It seemed a voice from the olden times of my dear native land!
This library and picture gallery had been formed by one of the
latter bishops, a person of much learning and piety.
In the evening I dined with Don Geronimo and his brother; the
latter soon left us to attend to his military duties. My friend
and myself had now much conversation of considerable interest; he
lamented the deplorable state of ignorance in which his countrymen
existed at present. He said that his friend the governor and
himself were endeavouring to establish a school in the vicinity,
and that they had made application to the government for the use of
an empty convent, called the Espinheiro, or thorn tree, at about a
league's distance, and that they had little doubt of their request
being complied with. I had before told him who I was, and after
expressing joy at the plan which he had in contemplation, I now
urged him in the most pressing manner to use all his influence to
make the knowledge of the Scripture the basis of the education
which the children were to receive, and added, that half the Bibles
and Testaments which I had brought with me to Evora were heartily
at his service; he instantly gave me his hand, said he accepted my
offer with the greatest pleasure, and would do all in his power to
forward my views, which were in many respects his own. I now told
him that I did not come to Portugal with the view of propagating
the dogmas of any particular sect, but with the hope of introducing
the Bible, which is the well-head of all that is useful and
conducive to the happiness of society, - that I cared not what
people called themselves, provided they followed the Bible as a
guide; for that where the Scriptures were read, neither priestcraft
nor tyranny could long exist, and instanced the case of my own
country, the cause of whose freedom and prosperity was the Bible,
and that only, as the last persecutor of this book, the bloody and
infamous Mary, was the last tyrant who had sat on the throne of
England.
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