tyle in addressing a stranger is
in the third person, and such titles as Your Excellency, Your Lordship,
and Your Worship, sometimes enlarged with the adjective _illustrissimo_
(most illustrious), are common enough. When an Englishman is first
addressed as _Vossa Illustrissima Excellencia_ (Your Most Illustrious
Excellency), he begins to feel as if he were playing a part in one of
Gilbert and Sullivan's comic operas. He soon gets used to it, however,
and accepts the superlatives without turning a hair.

Of all classes it may be said that their manners are, on the whole,
good, and their morals generally lax. Cleanliness has no special place
assigned to it amongst the virtues. If it comes next to godliness, then
the latter must be very low down the scale. It seems incredible, but
verminous heads are to be found in the ranks of well-to-do tradespeople.
Fleas and bugs abound, and happy is he whose skin is too tough, or whose
flesh is too sour, to attract these ferocious insects. There is not much
luxury and there is a fair amount of thrift, while frugality of living
is common, especially among the populace.

One great characteristic is the intense love of children which is
exhibited by all classes, and there is no surer way to the good will of
a native than a kindness, however slight, to a child in whom he or she
is interested. As is natural under such circumstances, the children are
shockingly indulged and spoilt, with all the resultant unpleasant and
evil consequences. Cats, also, are great favourites with the Portuguese,
and the thousands of shabby animals of Lisbon and Oporto show no sign of
fear if a stranger stops to stroke them. They are accustomed to kind
treatment, and look upon all human beings as friends.

As a rule, a rather large number of servants are employed. They are
poorly paid, and in many households indifferently fed and housed. Often
they are dirty, lazy, dishonest sluts. They chatter shrilly with the
master or mistress, answer and argue when told of any shortcoming, and
are always ready to go off at a moment's notice. But they are often
capable of devoted service, and of a sincere desire to be obliging, and
may always be counted on to exhibit the utmost kindness to the children
of the house. Their written references, as a rule, are frauds. If you
ask for the _boas referencias_ (good references), so often mentioned in
the advertisements of _criadas_ (female servants), you will probably
find that, even