TH

HIS city, fays he, is pretty nearly in the fame ruinous ftate, it was the day after the earthquake, in 1755; indeed, there are many new buildings carrying on, but the streets are yet in various places ftopped up by the ruins occafioned by that devaftation; which recalled to my mind the fimilar fituation in which I had feen the city of Drefden, caufed by war and fire. Lisbon is built on feven fleep hills, and the streets are very badly paved with small sharp ftones, which renders walking almoft impracti⚫ cable; and at night, as there is no kind of light in those ftreets, it would not be prudent for a ftranger to walk about alone. A few days after my arrival, an Italian was murdered and robbed among fome of the ruins.

About one fifth of the inhabitants of Lisbon confifts of blacks, mulattoes, or of fome intermediate tint of black and white.

The houfes are generally two stories high, fometimes three, with no other chimney but that of the kitchen; they are built with a kind of half marble, with iron balconies, and wooden lattices to the ground floor, but are not remarkable for architecture. Here is a Theatre for Italian operas.

The Arfenal is a very large building, though not quite finished. Slaves are employed in carrying the ftones, mortar, &c. They are condemned criminals, and are chained by the leg in pairs. Near the Arfenal is the Fift-market, which is a very commodious one, even fuperior to thofe in Holland. It is plentifully fupplied with fish, most of them unknown in England; but with neither falmon nor

cod.

and Spanish papers are in the Coffeehouses, of which two are extremely elegant, efpecially that of Cafaco, which is pannelled with looking-glaffes. diverfified with groves of orange and The country about Lifbon is agreeably lemon trees, intermixed with olive and vine-yards. The roads are bordered with aloes, which make an uncommon appearance to a native of a colder climate, when they are in flower, the ftem being then twelve or fourteen feet in height. The patriarchal church ftands on the top of

one of the feven hills on which Lisbon is built; the great altar is placed under the dome, and has a baldachino, or canopy, over it, fupported by four fpirally twilted columns of wood gilt, like that in St. Peter's at Rome.

I went on the 17th of November to the King's Palace at Belem, about five miles from Lifbon, and heard the Italian opera of Ezio performed there. The orchestra confifted of very accurate players. No Ladies,except the Royal Family,are ever admitted to this opera, neither are there any actreffes; but infiead of women, they have eunuchs dreffed exactly as women are; fo that, from the flage, they appear to be really what they reprefent. But the dancing between the acts, being likewife by men with great black beards and broad fhoulders, dreffed in female apparel, was a difgufting fight. The jealoufy of the Queen is faid to be the cause of this uncommon exhibition.

The Royal Theatre is small, and without any fide-boxes; in the pit are ten benches without backs, behind which is the King's box. All the Royal Family were present that evening. The King himself, Don Jofeph I, is a well-looking man, and is now (in 1772) fifty-eight years of age. The Queen is fifty-four years. The King's brother, Don Pedro, who is fifty-five years old, married his Majefty's eldest daughter, who has the title of Princefs of Brafil, and is thirtyeight. They have a fon of eleven years, who is heir apparent to the Crown of Portugal; hiis title is Prince of Peira: and another fon and daughter. The King's other two daughters, the Infanta Donna Maria Anna,of thirty-fix,and Donna Maria Francifca Benedicta, of twentyfix years, were alfo there, as that day was the anniverfary of the birth of the Princess of Brafil,

Thefe Ladies were without caps, neither were they painted, but were ornamented with a great number of jewels. The opera began at feven and ended at ten,and during the whole performance the

LI

moft

most strict filence was observed by the audience, who, between the acts rofe and flood with their faces towards the Royal Family. Any well-dreffed men are admitted gratis to this fpectacle.

The Palace of Belem is a very mean wooden edifice, and has nothing worthy of remark neither on the outfide nor in the infide. There is not fo much as a fingle picture from any of the Italian fchools in the whole kingdom of Portugal. What few pictures there were formerly in Lisbon were deftroyed by the earthquake. Near the Palace of Belem is a pillar erected with an infcription, importing, that this is the fpot whereon the late Duke of Aveiro's Palace ftood; he was executed for having fhot at the King in 1759, and the Palace was erafed. The building of the church, of which the King laid the first stone, on the spot where his Majefty was fhot at, is difcontinued; the walls are carried on only to a few feet in height, indeed there are churches enough already.

Strolling one day about Lisbon in fearch of new objects, I was witnefs to an uncommon fcene, which was of two men fitting in the ftreet, having each of them a large baboon on his fhoulders, freeing his head from vermin, with which it swarmed. The baboons were very dexterous, and are the property of a man, who gains his livelihood by thus employing them, exacting a vinten, or about three halfpence, per head, for cleansing it. It is very common to fee numbers of people fitting in the fun, with their heads in each others laps alternately, having their retinue abridged. They feem indeed to be the loufieft people I know of, especially in the women, who have an enormous quantity of hair. This dirtinefs, however, is only to be imputed to the lower clafs of people.

I made enquiry about the state of the Portuguese navy and army, and was in formed that the latter confifted of 38 regiments of foot, of 821 men each, including officers; and of twelve regiments of cavalry, of 400 horfe to each. The horfes are of different fizes and colours, and make a very uncouth appearance. The navy confifts of 11 men of war and 4 frigates. Four of thefe veffels are commanded by British captains; in the army are likewife a great number of British Officers, who are moftly Proteftants and Scotchmen.

It is very difficult to afcertain the number of inhabitants in Lisbon. The different foreign factories are not numbered with the natives. The English factory

alone is computed at fix hundred fouls. The Dutch and German factories confift alfo of a very great number of perfons. In 1739,4 , Antonio de Oliveria Freire, in his Chorographical Description of Por tugal, attributes no less than 800,000 inhabitants to Lifbon. In 1754, the atteftations fent to Rome, in order to procure bulls, affigned 600,000 inhabitants to the metropolis.

The earthquake, which happened the following year, is faid by fome to have deftroyed 15,000 perfons, by others 24,000, and by others 70,000; indeed, it is impoffible to calculate this lofs exactly, which, however great, is at prefent not fenfibly perceived. I fhould imagine Lifbon may with propriety_be claffed with the first-rate cities in Europe for fize and populousness, and poffibly may be ranked as the fourth, the other three being London, Paris, and Naples.

The English Factory has a buryingground in one of the fkirts of the city, planted with walks of cypress-trees, under which are the graves, where I had the mortification to see many marble monuments with long, pompous, flattering infcriptions, erected to the memory of fome of the merchants, their wives, and their children; whilft the great Author of Tom Jones is here interred, without even a ftone to indicate, that 'Here lies Henry⚫ Fielding.'

St. Anthony of Padua was formerly the Generaliffimo of the Portuguese army; his appointments were 300,000 reis, or 841. 7s. 6d. per annum; but lately the Count de la Lippe fupplied the Saint's place, and, a year ago, as the Count is retired to his eftate in Germany, a Scotch Gentleman, of the name of Maclean, was appointed General in Chief, and Governor of Lisbon. This Gentleman, who has been in the Portuguese service fince the year 1763, was formerly governor of Almeida, and the whole province of Beira, and is, in every refpect, worthy of the high dignity to which he is raised, The British officers here have the fame pay as in the English fervice, which is double that of the Portuguese.

The ladies here ride on burros, or jackaffes, with a pack faddle. A fervant attends them with a fharp stick, to make the beast go fafter, when neceffary: If it goes too faft, he ftops it by pulling it by the tail. Gentlemen ride on horses, fervants on mules, as likewife do those Phyficians who have no carriages.

A new public walk is now planting at Lifbon; at one end is a profpect of the

gallows,

gallows; and at the other end is the Hotel of the Inquifition. I am happy in informing my readers that the power of this infernal tribunal is very much diminished, and that no person has suffered death on areligious account, during thefe laft fourteen years, either in this kingdom, or that of Spain, Auto de Fe's being quite abolished, though the Inquifition may poffibly be yet ufed as a State-trap, in order to fqueeze some of the over-rich.

The drefs of the men, among the common people, is a large cloak and flouched hat; under the cloak, they commonly wear a dagger, though that treacherous weapon is prohibited: The blades of fome of thefe will trike through a crown piece. The women wear no caps, but tie a kind of net-work filk purfe over their hair, with a long taffel behind, and a ribband tied in a bow-knot over their fore-heads. This head-drefs they call redecilla, and it is worn indiscriminately by both fexes. The London caricatures of Macaroni hair-clubs are not at all exaggerated, when applied to the Portuguefe. The Gentry drefs intirely in the French fashion. The ladies wear very large and heavy pendants in their ears: The fleeves of their gowns are wide enough to admit their wafte, which, however, feldom exceeds a span in dia

meter.

Large nofegays are much in fashion with the fair fex among the Portuguefe. A very erroneous notion concerning them and the Spanish Ladies prevails in England; we are apt to imagine that they are inclined to gravity and referve, whereas, in reality, one ought to adopt Voltaire's opinion of the Ladies of the fouthern countries. He says thofe in the northern climates have milk in their veins, whereas thefe have quick-filver in theirs. By this expreffion mercury, in a medical light, is not to be understood, but that they are as volatile as that mineral. I never met with women more lively in any part of Europe; they are perpetually dancing, finging, laughing, and talking, and are fprightly and vivacious in the highest degree.

Towards the latter end of January I had determined to fet out for Oporto, but I deferred my journey a few days, in order to be prefent at a fingular execution, which was that of a man to be burnt alive. He was condemned for ftealing the plate and vestments out of a church, and afterwards firing it, to conceal the theft. He had been a year in prifon, and was dragged from thence to the church be had burnt, tied by the legs to the tails

of two horfes; but the Friars of the Mifericordia had placed him on an ox's hide, fo that he did not fuffer much. Before the church was fixed a stake with a feat, on a scaffold elevated about fix feet, under which faggots, torches, pitchbarrels, and other combuftible materials were placed. The scaffold was environed by a regiment of cavalry, behind which ftood moft of the Monks of Lisbon, who had joined in the proceffion. He was fastened to the stake at half an hour paft five, and fire put underneath the fcaffold. In five and twenty minutes all was redu ced to afhes. The rope which tied his neck to the ftake was foon burnt, and then his body fell into the fire. He was probably stiffed with the fmoak before the flames reached him: The fire afterwards penetrated between his ribs, which were fhortly confumed. This fpectacle was very tremendous and awful. It was dark before the fire was put to the scaffold: Each of the cavalry had a torch in his hand, and the multitude of spectators were innumerable.

Their Majefties go a hunting every day, especially after wolves and wild boars. The Queen is very courageous on horfe-back, and, as I was informed, rides in boots and leather breeches, and is moreover extremely expert at her gun.

1, having procured every thing ready for my departure, proceeded from Lisbon on the 30th January, 1773; and, paffing through Villa Franca, Otta, Batalkha, Leyria,and Villanova, arrived at Oporto, on the 9th of February following.

Oporto, and its fuburb Villanova, are each built on a hill, with the river Douro between them; a fituation much refembling Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and its fuburb Gateshead. There is no bridge over the Douro, because, when the fnows melt. on the mountains, that river overflows its banks, and lays the lower part of the city under water, fometimes twelve or fourteen feet, running at the amazing rate of fixteen miles an hour, and carrying all veffels to fea, many of which are loft on the fands, or beat to pieces against the

fhores.

fon. From the upper terrace is one of the finest profpects imaginable, equalling that from Mount Edgecombe, near Plymouth. To the eaft is the city of Oporto, with Villanova, which, by being fo near, are very diftinctly difcovered. To the weft, the fea, diftant about two miles, with the mouth of the river, and thips.continually entering into and failing out of the harbour, form a moving picture, the river itself running in a ferpentine courfe, not far from the foot of the hill on which the garden ftands; the oppofite fhores being mountains covered with vines, and numbers of the like fmall country-houses, in the invirons, (though inferior in point of fituation to this inexpreffibly pleasing retreat) enliven the scene.

The chief article of commerce in this city is wine. Twenty thousand pipes are yearly exported. The coft is about 10l. or 121. each. Eighty thousand are the ufual annual produce, fo that three fourths are confumed in the country. The merchants here have very fpacious winevaults, fome of which are capable of holding fix or feven thoufand pipes. The inhabitants of half the shops in the city are coopers, who fell their casks at about a moidore each.

Hiftories of the Tete-a-Tete annexed; or, Memoirs of Theatricus and Mifs L-y. N this country, which is fo peculiarly

first-rate theatrical critic; and was with the late Mr. Ch―y, thought to confitute what was called the town. Indeed, in a great measure, the fuccefs or failure of a new piece, or a young actor depended upon their decifion. The circle furrounded them after the reprefentation, and caught with greedy ears, their fentence, which was echoed, as the test of judgment, to every part of the town: in a few minutes it was conveyed to both the George's coffee-houfes, and from thence made its way, east and weft with much rapidity.

This fondnefs for dramatic reprefentations induced him to become a Renter, whereby he laid out a fmall fum to advantage, and had the freedom of the house in any part; from this time he was a conftant auditor in the boxes, and it was as certain to meet with Theatricus at Covent Garden, as it was to find the prompter behind the scenes. From his frequent attendance at dramatic exhibitions, he began feriously to think himself a judge of writing and acting, and would fometimes teftify his difapprobation too warmly. He had taken a particular diflike to the late Mr. Gibson, and never failed hiffing him whenever he came upon the stage; (the man was hurt as an actor, though far from being a celebrated one). He remonftrated to Theatricus upon the cruelty of injuring him in

it is not wonderful that we thould find an inexhaustible fource for these hiftories, especially as the tender paffion is the most univerfally implanted in every breaft; from the throne to the cottage it invariably prevails, and though it may actuate the human mind different ways, according to the refinement in our mode of thinking and delicacy of fenfation, yet the paffion is the fame; and whether expreffed by the peer, in all the elegance of polite language, or uttered by the ruftick, in the native garb of fimplicity, it is equally understood by the female to whom it is revealed.

Theatricus (for fo we fhall call our prefent hero) is of a noble family, and enjoys an ample fortune. From his infancy he had a ftrong attachment to the drama; at fchool he played feveral parts with uncommon fuccefs, and was the Rofcius of his academy. After quitting his ftudies, and attaining the age of maturity, he was a conftant attendant at the playhoufes, never failing to be prefent at a new play or pantomime, or at the first reprefentation of a new actor. He was confidered, at the Bedford, as a

ear to his remonftrances, it is faid, Gibson made ufe of fome menaces that induced Theatricus to fupprefs his hiffes for the future: indeed, according to the GreenRoom chronicle, this was not the only time he was brought to reafon, from the gentlemen upon the boards; and there is an anecdote of his throwing an apple at a certain comedian, which does him no great honour.

He entertained fo ftrong a penchant for a playhouse, that in order to folace himfelf during the vacation at the houses, he had a miniature theatre built for him at his country-house, where he himself performed pantomimes with puppets, for the amufement of himself and his friends.

However attached to dramatic performances, let it not be imagined that all his paffions centered. in a theatre; he was of an amorous complexion, and his frequent intercourfe with the actreffes behind the fcenes, led him into fome amours that afforded a double gratification; to fold in his arms a Cleopatra or a Juliet, was the fummit of blifs, it united every pleasing idea that his heart could fuggeft, But thefe tranfient connexions foon