r which gives the first suggestion of
the romantic and happy termination of his final visit to the Peninsula:

To Mrs. Ann Borrow

SEVILLE, SPAIN, _April 27, 1839._

MY DEAR MOTHER,--I should have written to you before I left
Madrid, but I had a long and dangerous journey to make, and I
wished to get it over before saying anything to you. I am now
safely arrived, by the blessing of God, in Seville, which, in
my opinion, is the most delightful town in the world. If it
were not a strange place with a strange language I know you
would like to live in it, but it is rather too late in the day
for you to learn Spanish and accommodate yourself to Spanish
ways. Before I left Madrid I accomplished a great deal, having
sold upwards of one thousand Testaments and nearly five hundred
Bibles, so that at present very few remain; indeed, not a
single Bible, and I was obliged to send away hundreds of people
who wanted to purchase, but whom I could not supply. All this
has been done without the slightest noise or disturbance or
anything that could give cause of displeasure to the
government, so that I am now on very good terms with the
authorities, though they are perfectly aware of what I am
about. Should the Society think proper to be guided by the
experience which I have acquired, and my knowledge of the
country and the people, they might if they choosed sell at
least twelve thousand Bibles and Testaments yearly in Spain,
but let them adopt or let any other people adopt any other
principle than that on which I act and everything will
miscarry. All the difficulties, as I told my friends the time I
was in England, which I have had to encounter were owing to the
faults and imprudencies of other people, and, I may say, still
are owing. Two Methodist schoolmasters have lately settled at
Cadiz, and some little time ago took it into their heads to
speak and preach, as I am informed, against the Virgin Mary;
information was instantly sent to Madrid, and the blame, or
part of it, was as usual laid to me; however, I found means to
clear myself, for I have powerful friends in Madrid, who are
well acquainted with my views, and who interested themselves
for me, otherwise I should have been sent out of the country,
as I believe the two others have been o