[Lisbon 9 Sep.^t 1797 W.^m Smith.] [undecipherable] Lisbon, Sep. 29^th 1797. Dear Sir 3 Since my last I have spent a very agreeable fortnight at the Country Seat of, M'Bulkeley a few miles from hence, delightfully situated on the Tagus. Finding that my audience would not take place immediately I not daring to venture far from town until the presentation was over, I was happy in having an opportunity of spending the intermediate time in a pleasant & cool retreat, where I could be ready on receiving notice to repair to town & prepare for the Ceremony. This took place yesterday; a new minister having arrived a few days after me from Russia, we followed the Danish Ministers Chariot & four Servants having had Six Mules we proceeded in great State in one Chariot & Six to Queluz, about 8 miles from Town. We were first presented: I was then introduced, made the proper reverences at the proper distances & delivered to the Prince of Brasil, who represents the Sovereign, the President's Letter, making him a very concise address, [interlined: in terms as gracious in them] to which he replied that he was very glad to see me & would acquaint his Mother of my arrival. I then made my Bows, retreating with my face to the Prince & withdrew; had I not rehearsed this Ceremony with my friend the Dane, a very good natured friendly man, I should have probably committed some faux pas, as I did afterwards at my audience of the Princess, respecting which (there having been some doubt whether I sho'd see her Highness) I had not been so particular in my inquiries; being suddenly ushered into a large room— where I beheld a splendid sight of Ladies in large hoops, arranged along the [undecipherable] in solemn silence, as cold & awful as the wax-work; I was a little discomposed at first, but recovering myself approached the Princess, whom I discovered by her Jewels, & told her [interlined: how] happy I sho'd be if I sho'd be honored with her favor & protection during my residence at this Court, to which she made some very gracious reply, which I did not understand not having heard it. I then wishing to be abundantly polite, & to bow to the Ladies who were paraded along the wall on my way out, unfortunately was so indecent as actually to turn my side to the Princess & indeed very nearly turned my back; when I approached the door, I recollected my crime & to expiate it, suddenly faced about & made her Highness a most profound reverence & withdrew. But when we got into the antechamber I found that I had omitted a very essential part of the Ceremony, which was, making a complimentary Speech to the Prince's suite & his daughter, a child of four years, a circumstance I had not been apprised of. I was however consoled on learning from the Russian Minister that he had committed the same blunder; this he attributed to the neglect of the proper Officer, in not having accompanied & introduced us; as the Russian Minister is Chamberlain to the King, has lately been presented to the Empress, the Directory, & the Court of Spain, I was comforted by his blunder, & he was comforted, after some fretting, by the blunder of the Master of the Ceremonies. He told me he had prepared a very pretty speech for each of the Ladies, but he could not [undecipherable: distinguish?] them, & to add to his chagrin he altogether forgot to deliver to the Princess a message from her mother the Queen of Spain with which he was charged. — On our return from the Palace, we paid some visits to the Officers of State & then dined with the Corps Diplomatique at the Danish Ministry. In the Evening I went for the first time to the Opera; the House is a fine one, large & commodious; it has five rows of boxes; the Music & Singers are excellent, but there are no women allowed to appear on the Stage at Lisbon: this is done by the Queen to preserve the morals of the young Gentry: the female parts are performed by men in women's cloaths: the thing which performed the first female character made a very good Serafina, it has a remarkably fine Voice. — The day after tomorrow I set off for Cintra for a few weeks. To morrow I dine at a Fidalgo's (nobleman.) The late Treaty with France is ratified here. The English government is said to be very much offended with Portugal for having entered into Stipulations, injurious to England; we hear nothing decisive from Lisbo. — I wish to make an Excursion into Spain — is it not probable that Spain will expect an Envoy Extra? or a Commission of two or three Envoys to settle our differences; should any arrangement of this kind be thought of, it will be extremely agreeable to me to go to Madrid in that character; there will be no expence attending it. I am learning the Portugese language & can soon acquire the Spanish. — With repeated thanks for your friendship, I remain my dear Sir very sincerely Yours W^m Smith [marginalia, largely undecipherable: his [undecipherable] [undecipherable] desire on the [undecipherable] / shortly [undecipherable]; the [undecipherable] two men as [undecipherable] / If he [undecipherable] [undecipherable] him [undecipherable] [undecipherable] object or / for the [undecipherable] without a [undecipherable] [undecipherable]]