Censorship played an important role in the cultural transfer of English fiction translated into Spanish in the Enlightenment. Translations were subjected to a double filter: one imposed by the government and the control of the Inquisition, this last one especially being stringent. Foreign works – and translations belong to that category – were particularly subject to inspection and the novel was considered as a minor and wasteful entertainment. In spite of this, the English novel of the 18th century was to become in time the model, par excellence, for modern fiction. The significant advance which came about in means of communication throughout that century favored exchange of ideas and knowledge, despite the impediments imposed by those in power, unable to see anything in this exchange but the corruption of customs and a foreign-based “invasion”. There were numerous translations and the translators manipulated the texts in order to guarantee the publication of their efforts. Another important fact is that France, through its language and culture, becomes the medium through which the eighteenth century Spaniards met the world beyond their shores. The translation of England’s language and culture into Spanish is totally and completely mediated through the language and culture of France, a social and cultural phenomenon of no small moment. It could be said that every English novel translated into Spanish during the 18th century was done not through a source text (ST) but by means of a target text (TT) which has previously modified the ST. The purpose of this essay is to show the reader how censorship worked and in which way translators pre-filtered translations.