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49 - Concerning the everlasting vows taken by the city in commemoration of this battle
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2024
Summary
On the day after this homily, the city's high-ranking residents, as well as others from the people, all assembled in the council chamber, which was where their affairs were normally discussed. Present there were numerous learned men, along with other religious figures from local monasteries. They discussed the great benefits and many favours which they had received up to that point, amid all their strife and tribulations, from Almighty God and His Blessed Mother. Indeed, they had received them in unimagined ways and without deserving them, and this most recent benefit which the Lord God had conferred on all of them they judged worthy to be commemorated in a very special way. Even though in such a case few comparisons were relevant, they nevertheless related from ancient times those instances which for the moment they were able to recall. In particular, Friar Pedro, who had preached the day before, told them how the Jews and the Gentiles, to commemorate victories over their enemies, organised festivities and erected temples to the gods in which they believed, adding that the commemoration which ought to be made needed to be carried out in such a way that it could never sink into oblivion, especially as it was a tribute of necessity owed to Almighty God.
Among other examples he told them how Hezekiah, when he defeated King Sennacherib, even though he offered sacrifices to God, failed to sing unto the Lord a new song, as was the practice in such cases. For that reason, God had struck him with such a grave sickness that he remained ill until he died. By contrast, after their victory, when Judas Maccabaeus defeated the vast army of Lysias, despite the small numbers in his own force, his men blessed and praised the Lord God for granting them such a successful outcome and held festivities for a whole week. Judas commanded them to celebrate the victory with great rejoicing every year of his life. ‘Thus, by following such an example’, said Friar Pedro, ‘as well as others I’ve mentioned, let us fulfil the prophet's advice when he tells us in the psalm to “Sing unto the Lord a new song, for he hath done marvellous things.
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- The Chronicles of Fernão LopesVolume 4. The Chronicle of King João i of Portugal, Part II, pp. 137 - 138Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2023