The sun., 1891-07-26

the achievements OF the Portuguese crusader In
the cause OF religion made tho Pope at all
events more ready to comply with his desire to
be admitted among the sovsreigns OF Europe.
As q proof VI his admission 1t may be men
toned at in 1l48 Alfonso Henri1ues married
Matilda, daughter OF Amadeus H.. Count Of
Savoy and Piedmont
The conquest Of the Moorish district. known
as the Bela,ha- was Of 80 much Importance to
Portugal that 1t deserves to be traced In some
detail Tho name Belatha was given to the
peninsula lying between tho Atlantic and the
Tagus. which. II will be remembered. pursues
a southwesterfy md almost southerly course
as il approaches tho seA. In this peninsula
lay the great and beautiful city OF Santarem.
which commanded the upper reaches OF tho
TaRus and was but ono days march from the
Portuguese capital at Colmbra- This city had
long been thorn In the side OF Portugal. but
on March 9. 1l47. Alfonso Henriaues managed
to surprise II before tho governor had time to
provision II, and a fortnight later carried 1t by
storm This success, however. was eclipsed
In the same year by more memorable event.
the captu Q OF Lisbon. which had been an an
cient Gi eek colony. and which from its position
at The mouth OF the Tagus is the natural me-
tropo,is OF The west coast OF the Iberian penin.
sula. Its capture BY the Moors In TIA. had
marked one OF the decisive stages OF their ad-
vance,, anu IL TeuuIuOu tu0 CuleL CITY Vi tUelT
province OF Belntha for moro than 400 years.
II had. 10 he suro. boon three times captured
by the Christians. namely. In 792 by Alfonso
tho Chaste OF Castile in 851 By Ordonho I. OF
Leon. and In 1898 by Alfonso W.. the father
in-iaw Of Count Henry OF Burgundy. But tho
Christians kept It only twenty years aftor tho
first recapture and only few months on the
second nni third occasions. Now It was to
pass permanently into the hands Of the Fortu-
Guese sovereign. II is ve,y doubtful. how
ever. whether Alfonso Henrloues would have
been able 10 take tho city but for the assist
anco rendered by q great fleet OF crusaders
who had nut IN at Oporto on their way to Pal
estine. and most OF whom. curiously enough.
were Englishmen. Even with their aid Alfonso
Henrioues was unable to blockade tho great
circumference OF the town. but hav-
ing contrived to make breach at .
particular spot. hc succeeded In forcing On on
trance on Oct. "a. 1147. The capture OF Lisbon
was followed BY tho surrender Of eight con-
siderable cities. and In the course Of three
years the first King OF Portugal found himself
master OF the whole OF the southern Beira and
OF northern EST emadurA He had not men
enough. however to occ ipy and settle his new
possessions. and had to walt ten years before
his next step In advance. 1t was not until 1883
that. after being twice ropulsed. he managed 10
tuk0 tue oIuleUt Clty vi hlcikCOC W Sdl, anu
reached tho height OF his prosperity. Three
yea,s later the Almohade Caliph. Abd-el-
Murin. invaded Spain. and inflicted upon Az
fonso HenrIques his first disastrous defeat.
and drove him back to Lisbon and santarem.
Afterward the Portuguese ruler gradually re-
covered much Of the ground that he had lost.
but having undertaken to make conQuests
east OF the limo fixed by treaty as tho
eastern boundary OF Portuguese extension. he
was severely beaen BY King Ferdinand Of
Leon and Gallicis. and forced to surrender ths
towns which he had taken on tho left bnuE OF
tho Guadiana. as we'll as some cities on the
Gallician frontier. This defeat broke tho spirit
Of the old crusader and he was never again
able to mount horse. though he lived some
flfteen years longer dying ct Coimbra in 1885.
What gives his reign unusual interest is tho
fact that 1t witnessed the growth Of a small
and fesble country into impact aud power
ful kingdom which has boil perpetuated to
modern times. 1t was the greatness OF this
ono man that made Portugal an INDEPENDENT
country and that assured to 1t . distinct de-
velopment. while oil tho other Kingdoms OF the
peninsula were destined tc coalesce. On the
face OF things there was far moro reoson
at tho beginning Of tho twelfth century to ex-
pect that Navarro and Aracon would retain
their national individu ality than that such In
dependence would be evolved In the outlying
counties Of Gallicia. In Navarro the pasques
had possessed from time immemorial Ian
RuaRe entirely different from that spoken in
the rest OF tho peninsula. and the natives OF
Catalonia. the most valuable Of the King OF
Araeon's dominions. spoke not Castilian.
but u Provencal dialect Nevertheless. tho
Basque provinces and Catalonia have long
since been Incorporated in the Spanish mon
nrchy: but In tho case OF Portugal. although
1t was to suffer tho same fate for about sixty
years under Philip II. and Philip ILL.,. q lasting
fusion proved to be impracticable.
Nv.