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THE 
 
 HISTORY 
 
 Oh • 
 
 THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 OF 
 
 PORTUGAL. 
 
 By the ABBK VERTOT. 
 
 CONTINUED TO THE PRESENT TIME, 
 
 With historical and critical NoteSf a chronological 
 
 Tahk of the Kings of Portugal, and 
 
 a Description of 
 
 BRAZTL- 
 
 By LOUIS DE BOISGELIN, 
 
 C H EVA LI K R D E M A LT H E 
 
 Uns Viriatltus agit, Lusitanumqne Rcmotig 
 Ejctractum Lustris, prima f^iriathits in covo 
 Nonien Romanis factum max nohlle Dnmnis. 
 
 SiLiVhltal. de Bl'U. Pun, Lib. 
 
 LOMDON: 
 
 Printed by and for R. Jui^n^, No. 17, Margaret -strecl. 
 Cavendish-square. 
 
 Sold by LojfGMAN, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, 
 
 Paternoster-row, 
 
 1809. 
 
PREFACE, 
 
 The study of modern history has been, 
 during a long course of years^ greatly ne- 
 glected in the generalityof public schools; 
 but it now begins to be regarded (as indeed 
 it ought always to have been) as an object 
 of the greatest importance. In England, 
 particularly, it constitutes one of the prin- 
 cipal branches of both public and private 
 education. 
 
 The abb^ de Vertot's History of the 
 Revolutions of Portugal has t^een always 
 esteemed equally entertaining and instruc- 
 tive ; and as such more especially calculated 
 for the use of young people. The late 
 events in that country has made it doubly 
 interesting, and nothing now seems want- 
 ing to complete so excellent a performance, 
 but to continue the narrative to the present 
 period. This, however, if accurately given, 
 
 -^ ^ ;} r> -V -I 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 would greatly exceed the limits we propose 
 to ourselves in this little Work : to others, 
 therefore, must we leave so laborious a 
 task, and merely content ourselves with 
 presenting to the public the annals of 
 Portugal^ from the war which the Portu- 
 gueze term that of the acdamation, to the 
 battle of Veimera. We cannot even pre- 
 tend to take notice of several of the princi- 
 pal events which happened during that 
 »pace of time, though we have been parti- 
 cularly attentive in investigating those 
 which have given rise to, and ended in 
 revolutions. We have also endeavoured 
 to give a just idea of the character of the 
 different kings of Portugal, with the talents 
 of the ministers who have defended the 
 royal authority, and the qualities of those 
 who have attacked it. 
 
 In regard to the revolution which lately 
 threatened the total annihilation of the 
 throne of Portugal ; the events which oc- 
 casioned it, and those which have happily 
 stopped its progress, are so recent, and so 
 
PREFACE. V 
 
 known, that we thought it needless to enter 
 upon the subject. 
 
 Such has always been our respect for 
 Vertot^ that we have never presumed to 
 interrupt the course of his narrative ; ex- 
 cept, indeed, the very few notes we have 
 ventured to add, may be liable to such an 
 interpretation. 
 
 This celebrated author having passed 
 over in silence many of the monarch s who 
 reigned in Portugal, previous to the revolu- 
 tion he so particularly described, we have 
 added a chronological and historical Table 
 of the different kings from Henry of Bur- 
 gundy, count of Portugal^ to John the 
 IVth, duke of Braganza. We have like^ 
 wise joined an accurate, historical and 
 critical Catalogue, not only of the works of 
 the greater part of the authors quoted by 
 Vertot in his notes, (whose names he only 
 mentions) but of all the most important 
 books since published relative to Portugal 
 and its colonies. 
 
 The recent departure of the family of 
 a 3 
 
Vl PREFACE. 
 
 Braganza from Lisbon, and their arrival in 
 Brazil, has called for the attention, and in- 
 terested the minds of every one. We have 
 therefore been tempted to give a slight 
 sketch of a country which is now become 
 an object of no small curiosity : to which 
 We have added, for the satisfaction of those 
 readers who may be desirous of a more 
 minute description, a list of the principal 
 authors who have made this beautiful, 
 though remote part of the new world, the 
 particular object of their attention. 
 
AN 
 
 ACCURATE, HISTORICAL, AND CRITICAL 
 
 CATALOGUE 
 
 Of the 'principal Works published relative 
 to the History of PortugaL 
 
 Resendius (Andrew, or Louis Andrew), 
 John the Hid appointed hinn to superin- 
 tend the education of his two brothers. He 
 pubhshed two works, which are much 
 esteemed : the first entitled, de Antiqidta^ 
 tibus Lusitanioe, (printed in foho at Evora, 
 in 1593); and the second, Delicice Lusi^ 
 tano-Hispanicce, His brother Garcias pubr 
 Hshed a foHo History of John the Hid, in 
 Portugueze. 
 
 Vasconcellos (Antonio) has pubhshed 
 different works. One of the most esteemed 
 is entitled, Anacephalosis id est summa 
 Capita actorem regum Lusitanice. 
 
 Texeira (Joseph) embraced the cause of 
 the king, don Antonio, and followed him 
 to France, where he was greatly favoured 
 by Henry the Hid, and Henry the IVth. 
 His work, called Portugalice Ortu^ is not 
 in very great repute. 
 
VIU 
 
 Farla (de Sousa Em manual) was born in 
 1610, and died in 1659. His narratives 
 are more eloquent than historical ; he ex- 
 hausts himself in harangues and reflexions, 
 treating the greatest and the most trifling 
 events with the same degree of importance. 
 His principal characters are always heroes^ 
 and never men. His most celebrated work 
 is divided into three parts ; the first, con- 
 taining the ancient history of Lusitania ; 
 the second, the conquests made by the 
 Portugueze in Asia, and the eastern parts 
 of Africa ; and the third, the wars which 
 took place in that part of Africa which as 
 opposite to Andalusia, and the kingdom of 
 Algarva. This work is curious and accu- 
 rate, and has been translated into Italian, 
 French, and English. The same author 
 has published a history of Portugal, termi- 
 nating at the reign of cardinal Henry. It 
 has gone through several editions ; the best 
 of which was printed in folio, in 1730^ and 
 is continued to a later epoch. 
 
 Brito (Bernard de) a cistercian monk, 
 historiographer of Portugal, was born in 
 1569, and died in l6l2. He pubhshed 
 the Monarchia Lusitana, 7 vols, in folio, 
 Lisbon, 1597, and l6l2. This is a history 
 of Portugal which goes back as far as count 
 Henry, and is elegantly written. Father 
 
IX 
 
 Antonio, and father Francisco Brandhamo, 
 members of the same society, have con- 
 tinued this history to the reign of Alphonso 
 the Illd. The two first volumes alone 
 were written by Brito, who, however, was 
 the author of the Panegyrics of the Kings 
 of' Portugal, with their Portraits; and 
 also of the Ancient Geography/ of Portugal. 
 There is hkewise another Brito, (Francisco) 
 who wrote Guerra Brasilica, in 2 vols, 
 folio, printed at Lisbon in 1675. 
 
 Brandhamo, and his continuator, have 
 only given a description of the event^ 
 which took place in Portugal from the 
 usurpation of Philip the lid to the revolu- 
 tion, with the consequences which attended 
 it in the reign of Philip the IVth. 
 
 Birago, of the order of Malta, has 
 written on the same subject. Brandhaino 
 wishing to adopt great simplicity of style, 
 becomes very dry, and sinks into a mere 
 newspaper writer; whilst Birago writes 
 with more spirit, his style is more equal ; 
 his reflexions lively and ingenious, and his 
 characters and descriptions interesting. 
 This work was translated, on its first ap- 
 pearance, into all the European languages. 
 The works of Birago and Brandhamo, 
 were originally in Italian, and tinctured 
 with a degree of bombast, even in the most 
 
trifling relations. They likewise intro- 
 duced concettis (puns) on several occasions; 
 than which nothing can be more ridicu- 
 lous, particularly in history. 
 
 D' Eryceira (don Fernando Louis de 
 Meneses, count) wrote Portogallo resto^ 
 rado, which contains the causes, progress, 
 and consequences of the revolution, till the 
 peace which Castille was forced to make 
 with Portugal in 1668. This work is 
 written in Portugueze, and with all the 
 delicacy, strength, and energy of which 
 that language is capable. He is some- 
 times, however, too minute, since he enters 
 into particulars, which, though very inter- 
 esting to his cotemporaries, and country- 
 men, are but little so to foreigners : his 
 •book may, therefore, more properly be 
 termed a selection of excellent materials 
 for writing a history, than a regular history 
 in itself. The Foreign Journal for 17^7 
 contains a catalogue of the numerous works 
 of this author. 
 
 Alegrette (count de) wrote the life of 
 John the lid, in Latin, and in so pure and 
 elegant a style, that an author of the 
 Augustan age need not have blushed to 
 acknowledge. His mode of writing is 
 compact, though clear; copious, but not 
 diffuse. During the whole course of. the 
 
XI 
 
 work/ his principal heroes are constantly 
 in view, wliilst the characters and different 
 personages who play a part in the scene 
 are perfectly natural and varied. 
 
 Barros (John de) born in 1496, died in 
 1570, was an author who was reputed the 
 Livi/ of Portugal. He lived at the period 
 when the Portugueze first extended their 
 conquests into Asia. His style is simple, 
 but he does not possess that noble and 
 nervous simplicity of expression by which 
 d'Alegrette is so particularly distinguished. 
 Barros's work is divided into decades, tlie 
 whole of which has never been printed. 
 The greater part of the authors who have 
 written on the Indies, since Barros, have 
 merely translated his work, and that in a 
 very inferior style. They are indeed very 
 poor copies of a tolerably good original. 
 Possevin, and the president de Thou, are 
 warm in their encomiums on Barros, whilst 
 la Boulaye le Goux represents him as a 
 paltry scribbler, whose history of Asia and 
 India is not worth the pains of reading. 
 Both the praise and censure are certainly 
 much exaggerated : several authors, how- 
 ever, have continued this work, and like- 
 wise divided their continuation into decades. 
 Barros published the 1st in 15S2, and the 
 second in 1563 ;, the ;4th never appeared 
 
Xll 
 
 till l6lfi, when it was published by the 
 command of Philip the Hid, who gave 
 orders for purchasing the manuscript from 
 Barros's heirs. Ihe succeeding decades, 
 from the 5th to the 13th, are not written 
 by Barros. The best edition of this work 
 was printed at Lisbon, in 1736, in 3 vols, 
 in folio. It has been translated into Spanish 
 by Alphonso Ulloa. 
 
 Father du Tarry ^ (a Jesuit) has copied 
 less from Barros, than any of the authors 
 who have treated on the same subject. His 
 history of the East Indies contains several 
 extraordinary and curious facts, of which 
 Barros, either from ignorance or inatten- 
 tion^ has never made mention. The prin- 
 cipal subject of the Jesuit's history, is the 
 progress of Christianity amongst the idola- 
 ters. This author wants order and taste ; 
 but his descriptions are lively, and his 
 reflexions strong. 
 
 Lajitau (Joseph Francis) published 
 Histoire des Ddcouvertes^ et des Conqiictes 
 des Portugais dans le nouveau Monde, 
 Printed at Paris, 1/33, 2 vols, in quarto; 
 and in 1734, 4 vols, duodecimo. This > 
 work is accurate, and not ill written: 
 which is not the case with the history, by 
 Abb^Raynal. r • H 
 
 Mariana (John) died in l634, aged 8^. 
 
XIU 
 
 His history of Spain may be said not only 
 to comprise that of Poctuoral, but that of 
 the whole world. Notwithstanding the 
 minute, and indeed sometimes inaccurate 
 relations contained in his history of Spain, 
 his imagination is so lively, fertile, and 
 varied ; his style so smooth and pithy, that 
 he has ever been regarded one of the first 
 writers of his time and nation. The best 
 Spanish edition of this history is that of 
 Madrid, 1698, 2 vols, in folio. 
 
 Quien de la N^eufville, born in l(>47, 
 died in 1728, wrote the history of Portu- 
 gal, in 2 vols, quarto, published in 170O, 
 by Anisson, royal printer. This work is 
 carried on no farther than the year 1521. 
 The author ha's neglected mentioning se- 
 veraj very important facts, and taken but 
 very slight notice of many others: his 
 work, however, in other particulars, is an 
 estimable one, and entitled him to a place 
 in the academy of inscriptions in Paris ; it 
 ^ also procured him a pension for life from 
 the king of Portugal,' of 1500 French 
 livres. 
 
 La Clede (Mr. de) was secretary to the 
 mar^chal de Coigny. He published the 
 Nouvelle Histoire de da Portuiral, in 2 
 vols, quarto, in 1730; and the same work 
 in 1735, in 9 vols, in duodecimo. This 
 b 
 
XIV 
 
 iiistory finishes at the peace between the 
 Portugueze and vSpaniards in 1668: to 
 which is added, a simple recapitulation of 
 the principal facts taken plac€ from that 
 epoch to the year 171^. La Clede re- 
 proaches Mr. le Quien de la Neufville in 
 his preface, with (as has been aheady men- 
 tioned) passing over, or slightly taking 
 notice of several important circumstances. 
 He also accuses the Abbe Vertot of having 
 written his account of the celebrated revo- 
 lution of 1640, more agreeably than faith- 
 fully. The greatest encomium we can 
 possibly bestow on la Clede, is, that the 
 Portugueze esteem his history of their 
 country, the best which ever appeared in a 
 foreign language. 
 
 Those of our readers who wish to be 
 more particularly acquainted with the au- 
 thors who have written on Portugal, may 
 consult Mdthode pour ^tudier I Histoire^ 
 of Langlet de Fresnoi, and likewise that 
 volume of the universal history which treats 
 of Portugal ; the notes of which contain 
 the names and works of those authors, 
 from whose authority they have taken their 
 facts. This history unfortunately termi- 
 nates at the peace of Utrecht. Two works 
 relative to the history of Portugal have 
 lately been published by two authors of 
 
XV 
 
 that country. The English, who have 
 written their travels into Portugal, viz, 
 Springel, Murphy, and Link, have givea 
 some very curious accounts of that country, 
 and their v/orks are very deservedly esteem- 
 ed. We also particularly recomraend the 
 .perusal of Duniourier's Etat dn Portugal', 
 this book i», generally speaking, an ex- 
 cellent one ; and we have consulted it oa 
 several occasions ; it must, however, be 
 read with caution ; nor must the reader 
 entirely trust even to the quarto edition, 
 pfinted at Hamburgh, in 1797 • since the 
 author must now be too well acquainted 
 with the English and their resources, to 
 believe* ^' that the descent on England, so 
 " often prepared by the French govern- 
 *^ ment^ and so often prevented by the gold 
 " and intrigues of the cabinetof St. James's, 
 " could not fail of success, if the French 
 " Seriously attempted it; and that a peace 
 *^ alone can possibly ward offa blow, which 
 ^^ must crush the English, and bring for- 
 ** ward a revolution of the same nature as 
 " that which has taken place in France." 
 
 The same author being likewise at this 
 present moment equally, nay still more ac- 
 
 * Preface to TEtat du Portugal, page 17. 
 b2 
 
XVI 
 
 quainted with the generosity than with 
 the resources of the British nation, we 
 flatter ourselves he will no longer be of 
 opitiion,* " that the English insult even 
 ** when they seem to oblige ;" and that he, 
 however, will be the last who will verify 
 what he advances, " that their manner oj 
 *' conferring J'avourSf' has caused nothing 
 *' hut ingratitude,^' 
 
 Names of the principal Authors who have 
 written on Brazil. 
 
 PORTUGUEZE. 
 
 Fandelli (Domini cus). Natural History. 
 Botany. 
 
 Andrada (D.) Natural History. Mi- 
 neralogy. Diamonds.'}- 
 
 Vasconcellos, General History. 
 
 Berredo, General History. 
 
 * Etat du Portugal, p. 267. 
 
 t lu the 37th volume of the philosophical transac- 
 tions, No. 4^21, pages 1 99 and 201, there is a letter 
 concerning diamonds, lately found in Brazil, by 
 Jacob de Castro Sarmento, 
 
xvu 
 
 Da Cunha de Azerido Continho, bishop 
 of Fernamburo. History^ and Commerce 
 witli England. 
 
 GERMANS. 
 
 Faher (Ulicus). General Description^ 
 and Travels. 
 
 Schmidel (Hulderivus). General De- 
 scription, and Travels. 
 
 Staduis (Joanes). General History, and 
 Travels. 
 
 Nicuhof ( Johan) . General Description, 
 and Travels. 
 
 Shneider (Johan Gottlop). Natural His- 
 tory. Zoology. 
 
 Marcgraf (George). Saxon. Natural 
 and General Histoiy. 
 
 FRENCH. 
 
 LSrius (Joanes). General Deseription^ 
 and Travels. 
 
 Condamine (Charles Marie de la). Par* 
 tial Description, and Travels. 
 
 Froger (F.) Partial Description, and 
 Travels. 
 
 DITTCH. 
 
 Baro (Roulex). Partial Description;, 
 and Travels. 
 
 Piso (Guileilmus). Natural History, 
 Botany. 
 
XVI 11 
 ENGLISH. 
 
 Knivet. General Description, and Tra- 
 vels. 
 
 Lindley (Thomas). Partial Description, 
 and Travels. 
 
 DHistoire gdnerale des Voyages, con- 
 tains several interesting particulars relative 
 to Brazil. We have consulted the last 
 edition, published by M. de la Harpe, for 
 our account of animals and plants. Our 
 division of Brazil is taken from Pinkerton, 
 and more especially from Mantele ; we 
 have also the same authorities for what we 
 say on the governments, population, towns 
 and commerce of that country. D'Andrado's 
 Mimoire sur les Diamants de Bresil, has 
 been useful to us on the subject of the 
 diamond mines; and we have likewise 
 consulted Tabb^ Raynal and Dumourier. 
 
XX 
 
 A CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORICAL TABLE 
 
 From Henry ^ duke of Burgundy, count of Portugal ^ 
 
 
 The Year of their 
 
 
 KINGS AND QUEENS 
 
 f ; ' ■ , > 
 
 GHILDEEN. 
 
 
 birth 
 
 mar- 
 
 coro- 
 
 death 
 
 
 
 
 riag-f 
 
 nat. 
 
 
 
 Henry of Burgand)v 
 
 ^ .. 
 
 1094 
 
 -i 
 
 1112 
 
 Alphonso 1st king 
 
 count of Portugal. 
 
 
 or 
 
 :r^ 
 
 
 Theresa, 
 
 Theresa, the natural 
 
 ro6o 
 
 1095 
 
 
 
 
 daughter of Alphonso 
 
 
 P c 
 
 
 Urraca. 
 
 the VI, kingofCas- 
 
 
 
 l-z 
 
 
 
 tille. 
 
 
 
 p CD 
 
 
 
 Alphonso Enriq.uez^ 
 
 
 
 1112 
 
 1185 
 
 Henry died young 
 
 1st king, reigned with, 
 his mother Theresa 
 
 
 
 
 
 Sancho, king,, 
 
 
 
 
 
 John, 
 
 till the year 1 128. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Mafalda, 
 
 IVlafalda, or Ma- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 thilda, daughter of 
 
 
 
 
 
 Urraca. 
 
 Aniadeus, count of 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 MauEienneapd Savoy. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Theresa, after- 
 wards called 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Mathilda. 
 
XXI 
 
 OF THE KINGS OF PORTUGAL, 
 
 to John IV f dukeofBraganza, and king of Portugal. 
 
 ALLIANCES. 
 
 Ferdinand Nuguez, a 
 Portugueze nobleman 
 
 Bermond Paez, count 
 ofTraanoare, a natu 
 ral son. 
 
 The first wifeof Alphon- 
 30 II, king of Arragon. 
 
 Married first to Philip, 
 count of Flandres, and 
 secondly to Eudes III, 
 duke of Burgundy, 
 
 PRINCIPAL EVENTS. 
 
 Henry was count of the canton 
 of Lusltania, situated between the 
 Douro and the Minho. He fixed 
 his residence at Guimaraez, on the 
 banks of the river Ave. Henry en«i 
 tered Spain to assist Alphonso IV, 
 king ofCastiUe and Leon, against 
 the Moors, who rewarded his ser- 
 vices l)y giving him his natural 
 daughter Theresa in marriage, to- 
 gether with the county of Lusita- 
 nia. Henry afterwards took from, 
 the Moors Viseo, Lamego, Braga 
 and Coimbra. 
 
 1139, the battle of Campo Ou- 
 rique, since called Cabeza de Reis 
 or (head of the king). Alphonso, in 
 commemoration of the victory ob- 
 tained that day over five Moorish 
 kings, added five small escutcheons 
 to his arms. 
 
 In 1143 or 1147, the states as- 
 sembled at Lamego, confirmed the 
 title of king, which his army had 
 bestowed on the field of battle at 
 Campo Ourique, and established 
 the fundamental laws relative to the 
 succession of the crown. (See 
 Vertot.) 
 
 1 147 the institution (according to 
 some authors) of the two military 
 orders of theWing and of Avis; the- 
 latter was not worn as at present 
 till the year 1 162. 
 b Q« 
 
JtXlI CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORICAL TABLE 
 
 KINGS AND QUEENS 
 
 Sancho I. 
 
 Donna Dulcia,davigh- 
 ter of Raymond B^- 
 renger IV, count of 
 Barcelona and king 
 of Arragon. 
 
 Tlic Year of their 
 
 A 
 
 birth 
 
 mar- 
 riage 
 
 1154 
 
 Alphonso II, sur- 
 
 named the J at. 
 Urraca, daughter of 
 Alphonso III, king of 
 CastiUe. 
 
 Sancho II, surnamed 
 
 Sancho with the hood, 
 because his raothef had 
 dedicated him to St. 
 Augustine, and had 
 him educated amongst 
 the canons regular. 
 
 Alphonso Til. 
 Mathilda Dammanin, 
 countess of Bcnlogne- 
 on-the-sea, (ind widow 
 of Philip Huspel, son 
 of king Pliilip Au- 
 gustus. She was repu- 
 diated in 1254. 
 Beatrix de Gusman, 
 natural daughter of 
 thekingofCastille. 
 
 coro- 
 nat- 
 
 1185 
 
 death 
 
 CHILDREN. 
 
 121 1 Alphonso, king, 
 Ferrand or Fer- 
 dinand, 
 
 
 121S 
 
 3 55 
 
 1185 1207 
 
 1208 
 
 1210 
 
 1238 
 
 1211 
 
 1223 
 
 1248 
 
 1223 
 
 1248 
 
 1279 
 
 Pedro, 
 
 Theresa 
 
 Mafalda or Ma- 
 thilda, 
 
 Sancha, abbess of 
 Lorvam, 
 
 Blanca, 
 
 Berengara. 
 
 Sancho, king, 
 Alphonso, king, 
 Ferdinand, 
 Vincent, 
 Leonora. 
 
 Denis, king, 
 
 Alphonso, 
 
 Ferdinand, 
 
 Vincent, 
 
 Blanch, 
 
 Constance,. 
 
 Blanche J 
 
OF THE KINGS OF PORTXTGAL. XXIH 
 
 ALLIANCES. 
 
 Joanna, (laughter of 
 Baldwin, tmporor of 
 Constantinople. 
 
 Aurembiax, countess of 
 Urge!. 
 
 AlphonsoIXjk.of Leon 
 
 Waldemar, king of Den- 
 mark. 
 
 Waldemar, prince of 
 
 Denmark. 
 He married, or as it is 
 generally thought, had 
 for a concubine donna 
 Mencia, daughter of don 
 I^pez Dias de Haro, by 
 ^orma Urraca, the natu- 
 ral daughter of Alphon- 
 solll, kingof Castille. 
 
 PRINCIPAL ETEKTS. 
 
 1147 or li48. Capture cf Lis- 
 bon-. The royal residence was at 
 that time at Coimbra. 
 
 J2t)3, capture of Livas. 
 
 1217- A great victory gained 
 over the Moorish kings of Cordova 
 and Badajos. 
 
 1245. King Sancho was exconi- 
 municated by thepope, and quitted 
 the kingdom. He dted in 1248, at 
 Toledo. 
 
 1267- The king of Castille gave 
 up the kingdom of Algarve to Al- 
 phonso, of which, however, he still 
 continued tiie usufructuary. 
 
XXIV CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORICAL TABLR 
 
 KIN<JS AND QUEENS 
 
 Denis, surnamed the 
 liberal, cmd the father 
 of his country. 
 Elisabeth, daughter of 
 don Pedro 111, king 
 of Arra^on. 
 
 Alpnonso TV, sur- 
 named the have or the 
 i proud. 
 
 Beatrix, daughter of 
 Sancho IV, king of 
 Castille. 
 
 Pedro I, sucnaraed 
 the jus'.ician or the 
 severe. 
 
 Constance, daughter 
 of John Emmanuel 
 of Castille. 
 
 Inez deCasto, his con- 
 cubine. 
 
 The Year of their 
 
 A \ 
 
 birth 
 
 126'] 
 
 1291 
 or 
 
 1290 
 
 o 
 1320 
 
 mar 
 riag'e 
 
 1282 
 
 1309 
 
 1339 
 
 coro- 
 nat. 
 
 1279 
 
 1325 
 
 1357 
 
 death 
 
 1325 
 
 CHILDREN. 
 
 Alphonso, king 
 Constance. 
 
 1357 
 
 I3G7 
 
 Alphonsol died 
 Denis J younj 
 Pedro, king, 
 Mary, 
 
 Leonora. 
 
 By the queen 
 Constance, 
 
 Lewis died 
 young. 
 
 Ferdinand, king 
 
 and Maria. 
 By 
 
 Inez de Castro, 
 
 Alphonso died 
 young. 
 
 Denis. 
 
 John, duke of 
 Valencia, 
 
 John, natural sor 
 byTheresa dc Lo- 
 renzo, who after- 
 wards became 
 king of Portugal. 
 
OF THE KINGS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 XX tr 
 
 ALLIANCES. 
 
 Ferdinand IV, king of 
 
 Castille. 
 
 Alphonso XI, king of 
 
 Castille. 
 Se<:ond wifeof PedroIV, 
 
 kingof Arragon. 
 
 Ferdinand of Arragon, 
 Marquis of Tortosa. 
 
 PRINCIPAL EVENTS. 
 
 12C)0. A university founded at 
 Lisbop, which was transferred to 
 Coimbra in 1308. The Portugueze 
 language underwent several im- 
 provements ; and the celebrated ro- 
 mance o^Amadis de Gaul was writ- 
 ten by Vasco Lobeira. The French 
 have endeavoured, though in vain, 
 to attribute it to one oftheir nation. 
 
 1319, instiWtion of the ordre of 
 Christ. 
 
 1 340. Famous battle of Tarha 
 or Celdona, in which, according 
 to the Span ish historia ns, more than 
 200,000 Moors were slain. 
 
 135.5, the king causes the cele- 
 brated Inez de Castro to be put to 
 death. 
 
 1361. Don Pedro gave orders for 
 the body of Inez de Castro, to be 
 taken up, and removed with all the 
 pomp due to royalty, to the royal 
 monastery of Alcoba^a , there to be 
 interred under a while marble 
 monument, on which she is re- 
 presented with «i crown on her 
 neud. 
 
 Jane, natural daughter of 
 Henry II, k. of Castille. 
 Maria Tellez, and, se- 
 condly, Constance, na- 
 tural daughter of Henry 
 II, king of Castille. 
 
\lt\l 
 
 CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORICAL TABLE 
 The Vear of their 
 
 KINGS AND QUEENS 
 
 Ferdinand, 
 
 Leonora Tellez, wife 
 
 L. da Cunha. 
 
 John I, surnamed the 
 great, and father of 
 his country, 
 Philippa, the daugh 
 ter of the duke of Lan 
 caster. 
 
 birth 
 
 1340 
 
 135: 
 
 mar- 
 riage 
 
 1372 
 
 1387 
 
 coro- 
 nal. 
 
 Edward. 
 Leonora, daughter of 
 Ferdinand, king of 
 Arragon and Sicily. 
 
 AlphonsoV, surnamed 
 the African. 
 Isabella, his cousin. 
 
 1391 
 
 1432 
 
 1428 
 
 1446 
 
 1367 
 
 ™^ ? 
 
 1383 
 King 
 1385 
 
 death 
 
 CHILDREN. 
 
 1383 
 
 1433 
 
 1433 
 
 1438 
 
 1438 
 
 Beatrix, 
 
 Edward, 
 Pedro, duke of 
 Coimbra, 
 Henry, duke of 
 
 Viscu, 
 Ferdinand, 
 Juan. 
 Isabella, 
 
 and a natural son. 
 
 1481 
 
 Alphonso, king, 
 Ferdinand, duke 
 of Viscu. 
 Philip died 
 
 young, 
 Leonora, 
 Catherine, 
 
 Jane or Joanna, 
 
 a natural son, 
 called John Em- 
 manuel. 
 
or THE KINGS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 XXVll 
 
 ALLIANCES. 
 
 Don Juan I, ofCftstille. 
 
 PRINCIPAL EVENTS. 
 
 1381, the English, under the 
 command of the earl ofCanibridge, 
 brother to the duke of Lancaster, 
 came to the assistance of the king. 
 
 1385. Battle of d'Aljubarotta 
 against the king of Castille. A 
 corwent built on the field of battle, 
 which afterwards became the bury- 
 ing place for the kings of Portugal. 
 Ferdinand Nugno Alvarez Perrey- 
 ra, constableof Portugal, was made 
 I'hilip the good f duke of i duke of Bra^anza, as a reward for 
 
 Burgundy. 
 
 Frederic III, Emperor. 
 
 Henry IV, king of Cas- 
 tille. 
 
 c2 
 
 his great servrees. His heiress after- 
 wards married A Iphonso of Portu- 
 gal, the natural aon of John I, from 
 wliich marriage sprung the family 
 of Braganza now reigning in Por- 
 tugal. 
 
 1415, capture of Ceuta in Africa. 
 
 1420, discovery and conquest of 
 Madeira. 
 
 1422, the Christian era first in 
 general use throughout Portugal. 
 
 1459. Alphonso V instituted 
 the order of the sword. 
 
 1476. The battle of Toro gained 
 by Ferdinand, king of Castille, 
 against Alphonso, who goes to 
 France to demand assistance from 
 Louis XI, whom he met at Tours. 
 He embarked the next year at 
 Houfleur, in Normandy, for Pi)r- 
 tugal, where he arrived Nov. 15. 
 
XXVlll CHE O NOLO GI^CAL I 
 
 ISTORICAL TABLE 
 
 
 The Year cf their 
 
 
 KINGS AND QXJEEN.^ 
 
 ^\ 
 
 
 
 A 
 
 CHILDREN. 
 
 
 birth 
 1455 
 
 mar- 
 riage 
 
 coro- 
 nat. 
 
 1481 
 
 death 
 
 1495 
 
 
 Don Juan or John II, 
 
 Alphonso died 
 
 surnamed the perfect. 
 
 
 
 
 
 12th July, 1491. 
 
 EmmanueljSurnamed 
 
 1469 
 
 
 1495 
 
 1521 
 
 
 iheforiunate. 
 
 
 
 
 
 By ISAISLLA J 
 
 Michel, died at 
 
 Isabella of Arragon, 
 
 
 1497 
 
 
 
 stiled of Castille, 
 
 
 
 
 
 the age of two 
 
 widow of the infant 
 
 
 
 
 
 years. 
 
 don AlphoniO. 
 
 
 
 
 
 By Maria 5 
 
 Maria of Castille, 
 
 
 1500 
 
 
 
 John III, king. 
 
 Isabella's sister. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Louis, 
 Ferdinand, 
 
 Eleanor of Austria, 
 
 
 1519 
 
 
 
 Alphonso, cardi- 
 
 sister of Charles V, 
 
 
 
 
 
 nal. 
 
 afterwards married to 
 
 
 
 
 
 Henrv, cardinal 
 and king. 
 
 Francis I. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Edward, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Anthonio, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Maria died in her 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 infancy. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Elisabeth, 
 
OF THE KINGS OF PORTUGAL, 
 
 XXIX 
 
 ALLIANCES. 
 
 PRINCIPAL EYENTS. 
 
 Emperor Charles V. 
 ■ c3 
 
 1482, John II, erected Fori St. 
 George on the coast of Guinea. 
 
 14S3. The dukeof'Braganza be- 
 headed for conspiring with the king 
 of Castille against the state. 
 
 148r), The Cape of Good Hope 
 discovered by Bartholomew Diuz, 
 '.vlio gave it at first the aarne or 
 Capo Torynento. 
 
 1492. Discovery of the king- 
 doms of Congo and Benin. 
 
 1493, The Pope Hxes the line 
 of demarcation which limits the 
 navigation of the two crowns of 
 Spain and Portugal in the new 
 hemisphere. This line was after- 
 wards changed by pope Alexander 
 VI. 
 
 1496. Emmanuel banished the- 
 Jews. 
 
 1497, Vaso;uez and Paul Gama 
 doubled the Cape of Good Hope^ 
 for the first time; they discovered 
 the whole of the eastean coast of 
 Ethiopia, and in 
 
 ]4g8 arrived at Calcutta. 
 
 1500, Pedro Alvarez Capral or 
 Cabral, discovered Bnteil. 
 
 ]o06, Francisco d'Almyda form- 
 ed several settlements in the king- 
 doms of NorsinquCf Quito, CaJicb- 
 nor, and Cockm, His son Lorenzo 
 took possession of the Maldiva 
 islands, and the island of Gevlon.. 
 
 1507, Ormus taken by tran- 
 cisco Alburquerque. 
 
 1510, Jaquez Signeira entered", 
 the island of Sumatra. Albur- 
 querque took Goa by aurpise. 
 
XXX CHIIONOL061CAL HISTORICAL TABLE 
 
 KINGS AND QUEENS 
 
 John III. 
 Catherine of Austria. 
 
 Sebastian, son of the 
 infant John V, son 
 of John III. 
 
 Henry I, cardinal. 
 
 Anthonio, grand 
 prior of Crato, natu- 
 ral son of Louis II, 
 theton of Emsianuel. 
 
 The Year of their 
 birth 
 
 1502 
 
 1554 
 
 1512 
 
 1531 
 
 mar- 
 riage 
 
 coro- 
 nat. 
 
 death 
 
 1521 1557 
 
 1557 
 
 1578 
 
 CHILDREN. 
 
 Maria Beatrix. 
 
 By Eleonor ; 
 
 A Prince and 
 Princess. 
 
 Alphonso, 
 
 Emmanuel, 
 
 Philip, 
 
 Denis, 
 
 John, 
 
 Anthonio 
 
 Maria, 
 
 Isabella, 
 Beatrice. 
 
 1578 1580 
 15t0 1595 
 
 See History of 
 Spain. 
 
OF THE KINGS OF PORTLGAL., XXXI 
 
 ALLIANCES. 
 
 Charles III, 
 Savoy. 
 
 duke of 
 
 Philip II, king of Spain 
 
 PRINCIPAL EVENTS. 
 
 1511, Capture of the island of 
 Malacca. 
 
 1517, Ferdinand Peres Auduade 
 landed in China, and obtained per- 
 mission to build the town of Macao. 
 
 1520, Anthonio Correa dis- 
 covered Pegu. 
 
 A modern author takes notice 
 of earthqualies which happened in 
 the beginning of John Illd's reign, 
 but we know not on what autho- 
 rity he founds his information. 
 
 1526, The inquisition instituted 
 in Portugal, 
 
 1541. Introduction of the Je- 
 suits. The king takes the habit of 
 that order, and submits himself to 
 the superior, though by permission 
 of the Holy See he still preserved 
 his crown. 
 
 1548. Orange trees first brought 
 from China, and planted in Por- 
 tugal. 
 
 1578. Sebastian defeated by the 
 Moors in the 'battle of Alcacer. 
 For particulars of this unfortunate 
 expedition into Africa, (see Ver- 
 tot.) 
 
 Sebastian was the first king of 
 Portugal who bore the title of ma- 
 jesty, bestowed upon him by Phi- 
 lip li, of Spain. 
 
 1580. Anthonio defeated at Al- 
 cantara by the Spaniards. He flew 
 for refuge to France, where he 
 died in 15g5, and having made 
 Henry IV his heir, he particularly 
 recommended his two ions to his 
 protection. 
 
XXXU CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORICAL TABLE 
 
 
 The Year of their 
 
 
 KINGS AND QUEENS 
 
 birth 
 
 mar- 
 riage 
 
 coro- 
 nat. 
 
 1580 
 
 death 
 1598 
 
 CHILDREN. 
 
 Spanish Kings. 
 Philip 11 of Spain, 
 and Philip I of Por- 
 tugal. 
 
 
 Philip III, and II of 
 Portugal. 
 
 
 
 1621 
 
 164C.. 
 
 ■ 
 
 Philip IV, and III of 
 Portugal. 
 
 
 
 1 640 
 
 
 
 JohnIV,dukeofBra- 
 ganza, the grand son of 
 Catherine, who was 
 the daughter of the in- 
 fant Edward, the son 
 ©f king Emmanuel. 
 
 l604 
 
 
 1640 
 
 1656 
 
 A]phonsoVI»fc» 
 Pedro, king, 
 Maria, 
 Catherine^ 
 
OF THE KINGS OF PORTUGAL. XXXlll 
 
 ALLIANCES. 
 
 Charles 11, king of 
 England « 
 
 PRINCIPAL EVENTS. 
 
 1581. States general of Portu- 
 
 fal held at Tomar. Philip II ac- 
 nowledgcd as king, provided Por- 
 tugal might ever be regarded as a 
 separate and independant king- 
 dom, of which Lisbon should be 
 the capital. So many persons 
 were thrown into the Tagus, that 
 the inhabitants would not eat the 
 fish, whereupon the archbishop of 
 Lisbon, solemnly, and with the 
 accustomed rites, abiolved and 
 blessed the river. 
 
 Vertot commences his relation 
 of the Revolution at this epoch, 
 which we continue till the depar-. 
 ture of the family of Braganza for 
 Brazil, or, more properly speak- 
 ing till the battle of Veimera. 
 
 The title of prince of Brazil was 
 first confered on the presumptive 
 heir to the crown during the reign 
 of John IV. 
 
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 A GENERAL TABLE of all the French 
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 HiSTOlRE DES REVOLUTIONS DK 
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HISTORY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 REVOLUTIONS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 The kingdom of Portugal makes part of 
 the great extent of country called Spain;* 
 most of its provinces bear the names of the 
 different kingdoms into which it is divided: 
 that of Portugal lies to the West of Cas- 
 tille, and on the most western coast of Eu- 
 rope; it is only a hundred and ten leagues 
 in length, and its greatest breadth does not 
 exceed fifty. The soil is fertile, the air 
 wholesome, and the heat of the climate is 
 tempered by refreshing breezes and fruitful 
 showers. The crown ishereditary, and the 
 monarch absolute. The formidable tribu- 
 nal of the Inquisition is regarded by this 
 prince as the safest and most useful means 
 
 * The dominions of Spain are denominated Old 
 and New Spain, 
 
 B 
 
^ '' historV'Ofthe revolutions 
 
 of forwarding 'his 'political views^ and as 
 sLich^ employed by him with the greatest 
 success. The Portugueze are naturally 
 fi^Ty, proud, and arrogant, greatly attached 
 to their religion, though more superstitious 
 than truly devout; they regard almost 
 eveiy event as a prodigy, and not only per- 
 suade themselves, but endeavour to per- 
 suade others, that they are the peculiar fa- 
 vourites of Providence, which never fails to 
 protect them in the most extraordinary 
 manner. 
 
 The original inhabitants of this country 
 have never been justly ascertained. Some 
 historians make them the' descendants of 
 Ttibal^ and it would be scarcely possible for 
 the most fabulous accounts to trace their 
 origin fiirt her back; every nation, indeed, 
 has some chimerical notions on this head ; 
 there is not, how^ever, the smallest doubt, 
 that these jirovinces belonged successively 
 to the Carthaginians and the Romans; but 
 towards the begmning of the fifth century 
 the whole of Spain became the prey of the 
 Alains, the Sueves, tlie Vandals, and titc 
 rest of the barbarous nations generally 
 termed Goths, when Portugal was some- 
 times governed by its own appropriate 
 kings, and sometimes subjected to the Cas- 
 tilian monarch?. 
 
OF PORrUCAE. 3 
 
 Daring the reipi of Roderick, last king of 
 the Goths, in the heginning of the'eighth 
 oentnry, the Moors, or moi'^ properly- 
 speaking the Arabs^ subjects of the cahf 
 Vahd-Ahnanzar^ crossed from Africa into 
 Spain, and conquered a great part of that 
 country, to which they were invited by 
 count Julien, a Spanish nobleman, whose 
 resentment towards Roderick, for the viola- 
 tion of his daugliter, induced him to for- 
 ward by every possible means the designs 
 of the enemy, who extended their domi- 
 nions from the straits of Gibraltar to the 
 Pyreneans; they could not, however, pierce 
 into the Asturian mountains, where the 
 Christians flew for refuge, and were go- 
 verned by prince Pelagio, who founded 
 the kingdom of Leon or Oviedo in that 
 spot. 
 
 Portugal shared the fate of the other 
 Spanish provinces, and became subject to 
 the Moors, who established a variety of dif- 
 ferent governments, which on the death of 
 the (ireat Almanzar became independant, 
 and were transformed into small principa- 
 lities; these, however, did not long exist, 
 they were disunited by emulation and 
 clashing interests, whilst luxury and iiido- 
 ience completed their ruin. 
 B 2 
 
4 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTrONS 
 
 Henry, count of Burgundy*, deecended 
 from Robert, king of France^ succeeded in 
 driving the Moors from Portugal towards 
 the beginning of the twelfth century. This 
 prince, animated by the same zealous spi- 
 rit of rehgion which caused the Crusades 
 of those times, entered Spain, decided to 
 signalize himself against the infidels, and 
 began his military career under Roderick 
 de Bivar, that celebrated general, distin- 
 guished in history by the name of the Cid, 
 He displayed such extraordinary valour in 
 these religious wars, that Alphonso the 
 Vlth, king of Castille and Leon, gave him 
 the command of his army. This French 
 prince is said to have defeated the Moors^ 
 in seventeen pitched battles, and to have 
 driven them from the northern part of 
 Portugal. The king of Gastille, anxious to 
 attach so great a general to his service, 
 united him to his daughter the princess 
 Theresa, and at the same time presented 
 him with all the provinces he had con- 
 quered as a marriage portion. These the 
 count considerably augmented by fresh- 
 victories : he besieged, and took the cities 
 
 ■* Theodore Godefroy, in bis treaty oathe origin, 
 of the kings of Portugal. 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 5 
 
 of Lisbon, Viscu, and Coimbra: lie suc- 
 ceeded equally i n the three provinces situated 
 between the Douro and Mi nho, which Henry 
 formed into a considerable sovereignty, and 
 though he never took the title of king, he 
 was the original founder of the kingdom 
 of Portugal. 
 
 His son, the prince Alphonso, inherited 
 his father s valour, and succeeded him in 
 his possessions, which he even augrnented 
 by new conquests. Thus heroes lay the 
 foundation of empires, whilst the weak 
 and cowardly disgracefully lose them. The 
 soldiers of count Alphonso proclaimed 
 him king, alter having gained a great vic- 
 tory over the Moors, and the states gene- 
 ral, assembled at Lamego, confirmed this 
 august title, which justly descended to his 
 successors. 
 
 It was in this assembly, composed of the 
 principal persons of the nation, that the 
 fundamental laws, relative to the succession 
 to the crown, were established. The first 
 article commences as follows : — May King 
 Alphonso live amongst us, and reign over 
 us I if he has male issue they shall be 
 our kings; the son shall succeed his fa- 
 ther, who in his turn shall be succeeded by 
 his son, afterwards by his grandson^ and so 
 on to the end of time. 
 B 3 
 
6 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 ARTICLE II. 
 
 If the king-'s eldest son die before hi& 
 father, the second son shall succeed to the 
 crown ; in case of his death, he shall be 
 replaced by the third, who shall be suc- 
 ceeded by the fourth, and, in the same man- 
 ner, by all the remaining sons of the 
 king. 
 
 ARTICLE III. 
 
 If the king die without male issue, and 
 should have a brother, he shall be our king; 
 but he shall not be succeeded by his son. 
 unless the said son should be elected by 
 the bishops and states, in which case, but 
 in no other, we will acknowledge him for 
 our sovereign. 
 
 ARTICLES IV AND V. 
 
 If the king of Portugal should leave no 
 male issue, his daughter shall be our 
 queen, provided she marry a Portugueze 
 nobleman ; who, however, shall not bear 
 the title of king till after the birth of a 
 male child. In presence of the queen, he 
 shall always be placed on her left hand, 
 and shall not be permitted to wear the re- 
 gal crown. 
 
OF PORTUGAL. J 
 
 ARTICLE Vl. 
 
 This last law shall always be strictly ob- 
 served, and the king's eldest daughter shall 
 never espouse any but a Portupjueze noble- 
 man, lest the kingdom should become sub- 
 ject to a foreign prince. Should the king's 
 daughter infringe this article and become 
 the wife of a prince or nobleman of ano- 
 ther country, she shall not be acknow- 
 ledged queen; and this, because we will 
 not suffer our people to be ruled by a ki,ng 
 \vho was not born a Portugueze, since it is 
 to our subjects and countrymen alone, 
 without any foreign aid, who shed their 
 blood in our service, and by their valour 
 raised oar country to regal dignity. 
 
 By the strict observance of the above 
 wise laws, the crown of Portugal remained 
 for several centuries in the possession of the 
 royal family of Alphonso. His successors 
 have since added greatly to the splendour 
 and power of the kingdom, by the impor- 
 tant conquests gained in Africa, India, and 
 afterwards in America. The Portugueze 
 have displayed a degree of courage and 
 skill in the conducting these distant and 
 wonderful enterprises, which justly entitles 
 them to the warmest eulogiums. They 
 
S HISTOHY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 have also had the glory of introducing the 
 Christian religion into these conquered 
 countries, where the Fortugueze missiona- 
 ries have greatly succeeded in makitig 
 known tfje worship of the true God to the 
 most idolatrous and barbarous nations. 
 Such was the situation of Portugal about 
 the year 1557, when the king, don Sebas- 
 tian came to the throne. He was the 
 posthumous son of don John, who died 
 before his father, king John the 11 Id, who 
 succeeded his father the oreat kin": Ema- 
 nuel. 
 
 Don Sebastian was scarcely three years 
 old when he became king. His grand- 
 mother, Catherine of Austria, was ap- 
 pointed regent during his minority. This- 
 princess was the daughter of Philip the 
 1st, king of Castille, and the sister of the 
 emperor Charles the Vth. Don Alexis 
 de Menezes, a nobleman who professed the 
 strictest piety, was named goveruor to the 
 young prince; and the literary part of his- 
 education was confided to the care of fa- 
 ther don Louis de Camara, a member of 
 the society of Jesuits. Nothing was 
 omitted on the part of these wise and 
 learned preceptors which could possibly 
 contribute to the instruction of the young 
 prince ; his mind was early formed to piety. 
 
OF PORTUGAL. y 
 
 and at the same time he was inspired with 
 every elevated sentiment worthy of royal- 
 ty. But these noble and Christian princi- 
 ples were carried too far. Menezes conti- 
 nually dwelling on the conquests gained by 
 his predecessors in India, and on the coasts 
 of Africa, whilst the Jesuit never ceased 
 representing to his pupil > that as kings held 
 their crowns from God alone, their only 
 object in government should be, not only 
 to cause him to be worshipped at home, 
 but in the most distant countries, in which 
 even his name was hitherto unknown. 
 Such a mixture of pious and warlike ideas 
 made too strong an impression on a youth- 
 ful prince naturally lively and impetuous. 
 His every thought was turned towards 
 conquests: he talked on no other subject ; 
 and no sooner had he taken the reigns of 
 government into his own hands, than he 
 meditated attacking Africa in person. He 
 accordingly held continual conferences, 
 both with officers and missionaries, and 
 seemed decided on adding the title of apos- 
 tle to the glorious one of conqueror. 
 
 The civil war lately broken out in the 
 kingdom of Morocco, seemed a favourable 
 opportunity of signalizing his zeal and 
 courage. Muley Mahamet had succeeded 
 his father Abdala^ the last king of Moroc- 
 
10 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 CO, but [lis paternal uncle, Muley Moluc, 
 pretended that he had usurped the crown, 
 which according to the law of the Cherifi^ 
 fell successively to the king's brothers in 
 preference to his own children. This dis- 
 pute occasioned a bloody war between the 
 uncle and nephew. The former, a valiant 
 prince, a profound politician, and a great 
 general, having formed a powerful party in 
 the kingdom, defeated Mahamet in three 
 different battles, and finished by driving 
 him not only from his domkiions, but even 
 out of Africa. 
 
 The vanquished prince sought an asy- 
 lum in the court of Portugal, and repre- 
 sented to Sebastian, that though he had 
 been driven from Morocco, he had stili 
 many secret friends in that country, who 
 only waited his return to declare them»- 
 selves in his favour: that he had also 
 learnt Moluc was suffering by a lingering 
 malady, which in the end must prove fatal ; 
 and that his brother Haniet was too little 
 esteemed by the nation to have any hopes 
 of succeeding hirn. If, therefore, at so 
 critical a moment, he could be enabled to 
 appear at the head of a small body of 
 troops on the frontiers, he doubted not but 
 his former subjects would replace him on 
 the throne; v^hich, should he recover by 
 
OF PORTUGAL, 11 
 
 the inference of Portugal, he would in fu- 
 ture acknowledge himself vassal to that 
 power; into the possession of which he 
 would rather yield his crown, than permit 
 it to remain on the head of an usurper. 
 
 Don Sebastian, ever alive to impressions 
 of glory, and wiiosei every idea turned to 
 important conquests, engaged in this affair 
 with more eagerness than prudence, and 
 instantly determined on marcliing in per- 
 son to Morocco. lie treated the Moorish 
 king in tiie most distinguished manner, 
 and promised to reinstate him in his do- 
 minions at the head of the whole army of 
 i'OrtugaL He, indeed, flattered himself 
 with shortly hoistirvg the banner of the 
 cross on all the rfiosques in Morocx^O; and 
 it was in vain the most prudent members 
 of his council used every persuasive argu- 
 ment to disuade him from «o precipitate a 
 measure. His courage, liis Christian zeal, 
 the presumption natural to youth, and fre- 
 quently the companion of royalty, joined 
 to the voice of flattery, so constantly lieard 
 in a court, made him regard this victory as 
 easy as gloriovis. Thus obstinate in his 
 opinions, and convinced of his superior abili- 
 ■ ties, as if sovereign knowledge must neces- 
 sarily attend on sovereign power, he refused 
 listening to the voice of his ministers and 
 
12 HISTORY or THE REVOLUTIOKS 
 
 council, he crossed the sea, and undertook 
 with an army of scarcely thirteen thousand 
 men, to dethrone a powerful monarch, es- 
 teemed the greatest general in Africa. 
 
 Moluc being informed of the designs 
 and landing of the king of Portugal, 
 waited his arrival at the head of his whoW 
 army. His cavalry consisted of forty 
 thousand, most of whom were old and ex- 
 perienced soldiers, even still more formida- 
 ble from the conduct and capacity of their 
 leader, than from their personal valour. 
 As to the infantry, it was only composed of 
 ten thousand regular troops ; and he placed 
 very little dependance on the crowds of 
 Arabs and militia which had hastened to 
 his assistance. These, indeed, were much 
 more inclined to pillage than conquer, and 
 were always ready to fiy or to declare in fa- 
 vour of the victorious party. Moluc, 
 however, employed these troops to harrass 
 the Christian army, and being spread 
 throughout the country, they were con- 
 stantly skirmishing in sight of the earn p. 
 They had secret orders to fly from the 
 Portugueze,' with a view of drawing them 
 from their intrenchments on the sea-shore, 
 and at the same time keeping up the blind 
 confidence of don Sebastian by affected 
 marks of fear. That prince, more brave 
 
i 
 
 OF PORTUGAL,. 13 
 
 than prudent, daily perceiving the Moors 
 unable to stand before his troops, com- 
 manded them to quit their intrenchment», 
 and marched against Moluc with the cer- 
 tainty of success. The barbarian monarch 
 seemed at first to retreat, as wishing to 
 avoid a decisive battle; few of his troops 
 appeared in sight, and he even made dif- 
 ferent proposals to don Sebastian, as if he 
 mistrusted his forces and feared for the 
 event of the war. Tlie king of Portugal, 
 from the idea that the difficulty consisted, 
 not in conqering, but in coming up, to the 
 enemy, continued the pursuit. But no 
 sooner did Moluc perceive the Portugueze 
 sufficiently distant from the shore, and 
 consequently from their fleet, than he col- 
 lected his army in the plain, and formed 
 his cavalry in the form of a crescent to en- 
 close the whole of the Christian forces. 
 His brother Hamet commanded this corps ; 
 but having no great idea of his courage, he 
 took care to inform him, that he owed this 
 distinction to his rank alone, assuring hini 
 at the same time, that should he be coward- 
 ly enough to fly, he would strangle him 
 with his own hands, and that he had 
 no choice left but conquest or death. The 
 state of his own health was such, and his 
 weakness was so great from the effects of 
 c 
 
14 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 his long consuming illness, that he ex- 
 pected every moment to be his last; he 
 therefore determined that the day of his 
 death should be the most glorious of his 
 existence. He himself arranged the order 
 of battle, and gave his commands with as 
 much clearness and presence of mind as if 
 in perfect health. He even looked forward 
 to the events which would probably take 
 place after his death, and gave particular 
 orders to the officers around him, that 
 should it happen durino- the heat of the 
 combat, the news should not be suffered to 
 transpire; that to keep up the confidence 
 of his soldiers, his aid-de-camp should 
 approach his litter as ubual, and appear to 
 take orders as if he was still in existence. 
 Such courage and magnanimity can never 
 be sufficiently admired. It seems, indeed, 
 that this barbarian prince had so arranged 
 his designs, and given his orders in his last 
 moments, that even death itself could not 
 rob him of victory. After having taken 
 these measures, he was carried through the 
 ranks, where his presence, gestures, and 
 discourse, all tended to exhort the Moors 
 to fight for the defence of their religion 
 and country. 
 
 The battle commenced on each side by 
 a discbarge of cannon, when tlje two ar- 
 
or PORTUGAL, 15 
 
 mies moved forward and charged furiously. 
 Presently the combat became general, and 
 the Moorish infantry, principally com- 
 posed, as has been already mentioned, of 
 Alarbs and other vagrants, easily gave way 
 to the Portugueze, whose courage was ani- 
 mated by the presence of their king. The 
 duke d'Aveiro even succeeded in driving 
 back a corps of cavalry to the quarters of 
 the king of Morocco; who, on perceiving 
 his soldiers in confusion, and shamefully 
 flying, jumped from his litter, and burning 
 with rage and indignation, decided, though 
 almost in the agonies of death, to drive 
 them back to the charge, his officers vainly 
 opposed his design, and he forced a passage 
 through the ranks with his sword; but this 
 effort entirely exhausted his little remain- 
 ing strength, and he fainted in the arms of 
 his equerries, who bore him back to his 
 litter; when, putting his finger on his 
 mouth to enjoin secrecy, he immediately 
 expired ; but though his death was so sud- 
 den, that there was no time to convey him 
 to his tent, both armies remained ignorant 
 of his fate. 
 
 Hitherto success seemed to attend the 
 Christians ; but the Moorish cavalry hav- 
 ing formed a large circle, drew together by 
 degrees, and closing their ranks, entirely 
 c 2 
 
\B HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 surrounded don Sebastian's little army. 
 7'he Moorish cavalry then proceeded to 
 charge the Portngueze cavalry on every 
 side^ whilst the latter, overpowered by num- 
 bers^ fell back on the infantry, and falling 
 amongst them, overwhelmed the whole 
 with confusion and dismay. The infidels 
 immediately took advantage of the open 
 and disordered state of the battalions, and 
 rushingamongst them with theirscymitars, 
 easily obtained a complete victory over 
 troops already more than half subdued by 
 astonishment and terror. The field of 
 battle then became a scene of slaughter; 
 nothing but carnage presented itself on 
 every side ; wretches on their knees beg- 
 ging for life, whilst others sought their 
 safety in flight, but, so hemmed in were 
 they, that it was impossible to escape, and 
 death attended them from every quarter. 
 The rash Sebastian fell a victim to his im- 
 prudence: but whether from ignorance of 
 his rank he was killed in the general flight, 
 or whether he sought death sooner than 
 survive the numerous persons of distinction 
 murdered by the Moors, whom he had 
 himself led to destruction, has never been 
 ascertained. Muley Mahamat, the origi- 
 nal author of the war, endeavoured to save 
 himself by flight, but was drowned in passing 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 1/ 
 
 the river Mucazen. Thus perished, in one 
 fatal day, three great princes. Their deaths 
 indeed were different, Moluc losing his life 
 by illness, Mahamet by water, and Sebas- 
 tian by the fate of arms*. 
 
 Sebastian was succeeded on the throne 
 of Portugal by his great uncle cardinal 
 don Henry, the brother of his grandfather, 
 John the 1 1 Id, and the son of king Emma- 
 nuel. But this prince being a ])riest, in an 
 infirm state of health, and more than six- 
 ty-seven years of age, all those who had 
 any pretensions to the crown, regarded him 
 
 * There is a vulgar tradition relative to don Se- 
 bastian, whom some Portu^ueze believe to be still 
 alive. This gave rise to lord Tyrawley's laughable 
 speech of " what can one possibly do with a na- 
 tion, one half of which expect the Messiah, and the 
 other half their king, don Sebastian, who has beei>,_ 
 dead two hundred years ?" This tradition also 
 caused another piece of pleasantry, which was at- 
 tended by very dreadful consequences. The queen 
 of Portugal, standing at the window, attended by 
 her court,perceived a great water-spout rise in the air. 
 •' Ah 1" laughingly exclaimed she, " here is the 
 king, don Sebastian, returned amongst us." 
 " That cannol be, madam," replied the counte 
 d'Obydos, one of the first noblemen in Portugal, 
 *' since don Sebastian reigns over us at present;'* 
 alluding to don Sebastian Carvalho, the prime mi- 
 nister. Two hours after this ill-timed jest, the 
 counte was imprisoned in the dungeon of St. Ju- 
 lian's tower. — (See Dumovriez, Etat du PortugaLJ 
 c 3 
 
18 HISTORY OF THE RBVOLUTIONS 
 
 merely as the guardian of their rights, each 
 individual therefore endeavoured to pre- 
 possess him in his or her favour. 
 
 The candidates on this occasion were 
 numerous, and the greatest part were de- 
 scendants, though in difi'erent degrees, from 
 king Emmanuel, Philip the lid, king of 
 Spain, Catherine of Portugal, the wife of 
 don Jacques, duke of Braganza, the duke 
 of Savoy, the duke of Parma, and Anthony, 
 knight of Malta, and grand prior of Cra- 
 to, were all equally solicitous to bring for- 
 ward and establish their pretensions. Dif- 
 ferent publications appeared in the name of 
 these princes, and the civilians employed 
 in the cause, endeavoured to regulate the 
 order of succession in favour of their re- 
 spective clients. 
 
 Philip the Hd, was son to the infanta Isa- 
 bella, the eldest daughter of Emmanuel. 
 The duchess of Braganza was descended 
 from don Edward, son of the same Em- 
 manuel. The duke of Savoy was the son 
 of princess Beatrix, the empress's sister. 
 The mother of the duke of Parma was 
 Mary of Portugal, daughter of prince Ed- 
 ward, and the eldest sister of the duchess 
 of Braganza. The grand prior was a na- 
 tural son of don Louis de Beja (second 
 5on of Emmanuel,) and Violante de Go* 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 19 
 
 mez^ surnamed the Pelican, one of the most 
 beautiful women of the age she hved in, 
 and to whom, Anthony affirmed, his father 
 was secretly married. Catherine de Medi- 
 cis also entered the lists, and grounded her 
 pretensions to the crown on being descended 
 from Alphonso the Hid, king of Portugal, 
 and Mathilda, countess of Boulogne. 
 
 Even the pope himself endeavoured to 
 reap some benefit from the king's being a 
 cardinal, as if the crown in that case must 
 necessarily be guarded as a benetice devolv- 
 ing on the court of Rome. 
 
 These foreign claimants were not very 
 formidable, the greater part being not in a 
 situation to support their pretensions. The 
 succession therefore laid principally be- 
 twixt the king of Spain, and the duchess 
 of Braganza. The latter was greatly be- 
 loved; and her husband, though not in a 
 direct line, was descended from the kings 
 of Portugal. She, however, claimed the 
 crown, in her own person, being born a 
 Portugueze, and all foreign princes, as 
 mentioned in the beginning of this work, 
 being excluded from the dignity of king, 
 by the fundamental laws of the nation. 
 Philip agreed to this principle, as far as it 
 tended to the exclusion of the dukes of 
 Savoy and Parma; but he would nevec ac- 
 
20 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 cede to a kinej of Spain being deemed a 
 foreigner in Portugal, particularly as this 
 small kingdom had been more than once 
 subject to the kings of Castille. Each 
 party had it separate supporters. The 
 cardinal king was beset with constant soH- 
 citations; but he could not venture to de- 
 cide in an affair of such importance; nei- 
 ther was he too well pleased with hearing 
 eternally of his successor. lie was de^r- 
 ous of living long, and reigning quietly: he 
 therefore referred the discussion of the can- 
 didates' claims to a junta, who was not to 
 decide the succession till after his demise. 
 
 The death of this prince, who only en- 
 joyed the regal dignity seventeen months^ 
 involved the country in disputes and con- 
 fusion. The friends of the diflerent claim- 
 ants were warm in their exertions in their 
 favour ; even the most indifferent felt 
 anxious for the decision of the junta ap- 
 pointed by his late majesty in his last will 
 and testament. In the mean time, Philip 
 the lid, well aware that causes of such im- 
 portance were not terminated by the opi- 
 nions of civilians, sent a powerful army 
 into Portugal: this was commanded by the 
 celebrated duke of Alba, wlio jjresently de- 
 cided the affair in his masters favour. 
 
 It does not appear in history that the 
 
OF PORTUGAL, 21 
 
 duke of Braganza took up arms to support 
 his claims to the crown. The grand prior 
 alone employed every possible means to op- 
 pose the Castillians ; he had been proclaimed 
 king by the populace, and took the title, as 
 if it had been bestowed on him by the 
 states general of the nation. His friends 
 raised a military force in his behalf, but it 
 was presently cut to pieces by the duke of 
 Alba: the superior skill, indeed, of the 
 Spanish general, su rmounted every obstacle j 
 and the Portugueze, disunited among 
 themselves, without generals to command 
 them, destitute of regular troops, and with 
 nothing to support their courage but their 
 natural animosity to the Castillians, were 
 defeated on many different occasions. The 
 greater part of the cities and towns entered 
 into separate treaties, from the dread of be- 
 ing given up to plunder. Philip was ac- 
 knowledged legitimate sovereign, and took 
 possession of the kingdom as great nephew 
 and heir of the deceased king; he, how- 
 ever, regarded the right of conquest as his 
 securest title, and both he and his succes* 
 sors regulated their conduct on the same 
 principle, since Philip the Hid, and Philip 
 the I Vih, his son and grandson always treated 
 the Portugueze much more as a conquered 
 people, than as natural subjects. This 
 
22 HISTORY aF THE REV6LUTrONS 
 
 kingdom therefore became, as formerly, 
 a mere province of Spain : and that with- 
 out the Portiigneze ^;ver being in a situa- 
 tion even to attempt freeing themselves 
 from the Castilhan yoke. The grandees 
 of the nation never ventured to appear 
 with a magBificence suitable to the dignity 
 of their birth, lest they should excite sus- 
 picion in the breast of the Spanish minis- 
 ters; since, at that epoch, riches, birth, or 
 superior merit, were sure to entail mistrust 
 and persecution on their possessors. The 
 nobility might be said to be confined in 
 their country houses, whilst the people 
 were oppressed by taxes. 
 
 The count-duke d'01ivares,primeminsteF 
 to Philip the IVtli, king of Spain, was of 
 opinion, that newly conquered countries 
 could never be too completely reduced : he 
 was very well aware, that notwithstanding 
 all his efforts, the old and natural antipa- 
 thy between the nations was such, that 
 the Spanish dominion must ever be odious 
 to the Portugueze, who could never behoid> 
 without indignation, important posts and 
 governments filled either by foreigners, or 
 by men raised from the lowest situations, 
 whose only merit consisted in being en- 
 tirely subservient and devoted to the court. 
 Thecount-duke therefore thought he could 
 
W PORTUGAL. 23 
 
 Taot more effectually secure the authority 
 ef iiis sovereign, thau by preventing the 
 Hobihty from taking any share in public 
 affairs, and so completely impoverishing 
 the people that they could have neither 
 the courage nor the power to take any 
 steps towards a change of situation : he also 
 took care to employ all the younger part of 
 the nation, and indeed all others capable of 
 bearing arms, in foreign service, and that 
 from the politic motive of removing dissa- 
 tisfied and turbulent spirits, lest they 
 should be tempted to disturb the peace of 
 tb€ government. 
 
 This plan, if followed to a certain degree, 
 might probably have succeeded, but the 
 state of affairs at the court of Spain, and 
 the severe and inflexible disposition of the 
 prime minister having carried matters too 
 far. it produced a contrary effect. They no 
 longer kept any terms with the Portugueze, 
 and did not even condescend to make use 
 of the usual pretences to extort money 
 from the people, but enforced payment 
 more in the style of contributions from a 
 conquered enemy, than taxes lawfully 
 levied from faithful subjects. The Portu- 
 gueze therefore, having nothing more to 
 lose, and perceiving no hopes of either 
 ending or mitigating the misery of their 
 
24 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 situation, without a change of government, 
 began to reflect on means of freeing them- 
 selves from a dominion, which always ap- 
 peared unjust, and was now become tyran- 
 nical and intolerable. 
 
 Margaret of Savoy, duchess of Mantua, 
 was at that time governess of Portugal, but 
 though dignified with the title of vice- 
 queen, her power was very limited; and the 
 secrets of the state, with indeed an almost 
 unbounded authority, were entrusted to 
 Michel de Vasconcellos, a Portugueze, 
 who, though entitled secretary of state to 
 the vice-queen, was in reality an absolute 
 and independant minister. This man re- 
 ceived his instructions directly from the 
 count-duke, whose creature he was, and to 
 whom he had made himself not only 
 agreeable, but necessary, by skilfully ob- 
 taining frequent and considerable supplies 
 of money from Portugal ; and by a spirit 
 of intrigue, which facilitated the execution 
 of his most secret intentions, he also cre- 
 ated dissensions amongst the nobility, which 
 he artfully fomented by affecting to shew 
 particular marks of favour to one party, 
 to which such distinctions were still more 
 grateful from the resentment and jealousy 
 it caused in the other. Such divisions 
 amongst the first families of the nation. 
 
OF fOllTUGAT,^ . '2'i 
 
 were calculated to ensure the safety and 
 quiet of the minister, who had good reason 
 to helieve,, that whilst the heads of those 
 families were employed in planning schemes 
 of private revenge, they would never be 
 tempted to undertake any thing inimical to- 
 the government. The duke of Braganza 
 alone, throughout the whole of Portugal, 
 was in a situation to cause the Spaniards 
 the smallest uneasiness. This prince was 
 of a mild and amiable disposition, but ra- 
 ther inchned to indolence ; his understand- 
 ing was more solid than lively ; in business 
 he constantly attended to the main point, 
 and presently made himself acquainted 
 with every thing that he thought worth 
 the pains of acquiring, though in general 
 he was an enemy to application. His fa- 
 ther, don Theodorius, on the contrary, 
 was impetuous and fiery, and had left no 
 means untried to transmit to his son his 
 natural antipathy to tlie Spaniards; whom 
 he always regarded as usurpers of a crown 
 which properly belonged to himself: he 
 therefore endeavoured to inspire the young 
 prince, not only with sufficient ambition to 
 desire the possession of that crown, but 
 with spirit and courage to undertake ^o 
 great and dangerous an enterprize. Don 
 John, indeed, had imbibed all the senti* 
 
S6 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 ments of his father, but tempered by the 
 natural gentleness and moderation of his 
 character, he undoubtedly detested the 
 Spaniards, though not sufficiently to in- 
 duce him to make any great exertions td 
 punish their injustice. He was not devoid 
 of ambition, and always cherished hopes 
 of one day fiHing the throne of his ances- 
 tors; he, however, waited that event much 
 more patiently than his father, and, though 
 decided not to lose sight of so important 
 an object, he v\ as careful how h/i risked 
 the loss of a most delightful existifence and 
 the possession of immense riches, for the 
 uncertain prospect of a crown. This con- 
 duct, though very different from the views 
 of donTheodorius, was the most prudent ; 
 for had he pursued the plans of his father, 
 his designs would certainly have been 
 frustrated. The count-duke watched him 
 so narrowly, that had his inactivity and 
 love of pleasure been merely a mask to' 
 cover deeper views, he would presently 
 have been discovered, and his fortune 
 ruined for ever; for it never could be sup- 
 posed the court of Spain would have suf- 
 fered so powerful an enemy to remain 
 quietly in the bosom of his country. 
 
 The most refined politician could not 
 have acted more prudently in regard to the 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 2 7 
 
 Spaniards, than don John ; and this, 
 merely by following the bent of his own 
 inclinations. He wag, indeed, perfectly 
 convinced, that though his birth, riches, 
 and claims to the crown, could not justly 
 be imputed to him as crimes, they w^outd 
 be esteemed as such by political judges, in 
 whose eyes the most powerful must ever be 
 the most criminal. He therefore decided 
 on adopting a line of conduct which should 
 banish all suspicion from the breasts of the 
 Spaniards : fortunately this plan w^as not 
 only the most prudent, but the most agree- 
 able to his feelings; which led him toavoid 
 enteriiig into public affairs, and devoting 
 himself entirely to pleasure. Villa Vico- 
 sa, the usual residence of the dukes of 
 Braganza, became the seat of every social 
 amusement; the hours were passed in 
 sporting and feasting, and the society 
 composed of people whose taste led them 
 to enjoy the pleasures of the country, 
 whilst they diffused mirth and happiness 
 to all around. Thus nature and fortune 
 conspired to favour don John; the first en- 
 dowed him with qualities suitable to the 
 temper of the times, whilst the latter ena- 
 bled him to employ those qualities to the 
 greatest advantage ; though not sufficiently 
 brilliant to alarm the Spaniards with the 
 D 2 
 
28 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 idea of his one day attempting the tbroney 
 they were solid enough to make the Por- 
 tugueze look forward to a mild, wise, and 
 just government, should they themselves be 
 aid need to rise up in his favour. 
 
 Notwithgtanding the uniform prudence 
 of his conduct, an affair afterwards took 
 place whicfi made him iii some degree sus- 
 pected by the prime niinister, though don 
 John had not the smallest share in the bu- 
 siness. The people of Evora, made des- 
 perate by fresh taxes, rose in arms, and in 
 tlie fury of seditious rage, some of the most 
 violent declaimed against the tyranny of the 
 Spaniards, and publicly breathed forth 
 wishes in favour of the house of Braganza. 
 It was then perceived, but too late, how 
 greatly Philip the lid. had erred, in per- 
 mitting so rich and powerful a family to 
 i;emain in a newly conquered country, over 
 which their right of reigning was but too 
 clearly proved. So circumstanced, the 
 Spanish council decided on removing the 
 duke of Braganza from the kingdom ; he 
 was accordingly offered the government of 
 the Milaneze, which he refused, alledging 
 that neither his health, nor his acquain- 
 tance with Italian affairs, would allow of 
 his accepting so important and difficult an 
 appointment. The minister appeared to 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 29 
 
 acquiesce in these reasons, whilst he endea- 
 voured to hit upon another method to en- 
 gage him to visit the court. The king's 
 projected journey to the frontiers of Arra- 
 gon, to punish the rebellious Catalonians, 
 was a plausible pretence for his joining the 
 })arty ; he therefore wrote earnestly to ex- 
 hort him to join the Castillian troops at the 
 head of the nobility of his country in aa 
 expedition which must end gloriously, and 
 in which the king commanded in person. 
 The prime minister, with a view of 
 weakening the power of the Portugueze 
 nobles, had already published an edict of 
 Philip the IVth,commandingall hidalgos to 
 repair immediately to the army raised 
 against the Catalonians, on pain of losing 
 their fiefs dependant on the crown ; he 
 therefore hoped, that the duke of Bragan- 
 za, as hereditary constable of Portugal, 
 could not be dispensed from marching on 
 the occasion. The duke, however, mis- 
 trusting all propositions on the part of the 
 court, and seeing through the artifice of its 
 proceedings, entreated the minister to in- 
 duce the king to accept his excuses, on ac- 
 covmt of the enormous expences which 
 must be incurred by a person of his dig^ 
 nity, and which he declared he was entire- 
 ly unable to support, 
 D 3 
 
30 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 Sueh repeated refusals began to alarm 
 the minister; he was^ indeed, perfectly 
 well acquainted with the mild and peace- 
 able disposition of the duke, yet he could 
 not help fearing, that his claims to the 
 throne having been forcibly held up to his 
 view, the temptation of reigning might in 
 the end have surmounted the natural indo- 
 lence of his character. 
 
 Securing the person of the duke was an 
 object of so very great importance to the 
 king his master, that he was determined on 
 using all possible means to succeed in his 
 design; but so great was the attachment 
 of the Portugueze to the family of Bra- 
 ganza, that open force could not be at- 
 tempted ; he therefore sought to seduce 
 him by the most flattering caresses, and to 
 draw him from his retreat by professions 
 of the sincerest friendship, and marks of 
 imlimited confidence. 
 
 War having broken out between France 
 and Spain, and some French vessels having 
 appeared off the coast of Portugal, the 
 minister thought it a favourable opportu- 
 nity for the execution of his plan. A ge- 
 neral being necessary to conmiand the Por- 
 tugueze troops dispatched to prevent tlie 
 French from landing on the coast,»0]iva- 
 rez conferred this appointment on the 
 
OF rORTUGAL. 31 
 
 duke of Braganza, with full power to for- 
 tify towns, increase or remove garrisons, 
 dispose of vessels in all the different .ports, 
 and, in short, to act as if the v^^hole king- 
 dom of Portugal was subjected to his au- 
 thority alone. In the mean time, he sent 
 secret orders to don Lopez Ozorio, who 
 commanded the Spanish fleet, to put into 
 the same port as don John, on pretence of 
 distress of weather; and having induced 
 the latter to accept an entertainment on 
 board, to weigh anchor, and make sail im- 
 mediately for Spain. Fortune, however, 
 did not smile on the minister; for the 
 Spanish admiral being overtaken by a vio- 
 lent tempest, which destroyed some of his 
 vessels, and dispersed the rest, found it im- 
 ])ossible to approach the coast of Portugal. 
 These diflfer^it disappointments did not, 
 however, discourage the count-duke ; who 
 attributed to chance alone the failure of 
 his plan; since, had don Lopez once en- 
 tered the port, don John must enevitablv 
 liave been taken. Another scheme soon 
 presented itself to the artful minister, who 
 wrote to the prince in the most affectionate 
 and confidential terms : he even appeared 
 to regard him as a coadjutor in the minis- 
 try and government of the state ; deplor- 
 inrr the misfortune befallen the Spanish 
 
32 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 fleet at a moment when the enemy was 
 particularly formidable, and adding, that 
 the coasts of Portugal being left unguarded, 
 the king wished him to visit in person, 
 those places and ports throughout the king- 
 dom, which might probably be insulted by 
 the French ; sending him at the same time 
 an order for forty thousand ducats, for the 
 purpose, if necessary, of levying additional 
 troops, and defraying the expences of his 
 journey. The minister xlid not neglect, in 
 the interim, to direct the governors of the 
 different citadels, most of whom were 
 Spaniards, to secure, if possible, the person 
 of the duke, and send him off instantly to 
 Spain. 
 
 Such marks of confidence, and such ex- 
 aggerated professions of regard, were too 
 little comformable to the character of the 
 minister, and to his usual mode of conduct, 
 for the duke of Braganza to believe thern 
 sincere ; this prince therefore mistrusted 
 his design, and contrived to draw him into 
 the very snare which had been laid for him- 
 self, lie wrote to the count-duke that he 
 accepted with the greatest pleasure and gra- 
 titude the appointment of general, that he 
 flattered himself his conduct would justify 
 his majesty's choice, and prove him wor- 
 thy of so honourable a mark of distinction. 
 
OF. PORTUGAL. 33 
 
 He nrnv, however, began to entertain hopes 
 of the possibihty of regaining the tlirone 
 of his ancestors; he accordingly took ad- 
 vantage of his situation to bestow places and 
 employments on those of his friends who 
 might hereafter be useful to his cause, and 
 disposed of the money received fram Spa) a 
 in gaining new partizans, and securing 
 them in his interest. He also took care to^ 
 be accompanied by such a numerous reti- 
 nue on visiting the different places and 
 forts, that not the smallest shadow of hope 
 remained to his enemies of ever succeeding 
 in making themselves masters of his per- 
 son . 
 
 The supreme authority with which he 
 had been invested, did not fail to excite 
 the jealousy of the whole court of Spain; 
 ever}^ one expressed his disapprobation in 
 the highest terms, and the king alone being 
 in the secret of the prime minister, attempts 
 were made to injure himjn the opinion of 
 that prince, to whom he was represented 
 as a favourer and ally of the house of Bra- 
 ganza. His enemies warmly accused him 
 of imprudence in giving the command of 
 the Portugueze troops to a man, whose 
 claims to the throne of Fortuo^al were of a 
 very serious nature, and who, being thus 
 armed with power to assert his rights might 
 
34 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 probably be tempted to turn those very 
 arms against his sovereign. The king, 
 however, was still more confirmed in his 
 resolution of adhering to the prime minis- 
 ter's plan, on perceiving that no one had 
 the smallest suspicion of the motive of his 
 conduct. 
 
 These circumstances w^ere all very fa- 
 vourable to the desiijns of the duke of 
 Braganza, whose hip;h employment autho- 
 rised him to travel throughout the whole 
 of Portugal, and it was in this journey he 
 laid the foundation of his future grandeur. 
 The magnificence of his equipage and at« 
 tendants dazzled the eves of all beholders, 
 and he listened with the most obliging at- 
 tention and affability to every one v\ho ad- 
 dressed him. He curbed the insolence of 
 the soldiery, whilst he bestowed the most 
 flattering praises on the officers, whom he 
 engaged in his interest by rewarding them 
 to the utmost of his power. Such suavity 
 of manners charmed the nobility, whom 
 he received with the distinction due to 
 their different decrees of rank and merit; 
 he, in short, did so much good whereso- 
 ever he passed, and acted with such kind- 
 ness and generosity, that he gained still 
 more friends, from the hopes they enter- 
 tained of his future favours, than from 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 35 
 
 those he actually bestowed: thus every- 
 one who beheld him, thought to insure 
 their own happiness by offering up vows 
 to Heaven for his restoration to the throne 
 of his ancestors. The friends and fol- 
 lowers of this prince were equally anxious 
 to support his reputation, and neglected 
 nothing which could possibly establish it 
 on the most solid foundation. On this 
 occasion none was more active than Pinto 
 Ribeiro, the steward of his household ; he 
 indeed, took the most efficacious steps to- 
 wards putting the machine in motion, and 
 forming a regular plan for the aggrandise- 
 ment of his master. Naturallyactive,vigilant, 
 andaconsummate politician, he burned with 
 impatience to see the prince on the throne 
 of Portugal, when he, no doubt, flattered 
 himself he should have no small share in 
 a government which he had so greatly con- 
 tributed to establish. The duke, indeed, 
 had frequently confessed to him, that he 
 should be happy to take advantage of any 
 opportunity that might oH'er itself to be- 
 come master of the crown; but that he 
 could not possibly decide on undertaking 
 so great an enterprise, like a needy adven- 
 turer who had nothing to lose. He, how- 
 ever, consented that Pinto should sound 
 the disposition of the people, and gain 
 
36 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 friends to his cause, provided he made no 
 engagements for hjs master, who was to 
 appear entirely ignorant of every thing 
 which passed on the occasion. 
 
 Pinto had long been very assiduous in 
 finding out, and adding to the number of 
 mal-contents in Lisbon. lie never failed 
 whispering complaints of the present go- 
 vernment throughout tlie city, and ex- 
 pressed himself with more or less warmth, 
 according to the character and rank of those 
 with whom he conversed : these precau- 
 tions, indeed, were scarcely necessary, for 
 such was the general hatred of the Portu- 
 gaeze towards the Spaniards, that there 
 was no danger of any secret being be- 
 trayed by the former which might tend to 
 the destruction of the latter. Pinto never 
 failed remarking to the nobility, the high 
 and honourable employments held by their 
 respective families when Portugal was go- 
 verned by its legitimate sovereigns; but 
 nothing; affected and offended that class 
 equally with the arriere-ban convoked by 
 the king for serving in Catalonia ; this ex- 
 pedition was represented by Pitrto, as an 
 exile, from which there would be great dif- 
 lieulty in returning; that, independantly 
 of the enormous expence, they would be 
 treated with the greatest haughtiness by 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 3^ 
 
 the Spaniards, whose secret interest it was 
 to expose the bravest of the Portugueze to 
 the most imminent danger ; and that, with- 
 out affording them an opportunity of shar- 
 ing in the glory. 
 
 Whenever chance led him into a society 
 of merchants and citizens, he exclaimed 
 against the injustice of the Spaniards, who 
 had ruined Lisbon, and indeed the whole 
 of Portugal, by the transfer of the India 
 trade to Cadiz. His conversation con- 
 stantly turned on the extreme misery to 
 which they were reduced by so tyrannical 
 a government, and of tlie happiness of those 
 people * who had so gloriously emancipated 
 themselves from such servility. To the 
 clergy he represented the frequent violation 
 of the immunities and privileges of the 
 church, and that the most considerable be- 
 nefices and dignities were become the prey 
 of foreigners, instead of the just reward due 
 to the merit and learning of the natives of 
 Portugal. With those whom he knew to 
 be already discontented, he dwelt on the 
 excellent qualities of the duke, his master, 
 purposely to sound their inclination on the 
 subject, deploring at the same time the in- 
 dolent character of that prince, and ex- 
 
 * The Dutch and Catalonians. 
 E 
 
38 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 pressing his sorrow that the only person 
 who could effectually remedy such 
 grievances, should be so little attached to 
 his country, and so indifferent to his per- 
 sonal aggrandisement. Whenever this 
 conversation appeared to make an impres- 
 sion on his hearers, he flattered one party 
 with the glorious title of dehverer of bis 
 country, whilst he excited the indignation 
 of thosewhohad more particularly suffered 
 by the ill treatment of the Spaniards ; and 
 held forth to the rest the most advantage- 
 ous prospect from a change of government. 
 Thus, having succeeded m stirring up the 
 minds of the people in general, and in se- 
 curing a particular party in his interest, he 
 at last assembled a numerous body of no- 
 bility, at the head of which was the arch- 
 bishop of Lisbon*, of one of the first fa- 
 milies of the kingdom 'J-. This prelate 
 was learned, skilful in business,^ a favourite 
 of the people, and hated by the Spaniards; 
 
 * The first assembly took plact oj the 12th of 
 October, in the gurdeu of Aotouio uAltuada. The 
 archbishop oF Li>boii was not pre^ent ai the open- 
 ing of it, utid the conspuacy wa> in a state oi" grtat 
 forwardnefcfe before he made his appeasance. Ver- 
 tot is not aiwa) s very accurate in his account of 
 these ditiereni assemblies. 
 
 f d'Acugna. , 
 
' OF PORTUGAL. 3<) 
 
 whom be in his turn equally detested, from 
 tlie preference they shewed to the arch- 
 bishop of Braga*, a creature of the vice- 
 queen,^ on whom they had bestowed the 
 dignity of president of the chamber de 
 Pa^o, and wliom they even allowed to take 
 a share in the affairs of the government. 
 Amongst the people of distinguished rank, 
 who composed this assembly, don Michel 
 d'Aimeida claims particular notice; this 
 venerated old nobleman liad ever been pe- 
 culiarly esteemed for the superior merit of 
 his character ; he gloried in prefering the 
 honour and happiness of his country, to his 
 own personal interests; he wasalilicted and 
 enraged at seeing it thus reduced to servi- 
 tude by an usurper, and had constantly and 
 courageously persevered in these noble sen- 
 timents; nor could the entreaties of his fa- 
 mily, nor the advice of his friends, ever in- 
 duce him to go to the palace, or pay his 
 court to the ministers of Spain, to whom 
 such uncommon firmness did not fail to 
 make him an object of suspicion. Pinto 
 therefore did not scruple declaring himself 
 more openly to a man of whose principles 
 he was so perfectly well assured, and whose 
 
 * Don Sebastian de Mattos de Norogna, 
 £ 2 
 
40 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 sentiments^ if in favour of his party, would 
 be of the greatest weight with the rest of 
 the nobihly. Don Antonio d'Almada, the 
 intimate friend of the archbishop, with 
 don Lewis his son, made part of this as- 
 sembly ; as did also, don Lewis d'Acugna, 
 that prelate's nephew, who was married to 
 the daughter of don Antonio d'Almada. 
 Mello, grand huntsnian, don George, his 
 brother, Peter de Mendoca, the grand 
 chamberlain, don Rodrigo, with several 
 other officers of the royal household, 
 whose hereditary posts were mere useless 
 titles, since the kingdom of Portugal had 
 become the prey of a foreign power. The 
 archbishop, naturally eloquent, addressed 
 the assembly, and drew a most frightful 
 picture of the distressed state of the na- 
 tion, since it had been subject to the do- 
 minion of the Spaniards: he represented 
 in strong colours the cruelty of Philip the 
 lid, in destroying a great number of the 
 nobility, in order to ensure his conquest; 
 adding, that he had not even spared the 
 clergy; witness the celebrated brief of abso- 
 lution ^ obtained from the pope for having 
 put to death two thousand priests and 
 
 * Coimestagio. 
 
r 
 
 OF PORTUGAL. 41 
 
 friars who stood in the way of his usurpa- 
 tion ; that, since those dreadful times, the 
 Spaniards still persevered in the same sys- 
 tem of pohtics, that they had condemned 
 to death, on various pretences, several per- 
 sons of superior merit, v/hose only crime 
 was their attachment to their country: 
 that neither the hfe nor property of a sin- 
 gle person in the present assembly was in 
 safety; that the nobility were treated with 
 every mark of contempt, and never allowed 
 any share in the government, or named to 
 any employments; that the cleroy had been 
 composed of the most unworthy members, 
 since Vasconcellos had taken upon him to 
 bestow benetices as rewards for the services 
 of his creatures; that the people were 
 ioadecf with taxes, the country destitute of 
 husbandmen, and the towns deserted by 
 soldiers, who were forcibly carried ofF to 
 Catalonia ; that the late orders received for 
 T.he nobles to repair to that country, on pre- 
 tence of an^^arriere-ban, was the finishing 
 stroke of the prime minister's politics, who 
 wished by these means^ to rid himself of 
 the principal persons of the nation, whom 
 he regarded as the only obstacles to his 
 pernicious designs ; that the least evil they 
 had to apprehend was a tedious banish- 
 ment; that they would thus grow old, 
 
 E 3 
 
42 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 miserable, exiles in the interior of Casiille, 
 whilst a new colony would take possession 
 of their property as a right of conquest ; 
 that as to himself, the frightful prospect of 
 such accumulated misfortunes, would make 
 him pray for a speedy death, sooner than 
 behold the total destruction of his coun- 
 try^ were it not for the hope that so great 
 a number of distinguished persons as were 
 then present, would never have assembled 
 in vajn. 
 
 This harangue greatly afected the as- 
 sembly, and revived the recollection of 
 former miseries. Every individual brought 
 forward some instance of cruelty in Vas- 
 concellos. Some had been deprived of 
 their property by his injustice, whilst 
 others complained of being dispossessed of 
 hereditary employments and governments, 
 in favour of his friends and followers. Se- 
 veral had been unjustly imprisoned as sus- 
 pected persons, and others regretted their 
 fathers, brothers, and friends, who were ei- 
 ther detained in Madrid, or sent to Cata- 
 lonia as hostages for the fidelity of their 
 countrymen. In short, there was not one 
 amongst them who, in the general cause, 
 had not likewise some private injury 
 which called for vengeance. The Catalo- 
 nia business was an object of universal in- 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 43 
 
 digwtion; since nothing could be more 
 clear, than that their complete destruction, 
 and not the want of this aid, was the mo- 
 tive which induced the court of Spain to 
 send them so far from home. All these 
 considerations, joined to the flattering hope 
 of revenging such repeated injuries, de- 
 cided them on taking effectual measures to 
 throw oflfso heavy a yoke; and foreseeing 
 no possible means of mitigating their 
 misery, they reproached themselves for 
 their patient submission, which they began 
 to regard as mean and cowardly, whilst all 
 agreed in the pressing necessity of cb'iving 
 out the Spaniards, though they differed 
 in the mode of government they should 
 afterwards adopt. 
 
 One part of the assembly lent towards 
 a republic^**', nearly on the same model as 
 that established in Holland; whilst the 
 other preferred a monarchy. Of the latter, 
 some proposed the duke of Braganza, 
 others the marquis de Villa-Real, and a 
 third party the duke d'Aveiro, all three 
 princes of the blood royal of Portugal. 
 
 * The conspiracy once formed, there was never 
 any question of a republican government, nor of 
 bestowing the crown on any other than tlio duke of 
 Braganza. 
 
44 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 Each gave his opinion on this occasion ac- 
 cording to the affection he bore these dif- 
 ferent princes, and his own private interest; 
 but tlie archbishop, ever devoted to the 
 family of Braganza, skilfully took advan- 
 tage of his sacred character to represent in 
 the most energetic terms^ that the choice 
 of government was not arbitrary, since 
 they could not in conscience break their 
 oath of allegiance to the king of Spain in 
 favour of any other than the lawful heir to 
 the crown, which was universally known to 
 be the duke of Braganza ; they had there- 
 fore no choice left, but to acknowledge him 
 as king, or patiently remain for ever under 
 the government of Spain. He next pro- 
 ceeded to set forth the great power, im- 
 mense riches, and considerable number of 
 vassals belonging to that prince, from whom 
 nearly one-third of the kingdom held their 
 lands ; adding, that there could be but 
 little hopes of driving tlie Spaniards out of 
 Spain, unless they chose him for their 
 chief; and to induce him to accept so im- 
 portant a post, it would be necessary to 
 offer the crown to his acceptance, even 
 "were it not his incontestable right as fir&t 
 prince of the blood. The archbishop did 
 not fail expatiating on the amiable qualities 
 of the duke, dwelling particularly on his 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 45 
 
 prudence, wisdom, and the mildness and 
 goodness which distinguished all his ac- 
 tions : he, in short, made so strong an 
 impression on the minds of his hearers, 
 that the universal voice was in favour of 
 Braganza; and they decided, before they 
 parted, to leave no means untried to engage 
 him in their project. The assembly then 
 broke up, after having fixed particular days 
 and hours for future meetings, in order to 
 deliberate on the best steps to be taken for 
 the speedy and happy execution of this 
 design. 
 
 -Pinto no sooner perceived this favour- 
 able turn of affairs, than he wrote to his 
 master, entreating him to move towards 
 Lisbon, where his presence would so 
 greatly tend to animate the conspirators, 
 and where he would be enabled to concert 
 with them the proper measures for suc- 
 ceeding in so arduous an undertaking. 
 This truly able man was indeed the master 
 spring which set. in motion the whole 
 machine, and that without appearing to 
 have any private interest in the business, 
 or any other motive than zeal for the 
 public good : he even expressed his doubts 
 whether his master could ever be induced 
 to enter into a plot so repugnant to his 
 natural disposition, which led him to avoid 
 
46 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS _ 
 
 all hazardous enterprizes, or indeed any 
 thing which required attention and perse- 
 verance ; thus raising difficulties^ which 
 prevented all possible suspicion of any 
 secret inteUigence between him and the 
 duke, and were at the ^ame time of a na- 
 ture to be easily over-ruled ; exciting, 
 rather than otherwise, the spirit of the 
 people to pursue their design with re- 
 doubled ardour. 
 
 The duke, in a few days after receiving 
 Pinto's letter, quitted Viila Vicosa, and 
 arrived at Almada, a casile in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Lisbon, from which indeed it 
 is only separated by the Tagus. This 
 journey was not calculated to raise suspi- 
 cion, and appeared taken in the course of 
 his other visits to the different fortresses 
 in the kingdom. He was escorted on this 
 occasion by so many people of distinction 
 and officers of the army, and his equipages 
 were in such a style of magnificence, that 
 he appeared inuch more like a sovereign 
 taking possession of his dominions, than a 
 mere governor visiting the places com- 
 mitted to his charge. On arriving so near 
 the capital of Portugal, he judged a visit to 
 the vice-queen absolutely iridispensible. 
 The great court of the palace, and all the 
 avenues leading towards it, were on this 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 47 
 
 occasion thronged with people, anxious to 
 see him pass, and the whole body of the 
 nobility waited upon him to accompany 
 him to the vice-queen ; the whole city, in- 
 deed, wore the appearance of a public 
 festival, and such was the joy his presence 
 inspired, that nothinj^ appeared wanting to 
 place him on the throne, but a herald to 
 proclaim him king, or sufficient resolution 
 in himself to claim that title as his due. 
 This prince, however, was much too wise 
 and prudent to trust the completion of so 
 great a design to the transports of a light 
 and inconstant people, who generally gave 
 way to first emotions, very different from 
 that persevering approbation so necessary 
 in an enterprise of so momentous a nature. 
 He, therefore, after taking leave of the 
 vice-queen, returned to Almada without 
 passing through the town, or even visiting 
 the palace of Braganza, lest he should give 
 umbrage to the Spaniards, who were al- 
 ready but too much alarmed at the testi- 
 monies of joy expressed by the people. 
 
 Pinto did not fail remarking to his 
 friends the cautious, nay, timid conduct of 
 his master on this occasion, representing 
 that they ought not to neglect the oppor- 
 tunity ot his visit to Almada, to enter into 
 a full explanation of their design, and even 
 
48 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 to insist on his accepting the crown^ as the 
 only means of redeeming his country from 
 utter ruin. This advice being approved 
 by the conspirators, Pinto was entreated to 
 use his influence with his master, to give 
 them an opportunity of explaining their 
 intentions in person, a commission he joy- 
 fully accepted. The duke of Braganza was 
 prevailed upon to consent to the interview, 
 on condition that only three of the depu- 
 ties should be admitted to his presence at 
 the same time, not cbusing to explain his 
 sentiments before a more numerous so- 
 ciety. 
 
 Michel d'Almeida, Antoine d'Almada, 
 and Mendoca being chosen for this pur- 
 pose, were secretly admitted in the night 
 to the prince's closet; when Almada re- 
 presented to him, in the strongest colours, 
 the miserable situation of the kingdom, in 
 which all ranks of people were equal suf- 
 ferers, from the cruelty and injustice of the 
 Castillians ; that even the duke himself, 
 notwithstanding his princely dignity, 'was 
 not safe from their malice, since he could 
 not possibly be blind to the various plans 
 formed by the prime minister to effect his 
 ruin ; that in order to escape such deep 
 laid schemes, he bad no other resource 
 than mounting the throne of his ancestors. 
 
or PORTUGAL. 4$ 
 
 and that to assist him in atchievlng so 
 great a design, he was deputed by a great 
 number of the most distinguished persons 
 in tiie kingdom, who made an offer of 
 their services, and were ready to sacrifice 
 their hves and fortunes to promote his 
 interest, and to revenge the cause of Por- 
 tugal on the tyrannical and usurping 
 Spaniards. Almada then proceeded to 
 prove, that the situation of Spain was 
 greatly changed since the days of Charles 
 the 1st and Philip the lid, when that 
 country gave the law and spread terror 
 throughout the whole of Europe, that the 
 same monarchy, which at that time formed 
 such extensive views of empire, could now 
 scarcely preserve its own domains from the 
 frequent and successful attacks of France 
 and Holland, with which it was then at 
 war. That the greatest part of its forces 
 were employed in Catalonia ; that it was 
 in want of troops and money, and was 
 governed by a weak prince, who himself 
 was governed by a minister universally and 
 deservedly detested by the whole of the 
 kingdom. He next set forth the alliances 
 the duke might reasonably expect to form 
 with the greatest part of the princes of 
 Europe, who, as natural enemies of the 
 house of Austria, would assuredly grant 
 
50^ HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 him their protection ; that Holland and 
 Catalonia ought to teach him what may be 
 expected from a great minister*, whose 
 sublime and elevated genius seemed wholly 
 bent' on the complete destruction of the 
 same family: that the vicinity of Portugal 
 to the sea would enable him to receive all 
 iiecessary assistance; in short, that the 
 greatest part of the Spanish garrisons hav- 
 ing left the Country to augment the army 
 in Catalonia, he could never have so favour- 
 able an opportunity to prove his right to 
 the crown, to secure his property, life, and 
 family, and deliver the nation from slavery 
 and oppression. 
 
 The duke of Braganza, though inwardly 
 charmed with this discourse, replied with 
 his usual calmness and moderation, and 
 though he did not absolutely refuse the 
 proposal of the deputies, he said nothing 
 which could make them believe he was 
 decided on accepting it. He, indeed, as- 
 sured them, that he was convinced as well 
 as themselves of the deplorable state of the 
 nation, and th^ his own situation was far 
 from secure f he praieed their zeal for the 
 good of their qountry, and expressed the 
 
 * Cardinal de Richelieu. 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 51 
 
 high sense he had of their views ii^ his 
 favour ; bat that he could not help doubt- 
 ing the time was not yet come for such 
 violent measures, which, if not taken ef- 
 fectually, were ever attended by the most 
 dreadful consequences. 
 
 This answer, the only one they could 
 possibly obtain, was accompanied by such 
 amiable and caressing manners, and by 
 such polite acknowledgments to each de- 
 puty, that they had every reason to believe 
 their commission was far from disagreeable 
 to the duke ; but that the only steps he 
 could be induced to take in the business, 
 would be to give his consent, when, through 
 their endeavours, the success of the enter- 
 prise should be no longer doubtful. 
 
 The duke, after this interview, arranged 
 fresh plans with his faithful Pinto, and 
 returned to Villa- Vicosa oppressed hy 
 feelings he had never before experienced, 
 and which prevented the enjoyment of 
 those pleasures he had formerly tasted ia 
 his retired situation. His first care on 
 arriving at home, was to communicate all 
 which had occurred to his wife. This 
 princess, who v^as a Spaniard, and the sister 
 of the duke de Medina Sidonia, a grandee 
 of Spain, and governor of Andalusia, dis- 
 covered from her cradle the most elevated 
 F 2 
 
52 lliSTORY OF THE REVOLUTION-f 
 
 sentiments, which by degrees became an 
 immoderate passion for every thing noble 
 and glorioUvS. Her father, having early 
 perceived that her understanding was equal 
 ,to her courage, neglected nothtno- which 
 could possibly contribute to the cultivation 
 of such striking qualities. Her education 
 wa« superintended by persons of the first 
 abilities, who did not fail to inspire her 
 with those sentiments of ambition which 
 are esteemed by the world the index of a 
 noble mind, and as such judged the first of 
 quahties in a prince*. She had applied 
 herself from her earliest youth to the dis- 
 crimination of characters, and could dis- 
 cover by the most ingenious and delicatei 
 means^ the secret sentiments of those with 
 whom she conversed : she, was indeed be- 
 copae so skilful and penetrating, that even 
 the designs of the most artful courtier 
 could not escape her observation. In short, 
 she was not only possessed of sufficient 
 courage to undertake the mo^t difficult en- 
 terprise, if it appeared to her great and 
 
 * Ad hcec politicas artes, honos et maJos regiminis 
 dolos, dominat lonis arcana, humani latlbula ingenii 
 nori rnodo infelllgere muUei\sed et pf^rtractare qitoque 
 etc provrhcre ; lam nalura. quam discipl'md mifijficd 
 instructafaiti Caetaii. Passar. de Bello Lusituu. 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 55 
 
 glorious, but endowed with abilities t& 
 ensure its success. Her manners were 
 dignified, yet easy, and her sweetness 
 joined with majesty^ inspired ail who be- 
 held her with love and respect. She easily 
 acquired the manners of the Portugueze, 
 and might very well have been mistaken 
 for a native of Lisbon. Her first care on 
 her marriage was to obtain the esteemf and 
 confidence of her husband, and she suc- 
 ceeded perfectly in her design, by her ex- 
 emplary conduct, solid piety, and obliging 
 compliance with his favourite pursuits. 
 Indifferent to all the pleasures natural to 
 her age and quality, she passed every^ 
 leisure hour in cultivating her understand- 
 ing, and adding fresh force to the natural- 
 strength and justness of her judgment. 
 The duke of Braganza felt himself happy 
 in the possession of so truly accomplished 
 and amiable a woman ; his esteem for her 
 qualities, and confidence in her judgment,, 
 were unbounded ; and he never could have 
 been prevailed upon to take any decisive 
 steps in so momentous an affair as the one 
 in question,- without her knowledge and 
 advice. He therefore informed her of every 
 particular relative to the conspiracy, the 
 names of the conspirators, their ardour in 
 the cause, and every thing which had 
 F3 
 
54 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 passed, both at Lisbon and at the con- 
 ference at Almada; adding, that immedi- 
 ately on the news of the Catalonian expe- 
 dition he had foreseen that the nobles were 
 resolved to rebel sooner than quit the 
 kingdom, and that should he refuse the 
 proffered dignity, it was to be feared they 
 would chuse another chief; yet still he 
 could not help owning that the greatness 
 of the danger filled him with apprehen- 
 sions. The idea of ascending the throne 
 of his ancestors, when viewed at a distance, 
 had indeed dazzled, and agreeably flattered 
 his imagination, but now, when the mo- 
 ment was arrived for trying his fortune, 
 and risking so perilous an undertaking, he 
 could not look forward without fear to an 
 event which might terminate in the de- 
 struction of himself and family : that very 
 little dependance could be placed on the 
 temper of an inconstant people, whom the 
 smallest difficulty discourages, and that it 
 was not sufficient to have the nobles of his 
 party, unless they were supported by the 
 grandees of the kingdom ; but so far from 
 flattering himself with their interest in his 
 favour, he had every reason to believe they 
 would prove his most cruel enemies, since 
 the jealousy natural to mankind would 
 never allow them to submit to the au- 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 55 
 
 thority of one who had hitherto been 
 their equal. 
 
 These considerations, joined to the great 
 power of the king of Spain, and the very- 
 little confidence to be placed in the assist- 
 ance of foreign princes, nearly overbalanced 
 in the mind of the duke the desire of 
 royalty; but the duchess, possessed of more 
 firmness, and fired with ambition, entered 
 immediately into the whole design of the 
 conspiracy. The prospect of so great an 
 enterprise excited the natural courage of 
 her character, and awakened every aspir- 
 ing sentiment in her bosom. She asked 
 Braganza* in what manner he would act, 
 in case his refusal of the crown should end 
 in Portugal's becoming a republic, and 
 how he would conduct himself between 
 that new form of government and the king 
 of Spain? to which the duke replied, that 
 he should ever remain inviolably attached 
 to the interests of his country. Your re^ 
 solution then, returned the duchess, dic- 
 tates to me the answer I ought to make, 
 and the one you yourself should give to 
 the deputies ; and since you are thus 
 
 * Some authors say this question was asked by 
 Paes, the duke's secretary. 
 
56. HISTORY aP THE REVOLUTIONS: 
 
 willing to expose yourself to the greatest; 
 dangers as a subject of the republic, surely"- 
 it win be much more advantageous and 
 glorious to take up arms in defence of a' 
 crown, which is your lawful right, and- 
 which the people and nobies burn with 
 impatience to place on your head. She 
 next proceeded to represent in the most 
 forcible manner his incontestible claims ta 
 the throne of Portugal, remarking, that in 
 the miserable situation to which that 
 country was reduced by the Castillians, it 
 was criminal in a man of his power and 
 rank to remain inactive, and that his 
 children and latest posterity would have 
 cause to reproach his memory, for having 
 thus, through weakness and timidity, ne- 
 glected so favourable an opportunity. She 
 dwelt particularly on the charms of royalty, 
 and the delight of reigning over a country 
 where now he was a mere subject, con- 
 tinually exposed to danger; that nothing 
 could be more easy than possessing him- 
 self of the crown, and even without foreign 
 assistance ; since he was sufficiently power- 
 ful in Portugal to drive out the Spaniards, 
 especially at the present fortunate juncture 
 of the rebellion in Catalonia. She^ in 
 short, held up such brilliant prospects to 
 his viewy that he was determined to be 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 57 
 
 guided by her advice, and decided upon 
 joining the party : but the duchess, 
 equally with himself, was of opinion it was 
 more prudent to wait till the number of 
 conspirators should be increased, before he 
 made a positive declaration of his senti- 
 ments ; and that he should not appear 
 openly in the affair, till the plot was ripe 
 for execution. 
 
 The court, in the mean time, was not a 
 little alarmed by the joy expressed by the 
 Lisbonians at the presence of Braganza, 
 and which had made no small impression 
 on the mind of the minister, who began 
 to suspect the holding of private meetings 
 in that city ; certain reports also, which 
 generally are whispered about on the eve 
 of great events, considerably increased his 
 apprehensions. 
 
 The king called several councils on the 
 occasion, and rcsolved on crushing all 
 hopes of a revolution in Portugal, by im- 
 mediately summoning theduke of Braganza 
 to Madrid, as the only chief of a party to 
 be dreaded in that country. The count- 
 duke, therefore, sent off a courier to that 
 prince, informing him that his majesty 
 required his presence, being desirous of 
 learning from his own mouth the precise 
 state of the troops and fortresses in Porta- 
 
58 m STORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 gal; adding, that his friends were anxious 
 to see him at court, Vvhere he might be 
 assured he would be received with everjr 
 distinction due to his birth and merit. 
 
 A thunder-bolt could not have more 
 dreadfully dismayed the duke than this 
 intelligence. The earnest intreaties and 
 different pretences which had hitherto been 
 employed to entice him from his native 
 country, confirmed him in the idea that 
 he was obnoxious to the government, and 
 his destruction certain. But now the case 
 was still more desperate ; proffered em- 
 ployments, and feigned caresses were now 
 changed to absolute orders, which, if dis- 
 obeyed, would be enforced by violence. 
 Apprehensions of his designs having been 
 betrayed took possession of his mind ; and 
 as all those who form great projects believe 
 the whole world employed in watching 
 their motions, and diving into the secret 
 recesses of their hearts, this able, though 
 in some respects timid and suspicious 
 prince, believed himself involved in the 
 greatest of all possible calamities. He, 
 however, wishing to gain time, dispatched, 
 by the advice of the duchess, an intelligent 
 and faithful gentleman belonging to his 
 household, to assure the prime minister of 
 his immediate attendance on his majesty j^ 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 5^ 
 
 givino^ hi in at the same time secret orders 
 to endeavour as much as possible to invent 
 different excuses for the arrival of his 
 master being so long delayed ; the duke 
 hoping by these means to avert the storm 
 hanging over his head, and to accelerate 
 the success of the conspiracy. Immedi- 
 ately on the gentleman's reaching Madrid, 
 he acquainted the king and prime minister 
 that he only preceded his master, who 
 would instantly follow him ; and hiring a 
 large hotel, he furnished it magnificently^ 
 engaged a great train of domestics, whose 
 liveries he- had already provided, lived at a 
 considerable expence, in short, neglected 
 nothing to prove that the duke's arrival 
 was hourly expected, and that he intended 
 appearing at court with a splendour suit- 
 able to the dignity of his birth. 
 
 In a few days afterwards, this gentleman 
 pretended to have received an account of 
 the duke's being seriously indisposed; but 
 this excuse being soon worn out, he next 
 presented a memorial to the prime mi- 
 nister, requesting, in the name of .his 
 master, that his majesty would be pleased 
 to regulate the rank he was to hold in the 
 court of Spain ; and he flattered himself 
 this affair might take some time in decid- 
 ing, from the opposition it was natural to 
 
60 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 suppose would be made by the grandees 
 in support of their claims ; but the prime 
 minister, who suspected such frequent de- 
 lays, and who burned with impatience to 
 see him at Madrid, quickly surmounted 
 all these difficulties, by engaging his ma- 
 jesty to decide in favour of the duke, and 
 that in the most honourable and distin- 
 guished manner. 
 
 No sooner had the conspirators learned 
 the orders received by the duke, than, fear- 
 ing he might take alarm too suddenly, they 
 dispatched Mendo^a to revive his drooping 
 spirits, and to determine him at once on 
 nobly and comageously joining their party. 
 The choice fell preferably on this noble- 
 man, as being governor of a fort near 
 Villa-Vicosa, which would prevent the 
 Spaniards from suspecting the secret pur- 
 pose of his journey. The duke being en- 
 gaged in the pleasures of the chace, was 
 joined by Mendoca, and taking an oppor- 
 tunity of riding together into the thickest 
 part of a wood, the latter represented the 
 perils he would inevitably encounter should 
 he venture to the court of Sjiain ; that by 
 thus putting himself into the hands of his 
 enemies, he ^vould for ever blast the hopes 
 of the nobility and people ; that consider- 
 able numbers of the first gentry were 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 6l 
 
 decided to sacrifice their lives and fortunes 
 in his cause, and only waited for the 
 avowal of his sentiments, to shew them- 
 selves ; that the moment was at length 
 arrived, when he had no choice left him 
 but death, or a crown ; that all farther de- 
 lays were dangerous, and that he must be 
 aware an affiiir of such importance, con- 
 fided to such a variety of people, could not 
 long be kept secret from the Spaniards. 
 The duke no longer hesitated, but agreed 
 in the sentiments of Mendoca, and com- 
 missioned him to declare to his friends, 
 that it was his fixed resolution to place 
 himself at their head. 
 
 Mendoca returned Immediately home, 
 to prevent any suspicions of the cause of 
 his journey on the minds of those who 
 might probably have seen him with the 
 duke ; and merely wrote to the conspirators 
 that he had been on a hunting party, and 
 had found the game for a long time very 
 shy, but that at last he had had good sport. 
 In a few days afterwards he returned to 
 Lisbon, where he acquainted his friends 
 with all that had passed ; and the duke 
 wishing to see Pinto, he set off immedi- 
 ately, having first received the necessary 
 instructions for informing his master of the 
 nature of their plan, and the means of 
 
 G 
 
62 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 putting it into execution. Pinto also ac- 
 quainted him with the divisions which had 
 taken place at the court of Lisbon, where 
 the vice-queen complained in the bitterest 
 terms of the pride and insolence of Vas- 
 concellos; declaring that she could no 
 longer permit the dispatches from the 
 court of Spain being first addressed to him, 
 whilst dignified by a vague title, she re- 
 mained wholly powerless. Her complaints 
 indeed were the more justly founded, as 
 being a princess of superior merit, she was 
 in every way capable of exercising the au- 
 thority committed to her charge. This 
 she perfectly knew, but she did not so 
 easily perceive that the distinguished quali- 
 ties of her head and heart were the prin- 
 cipal reasons of her being allowed so small 
 a shareinthegovernment. Pintodid not fail 
 to remark on this occasion, that nothing 
 could be more favourable to his master's 
 designs than this misunderstanding, since 
 the disputes in the palace would take up 
 the attention of the Spanish ministers, and 
 not allow them tune Lo attend to his pro- 
 ceedings. 
 
 The duke of Braganza, on the departure 
 of Meiidoca, sunk once more into his usual 
 indecision ; the more the plot advanced to- 
 wards its execution, the more his uncer- 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 63 
 
 tainty increased. Pinto used every possible 
 endeavour to prevent his wavering, and 
 even added threats to argument and en- 
 treaty, declaring he should be proclaimed 
 king in spite of himself, and that the con- 
 sequences of his irresolution would be 
 risking greater perils, and suffering still 
 more considerable losses. The duchess 
 joined with this faithful domestic in re- 
 proaching him with the mean cowardice of 
 preferring the security of a frail existence 
 to regal dignity ; tifl at last the duke, 
 blushing at being surpassed in courage by 
 a woman, yielded to her arguments. He 
 Was, indeed, pressed by continual letters 
 from his agent at Madrid, who declared, 
 that he could no longer invent excuses for 
 his absence, nor would the prime minister 
 any longer accept them. Perceiving, there- 
 fore, no time was to be lost, he determined 
 on commencing his operations without 
 delay. He, however, sent an answer to 
 Madrid, desiring his gentleman to try to 
 gain time, by representing to the count- 
 duke d'Olivarez, that he should already 
 have been in Spain, had he not wanted 
 money for the journey, and for appearing 
 with the splendour suitable to his rank iu 
 the country ; but that the moment he 
 should be able to procure a sufficient sum 
 G 3 
 
64 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTION^ 
 
 for such purposes^ he would set ofFimmt 
 diately for court. His next care was to 
 consult witti the duchess and his faithful 
 Pinto, on the properest methods to be 
 taken for securing the success of his enter- 
 prise ; aud the duke at last decided that 
 his first attack should be on Lisbon^, which 
 being the capital, would, when once se- 
 cured in his interest, naturally influence 
 the rest of the kingdom, and that the mo- 
 ment Lisbon declared in his favour, he 
 should cause himself to be proclaimed king 
 in all towns within its jurisdiction ; that 
 those of his friends who were governors of 
 forts and strong places should do the same; 
 and that the conspirators should stir up the 
 people of the small towns and villages in 
 their different lordships, so that in so 
 general and sudden a commotion, the few 
 Spaniards remaining would be at a loss oil 
 which side to turn their arms ; that he 
 would send his own regiment into Elvas^ 
 the governor of which was wholly in his 
 interest; but that he was as yet uncertain 
 in what manner he should possess himself 
 of Lisbon, a great deal depending on the 
 opportunities which might offer themselves 
 when he should commence his attack ; he 
 was, however, of opinion, that their first 
 attempt should be on the palace, in order 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 65 
 
 to secure the person of the vice-queen, to 
 gether with the whole of the Spaniards, 
 who might serve as hostages to enforce the 
 surrender of the citadel, which might 
 otherwise greatly annoy the city, when 
 once in their possession. The duke then 
 gave Pinto credential letters for Almeida 
 and Mendo9a, in which he informed them 
 that the bearer being perfectly well ac- 
 quainted with his intentions, he merely 
 wrote to express his hopes that they would 
 remain faithful to their promise, and be 
 firm and vigorous in the moment of its 
 execution. This done, the duke immedi- 
 ately dispatched Pinto to Lisbon, after 
 having bestowed upon him such marks of 
 confidence and esteem, as gave him no 
 room to doubt, that whatever might be the 
 future grandeur of his master, he should 
 always preserve the same^ place in his 
 favour. 
 
 On arriving at Lisbon, his first care was 
 to present his letters to Alrneida and 
 Mendoca ; he also^^ sent for Lemos and 
 Correa, whom he had long secured in the 
 interest of his master. These were rich 
 citizens, who had served all the principal 
 offices of the city, employed a considerable 
 number of artificers, and were highly 
 esteemed by the people. They had busied 
 G 3 
 
66 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 themselves for some time past in keeping 
 up the resentment of the citizens towards 
 the Spaniards, by secret reports of new 
 taxes to be laid on in the beginning of the 
 following year : they even purposely dis- 
 charged several of their workmen, particu- 
 laVly the most discontented amongst them, 
 on pretence, that trade being ruined, they 
 were no longer able to maintain them, 
 and this with a view that poverty, and its 
 attendant, hunger, might induce them to 
 an insurrection ; relieving them, however, 
 from time to time, in order to secure them 
 more firmly in their interest. They also 
 kept up a secret correspondence with the 
 principal persons in each quarter of the 
 town, which enabled them to assure the 
 conspirators, that provided they were made 
 acquainted with their plan the evening 
 before it was to be put into execution, 
 they would engage to stir up the greater 
 part of the people, and that at the hour 
 they should judge most convenient for this 
 purpose. ^ 
 
 Pinto having thus secured the artificers 
 in his cause, neglected nothing to keep the 
 other conspirators firm to their purpose ; 
 exhorting every one separately to hold 
 himself in readiness against the signal of 
 attack ; begging them at the same time to 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 6^ 
 
 engage the assistance of their own particu- 
 lar friends, on pretence of some private 
 quarrel, without letting them into the true 
 state of the business ; judging, truly, that 
 there are many people endowed with great 
 courage sword in hand, who, in cold blood, 
 are very unfit to be trusted with a great 
 and important secret. 
 
 Pinto having reason to be satisfied with 
 the firmness and courage of those to whom 
 he -addressed himself, every one of whom 
 breathed forth the most ardent wishes, and 
 the greatest impatience to be revenged of 
 the Spaniards ; he held a conference with 
 Ahneida, Mendoea, Almada, and Mello, 
 and nothing appearing wanting for the 
 execution of their design, they unani- 
 mously fixed on Saturday the first of De- 
 cember to commence their operations. 
 Notice was immediately sent to the duke 
 of Braganza, in order that he might cause 
 himself to be proclaimed king on the same . 
 day throughout the province of Alentejo, 
 the whole of which was immediately under 
 his dependance. It was then resolved they 
 should assemble once more, to take the 
 iinal measures for ensuring the success of 
 their enterprise. 
 
 This last meeting took place on the 25th 
 of November, inthe Braganza palace, when 
 
6s HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 they found their party consisted of nearly 
 a hundred and fifty gentlemen, most of 
 whom were the heads of families, with the 
 whole of their domestics, and about two 
 hundred citizens and artificers, all active 
 trusty men, so greatly esteemed in the 
 city, that they could not fail of engaging 
 the generality of the people in their 
 cause. 
 
 The death of Vasconcellos was unani- 
 mously decided upon, as a victim offered 
 up to the resentment of the whole kingdom 
 of Portugal ; some amongst them proposed 
 the archbishop ofBraga's sharing the same 
 fate, representing that his superior genius 
 rendered him a most formidable enemy ; 
 and that it could not be supposed he would 
 view their attempt with indifference, or 
 without putting himself at the head of the. 
 Spaniards, and any other of his creatures 
 resident in the city. That whilst they 
 were endeavouring to possess themselves of 
 the palace, he might either throw himself 
 into the citadel, or come to the relief of 
 the vice-queen, to whose interest he was 
 particularly devoted ; that in an affair of 
 such importance it was the height of im- 
 prudence to spare an enemy who would 
 most probably give them cause to repent 
 their false pity, and ill-timed compassion. 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 69 
 
 These reasons li ad great weight with 
 Riost of the assembly, and the prelate 
 would certainly have perished with VaNCon- 
 cellos, had not don Michel d'Almeida* 
 spoke in his defence, and represented to 
 the conspirators, that the death of a man 
 of the archbishop s character and dignified 
 situation, would draw upon them universal 
 indignation; that tlie clergy and inquisi- 
 tion, ever to be dreaded by the most 
 powerful princes, would be highly incensed 
 against the duke of Braganza, whom they 
 would regard not -only as a rebel and 
 usurper, but as being excommunicated and 
 shut out from the communion of the faith- 
 ful ; and that the prince himself would be 
 deeply hurt that his accession to the crown 
 should be stained by so inhuman an action. 
 He then offered to keep so strict a watch 
 over every action of the prelate on the day 
 appointed for the execution of their pur- 
 pose, that it would be impossible for him 
 to undertake any thing contrary to the 
 public good. In short, he pleaded so 
 forcibly in his favour, that his friends, un- 
 able to refuse a man of such superior merit, 
 agreed to spare his life. 
 
 * Sousa de Maceda mentions Almada as the 
 preserver of the archbishop. 
 
70 -HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 Nothing more now remained to be done 
 than to arrange the order of attack ; and it 
 was resolved ;o form themselves into four 
 bands, that by entering into the palace by- 
 four different avenues, the passages would 
 be tooeiFectually stopped for the Spaniards 
 to be able to communicate together, or 
 giiTord each other any lelief. Don Michel 
 d'AImeida was appointed to attack the 
 German gi ards at the entrance of the 
 palace, whilst las brother Mello, (grand 
 huntsman,) and don Estevarn d'Acngna 
 should surprise a Spanish company, which 
 constantly mounted guard at a part of the 
 castle called the fort. Mello de Menezes, 
 the grand chamberlain, Emmanuel de Saa, 
 and Pinto were to force into the apairtment 
 of Vasconcellos, and dispatch him; whilst 
 don Antonio d'Almada, Mendoea, don 
 Carlos de Norogna, and Antonio de Sal- 
 danha, should possess themselves of the 
 person of the vice-queen, together with 
 those of all the Spaniards at that time in 
 the palace_, to serve as hostages in case of 
 necessity. Whilst they were thus em- 
 ployed in taking these different posts, 
 some officers were to be dispatched, at- 
 tended by the principal citizens, to pro- 
 claim don John, duke of Braganza, king 
 of Portugal, throughout the city ; and 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 71 
 
 that the people thus assembled in the 
 streets should be employed as auxiliaries, 
 in case of resistance. The conference then 
 broke up, after having decided on meeting 
 on Saturday the first of December, at the 
 respective houses of don Michel d'Almeida, 
 Almada, and Mendoca, where the con- 
 spirators were to arm for the occasion. 
 
 Whilst the friends of Braganza were 
 thus warmly promoting his interest at 
 Lisbon, and he himself was employed in 
 gaining partisans in the country, the prime 
 minister, all anxiety at such repeated de- 
 lays, dispatched a courier with positive 
 orders for his immtfdiate appearance at 
 court ; and that the duke might no longer 
 plead want of money as an excuse for, his 
 absence, he at the same time sent him an 
 order on the royal treasury for ten thou- 
 sand ducats. 
 
 His message was so clear, and so abso- 
 lute, that the duke could no longer defer 
 his departure without giving rise to the 
 justest suspicions. No possible reason 
 could now exist for his disobedience, which 
 it was to be apprehended would be pu- 
 nished in such a manner as must inevitably 
 crush all his ambitious prospects, and 
 render his plan abortive; he therefore im- 
 mediately sent oif the greatest part of his 
 
72 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 household, with orders to take the road to 
 Madrid ; and in the presence of the 
 courier appeared busied in arranging every 
 thing relative to his government, as if on 
 the point of taking a long journey. He 
 also dispatched a gentleman to the vice- 
 queen, to inform her of his departure; and 
 wrote to the prime minister, that he might 
 depend on his arrival at IV^adrid not being 
 delayed beyond eight days. He next pre- 
 sented the courier with a handsome sum 
 of money, on pretence of defraying the 
 expences of his journey, and as a gratuity 
 for bringing him the commands of his 
 sovereign ; but in reality to court his favour, 
 and induce him to speak confidently of his 
 intended departure. In the mean time he 
 took care to inform the conspirators of all 
 that had happened, representing the strong 
 necessity of executing their design on the 
 appointed day, lest measures should be 
 taken by the Spaniards to prevent its suc- 
 cess. They, however, were at that mo- 
 ment in such a state of perplexity, as gave 
 them but little hopes of so shortly com- 
 mencing their intended operations. 
 
 Ascertain man of quality=^, an inhabitant 
 of Lisbon, had ever been particularly for- 
 
 * Don Juan du Costa. 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 73 
 
 ward in expressing his detestation of the 
 Spaniards and their government ; he never 
 bestowed on them any other epithet than 
 that of tyrants, or iisnr])ers5 complaining 
 pubUcly of their injustice, and inveighing 
 particularly against the Catalonian expedi- 
 tion, which he prognosticated would be 
 followed -by the most fatal consequences. 
 
 Aim ada having frequently conversed with 
 him on this topic^ had every reason to 
 think that there was not a more zealous 
 and better affected Portugueze in the city 
 of Lisbon: he therefore believed he would, 
 be enchanted with the plan formed for the 
 emancipation of his country; but how 
 great w^as his astonishment, when having 
 conducted him to a retired spot to inform- 
 him of the conspiracy, this man, so daring 
 and violent in expression, but mean and 
 cowardly in reality^ declared he would take 
 no part in the transaction ; objecting, the 
 tottering foundation on which they had 
 built their hopes of success ! All the pride" 
 and courage he had displayed w^hilst the 
 danger appeared at a distance, sunk into 
 the most abject fear at the idea of partaking 
 it. Where, cried he to Almada, can yoU' 
 possibly obtain a sufficient body of tfoops 
 to enable you to undertake so vast ati^eii- 
 terprise? What army can you opposed' 
 
 H 
 
l4 HISTORY OF THE REV'OLUTIONS 
 
 the Spanish troops, which will be spread 
 throughout tlie country on the first attempt 
 you make towards the execution of your 
 design ? Who are the grandees at the head 
 of this affair ? and are they sufficiently rich 
 to support the expence of a civil war ? 
 1 fear, continued he, that so far^from re- 
 venging our cause on tlie Spaniards, and 
 liberating our country from their tyranny, 
 you will contribute to its ruin, by giving 
 them a pretext they have long been seek- 
 ing, for completing the destruction of 
 Portugal. 
 
 D'Almada, who had so little reason to 
 expect the avowal of such sentiments, was 
 in despair at his ill-placed confidence, and 
 not deigning to reply, he grasped his 
 sword, and with eyes darting fire, rushed 
 towards him ; nothing remains, cried he, 
 to be done, but to take my hfe with my. 
 secret, or to receive thy punishment for 
 having drawn it from me by thy false pro- 
 fessions. His mean-souled opponent, ever 
 anxious to avert impending danger, and. 
 terrified at the appearance of a naked, 
 sword, immediately consented to every 
 proposal of Almada s ; he offered to join 
 the conspirators, and even contrived V> 
 contradict every thing he had hitherto ad- 
 vanced; binding himself by the xnost^ 
 
or PORTUGAL. . 7^ 
 
 sol^n oaths to keep the secret, and 
 neo'lectins: nothing to induce Ahnada to 
 believe that the disinchnation he had at 
 first shewed to the plan, was not the effect 
 of fear, or want of resentment towards the 
 Spaniards. 
 
 These oaths and protestations were^ 
 however, far from reheving the anxiety of 
 Almada, who kept a strict watch on all the 
 actions of this person, whilst he acquainted 
 the conspirators with every thing which 
 had happened. The alarm became general, 
 and when they reflected on the variable and 
 inconsiderable character of the man in 
 question, they had but too much reason to 
 apprehend, that either the approach of 
 personal danger, or the hope of a rich 
 
 reward, migbf inr^nr^ birn t<> betray +h<=»m •- 
 
 they therefore decided on deferring the 
 execution of their plan, and insisted on 
 Pinto's writing to his master not to com- 
 mence his operations till he heard farther 
 from them ; but Pinto, well aware of the 
 danger of procrastination in affairs of such 
 a nature, when the delay of a single day 
 might be attended by fatal consequencesr, 
 wrote secretly to the prince to entreat him 
 to pay no attention to the other letter, 
 which was merely dictated by the panic of 
 a moment, which would be passed evea 
 H 2 
 
7^ HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTION'S 
 
 before tlie courier could possibly arrive at 
 Villa Vicosa. The event proved the truth 
 of his assertion, for on the following day, 
 finding every one continued firm to his 
 purpose, they felt ashamed of their sudden 
 alarm ; and the suspected person giving 
 no fresh cm^e of apprehension, having in- 
 deed repeated his assurances of fidelity, 
 either frocn a change of sentiments, or from 
 the fear of an ill-judged accusation of so 
 many people of distinction, they determined 
 on pursuing their original plan: but no 
 sooner were they relieved from one di- 
 lemma, than they fell into another equally 
 perplexing. 
 
 The prudent Pinto, ever on the watch, 
 took care to place several of the conspira- 
 tors as spies in different parts of the 
 paiace : these men vi^alked to and fro un- 
 heeded, and were regarded merely as mak^ 
 ing part of the idle throng who generally 
 flock about a court. On the eve of the 
 day intended to commence by the death of 
 Vasconcellos, they perceived that minister 
 embark on the Tagus ; this circumstance, 
 which would have passed unnoticed by in- 
 different spectators, who could never have 
 believed themselves interested in his cross- 
 ing the river, spread universal alarm 
 amongst the; conspirators, and they were 
 
OF PORTUGAL, 7^*^ 
 
 instantly convinced that this artful and 
 able minister had not only discovered their 
 project, but was gone to the opposite shore 
 for the purpose of collecting together the 
 troops which were quartered in the neigh- 
 bourino: villag-es. Tortures and death im- 
 mediately presented themselves in the most 
 dreadful colours to their terrified imagina- 
 tion ; they fancied their dwellings already 
 surrounded by the officers of justice, and 
 some amongst them were even on the point 
 of escaping the cruelty of the Spaniards, 
 by flying to England or Africa. Thus 
 passed the greatest part of the night, in 
 all the agonies of fear and despair ; but joy 
 soon succeeded to terror, on being informed 
 by those of their friends who had remained 
 at the port to make observations, that the 
 minister was just returned, hautboys gayly 
 playing, from a grand festival, to which he 
 had been invited. Satisfied that no suspi- 
 cion was entertained in the j>alace, where 
 all was buried in sleep, unconscious of the 
 danger of the morrow, they retired at a 
 very late hour. 
 
 Short as was the time now remaining 
 before the execution of their project, tha. 
 conspirators had still another subject of 
 aleirm ; so true it is that enterprises of such 
 a nature are. always uncertain, and fre- 
 H 3 
 
78 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 quently dangerous, more especially when 
 the dread of punishment, and hope of re- 
 ward, may cause cowardice and treachery. 
 George de Mello, the brother of the grand 
 huntsman, usually resided at a relation's 
 in a distant suburb of the city ; and the 
 conspiracy being on the point of taking 
 place, this nobleman was of opinion, that 
 a relation, whom he had also long regarded 
 as a friend, would have reason to complain 
 of his want of confidence, should he con- 
 ceal from him an affair ki which the love 
 of his country must equally interest him 
 with himself; he therefore decided on in- 
 ducing him to join the confederacy, and 
 accompany him in the morning to the 
 rendezvous. Accordingly, on returning 
 from the assembly, he retired with him to 
 his closet, unfolded the vvhole business, 
 exhorted him to be of the party, and ta 
 conduct himself as became a man of hi? 
 quality and a true Portugueze. Surprised 
 at such extraordinary intelligence, he, how;- 
 ever, affected to be greatly delighted at the 
 speedy prospect of his country's freedom ;. 
 and thanking Mello for such honourable 
 proofs of confidence, he declared himself 
 happy iri exposing his life with so many- 
 honest men, in so just and glorious a 
 design^ This conference eadecl^ they ye- 
 
OF PORTUGAL. . 7^- 
 
 tired to rest for a few hours before tbey set 
 off for the rendezvous ; but no sooner was 
 Mello returned to his room, than his con- 
 science smote him for his imprudent con- 
 fidence; he reproached himself for having 
 so inconsiderately placed the fate of sudi 
 numbers of respectable people in the hands 
 of a man of whose honour he was not suffi- 
 ciently jssured, and in whose countenance 
 he thought he descried marks of secret 
 uneasiness, joined to surprise and terror at 
 the prospect of so perilous an enterprise. 
 In short, he could not help trembling lest 
 the dread of torture, or the certainty of 
 i-eward, should induce him to betray his 
 secret. 
 
 A i)rey to these heart-rending reflec- 
 tions, he traversed iiis chamber, till roused 
 by a confused noise 'of people, spealcing 
 low, as if fearful of discovery, he o])ened 
 his window, to listen more attentively to 
 what was passing, and perceived by a 
 glimmering light his relation at the door^ 
 going to mount his horse. Furious with 
 rage, he flew down the stairs, and drawing 
 his sword, fiercely demanded whither he 
 was going? and what important aflfairs 
 ?Qnld induce him to quit his house in the 
 midst of the night ? The other, extremely 
 astonished, endeavoured to alledge some 
 
80 HISTORY OF THE REVaLOTIONS 
 
 bad reasons for his departure ; but Mello 
 threatening to put him to deaths forced him 
 to return to his chamber, and taking pos- 
 session of the keys of the house, he watched 
 his motions till the hour appointed for the 
 rendezvous, whither he induced him to ac- 
 company him. 
 
 The day at last broke forth which was 
 to raise Braganza to the dignity of king, 
 and bestow on him the honourable title of 
 dehverer of his country, or brand him with 
 the name of rebel, and enemy of the state. 
 
 At an early hour the conspirators re- 
 paired to don Michel d' Almeida's, and to 
 the other houses, where it was agreed the 
 nobles should put on tlrcir arms. Certainty 
 of success, courage and resolution bright- 
 ened ev^ry countenance ; and it is not a 
 little remarkable, that in a conspiracy 
 formed of such numbers of priests, citizens, 
 and gentlemen, the greatest part animated 
 hy opposite interests, not one amongst 
 them proved a traitor to the cause. Every 
 one appeared as eager to begin the attack, 
 as if he himself was leader of the enterprisCj 
 and was destined to wear the crown in re- 
 ward of his services. Even the women 
 were desirous of taking an active part in 
 the glory of the day; and history me- 
 morably records of donna Philippa de. 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 81 
 
 Villena^ that having herself armed her two 
 sons, and given them each his cuirass, she 
 addressed them as follows : '' Go forth, my 
 ^' children, extinguish tyranny, revenge 
 *^ our cause on our enemies ; and rest as- 
 ** sured, that should fortune fail to smile 
 *' upon your hopes, your mother will not 
 " sm'vive a moment the disastrous fate of 
 " so many brave and honest men !*" 
 
 Every one being armed, they repaired to 
 the palace through different streets ; the 
 greater part being conveyed thither ia 
 litters^ the better to conceal their numbers 
 and arms. They were divided, as agreed 
 upon, into four bands, and thus waited 
 with inexpressible impatience the hour of 
 eight, the time appointed for the assault : 
 evpvy moment added to their apprehen- 
 sions, lest so many people ap|Xiaring at so 
 unusual an hour at the palace, should 
 awaken suspicion in the breast of the 
 minister ; but at last the clock struck, and 
 
 * Donna Maria de Lancastro spoke to the same 
 purpose, thouo-b in still stronger language, to her 
 tu'o sons, don Ferdinand Teller, and Antonio Teller 
 de Silva : <' Go forth, my sons, go forth and fight 
 *' for yo^r country; and be assured, that did not 
 " the weakness of my sex prevent me, I would my- 
 *' self accompany you to the place of action, aod 
 "cither conquei' or perish in so glorious a cause,'* 
 
82 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 Pinto having given the signal by the dis- 
 charge of a pistol, they immediately rushed 
 to their different posts. Don Michel d' Al- 
 meida and his band fell on the German 
 guards, who being taken by surprise, and 
 the greater part unarmed, were presently 
 defeated, and almost without resistance. 
 
 In the mean time, the grand huntsman, 
 with his brother Mello, and don Estevan 
 tfAcugna, attacked the Spanish company 
 on guard, on the right of the palace called 
 the fort ; they were followed by the greater 
 part of the citizens engaged in the enter- 
 prise, who sword in hand forced the guard- 
 house, in which theSpaniards bad entrench* 
 ed themselves. No one on this occasion dis- 
 tinguished himself in a more gallant manner 
 than a priest of Azambuja, who marched 
 at the head of the conspirators, holding in 
 one hand a crucifix, whilst he brandisked a 
 sword in the other, and in a loud and 
 terrible voice exhorted the people to de- 
 stroy their enemies, at the same time 
 furiously charging the Spaniards, who flew 
 before him ; such indeed was the reverence 
 inspired by the sacred object with which 
 he was armed, that no one presumed to 
 attack him, or even defend himself; so that 
 after a very slight resistance the Spanish 
 officer and his men were forced to yields 
 
©F PORTUGAL, S3 
 
 and, to save their lives, join in the general 
 cry of " Long live the duke of Braganza, 
 king of Portugal!" 
 
 Pinto having forced his way into the 
 palace, placed himself at the head of those 
 destined to attack Vasconcelios, and 
 marched with so assured and resolute an 
 air, that one of his friends, whom he met 
 in his passage, panic-struck, tremblingly 
 asked, whither he was going with such 
 numbers of armed men ; and for what pur- 
 pose they were designed? To which he 
 replieJ, with a smile, " Only to change 
 '^ your master, and by delivering you from 
 ** the power of a tyrant, lilace you under 
 " the government of a lawful" sovereign ! 1" 
 
 On entering the apartments of the secre- 
 tary of state, they were met at the foot of 
 the stairs by the civil judge^, Francisco 
 Soares d'Albergaria,- who had just quitted 
 Vasconcelios, and imagining the tumult to 
 proceed from some private quarrel, was 
 about to interpose his authority, but his 
 ears being saluted by repeated shouts of 
 loner live the duke ofBrasanza! hethoujjht 
 himself bound in honour, and bv the 
 duties of his charge, to cry, long live the 
 
 * Corregedor do CiveU 
 
84 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 king of Spain and Portugal ! This ex- 
 pression cost him dear, one of the con- 
 spirators immediately shooting him with a 
 pistol, and hy so doing, claimed the .merit 
 of having punished an act of loyalty, which 
 now began to be regarded as a crime. 
 
 The secretary's first clerk, Antonio 
 Correa, being aliirmed by the report of the 
 pistol, instantly flew to the spot. This 
 man, the inflictor of his master's cruelties, 
 and who had ever treated the nobles with 
 marked contempt,^was no sooner perceived 
 by don Antonio de Menezes, than he 
 plunged his poinard into his bosom ; but 
 even this stroke was not sufficient to con- 
 vince the miserable wretch that his power 
 was at an end, for not believing it possible 
 that any one would dare to attack him, he 
 supposed himself mistaken for another, 
 and turning haughtily towards Menezes, 
 *^What !"cried he, " dostthou dareto wound 
 me ?' To which he was only answered by 
 rej>eated stabs, till he sunk exhausted on 
 the floor. His wounds, however, did not 
 prove mortal ; and he escaped that time 
 with life, to perish still more ignobly some 
 time afterwards, by the hand of the execu- 
 tioner. 
 
 The conspirators heaving thus got rid of 
 the clerk who had impeded their passage 
 
©F PORTUGAL. 85 
 
 up the stairs, flew to the apartment of the 
 secretary. He was accompanied by Diego 
 Garc^s Palha, a captain of infantry, who 
 on perceiving a body of armed men furi^ 
 ously advancing, presently guessed they 
 aimed at the hfe of Vasconcellos ; and 
 though he owed no particular obhgation 
 to that minister, he generously opposed, 
 sword in haild, their entrance at the door, 
 hoping, by so doing, to favour the secre- 
 tary's escape ; but being wounded in the 
 sword arm, and oppressed by numbers, he 
 threw himself from a window, and was 
 fortunate enough to be but little hurt by 
 the fall. 
 
 A crowd of conspirators instantly rushed 
 into the chamber, and eagerly searched for 
 Vasconcellos, every one burning with im- 
 patience to strike the first blow; but after 
 having in vain overset beds, tables, and 
 peeped into chests, they gave way to 
 despair that he should thus escape their 
 vengeance; when an old female servant, 
 being threatened with immediate death, 
 pointed to a press contrived in the wall, 
 where he was found concealed under a 
 quantity of papers. 
 
 The certainty of his fate deprived hiru 
 of speech ; and the grand chamberlain, 
 don Rodrigo de Saa, havino^ first fired at 
 
86 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 him with a pistol, the others stabbed him 
 repeatedly with their swords, and throwing 
 him out of the window, shouted, '^ The 
 *^ tyrant is dead ; liberty for ever ; long 
 ^^ live don John, king of Portugal !" 
 
 These shouts were joyfully re-echoed by 
 the populace, on seeing the body drop 
 amongst them. They instantly seized it, 
 and seemed to vie with each other in re- 
 venging the pubHc wrongs, and putting a 
 finishing stroke to the reign of tyranny. 
 
 Thus fell Michel de Vasconcellos, who, 
 though born a Portugueze, was ever the 
 sworn enemy of his country, and the friend 
 of the Spaniards. Endowed with a superior 
 genius for the management of affairs, quick, 
 attentive, and inconceivably laborious in 
 business, fruitful in expedients for extort- 
 ing money from the people, consequently 
 obdurate, a stranger to pity, and capable of 
 acts of the most refined cruelty. With 
 such a disposition, and having neither re- 
 lations nor friends, the person existed not 
 who had the smallest influence over his 
 mind. To the seductions of pleasure he 
 was perfectly insensible, and being never 
 troubled by the stings of conscience, he 
 h d amassed immense treasures in the dis- 
 charge of his employment, the greatest 
 part of which were now pillaged by the 
 
QF PORTUGAL. bj 
 
 incensed people, who claimed a right to 
 administer justice, and to repair the losses 
 they pretended they had suffered during 
 the course of his administration. 
 
 Pinto, without lossof time, proceeded to 
 join the rest of the conspirators appointed 
 to take possession of tlie palace, and seize 
 the person of the vice-queen. On arriving- 
 at the spot, he found that plan had been 
 already executed, and that they had been 
 every where equally successful. No sooner, 
 indeed, had they reached the door of the 
 princess's apartment, which the people 
 furiously threatened to set on fire unless 
 opened immediately, than the vice-queen, 
 attended by her maids of honour, and tiie 
 archbishop of Braga, made her appear- 
 ance at the entrance of her chamber, flat- 
 tering herself that her presence would 
 appease the nobles, and restrain the vio- 
 lence of the populace ; advancing then to- 
 wards the principal persons amongst the 
 conspirators, she addressed them as fol- 
 lows : '' I cannot pretend to deny, gentle- 
 " men, that the secretary has justly in- 
 " curred the indignation of the people by 
 " the cruelty and insolence of his conduct, 
 " but his death having now freed you from 
 " so odious an administration, your resent- 
 " ment ought surely to be appeased ; I 
 I 2 
 
38 HISTORY OF THE REVOI.UTIONS 
 
 " therefore advise you to reflect, that 
 " though these commotions may at present 
 " be attributed to the hatred of the pubhc 
 ** towards the secretary, they will, if per- 
 *^ severed in, be regarded as acts of re- 
 " belHon ; nor will it be possible for me to 
 *' exculpate your conduct, or plead in your 
 " favour to the king." Don Antonio de 
 Menezes, in reply to this discourse, de- 
 clared, that such an assembly of distin- 
 guished persons had not taken up arms 
 merely to destroy a detestable wretch, who 
 ought to have perished by the hands of the 
 executioner, but that they had met toge- 
 ther to place the crown on the head of the 
 duke of Braganza ; a crown which had 
 been usurped from his family, to which he 
 alone, had lawful claim, and which they 
 vs^ere decided on restoring him, though 
 their lives should be the sacrifice. The 
 vice- queen attempted to answer, by inter- 
 posing the authority of the king; but 
 Almeida fearing a longer conversation 
 might tend to discourage his party, abruptly 
 interrupted her, by exclaiming, that the 
 Portugueze would no longer acknowledge 
 any other sovereign than the duke of Bra- 
 ganza. In the same moment the conspira- 
 tors unanimously shouted, " Long live don 
 John, king of Portugal !'* 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 8^ 
 
 The vice-queen, on perceiving they had 
 broken through all restraint, believed it 
 possible she might be more successful in 
 the city, where her presence would pro- 
 bably have some influence on the citizens 
 and people, when no longer supported by 
 the conspirators ; she therefore was pre- 
 paring to go down stairs ; but don Carlos 
 de Norogna entreated her to return to her 
 apartment, assuring her that she should be 
 treated in the same respectful manner as if 
 she still continued governess of the coun- 
 try ; but that it was highly improper a 
 great princess should expose herself to the 
 insults of a people in the first moments of 
 a revolution, and whose breasts beat high 
 with the desire of liberty. These words 
 but too clearly proved she might regard 
 herself as a prisoner : bursting with indig- 
 nation, she haughtily asked, " And what 
 *'' then, have I to fear from the people r" 
 ^' Nothing more, madam," furiously an- 
 swered Norogna, " than that they might 
 throw your highness out of the window." 
 
 The archbishop of Braga, trembling 
 with passion at the expressions of Norogna, 
 snatched a sword from a soldier who stood 
 near him, and endeavoured to force his 
 way through the conspirators, to revenge 
 the insults offered to the vice-queen. This 
 I 3 
 
90 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 effort was on the point of costing him his 
 life^ when don Michel d'Almeida closely 
 embracing him, earnestly begged him to 
 reflect on the danger to which he exposed 
 himself; and forcibly tearing him away, 
 represented in very strong terms, that his 
 life hung by the slenderest thread, that he 
 had had the greatest difliculty to preserve 
 it from the rage of the conspirators, to 
 whom his person was sufficiently odious, 
 without irritating them still farther, by 
 acts of unavailing bravery, very unbecom- 
 ine: a man of his sacred character. These 
 remonstrances forced him to retreat, and 
 even to dissimulate his rage ; hoping, how- 
 ever, that time would afford him a favour- 
 able opportunity of wreaking his vengeance 
 on Norogna, and proving his attachment to 
 the interests of Spain. 
 
 All the remaining Spaniards, both in 
 the palace and city, were secured by the 
 conspirators. The marquis de la Peubla 
 anajor-domo to the vice-queen, and eldest 
 brother of the marquis de Leganez ; don 
 Didace de Cardenas, general of the ca- 
 valry ; don Fernando de Castro, comp- 
 troller of the navy ; the marquis de Bai- 
 netto, an Italian, and master of the horse 
 to the vice- queen, with several navy-offi- 
 cers, then in the port, were made prisoners ; 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 91 
 
 and that with as little difficulty, and as 
 quietly, as if taken up by order of the king 
 of Spain. The greater part, indeed, were 
 unable to make any resistance, being in 
 bed, and no one attempting to exert him- 
 self in their favour. 
 
 Antonio de Saldanha, at the head of his 
 party, and followed by crowds of people, 
 proceeded next to the sovereign tribunal of 
 Relacaon, where he harangued the com- 
 pany on the happiness awaiting the Portu- 
 gueze from the restoration of their lawful 
 king, the destruction of tyranny, and the 
 re-estabhshment of the laws of the country, 
 under the government of a just and wise 
 prince, laws which had been so long set 
 at defiance. 
 
 This discourse was received with gene- 
 ral applause, and answered by the most 
 lively acclamations, in favour of the new 
 king. Gon^alo de Sousa, first president of 
 this sovereign court, and the father of the 
 historian of the same name, whom we 
 have frequently consulted in the course of 
 this work, immediately pronounced his 
 decrees in the name of don John, king of 
 Portugal. 
 
 Whilst Antonio de Saldanha was thus 
 employed in disposing the tribunal of Re^ 
 lacaon to acknowledge the duke of Bra- 
 
92 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 ganza for their sovereign, don Gaston 
 Coutinho set free the prisoners conjfined 
 by the cruelty of the Spanish ministers. 
 These miserable wretches, so suddenly re- 
 moved from a frightful dungeon, with the 
 fear of a speedy death continually in their 
 thoughts, and restored to the participation 
 of the liberty now to be enj&yed by their 
 country, were so grateful to their deliverers, 
 and so apprehensive of falling once more 
 into the hands of their tormentors, that 
 they formed another company of conspi- 
 rators, not less solicitous to secure the 
 throne to the duke of Braganza, than the 
 body of nobility who originally planned 
 the revolution. 
 
 Great as was the joy of the conspirators 
 at the success of their enterprise, Pinto 
 and the chiefs were not free from uneasi- 
 ness. The citadel still remained in the 
 possession of the Spaniards, who might 
 from thence easily fire on the town, and 
 make the people severely repent the in- 
 considerate joy they had testified on this 
 occasion. It might also afford an entrance 
 to the king of Spain, and enable him to 
 re-establish his authority. It was there- 
 fore agreed, that without they could make 
 themselves masters of this place, their for- 
 mer success would avail them nothins; ; 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 93 
 
 they accordingly repaired immediately to 
 the vice-queen, and demanded an order for 
 the governor to evacuate the citadel, and 
 deliver it into their possession. This pro- 
 posal she instantly rejected, and reproach- 
 ing them as rebels, indignantly asked whe- 
 ther they intended to make her an accom- 
 plice in their crimes. Almada, enraged 
 at her refusal, with fire flashing from his 
 eyes, swore vehemently that unless she 
 that moment signed the order, he would 
 directly stab the whole of the Spanish pri- 
 soners to the heart. The princess, terri- 
 fied at his violence, and trembling for the 
 lives of so many persons of distinction, 
 flattered herself that the governor knew 
 his duty too well to comply with an order, 
 which he must be assured was forced from 
 her ; she therefore signed the paper, which, 
 however, produced a very different effect 
 from what she had reason to expect. The 
 governor, don Louis de Camper, a Spaniard 
 by birth, and naturally timid and irreso- 
 lute, on perceiving the armed conspirators 
 at the gates of the citadel, followed by an 
 immense concourse of people, who threat- 
 ened to cut him to pieces with the rest of 
 the garrison, if he did not instantly sur- 
 render, thought bimself but too happy to 
 escape so easily, and with so plausable an 
 
94 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 excuse for the cowardice of his conduct. 
 He accordingly delivered up the citadel ; 
 and the conspirators having thus sur- 
 mounted every obstacle, dispatched Men- 
 doca and the grand huntsman to acquaint 
 the duke of Braganzii with their success ; 
 and to assure him on the part of the citi^ 
 zens, that nothing was now wanting to 
 complete their happiness but the presence 
 of their sovereign. This presence, how- 
 ever, was not equally desired by all : the 
 grandees of the kingdom regarded his ad- 
 vancement with secret jealousy, and those 
 nobles who were not engaged in the con- 
 spiracy, kept a profound silence, which 
 proved their uncertainty of the event of so 
 extraordinary a business. Some amongst 
 them even ventured to declare that they 
 were far from assured the duke would ap- 
 prove so bold an enterprise, which must 
 inevitably be followed by the most dread- 
 ful consequences. The favourers and crea- 
 tures of the Spaniards were still more cru- 
 elly alarmed ; and, not daring to shew 
 themselves to a people, who, intoxicated 
 with their newly- acquired liberty, would 
 not fail to insult them, they remained con- 
 stantly shut up in their apartments, wait- 
 ing in the greatest agitation of mind the 
 duke's answer, which would determine 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 95 
 
 their fate, and teach them what they had 
 to hope or to fear from the completion of 
 his designs. In the mean time the duke's 
 party, perfectly well acquainted with his 
 intentions, continued their operations, and 
 assembled m the palace to issue out orders 
 for conducting public affairs till the arrival 
 of his majesty. 
 
 The archbishop of Lisbon was unani- 
 mously declared president of the council, 
 and lieutenant-general for the king. The 
 prelate at first declined this honour, object- 
 ing that the present situation of the city, 
 and indeed of the whole kingdom, de- 
 manded an able greneral more than a man 
 of his sacred character. He, however, at 
 last, on pretence of yielding to the solici- 
 tations of his friends, consented to sign the 
 orders, provided the archbishop of Braga 
 might act as his colleague in all affairs and 
 dispatches necessary to be expedited be- 
 fore the arrival of the king. Thus this art- 
 ful and prudent churchman flattered him- 
 self, that by pretending to divide the au- 
 thority with him, the archbishop of Braga 
 would become his accomplice, consequent- 
 ly criminal in the eyes of the Spaniards, 
 and more particularly so, if he accepted 
 the post of governor, which he was decided 
 should be merely a nominal dignity : and 
 
96 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 should he refuse it, he would not only lose 
 himself for ever with the duke, but become 
 odious to all Portugal, and regarded as the 
 declared enemy of his country. 
 
 The archbishop of Braga was perfectly 
 aware of the snare laid for him ; but his 
 attachment to the vice-queen having bound 
 him to the Spanish interest, he absolutely 
 refused taking the smallest share in the 
 government. The whole weight of affairs 
 therefore fell on the archbishop of Lisbon ; 
 don Michel d' Almeida, Pierre de Men- 
 do9a, and don Antonio d'Almada were ap- 
 pointed counsellors of state. 
 
 The new government began its opera- 
 tions by taking possession of three large 
 Spanish gallions riding in the port of Lis- 
 bon. Several armed vessels were sent out 
 on this occasion, which were fitted by the 
 younger part of the inhabitants, who were 
 eager to signalize themselves in so im- 
 portant an affair ; but their zeal had no 
 opportunity of shewing itself, the galli- 
 ons being incapable of resistance, the offi- 
 cers and greater part of the men having 
 been made prisoners on the first breaking 
 out of the conspiracy. 
 
 Couriers were dispatched the same even- 
 ing into all the provinces, to engage the 
 people to offer public thanksgivings to Al- 
 
OF PORTUGAL. , 97 
 
 mighty God for the restoration of their li- 
 berty ; to proclaim the duke of Braganza 
 king of Portugal^ and to secure the persons 
 of all Spaniards throughout the whole of 
 the kingdom. Magnificent preparations 
 were made in Lisbon for the reception of 
 the new monarch, whose arrival was hour- 
 ly expected ; and the archbishop acquaint- 
 ed the vice-queen that it was necessary she 
 should quit the palace, w4nch must now be 
 occupied by the king and his household. 
 An apartment was prepared for her in the 
 royal palace of Xabregas, at the other ex- 
 tremity of the city, whither she repaired 
 on receiving the archbishop's message, and 
 passed through the town with an air of 
 haughtiness, without uttering a single syl- 
 lable ; the scene indeed w-as entirely 
 changed, aed far from the train of cour- 
 tiers which usually waited on her footsteps, 
 she was accompanied by scarcely any do- 
 mestics. The archbishop of Braga alone 
 gave proofs of his constant attachment, 
 which he publicly testified at a moment 
 when his life might probably have been 
 the forfeit of his zeal for her interest. 
 . The duke of Braganza, in the mean 
 time, was a prey to the most torturing un- 
 certainty : alternate hopes and fear^ took 
 possession of his mind. The impossibility 
 
 K 
 
$8 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 of receiving early intelligence at Villa Vi- 
 cosa, thirty leagues from Lisbon, added to 
 his anxiety, which became intolerable, on 
 reflecting that his fate depended on the 
 event of the present niomeot. His first 
 intention, as has been already mentioned, 
 was to cause an insurrection in ail the 
 towns under his depeiulance, on the very 
 day the conspirators were to commence 
 their operations at Lisbon ; but he after- 
 wards thought it more prudent to wait for 
 intelligence from that city, in order to se- 
 cure a retreat in case of ill success, either 
 in the kingdom of Algarves, or the town 
 and citadel of Elvas, which properly be- 
 longed to himself; he even believed it 
 possible to persuade the Spaniards, should 
 the event make it necessary, that he had 
 no share in the conspiracy ; particularly as 
 the interest of that nation would naturally 
 induce them to wish him innocent. 
 
 In this perturbed state of mind, he sent 
 off different couriers on the road to Lisbon, 
 but though he was in hourly expectation 
 of news, the whole of the day, and part of 
 the night, passed in the same dreadful sus- 
 pence; till at last Mendoca and Mello, 
 who had travelled with all possible expedi- 
 tion, made their appearance, and respect- 
 fully throwing themselves at his feet, with 
 
©F PORTUGAL. ^9' 
 
 the most lively expression of joy beaming 
 forth in their countenances, convinced him 
 more forcibly than by words, that he 
 might now regard himself as king of Por- 
 tugal. These noblemen were beginning 
 an account of all that had happened, but 
 the prince impatiently interrupting them, 
 led them into the duchess's apartment, 
 where they saluted lier with the same 
 respect as if already seated on the throne 
 of Portugal, assuring her of the fidelity and 
 attachment of her new subjects ; and as a 
 proof of her being acknowledged sovereign, 
 addressed her by the title of majesty, 
 which was still more grateful to her ear, 
 from the kings of Portugal having formerly 
 been only dignified by that of highness. 
 
 It is ea^y to judge of the transports of 
 this prince and princess, at being thus re- 
 lieved from a state of the most cruel 
 anxiety, and so happily raised to such a 
 pitch of greatness. The castle resounded 
 with joyful acclamations, and the glorious 
 intelligence was presently communicated 
 throughout the environs. He was the 
 same day proclaimed king in all the towns 
 under his dependence ; and Alphonso de 
 Mello had the same ceremony performed 
 in the city of Elvas. Crowds from these 
 different places flocked to pay homage to 
 K 2 
 
100 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 their new sovereign ; and these first marks' 
 of duty and afi'ectiqn, though hastily and 
 confusedly given^ spoke more feelingly to 
 the heart of the prince, thah what he after- 
 wards received in all the hlaze of state and 
 ceremony. 
 
 The archbishop regent, impatient for the 
 arrival of the new king, dispatched courier 
 after courier, to represent the great im- 
 portance of his immediate appearance at 
 Lisbon. The last of these couriers met 
 him on the Monday, on the p4ain of 
 Montemor, half way from Villa Vicosa, 
 where this timid prince, to conceal the real 
 cause of his journey, pretended to be en- 
 gaged in a hawking party ; but no sooner 
 had he opened the regent's dispatches, than 
 he set off post for Aldea-Galega, ten leagues 
 from the spot where he then was : and 
 finding, on his arrival, a boat and two fisher- 
 men, he embarked and crossed the Tagus, 
 at that place three leagues in breadth, to 
 Lisbon. 
 
 Mr. d'Ablancourt, envoy from Lewis the 
 XlVth to the court of Portugal, relates in 
 his memoirs, that the duke of Braganza 
 landed in the court of the palace, which 
 forms a long square enclosed on three 
 sides by the Alfandega palace, and different 
 private houses, whilst tlje fourth is open ta 
 
OF PORTUQAl^. '^01,, 
 
 the I'agus, from which 'it is separated -l)^ a. 
 terrace guarded by a waJh t^.^t,tl3;(;s\^7y's^^a^ ' 
 cious square was crowded by people'^of every 
 description, who for the last two days had 
 been in constant expectation of the prince, 
 with their faces continnally turned towards 
 Aldea-Galega; but not one amongst them, 
 adds this author, had the smallest suspicion 
 that the little fishing-boat which was mak- 
 ing towards the shore contained their king, 
 who passed unnoticed across the square,, 
 and was not made known to the people, 
 till he mounted a kind of scaffolding, on 
 which was placed the throne, when he was 
 saluted and proclaimed king with every 
 testimony of joy by the Portugueze. 
 
 Magnificent fire-works were displayed 
 that night in the most public parts of the 
 city, and bonfires blazed, particularly before 
 the citizens houses, every one of which 
 was so brilliantly illuminated with wax: 
 lights and flambeaux, that the whole of ■ 
 the city wore the appearance of a general 
 confiao^ration. This circumstance caused: 
 a Spaniard to remark, that this prince was 
 indeed fortunate, thus to purchase a fine 
 kingdom for a bonfire. 1 
 
 A general insurrection throughout Por- 
 tugal was the immediate consequence of 
 the one at Lisbon ; and the revolution was 
 K 3 
 
102 HISTORY OF THE REV^OLUTIONS 
 
 .. f,o quickly completed, that it appeared as 
 if every to v{^n in the kingdom waited for 
 nothing more than an example from the 
 capital to take up arms in favour of the 
 duke. Couriers were dispatched daily to 
 that prince, with intelligence of the 
 Spaniards being driven from the different 
 provinces and towns, all of which were 
 ready to acknowledge him as their king. 
 The governors of forts and other strong 
 places displayed as little resolution as the 
 commander of the citadel at Lisbon, and 
 whether from want of troops, courage or 
 ammunition, they shamefully surrendered ; 
 the greatest part witliout a single shot be- 
 ing fired. Every one appeared apprehen- 
 sive of sharing the fate of Vasconcellos, 
 and trembled at being exposed to the fury 
 of an enraged populace. They indeed 
 quitted Portugal with all the haste and 
 trepidation of criminals escaped from pri- 
 son ; and in less than a fortnight not a 
 single Spaniard' remained in the king- 
 dom. 
 
 Don Fernando de la Cueva alone, who 
 was governor of the citadel of St. Joam, at 
 the mouth of the Tagus, seemed resolutely 
 bent on opposing the general revolution, 
 and preserving the place committed to his 
 charge for the king his master. His garri- 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 103 
 
 son was composed of Spaniards, who fight- 
 ing under the command of brave officers, 
 vigorously resisted the first attack of the 
 Portugueze. It was then judged necessary 
 to commence a regular siege, and cannon 
 being sent for from Lisbon, they opened 
 the trenches, and broke through the 
 counterscarp, notwithstanding the con- 
 tinual fire atid frequent salhes of the be- 
 sieged ; but negociations being always the 
 safest, and generally the shortest method 
 of terminating affairs of this nature, the 
 king offered such advantageous terms to 
 the governor, that he found himself no 
 longer able to resist ; he was, indeed, so 
 dazzled by the tempting promises of a con- 
 siderable sum of money, and a commandery 
 in the order of Christ, that he concluded 
 the treaty, and surrendered the citadel, on. 
 pretence of the insufficiency of his troops 
 to defend it, though the principal officers] 
 of the garrison refused to sign the capitu- 
 lation. 
 
 The king judging it improper to delay 
 his coronation, which would give a sanction 
 to the regal dignity, and render his person 
 more sacred in the eyes of his people, fixed 
 the ceremony for the fifteenth of December, 
 when it took place with all possible mag- 
 
104 HISTOUY OF THE RE^^OLUTIONS 
 
 nificence*. The duke d'Aveiro, the mar- 
 quis de Villa-Real, v?ith his son the duke 
 de Caniinha, the count de Monsam, and 
 all the other grandees of the kingdom were 
 present. His majesty was received at the 
 gate of the cathedral by the archbishop of 
 Lisbon, at the head of the clergy, and by 
 several other bishops ; and he was solemnly 
 acknowledged king of Portugal by the 
 states-general of the nation, all of which 
 immediately took the oath of allegiance. 
 
 * The kifiir, kneeVmg dnwn, took the coronation 
 oath, \n the following- terms : — 
 
 *' I iiere promise and make oathy to rule and 
 ". crovern thiskins^dom, and to adminiiiter.justice to 
 *' the utmost of my power, with prudence, wisdom, 
 '* and moderation; and to, maintain the usages, 
 «* cnstoms, piivile£i;es, and rights of the nation, as 
 ♦* they were granted and confirmed by the kings my 
 «* predeces^>ors, in th^ name of the Fathtr, the Son, 
 *' and the Holy Ghost:" 
 
 The three estates, composed of the nobility, 
 clerpVj ;t'>'^^ people, then took the oath of allegi- 
 ance. This ceremony was conmiCuced by the arch- 
 bishop of Lisooa :■ — 
 
 ** I swear," said he, placini^ lus hand on the new 
 testament, "that 1 receive and acknowledge for my 
 ♦* true and lawful lord and sovereign, the high, 
 ** migbty, And great king, don John the IVth, to, 
 ** whom I pay homage as such, in the name of the 
 ** whole body of the clergy." TJie other members 
 of the assembly took the same oath. 
 
Of PORTUGAL. 105 
 
 111 a few days afterwards the queen, at- 
 tended by a numerous retinue, arrived at 
 Lisbon. She was rnet at some distance by 
 the whole court, and she had ah*eady in 
 her train the officers appointed to com- 
 pose her household. The king himself 
 went out of Lisbon to receive her ; he in- 
 deed wished not only to treat her with ajl 
 the magnificence due to her new dignity, 
 but to prove to her by every action, that 
 bethought himself in a great measure in- 
 debted to her for his crown. This princess 
 was endowed witl^ so much native dignity, 
 and displayed such majesty and sweetness, 
 that she seemed born to grace the throne 
 she now so happily filled. 
 
 Thus terminated an enterprise, which 
 was conducted with a degree of secrecy 
 that appears almost miraculous, consider- 
 ing the number and different descriptions 
 of persons to whom it was confided. It 
 was, however, the natural consequence of 
 the aversion so long;, and so generally felt 
 to the Spanish government ; an aversion 
 which took place on the first establish- 
 ment of the monarchy, owing to the fre- 
 quent wars between these neighbouring 
 nations ; which was greatly increased by 
 commercial disputes, and the rivalship oc- 
 casioned by the discovery of America ; and 
 
106 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 which, since the Portugueze became sub- 
 ject to the dominion of Castiile, was 
 changed into the most deadly hatred, v 
 
 The news of this sudden revolution soon 
 reached the court of Spain. The prime 
 miriister was inexpressibly afflicted^ and re- 
 duced to despair at having been thus cir- 
 cumvented in his designs. The king, his 
 master, w^as at that moment in so unpleasant 
 a situation, that he needed nothing new to 
 add to his embarrassments; he had suffi- 
 cient employment in defending himself 
 against France and Holland, and the perni- 
 cious example set by the rebellious Cata- 
 lonians^ filled his mind with the most 
 painful apprehensions. 
 
 The king alone, of all his court, remained 
 in ignorance of this important event, no 
 one daring to speak to him on the subject, 
 from the fear of incensing the minister, 
 who would not easily have forgiven such 
 officious zeal. The affiiir, however, began 
 to be spoken of so pubhcly, that all hopes 
 of longer concealment were vain ; and the 
 count-duke fearing some of his enemies 
 might reveal the business in a manner dis- 
 advantageous to his interest, decided on 
 being the first to communicate it to his 
 majesty ; but being perfectly well ac- 
 quainted with thq character of that prince^ 
 
OF PORTUGAL. lOf 
 
 he contrived to represent the affair In so 
 artful a manner, tfiat the king was not at 
 first aware of the extent of his misfortune: 
 *' Sire/' said he, addressing him with an 
 assured air and open countenance, " I come 
 " to congratulate you on a fortunate eveut, 
 ^^ your majesty has just obtained a con- 
 ^* siderable dutchy, and some very fine 
 ^' estates." " By what means, count ?" re- 
 phed the king, all astonishment at this 
 discourse. '' The duke of Braganza," re- 
 sumed the minister, "• has madly sufFered 
 " himself to be seduced by the populace, 
 ^' who have proclaimed him king of Por- 
 " tugal ; his estates are therefore forfeited, 
 *' and become the property of your ma- 
 ^' jesty;vvho, by the total annihilation of 
 " this family, will in future reign securely 
 *' and peaceably over that kingdom." 
 
 This prince, however, notwithstanding 
 the weakness of his character, was not 
 sufficiently, dazzled by the magnificent 
 prospects laid before him, to beheve it 
 probable such brilliant hopes could be 
 reahsed without the greatest difficulty ; but 
 having long been accustomed to regard 
 objects in the same point of view as his 
 minister, he simply answered, that it would 
 be necessary to suppress, as soon as possible, 
 a rebellion, which might otherwise be 
 
108 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 attended by the most dangerous conse- 
 quences. 
 
 The king of Portugal, in the mean time, 
 was particularly active in disposing every 
 thing in such a manner, as to secure his 
 newly acquired throne, and place it on the 
 firmest foundation. Immediately on his 
 arrival at Lisbon, he appointed governors 
 to all the frontier towns^ and took care to 
 make choice of faithful, brave, and experi- 
 enced men, who set off directly for thei^ 
 respective governments, attended by a 
 sufficient number of the military, and lost 
 no time in fortifying and patting in the 
 best state of defence the different places 
 committed to their charge. His majesty 
 also gave out numerous commissions for 
 the levying of troops, and convened the 
 states-general of the nation immediately 
 after his coronation. He then caused his 
 claims to the crown to be strictly examined, 
 that not the smallest doubt might remain 
 in the breasts of the Portugueze on that 
 subject. A solemn act then took place, by 
 which he was acknowledged lawful king 
 of Portugal, as descendant, by the princess, 
 his mother, of the infant Edward, son of 
 the king Emmanual ; thus excluding the 
 king of Spain, who was descended from a 
 daughter of the said Emmanual; which 
 
I 
 
 OF PORTUGAL. 109 
 
 daughter having espoused a foreign prince, 
 was, by the Fundamental laws of Portugal, 
 rendered incapable of reigning over that 
 kingdom*. 
 
 His majesty declared in this assembly, 
 that the produce of his own patrimonial 
 estates being sufficient for the maintenance 
 of his household, he should reserve all the 
 royal demesnes, or crown lands, for the use 
 of the kingdom in general ; and to prove 
 to the people what they had to expect from 
 the mildness and justice of his govern- 
 ment, he abolished all the taxes so heavily 
 imposed upon them by the Spaniards. 
 
 The principal places and employments of 
 the state were bestowed on those of the 
 conspirators who had displayed the greatest 
 zeal in his cause. Pinto, however, had no 
 share in these different promotions, the 
 king prudently judging, that his authority 
 was not yet sufficiently established, to 
 enable him to raise one of his domestics, 
 of an ignoble birth, to a great and impor- 
 tant employment; but this did not pre- 
 
 * The king and the three estates took the same 
 >ath as had before been taken at the coronation ; 
 and the states-general acknowledged don Theodo- 
 «ius, the son of the duke of Braganza, as prince of 
 Portugal!, and lawiul successor to the crown* 
 
110 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 vent his having the greatest ascendance 
 over the mind of his majesty, and indeed 
 over the whole kingdom ; for though he 
 could not boast the title of minister, or 
 secretary of state, yet such was the inti- 
 mate confidence in which he was held by 
 his master, that he performed all the func- 
 tions of those two great offices. 
 
 Having thus arranged every thing to his 
 satisfaction in the interior of his kingdom, 
 he applied himself assiduously to form a 
 strict alliance with all the enemies of the 
 king of Spain ; and even, if possible, to raise 
 himself up new ones. He therefore en- 
 deavoured to induce his brother-in-law, the 
 duke of Medina Sidonia, who was governor 
 of Andalusia, to make himself indepen- 
 dant in that province, or in other words, to 
 follow his example, and take upon himself 
 the sovereign authority. The marquis 
 d'Aiamonte, a Spanish nobleman, related 
 to the queen of Portugal, was employed in 
 this negociation, the success of which will 
 be made known in the sequel of this 
 work. 
 
 The new king of Portugal sent ambassa- 
 dors to all the courts of Europe, to engage 
 them to acknowledge his sovereignty. He 
 formed a league, offensive and defensive, 
 with the Dutch and Catalonians ; and he 
 
i OF PORTUGAL. 1 1 1 
 
 was assured of the protection of France*. 
 The king of Spain gave the greatest proof 
 of his want of power, by never making a 
 forcible attack on the frontiers of Portugal 
 during the whole course of the campaign, 
 owing most probably to the rebellion in 
 Catalonia having employed all his forces; 
 whatever indeed he attempted, was always 
 unsuccessful, and his troops never gained 
 the smallest advantage. Sometime after- 
 wards, intelligence was received that Goa, 
 and every other country subjected to the 
 Portugueze government, whether in India, 
 
 * Mello, whom the king of Portugal sent into 
 France on this occasion, was witty and intelligent ; 
 and speaking to the queen of France, the sister of 
 Philip the IVth, he expressed his fear that his em- 
 bassy must be painful to her majesty, since it tended 
 to deprive the king h«r brother of a kingdom : to 
 which the queen replied, ** It is indeed a truth that 
 ** I am the sister of his catholic majesty ; but am I 
 *' not at the same time the mother of the dau- 
 " phin ?" 
 
 The queen, conversing afterwards with different 
 noblemen who accompanied the ambassador, m the 
 Castilian tongue, Mello took the liberty ef asking 
 why she had not addressed him in the same lan- 
 guage ? " From the fear of giving you pain," an- 
 swered the queen. " That would have been the 
 ** case," replied Mello, " had 1 regarded you as a 
 ** Castihan, but as a great queen the effect would 
 ♦' have been ditierent." 
 
 L 2 
 
lis HISTORY or THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 Africa, or Peru, had joined in the revolu- 
 tion of the mother country. Thus all 
 things appeared to combine to ensure the 
 king of Portugal a succession of good for- 
 tune, a peaceable reign at home, and vic- 
 tory abroad ; when in the midst of such 
 seeming happiness, he was on the point of 
 losing his sceptre with his hfe, by means of 
 a detestable conspiracy, secretly formed, 
 not only in Lisbon, but even in the centre 
 of his court. 
 
 The archbishop of Braga was, as has been 
 already mentioned, the creature of Spain. 
 He was one of the ministers of that country 
 in Portugal, and had no hopes of being 
 reinstated in his employment, unless the 
 Spanish government should be re-establish- 
 ed. He was indeed apprehensive, that 
 though the new king had hitherto appeared 
 to respect his sacred character, by forbear- 
 ing to make him share the prison to which 
 he had condemned the Spaniards, he would 
 most probably be included in the same dis- 
 grace, when once the king felt himself 
 assured of the solidity of his government. 
 But what principally induced him to make 
 a serious attempt in favour of Spain, was 
 his uniform attachment to the vice-queen : 
 he was in despair at the idea of her being 
 a prisoner in a country, over which he 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 113 
 
 thought she had a right to reign ; and his 
 resentment was raised to a still higher pitch 
 from not being allowed to see her. Indeed 
 not only he, but every other person of dis- 
 tinction who was at first permitted to at- 
 tend her, had received the same prohibi- 
 tion ; it having been sufficiently proved 
 that the princess had abused the indulgence 
 granted her by his majesty, and had taken 
 every opportunity of instigating thePortu- 
 gwvze to rebel against his authority. The 
 archbishop regarded this conduct as in- 
 supportably tyrannical. This princess, in 
 his niind's eye, seemed to lodk up to him 
 alone for protection, and to solicit her 
 liberty from his hands, in return for the 
 favours she had so continually bestowed 
 upon hini; the remembrance of her kind- 
 ness acided fuel to the flame which con- 
 sumed him, and made him decide on at- 
 tempting all and every thing to prove his 
 gratitude, and revenge her injuries; but it 
 being scarcely possible either to surprise 
 or bribe the guards who attended her, he 
 was resolved to strike at once at the root, of 
 the evil, and, by the king's death, liberate 
 the princess and re-establish her authority. 
 Having taken this resolution, he re- 
 flected in what manner he could best and 
 soonest execute liis design : he had every 
 
 L 3' 
 
114 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 reason to believe th^t he should not long 
 enjoy the place of president of the palace, 
 and that he should most probably be 
 obliged to retire to Braga. Such was the 
 hatred borne by the people towards the 
 Spaniards, that he very well knew it would 
 be impossible to engage them in his party, 
 consequently he could not adopt the mea- 
 sures so successfully taken bv his majesty ; 
 nor would the nobles accede to his pro- 
 posal, they having been the principal 
 means of placing him on the throne. His 
 only resource then was in the grandees ; 
 the greatest part of whom, so far from hav- 
 ing contributed to the revolution, sub- 
 mitted with a very ill grace to the elevation 
 of the house of Braganza. Having there- 
 fore secured the protection of the Spanish 
 minister, he addressed himself to the mar- 
 quis de Villa-Real, to whom he represented 
 that the new king, naturally timid and sus- 
 picious, would never fail seeking occasions 
 to humble his family, lest his successor 
 should suffer from such powerful subjects : 
 that the duke d'Aveiro and himself, though 
 both princes of the blood, were not em- 
 ployed in any of the great offices of the 
 state, such distinctions being all bestowed, 
 as rewards, on a tribe of rebels : that all 
 well thinking people were shocked that a 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 1 15 
 
 prince like the marquis de Villa-Real 
 should meet with such contemptuous treat- 
 ment^ and languish in shameful inactivity 
 in the centre of his province : that his high 
 birth and great riches placed him above 
 submitting to the authority of a petty 
 king; and that he had lost in the Spanish 
 monarch the only sovereign, who, having 
 so many different kingdoms and govern- 
 ments to bestow, could place him in a 
 situation conformable to the dignity of his 
 birth. 
 
 The archbishop, on perceiving that his 
 harangue had made no small impression 
 on the mind of Villa-Real, proceeded to 
 inform him, that he had received orders 
 from the king of Spain to promise him 
 the vice-royalty of Portugal, in reward for 
 his fidelity ; he was, however, far from in- 
 tending to bestow on him that dignity, 
 having no other view than to procure the 
 liberty of the duchess of Mantua, and rein- 
 state her in her former situation ; but it 
 was necessary to seduce Villa-Real by the 
 most brilliant prospects, and he succeeded 
 so well, that he consented to place himself, 
 together with his son, the duke deCaminha, 
 at the head of this conspiracy. 
 
 Being once secure of the support of these 
 two princes, his next care was to engage 
 
1 l6 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 his particular friend, the grand inquisitorj 
 in his interest. The acquisition of such a 
 man to the party was gf the greatest im- 
 portance, since his example would be cer- 
 tainly followed by all the officers of the 
 inquisition ; a body of men who are still 
 more formidable to the good than to the 
 wicked^ and who possess the greatest in- 
 fluence over the minds of the Fortugueze. 
 The archbishop alledged reasons of con- 
 science to induce them to join in his enter- 
 prise; and reminded them of their oath of 
 allegiance to the king of -Spain, which 
 ought never to be violated in favour of a 
 rebel : to these arguments he added the 
 more powerful one of self interest, repre- 
 senting, that 7wt one amongst them could 
 reasonably expect to enjoy his present post 
 for any length of time under a prince who 
 never failed tilling all employments with 
 his own particular friends and favourites. 
 
 Several months passed on in increasing 
 the numberof conspirators ; amongst whom 
 the leading ones were the commissary de 
 la Cruzada ; the count d'Armamar, the 
 nephew of the archbishop; the count de 
 Ballerais; doii Augustin Emmanuel ; An- 
 tonio Correa^ Vasconcellos' clerk, who was 
 stabbed by Menezes at the first breaking 
 out of the conspiracy which placed dou 
 
P OF PORTUGAf,. ay 
 
 John on the throne; and Laurent Pires de 
 Carvalho, keeper of the royal treasury ; all 
 of whom were creatures of Spain^ who 
 owed their places and fortunes to that 
 country, and who could have little hopes of 
 preserving them hut hy the restoration of 
 the Castilian government. 
 
 The Jews, who reside in great numbers 
 at Lisbon, and conform outwardly to the 
 Christian religion, were likewise engaged 
 in this conspiracy. They had lately of- 
 fered immense sums to his rrjajesty. to en- 
 gage him to put a stop to the persecutions 
 of the inquisition, and ^o allow them the 
 public exercise of their religion : these 
 offers had been refused, and the resentment 
 they felt on the occasion was an excellent 
 ground-work for the archbishop to build 
 his hopes on of inducing them to join his 
 party. He therefore contrived private 
 meetings with some of the principals, who 
 were in the greatest trepidation at having so 
 unseasonably declared themselves ; which 
 act of imprudence could not fail of expos- 
 ing them to all the malice and cruelty of 
 the inquisition. The artful prelate took 
 advantage of their fears, and promised them 
 the protection of the grand inquisitor, 
 whom they well knew to be at his disposal^ 
 if they would consent to his plan ; alarm- 
 
118 HISTORY OF THE RBV01,UTI0NS 
 
 ing them at the same time with the proba- 
 bih'ty of their being banished Portugal by 
 a prince so devoted to the Catholic faith ; 
 whilst, if they could be prevailed upon to 
 assist in re-establishing the old government, 
 he would venture to engage in the name of 
 the king of Spain, that they should not 
 only be allowed liberty of conscience, but 
 a synagogue, arid every other indulgence 
 they could possibly require. Such indeed 
 was the violence and malignancy of this 
 priest, that he did not blush to league him- 
 self with the enemies of Christ to dethrone 
 his lawful sovereign. 
 
 This instance may, perhaps, be quoted 
 as the only one, of the inquisition and sy- 
 nagogue's acting in concert, and joining 
 heartily together to promote the same 
 cause. 
 
 1'he conspirators, after having delibe- 
 rated on several ditTerent plans, for en- 
 suring the success of their enterprise, at 
 last adopted one proposed by the arch- 
 bishop, who had consulted the principal 
 Spanish minister on the occasion. It was, 
 therefore_, unanimously agreed, that on the 
 fifth of August, the Jews should not only 
 set fire to the four corners of the palace, 
 but to several other houses in the city, by 
 which means the people would be suffi- 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 119 
 
 ciently employed in their different quar- 
 ters, without attending to what passed in 
 the palace, whither the conspirators w6re 
 to repair immediately, on pretence of en- 
 deavouring to extinguish the flames ; but, 
 in the midst of the hurry p,nd confusion 
 occasioned by so dreadful an event, they 
 were to seek an opportunity of approaching 
 the king, and stabbing him to the heart, 
 whilst the duke de Caminha should secure 
 the person of the queen, together with 
 those of the young princes, her sons, in 
 order to take the same advantage of their 
 situation, which had been taken of the 
 princess of Mantua, to enforce the surren- 
 der of the citadel. Fire- works were at the 
 same time to be employed in burning the 
 fleet ; and the archbishop, together with 
 the grand inquisitor, and the officers of the 
 holy brotherhood, were to parade through 
 the streets, to prevent any commotions 
 amongst the people ; who would never 
 venture to take an active part in the busi- 
 ness, from their natural dread of drawing 
 upon themselves the indignation of the in- 
 quisition. The marquis de Villa-Real was 
 to be appointed governor of the kingdom, 
 till the Spanish monarch should make 
 known his intentions relative to the mea- 
 
120 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS i 
 
 sures to be taken on so important an oc- 
 cavsion. 
 
 There was, however, no certainty of the 
 people declaring in their favour : it was, 
 therefore, deemed necessary to be provided 
 with troops to enforce their obedience. 
 They, accordingly, decided on applying to 
 the count-duke to engage him to send a 
 considerable fleet pn the coast ; which 
 would then be in readiness to enter the 
 port on the first breaking out of the con- 
 spiracy ; and immediately on receiving in- 
 teUigence of their success, he was to be 
 requested to march troops to the frontiers, 
 to subdue all, and every one, who should 
 be tempted to make any further resistance. 
 This plan, however, was easier imagined 
 than executed, it being extremely difficult 
 for the conspirators to hold any secret cor- 
 respondance with the prime minister ; the 
 king having placed guards on the fron- 
 tiers, in consequence of the discovery he 
 had made of the princess of Mantua's hav- 
 ing written to Madrid, with the strictest 
 orders not to allow any one to quit the 
 kingdom, without his express permission. 
 Any attempt to corrupt these guards might 
 be attended with danger, since those who 
 betrayed their sovereign, might likewise 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 121 
 
 betray them, and deliver up their letters, 
 relating, at the same time, the methods 
 employed to tempt them from their duty. 
 The absolute necessity of speedily ac- 
 quainting the prime-minister with their 
 intentions, without whose assistance theii? 
 plot must infallibly fall to the ground, in- 
 duced them to confide in a rich Lisbon 
 merchant, who was treasurer to the cus- 
 tom-house, and whose extensive trade 
 throughout the whole of Europe caused 
 {lis majesty to grant him the particular 
 privilege of corresponding with Castille. 
 This man, whose name was Baese, pub- 
 licly professed the Christian religion ; but 
 being one of those who in Portugal are 
 termed new Christians, he was generally 
 suspected of secretly observing the rites of 
 the Jewish church. A very large sum was 
 offered to engage him in the conspiracy, 
 which, joined to the exhortations of those 
 amongst the Jews who were in the secret, 
 prevailed upon him to accept their propo- 
 sals, and to undertake conveying their let- 
 ters to the count-duke d'Olivares.* 
 
 * Olivares was perfectly well acquainted with this 
 
 Bai'sc, who having been extremely serviceable to 
 
 him oil different occasions, he had invested iiim with 
 
 t!ie honourable order ofChrist. The Portugueze 
 
 M 
 
IQ^ HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 Baesa being charged with the pacqiiet^ 
 directed it to the marquis d'Aiamonte, go- 
 vernor of the first frontier town in Spain^ 
 in the full persuasion that^ being once safe- 
 ly out of Portugal, there could be no far- 
 ther cause of apprehension ; but, the mar- 
 quis who was nearly related to the queen 
 of Portugal, and was actually carrying on 
 a negociation with the new king, no sooner 
 perceived the great seal of the inquisition 
 of Lisbon, than he broke open the letters, 
 dreading lest they should contain some- 
 thing relative to his secret correspondence 
 with the king and queen of Portugal ; and 
 on discovering the plan of a conspiracy on 
 the point of breaking out, which was to 
 destroy the king and the whole of the 
 royal family, he immediately sent back 
 the pacquet to his majesty, whose asto- 
 nishment was inexpressible, when, on pe- 
 rusing these letters, he perceived that the 
 princes of his blood, an archbishop, and 
 several grandees of his court, all of whom 
 had demonstrated the greatest joy on his 
 advancement, were conspiring not only to 
 
 nobility, offended at seeing- the order so degraded, 
 oould not lielp obj^ervin*;-, '* that the duke oiis^ht 
 " either to rais-- him oiiii higher, or condemn him 
 
 to the gallows." 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 123 
 
 deprive him of the crown, but to put an 
 e;id to his existence. 
 
 His privy council was immediately sum- 
 moned, an J the resolutions taken therein 
 were, in a few days afterwards, put into 
 execution. Eleven o'clock in the night of 
 the fifth of August being, ac'cdrding to the 
 intercepted letters, appointed by the con- 
 spirators to commence their operations, 
 his majesty, under pretence of a general 
 review in the great court of the palace, 
 called in all the troops quartered in the 
 neighbourhood, at ten o'clock that same 
 mornincr. He also gave with his own 
 hands, and in secret, several sealed notes 
 to those of his courtiers whom he knew to 
 be the most attached to his person, with 
 strict orders not to open their respective 
 billets till twelve at noon, when the com- 
 mands contained therein must be punctu- 
 ally and immediately obeyed. About the 
 same hour, the king, pretending business, 
 sent for the archbishop and the marquis 
 de Villa-Real into his cabinet, where their 
 persons were instantly seized ; whilst tlje 
 captain of the guard arrested the duke ^e 
 Gaminha in the public market-place at the 
 same moment. The sealed billets being 
 then opened, the persons to whom they 
 were addressed, in obedience to their con 
 M 2 
 
124 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 tents, separately seized on a conspirator, 
 and conveyed him to prison^ there to be 
 strictly guarded till farther orders ; and 
 such was the prudence of the measures 
 taken on this occasion, and so faithfully 
 were they executed, that, in less than an 
 hour the forty- seven conspirators were se- 
 cured, without even the smallest effort be- 
 ing made towards effecting their escape. 
 
 The people, on the first report of the 
 conspiracy, crowded tumultuously to the 
 palace, and loudly demanded that the trai- 
 tors should be instantly delivered up to 
 them. But, though the king was delight- 
 ed with the affection displayed by his sub- 
 jects, he felt uneasy at such a multitude, 
 being thus suddenly assembled ; fearing 
 such commotions might become habitual, 
 and end, as is always the case, in sedition. 
 He, therefore, after exj)ressing his acknow- 
 ledgments for their solicitude for the wel- 
 fare of his person, and assuring them the 
 traitors should meet with the punishment 
 due to their crimes, gave orders to the 
 magistrates to disperse them. This prince, 
 however, lest the resentment of the people 
 should abate, and, as it frequently hap- 
 pens, their furious rage towards the crimi- 
 nals turn to sentiments of commiseration, 
 on reflecting on their wretchedness, thouglit 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 125 
 
 proper to make public that the design of 
 the conspirators was not only to assassinate 
 him, with the whole of the royal family, 
 but to set fire to the city, when everything 
 which escaped the far}': of the flames must 
 naturally become the prey of the rebels : 
 that Spain, to prevent any future conspira- 
 cies, and to wreak its vengeance on the 
 Portugueze, had resolved on peopling the 
 town with a colony of Castilians, and to 
 transport all the citizens to the mines in 
 America, where they would be buried alive 
 in those dreadful abysses, in which they 
 had already destroyed so many miserable 
 human beings. 
 
 Judges were next appointed for the trial 
 of the conspirators ; these were chosen from 
 the sovereign chamber, but on account of 
 the archbishop of Braga, the marquis de 
 Villa-Real and the duke de Caminha, it 
 was thought proper to give them two 
 grandees of the kingdom as coadjutors. 
 
 The conuiiissaries on this occasion re- 
 ceived orders from his majesty, not to pro- 
 duce the intercepted letters, unless abso- 
 hitely necessary to the conviction of the 
 criminals, lest the court of Spain should 
 suspect the manner by which he had 
 obtained possession of those letters, and 
 discover his correspondence with the mar- 
 
126 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 quis d'Aiamonte. Fortunately, however, 
 such proofs were not requisite, Baesa hav- 
 ing contradicted himself so palpably in his 
 answers to the principal interrogatories, 
 that he was put to the torture, and the 
 miserable wretch no ^sooner felt the first 
 pangs, than his courage failed him, and he 
 confessed all the particulars of the plot. 
 He owned the design of assassinating the 
 king ; declared that the oflice of the inqui- 
 sition was well stored with arms, and that 
 they only waited for an answer from the 
 count-dnke to put their plan into execu- 
 tion. 
 
 The greater part of tlie other conspira- 
 tors, on being put to the torture, confirmed 
 the deposition of the Jew ; but the arch^ 
 bishop, the grand inquisitor, the marquis 
 de Villa- Real and the duke de Caminha, 
 in order to avoid so dreadful a punishment, 
 confessed their guilt. The two latter were 
 condemned to lose their heads, and the 
 Test to.be hanged and quartered ; whilst 
 his majesty himself was to pronounce sen- 
 tence on the ecclesiastics. 
 
 The king thereupon assembled his 
 council, and addressing his ministers, de- 
 clared, that he had reason to fear the exe- 
 cution of so many people of distinction 
 Miight be attended by dangerous conse- 
 
OF PORTUGAL. IS? 
 
 quences : that the principal conspirators 
 being of the first families in the kingdom, 
 their relations would naturally become se- 
 cret enemies, and that the passion of re 
 venge would naturally give birth to 
 another conspiracy : that the execution of 
 the comte d'Egmont in Flanders, and that 
 of the Guises in France, had been fatal to 
 the causes in support of which they had 
 been employed ; but that the generous 
 pardon he thought of granting to some 
 amongst them, together with a punishment, 
 perhaps more severe than death, which he 
 should inflict on others, would interest 
 every heart in his favour, and force even 
 the conspirators, their relations and friends, 
 to look up to him in future with gratitude. 
 His majesty, however, added, that though 
 his inclinations led him to pursue lenient 
 measures, he had, nevertheless, assembled 
 his council, to be informed of their opinion, 
 and to follow that which should appear to 
 be the best. 
 
 The marquis de Ferreira first spoke on 
 this occasion, and voted for the speedy exe- 
 cution of the criminals ; alledging in the 
 strongest terms that sovereigns, in cases of 
 this nature, should be guided by justice 
 alone ; that clemency might probably be 
 attended by dangerous consequences, since 
 
128 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 the pardon of traitors would be much sooner 
 attributed to weakness of character in a 
 prince than to real goodness; that a go- 
 vernment which permitted such crimes to 
 pass off' with impunity, would infallibly be 
 despised, and would likewise encourage 
 the relations of the dehnquent not only to 
 attempt to liberate them from prison, but 
 to car r}- their designs still farther; that an 
 example of severity was absolutely neces- 
 sary on his accession to the crown, were it 
 only to intimidate others from forming 
 plots of the same nature ; in short, that 
 these men were not only traitors to the 
 king himself, but to the state, which they 
 were on the point of overturning ; and that 
 his majesty ought sooner to consider the 
 i^ustice he owed to his people, by bringing 
 them to condign punishment, than attend 
 to the dictates of his own feehng heart, in 
 a case where the preservation of his ma- 
 jesty's person and the public security must 
 ever be inseparable. This opinion being 
 unanimously supported by all the members 
 of the council, the king gave up his judg^ 
 ment to theirs, and the sentence was put 
 in execution on the following day. The 
 archbishop of Lisbon being anxious to 
 preserve the life of one of his friends, ad- 
 dressed himself to the queen to obtain his 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 129 
 
 pardon, and asked this favour in full confi ^ 
 dence that the services he had rendered to 
 the house of Bpaganza were of such a nature, 
 that no demand of his could possibly be 
 refused. But her majesty, who was per- 
 fectly convinced of the necessity, and in- 
 deed the justice of punishing such traitors, 
 and who clearly perceived how much a 
 distinction in favour of one would irritate 
 the friends and relations of the remaining 
 conspirators (since in this case, and indeed 
 in many others, clemency vvould become 
 injustice) was decided on this occasion to 
 make the natural gentleness of her disposi- 
 tion yield to the superior motives of im- 
 partial justice ; and turning towards the 
 prelate, with an air and tone of voice which 
 forbad all reply, " Archbishop,'* said she, 
 " the only favour you can possibly expect 
 *^ from me is, that I should forget you 
 ^* have ever spoken to me on the subject." 
 The king, however^ out of respect to 
 the clergy of Portugal, and indeed to ob- 
 tain the favour of the court of Rome, 
 which from regard to the house of Austria, 
 had hitherto refused to receive his am- 
 bassadors, mitigated the sentence pro- 
 nounced on the archbishop of Braga and 
 the grand inquisitor, and condemned them 
 to perpetual imprisonment. The arch- 
 
130 HISTORY- OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 bishop's illness and death were soon after 
 announced to the pubHc : such events, it is 
 well known, frequently happen to certain 
 stateprisoners, who, from political motives, 
 are not suffered to perish on a scaffold. 
 
 The manneu by which the king of Por- 
 tugal became acquainted with this con-, 
 spiracy, was for a long time unknown to 
 the court of Spain, nor did the Spanish 
 monarch discover the person who dispatched 
 the archbishops letters to Lisbon, till 
 another conspiracy was forming against 
 himself. 
 
 The king of Portugal, as has been al- 
 ready mentioned, kept up a constant cor- 
 respondence with the enemies of Spain ; 
 his ports were open to the French and 
 Dutch fleets; he had a resident both at 
 Barcelona and with the insurgents in Cata- 
 lonia ; and he left no means untried to 
 cause confusion in the very heart of Spain, 
 in order to occupy the mind of Philip the 
 IVth, in a way to give him no time to at- 
 tend to the affairs of Portugal. 
 
 The new monarch had already partly 
 succeeded in sowing the seeds of rebellion 
 in the breast of his brother-in-law, the 
 duke de Medina-Sidonia ; and their mu- 
 tual confident the marquis d'Aiamonte, a 
 Castilian nobleman, had completed his 
 
OP PORTUGAL. 131 
 
 seduction. This latter was nearly related 
 to the queen of Portugal and the duke ; 
 and the situation of his estate at the 
 mouth of the Guadiana, near the frontiers 
 of Portugal, greatly favoured his secret cor- 
 respondeuce with that court. Naturally 
 ambitions, he wished to raise his fortunes^ 
 and flattered himself his own elevation 
 would he the consequence of that of the two 
 houses of Braganza and Medina-Sidonia. 
 He was a man of a daring, enterprising 
 character, discontented with the conduct 
 of the prime minister, and possessed of 
 that perfect indifference for life so necessary 
 to all those who engage in great and diffi- 
 cult undertakmos. 
 
 o 
 
 Immediately on the discovery of the 
 archbis'hop of Braga's conspiracy ; the 
 marquis d'Aiamonte wrote secretly to the 
 duke de Medina-Sidonia to congratulate 
 him on the escape of his sister the queen 
 of Portugal, and the rest of the royal 
 family ; insinuating at the same time, how 
 nearly it concerned him, that the new 
 monarch should preserve a crown, which 
 must necessarily descend to his own ne- 
 phews ; and that Portugal, from its vicinity 
 to Castile, would ensure him a retreat on 
 any emergency ; especially during the 
 ministry of the count-c^uke^ whose arro- 
 
132 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 gance and despotic system of politics had 
 no other object than to seek occasions of 
 humbhng the grandees. He added^ too, 
 it was far from certain that the minister, 
 though his relation, would long permit 
 him to enjoy the government of so large a 
 province in the neighbourhood of Portugal ; 
 that this subject was worthy his serious 
 reflections ; and that if the duke was willing 
 to be more fully acquainted with his senti- 
 ments on the occasion, he would immedi- 
 ately send him a faithful friend, to whom 
 he might safely confide his most secret 
 thoughts. 
 
 The duke de Medina-Sidonia, naturally 
 proud and vain, and whose jealousy had 
 been secretly raised by the regal dignity 
 of his brother-in-law, presently perceived 
 that the marquis's letter was only a cover 
 for much deeper designs ; he therefore in- 
 stantly sent off a certain Louis de Castille, 
 his confident, to confer with him on the 
 subject. The marquis on opening his cre- 
 dentials, did not scruple to unbosom him- 
 self; and after having reminded him of the 
 ease with which the duke of Braganza had 
 niounted the throne of Portugal ; he added, 
 that it was impossible for the duke of 
 Medina-Sidonia to make choice of a more 
 favourable juncture to secure the fortunes 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 133- 
 
 of his house, and to render it for ever inde- 
 pendent of the crown of Spain. He next 
 represented, that the long war with France 
 and Holland had nearly exhausted the 
 king's forces, the greater part of which 
 were necessarily employed in Catalonia ; 
 that this was the favourable moment for 
 stirring up a rebellion in Andalusia, and 
 carrying the war into the very centre of 
 the kingdom ; that the people, ever lovers 
 of novelty, and loaded with taxes, would 
 submit with pleasure to a change of govern- 
 ment ; and that the duke de Medina- 
 Sidonia was not less beloved in Castille, 
 than Braganza in Portugal. It would, 
 however, be necessary to engage his lieute- 
 nant-governors in his interest, though 
 without entrusting them with his secret ; 
 that he had nothing to do, but to place his 
 partizans in the most important posts; he 
 would then have no difficulty in securing 
 the galleons which were daily expected 
 from India; and that the king of Portugal 
 would aid and assist him in his design, by 
 sending a great fleet into Cadiz, consisting 
 not only of his own vessels, but those of 
 his allies, having on board land forces, 
 which would presently subdue all and 
 every one ill-advised enough to make im- 
 
 N 
 
134 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 potent efforts in support of their allegiance 
 to the king of Spain. 
 
 The account of this conversation fired 
 the duke with ambition, and his head grew 
 giddy at the idea of a crown. His post of 
 lord high admiral, and governor of Castille, 
 placed the sea and iand forces under his 
 command. He was the proprietor of con- 
 siderable towns, and extejisive domains, alf 
 of which invested him with almost abso- 
 lute power ; and he was thus induced to 
 believe, in the first eflfervescencexjf his am- 
 bitious projects, that it depended on him- 
 self alone to become master of a crown, 
 and to own no superior in the province of 
 Andalusia. 
 
 Louis de Castille was immediately sent 
 once more to the marquis d'Aiamonte, 
 with assurances of his entering perfectly 
 into , his views ; and also to consult with 
 him on the measures to be pursued relative 
 to the court of Portugal. The duke, in 
 the mean time, employed himself in se- 
 curing the interest of his friends and fol- 
 lowers, and increasing their number : he 
 frequently let drop hints unfavourable to 
 the government, and expressed sentiments 
 of compassion for the soldiers, who did not 
 receive their pay, and for the people, who 
 were sinking under the burthen of taxes. 
 
OF PORTUGAX.. 135 
 
 The marquis d'Aiamonte was no sooner 
 informed of the duke's determination, than 
 he was anxious to form a regular plan of 
 operations. A conference with the king 
 of Portugal was absolutely necessary, but 
 the marquis was too well known on the 
 frontiers to venture into that kingdom : he 
 therefore decided on entrustinor this deli- 
 oate negociation to an intriguing friar, who 
 had long been attached to his interest, and 
 whose sacred habit would give him free 
 admittance into that inquisitorial country. 
 This friar, who was named father Nicolas 
 de Velasco, was of the order of St. Francis. 
 He proceeded immediately to Castro 
 Marino, the first town in Portugal, where 
 he pretended he came only to settle the 
 ransom of aCastilian prisoner confined in 
 that place. The king of Portugal, who 
 was in the secret of the marquis d'A'ia- 
 monte, gave orders to arrest him as a spy, 
 and he was conveyed to Lisbon loaded with 
 chains, and there examined by the ministers 
 themselves, who sent him to prison, where 
 he was for some time strictly guarded, and 
 treated vvith apparent severity ; but he was 
 soon after set at liberty, on pretence of its 
 having been proved, that his visit to Por- 
 tugal was merely to obtain the freedom of 
 a Spanisli officer_, and he was even allowed 
 N 2 
 
136 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 to attend at the palace to plead his cause, 
 which gave him an opportunity of con- 
 ferring with the ministers^ without being 
 suspected by the spies employed by the 
 court of Madrid. He had also frequent 
 interviews with his majesty, who promised 
 him a bishopric in reward of his services ; 
 and the franciscan was so elated at such 
 brilliant prospects, that he became a con- 
 stant attendant at court, where he visited 
 the queen, beset the ministers, and even 
 entered into the different intrigues of the 
 courtiers, merely with a view to shew his 
 own consequence, and the degree of favour 
 in which he stood with the king. Thus, 
 without absolutely reveahng the secret of 
 his mission, he betrayed himself by his 
 imprudent and ostentatious conduct. — 
 Courtiers are ever on the watch, and casta 
 jealous eye on every new favourite, they 
 therefore presently discovered his impri- 
 sonment to be a mere pretext for introduc- 
 ing him at court. Different conjectures 
 svelte formed relative to his business in 
 Portugal, and a CastiHan, at that time 
 prisoner in Lisbon, soon unravelled the 
 mystery. This man, whose name was 
 Sancho, was a creature of the duke de 
 Medina-Sidonia, and was treasurer of the 
 army before the last revolution. The new 
 
OF PORTUGAL. ISJ 
 
 king of Portugal had thrown him into 
 prison, together with all the Castilians then 
 at Lisbon, and he was treated with pecu- 
 liar severity. He no sooner, therefore, 
 learnt that a Spanish franciscan enjoyed so 
 much favour at court, than he suspected 
 some secret intrigjue. and on this idea 
 founded his hopes of hberty. He wrote 
 to the friar to implore his protection, and 
 expressed himself so respectfully, that he 
 could not fail to interest his vanity in his 
 behalf; complaining at the same time of 
 the king of Portugal's having so long im- 
 prisoned, and hardly treated, a servant and 
 friend of his own brother-in-law, the duke 
 of Medina-Sidonia. To prove the truth 
 of his assertions, he sent the franciscan 
 several letters from that nobleman, in which 
 he charged him with the execution of dif- 
 ferent affairs, in 'a style of confidence and 
 superiority suitable to his rank, and the 
 protection with which he honoured him. 
 
 The franciscan's answer was short, but 
 expressive of the interest he took in every 
 one belonging to the duke de Medina- 
 Sidonia. He assured him that he would 
 neglect nothing to obtain his liberty, only 
 entreating him to observe the strictest se- 
 crecy during the whole of the affair. The 
 avtful Castilian, not to give cause of suspi- 
 
138 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIOKS 
 
 cion, waited some time the effect of his 
 promises ; till growing impatient, he at 
 last wrote again, representing that he had 
 languished seven months in a loathsome 
 prison; that the Spanish minister seemed 
 to have forgotten his situation, since neither 
 ransom nor exchange had hitherto been 
 proposed, and that his only hopes of liberty 
 centered in him. 
 
 The franciscan, ever happy to raise him- 
 self in the opinion of the duke de Medina- 
 Sidonia, applied to his majesty in favour of 
 Sancho, and obtained his Hberty. He went 
 in person to deliver him from prison, and 
 offered to include him in the passport 
 granted by the king to some domestics of 
 the duchess of Mantua, who were return- 
 ing to Madrid. To this the cunning 
 Castilian replied, that he now considered 
 the city of Madrid as a foreign land, and 
 that he could not possibly appear at court, 
 without risking another imprisonment, 
 *ince the severe and inexorable prime 
 minister would not fail to insist on an exact 
 account of the receipts of his office, though 
 the cash had been pillaged during the. re- 
 volution, and not even the register re- 
 mained ; artfully adding, in order to probe 
 the franciscan, that the first wish of his 
 heart was to return to his patron ^ the duke 
 
Of PORTUGAL. 139 
 
 of Medina-SIdonia, that nobleman being 
 sufficiently powerful to make his fortune^ 
 without being obliged to quit Andalusia. 
 
 The franciscan, who was in want of a 
 confidential person to acquaint the marquis 
 d'Aiamonte vvitli the success of his negro- 
 tiation, and to bring him fresh directions 
 for his future conduct, thought he could 
 not possibly fix upon a safer man than the 
 devoted servant of the duke de Medina- 
 Sidonia. He therefore detained the Cas- 
 tilian some time, on pretence of procuring 
 him a passport, but in reality to make his 
 observations, and to try his fidelity. Fre- 
 quent meetings produced strict intimacy, 
 and the more the politic Castilian took ad- 
 vantage of the franciscan's vanity, to draw 
 his secret from him. The friar wishing to 
 convince him of the credit and considera- 
 tion he enjoyed at the court of Portugal, 
 could not abstain from saying, that he 
 should soon appear in another habit, being 
 certain of a bishopric, and that he even 
 flattered himself he should one day be 
 raised to the dignity of cardinal. Sancho 
 affected to disbelieve him, in order to force 
 him to avow his design, and the friar was 
 so much piqued at his apparent incredulity, 
 that he could not help exclairning " What 
 ** then will you say, when you shall see 
 
14rt HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 ", the duke de Medina-Sidonia seated on a 
 " throne r" Sanclio thus drew him on by 
 repeated doubts of the- truth of his asser- 
 tions, till he at last became master of every 
 secret of his heart ; and the franciscan con- 
 fessed that he was charged with a negocia- 
 tion in which the king was concerned ; that 
 the duke de Medina-Sidonia would shortly 
 be the sovereign of Andalusia; that the 
 marquis d'Aiamonte, to whom the king of 
 Portugal owed the discovery of the late 
 conspiracy, was at the head of this busi- 
 ness ; that the affairs of Spain were on the 
 point of assuming another aspect ; and that 
 it rested with him alone to become master 
 of considerable riches, if he would only 
 consent to convey his letters to the mar- 
 quis and the duke de Medina-Sidonia. 
 Sancho, delighted with the possession of 
 so important a secret, eagerly accepted the 
 proposal, and renewed his professions of 
 attachment to the duke. He took charge 
 of the letters, and offered, if it were judged 
 adviseable, to return himself with the 
 answers. He then set off immediately for 
 Andalusia, but the moment he reached 
 the Spanish territories, he took the direct 
 road to Madrid ; and on arriving in that 
 city, went directly to the prime minister's, 
 who he desired might be made acquainted. 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 141 
 
 that Sancho, the treasurer of Portugal, 
 lately escaped from the prisons of the 
 usurper, requested to see liirii on an affair 
 of i^reat importance. The count-duke, na- 
 turally haughty, and difficult of access, re- 
 fused to admit him to his presence, order- 
 ing him to return on the usual audience 
 day ; but Sancho, though thus rudely re- 
 pulsed, was still importunate, declaring 
 that he must see him, since the intelligence 
 he brought related to the safety of the 
 state, and calling God to witness his good 
 faith, and the dihgence he had employed 
 to warn the minister of the impending^ 
 danger. 
 
 The warmth of these expressions being 
 reported to the count-duke, orders were 
 given for his admittance; when Sancho, 
 throwing himself at the minister's feet, 
 exclaimed, that the safety of the state _w«is 
 now secured, since he was allowed to pre- 
 sent himself before him. He then related 
 his situation during the last revolution ; the 
 conspiracy formed by the duke de Medina - 
 Sidonia; explaining the plan of his in- 
 tended operations, his correspondence with 
 the king of Portugal : the plot for taking 
 possession of the galleons, for delivering up 
 Cadiz to the enemy, and employing the 
 armed forces under his command through- 
 
142 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 out his government of Andalusia, against 
 his lawful sovereign. To prove the truth 
 of his declarations, Sancho next produced 
 the franci scan's letters, written in cypher, 
 to the marquis d'Aiamonte, and the duke 
 de Medina, and containing the whole plan 
 of the conspiracy. 
 
 The count-duke was struck with sur- 
 prise and consternation at guch extraordi- 
 nary intelligencf, and ramainad iornetime 
 speechless: but on recovering himself, he 
 threw aside his natural haughtiness, and 
 assuming a gracious air, praised Sancho for 
 his loyalty, adding, that he deserved to be 
 doubly rewarded, not only for having dis- 
 covered so pernicious a design, but for not 
 having scrupled to reveal it to the nearest 
 relation of the principal conspirator. He 
 was then conveyed to a private apartment, 
 with strict orders to prevent his seeing or 
 conversing with any one ; and the minister 
 immediately hastened to the king, whom 
 he informed of every thing that had passed, 
 presenting him at the same time with the 
 franciscan s letters. 
 
 The discovery of so black a conspiracy 
 deeply affected Philip, who had indeed for 
 a long time feared and detested the ex- 
 traordinary pride of the Guzmans ; and 
 when he reflected on the recent loss he had 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 143 
 
 sustained of the kingdom of Portugal, 
 which he attributed to the ambitious cha- 
 racter of the duchess of Braganza, he could 
 not refrain from remarking to the minister, 
 in a reproachful accent, that all the mis- 
 fortunes of Spain proceeded from that 
 family. This prince neither wanted pene- 
 tration nor genius, but he was immersed 
 in pleasures, and hated business ; every 
 exertion which required attention gave 
 him pain, and he would willingly have 
 sacrificed part of his dominions to the in- 
 dulgence of his natural indolence. The 
 first emotions of his anger being, there- 
 fore, passed, he returned the franciscan's 
 letters to the count-duke, without even 
 breaking the seals ; and gave orders to 
 have them examined by three counsellors 
 of state, who were to give their opinions 
 on the contents. 
 
 This conduct vested the management of 
 the affair entirely in th(^ prime minister, 
 who employed three of his creatures to 
 draw up a brief statement of the case, and 
 decy phei^- the fi'iar's . letters. Sancho was 
 frequently interrogated, and endeavours 
 were used to make him acquit the duke of 
 Medina de Sidonia, whom the prime 
 minister was anxious to save : he accord- 
 ingly sent for Sancho, before he was 
 
144 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 questioned by the commissaries^ and af- 
 fecting those confidential manners so fre- 
 quently put on by the great, to seduce and 
 flatter those with whom they have business 
 to transact. ^' In what manner, my dear 
 *' Sancho," said he, " can we possibly 
 ^[ justify the duke de Medina from an ac- 
 '^ cusation, which is grounded merely on 
 *' the letters of an obscure friar, who most 
 *^ probably has been bribed by our ene- 
 " mies, to make us suspect the fidelity of 
 ^* of a man who has hitherto rendered such 
 '^ services to his majesty in the province of 
 " Andalusia." 
 
 Sancho, perfectly convinced of the truth 
 of his deposition, and fearing, that should 
 he waver, or endeavour to soften his evi- 
 dence, he might forfeit his expected re- 
 ward, persisted in asserting that a con- 
 spiracy was actually formed against the 
 state, of which the duke was the chief, and 
 the marquis d^Ai'amonte the principal ne- 
 gociator ; that he had himself seen their 
 letters in the possession of the franciscan, 
 and that an insurrection in Andalusia 
 would infallibly take place, if speedy pre- 
 cautions were not taken to prevent the 
 evil designs of the governor of that pro- 
 vince. 
 
 The minister, who was unwilling to dive 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 145 
 
 too deeply into this business, took an op- 
 portunity of informing the king, that the 
 franciscan's letters had been decyphered, 
 and that, according to all appearance, he 
 had been suborned to seek the ruin of the 
 duke de Medina ; adding, thatSancho him- 
 self might very probably have been deceived 
 by this artful friar, since neither any of 
 the duke's own letters, nor witnesses of any 
 sort could be produced against him, and 
 that the whole of this accusation turned on 
 letters, which might very well be the off- 
 spring of calumny. It would, however, be 
 adviseable, in an affair of such great impor- 
 tance, to take all possible precautions, and 
 to contrive to entice the duke to quit his 
 government, in which it would be difficult 
 to secure his person ; and then to send a 
 supply of troops to Cadiz, making sure at 
 the same time of the marquis d'Aiamonte, 
 and if on enquiry they were proved guilty, 
 they niight afterwards be delivered up to 
 all the severity of the law. 
 
 The advice of the prime minister was a 
 still more imperious law to Philip the 
 IVth than to any of his subjects. He was 
 naturally mild, indolent, and an enemy to 
 sanguinary measures, he therefore readily 
 confided the whole of the business to the 
 management of the count-duke, who im- 
 o 
 
146 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 mediately dispatched his nephew^ don 
 Louis de Haro, with orders to acquaint the 
 duke de Medina, that whether innocent or 
 guilty, he must repair directly to court ; 
 assuring him, however, that should the ac- 
 cusation be proved against him, he might 
 depend on his pardon, but that his ruin 
 would be inevitable, should he delay 
 obeying the commands of his sovereign. 
 Another courier was also sent off to secure 
 the person of the marquis d'Aiamonte ; and 
 the duke de Cindad-Real, at the head of 
 five thousand men, entered Cadiz at the 
 same moment. 
 
 The duke de Medina was thunderstruck 
 at this intelligence. No alternative re- 
 mamed but impHcit obedience, or flight 
 into Portugal : but the idea of passing the 
 whole of his existence as an outlaw, in a 
 foreign country, was too humiliating, and 
 too unworthy ofam.anof his superior rank ; 
 and there was no situation in Portugal 
 equal to that rank to which he could pos- 
 sibly lay claim. The count-duke's influ- 
 ence over the king was well known, he 
 therefore determined on confiding in the 
 promises of that minister, and set ofl" im- 
 mediately for Madrid, flattering himself 
 that his ready obedience would dispose his 
 majesty to believe him innocent^ and even 
 
OF POUTUGAI,. 147 
 
 to grant him a pardon, should he be proved 
 guilty. 
 
 The duke proceeded directly to the 
 prime minister's, and on receiving reiterated 
 promises of forgiveness, disclosed the whole 
 plan of the conspiracy, which he attributed 
 entirely to the marquis d'Aiamonte, After 
 this confession, the minister introduced 
 him privately into the king's closet, where 
 the duke cast himself at his feet, which he 
 bathed with his tears, and in that humble 
 posture owned his guilt, and solicited for- 
 giveness in the most affecting expressions 
 of sorrow and repentance. The gentle 
 heart of the king was moved with com- 
 passion, and melting into tears, he granted 
 him his pardon, telling him at the same 
 time, that he owed it to his remorse, and to 
 the solicitations of the count-duke. He 
 then dismissed him his presence; but it 
 being not thought expedient to expose him 
 to fresh temptations at so critical a junc- 
 ture, he received orders to remain at court. 
 Part of his great property was also confis- 
 cated, as having in some degree contributed 
 to inspire him with sentiments of indepen- 
 dence ; and the king placed a governor, 
 with a garrison, in Saint Lucar de Bara- 
 meda, the usual residence of the dukes de 
 Medina-Sidonia. 
 
 O 2 
 
148 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 So anxious was the prime minister td 
 convince the king of the sincerity of his 
 relation's repentance, that he tried to en- 
 gajD^e that nobleman to challenge the duke 
 of Braganza, (as he termed him) to single 
 combat. Medina- Sidonia was greatly sur- 
 prised at this extraordinary proposal, and 
 could not help reminding the minister, 
 that the practice of duelling was forbidden 
 by all laws, both human and divine ; but 
 on perceiving the count-duke still persisted 
 in his design, he added, that it would be 
 very difficult to proceed to such extremi- 
 ties with his brother-in-law, unless his 
 majesty could procure a hull from the 
 pope, to shield him from the dreadfulex- 
 communications pronounced by the church 
 against duellists. 
 
 The minister rephed, that in a moment 
 like the present one, such scruples of con- 
 science were unseasonable, and that it was 
 his duty, by some striking action, to prove 
 himself worthy the gracious pardon he had 
 received, and at the same time remove 
 every possible suspicion of his having any 
 secret intelligence with the rebels. '' But 
 " if," continued he, '^ you are absolutely 
 '^ decided against fighting, all I require is, 
 " that you will not disavow the challenge 
 " I win take upon myself to publish in 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 149 
 
 " your name." The duke, who plainly 
 perceived that the whole of this business 
 was intended to amuse the people, con- 
 sented to the proposal of the challenge ; the 
 form of w^hich was drawn up by the 
 minister himself. Several copies were 
 distributed throughout Spain, Portuo^al, 
 and most of the courts in Europe. We 
 will also insert it here, as a singular com- 
 position, much more worthy the pen of a 
 knight errant, than that of a grandee of 
 Spain, possessed of the first dignities of 
 the kingdom. 
 
 Don Gaspar Alonco Perez de Gusman, 
 duhe ofMedina-Sidonia, 7narqvi.s\ count, 
 and lord of Saint Lucar de Barameda, 
 captain- general of the sea, ocean, coasts 
 of Andalusia, and armies of Portugal, 
 gentleman of the bedchamber to his 
 catholic 7najesty, 
 
 WHOM GOD PRESERVE. 
 
 ^' Whereas the treason of John (formerly 
 ^^ duke) de Braganza, is a fact of the ut- 
 " most notoriety; now I wish to make 
 " alike public his detestable intention of 
 " accusing the trusty house of Guzman of 
 " disloyalty^ a house which has remained 
 03 
 
150 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 " for centuries back, and will remain for 
 " ever obedient to its king and master ; 
 " and this it has proved by the blood of all 
 " its relatives and dependants shed in his 
 ^^ cause. This tyrant has poisoned the 
 ^^ minds of foreign princes, and likewise 
 " those of the misguided Portugueze, who 
 ^^ have embraced his party ; and in order 
 ''' to give credit to his own wickedness, to 
 *^ animate them in his favour, and (al- 
 *' though in vain) to injure me in the 
 *^ opinion of my master, (whom God pre- 
 " serve,) he has persuaded them that 1 am 
 ^^ of his party ; founding and establishing 
 " his preservation on the report he had 
 " himself circulated, and with which he 
 " had infected the- minds of every one;. 
 " thus flattering himself, that could he 
 *^ succeed in making the king of Spain 
 ^^ suspect my loyalty, he should not meet 
 " with so much opposition from me in the 
 '^ execution of his designs, as he has done 
 *^ elsewhere. For this purpose he has made 
 *^ use of a francisean friar, sent from the 
 ^^ corporation of the town of Aiamonte, to 
 " Castro-Marin in Portugal, to obtain the 
 *' liberty of a Spanish prisoner, which 
 " friar, being himself sent prisoner to 
 ^ Lisbon, has been worked upon to de- 
 " Glare n^e of his party, and to that end 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 151 
 
 " has even published some letters which 
 *' confirm his assertions, and accuse me of 
 ** intending to favour the entrance of all 
 ^^ foreign troops which might approach the 
 " coast of Andalusia, for the purpose of 
 " facihtating the means of obtaining the 
 " supplies he had demanded from the said 
 ^^ forei<>n princes. And would to God it 
 ^* had been the case! since I should then 
 " have called the world to witness my zeal 
 "by destroying their fleet, a fate they 
 '^ must have experienced, according to the 
 '^^ orders 1 had issued in case of such an at- 
 " tempt. The above are some of my mo- 
 " lives for this appeal ; but the principal 
 " subject of my griefs is his wife's being 
 " allied to me by blood, which blood, 
 '^ being corrupted by this rebellion, i am 
 '* desirous of shedding, thinking myself 
 " bound to prove to my king and master, 
 *• by this action, the grateful sense I have 
 " of his having expressed himself satisfied 
 " of my loyalty; and also to remove from 
 " the minds of the public^ the suspicions 
 '• they most probably had imbibed, from 
 " the false impressions made upon them by 
 *' the traitor. 
 
 " I therefore challenge the said Joha 
 '^ (formerly duke) de Braganza, as having 
 " broken his faith to his God and to his 
 
152 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIQNS 
 
 ^' king ; and I defy him to single combat, 
 ^^ hand to hand, vvith or without seconds, 
 *' at his choice, which I also give him of 
 " weapons. The place of combat to be 
 " near Valentia d'Alcantara, which serves 
 ^^ as boundary to the two kingdoms of 
 '* Portugal and Castille, and there will I 
 ^* wait for him eighty days, beginning 
 ^' from the first of October, and ending on 
 '^ the nineteenth of December of this pre- 
 ^* sent year. The twenty last days 1 will 
 *^ appear in person, in the market-place of 
 *^ the said Valentia, and on the day he shall 
 " appoint, I will wait for him on thehmits. 
 *^ This space of time, although very long, 
 ^^ I grant lo the said tyrant, tliat the alfair 
 " may be made known, not only to him, 
 ** but to the greater part of the countries 
 " in Europe ; nay, indeed, to the whole 
 "world: and on condition that he will 
 *' grant a safeguard to the cavaliers whom 
 " I shall send forward a league into Portu- 
 " gal, as I will grant one to those of his 
 '* party a league into Castille, when I pro- 
 ^' mise myself to make known in the 
 *' fullest mariner the infamous action he 
 *' has committed. 
 
 <* If he fail to obey this call upon him 
 *^ as a gentleman, fmd refuse to comjjly 
 ^' with my challenge, as the only means 
 
f 
 
 OF PORTUGAL, 153 
 
 *' left me to exterminate this phantom ; 
 ^' and I should perceive that he is not 
 " hardy enough to meet me in single com- 
 " bat, to prove how. I and all my friends 
 " do, and ever have served oar sovereigns, 
 «f whilst he and his, on the contrary, are 
 •f traitors ; I hereby do offer (under the 
 ^f pleasure of his catholic majesty, whom 
 " God preserve) my town of Saint Lucar 
 « de Barameda, the principal seat of the 
 'f dnkes de Medina-Sidonia, to whomsoever 
 ^^ shall kill the said John de Braganza : 
 ^f and prostrating myself at the feet of his 
 " said majesty, I humbly entreat him not 
 '* to entrust me with the command of his 
 ^^ army on this occasion, which requires a 
 ^^ degree of prudence and moderation, that 
 '^ the excess of my wrath would prevent 
 '^ my exercising, but only to permit me 
 ^^ to serve in person at the head of a thou- 
 '^ sand horse, from amongst my proper 
 ^^ subjects ; so that depending alone on my 
 ^^ own courage, I shell not only contribute 
 '^ to the restoration of Portugal, and the 
 '^ punishment of this rebel, but in case he 
 *' refuse my challenge, I may then be 
 ^' enabled, by the aid of my troops, to 
 ^^ throw him dead or alive at the feet of 
 "his said majesty: and to omit nothing 
 " which may prove my zeal, I also offer 
 
154 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 ^^ one of the finest towns in my domains to 
 *' the first Portugueze governor or captain 
 ^' who shall surrender a place in Portugal, 
 *' whether of great or small importance to 
 " the service of his catholic majesty ; but 
 *' after doing all I possibly can, I shall 
 " never have done enouirh for his said ma- 
 '* jesty ; since all I possess, I hold from, 
 ^' and owe to him and his glorious an- 
 *' cestors. — Given at Toledo, this 29th of 
 September, 164I. 
 
 The duke de Medina, conformably to 
 his challenge, did not fail to appear on the 
 field of battle. He was armed cap-a-pee^ 
 and escorted by don John de Garray, 
 colonel-commandant of the Spanish troops. 
 Parleys were beaten, and defiances pub- 
 lished in the usual form ; but no one ap- 
 peared on the part of the king of Portugal. 
 That prince was indeed much too prudent 
 to act a part in so ridiculous a comedy ; 
 and even had the affair been of a more 
 serious nature, it would have been highly 
 improper in a sovereign thus to expose his 
 person with a subject of his enemy. 
 
 The prime minister, whilst amusing the 
 people with this idle puppet shew, did not 
 neglect turning the whole of his sovereign's 
 indignation on the marquis d'Aiamonte, 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 155 
 
 and giving him up to the utmost rigour of 
 the law. This nobleman had been put 
 under arrest, and it was requisite to induce 
 him to make a full confession of his guilt ; 
 he was therefore flattered with the hope of 
 pardon, and assured that it depended on 
 him alone to experience the same mercy 
 from the best of kings, as had been al- 
 ready shewn to the duke of Medina: but 
 that sovereigns, like the Almighty, whose 
 representatives on earth they were, granted 
 pardon to those only who sincerely re- 
 pented, and who confessed their guilt. 
 
 1 he marquis, seduced by these promises, 
 and particularly by the acquittal of his ac- 
 complice, the duke de Medina, signed 
 every thing which was required of him, and 
 this very confession was brought against 
 him. He was accordingly arraigned, tried, 
 and condemned to lose his head. He 
 listened to this sentence, which was passed 
 upon him in the evening, with the most 
 surprising composure, and without breath- 
 ing a single complaint against the duke, or 
 the prime minister. He afterwards supped 
 with his usual appetite, and slept so soundly 
 the whole of the night, that his judges were 
 obliged to awaken him to convey him to 
 the place of execution, whither he walked 
 in profound silence^ and died with a degree 
 
laG HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS^ 
 
 of firmness worthy a better cause. Thus 
 ended a conspiracy, to which the king of 
 Spain miist inevitably have fallen a victim, 
 without the intervention of the luckiest 
 chance; or, more properly speakings with- 
 out the. interference of Providence^ which 
 will not always permit such crimes to 
 prosper. 
 
 The king of Portugal having failed in 
 this attempt, turned all his thoughts to the 
 support of his crown, not only by open 
 force, but by the assistance of his allies. 
 France afforded* him all possible aid, and 
 piqued itself on thus protecting the most 
 ancient branch of its last race of kings. 
 This foreipn war was likewise useful in 
 causing a diversion, and giving employ- 
 ment to part of the Spanish forces. 
 
 The Portugueze gained several advan- 
 tages at different times over the Spaniards, 
 and thus prevented them from approach- 
 ing the frontiers. The king of Portugal 
 might even have penetrated into Castille^ 
 had his generals been more able, or his 
 body of regular troops more considerable. 
 The greater part of his army being com- 
 posed of militia, was much litter to make 
 incursions than to keep the field : he was 
 frequently destitute even of means to pay 
 his troops, and having abolished most of 
 
OF PORTUGAL, 15 f 
 
 the taxes on his first accession to the 
 crown, in order to gain the favour of his 
 people ; it would have been a dangerous 
 experiment to have re-estabHshed them 
 under so new a government. With all 
 these disadvantages, however, he contrived 
 to support the war against Spain, very 
 nearly seventeen years. That country 
 could not boast of greater generals thaa 
 Portugal ; each nation gained more by the 
 weakness of its opponent, than by its own 
 strength ; and the exhausted treasury of 
 Philip the IVth, at the latter end of his 
 reign, supplied the place of riches to the 
 new king of Portugal. This prince de- 
 parted this life on the 6th of November, 
 1656; and the Portugueze, unable to call 
 forth the attention of posterity to the most 
 striking qualities of their king, confine 
 their praises to his moderation and piety ; 
 whilst impartial historians accuse him of 
 want of courage, diffidence of himself, 
 mistrust of others, reserve towards the 
 nobles, who found it difiicult to approach 
 his person, whilst he conversed openly and 
 familiarly with his ancient domestics 
 alone, and more especially with the friend 
 and companion of his confessor. The only 
 inference to be drawn from this conduct is, 
 that this prince, naturally peaceable, and 
 p 
 
158 HISTORY OF THE REVOLLiTIONS 
 
 given up to his devotions^ might be said to 
 possess the good quahties of a private in- 
 dividual, though never the splendid virtues 
 of a great king. His accession to the 
 crown of Portugal must then be solely at- 
 tributed to the hatred borne by the people 
 of that country to the Spaniards, and to 
 the adroit management of his queen, who 
 made use of this national animosity to 
 raise her to the regal dignity.^ The king, 
 her husband, in his last will, appointed her 
 regeht of tli'e kingdom, rightly judging, 
 that the same conduct and courage which 
 had placed the crown on lier head, would 
 not fail to preserve it during the minority 
 of his children. He left behind him two 
 sons and one daughter ; the eldest o'f which, 
 ' don Alphonso, was nearly thirteen years 
 of age when he succeeded his father. This 
 young prince was of a melancholy disposi- 
 
 * John the IVih was of the middle size, but not 
 very well shaped. IJis hair was lii^ht, his eyes 
 sparkling, his complexion ruddy and animated, and 
 hi« counlenaiice particularly picasing. ^He was 
 sirnatned the fortunate, but he scarcely ever ap- 
 peared at the head of his army; it, may therefore be 
 .said of.him, as Edward the 11 Id of England said of 
 the French king Charles the \ th, sirnaaned the 
 wise, "that no monarch ever appeared to seldom 
 *' in arms, or gained bO many victories." 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 159 
 
 tion, and was deprived of the tise of one 
 side: his brother, the infant, don Pedro, 
 was only eight years old; and the infanta, ' 
 donna Catharine, who was the eldest of the 
 family, was born before the revolution. 
 J^on Alphonso being shewn to the people, 
 was proclaimed kingi according to the 
 usual forms, and the queen took upon her- 
 self, the same' day^ the regency of the 
 state. 
 
 The princess was very ambitious to sig- 
 nalize the commencement of her govern- 
 ment by some brilliant action ; but her 
 generals cotdd boast more bravery as sol- 
 diers, than conduct as captains, and there 
 was not one throughout the whole of Por- 
 tugal capable of either fortifying a town, or 
 conducting a siege. Neither was her 
 council much better composed; some of 
 her ministers attending more to displaying 
 their eloquence in proving the necessities 
 of the state, than in endeavoarine: to relieve 
 them ; whilst others, without attending to 
 the low state of the army in Portugal, 
 amused themselves by proposing plans of 
 conquests: thus the debates of these su- 
 preme councils generally ended in schemes 
 as ill-concerted as unsuccessful. 
 
 The considerable losses sustained by the 
 Portugueze at Olivenca and Badajos, where 
 p' 2 
 
l60 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 they were obliged to raise the siege, may, 
 in a great measure, be attributed to the 
 % above causes. They }iad also embroiled 
 themselves with Holland, on account of 
 the India trade ; and France, ever after the 
 peace of the Pyrenees^ appeared no longer 
 interested in their favour, Tha queen, 
 thus deprived of foreign allies, without 
 either disciplinjsd troops or able generals, 
 had no resource left but in the greatness 
 of her courage, which, indeed, supplied to 
 her every other loss. The weight of af- 
 fairs could not shake her steady soul ; the 
 extent of her genius, and the prudence of 
 her conduct were equal to every thing ; and 
 the agitated state of the country in the 
 commencement of her regency, served only 
 to display in more striking colours the 
 brilliant qualities of this all- accomplished 
 princess, who began her operations by 
 vesting the authority of the council in her 
 own person : she constantly read all the 
 dispatches ; nothing escaped her attention 
 and foresight, and she directed her views 
 to all those European courts from which 
 she could possibly hope for assistance. 
 
 Such noble eflbrts, and constant appli- 
 cation, succeeded in putting Portugal in a 
 state of defence against Spain ; but being 
 perfectly aware of the necessity there would 
 
OF PORTUGAL. l6l 
 
 be in future of employing foreign troops to 
 form her own, and particularly the want 
 she stood in of an able general for that pur- 
 pose, she cast her eyes on Frederic count 
 de Schomberg, whose valour and capacity 
 were already known and distinguished. 
 The regent was very desirous of appointing 
 him commander in chief of the army, but 
 she was fearful of giving umbrage to the 
 governors of arms, whose pride, would not 
 very readily have consented to act under 
 the orders of a foreign chief : she found it, 
 therefore, necessary to employ the count de 
 Soure, her ambassador at the court of 
 France, to treat with the count de Schom- 
 berg, and })ropose his appearing at first in 
 Portugal only as colonel commandant of 
 the army, promising him, however, that in 
 case of the death or resignation of the ^yq~ 
 aent governor of arms, he should imme- 
 diately be appointed commander in chief. 
 
 The, count set off for Lisbon attended by 
 eighty officers, partly captains, and partly 
 subalterns, together with more than four 
 hundred troopers, all experienced soldiers, 
 capable of forming and commanding new 
 forces 1 In compliance with secret orders 
 from the regent, the count passed through 
 England, where Charles the lid was newly 
 restored to the crown, and where he was 
 P3 
 
X62 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 to endeavour to discover whether that pro- 
 teslant piince would object to an alliance 
 with the infanta of Portugal. The count 
 acquitted himself of this commission with 
 great nicety, and succeeded in making 
 both the king, and the lord chancellor 
 Hyde, solicitous for the marriage. The 
 queen was no sooner secure of their appro- 
 bation, than she dispatched the marquis de 
 Sande to England, to carry on the nego- 
 ciation. 
 
 The king of Spain, who trembled at this 
 alliance, used every possible endeavour to 
 prevent its taking place ; he did not even 
 scruple offering three mihions pf French 
 livres to Charles the lid, to induce him to 
 espouse a protestant princess ; and hi^ am- 
 bassador proposed to him the princesses of 
 Denmark, Saxony and Orange, assuring 
 him that the king his master would adopt 
 as his daughter whichever of these prin- 
 cesses he should honour with his choice, 
 and as such, bestow her on him in mar- 
 riage. The chancellor Hyde, however, 
 represented in such forcible terms, the 
 great necessity of supporting the family of 
 Braganza on the throne of Portugal, and 
 the danger of that country being united to 
 Spain under the government of one prince, 
 that Charles decided on accepting the hand 
 
i 
 
 OF PORTUGAL. iGS 
 
 of the infanta. Thus, we see, a protestant 
 minister, engaging his sovereign to form an 
 aUiance with a cathohc, whilst a prince of 
 the hitter rehgion^ particularly distinguish- 
 ed by the title of catholic king, offered 
 immense sums to induce him to marry a 
 protestant. So true it is, that reasons of 
 state are the basis on which crowned 
 heads form their religion ; since princes, 
 in cases of this nature, are usually guided 
 by motives of self-interest alone. 
 
 The king of England, through this alli- 
 ance, contrived to make a treaty of com- 
 merce between the States-General and 
 Portugal ; and afterwards sent a considera- 
 ble body of troops, under the command of 
 the earl of Inchinquin, into that kingdom. 
 This nobleman was soon recalled, and the 
 Encrlish commanded to act under the orders 
 of the count de Schomberg, who presently 
 after his arrival in Portugal had the troops 
 of three different nations at his command. 
 The Portugueze, indeed, had a separate 
 general of their own country, but this dis- 
 tinction was a vague title, intended only to 
 flatter the ambition of the grandees, since 
 the count enjoyed the unlimited confidence 
 of the queen ; who, in fact, gave him abso- 
 lute power over the army, which he em- 
 ployed in establishing the strictest disci- 
 
1 64 HISTORY OF THE REVOLyTlONS 
 
 pline. He taught the Portugueze the 
 order to be observed on a march ; with the 
 art of encamping to the greatest advantage ; 
 and erected reg^ular fortifications on most 
 of the frontier posts, which had hitherto 
 been left in an undefended state. 
 
 The regent, thus happy in so expe- 
 rienced a general, carried on the war with 
 the greatest vigour. Her arms were al- 
 most always successful. Her troops had 
 never before been in so flourishing a state, 
 or so perfectly well disciplined ; the poor 
 blessed her government; and the grandees, 
 impressed with sentiments of fear and 
 respect, were all submission to her will ; 
 but alas ! this happy state of aflairs soon 
 underwent a painful alteration, and do- 
 mestic troubles, joined to different in- 
 trigues, gave a new turn to every thing at 
 court ; for whilst this great princess was 
 constantly and successfully employed in 
 securing the crown to her son, that prince, 
 by the irregularity of his conduct, was 
 proving himself unworthy of so dignified a 
 situation. His mind w^as low and sordid, 
 his temper gloomy and savage : he could 
 not support the idea of submitting to the 
 authority of his mother, and contemptu- 
 ously rejected the advice of his ministers. 
 The society of the noblemen appointed to 
 
I 
 
 OF PORTUGAL. . l6'5 
 
 attend him, was odious to a prince who 
 dehghted only in that of negroes and mu- 
 lattoes^ with other young men chosen from 
 the very dregs of the people ; and of these 
 wretched beings he had contrived to form 
 a little courts notwithstanding every effort 
 of his governor to prevent it. He termed 
 them his bravoeSf and thus escorted, 
 passed the night in ranging through the 
 streets of Lisbon, insulting every one who 
 had the misfortune to meet liim. 
 
 The disordered state of his intellects was 
 supposed to be occasioned by a paralytic 
 stroke, which attacked him at the age of 
 four years. The impressions it caused 
 were terrible; but his defects were left 
 uncorrected in his earliest youth, from the 
 fear of his weakness being increased by 
 severity ; hopes were also entertained, that 
 time, by strengthening his body, might 
 also temper his mind: this indulgence, 
 however, only added to his natural indo- 
 cility : his health, indeed, improved by 
 age and medicine; he was equal to the 
 strongest exercise, and fenced and rode re- 
 markably well ; but his disposition still 
 continued savage ; he acted more from vio- 
 lence than judgment ; and when the 
 passions of youth took place of those of 
 childhood, he did not scruple introducing 
 
l66 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 the vilest strumpets into the palace; nay, 
 he even frequently passed his nights in 
 the most notorious brothels, where he gave 
 way to all kinds of shameful debauchery. 
 
 The regent, deeply grieved at such con- 
 duct, rightly judged that it must inevitably 
 end in the loss of his crown, and that it 
 would finally destroy the work it had cost 
 her such pains, and so many years to com- 
 plete. She was frequently tempted to im- 
 prison him for life, and place the infant his 
 brother on the throne ; but the fear of 
 creating a civil war, of which the Spaniards 
 would not fail to profit, alone prevented 
 her taking so bold a step. She also flattered 
 herself with the possibility of reclaiming 
 the king, by depriving him of a certain 
 Conti, a tradesman's son, who was his fa- 
 vourite, and the secret agent of his de- 
 baucheries. She therefore gave orders to 
 have him secured, and sent to the Brazils, 
 from whence he was forbidden to return on 
 pain of death. 
 
 The king at first appeared thunder- 
 struck at the loss of his favourite, but he 
 soon aifected great calmness, and even be- 
 came more tractable. This alteration de- 
 lighted the queen, who congratulated her- 
 self, and was congratulated by the courtiers 
 and ministers on the success of her scheme : 
 
OF PORTUGAL. I67 
 
 but the king's apparent tranqxiillity proved 
 to be merely put on, to cover designs of a 
 deeper nature than the queen thought him 
 Capable of forming; and this sagacious 
 princess, who could penetrate into the 
 most secret recesses of a courtier's heart, 
 became the dupe of an absolute ideot. 
 
 The king, in the first moments of his 
 grief for the loss of Conti, had bewailed 
 his misfortunes to the count de Castello 
 Melhor, a Portugueze nobleman of very 
 high extraction, who, though an ambitious 
 and artful courtier, was much more capable 
 of carrying on a court intrigue, than con 
 ducting a state aftair. Such a mark of 
 confidence appeared a fair opening for the 
 count, to replace the favourite in his 
 master's aff'eciions, by pretending to pity 
 his disgrace, and by contriving methods to 
 restore him to the king. He therefore 
 began his operations, by representing to 
 his majesty, that he was himself the sole 
 cause of Conti's misfortunes, since being 
 the sovereign, and having been long of 
 age, he had nothing to do but to exert his 
 enthority, throw off that of the regent, and 
 recal his favourite, who would then return, 
 not only triumphant over his enemies, but 
 even ovei' the queen herself. 
 
 The king^ delighted with advice so con- 
 
1^8 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 formable to his natural disposition, let him 
 into every secret of his heart. Their inti- 
 macy, however, w^as carried on in a myste- 
 rious manner ; and his majesty bestovt^ed 
 no public marks of favour on the count, 
 who was fearful of incurring the suspicions 
 of the regent ; but this princess was too 
 clear sighted not to perceive his influence 
 over her son ; and meeting him one day 
 in the train of that prince, she caught him 
 by the arm, and fixing her eye upon him, 
 with that dignified aspect which made hef 
 equally respected and feared by all her 
 subjects, " Count," said she, " I am well 
 " informed of your credit with the king ; 
 " and should he commit any action* con- 
 " trary to my will, your life shall be the 
 " forfeit." 
 
 The count made no reply to this dis- 
 course, but profoundly bowing, followed 
 the king, who at that moment called him. 
 He was, however, no sooner alone with his 
 majesty, than he related all that had 
 passed ; adding, that he was very well 
 aware of the danger of his situation, being 
 on the eve of sharing the fate of Conti ; 
 but he would submit to it with pleasure, 
 could he once see his master freed from the 
 yoke of an imperious regency, which, 
 whilst it subsisted, must ever keep him in 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 1% 
 
 the back ground, with no other distinction 
 than the title of king, without either au- 
 thority or consideration. 
 
 This artful speech irritated the monarch 
 to a degree little short of madness, and he 
 was on the point of insisting on the regent's 
 delivering into his own hands the great 
 seals of the state, which are always re- 
 garded as the mark of sovereign autliority ; 
 but the count was too well acquainted 
 with the queen's empire over her son, to 
 permit him to take such a step ; he there- 
 fore advised him to retreat to Alcantara, 
 without seeing her, and from thence dis- 
 patch couriers to the magistrates of Lisbon, 
 and the governors of the provinces, to make 
 
 known his determination of takino: the 
 
 • 
 rems of government into his own hands. 
 
 In compliance with this advice, the prince, 
 
 in disguise, attended alone by the count 
 
 and his friends, arrived in the night at 
 
 Alcantara. The next morning he wrote to 
 
 the secretaries of state, commanding them 
 
 to attend him immediately ; he also sent 
 
 for the Spanish guards, and published 
 
 throughout the kingdom, that the term of 
 
 the queen-mother's regency expired with 
 
 his minority. 
 
 The greater part of the courtiers obeyed 
 
 bis majesty's summons, and the queen was 
 
 a 
 
170 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 soon deserted; she indeed had presently 
 reason to know, that borrowed authority 
 can never subsist, when it ceases to be sup- 
 ported by the legitimate power. This 
 princess, however, always herself behaved 
 with her usual dignitv ; and the noble and 
 generous manner with which she gave up 
 the sovereign authority, suthciently proved 
 how deserving: she was to reion still lon^rer, 
 and that her only motive for having pro- 
 longed the regency beyond the usual term, 
 was to ensure the happiness of the nation. 
 She inunediatfely wrote to the king, tliat it 
 little became him to act the part of an 
 usurper, and to employ clandestme mea- 
 sures to gain possession of a throne, which 
 was his lawful right; inviting him at the 
 same time to return the following dtiy to his 
 palace, when in an assembly composed of 
 the erandees, and. principal njagistrates of 
 the city, she would herself present him 
 with the seals, and give up to him the go- 
 vernment of the kinodom. Tlie kino; ac- 
 cordingly went back to [>isbon, where the 
 queen, true to her promise, convene(i the 
 grandee- ^of the kingdom, together with 
 those dignified with titles, and the heads of 
 orders, and in their presence gave the 
 purse which contained the seals to his 
 majesty : " Here/' said she, *' are the 
 
OF rORTUGAL. 17 1 
 
 ** seals wl^ich were confidcid to me as regent 
 *' of your kingdom, by virtue of the last 
 "■ will of my lord the Lite king". I commit 
 *' them most willin^^ly into the hands of 
 ** your majesty, and 1 heartily pray God, 
 ** that the prosperity of your government 
 *' mav equal the wishes i form in your 
 ** favour." The king, taking the seals, 
 presented them to the secretary of state ; 
 after which, the infant, his brother, and 
 all the grandees, kissed his majesty's hand, 
 and acknowledo:ed him a second time their 
 lawful sovereign. 
 
 The queen declared her resolution of re- 
 treating into a convent at the expiration of 
 six months ; and she delayed thus long, 
 merelv to have an eye on the measures 
 pursued by government. The favourite, 
 dreading the exalted genius of this prin- 
 cess, and the natural influence of a mother 
 over a son, prevailed on the king to treat 
 her on several occasions with great dis- 
 respect, in order to hasten her retreat. The 
 proud and haughty spirit of the queen 
 could not submit to such indignities, and 
 she retired immediately into a convent, 
 wliere, perfectly convinced of the vanity 
 of worldly grandeur, she passed her whole 
 time in preparing for that, of which no 
 human means coul-d ever deprive her. She 
 a 2 
 
172 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 <lid not survive her departure from court 
 quite a twelvemonth, dying on the 18th 
 of February, l6'Go. This princess was 
 possessed of a most superior genius : to the 
 virtues of the softer sex, she added those 
 by which the other is particularly distin- 
 guished. Seated on a throne, she- dis- 
 played the splendid qualities of a great 
 sovereign ; and when retired into a convent, 
 she seemed to have banished from her 
 memory the regal diadem which had once 
 graced her brow. 
 
 The king, no longer restrained by the 
 authority of this wise princess, gave way 
 openly to the natural ferocity of his dispo- 
 sition, attacking by night, accompanied by 
 his bravoes;, every one he met, and even 
 assailing the watch, and all others appointed 
 to attend to the security of the city. 
 Whenever he indulged himself in these 
 nocturnal rambles, the next morning never 
 failed bringing to light some tragical his- 
 tory, of which he was the hero; and the 
 people felt as much dismayed on meeting 
 him in the streets, as at the appearance of 
 a savage beast escaped from his den. 
 
 The count de Castello Melhor endea- 
 voured to conceal excesses to which he 
 owed his authority. A true courtier, though 
 a weak unskilful minister; he was arro- 
 
I 
 
 OF PORTUGAL. 1 73 
 
 gant and proud when success crowned his 
 wishes, hut dismayed and helpless on a re- 
 verse of fortune. Portugal, thus governed, 
 must inevitahly have perished, had not the 
 weakness of Spain secured its safety. 
 
 The king, don Alphonso, whose autho- 
 rity did not extend beyond the walls of 
 his palace, gave up the whole charge of the 
 government to the care of his favourite^ re- 
 serving no other part of the sovereign 
 jxjwer, than the privilege of committing 
 every species of extravagance with impu- 
 nity- 
 
 The Spaniards thoue^ht this a favourable 
 opportunity to attack Portugal, which they 
 flattered themselves would be easily sub- 
 dued, whilst governed by an idiot and 
 madman. They therefore raised a con- 
 siderable army, which was commanded by 
 don John of Austria, a natural son of Philip 
 the IVth. The count de Schomberg 
 headed the Portugueze troops, though the 
 title of general belonged to the count de 
 Villaflor; and it was to the valour and 
 conduct of the former alone, the king of 
 Portugal owed the ])reservation of his 
 crown. That great officer gained several 
 different victories over the Castilians ; and 
 those with less difficulty than he con- 
 quered the obstinacy of the Portugueze 
 ft 3 
 
174 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 general ; whose jealousy of his glory was 
 so great, that he was continually thwarting 
 every plan which he feared might increase 
 it. The French general, however, pos- 
 sessed the full confidence, not only of the 
 court, but more especially of the troops, 
 who were eao;er to follow a commander 
 whom victory always crowned with suc- 
 cess. 
 
 The minister attributed to his, own 
 management the glory of this good fortune, 
 though his only share in the business was 
 his being the first to receive the intelli- 
 gence ; thus his credit daily increased, and 
 he was in possession of the sovereign au- 
 thority3 under the name of the king, whom 
 he directed as a mere machine, the springs 
 of which he employed according to his 
 will and interest; taking advantage of the 
 violent passions of his master to prejudice 
 him against all those whom he mistrusted; 
 by which means he presently removed the 
 greater part of the ministers who acted 
 during the regency, and replaced them by 
 creatures of his own, in every respect de- 
 I'oted to his pleasure. The council, and 
 indeed the whole court, underwent a 
 thorough change ; nor did these new 
 members remain longer in office than 
 whilst they were either useful or agreeable 
 
OF PORTUGAL. l^j 
 
 to the minister; who even contrived to 
 banish Conti a second time from Portugal. 
 The king, anxious for the presence of his 
 first favourite, had given orders for his re- 
 turn from the Brazils; but no sooner did 
 the count hear of his landing, than he 
 forbad his appearing at court, and sent this 
 imperious message by the same courier 
 who had been dispatched by the king to 
 express the joy he felt at his arrival. This 
 wretched prince, impressed with the most 
 slavish fear of his minister, never ventured 
 to see Conti in public ; and the count 
 dreading the effect these secret meetings 
 'might have on his credit, decided on break- 
 ing off the connexion, by accusing Conti 
 of being engaged in a conspiracy against 
 his majesty ; an accusation void of proofs, 
 witnesses, or even the shadow of proba- 
 bility, but which was sufficient to com- 
 plete the ruin of his unfortunate rival. 
 
 The minister, thus relieved from the 
 presence of Conti, turned his whole atten- 
 tion towards the infant, don Pedro, the 
 brother of the king. This young prince, 
 now no longer a child, appeared noble and 
 generous : he was esteemed and looked up 
 to by the Portugueze, who could not fail 
 to approve and admire the regularity of his 
 conduct, and still more so, from the com- 
 
176 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 parison they naturally made between him 
 and their monarch. 
 
 The count, not satisfied with the em- 
 pire he had gained over his master, was 
 desirous of having the two brothers equally 
 at his disposal, he therefore placed his own 
 brother in the household of the infant, 
 flattering himself that he would soon ob- 
 tain his confidence. The young prince 
 received this brother most obligingly, and 
 even treated him with particular attention^ 
 but never admitted him into his intimacy 
 or esteem. His friendship and confidence 
 were indeed much more worthily bestowed ; 
 for the regent, who had always regarded 
 don Pedro as the principal support of the 
 royal family, had early taken care to place 
 men of the first abilities about his person. 
 These prudent governors, and faithful 
 friends, rej)resented to this young prince 
 the probability of his one day mounting 
 the throne, should the king continue his 
 disorderly course of life, or should he have 
 no children, which they hinted was not 
 very likely to be the case; whilst on the 
 other side, they put him on his guard 
 against the artful designs of the minister, 
 whose interest was so deeply concerned in 
 prolonging the reign of Alphonso. Views 
 of so different a tendency, naturally formed 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 177 
 
 two parties as different at court : that of 
 the minister was the most considerable, 
 since it was composed of those who con- 
 stantly attend at the fountain-head of 
 places and preferments : but the old mi- 
 nisters, who foresaw the short duration of 
 so violent a government, and the first no- 
 bility of the kingdom, who could not 
 patiently submit to the authority of the 
 favourite, paid their court to the infant, 
 don Pedro, as to the presumptive heir to 
 the crown. 
 
 - The minister perceiving that the hopes 
 of the opposite party were entirely founded 
 on the reported impotence of the king, de- 
 termined on his immediate marriage. Pro- 
 posals were therefore made to the court of 
 France, for Mary Elizabeth Frances, of 
 Savoy, the daughter of Charles Amadeus, 
 duke de Nemours, and of Elizabeth de 
 Vendome. These proposals being accepted, 
 the princess was conducted into Portugal 
 by her uncle, (a la mode de Bretagne^J 
 Caesar d'ICstrees, bishop and duke de Laon, 
 so well known throughout the whole of 
 Europe by the illustrious title of cardinal 
 
 * Her Welch uncle, i. e. her father's or mother's 
 first CO u Si a. 
 
1 78 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 d'Estrdes. This prelate was accompanied 
 by the marquis de Ruvign^, ambassador 
 extraordinary from the court of France, 
 together with a numerous train of gentle- 
 men and persons of distinction, who were 
 either friends or domestics of the house of 
 Savo}^, or attached in different manners to 
 those of Vendome and d'Estrees. 
 
 The marriage ceremony was performed 
 with the magnificence usually displayed 
 on ,such occasions. The extraordinary 
 beauty of the young queen caused uni- 
 versal admiration ; don Pedro aj)peared 
 enchanted with her perfections, but the 
 king still remained ins^ensible ; and the 
 world soon began to suspect that the 
 quality of queen, and wife to the king, 
 were vain titles, and merely intended as a 
 veil to conceal the natural infirmities of 
 that prince. 
 
 The minister had flattered himself with 
 gaining the same empire over the mind of 
 the young princess, as he had so U ng pos- 
 sessed over that of his sovereign ; he con- 
 sequently treated her, at first, with the 
 profoundest respect, but he soon perceived 
 that she was endowed with too much 
 sense, courage, and proper pride, to stdfer 
 herself to be governed by a subject. Fired 
 
eF PORTUGAL. 179 
 
 with revenge, he took every opportunity to 
 make her feel his power. All state affairs 
 were most carefully concealed fron:i her; 
 and if ever she clianced to interest herself 
 in private concerns, she as constantly failed 
 in her designs; since a recommendation 
 from her was a sufficient title of exclusion 
 with the minister. He next proceeded to 
 stop the payment of her pension, and 
 those of her liousehold, on pretence of the 
 necessities of the stale, and the expencesof 
 the War having exhausted the royal trea- 
 sury; and the king, whom the favourite 
 sometimes let loose on the objects of his 
 hatred, behaved with such rude violence 
 to don Pedro and the queen, that the latter 
 was frequently seen retiring from his apart- 
 ment bathed in tears, and in the deepest 
 distress. 
 
 Her beauty, her misfortunes, the com- 
 plaints of the ladies and officers of her 
 court, who no longer received their sala- 
 ries, contributed to render her an object 
 of compassion to all who were not imme- 
 diately the tools of the favourite. Thrs a 
 third party was formed at court, where 
 nothing' was talked of but tht^ banenne-s 
 of the queen, though a twelve-fnonth had 
 not yet elapsed since her marriage. 
 
180 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 * Strange reports were assiduously cir- 
 culated relative, to a door which the king 
 had ordered to be made close to the queen's 
 bed-side, and of which he alone kept the 
 key. The queen appeared alarmed at this 
 circumstance, which was alike injurious to 
 her virtue and her reputation : and her 
 friends and favourers publicly declared, 
 that the minister, being decided on procur- 
 ing heirs for his majesty, (no matter by 
 what means) flattered himself with the 
 hopes of concealing, through the medium 
 of this mysterious door, the natural infirmi- 
 ties of his master, though at the price of 
 the queen's honour. ^ 
 * This princess disclosed her apprehen- 
 sions to her confessor, who advised her to 
 communicate them to the confessor of don 
 Pedro. Two religious men, though ap- 
 parently attached to different interests, 
 decided on acting in concert in a circum- 
 stance not only extremely delicate, but of 
 the highest consequence to them both. 
 Their friends were of opinion that it would 
 be verjr possible to reconcile these said in- 
 terests, by pursuing the original designs 
 formed by the regent. The two factions. 
 
 * See Memoirs of Fremont d'Ablancourt, 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 181 
 
 once so different, soon formed but one 
 party. The queen contrived to engage the 
 count de Schornberg, commander of the 
 forces, to favour her plan, and the infant, 
 who knew no bounds to his hoj>es and de- 
 sires, secured in his interest the principal 
 magistrates of the city, together with every 
 person who stood high in the opinion of 
 the people. 
 
 The king in his own person was regarded 
 as a mere cypher, and as such would have 
 been easily set aside ; but he was supported 
 by an artful and ambitious minister, who 
 knew how to make the august name of 
 sovereign respectable in the eyes of the 
 people. The first step, therefore, to be 
 taken, was to remove this artful favourite 
 from the post he held in the palace, and 
 they were well aware it would be no easy 
 task to make him resign the government of 
 the kingdom. For this purpose, they se- 
 cretly tampered with one of his most inti- 
 mate friends, whom they engaged to repre- 
 sent to him, that don Pedro attributed the 
 ill treatment he received from his brother 
 to him alone; and that the prince having 
 sworn to complete his ruin, his safety de- 
 pended on his quitting the court. Naturally 
 timid, the minister imniediately publi>hed 
 this intelligence, and doubled the number 
 
 R 
 
182 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 of guards usually attendant on his person. 
 He also armed all the officers of the house- 
 hold, and endeavoured to persuade the 
 king to place himself at their head, and 
 thus attended, arrest don Pedro in his 
 own apartment: but the king, mad and 
 violent as he was in his nightly rambles, 
 when no one dared to oppose him, would 
 not consent to a plan which he foresaw 
 could not be executed without resistance 
 and danger ; he accordingly contented him- 
 self with writing to the infant, and com- 
 manding his immediate attendance. The 
 prince excused his disobedience, on account 
 of the injurious reports published against 
 him by the n.inicter; representing, that 
 the count being sole niaster in the palace, 
 he c(>uld not possibly enter it till he should 
 be removed. Several letters passtd between 
 his • ajesty and the infant on this occasion, 
 all .-f vvhi(h were made public. The king 
 at last made oilers of sending the count to 
 sue f r pardon at his brother's feet; but 
 the infant, \yhose views soared mu- h be- 
 yond the poor triumph of revenoing him- 
 self for n poor's of which lie himself was the 
 secret aurijor, would accept ot no other 
 alternative than the minister's dismissal 
 from the palace. 'This affair caused uni^ 
 verbal uiborder ; ti^ie court and city were in 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 183 
 
 [] agitation, and every thing seemed 
 preparing for a civil war. The minister 
 was sensibly affected at having lost the 
 support of the count de Schomberg. The 
 greater part of the grandees openly de- 
 clared in favour of the prince don Pedro; 
 and to add to the minister's distress, his 
 own friends, nay, even his relations, re- 
 fused risking their safety in his behalf, 
 ailed ging, that they were r\ot suificiently 
 in f )roe to resist the infant's party, sup- 
 ported as it was by that of the queen. 
 The count, thus abandoned by the crea^ 
 tares who had hitherto basked in the sun- 
 shine of his favour, lost all courage, and 
 quilting the palace at night, and in dis- 
 guise, retired to a monastery seven leagues 
 from Lisbon ; and From thence proceeding 
 to Italy, sought an asylum in the court of 
 
 Til • '^ 
 
 1 arm. 
 
 The infant immediately attended at the 
 palace, on pretence of paying his devoirs 
 to his majesty ; but his presence inspiring 
 universal submission, he presently dis- 
 carded ail the remaining tools of the 
 minister. The king, thus deprived of his 
 usual advisers, was entirely at the n)ercy of 
 his brother, who dared not, however, pos- 
 sess himself of the crown ; well aware that 
 such conduct would brand him with the 
 R 2 
 
184 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 odious epithet of usurper. He had indeed 
 no pretence for so bold an action, nor 
 could he possibly obtain the sovereign 
 power, but from an act of legal authority, 
 which must take place in a general assembly 
 of the slates. 
 
 The king alone having the power of 
 convening this absembiy^ he was recom- 
 mended to adt pt a measure, which it was 
 pretended the necessities of the state made 
 requisite^ since such necesaitieti could not 
 be reheved without the concurrfnce and 
 assistance of his subjects. Naturally wenk 
 as was this prince, he soon perceived the 
 intention of this meeting was to conspire 
 against his authority ; be consequently 
 evaded for a long time attending to the 
 several petitions, which, at the instigation 
 of the iufarit, were presented to him by the 
 different bodies of the people; but at last 
 the council drew up a resolution, which 
 they obliged him to sign, making thus this 
 wretched prince the instrument, and-even 
 the promoter of his own destruction. The 
 assembly by this act was convened for the 
 firstof January l6'6l. 
 
 * Don Pedro having succeeded in an 
 
 * Memoirs of Fremoat d'Ablancourt. 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 1S5 
 
 enterprise, on which he founded his hopes 
 of future grandeur, the queen acting in 
 concert with him, next appeared upon the 
 stage. She began her operations by retir- 
 ing into a convent, from whence she imme- 
 diately wrote to the king, that her con- 
 science would no longer permit her remain- 
 ing in the palace ; and since no one knew 
 better than himself that he had never lived 
 with her as her husband, she only requested 
 that he would be pleased to return her 
 dowry, and permit her to seek an asylum 
 in her own country, and under the protec- 
 tion of her own family. 
 
 The king, on receiving this letter, flew 
 in a transport of rage to the convent, to 
 force back his queen ; but don Pedro, who 
 foresaw what would happen, and whose 
 authority in the capital was already greater 
 than his brother s, appeared at the gates of 
 the convent, accompanied by the nobles of 
 his party, and obliged the king to return 
 to the j)alace, where he called upon his 
 different mistresses to vouch for his virility ; 
 and broke forth into violent threats against 
 the queen and don Pedro ; the latter, far 
 from regarding the resentmeUt of a king 
 destitute of counsellors and strength, was 
 resolved on putting a tmishing stroke to 
 his power; he therefore repaired the foU 
 113 
 
ISG HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 lowing morning to the palace, followed by 
 the whole of the nobility, magistrates, cor- 
 poration, and an immense multitude of 
 people, all anxious to know the event of 
 so serious an affair. On entering the 
 palace, he was met by all the counsellors 
 of state, who waited his arrival, and after a 
 short conference, he sent orders to have 
 the king put under arrest in his own apart- 
 ment; which done, he was soon obliged to 
 sign his abdication. 'I'he infant, however, 
 did not venture to assume the title of king, 
 but that of regent was bestowed upon him 
 by the states-general, who took the oath of 
 allegiance accordingly. Peace with Spain 
 was the first object which engaged the at- 
 tention of the new regent ; the king of 
 England acted as mediator in the business, 
 and the king of Spain, by a solemn treaty, 
 acknowledged the crown of Portugal hence- 
 forward independent on that of Castille. 
 
 Nothing was now wanting to complete 
 the happiness of the regent, but to obtain 
 the hand of his sister-in-law in marriage. 
 The queen, on entering the convent, had 
 presented a petition to the chapter of the 
 cathedral church, (the see being vacant) 
 demanding the dissolution of a marriage, 
 which could never be consummated during 
 nearly fifteen months cohabitation. The 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 18^ 
 
 chapter pronounced it null and void, 
 wltlwiit any other juridical formalities^ 
 than the negation of the proctor y and the 
 non-appearance of the party complained 
 against ; the impediment ^ as the sentence 
 imports^ being reduced to a moral "cer- 
 tainty, without any necessity of farther 
 proofs, or longer delay. The regent thus, 
 by means of formalities which the ge- 
 nerahty of judges very willingly accommo- 
 date to the wishes of those possessed of 
 sovereign authority, found himself at liberty 
 to espouse the queen: he was advised, 
 however, out of respect to public decency, 
 to obtain a dispensation from the pope, 
 which dispensation, Mr. de Verjus, from a 
 fortunate concurrence of circumstances, 
 happened* to bring from France at this 
 very juncture. Tliis brief was obtained 
 from the cardinal de Vendome, at that time 
 the pope's legate a Latere, who had been 
 invested with that temporary dignity, for 
 the purpose of assisting, in the name of his 
 holiness, at the baptism of the dauphin. 
 The bishop of Targa, coadjutor to the 
 archbishop of Lisbon, bestowed the nup 
 
 * This event was not quite believed to be the 
 effect of chance. 
 
188 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 tial henediction on the regent and queen, 
 by virtue of this brief^ which was after- 
 wards confirmed by that of pope Innocent 
 the IXth, which was thought necessary, 
 not only to cahn their consciences, but 
 to ensure peace and tranquilHty in the 
 kingdom. 
 
 King Alphonso was banished to the 
 islands of Tercera, which make part of the 
 Portugueze dominions. The people, ever 
 deeply interested for the unfortunate, 
 openly declared, that lie was sufficiently 
 punished in the loss of his crown and con- 
 sort, without depriving him of the hberty 
 of breathing his native air: but, alas ! a 
 dethroned prince seldom finds friends or 
 protectors. Not a single grandee dared to 
 espouse his cause, or plead in his favour, 
 being well aware that the regent would 
 never forgive an instance of compassion, 
 which might in the end prove fatal to his 
 government. 
 
 Don Alphonso remained in exile till the 
 year 1675, when he was recalled by the 
 regent, who suspected him of having formed 
 a party to assist him in his escape from the 
 islands of Tercera, and to re-establish him 
 on the throne. 
 
 This prince died in the neighbourhood 
 
or PORTUGAL. 189 
 
 of Lisbon* in l6S3, leaving his brother 
 the liberty of assuming the title of king, 
 the only right of which he had not already 
 despoiled the unfortunate monarch. 
 
 The death of Alphonso the Vlth, having 
 removed all apprehensions from the breast 
 of don Pedro, he remained in future unri- 
 valled possessor of a throne^ which, flatter- 
 ing as it was to his ambition, most proba- 
 bly cost him some moments of remorse. 
 This sunshine ofprosperity was in the tirst 
 year of his reign overclouded by the death 
 of the queen, an event sincerely deplored 
 by his majesty ; who, however, having 
 paid the just tribute of his tears to her 
 memory, efiipl oyed his mevy thought in 
 allev'Mting tlie misery of a people who had 
 sympathised in hi^ miisfortunes, and whose 
 love towards a sovereign, whom they re- 
 garded as a father, made them deeply 
 regret his being left without male heirs. 
 He therefore, in compliance with their 
 solicitations, consented to form a second 
 marriage, and on the 2d of July, l6*82, 
 espoused Mary Elizabeth, the daughter of 
 William, elector palatine of the Rhine. 
 This princess, one of the most accom- 
 plished women of the age she lived in, bore 
 
 * At Cintra, on the 12th of September, 
 
190 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 him several cbildren, and died on the 4th 
 of August, 16.Q.9. 
 
 The great affection felt by the Portu- 
 gueze for this monarch, will not appear 
 extraordinary, if we trace back the whole 
 of his conduct from the commencement of 
 his aihninistraiion as regent^ and the situa- 
 tion of Portugal at the moment he took 
 into his own hands the reins of govern- 
 ment. Having settled every thing relative 
 to the abdication of the king, with the 
 stateo general, his next care was to con- 
 vince the people, tiiai his true and o) ly 
 motive for taku g upon himself Uie sove- 
 reign authority, was ihq good of the pub- 
 lie. Those i'ortugueze who had presumed 
 to attribute this action to personal interest 
 Were most severely | unished : nothing, 
 however, contributed so much to silence 
 the clamours of the friends and favourites 
 of the deposed monarch, as the plan of 
 conduct adopted by his successor; a plan 
 from which he never departed during the 
 whole course of his life. 
 
 Don Pedro, during his regency, and 
 even after he became king, instead of in- 
 creasing the expence of his household, in- 
 troduced the practice of the strictest 
 ceconomy; and so far from being sur- 
 
©F PORTUGAL. I9I 
 
 rounded by a pompous train of attendants, 
 he was waited upon by a single domestic. 
 He very frequently eat alone, seated upon 
 a piece of cork on the floor, and neither 
 drank wine himselfj nor permitted any one 
 who did to approach him. He passed the 
 greatest part of his time with his ministers, 
 and often negociated aifairs himself with 
 foreign ambassad .rs, when his penetrating 
 eye saw through their deepest designs, and 
 disconcerted their best combined projects. 
 He placed the greatest confidence in his 
 relation, the duke de Ca laval, and had 
 never any reason to repent his choice. He 
 renewal the treaties entered into with 
 England and Holland, and took care they 
 should in-^ert no clause contrary to his 
 views, which were to preserve the strictest 
 neutrality with his neighbours. He rejected 
 the pressing solicitations of . Louis the 
 XlVth, to join with him against Spain, 
 and was proof against the most brilliant 
 proposals made him by that monarch, at 
 a time too when Louis had subdued the 
 Low Countries, invaded Holland, con- 
 quered Francbe Comt^, crossed the Pyre- 
 nees, and penetrated into Catabnia. 
 
 The Spanish government mav !)e said to 
 ha-.e acted a most viUainoas parr at this 
 juncture, if it indeed be true, as has been 
 
192 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 asserted, that it was then secretly contriv- 
 ing the assassination of so firm and faith- 
 ful an ally. 
 
 The court of Portugal being at the baths 
 of Obidos, received intelligence that a most 
 dreadful plot was formed to massacre the 
 regent, his consort, the infanta his daughter, 
 and replace Alphonso the Vlth on the 
 throne. The criminals were presently dis- 
 covered, seized, tried, and condemned to 
 die. Don Francisco Mendoca, don Anto- 
 nio de Cavida, and their accomplices were 
 accordingly publicly executed. The inquest 
 taken on this trial had been carefully con- 
 cealed ; yet still it transpired that the 
 Spanish ambassador was not unacquainted 
 with this horrible conspiracy. The cool- 
 ness subsisting between him and the court 
 increased the suspicions of the public ; but 
 the dignity of the diplomatic character 
 secured his person. The Portugueze mi- 
 nister at the court of Madrid was very soon 
 after most grossly insulted in 'his own 
 house, and not being able to obtain redress, 
 returned to Lisbon. Affronts which it was 
 impossible to revenge were passed over in 
 silence by the prudent regent ; who, how- 
 ever, (fid not neglect taking every precau- 
 tion which the situation of his affairs made 
 necessary, lie caused tiie frontiers to be 
 
OFPORTUGAU 19^ 
 
 put in a proper state of defence, and sent a 
 well armed squadron to the Terceres (or 
 Azores) islands, to fetch back his brother 
 Alphonso, who, it had been purposely re- 
 ported, was improperly treated in that 
 place. The war between France and Spain 
 Was still carried on, though to all appear- 
 ance it was drawinor towards an end ; and 
 the very moment don Pedro became ac- 
 quainted with the overtures for peace made 
 at Nimeguen, he offered to act as mediator 
 between the two powers. This proposal 
 was received by Louis the XlVth with a 
 degree of haughtiness and contempt which 
 drew upon himself the never-ending re- 
 sentment of a prince, to wiiom he was very 
 soon afterwards forced to sue for succour. 
 
 Let us now take a cursory view of the 
 situation of Portugal at that critical junc- 
 ture. The pains taken by the regent to 
 put the finishing stroke to a war which 
 had lasted twenty-six years, have been al- 
 ready remarked; but great as were the 
 nnseries it had caused, they uere much less 
 distressing, and much easier repaired than 
 those suffered by Portugal, whilst under 
 the dominion of Spain : such indeed were 
 those calamities, that time itself lias been 
 unable lo repair them. 
 
 During ttie sixty years this unhappy 
 s 
 
194 / HISTORY OF THE REV0LUT50NS 
 
 country groaned under the Spanish yoke, 
 the navy was ahnost entirely destroyed ; 
 more than 200 large merchantmen were 
 lost. The ar5?ena]s and forts were rohbed 
 of above 2000 brass cannons, with an infi- 
 nite number of iron ones ; and the great 
 square at Seville was at one time filled with 
 J^rOO pieces of cannon, all marked with the 
 arms of Portugal. Two hundred millions 
 of golden crowns were taken out of the 
 country between the years 1584 and 1626 ; 
 and the finest estates and richest domains 
 were bellowed on Spanish subjects. The 
 Dutch deprived them too of the islands of 
 Ceylon, Ternate, and Tidor; they forced 
 Malacca to surrender after a Ions; siege, 
 took possession of the ports of Mina and 
 Arguiu on the coast of Guinea, and formed 
 different settlements in Brazil ; in short, 
 such were the losses sustained by the Por- 
 tugueze during these sixty years, that all 
 their efforts have been hitherto inadequate 
 entirely to repair them. .The spice and 
 East India trade which they had carried on 
 exclusively (luring a whole century, then 
 ivll into the h'ands of the Dutch and 
 Eiigh- 'li ; and the Poriogaeze govrjnment 
 fin«iing.2t itn|jcsslble to regain this valuable 
 branch <;f comn ,. -ce, ttir!\ed all their 
 thoughts towards brazil, irom which they 
 
0F PORTUGAL. 195 
 
 had no sraall difficulty in driving the 
 Dutch. Don Pedro Hkewise, on his first 
 accession to the crown^ made this important 
 colony one of the principal ohjects of his 
 attention, and spared no pains to extend it 
 to the uttnost of his pawer. 
 
 It hecame necessary at this time to in- 
 crease the authority of the missionaries, 
 who, from their first entrance into the in- 
 terior parts of America, had defended their 
 proselites against *the armed savages, with 
 no otlier weapons than the gospel of Christ 
 in one hand, and a cmcifix in the other. 
 An ordinance was therefore published on 
 the 2 1st of Decern b;er, l686\ which de- 
 clared that the holy fathers of the society 
 of Jesiis should not onlij he invested with 
 the spiritual government, as before, but 
 also the political and temporal one, over 
 the towns and villages under their ad- 
 ministration. 
 
 Some years after the publication of this 
 edict, which, though it opened a passage 
 for the Portugueze to the gold and diamond 
 mines in Brazil, had nearly been attended 
 by the most fatal consequences in Para- 
 guay, the richest fleet which ever sailed 
 from Brazil entered the port of Lisbon. 
 It contained more than a ton and a half of 
 gold^ and came most opportunely to relieve 
 S 2 
 
l^S IllSTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 the exigencies of don Pedro, who, foresee- 
 ing the events that vroirld most probably 
 follow the death of Charles the lid of 
 Spain, was preparing a considerable arma- 
 ment, which was attended by so great an 
 expeuce, that the royal treasury being 
 nearly exhausted, he was under the ne- 
 cessity of having recourse to the corfes, 
 from whom he obtained a supply of 6oo,000 
 crowns. 
 
 Louis the XlVth, deeply interested in 
 the motions of Portugal, was presently in- 
 formed of this new subsidy, and ihe appa- 
 rent motives ailedged by the king to induce 
 its being speedily granted. This intelli- 
 gence did not at first aj^pedrto make much 
 impression on the French monarch, but he 
 soon after took umbrage at it, and still 
 more particularly on hearing that the 
 Spanish ambassador continued living in a 
 great style at Lisbon, had an opera per- 
 formed in his own house, gave the most 
 magnificent entertainments, and had suc- 
 ceeded in gaining the favour of the king 
 of Portugal. 
 
 The court of France was very well aware, 
 that don Pedro had legitimate claims on 
 t!ie crown of Spain, that his vicinity to 
 Madrid would facilitate his views, and that 
 he might easily find allies to support his 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 197 
 
 pretensions ; it was therefore thought ex- 
 pedient to dispatch an envoy extraordinary 
 with orders to sound the intentions of the 
 court of Lisbon on this subject. 
 
 The nearer Charles the lid approached 
 towards his end, tlie more were the powers 
 of Europe employed in forming plans for 
 dividing his inheritance. Different treaties 
 had been formed durino^ the course of his 
 illness between France, England, and the 
 United Provinces ; but these were pre- 
 sently annulled, when on the demise of 
 that prince, his will declared Philip, duke 
 d'Anjou, heir to the crown of Spain. The 
 new king was at first acknowledged by all 
 the powers in Europe, except the Empire : 
 he took upon himself the title of Philip 
 the Vth, and departed immediately for 
 Spain. It was this occasion which gave 
 rise to the following memorable speech of 
 Louis the XJVth : ^' 311/ son, there are 
 '^ now vo longer anTf Pi/renees;'' a speech 
 which unhappily was but too soon for- 
 gotten, since the first war undertaken by 
 France, after that of the succession, was 
 against the Spaniards. 
 
 Philip the Vth entered his new do- 
 minions without the smallest opposition ; 
 he was received with much solemnity^ and 
 with every testimony of joy^ on the .14th 
 s 3 
 
198 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 of April, 1701, at Madrid, where the peo- 
 ple took the oath of allegiance, and ex- 
 pressed an attachment to his person, which 
 neither time, nor reverse of fortune, had 
 ever the power to weaken. Destitute of 
 troops sufficient to oppose the united forces 
 of France and Spain, and without allies to 
 furnish him with supplies, don Pedro gave 
 ap for the present all idea of bringing for- 
 ward the claims of the house of Braganza 
 to the crown of Spain, and hastened to form 
 an alliance with Louis the XlVth and 
 Philip the Vth, as the properest means of 
 preventing the kings of Spain from renew- 
 ing their pretensions to that of Portugal. 
 
 This alliance was greatly approved by 
 the public ; the Portugueze still bearing in 
 mind the misery of their situation, whilst 
 under the dominion of the house of Austria, 
 and remembering with pleasure and grati- 
 tude the signal services rendered them by 
 that of Bourbon. Their great disinclina- 
 tion to war, also added to their satisfaction, 
 since they had now every reason to flatter 
 themselves they might be suffered to re- 
 main neuter; but this hope, alas I was pre- 
 sently destroyed, for England, having on 
 the 7th of September, 1701, formed a 
 league with the Empire and Holland against 
 FraBce and ^pain, immediately on wax 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 199 
 
 being declared, commanded her fleet to 
 commence hostilities on the coast of Por- 
 tugal. Don Pedro directly gave orders to 
 the duke de Cadaval to assemble a suffi- 
 cient body of troops to secure the sea-ports 
 from the insults of the English ; and at 
 the same time informed his aUies of his 
 situation, and the danger with which he 
 was threatened, unless speedily assisted 
 Neither France nor Spain were in a condi- 
 tion to equip a fleet capable of standing 
 against the attacks of the EngHsh, and yet 
 these powers insisted on Portugal's taking 
 an active part in the war. Spain, in parti- 
 cular, treated the Portugueze ambassador 
 with insupportable insolence, and on his 
 urging the necessity of his master's remain- 
 ing neuter, he was answered by the cardi- 
 nal Portocarrero, '' that no other conduct 
 " conld he expected from the rebel duke of 
 " Braganza,'' 
 
 llie king ofPortugal, whose love of peace 
 had even induced him to pass over in si- 
 lence the intelligence he had received from 
 his minister at the Hague, that by a pri- 
 vate treaty between France and Spain, his 
 kingdom was to become a province of the 
 last-mentioned country, now thought him- 
 telf justified in breaking with allies, wKo 
 act only gave him up to the power of his 
 
206 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 enemies, but were even employed in con- 
 triving his destruction, he therefore on the 
 6th of May, 1703, entered into the league 
 styled the gra7id alliance^ and obtained 
 the most favourable conditions: the em- 
 peror promising to keep in pay 14,000 
 Portugueze, and the queen of England en- 
 gaging herself to maintain a fleet ready at 
 all times to defend Portugal and its colo- 
 nies. There were also secret articles in 
 this treaty, which treaty itself was not to 
 be made public till the archduke Charles 
 arrived at Lisbon, by which don Pedro was 
 to be put into possession of Badajos, Al- 
 canlara^ Albaquerque, Valentia in Estre- 
 madura ; Bayonne, VigOjTuy, and Gardia, 
 in Gallicia. 
 
 Louis the XlVth was presently made 
 acquainted with this convention, and gave 
 orders to his ambassador to demand an 
 explanation, which he was constantly re- 
 fused. 
 
 On the 9th of May, 1704, an English 
 fleet appeared off Lisbon, and landed the 
 archduke Charles, together v/ith 10,000 
 men. A very few months after his arrival, 
 the court of Portugal was plunged into the 
 deepest distress by the death of the infanta, 
 a child of eight years old, who was be- 
 trothed to the archduke. It bein^g of Mrfie 
 
 J 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 201 
 
 greatest importance to lose no time in com- 
 mencing hostilities, the troops were scarcely 
 landed before they were employed in 
 actual service. Nothing decisive occurred 
 during the first campaign ; good and ill 
 success equally attended their arms ; and 
 the Enghsh alone gained a conquest, which 
 they have constantly preserved. The 
 Spaniards, from the most unpardonable 
 negligence, having left Gibraltar with only 
 a garrison of a hundred men, it was taken 
 on the 4th of August by the English, who 
 fought under the command of the prince 
 of Darmstadt, and admiral Rooke. 
 
 The second campaigti in 1/05 was of 
 very little importance ; and the advantages 
 obtained in that of the following year, 
 were much more brilliant than solid. On 
 the l6th of June^ lord Galway and the 
 marquis de iVlinas entered Madrid without 
 resistance, and caused the archduke Charles 
 to be proclaimed king of Spain: the 
 greater part of the people, however, faith- 
 ful to their first engagements, ventured 
 even on the same day to shout out '^ Long 
 ^' live Philip the Vth, our lawful sove- 
 '^ reign." Such marks of affection, testified 
 by the Spaniards, and at such a moment, 
 were a certain presage that the triumph 
 
502 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 of the archduke would be but of short 
 duration. 
 
 The Enghsh and Portugueze armies 
 quitted Madrid on the 1st of August, and 
 prudently avoided engaging the Spanish 
 and French troops, commanded by mar- 
 shal Berwick, having been informed, that 
 they had recently received a powerful rein- 
 forcement from France. The English and 
 Portugueze generals were on this occasion 
 condemned or excused, according to the 
 dictates of party spirit, for not having taken 
 greater advantage of so fortunate a be- 
 ginning. 
 
 The Portugueze troops being returned 
 to their winter quarters, the King gave 
 orders for the levying of twelve thousand 
 men, being determined to carry on the 
 war with the greatest spirit and activity ; 
 but unfortunately for Portugal and its 
 allies, don Pedro departed this life, after a 
 %^ery short illness, on the 9th of December, 
 1706. 
 
 An historian of merit * has ventured to 
 blame this prince for not remaining neuter 
 
 * Mr. f errand. See Esprit de rHistoire, torn. 
 IV. p. J 81. 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 203 
 
 in the mar of the succession ; but we have 
 ah'eady seen that he was forced into hostile 
 measures, by the conduct of the different 
 parties. Other historians, still more severe, 
 accuse him of not attending sufficiently 
 to the important objects of agriculture and 
 commerce. Nothing can be more unjust 
 in most particulars than these reproaches, 
 since it was during: his rei^n that vej^eta- 
 bles, and the most delicious fruits first 
 flourished in Portugal,* and that the fa- 
 mous treaty was made with England, by 
 which the latter power entere;l into en- 
 gagements to take Portugueze wines in 
 exchange for English manufactures. 
 
 Coteinporary writers have done more 
 justice to the merits of this sovereign, and 
 allowed him not only the eminent virtues 
 which ougiit to adorn a great qionarcb, 
 but the superior talents of a wise adminis- 
 trator. Posterity has gone still farther, at- 
 tributing to him the double merit of hav- 
 ing, by his first alliance with Spain, glori- 
 ously terminated a dangerous revolution in 
 the state,' and of having carried his pou;t, 
 by quietly effecting another revolution in 
 his own family. 
 
 * L'Ait de verifier les dates. 
 
204 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 John theVth, the son of don Pedro (or 
 Pedro the lid) succeeded to the throne on 
 the 9th of December, 17^6, but was not 
 solemnly proclaimed king till the 1st of 
 January, l?^?* This young prince, aged 
 only seventeen years, continued faithful to 
 the engagements taken by his father with 
 the allied powers, against France and Spain, 
 and put every thing in order to carry on 
 the war with the greatest vigour. Success, 
 however, did not wait upon his arms, for 
 Philip the Vlh having returned to his 
 capital on ihe 8th of October, 1706, gave 
 the command of the army destined to act 
 against Portugal to marshal Berwick, who 
 on the 15th of April, 1707? gained a com- 
 plete victory over the allied armies, under 
 the command of lord Galway, at the cele- 
 brated battleofAlmanza, where the greater 
 part of the Portugueze present on the occa- 
 sion were either killed or taktn prisoners. 
 An extraordinary circumstt^nce, and the 
 only one of the kind to be met with in 
 history, took place at this battle, where the 
 English, under the command of a French 
 general,* were beaten by an English one 
 who commanded the French army. 
 
 * Hemy, marquis de Iluvii*;ny, who acted as 
 geneiul agent to the prottbtunt uobility ia Fiaace, 
 
OF PORTUGAL, 205 
 
 The year 17O8, though it affords no- 
 thing very interesting relative to the actions 
 whicli took place between Spain and Por~ 
 tugal, must always recal to our memory 
 the noblest victory ever obtained by hu- 
 manity over the ravages of war ; since the 
 kings of those two countries, by mutual 
 agreement, prevented hostilities of any 
 kind beinor committed against husband- 
 men and vine-dressers. 
 
 John the Vth, in the same year, united 
 himself by still closer ties to the house of 
 Austria ; and on the 8th of October formed 
 an alliance with the second daughter of the 
 emperor Leopold. The joy occasioned by 
 this marriage was greatly augmented by 
 the arrival of a fleet of merchantmen, con- 
 sisting of a hundred sail, from Brazil, hav- 
 insj on board to the amount of six millions 
 sterling in gold, diamonds and tobacco. 
 
 ■went to England on the revocation of the edict of 
 Kantes, where he was naturalized, and was made 
 earl of Galway, which title he bore ever after- 
 wards. 
 
 James Fitzjames, duke of Berwick, was the na- 
 tural son of king James the lid, by Arabella 
 Churchill, the sister of the famous duk- of MarU 
 borough. Montesquieu ohserves, that the family 
 of Churchill produced two men, one of whom was 
 destined to shake, and the other to support, atlhe 
 same timcj the t^^o g'eatest monarchies iu Earo^e* 
 T 
 
50G HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 Nothing could be more timely than this 
 supply ; the subsidies promised to the Por- 
 tugueze being very ill paid, and their army 
 having suffered considerably, on the 7th of 
 May, 1709, when the Portugueze were de- 
 feated on the banks of the Caya, by the 
 marquis de Btiy, in the campaign of 
 Gudina.* The king was also obliged to 
 withstand the instances of his allies, in an 
 affair which he was decided not to give up ; 
 and the ambassadors from the Empire and 
 England, together with the States-General^ 
 having remonstrated in the strongest man- 
 lier about the franchises of foreign ministers, 
 which his father had abohshed twenty years 
 before, he resisted all their arguments with 
 a firmness they little expected, and forced 
 them to lay aside their claims. The year 
 1709, which began so prosperously for the 
 archduke Charles, ended in the most disas- 
 trous manner for him and for Portugal. . . 
 
 General Stanhope on the 27 th ofJijily^ 
 
 - * This defeat- was partly attributed to the mar- 
 quis de Fronteraand lord Galway, liaving refused 
 to admit the French refageesas officers in the Por- 
 tugueze regiments, which obliged theni to have 
 recourae to foreign officers for the regiments of 
 cavah-y and dragoons, which had been nev\ly levied, 
 to r€cruit the great losses sustained by the army. 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 20} 
 
 defeated the French and Spanish armies at 
 Almenara, and afterwards greatly contri- 
 buted to gaining the great victory of Sara« 
 gossa; on this occasion the marquis de 
 Bay was so completely beaten by the count 
 de Staremberg, that Philip the Vth was 
 obhgecl to quit Madrid, and ^he archduke 
 entered the capital without striking a blow. 
 No monarch, however, ever met with a 
 worse reception from his subjects ; they 
 treated him with every possible mark of 
 aversion, avoiding his sight, shutting them- 
 selves up in their own apartments, and 
 even disdaining to pick up the money he 
 threw into the streets. All his endeavours 
 were fruitless to extort the oath of allegi- 
 ance from several of the nobility, and hav- 
 ing commanded the marquis de Mancera,* 
 president of the council of Castille, an old 
 man turned of a hundred years of age, to 
 
 * Tiiis reply calls to remembrance the noble an- 
 swer made by the cardinal de Fleury, (when bishop 
 ot'Frejus) to the duke of Savoy, who having passed 
 the Var, at the head of a considerable army, entered 
 Provence, and tried to induce the bishop to swear 
 allegiance to him. 
 
 ** Your royal highness," said he, " must be con- 
 
 ** vinced that I shall never fail in my duty to Louis 
 
 *' the Great, my lawful, and only sovereign ; besides 
 
 " it is scarcely worth the pains to acknowledyje 
 
 T 2 
 
208 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 come and kiss bis hand, he received the 
 following reply : ** 1 have but one faith 
 " and one king, v/hich is Philip the Vth, 
 *^ to whom I have sworn allegiance. I 
 •* acknowledge the archduke as a great 
 •' prince, but not as my sovereign, and 
 *' having hved a hundred years without 
 " failing in any of my duties; I will not, 
 *^ for the short space of time I have yet to 
 ** pass in this world, blast my spotless re- 
 *' putation by a dishonourable action." 
 
 The archduke, irritated at such opposi- 
 tion, proposed giving up the town to be 
 pillaged, but the generous Stanhope repre- 
 fjenting the cruelty as well as impolicy of 
 such vengeance, " Well,'' replied Charles, 
 ** if we cannot plunder the city, let us at 
 " least quit it." If, indeed, the approach 
 of the duke de Vendome had not made 
 this retreat necessary, circumstances alone 
 mustjSooner or later, have forced the arch- 
 duke to take this step ; since both he and 
 his partizans began to perceive the impos- 
 sibility of preserving a crown, which the 
 
 ** your royal highness, for the very short time you 
 ** will remain in Provence." 
 
 This proof of attachment being represented to 
 Louis the XlVth, laid the foaadatioa of M. dc 
 Fkury'ti future ijraudeur. 
 
I 
 
 OF PORTUGAL. 209 
 
 people were decided, at the risk of their 
 lives and properties, to replace on the head 
 of him whom they had acknowledged as its 
 lawful possessor. The reverse of fortune 
 which Fhihp had experienced, far from 
 weakei>ing the attachment of the Spaniards, 
 bad very much contributed to increase it ; 
 so- great, indeed, was the affection they 
 bore him, that they preferred burning their 
 provisions to selling them to his enemies. 
 Such conduct gave rise to Stanhope's re» 
 mark, '' that a victorious army might in^ 
 '^ deed march through Spain, but that it 
 " required a still stronger one to keep pos- 
 "^ session of it." 
 
 If a retreat throuo-h a country so ill dis- 
 posed towards Charles, was in itself so 
 dangerous, how infinitely more so must it 
 be on the arrival of such an enemy as the 
 duke deVendome. whoyhaving reconducted 
 Philip to Madrid, on the 3d of December, 
 went immediately in pursuit of the arch- 
 duke and Stanhope, who were making 
 every possible effort to regain Portugal. 
 
 Vendome, heaving swam his troops across 
 the Tagus, attacked general Stanhope, who 
 was shut up in Briguegua, and on the 9th 
 of December forced him to surrender him*- 
 self prisoner, together with 5000 Enghsh. 
 His success did not stop here, for having 
 T3 
 
310 HISTORY Ot THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 joined the count de Staremberg the same 
 day at Villavieiosa, he, the following one, 
 gave the battle which is known in history 
 by the name of the above-mentioned place. 
 
 Philip the Vth, who had not hitherto 
 joined his generals in the field of battle, 
 commanded, on that day, the right wing of 
 his army, whilst the duke de Vendome ap- 
 peared at the head of the left : and thus a 
 victory was obtained which ended all con- 
 jflicts, and put him in the unrivalled pos- 
 session of the crown of Spain. It was 
 after this engagement that Philip, being 
 unprovided with a bed, Vendome exclaim- 
 ed, " I will presently form you the most 
 *^ glorious bed on which a sovereign ever 
 *' slept ;" and he gave orders that a mat- 
 trass should be made of the standards and 
 colours taken from the ^nemy. 
 
 The defeat at Villavieiosa having placed 
 the Portugueze in a most critical situation, 
 it was thought highly necessary, in 17H, 
 to defend their own frontiers as much as 
 possible, without ever attempting to attack 
 those of their neighbours. The intelli- 
 gence received of the capture of Rio Ja- 
 neiro by Guy Trouin, cut off every hope 
 of carrying on the war any longer. This 
 place surrendered after eleven days siege, 
 on the 23d of September, and the loss on 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 211 
 
 this occasion was estimated at twenty-five 
 millions of French livres ; which made it 
 impossible for Brazil (for some time at 
 least) to furnish supplies to the mother 
 country : a circumstance the more to be 
 regretted, as Portugal never stood in greater 
 need of assistance. 
 
 A peace was now their only resource, 
 and an unexpected event took place, which 
 not only gave them an opening to make 
 propositions, but accelerated the negocia- 
 tions. The emperor Joseph dying, the 
 archduke Charles succeeded him in the 
 imperial dignity ; and from that moment 
 it became contrary to the interest, not only 
 of the allies, but of the whole of Europe, 
 to place the crown of Spain upon his head. 
 To preserve the balance of power had been 
 the/?re^ej;^ alledged for the war, which 
 could certainly never have been maintained, 
 had the vast possessions of the emperor 
 Charles the Vth been once more united 
 under the dominion of one and the same 
 person. The real and only motive, how- 
 ever, for this war, appears to be the ancient 
 hatred entertained against the name of 
 Louis the Great. 
 
 In the course of this same year (I711) 
 France began to enter into correspondence 
 with England: the duke of Marlborough 
 
212 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 had been recalled by the court of St; 
 James's, whose views tended towardi* 
 peace, in as high a degree as his led to- 
 wards war. In tliis situation of affairs the 
 Portugueze had the prudence to attach 
 themselves more closely than ever to the 
 interests of Great Britain : they were ac- 
 cordingly admitted to the conferences held 
 at Utrecht, on the 29th of January, 1712', 
 and on the llth of April, in the same year^ 
 France made peace by five different trea^ 
 ties ; the first with England, signed at 
 three o'clock in the afternoon ; the second 
 with the duke of Savoy, at Jour o'clock ; 
 the third with the king of Portugal, at 
 ^IgJit ; the fourth with the liing of Prussia, 
 at mldnhhti and the fifth with the States- 
 General, at a quarter past one the next 
 morning. 
 
 By the treaty with Portugal, France en- 
 gaged that Spain should lay no claim to 
 any part of that country ; and at the same 
 time renounced her pretensions on the 
 river of the Amazons. Nothing now re- 
 mained for the tranquillity of John the 
 Vth, but to conclude peace with Philip 
 the Vth; and all difficulties being done 
 away by the mediation of the court of Ver- 
 sailles, it was at last signed at Utrecht, on 
 the i3th of February, 17I6. 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 213 
 
 The people of Portugal, thus delivered 
 from the horrors of war, remained in the 
 greatest tranquiUity during the reign of 
 John the Vth, who never took the smallest 
 part in any war, except that which arose 
 between the Ecclesiastical States, the Ve- 
 netians, and Turks, shortly after the peace 
 of Utrecht. On this occasion the king of 
 Portugal sent out a squadron to assist the 
 former ; and the pope, in. acknowledgment 
 of so essential a serv-ce, divided the arch- 
 bishopric of Lisbon into two dioceses, and 
 raised the royal chapel to the dignity of a 
 metropolitan, patriarchal chu*ch : since 
 which time the city of Lisbon has been 
 separated into two great districts, distin- 
 guished by the name of eastern and 
 western. 
 
 The patriarch received permission from 
 the pope to officiate habited like his holi- 
 ness ; whilst the canons of his church had 
 the privilege of wearing habits resembling 
 those of cardinals. 
 
 The king immediately caused a most 
 superb patriarchal church to be erected, 
 and greatly beautified the fine palace of his 
 predecessors : he also constructed an aque- 
 duct, which was still more useful than 
 magnificent, Lisbon having been hitherto 
 very ill supplied with water j whilst on the 
 
214 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 other band he built the sumptuous conveat 
 of Mafra, which may be termed with equal 
 justice more magnificent than useful.* 
 The taste displayed by his majesty for 
 architecture, did not divert his attention 
 from the cultivation of arts and sciences. 
 On the 8th of December, 1/20^ he issued 
 a decree for the institution of the Royal 
 Academy of the History of Portugal.^ 
 He gave orders for the purchasing a variety 
 of curious and valuable articles from foreign 
 countries^ such as pictures, statues, books, 
 and manuscripts. He encouraged and re- 
 warded artists of every description, and 
 succeeded in inspiring them with that 
 noble emulation so necessary to the pro- 
 gress of talents ; but he did not sufficiently 
 interest himself about artificers, and the 
 '^means of improving the industry of his 
 people, and making it turn out to the 
 
 * He, however, took care to place a great collec- 
 tion of books in this convent ; but Mafra being four 
 leagues from Lisbon, this library could be but of 
 little advantage to that city. 
 
 t Quien de la i^eufvillej authof of a well-written 
 history of Portugal, being at that time at Lisbon 
 in the suite of the abbe IVlornay, auibassador frotn 
 France, was consvilted on this occasion by hi£» 
 BLiajesh-. 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 215 
 
 greatest advantage : this net^lect may pxo- 
 bably be attributed to lord Tyrawley, the 
 English ambassador, who had obtained a 
 very great ascendance over the mind of 
 this prince ; who, however, paid the 
 strictest attention to every other branch of 
 the administration. He was possessed of 
 much firmness of character, was a rigorous 
 observer of justice, and knew much better 
 than any of his predecessors how to main- 
 tain the necessary subordination between 
 the people and the nobles, who had formerly 
 been very absolute, nay, indeed almost in- 
 dependent. He proved his strict adherence 
 to justice on several occasions ; especially 
 in the following instance; when Caesar de 
 M^nt^zes, the son of the vicerov of Bahia 
 having, with the assistance of several other 
 o'entlemen, forcibly rescued one of his at- 
 tendants from the hands of the corregidor, 
 the king immediately deprived the latter 
 of his employment, as a punishment for 
 his want of firmness ; feanished M^^iidzes to 
 Africa, and either exiled or imprisoned all 
 the gentlemen concerned in the business. 
 
 This monarch, though slavishly attached 
 to the fair sex, still retained the inflexible 
 justice of his character, even in moments 
 when the greatest men have sometim.es 
 yielded to the seductions of beauty. The 
 
2l6 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 relations of a gentleman condemned -to 
 work in the mines, contrived to interest the 
 kino's mistress in his favour : but this 
 prince presently put a stop to her entrea- 
 ties, by observing, '' that the pardon she 
 " sbhcited depended on the king of Por- 
 ^' tugal, who resided in the Terreiro de 
 " Paco : but that in her house he appeared 
 " in no other character than that of her 
 " lover." 
 
 The convents, and different houses of the 
 grandees, which had hitherto served as 
 sanctuaries for criminals, were in this reign 
 deprived of that privilege, which indeed 
 had only served to screen the most noto- 
 rious villains from the punishments due to 
 their crimes. His humanity was equal to 
 his justice, for during an epidemical ma- 
 lady in Lisbon, which in the year I72v3 
 carried off a thousand persons in a month, 
 he gave audience three times a week to 
 every description of his subjects, whether 
 blacks or whites, freemen or slaves ; he 
 also forbid the nobles who composed hij* 
 court to quit the capital, and insisted on 
 their seconding his benevolence, and aiding 
 him in the distribution of his charities. 
 
 A dreadful tempest, in the following 
 year, destroyed more than a hundred ves- 
 sels in the Tagus : immediately the bene- 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 217 
 
 ficent hand of this humane monarch, was 
 stretched forth, to repair, to the utmost of 
 his power, tlie cruel losses sustained on 
 this fatal occasion. 
 
 The great abuses which had for a lon^ 
 time taken place in the administration of 
 the holy office, called for the attention of 
 a just and merciful so\^reign, John the 
 Vth succeeded in making a most important 
 reform. Before his reign, the prisoners 
 detained in the inquisition were never al- 
 lowed counsel to plead their cause; so 
 great an abuse of power sensibly affected 
 the king, who obtained a bull from pope 
 Benedick the Xlllth, in 1725, by which 
 these unhappy prisoners were granted 
 every assistance that justice made necessary 
 in their situation : this was followed up by 
 a decree, obliging the inquisitors to com- 
 municate the sentences they pronounced 
 to the king's council, before they were put 
 in execution. 
 
 Such was the conduct of John the Vth, 
 that he was equally beloved and feared by 
 his people. The grandees, indeed, viewed 
 him w^ith sentiments of fear rather than of 
 love ; a truth of which he was so well con- 
 vinced, that he is said to have declared, 
 that though his grandfather feared the 
 grandees, and his father both loved and 
 u 
 
218 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 feared them, that he himself neither feared 
 nor loved theni. 
 
 These sentiments are supposed to have 
 arisen in his bosom, from the untoward 
 conduct of the nobles, v\^ho, on several 
 years being passed without the queen's 
 having children, neglected yjaying their 
 court to his majesty, and attached them- 
 selves very particularly to his brother, don 
 Francisco : a prince, who is represented of 
 so savage a disposition, that it appears ex- 
 traordinary any one should wish to ap- 
 proach his person. One author, =^ in par- 
 ticular, mentions him as cruel, constantly 
 delighting in fighting, and infesting the 
 streets of Lisbon, at the head of a set of 
 armed men, who nightly rambled through 
 the city in search of adventures. These 
 bands of gentlemen were termed ranchos ; 
 their amusement consisted in attacking and 
 insulting passengers of every description, 
 and such was the force of example, that 
 several personages of the first nobility vied 
 with don Francisco in the commission of 
 these dreadful disorders. The duke de 
 Cadaval, the marquis de Marialva, de 
 Cascaes, the Aveiros, and the Obidos, had 
 
 * Dumourier's Etat de Portugal. 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 219 
 
 each their separate rflr>?x7w. No night ever 
 passed .without people beinsj wounded or 
 murdered by tliis ilkistrious banditti ; 
 hatred, revenge, and a sort of civil war 
 throughout the city, unrestrained by the 
 presence of the king, were the natural 
 consequences of such horrid barbarity. 
 Foreigners also formed offensive and de- 
 fensive treaties ; and a body of sailors left 
 their vessels on pretence of attacking the 
 bravoes of Lisbon, whom they plundered, 
 whenever their party happened to be the> 
 strongest. 
 
 A personage likewise acted a part in 
 these nocturnal scenes, who afterwards 
 made a very different and still more cele - 
 brated figure in the page of history. Car- 
 vall>o, possessed of extraordinary strength, 
 and invincible courage, with a form nearly 
 gigantic, seemed decided to surpass every 
 other bravo of the age. He chose for his 
 companion a man of a mind and person 
 resembling his own, who, with himself, 
 was habited in a white Spanish capotte, 
 with shoes and hat of the same colour :. 
 thus accoutered, they were easily distin- 
 guished in the night, when, without any 
 other assistance, they attacked the different 
 ranchos^ which they frequently conquered ; 
 though never without being exposed to the 
 U 2 
 
220^ HISTORY 0F THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 most dangerous resistance, nor without re- 
 ceivin^T several wounds. 
 
 AH the endeavours of his majesty to pre- 
 vent such dreadful disorders, })roved fruit- 
 less : they were thought, indeed, to pro- 
 ceed in some degree from a spirit of 
 chivalry, which suited the national taste, 
 and which the people did not wish to ex- 
 tinguish. The justice which always dis- 
 tinguished the character of the king, was 
 about that time put to a severe and singular 
 test, by a very unexpected claim, and ohe 
 which had all the appearance of being well 
 founded. In the year 1724, the chevalier 
 Porta, a gentleman of Lausanne, arrived 
 in Portugal, and was presented at court, 
 where he demanded a private audience of 
 his majesty, on a very particular occasion ; 
 no less than to lay claim to the possessions 
 of don Antonio, who had been proclaimed 
 king of Portugal in 1580, and from whom 
 be alledged his wife was lineally descended. 
 The king having granted him several au- 
 diences, and received him with great dis- 
 tinction, did not, however, venture to give 
 judgment either for or against his claim, 
 but left the decision to two juntas or 
 councils. These were immediately as- 
 sembled, and the opinions of the most 
 celebrated civilians taken on the occasion. 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 221 
 
 The result of their deliberations was, that 
 ^the Swiss gentleman's claims were not 
 legal, since don Antonio had been pro- 
 scribed by Philip the lid of Spain, as a 
 traitor to his country, and his property 
 justly confiscated to the crown. This de- 
 cision of the civilians was approved and 
 confirmed by the two juntas. 
 
 That Philip the lid, who himself usurped 
 the crown of the Braganzas, should pro- 
 nounce such a sentence, is not extraordi- 
 nary. Philip the IVth likewise pronounced 
 one of the same nature against that family: 
 but surprising indeed must it appear in the 
 eyes of posterity, that a grandscm of the 
 duke of Braganza should acknowledge and 
 admit such a judgment as just and legal. 
 Whilst the Portugueze looked up with gra- 
 titude and blessings to a prince, under 
 whose reign they had enjoyed all the com- 
 forts of peace, and wliilst his paternal hands 
 were ever open to bestow fresh marks of 
 his bounty, they were on the eve of re- 
 ceiving a blow to their happiness, as dread- 
 ful as it was unexpected. 
 
 John the Vth, who was above the middle 
 size, very vi^ell made, and so extremely 
 strong, that his great delight in the huU- 
 fighis was to seize the furious anirnal by 
 the horns, and bring him to the ground, 
 u a 
 
222 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 was attacked by a lingering illness, which, 
 during the last eight years of his reign, re- 
 duced him to a state of inactivity, very 
 fatal to the interests of his kingdom. 
 
 So great was his devotion after this at- 
 tack, that he neglected all public affairs, 
 which were entirely confided to the care 
 of brother (laspard, a rdcoUet fviar. From 
 that moment the revenues of the state were 
 employed in building or endowing con- 
 vents and churches, and causing masses to 
 be said : this last piece of devotion was 
 carried to such an excess, that it arose to a 
 degree of madness ; and it became neces- 
 sary to conceal from his majesty the deaths 
 which took place in Lisbon ; for no sooner 
 did any one expire, were it the meanest of 
 his subjects, than he caused at least a 
 hundred masses to be said on the occasion. 
 This gave rise to the following expression : 
 " that John sent the living to hell, to pray 
 " the dead out of purgatory ^ 
 
 During the course of this fata! malady, 
 which terminated in death on the 31st of 
 July, 1750, every branch of the adminis- 
 tration became relaxed, and the state was 
 in the end not only destitute of money, 
 but charged with a debt of a hundred 
 millions of French livres. 
 
 John the Vth, as has been already ob- 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 22^ 
 
 served, was of a fine height; his figure was 
 noble, and his countenance agreeable, 
 though his complexion was rather dark and 
 thick. His dress was magnificent, and he 
 sent for all his cloaths from Paris. As for 
 his character, it is not very easy to deline- 
 ate; he was particularly jealous of the dig- 
 nity of his throne and his quality as king; 
 and sought more to inspire his grandees 
 with ftar, than with love. He bore, in 
 many particulars, a great resemblance to 
 Louis theXI Vth ; their tastes were the same, 
 except indeed m the article of war, which 
 the Portugueze mdnarch always wished to 
 avoid. The French, and some other na- 
 tions, liave i-eproached this prince with his 
 partial attachment to the English, into 
 whose hands he gave up the whole of the 
 commerce both of Portugal' and its colo- 
 nies. 
 
 Joseph the 1st succeeded his father at a 
 most unfavourable juncture : the deplora- 
 ble state of the government and finances, 
 required not only his strictest attention, 
 but the assistance of the most able minis- 
 ters. Diego de Mendoca was the first 
 entrusted with the care of jDublie afifairs ; 
 but his majesty soon perceived that his 
 chioice had fallen on an improper person. 
 Carvalho, who Iras been already mentioned 
 
224 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 as destined to play a great part on the 
 stage of Portugal, and who, in future, will 
 make the most conspicuous figure in this 
 history, Isad displayed very great talents 
 in his embassies to London and Vienna : 
 he had also shewn himself so superior to 
 all who composed the council held on the 
 death of John the Vth, that he was fixed 
 u]3on to replace Mendoca, who was after- 
 wards banished to Mazagan, in Ahica. 
 
 The new minister was born in 1699, of 
 a gentleman's family from Soure, near 
 Coimbra; in the university of which he 
 was educated : after liaving made a great 
 proficiency in his studies, lie entered into 
 the service, which his levity and miscon- 
 duct obliged hi in to fuit.. Launched into 
 the pleasures of the great wT>rld, his gal- 
 lantry and spirit of •iv.valry seduced the 
 affections of a yoin!> heiress, of the illus- 
 trious house of Aimada. He succeeded in 
 eanying her oH] aiui married her in spite 
 of her family, whose resentment he braved 
 with impunity, notwithstanding all their 
 efforts to cai'se his destruction : fortunately 
 for him, brotliCr Gaspard, wIk) was the 
 uncle of the duke d'Aveiro, and the fa- 
 vourite of John the Vth, was particularly 
 his friend, and sent him off immediately ; 
 first to London, and afterwards to Vienna,. 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 215 
 
 Bs secretary to the embassy. During his 
 residence in the last mentioned city, he 
 received inteUigence of the death of his 
 wife. He very soon was happy enough to 
 captivate the heart of a relation of the 
 celebrated count de Daun, and having re- 
 ceived letters patent of nobility from the 
 court of Lisbon^, all the numerous objec- 
 tions made at first to this alliance were 
 immediately removed. Thus fortunate in 
 a foreign country^ let us now examine the 
 different qualities and talents which paved 
 the way for the brilliant post he was 
 destined to fill on his return to his native 
 land. I'he page of history scarcely fur- 
 nishes a man possessed of so fine an un- 
 derstanding, and so strong a mind ; or who 
 could assume such a variety of forms, with 
 a character so strikingly contrasted. He, 
 indeed, displayed successively the lively 
 wit and fascinating njaimers of a finished 
 man of fashion ; the cultivated understand- 
 ing of the most learned scholar ; the supple 
 humour of the most artful courtier; the 
 ready genius of the most consummate man 
 of business ; and the subtle spirit of the 
 most able negociator. With his friends, 
 Carvalho was sometinies open, and per- 
 fectly unreserved; whilst at otlier times he 
 treated them with the same profound dis- 
 
226 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 simulation he practised towards his ene- 
 mies. The services he received were al- 
 ways rewarded, and the injuries he. suffered 
 were never forgiven. His manners towards 
 foreigners were as easy and obliging as 
 they were stiff" and reserved towards his 
 countrymen. Such, indeed, was the ex- 
 tent of his capacity, and his profound 
 knowledge in politics, that he has ever been 
 equally celebrated as a minister of state^ 
 and a manager of foreign affairs. 
 
 The great similarity existing between 
 Carvaiho^ marquis de Pombal, and the 
 cardinal de Richelieu, has given rise to'the 
 following comparison.* These two great 
 personages had each been elevated from 
 the middling station of life to the highest 
 dignities. Each governed by terror, and 
 re-established the sovereign authority, by 
 cutting oif the heads, alid humbling the 
 arrogance of a turbulent nobility. Eacli 
 had the ridiculous pretension of being 
 esteemed wits, and possessed of universal 
 knowledge. Each was a profound politi- 
 cian, an imperious master, an irreconcile- 
 able enemy, and yet withal of amiable 
 manners. Each rose to dignities by 
 
 * See Dumourier's Etat de Portugal. 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 227 
 
 honourable means, and though alike dis- 
 daining to bend the knee at the shrine of 
 fortune, each became possessed of immense 
 riches. 
 
 It would greatly exceed the limits of this 
 v/ork, were we to attempt to enter minutely 
 into the long administration of the marquis 
 de Pombal ; we shall therefore only take 
 notice of some important particulars, and 
 the most remarkable events, which took 
 place during the reign of his master. 
 
 The respective domains of Spain and 
 Portugal on the continent of South Ame- 
 rica, had never been properly divided ; but 
 in the year 17>^lj commissaries were sent 
 thither to settle this affair, and on their 
 report the limits were fixed, and a line of 
 separation traced between the possessions 
 of these two powers ; this was approved 
 and confirmed by treaties signed in the 
 month of April in the same year ; these 
 treaties, however, were not easily put into 
 execution, being strongly opposed by the 
 Indians of Para and Marignan, and stiil 
 more violently by those who inhabited the 
 countries near the rivers d'Uraguay and 
 Parana. Whatever may be the motives 
 alledsred in favour of the war then declared 
 against these Indians, the principle on 
 which it was founded was certainly un^ 
 
22-8 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 just; for even on the supposition that one 
 power has a right lo insist on the neigh- 
 bouring states adopting the form of govern- 
 ment most conformable to the views of 
 that power ; it surely can never have that 
 of attacking tjieir independence; particu- 
 larly after their having conformed to the 
 new established laws, lived happily under 
 them ; and desiring nothing more than to 
 be allowed the quiet enjoyment of the 
 blessings of peace. The Portugueze, who 
 dreaded the approach of the Spaniards to- 
 wards Brazil, and still more particularly 
 towards the mines of St. Paul, and their 
 settlements on the river Parana ; 'and the 
 Spaniards, who were equally apprehensive 
 that the Portugueze, by posting themselves 
 on the Uraguay and Kio de Ja Plata, 
 should come too near the colonies of 
 Buenos Ay res, Chili, and the mines of 
 Potosi, had by mutual agreement ceded 
 the tract of country lying between tlieir 
 different settlements, to the Jesuits who 
 acted as missionaries in that distant quarter 
 of the globe. 
 
 If the grant of these lands, the length of 
 which had never been ascertained, though 
 the breadth had been determined, became 
 clearly void on the part of those who ceded 
 it^ it could not possibly be valid on the 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 229 
 
 part of those who signed it; unless, in- 
 deed, it was acknowledged as such by the 
 parties concerned ; and this was the ground 
 on which the missionaries built all their 
 pretensions. This society of holy men, to 
 the disgrace of the other colonieSj=^ had by 
 constant attention and assiduity greatly 
 humanized Paraguay and the other coun- 
 tries in the circle of their mission : villages 
 were built in every part, Christianity tri- 
 umphed over infidelity and idolatry ; the 
 savages became civilized, and lived happy 
 under a wise government ; no people, in 
 deed, ever appeared more truly blessed ; 
 the produce of their labour was distributed 
 in common; there were neither rich nor 
 poor; no dit^tinctions of high and low, 
 consequently no avarice, ambition, or jea- 
 lousy: all took an equal share in the la- 
 bours of the day, and all were equally 
 rewarded. The Jesuits distributed in the 
 different towns and villages, treated the 
 people with paternal tenderness, and reigned 
 over the whole of Paraguay like the patri- 
 archs of old, surrounded by a numerous 
 and affectionate family. The authority 
 they had established, by a system of poli- 
 
 * See Dnmourier. 
 X 
 
230 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 tics very different from that of the gene- 
 rality of earthly governments, was founded 
 on a perfect union of public utility and pri- 
 vate happiness ; and this astonishing re- 
 public existed some time in peace ; for the 
 missionaries, from moderation, and a wish 
 to avoid all disputes with Spain and Por- 
 tugal, paid a reasonable tribute to those 
 powers, without murmuring atthe illegality 
 of such a demand on a free people, who, 
 though now formed into a commonwealth, 
 was not on that account to be esteemed 
 either Spanish or Portugueze. 
 
 The courts of Lisbon and Madrid, jea- 
 lous of the great population and rapid 
 civilization of countries situated so n^ar to 
 their most important colonies, united to 
 rob the Jesuits of the fruit of their labours, 
 and to divide the spoil between them. In 
 vain these holy fathers represented their 
 lawful claim to lands, which had been par- 
 ticularly granted to them, and the injustice 
 of committing such an outrage on a free 
 people, who, though they had embraced 
 the Christian religion, and adopted Euro- 
 pean manners, never intended bowing 
 their necks to the yoke of foreign powers. 
 The just reasons alledged by the Jesuits 
 were treated^ as acts of rebellion, and an 
 armed* force immediately invaded their 
 
OF PORTUGAL, 231 
 
 colonies. The Indians made all the re- 
 sistance in their power, but were presently 
 overcome by the superior skill and experi- 
 ence of European troops. A small number 
 amongst them submitted to their new 
 masters, whilst the re«t, accompanied by 
 their holy comforters, went farther up the 
 country, and formed another settlement. 
 
 The war of the missionaries bore a very 
 serious aspect at Lisbon ; and Carvalho 
 dispatched his brother to terminate it as 
 soon as possible. The effects of this war 
 proved in the end very fatal to the Jesuits, 
 for it prejudiced the king strongly against 
 them, and certainly prepared the way for 
 their destruction. A very short time after- 
 wards, Joseph the First not only banished 
 all father confessors of that order from the 
 court of Lisbon, but every other Jesuit who 
 held employments of whatsoever nature.* 
 
 Such about this time became the dis- 
 tressed state of the finances of Portugal, 
 that the gold of Brazil became an object of 
 the greatest importance to the minister. 
 
 * Tn jnstirtcation. of so s^reat an act of severity, 
 thf niiaister ptibllshecl a work, entitled, A summary 
 Account of the Conduct and late Actions of the 
 Jesuits in Paraguay ; and their Intrigues in the 
 Court of Lisbon. 
 
 X 2 - 
 
232 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 The usual annual importation of gold from 
 thai country he knew to amount to forty 
 millions of French livres, whilst he also 
 knew, that there were riot mere than fifteen 
 millions, and those too not without alloy, 
 in circulation throughout the whole of Por- 
 tugal. He accordingly pubhshed an edict, 
 forbidding the exportation of gold out of 
 the kingdom. England was greatly alarm- 
 ed at this intelligence; and government 
 thought the affair of too much importance 
 to trust to the common mode of representa- 
 tion ; lord Tyrawley was therefore sent 
 ambassador to Lisbon, with the strictest in- 
 junctions to prevent the effect of this edict; 
 but neither his repeated expostulations, 
 nor the threatened hostilities of his court, 
 were of any avail to cause its revocation. 
 
 The estabiishniept of several new manu- 
 factories in Portugal, occasioned fresh com- 
 plaints on the part of the English, which 
 were treated with as little attention as the 
 former one.* 
 
 * The minister havincr strictly examined into the 
 state of the maaufuctories, found wanting more than 
 twenty very necessary ones. Those he afterwards 
 established, of cotton, silk, and g-lass, occasioned the 
 most violent disputes between the courtsof London 
 and Lisbon. See the administration ofthe raarquia 
 de Pombal, vols. 2 and 3. 
 
OF POfRTUGAL. 233 
 
 In the mean time Portuf^al was on the 
 eve of sinking under a blow which no hu- 
 man prudence could possibly foresee or 
 avert, and which was still more dreadful, 
 from its not being preceded by any of 
 those siorns which usually presage such 
 awful events. 
 
 Never did the horizon appear more 
 clear, nor the sun shine more bright than 
 on the 1st of November, in the year 17^5, 
 and never did the Portugueze prepare to 
 celebrate All -Saints' Day under more fa- 
 vourable auspices ; when, near the hour of 
 ten, invited by the beauty of the weather, 
 and the solemnity of the festival, the peo- 
 ple with religious haste flocked towards the 
 churches, the earth suddenly shook under 
 their feet-; clouds of dust darkened the 
 sun ; the musical instruments, which in- 
 vited them to partake of the holy mysteries, 
 sounded no more; repeated and violent 
 shocks of an earthquake were felt; houses 
 with terrific noise fell to the- ground on 
 every side ; the most solid ediiices were 
 thrown down ; the magnificent palace of 
 the kings of Portugal was entirely destroy- 
 ed, and scarcely could those whomhabited 
 it, find time to escape from being buried 
 under the ruins. 
 
 Such of the irihabitants of Lisbon who 
 X 3 ' 
 
234 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 were fortunate enousjh to avoid being 
 crushed by the rubbish of their fallen 
 dweUings, knew not where to seek a place 
 of refuge. Some amongst them flew to the 
 churches, which presently became their 
 tombs, whilst others, dreading to be swal- 
 lowed by the earth, which seemed gaping 
 to receive them, rushed impetuously to- 
 wards the sea. The magnificent quays on 
 the banks of the Tagus were thronged 
 with people ; when, in the twinkling of an 
 eye, the element towards which they looked 
 for safety, rose to a prodigious height, and 
 threatened them with, if possible, a still 
 more horrid death than that they sought 
 to escape. The waves of the sea rose 
 several fathoms above the ordinary level, 
 and dashing towards a shore they were 
 never destined to overflow, drove in vessels, 
 some of which arrived in safety, whilst 
 others were entirely shattered to pieces, 
 and swallowed up the unhappy wretches, 
 who had escaped being buried in the 
 bosom of the earth. 
 
 Earth and water were not the only ele- 
 ments which fought against the miserable 
 Portugueze ; fire and air contributed like- 
 wise to their destruction : the former, in 
 particular, caused the most dreadful catas- 
 trophes : for though; at first, apparently 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 235 
 
 smothered amongst the rubbish, it presently 
 forced itself a passao^e, and burst forth with 
 such fury, as badied every atteuipt to stop 
 its progress. 
 
 The public storehouses, and private ma- 
 gazines were soon reduced to ashes : the 
 immense riches they contained were en-, 
 tirely consumed ; for such was the violence 
 of the flames, and the excess of heat, that 
 it was impossible to approach the burning 
 tenements, or assist the wretched inhabi- 
 tants, whose piercing cries struck to the 
 heart. But, dreadful to relate, in the 
 midst of scenes of so much horror, men (if 
 such they can be called) of different na- 
 tions and complexions, wiiose lives had 
 hitherto been spared, in this awful moment 
 took advantage of the confusion which 
 reigned throughout the city, to commit 
 the most , horrible depredations. These 
 wretches, dispersed in every quarter, braved 
 the greatest dangers ; not alas ! to succour 
 a distressed fellow -creature, but to rob and 
 murder him ; since whosoever discovered a 
 hidden treasure, or delivered up the keys 
 to these merciless invaders, was sure to pay 
 the forfeit with bis life. 
 
 Such atrociouscrimes, however, remained 
 not long unpunished ; for the moment the 
 government was able to act, the strictest 
 
236 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 search wr.s made for the savage monsters, 
 who, to the disgrace of humanitv, still con- 
 tinued to commit them. Those who 
 escaped the sword of justice, were strongly 
 fettered, and never reheved from the weight 
 of their chains, but whilst employed in 
 burying the dead, the numbers of which 
 so infected the air, and caused such putrid 
 exhalations, that the plague seemed to 
 threaten this miserable city with still 
 another, and equally dreadful calamity. 
 The greater part of these atrocious villains 
 survived but a very few days their accom- 
 plices ; thus finding a speedy punishment 
 from the effects of tlieir own diabolical 
 actions ; since many amongst them were 
 struck dead by the putrid vapours issuing 
 from the very bodies of those they had so 
 inhumanly butchered. 
 
 The intelligence of this dreadful event 
 was presently circulated throughout Eu- 
 rope; and the English displayed on the 
 occasion a degree of humanity and gene- 
 rosity superior to all praise. All causes of 
 discontent given them by the Portugueze 
 were, at this calamitous moment, nobly 
 forgotten ; and they alone afforded them 
 more assistance than they received from 
 the united efforts of all their neighbours 
 and allies. Justice is also due to the con- 
 
OF PORTtTGAr.. 237 
 
 duct of Carvalho, who during several days 
 carried on business, eat, and slept in his 
 carriage, which conveyed him continually 
 from place to place, and whithersoever his 
 presence was particularly required. Such 
 was his activity, that he published more 
 than a hundred ordinances in the space of 
 eight day^. He advised the king to wear 
 nothing but undyed woollen cloth, manu- 
 factured in the country ; and his example 
 Was followed by the court, and every other 
 description of persons: he also engaged 
 his majesty to sign an edict, by which all 
 foreign merchandize was obliged to pay an 
 additional duty; and this he enforced^ not- 
 withstanding the representations of the 
 foreign ministers, and more • particularly 
 those of the English ambassador. By the 
 effects of his zeal, Lisbon was soon cleared 
 of all rubbish, and wide strait streets built, 
 with new houses on each side. Such in- 
 deed were the signal services he rendered 
 the state on this disastrous occasion, that 
 he became the idol of the people, and was 
 appointed prime minister by his majesty. 
 He was not, however, so elated by his good 
 fortune, as not to be perfectly aware that 
 he had great and dangerous enemies, whose 
 hatred was still increased by his new digni- 
 ties; but he was far from suspecting the 
 
238 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTiaNS 
 
 extent of their malice, or the dreadful pre- 
 cipice on which he stood. The attack 
 meditated against him, was still more for- 
 midable, from the profound secrecy with 
 which it was concealed, and from the par- 
 ties concerned in it being of the first con- 
 sideration in the state. 
 
 The duke d'Aveiro, one of the greatest 
 men in the kingdom, was the ostensible 
 chief of this conspiracy; whilst the mar- 
 chioness de Tavora, a most distinguished 
 character at court, was in fact the princi- 
 pal agent ; and the whole was conducted 
 py father Malagrida, a member of the most 
 powerful religious order in the Christian 
 world. 
 
 The union of persons so differently 
 situated, and of such opposite characters, 
 was the ef!ect of a concatenation of circum- 
 stances of the most extraordinary nature. 
 
 The duke d'Aveiro was descended from 
 the younger branch of the family of Mas- 
 carenhas, which, thdugh one of the most 
 ancient houses in Portugal, was not one of 
 the most noble, and he certainly had no 
 claim to the distinguished rank he after- 
 wards held, which he owed entirely to his 
 uncle, brother Gaspard, a mere Portugueze 
 gentleman ; he himselF being incapable i>f 
 pushing his fortune, or aspiring to favour. 
 
 
OF PORTUGAL, 239 
 
 through his personal merit. His figure 
 was greatly against liim, for he was shorty 
 and far from handsome ; add to this, he 
 was ignorant, obstinate, deranged in his 
 fortune, and capable of every crime ; 
 meanly servile towards Carvalho, whom he 
 secretly detested; and so proudly vain of 
 his birth, as openly to declare, that his 
 family, being descended from George (the 
 natural son of John the lid, surnamed the 
 Great) he ivas hut one degree removed 
 from the crown. 
 
 Stung to the quick at being no longer 
 treated with the same distinction as during 
 the reign of John the Vth, he formed the 
 terrible design of assassinating his suc- 
 cessor; and his pride giving way to his re- 
 sentment, he indiscriminately attached 
 himself to every one who had, or who 
 thought he had, reason to complain of the 
 court ; particularly to the Jesuits, and the 
 family of Tavora. To the former he had 
 always testified the greatest aversion during 
 the administration of his uncle, brother 
 Gaspard, but he now sought their society, 
 frequently visiting them, and receiving 
 them night and day in his own apartments. 
 After some little time, he judged them 
 worthy of his confidence, and revealed his 
 shocking design to father Malagrida. The 
 
!^40 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 Jesuit having succeeded in bringing about 
 a reconciliation between the duke and the 
 Tavoras, who had long resented his having 
 deprived them of several domains formerly 
 belonging to their family, prevailed upon 
 him to open his heart to the old marchio- 
 ness de Tavora, whose confessor he was. 
 The duke the more readily consented to 
 this plar^ as he knew the implacable 
 hatred borne by the marchioness to the 
 king, and his minister, who had refused 
 her solicitations in favour of her husband, 
 for whom she wished to procure the title 
 of duke. I'his lady was in every respect 
 widely different from her brother-in law, 
 the duke d'Aveiro. Nature had bestowed 
 on her the most striking beauty, the most 
 Imposing carriage, and the most seducfive 
 graces. She was endowed with a genius 
 capable of conceiving the most extensive 
 plans, with judgment to ripen, and talents 
 to execute them. The strength of her 
 body fitted her to support the greatest 
 fatigue, the temper of her mind to brave 
 the greatest dangers, whilst the firmness of 
 her character made her disdain to submit 
 to the king oy to his minister. Nature had 
 also planted in her bosom the shoots of 
 the noblest passions — passions, alas! which, 
 as they are well or ill directed^ form the 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 241 
 
 greatest men^ or the most atrocious 
 villains. 
 
 Mistress of immense riches, her liberal 
 spirit induced her to bestow them freely ; 
 whilst her superior judgment taught her to 
 set bounds to her generosity. Thus en- 
 dowed with qualities both of body and 
 mind^ so infinitely above, those of the 
 duke d'Aveiro, the marchioness soon be- 
 came the life and soul of the conspiracy, 
 which she conducted with the most won- 
 derful skill and address. Her principal 
 accomplices were chosen from the mem- 
 bers of her own family, but her insinuating 
 manners gained her several partizans, not 
 only in the highest, but even in the lowest 
 ranks of the people. Her conduct, in the 
 mean time, was of a very extraordinary 
 nature, since she never endeavoured to 
 conceal from the prime minister the hatred 
 she bore him,%^nor failed speaking of him 
 openly, in terms of the greatest contempt. 
 The sovereign himself was not treated with 
 more indulgence ; he became the subject 
 of the most poignant satire, and the bit- 
 terest sarcasms ; whilst the queen and 
 princesses were the constant objects of her 
 ridicule. 
 
 Inspired by the most diabolical senti- 
 meuts, she put on the mask of religion to 
 
 Y 
 
243 HISTORY. OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 effect her purpose, and by her feigned 
 devotion deceived the most clear-sighted. 
 Whilst her thoughts were employed in 
 forming plans of tiie blackest treason^ she 
 frequented the churches, made one in the 
 different processions, went on pilgrimages, 
 and practised all the external forms of 
 religion with the greatest ostentation. Her 
 confessor, father Malagrida, was an Italian 
 Jesuit, sent by the general of the society 
 on a mission to PortugaLv Zealous, elo- 
 quent, and enthusiastic, he presently be- 
 came the most fashionable spiritual di- 
 rector : people of every description made 
 choice of him for their confessor : he was 
 regarded as a saint/ and consulted as an 
 oracle. 
 
 More than two hundred and fifty persons 
 of ^consequence were concerned in this 
 conspiracy, and nothing now seemed want- 
 ing but ro fix t lie day for putting their 
 design into execution. 
 
 The hearts of kings are not invulnerable ; 
 their passio,ns are frequently strong, and 
 their means of satisfying them easier than 
 those of other men; this facility ought, in 
 fact^ to put them on their guard, and teach 
 them to curb the violence of their inclina- 
 tions, since their elevated rank, and the 
 crowd by which they are constantly sur- 
 
OF PORTUGAL. . 24.> 
 
 rounded, make it impossible that their ac- 
 tions should long remain concealed. Joseph 
 the 1st made frequent visits to the young 
 marchioness of T^vora ; these gave rise to 
 suspicions of an affair of gallantry being 
 carried on between them, which, whether 
 just or unjust, served as a plausible pretext 
 fdr attempting his life. On the 3d of 
 September, his ma.jesty visited the mar- 
 chioness, and remained with her, contrary 
 to custom, till eleven o'clock at night. We 
 dare not investigate the reasonsof this visit 
 jbeing so unusually prolonged, lest it should 
 implicate other persons in this horrid 
 transaction, without diminishing the enor- 
 mous guilt of the regicides. The kingw^as 
 on that night attended by only one do- 
 mestic, who went with him in his calash, 
 drawn by two mules, and driven by 4 
 postilion. The conspirators, perfectly, >vell 
 acquainted with the road he would take ia 
 returning to Belem, placed themselves if> 
 the most convenient spots for the execu- 
 tion of their dreadful project. To secui'e 
 their success, they divided into different 
 parties ; the first of which let the carnage 
 pass quietly on, till it arrived in the midst 
 of the assassins, who consisted of a hundred 
 and fifty persons. Some of these immedi- 
 ately fired, and the pannels of the calash 
 Y 2 
 
244 HISTORY OF tHE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 were shivered to pieces by balls of different 
 sizes: the king received several wounds; 
 whilst his valet de cliaaibre, whose name 
 was Taaera, with a degree of courage, and 
 a sublime devotion to his master, worthy 
 of the greatest encomium^ prevailed on the 
 king to sink to the bottom of the carriage, 
 and seating himself upon him, screened his 
 sovereign from the impending danger. 
 The postilion (called Castodio da Casta) 
 at the same moment, with the greatest 
 presence of mind and intrepidity, whipping 
 Iiis mules with violence, gallopped forwards, 
 and in the midnt of continual firing, forced 
 them down a steep precipice, and dashing 
 over wide fields, and through bye roads, 
 reached Belem in safety.* The king, on 
 alighting from his carriage, wrapped him- 
 self in a large cloak, belonging to one of the 
 guards, and sent immediately for Carvalho, 
 for whom he waited with such impatience 
 that he remained at the gate of the palace, 
 without suffering his wounds to be dressed, 
 and without either breathing a complaint. 
 
 * This affair, we well know, has been differently 
 related; but we prefer followinii^ the example of 
 the 'duthov of fj Efat de P(>rtugaK and givinj^ the 
 sarae account of this transaction, which was trans- 
 mitted by Moasieur Fuvier to the court of France, 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 245 
 
 or expressinof the smallest signs of appre- 
 hension. The prime minister hastened to 
 attend his' soverefgn, arid listened to all 
 that had passed without change of counte- 
 nance. He then entreated the king to 
 keep the aifaif secret, and gave orders tor 
 the valet de chambre and guards to be 
 equal! v^ silent ; thus prudently deciding on- 
 concealing for some time th^ punishment 
 awaitino; the retricides, with as much art as 
 they had employed in forming so treason- 
 able and bloody a design ; for it must be 
 allowed that no conspiracy was ever kept 
 more secret, or was so near being success- 
 ful ; but the attempt being once made, and' 
 by so considerable a number of persons, it 
 was scarcely possible the original authors 
 of the plot could long remain concealed. 
 
 Notwithstanding all the above-mention- 
 ed precautions, a report was presently cir- 
 culated throughout Lisbon, that the king' 
 had been assassinated. Crowds of people^ 
 assembled before the palace, and eagerly' 
 demanded to see his majesty, who imme- 
 diately complied w-ith their request, and' 
 declared aloud, that the hurts he had re- 
 ceived were occasioned by being overturned 
 in his calash. He afterwards engaged the 
 nobles more particularly attached to his 
 person, and who had eagerly flow n to at- 
 y3 
 
246 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 tend him, ta leave no means untried to re- 
 move every suspicion from the minds of 
 the public, of an attempt having been 
 made against his hfe. 
 
 The duke d'Aveiro, who had been the 
 first to propose pursuing the assassins at 
 the head of the horse guards on duty that 
 night at the palace, seemed unwiUing to 
 consent to the plan of secrecy adopted by 
 the king : but Carvalho, who beo;an to en- 
 tertain some suspicions of his being con- 
 cerned in the conspiracy, was not the dupe 
 of his zeal : he therefore pretended to en- 
 trust him with some particular secrets, 
 whilst he insisted upon his entering into 
 the views, and complying with the mjunc- 
 tioris of his majesty. 
 
 Difficult as it appears to keep secret an 
 affair of this nature, it, however, never 
 transpired ; arid the king, even before his 
 wounds were closed, appeared in public, 
 and took his usual exercise. The conspira- 
 tors also put on a calm appearance, and 
 began to believe all danger over. One man 
 only amongst the number, named Poly- 
 carpe, who was a domestic in. the Tavora 
 family, mistrusted such mysterious inac- 
 tivity on the part of government^ and tak- 
 ing alarm, quitted the kingdom. 
 . Ev^ry thing now appeared quiet ; the 
 
OF PORTUGAL, 247 
 
 public mind was re-assured ; the conspira- 
 tors thought themselves in safety, and the 
 attempt on tlie kind's Hfe seemed for- 
 gotten. Carvalho, liowever, had been con- 
 stantly and secretly eihploved in divinoj to 
 the bottom of this dreadful transaction : 
 the principal contrivers of it were already 
 known to him, when, by the effect of the 
 most extraordinary chance, he became 
 acquainted wilh the whole of their accom- 
 plices. 
 
 The conspirators, once relitved from all 
 apprehensions ol* discovery, without the 
 smallest compunction' for the enornniy < f 
 their ciiuie, turned their thoughts towans 
 a second attempt, andthe means of making 
 it a successful one. The spot chosen for 
 their private meetings, was a garden be- 
 longing to Tavora, which also served as a 
 place of rendezvous to a foreign servant, 
 who carried on a clandestine correspon- 
 dence with a woman in the house: she, 
 one night, failing in her appointment, her 
 lover concealed himself in the garden, near 
 the very spot where the conspirators held 
 their assembly. Not one word which 
 passed escaped the ears of the attentive 
 listener, who, by that means, became ac- 
 quainted not only with every particular re- 
 lative to the tirst attempt; butwith the plan 
 
248 HISTORY OF THE RE V0£UTI0NS 
 
 laid for the execution of the second. This 
 manj no sooner contrived to quit the 
 garden, than he flew to the prime minister, 
 and related with the utmost precision every 
 thing which had passed. 
 
 Carvalho instant!}^ perceived the immi- 
 nent danger to which he was exposed; and 
 having now the niost convincing proofs, of 
 what before he only suspected, nothing re- 
 mained to be done hut to deliver up the 
 criminals to the severity of the law : he, 
 however, still continued to dissemble; and 
 the duke d'Aveiro, either from his own 
 apprehensions, or by the advice of his 
 friends, having asked leave of absence for 
 three months, it was immediately granted, 
 \ and that in the most obliging and flattering 
 manner. The marquis de Tavora was at 
 the same time appointed to acommandery, 
 which he had solicited during several 
 years. 
 
 Favours thus repeatedly conferred on 
 the principal conspirators, completely put 
 an end to the apprehensions of their 
 fi'iends, relations, and accomplices. The 
 public was likewise deceived ; every thing 
 which had passed was buried in oblivion ; 
 and nothing was talked of but the intended 
 marriage between the daughter of Carvalho, 
 and the comte de Sampayo^ with the enter- 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 249 
 
 tainments which would naturally take 
 place on so brilliant an alliance. The king 
 himself signed the contract of marriage, 
 promised to defray the expences of the 
 wedding, and invited ail the grandees of 
 the kingdom to be present ou the occasion. 
 
 The duke d'Aveiro no sooner received 
 this intelligence, than he left the coimtry, 
 and repaired with all possible haste to 
 Lisbon ; where every thing around him 
 wore the face of joy and pleasure; but on 
 the very day when the court and city were 
 busily employed in preparing for two balls, 
 the one at the prime minister s at Belem, 
 and the other in Lisbon, at the long room ;* 
 intelligence was brought that troops, com- 
 posed both of horse and foot, had unex- 
 pectedly entered the city, and that great 
 numbers of persons of all ranks and de- 
 scriptions had been taken into custody. 
 
 Never was there a transition so sudden 
 from the greatest joy to the deepest sorrow; 
 never were wedding garments so shortly 
 changed to mourning habits ; never were 
 
 * A house of public entertainment, belonging: to 
 the foreign nierchunts, who thateveninj^ oave a ball 
 in honour of the marriage of the prime minister's 
 ditu filter. 
 
250 HISTOllY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 criminals so speedily brought to trial, nor 
 sentences so quickly executed. Scarcely 
 ten days had elapsed since their first im- 
 prisonment, before the duke d'Aveiro was 
 drawn and quartered ; the marquis de 
 Tavora, his wife, his two sons, and his son- 
 in-law, the count d'Atouguia, beheaded, 
 «nd four other pei*sons of inferior rank 
 burnt alive. 
 
 Dreadful as is the spectacle of punish- 
 ments, so repugnant to the feelings of hu- 
 manity ; let us, however, take a view of 
 the fatal spot, Vv'here the minister, far from 
 listening to the impulse of compassion, 
 but too frequently injurious to the interests 
 of both king and state, delivered up to the 
 hand of the executioner the noble and ig- 
 noble, whose blood was suffered to flow 
 indiscriminately in the same channel. 
 
 The duke d'Aveiro, on approaching the 
 scafibld, shewed every symptom of the 
 most abject fear, and by his cowardice lost 
 that interest in the hearts of the spectators, 
 which a contrary conduct, even in the 
 greatest criminals, never fails to inspire; 
 whilst the old marchioness of Tavora was 
 all herself, never losing sight of the cha- 
 racter by which she had constantly been 
 distinguished, and preserving to the last 
 moment' of her existence an heroic firm- 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 251 
 
 ness^ and an unalterable presence of 
 mind. 
 
 The sentence which condemned her to 
 death having been read to her, she ordered 
 her breakfast as usual, and seated herself at 
 her toilette, where she dress^ed herself in 
 lier accustomed manner. Her confessor 
 having hinted that her moments ought to 
 be otherwise employed, ?he calmly an-, 
 swered, that there was time enough for , 
 every thing. She afterwards breakfasted 
 with her female attendants, and conversed: 
 without the smallest emotion. On arriv- 
 ing at the foot of the scaffold, she refused 
 all assistance, and addressing herself in a 
 loud voice to those who had offered it, 
 / am very well able to jnount it by rriyself ^ - 
 for I have not been put to the torture like ^ 
 the others. She aqcorxlingly went up witlr 
 a firm step, but on reaching the platform ; 
 of the scanold, her constancy was put to the 
 most cruel proof; for meeting her hus- 
 band, the marquis de Tavora, he reproach- 
 ed her in the bitterest terms for havino- 
 caused the destruction jof her family. 
 Looking towards him with a serene coun- 
 tenance, she only replied, IFell, then! 
 bear your rnisfortunes as 1 do, and do not 
 reproach me with them. The executioner 
 iComing towards her, she bound her eyes 
 
252 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 herself, begged him to dispatch his business 
 quickly, spoke a very lew words to her 
 confessor^ and with lier handkerchief gave 
 the fatal signal. 
 
 The second son of a woman, whose 
 greatness of mind makes her criminality 
 the more severely to be regretted, dis- 
 played a degree of courage equal to that of 
 his mother: he was only nineteen years of 
 age^ but his youth did not exemj3t him 
 from the torture. The severest tortiients, 
 however, lost their effect ; not a groan, not 
 an avowal of any kind escaped him ; till at 
 last the executioner hoping that filial af- 
 fection might draw from him a confession, 
 which the most excruciating tortures could 
 not extort, brought his father to him, who 
 exhorted him in the most pathetic terms 
 not thus uselessly to prolong his sufferings, 
 since not only he himself^ but all the ac- 
 complices had made an ample confession. 
 Scarcely could the marquis finish his dis- 
 course, before he was interrupted by his 
 son, who briefly answered, Father, it was 
 you ivho gave me UJe, and you are at 
 liberty to deprive me oj it. 
 
 The sword of justice hung some time 
 longer suspended over the three Jesuits, 
 Malagrida, Alexander, and Matos, who ' 
 had been taken up as instigators and prin- 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 253 
 
 cipal chiefs of the conspiracy,^ Their 
 execution was daily expected ; birt unfor- 
 tunately the common modes of justice had 
 not been allowed to take their course, and 
 to the astonishment of all the world, it was 
 not till some years after their imprison- 
 ment, that Gabriel Maiagrida was alone 
 condemned by an extraordinary court of 
 justice, to be burned alive, (the 2 1st Sep- 
 tember, 1 7^1) and then not as a conspira- 
 tor and regicide, but as a heretic and im- 
 postor.-}' 
 
 Carvalho, now made count d'Oeyras, 
 had not, however, waited the execution of 
 Maiagrida, to banish the Jesuits from Por- 
 tugal. § That a religious order, which 
 causes disturbances in the state, and enters 
 into conspiracies, deserves banishment, and 
 even capital punishment, no one will pre- 
 
 * Th^se were the terms employed in the warrant 
 for securing their persons. See admimstratioti of 
 the manjuis de Pombal. ^ ' ' 
 
 \ He was condemned as author of two books, tlie 
 production of a disordered imagination, which he 
 wrote in the royal prison. The first, in Porttigueze, 
 was entitled. The Heroic and admirable Life of the 
 glorious St. Anne; and the second, written in Latin, 
 was called, Tractatus de vitd et imperio Antichristi, 
 
 § The royal edict for the banishment of the Je« 
 suites is dated on the 3d of September, 175<). 
 Z 
 
f254 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 tend to deny ; but, on the other hand, may 
 it not be alledged that the religious order 
 which had rendered the most essential 
 services to the state, and indeed to Christian 
 countries in general, by instructing youth, 
 and civilizing colonies, miojht better have 
 been reformed, than entirely destroyed. 
 
 A conspiracy, which had been preceded 
 by a revolution in America, attended by 
 circumstances capable of overturning the 
 mother country, and which was followed 
 by the expulsion of the Jesuits, ended at 
 last in a state of tranquillity, which it had 
 cost too many sacrifices to obtain, not to 
 employ every possible means to ensure its 
 duration : but notwithstanding all the en- 
 deavours of the king and his minister, the 
 Spaniards and French were determined to 
 disturb it. 
 
 A Spanish army, composed of forty 
 thousand men, entered Portugal in 176*2; 
 their progress, however, through that 
 country was but very short ; and by the 
 assistance of the English, and the count de 
 la Lippe, to whom the former had given 
 the command of the Portugueze troops,* 
 
 * Those who wish to be more particularly in^ 
 formtd of the military operations ut this campaigi), 
 
OF PORTUGAL. 255 
 
 an honourable peace was signed on the 
 10th of February in the following year; 
 after which their quiet was only disturbed 
 by some hostilities in America, which ter- 
 minated very much in the same nianner as 
 the former ones, without the powers of 
 Europe being engaged in the quarrel. The 
 count d'Oeyras, afterwards created marquis 
 de Pombal, never lost sight, even in the 
 midst of all his difficulties, of his original 
 plan of reforms and ameliorations. The 
 greatest obstacles he had to encounter pro- 
 ceeded from Brazil, and the town of Oporto, 
 from the inhabitants of which he had but 
 little reason to expect opposition, since the 
 measure to which they so strongly objected 
 was shortly followed by an increase 6f their 
 wine trade, which became twice as con- 
 siderable as before. 
 
 Portugal being much more fruitful in 
 vines than in corn, the king published an 
 edict in lj65, commanding all the vines in 
 the environs of the Taous, Mondeoo and 
 V echa, to be rooted up, and the land sown 
 with wheat. 
 
 and tlifi reforms made by the German prince, count 
 de la Lippe, may consult VEtat du Fortugali by 
 JJumourisr, 
 
 Z2 ^ - 
 
25G HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 The vineyards in the neighbourhood of 
 Lisbon, Oeyras, and some other places, 
 were, however, suflered to remain. By a 
 former edict, of the month of October, 
 1761, twenty- two thousand writers or 
 clerks employed in tlie ditferent tribunals 
 were reduced to only thirty-two persons. 
 The minister, by a salutary law, which took 
 place on the 25th of May, l^T^) fo^^ ^^^'' 
 abohshed the odious distinction formerly 
 existing in Portugal, between the old and 
 new christians. The latter, composed of 
 converted Jews and Moors, were always 
 suspected of insincerity, and regarded in 
 the kingdom as marked with in f ami/, and 
 for ever separated from the other Chris- 
 tians, and incapable of acting in any ca^ 
 jpacity, either ecclesiastical or civil. The 
 progress of learning also was a principal 
 object in the marquis de Pombal's system 
 of improvement : he reformed the univer- 
 sity of Coimbra ; he converted on the \^t\\ 
 of May, 17^^^ the college occupied by the 
 novices of the order of Jesus, and which 
 was esteemed one of the finest buildings in 
 Lisbon, into a school for the nobility : he 
 likewise established other schools for 
 children of all descriptions ; and published 
 a plan of public education, which, if pro- 
 perly followed^ could not fail of restoring 
 
OF PORTUGAL. So/ 
 
 science and gocrd morals throughout the 
 whole of Portujx^l. He left no means un- 
 tried to wrest from tlie hands of the 
 Eno^hsh the different branches of com- 
 merce, of which they were become exclu- 
 sive possessors. He set just bounds to the 
 despotic authority of the holy office, which, 
 by an edict of the 20th of May, 17^9, be- 
 came merely a royal tribunal, invested 
 with no other power than what was trans- 
 mitted to it by the sovereign, thus depriv- 
 inop it of all its odious privileges and pre- 
 tensions; such as the form of its proceed- 
 ings, and the absurd idea of uniting the 
 authority of the pope and bishops to that 
 of the king; whilst at the same time, it 
 acknowledged no supreme chief but the 
 pope alone. He patronised the arts, and 
 caused a statue of Joseph the 1st to be 
 erected to him. It was on the very day of 
 its exhibition to the public eye, the day 
 he justly esteenried the happiest of his life, 
 that he discovered it had been marked for 
 his destruction. The last melancholy satis- 
 faction, in attending his master's dying 
 moments, together with the sixty millions 
 of cruzadoes found in the royal treasury 
 after his decease, forrtied a sufficient proof 
 of the uprightness of his administration. 
 The reigning, ^ueen ^f Portugal, who 
 Z 3 
 
258 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTIONS 
 
 was marriediin 17^0, to her uncle, don 
 Pedro, =^ signal izec^ her accession to the 
 throne, by throwing open the prison gates, 
 and causinoj the proceedino^s aoainst the 
 criminals concerned in the conspiracy of 
 the 3d of September, 1758, to be revised; 
 after which the greater part were restored 
 to their former rights ; though the exami- 
 jiation which had taken place, i;ather con- 
 firmed their guilt, than proved their inno- 
 cence. Far diiferent was the action com- 
 menced against the marquis de Pombal, by 
 the enemies of tliat able minister ; for the 
 proceedings w^hich declared kim crimitial, 
 and deserving of condign punishinent, sq 
 evidently proved his innocence, and the 
 injustice of such a sentence, that he was 
 suffered to die quietly in his bed, at his 
 country seat, whither he had some time 
 retired, on the 5th of May, 1782."i- 
 
 * The klnw having no male issue, the infanta 
 Mary Frances Elizabeth, his eldest daughter, born 
 on the 17th of September, 1734, became, according 
 to the fundamental laws of the kingdom, heir to the 
 crown. Several foreign princes wished to obtain 
 her hand ; but the king, desirous of pleasing his 
 people, bestowed her on his brother, don Pedro, 
 See rart de verifer les dates. 
 
 t The marquis de Pombal was on the point of 
 going to London, where a house was already pre^ 
 
QF PORTUGAL. 259 
 
 The health of the qaeen, oft the demise 
 of her hushand, in IJ&G, was so much de- 
 ranged, that the prince of Brazil took into 
 his own hands the reins of government. 
 This enlightened and prudent prince has 
 neglected nothing to promote the national 
 industry ; he has encouraged hterature, 
 made commerce flourish, and even some- 
 times caused the Brazil gold to circulate 
 again from England to Portugal, He has 
 established so strict a police in Lisbon, 
 that it is impossible for an assassin or con- 
 spirator, should such still exist, to escape 
 the punishment due to his crimes. He 
 has augmented the land forces, and invited 
 the most experienced foreign officers to 
 command them ; and he has attended par- 
 ticularly to the navy, for which he has 
 been justly rewarded. Pacific, and faith- 
 ful to his allies, he has followed as exactly 
 as possible the system of neutrality traced 
 
 pared for him ; but the queen objected to his de- 
 parture, and promised to protect him a<^ainst the 
 power of his enemies. On his death she bestowed 
 all his titles and possessions on his son, together 
 Tvith the commanderies given him by Joseph the 
 1st. We are happy to find he has not proved un- 
 grateful, the marquis de Fombal having attended 
 her majesty to Brazil, 
 
260 HISTORY OF THE REVOXl/TlONff 
 
 by his mother, who has ever been at peace 
 with her neighbours, -aiKl never engaged in 
 any of their wars, till she joined them m 
 that dt-clared against France at the com^ 
 mencement of the revolution : since which, 
 the fate of Portngrt! has so entirely de- 
 pended on that of Spam, that the fall of 
 the one must necessarily be succeeded by 
 the destruction of the other. How noble 
 aa instance of generosity then does the 
 conduct of England atTord, thus to fly to 
 the relief of a country, which, though an 
 ally, had so lately declared war against 
 her? 
 
 At a moment when the royal family had 
 been forced to quit Lisbon, when the 
 French entered that capital, and indeed 
 every other town and fortress in the king- 
 dom ; whilst the provinces of Portugal were 
 dismembered by tlie same usurping hand 
 which had disposed not only of the country, 
 but of the crown of Spain, and whilst every 
 thing seemed to announce to the Portu- 
 gueze that they must no longer look up to 
 the same masters, submit to the same laws, 
 or form a separate state ; at such a moment, 
 I say, the victorious British arms came to 
 their aid, changed their destiny, and 
 opened a new field of glory to the descen- 
 dants of Viriatus^ and the fellow-soldiers^ of 
 
OF PORTUGAL. SSl 
 
 Sertorious ; and who can doubt that suc- 
 cess must attend their arms, if constantly 
 faithful to their generous allies, theyneyer 
 cease to remember, that it was in the 
 plains of Lusitania, where the first standard 
 of a free people was displayed against the 
 masters of the universe ; that they, in their 
 turn, and in the same country, planted the 
 last colours of their expiring liberty, and 
 that one and both fell a sacrifice to per- 
 fidy,* but never were conquered by the 
 force of arms ! 
 
 * It is a known fact, that the Romans, unable to 
 subdue Viiiatus, caused iiitn to be basely assassi- 
 jaatc'd ill the year 140 before Christ; and that 70 
 years before the Christian lera, Scrtorius was killed 
 at table, by Ptjrpemia. 
 
DESCRIPTIOxN OF BRAZIL. 
 
 Nos patriae fines et dnlela linquinius arva, 
 Nob patriani fugimus .... 
 
 Firg. I. Edog. 
 
 Brazil, which from a variety of cir* 
 cumstances, has ever heeti regarded aa 
 interesting country, is now become doubly 
 so, from being the present residence of the 
 court of Portugal ; and as such, we are in- 
 duced to give a description of it, which, 
 from the nature and size of this work, must 
 necessarily be a short one. 
 
 Cahral, in the year 1600, first landed on 
 the coast of Brazil, and immediately gave 
 notice to the court of Lisbon of the dis- 
 covery he had made. The Portugueze, 
 however, were for a length of time very 
 indifferent to the acquisition of so fine a 
 country. This negligence may in a great 
 degree be attributed to the want of civihzed 
 inhabitants, and opulent towns, which the 
 Portugueze had been accustomed to meet 
 with in Africa and Asia; whilst the natives 
 of Brazil consisted of different colonies of 
 
DEStRlPTION OF BRA2IL. t2b3 
 
 savages, dwelling in miserable huts, situ- 
 ated either in forests, on the banks of 
 rivers, or on the sea-coast ; and subsist] nsc 
 entirely on the produce of the chace, or on 
 fish caught by themselves. The heat of 
 the climate made cloathing not only un- 
 necessary, but absolutely superfluous. The 
 men and women equally painted their 
 bodies, ornamented their necks and arms 
 v^'ith necklaces and bracelets of white bones, 
 and adorned their heads with feathers* 
 The Brazilians are nearly of tlie same 
 stature as the Europeans, but in general 
 not so robust. Their principal arms con- 
 sisted of clubs and arrows ; their wars were 
 not frequent, but cruel ; and dreadful was 
 the fate of those prisoners who fell into 
 their hands without being w^ounded, since 
 they constantly served as a repast. to their 
 merciless conquerors. 
 
 The French, Dutch, and Portugueze 
 successively formed settlements on the 
 coast; but, in the end, the latter became 
 masters not only of the coast, but of the 
 interior of the country. Let us now take 
 a cursory view of the manner in which the 
 inhabitants have been treated, and the laws 
 by which they have been governed. 
 
 The Brazilians have not always experi-* 
 enced the same fate; and several years 
 
^64 DESCRIPTION OF 
 
 elapsed, and many contests took place 
 before the rigour of their situation was in 
 the smallest degree softened. Kins: Se- 
 bastian was the first who bestowed a thought 
 on mitigating the sufferings of so irterest- 
 ing a part of his subjects. He prohibited 
 their being publicly sold in the markets, 
 and sent as slaves to the plantations. Pri- 
 soners of war were indeed excepted, but 
 not unless the war in which they were 
 taken was proved to be a just one. 
 
 f hilip the lid published different ordi- 
 nances in the years 15.95, l605, and 1606, 
 by which he declared Indians of every de- 
 scription perfectly free ; but this sovereign 
 being informed that his statutes had been 
 of no avail, confirmed and strengthened 
 them by a new one in 1611, whereby he 
 decreed that the severest punishments 
 should be infiicted on whosoever should 
 presume to infringe thein. This edict, 
 unhappily, was equally ineffectual with 
 the former ones ; as was also another, given 
 by the court of Lisbon in 1647, at the re- 
 peated and pressing solicitations of the 
 Jesuit missionaries at Brazil, by which the 
 prohibition of enslaving the Brazilians was 
 again formally renewed; but that people 
 never were really emancipaJed till the 
 year 1/55, when ihe Portugueze govern- 
 
BRAZIL. . 26^ 
 
 laeiit publicly declared them citizens, in-r 
 vested with the same rights and privileges 
 as their conquerors, capable of aspiring to 
 the same distinctions, allowed to be edu- 
 cated at the. same schools, and even to the 
 university of Coimbra. 
 
 This event, however, was far from in- 
 spiring those sentiments of joy and grati- 
 tude, which might naturally have been 
 expected from a people thus raised from 
 the degrading state of servitude, to all the 
 advantages of freedom : this may probably 
 be, in a great measure, attributed to their 
 expectations having been so frequently 
 raised and disappointed, that they could 
 not yet place any confidence in the decla*- 
 rations of the Portugueze. It was there- 
 fore necesypary, to complete so great a revo- 
 lutionary operation, that the captainships^, 
 and the extensive domains in possession of 
 different individuals, who were in fact so 
 aaiany petty sovereigns, should be taken 
 out of their hands, and placed in those of 
 government. This being effected, a new 
 partition took place. A particular governor 
 ■was appointed for every c^aptainship or 
 government; and the whole of the Brazils 
 was mider the command of a lord lieut€J-i 
 nant, or viceroy. Though these different 
 governors are obliged to submit to the* 
 A a 
 
266 DESCRIPTION 
 
 general laws enacted by the viceroy; there 
 are some amongst them, particularly those 
 whose governments are situated near the 
 gold and diamond mines, who receive their 
 orders immediately from Lisbon. These 
 appointments are only for three years, but 
 they are seldom changed in less than six ; 
 and during that time, they are not allowed 
 to marry in the country, to enter into any 
 branch of commerce, or to accept presents 
 on any pretence whatsoever ; their salary 
 being from twelve to twenty thousand cru- 
 «adoes, which are thought sufiicient to 
 answer every possible expense. On quit- 
 ting their employments, comipissaries ap- 
 pointed by the mother country examine 
 into their administration ; and colonists, 
 with citizens of every description, are al- 
 lowed to carry in their complaints, and 
 bring forward their accusations against 
 them. If it so happens, that they die 
 during their office, their governments arc 
 committed to the joint care of the bishop, 
 the officer who holds the highest rank in 
 the army, and the first magistrate. It may 
 indeed be said, with the greatest truth, that 
 such is the vigilance with which the ad- 
 ministration of men in power in Brazil is 
 observed at present, that few, if any, suc- 
 ceed in making great fortunes. 
 
OF BRAZIL. 267 
 
 I'he jurisprudence of this country is 
 ])recise]y the same as in Portugal. Each 
 district has its separate judge ; from whose 
 sentence appeals may be made to the tri- 
 bunals of Bahia, Kio Janeiro, or even to 
 that of Lisbon. Tlie provinces of Para 
 and Maragnhon are the only ones not sub- 
 ject to the jurisdictions of Bahia and Rio 
 Janeiro; their causes being submitted on 
 appeal to the tribunal of Lisbon : in crimi- 
 nal cases, indeed, the process is rather 
 different. 
 
 Trifling offences are punished, without 
 appeal, by the judges of each captainship ; 
 but crimes of a deeper dye come under the 
 cognizance of the governor, who is assisted 
 by assessors nominated by legal authority. 
 A particular tpbunal is appointed to re- 
 ceive and take charge of the property of 
 all deceased persons, whose heirs may be 
 heyond seas at the time of their death ; for 
 which they receive live per cent, of the 
 said property. This establishment, though 
 an excellent one, is subject to a great in- 
 convenience; since creditors in Brazil can 
 only be paid in Europe, which not only 
 occasions delay, but is frequently very 
 prejudicial to the affairs of the parties con- 
 cerned. 
 
 Every town^ and indeed every large 
 A a2 
 
^fe^^ DESCRIPTION 
 
 tillage, has a municipality, which attends; 
 to the small concerns entrusted to its care, 
 and regulate!^ (under the inspection of the 
 governor, indeed) the trifling taxes neces- 
 sary to be laid on. This munici])alTty ha^ 
 the very essential privilege of complaining 
 to the king himself against the conduct of 
 the chief of the colony, the governor, and 
 the four magistrate^ Appointed to manage 
 the finances in each government. The 
 accounts are given in every year to the 
 royal treasury at Lisbon, where they un-^ 
 dergo a very strict examination. 
 
 The army is on the same footing in 
 Brazil as in Portugal. The mulattoes and 
 negroes are distinguished by ' particular 
 standards ; but the native Indians serve in 
 battle with the whites. In the year 17BG, 
 the . forces consisted of 15,899 regtllar 
 troops, and 21,850 militia. On the late 
 arrival of the queen, she found the regulars 
 augmented to 20,000, and the militia might 
 very easily be raised to 40,000. 
 
 The colonists have, equally with the 
 Portugueze, preserved the privilege of hav* 
 ing slaves on their estates ; but the masters 
 ^re enjoined by the law to find them in 
 provisions; this, however, is attended by 
 very little expense; a small portion of land 
 b^ing (icmsigned to them, which they cul- 
 
OF BRAZIL. 269 
 
 tivate themselves, and which not only sup- 
 plies them with necessaries, but very fre-< 
 quently with conveniences. The laws in 
 favour of slaves have been carried still 
 farther ; since those possessed of a certain 
 sum of money are allowed to purchase 
 their liberty; and in this case they can 
 oblige their masters to accept the proffered 
 sum ; but they are seldom forced to pro- 
 ceed to such lengths, since nothing can be 
 more rare than a master's refusing to com- 
 ply with the terms prescribed by the law. 
 There cannot be a stronger proof of the 
 present rnild treatment of slaves in Brazil, 
 treatment so different from what they ex- 
 perience in the other European colonies, 
 than the very few w ho think of escaping 
 from that immerise country. The blacks, 
 when once freed from slavery, are allowed, 
 the rights of citizens, in the same manner 
 as the mulattoes ; neither the one nor the 
 other can enter the order of priesthood, or 
 municipality: if they become soldiers, they 
 cannot rise to the rank of officers, unletis 
 in their own particular batal lions. They 
 have, however, the privilege of intermarry- 
 ing with white women. 
 
 It is impossible to take a view of the 
 situation of Brazil, its extent, climate and, 
 production, without perceiving that no 
 A a 3 
 
©70 DESCRIPTION OF BRAZIL. 
 
 colony ever merited more particularly the 
 attention and protection of the mother 
 country. 
 
 Brazil, thus happily situated^ is 875 
 leagues in lengthy from north to south, and 
 425 broad, from east to west. The Porta- 
 gueze settlements are scattered on the 
 coast, and extend in a circuit of nearly 
 1500 leagues ; they seldom penetrate more 
 than 50 or 6o leagues into the interior of 
 the country; except, indeed, down some 
 rivers, on the banks of which they some-* 
 times advance more than 400 leagues from 
 the sea shore. 
 
 The limits of this Work will not permit 
 us to enter into a minute description of 
 the various productions of so extensive a 
 country, and so fertile a soil ; nor, indeed^ 
 of the different settlements successively" 
 formed by the Portugueze. we must there- 
 fore refer the curious readtr to the adjoin- 
 ing account, which we flatter ourselves 
 will not be thought uninfert sting, and as 
 such meet with the apj^^robation of an in- 
 dulgent public. 
 
NAMES 
 
 OF THE OIFFERENT 
 
 GOVERNMENTS IN BRAZIL, 
 
 WtTH THEIR 
 
 Boundaries, Population^ and Commerce, 
 
 I. PARA. 
 
 The most northern government in Bra- 
 zil, comprising that part of Guiana which 
 belongs to Portugal, together with the 
 coarse of the river of the Amazons from 
 the confluence of the two rivers Madera and 
 Mamora ; it also contains to the east the 
 whole of the country which extends to the 
 river Tocaniin. This province is the most 
 barren and the most unwholesome of any 
 in that part of the world. 
 
 Population, 
 4,108 Whites;— 9,919 Blacks ^«d Mil- 
 
272 GOVERNMENTS^ COMMERCE, &C. 
 
 Principal Towns. 
 
 Belem, on the banks of the Amazon, 
 is twenty leagues from the "main ocean. 
 The port is called Para, and is of difficult 
 access. The vessels, on entering the har- 
 bour, anchor in a muddy bottom, where 
 the water is four, five, or six fathoms deep. 
 This town is situated thirteen feet above 
 the level of the sea ; and was founded by 
 Caldeira in l6l5 : it is defended by a 
 strong fort, named Notre Dame de las 
 Merces, erected at the mouth of the Muja 
 river. The town contains near ten thou- 
 sand inhabitants, besides the garrsion, con- 
 sisting of about eight hundred men. On 
 descending the river of the Amazones, at 
 forty leagues from Para, there is a large 
 neck of land, which advances into the 
 water and forms several islands, the most 
 considerable of which is Joannes ; it is de- 
 fended by a small fort, and is very popu- 
 lous. The town of St. Georges dos Ala- 
 mos is situated in the same government, 
 and has a regular fortress. 
 
 Commerce. 
 
 In 1755, thirteen or fourteen vessels ar- 
 rived in this government from Lisbon, 
 
OF BRAZIL. i2j3 
 
 but since that time their number has been 
 diminished to four or five. The usual ex- 
 portation from Para does not consist of 
 articles amounting to more than six hun- 
 dred thousand French livres (25,OOOL 
 sterhng), such as wild cocoa, vinilla, tor- 
 toise and crab-shells, sarsaparilla, different 
 kinds of balsams, cotton, 3cc. The dis- 
 trict of Para, properly so called, produces 
 but a very small qtiantity of cotton, and 
 some sugar canes, but so few in number 
 tliat tiiey are converted into brandy. The 
 inhabitants cultivate rice, cocoa, and coffee, 
 for exportation. 
 
 The cattle bred in the island of Marajo 
 used formerly to be exported ; but at pre- 
 sent the quantity of these animals is 
 scarcely sufficient for home consumption. 
 
 II. MARANHAO. 
 
 This government is separated from Para 
 towards the north by the river Tocantin ; 
 from Gojas towards the south by the cor- 
 dillera called Guacucaguia ; and from Fer- 
 narabuca towards the east by the Ypiapaba 
 mountains. 
 
 POPL^LATION. 
 
 ^'993 Whites;— 17,843 Blacks andMu- 
 
274 GOVERNMENTS^ COMAIERCE^ &C. 
 
 lattoes, freedmen and slaves ; — 38^937 In- 
 dians, either dispersed about the country 
 or inhabiting the ten different hamlets. 
 
 Principal Tovi^ns. 
 
 St. Louis is the principal tov^^n in Ma- 
 ranhao ; all commercial business is trans- 
 acted in this place, which is situated in an 
 island of the same name, and was built by 
 the French in l6l2. It is defended by a 
 citadel and several forts^ and has an excel- 
 lent port. 
 
 The island, of St. Louis is very fertile, 
 and is twenty-six leagues in circumfer- 
 ence. 
 
 The captainship of Siara is annexed to 
 the government of Maranhao; the prin- 
 cipal town bears the same name as the 
 captainship, and contains about ten thou- 
 sand inhabitants It is defended by a 
 small fort, and the port, which is likewise 
 small, will only admit very little vessels. 
 
 Commerce. 
 
 The exportation of this government 
 is not answerable to the number of its 
 inhabitants, amounting only on an ave- 
 rage to six or seven hundred thousand 
 .French livres (20,000 or 29,16*61. 13s. 
 4d.) The fine&t Brazil amotto grows 
 
OF BRAZIL. 275 
 
 in Maranhao, which also produces the 
 best cotton in America. Rice succeeds 
 very well in this soil ; but all endeavours 
 have been fruitless to naturalize silk- 
 worms. 
 
 There is a great breed of horses and 
 horned cattle in Pauchy, a country an- 
 nexed to this government^ in which, 
 however, the sheep degenerate as well as 
 in the rest of Brazil, except, indeed, in the 
 Coritibe. Mines of sulphur, alum, cop- 
 peras, iron, lead, and antimony are very 
 common in the mountains; but though 
 they are not deep, they have never, yet^ 
 been opened. There are likewise silver- 
 mines, which, in 1^52 the court had given 
 permission to be worked ; this permission 
 was, however^ soon after retracted, but for 
 "what reason was never yet known. 
 
 III. FERNAMBUCA, 
 
 Is at this present bounded by the river 
 St. Francesco, and different chains of 
 Cordilleras. The coast of this governnfent 
 towards the sea extends sixty-five leagues. 
 
 Population. 
 
 19,665 Whites ; — 39,132 Negroes and 
 Mulattoes ; — «3,728 Indians. 
 
276" GOVERKMENTS, COMMERCE, &€. 
 
 The island of Fernando de Nbrronha is 
 in the dependance of the above-mentioned 
 government. 
 
 Principal Towns. 
 
 Ohnda, the capital of Fernambuca is- 
 t)uilt upon an eminence on the sea-shore;. 
 it contains several fine fountains, and iS: 
 situated in a beautiful country. The in- 
 habitants are computed at twelve thousand. 
 There is a manufactory of sword blades in 
 in this town, which, equally with St. An- 
 toine de Receif, has a good port, and is 
 defended by several fortresses. The island 
 of Fernando de Norronha has two good 
 open harbours^ in which ships of the great- 
 est burthen may ride in safety, unless the 
 wind blows from the north or west. 
 
 Commerce. 
 
 The coast of Fernambuca, in an extent 
 of sixty-five leagues, produces a small 
 quantity of cotton. The plains are filled 
 with plantations of fine sugar canes, and 
 the mountains are covered with broods of 
 horned cattle, the hides of which are very 
 productive. The principal branch of com- 
 merce in this government is that fine sort 
 of Brazil wood employed in dyeing rede 
 
or BRA2IL. 277 
 
 This wood is of so superior a quality that 
 it is not necessary to employ lialf the 
 quantity which would be required of cam- 
 peche wood for the same purpose. The 
 annual consumption of this excellent 
 wood in Europe, amounted during a long 
 time to from twenty to thirty thousand 
 quintals. In 17^3, two English mer- 
 chants contracted with the Portugueze 
 government for the exclusive sale of this 
 wood, on condition thkt the said govern- 
 ment was at the expence of felhng it. 
 These merchants purcliased the wood for 
 eight hundred thousand French livres 
 (33,3331. 6s. 8d.), sold it at Lisboii for a 
 million (41,6661. 13s. 4d.) ; their expenses 
 amounted to a hundred and twenty-eight 
 thousand livres (5,333l. 6s- 8d.) ; conse- 
 quently they made a profit of seventy-two 
 thousand French livres (3^0001.). 
 
 IV. BAHIA, or TODOS SANTOS, 
 
 Is bounded on the north by the river St. 
 Francesco, on the south by the river Dolce, 
 and on the east by the river Preto, one of 
 the branches of the river Verde. 
 
 Population. 
 
 39,784 Whites; — 49,6^3 Indians;—* 
 68,024 Negroes. 
 
 B b 
 
278 GOVERNMENTS, COMMERCE^ &C. 
 
 Principal Town. 
 
 The capital of Bahia is St. Salvador-, 
 the entrance to which is through the bay 
 of Todos Santos : this bay is two leagues 
 and a half wide. There is a fort on each 
 side of the entrance, intended rather to 
 prevent landing on the coast, than to im- 
 pede the passage through the bay, which 
 is thirteen or fourteen leagues in length, 
 and full of little islands, containing cotton- 
 trees. The bay is narrow towards the 
 town, which overlooks it, and is built on 
 the side of a steep hill ; it is, however, a 
 very good port, safe, and capable of con- 
 taining a great fleet. St. Salvador con- 
 tains more than two thousand houses, the 
 greatest part of which * are magniticent 
 buildings. 
 
 Commerce. 
 
 Sugar and cotton make but a small part 
 of the Bahia trade. Tobacco and the 
 whale-fishery are the principal. The an- 
 nual product of the latter amounted, 
 tweaty years since, to 3,530 pipes of oil; 
 which, at the price of a hundred and 
 seventy-five French livres each (7 1. 5s. 6d.), 
 amounted to six hundred and seventeen 
 
OF BRAZIL. 279 
 
 thousand seven hundred and fifty French 
 livres (25,7391. lis. Sd.j ; and two thou- 
 sand and ninety quintals of whalebone, 
 which, at a hundred and fifty livres (61. 5s.) 
 a quintal, make three liundred and thir- 
 teen thousand five hundred livres (l3,o6'2l. 
 10s.). Total of the two sums, nine hun- 
 dred and thirty-one thousand two hundred 
 and fifty French livres (38,802l. Is: 8d.), 
 of which the persons employed in this 
 commerce paid three hundred thousand 
 livres (12,500l.) to the government; the 
 expenses did not exceed two hundred and 
 sixty-eight thousand seven hundred and 
 fifty livres (11,1971. 18s. 4d.), consequent- 
 ly they had a profit of three hundred and 
 sixty-two thousand ^we hundred livres 
 (15,1041. 3s. 4d.). Tobacco, though cul- 
 tivated throughout the whole of Brazil, 
 makes but a very unimportant object of 
 commerce any where but in Bahia. It 
 succeeds extremely well in a spot of ground 
 extending 90 leagues, and is particularly 
 fine in the district of Cachoeira. Tea 
 thousand quintals of an inferior kind of 
 tobacco are sent every year from Brazil to 
 the coasts of Africa, which being sold for 
 eighteen French livres the hundred weight, 
 amount to a hundred and eighty thousand 
 livres (7,5001.) ; fifty-eight thousand five 
 B b2 
 
280 GOVERNMENTS, COMMERCE, &C. 
 
 hundred quintals are also sent annually to 
 Portugal, and sold, on entering that coun- 
 try, at forty livres (ll. 13s. 4d.) the hun- 
 dred weight, which amount to two mil- 
 lions three hundred and forty thousand 
 French livres (97,500l.). Total of the two 
 sums, two millions five hundred and twenty 
 thousand livres (105,0001.). The finest 
 tobacco is exported to (jenoa, that of the 
 second quality to Spain and Portugal, and 
 a still inferior sort to France and Ham- 
 burgh. The consumption of this Article 
 at Madeira and the Azores does not ex- 
 ceed 74C).000 cwt. for smoaking ; and 
 528,000 cwt. when made into snuff. The 
 sale of these different kinds of tobacco does 
 not bring in more than five milhons four 
 hundred and eighty-one thousand two 
 hundred and fifty livres (228,3831. 18s. 
 4d.) to government. The profit arising 
 from the sale of snuff in the East Indies 
 and in Africa, belongs to the queen of 
 Portugal. The quantity usually sent to 
 the abovementioned countries amounts to 
 about a hundred anH fifty quintals, bring- 
 ing in four hundred and fifty thousand 
 livres (1 8,7^01.) . The golden mines of 
 Jacobina and Kio-das-Contas have been 
 worked, and are situated in Bahia. 
 
OF BRAZIL. 28.1 
 
 V. RIO JANEIRO. 
 
 This government extends nearly the 
 whole length of the coast from the river 
 Dolce to the river Rio Grande de San Pie- 
 tro. The inland country is bounded by 
 the enormous chain of mountains which 
 extend from Una to Minas Geraes* 
 
 Population. 
 
 46,290 Whites ; — 54,091 Negroes ; — 
 32,126 Indians. 
 
 Principal Towns. 
 
 Rio Janeiro is the capital of Brazil, and 
 the residence of the viceroy. The plan of 
 this city is well engraved in the quarto 
 edition of Gai Troain s Memoirs. It is 
 well known that this author captured Rio 
 Janeiro in 1711» Though the fortifica- 
 tions have been since greatly augmented, 
 the city is not more difficult to take, be- 
 cause the approach to it on the other side 
 is easy of access, and a landing soon ef- 
 fected. The greater part of the houses 
 consist of two stories, and are either of 
 free-stone or brick; the roofs are of fine 
 tiles, aud each house is ornamented by a 
 Bb3 
 
282 GOVERNMENTS^ COMMERCE, &C. 
 
 balcony^ surrounded by a lattice. The 
 streets are wide and straight, and termi- 
 nated by chapels. The mint, and the great 
 aqueduct which furnishes the city with 
 water, are the only two public edifices 
 worthy of notice. The haven is one of 
 the finest in the world ; it is narrow at the 
 mouth, but becomes wider by degrees. 
 Vessels of all sizes enter this safe and spa- 
 cious harbour without difficulty, from ten 
 or twelve o'clock at noon till the evening, 
 by means of a regular and moderate sea- 
 breeze : they anchor in an excellent mud- 
 dy bottom five or six fathoms deep. 
 
 Cabo-Frio is a rich town, owing to its 
 salt-trade. St. Catherine is an island 
 which is important from its situation : it 
 enjoys a continual spring, and the climate 
 is very pure everywhere but in the port, 
 which being surrounded by hills, the cir« 
 culation of air is not so free ; consequently 
 it is damp and unwholesome. 
 
 Commerce, 
 
 Rio Janeiro is the great staple for all 
 the riches br<)ught from Brazil to Por- 
 tugal; and the most considerable fleets 
 charged with supplies for the new world, 
 put into this port. The expenses of the 
 
OF BRAZIL. 283 
 
 government amount annually to three mil- 
 lions of French livres (l25,OOOL), except 
 when it is thought a political measure to 
 build men of war, which is a great increase 
 to the expense. Cultivation was for a 
 long time much neglected in this fine 
 province, but it now becomes every day 
 an object of more and more attention. 
 Though tobacco has not succeeded parti- 
 cularly well, sugar canes have been ex- 
 tremely prosperous, especially in the plains 
 of Guatacazes. There were twelve plan- 
 tations of indigo, of the finest sort, in the 
 year 1783 ; these are now much increased 
 in number. Coifee succeeds very well. 
 The southern districts, as far as Rio 
 Grande, furnish a great many hides, some 
 flour, and good salt-meat ; and the forests 
 contain fourteen or fifteen different kinds 
 of wood for dyeing, with four or five sorts 
 of gum. The commerce of cochineal has 
 been introduced for some years past into 
 the island of St. Catherine's. 
 
 VI. ST. PAUL. 
 
 This province is bounded to the north 
 by the river Sapucachy, and by mountains; 
 to the south by the river Parnagua, and by 
 otlier mountains, which extend to the 
 
284 GOVERNMENTS^ COMMERCE^ &C. 
 
 source of the river Ygassu ; to the west by 
 ^ the Parana, Rio Grande, and Rio dans 
 Mortes ; and to the east by the sea. 
 
 Population. 
 
 11,093 Whites; — 8,987 Negroes and 
 Mulattoes; — 32,126 Indians. 
 
 Principal Town. 
 
 St. Paul, the capital of the government 
 of that name, is at thirteen miles from the 
 sea, in a delightful climate, and in the 
 midst of country, the soil of which is 
 equally favourable to the productions of 
 both hemispheres. 
 
 Commerce. 
 
 This government has no other trade 
 with Europe than that of a small quantity 
 of cotton : and its only interior commerce 
 consists in supplying Rio Janeiro with 
 fiour and salt-meat. Flax and hemp suc- 
 ceed very well in St. Paul's, as would also 
 silk-worms, with proper attention. St. 
 Paul contains abundance of iron and tin 
 mines, situated between the rivers Thecte 
 and Mogyassu : and also in the cordillera 
 of Paranan and Piacaba^ four leagues from. 
 
IBBf^^r 
 
 OF BRAZIL. 285 
 
 Sorocoba. The golden mines of Parnagua 
 and Tibogy are worked in this govern- 
 nient. 
 
 VII. MINAS GERAES. 
 
 This government, and the two following 
 ones, extend from ea.st to west, from the 
 319th degree of western longitudcj to the 
 334th degree of the same latitude. They 
 occupy, in the centre of Brazil, that im- 
 mense and elevated surface, from which 
 issue all the rivers which fall into the Pa- 
 raguay, the river of the Amazons, and the 
 ocean". This is the highest land in Por« 
 tugueze America. 
 
 Population. 
 
 35,128 Whites; — 103,40G Slaves;— 
 26,075 Indians. 
 
 Principal Town. 
 
 The capital of Minas Geraes is Villa* 
 Rica. 
 
 Commerce. 
 
 Minas Geraes is the most important of 
 the three governments in which the minea 
 are situated. Mountains, in different di- 
 
286 GOVERNMENTS, CCkMMERCE, &C. 
 
 rections intersect the whole of these three 
 districts, which are called the Mine Coun- 
 try, from gold being found in every part 
 of it. The inhabitants of St. Paul first 
 discovered gold mines near the mountain 
 Jaquara, in the year 1577. Other mines 
 of the same metal were also discovered in 
 1588, on the heights of Jacobina, in the 
 district of Rio del Velhas. Permission 
 was obtained, though with some difficulty, 
 from the king of Spain, in l603, to work 
 some of them ; and in 1699, some enter- 
 prising persons found out very great trea- 
 sure in the province of Minas Geraes. 
 Three years afterwards the court of Lisbon 
 formed the necessary establishments to 
 render them profitable. The names of 
 the place where gold has been found, and 
 where, indeed, it continues at present to 
 be found, are as follows, Sahara, Rio das 
 Maries. Cachoeira, Paracatu, Do-Cdrmo, 
 Rio- dal- Velhas, Rio-Dolce, and Ouro- 
 Prato. 
 
 VIII. GO.IAS. 
 
 Population. 
 
 8,931 Whites ; — 34,104 Negroes ; — 
 29,622 Indians. 
 
OF BRAZIL. 287 
 
 Principal Town. 
 Villa-Boa is the capital of Gpjas. 
 
 Commerce. 
 
 The mines of the government of Gojas 
 were not discovered till 1 726, and are si- 
 tuated in the districts of San-Felix, Mela- 
 Ponta, 0-Fanardo, Mocambo and A^a^i- 
 mdade, 
 
 IX. MATOGROSO, or MATTO- 
 GROSSO, 
 
 Is the most western part of the Porta - 
 gueze possessions, and is bounded by the 
 Chiquites and the Moxos. These people 
 are submitted to the Spanish yoke, through 
 the iridefatisfable labours of the Jesuits act- 
 ing as missionaries in that part of the 
 world. 
 
 Population. 
 
 2,035 Whites; — 7,351 Slaves; — 4,335 
 Indians. 
 
 Principal Town. 
 
 The capital of Matogroso, called Villa- 
 Bella, is merely a large village. 
 
288 governments, commerce, &ci 
 
 Commerce. 
 
 In 1735, mines were discovered in the 
 government of Matogroso, in St, Vincenfs 
 Chapada,St,Annes Cuiaday and inAraes, 
 
 Observations. 
 
 It is worthy of remark, that tlie extrac- 
 tion of gold in the New World is neither 
 dangerous nor laborious, since the purest, 
 finest kind is frequently found near the 
 surface of the earth. They often dig for 
 it three or four fathoms, but seldom, if 
 ever, deeper; since when the miners meet 
 with a bed of sandy earth, they know it to 
 be unnecessary labour to search to a greats 
 er depth. The veins which run the most 
 regular, and in the same direction, are the 
 richest; yet, it has been remarked, that 
 those which yielded the greatest quantity 
 of gold are usually in spaces where the sur- 
 face is the most spangled with crystals. 
 Larger pieces are found in mountains and 
 stony barren rocks than either in vallies or 
 on the banks of rivers ; but, from what- 
 ever place it be taken, it is of three and 
 twenty carats and a half in its pure state, 
 on coming out of the mine, except indeed, 
 it should happen to be mixed with iron, 
 silver, mercury, or sulphur, which, how- 
 
OF BRAZIL, 289 
 
 ever, is seldom the case, unless at Araes or 
 Gojas. Every person on discovering a 
 mine is hound to declare it to government. 
 Should the vein be found to be trifling, on 
 being examined by those appointed to es- 
 timate its value, it becomes the property 
 of the pubhc ; but should it prove a rich 
 one, the revenue officers take care to re- 
 serve one share for themselves, whilst an- 
 other is given to the commandant, a third 
 to the intendant, two more to the original 
 discoverer of the mine, and the remainder 
 to the miners of the district. This latter 
 part is divided according to the different 
 fortunes of these people, which is deter- 
 mined by the number of slaves they pos- 
 sess. The miners are obHged to pay the 
 king of Portugal a fifth part of the net 
 profit arising from the gold extracted, 
 which formerly amounted to a consider- 
 able sum ; and even now produces on an 
 average 300,000L sterling, annually. In 
 1/81, the whole of the metals, whether 
 coined or in bars, in circulation at Brazil, 
 were not estimated at quite a million ster- 
 ling, and what ig still more remarkable, 
 there was not more than a third of the 
 above sum in circulation in Portugal in 
 1752* and 1754, and even that was in al- 
 loyed silver money. 
 
 * Etat du Portugal, p. ^iC. 
 
THE 
 
 NATURAL HISTORY 
 
 OF 
 
 BRAZIL. 
 
 Quadrupeds used as Food.* 
 
 Tapiierete, the (P. 101, M. 229), is 
 nearly the size of a heifer aged six months, 
 but is without horns. The flesh resem- 
 bles in taste that of an ox. The Brazilians 
 dress it in the same manner as the Bucca- 
 neers arrange their meat or fish. 
 
 CuquacU'Et^ (P. 98). This animal is 
 a kind of stag, called by L4ry dXiAss-cow, 
 It is less than the European stag, has 
 shorter horns, and the hair about the length 
 of a goat's. 
 
 * This slight sketcVi of the natural history of 
 Brazil, is taken from V Histoire gena ale desVoyages, 
 par M. ^de la Harpe, The letter P. is the abbrevia- 
 tion of Pison, and the Letter M. of MarcgraJ"; the 
 figures mark the page in the Works of the said 
 authors, entitled as follows : — Guili, Fisonis de In- 
 IiidicE utriusq%te re natuiaJi, Amst, Lud. et Dan, 
 Elzev. infol. 1658 ; Gcorg, Marcgravih Hist, Na- 
 turaiis Brasilia, edit, infol, Lugd, Batnv, et Amst, 
 1648. 
 
NATURAL HISTORY, &C. 291 
 
 Tajacu (P. 89, M. 22,9), is the wild 
 boar of the country ; he has an opening on 
 his back, through which he breathes; in 
 other respects he is hke the European boar. 
 The cry which he makes through his ex- 
 traordinary orifice is (according to an au- 
 thor, who certalnhj never heard it) most 
 dreadful. 
 
 Agidi^ov Acuti (P. 102), is a red-haired 
 animal about the size of a pig a month 
 old. The flesh is very good to eat. There 
 is another species of the same animal, called 
 Tapeti. 
 
 Rat. The woods abound with a kind 
 of rat of the size of a squirrel, its flesh is 
 very delicate. 
 
 Paca (P. 101, M. 224). This animal 
 is as large as a middle-sized dog. The 
 flesh tastes like veal. 
 
 Jacare (P. 282, M. 242). A small 
 species of Cayman, The Brazilians are 
 particularly fond of eating them. 
 
 Teiuguacu, or Teju (P. 283, M. 273). 
 A grey lizard, four or five feet long. Levy, 
 who has eaten them, says, that when pro- 
 perly dressed, they are as tender, as white, 
 and have as good a taste as the wing of a 
 capon . 
 
 It is necessary to observe that the Bra- 
 zilians not only eat lizards, and some kind 
 c c 2 
 
2^2 ^ NATURAL HISTORY 
 
 of serpents, but also large toads^ broiled in 
 tbe Buccaneer fashion, with the heads and 
 entrails. 
 
 Domestic Fowls used as Food. 
 
 Turkei/s. The Brazilians bred them for- 
 merly more for their feathers, particularly 
 the white ones, than for thepurposeof eat- 
 ing them. They reproached the Europeans 
 with gluttony for eating their eggs. 
 
 DucJis, -of which there are various spe- 
 cies; but the Brazilians never eat* them, 
 from an idea that the slow manner of walk- 
 ing of these birds, might make those who 
 fed upon them heavy, and unable to run 
 with a proper degree of activity. For the 
 same reason they refrained from eating all 
 animals which moved slowly ; and even 
 some sorts of fish, particularly the skate, 
 which does not swim so fast as others. 
 
 Nota. European fowls, transported to 
 the Brazils, live very well in that climate, 
 though growing larger than in their own 
 country, their taste gets less delicate; on 
 the contrary, geese and ducks become still 
 finer. 
 
 Wild Foivl used as Food. 
 
 Jaciipemd (P. 81, M. 198). A species 
 of pheasant, of which there are three kinds. 
 
 \ 
 
OF BRAZIL. 2^3 
 
 The plumage of every one of these birds 
 is black and grey ; the only difference be- 
 tween them is in the size. The BraziUans 
 declare that it is impossible for any coun- 
 try to produce any thing more delicate 
 than the flesh of these birds. 
 
 Mutu-Mitu (P. 80, M. 194) is excel- 
 lent to eat, but not so common as the Ja- 
 cupema. M. le comte de BufFon classes it 
 amongst the Hocco. 
 
 Jamhii, (P. 81. M. 192). A species of 
 partridge as large as our geese. 
 
 Mangouris, Pegassous,Pecacaoiis {Hisf^ 
 Gen. Voy.). These three birds may be also 
 classed amongst the partridges. They are 
 of different sizes ; the first is the size of a 
 common partridge, the second of a wood^ 
 pigeon, and the third of a turtle dove. 
 
 Fish used as Food, 
 
 Manatus (Hist, Gen,. Voy.\ is parti- 
 culary good in Brazil. 
 
 Skate, Those in the rivers Janeiro and 
 Marevescona, which Thevet names Ine- 
 vouana, are of a much larger size thaa 
 ours. The entrails are equally good with 
 the rest of the fish. 
 
 Acarapeha (P. 69 and ififl) is a large 
 flat fish, which Ldry declares to be won^ 
 c c3 
 
294 NATURAL HISTORY 
 
 derfully delicate and fine. He gives it the 
 ii3.me of u4carapep. 
 
 Beyupira or Ceixupira (P.48, M.158). 
 The Europeans compare this fish to the 
 sturgeon. It is in high estimation in Bra- 
 zil. It is said to be fat and in season all 
 the year. 
 
 Boopes {His, Gen. Voy,). This name 
 has been given to it by the Portugueze, 
 because its eyes are like those of an ox. 
 The size and shape are not very different 
 from those of the tunny fish ; but the 
 taste is not the same^ and it is of a much 
 fatter nature ; its grease affording a kind of 
 oil or butter. 
 
 Camariptiguacu or Camarnpi (P. 65, 
 M. 179)- This fish is much esteemed : its 
 body is full of thorns, and it is so large 
 that two men can scarcely lift it. 
 
 Piraumhu (P. 70, M. 167) is very much 
 the same kind of fish as the Carpio, but 
 the taste is better. There are two stones 
 in the jaws, which it employs for breaking 
 the shells which serve it for food. 
 
 Amayaen (His. Gen, Voy.) is a kind of 
 sea frog, with a short body of various co- 
 lours. It is very good to eat, but it must 
 be first carefully skinned, and cleared of a 
 poison which lies under the skin. There 
 are two other species of Amayaens, one of 
 
OF BRAZIL. 295 
 
 which is armed with thorns, and though 
 much more venomous than the former, is 
 equally eaten. The other is called by the 
 Brazilians Itaeca. It is of a triangular 
 form ; and contains poison not only in the 
 skin, but in the liver and intestines : this, 
 however, does not make it more dangerous 
 when once the venomous parts are ex- 
 tracted. 
 
 Nota, All the fish on the coast of Bra- 
 zil is reputed so wholesome, that it is given 
 to people in fevers as a remedy. At all 
 events it may always be eaten without dan- 
 ger to the sick person. Sharks, however 
 must be excepted ; of which there are 
 great numbers in this sea, and even in the 
 rivers. 
 
 The coast of Brazil abounds also in shell- 
 fish, amongst which the Apula is particu- 
 larly esteemed. (Hist, Gen. Voy.) 
 
 There are several kinds of crayfish, the 
 mo-st esteemed of which is the Vca, It is 
 the principal food of the Portugmeze and 
 negroes, who find it very good and whole- 
 some, if they drink cold water after eating 
 it. 
 
 Plants and Vegetables used as Food. 
 
 Mangaiba (P. 156, M. 76 and 122). A 
 very large tree, which seldom grows any 
 
29^ NATURAL HISTORY 
 
 where but in the environs of Todos-Santos 
 bay, This fruit is eaten at two different 
 epochs in the year: first when it is only 
 in bud, and afterwards when the fruit is 
 come to perfection. It contains stones, 
 the kernels of which are good to eat. The 
 flavour of this fruit is delightful, and it is 
 so wholesome, that it may be eaten in the 
 greatest abundance without danger. It 
 falls from the tree before it is ripe, conse- 
 quently it is necessary to keep it till it is 
 sufficiently sweet to be eaten. The Bra- 
 zilians make a kind of wine of it ; and they 
 extract a bitter, viscous, milky liquor from 
 the leaves, and the fruit before it is ripe. 
 
 Muruciija (P. 2T4, M. 1G6 and 70> 
 resembles the wild pear-tree. The fruit is 
 gathered green, but becomes excellent as 
 it ripens, and easy of digestion. Incisions 
 being made in the trunk of this tree, it 
 yields a rnilky liquor, which, when once 
 coagulated, becomes of a consistance like 
 wax. 
 
 Araca^Iha (P. 152, M. 74 and 105). 
 A species of pear-tree, which bears abund- 
 antly at all seasons in the year. There 
 are several kinds of this tree, the fruit of 
 which is red, green, and yellow, and of 
 an excellent flavour. 
 
 Umhu (P. 167). A short thick tree, 
 
OF BRAZIL. , ^Q'l 
 
 bearing a round fruit of a yellowish hue, 
 and very like our white plumb, with this 
 difference, that it is so injurious to the 
 teeth, that the savages, who eat great 
 quantities of it, soon become toothless. The 
 root is sweet, wholesome, and refreshing. 
 
 Jacapucaya (P. 135, M. 128). The fruit 
 of this tree, when eaten raw, is said to 
 cause baldness; but if roasted it is no 
 longer dangerous, 
 
 Araticu (P. 141, M. 93). This tree 
 bears a fruit of the size of a walnut, and is 
 as pleasant to the smell as to the taste. 
 There are several species of this tree, 
 amongst which the one called Aratieupa* 
 
 Pnauia bears a fruit of so very cold a nature, 
 that, eaten to excess, it has all the effect 
 of poison. 
 
 Poupehla (P. 141). There are two 
 species of this tree, one bears a fruit like 
 an orange, the juice of which is like honey, 
 and as sweet as sugar : it also contains 
 some seeds. The other species, called by 
 the Portugueze Setis, is esteemed the hard- 
 est wood in Brazil, and regarded as incor- 
 ruptible. 
 
 Cabureiba (P. 11 9, M. 56) is an ex- 
 tremely large tree, very common in the 
 ancient captaincies of St. Vincent, and 
 
298 NATURAL HISTORY 
 
 exceedingly scarce elsewhere. The balm 
 which distils from it is excellent. 
 
 Pines. In the interior parts of Brazil, 
 beyond St. Vincent's and towards Para- 
 guay, are forests entirely of pines, bearing 
 a fruit resembling those in Europe, only 
 rounder, larger, and more wholesome. 
 
 Nota. — There is no country where roots 
 and vegetables are more plentiful than in 
 Brazil. Beans in that part of the world 
 are more w^iolesome than in Portugal ; in 
 short, every thing the Portugueze have 
 transplanted to Brazil have succeeded re- 
 markably well. A particular species of 
 yucca-root grows in that country, called 
 Jlypi ; it may be eaten raw with impunity. 
 The Brazihans make use of the common 
 yucca-root in two ways ; the one boiled 
 till it becomes hard is called Omenta, and 
 the other less boiled, consequently softer, 
 Oulpou. 
 
 Brazil may be justly regarded as the 
 mother country of pine apples, which grow 
 in such abundance, that the savages fat- 
 ten their hogs with that delicious fruit, 
 which in that country is distinguished by 
 three particular qualities ; fij^st^ the rind 
 is so hard that it absolutely blunts the 
 edge of a knife: secondly , the juice is 
 
OF BRAZIL.. 299 
 
 used as a kind ^of soap to take spots out of 
 cloths : thirdly, the fruit itself is regarded 
 as a preservative against sea-sickness. 
 
 Clusius makes mention of twelve dif- 
 ferent kinds of pepper, the produce of 
 Brazil. In short, Ldry remarks, that 
 Brazil produces very few animals similar 
 to those in Europe: nor does it, indeed, 
 any plants of the same nature ; except 
 purslane, sweet basil, and heath, which 
 grow in some spots exactly in the same 
 manner, and in the same shape, and with 
 the same qualities, as in Europe. 
 
 31edicinal Plants, 
 
 Copaiba (P. 118, M. 56) resembles a 
 fig-tree, only straighter, thicker, and of a 
 greater height. It contains a very great 
 quantity of oil, as clear as that produced 
 from the olive-tree. This oil requires only 
 a very slight incision to procure great 
 abundance : it is said not only to cure 
 wounds, but to prevent them from leaving 
 scars. 
 
 Arnhayha (P. 147, M. 91), resembles 
 ajso the fig-tree, and the interior pellicle, 
 tinder the rind, is said to be as efficacious 
 in the speedy cure of wounds, as the most 
 celebrated balsam. The leaves of this tree 
 
300 NATURAL HISTORY 
 
 are of so hard a nature, that they are em- 
 ployed for poHshing the hardest wood. 
 
 Amhaygtlnga (P. 148, M. 92). This 
 tree is of the same species as the former 
 one, and grows in the above-mentioned 
 pine forests. It bears on the top a kind 
 of small bladder, which, on bursting, dis- 
 tils, drop by drop, an admirable liquor, 
 which has all the qualities of balsam, and 
 is employed for closing wounds, curing 
 scrofulous humours, and pains in the sto- 
 mach ; for the latter complaint it is taken 
 mixed with a little wine. 
 
 /ghucam'ici (Hist. Gen, Voy,) grows 
 abundantly in the environs of St., Vincent, 
 and bears a fruit like a quince, but filled 
 with seeds, which is a powerful remedy 
 for a dysentery. 
 
 Ickariha (P. 122, M. 59). This tree 
 produces a sort of mastick of an excellent 
 smell. On beating the rind in a mortar, 
 a white liquor issues from it, which, when 
 condensed, is employed as incense, and is 
 found to be an efficacious application for 
 any part of the body affected with the 
 king's eviL 
 
 Cururu-Ape (P. 250, M. 114). The 
 leaves are hke those of the peach-tree, and 
 produce a whitish liquor, regarded as a so- 
 vereign remedy for wounds and pimples. 
 
OF BRAZIL. 301 
 
 Caaroha (P. 143, M. 70). The wood 
 of this tree, which is very common in Bra- 
 zil, is reputed to possess the same virtue as 
 Guiacum wood, for the cure of a particular 
 disorder. 
 
 Jaborandi (P. 215, M. 97). This tree 
 is also called by the Brazilians BdtdU^ and 
 generally grows on the banks of a river ; 
 the leaves are a specific remedy in liver 
 complaints. Another species of Betele, 
 less than the former, and with round leaves, 
 possesses the same virture in the root; 
 which is as great a caustic as ginger, and 
 when applied to the gums, removes any 
 complaint in that part. 
 
 A7ida (P. 148, M. 110). The Ameri* 
 cans extract an oil from this great tree, 
 with which they rub themselves. Water 
 in which the rind has been soaked for some 
 days, acts as a soporific on any kind of ani- 
 mal. 
 
 Ajuratihira (Hist, Gen. Voy.) is mere* 
 ly a shrub, bearing a red fruit, from which 
 the Brazilians extract an oil of the same 
 colour, with which they likewise anoint 
 themselves. 
 
 Janipaba (P. 138, M. 92) is one of the 
 
 most beautiful trees in Brazil, and of the 
 
 finest green ; it changes its leaves every 
 
 three months, and bears a fruit resembling 
 
 D d 
 
302 NATURAL HISTORY 
 
 an orange, but tasting like a quince, and 
 is esteemed an excellent remedy for the 
 dysentery. 
 
 Caapeba (P. 261, M. 94) is a plant, 
 which is an almost certain cure for the bite 
 of all venomous animals, particularly for 
 that of a serpent ; and is usually termed 
 the serpent plant. The root, or rather 
 the knot which divides it, is supposed to 
 possess this virtue; the knot is bruised and 
 taken in water ; and is likewise thought 
 an excellent specific for the wounds caused 
 by poisonous arrows. 
 
 Gohaura (Hist, Gen. Voy). This 
 plant when reduced to powder, and ap- 
 plied to the most inveterate ulcers, dries 
 them up, and makes them skin over. 
 
 Guaraquima (Hist. Gen. Foy.) resem- 
 bles the Portugueze myrtle. It possesses 
 several virtues, particularly that of curing 
 worms; and requires no other preparation 
 than making choice of the best leaves. 
 
 Tyroqui^ or Tiroqui^ or Tereroqui (Hist, 
 Gen. Voy.). This plant has leaves hke 
 the cinqfoil, and the root divided into se- 
 veral cods, with very slender branches. It 
 grows abundantly every where, and its 
 principal virtue is curing dysenteries. 
 The Brazilians inhale the smoke of this 
 plant in all their different complaints, and 
 
OF BRAZIL. v503 
 
 it is thought an efficacious remedy for 
 worms ; a very common malady in that 
 country. 
 
 AN ACCOUNT 
 
 OF THE 
 
 DIAMONDS OF BRAZIL.* 
 
 Principal Districts wherein Diamonds 
 ' are found. 
 
 The province of Brazil, which produces 
 diamonds, is situated inland, between 22\ 
 and 16 degrees of south latitude. Its cir- 
 cumference is near 670 leagues. On the 
 east it is limited by the captaincy or pro- 
 vince of Rio Janeiro ; on the south by that 
 of St. Paul ; on the north by the Sertoens^ 
 or interior part of the maritime province 
 of the Bay of All Saints, and part of that 
 of the mines ofGoyarel; on the west, last- 
 ly, by another part of the last-mentioned 
 province, and by those deserts and forests 
 which are inhabited by the savages, and 
 
 * This part of the account of the diamonds of 
 Brazil is taken from Nicholson's translation of An- 
 drado's Memoirs, read at the Society of JNatural 
 History, in Paris. 
 
 D d 2 
 
304 NATURAL HISTORY 
 
 extend to the frontiers of Paraguay. Oii 
 the side nearest St. Paul there are vast un- 
 cultivated plains; the interior is divided 
 by chains of mountains and hills, with 
 superb vallies and luxuriant fertile plains. 
 It abounds with wood, and is watered by a 
 great number of rivers and brooks^ that 
 facilitate the working of the mines of gold, 
 which is obtained by washing in spangles 
 from the river sands^ or in veins open to 
 the day. This province is divided into 
 four comarciu or districts, which, reckon- 
 ing from north to south, are, ISanto Joao 
 del Reiy Filla-Rka^ Sahara, and tSero- 
 Dosrio, or Cold Mountain, called in the 
 language of the savages Yritavray. The 
 diamonds are found in this last district. 
 The whole province is very rich in the 
 ores of iron, antimony, zinc, tin, silver, and 
 gold. 
 
 There are also diamond mines in the 
 other districts of Brazil; particularly in 
 Cuiaba, in the country of Guara-Puara, 
 and in the government of St. Paul ; but 
 these mines have never yet been explored.* 
 
 ♦ The richest and finet^t diamond mines, however, 
 ure not the American ones; but are situated in Asia, 
 in ttie kingdoms of Golconda and \ nsiapour, on the 
 ghoreof theGangeSj in Pegu, and in the island of 
 Borneo. 
 
OF BRAZIL. 305 
 
 Discovery of the Mines, 
 
 The Paulists and inhabitants of the an* 
 cient captaincy of St. Vincent were the 
 first who discovered these mines, and 
 peopled, in great part, the whole of this 
 rich province, as well as those of Matto-^ 
 Grosso, Cuiahe, Goi/ares, and Rio Grande 
 de San Pedro. Anthonio Soary, a Paulist, 
 who gave his name to one of these moun- 
 tains, was the first who discovered and 
 visited the Sero-Dosrio. Gold only was 
 sought for, but at last diamonds were dis- 
 covered in the Riacho Fundo, whence 
 they were first obtained, and afterwards 
 in the Rio de Peire; a great number 
 were likewise obtained from the Gigui" 
 fignagna, a very rich stream ; and, lastly, 
 in the end of 178a, and beginning of 1/8 1, 
 a gang of nearly three thousand inter- 
 lopers, called Grimpeiros, discovered dia- 
 mond?, and obtained an immense quantity 
 from the Terra de Sajito Antonio; but 
 they were forced to abandon this spot to 
 the royal farm, who took possession of it* 
 Then it was that the suspicion was con- 
 firmed, that the mountains are the true 
 matrices of diamonds ; but as the work in 
 the beds of rivers and on their banks is 
 less tedious, can be conducted on a larger 
 Dd3 
 
306 NATURAL HISTORY 
 
 scale, and affords larger diamonds, the 
 farm abandoned the mountains, and form- 
 ed great establishments in the river of 
 Toucanbirnen, which flows through the 
 valleys of this chain, and is near ninety 
 leagues in length. It was found by exa- 
 mination and digging, that the whole sur- 
 face of the ground, immediately beneath 
 the vegetable stratum, contained more or 
 less of diamonds, disseminated and at- 
 tached to a matrix ferruginous and com- 
 pact in various degrees, but never in veins, 
 or in the division of geodes. 
 
 Figure of the Diamonds, and manner of 
 e.iploring them. 
 
 The figure of the diamonds of Brazil 
 varies. Some are octoedrical, formed by 
 the union of two tetraedrical pyramids. 
 This is the Adam^as octoedrus turbinatus 
 of Wallerius, or the octoedrical diamond of 
 Rome de Tlsle. These are almost always 
 found in the crust of the mountains ; others 
 are nearly round, whether by a peculiar 
 crystallization or by rolling. They re- 
 semble those Oriental stones, which the 
 Portugueze and natives of India call reba- 
 ludos, which signifies rolled. Lastly, others 
 are are oblong, and appear to me tp 
 
OF BRAZIL. 307 
 
 be the Adamas hexdedrus tahellatus of 
 Wallerius. The two last are usually found 
 in the beds of rivers and broken places in 
 their banks. 
 
 Diamonds are also found, as I have re- 
 marked, in the crust or external covering 
 of mountains. These masses are, formed 
 of a bed of ferruginous sand, wilh rolled 
 flints, forming an ochreous pudding-stone, 
 from the decomposition of emery and 
 muddy iron-ore ; it is called cascalho, and 
 the beds, or strata, tabolelros. These ta- 
 boleiros have different names, according 
 to their situation or their nature. When 
 the stratum is horizontal, and in the plane 
 of the bed of the river, it is properly called 
 2l tahole'iro\ but if it rises in banks, it is 
 called gopiara: lastly, if the pudding- 
 stone contains much emery, it is then de- 
 nominated tahanlma cauga in Brazilian, 
 that is to say, black-stone or iron-stone. 
 
 In some places the cascalho h uncovered, 
 in others, it lies beneath a kind of veget- 
 able muddy earth, humus damascena, 
 Linn, or beneath a reddish fat sand, which 
 sometimes contains roundish flints. This 
 happens in the returns of the mountains, 
 or upon the banks of great torrents. This 
 sand is called pis arr a. The bank, or stra- 
 tum beneath tlie cascalho, is either shistus. 
 
308 NATURAL HISTORY 
 
 rather sandy, or the sohd bog-ore of iron. 
 It is hkewise in the cascalho that gold in 
 spangles and in pyrites is found ; the for- 
 mer of which is, in my opinion, afforded 
 by the decomposition of the auriferous py- 
 rites ; for the gold in veins has another 
 form, and its matrix is either fat quartz, 
 or fine grained tender cos, micaceous gneis, 
 or the quartzose ore of iron, tophits fer- 
 reus. Linn. 
 
 The exploring of diamonds is performed 
 by changing the beds of streams, in or- 
 der that the sand or gravel may be wash- 
 ed, and the diamonds selected ; or by 
 breaking the cascalho with large hammers, 
 and afterwards washing it in troughs. 
 This washing differs from that of gold, be- 
 cause it requires a small quantity of very 
 clear water, and very little of the cascalho 
 at a time; proportions, which ai-e precise- 
 ly contrary to those required in washing 
 gold. Black slaves are employed in this 
 business, entirely naked, excepting a cloth 
 round their middle, in order that they 
 may not embezzle any of the diamonds ; 
 but in spite of every precaution, and the 
 vigilance, of numerous inspectors, they 
 nevertheless find means of concealing them> 
 which they sell at a very low price, to the 
 interlopers, for tobacco and rum. 
 
OF BRAZIL. 309 
 
 An estimate of the Sums produced to the 
 Portiigueze Government from the 
 Brazil Diamonds. 
 
 The diamond mines in Brazil, have at 
 different times brought in different sums 
 to the Portugueze government. Towards 
 the middle x)f the last century such great 
 quantities of the Brazil diamonds came to 
 Europe ; that the value of diamonds of 
 every description was so much decreased, 
 that the London jewellers refused to buy 
 tham at any price. Tha author of the 
 Treatise on Diamonds seem a to doubt the 
 existence of the diamond mines in Brazil, 
 and to believe that the great profusion of 
 those stones sold by the Portugueze in the 
 different markets of Europe, were not the 
 produce of their American, but Asiatic co- 
 lonies. It will be easy to judge of the 
 amount of the profit arising to the Portu- 
 gueze government, during several years, 
 from the sale of these diamonds, by the 
 following statement. At the epoch of the 
 dreadful earthquake in Lisbon; some Eng- 
 lish merchants had a contract with those 
 Portugueze who had the direct manage- 
 ment of the diamond mines in Brazil, to 
 pay them 120,0001, sterling. The prin- 
 t:ipal conditions of the above contract (ac- 
 
310 NATURAL HISTORY 
 
 cording to the account given me by an 
 English gentleman who signed it) were as 
 follows: — the PortugUA^^ze directors engaged 
 to secure to the EngHsh merchants the ex- 
 elusive sale of the Brazil diamonds ; the lat- 
 ter engaged on their part to take 40,000 
 carats of rough diamonds, for which they 
 were to pay at the rate of 3l. a carat; 
 making the sum total of 1 20^,0001. sterling. 
 An agreement was also made relative to the 
 purchase and choice of the diamonds. On 
 the cases which contained them being 
 brought from Brazil, they were not to be 
 opened but in presence of the English 
 merchants, which being done, the dia- 
 monds were spread on a large table ; and a 
 person skilled in precious stones being ap- 
 pointed by the said merchants, he made 
 choice of the most valuable diamonds, ex- 
 cepting those above twenty carats (very 
 few in number), which were reserved for 
 the crown of Portugal. The original con- 
 tractors being succeeded by others, the 
 price was reduced to 2l. Is. 8d. sterling a 
 carat; but for some time past this branch 
 of trade has been taken out of the hands of 
 the English, and is in the exclusive pos- 
 session of the king. The exact sum re- 
 sulting from this new arrangement is not 
 known, but we have reason to believe it 
 
OF BRAZIL. 311 
 
 amounts on an average to about 60,0001. 
 sterling, annully. 
 
 An Estimate of the Value of Brazil 
 Diamonds, &c. 
 
 The white diamonds of Brazil when 
 they weigh only from four to five carats^ 
 are of equal value with the Oriental ones 
 of the same weight ; but when of a larger 
 size, the latter are much move esteemed, 
 on account of the fineness of the water. 
 
 The Brazil topaz is esteemed the most 
 valuable next to the Oriental one : it is of 
 a fine yellow, with an orange tint, and 
 takes a very good polish. This topaz, 
 weighing only one carat, is valued, if per- 
 fect, at six French livres (5s.), and en- 
 creases in value according to its weight, 
 which is determined by the following caU 
 culation, as made for the Oriental topaz. 
 Mr. Dutens esteems the Oriental topaz, 
 when perfect, at sixteen French livres (13s. 
 4d.) the first carat. To know the value 
 of one weighing three or four carats, it is 
 requisite to multiply the one by the other, 
 and to multiply the product byl6; the 
 same rules to be observed for topazes of a 
 greater weight; so that an Oriental and 
 perfect topaz, valued at sixteen livres (I3s. 
 
312 ^ NATURAL HISTORY 
 
 4d.) the 'first carat, weighing sixteen 
 grains, or four carats, would be worth two 
 hundred and fifty-six French livres (lOl. 
 13s. 4d.^, whilst a Brazil topaz weighing 
 likewise four carats, would be only worth 
 ninety-six French livres* (4l.). • There is 
 also another sort of topaz in Brazil, of a 
 very particular nature: it is of a very vari- 
 able and extraordinary hue, and, being 
 put into a small crucible, filled with ashes, 
 on a slow fire, and taken off when the 
 crucible becomes red, loses its yellow 
 orange colour, and changes to that of the 
 real Balas ruby, the tinge of which is ge- 
 nerally beautiful. This topaz is frequent- 
 ly of a dark, smoky, dirty yellow, and 
 was very little esteemed till a jeweller by 
 chance discovered the abovementioned 
 process, which was kept a profound secret, 
 till Mr. Dumelle, goldsmith and working 
 jeweller, disclosed it to the Academy of 
 Sciences of Paris, by the means of Mr. 
 Guettard.*)- Many people are of opinion^ 
 
 * According to tlie above rule, the king of Por- 
 tugal's diamond, weighing 11 ounces, 5 gros, 24 
 carats, would, if perfect be worth 2:24,500,0001. 
 sterling; but this diamond has many flaws, and is 
 of a yellowish water, 
 
 t See Journal Econ. 8 Oct. 1751. 
 
OF BRAZIL. 313 
 
 that the rubies at present brought from 
 Brazil are merely topazes^ which have un- 
 dergone the said operation. The fir^e crys- 
 talhzation of the Oriental ruby is octoe- 
 drical equally with the diamond. That of 
 Brazil crystallizes in prismes, of unequal 
 planes, terminating in pyramids, there 
 are likewise other rubies of a rounder 
 form, owing to their having been rolled in 
 the water. This stone is supposed to take 
 its red colour from iron. The most es- 
 teemed rubies come from the island of 
 Ceylon^ and are thought more valuable 
 than even those from Pegu. The rubacelley 
 or small ruby, very common in Brazil, is 
 of a pale red, with a yellow cast ; and is 
 the cheapest and least esteemed of any 
 stones of that description ; they, however, 
 take a very good polish ; and the most per- 
 fect amongst them are sometimes passed 
 off for Balas rubies. This last stone 
 maybe estimated at thirty French livres 
 (ll. 5s.) one c>arat; those of two carats at 
 sixty French livres (2I. 10s.), those of 
 three carats at ninety livres (3l. 15s.), and 
 those of four carats at one hundred and 
 twenty livres (5l.), &c. 
 
 The mines of Brazil also produce eme- 
 ralds, which are striated, and terminate 
 E e 
 
314 NATURAL HISTORY 
 
 ill an obtuse pyramid. They are found in 
 oblong prismes of G, 8, 9, 10, and 12 
 unequal planes ; they are of a dark green 
 colour, with a brownish tinge, and of a 
 very fine water. A fine emerald, weigh- 
 ing a carat and a half, may be estimated 
 at 51. sterling : those of two carats at lol. 
 sterling ; but over and above this weight, 
 the value of the emerald does not augment 
 in proportion to its size, and even those 
 of the largest kind, if perfect, are still sub- 
 ject to an arbitrary valuation. 
 
 Brazil produces two sorts of chrysolites ; 
 the one nearly resembles in colour the stone 
 called by the French jewellers Oriental 
 Peridot,^ except that it is a little darker, 
 and mixed with A^ellow ; this chrysolite 
 being not so hard as the peridot, the polish 
 is not quite so brilliant. The other Bra- 
 zil chrysolite is straw coloured, with a 
 tinge of beautiful" green, producing a very 
 fine etfect : it is extremely hard, and takes 
 an excellent polish. These chrysolites, 
 when of an apple green, or straw colour 
 
 * This name is given by the French jewellers to 
 a precious stone of a yellowish green. Mr. Leh- 
 man has given a curious and learned dissertation on 
 this stone, inserted in the Mem. of the Acad, of 
 Berlin. See the year 1 7 5.5, p. !202. 
 
OF BRAZIL. SIS' 
 
 with a greenish hue, may be estimated at 
 ll. steding the carat: 2l. sterhng those of 
 two carats; 3l. sterling those of three ca- 
 rats ; and so on^ always at the rate of ll. 
 the carats 
 
 NOTE. 
 
 Since this Work has been in the Press, 
 Mr. Grant's History of Brazil has been 
 published; and I have much pleasure in 
 remarking^, that his account of the Civil 
 Government, and situation of the Country, 
 is frequently drawn from the same sources 
 as my own. I flatter myself this truly 
 estimable author will pardon my taking 
 notice of an error which has crept into hi* 
 Work relative to Villegagnon, whom he 
 mentions in the 42d page of his History 
 as having retired (after his return from 
 Brazil) into a monastery of his own order, 
 and spent the remainder of his life in writ- 
 ing against the protestants.^ The fact is, 
 that there were never any monasteries for 
 men in the order of Malta, and that Ville- 
 
 See Bayle'a Dictionary. 
 
31 6 NATURAL HISTORY, &C. 
 
 gagnon, soon after he came back from his 
 expedition, was named ambassador from 
 his order to Paris, which post he occupied 
 from 166'8 to 1^7^? when he quitted 
 his embassy on account of ill-heahh, and 
 died on the 9th of February (and not in 
 the month of December^ as said by 
 h^ry)^ 1571> ^* hiscommandery of Beau- 
 Tais. 
 
 FINIS, 
 
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