As a relic I detached a piece from the chain: some of the party who had joined in the theft felt very uneasy until they had left Cintra, and I really believe, had the Portuguese discovered it, we should have been considered as sacrilegious persons, and have been treated accordingly.

The next apartment into which we were led, was that in which Alphonso the VI had been confined by his brother for some time; a path was worn in the bricks of the floor, over which this unfortunate prince had constantly paced, in revolving plans of escape, or in brooding over his afflicting sorrows.

The next curious chamber into which the ladies conducted us was remarkable for the singular paintings on the ceiling, which was full of crows; from the beaks of each of which hung ribbons, and on all of them were painted the words por bem, which one of our female cicerone's thus elucidated:-" A certain king of Portugal was violently in love with one of the ladies of the court, and the queen unfortunately surprised him one day on his knees making love to her; she said nothing, but left the room, and took an opportunity, whilst the king was hunting, of having the ceiling metamorphosed in the manner I have described; explaining to her royal consort "that the birds were witnesses of his actions, and that whenever the queen inquired of them, they answered her por bem"-"that they all tended to something good." This was certainly prudent and sensible on her part, to place the censurable actions of the king in a conspicuous light to himself, and at the same time to express the confidence she had in him, in taking for granted, that whatever he did it was for the best: we may say with Horace:

"Durum: sed levius fit patientia

Quicquid corrigere est nefas.”

On Sunday I attended mass in Cintra in a very respectable looking chapel, in the neighbourhood of the palace; the scene was very solemn; during the ceremony nearly fifty peasants entered the middle aisle of the chapel and commenced their devotions; their singular but uniform dress, with their long hair flowing over their shoulders, with a staff in one hand and the other employed in beating their breasts, each being in unison with the other, imparted a degree of solemnity which was very gratifying:

with the females I was not so well pleased; they were aware of strangers being present, and manifested a degree of anxiety, that their manner of performing the devotions should excite our attention: this brought forcibly to my mind, a couplet in Young's Love of Fame, where he says,

"When ladies once are proud of praying well,

Satan himself will toll the parish bell."

I have seen, by the by, a few instances of this in our own country, but I must confess with pleasure they are rare.

Near Coulares, about four miles from Cintra, to which the ride is remarkably beautiful, is the quinta of dom Jozé de Dias, a very handsome and romantic place, the garden of which is formed in a peculiar style, commencing at the foot of a hill, and continuing to its very summit, whereon there is a watchtower, whence there is a most superb prospect of the sea of Mafra at the distance of sixteen miles, and of the chain of hills on which are the fortifications.

In the neighbourhood of this place is Penha Verde, the seat of dom Joao de Castro, a descendant of the celebrated donna Ines de Castro, who also lived there. In the gardens belonging to this place, were planted the first orange trees that were imported into this country from India.

Returning to Cintra we had an opportunity of seeing marshal Beresford; he was on horseback and attended by his guards; the general is a tall fine looking man, and dresses in the Portuguese uniform; his discipline is remarkably strict, and indeed never was there greater occasion for it among any people, than there is at present among the Portuguese. He has not unfrequently torn off the epaulets of his officers, which conduct, you may well suppose, makes him rather unpopular, and particularly among the haughty young nobility: as a disciplinarian he is great. At present he resides in the palace of the marquis de Marialva, where the famous convention was held.

Of the village of Mafra, where so superb a palace stands in haughty preeminence, I must say, I never was, in the whole course of my life, in such a miserable and poverty stricken place. With much difficulty we got a little dish of ham and eggs, and that procured at the intercession of a Scotch officer: every thing

around denoted the poverty and the misery of the inhabitants; a lazy, lounging set of beings; to whom an improvement of condi. tion would not, in their minds, compensate them for the trouble and exertion it might occasion.

The royal convent of Mafra, with its palace, church, &c. covering nearly eight hundred feet square, is a most magnificent structure: it is the escurial of Portugal: it was erected by king John the 5th, in fulfilment of a promise he had made to the friars of the order of St. Francis in case he should have an heir; for which event they offered incessant prayer. It is constructed of freestone, and the front is much ornamented with white marble; white it once was, but now many of the columns are quite black, and the aspiring moss has here found a surface whereon it may lie undisturbed, save by the hand of the inquisitive traveller. The monastery has accommodated between ten and twelve thousand soldiers; an immense establishment, you will say, for a body of idle friars, who had much better be employed in active benevolence, among their fellow creatures, or in defending their country in its present hour of trial. There are nearly four hundred cells in this convent, and in the whole pile of buildings are eight hundred and twenty apartments. The audience chamber is a fine room, the ceiling of which is ornamented with allegorical paintings: on the walls, the passions are well represented, and there are some superb imitations of basso relievo, done in chalk. The library now contains about 28,000 volumes, the French having robbed them of many rare and valuable books.

We observed two niches vacant: Alphonso de Albuquerque and Juan de Castro were once there; the French carried them as far as Caluz, and there were obliged to leave them.

The church is very sumptuous, containing eleven costly altars, enriched with every thing that is splendid; in each altar are four marble statues, exquisitely polished; the whole interior of the church is of marble of various hues and finely carved, and the dome is ornamented with roses of marble, vying with nature in the brilliancy and delicacy of its colours. Many of the gates inclosing the altars are of brass, very high and much ornamented. Added to all this, and much more that I do not recollect, are seven organs, splendid beyond description, and of the finest

tones I ever heard: judge of the effect of all these organs in full

concert.

In the central cupola, you are enchanted with the most delightful music from 114 bells, playing by machinery; a very curious thing and very ingenious.

Fifty-eight statues of saints are presented to your view on entering the central hall of the palace; many of them are colossal, of parian hue, and of exquisite workmanship: This palace, &c. was building twenty years, and employed fifteen thousand four hundred and seventy workmen. The consecration is said to have been very magnificent; it continued for eight days, during all which time the king and court served the clergy, even to the lowest friars.

I have lately met with a book describing every thing relative to it; it is in the Portuguese language, and I have not yet examined it: it shall be preserved for our mutual inspection:

Returning home, we were shown, near Cintra, a very handsome quinta, belonging to one of the princesses of Portugal: in this house Junot resided for some time, and took the liberty of making it a present to the marchioness de Niesa, whom he carried to France, after having most generously found the marquis employ in Brazil:

"Fœcunda culpæ sæcula, nuptias

Primum inquinavere, et genus et domos.

Hoc fonte derivata clades

In patriam populumque fluxit."

And Juvenal informs us that vice in his time had arrived to such a height, that posterity, however willing, would not be able to add any thing to it: this I shall be disposed to allow, but must remark, that were another Juvenal to arise, he might content himself with constant employment in this good city of Lisbon.

Although my person be at a great distance from you, my thoughts and affections are constantly with you. I may compare myself" to the finger of a clock, which runs the great circuit, Adieu!

but is still at home."

Affectionately yours,

B.

ORIGINAL LETTERS OF GENERAL GREENE.

HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS, PHILADELPHIA.

SIR,

Philadelphia, November 1, 1780.

THE impossibility of employing an army to advantage, in winter operations, without being clothed, makes me very anxious to try every way and means to provide for the southern army, as it is more than probable the troops will be out all winter.

To take men into the field without clothing, is doing violence to humanity, and can be attended with nothing but disgrace, distress, and disappointment; and congress will be burthened with all the expense of a well-appointed army, without the least advantage from their service: for I am persuaded the expense of the hospital department will nearly equal that of the clothier's; sustaining, besides, the loss of a great number of valuable soldiers.

Young troops that are hastily drawn together, and who have been accustomed to all that domestic indulgence which prevails among the inhabitants of this country, are altogether unfit to be exposed to a winter campaign, even in the southern states, without being clothed; and I am well persuaded that all such as shall be called into the field, without clothing, will, before they have performed a month's service, be transferred from the army to the hospital. To avoid this evil, as well as put the southern army in a condition to contend with the enemy, upon an equal footing, I beg leave to propose engaging the merchants of this city to furnish five thousand suits of clothing for the troops, which they will agree to provide, and have in readiness in one month from this time, and will also agree to take bills on France in payment.

The object is so important, and the necessity so great, I am persuaded no arguments are necessary to induce congress to adopt the measure, if it can be done consistent with the general interest of these states.

I had a meeting with some of the principal merchants of this city yesterday upon this business, and have taken the liberty to suggest this mode of providing clothing, from an earnest desire that the troops which are to be under my command may put in a condition to be as extensively useful as possible.

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