NARRATIVE. 175 



triumphed in the change, and mahgnantly sneered at all those 

 who would before have restrained their rapacious power ; the 

 higher classes waited on the Governor with respectful obedience, 

 and those who lamented the loss of their constitution, mingled 

 with the rest, and after making their bow, quietly retired to their 

 homes, wisely considering, that the few could not withstand the 

 many, and it was useless to excite a hopeless struggle. 



The despotic feelings of the new government were quickly 

 manifested. The suspected were seized, and dragged to wretched 

 prisons. The editor of the Patriota Fxmchaleme, a man of 

 amiable feeling and deportment ; and the most celebrated lawyer 

 of the place, although a priest, were among the first victims, and 

 were in suspense concerning their fate when we quitted the 

 island, the health of both, impaired from confinement and the 

 unwholesome dungeons into which they had been plunged \ 

 Depositions were taken, without searching into the characters of 

 the witnesses ; false oaths seemed trifles, when old women or 

 young boys had any spite to gratify ; the accused were not con- 

 fronted with their accusers; a few notes of the constitutional 

 hymn, falling from the lips of some thoughtless bullock-driver, 

 were punished with imprisonment ; some did not await their 

 sentence, but poisoned themselves in despair ; and no man dared 

 to look his neighbour in the face, fearing his eyes might betray 

 sentiments which his tongue dared not utter. The mildness 

 moderation, and gentlemanly feeling of the Governor, lessened the 

 horrors of persecution, and no capital punishment took place while 

 we remained ; but (what was thought to be equally shocking) an 

 auto da fe was made in the market-place, of the acts of the 



"•The editor of the Patriota Funchalense has since been banished to Terceira, but 

 the poor lawyer would have had much more to encounter in his exile to Angola, had 

 he not, by dint of great activity, hardihood, and talent, succeeded in getting his 

 sentence repealed. 



