96 SWABEY DIARY. 
casa of a Marquis to live in. It is comfortable, but too small for us 
all; when I write comfortable I mean clean, for the panes are out of 
the windows. The Mar quis and family inhabit part of the house, they 
are obliged to keep their movables in concealment in the mountains, as 
when they last fled some of their valuables were betrayed and shown to 
the French, who availed themselves of the opportunity, and took away all 
they could ‘get in the house, farm, etc. Our host’s situation I can easily 
fancy to be romantic, but farther than its exciting comparison for fel- 
low creatures who are not positive sufferers, it is not affecting, for there 
is little in point of difference in situation to distinguish these nobles 
from their servants, though these indeed could read and write their 
own language. Beauty i in distress claims the tears of knight errantry, 
but I believe in most novels that I have seen it was generally accom- 
panied by cleanliness and education, and always by sensibility. ‘The 
day was spent in getting in forage. Thad ea ae luck in discover- 
ing it; horses are still without corn. 
22nd October.—A. true commissariat tyranny was elle’ a our sf 
to-day, which was the enforcing a requisition on the Juiz de Fora of 
the neighbouring villages for all the Indian corn that could be found; 
for this purpose a search is made and it is all seized... All I can say in 
extenuation is, that it is better to supply their defenders even with the 
necessaries of life they need themselves than to have their houses pulled 
down and their lives endangered by the cruelty of their neighbours. 
I pressed several. bullock wains this day. The horses had 10 Ibs. of 
corn. We lost one mule and five horses since coming to this place. 
gard October.—My employment with the troop from aa to sun- 
set repeated this day ; most acceptable. 
24th October.—September’s pay received this aan nO Holae ‘veined 
The ‘‘ patron” honoured us with his society at dinner, and the ladies to 
tea bedizened with rings, but otherwise eae dressed in woollen 
habits. ! 
The first entry in the host containing tho Reminiscences is the 
account of life at Salgueiro, it has no beginning, being pro- 
bably carried on from a book that is lost. I have therefore 
conjecturally supplied the first sentence which is given in 
italics. That the writer did not intend these to be more than 
an occasional record of his personal observatious and experi- 
ences is evident from the following extract from one of the 
MSS. referred to.—f.A.W. 
“T do not'set up to write a continuous history of marches, bivouacs 
or battles. I shall only use battles by way of occasional 
subjects for commentary, or as illustrations of individual 
adventures. ‘lo those who have served with light infantry 
divisions or cavalry brigades, the fact of being shot at by the 
enemy has a monotony about it from its frequency which 
would not embellish my plan. I got through these matters 
as well as I could, much the same as other people, and these 
events have been so ably handled before my time by others 
1 At this time in England ladies w ore ether silk or satin dresses, other materials were not con- 
sidered suitable for gentlefolk.—F. A.J; 
