Ifgi. on Portugal. 13. 



by the important transactions that occurred during 

 this eventful period*: This history might be 

 concluded with a rapid glance at the spirit of mo- 

 dern times. Thus would tht reader, as if placed 

 on an eminence that divided two very difsimilar 

 countries from each other, be able to see at one 

 view the past and the present. In trying to pe- 

 netrate into that tenfold darknefs in which the 

 world had been for several ages benighted ; he 

 would perceive the first streaks of dawn begin to 

 arise. He would see aurora begin to illuminate 

 the hemisphere. The sun at first obscured with 

 clouds, and murky vapours would gradually be- 

 come more and niore conspicuous, till at last he 

 breaks forth in all his glory. To pursue his progrefs 

 would be a pleasing exercise, l^ome part of this- 

 progrefs we have already seen; but far is he as yet 

 from having attained his highest meridian glory. 

 The veil would be dropped where this history ends, 

 before he had begun to descend ; and to others 

 would be left the ungracious task ox marking his 

 decline. May it never be our lot to see it ! 



A gentleman well known to the writer of this 

 article, fired vv^ith the brilliancy of the subject, 

 once entertained a momentary wifh to attempt the 

 talk. He went so far as to get a friend to write 

 to some gentlemen of the firft rank for literature 

 in Portugal on this subject, and met with every 

 encouragement and afsistance from them he could 



* In his progrcfi, the discoveries of Columbus, the conquest of 

 Mexico and Peru, and the changes that these produced on Spain, anj 

 Other European states would form important objects of discufiion> 



