no on Portugal. 'J^^n. 4. 



tory.of Portugal, which intervenes between the 

 reign of John the I. and the conquest of that king- 

 dom by Philip the II. of Spain, a period of about 

 one hundred and fifty years ; during which time 

 this small patch of a country, was distinguilhed 

 above all other nations for acts of heroism and 

 magnanimity. It was during this period, that a- 

 rose the illustrious Don Henry, whose name will 

 ever be revered in the annals of history. This 

 prince, the fifth son of king John, far outstripping 

 those of the age in which he lived, informed by 

 the perusal of antient writers, and instigated by 

 ideas that an attentive study of geography sug- 

 gested, puflied forward in search of discoveries 

 with a degree of intelligence, attention, and perse- 

 verance, that can find no parallel in the annals of 

 time. His efforts were crowned with succefs. Under 

 his auspices Vasca de Gama, first doubled the Cape 

 of good Hope, and imported by that route the trea- 

 sures of India to his native fhores. This impor- 

 tant discovery gave quickly to Portugal, a decided 

 superiority above all rival nations, and produced 

 a revolution in the course of trade, which in a 

 faort time totally changed the face of Europe. 

 Wealth flowed in upon Portugal from all quarters. 

 This inspired her people with an active energy, 

 the usual attendant of succefsful enterprises : Suc- 

 cefs begot pride, insolence, presumption, injus- 

 tice. The Indian nations were made to tremble 

 at the nod of the Portuguese. Their dictates were 

 tlefpotic, and their enterprises unbounded. No- 

 thing seeaje.d to theiu impofsible, and for a {hort 



