The Story of the Nations: PortugalStephens, H. Morse (Henry Morse)
History
The Story of the Nations: Portugal
Stephens, H. Morse (Henry Morse)
Portugal -- History
The conquest of Ceuta completed, the elder princes devoted their
extraordinary powers of mind and body to pursuits worthy of the cousins
of Henry V. of England. Dom Edward, so named after his
great-grandfather, Edward III. of England, the eldest son, married Donna
Leonora of Aragon, and helped his father in the duties of government. He
proved an apt pupil of João das Regras, the chancellor, and, after
devoting much time to legal studies, he drew up the first code of
Portuguese law. Dom Pedro, the next brother, who was created by his
father Duke of Coimbra after the storming of Ceuta, travelled all over
Europe, enjoying in turn the hospitality of Henry V. of England, of the
Emperor, and of the Pope, and astonishing those monarchs by his
abilities. He proved his valour by fighting beside the Teutonic knights
against the Lithuanians, in the extreme east of civilised Europe, and
his literary taste by his enlightened patronage of men of letters in all
parts of the continent. In 1428 he ended his travels, and settling at
Lisbon, he married Donna Isabel, the daughter of the Count of Urgel, and
assisted his father and elder brother in the duties of government,
taking special interest in the progress of literature, and co-operating
in all the various schemes for the development of Portugal. The third
brother, Dom Henry, created by his father, Duke of Viseu, and appointed
Master of the Order of Christ, and governor of the kingdom of the
Algarves, has left his mark on the history of the world as Prince Henry
“the Navigator.” This prince refused all the offers of the Pope, the
Emperor, and of Henry V., to visit their courts, and established
himself in 1418 at Sagre in order to devote himself and his wealth to
the cause of discovering a continuous route by sea to India, which
should bring the trade of Asia and its profits to the Portuguese. His
efforts and the discoveries he superintended form the subject of a
separate chapter, but it must be remembered that in all his efforts he
was seconded by his father and elder brothers. The fourth brother, Dom
John, Master of the Order of Santiago, married his niece Isabel,
daughter of the Count of Barcellos, and became eventually third
Constable of Portugal. The fifth brother, Dom Ferdinand, who earned the
title of the “Constant Prince” in after years, was Master of the Order
of S. Benedict of Aviz, as his father had been before his elevation to
the throne; his piety was so well known, that he was requested to enter
the Church, and promised a cardinal’s hat by the Pope, but he refused
the honour, longing rather for the glory of a crusader than the
influence of an ecclesiastic, and winning in the end a martyr’s crown.
Their sister, Isabel, was as famous for her beauty, as her brothers for
their valour, wisdom, and piety, and was married to Philip “the Good” of
Burgundy, the founder of the Order of the Golden Fleece. To mar the
unity of this illustrious and gifted family, there existed a half
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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