Memorandums of some Andalusian Customs and Festivals.--Saint Sebastian’s Day: Carnival, p. 230.--Ash-Wednesday, p. 239.--Mid-lent, p. 243.--Passion, or Holy Week, p. 245.--Passion Wednesday, p. 251.--Thursday in the Passion Week, p. 252.--Good Friday, p. 258.--Saturday before Easter, p. 264.--May Cross, p. 267.--Corpus Christi, p. 268.--Saint John’s Eve, p. 274.--Saint Bartholomew, p. 277.--Detached Prejudices and Practices, p. 280.--Funerals of Infants and Maids, p. 282.--Spanish Christian Names, p. 286.--Christmas, p. 288. LETTER X. A Sketch of the Court of Madrid, in the Reign of Charles the Fourth, and the Intrigues connected with the Influence of the Prince of the Peace. p. 292-320 LETTER XI. Private Life at Madrid.--_Pretendientes._--Literary Characters. p. 321-343 LETTER XII. Events connected with the beginning of the French Invasion.--The _Escurial_ at the Time of the Arrest of the Prince of Asturias.--Revolution at Aranjuez and Madrid.--Massacre of the 2d of May, 1808. p. 344-372 LETTER XIII. State of Spain at the time of the general Rising against the French, as observed in a Journey from Madrid to Seville, through the Province of Estremadura. p. 373 APPENDIX.--An Account of the Suppression of the Jesuits in Spain. p. 395 NOTES. p. 411 LETTERS FROM SPAIN. LETTER I. _Seville, May 1798._ I am inclined to think with you, that a Spaniard, who, like myself, has resided many years in England, is, perhaps, the fittest person to write an account of life, manners and opinions as they exist in this country, and to shew them in the light which is most likely to interest an Englishman. The most acute and diligent travellers are subject to constant mistakes; and perhaps the more so, for what is generally thought a circumstance in their favour--a moderate knowledge of foreign languages. A traveller who uses only his eyes, will confine himself to the description of external objects; and though his narrative may be deficient in many topics of interest, it will certainly be exempt from great and ludicrous blunders. The difficulty, which a person, with a smattering of the language of the country he is visiting, experiences every moment in the endeavour to communicate his own, and catch other men’s thoughts, often urges him into a sort of mental rashness, which leads him to settle many a doubtful point for himself, and to forget the unlimited power, I should have said tyranny, of usage, in whatever relates to language.