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48 - How Lisbon's inhabitants went to receive the flags which the king sent them, and concerning the homily that a friar preached
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2024
Summary
Among the noble objects that were found in the battle, there were also found others of little intrinsic value yet which were highly prized, namely the flags and banners of the King of Castile and of the great lords and captains who accompanied him. Of these, King Juan had brought four displaying his undifferenced arms, that is to say castles and lions, impaled with those of Portugal, placed on the side of the flagpole, as we have already indicated – and that was because he called himself king of both kingdoms. These were found among his baggage. Indeed, these four flags, along with another one which was captured on the field of battle, were sent to Lisbon by the King of Portugal, as well as two of the King of Castile's pennants. One of these bore his personal emblem of a field vert, bearing a falcon in abyss holding a scroll with a motto displaying the French words En bon point. The other was fully taken up with two bars, one or and one argent, and several people who saw it asserted that this meant that King Juan was the liege lord of two kingdoms, the gold representing Castile, whereas the silver represented Portugal.
When the city folk learned that the king was sending them these highly prized artefacts, they were extremely pleased. They made their way out of the city to receive them, all armed and in a great procession. Then they took them to where the King of Castile had pitched his encampment, when previously he had laid siege to the city, because it was in full view of the enemy fleet. A flag bearing the arms of Portugal was borne aloft at the front, whereas, one after the other, the remaining flags and banners were trailed along the ground. When they marched directly opposite the ships and galleys, they joyfully hooted at them as loudly as they could. They then proceeded to the cathedral, where the flags and banners were due to be placed. There they listened to a homily from Friar Pedro of the Franciscan Order, who was a great theological scholar and renowned as a fine preacher.
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- The Chronicles of Fernão LopesVolume 4. The Chronicle of King João i of Portugal, Part II, pp. 131 - 136Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2023