1828.] Portugal Illustrated. 179 
sovereign as the Portuguese thought their honour concerned in allowing 
themselves only to be governed by. But the real question of despotism 
or constitutional freedom, has been lost sight ef—not tried or argued— 
in this contest. It has been silent and in abeyance while a stronger 
influence ruled men’s minds for the imstant ; when order is restored, and 
something like tranquillity, we shall begin to hear of it again. The 
cause of liberty and reform is “ hearted” in the country. There are 
classes who perceive they have an interest in its success; and who 
cannot resist, if they would, the temptation of aiding it wherever they 
see the opportunity. Its progress may be slow ; for it is opposed by 
deep seated prejudices, and powerful vested interests ; and the character 
of the people even among whom it will best make its way, is timorous 
and procrastinating. But it is infatuation to believe that the accession 
of Don Miguel, (a weak, and notwithstanding his election, unpopular 
prince,) to the sovereignty, will put an end to a spirit, which has never 
ceased to exert itself since the termination of the French war. And in 
fact, the very vices and fooleries which so abundantly adorn his majesty’s 
character, amount to so many pledges for its speedy and prosperous 
re-exhibition. 
The few notices given by Mr. Kinsey of the reception or conduct of our 
troops, at Lisbon, are trifling and contradictory. In one place, he com- 
plains—*« Our (the English) officers are openly insulted in the streets by 
the muleteers ; and it is useless for them to make any complaint.” Now 
it is hardly twenty pages back that we had a recollection—one of the 
first that follows the author’s arrival—of a totally opposite character :— 
* At the moment we landed at the foot of the packet-stairs, a ludicrous 
instance of the infliction of summary punishment occurred, which afforded us 
great amusement. Some quarrel, it would seem, had arisen between some 
native boatmen and a party of our jolly tars, who were waiting to take an 
officer off to his ship. The Portuguese had the temerity to strike one of the 
British seamen with an oar, when the whole boat’s crew jumped aboard the 
Lusitanian, and trundled the Portuguese party into the water—a case of no 
unusual occurrence, as we afterwards learned.” 
There is another story about the robbery of an English officer, by 
some Portuguese thieves, which the gentleman concerned will scarcely 
thank Mr. Kinsey for relating :— 
“ Tt was only a few nights since that a young English officer, who had 
lately joined his regiment in Portugal, and was returning home on his best 
horse from the opera, and in his dress regimentals, was stopped near Sacavem 
by four Malereados, (supposed to be expatriated Constitutionalists from 
Spain,) and robbed of every thing but his shirt and pocket-handkerchief, with 
which the brigands bound his hands, and then left him to his fate. A shrug of 
the Intendant’s shoulders was a sufficient proof that either he could not or 
would not effectually interfere to procure the restoration of the property lost. 
Ex uno disce omnes. Military men have many such anecdotes to relate of 
Portuguese magistrates and robbers.” 
‘We don’t exactly know whether the ex uno disce omnes here applies to 
the intendant, or to the officer: but we trust that it is to the former ; 
for we hardly can believe that our military men have many such anec- 
dotes to relate. Certainly the time has been, when an English officer, 
“returning on his best horse from the opera,” and in his “ dress regi- 
mentals,” if he had been so unfortunate as to be stopped at Sacavem 
by four malcreados and “ robbed of every thing but his shirt and 
pocket-handkerchief” (an odd association to leave!) instead of applying 
to any intendant, would have been happy to put up with the loss— 
not to say jump into the Tagus—in order to keep the adventure a secret. 
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