was indigenous; nothing was done by Spain herself. Philip V., who reigned from 1700 to 1746, and possessed immense power, always clung to the ideas of his own country, and was a Frenchman to the last. For thirty years after his death, the three most prominent names in Spanish politics were, Wall, who was born in France, of Irish parents;255 Grimaldi, who was a native of Genoa;256 and Esquilache, who was a native of Sicily.257 Esquilache administered the finances for several years; and, after enjoying the confidence of Charles III. to an extent rarely possessed by any minister, was only dismissed, in 1766, in consequence of the discontents of the people at the innovations introduced by this bold foreigner.258 Wall,

going, Tableau de l'Espagne, vol. ii. pp. 142, 143. To this, I may add, that, in the reign of Philip V., an Italian, the Marquis de Beretti Landi, was the representative of Spain in Switzerland, and afterwards at the Hague (Ripperdu's Memoirs, 1740, pp. 37, 38); and that in, or just before, 1779, Lacy filled the same post at St. Petersburg. Malmesbury's Diaries and Correspondence, 1844, vol. i. p. 261. So, too, M. Rio (Historia de Carlos III., vol. i. pp. 288, 289) says of the important negotiations which took place in 1761, between Spain, England, and France, "Y así de las negociaciones en que Luis XV. trataba de enredar á Carlos III. quedaron absolutamente excluidos los españoles, como que por una parte las iban á seguir el duque de Choiseul y el marques de Ossun, franceses, y por otra el irlandés D. Ricardo Wall, y el genovés marques de Grimaldi." About the same time, Clarke writes (in his Letters concerning the Spanish Nation, London, 1763, 4to, p. 331), "Spain has, for many years past, been under the direction of foreign ministers. Whether this hath been owing to want of capacity in the natives, or disinclination in the sovereign, I will not take upon me to say; such as it is, the native nobility lament it as a great calamity."

255 Lord Stanhope, generally well informed on Spanish affairs, says that Wall was "a native of Ireland." Mahon's History of England, vol. iv. p. 182, 3d edit., London, 1853; but in Mémoires de Noailles, vol. iv. p. 47, edit. Paris, 1829, he is called "irlandais d'origine, né en France." See also Biografia de Ensenada, in Navarrete, Opúsculos, Madrid, 1848, vol. ii. p. 26, D. Ricardo Wall, irlandés de origen, nacido en Francia." Swinburne, who knew him personally, and has given some account of him, does not mention where he was born. Swinburne's Travels through Spain, second edition, London, 1787, vol. i. pp. 314-318.

66

256 A Genoese, and a creature of France." Dunham's History of Spain, vol. v. p. 170.

257

p. 244.

Era siciliano." Rio, Historia del Reinado de Carlos III., vol. i.

258 The fullest account of his dismissal is given by M. Rio, in the first chapter of the second volume of his Historia del Reinado de Carlos III., which should, however, be compared with Coxe's Bourbon Kings of Spain, vol. iv. pp. 340-346. Coxe terms him Squilaci; but I follow the orthography of the Spanish writers, who always call him Esquilache. Such was

a much more remarkable man, was, in the absence of any good Spanish diplomatist, sent envoy to London in 1747; and after exercising great influence in matters of state, he was placed at the head of affairs in 1754, and remained supreme till 1763.259 When this eminent Irishman relinquished office, he was succeeded by the Genoese, Grimaldi, who ruled Spain from 1763 to 1777, and was entirely devoted to the French views of policy.200 His principal patron was Choiseul, who had imbued him with his own notions, and by whose advice he was chiefly guided.261 Indeed, Choiseul, who was then the first minister in France, used to boast, with exaggeration, but not without a considerable amount of truth, that his influence in Madrid was even greater than it was in Ver-. sailles, 262

However this may be, it is certain that four years after Grimaldi took office, the ascendency of France was exhibited in a remarkable way. Choiseul, who hated the Jesuits, and had just expelled them from France, endeavoured also to expel them from Spain.263 The execu

his influence over the King, that, according to Coxe (vol. iv. p. 347), Charles III. " publicly said, that, ‘if he was reduced to a morsel of bread, he would divide it with Squilaci.

259 Core's Kings of Spain, vol. iv. pp. 15, 135. Rio, Historia de Carlos III., vol. i. pp. 246, 247, 400, 401. Navarrete, Biografia de Ensenada, pp. 26-28.

200 He resigned in 1776, but held office till the arrival of his successor, Florida Blanca, in 1777. Rio, Historia de Carlos III., vol. iii. pp. 171, 174. In reference to his appointment, in 1763, M. Rio observes (vol. i. p. 402), "De que Grimaldi creciera en fortuna se pudo congratular no Roma, sino Francia." In 1770, Harris, the diplomatist, who was then in Spain, writes, "His doctrine is absolutely French; guided in every thing by the French closet," &c. Malmesbury's Diaries and Correspondence, vol. i. p. 56, London, 1844.

Coxe's

261 "Guided in his operations by the counsels of Choiseul." Bourbon Kings of Spain, vol. iv. p. 339. "The prosecution of the schemes which he had concerted with Choiseul." p. 373. "His friend and patron." p. 391, and vol. v. p. 6.

262 "Personne n'ignoroit le crédit prodigieux que M. de Choiseul avoit sur le roi d'Espagne, dont il se vantoit lui-même, au point que je lui ai ouï dire, qu'il étoit plus sûr de sa prépondérance dans le cabinet de Madrid, que dans celui de Versailles." Memoires du Baron de Besenval, écrits par lui-même, vol. ii. pp. 14, 15, Paris, 1805.

3 M. Muriel (Gobierno del Rey Don Carlos III., Madrid, 1839, pp. 44, 45) terms their expulsion from Spain "este acto de violencia hecho mera

264

tion of the plan was confided to Aranda, who, though a Spaniard by birth, derived his intellectual culture from France, and had contracted, in the society of Paris, an intense hatred of every form of ecclesiastical power. The scheme, secretly prepared, was skilfully accomplished.265 In 1767, the Spanish government, without hearing what the Jesuits had to say in their defence, and, indeed, without giving them the least notice, suddenly ordered their expulsion; and with such animosity were they driven from the country, in which they sprung up, and had long been cherished, that not only was their wealth confiscated, and they themselves reduced to a wretched pittance, but even that was directed to be taken from them, if they published any thing in their own vindication; while it was also declared that whoever ventured to write respecting them, should, if he were a subject of Spain, be put to death, as one guilty of high treason.266

mente por complacer al duque de Choiseul, ministro de Francia y protector del partido filosófico." See also Crétineau-Joly, Histoire de la Compagnie de Jésus, vol. v. p. 291, Paris, 1845; and Georgel, Mémoires pour servir à l'Histoire des Evénemens depuis 1760, vol. i. p. 95, Paris, 1817.

264 Archdeacon Coxe, in a somewhat professional tone, says of Aranda, "In France he had acquired the graces of polished society, and imbibed that freedom of sentiment which then began to be fashionable, and has since been carried to such a dangerous excess." Coxe's Bourbon Kings of Spain, vol. iv. p. 402. His great enemy, the Prince of the Peace, wishing to be severe, unintentionally praises him; and observes, that he was "connected with the most distinguished literary Frenchmen of the middle of the last century," and that he was "divested of religious prejudices, though swayed by philosophical enthusiasm." Godoy's Memoirs, London, 1836, vol. i. p. 319. The hostility of some men is extremely valuable. The Prince further adds, that Aranda "could only lay claim to the inferior merit of a sectarian attachment;" forgetting that, in a country like Spain, every enlightened person must belong to a miserably small sect.

265 Cabarrus (Elogio de Carlos III., Madrid, 1789, 4to, p. xxiv.) says, rather magniloquently, " El acierto de la execución que correspondió al pulso y prudencia con que se habia deliberado esta providencia importante, pasará á la ultima posteridad."

266 Coxe's Bourbon Kings of Spain, vol. iv. p. 362. M. Rio, in the second volume of his History of Charles III., Madrid, 1856, has given a long, but not very philosophical, nor very accurate, account of the expulsion of the Jesuits, which he considers solely from the Spanish point of view; overlooking the fact, that it was part of an European movement headed by France. He denies the influence of Choiseul, p. 125; censures the perfectly correct statement of Coxe, p. 123; and finally ascribes this great event to the operation of causes confined to the Peninsula. "De ser

Such boldness on the part of the government267 caused even the Inquisition to tremble. That once omnipotent tribunal, threatened and suspected by the civil authorities, became more wary in its proceedings, and more tender in its treatment of heretics. Instead of extirpating unbelievers by hundreds or by thousands, it was reduced to such pitiful straits, that between 1746 and 1759, it was only able to burn ten persons; and between 1759 and 1788, only four persons.268 The extraordinary diminution during the latter period, was partly owing to the great authority wielded by Aranda, the friend of the encyclopædists and of other French sceptics. This remarkable man was President of Castile till 1773,269 and he issued an order forbidding the Inquisition to interfere with the civil courts.270 He also formed a scheme for entirely abolishing it; but his plan was frustrated, owing to its premature announcement by his friends in Paris, to whom it had been confided.271 His views, however, were

los jesuitas adversarios del regalismo emanó su ruina en España, cuando triunfaban las opiniones sostenidas con heróico teson desde mucho antes por doctísimos jurisconsultos." p. 519.

257 One of the most recent historians of the Jesuits indignantly observes, "Depuis deux cent vingt ans les Jésuites vivent et prêchent en Espagne. Ils sont comblés de bienfaits par des monarques dont ils étendent la souveraineté. Le clergé et les masses acceptent avec bonheur leur intervention. Tout à coup l'Ordre se voit déclaré coupable d'un crime de lèse-majesté, d'un attentat public que personne ne peut spécifier. La sentence prononce la peine sans énoncer le délit." Crétineau-Joly, Histoire de la Compagnie de Jésus, vol. v. p. 295, Paris, 1845.

28 Dunham's History of Spain, vol. v. p. 285, where the facts are well brought together. The valuable History of the Inquisition, by Llorente, is not quite precise enough in these matters; though it is a very accurate, and, what is still more surprising, a very honest book.

259 Rio, Historia de Carlos III., vol. iii. pp. 103-107, which must be compared with the account of Coxe, who derived some ofhis information from a friend of Aranda's. Coxe's Bourbon Kings of Spain, vol. iv. pp. 401415. A good life of Aranda would be very interesting. That contained in the Biographie Universelle is extremely meagre, and carelessly written.

279 Coxe's Bourbon Kings of Spain, vol. iv. p. 407.

271"When at Paris, in 1786, I received the following anecdote from a person connected with the encyclopedists. During his residence in that capital, D'Aranda had frequently testified to the literati with whom he associated, his resolution to obtain the abolition of the Inquisition, should he ever be called to power. His appointment was, therefore, exultingly hailed by the party, particularly by D'Alembert; and he had scarcely begun his reforms before an article was inserted in the Encyclopædia, then print

so far successful, that after 1781, there is no instance in Spain of a heretic being burned; the Inquisition being too terrified by the proceedings of government to do any thing which might compromise the safety of the Holy Institution.272

In 1777, Grimaldi, one of the chief supporters of that anti-theological policy which France introduced into Spain, ceased to be minister; but he was succeeded by Florida Blanca, who was his creature, and to whom he transmitted his policy as well as his power.273 The progress, therefore, of political affairs continued in the same direction. Under the new minister, as under his immediate predecessors, a determination was shown to abridge the authority of the Church, and to vindicate the rights of laymen. In every thing, the ecclesiastical interests were treated as subordinate to the secular. Of this, many instances might be given; but one is too important to be omitted. We have seen, that early in the eighteenth century, Alberoni, when at the head of affairs, was guilty of what in Spain was deemed the enormous offence of contracting an alliance with Mohammedans; and there can be no doubt that this was one of the chief causes of his fall, since it was held, that no prospect of mere temporal advantages could justify an union, or even a peace, be

ing, in which this event was confidently anticipated, from the liberal principles of the minister. D'Aranda was struck on reading this article, and said, 'This imprudent disclosure will raise such a ferment against me, that my plans will be foiled.' He was not mistaken in his conjecture." Coxe's Bourbon Kings of Spain, vol. iv. p. 408.

272 Even the case in 1781 appears to have been for witchcraft rather than for heresy. "La dernière victime qui périt dans les flammes fut une béate: on la brûla à Séville, le 7 novembre 1781, comme ayant fait un pacte, et entretenu un commerce charnel avec le Démon, et pour avoir été impénitente négative. Elle eût pu éviter la mort en s'avouant coupable du crime dont ou l'accusait." Llorente, Histoire de l'Inquisition d'Espagne, Paris, 1818, vol. iv. p 270. About this time, torture began to be disused in Spain. See an interesting note in Johnston's Institutes of the Civil Law of Spain, London, 1825, p. 263.

273" Menester es decir que el marqués de Grimaldi cayó venciendo á sus enemigos, pues, léjos de legarles el poder, á que aspiraban con anhelo, trasmitiólo á una de sus más legítimas hechuras; que tal era y por tal se nocia el conde de Floridablanca." Rio, Historia del Reinado de Carlos 1. iii. pp. 151, 152.