179 - Concerning what was first said during these acts of arbitration

Summary

Since we have mentioned here the acts of arbitration to establish an agreement between the kings, we think it is right that we should say a little of what was dealt with while they were conferring and how such important business was concluded. This will be done very briefly, so as not to make the account inordinately prolonged.

It happened then that, because it befits all good judges to proceed without bias in all lawsuits they have to judge and, for their information, to have gathered knowledge of the complaints and rights the parties involved have, it was proper that the proctors who were there should set out before them the rights each of the kings had against his adversary.

Doctor Pero Sánchez, speaking on behalf of King Enrique, his liege lord, about the wrongs that were committed against him by the Portuguese, began his exposition by going as far back in time as preachers do when, speaking of the True Cross, they hark back to the mouth of Adam himself, in search of the wood out of which it was made. In order to multiply the wrongs, he based his complaints on the truce that was made between Portugal and Castile at Monção during the life of King Juan, who was the father of the present King Enrique and who reigned at that time. He related how the King of Portugal, during the time of that truce, had set out to marry his bastard daughter [Beatriz] to the Duke of Benavente, had incited the latter to make war with and rise up against the King of Castile, thereby breaking the truce, and, not wishing to keep it, he put forward other similar poorly founded arguments, which he soon had to leave aside. He came to the capture of Badajoz and there he cast anchor and moored as firmly as he could.

He said that, the truce being intended to last fifteen years, the King of Portugal had ordered Badajoz to be taken and had sought to take Alburquerque, thus going against the terms of the truce, had he been able to do so.