The New Hampshire Gazette

As we have certain Intelligence of the Conquest of the HAVANNAH, -and of Consequence, shall subdue the whole Island of Cuba, (which is about 800 Miles in length, and 70 broad) we shall -give further Accounts of Spanish Affairs -As mentioned in our two last Papers--which perhaps may be agreeable.

As to the Persons of the Spaniards, the Men are generally tall, but seldom corpulent ; their Complexion swarthy - their Hair black. with brisk sparkling Eyes ; they have Mustachio's on the upper Lip ; their Women are generally small and slender.

The Men part their Hair, and tie it behind with a Ribbon ; their Habits are black, and they throw a Cloak over all, but so as to have their Right Hand at Liberty ; and every Peasant almost wears an extravagant Long Sword. The Ladies all paint their Necks. Arms and Hands. as well as their Faces : dress in their Hair. and wear Hoops of Brass Wire, and their Gowns are always black, on which their Jewels make a glittering Appearance : their Pace is exceeding slow,and they do every Thing with great Deliberation. The Air and Mien of this People being the very Reverse of the French.

Among their Vices and Defects. are reckoned their Pride and Contempt of Foreigners, seldom travelling out of their own Country. : Their wretched Indolence, Laziness, and Lust, and their Credulity in believing the feigned Miracles and fabulous Stories Of their Monks. without Examination ; and their neglecting to: apply themselves to Manufactures or Husbandry. The French do most of this as well as their other Business ; and usually return with considerable Fortunes to their own Country.; but this is to be understood chiefly of the Two Galliles, and the Midland Provinces. For the People of Gallicia apply themselves diligently to Husbandry, as well as those of Granada, and Andalusia, and other Southern Provinces, being chiefly Descendants from the Moors, who did not look upon Husbandry as a low Employment. . It is observed, that Spain is not half so. well- peopled as France and some other-European Countries; there not being Eight Millions: of People in: the. Kingdom.whereas . it is:computed there are"fourteen" Or Fifteen Millionsdin France, which is not so large. And for this several. Reasons are assigned, as the:Expulsion of.fomanyThousand Jews and Moors ; the long. Wars they. were engaged in, . which carried off-Multitudes of their Subjects:iand that continual Drain-iof the West Indies;whither greatNumbers of Spani ards go over every Year ; all their Governors and great Officers in. America. being Natives:of Spain, and carrying over a Multitude of Servants and Dependants with them.

The Celibacy of the Clergy, and of the Monks and Nuns, is assigned as another Reason of their wantingPeople, but this is common to allother Popish Countries: The Language of the Spaniards comes as near the Latin as any Language now spoke in Europe, mixed with some Arabic Words 'and Terminations, introduced by the Moors...

: As to Religion, the Spaniards are zealous Romanists,and their Church is governed by Archbishops and Bishops." subject to the Controul. of the Pope. - And there is no Country, -except Portugal,- where the Inquisition' reigns with such Terror ; no Subjects but is liable to be prosecuted by the Holy Office. as it is called : though it was first instituted for the Trial of the Sincerity of the Moorish and Jewish Converts, who were compelled to profess the Christian Religion after the Conquest of Granada, Anno 1492. 'In this Court. it is scarce possible for a Prisoner to make a tolerable Defence. not being suffered to know either his Accusers, or the Witnesses against him ; but he is required to confess himself guilty, or submit to the Torture. till such a Confession is extorted from him as the Fathers require.

There are eightArchbishopricks in Spain. i The Archbishop of Toledo is titled the Primate of Spain ; he is great Chancellor of Castile ; has a Revenue of 300,000 Ducats per Annum, amounting to 100,000 l. Ster- ling, or more.

There are twenty-two Universities,of which theChief are, Salamanca, Compostella, Alcala de Henares, Valladolid Saragossa, Palentia, Seville, Toledo. &c.

There are also in Spain 2141 Convents and Nunneries containing at least 50,000 Monks and Nuns. whose

The Romans remained Sovereigns of Spain until the Year of Christ 400 ; about which Time the Goths, Vandals, and other Northern Nations, broke in upon the Roman Empire, and made a Conquest of Spain.

. The Empire of the Goths, was in its greatest Glory about the Year 500,for then it comprehended the Southern Provinces of France, all Spain, and Mauritania in Africa : but about theYear 712. Roderic then King of the Goths having committed a Rape On Florida. Daughter Of Count Julian, Governor of Gothic Mauritania, that disgusted Lord entered into a Confederacy with the Saracens or Moors to invade Spain, and having with their united Forces gained a decisive Victory,theSaracens subdued >all Spain-except the Northern Provinces, whither "Pelagius a noble Spaniard retired, and having recovered Leon from the Infidels, took upon him the Title of King of Leon.

From this Time the. Goths, supported by other Christian Princes, made War upon the Moors with variousSuccesses. The Moors were not entirely subdued until the Year 1492, when the City of Granada was taken by Ferdinand and Isabella, who had united all the petty Kingdoms of Spain into one by their Marriage, and were succeeded in their united Kingdom. : by their Grandson Charles V. Archduke of Austria, and afterwards Emperor of Germany

By the Articles for theSurrender ofGranada, Boabdil King-of the Moors with his Subjects, submitted to do Homage to Ferdinandand Isabella. on Condition they might retain the Possession of their Estates. be governed by their own Laws, and have the freeExercise of theirReligion. However. all the Moors in Spain. were compelled to turnChristians,or leave theKingdom; where- upon several hundred thousand of them transported themselves.to Africa. and their Jewish Subjects were banished to Portugal. And in the Reign of Philip III. 1609, a Million more of the Moors, were banished. and the new Converts that remained behind, perpetually persecuted and tortured by the Inquisition.

The Year after theMoors were subdued: America was discovered by Columbus, and within thirty Years after, the Empires of Mexico and Peru were conquered, whereby CharlesV. became possessed of the most ex- tensive Dominions that ever any Monarch enjoyed. His American Dominions were at least six thousand Miles in Length, and he was at the same Time Emperor of Ger- many, Sovereign of Burgundy and the Ne- therlands, and of most Part of Italy, as well as Spain ; of the Philippine Islands in Asia, and Several Places in Africa.

The Spaniards made several Efforts for the Recovery of their Rights and Privileges, which were denominatedRebellions by the Court ; but noble Struggles for the Re- covery of their lostPrivileges, to strengthen and confirm the unlimited Power of the Emperor, who was engaged most Part , of his Reign in a Foreign War with France, or with his Protestant Subjects of Germany. in which he was not so fortunate in the Decline · of Life, as he had been in his Youth, whereupon he resigned the Crown to his Son Philip II.Anno 1556, and shut himself up in the Monastery of St. Just in Spain, where he died two Years after.

His Son Philip II. attempting to govern as arbitrarily in the Netherlands as he did in Spain, and at the same Time introducing a kind of Inquisition for the Suppression of the Protestants, who were very numerous there, Occasioned a generalInsurrection of the Flemings, and a Civil War commenced, in which the Duke of Alva, the King of Spain's General exercised great Cruelties ; but was not able entirely to reduce them, as: they were united, by. the Queen of England, (Elizabeth) as well as France. Philip therefore fitted out the most powerfulFleet that ever rode upon theOcean titled, The Invincible Armada, Anno 1588. with which he attempted to invade England - hut, by the Bravery and Stratagems of the English, and the Storms they met with, the greatest Part of the Armada was destroyed He afterwards entered into a War with France with no better Success : But. upon the Death of Henry King of.PortugalAnno 1579, he invaded that Kingdom, which he claimed as Son and Heir of Isabella, Daughter of EmanuelKing ofPortugal ; and though the Braganza Family were thought to have a better. Title, they were not strong enough
at that Time to oppose Philip's Usurpation,

whereby he became possessed of the Spice

Islands, and other Settlements of the Portu-

guese in the East Indies, as well as of Guinea

in Africa, and Brazil in South America.

[ To be Continued. ]