ROMANTIC SPAIN

Evening Star, Issue 19664, 17 September 1927, Page 10

ROMANTIC SPAIN

SPIRIT OF A DEAD RAGE A variety oi tribes and races seem to have eddied in the south-west peninsula of Europe, but the Iberians first appear as specific inhabitants. Not that we have positive evidence ot tho existence of an Iberian nation; tho name is given to a group of tribes belonging to one race. They knew a good deal about mining and used writing., In 238 B.c. Hamiluar, general, of tho Carthaginians, attempted the conquest of Spain, but Home barred the way, and Spain came completely under Roman rule in the time of Augustus. From that date the language, manuors, and -religion of Home were stamped deeply on Spain. With the downfall of the Roman Empire came the Vandals and Visogoths at tho beginning of the fifth century, and their maltreatment of the Jews led to an appeal to the Arabs, who had conquered North Africa and destroyed the Christian faith. The conquest of Spain by the Mohammedans was phenomenally rapid, and only the uprise of old sectarian quarrels made reeonquest by tho Christians possible. The Moslem came to bo regarded as a .species ol wild boar sent by a kind Providence for Spaniards to hunt and prey upon. The spirit of Spain appears in the story of the Cid, that mobile and romantic scoundrel who added much to tho gaiety of nations in tho eleventh century. He was the most renowned warrior of li is day. His Moorish vassals called him “ Sidi ” (may lord), which the Spaniards translated b» “ Mio Cid,” and Englishmen by tlio “Cid.” His real name was Rodrigo Diaz, and lie was a nobio by birth. For live years he reigned over a beautiful rich province, but died suddenly of grief in 1099, His widow had the body embalmed, and for ten years it sat enthroned beside the high altar in a church near Burgos. His burnished armor is still in the Royal Museum of Madrid. Something of wit, mingled with cunning, made the Cid an unusually attractive personality. Once when ho was pressed for money lie filled a huge chest with rock and sand, sealed it, and caused it to be carried to rich Jews. “I am sent into exile,” he told them. Guard my treasures as security, and lend me 600 marks to lodge my wife with the monks of Gardena.” Mr Waldo Frank, in his 1 Virgin Spain,’ describes tho Cid as a knight errant and mediaeval sportsman, as cheerful and fluid as any' Pagan, fighting like a Goth, and nomadic as an Arab. The Jew was a master in Spain for over four centuries, yet it may bo doubted if his race ever numbered more than half a million. The Visogoths were country settlers; the Jews were men of tho city—artisans, tradesmen, physicians, teachers, scientists, philosophers. They became diplomats and statesmen for Moslems and Christians alike, and, aa always, proved themselves masters of finance. Their very power provoked jealousy, hatred, and persecution. Their internationalism was felt to be a poison. They wore ordered to give up their faith or their home, and 100,000 loft; the rest "were lost in the great Catholic amalgam.” Under Philip 11. Spain possessed tho first empire on which the sun never set. Champion of orthodoxy, he set up the Inquisition, failed to subdue the revolt of Flanders, lost the Great Armada in 1588, and saw his people and the wealth and power of Spain falling into' hopeless decay. His one last mastering desire was to build a tomb that -would perpetuate his glory. Day by day ho watched the Escorial growing, and feared death might come before it was ready. They carried him on a litter an eight days’ journey from Madrid, and in the bedroom near the altar lie died. Ferdinand and Isabella reigned over a Spain surging with desire for peace and power. Isabella is tho soul of the new Spain, turns her attention to Jews and Moors, and proposes to convert the East to tho true faith. This tall, fair woman, living tho life of a campaigner, pays for long night marches by seeing her children feeble, and tho second daughter mad. She is at oneo saintly and murderous, makes the Inquisition her servant, and longs to win lecruits for God in every land beneath tho sun and create perfect unity in Christ. Her one grand passion is to be the weapon of the Lord, and she will ruthlessly slaughter people to achieve her purpose. She uses Columbus as an instrument. Saint Teresa is seized by the same, enthusiasm, and fires the convents of Spain with holy ambition. She is more than a reformer; she is a creator. Columbus used the rudder and Hie compass. Saint Teresa used the broom and the account book, but both were zealots and mystics. Another of the same was Loyola. A soldier by profession, he militarised the cliLieh, and while monastery and convent were Christ’s infantry, the celestial forces required a body ot cavalry for skirmish and attack. Subtlety, surprise, absolute unquestioning obediences —on these Loyola relied. Cervantes, born in 1517, is one of. the great figures in Spanish literature. In fighting against the Turks lie was wounded in tho lelt hand, refused to leave the deck, and fought on to the close of the engagement Some _ time later he was captured by Berber pirates and kept as a slave in Algiers for five weary years. Returning to Madrid lie wrote manv plays without success, married a lady of position, but in some strange way fell into poverty and obscurity, got into prison for debt, and then probably began to write Don Quixote in 1604. His position is one of misery. Ills wife livcs_ on her estate, quite indifferent In'his needs. He eats bread earn* 1 1 bv disgrace and shame. He looks out upon iho world and in upon Spain, and brooding oyer his own miseries 'becomes disillusionised. There is tho origin of Don Quixote*. His country is like a crazy iellow wearing a harbor’s dish for helmet mounted upon a spavined nag and tilting at wind mills ami imaginary foes. Spain is a squalid land, sterile, crippled, yet keeps on praying. He himself has been a soldier, and tho result is poverty, prison, and shame, Tlio high erusade of life is over. Don Quixote goes lorth as knighterrant, ready for rash and noble adventure, but finds himself unhorsed, drubbed, pounded, robbed, laughed at. In the second part of the book written ton years later, Hie blows and bnlTetiims are less frequent. Stripped of bis harness at last he makes his way hark from Barcelona and proposes to buy a few sheep and turn farmer. Don Quixote represents tlio attempt to ignore fart and restore a mediaevalism of a new sort, 'i lie old world set the soul’s salvation first. Don Quixote is bent on the establishment of justice whoso instrument he believes himself to he. In the end he lias not made one disciple, recants, and calls his ission folly, Tho book is written in majestieal and lucid prose, and represents in an allegory the life of Cervantes. He ridicules him rdf for being it dreamy fool, but in the second part defends himself on the score of nobility of motive. The amity of Europe in the unity of religion was an ideal broken and scattered to the winds. Don Quixote did not find, but pleaded silently and pathetically for a concoption of life which would enlist both an ideal and commonsenso. Spain held too long to medievalism Bride, superstition, bigotry, and an innate dignity are the. outstanding traits of Spain. Something of sadness is in the teraoerament of tho people as if they felt that a glory had passed away ‘from their land. Unhappy the nation whose golden a}*: lies in tlm past.