EVORA. r.7 



letter of introduction from jNIr. Fenn. Unfortunately Dr. 

 Mauoel Villosa was absent from Evora, but I foimd two 

 sub-librarians, busily employed in making' a catalogue of 

 tlie books; and as they most kindly left their occupation 

 and conducted me round the library, pointing out every- 

 thing worthy of notice, and bringing out all the treasures 

 one by one for my examination — as, moreover, one of them 

 possessed some knowledge of French, I had no cause to 

 regret the absence of the chief librarian ; and certainly 

 nothing could be more courteous and civil than my two 

 attendants, who grudged neither time nor trouble in my 

 behalf, but for above an hour devoted themselves to gTa- 

 tifying my curiosity by exhibiting the valuables they had 

 in charge. The pictures, of which there is a large collec- 

 tion, are, with very few exceptions, but wretched daubs, 

 and though many have been attributed to the Portuguese 

 painter of chief renown, I might almost say the only Por- 

 tuguese painter of any renown. Gran Vasco, my conductors 

 assured me that the library did not possess a single speci- 

 men by that artist; to which they laughingly added that 

 every picture in Portugal was generally attributed to 

 Gran Va,sco, though in reality very few of his paintings 

 exist. One treasure alone they considered a gem, and 

 even that they hesitated to designate a Guercino ; but it 

 is undoubtedly a very beautiful picture, and quite in the 

 style of that master : the subject represents our blessed 

 Lord bearing the Cross. Of the rest, portraits form by 

 far the majority : portraits of kings and princes of Por- 

 tugal ; portraits of Archbishops of Evora ; portraits of 

 saints and of monks of every order and in every habit ; 

 and all of true Portuguese type of feature and face. 

 Amongst others, one looked with interest on the portrait 

 of the famous Pombal, than whom no man has ever been 

 more execrated on the one side and extolled on the other ; 



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