M anners
AND ~
Customs>
at leaft'-as laudable as the oppofite extreme of nudity and impertinence,
to which fome modern jfanatrc philofophet^ would reduce' human nar
ture, or in other words brutalize the fpecies. -Temperance is a virtue
which the Spaniard fhares with other foathem nations, fpr ’wine is fo
inflammatory in regions expofefl to the heat of the ,fpn, that inftead of
an agreeable warmth, and a flow of ideas, it would produce fever, mifery,
and ~r»^flnf>l~s- In thefe countries the body1 Is, fo much exhaufted by
the influence of he^t, that the fiefta, or ftiort fleep in the middle of the
day, become^ a neceflary refoprce of nature, and is'by habit/continued
even in the winter. ;
The chief defeâ in. jhe chacra&er of the Spanifh nobility and gentry
JS) their averfion to agriculture and commerce. Inftead of thofe beautiful
villas, and opulent farms, which enrich the whole extent of England,
the Spanifh architecture is almoft confined-to the capital, and a
few other cities and towns. - The metropolis is: however their chief
element, by traditionary cuftom, which arofe like others from neceflary.
càufes ; as in former turbulent-periods their prefenee at court was
confidered as the foie pledge they could give of their duty and affedtion
to the monarch. Now that long authority, and multiplied diftifl&ipn»,
have'elevated royal families far above any competition with the great,
nobles, it would-be patriotic in the fovereign to order them to build
detached villas, and to eftablifh their èhiefrefidénce in theta ; a maxim
®f prudence not unknown to James the fkft o f England, who ùftfd3tô
advife the great men not to haunt thè cûurf, but their own eftates,
where their money'might be fpent among the tenants who fupported
their opulence ; adding a fimilitude that a Ihip in a fleet at fea appeared
nothing, but in a river became an objedt of great importance. T ill
this event take place, and till farm houfes arë fcàttëred over the kingdom,
it will be abfolutely imppflible for agriculture to flourifh in Spain.
To import German colonies, as has been done in the Sierra Morena, is
to begin at the wrong end, and to fuppofe that the poor can fet art,
example to the rich. If, by any wife reverfion of prej udices, ic[lenefs,
in whatever clafs of men, could be branded as infamous, and the disgrace
extended to opulent vagabonds, we might then be led to hope
th a t foirip hundred^thOufa'nd1 Hidalgos^ or*1 fens o f fomething, fhould
become the^morhdaud&leqfOnsVbf their' bwfe?J works, and contribute by
,tpadd aad^agciculture tP at< wrafe'thpi'r Own1 foirtuhes, and the
;publio;‘proip,er,ity. ft etsunq^ipn, an d i'nterniixture, o f all
^apJsSjpf ; men, and « h e ir '-mutual ,'re’^)U£8!0rfeaqh 'other,- form ’ a liberal
Jpttrce pfi^fhe" .wealth audipoWer o f the Britifh -ddrSiniblis p but-Spain
%ejJp$p$ , e^mpl^pfiheretfssr * •
'ji^inp4^|he|^CGeffipnJpfcf^S»u^e„p£ Bonrhonpaufliglit fhade of Flench
:m ^ n n e j ^ j b l e n d e d ,v?ithltha<Spanifti - g-Myity. But fafbifeds
haKC/hp^ediltlp ‘fwayi and- the ^phibiti|0n<,t’p^:3fl‘dm^Hed hat's'and*, hang
cjoa^ks l e ^ 't^ 4(ai fe^iplss^'inCurrpcSi'Otav The;? piohaMjrihnfewpsfljrpwever
foenrihaed, and jl^falutary- as this^&lm^J^radif^pife^ecafiotied« many
n a y fc& ^ c h ftpm ^ and e-y;eA Treppen-tiaifilijj\Vio|isu' All vifitsoare u n i
jdeiftpQij’t&.hP paid; to ’ the1 <miftrefs o f thehcfcle^the/extreniW'gallantry o f
th e . m en paying reduced t h e m h e n theiSpkhiSffilkdies-;
g p /to tStafs,. which is almoft th e ;ls le s ^ ^ fi|)m 1@fl®,ahf racing feed abroad',
ite y 3 ^ rre „ lth em fe ly e s iff a, black) 'filki iSn'di 4* kind io fm a n tie
whichjaJ'fejfer>yes-,as,'a5 veil, and' is, often"‘a rra n ^ d tw ilh ,;nirgukr eafe and
grase^ ^ }T;he houfes o f th e g re a t, a re p ip t’ di jipefeaj ■wim moft,‘ elegail|
an<j- cpmrp^d}0^ , a rch ite ctu re ; but?s are id da^gfeh.thktr Mr. Tovyijfepd
affigns;. 4P©;' bedchamber^|4tP \th ejD u k e o f Alb.a^s palatee*; where all the
Timerannuatecfj fervants, w ith t>Mir' yylives fa p d i children,;1!: a re {lodged ;
their; wages,hgipg computed, at.;®oppf^ fterling a months b;; Th^cOtl&ges
anjddnna are, on.the contrary,- miferabje:; hutfffiedipfs::dpd/ manners o f
th e Iqyser claffes? vary much i n different provinces'»;- anddFor a l ly in g
-pidture o f. them the reader may coidhlt* the immortal work: o f Ce¥-
vaptes., -
T h e amufements of- people bT ran k chiefly cdhfift d h ld an c in g an d
cards, and the theatrejs» little frequented*,» perhaps hecaufe* the plays andt
mufic do not correfpond in -exbulleh’ce with 'th e -national;ttdfinfcment.
T h e combats with b u lk n h the amphitheatres have"> ju ftfy ,hd^B.Hfegar 8ed?
as ,a ftriking ‘feature o f Spanifh and Rortuguefe mannersvWThaf fuefi-
fpe&acles tend to fandliarifeatbespebpl&with bloodfhed, feeras* ah'idle*'
theory, Unwarranted b y :fadls.'J Modern Italy has n© glldiatofs, but
numerous afiaflins ; ancient Rome had fcarcely one afiaffin, but whole
VOL. 1. - 3 h * armies