80 - How the Master of Santiago and Lourenço Eanes Fogaça went to speak with the Duke of Lancaster, and concerning the matters they discussed

Summary

Not many months after the news was received in England that the Master had been raised up as king and how this had been done, further news arrived, even better and very pleasing, which the messengers hastened to convey to the king. They told him that their liege lord, the King of Portugal, had defeated the Castilians in a pitched battle and they handed over letters to him about this. They also went at once to give the same news to the Duke of Lancaster, in the presence of his wife the duchess, and related to them how everything had happened, in accordance with the information contained in the letters received. They explained in their report that since the duke had a right to the kingdoms of Castile and called himself the king thereof, now was the time for him to gain them once and for all; for, since the King of Portugal had won such a triumph over his enemies, he would have in him as good a friend as he could ever imagine; furthermore, at no other time than this could the King of Portugal work so effectively to help him to achieve what he so keenly desired. Besides that, it would greatly enhance his honour and profit to arrange to bring it about.

The duke agreed with what the King of Portugal was saying but, because of the House of England's affairs, in which he had up to that point been so deeply involved, he presented his excuses as to why he was unable to proceed. Then, while they were discussing these matters, the duchess fell to her knees, along with her daughter Catalina, and began to speak as follows: ‘My lord, despite all the great triumphs which God has afforded you in this world in your wars and in your striving on behalf of the causes of others, it seems to me that you have even greater reason to strive for your own honour and that of your daughter, and to regain the inheritance which is both mine and your daughter's and from which we have been disinherited. For the kingdom of Castile rightfully belongs to me and not to the children of that bastard traitor who wrongfully slew my father.’ As she said this, both mother and daughter sobbed.