The knowledge which he thus acquired of the regions described by him, is applied to the recent events that have agitated the same countries, when the nature of the narrative leads to such reflections; and the only remark which we have to offer respecting all these political sentiments is, that they havea one-sideness and such a leaning to the Carlist cause as in some measure to neutralize the delight, which not a few will experience in the other parts of the work. There is, however, so much that is stirring, romantic, and beautiful in the great variety of subjects discussed, and so much that is amiable, kindly, and good-humoured in the manner of the writer as to gain the favour of all readers for the publication as a whole, and to secure for it a lasting name. But we must now proceed to accompany him in his adventurous tour and diversified

encounters.

It might almost be considered indicative and symtomatic of many of the succeeding traits of the present work, that the very first notice of the voyage of the steam-packet by which the author proceeded from Portsmouth to Lisbon, mentions that two of the passengers were Mr. Wolff, the celebrated missionary, and his wife, Lady Georgiana, who were then proceeding to the Holy Land, the most romantic devotion inspiring both of them. Even steamnavigation, his lordship's fine genius invests with pleasing associations, when he states, that its rapidity of conveyance renders striking and varied scenery enchanting, "like shifting scenes on the stage," that would otherwise fatigue the sight if dwelt upon too long.

Many of our author's notices and descriptions treat of the most imaginative or gloomy superstitions that we ever found in real history. Belonging to the first sort of these popular beliefs, the reader will find a striking example connected with an old Moorish fort, not far distant from Oporto.

"There is a superstition connected with this castle, common to many of the old Moorish towers; that of the Moira Encantada, or enchanted Mooress, a superstition well known and widely credited in parts of Portugal. The peasantry believe that, although the Moorish race is extinct, the Moorish power has not altogether ceased; for that here, and in almost every tower where the Saracens once ruled with feudal sway, an enchanted Mooress still haunts the spot, and hovers round the undiscovered treasures of the castle. Last relic and representative of a departed people, and, since the dreary day of their expulsion, sole guardian of their buried wealth, she stands a link between the living and the dead; and, superior to mortal destiny, defies alike the lapse of ages, and the stroke of death. Though bound by some mysterious tie to a heathen and once hostile race, there is no fierceness in her mood of mind; there is no terror in her look; for when, at the earliest dawn of day, the light dew spangles the mountain and the rock, and again when the setting sun sheds its last melancholy glories on the Moors' untenanted abode, she is seen clad in the flowing garments of her race, leaning against some broken arch, some

ruined monument of national glory, as one who mourns, but seeks not to avenge. She shuns the glare of day, but does not fly from those who court her sometimes she weaves her spells around a favoured individual and shields him from mischance, and yields him a portion of her buried gold. It is no sin to seek a Moira; and in return for her imagined kindness and protecting care, and as if in sorrow for their fathers' cruel injuries against her Moorish ancestors, the peasantry atone for past misdeeds by present love. The wild beauty of the ruin was perhaps enhanced by this sad but pleasing legend, Aud now emerging from the defile, the river again expanded, and we passed through a succession of gentler scenes, their natural beauty heightened by the tints of the setting sun, and, still later, by the soft full light of the moon."—vol. i, pp. 104-106.

Civil war, anarchy, and some of the measures enforced by Don Pedro's policy, such as a sudden and violent invasion of popular prejudices in regard to the convents and the church, have unquestionably produced an unfavourable and degenerated character among the Portuguese peasantry. That peasantry were formerly an unsophisticated race, possessing many of the noble qualities, without the sanguinary spirit of the Spaniard. While Don Pedro's popular principles of government recognised many wise and necessary reforms, they unfortunately, among other injudicious encroachments, affected too hastily and strongly the privileges of the peers. But in some of the wilder districts of the nation, such as the Trazos Montes, modern reforms and refinements have scarcely penetrated, and while the peasantry have retained their original character, being restless, intrepid, and aspiring, or perhaps degenerated into ruffians, fidelity to their chiefs is still a prominent virtue. But this strong feeling of vassalage is sufficiently balanced by the feudal bearing of the nobles themselves, who

"Even in the bosom of their own families, and where their nearest affections are engaged, a solemn and somewhat unbending spirit marks their social habits; indeed, where the old ancestral forms are kept up in their ancient rigour, the children of the house inhabit separate apartments in the distant wings of the old rambling mansion, and, long after the period of adolescence has elapsed, receive on bended knees the blessings of their parents: they are not permitted to take their meals at the same board with their parents, and must not, in their presence remain uncovered, or even sit down without express permission. But although the familiar habits of modern life have not invaded those ancient and patriarchal halls, still, where these forms, the legacy of a primitive and wholly different age, are thus inflexibly maintained, it may be observed that the essence of the old Portuguese honour is, generally speaking, preserved equally inviolate, and the slightest falsehood or deceit is held in generous disdain.

"But however strict the forms occasionally maintained, in these antiquated establishments, between parent and child, a graduated subordination of respect appears to pervade the household; a similar homage is exacted by the children from those beneath them, and a similar state

observed. In many great families, the young lady of the house, even when she merely goes out to take the air, is preceded by the Escudeiro, or shieldbearer of the family; though he now no longer carries the shield, but only walks a few paces in advance of his charge, with a solemn and measured step, bareheaded, and holding his hat humbly in his hand. These shieldbearers, attached to noble families, were formerly, like our ancient esquires, gentlemen by birth, though for the most part greatly reduced in circumstances."—vol. i, pp. 89-91.

The author generally travelled in a manner that enabled him to deviate at pleasure from the high-roads, and to enter the most secluded paths and districts. He also often joined the peasantry, as well as every other class of the people, and thus collected, not without encountering, as we shall see, great hardships and imminent peril, much that is extremely interesting and novel as regards national habits and opinions. For example, when journeying between Oporto and Gallicia, and in the neighbourhood of Ponte de Lima, he and his servant lost their way in a pass which was so narrow that two horsemen could not ride abreast, and where the darkness was such, on account of the impending rocks and the canopy of branches and foliage that grew upon them, as to become absolute. He connects the adventure with certain notices, which nothing but a diligent inquiry and particular intercourse could furnish.

"The beautiful fictions of the poets recurred to my mind, and I almost fancied myself descending into the infernal regions. Our progress was unsafe, as the ground was covered with huge stones, and pools of water everywhere abounded. When we at length emerged from this gloomy defile, and found ourselves again in the midst of the deep forest, all indications of a track had vanished, and I was preparing to take my night's repose on the heath, when Antonio was attracted by a distant light. He reluctantly accompanied me to the spot whence it appeared to proceed; for I should here observe that a light seen at a late hour in the dark wood, or on the lonely moor, is regaded with superstitious fear by the inhabitants of these wild districts, as it is supposed to be kindled by weird women, known familiarly by the name of Bruchas, hags who maintain a direct intercourse with the great Author of evil, and hold conference with him at midnight on some dreary spot.

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As their dwellings are often distant from the scene of these impious assemblies, they acquire the power of transporting themselves to the accursed place of meeting by the most dreadful means, anointing themselves with a preparation strongly impregnated with the blood of children, and pronouncing the following potent spell- Por cima de vallado por baixo de telhado-Over the eaves and under the roofs let us go to our fate.' It is believed that any mistake in the exact formula of words is a source of the greatest danger. A man who, in ignorance of her fearful nature, had married a Brucha, is said to have seen her leave the bridal bed at midnight, and, supposing him to be asleep, perform her mystic rites, and then, pronouncing the fated words, fly up the chimney. Prompted by some strange impulse, he endeavoured to follow her example, but trans

posing the magic words, was dashed against the roofs of houses, and found on the following morning mutilated and in a dying state.

"When the sisterhood are assembled, the devil appears in the shape of an enormous goat, and receives the most degrading acts of homage; after which these women, whose personal appearance is described as very revolting, become transformed into beautiful girls, of whom the Prince of Darkness selects the fairest. A scene of frantic revelry ensues; and then the real business of the night begins, the arch-fiend enjoining them to tempt certain individuals, and instructing them in the mode best calculated to destroy their victims, body and soul.. The meeting disperses before the break of day, but woe to the traveller who chances to meet the dreadful Bruchas returning to their dwellings: for by kindling false lights they allure him from his path into imminent peril, then leave him in total darkness, and appal him by their loud and fiendish laugh.

"In spite of Antonio's apprehensions we kept the light steadily in view, and at length reached a solitary cottage. We called beneath the casement, upon which two men appeared, one of whom engaged to show us the way to Ponte di Lima; but his manner was by no means satisfactory; he required payment before he performed his task: there was much consultation between him and his companion, and hurried whispers were exchanged. Unarmed, and thinking our situation insecure, I desired him to re-enter his cottage, or lead the way immediately. He then went on; but his conduct on the road only confirmed my suspicions: for at one time he wished to leave us, and requested me to remain stationary till he returned: a modest proposition on so cold a night. By his peculiar manner, and by his conversation, which was a tissue of personal boasts, I recognised the Valentoine."-vol. i, pp. 116-118.

This last paragraph serves very conveniently to introduce the subject of most of our remaining extracts, as these are to regard the stories of banditti, and still more, the author's personal adventures and dangers. Here is some account of the Bold James of Valentia, who was, like another Rob Roy, the terror and the admiration of his native district not many years ago.

"As the real history of the famous James, or Jaimè, is a curious illustration of the state of society and manners prevalent in one of the wildest and most remote districts of Spain, I will again for a moment digress, to inform my readers of the singular kind of government which he established, and for a long time maintained, in the district subject to his authority. When I was in Jaimè's territory, poor Jaimè was, for the moment, in a situation of great difficulty and distress. He had just declared for the Royal cause, and the government of the Cortes had in consequence dispatched a considerable force against him, had driven him into a mountain, and hemmed him in by a cordon of troops. The deepest anxiety prevailed in the villages which practically acknowledged his supremacy, and which for many years had considered their allegiance to the King of Spain as secondary to that which was owing to King Jaimè.

"In one respect, however, he stood in a very different position from that in which monarchs are generally placed with reference to their subjects. He paid their taxes for them, and they repaid him by secret cooperation, an arrangement which by no means diminished their zeal in

his cause. On arriving at a Posada in one of these villages, I asked a young lad, who acted as waiter, whether Jaimè was altogether as bad as he was represented to be. Senor,' said the boy, suddenly turning round with the greatest excitement; Jaimè is a man of spotless faith and honour.' Nay, José,' said his Father, a cautious man, and naturally alarmed lest his son's unguarded zeal should have betrayed his real prepossessions to an ememy, You speak warmly, as you are wont to do on subjects wholly indifferent to you. The Senor observes justly, that Jaimè is not

so bad as he is said to be.'

'Jaimè escaped the perils which then environed him, and flourished for some time longer, the pride and terror of the district; but was finally taken and executed after a prosperous reign of nearly twenty years. He appears to have been a mixed character, possessing in a great measure the virtues and vices of a chieftain of the middle ages. He was liberal to his followers, and cruel to his enemies; but even towards them, he showed upon occasions a magnanimity worthy of the heroic age. He had a peculiar pride in protecting that portion of the population which adhered enthusiastically to his cause; he would enrich with his spoils the most devoted of his subjects; and it was said, that in some instances, where an attached couple, belonging to families friendly to his partisans, had been prevented from marrying by the want of a certain sum of money, he would remove that difficulty, bestow on the fair damsel a sufficient dowry, and suddenly appearing in his robber's dress on the evening of the marriage festival, would assist in the dance, lead down the blushing bride, imprint upon her cheek a salutation which, under the circumstances of the case, conjugal jealousy might well forgive, then resign her to the bridegroom, and disappear amid the loud applause of the delighted peasants.

"These dazzling acts, partly the sallies of a naturally generous, though ill-regulated mind, were perhaps, in a still greater degree, the result of calculating policy. By occasional acts of this kind, and by permanently, though not ostensibly, charging himself with the taxation of the neighbourhood, he established himself in the affections of the people, and became invested with a real power and security, which no mere superiority of his marauding force, either in numbers or discipline, could have long ensured. When danger drew near, he had the earliest intimation of its approach; and when it at length enveloped him in its toils, no means were left untried by his faithful subjects to facilitate his escape. He was several times hemmed in by the Government troops, who, despairing to secure their prey by any other means, formed, as they imagined, an uninterrupted circle around the place of his retreat, and determined to compel him to surrender by the slow, but sure, effects of famine. But even in these perilous circumstances he was always wonderfully assisted by the affection of his adherents, till at length, availing himself of some local and momentary negligence of the blockading troops, he broke through the line, and to the rage and surprise of the soldiers gave signs of unabated activity, by a sudden descent at the head of his men in another part of the district; seizing, perhaps, some obnoxious and amazed Alcalde, carrying him off to the mountains, and only restoring him to liberty upon the receipt of an

enormous ransom.

"These frequent escapes, when all hopes of eluding the pursuit of the