As to the Author, the Reader will find the first Scenes of his Life very accurately defcribed by his own Pen; and the Editor (in his Preface) has given us a very brief and general View of the Sequel of it. With reference to the Work, he there fays, "The Merit of it will fpeak for itself. It is full "of very amufing Relations, curious Researches "into Hiftory, both publick and private, and abounds with Difcoveries in thofe Places where

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they are leaft expected. As to the Language, "it is very natural and intelligible, tho' altogether artlefs and unaffected. The feveral Paffages thereof, relating to English Affairs, may not only "be depended on as Facts, but with reference to their Ĉircumftances alfo, may be fafely regarded "as impartial Narrations, falling from the Pen of "a Man entirely void of Party.All the con"cife Memoirs of Perfons of Diftinction, which "are inferted therein, are penn'd with much Im"partiality, and exhibit nothing to the Reader but "what tends to his Information and Inftruction. "They are not indeed very regular, but they are "pleafant and natural; they come in pertinently, "are told with Spirit, and are generally concluded

with useful Reflections.-The Descriptions Mr. "Brown has given us of France, Italy, Malta, Egypt, &c. are fuch as fhew that the Genius and

Difpofition of the People made as strong an Im"preffion upon him as the natural or artificial Won"ders of their refpective Countries.--- Such Pieces of "Natural History as are here and there interfperfed, "occur very properly, and are pen'd with great Cir"cumfpection: Our Author always affecting the mid"dleTrack, and being alike afraid of deviating into

Credulity on the one Hand, or into a fupercili"ous Infidelity on the other. The Paffages rela"ting to Chemistry, or rather to Alchimy, de"ferve

C

ferve particular Notice, and are a fpecial Re"commendation of thefe Memoirs."

I can add nothing to the foregoing Character and Account, for improving the Reader's Idea of this Work, but an Extract or two from different Parts of it. The firft fhall be that odd Story the Author relates of Don Sebastian, King of Portugal; which was communicated to him, as he tells us, by Mr. De St. Dennis, a Gentleman with whom he fojourned fome time in France.

Sebaftian, King of Portugal, was born in the "Year 1554, fometime after the Demife of his "Father, Brother to the reigning King; and was

carefully educated by his Mother, who was "Daughter to the famous Emperor Charles V. In

1557 he fucceeded his Uncle John H. In 66 1574 he conceived a Design of making War on the "Moors, and having made mighty Preparations for "putting his Defign in Execution, on the 9th of "July, 1578, he landed at Tangier with a great "Army; on the 4th of August, the fame Year, he "fought the unfortunate Battle of Alcacar, in which "the Moors were victorious; tho' they loft their King, who died of a Fever, of which he had "been long fick, in his Litter.

"After the Battle, the Portugueze miffing their King, fent to thofe who were taken Prifoners, "who thereupon fought carefully for his Body, which, as many fuppofed, was found. It had feveral large Wounds, and by reason of the exceffive Heat of the Climate, was already in a State of Corruption. However, it was laid in a Tent, and the Nobility went to fee it, but re❝ceived no kind of Satisfaction that it was the Bo❝dy of their King; on the contrary, it was generally thought that it was not. Notwithstanding which, King Philip of Spain having demanded it, and, as fome report, having given a vaft "Sum

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"Sum for it; at length it was fent him, and he caused it to be interr'd with all Royal Honours at "Bethlehem, which ftands a Mile from Lisbon, and is the ufual Burying-Place of the Portugueze «Kings.

"'Tis certain, that the Portugueze Nation in ge neral did never credit the Story of his Death; "but were fo firmly perfuaded he was alive, that "they readily countenanced two Impoftors, who "were hardy enough to affume his Name. The "first of these was the Son of a Tile-maker, who "was put upon it by a Prieft, who gave himself "out to be the Bishop of Garda; and who took a "Note of their Names who beftowed their Bene"factions upon his Difciple, in order to their being repaid when he fhould be reftor'd. They were quickly apprehended, the Prieft hang'd, and the "pretended King fent to the Gallies. This hap"pen'd in the Year 1585.

"The very fame Year Matthew Alvarez, a Native of the Inland of Tercera, and the Son of a "Stone-cutter, was perfuaded to give himfelf out "for King Sebaftian. This Man was a Hermit, and lived in Solitude a harmless, inoffenfive Life. Many of whom he beg'd believ'd they faw in "his Countenance the Features of Don Sebaftian; they told him fo, but he very honeftly answer'd, "that he was no King, but a poor Hermit. By

Degrees, however, Ambition got the better both "of his Reafon and of his Virtue; he no longer "anfwer'd as he was wont, but on the contrary "gave all who interrogated him Caufe to apprehend "that he was really the King. By Degrees he per"mitted them to pay him Royal Honours, fuffered

his Hand to be kiffed, and dined in publick; "nay he went fo far at laft, as to write to the Car"dinal Archduke Albert, commanding him to quit his Palace, for that he intended to refume

"the Government. Upon this a Body of Troop's "was fent against him and his Adherents, by whom "they were routed, and himself taken Prisoner. "His Death quickly followed, accompanied with "extraordinary Marks of Severity: He had his

Right-hand cut off, after which he was ftrangled, "and his Body quarter'd. By this Means, the "Spanish Government reckoned a Stop would be "put to the Hopes of Pretenders, and to the credulous Folly of the Portugueze.

"In the Year 1598; notwithstanding thefe Se"verities, there went a Report that the true Don "Sebaftian had been feen in Italy. Upon this one "Manuel Antonez, who had ferved the Cardinal "Henry, who fucceeded Don Sebaftian, declared "publickly in Portugal, that Sebaftian was not "killed at the Battle of Alcacar, but that himself "returned with him into Portugal; and that the King put himself into a religious House in Al"garve, there to do Penance for his Temerity: In "Vindication of which Account, he produced an "Act drawn up in Form, under the Hand and

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Seal of the Father, Guardian of that religious "House. This Affair making a great Noife, Ma"nuel Antonez was directed to apply himfelf to the "Court of Spain; which Order he obey'd, and

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having produced his Paper to King Philip, was feized, committed to Prison, and never heard of

<< more.

"This new Sebaftian appeared first at Padua, "where many pitied and relieved him. This ma

king fome Noife in the World, Directions were "fent to Padua from Venice, to oblige the Person "who called himself King of Portugal, to retire "from thence in three Days, and in the Space of a

Week, to quit the Dominions of Venice. He "was fick when the Order was notified to him, "but as foon as he recover'd he went to Venice, in "order

"order to give an Account of himself to the

Seignory. The Embaffador of Spain instantly "apply'd himself to that Senate, demanding that "this Impoftor fhould be apprehended, and charg"ing him with many enormous Crimes. He was "accordingly, in the Month of November, thrown "into a Dungeon, and Commiffioners appointed to hear what the Spanish Embaffador could prove against him, which came at laft to nothing at all. "He was eight and twenty times examined: At "firft he answer'd readily all the Questions that were "afk'd him concerning the Embaffies fent to him "while he was King of Portugal, the Measures he "had taken, the Letters he had written, and the "Minifters he had made ufe of. But at laft he re"fused to answer any more Questions, addressing "himself to his Judges in thefe Words: My Lords, "I am Sebastian, King of Portugal; I defire you "will fuffer me to be feen by my Subjects; many of "them bave known, and must remember me; many of them have known and converfed with me. If onverse "any Proof can be offer'd, that I am an Impoftor, "I am content to die; but would you put me to death "merely for having preferr'd you to the rest of the European Powers, in feeking Refuge in your Do"minions?

"Doctor Sampajo, and other Portugueze, then refiding in Venice, folicited vehemently his being fet at liberty; the Commiffioners inform'd "them, that without a Certificate of indubitable "Authenticity, as to the Marks by which Don Se"baftian might be known, they could not fet this "Perfon at liberty; because they knew their Ha"tred to the Caftalians to be fuch, that if Need "were, they would acknowledge a Negroe to be "Don Sebaftian. Dr. Sampajo, upon this, went "privately to Lisbon; from whence he return'd, ❝ and brought with him to Venice a Canon, and