SPAIN. 525 



The common people who live on the coasts partake of all the bad 

 qualiu.es that are to be iound in other nations. They are an assem- 

 blage of Jews, French, Russians, Irish adventurers, and English 

 smugglers, who being unable to live in their own country, mingle 

 with the Spaniards. In time of war they follow privateering with 

 great success ; and when peace returns, they engage in all illicit 

 practices, and often enter into the Irish and Walloon guards in the 

 Spanish service. There are about 40,000 gypsies, who, besides their 

 trade of fortune-telling, are inn-keepers in the small towns and 

 villages. The character of the Spaniards is thus drawn by Mr. 

 Swinourne. "The Catalans appear to be the most active stirring 

 set of men, the best calculated for business, travelling, and manu- 

 factures. The Valencians are a more sullen sedate race, better 

 adapted to the occupations of husbandmen, less eager to change 

 place, and of a much more timid, suspicious cast of mind than the 

 former. The Andaiusians seem to be the greatest talkers and rhodo- 

 montaders ot Spain. The Castilians have a manly frankness, and 

 less appearance of cunning and deceit. The New Castilians are, 

 perhaps, the least industrious of the whole nation ; the Old Castilians 

 are laborious, and retain more of the ancient simplicity of manners; 

 both are of a firm determined spirit. The Arragonese are a mix- 

 ture of the Castilian and Catalan, rather inclining to the former. The 

 Biscayners are acute and diligent, fiery and impatient of controul, 

 more resembling a colony of republicans than a province of an abso- 

 lute monarchy : and the Gallicians are a plodding pains-taking race 

 of mortals, that roam over Spain in search of a hardly-earned sub- 

 sistence." 



The beauty of the Spanish ladies reigns mostly in their novels and 

 romances ; for though it must be acknowledged that Spain produces 

 as fine women as any country in the world, yet beauty is far from 

 forming their general character. In their persons, they are mostly 

 small and slender ; but they are said to employ great art in supply- 

 ing the defects of nature. If we were to hazard a conjecture, we 

 might reasonably suppose that those artifices rather diminish than 

 increase beauty, especially when they are turned of twenty-five. 

 Their indiscriminate use of paint, not only upon their faces, but their 

 necks, arms, and hands, undoubtedly disfigures their complexions 

 and shrivels their skin. It is at the same time universally allowed, 

 that they have great wit and vivacity. 



Among the many good qualities possessed by the Spaniards, their 

 sobriety in eating and drinking is remarkable. They frequently 

 breakfast, as well as sup, in bed. Their breakfast is usually choco- 

 late, tea being very seldom drank. Their dinner is generally beef, 

 mutton, veal, pork, and bacon, greens, Sec. all boiled together. They 

 live much upon garlic, chives, sallad, and radishes ; which, according 

 to one of their proverbs, are food for a gentleman. The men drink 

 very little wine ; and the women use water or chocolate. Both sexes 

 usually sleep after dinner, and take the air in the cool of the even- 

 ing. This is the common practice in warm countries, such as Italy, 

 Spain, and Portugal, where, generally speaking, the weather is clear, 

 and the inhabitants are mostly in the habit of rising much earlier 

 than in England. The human body cannot furnish spirits sufficient 

 to resist the effects of the violent heat ; through the whole day, with- 

 out some such refreshment; it is, therefore, the universal practice 

 lo go to sleep for some hours after dinner, which in those countries 



