Información sobre el texto
Título del texto editado:
“Letter XV (I. from the Influence of the Holy Office to Literary Men as Ministers and Consuls)”
Autor del texto editado:
Blaquière, Edward 1779-1832
Título de la obra:
An Historical Review of the Spanish Revolution
Autor de la obra:
Blaquière, Edward 1779-1832
Edición:
London:
G. & W. B. Whittaker,
1822
LETTER XV.
LITERATURE and LEARNED MEN.— Influence of the Holy Office on Letters and Sciences.—System of Exclusion and Persecution: its effect on Literature.—Change under Louis XIV. and Philip V.—FEIJOO and Mayans. —Ferdinand VI.—Charles III. —Progress of Letters in his Reign.—Poets and Prose Writers.—Literary Men employed as Ministers and Consuls.—Isla; Campomanes; Jovellanos: his Biography: Florida Blanca: Count de Cabarrus.—Living Writers of Spain: Lardizabal: Toribo Nunez: Cambronero: Herreros: Salas: Cabrera: Hermosilla: Reinoso: Vascons: O'Farril: Andujar: Moratin: Gorostiza: Conde: Bowring: Quintana: Cienfuegos: Martinez de la Rosa: Savinon: Minamo: Florez Estrada: Puigblanch, &c.— Marina and Llorente: some account of the latter.— Praiseworthy Conduct of the Spanish Poets.-Present tendency of Literature.—Taste for French Literature.—Severity of the Inquisition towards English Writers.—Bacon and Locke.—The Study and Cultivation of British Literature recommended. English Writers known only to a few in Spain.—Milton: Escoquiz: Pope: Trigueros, and Mr. Bentham.—Works of Fiction.— Precautions recommended.—Periodical Literature.— El Censor: La Miscellanea. — M. Cabronero.— M. de Mora.— El Constitutional, and La Minerva Naçional. —Irreproachable Conduct of Public Writers.—An Exception.—State of the Fine Arts: Raphael Mengs.—Barbarous Taste of Former Times.— Innovations Suggested.—Alvarez.—Madrazo.—Advantage to the Patriotic Government of Encouraging the Fine Arts.
Madrid, October, 1820.
The gigantic arm of the Holy Office was not confined to striking at the root of religion and morals; its uniform persecution of literature and learned men, was but too successful in checking the flame of genius which burst forth in the fifteenth century, under the auspices of Ferdinand and Isabella; and which, had it not been for this fatal influence, must have given Spain the same pre-eminence in arts and science, which she attained in war and conquest.
With so much native talent, and inheriting the richest stores of Roman and Arabic learning, those treasures, consequent to the discovery of America, opened a field for the display of knowledge and developement of civilization, that would have known no bounds, were it not for the interposition of a tribunal, whose first establishment was signalized by declaring an implacable warfare against all those who made the slightest movement in favour of truth and liberty. As there was no rule of the Inquisition so rigidly adhered to, as the above, it ceases to be matter of surprise, that every writer, whether laic or churchman, however exalted in rank, or pre-eminent in virtue, who attempted to infringe its arbitrary dicta, during the domination of the Austrian dynasty, became an object of hatred and persecution.
While occupied in suppresing every gleam of light at home, the Inquisitors were not less active in excluding it from without; and to such an extent were the prohibitions on foreign literature carried, that whatever related to discoveries in physical science, astronomy or mathematics, experienced the same opposition as the works of Toland, Hobbes, and Locke, or of Voltaire, D'Alembert and Rousseau in more recent times. 1
A Spanish writer, alluding to the effect produced by the Holy Office, says, literature, taste and science had degenerated to such a degree, at the commencement of last century, that nothing more than a confused recollection of what they had once been, remained. It is by comparing the state of Spain, in the above-named epoch, when it boasted a much larger share of genius and refinement than either England or France, with those two countries, on the accession of Philip V. that some notion may be formed of what Spain has lost in the scale of intellect and improvement, through the tyranny of the Inquisition. 2
The suspension of the sacred tribunal, during the war of succession, and change of Dynasty, produced a most salutary effect; for, although the despotism of Louis XIV. was fully equal to that of the Austrian race of Spanish Kings, there had been no Inquisition to extinguish knowledge in France while Louis fed his own vanity, and imposed on the credulous admiration of surrounding sovereigns and their subjects, by appearing to conceal the vices of his government in the encouragement of science, and subsidizing the mercenary adulation of literature. 3 The establishment of various academies and literary societies was, therefore, an object of great solicitude during Philip's reign. As mentioned in a former page, the single exertions of Feijoo 4 and Mayans, did more towards producing a new era of knowledge here than the whole of their cotemporaries. The first Volume of El Teatro Critico, a periodical work, in which the former combatted the errors of his age, with the double weapon of ridicule and reason, appeared in 1726. The influence of this celebrated work, and his erudite letters, of which thirteen volumes were published between the above year, and 1760, was such, that Feijoo is considered as the restorer of Spanish literature and Science in the eighteenth century.
The peaceful reign of Ferdinand VI. was also favourable to the progress of learning; and this prince is said to have done his utmost in aiding the impulse given in the preceding reign. It was not, however, till the accession of Charles III. that the sun of Spanish literature re-appeared, illumined with its former glory. Charles, who deserves to be ranked amongst the Nervas and Trajans of other times, did more to promote letters and the arts in Spain, than all his predecessors together: surely it is not too much to say that the sovereign who is entitled to this panegyric, deserves an apotheosis!
The catalogue of Spanish writers, whose works are noticed by Sampere, de Castro and others, will bear an advantageous comparison with those of France and our own country, of the same period; a circumstance the more to be wondered at, since the Inquisition which had renewed a system of proscription immediately after the treaty of Utrecht, did not suffer a single individual of liberal opinion, either in religion, politics, or literature, to escape persecution. The treatment of Floridablanca, Almodavar, Campomanes, Azara, Chumacero, Palafox, Jovellanos, de Roda, the amiable Countess de Montijo, 5 and many others in this reign, proves that if Emperors and Kings were not to be found, neither Bishops, Ministers nor Magistrates were spared by the Holy Office. But the spirit of the age was too powerful for the sacred tribunal, and destined ere many years, to suppress it altogether.
Even a circumscribed account of those who have graced the literary annals of Spain, from the reign of Charles III. to the present moment, would occupy a very voluminous work, and amply repay the labours of the biographer and critic: the rapid, and I may add talismanic progress, made as it were by enchantment, though opposed at every step, on the arrival of the above monarch, is the best proof of what Spain would have been, had learning and science experienced no check in preceding reigns.
The same remarkable distinction which prevails between the national character of the Spanish people, and that of other nations, is no less strikingly manifested in the writings of those authors who sprung up on the accession of Charles. The whole seem to have been animated with a desire of restoring the literature of their country; as if they felt how much it had been degraded in former reigns. Although pens were not wanting to sing the praises of the modern Augustus, it is highly creditable to the Spanish muse to add, that there are few instance on record of her poets having prostituted their pens to power, or turned poetry aside from its original intention, that of promoting the interests of freedom and humanity. A slight reference to the works of Trigueros, 6 the elder Moratin, Melendez, 7 Yriarte, and a host of other poets, amply prove the truth of this assertion. The works of these writers are replete with sentiments in favour of liberty and reform, at a time when the poets of other countries were chiefly occupied in illustrating the heathen mythology, or seeking the patronage of some great man. 8 Amongst the prose writers of that reign, Campomanes, Acevedo, de Roda, Floridablanca, Salas, Lardizabal, Olavide, Campilla, La Isla, Jovellanos and Cabarrus, not to mention a hundred other names, present a phalanx of practical reformers and practical philosophers, for which it would be idle to look for equals in the rest of Europe.
Not confining his efforts to the mere encouragement of literary men, Charles III. gave them a decided preference in all offices of trust, from that of Prime Minister, down to the post of Ambassadors and commercial Consuls. The reforms effected in his reign, and the degree of prosperity acquired by Spain, amidst the unceasing hostility of priests and inquisitors, is a triumphant and unanswerable proof, how well such men knew how to merit the confidence of their sovereign, and the benedictions of posterity; while the sudden relapse into former corruption, which followed the accession of Charles IV. is the most striking proof ever furnished, of the consequences to a nation, of placing power in the hands of needy adventurers and ignorant court favourites.
Should any future writer undertake to do justice to the reformers of the Peninsula, he will but ill perform his task, without recapitulating the benefits of every kind conferred on Spain by Charles III. and those to whom his confidence was given: amongst these, the names I have mentioned are pre-eminently conspicuous, not only as incorruptible and unbought statesmen and ministers, but as writers and patrons of learning. It would, indeed, be extremely difficult to point out any set of men in the modern history of Europe, whose names are more deserving of being handed down to posterity.
1. A most ridiculous anomaly regarding the papal prohibitions of books is, that the very
Index
or Catalogue of Prohibited Books, is, itself, a prohibited book!
2. It is a remarkable and melancholy fact, connected with the history of Spain, that her most celebrated writers, and renowned warriors have been the victims of priestcraft or courtly ingratitude. The fate of Columbus, Ferdinand Cortes, Cervantes, and a thousand others, might be cited to prove how virtue, learning and genius have been objects of persecution here, during the last three hundred years. It must be known to the readers of Spanish history, that when the innocence of Columbus and Cortes (who only obeyed the letter of his instructions) was recognized, that is to say, after their deaths had somewhat blunted the hatred, and abated the jealousy of their enemies, a provision for their heirs and successors was drawn from grants of land in the colonies which they had either discovered or established. As there is not much probability of Spain ever recovering a rood of ground in the new world, the descendants of the discoverer and conqueror of America, must now pass their days in comparative poverty if the national congress does not provide for them. Such has been the result of public service rendered to Spain! It is not, perhaps, generally known, that the Dukes of Monteleone in Naples, the heirs of Ferdinand Cortes, have been deprived of a great portion of the estates originally granted in Mexico to their celebrated ancestor.
3. Thouret, whose valuable work on the Revolutions of France cannot be too deeply studied by his countrymen, describes the reign of this monarch, in a few words. “Louis XIV,” says he, “gouverna en despote; nul obstacle ne gêna l'exercise de son pouvoir absolu. Pendant un regne très long, ce prince vit s'elever une nouvelle generation, qu'il façonna au joug, et qui transmit scs cœurs serviles à ses descendants. Les grands, le clergé, le peuple, tous rampêrent dans le même abaissement.” So much for the monarch: what the same excellent writer says of the people, is no less true: “L’eclat du regne de Louis XIV, en flattant la vanité de la nation, l'empecha de voir toute l'étendue de l'autorité qu'il exerçoit sur elle: oblouiée par la magnificence et par la gloire de ce prince, elle s’honora de l'avoir pour mâitre. L'adulation interessée des écrivains de ces temps, prolongea la durée de cette illusion.”
4. If the christian church has produced intolerance and cruelty in their most hideous forms, it can also boast a long list of names, of those who are an honour to the species, and most richly deserve the canonization bestowed on them. Feijoo was a benedictine monk, and may justly claim the reward of his most popular predecessors: the extent and variety of his knowledge have never been exeeded by any writer of Spain. Gregorio Mayans, a lawyer by profession, was also a man of vast erudition, and contributed to extend the taste for literature in a very eminent degree.
5. The whole life of this celebrated woman was devoted to works of charity and benevolence; also to the publication of tracts calculated to enlighten the poorer classes of society. Besides a correspondence of many years with the venerable Bishop of Blois, her house was open to the most distinguished individuals of the Spanish hierarchy; more especially Don Antonio Palafox, Bishop of Cuenca; Tabira, Bishop of Salamanca; Ibarra, Posada, and many others known for their sentiments in favour of clerical reform. The Countess died at Logroño in 1808.
6. Although the Alexandrian measure had been attempted before his time, in one or two solitary instances, Trigueros is the only Spanish poet who has brought it to perfection, and proved the capability of the language for this species of verse, as well as for all others peculiar to our own flexible dialect. A French eulogist of the last century, was so enchanted with
El Poeta Filosofo,
a didactic poem, composed of several distinct subjects, like the Essay on Man, and Task of Cowper, as to place Trigueros even above Pope. Although this praise is, doubtless, greatly exaggerated, and he is still but comparatively little known to his country, the merits of Trigueros are unquestionable. The specimens of his verses given by Sempere, besides their claims to fame, on the score of diction and harmony, have another quality, which fully justifies what I have said of the Spanish poets generally; they have a powerful moral tendency; and it is probable that the freedom with which he lashed the vices of “the great, vulgar and the small,” did more for the unpopularity of Trigueros, than any other cause. The “Philosophical Poem” is composed of twelve books: that entitled
“Man,”
with which it commences, is inscribed to Pope, whom he hails as the British Horace. Trigueros was also much esteemed as a dramatic poet, and left a number of Tragedies amongst his inedited manuscripts. It is a singular circumstance connected with the fate of this writer, that while assailed by all the shafts of envy and criticism at home, poems were written in his praise in France; the celebrated Florian was amongst the most ardent of his admirers.
7. This celebrated man, the spirit and beauty of whose odes are not exceeded by any other writer of Europe, died at Montpellier in 1817. Melendez was amongst the number of those who experienced popular violence, while endeavouring to restore order here, in 1808, and was afterwards named a Counsellor of State under King Joseph. He had been persecuted by the Holy Office so long back as the year 1796.
8. It is scarcely necessary to say that neither Johnson, Goldsmith, nor a few others of the English school, are comprised in the above remark.
GRUPO PASO (HUM-241)
FFI2014-54367-C2-1-R FFI2014-54367-C2-2-R
2018
M Luisa Díez, Paloma Centenera
