628 



CATALONIA. 



Catalonia. The imports of this province consist chiefly of 

 '^Y' corn, wool, and silk. From 400,000 to 600,000 

 quarters of wheat are supposed to be annually import- 

 ed from America, Sicily, and the north of Europe; 

 and in 1775 Canada alone sent about 80,000 quarters. 

 It receives 10,000 quintals of wool, and 80,000 Ibs. 

 of silk, from Arragon ; 100,000 Ibs. of silk from 

 Valencia ; and Lyons silks, Gange and Nismes silk- 

 stockings, fine cloths, linens, essences, perfumes, po- 

 matums, jewellery, and millinery, from France. Eng- 

 land furnishes it with superfine cottons, herrings, and 

 cod-fish ; and Holland with a few spices. The a- 

 mount of these, however, is far from being equal to 

 its imports. About 1000 vessels are almost con- 

 stantly employed in trade, and the government can 

 depend upon 18,000 Catalonian seamen, who are re- 

 gistered, and always ready for any emergency. 



The spirit of industry which pervades Catalonia, 

 has led its inhabitants to turn their exertions to the 

 useful rather than to the liberal arts ; and, as me- 

 chanics, they are in general preferred to those of 

 any other province. The sciences, however, have not 

 been entirely neglected ; and among the Catalans have 

 arisen several writers upon natural history, theology, 

 medicine, and law, of no inconsiderable merit. Be- 

 sides public libraries, and schools of different kinds, 

 there were formerly two academies in this province, 

 under the title of Gay Science ; one at Barcelona, 

 founded in the end of the 14th century, by John I. King 

 of Arragon ; and the other atTortosa, in the beginning 

 of the 15th, where verses were recited and prizes 

 decreed to the victors. The duration of both, how- 

 ever, was but short ; and since their declension, the 

 Catalans have made very little progress in the fine 

 arts ; for excepting the works of Volfongona, no- 

 thing striking in their poetry is known. In their 

 dispositions, the Catalans seem to be influenced by 

 the nature of their country. They are proud, hardy, 

 and impetuous, of a brown complexion, strong fea- 

 tures, and brawny limbs ; and their chief character- 

 istics are activity and a spirit of independence. They 

 are indefatigable in the prosecution of their schemes. 

 No obstacles can deter, no dangers can terrify them. 

 Their natural vivacity, their enterprizing spirit, and 

 their love of money, lead them to every qur.rter of 

 the world ; and there are few sea-ports in Europe, 

 India, or Spanish America, where Catalans are not 

 to be found. As soldiers, their bravery and firmness 

 lias been always conspicuous, and has been often dis* 

 played against the most fearful odds. In the begin- 

 ning of the 18th century, they withstood the united 

 armies of France and Spain ; and, in 1714, the in- 

 habitants of Barcelona made one of the most vigo- 

 rous and desperate defences that is recorded in his- 

 tory. On a forlorn hope, or for a coup-de-main, the 

 Catalans are excellent ; but they are in general averse 

 to the strictness- of regular discipline. When treat- 

 ed with kindness and mild words, they are docile and 

 obedient ; but they rise against the slightest appear- 

 Vnce of authority or subordination. The Catalans 

 possess a haughtiness- of demeanour, and authorita- 

 tive tone, peculiar to themselves. They look down 

 upon the rest of their countryman as their inferiors ; 

 the loyal Castjlians, in particular, they regard with 

 aversion ; and to their ancient enemies, the French, 

 they bear a lasting and invincible animosity. But 

 Chough high-spirited and overbearing, they are dis- 



tinguished for their honesty, steadiness, and sobriety. Catalonia 

 Most of the principal families in Madrid have Ca-- ~*- 

 talans at the head of their affairs ; and as muleteers- 

 and callessieros, they are scattered over every pro- 

 vince of the peninsula. " The desire of wealth,'* 

 says Laborde, " makes them industrious ; emulation 

 makes them active, leads them to every part of the 

 world, and enables them to brave the perils of long 

 voyages ; and glory blinds them to every kind of 

 danger. When they love, they love warmly ; but 

 their hatred is implacable, and they have rarely suf- 

 ficient strength of mind to stifle their resentment. 

 But we are not, therefore, to imagine the Catalan, 

 disposed to mischief; he is not so naturally. He 

 works himself into a rage, and is loud, but seldom' 

 commits acts of violence. In a political point of 

 view, the Catalan is restless and factious ; he is for' 

 ever sighing for a liberty, or rather independence^, 

 which he has often attempted to acquire, and which, 

 has so frequently impelled him to take up arms. But. 

 as devoted in his attachment, as terrible in his hatred,, 

 he is ready to make every sacrifice for a prince who 

 knows how to gain his love/' With all their eager- 

 ness for money, the Catalans are capable of the most 

 disinterested generosity ; and during the late revolu- 

 tion in France, multitudes of French refugees of alt 

 ranks, whose loyalty had driven them from their 

 country, were received, consoled, and protected by 

 the republican Catalans. Instead of the mantle and 

 Mayo jacket common throughout Spain, the usual 

 dress, in almost all ranks among the Catalans, is a 

 close eoat in the French fashion, and the peasants on 

 the mountains wear a double-breasted vest, with a 

 kind of wide great coat, called a gambeto, which 

 reaches only to the knee. Their ancient and fa? 

 vourite slouched hats, white shoes, and large brown 

 cloaks, were long ago prohibited. Catalonia has a 

 language distinct from the other provinces of Spain. 

 It is the ancient Limousine tongue, but disfigured 

 by hard terminations, and by a sharp and disagree- 

 able pronunciation, which gives an appearance of, 

 greater roughness and asperity to the Catalonian cha- 

 racter than in reality belongs to it. This language 

 is spoken throughout the province, but with consi- 

 derable variations in the different districts, and is pre- 

 ferred to the Castilian. It is purest uu the moun- 

 tains, but greatly mixed with Castilian in the large 

 towns. Its harshness, however, is completely lost 

 in the mouth of a Valencian, whose pronunciation 

 renders it soft and harmonious, and though in the 

 towns of Valencia, the Castilian is always used, yet 

 the Limousine in. some parts of that province has pre- 

 served its ancient purity. 



The population of Catalonia since the beginning 

 of the last century has been upon the increase. In 

 1718, it amounted to 407,132; in 1768, to 722,506 ; 

 and in 1788, to 814,412, which is nearly its present 

 f,tate. Among these are 6608 priests, 5801 monks 

 and nuns, 1266 nobles, 6968 students, 1020 writers 

 and lawyers, and 20,963 domestics. 



Catalonia contains an archbishopric, 7 bishoprics, 

 8 cathedral and 1.8 collegiate chapters, 22 abbeys, 

 a grand priory, and 16 commanderies of the order of 

 Malta, 2738 parishes, 284 religious houses, 84 hos- 

 pitals, a university, fifteen colleges for the education 

 of youth, 14 cities, 283 towns, 1806 villages, 22 

 fortresses, and five ports. Its principal towns are 



