TWO BOOKS ON SPAIN, AND A GRAMMAR.* IT would be
well if every tourist in Spain or Portugal before entering the country could read and take to heart what is said in this little book's opening pages, and in the chapter on "National Characteristi6s."' It might save him much dis- comfort, from giving and taking offence where none is meant, and, instead, he would meet with the courteous and kindly response which is almost invariably given when a Spaniard is treated as he expects to be. Spanish Life in Town and Country is the work of a lady brought up in Madrid, knowing city life well; but in parts it is like what the work of a London-bred woman would be when treating of Devonshire or Cornwall, Wales or Yorkshire. The description of an ox-goad as "a long stick, possibly a wand of office," could never have been written by one familiar with the country. The state- ment that "local government in the smaller towns works with great smoothness and efficiency hand-in-hand with centralised authority in Me.drid " is the reverse of fact in many provinces. So, too, are the observations "One is apt to forget that Old Castillo is one of the provinces having a northern sea-board " ; "I have not been able to find in any book on Spain a description of the strange dance which takes place in the Cathedral of Seville." A description of the Seires, with the words and music to which they dance, is given in Sketchea qf Spain, by John Lomas, pp. 186-94 (A. and C. Black, 4). It is probably owing to lack of experience in correcting for the press that proper names are so frequently misspelt,—" Mendetabal " for " Men- dizabal," "Pdrada " for "Pereda," " Gul/ich " for "Gulich," "Auto-da-fe " for " Auto-de-fe," &c. Still, the book has real value. Its tone in speaking of the future of Spain is optimistic. The great and real advance in the substitution of Spanish for foreign capital in mining and industrial enterprises is well brought out; but the drawbacks t° agricultural prosperity in the want of sec'arity and in the • (L) Spanish4ife in Town and Countrk. By L. Hiirg With Chapters on in- rs- " Portuguese late in Town and Country' by Engine E. Street, and 27 )cutist tons. London : George Newnes. [3s.s. 6d. net.]-2.) The L tand of !Ls 11,07,4 By Leonard Williams. London Cassell and Co. Cl5s. net.J.— ,-0;) $YaltiSh : .a Grammar of the Spanish Language, with Escrows. _ Conversation, and Vocabularies. By Fernando de Arteaga Pereira. u'rt'" Teacher of Spanish in the University of Oxford. 2 vols. London: Jona
Xurray. dd.]
heavy territorial tax are not sufficiently indicated. After all said, Spain is "a land of surprises and contradictions." From recent events in Catalonia and Valencia it might seem as if Spain would be made an experimental ground for the wildest political and Socialistic theories of the fanatics of Europe ; while the real strength of the reactionary forces of Carlism and Clericalism is still an unknown quantity. The chapters by Mr. Street on Portugal show the difference between a man's and a woman's point of view. We see, too, the differ- ences between Portuguese and Spanish life. The intense love of the Portuguese, men as well IIS women, for children is remarked on; also the honesty and hard work of the Gallegos, and the ill effects 9f this good example on those who disdain to follow it. The experience of the present writer would lead him to place the intellectual qualities of the Portuguese higher than does our author; but his knowledge of the people is superior to ours. These chapters are a valhable addition to those on Spain, and worthily complete the picture of life in the South-Western Peninsula of Europe.
The handsome volume entitled The Land of the Dons may be taken almost as the complement of Mrs. Higgin's smaller work noticed above, Spanish Life in Town and Country. Both writers know Madrid and Madrid middle-class life well ; the one describes it from a man's, the other from a woman's, point of view. There is little difference in their verdict; both testify to the innate good qualities of the Spaniard, and ?specially of the Spanish woman. Mr. Williams is the more practised writer. His book may be divided into two parts, of unequal merit. The one deals with the country, its inhabi- tants, their differing characters, aptitudes, manners and customs; it gives us vivid pictures of Madrid life, and of life in the country; it tells of popular literature, of the great festivals, of the games and amusements, of the ball-play and A the bull-fight. To this last and to its history three chapters ire devoted. All this is excellently done ; the author knows his subject and how to treat it. We are in agreement on almost every point, and especially that the popular literature, the refranes, the copies, sepridillas, and even some romances, reach perfection and attain final polish only in the hands of the people, not of the literary class. This, we think, is peculiar to Spain. If translated, we are convinced that these pages would meet the approval of most Spaniards. In the latter part, however, which treats of the administration— of the politics, economy, commerce, and industry—of Spain, we have some reserves to make. To deal satisfactorily with such themes needs more than the clever journalist who is well up in the information to be got from clubs, from Parlia- mentary circles, from the popular writers and opinions of the day, but who has had no practical experience or knowledge of industry, commerce, or agriculture. Mr. Williams pins his cfahithgeonofeduici_ttitoiny.; hAelils constantly lamenting the lack of it dismissing the too numerous ill-paid employes with every With him; but of another kind of education there has been almost too much in Spain. The pseudo-University education, which just fits a man for the lower ranks of the so-called liberal professions, to be a Government official of some kind, to be able to fill the columns of a newspaper with sensational ever, and to have acquired a distaste and disdain for any• almost too mach in Spain. It is the primary education which coni Spain. If he means primary education, we go thoroughly Paragraphs, or to talk glibly by the hour on any subject what- hard work,—of the education which brings this result there is makes a tradei: that is really needed. The chief evil in. Spain is the Ludustrial or commercial occupation which entails steady rrupt administration and venal justice, and the system of man a more efficient labourer, artisan, miner, or
that Mr. Williams says about this is
true ; but to condemn, as on a par with this, the "spirit of localism " is a mistake. In some provinces of Spain the local administration is still honest and efficient, and the natives rightly refuse to exchange this for the corrupt and inefficient central administration. The consumo—i.e., the oetroi—duties, tke monepoliela of tobacco and matches, are of little import- awe in comparison with other wrongs. They are undoubtedly evils; but all three exist in France, and France is a fairly .1v;e11-governed country. Two little words show the defect of the author's point of view. He gives, in conclusion, a list of eight reforms especially needed; "if these were actively and tneroughly put in practice Spain would at once become a
different country." "At once!" Futile promises like this do harm ; it is only slowly and gradually that long, standing abuses can be extirpated and improvement effected in a country like Spain. Notwithstanding these differences of opinion, the book is well worth reading ; it is far above the productions of the tourist, written as it is by one who has made Spain his adopted country. The photographic illustra- tions are good, and there are an excellent glossary and index.
We do not know of any grammar quite on the plan of this one. The leading principle of Practical Spanish is that of teaching by example rather than by rule. It is not historical, and deals only with the actually spoken and written language. There is no formal syntax ; but the analysis of uses and con- structions is very full and clear. There are few of those purely technical sentences which are to be found only in grammars. The translations are really equivalent English phrases, not hybrid forms belonging to neither speech. But this is not the only distinction : "This grammar has been written for the traveller and business man as well as for the student " ; and to adapt it to the former the exercises on nouns, adjectives, and pronouns in Vol. L are modelled on the "manuals of conversation" written expressly for tourists; they treat of " the house and its utensils," "land- lord, tenants, servants," and like subjects of daily life. In Vol. II. the use of verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunc- tions, is learnt from sentences framed for the purpose. In this way the various, and sometimes multiplied, tenses and forms in which a sentence may be correctly expressed in Spanish are thoroughly illustrated. Some of the earlier exercises seem to be a little too elaborate for a beginner. We should hardly consider ilascalteca, native of Tlascala, as a genuinely Spanish word. The real value of the work can be proved only by actual practice. It is almost exhaustive in its own peculiar method. The student, traveller, or man of business may rely on its correctness, and when he has gone through it he will certainly possess enough knowledge of Spanish for all purposes of daily life.
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