168 Portugal Illustrated. [Aveusr, 
man out of the whole number but possessed his bible and prayer 
book,” he arrives without meeting any mischance—or making any dis- 
covery—in his fifty-sixth quarto page, at Lisbon. Here, on landing, he 
is a good deal surprised and displeased (as a travelling gentleman no 
doubt ought to be) with all the useless mummery of passport compari- 
son, and custom-house examination ; “ they manage these things far bet- 
ter under the pure constitutional atmosphere of dear old England.” After 
a time, however, he consoles himself by the patriotic reflection, that these 
impertinencies, taking place while the British troops (General Clinton’s 
force) ave actually stationed in Lisbon, form a triumphant answer to the 
French insinuation of British influence prevailing in the Portuguese coun- 
cils; and, being on shore, “ after two or three trips and stumbles in 
consequence of the bad state of the packet stairs,” is conducted to his 
hotel in the Rua do Prior ; in his way to which, he encounters “ heaps 
of disgusting filth,” “friars,” “ dogs,” and “ the carcase of a horse 
which had fallen down [on] the preceding night, and was already ex- 
hibiting proofs of the rapid way in which the Egyptian plague of flies 
effects its work” in Portugal. In the same early stage of his progress 
too, it is his fortune to be made aware of the truth of the relations of 
former tourists, “ with respect to the horrifying exposure in the crowded 
streets, by beggars, of limbs in every stage and under every character 
of disease ;” and on asking for “ flowers to refresh his offended senses,” 
under such circumstances, receives an immediate proof of the poverty 
of the land, for none are to be procured. After which preliminary 
details, come the traveller’s “ Illustrations’ of the city of Lisbon ; which 
begin (we hardly know whether from the novelty or the importance of 
the topic) with an account of a visit to “the theatres.” Almost all 
that is done here is trite and bad. The observer seems to set out with the 
false impression, that it will be right for him to blame every thing— 
which it is neither reasonable nor necessary (upon five minutes acquaint- 
ance) that he should do: and that “ effect” is to be produced, by ridiculing 
every thing—which he is wholly devoid of the power to do. Moreover, he 
changes his style of description aukwardly and needlessly every ten 
minutes from the “ I” to the “ we,” and vice versa: speaks very far too 
frequently upon slender, and often upon mere hearsay information: and, 
upon almost every point worth dwelling for three lines upon, favours 
the reader with three pages from the work of some previous writer ; 
whose observations may, perhaps, be well deserving attention, but 
whose work is before the public—in print—already ; and as well known 
to the world as the “ Illustrations of Portugal” are likely to be. To 
begin, however—as we have premised—with the visit to the theatres :— 
“We have visited the two national theatres, the one denominated ‘ do 
Salitre,’ and the other, which is of larger dimensions, and of an oblong shape, 
in the ‘ Rua dos Condes,’ both of which are dark from filth and neglect, and 
in neither did we consider the pieces represented, to be at all above the lowest 
degree of mediocrity ; while the frequent obscenity of the allusions made, 
gave us no very favourable opinion of the delicacy and purity of the Portu- 
guese drama. In the neighbourhood of the first theatre there is a walk, 
planted with rows of trees, which, by the bye, at this season, are obliged to be 
trenched around, and watered every morning and evening to preserve their 
verdure from the burning rays of the sun; but it is both small and confined, 
and in no respect would serve as an agreeable place of resort, even did the 
retiring habits of the Portuguese permit them to indulge in the taste for a 
public promenade. , 
