There was no Town of any Consequence presented it self in my Way to Burgos.  Here I took up my Quarters that Night; where I met with an Irish Priest, whose Name was White.  As is natural on such Rencounters, having answered his Enquiry, whither I was going; he very kindly told me, he should be very glad of my Company as far as Victoria, which lay in my Road; and I with equal Frankness embrac’d the Offer.

Next Morning, when we had mounted our Mules, and were got a little Distance from Burgos; he began to relate to me a great many impious Pranks of an English Officer, who had been a Prisoner there a little before I came; concluding all, with some Vehemence, that he had given greater Occasion of Scandal and Infamy to his native Country, than would easily be wiped off, or in a little Time.  The Truth of it is, many Particularly, which he related to me, were too monstrously vile to admit of any Repetition here; and highly meriting that unfortunate End, which that Officer met with some time after.  Nevertheless the just Reflection made by that Father, plainly manifested to me the Folly of those Gentlemen, who, by such Inadvertencies, to say no worse, cause the Honour of the Land of their Nativity to be called in question.  For tho’, no doubt, it is a very false Conclusion, from a singular, to conceive a general Character; yet in a strange Country, nothing is more common, A Man therefore, of common Sense, would carefully avoid all Occasions of Censure, if not in respect to himself, yet out of a human Regard to such of his Countrymen as may have the Fortune to come after him; and, it’s more than probable, may desire to hear a better and juster Character of their Country, and Countrymen, than he perhaps might incline to leave behind him.

As we travelled along, Father White told me, that near the Place of our Quartering that Night, there was a Convent of the Carthusian Order, which would be well worth my seeing.  I was doubly glad to hear it, as it was an Order most a Stranger to me; and as I had often heard from many others, most unaccountable Relations of the Severity of their Way of Life, and the very odd Original of their Institution.

The next Morning therefore, being Sunday, we took a Walk to the Convent.  It was situated at the Foot of a great Hill, having a pretty little River running before it.  The Hill was naturally cover’d with Evergreens of various Sorts; but the very Summit of the Rock was so impending, that one would at first Sight be led to apprehend the Destruction of the Convent, from the Fall of it.  Notwithstanding all which, they have very curious and well ordered Gardens; which led me to observe, that, what ever Men may pretend, Pleasure was not incompatible with the most austere Life.  And indeed, if I may guess of others by this, no Order in that Church can boast of finer Convents.  Their Chapel was completely neat, the Altar of it set out with the utmost Magnificence, both as to fine Paintings, and other rich Adornments.  The Building was answerable to the rest; and, in short, nothing seem’d omitted, that might render it beautiful or pleasant.