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least are easier to be copied, as, with pence, accefs may be had to every on In all these archives, and in all the in lumes of the history of those times, M will find I think as many materials as for writing it.

Having informed you of the difficul ing him manuscripts, I must pass to anot would perhaps prove forbidding, that is of reading so many volumes. Of these inclosed as exact a list as I can at presen with what I think or have known from 1 of each of them; and this I believe will e MrHe is notwithstanding some taken when he thinks it would not be n send him lives of saints, for in the chroni monkish orders alone, he will find, such sery, many interesting facts not mentio where.

Having acquainted you with the mater friend may get for his task, I don't thin be superfluous to point to him the difficu which he'll labour, before he can obtain knowledge of the most remarkable even certainly has it not in mind to build fancy. First of all he will meet wi that respect the feudal system of govern Portugal, which was certainly different

respects, from that of the other European countries. Our historians have very clearly explained the Gothic and Moorish governments, but after the donation to count Henry by Alphonso of Spain, they have mentioned rather the progrefs of our conquests, than the manner by which those nobles, who gained upon the Moors with their own soldiers lands or small towns, held them. They were subjects to the crown, we know, they were obliged to acompany the kings to war, but were they requested, or forced; were they payed by the king or the nobles? that is a matter of dispute. We know that the Cortes only, could supply the king with subsidies, and that they made general laws, &c. &c. but we dispute yet upon the veracity of the Côrtes de Lamego. We are ignorant of the manner by which the cities began to send deputies to those meetings. We see the power of the clergy immediately in the beginning, by the scene of Sancho Capillo, but were they constituent memêers of the courts in the arliest times? We know that the ministers of the crown did not enter till John II. into the noble's lands, but that is not enough; all antient donations are signed by nobles, particularly great officers of the crown and great dignitaries of the church, as a sign of requiring that to be valid, but we see at the same time the nobility from antient date, with a salary and title of servants to the king. The provinces were governed in a manner by fronteiros móres made by the king; and this power which is not quite known how did it contrast, or was connected with the nobles. VOL. vii.

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mention every thing that is doubtful in spects. But although many of these dou I pointed at are not impofsible to be expla extricated from the labyrinth in which yet as I have only read the history of my in general, and have not studied it so mi all its parts, I thought them a little in as to these particulars so very worthy of a The number of families that we lost in th sion of the Moors and Jews (one of the fir of our ruin) is unknown, and only in the script of D. Luis da Cunha, I found the ca moved D. Manoel to that rash action, not tion the foolish superstition of the time contradictions to D Henry, the facts respec Dukes de Visea and Braganza, although m ed, are not enough explained by our printe rians, and I have seen only in manuscripts t tences of the latter. The administration royal monopoly in India is known, but yielded to the crown is very much in the da

By this specimen he may see, (the rest impossible to mention in a letter) every thin I must warn your friend above all, not to r any of the writers of foreign countries resp our history. You may be witnefs that ver of the foreigners live here on an intimate ing with th Portuguese; and so when the away they have as little, and as false infor

to give as if they never had been here. In like manner all travels through Portugal, are full of absurdities and mistakes. The account which other writers have given of Portugal, must have been surely founded either upon false informations of insignificant travellers, or upon the few books they have read. Busching's Geography in his account of Portugal, l'Encyclopedie in its articles, de Real about Portugal, l'Histoire Philofophique on our commerce and establishments; and all particular geographies and voyages are so full of errors that it is better to put them aside. La Clede in his history of Portugal is full of absurdities, ignorant of many facts, false many times in the date, and good for nothing. I cannot but praise Dr Robertson, who rather than build upon false information, says very little or nothing about the feudal system of Portugal.

I send the list of those books that I could remember, but your friend shall have a better one than I can give him, as I have applied to a man who knows our history perfectly well.

I finish then telling you that considering the darkness in which we are, particularly for other, nations, and the ignorance, and superstition of our writers; Mr. would advance more here in one year than he could do at home

in many : And he must be tired to death in read-. ing our books, it is only thence he ought to draw the materials for his work. As to what you tell me of it being received well here, that I can assure. you it will, if it be founded on true facts. I will

show the letter to

send it this post.

and for that I don't

A fhort CATALOGUE of Portuguese Books, capable of illustrating the Hiftory of Portugal, with a Short Character of each.

1 Monarchia Lusitana; a book anterior to the time of Don John 1. full of falsehoods and absurdities. 2 Chronica de D. Joao 1st.; better than the Memorias. 3.

3

5

Memorias do mesme.

4 Chronica d'Elrey D. Duarte ; 4th and 5th good Chronica d'Elrey D. Alfonso; for very little. 6 Chronicas d'Elrey D. Joao 2c. c. 30.; true and well written, although not free from the vice of the times.

Chronica d'Elrey D. Manoel; not bad, but Ozorio is better; although he says little of what is the most interesting.

8 Chronica d'Elrey D. Sebastian; tolerable, but with all the defects of the times.

9 Joao de Barros, Decadas; an excellent book in point of narrative, stile and truth.

10 Diego de Ceuto, Decadas; not so well written, but true, as the author ferved upon the spot. 11 Memorias d'Alfonso d'Albuquerque; good and authentic.

12 André de Rezende, Antiquides.; a good book, and curious in its kind.

13 Diego de Teive, varias obras; the same in its different parts.

14

Vida de D. Joao de Castro; veridical and well written.

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