ue　of　all　principles；　and　their　truth；　lie　in　their　practical　effects。　Hence；　gradually　arose；　the　usefulness　of　travelling；　of　inspecting　the　habits　and　manners　of　a　nation；　and　investigating；　on　the　spot；　the　causes　of　their　happiness　and　misery。　　Finally；　it　was　determined　that　Spain　was　more　suitable　than　any　other；　to　the　views　of　a　judicious　traveller。
  My　language；　habits；　and　religion　were　mentioned　as　obstacles　to　close　and　extensive　views；　but　these　difficulties　successively　and　slowly　vanished。　　Converse　with　books；　and　natives　of　Spain；　a　steadfast　purpose　and　unwearied　diligence　would　efface　all　differences　between　me　and　a　Castilian　with　respect　to　speech。　Personal　habits；　were　changeable；　by　the　same　means。　　The　bars　to　unbounded　intercourse；　rising　from　the　religion　of　Spain　being　irreconcilably　opposite　to　mine；　cost　us　no　little　trouble　to　surmount；　and　here　the　skill　of　Ludloe　was　eminently　displayed。
  I　had　been　accustomed　to　regard　as　unquestionable；　the　fallacy　of　the　Romish　faith。　　This　persuasion　was　habitual　and　the　child　of　prejudice；　and　was　easily　shaken　by　the　artifices　of　this　logician。　I　was　first　led　to　bestow　a　kind　of　assent　on　the　doctrines　of　the　Roman　church；　but　my　convictions　were　easily　subdued　by　a　new　species　of　argumentation；　and；　in　a　short　time；　I　reverted　to　my　ancient　disbelief；　so　that；　if　an　exterior　conformity　to　the　rights　of　Spain　were　requisite　to　the　attainment　of　my　purpose；　that　conformity　must　be　dissembled。
  My　moral　principles　had　hitherto　been　vague　and　unsettled。　　My　circumstances　had　led　me　to　the　frequent　practice　of　insincerity；　but　my　transgressions　as　they　were　slight　and　transient；　did　not　much　excite　my　previous　reflections；　or　subsequent　remorse。　　My　deviations；　however；　though　rendered　easy　by　habit；　were　by　no　means　sanctioned　by　my　principles。　　Now　an　imposture；　more　profound　and　deliberate；　was　projected；　and　I　could　not　hope　to　perform　well　my　part；　unless　steadfastly　and　thoroughly　persuaded　of　its　rectitude。
  My　friend　was　the　eulogist　of　sincerity。　　He　delighted　to　trace　its　influence　on　the　happiness　of　mankind；　and　proved　that　nothing　but　the　universal　practice　of　this　virtue　was　necessary　to　the　perfection　of　human　society。　　His　doctrine　was　splendid　and　beautiful。　　To　detect　its　imperfections　was　no　easy　task；　to　lay　the　foundations　of　virtue　in　utility；　and　to　limit；　by　that　scale；　the　operation　of　general　principles；　to　see　that　the　value　of　sincerity；　like　that　of　every　other　mode　of　action；　consisted　in　its　tendency　to　good；　and　that；　therefore　the　obligation　to　speak　truth　was　not　paramount　or　intrinsical：　　that　my　duty　is　modelled　on　a　knowledge　and　foresight　of　the　conduct　of　others；　and　that；　since　men　in　their　actual　state；　are　infirm　and　deceitful；　a　just　estimate　of　consequences　may　sometimes　make　dissimulation　my　duty　were　truths　that　did　not　speedily　occur。　　The　discovery；　when　made；　appeared　to　be　a　joint　work。　　I　saw　nothing　in　Ludlow　but　proofs　of　candour；　and　a　judgment　incapable　of　bias。
  The　means　which　this　man　employed　to　fit　me　for　his　purpose；　perhaps　owed　their　success　to　my　youth　and　ignorance。　　I　may　have　given　you　exaggerated　ideas　of　his　dexterity　and　address。　　Of　that　I　am　unable　to　judge。　　Certain　it　is；　that　no　time　or　reflection　has　abated　my　astonishment　at　the　profoundness　of　his　schemes；　and　the　perseverance　with　which　they　were　pursued　by　him。　　To　detail　their　progress　would　expose　me　to　the　risk　of　being　tedious；　yet　none　but　minute　details　would　sufficiently　display　his　patience　and　subtlety。
  It　will　suffice　to　relate；　that　after　a　sufficient　period　of　preparation　and　arrangements　being　made　for　maintaining　a　copious　intercourse　with　Ludlow；　I　embarked　for　Barcelona。　　A　restless　curiosity　and　vigorous　application　have　distinguished　my　character　in　every　scene。　　Here　was　spacious　field　for　the　exercise　of　all　my　energies。　　I　sought　out　a　preceptor　in　my　new　religion。　　I　entered　into　the　hearts　of　priests　and　confessors；　the　~hidalgo~　and　the　peasant；　the　monk　and　the　prelate；　the　austere　and　voluptuous　devotee　were　scrutinized　in　all　their　forms。
  Man　was　the　chief　subject　of　my　study；　and　the　social　sphere　that　in　which　I　principally　moved；　but　I　was　not　inattentive　to　inanimate　nature；　nor　unmindful　of　the　past。　　If　the　scope　of　virtue　were　to　maintain　the　body　in　health；　and　to　furnish　its　highest　enjoyments　to　every　sense；　to　increase　the　number；　and　accuracy；　and　order　of　our　intellectual　stores；　no　virtue　was　ever　more　unblemished　than　mine。　　If　to　act　upon　our　conceptions　of　right；　and　to　acquit　ourselves　of　all　prejudice　and　selfishness　in　the　formation　of　our　principles；　entitle　us　to　the　testimony　of　a　good　conscience；　I　might　justly　claim　it。
  I　shall　not　pretend　to　ascertain　my　rank　in　the　moral　scale。　Your　notions　of　duty　differ　widely　from　mine。　　If　a　system　of　deceit；　pursued　merely　from　the　love　of　truth；　if　voluptuousness；　never　gratified　at　the　expense　of　health；　may　incur　censure；　I　am　censurable。　　This；　indeed；　was　not　the　limit　of　my　deviations。　Deception　was　often　unnecessarily　practised；　and　my　biloquial　faculty　did　not　lie　unemployed。　　What　has　happened　to　yourselves　may　enable　you；　in　some　degree；　to　judge　of　the　scenes　in　which　my　mystical　exploits　engaged　me。　　In　none　of　them；　indeed；　were　the　effects　equally　disastrous；　and　they　were；　for　the　most　part；　the　result　of　well　digested　projects。
  To　recount　these　would　be　an　endless　task。　　They　were　designed　as　mere　specimens　of　power；　to　illustrate　the　influence　of　superstition：　　to　give　sceptics　the　consolation　of　certainty：　　to　annihilate　the　scruples　of　a　tender　female；　or　facilitate　my　access　to　the　bosoms　of　courtiers　and　monks。
  The　first　achievement　of　this　kind　took　place　in　the　convent　of　the　Escurial。　　For　some　time　the　hospitality　of　this　brotherhood　allowed　me　a　cell　in　that　magnificent　and　gloomy　fabric。　　I　was　drawn　hither　chiefly　by　the　treasures　of　Arabian　literature；　which　are　preserved　here　in　the　keeping　of　a　learned　Maronite；　from　Lebanon。　　Standing　one　evening　on　the　steps　of　the　great　altar；　this　devout　friar　expatiated　on　the　miraculous　evidences　of　his　religion；　and；　in　a　moment　of　enthusiasm；　appealed　to　San　Lorenzo；　whose　martyrdom　was　displayed　before　us。　　No　sooner　was　the　appeal　made　than　the　saint；　obsequious　to　the　summons；　whispered　his　responses　from　the　shrine；　and　commanded　the　heretic　to　tremble　and　believe。　　This　event　was　reported　to　the　convent。　　With　whatever　reluctance；　I　could　not　refuse　my　testimony　to　its　truth；　and　its　influence　on　my　faith　was　clearly　shewn　in　my　subsequent　conduct。
  A　lady　of　rank；　in　Seville；　who　had　been　guilty　of　many　unauthorized　indulgences；　was；　at　last；　awakened　to　remorse；　by　a　voice　from　Heaven；　which　she　imagined　had　commanded　her　to　expiate　her　sins　by　an　abstinence　from　all　food　for　thirty　days。　　Her　friends　found　it　impossible　to　outroot　this　persuasion；　or　to　overcome　her　resolution　even　by　force。　　I　chanced　to　be　one　in　a　numerous　company　where　she　was　present。　　This　fatal　illusion　was　mentioned；　and　an　opportunity　afforded　to　the　lady　of　defending　her　scheme。　　At　a　pause　in　the　discourse；　a　voice　was　heard　from　the　ceiling；　which　confirmed　the　truth　of　her　tale；　but；　at　the　same　time　revoked　the　command；　and；　in　consideration　of　her　faith；　pronounced　her　absolution。　　Satisfied　with　this　proof；　the　auditors　dismissed　their　unbelief；　and　the　lady　consented　to　eat。
  In　the　course　of　a　copious　correspondence　with　Ludlow；　the　observations　I　had　collected　were　given。　　A　sentiment；　which　I　can　hardly　describe；　induced　me　to　be　silent　on　all　adventures　connected　with　my　bivocal　projects。　　On　other　topics；　I　wrote　fully；　and　without　restraint。　　I　painted；　in　vivid　hues；　the　scenes　with　which　I　was　daily　conversant；　and　pursued；　fearlessly；　every　speculation　on　religion　and　government　that　occurred。　　This　spirit　was　encouraged　by　Ludloe；　who　failed　not　to　comment　on　my　narrative；　and　multiply　deductions　from　my　principles。
  He　taught　me　to　ascribe　the　evils　that　infest　society　to　the　errors　of　opinion。　　The　absurd　and　unequal　distribution　of　power　and　property　gave　birth　to　poverty　and　riches；　and　these　were　the　sources　of　luxury　and　crimes。　　These　positions　were　readily　admitted；　but　the　remedy　for　these　ills；　the　means　of　rectifying　these　errors　were　not　easily　discovered。　　We　have　been　inclined　to　impute　them　to　inherent　defects　in　the　moral　constitution　of　men：　that　oppression　and　tyranny　grow　up　by　a　sort　of　natural　necessity；　and　that　they　will　perish　only　when　the　human　species　is　extinct。　Ludloe　laboured　to　prove　that　this　was；　by　no　means；　the　case：　that　man　is　the　creature　of　circumstances：　　that　he　is　capable　of　endless　improvement：　　that　his　progress　has　been　stopped　by　the　artificial　impediment　of　government：　　that　by　the　removal　of　this；　the　fondest　dreams　of　imagination　will　be　realized。
  From　detailing　and　accounting　for　the　evils　which　exist　under　our　present　institutions；　he　usually　proceeded　to　delineate　some　scheme　of　Utopian　felicity；　where　the　empire　of　reason　should　supplant　that　of　force：　　where　justice　should　be　universally　understood　and　practised；　where　the　interest　of　the　whole　and　of　the　individual　should　be　seen　by　all　to