ALPHONSO, or ALONSO II. surnamed the Fat, king of Portugal, succeeded his father Don Sancho, in 1212. He was 27 years of age when he began to reign. Ile assisted the king of Castile, and favoured the knights of the order of Avis. These two acts procured him considerable reputation ; but the lustre of his name was soon tarnished by the quarrels in which he engaged with his own family. His father having observed that he sheaved little affection towards his brothers and sis ters, endeavoured to render them as independent of him as possible. To the former he had given much wealth in money and jewels ; and to the latter, some of the best places in the kingdom, with their revenues. Alphonso insisted that it was not in his father's power to dis member his dominions ; endeavoured to persuade his sisters to restore their possessions to the crown ; and when his remonstrances failed, he had recourse to arms. The princesses were favoured by the nobility, and de fended themselves with vigour. They applied for pro tection to Ferdinand king of Leon, and to Pope Innocent III The former invaded Portugal, but at length con cluded a peace with Alphonso, through the mediation of the king of Castile. The latter laid Alphonso and his dominions under an interdict ; and then effected a re conciliation between that prince and his sisters. The peace of the kingdom was again very soon disturbed by the incursions of the Moors ; but, by the assistance of au army of Germans and Flemings, bound for the Holy Land, who had come to refit in the port of Lisbon, he completely routed the army of the Moors, and took from them the fortress of Alcacar-do-sal, which had been deemed impregnable. The farther progress of the war
was interrupted by the interference of Pope i lonorius, who relused to allow the crusaders to remain longer in Portugal. Alphonso was again harassed by internal dissensions in his kingdom. The people complained of the severity of the laws ; and the clergy refused their contribution of troops and money. The king seized the revenues of the archbishop of Braga, and obliged him to quit his dominions. The Pope excommunicated the king, and put the kingdom under an interdict. The confusion occasioned by this sentence, obliged Alphonso to enter into negotiations with his subjects ; but before any reconciliation could be accomplished, lie died in the 12th year of his reign, A. D. 1223. He was a prince of extraordinary size and strength, and was animated by such a courageous spirit, that his subjects lound it necessary to restrain him in the field of battle. He enacted a number of statutes for the relief and protection of the lower classes ; framed a body of laws tor the direction of the judges ; and protected the laity against the oppressive measures of the ecclesiastics. Most of the disturbances during the latter part of his reign were occasioned by these, and similar regulations, for the im partial distribution of justice, rather than his own misconduct. See Mod. Un. Hist. vol. xxii. p. 41-45.
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