It is still impossible to write a critical biography of Pedro da Fonseca For this article, I could not always yet check original documentation and for that reason, I have to rely mostly upon secondary bibliography. Unfortunately, historians are not at all consistent among them and sometimes they even take different stances when interpreting the documents.
The reader must cautiously consider the divisions proposed below. According to his own words, written later on see Gomes XXIII , he stayed in his hometown until the age of fourteen and learned there a few rudiments of Latin e apprendi te hun pouco de latim.
It may be assumed that Fonseca was sent to Coimbra not to become a Jesuit but to take the course which would allow him to graduate at the university. However, since he claims to have followed the course only for six or seven months, it is more likely he has heard instead Manuel de Pina 2 nd course or Diogo de Contreiras 3 rd course β and more unlikely Rui Lopes 4 th course.
When Fonseca joined the Society, the first stones of what will become the Jesuit definitive house and future College, designed to receive about two hundred candidates, had already been put into place Rodrigues a: ff. Immediately after their arrival, the Jesuits had started the mission of gaining new companions among the university and the arts students.
Fonseca had likely studied theology and arts already in the College of Jesus. He explicitly admits being frequently sick, badly suited to the method of disputes and the knowledge of languages or the study of humanities humanidade , and of having a poor memory.
