‘As to the Marquess de Barbaran, he has wholly left the Isle of Sardagnia, where he has not the Liberty to return. I am inform’d he is married again at Anvers, to a Widow of a Spaniard named Fonceca.
‘And it is he himself that has related to one of my Friends the Particularities of his Crime; and he is so furiously tortured with the remembrance of it, that he imagines he continually sees his Wife dying, and reproaching him with his Fury and Jealousie. In a word, he has contracted such a deep Malancholly, that his Death is thought by every one to be near, or at the least, the loss of his Sences.’
The Gentleman here was silent; and I not being able to forbear weeping at so Tragical a Relation, Don Fernand de Toledo, who had observ’d it, and would not take notice of it, for fear of interrupting the Relation, rally’d me about my Tenderness, telling me how well he was pleased to find me so Compassionate, and that I should not be long before I met with Objects fit to exercise it on. I did not so much mind the returning an answer to him, as the Thanking this Gentleman, who was pleas’d to entertain me with the Recital of so extraordinary an Adventure: I intreated him to make my Compliments to Don Lewis, and to give him from me two Pistols, seeing he lived on Alms. Don Fernand, and each of the Cavaliers, gave as much: ‘Here is,’ said the Gentleman to us, ‘wherewith to enrich the Poor of Victoria; for Don Lewis appropriates not such great Charities as these to himself.’ We told him, he was the Master, and might dispose of the Money as he pleased. But to return to my Adventures:
Although I had a Pasport from the King of Spain, the best specified, and most general, as is possible, yet I was oblig’d to take a Billet from the Toll-House; for without this Precaution, all my Cloaths had been confiscated: ‘To what purpose then is my Pasport?’ said I to them. ‘To none at all,’ replied they. The Surveyors and Officers of the Customs would not so much as cast their Eyes on it; they told me, The King must come and assure them, that this Order was from him. It is to no purpose for any one to alledge his being a Stranger, and ignorant of the Usages of the Country: For they drily answer, ‘That the Stranger’s Ignorance makes the Spaniard’s Profit.’ The ill Weather has kept me here two Days, during which I saw the Governness, and the Play. The principal Place of this Town is adorn’d with a very fair Fountain standing in the midst: it is incircled with the Town-House, the Prison, two Convents, and several well-built Houses: Here is a New Town and an Old one; every body forsakes this latter to dwell in the other. Here are very rich Merchants; their chief Trade is at St. Sebastian or Bilbo; they send great store of Iron to Grenada, Estremadour, Galicia, and other Parts of the Kingdom. I observ’d, that the great Streets are set with fine Trees, which are watered with Streams running by them. From Mount St. Adrian hither, it is seven Leagues. In fine, I am just setting out, and must end this long Letter; it is late, and I have spoke to you so much of what I have seen, that I have said nothing of my Affections to you; Believe me, however, Dear Cousin, that I am, and ever shall be
Yours.
From Victoria,
Feb. 24, 1673.
[2]. Orig. he.