Previous to my departure from P----l, I had promised the Marquis to keep
a journal, and to insert the most remarkable incidents, which I was to
communicate to him after my return. He enquired now after that journal.
“It abounds with remarkable incidents,” I replied, “and you will learn
strange things on perusing it: I have not mentioned a syllable of them
in my letters to you, in order to surprise you. However, you must curb
your curiosity till I shall have arranged my papers.”
The Marquis consented to my request.
My noble friend! you will forgive me that artifice. It was a mere
pretext, in order to stay your curiosity till the revolution should have
taken place; for I had promised the Irishman to observe the strictest
silence till then. It was no mistrust that influenced me, but duty
imposed upon me by the promise I had made; and the event proved that I
acted wisely in doing so.
Four days after my first meeting with my friend, the Irishman stopped me
one evening in going home. His eyes flashed like lightning, his features
were distorted, his countenance was truly dreadful. “Have you,” said he,
grinding his teeth, “betrayed the conspiracy to Vascon*ellos?” “No,”
I replied. “Have you warned him of the impending danger in some other
manner?” “No.” “Have you disclosed the secret to one of your friends?”
“To no man living.” “Can you pledge your honour for the truth of your
declaration?” “I can.”
These questions succeeded each other rapidly, and he left me with equal
haste. I was almost petrified at this incident. My astonishment,
however, soon gave place to a different sensation, for I concluded from
the words, and the perturbation of the Irishman, nothing less than that
the plot had been discovered. The intelligence which I gained afterwards
seemed to confirm this conjecture. Vasconcel*os had left his castle
suddenly and crossed the river Ta*o, a circumstance that justly had
raised the suspicion of his having discovered the plot through one of
his numberless spies, and instantly made preparations for seizing the
conspirators. However, this apprehension was refuted that very night.
Vasconcel*os had only been at a feast, and returned late at night in
high spirits, and preceded by a band of musicians, not suspecting that
he would be a dead man at that hour the following night. I myself did
not imagine that the revolution would break out so soon, although I knew
that event to be drawing near. The day following, (December 1, 1640) at
eight o’clock in the morning, the conspirators repaired in small
divisions from all parts of the town to the Ducal Palace, partly on
horseback, and partly on foot, but most of them in coaches or chairs, in
order to conceal their arms. The number of noblemen, most of whom were
the chiefs of their families, amounted to fifty, and that of the
citizens to two hundred. As soon as it had struck eight by the clock of
the cathedral, Pinto Rib**ro, one of the Duke’s privy counsellors, gave
the last signal for the attack by firing a pistol, and the conspirators
marched to the different places of their destination.
Pinto Rib**ro repaired with his troop to the palace of Vascon*ellos, who
was so little prepared for the unexpected attack, that he scarcely could
get time to conceal himself in a chest. However, he was discovered,
saluted with a pistol shot, stabbed with a number of poniards, and
thrown out of the window amid the loud exclamation; “The tyrant is dead!
long live liberty and King John, the new Sovereign of Port***l!”
The populace who were assembled under the windows of the palace,
repeated these words with loud acclamations of joy. In order to protect
the corpse against the fury of the mob, the society of charity pressed
their way thro’ the crowd, and carried it away on a bier, which is only
used at the burials of slaves.
Meanwhile another troop had penetrated into the palace of the
Vice-Queen. The Archbishop of Bra*a, who was with her, and as a near
relation of Vasconcel**s, had also been doomed to destruction, was saved
with great difficulty from the fury of the conspirators by the
intercession of Miguel d’Al*eida. The Vice-Queen turned to the
conspirators when they rushed into her apartment, declaring that
Vasconce*los had deserved their hatred, but that they would be treated
as rebels if they should proceed a step farther. She however was told,
that so many nobles had not assembled merely on account of a wretch who
ought to have been executed by the public hangman, but in order to
restore the crown to the Duke of Bra--za, who was the lawful owner of
it. The Vice-Queen began to talk of the power which she had been
entrusted with by the king of Spa*n. The reply was, that no one could be
acknowledged as King but John, Duke of B----a. She now offered to run
out of the apartment in order to implore the assistance of the people;
however, some of the noblemen stopped her, telling her it would be
dangerous to suffer her to appear before a people who had been oppressed
many years, and were highly exasperated.---“And what could the people do
to me?” she said with scornful looks. “Nothing else but throw your
highness out of the window;” one of the noblemen replied. The Archbishop
of Bra*a was so much exasperated at this speech, that he seized a sword
in order to avenge the Vice-Queen. Almei*a however embraced and
entreated him to retire, because he had had great difficulty to persuade
the conspirators to spare his life. This discovery disarmed at once the
zeal of the Prelate.
Meanwhile the chiefs of the Spani--ds had been seized, and the
conspirators requested the Vice-Queen to send an order to the Commander
of St. Ge* to surrender; for that castle, which commanded the whole
town, was still in the possession of the Spani--ds. The Vice-Queen
refused to comply with their request; yet when she was told that her
refusal would be the signal for killing all the imprisoned Spani--ds,
she drew up the desired order, expecting that no attention would be paid
to it. However the commander of the castle, who did not dare to defend
himself, executed her order literally, and thus the town was freed of
all fear. It is almost incredible how quickly and easily the four troops
of the confederates took the posts allotted to them, and gained their
aim. But much more astonishing is the readiness and the quickness with
which not only the whole kingdom, but also all foreign settlements
followed the example of the capital. The revolution no sooner had begun
than it was accomplished. It is the only one in its kind, and a similar
one never will happen.---The execution of it proves with how much wisdom
it has been designed and conducted.
It was, however, like a sudden clap of thunder to my father, and
affected him with redoubled force, because it happened so unexpectedly.
The slow rising of the tempest, the silent brewing on the political
horizon had been concealed from him by his retirement from the world,
and even the visible forerunners of it, which at last forced themselves
upon his eyes, appeared to him to be nothing but the lightning arising
from transient vapours. The sudden eruption of the tempest, and its
consequences almost petrified him. His silent stupor soon gave room to
the loudest manifestations of his dissatisfaction; and nothing but
repeated persuasions to yield to stern necessity and superiority, could
prevail upon him to remain quiet.
(_To be continued._)
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