"This Man at last dies, and, according to Custom, is removed into the Chapel of the Convent, and there plac'd with a Cross fix'd in his Hands: Soon after which, saying the proper Masses for his Soul, in the Middle of their Devotion, the dead Man lifts up his Head, and with an audible Voice, cry'd out, Vocatus sum. The pious Brethren, as any one will easily imagine, were most prodigiously surprised at such an Accident, and therefore they earnestly redoubled their Prayers; when hfting up his Head a second Time, the dead Man cried aloud, Judicatus sum. Knowing his former Piety, the pious Fraternity could not then entertain the least doubt of his Felicity; when, to their great Consternation and Confusion, he lifted up his Head a third Time, crying out in a terrible Tone, Damnatus sum; upon which they incontinently removed the Corps out of the Chapel, and threw it upon the Dunghill.
"Good Bruno, pondering upon these Passages, could not fail of drawing this Conclusion; That if a Person to all Appearance so holy and devout, should miss of Salvation, it behov'd a wise Man to contrive some Way more certain to make his Calling and Election sure. To that Purpose he instituted this strict and severe Order, with an Injunction to them sacred as any Part, that every Professor should always wear Hair Cloth next his Skin, never eat any Flesh; nor speak to one another, only as passing by, to say, Memento mori."
This Account I found to agree pretty well with what I had before heard; but at the same Time, I found the Redouble of it made but just the same Impression, it had at first made upon my Heart. However having made it my Observation, that a Spirit the least contradictory, best carries a Man through Spain; I kept Father White Company, and in Humour, 'till we arrived at Victoria. Where he added one Thing, by Way of Appendix, in Relation to the Carthusians, That every Person of the Society, is oblig'd every Day to go into their Place of Burial, and take up as much Earth, as he can hold at a Grasp with one Hand, in order to prepare his Grave.
Next Day we set out for Victoria. It is a sweet, delicious, and pleasant Town. It received that Name in Memory of a considerable Victory there obtained over the Moors. Leaving this Place, I parted with Father White; he going where his Affairs led him; and I to make the best of my Way to Bilboa.
Entring into Biscay, soon after I left Victoria, I was at a Loss almost to imagine, what Country I was got into. By my long Stay in Spain, I thought my self a tolerable Master of the Tongue; yet here I found my self at the utmost Loss to understand Landlord, Landlady, or any of the Family. I was told by my Muletier, that they pretend their Language, as they call it, has continued uncorrupted from the very Confusion of Babel; though if I might freely give my Opinion in the Matter, I should rather take it to be the very Corruption of all that Confusion. Another Rhodomontado they have, (for in this they are perfect Spaniards) that neither Romans, Carthaginians, Vandals, Goths, or Moors, ever totally subdued them. And yet any Man that has ever seen their Country, might cut this Knot without a Hatchet, by saying truly, that neither Roman, Carthaginian, nor any victorious People, thought it worth while to make a Conquest of a Country, so mountainous and so barren.
However, Bilboa must be allowed, tho' not very large, to be a pretty, clean and neat Town. Here, as in Amsterdam, they allow neither Cart, nor Coach, to enter; but every Thing of Merchandize is drawn, and carried upon Sledges: And yet it is a Place of no small Account, as to Trade; and especially for Iron and Wooll. Here I hop'd to have met with an opportunity of Embarking for England; but to my Sorrow I found my self disappointed, and under that Disappointment, obliged to make the best of my Way to Bayonne.
Setting out for which Place, the first Town of Note that I came to, was Saint Sebastian. A very clean Town, and neatly pay'd; which is no little Rarity in Spain. It has a very good Wall about it, and a pretty Citadel. At this Place I met with two English Officers, who were under the same state with my self; one of them being a Prisoner of War with me at Denia. They were going to Bayonne to embark for England as well as my self; so we agreed to set out together for Port Passage. The Road from St. Sebastian is all over a well pav'd Stone Causeway; almost at the end whereof, there accosted us a great number of young Lasses. They were all prettily dress'd, their long Hair flowing in a decent manner over their Shoulders, and here and there decorated with Ribbons of various Colours, which wantonly play'd on their Backs with the Wind. The Sight surpriz'd my Fellow Travellers no less than me; and the more, as they advanced directly up to us, and seiz'd our Hands. But a little time undeceiv'd us, and we found what they came for; and that their Contest, tho' not so robust as our Oars on the Thames, was much of the same Nature; each contending who should have us for their Fare. For 'tis here a Custom of Time out of mind, that none but young Women should have the management and profit of that Ferry. And tho' the Ferry is over an Arm of the Sea, very broad, and sometimes very rough, those fair Ferriers manage themselves with that Dexterity, that the Passage is very little dangerous, and in calm Weather, very pleasant. In short, we made choice of those that best pleased us; who in a grateful Return, led us down to their Boat under a sort of Music, which they, walking along, made with their Oars, and which we all thought far from being disagreeable. Thus were we transported over to Port Passage; not undeservedly accounted the best Harbour in all the Bay of Biscay.
We stay'd not long here after Landing, resolving, if possible, to reach Fonterabia before Night; but all the Expedition we could use, little avail'd; for before we could reach thither the Gates were shut, and good Nature and Humanity were so lock'd up with them, that all the Rhetorick we were Masters of could not prevail upon the Governor to order their being opened; for which Reason we were obliged to take up our Quarters at the Ferry House.
When we got up the next Morning, we found the Waters so broad, as well as rough, that we began to enquire after another Passage; and were answer'd, that at the Isle of Conference, but a short League upwards, the Passage was much shorter, and exposed to less Danger. Such good Reasons soon determind's us: So, setting out we got there in a very little Time; and very soon after were landed in France. Here we found a House of very good Entertainment, a Thing we had long wanted, and much lamented the want of.
We were hardly well seated in the House before we were made sensible, that it was the Custom, which had made it the business of our Host, to entertain all his Guests at first coming in, with a prolix Account of that remarkable Interview between the two Kings of France and Spain. I speak safely now, as being got on French Ground: For the Spaniard in his own Country would have made me to know, that putting Spain after France had there been look'd upon as a meer Solecism in Speech. However, having refiresh'd our selves, to show our deference to our Host's Relation, we agreed to pay our Respects to that famous little Isle he mention'd; which indeed, was the whole burden of the Design of our crafty Landlord's Relation.