jS 071 Portugal. yan 4. 



prerogatives ? A Prior of Santarem published in his 

 dominions some laws, but that was deemed a re- 

 volt. In fine, I would never finish, if I should 

 mention every thing that is doubtful in these re- 

 spects. But although many of these doubts which 

 I pointed at are not impofsible to be explauied, and 

 extricated from the labyrinth in which they lye, 

 yet as I have only read the history of my country 

 in general, and have not studied it so minutely in 

 all its parts, I thought them a little in confusion 

 as to these particulars so very worthy of attention. 

 The number of families that we lost in the expul- 

 sion of th-e Moors and Jews (one of the first causes 

 of our ruin) is unknown, and only in the mana- 

 script of D. Luis da Cunha, I found the causes that 

 jnoved 0. Manoel to that rash action, not to men- 

 tion the foolish superstition of the times. The 

 iContradictions toD. Henry, the facts respecting the 

 Dukes de Visea and Braganza, although mention- 

 ed, are not enough explained by our printed histo- 

 rians, and I have seen only , in manuscripts the sen- 

 tences of the latter. The administration of the 

 royal monopoly in India is known, but what it 

 yielded to the crown is very much in the dark. 



By this specinnen he may see, (the rest beiiig 

 impofsible to mention in a letter) every thing, but 

 i must warn your friend above all, not to rely on 

 any of tho v/riters of foreign countries respecting 

 our history. You may be witnefs that very few 

 of the foreigiiers live here on an intimate foot- 

 ing with die Portuguese ; and so when they go 

 away tliey have as iittle, and as false information 



