suffered it may be of God for our sinnes proceeded not from any corruption of the Aire but from infection and was brought into the Realme by men and merchandise from countries infected for the citie being a great part vnwalled and of great traffique it could not easily be guarded The naturall inclination of the aire the filch of the citie their feeding of fish which all generally do vse and the ill order nay the great disorder of the magistrate of the health in separating the sicke from the whole and in all other things touching his charge did helpe to increase it The suddennes wherewith it did infect and kill in a manner all those that did frequent the sicke as fire doth in powder strooke a great terrour in the citizens their remedies and diets were most vncertaine for although that many did phisicke themselues diuersly and were gouerned in sundrie manners yet there died infinite numbers of all qualities experience did teach that the application of lenitiue things the drinking of Vnicornes horne and the Bezars stone were most soueraigne remedies yet to manie it did no good The greatest part of the Nobilitie and of such as had ability to do it retyred themselues to their gardaines and farmes in the countrey where although the whole countrey were infected yet did they seeme to liue more assured or at the least out of the infection from the horrible spectacle of dead bodies which were howerly seene in the citie where the mortalitie grew so great that there was nothing to be seene but Beeres with dead bodies for the buriall whereof the churchyards being full they were forced to vse the streets and fieldes At this time were assembled in the citie of Almerin where the king remained all the Deputies of the Realme being called thither The citie of Lisbone made election of Emanuell of Portugall and Diego Salema who went not but were reiected of the King as seditious and depriued of their offices in whose place they made choise of Phoebus Moniz and Emanuel de Sosa pacheco The said Salema was not beloued of the king for that before as Vereador of the citie of Lisbone he saide vnto the king that they vnderstoode he went about not onely to iudge to whom the Realme appertained but also to make a composition the which he ought not to doe without hearing the people whereunto the King hauing answered that the people was not capable of this matter he replied that he woondered the king shoulde iudge this people incapable whom he had held to be most sufficient to raise him to the crowne wherewith Henry was greatly mooued This alteration of Deputies ministred matter of discourse vnto the worlde for it seemed the King had declared himselfe against the people and that not accepting their election of Deputies he woulde drawe by force from the States what he pleased but such as knewe the true reason and howe that Emanuell and all those of the house of Portugall deserued in this case to bee repelled commended this act These were suspect forasmuch as Iohn of Portugall Bishop of Guarda brother to the saide Emanuell alwaies esteemed more then he was woulde not onely precead his equals but did scarce beare any respect vnto the Cardinall before he was king whereof grew a great hart burning so as the Cardinall to debase him hauing drawne foorth a certaine information of his ill behauiour libertie of life and ill gouernment in his Bishopricke sent it to Rome so as the Bishop as it were forced went to his holines to purge himselfe Hee was much grieued with this crosse for passing by the court of Castill the Catholique King being infourmed of his voyage woulde not suffer him to visite him although he were entreated so as now although the Cardinall were come vnto the Crowne their hatred continued and hauing no other meanes of reuenge then to oppose himselfe to his resolutions seeing him enclined to giue the Realme to the Catholique king he laboured all he coulde to let it by meanes whereof he seemed at one instant to be reuenged of two kings for the effecting whereof there conspired togither the Bishop Emanuell his brother Franncis earle of Vimioso his nephew for the cōtrarieties that both Alphonse his father and he had with the Cardinall with other their kinsfolkes and friendes fauouring Anthony Prior of Crato they resolued to make him king trusting to the peoples humors But King Henry hauing discerned the equitie of the Catholique kings cause resolued as it is said to giue him the Realme hauing assembled the States he sent Paule Alphonse a doctor in whom he reposed great trust to Villa Vizosa whereas the Duke and the Dutchesse of Bragance remained giuing them to vnderstande that finding the succession of the Realme to appertaine to Philip and that they were vpon the point to pronounce sentence in his fauour he did aduertise them in time to the end they might make their composition with him But hauing made small account of this aduertisement interpreting it otherwise they did not embrace the occasion the which was likewise represented vnto them by the Catholique king In this time the Estates were begun in the pallace of Almeryn the ninth of Ianuary in the kings presence who being very sicke was brought in his chaire whereas Anthony Pignero bishop of Leiria an eloquent Orator made the oration enriched with a goodly stile saying That the Kings thoughts were bent to procure the generall good of al Christendome the preseruation and encrease of our holie Catholique faith and the peace and tranquillitie of his subiects for the effecting of that which concernes his charge to follow the examples of kings his predecessors progenitors conformeable to the actions of his life passed considering with sound iudgement great experience wise discourse how much it doth import the generall good to declare during his life to whom the lawfull succession of the Realme did appertaine he did apply all his care to the decision of that cause with so great study and zeale that not suffering himselfe any way to be interrupted with the many graue and extraordinary affaires nor by the trouble of his long infirmity he had with the helpe of God brought it to that estate that it might speedily be declared as they had required and ought generally to wish for And seeing the finall decision of the cause was brought to that issue it seemed conuenient to the king to assemble the States and to communicate vnto them some points of great importance for the seruice of God and the good and quiet of these Realmes as they shoulde vnderstande by that which shoulde be particularly deliuered vnto them by his commandement He exhorted them that vsing the my steries which had been presented lately to al faithfull Christians with praiers sacrifices workes of deuotion and charitie they shoulde dispose themselues to receiue the light of that heauenly wisedome which God doth alwaies impart to such as frame
yoong licentious man who had mutined the people and the guard it selfe against them Such of the Nobilitie as abandoning their houses in those partes retired themselues were Fernand de Norogna Peeter de Meneses Edward de Castelbianco Diego Lopez de Sequeira Anthony de Castelbianco Lewes Caesar and some others Anthony hauing aduertisement of their departure passed the riuer and went thither Where he was receiued vnder a cannapie with signes of great ioy hauing giuen order to the fortification guard of that place as it seemed necessarie he returned to Lisbone against the aduise of som who persuaded him to assemble his forces to resist the enimie not to repasse Tagus But he did it not saying he woulde returne presently fearefull as many supposed and not holding himselfe assured on that side the riuer Cascaies and the fortresse of Saint Iulian did not yet obey him yet vnderstanding that Anthony was possessed of Settuual the wife of Anthony de Castro went from Cascaies after whose departure the citie yeelded and the captaine of the fortresse of Saint Iulian being written vnto by Anthony that he woulde giue him fower thousand duckats a yeere rent made answere that seeing the Gouernors had abandoned the realme and that he was proclaimed king he would hold it at his deuotion By reason whereof Bastien de Britto who serued as sergeant maior of the citie of Lisbone in the place of Peter de Cugna turned head who with certaine men gathered togither went by the commaundement of Anthony to encampe about this fortresse so as all places of importance about Lisbone remained at his obedience So did all others in those parts except the citie of Porto which obeied not yet The Duke of Bragance hauing foreseene the sedition which was practised at Settuual being departed as it is saide a little before the Gouernors flight and gone to Portel a place belonging vnto himselfe neere the frontiers of the realme towards Castill seeing iustice reduced to armes and himselfe disarmed he thought it nowe high time to treate with the Catholique King He sent therefore a Gentleman to represent vnto him howe peaceablie he had alwaies caried himselfe in the persuite of Iustice for Katherine his wife that he had neuer troubled the publike quiet nor in any thing surpassed the ordinarie tearmes of Iustice and reason and if he had not compounded with him the cause was for that he vnderstood his reasons were great neither had he meanes to do it by reason of the people who woulde haue withstoode him Notwithstanding he was nowe resolute if his Maiestie woulde make him a good composition to yeelde vnto him all the rights of the saide Katherine and that being agreed he woulde publikely sende one to treate with him He alleaged that his subiects being the thirde part of the realme he coulde make easie or greatly hinder the enterprise He saide that the Deputies of the realme had made offer vnto him that they would procure Anthony to leaue the title of King and vnite himselfe with him for the defence of the crowne and that in the end they should agree And that the said Anthony had sent to make great offers vnto him the which he woulde not accept not seeming reasonable vnto him He requested his Maiestie to commaund the armie not to endomage his countrey Heerein he spake truth for although he were a quiet and religious man yet the Philipins saide that although he had beene otherwise the King had no cause to feare his forces for albeit he had many subiects yet were they not all obedient vnto him That the Nobilitie abhorred his rule more then any other and that some of his kinsemen did him more hurt then good by reason of the emulation amongst the Nobilitie He relied much on the equitie of his cause yet feared he to bee forced by the kings power which he saw prepared supposing he would not receiue iudgement in the cause from any man This feare had induced him to write to all the great Potentates in Christendome shewing his reasons and demaunding succours The like office had he done with some Cardinals at Rome He had sent into Fraunce diuers copies of his allegations to the end they might be dispersed into England and other places making great instance to the two Queenes to succour him with mony munition captaines But his weakenes being knowne to both although hee gaue them to vnderstande he went to ioine with the Gouernors in defence they returned him nothing but curteous words And some say that not content to vse this diligence to such as were enuious of the kings good he did likewise write to his enimies and rebels desiring to treat with the Prince of Orange and the Duke of Alançon These things caused him more losse then profite as it happens commonly to those that will contend with mightie Princes and builde their foundations vpon the succours of their enimies ill willers who wil not commonly declare themselues except their companion be strong Heereupon it grewe that the King returned to the saide propositions so ample and artificiall an answere for as it was reported some of his letters had beene surprised by the Agents of the Catholique king and some other especially those he had written to Rome were sent to the King by them to whom he had written them He answered that he reioiced that in time he had auoided the sedition at Settuual being troubled with the danger and indignitie he might haue suffred That he knewe it to be true that in the persuite of the right of Katherine he had carried himselfe with due modestie but by refusing to agree with him were growne the inconueniences wherein now they were the which he would gladly they should rather haue foreseen then haue made triall of with so great disquietnes and dishonor vnto themselues for the which he was sory in regarde of the neerenes of bloud and affection he bare vnto the said Katherine That his offer to yeelde him his right was acceptable vnto him but he woulde haue them to vnderstand that there was no necessity to adde new actions to those which God had giuen him apparant to all the worlde That he had then wished for two reasons they coulde haue accepted of his liberalitie in recompence of their pretention The first was that he hoped by this meanes he shoulde not haue beene forced to enter armed into the realme and to make warre vpon his owne subiects which is one of the things that doth most trouble him But that good which might haue beene reaped by composition was nowe extinct by their slacknes seeing that his armie was alreadie entred the realme The second reason was the desire to encrease and prosper his house to do good to his children to auoide the ruine of the estate and the hazard to ouerthrow it whereof there was yet some remedie for being so desirous of his good that onely was sufficient to mooue him to doe them good He said
onely vnprofitable and ridiculous but did confirme the opinion of such as hold that Clergie men are as vncapable to gouerne in politique affaires as secular magistrates be in ecclesicall causes but God when he meaneth to punish taketh away mans vnderstanding and giueth him an ouerweening spirit euen so did he with the Portugals sending them chastisements for their offences committed in time of prosperitie or by his secret iudgements when as they thought themselues most secure their fall was the greater being in their greatest glorie For this nation the proudest in the world in this last warre of Affrick became slaues vnto the Arabians and Moores and being free in a short time by their warre against the Castillians were conquered by them whom they holde for their capitall enimies The afflictions of this Realme tooke their beginning in the twentieth yeere of the age of Sebastian who borne after the death of his father a little before the decease of his grandfather by entreaties and to the fatall ruine of his subiects strong of body and of a couragious minde full of ouerweening the which is a naturall vice in Portugals not content with his owne dominions resolued as it were by force to alter the quiet which his Realme had so long enioyed And although it seemed hard of execution being inuironed with the territories of Phillip of Austria King of Spaine his deare friend and kinsman more mightie than himselfe with whom he might not contend nor passe by land into any other countrey But as it is easie to perish for him that is desperate he let him vnderstande the excessiue desire he had to ruine himselfe all his He had first plotted a warre against the Indians which his kinsmen and subiects woulde not consent vnto But as there was some difficultie wholie to withdrawe the yoong Prince who had a warlike spirite from this enterprise such as were neere about him laboured to diuerte him by meanes of an other which they laide before him turning all his resolutions vpon Affrick to indomage the Moores which liue in that part which is called Mauritania Tingitana whereas the Portugals maintaine to their great charge vpon the borders of the Sea those three forenamed fortresses Ceute Tanger and Mazagon the buckler and key of Spaine by which the Moores haue heeretofore conquered it But this diuersion whereunto they perswaded the King was cause of great ruines proceeding from want of iudgement for although it were hard wholie to disswade him from the enterprise of the Indies and therefore conuenient to represent vnto him some other action yet shoulde they aduisedly haue foreseene not to drawe him from one mischiefe to thrust him into a greater But these men diuerted him from an enterprise farre off and of hard execution by representing vnto him a neerer easier to effect but more perillous And although they surmized he would not haue vndertaken it but with deliberation yet shoulde they not haue giuen too much confidence to his yoong age for the which the Iesuits were greatly blamed who hauing planted their religion in this Realme more then in any other of the worlde and with more zeale as enimies to the enimies of God they did encourage this yoong Prince whom Queene Katherine had giuen to them in charge to this enterprise with carefull instructions the which as then they might easily effect But finding the King soone after readie to execute it with rashnes they had no more the credite to diuert him being in disgrace So as this yoonge King bred vp amongst women religious persons delights and pleasures had a more bould and warlike spirite then if he had beene borne and nourished in the middest of armies He raised certaine troupes of footemen of his people of Lisbone whom he did inrowle and traine vp to the Pike and Harquebuse sending them once a weeke to the fielde to practise with intent to vse them when neede shoulde require The which he staied not long to effect For in the yeere 1574. he assembled against the will of the wisest certaine of his souldiers and with fower gallies and certaine ships and caruels passed into Affrick vnder colour to visite his Fortes although in his minde he had a desire to do more then he spake and as yoong and without experience thought to effect more then he did Being arriued in those countries he onely discouered finding his owne weakenesse but in light skirmishes which are made daily vpon those frontires with the Moores he shewed himselfe most willing to be in person vexing himselfe when he coulde not do as he desired but as a royall person it behooued him to containe himselfe within the tearmes of grauitie the which hee often exceeded Hee returned soone to Lisbone still deuising with himselfe some newe manner of warre and was so disquieted and carefull in his conceite that he neither saide nor did any thing that tended to other end deuising not as a king but as a priuate souldier to accustome his body to labour seeming vnto him by this meanes to make himselfe more strong and better able to endure the discommodities of warre This inclination wherein the heauens had some part was not gainsaid by any of his chiefe Counsell nor kinsmen of riper age who might haue disswaded him and drawn him to haue enioyed his Realme For although the action seemed rash yet ambition and feare of the Kings disgrace were of such force that the Nobles Magistrates and great persons who might haue forced him durst not open their mouthes nor oppose themselues against his will and if any one did mutter or speake to the contrary they were men of base qualitie and not admitted The Cardinall Henry his vnckle brother to Iohn the thirde his grand-father and Queene Katherine in whom flatterie shoulde finde no place had small credite with the King neither did they vse the authoritie they might haue had both fearing they shoulde not preuaile but loose with the Kings disgrace the small commandement was yet remaining in them so as by a fatall silence they suffered this yoong Prince to returne the second time into Affrick with apparant perill wherein Peter D'Alcasoua was a chiefe actor who hauing before time beene Secretarie of the Realme and Counsellour of the State greatly fauoured of King Iohn and Queene Katherine was now disgraced and put from his places when as the Cardinall Henry gaue the gouernment to King Sebastian the which hapned more by emulation and for that the Cardinall woulde settle a newe forme and plant newe officers in the managing of the affaires then for any faults that were imputed vnto him were they true or false But in the declining of fauorites it alwaies chanceth that faults serue rather to iustifie the ambition of an other then the offenders punishment And in these afflictions he had liued content for being wise and rich he had borne his aduersitie with a constant courage still expecting some meanes to returne into his place and dignitie the which fell out
particular or for want of iudgement did counsell him to warre it was concluded And although his owne weakenes was vnknowne vnto himselfe yet was he aduised by others to take a companion and to drawe the Catholique King into this action belieuing it were easily performed the State of Affrick being of greater importance for his kingdome which was adioining to it then for Portugall He desired greatly to marrie to haue issue although his Phisicions feared much he was vnable for generation and woulde willingly haue taken one of the daughters of the Catholique King whereof they had giuen him an assured hope for these two causes he desired to enter parle with him sending Peter D' Alcasoua as Embassadour vnto him with commandement to treat of three points that is for aide in the action of Affrick for the marriage of his daughter and for an enteruiew The Embassador departed and effected with great diligence the charge his maister had giuen him and hauing attended some time in this court he obtained all three the promise of marriage with one of his daughters when she shoulde come to yeeres for as yet they were too yoong That the Catholique King should goe to Guadalupa to meete with King Sebastian And as for succours he shoulde furnish men galleies to vndertake the enterprize of Alarache the which was spoken very coldly For the Catholique King knowing the Portugals to presume beyond their strength and holding it nothing safe to vndertake this action of Affrick without great forces he laboured what he could by letters to temper this heate disswading him with many reasons if not from the enterprize at the least not to go himselfe in person but this yoong Prince resting immooueable in his counsels and most obstinate in his opinion did still importune him by letters Phillip confirmed the succours of men and galleis so as the Turke should sende no men into Italy and that they shoulde vndertake Alarache in the yeere 1577. the whole being referred vnto their enteruiew at Guadalupa The Embassadour returnes home more fauoured then euer seeming to haue effected more then was thought or looked for In both Courts they make no great delaies but take their way for Guadalupa where both kings arriue with no great traines but with the chiefe Noblemen and Gentlemen of their Realmes There the Portugals who arriued last were receiued with great shewes of loue finding in all places of Castill where they passed the kings expresse commandement to receiue him of Portugall as his owne proper person so as at Badagios and in other places where he past the chiefe men went to meete him the prisons were opened and he conducted to his lodging vnder a cloth of estate The Catholique King tooke great pleasure to see yoong Sebastian whom he entertained as his host laying aside all tearms fitte for a greater King entreating each other equally in maiestie talking particularly of the warre being both profitable and honorable for the Realmes of Spaine The Catholique King did not disswade him yet he aduised him not to goe in person excusing himselfe that he could giue no great succour by reason of the continuall charge he was put to in Italy to resist the Turke but Sebastian being fully resolued to goe and admitting no excuse Phillip desirous to please him accorded with him in this sort That the generall opinion being and especially of the Duke of Alua that this action woulde require 15000. foote not Portugals but of other nations trained vp in warre deuided into Italians Germaines Spaniards that the king of Portugall should entertaine ten thousand and the Catholique King fiue thousand furnishing the enterprize with fiftie galleis alwaies prouided if the Turke sent not an armie into Italy and thatthey should goe vnto Allarache without entring into the maine land and this to be attempted in the yeere 1577 otherwise he should not be bound to any thing This treatie being ended euery one returned from whence he came In Portugall they made slowe preparatiues to warre and in the first beginning their money failed them for that the reuenewes of the Crowne are small and ill imploied The whole Realme vpon the maine land yeelding but a million and one hundreth thousand duckets a yeere The greatest part in customes the which be vnreasonable paying for all things twentie in the hundreth except fish which paieth the one halfe The new found lands as Saint Thomas Myna Brazil and the Indies yeeld but a million at the most which makes in all two millions and one hundreth thousand duckats which comes to the Crowne And although the Indies yeelde one other million of rent yet make they neither receipt nor paiment thereof being whollie reteined there for the entertaining of armies and garrisons Of these two millions and a hundreth thousand duckats there remaines nothing at the yeeres end in Court and if the King vse any liberalitie his charge exceeds the reuenewes for that they receiue without order and spende without measure For these Kings were neuer so happie as to be serued with men of iudgement and discretion who could order the reuenewes and expences but giuing the charge alwaies vnto Noblemen who were aduanced thereunto by fauour and not by merite an ordinarie custome in that countrey they studied to maintaine themselues in that throne by other meanes letting the reuenewes of the Crowne goe as it woulde So as what in wages of officers rents created recompence for life priuiledges which they call Giuros sold by him entertaining of Fortresses in Affrick preparation of nauies and expences of the Court all is spent They went therefore seeking heere and there for money forcing the people to contribute and the chiefe Citizens extraordinarily for although they gathered much by this meanes yet they did drawe vpon them the curses and exclamations of the people being most affectionate and obedient to their King but nothing preuailed against the burning desire of officers They exacted from the Clergie the thirde part of their reuenewes whereunto they would not yeeld yet seeing the Pope yeelded vnto the Kings affections they granted a hundreth and fiftie thousand duckats They granted vnto the new Christians paying two hundreth fiue twentie thousand duckats that which before had been for a time granted often since denied that for sinning against the Inquisition they shoulde not loose their goods as they did They imposed a newe custome vpon the salt and exacted money from the Nobilitie and Gentlemen of the Realme against their auncient customes many being by this meanes vniustly vexed Amongst other Noblemen the King sent to Frauncis de Melo Earle of Tentuguel who excusing himselfe did write vnto the King with greater libertie then possiblie reason woulde allowe For noting greatly the demand of money which they had made vnto him as vniust he said it agreed not with the vertues with which his highnes was indued neither did it seeme reasonable that they whose fathers had beene helpers to conquer the Realme shoulde be
with much people on foote The Cardinall inuironed with a great multitude ascends the staires of the hospitall being entered the Church hauing heard Seruice and ended his praiers he seates himselfe in the chaire prepared on the scaffolde where presently Frauncis de Sada one of those that had bin gouernours put the Scepter in his hand and Michell de Mora Secretarie standing a little off said reading it with a loude voice that King Henrie by the death of King Sebastian did succeede in the Realme and therefore they had deliuered him the Scepter and that he was come to take the accustomed oath to maintaine and obserue vnto his people and to any other all liberties priuiledges and conuentions graunted by his predecessours which done the Secretarie kneeling before him with an open booke the King laide his hande thereon swearing so to do then did the Attabales sounde euery man crying Reale Reale for Henry King of Portugall this done he riseth with the same companie holding alwaies the Scepter in hande he returned to the pallace the Attabales sounding and the Herolds crying from time to time as before THE THIRDE BOOKE The Contents of the third Booke The descent of the Kings of Portugall The pretendants to the succession The resolutions of King Henrie And the peoples demaunds The voyage of the Duke of Ossuna into Portugall and other Embassadors from the Catholique King The imprisonment of the Duke of Alua The Catholique Kings letters to them of Lisbone The States of Portugall The grounds of the pretendants to the succession The sentence of Henry against Anthony Prior of Crato vpon his legitimation by vertue of the Popes Briefe The reasons of the Catholique King to the Realme against euerie one of the pretendants The preparatiues to warre of the Catholique King against the Realme of Portugall The suspension of the briefe The second sentence of Henry against Anthonie The alteration of King Henry his will concerning the succession And the Popes offers to the Catholique king MOst men from all the noted parts of the worlde had their mindes and iudgements turned vpon Portugall both for that hitherto the affaires of Sebastian were worthie attention as to see nowe Henry come to the Crowne who was olde and without successour which made all Princes doubte that the succession of this Realme might trouble the publike quiet for the Pretendants were diuers their actions differing all allied and all with groundes And although their forces were vnequall yet were they made equal by certaine respects But to the ende we may the better vnderstand the groundes of euery one of the pretendants I will make a little digression to report briefly the descent of these Kings And although from the first vnto Henry there raigned seauenteene yet doe I not thinke it necessarie to take their beginning but frō Emanuel forward who was the fourteenth who began his raigne in the yeere of our Lord 1495. for that of his onely progenie is issued the number of Princes that pretended to the Crowne This man had three wiues of the first which was Isabell daughter to Ferdinand King of Castill widow to Alphonse sonne to Iohn the second of Portugall he had no other children for she died in childbed but Michael who died in the cradle who had beene as they say the pillar and corner stone to vnite it and Spaine togither But by his death the Portugals lost the kingdomes of Castill and Arragon whereof Emanuel and Isabell his wife were sworne Princes the issue male of the bloud roiall being extinct in Castill His second wife which was Marie sister to Isabell third daughter of the saide Ferdinand brought him many children vz. sixe sonnes and two daughters Isabel was married to Charles the fifth Emperour Beatrice to Charles the thirde Duke of Sauoy Iohn did inherite the kingdome Lewes died without marrying leauing behinde him Anthony his bastard sonne he who as you shall heare anon was the cause of great miserie to his countrey by reason of his pretention to the Crowne Ferdinand deceased without heires so did Alphons who was Cardinall called by the title of Saint Blaise and Henry of the title of Saint Quatre Coronez this outliued all the rest and it is hee of whom we speake Edward tooke to wife Isabell daughter to Iaime Duke of Bragance by whome he had Marie which afterwardes was married to Alexander Farnese Prince of Parma and Katherine at this present wife to Iohn of Bragance he had likewise a sonne the which being borne after the death of his father who liued but fower yeeres in matrimonie was likewise called Edward This is he who disfauoured by Sebastian died at Euora in the yeere 1576. of his thirde wife which was Leonora daughter to king Philip the first of Castill archduke of Austria who was after married to Frauncis the first king of Fraunce he had none but Charles who died yoong and Marie who being about sixe and fiftie yeeres olde died a maide at Lisbone in the yeere 1578. But returning to Iohn the thirde sonne of the second wife who succeeded Emanuel in the kingdome he contracted marriage with Katherine sister to the Emperour Charles the fifth and had issue Marie who after was the first wife of Philip the second king of Castill now raigning from whom issued Charles who died yoong the which if he had liued without doubt had preceaded the Cardinall Henry in the succession of the crowne The saide Iohn and Katherine had many male children which died yoong one onely outliued the rest named Iohn who as some say died yoong with excessiue loue of his wife sister to the saide Philip leauing her great with childe and after deliuered of Sebastian during his grandfathers life who soone after passed to an other worlde and this is that Sebastian which died in Affrick Let vs now come to the pretentions The Catholique King as it is saide put himselfe foremost being borne of Isabell the eldest daughter of Emanuel And although as a Castillian he was naturally hated of that nation yet he supposed that being mightie compassing in the Realme with his dominions and the Portugals vnexpert he shoulde soone either by loue or force become master thereof Iohn Duke of Bragance challenged the Realme as the right of Katherine his wife alleaging he was neerer to the succession then the Catholique King being although a woman daughter to the said Edward brother to the saide Isabell And forasmuch as the Duke is the greatest personage of the Realme and his subiects most warlike trusting on the fauour of Henry who did then grace him and hauing small experience in the affaires of the worlde he held himselfe halfe in possession Alexander Prince of Parma sonne to Octauius Farnesse did pretend it for his eldest son Rhainucius as male issued from Marie the eldest daughter of the saide Edward sister to the saide Katherine And although his territories were farre off yet besides that some supposed the Church shoulde
great desire and affection his people of Lisbone beseecheth the Lorde to graunt him a long life for thereon depends all our good hoping that in time it may alter many things which nowe holdeth vs in carefull consideration The wounde of afflictions which this Realme hath suffered is yet so greene and so lamentable as we will not at this present make mention thereof It sufficeth they are such as the memorie will neuer be extinct whilest the worlde continueth and although we be bound to lay the fault vpon our owne offences yet may we attribute a parte to the negligence of the people and of such as at that time did gouerne the common wealth But being expedient not to heape error vpon error it seemes we ought with a liuely voice and due humilitie cry vnto your highnes that as a iust and holy king you woulde preuent the miseries that hang ouer vs It cannot enter into our thoughts to mooue you to marriage being no iudges of your conscience and disposition but we may well say if these two cōsiderations do allow it why do you suffer the delay of one day If you be resolued not to marry your Highnes ought with the like care to say vnto such as pretend to the succession that within a time prefixed they shoulde come to deliuer their reasons that if the successor be a naturall borne the people shal haue some breathing from the afflictions they suffer if he shall be a stranger it seemes conuenient they shoulde know it and haue leisure to aduise what to do For if our sinnes permit that the Lorde shall call away your Highnes being in the state we are now what shall become of vs being most apparant that all such as pretend to haue any title do consult arme plot and measure their forces while the people remaines doubtfull not knowing with reason vnto what part to incline Your Highnes dying in this time before the deciding of the cause we beseech you to cōsider the oppressions they shal suffer the spoilings the murthers the dishonoring of women and holy things and all other excesse which is commonly practised in such times the which may be wholie auoided by knowing who shall succeede vnto the crowne We do solicite your Highnes to sweare a Prince for it may be he that at this present hath interest to this Realme God may call him before your Highnes but the contrary hapning we may plainly knowe who shall succeed for heerein consistes the quiet of this Realme if you do it not willingly or that there be any let you ought to consent that the people declare one especially they of the citie of Lisbone vpon whom all Portugall dependes The holie Ghost who is the guide of kings inspire your Highnes that by his merits the anger of God may be pacified the which he powreth downe vpon vs for our offences and grant that we may amend our liues and preserue your Highnes in health for which all his people praie In this manner the officer of the Chamber spake in vaine but forasmuch as it seemed vnto the king ouer ruled in this respect by the diuine power that the remedie was not so easie nor the matter so soone decided as they supposed he made answere that it was a care grauen in his hart the which he woulde effect with all possible speede resoluing to haue regard vnto it But this succession gaue greater cause both to thinke talke secretlie and openlie in Castill then in anie other place for the King resoluing by all possible meanes to vnite Portugall with his other Kingdomes the Nobilitie did not willingly entertaine it but did seeme that the greatest from Charles the fifth forwards had not tasted the greatnes of the King lesse respecting them then had done the auncient Kings of Castill making them march in one degree of equall iustice with their inferiours The other Gentlemen and common people were nothing enclined to this vnion Saying that if this Realme were not separated from the rest of Spaine they shoulde haue no meanes to marrie their Kings daughters but into other prouinces which were dangerous both for that the women did not inherite and for the heresies wherewith the northren Regions bee at this present infected Manie and of all qualities who holding Portugall as the Sanctuarie of Castill were content with the separation remaining as an assured retreate for offenders It seemed to the King that hee shoulde not onely send a sufficient man thither to performe that office but also that it was necessarie that one of the chiefe of Spaine and best acquainted with the affaires of State shoulde goe to propound the cause of succession For this occasion they named as it is said Gasper Quiroga Cardinall and Archbishop of Toledo Ferdinand Aluares of Tolede Duke of Alua Anthony of Toledo Prior of the order of Saint Iohns master of the Kings Horse Frauncis Pacheco Cardinall of Burgos all principall personages Quiroga was thought verie fit by reason of his dignitie and wisedome togither with the experience he had gotten in the court of Rome hauing beene there long Auditor of the Rota The Duke of Alua for his authoritie experience and wisedome was thought the better for beginning to feare they should come to armes it seemed that he best could treate of the succession and withall sounde the Portugals forces and what succours they might drawe vnto them and afterwardes if neede required being a great captaine coulde by his aduise vndertake the warre with greater assurance Manie did approoue Anthony of Tolledo for besides the opinion they had of his wisedome he was accounted godly religious and otherwise vertuous the which they supposed woulde make him more pleasing vnto Henry But in the iudgement of the most aduised they preferred the Cardinall of Burgos for besides those other good parts which he enioied with the rest he was thought most able to treate the matter of State besides that being a priest and a Cardinall they shoulde seeme to sende vnto Henry a companion But notwithstanding there was not in Spaine any greater personages of like experience vnto these to mannage a matter of so great importance being the greatest that euer was presented vnto this crowne yet the preferred Peter Girone Duke of Ossuna and although his qualitie being great among the greatest of the Realme was woorthie of anie charge accompanied with manie vertues and some other particularities that were necessarie for the voiage notwithstanding some did attribute this election to the ordinarie diseases of the court and to the respects which Kings Councels doe commonly vse inferring thereby that therein he was extraordinarily fauoured by Peter Fassardo Marques de los Veles his kinsman at that time fauoured by the king Some said also and it may be not without grounde that it was not conuenient to sende anie personage into Portugall whose wisedome and iudgement were knowne vnto the worlde to the ende the Portugals shoulde not feare to treate freely with him of all
matters but it was necessarie they shoulde esteeme him affable and curteous to discouer easilie vnto him their minds of which humour the rest were not And although on the one side the Cardinals did seeme fittest to treate with a king who was also a Cardinall they did think on the other side that Henry might take it ill to sende one vnto him who was equall with him in dignitie There hapned at the same time a matter which bred no small woonder in this court and in others likewise the which for that it chaunced to a person of whom we are often to make mention although it be somewhat from our purpose we will not leaue to report The Duke of Alua was banished by the kings commandement to Vzeda fiue and twentie miles from the court for that Fredericke his eldest sonne being taken at Tordefillas a village of that Realme for that he refused to marrie with one of Queene Isabella of Valoys her maides to whom as she said he had promised whilest the king was entreated by her friends to force him to marrie her he by the aduise of his father brake prison and was gone to Alua to marrie with Marie de Toleda his cosen daughter vnto Garcie he which was Generall at sea the which hee effected returning presently vnto the same prison The Duke bare this affliction with great humilitie and constancie so as all hatred ceasing his verie enimies did pittie his miserie This banishment was remarkeable both for his estate age and the notable seruices he had done vnto this crowne as also to see the integritie of the king who notwithstanding the necessitie he seemed to haue of his person in matters of importance that drewe neere could not cause him any thing to dissemble the execution of that which he thought fit for iustice or his reputation It was also remarkeable for the great offices which some Princes did in his fauour but most of all his holines who did instantly sollicite his deliuerie by the meanes of his Nuncio saying that although he coulde not presume of the kings iust intention but that the Dukes imprisonment proceeded from some great cause yet he coulde not in duty but performe this office It was saide this good will of the Pope towards the Duke proceeded from the seruice hee had done vnto the Apostolique seate hauing made long warre against the Infidels and heretikes and also for that which he had done against the Church it selfe effecting that which was conuenient to his king whilest as enimie hee was contrarie vnto it as he did defende it being a friend binding vnto him not onely Paule the fourth who was then Pope but also his successors And it seemes strange that the greatest loue they say the Church had vnto him sproong from the warre which he made against it The Deputies of Castill which were then in court laboured for him and although the king sent them worde they shoulde be contented and not sue vnto him for that he woulde not refuse anie thing they shoulde demaund yet this manner of demaunding and denying serued for a great office The King from the beginning was in hope to make himselfe peaceable Lord of the Realme of Portugall although he were not ignorant of the small inclination the Portugals had vnto him but hee let passe nothing which he thought fit to gaine their loues and to this effect he did write to all the chiefe cities of the Realme his pretention offering and threatning but in the greatest part his letters were not receiued in publike To the citie of Lisbone he did write in this manner Most noble and our welbeloued although I haue appointed Christopher de Mora to saie vnto you some things which you shall vnderstande from him yet woulde I giue you to knowe by my letters that there is no man in this world more then my selfe that hath felt the losse of noble king Sebastian my nephew and of his men The reasons for which I ought to haue this iust feeling are easie to be considered hauing lost a sonne and a friend whom I loued tenderly and in the same degree I held and hold all those that are lost with him for I doe cherish and loue all them of this Realme as my owne subiects And I thinke it is not vnknowne the great diligence I vsed to diuert his iourney as well personally my selfe at Guadalupa as also before and since by my ministers whereof many of the principall of this Realme are good witnesses But not to reuiue so great a griefe let vs lay apart the things which cannot be remedied fixing our eies on the true consolation which is that those afflictions were giuen by the hande of God and suffered by the greatnes of his prouidence we ought likewise particularly to comfort our selues that in this wretched and miserable age this Realme hath gotten for their Gouernour so Christian and wise a Prince as is the king mine vncle whose rare vertues and exemplarie life giueth vs cause with reason to expect that he will settle the present affaires in so peaceable an estate that we shall proceede in all things with the mildenes and gentlenes I wish for the loue I beare to all and singularly for the degree of amitie and affinitie which hath alwaies beene betwixt these two crownes and betwixt my selfe and the Lords of the same Realme being all of one bloud and my selfe and my children nephewes of noble king Emanuel being nourished and brought vp by the Empresse and Ladie my Mother For these causes and considerations I haue as great respect to the king mine vncle and as great cause to wish him a long and happie life as your selues But the affaires of the succession of this Realme being in the estate you know I haue with great consideration and due aduise examined the right which it hath pleased God by his secret iudgments to giue me And causing this action to be viewed by men of great learning and conscience both within mine owne Realme and without all doe finde that without doubt the succession thereof doth rightlie appertaine vnto me and that there liues not any at this day that can with reason contradict me by manie and cleere grounds being a male the eldest as it is apparently knowne And hauing resolued to make this point knowne to the noble King mine vncle with loue and due respect I haue earnestly entreated him that it would please him presently to declare it as he is bounde for the discharge of his conscience and for the bond he hath to doe right and iustice but most of al for that it concernes the preseruation peace rest augmentation and prosperitie of these Realmes and of all the subiects thereof the which hee ought both chiefly to care for and to procure seeing that besides the saide effects it shall cause an other of greater importance which is that which concerneth the seruice of God our Lord the assurance encrease of our holy Catholike faith I
thought good to doe the like office to this citie hauing regard vnto the fidelitie whereof it hath alwaies made profession being the chiefe of these Realmes assuring you therwithall that he that shall inherite is no forreine king but a naturall borne as I haue saide before seeing that I am nephew and sonne to your naturall Princes issued of the same bloude and will be alwaies a father to euerie one of you as you shall finde when it shall please God But at this time I will entreate you that with your wisedome and great experience you woulde consider and note wherein I may honour and fauour you not onely to conserue your liberties and priuiledges both ingenerall and particular desiring that all other cities of the Realme shoulde vnderstande the same whereof I praie you to giue them notice being requisite that euerie one shoulde know the loue and affection which I beare to all and it shall be iust that in knowing it you conforme your selfe to that which is the will of God whose iudgements and determinations no man may resist but we ought to beleeue that what he determines is for the best So as trusting that both this citie and the rest when time shall require will doe that whereunto they are bound I haue nothing to say but that besides the feeling which I haue had of miseries past I haue beene in particular grieued for the losse of so great numbers of the Nobilitie and Commons of this Realme whereof that battaile was the cause And therefore I require you to aduise what I may do for those that remaine yet slaues and write vnto me for although I both haue and daily had that care I haue thought fit and couenient yet shall I be glad to vnderstande your aduise that all thinges conuenient might bee performed for their deliuerie and rest assured that whatsoeuer shall concerne you I will deale in it with the loue of a father as you shall know more particularlie by the effects when as occasion shall serue to make triall thereof the which you shall vnderstande by Christopher de Mora to whom I referre you The Catholique king sent this Letter by the saide Mora to be deliuered to the Magistrate of the Chamber who going for that intent presented it vnto them But being troubled they doubted that in receiuing thereof they shoulde offende against the Crowne so as refusing it they willed him to take it with him and deliuer it to the King the which Mora denying it remained still with them vnopened And least they shoulde be ignorant of the contents he drewe a copie out of his bosome and read it vnto them publikely dispersing sundrie copies throughout the citie The orignall was by the Vereadures carried to the king This did smally further Philips affaires but rather hinder him and was by the wisest both of Spaine and Portugall and also by some of the Kings Counsell helde as a remedie not fitting the Portugals humour who generally hating the Castillians being newe and rude in this matter it was not probable they shoulde yeelde vpon a simple Letter At this time there came intelligence that he who had the charge of Embassadour of Portugall was not onely liuing in Alcazerquiuir although sore hurt but that the Cheriffe had released him was comming with the bodie of King Sebastian to Ceuta and from thence within fewe daies being at Christmas in the yeere 1578 they vnderstoode he was arriued at Ciuill his comming was by the best acquainted with the affaires of Portugall held verie profitable for returning to his charge he seemed more sufficient then anie other to treate of so weightie a cause being indued besides his good iudgement with many other good parts necessarie for the mannaging of such a busines For besides that he had good experience of King Henrie his disposition and the humour of the Portugals he was verie pleasing vnto them it may be for that he was of the house of Sylua who being verie noble in Portugall passed into Castill during the controuersies betwixt king Iohn the first and the master of the Auis and being borne of a Portugall mother they helde him for their countreyman Besides that with the fauour of King Sebastian he was married in Portugall with Phillippa de Silua heire to Aluaro de Silua Earle of Portalegra Lord Steward of the Kings house and one of the principall Noblemen of the Realme But whilest that euerie man expected his present departure from Ciuill to Portugall the King called him to Court saying that he woulde first instruct him by mouth of his intentions and of the present occurrents In the meane time the Duke of Ossuna arriued within the Realme who seeming to be sent onely to performe complements with the king he was lodged and roially entertained at the charge of the Court where hauing deliuered his simple legation he went to Settuuall to visite Magdalen Girone his sister widow to George d' Alencastro Duke of Auero but hee returned sodainly making shewe he had newe commission to treate of the succession wherewith king Henrie was greatly discontented being vnwilling to haue the presence of a personage so qualified on the behalfe of Philip as it were a witnes of his actions the which did likewise displease all the Portugals the rather for that with Mora he began to solicite the King to declare Philip successour of the Realme shewing vnto him formerly by many reasons that his title was iust Nowe did King Henrie at the great intreatie of his subiects resolue to set the best order he could touching the question of succession and to content them For this cause remaining greatly in suspence hauing consulted the matter with fewe but of his greatest fauorites they concluded after much counsell infinite opinions and many disputations that it was not conuenient at that time to declare any one Prince The reason was that the neerest heire vnto the Realme they supposed to be the Catholique King whom they hated most and therefore sought by all meanes possible to flie his commād thinking nothing more fit to effect it then to protract the nomination of the Prince not meaning to specifie any For naming any other they shoulde procure his indignation against them and giue him occasion or his heires that should succeed him to attempt an action better grounded whereas by delaying it there should remaine vnto them at the least this weake hope that the Catholique king although yoonger yet mortall might die before olde King Henry which hapning they shoulde be freed from the Castillians and then shoulde succeed as it is said the Duke of Sauoy of whom they had no such feare but woulde more willingly yeeld to his subiection The King supposed that Katherine Dutches of Bragance preceaded all other pretendents except the Catholique King aided as it may be by his owne naturall inclination he conuerted all his thoughts in her fauour and if it were possible to giue her the crowne writing to the vniuersitie
of Coimbra many allegations in her behalfe To effect this it was thought necessarie to cite all the pretendents to appeere and produce their reasons the which was sodainly put in execution although in the iudgement of many it was thought out of season seeming more conuenient first to conclude it in parliament and then to effect it whereby it was apparant that the king did gouerne himselfe daily without order or any constant resolution what he woulde doe He did yet foresee that dying before Philip as it was likely the Realme should remaine confused and without a Gouernour which shoulde rule the Realme during the interreigne and that the Noblemen and Commons shoulde presently sweare obedience vnto them and after examine the reasons of the pretendents And although they feared that King Philip woulde be displeased yet they hoped to satisfie him promising it shoulde no way preiudice his title nor any thing delay it but onely to proceede with more grounde as it was conuenient giuing out that King Henrie woulde marrie and send to Rome for a dispensation being a Priest so as being capable of issue it was not expedient to sweare a Prince This matter being concluded amongst fewe and of the chiefest within fewe daies after least it should not seeme to be done in priuate but with a general consent and to choose gouernours Henrie called to Court the three estates of the Realme that is the Clergie the Nobilitie and the Deputies of the cities and townes the which assembled the first day of Aprill in the yeere 1579. in the great hall of the pallace at Lisbone the King hauing before him nine Herolds accompanied with the Duke of Bragance and many Noblemen he went in the scarlet habite of a Cardinall retaining nothing of a king but the scepter being mounted vpon a scaffold of wood prepared at the vpper end of the hal fower steps higher then the Deputies he seated himselfe in a chaire prepared for him couered with cloth of gold vnder a cloth of estate of the same Euerie one being in his ranke according to their ancient degrees Alphonso de Castelbianco a priest stood vp by the Kings commandement at one of the endes of the scaffold who with a long speech after he had a little renewed the sorrowes of their forepassed miseries and mittigated them with hope of a future good hee forgot not to praise the King with all vertues adding that being weake he did not spare his life imploying it to what was profitable to the Realme he compared him in his gouernment to the King of heauen in his loue iustice pitty and sacrificing himselfe for his people he commended this assembly resembling it to the Councels and saide it coulde not erre he concluded the king had there assembled them to propound what was conuenient for the Realme to prouide for it with their aduise The first acte being ended it was decreed that daily the Clergie the Nobilitie and the Deputies of the Realme shoulde assemble a part the which they effected where they found diuersitie of opinions and very different one from an other some of them friendes to the conclusion woulde sodainly haue it determined to whom the Crowne appertained without hearing the pretendents allegations others held the parties should be cited and that they shoulde proceed with deliberation to sentence after instruction of the processe many enclined to haue gouernours others would not heare speake of them euery one taking the course neuer to agree The king hearing of this hauing called the chiefe of his Councell one after one and acquainting them with his resolution he shewed vnto them that it was so conuenient for the libertie of the Realme so as all difficulties accorded they concluded not to make any election of a Prince at that instant but the pretendents being heard the King shoulde iudge to whom the Realme belonged that he might be declared after his death And although God did suffer it may be for a punishment to the Portugals that the King held this Councell for the best yet experience did shewe that it was the woorst course they coulde haue taken for to put the cause in processe did breed vaine hopes in some of the pretendents which after were causes of great ruine to the crowne And to the end the motion of the kings marriage shoulde seeme to be spoken with some grounde they named vnto the estates Edward de Castelbianco to goe to Rome and treate with the Pope for his dispensation they did choose fifteene gentlemen vpon the backe of the rowle whereof the King with his owne hand shoulde write fiue of them which so chosen shoulde gouerne the Realme vntill it were decided who shoulde be King There was also about this nomination of the Gouernours no small controuersie betwixt the King and his Councell of estates for that the king would absolutely name the fiue the Councell woulde not consent vnto it but they would do it And when they were agreed that the Councell should name fifteene and the King choose fiue of them there grew a newe discord among them for the Councell desired to know who should be these fiue some woulde not onely haue them published but also during the Kings life put in possession of the gouernment that after they might be the better obeied but notwithstanding they resolued to keepe it secret yet generally they coniectured and truely who they were They chose also fower and twentie Iudges vpon the backe of the rowle of these the King did name eleuen to iudge the cause of the succession if he shoulde not determine it before his death This was held and chiefly by the Castillians a fault of importance the king shewing himselfe to be ignorant that his roiall iurisdiction did end with his life and that this naming of Gouernours was to rule after his death whereof they had an example with them of Elizabeth Queene of Castill who in vaine prescribed lawes for the gouernment of the Realme after her decease In this sorte the States ended and soone after the Duke of Bragance with the Nobilitie and the Deputies of the Realme sware obedience to such as the king had chosen Gouernours and to him that shoulde be declared king It would not be forgotten the manner of oath the Prior tooke for being called before the king and commanded to sweare to obey the forme aforesaid he answered that he would first speake vnto him The King replied that there was no neede but that he shoulde sweare the which he refusing to doe the king grewe in choler whereupon casting his eies vpon his friendes that were about him as who shoulde say that he was forced to lay his handes vpon the Euangelist against the opinion of many who beleeued he shoulde rather commit some disorder then sweare The Rowle of the Gouernours with the nomination vpon the backe of it was locked vp in a coffer and deliuered to the keeping of the Magistrate of the Chamber of Lisbone the people
strange grounde to the dishonour of so many kings woulde come by direct line to the succession of the Realme offering to prooue by writing out of the auncient Registers of Fraunce and by the auncient possession of the Earle of Bulloigne that she was lineally descended from Robert sonne to king Alphonso the thirde and of the Countesse Matilda his first and lawfull wife and that from that time to this all the descendents of Beatrice the second wife of Alphonso haue vniustly reigned from whom all the pretendents to the succession drawe their beginnings and therefore they coulde haue no better interest then their predecessors King Henry seemed nowe more colde to determine the question of succession then the importance of the cause and the shortnes of his life required He was greatly pressed by the people who be naturally hard to please seeing his slow proceedings complained by words and writings dispersed without authors and were well content their griefes should come to the kings eares They inferred that the losse of the warre of Affricke partly restored by his comming to the Crowne was nowe reuiued seeing their hopes that he shoulde preuent their imminent dangers succeeded vainely They complained that the time which shoulde be wholie imploied to decide the succession was spent in accidentall things contrarie to their dutie hauing no other care but to drawe into question such as the king hated to search by iustice things of small moment to borrowe money of the merchants to redeeme the Portugals that were in Affricke to treate of newe impositions to the oppression of the people and such like some whereof as the redemption of prisoners and that which concerns iustice they could not reiect as euill they blamed the time and the meanes that was spent in them Passing from this discourse hauing as it were a desire to speake slaunderously they touched the ministers of iustice to the quicke inferring they had corrupt consciences that the poore were persecuted the rich fauoured that all punishments were pecuniarie or barbarous expresly inuēted to molest the poore innocents giue autority to the rich culpable who are seldome punished They shewed againe how much a briefe decision of the succession did import and that it was no sound aduise to cite the pretendents assemble the States being tedious matters alleaging that if the king to receiue the scepter had no neede of these things neither had his successour but that he ought to decide this cause by himselfe with the aduise of learned and confident Doctors and according to that which he shoulde finde conuenient treate the accordes and capitulations with the greatest libertie of the Realme he coulde giuing contentment to the excluded and making of many members one body thereby to auoide the bottomlesse gulfe of ciuill warres And in truth this was the wisest and most Christian resolution of all others They did not allow of the making of Gouenours tearming them bodies without a head saying they coulde not after the kings decease effect any good iudging there woulde be amongst them diuersitie of opinions the people woulde be altered the great woulde disobey and euery one of the pretendents woulde call himselfe king they did foretell the Realme woulde be deuided in factions that one would follow one party the other an other party in the meane time the strongest woulde preuaile by armes The most aduised feared the forces of the Catholique king being neere and alwaies readie and although some trusting in his modestie beleeued after the death of Henrie he shoulde peaceably attend the sentence yet such as more practised in the affaires of the worlde knewe that the encrease of kingdomes had neither end nor measure that they be neuer giuen or taken away by the opinion of Doctors they feared most of all they termed it a diuelish temptation of those that perswaded Henry to take a wife or once to speake of it saying they were not woorthie that God shoulde nowe worke miracles for the loue of them The king mooued with these reasons which were partly deliuered vnto him began more vehemently then accustomed to treate of these affaires And forasmuch as the Prior hauing taken his oath to obey the Gouernours was retired to Almada a citie vpon the riuer of Tagus right against Lisbone where he made his vsual residence the king doubting that remaining there and comming sometimes to the citie as he did he might encounter with the Duke of Bragance and that as concurrents in one action and competitors in present there might growe some perillous contention the which was doubted hearing there was hatred betwixt them for this cause he commanded the saide Prior to retire himselfe to his said Priorie of Crato the which he did and likewise to the Duke though somewhat later to withdrawe himselfe The Prior was there cited not without permission to come personally to the court but to sende his Attourneies wherewith being grieued he did write vnto the king thanking him that he had admitted him to plead and complaining that he was in a manner banished He said that he ought not to forbid him to assist in his owne cause when as the Duke of Ossuna Embassador for the Catholique king and the Duke of Bragance were present at their pleas For besides the discommoditie hee shoulde haue in deliuering his reasons whosoeuer shoulde see him banished from the Court whilest they treated of so weightie a cause woulde suppose him so farre in the princes disgrace as he shoulde not dare to maintaine his title But all this preuailed not for the king woulde neuer suffer him to depart from Crato and although he did obey with difficultie going often from place to place yet would he neuer admit him to Court The first processe the king put vppon the file was touching the satisfaction the Prior pretended to giue for his legitimation wherein he had secretly all the pretendents opposite desiring to haue it tried first as indeed it ought to be for vpon proofe of his legitimation he was either to be admitted or excluded from the succession And forasmuch as Princes doe commonly execute that carefully which they do affect for this reason and to the ende the sentence he shoulde pronounce thereupon shoulde remaine firme he had obtained secretly at Rome a briefe from the Pope by the which he gaue him authoritie absolutely to iudge the cause of legitimation without any forme or processe according to the truth thereof So as hauing strictly examined the witnesses he allowed some reasons and reiected others and duely weighed the processe Finally he came to sentence framed by vertue of the Popes owne motion wherein was reported in a manner the whole processe The deposition of the witnesses which were fowre two conuinced to be false for they recanted confessing they had beene suborned by Anthony and the other two were suspected being neere kinsemen and disagreeing betwixt themselues The words of the testament of Lewes father to the saide Prior were annexed wherein
his forces And although the consideration had beene easie many protesting against it and many foretelling the future euent yet God tooke from them their vnderstanding as he doth from those whom he meaneth to punish and in this manner he hath depriued them of iudgement who aduise to take from the Catholique King the succession of the Realme They compared the amitie of Castill with that of Fraunce reporting the wrongs and pyracies which the French being at sea had daily done to Portugall and the small reckoning was helde of them that had complained and contrariwise the concord and rest which since the last peace made with the Castillians vntill that day they had enioyed without the breach of any one article blaming the manner of the French saying that they sought nothing else but to be admitted and after to become masters the which not succeeding they striued to be admitted to plead the equitie of their Kings cause seeking alwaies occasion to complaine They added that if the election were in the people and that the Catholique king had no enterest onely to be free from the French they shoulde vnite themselues with Castill that they might liue in peace and bridle this French furie which hath often throwne the Portugals aliue into the sea and slaine their gouernors and the Kings captaines by their Kings commission for by this vnion besides the seruice of God the French would feare and not spoile so boldly at sea They commended king Henry as iust and holie saying that the best resolution they coulde take was to fall at his feete beseeching him that seeing the Catholique king was the most honorable the most neerest and the eldest kinsman that he had that in the name of God he shoulde sweare him Prince according with him of the most necessarie points for the libertie of the Realme and shewing themselues conformeable to the bequest sometimes made by king Emanuell That they should not loose this occasion during his life but laying aside their obstinate intercessions labour iointly to flie the warre and not be forced to yeelde to Castill at such time when as it shoulde not be acceptable perfourming the which they shoulde not onely preserue their owne goods but inherite others seeing the greatnes of Castill doth indifferently admit all subiects Spaniards to the greatest dignities bringing for examples that the Archbishop of Toledo and the office of the President of the Councell roiall which be the highest dignities spirituall and temporall were not then enioied by Castillians They protested that if they stopped their eares to the truth and did open them to apparant lies they shoulde feele within their owne home warre with the murthers spoiles theftes and burnings it bringes with it On the other side the Portugals made answere to their letters saying they desired no warre but woulde defende themselues against any that shoulde attempt it They alleaged many reasons of their iustice and force with auncient examples of the holie Scriptures whereas small numbers in a iust cause haue vanquished a great armie They refuted that opinion that God by the vnion of these Realmes would fortifie in Castill an arme of the church shewing many grounds wherby they should iudge the contrarie blaming the sacke of Rome and some other vnwoorthy actions of the Castillians They laboured much to prooue that the Prior of Crato was legitimate that King Henrie had bin a most passionate iudge in that cause They spared not to touch the reasons of the Dutchesse of Bragance shewing that she ought to precead the Catholique King in the succession They condemned the said King saying that distrusting his Title he had prepared to armes They shewed by a long discourse that the vnion of Portugall would neither breed them profit nor honour but losse and dishonour were the conditions neuer so ample and good drawing examples from Flaunders and Aragon shewing that the behauiour of the Spaniardes in the Low-countries had beene the cause that those people had rebelled against God and against their temporall Lord They did obiect that all nations subiect to the Catholique King were reputed his subiects in matters of charge and burthens of the warre but in honours recompences and exemptions they were vnknowen They valued not the Kings forces saying that if it were fearfull to other Prouinces yet was it not so in Spaine beeing apparent that by reason of the barrennes of that countrey he could entertaine no great Armies neither durst he for the weaknes of the places draw in mercenarie souldiers bringing for example the war of Granado where incountring but with fower disarmed Moores there was so great daunger with the losse of so many men They added moreouer that the King had not at this day one Captaine of account naming a number which were of the Seminarie of Charles the fifth who were all dead and not any other which had succeeded them imitating the Kings humour who loues rest more then armes by meanes whereof he had not augmented his Realme but lost Goletta with the States of Flaunders and had yet made greater losses had there beene other Kings liuing in this age but that in Fraunce England and Portugall the Scepters were in the hands of women and children They concluded that it was not credible that the Catholique King notwithstanding his threatnings and his prepared forces woulde take armes in Spaine for that his forces being vnited he was in daunger vpon the least contrarie euent that some of his Prouinces would rebell against him and that the French being a stirring nation would imbrace this occasion besides that being now old and the howres of his death vncertaine hee should consider that not inioying the Realme of Portugall in peace and dying with an Armie in Spaine hauing no heires but pupilles hee should leaue them in danger not onely to be depriued of the possession of Portugall but also to be much troubled in Castill and his other Kingdomes of Spaine labouring to prooue that the Kings were not there beloued as in Portugall Then began the yeere 1580. a yeere full of miseries and afflictions for the Portugals not onely by reason of the warre which followed but also for the dearth and plague for that the season hauing beene verie drie the fruit of the earth was in a manner all lost neither had the husbandmen in many places reaped what was sowne besides there came not from Fraunce and Germanie such quantitie of corne as was vsuall But this miserie was supportable in regard of the rest for neuer was the scarsitie so great but things necessarie would be found for money That of the contagion was most cruell for hauing runne through Italy Germanie England and a part of Fraunce it came finally into this Realme from whence it spread throughout all Spaine but most of all in the citie of Lisbone hauing begonne lightly the yeere before it increased at the entring of this spring and so augmented all sommer but declined in the fall This contagious mortalitie
should call him before eleuen So as being turned on the other side he remained somtime but being called by the Religious he asked againe what it was a clocke being answered that it was eleuen O giue me said he that candell for now my hower is come and taking it in his hand died soone after hauing raigned seuenteene moneths This was the last King of Portugall in whom ended the direct masculine line And as the first Lord of Portugall although vnder the Title of an Earle was called Henrie so doth it seeme the last should be so termed He was thin of bodie small of stature and leane of his face as for his wit it was indifferent indued besides the Latine toong with some knowledge He was alwaies held to be chast and did neuer blemish this angelicall vertue but with the desire of marriage in his latter daies He was accounted sparing giuing rather then denying for he refused seldome but he gaue sparingly he was ambitious of all iurisdiction as well Ecclesiasticall as ciuil zealous in Religion and the faith yet in the reformation of religious persons he was more stricte then was conuenient He was Bishop Gouernour of the Realme Inquisitor Maior legate Apostolique and King But the more he mounted the more he discouered his incapacitie suffering himselfe in greatest matters to be ruled by his ministers not being able to determine the cause of the succession Opinions were grafted in him with great obstinacie retayning a continuall remembrance of wrongs so as iustice was in him but an iniust execution of his owne passions and for this cause a religious man whom he had pressed to take vpon him a most strict course of life said vnto him that he would obey seeing there was no humaine helpe against his commandements seeing he had the wil of a man the authority of a Pope the execution of a king Finally he was indued with great vertues with fewer lesse vices yet were they equal for he had the vertues of an Ecclesiasticall person and the defects of a Prince during his life he was feared of many and beloued of few so as no man lamented his death onely such as were well affected desiring the cause had beene first decided before his decease had some feeling These things happened in Almeryn where suddenly the fiue named Gouernours did assemble to prouide for that which should be necessarie tearming themselues Gouernours and Protectors of the Realme of Portugal But in this beginning after the kings death they feared some mutinie of the people both at Almeryn and at Lisbone neither did the gouernours themselues nor the Catholique Kings Agents thinke themselues secure They hated the assembly of the Deputies of the Realme which were continued at Saint Arem both for that they held it as a superiour councell as also fearing it might cause some insurrection of the people and therefore they did still abuse them with words differing from their meanings for which cause they sent Martin Gonzalues de la Camera a gentleman of the church who in the time of Sebastian held the first place in the gouerument of the Realme which he could not continue for although he were not couetous of riches but full of integritie yet was he seuere and hard to be intreated that they held him inexorable Him they sent being a popular man and contrarie to the Catholike King whose words they thought should be of more credit then any others hauing particularly reported the Kings death hee said that the Gouernours chosen at the last estates began to looke vnto the gouernment and to giue order for things necessarie to the Realme And although the death of King Henrie were a great losse yet being in heauen he would mediate for them and that they should rest assured that with the greatest zeale and loue to their countrey they could they would indeuour to doe iustice as well to those of the Realme in the pretention they had to the election as also to the pretendents to the succession That they would deliuer them all writings whereof they had neede exhorting them to treat with peace and loue without causing of any mutinie were it neuer so small in any mans fauour and for the better ordering of that which concerned the common good they were well pleased they should put them in minde of any thing which they thought necessarie Hauing ended this speech all men keeping silence Phoebus Moniz answered that they were all assured that of the fiue Gouernours three were suspect for when the King laboured to bring the States to make agreement with King Philip they were not onely conformable to the will of Henrie but did vrge them and commended this resolution without respect of the libertie of the Realme seeking onely to please the Kings humour and their owne interest which being it was not reasonable to suffer such suspected Gouernours whom they were not bound to obey and this was the opinion of them all Martin replied that he was not of opinion they should then alter any thing for in steed of helping they should heape danger vpon danger and trouble vpon trouble that for a while they should be lookers on and if in time they should finde the Gouernours not to doe their duety as they ought they might then helpe with the same remedie seeing they had alwaies authoritie to doe it whereunto although Phoebus Moniz answered that this remedie could not alwais be applied for that the councel could not stil be vnited for the great charges they were at yet the reasons of Martin Gonzalues were of such force that they resolued not to alter the Gouernours as a matter scandalous but accepting what they had sent to be said vnto them that they should aduise what they thought necessarie they began suddenly to set downe in writing such Articles as they would haue perfourmed by the Gouernours The which were that leauing the aboade at Almerin they should goe to Saint Arem to be neerer neighbours more in quiet and in greater safetie that for the auoiding of charge and scandall they should discharge the Souldiers as vnnecessarie That presently they should sende Ambassadors to the Catholique King that as Gouernours of the Realme they would do iustice to the pretendents in the cause of succession the which his Maiestie should beleeue not suffering within his Realme any attempt against Portugall That they should presently prouide for the fortresses of the Realme as well vpon the sea as in other places sending trustie Captaines garrisons and necessarie munition and to euerie Prouince men of great authoritie to force men to defend and succour the weaker parts that they should send some vnto his holines giuing him to vnderstand the Kings death their succession to the gouernment of the Realme for the defence thereof against any one that would vsurpe it contrarie to equitie against the sentence which should be pronounced touching the succession beseeching him to write to the Catholique King to rest
two chanels by a shelfe which they call Cacippo That which lieth betwixt the right banke and the shelfe is defended by the rocke or castell of Saint Iulian the other which is betwixt the shelfe and the sandie hill which they terme La Carriera d'Alcasoua is not defended by any forte neither can the artillerie of Saint Iulian reach so farre Emanuell woulde builde a forte in the Iland to defend this passage And although hauing digged deepe in the sand he coulde finde no firme ground to settle his foundation yet woulde not Emanuell desist from his opinion but hauing no meanes to builde it of stone he raised it of woode filling it with earth the which he supplied with artillerie and many other things necessarie yet coulde he hardly furnish it with water for that his caske burnt with the sunne and the reuerberation of the sands which is vehement in those partes although they were couered with sailes did breake and woulde holde no water At that time the Gouernours did an acte of great consideration to animate men to the defence of the Realme for by a newe and dangerous example they vsed religious men as instruments to execute their intention commaunding all religious houses that they should not onely in their sermons but also in their confessions commaund their preachers and confessors to animate the people to defence in that sort as they preach the Croisado against infidels And for that the Portugals are too ambitious of honor they commaunded them to vse this encouragement that such should be most honoured who did most readily prepare for resistance so as their preachings which should haue beene religious were become furious orations of soldiers This was greatly blamed by the good and wise and was the cause of great hurt to the whole Realme for besides the imploying of priestes in a prophaned action they did animate the poore people to this defence the which afterwardes did thrust them rashly into armes It was likewise very hurtfull to the religious houses for as it is dangerous to stirre vp the mindes of religious persons these being by the death of king Henry growne more then before adding thereunto this other libertie to speake publikely whilest they did animate others it bred in themselues warlike affections so as hauing passed the limits of their profession in a manner all the Ecclesiasticall state ran into mightie abuses and disorders as we shall hereafter see There wanted money to furnish the charge for this defence and therefore they desired to borrowe one hundreth thousand duckats of the marchants the which although they would not agree vnto they were forced to pay These things were practised at Lisbone more then in any other parts of the Realme In the meane time the Gouernours were in diuision and irresolute loosing still of their reputation For the Prior continuing still in the cause of his legitimation and seeming daily a more obstinate pretendent threatned such as shoulde contradict him The ministers of iustice began to decline from their accustomed authoritie and euery man presumed to speake and do what he pleased shewing well that it was a realme without a king the which was remarkable in two points which then hapned as well amongst the religious as the secular The one was that the religious of the order of Saint Ierome in our Ladies monasterie of Belem being desirous to recouer their libertie which the king had taken from them who with consent of the Pope and of his authoritie had bound them notwithstanding the rules of this religion to chuse superior officers at his pleasure that is one of the fower or fiue religious men that he should name to euerie office Frier Emanuel d'Euora being then Prouinciall all the Religious went vnto him saying That he was not iudicially chosen to that charge and therefore he shoulde renounce his office and they would choose another according to the Statutes The Frier to whom this seemed of harde digestion opposed himselfe to their demaund with many reasons and multiplying many words both of the one side and of the other they did forceably put the Prouinciall prisoner in a Seller vsing him something hardly in their choler The kinsmen to the Prouinciall hearing of this disorder ranne for remedie to Alexander Formento then Nuncio for his Holinesse in that Realme who vnderstanding the reasons of both parties although the Religious protested he was not their Iudge yet he commaunded the Prouinciall should be deliuered and restored to his charge citing some of the Religious men of the Monasterie before him as seditious The Friers to whome this sentence was signified by a publike Notarie would not obey So as the kinsmen of the Religious prisoner crauing aide from the secular power the Gouernours sent the officers of iustice of the citie of Lisbone to the Couent with three Ensignes of soldiers to see this sentence put in execution by force who being come to Belem the Friers shut their gates leauing the Church open where notwithstanding the grate of wood which shuts vp the great Chappell and the Sepulchres of kings was close they went into the quire singing their Letanies But after the officers of iustice had knocked a while at the Couent gate and no man opening it entering into the Church they burst downe the grate of wood so as the soldiers comming into the Cloister of Friers they laide hold of such Religious persons as they met with small respect of their priestly order And although the elders came with their Crosses Buls and excommunications it nothing preuailed for they must of force deliuer the Religious man and restore him to his former estate the which they did protesting they had vsed violence and that they woulde complaine to the Apostolique seate The other case was that Fernand de Pina a Doctor and Citizen being chosen in the place of Diego Salema whome Henry had deposed Vereador of the Chamber which is the highest degree of magistrate that hath charge of the citie he was at noone day in the market place wounded in the head with a Curtelax by Anthony Soarez whereof he died soone after the which the Prior had caused to be done for that Pyna in his office had not onely spoken ill against him but also laboured to draw the officers and all the Councell of the Chamber to the Catholique Kings deuotion Anthonie desired to reuenge himselfe in this manner and the offender who knew better how to strike then to flie being hurt by the Sergeants and retired into a Church without the citie was taken prisoner by the Iustice and after some daies of imprisonment was hanged and quartered the which execution was done with trouble and feare least the people shoulde deliuer him For the authoritie of the Gouernours declining the ministers of iustice were not respected And for that they knew this murther was committed by the commaundement of Anthonie the people were inclined to saue him The Religious for the like respect alleaging that the
binde such as had taken it so coulde it not excuse them from the bonde by the which they were tied to receiue him for King and that the allegations of the pretendents and their offer to stand to iudgement did not binde the King to acknowledge for iudge such as were not The Catholique King hauing viewed these reasons resolued to stay no longer frō taking possession of the Realme and therefore he caused his whole Armie to march to Cantigliana three miles from Badagios there to passe into Portugall where hee himselfe with the Queene woulde see it lodged for which effect he commaunded a scaffold to be made in open field where being mounted he set downe all the orders directed by the old Duke of Alua in the habit of a yoong souldier And although it seemed the King had resolued to stay at Badagios yet this matter was disputed amongst the curious with diuers reasons and besides the generall opnions of some who did maintaine that Kings ought to be personall in their enterprises they did alleage some other speciall reasons which did binde the king to goe with his armie They distinguished three qualities incident to the enterprise whereby the King shoulde go in person that is the importance of the pretention the hope of happie successe and the difficultie to execute it by a minister shewing that all three did concurre heerein seeing it was a question for a realme of importance rich and bordering vpon his other countries head of many rich estates and then in the way of greatnes That the hope of victorie was in all humaine consideration certaine both in regard of his iustice and force as also for the weakenes of his aduersaries That the difficulty to vndertake it by a minister was great and proper in that case the King not entering into Portugall to subdue cities but to winne their harts not playing the part of a conquerour but of lawfull Prince who entreth with necessarie forces to suppresse the ordinarie alterations of realmes newly gotten as he had protested to the Gouernors and estates of the realme that such offices for so important causes coulde not be committed but to the person of the eldest Prince being a commission vnfit for any childe or nephew much lesse for a captaine Generall being a Castillian of nation most imperious both by nature and for the great and important affaires which he had mannaged besides being for his owne particular hatefull to the Portugals They saide it was most certaine if the King entred the realme in person of friends he shoulde make faithfull subiects of newters friends and of enimies newters where as contrariwise the Duke woulde make his friendes newters his newters enimies and his enimies obstinate rebels With these reasons and others such as iudged the Kings presence necessarie in the enterprise fortified their opinions On the otherside it was saide that when the resolutions of the one side haue so great difficultie as they draw neere to impossibilities there is no disputing what is conuenient but of force they must obey necessitie that the question of the Kings entring into Portugall was of this nature seeing that by diuers accidents the strength of the armie was so weakened that it was both in quantitie and qualitie most different from that which had beene set downe for there wanted aboue sixe thousand souldiers of them which had been leuied the number of the Spaniards which came out of Italy was greatly diminished and there wanted halfe of those that were new raised and the bands that came from the lowe Countries could not arriue in time If these which were the strēgth of the armie had beene ioyned and the number appointed in the beginning assembled the King might wel haue perfourmed the enterprise in person for then had he made the way open for the succours of men munition from the frontiers vnto Settuual leauing garrisons in al places to receiue conduct them But wanting horse and foote necessarie for the action there was no other remedie but to runne the fortune of two great daungers The one was to conduct all the victuals with the armie which would cause a new and monstrous forme of Campe wanting horsemen to couer their carriages The other of no lesse importance was that the life of these men depended vpon the inconstancie of the sea and winde which shoulde conduct the armie from Andelouzia to Settuuall with the other victuals and munition to serue the want of those whom they transported And although the Duke contented himselfe with the number of his soldiers he did it trusting to his owne dexteritie and the ignorance of his enimies And if he hoped to surmount these dangers he grounded his opinion vpon the Portugals vnskilfulnes to preuent him entertaining him behinde with continuall skirmishes to conuoy him the which if they could effect were dangerous for there by they should force him to turne backe and fight with disaduantage of the place where they might be defeated or staied from passing the armie ouer the riuer of Tagus the which were to put a battaile in compremise for the humours which might daily arise besides there were some difficultie to ioine the two parts of the armie the one being at sea the other at land vneasie to ioine thē at a limited time the delay of 20. daies would hinder the effect for a yeeres imploiment so as they concluded that neither by reason of war nor of state the King ought to hazard his person in this enterprise for that neither industrie nor fortune be sufficient warrants for the safety of Princes who ought not to ground their resolutions vpon an others weakenes but vpon their owne proper forces Whilest that matters in Castill stoode on these termes and that the Portugals grew daily more arrogant and confused it was apparant with small insight how this realme ranne headlong into ruine For al being confounded with vanitie no man knew what he would do no man was resolute what he shoulde execute and if any were yet blinded they knewe not what course to take The Gouernours being at Settuuall assembled the estates being amazed to vnderstand the Duke of Alua was in fielde resolute to inuade the realme presently On the otherside that Anthony was at Saint Arem incensing the Deputies that they shoulde not go to the Estates practising the disorder which hapned after The Duke of Bragance pressed them shewing his griefes in publike it may be for not proceeding according to his humour The Embassadors of the Catholique King gaue them no time to breath Iohn Teglio was at Lisbone preparing for defence with whom they had no good intelligence They desired to content all men yet feared the peoples furie they laboured much and prouided for nothing The cities cried for armes to defend themselues or to haue permission to yeeld they answered in generall tearmes without any effect they receiued letters from the Duke of Alua who accused them of crueltie saying they
But Anthony arriuing soone after making his praiers a little without the doore of the chappell the two Bishops went out to meete him with their Rochets to hallow the foundation of the fortresse but the ceremonie was no sooner begun but that Anthony Barachio an impudent fellow holding a handkerchiefe vpon the point of his sword proclaimed Anthony King being followed with great noise and acclamations almost of all the companie who to assure themselues of such as were not of that faction or to shew a certaine valour drewe their swordes At that time Anthony faining a certaine modestie or thrust forwarde by his owne irresolution cried no no and stept forward as it were to stay the people Peter Coutigno captaine of that place with choler woulde haue stopt their cries saying that the Prior desired not to be called king but this preuailed nothing for Baracchio bending his pistol against the captaine put him to silence by reason whereof he departed Anthony whether it were for feare to see so many naked weapons about him or that raised by such a meanes to that dignitie bringes feare with it he was amased and trembled giuing notable signes to his followers who helping him to horse at the first steppe he stumbled and almost fell in signe of presaging ill All the Nobilitie that was present followed him on foote bare headed as King And although a great part of the people were vnaduisedly come thither yet all followed him From thence the Prior went to the church and from the church to the house of the Magistrate where finding the gates shut he brake them open and was there solemnly confirmed King with ordinarie actes and writings the which were signed by all the Gentlemen Portugals that were present and Emanuel de Costa Borges with a standerd in his hande pronounced with a loude voice these wordes Reale Reale as their custome is Being then returned to his lodging he prepared to go to Lisbone there to be proclaimed King as the principall place of the realme In the meane time Velasco was come to Oliuenza where entering without stay by night the xix of Iune he was lodged by Diego de Vasconcellos at the request of the Passani of Eluas and hauing the day following requested the magistrate and the Nobilitie to assemble themselues in the Church of Pitie there to receiue certaine letters from the king being all assembled he deliuered them the which were publikely read finding them full of curtesies The conclusion was to sweare him king Velasco pressed them to answere briefly But as of light occasions sometimes grow important matters so did it here for the Nobilitie of this place being diuided into two contrarie factions the one was called Loby and Gama the other Matt s it chaunced that the letters which the king had written vnto the Nobilitie were by meere fortune first deliuered into the hands of the Loby whereof the contrarie faction made a sinister construction and the rather for that Velasco was lodged in the house of one of that faction They resolued to contradict all their aduersaries should propound And for as much as at that instant there were more of the familie of the Matti in office then of the Loby seeing their enimies inclined to giue place vnto the king they began to oppose themselues and without making answere to the letter they sent with all speede to the gouernours and presently after going to the lodging of Velasco they saide vnto him that they could not giue answere in a matter of so great importance without good aduise and aduertising of the gouernours demaunding fower daies libertie whereunto Peter answering that he could giue them no longer time then the next day morning they departed vnsatisfied saying that they feared nothing for that God would succour them where with Velasco discontented woulde haue sent Fratyn an Italian Ingeneur who was then with him to the Duke of Alua to request him to sende some troupes of soldiers within the view of the place to terrifie them yet being aduised by his friendes that were Portugals and finding the people affected to the king he staied The faction of Lâ—by with all their followers seeing the contradiction of the magistrate assembled themselues in councell making an acte in writing signed by them all whereby they protested that they were readie to obey the king In this time Marke Anthonie Iustinian a gentleman of Genoa friend vnto Velasco and kinseman to the Lâ—by aduised him to leaue his lodging and to talke to the people in the streetes winning them with faire words the which hauing effected and gathering a great multitude about him hee made vnto them a long discourse shewing the profit they should receiue in yeelding obedience vnto the king and the hurt in following the opinion of the magistrate seeing there was a mightie armie so neare them wherewith the people who were easily changed seemed content and following him to the Church of the holie Ghost where the Nobilitie was assembled Velasco entred and saide vnto them My maisters what shall we doe To whom Frier Aluaro in the name of the whole assemblie answered that they were readie to serue his Maiestie Then Iustinian raising Velasco from the ground proclaimed the kings name the which was followed by the whole Nobilitie and likewise by the people who going to the house of the magistrate they called for the Iudge and the Vereadors vpon great penaltie who vnderstanding the people was mutined and that Philip was proclaimed king they were afraide and went to yeeld their obedience the which the castell did likewise perfourming the ordinarie actes and ceremonies Velasco offering in the kings name many exemptions In this manner but more quietly in other places all this frontier did yeeld as Serpa Mora Campo maior Arronghez Portalegre and in other places about the realme they vsed the like diligence At this time Anthony was gone from Saint Arem to Lisbone the Gouernors seeing that succeed which they had long foretolde did fortifie at Settuual with the Duke of Bragance and the Embassadors of the Catholique King fearing the new King would march to them They neglected the defence of Lisbone supposing that Peter de Cugna captaine thereof and Iohn Teglio who as is said was at Belem with their procuration woulde prouide for it as they had commanded them and had sent two officers of Iustice to perswade the Citizens to make resistance But the said Teglio who it may be with greater zeale then iudgement was one of those that woulde haue the cause determined vnderstanding that Anthony was proclaimed king was greatly discontented for that of force hee must leaue the gouernment and make his peace with King Philip with greater difficultie if he shoulde now seeke it Besides that Anthony did not acknowledge the crowne from him and therefore greatly mooued seeming also vnto him that as Gouernour he did wrong his companions they being at Settuual and he at Belem to suffer the Prior so easily to
and baggage by reason wherof he carried with him aboue sixe thousand chariots and fiue and twenty peeces of canon and passing vnder the walles of Eluas there was nothing to be done being already yeelded In three daies march he came to Stremos receiuing all places thereabouts to obedience which might be amazed at the bruite of the armie But for that he laboured to assure the kings person aboue all being entred two daies iourney within the countrey he sent backe Peter Manrique de Padilla a knight of account and well experienced in the warre with two companies of men at armes and Peter d' Ayala Marshall of the field an old soldier with a regiment of Spaniards who lodged at Eluas assuring those quarters from all reuolutions that might be feared within Stremos was captaine Iohn Dazeuedo Admirall of the realme yoong and hardie who put himselfe in defence and was cause that the armie made longer stay there then at any other lodging He whē as the gouernors were yet at Almeryn had obtained by the meanes of Martin Gonzales de Camera somewhat allyed vnto him the Captainship of that place and after being written vnto by Anthonie as king he would not obey him saying that he did not acknowledge any other superiour then the gouernours to whom he had giuen his oath At this time the Duke being arriued he sent vnto him Peter de Luna a captaine of horse with letters from the king requiring his obedience but he refused to yeeld it for the same reasons he had giuen to Anthonie he trusted more to the defence of the place then the force thereof would warrant and the rather for the diligence of Diego de Meneses who when he had speech of the fortifying of Eluas seeing it could not be effected he had retired himselfe to Stremos thinking there to make head and hauing animated the people to defende it he promised them great succours so as all agreeing with the Admirall they were resolute to fight At this time Christopher de Mora who went from Settuual to Badagios passing through the citie he persuaded the Landini chiefe citizens to yeeld obedience vnto the king and for that it was easie for them to turne the people as they pleased they induced them soone to obey So as the Admirall remained alone in his obstinacie within the castell with some of his friends and familiars and although they laboured to bring him to obedience yet would he not yeeld excusing himselfe that it appeered not vnto him that the king was heire to the realme neither did the comming of the Prior Ferrant de Toledo sonne to the Duke of Alua preuaile who discouering him to be a man of small consideration made offer vnto him that the Duke should be bound that whensoeuer it should appeere that the realme appertained not vnto Philip hee should restore him to the place he now enioyed neither preuailed it to let him vnderstand that he could not resist making answere obstinately that when he had done his last endeuour hee woulde abandon the place with the losse of his life seeming that he coulde not otherwise saue his honour But this resolution lasted little for discouering from the castell that the Duke had already planted his artillerie that those of the citie which had promised to defend him were all against him and that some Castillian soldiers were entred the citie being all amazed he resolued to retire himselfe and leaue the fortresse wanting courage to defend it but in issuing foorth the Castillians tooke him prisoner and led him to the Duke who was in doubt whether he should punish him corporally to terrifie the rest by his first example but he pardoned him and sent him prisoner to Villauizosa writing vnto the king that he tooke pitie of him being yoong and without experience When the magistrate and the citizens had taken their oath and done the accustomed ceremonies to obey the king the armie marched towardes Mounte maior by the way of Arraialos leauing Euora on the left hande a citie of importance but then greatly afflicted with the plague But to the ende it shoulde not remaine behinde vnyeelded the Duke sent thither Henry de Guzman with twentie horse to take possession thereof both for that hee knewe it was vnpeopled as also vnderstanding that Diego de Castro who was Captaine there and the principalles of the citie who were retired to their gardens thereabouts desired to yeeld their obedience by reason whereof the saide captaine and Magistrate being assembled togither a mile from the citie vnder the Portall of our Ladies church there Constantine de Brito a Notarie receiued a publike acte whereby they deliuered the citie to his Maiesties obedience the which they all assigned The Duke beeing now arriued in fower daies march at Mount Maior the new where hauing found no resistance although the Counte Vimioso had beene there a little before taking possession thereof he came within fower daies to Settuual without wasting the countrey as is vsuall in warre for he neither slewe nor spoiled the inhabitants of townes nor suffered them to tread downe the corne which was then ripe It seemed that Diego de Meneses had not shewed the fruits that were expected of his valour within that prouince nor of that heate wherewith hee vndertooke the defence hauing for that cause refused the place of Viceroy of the Indies which is the greatest charge giuen in that realme For hauing first from the Gouernours and after from the Prior receiued charge to defend the saide prouince hee not onely neglected the defence but also retired himselfe He excused this weake resistance saying that the Gouernors had deceiued him in not furnishing him with armes and other things necessarie and that hauing no other armes with the people but wordes he was enforced to retire himselfe But whatsoeuer the cause was all that part beyond the riuer of Tagus which is the most fertile within the realme remained disarmed and in pray to the enimie Anthonie being returned from Settuuall to Lisbone he was receiued with great ioy being the first time he had entred as king And although the infection with the diuision of the Nobilitie had much vnpeopled it yet made they deuises with great shewes of ioy I will not leaue to report as a thing remarkable that there was a cōpany of poore women which sell thinges in the market place the which marching in order like soldiers with their armes she which was their captaine in steade of a Halberd carried a fire panne seeming to remember the auncient battaile of Algibarotta betwixt the Castillians and the Portugals where these being conquerors they vaunted that a Bakers wife had slaine seauen Castillians with a fire panne The Gouernors who were fledde from Settuuall to a castell whereas Ambrose de Aguiar was then captaine imbarqued secretly and their feare was so great as not holding themselues assured in any part of the realme they were conducted to Ayamont a citie belonging to the
Catholique king vpon the frontiers where being better aduised they returned into the realme putting themselues in Castromarin with great discontentment There they made a decree repeating the deedes of Anthony from the time of king Henry vnto that day confirming the sentences which the said Henry had pronounced against him calling him rebell and troubler of the publique quiet They declared giuing testimonie of the intention of King Henry that king Philip was the true succussor They commaunded all cities places Noblemen and ministers of iustice to obey him resigning all their authoritie vnto him And although it seemed that all Iustice was now reduced to armes and that the King had no neede of this decree yet was it of great importance both to iustifie his cause with the people as also for that it made many cities to yeeld But Anthony made no reckoning of this sentence preparing for defence vpon the right side of the riuer of Tagus hee had yet no other nation but Portugals and such as he coulde gather togither where with he could not frame a campe vpon any necessitie for that the peasants and the people which were not entertained for the warre coulde not abandon their trades to goe to fielde and therefore he desired to haue mercenarie soldiers and finding that Frauncis Baretto staied long to bring any from Fraunce he dispatched Peter Dora then Consul of the French in that realme into Fraunce giuing him money to leuie two thousand men he named Diego de Meneses his Lieutenant generall and gaue the charge of his armie at sea to George de Meneses He vnderstoode well the course of the Catholique armie but trusting as well in the people as to the passage of the riuer he seemed to be well able to defend himselfe Hee grewe doubtfull being ill aduertised that whilest the Duke marched by small iourneies towardes Settuuall seeming to go thither he should take the way to Saint Arem as some would suppose there to passe the riuer of Tagus with more ease being narrow and after to march by land against Lisbone without regard of smaller towns Hauing therefore grounded a great part of his hopes vpon the defence of the passage of the riuer being amazed with this newes he sent to furnish it with men and armes But vnderstanding afterwards that the Duke was in truth approched to Settuual that he had taken Alcazar which is neere vnto it he called back the men which he had sent to Saint Arem and with some others which hee had forceablie gathered togither he sent them to Settuual forcing the Gentlemen one after an other and all in generall to go thither sometimes with punishments sometimes with entreaties and sometimes with promises of exemptions and priuiledges But for all this no man went willingly and such as were forced complained greatly The Nobilitie was small in number and such as were there nothing resolute the people easie to change vpon euery light occasion were slothful hauing conceiued an opinion that it was not lawfull to fight against Christians so as some fled some hidde themselues and some complained The kings ministers being newe men ill affected and not fashioned to commaund as those which had the reines at libertie did tyrannize with absolute authoritie forcing al men with an vnaccustomed rigor to fight against their wils At that time they did tollerate within the citie infinite disorders and thefts to draw money from the marchants they imprisoned some which woulde not presently paie that which was demaunded of them If any tooke horse to goe out of the citie about their busines sodainly they saide they fledde into Castill and with this slander they seased vpon their persons and goods Hee was vnhappie that did commend the Catholique kings forces for he was either stoned imprisoned or condemned in a great summe of money they tooke from all men by force their horse and armes who so had little credite or no acquaintance with these new officers were ill assured Such as had reckonings to make with the Courte were in ill case for they were forced to paie what they did owe without compensation of what was due vnto them For this cause and for that they seemed friends to quietnes some of great meanes and verie honorable were imprisoned The barbarous decrees the commaundements that were made to surcease the paiments and rents to binde euerie man to retire into the citie and stande to the defence the opening and spoiling of houses that were shut vp were infinite there was nothing but rigour and rudenes and all was executed by men who with their ignorance bad inclination expresly to cause disorders made commaundements inobseruable the crosses of militarie orders especially those which carrie the title of knights of Christ sometime held in reputation were now giuen to many base and vnwoorthie persons by the intercession of one or other The new Christians who were neuer admitted to these orders nor to the degree of Nobilitie nor to any royall offices were sodainely by the fauour of this man mounted to what degree they pleased not for that he was beholding to anie that had succoured him in the time of his necessities but for that he was easily perswaded by whōsoeuer The black Negroes to whom for the great number there is of them in the citie of Lisbone armes were defended were sodainely all armed and as it were free commaundement being made that all such as woulde serue in this warre vnder captaines likewise Moores assigned for that purpose might do it against the will of their masters and without paying for which cause all the slaues being assembled and conceiuing the Kings commaundement to be more in their fauour then it was shaking off the yoke leauing their patrons they ranne vnto the citie where taking horse and armes by force where they found them they committed a thousand insolencies They coined money in the name of Anthony a quarter lesse then it was woont to be the reuenew of the crowne was wasted for besides that he extorted from the treasurers what he coulde he laide handes vpon the iewels of the crowne and vpon that most renowmed by the Portugals saddle and furniture for a horse inriched with stones brought from the Indies which was of great value The money which Henry had gathered togither for the raunsome of the Portugals which were slaues in Affricke was consumed and wholy spent And this liberty proceeded so farre that they sought into religious houses for the money which they thought had beene there laide in guard and hauing founde some although it appertained to friendes and faithfull persons to orphans and pupils yet was it seased on without number or weight togither with the siluer vessels of the same churches the which was violently carried away in some places and in other places with the consent of the religious men themselues Neither were the iewels and treasure which Marie the cousen of the said Anthonie left more assured being giuen to godly vses for the good
at the rising of the sunne hauing discouered the truth this feare vanquished yet did there a greater seaze vpon euery mans minde for vnderstanding in trutth the Duke to be strong they began to heare newes of the soldiers insolencies which disbanded and drewe daily neerer giuing no small astonishment to see certaine Negro slaues returne wounded who hauing rashly passed with their ensignes to the other banke were ill entreated by some horse and shot of the enimie They founde that Anthony made no preparation neither had he any forces to resist gouerning himselfe with small iudgement and therefore he neither knew how to fight nor which way to flie neither yet how to yeelde himselfe He was daily in counsell with his men but as he suffred himselfe to be gouerned by many whose authorities were equall and their opinions diuers so did he neuer resolue any good thing as it hapneth often in the like accidents They then propunded more plainly then before the treatie of an accorde and although some who before did seeme brauest shewed themselues nowe more milde yet for that the Counte of Vimioso being a yoong man perswaded to warre no man durst contradict him He affected the charge of generall but hee knewe not by what meanes to displace Diegode Meneses who enioied it so as contrarying one an other they prouided slowly for things necessarie whereunto was a great hinderance the credite that Anthony gaue to Edward de Castro a rich yoong man to whom he was bounde hauing furnished him with money who desirous to shew himselfe valiant obtained a commission to assemble what horse he coulde vnder his cornet imploying him in matters of greater authoritie then was fitte for his base qualitie His holines hauing intelligence of the refusall the Catholique king had made touching his entermedling in the cause doubted least the wars of Portugall shoulde alter the quiet of all Christendome In the beginning hee had shewed himselfe newter to both Kings seeming to bee doubtfull in himselfe to whether part hee should encline whether vnto Henry that woulde giue the crowne vnto the Dutchesse of Bragance or to Philip that sought it for himselfe for by reason of state he should not be wel pleased to see these two realmes vnited whereby the Catholique king shoulde become more mightie and superior in forces to all other princes yet did he not willingly seeme to oppose against him fearing to displease a Prince that had deserued well of him But vnderstanding that the two kings were agreed and that Henry had changed his minde and laboured to giue the realme to Philip he then made it manifest that he would fauour Anthony and the Portugals the which was more apparant after the death of King Henry when as hee laboured to haue the cause of succession ended by sentence But Philip in regard of the qualitie of the iudges detested this decision But his Embassadors hauing laboured in vaine in this respect Philip growing iealous and not greatly trusting the Popes good meaning woulde not put to compremise that which he seemed to holde certaine His holines determined to sende a Cardinall into Spaine expresly to treat vpon this busines Therefore before the Prior was proclaimed king he dispatched Cardinal Alexander Riario his Legat vnto Philip with commission to disswade the king from armes and from thence to passe into Portugall to fauour this busines with commission likewise to offer himselfe for iudge in the Popes behalfe vnto all the pretendents There were diuers discourses in Spaine vpon the comming of this Legat and although the Castillians feared not his sentence seeming hee shoulde not offer himselfe alone to determine so great a matter in Spaine if he had no meaning to pronounce it in fauour of Philip yet they helde it not conuenient to put the matter into his hands being of opinion that the Pope vnder colour to perfourme the office of a generall father came as it is saide to make himselfe absolute iudge of realmes that besides the extraordinarie authoritie he shoulde draw vnto the Aposto like sea hee shoulde binde the king vnto his house by giuing him a kingdome For this cause the King hauing intelligence of his departure from Rome desirous to take possession of the realme before his arriuall hee commaunded throughout all Spaine where he shoulde passe that he shoulde be entertained and receiued with all possible pompe whereof the Legat taking no heede he accepted of all their kindnes For this cause and for that the voiage was long he spent much time being arriued at Badagios he found that the affaires had taken an other forme then when he was at Rome For he vnderstood that Anthony was King and that Philips forces were entred Portugall being then at the wals of Settuuall Finding therefore the matter he had to treate of thus altred he sent to his Holines for new direction being in the meane time lodged without the citie in a cōuent of religious men which go barefoote he sent Traian Mario Apostolike Prothonotarie to visite the King who receiuing him with great fauor said vnto him that he was right sorie that by reason of his sicknes he could not go to meete the Legat as he was bounde but when God should giue him health he woulde then performe it supposing by this meanes to entertaine him the longer that the Cardinall desirous to enter with accustomed ceremouies would attend his recouerie and in the meane time the Duke of Alua should take possession of the realme But the Legat seeing his indisposition finding how much delay did import craued leaue to come to him by night priuately in coach the which with great difficultie was graunted comming vnto him one night accompanied with the Duke of Ossuna and the Earle of Chinchion But this audience was of small effect for the Legat by the alteration of the affaires being irresolute and the Catholique King most resolute to proceede in this enterterprise trusting more to armes then wordes there was no agreement the king saying that the matter was so farre aduaunced as it coulde admit no treating The Cardianll was lodged in the house of the Marquesse D'Oignion not being receiued at his entrie with the ceremonies accustomed for a Cardinall Legat Hee remained a while without doing any thing but to effect the Popes cōmission he would passe into Portugall The King who desired to stay him entertained him all he could supposing that the Legat being within Lisbone it woulde be scandalous to goe against him with an armie Moreouer he had no great confidence in the Legat but held him as suspect for that being before in Portugall with Cardinall Alexandryn he had entred a strict league of amitie with the Duke of Bragance one of the pretendents who had lodged and entertained him So as to delay his departure the King being now recouered of his sicknes sent vnto him that he woulde not haue him take his iourney before he had made his entrie with the ceremonies accustomed to a
straggle from the campe hee was most miserable for whilest they ledde him bound such as were armed with their armes religious men with their staues women and children with stones did so pitifully handle him as happie was hee that coulde strike him and their licentious libertie was so great as it was lawfull for any one though most base and for euery slaue to wrong any stranger whatsoeuer to imprison him and sende him to the galleies for charging him to be an enimie the whole people at the least motion would rise and execute what they pleased were it right or wrong Anthony seeing nowe all hope of defence vpon the passage of the riuer lost and a mighty enimie so neere him sought some remedie for his affaires All conditions presented vnto him were most hard For to issue foorth and fight he iudged it a folly finding his defect of men to vanquish much lesse to bring the battaile in question To defend the citie it was impossible for the greatnes thereof being without wals and weake His flight by sea was stopped by the galleies he woulde not hazard to escape by lande being vnable to carry with him many iewels and some money which he had gathered togither and to compounde with the Duke was brother vnto death So as wauering in these thoughts the magistrate of the chamber of Lisbone went vnto him saying That seeing the enimy was so neere and so mightie they would not bring the safetie of the citie in question nor so gouerne themselues that being weake it shoulde be a praie to the soldiers that therefore hee shoulde prepare to issue foorth and defend it the which if he did not the citie coulde do no lesse then prouide for her owne safetie He answered that the time was nowe come when as they shoulde aide him with men entertained at their owne charge which doing he hoped with many others which hee had assembled God woulde giue him the victorie but the magistrate excused they coulde not do it for the great charge they had beene at by reason of the plague whereunto he replied that within two daies howsoeuer he woulde frame his campe and march against the Duke For this cause hauing let passe the fourth day of August most vnhappie to the Portugals for the losse of the battaile in Affrick and hauing left some of his most precious things in certaine religious houses he commaunded that all soldiers which had beene long before inrolled and all the people of Lisbone without exception of person whatsoeuer should march towards Belem the which was executed with great rigour forcing many to go in person For although the hatred against the Castillians were in generall yet the tailor the shoemaker the handicrafts men and the peasants who bragged that they alone woulde conquer the whole world did not willingly leaue their houses but fainting daily they chose rather to encounter with wordes then bullets besides being accustomed to an other trade and vnfit for warre they had not beene trained to shoote in a Harquebuse vnapt to carrie much lesse to mannage a pike So as of this forced and tumultuarie people they had assembled eight or ten thousand at Belem whither in the ende Anthony went who still doubtfull and ill aduised without any resolution expecting what time woulde counsaile him The resolution whereon he most depended was that if the Duke came against the citie to meete him vpon the waie with some aduantage if he coulde and giue him battaile propounding like a desperate man either to vanquish or to die yet soone after when the occasiō was presented he could neither effect the one nor the other His troupes lay not encamped but were dispersed heere and there within the houses of that small place vnder the porches of the monasterie and other such like without either forme or strength of a lodging He had no captaine of experience no marshall of the fielde nor sergeant that coulde commaund the soldiers lodge them and put them in battaile if neede were Sforce Orsin a yoong man and valiant but of no great experience was come out of Italy at the brute of these warres yet being a stranger and alone he was not obeied neither did they greatly trust him The priuate captaines of companies had no experience and there was so great want of men that some friers were made captaines of the Moores and of the scum of the people carrying in one hande their crosses and in the other their armes It is not to be forgotten as a thing not accustomed the mutinies growen in religious houses where being deuided into factions fewe were affected to the Castillians few remained newters and infinite were those that affected the rule of Anthony for the fauouring of whose cause they committed manie disorders The priests were no more temperate then the rest many whereof hauing left their priestly habite were gone to field armed In this confusion Anthony remained three daies at Belem whilest the Duke approched slowly The fourth day hee considered that although there came still vnto him some soldiers which had beene leuied in all the cities of the realme yet the armie diminished daily for that the inhabitants of the citie left him who hauing their houses neere not accustomed to the discommodities of warre fled from him therefore he sent to Lisbone commaunding vpon great punishments to bring vnto him by force al such as should be found armed or vnarmed defending that no man shoulde retire to anie other place but where he was desiring that as well the cowardes as the valiant shoulde runne the like fortune with him supposing as king Sebastian had done to his losse it were possible to force men to fight that were both vnskilfull and vnwilling And forasmuch as his onely hope consisted in the peoples fauour to the ende they shoulde follow him more willingly he graunted vnto all but especially to those of his traine free libertie the which carrying with it confusion was cause of great harme for as the whole citie was filled with Negroes and Peasants the quieter sorte had more feare of the people thē of the enimy yet was there not seene any one to powre foorth his hate or commit any priuate reuenge of small or great importance not for that there are not many dissentions and factions amongst them but being more apt to reuenge themselues by the toong then by sworde All rigour to force men to the fielde preuailed little for feare encreasing with this diligence they hidde themselues the more the which Anthony perceiuing finding himselfe in no assurance at Belem hauing the enimies campe so neere and a conquerour he was aduised to passe on and to lodge about the wals of the rocke of Saint Iulian supposing that two good effects woulde grow thereby the one that his armie should be more safe vnder the fauour of the cannon and of the tower the other that he should assure this forte being the only defence of the whole realme But this aduise being disallowed
of the greatest part hee retired himselfe by the counsell of Sforce Orsin to Alcantara a mile neerer the citie putting a riuer betwixt him and the enimie the which hauing the banks high on that part serued him as a fortresse And although this retraite was rather caused by the inconsideratenes wherewith hee went to Belem then by any newe feare of the enimie yet was it iudicious the place being strong by nature and fitte for Anthonies intent who desired not to retire farre from the citie to keepe it in obedience The Catholique King who remained still at Badagios vnderstanding the Dukes proceedings being on the one side glad and on the otherside troubled to see this people attende the scourge of warre besides that he did incense them against him whom he desired much to entertaine as friendes for this cause hee sought all meanes possible as he had euer done to winne them with the least shewe of hostilitie and therefore he thought it good to graunt a generall pardon to all portugals that had beene imploied in this action against him seeking by clemencie to make his enimies friends the which he published being thus in effect That being informed that in the rebellion that Anthony had raised vsurping tirannouslie the name of a king of Portugall many of them which had followed his faction had done it being oppressed forced and deceiued and that seeking to prouide that such should not be punished with offenders and that the people more easie to be abused then the rest shoulde not bee chasticed with that rigour which lawe doth inflict his pleasure was That al such as leauing the part of the said Anthony and embracing his as of their King and naturall Lorde shoulde come vnto his seruice within a certaine time prefixed to that effect by the Duke of Alua shoulde bee freely pardoned all their faultes whereinto they had runne by taking and following the voice of the saide Anthony He excepted notwithstanding the Prior and all the seductors and authors of the rebellions committed at Saint Arem Lisbone and Settuual and all such as had receiued from him any charges offices and recompences as King and such as did serue him actually all which shoulde not enioy the saide pardon And although this latter point was not approoued of all men yet the rest seemed to be done with great iudgement for thereby they did not onely discouer the kings good meaning but also his great wisedome vsing clemencie to pardon and martiall policie to procure the Portugals to abandon the Prior But this writing although there were many copies dispersed thorough the realme wrought small profite to Philip and little hurt to Anthonie for neither did any greater number follow the Catholique Kings partie then before neither did any man for feare abandon Anthonies his fauorites only were a little greeued who examining the forme thereof seemed to be excluded as those that had receiued offices honors and recompences so as they did see their offences become daily more capitall togither with the example they had seene by the death of Diego de Meneses Many noted in this pardon that besides it was written in the Portugall toong it beganne with the name of King onely with the ordinarie titles of kings of Portugall and being accustomed to signe with these words IO EL REY now he only subscribed REY pointed with fiue points called by the Portugals the fiue wounds after the same manner the kings of Portugall had vsed so as some said that in matters of small importance he began to shewe himselfe a Portugall The Duke of Alua marched easilie towards Oeiras to the rocke of Saint Iulian seeming so to doe expressely that the Portugals might haue leisure to resolue being incamped so farre from the fortresse as their cannon coulde not annoy them he presently sent a trumpet to demaund obedience But being the very same whom he had formerly sent to the castell of Cascayes at whom they had shot he durst not approch neere to the forte fearing they woulde doe the like so as onely hauing made a signe a farre off without attending any answere he returned saying that they woulde not yeelde For this cause hauing planted their artillerie on Saint Lawrence day they began their batterie with tenne cannons encreasing the number vnto fower and twentie The galleies coulde not approch for that the forte stoode vpon the sea and therefore the Portugall gallions drawing neere to the lande did greatly indomage the Castillians with their culuerings and other great artillery but hauing planted three cannons in the night they forced the gallions with a fewe volleies to retire themselues higher vnto Saint Katherines shoare Anthony was now at Alcantara vpon a hill being but fiue miles distant from the fortresse where he remained an vnprofitable behoulder of this battery wheron it seemed his whole fortune depended for that the whole realme of Portugall had no other forte but this that coulde make any resistance so as loosing it his greatest hope was vanished but for that he might well succour it by sea both with men and munition as he did he hoped well it shoulde not be forced or at the least holde out vntill that either winter shoulde draw on or some prince taking pittie of his miserie should relieue his estate before the winning thereof without the which he did see himselfe helpelesse and the rather for that he had intelligence that the citie of Lisbone being grieued with the great insolencies committed daily by the soldiers disbanded from the enimies campe thereabouts were resolued not to giue him entrance within the citie vnlesse he returned with victory or had compounded with the enimie fearing otherwise the Duke woulde be displeased and being weake giue it in spoile vnto the soldiers Some were of opinion that the Prior in whom desire of rule was of more force then religion or other respect whatsoeuer should finding al hopes lost procure that this citie which is in a manner the whole realme shoulde remaine as a praie to the auarice and voluptuousnes of the Castillians desiring that the Portugals being forced to yeelde the realme shoulde be so entreated by the Catholique Kings men as there might remaine no hope of peace or amitie to the end that if heereafter he shoulde pretende the recouerie of the realme the people in regard of the hatred that such losses engender togither with their naturall inclination shoulde remaine still enimie and be more willing to yeeld to his deuotion For this cause he sought dailie with all his force to reforme the magistrate of the chamber and to place men in whom he had great affiance as well to haue entire into the citie if need were as also to dispose of things at his pleasure But forasmuch as the greatest part of those magistrates were mechanicke men in whom feare hath a more interest then the respect of a King he did not greatly trust them When he was proclaimed king there followed him a gentleman of Castill who
he might not onely come in safety but if he woulde he would sende him hostages But relying vpon the Dukes promises hee went vnto him and was curteously entertained The captaine excused himselfe for not admitting of the trumpet saying there had not beene any one with him nor spoke with any one that was within that place the which if he had done he would haue made answere with that curtesie which was conuenient by reason whereof the trumpet was in danger of hanging The Duke exhorted Tristan Vaz with many reasons to resigne the forte as appertaining to his king shewing vnto him the danger wherein hee was The matter being a little debated betwixt them the captaine saide vnto him that if he woulde promise in the name of the Catholique king to performe such recompences as Anthony had graunted him he woulde yeelde it vp which the Duke freely offring they were agreed So as being returned leading with him some Spanish captaines soldiers he resigned the fortresse where the assieged were so decaied as they seemed to issue foorth of a deadly prison And although some did esteeme the captaine for this action to be treacherous and others a cowarde yet as he saide the rocke with such vnexpert soldiers was not defensible besides the Gouernors had declared Philip successour A little before the yeelding of S. Iulian the Duke had sent to Peter Barba captain of Cabessa Secca willing him to yeeld the forte the which he hauing refused when as he vnderstood the fortresse was yeelded and that the Duke brought in his galleies he woulde no longer attende but hauing abandoned the place with the consent of the Prior and saued certaine artillerie he fledde to the campe at Alcantara By these losses feare encreased in the citie chiefly amongst the principals who fearing to be spoiled were daily more disposed to yeelde to the Catholique King besides they did see small helpe in the Priors affaires and they hoped by their yeelding to obtaine some priuilege from his Maiestie and had before this made offer of themselues if the respect of the Prior who was in field and so neere had not deteined them At this time they had intelligence of the arriuall of fower ships at the Ilande of Terceraes which came from the Indies very rich and of great importance for the citie the losse whereof if the galleies shoulde seaze on them woulde cause great hinderance both in the particular and generall and therefore the greatest part wished that one of the armies woulde yeelde to the other before the ships should arriue For this cause the citie sent againe vnto Anthony to shewe vnto him the danger and as it were the siege wherein they were hauing the entrie of the sea shut vp that the Duke hauing so great numbers of men and he so fewe he ought not though he might to hazard the fortune of a fielde with so great disaduantage They did secretly aduise him to compound seeming the best way to ende these troubles and then the ships might safely enter Moreouer they did suppose that if in fighting the Duke should remaine victor so neere the citie they should hardly saue it from the spoile of the soldiers Notwithstanding Anthony for his small experience being irresolute disdaining the Dukes speeches and ill aduised by his friends these reasons could not draw him to resolue but the next day he sent to the magistrate the Count of Vimioso the Bishop of Guarda and Emanuel of Portugall to intreate the citie to defend it selfe and to send him more men to the campe incouraging them sometimes deuising that the French succours were on the way sometimes shewing the Priors forces to bee greater then they were and the enimies lesse But as the words of the magistrate did nothing mooue the Prior no more did the speeches of the Prior alter the inward minde of the Magistrate so as all remained in suspence euery man with his owne intentions True it is that as well the saide Prior as some of the magistrates had easily agreed with the Duke vpon certaine conditions But the Priors will was forced by those of the house of Portugall and especially by the Bishop and the Citizens by many new officers who had their places in perpetuitie the which were woont to bee graunted but for a time These men arrogating to themselues more authoritie then was giuen them woulde not suffer the execution of any thing but what pleased themselues But for all this Anthony was not without feare that the citie woulde rebell against him to his vtter ruine trusting in fewe he coulde finde no better remedie then to place continually at the gates of the citie and in the armie at sea a number of religious men of diuers orders to guarde the entrie with the soldiers and to keepe the keies trusting deseruedly more in them then in the captaines that were there imploied For in the assemblies and counsels of State that were often held there appeered more hatred against the Castillians and more will to fight in the religious men then in the secular The Duke was now returned to the same lodging of Oeiras a place both by nature and arte strong For besides the great number of artillerie and rampiers the countrey was rough stony whereas the horsemen could hardly fight in whose force the Portugals relied much He made no shewe to dislodge for supposing now as in effect it was that from thence he helde all the realme assieged and principally with his galleies hee supposed that both the Prior and the citie would soone yeelde vnto him Besides that to march on considering his craftie nature and slowe disposition and the Portugals armie being so neere he thought it not conuenient he laboured with all possible deuises to be cōquerour without fighting and had now almost corrupted the captaines of the galleies and of the tower of Belem who shoulde soone haue deliuered vnto him both tower and armie the which had been effected if Anthony himselfe had not gone in person who hauing dispossessed in a manner all the captaines of their charges and placed others without giuing them respite to execute their practises but he was nowe growen so iealous of euery man finding in all men so great feare and so little faith that hee knewe not whom to trust if he were not a religious man a marriner or of the baser sort And for that it seemes alwaies to such as feare that they are betraied it hapned that fire being kindled by chaunce in certaine straw which lay about the castell wals of the citie where his roiall tapestrie lay he grewe suspicious that this fire had beene some signe vnto the enimies and that the marchant strangers whom he had placed there in guard had made it for that they woulde not goe to fielde to fight and this feare was so violent that without examining the fact without considering they were Flemmings whose nation for the most part were the most obstinate enimies that euer the Catholique
there he shoulde shewe vs his forces that the generall opinion is that there hee may trouble his Maiestie in the iust possession of the realme so as chasing him wee shall deserue the greater recompence by performing an enterprise that seems vneasie the which in my iudgement wil prooue no more difficult then the rest of this realme hath beene if you be the same men you were few daies since Yet suppose not that I acknowledge these victories wholie from your valour for I thinke I may attribute it better to his Maiesties right the iniustice of Anthony Who is he but knoweth that the realme appertaineth by iust title vnto our king what iudgment seate is there in the world which hath not of themselues giuen sentence in his fauour And contrariwise who is ignorant that Anthony hath tyrannously vsurped the title of a king that he hath neither right nor title to the realme that hee is a bastard insufficient and vncapable of this degree which things are knowne to all men and therefore the iustice of God will make vs instruments to punish him that deserues it So as neither rampiers riuers nor fortresses can serue him that is in the wrong for that a guiltie conscience not onely weakens the hart but makes all forces vaine The equitie of the kings cause and your valour are not to bee encountred by so weake enimies but will surmount greater difficulties then this as you haue seene and shall see tomorrowe if it please God These words with the authoritie of the captaine most renowmed amongst these soldiers made all men iudge that his resolution was well considered and therefore Sanches d' Auila for the night and the day following did thus order the armie He caused them to plant vpon the banke directly against the towne such artillerie as he had in a place conuenient both to scoure the passage to endammage the other side leauing his lodging guarded with Germaines and Spaniards he tooke the thirde parte of his foote his boates and horsemen went by night vnto the passage where he had been there to imbarke passe to the other banke meaning to charge the enimie in flanke the other two thirds of the armie vnder the charge of Rodorick Sapatta shoulde imbarke at Pietra Salata in the rest of the barkes and draw after them so many horses as they coulde tied by the reines making shew to passe there to the end to keepe the enimie busied with this feare yet commaunding them not to passe vntill they shoulde see the enimie charged by the other thirde part which had beene transported at the other passage All these things were duly executed for the Portugals being vnexperienced in warre coulde not prouide for so ordinarie a stratagem so as Sanches d' Auila being come to the towne side he founde so weake resistance that although some companies of soldiers were runne thither yet he landed easily And whereas their boates were not able to transport all their soldiers togither the first which landed hauing entred skirmish with the Portugals before the comming of the rest hauing slaine tenne or eleuen of them they put them all to flight The Prior beleeued not the Castillians shoulde so soone haue passed but vnderstanding what they had done and the small resistance of his men being not yet generally published hauing assembled many and of the chiefe he spake thus vnto them Tyrants vse in their pretentions when they distrust their right to flie vnder other colours to force vsing this in steede of iustice to obtaine their desires but iust and louing Princes not onely submit themselues to iustice but do continually striue to be conformable to the will of their subiects As for me at such time as the succession of this realme failed I was resolute to obey him that by right shoulde bee declared king I remained quiet vntill that Philip dispairing of his iustice and taking armes it pleased you to name mee your king and protector I accepted this burthen more as God shall preserue our libertie not seeing any one that coulde gouerne you with true loue then for any desire to rule howe I haue behaued my selfe how euery thing hath passed you knowe who haue beene alwaies and in all things not my subiects but my companions want of time woulde not suffer vs to prouide many things necessarie for the warre for I was no sooner named king but the enimie prepared hauing before plotted many ambushes and resolute what to doe inuaded vs with his forces the which was cause that the munitions appointed the succors promised by Christian princes could not come in due time the which hath made our successe vnhappie we haue in a manner disarmed already tried the hazard of a battaile if you thinke good to aduenture it againe against an enimie that followeth vs do as you please but I am not of that opinion for hauing hitherto aduentured my person and made this breast a buckler I am not now resolued except you do otherwise aduise me to thrust both you and my selfe to the hazard of a doubtfull battaile by the victorie whereof although it shoulde remaine on our sides there could not succeed the intention we haue to expell the enimie out of this realme by loosing it I should be frustrate of the hope I haue conceiued to free you soone from the yoke which hangs ouer you God is my witnes that al which I haue done and shall do neither hath beene nor shall be to any other ende but for the loue of you and to make equall this ballance of iustice the which is now forced by the might of the greatest enimie that euer Portugall had I know well you will beleeue me but if any amongst you doth distrust my words let him consider that if I had not regarded your profite but mine owne priuate interest I had beene now quiet rich and reconciled with the Catholique king who hath often sought me by offers and large promises and you had beene tyrannized ouer and in a manner slaues as those be that haue no kings of their owne countrie But God forbid that euer I shoulde preferre mine owne profite before yours or mine owne benefite before the realmes whose people haue so much loued my progenitors I may well at this time yeeld vnto the vniust forces that doe oppresse me yet will I neuer renounce the realme nor my title but with newe armes and new force I hope againe to trie mine action so as this sorrow which I now see in your faces shall be soone turned to ioy those armes that munition those men which are not now arriued in time shall serue hereafter And if it be a humaine thing to take compassion of the afflicted I hope being so vniustly molested to moue pitie not only in the most pitifull but also in the cruellest nations of the world I knowe that this loue which you haue alwaies borne to me and my predecessors shall no waies be diminished by any sinister euent
betwixt the armie and the enimie not able to discerne which should be the contrarie parties for it seemed the soldiers neither could nor ought to make themselues parties against their Commaunder neither ought the enimies to be admitted against a conquering armie And if so strange a thing shoulde happen it might likewise be supposed that the enimie shoulde be declared faithfull and the armie which had conquered the realme pronounced rebels They inquired wherein the Duke had offended if as a Gouernour or as a captaine for saide they he coulde not erre as a gouernour hauing neuer resolued the smallest matter without the kings aduise besides that hee had not gouerned aboue two moneths If as a captaine what had lawes to doe with armes and the militarie stile with the ciuill But for all this discourse they did not greatly weigh the Dukes offences supposing in the ende that his greatnes and innocencie shoulde protect him Their owne priuate interest did most of all trouble them loosing all hope of recompence for their former seruices saying that for this last and notable exploite they did rather see punishment prepared then rewards They imagined the king did not well conceiue howe they had conquered him a kingdome in eight and fiftie daies after the same manner to followe their owne phrase as the kingdome of heauen is woone that is to say in fasting with bread and water and without taking from any man the which they said being furnished with nothing but bisket hauing no libertie to spoile any towne They could not endure to be slaundered by idle courtiers and bachelors for so the soldiers in hate and derision of lawes iustice terme the greatest Doctors of the Councell saying that those men remained at Badagios to drinke coole in sommer with ice scorning those that suffered these dangers They remembred their labours suffred at sea comming out of Italy the famine of Spaine the intolerable heate of Estremadura the plague of Portugall the seuere discipline of the Duke and the gibbets set vp for euery small disorder they added that to the end the victorie gotten at Porto shoulde not remaine vnpunished the King to speake plainly had sent another Doctor against Sanches d'Auila and that part of the army which had made an ende and assured him the realme And it was true that Frauncis Tedaldo Auditour of the seate of iustice which remaines in Gallicia was sent thither who did strictly informe of all manner of excesse imputed either to Autla or his soldiers They saide it was apparant in this courte howe much letters were preferred to armes seeing that all such as followed this action vnarmed had wrested from the soldiers the fruites of their labours and the price of their blouds seeing the King had satisfied their desires in the greatest measures they coulde wish not giuing any recompence vnto others the which they prooued in setting downe particularly the offices the King had giuen to the Duke of Ossuna and other Embassadors for they did assure and it is true that the greatest in Spaine aspire to no other charge then to be Viceroy of Naples whereunto they labour to come by many degrees and that the King had reserued this for the Duke of Ossuna As for other Noblemen and Gentlemen they sought for nothing more then to be of the Kings chamber which place he had giuen to Christopher de Mora togither with the best offices of the realme of Portugall They touched likewise the Lawyers which be of the Kings Councell saying they coulde not aspire higher then to be of the Councell of the Chamber the which is a tribunall of three or fower Doctors elected who determine with the King of pardons and other matters of grace and that this office which Rodorique Vasques enioied he had likewise giuen to Lewes de Molina preferring him before his auncients These speeches with others more inconsiderate were spred amongst the soldiers with a soldier-like libertie And although they erred not much from the truth yet men without passion iudged that this aggrauating was vniust and slaunderous being no great maruaile that a King who ought to haue regarde to infinite matters the which passed the consideration of priuate men shoulde giue eare to the many complaints that were made against this armie and force them to their purgation and that it was not likely that Villafagna or Tedaldo had power to iudge in this case but onely to examine the truth That whereas Villafagna had in a manner carried his commission secrete it was an argument of the Kings respect and modestie who sought to proceede with the more mildenes and without any blemish to the Duke or his captaines although it was not reasonable the soldiers shoulde treade this realme vnder their feete as the rebellious countrey of Flaunders or of a King that were an enimie or giue vnto the Portugals the odious titles of rebels and disloyal although they deserued well the name of troublesome and transported subiects vneasie to yeeld vnto this new yoke This mutinie continued long but for as much as the Commissioners did not punish any nor as I beleeue made any triall their humours grewe more calme wherein the wisedome of Villafagna preuailed much togither with the small subiect they founde when as they came to examine the truth of such complaints as had beene made to the King Now the day appointed by the King for the assemblie of the States grew neere but before he shoulde goe to Tomar the place appointed for their assemblie he ment to visite Katherine Duchesse of Bragance who for that cause was come from Villauizosa to Villa Boim whither he went to her accompanied with all the chiefe of his Courte and hauing staied with her halfe a day in great familiaritie he returned to Eluas and from thence departed towards Tomar He did not there so sodainly dispose of rewards as the Portugals expected hauing as it is saide before made a Councell for Portugall of speciall men to whom he referred all matters not admitting the Castilliās to entermeddle with any cause of the realme no man was heard nor dispatched as he pleased for the King made no haste his ministers were confounded in the quantitie qualitie of their requests not able to resolue in so intricate a busines so as the care of expedition was delaied by reason whereof the Portugals saide that although the King in his letters words and habite seemed curteous altogither enclined to Portugall had promised great rewards yet in particular whether it were his fault or any others they yet see no recompence To the Duke of Bragāce who aspired to great matters as then they gaue nothing being excessiue in his demaunds he had onely confirmation to be Constable of the realme they gaue him the order of the golden fleece and the King fauoured him extraordinarily taking him to masse with him behinde the curtaine without any other recompence which might either breede him profite or power Before
the Doctors which had read and writ against him with great mildenes but also with a noble resolution confirmed them in their lectures and preferred others to them that were voide In the meane time the Pope discouering the Priors weakenesse to maintaine Portugall and that there was no meanes of agreement hauing called home his Legate he seemed well content with Philips successe saying that his onely intention was to auoid wars so as hauing obtained great rewardes for his sonne or at the least assured hopes he graunted vnto the king that George de Taida bishop of Viseu who was his first chaplaine shoulde be iugde without appeale of all causes concerning the Ecclesiasticall rebels and of the proces of their confiscations so as the Prior in a manner doomed to sentence of death with the Bishop of Guarda and others were againe cited by edicts to be depriued by iustice of all spirituall liuings they held within the realme There was yet no newes of him notwithstanding the reward promised and the great care the Castilians vsed through the realme to finde him yet were they daily lesse certaine for that disguised in a base habite hee went vnknowne oftentimes amongst those that sought for him He had intelligence that the Counte of Vimioso was come by land into Fraunce labouring to mooue the French to warre against the Catholique King promising great succours by the people in the matters of Portugal By reason whereof and for the Priors concealement the King kept in a manner his whole armie dispersed in the fortresses and cities of the realme and although hee had dismissed the Italians and sent the greatest part of his galleies into Italy yet they gaue out that he after repented the realme seeming daily lesse peaceable and that the French in those parts might arme a good number of ships of warre and more conueniently in that sea then the galleies whereof fowre being in Algarues had taken a French pirate with great slaughter who being a knight of Malta had fought valiantly By reason of these garrisons of the rigor of officers of the smal recompence that was giuen them and of the conceite that the Prior was yet within the realme the Portugals harts beganne to turne some of them assembled at times lamented the miserie wherein they seemed to be by their not agreeing to defend themselues or not yeelding in time yet the greatest part held opinion that vnited togither they might haue made resistance They could not endure that the Castillian officers shoulde intermeddle in matters of iustice as they pretēded to do neither was the Portugals disdaine appeased in saying that the King hauing commaunded Iohn Andrew Doria Prince of Melfy to conduct the Empresse his sister into Spaine whom he had caused to come out of Germany was for no other cause but to leaue her Gouernesse in Portugall and so returne into Castill and that as a woman she shoulde raigne with greater mildenes then the kings of Portugall had done for although this was the common discourse yet many helde opinion that the king should not depart being constrained to keepe garrisons the which he would not dismisse vntill he were better assured of the Prior of whom they spake diuersly for some helde that he was dead and spoiled by the Castilians who for that they woulde yeelde no account of the iewels he had about him kept it secret Others saide that he had sent into Fraunce and England from whence hee expected great armies at whose arriuall he would discouer himselfe Many supposed that he shoulde keepe himselfe secret within the realme vntill the death of Philip who according to their discourse coulde not liue long and yet was there small difference betwixt their ages at what time shewing himselfe as hee did vpon the death of king Henry hee shoulde againe take possession of the realme the kingdomes of Castill remaining in the handes of pupilles And although some beleeued that he was departed the realme yet the greatest part helde that he was there yet labouring to escape as couertly as he coulde fearing to be taken prisoner the which was true indeede as it appeared by some of his friends that were taken in the porte of Lisbone who sought to imbarke with some prouision of victuals they had made who confessed vpon the racke that he was in the realme amongst which was Peter d'Alpoe Doctor of the lawes who since for that cause and others of high treason lost his head at Lisbone The Estates were now ended and the king desirous to goe to Lisbone but for that the preparations and triumphs which the citie pretended were not yet ready he went to Almada which is directly against the citie vpon the other banke of Tagus to giue them time to finish their preparations At what time the King hauing intelligence that those of the Ilands of Terceraes notwithstanding the letters which Ambrose d'Aguiar had carried stoode firme in their first resolution of defence hee sent Peter Baldes with fower ships sixe hundreth Spanish foote and some cannon with commandement to assure himselfe fully of the Iland of Saint Michaell which was obediēt to spoile the ships which should come from the Indies not to attēpt any thing by land vntill he had sent a greater supply of men The Court was ill appointed at Almada and the needfull ministers for dispatches could not all bee lodged there The King desirous to enter the citie would not attende after Saint Peters day when passing the water with his galleies he lāded in the city vpon a bridge of wood framed for that purpose without giuing them time to finish their arches statues prepared for his entry But the sloth and ignorance of the workemen was in parte cause yet did they make a sumptuous preparation Vpon the bridge he was met by the Magistrate of the chamber where Doctor Hector de Pyna one of them spake thus in the behalfe of the citie shewing the ioy they had conceiued of his entrie That as this citie was the greatest in the worlde so God had deseruedly giuen them conformeable to their owne desires a great monarch to bee their Lorde Hee excused the people saying That if they had no sooner obeied it was done rather by errour then their owne free will and that remaining in their owne power to choose a king they woulde haue made election of no other then himselfe And touching the death of Ferrant de Pyna hee saide that this citie had first of all shedde bloude for his seruice seeing that the saide Ferrant when as Anthony caused him to bee wounded was a member of this Magistrate He excused likewise the sleightnes of their ioyes by the afflictions of the warre the spoile of the citie and the plague remembring their losses of Affricke concluding that they hoped by his Maiesties fauours this realme shoulde not bee saide vnited vnto Castill but that all the other realmes were ioyned vnto Portugall Hee then went on horsebacke vnder a canopie of
against her hauing seene the proofe thereof in the affaires of Ireland sought to secure hirselfe that they might not wrong her and to that end she entred into an agreement as it was said with the Queene and her yoongest sonne to the preiudice of Philip whereof the effect was soone seen The saide Alançon being returned againe into England being alreadie agreed with the Prince of Orenge who was the instrument of all these practizes he passed from thence to Antwerpe where the peoples humours being before disposed by the saide Prince he was receiued in all these places with great ioy and the xix day of Februarie in the yeere of our Lord 1582. they did sweare him Duke of Brabant the which caused a generall admiration for many reasons It seemed strange that the Prince of Orenge in a manner absolute Lord in those countries the which he had so long defended woulde vpon the end of the worke spoile himself of the state giue it vnto a stranger without constraint without profit to the preiudice of his honor And although it seemed he had done the like to Mathias Arch Duke of Austria afterwards sent him back into Germany it was not credible that he hoped euer to do so vnto the Duke for besides that he was entred in a manner by maine force his power the neernes of Fraunce the fauor of England might wel induce men to beleeue that he woulde so establish himselfe as he need not feare to be expelled There wanted not such as woulde excuse the Prince saying that the people were nowe wearie and vnfurnished of money by reason of so great warres that they coulde not relieue him as hee had neede and thefore it behooued him to seeke some one that should aide him against the Catholique king who hauing now recouered the realme of Portugall shoulde bee able with greater ease to molest those countries seeing that he was forced to seeke for succours there was no greater person then this making in a manner an muincible vnion of these estates with Fraunce and England besides the Prince shoulde attaine to the wished ende which was to depriue the Catholique king of the whole possession and many did so much relie vpon the Princes foresight and iudgement that they supposed hee woulde like wise expell Alançon when hee pleased Many blamed the manner of the Dukes proceeding who sought to vsurpe an others patrimonie without any title others excused him forging lawes of state after their owne humours saying that the priuileges of the countrey did allow that if the Catholique King did not obserue them they might choose a Prince of themselues the which the King hauing broken they had sought out an other Lorde The effect of the league was not yet ended in those parts but to diuert the Catholique King from making warre in those countries at the mediation of Anthony to trouble the state of Portugal they prepared a great armie in Fraunce Some said it was to be imploied against the same realme hoping the people woulde rise against the Castillians some supposed it shoulde be sent to succour the Terceraes the winning whereof Philip threatned to attempt and some beleeued that they went for no other intent but to surprise certaine ships that came from the newe nauigations charged with golde and spice There hapned at that time in Flaunders a matter of admiration and seldome seene For the Prince of Orenge being in Antwerpe quiet and in the greatest fortune that he was euer was shot in his house rising from his table in the midst of all his seruants with a pistoll by Iohn Scaurigni a yoong man a Biscaine mooued thereunto by zeale of religion as he pretended the bullet hitting him vnder his right iawe passed forth through the window and although he was supposed to be dead yet was he cured and liued and the offender was presently slaine by his guard and all such as were founde accessarie were executed Whilest these things were determined in Fraunce and the low Countries the king who remained still in Portugall sought to giue contentment to the Portugals who hauing long and with importunitie sought for recompence were in the ende all in a manner dispatched giuing vnto many of them orders of knighthoode much of the reuenewes and all the offices that might bee giuen to the great griefe of the Castillians who saide that this realme with more right appertained vnto Philip seeing he had inherited it bought it and conquered it This distribution was made by the two Deputies with great bountie yet wrought it no good effect in the Kings fauour neither was it acceptable for finding two kinde of Portugals which sought for reward that is those to whom Philip in the time of Henry and the Gouernours had promised money and honors to follow his partie and such as faithfully without promises yea refusing them had loially serued him It was in a manner impossible to equall their recompences so as one of the parties should not be discontented but they proceeded so as some were grieued and others proude For besides the errors that were committed by reason of the ignorance of the officers being more easie to promise then to performe the kings Agents had made large offers not onelie to such as coulde helpe but also to many of small meanes and lesse countenance The King desired in any case to satisfie these bonds and although he woulde haue rewarded the most faithfull aboue all others yet could he not performe it for that by reason of their excessiue promises all the reuenewes of the crowne had not beene sufficient so as it often hapneth in Courts they gaue not vnto them that deserued with the like proportion as to such as were vnworthie So as the loue of the subiects was nothing encreased by this meanes for the most trusty were discontented seeming against reason to bee woorse entreated then those which had beene lesse faithfull but with rewarde in hande alleaging also that many of them had not performed that for which they were paide seeming sufficient vnto many to remaine newters and to some that had serued Anthony to say that they were forced and such as were least faithfull for that their harts were not so firmely setled to the Kings seruice they supposed to haue carried themselues wisely They esteemed euery small matter to be of great importance and supposing the king to vnderstand wel what neede he had of them in contempt of the rest they grew insolent These were the generall causes for the which the greatest distribution that euer was within the realme was not pleasing but the nature of the Portugals is vneasie to content in this respect for being enuious they doe feele with greater griefe an other mans profite then their owne losse Those of the baser sort although they expected no answere hauing enriched themselues in their trades by the great multitude of Courtiers yet coulde they not suffer the Castillians to be superiors and as
Flaunders seeming more to importe wholie to assure those countries and to expell the Catholique Kings forces then to vndertake an other enterprise of greater difficultie And the assurance of this opinion did helpe the Fren̄ch for it did diuert or at the least deuided the Spanish forces and was cause that in Spaine they prepared not their armies with such expedition as was conuenient But hauing after assured intelligence that the French prepared to encounter the ships that came from the Indies and the newe founde lands the prouision for Flaunders went slowly forwarde in Italie And in Spaine they made greater haste of their nauie for the which there was want of sailers and other necessaries yet with some trouble they had prepared in Andelouzia about twentie ships and twelue galleies The Marquesse was returned to Lisbone giuing order to the nauie to goe to Cape Saint Vincent and there to attend their charge At his arriuall he found within the riuer of Tagus twenty other ships ill appointed comprehending the Biscaines and some Flemmings hired in a manner by force where hauing shipped sixe thousand Spanish foote vnder Lopo de Figueroa the Marquesse imbarked with many noble men Ferrant of Toledo going as a priuate soldier with some other gentlemen This was not the kings first intention being resolued to assemble the body of his armie in Andelouzia whither the ships of Biscay at their departure had commaundement to repaire but in sailing being come to Lisbone and hauing hired some others with the gallions of Portugall the king supposed the greatest number was there that he should spende time to cause one parte of the armie to goe seeke the other supposing they shoulde meete he commaunded both the one and the other to saile towardes Portugall as they did labouring to ioine by the way And although all this was slowly executed yet had it bin more if the king by his owne presence had not hastened their departure the which was not before the x. of Iuly in the yeere 1582. so slow are the Spaniards by nature in the execution of their businesse At that time the French armie departed with Anthony and all his followers being in number aboue threescore and ten saile and seuen thousand foote whereof Philip Strozzi and Mounsieur de Brisack were commaunders THE NINTH BOOKE The Contents of the ninth Booke The description of the Jland of Saint Michael The arriuall of the French armie there The arriuall of the Spanish armie The battaile at sea The death of Philip Strozzi and of the Count of Vimioso The voiage of Anthony to the Terceres and his manner of proceeding The sentence of the Marquesse against the prisoners and his execution The death of the Duke of Alua and his praises The new estates where Prince Philip was sworne by reason of the death of Prince Diego And how the Cardinall Archduke of Austria was made Gouernour of Portugall WHilest the French and Spanish armies sailed towards the Terceres both Courtes were in suspence and in diuers hopes of successe but in Fraunce they conceiued more assurance then in Portugall for the French not esteeming the Spanish forces helde themselues superiours in number both of ships and men and hauing the Ilands at their deuotion they stoode assured that their armie should both spoile the Indian fleete sacke the Iland of Saint Michael and ouercome the enimies armie if they ioined with them And they relied so much thereon that extending their hopes farther furthered by the promises of Anthony and of what he said that he had followers in Portugall they hoped to approch the realme and to put men on lande and to arme the vnarmed Portugals for which cause they carried great quantitie of armes and to set so firme a footing vpon the maine lande as they should easily maintaine themselues so as with this intention many Noble men and gentlemen imbarked with the Armie both for that the French are easie to mooue as also heerein to please the Queene mother In the Court of Spaine their thoughts were not all so conformeable nor so ioyfull for the Portugals being now as contrarie in their humours to the Castillians as they had beene euer making hope equall to their owne desires seeing the affaires now in equal ballance many wished they should make no resistance and many expected the comming of Anthonie The rest of the Portugals more content with the present state of the Castillians shewed great hope the warres should now ende saying they were assured they should defeat this Armie take Anthonie prisoner and either by loue or force subdue the Ilandes yet inwardly they were not well satisfied For seeing their armies deuided without hope to ioyne it seemed vnto the wisest the victorie was not so assured as some supposed and that the Spaniards by giuing battaile should hazard to lose much and winne little and contrariwise the French to winne much and loose little for that the greatest mischiefe that coulde seeme to happen to the enimies was the defeating of the Armie and taking the Ilandes from their obedience which things although they shoud all happen yet were they not of any great moment to Fraunce but if contrariwise the Spanish Armie should be defeated their losse would be equall to the French for besides the ships they should with all lose with the Iland of Saint Michaell the hope to recouer the rest the Indian Fleet withal their treasure should serue as a Pray to the French and the realme should be stil in doubt subiect to all those inconueniences which so great a losse should bring with it chiefly vnto a realme newly conquered This feare was augmented for that their Armie which consisted of good ships and was manned with good souldiers was notwithstanding vnprouided of mariners and wilde fiers whereof some were drawen by force and the Marques himselfe went with small contentment not for that hee feared but hauing beene at his departure somewhat discountenanced by the King blaming him to haue beene too slacke in the dispatch of the Armie besides going in Flemmish ships and with Germane soldiers little acquainted with the sea increased these doubts yet outwardly these men shewed a great confidence grounding the rests of their hopes vpon the qualitie of the Spanish souldiers and the greatnes of their ships Manie woondred how the wordes of Anthonie could so preuaile in Fraunce as in a maner to moue all that Court to vndertake his protection with so great vehemencie as they had done not shewing any pretention he had vnto the Crowne hauing no great hope to make him Lord nor to imploy such forces as he pretended to haue seeing that such as fauoured him were kept vnder in Portugall with great garrisons And this readines of the French seemed to them the greater for that before they had shewed themselues more slack to succour the Portugals against the Castillians when as they had a fitter occasion and a more grounded hope of good successe then now they could haue for in
were For this cause he sent by night one of the patrons of the Biscaine ships in a boate with his letters aduertising him of all the successe since the arriuall of Anthonie vntill that time He saide that the enemies armie consisted of eight and fiftie saile whereof eight and twentie were great shippes with sixe thousand fighting men that if the Catholique armie were not strong enough to encounter them he should retire vnder the fortresse where the one might succour the other The Marques made answere vnto him by the same messenger that he should be of good courage that his Maiesties armie was strong enough to vanquish the enimie as he hoped to doe the next day So as the morning being come the French came with great ioy to encounter the Spaniards who for that effect had put themselues againe in battell but although the French had both wind and sun fauourable vnto theÌ„ yet the calme was so great as they could hardly approch so as the two armies continued one against the other vntil the afternoone when as the winde growing somewhat stronger the French began to make shew to charge the Spaniards But seeing them in order without any shew of feare they did not effect it but continued vntill night sayling equally towards the Iland of Saint Marie fiftie miles from that of Saint Michael towards the south sometimes vpon one boord sometimes vpon another the French making often shew to ioyne with them being in their power to doe it the wind being fauourable to them and contrarie to the Spaniards But night being come the French resoluing in any sort to fight the day following they sent ten ships alongst the I le with intent to follow the enemies armie and to charge them in the dawning of the day on both sides but the winde grew calme and they could not sayle The day following which was the fower and twentith the Spaniards likewise desired to fight although it seemed with some disaduantage wanting that part of their armie which was prepared in Andelouzia yet they greeued to haue their enimies before them not being able either to flie or fight but when they pleased the which increased their desire and thinking it would so fall out by changing of their sailes from one side to another imagining the French would also follow the like aduantage but although the enimie did then make more apparant show to charge them then before yet nothing followed but only the generall ships with others that were neerest vnto them on both sides spent many volleies of great shot whereby the French had greatest losse by one of their ships which sunke presently Hauing spent the whole daie in this sort towardes the euening the Marques to trie if hee could get the winde commaunded all his fleete vpon the nights approch should turne towards the Ilande of Saint Michaell to get the winde of the enimie giuing them to vnderstand that the Admiral ship that night least the enimie should discouer their intent should not carrie his ordinarie light but about midnight discharge a cannon to draw the rest of the ships neere vnto him This order was giuen and duely obserued by all the fleete except two Easterlings who not being aduertised by the negligence of him that had the charge strayed so farre from the fleete that hauing lost the sight they could not recouer it and hauing within them fower hundred Germaine souldiers it seemed this armie decreased dayly both in number of ships and men And for that the winde grew somewhat high the Marques thought it conuenient after midnight hauing discharged his cannon to hang out his lanterne as he did the which succeeded well for the getting the winde of the enimie yet this deuise preuailed little for vpon the breake of the day it was the feast of Saint Iames the Apostle the fiue and twentith of the moneth whom the Spaniards call vpon in their battels they discouered the French armie scattered a farre off as well to succour the shippe that did sinke as also to repaire some other hurts receiued the day before by their cannon But some affirme that the French woulde not willingly fight vpon this Saints day And although the Spaniards might well haue charged them yet did they forbeare for that the ship of Christopher D'Erasso which had his mast crased strooke sailes and discharged a peece so as finding that it was wholy broke they were inforced to enuiron her with the army least in this danger she should be set vpon whereby the French recouered the winde they had lost and the ship of D' Erasso being repaired so as they might carrie halfe their sale the Marques hauing tied her with a cable towed her at his sterne and so this day passed without any other effect but spending of some great shot These shewes of fight which the French had so often made were not altogither counterfeit for although the first time and peraduenture the second they did it onely to sound the enimies disposition yet after they resolued to fight but their opinions were not so conformeable in this Armie as in the Spanish for although Philip Strozzi Brisack the Counte of Vimioso and some others desired to ioyne yet many were loth to see it and therefore seeing the Admirals ship not to begin the fight the rest did not force of it Strozzi the Earle who were both in one ship were more willing then all the rest yet had they not charged the enimie for that the shippe wherein they were imbarked was a woorse sailour then many others For this cause being not able to make such speed as they desired they coulde not beginne the battaile so as their friendes which were in other ships supposed the fault to be in them and not in their shippe and that they might if they had would Which opinion was furthered by the small desire they had to fight the which Strozzi finding hee resolued to change his shippe and to take an other of more speed and therefore hauing passed with the Earle and his men into that wherein was MonsÃeur Beamont marshall generall of the campe being of better saile he resolued therewith to charge the enimie the which hee did the day following being the xxvj Saint Annes day vpon the dawning both armies being at calme not aboue three miles the one from the other and 20. miles from Saint Michaels they sailed gently towards the Iland vntill the winde growing somewhat fresh in fauour of the French towardes noone both armies approched being not aboue tenne miles from the Iland Being there set in order in the vangard of the French marched the generall shippe with Strozzi and the Counte of Vimioso the admirall with Mounsieur Brisack accompanied with three English ships followed by all the rest of the fleete some neerer some farther off In the Spanish the hulke wherein was Frauncis de Bouadilla went before the rest there followed the gallion Saint Martin wherein the Marques was who towed after
to spoile the Ilands as they had already done that of Saint Michaels and that the same armie hauing tried a battaile against his Maiesties the French had beene broken and ouercome in the which being taken eight and twentie noblemen and two and fiftie gentlemen and manie other marriners and soldiers he declared them taken as enimies to the quiet and publike good disturbers of the traffike and fauourers of his Maiesties rebels that as such and as publike pirats hee commaunded the Auditor generall of the armie that for their chasticement and for the example of others hee shoulde execute vpon them the punishment of naturall death beheading the Gentlemen and hanging the rest which passed the age of seuenteene yeeres being so conuenient both for the seruice of God and of the two kings This sentence seemed cruell to all such as heard it and chiefly vnto the Spanish soldiers both for that they feared the like might happen vnto thē an other day as also for that they would not lose the profit which many expected by the raunsome of the saide prisoners or else for their owne good inclination so as some of the soldiers laying aside all respect saide it was not well grounded for that there was no firme and inuiolable peace betwixt the Catholique King and most Christian but warre and that those were neither pirats nor theeues but valiant soldiers That there was no peace they prooued it by the warres of Flaunders more hot then euer where the French did in a manner possesse all the Catholique Kings patrimonie And that they were no pirats they prooued by the letters patents they had from the King vnder the which the ships and soldiers were enrolled besides the number and qualitie of these men were such as it appeered cleerely they woulde not haue attempted it of themselues if the king had not sent them And although betwixt the two crownes they dissembled many things the Christian King excusing himselfe sometimes vpon his mother sometimes vpon his brother that they were all deuises of Princes but for all that they were not without open warre the lawes whereof they saide was not so stricte as to commaund them to hang all their prisoners And this execution did so mooue the hearts of manie that some of the principall soldiers being assembled togither went with a commendable example vnto the Marques to make intercession for the life of their enimies who answered that the most Christian King had expresly commaunded that all Frenchmen that shoulde take armes against the Catholique King shoulde be corporally punished so as the same day these Gentlemen with a generall pittie and great seueritie were beheaded vpon the scaffolde and the marriners and soldiers hanged in diuers places and the pittie was the greater being apparant that they were all not onely valiant soldiers but Catholique and deuout Christians The blame of this seuere execution was not imputed to the Marques supposing that he had expresse commaundement from the King whom likewise they excused for hauing so determined seeing it was not to bee presumed that so many personages of importance should come with such an armie and remaine prisoners especially knowing that Philip by his owne inclination was not cruell yet on the other side they considered that the King in his minde shoulde haue conceiued a cruell disdaine against the French seeing that vnder the shadow of amitie peace and alliance Kings writing daily one to the orher greeuing and reioycing at their troubles and contents did not onely aide his rebels but also tooke his countries and sent so great an armie to endomage him And although that Princes do vsually dissemble and counterfeit in many things yet it seemed the French vnder a new kinde of dissimulation would make warre whereby they did inferre that this execution did nothing displease the King The armie being a little repaired here the Marques went to the I le of Coruo to meete with the Indian fleete and hauing past in view of the citie of Angra he put Anthonie and all the people into confusion for although the Marques content with the victorie would not thrust himselfe into a new danger yet Anthonie doubted that in the heat of the victorie he would pursue and assaile the Ilande in the which although he had men enough both of the nation and of the French yet were they fearfull and disordered and Anthonie himselfe at the same time prouided a light ship to imbarke if neede were These newes came slowly to Lisbone for the which they were in great care hauing newes of the fight by the meanes of a Zabra of Biscay but a French ship which had beene sore beaten by the gallion Saint Mathew being fled from the battel gaue assurance of the euent for beeing arriued disguised at Settuual he was discouered finding within her some Spanish souldiers dead in the bosome of one of them was written all that had passed in the armie since their departure from Lisbone vntill the time that he was slaine The Marques attended long about the Ilands for the Indian fleete whereof two being arriued the seas growing high he came with them to Lisbone to the great ioy of all the court where he was extraordinarily fauoured by the King Anthony after the Marques his departure remained more quiet in minde supposing that for one whole yeere he need not feare any enimie He greatly greeued for the death of the French prisoners fearing it would preiudice his cause in France But Emanuel de Silua pressed him to reuenge in hanging about fiftie or threescore Castillians which were there taken prisoners at diuers times the which he woulde not suffer being better enclined He was ill furnished with money although hee had great store of armes and munition For this consideration he daily all by the inuention of the saide Silua made rigorous commandements to draw money from the people and from such as did not follow him willingly He caused gold to be coined which hee valued at fiue and twentie roials although it weied but eight He made testons of siluer weighing a roiall and a halfe the which he made currant for halfe a duckat and the copper money which was woorth three in Portugall hee valued at tenne And for that many were retired to the mountaines to be free from troubles within the citie hee commaunded euery one to returne and if any deferred his comming longer then the time limited by his commaundement they presently seazed his goods Many for feare of the souldiers had carried and hidden their goods without the citie and therefore he commaunded euerie one to bring them backe againe whereby he gained much for he demaunded a loane of money of such as came and brought it backe and if any one obeyed not he sent Souldiers to search their goods and to spoile them with a thousand indignities It was a lamentable thing to see how the Church causes were handled for the religious men except the Iesuits imploied in militarie actions