Description

Anonymous, but after: Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, Marquis of Pombal (1699 – 1782).

[S.l., S.d., but probably Portugal or Italy, circa 1757-1760].

 

Relazione abbreviata

Della Republica che i Giesuviti delle Provincie di Portogallo, e di Spagna hanno Stabilita, nè Dominii e due sopradette Corone possiedono nell’ America e della Guerra da loro mantenuta contra gl’eserciti Spagnuoli e Portoghesi, formata per mezzo de’ Registri delle Segretarie de due Comissari Principali, Stabilite nell’ istessa America, ed altri averati documenti quivi aggiunti.]

Mentre si negociava sopra l’esecuzione del Tratato de Limiti delle Conquiste, celebrato nel 16 di Genaro del 1750, é rotta la notizia nella Corte di Lisbona: che subito passò a quella di Madrid: che i Giesuviti si havevano fatti, da molti anni si potenti nell’America Spagnuola e Portoghesa, che bisognarebbe di romper con loro una Guerra difficile per poter riuscir appieno la sopradetta esecuzione….

Contengono queste carte una inatanzione, che sotto il finto nome de’ Capi delle Borgade Sollevate spartirono fra i resputivi capitani, allora che li mandarono incorporare nell’ essercito della Ribellione; e in due lettere a loro indrizzate con data del mese di Febrario delle istesso anno di 1756 refirmate dai medesimi Capi della Sedizione: radicando primi con queste sacrileghe, e Sediziose Carte nei c…ri de miserabili Indiani, gl’inganni dove erano da loro allevati, e l’odio implacabile contra tutti i Portoghesi e Spagnnoli senza riguardo ai mezzi, ne attenzione ai modi, con tanto che li conseguissero i loro destinabili fini…

_______________________
[A Brief Report

On the Republic that the Jesuits of the Provinces of Portugal and Spain have Established, in the Dominions and two above-mentioned Crowns possess in America and of the War maintained by them against the Spanish and Portuguese armies, formed by means of the Registers of the Secretaries of the two Principal Commissioners, Established in the same America, and other documents added thereto.
While the execution of the Treaty of the Limits of the Conquests, celebrated on the 16th of January 1750, was being negotiated, the news was broken in the Court of Lisbon: which immediately passed to that of Madrid: that the Jesuits had become, for many years, so powerful in Spanish and Portuguese America, that it would be necessary to break out a difficult War with them in order to be able to fully succeed in the above-mentioned execution.
These papers confess an instance, which under the false name of the Heads of “Borgate Sollevate” they shared among the reputed captains, at the time they sent them to be incorporated into the army of the Rebellion; and in two letters addressed to them with date of the month of February of the same year of 1756 resigned by the same Chiefs of the Sedition: rooted first with these sarilegs, and Seditious Papers in the hearts of the miserable Indians, the deceptions where they were bred by them, and the implacable hatred against all Portuguese and Spanish without regard to the means, nor attention to the ways, so that they could achieve their destined ends.]

 

The text is critically presenting the Society of Jesus for establishing the “Reductions” (reducciones, also called congregaciones in Spanish and reduções in Portuguese) settlements grouping indigenous people for the purpose of evangelization and assimilation, established in Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, Argentina, and New Granada, that operated with a degree of autonomy from central authority. The aim of these communities was to create environments similar to Western society but devoid of its negative traits, such as corruption, depravity, and power struggles.

Following the conflicts between the Spanish and Portuguese over control of South America resulted in reduced numbers of the Reducciones. The conflict between the two countries culminated in the 1750 Treaty of Madrid that defined the borders between Portugal and Spain in America. This treaty, which was rejected by the Jesuits as well as by Guarani, prompted migrations of various populations. After substancial financial payments the Jesuits managed to persuade the Spanish monarchy to allow their evangelization efforts to continue using their established methods rooted in religious and cultural values. However, they were unable to secure the same agreement with the Portuguese due to deteriorating relations.

This lack of consensus led to multiple confrontations, eventually sparking what would be known as the Guarani War, which lasted from 1750 to 1756. During this time, the Jesuits faced intense smear campaigns in Europe, with numerous pamphlets and libels seeking to tarnish the reputation of the Society of Jesus among European populations.

The Text in Focus

The text contains extreme anti-Jesuit propaganda, likely written immediately after the Guarani War and the Expulsion of Jesuits from Portugal. It showcases alleged inaccuracies attributed to the Jesuits, who, according to the text, exploit the natives of South America.

The manuscript is a variation on a section of a text, published in various languages and by various printers between 1757 and 1760, such as Relaçaõ abbreviada da republica, que os religiosos Jesuitas das provincias de Portugal, e Hespanha in Portuguese, Relazione breve della republica, che i religiosi Gesuiti delle provincie di Portogallo, e di Spagna in Italian, Kurtze Nachricht von der Republique, so von denen R.R. P.P. der Gesellschafft Jesu der portugiessisch- und spanischen Provinzen in German, … (Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine).

The printing of these works was orchestrated by Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, the Marquis of Pombal (1699 – 1782), a Portuguese statesman and staunch opponent of the Jesuits. Through these propaganda publications, produced in various languages, he aimed to enlighten the people of Europe about the sudden expulsion of the Jesuits from Portugal.

The present manuscript is not a direct copy of the Italian text; rather, it is a variation that loosely follows the first approximately 20 pages of the printed material. It may even be a translation from another language, which accounts for several spelling and stylistic errors.

The text is complete in itself, with the last paragraph serving as a footnote that clarifies the narrative and wraps up the overall unit.

Date and Watermarks

Although the manuscript is undated, it can be placed within the historical timeline of printed books on the subject, approximately between 1757 and 1760.

All the sheets of paper were produced by the same manufacturer, with some sheets bearing the watermark of a Dutch papermaker named Van der Ley, featuring a post horn. Other sheets, part of the same cut folio, display the initials “GR” along with a crown.

Van der Ley used the post horn watermark primarily throughout the 17th and most of the 18th centuries. The initials “GR,” which stand for “Georgius Rex,” refer to the reigning British monarchs of the 18th century, specifically Kings George I (reign 1714-1727), George II (1727-1760), and George III (1760-1820). They may also represent “Guilhelmus Rex.” Van der Ley initially used this combination of the watermark and “GB” for exporting paper to England, but eventually the sheets with these watermarks were sold to various other countries.

References: Cf.: W. A. Churchill, Watermarks in Paper in Holland England France Etc. in the XVII And XVIII Centuries and Their Interconnection, 1935, p. 44; Voorn, H., De papiermolens in de provincie Noord-Holland. [Haarlem: De Papierwereld]. De geschiedenis der Nederlandse Papierindustrie I., 1960, pp. 121-122).