The sun., 1891-07-26

nAtred OF nor unmArfi0d rstor Tor
her interposition. In his infatuation for
Donna Leonor the King refused to marry
the Csstilian princess, q refusal which exas-
perated tho people ofLisbon and caused an i'm
surrecton In that city. The principal rioters,
however, wore beheaded, and Immediately at
terwnrd the King married the Donna Leonor,
although her first husband was still alive.
With tho exception Of ono Of the Kings half
brothers. all the Portuguese mobiles acquiesced
in this b!Ramous marriage. and recognized
Donna Leonor as Queen. The latter soon be-
came supreme: her weak md vacilatinR hus-
band was q slave. aad the tyranny which she
exercised grew odious. Especial, ghastly was
her revenge upon her younger sister. Donna
Maria Telles. whom sho had never forgiven
for opposing her marriage with the King.
Maria who was MS beautiful as her sister and
far moro amiable, had inspired real passion
In Dom John. the Kings half brother. and was
married to him in 1876. They were perfectly
happy until the Queen was SO success
ful In instilllng the passion OF jealousy into
the young husband that he murdered his wife
with his own hand. while shs was vainly rro-
testing her innocence. When the deed was
dono tho Queen came into her dead sisters
presence and laughinRly informed the wifo
slayer that the accusations wero untrue. 1t
was not. however. AZ might at first sight be
his talso a half brother OF the Kings by an.
other OF his fathers mistrosscsl. own as Dom
John the Bastard. Master Of the Order OF Ayiz
who. on the death OF Ferdinand In 1888. headed
an insurrection and deposed Donna Leonor
from the regency. Tho latter was supported
BY her son -in-law. John OF CASTLE. but, having
tried to poison him, she was sent to convent,
where she ended her days. In tho ensuing
war bstween CASTLE and Portugal tho in-
dependence OF tho latter country was at stake.
and II was felt to be most unfortunate
that the candidate OF tho patriot party
should be Legitimate. Tho following
measures were taken to legalize his posi-
tion. A great Cortos was summoned to meet
at Coimbra. and IN 1t. on April 6. 1885. the
throne OF Portugal was declared to bo cleo.
tive. Then the Chancellor produced papal
bull. declaring the children OF Dom Pedro by
Ines dc Castro to DO illegitimate. and thus
placing them on footing no better than that
OF Pedro's other bastard children. Thereupon
the Cortes unanimously elected Dom John the
Bastard tson OF Pedro by Theresa Lourepco)
to be King Of Portugal. Accordingly. tho Mas
ter Of the Knights OF Aviz assumed the title OF
Dom John l.. and is known In Portuguese
history as John the Great. He msde good
his claim to tho crown in the decisive
battle OF Aljubarrota. where. with tho
assistance Of Ave hundred English archers
he overwhelmingly defeated the forces Of Cas-.
title. A little later the treaty OF Windsor united
the kingdoms Of Portugal and England In the
f1rmest bonds OF friendship. and In July 1885
John OF Gaunt reached Corunna with 1000
English lances and 5000 archers In tho fol-
lowing year the peace OF tho peninsula was
practically settled by two marriages. phiippa,
a daughter Of John OF Gaunt. being welded to
John l.. and another daughter. Catherine, to
Henry. Prince OF the Asturias and heir to tho
throne OF CASTLE. It was not. however. until
1411 that the title OF John to be King OF Portu-
gal was formally recognized BY the Castilian
monarchy.
1t was the House OF Aviz. the illegltimats
branch Of her ancient dynasty. that was to
raise Portugal to height OF grandeur. which.
when We keep In view the size anR population
OF the country. Is without parallel In history.
During the reigns OF John I. and Of his two
successors. which collectively occupied about
q century. Portugal was learning to become
the most conspicuous nation in Europe. 1t
was an ago OF rapid and luxuriant growth.
abounding in statesmen. mariners. AID chron-
iclers who were to bo followed in the brief but
immortal epoch Of Portuguese greatness
by such men as Albuquerque. Vas
CO da CANA and Camosns. From tho
outset OF the reign OF John l. new
spirit appeared alike among the kings. the
merchants. and the soldiers. q spirit which
was to eliminate In tho glory OF the heroic
period. Ono grave mistake however,. was com-
mitted by the now sovereign. Ho overesti-
mated the assistance OF his mobiles and. np-
rarently dreading their secession to the Cas-
lillian party. over-rewarded them by granting
them nearly the whole OF the old royal estateR
OF the kings Of Portugal. Thus he seriously
weakened the royal power. though the blunder
did not impoverish the treasury. which was
filled mainly by the proceeds OF tho customs
duties continually increased by a wise COM
merclal policy. Tho ctizons Of Lisbon re-
g 'rdsd him much as tho citizens OF London did
Edward Nv. o century later: they were at all
times ready to obey him and 10 pay him q
1.-THE Of their wealth. In every respect except his
lavish creation Of great foudal estates. his ad-
ministration was exceptionally good. His cities
waxed opulent. his navy increased. his sail
ors became famous for their daring. and in
some minor particulars judicial reforms were
carried out 1t was during this reign that the
Portuguese determined to carry the war
against the Moors into Africn. In tho FIRST OF
a long series of expeditions they stormed and
occupied the city OF Ceuta. which ha ! long been
. rendezvous Of corsairs. Tho third son OF
John l.. Dom Henry. known In the history of
tho world as Prince Henry the Navigator. es-
tablishsd himself in 14lS In the port OF SaRre
at Cape st. Vincent. in order to devote himself
to tho discovery OF u continuous route by sea
to India which should bring the trade of Asia
and its provinces to the port OF Lisbon. Be-
fore We sum up the result OF his cxrerlments.
to which Mr.. Stephens properly devotes o sepa.
rate chapter Wa should pause moment to
trace through this important fifteenth century
the development Of the Portuguese vernacular
into a literary language. Mention has already
been made Of the Portuguese tronbadours. and
we may add that the battle OF the Salado 1870,
was celebrated In q Portuguese epic which
foreshadowed the " Lusiads" Of Camoeus.
While. however. tho early poetry OF Portugal
differed but little from that OF Galicia, is
prose was evolved in an indopende ut direction,
The first Portuguese work OF length and im-
portance was the famous romance OF "Amadis
de Gaul" which was followed by native ver-
sions OF the Arthurian legends brought into