As Farpas: Chronica Mensal da Politica, das Letras e dos Costumes (1883-06)

Within the pages of this 1883 edition of a Lisbon‑based monthly, a sharp‑tongued letter addressed to the young regent D. Carlos unfolds. The writer, invoking the spirit of P.J. Proudhon, mixes irony with earnest counsel, urging the prince to break free from party dogma, academic pedantry and the weight of royal pomp. The prose prowls through politics, literature and customs, painting a vivid picture of the era’s intellectual ferment while never losing its witty edge.

The letter doubles as a manifesto for the contributors of the publication, who see themselves as the natural mentors for the future monarch. Their argument weaves together critiques of the two chambers, the university, and the social elite with a call for a more grounded, humane education. Listeners will hear a snapshot of late‑nineteenth‑century Portuguese society, delivered with a blend of satire, earnestness and lively rhetoric that still feels surprisingly contemporary.