rX MERITED LOVE OF SPAIN 77 



which he occasionally visited ; he read its 

 classics with absorbing interest, and translated, 

 for his own amusement, some of the plays of Lope 

 de Vega. He also wrote a life of that ingenious 

 and inventive dramatist, guiltless of the critical 

 insight which is the pride of our day, but 

 sufficiently interesting to be readable. 



' I confess to an infatuation for everything 

 Spanish,' wrote my brother in one of his Ibis 

 articles on Spain, ' everything except bonds and 

 coupons. I made many friends, and shook off 

 in that country my bitter enemy — rheumatism. 

 I delighted in learning the glorious language 

 and found great enjoyment in riding over the 

 fragrant dehesas and rugged sierras. The flavour 

 of garlic recalls many a pleasant evening passed 

 in many a Spanish venta, listening to stories 

 of la caza mayor y menor (the chase of large 

 and small game) ! ' 



' Spain,' Professor Newton writes, 'had been 

 the subject of his youthful dreams by day and 

 night, and after his previous agreeable experience 

 in that country (in 1856 and 1864) it was only 

 natural that he should renew his attempt to 

 become better acquainted with it. The admirable 



