d.

G. B.

Copy of Letter to the Right Hon. Lord William Hervey

LABAJOS, PROVINCE OF SEGOVIA,
_August_ 23rd, 1838.

MY LORD,--I beg leave to call your attention to the following facts. On
the 21st instant I received information that a person in my employ of the
name of Juan Lopez had been thrown into the prison of Villallos, in the
province of Avila, by order of the _Cura_ of that place. The crime with
which he was charged was selling the New Testament. At the time I
alluded to, I was at Labajos, in the province of Segovia, and the
division of the factious chieftain Balmaseda was in the immediate
neighbourhood. On the 22nd, I mounted my horse and rode to Villallos, a
distance of three leagues. On my arrival there, I found that Lopez had
been removed from the prison to a private house. An order had arrived
from the _Corregidor_ of Avila, commanding that the person of Lopez
should be placed in full and perfect liberty and that the books which had
been found in his possession should be alone detained. Nevertheless, in
direct opposition to this order, a copy of which I herewith transmit, the
_Alcalde_ of Villallos, at the instigation of the _Cura_, refused to
permit the said Lopez to quit the place, either to proceed to Avila or in
any other direction. It had been hinted to Lopez that, as the factious
were expected, it was intended on their arrival to denounce him to them
as a liberal, and to cause him to be sacrificed. Taking these
circumstances into consideration, I deemed it my duty, as a Christian and
a gentleman, to rescue my unfortunate servant from such lawless bands,
and in consequence defying opposition I bore him off, though perfectly
unarmed, through a crowd of at least one hundred peasants. On leaving
the place I shouted '_Viva Isabela Segunda_.'

As it is my belief that the _Cura_ of Villallos is a person capable of
any infamy, I beg leave humbly to entreat your Lordship to cause a copy
of the above narration to be forwarded to the Spanish Government.

I have the honour to remain, my Lord, your Lordship's most obedient and
most humble servant,

GEORGE BORROW.

To the Rev. G. Browne

(_Endorsed_: recd. Sept. 6th, 1838