169 - How King Fernando ordered people to go to Castile to receive the vows of allegiance because of the treaties, and who were the men who made them
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2024
Summary
After the Thursday when her daughter was received by King Juan and taken to Badajoz, as we have related, Queen Leonor remained in Elvas for eleven days. On the morning of 30 May, which was a Tuesday, she left the town with a large escort, as when she had arrived there, although she sent many nobles back to their own lands. She went to dine in Borba that day and stayed overnight. In the course of the journey, the Master of Avis led her mount by the rein. They spoke of a number of things, and she asked the Master, ‘Tell me, brother, what do you think of the King of Castile, and the way he has acted and behaved?’
‘He seems to me to be a worthy knight,’ said the Master, ‘with good manners and prudent in his actions.’
‘You are right, brother,’ she said, ‘but I have to admit that I wish he was more manly.’
The queen moved on and went to Almada, where she already knew that King Fernando was staying, and that his health had deteriorated since she had left him. Indeed, whilst she was taking her daughter to Elvas, the king, whose condition was becoming increasingly worse, had ordered that he be taken from Salvaterra to Almada; he did not go out any more or ride his horse. When the queen returned from the marriage ceremony, the people who had travelled with her left immediately and returned to their own lands, except for the Count of Ourém, Count Gonçalo, Gonçalo Vasques de Azevedo and a number of others who lived there.
In the agreements signed by the kings when this marriage took place, it was decided that other oaths and pledges should be made by certain towns and cities, as well as by prelates and noblemen of Castile, before King Juan left for Elvas to receive his wife, in addition to the ones which were made in Badajoz when the king gave his approval to the treaties, which we have already mentioned. This was to be done in the Cortes that King Juan was going to summon. Therefore, King Fernando immediately decided to send his proctor to Castile, so that he could receive the oaths and pledges of allegiance in his own name and that of the queen, his wife.
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- Information
- The Chronicles of Fernão LopesVolume 2. The Chronicle of King Fernando of Portugal, pp. 286 - 288Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2023