Themes and Ideas for Reform

Summary

Luís da Cunha (1662–1749) was a prominent figure in the eighteenth-century diplomatic milieu, and the author of various works that, although not published in his lifetime, circulated extensively. After studying canon law at the university of Coimbra, he served for some time as a judge, and was subsequently appointed to a diplomatic mission in England. In the years that followed, Cunha served in other diplomatic posts, including the negotiations held in Utrecht to put an end to the War of the Spanish Succession. In parallel, Cunha played a major role as a purchaser of works of art and books for the royal collection. Particularly noteworthy in this excerpt – addressed to Marco António de Azevedo Coutinho, Secretary of State for War and Foreign Affairs – is Cunha’s proposal to transfer the Portuguese court and whole apparatus of government to Brazil, a project that he justifies in detail. Luís da Cunha is also the author of text 3.2.