Back ELBORA JUSTUS Recaredus had two Wives The first before he came to the Crown was Balda Daughter to the famous King Arthur or to Fonto a Gothish Lord. The Second was Clodosinda Sister to Ingunda the Wife of his Brother Prince Hermenegildus Her chiefest Portion was the Peace established between Spain and France then at War By his first Wife though some will have him to be Illegitimate he had Liuva who succeeded him in the Throne and was of such excellent Beauty of Person and such amiable Behaviour that all his Subjects rather adored than obeyed him except Witericus whom the late King had pardoned for discovering the Conspiracy at Merida This Man before enured to Treachery now compassed his wicked Designs apprehending his natural Lord cutting off his Right Hand and depriving him of his Crown and Life in the Second Year of his Reign 7. Witericus thus Tyrannically possessed of the Government and Regal Throne of all Spain 603. held it seven Years Wetericus usurps which ended in an ignominious Death yet such as he deserved He died miserably dragged about the Streets of Toledo 610. by the People Flavius Gundemarus of the Blood of Recaredus Flavius Gundemarus reigns in that Right ascended the Throne and proved no way inferiour to him for Valour Moderation and Piety He desiring to honour the Church of Toledo 611. made it the Metropolitan of all the Province of Cartagena To which purpose a Synod was held at Toledo in which it was ordained that Criminals should have the Benefit of Sanctuary In this City Death cut him off so early that it is doubted whether he reigned full two Years 612. Our Lusitania then subject to the Gothish Kings Lusitania governed by Lieutenants was governed by their Lieutenants whereof there was one in every Province and some Comites or Counts for then this Title began to be honoured for being rare as now it is little regarded for being so common It is to be observed that at this time the Name of Comites was not Titular as now but denoted a Power and Jurisdiction over Lands of the Crown In Spain there is no Title given by the Kings that is of 400 Years standing Gundemarus Sisebutus chosen King though married to Hilduara leaving no Heirs Sisebutus was chosen his Successor by the Prelates and Nobility 616. He immediately upon his Accession to the Crown commanded all the Jews to embrace the Christian Religion Almost 100000 were baptized and as many chose rather to be banished Spain Sisebutus though absent from Portugal adorned it with many Structures Two Towers with his Name on them remain still at Evora of the Walls then by him built Some of his Coin is also extant on the Reverse whereof is a Cross and about it CIVITAS EBORA DEUS ADJUTOR MEUS He ordered Ships to be built upon the Coast of Lusitania and having obtained some Victories which appertain not to our History 621. died when he had reigned 8 Years and an half much lamented as extraordinarily beloved of his Subjects 8. Sisebutus left a young Son called Recaredus who dying soon after his Accession to the Crown 622. left it to Flavius Suintila Flavius Suintila 's Reign Son to the Holy King Recaredus so worthy a Man that Silebutus always committed to him the Command of his Armies No sooner had he grasped the Sceptre He utterly expels the Romans but he changed it for the Sword and soon drove out of Portugal the small Remains of the Roman Empire which still in much Variety of Fortune had retained some small Hold there During the first five Years of his Reign he behaved himself with that Justice and Piety that among other honourable Titles he obtained that of Father of the Poor Some of his Coin in Gold I have seen whereof one Piece had this Inscription SUINTILA REX EBORA VICTOR Another SUINTILA REX EMERITA PIUS This King stained the Honour of the first five Years of his Reign by the Lewdness of the ensuing five which so incensed his Subjects that he was forced to fly and end his Days in Misery in Lusitania as some will have it or in Toledo according to others Yet other Authors say he and his Son Richimirus were killed by Sisenandus their Successor Some Writers affirm that Sisenandus was Brother to Suintila Certain it is 631. he obtained the Crown by Election with the Assistance of Dagobert King of France Sisenandus succeeds in the Throne whose Favour he had purchased with a great Summ of Money At the Beginning of his Reign he made himself loved and feared He assembled a National Synod at Toledo at which 72 Prelates met Here in regard of what Sisebutus had done with the Jews it was ordained That none should be forcibly constrained to embrace the Catholick Faith 635. Sisenandus died at Toledo having reigned four Years 9. It is doubtful whether Sisenandus was Father or Brother to Chintila King Chintila holds two Synods his Heir Two Synods were held in his Days He reigned three Years and an half and died at Toledo much lamented of all Men. His Son Tulga succeeded him 638. who holding the Crown but two Years His Son Tulga succeeds could not do so much as was expected from his Justice Prudence and Valour He departed this Life at Toledo leaving no Issue Chindasuindus by Force of Arms 640. possessed himself of the Kingdom At Toledo he gathered a Synod of 40 Prelates Chindasuindus possesses himself of the Kingdom by Force Rensiberga Daughter to Evancius the Brother of St. Eugenius Archbishop of Toledo was Wife to this King By her he had three Sons viz. Recesuindus 650. Theodofredus and Favila Having reigned 10 Years he died at Toledo and was buried in the Monastery of St. Romanus founded by himself between Toro and Tordesilas 655. Two Synods were assembled at Toledo during the Reign of Recesuindus Two Synods held by Recesuindus the eldest Son of the late King In the First were 52 Bishops from all Parts of Spain In the Second Council were first heard Debates and Disputes concerning the Primacy of all Spain Braga pretended a Right to that Honour It was decreed that the Archbishop of Braga should be Metropolitan of all Galicia only Another Council was assembled at Merida to the same effect but the Church of Braga still went down About this same time the Gascoigns invaded Spain but were overthrown and expelled though no Particulars of the Action are to be found in History nor of any thing that happen'd in the Space of almost 20 Years which end with the Life of Recesuindus 672. He was buried in the Church of St. Leocadia at Toledo Some of his Coin is still to be seen His only Son Theodofredus was left so young that he was thought incapable of inheriting so great a Monarchy as will appear in the Sequel It is here very remarkable that Pontamius Archbishop of
to his Name His Wife was Gaudiosa of Cantabria Fourth Grandchild to Ofilon Brother to Stephen the happy Father of the Archbishop St. Ildefonsus By her he had Favila and Ermesenda who succeeded him in the Regal Dignity 722. He took Leon in the Year 722 And hence came the Title of Kings of Leon and the Bearing of a Lion for their Arms. 737. He died at Cangas at the Foot of the Mountain Auseva in September 737 and lies buried in the Church of Covadonga built by himself and his Wife and dedicated to the Virgin Mary 8. Favila Favila succeeds Pelagius who succeeded his Father Pelagius had not Time to perform any great Actions being killed in the Second Year of his Reign by a Bear as he was hunting He lies buried in the Church of the Holy Cross founded by himself at Cangas He married Froilivua and either had no Sons or at least they came not to the Crown for his Sister Ermesenda succeeded him and took to Husband and King D. Alonso Son to D. Peter Duke of Cantabria descended from Recaredus J. During the foregoing Years the Christians in Portugal enjoyed full Liberty of Conscience Several Moorish Great Men ruled over them Aliboacen Grandson to the General Tarif was Lord of the City Coimbra and all the Territories betwixt the Rivers Alva-Mondego and Agueda governing with Tyrannical Power Thus the Portuguese lived in Subjection when Heaven gave them Hopes of recovering their Liberty Happy was the Kingdom in falling to Ermesenda for that she was the Mother of the Victorious and Religious King Alonso who conquer'd a great part of Castile King Alonso successful against the Infidels Galicia and Portugal He enter'd Galicia with a powerful Army and took the Cities of Lugâ— and Tuy Then passing over the River Minho he over-ran all the Country as far as Duero entring the Cities and Towns of Braga Porto Agueda Viseo and Chaves besides other Places of Importance No Quarter was given to the Moors and the Christians were carried away to Asturias he not designing to keep all he gained This was the first King after the Destruction of Spain that had any Jurisdiction in Portugal Thus he reigned 757. with great Honour 17 Years and died at the Age of 64. His and his Wife's Bodies were buried in the Church of Covadonga He had Issue Fruela who succeeded him Wimaranus Aurelius and Adosinda By a Slave he had Mauregatus who proved more like the Mother than the Father as will appear in the Sequel 9. Fruela K. Fruela kills 60000 Moors who inherited his Father's Valour as well as his Kingdom marched to meet a mighty Army sent against him by Abderramen King of Cordova the first that in Spain durst cast off the Authority of the African Calyph under the Command of Omar to revenge the Harm done by the late King Alonso in Portugal and Galicia He met with no Opposition in Portugal But in Galicia King Fruela discomfitted his mighty Army killing him and 60000 of his Men. This done crossing Portugal to besiege Setuval he overthrew Aliaben Talib who came to put a Stop to his Proceedings with 1500 Horse and 14000 Foot Of the Moors 8000 were slain in the Fight and of the Christians 2300. This Victory laid that Country open and the King after an hard Siege had Setuval surrender'd to him This is his last Action we know of in Portugal In other Places he performed many great Exploits He forbid Priests to marry which had been allowed since the Time of King Witiza and was the Founder of the City Oviedo All his Vertues and Trophies were obscured by his putting his Brother Wimaranus to death upon bare Suspition that he intended to rebel because he was exceedingly beloved by the People for his extraordinary Endowments Most Authors agree that this Wimaranus was Father to Bermudo the Monk afterwards King Fruela was married to Monina the Daughter of Eudo Duke of Guienne in France Their Children were D. Alonso and the Lady Ximena This King had also a Bastard-Son called Raimund He prospered no more after the Death of his Brother Wimaranus for Abderramen King of Cordova recovered all that Part of Portugal which lies betwixt Cape St. Vincent and the River Tagus 768. After this Loss he was murder'd at Cangas by his Brother Aurelius His Body and that of his Wife were buried in the great Church of Oviedo founded by himself He reigned 11 Years in great Esteem with his People and two more after the Death of his Brother no less hated than he had been beloved 10. We have no Account of any thing remarkable Particular Affairs of Portugal done by Aurelius the Successor of Fruela in Portugal But about this time Marvan Ibenzorat reigned in Coimbra And Theodus a Noble-man descended of the Gothish Kings was Governor of the Christians in these Parts with the Title of Count. Aurelius reigned six Years died at Cangas and was buried in the Church of St. Michael 774. He leaving no Children Adosinda the Daughter of King Alonso and Queen Ermesenda and his Sister succeeded him She married Silo whose Parents are not known but so he came to be King He enter'd Portugal to make War upon the Moors and took from them the City Merida in Estremadura Thence he marched against the People of Galicia who were in Rebellion and finding great Opposition after the Victory he treated them with much Severity Having obtained these Victories the King gave himself up so entirely to his Ease that the Queen managed all the Government They had one Son called Aldegastus who with his Wife Brunilda built the Monastery of St. Mary d' Ovanna in the Territory of Tineo for their Burying-place 783. The King died when he had reigned Nine Years and was buried in the Church of St. John de Pravia founded by himself His Epitaph is thus H. S. E. S. S. S. T. L. Each Letter stands for a Word and are HIC SITUS EST SILO SIT SIBI TERRA LEVIS. CHAP. VII The succeeding Kings from the Year 783 till 924. The Battels they fought and their Conquests upon the Moors but more particularly in Portugal 1. QUeen Adosinda considering the good Qualities of her Nephew D. Alonso the Son of Alonso the Catholick King 783. she appointed him her Successor Mauregatus the Bastard Son of the same Alonso begotten on a Slave Mauregatus the Bastard usurps the Crown soon deprived him of the Crown To compass his Design he enter'd into a League with the Moors and became Tributary to them the Tribute consisting of 100 Noble Maids to be deliver'd to them yearly In case he gave not the Maids in lieu of every one he was to pay 500 Pieces of Money supposed to answer to as many Crowns in our Days This Tribute was conveyed to Cordova and gathered and secured in several Parts of Asturias Galicia and Portugal Now some Authors affirm this Tribute was paid in the Year 770 and if so
it must be in the Reign of Aurelius who governed from the Year 768 till 774 and then Mauregatus did not institute but only continued to pay it Whensoever it began certain it is it continued till the Year 788 which was the last of Mauregatus's Reign 788. He died without Issue and was buried at Pravia 2. Bermudo Bermudo advanced to the Throne overthrows the Moors then in Deacon's Orders Grandson to the Catholick Alonso being Son either to Wimaranus or Fruela his Brother was promoted to the Crown after Mauregatus The first Action of this King was very honourable for Abderramen King of Cordova sending to demand of him the Tribute of the Maids he not only refused to pay it but with a small Number encountring an Army of his of 60000 Men under the Command of Muza overthrew it and so recovered the Honour of Spain delivering it from that heavy Imposition Bermudo though a Deacon was married to Ousenda or Vsenda by whom he had Ramiro afterwards King and a Daughter named Christina He had also a Bastard-Son called D. Nunho Though the Action we have spoken of was great 793. his last was incomparably beyond it He resigns the Crown for he not only resigned the Crown but having Children of his own gave it up to D. Alonso Son to King Fruela from whom it had been wrongfully taken by Mauregatus 795. This done he took the Habit of a Monk in the Monastery of Sahagun where he died and was buried but afterwards translated to Oviedo 3. D. Alonso who was restored to the Crown by Bermudo Alonso the Chaste was born in the Year 758. Though married to the French Lady Berta he had no issue having lived continently with her and therefore he was called The Chaste a Name rare among Princes This Name of Alonso as it was fortunate to Spain in general so was it also to Lisbon in particular 798. for its Recovery Restauration and Defence His Conquests This King took it from the Moors killing a great Number of them in the Assault and in several Battels he fought to come to it Some Authors will have it that Charlemaigne came over out of France in Person to his Assistance Others deny his Personal Presence But all agree his Army was so great that the Infidels could never make Head against it The following Year 799. the King took the Cities of Viseo Lamego Coimbra Braga and other Places about Porto Omar King of Merida with a great Power laid Siege to Benavente but he and the greatest part of his Army were put to the Sword by Bernard del Carpio commanding the Forces of King Alonso In the mean while Aliatan by the Way of Estremadura enter'd Portugal putting all to Fire and Sword with such Success that he took Lisbon the 8th Year after it had been gained by King Alonso Many other Places submitted to the Barbarian and he left Alchama King of Badajoz or Beja to command there This Alchama afterwards making an Expedition out of his Province was killed by Bernard del Carpio 812. at the City Zamora Aliatan to revenge this Loss raised great Forces in Barbary which he divided into two Bodies whereof the one enter'd Castile the other Portugal making great Havock in both Places Both these Armies were cut in pieces one in which Alahaban commanded by the King near the River Cefa the other conducted by Melich by Bernard 813. in the Plain of Narnon Abdalla Governor of Valencia and Mahomet of Merida rebelled at once against King Aliatan He marched against Abdalla but whilst he was there engaged Mahomet joined in League with King Alonso whereby he became powerful enough to conquer a good part of Portugal and Estremadura Aliatan returning with a mighty Army overthrew the Rebel and possessed himself of all which he had conquered betwixt Merida and Lisbon Mahomet thus expelled his Dominion fled with such as would follow him to King Alonso submitting himself to him as his Vassal The King sent him with one Raymund to subdue certain places then in Rebellion in Gallicia they easily overcame the Mutiniers and the King ordered Mahomet to reside in those parts hoping to make his advantage of him against the King of Cordova 814. as he did for some time But Mahomet finding himself powerful thought to recover what he had lost and therefore privately conspiring with Raymond they both Rebelled usurping great part of Galicia The King hasted thither with a considerable Army Raymond presently submitted himself and was not only Pardoned but Married the King's Kinswoman Mahomet though he had then 60000 Men durst not give Battle in open Field but retired to the strong Castle of St. Christina two Leagues from Lugo There the King Besieged and Hunger forced him to come out and give Battle in which his Army was entirely routed and he Slain About this time was found the Sepulcher of St. James the Apostle and Patron of Spain which had been hid almost 800 Years it was discovered by Theodemirus Bishop of Iria King Alonso removed it to Compostela which he made a Bishoprick erecting there a Church capable of so great a Relick Thus Crowned with Victories and loaded with Years for he lived Eighty Five 843. and Reigned Fifty Two he died at Oviedo Tryal by Ordeal in use and lies Buried in the Church of St. Mary de Recasto his own Foundation At this time the old Gothish Law of trying People by Fire was in use in Portugal as appears by the Tryal of Elosinda accused of Adultery by her Husband Ariovigildus she after this manner clearing her self and he being Condemned to be Burnt as she should have been if Convicted Pope Honorius the III. abolished this Custom yet afterwards another worse started up which was that the Woman accused should assign a Champion to fight the Accuser and that party which had the Victory was held innocent 5. King Bermudo by an incomparable Act of Justice had taken the Crown from his own Children to give it to Alonso to whom of right it appertained and God to reward this rare Equity ordained that Alonso should live Chast King Ramiro his Actions and restore it to Ramiro the Son of the same Bermudo Scarce was he seated on the Throne when Count Nepocianus rebelled in Austurias and usurped the regal Title The New King with all the speed he could marched against him and having defeated and taken him Prisoner put out his Eyes and thrust him into a Monastery Soon after he overthrew the Normans who destroyed the Coast of Galicia and the English who had laid Siege to Lisbon Returning to the River Duero he vanquished Mahomet Cid Atauf Lord of the Fort and Town of Gaya and also Muley Achim of Agueda more to the Southward Zuleyma Ibon Muza the tributary King of Lamego and Tarif Iben Rages of Viseo were admitted to grace upon their submission Alhamar King of Coimbra boldly standing upon his Defence was
untouched Montemayor the Old Viseo Lamego Porto and Braga were rased down to the Ground The Barbarian entring Galicia Almanzor again makes great spoil made a Font in the Church of St. James the Apostle serve for a Manger and sent away the Gates and the Bells of the Church upon the shoulders of Christians to Cordova but presuming to prophane the Sepulcher of the Apostle he was drove back by flames which issued out of it Almanzor returning through Protugal heavy with Plunder was overtaken with vengeance from Heaven for profaning the Church of the Apostle A mortal Flux destroying great part of his Army the rest marched leasurely in several Bodies King Bermudo sent some light Troops who made such havock among them that not the 20th part of that great Army returned to Cordova all the Country the way they went being covered with dead Carcasses Count Fruela Vermuiz who as has been said overcame Count Gonzalo that Poisoned King Sancho fell upon Almanzor himself who led the choice of the Army and put him to flight with great Slaughter of his People King Bermudo at length awaking out of his dead Sleep joyned his Forces with the King of Navarre and Count Garci Fernandez They expected the coming of the Enemy near Aleantaroz 999. four Leagues from Osma here they fought from Morning till Night and then at length victory inclined to the Christians who slew of their Enemies 70000 Foot and 40000 Horse Almanzor flying towards Toledo died of Grief near Berlanga soon after his Son Abdel Melich to revenge him invaded the Christian Territories but being met by Count Garci Fernandez was defeated and fled back to Cordova King Bermudo had two Wives the first called Velasquita by whom he had no issue the second Elvira her Children were Alonso Successor to his Father Teresa married to Abdala King of Toledo and afterwards a Nun and Sancha a Nun also The King gave great Scandal by keeping two Sisters at the same time publickly as his Mistreses one of them was Mother to Elvira the other to Ordonno By Velasquita a Peasant the King had a Daughter called Christina he died in the Year 999. at Villabuena in Galicia very penitent for his sins There he lay Buried till his Son King Alonso translated him to Leon where he lies with his Wife in the Church of St. Isidorus 3. Let us look a little back to see the coming of the first Strangers The Gascons come into Portugal and assist the Christians that assisted the Natives of Portugal in expelling the Moores These were the Gascons who came in a mighty Fleet and were Commanded by D. Moninno Viegas There is a great dispute among Authors whether this D. Moninno was a Gascon or a Portuguese and whether he came with those People or only headed them after their coming he being by some supposed to be then a great Man in Portugal All that is said on either part being rather Suppositions than Proofs we will pass by this Dispute leaving it free to every one to believe as he shall be inclined This Fleet cast Anchor in the River Duero on the one side whereof was the Castle of Gaya Demolished by King Ramiro II. when he killed Alboazar and on the other the City Porto destroyed long before by the Moores Here they landed and their first care was to repair the City then only a heap of Rubbish in the highest part of it they built a Castle supposed to be the same that is now the Bishop's Pallace The compass of the Walls was but small and they weak for our times but then considerable some part of them is still to be seen in the midst of the City which being increased has hemmed them in Two of these Ancient Gates are still standing the one called St. Ann's Gate the other our Blessed Ladies over which is an Image of the Blessed Virgin with our Saviour in her Arms which Image between two Towers is the Arms of that City Having Repaired and Fortified this place the Natives and Strangers began joyntly to conquer the Neighbouring Country Men remarkable among them were Sisenandns Brother to D. Moninno and D. Nonego of Vendosme The first that felt their fury were the Moors who possessed the Territories of Resende and Bienviver and all up the River Duero this done thinking their Conquest secure they chose Sisenandus Bishop of the City and yet he ceased not to appear in Arms till he died at Bienviver and was Buried in the Monastery of Villaboa D. Nonego of Vendosme also a Bishop carried on his Conquests on the other side and four Leagues from Porto in the Mountain built a Castle which he called Vendosme and so streightned the Moores that they were forced to abandon all that Neighbourhood The Castle is ruined by time but the name of Vendosme still continues in the Mountain In this exercise he continued till his Death and was Buried in the Monastery of Aviaos The conquered Lands were equally divided as well among the Auxiliary strangers as among the native Portuguese 4. King Alonso V. succeeded his Father Bermudo 999. he is the first of the Alonsos that appears without some Sirname King Alonso V. for the First was called the Catholick the Second the Chast the Third the Great the Fourth the Monk Not that this deserved less Titles for he might have been called the Brave for his Valour the Legislator for giving good Laws to his People the Restorer for repairing Leon and in fine the Desired as being one who left the greatest desire of himself and was most lamented by his People He was Six Years of Age when he began his Reign Under Tuition under the Tuition of Count Mendo Gonzalez and his Wife the Lady Mayor who had great possessions in Galicia and some in Portugal and Governed so well that the King's minority was no prejudice to his Kingdom The Christians in Portugal began to be so powerful that under the conduct of some notable Commanders they repaired many places before ruined and conquered others possessed by the Moores 1000. D. Alboazar Ramirez Son to King Ramiro II. by Zara or Artida Many places recovered from the Moors whom he stole from the Lord of Gaya as was said before wiâ—h many Gentlemen and Forces maintained at his own Charge entred Portugal and drove the Moores out of all the Province betwixt the Rivers Duero and Minho He took St. Roman Gastro de Avioso and Castro de Gondomar Beyond the River Duero he forced them to retire as far as St. Martin de Moras and Lamego making room for the Christians to dilate themselves The lands of Arouca and that Neighbourhood were again Peopled the Year following he overthrew the Moores in many places 1001 took the City Braganza and other considerable Towns in those Mountains and so extended the Christian Dominions that he deserves to be accounted one of the principal Restorers of Portugal His two Sons D. Trastamiro and D. Hermigio or
Church of Alverca where it was buried The King was received at Lisbon in Triumphant manner Many Persons were executed on Account of these Troubles and their Heirs to the Fourth Generation declared Infamous The Prince's Enemies fearing the Queen might some time or other Revenge the Death of her Father advised the King to be divorced from her but he received her with all the marks of True Love and Affection They begged of him some Towns that had belonged to the Prince which he freely gave them but the Cities of Porto and Portalegre would not submit to be given away to any Body and were therefore annexed to the Crown 9. The Princess Ellenor during this time was contracted to the Emperor Frederick the Third The Princess Ellenor contracted to the Emperor Frederick the Third and was now delivered in the Month of August to his Embassadors They embarked at Lisbon and landed at Leghorn whence she was conducted to Sienna where the Bridegroom met her attended by Ladislaus King of Hungary his Brother Albertus the Arch-Duke and other Princes Hence they travelled together to Rome where they were crowned with the usual Solemnity 1451. Prince Ferdinand who was marryed to the Lady Beatrix 1452. Daughter to Prince John privately built a Caravel and went away in it to Ceuta to employ himself against the Moors but the King soon sent for him home and to settle his Mind gave him the Towns of Beja 1453. Moura and Serpa The great Monarch of the Turks Mahomet having taken Constantinople Pope Calixtus stirred up the Christian Princes to unite their Forces against the Common Enemy Our King offered to serve in Person one Year with 12000 Men but all these Projects fell to nothing Our Queen had before this time brought forth a Son and a Daughter whereof the former died 1455. and now on the third of May she was delivered at Lisbon of another Son whom she called John as the first had been for the special Devotion she had to that Name He was sworn Prince being but a Month old with great Solemnity The Queen upon this Occasion obtained leave of the King that the Body of her Father Prince Peter might be placed in the Tomb he had built for himself at the Famous Monastery of Batalla At this time also a Match was concluded betwixt the Princess Joanna King Alonso's Daughter and Henry the Fourth King of Castile She was Seventeen Years of Age and very beautiful which was all her Portion and she was conducted to Castile by Count Alvaro Gonzalez de Atayde Elizabeth our Queen died on the Second of December following The Queen's Death not without suspicion of Poison given her by her Father's Enemies fearing she might prevail with the King to Revenge his Death She was carried to the Church of Batalla with the greatest Pomp that had been used at the Funeral of any Queen For Beauty Patience Obedience and Piety she was inferior to none The Monastery of Xabregas of the religious of S. Eloy was founded by her 1456. The King ordered the Body of his Mother Queen Ellenor to be brought from Toledo to be buried at the Church of Batalla As far as Elvas it was conducted by the King and Queen of Castile and there they were met by our King 10. The Bishop of Silves brought the Croisade from Rome 1457. granted to Encourage Christian Princes to joyn their Forces against the Turks The Croisade brought into Portugal Our King made Preparations for that Expedition and recalled Peter the Constable and Master of Avis Son to Prince Peter who was Banished to Castile He also coined a New sort of pieces called Cruzadoes from the Croisade and the Cross on them These were of pure Gold and great Weight that they might pass in Forreign Countries but the other Christian Princes not answering on their Part he bent his Mind upon Prosecuting the Conquest of Africk Tangier was first aimed at 1458. but this Resolution was changed for Alcaçer Alcazer on the Coast of Africk taken by King Alonso Twenty thousand Landmen were appointed for this Service who set sail from Setuval the 12th of October in Two hundred Sail of Ships They no sooner arrived than that they were Victorious and reduced that Place the Particulars of which Action are in the Portuguese Africk A Peace was now established with the Duke of Britany 1459. whose Subjects had taken many Portuguese Ships which was repaid them in the same kind 1460. The following Year died Prince Henry who first gave Encouragement and promoted the Discoveries on the Coast of Africk A Year after he was followed by Alonso Duke of Bragança Bastard-Son to King John the First 1461. The King being advertised That it would be easie to surprize Tangier Tangier taken set sail from Lisbon in November and tho he met with many difficulties he became Master of that Place The Catalonians rebelling against their lawful Sovereign King John of Aragâ—n sent to invite Peter Son to the Unfortunate Prince Peter to that Principality as being descended of the Ancient Earls of Barcelona He hasted thither from Ceuta but lived not long there and lies buried in the Cathedral King Alonso went over from Ceuta to Gibraltar to meet the King of Castile who craved Aid of him against his Nobility that not content with staining his Honour sought to deprive him of the Crown 1464. Here it was agreed King Alonso should marry Elizabeth Sister to the Castilian and his Son Prince John the Princess Joanna but all this took no effect 1466. Queen Joanna of Castile on whom those People cast all their Reproaches accusing her of Adultery only in malice to D. Beltran de la Cueva the King's Favourite whom she treated with Courtesie came to the City Guarda to crave Aid of the King her Brother against the Rebels who called her Daughter a Bastard and had opprobriously used a Statue they had erected to the King her Husband King Alonso intended to have succoured her but was prevented by the Death of Prince Alonso of Castile who had been proclaim'd King in opposition to the King his Brother whereupon ensued some tranquility in the Affairs of Castile King John of Aragon made great Interest that his Son Ferdinand might marry Elizabeth Sister to the King of Castile Our King Alonso also sent Embassadors to demand her according to the Articles concluded at Gibraltar But these Embassadors could not prevail for she was already engaged to Ferdinand and much more to those who advised that Match in opposition to her Brother that she might the better with their assistance deprive him of the Crown That Match was concluded in February 1469. 1469. This is that Elizabeth so much admired by the Spaniards for Sanctity and yet by this it appears she aimed to Usurp the Crown from her Brother and actually did it from his only Daughter CHAP. VI. The remaining Part of the Life and
Covillan to Cananor Calicut Goa Sofala Mozambique Quiloa Mombara and Melinde then returned to Adem and Grand Caire where his Companion and he had appointed to meet but the other being dead he returned again to Adem thence to Ormus and then traversed Abissinia being the first Man that ever performed those Travels Christopher Columbus offer'd his Service to King John but not being encouraged by him he discovered the West Indies for King Ferdinand and Queen Elizabeth of Castile and Aragon CHAP. IX The first Part of the Life and Reign of Emanuel the First of the Name and Fourteenth King of Portugal from the Year of our Lord 1469 till 1509. 1. THough the late King John laboured all that in him was to have left the Crown to his Bastard-Son George yet neither the Queen nor the Subjects would consent because Duke Emanuel had a most undoubted Title to it King Emanuel his Birth and Descent This Emanuel was Son to Prince Ferdinand Grandson to King Edward and Great Grandson to King Alonso V. and Cousen German to his Predecessor King John whose undoubted Heir he was that King leaving no lawful Issue He was born in the Town of Alconchete 1469. in the Province of Riba Tejo upon Thursday the last Day of May being the Feast of Corpus Christi His Mother being in Labour was delivered of him just at the time that the Blessed Sacrament passed by her Door and therefore she called him Emanuel the proper Name of Christ which signifies God is with us During his Infancy Emanuel was one of the Hostages between the King of Castile and King John the Second The very Day King John killed James Brother to this Emanuel 1â—â—4 he gave him all the other's Estate only changing the Title from Duke of Viseo to that of Beja He also constituted him Master of the Order of Christ Constable of the Kingdom and General of the Frontiers betwixt the Rivers Tagus and Guadiana so that his Revenue amounted to above 70000 Crowns per Annum which was very great in that Age and that Kingdom 〈◊〉 His Family was encreased when he went the second time into Castile to conduct the Princess Elizabeth Wife to Prince Alonso into Portugal King John as is said King Emanuel 〈…〉 dying without any lawful Issue and not able to prevail for his Bastard-Son George Emanuel was proclaimed King with the usual Solemnity upon 〈◊〉 the 27th of October 1495 and in the 26th Year of his Age. 2. The New King went away to 〈…〉 â—uevo where James 〈…〉 Prior of Crato presented to him George King John's Bastard-Son whom he received favourably and treated as if he had been his own Here the Cortes or Parliament met but did little Business as well by reason of the Plague as for that King John had left all Things in good Order After sending Embassadors to Rome and Castile the King gave the Tenth of all his Revenues in Africk to the Churches there and reinforced those Garrisons At Setuval came to him the Sons of the late Duke of Bragança 1496. executed by King John their Unkle D. Alvaro and D. Sancho Son to Alonso another of that Duke's Brothers who were all restored to their Estates He now sent another Embassador to Rome to obtain the Pope's Dispensation for Knights of the Military Orders to marry which was granted At Torres Vedras whither he fled from the Plague he received Embassadors from the State of Venice Jewâ— banished the Kingdom The Jews whom King John had made Slaves in great Numbers had now Liberty to depart the Kingdom and though they offer'd the King a Present of a considerable Summ of Money he would not accept it A time was set for them all to depart and it was order'd that they should leave behind them all their Children that were under Fourteen Years of Age. Many of them rather than deliver their Children to be bred up Christians 14â—7 murdered them and some there were that killed themselves as well as their Children The time of their Departure being put off they offer'd if their Children were restor'd them and Twenty Years allowed them in which they could not be punished for Offences against Religion that they would become Christians This granted the greatest part of them was Baptized the rest were sent over into Africk together with the Moors then also expelled but these were allowed to carry their Children with them Those that remained in Portugal committed many Enormities in contempt of the Christian Religion and becoming Rich had the Opportunity of corrupting all the Nobility of the Kingdom by mixing their Families 3. At 〈◊〉 the King had it debated in Council 〈…〉 whether the Discovery of India ought to be prosecuted or not and after much contesting it was resolv'd in the Affirmative Vasco de Gama was thereupon piâ—ched upon to command Four Ships designed for that Voyage The Particulars of his Success may be seen in the first Vol. of the Portuguese Asia The King by his Embassadors having concluded a Match for himself with Elizabeth Emanuel marries Elizabeth Widow of the late Prince Alonso Princess of Castile Widdow of the Late Prince Alonso of Portugal in the Month of October she was brought to Valencia de Alcantara where King Emanuel waited for her Presently after the King and Queen were married came the News of the Death of John Prince of Castile Brother to the new Queen and Heir of that Kingdom New Charters were now given to all the Cities and Towns of Portugal which were all contained in Five Books One of each Province About the end of the Year the Queen being with Child Embassadors came from Castile to induce the King and her to go into Castile to be sworn Heirs to that Crown The King took the Advice of the Cortes or Parliament therein 1498. and it was resolved he should go On the 29th of March they set forwards with a small Retinue not exceeding 300 Horse All this Company was in Mourning for the Prince of Castile The Duke of Medina Sidonia met them at Badajoz with a Retinue somewhat less Soon after the Duke of Alva and Count de Feria with a like Number King Ferdinand came out of Toledo to receive them and they were entertained with extraordinary Magnificence On the 28th of April King Emanuel and his Queen were sworn Heirs of Castile in the Cathedral Church This Ceremony being over they travelled towards Zaragosa to be there sworn to the Succession of Aragon They entred that City on the first of June where many Disputes arose concerning the Privileges of that Kingdom On the 24th of August the Queen of Portugal was delivered of a Son and died before she could be laid in her Bed She was buried in the Church of St. Hierome without any Pomp because she had so ordered it in her Will 4. King Emanuel returned to Portugal 〈…〉 Aragonâ— and Portugal and was received at Lisbon with great Joy in
places among which were Braga Porto Chaves and Viseo all in Portugal The King of Cordova coming down suddenly with an Army took Viseo first and then Salamanca and so returned to Cordova refusing to give our King Battel who thereupon wasted all the Country of Toledo Then turning into Portugal he retook Viseo and had Coimbra yielded to him 9. It appears by a Grant of his to Sisenandus Bishop of Compostela that the Territories betwixt Duero and Minho and that called Tras os Montes or Beyond the Mountains were Desart from the first coming of the Moors till his time when he Peopled and made them fit to with stand the Enemy At this sametime the King continued the Structure of the stately Church of St. James the Apostle The Church of St. James the Apostle in Galicia Dedicated Seventeen Bishops were present at the Dedication of it above half of them were Portuguese Next by Order of Pope John the VIII the King held a National Council at Oviedo to provide for the Bishops that were Expelled from their Diocesses and erect the Bishoprick of Oviedo into an Archbishoprick after which the King again applied himself to Peopling of the Country 903. and was come as far as the River Tagus when he understood his own Sons conspired to depose him being encouraged by their Mother and some of the Nobility He voluntarily performed what they intended to extort from him The Christian Dominions divided betwixt the two Sons of King Alonso to D. Garcia he gave Oviedo Leon and Castile to D. Ordono Gallicia and Portugal Having resigned his Kingdoms he went in Pilgrimage to Santiago and at his return asked of his Son Garcia some Forces to make an incursion into the Moorish Territories which he performed successfully He entred into League with the Kings of France and Navarre to the latter he gave his Sister Vrraca in Marriage and married himself Ximena Daughter either of France or of D. Ynigo Ximenez Arista of Navarre His Sons were Garcia Fruela Ordonno Ramiro and Gonzalo who was Archdeacon of Oviedo He Reigned 48 Years died at Zamora 914 and was Buried at Astorga where his Tomb is still to be seen tho' the Body was translated to the Chappel of King Alonso the Chast in Oviedo where also lies his Wife Ximena 10. D. Garcia having wrested the Scepter out of his Father's hand Garcia has for his part Galicia and the North of Portugal enjoyed it but three Years Tho' he got the Crown by unlawful means he Governed well overcame Ayola Lord of Talavera and is said to have obtained other Victories he died at Zamora was Buried at Recasto of Oviedo and had been Married to the Lady Nunna His Brother Ordonno Succeeds him Daughter to the Count D. Nunno Fernandez de Amaya but left no-Issue His Brother Ordonno in his time Governed so much to the satisfaction of the People that after his Death he was unanimously allowed his Heir He had not only preserved the Conquests on this side Tagus but passing that River took the City Beja putting all the Inhabitants to the Sword which so terrified the Neighbouring People that they abandoned the Towns before he came near them Having received his Brother's Kingdom after some other exploits he returned into Lusitania and wasted all the Country along the River Guadiana Among other places he took the Castle called Alhaje where all the Treasure of the Moorish Kings lay as in a place inpregnable whereby he so humbled all the Infidels throughout Estremadura and as far as Algarve that they submitted themselves as tributaries to him after which he returned to Leon. No sooner was he gone but they encouraged by Abderramen King of Cordova revolted but King Ordonno speedily returning and ravaging the Country they as soon submitted themselves begging Pardon The chief of these were the People of Merida Badajoz and the Territories adjacent then so fruitful and plentiful of all things that thence came the name of Badajoz He twice overthrows the Moors being a corruption of Beled Aiz two Arabick words signifying The Land of Life King Ordonno hearing that Abderramen was marching towards him advanced to meet him and in a Battle near Talavera slew 25000 of his Men. This done he returned to Leon and applied the spoiles of the War to Building the great Church there Mean while Abderramen having drawn vast supplies out of Africk laid Siege to Santistevan de Gormaz but the King surprising him in the Night forced him with great Slaughter to fly back to Cordova Still the Moore recruits his broken Army and having wasted all the Country sits-down before the City Porto which was bravely defended by Count Hermenegildus Our King came to his relief and made a great Slaughter among the Besiegers 920. yet so that he was not assured of the Victory till the next day he found the Enemy had quitted the Field leaving their Tents Baggage and warlike Engines behind them Having obtained this Victory the King returned to Leon. 11. Early the next Year 921. Ambassadors came to Ordonno from the King of Navarre Ordonno vanquished by the Infidels recovers and spoiles their Country to crave aid against a great power of the Infidels He thought not enough to send but went himself in Person and Fortune here forsaking him was overthrown near Valdejunquera many Captives were taken by the Infidels among whom were the Bishops of Salamanca and Tuy and the Kings themselves escaped narrowly Our King grieved at this loss the following Year broke into the Moorish Territories driving all before him even to the Walls of the City Cordova which it was feared he would Besiege Having struck an universal Terror into his Enemies he returned to Zamora He had a Daughter called Ximena who falling in Love with a Courtier ran away with him carrying all her Jewels along with her and he left her on a Mountain having fulfilled his desires She travelled on and took up with a Farmer as his Servant from which he raised her to be his Wife The King long after Hunting that way lost himself and fell into this Cottage where he was entertained his Daughter making a sort of Puff-past she knew he loved and putting a Ring well known to him into it the Ring caused him to suspect somewhat and examining the matter he found that was his Daughter whom he forgave and preferred her Husband whose Name was Tello and the place of his aboad called Meneses Hence some will have the Family of Meneses to proceed others Write that this passage hapned to the Lady Teresa Sanchez bastard Daughter to King Sancho the First and Wife to D. Alonso Tellez de Meneses whom they esteem the Progenitor of this Family King Ordonno had three Wives the first Elvira whose Parentage is unknown by her he had D. Sancho D. Alonso D. Ramiro D. Garcia and D. Ximena The second was Aragonta of Galicia whom he is said to have put away suspecting she knew of the
flight of his Daughter Ximena The third was Sancha Daughter to the King of Navarre by these two he had no Children 923. The last Action of his life darkn'd all the Glory of his former Triumphs He sent for four Counts who governed Castile upon safe Conduct to Carrion and there cut off their Heads Which so incensed the People of Castile that they only wanted an Opportunity to rebell and take Revenge But Death prevented their Designs 924. taking him away at Zamora His Body was buried in the great Church of Leon which City he had so entirely loved that he took its Name for the Title of his Kingdom leaving that of King of Oviedo and Galicia CHAP. VIII The Succession of the Kings of Castile and Leon from the Year 924 till 985 With the Revolt of Count Fernan Gonzalez And the Desolation made in Portugal by Alcoraxis and Almanzor the Moors 1. D. Fruela II. was Successor to his Brother Ordonno Fruela II. usurps the Crown usurping the Crown from his Children who were then very young He was nothing like to his Brother in Valour for he ceased the Prosecution of the War against the Infidels but was not unlike to him in the last Action of his Life for as Ordonno unjustly put to death the fore-mentioned Counts so Fruela wrongfully executed certain Gentlemen called Olmudes He became so odious to the Castilians that the Nobility Castile separates from Leon. and creates a Government under Judges joining together rebelled and separated themselves from the Crown of Leon. To this purpose they chose two Judges to rule them The two first were Nunno Rasura and Lain Calvo They were of the Middle Sort of People neither of the Greatest nor Meanest that so they might neither be too powerful nor become contemptible Yet from them are the Kings of Spain descended At the same time that this Government was instituted in Castile we find Counts governing in some Parts of Portugal as D. Gutierre Arias at Porto and Hufo Hufez at Viseo A Leprosie consumed King Fruela so fast 925. that he died at Leon having reigned scarce a Year and was buried in the Cathedral He had two Wives D. Munia and D. Vrraca By them he had Issue Ordonno Alonso and Ramiro King Ramiro II. put out all their Eyes and thrust them into the Monastery of St. Julian either upon Suspicion or Proof that they conspired against him He had also a fourth Son called Fruela 2. Alonso IV Alonso IV. resigns the Government to his Brother Ramiro Eldest Son of King Ordonno II after the Death of Fruela recovered his Right and Kingdom He was not wicked as his Predecessor but as unprofitable to his Kingdom as he His best Quality was That he was sensible of his own Insufficiency and therefore first sent his Brother Ramiro to govern Portugal and afterwards resigned the Kingdom to him and became himself a Monk Ramiro had chosen the City Viseo for his Residence in Portugal whence he made Inroads into the Frontiers of the Moors and by his gentle Government gained the Affections of the People Here he received Letters from the King his Brother calling him to Court in order to resign the Crown to him for that his Son Prince Ordonno was but an Infant D. Ramiro fearing his Brother's Inconstancy hasted to Zamora that he might not have Time to repent The King immediately put the Crown upon his Head and was the first that did him Homage as his Subject Which done he took the Habit of a Benedictine Monk in the Monastery of Sahagun and is therefore called Alonso the Monk He was married to Ximena the Daughter of King Sancho Abarca of Navarre and had by her Ordonno who came to be King and D. Alonso who died young He died in the Monastery of St. Julian and lies there buried But we shall see him repent and disturb his Brother's Reign 3. King Alonso being become a Monk 928. and repenting Alonso repents and raises a Civil War his Brother Ramiro now possessed of the Crown resolved not to part with it and thus began a Civil War which was the Cause of much Mischief The Moors making their Advantage thereof recovered the Cities of Lamâ—go Braganza and Porto with all the Country lying between the Rivers Tagus and Duero The Castilians also made use of this Opportunity their Judges Nunno and Lain being dead to raise up in their stead the Count Ferran Gonzalez King Ramiro politickly winking at this Affront 932. which he could not revenge upon the Authors invaded the Kingdom of Toledo destroying all before him with Fire and Sword King Alonso the Monk held out two Years in Leon against his Brother Ramiro But then despairing of Success he stirred up Alonso Ordonno and Ramiro the Sons of his Predecessor Fruela to raise a Rebellion in Asturias and Biscay believing that would draw away the King his Brother from attending upon him Nevertheless the King continued the Siege obliged him to surrender and afterwards put him into Prison This done he found Means to apprehend the three Brothers and to prevent future Designs put out theirs and his Brother the Monk's Eyes Two Years Alonso lived blind But the King repenting of this Cruelty used towards his Brother to testifie his Repentance built the Monastery of St. Julian 4. Two Months are said to have passed in the Year 934 934. in which Time the Light of the Sun was scarce seen Prodigies in the Sky at the End whereof a Breach or Yawning appeared in the Sky along which great Flames of Fire were seen to run and the Stars seemed to wander in the Region of the Air. Many Judgments were made upon these Prodigies but most agreed they portended the End of the World to be at hand At last the Sun shined out and whilst the Christians appeased God with Prayers the Moors consulted their Wizards Alfarani of Meca affirmed to King Abderramen that this Prodigy threaten'd the Downfall of Christian Princes if he would take in hand to pull them down Diviners fore-tell what they know is pleasing to Princes and Princes believe that which pleases them Abderramen declares War and makes mighty Preparations for it drawing great Succours out of Africk under the Command of Almanzor With an Army almost innumerable he broke into Portugal bearing down all before him and putting the Christians to most cruel Deaths King Ramiro having gathered the greatest Power he could set forward to meet the Enemy whose Multitude obliged him to retire to the Mountains of Clavijo Ramiro destroys a great Army of Infidels Here the Apostle St. James is said to have appeared to him promising he should obtain a wonderful Victory in that Place In the Fight the Apostle was seen on Horseback making great Slaughter among the 〈◊〉 This Victory some will have to be the Cause of his being taken for Patron of Spain though others say it was that in the Time of King Alonso I. as was
before observed 5. There is a very strange Story about this King A Romantick Story of King Ramiro which because it looks rather Romantick than Historical I will lightly pass over It is as follows King Ramiro was married to the Lady Vrraca but understanding that Alboazar a powerful Moor had a most beautiful Sister called Zara he fell in Love with her by Hear-say He demanded her of Alboazar but being denied had her betrayed to him for Money then putting away his Queen he married her Alboazar to revenge this Wrong surprized and carried away Queen Vrraca who was left at Millor on the other side the River Duero Ramiro hearing hereof filled his Galleys with the choicest of his Men and running up a River near which she was kept he planted the Galleys all covered with Green close under certain Trees that over-shaded the River Then having laid an Ambush and ordered them to lie close till he sounded a Cornet he carried with him he in Disguize approached the Castle where the Queen was kept There he met a Maid belonging to the Queen carrying a Pitcher of Water for her whereof with the Maid's Consent he drank and dropped a Jewel into it well known to the Queen She seeing the Jewel caused him to be brought up to her and having yielded her self up before to the Lust of Alboazar she now betrayed the King into his Hands Ramiro seeing himself taken begged Leave only to sound his Cornet which being granted his Men that lay in Ambush broke into the Castle killed Alboazar and carried away the Queen whom the King caused to be cast into the Sea with a Stone about her Neck because asking of her why she looked so melancholy she answered It was for the Death of the Moor who was a better Man than he To this Relation let every Man give the Credit he thinks it may deserve This King Ramiro had two Wives besides the Moor we have now spoke of The First was the Lady Vrraca and by her he had Ordonno his Successor Sancho and Bermudo The Second was Teresa Daughter to Sancho Abarca King of Navarre Her Issue were Sancho Audonio and Elvira By Artida the Moor he had Alboazar Ramirez and Artiga Ramirez King Ramiro reigned 19 Years 950. he died at Leon and lies in the Monastery of Our Holy Saviour founded by himself and his two Wives Vrraca and Teresa 6. King Ordonno III. was Successor to Ramiro II. King Ordonno III. disturbed by Rebels subdues them The Beginning of his Reign was blessed with Peace which lasted not long for he was soon disturbed by his Brother Sancho who aimed to usurp the Crown assisted by the Count Fernan Gonzalez who took part with him through Malice and contrary to Right and the Tyes of Affinity for Ordonno had married his Daughter Vrraca The Count was guilty of many Enormities besides this notwithstanding the vulgar Opinion of his extraordinary Vertues and Merit D. Garcia Sanchez King of Navarre and Uncle to Sancho as well as Brother to his Mother favoured his Designs With these Aids Sancho presumed to assume the Regal Stile and enter'd the Kingdom of Leon wasting that very Country where he intended to reign King Ordonno soon repulsed the Invaders and the better to be revenged of the Count he was divorced from his Daughter and sent her back to him Some Towns in Galicia had also rebelled but the King reduced them with a great Slaughter of the Rebels No sooner had he quelled the Rebels but he marched through Portugal as far as Lisbon whither no Christian King had reached since D. Alonso the Chaste He takes Lisbon After a fierce Assault he took the City by Storm and gave the Plunder thereof to his Army Which done he returned to his Court laden with Spoils and bestowed them in rewarding those that had deserved best and in Religious Works Conveniency made the King and Count Fernan Gonzalez who had been long at Variance agree and unite their Forces against the King of Cordova They came to a Battel near Gormaz where the Christians obtained a glorious Victory which brought Peace to their Frontiers before subject to continual Incursions This was the Posture of Affairs 955. when Ordonno died at Zamora He lies buried in the Church of Our Blessed Saviour at Leon by his Father with his two Wives Vrraca from whom he was divorced and Elvira whose Parentage is unknown By her he had D. Bermudo and Teresa a Nun in the Monastery of St. Julian in Leon. 7. Sancho Sancho 〈◊〉 Usurper called The Fat. the Brother of King Ordonno usurped the Crown from Bermudo the late King's Son then a Child This Sancho was excessively swelled with the Dropsie and thence though improperly called The Fat He had not long enjoyed the Crown when those very Rebels who had unjustly set it upon his Head 957. took it thence Ordonno Surnamed the Wicked advanced to the Crown to bestow it upon D. Ordonno Surnamed The Wicked Son to King Alonso the Monk The Rebel Count Fernan Gonzalez was the chief Actor in promoting him to the Throne and therefore gave him to Wife his Daughter Vrraca before put away by the other King Ordonno King Sancho fled to Navarre and thence to Cordova Sancho returns and expels him where there were famous Physicians who cured him of his Dropsie Being recovered of his Indisposition he gathered an Army and was so fortunate as to take the Count Fernan Gonzalez and his Son-in-Law Ordonno Though he had them Prisoners he would not presently put them to Death but kept the Count in Custody D. Sancha his Wife coming to see him in Prison changed Clothes with him and by that Means he escaped leaving her in his stead A great Rebellion was raised by the Counts that governed Portugal but the Presence of the King soon reduced them Only Count Gonzalo who governed beyond Duero durst march with an Army to meet his Sovereign yet finding him too strong he made a feigned Submission and was pardoned It was not long before he compassed by Poyson what he had failed of by the Sword The Portuguese Counts being accused of this Treason to clear themselves challenged D. Gonzalo and Count Fruela Vermuiz their Champion overcame him at the Town of Salas near the City of Perto King Sancho perceiving his Death draw near ordered himself to be carried to Leon 96◠but died by the Way at the Monastery of Castrillo where he was buried but was afterwards translated to Leon where his Queen was also interred Queen Teresa was Daughter to Assur Fernandez Count of Monzon By her the King had Issue D. Ramiro III his Successor Vrraca married to Count Nepociano Diaz and Ermesenda by whom the King her Brother is said to have had D. Sancho the Hairy About this time Castile revolted from the Crown of Leon. Authors write that the Cause was because the King could not pay Count Fernan Gonzalez for an Horse and an Hawk he had
and laid Siege to it where he continued till July following so that 7 Months were spent in the Siege 1064. And it may be supposed the Moors before unprovided upon Notice of his Coming had prepared to receive him Provisions grew so scarce in the Army towards the latter end of the Siege that the King was about raising it and departing But the Monks of the aforesaid Monastery of Lorvan supplied him plentifully and the City was taken the 8th Day after The King offered the Monks to take what they pleased in requital for their Intelligence and Supplies but they modestly begged only a Church in the City However he gave them many rich Gifts and confirmed all the former Grants made by his Ancestors In token of Gratitude the Monks presented the King with a Golden Crown which Count Gonzalo Moniz Governor of the Province between Duero and Minho had offered to their Church The King restored it with 10 Marks of Silver to make a Cross Roderick de Bivar Surnamed Cid that famous Captain was at this Siege and Knighted by the King in this City Here was also the renowned Portuguese Roderick Frojas Contemporary and not much inferiour to the other for Warlike Exploits 3. The King returning to Leon left Sisnandus a noble and valiant Man Governor of Coimbra He made War upon Abudad a resolute and powerful Moor who had much disturbed the King at the Siege but being subdued became a most loyal Subject Soon after the Moors 1065. under the Command of Benalfagi a great Lord in Estremadura repaired the Fortifications of Montemayor the Old that it might be a Check upon Coimbra This Place was so obnoxious to it that King Ferdinand was forced to come with a powerful Army wherewith he laid Siege to it for many Days 1066. Here Roderick de Bivar took great Pains to supply the Camp with Forage all the Country about being kept by great Multitudes of Moors Montemayor taken and demolished At length the Besieged surrender'd upon Promise of their Lives and the King offended at the Resistance he had found there demolished the Walls The Governor Sisnandus repaired them again in the Reign of King Alonso VI. King Ferdinand was born in the Year 1007 and in 1030 married the Lady Sancha by whom he had the following Children in Order as named Vrraca Elâ—â—â—a Sancho Alonso and Garcia By a Daughter of Raymund Lord of Savoy he had Ferdinand who was a Cardinal and D. Mininno Fernandez of Toro Ferdinand dying divides his Dominions The King finding his End draw near divided his Kingdoms among his Sons To Sancho he gave Castile to Alonso Leon and to Garcia Galicia and Portugal To the Lady Vrraca he left the City Zamora with half the Principality of Leon to the Lady Elvira Garcia is King of Galicia and Portugal the other half â—â—d the City Toro Having thus settled his Affairs King Ferdinand died in the 60th Year of his Age and the 30th of his Reign and was buried in the Church of St. Isidorus 1067. where a Year after his Wife Sancha was also laid 4. King Ferdinand foreseeing that the Division of his Kingdoms could not but produce Discord among his Sons bound them by Oath to stand to this Distribution leaving his Curse upon him that should attempt to alter it But of what Force are Oaths against Ambition The three Brothers fall at Variance None of them was satisfied Sancho the Eldest thought himself wronged as having a Right to all Garcia was grieved that the Cities of Toro and Zamora were given to his Sisters Alonso was offended that Sancho should think he had Right to his Dominions Garcia was the youngest and therefore the last in the Distribution But he proved the first that took up Arms against his Sisters and invaded the Lands of Toro and others along the River Duero which he would have to belong to Portugal D. Sancho soon followed his Example in taking the Field not to defend his Sisters but to strip them all King Sancho before he undertook this Enterprize asked the Advice of all his Noblemen who unanimously disswaded him from the Undertaking for fear of incurring his Father's Curses However finding him not to be moved they counselled him to continue in Amity with King Alonso and ask Leave of him to pass through the Kingdom of Leon into Portugal To this purpose he met his Brother Alonso at the Monastery of Sahagun but could not prevail to have Passage granted him Nevertheless upon second Thoughts they both agreed to conquer Portugal 1069. Our King Garcia taken up with his own ambitious Designs had no Leisure to look into the Practices of his Brothers What was yet worse his Subjects were discontented for that he made Account of none but his Favourite Verna by whose Advice he began the War of Toro unsuccessfully 5. The Portuguese Nobility and Gentry consulted together The Portuguese Nobility insult their King on account of his Favourite how they might remove this mighty Favourite and it was resolved that D. Roderick Frojas a mighty Man in those Days should discourse the King upon that Matter When he had made a long Harangue upon the Subject all the Answer the King made was to turn his Back upon him and go away D. Roderick seeing how little his Words had prevailed soon after killed Verna in the Palace The Death of Verna troubled not the King so much as the News that King Sancho was marching against him and the small Confidence he had in his Subjects especially for the Brothers of that D. Roderick conspired together to oppose his punishing the said D. Roderick Necessity obliged the King to wink at Offences and send for D. Roderick who was fled into Navarre designing for France He immediately returned and came to Coimbra then the Court of Portugal at such time as King Sancho's Forces began to range in Galicia and in the Province of Beira without meeting with any Opposition 1071. The two Earls D. Nunho de Lara and D. Garcia de Cabra advanced to the Walls of Coimbra with some Troops of Horse The King would have gone out to fight them The Forces of Castile overthrown by those of Portugal but D. Roderick Frojas said It was not fit for him to hazard himself where there was no King against him D. Roderick went out with his two Brothers Peter and Vermui to meet the Enemy and in the Field called Agua de Mayas overthrew them killing 600 among whom were many of Note 200 Portuguese were slain and Frojas himself received many Wounds 6. King Garcia was gone to Santarem when King Sancho to revenge the former Loss pierced through Portugal with a numerous Army Some advised to protract the War and not hazard a Battel but D. Roderick Frojaz now recovered of his Wounds was positive for Fighting A Plain not far from Santarem was chose for that Purpose where was fought as bloody a Battel as has been seen in
any Age. The greatest Fury was King Sancho overthrows his Brother Garcia and takes him Prisoner when the Portuguese strove to gain the Standard of the Castilians King Sancho came thither in Person to defend it and being unhorsed by D. Egas Gomez de Sousa was taken Prisoner by D. Roderick Frojaz who delivered him up to King Garcia No sooner had he delivered his Prisoner but he fell down dead of the Wounds he had before received King Garcia put his Brother into the Custody of certain Gentlemen whilst he pursued the flying Enemy But King Sancho making his Escape from them made his Way to join Roderick Diaz de Bivar called Cid who was then coming up with fresh Troops that had not been engaged These charging the Portuguese before tired and now dispersed in the Pursuit changed the Fortune of the Day However the Fight thus renewed lasted till Night D. Peter and D. Vermui Brothers to D. Roderick Frojas were killed and King Garcia was taken by his Brother who not long before had been his Prisoner and who now knew better how to secure him than he had been kept himself Thus the Castilians recovered the Day and the Portuguese before victorious were put to the Rout. King Garcia continued in Prison 10 Years when he was released by Death There are Authors who write that King Sancho enlarged his Brother Garcia contenting himself that he should be Tributary to him and that D. Alonso Brother to both returned him to Prison in the Castle of Luna where he died with Irons on his Legs With those very Fetters at his own Request he was buried in the Church of St. Isidorus at Leon. 7. King Sancho having obtained the Victory over his Brother Garcia all the Kingdom of Portugal and Galicia submitted to him This Kingdom being subdued he turned his victorious Arms against King Alonso of Leon Sancho after subduing Portugal â—onquers Leon and becomes sole Monarch who well deserved it for consenting to the Destruction of his Brother The War continued bloody for some time with various Success till at length King Alonso overthrown was taken Prisoner To deliver himself from that Misery he retired to Sahagun pretending to become a Religious Man Soon after finding a fit Opportunity 1072. by the Advice of Count Peter Anzures King Alonso of Leon flies to the Protection of the Moors he fled to Toledo where the Moorish King Alimaimon entertained him with Royal Magnificence Nothing now remained to disturb King Sancho's ambitious Thoughts but his Sister Vrraca's possessing Zamora He laid Siege to that City and had now reduced it to Extremity but here in this last Act God permitted the Curses of his Father to reach him for in the Height of his Confidence a Traytor called Vellido Dolphes coming out of the City upon pretence of revealing some Secret to him took his Opportunity to strike him through the Body with a Spear whereof he fell down dead King Sancho reigned six Years and was murder'd in 1073. 1073. He was called The Brave and was married to the Lady Blanch Daughter to his Uncle Garcia Sanchez King of Navarre or according to others to Alberta of France His Body lies in the Church of our Blessed Saviour at Onna 8. King Alonso being generously protected by the Moor Alimaimon King of Toledo lived in hopes of better Fortune when Advice was brought him from Zamora by Order of his Sister Vrraca of the Death of his Brother Alonso after his Brother's Death returne and is received by the People aâ— their King King Sancho He immediately came to take Possession of his Kingdoms and was received with general Applause Only Roderick Diaz de Bivar called Cid would not take the Oath of Allegiance to him till he swore he had no Hand in the Death of King Sancho It is strange amidst the universal Satisfaction the King should have need of one Man But he resented this Affront so heinously that he afterwards banished him in which Exile Roderick gained much Honour King Alonso the 6th of that Name being settled in quiet Possession of his Kingdoms approved himself worthy of greater Dominions being one of the most victorious Princes of Spain and that farthest extended his Conquests He seemed rather to have fled to Toledo as a Spy than for Protection for he took that City from the Infidels and valued himself so much upon it that from thenceforwards he stiled himself Emperor 1085. and was the Honour of the Spanish Monarchy 9. King Alonso had six Wives Alonso's Wâ—ves and Issue The First was Agnes her Parentage unknown and she left no Issue The Second was Constance Daughter to Duke Robert II. of Burgundy She had a Daughter called Vrraca afterwards married to Count Raymund of Burgundy and her Portion was the Kinâ—â—â—om of Galicia Her Husband came to Spain with her Mother and they had Issue Sancha and Alonso the Emperor King Alonso's Third Wife was Berta Daughter to Philip I King of France By her he had the Ladies Sancha and Elvira the First married to Count Roderick Gonzalez Giron the Latter to Roger I King of Naples and Sicily The Fourth Wife was Elizabeth Daughter to the Emperor The Fifth Beatrix a French Lady Neither of them had any Children The Sixth was Zaida her Christian-Name Elizabeth Daughter of Almucamuz Aben Hamet King of Sevil She bore him a Son called Sancho killed at Twelve Years of Age in the Battel of Velez in the Year 1100. The King in his Youth had to do with the Lady Ximena Nunez de Gusman Daughter to King Garcia VI of Navarre By her he had three Daughters The First Elvira married to Count Raymund of Toulouse her Portion was a great Summ of Money with which he returned to France The Second Daughter was Teresa Wife to Count Henry the Progenitor of the Kings of Portugal Grandson to Robert I. Duke of Burgundy being the Fourth Son to Henry Eldest Son to the Duke Of the Third Daughter we have no Account unless it was one that was married to Ferdinand Mendez the Elder Son to Mâ—m Alao Lord of Braganza Some Authors would make the Lady Ximena to be lawful Wife to King Alonso but there are undeniable Proofs to the contrary in old Records specifying the Time when each Wife was married to the King wherein none is left for this Lady who doubtless was no other than a Mistress 10. Count Henry Count Henry marries the Bastard Daughter of King Alonso after he had married the Bastard-Daughter of King Alonso served the King in his Wars and was some Times sent Governor into Portugal as were several others from the Year 1072 till 1098. For tho' the Count was married in the Year 1072 the Kingdom of Portugal was not absolutely assigned over to him till after the Birth of his Son Alonso which was in the Year 1094 And we find that from the Year 1099 the Count continued settled in Portugal as absolute Lord and Proprietor thereof whereas
Alonso was glad to abandon that City upon promise to relieve it in four Months He overthrew King Alonso of Navarre in defence of Queen Vrraca and about the Government of Prince Alonso soon after Henry being dissatisfied with the said Queen took part with the King against her and defeated Count Gomes who espoused her Quarrel 7. Whilst he was absent from Astorga those People of the Kingdom of Leon that he had subdued revolted 1112. and he returning His Death and Character laid Siege to Astorga In the heat of the Siege he died and his Son Alonso rising with his Army went away to Bury him at Braga Thus Astorga with all its Territory was lost The death of Earl Henry was much lamented of his Subjects for that he was a Prince of extraordinary Piety Valour and Generosity He overthrew the Moors in Seventeen several Battles and took from them many Cities and places of Strength He lived Seventy Seven Years Governed Portugal with the Title of Earl above Twenty and was Governour of part thereof almost as many more He was of a middle Stature a beautiful and awful Presence his Complection fair his Eyes blew and his Hair yellow inclining to red In his antient Pictures he is represented with his Sword in his hand his Body lies in the Cathedral of Braga with a modern Inscription on his Tomb which mistakes his Country and Parentage The Countess Dowager governed this Dominion for some years as being her Dower and her Son being under Age. She might have ruled longer had she not Married or proposed to Marry the Earl of Trastamara D. Ferdinand de Trava this or some other cause produced Civils Wars betwixt the Mother and Son which ended in her overthrow her Son without regard to the duty he owed to a Mother when she was made Prisoner keeping her in the Castle of Lannoso with Fetters on her Feet till she died in the Year 1130. and was Buried by her Husband 8. The Issue of Earl Henry was His Issue First Alonso Enriquez taking his Name and Sir-Name from his Father and Grand-Father This being his Heir is named before the Sisters though they preceded him as to Birth Secondly the Lady Vrraca Wife to D Bermudo Pâ—â—z Earl of Trastamara Thirdly the Lady Sancha Wife to D. Ferdinand Nunnez a great Man in the Kingdom of Galicia they left no Children Fourthly the Lady Teresa Married to D. Sancho Nunnez Son to Count Nunno de Celanova Fifthly he had a Bastard Son by a Woman of Quality his Name was Peter Alonso of whose brave Actions we shall hear in the life of his Brother Earl Henry for some Years wore a plain white Shield till after he had obtained renown by his Sword he added to it a plain blew Cross CHAP. II. The Birth of Alonso first King of Portugal he takes upon him the Government is proclaimed King by the Army his wonderful Victory over the Moors at Ourique he takes Lisbon Santarem and many other places all from the Year 1094. till the Year 1148. 1. IN July 1094. or according to others on the 15th of August 1094. was Born D. Alonso Enriquez only Son to Earl Henry The Birth of Alonso Enriquez Son to Count Henry and his Lady Teresa at the Town of Guimaraens He is said to have been Born with both his Legs cleaving together from the Knees down and that his Governour Egas Muniz having devoutly begged of Heaven to loosen his Feet the Blessed Virgin appeared to him bidding him carry the Child to an old ruined Church at Carquere near Lamego and that restoring the place and setting the Infant upon the Altar he should recover his Limbs Egas for the space of five Years did as he had been ordered and the Child recovered 1105. This Prince was but Fourteen Years of Age when he began to follow the Wars under his Father and was with him when he died at the Siege of Astâ—rga as has been said before 1112. Having paid the last Honours to his Father to express his great respect towards his Mother he committed the Government to her though then of Age to undertake it himself St. Bernard haâ—â—ng at his Convent of Claraval in France had a vision of St. John Bapist Mâ—nks of Claraval came into Portugal directing him to send some of his Monks to found a Monastery in Portugal in the place that should be shown to them by one John Cerita whom they should find there he accordingly sent seven of his Monks They found Cerita who lived an Austere Eremitical life and conducted them to Prince Alonso by whom they were honourably received and encouraged in their Foundation 1120. Being dismissed they settled in a deep Valley encompassed with high Mountains near the River Barosa almost two Leagues from Lamego where they built a Chappel Dedicated to our Saviour which is still in being in the Village called Pinegro 1121. The following Year they built in a place where they had seen certâ—â—â— Lights during Nine Nights as had been foretold by St. John Baptist to St. Bernard Here Prince Alonso visiting them enlarged the Structure at his own cost John Cerita took the order here and reduced several who lived an Eremitical Life in the Mountains to follow his Example The number of Monks thus increasing he founded another Monastery called St. Christopher de Lafoens Both these Churches were afterwards Consecrated and great Gifts offered in them at the Solemnity 2. Prince Alonso having now weilded a Sword long enough to gain Renown 1125. thought it requisite to be Knighted according to the Custom of those days Alonso Knights himself and thinking there was none about him great enough to Confer that Honour on him by putting on his Armour and girding on his Sword as was then the Custom he laid the Arms upon an Altar and taking them thence put them on himself so taking the Honour at his own hands Prince Alonso's Mother being about to marry the second time it bred such Animosities betwixt them that they finally came to Battle near the Town of Guimaraens 1128. the Mother overthrown fled to the Castle of Lannoso He besieges his Mother takes and puts her into Irons which is hard by and was there Besieged by her Son Alonso VII King of Castile and Leon came to her relief with a powerful Army The Portuguese Alonso was not unprovided but meeting him in the plains of Valdevez put to the Sword the greatest part of his Forces took seven Earls Prisoners and the King himself hardly escaped having received two Wounds This done the young Prince returns to the Siege of the Castle which being yielded to him he put his Mother into Irons She provoked at this dis-respect as her Bolts were put on prayed to God that his Legs might be broke and her Prayers were heard as will appear hereafter 3. Alonso now grown absolute Being himself besieged by King Alonso of Castile he Articles for his
deliverance and breaks his Faith and having provoked the King of Castile by the late overthrow given him to revenge the Affront that King marched with a Powerful Army and besieged Prince Alonso in the Town of Guimaraens There being no hope of relief nor possibility of holding out Egas Muniz was sent out by the Prince to treat of some accommodation with the King which Business he managed so Dexterously that the King upon Promise and Articles that Prince Alonso should hold that Country of him and do him homage for the same in a certain time prefixed raised his Siege and departed Prince Alonso delivered of that danger thought of nothing less than performing the Articles agreed upon Porteguese Authors will have it that Egas Muniz who managed this Treaty because it was not performed presented himself to the King of Castile with a Halter about his Neck for him to punish that breach of Faith and was pardoned by the King But this is as Romantick as what our Authors writes that the whole treaty was concluded without the privity of Prince Alonso as if the King could be so infatuated to treat with a private Man stolen out of a Town where his Prince was closely Besieged without seeing his Commission or to conclude Articles and depart upon his bare word without the Ratification of the principal Points These Chimerical Notions are better passed by than to interrupt the course of History with them however I would not wholly omit this wild imagination of the Author 4. Albucazan King of Badajoz did great harm in the Province of Beira 1131. and took the Town of Trancoso before Prince Alonso could come to relieve it War with the Moors However our Prince soon retook it and repulsed the Moor who came to have hindred him from fortifying of it In his return from this place Alonso was worsted by the Moors but recovering himself near the Town of Guimaraens he overthrew a great multitude of them and so entred that Town victorious 1135. where he hunged up the Colours taken in the Church Thâ—n with Castile The War broke out again betwixt Castile and Portugal in the Reign of Alonso VII of Castile called the Emperor and much harm was done on both sides though with no great advantage to either 1136. At last our Prince broke into Galicia where King Alonso meeting him was in Battle overthrown and the Earl D. Roderick Vela made Prisoner After this our Alonso valiantly defended Coimbra besieged by the Moor Eujuni so powerful a Prince that he is said to have covered all the plains about the City with an Army of 300000 fighting Men But a violent Plague raging among his Troops forced him to break up and depart much weaker than he came Our Prince thus delivered entred the Territory of Leyria which place tho' strong he took by Escalade putting most of the Defendants to the Sword This being the first of his notable Conquests he offered it up to God delivering it to Theotonius Prior of the Monastery of Santa Cruz whether after the taking of Torres Novas he returned to repose himself in order to prosecute greater Designs 5. Ismar or Ismael 1139. a powerful Moor was Sovereign of all the Country beyond the River Tagus A Fabuâ—ous Relation called Alentejo Our Prince passed that River and made great Havock in the Territories of those Infidels Ismael assembled twenty petty Princes subject to five little Kings who were all under his Dominion Each of those Kings led 80000 Men wherewith they covered all the plains With our Authors leave it is wholly incredible That such inconsiderable Princes as they must be whose Dominions extended not to above half the limits of Portugal should raise so prodigious a Multitude for it amounts to no less than 480000. This may perhaps be added to gain the greater Reputation to those strange miracles he talks of in the Sequel The Christians were not above 13000 and those wholly dismayed as well they might at the sight of such an Army as they could not be capable to number However Prince Alonso reposing his confidence in God ceased not to encourage and animate his fainting Forces They encouraged with his undaunted Contenance and resolute Expressions took heart and offered their ready service It was then Night when the Prince retiring to rest read the History of Gideon and fell asleep in a Dream there appeared to him a venerable Old Man promising him Victory and being awakened was told there was such an one pressed to speak with him being admitted he found it was the same Man he saw in his Dream and that he came to give him the same assurances At break of day he went out of his Tent and looking towards the East saw a mighty Brightness in the midst of which appeared our Saviour on the Cross surrounded with Angels who promised him Victory over the Infidels and commanded him to accept the Title of King if offered to him by his Army Soon after the Portuguese flocked about him Alonso saluted King demanding the signal of Battle and unanimously saluted him King He at first seemed to refuse that Title but it being the consequence of the Vision he had seen soon admitted it Let every one give that credit to this strange relation he shall think fit I have briefly set it down that I might not wholly cut off so extraordinary a passage in my Author yet would I not extend it to that length as he has done because I believe most Men will give as little credit to it as I do 6. Alonso thus encouraged drew up his Army into four Bodies the Enemy making twelve The charge was seconded by a most hideous cry raised by both Armies The Battle of Ourique an incredible clattering of Weapons and such showers of Darts and Arrows as seemed to darken the light of the Sun No Christian sought to save himself all their study was to kill the King encouraged all Men by his example and every Man sought to out-do another Six hours the fight lasted in which time the plain of Ourique where they engaged was all covered with dead Bodies which almost floated in a Pool of Blood At length the Victory fell to the Christians and was one of the greatest ever obtained against Infidels Reflections vpon this Battle It is very hard to reconcile the account of this Battle to any thing of probability for whereas the Author says but a little before there were five lesser Kings and one Sovereign of them all with each 80000 Men which amounts to 480000 now he says they were above 600000. Doubtless there must be willful mistakes in these Numbers to magnifie the Action which would seem great if not rendred incredible Besides he reckons six Kings which are those of Silves Merida Sevil Badajoz Lisbon and Algezira whereas all other Authors agree they were but five and give that for the reason that the Portuguese Arms contain five small Scutcheons within the
this exploit among them was one Henry of Bonneville near 〈◊〉 at whose Tomb in the Church of St. Vincent many Miracles are reported to have been wrought many others were buried where now is the Church called that of the Martyrs from those that were buried there The King according 〈◊〉 what had been before agreed offered to the Strangers half the City but they satisfied with the Booty and some other rewards departed to prosecute their holy designs â—or to their own Countries Such as would stay had Lands assigned them many other strong places were taken soon after in this current of the King 's good Fortune 1148. the chief of them were Mafra Almada Palmela Cintra Obidos Trancoso Alenquer Serpa Beja Elvas Coruche and Cezimbra Thus the Pride of the Mahometans began to be humbled and this Christian Kingdom to lift up its head CHAP. III. Continues the mighty Actions of the victorious King Alfonso the Kingdom confirmed to him by the Pope his Death issue and description all from the Year 1148. till 1185. 1. SInce we cannot give the particulars of all the Heroical Actions of this King Alonso overthrows the Moors with a handfull of Men. let us at least in two of them represent somewhat of the grandeur of the rest He sat down before Aleazar do Sal with a small handful of Men 500 Moorish Horse and 10000 Foot came to raise the Siege whom he went out to meet with only 60 Horse and a proportionable number of Foot With this small Body he put his Enemies to flight but was himself wounded in the Leg most misfortunes always lighting upon his Legs ever since his Mother laid that Curse on him as was said before After this Victory returning to the Siege he took it at the end of two Monâ—hs this done he went with 60 Lances and a few Cross-bow-men to take a view of the Fortress on the Rock of Palmela Being before the place he discovered the King of Badajoz coming down a Hill with 400 Horse and 60000 Foot Another like exploit but without any order Our King lay a while betwixt certain Rocks out of sight considering their disorderly march whilst his Company meditated on their Numbers At length breaking out suddenly with that handful he soon covered the Hill with dead Bodies and the Infidels believing a greater Army had followed fled in confusion leaving all their Baggage to a few above 60 Conquerors Palmela upon the News of this defeat immediatly surrendred upon only promise of Life 1160. The City Tuy left him by his Father and now revolted he reduced to his Obedience and at the same time concluded a match for his Daughter Mafalda then 12 Years of Age with Raymund Prince of Catalonia 2. Some time before he had subdued the City Beja after a tedious Siege but the Moors who are faithful no longer than compelled by necessity finding now a fit opportunity 1162. rebelled Certain valiant Commanders imitating the example of their King assaulted this place by Night with such resolution and so unexpectedly that they carried it making great slaughter among the Inhabitants A Gentleman of Quality called Giraldus living like an outlaw on account of certain crimes he had committed A number of Christian Out-laws 〈◊〉 Evora entred into hopes of regaining the King's Favour by some extraordinary action Considering therefore that the City Evora was not guarded by the Infidels with that circumspection that was requisite at such a time he resolved to surprize it There was a Watch-tower where the Centinel was kept by a Moor and his Daughter by turns Giraldus knowing this Scales the Tower alone and killing both Father and Daughter who were asleep returns with their heads to his Men being 500 Horse and a good number of Foot They encouraged by this success scaled the Walls then unguarded and breaking open one of the Gates let in their Companions Thus with a mighty slaughter made of the Inhabitants the City was gained The King not only Pardoned but Rewarded all those Out-laws and made their Captain Governour of the City 3 King Alonso thus become terrible to the Moors fell at variance with his Son-in-law Ferdinand the Second King of Leon 1168. and thereupon entred Galiciâ— in the 75th year of his Age. War with Leon. Here he took the Towns of Lima and Turon and putting Portuguese Garrisons into them turned his Forces against Badajoz then a tributary City to the King of Leon. This City he assaulted and entred but not the Castle Mean while King Ferdinand came to defend that place which fell within the limits of his Conquest The Portuguese Army encountring him in the Field King Alonso put to flight breaks his Leg fulfilling his Mothers curse when he put Fetters upon her was overthrown and King Alonso forced to fly into the City whence thinking to make his escape he struck his Leg against a bolt of the Gate so violently that he broke it and here his Mothers Curse reached him fully Nor was that all for in that condition he was taken by the King of Leon who treated him with extraordinary courtesy and was content that he should restore to him only such places as he had wrongfully taken in Galicia and Leon tho' he offered others in Portugal Our Author will not allow that King Alonso promised any acknowledgment to the Crown of Leon for his Dominions but all Spanish Authors are positive he did Certain it is that from henceforward he remained lame so that he never after could ride a Horseback but was carried in a Chariot 4. The King had some time since taken the City Beja but it was soon after lost Gonzalo Mendez de Maya called the Combatant 1170. about this time made a Road into the territory of Beja where was a great body of Moors under the Command of Almoâ—â—â—mar a Soldier of Reputation These two Bodies encountred and Maya remained Master of the Field scarce had he vanquished this Enemy when he was met by Alboazem King of Tangier who was coming to the assistance of the vanquished The fight was renewed on the same spot of Ground and a second Victory added to the former Maya was 95 Years of Age when he obtained these two Victories but died immediately of the Wounds he had received which made his Army return home in mornful manner Albaraque King of Sevil made bold by the King's lameness 〈…〉 Santarem by the Moors 〈…〉 drawing a vast multitude out of Andaluzia presumed not only to wast the Country beyond Tagus but to set down before Santarem where the King then in the 88th Year of his Age reposed himself he caused himself to be carried out in his Chariot to give the Besiegers Battle The fight was so obstinate he was forced to quit his Chariot and appear at the head of his Men with his Sword in Hand Hereat his Soldiers took so much Courage that they soon put their Enemies to the rout with a great slaughter
〈◊〉 a King leaving the Formalities of the inauguration of the new King for another place The Judges and their Officers walk a foot from the Town-house with long mourning Cloaks with Hoods to them on their head After them the Town Standard Bearer on a Horse with mourning trappings with black colours on his Shoulder the end whereof trails upon the Ground Then follows the Sheriff with two others in Mourning like the others each of them carrying a Bucler over his head Next to them come the Aldermen followed by a multitude of People in this manner they proceed to the great Church where the Sheriff having made a short Speech declaring the King's death and their great loss he lets fall the Buckler from his head upon the Stones and breaks it to pieces at which the People raise a hideous lamentation Then they go to the Mint and so to the great Hospital at both which places they perform the same Ceremony which done they return to the great Church and hear Mass The third day after is performed the Ceremony of inauguration which shall be spoke of in another place This Ceremony was now performed at Coimbra where Martin then Bishop crowned King Sancho and his Queen Dulcis according to the custom of those times 3. The first action of the new King was paying his Obedience to Pope Vrban III. 1186. after which he so much addicted himself to repairing of Towns and Castles and building others anew He repairs and builds many Towns as also to encouraging of Tilling that he was called the Peopler and the Farmer or Tiller To the Military order of Santiago he gave the Towns of Alcazar Palmela Almada and Arruda to that of Avis Alpedriz and Alcanede to the Templars Idanha He repaired the great Town of Covillam to whose jurisdiction 300 Villages are subject and gave a Charter to it as he did to Gouvea Viseo and Braganza Ferdinand King of Leon entred into Portugal 1187. with greater force than success for after several repulses he was defeated in the Country of Cerolico Bebado now called la Vera The Governour of Villota a Town on a Hill near the City Guardia observing the King of Leon's Army dispersed about the Villages for Plunder gatherered all the Forces near him and marching from Trancoso recovered all the Booty killing many and putting the rest to flight A Fleet of English Flemings and Danes consisting of 53 sail 1188. Commanded by Jaques Lord of Avesnes entred the Mouth of the River Tagus being designed for the Holy Land The King supplied them with all they wanted and designing the Conquest of the City Silves the Metropolis of Algarve Silves in Algarve taken with the help of a Foreign Fleet. and refuge of all the Moorish Pyrates he proposed advantagious terms to these Strangers if they would assist him in that Expedition They consented Articling for the Plunder of the City if taken Forty Portuguese Gallies were joined to the Foreign Fleet besides Tenders carrying Provision and warlike Munitions The King marched with his Army by Land whilst the Fleet made the best of its way at Sea Both being come before the City they furiously Battered and gave several Assaults to it for the space of two Months meeting a vigorous resistance in the Defendants At the end of that time the Moors pressed with Hunger and the continual attacks of the Christians delivered up the City capitulating only for their lives 4. This City of Silves taken 1189. as has been said was again lost the ensuing Year Algarve subdued King Sancho adds that Title to Portugal King Sancho soon returned into Algarve and not only recovered it but took also the Town of Albor and Castle of Abenabacci besides other places This Country thus conquered King Sancho stiled himself King of Algarve and to the Royal Arms of Portugal added an Orle of Castles Some of his Coin has been seen which in the Orle has 7 Castles which number is still used in the Armes of Algarve when separated from those of Portugal King Alonso III. added more making the Number uncertain but King John II. long after fixed the Number again at seven Betwixt this Year and that of 1200 were repeopled the Towns of Penamacor Pinel Torres Novas Azambuja Penucova Gondomar Ermelo Covellinas Soto de Panoyas and Povos Mâ—ntemayor the New was now first Built as also the City Guarda on the side of the Mountain formerly called Herminius now Serra da Estrella 1190. King Sancho entred Andaluzia a second time laid Siege to the Town of Serpa overthrew the Moors that came to relieve it and yet was forced to rise without taking it Soon after it was taken by the Knights of the Order of Avis Peter Fernandez de Castro that famous Castilian who taking offence at his King often led the Moors against him being now General for the King of Morocco did great harm in Portugal All the territory of Tomar was wasted and Abrantes plundered As he was retiring loaded with rich Plunder Martin Lopez a famous Commander encountred him and after a most sharp dispute recovered all the Prey and took him Prisoner 5. The Miramamolin again overwhelmed this Kingdom with an Army of 400000 Horse and 500000 Foot I could wish a Cipher were cut off from each Number and it would appear more credible He took Torres Novas without opposition but Tomar was bravely defended by Galdin Paez Master of the Templers who had done notable service in the Holy Land The Moor offered to exchange the places he had taken for the City Silves but this proposition being rejected by King Sancho he in a fury laid Siege to Santarem where the Plague raging in his Army Robert Labril and Richard Cambil Englishmen with a fleet of 63 Ships arrive at Lisbon and assist the Portuguese against the Moors he was forced to break it up and depart 63 Men of War from the Northern parts arrived at Lisbon commanded by two English Men of Note called Robert Labril and Richard Cambil The first ten that came in aided the King at Santarem against the Miramamolin the others being joined to them there arose such contention betwixt them and the Portuguese as might have been the cause of much Bloodshed had not the King prudently prevented it and sent the Strangers away well contented A most terrible Plague and devouring Famine followed all these great successes and not only destroyed Men in their Houses but even the wild Beasts in the Woods or else they ran to the Towns for Prey whilst Men fled to the Mountains for Shelter 1191. The Monks of Alcobaca perceiving they must of necessity Perish Great Famine hid an Image of our Lady in the Mountain which being afterwards found A total Eclipse of the Sun a Church was built there and called Our Lady of Help To be brief a great part of the Kingdom was altogether unpeopled all this was foreshown by a total Solar Eclipse 6. As if
all these Calamities had not been sufficient to humble so small a number of People and so narrow a Country the Miramamolin Abenjoseph Brother to him that besieged Santarem assisted by the Kings of Cordova and Sevil entred Portugal with 400000 Men. The Moors ravage the Country All the open Country was by him miserably wasted and the Towns of Alcazar Almada and Palmela taken with all that the Christians had before gained in Algarve Our King not able oppose so puissant an Enemy concluded a Truce with him for five Years which ended in a wonderful Eclipse of the Sun This was followed by Earthquakes Earthquakes inundations and Storms for 8 Years Floods Storms at Sea and many other Calamities for the space of 8 Years Men laboured under a horrid Distemper for their Entrails consuming they died raving A considerable body of Portuguese was at the famous Battle of Alarcos in Castile against the Moors 1195. commanded by D. Ganzalo Viegas Master of Avis who died honourably in that glorious Action A multitude of Arabs after the Expiration of the Truce overran a great part of Portugal 1196. consuming all that was not before spoiled and putting to the Sword all the Monks of the Monastery of Alcobaza 1197. King Sancho at last provoked by these losses marched out with his Forces took Roca de Palmela and recovered Elvas not long before taken from him Next he made War on the King of Leon his Son-in-law having obtained of Pope Celestin III. 1200. the Croisade for all that fought against him as a favourer of Infidels against Christians He took from him the City Tuy and Towns of Pontevedrâ— and St. Payo de Lombeo and recovered Contrasta now called Valencia before taken by the King of Leon. At length these two Kings were reconciled through the mediation of the King of Aragon who to that effect came to Coimbra 1208. then the Court of Portugal Some time after there ensued Civil Wars in Portugal betwixt certain great Men the most considerable betwixt Peter Rodriguez de Pereyre and his Cousin Peter Mendez de Poyares who coming to a Battle near Valongo two Leagues from Porto the latter was there slain with many other Men of Note 7. The Holy City of Hierusalem being taken by Saladin the Christian Princes made preparations for recovery of it and our King Sancho designed to have gone thither himself but being disswaded sent supplies and encouraged the knights Templers and Hospitallers to proceed vigorously in that religious Enterprize In this King's time was used in Portugal the weight called a Talent A Talent used in Portugal but less than the Roman Greek or Hebrew being worth but four Ducats I have seen silver Coin of this King 's with his Image a Horseback on the one side his Sword held up a cross on his Reines and about it these Words In nomine Patris filij spiritus Sancti On the reverse the Arms of the Kingdom and this Inscription Sanctius Dei Gratia Rex Portugaliae King Sancho fixed not his abode in any one place but often removed that so all might equally enjoy his presence He was a great Patron to the religious and Military Orders careful of rewarding Merit a Friend to the Poor an Enemy to Idleness and true Father of his Country The misfortunes during his Reign and his own bounty might well have exhausted the Treasure yet so well did he manage it that at his death he distributed 7â—8000 Crowns and 1400 Marks of Plate and 100 of Gold His Legacies extended to Rome and Hierusalem The death of King Sancho he was of a middle Stature and strongly set he Reigned 26 Years and lived 57 died in March and lies Buried in the Church of the Holy Cross at Coimbra opposite to his Father whose Tomb is on the right side of the Altar His Tomb being opened by King Emanuel to put him into a new one 400 Years after his Decease the body was found uncorrupted 8. Some Years before the death of his Father His Issue he married Dulcis or Aldonza Daughter to Raymund Berengarius Earl of Barcelona by whom he had issue Alonso his Successor Ferdinand married to Joanna Countess of Flanders Daughter and Heiress to Baldwin Emperor of Constantinople Peter who married the Daughter and Heiress of Earl Armengaud in whose right he had the Earldoms of Vrgel and Segorbe and Island of Majorca Henry that died young and Raymund that lived a short time His Daughters were Teresa married to the King of Leon and parted from him on account of Consanguinity when she had three Children by him she is esteemed a Saint Mafalda married to Henry I. King of Castile and divorced as well as her Sister on the same account of Consanguinity she lies buried in the Monastery of Arouca and is Worshiped as a Saint Sancha who converted her own Pallace at Alenquer into a Franciscan Monastery which was the first in Portugal that holy Man being then alive She also built the Monastery of Celas near Coimbra and lies Buried at Lorvan with the same esteem as her Sisters Blanch Lady of Gaudalajara in Castile where she died but was translated to the Church of the Holy Cross at Coimbra among her Parents Berengaria died young at Lorâ—an and lies there His illegitimate Children were Martin Sanchez Earl of Trastamara Vrraca Sanchez Wife to Laurence Suarez Teresa Sanchez second Wife to Alonso Tello the Elder Giles Sanchez who became a Priest Constance Sanchez finished the Monastery of St. Francis at Coimbra Ruy Sanchez killed in Battle as will appear in the year 1245. Nunno Sanchez and Mayor Sanchez All these the King had before he was Married by a Lady of Quality called Mary Paez 9. King Sancho left out all the small Scutcheons used by his Father in his Arms His Armes only retaining the five principal in form of a Cross with the strings that bind them together In his time the Orders of St. Dominick and St. Francis first founded in Portugal and those of the Holy Trinity and Carmelites were then also admitted CHAP. V. The Life and Reign of King Alonso II. of the Name and third King of Portugal his actions and death from the Year 1183. till 1223. 1. ALonso Eldest Son to King Sancho 1185. and his Wife Queen Dulcis The Birth of King Alonso II. who was the third King of Portugal and second of the Name was Born the 25th of April in the famous City Coimbra He falling desperately sick and being given over by the Physitians his Father had recourse to Heaven for his Health which was obtained through the Prayers of the Holy Nun Sennorina then living in the Mountains of Basto of the Province betwixt Duero and Minho as an acknowledgment for which benefit received the King bestowed Lands and Possessions on that Church as did some of his Successors Soon after his miraculous recovery his Father sent him General against Torres Novas whence the Infidels
enacted by him He was the first that instituted general Laws in the first Year of his Reign holding a Parliament for that purpose at Coimbra In these Laws great regard was had to the Church-Men the prices of all things necessary for the support of life were settled so that the meanest might buy as cheap as the greatest the Extortions of publick Ministers were retrenched Plaintiffs if cast were ordered to pay a Fine Sentence of Death passed by him was appointed not to be Executed till 20 days after to prevent the Effects of Passion This King used extraordinary severity towards the Church-men 1221. for which being reproved by Stephen Suarez de Silva Archbishop of Braga instead of amending he set Officers to destroy all the Possessions of that See He persisted so obstinately in this fury that Honorius the third wrote a Letter to him full of most severe Expressions calling him Tyrant In fine the King died before he was reconciled to the Clergy His Death or his own Sisters the Kingdom at that time lying under an interdict He lived 48 Years and Reigned 21 His Body lies Buried with the Queen his Wife in the Royal Monastery of Alcobaca in a plain Tomb without any Epitaph or Inscription as were all the first Kings of this Nation Of Body he was extraordinary gross and therefore called the Fat yet his Gigantick Stature carried it off his Countenance was Comly his Forehead High 1223. his Eyes Chearful and his Hair Yellow which he always wore long 5. King Alonso Married Vrraca His Wife and Issue the Daughter of Alonso VIII of Castile called the Noble and Good a most vertuous and beautiful Princess His Issue by her was Sancho who succeeded in the Throne Alonso Earl of Bolen in right of his Wife Maud whence he was called to Govern the Kingdom by reason of the insufficiency of his Brother whom he succeeded Ferdinand called de Serpa married to Sancha Fernandez Daughter to Ferdinand Earl of Lara Lastly Elenor who was Queen of Dacia The King had one Bastard Son called John Alonso of whom there is no other memory but that he lies Buried in the Church of Alcobaca Tho' it be said before at the end of the last King's Reign that then the orders of St. Dominick St. Francis the Blessed Trinity and the Carmelites came into Portugal our Author repeats it again in the Reign of this King which is the most likely CHAP. VI. The Life and Reign of King Sancho II. he is deposed by his Brother flies to Toledo and there ends his days all betwixt the Years 1207 and 1246. 1. SAncho II. of the Name 1203. and Fourth King of Portugal Sancho II. ascends the Throne Eldest Son to King Alonso was Born on the Eighth of September at Coimbra He was called Capelo because being sickly in his Child-hood his Mother confiding to obtain his Health through the intercession of the Holy Father St. Augustin caused him to wear that Habit. His Weakness rather than want of Years must be the cause that he appeared not in any Military Action with his Father for we have no account of him till he ascended the Throne which was about the 20th 1223. or 21st Year of his Age. His first Action was a Reconciliation with the Clergy who had suffered much under his Father but he soon followed his Example After this agreement with the Church the Ecclesiastical Censures were taken off and those who died during the interdict were now Buried in hallowed Ground The controversies also between the late King and his Sisters ceased they now swearing fealty to the King for the places they possessed His next care was to visit his Kingdom which he did taking a Progress through it leasurely doing justice to all Men and giving prudent Orders in all places Then laying aside for a while the Civil Affairs he applied him to the Military making several incursions upon the Moors whence he returned with Honour Our King and Ferdinand of Castile met at Sabugal to adjust certain Differences which they amicably put an end to King Ferdinand delivering up the Town of Chaves which had been engaged to him 2. Still the Arabs ranged about the territory of Elvas He entirely defeats the Moors at Elvas wasting the Country and destroying the Villages King Sancho assembling his Forces soon drove them thence but no sooner was his back turned then they came again laid Siege to Elvas and carried it by Assault Our King returning with speed utterly discomfitted those Barbarians so that they never again attempted any thing there Nor did he desist till he had Juremenha 1226. Serpa and other Castles which had often been gained and again fallen into the Enemies hands For four Years there was nothing of Action but in the Year 1230 1230. he made War on the Moors in the Province of Alentejo The following year he advanced into Algarve to recover what his Grand-father had conquered there and was now again fallen into the hands of the Infidels 1232. Some places he re-took consecrated the Churches and placed therein Evangelical Pastors 1235. After this by his Commanders the chief whereof was Payo Perez Correa he took Aljustrel which he gave to the Military Order of Santiago 1239. then the Towns of Mergola and Alfajar de Penna which also he bestowed on the same Order Of late Years the insolencies of Favourites were grown insupportable they abusing the King and their Kindred and friends them Common complaints when subjects will rebell The Subjects were treated worse than conquered Moors their Persons Imprisoned their Estates Wasted their Children Murdered unless redeemed for Money and their Wives and Daughters openly Ravished Nor was the Sanctuary of the Church any refuge for even in those Holy Places all Villanies were committed The King knew nothing but what his Favourites told him and it was their study to keep him in ignorance and hence proceeded the ruin of this unhappy Prince 3. In the Year 1240. Cacela and Ayamonte were taken by Assault 1240. in which Actions D. Payo Perez Correa particularly signalized himself Complaints made to the Pope and all things adjusted wherefore the King gave those places to the Military Order of Santiago whereof he was Commendary During this current of Affairs the King was highly commended and received Spiritual Favours from Pope Gregory IX The Spiritual Graces were for such as died in the War and for the King himself who lay under Ecclesiastical Censures for having proceeded unjustly against Peter Bishop of Porto who carried his complaints to Rome Besides he seized the Ecclesiastical revenues on pretence of urgent necessities and of punishing Clergy Men who kept Women in their Houses Silvester Archbishop of Braga had hereupon made application to the Pope who therefore wrote to the King and recommended the charge of reducing him to certain Bishops But he prevented them by submitting himself and so all differences were adjusted The King
Interment a Majestick Presence his Forehead large his Eyes black and beautiful his Hair reddish which he wore long his Mouth small his Visage long He somewhat stammered in his Speech was addicted to Poetry and some Verses of his are still extant He Reigned Ten Years wanting Two Months and died in January 1367. 1367. He is buryed by the Lady Agnes de Castro and his Picture to the Life on the Tomb. The Lady Constance his first Wife lies in the Church of S. Francis at Santarem By her he had Issue 1. Lewis who died an Infant 2. Ferdinand who succeeded in the Throne 3. Mary marryed to Ferdinand Prince of Aragon Son to King Alonso the Fourth His Children by the Lady Agnes de Castro were 1. Alonso His Issue who died a Child 2. Denis who refusing to kiss the Hand of Queen Ellenor Wife to King Ferdinand went away to Castile where he marryed Joanna Bastard-Daughter to King Henry 3. John who by the Advice of Queen Ellenor killed the Lady Mary Tellez de Meneses his own Wife and the Queen's Sister He should have succeeded King Ferdinand but that King John of Castile kept him Prisoner and in the mean while his Bastard Brother called also John usurped the Crown In Castile he marryed Constance Bastard Daughter to King Henry 4. Beatrix Wife to D. Sancho Earl of Albuquerque Bastard Son to King Alonso XI of Castile King Peter had one Bastard Son called John Master of the Military Order of Avis who after the Death of King Ferdinand usurped the Crown CHAP. XI The First Part of the Life and Reign of Ferdinand the first of the Name and ninth King of Portugal from the Year 1340. till 1373. 1. FErdinand was the Second Son of King Peter King Ferdinand his Birth and his Wife Constance He was Born in the City Coimbra and succeeded his Father at 27 Years of Age. The Peace and Treasures King Ferdinand inherited 1340. were not at all lasting 1367. for he engaged himself in a War against Castile He engages in a War against Castile pretending a Right to that Crown after the Death of King Peter as Great Grandson to King Sancho Henry the present Possessor being a Bastard and Regicide Many Persons of Note who fled out of Castile encouraged him in this Enterprize and many Towns not admitting Henry offered themselves to Ferdinand He bestowed vast Possessions on several of the Castilians that came over to him as particularly to Ferdinand Earl of Castro Xeres and Brother-in-law to King Henry he gave Fifteen Towns to D. Alvaro Perez de Castro his Brother Eight Towns the Earldom of Arroyolos and the Office of Constable to Ferdinand Alonso de Zamora Nineteen Towns and so to many others too long to recount besides Gifts in Money and Jewels which exhausted the Treasures left by his three Predecessors Many Cities and Towns also of Castile declared for our King where he immediately coined Money bearing the Arms and Titles of both Kingdoms Our King in outward appearance pretended more Zeal to Revenge the Murder of King Peter than Ambition to joyn that Kingdom to his own To inculcate this Opinion he sent Embassadors to the Pope the King of England and other Princes laying before them the heinousness of the Crime as committed by a Brother against his Brother and by a Subject against his Soveraign 2. Whilst the Embassadors were on their way Enters into League with the Moorish King of Granada the King concluded a League with the Moorish King of Granada for Fifty Years during which time they were to assist one another and neither was to pretend any Right to whatsoever Places of Castile were taken by the other nor was either of them if assisted with any Troops by his Confederate to allow them any Pay For farther Security King Ferdinand asked of King Peter the Aragonian his Daughter Ellenor in Marriage and Embassadors were sent on both sides to agree the Articles tho' that Lady was before betrothed to John the Eldest Son of King Henry The Princess was marryed by Proxy to our King at Lisbon the Aragonian Embassador representing her Person The Articles of Marriage were That she should bring 100000 Florins Portion That her Father should make War on Castile two Years That the Husband should give three Months Pay to 3000 Horse in his Father-in-law's Service Some Places in Castile were also allotted to the Aragonian for every Man gives freely of what he has not Soon after the Bridegroom that was to have been but never was sent a Rich Present to Barcelona for the Bride without expecting the Payment of the 100000 Florins He also sent Eighteen hundred weight of Gold to be coined to defray Charges there To Convoy the Bride seven beautiful Galleys were fitted out whereof that which was to carry her had her Sails of Silk wrought with Gold and all that was above Water was gilt The Rowers were cloathed in the King's Livery and many gallant Gentlemen went as Volunteers Among other things of value there was carried a Crown of inestimable price for the Bride D. John Alonso Tello Earl of Barcelos attended by the Bishops of Evora and Silves and the Abbot of Alcobaça went Embassadors and performed the Ceremony of marrying the Princess in his Masters Name But her Father put off the delivering of her till the Pope's Dispensation was obtained and times altering all came to nothing 3. King Ferdinand began the Wars in Galicia with a small Power Coruna and other Places voluntarily submitted to him Monterrey was taken by Force after it had made a vigorous Defence But understanding that King Henry drew near with numerous Forces Ferdinand went away by Sea to Porto leaving D. Nunno Freyre Master of the Military Order of Christ with 400 Horse in Coruna Alonso Gomez de Lira at Tuy and others in other Places 1369. Henry to bring our King to Peace Henry of Castile invades Portugal left them and entered Portugal burning all the Country as far as Braga where Lope Gomez de Lira made a vigorous Defence but was forced to abandon the Place after loosing 48 Men because he was not releived and the Town was not Walled nor Garisoned having Articled to Surrender if not releived by a certain time Henry finding the Place was not Tenable Burnt it and removed to Guemaraens which being better Fortified held out against him Seing he prevailed little by Force he thought to take it by Stratagem and to that purpose James Gonzalez de Castro got into the Place disguished like a Country-Man but being discovered was put to Death and his Body exposed to the Dogs Now it was that Count Ferdinand de Castro Brother-in-Law to King Henry carried about by him as a Prisoner made his Escape into the Town with his Keeper Ramiro Nunez and both went into the Portuguese's Service King Ferdinand who was then at Coimbra with a numerous Army with all speed made towards the Castilian sending before a
Herauld to Challenge him but he drew off by the way of Bragança Vinaes and Outeyro which Places he took Miranda was Surprized by certain Castillians who in Carriers Habit were admitted in Cedavin after a vigorous resistance was Betrayed by Vasco Estevez but his Treason tho' not discovered in time to prevent the Loss of the Place was so soon found that he was Hanged for it Henry having secured Bragança hasted to Castile for that the King of Granada was now acting with a great Power in Andaluzia 4. Ferdinand having missed of his Enemy Several Military Expeditions divided his Army under several Commanders Garrisoning all Places he was suspicious of He had recovered most of what was lost but the People not satisfied with his Proceedings complained he only knew the way betwixt Lisbon and Santarem because he often went from the one Place to the other whence it became a Proverb That the Fool goes and comes betwixt Lisbon and Santarem when they would express a Man often does the same thing to no purpose Giles Fernandez with 60 Horse and 400 Foot made an Incursion towards Medellin where he took so great a Booty that fearing to loose it if pursued he caused his Uncle Martin Yannez to feign himself to be Prince John and as such to discharge several Prisoners who reporting his being there with a greater Force than really was deterred the Enemy from following him Gonzalo Mendez being General took this Giles Fernandez with him to make an Inroad to Badajoz The Garrison issued out upon them and both sides fought with great Resolution In this Action a Butcher of Lisbon called Laurence killed several Castilians In the mean while Prince John forcing his way into the Suburbs of Badajoz Burnt them Gomez Lorenço de Avelar on the side of Cuidad Rodrigo took S. Felices Inojosa and Cerralvo Here John Roiz Portocarrero with only 23 Horse killed or took almost 80 of the Enemy from Ledesma This Year ended with a Fire at Lisbon which Burnt down all the then Smiths Street it is now the Confectioners 5. As the Last Year ended in Fire 1370. so this began with storms of Rain and Wind Great Storms which were so Violent that the Gate of the Cathedral tho' fastned with Iron Locks and Bolts was carried into the middle of the Church the Ships in the Harbour being drove from their Anchors were dashed into pieces but the Gallies escaped better by lying in the Mouth of the River Guadalquiâ—ir The great Rains and also the Moors who infested his Frontiers obliged King Henry to quit the Siege of Cuidad Rodrigo The Queen his Wife in Person had distressed Alonso Lopez de Tejada in Carmona so that he agreed to Surrender the Place it not releived by a Day prefixed and gave up his Two Sons as Hostages Misser Gregorio a Campomorâ—o with only 60 Men made his way through the Camp into the Town at the Day prefixed the Queen threatned to execute his Sons he bid her do so for he was able to get others and so he persisting Obstinate they were beheaded all Men calling that Barbarity which he thought would be accounted Magnanimity but it could not be such being a breach of Promise Thirty two Portuguese Galleys had been a Year upon the Coast under the Command of the Admiral Lancelot Pessano a Genoese The Castilians when this Fleet appeared before Barrameda scoffed at our Men for that having refused Aid to King Peter The Portuguese Fleet wastes the Island of Cadiz whilst living they now pretended to Defend him after he was Dead But they in Revenge destroyed the Island of Cadiz and the Shores of the Continent till the severity of the Winter and Diseases almost consumed them The Fleet of Castile coming out of Sevil took a Portuguese Ship that had Money and Provisions on Board and then shut up our Admiral Pessano in the River to oblige him to Fight in that narrow Place He fitted out Two Fireships which dispersed the Enemy and in that time he escaped having lost one Galley 6. Carmona still held out 1371. but fearing the Power of King Henry sent a Gentlemen to our King Ferdinand for Succour according to his promise This being refused the Town was obliged to Surrender There was in it a considerable Treasure of King Peter's and Two of his Bastard-Sons who were cast into Prison Pope Gregory the 11th sent Two Nuncio's to Mediate a Peace betwixt the Two Kings which was concluded at Alcoutin in Algarve upon these Conditions Peace concluded at the instance of the Pope That they should be obliged to assist one another That the Portuguese should be a Friend to Charles King of France that he should take to Wife Ellenor Henry's Daughter That he should have with her Cuidad Rodrigo Valencia de Alcantara Monte-Mayor Alhariz and a Summ of Money That a general Pardon should be granted on both sides Thus our King broke his Word with him of Aragon who in revenge kept all the Treasure that had been sent to his Daughter King Ferdinand finding his Treasures exhasted called in the Old Money and enhanced the Value of the New which did great Harm and much more when he endeavoured afterwards to rectifie that Error The Five Months allowed for the Princess Ellenor to come out of Castile were now expiring when the King falling in Love with the Lady Ellenor Tellez de Meneses forgot his Bride This Lady Ellenor Tellez was Wife to John Lorenço de Cunha Lord of Pombeyro He fell in Love with her at his Sister 's the Princess Beatrix where he was always so assiduous as gave occasion to suspect him guilty of a more than Brotherly Affection This Lady being about to return into the Country whence she came the King ordered her Sister who attended the Princess to stay her in Town for he would marry no other Woman The Sister objected that he was engaged to the Princess of Castile and her Sister Married The First he replyed might be easily put by and as for the latter he said she being Married to a Kinsman without Dispensation the Marriage was void All which gave the Lady Ellenor to understand the King's Affection was not at all Nice 7. Scarce had she consented when her Marriage being called in question The Lady Ellenor being divorced from her First Husband the King marries her and the Husband not opposing it Judgment was easily obtained for the K. Hereupon her Husband went away to Castile and there publickly wore a pair of Golden Horns In fine Ferdinand Married the Lady Ellenor The whole Kingdom was astonished at this Action but Lisbon shewed it self above all other Places Here a Taylor called Ferdinand Vasquez a bold well-spoken Fellow gathered 3000 of the People and with them went to the Pallace nothing being heard but Reproaches against the New Queen A great meeting at Lisbon on account of the Marriage To appease them the King protested he was not Married to her and
English Order of the Garter which is of S. George he used for his Crest the Head of a winged Dragon and from that time forward the Portuguese use to call upon S. George in the time of Battle 10. Discoveries in this King's time were made by John Gonzalez Zarco Discoveries made in his time Tristan Vaz Teixeira and Bartholomew Perestrello who being drove they knew not whither by a storm found the Island they called Puerto Santo in the Year 1418 and two Years after that of Madera where they found a little Oratory and Inscription declaring that one Machin an English-Man had been there before Giles Yanez attempting what none durst before him passed beyond Cape Bojador and there planted a Cross CHAP. IV. The Life and Reign of Edward the First of the Name and Eleventh King of Portugal his Actions and Death from the Year 1391 till 1438. 1. KIng Edward was Born at Viseo Birth of King Edward in the Year 1391. He was with his Father at the taking of Ceuta and married Ellenor Daughter to King Ferdinaâ—d the first of Aragon 1391. in the Year 1428. The Body of King John being deposited in the Cathedral of Lisbon 1428. on the 14th of August the next Day his Eldest Son Edward was proclaimed King 1433. An Astrologer advised him to pass by that unfortunate Day An Astrological Prediction for that all the Constellations were Conspired against him But he religiously â—lighting these Predictions went on with the Solemnity and was Crowned that very Day Then began the Astrologer publickly as he had before done in private to denounce that his Reign would be short as to time but tedious for the Misfortunes which would happen in it The New King went to divert himself at Sintra where his Son Alonsâ— not full 20 Months Old was Sworn Heir to the Crown by the Nobility This was the only time the like Ceremony was performed without the Concurrence of the Commonalty by their Representatives He was also the first that had the Title of Prince given him in Portugal Alonso Son to King Edward the first that 〈◊〉 the Title of Prince in Portugal his Father following the example of the other Courts of Christendom The first that used it was that of England where the Heir of the Crown was called Prince of Wales From Sintra the King sent his Summons to all the Prelates and Nobles for them to meet in order to attend the Translation of his Father's Body to a noble Sepulchre designed for it in the Church of Batalla belonging to the Dominicans and of the invocation of the Assumption of our Blessed Lady built by that King in Memory of the Victory obtained in that Place 2. It will not here be amiss The Funeral of King John in short to say something of his Funeral which may shew the Custom of those times All the Nobility and Clergy Assembled at Lisbon The Mourning then used was either white Sack-Cloath or raw Canvas Such was the Apparel of all the Nobility and their Families The Pallace was all Hung with Black On the 25th of October all the Company marched in orderly Procession from the Pallace to the Church with great silence the Bells of all the Churches ringing At the Church after a short Sermon the Body was placed on a Mausoleum and then the Divine Office for the dead performed with great Solemnity Prince Peter and many other great men stay'd in the Church all Night with the Body and next Day after Mass and Sermon a costly Offering was made of Gold Silver and rich Brocados This done the Body was placed on a Triumphant Charriot which was drawn through the Streets by the King his Brothers and the Nobility In the New Street and in the great Place called Recio Scaffolds were erected on which Learned Men made Funeral Orations suitable to the Occasion At S. Vincent's Gate Four Horses were put to the Charriot Four times the Funeral halted betwixt Lisbon and the Church of Batalla at Odivellas Villafranca Alcoentre and Alcobaça The Fifth Day it came to the Church of Batalla whither the Cortes or Parliament was summoned and there all that great Assembly assisted at Mass and the other Funeral Rites 3. The King hasted away to Leyria King Edward holds a Parliament flying from the Plague for here began his Misfortunes The Cortes or Parliament was held at Santarem where the King gave general Satisfaction Then he applied himself to the cares of the Government He caused also the Laws to be epitomized and reduced to one Volume taking special care that they should be put in Execution His next care was to moderate excess in Apparel and Diet and then he Ordered That only one of the Princes and such of the Nobility as were named should attend at Court at one time the rest being sent away to their Estates and they to relieve the others in their turns 1434. Thus the ensuing Year was spent A general Council Pope Martin had before this time summoned a general Council to meet at Basle for Uniting the Greek and Latin Churches 1435. To this Council were sent Six Embassadors from Portugal The Union of the Two Churches took Effect but was not lasting for the Greeks not finding those Supplies they expected from the Pope against the Turks soon fell off The Portuguese Embassadors obtained a Grant of the then Pope Eugenius That the Kings of Portugal might be Crowned and Anointed in the same manner as those of England and France This same Year the King designed his Sons should receive the Sacrament of Confirmation with great Pomp and Solemnity but News being then brought that the Kings of Naples and Navarre Prince Henry and above 100 Persons of great Note were taken Prisoners in a Sea Fight by Philip Duke of Milan all publick Joy ceased and the Court was filled with Mourning nevertheless the Young Princes were confirmed 4. This same Year also it was An Expedition against Tangier that the Princes Henry and Ferdinand having first gained the Queen to their Party perswaded the King to take in Hand an Expedition against Tangier in Africk It was long before they could prevail upon him but at last overcome by their importunities he took the Fatal Resoluton A Tax was laid upon the Kingdom for the Expence of this War and all the Preparations for such an Expedition diligently made On the 17th of August the Princes Embarked and the 22th they sailed from Belem 1437. The particulars of this Unhappy Undertaking belong properly to the Portuguese Africk where they are to be seen at large but the even was The Portuguese Army destroyed by the Moors and the King's Brother taken That most of the Portuguese Army perished and Prince Ferdinand remained in Captivity he being left as an Hostage for restoring Ceuta to the Moors upon their suffering the Relicks of the Portuguese to return home Prince Henry the Adviser of this Enterprize sent Notice to
Reign of King Alonso the Fifth of the Name and Twelfth King of Portugal and his Death from the Year 1470 till 1481. 1. ON the 18th of September 14â—â— died at Setubal Prince Ferdinand Brother to King Alonso and Father to many Children whereof one was Emanuâ—l afterwards King Soon after his Death his Daughter Ellenor was married to Prince John he being Fourteen Years of Age and she Thirteen Twelve Portuguese Ships now coming from Flanders were taken by the English whereupon our King ordered Reprisals to be made and sent Embassadors to complain of it which was followed by a lasting Peace In the mean while Persons were sent to discover the Port of Arzila on the Coast of Africk who brought an Account that 30000 Men were requisite for that Expedition 24000 Landmen besides the Seamen were shipped on Board 308 Sail of all sorts 14â—1 The King sailed to Lagos in Algarve King Aloâ—so 〈…〉 and Tangier before he discovered his Design then passing over to Arzila took that Place as he did Tangier forsaken by the Inhabitants upon the first News of his approach He changeâ— his 〈◊〉 Upon this Conquest the King changed his Titles which before were King of Portugal Algarve and Ceutâ—â— for those of King of Portugal and both Algarves that on this side and that on the other in Africk Prince Ferdinand after he was taken in the former Expedition against Tangier lived Six Years in Slavery and his Body remained Twenty more among the Infidels But the King gave now in exchange for his Bones Two Wives and a Daughter of 〈…〉 Lord of that Place 14â—â— and afterwards King of Fiâ— Thâ— Bones were brought over and buried in the Famous Church of Batalla King Hâ—â—ry of Castâ—â—e and our King Alonso had an interview between Badâ—â—â—z and Elvas about a Match for the Prince of Portugal with 〈◊〉 Princess of Castile but it had no Effect for the rebellious Castilians openly declared her a Bastard and Elizabeth that Kingâ—â— Sister was married to Ferdinand 〈◊〉 Aragon by the Name of Princess of Castile It it horrid to think with what Impudence they durst Declare that Princess a Bastard seeing she was Born in Wedlock and for what they pretended of the King's Impotency it was contrary to Reason since it is notorious the Queen was Jealous of him and she could have no occasion for jealousie had she found the King unfit for the Company of Women But the World is sufficiently convinced there can be no true Reason given to justifie Rebellion yet Rebels never want pretences to Colour their Villany 2. King Henry of Castile met his Sister Elizabeth at Segovia Affairs of Castile and he dying on the 11th of December following it was generally believed he was poisoned In his Will he appointed his Daughter Joanna to succeed him and desired the King of Portugal to take her to Wife At the Hour of his Death his Confessor pressed him to declare who was his lawful Heir and he answered his Daughter Joanna Nothing more could have been done to prove her Legitimate but nothing will suffice against hardned Rebels Scarce was the Princess Elizabeth assured of the King's Death when she caused her self to be proclaimed Queen at Segovia In the mean while the Marquis de Villena the Earl of Benavente and the Bishop of Siguenza appointed by King Henry to see his Will executed sent to the King of Portugal praying him to set forward with all possible speed and that not only they but many more Nobles and the principal Cities of Castile would declare for him The King was then at Estremoz where having consulted his Council he resolved to accept of what was offered and in order thereunto sent his Lord Chamberlain Lope de Albuquerque to Castile who returned to him with fresh Assurances in the Month of January the King being then at Evora Elizabeth the New Queen sent some religious Men to advise our King not to engage in an unjust War as she termed it and to offer him another Joanna Sister to her Husband Ferdinand Alonso 〈◊〉 War with Castile in 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 in Marriage He answered he was resolved to stand by his Niece being obliged to it as an Unkle as a King and as a Gentleman 3. Whilst he made Preparations for War he sent an Embassador to Ferdinand and Elizabeth to demand that Crown who returning with such an Answer as he had expected he immediately advances to Castile by the way of Aronches with 5600 Horse and 14000 Foot With this Army he came to Plasencia and was there joyfully received by many of the Nobility There he found the true Queen and was contracted to her those there present and many absent by Proxy swore Allegiance to him The King then stiled himself King of Castile and Portugal and nothing was wanting for Bedding with the Queen but the Dispensation from Rome which Ferdinand and Elizabeth with all their might opposed No sooner was this known to the Castilian King and Queen but they also took the stile of Castile and Portugul and sent Forces to invade that Kingdom which having made some spoil returned without any opposition Queen Joanna sent her Letters to all the Towns of Castile exhorting them to return to her Obedience since they had twice sworn her lawful Heiress to the Crown The King marched to Arevalo and thence to Toro which City held for him and the Castle he took by force Zamora was delivered to him and thither he conducted his Bride Thence they returned to Toro where Queen Joanna Mother to the Bride and Sister to the Bridegroom died on the 13. of June Ferdinand and Elizabeth raised all the Forces they could and had now gathered together 12000 Horse and 30000 Foot With this Force Ferdinand marched and encamped before Toro where feigning Friendship he sent to advise King Alonso to depart or to decide the matter by single Combat neither whereof he well knew could as circumstances stood be accepted However Peter de Avendanho so cut off the Castillian's Provisions that he was forced to draw off his Army to Medina del Campo Thither came Elizabeth to Ferdinand reproaching him that he had not accepted of a single Combat on such terms as the Portuguese allowed of But Money beginning now to fail them and they fearing to tax the People had recourse to the Clergy who gave them half the Plate of the Churches 4. Some Overtures of Peace were now made 〈…〉 but came not to any head Our King marching to relieve Burgâ—s was recalled by the revolt of Zamora which Elizabeth of Castile laying hold of gave out that he fled which drew many to her Party The Portuguese now grew weary of being abroad and the King wanting Money his Subjects refused to furnish him upon that Account so that all his Affairs went backwards King Alonso thus streightned discharged many of his Army and many more went away without expecting a Discharge The Governour of the Castles on
they were the greatest that had ever been seen in Portugal The Palace at Evora being thought too little to Entertain the Bride Prince Alonso marries Elizabeth Daughter to the King and Quein of Castile and Aragon was much enlarged On the 22d of November the Bride was brought to the Borders of the two Kingdoms and on the Bridge of the River Caya the Cardinal D. Gonzalo Perez de Mendâ—ça Archbishop of Toledo delivered her to Emanuel Duke of Beja sent to receive her Betwixt Eâ—vas and Estremoz the King and Prince met her At the Church of our Lady of Espineiro which is without the Walls of Eâ—ora they were marryed by the Archbishop of Braga and in that Monastery the Prince bedded her November the 27th they made their Solemn Publick Entry into the City with such Grandeur as is not easily to be expressed no more than can the infinite Rarities that were served up that Night at Supper Besides the Balls Musick and other extraordinary Divertisements the King appointed a Solemn Tilting in which he deservedly carryed away the Honour from all that ran In May the King Queen and Princes removed to Santarem the Divertisements never ceasing 149â— till upon Tuesday the 12th of July The Prince killed by 〈◊〉 fall of his Horse the Prince riding abroad after Dinner and being upon a Full-speed his Horse fell upon and Mortally bruised him He was past all Remedy and died the next day at the same hour he had fallen Thus was that Scene of Joy converted into a horrid Spectacle of Sadness The Prince was magnificently Interred in the Church of Batalla The Princess was sent back to Castile all clad in the deepest Mourning and in a Horse-Litter covered with Sackcloath CHAP. VIII The remaining Part of the Life and Reign of King John the Second of the Name and Thirteenth King of Portugal from the Year 1492 till 1495. 1. ON the 25th of May 1492. 1492 King John laid the Foundation of the Magnificent Church and Hospital of All-Saints in the beautifullest Square or Market-Place of Lisbon scattering some Money under the first Stones laid having obtained leave of the Pope to incorporate all other Hospitals into this The French then at Peace with Portugal had taken a Caravel bringing Gold from Guinea whereupon the King seized all the Vessels of that Kingdom within his Ports which caused the Caravel to be restored untouch'd King John in the Year 1485 had sent James Cano with a Fleet to Guinea Further Dâ—sâ—â—veries in Guinea He came to an Anchor at the Mouth of the River Manicongo lying in Seven Degrees of South Latitude and understanding that King was far off in the In-land Parts he sent some Portuguese to him with a Present who not returning he seized some Blacks and brought them away to Portugal assuring the People they should be restored whereupon King John sent them back loaded with Gifts which so obliged the Black King that he said That must be the true God whom a Prince of so much Honour adored He sent an Embassador to him offering Submission to his Authority and desiring Priests to Instruct the People and Workmen to build Churches and a Fleet returned with all that had been desired The King and a great number of his Subjects were baptized as also the Queen and Prince The King soon fell off again because Christianity obliged him to adhere to only one Wife and therefore he resolved to declare his Second Son Panso Aquitimo who continued an Idolater his Heir Alonso the eldest Brother the Lawful Heir and a Christian was absent when his Father died but hasting to Court was proclaimed King His Brother Aquitimo thought to surprize him but failed for his great Army was overthrown by a handful of Portuguese and Blacks that followed Alonso Many of the Prisoners declared they were overthrown by a glittering Army led by a Commander that carryed a white Cross Alonso being secured in his Throne became the Apostle of that People in which good Work most of his Successors have followed his Example 2. In the Month of March 1493. Christopher Columbus after discovering the Islands of America Columbus after discovering of America â—â—rives at Lisbon entred the Port of Lisbon to Revenge himself by shewing what he had found to King John who had before rejected him when he came to offer his Service and whom he thought it would now grieve to see what he had lost Some Gentlemen offered the King to Murder him which he not only refused but calling Columbus to him honoured and made him Presents This Discovery alarmed all Spain the Castilians fearing to be disturbed in their Conquests there and the Portuguese pretending it appertained to them Many Messengers and Embassadors passed between the two Kings Spain and Portugal divide the World 〈◊〉 them at last their Ministers meeting at Tordesillas divided the World betwixt them To the Portuguese was allotted from 370 Leagues to the Westward of Cabo Verdâ— all to the Eastward and all to the West from that Place to the Castilians drawing a Line there from North to South so that commencing from that Point one half of the Globe remained to each Crown Many Persons of Note came about this time from Foreign Parts to see and some to serve King John Among them was a French Prince whom the Portuguese call Monsieur de Lion who offered to serve in Africk with 300 Horse at his own cost The King of Naples also sent his Embassador with Rich Presents 3. This Year and part of the next the King spent in taking a Progress through his Kingdom 14â—4 and settling the Affairs of greatest Importance for being grown sickly he could not apply himself to Business of less moment He also fitted out the Ships in the River of Lisbon that were to Sail to discover the way to India by the Ocean and gave the Command of them to Vasco de Gama with Instructions how to proceed His Distemper increased and not only cost him his Life but laid a lasting stain upon the Good Name of his Subjects Some of those who designed to have murdered him by the Sword King John poisoned now executed their Design with Poison A Woman held in Esteem for her Sanctity warned him to have a care of Poison which nevertheless he drank out of a Spring near Evora which Water he liked best That this was true appeared by that two Gentlemen who drank with him at the same time died as well as he His Distemper seemed to turn to a Dropsie and the Physicians advised him to go to the hot Baths at Alvor in Algarve One of them opposed the rest affirming this would shorten his Days but he was a Jew and therefore found no Credit The King fell into a Flux which being stopped he became wholly Lethargick Coming a little to himself he asked how the Tide was and being told said he should die within two hours 〈…〉 Just at Sun setting he gave
up the Ghost on the 25th of October 〈…〉 Being sensible he must die he commanded the Plate furnished by the Churches for the late Wars to be restored He ordered Duke Emanuel should Succeed him having first used all possible means to leave the Crown to his Bastard-Son George which was the greatest Act of Injustice he was 〈…〉 indeed that could be Having 〈◊〉 the Queen Princess Beatrix and the Clergy in his Life time he now begged Pardon of them 4. Tho' the King earnestly desired to see Duke Emanuel before his Death he could not compass it some Persons perswading that Prince his Design was to kill him There was a small Box whereof he always kept the Key which was generally supposed to contain nothing but Poison 〈…〉 Saint But this Box being opened after his Death there was found in it a Book of Instructions for to make a good Confession a Hair-cloath and a Discipline stained with Blood Hence the People took occasion 〈◊〉 call him a Saint as many before accounted him a Tyrant In his Will the King ordered 3000 Masses should be said for his Soul that 41 Orphans should be marryed that the like number of Captives should be redeemed that the great â—ospital of Lisbon should be finished that half the Plate taken from Churches by his Father for the War against Castile should be restored that Duke Emanuel should Succeed him in the Throne that his Bastard-Son George should have the City Coimbra with all the Royalties wherewith Prince Peter had it before that in case Duke Emanuel died without Issue the aforesaid George should Inherit the Crown and that none of the Persons banished the Kingdom by him should be restored After his Death he had the Commendations of his very Enemies His Body was conducted with great State from the Cathedral of Silves to the Monastery of Batalla where it is said to have been found long after uncorrupted which increased the Opinion of his Sanctity He marryed his Cousin-German Ellenor Daughter to Prince Ferdinand Duke of Viseo and the Lady Beatrix Daughter to Prince John She was a Princess endued with singular Beauty Wit and Vertue and lies buried in the Monastery of the Mother of God at Lisbon founded by her self in the Cloister among the Nuns is her Grave without any distinction 5. Let us now give some Specimen of the many Vertues that adorned this King 〈◊〉 Vertues First for his great Zeal in Matters of Religion Pope Innocent VII publickly called him The Eldest Son of the Church Daily he performed several Devotions upon his bare Knees and in the Holy Week spent whole Nights in mourning before the Sepulchre He forbid the use of Mules and because the Clergy said they would have recourse to the Pope on that account he made it Death for any Body to 〈◊〉 them and so that Dispute 〈…〉 Justice was such that he rewarded some Judges before whom he was Cast in Law Suits and hearing a Man was condemned to Death who had been Fourteen Years in Prison he pardoned him saying They better deserved to die who had kept him so long to Condemn him at last Few ever exceeded him in Liberality and Gratitude for having borrowed 1500 Ducats of Peter Pantoja and kept them but five days he then sent him his Money and 250 Ducats for the Use of it Pantoja complaining that the Interest was too great he ordered him as much more and said He would do so as often as he complained James Fernandez Correa his Factor in Flanders having lent Maximilian the King of the Romans 30000 Ducats without his Order he sent him Thanks for so doing and gave him 1000 Crowns Edward del Casal a Man of Worth having employed another to beg some Favour for him the King seeing him said Since you have Hands to serve me with why have not you a Tongue to speak to me 6. There was nothing that daunted him More of his good Qualities in so much that others fearing to go aboard the Fleet because of the Plague he went himself and is said to have spoke unconcerned with the Ghost of a Gentleman that was dead and came to warn him of the Conspiracy of the Duke of Viseo Favourites he never had any and was such an Enemy to those sort of Ministers that the Cardinal George da Costa who had entire influence over his Father fled to Rome before his Accession to the Crown None that deserved well passed unrewarded for he carryed about him a Table-Book in which were the Names and Services of all those that merited of him All Men had access to him their Business was heard and answered Truth was so much admired by him that he made D. John de Meneses his Lord Steward only because he said He always spoke the Truth 〈◊〉 it were displeasing to him As for Learning he understood Philosophy was skilled in Mathematicks well versed in History and a great admirer of Poetry Tho' his Countenance represented much of Gravity and his Carriage had much of Majesty yet at times he was pleasant and facetious To conclude his Government was inferiour to none of the best Kings that preceded him and may be a Pattern to all those that come after him Scarce any excelled him in all sorts of Vertues and foâ— his Zeal to Religion he was the first that propagated it in the Torrid Zone In short he was a Father of his People Bountiful Just Merciful Generous Brave a lover of Truth and sure rewarder of Merit 7. King John had only one Lawfully Begotten Son His Issue which was Prince Alonso born at Lisbon in the Year 1475. and who died as has been said unfortunately by a Fall off his Horse in the Year 1491. being newly married to the Princess Elizabeth Daughter to King Ferdinand and Queen Elizabeth of Castile This King had also One Bastard-Son called George created Duke of Coimbra Marquis of Torres Novas Master of the Military Orders of Santiago and Avis and Lord of the Lands that had belonged to Prince Peter He had also the Town of Aveiro and of him are descended the Dukes of that Title who keep the sirname of Lancaster taken by them in Memory of Queen Philippa Daughter to the Duke of Lancaster King John at length fixed the Arms of the Kingdom in the manner they are used at this Day reducing the Castles in the Orle to the certain Number of Seven and setâ—ing the Five middle Escutcheons upright 8. Discoveries in the Reign of King John were as follow 〈…〉 James Cano sailed to the River and Kingdom of Manicongo James Alonso de Aveiro to that of Beni and brought thence the first Pepper that came from those Parts Bartâ—â—â—â—mew Diaz to the Cape of Good Hope and passed beyond it to the River called Del Infante Peter Covillam and Alonso de Paiva Men versed in many Languages went to Grand Cairo in Egypt then embarking on the Red Sea saw the City Adem where parting Paiva went into Ethiopia
〈◊〉 Hâ— now understanding that his Son Michael born of 〈…〉 Queen had been sworn Heir of the Crowns of 〈◊〉 and Aragon resolvâ—d to have him sworn in like manner in Portugal To this purpose he assembled the 〈◊〉 or Parliament at Lisbon on the 7th of March where all the Representatives took an Oath to him as lawful Successor 〈◊〉 the King confirming his former Grant that no Castilians should at any time be admitted to Places of Honour and Trust in Portugal About the end of this Year which was the 4th of his Reign the King resolved to translate the Body of King John his Predecessor from Silves where he was buried to the stately Church of Batalla the burial Place of the Portuguese Princes He went in Person to Silves and found the Body whole as it was seen Fifteen Years after by the Cardinal Henry and others which confirmed the Opinion of Sanctity that was conceiv'd of him The Body was honourably conducted to the Church of Batalla and there laid in a Marble Tomb. This Year also the King dispersed several sorts of new Coins of Silver and Gold as he did again in the Years 1504 and 1517. He had before given large Revenues to George the late King's Bastard-Son and this Year 1500 gave him the City Coimbra with the Title of Duke made him Lord of Montemayor â—l Viejo and bestowed on him the Mastership of the Military Orders of Santiago and Avis Next he married him to the Lady Beatrix de Villena Daughter to D. Alvaro the Brother of Ferdinand Duke of Bragança Beheaded by King John 5. Now came the News that Prince Michael 〈…〉 King Emanuel's Son and sworn Heir of all the Kingdoms of Spain had departed this Life at Granada being not yet Two Years of Age. It was requisite the King should marry again 〈…〉 and a Match was accordingly concluded with Mary Daughter to King Ferdinand and Sister to King Emanuel's late Queen Her Portion was 200000 Crowns down and 10000 a Year settled upon the Revenue of Sevil. The Archbishop D. James Hurtado de Mâ—raâ—za conducted her to the Borders where the Duke of Bragança attended by several of the Nobility 〈◊〉 her The Marriage was solemnized at Alcacer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the 30th of October No sooner was the King married but he resolved to make an Expedition into 〈◊〉 in Person 〈…〉 and to that effect had assembled an Army of 26000 Men. The Venetians at this time hard 〈◊〉 by the Turks made use of the Pope's Mediation to obtain of our King to desist from the Enterpize he had in Hand and to employ his Forces in their Assistance The King consented and sent them Thirty Saâ—l under the Command of D. John de Meneses Son to the Earl 〈…〉 and for his Encouragement before his Departure he was created Earl of â—â—rouça In this Squadron were 3500 fighting Men. Another Squadron followed being designed for the Coast of Oran in order to attempt taking the Fort of Mazalquivir They sailed from Lisbon about the middle of June and having assaulted that Place in July with the loss of 20 Men and no prospect of Success the Squadron provided for that Expedition returned to Lisbon D. John de Meneses with his 30 Sail off of Tunez took 3 Genoese Ships full of Turks Moors and Jews the Genoese he set at liberty Near Corfu he was met by Twenty five Venetian Galleys and five Galleons where both Fleets saluted each other with great Joy The Turks understanding the Fleets were joyned retired to their Ports and the Portuguese Squadron returned home 6. The King had yet reaped no Advantage from India 〈…〉 but the bare Discovery of it by Vasco de Gama and yet as if the Treasures of that Empire had been brought him he in Thanksgiving laid the Foundation of that wonderful Structure of the Church and Monastery called Bâ—â—eâ— or Betâ—lem on the Banks of Tagus about a League from Lisbon This Fabrick is Magnificent for its Greatness and Workmanship but above all for the largeness of the Arch above the Chancel where after the manner of all Cathedrals it opens into a Cross which Arch tho vastly spacious has no Pillar to support it This Monastery was given to the Fryars of the Order of S. Hierome and is plentifully endowed Opposite to the Monastery in the very River the King erected a Fort which tho not large is Beautiful and Commands the River serving at the same time for a Rampart to the Church it is called the Fort of S. Vincent D. Jayme or James Duke of Bragança who was restored to that Honour by King Emanuel laboured under such a deep melancholy that he sometimes forbore taking his natural Sustenance Nevertheless through the King's Perswasions he married the Lady 〈◊〉 Daughter to D. John de Guzman third Duke of Mâ—diâ—â— Sidonia But no sooner was he married than he absented himself with only one Servant leaving a Letter for the King in which he begged of him to bestow all his Possessions upon his Brother Denis because he was resolved to spend his days at the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem Messengers were sent several ways with orders to bring him back Some of them found him at Calatayud in the Kingdom of Aragon and prevailed upon him to return Being brought back he had by his Wife a Son called Theodosius who succeeded him and a Daughter named Elizabeth married to Prince Edward Son to King Emanuel His first Wife dying he fell in Love with the Lady Joanna de Mendoza Daughter to the Governour of Mouram and having obtained leave of the King married her and by her had Four Sons and as many Daughters 7. Queen Mary 1502. second Wife to King Emanuel was delivered of her first Son on the 6th of June 1502. The Queen delivered of a Son At the time of his Birth happened a violent Storm of Rain and when he was Baptized a Fire broke out in the Palace we shall see in his Life what these Prodigies portended A Fleet sailed from Lisbon under the Command of George de Melo and Gaspar de Aguilar designing to take the City Targa on the Coast of Africk but returned having sustained Loss and effected nothing The King for the Success of his Fleet undertook a Pilgrimage to Santiago in Galicia presented that Church with a rich Silver Lamp made in the Form of a Castle and gave Bountiful Alms. In his return at Coimbra he resolved to erect a stately Tomb for Alonso the first King of Portugal whose Body lay there in a very mean Sepulchre At Porto he finished the Silver Shrine of S. Pantaleo 1503. Patron of that City The King had now a second time resolved to pass over into Africk A Famine in Portugal and had all things in readiness for the Expedition when he was again prevented being obliged to attend to the Relief of his own Kingdom labouring under a Famine He remedied this Evil by bringing in Plenty of Corn from all the
Northern Countries Discoveries in North America In the Year 1500 sailed from Lisbon Gaspar Cortereal to attempt some Discovery in the Northern Seas He discovered a Country which by Reason of its delightful Groves he called Verde that is Green The People were but Barbarous of a middle Stature very Swift expert at shooting with the Bow and skilful at casting Darts whose Points are hardned in the Fire cloathed in Skins living in Caves and Cottages and having no Religion but believing in Auguries and very jealous of their Women The following Year he returned thither to make some farther Discovery but he staying long his Brother Michael went out in Quest of him with two Ships in May 1502 and neither returning another Brother prepared to seek them but was hindred by the King It being believed both these Brothers were lost in that Country discovered by the first the Name of it was changed to that of Tierra de Cortereales About the middle of this Year the Cortes being Assembled the King caused his Son to be sworn Heir to the Crown The Country tho Poor gave the King 50000 Duccats to carry on the War in Africk On the 4th of October was born at Lisbon the Princess Elizabeth her Birth being attended with the same Prodigies of Storms as her Brother 's was she was afterwards married to the Emperor Charles the Fifth her Dower above a Million of Ducats 900000 in Money and the rest in Jewels 8. Elizabeth 1504. Queen of Castile and Aragon died this Year 1504 at Medina del Campo Her Death was concealed from Elizabeth Queen of Portugal her Daughter because she was near her time of Delivery and accordingly on the last Day of December was brought to Bed of a Daughter called Beatrix after Dutchess of Savoy There followed upon it such Terrible Earthquakes that whole Towns being swallowed up 15â—5 the People fled Distractedly to the Mountains The 〈◊〉 of Egypt threatens Jerusalem The New Year began with Threats from the Soldan of Egypt that he would destroy the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem unless the Portuguese desisted from their Conquests in India where Edward Pacheco was now doing Wonders and King Ferdinand of Castile from invading the Moors An Account of the Portuguese Conquestâ— in India But these Menaces were little regarded both Kings proceeding in what they had undertaken Now returned the King's Embassadors sent to Pope Julius and with them came a Merchant Ship which being infected with the Plague spread it throughout all Spain Edward Pacheco returned at this time from India leaving that Part of the World astonished at his Actions King Emanuel himself went out to receive him at landing with a numerous Train he walked under a Canopy with the King his Actions were set out in the Church by the Bishop of Viseo An Account of them was also given to all Forreign Princes and they were made known to all the Kingdom After all this Honour the same Pacheco was cast into Prison loaded with Irons and tho he cleared himself of all that could be laid to his Charge he was only turned out of Goal and left to live upon Charity as did his Son and Grand-Son after him till in the time of King Sebastian the prime Minister Giles Yanez de Costa obtained him the grant of a Commendary and because none was then Vacant gave him that he had obtained for his own Son 9. On the third of March 1506. 1506. at Abrantes was born the King's fourth Son Birth of the King 's fourth Son Lewis an admirable Prince for his Judgment Learning and Valour So addicted to Warlike Affairs that a Fleet of 60 Sail was provided for him to go into India but the Design was disappointed He served under the Emperor Charles the Fifth at the taking of Tunis and gained Honour He was never married but had a Bastard-Son by the Lady Violante Gomez this was Antony who afterwards upon the Death of Henry the King and Cardinal aspired to the Crown Upon the 6th of April A great Mutiny on Account of a supposed Miracle it being Sunday certain Persons in the Church of S. Dominick fancied a Crucifix in one of the Chappels cast forth a miraculous Light a New Convert that had been a Jew said it was the Reflection of the Sun from a Window Hereupon without farther Examination they dragged him out of the Church and burnt him The Rabble assembled about the Fire one of the Friars with vehement Speeches Encouraging them Two other Friars ran about the Streets crying out Heresie Heresie with Crucifixes in their Hands Above 500 Men gathered in Arms who slew as many of the New Converts burning their Bodies The number increasing upon Monday Morning they murdered Men Women and Children dragging them from the very Altars whither they fled for Sanctuary so that this Day above 1000 perished This was continued the third Day to the number of 400 being destroyed so that in all they amounted to 2000 murdered among them many that were not New Converts for the desire of Plunder was more than the Zeal of Religion as it is in all Mutinies whatever the Pretences be The King then at Avis was highly offended at this Insolency He took away the City Charter and sent thither the Prior of Crato and Baron of Alvito to punish the offenders Some were hanged others had their Goods confiscated and the two Friars burnt all that belonged to the Monastery were banished 10. James de Azambuja was sent to erect a Fort on a Point of Land in Africk 1507. opposite to the Island Magador Birth of the King 's fifth Son it was called Fort Royal. July the 5th the King and Queen being at Abrantes was born their fifth Son whom they called Ferdinand 1508. He was a great lover of History and no less addicted to Warlike Affairs The following Year the Limits of the Conquests on the Coast of Africk were settled betwixt the two Crowns of Spain and Portugal All Eastward of Belez de la Gomera was assigned to the Spaniards thence Westward was allowed to the Portuguese This Year 1509 was born the Prince of Portuguese Poets 1509 Luis de Camoens On the twenty third of April Birth of Camoens the great Portuguese Poet the Queen was delivered at Evora of her sixth Son called Alonso At Seven Years of Age Pope Leo the Tenth sent him a Cardinal's Cap afterwards he had both the Archbishopricks of Lisbon and Evora and the Abby of Alcobaça all at one time This Year also the Work continued from the time of King John the First and Founder of the famous Church and Monastery of Batalla which ought to have been finished was interrupted and nothing done to it since so that ever after that mighty Fabrick remains Imperfect Mondragon a French Pirate having the foregoing Year taken a Rich Ship coming from India had now fitted out Four great Galleons upon the same Design The King sent out some Ships
against him under the Command of the Renowned Edward Pacheco who after a sharp dispute near Cape Finisterre sunk one of the Pirate's Galleons and took the other three Mondragon was presented to the King who freely forgave him CHAP. X. The remaining Part of the Life and Reign of Emanuel the First of the Name and Fourteenth King of Portugal from the Year of our Lord 1510 till 1521. 1. NOthing remarkable happened the Year 1510 1510. but that many Moors and Hords of Arabs along the Coast of Africk submitted themselves to King Emanuel 1511. and became his Tributaries The following Year threatned a Breach between Castile and Portugal because King Ferdinand fitted out a Fleet at Malaga with Design to invade the Portuguese Conquests The Pope calling upon him for Succour against the French obliged him to desist from that Enterprize Nevertheless that Faithless King as if his Designs had not been known solicited King Emanuel to joyn with him against France and highly resented that he Courteously entertained a French Squadron in his Ports Henry the 8th King of England who had married Katherine Sister to the Queen of Portugal King Emanuel receives the Order of the Garter from King Henry the Eighth of England now sent King Emanuel the Garter having received him into that most Noble Order On the last Day of January was born at Lisbon Prince Henry the King 's Seventh Son a mighty Snow falling just before his Birth which is a thing rarely seen in Lisbon We shall have more occasion to speak of him hereafter when he ascends the Throne Alonso King and Apostle of Congo this Year sent his Son Henry and his Brother Emanuel 1512. with many Young Noblemen into Portugal to be instructed in the Christian Faith Henry Son to the King of Congo comes into Portugal With them came Peter that King's Cousin whom he sent as his Embassador to Rome to submit him and his Kingdom to the Pope King Emanuel sent the Black Prince Henry with the Embassador they arrived at Rome the following Year where they were courteously received and dismissed by Leo the Tenth 1513. then sitting in 8. Peter's Chair 2. D. Alvaro de Castro The King punishes his Lord Steward for his cruelty to a Servant was Lord Steward of the Houshold and in great Favour He finding a Servant of his own whom he had turned away talking with a Slave in his House caused him to be so cruelly lashed that all his Body was but one continued Sore The Servant putting nothing on but his Cloak came into the King's Presence where letting it fall he said Ecce Homo Your Lord Steward has done this to me only for talking to one of his Slaves The King astonished at this Barbarity immediately sent Andrew Perez Landin his Clerk of the Closet to acquaint D. Alvaro that he deprived him of his Charge ordered he should remain a Prisoner in his House till farther order and pay 500 Crowns to that Man D. Alvaro's Kindred came to the King to intercede for him but finding the King implacable they went away Discontented and returned not to Court whereupon the King ordered the Two Sons of D. Alvaro to be struck out of his Books At last upon the humble Application of D. Alvaro's Wife he was sent for to Court severely reprimanded and then pardoned Last Year began the Preparations and now was fitted out a Fleet of above 400 Sail 1514. carrying 18000 Foot and 2600 Horse all under the Command of Jayme or James Duke of Bracança He sailed from Lisbon about the middle of August and landing on the 28th of the same Month in Africk Azamor on the Coast of Africk taken took the City Azamor Those of Tite and Almedina being abandoned by the Inhabitants he also possessed himself of with ease Then having ravaged the Country without any opposition he returned to Lisbon The Particulars of this Expedition properly belong to the Portuguese Africk 3. King Emanuel resolving to Dedicate to God Presents of the First Fruits of India sent to the Pope the First Fruits of India thought the shortest way was to present them to the Pope his Vicegerent With this Present he sent Three Embassadors the chief whereof was Tristan da Cunha with a most magnificent Retinue The Present consisted of an Elephant covered with Cloth of Gold and governed by an Indian a Persian Horse with rich Furniture a Panther that would Hunt and was at Command like a Dog and a whole Suit of Vestments for all occasions all of Cloth of Gold so thick Embroidered with Pearls and precious Stones that the Ground of it could not be discerned The whole was valued at 500000 Crowns Bernardin Freyre and Francis Pereyra Pestana arriving now from India the King caused them to be cast into Prison being informed how unworthily they had treated Mathew Embassador from Ellen Grand-Mother of David Emperor of Ethiopia and Regent of that Empire during her Grand-Son's Minority There they remained till the said Embassador interceded for them He was an Armenian Christian Judicious Learned and Bold The King received him with Respect and by him a Letter from the Empress Five Medals of Gold and a great Cross made of the Wood of that our Saviour suffered upon and kept in a Gold Case In her Letter the Empress offered her assistance towards forwarding the King's undertakings in Asia and desired since they were both Christians that their Families might be allyed by mutual Marriages that so they might be the better enabled to destroy the Turks 1515. and Moors The King 's Eighth Son born in those Parts On the 7th of September 1515 was born at Lisbon Edward the King 's 8th Son of whom more at the end of this Chapter Embassadors were sent to Castile 1516 to condole with Queen Germana upon the Death of her Husband King Ferdinand and to Flanders to Charles afterwards the 5th of that Name Emperor to offer him Elizabeth Daughter to King Emanuel in Marriage and ask his Sister Ellenor for Prince John This Year ended with the Birth and Death of Mary Emanuel's Ninth Child 4. Prince Antony 1517. the King 's Tenth Child was born at Lisbon Birth of the King 's tenth Child on the 9th Day of September He lived but a few Days and left his Mother so Weak that she died the 7th of March following of an Impostume in her Bowels The Queen dies being but 35 Years of Age. She was generally lamented being extreamly beloved for her Fruitfulness her great Love to the King her liberality to the Poor her Devotion Affability Modesty Piety Industriousness in the good spending her Time and special care of Instructing her Children As to Features she was neither beautiful nor deformed She founded the Monastery of S. Hierome in the Berlings and lies buried in the Church of Belem Before the Queen's Death the King put an Elephant and a Rhinoceros together to see the manner of their
Inhabitants King Emanuel as to Stature was tall somewhat lean his Hair dark-brown his Forehead high his Eyes green and pleasant his Arms so long that when hanging down his Fingers reached below his knees He was much addicted to all Sports as Riding Dancing Musick and Feasting very Devout and therefore on Holy-days went to several Churches extraordinary Charitable a lover of Astrologers and Jesters He reformed several Religious Houses that lived not regularly 9. His Structures were so many His Structures and other Work and so great it would swell to a Volume to particularize them in short they were Thirteen Monasteries in Portugal besides all those in Asia Africk and America and besides Repairs in other Places Eight great Churches the great Hospital of Lisbon Five Palaces Custom-houses Store-houses many Magazines plentifully stored and above Twenty Forts of considerable Magnitude besides many of less note Also several Bridges Moles Fountains and other Works were begun and finished by him To encourage Gentlemen to serve in Africk he instituted new Commendaries to Reward those that deserved well and allowed Wages to an Hundred Knights for their Entertainment there He first gave the hundredth Penny of his Revenue to Pious Uses By him the Laws of the Kingdom were digested into Method and Registers made of all Estates and Foundations as also a Book of the Arms of the Nobility Kings at Arms and Rules of Blazon were of his introducing into Portugal Antony Rodriguez the first Master of that Science here being sent to most Courts of Christendom to inform himself perfectly therein The Chronicles down to his own days he caused to be corrected Rewarding Edward Galvam and Ruy de Pina who laboured in that Affair He had three Wives the first Elizabeth Widow of Prince Alonso in her Right he was at Toledo sworn Heir to the Crowns of Castile and Leon. The second was Mary Sister to the former both Daughters to King Ferdinand and Queen Elizabeth of Castile and Aragon The third was Ellenor Daughter to King Philip the First of Spain Sister to the Emperor Charles the Fifth and Niece to both his former Wives 10. By his First Wife he had Issue His Wives and Issue Prince Michael who died at Zaragoça not quite Two Years of Age having been Sworn Heir to all the Kingdoms of Spain By the Second Wife he had First John his Successor Secondly Elizabeth Wife to Charles the Fifth and Mother to King Philip the Second Thirdly Beatrix Wife to Charles the Third Duke of Savoy Fourthly Lewis Duke of Beja and Constable of Portugal Father to Antony Prior of Crato who tho a Bastard aspired to the Crown Fifthly Ferdinand Duke of Guarda who left no Issue Sixthly Alonso the Cardinal and Archbishop of Lisbon Seventhly Henry the Cardinal and Archbishop of Braga Lisbon and Evora who afterwards was King Eighthly Edward Duke of Guimaraens who married Elizabeth Daughter and Heiress of James Duke of Bragança by whom he had two Daughters Mary the eldest married to Alexander Farnesius Duke of Parma and Katherine Dutchess of Bragança from whom tho the younger are Descended the late Kings of Portugal Ninthly Mary Tenthly Antony who both died in their Infancy By the Third Wife First Charles who died in Infant Secondly Mary who died a Maid at the Age of 57 Years having been disappointed of several Matches that were proposed for her CHAP. XI The First Part of the Life and Reign of John the Third of the Name and Fifteenth King of Portugal from the Year of our Lord 1502. till 1543. 1. KIng John the Third King John the Third his Birth was Second Son to King Emanuel and the First by his Second Wife born at Lisbon on the 6th of June 1502 about Two in the Morning It was observable that this being the midst of Summer when the Weather is usually settled fair just at that time there arose such a terrible Storm of Wind Rain Thunder and Lightning that none living had ever seen the like Whilst this Prince was Baptizing there broke out such a Fire in the Palace as alarmed the whole Court and gave occasion to various Conjectures on what it might Prognosticate 150â— The Prince was just a Year old when his Father Assembling the Cortes or Parliament at Lisbon caused him to be sworn Heir to the Crown At three Years of Age he was weaned Being come out of his Infancy he was given in charge to Gonzalo Figueyra a Noble Citizen of Lisbon the Queen his Mother still overseeing his Education The Bishop of Tangier taught him his Grammar and Lewis Teyxeyra instructed him in the Laws yet he profited little in either never thoroughly understanding any Book that belonged to them Nor was he more successful in Astrology taught him by Thomas de Torres then Famous in that Science and Physick In short at the end of his Studies the Prince was found very ignorant for tho' he had an excellent Memory he never applyed himself to Learning and his Masters feared disobliging him In the Year 1512. the Prince fell down from a Gallery in the Palace 1512. so that for 24 hours the Doctors despaired of his Life After that he came to himself and recovered a small scar of a hurt received in the fall remaining on his forehead Next he had a violent Fit of Sickness which once passed he continued healthy all the remaining part of his Life At this Age the King began to make himself acquainted with Business to which he applyed himself better than to his Book 2. The King 1515. later than had been expected settled the Prince's Family and appointed all the Officers of his Houshold among which his principal Favourites were D. Lewis de Silveyra and D. Antony de Ataide D. Lewis de Silveyra was suspected to incense the King against his Father after his marrying Queen Ellenor Sister to Charles the Fifth once designed for the Prince as was said in the forgoing Chapter 1519. Hereupon D. Lewis was banished the Court but as soon as ever King John came to the Crown he was recalled It being the Custom to Proclaim the new King the third day after the Death of his Predecessor 1521. this Solemnity was for several urgent Reasons King John proclaim'd deferred till the sixth day when it was performed with the usual Ceremonies The new King understanding that a Fleet was fitting in France in order to make new Discoveries in India and Brasil and that several French Pirates infested the Portuguese Seas sent D. John de Silveyra to put that King in mind of the Ancient Friendship betwixt those two Crowns and require redress of those Wrongs This Embassador had an Honourable Reception but no Success in his Business Ayres â—e Sousa went Embassador to the new Pope Adrian 1522. then at Zaragoça in his way to Rome to Complement him upon his Promotion to S. Peter's Chair 1523. D. Lewis de Silveyra King John's Favourite was sent to the Emperor Charles
so others too tedious to relate Sir Francis Drake had the Command of the Fleet and Sir John Norris of the Land Forces which were 22000 Men. They sailed from Plimouth and arrived at Coruna the 4th of May where they landed and having spent Five Days before the Place without any success returned to their Ships with loss In the mean while King Philip sent Advice to Lisbon That the Cardinâ—â— Alvertus who was Governour and the Count de 〈◊〉 who was General might be in readiness The English landed some Horse and 12000 Foot at Peniche which Place they took and thence coasting along entered thâ— River of Liâ—bâ—â— The Count de Fuentes with some Troops of Horse endeavoured to secure the Country â—et Norris marched with a great Body of Troops 〈◊〉 wards Lisbon and fortyfied himself close to the City There he lay some time but still finding that not one Portuguese came over to him nor that Drake did not come up the River he marched back and embarked his Forces Many of his Men died by the way of the Plague which was got among them in Portugal and the rest arriving at Plimouth spread it through all England 12. Antony seemed now only to have come to take his last Farewel of his Country for ever after he resided in France He dies in France tho' never quitting his claim to this Crown till he died at Paris in great Poverty and the 64th Year of his Age. His Body was buried in the Church of the Nuns of Ave Maria and the Inscription on his Tomb calls him King He was endued with several good Qualities his Person was comly and his Countenance pleasing He was not unlearned especially in Divinity and wrote a Paraphrase upon the Penitential Psalms He could not marry as being of the Military Order of Malta but by several Women had the following Bastard Children First D. Emanuel de Portugal who married Emilia Daughter to William Prince of Orange Secondly Christopher who died in France Thirdly Peter who became a Franciscan Friar and was called of the Desart remarkable for Piety and Learning Fourthly Denis who took the Habit of S. Bernard in the Monastery of Valbuena Fifthly Alonso who served in the Galleys of Naples where he died Sixthly John who died very Young Seventhly Philippa a Bernardin Nun. Eightly Luisa a Franciscan Nun. Ninthly and Tenthly Two Daughters whose Names are not extant but they were both kept in the Monastery of Huelgas near Burgos by King Philip the Second CHAP. VII The Reign of Philip the Second of Spain and First of Portugal and Eigthteenth King from the Year 1580 till 1598. 1. PHilip the Second of Spain Birth of King Philip and First of Portugal Son to the Emperor Charles the Fifth and the Empress Elizabeth Daughter of King Emanuel of Portugal was born at Valladolid on the 23th of March 1527. After the loss of King Sebastian in Africk he sent Don Christopher de Moura to condole with the New King and Cardinal Henry offering his assistance in reestablishing the Kingdom in its former Splendor and Money for the redemption of Captives The First he ransomed was the Duke of Barcelos Son to him of Bragança and with him several Gentlemen King Henry dying and the Kingdom being in a Confusion for that the Governours feared to declare who was the next Heir and the Multitude began to declare for Antony the Grand Prior King Philip came to Badajoz hoping his approach would induce the Portuguese to declare for him but being deceived of his Expectation he sent the Duke of Alva who reduced all the Country with much ease as we have seen in the foregoing Chapter At the time the King intended to enter the Kingdom in Person he fell so dangerously Sick that he was given over He suddenly recovered and Ann his Queen who was with him died Being restored to his Health he was received at Elvas He enters Portugal D. Christopher de Moura and Nunho Alvarez Pereyra attending upon him as Ministers of State for this Kingdom Lisbon was not yet quite clear of the Plague and therefore he ordered the Cortes or Parliament to meet at Tomar on the 15th of April In his way thither he met the Dutchess of Bragança and they were long together tho' their Discourse was not over pleasant for the King treated her not with all the Complement she expected and she never gave him the stile of Majesty Being come to Tomar before the opening of the Parliament he caused himself to be Sworn King according to the Portuguese manner and his Son Prince James Heir of the Crown An Amnâ—sty Next he granted a general Pardon to all that had sided with Antony the Grand Prior only excepting Fifty two Persons and excluding all religious Men that espoused his Quarrel from Spiritual Promotions 2. The Parliament was opened the 19th of April He holds a Parliament the King sitting on his Throne The King bountifully bestowed his Favours upon all there and yet there were more discontented than pleased It was proposed to suppress the University of Coimbra because it had supported the Grand Prior but the King would not suffer it to be done What the King granted of his own will to the Kingdom in general Priviledges granted to Portugal was as follows That he will keep all their Ancient Priviledges and Immunities That the Parliament shall always meet within the Kingdom That none shall be Governour of Portugal but a Native unless it be a Prince of the Blood That all Places of Trust and Honour shall be given to Natives That all the Officers of the Houshould shall be kept up and none but Natives shall be such That the same be observed in India and America and none but Portuguese Ships shall be allowed to Trade thither That all the Money coined in the Kingdom shall be stamped with only the Portuguese Arms. That all Church Preferments and Commendaries of Military Orders shall be given to Natives That no New Imposition shall be laid upon the Church That there shall be always a Portuguese Council with his Majesty for the Affairs of the Kingdom These are the Principal Heads the others being much of the same Purport or less Material I omit for brevity sake They were in all Twenty five Articles King Philip bound himself by Oath to perform them left his Blessing to such of his Heirs as preserved and his Curse to those that violated them 3. The Cortes being broke up Philip's publick Entry into Lisbon King Philip resolved to make his solemn Entry into Lisbon but because the City had not yet finished the Works designed for his Reception he staid some Days at Almada a Town on the opposite side of the River On the 29th of June he entered the City attended by all the Nobility with the greatest Splendor and Majesty imaginable Thus ended the Calamities of this Kingdom which had lasted Two Years during which short time there may be reckoned Five several
the Air representing Men Fires and Battles The Holy Man F. Bartholomew of the Martyrs Archbishop of Braga was beatified his Body is in the Town of Viana Margaret de Chaves now flourished in Sanctity and made a miraculous end CHAP. VI. The Reign of Philip the Fourth of Spain and Third of Portugal and the Twentieth King from the Year of our Lord 1605 till 1628. 1. KIng Philip the Third of Spain Birth of Philip the Fourth of Spain and Third of Portugal and Second of Portugal being at Valladolid with his Wife Queen Margaret their Son Philip the Fourth of Spain and Third of Portugal was born upon Good-Friday which fell then upon the 8th day of April in the Year 1605. His Birth was celebrated with the greatest Demonstrations of Joy and most of Expence 1625. that had ever till then been seen His Father dying he retired to the Royal Monastery of S. Hierome 1621. whence a few days after he returned to take Possession of his Crowns left him by his Ancestors his Magnificent Entry dispelling the Clouds of Sorrow that hung over the Heads of the Subjects and filling their Hearts with Joy He entred upon the Government giving ample Testimonies of a more pregnant Judgment than could have been expected at those tender Years His Accession to the Crown for he reformed the Councils established wholsom Laws punished evil Ministers and ordered that all those who were in Office should give in true Estimates of what they were worth that it might afterwards appear how their Estates were advanced in his Service K. Charles the First of England then Prince of Wales in Spain On the 16th of May Charles Prince of Wales afterwards King of England came incognito by the Post to Madrid and went to Lodge at the English Embassador's House and by him made known the design of his coming The Catholick King made a Publick Entry with him from the Escurial with that Solemnity that is only used at the Reception of the Spanish Kings giving him the Right Hand under the Canopy and attended by all his Court every Man thâ—â— day vying to out do the rest in Splendor and in testifying his Joy Afterwards several Sports were made to Entertain the Prince the King himself at the Riding used with Canes instead of Spears signalized his Dexterity The Match betwixt the Prince and Princess Mary being proposed learned Men were consulted and agreed upon the Conclusion but not the Formalities It was hoped it would have succeeded but Providence had ordered otherwise 2. The Arms of Spain were at this time employed in several Parts The Dutch in Brasil in all which many Portuguese served with singular Reputation The Rebel Hollanders having Intelligence of the evil Posture of Affairs in Brasil resolved to attempt the Conquest of that Country and to that effect moved several of the Northern Princes grown envious of the Power of Spain to assist them in the Enterprize They fitted out a Fleet in Holland and Zealand it consisting of 35 Sail under the Command of Admiral John Vandort and carryed 3000 chosen Men a good Train of Artillery with all other Necessaries The Design was kept very private In December the Fleet set Sail and having passed the Line in 6 Degrees of South Latitude according to the Orders given the Admiral opened his Instructions and found he was commanded to invade Baya de Todos Santos or the Bay of All-Saints This Bay is thought to be the greatest in the World and is the sort to the City S. Salvador seated on a rising Ground along that Mountainous Shoar extending out in length from North to South It has a Cathedral Church and had once a Court of Chancery which has been taken away with good cause for the greatest Injustice that can be in a State is to be pestered with too many Officers of Justice This City is the Metropolis of all that vast Province of Brasil in America and on the East side of that Continent stretching forth 1200 Leagues along the Coast being a Delightful Rich and Pleasant Soil 3. The Fleet entred this Bay and began to batter the Suburb next the Sea The Dutch Land and take the Capital City of all Brasil called Baia. where was begun a Fort in the Water in which Antony de Mendoza Son to the Governour James de Mendoza commanded but was forced to abandon it because in no condition then to withstand the fury of the Enemy's Cannon In the mean while 1000 Musqueteers landed and advanced towards the City without any Opposition They halted in the Suburb of S. Benedict Night came on and all the Inhabitants fled out of the City which the Enemy took Possession of in the Morning The Governour staid 〈◊〉 his House and was thence carried away aboard the Admiral All the People had forsaken their Houses leaving an inestimable Booty to the Rebels who polluted the Churches and committed all manner of Sacrilegious Outrages D. Mark Teyxeira the Bishop with his Clergy had offered to withstand the Enemy but none adhering to him he retired to a Village Mathias de Albuquerque who was next in Command to the Governour then a Prisoner was 100 Leagues off at Pernambuco He sent an Account of what had happened into Portugal where the Advice arrived in July The King writ to the Governours of Portugal a Letter with his own Hand in which he expressed how much he valued the Portuguese Loyalty and what returns he expected from them upon such an Exigency A Fleet sent against the Dutch The Portuguese to answer their King's Expectation speedily resorted from all Parts of the Kingdom to Lisbon and in the space of three Months fitted out a Fleet of 26 Sail in which was most of the Gentry of the Kingdom all at their own Cost without putting the King to any charge D. Emanuel de Moura Corte Real Marquess of Castel Rodrigo gave the Example to others raising a sightly Company of Musquetiers which he sent upon this Expedition at his own Expence This stirred up others to do the like for among the Portuguese Emulation is more prevalent than Vertue D. Alonso de Noronha tho' old that had been Governour of India listed himself and many Gentlemen of Quality followed his Example I shall not name them because among the Portuguese every one had rather his Name should be omitted than that his Neighbours should be inserted with him 4. The Portuguese not being a sufficient Power to recover Brasil a Spanish Fleet was at the same time fitting out but not so soon ready for the former stay'd a Month for the other in the Port of Lisbon and sailing thence in November expected it at the Island of Santiago the chief of those of Cabo Verde till February which delay proved not a little advantageous to the Enemy The Portuguese Squadron consisted of 26 Ships 1625. and in them 4000 Men in the Spanish were more Ships and 8000 Men the former commanded by D. Emanuel
support it but the Marquess and others persisting in the Resolution of hazarding a Battle their Authority prevailed The Spanish Army consisted of 7000 Foot and 2600 Horse in 34 Troops under the command of the Baron de Molinguen who was now to command the whole Army because the Marquess was to stay at Badajoz These Forces met the Enemy sooner than they expected 2. On the 26 of May 1644 The Spanish Forces defeated Albuquerque the Portuguese General finding himself reduc'd to that necessity that he must either fight or fly chose rather to hazard a Battle than forfeit his Reputation He performed the Office of a Major General ordering his Battle himself The command of the Right Wing he gave to the Monteiro Mor and the Left to the Commissary General who had under him the Dutch Horse commanded by Captain Piper The two Armies ingaged and the Spaniards gave such a furious Charge on the Portuguese Left Wing where the Commissiary commanded that the Dutch Horse fled and running upon their own Foot so disorder'd that part of the Army that the Spaniards drove them from their Ground their General being in danger to be bruised to Death his Horse falling upon him but a French Captain saved him giving him another Horse that ran lose and sustaining the shot of the Enemy till he mounted Being delivered from that Danger he had recourse to the Body of reserve which advancing to the Place which the Spanish Horse had left to pursue the Dutch and others that fled made such Havock among the Foot before Victorious that they were forced to fly The Horse returning from the pursuit and seeing the Foot broke could never be brought to a Charge but betook themselves to their Heels quitting their Cannon and Baggage Of the Spaniards about 2000 Foot and 700 Horse were killed and taken with about 40 Colours and Standards Of the Portuguese 750 were slain and among them two Collonels The Portugueses continued a Day in the field of Battle least the Spaniards should return and vaunt they had kept it King John rejoycing at this Victory which secured his Crown created the General Earl of Alegrette giving him a Pension of 4000 Crowns and rewarded many other of the Principal Men in the Army The Marquess of Torrecusa laboured to gather all the Forces of Estremadura being grieved he was not present at the Battle as believing it lost for want of Conduct and it troubled him the more because he was the adviser of it 3. Whilst these things hapned in Estremadura several Incursions were made on all the Frontiers of the Kingdom but in them was nothing Memorable for the Portugueses were most upon the Defensive and the Spaniards only kept the War afoot till the affairs of Catalonia might be settled that then they might turn their whole Force to this side A sham Conspiracy About this same time D. George de Mascarenhas Count de Monte Albano who was of the Council of State and had other great Employments was impeached of Conspiring with others against the King for which he was committed to the Castle of Belem and the rest to other Prisons Upon Examination the Accusation was found malicious and groundless whereupon he and all the others on the second of November were honorably discharged and restored to their Estates and Honours At this time also dyed the Arch-bishop of Braga one of the managers of the first Conspiracy against the King Dying he made it his request to the King that he would pardon his Treachery and grant that his Body might be Buryed without some Parish Church without any inscription upon it to the end no Memory might survive of one that hath been Traytor to his King 4. The Portuguese Governors on the Coasts of America at length concluded a Truce with the Count de Nassan The Affairs of America who governed at Pernambuco for the Hollanders Yet so far were they from observing the Articles of it that they rais'd a new Fort at Segeripe took several of our Ships and committed many Barbarities against the Portugueses that according to composition remained under them at Pernambuco These things moved John Fernandez Veigra and Francis Berenguer to lay the design this Year of expelling them that Province the success of their Enterprize belongs to another place In Africk Tangier had till this time held for the Spaniards but now the Garrison secured their Governor sent him Prisoner to Lisbon The Dutch contrary to Faith given take several places in India and declared for King John The Moors thought to have surprized that City and gave a desperate Assault but were repulsed with great Loss The Dutch in India notwithstanding their repeated Orders from the States to cease from all Hostilities still found pretences to carry on the War and landing a great number of Men in Ceylon took the Fort of Negumbo having first overthrown the Portugueses that were to defend it they presuming though much inferiour in Number and contrary to their Orders to meet the Enemy in open Field who pursuing them after the defeat entred the Fort in that Heat putting above 300 of our men to the Sword The City Macao in China was near falling again into the Hands of the Spaniards many of the Inhabitants favouring their interest and raising a dangerous Tumult to promote the same but by the Courage of Sebastian Lobo the Governour who fired from the Castle upon the City together with the Interposition of the Jesuits it was again reduced to Obedience Gonzalo Sequeyra was sent Ambassador by the King to the Emperor of Japan but through the Instigation of the Hollanders was not received Anno 1645. 1. THis Year the King having regard to the good Service done by the Earl of Castello-Melhor Actions in the Province of Alentejo in the Province betwixt Duero and Minho appointed him General of Alentejo In April he took possession of that Command and at the same time received intelligence that the Marquess de Leganez was come to Badajoz to command the Spanish Army Soon after the Counts Arrival at Badajoz 500 Spanish Horse made an Incursion into the Territory of Campo Mayor whence they retired with great Booty In their retreat the two Captains Emanuel de Gama Lobo and D. Charles Jordano charged them with 300 Portuguese Horse recovered the Prey and took from them 80 Horses The Count de Castello Melhor presently after attempted to drive the Country about Badajoz and to that purpose marched with 800 Horse and 1500 Foot but returned without doing any thing more than driving the Enemies advanced Parties to the Walls of Badajoz In return the Spaniards with a Body of 700 Horse fell into the Country of Barbacena and Sancta Olaya which is two Leagues from Elvas and Campo Mayor the Horse of both which Places to the Number of 500 joyning charged them in their Retreat recovered all the Booty and took 60 of their Horses The Count de Castelmelhor having thoroughly examined the strength
be master of so weak a place before the Portuguese General could gather a sufficient Force to attempt the relief of it However the Trenches were opened against the Town and Batteries raised but the first that gained a post were the Italians who with much bravery stormed and took the Monastery of the Carmelites whence planting their Cannon they made a great havock in the Town The Spaniards ashamed to be outdone by the Italians carryed on their Works with great diligence and having with much slaughter repulsed the Besieged who sallyed upon them made themselves master of the Church of St. Dominick which overlooking the Town they planted their Cannon upon it to the great Damage of the Besieged D. John seeing the miserable condition of the Place sent another Summons offering honourable Conditions if they surrendred in time which all the Officers of the Garrisons seeing no possibility of holding the Place or likelyhood of Relief thought it time to accept of but Lewis de Sousa Elect Bishop of Porto and Administrator of the Church of Ebora a Man fitter for the Army than the Church crossed their design raising Factions among the People and Garrison and by this means obstructed the surrender that and the following day The Clergy and Laiety Women and Children flocked to the Works and endeavoured to make up the Breaches but all in Vain for more was already ruined than could be retrieved and the continual Fire of the Enemies Cannon rendred all their efforts unsuccessful This Fury being spent and the People coming to themselves at length they capitulated and delivered up the City upon such Conditions as could be obtained which were not very Honourable On the 9th day after it waâ— invested Ebora delivered to D. John the City was surrendred There marched out 2000 Foot and 300 Horse of the Garrison who according to Articles were to be conducted into Castile and there to remain Prisoners of War during the Summer 4. The News of the Siege of Ebora being brought to Lisbon The Portuguese General Count de Villaflor ordered to relieve Ebora caused mighty commotions and tumults in that City whereupon the Young King by the advice of his Counsel sent orders to the Count de Villaflor to releive Evora at any rate and at the same time commanded the Count de Castaneda with what Troops he had and could raise to suppress all Seditions in Lisbon The Count de Villaflor received his orders the very day that Evora was Surrendred of which as yet he had no notice and therefore having called a Council of War the advice of the Count Sabugal was followed which was not to hazard a battle at any disadvantage but to cut off the Enemies Provisions In order hereto the Army being now 12000 Foot and 4000 Horse and having received intelligence of the Surrender of Evora marched and incamped at Laondil where they had plenty of Provisions and streightned the Enemy In the mean while the News of the Surrender of Evora being brought to bon A mutiny at Lisbon for the loss of Ebora the multitude ran headlong into all Sorts of Licentiousness and not only the vulgar rabble appeared in the sedition but great Numbers of the more substantial sort joyned with them The First effort of their fury fell upon the Arch-Bishops Pallace which they plundered burning and carrying away all that was in it the Arch-Bishop himself having before made his escape to Court Thence they turned their rage against the Count of Castaneda whose house they ransacked as they had done the Arch-Bishops he himself being also fled and after him they exercised the same barbarity towards the principal Magistrates and other great Men of the City Whilst this passed in the City the King consulted with the Arch-Bishop the Count de Castaneda and other great Men about the means of quelling this Sedition The Count advised to fall upon the raging Multitude with such Forces as were in the Town whereof the greatest part were Forreigners and therefore would be faithful in the performance of their duty But the Arch-Bishop's opinion prevailed which was to let the fury of the multitude pass over and then of themselves they would Return to their Duty The Rabble having raged all about the Towâ— came at last to the Kings Pallace where many being weary and coming to themselves began to slink away and at last the King Looking out of the Window and telling them that his Army now besieged those who had before layed Siege to Evora they all retired with confusion to their houses blaming one another for what they had all done No Notice was for the present taken of what had hapned but some time after several of the Ring-leaders were punished under other pretences 5. During these Transactions D. John marches out of Ebora to give the Portugueses battle D. John of Austria repaired the Fortifications of Evora and finding Provisions began to grow short having left a small garrison in the City marched out to give the Portugueses battle tho' contrary to the advise of the Duke of St. German who was utterly against hazarding a battle till the Forces they dayly expected from Castile were arrived and for the subsistance of the Army advised the turning out of the inhabitants upon whose stores the Souldiers might live many days The Portugues Army lay within half a League of Evora having a small River before it Thither D. John marched thinking either the Portugueseâ— would give him battle upon equal Terms or else that he should remove them from their advantagious Posts by 17 pieces of Canon which he planted upon an Eminence But the Count de Villaflor resolving not to quit his Advantage and the Canon which was ill planted doing as much Execution among his own as among the Enemies men D. John drew back and encamped without Canon Shot of the River Thus both Armies continued all Night ready for Action At break of Day D. John moved in order of battle to force the passage of the River where a bloudy dispute ensued till after a considerable Loss on both sides the Portugueses standing their ground the Spaniards who fought at great disadvantage were forced to give way and retire into the plain of Ebora D. John discouraged at this repulse put 3000 Foot and 600 Horse under the Command of Francis Gattinara Count of Sartirane into Ebora resolving to march back into Castile without coming to a battle if possible to avoid it by marching over the Mountains His first days march met with no obstruction because the Count de Villaflor was marched before in order to choose an advantageous Post to give battle in where the Horse might be of small use in which the Spaniards were much Superior to him Some there were who advised to march on all Night but D. John thinking that would look too like flying refused that wholesom advice In the Morning he was informed that the Portugues Army was at hand being covered from him by the tops of the
Braga not content that he had done 9 Months private Penance accused himself openly in the Synod of committing Incontinency wherefore he was deposed from his Dignity with extraordinary Horrour of all the Prelates who heard the Accusation though from the Mouth of one so penitent So rare was it then to see a Prelate guilty of any Crime So rare now to see them endued with any Vertue CHAP. V. The Succession of the other Gothish Kings in the Monarchy of Spain till Roderick the last of them from the Year of Grace 672 till 711. 1. NOw was the Monarchy of Spain in a dangerous Condition Theodofredus the Son of Recesuindus if there were any such for it is dubious being left so Young that he was wholly incapable of managing the Government the Nobility consulting what was to be done asked advice of the Pope who by Divine Revelation answered It was the Will of God that Wamba should be preferred to the Crown Wamba his strange advancâ—ment to the Crown He being a Man not known many went out in search of him and at last found him near Idanha then a famous City in Portugal he was then busie at Plow with a pair of Oxen. They told him what they came about and he taking it for Jest or believing it impossible answered That when the Goad he held in his hand Blossomed Wamba would be a King The Goad accordingly shooting out Flowers he was immediately carried away and Crown'd at Toledo At the time of Anointing his Head a Vapour like a Cloud was seen to rise from it and in the midst thereof a Bee which ascending into the Air at last vanished This is in short what some Authors relate as to the Election of Wamba Others wholly rejecting all that is miraculous therein say He was a Great Man at Court and others That he was Son to the late King Recesuindus and proclaimed the 3d. day after his Death so that there could not be time to repair to the Pope and the working of the Miracles These latter are the most suitable Opinions to Reason and there is nothing certain in these Antiquities every Man may believe as he pleases 2. Wamba howsoever it was being placed on the Throne His Wars in France and Spain the People of Navarre and other their Neighbours took up Arms to shake off the Gothish Yoak but the New King taking the Field against them soon quelled that Rebellion In the mean while the Count Hilpericus revolted in the City of Nismes which is in Gallia Narbonensis then subject to the Dominion of Spain which made Wamba raise new Forces against that Rebell and gave the Command of them to Paul a Valiant Grecian He being Master of the Field instead of punishing the Count rebelled himself and with him Ranosindus Governour of Tarragona and Hildigisius the Civil Magistrate By these he was Proclaimed King of Spain and Crowned at Narbonne with a rich Crown offered by the Holy King Recaredus at the shrine of St. Felix Martyr of Gironne Hilpericus the first Rebel and all Gallia Norbonensis joned with the others the same did Catalonia and Navarre Paul strengthned with the accession of so many Provinces had the boldness to send a Challange in most insolent Terms to King Wamba He at that time was in War with the People of Navarre and Biscay and having caused the Challenge to be Read in an Assembly of his chief Commanders tho' most of them advised to the contrary he resolved to march with speed against the rebellious Enemy none hesitated to follow the resolute Prince They entred Navarre which they entirely subdued in seven days and being come into Catalonia the King divided his victorious Army into three parts one took the way of Perpignan another that of Ausetania and the third kept along the Sea Coast The King himself stayed behind with certain choice bands to be ready to repair to the place where most Danger was He took Barcelona by Force and was peaceably received into Gironne for the Tyrant believing that Wamba would not have the Courage to come to meet him and that he should soon be there himself had sent to order Amador the Bishop That he should acknowledge as his Prince the first that came to the Walls Wamba being the first the Prelate did as he was ordered and the King said to him Paul has prophesied my coming hither Immediately he advanced to the Pyrenean Hills and at the foot of them took Colibre and other strong places 3. Whilst Wamba reduced the Rebels The Rebells in France subdued by him Paul retired to Nismes leaving all he had provided for his Defence behind him at Narbonne All that was not sufficient to secure that City to Witimerus whom he had left there as his Lieutenantâ— for Wamba to avoid the Effusion of Blood having offered him some good Terms and he obstinately refusing an Assault was given which lasted three hours at the end whereof the City was taken and in it Witimerus with others of his Associates The same hapned at Magalona Agate and other strong holds all taken by force and with much Slaughter Nismes held out longer despair fighting for Paul but at last it submitted to Wamba The French in the Town thinking they were betrayed by the Spaniards in hope of Pardon fell upon them and so they slaughtered one another whilst the Besiegers breaking in put them all indifferently to the Sword 673. Paul quitting the Royal Robes retired to an Amphitheater a strong Roman Work where he stayed two days the Victors only keeping Guard least he should escape thence The King coming to the City Argebatus Archbishop of Narbonne one of the followers of Paul came out to meet him in his Pontifical Robes and casting himself at his Feet begged Pardon for himself and all the rest This action somewhat appeaseth Wamba who Pardoned him and promised to moderate his anger towards the rest He entred the City in Triumph where Paul was brought Prisoner and fell down prostrate before him as others did their lives were granted but they were committed to custody till it were resolved what punishment to inflict upon them all the French were set free and the City ordered to be repaired It was voted that Paul and his Associates should have their Eyes put out their lives being before granted them but Wamba was content they should only remain perpetual Prisoners When he entred Toledo in Triumph they were all carried before him upon Camels and Paul in the midst of them barefooted with a Crown of black Leather on his Head instead of that of Gold he had aspired to all their Beards long and their Heads shaved Penalties usually inflicted on Traitors at that time and thus Peace was restored 4. After this he assembled a National Council 675. wherein the bounds of all the Bishopricks of Spain were determined The Africans invading Spain destroyed which continued in the same form till the Moores conquered Spain The same Year another
St. Michael the Archangel is said to have been seen by his side hewing down the Infidels Hence he went to the Monastery of Alcobaca to return thinks to God for this success and staying there a Month is said to have instituted a new order of Knighthood called that of the Wing for that in the Battle he saw a winged Arm near him fighting against the Moors which the King supposing to be St. Michael or his Guardian Angel he dedicated the order to them both The chief Rules were that the Knights should wear a red Wing embroidered with Gold that none but Gentlemen of Note should be admitted to the Order that in fight they should carry the Royal Standard that they should take the Oath of Allegiance administred by the Prior of Alcobaca who was to be superior of the Order that they should every day say the same Prayers as did the Converts of that Monastery that their Feast should be observed on Michaelmass Day The King and principal Men were enrolled in this Order but it was not lasting 5. At this time there was in the Portuguese Court Gonzalo Hermiguez his actions a Gentleman called Gonzalo Hermiguez much esteemed of the Ladies for his Eloquence and Art in Poetry and no less envied of the Men as well for those Qualities as for that his extraordinary Actions had purchased him the Title of Moor Swallower This Gentleman with a party that used to follow him passed over the River Tagus before it was light on Midsummer Day from Lisbon to Almada and there lay in Ambush The Moors according to their Custom coming out that Morning with their Women to be merry upon the Banks of the River he suddenly rushed out upon them expecting no such Entertainment and made a great slaughter of them The Infidels strove to defend themselves but in vain for he carried off a rich Booty to his Boats Being ready to put off he espied a Moor carrying away a beautiful Woman and leaping again ashore he forced her from him and so made over to Santarem with his Prey Of all the booty he took nothing to himself but the fair Captive whom Baptized he made his Wife She soon after dying he was so afflicted that leaving the World he took upon him the habit of St. Bernard in the Monastery of Alcobaca and out of his own Patrimony having no Children founded the Monastery of St. Mary de Tumarayâ— near Ourem Much about this time it is recorded that the King being near the mouth of the River Mondego found a small Chappel with the Image of our B. Lady which restored to life one of his Servants killed with a fall from his Horse An old Hermit told him it was the same that had preserved all the Women and Children killed by John the Abbot as was said in its place when he sallied out of Montemayor and unexpectedly overthrew a multitude of Infidels This moved the King to erect a Monastery there called at present St. Mary de Seica and the Image being several times removed from the poor Chappel to the magnificent Church of this Monastery is said always of it self to have returned to its own place Peter the King's Bastard Brother ranging abroad met a party of Moors conducting a Beautiful Lady with much Treasure all which having routed them he took Cide Achim a Moor of Silves who courted this Lady begged her of the King or else desired him to keep him also for his slave The King referred him to his Brother Peter who not only restored to him the Lady but all the Treasure taken with her upon condition he should send no succours to Lisbon which it seems was not then taken 6. Peter of Peter Bastard Brother to Alonso Bastard Brother to King Alonso was sent into France to prevail with St. Bernard to use his interest with the Pope for to obtain his investiture and confirmation of the new Kingdom of Portugal To omit what is too Romantick concerning this Peter he is said for his extraordinary valour to have been admitted into the number of the 12 Peers of France and that preparing to accompany that King to Hierusalem he was diswaded by St. Bernard who advised him rather to act against the Moors in Spain He followed his advice and was at the taking of Santarem Lisbon Trancoso Badajoz and other great Actions After this he was chosen Master of the new instituted order of Knight-hood called that of Avis which Honour he obtained of the King that he might not be obliged by him to Marry Returning one day with a party from an Engagement with the Moors he laid down in a Field and fell a Sleep at which time St. Bernard appeared to him in a Dream perswading him to take upon him the Habit of his Order which he accordingly performed and lived 13 Years in the Monastery of Alcobaca with an extraordinary opinion of Sanctity 7. The Dominions of Portugal being now enlarged from a small Dower given by the King of Leon with his Bastard Daughter to the proportion of a considerable Kingdom King Alonso sued to Pope Alexander III. for his invessiture in the same offering to pay to the See of Rome for ever two pound of Gold yearly as an acknowledgment of his holding that Crown of the Pope His Holiness granted his request and accordingly expedited his Bulls to that effect in the Year 1172. 1172. Hereupon the Cortes or Parliament was assembled at Lamego Pope Alexander grants the Investiture of the Kingdom of Portugal to Alonso under a Tribute in which pursuant to these Bulls the King was crowned with a Crown of Gold by the Archbishop of Braga and all the States there assembled unanimously voted their Kingdom independent of the Crown of Leon For the better regulating of the succession it was enacted That the King's Sons should inherit and for want of them his Brothers whose Sons should not succeed them without consent of the People That Daughters might Inherit provided they Married not out of the Kingdom that their Husband should not be called King till the Queen had a Son that he should not wear the Crown on his Head in Parliament that if she Married a Forreign Prince she should not inherit least the Crown should be transferred to Strangers 8. About this time the King made an incursion into Algarve The body of St. Vincent translated to Lisbon as far as the Promontorium Sacrum or Cape St. Vincent desiring to translate the Body of that Saint which he understood to be there but he could not perform it and retired Afterwards the Council of Lisbon sent People to discover it who brought it away to that City where it is kept with great Veneration a number of Crows following the Body from the Mountain to the great Church where it lies and there they also continue to this Day Abenjacob Son to the Miramamolin or Emperor of Morocco with a mighty Army besieged and much streightned the Town of Abrantes but certain
Portuguese Gentlemen raising the greatest Power they were able gave him Battle and put him to flight D. Fuas Roupinno commanded in the Castle of Puerto de Mos at such time as Gami King of Merida came to attack it D. Fuas hearing of his approach with a small body went out and lay close in Ambush The Moor giving an Assault to the Castle he fell upon him so unexpected and furiously that most of the Moors being slain Gami and many others were made Prisoners Gami and his Brother were sent for a present to old King Alonso who then reposed himself at Coimbra This same D. Fuas being Admiral at Sea destroyed the Gallies of Mauritania the first time near Cape Espichel 1182. and brought nine of them to Lisbon others he burnt in the Sea of Ceuta Engagements by Sea Returning thither afterwards with 21 Galleys he fought 54 of the Enemy but was totally destroyed and found a Grave where before he had raised Tropheys Joseph Aben Jacob Miramamolin of Morocco Andaluzia Murcia and Valencia with 13 Kings and the mightiest Army that till then had been seen to revenge the harms suffered from the Portuguese passed the River Tagus and having destroyed Torres Vedras 1184. and whatever else stood in his way laid Siege to Santarem where Prince Sancho then was During 6 or 7 days he incessantly Battered the Town and gave several assaults to it so that many of the Defendants were killed the Prince wounded and the Walls shaken At this time King Alonso being 91 years of Age came to relieve the Town but scarce had the occasion to draw his Sword the Infidels flying precipitously at the very sight of him Both the Father and Son pursued the flying Enemy with such Execution that the River was dyed with their Blood The Miramamolin ended his days in the very River being first wounded by the Prince 9. The most glorious King Alonso having Governed 17 Years without the Title of King and 46 with it and having lived 93 at length departed this life in the month of December 1185. and year of our Lord 1185. In his life time he is said to have overthrown 30 Kings The Death of King Alonso besides a number of lesser Princes and inferior Commanders It must be observed that most of these were Kings of particular Cities His Piety appears in the great number of Churches he Erected reported to amount to 150. He instituted two Military Orders that of the Wing before spoken of which for want of Revenues died with the first Knights And that of Avis as our Author will have it tho' I find no other to confirm this Antiquity which continues to this day To the Knights Templers and Hospitallers he assigned considerable Revenues As to his Person he was 11 Spans High a Gigantick Stature his Hair Red a large Mouth long Visage and large sparkling Eyes He lay in the Church of the Holy Cross at Coimbra in a wooden Tomb till King Emanuel erected one more Majestick for him His Sword and Buckler are there still to be seen His Arms the Arms he bore on his Sheild were Argent 19 Scutcheons Arzure 10 of them in the nature of an Orle the other nine in Cross and in Saltire all joined together with twists of Silk running from one to the other each Escutcheon charged with Thirteen Bezants 10. King Alonso was 53 Years of Age when he Married Mafalda His Wife and Issue the most Beautiful Lady of those times and second Daughter to Amadee 5th Earl of Marienne and first of Savoy This Queen followed the example of her Husband in erecting several Churches and Monasteries By her the King had Issue Henry who died young Sancho who inherited the Crown John Malfalda Wife to Alonso the second King of Aragon Vrraca Wife to King Ferdinand the second of Leon from whom she was divorced on account of Consanguinity after she had by him Alonso who inherited that Crown Teresa second Wife to Philip the first Earl of Flanders and Sancha his Bastard Children were Peter Alonso Teresa married to Sancho Nunnez from whom her Father took her and married her to Ferdinand Martinez the brave Lord of Braganza and the Lady Vrraca married to Peter Alonson Viegas the Grandson to Egas Moniz the King's Tutor CHAP. IV. The life and Reign of King Sancho I. from the Year 1154. till 1212 all his Actions in Peace and War his Arms and Issue 1. KIng Alonso had enjoyed the regal Title 15 Years when his Wife Queen Mafalda bore him his second Son and Successor Sancho 1154. He was Born at Coimbra the 11th of December Sancho succeeds his Father Alonso which being St. Martin's Day he had that Name given him together with the other From his very Infancy he was bred in the Field amidst the noise of Arms and surrounded with Dangers His Actions under his Father At the Age of 13 he engaged with the King of Leon in the Plains of Arganal and tho' not Victorious came off with Honour He was the first Christian Prince after the Conquest of Spain by the Moors that advanced to the Walls of Sevil. His Father King Alonso had ordered him to pass the River Tagus to defend that plentiful Country The Moors suffered him to pass undisturbed by Evora and Beja but having passed Sierra Morena he was met by the King of Sevil with a numerous Army in the plain of Axarafe here they came to a Battle which was obstinately fought on both sides till the valour of the Christians overcame the multitude of their Enemies whom they pursued to the Gates of Sevil making that River run Red with the blood of Infidels In his return to Portugal the Prince wasted all the Country carrying a vast Booty without meeting any opposition By the way he laid Siege to Niebla and had now reduced it to great extremity when advice was brought him that the City Beja was distressed by the Moors Thither he hasted and charging the Besiegers put them to the rout and relieved the City The King of Bajadoz had sent Ravadan a famous Commander with an Army to spoil that part of Portugal which he performed as was expected from him being on his return he was overtaken by the Prince and forced to quit the Country and his Booty with more hast than he came This Prince valiantly defended Santarem against the Miramamolin till his Father came to raise the Siege and they both entred the place in Triumph These were his principal Exploits till his Accession to the Crown which was in the Year 1185. 1185. 2. The third day after his Father's Death in the 30th Year of his Age and the 10th after he was married Prince Sancho was Proclaimed King in the same place where he was Born Since this is the first King that died in Portugal we will set down the manner of publick lamentation made for his Death which continues to this day The manner of lamenting the death
chief whereof was D. Payo Perez Correa Master of the Military Order of Santiago CHAP. VIII The Life and Reign of Denis the first of that Name and sixth King of Portugal his Actions and Death from the Year 1261. till 1325. 1. KIng Denis King Denis his Birth and Succession to the Crown Eldest Son to Alonso III. and Queen Beatrix was born at Lisbon on the 9th of October 1261. and was so called from the Saint whose Day that was From his Infancy he was educated in all those Vertues and Accomplishments that make an Excellent Prince In Truth Justice and Liberality he exceeded most of them that had been before him His Father dying when he was but Eighteen Years of Age though he honoured his Mother in all other Respects he would allow her no share in the Government She resenting this as an Affront went away into Castile pretending her Journey was only to pay a Visit to her Father That King desiring to please her took a Journey to Badajoz and sent to desire King Denis to come as far as Elvas Thither the Princes Peter Sancho Jayne and his Brother Emanuel repaired to him by whom the King of Castile desired they might meet at Badajoz King Denis having entertained them magnificently for the space of three Days sent them back saying He would soon be after them but suddenly returned to Lisbon thinking it a better Expedient not to meet his Grand-father than to deny his Request The Queen thus disappointed went away with her Father to Sevil where she continued being convinced her Son would admit no Partner in the Throne 2. The King being Twenty Years of Age He Marries Elizabeth the Daughter of King Peter of Aragon sent his Embassadors to Peter III. King of Aragon to ask his Daughter Elizabeth then but Eleven Years old in Marriage His Request was easily granted and the Bride conducted to Braganza where she was received by Alonso the King's Brother who conveyed her to Trancoso where the best King of Portugal and one of the best Queens in the World were marryed His next Care was â—o compleat what his Father had begun which was to dear the Kingdom of Robbers and Out-laws and to Protect the meaner sort against the Insolencies of Great Men and particularly the Country People whom he called the Sinews of the Commonwealth For this Reason and because he built many Castles he was called the Husbandman and Father of his Country Having at his Entrance into the Government passed many extravagant Grants when he came to the Age of 22 he recalled them all 1283. He had some Difference with his Brother Alonso who refused to make any Acknowledgment for the Towns left him by his Father Has Differences with his Brother Alonso and had some Pretensions to the Crown pleading that Denis was Born before the Death of the Countess of Bologne and consequently must be Illegitimate whereas he was Born after her Death when the Pope had ratified the Match They both took Arms and Alonso was besieged by his Brother in Portalegre yet at last they agreed The chief Articles were That Alonso should be allowed 30000 Crowns a Year out of the King's Revenue and instead of the Towns he possessed should have Sintra and Ourem for that the others were more dangerous to the King as lying on the Borders of Castile Thus ended those Civil Broils 3. A War broke out with King Sancho the Third of Castile War betwixt Castile and Portugal called the Fierce for that he performed not the Covenants about the Marriages of the Princes for Security whereof he had put into Portuguese Hands the Cities of Badajoz and Truxillo as also the Towns of Moura Serpa Caceres Allariz and Aguiar de Neiva All these Places he again suddenly surprized and made several inroads into Algarve and into Portugal by the way of Leon destroying all the Country before him King Denis being then wholly unprovided for War sent Embassadors to adjust Affairs but to no effect King Denis now moved to Wrath challenged King Sancho and at the same time caused his Forces to do much harm in the Enemy's Country Sancho designed to answer the Challenge but was prevented by Death at which time he ordered all that had been before stipulated should be performed Ferdinand the Fourth his Successor not answering what was expected from him King Denis sent his Embassadors to demand the Restitution of the Towns taken by his Predecessor and in case of Refusal to fix the Challenge upon him Restitution being denied the Challenge was accordingly given and the Embassadors withdrew This done King Denis with a Puissant Army marched from the City Guarda and entred Castile committing all manner of Hostilities Prince Henry who was Governour to the young King Ferdinand put a stop to our King 's further Progress making him advantageous Proposals and referring the Conclusion to Cuidad Rodrigo where the two Kings met with the Queen-Mother of Castile and concluded all Articles the Towns demanded by the Portuguese being put into the Hands of Ferdinand Longominhâ— as a Pledge for performing all other parts But this Compliance on the part of Castile being the Product of Fear and not of any Friendly Intention nothing of what had been promised was performed 4. King Denis draws together his Forces again Denis enters Castile the second time and furiously enters Castile and with him Prince John who stiled himself King of Leon as Son to King Alonso the Tenth and John Nunnez de Lara who was in Rebellion against his Prince Our Army being in the Province of Beira near the Frontiers of Castile there came to the King Margaret Daughter to the Earl of Narbonne Wife to Prince Peter the Son of King Alonso and with her her Son Sancho de Ledesma who offered to serve our King being disgusted with his own Yet tho he was much honoured and received great Bounties from King Denis he soon returned to his own Master and served against him of whom he had received such Favours King Ferdinand understanding that King Denis had invaded his Dominions sent his Fleet from Sevil under the Command of that Sancho we last spoke of to Lisbon where he surprized some Portuguese Vessels Our Admiral having gathered what Force he could pursued and overtook the Fleet of Castile without the Bar. The Fleet of Castile worsted by the Portugueses There was fought a most obstinate Battle till the Castillians were worsted and their Commander D. Sancho brought back Prisoner In the mean while K. Denis without Opposition ranged about the Territories of Cuidad Rodrigo and Ledesma where he took the Castle of Torres putting all the Defendants to the Sword He passed by Simancas where King Ferdinand was and laid Siege to Possaldes where neither Sex nor Age was spared nor was any Reverence paid to the Churches where the Altars were stained with Blood nor did their Sacrilegious Hands abstain from Plundering those Holy Places The Castilians were not
idle 1296. for many great Men laid waste our Borders Alonso Perez de Guzman who Commanded on the Frontiers about Guadiana with a good Body of Andaluzians shed much of our Blood and carried away great Spoils The Master of Avis met him with some Portuguese Forces but was overthrown and almost One Thousand Prisoners carried away who were ransomed at an easie rate not to retard the course of their Victory He also recovered the Castle of Torres where he spared no Portuguese and thus Fire and Sword raged in all Parts King Denis understanding hereof committed the greater Cruelties in the Villages about Salamanca where he then was The Inhabitants fled to the Mountains and to the Churches but neither Churches nor Mountains could protect them rage bore down all Divine as well as humane Considerations 5. The Moorish King of Granada laying hold of this advantage Peace concluded betwixt the Kings of Castile and Portugal broke into Andaluzia took Fifteen Castles and retired with a mighty Booty Mary the Queen-Mother and Prince Henry Governours to King Ferdinand now sensible of their Danger offered King Denis all manner of Satisfaction as to the Points before promised which were That King Ferdinand should marry his Daughter Constance and Prince Alonso Beatrix Sister to Ferdinand and for performance they gave him sufficient Hostages King Danis in his return to be in some sort revenged on D. Sancho de Ledesma took from him all the Towns he possessed in the Province of Riba de Coa The King of Castile sent Alonso Perez de Guzman to the Portuguese 1297. to sollicite that they might meet at Alcanizes where this Discord was to have an end There both Kings accordingly met honourably attended A Peace was Concluded for Forty Years and it was Stipulated that whosoever did infringe it should be delivered up to the Party aggreived The Towns of Olivenza Campo-Mayor and S. Felices were delivered up to the Portuguese in lieu of Aroche and Aracena That King Denis should still hold all the Towns of the Province of Riba de Coa and for the Title the King of Castile might claim to them he resigned up to him Valencia Ferreyra Esparragal Ayamonte and other Places in Leon and Gallicia 6. Articles being signed The Peace confirmed with mutual Alliances King Ferdinand presently Married the Portuguese Princess Constance and delivered his Sister Beatrix to her Father-in-Law as Wife to Prince Alonso who expected the event of this interview at Trancoso The Portuguese Princess being left in Castile King Denis with the Castilian returned to Coimbra then the Seat of the Portuguese's Court. Till the Princess came to Age. for Marriage the King assigned her a competent Revenue and appointed Martin Archbishop of Braga and Count Martin de Sousa his Standard-bearer her Governours The Day she was delivered to the Prince the King added to what he had before given her the Towns of Viana Terena Ourem and Armamar King Ferdinand of Castile made this Accomodation in good time being then pressed by the neighbouring Princes in favour of D. Alonso de la Cerda Grand-son to King Alonso X. from whom Sancho Father to Ferdinand and Uncle to the said Alonso had Usurped the Crown so that Alonso de la Cerda was the rightful Prince and Ferdinand then in possession and Usurper The dispossessed Prince gave the Kingdom of Leon to his Unkle John and that of Murcia to Jayme or James King of Aragon upon Condition they should assist him to recover his right Both those Princes endeavoured to possess themselves of what was allotted them before the Injured Prince could be Re-inthroned King Ferdinand overwhelmed with these Enemies craved Aid of our King Denis and that they might meet at Fuente Guinaldo and Badajoz There having declared his wants our King presented him with a great Summ of Money a Cap made of an Emerald of inestimable Value and sent him such supplies of Men as gained him a Superiority over his Enemies 7. Pope Benedict XI sent his Legate to compose these Differences King Denis chosen Mediator betwixt thâ— of Castile and the lawful Heir then Banished and with the general Consent of all Parties concerned our King Denis was appointed Mediator between them It was agreed that all Parties should stand by his Determination to which purpose a solemn Instrument was signed and Cautionary Towns given on all sides King Denis set forward towards the Plain where the Conference was to be held with an Honourable Retinue to the number of One thousand Persons and to avoid all disorders that might happen in Towns lay all the way in Tents 1304. in the open Field King Ferdinand met him at Cuellar they travelled together to Soria and there parted our King proceeding to Torrellas in the Kingdom of Aragon where Jamye or James King of Aragon and Blanch his Queen received him Here King Denis entertained them with such Magnificence as had scarce been seen in Spain The Arbitrators and Parties being come to Taracona the Kingdom of Murcia An unjust Sentence given by King Denis against the rightful Heir was by them divided betwixt the Kings of Castile and Aragon and several Towns were assigned to D. Alonso de la Cerda and he ordered to forbear stiling himself King of Castile This Sentence of King Denis our Author admires for its equity as if it could be any justice to deprive the rightful Prince of Three Kingdoms and give him the Revenue of a few Towns in lieu of them and those Towns to be held of that same Usurper who kept him out of his right Judgment being given they went away to Agreda where King Ferdinand was with his Mother There Kings dined at one Table and Three Queens at another which were those of Castile Aragon and Portugal Hence King Denis went to Valladolid to see his Daughter Queen Constance and so returned to his Kingdom 8. King Ferdinand now at Peace with the Christians resolved to employ his Arms against the Moors of Granada To this effect he craved Succours of King Denis who sent him Seven hundred Horse 1305. Commanded by D. Martin Gil de Sousa his Standard-bearer and lent him Seventeen thousand Marks of Silver for which Badajoz Alconchel and Burguillos were given in pawn This expedition was well begun by the taking of Gibraltar but its Progress was stopped First by want of Provisions and next by the Death of King Ferdinand Phillip the Fair King of France placed Clement V. before Archbishop of Bourdeaux in St. Peters Chair 1309. upon Condition he should remove the Papal Seat to Lions that he should publickly burn the bones of his Predecessor Boniface VIII give him the rents of the Church Revenues The cruel suppression of the Knights Templars for Five Years and suppress the Order of the Knights Templars that he might seize their Revenues This Pope not willing to perform that part touching the burning of his Predecessor thought to make the King amends by falling the