ALPHONSO I. king of Portugal, son of Henry of Burgundy, count of Portugal, grandson of Don Alonso, king of Leon and Castile, who, as the dowry of his wife Theresa, received part of the kingdom of Portugal. One Egas Munitz had the charge of his education from his father, the duties of which he executed with fidelity and success. In the year 1112 his father died, leaving him a boy only three years of age, when the reins of government and the care of the infant son fell to his mother Theresa. At the age of 18 he assumed the sovereign authority by the advice of the nobles of Portugal, who were highly offended at the growing partiality of his mother for Don Ferdinand Perez, count of Trastemara; for it was suspected that she intended to marry him. But Theresa was little disposed to resign the reins of government. Her party raised an army, which took the field to oppose the nobility who supported Alphonso; but her adherents were defeated, herself taken prisoner, and kept in confinement during the remainder of her life. Not long after his accession to the throne, his abilities both to govern and to conquer received a severe trial, in several arduous enterprises, as well against the king of Leon and Castile, as against the Moorish princes, who then possessed great part of Spain and Portugal. The Moorish emperor in Barbary having sent a strong reinforcement to the princes, they were enabled to take the field with an army far superior to that of Alphonso; yet he valiantly met them in the plains of Ourique, and totally defeated their forces. Thus Providence conferred such a signal favour on the Christian arms as procured a residence for Christianity in those parts. The ambitious king of Leon and Castile assumed the title of emperor of the Spaniards, and entered Portugal to waste and destroy; but after the emperor had received a temporary check, the matter was accommodated, and he withdrew his army. In consequence of the victory obtained on the plains of Ourique, Alphonso was instantly proclaimed king; but the form and constitution of the monarchy were not settled until the nobility, prelates, and commons had assembled at Lamago for that purpose in the year 1145. The conquest of Santarem preceded this event, and was sanctioned by the unanimous concurrence of the states. The honour of crowning the king was conferred upon the archbishop of Braga; and it was legally provided that the crown should descend with an uninterrupted succession to the heirs male of Alphonso. The prelates and nobility, with the concurrence of the people, instituted a code of laws, consisting of 18 statutes, for the government of the kingdom. It being proposed whether it was their pleasure that the king should go to Leon and do homage to that prince or to any other, every man, drawing his sword, exclaimed, “We are free, and our king is free, and we owe our liberty to our courage; and if he shall at any time submit to such an act, he deserves death, and shall not either reign over us or among us.” The year after his coronation he was married to Matilda, daughter of Amadeus, count of Maurienne and Savoy; and he recovered Lisbon from the hands of the Moors in the year 1147. A multitude of adventurers being assembled at the mouth of the Tagus in their progress to the Holy Land, greatly assisted him in this conquest. After having added six other provinces to his dominions, he wisely began with industrious activity to regulate the affairs of his kingdom. In all his great and benevolent designs he was vigorously seconded by Matilda, a princess equally celebrated for her great beauty, mental vigour, and singular piety. He was no less provident in peopling and improving, than enterprising in acquiring territories. The conjugal felicity of this prince and princess was greatly enhanced by a numerous offspring, which enabled him, by great alliances, to strengthen his interests. His second daughter was married to Don Ferdinand, king of Leon, who, notwithstanding this alliance, ungenerously made war on his father-in-law, and took him prisoner in the field of battle; but released him, on the humiliating condition of coming in person to do homage for his dominions at Leon. In the latter part of his reign, his son Don Sancho, who inherited all his father’s military talents, took the lead on several occasions; and in the year 1180, Joseph, king of Morocco, and emperor of the Almohedes, advancing with an army as far as Santarem, he there gained a glorious victory over him. Such was the consternation of the infidels, in consequence of this defeat, that they left the Portuguese at liberty to improve the interior part of the country, and to fortify their frontiers during the whole of next year. Worn out with care and intense application, Alphonso retired to Coimbra for repose, where, after a reign of 57 years, and in the 76th year of his, age, he died. In the church of the holy cross at Coimbra his remains were deposited with great funeral solemnity. He was no less than seven feet high; and his gigantic size and martial ardour have given occasion to many absurd and incredible stories concerning his military achievements, so that, in the annals of chivalry, as well as in the records of martial exertions, he sustains a very high rank.

Alphonso II. distinguished by the surname of the Fat, was the third king of Portugal, and succeeded his father, at the age of 27 years, in 1212. He commenced his reign with two very popular acts. The one was, sending a body of infantry to the assistance of the king of Castile, who fought with uncommon bravery in the renowned battle of Navas de Tolosa; the other was, his donation of the castle of Avis to the knights of that order, when the grand-master removed from Evora, and took up his habitation in that castle. His father having discovered that he disliked his brothers and sisters, endeavoured to secure them from the effects of his resentment, by conferring upon them large sums of money and jewels, and some of the best parts of the kingdom. After the death of his father, Alphonso strenuously laboured to convince them that it was not in the power of his father to separate or give away any part of his dominions; but all his urgent eloquence proving unsuccessful, he had recourse to arms. The two princesses, his sisters, who had received by the grant of their father very extensive and valuable property, upon being attacked by their brother, implored the interference of the pope, and also applied to the king of Leon to grant his protection, so that they made a very vigorous defence. The pope granted the request of the young princesses, and threatened to excommunicate Alphonso; and from Galicia Don Ferdinand entered the dominions of Portugal to ravage and destroy; but the king prepared to defend himself against the arms of the king of Leon, and, by specious pretences, to evade the excommunication of the pope.

Authors are not agreed with respect to the success of this war, but it is generally supposed that, by the interference of these two powerful persons, the domestic affairs of that house were restored to a certain degree °Ç tra !î* quillity. However, the departure of the infant Don Ferdinand to the court of Castile, and of Don Pedro to another place, strongly indicate that the reconciliation was far [7:2:553]from being perfect. The conduct of the king, however, produced much diversity of opinion among the common people of Portugal. Some were induced, by his arguments, to conclude that it was not in the power of Don Sancho, the late king, to dismember his kingdom; and others very properly suspected the kindness of a prince: to his people, who displayed such uncommon and such unjustifiable hatred to his own relations; at the same time, those nobles whom the father had solemnly sworn to carry his will into execution, were induced, by a regard for the sacred nature of their oaths, to act against the reigning •prince. ι

The displeasure of the pope, however, was not to be endured. The mind of Alphonso seemed indeed to be of that quality which little regarded the displeasure or . thunders of his holiness; but the effects of his threaten- ings were very different upon the public mind, consequently the king was constrained to seek the favour of the pope, that he might retain the obedience of his subjects. The king therefore sent deputies to Rome, who argued, that the crown his father wore was the purchase of the blood and valour of the Portuguese nation, and therefore not at his disposal; that it was a dangerous precedent, and obviously tended to subvert the sovereignty of /state; that the disuniting of the kingdom would tend to promote the cause of the infidels; and, in fine, that his disputes with his sisters had no connection with ecclesiastical matters. The pope, however, was as well qualified •to discern the nature of these specious arguments as the prince was qualified to urge them, consequently he remained unmoved; and Alphonso, in order to have the sentence of excommunication which had been pronounced upon him removed, was reluctantly induced to be reconciled to his sisters. His holiness, informed of the reconciliation, with great ceremony revoked his curse and .excommunication from the king and his subjects.

But the reign of this prince was destined to troubles; for no sooner was this domestic broil terminated than the Moors rushed into the plain country in such prodigious numbers, that the king found it very difficult to repel them, or to drive them back to their own country. A favourable occurrence, however, enabled him to complete his object, by the taking of a fortress seated on a rock which was deemed impregnable, in the following manner. The Germans and Flemings had equipped an immense fleet destined for the Holy Land, consisting of 300 sail, with a numerous army on board. In consequence of tempestuous weather, their-fleet was so disabled that they were forced to put into the harbour of Lisbon to refit, just at the time when Alphonso was preparing an army to attack the Moors. The king instantly sent some of the most respectable men of his court to solicit their aid against -the Moors, alleging, that it was perfectly consistent with their vows to fight against the Moors in Portugal, as well as in the Holy Land. William earl of Holland and many other generals were convinced ’ by this argument, and cheerfully engaged to join him against the infidels; but about a third part of·the fleet refused to join, and proceeded on their voyage. It happened, however, that they were driven by a violent storm into Italy, where they wintered. The greater part ≈ of the nobility and gentry landed under the conduct of William earl of Holland; and it was resolved that they should proceed by sea, and block up Alcaçar-do-Sal, the fortress already mentioned, while the army of Alphonso, reinforced by a considerable number, should march by land; and thus attack the place both by land and sea at once. The Moors, convinced of me importance of this place, brought an army into the field consisting of 50,000 men; but the Christians raised the siege, gave them battle, and routed them with great slaughter; and some of the chiefs of the Moors fell in the field. The fortress surrendered on the 21st of October 1217, and was conferred upon the order of St James; but notwithstanding very urgent entreaties, the pope would not permit the army to winter in Portugal. He was desirous of having these troops and their general removed to a greater distance. The writers of that nation affirm that the soldiers experienced supernatural aid in this battle, and that the banner of the cross was actually displayed by angels.

But civil animosity succeeded to infidel war. The archbishop of Braga was highly offended that the clergy were forced to pay money and furnish troops to carry on the war against the infidels; and the people severely complained of the strictness of the laws. To chastise the rebellious clergy, the king seized upon the revenues of the bishop, and forced him to fly from his dominions. Enraged at this impious conduct, the pope excommunicated the king, and laid his kingdom under an interdict. The natural consequence was, that all things were thrown into confusion, and consternation and perplexity universally prevailed; so that Alphonso was obliged to consult measures to quell the rising discontent. It happened, however, that in the midst of these negotiations he was removed by death, and not only died under the papal malediction, but left his kingdom under the same curse. He was interred without royal honours, in the conventual church of Alcobaça.

Alphonso III. Don, king of Portugal, succeeded his brother Don Sancho II. in the year 1248. In the course of a war with the Moors, in which he engaged at the be- ∙ginning of his reign, he considerably extended the Portuguese dominions. He took possession of the city of Faro, the capital of the Moorish kingdom, in the province of Algarve. Loulé, another Moorish town, which was carried by storm, also fell into his hands. His power Was thus ‘extended abroad by the success of his arms, and the administration of his affairs at home became prosperous and popular by his wisdom and prudence. But the tranquillity and prosperity of the kingdom were somewhat disturbed by an interdict which it was put under by Pope Alexander IV., whose displeasure he had incurred by marrying Donna Beatrix, the natural daughter of Don Alonso the Wise, king of Castile, while his first wife was living. In 1262, when his first queen died, the interdict was removed by Pope Urban, a dispensation was granted, and the children of Donna Beatrix were legitimated. Hitherto frequent disputes had occurred between the kings of Portugal and Castile relating to the boundaries of the two kingdoms. To terminate all differences on this subject, and to prevent them in future, commissioners were appointed to define and settle the limits of their respective dominions; and these were agreed to and acknowledged by a solemn deed.

Encouraged by the prosperity of his kingdom, and by the success which had attended his enterprises, Alphonso made an attempt to extend the influence of the crown, by obliging the clergy to contribute to the welfare of the state. But this measure, as might have been expected, was not quietly submitted to. It occasioned the revival of old disputes, the pope interfered, and in 1268 the kingdom was again laid under an interdict. Alphonso succeeded, by the wisdom of his negotiations, in obtaining from Castile an exemption from all claims upon the crown of Portugal, and in procuring an acknowledgement that its monarchs were entirely relieved from the performance of every kind∙of homage. He died in 1279, in the 69th year of his age, and in the 31st of his reign. Before [7:2:554] his death he was reconciled to the pope and clergy, having made a full and ample submission.

Alphonso IV. king of Portugal, surnamed the Erave, was the son of King Denis. Instigated, it is said, by the queen dowager of Castile, and moved with jealousy against his natural brother Alphonso Sanchez, he revolted against his father, and commenced a civil war. In this unnatural and base war he was justly unsuccessful; but although he was reduced to subjection, yet his haughty and ungovernable temper broke out in many occurrences, until he succeeded his father in 1324. He commenced his reign with devising plans for the security of his family in the government, and the good of the kingdom: he likewise manifested a strong benevolence of heart, in his affection for his consort Queen Beatrix, and his dutiful conduct towards his mother. Not long after, he engaged in war with Alonzo XI. king of Castile, which, after several severe struggles, with various success on both sides, terminated in an alliance, and in effectual assistance against the Moors. The artful and cruel part which he acted towards Donna Agnes de Castro, the mistress and concealed wife of his son, reflected the greatest disgrace upon his character. It is proper, however, to remark, that he was instigated to the murder of this princess by his courtiers. It was not therefore to be wondered at if his son was induced by this act to rise up in open rebellion against him; but the arms of his father were too formidable; and after his submission his father treated him with particular marks of attention. Instructed by the growing infirmities of years, he saw the termination of his reign and life approaching. He began to compensate for his past errors .and faults by redressing grievances, by restraining immorality through the establishment of pious laws, by dictating salutary maxims for the government of the state, by removing those from the seats of power who were the most likely to become the objects of resentment after his death: he thus laboured to efface from the remembrance of his son the insult which he had received. While concerting these conciliatory measures, he died in May 1357, in the 32d year of his reign, and the 67th of his age. In .many respects he deserves the character of a great man and a great king,—brave and fortunate in war, but artful and indirect in his political measures, attached to his subjects, strict in the administration of justice, attentive to the public welfare, and assiduous in encouraging industry and enriching his people.

Alphonso V. Eon, king of Portugal, was born in 1432, and on account of his heroic deeds obtained the surname .of the African. At the age of six years he succeeded his father King Edward. The administration of the affairs of the kingdom during his minority was intrusted to his uncle Don Pedro, who, although his public conduct met with general approbation, was persecuted as a traitor at .the expiration of his regency, and, with several persons who were attached to his interest, and involved in his misfortunes, was put to death. The young king had married the daughter of the regent; but even his influence, which was overpowered by the regent’s enemies, could not save him from persecution. Afterwards indeed he did justice to his memory, and discovered an unusual mark of respect and attachment to his queen, by abstaining from all connection with the sex after her death, which happened in 1455, and, it has been supposed, was occasioned by poison, administered by the enemies of her father.

Alphonso aspired to the acquisition of military glory. In the year 1458 he made great preparations to attack the Moors in Barbary. He assembled an army of 20,000 men, and equipped a fleet of 200 sail. He first directed his arms against Alcazar, which soon fell into his hands; and, to maintain the footing which he had gained, he furnished this place with a strong garrison. For twelve years he prosecuted the war in Barbary with various success, in that time reduced Arzilla and Tangier, and in 1470 returned to Portugal loaded with honours. It was then that he obtained the surname of African, and to the titles which he derived from his ancestors, added that of lord of the coasts of both seas; and, with a view to perpetuate the memory of these exploits and conquests, he caused a representation of them to be wrought in tapestry, a monument surely constructed of very frail materials, but not less durable than many which have been erected by ambition and vanity. During the war in Africa, a military order denominated the knights of the sword was founded.

Alphonso was less successful in supporting the claim of his niece Donna Joanna to the crown of Castile against Ferdinand and Isabella. Finding his own resources unequal to the contest in which he was engaged, he took a journey to France to solicit the aid of Louis XI. But his solicitations proved fruitless; and the mortification which he experienced from this faithless monarch filled him with melancholy, and induced him to resign his crown for the purpose of making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The administration of affairs during his absence was committed to the hands of his son Don Juan, who governed the kingdom with great ability. When the .king returned he was joyfully received by the prince, and reinstated in his authority. But the mind of Alphonsohad lost its wonted vigour, and was unfit to resume the arduous duties of government. Oppressed still with a deep melancholy, he determined at length to withdraw from the cares of a kingdom, and to end his days in the repose and quiet of a monastery. But, on his journey to the place of his retirement, he was seized with the plague at Cintra, where he died in 1481, in the 43d year of his reign, and the 49th of his age. The moderation, the prudence and wisdom, which this prince exhibited in his public conduct, were not more powerful in conciliating the love and veneration of his subjects, and of all good men, than were the amiable virtues of his private character. He was distinguished for his affability and condescension, his benignity and bounty, and especially for his unbounded charity. In the exercise of this latter virtue he was honoured with the title of redeemer of the captives, in consequence of his having procured the freedom of many prisoners, whose ransom he cheerfully paid. Nor was he less eminent for his chastity and temperance, his attachment to letters, and his love and encouragement of learning. The first library in the palace of the kings of Portugal was founded in his time. He established and vindicated, against the pretensions and hostile attempts of the Spaniards, a very profitable trade on the coast of Guinea, which country was discovered during his reign, under the auspices of his uncle Don Henry, a celebrated character of that age.

Alphonso VI. Eon 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[7:2:555] 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 Castenhedã, 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, and besieged and took Olivenza and the castle of Moran. In consequence of this, the general was dismissed, and his place was filled by Juan Mendez Vascon-celles, 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 considerable 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 Castanheda who raised that siege, and forced the army of Spain in their lines. After some other political measures, the queen regent finished in a manner her administration with the marriage of her only daughter, the princess Catharine, once intended for Louis 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, 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, to the determined couvage 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 people in Portugal, that the king Would sooner or later be deposed.

. Alphonso being struck with the palsy while a child, it became 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 proper means to make him worthy of a crown, Which, by birth, he was entitled to wear. The count de Odemira, 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. 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 were at last 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 Caseaes, 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 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. The unfortunate Don Alphonso died, after he had been a prisoner near fifteen years, when he had borne the title of king almost twenty-seven, and had lived about forty.

Alphonso III., surnamed the Great, king of Asturias, was born in 847, and succeeded his father Ordogno in 865. In consequence of the rebellion of Don Frolia, not long after his accession to the throne, he was forced to leave his kingdom; but that usurper being assassinated, with universal applause he returned to his throne. In many successful enterprises against the Moors, in which he greatly enlarged his territories, he soon displayed the talents of a warlike and able prince. He formed a powerful alliance against the Moors, by marrying Ximene or Chimene, descended from the house· of Navarre, which paved the way for a long series of victories. The great attention which he paid to the comfort and welfare of the common people greatly disgusted his haughty nobles, which excited them to revolt against him in the advanced part of his life. Enjoying a small interval of tranquillity from the distraction and tumults of war, he called a ge [7:2:556]neral council of the clergy and nobility, enacted some useful regulations, and directed their attention to several other subjects, which contributed to the honour and happiness of his kingdom. Whilst he was busily occupied in repairing some of those towns which he had taken from the Moors, he was suddenly interrupted by them, and was under the necessity of defending himself with a considerable army, which he did with such success, that they were defeated with great loss. The unnatural rebellion of his son Don Garcias, at this time, greatly disturbed his government; but by the diligence of the father, this unnatural rebellion was soon quelled. The confinement of Garcias, and the new imposition of taxes, produced general murmurs among the people; which induced Alphonso, now worn out with years and incessant contentions, to assemble the states, and resign the reins of government into the hands of his son Don Garcias. He gave to his other son Don Ordogno the province of Galicia. The ambitious and military spirit which Don Garcias discovered in his father’s reign soon displayed itself in an attack on the Moors. By the advice of his father, to which he prudently listened, he was taught that these new conquests tended more to enrich the soldiers than to promote the interest of the crown. Alphonso, though far advanced in years, took upon himself the command of the army raised for new operations, and returned to Zamora loaded with spoils, and with increased reputation and fame, in the year 91.2. He died on the 20th of December 912, two years after his abdication, 46 years from the time of his being associated with his father in the government, and when he was about 64 or 65 years of age. His great learning, and the patronage he gave to literature, his distinguished piety and virtue, and other princely qualities, raised this king high in the estimation of mankind. Some writers affirm that he composed a chronicle of the Spanish affairs, from the death of Recesuintho to that of his own father Don Ordogno, which has been incorrectly published by Sandoval, and the later editions have sustained considerable injury.

Alphonso X., surnamed the Wise, king of Leon and Castile, succeeded his father Ferdinand in the year 1252. He obtained the appellation of wise, not for his political knowledge as a king, but his erudition as a philosopher. In consequence of the general opinion of his princely qualities, and his uncommon generosity, he ascended the throne with universal approbation. The ill-concerted projects of his ambition, however, disturbed the prosperity of his reign. Pretending a better right than Henry III. of England to that territory, he directed his first attempt against Gascony. The arms of England, however, proved too formidable; and he was compelled to renounce his claim, on condition that Henry’s son, afterwards King Edward I., should marry his sister Eleonora. At an expense which drained his treasures, and obliged him to debase his coin, he prepared for an expedition against the Moors in Barbary; but his maternal right to the duchy of Şuabia, which he was called to defend, diverted him from it. Thus he formed a connection with the German princes, and became a competitor, with Richard earl of Cornwall, for the imperial crown, in quest of which they both expended immense sums of money. The claims of several of the princes of the blood gave exercise to his military talents, and he was successful both in opposing and defeating them. He formed the romantic design of visiting Italy in the year 1268; but the states firmly remonstrating, he was obliged to relinquish it. But although he abandoned the design, yet it produced such discontents among the common people, and conspiracy among the nobles, that it required considerable exertion before the king could allay the ferment. Alphonso being still desirous to ascend the imperial throne, attempted it after the death of Richard earl of Cornwall, and even after Rodolph of Hapsburg was actually elected emperor of Germany; and for that purpose took a journey to Beau-caire, to obtain an interview with the pope, in order to prevent him from confirming the election. The Moors ever ready to draw the sword against him, took this op. ’ portunity of entering his dominions for the purpose of ravaging them. This ambitious journey, undertaken at so vast an expense, and productive of so much confusion in his kingdom, proved unsuccessful; for the pope would not realize his claim, or alter the former election. But his excessive ambition was soon punished by domestic calamity; for his eldest son died in this interval, and his second son Don Sanchez, having obtained great reputation in opposing the infidels, to the prejudice of his brother’s children, laid claim to the crown. This claim was admitted by the states of the kingdom; but Philip king of France, supporting the cause of the children, whose mother was his sister Blanche of France, involved Al-phonso in a war; and it occasioned the retreat of his own queen Yolande or Violante to the court of her father, the king of Arragon. While thus harassed with dissensions, he proclaimed war against France, and by the authority of the pope he renewed the war with the Moors, which proved so unfortunate, that he reluctantly concluded a truce with them, and engaged in a contest with the king of Granada. These various measures exhausted his treasure; taxes were multiplied, and the affairs of the kingdom were in such confusion, that he was under the disagreeable necessity of calling an assembly of the states, which was held at Seville in the year 1281, where, on the king’s proposal, the states consented to give a currency to copper money. In consequence of the intrigues of Don Sanchez, his son, another assembly of the states was held at Valladolid, A. D. 1282, which deprived Alphonso of the regal dignity, and appointed Sanchez regent. Reduced to almost insurmountable difficulties, Alphonso solemnly cursed and disinherited his son, and by his last will, in the year 1283, confirmed the act of exclusion, and appointed for the succession the infants de la Cerda, and, upon the failure of their heirs, the kings of France; and at the same time supplicated the assistance of the king of Morocco against the power of his son. At the commencement of the next year, when Alphonso received information from Salamanca that Sanchez was dangerously ill, his heart relented. He pardoned his son, revoked his curses, and then died, on the 4th of April 1284, in the 81st year of his age. His remains were interred in the cathedral of Seville; and he left behind him the character of a learned man, but a weak king. Alphonso has been charged with irréligion and impiety, chiefly on accountof a well-known but differently interpreted saying of his, viz, “if he had been of God’s privy council when he created the world, he could have advised him better.”

He was an eminent proficient in science, and a patron of literature. He concluded that book of laws known by the title of Las Partidas, which his father had begun; and in it displayed the abilities of a politician as well as of a legislator. By obliging his subjects to use their own language, he redressed the confusion in law proceedings occasioned by intermixing Latin with the vulgar tongue. Under his patronage a general history of Spain was composed, which he took great pains in polishing; he also corrected many errors in the statutes of the university of Salamanca. Astronomy being his favourite study, he chiefly directed his attention to the improvement or that science; so that, even during the life of his father, he assembled at Toledo a number of the most, celebrated as[7:2:557]tronomers of hxs time, Christians, Jews, and Arabians, from all parts of Europe, for the purpose of examining the astronomical tables of Ptolemy, and correcting their errors. These tables, after employing them about four years, were completed in 1252, the first year of Alphonso’s reign, and were called Alphonsine Tables, from the name of this prince, who, by his unbounded liberality, encouraged the construction of them. It is reported that 400,000 ducats were expended on them, or, according to others, 40 000. A book entitled The Treasure is also ascribed to him, containing treatises of rational philosophy, physics, and ethics. He is likewise said to have been well acquainted with astrology and chemistry, and in the latter science to have compiled two volumes in cipher, which are still extant, and to be found in his Catholic majesty’s library.

Alphonso V. king of Arragon and Naples, succeeded his father in the year 1416. As the father had formerly been honoured with the appellation of Just, so the son was honoured with that of Magnanimous. The conspiracy of some of his own nobles against his life, together with the insolence of Pope Benedict XIII., greatly disturbed the tranquillity of his reign. Fortunately, this conspiracy was discovered just when it was about to be carried into execution; and, instead of proceeding with rigour against the conspirators, he generously tore a paper containing their names, without reading it, and added, that “he would at least force them to acknowledge that he had a greater regard for their lives than they had for his.” After quelling a disturbance in Sardinia, and while employed in making preparations to advance to Sicily, Joan of Naples offered, if he would assist her against the pope, the duke of Anjou, and the constable Sforza, who had formed a confederacy to depose her, to adopt him as her son and heir. He readily accepted the proposal, and with a powerful army soon raised the siege of Naples, and was immediately declared heir apparent of her kingdom, and duke of Calabria. The queen refusing to fulfil her* engagements, Alphonso took possession of Naples, and expelled her from it; but when the duke of Anjou again entered her territories, and made himself master of great part of them, she was obliged to renew her solicitations to Alphonso, who, in the year 1434, involved himself in a quarrel with the duke of Milan and the republic of Genoa, by besieging Gaeta in a second attempt to conquer Naples. In an engagement with the Genoese fleet, all his ships were dispersed or destroyed, and himself taken prisoner; but such was the address of this prince, that when carried to Milan a prisoner, he there ingratiated himself so much into the duke’s favour, that he became his friend and ally, and soon rose to greater power than ever.

He got possession of Naples in 1443; and in an assembly of the states held at Beneventum, and afterwards transferred to Naples, his sovereignty was recognised, and his son Don Ferdinand declared successor to the throne; and, in consequence of this elevation, he was deemed the sole arbiter of peace and war through all Italy. Naples became the residence of Alphonso during the remainder of his life; but his declining years were much disquieted by political dissensions and intrigues. Suspicion, the frequent attendant of old age, at last seized him; and, in consternation and dread, he was removed from one castle of Naples to another, until he breathed his last on the 22d of June 1468, bequeathing to his natural son Ferdinand me kingdom of Naples, and to his brother Don Juan, king of Navarre, the kingdoms of Arragon, Valencia, Majorca, Sardinia, Sicily, and the principality and dependencies of atalonia. Alphonso was not only deemed the ablest statesman and the most renowned military commander in that age, but also the greatest prince that ever occupied the throne of Arragon.