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One of Alvarez’s functions seems to have the been the procurement of books for Pombal and his government, both in Paris and London, and these accounts reveal, in considerable detail, the means by which books and pamphlets were sourced. Numerous authors and titles are listed, especially for the English books. Alvarez kept brief accounts of transactions on behalf of six individuals: Pombal himself, Vicente de Souza Coutinho (Portuguese ambassador in Paris), Henriques de Menezes (envoy at Turin and Rome), Jozé Jacques da Cunha (envoy at La Haye), Da Costa (secretary to Pombal) and Father Francis Blyth (Carmelite friar and chaplain to the Portuguese embassy in London). Of these, the most extensive accounts concern Pombal, de Souza and Blyth. Books bought by Alvarez in Paris came mainly from the libraire Barrois, whose shop was on the quai de Augustins. They include copies of Pascal’s Lettres Provinciales, ‘Annales Jésuitiques’ (probably Les Jésuites démasqués, ou Annales historiques de la Société, 1759 and later), a ‘Receuil de l’affaire des Jesuites’ (8 volumes in quarto), La science du gouvernement (by Réal de Curban, 1761 and later), Fleury’s Du devoir des Maîtres, missals, New Testaments, an Italian dictionary and several volumes of French official acts or arrêts. Figures are recorded for binding, packing and shipping the books. Father Blyth, in London, is revealed as an important source for English books. He had been appointed chaplain at the Portuguese embassy in 1756 by Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo himself (then Portuguese ambassador to England; some fourteen years before he became Marquês de Pombal). Blyth remained in the post until his death in 1772 (ODNB). The accounts show that Alvarez arranged shipment of several books from Paris to Blyth in London and received in return a fascinating list of English titles, mainly on medicine and public health, for onward shipment to Pombal in Lisbon. Among those listed are Richard Brookes, The general dispensatory (1753, and later editions); Sir William Fordyce, A review of the venereal disease (1767); Alexander Sutherland, An attempt to revive antient medical doctrines (1763); James Lind, A treatise of the Scurvy (1753 and later) and William Hillary, A practical essay on the small-pox (1740). He also procured a map of the English colonies in America and several tracts and pamphlets. At least two London booksellers are mentioned: the bills of Thomas Meighan and Thomas Lewis were forwarded to Alvarez for payment, and there are also figures for binding and shipping. Besides the bibliographical detail, the accounts reveal occasional other duties by these agents. Blyth shops at Hernon’s in the Strand for finest green tea, while Alvarez looks after Pombal’s watch, taking it to the famous Voisin for repair. In a couple of places, Alvarez has to remind himself with a short memorandum how English currency works, and how many pence and shillings there are to a pound. see full details...
![(SADE, Donatien Alphonse François, marquis de). [BRUNET, Pierre Gustave.]](/photos/549/main/549.jpg "(SADE, Donatien Alphonse François, marquis de). [BRUNET, Pierre Gustave.]")
