Gustavo Correa: Realidad, ficción y símbolo en las novelas de Pérez Galdós, Bogotá, Publicaciones del Instituto Caro y Cuervo, 1967, p. 180 and note, detects certain similarities between Pedralba and monastic communities set up by St. Augustine. He does not go on to discuss the possible influences of Augustinian thought on Galdós.

Though there is no record of a copy of the Confessions in Galdós's personal library, several well-known Spanish translations of St. Augustine's autobiography would have been available to him when he was writing Halma. Palau y Dulcet lists over a score of editions of translations published before 1890; and I have consulted a number of these. Because of information contained exclusively in a footnote to the version by P. Eugenio Zeballos -v. infra: p. 83- it seemed to me likely that Galdós was acquainted with this particular translation. All references to the text of the Confessions therefore are taken from: Confesiones, trad. por el P. Eugenio Zeballos, Madrid, Ramón Vergés, 1824, 4.ª ed., 2 tomos. In quoting I have modified the accentuation to accord with current usage; and in giving references I have adopted the following conventions: 1 Confessions: VI, II, 336-7= Confesiones, tomo I.º, Book VI, Chapter II, pp. 336-7; 2 Confessions: IX, 9, 50-55 = Confesiones, tomo 2.º, Book IX, chapter 9, pp. 50-55, etc.

All references to the text of Halma are taken from the Obras completas de Galdós, tomo 3, Madrid, Aguilar, 1971.

q. v. Halma, 606-7 where Halma herself makes comments to this effect about her cousin to Manuel Flórez.

There is the implicit suggestion by Galdós (Halma, 580), that Carlos Federico is a womaniser before his marriage to Halma, though it is stressed that within marriage he is faithful to her. That Patricius is similarly inclined, both outside and within marriage, is confirmed in this remark: «Pero ella (Mónica) de tal suerte toleró las injurias de sus infidelidades, que jamás tuvo por esto la menor desazón con su marido: porque esperaba que vuestra misericordia había de concederle primeramente la fe, y después la castidad conyugal.» (2 Confessions: IX, 9, 50).

Augustine states (I Confessions: II, 3, 106), «[...] pues él (Patricio) era un vecino de Tagaste, cuyas facultades y hacienda eran bien cortas». A footnote by P. Ángel Custodio Vega to his modern bilingual edition of the Confessions adds this information: «El biógrafo del Santo, su amigo Posidio, nos dice que era de familia noble del número de los decuriones, es decir, de los que estaban encargados en los municipios de la curia y funciones civiles; pero de posición modesta [...] Más bien podríamos decir que la situación económica y social de Patricio corresponde a uno de nuestros empleados públicos de la clase media.» (Obras de San Agustín, 3.ª ed., tomo II, Confesiones, Madrid, Editorial Católica, Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, 1955, p. 149, note 9).

Although Halma's perils on the high seas owe much to the Odyssey, to which Galdós alludes directly in his text, one small additional point of similarity with Monica is that she too had a tempest-tossed voyage to join Augustine in Italy (q. v. I Confessions: VI, 1, 295).

Op. cit. p. 180 note 1. Sr. Correa has this to say: «En particular, la fundación semimonástica de Halma ostenta similitudes con la manera de vida que observaron San Agustín y sus compañeros en su retiro de Cassiciacum, cerca de Milán, y más tarde en Tagaste, en el norte de África». In fact the parallels go much further and involve use by Galdós of detailed information about the foundations to be discovered not only in the Confessions, described here, but in the Cassiacum dialogues, and San Posidio's Vida de San Agustín.

Augustine has refuted Manes' claims to be the incarnation of the Holy Ghost (q. v. 1 Confessions: V, 5, 253-4). Halma has questioned the sanity and sanctity of Nazarín (q. v. Halma, 624, et. al.).

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Monica's delight (q. v. I Confessions: VIII, 12, 496), Verecundus's chagrin and Nebridius's self-indulgent enthusiasm (q. v. 2 Confessions: IX, 3, 15-17), are mirrored in Urrea's joy (q. v. Halma, 678), Feramor's presumed annoyance (q. v. Halma, 679), and Remigio Díaz's self-interested blessing (q. v. Halma, 680).