It gave me great pleasure to receive a letter from you.

I intended to have ordered Leucadio Doblado’s letters, because the name had led me to fix upon the right author.

The book reached me two days ago, & I have read it, as I expected with great delight. The only fault is that there should be only one volume. I will take it as a text in the Q Review, & use it to introduce some speculations upon the state of Spain & Portugal.

My feelings respecting those countries differ not a shade from yours. Both nations appear now to be suffer experiencing the dreadful consequences of that abominable church-tyranny which has so long been dominant there, & which no where in no other part of the world has ever been exercised with such remorseless rigour. The nature of the disease cannot be mistaken, nor the deep hold which it has taken. But where to look for my remedial causes I know not. At present I see little more in either country than a change of evils, & the imminent danger of a civil war which if there be any thing <like> a balance of parties will be carried on with all the tremendous obduracy of the national character.

I happen to know some of the members of the Portugueze Cortes,

& perfectly understand that the constitution of that body is just like that of the neighbouring assembly, that it contains the same mixture of atheism & bigotry, ignorance & presumption, good intentions & deplorable opinions.

The more I know of history, & the more I know of what is going on in this disturbed age of the world, the less am I able to expect good from popular assemblies. Like most persons in this country, I hoped every thing from a Cortes in Spain.

This was the last prejudice to which I clung, & the result has disabused me (to use a Portugueze phrase.) Had I been a Spaniard or Portugueze beyond all doubt my heart would have bust burst its fetters, if it had not broken in the attempt, & in my abhorrence of slavery I should have rushed into the opposite extreme. But looking at these dispassionately, & from a safe retirement, it appears to me that great beneficial changes in countries not accustomed to a representative government, are may best be brought about by the ascendancy of a single mind, – if indeed they are practicable in any other manner. For instance: – if Ferdinand

had had a minister with the strength of character that Ximenes

possessed, as well adapted to the spirit of this age, as that Franciscan was to the spirit of his own, such a minister might have reformed both the church & state, & have prepared the people for liberty, by a wise use of despotism. Pombal

would have done this in Portugal, had he lived half a century later.

I am glad to hear that you are employed upon a Spanish historical subject.

I know the period well, & have perused the works from whence your chief materials must be drawn. It is not long since I went thro P. Martires Epistles, & there to my utter surprize I found siphilis described as the scourge of the age, by its Spanish & French names, xxx in a letter written four years before Columbus sailed upon his first voyage.

The origin of that disease is a subject which has been so much investigated, that I cannot conceive how this decisive testimony should have been overlooked. I wish you could obtain access to the Portugueze Cancioncero, as well as to the Spanish, but I doubt whether there is a copy in England.

I have only some extracts which I made at Lisbon. Poor Abella intended to edite the Spanish one, which he was well qualified to have done.

The Nun of Arouca is not mine.

I have not seen it, & know not whose it is. I have long been almost wholly engaged in prose. It will not be long before I shall send you an epitome of our religious history, written for the purpose of making the rising generation feel & understand what they owe to the Church of England.

I hope & trust that it will not be without effect: & I am sure you will approve the spirit in which it is composed.

The first volume of the Hist. of the Peninsular War is nearly compleated & waits only for the printer.

I am also preparing a series of dialogues upon the progress & prospects of society,

taking for my text three words of S^t Bernard, – Respice, aspice, prospice.

– It is a comfort to know that the world will never be worse for any works which I shall leave in it. My endeavours are to strengthen the moral & religious feelings, & to uphold those institutions upon which the welfare of society depends.