Transcribed from the 1896 John Murray edition ,
THE BIBLE IN SPAIN;
OR, THEJOURNEYS, ADVENTURES, AND
IMPRISONMENTS OF AN ENGLISHMAN
IN AN ATTEMPT TO CIRCULATE
THE SCRIPTURES IN
THE PENINSULA.
by
GEORGE BORROW.
A NEW EDITION, WITH NOTESAND A GLOSSARY,
By ULICK RALPH BURKE, M.A.,
author of “ahistory of spain,” etc.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
with map andengravings.
LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.
1896.
p. iilondon:
printed by william clowes and sons,limited,
stamford street and charing cross.
p.iiiPREFACE.
It is very seldom that the preface of a work is read; indeed,of late years most books have been sent into the world withoutany. I deem it, however, advisable to write a preface, andto this I humbly call the attention of the courteous reader, asits perusal will not a little tend to the proper understandingand appreciation of these volumes.
The work now offered to the public, and which is styled TheBible in Spain, consists of a narrative of what occurred tome during a residence in that country, to which I was sent by theBible Society, as its agent, for the purpose of printing andcirculating the Scriptures. It comprehends, however,certain journeys and adventures in Portugal, and leaves me atlast in “the land of the Corahai,” to whichregion, after having undergone considerable buffeting in Spain, Ifound it expedient to retire for a season.
It is very probable that had I visited Spain from merecuriosity, or with a view of passing a year or two agreeably, Ishould never have attempted to give any detailed account of myproceedings, or of what I heard and saw. I am no tourist,no writer of books of travels; but I went there on a somewhatremarkable errand, which necessarily led me into strangesituations and positions, involved me in difficulties andperplexities, and brought me into contact with people of alldescriptions and grades; so that, upon p. ivthe whole, I flatter myself that anarrative of such a pilgrimage may not be wholly uninteresting tothe public, more especially as the subject is not trite; for,though various books have been published about Spain, I believethat the present is the only one in existence which treats ofmissionary labour in that country.
Many things, it is true, will be found in the following volumewhich have little connexion with religion, or religiousenterprise; I offer, however, no apology for introducingthem. I was, as I may say, from first to last adrift inSpain, the land of old renown, the land