He Was Told I Was An English Gentleman, Travelling.
He
then asked whether I understood Portuguese; the man said I
understood it, but he believed that I spoke French and Italian
better.
The gentleman then spurred on his horse and accosted me,
not in Portuguese, nor in French or Italian, but in the purest
English that I ever heard spoken by a foreigner; it had, indeed,
nothing of foreign accent or pronunciation in it; and had I not
known, by the countenance of the speaker, that he was no
Englishman, (for there is a peculiarity in the countenance, as
everybody knows, which, though it cannot be described, is sure to
betray the Englishman), I should have concluded that I was in
company with a countryman. We continued discoursing until we
arrived at Pegoens.
Pegoens consists of about two or three houses and an inn; there is
likewise a species of barrack, where half a dozen soldiers are
stationed. In the whole of Portugal there is no place of worse
reputation, and the inn is nick-named Estalagem de Ladroes, or the
hostelry of thieves; for it is there that the banditti of the
wilderness, which extends around it on every side for leagues, are
in the habit of coming and spending the money, the fruits of their
criminal daring; there they dance and sing, eat fricasseed rabbits
and olives, and drink the muddy but strong wine of the Alemtejo.
An enormous fire, fed by the trunk of a cork tree, was blazing in a
niche on the left hand on entering the spacious kitchen. Close by
it, seething, were several large jars, which emitted no
disagreeable odour, and reminded me that I had not broken my fast,
although it was now nearly one o'clock, and I had ridden five
leagues. Several wild-looking men, who if they were not banditti
might easily be mistaken for such, were seated on logs about the
fire. I asked them some unimportant questions, to which they
replied with readiness and civility, and one of them, who said he
could read, accepted a tract which I offered him.
My new friend, who had been bespeaking dinner, or rather breakfast,
now, with great civility, invited me to partake of it, and at the
same time introduced me to the officer who accompanied him, and who
was his brother, and also spoke English, though not so well as
himself. I found I had become acquainted with Don Geronimo Joze
D'Azveto, secretary to the government at Evora; his brother
belonged to a regiment of hussars, whose headquarters were at
Evora, but which had outlying parties along the road, - for example,
the place where we were stopping.
Rabbits at Pegoens seem to be a standard article of food, being
produced in abundance on the moors around. We had one fried, the
gravy of which was delicious, and afterwards a roasted one, which
was brought up on a dish entire; the hostess, having first washed
her hands, proceeded to tear the animal to pieces, which having
accomplished, she poured over the fragments a sweet sauce. I ate
heartily of both dishes, particularly of the last; owing, perhaps,
to the novel and curious manner in which it was served up.
Excellent figs, from the Algarves, and apples concluded our repast,
which we ate in a little side room with a mud floor, which sent
such a piercing chill into my system, as prevented me from deriving
that pleasure from my fare and my agreeable companions that I
should have otherwise experienced.
Don Geronimo had been educated in England, in which country he
passed his boyhood, which in a certain degree accounted for his
proficiency in the English language, the idiom and pronunciation of
which can only be acquired by residing in the country at that
period of one's life. He had also fled thither shortly after the
usurpation of the throne of Portugal by Don Miguel, and from thence
had departed to the Brazils, where he had devoted himself to the
service of Don Pedro, and had followed him in the expedition which
terminated in the downfall of the usurper and the establishment of
the constitutional government in Portugal. Our conversation rolled
chiefly on literary and political subjects, and my acquaintance
with the writings of the most celebrated authors of Portugal was
hailed with surprise and delight; for nothing is more gratifying to
a Portuguese than to observe a foreigner taking an interest in the
literature of his nation, of which, in many respects, he is justly
proud.
At about two o'clock we were once more in the saddle, and pursued
our way in company through a country exactly resembling that which
we had previously been traversing, rugged and broken, with here and
there a clump of pines. The afternoon was exceedingly fine, and
the bright rays of the sun relieved the desolation of the scene.
Having advanced about two leagues, we caught sight of a large
edifice towering majestically in the distance, which I learnt was a
royal palace standing at the farther extremity of Vendas Novas, the
village in which we were to pass the night; it was considerably
more than a league from us, yet, seen through the clear transparent
atmosphere of Portugal it appeared much nearer.
Before reaching it we passed by a stone cross, on the pedestal of
which was an inscription commemorating a horrible murder of a
native of Lisbon, which had occurred on that spot; it looked
ancient, and was covered with moss, and the greater part of the
inscription was illegible, at least it was to me, who could not
bestow much time on its deciphering. Having arrived at Vendas
Novas, and bespoken supper, my new friend and myself strolled forth
to view the palace; it was built by the late king of Portugal, and
presents little that is remarkable in its exterior; it is a long
edifice with wings, and is only two stories high, though it can be
seen afar off, from being situated on elevated ground; it has
fifteen windows in the upper, and twelve in the lower story, with a
paltry-looking door, something like that of a barn, to which you
ascend by one single step; the interior corresponds with the
exterior, offering nothing which can gratify curiosity, if we
except the kitchens, which are indeed magnificent, and so large
that food enough might be cooked in them, at one time, to serve as
a repast for all the inhabitants of the Alemtejo.
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