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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2024
The king left Almeida, which was where we left him, and advanced towards Ciudad Rodrigo, without encountering any resistance, though that town had gallant troops to defend it. Then he passed through Gata, which is a village lying on the flat, which was pillaged, along with other villages that lie at the foot of the mountain range, until he reached the brook which runs through Coria. From that point his forces attacked Plasencia, Galisteo and other townships in the area. When he approached Coria, he found the constable already there and dined with him that day. They pitched their siege camp close to Coria in a large meadow nearby. The River Alagón, which runs by the town, flowed between them and Coria.
As soon as the troops arrived, they at once took prisoner some seven or eight farmworkers who were working outside the town. They spoke to one Gonzalo Bermúdez, who was in the town, telling him to give them bread and other provisions in exchange for the farmworkers. He promised certain food items to be given in ransom for them, but those in discussion with him demanded that he should hand over more. His answer was that, if they did not wish to hand them back for what he had promised to give them, then they could take the farmworkers away and eat them, making of them three dainty dishes, boiled, roasted and cured for slicing, ‘for I swear to you’, he said, ‘that, if I could deprive you of the water of this river and prevent you from drinking it, then I would do so, especially as I do not want to give you even more food.’ So, they took what he was giving them, for they had no further choice in the matter.
At this time, the King of Castile was in the city of Burgos, not daring to attempt raising the siege [laid by the Portuguese] besetting Coria. Since Martim Vasques and the other nobles in the third section that we mentioned had not yet arrived, the Archbishop of Toledo mustered 1,500 lances to advance on them, believing, according to the reports he had received, that they would be some 300 lances or not many more.
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