commanded them to Retreat which they did in so gallant a manner as rais'd a Noble Emulation in the whole Army And since they that were neither Kill'd nor Wounded deserved no less Honour by what they did 't is fit it should be known who they were Of the first Regiment were Captains Francis More William Love Henry Boad and Andrew Maynard af the second besides Colonel Person were Lieutenant Colonel John Bellasise Major John Rumsey and Captains Richard Heafield and Charles Langley Certainly the English have behaved themselves with extraordinary Valour and to great satisfaction since their coming to assist us in this War and that which they are particularly esteem'd for is their orderly carriage towards the Portuguese Peasants in their Quarters On the second of this instant July enter'd the Port of Lisbon 150 foot Soldiers arrived from England which may in some measure repaire the Number of those that died in Valença but not satisfie our Regret for the loss of such Companions While the King of Englands Soldiers were fighting the Battles of Portugal his Ministers were no less busy in securing the Effects of their Victories by Negotiating the happy Peace which that Nation now enjoys King Charles had so great Commiseration for the Portugueses when in their most deplorable Condition that Sir Richard Fanshaw his Ambassador at Lisbon had Instructions from him in the beginning of the Year 1663. to interpose his good Offices and use all possible means in order to make their Peace with the Spaniard but the Spaniard was then Triumphant and could think of nothing but making a quick dispatch of the War When the Condition of Portugal began to mend Sir Richard was sent upon the same Errand to Madrid where 't is true he did not meet with that success as was expected in his Embassy for though upon Notice of his Arrival such Preparations were made for his Reception that the like had scarce ever been done for any Ambassador at that Court yet upon his coming near Madrid he found the Ministers mightily alter'd all of a sudden insomuch that it was six Weeks before he made his Publick Entry and the Court prov'd so untractable and unwilling to accommodate their Minds to their Fortunes that it was two Years before he could gain any thing upon them and when he had brought them to consent to a Treaty at last his Negotiations did not keep Pace with the Victories obtain'd in Portugal as appeared by the great disappointment he met with at Salvaterra in the beginning of the Year 1666. About the same time when our Ambassador was preparing for his Journey from Madrid to Portugal Sir Robert Southwel was sent as Envoy from King Charles to this latter Court to assist at the adjusting of the Peace between the two Crowns Upon his Arrival in Portugal he heard that Mr. de S. Romain had just got before him which made him hasten to Salvaterra where the Court then was His Instructions were of a fresher Date then the Ambassadors and consequently more accommodated to the state of the Portuguese Affairs at that time but the Ambassador being not yet come he found the Ministers unwilling to enter upon any Business before his Arrival they expecting from him such Conditions as should give them intire satisfaction The Ambassador not answering their Expectation but on the contrary highly disgusting them with the Title of his Project of Peace while Mr. de S. Romain was most profuse in his Promises of the mighty things that his Master would do for them the Treaty was wholly broke off for that time However Sir Robert Southwell applying himself to the Conde de Castelmelhor the next Morning after the Council had sent that hasty Answer formerly mention'd though he found him in a very great Heat yet had the Address to pacifie him and were it not that the Case was soon alter'd at Madrid he might have brought the Treaty on again The Conde expressed himself highly dissatisfied that it should be thought that they would ever Treat with Spain but upon equal terms saying That the Spaniards might perhaps conquer Portugal but should never conquer the Portugueses who for their parts would first leap into the Sea before they would come to any Accommodation unless it were made between King and King But the Envoy soon brought him to a Temper by representing that what the Ambassador had offer'd was only the first and rude Draught or the Embrio as it were of a Treaty so that there was little reason for him to be offended at the Inscription which was a thing of no Consequence it signifying nothing what Name or Title was given it now since No body ever Christen'd a Child before it was Born The Conde as he was pleased with the conceit so he would not deny but that it was apposite to the case in hand and the Envoy having assur'd him that his Instructions were ample enough to procure for Portugal all reasonable satisfaction it was agreed that a new Project of a Treaty should be drawn up which was done accordingly by the Ambassador and the Envoy together It contain'd the very same Articles which with some small alterations are now in force between the Crowns of Spain and Portugal With this they both took a journey to Madrid but the War newly broke out between England and France made that Court believe there was no such necessity as before of a Peace with Portugal and so nothing could be done then for that Year By the beginning of the next Year the Portugueses had concluded and sign'd their League with France It s true the Conde de Castelmelhor the supposed Author of that League on the Portuguese side was the same Year removed from the Ministry and the Court but this together with the other Changes that succeeded was brought about by the Queen and her Party who were more strongly ingaged in the Interests of France the Queen was so ingag'd both by Birth and Inclination and perhaps much more strongly yet as she hoped to be countenanc'd by the French Court in what she had done and was doing against her Husband and in her further design of marrying with the Prince so that the French Faction became now more predominent at Court then ever and they seem'd there not only averse to all thoughts of a Peace but afraid least any Overtures should come from Castille to put the People in mind of it wherefore the Frontiers were strictly guarded to hinder all Communication between the Subjects on both Kingdoms The precaution perhaps was needless for the Spaniads whether it was that their thoughts were wholy taken up with the War they had then with France or that they hoped when a Peace was made with that Crown by the Intervention of other Princes that they should be able after all to deal with Portugal made no Advances towards a Treaty This backwardness of the Parties concern'd was enough to make a Mediator out of love with his Office and might have given any
AN ACCOUNT OF THE Court of Portugal Under the Reign of the present King Dom PEDRO II. WITH Some Discourses on the Interests of PORTVGAL with Regard to other Sovereigns CONTAINING A Relation of the most Considerable Transactions that have pass'd of late between that Court and those of Rome Spain France Vienna England c. LONDON Printed for Thomas Bennet at the Half-Moon in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1700. THE CONTENTS PART I. OF the King of Portugal Page 3 Of the Publick Revenues and the Forces of the Crown both by Land and Sea 19 Of His Majesty's first Queen 43 Of the late Queen 109 Of the Queen Dowager of England 125 Of the late Infanta 128 Of the King's Issue by his second Marriage 148 Of his Natural Daughter 160 Of the Ministry 164 Of the Marquess of Alegrete 165 Of the Duke of Cadaval 171 Of the Archbishop of Lisbon 172 Of the Marquess of Aronches 178 Of the Secretary of State 179 PART II. OF the Interests of Portugal with Relation to Rome Page 1 To Spain 44 France 62 The Emperor Holland the Northern Crowns c. 114 England 119 THE PREFACE THE Contents of the following Papers were intended to fill some few Chapters in a General Account of Portugal but the Author in digesting his Materials found them like to swell into almost as great a Volume as he design'd for the whole which made him resolve to venture them out by themselves as despairing of being read should the Bulk become so great as the taking in of the other Parts of his Subject wou'd make it This is the true Reason why the Court of Portugal appears thus unaccompanied with such other Matters as shou'd have been plac'd before and after it which is what the Author was far from designing when he first began to write It was then for many Reasons the least in his Intention to single out the Court from that great Variety of Subjects which Portugal affords to one that is not altogether an idle Spectator in it It is true that he thought it convenient in describing the State of that Kingdom to be more full in this part of his Account than they usually are who write of Foreign Countries For to understand the Affairs of any Nation it is absolutely necessary to have some competent Knowledge of the Court that is to say of such as preside themselves at the Helm or have any great Influence upon those that do The Court in this sense being to a Politick Body what the Mind is to the Natural communicating Life and Motion to all the Members and as that Vital Principle appears to be disposed or affected one may soonest discover the Symptoms of a Vigorous or a Weakly Constitution And one who is well acquainted with the State of That may be enabled to give a good Account of the Publick Proceedings by tracing them to their Original Causes and Motives and may withal make some probable Conjecture what they are like to be in any suppos'd Case for the time to come It was likewise thought necessary in order to understand the true State of Portugal to know in what Terms that Kingdom stands with its several Neighbours those more especially in whose Will or Power it is to do any great Good or Harm Now the best way to know how far Portugal is to expect either the one or the other from them is by considering what it hath receiv'd already former Experience being the surest Evidence in this Case It is therefore the Design of those Discourses that make the Second Part of this Piece to shew how Portugal hath been served by its real or pretended Friends as often as they have been put to the Trial or had any occasion to discover themselves and it is conceiv'd that the Transactions that have pass'd between this and other Crowns since the House of Bragança came to be in possession of the Throne are set in a just Light so far at least as that the Reader may easily perceive what the true Interests of Portugal are and whether or no they have been duly cultivated by such as have the Management of Affairs in that Kingdom But the chief Business of this Preface is to justifie the Author's Credit with the Reader which may possibly be called in question in regard to several Particulars in the following Account He is far from the Folly of thinking himself exempt from Mistakes it is very likely that he may have been guilty of many in that great variety of Matters which he hath had occasion to mention He does not remember that he ever saw any Relation of our English Affairs made by Strangers that had not many palpable Errors in it which makes him the less confident of his own Performance And he expects the like Allowances that are usually made to those that write of Foreign Countries However he must acknowledge at the same time that those grosser Faults that are commonly observ'd in ordinary Travellers wou'd be much more inexcusable in him he having liv'd for some Years in the Country he writes of his Acquaintance was amongst intelligent Persons who had lived there much longer he hath been somewhat conversant with the Portuguese Authors and hath brought away with him a Collection of such of them as are most esteem'd and out of these last he is ready to produce his Evidence for such Passages in this Piece as are most likely to be call'd in question In relating that great Transaction wherein His present Majesty's first Queen had so large a share he hath taken the principal Matters of Fact from the Catastrophe de Portugal written in Defence of the Party which got the Vpper-hand the Substance whereof as the Writer pretends was read before the Three Estates of the Kingdom It is true that Reflections very different from his are frequently made here upon the very same Facts The Author on many Occasions as little approving of that Writers Sentiments as he does of his Stile throughout the Book which is that of a most passionate and furious Declaimer rather than a just Historian In speaking of the Portuguese Affairs with relation to Rome he hath likewise made great use of the Publick Acts of the King and the Estates as also of the Conde da Eryceiras Portugal Restaurado He hath also followed the same Noble Author in what he relates concerning the Negotiations with the Court of France The Conde had Opportunities to inform himself of these Matters at the best Hand that is from the Reports and Letters of Publick Ministers His Lordship hath indeed given us in England great occasion to complain of him but that may have been for Reasons which will never make him suspected of being much prejudiced against either Rome or France Cardinal Mazarine's Conduct in the Cause of Portugal at the Pirenees is describ'd from his own Letters The Information received by the Author concerning the great part which the English had in the Victories obtain'd over the Spaniards and in concluding the
was given for a Reason the last Lateran Council and other Canons of their Church had made it unlawful for any Prince to receive Tribute from the Clergy without the Pope's leave even tho' it were voluntarily offer'd by themselves as this had been by the Ecclesiastical as well as the two other Estates in Cortes And since that time at the end of every Sixth Year a Breve hath been procured from Rome for continuing the Taxes for Six Years longer therein the Pope impowers the Nuncio residing at Lisbon to use his Apostolical Authority in obliging the Clergy to pay them This Breve is of course published in Portugal and tho' it chiefly regards the Clergy yet it is not unlikely but it may be design'd to induce the People likewise to pay their Taxes quietly without putting the King and the Three Estates of the Realm to the trouble of meeting together in Cortes For it must needs be a great Argument among them that the thing is but just and reasonable since the Holy Father consents to and approves of it and it weighs much with them no doubt when they consider why his Holiness grants the Breve which as 't is declared in the Narrative of it is The Exchequers being exhausted by the vast Expences that the Crown hath been continually at for the maintenance and propagation of the Catholick Faith in the Dominions abroad especially in Brazil and the East-Indies where the Dutch Hereticks and other Infidels were endeavouring to extirpate it Which Reason is said to continue still or rather to become more strongly urgent every time there is occasion for a new Breve The Pope gives Commission to his Nuncio to enquire into the Truth of this and other Allegations as that the Three Estates the Clergy more especially have given their Consent the Nuncio cites the King's Procurator before him and puts him upon the Proof He shews that the Nobility and People have agreed to the continuance of the Taxes because they still pay them and that the whole Body of the Clergy are likewise willing because the Bishops have given their Consent which as he pretends to prove withal comprehends that of all the rest But it does not appear how he makes good the Main Point viz. The Danger that the Catholick Faith is in from the Dutch Hereticks and other Infidels As for the Dutch they renew'd their Peace with Portugal in the Year 1669 and have kept it ever since However the Nuncio is entirely satisfied with the Proofs whatever they be and thereupon gives order for the Execution of the Breve requiring Obedience thereto from all Persons Secular as well as Ecclesiastical upon pain of the greater Excommunication and 500 Crowns applicable to the Reverend Chamber Apostolick as the Words of the Order run Under the Title of Monopolies we may reduce the other part of the Supply granted at the same time which was an Impost upon Tobacco made into Snuff by which 500000 Crowns per Annum were design'd to be rais'd In order to make this Sum the King had the whole Trade of Snuff put into his own Hands and it became almost as great a Crime in Portugal for any to Make Snuff for themselves as 't is with us in England to Coin Money tho' People almost universally take it here This Monopoly was let out to Farm to the Duke of Cadaval the principal Person in the Kingdom next His Majesty and it was so managed that 't is said the King receiv'd much more than double the Value of what it was given for The Tobacco as it come from Brazil was bought up for the King at a Teston and half or less per Pound and sold out in Snuff for 16 or 20 and sometimes more the best and 14 the more ordinary sort But 't is said that this Trade is now laid aside and an Equivalent with the Advantage of 600 000 tax'd upon Tobacco in Rolls The King hath likewise in his Hands a great part of the Trade from Foreign Plantations as that of Elephants Teeth from Africa of Wood from Brazil Besides great Duties upon Sugar and of all Goods coming from the East-Indies This last Trade is indeed but of little worth for he hath several times offered to make it over to a Company of Merchants but could never get a sufficient Number of Subscribers The King is likewise Grand Master of the Orders of Knighthood in his Kingdom and has the disposal of all the Commenda's belonging to them viz. of the Order of Christ which in Portugal succeeded to that of the Knights-Templers and is still in possession of their Lands and hath 454 Commenda's belonging to it 2dly The Order of St. Jago which hath 60 Commenda's and those of considerable Profit 3dly Of Avis which hath 43 and these esteem'd very rich Besides the King hath the disposal of the Commenda's in his Kingdom that belong to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem commonly called the Knights of Malta the chief of which viz. the Priory of Crato accounted one of the richest in the World is at present bestowed upon Dom Francisco the King 's Second Son I reckon these among the King's Revenues because they are put to the same use as the greatest part by much of his other Incomes are viz. given away in Pensions or Rewards for Services But the Kings of Portugal have for this last Century made use of one extraordinary way to raise Money which among all Ways and Means perhaps hath never been thought of by any other Temporal Prince the Kings of Spain excepted who first brought it up in this Kingdom and this is by selling Indulgences to the People for the Pardon of their Sins and the Deliverance of their own or their Relations Souls out of Purgatory The Popes having been for some time shamed out of this Trade by the Noise that Luther made in the World the Kings of Spain thought fit to take it up and have made more Money of it with less Scandal To this end Philip the Second after he had got Possession of the Crown of Portugal obtained Bulls of Pope Gregory the 14th in the Year 1591 which since that time have been publish'd almost every Year in Portugal And the Profits arising from them are become a part of the Standing Revenues of the Crown And indeed they may well be accounted a very considerable part of them The Substance of these three Bulls are all contain'd in one which carries for Title The Bull of the Holy Croisade But they are retailed out to the People under the Names of The Bull for the Living The Bull of Composition And The Bull for the Dead They have their general Name from the Croisade as if they were granted for carrying on the Holy War and were we to judge of the Levies I mean of Money that are here made one would think that War was still prosecuted with as great Vigour as it was 500 Years ago It 's true indeed that the Kings of Portugal even
was not satisfy'd after they had done all they could to serve her she having been treated with so much Respect that no Queen ever had so great an Authority But coming to that part of her Complaint wherein she said she had been treated like a Slave he chang'd his Note and in Portuguese for he had spoken French before he boldly told her That her Majesty was abus'd by some about her who deserv'd to be chastis'd had no Reason to complain of the Portugueses since the Respect they paid her came little short of Adoration The Queen after a warm Reply wherein she said She knew how to distinguish between the good and the bad Portugueses There being not above three or four that she complain'd of and signifying what she would do to those that had enrich'd themselves with the Rents belonging to the Queens of Portugal commanded the Secretary not to speak so loud He told her That if he spake loud it was that all the World might hear what he said The Queen bad him hold his Peace and be gone He not departing presently she rose from her Seat and was going away the Secretary imprudently laid his Hand upon her Gown either to kiss it according to Custom at her departure to signifie his Desire that she would hear him out but seeing her resolv'd to be gone he cry'd out to the Noblemen and Ladies present That he was unworthily us'd no King having ever treated a Vassal in this manner The Person who had this Dispute with her Majesty was Antonio de Souza de Macedo before mention'd as one of the first that came in to the King at Alcantara I cannot tell what he was by Birth but in himself he was a Person of Noble Qualities as appear'd afterwards by his Constancy in the Service of his Master and his Friend he was a Man of Letters and a Doctor in the Laws After the Revolt from the Spaniards he had written with great Zeal and Eloquence in defence of his Country's Cause and went Secretary to the solemn Embassy which King John sent to our King Charles the First to acquaint him of his having assum'd the Crown of Portugal and upon King Charles's Demand to know on what Right his Master's Claim was founded he drew up a Paper which entirely satisfy'd his Majesty In England he continued Resident for several Years and was very serviceable to the King in the time of his Troubles From hence he went Ambassador to Holland and in a very difficult Negotiation he acquitted himself much to his Master's Satisfaction and his own Credit and at his Return he was highly esteem'd at Court And the Conde could not do a more grateful thing to the Nobility than prefer him as he did to the place of Secretary of State tho' perhaps he might have some regard to himself as well as to the Publick in advancing this Man The Conde was young and Antonio de Sousa well practis'd in Business and by his Counsels may have been of as great use to the Conde as the Conde was to the King It is certain that he drew up Instructions for him to observe in the Administration of the Government and as the Conde was to be destroy'd before the King could be depos'd so it is very probable that this Quarrel was pick'd on purpose with Antonio de Sousa in order to make way for the Conde's Ruin The King coming to understand what had passed between the Queen and him did his endeavour to pacifie her Majesty promising that the Secretary should be severely punish'd but the Queen would not be appeas'd It unluckily fell out that this Broil happen'd at the time of Bull-feast The first Day was over and her Majesty could not be prevail'd upon to appear the second Day So that to conceal the Matter from the People the Bull-running was put off for that Day upon pretence that the King was indispos'd and she continuing out of Humour still the King was fain to be indispos'd the next and the following Days and by that time things were brought to such a pass that an end was put to all Sports and Pastimes for this King's Reign The Queen took so little care to conceal her Anger that the People soon came to know the Cause why the Bull-running was put off and began to murmur loudly against the Court that their new Queen should be so much abus'd and perhaps their Disappointment did not a little serve to raise their Clamours The Queen would be satisfy'd with nothing less than the Secretary's being turn'd out of his Place and banish'd from the Court which the Conde was very unwilling to consent to as thinking that should he give way to her in this Case he was like to be the next Man that should fall a Sacrifice to her Resentments however the Court perceiving a Storm ready to break upon them from another Quarter it was resolv'd in Council that the Secretary should absent himself from Court for ten or twelve Days and that the King should communicate this Order to the Queen and acquaint her That it was made only to content her Majesty and that it was hoped she would engage her self no more in such Matters for the future to prevent the ill Consequences that might ensue to the State Pursuant to this Order the Secretary to please the Queen departs from Court but the King forbore to communicate the Order to her for fear of exasperating her further at a time when he had his Hands full of another more troublesome Business While these things were done above-board a secret Plot was carrying on among the Heads of the discontented Party to seize upon the Conde and carry him off in the same manner as Conti had been serv'd before The Conde having Information of their Design may be supposed to have made the more hast to satisfie the Queen's Complaints For the very next Day he ordered the Guards about the Palace to be doubled the Cavalry to be mounted and the Centinels plac'd at the Avenues and as 't is said Command was given to the Soldiers to fall upon certain Noblemen in case they endeavoured to get into the Court it being suppos'd that they were coming to execute the Design Hereupon several Messages past between the Infante and the Court the Infante complaining That the Conde by arming the Palace had insinuated as if he was designing to violate it for which he requires Reparation of Honour accusing the Conde withal of attempting upon his Life by Poison and therefore desires that he might be removed from about the King's Person in order to his Punishment The King takes upon himself the doubling of the Guards and offers to send the Conde to throw himself at the Infante's Feet The Infante refuses to take this for Satisfaction and insists upon the Conde's removal The King offers to do him all Justice and desires him to name the Conde's Accusers in order to his Tryal But this the Infante would not yield to unless the Conde
afterwards with one so nearly Related to the House of Austria as her late Majesty was laid the Foundation of a solid Friendship and it was generally expected that this Match would have brought the King wholly over to the Austrian Interest it was thought that there was something of a Negotiation on foot to engage him on that side in the beginning of the last War viz. in 1689. when the Count de Mansfield employed in the Business of the King of Spain's second Marriage took Lisbon in his way from Madrid to Nieubourg and the French Ambassador seem'd to have smelt out some such thing and thereupon by way of Revenge found means to mortify both the King and the Count. For the King having ordered one of his Ships to be got ready for the Count to Embark upon the Ambassador took occasion to acquaint His Majesty that the Count de Mansfield being a Minister of the Emperor and one of his Generals there was cause to fear that the Ship which carried him would be attack'd by French Men of War which might occasion some distast between his most Christian and his Portuguese Majesty the King was fain to hearken to the Admonition and digest the Menace rather than expose himself to a greater Insult perceiving I suppose that the Ambassador saw plain enough that he was not in a condition to resent it wherefore the Count was left to provide a Ship for himself however the King order'd two of his Frigats to convoy him to the mouth of the Channel As the War was drawing towards a conclusion the King sent a most splendid Embassy to Vienna at the same time when he sent another to the French Court as it was thought to interpose his good Offices towards the drawing on of the Peace Nor did the disgrace which befel the Portuguese Ambassador to his Imperial Majesty break off the Correspondence between the two Courts the Emperor seeming now resolved to have his Ministers constantly Resident at Lisbon having never before had any such since the House of Bragança was possess'd of the Crown it is much for the Interest of both Parties to have a good understanding together whilst the cause of the Succession of Spain is depending for though in regard to that affair they have different ends in view yet they are both alike concern'd to act in concert till the greatest and most difficult point be gain'd which is the Exclusion of France With the Dutch this Court hath had a fair and amicable Correspondence ever since the Year 1669. when all differences were made up that had broken â—ut since the Peace with that Nation in 1662. of which I shall say nothing here since it would oblige me to give an account of the preceding War which would take up more room then can be now spared There seems to be little or no Communication between this and the two Northern Crowns the great distance between them being the cause that they have seldom any thing to do with one another all the Business the Danes and Swedes have here being about the Trade for Salt which they load yearly at Setubal but this is easily managed by the Consuls The deserved Esteem this King had for the great Sobieski and the Marriage of Prince James his Son with the Queen's Sister afforded matter for some Reciprocal Compliments between them but there was a difficulty in the Ceremonial which would not permit them to have this little Intercourse together The King of Poland in his Letter named himself first which this Court could not bear and therefore refused to receive the Letter because that King is only the Head of a Republick whereas his Majesty of Portugal is an Absolute Sovereign The present King of Poland's Envoy when he came to Lisbon to notify his Master's advancement to that Crown could not be received nor admitted to Audience for the same Reason and not as some thought for that this King refus'd to acknowledge his Master or disapprov'd of his Election The Princes of Germany and Italy can have very little to do here and therefore little notice is taken of them the Elector Palatine himself having no Minister residing at Court The Elector of Brandenbourg indeed hath his Resident but that is more for the Honour and Security of the Person than on account of any Business he being a considerable French Merchant of the Religion I have not heard that since the Business of the Infanta's Marriage any thing hath past between this Court and those of Savoy and Florence The Duke of Parma hath had his Envoy here upon Offices of Ceremony I suppose upon account of his Relation to the Royal Family he being descended from a Daughter of Dom Emanuel that was eldest Sister to her in whose right the House of Bragança lays claim to the Crown and consequently he would have an undoubted Right thereto were he not excluded by the Laws of Lamego OF THE INTERESTS OF PORTUGAL With Relation to ENGLAND I Believe there are no People in the World that have valued themselves less upon their Friendship to the Portugueses or deserved more at their Hands then the English I should have placed them first had I rank'd the rest according as they merit in the Esteem of this Nation for they well deserve to be reckon'd and that in the chief place among the Founders the Protectors and the Restorers of the Kingdom They have certainly been the surest and most dis-interess'd Friends to it almost from the time when Portugal first became a Nation to the Establishment of the now Reigning Family upon the Throne And in truth the ancient Portugueses have shown so much Gratitude that there remain in this Country several Memorials of the English Generosity and Valour that have been forgotten by our selves and are over look'd by our own Writers but of late we have not had the like reason to commend their Justice though our Nation in the present Age as great as the Merits of our Ancestors were hath deserv'd no less at their Hands Their Ancient Writers set forth at large how great a share the English had in the first raising of their Kingdom and how they have since more then once rescued it from Destruction and there are those yet alive among them that know very well how their Deliverance from utter Ruin and that Liberty and Peace which they now enjoy is owing to the Bravery of our Soldiers and the Prudence of our Ministers but their late Writers have not been so Ingenuous as to deliver what they knew to Posterity It will not be expected that in so short a space as is left me I should give a particular Account of these Transactions however I shall briefly touch upon some of those that have pass'd in former Ages as they are related by the Portuguese Historians hoping that it will not be altogether ungrateful to the English Reader to hear News from Foreigners as old as it is concerning his own Country Men And some mention
they begin their March the Conde de Villa Flor is brought in to make a florid Speech which works so much upon them that at the last Words they are in Motion but the English being to the Left of all and nearest the Plain where the Cavalry on both sides were ingag'd are attack'd by four hundred Horse with great Bravery But they forming themselves into a close Body the Fire-locks keeping within the Pikes make such Resistance by their repeated Discharges that the Three Regiments led on by the two Commanders continue their March unmolested In ascending the Hill they think fit that they might make sure work of it to send a single Officer to see whether the Enemy might not have some Horse there to oppose them The Officer does as he is ordered making his way through Clouds of Bullets as the Author expresses it takes a full view of the Place and sees no Horse there with this Answer he encourages them to make up to the Top and then the Three Regiments act over again the very same things which as it hath hitherto been believ'd the English had done before This Account Publish'd as it is under the Name of Dom Luis de Menezes who was himself in the Battle as General of the Artillery and doubtless acquitted himself therein with Honour and afterwards had the Title Conde da Ericeyra must at first sight infallibly shake the Credit of the foregoing Relation if not intirely destroy it and so put our Country men out of Possession of an Honour which till the latter end of last Year they had enjoy'd as their undoubted Right However there are some further Passages to be told relating to this Battle which may possibly keep the former Account from being thought altogether incredible But before any thing be said in Defence of the one or Answer to the other there are certain Reports that have been current about Lisbon for some Years which the Publick ought to be inform'd of and that in consideration of the respect due to one of the Conde's Quality These Reports are such as if there be any Grounds for them may make one suspect that the Conde hath been much injur'd in the Edition of his Works It was the common talk in Portugal for several Years after the Publication of the first Volumn that some other Person besides his Lordship had a hand in Composing and Digesting his Papers but then its true that People differ'd much in their Opinions concerning the Person suppos'd to be thus Employ'd some would have it that it was a Person of Quality indeed but one of the other Sex Others were for a certain Priest whom the Conde as they pretend kept in his House for that purpose I will not undertake for the Credit of either the one or the other of these Reports as being altogether ignorant on what gounds they were rais'd but the Truth is there is great cause why they that wish well to the Conde's Memory should be glad they were believ'd and some Passages in the Book it self makes one think that there may be something in them the Language bestow'd by the Author on those he calls Hereticks Our King Charles the First for one when he reflects on the Behaviour of that Blessed Martyr in his last Agony is not common among Men of the Conde's Rank but seems to come rather from the indiscreet Zeal of a Bigotted Lady which is the only excuse its capable of And as for the Account now under consideration the Reader will soon perceive that it savours strongly of something that I shall not name but of which above all Men in the World one would soonest suspect a Romish Priest But to our Purpose King Charles the Second being informed of the wonderful Bravery of his Soldiers shown at this Battle of Amexial was pleased out of his pure Liberality to order Forty Thousand Crowns-to be distributed amongst them All that know any thing of the Character of that Prince know that he was not to be easily imposed upon by sham Relations of this kind and it was as apparent to the World that his Exchequer did not overflow with Money and consequently it must be some very important Action that his Majesty thought fit to Reward with so large Donative But was it possible for so understanding a Prince as King Charles to think it an extraordinary thing for above 2000 Foot to make Resistance against a Body of 400 Horse Yet this is all the part that our Author allows them in the Victory only in conclusion he saith that between Horse and Foot they Iost about 50 Men and that they and the French together behav'd themselves Valiantly Our Horse lost many more the greatest part of them being cut to pieces by their renewing the Charge so often as they did while they were abandon'd by the French But if the English Foot did any thing to deserve the Notice of their King it was on the Hill against which they were at first Posted and upon which the main Business of the Battle was transacted for there by confession of all the Spaniards were strongest and were first routed and unless it were up thither our Foot scarce moved from their first Station That they did something worthy of Admiration and upon this Place we may appeal to the Memories of all People of any Curiosity in Portugal for the fighting over of this and some other of their Battles was observed to be the main subject of Conversation amongst them for many Years afterwards and their own Officers in the Army did not stick to acknowledge that the Crown of Portugal was preserv'd by what the English did in this but I am writing in England and shall content my self with such Evidence as is at hand There are two Gentlemen in London who commanded in this very Action from whence the Author of Portugal Restaurado hath excluded our Country men the one hath a Command in my Lord of Oxford's Regiment the other is one of the Old Gentlemen in the Charter-house who are so far from magnifying the Performance that they contradict some circumstances in the Publick Accounts that made it appear more hazardous and daring then it really was They know very well that they were not only engaged on the foremention'd Hill but that till the Action was over there were none besides them the former of these gives a very demonstrative Proof that they could have no Assistants to accompany them at the beginning for where they ascended the Hill the nature of the Ground was such that it would not admit of the whole Regiment the Party consisted but of one for which reason two Companies that were to the Left were forc'd to return and joyn the other English Regiment that was drawn up in the second Line and was commanded by Colonel Person It s true the Three Regiments might get up afterwards by other ways but that they gave the English time enough to do their Business for them will appear from what