In place of three of these examples, as many hundreds might be given. The same monk who admitted to me the amount of the revenues of the Convento de los Reyes, said, in reply to my question as to what they did with so much wealth, that “times of need might come;” and there can be little doubt that other friars might make a similar reply. Nor can it be doubted, that many of the reputed poor orders, who live upon charity, have no need of it. The prayers, blessings, and other godly offices of the Franciscans, bear the highest value in the market of superstition; and in those convents in which the visitor dare not put money into the hands of the friar, I have frequently been reminded, that a certain little golden saint, or silver virgin, accepted the _pecetas_ which were laid upon their altars. This cannot be considered a digression, because it explains another source of influence, besides physical strength, possessed by the apostolicals. It scarcely requires that I should adduce any proof of the fact stated, that the lower orders, and the friars, are attached to the party of Carlists. The present government of Spain is considered by the friars to be guided too much by moderate principles. They perceive that they lose a little ground; and, shut out as they are in a great measure, from commerce with the world, they are ignorant of the pace at which the world moves: and the secret is breaking upon them but slowly, that the strength of governments lies in free institutions. They still fancy that men are to be governed by the scourge and the cowl; and believe that another Philip II. would elevate the fortunes of Spain, and raise up all the props of the Roman Catholic faith. I have myself heard one of the monks in the Escurial say, that the king was no friend to them: and then, pointing to the urn of Philip, pass an eulogium upon _his_ virtues and piety. If any other proof were needed, of the attachment of the friars to the Carlist party, the circumstance mentioned in a former chapter might be stated; that the chief of the Franciscan order was detected in a conspiracy to overturn, or at least to overawe the government. I need say nothing of the lower orders, because, with few exceptions, they and the friars are one.