_ 135 _ News reached this city of how Our Lord had called unto himself the said king who died without leaving an heir to the throne. Therefore, before his death and in accordance with advice he had received, he appointed five important personages of the realm to act as its governors, defenders and judges so that they could choose as king and give their allegiance to whomsoever they considered had the right to succession, which was unclear at the time of his death. The church, nobility and the people submitted to these governors and declared themselves in agreement with that directive, and prepared to obey as king whomsoever they would select. Dom João Mascarenhas, Francisco de Sá de Meneses and Diogo Lopes de Sousa, three of the appointed governors, made public, on 17 July 1581 in the town of Castro Marim, an official report signed by them and written by Cristovão Velho, clerk at the Camara of the said town, that the true succession to the kingship of Portugal belonged to the most high and most powerful Catholic King D. Filipe, son of His Majesty, the Emperor D. Carlos of Germany and of the most high and excellent Emperess, Dona Isabel his legitimate wife, daughter of the King D. Manuel of Portugal and sister of King Dom. Henrique. By this pronouncement the said Catholic King, D. Filipe, was acknowledged as king and natural lord and
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