第195章

Termination of our Rural Labours - Alarm of the Clergy -A New Experiment - Success at Madrid - Goblin-Alguazil -Staff of Office - The Corregidor - An Explanation -The Pope in England - New Testament expounded - Works of Luther.

We proceeded in our task of distributing the Scriptures with various success, until the middle of March, when Idetermined upon starting for Talavera, for the purpose of seeing what it was possible to accomplish in that town and the neighbourhood.I accordingly bent my course in that direction, accompanied by Antonio and Victoriano.On our way thither we stopped at Naval Carnero, a large village five leagues to the west of Madrid, where I remained three days, sending forth Victoriano to the circumjacent hamlets with small cargoes of Testaments.Providence, however, which had hitherto so remarkably favoured us in these rural excursions, now withdrew from us its support, and brought them to a sudden termination;for in whatever place the sacred writings were offered for sale, they were forthwith seized by persons who appeared to be upon the watch; which events compelled me to alter my intention of proceeding to Talavera and to return forthwith to Madrid.

I subsequently learned that our proceedings on the other side of Madrid having caused alarm amongst the heads of the clergy, they had made a formal complaint to the government, who immediately sent orders to all the alcaldes of the villages, great and small, in New Castile, to seize the New Testament wherever it might be exposed for sale; but at the same time enjoining them to be particularly careful not to detain or maltreat the person or persons who might be attempting to vend it.An exact description of myself accompanied these orders, and the authorities both civil and military were exhorted to be on their guard against me and my arts and machinations; for, Ias the document stated, was to-day in one place, and to-morrow at twenty leagues' distance.

I was not much discouraged by this blow, which indeed did not come entirely unexpected.I, however, determined to change the sphere of action, and not expose the sacred volume to seizure at every step which I should take to circulate it.In my late attempts, I had directed my attention exclusively to the villages and small towns, in which it was quite easy for the government to frustrate my efforts by means of circulars to the local authorities, who would of course be on the alert, and whose vigilance it would be impossible to baffle as every novelty which occurs in a small place is forthwith bruited about.But the case would be widely different amongst the crowds of the capital, where I could pursue my labours with comparative secrecy.My present plan was to abandon the rural districts, and to offer the sacred volume at Madrid, from house to house, at the same low price as in the country.This plan Iforthwith put into execution.

Having an extensive acquaintance amongst the lower orders, I selected eight intelligent individuals to co-operate with me, amongst whom were five women.All these I supplied with Testaments, and then sent them forth to all the parishes in Madrid.The result of their efforts more than answered my expectations.In less than fifteen days after my return from Naval Carnero, nearly six hundred copies of the life and words of Him of Nazareth had been sold in the streets and alleys of Madrid; a fact which I hope I may be permitted to mention with gladness and with decent triumph in the Lord.

One of the richest streets is the Calle Montera, where reside the principal merchants and shopkeepers of Madrid.It is, in fact, the street of commerce, in which respect, and in being a favourite promenade, it corresponds with the far-famed "Nefsky" of Saint Petersburg.Every house in this street was supplied with its Testament, and the same might be said with respect to the Puerto del Sol.Nay, in some instances, every individual in the house, man and child, man-servant and maid-servant, was furnished with a copy.My Greek, Antonio, made wonderful exertions in this quarter; and it is but justice to say that, but for his instrumentality, on many occasions, Imight have been by no means able to give so favourable an account of the spread of "the Bible in Spain." There was a time when I was in the habit of saying "dark Madrid," an expression which, I thank God, I could now drop.It were scarcely just to call a city, "dark," in which thirteen hundred Testaments at least were in circulation, and in daily use.

It was now that I turned to account a supply of Bibles which I had received from Barcelona, in sheets, at the commencement of the preceding year.The demand for the entire Scriptures was great; indeed far greater than I could answer, as the books were disposed of faster than they could be bound by the man whom I employed for that purpose.Eight-and-twenty copies were bespoken and paid for before delivery.Many of these Bibles found their way into the best houses in Madrid.

The Marquis of - had a large family, but every individual of it, old and young, was in possession of a Bible, and likewise a Testament, which, strange to say, were recommended by the chaplain of the house.One of my most zealous agents in the propagation of the Bible was an ecclesiastic.He never walked out without carrying one beneath his gown, which he offered to the first person he met whom he thought likely to purchase.

Another excellent assistant was an elderly gentleman of Navarre, enormously rich, who was continually purchasing copies on his own account, which he, as I was told, sent into his native province, for distribution amongst his friends and the poor.