Antonio now descended. “Follow me,” said he; “his worship the _alcalde_ will be ready to receive you in a moment.” Sebastian and myself followed him upstairs to a room, where, seated behind a table, we beheld a young man of low stature, but handsome features, and very fashionably dressed. He appeared to be inditing a letter, which, when he had concluded, he delivered to a secretary to be transcribed. He then looked at me for a moment fixedly, and the following conversation ensued between us:— _Alcalde_.—I see that you are an Englishman, and my friend Antonio here informs me that you have been arrested at Finisterre. _Myself_.—He tells you true; and but for him I believe that I should have fallen by the hands of those savage fishermen. _Alcalde_.—The inhabitants of Finisterre are brave, and are all liberals. Allow me to look at your passport? Yes, all in form. Truly it was very ridiculous that they should have arrested you as a Carlist. _Myself_.—Not only as a Carlist, but as Don Carlos himself. _Alcalde_.—Oh! most ridiculous; mistake a countryman of the grand Baintham for such a Goth! _Myself_.—Excuse me, sir, you speak of the grand somebody. _Alcalde_.—The grand Baintham. He who has invented laws for all the world. I hope shortly to see them adopted in this unhappy country of ours. _Myself_.—Oh! you mean Jeremy Bentham. Yes! a very remarkable man in his way. _Alcalde_.—In his way! in all ways. The most universal genius which the world ever produced:—a Solon, a Plato, and a Lope de Vega. _Myself_.—I have never read his writings. I have no doubt that he was a Solon; and as you say, a Plato. I should scarcely have thought, however, that he could be ranked as a poet with Lope de Vega. _Alcalde_.—How surprising! I see, indeed, that you know nothing of his writings, though an Englishman. Now, here am I, a simple _alcalde_ of Galicia, yet I possess all the writings of Baintham on that shelf, and I study them day and night. _Myself_.—You doubtless, sir, possess the English language. _Alcalde_.—I do. I mean that part of it which is contained in the writings of Baintham. I am most truly glad to see a countryman of his in these Gothic wildernesses. I understand and appreciate your motives for visiting them: excuse the incivility and rudeness which you have experienced. But we will endeavour to make you reparation. You are this moment free: but it is late; I must find you a lodging for the night. I know one close by which will just suit you. Let us repair thither this moment. Stay, I think I see a book in your hand. _Myself_.—The New Testament. _Alcalde_.—What book is that? _Myself_.—A portion of the sacred writings, the Bible. _Alcalde_.—Why do you carry such a book with you? _Myself_.—One of my principal motives in visiting Finisterre was to carry this book to that wild place.