18 “...intentions were no other than to live and die in the holy catholic faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, truly believing in the catholic faith of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three persons in one true God, three in persons and one in essence”. 19 “...not because they are worthy of being prayed for, but because they have always been ungrateful and unknown”, ADP, São Francisco, Capelas, Tomo I fl. 1–4v and also Arquivo Histórico a Misericórdia do Porto, Treslados de vários Testamentos, Livro nº 18, Nº2. 20 “...for the soul of the bishop Dom Vicente, of my father and my mother and of my brothers and sisters and those from whom I come and those from whom I have received help and assistance and teaching, and of those from whom I have heard something I should not have and <and of those> for whom I have sinned and erred and with whom I have sinned and erred <and through me or with me they have sinned and have erred> in any way, and that I am indebted both to the dead and to the living <and for redemption of my sins> and my soul”. notarial last wills and testaments from medieval porto The commendation of the soul and profession of faith in the Holy Trinity are expressed in the will of João Eanes, merchant, and his wife, Guiomar Eanes, whose “tencooes nom forom outras salvo viver e morrer na santa fe catholica de nosso senhor Jhesuu Christo creendo verdadeiramente a fe catholica padre e filho e espiritu santo tres pessoas em huum soo verdadeiro Deus tres em pessoas e hum em essencia”.18 The explanation of the orthodoxy of Roman apostolic doctrine is profoundly explained by the rigour of theological concepts and on a biblical basis; they ask for the help of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, for their souls and their sins, “nom por serem dignos de averem de rogar porque sempre lhe forom ingratos e desconhecidos”.19 Through these appeals we are able to understand their individual awareness of the incentive of eternal life in Heaven. Wills are often explicit about the remission of the sins of the testator. Some dispositions are particularly enlightening about the testator’s life, and thus show how people lived and how they came to assess their lives. D. Vicente Domingues, cantor of the Porto Cathedral between 1287 and 1312, is informative about why he wanted Masses to be sung on the altar: 522 Alma do bispo dom Vicente, do meu padre e de mha madre e de meus irmãos e irmãas e daqueles onde venho e daqueles de que recebi ajuda e prestança, criança e ensinança e daqueles de que ouvi algũa cousa como nom devya e daqueles <e daquelas> por que pequey e errey e com que pequey e errey <e por mim ou comego pecaram e erraram> per qualquer maneira e a que soo teudo assi a mortos come a vyvos <e por remimento de meus pecados> e por mha alma.20
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