Written to reject the doctrine of the Mesa da Consciência e Ordens, created by King John III of Portugal in 1532; it was used as one of the mechanisms used for the centralization of power made by the monarch, and was extinguished by the liberal regime in 1833. This work was confiscated by a royal order of 20 June, 1804, but the copies which had already been sold had circulated from hand to hand. Cf. Moraes.

Signatures: [A]⁴ ([A]1 verso blank) B-K⁴ L² (L2 verso blank)

Errata: p. [1], 2nd count.

Engraved vignette of the royal arms of Portugal on title page.

Moraes, R.B. de. Bibliographia brasiliana (1983 edition), I: p. 230.

Silva, I.F. da. Diccionário bibliográphico portuguez, IV: p. 385, no. 3664.

John Carter Brown Library copy bound as 1st item of 3 with: Refutação da Allegação juridica em que o excellentissimo e reverendissimo D. José Joaquim da Cunha de Azeredo Coutinho / by Dionysio Miguel Leitão Coutinho, Lisbon, 1806, and Segunda resposta a petĩcão de recurso, ou Allegãcão de bispo de Pernambuco D. Jozé Joaquim da Cunha de Azeredo Coutinho, em q[ue] impugna padroado jurydição ecclesiastica, e espiritual que compette á os soberanos portuguezes pelo união do mestrado da Ordem de Christo á Coroa em todas as conquistas ultramarinas. Como o papel se divido em duas partes assim vai ordenada a resposta [manuscript], [Portugal?, after 1804]

John Carter Brown Library copy bound in contemporary full mottled calf with gold tooling.

John Carter Brown Library copy acquired with the assistace of the Bromsen Fund.

Provenance of the John Carter Brown Library copy: Carmelita Calçada do Sacramento 29 Lisboa: small bookplate on verso of first front flyleaf.