they contrived to supply the deficiencies of luxury by
the more refined pleasures of the intellect, and were
men of high spirit and agreeable conversation. Don
Sebastian possessed a talent of writing songs, and
setting them himself to music ; and Don Mathias
had the happy art of relating anecdotes and telling
stories in a way exquisitely lively and humorous. It
was impossible, in short, to be dejected in their
company. Ferrari, however, who was extremely
happy in having two such gentlemen for his neigh-
bours, generally entertained us at his own house,
though we sometimes visited them.
One day, while we were dining at Don Sebastian's
house, a young man, with a large pilgrim's staff in
his hand, his clothes all torn, and his beard long and
z
354 THE HISTORY OF
Wack, entered the room. The sight of him im-
mediately brought my sortie from the Inquisition,
in my singed jacket, to my recollection ; but Don
Sebastian, notwithstanding his appearance, no sooner
observed him, than he exclaimed, " Heavenly God !
it is my brother, Don Joachim ;- I know him in spite
of his tattered clothes and unshaven beard."
"Yes, my brother," replied the young man, "it is
Don Joachim who stands before you ; but do not be
surprised at seeing me in this condition. A poor
devil who returns from Barbary after a captivity of
five years, cannot well make a better appearance."
" Whatever may be the cause of your deplorable
situation," replied Don Sebastian, " I return my
thanks a thousand and a thousand times to Heaven
for restoring you to my arms."
In uttering these words, he rose with transports
from the table to embrace his brother, who, on his
side, showed the correspondent joy which over-
whelmed his heart.
When the fond transports of fraternal affection
had in some degree subsided, Don Sebastian pre-
sented Don Joachim to Ferrari, to Don Mathias, and
to myself. We saluted him with cordiality; and,
on congratulating him on his return to Burgos, soon
discovered, from the answers he made to our con-
gratulations, that he was by no means deficient in
understanding.
On his taking his seat at the table, we expected to
behold a famished traveller, who would have eagerly
devoured the victuals with which it was covered ;
but, on the contrary, he preserved th-e greatest
temperance, and scarcely ate three mouthfuls.
VANILLO GONZALES. 355,
Ferrari, astonished at this circumstance, said to
him, "For a man who appears to have travelled far,
1 wonder you have not a better appetite."
" It is true," said Don Sebastian ; " I have been
observing it with surprise."
"My dear brother," replied Don Joachim, "you
must attribute it to the joy I feel at this moment in
seeing you again a moment which I have so long
and so ardently desired."
"A moment," replied Don Sebastian, "which I
also have long and ardently wished for. It is now
seven years since you departed from this house to
go to Compostella, with an intention to perform at
the shrine of its tutelary saint the vow you made
during your dangerous illness; and since that clay I
have never heard of you. What prevented your
return ? What have you been doing during this long
interval ? From what place did you last come ? "
" From Algiers," replied Don Joachim; "that city
so fatal to Christians, and which may be justly styled
the abode of cruelty. I have, however, drunk less
from the bitter cup of adversity than many others,
as you will perceive when I have an opportunity of
relating to you the circumstances of my story."
"You may speak without reserve before these
gentlemen," said Don Sebastian.
"Yes," replied Don Mathias, "you are now in the
retreat of friendship. Relate to us the history of
your adventures. You cannot have an audience
more interested in your happiness."
" I will then," replied Don Joachim, " relate to you
the extraordinary circumstances of my captivity."
And he immediately began in the following man-
ner :
30 THE HISTORY OF
CHAPTER XLVI.
THE HISTORY OF DON JOACHIM DE KO DILI. AS.
WHILE I was proceeding to the shrine of the saint
to fulfil my vow, I overtook, upon the frontiers of
Galicia, a young pilgrim of nearly the same age with
myself, who was going to Compostella with the like
intention. Politely saluting each other, we engaged
in conversation with all the unsuspecting confidence
of youth; and, after acquainting him that I came
from Burgos, and learning in return that he was a
native of the Asturias de Santellana, we reciprocally
communicated to each other the objects of our jour-
ney, and agreed to perform the pious ceremony to-
gether. Proceeding accordingly to the shrine of St.
Jacques, we fulfilled our respective vows, and accom-
panied each other back on the same road we had
travelled, with an intention of returning to our several
homes. On our arrival at Porta-Ferrada, it became
necessary to take different routes ; but a certain sym-
pathy had linked our hearts so strongly together that
we had not resolution to part. " I cannot tell," said
my young companion, "whether you feel any reluct-
ance to separate, but I must candidly confess that
the idea of parting gives me great pain."
I assured my companion that I could make the
same declaration with equal sincerity ; that his polite
manners and lively conversation had won my heart ;
and that I felt a deeper sorrow at the idea of losing
his agreeable company than I was able to express.
VAN1LLU GONZALEZ. 357
" If that be the case," replied he, "there can 'be no
reason why we should bid each other adieu. Let us
still enjoy the pleasure of each other's company, and
make an excursion together through Spain. Come,
let us unite our fortunes and indulge a truant dis-
position; the natural levity of youth will excuse this
frolic to our families."
A proposal which opened to me the .prospect of
enjoying the company of a friend and indulging the
curiosity of my mind, was not, as you will readily
conceive, very disagreeable to me ; and I told the
young Asturian that I would instantly accede to it
if I had been better supplied with those pecuniary
resources which such a scheme would unavoidably
require; that I was unfortunately dependent on the
bounty of an elder brother, who, being born four or
five years before me, was in possession of the family
estate, and had given me but a scanty supply for the
purpose of my then expedition ; and that I had only
three pistoles left to carry me back to Burgos.
" My finances," replied the Asturian, " would have
been in a condition equally low if I had merely
trusted to the generosity of the old miser, my father;
but, apprehensive that I might want more money
than he might think proper to supply me with, I
prudently took care to provide myself with an addi-
tional sum, by secretly purloining from his hoards
a purse containing fifty doubloons ; and, by the
assistance of this fund, we shall be enabled to reach
Salamanca, where we shall have leisure to consider
of the measures it may be most advisable for us to
take in further prosecution of our design/'
Biamable as the conduct of the Asturian certainly
358 THE HISTORY OF
was, I could not help applauding his precaution ; and
immediately determining to prosecute our wild pro-
ject, we directed our course towards Salamanca. I
-am at a loss to guess why we preferred this city to
any other, if it was not on account of its university,
which we had frequently heard of and wished to see.
On arriving at Salamanca, we hired apartments at a
fashionable hotel, where my companion sent for a
tailor, to rid him of his pilgrim's garment, and to
furnish him with the dress of a cavalier in the style
of that which I then wore. We also purchased linen
and other articles for our immediate use. These
disbursements occasioned a melancholy decrease in
our funds ; but, in lieu of money, we had the satis-
faction to see ourselves equipped in the style of two
young noblemen ; and, after staying four days to see
everything worthy of observation in this city, we
hastily took our leave, and on the ensuing -morning
directed our course, Capuchin fashion, towards Madrid,
to judge for ourselves whether the magnificence of
the Spanish court equalled the superb idea we had
conceived of it ; each of us carrying by turns, on our
shoulders, the cloak-bag which contained our linen.
Just as we were entering the village of Alda Luenga,
we heard a jingling of bells behind us, which we
found proceeded from three mules which a muleteer
was conducting, and two of which were unoccupied.
When the muleteer came near us, we asked him
where he was going. "To Madrid," said he. "And
how much will you take," said I, " to convey two
young truants who are short of cash ?"
" Masters," replied the muleteer, <; you shall give
me what you please. Two of my mules are empty,
VAN1LLO GONZALES, 359
and I have no objection to your taking advantage of
it." We accordingly mounted the mules, and pro-
ceeded to Villaflor, on the borders of Old Castile,
where we slept.
Our first care, on entering the inn, was to order
a good supper ; and the host conceiving that we were
enabled to pay well, executed our orders with great
alacrity. When supper was ready, we were so satis-
fied with the behaviour of the muleteer, that we
insisted on his partaking of the treat ; and we all
sat down to a ragout of rabbits, which I tasted at
first with some reluctance, apprehending it might
be made of some other animal ; but the muleteer
pledged himself for the host's honesty, and upon
his warranty we ate unnauseated, as if we had been
famished. The ensuing morning we continued our
journey in the same manner, and arrived the day
after at Madrid, where the young Asturian presented
the muleteer with a double pistole for our con-
veyance ; but, muleteer as he was, he generously
refused it, saying, "he could not think of taking
money from gentlemen who had treated him so
handsomely on the road."
Quitting this disinterested mule-driver, and inquir-
ing for the court-end of the town, we went, according
to the directions we received, to a hotel of elegant
appearance, the master of which showed us himself
to the apartments he allotted us ; and, you may
easily conceive, that, as we were without servants
or equipage, they were not the best in the house ;
they were neat, however, and sufficiently commo-
dious to satisfy persons much more difficult than
we were.
360 THE HISTORY OF
The host, curious to learn who we were, inquired,
while he bowed and begged pardon for taking so
great a liberty, into our motives for visiting Madrid;
and no sooner was he told that we had come merely
to gratify a desire we had long felt to see this first
city in the world, than he exclaimed, " God be thanked,
my noble young gentlemen, you have good reason to
call it so, for there is no place comparable to Madrid ;
besides, the Catholic sovereigns generally choose it
for their residence. Yes," continued he with enthu-
siasm, "the royal palace alone, and the marvellous
things it contains, deservedly brings travellers to
admire them from all the extremities of the globe.
You will be charmed, for instance, when you behold
the Arsenal, which is one hundred paces long ; the
wardrobes of Charles the Fifth, and his successors,
the three Philips; you cannot conceive the quantities
of gold and silver arms which are there preserved,
together with pistols, darts, and horse-trappings of
various kinds; but, above all, you will be enchanted
when you see the six men on horseback covered with
emeralds, which Emanuel, Duke of Savoy, presented
to Philip the Second. If there were nothing else in
Madrid worthy of your observation, you will not
regret your journey."
The host, who loved to be talking, having described
to us all the curiosities of Madrid, intimated that it
was near supper-time, and we desired him to roast a
partridge and a young rabbit as soon as possible.
He not only executed this order with great expedition,
but waited on us himself during the repast, and obliged
us to listen to a tedious description of the beauties of
the city and its surrounding territory; in which, deficient
VANILLO GONZALES. 361
as he was of the talent of embellishing the objects he
attempted to paint, he did not fail to excite our
impatience to behold these wonders of the world.
The ensuing day had scarcely dawned when we
arose from our beds, and dressing ourselves with as
much haste as if we had not a moment to lose, we
issued from the hotel with eager curiosity and pro-
ceeded to hear mass at the church of our Lady of
Almudena, so called from the statue of a saint which
is said to have been brought from the Holy Land
by St. James of Compostella. We next visited the
market-place, celebrated by the battles of the bull
which are there exhibited ; and, struck by the mag-
nificence of the buildings which surround it, we
stopped to examine with attention the Consistorio,
or palace, which the King occupies when he is pre-
sent at the games. This royal edifice and the other
superb structures which surround it, prepossessed out-
minds so warmly in favour of the capital of the mon-
archy, that every object excited admiration.
"What superb buildings!" cried my comrade,
stopping at every noble mansion we passed. " I per-
ceive we are not now in a provincial town ; observe
those shops, what immense riches they contain ! and
the traders, how grave they appear ! Do you not per-
ceive in them a dignified demeanour which the mer-
chants of other places do not possess? They have
the air of Roman citizens."
After passing a month in traversing the different
quarters of this immense metropolis, sometimes visit-
ing the most celebrated churches and examining their
respective curiosities ; sometimes walking in the park
of Buen Retire, which is filled with ostriches, cameleons,
362 THE HISTORY OF
bears, and other aerial and terrestrial animals ; attend-
ing almost every morning the royal levee, where the
prepossessions of our mind attributed to certain great
men a degree of respectability which nature had re-
fused, the contents of our purse were so nearly ex-
hausted that we began to be seriously uneasy.
Our inquietude, however, was not of long duration ;
for, being informed that government was upon the
point of sending recruits to Lombardy, we imme-
diately adopted the gallant resolution to serve the
King; the Asturian rather choosing to take this course
than to return home and endure the reproaches and,
perhaps, even the cruel treatment of his father ; and I
feeling no inclination to quit the company of a friend
who was become so agreeable to me. Determined,
therefore, to try our fortunes in the fields of war, we
procured the address of the commanding officer, whose
name was Don Pompeio Torbellino, and whose mar-
tial mien bespoke him a man who had seen hard ser-
vice. Torbellino received us very graciously ; and
the moment he heard we had resolved to devote our
lives to the service of the state, he exhibited as lively
a joy as if we had been veterans crowned with victory.
" My young friends," said he, " I am glad to find you
in possession of these heroic sentiments; you appear
to be gentlemen of birth and family. To such noble
characters as you are the road of glory is principally
opened. On you it is that the monarchy relies for its
best support; you cannot begin too early the noble
profession of arms."
The recruiting officer having made this harangue,
gave us ten pistoles each, made us sign our enrol-
ment, and then told us we must be ready to depart
VANILLO CON Z ALES. 363
in three days for Barcelona, where two transports
were lying to convey us, with other soldiers lately
levied, to Italy. So far were we from regretting
our enrolment, that we congratulated each other
on the measure ; and when the day of our departure
arrived, we marched gaily towards Barcelona, in
company with nearly five hundred other young men,
ail eager to support the honour of our king and
country; sleeping contentedly at night in barns
and outhouses, on beds of straw, and eating heartily
by day the rations of bread allowed for our support.
The frugality of our meals did not interrupt the
gaiety of our march ; and, on our arrival at Bar-
celona, finding the transports ready, we immediately
embarked, threatening, in acclamations of joy, ven-
geance against the enemies we were sailing to con-
quer. The winds continued favourable the whole
of the voyage, and conveyed us to the port of Genoa,
where we did not long remain, for we were instantly
disembarked, and marched into the Milanese, to join
the troops under the command of Count Monterey.
The young Asturian and I were invested with the
uniform of the regiment, and made extremely happy
by being enrolled with each other in the same
company.
You, no doubt, gentlemen, continued Don Joachim,
expect to hear me relate some gallant victory gained
over our enemies, but I have no such account to
give you ; for, besides serving under a general whose
prudence degenerated into timidity, or, to express
it better, who seemed to have received orders to
avoid every opportunity of fighting, an accident hap-
pened which totally changed the nature of my situa-
364 THE HISTORY OF
tion. My companion, who was extremely fond
of disputation, entered one day into an alterca-
tion with a soldier in the same regiment : the
dispute terminated in a quarrel ; and it was resolved
to settle the difference two against two, at the point
of the sword. The Asturian chose me for his second,
and his adversary was attended by a young man of
his acquaintance. We retired privately to the place
appointed, where I endeavoured, by every effort in
my power, to reconcile the parties; but, instead of
pacifying their minds, I only irritated them more
violently against each other, and we were obliged to
begin the combat. A mortal thrust soon laid my
friend dead at the feet of his adversary, a circum-
stance which raised my feelings to such a pitch of
fury, that, after having killed my antagonist, I had
the gratification of revenging the Asturian's death
by running his victor through the heart.
The combat was scarcely over before three soldiers
of the same regiment, who had entertained some
suspicion of our design, appeared on the field of
battle, with intent to prevent the mischief; but, per-
ceiving they had come too late, they assisted me in
burying the dead in a large hole which we found in
the corner of an adjoining meadow, and returned
with me to the camp, as if nothing extraordinary
had happened.
This achievement, however, was soon rumoured
through the regiment, and reaching the ear of the
colonel of my regiment, he expressed a great desire
to see me. Presenting myself before him in a firm
but respectful manner, he appeared struck by my
person and address. "Young man," said he, "your
VAN1LLO GONZALES. 365
appearance, and the care you take to conceal your-
self, betrays your birth. Answer me sincerely. Are
you not of noble extraction ? Do not imagine that
I mean to reproach you for having enlisted into the
army. The condition of a common soldier cannot
dishonour you, even if you are descended from the
most illustrious family in Spain. Speak with con-
fidence. From whence do you come, and who are
your relations ? "
Not feeling myself bound to create any mystery
respecting my origin, I revealed my story with frank-
ness and fidelity ; and the colonel, who had listened
to my tale with anxious attention, exclaimed, " I re-
joice extremely in having discovered your character
through its present disguise ; I feel myself interested
in your fortunes, and will take you under my protec-
tion."
I was about to express my gratitude, but he inter-
rupted me. " Yes," continued he, " you may rely on
being advanced the first vacancy."
The colonel, being related to the illustrious house
of Ponce de Leon, was, of course, a man of the first
distinction ; and, congratulating myself on having
gained so powerful a patron, I waited in silent expec-
tation of being promoted from the condition of a
common soldier to the rank of a subaltern officer.
The loss of my Asturian friend was soon supplied
by another, whose agreeable talents, and particularly
his great skill on the guitar, had gained my attention
and esteem. This instrument he touched with such
exquisite taste and happy execution, that he quite
charmed all who heard him, especially when he
accompanied it with his melodious voice. His merit
3 66 THE HISTORY OF
acquired him, throughout the whole army, the name
of the New Orpheus. We attached ourselves closely
to each other, and were almost continually together ;
and, as he perceived that my ear was good and my
voice improvable, he instructed me so industriously
in the science of music, and in the art of playing the
guitar, that, at the end of six months, I became so
great a proficient, that I began to acquire the atten-
tion of the soldiers, and to partake of the applauses
they bestowed upon my master.
The Count de Monterey, our general, who, I have
already noticed, was not prodigal of our blood, having
continued inactive for ten months, received orders to
send fifteen hundred of his troops back to Spain, to
strengthen the army which was assembled at Aragon,
under the command of the Marquis de Los Velos, for
the purpose of preventing an expected insurrection
in Catalonia, and I had the happiness to be one of
those who were drafted for this expedition. We
arrived at Rousillon, and joined, near Tortosa, the
Spanish army, which consisted of fifteen thousand
men.
Catalonia was already in a state of insurrection ;
but the Marquis de Los Velos attacking, with great
violence, a large body of the insurgents, who had
hoped success from their advantageous position, put
them to flight, and penetrating with rapidity into
the country, he determined to take Cambriel, a small
town which the Catalans had hastily fortified as a
depot for their arms and ammunition. The besieged
resisted the summons to surrender in such firm and
decisive terms, that we were obliged to open the
siege in regular form. Erecting a strong battery of
VANILLO GONZALES. 367
cannon, we thundered, during five days and nights,
against the walls, but, notwithstanding the demoli-
tion we occasioned, the rebels obstinately refused to
surrender. The principal inhabitants, however, at
length persuaded them to submit, which they did,
but so incautiously, as not to make any terms of
capitulation a negligence of which we took a cruel
and inhuman advantage, by entering the town with
fury, and carrying everything before us with fire and
sword. The charms even of beauty, the infirmities
of old age, the smiles of innocence, or the weakness
of infancy, were alike incapable of exciting in oar
breasts the slightest emotions of pity. But our
senseless fury was not less fatal to the besiegers thaa
to the besieged ; for the inhabitants, irritated by our
barbarity, and judging that they had no hope of
quarter, flew to arms in the agonies of despair, and
determined to sell their lives dearly to unfeeling
foes, who seemed so thirsty after their blood and
treasures:
My heart must have been torn by this afflicting
scene, if the necessity I was under of defending
myself had not concealed its horror from my ob-
servation. Fighting by the side of my colonel, his
example animated my fury, and urged my arm to
deal around its deadly blows with as little remorse
as the rest. Covered with wounds, I at length re-
ceived, while I was advancing in this bloody conflict,
a severe blow on the head, which brought me to the
ground, where I lay among the dying and the dead,
until the besiegers, having glutted their vengeance
by the destruction of every inhabitant, made the air
re-echo to their acclamations of Long live tJie
368 THE HISTORY OF
when, raising my head, wounded as I was, and
weltering in my blood, I joined in the chorus, by
crying, in feeble and expiring accents, Long live
the King.
A few hours after the combat had closed, the
wounded were separated from the dead, and sent
to Salsona, whose inhabitants, not beincr connected
* o
with the insurgents of Barcelona, opened to us the
doors of their hospitals. I had the good fortune to
be placed under the care of a skilful surgeon, who
soon effected my recovery, and the moment I found
myself sufficiently strong, I returned to the camp.
So prompt a disposition to range myself under
our victorious standard, continued Don Joachim,
will, perhaps, make you imagine that I burned with
impatience to perform some brilliant action, in order