Letters of George Borrow to the British and Foreign Bible Society Part 21

The British and Foreign Bible Society is composed of individuals belonging to all sects, in which those are divided who follow the faith of Jesus Christ, amongst whom are seen co-operating for one grand and holy object, followers of the Apostles, Romans, and members of the Greek and [of the] English Church, whose design is the propagation of the word of Christ in all countries, separating wholly from the forms of discipline of the Church, [which are] matters of secondary consideration, which for a long time have filled the world with bloodshed and calamity, and have tended to keep up in the hearts of Christians unhappy and malignant feuds. Far from being desirous of making proselytes among those professing the Catholic wors.h.i.+p, the Bible Society is at all times disposed to hold out the hand of Christian fraternity to the clergy of Spain and to co-operate with those who believe, as the Catholic clergy a.s.suredly do, 'that all shall be saved, who, believing in Jesus Christ, show it by their good works.'

Madrid _May_ 12, 1838,

Office of the Bible Society,

Calle del Principe.

(Signed) GEORGE BORROW, Sole authorised Agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society in Spain.

To the Rev. A. Brandram

(_Endorsed_: recd. June 2, 1838) MADRID, [_May_ 23rd, 1838].

REVD. AND DEAR SIR,--I have just had an interview with the Archbishop [of Toledo]. It was satisfactory to a degree I had not dared to hope for.

In the name of the _Most Highest_ take steps for preventing that miserable creature Graydon from ruining us all.

GEORGE BORROW.

To the Rev. A. Brandram

(_Endorsed_: recd. June 4, 1838) MADRID, _May_ 25, 1838, CALLE SANTIAGO.

REVD. AND DEAR SIR,--Events follow each other so quickly in this singular country, and my situation is so peculiar, and I am afraid so little understood at home, that I am obliged to take up the pen more frequently than I am inclined. Do not think me intrusive in again troubling you. I do it in the hope of preventing any alarm which an incorrect report of the following circ.u.mstance might cause you.

Immediately on receiving intelligence of the scenes which had taken place at Malaga, the Spanish Government resolved to put an end to all Bible transactions in Spain, and forthwith gave orders for the seizure of all the Bibles and Testaments in the country wherever they might be deposited or exposed for sale. They notified the same to Sir George Villiers, expressly stating that the resolution was taken in consequence of the, '_Ocurrido en Malaga_.' I have now learnt that several of my depots have been seized in various parts of Spain, for example, at Salamanca, Seville, and of course at Malaga. This, however, gives me little uneasiness, for, with the blessing of G.o.d, I shall be able to repair all, always provided I am allowed to follow my own plans, and to avail myself of the advantages which have lately been opened especially to cultivate the kind feeling lately manifested towards me by the princ.i.p.al Spanish clergy.

But now prompt measures must be taken on the part of the Bible Society.

Knowing as I do the character of the unfortunate man who has lately caused so much havoc, I am apprehensive that he may be guilty of some fresh excess. From Mr. Rule's letter, which I forwarded to you, it appears that for some time it has been his intention to quit Spain, but not quietly, witness this last affair of Malaga. Now my fear is that on his return to Barcelona, on finding that the books and Bibles intrusted to his discretion have been seized, he will publish as a parting legacy some tirade against the Government and clergy. If he do, he will probably bring himself into trouble and at all events destruction on our cause; for the Government is quite despotic, as indeed is necessary at the present time, and the whole of Spain is under martial law. Therefore for his own sake, if not for the sake of the cause, let him instantly retire, abandoning the Bibles to their fate. They shall not be lost.

I have had, as you are aware, an interview with the Archbishop of Toledo.

I have not time to state particulars, but he said amongst other things, 'Be prudent, the Government are disposed to arrange matters amicably, and I am disposed to co-operate with them.' At parting he shook me most kindly by the hand, saying that he liked me. Sir George intends to visit him in a few days. He is an old, venerable-looking man, between seventy and eighty. When I saw him, he was dressed with the utmost simplicity, with the exception of a most splendid amethyst ring, the l.u.s.tre of which was truly dazzling.

My poor servant, a Basque from Hernani, is, I am afraid, dying of the jail-fever, which he caught in prison whilst attending me. He has communicated this horrible disorder to two other persons. Poor Marin is also very ill, but I believe with a broken heart; I administer to his needs as far as prudence will allow me, for I am grieved for him. I have not yet despatched my letter to Mr. Rule, as I wish not to offend him; but I cannot approve of his forcing Marin to come up to Madrid, contrary to his wishes. Zeal is a precious thing, when accompanied with one grain of common sense.

In conclusion, I beg leave to say that Sir George Villiers has authorised me to state that provided the Bible Society entertain any doubts respecting my zeal in the Christian cause, or the correctness of my conduct during my sojourn in Spain, he hopes they will do him the satisfaction to communicate with him.

I remain, Revd. and dear Sir, most truly yours,

GEORGE BORROW.

To the Rev. A. Brandram

(_Endorsed_: recd. June 23, 1838) _June_ 13, 1838, MADRID, No. 16 CALLE ST. IAGO,

REVD. AND DEAR SIR,--I have received your letter of June 1st, but not that of the 30th May which you allude to in the same, therefore I am still in the dark upon many points.

Another bitter cup has been filled for my swallowing. The Bible Society and myself have been accused of blasphemy, sedition, etc. A collection of tracts has been seized in Murcia, in which the Catholic religion and its dogmas are handled with the most abusive severity; these books have been sworn to as having been left _by the Committee of the Bible Society whilst in that town_, and Count Ofalia has been called upon to sign an order for my arrest and banishment from Spain. Sir George, however, advises me to remain quiet and not to be alarmed; as he will answer for my innocence.

I am now compelled to ask a blunt question. Will the Bible Society look calmly on and see itself compromised and my life and liberty exposed to danger by the lunatic vagaries of that unfortunate Graydon, who, like a swine in a field newly sown, has of late been solely occupied in rooting up the precious seed and destroying every hope of a glorious harvest?

The newspapers are teeming with articles against us, for we are no longer looked upon as a Society founded on the broad principles of Christianity, but as one inst.i.tuted for the carrying into effect of sectarian purposes.

In justice to me, it behoves the Society to communicate with Sir George Villiers, who has abstracts of all the letters which I have written to the Society, and who will vouch for their correctness.

Do not be cast down; all will go well if the stumbling block be removed.

I write in haste.

G. BORROW.

P.S.--What do you mean, my dear Sir, by the '_grano salis_'?

To the Rev. A. Brandram

(_Endorsed_: recd. June 25, 1838) MADRID, _June_ 14, 1838.

REVD. AND DEAR SIR,--Immediately after having despatched my letter of yesterday, I received through my friend, Mr. Wood, a communication from the Bishop of ---, the president of the body of ecclesiastics at present engaged in examining our Bible.

He is of my opinion that the Committee of the Bible Society should in the present exigency draw up an exposition of their views respecting Spain, stating what they are prepared to do, and what they are not prepared to do--above all, whether in seeking to circulate the Gospel in this country they harbour any projects hostile to the Government and the established religion; moreover, whether the late distribution of tracts was done by their connivance or authority, and whether they are disposed to sanction in future the publication in Spain of such a cla.s.s of writings.

It of course does not become me to advise the Committee and yourself upon this point. I merely take the liberty of communicating the circ.u.mstance, and observing that the Prelate in question is a most learned and respectable man, and one of the warmest of our friends.

I have not seen any of the tracts seized at Murcia, nor do I wish. If examined by the Council, I shall declare on oath that I am innocent and ignorant of the matter, and that I believe the Bible Society to be the same. Sir George a.s.sured me that one or two of them were outrages not only to common sense but decency.

I forgot to tell you yesterday that my poor servant is dead. He died of the pestilential typhus caught in the prison; his body at the period of his death was a frightful ma.s.s of putridity, and was in consequence obliged to be instantly shovelled into the Campo Santo or common field of the dead near Madrid. May Christ be his stay at the Great Day; a more affectionate creature never breathed.

Hear now what the _Madrid Gazette_ says of our Society, in an article in which it reproves in the strongest terms the conduct lately pursued by pseudo-agents, and gives me a rap on the knuckles for an anti-catholic expression or two in the advertis.e.m.e.nt in which I denounced them. The _Gazette_ is the official organ of the Government, and all it says is under authority:--

'We will not conclude this article without bestowing the merited tribute of praise on the project truly magnificent of the Bible Society, considered not under the religious but the social aspect. Christianity has been, is, and will be the grand agent in the civilisation of the world; and the preaching of its doctrine, and the propagation of its maxims among the nations who know it not, is the most costly present which can be offered them, and the pledge of belonging one day to the civilised world; or if they already belong to it, of ameliorating their actual condition in society.

'Excellent moral results must also be produced among the poorer cla.s.ses of the people in Christian countries by the distribution of copies of the sacred writings; and the Bible Society acts with the highest prudence, by accommodating itself to the civil and ecclesiastic laws of each country, and by adopting the editions there current. In Spain, where every translation of the Bible is forbidden, and in general every book of religion, without previous censure and license of the ecclesiastical authority, much good may arise from distributing either of the two translations, that of Father Scio or that of Amat; but precisely as they are, and without the suppression of the notes, which explain some difficult pa.s.sages. If the great object be the propagation of the evangelic maxims, the notes are no obstacle, and by preserving them we fulfil our religious principle of not permitting to private reason the interpretation of the sacred Word.'

Excuse me this long extract.