The priestly party in Madrid, in the meantime, spared no effort to vilify me.They started a publication called THEFRIEND OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, in which a stupid but furious attack upon me appeared, which I, however, treated with the contempt it deserved.But not satisfied with this, they endeavoured to incite the populace against me, by telling them that I was a sorcerer, and a companion of Gypsies and witches, and their agents even called me so in the streets.That I was an associate of Gypsies and fortune-tellers I do not deny.Why should I be ashamed of their company when my Master mingled with publicans and thieves? Many of the Gypsy race came frequently to visit me; received instruction, and heard parts of the Gospel read to them in their own language, and when they were hungry and faint, I gave them to eat and drink.This might be deemed sorcery in Spain, but I am not without hope that it will be otherwise estimated in England, and had Iperished at this period, I think there are some who would have been disposed to acknowledge that I had not lived altogether in vain (always as an instrument of the "Most Highest"), having been permitted to turn one of the most valuable books of God into the speech of the most degraded of his creatures.
In the meantime I endeavoured to enter into negotiations with the ministry, for the purpose of obtaining permission to sell the New Testament in Madrid, and the nullification of the prohibition.I experienced, however, great opposition, which Iwas unable to surmount.Several of the ultra-popish bishops, then resident in Madrid, had denounced the Bible, the Bible Society, and myself.Nevertheless, notwithstanding their powerful and united efforts, they were unable to effect their principal object, namely, my expulsion from Madrid and Spain.
The Count Ofalia, notwithstanding he had permitted himself to be made the instrument, to a certain extent, of these people, would not consent to be pushed to such a length.Throughout this affair, I cannot find words sufficiently strong to do justice to the zeal and interest which Sir George Villiers displayed in the cause of the Testament.He had various interviews with Ofalia on the subject, and in these he expressed to him his sense of the injustice and tyranny which had been practised in this instance towards his countryman.
Ofalia had been moved by these remonstrances, and more than once promised to do all in his power to oblige Sir George;but then the bishops again beset him, and playing upon his political if not religious fears, prevented him from acting a just, honest, and honourable part.At the desire of Sir George Villiers, I drew up a brief account of the Bible Society, and an exposition of its views, especially in respect to Spain, which he presented with his own hands to the Count.I shall not trouble the reader by inserting this memorial, but content myself with observing, that I made no attempts to flatter and cajole, but expressed myself honestly and frankly, as a Christian ought.Ofalia, on reading it, said, "What a pity that this is a Protestant society, and that all its members are not Catholics."A few days subsequently, to my great astonishment, he sent a message to me by a friend, requesting that I would send him a copy of my Gypsy Gospel.I may as well here state, that the fame of this work, though not yet published, had already spread like wildfire through Madrid, and every person was passionately eager to possess a copy; indeed, several grandees of Spain sent messages with similar requests, all of which Ihowever denied.I instantly resolved to take advantage of this overture on the part of Count Ofalia, and to call on him myself.I therefore caused a copy of the Gospel to be handsomely bound, and proceeding to the palace, was instantly admitted to him.He was a dusky, diminutive person, between fifty and sixty years of age, with false hair and teeth, but exceedingly gentlemanly manners.He received me with great affability, and thanked me for my present; but on my proceeding to speak of the New Testament, he told me that the subject was surrounded with difficulties, and that the great body of the clergy had taken up the matter against me; he conjured me, however, to be patient and peaceable, in which case he said he would endeavour to devise some plan to satisfy me.Amongst other things, he observed that the bishops hated a sectarian more than an Atheist.Whereupon I replied, that, like the Pharisees of old, they cared more for the gold of the temple than the temple itself.Throughout the whole of our interview he evidently laboured under great fear, and was continually looking behind and around him, seemingly in dread of being overheard, which brought to my mind an expression of a friend of mine, that if there be any truth in metempsychosis, the soul of Count Ofalia must have originally belonged to a mouse.We parted in kindness, and I went away, wondering by what strange chance this poor man had become prime minister of a country like Spain.