69 - Concerning the reply which King Fernando gave to the bishop, and how the bishop took his leave and departed

Summary

King Fernando, who had clearly foreseen the arguments which the bishop would inevitably raise with him and the accusations which he was bound to bring against him, since he was only too well aware of them, had already prepared an answer to excuse himself. Accordingly, he did not ask for an interval in which to take advice but replied at once as follows:

‘I had good reason for doing everything which I have done. Had I done more, nobody could begrudge me for doing so, because it was not I who broke the treaties, but King Enrique who broke them against me first. Such were the contents of the message which I sent to him through Martín Pérez, a doctor in canon law and chancellor of his son Prince Juan, when he came to see me on his behalf about this matter. That is because, some six months after the treaties were signed, that doctor came to see me at Tentúgal, where I was at the time, and where he told me and urged me to acknowledge that I knew well the treaties and agreements which in the name of peace had been signed between King Enrique and me and how they had been prolonged beyond due time because of certain issues which were in both our interests, namely the mutual handover of certain places and prisoners and my marriage to Princess Leonor.

‘I answered that the King of Castile was well aware that I had already fulfilled what I had undertaken to carry out, abandoning all the towns and villages which I held and handing over all the prisoners that were still held captive in my kingdom. Yet he had shown no wish to surrender to me the town of Bragança, nor the castle of Miranda, nor other places. For that reason, it was first incumbent upon him to hand over all these places, just as I had done for him. Then I would have been content to marry his daughter and to fulfil any other requirement, if I were bound to do so. Thus, I have done everything that I should have done, whereas he has not done for me what he undertook to do. That being the case, I have married the woman whom I wanted to marry and have done what I thought was in my best interests.’