Their aged parents; what barbarity
And brutal ignorance, where focial trade
1s held contemptible! Ye gliding fails,
From these inhofpitable gloomy fhores
Indignant turn, and to the friendly Cape,
Which gives the cheerful mariner good
hope

Of prosperous voyage, steer: rejoice to

view,

What trade, with Belgian induftry, creates, Prospects of civil life, fair towns, and lawns,

And yellow tilth, and groves of various fruits,

Delectable in husk or gloffy rind:
There the capacious vafe from cryftal
fprings

Replenish, and convenient ftore provide,
Like ants, intelligent of future need.
Dyer, b. 4.

The recent capture of this important place (See our Magazine for December, p. 794) muft render this account of its difcovery and fettlement particularly in. terelling to our readers.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF
THE PORTUGUESE.
CONCLUDED FROM PAGE 29.

A. SHORT time before I left Lisbon 1 dined at a Spanish ordinary, near the convent of St Francis, in company with a gentleman who was a native of Malta, and a knight of that order. The univerfality of his information, and the liberality of his remarks, induced me to requeft his opinion refpecting the Portuguese. These are his obfervations on that head, as nearly as I can recollect:

for ages, have fubfifted between the two rival powers, it is probable that the accounts we receive of the Portuguese through the medium of the Spaniards are not altogether to be depended upon. On the other hand, if we take the character of the Portuguese from the native writers, we fhall imagine they poffefs not only all the good qualities in exiltence, but are exempted from all the bad ones. This is like a painter vainly attempting to pro.luce a fine picture without fhadows.

"There are no people in Europe, Sir, whofe real character is less known than thofe of Portugal; for, as their "From the beft information I can language is but little ftudied or under- collect, the ancient Portuguese have food, our knowledge of them is de- been a brave, active, and generous peorived chiefly from the Spania writers, ple. At a time when the other nations and a Spaniard is rarely known to fpeak of Europe were funk in floth and ignofavourably of the Portuguefe. The lat- rance, they were employed in propater, on the contrary, whatever might gating Chriftianity, in extirpating iufibe their real opinion of the former, are delity, and enlarging our knowledge of induced by the precepts of Chriftian this fphere. charity to fpeak refpectfully of them. Of this we have a ftriking inftance in Jofeph Texara, a Portuguese friar of the Dominican order. This friar lived in the fixteenth century, and was confeffor to Don Antonio, heir prefumptive to the crown of Portugal, whom he followed into France. He there declared from the pulpit, in one of his fermons, that we are bound in duty to love all men, of whatever religion, feet, or nation, even the Caftilians.

"From the political enmity, which,

"Neceffity, the parent of action, was the fource of all their great enterprifes; attacked on one fide by a powerful and restless neighbour, on the other by the Moors, who had long infested · the country, their incurfions and confpiracies required the exertions of every finew of the state to preferve its independence. At length the horde of infidels were expelled, and the pride of the Caftilians humbled.

"In the reign of John the first, when the Portuguese found themfelves fecure

from

from foreign or domeftic foes, their tion, and that glory he promised to himtroops then inured to fatigue, and their felf in the plains of Africa: but, alas! captains, animated by military fame, he, and the greater part of thofe who pursued the barbarians into Africa. accompanied him thither, found there Their contes in this quarter, though not laurels, but an untimely grave. unprofitable, and almost ruinous to the tae, were ultimately attended with confequences very fortunate for the powers of Europe; as they diffufed a fpirit of enterprife, which afterward led to all the modern discoveries in naviga

tion.

"The death of this prince would have been the lefs regretted, if he had not left a fucceffor to fill the throne who was in the decline of life and underftanding, without energy, without abilities to heal the bleeding wounds of his expiring country. Providence, appa"The Lufitanian foldiers were brave rently, feeing its diffolution approach, and hardy, inured to all the hardships fent a cardinal king to give it the dying of war, fatigue, hunger, and thirft, benediction. Thus we find that ftates, which they bore with great patience in like individuals, have.their infancy, mathe hotteft climates. In the field their courage bordered on rafhnefs; their natural impetuofity could never be reftrained, even by the most rigid military dif. cipline; they were too ambitious of fignalizing their valour out of the ranks, by which they fometimes caufed their defeat, in deranging the order of battle; but when they fought in a phalanx, the enemy found them invincible.

"The riches of Afia, the relaxation of difcipline, together with the ignorance and rapacity of the governors of India, at length corrupted the manners of the foldiers, and defaced every trace of their ancient character.

"Every department of the ftate was haftening to ruin, when King Sebaftian afcended the throne; in him, as their laft refuge, were centered the hopes of the people; and the tokens of virtue and courage he had given them in the early part of his life, feemed to promife the accomplishment of their expectations: he certainly inherited a great, portion of the valour of his ancestors, though time evinced that he poffeffed but very little of their prudence. No prince was ever more enamoured with a love of fame, nor fought a more indirect road toward the attaining of it. The happiness of his people is what conftitures the real fame of every monarch; yet this was the leaft of Sebaftian's purfuit. The vain glory of excelling in arms occupied his fole atten

turity, and decline; and what is not a little remarkable of this, it commenced with a Henry, and with a Henry it expired. The firft was a hero and a ftatefman, the latter poffeffed neither of thefe qualities, nor fupplied the want of them by his wisdom.

"Philip the Second now appended the crown of Portugal to that of Spain. It had been the invariable policy of this prince, and of his fucceffors, to render Portugal fubfervient by reducing its refources, which they were carrying into effect every day, till at length the Portuguese, no longer able to bear the chains of their foreign mafters, revolted and, by their refolution and unanimity, fupplied the want of forces in cafting off their bondage; and ever fince, the kingdom is gradually advancing to profperity under its native and lawful fovereigns.

" It is evident, however, that the advancement of the country is by no means proportionate to its vaft refources; nor is the ancient military fpirit of the people yet revived. Some remains of the courage of their ancestors may ftill linger among them; but the contempt in which they hold the profeffion of arms is fufficient to extinguish every fpark of military enterprife. For feveral years. paft they have admitted officers into the regiments of infantry without talents or education, whofe ignorance multiplied abufes and relaxed difcipline. The abufe at length advanced to that degree,

tha

that officers were appointed from among gal when King Jofeph appointed Senher the domeftics of noble families. When Carvolho, afterward Marquis de Pombal, Count de Lippe was appointed com- his prime minifter. The administration mander in chief of the forces of the of this great ftatefman forms an epoch kingdom, he endeavoured to establish in the annals of Portugal. He endea the dignity of the profeffion. One day voured, and not in vain, to direct the he happened to dine with a Portuguese attention of the people to their real innobleman, who was colonel in the fer- tereft; the landholders were compelled vice; one of the fervants who attended to diminish their vineyards, and approat table was dreffed in an officer's uni- priate a third part of them to grain and form: on inquiry, he found this at- other fpecies of culture. This wife retendant was a captain in a regiment of gulation was attended with fuch falutary infantry; on which the gallant com- effects, that to this day it is confidered mander immediately rofe up and infifted one of the most beneficial acts of his. upon the military fervant's fitting at adminiftration table next himself.

"It has always been the policy of the wifeft generals to preferve a degree of honourable dignity in the army; for pride is as commendable in a foldier as humility in a prieft; but fervility and military fpirit are incompatible. This was the Count de Lippe's maxim; and fuch was his zeal for the honour of the profeffion, that he declared openly it was a difhonour to an officer not to demand, or refuse to give, fatisfaction for an offence.

"Since the reign of Jofeph the First, there has been a great change for the better, not only in the army, but in almost every other department of the ftate. When that prince afcended the throne, agriculture and manufactures were fo much neglected, that the people depended upon foreign nations for food and raiment; the arts were defpifed, and the revenues unproductive. The English, pursuant to the Methuen treaty, fupplied the Protuguese with woollen cloths, in exchange for which they were to receive the wines of the country. The encouragement held out by this treaty for the growth of wine, and the facility which long experience has given the Portuguese in that branch of hufbandry, induced the farmers to neglect the cultivation of corn, and convert their fields into vineyards; thus the grape increased in proportion as the grain diminifhed.

"This was partly the ftate of Portu

"As the natural refult of agriculture is population, he prepared employment. for the rifing generation, by establishing manufactories of different kinds; induftry thus excited, the country began to wear a new face; the merchant engroffed the trade heretofore carried on by foreigners, and the farmer fed and clothed himself and his family with the produce of his native foil,

"The Marquis' efforts, thus far crowned with fuccefs, urged him to further exertions; he endeavoured to propagate a fimilar spirit of industry among the colonifts, who had long felt the inertia of the mother country. But. knowing how vain it was to expect ei- . ther activity or induftry from a people groaning with the chains of flavery, he published an edict, whereby the inhabitants of Brazil, and of the other colonies appertaining to the crown, were to be reftored to their freedom, and to enjoy the fame immunities as the natives of Portugal. An act fo replete with justice and humanity, is fufficient to expiate many of the political fins imputed to the Marquis de Pombal, and is a lasting honour to Portugal, which was the first among the modern nations of Europe that enflaved mankind, and the first that fet the humane example of their emancipation. It was also the first that taught Europe navigation and commerce upon a comprehenfive fcale: had not Prince Henry exifted, we fhould not, probably, have ever heard of Columbus.

"It is

to

to the discoveries of the Portuguese in the old world (fays Voltaire) that we are indebted for the new." They were, in fact, the first that explored the coaft of Africa, that fuggefted the existence of the western world, and discovered the road to India. A people who have been thus early in fo many enterprifing purfaits, and exhaufted their vigour

when most of the furrounding nations were but waking from their flumber, might reasonably be allowed to take a refpite. They are now but commencing their career anew; and it must be left to time to determine whether they will ever more re-establish the once refpectable name of Lufitanians."

ON INCLOSURES.

has applied them. To feed oxen and fheep. Well: Perhaps two hundred head of cattle, and five hundred fheep, may compofe his stock. Two hundred carcaffes, to pafs through the butchers hands, will find bread for fome people through the whole year: 200 hides to the tanner, to the currier, to the leathermerchant, and to the fhoemaker; who again will find a fale for the buckle makers goods, befide the tallow-chandlers, &c.

ALTHOUGH the inclofure of But let us fee to what ufe the owner common fields will no doubt put the or occupier of thefe 500 acres of tillage land, in a way, by proper management, of producing double the quantity of food for fociety that they do in their prefent ftate, yet all this, in the estimation of found policy, will avail very little, if upon investigation it fhall be found, that inclosures, even in the smallest degree, give countenance to the introduction of fo dangerous a canker worm as that of leffening the number of our people. At first view inclofures do undoubtedly authorife fuch an idea. For, let us suppose a township that contained 500 a es of common arable fields, befide its portion of pasture to be inclosed, and the whole let to one man, who turns all the arable land into feeding pasture ground, and focks it with bullocks and fheep. Allowing five perfons to every 100 acres of tillage, the former inhabitants amounted to twentyfive perfons, but now that the land is inclofed and stocked with live ftock, five perfons will be fufficient to look after them. Here we fee twenty perfons fent adrift into the wide world, without any employment or vifible means of fubfiftence. The man who could behold this without being much affected, muft poffefs a very convenient portion of taciturnity. Thefe 500 acres are now fo far loft to the community at large, that no perfon but the proprietor and the occupier can poffibly reap any advantage from them. So far the pic ture is unquestionably gloomy, and any further, upon this fubject, the general run of philofophers do not extend their fpeculations.

VOL. LVIII.

The 500 fheep, at feven pound a fleece (3500 pounds of wool) will contribute a little to the maintenance of the wool merchant, the woollen manufacturer, the comber, carder, fpinner, weaver, tucker, dyer, colourman, dreffer, woollen-draper, taylor, and button-maker; all thefe, together with their journeymen, apprentices, families, and the refpective tradesmen which they are enabled to employ, again will partake of, and reap an advantage from thefe 500 acres, which, in a paroxifm of mistaken patriotifm, we had given up in a great meafure, as loft to the community at large. Were we to make a minute inquiry into the number of our people, that now make bread from these five hundred acres, we should probably find it to be double to the twenty-five, that it had maintained while in tillage, most of them bringing up young families in comfort, while by the taxes upon the various articles they confume, they contribute infenfibly their mite toward the neceffary expences of fupporting that government by which they are protected.

While

While the wool, hides, and tallow of exact, that the machine is still kept in the produce of these 500 acres, furnish motion: for part of the wealth acquired the various tradefmen, employed in the by the manufacturers of thefe articles, manufacturing of them, with an oppor- finds its way back to the original growtunity of getting money; nature has er of them, through the hands of the laid out the whole fyftem fo wonderfully butcher,

HISTORY OF THIRLAGE.
BY G. BUCHAN HEPBURN, ESQ.