79 - How Nuno Gonçalves de Faria was killed because he refused to give up the castle to Pedro Ruiz Sarmiento

Summary

The good squire Nuno Gonçalves, who was taken prisoner in this battle of which you have just heard, was very worried about the castle of Faria, which he had left in the charge of his son. He believed what was reasonably to be assumed, namely that those who had captured him would take him before the town, and, if they inflicted tortures on him or the threat thereof, his son, seeing this, would take pity on him and would be moved to give up the castle. Since he had no way to warn him about this, he told Pedro Ruiz Sarmiento that he should have him taken to the castle, and he would tell his son to agree to hand it over to him. Pedro Ruiz was very glad about this and ordered that he be taken there at once. When Nuno Gonçalves arrived at the base of the wall, he called for his son, who swiftly appeared; instead of telling him to give up the castle to those who held him captive, he addressed his son as follows: ‘My son, you know well that this castle was given to me by King Fernando, my liege lord, to hold it for him, and I did him homage for it. To my misfortune, I went forth from it, believing that I was serving him, and now I am a prisoner in the power of his enemies, who have brought me here to order you to surrender it to them. Since this is something that out of loyalty I ought not to do, I therefore command you, on pain of losing my blessing, that you do not do so, nor give it up to any person except to my liege lord the king, who gave it to me. It was to make you aware of this that I had myself brought here. No matter what torments or death you see me suffer, do not give it up to anyone else except to my liege lord the king, or to someone to whom, in a trustworthy message, the king might order you to hand it over.’

Those who were holding him prisoner, when they heard this, were startled by his words and asked him if he was saying this in jest or if he meant it.