Dobry doradca – piętnastowieczny portugalski traktat dydaktyczny. O poradach żywieniowych króla Edwarda
Leal Conselheiro – Portuguese didactic treatise. Advice on nutrition by King Edward

Summary/Abstract: Leal Conselheiro is a fifteenth century didactic treatise written by Edward (Portuguese: Dom Duarte), King of Portugal of the House of Aviz (1391–1438). The work – similar to others created by the ruler, whom historiographers refer to as the Eloquent – comes under the heading of so-called prosa doutrinal de corte. A diversified body of advice is delivered by a comprehensively educated king. King Edward relates to the authority of the Church as well as wise books. Nonetheless, bits of advice are presented clearly and understandably. It is worth adding that the author maintains a rapport with his audience – the work exhibits features evocative of oral discourse, whereas advice is addressed directly at the interlocutor and based upon king’s personal experience. Leal Conselheiro, in line with its very title, is a compound of recommendations from different areas of life, including nutrition. Advice on “how to take care of one’s stomach”, as the king himself puts it, has been subjected to analysis in the present article. The characteristics of textual devices demonstrate that the treatise is highly persuasive and subordinated to advisory goals. What is more, apparently trivial pieces of nutrition-related advice of Leal Conselheiro seem to be embedded in the king’s broader political and moral vision.

• Details
• Contents