OBSERVATIONS ON A PAMPHLET LATELY PUBLISHED, ENTITLED, THE GENUINE AND LEGAL SENTENCE PRONOUNCED BY THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE OF PORTUGAL UPON THE CONSPIRATORS AGAINST THE LIFE OF HIS MOST FAITHFUL MAJESTY; WITH THE JUST MOTIVES FOR THE SAME. BY WILLIAM SHIRLEY, LATE OF LISBON, MERCHANT.
London: Printed for M. Cooper, 1759. [2], 72pp. Bound in modern marbled wrappers. Lightly dusted, Very Good.
Shirley describes, from a proud Englishman's perspective, the legal proceedings against the conspirators who sought to overthrow "his Portugueze Majesty", and "the punishments consequent thereon." He is thus enabled to "point out to my countrymen the great blessings and advantages of our most happy constitution." The conspirators were convicted in "Star-Chamber" trials on wholly unsatisfactory evidence. The convictions were based on "confessions... extorted from them by tortures." The civil liberties which Englishmen take for granted were unavailable to these Portuguese alleged conspirators.
"We are wise, from these and many other fatal examples, in not trusting too much power in the hands of any men," especially "those who may have particular temptations to an abuse of it."
ESTC T96344. OCLC records eight locations under several accession numbers, as of June 2016. Item #33029
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