LISBON. 37 



that I know no other people who delight, on all occasions, 

 to assert their pretended superiority, not only by a loud 

 and boisterous free and easy tone, at every opportunity, 

 but by positive rudeness and studied impertinence : and 

 that this is no exceptional character, appertaining to but 

 a few individua,ls, but general throughout the nation, I 

 have a veryAlecided opinion, an opinion, too, confirmed by 

 a second and recent journey through Spain. 



Now to all this tlie Portuguese character is an exact 

 contrast: indeed, I know no nation which recommends 

 itself to the stranger so much at first sight as this re- 

 markably civil, obliging, respectful, deferential race. Not 

 indeed by aiiv J^yperbolic phrases or extravagant pre- 

 tensions, as when the Spanish noble puts his palace and 

 all its contents at your disposal, without the slightest in- 

 tention of bestowing on you one single maravedi; but I 

 have invariably found that the Portuguese, of all classes, 

 will at every opportunity undergo any trouble, take any 

 pains, submit to real inconvenience, to show a kindness to 

 the stranger, while there is not to be found throughout the 

 country any of that false pride, that hateful hauteur, that 

 abominable assumption, which prevail to so great an ex- 

 tent across the border. These, it is true, are but super- 

 ficial and inferior traits of character, but as, on the one 

 hand, they are very apparent to the traveller, so, on the 

 other, they form a tolerably correct index of wliat is more 

 hidden from view. Thus the Portuguese is not only far 

 more truthful, from having no cause for concealment and 

 no desire of self- laudation, but he is far more open and 

 honest, less liable to take offence, and consequently less 

 vindictive. As we journeyed through the country we saw 

 little disposition to impose on the foreigner, though tins 

 iT!.ay probably be in some measure due to the rare ap- 

 pearance of the foreigner amongst them. As regards their 

 religious feelings, I do not think that I am in a position to 



