I Forthwith Paid A
Visit To Sir George Villiers, Informing Him Of What Had Occurred.
He Promised To Do All He Could To Cause The Prohibition To Be
Withdrawn.
Unfortunately at this time he had not much influence,
having opposed with all his might the entrance of the moderado
ministry to power, and the nomination of Ofalia to the presidency
of the cabinet.
I, however, never lost confidence in the Almighty,
in whose cause I was engaged.
Matters were going on very well before this check. The demand for
Testaments was becoming considerable, so much so, that the clergy
were alarmed, and this step was the consequence. But they had
previously recourse to another, well worthy of them, they attempted
to act upon my fears. One of the ruffians of Madrid, called
Manolos, came up to me one night, in a dark street, and told me
that unless I discontinued selling my "Jewish books," I should have
a knife "nailed in my heart"; but I told him to go home, say his
prayers, and tell his employers that I pitied them; whereupon he
turned away with an oath. A few days after, I received an order to
send two copies of the Testament to the office of the political
governor, with which I complied, and in less than twenty-four hours
an alguazil arrived at the shop with a notice prohibiting the
further sale of the work.
One circumstance rejoiced me. Singular as it may appear, the
authorities took no measures to cause my little despacho to be
closed, and I received no prohibition respecting the sale of any
work but the New Testament, and as the Gospel of Saint Luke, in
Romany and Basque, would within a short time be ready for delivery,
I hoped to carry on matters in a small way till better times should
arrive.
I was advised to erase from the shop windows the words "Despacho of
the British and Foreign Bible Society." This, however, I refused
to do. Those words had tended very much to call attention, which
was my grand object. Had I attempted to conduct things in an
underhand manner, I should, at the time of which I am speaking,
scarcely have sold thirty copies in Madrid, instead of nearly three
hundred. People who know me not, may be disposed to call me rash;
but I am far from being so, as I never adopt a venturous course
when any other is open to me. I am not, however, a person to be
terrified by any danger, when I see that braving it is the only way
to achieve an object.
The booksellers were unwilling to sell my work; I was compelled to
establish a shop of my own. Every shop in Madrid has a name. What
name could I give it but the true one? I was not ashamed of my
cause or my colours. I hoisted them, and fought beneath them not
without success.
The priestly party in Madrid, in the meantime, spared no effort to
vilify me. They started a publication called The Friend of the
Christian Religion, in which a stupid but furious attack upon me
appeared, which I, however, treated with the contempt it deserved.
But not satisfied with this, they endeavoured to incite the
populace against me, by telling them that I was a sorcerer, and a
companion of Gypsies and witches, and their agents even called me
so in the streets. That I was an associate of Gypsies and fortune-
tellers I do not deny. Why should I be ashamed of their company
when my Master mingled with publicans and thieves? Many of the
Gypsy race came frequently to visit me; received instruction, and
heard parts of the Gospel read to them in their own language, and
when they were hungry and faint, I gave them to eat and drink.
This might be deemed sorcery in Spain, but I am not without hope
that it will be otherwise estimated in England, and had I perished
at this period, I think there are some who would have been disposed
to acknowledge that I had not lived altogether in vain (always as
an instrument of the "Most Highest"), having been permitted to turn
one of the most valuable books of God into the speech of the most
degraded of his creatures.
In the meantime I endeavoured to enter into negotiations with the
ministry, for the purpose of obtaining permission to sell the New
Testament in Madrid, and the nullification of the prohibition. I
experienced, however, great opposition, which I was unable to
surmount. Several of the ultra-popish bishops, then resident in
Madrid, had denounced the Bible, the Bible Society, and myself.
Nevertheless, notwithstanding their powerful and united efforts,
they were unable to effect their principal object, namely, my
expulsion from Madrid and Spain. The Count Ofalia, notwithstanding
he had permitted himself to be made the instrument, to a certain
extent, of these people, would not consent to be pushed to such a
length. Throughout this affair, I cannot find words sufficiently
strong to do justice to the zeal and interest which Sir George
Villiers displayed in the cause of the Testament. He had various
interviews with Ofalia on the subject, and in these he expressed to
him his sense of the injustice and tyranny which had been practised
in this instance towards his countryman.
Ofalia had been moved by these remonstrances, and more than once
promised to do all in his power to oblige Sir George; but then the
bishops again beset him, and playing upon his political if not
religious fears, prevented him from acting a just, honest, and
honourable part. At the desire of Sir George Villiers, I drew up a
brief account of the Bible Society, and an exposition of its views,
especially in respect to Spain, which he presented with his own
hands to the Count. I shall not trouble the reader by inserting
this memorial, but content myself with observing, that I made no
attempts to flatter and cajole, but expressed myself honestly and
frankly, as a Christian ought.
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