fore, nothing but rubbish and heaps of ruins, pale and trembling mothers, dragging their children along by the hand, their despair not even leaving them the strength to weep or groan; and persons of luxury, quality, and consideration, who had only a stupor and silence for their one expression. But, as in most extremities, Providence always reserves secret means to temper them, this time we found, in the goodness and sympathy of the governor and the intendant, all the compassion and all the assistance that we could expect from generous hearts, to arrest our tears and provide for our wants. They turned themselves to succouring us with so much order and diligence, that we were immediately relieved. Their private charities knew no limits, and the treasury of H. M. was opened to send away for assistance."
There is an editorial comment on the communication, which throws some light on the progress made in what Father Cirilo would have called religion and morals, under the Spanish regime. The comment is this:—
"The person who sent us these details adds that the fire taking place on Good Friday, the priests refused to allow the alarm to be rung, because on that day all bells must be dumb. If such an act of superstition had taken place at Constantinople, it would not have been astonishing. The absurd Mussulman belief in fatality renders sacred to them all the precepts drawn from the Alkoran; but a civilized nation is not made to adopt maxims so culpable towards humanity, and this trait of fanatical insanity will surely not be approved by sensible people."
What lay in the ashes was, at best, but an irregular, ill-built, French town. What arose from them was a stately Spanish city, proportioned with grace and built with solidity, practically the city as we see it to-day, and for which, first and foremost, we owe thanks to Don Andres Almonaster; and may the Angelus bell from the Cathedral, which times the perpetual masses for his soul, never fail to remind us of our obligation to him.
