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The Zincali-Part21_George Borrow(1803-1881)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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erections, which speak to the eye, have gained him far greater

credit amongst Spaniards than the support which he afforded to



liberal opinions, which served to fan the flame of insurrection in

the new world, and eventually lost for Spain her transatlantic



empire.

We have said that he left behind him a favourable impression



amongst the generality of his countrymen; by which we mean the

great body found in every nation, who neither think nor reason, -



for there are amongst the Spaniards not a few who deny that any of

his actions entitle him to the gratitude of the nation. 'All his



thoughts,' say they, 'were directed to hunting - and hunting alone;

and all the days of the year he employed himself either in hunting



or in preparation for the sport. In one expedition, in the parks

of the Pardo, he spent several millions of reals. The noble



edifices which adorn Spain, though built by his orders, are less

due to his reign than to the anterior one, - to the reign of



Ferdinand the Sixth, who left immense treasures, a small portion of

which Carlos Tercero devoted to these purposes, squandering away



the remainder. It is said that Carlos Tercero was no friend to

superstition; yet how little did Spain during his time gain in



religious liberty! The great part of the nation remained

intolerant and theocratic as before, the other and smaller section



turned philosophic, but after the insane manner of the French

revolutionists, intolerant in its incredulity, and believing more



in the ENCYCLOPEDIE than in the Gospel of the Nazarene.' (41)

We should not have said thus much of Carlos Tercero, whose



character has been extravagantly praised by the multitude, and

severely criticised by the discerning few who look deeper than the



surface of things, if a law passed during his reign did not connect

him intimately with the history of the Gitanos, whose condition to



a certain extent it has already altered, and over whose future

destinies there can be no doubt that it will exert considerable



influence. Whether Carlos Tercero had anything farther to do with

its enactment than subscribing it with his own hand, is a point



difficult to determine; the chances are that he had not; there is

damning evidence to prove that in many respects he was a mere



Nimrod, and it is not probable that such a character would occupy

his thoughts much with plans for the welfare of his people,



especially such a class as the Gitanos, however willing to build

public edifices, gratifying to his vanity, with the money which a



provident predecessor had amassed.

The law in question is dated 19th September 1783. It is entitled,



'Rules for repressing and chastising the vagrant mode of life, and

other excesses, of those who are called Gitanos.' It is in many



respects widely different from all the preceding laws, and on that

account we have separated it from them, deeming it worthy of



particular notice. It is evidently the production of a

comparatively enlightened spirit, for Spain had already begun to



emerge from the dreary night of monachism and bigotry, though the

light which beamed upon her was not that of the Gospel, but of



modern philosophy. The spirit, however, of the writers of the

ENCYCLOPEDIE is to be preferred to that of TORQUEMADA AND MONCADA,



and however deeply we may lament the many grievous omissions in the

law of Carlos Tercero (for no provision was made for the spiritual



instruction of the Gitanos), we prefer it in all points to that of

Philip the Third, and to the law passed during the reign of that



unhappy victim of monkish fraud, perfidy, and poison, Charles the

Second.






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