Madeira. | /The Roman Catholic clergy,- -observing the fervour
©fi devotion^iackened amongdàtetlkiéy,. to thd degree. of
rendering ât difficult t© recruit theif-ednventS' with proper
shbjeèts,. »’were apt to attribute so alarming a' decline
of zeal to thei’propagation of free-thinking among Free-
masons,'and appliedTto the arm o f the inquisition for
tfi^^punishmentiand: expulsion. A pOïS’ècütiôM'eiïsued
agMnst many, o f the principal Portuguese» resident in
Madeira, 'which was likelyntoibei^tendeditwith very-
serious consequences, had not thecfprpsent .minister i©f
forieign affairs at Lisbon, the Chevalier de Pinlly a man
of a liberal raind,.and!‘.much in the confidenfeetl'e^bSh©
itïinde i of Brazils] /regent o f the Bertifeueaecdotaimoife
during the indisposition of his mother, procured'•an
edict,«-by which it was ordâided, that “ all the inquisitors,
« and judges •-of-the tribunal of the inqu isition -should^
“ as soon as any information- werefgiven to the said tri-
“ bunal, immediately investigate the «same/j éïê, when*
“ the; culprit was injCuistody;s should appoint
“ for thè defence o f the aforesaid culprit ; and wfelifSever
“ sentepce^ should be pronounced against him, the pro*
|g ceedings .shouM be sent, immediately, under-covet,
“ to the secretary o f state, Don JosëdteâScabra, in -order
“ to be presented to- thèjfegehty that his highness might
-‘.determine thereupon what he should think fit ; and
“ that the. proceedings, should be so-sent within' two
“ months igfiaguriseizure of jhe*#ulprit, it not beingdlfe
EMBASSY 'TO.- CHINA!» 73
“ regentlsdutentiondhatiany PortmgÆ#^subjectshould* *****
“ suffer foriye,ars iniàiisigwons prissÿkjdi
, ,The]spirit -th atah ^ aM ' thistediot, a i well ascthelpro-
vfoiohs itfiièoniftnius, feaa;ei found iSjiiffioièot ttoi arrest- the
«of ; the/inquisitlon* yïlfcri <isi! it uiphald ]| asiifor=i
m e i% ? i% t?he$« sufè'ktiteùus^at*MGhmeUü!©ffdher’pegpl&:
eve® thj%womë'miaBerisaid^talh‘edtess^elL||idu^è Norii
hav,eitaken'ithé>ve-ilî Madeira duH®g#He lasfeftwenty
iperlyp without- .bounds : ?tkè$fe |dverhedrfevety . private
family.1 ffomethangrtof this sswaÿhwasc.stilk’jieiïcdpûble
at the igpv^moi^V; On ter tainmejit-.r. where at fooWardrt and
dr,unkeri friar./ walkedu-round the Uablei, commanding
attention,' and impertinehtlytanteffering/without inter-
xdption or »reprimand.. |
; TheiBritish factory has always ,heyntpibffieted>%aipst
any -attacks ®£ the inquisition ; andsis/on good terms
with the; governon and |ehiefi -j-iM^sp toz Uaehsqfewhom a
small salary-,« by .waysof complinaent^dsrallow,ed y out of
a' contfibutiogfevi-ed ,l by 4 the; factory V on the^foeigfe^tuf
gQo^ÿJfnom England,’ and onywinet exported» by/them.
Thi^ eputributiora ib authQrizejk'î'in'part^by-iam'aODiof
ihe British parliament, îandbpardyibÿsan internal- reguh
lation of thesfaatoryy a«t(i*isefeë^»supporfe'kuGh British
seamen, as happen to1-,be left 'throughisickness^or any
other .accident, iourthéisland, àsrwfel-asst© pebsïonrsûch
VOL. I ,