14 o« Portugal. yan. 4. 



desire ; but when he thought better upon the 

 subject, he perceived that he had mistaken incli* 

 nation for talents ; and being fully sensible of the 

 impofsibility of his succeeding in a proper man- 

 ner, he wisely relinquifhed the design. I have 

 3een the cornmunications he received, and I think 

 it pity these fljould be lost. That another who is 

 better qualified than my friend for attempting this 

 enterprize, may be encouraged to proceed, I have 

 obtained his permifsion to publilh such parts of 

 these communications as may serve to benefit the 

 public, without leading to a discovery of the per- 

 sons from whom they came ; and these I here 

 subjoin. 



Notices concerning the Hi/lory of Portugal, and the fourcet 

 fro7n whence information on that subject may be drawn; 

 being excerpts translated from several letters from men j 

 ef eminence in Portugal, to a gentleman in, Scotland. 



LISBON, M/.T 18.1784. 

 Before all I rejoice as a Portuguese, that Mr 

 fliould imdertake a philosophical hi- 



story of our more interesting times. We have 

 nothing like it in that way ; although I may af- 

 sure you it is iiupofsible any nation fhould have 

 more materials for it ; but to have those, — to be 

 at the expence of getting many, and after that to 

 have the tedious trouble of reading myriads of 

 pages written, some in a barbarous stile, and about 

 fcolifii and uninteresting matters, only to find one 

 of those events, which characterise a nation or a 

 man, to find a fact necefsary to fhow the cause of 



