SPAIN AND PORTUGAL IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY - Spain and Portugal: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present - page 33

it had penetrated Spanish minds, was probably not strong enough to
overcome centuries of Eurocentric visions and unapologetic colonial
exploitation. More fundamental than these considerations was the fact
that Charles III was destined to be succeeded by an heir who possessed
none of his ability or commitment to the full-time business of being a
king. In an absolute monarchy, the king must be of the highest caliber
or at the very least supplement his own shortcomings with the selection
of first-rate ministers and sincere collaboration with them. The situa-
tion in the Spanish monarchy was particularly perilous because of the
stagnation into which its institutions had fallen by 1700 and the weight
of inertia that demanded constant struggle from all of those who recog-
nized the need for reform. At the beginning of the century Louis XIV
had remarked that the Spanish Habsburgs seemed dedicated to the
destruction of their country. After some 80 years of Bourbon reform
initiatives, the count of Campomanes, a shrewd observer of his compa-
triots' natural inclinations, remarked that anyone who thought it was
possible to bring about reform in Spain by mere proclamations and
decrees was deluding himself. The force of inertia in Spanish society
was so great that almost superhuman efforts were needed to effect salu-
tory change.
Like Philip II, who had tried to prepare his successor and died fearing
that he had not done enough, Charles III passed his crown to a son in
whom, despite his best efforts, he could have little confidence. The
genetic lottery that was absolute monarchy had passed the succession
to Charles IV. Within a few years he and his monstrously corrupt min-
ister Manuel de Godoy would lead Spain into a crisis of disastrous
proportions.
PORTUGAL'S EXPERIMENT IN
ENLIGHTENED DESPOTISM
Portugal's relative prosperity in the 18th century resulted largely from
prudent diplomacy abroad and efficient management at home. The
Methuen Treaty of 1703 guaranteed a favorable market for Portuguese
wines and strengthened the ties between Lisbon and London. Although
the political implications of the alliance drew Portugal into the War of
the Spanish Succession, her participation in that conflict as the cobel-
ligerent of Britain was relatively brief and caused little lasting damage.
Peter II's son, John V, enjoyed a long and tranquil reign (1706-50),
during which he expended the treasure that flowed in from Brazil's
newly discovered gold and diamond mines on lavish building projects.
Mafra Palace was hailed as the Portuguese Versailles and John's self-