1828.] The Maid of Covadonga. 505 
matters of witchcraft and diabolical interposition. I moreover concluded 
that the tia majura, the cripple tailor, and the hunchback, were indebted 
for their supposed magical powers to their extreme ugliness and super- 
fluity of back. Ugliness and shrewdness are, indeed, regarded amongst 
ignorant people as sure tokens of mischief; and the inference is not, per- 
haps devoid of some shadow of reason. The devil is depicted, by some 
learned divines, as an extremely ugly and remarkably clever personage ; 
and people naturally enough conclude that persons who possess those 
two qualities in an eminent degree, must of necessity have some con- 
nexion with the common enemy of mankind ;—a hint this to every old, 
ugly woman, deformed wight, and sharp wit, speedily to remove from 
seanty villages to large towns, where any thing passes muster; and is not 
subject to special observation. 
_ But to return.—The old goatherd, well satisfied with the approving 
looks which I bestowed upon his reasoning, very contentedly con- 
tinued— 
« No, no; there is nothing’ to indicate supernatural practices in that 
young woman. I think I ought to know something of these matters, 
for I am an old man ; and, besides, our curate agrees with me in opinion ; 
and sure enough the holy man is the most proper person to consult con- 
cerning these sort of affairs.” 
« How long has she been a wanderer about these places?” I then 
inquired. 
« Tt is about a week since we saw her for the first time ; but the motive 
of her coming here at all is a mystery. She was found weeping by the 
side of a brook, looking very afflicted, and, at other times, she startles 
the passing stranger with her sad groans and cries. Poor thing! she 
is certainly suffering great agony. When we first perceived her, we 
attempted to approach her ; but she fled precipitately from us with signs 
of terror, and never since has she permitted any one to come neat 
her.” 
«¢ How does she ¢ontrive to. procure a subsistence in her wandering 
life? These places seem not much adapted to the maintenance of rational 
beings.” 
« Alack! Senor, she feeds on acorns, like a wild boar ; she eats any 
thing she can find; and often, too, when she approaches the hamlet, 
some of us take care to leave food in her way, which she snatches up 
greedily, and then disappears.” 
« And this is all you can tell me concerning the poor female ?” 
« As Iam a Christian, it is.” 
_ Now the information I received, instead of satisfying, naturally enough 
tended to heighten my desire of knowing more of the story of the unfor- 
tunate wahderer. Night had closed in unusual darkness, and I became 
apprehensive I should not be able to find my way back to the town. In 
this dilemma, I requested the young goatherd to be my guide ; but the 
timorous bumpkin would as soon have condescended. to conduct me into 
alion’sden. He exhibited a most vacant and prodigious dismay at the 
bare proposal ; and even the persuasive eloquence of a purse shewn to 
him was entirely thrown away upon his unenlightened mind. ; 
“ Keep your money, Senor,” he replied peevishly, “ and do not come 
to tempt poor honest folks with it. I want none of your gold, if I am to 
+ M.M. New Series—Vou. VI. No.35. 08 TT 
