BY
JOHN AUGUSTUS O'SHEA,
AUTHOR OF
"LEAVES FROM THE LIFE or A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,"
"AN IRON-BOUND CITY," ETC.
| "Oh, lovely Spain! renowned, romantic land!" |
| CHILDE HAROLD. |
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
LONDON:
WARD AND DOWNEY,
12, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN, W.C.
1887.
[All Rights Reserved.]
TO
WILFRID SCAWEN BLUNT, ESQ.,
IN TOKEN OF ESTEEM FOR
HIS BOLD AND TRUTHFUL CHARACTER,
AND OF
GLADNESS THAT WE HAVE SO MANY KINDRED SYMPATHIES,
This Book is Enscribed
BY THE WRITER.
THIS simple recital of personal haps and mishaps in perturbed Spain fromthe abdication of Amadeus to the entry of Don Carlos, puts forward noclaim to the didactic or dogmatic. Its chief aim is to amuse. Of course,if I succeed in conveying knowledge and dispelling illusions—in Tasso'swords, if I administer a pill under a coating of jam—I shall becock-a-hoop with delight. But I warn the reader I am not an unprejudicedwitness. I am passionately fond of Spain and her people. Although yearshave elapsed since the events dealt with occurred, I fancy the narrativewill not be hackneyed, for in Spain public life repeats itself with afidelity which is never monotonous. I do not pretend to cast thehoroscope of the poor little monarch who is in the nurse's arms, butHeaven guard him! 'Twere better for him that he had been born in aHighland shieling.
Should there be much individualism in these pages, it is intentional,and to be ascribed to the instance of friends. They said, "Botherhistory; give us plenty of your own experiences." It is to be hoped theyhave not led me astray by their well-meant advice.
| CHAPTER I. | |
| Page | |
| Which, being non-essential, treats partly of Spain,but principally of the Writer | 1-23 |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| The Old-Fashioned Invocation—"Them 'ere SpanishKings!"—Candidates for a Throne—En Voyage—Bordeauxand the Back-ache—An UnmannerlyAlsatian—The Patriot gets a Roland for his Oliver—SmallChange for a Hot Bath—Plan for UniversalCoinage—Daughters of Israel—The Jews Diagnosed—Acrossthe Border—The Writer is Saluted "Caballero"—BugabooSanta Cruz—Over a Brasero | 24-42 |
| CHAPTER III. | |