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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 December 2023
The king arrived at Coimbra with a great army and took up lodging in the Palace of Santa Clara, close to the city bridge. The Count of Mayorga lodged in the Monastery [of Santa Clara], Count Pedro [of Trastámara] lodged in the Monastery of Santa Ana, accompanied by his brothers Alfonso Enríquez and Alfonso Enríquez the Younger. Count João Afonso de Barcelos, João Rodrigues Portocarreiro and Juan Alfonso Cabeza de Vaca took up lodgings in the Monastery of São Francisco, whereas Dom João, the Count of Viana, camped nearby in a tent. Fernão Gomes da Silva and several knights lodged in the houses near the Church of São Martinho, in the bishop's enclosure, while others were billeted in the Monastery of São Jorge in walled gardens and in other places in that area.
After they had all been comfortably accommodated, they committed no offence nor showed any desire for combat. Rather, the Count of Mayorga and others made their way into the city every day to converse with Count Gonçalo and Gonçalo Mendes de Vasconcelos, and there they ate and drank with them. Through these emissaries the king requested them to hand the city over to him and to declare their allegiance to him, assuring them that he would pay the wages of all the soldiers who were with them, as well as promising immense favours to one and all. In addition, he indicated many reasons why they should do so. But Count Gonçalo replied that they would only hand over the city to the one to whom it belonged by right.
The king took note of the count's reasoning and sent back a message to say that the count should consider it right to hand the city over to him and that he would make him lord over the whole of Estremadura as far as Oporto; alternatively, he would give him towns and villages in the kingdom of Castile, wherever he chose and whatever contented him most. He should not pay any heed to his rank as count, for he would enhance his status and give him a much greater title than that.
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