1829.] Popery in Portugal. 47 
“ J had been to hear him preach. His sermon was against vice in general ; 
he pointed out how parents should educate their children ; he told them their 
‘daughters should wear no curls, and that little girls should not wear trowsers 
and short petticoats ; that dancing was the ruin of many young people, as it 
gave opportunities of making love, and often brought shame upon the parents 
who allowed it; and all those who encouraged these things committed great 
sin before God, which they themselves must answer for. His whole discourse 
was of this tendency. 
“ On the same evening, I met him at a party; and he sang several songs 
very cleverly, and waltzed with a young lady. 
“JT asked him, by way of joke, but publicly before the whole company, 
how he could do these things, after having said so much against them but a 
few hours before? He said, ‘ La coma la, e ca como he;’ that is, ‘ There as 
there, and here as it is.’ 
«‘ The priests go from the pulpit to all sorts of debauchery. Many people 
will say, there are respectable and pious priests and friars: that I will not 
deny. But, to be respectable and pious, they must be at least sixty years of 
age, and then you must not inquire too minutely what they have been. 
« What can be expected from a community of young men, forbidden to 
marry, living on the good things of the land, and without any thing to do? 
« The junior clergy study nothing but intrigue, and how to ruin the peace 
and happiness of thousands of families. 
* J could mention facts which I have witnessed within these last twenty 
years, that would make Englishmen turn with abhorrence from the pictures 
of villainy which may be concealed under the cloak of religion. Many of 
— facts would be scarcely credible in a country not cursed with monks and 
riars.” 
General Practice of the Monks. 
« About ten years since a respectable surgeon, living in a small town near 
Leiria, accompanied his wife to a neighbouring fair. The lady, like many 
other ladies, attracted by a display of jewellery at a stall, inquired the price 
of a gold necklace. The goldsmith, who was a well-known bad character, 
replied, ‘ The price is a kiss. The husband told him the lady was his wife, 
and civilly advised him to behave himself in a proper manner ; and nothing 
farther occurred at that time. 
« About six months after this, the goldsmith and a companion were travel- 
ling through a wood ; and, as usual when persons travel with any property, 
they were each armed with a carbine. In this situation, the surgeon unfor- 
tunately met the parties by accident; when one of the men said to the other, 
€ Let us shoot this fellow.’ The other said, ‘ No, let him go about his busi- 
ness. But the former ordered the surgeon to kneel down, which he did, and 
begged for life, but to no effect ; for the ruffian immediately fired, and lodged 
several slugs in his body, by which he fell lifeless. 
“ The wretches then dismounted from their mules, and dragged the body to 
a ditch, covering it with dry leaves. Their villainy was, however, observed 
by a peasant near the spot; but, for fear of his own life, he was at that 
moment incapable of giving any assistance to the deceased. 
“ At the moment they had buried the body of the unfortunate victim, 
another man, who heard the report, came up to the spot; when the mur- 
derers mounted their mules, and made off with all possible expedition to an 
adjacent convent, where, of course, they obtained sanctuary. 
“The two peasants, who had watched their proceedings, immediately 
went and gave information to the magistrates of the district, and officers were 
sent off in pursuit of the murderers ; but all in vain: for it was well known 
they had taken shelter in the Convent of Alcaboca, within two leagues of the 
place where the murder was perpetrated. 
“The widow of the unfortunate surgeon commenced proceedings in the 
criminal court ; and the murderers, being well known to the witnesses, were 
found guilty, though they defied justice by remaining in the convent. 
