152 - 
Account of Pernambucoby a late Pesident* [Sept. I, 
many people are seen on their knees at 
prayers, before the different saints; 
others receiving the sacrament, some 
confessing, and Padres (priests) gliding 
from one door to another, or traversing 
with a silent sanctified deportment the 
different parts of the. church. These 
conspire to give a stranger an idea, that 
they have enough to do. A confessional 
chair, of which there are generally six or 
eight in a church, is made very large and 
high, so that the priest, who is in it, is 
not seen. Those who wish to confess 
(mostly women) go singly, and kneeling 
down opposite a lattice work in the side 
of it, ease their burthened conscience?, 
and get absolution. Besides the church 
itself, there is always under the same roof 
apartments for the Padres^ or Fathers, 
(as the Portuguese style the priests) in 
which they live much in the same man¬ 
ner as our monks of old, having their 
cells and a large room wliere they dine 
together. 
There are numbers of helpless old 
women, who live constantly in the 
churches, and are subsisted by what 
is left at their tables. These priests have 
' the character of being very hospitable; 
and are so serviceable to foreigners, that 
for a trifling sum they will not only shew 
the relicts of their churches, but also 
where the most beauteous and courteous 
ladies of the town reside. The English 
residents give strange accounts of some 
©f them, who, it is said, are much ad¬ 
dicted to a vice very prevalent in Roman 
catholic countries. I was told of another 
circumstance, which will perhaps scarcely 
be credited. It is the province of one 
of them to recommend objects of charity ; 
this man carries on a most profitable 
trade by it. He is known to have in his 
pay several loathsome decrepid wretches, 
such as are most calculated to excite 
charity, and stations them at the corner 
of streets best frequented. They are 
furnished by him with a written testimo- 
iiial, and are allowed by him a small 
share of the profits. I cannot say how 
the religions are supported, but great 
numbers are always seen in the streets, 
dressed in their robes, soliciting alms; 
for which purpose they carry a small 
square box, with the figure of Christ, or 
some particular saint, painted upon it. 
I observed, that, notwithstanding they 
consider the English as lieretics, they do 
not scruple to receive their money, for 
which they bestow^ in return a benedic¬ 
tion ; and so well are they aware of the 
liberality of our countrymen; that if a 
Portuguese and an Englishman are 
standing together in the street, they will 
never fail to accost the Englishman first. 
In every street there are different 
images of the Virgin Mary and the saints, 
which, on particular days are exposed to 
view, superbly illuminated with a num* 
her of large candles. About eight in the 
evening the children in the neighbour¬ 
hood assemble round them and sing 
hymns. This has a pleasing effect, 
especially as they keep time with great 
exactness, and have a person to direct 
them who rings a little bell, whilst they 
are singing particular parts. An¬ 
other custom seems remarkably strange. 
Twice every day, about ten in the morn¬ 
ing and seven in the evening, at the 
tolling of a bell every thing in an instant 
is at a stand. Men, women, or children, 
whether in the streets or the houses, in¬ 
stantly pull off their hats, cross them¬ 
selves, and say a short prayer. This 
continues about a minute. At the se¬ 
cond tolling every thing goes on again as 
usual. J)uring this time a particular 
part of the mass is being performed in 
the grand church. Although this has a 
striking effect, the positions people are 
sometimes caught in are very ludicrous. 
It appears almost the instantaneous ef¬ 
fect of magic. It was my good fortune 
to be liere during Lent, which is most 
rigidly observed. The illuminations on 
the churches, fire-w'orks, and proces¬ 
sions during the Easter, w^ere very grand. 
The latter surpass any thing of the 
kind I ever heard of. It is impos¬ 
sible to avoid smiling at such a combina¬ 
tion of superstition and folly, and at the 
same time being sensibly struck with the 
immense value of the images displayed 
on the occasion. One of them I shall 
describe. Although I may not perhaps 
be exactly correct in the number of 
priests, monks, &c. I assure you I ara 
nearly so. It took place on Easter sun- 
day, about three o'clock in the afternoon. 
The order w'as as follows: 
Black girls strewing flowers. 
A trumpeter covered entirely with Hack 
crape, close fitted to his body, with two large 
horns and red eyes. 
Four priests carrying a large red flag with 
gold fringe, having a white cross upon it. 
Twenty monks in their robes, twoandtwOj 
the first carrying a consecrated lamp. 
Thirty white children, dressed as cheru- 
bims and seraphims, witli gauze wings edged 
with tinsel, large feathers on their heads, 
carrying emblems of peace, plenty, &c. 
The bishop in his robes, sprinkling holy 
water from a vase carried by a priest, and be¬ 
stowing 
