L E T T E R X X III.
Return to Valencia andCa/hle. Mine o f fed gem at Mingranilla. Source
o f the river Guadiana. Mine o f antimony near Santa Cruz <k Mudela
in La Mancha,
IN going from Barcelona towards Valencia you crofe a
fine bridge, lately built, over the Lobregat, at Molino
del Rei (a) ; further on, another bridge over a deep valley
has been attempted with a triple row of arches at an
immenie expence, the foundation has given way, and a
long time 'mull; pafs before it is compleated. The new
road was finifhed in 1778, as far as Villa Franca de Panades.
The country is hilly and affords a variety o f rural prof-
peils. The antient city o f Tarragona ftands near the
fea, on an eminence that commands a fine profped; over
a beautiful vale. The city exhibits feveral remains of
Roman antiquities and inferiptions. The learned Don
Antonio Auguftin archbiihop of Tarragona is buried in
the cathedral [h) ; proceeding from Tarragona the next
(«) In the fecond volume o f the fjpanilh tianflatiop o f Mullet's fortifications,. there are
views o f the bridges o f Molins, Martorel, Acantara, Almarag. and Aranjixez.
(i>) Don Antonio A u g u ftin ,’ ardibi/hop, o f Taftagona, bom in, 1-51S, foa o f Dan A n tonio
Auguftin, vice-chancellor o f the kingdom o f Aragon, was famous for his writings on
-Canon and civil law and antiquity* A l l the great men o f his age were unanimous in their
town
town is Reus, a commercial place, which o f late years has
greatly increafed in buildings and population. Hefe the
merchants o f Barcelona have their factors and ware-
houfes, and fhip off their wines and brandies as the ihips
come to an anchor in the road o f Salo, about three
miles from Reus. Catalonia furniihcs annually thirty-
five thoufand pipes of brandy, which require a hundred
and forty thoufand pipes of wine to make them, befides
which near two thoufand pipes Of -wine are alfo annually
exported : and of fruit about thirty thoufand bags o f
hazle nuts every year chiefly for England,- and worth
about twenty ihillings a bag on the ipot.
It is a few hours excurfion acrofs the country to the
northward,, through Monblanc to the royal convent of
Poblet, founded by Alfonfo firil king of Aragon, in the
twelfth century, for-monks of the Ciftefcian order ; the
abbot is a temporal baron and has an extcnfive jurifdicp
ra lfe o f bis learning and virtues'. He came over to England with Cardinal Pole, and affift-
ed in fuch regulations as were then drawn up for the' purpoTe o f ecclfciiafiical difcipline. O f
aft bis works, none were more eagerly fought after than his dialogues on antient medals and
Inferiptions, “ Diálogos de medallas infcriciones y otras antigüedades ex bibliollieca Ant. Au-
guftini archiepifcopi Tarraco’n, eti Tarragona, por Felipe' May, 1587, 4(0. This edition is fo
fcarce, ,that Padre Feijoo relates in his Thealro critico, that an Englilh gentleman travelling
through Spain offered thirty pillóles to any one who would bring him a copy, which being
complied with, he offered thirty pillóles more for another. I faw this edition in the library
o f Don Gregorio. Mayans at Valencia; there are only, plates to the two firft dialogues ; it has
been tranflated into Latin and Italian; .a new edition o f it-was printed at Madrid in 1744, in
the fame form as the Tarragona edition, and may be had for about five fllillings. T h e life o f
this archbiihop has been written by the learned Don Gregorio Mayans.
tionj