The consequence has been that at present every person in Madrid,man,woman,and child,is aware of the existence of the establishment.You must feel convinced that such exertions would in London or in Paris have insured the sale of the whole edition of the New Testament within a few days.But hitherto I have had to contend with ignorance -and such ignorance,with bigotry -and such bigotry,and with great and terrible distress.So that since the opening of the establishment,which I hope the Lord will deign to bless,I have contrived to sell,and I may say that every copy sold has cost me an exertion,and no slight one,between 70and 80New Testaments (3)and 10Bibles.You will doubtless wonder where I obtained the latter:in the shop of a bookseller who dared not sell them himself,but who had brought them secretly from Gibraltar.Of these Bibles there were two of the large edition,printed by William Clowes,1828(I would give my right hand for a thousand of them);these I sold (on the bookseller's account)for 70REALS or 17shillings each,and the others,which were of the very common edition,for 7shillings,which is,however,far too dear.My own Testament I sell for 10REALS,which every person allows to be unaccountably cheap,but I deem it best to be moderate,on account of the distress of the times.Permit me here to observe that this Testament has been allowed by people who have perused it,and with no friendly feeling,to be one of the most correct works that have ever issued from the press in Spain,and to be an exceedingly favourable specimen of typography and paper:and lucky it is for me that it is impossible to say anything against the edition.(4)You will easily suppose that such an establishment in Madrid has caused a great sensation.The priests and bigots are teeming with malice and fury,which hitherto they have thought proper to exhibit only in words,as they know that all I do here is favoured by Mr.Villiers;(5)but there is no attempt,however atrocious,which may not be expected from such people,and were it right and seemly for ME,the most insignificant of worms,to make such a comparison,I would say that,like Paul at Ephesus,I am fighting with wild beasts.
I receive daily a great many applications for copies gratis,as it is here the generally received opinion that the Bible Society invariably gives away its publications;and I must confess that this opinion,however it may have originated,is very prejudicial to the sale of the Testament.
'Wait a while,'say many,'and these books may be had for nothing.
Friends of ours who have been in England have had them pressed upon them,and CART-LOADS have been given away in Cadiz and other places.'Such a conversation was related to me yesterday,by my excellent friend and coadjutor Doctor Usoz,who had just heard it in a coffee-house.Of this gentleman I cannot speak in too high terms of admiration;he is one of the most learned men in Spain,and is become in every point a Christian,according to the standard of the New Testament.
My projects are these.As soon as ever my Gospels are ready,Imount the saddle once more,entrusting the DESPACHO and shopman to the care of Dr.Usoz.My course will be directed to Andalusia,a rich and tolerably enlightened province.Hitherto I have only had to deal with poverty,ignorance,and bigotry;but I hope with God's assistance to accomplish much at Seville and Cadiz.It is true that to arrive there I shall have to pass through La Mancha and the Morena district,which are entirely in the hands of the swarms of banditti whose general is Palillos (he has upwards of 9000under his command),or through Estremadura,occupied at present by the hordes of Jara and Orejita.But I fear nothing,and trust that One above will preserve me.In the meantime let me beg and pray that you will send Bibles,Bibles,Bibles of all sizes and prices,and in all languages to Madrid.You cannot conceive how helpless and forlorn I feel,400miles from the sea-coast,on being begged to supply what I possess not.I received an order the other day for 20Hebrew Bibles.I replied with tears in my eyes,'I have nothing but the New Testament in Spanish.'
You wish to know my reasons for censuring the London edition of the Spanish Bible.I will state them in a few words:the utmost confusion reigns throughout,both as to accentuation and punctuation;words are frequently omitted or misspelt,and occasionally a short sentence is left out.All this is very annoying,but I was perhaps wrong in sending home 'so unmitigated a censure.'It may possibly occur that a Spanish edition,unless superintended by very zealous and careful people,may turn out yet more incorrect.Therefore I should not be sorry to see any number arrive at Madrid.
In reply to your observation that I am in a mistake in supposing that Bibles have been given away to any extent in the south of Spain,permit me to observe,and always with the greatest humility,that I never ventured to form any supposition respecting the matter.But the Vicar General of Valencia gave as a reason for publishing the circular in which he forbids the Bible,an advertisement inserted in the Commercial Diary of Valencia,to the effect,that a person was commissioned in that city to sell at cheap prices,and even to give away gratis to those who might not have money at their disposal,copies of the Spanish Bible printed in London;and on this passage his commentator observes,'Fine generosity!Charity worthy of applause and gratitude!'The friend who brought me the newspaper stated at the time that the advertisement was calculated to do harm.It is certainly liable to much misconstruction.
And now,my dear Sir,having detailed my whereabouts,permit me to subscribe myself,Yours most truly,GEORGE BORROW.
