HOSCOE S SPANISH NOVELISTS. 95 



Juan by the hand. Consternation seized all present ; but Don Juan felt the 

 touch to be of so corporeal a nature, that either his senses deceived him, or 

 ghosts had very much changed their nature, if Don Lucindo had not resumed 

 his earthly covering of flesh and blood. " Don Juan/' he exclaimed, " I 

 will no longer deceive you. You will not have the sin of Don Lucindo's 

 death to answer for ; the wound you gave me was not mortal ; but on a bed 

 of sickness which it occasioned, I felt remorse for my conduct to Donna 

 Laura, and vowed on my recovery to make her reparation. But willing to 

 try the constancy of Donna Ana, I caused myself to be proclaimed as dead : 

 the rest you know. I could not entrust my cause with Donna Laura in more 

 experienced and better hands than your own, particularly when you had 

 such a stake on its success. The result has proved it, and I have now the 

 pleasure of resigning for ever all claims I formerly had on your intended 

 bride, and of introducing to you one to whom my affections have ever been 

 due, and from whom they shall never more wander." He then removed the 

 sombre vestment from his companion, and discovered a young and most in- 

 teresting woman, who, it need not be said, proved to be Donna Laura ; and, 

 in truth, the pair were gallantly attired for ghosts, being dressed in nothing 

 less than full suits of rich wedding raiment. It is impossible to describe the 

 surprise and joy of all present at this happy conclusion of an unpromising 

 adventure ; and after sincere compliments of congratulation on both sides, it 

 was arranged that the marriage of both should take place together ; thus 

 sharing the festivities prepared for Don Juan's wedding, and cementing an 

 intimacy which continued unbroken during their lives." 



The difficulty of giving the spirit of a tale in an abridgment, pre- 

 vents our extracting from many parts of the work in which some of 

 the peculiar merits of the Spanish story are most apparent. Perhaps 

 for our present purpose, one of the Visions of the admirable Que- 

 vedo may be the best extract we could make. We select the Vision 

 of the Last Judgment : 



" Methought, said he, I beheld anoble-looking youth towering in the air, and 

 drawing loud and solemn tones from a mighty trumpet. The vehemence of his 

 breath did certainly detract somewhat from the effect of his glorious beauty, 

 yet even the monumental marbles, the earth-closed caverns nay, the very 

 dead within obeyed his fearful call ; for the ground was seen gradually to 

 open, the bones to rise and unite together, and a mighty harvest of the liv- 

 ing spring from the long sown seed of the dead. The first that appeared 

 were soldiers, such as generals of armies, captains, lieutenants, and the 

 common foot, who, thinking that a fresh charge had sounded, rose out of their 

 graves with considerable boldness and alacrity, as if they had been preparing for 

 combat, or a sudden assault. The misers next put their heads out, all pale 

 and trembling, with the idea they were going to be again plundered. Cava- 

 liers and boon companions came trooping along, supposing they were going 

 to a horse race, or a grand hunt. In short, though all heard the trumpet 

 sound, not any one seemecl to understand it, for their thoughts were plain 

 enough to be read by the strangeness of their looks and gestures. 



" While the souls came trooping in on all sides, many were seen to approach 

 their new bodies, not without signs of considerable aversion and difficulty. 

 Others stood spell-bound with wonder and horror, as if not venturing to 

 come nearer to so dreadful a spectacle ; for this wanted an arm, that an eye, 

 and the other a head. Though, on the whole, I could not forbear smiling 

 at so strange a variety of figures, I found yet greater matter for awe and ad- 

 miration at the power of Providence, which drew order out of chaos, and 

 restored every part and member to its particular owner. I dreamed that I 

 was myself in ^church-yard; that I saw numbers busied in changing heads, 



