Add MS 8709

TRACT ON THE SUCCESSION TO THE PORTUGUESE CROWN; circa 1578-1580. Portuguese. 17th cent. Copy. A treatise concerning the succession of King Henry of Portugal (1578-80). The son of Manuel I, Henry was educated for the priesthood and created a cardinal in 1545. He acted as regent for King Sebastian, and succeeded to the throne when Sebastian was killed at the Battle of Alcácer Quibir during an expedition against Morocco in 1578. Henry had no heir and so in March 1579 he ordered the Cortes to elect a committee to investigate the rival claims to the throne of Philip II of Spain, Catherine, Duchess of Braganza, Emanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy; António, Prior of Crato, and Ranuccio Farnese, Duke of Parma, all descendants of Manuel I. The present text appears to be a summary of the committee's discussions and their findings as it is preceded by a prayer to the Lord for guidance over their choice of successor (f. 1). The treatise is divided into five sections, entitled as follows: (ff. 4-20v) 'Per que modo se deferem os Reinos de Portugal, & dos Algarves per fallecimento do Rei ultimo possuidor delles', (ff. 20v-31) 'Se podem as femeas ser admittidas à soccessaó destes Reinos', (ff. 31-46) 'Se ò Beneficio de representacaó ha lugar na soccessaó destes Reinos', (ff. 46v-58) 'Se ha lugar ò Beneficio da representacaó quando os sobrinhos pretendem socceder nestes Reinos à el Rei senthio irmaó de seus pais, se concorrer có elles outro irmao do mesmo Rei', (ff. 58-71) 'Seas femeas nesta soccessaó representaó à seus pais cóm à prerogativa debaraó'. The author concludes that Catherine, Duchess of Braganza, was the most suitable heir to the Portuguese throne (ff. 71-100v). However, when Henry died in 1580, Philip II sent the Duke of Alba to occupy the country, and Philip was recognized as king by the Portuguese Cortes. Inc. (f.2) 'Despois que o muito alto, & muito poderoso Rei dom Henrique nosso Senor Soccedeo à el Rei dom Sebastiaó, que Deos tem', expl. (f.100v) 'os documentos, que aqui se allegaó tirados da d.torre do tombo andaô em hum quaderno apartado iunto aos autos do processo desta causa.' The MS. is listed in Figanière, Catalogo dos Manuscriptos Portuguezes, (1853), p. 263. Stamp of the Colonna library 'Libraria Colonna' in red on ff. 1, 100v. Owned by Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford, but lacking his armorial bookplate. '512' in pencil in upper right corner of f. 1. Purchased, together with Add. 8710, 8711, 8712, 8713 and 8714, from R. H. Evans, 11 Dec. 1830, lot 512 (part).

Paper; ff. 100 plus one unfoliated blank after f.1. Modern foliation in pencil. 342 x 237mm. One 17th-cent. Portuguese hand. Horizontal catchwords on each leaf. Guilford binding of quarter vellum with decorated paper covers over pasteboards.