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the neighbouring village of Foncarral, upon a pressing occasion. Every body knows that the ladies in Spain in certain cases do not give long warning to practitioners of a certain description, and nobody knew it better than Nicolas, who was resolved not to lose an inch of his way, nor of his mule's best speed by the way, if cudgelling could beat it out of her. It was plain to Nicolas's conviction, as plain as could be, that his road lay straight forward to the little convent in front; the mule was of opinion, that the turning on the left down the hill towards the Prado was the road of all roads most familiar and agreeable to herself, and accordingly began to dispute the point of topography with Nicolas by fixing her fore feet resolutely in the ground, dipping her head at the same time between them, and launching heels and crupper furiously into the air in the way of argument. Little Pedrosa, who was armed at heel with one massy silver spur of stout, though ancient workmanship, resolutely applied the rusty rowel to the shoulder of his beast, driving it with all the good will in the world to the very butt, and at the same time adroitly tucking his blue cloth capa under his right arm, and flinging the skirt over the left shoulder en cavalier, began to lay about him with a stout ashen sapling upon the ears, poll, and cheeks of the recreant mule. The fire now flashed from a pair of Andalusian eyes as black as charcoal and not less inflammable, and taking the segara from his mouth, with which he had vainly hoped to have regaled his nostrils in a sharp winter's evening by the way, raised such a thundering troop of angels, saints and martyrs, from St. Michael downwards, not forgetting his own namesake Saint Nicolas de Tolentino by the way, that if curses could have made the mule to go, the dispute would have been soon ended, but not a saint could make her stir any other ways than upwards and downwards at a stand. A small troop of mendicant friars were at this moment conducting the host to a dying man." Nicolas Pedrosa," says an old friar, "be patient with your beast, and spare your blasphemies; remember Balaam."-" Ah father," replied Pedrosa, “Balaam cudgelled his beast till she spoke, so will I mine till she roars.

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Fie, fie, profane fellow," cries another of the fraternity. "Go about your work, friend," quoth Nicolas, "and let me go about mine; I warrant it is the more pressing of the two; your patient is going out of the world, mine is coming.into it."-" Hear him," cries a third, "hear the vile wretch, how he blasphemes the body of God." And then the troop passed slowly on to the tinkling of the bell.

A man must know nothing of a mule's ears who does not know what a passion they have for the tinkling of a bell, and no sooner had the jingling chords vibrated in the sympathetic organs of Pedrosa's beast, than bolting forward

with a sudden spring, she ran roaring into the throng of friars, trampling on some and shouldering others at a most profane rate; when Nicolas, availing himself of the impetus, and perhaps not able to control it, broke away, and was out of sight in a moment. "All the devils in hell blow fire into thy tail, thou beast of Babylon," muttered Nicolas to himself as he scampered along, never once looking behind him or stopping to apologize for the mischief he had done to the bare feet and shirtless ribs of the holy brotherhood.

Whether Nicolas saved his distance, as likewise, if he did, whether it was a male or female Castilian he ushered into the world, we will not just now inquire, contented to wait his return in the first of the morning next day, when he had no sooner dismounted at his shop and delivered his mule to a sturdy Arragonese wench, than Don Ignacio de Santos Aparicio, alguazil mayor of the supreme and general inquisition, put an order into his hand, signed and sealed by the Inquisidor general, for the conveying his body to the Casa, whose formidable door presents itself in the street adjoining to the square in which Nicolas's brazen basin hung forth the emblem of his trade.

The poor little fellow, trembling in every joint, and with a face as yellow as saffron, dropped a knee to the altar, which fronts the entrance, and crossed himself most devoutly; as soon as he had ascended the first flight of stairs, a porter habited in black opened the tremendous barricade, and Nicolas with horror heard the grating of the heavy bolts that shut him in. He was led through passages and vaults and melancholy cells till he was delivered into the dungeon, where he was finally left to his solitary meditations. Hapless being! what a scene of horror. Nicolas felt all the terrors of his condition, but being an Andalusian, and like his countrymen of a lively imagination, he began to turn over all the resources of his invention for some happy fetch, if any such might occur, for helping him out of the dismal limbo he was in: he was not long to seek for the cause of his misfortune: his adventure with the barefooted friars was a ready solution of all difficulties of that nature, had there been any: there was however another thing, which might have troubled a stouter heart than Nicolas's-He was a Jew. This of a certain would have been a staggering item in a poor devil's confession, but then it was a secret to all the world but Nicolas, and Nicolas's conscience did not just then urge him to reveal it; he now began to overhaul the inventory of his personals about him, and with some satisfaction counted three little medals of the Blessed Virgin, two Agnus Deis, a Saint Nicolas de Tolentino, and a formidable string of beads all pendant from his neck and within his shirt; in his pockets he had a

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and bade the fellow strike off the prisoner's fetters, for that the holy fathers were in council, and demanded him for examination. "This is something extraordinary," quoth the tormentor; "I should not have expected it this twelvemonth to come. Pedrosa's fetters were struck off; some brandy was applied to stanch the bleeding of his cheeks: his hands and face were washed, and a short jacket of coarse ticking thrown over him, and the messenger with an assistant taking him each under an arm, led him into a spacious chamber, where at the head of a long table sat his excellency the inquisidor general, with six of his assessors, three on each side the chair of state: the alguazil mayor, a secretary and two notaries, with other officers of the holy council, were attending in their places.

The prisoner was placed behind a bar at the foot of the table between the messengers who brought him in, and having made his obeisance to the awful presence in the most supplicating manner, he was called upon according to the

judges to declare his name, parentage, profession, age, place of abode, and to answer various interrogatories of the like trifling nature: his excellency the inquisidor general now opened his reverend lips, and in a solemn tone of voice, that penetrated to the heart of the poor trembling prisoner, interrogated him as follows

paper of dried figs, a small bundle of segaras, a | of the messengers of the auditory now came in, case of lancets, squirt and forceps, and two old razors in a leathern envelope; these he had delivered one by one to the alguazil, who first arrested him," and let him make the most of them," said he to himself, "they can never prove me an Israelite by a case of razors. Upon a closer rummage however he discovered in a secret pocket a letter, which the alguazil had overlooked, and which his patient Donna Leonora de Casafonda had given him in charge to deliver as directed-" Well, well," cried he, "let it pass; there can be no mystery in this harmless scrawl; a letter of advice to some friend or relation, I'll not break the seal; let the fathers read it if they like, 'twill prove the truth of my deposition, and help out my excuse for the hurry of my errand, and the unfortunate adventure of my damned refractory mule."-And now no sooner had the recollection of the wayward mule crossed the brain of poor Nicolas Pedrosa, than he began to blast her at a furious rate," The scratches and the scab to boot confound thy scurvy hide," quoth he, "thou ass-usual form of questions by one of the junior begotten bastard whom Noah never let into his ark! The vengeance take thee for an uncreated barren beast of promiscuous generation! What devil's crotchet got into thy capricious noddle, that thou shouldst fall in love with that Nazaritish bell, and run bellowing like Lucifer into the midst of those barefooted vermin, who are more malicious and more greedy than the locusts of Egypt? Oh! that I had the art of Simon Magus to conjure thee into this dungeon in my stead; but I warrant thou art chewing thy barley straw without any pity for thy wretched master, whom thy jade's tricks have delivered bodily to the tormentors, to be the sport of these uncircumcised sons of Dagon." And now the cell door opened, when a savage figure entered carrying a huge parcel of clanking fetters, with a collar of iron, which he put round the neck of Pedrosa, telling him with a truly diabolical grin, whilst he was riveting it on, that it was a proper cravat for the throat of a blasphemer." Jesu-Maria," quoth Pedrosa, "is all this fallen upon me for only cudgeling a resfive mule ?" "Ay," cried the demon, "and this is only a taste of what is to come," at the same time slipping his pinchers from the screw he was forcing to the head, he caught a piece of flesh in the forceps, and wrenched it out of his cheek, laughing at poor Nicolas, whilst he roared aloud with the pain, telling him it was a just reward for the torture he had put him to a while ago, when he tugged at a tooth till he broke it in his jaw. "Ah, for the love of Heaven," cried Pedrosa, "have more pity on me for the sake of St. Nicolas de Tolentino, my holy patron, be not so unmerciful to a poor barber-surgeon, and I will shave your worship's beard for nothing as long as I have life." One

"Nicolas Pedrosa, we have listened to the account you give of yourself, your business and connections, now tell us for what offence, or offences, you are here standing a prisoner before us: examine your own heart, and speak the truth from your conscience without prevarication or disguise." "May it please your excellency," replied Pedrosa, "with all due submission to your holiness and this reverend assembly, my most equitable judges, I conceive I stand here before you for no worse a crime than that of cudgeling a refractory mule; an animal so restive in its nature (under correction of your holiness be it spoken,) that although I were blessed with the forbearance of holy Job (for like him too I am married, and my patience hath been exercised by a wife,) yet could I not forbear to smite my beast for her obstinacy, and the rather because I was summoned in the way of my profession, as I have already made known to your most merciful ears, upon a certain crying occasion, which would not admit of a moment's delay."

"Recollect yourself, Nicolas," said his excellency the inquisidor general, "was there nothing else you did, save smiting your beast?"

"I take St. Nicolas de Tolentino to witness," replied he, "that I know of no other crime, for which I can be responsible at this righteous tribunal, save smiting my unruly beast."

"Take notice brethren," exclaimed the in

quisidor, “this unholy wretch holds trampling general, beckoning to the prisoner to follow him over friars to be no crime."

"Pardon me, holy father," replied Nicolas, "I hold it for the worst of crimes, and therefore willingly surrender my refractory mule to be dealt with as you see fit, and if you impale her alive it will not be more than she deserves."

retired into a private closet, where throwing himself carelessly in an arm chair, he turned a gracious countenance upon the poor affrighted accoucheur; and, bidding him sit down upon a low stool by his side, thus accosted him :"Take heart, Senor Pedrosa, your imprisonment is not likely to be very tedious, for I have a commission you must execute without loss of time: you have too much consideration for yourself to betray a trust, the violation of which must involve you in inevitable ruin, and can in no degree attaint my character, which is far enough beyond the reach of malice: be attentive therefore to my orders; execute them punctually and keep my secret as you tender your own life: dost thou know the name and condition of the lady whom thou hast delivered?" Nicolas assured him he did not, and his excellency proceeded as follows:-" Then I tell thee, Nicolas, it is the illustrious Donna Leonora de Casafonda; her husband is the president of Quito, and daily expected with the next arrivals from the South Seas; now, though measures have been taken

"Your wits are too nimble, Nicolas," cried the judge; "have a care they do not run away with your discretion: recollect the blasphemies you uttered in the hearing of these pious people." "I humbly pray your excellency," answered the prisoner, "to recollect that anger is a short madness, and I hope allowances will be made by your holy council for words spoken in haste to a rebellious mule: the prophet Balaam was thrown off his guard with a simple ass, and what is an ass compared to a mule; if your excellency had seen the lovely creature that was screaming in an agony till I came to her relief, and how fine a boy I ushered into the world, which would have been lost but for my assist ance, I am sure I should not be condemned for a few hasty words spoke in passion." "Sirrah!" cried one of the puisny judges, for detaining him at the port, wherever he shall "respect the decency of the court."

"Produce the contents of this fellow's pockets before the court," said the president: "lay them on the table."

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aforesaid puishy "what is the use

land, till he shall receive farther orders, yet you must be sensible Donna Leonora's situation is somewhat delicate: it will be your business to take the speediest measures for her recovery, but as it seems she has had a dangerous and painful labour, this may be a work of more time than could be wished, unless some medicines more efficacious than common are administered: art thou acquainted with any such, friend Nicolas?"

"Monster," resumed the judge, taking up the forceps, of this diabolical machine?" "Please your reverence,' replied Pedrosa, "aptum est ad extrahendos fœtus.' -"Unnatural wretch," again exclaimed the judge, "you have" So please your excellency," quoth Nicolas, murdered the mother.'

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"The mother of God forbid!" exclaimed Pedrosa, "I believe I have a proof in my pocket, that will acquit me of that charge;" and so saying, he tendered the letter we have before made mention of: the secretary took it, and by command of the court read as follows:

"Senor Don Manuel de Herrera ; "When this letter, which I send by Nicolas Pedrosa, shall reach your hands, you shall know that I am safely delivered of a lovely boy after a dangerous labour, in consideration of which I pray you to pay to the said Nicolas Pedrosa the sum of twenty gold pistoles, which sum his excellency".

"Hold!” cried the inquisidor general, starting hastily from his seat, and snatching away the letter, "there is more in this than meets the eye: break up the court; I must take an examination of this prisoner in private."

NUMBER LXXXIX.

66 my processes have been tolerably successful; I have bandages and cataplasms with oil and conserves, that I have no cause to complain of; they will restore nature to its proper state in all decent time"-" Thou talkest like a fool, friend Nicolas," interrupting him, said the inquisidor : "What tellest thou me of thy swathings and swaddlings? quick work must be wrought by quick medicines : hast thou none such in thy botica? I'll answer for it thou hast not; therefore look you, sirrah, here is a little vial compounded by a famous chemist; see that you mix it in the next apozem you administer to Donna Leonora; it is the most capital sedative in nature; give her the whole of it, and let her husband return when he will, depend upon it he will make no discoveries from her."-" Humph!" quoth Nicolas within himself, "Well said, inquisidor!" He took the vial with all possible respect, and was not wanting in professions of the most inviolable fidelity and secrecy-" No more words, friend Nicolas," quoth the inquisidor, “ upon that score; I do not believe thee one jot the more for all thy promises; my dependance is upon thy fears and not thy faith; I fancy thou hast seen enough of this place not to be willing

As soon as the room was cleared the inquisidor to return to it once for all."-Having so said

C

he rang a bell, and ordered Nicolas to be forth- | British man of war, and carried into Jamaica, with liberated, bidding the messenger return his had very quietly passed some years in that place clothes instantly to him with all that belonged as journeyman apothecary, in which time he to him, and having slipped a purse into his had acquired a tolerable acquaintance with the hand well filled with doubloons, he bade him English language: no sooner then did he disbegone about his business, and not see his face cover the British ensign flying on the poop of au again till he had executed his commands. English frigate then lying in the Tagus, than he eagerly caught the opportunity of paying a visit to the surgeon, and finding he was in want of a mate, offered himself, and was entered in that capacity for a cruize against the French and Spaniards, with whom Great Britain was then at war. In this secure asylum Nicolas enjoyed the first happy moments he had experienced for a long time past, and being a lively goodhumoured little fellow, and one that touched the guitar and sung sequidillas with a tolerable grace, he soon recommended himself to his shipmates, and grew in favour with every body on board from the captain to the cook's mate.

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Nicolas bolted out of the porch without taking leave of the altar, and never checked his speed till he found himself fairly housed under shelter of his own beloved brass basin.-" Aha!" quoth Nicolas, "my lord inquisidor, I see the king is not likely to gain a subject more by your intrigues a pretty job you have set me about; and so, when I have put the poor lady to rest with your damned sedative, my tongue must be stopped next to prevent its blabbing: but I'll show you I was not born in Andalusia for nothing.' Nicolas now opened a secret drawer and took out a few pieces of money, which in fact was his whole stock of cash in the world: When they were out upon their cruise hoverhe loaded and primed his pistols, and carefully ing on the Spanish coast, it occurred to Nicolas lodged them in the holsters of his saddle, he that the inquisidor general at Madrid had told buckled to his side his trusty spada, and hasten-him of the expected arrival of the president of ed to caparison his mule. Ah, thou imp of Quito, and having imparted this to one of the the old one," quoth he as he entered the stable, lieutenants, he reported it to the captain, and as "art not ashamed to look me in the face?" the intelligence seemed of importance, he availBut come, hussey, thou owest me a good turned himself of it by hauling into the track of the methinks, stand by me this once, and be friends homeward-bound galleons, and great was the for ever! thou art in good case, and if thou wilt put thy best foot foremost, like a faithful beast, thou shalt not want for barley by the way.' The bargain was soon struck between Nicolas and his mule, he mounted her in the happy moment, and pointing his course towards the bridge of Toledo, which proudly strides with half a dozen lofty arches over a stream scarce three feet wide, he found himself as completely in a desert in half a mile's riding, as if he had been dropt in the centre of Arabia Petræa. As Nicolas's journey was not a tour of curiosity, he did not amuse himself with a peep at Toledo, or Talavera, or even Merida by the way; for the same reason he took a circumbendibus round the frontier town of Badajoz, and crossing a little brook refreshed his mule with the last draught of Spanish water, and instantly congratulated himself upon entering the territory of Portugal. "Brava!" quoth he, patting the neck of his mule, “thou shalt have a supper this night of the best sieve-meat that Estramudara can furnish: we are now in a country where the scattered flock of Israel fold thick and fare well." He now began to chant the song of Solomon, and gently ambled on in the joy of his heart.

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When Nicolas at length reached the city of Lisbon, he hugged himself in his good fortune: still he recollected that the inquisition has long arms, and he was yet in a place of no perfect security. Our adventurer had in early life acted as assistant surgeon in a Spanish frigate bound to Buenos Ayres, and being captured by a

joy, when at the break of the morning the man at the mast-head announced a square rigged vessel in view: the ardour of a chase now set all hands at work, and a few hours brought them near enough to discern that she was a Spanish frigate, and seemingly from a long voyage; little Pedrosa, as alert as the rest, stript himself for his work, and repaired to his post in the cockpit, whilst the thunder of the guns rolled incessantly overhead: three cheers from the whole crew at length announced the moment of victory, and a few more minutes ascertained the good news that the prize was a frigate richly laden from the South Seas, with the governor of Quito and his suite on board,

Pedrosa was now called upon deck, and sent on board the prize as interpreter to the first lieutenant, who was to take possession of her. He found every thing in confusion, a deck covered with the slain, and the whole crew in consternation at an event they were in no degree prepared for, not having received any intimation of a war.

He found the officers in general, and the passengers without exception, under the most horrid impressions of the English, and expecting to be plundered, and perhaps butchered without mercy. Don Manuel de Casafonda the governor, whose countenance bespoke a constitution far gone in a decline, had thrown himself on a sofa in the last state of despair, and given way to an effusion of tears: when the lieutenant entered the cabin he rose trembling from his couch, and with the most supplicating

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of an interpreter: as he expressed an impatient desire of being admitted to his parole, that he might visit friends and connections, from which he had been long separated, he was over

her prize into Lisbon; and that he would be there set on shore, and permitted to make the best of his way from thence to Madrid; he

action presented to him his sword, and with it a casket which he carried in his other hand; as he tendered these spoils to his conqueror, whether through weakness or of his own will, he made a motion of bending his knee: the gener-joyed to hear that the English ship would carry ous Briton, shocked at the unmanly overture, caught him suddenly with both hands, and turning to Pedrosa, said aloud-" Convince this gentleman he is fallen into the hands of an hon-talked of his wife with all the ardour of a most ourable enemy."-" Is it possible!" cried Don impassionate lover, and apologised for his tears, Manuel, and lifting up his streaming eyes to by imputing them to the agony of his mind, and the countenance of the British officer, saw hu- the infirmity of his health, under the dread of manity, valour and generous pity so strongly being longer separated from an object so dear to charactered in his youthful features, that the his heart, and on whom he doted with the conviction was irresistible. "Will he not acfondest affection. The generous captor indulgcept my sword?" cried the Spaniard. "He de-ed him in these conversations, and being a hussires you to wear it till he has the honour of band himself, knew how to allow for all the presenting you to his captain"-"Ah! then he tenderness of his sensations. "Ah, Sir," cried has a captain," exclaimed Don Manuel, "his Don Manuel, "would to Heaven it were in superior will be of another way of thinking; my power to have the honour of presenting my tell him this casket contains my jewels; they beloved Leonora to you on our landing at Lisare valuable; let him present them as a lawful bon.-Perhaps," added he, turning to Pedrosa, prize, which will enrich the captor; his supe- who at that moment entered the cabin, “this rior will not hesitate to take them from me.' gentleman, whom I take to be a Spaniard, may "If they are your excellency's private proper- have heard the name of Donna Leonora de ty," replied Pedrosa, "I am ordered to assure Casafonda if she has been at Madrid, it is you, that if your ship was loaded with jewels, possible he may have seen her; should that be no British officer, in the service of his king, the case, he can testify to her external charms; will take them at your hands; the ship and I alone can witness to the exquisite perfections effects of his Catholic Majesty are the only prize | of her mind.”—“ Senor Don Manuel,” replied of the captors; the personals of the passengers Pedrosa, "I have seen Donna Leonora, and are inviolate.". '—“ Generous nation!" exclaimed your excellency is warranted in all you can say Don Manuel, "how greatly have I wronged in her praise; she is of incomparable beauty.' thee!"-The boats of the British frigate now These words threw the uxorious Spaniard into came alongside, and part of the crew were shift- raptures; his eyes sparkled with delight; the ed out of the prize, taking their clothes and blood rushed into his emaciated cheeks, and trunks along with them, in which they were every feature glowed with unutterable joy: he very cordially assisted by their conquerors. pressed Pedrosa with a variety of rapid inquiThe barge soon after came aboard with an offi- ries, all which he evaded by pleading ignorance, cer in the stern-sheets, and the crew in their saying, that he only had a casual glance of her, white shirts and velvet caps, to escort the as she passed along the Prado. The embarrassgovernor and the ship's captain on board the ment however which accompanied these anfrigate, which lay with her sails to the mast swers, did not escape the English captain, who awaiting their arrival; the accommodation lad- shortly after drawing Pedrosa aside into the der was slung over the side, and manned for the surgeon's cabin, was by him made aequainted prisoners, who were received on the gang-way with the melancholy situation of that unfortunby the second lieutenant, whilst perfect silence ate lady, and every particular of the story as beand the strictest discipline reigned in the ship, fore related; nay, the very vial was produced where all were under the decks, and no inquisi- with its contents, as put into the hands of Petive curious eyes were suffered to wound the drosa by the inquisidor. feelings of the conquered even with a glance; in the door of his cabin stood the captain, who received them with that modest complaisance, which does not revolt the unfortunate by an overstrained politeness; he was a man of high birth and elegant manners, with a heart as benevolent as it was brave: such an address, set off with a person finely formed and perfectly" CAN there be such villany in man!"'cried the engaging, could not fail to impress the prisoners with the most favourable ideas; and as Don Manuel spoke French fluently, he could converse with the British captain without the help

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NUMBER XC.

British captain, when Pedrosa had concluded his detail: "Alas! my heart bleeds for this unhappy husband: assuredly that monster has destroyed Leonora: as for thee, Pedrosa, whilst

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