ALPHONSO VI. Don Enriquez, king of Portugal, ascended the throne when only a child of thirteen years of age. It is not easy to conceive a kingdom in a more perilous situation than this at the death of Don John. The young king was remarkable for weakness of body, and imbecility of mind; the regency in the hands of a woman, and that woman a Castilian; the nation involved in war, and this respecting the title to the crown; many of the nobility engaged in feuds and contentions with each other, and some of them secretly disaffected to the reigning family; so that the queen scarcely knew to whom she could trust, or by whom she was to be obeyed. A very indecent joy was manifested by the people on the king's death, as if his death was the dissolution of government; but the great abilities of the queen, and the vigorous measures which she adopted, soon changed the face of affairs. For her own safety, and the prosperity of the kingdom, she appointed Don Francisco de Faro, count of Odemira, of the house of Braganza, governor to the king, and one of her principal ministers of state; and she made choice of Don Antonio de Meneses, count de Castencheda, to be his coadjutor. The former was a person in high repute among the nobility, in great favour with the people, entirely devoted to the interests of the queen, possessed of a large estate, and far advanced in years; the latter was also an aged man of great talents, and equally capable to preside in the cabinet, and to command in the field. As might naturally be expected, these men sometimes differed in opinion; but this difference never hurt the cause of the queen. Seconded, protected, and counselled by such able men, the nation began to feel the effects of the queen's firmness and superior talents.
The first important exertion of the queen was, to
send express orders to the count de San Lorenzo, who commanded on the frontiers, to act offensively; but the measure, though prudent in itself, was not attended with the desired success. About this time, however, the duke de St Germain, an Italian officer in the service of Spain, entered Portugal, besieged and took Olivenza and the castle of Morão. In consequence of this, the general was dismissed, and his place was filled by Juan Mendez Vasconcelles, a man in great favour with the troops, and universally popular. He engaged to act also upon the offensive, but being unsuccessful, he was only saved from punishment, by his simple and candid defence; in which he says, "that he had undertaken the siege in obedience to the order of the queen, and for the honour of the nation; and that he had raised it without orders, for the preservation of the army; that he knew the hazard he ran when he did it, but that it gave him pleasure to think, that at the hazard, or even the loss, of his reputation and life, the troops of Portugal had been saved." He was declared innocent and worthy of the queen's favour, by the council of war who presided. Don Sancho Manuel, who commanded in Elvas, and defended it with equal bravery and conduct, showed himself to be an officer of a considerable degree of judgment, by his hazarding nothing more when he had performed his service, upon which the very being of the state depended; but it was the count de Castaneda who raised that siege, and forced the army of Spain in their lines. After some other political measures, some of them more and some of them less important; the queen regent finished in a manner, her administration, with the marriage of her only daughter, the princess Catharine, once intended for Lewis XIV. with Charles II. king of Great Britain, one of the most fortunate events that ever happened for Portugal; since it immediately procured them the protection of the English fleets, reinforcements of some thousands of horse and foot; besides adding much reputation to their affairs throughout Europe; which was the reason that the Spanish court opposed it with so much heat, or rather passion. By the vigorous exertions and fortunate victories of Montesclaros, the war was soon terminated to the honour of Portugal. The sixth and last victory in the course of 28 years, was obtained by the marquis de Marialva, which was chiefly owing to unforeseen accidents, and the determined courage of foreign troops, and to the great abilities of Schomberg. This victory determined the fate of the kingdom, though not of the sovereign; and it was easy to be seen by the more intelligent sort of people in Portugal, that the king would sooner or later be deposed.
Alphonso being struck with the palsy while a child, rendered it necessary to treat him with indulgence, on account of his weak state of health; consequently, as he rose to maturity, his want of parts, and the defects in his education, were very perceptible. It is alleged that a greater affection was shown by the queen his mother, to the infant Don Pedro, and that she endeavoured, at the time of their father's decease, to insinuate into the nobles an idea of preferring him; but they universally declined to make a breach in the succession, declaring it was difficult to make an estimate of the powers of a king who was then only a child. The queen yielded, and endeavoured by every pro-
per means to make him worthy of a crown, which, by birth, he was entitled to wear. The count de Ode-mira, who was charged with his education, found it a very difficult task to manage the young prince, who forgetful of his birth and destination, was prone only to those amusements which the youth of his age were accustomed to. His guardian and preceptor struggled with this disposition, and even ventured to take some pretty severe measures; but to his great mortification, it proved entirely abortive. Education can only improve, but can never confer mental abilities. Yet he was quick enough to perceive he was a king, which proved very fatal to him. Those who approached his person complied with his follies, and even commended the most absurd actions; and those who were independent of the court inveighed against him in the strongest terms, and, because guilty of some childish actions, they ascribed to him all the cruel and foolish accidents which happened in Lisbon. Unfortunately, however, for his adversaries, many of these actions, such as fighting of dogs, scouring the streets, encountering three men alone, running at a bull, and such like, indicate no want of strength or courage. A variety of facts that might be mentioned, are sufficient evidence that his natural dispositions were weak, wild, refractory, and unteachable; and that although he was born to reign, yet he was destitute of the qualities absolutely necessary in a prince. The direful consequences of this having been for some time experienced by the nation, the nobles at last were driven to the resolution of deposing the king, and exalting Don Pedro to the regency. In the morning of the next day after the determination, the marquis de Cascaes, at the head of the council, went to the palace to propose the resignation to the king. The king was in bed and fast asleep: the marquis ordered him to be awakened, and knocked violently at the door for that purpose; and when he had obtained admission, he is said to have upbraided him in very coarse terms for his laziness and inattention to public affairs at so critical a conjuncture; adding, that since he must be sensible of his want of abilities to govern a kingdom, the wisest method he could adopt was, to resign it in favour of his brother. The king absolutely refused to consent: but not long after, Don Pedro coming to the palace, ordered him to be confined in his apartment, where one of his favourites persuaded him, in the hope of being set at liberty, to make a short renunciation of the crown in favour of his brother Don Pedro, and his lawful issue, reserving the house of Braganza and its dependencies, together with 100,000 crowns out of the revenue of the crown. Nor was this deemed sufficient: for a paper was presented to him, making him avow, that for want of consummation, his marriage was null. This he at first declined; but, by the advice of some divines, he was prevailed on to subscribe the deed. When evening drew on, the unhappy king then perceived he was a prisoner; upon which he sent to request his brother to let him have John, who managed his dog-kennel, to keep him company. When Don Pedro heard it, losing his usual calmness, he burst into a violent fit of passion, and instantly gave orders, that those who were the most agreeable to him, should remain in his apartment. Such was the situation of affairs until the meeting of the states. But
Alphonso. in the mean time, the unfortunate Don Alphonso died, after he had been a prisoner near fifteen years, suddenly in the castle of Cintra, on the 12th of September, when he had borne the title of king almost twenty-seven, and had lived about forty years. It is reported, that he said in his last agonies, "I am now going; but it will not be long before the queen shall follow me, to give an account at the most awful tribunal, of the wrongs she has done me." (Mod. Univ. Hist.)