saul antónio gomes Next are the clauses, among biographical narrative, of political significance, and dispositions for the soul, typical of these acts, as already observed for the wills of King Denis and King AfonsoIV. The last will worth mentioning here is that of King Fernando I (1357– 1383),43 drawn up by Afonso Peres, royal clerk, and notary general, and the entire kingdom, in the town of Óbidos, on August 28, 1378. We know of a scholarly copy of this act, but from that we know that the will was authenticated, in addition to the notary’s sign, by the king’s lead seal and by the signatures and seals of the king’s executor. It is an extensive act that opens with an invocation (“In the name of the very holy and undivided Trinity, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, one God in substance and three Persons”), intitulatio with a clause about the faith and humility of the king (“which we Fernando, by the grace of God King of Por251 42 Sousa 1729, pp. 279–280. 43 Gomes 2005; Coelho et al. 2016. neral to all men, to kings, princes, and powerful men, as well as to those who are not powerful, and the time of this death is not certain, when it will be, and so as much suspicion in the heart and mind of every faithful Christian must be feared, and by the ordination of judgment must be prevented for the health and benefit of the soul, and disposition of temporal goods to the praise of God, and in his service, especially for those to whom God in this world has given honours, and exaltations of great states. But we King Pedro, son of the very high and very noble King Afonso of Portugal, the fourth (may God forgive), fearing God, who is the almighty heavenly king, and his amazing judgment, trusting in his very great mercy, of the most glorious Holy Virgin Mary, his mother, in our life and in all our description, and long understanding, we order and make our testament in this way. First beginning with him who is the beginning and end, and completion of all things, and by whom kings and princes reign and there is the power and regiment of those subjects who are given to him to govern and maintain, and to whose power all, as long as your mercy is, we will go, we commend our body and our soul to God the Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit, three persons and one God, and to the glorious Virgin Holy Mary his Mother, and to all the other saints and female saints of the Celestial Court, and we ask you for mercy to pray to God closely and extremely at the time of our death, who wants to free our soul from the power of the Devil, and from the pains of Hell, and make it go to his holy glory.42
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