where her duties called her, without watching 
 or following her. This confidence had become 
 habitual in him, and as he never gave up to her 
 the principal keys of any dungeon where she might 
 be engaged, he believed that, both doors being 
 shut, there could be no possible risk in trusting 
 her : of this he thought his colleague must be 
 equally persuaded. 
 
 Little aware of the inquietudes of Don Juanito, 
 or of the negligence of Don Marcelino, or even of 
 the advantage I might derive from the trait of 
 sensibility which I had remarked in the counte- 
 nance of the young girl, and which, though con- 
 soling at the time, could make but little impres- 
 sion on an imagination disturbed by fever and 
 delirium, I continued following the regimen pre- 
 scribed by Dr. Gil, which, though strictly adhered 
 to, did not produce so rapid an improvement as 
 he had anticipated. No sooner, however, was I 
 able to get up, than the cleanliness of my dun- 
 geon was again attended to, and I was daily re- 
 moved to another. 
 
 The month of December was passing away with- 
 out any great amelioration having taken place in 
 my health. On the contrary, the rigour of the 
 season, the constant dampness of that sepulchral 
 abode, and the little clothing allowed me, brought 
 
DON JUAN VAN Hx^LEX. ISJ 
 
 on a pulmonary complaint, accompanied by a con- 
 vulsive cough, which scarcel}' permitted me to 
 take any repose, and which retarded my conva- 
 lescence. 
 
 Dr. Gil, notwithstanding his hints to the inqui- 
 sitors, and his well-kno^^^l influence, began to 
 meet with new obstacles in the way of my reco- 
 very. One day, towards the middle of Decem- 
 ber, when Don Marcelino happened to leave us a 
 short time by ourselves, he spoke to me in the 
 following words : " There are evils which ought 
 to be considered as antidotes to others more fatal. 
 It is not prudent you should entirely recover your 
 health. Whilst I do not declare you in a state of 
 perfect convalescence, you remain unmolested ; 
 I might otherwise not always be able to accom- 
 plish my good wishes towards you. But, since 
 hitherto I have been unable to obtain your remo- 
 val to a better place, profit by the visit of prisons, 
 which takes place on the Easter holiday, and ask 
 to be allowed more clothing and a better bed." 
 
 The first words of Dr. Gil weighed on my heart 
 more heavily than I can well describe, as they 
 confirmed my own conjectures ; but such was the 
 bad opinion I had formed of every individual be- 
 longing to the Inquisition, that it never entered 
 my head to converse with him respecting the pro- 
 bable destiny that awaited me. 
 
188 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 Easter Sunday at length arrived, when my re- 
 pose was disturbed very early in the morning by 
 the jailers, who came to clean my dungeon, on 
 which they bestowed more pains than usual, im- 
 proving the appearance of my bed, though not its 
 comforts. 
 
 Several familiars of the Inquisition, of those 
 who figured only in the great ceremonies of cer- 
 tain festivities, to some of whom I was personally 
 known, and others who were acquaintances of my 
 father, but all of them induced by an idle curio- 
 sity, which the occurrences respecting Riesco and 
 other events had given rise to, profiting of the 
 right that the etiquette of the above day gave 
 
 them, assembled at the usual hour in the Inqui- 
 
 * 
 
 sition to visit its prison. This annual ceremony, 
 
 which was originally instituted for the benevolent 
 purpose of ascertaining whether the prisoners stood 
 in want of any of those articles to which each 
 was entitled by the regulations of the prisons, 
 had under the present government become a mere 
 pantomine. Consequently, it only lasted a few 
 minutes ; but these sufficed to gratify the curiosity 
 of the visitors, who had no other object in view. 
 
 In this instance, however, they were disap- 
 pointed in their expectations, and I was spared 
 the disagreeable presence of such men, from 
 whom, notwithstanding Dr. GiPs advice, I would 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. ]89 
 
 never have asked the smallest favour. Neverthe- 
 less, at the hour fixed for the visit, I could hear 
 the distant noise of doors, and the murmur of their 
 loud talking. I afterwards learned that another 
 unfortunate individual, who was confined in one 
 of the prisons near mine, had been visited by 
 them, and that when Don Marcelino was leadinsr 
 them to the passage that conducted to my dun- 
 geon, Berdeja motioned him to stop, whilst Zor- 
 rilla^ proceeding towards the stairs, told them 
 they might withdraw, as their visit was concluded. 
 As the number of persons who attended on this 
 occasion, was greater than usual, I may safely 
 infer that my judges, fearing I might utter the 
 many complaints I should have been justified in 
 making against them, adopted this method to pre- 
 vent it. 
 
 A long time elapsed before either of the jailers 
 appeared, a circumstance from which I was led to 
 suspect that the number of the prisoners was con- 
 siderable, since the visit seemed to last so long. 
 Among the familiars of the Inquisition duped by 
 Zorilla on that day, was Don Manuel Centurion, 
 chamberlain of the King, and an old friend of my 
 father, with whom he was in the habit of having 
 his daily game at ombre. This credulous cour- 
 tier, fully expecting to see me, had accompanied 
 the rest of the familiars, with the sole intention of 
 
190 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 informing my father of the state in which he 
 might find me. Don Juanito, who was this gen- 
 tleman's agent for collecting his revenues in the 
 capital, being questioned by him respecting me, 
 and afraid of incurring his displeasure, owned that 
 I was still in those prisons ; without, however, 
 neglecting this opportunity of working on the 
 timidity and religious scruples of his employer, to 
 break off the intimacy which subsisted between 
 him and my father. The character of this hypo- 
 critical jailer was so black and full of duplicitv, 
 that whilst on one hand he was my most cruel op- 
 pressor, on the other he aifected to condole with 
 my afflicted father. 
 
 My unhappy family, who on that day were 
 waiting with the utmost anxiety the return of 
 Centurion, hoping to have the poor consolation of 
 learning something of my present situation, were 
 filled with grief at the disappointment they expe- 
 rienced ; especially my mother, who, feeling no 
 less affected at it than at the heartless manner in 
 which she was received by the King, fainted away 
 in my sisters' arms. 
 
 Don Juanito, who came at noon to serve me 
 my scanty portion, complained much of illness, 
 but said nothing about the threatened visit, al- 
 though by his dress I supposed it might be con- 
 tinued in the afternoon. When towards evening. 
 
DOiV JUAN VAN HALEX. 191 
 
 Don Marcelino came to the dungeon, the pain in 
 my chest was so great, that I intimated a wish to 
 retire to bed. To this he made no objection ; but 
 on the contrary said that I might do so imme- 
 diately, as the visit was now over. He then as- 
 sisted me in undressing, and returned only at the 
 hour Dr. Gil had requested the medicine should 
 be administered to me. 
 
 From the moment I lay down in bed, I felt a 
 little lump about the middle of it, which I at first 
 tiiought was a button ; but on my attempting to 
 remove it, I found it to be the upper part of a 
 drop ear-ring. This discovery was a balm to my 
 heart ; for although my heavy misfortunes made 
 me look upon every thing here with mistrust, still 
 it was impossible to mistake its true meaning or its 
 owner. As, however, I could neither see nor 
 speak to her, nor even communicate by writing, 
 I was puzzled how to ask an explanation. To 
 devise the means of answering this sign was my 
 constant occupation during the whole of that 
 night. Hoping that my dungeon would be swept 
 on the following day, I wound round the ear-ring 
 some of my hair, and left it in the same place 
 where I found it. This was the only sign of in- 
 telligence the least perceptible that occurred to 
 me ; but as my evil fortune still pursued me, 
 tliree days elapsed before my dungeon was cleaned. 
 
192 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 The reason of this delay was Don Juanito's illness, 
 which, I understood, was caused by his constant 
 attendance in the dungeons. 
 
 The day having at length arrived, and the 
 cleaning of my dungeon being performed, on my 
 return thither I hastened to examine the place 
 where I had found the ear-ring. It was no longer 
 there ; but perceiving that my watch did not hang 
 at the head of the bed, where I usually left it, I 
 searched, and found it under the pillow, observing 
 with surprise that it pointed to the wrong hour. I 
 own that I could not so easily guess the jneaning 
 of this second sign. In any other situation no- 
 thing could be more easily understood ; but con- 
 fined in this subterraneous place, secured by five 
 doors, and under the immediate vigilance of two 
 jailers, how was it possible for me to keep an 
 assignation ? 
 
 On the following day, however, just at the 
 hour indicated by the watch, I heard a slight 
 noise accompanied with the words " quick — 
 quick,'^ uttered impatiently, which caused all my 
 doubts to vanish. I leaped as well as I could from 
 my bed, and hastened to the small opening of the 
 interior door, which was on a line with that of the 
 exterior, where I saw, but indistinctly, the face of 
 Ramona, who addressed me in these words : 
 " You are very unfortunate : I wish with all my 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 193 
 
 heart to be of some service to you : what can I 
 do for you ? Don Juanito is in bed — say quickly." 
 
 ** My good girl," replied I, "do you know how 
 to read ?" 
 
 " A little." 
 
 " Could you give me paper and a pencil ?" 
 
 " That is not in my power at present ; but," 
 she added, looking back and leaving me an in- 
 stant, " here is some." 
 
 " Now give me a pin." 
 
 She then thrust her arm, which, though small, 
 could hardly pass through the opening in the door, 
 and succeeded in giving me the pin fastened in 
 the paper, which I found to be a folded piece for 
 making cigars, and which had probably been 
 dropped by Don Marcelino, who was in the habit 
 of smoking. " My poor girl, pray to the Holy 
 Virgin that Don Juanito's illness may be pro- 
 longed," said 1, as I took the paper from her, 
 after which she disappeared. 
 
 Although I found myself so unexpectedly pos- 
 sessed of the entire good will of that kind-hearted 
 girl, and of the paper, which was so essential to 
 me, I was greatly embarrassed as to whom I 
 should address myself; my mind being in such 
 a disturbed state that I could not recollect the 
 number of any of my friends' houses in the ca- 
 pital, and I was too well aware of the fatal con- 
 
 VOL. I. K 
 
194 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 sequences which would have ensued from a wrong 
 direction. Besides, the dwellings of many of them, 
 who resided at Madrid or its environs, were un- 
 known to me, while others, being military men, 
 were constantly changing their quarters. Whilst 
 struggling with these difficulties, I remembered 
 the residence of a cousin of mine, the same from 
 whom Irriberry had given me a letter on the 
 night when he had been so singularly generous 
 in the prison of Murcia. This gentleman, a cap- 
 tain of a frigate, whose name was Don Jacobo 
 Murfy, held a situation in the office of hydro- 
 graphy, where he had apartments, and where I 
 concluded he might be found. To him, therefore, 
 I resolved to write. 
 
 At twelve o'clock in the day, Ramona had paid 
 me her welcome visit, and at half-past one my 
 dinner was usually brought to me ; so that pro- 
 fiting of this short interval, as well as of the 
 daylight, which was but very transient in my 
 dungeon, I drew blood from my veins, and wrote 
 to my cousin with my tooth-pick as follows : — 
 " The ink with which this note is written, and 
 the information you may gain from the bearer, 
 will enable you to form an idea of the wretched 
 situation to which I am reduced. I am surrounded 
 with horrors ; but no one shall ever suffer through 
 my want of constancy or caution. Endeavour to 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 195 
 
 see Don Facundo Infantes, a friend of mine, and 
 of Heceta, whom you know ; shew him this paper, 
 and act in concert ^vith him. Farewell." 
 
 I had just concluded these lines, when the noise 
 of doors announced the approach of the jailer, 
 and I had time to conceal my note before he en- 
 tered. My frugal repast being over, I was again 
 left to the silence of my dungeon. "Words are 
 inadequate to describe how heavy appeared to me 
 the two days that elapsed before I saw Ramona, 
 who, however, availing herself of every opportu- 
 nity, left the same day under my pillow some 
 folded paper, a pencil, and my watch pointing to 
 eleven. 
 
 Dr. Gil, who had not visited me for two days, 
 came on that evening, and from his conversation 
 with Don Marcelino, I learned that Don Juanito 
 would be confined to his bed for some days. Not 
 even the most efficacious medicine which the whole 
 science could afford, would have relieved me half 
 ''c mnch as did this agreeable news. He with- 
 drew greatly displeased at finding that T had 
 been overlooked in the visit to the prison, and that 
 the clothing of my bed had not been increased, 
 to which he attributed the little improvement 
 perceivable in my health. My anxiety to see 
 Ramona being now my principal cause of uneasi- 
 ness, did not permit me to pay much attention 
 
 K 2 
 
196 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 either to the anger manifested by Dr. Gil^ to my 
 suffocating cough and excessive pains of my dis- 
 jointed arm, or to the other numberless afflictions 
 to which I was a prey. 
 
 At length, the hour which I so impatiently 
 wished for arrived, and Ramona appeared a short 
 time after, finding me already waiting at the door. 
 ^' Are you better ?''"' she inquired. 
 
 " All my pains have vanished with your pre- 
 sence," I replied ; but interrupting me, she added, 
 '' Don Juanito continues confined to his bed, and 
 my master (meaning Don Marcelino) is dressing 
 to go out, as the tribunal does not sit during 
 the Easter holidays. Tell me what I can do for 
 you." 
 
 '' Are you resolved to serve me at all hazards ?''^ 
 I asked. 
 
 '' Strange question ! But to the point.''"' 
 
 " Have you the liberty to go out ?'* 
 
 " Not always; but there are hours in the day 
 when no one objects to it ; besides I go every 
 morning to the market.'"* 
 
 I wish you to carry this note to Don Jacobo 
 Murfy, who resides at the office of hydrography, 
 in the street of Alcala ; but that you may not 
 excite his suspicion, you must tell him all you 
 know of my situation, and shew him this watch 
 from me, in which my name is enamelled. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 197 
 
 When he has heard you, do what he may re- 
 quest." 
 
 " Is he a man of honour ? Have you much 
 confidence in him ? Reflect that there may be as 
 many wicked men among your friends as among 
 your enemies."* 
 
 I replied, that I had as much confidence in him 
 as in herself. " If it be so," she cried, " give me 
 your watch and the note." 
 
 I fastened them to the end of the broom, which 
 she thrust through the opening in the doors, and 
 they arrived safely to her hands. When she saw 
 the colour of the writing, she asked if I could 
 make no use of the pencil, to which I replied that 
 the note was written before she gave it to me. 
 " If," she remarked, " I find no opportunity of 
 delivering my messages to you personall}', you 
 will find them under your pillow." 
 
 " What is your name .?" I inquired. 
 
 " Ramona. This is my only name." As she 
 uttered these words, her voice changed, and hastily 
 bidding me farewell, she withdrew. 
 
 This sudden departure was to me a new motive 
 of anxiety, as I had not sufficiently impressed upon 
 her the necessity of her returning the watch as 
 soon as possible, and I was afraid some new mis- 
 
 * By this she alluded to a conversation she had overheard res- 
 pecting Calvo. 
 
198 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 fortune would ensue, were Don ^larcelino by any 
 chance to ask me the hour. 
 
 On the following day, however, my dungeon 
 being cleaned, I had the pleasure of finding under 
 the pillow my watch and a note, which, unfor- 
 tunately, I was unable to read, owing to the 
 darkness that prevailed in that place at the time 
 of my return. I therefore spent in conjectures the 
 whole night, which was the last of that, to me, 
 cheerless year. 
 
 The first day of the year 1818 at length 
 dawned, and no sooner did the light enable me to 
 see the writing of the above note, than I read the 
 following reply from my cousin : — " Nothing can 
 equal the surprise I experienced on receiving your 
 note. I will immediately inform Infantes and 
 Heceta of what I have learned of your wretched 
 situation. Be assured, my aftection for you will 
 prompt me to exert my every nerve in your behalf. 
 Heaven preserve you ! Adieu." 
 
 I read these lines again and again, when the 
 noise of doors announcing the approach of some 
 one, I saw Don Marcelino enter, attired in his 
 gala dress. Notwithstanding the indifference with 
 which I looked upon any change in the appear- 
 ance of these men, I was afraid that this novelty 
 might prevent me from seeing my messenger, as 
 soon as I expected. His fine dress, however, did 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 199 
 
 not hinder him from performing the usual menial 
 offices of the dungeon. Wishing to ascertain 
 whether I had any thing to apprehend from the 
 circumstance of his having assumed his gala dress, 
 I told him that the pain I felt in my chest, and 
 the desire to create perspiration, compelled me to 
 remain in bed the whole day. " Yes, the wea- 
 ther is raw cold. You had better keep your bed,"" 
 he said, with the fatuity of a starched inquisitor, 
 and then withdrew. 
 
 On being left alone, I began to prepare another 
 note to deliver to my messenger, should she pay 
 me a visit on that day. The pencil was so bad, 
 that I was obliged to have recourse to the same 
 kind of ink I had used on the former occasion ; 
 and thinking that my cousin must by this time 
 have seen Infantes, I addressed my note to the 
 latter, saying that there were certain persons 
 (whose names I specified, and in particular Tor- 
 rijos, for whose personal safety I felt greatly 
 alarmed) who might be interrogated respecting 
 the correspondence they had held with me, and 
 who ought absolutely to know that, throughout all 
 my declarations, I had carefully concealed their 
 names ; so that the knowledge of their letters being; 
 in the possession of the Inquisitors ought not to be 
 a matter of anxiety to them. I added that he 
 might assure them of my firm determination never 
 
200 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 to betray the name of any individual, and begged 
 him immediately to -vvrite to Murcia, Granada, 
 Valencia, and Cadiz, the places of residence where 
 those friends were likely to be found. 
 
 I had scarcely concluded these lines, when I 
 heard Ramona's whisper at the outer door. " I 
 went the day before yesterday," she said, " to see 
 the gentleman to whom your note was addressed. 
 As I entered his room, he dismissed his servant, 
 and was amazed beyond expression at seeing your 
 note. To remove any doubt he might entertain, I 
 shewed him your watch, which he scarcely looked 
 at, and asked me who I was. I gave him a full 
 account of your situation, and begged him not to 
 detain me long, as I had a distance to go. I also 
 appointed a place nearer to the Inquisition, where 
 he might receive your messages. Having heard 
 me, he went into his study and returned soon after, 
 bringing me the note which I left under your pil- 
 low. I am to return to-morrow to the appointed 
 place, according to his request, to see if there is 
 any other message for you. Have you any thing 
 to send him ?"" 
 
 I then delivered to her the note I had already 
 written. " Don Juanito," she continued, " is still 
 confined to his bed, and my master is gone to the 
 levee of the Inquisitor-General." 
 
 " So that you are my jailer to-day ?'^ 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 201 
 
 *' Would to God I were ! Little do you know 
 what kind of prison this is." 
 
 " Have you been long in it ?'''' 
 
 " Whilst I may be employed in your service, 
 I beg you to ask no questions about me. I wish 
 to act with all possible disinterestedness, and have 
 no other desire than knowing if I can alleviate 
 your misfortunes." 
 
 " Are there any other prisoners confined in these 
 dungeons ?"" I inquired, 
 
 ^' There is only one more," she replied, " but 
 his sufferings are not equal to yours. My master 
 says he will soon be set at liberty." 
 
 '' Have you seen him ?" 
 
 " Yes, Sir, for I clean his place without his 
 being; removed from it." 
 
 *' What kind of a man is he ?" 
 
 " He is still young, and good-looking. He is 
 always cheerful and singing, and has covered the 
 walls with drawings. My master says they are 
 portraits of French kings." 
 
 On hearing this, the suspicion which- I had 
 formed respecting the pretended arrest of Calvo, 
 with whom I expected every moment to be con- 
 fronted, disappeared. " Do you know his name?" 
 I again inquired. 
 
 " No, Sir, nor even yours, until I saw it in 
 your watch ; for both Don Juanito and my master 
 
 K 3 
 
202 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 call you the bird, since that blustering officer who 
 once attended you (she meant the military fiscal) 
 told them one night to keep a strict watch over 
 you J for you were a hird of high Jlight. I was 
 serving my master the chocolate when I heard it." 
 
 She then related to me the various changes she 
 had remarked in Don Marcelino and Don Juanito, 
 exclaiming, as she spoke of the latter and of his 
 illness, " I should never have been able to render 
 you any service without this fortunate chance. He 
 is the only one by whom I am incessantly watched ; 
 and if he recovers, I know not what will become 
 of you, as I shall not then so easily find an oppor- 
 tunity of speaking with you." 
 
 I then asked her who kept the keys of my dun- 
 geon ; to which she answered, that sometimes her 
 master, and at others Don Juanito ; but that the 
 former, on going to bed, always placed them under 
 his pillow ; adding, that some of them were very 
 difficult to manage, the locks having some secret 
 springs, and lastly, that although her master allow- 
 ed her to enter the passages^ he never trusted her 
 with the keys of my dungeon. 
 
 Having given me this information, she with- 
 drew, lest she should excite suspicion. Fearing 
 to alarm her by disclosing too suddenly my inten- 
 tions, I was obliged to put to her those random 
 questions. Not many minutes elapsed after her 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 203 
 
 departure, when Don Marcelino made his appear- 
 ance, bringing under his arm some books of Bos- 
 suet and St. Augustin, saying, as he gave them to 
 me, that he had received them for my use from the 
 Secretary* of the Council of the Supreme, who had 
 desired his compliments to me, hoping I would 
 not forget myself or my father. Such was the con- 
 stant theme of these pretended friends. 
 
 On the following day, Ramona came about the 
 time I expected her, and delivered to me a note, 
 saying, " I have not seen the gentleman, but I 
 found this paper in the place appointed for the 
 purpose, and left yours there. Do not be sur- 
 prised at seeing me thus agitated, and at my leav- 
 ing you immediately. Don Juanito gets up to- 
 day, and the tribunal will sit in a few days. The 
 Virgin will not hear my prayers." She bade me 
 farewell, and withdrew. 
 
 * The brother of the Senior Inquisitor of Murcia, Castaneda. 
 
204 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Letter from the author's friends promising help — Timidity of Ra- 
 mona — Constancy of her resolution to aid the author — The sur- 
 geon declares him to be mad — Exertions of his friends — Don 
 IMarcelino gives him hopes of a visit from his father — Ramona's 
 apprehensions — She refuses to bring any destructive weapons — 
 Plan of the author to escape. 
 
 I CAST my eyes on the note Ramona had just 
 delivered to me, a few lines of which were written 
 by my cousin, and the remainder in a disguised 
 hand, which I attributed to Infantes : the follow- 
 ing was the substance: — ** Be sure your friends 
 will immediately do their utmost to effect your 
 deliverance. Reckon on our arms and on our 
 purses in any plans you may meditate, and tell us 
 frankly all you may require to have them put into 
 execution ; for no impediments shall make us 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 205 
 
 shrink from executing the sacred duties of friend- 
 ship by which we are united." 
 
 An inexpressible joy filled my very soul. The 
 enthusiasm I felt at reading these lines was such, 
 that the darkness of my dungeon seemed to vanish, 
 as well as the obstacles which before had appeared 
 to me insurmountable. These flattering hopes, 
 which the noble conduct of a poor servant girl alone 
 had raised, might be too premature : but they 
 succeeded in rescuing me from the depths of de- 
 spair into which I was sunk. 
 
 By the silence of my friends, and the assurance 
 of Ramona that there was but one more prisoner 
 in the vicinity of my dungeon, I inferred that the 
 Inquisition had not extended its persecutions so 
 far as the positive manner in which Zorrilla had 
 made some of his charges gave me reason to fear. 
 Agreeably to this inference, I began seriously to 
 think about myself, not indeed as my judges ad- 
 vised me, but as sound reason suggested ; namely, 
 how I could effect my deliverance. Don Juanito's 
 recovery, however, was an obstacle which opposed 
 itself to it, no less so than the weak condition to 
 which I was reduced, as I clearly saw that, in 
 order to execute my plan, I must have recourse to 
 force, the intricate labyrinth of these subterra- 
 neous passages shutting out all hope of effecting 
 it by any other means. Besides, I remarked, in 
 
206 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 the midst of Ramona^s exalted generosity of cha- 
 racter, a natural timidity which would not allow 
 me to think of asking her assistance, as all the 
 efforts of my friends in my favour might be ren- 
 dered useless by the least wavering on her part at 
 the moment of putting my plan into execution, 
 and a thousand disasters ensue. 
 
 I received these first advices from my friends 
 on the 2nd of January, and saw nothing of Ra- 
 mona on the two following days. Don Marce- 
 lino, who appeared to be much occupied during 
 the first days of the new year, remained but a 
 short time Avith me ; and I observed that even at 
 night, when he came to administer to me the 
 draught, he did not as usual enter into conver- 
 sation with me respecting the books which he had 
 brought. 
 
 On the 5th, whilst I was lost in a multitude of 
 doubts and conjectures respecting the cause of 
 Ramona's delay, I heard a whisper at the outer 
 door, which I immediately knew proceeded from 
 her. On repairing to the aperture, she gave me 
 some paper, and a better pencil than the one she 
 had before furnished me with, and in a hurried 
 and soQiewhat tremulous voice, said softly to 
 me : " Be quick, and tell me in a low voice if 
 you want any thing else. The prisoner who 
 was confined in the passage above this has been 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 20? 
 
 removed to a dungeon close by, and I have not 
 found before this time an opportunity of visiting 
 you. Don Juanito left his room this morning, 
 and has begun meddling as usual. Should I 
 be closely watched by him, the best way for 
 you will be to write to me, putting your note 
 under the pillow." 
 
 " Can you read well ? for I have much to sav 
 and to ask of you ; but should you be inclined 
 to refuse granting any of my requests, I beg you 
 will pity me no more, nor urge any vain conso- 
 lations.*"' 
 
 " What can you require of me that I should 
 be likely to refuse doing ? My fears are all on 
 your account : doubt not for a moment my will- 
 ingness to serve you. Farewell.*" 
 
 Between the paper she gave me, I found a 
 note from my friends, equally expressive as the 
 former, in which I was informed that all I had 
 recommended respecting Torrijos and my other 
 friends had been done. I was, moreover, desired 
 to say positively if I thought I could combine 
 with them my escape from prison, as they had 
 already devised various plans to favour it ; that 
 they would send to me whatever I stood in need 
 of to overcome the first difficulties ; and lastly, 
 that if by some fatality my efforts failed, and I 
 feared that a cruel death would be the conse- 
 
2^S NARRATIVE OF 
 
 quence, they would so far do violence to their 
 feelings as to send me the means of depriving 
 myself of life. 
 
 My plan of escape was then different from that 
 which I finally adopted, and there is no doubt 
 that, had I attempted it by any other means than 
 the one through which I effected it, all would 
 have been discovered. I could undertake nothing 
 without first consulting Ramona. The small 
 double iron-barred window of my dungeon was so 
 high that it was impossible for me to reach it, 
 and the walls were composed of a material in 
 which the least impression would have been im- 
 mediately observed. On the other hand, the 
 doors of the dungeon were so contrived that, the 
 one opening towards the other, the person passing 
 through naturally exposed himself to be crushed 
 between them, particularly if he were unable to 
 lock the first, which I knew would be the case 
 with me. With respect to the passages, stair- 
 cases, and windings, I had passed through them 
 several times ; but I did not perfectly recollect 
 the avenue leading out of the prison to the apart- 
 ments of the jailers, so that nothing was more 
 easy than to lose myself in that labyrinth. The 
 first step, therefore, to be taken was to disclose 
 my plans to Ramona, and ask her advice. I was 
 the more impatient to do this, as I feared that all 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 209 
 
 my hopes might be frustrated by the complete 
 recovery of Don Juanito. 
 
 Dr. Gil visited me on that evening, and re- 
 peated what he had so often said, — that no im- 
 provement could be expected in my health as long 
 as I remained without a fire in my dungeon, or I 
 was not removed to a more comfortable one. 
 Both his countenance and his words demonstrated 
 that he was highly displeased at the manner in 
 which I was treated, and that his visits would be- 
 come less frequent. It was very evident that, 
 notwithstanding his goodness of heart, he was 
 wearied of attending on me. Previous to his with- 
 drawing, he requested Don Marcelino to give me 
 every night the same medicine I had been taking ; 
 adding that, unless absolutely wanted, he begged 
 him not to send for him ; after which addressing 
 himself to me, he said, " I am no longer wanted 
 here, but I will nevertheless come occasionally to 
 see you ;" and bidding me farewell in a tone of 
 compassion, slowly walked out of the dungeon. 
 
 On the morning of the following day (the 6th), 
 Don Marcelino remained a long time with me, 
 talking about the work of Bossuet, endeavouring 
 to ascertain how much I had read of it. I was 
 surprised it should not for a moment enter the 
 minds of those men, that one reduced to my un- 
 happy condition must see in the maxims of religion 
 
210 NAERATIVE OF 
 
 contained in those books (which he received 
 through the medium of his oppressors, whose 
 barbarous deeds offered the greatest contrast to 
 the purity of the gospel, and to every principle of 
 honour and rectitude) new motives for fomenting 
 his abhorrence of their conduct. 
 
 At the usual hour Ramona made her appear- 
 ance. *' I bring nothing for you to-day," she 
 said, " although I have already been at the 
 appointed place." 
 
 " How is Don Juanito .'^" 
 
 " He seldom leaves his room. The other day 
 he found himself the worse for going out, and 
 as he is so nervous, he scarcely ever gives us the 
 pleasure of his company." 
 
 " I am happy to hear it," I replied, " because 
 I do not think it safe for us to communicate by 
 writing." 
 
 "How!" she exclaimed; ''do you mistrust 
 me, or do you believe me indiscreet .^'' 
 
 " Neither," replied I : " but I will now ask 
 you the last favour ; namely, to bring me two 
 pistols, and a few other articles, which will be 
 delivered to you by my friends." 
 
 " Are you mad .^" she cried ; " how horrible ! 
 That I will never do. I have often heard my 
 master say that you wish to destroy yourself, and 
 he always had a long consultation with the doctor 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 211 
 
 whenever opium was prescribed for you. Whilst 
 I live, and am able to serve you, why should you 
 wish to die ?" 
 
 She said this with so much earnestness, that I 
 immediately endeavoured to calm her alarm by 
 assuring her that I wished those weapons to effect 
 my deliverance, not to destroy myself. 
 " Which way will you effect it ?^' 
 " Through the door. Nothing easier.'" 
 " You do not know the state of the prison at 
 present. Do not bewilder me : give me time to 
 observe things, and watch for an opportunity. I 
 will apprize you of all that may occur ; but do 
 not expect even a pin from me to harm yourself 
 with — no, never ! The physician remained some 
 time last night sitting by the fire with my master 
 and Don Juanito ; you formed their only subject 
 of conversation, and I heard the doctor say, 
 during the time I happened to be present, that 
 the judges pressed him hard to put an end to his 
 visits to you. My mistress asked him what ailed 
 you ? to which he replied with a smile, that your 
 illness was most difficult to cure ; in a word, that 
 you were mad. To this my master said, shewing 
 some impatience, as he always does whenever he 
 speaks of you, that, mad or sane, you had many 
 firm supporters without, and that he would rather 
 have thirty prisoners than the bird, who had so 
 
212 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 often deprived him of his sleep. The doctor re- 
 plied, that there was not a single person without 
 who ever thought of you." 
 
 Ramona related to me this conversation with 
 the object of convincing me that my keepers did 
 not sleep on their watch, especially when she 
 added that every night her master took certain 
 precautions which he had never before taken. 
 A noise in the passage now obliging her to quit 
 me, I remained alone, forming new plans and 
 conjectures. The idea of the doctor pronouncing 
 me mad had before now struck me as the means 
 of prolonging the inaction of the tribunal in the 
 continuation of my trial. The denial given me 
 by Ramona so greatly disconcerted me, that not- 
 withstanding the traits of generosity she had 
 shewn, I began to doubt whether she would 
 serve me in an emergency. I was, however, too 
 sensible of Ramona's kind services to lose all hope 
 of her assistance. 
 
 On the following day, I received a visit from 
 Don Juanito, who did not fail to shew his inso- 
 lence to me, by saying, among other things, that 
 he found me much improved, and that the fric- 
 tion on my legs (speaking ironically of the fetters) 
 was the surest specific to remove any oppression 
 of the chest. I had beside me one of the books 
 which I had been reading, and my first impulse 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 213 
 
 was to throw it at his head ; but restraining my 
 anger, I opened it and took no further notice of 
 him during the time he remained with me. Soon 
 after, however, Don Marcelino entered, and as- 
 suming an air of gaiety, said, either through 
 stupidity or malice, '' Well ! how do you find 
 Don Juanito after his illness ? Is he the worse 
 for it, think you ? One can scarcely recognize 
 him, he has grown so witty !" thus seconding with 
 his foolish talk the insolence of his colleague. 
 
 The appearance of Don Juanito produced its 
 effects. Five days elapsed before I saw any thing 
 of my messenger. On the sixth, on returning to 
 my dungeon after it had been cleaned, I found, 
 in the usual place, a note in which my friends in- 
 formed me that Torrijos had answered, " not to 
 be alarmed on his account ; for that he, being a 
 good fencer, would know how to parry the 
 thrusts." I wrote, intreating them to undertake 
 nothing for my escape without first consulting 
 me, Ramona having excited serious apprehensions 
 in my mind respecting the suspicions of the 
 jailers. 
 
 On Don Marcelino coming in the evening to 
 see me, he shut the doors after him, placed his 
 lamp on the floor, and seating himself on my bed, 
 began a flaming panegyric on the Secretary of the 
 Council of the Supreme, who, as he said, was 
 
214 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 very anxious to converse with me. I easily saw 
 the drift of his eulogy, which was to prepare me 
 for a visit that had been long meditated. 
 
 On the following day, Ramona came but for 
 an instant, to take my answer to the note I had 
 received from her, at the same time informing me 
 that Don Juanito did not then watch her very 
 closely, because he feared the damp air of those 
 passages; but that nevertheless she could not 
 remain with me any length of time till Sunday 
 next. She, however, came on the two preceding 
 days to see if I wanted any thing. Every time I 
 saw her, I mentioned the subject of my intended 
 flight ; but her answers were short and intimidat- 
 ing ; so that the progress I had hitherto made to 
 obtain that object was but trifling. 
 
 On the night of the 15th, Don Marcelino again 
 repeated to me what he had before mentioned. 
 " Mr. Castaneda,'" said he, " is very impatient to 
 see you. It is high time that you should think 
 about yourself. I have no doubt that the visit 
 which that gentleman will by-and-by procure you 
 will be very consoling to you ; but he wishes you 
 to listen to the virtuous sentiments of the person 
 whom you will see.*" 
 
 '• What visit can console me in this place .'^''' I 
 asked. "Alas! Don Marcelino, the visit of the 
 masks I once saw here is too deeply imprinted on 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 215 
 
 my memory to be forgotten by me as long as I 
 live." 
 
 '' Be calm, my dear Sir,*" he returned : " I do 
 not allude to such a visit. The most important 
 thing at present for you to think about is to get 
 well. It is your father — yes ! your father, who 
 is to come and see you." 
 
 I own that I was surprised, though not agree- 
 ably ; for, knowing the intention of his visit, such 
 an interview could not fail to be highly painful to 
 me. Convinced, however, of the necessity of 
 gaining time, I told Don Marcelino that I was 
 very much obliged to Mr. Castaneda for his good 
 wishes, and that I was most happy to hear that 
 I should receive a visit from my respectable 
 father. No sooner had I mentioned this, than 
 Don Marcelino, evincing the greatest joy, seized 
 the light, and hastened away, doubtless to inform 
 his employers of the result of his errand. 
 
 Another day passed ^vithout my seeing Ramona ; 
 but on the following, I heard her voice at the 
 usual hour, saying joyfully, that on that day 
 there was no tribunal, and that Don Juanito had 
 not left his room ; adding, that I might put to 
 her any questions I pleased. I profited by this 
 opportunity to paint in the strongest colours the 
 true situation in which I stood, declaring to her 
 that it was indispensable I should open myself a 
 
216 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 passage or die. On hearing this, she uttered a 
 thousand exclamations, and burst into a flood of 
 tears, keeping me for several minutes in a state of 
 confusion. " It is impossible,*" she cried, " for 
 you to escape — my master'^s death would be the 
 consequence — horrible ! horrible! I do not regard 
 my own life — no, I do not." 
 
 " You will accompany me," exclaimed I, in- 
 terrupting her. 
 
 " Then I should dishonour myself, and I am 
 lost for ever." 
 
 In vain did I try every argument to persuade 
 her to adopt this step : at length I asked her if 
 • she would bring me what my cousin would deliver 
 to her. " I will bring nothing that may be inju- 
 rious to you, or to my master : that is the only 
 thing I v/ill deny you. Dispose of me as you 
 will ; ask me any thing you please to effect your 
 escape ; I will refuse you nothing ; but you must 
 wait for an opportunity when every thing may 
 weigh on Don Juanito. Let him be responsible 
 for every thing : let him be the only sufferer — yes, 
 the only one, for he deserves all. I will then 
 bring you any thing you want, and lose my life to 
 save yours ; but in putting your plan into execu- 
 tion, think of some means of avoiding bloodshed. 
 Let neither yours nor my master's blood be spilt, 
 I intreat you, and I am ready to do all for you. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 217 
 
 for I see that you must no longer abide here ; but 
 you must not forget my entreaties.'^ In this wild 
 manner she proceeded for some time, until the fear 
 of exciting suspicions made her quit me. 
 
 Since she agreed to procure for me the articles 
 of which I stood in need, it was indifferent to me 
 whether I formed my plan of escape upon Don 
 Juanito, or upon Don Marcelino. Her timidity, 
 however, required that I should not precipitate 
 myself. 
 
 On the morning of the 19th, as soon as the 
 light penetrated into my dungeon, I wrote to my 
 friends, informing them that I believed my escape 
 to be practicable, especially if I might depend on 
 their co-operation ; that I would inform them in 
 my next letter of the kind of assistance I should 
 require, and also fix the time for its execution ; 
 and lastly, that I begged them to procure me the 
 means for leaving Spain, through Portugal, in the 
 company of another person with w^hom it was my 
 intention to escape. 
 
 I meditated this journey without taking into 
 consideration my deplorable state of weakness, 
 which would probably have exposed me to some 
 fatal disappointment, had not my friends arranged 
 matters otherwise, through motives, the prudence 
 of which I could not but acknowledge. I had 
 just written my note when Don Marcelino entered, 
 
 VOL. I. L 
 
218 NAERATIVE OF 
 
 and renewed his conversation respecting the secre- 
 tary of the council and the projected visit. I 
 asked him if it would soon take place, to which he 
 replied, that they waited only for my complete 
 recovery to conduct me to an apartment of the 
 Inquisition, where it was resolved my father 
 should see me. It may be easily conceived how 
 important it was for me to postpone that meeting, 
 when there would be no other alternative left me 
 than to betray my friends, or to submit to the 
 torments which the cruelty of the arbiters of my 
 destiny would devise. 
 
 An hour after Don Marcelino's visit, my con- 
 fidential messenger came in great haste. The first 
 thing was to give her the note, assuring her that, 
 if my plans succeeded according to my wishes, 
 nothing of what she feared would happen, espe- 
 cially if she would assist me in putting them into 
 execution. " Where does Don Juanito spend the 
 evening ?" I then inquired. 
 
 " Since he fell ill, he remains in his own room," 
 she replied. 
 
 " What doors does Don Marcelino shut when 
 he comes to bring the medicine ?''"' 
 
 "I do not know, because I never enter the 
 prison at that hour.*" 
 
 " Observe it then for two or three times with 
 all possible care, and inform me of it.'' 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 219 
 
 "Is that all you wish ?" 
 
 " That is enough, Ramona," I replied : " you 
 will render me an essential service by your bring- 
 ing me this intelligence." 
 
 " Depend upon me, I will do it without fail," 
 she said, and withdrew. 
 
 Though I was constantly occupied with the 
 subject of my intended flight, I did not, however, 
 overlook the fate of Ramona, whom I always in- 
 tended to save. We had not yet agreed on this 
 point, which I conceived offered many difficulties. 
 It was very probable that, by describing to her 
 the dangers attending it, she might be intimi- 
 dated ; for she appeared to me more capable of 
 feeling deeply than of acting with resolution ; this 
 at her age, and in her sex, was not surprising. 
 On the other hand, I considered that it would be 
 unjust in me to conceal from her the hazards of 
 our undertaking ; and yet I had remarked of late 
 that she had foregone much of that serenity which 
 she had at first shewn. I lost many an hour of 
 repose in endeavouring to reconcile these differ- 
 ences in my mind. 
 
 Persuaded that the only practicable way for me 
 to make my escape was through the doors, I kept 
 my eyes constantly fixed on them, as well as on 
 every thing connected with that intricate laby- 
 rinth ; and, as it was my intention to effect it dur- 
 
 L 2 
 
220 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 ing the night, I listened attentively, a little before 
 Don Marcelino's late visit, to the echo of the pas- 
 sages, in order to ascertain whether or not he shut 
 the doors after him, and if he were accompanied 
 by any one ; but I could form no right judgment 
 except of what immediately passed before my eyes. 
 The two doors of my dungeon had each a strong 
 bolt with a padlock to it, the same as the other 
 five or six in the passages of the prison. As Don 
 Marcelino was in the habit of coming unarmed 
 every night, bringing the medicine in one hand 
 and the lamp in the other, I imagined that it 
 would be easy for me to compel him to guide me 
 out of the prison. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 221 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 The jailor Don Juanito, having recovered, visits the author — His 
 dungeon is rendered warmer — Important information respecting 
 the doors — Portraits painted on the walls of a dungeon — The 
 chapel called El Rosario — New plans of escape — The author 
 ■writes to his friends on his purposed flight — Resolutions adopted 
 by Ramona — Generous zeal of the author's friends — Don Mar- 
 celino's anecdotes and conversation witn his prisoner. 
 
 Don Marcelino made his appearance on that 
 night, accompanied by Don Juanito, and bringing 
 more clothes for my bed. The latter said that, 
 ^vishing my prompt recovery, they were going to 
 improve the temperature of that apartment, (as 
 he called it,) and that he would then be able oc- 
 casionally to keep me company, adding a thousand 
 impertinent observations respecting the trouble 
 which he said I gave them all. I easily saw that 
 the period of mildness commenced, that my reco- 
 
222 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 very might enable the Inquisitors to repeat fresh 
 cruelties towards me ; and the more I looked at 
 Don Juanito's face, at his affected manners and 
 malicious smile, the more confirmed was I in my 
 conjectures. 
 
 On the following morning, they both came 
 in, bringing a brasier (according to the Spanish 
 fashion) to warm the dungeon. Don Juanito re- 
 peated his visits on that day, enveloped in his 
 cloak. Wlienever he happened to be alone with 
 me, and saw me standing, he carried his hand to 
 his bosom, where he concealed his arms, " You, 
 with that long beard, do not feel the cold,'' said 
 he ; " but we, who walk along these passages, 
 suffer a great deal in the winter."" In this manner 
 he went on, taunting me with ironical language, 
 unpleasant to repeat, though very difficult to for- 
 get. My mind, however, was then more occupied 
 with the obstacle which the presence of this man 
 opposed to my seeing Ramona on that day than 
 with his discourse. 
 
 At length Sunday arrived ; and my jailers, 
 wishing to profit of that holiday, took away the 
 brasier very early, leaving me to the full enjoy- 
 ment of my solitude. Soon after I had the plea- 
 sure of seeing Ramona. " Don Juanito is gone 
 out with my master,'' she said, in a tremulous 
 voice, " but he is more vigilant than ever. Since 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 223 
 
 his recovery he never ventured to enter the prison 
 in the evening till last night, when he came in, 
 and remained wrapped up in his cloak at the top 
 of the first staircase. He ordered me to bring 
 him a light, and taking from his pocket a book 
 which he has carried about him for the last few 
 days, began reading it with great attention." 
 
 " Well, but what have you done ?" I inter- 
 rupted. 
 
 " I have twice followed the steps of my mas- 
 ter. The night before last, I came nearly as far 
 as here, and I heard him speak with you. He 
 does not shut the doors after him ; but the whole 
 prison remains in total darkness, as, except the 
 light he leaves to the other prisoner close by, and 
 that which he brings with him, no other is to be 
 seen. The key of the third door is very difficult 
 to manage ; he always takes it out when he opens 
 the passages for me ; but when he '^omes alone he 
 leaves it in the door. That key has been made 
 since you were imprisoned here, and he never 
 forgets to take it with him on going to bed, as 
 well as the two keys belonging to these doors. 
 Last night he had a long conversation with Don 
 Juanito about you : wishing to know what they 
 had to say, I concealed myself within hearing. 
 That fool Don Juanito expressed himself very 
 anxious that my master should read the book 
 
224 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 which he is himself perusing, saying that he would 
 find in it the history of another bird as wicked 
 and dangerous as yourself, who, he said, had 
 escaped from several prisons, because the king of 
 that country being a heretic had no Inquisition, 
 and consequently no jailers to be compared with 
 the jailers of the Holy Office." 
 
 On hearing Ramona mention a heretic king, I 
 soon guessed that the book which occupied the 
 attention of Don Juanito was no other than the 
 history of Baron de Trenck ; and wishing to in- 
 duce her to accompany me in my flight, I related 
 to her some part of it which bore some analogy 
 to the orenerous conduct she had observed towards 
 
 me. 
 
 '' I do not wish to imitate any one," she re- 
 plied sharply. " Do not bring me examples of 
 foreigners, who might be actuated by very dif- 
 ferent motives from mine. We Spanish women 
 resemble none but ourselves, and we must act in 
 our own way. You remind me of Don Juanito 
 with his ridiculous comparisons. My master may 
 or may not read that book ; and for myself I shall 
 listen only to the impulses of my heart, and of 
 my honour. If you succeed in escaping, I remain 
 here in quiet, and sure of myself; and if you fail, 
 I shall know what to do without trying to imitate 
 the actions of any one."" 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. ^25 
 
 I endeavoured to engage her in this conver- 
 sation so interesting to me, when she suddenly 
 quitted me. Scarcely two minutes had elapsed 
 before Don Juanito made his appearance, with a 
 malicious smile on his countenance, which made 
 me fear he had discovered something ; but al- 
 though Ramona's situation at that moment was 
 ery critical, her foresight prevented any misfor- 
 tune. She had a little dog, so much attached to 
 her that he followed her wherever she went, and 
 . which she was in the habit of leaving outside of 
 the first door of the prison when she came to see 
 me ; so that whenever any one opened the door 
 where it stood, it ran in to its mistress, thus an- 
 nouncing the approach of the person entering, 
 whom it was easy for her to avoid meeting in the 
 obscurity of those labyrinths. 
 
 On the following day, I was taken by both 
 jailers to another dungeon more distant than the 
 one I was usually confined in whilst mine was 
 preparing. On entering, I observed that the walls 
 were covered with portraits^ and Don Marcelino 
 asked me what I thought of them. " You see," 
 
 » 
 
 he added, " that we have here good painters. 
 Amuse yourself with looking at the drawings 
 whilst your place is getting ready." Having said 
 this, they both left me. 
 
 From the middle of this dungeon, which was 
 
 L 3 
 
226 
 
 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 larger and lighter than mine, I could see through 
 the high window the steeple of a chapel called 
 El Rosario. It was under the mats of this chapel, 
 near the basin of holy water, where Ramona left 
 my notes for my friends. The portraits sketched 
 on the walls represented Francis I., Columbus, 
 Henry IV., and Cortez, and were done in such a 
 masterly manner, that but for the materials with 
 which they were painted, they deserved a better 
 place. Doubtless, the artist was not very distant 
 from me. 
 
 On returning to my dungeon, I found under 
 my pillow a letter, in which there was a plan of 
 every street in the vicinity of the prison. My 
 friends, rejoiced at the hopes I had held out to 
 them, described the places through which I ought 
 to direct my course, and where I should meet one 
 of the party, who would guide me to the asylum 
 which was prepared for me ; observing that the 
 success of the project entirely depended on my- 
 self, for that every thing I should require in the 
 way of assistance from without would be afforded 
 me. 
 
 From the moment I entertained the hope of 
 escaping, I commenced taking notes of the occur- 
 rences which happened to me in the Inquisition, 
 Ramona having furnished me with the means of 
 doing this. It was my intention to deliver them 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 227 
 
 to her, that she might convey them to my friends ; 
 but such was the fatality that pursued me, that 
 far from my seeing her at a moment when her 
 presence was so necessary to concert with my final 
 arrangements, I was continually visited by one or 
 other of the two jailers. Don Marcelino spent 
 much of his time with me, always conversing 
 about the intended visit, and of the favourable 
 results which he hoped it would produce. I 
 nevertheless discovered a great uneasiness in my 
 keepers, who seemed very anxious for my com- 
 plete recovery ; and I feared that the opportunity 
 for putting my plan into execution would escape 
 me by a further delay. 
 
 On the morning of the 25th, seeing that Ra- 
 mona did not appear, I employed the short inter- 
 vals in which I was alone in writing to my friends 
 the following note : — 
 
 '' On the 30th of this month, between seven 
 and eight in the evening, I shall attempt my 
 escape ; and should I then be prevented, it will 
 be on one of the following evenings. 1 am re- 
 solved to die if I fail in the execution of my plan ; 
 but if I am fortunate enough to arrive among 
 you, I must give myself up entirely to your di- 
 rection." I then added a description of the sin- 
 gular attire in which I should present myself to 
 them, that, by being informed of it, they might 
 
228 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 neither be surprised at my appearance, nor neglect 
 to furnish me with some other articles of dress by 
 which I might avoid detection. This note I en- 
 closed in another, addressed to Ramona, in which 
 I imparted to her my final resolution, expressing 
 an earnest desire that she should follow me, and 
 begging her to inform me with all possible haste 
 of any unforeseen obstacle that might arise to 
 thwart my intentions. 
 
 A few hours after I had written these notes, she 
 came to her work in my dungeon, and took them 
 from under my pillow. I was, however, not for- 
 tunate enough to see her on that day ; and even 
 on the following she did but just shew herself and 
 mention the name of Don Juanito, when she sud- 
 denly disappeared. At length, on the third day 
 (the 28th), I saw her but for a few minutes, dur- 
 ing which she had only time to say : " For God's 
 sake do not attempt any thing until I have seen 
 you. To-morrow the tribunal does not sit, and I 
 will make an effort to come." Her sudden depar- 
 ture made me suspect that some remarkable 
 occurrence had taken place at which she was 
 alarmed. 
 
 I had already observed that, whenever the tri- 
 bunal did not sit, my keepers bestowed but little 
 of their time in attending upon me, consequently 
 my solitude was less disturbed. Sunday having 
 
DON JtJAN VAN HALEN. 229 
 
 arrived, my jailers were, indeed, more sparing of 
 their visits ; nevertheless I saw nothing of Ramona 
 during the whole morning, which I spent in form- 
 ing a thousand confused conjectures. I had never 
 seen my messenger in the afternoon ; but on this 
 day, at about three, I heard a noise which I 
 thought proceeded from my jailers, and was agree- 
 abry surprised at finding it was Ramona herself, 
 who, delivering to me a note, said, " I must have 
 caused you much uneasiness this morning, but it 
 was unavoidable ; and I assure you I have been ob- 
 liged to assign more than one pretext in order to 
 induce my master to allow me free entrance into 
 the prison this afternoon. I tremble with apprehen- 
 sion at what you purpose doing to-morrow." 
 
 '*• Purpose doing .^"" I interrupted. " At what I 
 will do to-morrow, you mean, or my name is not 
 Van Halen." 
 
 " Wait till Don Juanito be again confined to 
 his room," she cried ; " the weak state of his 
 health gives me reason to hope this may soon be 
 the case." 
 
 " On a former occasion," returned I, " you ad- 
 vised me to deal entirely with Don Juanito, and 
 now you advise the contrary." 
 
 " On a former occasion I feared for my master's 
 life ; now I fear for yours. Since Don Juanito's 
 recovery he has seldom missed the nocturnal 
 
230 NARKATIVE OF 
 
 visit to the prison. You would meet with both, 
 and, woe to me ! what would then become of 
 you ?" 
 
 By this language Ramona, whose generous con- 
 duct had afforded me so much consolation, excited 
 in me the most painful apprehensions, and added 
 to my previous anxiety. No argument I could 
 urge to induce her to follow me was of any avail ; 
 and having exhausted all my means of persuasion, 
 I at length said to her : " Tell me now your de- 
 termination : will you or will you not come ?" 
 
 " If you should hurt my master, or if you 
 should stand in need of my assistance against Don 
 Juanito, and lastly, if I see myself obliged to aid 
 you in an open manner in either of these cases, I 
 am lost, and I will go and die in any place or 
 country where you may take me : but if, on the 
 contrary, it please Heaven that you should obtain 
 your liberty without having recourse to violence, 
 then I have nothing to fear, and I ought to remain 
 where I am, and return thanks to God for your 
 liberation." 
 
 Here tears seemed to choke her utterance, and 
 she leaned her head against the door. " If you 
 succeed," she continued, " without my interfer- 
 ence, no suspicion can be attached to me ; but if 
 I follow you, I convict myself at once." 
 
 I again endeavoured to peruade her to accede 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 231 
 
 to my wishes, by adducing such reasons as in my 
 opinion were less objectionable, and which my 
 reader must suppose sincere in a man who was 
 actuated only by the deepest feelings of gratitude 
 and admiration ; but even these were ineffectual. 
 She firmly believed that there could be no worse 
 union than that emanating from mere gratitude ; 
 but she assured me that I might still reckon on 
 her service, if she was persuaded the state of my 
 health prevented me from travelling. " Last 
 night,"" she added, " Don Juanito did not accom- 
 pany my master to the prison, and I took the 
 opportunity of observing Don Marcelino, who did 
 not shut any of the doors after him. Perhaps 
 Don Juanito will attend to-night, or else to-mor- 
 row night ; but you will know whether he does so, 
 by observing if the plate on which my master 
 brings the glass containing your medicine have a 
 border to it ; if it should not, you may be sure 
 Don Juanito does not watch outside. This man," 
 she continued, '*' always has a poniard concealed 
 about him. As for my master"'s arms, I will 
 manage so that they may hurt neither you nor 
 him." 
 
 " What arms, then, shall I have recourse to if 
 I should meet Don Juanito ?'"' I inquired. 
 
 " If the plate have a border, I entreat you not 
 
232 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 to make the attempt," she replied, " both for your 
 sake and mine." 
 
 I then gave her the notes I had taken, the 
 pencil, and every thing else which it was not pru- 
 dent should be found upon me in case of my fail- 
 ing in the attempt, and requested her to deliver 
 them to my friends. 
 
 Ever since Ramona proffered her assistance to 
 me, we had never spent so much time together, 
 and so undisturbedly as on that afternoon. The 
 reason of this was, that Don Marcelino's wife hav- 
 ing on that day a visitor (a lady with whom she 
 had been brought up), and Don Marcelino's po- 
 liteness not allowing of their going alone to the 
 promenade, he had, contrary to his custom, ab- 
 sented himself, leaving Ramona at home alone. 
 Don Juanito, on the other hand, spent most of the 
 festival days with his friends ; so that the only 
 individuals about the prison, on those occasions, 
 were the servants of the Inquisitors, and the infe- 
 rior attendants of the tribunal. 
 
 Night came, and Don Marcelino entered with 
 the medicine in higher spirits than I had ever seen 
 him. He related to me the various incidents that 
 had amused him during his long walk, and then 
 leaving the lamp with me, withdrew to visit, as I 
 supposed, the other prisoner who was in my vici- 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEX. 233 
 
 nity. I profited of this favourable opportunity to 
 read tbe paper delivered to me by Ramona, in 
 which my friends declared themselves ready to 
 protect my flight, saying, among other things, 
 that from the 30th the friend who was to wait for 
 me outside the doors of the Inquisition would 
 attend every night at seven o'clock ; and referring 
 to the plan already in my possession, they again 
 pointed out to me the way I ought to follow on 
 reaching the street. They also gave me a descrip- 
 tion of the person who would meet me, and the 
 watchword which we were to employ on this occa- 
 sion. I was far from thinking that the precautions 
 taken by my friends to favour my flight could be 
 so extensive as they proved to be. 
 
 On Don Marcelino's return, he again remained 
 some time with me, his conversation turning on 
 the everlasting topic of the intended visit. Had 
 this been the night appointed for my escape, I 
 could have accomplished it with less difficulty ; 
 for although I got into bed, immediately after tak- 
 ing the medicine, with my clothes on, as I gene- 
 rally did, owing to the cold that prevailed in the 
 dungeon, I had the jailer sitting by me, during 
 the whole time he remained there, so entirely off 
 his guard, that nothing could be easier for me than 
 to have effected my escape. Desirous of giving 
 me an idea of the mild treatment I should experi- 
 
234 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 ence, if matters were satisfactorily arranged, as he 
 said, he related to me various anecdotes of the 
 times of his father-in-law, who had had under his 
 care a certain prisoner with whom he frequently 
 used to go out walking in the evening, a circum- 
 stance rather singular for the Inquisition, but 
 which there is no doubt happened in those times 
 of moderation, when this tribunal reckoned among 
 its members the philosophic Llorente. 
 
 I had already examined well his person before 
 he rose to withdraw, and I could discover no other 
 arms than a pistol which he carried in the breast- 
 pocket of his coat. As he closed the doors, I 
 could not help exclaiming to myself, " To-mor- 
 row they shall give way before me, or I shall 
 breathe my last within these walls."" 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 235 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 The author required to assume a new dress — Small gold cross found 
 under his pillow — Perilous exertion — The author bolts his dun- 
 geon doors, leaving Don Marcelino as his prisoner — He effects 
 his escape to the kitchen — Meeting with Ramona — Hue and cry 
 — He escapes — His friends meet him in the street — They give 
 him an immediate disguise — Asylum — Heroine of the war of 
 independence — He resides with Captain Nunez de Arenas — Ge- 
 nerous spirit which animated the liberal party — Their increased 
 numbers — Arco Aguero — Zorraquin — Infantes — Facio — Domin- 
 guez — TorrijoSj and Romero Alpuente — Casraneda's hatred of 
 the latter — Local situation of the Inquisition of the court at 
 Madrid — Coimt of Montijo. 
 
 It was ten o'clock in the morning when the 
 jailers entered, and the day dawned in my dun- 
 geon. " The weather is very foggy," said Don 
 Marcelino ; and I inwardly prayed Heaven that 
 it might continue so till night. I was desired to 
 take off the tattered jacket, companion of my dis- 
 
236 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 asters, and to put on a green surtout^, the same T 
 wore when I went to the audience of the King. I 
 was also informed that the barber would be called 
 to cut my hair and shave my beard (which by this 
 time rivalled that of any Capuchin friar), Don 
 Marcelino hinting that the intended visit was ap- 
 proaching. This alteration in my appearance would 
 hav^e been insignificant in itself, had not my friends 
 been already apprized of the attire in which I 
 thought I should have presented myself to them. 
 
 At twelve o''clock dinner was brought to me, 
 and at two I was conducted to the same dungeon 
 where I had seen the paintings, and where I re- 
 mained about an hour. On returning to my own, 
 I hastened to look under the pillow, and found a 
 small gold cross, and the same ear-ring w^iich first 
 inspired me with hope, both fastened to a hair 
 chain : such were the hostile weapons which that 
 innocent girl furnished me with to come out tri- 
 umphant in my struggle. 
 
 During the short time that the brasier was left 
 with me on the morning of this day, I took a piece 
 of charcoal, with which, in the afternoon, I wrote 
 in one of the blank pages of Bossuet a few lines 
 addressed to Don Marcelino to the foUowins: 
 effect : " That my evil fortune having placed me 
 in the alternative of either being a traitor to my 
 cause, or falling a victim to the cruelty of his 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 237 
 
 employers, I had resolved to seek my liberty by 
 forcible means ; that I did not hesitate to acknow- 
 ledge he was the least inhuman of those whom I 
 had known in those dungeons ; and lastly, that 
 should my adverse fate pursue me so far as to 
 render my attempt fruitless, I begged him to re- 
 spect my misfortunes, should I be again intrusted 
 to his custody/"* Thus I hoped to increase the 
 confusion of my oppressors, if I succeeded in free- 
 ing myself from their grasp. 
 
 Uncertain how to dispose of the present Ra- 
 mona had left for me, upon reflecting that in the 
 event of a failure it would afford the most evident 
 proof of her being an accomplice in my premedi- 
 tated escape, I was compelled, much to my regret, 
 to throw the chain and cross through the loop-hole 
 of my dungeon, preserving only the ear-ring, 
 which by its shape I was able to conceal, and 
 which I have always preserved. 
 
 At length the hour for the execution of my 
 plan drawing near, I listened attentively through 
 the opening in the door, till hearing the distant 
 noise of bolts, I retreated towards my bed. As 
 soon as Don Marcelino entered, without recollect- 
 ing the sign agreed upon respecting the plate, and 
 fearing that this might be my last opportunity, I 
 advanced towards him, extinguished the light, 
 and pushing him violently to the farthest corner 
 
238 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 of the dungeon, flew to the door, and rushing 
 through, shut it upon him and drew the bolt, at 
 the same moment that he, recovering himself, 
 threatened my life. Once in the passage, I grop- 
 ed along in complete darkness ; but the astound- 
 ing cries of the new prisoner echoed so loudly 
 through those vaults, that fearing they might be 
 heard, I no sooner arrived at the third door of 
 that labyrinth, than locking it after me, I took 
 out its ponderous key, with which I armed myself 
 for want of a better weapon. 
 
 I passed the dungeon of the other prisoner con- 
 fined in those passages, who, far from imagining 
 the scene that was acting, mistook my steps for 
 those of the jailer. Following my way at ran- 
 dom, I twice lost myself in the various windings, 
 and a thousand times did I curse the obscurity 
 which threatened to frustrate all my hopes. At 
 length, after groping about for seven or eight 
 minutes, which appeared an eternity to me, I 
 reached the last staircase, from which I could 
 distinguish the glimmerings of a light. As I as- 
 cended the stairs, I grasped the key in the manner 
 of a pistol, and soon after found myself at the 
 threshold of a door wide open, that led to an outer 
 kitchen, in the middle of which hung a lantern. 
 I judged by this that I was already out of the 
 prison ; but uncertain what direction to follow. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEX. 239 
 
 and hearing the voices of people in some part of 
 the house, I stood still for a moment, and then 
 hastened to the kitchen to look for a hatchet, or 
 some other weapon that might serve me in case of 
 meeting opposition. 
 
 On entering, the first object that presented itself 
 was Ramona, who stood pale and breathless, with 
 a countenance in which astonishment was blended 
 with anxiety and alarm. " What pistol is that ? 
 — where is my master ?''"' she exclaimed, after a 
 moment"'s silence, raising her clasped hands to- 
 wards heaven. 
 
 I calmed her apprehensions by shewing her the 
 key, when, immediately recovering her presence 
 of mind, she drew from her bosom the notes I had 
 given her, and returning them to me, pointed to a 
 court which led to the outer door, saying, "^ That 
 is the way to the street. My mistress and her 
 guest are in the saloon : you hear their voices. 
 This is the very hour when she expects the arrival 
 of some friends, and I must immediately call out, 
 because they know I must necessarily see you 
 before you get to the court. For Heaven's sake 
 hasten away, for I can render you no farther 
 assistance." Saying this, she pressed my hands 
 in hers with deep emotion, and I hurried towards 
 the court. As the remainder of my way was also 
 involved in darkness, I lost some minutes in find- 
 
240 NAEKATIVE OF 
 
 ing the right direction to the door, when the rust- 
 ling of the bell- wire served to guide me to it. 
 Here I heard the voices of some persons outside, 
 who certainly did not expect to meet with such a 
 porter. 
 
 Meantime Ramona, who was to open the door, 
 on hearing the bell ring, began screaming for 
 assistance, as if she had been hurt by some one 
 passing in great haste. The ladies, alarmed, 
 joined their cries to her''s, and I opened the door 
 amidst this confusion, pushed down the person 
 just entering, and reached the street, feeling as if 
 I breathed a second life. 
 
 Following the direction pointed out to me by 
 my friends, and avoiding the approach of some 
 of the persons I saw lurking about the Inquisi- 
 tion, I turned the corner of that building, and 
 met a tall man muffled up in his cloak, who, either 
 having forgotten the watch-word agreed upon, or 
 recognizing me at the first moment, exclaimed, 
 " Van Halen ! Juan ! is it you .^" 
 
 " Yes, it is,'' I cried, my heart leaping with 
 joy at hearing the voice of a friend. As soon as 
 I returned this answer, he gave a shrill whistle, 
 and suddenly I was surrounded by several other 
 friends, among whom I recognized two old com- 
 rades of mine, whom I did not suppose so inte- 
 rested in my destiny. One took off my old cap. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 241 
 
 and placed his laced cocked-hat on my head ; 
 another gave me a cloak, which, he said, had 
 been purposely made for me ; a third desired me 
 to follow him and fear nothing, for they would all 
 lose their lives sooner than I should be retaken. 
 They were all military men, whose high-wrought 
 enthusiasm had led them to appear on this occa- 
 sion in full uniform and decorations ; and there 
 is little doubt that, had I been pursued by my 
 keepers, they would all have perished at their 
 hands. I followed my friends, enveloped in my 
 cloak, though still with the green slippers I wore 
 in the prison. On crossing over the street of San 
 Bernardo, which runs parallel with the prison, 
 one of those who accompanied me took the lead 
 to guide us ; another remained with me ; and the 
 rest dispersed gradually as we advanced. On 
 arriving at the street of Tudescos, we stopped 
 before a large newly-built house, the principal door 
 of which, contrary to the custom of the country, 
 stood a little open. Having entered and reached 
 the first landing-place, we met a large masque- 
 rading party who were just coming out of the 
 principal rooms. Although wrapped up in m.y 
 cloak, and my face well concealed, I was afraid 
 that my slippers, attracting their attention, might 
 lead to a discovery ; and I hinted to my friends 
 that this house did not appear to me the most 
 
 VOL. I. M 
 
242 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 suitable for a place of concealment. They were, 
 however, of a different opinion, and we continued 
 ascending the stairs till we reached the attics, 
 where I found the asylum prepared for me en- 
 trusted to the care of one of the Spanish heroines, 
 who had figured during the last war with the 
 French in her native province, Biscay. She was 
 still young, had an animated countenance, and 
 the clear complexion of the women of her pro- 
 vince. Though she had been previously warned 
 of my arrival, as she was ignorant of most of the 
 circumstances that led me there, she seemed a 
 good deal surprised at seeing me appear in that 
 singular dress and long beard. 
 
 In her humble apartments, every thing was 
 arranged with the most scrupulous neatness ; but 
 my inquietude did not allow me at that moment 
 to pay much attention to the objects around me, 
 which being observed by her, who, ignorant of the 
 cause of my uneasiness, attributed it to mistrust, 
 she hastened to dissipate it by assuring me that 
 I had nothing to apprehend either from her, or 
 in her house ; as from the moment she learned the 
 honourable charge that was to be entrusted to her. 
 she had sent away her servant, and consequently 
 she was the mistress, nurse, and only depositary 
 of the secrets that might transpire within those 
 walls. She then leisurely shewed me the rooms 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 243 
 
 that constituted her apartments, which were two 
 bed-chambers, a small sitting-room, and a kitchen, 
 the thin wall of which separated the other half 
 of the garret, the abode of a poor tailor, who was 
 encumbered with a numerous family, and deeply 
 sunk in every kind of misery. On hearing her 
 account of that man's distress, I could not help 
 thinking that he might be induced to alleviate his 
 wretched situation by some fatal denunciation, 
 should he ever entertain a suspicion of the real 
 character of his neighbour. I imparted to that 
 good woman my apprehensions, as well as the 
 accidental meeting with the masquerading party, 
 and openly declared to her my resolution of not 
 remaining there that night. She agreed with me 
 that there might be reason for fear, and did me 
 the justice to believe that she in no way inspired 
 me with mistrust. 
 
 Captain Nunez de Arenas, an old friend of 
 mine, aware that such an occurrence might hap- 
 pen, had, many days before my escape, hired an 
 unfurnished apartment in a distant part of the 
 town, in which he caused to be brought a few 
 articles of furniture, among which was a sofa- 
 bedstead ; though by so doing he subjected him- 
 self to a very different kind of suspicion. 
 
 To this place I was conducted by my two 
 guides, who agreed with me that there was danger 
 
 M 2 
 
244! NARRATIVE OF 
 
 in my remaining here ; and as they boarded with 
 the families in whose houses they were quartered, 
 to avoid exciting any suspicions, they left me in 
 my new asylum, assuring me that it would not 
 be long before Nunez de Arenas would appear. 
 It was even so ; for before many minutes had 
 elapsed I saw him enter, loaded, as one who goes 
 to an encampment, with various indispensable 
 things, which he was resolved to share with me 
 as long as I should remain there. We were then 
 ignorant that within a few steps of our abode 
 lived the military fiscal, who had commenced the 
 cause instituted against me. 
 
 The night passed swiftly on, in mutually re- 
 lating to each other the various adventures we had 
 met with since our last parting. Nunez de Are- 
 nas, deeply moved at the narrative of my suffer- 
 ings, and at the still visible marks of the bar- 
 barous treatment I had experienced, could scarcely 
 contain his indignation, and with his natural 
 energy swore an inextinguishable hatred to my 
 persecutors, and an eternal friendship to me : he 
 did more — he kept his word. 
 
 Notwithstanding the tolerably correct informa- 
 tion I possessed, previous to my arrest, of the 
 extensive relations existing among my friends, 
 and of the favourable ideas I had since formed 
 of their increasing numbers, I never imagined 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 245 
 
 they rested on such a solid basis of organization 
 as that in which I found them at the time of my 
 escape from the Inquisition. I shall leave to a 
 more experienced writer the task of presenting in 
 all their details the gallant actions which the events 
 of that period gave rise to, and which may serve 
 as an instructive lesson to every oppressive go- 
 vernment, confining myself solely to those con- 
 nected with my narrative. 
 
 It is a fact no less honourable to the Spanish 
 patriots than gratifying for me to state, that 
 among the individuals who acted with me in the 
 same cause, there is only one whom we have had 
 the grief to see steering in an opposite course from 
 the noble one in which he had at first entered. 
 I mean the Count of Montijo, who, wanting the 
 high-mindedness required at a crisis when the 
 national honour was at stake, listened only to his 
 personal resentment, confounding the actors with 
 the play, and principles wdth actions ; thus be- 
 coming the partisan rather of circumstances than 
 of reason. 
 
 The directive power of the association, which 
 was removed from Granada to Madrid shortly 
 after my arrest, was nearly all composed of 
 military men ; such as Arco Agiiero,* Zorra- 
 
 * Then a colonel, and afterwards general of the army of Estra- 
 madura. 
 
246 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 quin,* Infantes,-|- Nunez de Arenas,J Facio,§ Pa- 
 tricio and Juaquin Dominguez,|| Polo,^ &c. &c., 
 all under the presidency of a respectable magistrate 
 of the capital, whose high post brought him in 
 close contact with the leading members of the 
 government, and whose interesting family held 
 one of the most select tertulias of Madrid, 
 where men of various parties assembled : a cir- 
 cumstance which gave the chief of it an oppor- 
 tunity of learning what passed in the camarilla 
 from day to day, as well as the measures of es- 
 pionage adopted by our enemies to discover the 
 place of my retreat. 
 
 The precautions takeri'^by my friends to com- 
 municate with each other were of such a nature, 
 that without attracting the attention of any one 
 by holding meetings, or endangering the safety 
 of the members, the most important question 
 might be discussed in one day by means of what 
 is called a triangular chain, where one of the three 
 individuals who form a triangle is known to two 
 
 * Then brigade-general and officer of engineers, and afterwards 
 general, and chief of the staff in the army of Mina. 
 
 + Also an officer of engineers. 
 
 ij: Captain of artillery. 
 
 § Captain of the royal guards. 
 
 H Two brothers ; the one chief of the squadron of artillery sta- 
 tioned in the capital, and the other lieutenant-colonel of a regiment 
 in garrison at Madrid. 
 
 ^ Captain of artillery. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 247 
 
 more, who with himself constitute another, so 
 that every deliberation ran from one to the other, 
 whether it commenced at the head, the centre, 
 or the extremity. Herrera, Davila, Belda, So- 
 lano, with other officers of artillery and engineers ; 
 Luzuriaga, Villanueva, Saumell, Arjona, and a 
 great many others of the civil class, as well as 
 several of the individuals to whom the letters 
 without signatures, which were in the posses-* 
 sion of the Inquisitors, belonged, composed the 
 subaltern societies of the capital. No sooner 
 were they apprized of my situation in the Inqui- 
 sition, than they all began to act in concert in my 
 behalf by means of the triangular chain. 
 
 Nunez de Arenas, ^o, as I have said, spent 
 the night with me, related to me, with his natu- 
 ral gaiety of heart, many occurrences both 
 amusing and important. From him I heard with 
 grief that the Brigade-General Torrijos, the ve- 
 nerable magistrate, Don Juan Romero Alpuente, 
 and several other friends, had been imprisoned 
 in Alicante, and in the dungeons of the Inqui- 
 sition of Murcia. This fact my friends had 
 studiously concealed from me whilst I was in 
 the Inquisition, afraid that it might intimidate 
 me in my projected plan of escape, which in 
 their opinion was rendered the more indispensa- 
 ble as they knew that fresh charges would be 
 brought against me by the Inquisitors, which 
 might have led to fresh calamities. Hence, from 
 
248 NARIIATIVE OF 
 
 the moment they saw that the tribunal proceeded 
 to fresh arrests, they resolved to snatch me, 
 dead or alive, from the hands of its members, as 
 it was natural to suppose that by my disappear- 
 ance the multitude of proofs which might have 
 resulted from an explanation of the papers be- 
 longing to me, were rendered null. This con- 
 clusion was verified by the event ; for on the 
 •Inquisitors losing their prey, they followed up 
 the cause only for form's sake, and to vent their 
 rage and disappointment on the prisoners who 
 were still in their power, by multiplying their 
 sufferings, and leaving them to die in their dun- 
 geons. 
 
 The reader may remember the dialogue I had 
 in the prisons of Murcia with the senior Inqui- 
 sitor Castaiieda, and from it infer whether, Ro- 
 mero Alpuente once in his power, he was likely 
 to forget his promise of making him drink to 
 the very dregs the bitter cup which he was 
 so anxious to administer. It is certain that 
 Berdeja, a year after my escape, drew up a do- 
 cument for the Council of the Supreme, in which 
 it was stated that nothing sufficiently important, 
 resulting from the proceedings instituted against 
 the individuals confined in the prisons of Murcia 
 and Valencia, implicated in my cause, was found 
 to justify the passing a sentence of death against 
 any of them ; and that the hope of again seizing 
 me being relinquished, without which it was im^ 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 249 
 
 possible to effect their conviction, he was of opi- 
 nion that, under the pretence of carrying on the 
 trials, the prisoners should be kept in close con- 
 finement for any period of time that might be 
 deemed proper. He then named those whom 
 he recommended should be thus condemned to 
 a perpetual imprisonment, a list of whom I have 
 at this time in my possession, whilst the rest, 
 who appeared to him more insignificant, should 
 be released. 
 
 So great was the importance attached by my 
 friends to my liberation, that even before they 
 knew I was planning my escape, they had 
 formed two projects with a similar object ; one 
 of which was to undermine the prison, and the 
 other to enter it on a dark night by force. I 
 will describe its situation before I proceed to 
 give an account of both. 
 
 The building of the Inquisition occupies a third 
 part of the row of houses that faces the street of 
 the same name : the back looks towards that of 
 San Bernardo ; one of its sides into the square of 
 Santo Domingo ; and the other into the narrow 
 street through which I first passed on the night I 
 made my escape, and in the middle of which 
 stood a large house, at that time inhabited by 
 several officers of the staff whom the government 
 had appointed to write the military history of the 
 war of independence. Manzanares and Polo, who 
 were of that number, having the keys of that 
 
 M 3 
 
250 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 building at their disposal, had examined it well, 
 and discovered that it was contiguous to the inte- 
 rior walls of the prison, and that from its cellars 
 a subterraneous passage was practicable. Nunez 
 de Arenas, however, who feared they might err 
 in giving a proper direction to the mine, and 
 thereby increase my sufferings, conceived the plan 
 of attacking, with the assistance of his friends, all 
 masked, the house of the jailers, and compel them 
 to conduct them to my prison. 
 
 Whilst my friends were engaged in these plans, 
 more or less retarded by unforeseen obstacles, 
 they received my first note, in which I hinted the 
 possibility of my escape in the company of ano- 
 ther person, mentioning the kind of assistance I 
 was likely to stand in need of. This inspired 
 them with fresh hopes, and they all acted with a 
 disinterestedness and generosity of which there 
 are few examples. Immediately Nunez de 
 Arenas repaired to Count Montijo, who being then 
 very closely watched by the government, and sur- 
 rounded by spies of all classes, was obliged to 
 avoid the company of his suspected friends ; but 
 who, on hearing the projected plan of escape, 
 placed in Nunez's hands a considerable sum of 
 money, which, however, was afterwards returned 
 to him untouched, at the same time offering one 
 or more of his best horses, and whatever else 
 might be required for my flight. Nunez assured 
 me that the enthusiasm felt by our friends was 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 251 
 
 such, that every one of them was ready to sacri- 
 fice his all, if necessary, to rescue me. 
 
 Young Belda, who had undertaken to seek an 
 asylum for me, spoke to the Biscayan woman, 
 who readily offered to receive me, without how- 
 ever confiding to her either my name or circum- 
 stances. In consequence of the suspicions enter- 
 tained not only by Arco Aguero and Montijo, but 
 by most of our friends respecting the services of 
 Ramona, my notes and the whole plan of my 
 escape (which they feared was a snare laid by the 
 Inquisitors to secure those who should attend, and 
 increase the number of their victims), it was re- 
 solved that only three should attend on the niglit 
 of my escape. These were Polo, Belda, and 
 Nunez. On the morning of the 30th, however, 
 the least apprehensive resolved to share with the 
 three others any dangers that might arise, by 
 stationing themselves at night-fall in the various 
 avenues to the prison. The two brothers, Patricio 
 and Juaquin Dominguez, placed themselves oppo- 
 site to the door through which I gained the street. 
 Tliey were the same whom I first saw and avoided 
 meeting, and they noticed my unceremonious 
 rencontre with Don Marcelino''s visiter, who was 
 a garde-de-corps. Manzanares stood at the cor- 
 ner of the street, and was the one who spoke to 
 me. Polo, Belda, and the two Dominguez, were 
 those who came at the signal of the above, and 
 Patricio the one who covered me with the cloak, 
 
252 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 and who by his character of command secured us 
 against any impediments which the guards or 
 patroles we might meet with were likely to occa- 
 sion. Nunez, Herrera, Davila, Solano, and 
 others, whom I did not then see, because they 
 were stationed in an opposite direction to the one 
 I followed, were also of the number. Such were 
 the well-concerted measures adopted by these 
 trusty friends to ensure my escape. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 253 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Scenes which took place in the prison — Discovery of the impri- 
 soned jailer — Examination of the prisoner of an adjoining cell 
 respecting the late escape — The author visits Arco Agiiero — 
 His mother receives the first news of his flight from the inqui- 
 sitor Etenar — Return to the apartment of the Biscayan heroine^ — 
 Her history — Letter to Castaneda, inquisitor of Murcia — Ferdi- 
 nand VII. appears entertained at the escape of the author — Spies 
 of Arjona, corregidor of Madrid — The author meets his friends 
 severally on the Prado at night — His interview with his cousin 
 Murfy — Anecdotes of Ramona — Fears for her safety — Adventure 
 on the Prado — C'irious superstition — Masses for the dead — Mar- 
 quis of Mataflorida — The author is apprized of his retreat being 
 discovered — Don Juan Van Halen's card of compliments to 
 Etenar, counsellor of the Inquisition. 
 
 Whilst the occurrences described in the fore- 
 going chapter were passing, another scene was 
 acting in the prison. 
 
 The wife of Don Marcelino, alarmed at Ramo- 
 na's screams, and at the treatment her visiter had 
 met with, and fearing for her husband's life, has- 
 
254 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 tened, regardless of all danger, towards the dun- 
 geons, guided by Ramona, and followed by her 
 guests. As she proceeded along the passages, she 
 repeated Don Marcelino's name with loud cries, 
 and fainted away on reaching the door which I 
 had locked, and which prevented her farther in- 
 gress. Ramona has since confessed to me that she 
 was so greatly distressed at seeing the affliction of 
 her mistress, that she had resolved to denounce 
 herself, when Don Juanito appearing, followed by 
 several of the inferior attendants of the tribunal, 
 who were attracted by those cries, abruptly bid 
 them withdraw, and without paying any attention 
 to the clamorous entreaties of Don Marcelino, 
 which echoed along the passages, entered the dun- 
 geon of the other prisoner, snatched the light 
 which had been left him, and by which he was 
 reading, and shut the remaining doors of the 
 prison. 
 
 At eleven o'clock at night, Berdeja, accompa- 
 nied by one of his colleagues, went into the pri- 
 son, and causing the door of which I had the 
 key to be forced, entered my dungeon, where 
 they found Don Marcelino frantic with despair. 
 A verbal process was immediately drawn up, his 
 person examined, as well as the dungeon, and the 
 books, in one of which they read the lines written 
 with the charcoal, that I had left for their peru- 
 sal. Don Marcelino was then put under arrest, 
 and Don Juanito made responsible for the security 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 255 
 
 of his person, and for that of the whole family. 
 Not contented with this, the Inquisitors proceeded 
 to examine my neighbour, who, far from having 
 the remotest idea of what had occurred, was him- 
 self lost in conjectures respecting the cause of the 
 uproar he had heard.* '' What have you re- 
 marked to-night in this prison .'*'" inquired Ber- 
 deja, gravely. 
 
 " The absence of that silence which eternally 
 reigns in this place," he answered. 
 
 " At what hour did you see the first jailer?" 
 returned the Inquisitor. 
 
 *' I don't know, because here it is always 
 night." 
 
 " But did you not hear any strange noises ? Did 
 you not hear the report of a pistol ?'''' 
 
 He shrugged up his shoulders, and as if sharing 
 in their astonishment, said nothing by which their 
 curiosity might be gratified, and laughed at their 
 loss and disappointment. 
 
 The Inquisitor-General was sunk in a profound 
 sleep when Berdeja, accompanied by Don Juanito, 
 presented himself at his palace, and awoke him to 
 impart to him the disagreeable intelligence of my 
 
 * In the year 1821 I met him in Madrid, and learned that the 
 cause of his imprisonment was in no way connected with politics. 
 A few months after my escape, he was sent to a monastery in 
 Castile, to perform there certain penances which the Holy Office 
 deemed necessary for the salvation of his soul. He gave me a long 
 and amusing narrative of his adventures. Indeed, I have known 
 few men more witty or satirical. 
 
256 NARllATIVE OF 
 
 escape. So great was the shock he received by it, 
 that his health, already impaired by age, was ma- 
 terially injured from this night. 
 
 On the day after my escape, I was visited and 
 attended by several of my friends. The two bro- 
 thers Pasate, both officers on half-pay, and who 
 lived in a small retired house without a servant, 
 were my chief cooks on that day ; whilst Nunez, 
 who brought the provisions under his cloak, spread 
 the cloth upon our sofa, and we sat down to our 
 banquet. So strict and extensive was the espion- 
 age of the Inquisition, that it would have been 
 the height of imprudence in us to have trusted to 
 servants. 
 
 Meantime, Polo and Belda, who had ascertained 
 enough respecting the masquerading party to quiet 
 our apprehensions, proposed my returning to the 
 apartments of the Biscayan woman, who again 
 shewed herself offended at my departure from her 
 house, which she attributed to a want of confi- 
 dence in her. The rest of my friends being of 
 opinion that there was no risk in residing with her, 
 I acceded to their wishes ; and at night Patricio 
 Dominguez and Manzanares came in provided 
 with wearing apparel for me, when, after a distri- 
 bution of my spoils among them to serve as a 
 memorial of that day, we set out for my new abode. 
 On our road Manzanares hinted that he wished to 
 take me to the house of a friend who lived close 
 by ; and taking the lead, we all followed him. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 257 
 
 On arriving at the street of Foncarral, he knocked 
 at the door of a small house, where we were receiv- 
 ed by Arco Agliero, who was waiting for us. This 
 gallant chief, who frequented the first societies of 
 the capital, was au fait of all the anecdotes of the 
 court ; and from him I learned that my anxious 
 mother, still ignorant of my escape, had presented 
 herself on that day to the Inquisitor Etenar, who 
 was one of the least prejudiced against me, to 
 plead for me, and interest him in my behalf, and 
 that this respectable old man surprised her agree- 
 ably by saying, " That all his influence could not 
 effect half so much as what I had done for myself, 
 for that I had escaped from the prison sixteen 
 hours ago." In this manner did the first intelli- 
 gence of my flight reach my family. 
 
 On our arrival at the apartments of the Bis- 
 cayan woman, I observed that the greatest silence 
 prevailed in the upper part of the house, and I 
 was informed by her, that she had taken the pre- 
 caution of telling the tailor and his family that 
 she expected a guest who was in bad health and 
 of very retired habits, and who, as she had been 
 given to understand, would pay well, provided he 
 found the place quiet. This hint, together with 
 the independent manner in which people live at 
 Madrid in lodging-houses, produced the desired 
 effect ; for during the whole time I remained there, 
 no one ever troubled us, or shewed the least cu- 
 riosity. 
 
 My nurse seemed not at all a stranger to these 
 
258 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 kind of adventures. Belda, who was the only one 
 of my friends who was intimately acquainted with 
 her, related to me her history, of which the follow- 
 ing is the substance. 
 
 Still very young, and an orphan at the time of 
 Napoleon's invasion, she was residing in her native 
 village, when a party of French gensd'armes entered 
 it, and murdered in cold blood a young man of the 
 place of whom she was passionately fond. Fran- 
 tic at the loss she experienced by his death, and 
 burning to avenge on the intruders the deep injury 
 she had sustained, she devoted herself from that 
 day to the defence of her country, rendering very 
 important services to the chiefs of the guerillas, 
 who were engaged in the warfare of that province, 
 until she was taken by the French, and conducted 
 to France to a depot of prisoners, where she suf- 
 fered a thousand miseries and outrag^es from her 
 jailers. Restored to her country at the general 
 peace, the Spanish government granted her a 
 mean pension, and the use of a medal, which she 
 constantly wore, and by which she was distin- 
 guished wherever she went.* 
 
 We had agreed at Arco Agiiero's that I should 
 remain in Madrid until I had entirely recovered 
 my health, attended by a surgeon of the name of 
 Saumell, and that I should see in my asylum as 
 few of my friends as possible. We also agreed 
 
 * The Cortes in 1820, in consideration of her services and 
 sufferings, increased her pension, to enable her to live with more 
 comfort. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 259 
 
 to form a system of espionage against the In- 
 quisitors themselves, Nunez de Arenas being 
 the Fouche of our counterplot, whilst Belda 
 and Polo offered to share with me my solitude, 
 to which I gladly subscribed. It was the ge- 
 neral opinion among our party that the report 
 of my departure from Madrid should be widely 
 spread, and with this object they wrote to 
 their friends in the provinces, desiring them to 
 propagate the rumour. There was no great diffi- 
 culty in doing this with all the speed required by 
 circumstances ; but we were ignorant then that 
 the Inquisitors possessed sufficient data to believe 
 the contrary. It was now my turn to put the 
 seal to this plan. I remembered that the senior 
 Inquisitor of Murcia, Castaneda, had desired me 
 to write to him immediately after obtaining my 
 liberty. He had now under his power several 
 very dear friends of ours, with whom it was desir- 
 able he should follow the same gentlemanly con- 
 duct which he had observed towards me. I re- 
 solved, therefore, to write him a letter expressive of 
 the sentiments of gratitude I felt towards him, a 
 copy of which I here present to my reader. 
 
 " To Don Juan Castaneda, senior Inquisitor of 
 Murcia, &c. ../^ 
 
 " Respected Sir, 
 
 " In the alternative of losing my life or 
 my honour, I resolved to free myself from the 
 
260 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 numberless acts of oppression which I endured 
 with all possible humility in the sepulchral abode 
 in which I had been immured. Having succeeded 
 in forcibly obtaining my liberty, which, during 
 131 days I vainly expected from the justice due 
 to my innocence, and wishing to allay the fears of 
 those who take an interest in my destiny, I take 
 the earliest opportunity to fulfil the promise which 
 I gave you of writing as soon as I should enjoy 
 this inestimable good. 
 
 " I am aware that the motive which prompted 
 you to make this request, when we parted at the 
 gates of Murcia, was founded on very different 
 hopes. You, doubtless, believed that when I 
 offered to speak privately to the King, the 
 truth and sincerity which I promised to use on 
 that occasion would have had a different object in 
 view. I can, however, assure you that I per- 
 formed my promise in the full meaning I then 
 attached to it. I spoke to his Majesty, and laid 
 before his eyes truths which, perchance, he may 
 one day appreciate to the full extent of their 
 worth. I disclosed such facts as alone belonged 
 to me. I did not overstep these limits ; the sa- 
 cred duties which I had imposed on myself did 
 not allow me to betray secrets which would have 
 involved others in my own calamities. Hence, 
 neither splendid offer s, nor tiattery, nor the con- 
 trast of every kind of affliction which I have en- 
 dured throughout so many bitter days and nights, 
 
DON JUAN VAX HALEN. 261 
 
 nor even the gloomy perspective that was before 
 my eyes — a death on a bed of torture — could in- 
 duce me to deviate from the path which honour 
 and principle pointed out to me. I should cheer- 
 fully have resigned my life to preserve what I 
 value more. This, which in the eyes of ignorance 
 and depravity may appear the result of blind 
 obstinacy, will not be so considered by the vir- 
 tuous and enlightened man, who knows how to 
 weigh in the scale of reason the actions of his 
 fellow-beings. 
 
 " I am now a wanderer in a foreign land ; but 
 I do not fly like a seditious rebel, seeking a haunt 
 where to hatch new conspiracies. No, I never 
 was one. I go onlv to seek the company of a few 
 honourable men, w^ith whom I may spend a peace- 
 able existence during my painful exile. Should 
 I one day be able to enjoy the same benefits in 
 my unhappy country, I will gladly return to its 
 bosom to comfort mv beloved parents in their old 
 age, and manifest my gratitude to you for the 
 generous conduct you observed towards me. 
 
 " I have been subjected to many indignities, 
 violences, and secret torments. Nothing seems to 
 have been omitted to trample me down, and de- 
 stroy me ; but the consciousness of my innocence 
 rendered me superior to all : crime alone would 
 have sunk under them ; and although, as a man, 
 I am not free from faults, my heart always re- 
 volted against depravity. You know little of 
 
262 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 me ; but if you read the proceedings of my 
 cause, you will see corroborated in them these 
 truths, which offer sufficient matter for our con- 
 sideration. I do not, however, aspire in this letter 
 to a correspondence with you, neither do I wish 
 that it should in any way compromise you with 
 the government. My only object is to shew that 
 my heart is not known to the authors of my mis- 
 fortunes ; and that it is and always will be grate- 
 ful to you, from whom I now take my perhaps last 
 
 farewell. 
 
 " I remain, &c. &c." 
 
 This letter was dated from Bordeaux, February 
 20th, 1818, and was forwarded by Polo to a 
 friend of his, who was then residing in that city, 
 to be put in the post-office. Castaiieda received 
 it in due time, and believing it to have been writ- 
 ten in the place from which it was dated, he imme- 
 diately forwarded it to his friends in the capital. 
 
 The Inquisitors informed the King of my es- 
 cape on the morning after it took place, as well 
 as of the circumstances attending it. I have 
 learned from a person who was then present, that 
 Ferdinand, on hearing it, burst into a loud laugh. 
 Ramirez de Arellano, who was in the daily habit 
 of hearing mass at a church contiguous to the 
 palace, received the news of my flight when he 
 was just returning from it to his breakfast, and, 
 frantic with rage, hastened to put in motion all 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 263 
 
 the elements of the camarilla. In accordance with 
 the anxious wishes of the Bishop Mier, he pre- 
 vailed on the whole ministry to lend their assist- 
 ance in endeavouring to discover my retreat. Im- 
 mediately orders were issued to every Inquisition 
 in the kingdom, and to all the captains-general 
 of the provinces, to keep a strict look out for me, 
 whilst large rewards were offered for my dis- 
 covery. 
 
 Arjona, who was a creature of the camarilla, 
 and one of its most active agents, held at this 
 period the office of corregidor* of Madrid. His 
 spies spread themselves like overflowing waters 
 throughout every corner of the capital ; but such 
 is the spirit of our age, that a brother of this same 
 Arjona, a canon of the cathedral of Cordova, at 
 that time living at Madrid in the house of his 
 brother, was one of the initiated in my flight ; 
 and whilst the authorities were redoubling their 
 vigilance in my pursuit, this good ecclesiastic 
 made every effort to shelter me from it. In one 
 of the many conversations which his brother held 
 with him respecting my escape, he said in a tone 
 of exasperation, " Our hair will turn grey in this 
 search after Van Halen ; but dearly shall he rue 
 it, if ever we secure him V 
 
 The surgeon Saumell, under whose care I now 
 was, offered a coincidence no less singular than the 
 
 * A sort of police magistrate. 
 
264 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 above. He was a companion of Dr. Gil, and 
 likewise a surgeon in the body guards. 
 
 Nunez had now organized his counter-inqui- 
 sition, in which friendship did for us what neither 
 gold nor the corrupting influence of my perse- 
 cutors could accomplish for them. Secure from 
 their pursuit, I passed my days in my humble 
 abode far more tranquilly than the plotters of my 
 ruin in the vain ostentation of their saloons. 
 From the first day Polo became my constant 
 companion, and shared cheerfully with me my 
 retirement ; but as circumstances imperiously re- 
 quired that the place of my residence should be 
 known but to a few, I was alternately visited only 
 by Belda, Nunez de Arenas, Zorraquin, Arco 
 AgiJero, Infantes, and Manzanares. It was how- 
 ever agreed that I should occasionally go out at 
 night, when the light of the moon should not 
 betray me, that I miglit have the pleasure of em- 
 bracing many who were entitled to my deepest 
 gratitude. 
 
 As we had not yet been able to ascertain how far 
 we might trust ourselves in private houses with- 
 out incurring any risk of discovery, we fixed upon 
 the Prado* as the most suitable place for our 
 meetings. Polo arranged the interviews, at which 
 only those attended whom he or Belda had pre- 
 viously warned. In these meetings friendship 
 
 * A public promenade which embellishes the capital. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 265 
 
 presented itself in its most glowing colours, and 
 the anecdotes of that period are very numerous. 
 
 The first time I went out with Polo, which 
 happened a few days after my escape, unable to 
 resist the desire of passing before my father's 
 house, which was within a short walk of the place 
 of my residence, we proceeded thither, and I saw 
 my sisters sitting with my mother near the bal- 
 cony, all of them quietly engaged in their needle- 
 work ; whilst some men, stationed at various dis- 
 tances opposite to the windows, were watching 
 their movements. This Polo and myself perceived 
 only when we were close to them ; but as we were 
 enveloped in our cloaks, we were fortunate enough 
 to pass by without any bad consequences result- 
 ing from this slight caprice of mine, which, how- 
 ever, I was too cautious to repeat. From this cir- 
 cumstance we inferred that my enemies believed I 
 had been imprudent enough to conceal myself in 
 my father"'s house. 
 
 My cousin was the first of my friends who was 
 appointed to meet me. Polo entered his apart- 
 ment to warn him of our meeting at the very mo- 
 ment when my father was sitting with him, ex- 
 pressing his fears of my being retaken, Murfy, 
 having heard Polo"'s communication, introduced 
 him to my father as a friend of mine, assuring him 
 that he knew for certain I was already out of the 
 kingdom. This allowable fiction had the effect of 
 allaying my father"'s apprehensions. 
 
 Although before my imprisonment I kept up a 
 
 VOL. I. N 
 
266 
 
 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 correspondence with my cousin, and was now 
 more closely united to him by new ties of grati- 
 tude, we had not seen each other for many years. 
 Murfy had only returned to Spain about a year 
 previous to this period from the South American 
 seas, where I had met him in the first stage of my 
 naval career, so that Polo introduced him to me 
 when we met on the Prado. Ramona''s messages 
 were our first topic of conversation in this agree- 
 able interview. My cousin related to me the 
 cautious manner m which she had delivered them ; 
 the readiness and perspicuity with which she had 
 answered all his questions ; the prudence she had 
 displayed in arranging her plan of communica- 
 tion ; and lastly, the extraordinary disinterested- 
 ness she had evinced, refusing money or any kind 
 of present. We did not then know what had 
 become of her, nor was it possible for us even to 
 imagine, an impenetrable wall concealing from 
 our view the secret manoeuvres of the Inquisitors. 
 Murfy, who knew the time when she usually went 
 out, had often, after my escape, gone to the place 
 where he was in the habit of meeting her, with the 
 object of ascertaining what had since taken place 
 in the Inquisition, but he always returned without 
 seeing anything of her ; a circumstance from 
 which we inferred that the rigours of the Holy 
 OflSce had now reached her. It was, however, 
 our firm opinion that a woman, who had done so 
 much out of pure humanity, would, even in the 
 midst of sufferings, know how to support the work 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 267 
 
 she had herself raised, by shewing as much firm- 
 ness and courage as she had evinced generosity. 
 One day that my cousin endeavoured to discover 
 whether the tyranny of the Inquisitors could inti- 
 midate her, she answered him in her usual laconic 
 manner : " From a child I was brought up among 
 those men. The Inquisition does not inspire me 
 with fear ; it is rather the prisoner who inspires 
 me with compassion." Another day that he 
 shewed his surprise at the Inquisitors permitting a 
 female to reside among them, or at all relying 
 upon her, she retorted, " If every woman had 
 learned discretion in the same school as myself, 
 we should hear less of our incapacity to keep a 
 secret from those who are far weaker than our- 
 selves." Lastly, my cousin imagining that she 
 was actuated by love, the deep interest she mani- 
 fested for my welfare justifying this belief, allowed 
 himself a few jokes on gallant intrigues. Ra- 
 mona, without stooping to prove the contrary by 
 the thousand cogent reasons with which she might 
 have convinced him, reddened, and casting on him 
 a look of contempt, as she withdrew, said : " Do 
 not give me such a wretched idea of yourself. 
 Must our sex be necessarily frail, if we shew an 
 interest for a man whose life is in danger .?" I 
 have deemed it proper to relate these anecdotes, 
 which characterize one of the extraordinary women 
 who are frequently met with among the Spanisli 
 females. 
 
 Murfy, like many individuals found in Spain in 
 
 N 2 
 
268 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 calamitous epochs, who, though possessing enlight- 
 ened minds, and feeling the necessity of a political 
 regeneration, are nevertheless inactive spectators 
 of the struggle, was as ignorant of the real cha- 
 racter of the Inquisition, when first Ramona came 
 to wake him from his trance, as of the existence 
 of any secret societies in Spain ; when my com- 
 munications led him to make the acquaintance of 
 Nunez, Polo, and others, who were actively em- 
 ployed in bringing about the desired change in 
 the government. On his return from the New 
 World, where he had spent the best part of his 
 youth, he passed through France on his way to 
 Spain, and made a short residence at Paris. Here 
 some wags, taking advantage of his natural sim- 
 plicity of character, introduced him into a lodge 
 of freemasons, where he was made to undergo a 
 multitude of ridiculous ceremonies. Disgusted 
 with the fraternity and their absurdities, and ima- 
 gining he would find every where the same eager- 
 ness in its members to obtain contributions, and 
 riot in expensive banquets, he renounced, a few 
 days after being initiated in the mysteries of free- 
 masonry, its pantomimic duties ; looking with 
 utter contempt upon that which, if differently 
 managed, would have appeared to him equally 
 sacred and binding, but which could not be other- 
 wise in a country where the subtlety of the go- 
 vernment has done the utmost to destroy with 
 what is ridiculous that which could not be ob- 
 tained by rigour ; the former being of itself sufH- 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 269 
 
 cient to dissipate the illusion, whilst the latter 
 excites curiosity by the very alarm it causes. The 
 contempt, however, which my cousin entertained 
 for the fraternity was so deeply rooted, that if, 
 instead of the visit of my prudent messenger, he 
 had received that of any of our friends, there is no 
 doubt that, had he been accosted with the usual 
 masonic signs, he would have considered him in 
 the light of a punchinello, and have ordered him 
 out of his house, whilst I should have continued 
 pining in my dungeon. 
 
 My two young brothers, though not having the 
 same cause of dislike as my cousin, shared his 
 opinions on free-masonry. They were in habits of 
 intimacy with Murfy, at whose house they fre- 
 quently met Polo ; but as they were ignorant of 
 the various circumstances by which I had effected 
 my liberty, they did not even suspect that the 
 guest with whom they frequently dined at their 
 cousin's, was one of the principal characters in 
 that drama. As it was thought prudent not to 
 inform them of any thing respecting me, they, 
 like my father, were made to believe that I was 
 already far from my native land. 
 
 The first essay of our nocturnal meetings having 
 been accomplished without difficulty, we repeated 
 our sallies whenever we wished to see any of our 
 friends. The Prado of Madrid is, during those 
 months (February and March), one of the coldest 
 places within the walls of the capital ; but in re- 
 turn it was the most unfrequented and secure that 
 
270 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 we could select for that purpose. We were not, 
 however, altogether free from alarms ; whilst, on 
 the other hand^ we ran the hazard of many un- 
 pleasant rencontres on our way from my dwelling 
 to the Prado, which were a tolerable distance from 
 each other. 
 
 One of the friends who was to meet me there 
 had married a lady whose excessive jealousy 
 prompted her to commit every kind of extrava- 
 gance. Resolved on following his steps, she chose 
 for this purpose the night which we had appointed 
 to meet her husband ; and the nearer she ap- 
 proached the place of rendezvous, the more she 
 was confirmed in her suspicions. The feeble light 
 of the lamps, and the dark shade cast by the trees, 
 whilst they concealed her from our view, enabled 
 her to examine leisurely the sort of persons with 
 whom her husband conversed. Her jealousy being 
 thus allayed, she was just returning, perfectly sa- 
 tisfied of her husband's fidelity, when in turning 
 down an alley she met another friend of ours, who, 
 muffled up in his cloak, was hastening to our ren- 
 dezvous. Being in the habit of carrying on these 
 occasions a long unsheathed sword, hanging from 
 his arm, which was not at that moment sufficiently 
 concealed, the lady, who saw the glittering of the 
 steel, and whose imagination was in a constant 
 state of excitement, suddenly transformed what 
 before had appeared to her an intrigue of gallantry 
 into a duel. Under this persuasion she rushed 
 towards him, unmuffled him, and seizing his 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 271 
 
 hands, prayed amidst sobs and tears that he would 
 employ that steel in preserving the life of her be- 
 loved husband. Our friend, surprised at finding 
 at such a time, and in that solitary place his wife's 
 sister, immediately understood the origin of her 
 fears, and prudently explained the matter to her, 
 advising her to return home, and restrain her un- 
 just suspicions, which by the extreme violence of 
 their expression might become fatal. This advice 
 was the more just, as this unfortunate lady being 
 frequently engaged with company at home, would 
 send a servant after her husband to watch his 
 movements. 
 
 The streets of Madrid were at that period in- 
 fested at night by a crowd of idle fellows, 
 carrying a lantern in one hand and a little bell 
 in the other, which they rang incessantly, ter- 
 rifying the inhabitants with their mournful cries 
 and gloomy songs, exhorting them to repent of 
 their sins and give alms to say masses for the souls 
 of those who had died in mortal sin. So great 
 was the sycophancy of many to the superstitious 
 ideas of the government, that one frequently 
 met among that rabble officers of the army 
 and decorated persons, girding their swords, and 
 carrying their bells and lanterns. These pub- 
 lic disturbers were vulgarly called the brethren 
 of the mortal sin, and had free access to the 
 cabinet of the minister of war. Polo and my- 
 self amused ourselves in observing them on our 
 return from the Prado along the streets; but 
 
272 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 one night, having approached too near to see if 
 we knew any of them, we met with the military 
 fiscal, whose acquaintance I had made in the 
 Inquisition. This ridiculous man, who was sta- 
 tioned alone at the corner of a street, ringing 
 his bell and waving his lantern, vociferated as 
 I passed by him^ without his ever suspecting 
 who I was, to contribute with our purses to the 
 salvation of souls — less black, perhaps, than his 
 own. By such hypocritical means as this, those 
 who were employed in enslaving the people by 
 day, cheated them at night ; and such were the 
 officers whom the doting minister Eguia wished to 
 give to the Spanish army. 
 
 A few steps farther, and when it would have 
 been indiscreet to retrogade, we perceived a 
 great number of armed men, through the midst 
 of whom we were obliged to pass. They were the 
 Correjidor Arjona, and his police officers, who 
 were just returning from making several domi- 
 ciliary visits, not far from the place of my resi- 
 dence, where his active spies had intimated to 
 him I was likely to be found. This occurrence 
 rendered us more circumspect in our nocturnal 
 sallies, although it was not always in our power 
 to follow the precepts that prudence and circum- 
 stances dictated. An accident, which I ought 
 to have despised, might have occasioned me a 
 more serious alarm, had its results been such as I 
 had reason to anticipate. 
 
 Colonel T * * *, whom I had known at Cadiz 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 273 
 
 in 1816, at the head of a patriotic association, 
 was residing at Madrid at the period of my con- 
 cealment. I learned that he, though with few 
 connections in the capital, and but little initiated 
 in the secrets of my flight, was spreading the 
 rumour, that I had betrayed to the tribunal the 
 names of all my friends, with various other ab- 
 surdities, which were contradicted by the mere 
 fact of his enjoying his liberty, and of having, 
 moreover, obtained a royal permission to repair 
 to Madrid. I begged Polo to endeavour to see 
 him, and without disclosing to him the ties that 
 united us, much less my being a resident at 
 Madrid, induce him openly to declare his sen- 
 timents. These were such as to corroborate 
 the disagreeable intelligence which I had pre- 
 viously received. Whilst I remained at Cadiz, 
 he had manifested his esteem for me in such an 
 unequivocal manner, that the inconsistency of 
 his present conduct excited my indignation ; and 
 forgetting the rencontre with, and searches of, 
 Arjona, as well as the dangers by which I was 
 surrounded, I again requested Polo to arrange a 
 meeting between the colonel and myself, without 
 the knowledge of my friends, which he did with- 
 out opposition, much to my surprise; as there 
 exists a material difference between the man who 
 acts from the first impulse of injured feelings, and 
 the calm spectator who only weighs the conse- 
 quences. But the fact was, that Colonel T * * * 
 removed all doubt by retracting all he had said, 
 
 N 3 
 
274 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 turning black into white, and reducing the ques- 
 tion to — nothing ; and as Polo was well aware that 
 such would be the result from what he had ob- 
 served in him since he appointed the meeting, he 
 threw no impediment in the way. 
 
 Meantime Nunez, who had resolved to em- 
 ploy the same means against those who sought 
 me as were used by them, did not visit me so 
 frequently as he had at first done. With the 
 object of following up his plan, he associated 
 himself with an old friend of his, as enterprising, 
 bold, and intelligent as himself, wliom he en- 
 trusted with the execution of such parts of his 
 project as the various duties he imposed upon 
 himself prevented him from attending to. Cir- 
 cumstances were favourable to their designs. 
 The Marquis of Mataflorida (a man sufficiently 
 notorious), familiar of the Holy Office, and fanat- 
 ical respecting every thing relating to the Inqui- 
 sition, had with his usual officiousness organized 
 of his own accord a set of spies, whom he paid 
 out of his own purse, and among whom figured 
 with distinction an old Swiss officer ; who, know- 
 ing the weak points in the character of the mar- 
 quis, imposed upon his credulity, making him 
 believe a thousand wonderful things. No one 
 ventured to speak to the King respecting my 
 recapture so positively as this famous coryphaeus 
 of absolute power. 
 
 The landlady of the house where he resided 
 had two or three young daughters, with whom 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 275 
 
 Nunez had been acquainted for some years, and 
 whom he was in the habit of visiting. Profiting 
 of this intimacy, he requested them to watch, 
 as much as lay in their power, the marquis and 
 his associates, and listen to what was said in 
 his apartment ; and in order to interest them 
 more in his favour, he confided to them only 
 what was prudent they should know. The 
 young girls, willing to oblige him, concerted 
 among themselves a plan of espionage on the 
 marquis. A thin wall separating their bed- 
 room from his apartment, they made a hole in 
 it, which on the marquis''s side was concealed 
 by a picture, and at which one of them stationed 
 herself with orders not to leave her post until 
 she was relieved by one of her sisters ; so that 
 Mataflorida could not utter a word either alone 
 or in company, that was not carefully noted down 
 and repeated to Nuiiez, who did not fail to draw his 
 own conclusions from the intelligence he received. 
 One morning the Swiss o^cer entered the 
 marquis's apartment, assuring his employer that 
 he had discovered where the lizard was hid, 
 naming the street where I resided. The purse 
 of Mataflorida was emptied into the Svviss's 
 hands; and Nunez"'s faithful sentries suspecting 
 from the extraordinary generosity of the mar- 
 quis that there was something important in 
 that communication, hastened in search of Nunez, 
 and informed him of what they had heard. 
 Alarmed at this news, which was too well 
 
276 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 founded, he lost no time in warning us of it, and 
 I immediately removed to a new asylum. The 
 Swiss officer, however, was ignorant of the pre- 
 cise house ; and as the street had many, although 
 he redoubled his vigilance, and was assisted by 
 all the power of Mataflorida, time passed on, 
 they lost their clue, and having then returned to 
 my former abode, I remained undisturbed, and 
 secure from their pursuits. 
 
 The Inquisitor Zorrilla had a nephew for whom 
 he professed a great attachment. This young man 
 was an officer of artillery, a comrade and a friend 
 of Nunez's, who did not fail to recommend him 
 to profit by this predilection, in order to ascertain 
 by a closer intimacy with his uncle all that might 
 interest us. Zorrilla would occasionally talk with 
 him about my escape, which, he assured him, had 
 thrown them into the utmost confusion, at the 
 same time hinting that they suspected I was still 
 in Madrid, and that they trusted I could not 
 escape their pursuits, as there was scarcely a 
 town in the kingdom where their agents were not 
 on the look-out ; so that he still hoped for the 
 complete discovery of our projects. 
 
 Meanwhile the other associate of Nunez, who 
 was related to some of the first families of Ma- 
 drid, lost not a word of what transpired in the 
 higher circles that was in any way important to 
 us; frequently turning into jokes circumstances 
 sufficiently serious in themselves, of w^hich the 
 following is a specimen. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. ^^^ 
 
 The Counsellor of the Supreme, Etenar, of 
 whom I have already spoken, being fond of the 
 ostentatious gaieties of the great world, in which 
 most of his time was spent, celebrated in one of 
 those days the anniversary of his birth ; for 
 which purpose he invited to a splendid dinner 
 many persons of high rank, among whom were 
 various foreign ambassadors. Nunez's friend was 
 also a guest at this banquet. As it is the custom 
 in Spain, on such occasions, for every visitor to 
 leave his complimentary card with the porter, on 
 the company rising from table and repairing to the 
 drawing-room to take their coffee, Nunez's friend 
 taking aside one of the foreign gentlemen, who 
 had nothing to fear from the Inquisition, im- 
 parted to him a joke which he had meditated, 
 that he might bring it forward. The young 
 foreigner, pleased with the idea, amidst the good 
 humour which invariably reigns at these parties, 
 addressed himself to Etenar in the presence of 
 most of the guests, asking him if he had had 
 many visitors on that day, and requesting to be 
 allowed to look at the cards. The counsellor at 
 first hesitated to comply with this ; but on the 
 other repeating his request, he ordered them to 
 be brought up, when a large salver full of cards 
 was placed on the table. The guests, though 
 suspecting something from the eagerness shown by 
 the young foreigner, attributed it to the mere cu- 
 riosity of ascertaining what ladies had left their 
 compliments for the counsellor ; but they joined 
 
278 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 in the scrutiny of the cards, until they met with 
 one larger than the rest, and adorned with various 
 allegorical devices, on which the name of " Don 
 Juan Van Halen in person^'' was written in 
 large letters. The mirth then became general, 
 and Etenar, who was too much a man of the 
 world to shew himself offended, joined in the 
 jokes and laughter of his friends. The anecdote 
 soon spread among the idle persons of the court, 
 who did not fail to pass their comments on it. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 279 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Obstacles to the author's quitting Spain — He has an interview with 
 his brothers — A lady recognizes him — Domiciliary visits— Ad- 
 venture — The author obtains a passport under the designatio.i rf 
 Suelto, public commissioner — His two brothers insist on accom- 
 panying him in his journey — He passes through the gate of 
 Alcala and quits the capital on the same day — The Inquisitor- 
 General's death. 
 
 The spring was now advancing, the snows of 
 the Pyrenees began to melt, and the defiles of 
 the mountains offered me a free passage to seek a 
 refuge in a foreign land. I was already suffi- 
 ciently recovered to support the fatigues of a 
 journey. 
 
 The familiars of the Inquisition, believing that 
 I was concealed in the villages of the Serrania* 
 of Ronda, had made various excursions to those 
 
 • A mountainous district. 
 
280 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 places in hopes of securing me, and were too 
 much on their guard to allow me to think of 
 flying to Gibraltar. On the frontiers of Portugal 
 the most rigorous watch was likewise kept by the 
 agents of the Holy Office, and our friends in 
 those parts advised us by no means to attempt 
 crossing the frontiers of that kingdom, whilst we 
 received advices from Vittoria that domiciliary 
 visits were daily made there. The familiars of 
 the Inquisition, now attended by police officers, 
 and now by military men, had every where dis- 
 turbed the repose of many peaceable families, who 
 had not the smallest idea of my place of con- 
 cealment. 
 
 My friends of Madrid, on the other hand, 
 having informed those of the provinces respect- 
 ing my situation, they all contributed pecuniary 
 means and timely advices to secure my flight. 
 One of the latter, who resided at Miranda de 
 Ebro, and who held an extensive correspondence 
 with all the patriots of those districts, wrote to 
 Polo on the 26th of April, saying: *' Our friend 
 Suelto (this was the name by which I was desig- 
 nated) must be very cautious in passing the 
 bridges and barges, for all the guards stationed 
 there are very vigilant, a high reward being of- 
 fered to any of them who shall apprehend him." 
 Another wrote, that all the familiars of the 
 kingdom communicated weekly with each other ; 
 and that the Holy Office had even in the smallest 
 village an active agent, who was the more zealous 
 
DON JUAK VAiJ HALEN. 281 
 
 in his searches as he considered himself a being of 
 superior order, by wearing the badge of the tri- 
 bunal, and possessing the privileges granted him 
 in detriment of his fellow-countrymen. Confined 
 within the circle of this interminable chain, we 
 could only hope to overcome it by using the ut- 
 most prudence, and acting only upon well-con- 
 certed plans. 
 
 Various accidents, all of them coinciding with 
 those which Nunez de Arenas investigated, clearly 
 proved to us that the letter I had written to Cas- 
 taneda, though having circulated among his col- 
 leagues, was not credited ; first, because the In- 
 quisitors of Madrid Icnew very well I was not in 
 a state to undertake the fatigues of a journey at 
 the time when that letter was dated ; and secondly, 
 because the correspondents they had at Bordeaux 
 assured them the whole was a fiction. 
 
 It was now the end of April, and though my 
 friends had decided on my immediate departure, 
 they had not yet agreed upon the exact plan that 
 was to be adopted, in order to overcome the mul- 
 titude of obstacles which stood in our way. From 
 the first, however. Polo manifested his firm deter- 
 mination, whatever might be the manner in which 
 my flight was to be effected, to share its dangers 
 with me, until he saw me out of the reach of our 
 enemies. This he openly declared to our friends, 
 that they might arrange the plan of our departure 
 accordingly. 
 
 The lieutenant-colonel of the regiment of Va- 
 
282 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 lengia, Don Patricio Dominguez, with whom one 
 of my brothers was acquainted, in some of his 
 conversations with him respecting me, had not 
 been so strictly reserved as my cousin Murfy ; 
 and my brother, convinced that he knew more 
 than he would avow, earnestly begged him to re- 
 move the excessive inquietude of my family for 
 my personal safety. With this view I had al- 
 ready written several letters, dated from England, 
 which had been mysteriously shewn to my bro- 
 thers, but which on a close examination, they had 
 discovered to be a deception. Dominguez being 
 constantly importuned by my brother, and doing 
 him the justice due to his feelings, communicated 
 to me what passed, assuring those friends of mine 
 who objected to my seeing him, of the reliance 
 they might place in his honour ; so that at length 
 it was left to my choice whether I would receive 
 him or not, and Dominguez withdrew authorized 
 to arrange an interview as his prudence might best 
 dictate. 
 
 Early on the following day, my brother paid 
 him a visit to learn the result of his application. 
 Dominguez, who was about my size, had been 
 measured for my clothes, and happening to have 
 at that moment some articles of dress for my 
 equipment lying on a table, he pointed to them, 
 and said that in a few minutes they would be in 
 my possession, at the same time promising that 
 not many days would elapse before he would see me. 
 At length the day came, and my two brothers, 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 283 
 
 accompanied by Dominguez, presented themselves 
 at our place of rendezvous, where Murfy, Polo, 
 and myself were already waiting for them. The 
 interview was one of high interest to us all. 
 Murfy and myself being alternately reproached 
 by my two young brothers for our want of con- 
 fidence in them, we endeavoured to pacify them, 
 by alleging the many prudent reasons we had for 
 keeping it secret from any member of my family. 
 Deaf to our reasonings, and alive only to the dic- 
 tates of their honour, and to the love they had for 
 me, they would not believe that I could have 
 friends as sincere as themselves. Fearing that in 
 that moment of effervescence, they would require 
 more concessions than it would be prudent in me 
 to grant, I did not disclose to them my approach- 
 ing departure. We were still engaged in our in- 
 teresting contentions, when one of the patrols sent 
 from the barracks of the regiment of Valencia, 
 which were not very distant from the place of our 
 meeting, seeing the group formed by us six, ad- 
 vanced to disperse us. Dominguez, who when- 
 ever he attended at these interviews, wore the 
 same dress as when he went on duty to the palace, 
 hastened to meet the party, the officer of which, 
 recognizing his chief, withdrew with his men, and 
 the danger that threatened us was averted. 
 
 We had much trouble in persuading my bro- 
 thers that no one could enter the place of my 
 residence, as the least mistrust excited their in- 
 dignation. The lateness of the hour obliging us 
 
284 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 to part, Dominguez, Polo, and Murfy, wishing 
 to set them the example, were the first to with- 
 draw ; but no sooner did they find themselves 
 alone with me, than they redoubled their entrea- 
 ties to allow them to accompany me home. 
 Obliged to conceal from them the true direction 
 of mj abode, that they might not suspect its 
 vicinity to my father's house, I walked with them 
 the two third parts of Madrid, until I told them 
 I was near my dwelling, and at last succeeded ia 
 persuading them to leave me. 
 
 When I parted from them, I was about a mile 
 distant from my place of residence, and wishing 
 to gain the time I had thus lost, I took the 
 shortest road home, which led through some 
 streets close to the theatre. The play was just 
 over, as I came near it ; and a crowd of people, 
 among whom I hoped to pass unnoticed, were 
 dispersing along the different streets in the 
 neighbourhood ; but as it is difficult at any time 
 to elude the penetrating glance of a female's eyes, 
 a lady whose house I had formerly frequented, 
 preceded by her servant carrying a lighted torch, 
 followed my steps either designedly or acciden- 
 tally, without my perceiving it, and recognised 
 me, notwithstanding my being well muffled up 
 in my cloak. As she drew near me, she pulled 
 me gently by it, and whispered in my ear a 
 phrase, the meaning of which could be known 
 only to ourselves. Pretending not to understand 
 it, I quickened my pace ; but it was all in vain. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 285 
 
 The more I endeavoured to avoid her, the more 
 intent she was on following me ; so that on arriving 
 at a more retired street, 1 was in some measure 
 compelled to answer her. This lady, who was 
 ignorant of the powerful assistance I had met 
 with from my numerous friends, anxious to serve 
 me with all the means in her power, and persuade 
 me to accept an asylum in her house, was on the 
 point of dismissing, on some frivolous pretext, 
 her servant, to whom fortunately I was not 
 known ; but my arguments and entreaties pre- 
 vailed on her at last to desist from a determina- 
 tion in which there was more generosity than 
 prudence. This lady, whom I saw then for the 
 last time, is now no more. 
 
 My cousin was in the habit of visiting at her 
 house, and as she knew the affection he professed 
 for me, imagining that it would be an agreeable 
 surprise for him to hear she had seen me, she 
 informed him of it the first time they met. Murfy 
 feigned incredulity on hearing her account, and 
 she, who, notwithstanding her natural quickness, 
 believed it to be real, piqued at not being cre- 
 dited, not only stated the conversation she had 
 held with me, but in her anxiety to convince him, 
 enlarged upon it at her pleasure. My cousin, 
 who knew that this lady seldom went to the thea- 
 tre unaccompanied by some friend or other, gave 
 that as his pretext for his incredulity, although he 
 was well convinced that such a rencontre might 
 have occurred. 
 
286 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 When danger no longer threatened me, Murfy, 
 without disclosing the name of the person, spoke 
 to some of his friends of this meeting. One of 
 these, wishing to punish the fatuity of a young 
 man, who pretended to be au fait of every thing, 
 made him believe that at that time Polo and 
 myself had entered a coffee-room, and taken 
 our ice with some ladies, naming those of whom 
 he boasted to be the favourite. The young man, 
 full of resentment at hearing this, and having 
 moreover his own reasons for being displeased 
 with the ladies, not only believed the story, but 
 propagated it ; adding, that he himself was in 
 the coffee-room at the time we entered ; though 
 by such an assertion he only exposed himself to 
 the ridicule of his friends. The anecdote, how- 
 ever, being thus put into circulation, travelled 
 out of Spain, increasing in magnitude and dis- 
 guises, till at last it reached England, and gave 
 rise to the coffee-house gallantry, mentioned by 
 the author of Sandoval when relating the events 
 of that period.* 
 
 * The above work was published in London in the beginning 
 of 1826. 
 
 Many English readers, with some of whom I became acquainted 
 on my first visit to England, and for whom I have the highest 
 consideration, having since perused that work, credited the anecdote 
 above alluded to ; a fact which I ascertained when in June 1826 I 
 again visited England, being interrogated by them respecting the 
 truth of it. In answer to their questions I only begged them to 
 reflect, whether it was likely I should have engaged in such gal- 
 lantries at a time when the least imprudence on my part would 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 287 
 
 It was not till the beginning of May, that 
 every arrangement for our journey was com- 
 pleted. Don Eusebio Polo and myself were to 
 proceed through the least frequented roads to- 
 wards Navarre, in order to gain the Pyrenees 
 and enter France, through which we were to post 
 as far as Calais, visiting on our way Bordeaux 
 and Paris ; and lastly, take refuge in England, 
 from which Polo was to return to Madrid with 
 all possible secrecy and speed. 
 
 On weighing the imminent dangers with Mhich 
 we were likely to meet by travelling under any 
 disguise whatever, it struck us that, if we could, 
 under the name which I had adopted since my 
 flight, obtain a passport in which I should be 
 designated as a public commissioner, it would 
 then be easy for us to elude all suspicion, and 
 avoid the unpleasant examinations by police 
 officers and other agents of government, particu- 
 larly if we travelled through a country in which 
 I was not personally known. This idea having 
 met the approbation of all my friends, it was 
 immediately agreed that it should be put into 
 execution. To obtain a passport from the prime 
 
 have caused the ruin of so many families, and of the generous 
 friends who were risking their lives and fortunes in sheltering me 
 from the pursuit of our enemies. I had the satisfaction to observe 
 that they were convinced by my reasoning. In justice, however, 
 to the author of that work, I must add here, that though he has 
 been led into an error by the misrepresentations of others, it is 
 far from my thoughts to impeach the general veracity of his work. 
 
288 NAREATIVE OF 
 
 minister when the members of the camarilla were 
 constantly on the alert, was a matter of consider- 
 able difficulty ; it was, however, procured with- 
 out either the minister who signed it, or the 
 clerks through whose hands it passed, ever foresee- 
 ing the use for which it afterwards served. 
 
 Notwithstanding the importance of this docu- 
 ment on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees, fear- 
 ing that it would not be of equal service in France, 
 "where we should be obliged to keep up an ap- 
 pearance corresponding with our characters, and 
 to visit the embassies, or else to excite the sus- 
 picions of the French police, it was agreed that, 
 once out of Spain, we should assume the charac- 
 ters of wool-merchants from Castile, for which 
 purpose a good collection of specimens was made 
 for us, and a passport procured from the civil 
 authority to whom the power of granting them 
 belonged. 
 
 Meantime Polo, whose intended absence was 
 to remain a secret to the government, being an 
 officer of the staff, easily obtained leave of absence 
 to spend a few months with his family, who 
 resided near Burgos. All our arrangements 
 being completed, and provided with the best 
 maps and itineraries of the country, (of which 
 many good ones were to be had in the offices of 
 the staff.) we fixed the day of our departure. 
 
 Many of our companions, whom I had not yet 
 had the pleasure of embracing, agreed to assemble 
 at the house of the two retired officers whom I 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 289 
 
 have already mentioned, as it would have been 
 imprudent for so many of us to repair to our usual 
 place of rendezvous. In this meeting of trusty 
 and sincere friends, where I was honoured with 
 the presidency, I returned my grateful thanks to 
 them all, begging that they would transmit the 
 same to those who, from Corunna to Valencia, and 
 from Cadiz to Bilboa, had taken an active part in 
 the preservation of my life. I then took my leave, 
 and received from all valuable testimonies of 
 esteem and confidence, which will be eternally re- 
 membered by me. 
 
 After many a struggle with myself, finding it 
 impossible to overcome my anxiety to bid my bro- 
 thers farewell, I had another interview with them 
 in the Prado. They were accompanied, as before, 
 by Dominguez and Murfy ; but no sooner did I 
 announce to them my approaching departure, than 
 they expressed themselves so as to make me repent 
 having yielded to my feelings. We had the scene 
 of the former meeting over again, their affection 
 and wounded honour bringing into action passions 
 too easily excited ; whilst they considered it as an 
 unpardonable affront not to be allowed to escort 
 me, and share the dangers of my journey through 
 Spain. I had recourse to every suggestion that 
 prudence and reason dictated, my friends second- 
 ing me by their arguments and entreaties. Murfy 
 presented the question in such a light as he thought 
 could not fail to move their sensibility, by repre- 
 senting to them the fatal blow which our family 
 
 VOL. I. o 
 
290 NAERATIVE OF 
 
 would receive, if by an unforeseen accident we 
 all three were involved in one misfortune. But it 
 was all in vain : their fixed resolution to accom- 
 pany me, and the vehement expression of their 
 feelings, made even the most serious reflection ap- 
 pear ridiculous. Moved at the enthusiastic affec- 
 tion they manifested, we were obliged to yield, 
 and from that night permitted them to take an 
 active part in the first steps towards my flight. 
 This was disapproved of by many of our friends, 
 who had not witnessed that affecting meeting, a 
 mistrust at which I felt greatly hurt; but the 
 conduct of my brothers was such as to give them 
 no reason to repent my having placed in them this 
 confidence. 
 
 On the evening preceding that of my departure, 
 it was arranged that Polo should set off early in 
 the morning for Alcala de Henares, accompanied 
 by another friend who should take charge of my 
 horse, whilst my two brothers were to ride out into 
 the country, and towards evening walk their 
 horses outside the gate of Alcala, through which 
 I was to pass, accompanied only by Belda. 
 
 The fidelity -and care shewn me by the Bis- 
 cayan woman during the whole time I remained 
 in her humble abode, I thought, entitled her 
 to a complete proof of confidence on my part. I 
 therefore disclosed to her my true name, point- 
 ing out from the windows of her apartment my 
 father's house, which had always been before my 
 eyes ; and lastly, I explained to her the mystery 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 291 
 
 which had caused our seeking an asylum in her 
 house. 
 
 At length the hour of my departure arrived. I 
 took leave of my kind nurse, and proceeded with 
 Belda towards the gates. Polo and myself had 
 fixed upon the last quarter of the moon, that we 
 might be able to travel during the night, should 
 circumstances oblige us to it ; but this arrange- 
 ment rendered my first steps for quitting the capi- 
 tal more hazardous, by exposing me to disagree- 
 able meetings in my way to the gates. Here, 
 again, the passport of the prime minister could be 
 of no avail, as I was known by sight to most of 
 the guards stationed there. There were also other 
 dangers to be apprehended, arising from the pa- 
 trols of cuirassiers, who at night ranged outside 
 the walls of tiie capital, and from the unforeseen 
 accidents that I might meet wath during my ride 
 to Alcala de Henares, which is five leagues dis- 
 tant from Madrid. Thus, the good or bad suc- 
 cess of the first steps of my flight depended entire- 
 ly on chance. I was, however, prepared for the 
 worst, and had accordingly formed a plan, which, 
 though fatal to me in its results, was the only one 
 of which circumstances would admit. 
 
 Eight was just striking when we arrived at the 
 gates of Alcala. By a most fortunate accident 
 the guards were occupied in examining a carriage 
 that was leaving Madrid ; and being more intent 
 on the munificence of the travellers than in the 
 performance of their duties, we passed by without 
 
 o 2 
 
292 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 at all attracting their attention ; when at about a 
 hundred paces from the gates, we met my bro- 
 thers. As the fear of exciting suspicion had pre- 
 vented them from bringing a third horse, as it 
 was their wish, one of them was obliged to alight, 
 that I might proceed on my journey. Under the 
 pretext of entrusting him with a message, I suc- 
 ceeded in making him desist from his intention of 
 following us on foot. Belda, who was in the 
 secret, returned with him ; whilst my other bro- 
 ther and myself clapped spurs to our horses, and 
 we lost sight of a city for ever memorable to me. 
 
 By one of those singular coincidences which are 
 met with only in the great book of destiny, on the 
 very night that I was flying from the capital to 
 shun the horrors of the Inquisition, the body of 
 the Inquisitor-general Mier, who had died on that 
 morning, was lying in state in one of the saloons 
 of the palace, where he had issued the sanguinary 
 decrees against me, and where he had treated 
 with contempt the humane and religious reflec- 
 tions of the upright Canon Riesco. He was now 
 in the awful presence of his God, rendering an 
 account of his actions. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 29'^ 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 The author safely passes a squadron of cuirassiers — He sups with 
 Don Facundo Infantes and Zorraquin at Alcala — Dangerous 
 adventure at a seat of the Duke del Infantado's — Comfortable, 
 lodging at Torremocho — Quarrel betwixt the vOlagers and 
 some foot-soldiers — Mountain of Moncayo — Town of Safra — 
 Treacherous innkeeper — Police officers — Successful passage of 
 the river Ebro — Dragoons — Entertainment in the town of Olite 
 — Persiflage by a pretended diplomatist — The author avoids 
 Pampeluna — Advice received from the landlord of an inn near 
 the Pyrenees — Stratagem — VUlage of Berrueta — Elizondo — 
 Extreme peril in passing the barrier of the Pyrenees — The 
 author and companion pass the frontier, and enter France. 
 
 The detachment of cuirassiers on the road of 
 Alcala had left the capital towards the close of 
 the day, and my brother, who had observed it, 
 believed that they must be at some distance from 
 us, when, just as we arrived at an elevated spot on 
 the road, which overlooks the inn called Del Espi- 
 ritu Santo^ we distinguished the glittering of their 
 cuirasses. My brother, who purposely rode in 
 
294 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 uniform, and myself enveloped in my cloak, on 
 seeing them within that short distance, did not 
 think it prudent to call their attention by turning 
 out of the road, which offered neither wood or any 
 other place of concealment ; we, therefore, pro- 
 ceeded towards them, resolved to face the danger. 
 Before arriving at the inn there is a turnpike, and 
 beyond it a bridge. Having passed the former, 
 we perceived that the troop had halted at the inn, 
 where they were taking some refreshment. My 
 brother went towards them with the object of 
 preventing all suspicion, and I followed him. The 
 cuirassiers, seeing an officer, paid no attention to 
 his companion, and we passed the bridge unmo- 
 lested ; after which we set off at full gallop, meet- 
 ing no other obstacle, or even a traveller on our 
 way. Four hours after, we saw the towers of 
 Alcala, which is situated in the midst of a plain. 
 As the school of engineers was established in this 
 city, Don Facundo Infantes, who held a high situ- 
 tion in it, residing there, we had appointed his 
 house as the place of meeting. This gentleman, 
 accompanied by the friend whom Polo had taken 
 with him to bring m} horse to Alcala, was waiting 
 for me outside the gates, and on our approach 
 came forward. Having alighted, I gave the horse 
 to Polo's companion, and a parting embrace to my 
 brother, who, with his new comrade, turned his 
 horse's head towards Madrid, whilst I followed 
 Infantes into the town, and reached his house with- 
 out meeting with the least obstacle. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 295 
 
 Here I found Polo and Zorraquin, with whom 
 we sat do^vn to supper, till hearing the clock strike 
 two, we prepared for our departure, having first 
 consulted the map, the itinerary, and the notes we 
 had been furnished with respecting some parts of 
 the road, without forgetting to assume the dress 
 corresponding to my supposed commission, as well 
 as Polo, who was to pass for my secretary. Man- 
 zanares accompanied us on foot as far as the out- 
 skirts of the town, where, having taken leave of 
 him, we quickened our pace, to quit before day- 
 light the high road leading to Guadalaxara ; our 
 intention being to avoid, as much as possible, 
 passing through the cities that lay in our way. 
 
 The splendour of the rising sun seemed to pre- 
 sage the success of our flight, and we travelled 
 on, cheered by one of those delightful May morn- 
 ings, when Nature sheds its rays of beauty over 
 every living object. Wishing to proceed as far 
 from the capital as the strength of our horses 
 would allow, we rode on without halting, until 
 an incident, which might have proved very serious, 
 obliged us to change our direction. Passing about 
 noon near a country-house, and wanting some 
 refreshment, we advanced towards it, without at 
 first remembering to whom it belonged. Over- 
 powered by the heat of a burning sun, I had 
 thrown open my cloak ; when on arriving at a 
 great court-yard, belonging to the house, we were 
 met by several large dogs, whose clamorous bark- 
 ing attracted the notice of the servants, who came 
 
296 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 out accompanied by a man whose countenance was 
 very familiar to me. Wishing to prevent his re- 
 cognizing me, I feigned to be afraid of the dogs, 
 and rode out of the court-yard, followed by Polo, 
 who immediately understood me ; thus avoiding 
 worse consequences than could result from the 
 bites of the dogs. The fact is that we were on 
 one of the estates of the Duke del Infantado, 
 and that the man we observed among the servants 
 was the duke's major-domo of that estate, who 
 had formerly been steward in a family residing at 
 Madrid, with whom I was in habits of the greatest 
 intimacy. This was the reason why we thought it 
 prudent to change the direction of our road. 
 
 Towards evening we arrived at a small village 
 where colonels might very well have sojourned, 
 but certainly, never diplomatic agents. The cu- 
 rate, of whom we soon heard good accounts, being 
 absent, we went to the house of his father, who, 
 never having learned to read, was perfectly satis- 
 fied with the coat of arms on my passport, the 
 gold embroidery of my coat, and the timely la- 
 mentations of my secretary for our accidental 
 separation from our servants. Our honest Cas- 
 tilian host hastened to remedy this loss by entrust- 
 ing the care of our horses to his servants. He 
 then insisted on our taking the privileged seats 
 near the fire, whilst he himself set about prepar- 
 ing the chocolate for us, and his good old wife our 
 beds. Polo, who was more familiar with these 
 scenes than myself, and more conversant with the 
 
DON JUAX VAN HALEN. 29? 
 
 manners of these people, knew how to turn every 
 thing to account. He began a conversation on 
 politics with our host, principally touching on 
 rents and taxes, which soon made the good farmer 
 speak his opinions freely. He lamented the petty 
 tyranny of men in office, the unjust privileges of 
 the hidalgos, the innumerable barriers which op- 
 posed themselves to the industry of the husband- 
 man, and lastly spoke of the monarch with all the 
 candour of rusticity, shewing that the disorders 
 of the throne are felt even in the cabin of the 
 peasant, when the appeals of the people are not 
 only disregarded, but punished. 
 
 Conducted by our host and hostess to the apart- 
 ment where our beds were prepared, we soon for- 
 got the adventures and fatigues of that day. The 
 old man was punctual in calling us at the hour 
 we had appointed. We saluted him in the kitchen 
 at daybreak, and then went to look at our horses, 
 which we found already saddled, and the servant 
 waiting our orders. Our host insisting on guiding 
 us through the path that led to the road we were 
 to follow, we took our horses by the bridle, and 
 walked on, admiring the beautiful vallies that 
 extend as far as the chain of the Somosierra moun- 
 tains, to which the old man pointed with pride as 
 the picturesque theatre where he had spent many 
 a spring, and which had witnessed the bleaching 
 of the venerable locks that fell about his shoul- 
 ders. At parting, he shook us heartily by the 
 hand, shewing us the high road, and made u§ 
 
 o 3 
 
298 NAEEATIVE 01? 
 
 promise to visit him should we ever travel that 
 road ; a civility as sincerely meant as it was kindly 
 proffered. 
 
 After some hours' travelling on the high road, 
 we arrived at the little village called Torremocho, 
 and soon after reached the inn a short distance 
 beyond it, the loneliness of which seemed to invite 
 us to refresh our horses, and repose ourselves 
 awhile, but in which we were not free from alarms. 
 Whilst Polo and myself were amusing ourselves 
 with listening to the clamorous orders of the inn- 
 keeper's wife, who was getting our dinner ready, 
 which, notwithstanding her boisterous importance, 
 consisted but of some fried eggs and a sallad, the 
 cries and shouts of the children, of which there is 
 always an abundant crop in the huts of the poor, 
 announced the approach of a troop of soldiers. 
 Remembering the meeting I had on the night I 
 left Madrid, we hastened to the door, where we 
 met with a serjeant and twelve foot-soldiers, who, 
 on seeing my uniform, saluted me respectfully, 
 causing our momentary fears to vanish. I in- 
 quired of them the object of their excursion, and 
 learned they were in pursuit of highwaymen, who 
 were not wanting in that part of the country. As 
 it frequently happens in times of public misery 
 that a father of a family has no other resource 
 than to turn robber, the people of Torremocho, 
 who were in this situation, as most probably was 
 also the case with those of the inn, looked upon 
 an armed force as they might upon an army of 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 299 
 
 invaders. With respect to our present guests, 
 they held out their scanty purse to procure some 
 refreshments, but no attention was paid to them : 
 they asked water, and they gave them what had 
 been left by our horses ; the hostess had nothing 
 for those veterans, and as it is not in the character 
 of Castilians to dissemble if they feel wounded, 
 the countenances began on all sides to assume a 
 cloudy aspect, threatening a conflict, always vio- 
 lent in a country where the passions of the peo- 
 ple, when once roused, know now limits. Under 
 these circunistances, it was impossible for Polo 
 and myself not to have a fellow-feeling for these 
 poor soldiers, who, nothwithstanding the priva- 
 tions they endured, shewed the utmost prudence, 
 discipline and forbearance. We therefore con- 
 doled with them, and gave them the little assistance 
 that lay in our power ; but foreseeing that a gene- 
 ral affray would soon take place between the two 
 parties, we judged it wise to leave them to fight 
 their own battles, as otherwise, in the event of the 
 soldiers being supported by their chief, it is very 
 probable that the only persons apprehended would 
 be ourselves. We, however, advised them to keep 
 their tempers, and avoid any rupture ; an advice, 
 which, in a similar situation, we ourselves should 
 have found very difficult to follow, and mounting 
 our horses we set off* at a brisk pace. 
 
 We traversed the country of Tadraque, having 
 a few leagues to the right of our road the city of 
 Siguenza, which we wished to leave far behind 
 
300 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 US before nightfal. The spirit of our horses 
 seconded our intentions, and towards sunset we 
 saw, at some distance from the road, Sauquillo, a 
 very small village, which we fixed upon as the ter- 
 mination of that day's journey. We learned from 
 the young men of the neighbourhood that there 
 were no soldiers stationed in it, and that it was 
 now some time since they had seen any. On ar- 
 rivincr, we found the members of the town-house 
 assembled in the blacksmith's shop, which was the 
 principal place of resort in the village ; and by 
 our presence we interrupted the measured sounds 
 of his hammer with which he was regaling the 
 assembly. We asked quarters for the night, and 
 the alcaide, more attentive to my person than to 
 my passport, which he did not even attempt to 
 spell, pointed out to us from where he stood a 
 house, which certainly appeared the best in the 
 village. As our servants had not yet joined us, 
 the people of the house where we were quartered 
 easily procured us a young man to take care of 
 our horses. 
 
 Neither the host nor hostess was so communi- 
 cative as those who had sheltered us on the pre- 
 vious night. We therefore remained with them 
 no longer than was absolutely necessary, and we 
 rose, desiring our temporary groom to have the 
 horses ready by daybreak, and call us if we were 
 yet asleep ; but the hostess, who heard our order, 
 hastened to remind us that the following day was 
 a festival, and that her confessor said mass at a 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 301 
 
 very convenient hour for any traveller. We 
 thought it prudent to thank her for her well- 
 meant warning, and agreed to prolong our sleep 
 until the church-bell should call us up. 
 
 I think it would be impossible to find in any 
 other house in Castile, or even throughout Spain, 
 such a numerous collection of cats as we found 
 here. This we perceived only when we got 
 into bed, otherwise we might have dispensed 
 with charging the servant to awake us, as, owing 
 to the noise made by those animals, we could 
 not close our eyes during the whole night. The 
 mewing, the racing, the fighting among them 
 was such as to be almost alarming, and only 
 to be matched by the diversified snorings, deep 
 and loud, which issued from the adjoining dormi- 
 tories ; so that long before the church-bell called 
 the faithful to mass, we were on our legs. In 
 giving the good morning to our hostess, I could 
 not help speaking of the wretched night we had 
 spent, shewing my surprise at her keeping such an 
 immense number of cats, when there were so many 
 beggars in the village who I thought ought to 
 have the preference. " Mr. Colonel," answered 
 the hostess, as she buttoned the spatterdashes of 
 her unwieldy husband, " what can we do ? When 
 we married, he had only two ; they have increased 
 with our years, and we have given some of them 
 to our neighbours. God provides for them ; shall 
 .we then throw them into the ditch ? The tricks 
 of the little ones are our amusement, and I assure 
 
302 KARRATIVE OF 
 
 you that when a person is accustomed to their 
 mewings, he is not disturbed by them." She then 
 entered into the peculiar merits of her principal 
 favourites, interrupting her panegyric only at the 
 door of the church. 
 
 The priest, on seeing us enter, sent the sacris- 
 tan to conduct us to the seats of the members 
 of the town-house, which were near the altar, 
 and then commenced the service, our ears being 
 suddenly assailed by the screams of old men, 
 youths, and children, who crowded the choir of 
 the church, and who gave a faithful representation 
 of the musical entertainment we had heard during 
 the night. The mass over. Polo and myself 
 thought it our duty to repay the attention of 
 the priest by inviting him to take his chocolate 
 with us. The hostess was delighted at this 
 mark of respect in us, and busied herself in 
 preparing it ; after which we took leave of them, 
 and mounting our horses, endeavoured to gain 
 the time we had thus lost. 
 
 We travelled during the whole day without 
 taking any repose, and after sunset put up for 
 the night at a small village called Moncayo, 
 situated at the side of the mountain of the same 
 name, which rises like a watch-tower over the 
 two kingdoms of Arragon and Castile, which it 
 separates, its elevated peak forming a most pic- 
 turesque object. Wishing to avoid the inns as 
 much as possible, for fear of some disagreeable 
 encounter. Polo proceeded to the billiard-room. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 303 
 
 where we learned the alcaide was to be found, 
 and from him he easily obtained quarters for 
 the night, which we spent without having our 
 repose disturbed but by the care of our horses, 
 which, owing to the exposed situation of the sta- 
 bles, we were under the necessity of watching. 
 
 Before daylight we were already on horse- 
 back, and proceeded through the high road to- 
 wards the Ebro ; the numberless obstacles which 
 tlie mountainous nature of the country offered, 
 preventing our leaving it without exposing our- 
 selves to lose our way. Among the few larger 
 towns we were obliged to pass through was that of 
 Safra, which, by all accounts, we had reason to 
 look upon with suspicion, and which was marked 
 in our itinerary for that day's journey. For- 
 tunately as we drew near it, the rain fell in such 
 violent showers, that we traversed the town 
 without seeing other objects worth remarking than 
 the arms of the Inquisition, which were cut in 
 stone over the doors of some houses, the owners of 
 which, looking through the windows, did not seem 
 much inclined to gratify their curiosity at the 
 expense of getting wet through. 
 
 Having left Safra about a league in our rear, 
 we saw an inn a little removed from the high 
 road, where we took shelter from the incessant 
 rain, and established our quarters for the night, 
 being already wet to the skin. We entrusted 
 the care of our horses to the ostler, and took pos- 
 session of the two beds offered us by the innkeeper. 
 
304 KARRATIVE OF 
 
 The music of Sauquillo, and the care of our horses 
 at Moncayo, which had hindered me from taking 
 any repose for the last two nights, with the soak- 
 ing rain of that day, renewed my former pains in 
 the arm, and prevented our departure on the fol- 
 lowing day. The kind attentions of my com- 
 panion greatly contributed to hasten my recovery, 
 and gave us the hope of shortly continuing our 
 journey. The innkeeper, who was a great gossip, 
 and consequently no less curious of other people's 
 affairs, questioned us about our journey, and 
 about the accident that had separated us from our 
 servants, relating to us in his turn the various 
 adventures that had occurred at his inn, among 
 which was the flight of General Renovales,* who, 
 disguised as a monk, had passed the night in his 
 inn ; a circumstance which was not discovered by 
 him for some time after, and which he lamented, 
 as having thereby lost the high reward offered for 
 his apprehension. This despicable man, who, 
 had he suspected my real character, would not 
 have hesitated an instant in betraying me, in- 
 formed us that the police-officers, who belonged 
 to the party stationed along the Ebro, were in 
 the daily habit of visiting the inn, and that 
 though probably the rains had kept them in 
 Safra, they would not be long before they arrived. 
 This information we received when it was too late 
 for us to think of departing ; but not wishing to 
 
 * He was implicated in a conspiracy which obliged him to fly 
 irora Spain. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 305 
 
 remain there longer than was absolutely necessary, 
 we told him of our determination to set off at day- 
 break, paying him before hand the unreasonable 
 bill which he presented to us, for the thirty-six 
 hours we had remained in his house. 
 
 We were on the point of leaving our room to 
 proceed on our journey, when, from the window 
 that looked into the road, we distinguished six 
 armed men coming towards the inn. On their 
 knocking with their muskets, the door was im- 
 mediately opened, and the first object which 
 presented itself to their sight, was the ostler 
 waiting for us under the gateway with our horses 
 already saddled. Anxious to ascertain who these 
 men were, we listened attentively to the questions 
 they put to him, by which we soon discovered 
 them to be the police-officers mentioned by the 
 innkeeper. Polo immediately went down to speak 
 to them, and managed things so well, that the 
 curiosity they had at first manifested was con- 
 verted into respect. They drank a glass of brandy 
 to the health of the travellers, and without waiting 
 to see the innkeeper, who was still fast asleep, 
 hastened out of the inn, from which we also rode 
 off as soon as we thought they were at some dis- 
 tance from it. 
 
 Among the questions my secretary had asked 
 the police-officers, was, whether they had seen 
 anything of our servants, complaining of the pre- 
 cious time we had lost in waiting for them at the 
 inn, and of the want of liquor case, which pre- 
 
306 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 vented him from offering them a glass, but which 
 he supplied with some he purchased at the inn, 
 that they might drink to the health of " Colonel 
 Don Manuel Suelto." As we proceeded along the 
 high road, laughing at the easy credulity of those 
 who were even then in pursuit of me, and forming 
 castles in the air, believing we had already over- 
 come not only the dangers that the line of the Ebro 
 presented, but all those we had besides reason to 
 fear, we saw at a distance the custom-house, and 
 within sight of it, the barge, which had hitherto 
 so much occupied our thoughts. On our approach- 
 ing nearer, all the guards and officers of the 
 customs came out to meet us, when I shewed 
 from under my cloak, as if by chance, the sleeve 
 of my coat, on the cuff of Avhich were the colo- 
 nePs insignia,* whilst my secretary begged them 
 to desire our servants, whom we were hourly ex- 
 pecting, to hasten forward to join us. The men 
 listened respectfully, and assured us they would 
 not fail to obey our commands, and without far- 
 ther inconvenience, we proceeded towards the 
 barge, thus overcoming one of the principal dan- 
 gers of our journey. 
 
 The wretched condition of the interior com- 
 merce, which under a better government might be 
 so extensive in this part of the kingdom, kept the 
 boatman in a state of complete inactivity. The 
 
 • In Spain, as in Austria, the superior officers are distinguished 
 by the gold or silver stripes worn on the cuffs of the coat. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 30? 
 
 poor fellow received us and our horses as a god- 
 send, lamenting the great scarcity of passengers of 
 any kind, and performing his work with the ut- 
 most diligence, for which we rewarded him hand- 
 somely, though not according to the real service 
 we felt he had rendered us. But though we were 
 now leaving the Ebro behind, we had still to cross 
 the kingdom of Navarre, where we had other dan- 
 srers to encounter, from which we feared that our 
 past successes might be of little avail. 
 
 It was still early in the morning, when just 
 before entering the first village on our road, we 
 met two dragoons, who were going to join a de- 
 tachment that had been sent there. The soldiers, 
 who every where prefer a wandering life to the 
 regular duties they are subject to with the main 
 body, learning from Polo, who stopped to con- 
 verse with them, that I was entrusted with an im- 
 portant commission, begged him to use his influ- 
 ence with me to obtain their ofiicer's permission 
 for them to be our escort. My secretary, having 
 ascertained that their officer did not know me, and 
 elated by the success of our passage over the 
 Ebro, conceived the singular idea of acceding to 
 their request, and communicated to me his inten- 
 tion of shewing the officer our passport ; and 
 should he obtain the soldiers, on our arrival to 
 the frontiers of France, he would send them to the 
 minister of war Eguia, with a despatch in which 
 our safe arrival in a kingdom to which his power 
 did not extend, should be duly announced. Tu- 
 
308 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 tored by experience, my fears were more easily 
 roused than his, and I did not approve of his fan- 
 ciful scheme, at which nevertheless it was impossi- 
 ble not to laugh. We, therefore, left the village 
 and the dragoons, and proceeding onward, we 
 reached towards noon a village called Centrenigo, 
 where we stopped to take some repose at the only 
 inn in the place, which was as little frequented as 
 the barge and the road. 
 
 The city of Olite, so celebrated in the annals of 
 Navarre, was towards the end of our day's jour- 
 ney ; but as we had no friends there, we deter- 
 mined to pass the night at some village beyond it. 
 Before reaching it, however, it grew so dark that 
 Polo, deeming it wiser to sojourn at Olite, pro- 
 ceeded with the passport to the municipality, in 
 order to obtain quarters for the night, in which he 
 easily succeeded. By the arms sculptured over 
 the door of the house to which we were sent, we 
 judged that our host belonged to the nobility of 
 Olite, a fact which we soon ascertained. On the 
 lady of the house being informed who we were, 
 and of our having arrived without our attendants, 
 she immediately sent one of her own to take care 
 of our horses, and caused every thing we stood in 
 want of to be brought to us, giving besides to the 
 other servants orders which presaged more atten- 
 tion than we wished for. Whilst I was making 
 my toilet to go and present my respects to our 
 hostess. Polo called my attention to a murmur of 
 voices that was heard in one of the adjoining 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 309 
 
 rooms ; but though we listened attentively, we 
 could not form a correct idea of the cause of it, 
 until having finished dressing, and proceeded to- 
 wards the apartment of the hostess, we found on 
 arriving at the door that the whole family were at 
 evening prayers. Unwilling to disturb them, we 
 were on the point of turning back, when the lady 
 of the house hearing our steps, came out to meet 
 us, and invited us to enter, politely regretting that 
 her husband was not at home to assist her in doins: 
 the honours of the house. She then introduced 
 us to a cousin of hers, a gentleman of very rustic 
 appearance, to an assemblage of old women, to a 
 Capuchin friar, and to a priest. Having exam- 
 ined this museum of living rarities, I cast a look 
 at Polo, who, immediately understanding its 
 meaning, received with the utmost resignation, as 
 well as myself, the polite invitation of our hostess 
 to spend the evening and take supper with them. 
 We were then requested to take our seats. Polo 
 having for his neighbour the priest, who from the 
 first moment we entered, displayed the hateful 
 badge of the Holy Office, in which he filled the 
 post of familiar. He spoke of the court, of the 
 benevolent disposition of the King, and of the 
 happiness of the people, whilst we in our turn 
 extolled the importance of diplomacy, the skill 
 and subtlety of the Spanish cabinet, which kept 
 such a marked preponderance over all others, and 
 spoke of the general pacification of the Americas 
 as a thing almost settled. Leaving to my secre- 
 tary the entire care of pursuing this kind of con- 
 
310 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 versation, the absurdity of which would have been 
 apparent to any one except to our worthy familiar, 
 for whom Sweden and Switzerland* were all one, 
 I endeavoured to reply to the numberless ques- 
 tions of the hostess, the Capuchin, and the old 
 women, who, though engaged in a game at cards, 
 did not allow me a moment's respite. 
 
 At length supper being announced, the conver- 
 sation was interrupted, and we proceeded to the 
 supper-room, where I took my seat beside the 
 hostess, Polo being still more favoured than in 
 the drawing-room, having the priest on one side, 
 and the Capuchin on the other. His good hu- 
 mour, however, was unruffled, and he kept up the 
 joviality of the company by his pertinent jokes. 
 The suppers in Navarre are by no means frugal, 
 and, doubtless, our hostess wished to impress us 
 with a favourable idea of her affluence. On the 
 other hand, her affability spared me the trouble of 
 entering the metaphysical labyrinth in which my 
 friend had got entangled with his two neighbours, 
 until, fortunately, the yawning of the priest, the 
 nodding of the Capuchin, and the drowsy winking 
 of the old women, made us withdraw. 
 
 As it is not likely we should go quietly to bed 
 while any one connected with the Inquisition was 
 in the house, we first made sure that he had re- 
 tired to his apartment. Our next care was to see 
 
 * In Spanish the names of the above countries are in their pro- 
 nunciation so similar ( Suecia and Suiza), that the mistake of the 
 familiar, in whom much geographical knowledge could not be ex- 
 pected, is frequently committed by those of his cloth. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 311 
 
 that our horses were well attended, and having 
 ascertained this, we desired the groora to have 
 them ready saddled at break of day. When 
 Polo and myself returned to our apartment, being 
 unable to close our eyes during the whole night, 
 we passed it in commenting on the absurd con- 
 versation we had held with the familiar and his 
 friend the Capuchin, until the hour for our de- 
 parture approaching, we rose, and mounting our 
 horses, bid adieu to Olite and its hospitable inha- 
 bitants. 
 
 The city of Pamplona was in our line of march ; 
 but it was necessary we should avoid entering it, 
 for being the seat of the provincial government, 
 the police were more on the watch, and I was per- 
 sonally known to various individuals in office, 
 among whom was the viceroy. In coming near, 
 we rode across the fields that are in sight of it, 
 and towards noon we stopped a short time at an 
 inn about three leagues beyond it. In our note- 
 book we were recommended to sojourn that night 
 at an inn, which was removed only one day'^s 
 march from the desired term of our perilous jour- 
 ney. We were, besides, instructed to follow the 
 advice of the innkeeper, (who by the time of our 
 arrival would be in some measure in the secret of 
 my flight,) respecting the best way of crossing the 
 Pyrenees. 
 
 On our arrival at the inn, we found the host 
 sitting by the kitchen fire, and surrounded by 
 several old men of the village. We asked lodg- 
 ing for the night, and Polo contrived so, that 
 
312 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 shortly after we had the innkeeper alone with us 
 in our apartment. Having given him the watch- 
 word by which he was to recognize us, and received 
 his answer, we shewed him the passport, explained 
 its object, and asked his opinion and assistance to 
 pass the frontiers. To this he said that we might, 
 even on the following day, undertake the crossing 
 the Pyrenees under the guidance of some smug- 
 glers, who would open a path for us through the 
 snow. We agreed to consider of it. Whilst Polo 
 and myself were occupied in discussing the matter, 
 our host re-entered, shewing some alarm, and 
 informed us that our sudden arrival had excited 
 the suspicions of the old men who were in the 
 kitchen, among whom was the notary. Polo im- 
 mediately proceeded to the kitchen, where, draw- 
 ing out his pocket-book, he began to look over 
 some of the papers it contained, and in putting 
 them up, dropped, as if by chance, our passport, 
 and directly left the kitchen. The host, who en- 
 tered soon after Polo, and was in our scheme, 
 taking up the passport, delivered it to the notary, 
 that he might read it aloud, when both their sus- 
 picions and our alarm ceased. 
 
 When the host came to return us the passport, 
 having already considered the proposal he had 
 made us, we told him that we did not think it 
 prudent to entrust our safety to men who could 
 not answer for their own, at the same time recom- 
 mending him to observe the utmost circumspection 
 in speaking of us to any one. He offered to pro- 
 cure a guide ; but as he could not do this as soon 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 313 
 
 as it was indispensable for us to depart, we were 
 obliged to content ourselves with the information 
 he gave us respecting the state of the custom- 
 house, which we could not avoid passing before 
 we reached the French soil, and resolved to trust 
 to chance, confiding in our experience, resolution, 
 and good horses. 
 
 Early on the following day we bid farewell to 
 our worthy host, and travelled towards the fron- 
 tiers, cheered by one of the finest days in May, 
 which, under the pure sky of Navarre, seemed 
 doubly beautiful and inspiring. Between ten and 
 eleven we reached Berrueta, a small village, which 
 was half-way of our day's journey. As it was the 
 festival of the Corpus Christi, most of the inhabi- 
 tants were, at the time of our arrival, engaged in 
 the religious procession which is performed in 
 every town and village of Spain. It is customary 
 in this part of the country to celebrate this day 
 with a public dinner, in which the want of splen- 
 dour is frequently supplied with mirth and jo- 
 viality, and in which all family feuds and personal 
 animosities are reconciled. The host and hostess 
 were so much occupied with the preparations for 
 the feast, that we found it more difficult to get any 
 one to accept our payment, than to procure the 
 refreshments. 
 
 We left Berrueta, wishing that the example of 
 general reconciliation offered by its inhabitants on 
 this day, might be imitated throughout the pen- 
 insulja, and particularly by the ruling faction. We 
 
 VOL. I. p 
 
314 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 had now bafore our eyes the picturesque summits 
 of the Pyrenees, and the delightful vallies that 
 here and there diversify the scenery along their 
 basis ; but though the sublimity of these objects 
 was irresistible, and capable of absorbing the 
 whole attention, yet I must own that our minds 
 were more engaged with the approaching dangers 
 to be apprehended from the guards and custom- 
 house officers, than in contemplating the beauties 
 of the surrounding scenery. 
 
 At three in the afternoon we passed through 
 Elizondo, which consists of one long street along 
 the high road, and in which a party of guards is 
 always stationed. As we traversed it at a trot, I 
 took care that my insignias should not be conceal- 
 ed ; but we were fortvmate enough not to be ob- 
 served by the guards, until we had left the village, 
 and then apparently without exciting their suspi- 
 cions. There now remained only the party sta- 
 tioned on the frontiers, whose house we saw after 
 tvvo hours'* travelling over a very mountainous 
 country. As we came nearer the spot, one of the 
 many guards, who were on the look-out, hastened 
 towards us, and demanded the passport. I deli- 
 vered it, and we followed him, leading our horses 
 as near as possible to the barrier, which, however, 
 was occupied, as if intentionally, by several men. 
 
 We were kept in the utmost suspense for fifteen 
 long minutes, during which other oflicers placed 
 themselves near our horses' heads, looking suspi- 
 ciously at us. Polo, under the pretext of lighting 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 315 
 
 his cigar, began a conversation with one of them ; 
 but it led to nothing, the fellow answering only in 
 monosyllables. 
 
 Meantime we were repeatedly invited to alight, 
 and go into the house ; but we declined this invi- 
 tation, in which there was more duplicity than 
 politeness, particularly as we could see the prying 
 eyes of a man at the window intently bent upon 
 me. Thus watched and surrounded, we were ob- 
 liged to betray no signs of alarm ; indeed, it seemed 
 as if our very breathing was observed. At length 
 the chief officer came out, and apologizing for the 
 delay that we had experienced, said to me, point- 
 ing to a paper which he held in his hand, that my 
 personal appaarance and features so perfectly 
 agreed with those described in the warrant he 
 held, that it required time to consider. Upon 
 this a question arose of the most delicate nature, 
 alleging, on his part, observations replete with 
 justness and good sense, which 1 was obliged to 
 parry with reasons founded on the mysteries of 
 diplomacy. Passing to less important matters, he 
 asked me whether I had seen the authorities in my 
 way through Pamplona. I answered in the affirm- 
 ative, and observed that his countenance bright- 
 ened. " I have here," said he, shewing me ano- 
 ther paper, '' an order from the Viceroy of Na- 
 varre, in which I am desired to credit no passport 
 that is not countersigned by his lordship." I ob- 
 served to him, that the exalted rank of him who 
 had signed mine was^ in my opinion, entitled to 
 
316 XAREATIVE OF 
 
 an exception. At these words he looked succes- 
 sively at Polo and at myself, and then withdrew, 
 evincing some confusion, whilst w^e returned for 
 ten minutes longer to the same dumb scene previ- 
 ously acted. 
 
 On his re-appearance, he politely returned the 
 passport to me, ordered the gates of the barrier to 
 be opened, and asking me a thousand pardons, 
 took off his hat, and bid us farewell. 
 
 Having passed the barrier, we rode slowly till 
 we came to an angle in the road, which screened 
 us from the sight of the officers, when we clapped 
 spurs to our horses, and once sure we were in the 
 French territory, we both alighted, and manifested 
 the joy we felt by a tight embrace of mutual 
 congratulation. 
 
 I then cast a farewell look on the country of my 
 birth, and throwing away the insignias of my 
 assumed rank, put at once an end to the character 
 oi Don Manuel Suelto, which I had so successfully 
 performed. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 317 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 The author and Polo assume the character of wool -merchants — 
 Excellence of their horses — Adventures in France — Arrival at 
 Bayonne — Bordeaux — They embark for Dover — Custom-house 
 officers — Elections — The alien office — City of London — Spanish 
 emigrants — Polo returns by sea to Spain — Events at Madrid — 
 Proceedings of the Inquisition of the Court — Singular end of 
 Don Juanito — The author resolves on leaving England. 
 
 We were now in France, transformed into wool- 
 merchants, in which disguise we presented our- 
 selves, with the passport our friends had procured 
 for us, at the first custom-house we met, which 
 was that of Ustariz. Our arms, ttie only articles 
 we preserved belonging to our former characters, 
 would here have appeared singular, were it not 
 very customary to see the merchants arrive armed 
 cap-a-pie, owing to the occasional rencontres to 
 
 p2 
 
318 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 which travellers are exposed in these parts, from 
 persons who are similarly employed as the peasants 
 of Torremocho. 
 
 If, on the Spanish side, / had engaged the 
 whole attention of the guards, our horses fixed 
 that of the French ; especially the one I rode, 
 which, by its southern origin and superior breed, 
 increasing the formalities of entrance, prevented 
 us from reaching our inn till very late at night. 
 Elated with the success of our flight, and with 
 the idea that we were no longer within the reach 
 of the Inquisitors, every thing by which we were 
 surrounded seemed as if reflected by an enchanted 
 mirror. It was, however, to be presumed that 
 the French police would not be long in discovering 
 my real name. Polo, who was known only by a 
 few, had not so much to apprehend ; but as our 
 intention was to pass rapidly through France, 
 visiting only such persons as we might safely 
 confide in, and whom we had been recommended 
 to see, we hoped to escape fresh vexations from 
 the police. 
 
 The inn-keeper, with all the good humour of a 
 Frenchman, kept us company during supper, and 
 saw that our horses were well attended ; after 
 which we withdrew to our apartment, where we 
 spent a night undisturbed even by dreams. It 
 was late in the morning when we awoke ; and 
 having settled our account with the landlord, we 
 left Ustariz, as we thought, in the direction of 
 Bayonne; but we had not gone very far before 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 319 
 
 the loud imprecations of a peasant, whose corn 
 our wandering horses were treading down, attract- 
 ing our attention, as well as that of a gentleman 
 who was walking near the spot, and who hastened 
 to calm the anger of the husbandman, made us 
 halt and discover our mistake. The gentleman, 
 in whom we recognized an officer of Napoleon, 
 informed us that we had missed our road, and 
 were on our way to the Spanish frontiers, and 
 after many civilities on his part, and grateful 
 thanks on ours, he shewed us the road to 
 Bayonne, from which we had wandered two 
 leagues. Towards the close of the day we reached 
 the suburbs of that city, where we took up our 
 quarters at an inn. 
 
 Polo, who, though no longer my secretary, 
 still acted as such, under the pretext of my being 
 in bad health, transacted all business with the 
 police and consulates concerning our passport. 
 He also paid a visit to a member of the Cortes, 
 who with his family resided at Bayonne, and with 
 whom we spent the greatest part of the time we 
 were obliged to remain there. As we determined 
 to travel in the diligence, our horses could no 
 longer be of any service to us ; Polo, therefore, 
 sold his to a Jew, who paid so poor a price for it, 
 that rather than sacrifice mine in the same way, 
 I gave it to our friend, who willingly took charge 
 of it, as well as of our arms. We then left Bayonne 
 in a diligence, which carried us to Bordeaux, 
 where we made but a short stay, and afterwards 
 
320 NARRATIVE OF ' 
 
 proceeded to Paris, alighting at the Hotel de la 
 Belgie, where some friends and countrymen of 
 ours were living. As Polo had never been in this 
 capital, our residence here was protracted longer 
 than we intended, owing to his desire of seeing its 
 principal objects of curiosity. Previous to our 
 departure, he did not fail to visit the embassy and 
 the police office, from which he brought back the 
 passport filled with scrawls and Jleur-de-lis ; and 
 again taking our seats in the diligence, we tra- 
 velled to Calais, where we embarked on board a 
 packet-boat for Dover, bidding adieu to the 
 country of the gens-dCarmes. The company on 
 board appeared to us less mixed than that we had 
 usually met with in the diligences. The weather 
 was remarkably fine, and in a few hours we were 
 safely landed at Dover. 
 
 Polo and myself, being ignorant of the strict 
 formalities observed in the English custom-houses, 
 had each brought a bottle of wine to pledge each 
 other on our safe arrival in this land of refuge ; 
 when we no sooner leaped on shore, than we were 
 assailed by two custom-house officers, who, seeing 
 our swollen pockets, in which we carried the bot- 
 tles for that pious purpose, would not allow us to 
 move a step without first prying into them. 
 Having gratified their curiosity in hopes of get- 
 ting rid of them, we found we had only rendered 
 them more eager to obtain possession of the bot- 
 tles ; and as neither of us could make himself un- 
 derstood, we thought it advisable to yield them 
 
DOM JUAN VAN HALEN. 321 
 
 their prey, after which we proceeded to our inn, 
 having first seen our slender pormanteaus depo- 
 sited in the custom-house. 
 
 It was toward the end of June (1818) when we 
 arrived in England ; at which time the whole 
 country was actively engaged in the elections for 
 the ensuing parliament. It would, perhaps, be 
 difficult to meet with two travellers so struck with 
 the novelty of the scene that offered itself to our 
 view than ourselves. Cars filled with voters, can- 
 didates carried about in triumph, taverns deluged 
 with beer, emblematic devices, flags of various 
 colours, hats covered with ribands, bands of 
 music parading the streets, and public orators 
 haranguing the people, — such was the singular 
 spectacle we met with at Dover, and in every town 
 through which we passed, forming a striking con- 
 trast with the scenes of misery and oppression 
 that were acting in our unfortunate country. 
 
 Having with some difficulty made our way 
 through the crowded streets, we reached the alien- 
 office, where w^e were asked the usual questions 
 respecting our passport, which had been pre- 
 viously deposited there by the captain of the 
 packet. Polo gave his assumed name, as it was 
 indispensable for his future safety ; but as I had 
 nothing more to fear, I frankly disclosed my real 
 one. Our interrogator made no impertinent re- 
 marks on my transformation ; but, on the con- 
 trary, doing justice to the sentiments which had 
 prompted that candid avowal, he contented him- 
 
322 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 self with my signature ; and from this moment I 
 resumed the name which I had inherited from my 
 forefathers. 
 
 In the custom-house our portmanteaus under- 
 went an examination : the officers, on seeing the 
 specimens of wool which we brought from Spain, 
 pulled it apart, doubtless expecting to find pearls 
 among it ; but having discovered their mistake, 
 we received back our portmanteaus, though we 
 lost sight altogether of the wine. We spent that 
 night at Dover, and having charged the landlord 
 to secure places for us in the first coach for Lon- 
 don, it came punctually at the appointed hour, 
 early on the following morning ; but as we were 
 accustomed to see the unwieldly diligences of 
 France, with their rope traces, heavy-booted pos- 
 tilions, and loud-cursing conducteurs^ when we 
 saw at the door of our inn the elegant and com- 
 modious vehicle that came for us, believing that 
 it was the carriage of some wealthy man, who 
 had just arrived, we were amusing ourselves with 
 looking at it, and admiring its beautiful horses, 
 whilst the coachman, who was beside us, but 
 whom we did not understand, was impatiently 
 waiting for us. 
 
 We reached London on the afternoon of the 
 same day, after having travelled through a coun- 
 try, the beauty and high cultivation of which, 
 while it delighted us, called forth our admiration 
 at every step. As we approached London, we 
 were no less struck with the immense extent of 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 323 
 
 ground which it occupies, spreading along the 
 horizon farther than the eye could reach. Here 
 we took up our abode at the humble inn where 
 we alighted, near the Exchange. 
 
 Polo had now accomplished the generous object 
 which he had had in view. I was safe in a land 
 where the very name of the Inquisition is ab- 
 horred. It was not so with him : his immediate 
 return to Spain would place him again within the 
 reach of our enemies ; and if his absence abroad 
 in my company, the secret of which was known 
 to more than one friend^ were to transpire by the 
 slightest imprudence of any of them, he would be 
 a lost man. 
 
 On the day after our arrival. Polo acquainted 
 two Spanish gentlemen, at that period emigrants 
 in London, with this event, at the same time 
 requesting them to procure for him, with all pos- 
 sible secrecy, a passage on board some vessel im- 
 mediately going to Spain. This request was so 
 diligently attended to by those gentlemen, that 
 on the fourth day after our arrival in London, 
 Polo sailed from the Thames on board a merchant 
 vessel, bound for one of the north ports of the 
 Peninsula, the captain of which, a Scotchman, 
 shewed him more hospitality than his duties de- 
 manded of him. Thus, then, was I separated 
 from a young friend, who, during a hundred and 
 fifty days of constant alarms, had never quitted 
 me, and who had shared with unalterable good 
 humour the dangers by which I had been sur- 
 
324 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 rounded, acquiring by such noble conduct so 
 many claims to my eternal gratitude and friend- 
 ship. 
 
 Polo^s voyage to Spain was short and pros- 
 perous. On his arrival at Madrid, those who 
 knew him, but were not in the secret of our 
 flight, inquired if he had spent his time pleasant- 
 ly at Burgos, little thinking he had taken so long 
 a journey. A year afterwards, the heavy wheel 
 of persecution reached him, as well as Nuez de 
 Arenas, Belda, and many others who were en- 
 gaged in the same generous and patriotic labours 
 as himself. Cast into one of the worst dungeons 
 of the public prison of the capital, he suffered 
 torments under which any one possessing a less 
 robust frame and vigorous mind would have sunk. 
 He owed his liberty and his life to the revolution 
 of the Isla, and is at present an exile.* 
 
 Our friends learned the success of our flight 
 only when Polo arrived among them. From that 
 time I began to receive news from Spain, which, 
 though more calamitous every time, were more 
 eagerly expected by me. Murfy wrote with all 
 the inquietude and alarm of a man whose destiny 
 was in the hands of a tender female, who, though 
 possessed of an extraordinary firmness of cha- 
 racter, was now suffering under the oppressive 
 yoke of the Inquisitors. 
 
 Before closing the subject of the Inquisition, 
 
 * Since writing the above, we have learned with deep regret the 
 death of this patriotic individual, in Gibraltar. 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 325 
 
 it may not be improper to offer here a slight 
 sketch of the occurrences subsequent to my flight, 
 respecting those who have figured in the foregoing 
 narrative, although by so doing I am anticipating 
 epochs that in the natural course of events precede 
 this, but which, having no connection with each 
 other, seem to justify this irregularity. 
 
 The inquisitors, who, on the day of my escape, 
 resolved that Don Marcelino and Ramona should 
 be confined in separate dungeons, and allowed no 
 communication whatever with the wife and guest 
 of the imprisoned jailer, entrusted to Don Juanito 
 the care of strictly attending to these injunctions. 
 Assisted by several minions placed under his com- 
 mand, that despicable man had now an ample 
 field to exercise towards the illustrious victim, 
 whom he had always hated, those goading cruelties 
 in which his inhuman heart delighted. Not a 
 day elapsed without some fresh indignity being 
 offered to her. 
 
 On the other hand, the tribunal instituted a 
 cause in which Ramona was implicated in a man- 
 ner no less arbitrary than absurd ; for whilst Don 
 Marcelino was accused of not having observed 
 towards me, according to the enjoined rigour, the 
 private regulations of the prison, and of visiting 
 me unaccompanied by Don Juanito, she was 
 charged with having opened the door of the prison 
 that communicates with the jailer's apartment, 
 her master declaring he had shut it when he came; 
 to bring me the medicine. This, as the readei^ 
 
 VOL. I Q 
 
326 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 is well aware, was not the fact ; but Don Marce- 
 lino, wishing to mitigate the anger of his supe- 
 riors, made that declaration, which, fortunately 
 for Ramona, was not believed by them, as other- 
 wise the whole weight of their displeasure would 
 have fallen on her. He also urged, with the view 
 of dissipating the suspicions entertained by the 
 judges, that he was not an accomplice in my flight, 
 and as an acquittal from all blame, his being 
 found shut up in my dungeon ; but the inquisi- 
 tors, who believed that it might be part of the 
 plan of my escape, and who were anxious to ob- 
 tain the secret of it, complicated matters so much, 
 that after several months of useless endeavours, 
 they grew tired not only of the cause, but of 
 inflicting punishment on those from whom they 
 could obtain no satisfactory information, and 
 therefore delivered them into other hands. Don 
 Marcelino, for allowing himself to be surprised by 
 me, was condemned to the galleys for ten years, 
 and Ramona, for no reason at all, to perpetual 
 reclusion in a convent. 
 
 This generous girl, after having supported with 
 unshaken fortitude all kinds of misery in the 
 dungeons of the Inquisition, sick, and in the most 
 deplorable state of wretchedness, without even 
 endeavouring to seek the means of alleviating her 
 situation by communicating with Murfy, on whom 
 she had so many claims, and who most assuredly 
 would have assisted her, proceeded to the place of 
 her confinement, where she continued suffering the 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 327 
 
 heavy weight of ner sentence till the political 
 events of 1820 restored her to liberty. She then 
 married a soldier of cuirassiers, to whom she had 
 been attached, even previous to her heroical mis- 
 fortunes. Happy in the humble sphere in which 
 she moved, neither herself nor her husband ever 
 sought to ameliorate their condition when the 
 opportunity offered. A stranger to political opi- 
 nions, she had done all, suffered allj through the 
 sole impulse of humanity ; she therefore asked no 
 recompense from the government, or from a single 
 individual — the consciousness of having acted 
 rightly was her sweetest reward. On my return 
 to Spain, she found in me a brother, and she never 
 aspired to more. 
 
 Don INIarcelino, restored to liberty by the same 
 political events, returned to INIadrid, and setting 
 forth the sufferings Avhich he had unjustly under- 
 gone, obtained from the constitutional government 
 an employment, certainly much more decorous 
 than the disgraceful one which he had formerly 
 exercised. 
 
 His former colleague, Don Juanito, who of all 
 the minions of the Inquisition was the only one 
 who dared to remain in Madrid in the midst of 
 the exultation of a people who had just broken 
 their chains, and who had the generosity to spare 
 his life, was reserved for an end no less extraor- 
 dinary than unexpected. Although he had no 
 one to provide for but himself, and although he 
 was possessed of the means of living respectably 
 
328 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 by what his agency in collecting rents for several 
 gentlemen of Madrid furnished him with, his 
 avarice which offers such a striking contrast to 
 Ramona's disinterestedness, induced him to adopt 
 a conduct at once unreasonable and inconsistent. No 
 sooner did he see his former colleague in his new 
 post, than seized with the general epidemic, common 
 to most countries among this unprincipled class of 
 men, of acting a part, no matter what might be the 
 subject of the piece, he actually had the effrontery 
 to sue for a place from the government, nay, to pre- 
 sent himself in the saloons of the ministers, and 
 claim it as if it were due to him. Meeting with more 
 obstacles in the way of his ambition than he had 
 at first imagined, and resolved to overcome them, 
 the same man, who in 1820 still wore on his breast 
 the sanguinary badge of the Holy Office, in 1822 
 assumed the uniform of the national militia, en- 
 listing as a volunteer in the company of grenadiers 
 of the first battalion of Madrid, and from that 
 moment was the most punctual in discharging the 
 duties of his company. 
 
 On the memorable 7th of July of the same 
 year, when the troops of the royal guard attempt- 
 ed the counter revolution, our volunteer hastened 
 to join his ranks, who with the rest of the national 
 militia of Madrid fought so gloriously in that 
 unequal struggle, when just at the moment that 
 the guards, vigorously pushed on all sides, were 
 retreating, some of them to take shelter in the 
 king's palace, Don Juanito, who with his com- 
 
DON JUAN VAN HALEN. 329 
 
 rades was triumphantly pursuing them, as he 
 came near the palace, received a mortal wound 
 from a musket-ball, and shortly after expired 
 in the arms of some of his brave companions, 
 to whom, in his dying moments, he expressed 
 the deepest remorse for his past misdeeds. Such 
 was the singular end of a man, who had so much 
 contributed to render more bitter those lonsr 
 days of misery which I spent in the dungeons of 
 the Inquisition. 
 
 I shall now resume the thread of my narrative. 
 I had been already five months in London. The 
 retired life which my reduced circumstances 
 obliged me to lead, was so contrary to my natural 
 activity and habits, that every day my spirits 
 became more and more depressed. My imagina- 
 tion, perpetually engrossed by my own disasters, 
 and by those that weighed on ray unhappy coun- 
 try, deprived me of the serenity required for any 
 kind of study. On the other hand, my con- 
 dition of emigrant, amidst a wealthy people, who 
 know not by experience the vicissitudes of revo- 
 lutions, appeared to me more insupportable ; and 
 whenever I attended any party either in town or 
 country, not all the affability and kindness I ex- 
 perienced could prevent my forming melancholy 
 reflections, especially when after a splendid fete I 
 returned to my humble abode, where the contrast 
 of poverty with luxury was so stiking, that it 
 never failed to increase the dejection of my spirits. 
 
 My private means were also disappearing, and 
 
330 NARRATIVE, &C. 
 
 I saw no other resources left me than either to 
 procure assistance by disclosing the secret of my 
 flight to certain men, who though highly respect- 
 able were nevertheless strangers to me, or quit 
 England, and seek an adventurer's life in some 
 remote country, where the interests of my own 
 might not be injured. Nothing could be more 
 humiliating to me than the first of these steps ; 
 I therefore decided in favour of the latter. 
 
 I consulted my friends in Spain, by whose 
 advice and assistance I had hitherto profited ; 
 and at the same time declared that I would no 
 longer accept any more sacrifices at their hands. 
 I waited for their approbation, and having receiv- 
 ed it, nothing more remained for me to do than 
 to fix upon the country where I might, in a man- 
 ner less repugnant to my feelings, terminate my 
 painful pilgrimage. 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 HENRY BAYLIS, JOHKSOn'S-COURT, TLEET-STREET. 
 
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 DATE DUE 
 
 DATE BORROWED 
 
 DATE DUE 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 1 
 
 
 
 
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 C28(i141)m100 
 
 
 
 
92.H133 
 
 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LieRAniES 
 
 0315021343 
 
 

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