"Let her neck be dark, or possess the whiteness of alabaster, but for decency's sake cover it with pearls or sapphires. "Let her graceful form be shrouded with rich valuable stuffs. A rich binding always enhances the value of books. "While she rolls along in her _calèche_ my attention is occupied with her rich liveries and the cost of the equipage. "Happy he who, prancing along by the carriage, or seated by her side, cigar in mouth, can exclaim, 'All that surrounds me is mine!' "Paint her for me in ball costume, at the mass, or the _retiro_, ever richly dressed, ever surrounded by opulent charms. "But alas! her greatest charms you cannot see to portray--her father's crowns! On these is my heart fixed." Don José is somewhat old fashioned in his notions. He does not attribute all the qualities of and overruling Providence to the mere progress of science and the additions to our corporal conveniences. Here is his vision of the origin of printing: "Turning the earth into a sponge with his tears, man presented himself all dreeping at the throne of Jupiter. "And cried, 'Good evening, O powerful god, maker of stars, of worlds, and of domestic fowl! "Thou createdst us one day from nothing mixed with a little mud; thou hast bestowed on us genius enveloped in a soft covering of flesh. "'The world is a cage, and each of us a parrot climbing and balancing himself over his neighbor's head. . . . . . "'Thou hast bestowed us ears which to the deaf are a mere ornament, and a tongue, best gift of all. "'Placed between the teeth she gives them to understand that unless she lies, they can have nothing to chew. "'But alas! in our time she is incapable to express all that the fruitful brain conceives and brings forth. "'Lengthen it then the third of a perch, or give it for aid an additional organ. "'Juppy made a grimace, and the affrighted hills sunk, and the poles trembled. "'Well,' said the deity, always prodigal of gifts, 'I shall convert into tongues sundry vile things of this lower world. "'Of old shirts, of disgusting rags, I shall make gay clothes for the press, flesh and blood for the daily paper. "'In the feathered garb of the goose are cannons sufficient to win treasures. "'Let your arms cease to brandish the war-like steel, and turn inert and fat bodies of men into sieves. "'Iron fashioned into slender tongues which sing along the paper, shall there engrave the conceptions of genius. "'And in order that you may attain the steepest summits, I shall furnish your heads with pride and envy in abundance. "'Advance, throw shame behind, flatter the proud, copy, deride, calumniate, and be sure to burn incense in your own honor. "'I have spoken.' And he added, rubbing his chin, 'Henceforth you are a man; hitherto you were but an ape.'" History: Don Antonio Cavanilles.