Paulo Merêa (‘Súmula Histórica da História do Direito Português’ [Historical Summary of the History of the Portuguese Law] , 1921) did not hesitate to praise Amaral ’ s work, calling it ‘profoundly original’, ‘preciously documented’, supported by the author ’ s ‘surest erudition’ and ‘privileged critical skills’. Still according to Merêa, ACA embodies the new trends in legal history in the transition to the 19 th century. Like Merêa, many other historians praised Amaral ’ s work, such as Alexandre Herculano and Fortunato de Almeida, among others. Even today, recent research continues to admire and confirm ACA ’ s accurate historical criticism.

His death at the age of 72 did not allow him to complete his ‘Plan’. The work ended with Memory V – 1.ª Época da Monarquia Portugueza, desde o Conde D. Henrique até o fim do reinado d ’ El Rei D. Fernando [1 st Period of the Portuguese Monarchy, from Count Henry to the end of King Ferdinand’s reign]– with the last two ‘Epochs’ still to be written. The Academy, in the scope of the project where Amaral ’ s work was included, honoured its author immediately on the presentation of the first Memory : he was made a full member of the Literature Class, and it was in this capacity that he opened the public session held in the Real Palácio das Necessidades [Royal Palace of Needs] with a prayer in 1786. This was the recognition of the work and the author by the Academy. Memory II was read in 1791 and, like the others, was included in Memorias de Literatura Portugueza [Memoirs of the Portuguese Literature] , published by the Academy. At the same time, he was tasked with restoring to its original state and publishing a manuscript (by then already very damaged) that the institution had acquired: Soldado Prático [Practical Soldier] , by Diogo de Cout.

However, these scholars needed means of livelihood that would allow them to devote themselves exclusively to their studies. This was also the case with António Caetano do Amaral: he had a modest income from a Benefice in the Church of St Lawrence and precisely in 1791 he was appointed Deputy of the Holy Office of the Inquisition of Lisbon. But the Inquisition was already a shadow of its former self. In these 1790s, the Pombaline R eform was already fully felt in the changes to the Inquisition, which was mainly at the service of the state and the punishments were almost exclusively spiritual. The networks of influence that affected people and institutions meant, however, that positions in one institution served as economic security for intellectual work in another.

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