1792. on Portugal. 17 



respects, from that of the other European countries. 

 Our historians have very clearly explained the 

 <jothic and Moorifh governments, but after the do- 

 nation to count Henry by Alphonso of Spain, 

 they have mentioned rather the progrefs of our 

 conqueF4:s, than the manner by which those nobles, 

 who gained upon the Moors with their own sol- 

 diers lands or small towns, held them. They were 

 subjects to the crown, we know, they were ob- 

 liged to acompany the kings to war, but were they 

 requested, or forced ; were they payed by the 

 king or the nobles ? that is a matter of dispute. 

 We know that the Cortes only could supply the 

 king with subsidies, and that they made gene- 

 ral laws, &.C. Sec. but we dispute yet upon the ve- 

 racity of the Cortes de Lamego. We are ignorant of 

 the manner by which the cities began to send de- 

 puties to those meetings. We see the power of the 

 clergy immediately in the beginning, by the scene 

 of Sancho Capillo^ but were they constituent mem- 

 bers of the courts in the earliest times ? We know 

 that the ministers of the crown did not enter till 

 John II. into the noble's lands, but that is not 

 enough ; all antient donations are signed by 

 nobles, particularly great officers of the crown and 

 great dignitaries of the church, as a sign of requir- 

 ing that to be valid, but we see at the same time 

 the nobility from antient date, with a spJary and title 

 of fervants to the king. The provinces were go- 

 verned in a manner \>jfronteiros mores made by the 

 king ; and this power which is not quitp knownhow 

 did it contrast, or was connected with the nobles 

 VOL. vii. G \ 



