5SS SPAIN. 



guished their ancestors above the rest of the catholic world, has los* 

 much of its activity, and seems nearly extinguished ; and the power 

 of the clergy has been much reduced of late years. A royal edict 

 has also been issued, to prevent the admission of novices into the dif- 

 ferent convents, without special permission, which has a great ten- 

 dency to reduce the monastic orders. It is computed that there are 

 now, in the kingdom of Spain, 54,000 friars, 34,000 nuns, and 20,000 

 secular clergy, but as little true moral religion as in any country 

 under heaven. 



In Catalonia, the confidence of the people in the intercession of 

 saints, has at all periods been a source of consolation to them, but upon 

 some occasions has betrayed them into mischief. Every company of 

 artisans, and every ship that sails, is under the immediate protection 

 of some patron. Besides folio volumes, which testify the innumera- 

 ble miracles performed by our Lady in Montserrat, every subordinate 

 shrine is loaded with votive tablets. This has been the parent of pre- 

 sumption,and among the merchants has brought many families to want- 

 The companies of insurance in the American war, having each of them 

 its favourite saint, such as San Ramon de Penaforte, la Virgen de la 

 Merced, and others, associated in form by the articles of partnership, 

 and named in every policy of insurance ; and having with the most 

 scrupulous exactness allotted to them their correspondent dividend, 

 the same as to any other partner, they concluded that with such pow- 

 erful associates it was not possible for them to suffer loss. Under 

 this persuasion, they ventured, about the year 1779, to insure the 

 French West- India-men at fifty per cent, when the English and Dutch 

 had refused to do it at any premium, and indeed when most of the 

 ships were already in English ports. By this fatal stroke, all the in- 

 suring companies, except two were ruined. 



.Archbishoprics and bishoprics. ...In Spain there are eight arch- 

 "bishoprics, and forty-six bishoprics. The archbishop of Toledo is 

 styled the primate of Spain; he is great-chancellor of Castile, and 

 has a revenue of nearly 440,000 dollars per annum ; but the Spanish 

 court has now many ways of lessening the revenues of the churchj 

 as by pensions, donations to hospitals, &c. and premiums to the soci- 

 eties of agriculture. This archbishopric pays annually 15,000 ducats 

 to the monks of the Escurial, besides other pensions ; and it is assert- 

 ed that there is not a bishopric in Spain but has somebody or other 

 quartered upon it: and the second-rate benefices are believed to be 

 in the same predicament. Out of the rich canonries and prebends, 

 are taken the pensions of the new order of knights of Charles III. 

 The riches of the Spanish churches and convents are the unvarying 

 objects of admiration to all travellers as well as natives; but there is 

 a sameness in them all, excepting that they differ in the degrees of 

 treasure and jewels they contain. 



Literature ...Spain has not produced learned men in proportion 

 to the excellent capacities of its natives. This defect may, in some 

 measure, be attributed to the indolence and bigotry of the Spaniards, 

 which prevent them from making that progress in the polite arts 

 which they otherwise would : but the greatest impediment to litera- 

 ture in Spain, is the despotic nature of its government. Several of 

 the ancient fathers of the church were Spaniards; and learnin% owes 

 much to Isidore, bishop of Seville, and cardinal Ximenes. Spain has 

 likewise produced some excellent physicians. Such was the gloom 

 of the Austrian government that took place with the emperor Charles 



