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him. We lived in the true spirit of christian toleration. My man, John Russel, also volunteered, more from love of me than of the element, and we three formed an epitome of my country, where the law, and the gospel predominate, and the rest of the community suffer. The abbé Morand is since, by the wiser policy of the present government of France, recalled into his country. His opinions were his only crimes and let opinions be good or bad, it is not persecution that will change them. For a proof of this, we need not go beyond the history of my miserable country, and the pityful and hateful policy by which it has ever been insulted.

So rigorous an adherence to an agreement so disinterestedly formed, and so shamefully perverted, a life so harmless and obscure, might have sheltered me from further violence. The great work of war and extermination might have gone on; the same hundreds of thousands might have been "killed off”—The same hundreds of millions been added to the debt of England-All the crowned heads of Europe might have sat upon their thrones their thrones; and the king of Great-Britain, as whose enemy, his and my enemies, and the enemies of human kind, were willing to persecute me, might have moved from one of his palaces to another-He might have gone from Kew to St. James's, whilst I went in my cock-boat from Oporto ta St. Johns, without interruption or offence on my side, or any ground of displeasure on his, had it not been determined by my enemies, that my persecution was not to end here.

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LETTER XII.

Again imprisoned-Palace-Prison-Corrigidor

King-Queen-Prince-Variety.

ON the 22d of March, my schemes of pleasure were cut short by a visit from the Vice-Corrigidor, with a party of armed men, who seized me and my servant, and made a vigorous search for papers, shaking out every article of my linen, in hopes of finding some concealed writing. The interpreter told me, without reserve, that I was arrested by order of the English minister, for something I was supposed to be writing. All the papers I had were in my travelling secretary, lying open before me. I numbered them and gave them up, and was conducted to the Corrigidor's house, which was now to be my prison.

This mansion exhibited no bad picture of a despotic country. One half was a prison, the other a palace, and the entrance in the centre was in common, and many of the houshold services were per

formed by convict slaves, whose chains clinked as they went. For me, however, a handsome audience hall (or, if I may profane the word, a court of justice) was fitted up, and bolts newly put upon the doors. My servant, who certainly was not writing any thing against the government, was nevertheless thrown amidst the malefactors in irons below; but afterwards, at my entreaty, allowed to come into the room with me: and from first to last I was in this palace treated with a degree of respect, magnificence, and gallanty, liker the old times of chivalry, or of faries, than what I had been used to in bridewell, under Mr. M'Dougall and Mr. Trevor; or even in the hands of Mr. Wilson at Carlisle. Even now the recollection of it fills me with admiration. I had a guard during the day, but not an armed one. This circumstance was rather favorable, as it gave me a means of conversing and learning the language; and my guard of the forenoon, being relieved by one of the afternoon, and every day a new change, I had a variety of company. Besides the Maitre d'Hotel, who was charged to do the honors of the house towards me, I had seven or eight servants to wait at breakfast and dinner, and was served with every thing that was best from the table of the Corrigidor. Whether I owed this to the munificence of the Fidalgo, or to the interference of my friends, or to the interposition of the British Consul, I cannot say, but it was a stile of imprisonment highly flattering: yet, for which, having an incurable love of liberty, rather than of compliments, I fear I haye not been sufficiently grateful.

My guards were clerks of the police and the customs. But part of their duty was to wait in the antichamber of the Fidalgo. Although they conversed freely upon common subjects, they were most impenetrably secret upon whatever it concerned me to know. At first it was told me, without hesitation, that I was arrested by orders from England-they said from the king of England. But the manner in which I reproved this assertion, prevented the repetition of it. Though I had received no benefits, I told them, from the king of England, nor no favors from his ministers, for which I should feel myself called upon to defend them; nevertheless, such a charge as this was too gross to be endured; that it was but a few weeks since I came into Portugal, sanctioned by their passports, and by an agreement to which the king himself, and the parliament, and the ministers, were all pledged. And I repeated to them the words of Lord Clare-" That the government which could violate an engagement so solemnlý entered into, could neither stand, nor deserve to stand." And I told them, that they would see, when the British ambassador, at Lisbon, received the letters of my friends, informing him of this proceeding, how nobly he would vindicate the dignity of the king, his master, and the honor of his nation.

This harrangue could have no merit but the honest warmth with which it was pronounced. I was at that time sitting up in my bed, and I could observe that the by-standers, who had gathered round me, were, at least, in some astonishment: for it was al

most the first time I had ventured to make a discourse in Portuguese: some effect it certainly produced, for next day I was told that it was the queen of Portugal who did not like me, which was still more afflicting to me: for I am sure I could not live, if the fair sex were to hold me in displeasure, much more if they were queens.

It is true, the son of this illustrious personage, the prince of Brazil, has since, on taking the reins of the government, been forced to declare, that he had, from tenderness to his loyal mother, suffered her to govern the Portuguese people for seven years, though in a state of insanity. (demence) This might be some consolation to me, for had this royal lady been in her right mind, she would not certainly have given herself the trouble of being angry at me. It is however a melancholy consolation that is derived out of the misfortunes of princes. Sometimes they said the king of Portugal was not willing that I should stay in his country but as there was no king in Portugal, I could see clearly, that that was not true.

In the meantime, however, couriers went and returned from Lisbon; and I was told, that my fate depended upon their news. At length I was, for the first time in my life, brought to trial, of which I must give you a summary report.

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