denser than even during the night, till at length the sun himself rushed on the world, and nature awoke to worship the distributor of all the benefits man enjoys. There is a scrap of poetical effusion, the last I shall indulge in.

At about four in the morning we reached Ovar, a long, straggling, fishing village on the shore of a shallow lagoon close to the sea. This lagoon, or lake, about ten to fifteen miles in length and one to three in breadth, is very shallow, is divided from the open sea by a low sandbank, and extends to the town of Aviero, at which place the river Vouga empties itself into it.

The only house of entertainment we could discover was a wretched venda; but as we had brought no eatables with us, we were obliged to be contented with it. The kitchen, the only public room, was divided from the stable by rough planks, the walls were of unhewn granite, blackened by the smoke from the fire, which blazed at one side, there being no chimney to carry it off; the floor was of clay worn into holes, the cooking implements were few and of the coarsest description, nor was any attention paid to their cleanliness; indeed, the tout ensemble was most unprepossessing: nor were the superintendants of the place more to be admired for their personal appearance or manners. At last, after some delay, a breakfast was prepared, consisting of salt-fish fried in oil and flavoured with garlic, and broa -bread made of Indian corn, with green, sour wine to wash it down. We were obliged to dispense with the luxury of forks or table-cloth, our table being formed of a rough deal board, at which were also seated a number of arrieros, boatmen, and smugglers, who eyed us suspiciously, not comprehending how gentlemen could have walked so far for their amusement.

However, neither coarse fare, frowns, nor fatigue, could damp our spirits, and, after much bargaining and vociferation from the boatmen, we found ourselves gliding out of a small canal which led to the lake, in a long, narrow, flat-bottomed boat, sharp at both ends. Our beasts occupied the place usually considered that of honour, in the

stern of the boat, while for our accommodation some clean straw was spread in the fore part, on which, wrapped in our cloaks, we gladly threw ourselves to sleep. A young pine-tree, with the bark stripped off, served for a mast, on which, when the wind was fair, was spread to a rough spar a sail, broad at the head, and cut away towards the foot. At first, however, there was no wind, so our crew ran along the broad gunwale with long poles in their hands, shoving us through the water at about two or three miles an hour, giving vent at intervals to a sing-song, monotonous chaunt, the only good quality it possessed being a soporific effect on our nerves. Now and then one of the party would look up, but as there was nothing to be seen but smooth water, fog, and sand-bank, except when one of the lake boats passed and hailed us, he would quickly again return to his litter. At last, by dint of poling and sailing, by two in the afternoon we entered, between two handsome stone obelisks, the canal leading to Aviero. I will only take a few words to describe the city, for it claims that rank. It is a respectable venerable-looking place; part of the old walls, built before gunpowder was used to knock down houses, still remain. The grass grows in some of the streets. There are six monasteries, now tumbling down, the once jovial friars having turned into something else, or gone the way of all flesh. There are 1500 houses; it is ruled by a civil governor, and exports an inferior sort of wine, very fine oil, and salt. The buildings now extend beyond the walls, and among them, facing the canal, we found an estalagem. There were only two rooms vacant in the house, one of them serving as an eating, the other as a sleeping room, for all the party. We dined, not very sumptuously, it must be owned, but the house afforded nothing better than what we got, and we then sallied forth to inspect the bull-circus, which was situated by the side of the canal, and close to our hotel.

It was a large amphitheatre, two stories high, composed of rough deal boards, the lower part, where the poorer class of spectators assemble,

having bars across to keep the bulls from getting in, the upper being divided into boxes, some for the people of consequence in the neighbourhood being decorated with silken hangings, the others having little to boast of in the way of ornament. Considering, however, it was merely run up for the occasion, it looked very well. For a small sum we secured one of the best boxes. As we entered the theatre we found the lower gallery already crowded, the eager faces of men, women, and children, looking through the bars. The boxes also quickly filled with spectators, a large proportion of whom were women, though few, if any, I suspect and hope, claimed the rank of ladies. In the centre of the circus was a flag-staff, on which waved the constitutional banner, and surrounding it were several stout poles, so placed as just to allow a person to pass between them, and to form a space in the interior three or four yards in diameter. This was to serve as a place of refuge to the picadors when hard pressed by the bulls. While waiting to see what would take place, we heard the lively tones of musical instruments, wafted from a distance it appeared, across the lake, and, looking out at the back of our box, we saw several large boats gliding up the canal, and full of people habited in a variety of masquerading costumes, and accompanied by bands of music, with which their voices joined in chorus. The masqueraders afforded much amusement as they landed by their grotesque appearance, particularly by the dignified airs they assumed, and by the courteous grace with which the gentlemen handed the ladies from their barges. They then, in large parties, entered the area of the circus. Some were dressed as Turks, others as old men in the costume of the past century, with long beards, deep-waisted coats, breeches, and flowered waistcoats, not forgetting wigs and three-cornered hats; others again were disguised as negroes, with hideous black masks of gigantic size. The ladies, of various nations and eras, were almost as numerous, and I should have supposed that these were female bull-fighters, had not their awkward, unfeminine movements completely betrayed them as

belonging to the rougher sex. Shouts of laughter arose from the spectators as these odd-looking objects leapt about, and performed all sorts of antics, very derogatory to the characters they had assumed; two antique gentlemen would play at leap-frog, while a black would pull the nose of a Turk, and kiss his sultana before his face, receiving in return a friendly shake of the hand. Of course all these people were of the lowest ranks, but were most orderly in their behaviour, though I have seldom seen a more merry, shouting, laughing crowd, their practical jokes, albeit neither very new nor over refined, yet affording the audience much amusement before the business of the day commenced. A huge negro walked in with a bag under his arm, the contents of which every body seemed anxious to discover, following him about in every direction, when at last an old gentleman, putting his nose in to satisfy his curiosity, out jumped a large cat in his face. Immediately the motley rabble were in chase of poor Grimalkin; round and round the circus it flew with the shouting crowd at its tail; whenever it tried to escape through the bars, being driven off by the people within. Never was unhappy puss so persecuted : a member of parliament who has rutted, or an orator who has offended a mob, could scarcely have been more persecuted, when, while the maskers were in full career, the doors of the bull-pen were suddenly thrown open, and into the circus among the laughing mass rushed a fine black bull!

Sauve qui peut! was the cry, as they scampered off in every direction; their safety consisting in their noise and numbers, for at first the bull was bewildered at the strange scene. For a moment he stood disdainfully tossing his head as he looked around on the motley crowd, some of whom, by means of the bars, were climbing into the boxes, others taking refuge between the poles in the centre. Furiously he lashed his tail, his rage increasing, not knowing which way to turn; at last, attracted by the shouts of the people in the centre, and by a red flag waved before his eyes, he dashed towards it; a man then from amid the posts, armed with a number of darts, fixed one in his

I

neck. Irritated by the smart, he now dashed blindly at every object in his way, and woe betide the unhappy wight his horns encountered; though, by the by, they were well padded, so could with difficulty do mortal harm. The maskers, mostly armed with darts and red flags, followed hooting after him, round and round the ring, he receiving every time he got near the centre a shower of darts in his neck and shoulders, when furious he would every now and then turn on his tormentors and put them to a rapid flight. Indeed he in truth seemed to have the best of the fight, though he would, doubtless, have preferred a quiet graze in a green pasture to this sort of amusement; the wounds he received annoying him probably little more than would the bites of so many gnats a human being, he shaking out many of the darts and trampling them beneath his feet with disdain; indeed he soon learned to avoid the centre whence they were thrown. My sympathies were all for the noble beast, though my pity was not. longed to see the padding come off his horns, and to let him have his full revenge. I would rather have become the bull than have been one of his tormentors. Two or three men now entered the arena, habited in the usual Spanish costume of matadors, with lance, banner, and couteau de chasse; but, as it appeared, they were prohibited from killing or inflicting any serious injury on the animals: they were there more for ornament than for service, their chief employment being to wave their red flags before the eyes of the bulls, or if they became sluggish, to prick them with their lances, and then to leap out of the way as fast as they possibly could. At length, when they and the bull grew tired, a figure was thrown into the circus, ridiculously dressed in gaudy colours, and formed like those toys called Indian tumblers, with a weight at the lower part, which always made it regain its perpendicular position, however knocked about. No sooner did the bull perceive the figure, than, turning all his rage from his real foes, he rushed furiously at it, throwing it high in the air, when down it came again on its feet, bobbing away, not at all the worse for

its summerset. Again he charged at it with increased rage, as in the most absurd way, bowing like a mandarin, it politely awaited his coming. Shrieks and shouts of laughter arose from the assembled multitude, the tears running down the checks of several fat old farmers who sat near

us.

"Bravo, bravo! this is a banquet of fun!" they cried. "Bravo, bravo! well done figure, well done bull!"

At length the figure, after many more tosses, becoming entangled in the horns of the bull, he bore it in fancied triumph round and round the circus; but, by some chance, again falling to the ground, to his horror and dismay there it appeared undauntedly prepared to renew the combat. What the bull thought I cannot tell; probably that if what he had done would not kill his foe, nothing would; for suddenly turning tail, he refused again to come to the scratch, and ran off to the door by which he entered, whence he was allowed to escape, the nodding figure remaining master of the field. A second bull, with thickly padded horns, who at the first shewed more spirit and determination than his predecessor, was now let into the arena, and so actively did he pursue his tormentors, that much to our satisfaction he came up with one of them midway between the centre and the rails, where he could not escape. Butting fiercely at the man, the beast lifted him by the back high into the air; fortunately, down he came again on his feet, and contrived to scamper off without further injury than a good fright; indeed the sport, if so it may be called, was throughout a very bloodless one. This bull, highly delighted at his success, continued his course, lashing his tail, and turning his head from side to side round the circus in search of combatants; but he had taught his foes a lesson, and they were cautious how they got in his way. Five bulls were successively driven in to shew their courage, but most of them seemed very unwilling to fight, not comprehending, probably, the advantage to be gained by so doing; and kept turning many a wistful glance at the door by which they entered, as if they longed to quit the noisy crowd, and return to their cool, green pas

tures: true philosophers, of whom a lesson may be learned by mankind in general. Then when they found that they could neither escape nor overtake their tormenting enemies, they would stand bellowing with rage and disappointment; and two of them, convinced that their attempts at revenge were fruitless, sagaciously ran to the gate, nor could any further insults induce them to quit it. I wish they could have spoken, to have harangued the human beings on their conduct. I think they might possibly have made them ashamed of themselves.

In vain the matadors with their long lances leapt about, and waved their flags before the beasts, in vain were showers of darts hurled at them, in vain Turks, blacks, old men and women hissed, hooted, and shrieked ; the bull turned his tail with contempt upon them, and bellowed forth, "Let me out, let me out, let me out."

The sport was now growing tame, when a young bull being let into the ring, set off running round and round, seeming to enjoy the fun as much as any one, till a man, an immense big fellow, leapt on his back, and then throwing himself off, literally seized the bull by the horns, and held him firmly down. I must do the spectators the justice to say, that when they fancied any of the masqueraders were in danger of being tossed, as of course was frequently the case, they exhibited their sympathy by cries and exclamations of pity. Oh, Jesu-Maria! oh, Nossa Senhora! have mercy on the poor man," was heard from the fair portion of the audience, while shouts of laughter resounded on all sides when any one cleverly escaped the horns of the beast. The shades of the evening putting an end to the sport, the spectators dispersed orderly, though not silently, to their homes, the masqueraders returning to their barges in a variety of grotesque attitudes, with shouts of laughter, singing, and music, while the bulls were ferried across to some of the numerous fenny islands in the lake, there to roam in freedom till their wounds were healed, and till their tempers, ruffled slightly, it may be supposed, by the treatment they

had received, were sufficiently soothed to allow them to encounter with complacency, or at all events, without thoughts of revenge, the presence of their tormentor-man.

I have never heard of bull-fights in any other part of the north of Portugal at the present day; and in this place it is allowed on account of some privilege claimed by the inhabitants. I must conclude the account of our excursion in as few words as possible. We slept that night at our inn on mattrasses spread out on the floor: the following morning we pulled down to the mouth of the harbour, where were two vessels loading with wine, salt, and oil, and bathed: we next visited a china-manufactory-an establishment on a magnificent scaletwo miles from Aveiro, on the shores of the lake: we then returned to dinner, and at night again embarked in a barge to return to Ovar, which we reached by daybreak. The pedestrians of the party, envying our more easy mode of transit, gave notice at this place that they wished to engage steeds. In a short time a troop of animals of the mule specics, of most unprepossessing appearance, fit only to mount Falstaff's ragged regiment, were brought up for their inspection. Not one of them boasted of harness complete; some had mere pack-saddles on their backs, none had stirrups, few rejoiced in bridles; rope-halters, with which some of the riders were solely puzzled to guide them, supplying their place. Unlike the present generation, nothing would induce them to go a-head: round and round they turned, backing and twisting in every direction but the right one, amid shouts of laughter from the better mounted of the party. At last, however, our strangelooking cavalry were ready, and steering a direct course for Oporto, by a more interesting road than that by which we had come, and farther inland. After dining at the Quinta of a Portuguese gentleman of the party, visiting a picturesque ruined castle, being half roasted, and encountering a thunder-storm, we reached our homes in the health and spirits people who know how to travel will invariably enjoy.

MY DEAR MARQUIS, I may now say (for having ventured to address you once, I feel as if I had grown quite familiar with you), well, then, my lord, to resume the thread of the little discourse broken off last month, do you know that, considering the excellence of the theme I proposed to you, and, perhaps, of my own manner of handling it-but that is not for an author, but a kind British public to decide- I feel quite sorry that I ever let it slip, or allowed myself to compress into a few magazine pages matter which might fill many magazines-many volumes-a romance teeming with noble subjects of chivalry and adventure; which might equal in length with Clarissa Harlowe, and in thrilling dramatic interest the best of our own productions. But the deed is done now. goose is slaughtered, as it were, that might have laid many golden eggs : let us fall to, since he is dead, and eat him with as much relish as may be.

The

Well, then. In my last, if you remember, I only alluded cursorily to the death of Arthur, duke of Brittany, whose murder by his uncle, King John, is a subject so full of interest, that I am surprised nobody has taken it up. The late Mr. Shakspeare, indeed, has touched it; but how slightly, and in how trivial a manner! Why a man knowing the mystery of novel-spinning, might have been whole volumes killing that young prince. His escapes, his hopes, his young loves, his battles, his surprise, his defeat, his lingering agony, and ultimate downfall, might go through a set of chapters of interest so thrilling, that they should almost turn your hair grey with excitement and terror.

In a rare historical work, with which I have had the good luck to

fall in at the Britannic Museum, and written in his early days by the celebrated Sir Hume, Lord of Montrose, and electrifying our Chamber of Deputies with the thunder of his male and vigorous word, in Sir Hume's History of England I find the following notice of the abovenamed Prince Arthur and his uncle:

"The young Duke of Brittany, who was now rising to man's estate, now joined the French army, which had begun hostilities against the King of England. He was received with great distinction by Philip; was knighted by him, espoused his daughter Mary, and was invested, not only in the Duchy of Brittany, but in the counties of Anjou and Mayne, which he had formerly resigned to his uncle. Every attempt succeeded with the allies. Tillieres and Boutavant were taken by Philip after making a feeble defence. Mortemar and Lyon fell into his hands almost without resistance. The prince next invested Goudmai, and succeeded in making himself master of that important fortress. The progress of the prince was rapid, but an event happened which turned the scales in the favour of John, and gave him a decided superiority over his enemies.

Young Arthur, fond of military renown, had broken into Poictou, at the head of a small army, and passing near Mirabeau, be heard that his grandmother, Queen Eleanor, who had always opposed his interests, was lodged in that place, and was protected by a weak garrison and ruinous fortifications. He immediately determined to lay siege to the fortress, and make himself master of her person. But John, roused from his indolence by so pressing an occasion, collected an army of English and Brabançons, and advanced to the relief of the queen-mother. He fell on Arthur's camp before that prince was aware of the danger; dispersed his army; took him prisoner together with the most considerable of the revolted barons, and returned in triumph to Normandy. The greater part