The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-01-28 00:00:00

LTITRATURE.

Eit oilers pr.•tnim c.noomert.

Hum.

}rem a Translation from the German of Fisither's
4' Travels in Spain, in 1797 and 17944' we will give
an interesting extract for the entertainment of our
aders. As the volume from which we hall bur-
vow, on this occasion, was rublislied during the
c iiirae of the last year, it' C.4:11;(1t properly be the
subjects el our poem' notice. lk-fore we begin to
transcribe, we will first pmfess our disle•liel of that
depravity, which is ascribed, in the concluding part
of onr extract, to the WOll7Ol of Spain. In a cli-
mate, 'where the passions ate ard:nt, many guilty
iv some tragic consequences may be expected to
eiceur: hut human nature herself must b.: changed
beyond the Pyrenees, if thousands el-women in Ma-
drid have perpetrated the murder of their husbands!
By any impartial observer of our species it cannot
he doubted that the female sex is greatly superior to
the male in mildness, patience, benevolence, affec-
tion, and mat/meta. `'Mile the crimes of women,
like prodigies, excite onr wonder, their virtues occu-
py every corner of society, and constitute, in its
rude or its civilised state, the solace, the cement,
rind the ornament of lite. Atrocious wickedness in
women is as rare as exemplary virtue among men;
and, not assuming to adjust the balence of intellect
between these two portions of our race, we must de-
cide without hesitation, that the balance of goodness
is very
.greatly against the men.
" It is true that in Spain women were formerly in
n state of the most abject slavery, insomuch that
since the general civilization of Europe spanish jea-
lousy has become proverbial; but in progress of
time Lb; manners of Spain, running from one ex-
treme to the other, are alme become more free
thaV ite.any other country. \\*omen pay and re-
ceive visits, form their tertullas at will, go to pub-
lic fetes without consulting their husbands, spend
the income of their dowries as they please, and day
'brawl besides a certain proportion of pin-money,
whiatirvairslated in their marriage articles. in a
word they not only know hog to assert their rights,
hut enforce their pretensions witlythe utmost ri7our.
They alsre. combine together with a kind of esrrit
de corps, by means of which the slightest infringe-
ment of cenimon tisage is resented as an attack or
an injury done to the whole sex.
" These ill assorted marriages sometimes produce
the most horrid acts of revenge. I will relate one
,or the most recent examples, which took'place dur-
ing my residence at Madrid.
Donna Antonia, a charming woman about 29
years of age at most, was married to a merchant,
a man of a mild temper, but capritloua and of a
weak constitution. This lady had always lived a
very retired life, till a young man from Vaiencia,tho
came to study the law at Madrid, was recommended
to her husband, and thus had access to her. Donna
Antonia was pleased with his a, which pro-
cured him her favour, and all)eti;i: privileges :at-
tached to it. The husband however perceived their
intimacy, and by means of the offers and hononr-
able means he employed succeeded in dismissing
the young man, without affording Donna Antonia
an opportunity of opposing the measure.
M'l he letter: however of Donna Antonia pursued

her lover wherever he went, and love and revenge
r•ndered them so eloquent, that the ydung man
some months after broke his word and !turned se-

cretiv to Madrid. He• thou renewed his interviews
her at a private house, and Ilk passion daisy
ill:reased. At length the time arrived, that An-
to.,ia ventured to communicate to hint a plan, she

. -
had long since formal, of assassinating her hus-
band, and offt redhim on that condition het hand

and her fortune. Don Juan shudJered with horror

at the proposal, begged her to abandon the idea,
showing her the dreadful consequences of so black
an aa;on, which he absolutely refused to perpetrate.
Hereupon at first she treated him with the pro-
foundest 'contempt, and then gave het self up to all
the extremes that could be suggested by despair.
She employed alternately menaces, prayers, and im.
precations, then recurred to all the artifices that re-
venge or love could contrive, till at length Don
Juan consented, and the death of the husband was
resolved. They were engaged in contriving the
means of effecting this, when the following circum-
stance occurred to hasten its execution.
"Donna Antonia had presented one of her watches
to 1)on Juan. but her husband missing it, she
accused the cook of having stolen it, and under
that retest discharged her. The husband however
meeting the woman upbraided her with her condnct,
but she justified herself by revealing to him the
whole secret. He therefore brought her home, con-
cealed her in an alcove, called his wife, and made
the pretended theft the topic of conversation. The
remainder of this interview may easily be imagined.
And now all was lost, and noshing but the dtath of
her husband could save her. The grief of the hus.
band for the infidelity of his wife brought on a fever,
and he vac obliged to confine himself to his bed.
It was therefore determined to send all the servants
out on the folywing Sunday, and leave the patient
atone. The opening the door of the balcony was
the signal agreed on, and thus the plot was eNccuted,
Te lover entered the apartment with a poinard in
his hand, fell upon the sick man, gave him several
stabs in the belly, and made his escape. But the
unfortunate husband calling for help, a young girl
who was with her aunt Donna Antonia heard him.
The noise of Don Juan in escaping also attracted
her atteati•m, as she ran to the apartment of her
uncle, whom she found weltering in his blood, and
immediately called her aunt. It may easily be con-
ceived that the latter. did not fail to cry out for help
too, and to feign the deepest despair. Meanwhile
the young man had gained the gate of Toledo, and
was going to quit Madrid, when he recollected he
had no money : he therefore turntd back, and went
to his apartment to get soma, but strongly impressed
with the embarrassment in which he imagieed the
oirject of his love to be, he went to a woman of his
acquaintanoe, and there waited to receive some tid-
ings of her.
o Two days pared en, fhe report of this assassina-
tion splead user Mairid, and the interval the per-
son who w.o. in the secret of their connection re-
vealed it to LIT curie—or, who advised her to go
and inform the aicade-mayor. The suspicion was
confirmed by an mt..vcepted letter, and the culpr'ts
were arrested. Dun Juau immediately confessed
a:i.l Donna Antonia, who n.“l at first denied her
rime, was convicted. The prosecution continued
t'-ear months, after which they were both condemned
:and seuktaccd to suffer death. All the interest and