192 - Which ambassadors the king sent to Castile, and the letter that he wrote about it to Queen Catalina

Summary

The archdeacon left for Castile, whither the king ordered that there be sent an honourable nobleman, his lord lieutenant, namely João Gomes da Silva, and with him two doctors [of laws]. One was called Martim do Sém and the other Fernão Gonçalves Belágua. The king sent them equipped as was appropriate to their honour and estate, and they took with them a letter which read as follows:

My dear and much beloved sister and friend whom we love with all our heart and most entirely, the Queen of Castile and León: we the King of Portugal and the Algarve send you many greetings as the sister and friend whom we greatly love and esteem, and for whom we wish God to provide as much health, life and honour as you yourself desire. My dear and much beloved sister, we are letting you know that Juan Rodríguez, the Archdeacon of Gordón, at your service, came to us and brought us your letter of credence, in which you proposed to us the three terms of the alliance that you had previously sent to us through him, saying that it seemed good to you to draw it up in that way, as a peace treaty to be negotiated between us and your son.

The first term was that in all the wars which your son and all his successors might fight against any people, we and our heirs would aid him with ten galleys fitted out at our expense, and that he and those who came after him would also do the same for us and for our descendants. The second term was that such a commitment would not be recorded in the treaty but simply agreed outside it by our letters and yours, and that any other aid, if it were required, would be given out of the close family ties and friendship existing between both sides and without reference to the said letters; and we would all swear regarding the things contained in them not to disclose them to anyone, except if one side failed to carry out the conditions contained in them; then, the other side could speak of them and make demands without censure at breaking the oath.