Their Husbands And Sons Are Far Differently
Employed:
For they are a nation of arrieros or carriers, and
almost esteem it a disgrace to follow any other profession.
On
every road of Spain, particularly those north of the mountains
which divide the two Castiles, may be seen gangs of fives and sixes
of these people lolling or sleeping beneath the broiling sun, on
gigantic and heavily laden mutes and mules. In a word, almost the
entire commerce of nearly one half of Spain passes through the
hands of the Maragatos, whose fidelity to their trust is such, that
no one accustomed to employ them would hesitate to confide to them
the transport of a ton of treasure from the sea of Biscay to
Madrid; knowing well that it would not be their fault were it not
delivered safe and undiminished, even of a grain, and that bold
must be the thieves who would seek to wrest it from the far feared
Maragatos, who would cling to it whilst they could stand, and would
cover it with their bodies when they fell in the act of loading or
discharging their long carbines.
But they are far from being disinterested, and if they are the most
trustworthy of all the arrieros of Spain, they in general demand
for the transport of articles a sum at least double to what others
of the trade would esteem a reasonable recompense: by this means
they accumulate large sums of money, notwithstanding that they
indulge themselves in far superior fare to that which contents in
general the parsimonious Spaniard; - another argument in favour of
their pure Gothic descent; for the Maragatos, like true men of the
north, delight in swilling liquors and battening upon gross and
luscious meats, which help to swell out their tall and goodly
figures.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 330 of 809
Words from 91633 to 91934
of 222596
