C O I 



Fcr farther information on this subject, (re Ellis'* 

 Hutory </' Cnff'ff. Cadet dc \ f History ami 



Properiiet the Jour fli/nr, vol. Ixiii. 



: ill Nicholson's Joii'i. :!, v !. xvii. 

 p. 118. Chrnevix on a j . If principle in 



Caffrt, in Nicholson's Jountcl, vol. ii. p. 114. Kaynal'i 

 Jditory of ttl< incut s. flruc' Tr 



Edward'* ////( y of Ihc fl'rst India Islandt. Cordi- 

 ner'i l> i'?ylon, vol. i. p. S79. Valentia'a 



Travels, vol. ii. p. :;(! '. Stavorinus'b j'tyag,'*, vol. iii. p. 

 S28. Humboldt's Political fas,iy on New Spain, v >l. 

 iii. p. 22. Count Rumlord'* 18th l-'.stay ; the article A- 

 K.\BIA, Vol.II.i-. 286, 807 1 and tho ai tick- COLONY. (to) 



COlTliKDAM. See BRIDGE. Vol. IV. p. 523. 



COHESION or FLUIDS. See ADHESION, CAI-IL- 

 i \RY ATTRACTION, and HYDRODYNAMICS. 



COHESION OF TIMBER. See CARPENTRY, Vol. V. 

 r . 496, &c. 



COHESION' or THE METALS. See CHEMISTRY, 

 Vol. VI. p. 30. Sect. '.x. 



COIMBRA, a city of some importance in Portugal, 

 about ;!1 leagues from Lisbon. The situation of Co- 

 imbra is extremely delightful. The surrounding country, 

 though mountainous, is fertile and highly cultivated. The 

 mountains, covered with groves or pines and German 

 oaks, embosom Tallies of exquisite beauty, where ele- 

 gant quintas, and neat summer-houses, are finely con- 

 trasted with the stately solemnity of the monastery; and 

 where brooks, flowing through luxuriant gardens, or 

 gleaming amidst the shades of olive-trees, orange-trees, 

 and the beautiful Portuguese cypress, give freshness and 

 animation to the scene. From one of these vallies, 

 through which the Mondego rolls his broad and wind- 

 ing stream, Coimbra rises along the declivity of a hill, 

 bursting at once on the view of the traveller, in all the 

 magnificence of spires, churches, and monasteries. Op- 

 posite to Coimbra, in the romantic valley of the Mon- 

 dego, is the ijninta das lagrimat, or garden of tears ; a 

 spot " over which fancy delights to hover." The view 

 is closed by the lofty mountains of Lousao on one side ; 

 and on the other, by the mountain of Bussaco, whose 

 solitary summit is adorned with a celebrated monastery 

 of Carmelites, and its quinta with high shady cypresses. 



On entering the town, however, the agreeable feelings 

 and expectations which its situation and distant appear- 

 ance had excited, are suddenly exchanged for disappoint- 

 ment and disgust. It seems to have been built in me- 

 ditated defiance of all the rules of convenience and 

 taste. Its streets are extremely narrow, crooked, full of 

 angles, ill paved, and dirty ; and frequently so steep that 

 they cannot be climbed without difficulty and toil. The 

 only broad street is in that small part of the town which 

 is situated on the plain ; but even that street, as it is 

 deemed unhealthy in summer, is the residence only of the 

 poorer class of citizens. Here are no open spaces, or 

 promenades, so necessary to the health and comfort of 

 the inhabitants in that warm climate. The only resort 

 of the citizens in their pleasure walks is to the great quin- 

 ta of the Augustines, a spot which all should visit who 

 wish to see the Indian laurels from Goa growing in their 

 greatest perfection. In addition to all these inconve- 

 niences, the inns are so bad, their apartments and beds so 

 wretched, and the victuals so execrably dressed, as to 

 give constant exercise to the Christian virtues of patience 

 and self-denial. 



Coimbra is a place of great antiquity, and had sustain- 

 ed many sieges before Count Henriquez took possession 

 of Portugal. The ancient walls and towers mil remain, 

 and form the only defence of the city. Since the year 



C O I 



1419, it !> been in a state of decline. Even yet, liaw- 



uins more than ;iO<H) houses, is divided into v 

 c :,'ht parishes, and has no less than eight monasteries 

 and eighteen endowments. It is the see of a bishop who 

 is always Count of Arganuil j and has its corregidor, its 

 provudor, and juiz de fora, -or court of justice. 



By f*r the most important object at Coimbra is the 

 university, founded at Lisbon by Don Diniz in 1 

 but transferred hither after a period of sixteen years. It 

 was again removed to Lisbon ; but in 1537 "as a second 

 time transferred by John III. to Coimbra, where it has 

 since remained. This university is u:uier the government 

 of a rector nominated by the king. The office of rec- 

 tor, which is never conferred on a member of the univer- 

 sity, is triennial ; and is generally held by a priest, \vh ,, 

 after the term of his rectorship has expired, is either re- 

 elected, or promoted to a bishop's see. Superior to the 

 rector is the reformator ; but both these offices are fre- 

 quently united in one person. A concello dos decanos, 

 consisting of the dean of faculty, two fiscals (the con- 

 scrvador and ouvidor) and the secretary, with the rector 

 as president, has the supreme jurisdiction over the con- 

 cerns of the university. The pecuniary and property 

 transactions of this rich establishment are managed by an 

 auxiliary council of finance, ( juncta de fazcnda) consist- 

 ing of a professor of theology, a professor of law, the 

 professor of calculation, with a treasurer and clerk. The 

 prior and chief of the Augustine canons regular at Coimbra 

 is ex ojl'icio chancellor of the university. He is the princi- 

 pal superintendant in matters of learning, conferring the 

 degrees at all promotions, and presiding at the examina- 

 tions of students. In this university the degrees are very 

 numerous ; and, if the division of labour be sufficient to 

 ensure excellence, the professors of Coimbra ought to be 

 particularly eminent. The field of study is here divided 

 into six departments, theology, canon law, jurisprudence, 

 medicine, mathematics, and philosophy. In the first de- 

 partment there are are eight chairs ; in the second, nine ; 

 in the third, eight ; in the fourth, six; in the fifth, four; 

 and four in the sixth. In the department of philosophy, 

 neither logic nor metaphysics have obtained a place ; the 

 four chairs being occupied by a professor of zoology 

 and mineralogy, a professor of experimental philosophy, 

 a professor of chemistry, and a professor of botany and 

 economy. Of all the sciences purely philosophical, the 

 law of nature alone is taught by a professor canoiium. 



The session commences in October, and closes in May; 

 after which the public examinations, to which all must 

 submit, continue till the month of July. These exami- 

 nations are carried on in the Portuguese language ; but 

 are so severe that many of the students, rather than sub- 

 mit to them, relinquish the university. The lectures are 

 likewise delivered in Portuguese ; and in all respects re- 

 semble those delivered in other universities except that 

 the students pay nothing for hearing them. Before a 

 student, whether in theology, jurisprudence, or medicine, 

 can hold a place or exercise his profession, he must have 

 studied at Coimbra a certain number of years, attended 

 certain lectures, and gone through his annual examina- 

 tions. The term prescribed for physicians is five years j 

 but only those take a doctor's degree, who wish to be- 

 come tutors at the university, in which case they must 

 dispute publicly, but write no inaugural dissertation. 

 Hence the title of doctor is very uncommon, and of 

 course highly honourable. The degrees of bachelor or 

 master of arts are now seldom conferred. The number of 

 students at Coimbra is very considerable. \V lu-n Link 

 was there, in 1798, he was told that it exceeded 800 > 

 though some Portuguese writers make their number 



