their souls He was equally strong and valiant nor was it ever known that the greatest danger 〈◊〉 strike terror into his undaunted minde he observed with a strict punctuality the rules of hoâ—nesty and justice and towards God he with 〈◊〉 ordinary piety was both zealous and reverâ—â—â— he made several Laws for the benefit 〈…〉 kingdom which are still continued among the Statutes of that Realm If he had not taken Arms against his father or if he had moderated his hatred to his 〈◊〉 or if he had not imbrued his hands in the 〈◊〉 blood of Agnesa envy it self coul◠〈◊〉 have found out any subject of blame in the 〈◊〉 course of his life he resembled his 〈…〉 many vertues but was much inferior to him in liberality his death happened to him in that condition when he had little reason to desire longer life for it was when he saw his actions of glory forgotten though he was yet alive for his subjects began onely to remember his faults which being fresh in memory made his loss the less lamented PEDRO The Eighth KING of PORTVGAL PEdro the first of that Name who succeeded his father Alfonso in the kingdom of Portugal was born at Lisbon in the year 1325. two years before his father came to sit at the heâ—m of government at the time of his being Crowned he was about the age of three and thirty years He was the onely male-childe that lived of four and some danger there was of him in his youth he being very sickly till he arrived to about eighteen years of age which made his father to be assured of a Successor for his Crown to defer the marriage of Leonora his youngest daughter to Pedro King of Arragon till he perceived him in a perfect measure of health He was about the age of one and twenty years married to Constance daughter to D. Iuan Emanuel by whom he had onely one son named Ferdinand who succeeded him in the kingdom and she as if she had onely come into the world to bear him and having performed that task died After the death of the Infante D. Pedro fell in love with Agnesa de Castro a most beautiful woman and descended of the blood Royal by her he had many children amongst whom one was Iohn who afterward was the first of that name King of Portugal this Lady being accused to King Alphonso at his return from his great Victory over the Moors nigh the River Saledo was by him for what crimes is unknown put to death which so incensed Pedro that he took up those Arms against his father which he laid not down till his death As soon as he was come to the Crown he brought to condigne punishment those who had wrongfully accused and counselled the Lady Agnesas death he afterwards renewed the old War betwixt his father and the King of Castile about the stopping of his espoused wife Constance But because the Pope had before made up this breach he by his Letters commands Piedro to desist from further prosecuting the War which he for the present obeys but soon after upon a slight pretence again enters into Castile with his Army whereupon an excommunication was thundred out against him which forced him to retire and to gain his Pardon turn his Army upon the Moors from whom he took the strong Port Town of Pharo in the kingdom of Algarve At his return home he fell sick and in the tenth year of his kingdom and about the three and fortieth of his age in September 1367. he died he was buried in the Cathedral of Lisbon not far distant from his father having caused before his death three Tombs to be erected on each side he caused the bodies of his wife Constance and the Lady Agnesa to be laid reserving the middle one for himself where he was accordingly buried He was a man of as comely a personage as any whatsoever of the Kings of Portugal of a sweet and affable disposition nor did he want any of his fathers vertues but one vice they both had which overshadowed all their vertues warring against their fathers FERDINAND The ninth KING of PORTVGAL FErdinand the first of that Name succeeded his father Pedro in the kingdoms of Portugal and Algarve he was born at Lisbon in the year one thousand three hundred forty seven and was the onely childe of Constance daughter of D. Iuan Emanuel He arrived at the Crown at the age of about two and twenty years in the year 1369. as soon as he had fininished the Ceremonies of his Coronation he prosecuted the War his father had begun against the Moors and in several battels drove them quite out of Algarve he built a Monastery upon a Promontory of Land called Cape St. Vincent now by us the Southern Cape which stretcheth it self out into the Atlantique sea He addicted himself to the planting and peopling of that kingdom distributing the waste Lands among the Inhabitants he repaired many Cities Towns and Castles which had been destroyed by the fury of the War he built several Churches and Monasteries in that kingdom all which he enriched with great Revenues but particularly a Monastery for Franciscan Friers erected in Silva the chief City of that Territory About this time it was that Pedro son of Alphonso the eleventh king of Castile having committed several tyrannical outrages intollerable to his subjects oppressing and destroying his subjects putting away and after murdering his wife daughter to Peter Duke of Burbon was by his bastard brother Henry chased out of his kingdom and forced to live an exile He at first seeks for aid to Ferdinand King of Portugal but in vain he next addresses himself to Edward the black Prince of Wales who was then at Burdeaux with an Army of thirty thousand men he consents to assist him and encountring Henry on the borders of Castile with near one hundred thousand men utterly discomfits him and establisht Pedro in the Throne who shortly after falling again to his former tyrannical courses is deserted by his subjects taken by his brother Henry and put to death Ferdinand had but one only daughter that survived named Beatrice who was married to Henry King of Castile and thereby excluded from the right of succession according to the Law made in the first Assembly Estates held at Lamâ—go in the reign of Alfonso the first King so that in this King ended the legitimate Line of Henry Duke of Lorrein This King had now reigned 18. years and lived forty when seized by a violent sickness he gave up the ghost in the year of our Lord God 1387. and was buried by his Ancestors in the Cathedral Church of Lisbon JOHN the 1. Tenth KING OF PORTVGAL JOhn the first bastard son to Pedro the first by Agnesa de Castro who succeeded Ferdinand in the kingdom was born in Lisbon in the year 1356. he was in his minority educated in the famous Conimbricense University where he addicted himself to all those studies which became a Prince
other claimers whatsoever in regard of her both being born and married within the kingdom But Phillip the second King of Spain who was the eight pretender having employed all the best wits in Christendom to confute and disprove all other claimes and prove and maintain his wanted not some objections against this alledging That the successions of Crowns were to be decided by the Law of Nations not of the Empire upon which onely her jus representandi Patrem was grounded that the nearest male in degree to the late possessor ought to succeed that the Infante Don Edward being deceased before his brother Henry was King could have no right in himself and therefore could derive none to his posterity for nemâ— dat quod in se non habet that it was very unreasonable that Catharine should be less prejudiced in her self for her sex then King Phillip should be for his mother PHILLIP the II. II. III. IV. of that Name KINGS OF SPAIN And 18. 19. 20. KINGS of PORTVGAL BUt it was no Arguments could confute or annul the certain and indubitable right of the Dutchess of Braganza which was clear to the World both by her descent and by the fundamental Laws of the Nation and this King Phillip knew well and therefore though he carried on his affairs very candidly to the eyes of men and seemed unbyassed with proper Interest by offering to submit his Title to a disputation â—â—ofessing that the Laws of Portugal were more favorable to him then the Law of Castile and openly acknowledging that if he should chance to die before King Henry his eldest Son being a degree farther off would come behinde some of the pretenders of whom himself had the precedence Though I say he carried himself thus fair to the world yet he clandestinely wrought with Father Leon Henriques a Jesuite and Confessor to king Henry and Ferdinando Castillo a Dominican and of the Kings bosom Councel to endeavor by all means possible to divert all Designs in prejudice of his Claims and especially that Catherine Dutchess of Braganza might not by Henry be declared to be the next Heir apparent which he conscious of the justice of the Title was very willing to have done And whilest these two Fathers prosecuted his interest there with the old and almost doting King Henry the vigilant Phillip provided an Army in readiness with which he resolved to enter into Portugal and with his sword make good his disputable Title as soon as that old Kings death should give him the Warning piece to fall on Yet when that was given and Phillip ready to march with an Army of twenty thousand men into Portugal he had like to have been prevented for Pope Gregory the Thirteenth pretending still his right to Dispose or at least to Arbitrate all Difference concerning that Crown had sent Cardinal Riario Legat Apostolique with Order to disswade the Catholick King from raising Arms and that done to pass intâ— â—ortugal and in his Holiness name and behalf to Arbitrate the Right between all Pretenders which designs of the Popes this crafty Spanish Fox circumvented for having pre-advice of it and resolving to pursue his own intentions of assuring to himself the kingdom of Portugal and yet approve himself an obedient Son of the Church he gave order in all places where the Legat was to pass he should be most magnificently entertained so that by such sumptuous Treatments the time might be dexterously protracted and he possessed of that kingdom before the Legat arrived at Court which was accordingly done and the Legat returned thanks for his magnificent Entertainments though he was displeased at the ill success of his Negotiation But to proceed to the maner of his possessing himself of this kingdom No sooner did the News arrive at the Spanish Court of the death of King Henry but Ferdinand de Teledo Duke D' Alva was commanded with an Army of twenty thousand men to march toward Lisbon and in the Name and Right of his Catholick Majesty to make Conquest of the kingdom if he found opposition But all the appearance of opposition which he found was made by Don Antonio the Bastard Son of Lewis the Infante who having got into Lisbon in the Head of a tumultuary Rabble rather than a well-formed Army endeavored at first to make some resistance but was soon discomfited and the suburbs of Lisbon being sacked to satisfie the soldiers the City was surrendred to him whither soon after the King came and so by a mixt Title of Descent and Arms took possession of the kingdom Anno 1510. Katherine Dutchess of Braganza being enforced to surrender to him all her interest and pretensions The Nobility and People of Portugal were without doubt extreamly amazed to see themselves so suddenly surprized and made subject to a Forein Prince and especially to a Prince of that Nation against whom they had a natural Antipathy but finding themselves in a condition not able to make any resistance they thought they should gain more by submitting freely to that King than by being forced to it and therefore they made their humble submission which Phillip met as it were half way and condescended in the General Assembly of Estates to be sworn to these Articles or Capitulations following I. That the said Phillip King of Spain c. should observe all the Laws Liberties Priviledges and Customs granted to the People by the former Kings of Portugal II. That the Vice-king or Governor should be always the Son Brother Uncle or Nephew of the King or else a Native of Portugal III. That all chief Offices of the Church or State should be bestowed upon the Natives of Portugal and not upon strangers likewise the Governments of all Towns and Places IV. That all Countries now belonging to the Portugal should so continue to the comodity and benefit of the Nation V. That the Portugal Nation should be admitted to all Offices in the Kings House as well as the Castilians VI. That because the King could not conveniently be always in Portugal he should send the Prince to be bred up amongst them These Articles were shut up or concluded with a blessing upon such kings as should observe and keep them and a curse on those who should break or violate them And some Authors likewise affirm that there was another Clause added to them signifying That in case which God forbid that the King which then was or his Successors should not observe this Agreement or should procure a Dispensation for this Oath the three States of the kingdom might freely deny subjection and obedience to the King without being guilty either of Perjury or Treason Though these Articles were thus sworn to and the Cardinal Albertus Archduke of Austria son to the Emperor and Nephew to the King of Spain appointed Vice-king of Portugal Phillip the second durst not inperson yet leave the kingdom for he perceived by their murmurs and visible discontents that their submission to him proceeded more out of fear then love
great importance and they endeavored to explain to his Eminence what was before his sentiment that it very much imported the two Crowns of France and Portugal to be united by an indissoluble League considering that it was the chief and principal end and aim of the House of Austria whose branches were spread over almost all Europe not onely to be the greatest but to be the sole and onely Monarch of Christendom That to effect those ambitious desires he had never made scruple to usurp and seize upon Kingdoms and States upon the least pretences imaginable as had appeared in the kingdoms of Naples Sicily Navarre the Dutchy of Millan and lately several States in Germany seizing upon the Valtoline whereby they had a passage open to lead an Army of Germans into Italy at pleasure That considering the vast power and interest that this Family had not onely in Europe but also in America it could not but be confessed that they had a large foundation of their imaginary universal Monarchy but that nothing gave them so great hopes as the possession of Portugal For by the addition of that Kingdom to the Crown of Castile they became absolute Masters not onely of all Spain but of all the East-Indies of all the Eastern Trade of Ethiopia Persia Arabia China Iapan and all that incredible wealth that was raised out of the Portugal Traffick whereby the Austrian Greatness if not their Monarchy was principally sustained that therefore it concerned all States whatsoever not onely to put a stop to the raving Tyranny of this devouring Monster but to suppress and lessen his Power by all means possible That to do this none was more concerned or more able than the Kingdom of France united with that of Portugal That this having bin called the Right Arm as Catalonia the Left of that great Austrian Colossus now both being separated from it and united to France will be able to do greater service against it than they were ever forced to do for it not onely by assaulting the Spaniard within his own doors but by intercepting the Plate-Fleet which in its return from the West-Indies it being necessarily forced to pass by the Tercera Islands must run in danger of the Portuguez Fleet or be forced to be at the charge of an extraordinary Convoy These were the sum of the Ambassadors discourses to the Cardinal In answer to which his Eminence made offer not onely of all the Assistance of the most Christian King his Master but that he would disburse himself for the service of the King of Portugal promising that he would presently send thither a Fleet of twenty Sayl with his Nephew Admiral and Ambassador Extraordinary This Treatment thus ended the Ambassadors took their leaves his Eminence waiting upon them as far as the Stairs which when they endeavored to hinder he replyed That the Ambassadors of the King of Portugal were to be treated with as much respect as those of the Emperor or Pope Few days after a Iuncto of the King of France his Council were appointed to treat with the Ambassadors in the House of the Lord High Chancellor of the kingdom where a Peace was fully concluded between the two Kingdoms of France and Portugal Other Ambassadors were about the same time that the afore-mentioned were sent into France dispatched into England for it very much concerned the Kingdom of Portugal to maintain a good Correspondence with the Crown of England both in regard of the Navigation and Commerce of both States and also the better to break that Amity and good Understanding which was now held between the Crown of Spain and that State Hither therefore were sent Don Antonio D' Almado and Don Francisco D' Averado Leilon both persons of exquisite parts who notwithstanding that the Dunkirkers chased them arrived safe in England And for all the sturdy endeavors of the Spanish Ambassadors they were received on shore with abundance of respect yet His Majesty of England would not give them Audience or accept of the Ambassage from the King of Portugal so tender was He of His Honor and Conscience till Don Antonio de Sosa their Secretary had drawn up a Paper to satisfie him of the Right and Title of the Duke of Braganza to the Crown of Portugal The sum of which was Vpon the Death of King Henry the Cardinal without Issue many pretended together with the Infanta Donna Catherina Dutchess of Braganza and Grandmother to this present King to the Crown of Portugal but all their pretences wanting foundation soon fell except that of Philip the second King of Spain who propt up his with force King Henry was Vncle equally near to both but with this difference Catherine was the Daughter of a Son named Edward and Philip was the son of a daughter named Isabella brother and sister to King Henry King Philip pleaded That he being in equal degree with Catherine was to be preferred for his Sex Catherine replyed That the constitution of that Kingdom allowing Females to succeed and withal the benefit of Representation in all Inheritances she representing Edward must exclude Philip by the very same right that her father if he were living would exclude Philips mother This Conclusion is infallible in Jure whereto Philip answered That successiou of Kingdoms descending Jure sanguinis there was allowed no Representation Catherine destroyed that foundation alledging That the Succession by the death of the last King was derived Jure haereditatis non sanguinis because the Succession of Kingdoms was to be regulated by that ancient way whereby all things descended by Inheritance the other way of Succession being not known until later Ages nor ever practised either in Spain or Portugal in such cases Briefly in behalf of Catherine it was urged which by the Castilians can never be denied or answered That she was no stranger but a Native of the Kingdom to whom alone according to the Laws of Lamego the Crown of Portugal can appertain The King having perused and deliberated upon this Paper gave immediately order they should be presently conducted to London which was done withal convenient Solemnity and they logded in a Palace ready prepared for them soon after with great ceremony they received audience of His Majesty in a fair and stately Hall prepared for that purpose where his Majesty sat upon a Throne raised two steps and at the entrance of the Ambassador pulled off his Hat nor would be covered till they were so too To the Propositions made in the speech of D. Antonia D' Almoda concerning a Peace between Portugal and England His Majesty replied That he should be very glad if an expedient might be found out to renew the antient Leagues of friendship between the two Crowns without the breaking with Spain Some few days after the Ambassadors were conducted to give a Visit to Mary Queen of England who sat in a Chair of Estate ready to entertain them when they came into the Presence She rose out of the Chair and