38 
again, without fending other meffenzers 
in n queft of them; and as to an an{fwer, 
they have either never folicited one, have 
forgotten to wait for it, or have dropt it 
on the road. 
‘Every perfon is indifcriminately buried 
tm a religious habit. Themen are equip- 
ped in the uniform of Capuchins; the 
women are dreffed like Pilgrims, and 
young girls like nuns of the order of 
S@urs Grifes. Exclufive of the habit, the 
defunct is loaded ‘with a prepofterous 
freight of rofaries, Agnus Deis, beads, 
&c. &c. which are faftened to the neck, 
the arms, the feet, &c. and with which 
the cap, the fleeves, and pockets of the 
deceafed are completely. ftuffed. 
Without thefe precious alae! a Spa- 
niard would never be able todie m peace. 
But to obtain this defirable obje&, relics 
aloneare not fuficient. More efficacious 
means muft be employed; proper lega- 
€ies and bequefts muft be devifed to the 
church, and‘for pieus purpofes. Hence 
the moment the life of a rich Spaniard is 
pronounced to be in danger, two or three 
battalions of monks quit their cells, and 
march immediately to keep guard ound 
his bed. Nothing now is to be heard, 
But the terrible founds of hell, se bin. 
fione, eternal torments, purgatory, &c. Kc. 
whilft the wretched patient, ‘tO Bae 
from the flames which threaten to devour 
him, and to keep his tormentor, the de- 
vil, at arms’ length, waites his whole 
fortune in daily, weekly, monthly, and 
zanual obits, and, at length, dies f Rupi ified 
and diftragted, amidit an intindation of 
Holy water, prayers, and menaces. 
Few fcehes can afford a richer fund of 
merriment, than to witnefs the fuperfti- 
tious eagernefs, with which the Spaniards 
befiege the churches and confeffionals on 
the eve of any grand feftival. It would 
weary calculation to enumerate 
and boxes on the ear > which are exchang- 
éd among the warring devotees in lefs 
than a quarter of an hover. What com- 
pletes the abfurdity and-ludicrous whim- 
‘fical tity of this, divert: ing {cene, 1s the ar- 
rival of fome grandee, or hidalgo, who, 
efcorted by a lacg juey, carrying a cufhion 
for his mafter’s accommodation n, forces 
his way throvzh He crowd, and, whilft 
the combatants: are engaged: in fieree con- 
teft, darts before fhen ‘Into the confef- 
fonal, throws himfelf upon hig knees, 
wifely taking care, however, not to wear 
them cut for want of a ‘cuthion, and in 
this condition, repents at his eafe the fins 
and ‘enormities he has committed. ree 
ey heways of “God are “dark, iafery. 
the kicks, - 
Defence of R. M.€: 
table to our onan vifion.. He 
governs his heaven by his own laws, and 
can call into his prefence whomfoever he 
pleafes. But the Muffulman, ‘who con- 
fraéts a hoarfenefs by vociferating Alla? 
Alla /--the Talapoin, who infixes nee= 
dles in his own flefh---and the Marabou, 
who confcientioufly walks but upon one 
leg, appear,. im my judgment, to be 
equally deferving of a place in the, celef- 
tial manfions, with the bigotted Spani- 
ard, who heats himfelf with paffion, and 
deals out blows to ficht his way to the. 
confeffional, to obtain abfolutien.” 
London, ee 1798. i Beene 

Te the Editor.of the Monthly Megerine. 
SIR, 
"T is obferved, by thei ingenious author 
of the Speétator, that ‘* A man whe 
has a good nofe at an inuendo, fmells 
reaton and fedition in the moft inno- 
cent words that can be pat together.” 
‘This obfervation will, in many in- 
ftances, apply to the Editors of * The. 
Britifh Critig’’---and particularly to their. 
Review of a fmall pamphlet by R.M.C,: 
in their Number for November, (p. 566. y 
where the author is reprefentéd as a man 
of da angerous principles, and his defigns: 
fo infidion ufly concealed, as to deceive. 
fey readers. 
In order to vindicate the author from 
this charge, I muft requef the infertion’ 
of the followin Remarks in your next: 
month "s Magazine, wherein I fhall en- 
deavour to prove, that R. M. €. was a 
man who neither entertained nor exprefl- 
ed any fly infinuations againft govern- 
ment ; Wie: on the contrary, that loy- 
alty and the love of his country were. 
fentiments which he always. (particularly, 
in his pamphlet) openly and manfully 
expreffed. The effay more particularly 
noticed by the Reviewers is; * On Pre- 
jedice and the Spirit of Perty;” to the 
leading obfervation in which, they do 
not preter nd to obje&t; but can by no 
meéaris affent to th plan of eftimating’ 
all a€tions by an arithmetical ‘calculation. 
of the happine fs or mifery which they prox 
duce 5” becaule, they fay, 1 it leads direétly 
tothe pernicious maxim <¢. of doing evil. 
that good may come.” To thew that this’ 
is not the leading maxim infifted on by. 
the author, it will be neceflary to give: 
fuch of your readers, as have not -feen’ 
the pamphlet, a more extenfive and lefs- 
garbled €xtract, than the Reviewers, 
thought proper to give. 
ms “One effential “requifite (Ke. Ree 
obferves ). 
¥ eres gmc n-* 
