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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 December 2023
Four days having passed after this, the Master ordered the payment of wages which were immediately paid for a month. Wishing to take Torres Vedras and other places we shall mention, he first of all sent João Fernandes Pacheco with men-at-arms, crossbowmen and foot soldiers to begin to besiege the town of Torres Vedras, which Juan Duque, Lord of the Marches, held for Castile. As soon as he got there, they came out to skirmish with him, but João Fernandes, and those accompanying him, by force of arms made them retreat behind the town's gates and corralled them inside against their will. In this way they were besieged until the Master arrived there later.
Well, it so happened that when the King of Castile decided to leave the siege of Lisbon, before he moved his camp, he summoned some of the honourable men of Almada and told them that he wanted to return to Castile in order to deal with certain matters pertaining to his interests. He promised them that, if they were good and loyal vassals, holding that town for him as he hoped they would, he would take care always to defend them and grant them many favours. However, as it could be the case that through the inducement of certain others their goodwill might change, he wanted them, as insurance against such a possibility, to give him as hostages the children of the most honourable of the townsfolk, in order to send them, with the fleet, to his kingdom. If on his return he found that they were good and loyal servants, he would bring up their children diligently, and arrange marriages for them as well as grant them many favours. As they could do nothing else, they said that, since that was his gracious demand, then it pleased them to give him their children. Up to twenty of them, both boys and girls, were then handed over as hostages, all of them offspring and relatives of the most honourable men in the town. Some of them were so young that they were under four years of age. These children were all handed over to the admiral of the fleet.
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