The Sun.
London, England, 1835-07-23 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JULY 23, 1835.

sanctity of those venerable pillars of the church mili-
tant, the Prebendaries and stall-fed canonists of
Durham. The very perusal of the passage is a cure

for indigestion :
" We had no sooner hove in sight, and we loomed large;
than a most tremendous ring of bells of extraordinary power
announced our speedy arrival. A special aviso, or broad hint
from the Secretary of State, recommending these magnificent
monks to receive the Grand Prior and his companions with
peculiar graciousness, the o hole community, including fathers,
friars, and subordinates, at' least four hundred strong, were
drawn up in grand spiritual array on the vast platform before
the monastery to bid us welcome. At their head the Abbot
himself, in his costume of High Almoner of Portugal, advanced
to give us a cordial embrace.
" It was quite delectable to witness with what cooings arid
comforting-% the Lord Abbot of Alcobaca greeted his right
reverend brethren of Aviz and St. Vincent's—turtle-doves
were never more fondlesome, at least in outward appear-
ance. Preceded by these three graces of holiness, I entered
the spacious, massive, and somewhat austere Saxon-looking
church. All was gloom, except where the perpetual lamps
burning before the high altar diffused a light most solemn
and religious—(inferior twinkles from side chapels and chan-
tries arc not worth mentioning). To this altar my high
clerical conductors repaired, whilst the full harmonious tones
of several stately organs, accompanied by the choir, pro-
claimed that they were in the act of adoring the real Presence.
" Whilst these devout prostrations were performing, I lost
not a moment in visiting the sepulchral chapel, where lie
interred Pedro the Just and his beloved Inez. The light
which reached this solemn recess of a most solemn edifice was.
so subdued and hazy, that I could hardly distinguish the eb,
=borateseviiitare. of the tomb-, whielr.temintled me, both tteto
design and execution of the Beauchamp monument at War-
wick, se rich in fretwork and imagery.
"Just as I was giving way to the affecting reveries which
such an object could not fail of exciting in a bosom the least
susceptible of romantic impressions, in came the Grand Priors
hand in hand, all three together. 'To the kitchen,' said they
in perfect unison,—' to the kitchen, and that immediately ; you
will then judge whether we have been wanting in zeal to
regale you.'
Such a summons so conveyed was irresistible; the three
prelates led the way to, I verily believe, the most distinguished
temple of gluttony in all Europe. What Glastonbury may
have been in its high and palmy state, I cannot answer; but
my eyes never beheld in any modern convent of France, Italy,
or Germany, such an enormous space dedicated to culinary
purposes. Through the centre of the immense and nobly-
groined hall, not less than sixty feet in circumference, ran a
brisk rivulet of the clearest water, flowing through pierced
wooden reservoirs, containing every sort and size of the finest
river-fish. On one side, loads of game and venison were
heaped up ; on the other, vegetables and fruit in endless va-
riety. Beyond a long line of stoves extended a: row of ovens,
and close to them hillocks of wheaten flour whiter than snow,
rocks of sugar, jars of the purest oil, and pastry in vast abun-
dance, which a numerous tribe of lay brothers and their at-
tendants were rolling out and puffing into a hundred different
shapes, singing all the while as blithely as larks in a corn-
field.

" My servants, and those of their reverend excellencies the
two Priors, were standing by in the full glee of witnessing
these hospitable preparations, as well pleased, and as much
flushed, as if they had been just returned from assisting at tho
marriage at Cana in Gallilee. There,' said the Lord- Abbot,
'we shall not starve : God's bounties are great, it is fit we
should enjoy them.' "
The above brief speech of the Lord Abbot, like the
late Duke of York's speech against Catholic emancipa-
tion, ought to be printed in letters of gold, and solemnly
recited at all episcopal visitations by the assembled
clergy. As the Church can boast of more than one
versifier among her children, perhaps it might be made
the burden of an anti-starvation hymn, to be chaunted
in chorus at all church and king festivals.
We regret that want of space obliges us to omit the
" Enactment of the excruciating tragedy of Donna
Inez de Castro, and the cruel murder of that lovely
lady and her two innocent royal infants," got up for
the entertainment of the visitors at the monastery of
Alcobaca, " by the grace of God, and the especial
permission of the Lord High Almoner of Portugal,
&c." The naivete with which the Lord Abbot con-
fessed his having permitted the author of the tragedy
to falsify history for the purpose of heightening the dra-
matic effect is no slight trait of the amiableness of his

character and the goodness of his heart. After telling
Mr. Beckford that the author was a foreigner, in order
to account for his want of feeling for " the two pre-
cious infants," the Lord Abbot acknowledges that his
" permission was asked to have them murdered, in
order to add to the effect of the catastrophe. Rather,"
continues his Right Reverence, " than thwart a person
of such transcendent abilities, and my very particular
friend, I consented. He had half a mind to make
them fall by their mother's own poinard in a fit of
frenzy : but I could not allow of that ; it would have
been stretching a little too far—don't you think so ?"
The monastery of Batalha being by no means so

wealthy as the Royal foundation of Alcobaca, the re-
ception given to the travellers on their visit to it, though
equally cordial, was by no means so splendid as that
described in the extract given above. The monks

were poor and industrious, and the Prior a man of
whom Mr. Beckford speaks in terms of the highest
commendation. Our author, however, found abund-
ance of entertainment in examining the architectural
beauties of the convent, upon which he dwells with
enthusiasm. The episode of the maniac monk is im-
pressive ; but we cannot say that we felt so comfortable
after reading it as we did after hearing the Chinese
missionary's Apology for the infidelity of his Majesty
of the Celestial Empire.

We pass over the author's visit in company with the
Grand Priors at the palace of the Bird-queen, whose
knowledge of the climate of England, and the topo-
graphy of London, are among the richest specimens of
existing ancestorial wisdom. Her Majesty's doubt of
the existence of native birds in England, founded upon
the authority of the canary bird-fancier, who assured
her there was no such thing as daylight in London,

and the Jesuit quoting Camoens in support of the same

opinions, arc admirable, because true satires on na-

tional pride, ignorance, and prejudice.
On the twelfth day after setting out, Mr. Beckford
and his Right Reverend guides returned to Lisbon,

and were severally honoured with an audience by the
Prince Regent. One scene in this part is truly ter-
rific, but we cannot find space for insertion. The

readers of this volume will not be able to forget it even
if they would. With Mr. Beckford's departure from
the palace, the " Excursion" terminates.
We have extended our notice of this beautiful pro-
duction considerably beyond our usual limits. A 5 we
said before, it is a tale of the past—a tale whose lead-

ing characters and incidents are neither to be found nor
traced in Europe. The race of Grand Priors, such as
he of Aviz in his dormeuse, is totally extinct—the Bird-
queen and her court and courtiers have disappeared for,
ever—and there is not heat enough in any of our mo-

dern churches to warm such a kitchen as that of Al-
cobaca. The fine enthusiasm of Mr. Beckford throws

a charm over his descriptions ; and the division of his
narrative into " Days" instead of " Chapters" imparts
to it that novel kind of romantic interest, which every
person must have experienced in reading Boccacio's
Tales. In justice to the lordly monks, we shall con-
clude with the following extract :
" The peasantry, comfortably clad in substantial garments,
looked kindly and unenviously at our splendid caravan, be-
cause their hearts were expanded by good treatment, their gra-
naries amply stored, their flocks numerous and healthy, and
their landlords, the rich monks of Alcobaqa, neither griping
nor tyrannical. When the Prior of Aviz stopped to converse
with these good people, which he frequently did, and inquired
with his usual affable benignity, Who taught you to till your
land so neatly ? to manure it with so much judgment ? to raise
such crops of grain? to spare your cattle all forced oppressive
labour? to treat their young with so much gentleness?' the
answer was prompt and uniform,--' Our, indulgent masters
and kind friends, the monks of tic royal monastery.'"

COURT OF ALDERMEN.

DANGEROUS NAVIGATION.
When the form of giving bond by the Sheriffs was con-
cluded on Saturday, the Master and Wardens of the Watermen's
Company were called into the Court to be sworn.
Mr. Drinkald, the Master of the Company, presented to
the Court a list of by-laws, which, he said, greatly intere3ted
the public, and he hoped would be sanctioned by the Court.
They related to the watermen's boats on the Thames, and
authorised the building of boats of larger burden and dimen-
sions than those, so many of which had been overwhelmed on
the river by the steam vessels. The Company of which he
was the head had taken the subject into their most serious
consideration, for they found that the proprietors of the steam-
vessels
cared about nothing but their own profits, and the re-
'petition of accidents was of no avail in checking the speed
with which the steam-vessels were propelled. The boats re.:
commended in the by-laws would be more than twice the
burden of those in present use, and the river could, if the regu-
lations were adopted, be much more safely navigated.
Alderman Lucas apprehended that if larger boats were
adopted the watermen would not be able to row against the tide.
Alderman VENABLES said the subject had been under consi-
deration by that Court, before which all the necessary evidence
had been laid and examined. The Court had limited the
number of persons to be carried by the steam-vessels for the
security and accommodation of the public; but the measure
had not been carried into effect, as a certain sanction which
was necessary had not yet been received.
Mr. Drinkald expressed a hope that the by. laws would be
approved by the Court.
After a few words from Alderman WOOD and Alderman
LUCAS the by-laws were at once adopted.
The Court then adjourned. .