CHAPTER XI.

STILL AT SEVILLE.-LITERARY PLANS AND PURSUITS.-LETTER TO PETER.LETTER TO PRINCE DOLGOROUKI.-RECEIVES DIPLOMA OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF HISTORY.-LETTER TO ALEXANDER H. EVERETT.-THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.-HIS IMPRESSIONS OF ANDREW JACKSON.-REASON

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FOR ADOPTING A NOM DE GUERRE FOR THE CONQUEST OF GRANADA." -LETTERS TO PETER. — PUBLICATION OF CHRONICLES OF GRANADA." -LETTER TO ALEXANDER H. EVERETT.-ABOUT TO LEAVE SEVILLE FOR GRANADA.

HE period of Mr. Irving's sojourning at Seville, where he had been since the third of November, was continued through the months of January, February, March and April; a visit to the Barbary States which he had meditated in the interim, having failed of its accomplishment. In pursuance of the purpose which I keep steadily in view, to make the author his own biographer, I intermingle some passages from his letters and diary, which will illustrate in his own words his life and literary plans and pursuits during these four months.

[To Peter Irving, at Havre.]

MY DEAR BROTHER :

SEVILLE, January 3, 1829.

I shall endeavor to get up the chronicle of the invasion as soon as pos

sible. The fag at the abridgment has rather thrown me out of the writing mood for a little while, but the fit is reviving.

In my last I mentioned my having received a letter from Allan Cunningham, begging me to furnish him with a short sketch and tale, or either one, for a yearly miscellany to be published next autumn, similar to the German almanacs. I have not yet replied, for I fear to crowd myself with work. Yet I remember Cunningham for a worthy, pleasant, clever man. He is a friend of Wilkie's, and his miscellany is to be illustrated by engravings from Wilkie, Newton, and Leslie. I shall endeavor

to prepare something for him.* I feel anxious to make the most of my present sunshine, but the very anxiety agitates me, and I feel at times a little perplexed what to take hold of.

[To Prince Dolgorouki.]

MY DEAR DOLGOROUKI :—

SEVILLE, January 10, 1829.

I am very greatly obliged to you for your attention in forwarding me the diploma of the Royal Academy of History, and will thank you to remit the enclosed reply to Don Diego Clemencin, the Secretary..

I feel very sensibly the compliment which the Royal Academy has paid me in making me a member, and should like to know to what member's proposition I am indebted for the measure. †

I fear my chronicle of the Conquest of Granada will not answer the high anticipations you appear to entertain of it. I have been hazarding a kind of experiment in literature, and the success is in some degree a matter of chance. The Conquest of Granada has hitherto been a fertile theme for tales of romance and chivalry; in the account I have given of it, there is nothing of love or gallantry, and the chivalry is the chivalry of actual life, as it existed at the time, exhibited in rugged and daring enterprises, and rough, hard fighting. I have depicted the war as I

*He sent Cunningham The Widow's Ordeal.

+ The proposition came from Navarrete.

found it in the old chronicles, a stern, iron conflict, more marked by bigotry than courtesy, and by wild and daring exploits of fierce soldiery, than the gallant contests of courteous cavaliers. However, the work will soon be published, and then you will be able to judge of its merits; but do not indulge in high expectations nor form any romantic idea of its nature.

The following is in reply to a letter of Mr. Everett, received on the 10th, giving him the result of the Presidential election, in which Andrew Jackson received 178 votes; John Quincy Adams, 83.

MY DEAR SIR :

[To Mr. Alexander H. Everett.]

SEVILLE, February 14, 1829.

Your statement of the relative number of votes for General Jackson and

Mr. Adams quite surprises me. It shows how fallacious are all calculations upon the humor of the people, since many of our electioneering astrologers were confident in their predictions that Mr. Adams would be reelected. I was rather sorry when Mr. Adams was first raised to the Presidency, but I am much more so at his being displaced; for he has made a far better President than I expected, and I am loth to see a man superseded who has filled his station worthily. These frequent changes in our administration are prejudicial to the country; we ought to be wary of using our power of changing our Chief Magistrate when the welfare of the country does not require it. In the present election there has, doubtless, been much honest, warm, grateful feeling toward Jackson, but I fear much pique, passion, and caprice as it respects Mr. Adams.

Since the old general was to be the man, however, I am well pleased upon the whole, that he has a great majority, as it will, for the reasons you mention, produce a political calm in the country, and lull those angry passions which have been exasperated during Mr. Adams' administra

tion, by the close contest of nearly balanced parties. As to the old general, with all his hickory characteristics, I suspect he has good stuff in him, and will make a sagacious, independent, and high-spirited President; and I doubt his making so high-handed a one as many imagine. As I give the old fellow credit for some degree of rough chivalry, I have no idea that he will play a petty, persecuting game with his opponents, when their opposition has been fair and honorable. I do not apprehend, therefore, many changes of office from mere political pique, and I believe that a person like yourself, who has filled his office faithfully, ably, and respectably, will never be molested.

The London newspaper has blundered with respect to the title of my new work. It is called "A Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada," by Fray Antonio Agapida. I have adopted a nom de guerre, as allowing me a freer scope in touching up and coloring the subject from my imagination.

I received recently a diploma as corresponding member of the Royal Academy of History of Madrid; for which, I understand, I am indebted to the friendly services of Mr. Navarrete. I am quite anxious to see this third volume of voyages, which, I am told, is only waiting for a preface to be published.

[To Peter Irving.]

SEVILLE, March 3, 1829.

MY DEAR BROTHER :

Lent has just begun, and every amusement here is at an end. I shall remain in Seville to see Holy Week in April, which is celebrated here with great splendor. I shall then take my departure, and hope that by that time I shall have some manuscript in such forwardness as to be able to finish a work while moving from place to place, so as to have it out in the course of the summer. The loss of this winter has put me sadly behind my calculations. I have a craving desire to return to America, which has been increasing on me for the two years past, until now it incessantly haunts my mind and occupies all my dreams. I have

said nothing positively on the subject in my letters to our friends in America, nor shall I say anything, for so many circumstances and considerations have arisen to prolong my stay in Europe from year to year, that I do not like to state plans which may be frustrated. I am now resolved to go as soon as I can arrange my papers, so as to have materials to work upon for some few months without the necessity of much invention or planning. I know that otherwise, on returning home, I shall be so much distracted by society, etc., that I shall not be able to carry on any literary labor that requires leisure and calm thinking.

I may never have a more favorable time to return home than the present year, when I shall have one work just launched and another launching, and materials in hand for easy arrangement. If I defer it, God knows what may arise to prevent me.

"The work just launched," was the "Conquest of Granada," and the other "launching," was the "Voyages of the Companions of Columbus," now in readiness. "The materials on hand for easy arrangement" were a Sketch of the Life of Mahomet, prepared while at Madrid, and intended as introductory to other writings, which he had in contemplation connected with the Moorish domination in Spain; Legends of the Conquest of Spain; Chronicles of Don Pelayo, and the Successors of Don Pelayo; Chronicles of the Ommiades (or the house of Omeya, one of the two lines descended from Mahomet), Chronicle of Don Fernando Gonzalez, Count of Castile; Don Garcia Fernandez (his successor); the Seven Sons of Lara; and Chronicle of Fernando el Santo (the Conqueror of Seville); all of which, with the exception of Mahomet and the Legends, remained for a long time in a