86 - How King Fernando spoke with the nobles whom he was supposed to send forth from his kingdom, and how they departed from Portugal

Summary

After King Enrique had left the town of Santarém, as we said, King Fernando remained under the obligation to send forth from his kingdom, within a certain number of days, all the nobles whom the King of Castile had named in the treaties. While he was in that town, he summoned Count Fernando de Castro and many of the others who were supposed to go with him. The king explained that in the peace agreements which had been signed between himself and King Enrique, it was stipulated that he and certain nobles should be exiled from the kingdom. ‘Although,’ said the king, ‘you intended to defend yourselves in the castle of Ourém, in which you all took refuge for your protection, this was an action taken without good judgement, and which you would not be able to maintain. Moreover, you would be causing me and my kingdom to incur great penalties, both through excommunication and the loss of a certain quantity of gold, because your departure is taking place so late, even though it was not at all what I wished. Therefore, instead, I had to write to King Enrique regarding the matter. As he was sure that it was not happening with my consent, he behaved in this as it was reasonable for him to do in such a case. Moreover, I must tell you that I was not well advised in such an undertaking, nor likewise were those in my Royal Council, in venturing into a war like the one I began. For if I had first considered how the Duke of Lancaster called himself King of Castile, and his wife Queen, I would have told you all that you should go and join him, and that he should have come to demand the kingdom, if by right it belonged to him. In so doing, I would have behaved more wisely than by squandering my property and men as I did, and purchasing an enmity from which I gained no advantage, but rather suffered very great loss.’

To these and other statements made by the king, the count and some of the others responded according to how each deemed that his honour required. At the end of the conversation, all of them recognizing that there was nothing else to be done, they agreed to depart.