Title from beginning of text.

Printer's name from colophon.

Suggested place of publication based on other issues of this particular alvará.

Dated and signed on page 2: Dado em Belem aos cinco dias do mez de janeiro de mil setecentos cincoenta e sete. Rey. Sebastiaõ Joseph de Carvalho e Mello.

Certification on p. [3] is dated and signed: Belem, a 6 de janeiro de 1757. Joaquim Joseph Borralho.

Decree ordering the increase and the importance and wealth of the recently formed Companhia Geral do Grão Pará e Maranhaõ, a trading company created by the Marquis of Pombal in Portugal. Confirmed by an alvará on June 7, 1755 and disbanded in 1778, it was designed to control and foster commercial activity with the states of Grão Pará and Maranhaõ, strengthening the practice of mercantilism in the kingdom.

There are 3 issues of the 4 page issue of this alvará: in this third issue, the name of the printer is not given in the colophon, the last line of the first paragraph ends "e meu, toda cede em beneficio da patria', the last line of the alvará ends "de mil setecentos e cincoenta e sete", the woodcut initial on page [1] has the "E" framed by contoured lines and a man holding scales behind the royal arms of Portugal, and the certifications are printed on page [3]. In the first issue, the name of the printer appears in the colophon, the last line of the first paragraph ends "de Deos, e meu, toda cede em beneficio da patria", the last line of the alvará ends "tecentos sincoenta e sete", and the woodcut initial on page [1] has the "E" framed by laurel leaves with a large royal arms of Portugal in the background. In the second issue, the name of the appears in the colophon, the last line of the first paragraph ends "em beneficio da patria", the last line of the alvará ends "tecentos sincoenta e sete", and the woodcut initial on page [1] has the "E" framed by a floral motif with a small royal arms of Portugal to the right of the intital.

A single sheet issue, without the name of printer, was also published in the same year with reset text and different initials.

Signatures: [A]² ([A]2 verso blank).

Rodrigues, J.C. Bibliotheca brasiliense, 70

Purchase; 1968; 18-417.