Madrid, 10th April 1848

Rev  A Brandram No.16

Madrid 10th April 1848

My Dear Friend,

My last letter give you a hint of our troubles here. Many were killed on the night of the 26th and a great number were wounded. Among the former was one Englishman of the Society of Friends lately come here, and among the latter Mrs. Colonel Stopford's waiting maid, who had one of her ankles shattered by three balls. Amputation had to take place, and she is not yet out of immediate danger. I was nearly being caught in the midst of this affray, as I generally go on the Sunday evening to read Prayers in the American Ambassador's house, which would both in going and coming have exposed me. But I was warned in time and did not go out. This is another of the many preservations God has vouchsafed me in the midst of dangers, and blessed be his name for all these mercies.

Did you write me between the 7th January and the 9th February? I have no letter between. I wish we could return again to our numbering, as it is always satisfactory to know with certainty whether all letters come to hand or not. I may here acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 6thMarch, and of Mr. Jackson's of the 27th.

You ask in your letter of the 22nd February whether I saw Mr. Brackenbury our Consul at Cadiz. I did see him, and thought him cold, especially considering the letters of introduction I sent him, and I thought the best thing I could say of him was, nothing. The Downing Street incubus no doubt was upon him, but yet he might have been as friendly as the Marks in Malaga who are officially under the same.

Pray did you get the parcel containing the two cushions from Barbary, and the Hebrew Pentateuch from Gibraltar? It was sent from Cadiz by the Packet of the 27th December, which carried a letter of the same date. I may here mention a curious little coincidence. Right opposite the door of my lodging is a "European Bookseller's," and lately there has been stuck up an advertisement banner in large letters "La Bible en Espagne, par George Borrow." It seems this work has been translated into French, and has come to travel here also, and over again, whether for good or evil I know not.

I cannot help congratulating you, and the country, on the elevation of the Bishop of Chester to the Archepiscopal See of Canterbury, as you have noticed to me. May God bless him there and make him a blessing.

In regard to a Summer extensive Tour. What I contemplate, and wish your opinion of, is the following. To go first to San Sebastian, where through friends in that place I should try to get the Gospel of Luke in the Basque language printed, the revision of which has just been completed by the Translator. There are four Basque provinces in Spain, beside what is in France, and in these the major part of the people speak only this tongue. San Sebastian is in one of them.

You will perhaps recollect that I wrote to you formerly about establishing a place of sale on the French side of the River Bidasoa which divides France and Spain. That object I would try to get arranged. Also in that place might be printed with security our Basque volume, should we fail of doing it in San Sebastian. The French call their side of the of the town Behovie, the Spaniards theirs and both Behovia. Now our Books would carry being printed in Behovia, which all the Basque people would consider their own Behovia. In the same manner there, and through the same happy use of the word, we might perhaps print, if judged desirable, the Spanish New Testament. Our printing and paper manufacturing friends in San Sebastian could probably manage these matters for us, for our advantage and their own.

From Behovia I would think of going to Bayonne to arrange about our Spanish Books which should be sent to that place, either from London or Paris. From that port I could sail to different ports on the northwest coast of Spain, and take on each occasion a supply of Bibles and Testaments, and have them landed as part of my luggage.

Further, on this tour, I should like to go Eastward from Bayonne, zig-zagging the Pyrenean Ridge, so as to avail myself of the opportunities that should offer for entering our Books from France into Spain, for which we would need to have supplies in Toulouse and some other French towns. On this course I would make a special point of paying a visit to a small independent republic which has long existed in the Pyrenean mountains. Its name is Andorra, and by a geographical work now before me published this same year, its inhabitants are stated to amount to 15,000, of which 2000 are in the capital of the same name. This little nation is under the protection, I had nearly said of the crown of France, but say in things civil, and ecclesiastically it is part of a diocese of Spain. Now there I should think we might print, and sell, and do what we liked. At all events the place should be visited to see what could be done there in all our work. Lastly, I would go into Catalonia which lies still further Eastward, and extends to the end of the Ridge, and then would visit Barcelona. I would have the Catalonian New Testament particularly under my attention in that quarter.

All this, and less, would make an ample summer tour. What I have given is a mere sketch and outline, and to be filled up more or less as things should appear when in the several places, and as time might permit. I may add, that all this plan is in full accordance with Mr. Usoz's views. We now therefore wait to learn what are yours, as to the whole, and the parts severally.

In regard to the Letter of Credit about which I wrote to Mr. Hitchin, I would observe, that hitherto I have not stood in need of such a document, as in all those parts where I travel there were remittances to be made to England, and I always found parties both ready to trust me, and glad of my Bills. I took out indeed a Letter of Credit to the West Indies for £200, but I never made any use of it, and tore it up at the end of my Seven Years Tour in that quarter. Here there are not remittances of the same sort, and business has to be done with Banks. My first Bill here was drawn in the Union Bank where the chief officer was my particular friend, and hence I found no difficulty. But that bank has broken up, or rather down, and I am obliged to go elsewhere. Mr. O'Shea's Bank is the only other place I can go to, and though I drew my last Bill there in my usual way, it was intimated to me, that through a Letter of Credit was the regular way of doing business. Hence my application for the same. You are aware that the having a Letter of Credit does not imply the immediate drawing f the sum mentioned in it, nor even the drawing of any part of it, for in the West Indies, as I have said, I did not drawn on it at all. Sums are drawn on it from time to time, and as they are drawn, they are advised in England to the house where the letter was procured, and then, and not till then, they will be charged to your account. There is an advantage in having such a letter, as it enables one to draw any small sums, say £10 or £20 at a time, instead of what has been usual with me in Bills of £50. When I wrote I had in view a little journey to see a friendly Priest, and as I am about out on my travelling score, I said I might have occasion to draw soon on it, and from thus noticing the subject I extended to more general and distant travelling. I have now however given up that little journey, owing to the peculiar state of things here at present. A month hence will be quite in time for me to receive this Letter of Credit; and I may observe that my needed of it is not dependent on my travelling, for I shall have to draw whether I travel or not. I have made inquiry since I wrote Mr. Hitchin, and find that any of the City Banks will do as well as Coutt's, though that is the one O'Shea's Bank here is more immediately connected with.

Mr. Jackson's letter of the 4th instant has come in whilst I was writing.

            I remain, My Dear Friend,

                        Yours Very Truly,

                                    James Thomson.

Madrid, 5th June 1848

Rev A Brandram  No.20

Madrid 5th June 1848

My Dear Friend,

My intention, as previously indicated, was to set out on my journey on the 1st instant, or a day or two after. As a prerequisite to setting out, your Letter of Credit, accorded me on the 1st May, was counted on. Day after day I looked for it, and in the meantime I got all my things packed up and ready. In my last I intimated that said letter had not arrived, nor has it yet come, nor in your reply to mine of the 23rd ultimo do you, in yours of the 29th this morning received, take any notice of the subject. I am a little at a loss to account for this, especially considering how punctual and regular yourself and Mr. Hitchin are in such and all matters.

But, all is well. I can do without it, and in fact would not have used it for drawing at the present moment, as I found that it would have been an accommodation to Mr. Usoz to put money in London, and I prefer taking from him to getting from the Bank, because he gives me specie, and in the Bank I would get paper, at a loss of 10%. I save also the commission. I apprise Mr. Hitchin on the subject. Still I wished your Letter of Credit here before I should go in order to make new arrangements with it for future operations. I had everything ready to start this morning at five, but no letter having come, I put off going in expectation of one today. One has come, but still the Letter of Credit is lacking. However, I shall not wait longer, but start with the first stage, which goes the day after tomorrow. You further letters will be directed to this place, as noticed in my last, and they will follow me.

And now a word respecting your brief letter this morning received. I thank you for the hope you afford me that my little Basque printing will not be unacceptable. As to the Acts we must learn the character of the translation before we print. We have at least one true Christian in these provinces to whom we can submit it, and I carry it with me for that end. In Andorra, of course before printing you will be apprised of circumstances, so as to say yea, or nay.

As to my little advice of sending books by our new envoy, you do not need to go to Lord Palmerston who has no concern with it, but simply to the Embassador himself.

Many thanks for your letter to Toulouse, and for its kindly wording.

On the 3rd instant I had a letter from Tangier from our Jew friend residing there. He informs me that the Books have arrived but he is a little disappointed as to the size, by which I fear that the type is small. On this I touched in my last. I gave him the cost prices, as the highest he should take. This he calls a terrible precio. I authorized him however to sell them at whatever price he could well get, so as to secure an extensive sale with the least loss possible. The binding also it seems is not exactly what he looked for. Please inform me what kind it is. In my letter of the 23rd November, I find I have said on this as follows, – "These volumes may be bound in roan, without gilding the edges, or in the neat way in which most books are now issued in stamped or ornamented cloth, with the edges cut."

He wishes for 25 of Bagster's Bible such as those I took with me, and he inquires whether there are any Hebrew and English Bibles, and if so, to send five copies for trial. Please therefore to send these 25, which were in blue calf with marbled edges. The Hebrew & English interleaved in one volume you can of course get at Bagster's.

In my letter to him written from this in February, I inquired anew as to the knowledge of the Hebrew language among the Jews in that quarter, and his reply is as follows, – "In respect to your inquiries whether my countrymen here, and in the interior of this country, understand the Hebrew tongue. I would say, that generally speaking, they all understand it and the children also know it well." This fully corresponds with what I formerly wrote you on the subject, and affords a good prospect for the circulation of the Hebrew Scriptures.

I think it would be well to send with the rest, say ten of Duncan's Bible, bound in four volumes to see whether they are liked better. And the binding please to make different from those sent, adopting the other of the two modes I mentioned.

In preparing for this journey, as on the former occasion, I avail myself of acquaintances made here in obtaining letters for the different places to which I go. Besides others who have favoured me in this way, the Conductor of the work now publishing in 10 volumes 4o. entitled "Geographical and Statistical Dictionary of Spain", has been particularly friendly to me, and he was able to be so from his extensive acquaintances in correspondence over all the country. This gentleman drew up an introductory letter for me of some length, and couched in kindly, not say also, complementary terms, and put the same into the hands of his clerks to make several copies of it, and which he afterwards signed and addressed himself to the several parties in the long line of my intended route. He has given me no less than 29 of these letters. This I call a very friendly action, and for which I feel gratefully towards the individual donor, and give thanks to God for disposing him thus effectively to serve me. May the Lord give him and his Bible blessing. To this gentleman I was introduced by my kind friend the Political Chief or Governor of Cadiz, whom I mentioned to you formerly. From him also I have received letters of introduction on the present occasion. In writing to him for these, I took occasion to say, that I hoped he and his family kept the little book in mind, and in use, which I gave him, as it contained the best instructions for what happiness this world could afford, and was the guide to everlasting life. In his reply accompanying the letters forwarded, he says on this point as follows. – "On account of the sacred subject of the little book of our Lord Jesus Christ, to which you refer, and its divine unction, and from its being put into my hands by you, it is one of the books which in preference I keep always at hand, in order to profit by its divine consolations when my occupations afford me leisure, for I am fully convinced, that in it alone we are taught the way of obtaining the incomplete happiness which this world can give, and the future eternal life of glory. My wife and children read in it continually, and benefit by the healthful doctrines contained in this fountain of all good."

To produce some effects similar to those here exhibited, is one of the main inducements held out, as you will recollect, by Mr. Hull in his letter which led to the present mission. I am glad in being able to give you this little specimen. The time may be at hand in all these little gains may be turned to extensive account in a wide distribution of the Scriptures over this country.

The printer of our Basque St. Luke, who has been in England, is a warm friend of the circulation of the Scriptures here, as a sanatory measure in every sense for his country. He will afford his help to us in every way when we are well supplied with stock. Among other little things that I gave him to read was "The Defence of the Bible Societies," which I published in Mexico. On reading it he immediately bethought himself of a person he knew who had erroneous ideas on the subject. He took it to him, and afterwards informed me that it had produced to the full the effect he had desired, and changed the individual into a friend of the Bible Society, and he has promised his help.

The uncle of this printer, to whom the establishment belonged, and who died a few years ago, was a man of a superior mind, and above the usual prejudices of his country, as to self estimation and contempt to foreigners. One of the modes he took to teach his countrymen on the subject was by keeping hung up in his establishment two boards. One contained a plate of engraving exhibiting the grand auto-de-fe which took place here in 1680, when many were committed to the flames. (Under this in very legible characters he had printed, – "View of the Civilization and Illumination of Spain.")* The other Board contained in four sections, one over another, an exhibition of our railroads. In the first section there was a row of first-class carriages. In the second section were seen the 2nd and 3rd class carriages. The third had carriages for Goods, and the fourth for Cattle. (Under the whole was printed in large characters, – "Proofs of the Barbarity and Poverty of the English.")** The nephew has profited by these exhibitions, and we may profit by the nephew.

            Yours, My Dear Friend, Very Truly,

                                    James Thomson.

P.S. You requested me, I remember, once or twice, to mark those parts of my letters which I wished more particularly to be read in Committee, when their length would make it inconvenient to read the whole. To this I would reply, that you have always full liberty to omit as much as you choose, and what you choose. It is always an effort with me, rather than a pleasure, to undertake either a long letter or a long journey, and yet circumstances, which seem to form duties, often impel me to both. But you are a better judge than I can be of what should be read in your Committee meetings.

* Corrected by Dr. Thomson July 1, 1848.

"Over this in very legible characters he has printed View of the Civilization and Religion of Spain."

** "Over the whole, at the top of the Board was printed in large letters, Effects of Steam Movement in England, and at the bottom was printed, with equal legibility - Proofs of the Ignorance and Poverty of the English."