ALCOBAgA. 81 



very well wooded, and in many parts liigbly fertile. The 

 road was admirably constructed, though not always kept 

 in perfect repair; and we wound round the hills, and 

 occasionally resorted to zigzacjs, after true Alpine fashion, 

 in descending the steep side of the mountain which 

 separated us from the green and fruitfid valley in which 

 Alcobaya lay : indeed, the latter portion of our route was 

 through a succession of orchards and fruit trees, and amid 

 such a profusion of big chestnut trees and enormous olives 

 as we had not seen since leaving Cintra. This was no 

 more than might have been expected, for founders of 

 monasteries generally selected the most eligible spots for 

 their religious houses, and certainly the approach to 

 Alcobapa betokened the good judgment with which the 

 site of that vast abbey was chosen ; for I do not know 

 when I have seen a more rich and luxuriant and smilino- 

 scene than the beautiful valley by which we entered the 

 little town : towering above which, and conspicuous on all 

 sides from the surrounding hills, stood the great Cister- 

 cian monastery, which at one time contained a thousand 

 monks, and was notorious as the largest and probably the 

 most wealthy religious house in the world. 



We found tolerable quarters at the unpretending little 

 inn close by ; and here by the greatest good fortune we 

 chanced to meet a gentleman, who not only 'could talk 

 English fluently, but most kindly put himself at our 

 disposal, and accompanied us afterwards in our inspection 

 of the monastery ; and not content with this, drove over 

 to Batalha, when we had finished our stay at Alcobapa, 

 and spent the greater portion of a day in lionising us over 

 that magnificent structure. To him, indeed, we are in- 

 debted in great measure for the very complete and satis- 

 factory examination which we made of these two most 

 interesting buildings, and in recording the name of our 

 most obliging and courteous friend, Senhor Manoel Grimes 



a 



