e abolition of the
Inquisition voted, and of the injudicious manner in which it was
done.

He mentioned Infantado, and said, "II n'a point de caractere."
Ferdinand he said was in the hands of the priests--afterwards he
said, "Italy is a fine country; Spain too is a fine
country--Andalusia and Seville particularly."

_F. R._ Yes, but uncultivated.

_N._ Agriculture is neglected because the land is in the hands
of the Church.

_F. R._ And of the Grandees.

_N._ Yes, who have privileges contrary to the public
prosperity.

_F. R._ Yet it would be difficult to remedy the evil.

_N._ It might be remedied by dividing property and abolishing
hurtful privileges, as was done in France.

_F. R._ Yes, but the people must be industrious--even if the
land was given to the people in Spain, they would not make use of
it.

_N._ Ils succomberaient.

_F. R._ Yes, Sire.

He asked many questions about the Cortes, and when I told him that
many of them made good speeches on abstract questions, but that
they failed when any practical debate on finance or war took place,
he said, "Oui, faute de l'habitude de gouverner." He asked if I had
been at Cadiz at the time of the siege, and said the French failed
there.

_F. R._ Cadiz must be very strong.

_N._ It is not Cadiz that is strong, it is the Isle of
Leon--if we could have taken the Isle of Leon, we should have
bombarded Cadiz, and we did partly, as it was.

_F. R._ Yet the Isle of Leon had been fortified with great
care by General Graham.

_N._ Ha--it was he who fought a very brilliant action at
Barrosa.

He wondered our officers should go into the Spanish and Portuguese
service. I said our Government had sent them with a view of
instructing their armies; he said that did well with the
Portuguese, but the Spaniards would not submit to it. He was
anxious to know if we supported South America, "for," he said, "you
already are not well with the King of Spain."

Speaking of Lord Wellington, he said he had heard he was a large,
strong man, _grand chasseur_, and asked if he liked Paris. I
said I should think not, and mentioned Lord Wellington having said
that he should find himself much at a loss what to do in peace
time, and I thought scarcely liked anything but war.

_N._ La guerre est un g