Chapter 126 - How Nuno Álvares decided to leave Coimbra, and what happened to him there

Summary

While Nuno Álvares was in Coimbra, the countess and wife of Count Enrique Manuel, who was holding Sintra on behalf of the King of Castile, was staying there. Owing to the hatred she felt towards Nuno Álvares since the time when he had raided the outskirts of that city, and being most devoted to the queen as well as wishing to do service to the king, she decided to arrest him. Secretly, she assembled many soldiers, squires and other men, for she was surrounded by enough relatives, friends and criados to carry out such a task.

When Nuno Álvares's men, in one way or another, found out about this situation, they began to rise up, gathering together to go to the palace, where it was said that the countess was assembling her soldiers. They were determined to find a way to treat her badly. Nuno Álvares knew nothing of this and, when he found out, he rushed to where they were and saw to it that none of what had been planned should happen. In this way God saved Nuno Álvares from prison and the countess from serious danger.

Then, when Nuno Álvares wanted to return to where he had come from, he had nothing either for himself or to share with his men for the journey. It went to the point that some of them pawned their weapons for food. When he saw how his men were in great need, he ordered all the silverware that he had with him to be sold and shared out the money between them so that they could redeem their weapons. But in spite of this there was no alternative for him but to speak to the good citizens of Coimbra, and beg them to help him by lending him money for his departure. They agreed to do so and lent him a certain amount of money, out of which he ordered seven libras of this to be given to each of his men to cover their expenses during the journey.

Then he left and began by going to speak to Gonçalo Mendes de Vasconcelos, who was holding the castle of Coimbra, and spoke to him from the outside near a postern.