Pupils, songs and books

“The children here are taught in the convents reading, writing, Latin, arithmetic, logic, and some other branches of philosophy. Greek is never learned here, not even by the students in divinity. The Latin authors which scholars read are the classics. Happening to be in company with one of the most learned students of all the islands, he examined me particularly concerning the state of learning in England, and what branch of it was most in esteem there: after satisfying him in those particulars, I inquired in my turn what studies prevailed in these islands; he replied that jurisprudence and logic were those more esteemed, but chiefly the latter, which was his favourite study […]

The natives of the Canary Islands have a genius for poetry and compose verses of different measures, which they set to the music. I have seen some songs there, which would be greatly esteemed in any country where a taste for poetry prevails […]

The books most commonly read by the laity are the lives of saints and martyrs. These performances are stuffed with legends and curious fables. Thomas à Kempis and the Devout Pilgrim are in every library here, and are much admired […]

Few profane books are read here, because they cannot be imported into the islands without being first examined by the Holy Office, a court with which no body chooses to have any transactions. Yet here and there one meets with some of those excellent books which were wrote by authors who flourished in Spain after the civil wars in that kingdom ceased on the conquest of Granada, and before the Inquisition arrived at its highest pitch of authority; for when that tribunal was firmly established, learning -withdrew from Spain and settled in another countries.”

George Glas, 1764