Chapter 18 - Concerning the reasons why the Master wished to leave the realm and set off for England

Summary

Authors have advanced a number of reasons why the Master decided not to remain in the country and leave for England, and it is desirable that you should be aware of some of them.

In the first place he was much afraid of the queen, owing to the death of Count Juan Fernández, though, while she was in Lisbon, she never gave a hint that she bore him any ill will on that account. But the Master knew her for a woman of great determination and one who was highly vengeful towards those who earned her displeasure, causing their downfall and bringing about their death by unthinkable and underhand methods. In particular, as she was likely to govern and rule over the kingdom for a number of years, he was quite certain in his own mind that his life would always be in peril. Furthermore, as it was common knowledge that she had written to the King of Castile, urging him to make haste and invade the country in order to fulfil her wishes, any sensible person could easily see that, having inflicted such distress on the queen, the Master was far from being safe.

Other factors also led the Master to want to leave the country, such as his clear recognition that many feared siding with him for fear of the queen and her relatives. Others abandoned him completely and went their way, as did Vasco Porcalho, Martim Eanes de Barbuda (also a commander of his Order) and García Pérez [del Campo], the cellarer of Alcántara, who had gone over to him.

Consequently, in view of these considerations and of others which we shall not bother to mention, the Master's firm intention was to leave the country.