Factos Notaveis da Historia Portugueza e Biographia do Marquez de Pombal

The author combines a concise national history with a focused biography of Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, presenting the statesman's administrative reforms, energetic character, and controversial measures within the context of Portugal's rise during the age of discoveries and subsequent decline. Drawing on contemporary memoirs and historical sources, the narrative outlines the minister's modernization efforts, his confrontation with powerful institutions including the expulsion of the Jesuits, and the political and social consequences of his policies. The text aims to explain and justify his actions by reference to older monarchical laws and assesses his legacy as a transformative but contested figure whose reforms sought to restore national authority and economic recovery.