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204 



FREE POPULATION. 



who draws his descent from the first donatory 

 of a province, or whose family has for some 

 generations enjoyed distinction, entertains a 

 high opinion of his own importance, which may 

 sometimes appear ridiculous ; but which much 

 oftener leads him to acts of generosity, — to the 

 adoption of liberal ideas, — to honourable con- 

 duct. If he has been well educated, and has 

 had the good fortune to have been instructed 

 by a priest whose ideas are enlightened, who 

 gives a proper latitude for difference of opinion, 

 who tolerates as he is tolerated, then the cha- 

 racter of a young Brazilian exhibits much to 

 admire. Surrounded by numerous relatives, 

 and by his immediate dependants, living in a 

 vast and half-civilised country, he is endued 

 with much independence of language and be- 

 haviour, which are softened by the subordination 

 which has been imbibed during his course of 

 education. That this is general, I pretend not 

 to say ; few persons are instructed in a proper 

 manner; and again, few are those who profit by the 

 education which they have received ; but more 

 numerous are the individuals who now undergo 

 necessary tuition, for powerful motives have 

 arisen to urge the attainment of knowledge. 



I have heard it often observed, and I cannot 

 help saying that I think some truth is to be at- 

 tached to the remark, in the country of which 

 I am treating, that women are usually less 



