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This is a scholarly transcription of a 1712 historical document: *A Sincere and True Account of the Lawful Defence of the Royal Prerogatives and Privileges of the Crown of Portugal in the City of Macau*, composed by Dr Dom Félix Leal de Castro in Macau on 4 February 1712 and printed in Xiangshan. The text constitutes a formal rebuttal to an anonymous 1712 Augustinian account concerning ecclesiastical jurisdictional conflicts arising from the presence in Macau of Cardinal Charles-Thomas Maillard de Tournon, Patriarch of Antioch and Apostolic Legate to China. It details the protracted dispute (1705–1712) between Portuguese civil and ecclesiastical authorities—including the Bishop and Captain-General of Macau, the Viceroy of Portuguese India, and the Primate Archbishop—over the Patriarch’s claim to exercise jurisdiction in Macau without presenting papal bulls formally ratified by the Royal Council of Portugal (*Conselho Ultramarino*) or obtaining prior royal consent. Central figures include the Patriarch; Captain-General Diogo de Lino Teixeira and his successor Francisco de Mello e Castro; Bishop of Macau; Vicar General of the diocese; Prior Fray Constantino del Espíritu Santo of the Augustinian Convent; and Provincial Father Francisco Pinto of the Society of Jesus. The document records key events: the Patriarch’s 1705 arrival and restricted activities in Macau; the 1707 council of the Three Estates affirming royal prerogatives (*regalias da Coroa*); the imposition and subsequent modification of the Patriarch’s custody; the 1708–1710 expulsions and arrests of religious loyal to the Patriarch—including Augustinians and Dominicans—and the renewal of prohibitions against their convents; the 1709 royal decrees (*cédulas*) confirming the Crown’s position; the Patriarch’s death in June 1710; and the 1712 handover of the Augustinian Convent to secular clergy. All assertions are grounded in archival instruments, official correspondence, canonical procedure, and juridical reasoning rooted in the Portuguese *regalia* and papal privileges granted to the Crown.
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This fragmentary ecclesiastical and administrative document, originating from a Portuguese colonial context likely in Asia or Africa during the 17th century, comprises a series of missionary reports, spiritual accounts, and institutional records spanning multiple locations including Xiamen (Cinhina), Su-idê, Macau, Goa, and regions associated with the Chinese interior and coastal provinces. The text details the activities of Jesuit and other Catholic missionaries, notably Fathers Francisco Brancato, Julio Aldeni, João Adam, and Miguel Irigaut, under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Diocesan and Metropolitan See of China. Central themes include the administration of sacraments—particularly Holy Baptism and Confession—among local Christian communities and catechumens, efforts to combat idolatry and demonic influence, and the establishment of churches and confraternities in villages such as Ké chò, Ké ngâm, and Capba. Accounts of spiritual struggles, exorcisms, visions, and martyrdom reflect the integration of European Catholic theology with local cosmologies, while references to Mandarins, Gentiles, and political authorities illustrate the complex interplay between religious mission and imperial governance. The document also records internal Church disputes, logistical challenges due to persecution and natural calamities—including locust plagues and droughts—and the veneration of saints and relics. As a composite manuscript containing marginal annotations, seals, and archival references, it provides critical insight into the operation of Lusophone missionary networks, indigenous conversions, and the socio-religious dynamics of early modern colonial Christianity.
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This abstract describes a multi-page diplomatic correspondence collection comprising letters, memoranda, and official dispatches dated between 1764 and 1766, primarily originating from London and addressed to Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, the Count of Oeiras (later Marquis of Pombal), chief minister of Portugal. The principal author is Martim de Melo e Castro, Portuguese envoy in London, whose letters detail urgent diplomatic negotiations concerning perceived Spanish and French military threats to Portugal’s European territories and colonial possessions in Brazil, particularly following troop movements along the Iberian frontier and violations of Article 21 of the 1763 Treaty of Paris. Key themes include requests for British military assistance—including twelve thousand muskets, artillery, tents, and cavalry support—negotiations over the outstanding £70,000 sterling subsidy from the 1762 Anglo-Portuguese agreement, disputes concerning grain embargoes and road repairs near the frontier, and intelligence exchanges regarding troop deployments in Trás-os-Montes, Minho, and Beira. The collection also contains extensive correspondence involving Prince Charles of Mecklenburg concerning his service in the Portuguese army, stipend entitlements, regimental command, and diplomatic interventions by the British royal family, alongside ancillary material on merchant grievances, colonial administration in Nova Scotia and Goa, and financial arrangements involving the Portuguese Treasury, the Tower of London, and the National Library of Lisbon, where the document is held.
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Full-text online
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Publication year
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Between 1700 and 1799
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Between 1700 and 1709
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- 1701 (1)
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Between 1710 and 1719
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- 1712 (1)
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Between 1760 and 1769
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- 1764 (1)
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Between 1700 and 1709
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