Page:Catherine of Bragança, infanta of Portugal, & queen-consort of England.djvu/40

14 of Belem, where he had been buried, to the convent of St. Vincent, outside the city, but this was, for some reason or other, still neglected at the time of Catherine's own death in 1705.

The King's death left Portugal at the mercy of his eldest surviving son, Alphonzo, a perfectly incapable successor. He had had a paralytic attack in infancy, which had affected his intellect. He was vicious, silly, and given to outrageous violence. His favourite amusement was to head a band of ruffians at night, who attacked the houses of inoffensive citizens, and robbed and murdered in the open streets. He filled the palace with people of ill character when he became absolute King. Meanwhile the Portuguese people were not anxious to submit themselves to the rule of a maniac, and they at once appointed the late King's widow regent. Miss Strickland ascribes this appointment to "the confidence reposed by all parties in the talents and virtues of the widowed Queen. She was allowed to assume the reins of government, which she retained for upwards of ten years." But however great the talents and virtues of King Jooã's widow, she would never have been handed the regency if her son had been capable of governing. He was fully at years of discretion, for such days, but discretion and he remained strangers to each other for the rest of his life, and he did not show the slightest inclination to cultivate even a bowing acquaintance with it.

Miss Strickland says also that "The Queen-Regent was considered universally to be the wisest sovereign in Europe." She was certainly extremely clever, in diplomacy as well as in her domestic management. But she had no talent for war. She carried on the contest with Spain with poor spirit, and with little effect, though there were lavish preparations made on both sides. Spain equally blundered. But in the home councils the Queen-Regent always displayed sound judgment.