38 



afforded them liberal allowances that they might visit the most 

 enlightened nations of Europe*. 



The character of the Faculty of Philosophy was well sustained 

 in the literary world, it maintained an active intercourse with the 

 most eminent foreign academies, so that the Portuguese name, 

 formerly so distinguished for bold nautical enterprises and pro- 

 found geographical science, (at a time when all Europe, except 

 Italy, was plunged into barbarism), again arose to notice, after so 

 many years of disgraceful indolence. 



Among the eminent Professors may be named Dr. Joao An- 

 tonio Monteiro, whose profound knowledge of Mineralogy obtained 

 for him the praise of Hatty, and Dr. Sobral, a zealous chemist ; 

 but he incurred the dislike of the Erench, who set his house on 

 lire and thus destroyed his unpublished manuscripts. Dr. Bar- 

 jona was another able chemist ; he maintained, in his • Thesis,' 

 the compound nature of water, several years before its analysis by 

 Lavoisier. This philosopher was also Professor of Mineralogy and 

 Zoology, and by his labours the objects in the Museum of the 

 University were classified and named, and a complete catalogue 

 of the whole collection was drawn up. 



Among the Botanists we may mention Dr. Antonio Jose das 

 Neves, author of a small work entitled " Circa Stipa, avenacece, 

 aristam, atque Cinchonam braziliensem et alias Observationes." 

 He was expelled from the Chair of Botany and the care of the 

 Botanic Garden in 1834, and died in the following year. He 

 was highly esteemed by Brotero, and since his expulsion the Bo- 

 tanic Garden has fallen into complete neglect f. 



This notice of Brotero is translated and abridged from an account of his life 

 hx .Senhor Gusmao, and published in his » Mevista Xittenirm ' of Oporto (No. 83, 

 1843). The reform alluded to was introduced by the celebrated Marquis of 

 Pombal, and earned into operation under his auspices by the Italian Naturalists 

 \ andelli and Dalla Bella. The Faculty of Philosophy includes what we under- 

 stand in England by the term Natural History, when taken in its most extensive 

 Signification* That the reform was absolutely necessary is proved by the fact 

 that, down to the reform of Pombal, physical science was nearly unknown in the 

 I niversity of Coimbra, and the Professors lectured on substantial forms and ab- 

 solute accidents. 



t In 1836 the University of Coimbra, in a Keport presented to the Legislative 

 Chambers, informs us that " the Botanic Garden, which had been once flourishing, 

 has suffered great decay, which impeded the teaching of Botanv, and that it was 

 almost ruined during the usurpation (of Don Miguel)." The truth is that Dr. 

 Neves and his able gardener, before their expulsion, delivered over to Dr. Ban- 

 deira and Marques, all the objects in the garden, and the inventory shows that a 

 great many plants had been added. After the dismissal of Leite, the intelligent 

 gardener, an inefficient person was substituted, who brought everything into con- 

 fusion. When the establishment was committed to Dr. Jose de Sa, he wished 

 to discharge the incapable man and recall his predecessor, but this could not 



