Kwiaty Hiszpanii, wspaniałości Portugalii (1631) Antóniego de Sousa de Macedo, czyli jak udowodnić „siłę” Portugalczyków
„Flowers of Spain, Excelencies of Portugal” (1631) by António de Sousa de Macedo or how to prove “the strength” of the Portuguese

Summary/Abstract: Published in 1631, the Flowers of Spain, Excelencies of Portugal („Flores de España, excelencias de Portugal”), a treaty written by a Portuguese erudite, António de Sousa de Macedo, is virtually unknown to Polish readers, nor does it enjoy a deepened interest among Portuguese researchers. The treaty, however, emerges to be a one-of-a-kind vehicle of persuasive devices. It documents the evolution of a sense of national pride and ties among the Portuguese. The work was written in the fi nal period of the so-called Iberian Union, i.e. the rule of the Habsburg dynasty in Portugal (1580–1640) and seems to correspond well both with the assumptions of the so-called “autonomist literature” (a term by Hernani Cidade), whose task was to maintain the national spirit, and with the tendencies of its times. The article shows how António de Sousa de Macedo, making use of a rich arsenal of rhetorical tools, corroborates the primacy of Portugal in all areas and also underlines its uniqueness as compared to other European lands. The analysis is based on the chapter entitled “The Strength of the Portuguese” (“De la Fortaleza de los Portugueses”) and makes clear that the author creates both idealized and functionalized portrait of Portugal and its people.

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