Spain.

Animals and Minerals.-Spain is remarkable for its excelle breeds of horses and sheep: and it contains various mines a gold and silver; and of copper, lead, and tin.*

-

Population. The population of Spain is very small, compare with the size and fertility of the country, being only eleven twelve millions.+

same latitudes. This is occasioned, on the coasts, by the influence the sea; and, in the interior, by the elevation of the country. T Castiles, in particular, consist of a plateau, or elevated plain; the dinary height of which, above the level of the sea, is nearly 2000 feet In the south, however, for three months of the summer, the heat very oppressive, and produces contagious distempers. Of the frus may be mentioned oranges, lemons, citrons, almonds, raisins, date

and pomegranates.

Others set

* Some of the sheep remain constantly in the same place, and housed during the winter: these have coarse wool. in the beginning of autumn, from the cool northern districts the Bay of Biscay; and, by the middle of winter, have reached th warm southern plains of Andalusia and Estremadura. After maining there for some time, they return homeward in spring; at thus, at all times, enjoy a mild and nearly uniform temperatur These sheep, which are very small, live always in the open air; a

four or five millions.

this

their wool is celebrated for its fineness.
sixteenth century, upwards of seven millions of sheep went on
It is supposed, that, in th
annual migration; but, since that time, the number has diminished
the mesta; and are composed of flocks of 10,000 each, belonging t
They constitute, collectively, what is calle
the nobility, to rich monasteries, and to other persons of
influence. The flock is subdivided into ten tribes; and each trib

power

and

is under
entire fo
is under the superintendence of one man; and there is a regular
bunal for managing the affairs of the mesta.
long felt to be highly oppressive by those who live in the line
The system has bee
movement, though a trifling compensation is paid to them by the pr
prietors of the sheep. The power of the nobles and other proprietors
however, have thus far prevented the abolition of the system.

In ancient times, Spain was celebrated for its gold and silver mines of America, they have been neglected, in consequence of the grest and supplied a great part of what was in use; but, since the discovery facility with which the precious metals are procured there.

COU

aga

chu

trem

as in

+ The scantiness of the population is supposed to arise from diffe rent causes: from contagious fevers, in the southern parts; from the frequency of intestine wars; from emigration to America; from the effect of the mesta, in causing so much of the land to be employed in pasturage; from the great number of unmarried ecclesiastics; and they from the expulsion of the Jews and Moors. mans, the population is said to have been forty or fifty millions. This In the time of the Ro statement is probably exaggerated; yet, from the great armies fur

pacit

there Dear

Navy. The army, in the time of peace, amounts to 50. The navy was formerly considerable; but it sufely during the late war, and is now small.

ent.-Before the late war, Spain was an absolute Since that time, it has undergone great changes; ot be regarded as settled at present.

re, Manufactures, and Commerce.-The agriculture ctures of Spain, though the country possesses great antages for both, are far from being in a prosperous ts commerce is very limited.

-, &c.-Spain has 24 universities; and yet literature, the arts, are in a very low state in the country.* -The established, and only tolerated religion in e Roman Catholic.t

&c.-The Spaniards are represented as being in ad and indolent, slow in their movements, solemn earance, and moderate in eating and drinking.cessively fond of bull-fights, which, however, the has latterly discountenanced.‡

Sketch.-Spain was conquered by the Carthaginians, om them by the Romans. The latter held it till the e Roman empire, when it was seized by the Vanr tribes, and divided into several kingdoms. These ed into one in 584, by Leovigild, a leader of the

n in the Punic wars, the inhabitants must have been In 1788, the number of the clergy, monks, and d to be 188,625, or one out of every fifty-four of the

on.

■niversities, the chief is Salamanca, which has some00 students. In 1785, however, their number was The system of education is said to differ little from ols before the revival of literature. The most noted in modern times, is Cervantes, the author of Don Spanish language is principally derived from the

much resembles.

ition has been long established in Spain; and in no power been exerted so cruelly and so effectually ation from the doctrine and discipline of the Romish umber of archbishops is 8, and of bishops 46.

especially in the higher classes, were formerly exand kept the females confined in the houses almost rcely ever allowing them to be seen. Even when ted to go out, they were veiled, and were guarded. ɔvernesses, who also attended them in the same caSince the accession of the Bourbon family, however, gradual relaxation, and the ladies are now allowed freedom as in Britain.

E

1

Visigoths, who made himself king. This monarchy continued till 712, when Spain was invaded by the Saracens of Barbary and it was soon all reduced under their power, except someo the northern districts. The inhabitants of these parts tinued long, with various fortune, to make war against the Sare cens, or Moors, as they were generally called; and formed son: kingdoms, the boundaries of which, by subsequent success, wer gradually enlarged. The Moors were finally conquered in 149% under Ferdinand and Isabella, who, by their marriage, and by the success of their arms, united the kingdom into one mor archy. In their reign, the Inquisition was established, a America discovered. In the reign of Philip III. in the begi ning of the seventeenth century, the descendents of the Moor were banished from the kingdom, on the pretext that they we not real Christians. By this means, Spain was deprived of million of the most intelligent and industrious of her subjects a loss which is perhaps still felt. On the death of Charles in 1701, Philip V. grandson of Louis XIV. of France, ascende the throne, and succeeded with great difficulty in maintain his claim. This prince was the first of the Bourbon, or prese reigning family. In 1808 Bonaparte seized the royal famil and placed his brother Joseph on the throne. By the exe tions of the Spaniards however, and more especially by th bravery and efforts of the British under the Duke of Welling ton, the French were expelled, and Ferdinand VII. recovere the throne of his ancestors.

th

PORTUGAL.*

Boundaries.Portugal is bounded on the north and east by parts of Spain, and on the south and wes by the Atlantic.+

an

tion

and

St.

situa

* Portugal derives its name from Porto Calle (the port Calle);
Calle, now Oporto, which was of some consequence in the time
the Romans, afterwards in the middle ages, attracted so much al
tention as to give name to the surrounding district, and at length
the whole kingdom. The name Oporto signifies simply the port;
hence is derived the name of port wine, as if Porto wine.
+ Portugal is situated between 37 and 42° 10' north latitude
and between 7° 20′ and 9° 40' west longitude.
breadth are about 360 and 120 miles respectively; and it contains
about 37,000 square miles.

Its length and

and

60,00

was d

habita

gular

house

noon.

ns.-Portugal is divided into six provinces, h their chief towns, are as follows;

-The principal islands are the Azores or slands, which lie in the Atlantic Ocean, at l distances from Europe, Africa, and Ame

-The chief seaports and bays are Oporto,
Ubes, Faro, Viana, and Tavira.
The principal capes are Mondego, Roca or
Lisbon, St. Vincent, and Santa Maria or

wns.-Lisbon, Oporto, St. Ubes.†

-The population is supposed to exceed, two, milmy, in time of war, amounts to about 30,000; and out twelve or fourteen sail of the line, and as

The commerce of Portugal is now inconsiderable, with England and the Portuguese colonies.

c.-Though there are several universities, educaeglected.

of these islands are St. Mary, St. Michael, Tercera, acioso, Fayal, Pico, Flores, and Corvo. They are y 40° of north latitude, and 30° of west longitude; 00 or 70,000 inhabitants.

tion of Lisbon is about 200,000, of Oporto about t. Ubes 12,000. In 1755, a great part of Lisbon a dreadful earthquake, and about 30,000 of the ind. The part of the city since built, is neat and reost of the old part, the streets are so narrow and the at the sun never shines on the pavement except at

produces few authors, because the number of literand even those who might be qualified to write 1 by the expense of publication, which they can

Manufactures and Commerce.-The chief manufactures of France are woollens, silks, linens, laces, hardware, cotton goods, and porcelain. Before the Revolution, the commerce of France was very extensive. During that period, however, it was nearly annihilated; but it is now beginning to recover.

Learning, &c.-France has produced many men of great talents and learning. The instruction of the peasantry, which was never well attended to, was almost entirely neglected during the revolutionary wars; and, in consequence of this, nearly two thirds of the population can neither read nor write. During the ascendancy of Napoleon, the mathematical sciences were cultivated with the utmost care, and with extraordinary suc cess.*

can be made without the concurrence of the king and both houses. The king proposes the law; but the houses have the privilege of in treating the king to propose it, and to suggest to him the points which they think it should contain. If both houses agree, the proposition is laid before the king. He may reject it, however, and in that case it cannot be again proposed during the same session.

The peers are appointed by the king, either for life, or their dignity is made hereditary, and their number is unlimited. They have a deliberative voice at thirty. The princes of the blood are peers by birth; but have seats in the chamber, only in virtue of an order from the king, each session. No deputy is admitted under forty, nor un less he pay direct taxes to the amount of 1000 livres; and no person under thirty can vote for deputies, nor unless he pay 300 livres in direct taxes. The deliberations of the peers are secret; those of the deputies public: the latter, however, may render theirs private, on the demand of five members. Judges in the courts of law are appointed by the king; and he can pardon offences, and commute punishments. Trials are conducted by juries.

of

*Before the Revolution, there were 30 universities in France; one of the principal of which, particularly in theology, was the Sorbonne, in Paris. These were overturned at the Revolution; and, after some time, a new system of education was planned, and partly carried into effect. This system was admirably fitted for the promotion science, particularly in its application to engineering, and every thing connected with military tactics; but was little calculated for the advancement of general literature. At present there are 26 universities, or, as they are called, academies. There are also 36 lycées, or royal colleges; 6 facultés, and 41 schools of theology; and, of late, many schools have been established on the systems of Lancaster and Bell. Of the distinguished men produced in France, may be mentioned Calvin, Sully, Des Cartes, Pascal, Massillon, Fenelon, Poussin, Vol taire, and Laplace; also, Corneille, Racine, Moliere, Bossuet, Bour daloue, Saurin, Fermat, Clairault, D'Alembert, Rollin, Buffon, and many others.