The healthful influence
of his life and writings has done and is still doing good in his beloved
country. But though the man who in his lifetime was neglected, and who
was allowed to die in the depths of poverty and misery, is now the most
honoured of his countrymen, and his rank as one of the world's great
poets is universally acknowledged, his labours have been to a certain
extent in vain.

Not only industry, but culture, literature, and art appear to be
infested with the mildew of decay. There is a good university at
Coimbra, where alone, it is said, the language is spoken correctly.
There is an excellent system of elementary and secondary schools, but in
practice it is incomplete and subject to many abuses, like most public
institutions in the country. The irregularities of the language, without
authoritative spelling or pronunciation, and the best dictionary of
which is Brazilian, have a bad effect upon the literature of the
country.

The language, more purely Latin in its base than either of the other
Latin tongues, with an admixture of Moorish, and strengthened by the
admission of many words of foreign origin, introduced during the period
of great commercial prosperity, possesses ample means for the expression
of ideas and of shades of thought, and though it loses somewhat of the
musical quality of the other languages in consequence of a rather large
percentage of the nasal tones which are peculiar to it, yet it will hold
its own well with the remaining members of the group.

Whatever the cause, however, there is hardly any general literature;
almost the only books (not professional or technical) which are
published, appear to be translations of French novels--not of the
highest class. Perhaps in the study of archaeology and folklore is to be
found the most cultured phase of Portuguese intelligence. The
Archaeological Society of Lisbon strives to do good work, and has a
museum with interesting relics in the old church of the Carmo, itself
one of the most interesting and graceful ruins left out of the havoc
caused by the great earthquake.

As might be expected under such circumstances, the newspapers are, with
few exceptions, of the "rag" variety. Conducted for the most part by
clever young fellows fresh from Coimbra, they are violent in their views
and incorrect in their news, especially with regard to foreign
intelligence. They have some influence, no doubt, but not so much as the
same type of newspaper in