330 



SPAIN. 



and other kinds are consumed at home. Since the 

 expulsion of the Moors, agriculture has been in a 

 low state, in spite of the patriotic exertions of 

 numerous societies; hardly two thirds of the pro- 

 ductive soil is under cultivation. AVlieat, in Va- 

 lencia, yields from twenty to forty fold. The 

 Amlahisian wheat commands a higher price in the 

 Spanish market than the northern. Among the 

 principal productions are olives, saffron, anise, 

 cumin, cork, esparto or Spanish broom, soda, &c. 

 In the warmer parts of the country, the sugar-cane 

 and the banana thrive; and even the heaths, or 

 landas, are covered with fragrant herbs and shrubs. 

 But neither the wood (except in the maritime dis- 

 tricts), which is sold by weight in Madrid, nor the 

 corn (with the exception of barley), is produced in 

 sufficient quantity to supply the wants of the inha- 

 bitants. The breeding of Merinoes is profitable for 

 the mesta (a society composed of owners of the 

 flocks), but is injurious to agriculture. The whole 

 number of migrating sheep is about ten millions; 

 that of the stationary flocks, about eight millions. 

 Valencia produces much silk: Andalusia breeds 

 excellent horses; but the Andalusian studs have 

 lost their importance. The mules are also of excel- 

 lent quality. The gold mines of Spain have long 

 ceased to be worked; but iron, copper, tin, and 

 lead, are obtained. Silver mines are worked on 

 the Sierra Morena, and the quicksilver mines of 

 Almaden, in La Mancha, are rich, but do not yield 

 enough for the mining operations of America. Sea 

 and mineral salt are abundant, and there are mineral 

 springs at Salcedon and other places. 



The Spanish people are descended from Iberian 

 Celts, mixed with Carthaginian and Roman colo- 

 nists, with a strong infusion, at later periods, of 

 Teutonic (Gothic) and Moorish blood. The po- 

 pulation of Spain was estimated by Minano, in 1826, 

 at about 13,900,000 ; and that of the Spanish colo- 

 nies at 4,088,000, making the total population of 

 the monarchy 17,988,000. The kingdom is politi- 

 cally divided into fourteen principal parts, each of 

 which has its separate authorities and administra- 

 tion, and several of which are subdivided into 

 smaller provinces, forming, in all, forty-one pro- 

 vinces. The division into fifty-one provinces by 

 the cortes, in 1822, was abolished on the restoration 

 of absolute power. The general divisions are as fol- 

 lows; 1. the kingdom of Navarre ; 2. the Vasconga- 

 des, or Biscay ; 3. the principality of the Asturias; 

 4. the kingdom of Galicia ; 5. the kingdom of Arra- 

 gon ; 6. the principality of Catalonia ; 7. the king- 

 dom of Leon : 8. Old Castile ; 9. Estremadura ; 10. 

 New Castile ; 11. the kingdom of Valencia; 12. An- 

 dalusia (including the kingdoms of Cordova, Seville, 

 and Grenada); 13. the kingdom of Murcia; 14. the 

 Balearic isles. The Spaniard is in general temperate, 

 persevering, reserved, honest, and pious. The 

 Spanish gravity is more observable in the higher than 

 in the lower classes, or among women. The Span- 

 iard of the lower order has more gayety, wit, vivacity, 

 and, though frugal, is so indifferent to outward goods, 

 that, were he less courteous and good-humoured, 

 he might pass for a practical philosopher of the 

 school of Diogenes. His pride of birth, rank and 

 faith appears, however, on every occasion ; and he 

 is suspicious, irritable and vindictive. This pride 

 also manifests itself in the contempt with which 

 the northern Spaniard, the inhabitant of Biscay or 

 the Asturias, looks down upon the native of the 

 south, whose darker complexion and smaller frame 

 betray his Moorish blood. The nobles are distin- 



uished into the titulados, grandees who have the 

 right to cover themselves in presence of the king 

 (in 1787, their number was 129), marquises, counts, 

 uid viscounts (in 1787, their number was 535); 

 i7)d the lower nobility, cavalleros, escuderos, and 

 idalgos, the number of whom, in 1797, was 484,131. 

 Music, singing and dancing are national amusement - 

 The two former are simple, often monotonous, but 

 ull of feeling; the latter is extremely voluptuous. 

 The bolero is popular on the stage : the fandango 

 and seguidilla are favourite dances in the open air, 

 and in the family ; the latter is danced by four 

 couple, to the music of the cithern, which the 

 )layer accompanies with his voice. Athletic sports, 

 ,s the barra (throwing an iron bar at a mark) and 

 )alloon (a game at ball) are common. The favourite 

 )opular amusement is the bull-fights, which was 

 )rohibited in 1805, but was revived by Ferdi- 

 nand VII. The Spaniard, in general, is of the 

 middle size, and well built, with an expressive 

 countenance, brilliant eyes, white teeth and black 

 lair. The men of the higher classes are much less 

 robust than those of the lower. The Spanish wo- 

 men are distinguished for beauty of person and 

 dignity of manner. Their complexion is neither 

 white nor delicate, but healthy : they dress with 

 ;aste, and move with ease and grace : they are un- 

 affected, and have often, particularly among the 

 ower classes, a ready vein of wit. In general, they 

 are characterized by intelligence, deep feeling, fide- 

 ity and constancy ; but they are almost entirely 

 uneducated. Their courage and patriotism have 

 often been displayed even in the field of battle. 

 The strictness with which the female sex was for- 

 merly treated, and the formal stiffness which pre- 

 vailed in society, have been much diminished; and the 

 Oriental Moorish traits are gradually disappearing. 

 The most important element in Spanish society 

 s religion : the ecclesiastics form the most privileged 

 order, and every family endeavours to find a place 

 n the church for some of its members. Religion, 

 liowever, consists merely in the outward observances 

 of the church, in the practice of penances, and in 

 the reverence of priests and monks. The apostle 

 James is the tutelary saint of the kingdom ; but he 

 has lost reputation, since Charles III., with the 

 estates, in 1760, took an oath of their belief in the 

 immaculate conception of the virgin Mary, who 

 was declared the patroness of the Spanish monarchy. 

 The invocation of the virgin is, therefore, the chief 

 act of divine service ; and there are saints for all 

 orders and degrees, whose festivals occupy a great 

 portion of the time. The clergy, particularly the 

 inquisition, has hitherto usurped the direction of 

 education and literature; and the Spanish church 

 has thus obtained possession of the supreme power, 

 although it has had the prudence to conceal its 

 exercise of it. The most enlightened ecclesiastical 

 college is that of the chapter of San Isidore, which 

 has been exposed to persecution on a charge of 

 Jansenism. The edict of March 2d, -819, divided 

 the prohibited books into two classes: 1. books 

 which are forbidden even to those who have re- 

 ceived a license from the Holy Office for reading 

 prohibited books in general ; and 2. books which 

 contain revolutionary principles, are directed against 

 the inquisition, the clergy, true religion, the king 

 and monarchical power, or which ridicule the sacra- 

 ment of marriage, or jealous men. The importa- 

 tion of Spanish books, printed out of the country, 

 is punished by four years' confinement to the gal- 

 leys. (Si'c> Inquisition.} The number of the clergy, 



