i6 on Portugal . Jan. 4. 

 "but friars have been in all times, and particularlj 

 in nHterate ones, the framers of many false pa- 

 pers and titles, which makes these manuscripts 

 lefs interesting, and lefs to be trusted. These at 

 least are easier to be copied, as, with some ex^ 

 pence, accefs may be had to every one of them. 

 In all these archives, and in all the immense vo- 

 lumes of the history of those times, Mr . 



will find I think as many materials as he can wifh 

 for writing it. 



Having informed you of the difficulty of find- 

 ing him manuscripts, I must pafs to another, which 

 would perhaps prove forbidding, that is the trouble 

 of reading so many volumes. Of these I send you 

 inclosed as exact a list as I can at present recollect, 

 with what I think or have known from my friends 

 of each of them; and this I believe will ease a little 

 Mr- . He is notwithstanding somewhat mis- 

 taken when he thinks it would not be necefsary to 

 send him lives of saints, for in the chronicles of the 

 monkifh orders alone, he w^ill find, such is our mi- 

 sery, many interesting facts not mentioned else- 

 whei-e. 



Having acquainted you with the materials your 

 friend may get for his task, I don't think it will 

 be superfluous to point to him the difficulties with 

 v/hich he'll labour, before he can obtain an exact 

 knowledge of the most remarkable events ; as he 

 certainly has it not in mind to build upon his 

 farcy. First of all he will meet with those 

 that respect the feudal system of government in 

 j-'ortugal, v/hich was certainly different in son)e 



