read, or are more popular in Spain. The effects are but too apparent in the general contempt of every thing sacred which overspreads the land, from the contagion of which not even ecclesiastics are exempt. Hence impiety and superstition are the rival and contending tyrants, under whose demoralizing sway the people perish. To meet this impiety little or even worse than nothing has been done. There are, indeed, a few books written against the adversaries of revealed religion, but on a wrong principle, as generally more anxiety is displayed by the monkish writers for the prerogatives of the Bishop of Rome, and the safety of Holy Mother Church, than for the honor of Christ and the vindication of Scripture. Minds which have already cast off all restraint, are not to be subdued by such a style as theirs. A book of this class was lately given me by its editor. It was put into his hand for publication in Spanish; but, notwithstanding it abounds in Romish Orthodoxy, and pleads hard for the alleged successors of St. Peter in the Papal see, it was prohibited, until at last the editor, himself a dignitary in the church, - so far prevailed as to obtain a license for its publication in Latin, lest the people should see a refutation of Volney's Ruins of Empires, a book which unhappily had spread its poison, by the medium of good Castilian, into every corner of the country."

The only exception to the general character of Catholic works against infidelity, as given above, which has come to my knowledge, is found in the "Cartas Peruanas," (Peruvian Letters,) published in Lima, in Peru. This work was written as an antidote to the poisonous influence exerted by infidel books, which were translated into Spanish, and widely circulated in South America, after her revolution. It is noticed as follows, in a work published some time since, by an officer of our navy. "The Cartas Peruanas were commenced in 1822, and continued, at intervals, until 1825. In 1829, they were collected and published together, forming a well-written work on the Evidences of Christianity, in which the author displays much erudition and industry. He is said to be a canon, named Moreno. He has taken up and answered the arguments of all the most distinguished anti-religionists of France, as Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot," &c.

Since the remarks above were first written, a treatise on the Evidences of Christianity, by the Rev. Dr. Bogue, a learned English Dissenter, has been translated into Spanish,

and published; as also "Thoughts on Popery," a very plain, pungent, and convincing work, by the late Dr. Nevins, of Baltimore. This latter treatise, which, from its selection of topics and the simplicity of its style, is admirably fitted for popular effect, was clothed in a Spanish dress, by means of funds furnished from this country, through the benevolent and disinterested agency of a personal friend and shipmate of the author of this work, Mr. H. C. Turnbull, of Baltimore.

The increased advantages for education extended to the common people in Spain, within a few years past, must rapidly multiply the number of readers, and in the same degree add to the facilities for exerting a sound moral and religious influence there. In Madrid, and, I believe, in all the large towns and cities in Spain, are free schools in each ward, and those who wish more than this, may attend the schools taught by the lower orders of the clergy, in each parish. A similar provision for free schools is also made in the principal country villages. The civil Governors of the provinces are charged with the business of education, and have funds placed at their disposal for its promotion.

Until recently the provinces of Spain were each governed solely by a Captain-General, possessing the almost absolute and irresponsible power of the early feudal chieftains. It was by them mainly that, in the summer of 1835, the large convents, which the Queen's Government had spared, were suppressed; and such of the property belonging to them as had been sold in 1820, was restored to those who had then purchased it. Hence, there are at present but few convents in Spain, except those connected with the Escurial and other places of royal residence.

The civil Governors have been recently appointed, and though their power is yet far less than that of the CaptainsGeneral, still it is constantly increasing; and not only do they act as a check to any abuses, but also promote many objects of public utility, which were formerly neglected. They have, for example, been engaged, with commendable zeal, in collecting together, in the capital of each province, the paintings and books in all the convents within its limits, and forming public galleries and libraries.

A favorable circumstance in connexion with Spain, is the fact, that many of her leading men were, for a time, emigrants, having been forced to go abroad when the Constitu

tion of 1820 was suppressed. Thus have they not only been taught wisdom in the school of adversity, but, by witnessing the policy, and observing the beneficial effects of free governments, they have, many of them, become both disposed and prepared to advance the cause of light and liberty at

home.

The civil Governor of Cadiz, when we were there, was a native of Santa Fé de Bogota, in South America, the birthplace of Bolivar. He treated us with much kindness; is a strong friend of our country, and a warm admirer of our great men. He has a fine print of Washington, and the heads of our other Presidents, handsomely framed, and hung up in a conspicuous place in his house. In the face of the strong opposition of the bigoted Bishop of Cadiz, he has taken one of the largest convents as a place for a public library, and a gallery of paintings.

The civil Governor of Barcelona, during his exile, translated most, if not all, of the Bible, into the dialect of Catalonia, which is the ancient Provençal, or language of the Troubadours, and almost wholly distinct from pure Castilian. The British and Foreign Bible Society purchased his translation; and the New Testament which I have seen, is published in a neat form, and cheap enough for general circulation. The Catalan dialect is the common language of the large and flourishing provinces of Catalonia and Valencia, as also of the neighbouring islands, Ivica, Majorca, and Minorca, and differs but slightly from that spoken in some of the Southern departments in France.

The President of the Proceres, or Spanish House of Lords, when we were in Spain, was, for some time, an emigrant in France. He is a decided Liberal in his principles; and has already been noticed as at the head of a committee for the reform of Church abuses, and as having recommended that the tithes in Spain, be taken by the government, and that the clergy be paid the same salaries with the officers of the army. He was, for some time, Bishop of Majorca, but was afterwards. appointed Archbishop of Toledo, and, as such, is the Primate, or head of the Catholic Church in Spain. The influence of such a man in a station which has heretofore been the stronghold of bigotry and religious intolerance, cannot but be highly favorable to the cause of civil and religious liberty in Spain.

I was much gratified, when in Cadiz, in attending divine

service on the Sabbath, at the house of the English Consul, and in learning that the same custom had long been continued by him. It was also peculiarly pleasant, when, on a visit to St. Roque, a Spanish town near Gibraltar, to call with Mr. Rule, on a pious family there, converted from Romanism, and see the Spanish Bible and tracts, which they read to their visiters, and unite with them in offering up our prayers in that land and that language in which, for long, long centuries, no one might safely

"Breathe his free thoughts forth to God."

As allusion has been made in this connexion, to the state of education in Spain, it may not be amiss here to notice some historical and other facts, bearing upon the same subject.

In the eleventh century, when Toledo was taken by the Christians, they became more intimately mingled with the Moors than before. Complete toleration was granted to such of the Moors as remained subject to the King of Castile. From that time, until the reign of Philip the Third, a period of 530 years, Toledo always contained a numerous Moorish population; and that city, one of the most celebrated seats of Arabic literature and science, retained its schools and all its institutions of learning, and spread among the Christians the knowledge of Eastern letters.

The Christians who were beyond the limits of Arab dominion, having been long confined to the mountains of Asturias, and engaged in war, had lost the knowledge of reading and writing, and even the alphabet; and hence, when the Moors were subdued, sent to England for masters to teach reading, writing, and grammar. Early in the thirteenth century, Don Rodrigo, Archbishop of Santiago, induced Alfonso the Eighth to found the University of Palencia, which was afterwards removed to Salamanca.

In 1420, the Archbishop of Toledo, having been driven from Spain, founded a Spanish College at Bologna, in Italy, for thirty-five Fellows and Chaplains, all natives of Spain, who' were to return to their country after eight or nine years. Many of these rose to the highest stations in the Spanish Church.

The Jesuits' schools were numerously attended by the Spanish youth; and as Latin was taught gratis, and as this language has commonly been considered as forming the distinguishing mark of an educated layman, many, of all classes, sent their sons to them.

There are few schools in Spain which impart much knowledge of the rudiments of education to the lower classes. They rarely learn to read and write, much of the time in schools being spent in teaching the children to repeat the names of the saints, and the prayers of the Church. Those of the higher classes not intended for the learned professions, are seldom instructed in any thing but reading, writing, and the elements of arithmetic. Such as are intended for the learned professions, attend a Latin school for three or four years. Since the expulsion of the Jesuits these schools are

not numerous.

The branches taught in the Spanish Universities, are, 1st. Philosophy, including logic, physics, and metaphysics; 2d. Theology; 3d. Roman law; 4th. Canon law; 5th. Medicine. The college year commences in October, and ends in May. Students are admitted between fourteen and fifteen years of age. No student can proceed to any of the higher branches until he has attended the schools of philosophy two years. At the end of these two years, the examination for the degree of A. B. takes place. Five years are devoted to the study of Divinity. The first is employed on the work of Melchior Canus, "De Locis Theologicis." Four years more are spent in attending lectures, morning and afternoon, on dogmatic, moral, and expository Divinity. There are also public exercises, in which candidates for preferment choose by lot, one of three subjects offered them, upon which they must lecture in Latin an hour, the next day. The same course of disputation is followed by students in law and medicine.

Colleges for the nobles, and military schools for the youth of the higher classes, intended for the army and navy, were established by those who were opposed to the jargon of the Universities; and hence, most of the rank, talent, and influence of the higher orders, are arrayed in decided hostility against the clergy, their classical knowledge being regarded with contempt, while the selfish and oppressive policy which leads them to keep the common people in ignorance, and fill them with bigotry, that thus they may retain their, unrighteous ascendency, has brought down upon them the execrations and the hatred of all honest and intelligent lovers of their country.

END OF VOL. I.