paroissent
reunir tous les vices de l'ame et du corps. II y a, au reste, entre
la capitale et le nord de ce royaume, une difference marquee sous ces
deux rapports. Dans les provinces septentrionales, les hommes sont
moins noirs et moin laids, plus francs, plus lians dans la societe,
bien plus braves et plus laborieux, mais encore plus asservis, s'il
est possible, aux prejuges. Cette difference existe egalement pour
les femmes; elles sont beaucoup plus blanches que celles du sud.
Les Portugais, consideres en general, sont vindicatifs bas, vains,
railleurs, presomptueux a l'exces, jaloux. et ignorans. Apres avoir
retrace les defauts que j'ai cru appercevoir en eux, je serois injuste
si je me taisois sur leurs bonnes qualites. Ils sont attaches a leur
patrie, amis genereux, fideles, sobres, charitables. Ils seroient bons
Chretiens si le fanatisme ne les aveugloit pas. Ils sont si accoutumes
aux pratiques de la religion qu'ils sont plus superstitieux que
devots. Les hidalgos, ou les grands de Portugal, sont tres bornes dans
leur education, orgueilleux et insolens; vivant dans la plus grande
ignorance, ils ne sortent presque jamais de leur pays pour aller voir
les autres peuples." Time and changed circumstances have somewhat
softened these traits, but their general correctness is still
recognizable.

"Add hypocrisy to a Spaniard's vices and you have the Portuguese
character," says Dr. Southey. "They are deceitful and cowardly--have
no public spirit nor national character," says Semple. "The morals of
both sexes are lax in the extreme; assassination is a common
offence; they rank about as low in the social scale as any people
of Christendom," says McCulloch. "Their songs are licentious: the
national dance or the _toffa_ is so lascivious that every stranger who
sees it must deplore the corruption of the people, and regret to find
such exhibitions permitted, not only in the country, but in the heart
of towns, and even on the stage," says Malte-Brun. "Portugal is a
paradise inhabited by demons and brutes," says Madame Junot--a phrase
taken probably from Byron's description of Cintra.

My countrymen will be enraged with me for thus repeating the worst
that has been said about them, but I repeat it for their own benefit,
like the surgeon, who, to save the patient's life, cruelly probes
the wound or lays bare the corruption from which he is suffering.
Moreover, I shall have still darker spots to exhibit in a national
character