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circumstances which rendered it impossible for me to settle in Bra- 

 zil, and to tender him the offer of my services during my stay. 

 After some further deliberation, however, I was induced to accept 

 the appointment, by way of trial, for a few months, under the ex- 

 press stipulation that I should act without control. On entering 

 upon my charge I began by making such new arrangements as ap- 

 peared conducive to the end for which I was appointed, but I soon 

 perceived that instead of being principal intendant, I had a superior, 

 who held me accountable to him for my proceedings, and manifested 

 a fixed determmation to thwart them, as innovations on the 

 established course of things. But this was not the only incon- 

 venience ; it %as expected that I should purchase whatever was 

 wanted on my own credit ; but I quickly discovered, that instead of 

 being reimbursed, according to agreement, I was trifled with and at 

 length in part defrauded. The person to whom I allude was one of 

 the managers of the Prince's household ; he had conceived a rooted 

 hatred against the English, and could not bear that one of that 

 nation should interfere in a concern over which he claimed autho- 

 v\ty, and hold a situation where real services might induce a com- 

 parison unfavourable to those specious ones which he contented 

 himself with rendering. I will not detail the petty artifices and 

 • mean indirect insults which this man employed, to disgust me witlj 

 the situation, when he found I would not submit to be his servile 

 drudge ; suffice it to say that, perceiving no chance of obtaining that 

 discretionary power, which alone could enable me to be essentially 

 useful, I peremptorily refused to act any longer. Alarmed at this 

 determination, he at first strove to overawe and then conciliate me, 

 but I had seen too much of his conduct to be duped by this stra- 

 tagem, or to suppose that any cordiality could in future subsist 

 between us. Imagining himself armed with Royal power, he at- 

 tempted to play the tyrant, but the reception he met with quickly 

 forced him to resume his natural character, that of a cringing syco- 

 phant. I did not hesitate to send in my resignation, and he had 



