_English_ Freedom
in a _Spanish_ Territory.

As I had attain'd the Acquaintance of most of the Clergy, and Religious
of the Place; so particularly I had my aim in obtaining that of the
Provincial of the _Carmelites_. His Convent, tho' small, was exceeding
neat; but what to me was much more agreeable, There were very large
Gardens belonging to it, which often furnished me with Sallading and
Fruit, and much oftner with Walks of Refreshment, the most satisfactory
Amusement in this warm Climate. This Acquaintance with the Provincial
was by a little Incident soon advanced into a Friendship; which was
thus: I was one Day walking, as I us'd to do, in the long Gallery of the
Convent, when observing the Images of the Virgin _Mary_, of which there
was one at each end; I took notice that one had an Inscription under it,
which was this, _Ecce, Virgo peperit filium_: but the other had no
Inscription at all; upon which, I took out my Pencil, and wrote
underneath, this Line:

_Sponsa Dei, patrisque parens, & filia filii_.

The Friars, who at a little distance had observed me, as soon as I was
gone, came up and read what I had writ; reporting which to the
Provincial, he order'd them to be writ over in Letters of Gold, and
plac'd just as I had put 'em; saying, doubtless, such a fine Line you'd
proceed from nothing less than Inspiration. This secur'd me ever after
his and their Esteem; the least advantage of which, was a full Liberty
of their Garden for all manner of Fruit, Sallading, or whatever I
pleased: And as I said before, the Gardens were too fine not to render
such a Freedom acceptable.

They often want Rain in this Country: To supply the Defect of which, I
observed in this Garden, as well as others, an Invention not unuseful.
There is a Well in the Middle of the Garden, and over that a Wheel with
many Pitchers, or Buckets, one under another, which Wheel being turned
round by an Ass, the Pitchers scoop up the Water on one Side, and throw
it out on the other into a Trough, that by little Channels conveys it,
as the Gardiner directs, into every part of the Garden. By this Means
their Flowers and their Sallading are continually refresh'd, and
preserved from the otherwise over-parching Beams of the Sun.

The Inquisition, in almost every Town in _Spain_ (and more especially,
if of any great Account) has its Spies, or Informers, for treacherous
Intelligence. These make it their Business to ensnare the simple and
unguarded;