Portugal (edited from B.L.Add.Mss. 56527)

Heading

J.C. Hobhouse implendum hunc nugis
propris chartæ albæ librum suis
addebat.1  June 28. 1809.

[TRANSLATION: J.C. Hobhouse added this white paper book to be filled with his own trifles and remarks, June 29th 1809.]

Friday July 7th 1809

Diarium – Latinâ cupiculâ scriptur –

July <9/>8. 1809 + 3 Man.  Tagum intravi – Olyssipum tetigi 10 a.m. – per Urbem ambulatio – … pauperem morbo pesticulari perditissione affectum fugi. in naviculâ trans-flumine vineta cum magno strepite puerorum asino agentium vidi. – … (pueri cupidissimi peccia balneum cessi in Tago – prandium in Anglicano Diversorio (Branwell’s Buenos Ayres) pedes ad Thatrum tria millia passuum ivi frustra – in navi (packet) pernoctavi – …

[TRANSLATION: Diary in Latin. /  Friday July 8th2 1809.  Entered the Tagus three a.m. – went ashore at Lisbon at ten a.m. – walk through the city – avoided diseased beggars by crossing the river in ferry.3  Saw noisy greedy boys hunting with an ass in a vineyard – bathed in the Tagus – dined at the English hotel (Barnewell’s Buenos Ayres) – on foot to the theatre – two miles – couldn’t get a seat – spent the night on board the packet.]

Saturday July 8th 1809

July 9. di Satier, Circa 11th horum e lecto surrexi – cum gubernatore navis Kidd comitante amic. B[yr]-[o]n ad mercatorum Bulkely qui nobis multa gementibus e centum libris sterlinis tredecim pro mercede cepit – nihil in urbe visi – prand. in Buenos Ayres, commesatonibus, Duff – Drummond Marsden – Westwood – Theatrum – sentimental comedia – God save the King – variater cantatum – saltûs cum motibus Jonices Anglicanis oculis minime aptota – pernoctatis Buenos Ayres – –

[TRANSLATION: Saturday July 9th [sic: for 8th].  Up about eleven – went with Captain Kidd4 and my good friend Byron to the merchant Bulkely,5 who to our severe upset changed one hundred pounds sterling at thirteen per cent.  Saw nothing in the town – dined at the Buenos Ayres with the regulars Duff – Drummond – Marsden – Westwood.6  To the theatre – sentimental comedy – God Save the King played with variations – songs and ballet – not much to English eyes – slept at the Buenos Ayres.]

Sunday July 9th 1809

July 10. die Sabb.  nulla digna memora u aut pran m balneum cessi in Tago – victus omnes emendi in Olysi hae die.  prand cum Marsdenio Swanio, milite qui mira nobis de vitiis monachorum cum pueris dicebat: iterum in Rua dos Condes Theatrum – ubi saltationes Ibericæ magis magis lascivi plaudente iterum populo – personæ statuæ bene acta = nox ad Buenos Ayrei – –

[TRANSLATION: Sunday July 10th [sic: for “9th”].  Did nothing worth recollection except bathed in the Tagus – atoned for all our misdeeds in Lisbon this day.  Dined with the soldier Swanio Marsden7 who held forth to our amazement about crimes monks commit with boys.  To the theatre in the Rua dos Condes, where very very indecent Spanish dancers were applauded with enthusiasm by the house.  The Moving Statues8 well played – spent night at the Buenos Ayres.]

Monday July 10th 1809

July 11 di Lunæ – tardior suri milites in parco propinqus Anglicanos duce Crawford in ordine spectavi comitante Marsdenio – religiorum quoque Belae domum Monachorum 50 habitationem superbissimam St Jeronymo dedicantam intravi – duo quos vidi fratrum neque intelligebant ita videbatier, nec omnino dicere valebant Linguam Latinam – prand cum Duff – Marsden – Drummond in currû ad ruar Dos Condes vectitatis frustrâ – – – – nox Barnwelliariana

[TRANSLATION: Sunday July 11th [sic: for “10th”].  Late in the day, with our friend Marsden, watched General Craufurd’s9 military parade – not exactly English.  Entered the monastery of St Jerome at Bela10 – fifty monks in superb building – met two monks there who could not make themselves understood either in their own language or in Latin.  Dined with Duff, Marsden and Drummond.  To the Rua dos Condes theatre in a calash – couldn’t get in.  Spent the night at Barnewell’s.]

Tuesday July 11th 1809

July. 12.  Ibam comite Marsdenio, in curriculo ad Cintram in viâ apud diversoriunculum. tres amphoras vim, cersaros panem et caseum pro vini et multis, tredecim pro denariis – Cintræ Palatium Merialuae vidi, e horticulos Montserratam oedem olim Beckfordii Angli Sod. desertam nunc et omnibus supplectilibus spoliatam – Comes interea Byronius Maphram. palatium et monasterium visebat, ubi monachorum ante incursus Gallorum olim 150, nunc triginta – bibliotheca ampla et selecta tribus verò exceptis nullos Anglicanos continens libros – scrutatus est fratum unus, anne ulli fuerint in Brittania libri (Gronovius et Horatius Pini) prandium Cintrae cum clericis tribus Scoti.  Simmons Turner cis nox cintræ.

[TRANSLATION: Monday July 12th [sic: for “11th”].  Went with Marsden in calash to Cintra,11 over a road with many twists – three jugs of wine, bread and cheese, thirty denarii.  Saw Marialva’s palace of Cintra,12 and gardens of Montserrat,13 once owned by the English sodomite Beckford14 – now deserted and bare of all furnishings.  Meanwhile Byron went to Mafra,15 and viewed the palace and monastery, where before the French invasion the monks numbered 150, now thirty.  Full and select library except no English books.  One of the monks asked Byron if there were books in England16 (Gronovius17 and Horatius Pini)18.  Dined at Cintra with three clergymen Scott, Simmons, Turner19 and spent the night there.]

Wednesday July 12th 1809

July 13. asinorum chorus at conventionum  “Nossa senhora de Pena”, ubi quatuor monachi ex ordine St Hieronymi – pauperes – non ireligans confectorum – ad conventum cognominatum de Cork in excelsior regione montium devenimus – fratram 17 Francescani secundi ordinis severessimi – nec carne neque vino utuntur, flagellis se secant – nobis in horticulo monstrabant cellulam subterraneum, ubi talis inscriptio:

nihilominus illorum Abbatus qui super mensam petream vini casei panis et Orangeorum proatendebat non immundam commessationem, ubi fuit hilaris, atque in parvelâ subterrenea ecclesiâ aliquid and posthemis nobis. cantabat – alta linguentes and alles revisimus.  Collares que, villam formossissimam – vinum Claretto, non dissimilam feracem – valedixi Monsterratanae oedi – Palatiumque Marialvae praeter euns Cintram reverti – ubi prand, cum clerico Turner … bene docto – nox Cintrae

[TRANSLATION: Tuesday July 13th [sic: for “12th”].  Asses braying.20  To the St Jerome monastery at “Nossa Senhora de Pena”21 where live four monks – poor – not badly dressed.  To the Cork convent22 in the higher hilly region – seventeen brothers from the second and strictest Franciscan order who take neither meat nor wine, and indulge in flagellation.  They showed us an underground cell in their garden, with this inscription: “Hic Honorius vitam finivit / atque ideo CUM DEO / vitam revivit / obit 1632.”23  However, their Abbot, who spread out cheese, plums and oranges on a stone table in the tiny underground chapel, was cheerful.  We then left the heights – returned to the valley and visited Collares – the villa very beautiful indeed – vine abundant, wine not unlike claret – bade farewell to Montserrat – a palace exceeded only by that of Marialva at Cintra.  There we dined with good doctor the Rev. Turner – night at Cintra.]

Thursday July 13th 1809

July XIV / Marve cum B., promissâ ad Marchesam sororem Marialvae notâ palatium vidi magnificam illud omni suppelectili Anglicano ornatum – cameram ipsam quâ signata <xxxx>erat famosa Conventio intrabam, est in dextrâ ulâ palatii medium que fenestrum, oppositum hermitagium [sketch] in colle spectat – valedixi Cintræ ubi diversori hospes, mulier Hibernica garrula ebriosa immunda iniquissimam offerebat billulam 40½ dollorum Olynippo revert, prand. – et pernoctatio ––––––––––

(NB) Lectorum syndon Cintræ. ita dicunt, semper udum in causâ est vaporum in illâ regione exhalatio –

[TRANSLATION: Wednesday July 14th [sic: for “13th”].  Went with Byron by appointment, to the sister of the Marquis of Marialva, to see his palace, magnificently furnished in the English style – there entered the very room in the right wing where the famous Convention24 was signed – opposite saw a hermitage [sketch] in the hillside.  Bade farewell to Cintra, where there were several guests – noisy drunken dirty Irish woman gave us a monstrous bill for forty dollars and a half – returned to Lisbon – dined and spent the night.  N.B.: reading about Cintra I find it said that the constant damp there is caused by exhalations of vapour.]

Friday July 14th 180925

July 15 [sic: for “14”].  (Friday) Placam de commercio naviquim querens cum B in curriculo – inde ad Conventum Jesûs – illic olim fratres 80 nunc 50 quorum unus pater de Souza septem legit et intelligit linguas Orientales – [TRANS: Friday July 15th.  Went in calash with Byron to the Placa de Commercio to find a ship26 – thence to the monastery of Jesus where were once eighty brothers, now fifty – one – Father de Souza – reads and understands seven oriental languages.]  A monk who spoke a little French attended us, and showed us the curiosities.  The church, the library, which is most magnificent and contains a fine collection of books, two of which only are English.  Travels in Portugal,27           28 and Sir Isaac Newton’s works, whose head together with that of John Locke29 is placed amongst the other busts that adorn the room.  There we saw a small compartment under lock and key filled with livres défendus – amongst which I saw the Refutation of the Talmud30 – Bayle’s Dictionary31 – and some of Voltaire’s works – but the French Encyclopedia was in the open part of the Room.  The pictures are not numerous or fine except one or two – the collection of natural curiosities did not strike me as anything extraordinary.  The monk that conducted me was good-natured and liberal, but upon being asked concerning some picture of a battle where there were cannon and firearms, said that it was some ancient Roman fight.  The library, used before the French came – of whose devastations we saw several signs – to be open to everybody.  It is now shut – prand.  Buenos Ayres – nox quoque – [TRANS: dined and slept at the Buenos Ayres.]

Saturday July 15th 1809

July 16 [sic: for “15”].  Saturday – Trajanus similis diem perdidi prand.  Buenos Ayres – quo nox advena Illud

[TRANSLATION: As Trajan32 lamented, a lost day – dined at the Buenos Ayres, by which means the night came.]

Sunday July 16th 1809

July 17 Sunday per urbem ambulatio – pululum temp in ecclesiâ quadâm, ubi ante altare mulier in genibus orans assidentesque tres quatuorque monachi cum muliere syndonem vendentem lascivi ludentes – in horticulis publicis formular – iter figuratis – <prand. cum adversâ J. Ward> Barnwells – Theatrum – Rua dos Condes unde in naviculo ad Buenos Ayres – nocte ægrotabam.

[TRANSLATION: Sunday July 17 [sic: for “16”].  Walk through city – spent a short time in the church, where saw, near a woman kneeling in intent prayer at the altar, three or four monks indecently assaulting another woman.33  Walked in the public gardens with well-designed promenades.  <Dined with our enemy J. Ward>.34  At Barnwell’s – theatre – Rua Dos Condes – thence in calash to the Buenos Ayres, where sick all night.]

Monday July 17th 1809

July 18.  Surrexi ægrotans – cum nautâ ferocissimo navem Barfleur – prand. parv vel potius millum. morbi instans remedium dedit Marsdens Daffy’s Elixir – melior nox – [TRANS: July 18th [sic: for “17”] got up sick – dined with Barfleur, the most savage seaman35 – had a small meal for preference – as a quick remedy for sickness Marsden gave me some Daffy’s Elixir,36 and by night I was better] visited the Secretary of State, Mr Frere,37 twice.  Like Jew King.38  Got passports from Mr de Castro39 – a civil gentleman, young man.

Tuesday July 18th 1809

July 19 [sic: for “18”].  Tuesday – in curriculo ad Praca de Commercio cum Byron.  [TRANS: With Byron in calash to the commercial centre] got passports and post-orders from the Secretary of State, Mr Frere.  ad Belem in curriculo40 [TRANS: in calash to Bela.]  Saw the monastery a second time – shown it by the servant who showed me more of it than I had seen before – an embalmed body entire of King Ildefonsus – 302 years old.41  Returned and met the Host – postillion got off and kneeled down.  Saw at Belem pictures of the life and adventures of St Hieronymus – one showed him tempted by the devil with Cicero’s works – the next his flagellation by the angels for his trangression.42  Mr J. Ward dined with Marsden, Drummond and ourselves at Barnwell’s – at half-past nine went with Byron in a calash to Rua dos Condes – attacked near the –– by four men43 – walked halfway home – bed at Barnwell’s.

Wednesday July 19th 1809

July <20/>1944 Wednesday.  Up at six – went to Mr Ward’s lodgings – to the packet – to the new church,45 like St Paul’s in miniature – to the English burying-ground – Fielding’s tombstone46 not to be found – many English enquire for it – settled bills &c.

Thursday July 20th 1809

Thursday.  Got up ten.  After much bustle and a cold dinner, set off at seven o’clock per boat to Aldea Gallega47 where arrived and saw the first of Portugal’s road inns.

Miscellaneous observations at Lisbon.48

In the convent of Jesus are forty-five monks, only three of whom understand Latin.

Mr Kintella49 worth £250,000 per annum by a monopoly of tobacco – in Lisbon and Portugal all commercial articles are monopolised.  Junot’s table50 per diem cost him (Mr Kintella) £170 or £200.  Mr Junot was much liked – used to ride about with no guard, only a young groom in the English fashion.  He managed so well that he made the Lisbonites believe that a large French force was left in the city, whereas he left only a thousand men there, when he went to fight the English at Vimiero.51  Afterwards many French murdered.  Kellerman52 nearly killed – saved by English officers, who hustled him into the water.53  The French books in some Convent library thrown together in a heap out of spite to the French.  A monk at Mafra asked Lord Byron if there were any books in England.54

Mr Loisin55 followed Bandeira the rich merchant,56 in whose house he lodged, round his room with a cocked pistol demanding money.  There is a good police guard of 1,500 horse and foot to prevent disturbances in Lisbon, who were picked out of the troops by the French, and continued by the English – but there is no justice, no punishment but imprisonment except in extraordinary cases, and that may be bought off.  Mr Turner told me that he saw four men of rank walking in a religious procession with hair cloaks for a penance for murders.  Convents, most of them, supported by begging – people are denounced if they do not give – of ten fish which a fisherman brings to market two are carried off by purveyors to the monks, two by the officers of the court.57  Dead bodies are exposed in the churches with a plate on them, and are not buried until sufficient money is collected to pay the priest.

Army recruited by surrounding the public gardens and taking all the persons not married.  Prince Regent kept 8,000 horses and resided chiefly at Mafra where were 180 monks, now thirty.  All the equipages of the nobility &c. ordered off for the army, and the articles paid for by paper money worth nothing. – N.B. best way for a traveller to buy Portuguese money in London, Cheapside.

Inquisition not abolished quite – twenty people lately sent there – dungeons under the great square Roccio.  Convention at Cintra not justifiable, St Elmo and Fort St Julien not being tenable from the land.58

Dogs in Lisbon numerous – 10,000 killed by the French – people angry thereat as they lost their scavengers.

A convent requested leave to fit out a frigate and freight her, which they did for the Brazils with the ashes of the Braganzan family.59  In the regency60 there are seven – five being fools, one a republican – and the other the only manager in the French interest.  When the French came the exchange was at 84 below par.  The Marquis Pombal the greatest benefactor of the city61 – vid. history of his government in French.62  The Carlos or Opera Theatre,63 well built and large.  French well-behaved at Cintra – Sir Hew64 and Sir Harry Burrard65 did not dine in the same room at Mrs Cabajolieri’s66 at Cintra.

The young ecclesiastics affect levity – I saw some monks pulling about a woman in a church close to a woman praying before a shrine.67  Married women, many of them, prostitutes for pay, which they divide with their husbands.68

Avarice the reigning passion of the Portuguese.69  Boys well-dressed attend the lobbies of the theatres for the purpose of branler le pique aux gens polis.70  Sanguinetti71 told us he had seen the thing himself done in the streets – stabbing not so common, but everyone wears a knife – Sanguinetti saw a man killed by a boy of thirteen, in a chandler’s shop.  The Portuguese of rank gamble and call for water – all the water drunk at Lisbon brought by the water carriers, who are Galegos, natives of Galicia72 chiefly, very strong – who have a kind of chartered company – everyone is obliged to have his water-cask full every night in the room in which he sleeps to put out the city fires.  These men make a fortune and return to their own country and buy land.  Very probably what I heard true: that there are 49,00073 ecclesiastics in Lisbon, as I find that there are 300,000 in Portugal out of a population of two millions.

Friday July 21st 1809

Journal “Friday” (July 21)

Got up after not sleeping all night.  At four o’clock went down to bathe, but found the tide out and could not – set off from Aldea Gallega to Los Prigones,74 five leagues.  The road at first through vineyards, then beautiful cork woods – the road bad and sandy.  Saw some wild deer.  Five horses this stage, very bad cattle.  One tired on the road, which Robert rode75 – set out, after resting at Los Prigones, to Venta Nova76 (three leagues) – arrived half-past four.  Road wild and sandy – six good horses and two guides.  At Venta an old Palace – a thief, supposed a boy, whipped one of Lord Byron’s pistols from the holster here – we found it after search under some dung.  This stage four leagues – to Montemor, very romantic and beautiful scenery, good hard road – dark before we came in through a forest to Montemor.  The sides of the road in general very green with aromatic shrubs77 not hilly nor level – a vast number of crosses, signs of murders, on the side of the way.78  Two rooms, rather bad to sleep in.  Oranges and pears by way of supper.  We had new eggs, fish, and red wine of the country at the other stages, besides lemonade – could not judge of the price because everything paid by Sanguinetti and profusely, but not so very cheap as expected.  At Montemor there is an old Moorish castle79 on a hill with very extensive ruins.  The hill commands a fine prospect.         80 leagues.

Saturday July 22nd 1809

Half-past six in the morning, set off six horses as usual, to Arryolos81 three82 leagues.  A good English kind of road, part very pretty, with some signs of cultivation – good horses – got a good breakfast of eggs, wine, and a little bad fruit at Arryolos, where the inn is a very neat cottage indeed.  Waited upon by two neat women – (wrote this at Arryolos Castle Moorish, eleven o’clock a.m.).

Two o’clock arrived at Venta de Duque83 three leagues – good road – horses rather bad, pretty prospect from the post-house (no inn there).  At Venta de Duque, Evora Monte on a distant opposite hill.  From Venta to Estremoz, the next stage, three leagues.  Beginning of the road bad – end good – horses very capital.  Estremoz a fortified walled town but not much attended to now.  A friar asked me if I would wish to see his convent – two in this town.  Horse reared here – jumped off twice.

To Alveciras – road not good at first – two leagues – horses fine-looking but unpleasant – guides very careful of them.  Got some good milk at the house – Alveciras to Elvas four leagues, where I would advise to stay the night, as Elvas is so bad.  A road through a plain like Newmarket,84 very good.  Stopped a little at a fountain on a hill.  NB: Portugal full of these constructed fountains.  The approach to Elvas fine and coming in by moonlight the very grand aqueduct struck us very much indeed.85  The horses, five of them grey, very good – arrived at nine exactly, just before the gates shut – had much ceremony going in – obliged to show passports (this being a fortified frontier town) to the governor whose people wanted to see us.86  Nothing to eat [at] the inn – wine not allowed to be sold at inns – beds on the floor – accommodation very bad – ten at night (went to bed <after eating fowls just killed> <and boiled – which we should not have had but for Sanguinetti>).

N.B. it is perfectly necessary to have a man with you who can cook a little, as when there is anything to eat the people always spoil it with stinking oil and salt butter.  Six dollars paid at this wretched inn next morning – very dear.

Sunday July 23rd 1809

Ten a.m., breakfasted with good goat’s milk – coffee – and the best French bread in Portugal for three ventins (about threepence-halfpenny) at a Caza de Caffee (which is the best thing to do here).87  (The shop is like an English small huckster’s shop88 and you eat on the counter) – kissed a saint here for sixpence.89 10,000 inhabitants in Elvas.  Next stage, set off from Elvas to Badajoz – three leagues.  At one o’clock, saw Spain for the first time – at two bathed in the small stream that separates the two kingdoms,90 a little above the ford (which was just deep enough).  Told by a guide the Prince of Peace born here.91  Entered Badajoz at five – took some good wine.  Going, but showed our passports to a fellow who could not read.  Bad, heavy horses – noble road.  Arrived at Albuera92 – four leagues.  The next stage at eight (this place a village).  Got some boiled chickens, tolerable room and beds, and had some tunes from Sanguinetti’s flute – saw a great many eating out of one bowl (as usual).