The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-08-28
REVIEW.

The SPANIARDs AND THEIR COUNTRY, b
Richard Ford, . vols. WiLey and Pufas-.',
Library Of Choice Reading We have read
great pleasure. The subject is interesting. ana
the book as Yet so little in circulation having
been but recently pubiishedl that We ini-nc
giving our readers, from time to time, nam5er
Of the rscest passages.
The author is also the author Of Murray.
Handbook for Spain, and no better eviGence s
needed of his qualifications for the task he a.,
undertaken. He is evidently familiar viii
every corner Of the country. and is well -eai
in its history and antiquities-has an excellent d.
costing apparatus, and knows how TO aceommO-
date himself to all sorts Of people ana all sorts
of circumstances-an all-imPortant quality 70.
a traveller.
Any thing elevated or noble is not to be ~
Pccted, but wit. humor, lively narrative, sensi-
bic and acute reflections, and all those mint
details which 90 TO make up a life-like Pieirl,
he gives you in abundance, and We may tak.
these and be thankful. In the noble science Of
gastronomy he is no mean proficient; his t,s-
crip,ions Of the immortal Ola yodrids is mas
terpiece. his account of the wine cellars mases
the readers mouth water, and the account Of the
Spanish hams made US so hungry, we had 10
make an eStemPure visit to the cupboard IN
stanter, before We could proceed. These
great qualifications, and sure to be appreciate
in our enlightened age
Spain is a strange country-,wo HUNDRED
years ago the dread and terror Of all EurOps,
now the basest of kingdoms alike powerless
friend or foe. A very clever fable quoted By
our author in his Introductory chapters. Illus
trates one of the most marked features of the
county, very singular feature in this age Of
railroads, steam boats and magnetic telegraPhs,
as well as the national pride, which is sno,heI
no less Characteristic:
To boast Of SPANS strength, said the Duke OF
Wellington, is the national weakness. Every
inhnitesiual particle which constitutes nosofros.
er ourselves. as Spaniarts term themselves, viii
talk of his country il the armies were still LEI
to victory by the mighty Charlie ". or theeoun-
ellis managed by Philip III. instead of Louis-Phi
liPPe. Fortunate, indeed, was il, according 10
a Castiinn preacher. that the Pyrenees concsa.-
ed Spain when the Wicked attempted the Sea
of Man by an offer Of all the kingdoms of the
world, and the glory Of them. This. indrsc
was predicated in the MEDIEVAL or dark ages, bat
few Peninsular congregations, even in these en-
iightened times, would dispute the inference
II was but the other day that a foreigner VS.
relating in ferfuIta, or conversations of Wa
drid, the weil-known anecdote Of Adams reyi--
il to the earth. The narrator explained how on
FIRST father on lighting in Italy was perpleSr-
and taken aback; how, on crossing the Alps into
Germany, he found nothing that he could IN
derstand-how matters got darker and strangvT
at Paris, until on reaching England he was al
together lost, COMPOUNDED and abroad. being IN
able to to make out anything. Spain was his
next point, where, to his intimate satifaction, he
found himself quite at home, so little had things
changed since his absence, or indeed since the
sun at its creation first shown over Toledo
The story concluded, distinguished SpaniarG'
who was present, hurt perhaps at the somewhat
protestant dsse nting tone Of the speaker. grave
Iy remarked, the rest Of the party coincidinc,-
81, Seaor, ytenia ra=on; Ia Espsas 20 Paradi-
se-"Adam, Sir, was right, for Spain is para
disc"
II ID said by accomplished oriental travellers
that the Arabian Nights, written a THOUSAND
years ago, are still the best picture of oriental
life and manners and we have no doubt they
are, next TO the Old Testament. Just so Don
Quixote and Gil Bias are the best Guilds 70
Spain that ever were or will be written. foT'
whilst details are altered here and there, the to-
taity Of spanish life, feelings and habits, are the
same a. in the days Of the inimitAble and i'm
mortal Cervantes, and We have no doubt
Signor De Santilane could awake from ms
sleep Of a century or two, he would find thing
a. little altered, and himself As much al home
as Adam did.
The geographical features Of the country are
very well given by Mr.. Ford in his prelini-
nary chapters. Here is fine sketch Of the
River Tagus:
"This mighty river, which ID in every b0dyss
mouth, because the capital Of the kingdom o.
Port wine is placed at its embouchure, is in iae'
almost a. little known in Spain and cut Of it, a.
the Niger. II has been our fate to behold il IN
many places and various phases Of its most Po-
eticai and picturesque course-hDt gresn and az
rowy amid the yellow corn6elds Of New Castiie
then frsshening the sweet Tempe Of Aranlue1,
clothing the gardens with verdure, and hliins
the nightiagals-tsnanted giens with groves