The next Morning I thought to have burst with laughter, tho’ twas at my Cost, when I discovered mine Hostess’s Trick to ruin me: For you must know in the first place, that these pretended Travellers were their Neighbours, and that they are accustomed to this Stratagem, when they see Strangers: But when I would have reckoned the Beds to pay for ’em, they were rowled all of ’em into the midst of the Gallery; there were divers wretched Troughs of Straw pull’d out, which were hardly good enough to entertain Dogs, yet I must pay for each 20 d. Four Pistoles ended our Dispute. I was not able to put my self in a Passion, such singularity did I find in this Management. I would not recount this little Accident to you, did it not serve to give you some insight into the Humour of this Nation.
We set out from Burgos very late, the Weather was so bad, and there had fall’n in the Night such great quantity of Rain, that I tarry’d there as long as I could, in expectation of its ceasing. In fine, I came to a Resolution, and ascended my Litter. I had not gotten far from the Town, but I repented of my leaving it; no Track cou’d be seen, especially on a very high steep Mountain, over which we must necessarily pass. One of our Mule-drivers, who went before, struck too far on the Edge of this Mountain, so that he fell with his Mule into a kind of Precipice, where he broke his Head, and put his Arm out of joynt; this being the famous Philip de St. Sebastian, the most intelligent of all his Profession, and who commonly carries Persons of Quality to Madrid; he was therefore much bemoaned; and we remain’d a great while before we could hale him out from the scurvy place where he had fall’n; Don Fernand was so compassionate as to let him have his Litter. The Night came speedily on us, and we could have comforted our selves, could we have return’d to Burgos, but it was impossible, the Ways were no less covered with Snow on that side, than all the rest; so that we put in at Madrigalesco, which has not above a dozen Houses, and I may say we were besieg’d without having any Enemies. This Adventure gave us some disturbance, tho’ we had brought Provisions with us for several Days. The best House of the Town was half uncovered; and I was scarce lodged there, when a venerable Old Man askt for me on the part of a Lady who was just arriv’d: He made me a Compliment, and told me, He was inform’d this was the only place where there was any tolerable Entertainment; and therefore intreated me to spare her some room. He added, She was a Person of Quality of Andalousia, was lately a Widow, and that he had the Honour to belong to her.
One of our Knights, named Don Esteve de Carjaval, who is of the same Country, fail’d not to demand her Name of the old Gentleman: He told him, she was the Marchioness de Los Rios. At this Name he turn’d towards me, and spake to me of her as of a Person whose Merit and Fortune were very considerable: I readily accepted of this good Company; She immediately came in her Litter, out of which she had not descended, having found no House where she could abide.
Her Dress seem’d to me very singular; had she not been so handsome as she was, she could never have appear’d in any sort tolerable: Her Gown and Petticoat was of black Serge, and over them a kind of Linnen Surplice, which reacht down lower than her Knees; the Sleeves were long, and strait in the Arm, which hung over her Hands: This Surplice was fastened to her gown, and being not pleated behind, it seem’d like a Bib: She wore on her Head a piece of Muslin, which covered her Face, and one would have taken it for a Religiose’s Hood; this covered her Neck, and reach’d down very low: There appear’d no Hair on her Head, they were all hid under this Muslin: She wore a great Mantle of black Taffaty, which covered her Heels; and over this Mantle she had an Hat, whose Brims were very large, fastened under her Chin with silken Twist. I was told they wear this but only when they travel.
This is the Habit of the Widows and Duenna’s, a Dress which is insupportable to my sight; and should one meet with a Woman in the Night thus cloath’d, one might be startled without Reproach; yet the Lady was very beautiful in this Unseemly Dress. They never leave it, unless they marry; and they are oblig’d to bewail the Death of an Husband, whom they could not endure when living.
I was inform’d they pass the first Year of their Mourning in a Chamber hung with Black, wherein there is not the least glimmering of Day-light to be seen; they sit cross-legg’d on a little Holland-Quilt. When this Year is ended, they retire into a Chamber hung with Gray: they must have no Pictures, nor Looking-Glasses, nor Cabinets, nor fine Tables, nor Plate, neither must they have any Diamonds, or wear any Colours: However modest they are, they must live so retired, that it must seem their Soul is already in the other World. This Constrant is the cause that several Ladies who are wealthy, and especially in rich Houshold-Goods, marry again to have the satisfaction of making use of them.
After the first Compliments, I inform’d my self from this mournful Widow where she was going; she told me, She had not for a long time seen a Friend of her Mother’s who was a Religious at Lashuelgas de Burgos, which is a famous Nunnery, wherein there is an hundred and fifty Nuns, most of ’em the Daughters of Princes, Dukes, and Titulado’s. She added, That the Abbess is Lady of fourteen large Towns, and above fifty other Places wherein she chuses Governors and Magistrates; that she is Superior of seventeen Convents; Collates to several Benefices, and disposes of twelve Commanderships in favour of whom she pleases. She told me she design’d to pass some time in this Monastery: ‘Can you, Madam,’ said I to her, ‘accustom yourself to so retired a Life as is that of a Convent?’ ‘It will be no hard matter,’ said she, ‘for I believe I see fewer People at my own House than I shall see there; and in effect these Religious have Liberty enough: They are commonly the handsomest young Women of the Family who are there; these enter therein so young, that they know not what they are made to leave, nor what they undertake at the Age of six or seven, and it may be sooner. They are caused to make Vows, when ’tis often the Father or Mother, or some near Relation, who pronounce them for ’em, whilst the little Sacrifice disports herself with Sugar-plums, and lets ’em dress her how they will: Yet the Bargain holds, there’s no unsaying it; however, they have every thing which can be expected in their Condition. There are at Madrid some whom they call the Ladies of St. James: they are properly Canonnesses, who make their Tryals like the Knights of this Order; they bear, like them, a Sword, made in form of a Cross, embroidered with Crimson Silk; they have ’em on their Scapularies and great Cloaks, which are white: These Ladies House is very stately; all who come to visit ’em enter without any difficulty; their Apartments are very fine, and every whit as well furnisht as if they were at large in the World; they enjoy great Pensions, and each of ’em has three or four Women to wait on them: It’s true, they never stir out, nor see their nearest Relations, but through several Grates. This perhaps would look horrid in another Country, but in Spain they are accustom’d to Confinement.
‘There are Convents where the Religious see more Cavaliers than the Women who live at large, neither are they less gallant: It is impossible for any to have more Gayety than they; and, as I have already told you, Madam, here are more Beauties than abroad; but it must be granted, there are several among them who are deeply sensible at their having been so soon sacrific’d; they think of the Pleasures which they have never tasted, as the only ones which can make this Life Happy. They pass theirs in a Condition worthy of Compassion, always telling you, they are there by Force; and that the Vows they are made to repeat at the Age of five or six Years, are to be regarded like Childrens Plays.’
‘Madam,’ said I to her, ‘it wou’d have been great pity, had your Relations design’d you for such a Life; and one may judge, in beholding you, that all the beautiful Spanish Ladies are not Religioses.’ ‘Alas, Madam,’ said she, in fetching a deep Sigh, ‘I know not what I wou’d be; it seems I am of a very odd Humor, not to be contented with my Fortune: but one has sometimes Uneasinesses which are unaccountable to Reason.’ In ending these words, she fastened her Eyes to the ground, and fell into such a deep fit of Musing, that I cou’d easily perceive something disturb’d her.
Whatever Curiosity I had to know the Subject, we had been so little together, that I dared not desire to be her Confident; but to draw her from the melancholy Posture she was in, I entreated her to tell me some News of the Court of Spain, seeing she came from Madrid. She did what she cou’d to recover herself: she then told me, There were great shews of Joy at Court on the Queen’s Birth-day: that the King had sent one of the Gentlemen of his Chamber to Toledo, to Compliment her from him: Yet these fine Appearances hindred not the Marquess de Mansera, the Queen’s Major Domo, from receiving Orders to retire twenty Leagues from the Court, which had greatly mortifi’d this Princess. She inform’d us, That the Fleet which carried Troops to Galicia, was unhappily cast away on the Coasts of Portugal. That the little Dutchess de Terra Nova, was to Espouse Don Nicolo Pignatelli, Prince de Monteleon, her Uncle. That the Marquess de Leganez had refused the Vice-royalty of Sardagnia, being in love with a fine Lady, whom he cou’d not find in his heart to leave. That Don Carlos de Omodei, Marquess d’ Almonazid, was dangerously ill, at his Disappointment of being admitted a Grandee of Spain, to which he pretended, having marry’d the Heiress of the House and Grandeurship of Castel Rodrigue; and that which most sensibly afflicted him, was, that Don Ariel de Gusman, this Lady’s first Husband, had enjoyed this Honour; so that he cou’d not but look on the Difficulties thrown in his way as a slighting of his Person: ‘In truth, Madam,’ said I to her, ‘I can hardly comprehend how a Man of sence, can with such eagerness pursue, and be so greatly dejected at a Disappointment of this Nature.’ ‘We are otherwise affected in Spain,’ replied the beautiful Widow, ‘and this Instance is a proof of it.’