These Attempts Of The Portuguese Had Been Continued For Nearly Fourscore
Years Before Any Of Their Neighbours Seem To Have
Entertained the most
distant idea of engaging in foreign discoveries, even viewing their
endeavours as downright knight-errantry, proceeding from
A distempered
imagination, as well in the first promoter as in those who continued to
prosecute his scheme. In a word, the relation of these discoveries forms
one of the most curious portions of modern history, as comprizing a great
number of the most extraordinary transactions that ever happened in any
period of the world. For this reason they are well worthy of being
particularly narrated, that the curious may be made acquainted with every
successive step in such important enterprizes, and by what almost
insensible degrees such vast undertakings were ultimately accomplished.
And as the intercourse of Europeans has operated a great change in the
countries to which they penetrated, and upon their original inhabitants,
so that both now appear in a very different light from what they did
before these expeditions and discoveries; therefore, every circumstance
belonging to these transactions deserves the most serious notice.
John 1. of Portugal, married Philippa, the eldest daughter of John of
Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, son to Edward III. of England, by whom he had
several sons, of whom Don Henry was the _fifth_. After serving with great
bravery under his father at the capture of Ceuta, he was raised to the
dukedom of Viseo, and was sent back with a large reinforcement to
preserve the conquest to which his courage had largely contributed.
During his continuance in command at Ceuta, he acquired much information,
by occasional converse with some Moors, relative to the seas and coasts
of Western Africa, which raised and encouraged the project of maritime
discoveries; and these became afterwards the favourite and almost
exclusive pursuit of his active and enlarged mind.
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