Politics and Social Changes 



and British up-bringing, he married a great 

 Portuguese lady, and was created a Portuguese 

 noble. He played his part well ; he would 

 speak to us as " you English," and he was 

 not averse from commenting to us on the faults 

 of our national diplomacy and conduct. I 

 remember the delight with which I heard his 

 reply to an American lady who said to him : 

 " It seems to me, Count, that for a Portuguese 

 you speak remarkably good English." His 

 answer was, " So they tell me." A lesser man 

 would have adduced his honourable Scottish 

 house, and his Eton education. 



Here, as elsewhere, the nineteenth century 

 witnessed great social changes. The decline 

 of the old landed aristocracy was hastened by 

 the abolition of the law of succession to estates. 

 Much of the land in Madeira was formerly 

 held under strict entail, and could not be sold. 

 These entails arose originally in connection 

 with the building of chapels and the celebration 

 of masses. The owners were styled " Mor- 

 gados " — a species of territorial title corre- 

 sponding perhaps to that of " Lord of the 

 Manor." The law of entail has been abolished, 

 and the estates can be sold in the ordinary 



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