Part 1

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Stories of the Nations

A Series of Historical Studies intended to present in graphic narratives the stories of the different nations that have attained prominence in history.

In the story form the current of each national life is distinctly indicated, and its picturesque and noteworthy periods and episodes are presented for the reader in their philosophical relations to each other as well as to universal history.

12º, Illustrated, cloth, each $1.50 Half Leather, each $1.75 Nos. 62 and following Nos. net $1.35 Each (By mail) $1.50 Half leather, gilt top, each net $1.60 (By mail) $1.75

FOR FULL LIST SEE END OF THIS VOLUME

PORTUGAL

THE STORY OF THE NATIONS

PORTUGAL

BY H. MORSE STEPHENS

BALLIOL COLLEGE, OXFORD; OXFORD UNIVERSITY EXTENSION LECTURER AUTHOR OF “A HISTORY OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION”

NEW YORK G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN 1903

COPYRIGHT, 1891 BY G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS

_Entered at Stationers’ Hall, London_ BY T. FISHER UNWIN

Electrotyped, Printed, and Bound by The Knickerbocker Press, New York G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS

PREFACE.

This volume is written on a different plan to that adopted in most of the volumes in the same Series which have preceded it, and attempts to give a short chronological history of Portugal. An episodical history, though more interesting than a consecutive narrative, in that it treats only of the most striking events, demands from the reader a groundwork of accurate knowledge. This is not given with regard to the history of Portugal in any book in the English language with which the author is acquainted. Dunham, who combined a history of Portugal with that of Spain, in five volumes published in Lardner’s _Cabinet Cyclopædia_ between 1838 and 1843, based his account on Vertot’s _Révolutions de Portugal_, first printed at Paris in 1678, and modern English standard books of reference still make use of Dunham, and contain the old blunders of identifying Portugal with Lusitania, recognizing the fictitious Cortes of Lamego in 1143, regarding the victory of Ourique as a “prodigious” victory, &c., &c. Since the time of Dunham, a few books have been published in England bearing on special periods of Portuguese history, such as the lives of the Marquis of Pombal and the Duke of Saldanha, published by John Smith, Count of Carnota, and two volumes of a _History of Portugal_, by E. MacMurdo, and which is still in progress; but there exists no book containing a complete and trustworthy history to which students may be referred.

Yet within the last fifty years the history of Portugal has been entirely rewritten. The modern school of historians, which derived its first impulsion from Niebuhr and Ranke, found a brilliant representative in Alexandra Herculano, who saw that history could only be written after a careful examination of contemporary documents, and who in his _Historia de Portugal_, published between 1848 and 1853, swept away much of the cobweb of legend which had enveloped the early history of his country. Herculano undoubtedly owed much to Heinrich Schäfer, who wrote the history of Portugal in the _Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten_ edited by Heeren and Ukert; but he went much further than Schäfer, and the history of the latter is now quite out of date. The works of Herculano and his followers have quite superseded the histories of Lemos, Sousa Monteiro, and J. F. Pereira, which are mentioned here only as books to be avoided by the historical student.

It is not intended to give a complete bibliography of the works of the modern Portuguese school of historians, but the author thinks it worth while to refer to some of the books which he has used, and which can be recommended as trustworthy guides to those who may wish to examine further into the history of Portugal. First with regard to documents, the _Colleccão de Livros ineditos de Historia Portugueza_, edited by Correa da Serra, and the _Colleccão dos principaes Auctores da Historia Portugueza_, and the _Portugalliæ Monumenta Historica_, edited by Herculano, contain the best editions of the old chroniclers; while perpetual reference must be made to the _Quadro elementar das Relacões politicas e diplomaticas de Portugal_ of the Viscount of Santarem, which was continued by Rebello da Silva as the _Corpo diplomatico Portuguez_, and contains in thirty-six volumes, published between 1856 and 1878, the “_fœdera_” of Portugal up to 1640, and to the _Colleccão dos Actos publicos celebrados entre a Coroa de Portugal e as mais Potencias desde 1640 até o Presente_, edited by J. Ferreira Borges de Castro and J. Judice Biker. As consecutive narratives, the short history of J. P. Oliveira Martins, and the illustrated popular history, which is the joint work of Antonio Ennes, B. Ribeiro, E. Vidal, G. Lobato, L. Cordeiro and Pinheiro Chagas may be read; but it would be far better to study the more scientific works of Alexander Herculano, _Historia de Portugal_, 4 vols., 1848-53, which goes to 1279, and _Da Origem e Estabelecimento da Inquisicão em Portugal_, 2 vols., 1854-57; the _Historia de Portugal pendente XVI. e XVII. Seculos_, 5 vols., 1860-71, by L. A. Rebello da Silva; _Historia de Portugal desde os Fins do XVII. Seculo até 1814_, 1874, by J. M. Latino Coelho; and _Historia da Guerra civil e do Estabelecimento do Governo Parlamentar em Portugal_, 6 vols., 1866-1881, by S. J. da Luz Soriano. Among special books of interest in different languages may be noted _Memorias para a Historia e Theoria das Cortes_, by the Viscount of Santarem, 1828; _Las Rainhas de Portugal_, by F. da Fonseca Benevides, 1878; _History of the Revolutions of Portugal from the Foundation of that Kingdom to the year 1677, with the Letters of Sir R. Southwell during his Embassy there to the Duke of Ormond_, by R. Carte, 1740; _Les Faux Don Sébastien_, by Miguel Martins d’Antas, Paris, 1866; _Le Chevalier de Jant_; _Rélations de la France avec le Portugal au temps de Mazarin_, by Jules Tessier, Paris, 1877; and _Life of Prince Henry the Navigator_, by R. H. Major, 1868. Coming to the history of the present century, the great _History of the Peninsular War_, by Gen. Sir W. F. P. Napier, is justly famous in all countries, and it is so well known that only a very few pages have been devoted to the subject in the present volume; but reference has also been made to the _Historia geral da Invasão dos Francezes em Portugal_, by Accursio das Neves; to the _Excerptos Historicos relativos a Guerra denominada da Peninsula, e as anteriores de 1801, de Roussillon e Cataluna_, by Claudio de Chaby; and to the Wellington _Despatches_. On the history of the civil wars the best authorities are _Memorias para a Historia do Tempo que duron a Usurpacão de Dom Miguel_, by J. L. Freire de Carvalho, 1841-43; _Historia de Liberdade em Portugal_, by J. G. de Barros e Cunha, 1869; _Despachos e Correspondencia do Duque de Palmella_, 1851-54; _Correspondencia Official de Conde de Carneira com o Duque de Palmella_, 1874; _Memoirs of the Duke of Saldanha_, by the Count of Carnota; _The Wars of Succession in France and Portugal_, by William Bollaert, vol. i., 1870, and _The Civil War in Portugal, and the Siege of Oporto, by a British Officer of Hussars_ [Colonel Badcock], 1835. Much valuable historical material is also buried in magazines and the transactions of learned societies, and special reference may be made to two particularly interesting essays in the _Annaes des Sciencias Moraes e Politicas, Dom João II. e a Nobreza_, by Rebello da Silva, and _Apontamentos para a Historia da Conquista de Portugal por Filippe II._, by A. P. Lopes de Mendonça.

Apart from Portuguese history, Portuguese literature deserves to be studied. Several pages have been devoted to it in the present volume, and with regard to the early poetry of the troubadour epoch, the author desires to express his obligations to the learned introductions of Theophilo Braga, himself a poet of no mean rank, to his _Antologia Portugueza_, 1876, and his _Cancioneiro Portuguez_, 1878. The glory of Portuguese literature is Camoens, and it is fortunate that his great poem, _The Lusiads_, has found an adequate translator at last. I know of no translation of any classic which can compare with Sir Richard Burton’s translation of _The Lusiads_. By his profound knowledge of the Portuguese character no less than of the Portuguese language, by his intimate acquaintance with the places which Camoens describes, and, above all, by his temperament, which resembled that of the conquistador-poet, Sir Richard Burton was fitted to reproduce for the English people the thoughts and words of the greatest Portuguese poet. Every lover of Camoens, like every lover of Homer, has been tempted to translate his mighty poem; but, at last, so it seems to me, the work of translation has been done once for all for Camoens by the loving labour of Sir Richard Burton, and Englishmen may read _The Lusiads_, reproduced faithfully into their own language, alike in spirit and in words. That the life-poem of a hero of the sixteenth century should have been worthily translated by a hero of the nineteenth, seems to me a circumstance of which all lovers of literature in both England and Portugal should be glad and proud.

In conclusion, the writing of this volume has been to the author a labour of love. In the intervals of a minute study of the history of another period, that of the French Revolution, he has turned with pleasure to the task of writing this “Story of Portugal.” He has not been able to work at original authorities as thoroughly as he might wish, owing to the absorbing nature of his more important work, but he hopes the time may come when he will be enabled to spend a few years among the Archives at the Torre del Tombo, and investigate more thoroughly the history of the early relations of England and Portugal, and of the Portuguese in the East. Is he too presumptuous also in hoping that a clearer knowledge of the old and tried friendship of the English nation with the Portuguese may influence in some degree the attitude taken by a portion of the English people towards their ancient ally in the dispute with regard to the extent of the Portuguese possessions in Africa?

H. MORSE STEPHENS.

OXFORD, _March 1, 1891_.

CONTENTS.

I.

PAGE

EARLY HISTORY 1

The importance of, and features of interest in, Portuguese history--Greeks, Phœnicians, and Romans--Portugal is not the ancient Lusitania--The influence of Rome--The Visigoths--The rule of the Mohammedans--The Christian princes commence their incursions--Ferdinand “the Great” captures Coimbra--The successes of the Almoravides--The formation of the County of Portugal.

II.

THE COUNTY OF PORTUGAL--DONNA THERESA 20

The character of Henry of Burgundy, first Count of Portugal--The Countess Theresa--Her policy--Count Henry fights in Spain--His death--The regency of Theresa--The nobility and the bishops--The wars of Theresa--Theresa styled Infanta--The battle of S. Mamede--Theresa introduces the religious military orders--Death of Donna Theresa.

III.

PORTUGAL BECOMES A KINGDOM--THE REIGN OF AFFONSO HENRIQUES 34

The youth of Affonso Henriques--The heroism of Egas Moniz--The Gallician wars--Affonso assumes the title of king--He is recognized by the Pope--The Treaty of Zamora--Independence won by the Gallician wars--The state of the Moors--Affonso’s first war with the Moors--The victory of Ourique--Legends concerning it--The wars of conquest--The capture of Santarem and Lisbon--The assistance of the English crusaders--Capture of Alcacer do Sal--The Treaty of Cella Nova--Affonso taken prisoner at Badajoz--Truce with the Moors--Further fighting--Great victory over the Moors at Santarem--Death of Affonso Henriques.

IV.

PORTUGAL ATTAINS ITS EUROPEAN LIMITS 60

The reign of Sancho I.--The successes of the Moors--Sancho’s internal administration--His quarrels with the clergy and the Pope--The marriages of his children--The reign of Affonso II. “the Fat”--Recapture of Alcacer do Sal and defeat of the Moors--Arrival of the friars--The reign of Sancho II.--The capture of Elvas--His quarrels with his bishops--He is deposed by the Pope--The reign of Affonso III.--His conquest of the Algarves--His alliance with his people--The Cortes--His death.

V.

THE CONSOLIDATION OF PORTUGAL 85

The reign of Diniz--The Order of Christ--His internal administration--His encouragement of literature--Portuguese poetry--Stanzas of Camoens on Diniz--Affonso IV. “the Brave”--The victory of the Salado--Friendship between Portugal and England--The murder of Ines de Castro--Pedro “the Severe”--Ferdinand “the Handsome”--The Queen Leonor--Riot in Lisbon--War between Portugal and Castile--The wickedness of the queen--The Treaty of Salvaterra--The Portuguese revolt under Dom John of Aviz--The defence of Lisbon--Dom John elected king--The victory of Aljubarrota--The Treaty of Windsor and alliance with John of Gaunt--Peace with Castile.

VI.

PORTUGAL DURING THE AGE OF EXPLORATION 115

The policy of John “the Great”--The alliance with England--His internal administration--The power of the feudal nobility--The capture of Ceuta--The king’s sons--The growth of Portuguese literature--The reign of Duarte or Edward--The expedition to Tangier--The “Constant Prince”--Dispute as to the regency--Dom Pedro regent--Overthrown at battle of Alfarrobeira--The reign of Affonso V. “the African”--His African expeditions--War with Castile--Defeated at Toro--His patronage of literature.

VII.

THE PORTUGUESE EXPLORERS 140

Prince Henry “the Navigator” and his work--The importance of a direct route to India--The discovery of Madeira--The story of Robert Machin--The discovery of the Azores--Cape Bojador passed--The commencement of the African slave trade--The discovery of Guinea, and of Cape Verde--The voyage of Cadamosto--Death of Prince Henry--The equator crossed--Discovery of the Congo--The Cape of Good Hope reached and doubled.

VIII.

THE HEROIC AGE OF PORTUGAL 158

John II. “the Perfect”--Overthrow of the power of the nobility--His foreign policy--Treaty of Tordesillas with Spain--Friendship with England--His encouragement of exploration--His court--Emmanuel “the Fortunate”--Expulsion of the Jews--His policy and marriages--The discoveries of the Portuguese--The seeds of decline--John III.--His policy--The abandonment of the ports in Morocco--Corruption at Court--Rapid depopulation of Portugal--The Inquisition and the Jesuits--Death John III.

IX.

THE PORTUGUESE IN INDIA AND THE EASTERN SEAS 185

Romantic interest of the story of the Portuguese in India--The voyage of Vasco da Gama--State of India, when he reached it--His return--The voyage of Cabral and the victory of Pacheco--The viceroyalties of Almeida and Alboquerque--The capture of Goa--Alboquerque establishes a factory at Malacca and attacks Aden--The policy of Alboquerque--The rule of his successors--Their policy and the nature of their government--The Christian missionaries--S. Francis Xavier--The viceroyalty of Castro--His victory at Diu--The successors of Castro--The settlements in South-east Africa--The Portuguese at Malacca and in the Spice Islands--Their communications with China and Japan--The career of Mendes Pinto--Extraordinary energy of the Portuguese in Asia.

X.

THE PORTUGUESE IN BRAZIL 220

Importance of Brazil to Portugal--Cabral’s discovery of the country--Spain abandons its claims--The aboriginal inhabitants--Early days--The first settlers and their government--Emigration from Portugal--The viceroyalty of Thomas de Sousa--The Jesuits and their work--The government of Duarte da Costa--Failure of the French Huguenots to establish themselves in Brazil.

XI.

THE LAST KINGS OF THE HOUSE OF AVIZ--DOM SEBASTIAN AND THE CARDINAL HENRY 236

The rapid decay of Portugal--The accession of Sebastian--The regency of Queen Catherine--The regency of the Cardinal Henry--The character of Sebastian--His crusading ardour--The Portuguese in India--Athaide’s defence of Goa--Sebastian determines to invade Morocco--His applications for foreign aid--His preparations--He lands in Africa--The defeat of Alcacer Quibir--The death of Sebastian--The reign of the Cardinal Henry.

XII.

PORTUGUESE LITERATURE--CAMOENS 259

The “Golden Age” of Portuguese literature--The revival of classical learning--History of the University of Coimbra--Gil Vicente--Bernardim Ribeiro--Sá de Miranda--Ferreira--Camoens--His life--His “Lusiads”--João de Barros--Other writers--Decline of Portuguese literature.

XIII.

THE SIXTY YEARS’ CAPTIVITY 278

The claimants to the Portuguese crown--Defeat of the Prior of Crato--Philip II. of Spain recognized as king of Portugal--Further efforts and death of the Prior of Crato--The false Dom Sebastians--The government of Spain and its disastrous results--The reign of Philip II.--The Portuguese in Asia--The conquest of Kandy--The missionaries and the Inquisition--The Dutch and the English overthrow the Portuguese power in Asia--The Dutch in Brazil--Count Maurice of Nassau--Results of the rule of Spain.

XIV.

THE REVOLUTION OF 1640 300

Discontent of the Portuguese at the rule of the Spaniards--Fostered by Richelieu--The Duke and Duchess of Braganza--The Duchess of Mantua, and her advisers--Preparations for revolt--The leaders--The Revolution of December 1, 1640--The Duke of Braganza crowned as John IV.--He obtains help from Holland and France--The “Caminha” conspiracy--The victory of Montijo--Brazil expels the Dutch--War with Holland--The King despairs, and offers to abdicate--Treaty of alliance with France--Death of John IV.

XV.

THE ENGLISH ALLIANCE 326

The Queen as Regent--Schomberg organizes the army--Victory of Elvas--Marriage of Charles II. of England to Catherine of Braganza--Affonso VI. declares himself of age--The Ministry of Castel Melhor--Victories of the Portuguese--Court revolution--Dom Pedro regent--Peace with Spain--The rule of Pedro II. as Regent and King--His foreign policy--Death of Charles II. of Spain--The Methuen treaty and its results--The war of the Spanish Succession--Death of Pedro II.--The decline of the Portuguese power in Asia--Prosperity of Brazil--Discovery of gold there.

XVI.

PORTUGAL IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY--THE MARQUIS OF POMBAL 349

Portugal in the eighteenth century--Accession of John V.--End of the war of the Spanish Succession--Peace policy of the King--His long and prosperous reign--Accession of Joseph--Early career of Pombal--The earthquake of Lisbon--Pombal, prime minister--He attacks the Jesuits--The “Tavora” plot--Banishment of the Jesuits--Short war with Spain--Suppression of the Jesuits--Death of Joseph--The administration of Pombal--His great reforms--Accession of Pedro III. and Maria I.--Disgrace of Pombal--The reign of Pedro and Maria--Death of Pedro III.--The Portuguese in India in the eighteenth century--The prosperity of Brazil--Discovery of diamonds there--Literature in the eighteenth century.

XVII.

THE ERA OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION--THE PENINSULAR WAR 382

The French Revolution--Persecution of sympathisers with it in Portugal--Dom John sends help to Spain in the war against France--Deserted by Spain at the Treaty of Basle--The Treaty of San Ildefonso--Alliance with England--Dom John declared Regent--The war of 1801--The Treaty of Badajoz--Policy of Napoleon against Portugal--Mission of Lannes--Treaty of Fontainebleau, 1807--Junot invades Portugal--The Regent escapes to Brazil--Junot’s rule--Forms the Portuguese Legion--General insurrection against him--The Portuguese appeal to England--Victory of Vimeiro and Convention of Cintra--Soult occupies Oporto--Expelled by Wellesley--Beresford reorganizes the Portuguese army--The Regency--Masséna before Torres Vedras--The Portuguese troops during the Peninsular War--Conclusion of the War--Death of Queen Maria Francisca.

XVIII.

MODERN PORTUGAL--CIVIL WARS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT 409

John IV. his queen, and his sons Dom Pedro and Dom Miguel--Oporto and Lisbon revolt against the Regency--The Constitution of 1821--Brazil declares itself independent--The Constitution abrogated--Death of John VI.--The influence of the army--The Charter of 1826--Pedro IV. abdicates in favour of Maria II.--Dom Miguel, Regent--Elected King--Reign of Dom Miguel--The “Miguelite” war, 1830-34--Convention of Evora Monte--Reign of Maria da Gloria--Civil wars and “pronunciamentos”--Era of peaceful parliamentary government--Reigns of Pedro V. and Luis I.--Accession of Carlos I.--The Portuguese settlements in Africa--Material prosperity--The literary revival--Lessons taught by the history of Portugal--Conclusion.

INDEX 433

GENEALOGICAL TABLES--

I. The Descendants of John “the Great” 139

II. The Descendants of Emmanuel 279

III. The Dukes of Braganza 303

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

PRINCE HENRY OF PORTUGAL _Frontispiece_

SPECIMEN OF ROMAN ARCHITECTURE 9

VIEW OF OPORTO AND VILLA NOVA FROM THE SERRA CONVENT 16

COIMBRA (PRESENT STATE) 27

A VIEW OF THE ANCIENT MOORISH BATH AT CINTRA 42

ARCH OF THE WESTERN ENTRANCE TO AN OLD CHAPEL AT LEIRIA 47

VIEW OF LISBON 50

CONVENTO DE CHRISTO AT THOMAR 61

PRINCIPAL FAÇADE OF THE IGREGA DOS JERONYMOS AT BELEM (PRESENT STATE) 68

GATE AND WINDOW OF THE MONASTERY OF BELEM 77

FAÇADE OF LISBON CATHEDRAL 82

INES DE CASTRO 96

VIEW OF THE PALACE AT LISBON 108