POLITICS OF THE DAY. [1807. 



great weight with Perceval at least, and the greater 

 part of his colleagues. 



" The king has been excessively anxious of late 

 about the expedition, and all the people about Court 

 have been as nervous as possible. 



" I suspect something is in agitation with Portugal. 

 Souza has been frequently in town, and full of some- 

 thing, but exceedingly afraid of being talked to.* He 

 received a courier the other day, who told an Oporto 

 merchant of my acquaintance, now in town, that de- 

 mands had been renewed of the men and ships stipu- 

 lated in the treaty of Badajos, but that the Portugal 

 Government expected once more to buy them off. The 

 English connected with Portugal seem to believe that 

 their last danger is now come, and that they must 

 bethink themselves of a change in good earnest. If 

 left to the Portuguese and French (they think), the 

 business may be spun out for a few months, but they 

 have a great fear of something sudden from our inter- 



o o 



ference. The ministers, three weeks ago, gave the 

 Portugal committee the same permission as in 1801 

 viz., to bond, and to use any ships in bringing over 

 their goods from that country. This intelligence they 

 keep as secret as possible. 



" I leave town to-day for Yorkshire, and shall per- 

 haps go as far as Edinburgh, in which case I will 

 avail myself with great pleasure of your kind in- 

 vitation. 



* Jose Maria, Marquis of Souza-Botelho, Portuguese statesman and 

 man of letters, born June 1758, died 1825. 



