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A13572 The strangest aduenture that euer happened: either in the ages passed or present Containing a discourse concerning the successe of the King of Portugall Dom Sebastian, from the time of his voyage into Affricke, when he was lost in the battell against the infidels, in the yeare 1578. vnto the sixt of Ianuary this present 1601. In which discourse, is diuerse curious histories, some auncient prophesies, and other matters, whereby most euidently appeareth: that he whom the Seigneurie of Venice hath held as prisoner for the space of two yeres and twentie two dayes, is the right and true king of Portugall Dom Sebastian. More, a letter that declareth, in what maner he was set at libertie the xv. of December last. And beside, how he parted from Venice and came to Florence. All first done in Spanish, then in French, and novv lastly translated into English.; Adventure admirable, par dessus toutes autres des siecles passez & present. English Teixeira, José, 1543-1604.; Munday, Anthony, 1553-1633. 1601 (1601) STC 23864; ESTC S118296 67,947 90

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Sebastian in Aff●icke all the Portuguezes haue euermore taken him to be liuing and hereby appeareth sufficiently that he is not dead neither was that his body which was buried in Bethlehem Moreouer by the same examples your worthy Lordship may easily iudge that this man held as a prisoner at Venice is the King Dom Sebastian himselfe considering that in two yeares and fiue monethes already passed since he first began to manifest himselfe the Seigneurie continually found from day to day more euident appearance still of truth without encountring any thing whatsoeuer to the contrary or could be beleeued for certaine in all the allegations of the Embassadour from Castile against the prisoner The Lords of this honorabble estate warned by the successe of such false impostors may the better excuse themselues that they haue with such extremity and long delay proceeded against the very person of king Dom Sebastian Which being so and the diuine Oracle ensuing added hereto I hope I haue answered reuerend Lord your second demaund A diuine Oracle worthy to be published and knowne through all the world imprinted at Lisbone in Latine with permission of the holy office in the yeare MDC Brother Stephen de Sampayo Portugueze of the order of the Friers Preachers reader of diuinity in the Vniuersitie of Tolossa To the Reader AS the al-good and most mighty God disposeth things with no lesse oportunity then clemency it is come to passe that since the time of some foure yeares past there hath bene found in Portugall two memories or monuments of most venerable antiquity in a very celebrate Monastery of the order of the Cisteaux which we commonly call the Abbay of Alcobaça as the fathers of that couent searched among their papers and registers for certaine priueledges for their warrant for a kind of vexation whereof it shall be needlesse to speake at this time And in short while after they were presented to Philip II. king of Castile by the Priour Prouinciall of the sayd order and read apart each from other before his Catholike Maiesty and then againe redeliuered backe to the Monastery both which for certaine causes haue bene brought to light and the translation of them conferred with the originall The oath of Dom Alphonso first king of Portugall for approbation and assurance of the vision which he saw the yeare MCXL in the Prouince of Campo d'Ourique I Alphonso first King of Portugall sonne to the famous Earle Henry graund child or sonne to the great King Alphonso before you worthy personages the Archbishop of Braga and the Bishop of Coimbre and Theotonio and you other Lords officers and subiects of my kingdome do sweare vpon this Crosse and on this booke of the most holy Euangelists which I touch with my hands that I a miserall sinner haue seene with mine vnworthy eyes my Lord Iesus Christ spread abroad vpon the crosse in manner following I being with mine armie in the land which is neare to the riuer Tagus in the Prouince of Campo d'Ourique to giue battell to Ismael and to foure other kings of the Moores who had with them infinite thousands of men at armes and my people being somewhat sad and fearefull to behold such a numberlesse multitude of warriours came vnto me and sayd that it would be ouer-much boldnesse in vs to bid them battell Whereupon being very much afflicted with what I heard and saw I began to ponder apart by my selfe what I were best to do In my pauillion I had a booke containing both the old Testament and the new of Iesus Christ I opened it and hapning to reade the victorie of Gedeon I began thus to say to my selfe Thou knowest ô Lord Iesus Christ that for the loue of thee I haue vndertaken this warre against thine enemies Lord it is in thy hand to giue me and mine strength to vanquish these blasphemers of thy name And speaking so I fell asleepe vpon the sayd booke and sleeping I saw an olde man come to me saying Alphonse take good courage for thou shalt vanquish and put to repulse all these Kings here and shalt breake their forces and God shall shew himselfe to thee As I was in this vision suddenly came to me Ferdinand de Sousa gentleman of my chamber who awaking me sayd Sir raise your selfe for here is an olde man come to speake with you Let him enter sayd I if he be any of our friends When the man was come in I knew him to be the same good olde man which I had seene in my vision he sayd vnto me Sir be of good cheare you shall vanquish you shall vanquish and you shall not be vanquished God loues you for he hath cast the eyes of his mercy vpon you and on your race euen to the sixteenth generation wherein your ligne shall be weakened and diminished Neuerthelesse in this diminution and feebling there shall be no want of his diuine fauour and succour He hath commaunded me to tell you that when you do heare in the night ensuing the bell of mine hermitage wherein I haue liued sixtie sixe yeares among the infidels and in the protection of the most high you shall come foorth of your campe all alone without company and he will make his great mercy appeare vnto you I obeyed and prostrating my selfe in reuerence to the ground worshipped the messenger and him that sent him And as I attended in prayer the second watch of the night I heard the bell then armed with my sword and shield I went foorth of the campe Then I saw on my right hand toward the East a bright beame in the element the splendour whereof increased more and more And as I held mine eyes respectiuely fixed on that quarter I saw in that beame shining brighter then the Sunne the blessed Crosse and Iesus Christ crucified thereupon likewise both on the one side and other a multitude of young men seeming verie white whom I accounted to be holy Angels When I had beheld this vision I layd by my sword shield and garment put off my shoes and being prostrated along vpon the earth I wept abundantly then going to intreate strength and preseruation for my subiects without any trouble I spake in this manner Lord to what ende dost thou shew thy selfe to me wouldst thou increase the faith of him that only beleeues in thee It were better Lord that these infidels should see thee to the end that they might beleeue as for my selfe from the day of my baptisme I haue knowne and acknowledged thee the true God Sonne of the Virgin and the Father eternall This crosse was of admirable greatnesse and eleuated from the earth about ten Cubites and the Lord with a sweete sound of his voyce which I heard with mine vnworthy eares sayd to me I do not appeare vnto thee in this sort for increase of thy faith but to comfort thy heart against this battell and to fixe the chiefest Princes of this kingdome vpon a firme rocke Courage Alphonso for thou shalt not onely
himselfe flatly foyled in the field and out of all hope of making head any more fled to Morocco whence he passed to the mountaines called Montes Claros and by this retraite Muley Maluco made himselfe sole Lord of Barbary By this historie is apparantly to be seene with what small helpe a man may game those kingdomes whereto he hath any right In like manner and with much more ease may king Sebastian recouer his because it appertaines to no other but him for he is true Lord and King thereof From the mountaines Muley Mahamet sent his Embassadors to the king Dom Sebastian and desired succour at his hands making him such large offers as were very profitable and greatly for the aduantage of Christendome He gaue him as I haue learned from diuerse credible persons all the shoares which he held on the Ocean sea and sixe leagues into firme land with the townes and cities thereto belonging among which were the cities of Arzile Saphin Larache all very strong places of great importance Some say that he gaue him the abounding Alcacarquibir Tituan and other places more he caused in the field a plaine deliuerie of Arzile to be made by Cid Albequerin brother to his wife who was the gouernour of the sayd city And granted him moreouer that the faith of Iesus Christ should be preached in Barbarie and full power to crowne himselfe Emperour of Morocco This was the reason that made the King Dom Sebastian lo●ke vp his crowne which the Kings his predecessours and himselfe euen vntill that time had openly worne I saw that Crowne lockt vp into peeces of Artillerie which were newly and purposely made for that voyage in like maner I saw the Banners Standards and the ships vnder saile for that armie And I know that the king Dom Sebastian tooke with him an vnkle of mine my mothers brother who was iudge of the Armories in the kingdomes of Portugall to serue him as maister of those ceremonies which were to be vsed in the act of his coronation as Emperour The king Dom Sebastian seeing so great offers and being a Prince of the loftiest enterprises desirous to winne honour and such reputation as should wait on due merit knowing what vertues consisted in himselfe accompanied with such forces couragious fearelesse hardie actiue ●nd presuming in himselfe that he onely was borne to breake downe and squander the infidelles impieties accepted the conditions that were made vnto him And thus iustly deserued the sinnes of Portugall that he should put his person in daunger of losse his kingdomes and Monarchie in the ballance as a pray to strange nations Hence may your worthinesse gather what you desire to know out of the first demand An answere to the second demaund I answere to the second demaund negatiuely that king Sebastian did not die in the battell and that the body which was buried in Bethlehem was none of his But before by manifest reasons I approue my sayings let me intreate your sacred fatherhood to vnderstand that when he began to make his preparation for this voyage I was then a man of yeares and in some authority which admit as spoken betweene our selues because that which oftentimes contenteth friends displeaseth and raiseth a repining nature in such as are not so When he parted from Lisbone to passe into affricke being the yeare 1578. and in the moneth of Iune I was in the 35. yeare of mine age and had the vse of very honorable charges gouerning some couents of mine order and had preached in diuerse places of Portugall with applause and satisfaction of mine auditors The same yeare I was in Lent called from my couent at Santeren where I then aboade to Lisbone by Dom Alphonso de Chasteaublan● chiefe Almoner to the king and Commissary generall of the Bull for the Croisade to preach in the townes of Esbernos Borba Villaricosa Landroal Terena Moncaras Moran Mora and Portel and I was enrolled in the register of them who were appointed to accompany the king in his present voyage which could not by my selfe be performed because my Prelates that had commaund ouer me had consigned me to the gouernement of the Couent of Santeren which is the fourth of our order and the chiefest in Portugall because the Priour there ruling began to find himselfe not well and had accōplished his three yeares iurisdiction in which respect my Prelates prayed the king to pardon me from bearing him company in his purposed voyage and at their requests it was obtained Thus I stayed at home although against my will in Portugal without passing into Affricke I hold the rather this kind of discoursing with your Lordship because you may the better perceiue that I had yeares and authority as before I declared sufficient to know great men and what belonged to state affaires The king parted from Lisbone taking with him about thirty religious persons of my order to whom he bare very kind affection and reposed trust inough in them for he vsed to call them his brethren One of their number was our Prouinciall of Portugal who commanded the orders through all the gouernement of the kingdome and as well in Europe as in Affricke Asia and America named brother Iohn de Silue graund-child or sonne to the Gouernour of Portugal brother to the Bishop of the city called the Port of Portugall and to Fernand de Silue who at that very time was Embassador into Castile brother Manuell de Bosa brother Vincent Afonseca and other religious men of very good discent There was also mine vnckle Manuell Texere of whom I made mention in my first answere a brother of mine likewise called brother Diego Cardose de Mirande that maried with a sister of mine and diuers others of my kindred King Sebastian hauing ioyned with his army in Affricke at the city of Arzile and leauing Larache was gone toward the city of Alcacarquibir there in the field thereto belonging he put his men in order the fourth of the moneth of August When the heauy newes was brought to Portugal and that I had intelligence therof because of the intrest I had in the iourney I was constrained to go to Lisbone being fourteene leagues distant from Santeren to vnderstand whether they were true or no. Where arriuing the 25. of the sayd moneth I met with mine vnckle who was the selfe same day returned from Affricke He by commandement of the Generall of the army that remained behind as Lieutenant generall for the king had brought thither with him vnto Lisbone Cid Albequerin and his nephew the young Xarifa sonne to his sister and Muley Mahamet Xarifa which young Xarifa is now a Christian and liues in Spaine bearing the title of the Prince of Morocco and is commander of the order of Saint Iames a Prince of many excellent partes and singular hope Being thus with mine vncle he told me that king Sebastian withdrew himselfe from the battell embarqued in his Galliot but for certaintie that he was aliue If I would know
of our Lord 696. Then afterward by the Moores Capelicastrum This was a Parliament and colonie of the Empire and one of the greatest and most important townes of Lusitania whereof the Moores were Lordes The King thinking one while in this siege and of the Fortresse of this cittie because it was built on a high mountaine that it was a matter verie doubtfull and difficult to take and subdue to purchase ayde and help of God by the intercession of our blessed Ladie the virgine concluded in his soule if he might happen to win the said citie to make her great offers and to erect in his kingdome a great and notable monasterie of Monkes of the order of the Cisteaux whereof ensued the said monasterie of Clairuaux which should and did flourish greatly through the world and so doth to this day The King Dom Alphonso soiourned then in the towne of Coimbre which then was the capitall place of all the kingdome within some few dayes after the King departed from the saide towne to be present at the siege with his sonne and traine and as he was vpon the way there came before him two or three religious men of the said order who demaunded of him on the behalfe of Frier Bernard place for beginning the building of the monasterie which he had promised The King considering apart by himselfe and remembring that he had made this promise is his heart and yet had not imparted it to any person whatsoeuer and seeing that Frier Bernard who was distant off from him more then three hundred miles knew therof he took it as a good augurie or presage and began to hold it for certaintie that the heauenly Architect would not slack his grace toward him but that without all doubt he should conquer the said citie Hauing then giuen good and charitable welcome to the religious men he said My brethren you come in a verie apt season let vs iourney on together and I will recount it vnto you as also make accomplishment of my promise so soone as I haue recouered the citie of Santaren frō the Moores which I haue besieged by my son soldiers Three dayes after the arriuall of the King there the citiie was wonne and taken more by the help of heauen then by the valour and strength of the Christians albeit no way to disparage their deseruing they fought like hardie and very valiant men The King doing the dutie of a most braue Prince and Captaine seeing him selfe in extreame great danger at the entrance of a gate which he had wonne wheron is an imag of our Lady and is called the gate of our Lady Alamarma which is as much to say as fasten o● mine Armes the very portugall words which the King vsed then to his Squire because one had vntied the buckles of his armour The King being made Lord of a place of such weighty importance marked out forthwith to the saide religious men a great quantitie of ground whereon they should begin to build their monasterie which afterward increased in such sort as in short time the number amounted to 999. They liued in particuler little celles dispersed among the vallies and mountaines and on feast dayes they would meete together to praise the Lord. The religious men of this monasterie doe hold by tradition that their number shall neuer amount to a thousand because if they giue the habite to one within the church they shall find another to be dead without This hath bene assured to me by persons of good yeares religious men of the said monasterie who call themselues d' Alcobaça among whom are diuers of my kinred A thing which right worthie Lord may verie wel be so For if if we shall giue credite to Camden an English historian who yet liueth at this day and is an author worthie of beleefe he certifies to to vs in his Brittania that in the land which at this day is called England which such as are seene in Cosmography know to be no greater thē the kingdom of Portugal with that of Algarbe in Lusitania a tyrant King put to death twelue thousand religious persons because they followed the part of another who was the true and rightfull King The same Camden doth tell vs that these religious people were of a monasterie which was diuided into three seuerall bands and that the least companie of them contained seuen hundred compleate But to come to our purpose these religious folke of Alcobaça builded by succession of time in the great breadth of ground granted them by the King Dom Alphonso seuen citties so do the Spaniards call them and the Latines oppida siue vrbes because that almost all of them are engirt with walles and haue castels as in France Poissy Meulan Mante Vernon c. Philip II. King of Castille would haue sold the iurisdiction of them as he hath sold others in Spain belonging to the Church This moued the fathers of the said monasterie to turne ouer their papers and was the cause that we saw with our eies a donation so deuout and holy made to the blessed mother of God our Ladie of Clairuaux whereof Saint Bernard hath bin Abbot Now reuerend Lord may it please you licence me to come to the declaration of some words in the prophesies which perhaps may seem difficult to some wheresoeuer Concerning that of S. Cyril the Hermite Tempore annorum 54. c. This proposition hath lately beene declared elsewhere speaking of the King Dom Sebastian who was borne in the yeere 1554. the 20. of Ianuarie betweene eleuen and twelue of the clocke at night as I well remember I lacking bookes here and haue not my memorie so good worthie Lord now as in times past my trauails banishments sicknesses especially the last hath depriued me of the better part so that I cannot now cite some common knowne Psalmes without booke which I had in my yonger yeeres by heart and could say readily Concerning that of S. Isidore Occultus Rex bis piè datus c. This may be verie wel applied to Dom Sebastian my Lord and king because that after the twelfth of Ianuarie the day whereon his father died aged but sixteene yeeres and seuen moneths till the twentie of the said moneth An. 1554. when he was borne at Lisbone throughout all Portugall day and night they made continuall processions fastings and prayers with very much deuotion and great store of tears as the reuerend father doctor Sampaye makes known in his Epistle to the reader The reason was because the Portuguezes feared that the kingdom should fal into the Spaniards hands For that when the King D. Iohn 3. grandfather to to King D. Sebastian gaue his daughter Mary as wife to Philip then prince of Castille it was said by the contract of this mariage that if it happened that the King D. Iohn should deceasse without children he that should be borne of Philip and Mary should be heyre to the kingdome of Portugall whereto the people then consented
say some but repented afterward that they laboured not to contend rather by law or warre which questionlesse had not wanted because the Lord Dom Edward sonne to the infant Dom Edward brother to the said King D. Iohn 3. then liued who was a Lord endued with many singular vertues and as a legitimate Prince borne of Kings by the ligue masculine did euermore claime the succession of his ancestors in the said kingdome which neuer yet fell vnto the distaffe Hereupon the Portuguezes prayed to God so instantly with so many processions fasts prayers and teares that it might please him to giue them a Lord and Prince Thus by diuine grace was Dom Sebastian giuen to the Portuguezes the first time and thus now againe he giues him the second time An answere to the third demand For manie causes right reuerend Lord it was not necessarie for the King Dom Sebastian to discouer himselfe in Barbary of al which we wil alleage but two The first if he had manifested himselfe he had run into great danger of his lifes losse for his enemie could not more easily haue put him to death then in Barbarie There are a great number of officers kept in pay who giue them such morsels which is called the Boccon or poisoned bit as the poore patient cannot by anie meanes escape they limit them to the yeare moneth daies what shall I say to verie houres and moments The second if Muley Hamet had got him into his power the least that he would haue demaunded for his ransome had been the cities and townes which the Portuguezes possesse in Barbarie This had beene a small gift for him Tanger Arzile Mazagan and the other places which the Kings of Portugall do hold in Barbarie Neuerthelesse Septa had bin great losse to Christendom for it is the key of Affricke and Europe And the Moores hauing that in their own power at all times and whensoeuer they were thereto disposed they might passe into Spaine an hundred thousand horse and more and from Spaine post to other parts of Europe as somtimes they did when they were not so well inured to warre nor expert in Armes Our histories of Portugall doe tell vs that the infant Dom Fernand being taken by the Moores in the field of the citie of Tanger as he there held his siege some few daies after they came to demaund for his raunsome onely the citie of Septa which his father the King Dom Iohn of worthie memorie the Bastard had won from the Mores The king that then was Dom Edward for the singular loue he bare to his brother resolued with his people who loued the Prince entirely to giue what they had demaunded The infant Dom Fernand being aduertised of his brothers kind respect and the peoples goodwill to him likewise found the meanes to write secretly vnto them that they should be very carefull what they did saying God forbid that by my occasion Christendome should endure such a damage I had rather be partaker among an hundred thousand martyrs or die in captiuitie in the Infidels custodie then cause such a manifest daunger to all Christendome The Mores following still their motion yet vsing the infant and his companie with extreame crueltie came to the knowledge that it was hindred much more by the said infant then the king his brother whereupon they began to intreate him in farre better manner that he might the gladlier consent to his owne redemption But they could no way worke him to preferre his owne particular benefite before the weale publique of Christendome So that the Moores growing much displeased hereat put him into an iron prison without any bed or seate and so placed him before the gates of the citie of Marocco giuing him daily to eate certaine ounces of bread and a little water to drinke After some few moneths this holy Lord rendred his spirit to his Creator in that rigorous prison suffering a glorious martirdome for the common good of all Christians after the example of his Lord Iesus Christ redeemer of the whole world His bodie is buried in the Couent of our Ladie of victorie which is of mine Order commonly called de la Battaille in the Chappell of king D. Iohn his father where God in regard of him did continually many miracles for aduancement of the Christian faith The religious Fathers of the said Couent on the day of his death do not vse to sing any Masse of Requiem but that of all Saints because he was not canonized nor yet beatified wherin he is contained amongst them Frier Ierome de Ramos a religious man of mine Order writ a booke concerning the life of this glorious Saint in the Portugall language Which booke I beleeue that the king Dom Sebastian hath both seene and read and that in imitation of the said Saint who was brother to his fourth grandfather I am certainely perswaded that he hauing so apt meanes to conceale himselfe would not be discouered for should he haue there bene reuealed to the Mores they might haue come and demaunded for his ransome the townes and cities elsewhere set downe nay the citie of Septa it selfe And doubtlesse the Portuguezes would haue giuen them all nay rather much more for the libertie of a King so good so vertuous and so holy whome they loued with such and so great affection as if he had bene a God and their redeemer The king Dom Sebastian most worthie Lord was naturally so Catholike and christianly addicted that for the adding but of a very pulse breadth of ground to Christendome he would most gladly haue yeelded himselfe captiue And therefore we may well coniecture and credit his good nature that when he could not get away without danger of his life and likewise in respect of Christendomes generall benefite he held it much more glorious for him to die in prison and slauerie in Barbarie then to liue at libertie being Lord and Monarch of the world Thus right reuerend Lord giue we end to the answer of your third demaund An answer to the fourth demaund Some do coniecture that he hath bene amongst the Moores in Barbarie many yeares Which very well be so although such as haue not bene accustomed to frequent that countrey do imagine it impossible and oftentimes it hath so happened to the Portuguezes that they haue liued captiues in Barbarie for the space of 10.12.15.20.25 and 30. yeares without any tidings heard of them all The reason is that al slaues Noble do appertain to the King and such as hold them in their custodie are bound to make like deliuerie to him of them Whereby very often the Lords of the Moores knowing their slaues to be of noble race dissemble with them that they may not lose them and that they may find meanes to be rid of them graunting them for their libertie some reasonable ransome So got out of captiuitie the Prince my Lord Dom Antonio who died at Paris with the title of King of Portugall because he had bene elected
an vnity together rent forth of his hands whatsoeuer he had insulted on and chased him out of the kingdome after they had ouerthrowne him in the battell of Aljibarota albeit he had in his army foure and thirty thousand men and they were but 7. thousand onely afterward they gaue him defiance againe at Valverde at Trancoso and elsewhere as is to be seene in our histories if your reuerend selfe but please to reade you shall there find it agreeing with my words and in pursuite they gaue him law at their owne pleasure as anon we shall tell you more in this answere Thus we may easily perceiue that it consists not in the strengh of the king Catholicke Dom Philip both to guard Portugall and keepe all the kingdome thereof vnder bridle though he assembled all Spaine and all his other commaund Wherefore I am of the mind most worthy Lord that so soone as his Maiesty Catholicke is giuen to vnderstand how that the King Dom Sebastian is come into Fraunce he will immediatly send his Embassadours to him and offer him the reintegration of his realme in quiet swept cleane already of corne and chaffe as much as to say as without pretending any thing to him but loue and kindnesse And I thinke his Councel wil therto aduise him if they haue any feare of God if they be wise discreet or friends to the seruice welfare of their king For if king Sebastian come with strong hand to the restauration of Portugall no way can hinder him the entrance of Portugall then into Castile and from thence through all Sapine whereby he will bring Dom Philip into such distresse as doubtlesse he will go neare to make ruine of all And when he shall come to vrge his agreement Dom Sebastian not onely will bind him to pay all his dispence domages and wrongs endured by occasion of the warre but likewise to restore him those reuenues and profits which the king his father and himselfe haue hald out of Portugall for the space of more then twenty yeares which will amount to more then forty millions Nay that which is more to destroy him and be gratefull to his friends and them that aided him in the recouerie of his kingdome he will constraine him to render the realme of Nauarre to the king most Christian that of Aragon to the Duke of Lorraine those of Naples and Sicilie to his holinesse and likewise to the other Princes of Europe all that he hath held from them perforce for the flower they are in comming to peace and concord the swifter ensues the great losse and mishap of Spaine This which I say reuerend Sir is not in bare and simple words onely nor shall this be the first time that Portugall hath taught law to Castile such as are pleased in reading histories shall find this very true and of many that we might report and set downe in account we will alleadge but onely one Dom Peter King of Castile sirnamed the cruell who was slaine by his bastard brother that came to raigne afterward and named himselfe Henry the II. left two daughters the first called Constance the second Isabel wife to Edmond of Langley brother to Iohn of Gaunt the husband to the elder daughter Constance of whom was borne a daughter named Catharine The sayd Iohn of Gaunt in the regard of his wife Constance qualified the king of Castile and Leon and made his direct passage from Gascoigne which then was in the rule of the English into Spaine with eighteene thousand foote and two thousand horse and tooke the Groigne with the ayde of Iohn the bastard elected King of Portugall receiued sworne confirmed and obeyed by the Portuguezes who were to him very good friends Thence he went on to Portugall whence he entred into Castile and so on to the City of Burgos distant from the place where he parted more then twentie sixe leagues tooke it at his arriuall and made himselfe maister of all the cities townes and castles he came to moreouer they that were further off came and for feare submitted themselues And easily had he attained to a larger aduantage but that his men died who through their neglect in ordering thēselues and small prouidence in good husbandry were ouertaken by famine whereon a pestilence ensued among thē and they were brought to such scarsity of victuals as they were forced to run to the enemies campe which was vnder the guide of Lewes Duke of Bourbon who in fauor of king Iohn of Castile came thither well accōpanied with the Frēch to request wherewithal to saue their liues Which the sayd Iohn of Portugall beholding complained to the Duke saying that it was not good for his souldiers to treate with the enemy affirming that they would cause more preiudice then all the other therefore he should repeale them presently forbid all community of speech with the contrary part Otherwise when they should enter fight all would by the edge of the sword be destroyed the one in regard of loue to the other Thomas Walsingham an English historian deliuers it in the selfe same termes and sayth that the king of Portugall had with him foure thousand Portuguezes and all of them very well armed Within few dayes after certaine Embassadors sent by the king of Castile came to the Duke desiring peace of him in all humility to whom the Duke wold giue no audience Notwithstanding the hunger pestilēce did enforce him to withdraw thēce into Portugall to the towne of Trancoso whither they came againe seeking to him being sent the second time from the said Iohn king of Castile to vrge once more the same request shewing the Duke by many reasons the great profit might be drawne out of a kind peace betweene them The Duke then gaue them the hearing condiscended to their demand although it was greatly against his will chiefly because he heard that the king hf Portugall was willing thereto and then being touched therein by a more effectuall cause namely the intelligēce of the troubles beginning in France among the French and English and some seditions at home in England all which shewed him that he could draw no fresh supplies thence because that there seemed to be greater need and the mortality in his army did most of all require it The accord betweene the King and the Duke was made in this manner That Henrie eldest sonne to King Iohn named Prince of Castile should espouse Catherine the onely daughter of the sayd Duke Iohn of Gaunt and Constance his wife and should succeed in the kingdomes of Castile Leon and other Seigneuries that the king should endowe the mother and daughter and so he did giuing to the mother the citie of Guadalajata Medina del Campo and Olmiedo afterward being with her in the sayd Medina he gaue her likewise Hueta To the daughter he gaue the Esturies creating and naming her Princesse and his sonne Prince thereof So from thence forward the eldest sonne euer bare the
vanquish and be conquerour in this battell but likewise in all other which thou shalt fight against the enemies of the crosse Thou shalt find thy men cheerfully disposed to the battell and in the name of a king they will require thee to enter the fight make thou no doubt at all but liberally graunt whatsoeuer they demaund For I build and destroy both Empires and Kingdomes and I will establish an Empire in thee and thy posterity to the end that my name may be spread and augmented euen vnto the very vttermost nations And that thy successours may know that I haue giuen thee thy kingdome the Scutchion of your armies shall be fully beautified with the price whereby I bought mankind and of those wherewith the Iewes bought sold me this shall be to me a sanctified kingdome for pres●auation of the faith and louing of pietie Hauing heard these wordes I worshipped and sayd For what merites O Lord doth it please thee to shew me so great grace I will do whatsoeuer thou hast commanded me and Lord looke fauourably on my posterity as thou hast promised me and keepe my people of Portugall safe and sound But if any misaduenture be to be endured conuert it Lord rather against me and my successours and pardon my people whom I loue as my onely sonne Which the Lord shewing me he would consent vnto Neuer quoth he shall my mercie part from thee nor thine for by them I am to prepare a great haruest and them haue I chosen for my haruest labourers in lands farre remote This sayd he vanished and I full of confidence and contentment returned to my campe And that these matters hapned thus I king Alphonso sweare by the holy Gospels of Christ Iesus which I touch with these my hands Wherefore I commaund my successours that shall come for euer that they beare in their armes fiue Scutchions parted in forme of a crosse because of the crosse and the fiue wounds of Iesus Christ and in each of them thirtie pence and on the top or Crest the Serpent of Moses being the figure of Iesus Christ And that this may be a memoriall to our generation whosoeuer shall go against it let him be cursed of God and with the traytor Iudas eternally tormented in hell Giuen at Coimbre the 29. of October MCXL S. Archbishop of Braga P. Bishop of Coimbre T. Pr●our Gonsalo de Sousa Atturney of Guimaranyes Pelayo Mendes Atturney of Braga So●●o Martius Atturney of Coimbre Fernand Pires cup-bearer to the King Pero Payes ensigne-bearer to the King Vasco San●hes Alphonso Mendes geuernour of Lisbone Mendo Pirez for Albert great Chauncellor to the King I Alphonso king of Portugall I Thomas de la Croix notary publicke Apostolicke and Secretary to the Legate in these realmes of Portugall haue corrected this copie of the oath of D. Alphonso of glorious memory according to the perfect originall which is sealed with fiue seales at labels hanging the two for most whereof seeme to be those of the Archbishop of Braga and the Bishop of Coimbre and the other two lowest to wit the fourth and fift belong to two of those Lords that are named in the role Lastly that in the midst is the seale of the king hauing fiue Scutchions arraunged in the forme of a crosse an● in each of them thirty pence according a● aunciently the sayd king and his successours were accustomed to beare in their armes All the rest of the seales are in red waxe except the kings seale which is of natural virgin waxe or rather as it is cōmonly called white waxe The rest are hanged at labels of the same color red but that of the kings is fastened to a label cut out of the same parchment being altogether whole and sound without harme Thus do I certifie maintaine all this to be true as I am a Notarie according to the oath wherto I stand obliged by reasō of mind office In affirmatiō wherof I haue subscribed to this writing sealed it with my seale publicke accustomed at L●bo●e the 4. of Nouēber 1599. being thereunto prayed and requested Thomas de la Croix A testimoniall of Alphonso the first king of Portugall for a vassellage or free money by him granted IN the name of God because it is necessarie that euerie faithfull man should do his part to the Ministers of God of those goods which he hath receiued from the Soueraigne giuer of all things to the end that by their meanes he may be made partaker of the heauenly treasures I Alphonso not long since created by the grace of God King of Portugall and for that cause feeling my selfe to stand more obliged then any other desirous to offer vnto the most High my bodie and all my best meanes that both I and any successours might raigne for euer acknowledge first to hold our kingdome at the hand of God who made a gifter therof to me to the end that with firme heart and perfect charitie I should defend the Christian faith against the outragious Infidels and that I should enrich the holy Church with the reuenues of my Realme for performance whereof it should be a holy kingdome loued of God and established for euer And because I haue alreadie rendred my selfe tributarie and all such as shall appertaine to me to the blessed S. Peter and his successours desiring likewise to haue him my aduocate to God and his blessed mother by the consent of my subiects who by their vertue without any straunge helpe haue established me on this my royal throne I appoint and constitute as well for me as for my successours that my selfe my kingdome my race and them that shall come after me shall be in the safegard protection defence and patronage of the most glorious virgin Marie de Clairuaux Ordaining and commaunding to euery one of my successours that shall come lawfully to the inheritance of this kingdome euery yeare to pay and giue in manner of a fee-monie or tribute and of vassellage to the said church of our Lady of Clairuaux which is of the Order of the Cisteaux situate in the Realme of France 〈◊〉 the diocesse of Langres fiftie Marauedis of gold pure fine 〈◊〉 ●ll and good But if it happen that any one of the said Mo●rie enter or passe by our demeane where there is builded any Monasterie the persons and goods of such a one shall be vnder the rule and patronage of the King so that he shall not be molested disquieted troubled nor deceiued of his goods by any one And if it happen that they be restored to their former libertie in what houre time or moment it shall so come to passe at their best aduantage let them do as they see cause And because the goods of such Monasteries and persons may be as goods royall the King shall haue so much care of them as he ought to haue if they were properly his owne And if any King or Tyrant which we hope that none such shall be borne
of our race come to molest the said persons or make rape of their goods and then countenance it that he vsurps on none of our heritage nor of theirs but those belonging to the virgin Marie he shall be held as disloyall to his Lord be exempted from the defence and custodie which we appointed for my kingdome and his seed shall not be seene vpon the earth As for the religious persons which are to serue the Lord in this Monasterie of Clairuaux and the rest of their Order they shall haue care to recommend deuoutly to God the estate of our kingdome and my soule and theirs likewise of my kindred And the Abbot Dom Bernard and his successours perpetually shall celebrate the feast of the dedication of their church euery yeare on the day of the Annunciation of the blessed virgin Marie For which oh Virgin mother of my Lord Iesus Christ in honour and praise of whom this Order is established to shine vpon the earth I Alphonso king of Portugall thy humble seruant doe intreate that thou wouldst defend my kingdome against the Moores enemies to the crosse of thy Son and keepe this crowne free from all straunge domination and permit no one to pay this fee monie and homage but thy loyall seruants and those descended from my selfe That if any one attempt any matter whatsoeuer contrarie to this vassellage and testimoniall of this tribute if he be a subiect let him be expelled out of our kingdome If he be a King which God forefend let him be held as accursed by vs neuer to be mentioned in our lignage but that God who gaue vs this kingdome despoile him of all dignitie I suffer his enemies to vanquish him and himselfe be buried in hell with that traytor Iudas Made in the Church of Lamego the 8. of Apr. MCXLII I Alphonso the King Ega● Munis Grandmaister of the houshold Pero Payes Ensigne-bearer to the King Fuas Raupi●o Gouernour of Coimbre Polayo de Sousa Certifiers Gonsalo de Sousa Vascho Sanches Mendo Pirez Rodrigo Aluares witnesses Alphonso Egas I Thomas de la Croix Notarie publique Apostolique approued and Secretarie to the Legat in these kingdomes of Portugal haue collationed and corrected this present copie vpon his proper originall which is enabled with the seale Royall and so I certifie by the oath that is enioyned me in regard of mine office In signe whereof I haue vnderwritten and signed this with my seale publique and vsuall At Lisbon the 4. of Nouember MDXCIX THE SVCCESSION AND number of the Kings of Portugall The first generation Alphonso Henriques 1. II. Sanche 1. III. Alphonso 2. IIII. Sanche 2. V. Alphonso 3. VI. Denys 1. VII Alphonso 4. VIII Peter 1. IX Fernand. 1. X. Iohn 1. XI Edward 1. XII Alphonso 5. XIII Iohn 2. XIIII Emmanuel 1. XV. Iohn 3. XVI Sebastian 1. Hereby is vnderstood that Sebastian is the sixteenth in generation whereof king Alphonso Henriques spake in the oath of his reuelation This Sebastian was borne after his fathers decease when were very instant and frequent prayers processions and fastings among the people of Portugall in the yeare 1554. the day of the two holy Martyrs Fabian and Sebastian a matter almost beyond all hope for his father died in nonnage or very young and his mother was but sixteene yeares old This Prince was of an exceeding good nature high in courage accompanied with great bodily strength godly and religious and that in such sort as euen from the cradle his subiects had him in much admiration and they accounted him as another Caesar Augustus according as caries the signification of the name of Sebastian Auncient Prophecies which we cannot more conuenably appropriate to any other then to this selfe same Sebastian S. Cyrille the Hermit in the treatise of the reuelation which was made to him whereof the Abbot Ioachim glozed TEmpore annorum 54. orietur Sol c. Et erit Sol delitescens Pungetur aculeo despectissimo in specu paruo tricamerato vectibus pergrandibus communito ab Scorpionitis mancipabitur Postea ad brauium orbis pertinget c. Reade all this Chapter In English thus In the time of 54. yeares a Sunne shall arise c. And this Sun shall be hidden He shall be pricked with a most despitefull sting he shall be in a little caue of three vaults made strong with verie great barres he shall be thra●led by Scorpionites afterward he shall come to triumph ouer the world c. Saint Isidore Occultus Rex bis piè datus in Hispaniam veniet in equo ligneo quem multi videntes illum esse non credent Domabit superbos spurcitias Hispaniarum purgabit In Syriam transfretabit super Sanctum sepulchrum signum Crucifixi ponet erit Monarcha In English thus A hidden King shall twise be holily giuen he shall come into Spaine vpon a horse of wood that is a shippe whom many beholding they will not beleeue that it is he He shall subdue the proud he shall purge the Spaniards of their filthinesses He shall passe into Syria he shall place the Ensigne of the Crucifixe vpon the holy Sepulcher and shall be a Monarch Theophilus the Bishop Dum secundum imperium occupabitur Ciprúsque à Christi hostibus fuerit aggressa Pastor ouium coronis Graecorum nudus erit Rhodia tunc Magistro carebit Hispania potentia virtu●éque munita illi tradet Magistrum Romae autem pastor glorio sui ignotus apud homines apud Deum probus iustus erit qui cum vno Rege dictae Prouinciae qui oblitus mortuus non regnaturus putabatur regna deperdita recuperabit Soldanum suae ditioni subiugabit in Christianis domum Dei restituet In English thus While the second Empire shall be troubled and Cyprus inuaded by the enemies of Christ the Pastor of the sheepe of the Grecian troopes shall be left naked Rhodes shall then want a Maister Spaine stored with vertue and power shall giue it a Maister And there shall be at Rome a glorious shepheard vnknowne to men good and iust toward God And this man with a king of the same prouince that shall be forgotten dead and thought neuer more to raigne shal recouer againe his lost kingdomes shall subiugate the Souldan vnder his dominion and shall restore the house of God into Christendome S. Methodus Bishop and Martyr lib. 6. cap. 28. Expergiscetur Rex in furore tanquam homo à somno vini quem existimabant homines tanquam mortuum esse Hic exiet super filios Ismael à mari Aethiopum c. Vide Biblioth Patrum fol. 526. primae Lutet Paris editionis In English thus There shall a king awake in great furie like a man out of a slumber of wine whom men shall repute to haue bene dead He shall goe out against the sonnes of Ismael towards the AEthiopian sea c. Sybilla Erithraea Compressa aquila cuius nomen quinque apicibus inaestimabiliter scriptum ministrum iniquitatis destruet
vse this language to you I trust God him selfe will illuminate your reuerend vnderstanding to behold how deare an interest you haue in this cause From Venice the xii of October 1600. The seruant and brother to your fatherhood Frier Stephen de Sampayo Another Letter from Dom Iohn de Castro To the worthie Sir Docto● Texere Counsellour and Almoner to the most Christ●n King chiefe Almoner to my Lord the Prince and Confessour to Madame the Princesse his mother At Paris in the couent of the Iacobius SIR I am extremely astonished being the man that you are and so well knowne for a Portuguese that you should at anie time couet anie thing more then the freedome of Portugall that you make so small account of this incredible maruell concerning the king Dom Sebastian the only prize of all that kingdomes best aduentures considering it is now so manie yeares since that you employed yourselfe in this businesse with no small seruice vnto the said Lord. You haue seene the whole discourse along of this matter by letters as well from my selfe as others and because the former which I writ vnto you were but briefly handled as committing what remained ouerplus to better leisure I am now determined for diuerse good respectes to touch more largely yet as briefly as I can the verie foundation and ground of the whole worke The King Dom Sebastian who in the yeare 1578. lost himselfe in the battell of Affricke he whom the enemie cals a Ca●a●o●s is the verie same prisoner which is now detained here euen as certainly as you are Frier Ioseph and my selfe Dom Iohn He departed safe and aliue from the battell but verie sore woūded God hauing so deliuered him with some other of his companie among whom was the Duke of Aueyro And hauing gone the better part of the world about the end of his peregrination he resolued to liue priuate in an Hermitage where after some time passed he was inspired by God that he should returne again● to Portugall to gouerne his kingdome The selfe same inspiration was likewise giuen to an Hermite in the companie of whom he ●ad liued which Hermite reuealed many things very secret to him touching this matter for which cause he departed from the place where he abode to accomplish what the Spirit of God had inspired and enioyned him to So he arriued in Sicilie in the yeare 1598. where he entertained foure or fiue seruants for he went before without companie with whom he embarked himselfe at Messina in a Galley belonging to his Holinesse to 〈◊〉 for Rome purposing to discouer himselfe to his said Holi● When he was come neare Rome those fellowes 〈…〉 entertained for his seruants robbed and despoiled him of 〈◊〉 had leauing him both poore and naked so that he was 〈◊〉 to seeke to needie and verie wretched people who besto● 〈◊〉 ●omewhat on him for the honor of God This mishap made him alter his former purpose and th● poore miserable man was glad to trace all Italie in hope to find the theeues that had thus despoiled him In the end hearing no tidings at all of them he retired to this Citie the aboue named yeare in the moneth of Iune hauing about him but one poore Gazete a peece of mony valuing three Liards of France In this maner he lodged at a needie wretched house where he remained some dayes not being knowne Afterward diuerse particularly began to listen after him for they heard that he called himselfe first a Knight of the Crosse and then afterward the King Dom Sebastian As this brute ran abrode Antonio de Brito Pimentel Pantaleon Pessoa and many others came oftentimes to see him at his lodging and by occasion of this rumour which spread it selfe more and more through the Citie chaunging his lodging he fell by misfortune into the hands of vile men which being but verie bare themselues yet gaue him clothes and food at their charges He got verie euill reputation by the companie of such people which was the principal cause or his strange misaduenture He was with those companions at Padoa whereof this Seigneurie being aduertised by the Ambassador of Castille and of some tumults made among them to forestall such inconueniences as might ensue they sent to the Podestat of Padoa that he should by cōmandement cause him to auoid the Towne within certaine houres and by like certaine dayes to depart the places belonging to their Estate Hereupon for some speciall reasons best knowne to himself he returned againe vnto this Citie where the Seigneurs thereof at the instance of the said Ambassadour who assured them that he was but a thiefe and a seductour prouing it by the testimony of Iewish merchants Portugueses and other persons of selfsame honest qualitie who tooke their oathes he was not the King Sebastian because the true King died in the battell of Affricke neither did he resemble him in any degree imputing to him many and verie enormous crimes they sent to apprehend him and as a malefactour committed him to verie close imprisonment notwithstanding there were many persons both before and since his commitment that had knowne him verie well in Portugall and affirmed him to be the true king Dom Sebastian At his first questioning withall he declared to the Lords his mishap in Affrica and in what maner God had deliuered him After to diuerse others he did the like and perceiuing they would search into all his secrets yet vsing him verie hardly being a King and one that had no way preiudiced their estate vpon his naturall and wonted inclination to choler moued in a subiect of such iustice and equitie he refused to make them anie more direct answers but one while said one thing then againe another neuerthelesse he euermore maintained him selfe to be the true king Dom Sebastian desiring the Lords therein to beleeue him and if they approued him not to be the same then to chastise him iustly as a false deceiuer which as yet to this instant they would neuer do nor yet permit him to be seene by any He is in a certaine prison where no man may enter or speake to the prisoners neither may one write vnto him on perill of the saylours life if he should but consent thereto He hath endured verie great pouerties and passed through many hard trauerses being no lesse reproched and misprised then the basest prisoners with him His life is very religious addicted altogether to prayer and fasting feeding but on bread water most dayes in the weeke And yet notwithstanding this austere abstinence he is verie strong as I haue heard by one of the prisoners released out of that prison who departed thence greatly affectionate to him seeming to loue him highly and reported matters maruellous of his strength and other good parts As for the exteriour markes of his bodie he wants not one of them which he had when as he raigned the selfe same lip looke head bodie armes thighes legges and feete not fayling of anie one