My noble lords and honourable people now here present. As you well know, we are gathered together here, with the grace and help of Almighty God, in order to deal with and agree on things that are necessary to rule and govern these realms, especially those matters concerning our defence in the war in which we are involved and which are so pressing, as you all know too well. In addition, we must discuss whether these realms, after the death of King Fernando, who was the last to hold them, have become vacant and destitute, without a king and a legitimate defender who can and should inherit them by right, so that we can make arrangements for it in accordance with God's help, in order that the realm be kept in law and justice, and that we be protected and defended from our enemies and opponents.

Since some people say that there is no rightful heir, and others affirm that we do have an obvious one, whereby you are in some disagreement, in order to save you the debate and the weariness of arguing over the reasons why one or the other should succeed, I wish to show that there is not just one heir but many, making it possible for us to choose the one that pleases us.