Memory V, ‘Iª Epoca da Monarchia Portugueza , desde o Conde D. Henrique até o fim do reinado d’ El Rei D. Fernando ’ [‘The 1 st Epoch of the Portuguese Monarchy, from Count Henry to the end of the reign of King Ferdinand’] , (the 1945 edition is quoted here), is finally the gateway to Amaral ’ s true objective – ‘ the foundation of the Portuguese Monarchy ’ . In his own words, this is where the body of the Work truly begins. This first period, during which the Portuguese monarchy remained within the limits of the European continent, has in the reign of D. Fernando its final milestone. Amidst the difficulties of a kingdom formed by force of conquest, ‘the blueprint of the primitive Portuguese Legislation, Legislation adapted to the character of men of war, is sprouting and pulsating’. Once the conquest was over, new concerns arose about ‘its culture, wealth and civilisation; and consequently, new objects for Ordinances and Provisions’. The first question that arose was the independence and separation of the new State starring with Count D. Henrique . Old historiographical struggles dispute this, but only the well-documented ones guarantee victory, which is why he mentions the decisive contribution of some colleagues from the Academia das Ciências [Academy of Sciences] , particularly João Pedro Ribeiro. Countless documents that were in the Registry of the Academia Real das Ciências [Royal Academy of Sciences] , copied from their original sources by the academician João Pedro Ribeiro, Friar Joaquim de Santa Rosa de Viterbo and Joaquim de Santo Agostinho, will serve as the basis for Caetano do Amaral ’ s History, in yet another demonstration of the collective work that characterised these 18 th century Academies.

Portugal was , thus, born as an independent Kingdom with Count D. Henrique . As for the Pope ’s concession or confirmation of the Kingdom , the author leaves no doubt that this is a totally erroneous idea that can only come from ignorance of the rightful limits of spiritual power, the only power proper to the Church. The Popes’ inspection of the K ingdoms’ temporal affairs is so clearly irregular ‘that it could not fail to hurt the eyes of natural reason’ (p. 30), leading to strong and fair responses from the Kings, namely that of D. Afonso IV on the provision of the Bishopric of Oporto. A peremptory statement that places ACA in the royalist defence of the separation of papal and royal jurisdiction. He , thus , stands alongside names such as António Pereira de Figueiredo , and is also on the same side as Philo-Jansenism. These positions taken amidst the controversies and polemics surrounding the main political issues of the time are historiographical and also religious views, but above all they are deeply political.

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