royal horses, sumptuously caparisoned, and decorated with ribands from their noses to the end of their long tails, are led by grooms dressed in the most tawdry style, the royal servants of every order following; then the judges, and all classes of people employed by the government. The fidalgos and ministers precede and follow the bishop, who carries the Host, under a superb canopy, attended by Princes Don Pedro and Don Miguel, the supporters of his train! The King usually follows the bishop as a train-bearer, but on this occasion he did not. The dresses of all were rich and costly; and the procession, amounting to some thousand persons, proceeded along the Rua Direita and returned, by the Rua d’Aquitanda, to the palace chapel; after which there was a grand display of fire-works. All the balconies were crowded with females, adorned with precious stones. The fronts of the houses were hung with silks and crimson velvet, gilded with ornaments; and the streets were strewed with green leaves. The general effect of the whole was very imposing. There is rather a celebrated annual procession, on the 10th of October, in the Rua dos Ourives, having its foundation in some religious observance peculiar to the church of that street. All the houses are hung outside with tapestry and other stuffs, and ornamented with looking-glasses, and a great portion of the furniture which the house contains, not of the most elegant sort, and generally not over abundant. A procession of padres, and numerous others belonging to the parish, takes place during the evening, drawing together an immense concourse of people, while the females, who spend the last penny to procure a gay dress for these occasions, appear at the balconies in a profusion of finery. The houses are illuminated, not with any transparent or appropriate devices, but with wax and common tallow candles; some placed in the front of looking-glasses, in order to produce a double brilliancy at half price.