Moisés,

Hi. Many thanks (as always) for the very comprehensive response.

And, please do not apologise for your English – it’s excellent (and much better than my Portuguese!).

I will respond to your (very interesting) points tomorrow – it will take me a while to consider them fully.

For the time being, could you please consider the following ...

“Para maior desgraça, a chamada junta de segurança publica [pública], que o povo tinha eleito em Braga, ... que em vez de ser tinha eleita pelo povo, como se dizia, só o tinha sido por agitadores e facciosos d’antemão [de antemão] comprados, era composta de membros, dos quaes (sic) [quais] um se não pejou de dizer abertamente n’ella [em ela] “que o povo era sabio; que se devia deixa-lo obrar, e que castigar os seus excessos era tirar-lhe a energia.” “

Soriano, 2ª época, tomo II, p 110

Please forgive my clumsy attempt at translation

A [n even] bigger disgrace, the so-called junta [board] of public security, that the people had elected in Braga ... instead of being elected by the people, as it was claiming, merely served to agitate and sustain factious in-fighting [“settling old scores”?] - n.b. Esdaile says this was a substantial factor underpinning guerrilla activity in Spain -, was composed of members, of whom one was not ashamed of saying openly “that the people “knew best”; and that these activities had to be permitted, as to punish the excesses [of the mob] was to sap the energy (from it) [from the insurrection] ”“

Best wishes

A