52 - How the clauses relating to the war were changed yet again, and how the King of Aragon sent his message to King Fernando

Summary

The count departed, as we have indicated, and then in the following month, on 24 July, in the city of Barcelona, where the king was to be found at that time, Master Baldassare di Spinola and Alfonso Fernández de Burgos went to consult with the king in his palace. They were the proctors of King Fernando and were both accompanied by Princess Maria, the widow of the Marquess [of Tortosa] and sister of King Fernando, whose opinions and advice were of great significance in many aspects of these negotiations. They reminded the king of the clauses and agreements that had been signed in respect of the prosecution of the war and of the payment that was required to be paid to the troops. They urged him to arrange that sums be released from the funds controlled by Afonso Domingues [Barateiro], the guardian of the treasure held there in Barcelona. Those sums would be used to pay 1,500 lances who were greatly needed in order to effect an immediate invasion of the kingdom of Castile. In any case, at that stage he, the King of Aragon, was in no position to start the war, owing to his lack of assurances and firm undertakings from King Fernando, which he had not yet received, concerning the payment of soldiers’ wages, which needed to be made later on, as well as other engagements which were to be put into effect.

After a great deal of discussion on these matters, it was agreed that the clauses which the King of Aragon had revised in order to prosecute the war with the 3,000 lances to which we have already referred should be altered to restore the number to 1,500 as originally planned. Other conditions were added which we have no wish to mention here.

The King of Aragon at once dispatched as his envoy to Portugal Don Umberto de Fenoyal, with authority to sign with King Fernando those agreements that had been reached as we have described. He was especially to undertake and promise in the name of the King of Aragon that as soon as he received a dispensation from the Pope to enable his daughter Princess Leonor to marry King Fernando, which would come very soon, he would immediately send her to Portugal, as honour demanded.