These Gentry Are Invariably Saying All They Can In
Dispraise Of Their Native Land; And It Is My Opinion, Grounded
Upon
experience, that an individual who is capable of such baseness
would not hesitate at the perpetration of any villainy,
For next to
the love of God, the love of country is the best preventive of
crime. He who is proud of his country, will be particularly
cautious not to do anything which is calculated to disgrace it.
We now journeyed towards Lisbon, and reached Monte Moro about two
o'clock. After taking such refreshment as the place afforded, we
pursued our way till we were within a quarter of a league of the
huts which stand on the edge of the savage wilderness we had before
crossed. Here we were overtaken by a horseman; he was a powerful,
middle-sized man, and was mounted on a noble Spanish horse. He had
a broad, slouching sombrero on his head, and wore a jerkin of blue
cloth, with large bosses of silver for buttons, and clasps of the
same metal; he had breeches of yellow leather, and immense
jackboots: at his saddle was slung a formidable gun. He inquired
if I intended to pass the night at Vendas Novas, and on my replying
in the affirmative, he said that he would avail himself of our
company. He now looked towards the sun, whose disk was rapidly
sinking beneath the horizon, and entreated us to spur on and make
the most of its light, for that the moor was a horrible place in
the dusk. He placed himself at our head, and we trotted briskly
on, the boy or muleteer who attended us running behind without
exhibiting the slightest symptom of fatigue.
We entered upon the moor, and had advanced about a mile when dark
night fell around us; we were in a wild path, with high brushwood
on either side, when the rider said that he could not confront the
darkness, and begged me to ride on before, and he would follow
after: I could hear him trembling. I asked the reason of his
terror, and he replied that at one time darkness was the same thing
to him as day, but that of late years he dreaded it, especially in
wild places. I complied with his request, but I was ignorant of
the way, and as I could scarcely see my hand, was continually going
wrong. This made the man impatient, and he again placed himself at
our head. We proceeded so for a considerable way, when he again
stopped, and said that the power of the darkness was too much for
him. His horse seemed to be infected with the same panic, for it
shook in every limb. I now told him to call on the name of the
Lord Jesus, who was able to turn the darkness into light, but he
gave a terrible shout, and, brandishing his gun aloft, discharged
it in the air. His horse sprang forward at full speed, and my
mule, which was one of the swiftest of its kind, took fright and
followed at the heels of the charger.
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