80 - Concerning the conversation that King Enrique had with Diogo Lopes Pacheco about the siege of Lisbon

Summary

With Lisbon under siege, as you have heard, they say that King Enrique started to feel annoyed, because he could not take the city in as short a time as some had told him, and as he himself believed he might take it. Of these [advisers], some authors write that the principal one was Diogo Lopes Pacheco. They relate that as the king was reproaching him, he spoke to him in this way: ‘Diogo Lopes, you told me several times that if I were to come and lay siege to this city, I could take it in a few short days, because there were no men in it who could defend it and even if it were defended, there was not enough strength to hold it for long; also, once this city was taken, all the rest of the kingdom would be easy for me to seize. Only because of this did I set forth to lay siege to it. Now it seems to me, according to the beginning that I have witnessed, that it will not be so easy to take as you say, even though it is not entirely walled about. For we have done no damage so far, except to what we have found unprotected outside the city wall; besides, it seems to me that those inside do have the will to defend it well, and it is strong in its walls and towers, so that our stay here will be much longer than I believed; during that time, I do not think that we shall be able to inflict much damage on it.’

They say that Diogo Lopes responded: ‘Sire, I advised you in this matter as soundly as I could, and I still advise you in the same way now. I am astonished that you have become annoyed at not seizing it in a few days, for you see very well that you have them penned in like sheep in a sheepfold; moreover, you are safe from King Fernando coming to break the siege or do battle with you, for he is not up to it, nor does he have the men with whom he could do it. Even if he had them, he would not be capable of it.