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upon him, but fpends the beft Part of the Night in fuch Amusements, tho' they had little more Knowledge of the Lady than Don Quixot had of the celebrated Dulcinea.

The Spaniards are inchanted with their Bull-feasts: However thefe Entertainments are not exhibited fo frequently as formerly.

CURIOSITIES.] In the City of Granada is a large fumptuous Palace of the Moorish Kings, faid to contain Lodgings and Accommodations for near Forty thousand People; the Walls whereof are lin'd with Jafper, Porphyry, and other beautiful Marbles, which form a fort of Mofaic Work, with Abundance of Infcriptions in Arabian Characters.

CLIMATE.]

Of PORTUGAL.

TH

HE Face of this Country is very rough, and the Mountains are fome of the most barren in that Part of the Continent; however, towards the Bottoms of them, they are well planted with Vines, which yield excellent Wines. Portugal produces Abundance of Olives, Oranges, Lemons, Citrons, Almonds, Chefnuts, Figs, Raifins, Pomegranates, and other Fruits common to us; but they are not reckoned fo good as thofe in the Southern Provinces of Spain.

GOVERNMENT.] This Kingdom, after feveral furprifing Turns of Fortune, was feized upon in the Year 1580 by Philip II. King of Spain, and it continued a Spanish Province till 1640. The Spaniards having been weakened by a long War with France, and the Revolt of the Catalonians, the Portuguefe had a fair Opportunity of delivering their Country from an intolerable foreign Yoke; and as the Duke of Braganza was the next in Blood to their former Princes, they made him an Offer of the Crown, which he accepted; but much Blood was shed to maintain him in it afterwards. The King of Portugal is an abfolute Monarch, and his Crown hereditary. The Civil Government of Portugal and Spain have a great Refemblance; for the Portuguese endeavour to imitate their Neighbours in all public Affairs.

REVENUES.] The King of Portugal's Revenues arife chiefly from the Goods exported and imported: The whole clear Revenue, upon a moderate Computation, is about 1,200,000/ Sterling.

FORCES.] The Forces of the King of Portugal, according to the best Account, do not amount to 20,000; nor can they well be thought to man and pay 30 Men of War of the Line.

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Deg. Miles. Min.

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Deg. Miles. Min.
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S. What is that Pofition of the Globe denominated a right Sphere ?

M. The Inhabitants of the Earth are fometimes diftinguifhed according to the various Pofition of their Horizon, as they are fituate in a right Sphere, a parallel Sphere, or an oblique Sphere. Vide Plate 3.

A right

Sphere.

In a right Sphere the Equator paffes thro' the Zenith and Nadir, and the parallel Circles fall perpendicularly on the Horizon, which is the Case of those People who live under the Equinoctial Line. In a parallel Sphere, the Poles are in the Zenith and Nadir; the Equator is parallel to, and coincides with the Horizon, and the parallel Circles are parallel to the Horizon, which can only be faid of People under either Pole.

A parallel

Sphere.

An oblique

Sphere."

In an oblique Sphere, the Inhabitants have one of the Poles above, and the other under the Horizon, and the Equator and parallel Circles cutting the Horizon obliquely, as is the Cafe of all People that do not live under the Equinoctial or the Poles.

S. How is the Globe to be rectified in order to find the true Situation of any Place upon it?

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If they have this Number of Ships, a Squadron of English, or Dutch, of half the Number, would not be afraid to engage them. They ferve chiefly for Convoys to their Brafil Fleets, and are very often used as Merchant-fhips to import Goods or Treafure from their foreign Settlements.

RELIGION. ] The Tenets, groffeft Errors and Corruptions of the Church of Rome are embraced by the Portuguese, who, like the Spaniards, are exceedingly devoted to the Clergy.

CUSTOMS.] The Cuftoms are in a manner the fame with thofe in Spain.

CURIOSITIES.] In a Lake on the Top of the Hill Stella in Portugal are found Pieces of Ships, tho' it be distant from the Sea more than twelve Leagues. Near to Roja there is a Lake remarkable for its rumbling Noife, which is commonly heard before a Storm, and that at the Distance of fifteen or fixteen Miles. About eight Leagues from Coimbra is a Fountain, which swallows up, or draws in, whatsoever Thing only touches the Surface of its Waters; an Experiment of which is often made with the Trunks of Trees.

Of FRANCE.

CLIMATE.] HE Air of this Country, in general, is THE very temperate, pleasant, and healthful; the Soil extremely fruitful, particularly in Corn, Wine, and Fruits.

GOVERNMENT.] As to the Form of Government of France, the legislative, as well as the executive Power, is vefted folely in the King: His Edicts are of the Force of Acts of Parliament with us, and he appoints the Judges and Officers who are to put them in Execution.

The Crown of France is hereditary; but all Females are excluded by the Salique Law.

REVENUES.] The Taxes ufually levied in France are, the Taille, or Land-tax, the Taillon, the Subfiftence-money, the Aides, and the Gabelles. By the Aides are understood all Duties and Cuftoms on Goods and Merchandizes, except Salt. The Gabelles are Taxes arifing from Salt. The other Taxes are, the Poll-tax; the Tenths of all the Eftates of the Kingdom; the Fiftieth Penny, or the Fiftieth Part of the Produce of the Earth; the Tenths and Free Gifts of the Clergy. From these, and the Revenues arifing from the Crown Lands,

Fines, &c. and from the high Duties imposed on all Provifions brought into Paris, arife Fifteen Millions Sterling, and upwards, annually, to the Government. I cannot forbear mentioning those violent Methods fometimes practifed by the French Court, in order to raise Money, to fupport her Projects and vaft Armies; which are, raifing the Value of the Coin, and compelling the People to take Paper for their Money, and then compounding with them to take Half, or perhaps a Quarter, of their refpective Debts, when they come to be paid: And it is fuppofed, that the King makes as much by these oppreffive Methods as the above annual Revenues.

FORCES.] The Armies of France were never fo numerous as in the Reign of Lewis XIV. In the War which preceded the Peace of Utrecht, they amounted to near 400,000 Men; and, 'tis faid, they are not much lefs at prefent, when the Regiments are compleated.

Land Forces.

RELIGION.] The established Religion in France is that of the Roman Catholic; but the Gallican Church pretends to enjoy greater Liberties and Privileges, and to be lefs subject to the See of Rome, than any other Chriftian State of that Communion. The Nation is divided into two great Parties, one of them zealous in defending the Rights of the Gallican Church against the Encroachments of Rome, and the other no lefs zealous in afferting the Pope's Supremacy. The Proteftants (commonly called Huguenots) were formerly allow'd the public Profeffion of their Religion, by feveral Edicts granted by the French Kings: But the Repeal of these refpective Edicts occafioned Čivil Wars; and, at last, Lewis XIV. ordered all their Churches to be deftroyed, and violently prefecuted the Proteftants; which forced great Numbers to leave the Kingdom, and feek for Shelter in foreign Parts.

CUSTOMS.] The ufual Diverfions of the French are, either Plays, Gaming, Walking, or Taking the Air in Coaches. Their Opera's in Paris are fine, and the Mufic admirable. The Tuilleries, where Company walk in the delightful Gardens of that Palace, are very beautiful.

The French do not eat that Quantity of Flesh

that we do, nor do they often dress it in the Dict. fame Manner: Soops, Fricaffées, Ragouts, and

Hafhes, difguis'd with Onions, Herbs and Spices, are preferred before whole Joints boil'd or roafted. They hang up their Meat also before it is drefs'd, till it is fo very tender,

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