1828.] ' Portugal Illustrated. 173 
Douro, near Porto, whom we have observed on our excursions up the river, 
converting stone for the line of new quay, get about three hundred reis 
for their day’s work, which commences shortly after four in the morning, 
and is continued (with three hours rest during the heat of the day) until 
beyond sunset.” Now three hundred reis are equal to one shilling and 
sixpence English ; and with eighteen-pence a day, in a country where 
meat (this is at Oporto) sells for from three-pence to four-pence a pound ; 
potatoes for two-pence a bushel ; fruit, vegetables, and “ sardinhas,” more 
than proportionably low, and a wholesome wine at about two-pence a 
bottle,—under such circumstances, so far from perceiving that the lower 
classes suffer very heavy distress and privation in Portugal, we certainly 
should be extremely well pleased if we could see every labourer in 
England placed in an equally prosperous condition. 
These errors are the errors of hasty conclusion—by no means of inten- 
tional misrepresentation ; and of a desire to speak upon every point as it 
arises, less guardedly, than decisively and with force. But there are 
some other faults in Mr. Kinsey’s book which cannot be so easily excused. 
The following passage, for instance, touching the observances of the Sab- 
bath in Lisbon, strikes us as being in as bad taste as can well be 
conceived :— 
« A saint’s day, or holyday, in Lisbon, set apart by the ordinances of man, 
it soon became obvious, is observed with every solemnity of outward appear- 
ance ; the shops being closed, and business of every kind, save that of the 
dealer in wines, as well as of the laborious Gallego and hardy muleteer, being 
universally suspended ; whilst the sacred day of rest, appointed to be hallowed 
by the express word of God himself, is openly and scandalously, and without 
exception of persons or classes amongst the Portuguese, most shamefully 
violated, under every possible circumstance of impropriety in the continuance 
of the ordinary pursuits and occupations of the week, and in the more than 
usually large assemblage of persons at the fairs, fetes, bull-fights, theatres, 
and the opera. Yet this same people, so devoted to their amusements, when 
the bell rings in the front of a church, to announce that the holy composition 
of flower and water is about to be carried in procession through the streets to 
the couch of the sick or the dying, are immediately arrested in the prosecution 
of their worldly avocations, and publicly kneel in deep devotion to the real 
presence, until the canopied priests and chaunting choristers have borne the 
Pyx out of sight.” 
It is scarcely very good judgment in a gentleman and a scholar, to 
break out into so much indignation and vituperate epithet, about a 
practice which is almost universal over the continent of Europe ; nor is 
it ever otherwise than painful to hear the minister of one religion speaking 
in angry or contemptuous terms of the usages or ordinances of another. 
It is something offensive, too, to hear “the express word of God” alluded 
to in terrorem, on every occasion when a poor man employs a portion of 
his only day of leisure, in the pursuit of pleasures, or in the execution 
of duties, which his necessary labours leave him no time for during the 
week. It is not a month ago that a member of Parliament declared in his 
lace, that, to get through the business of a certain Government office, he 
ad been constantly compelled to work for some hours on the Sundays. 
This gentleman is a baronet, and moves in high society ; he went to the 
opera on Saturday night, and did his work on the Sunday. A French 
hatter or jeweller, is compelled to reverse this course : he works on the 
Saturday night, and goes to the operaon Sunday. In another part of his 
work, Mr. Kinsey talks of “ drunken friars” in the streets of Lisbon ; and 
speaks of the sight as though it was one of common occurrence. If Mr. 
insey pledges himself—which it is difficult sometimes to decide how 
