51 - How Count João Afonso [Telo] left for Portugal, and why the princess was not brought there
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2024
Summary
As we have already mentioned, the King of Aragon needed to receive assurances from King Fernando, by reason of the war which he, the King of Aragon, was about to begin to wage against King Enrique, in such a form that, after the outset of the war and throughout the two years following, King Fernando should not fail to pay wages to the lances whom he was expected to pay, and who were to be paid every two months. Likewise, the King of Aragon needed to guarantee to King Fernando that he would indeed prosecute the war and would not cease to do so until the deadline which they had laid down.
The assurances to be given by King Fernando were that the aforesaid count, Master Baldassare and Martín García were to remain throughout as hostages in Aragon until such time as the war were over and due payment had been made in full to all those who had served therein. Owing to the novelty of the clauses which the Count of Barcelos had freshly drawn up with the King of Aragon, that is to say both in respect of the change from 1,500 to 3,000 lances and of other changes which had been made to the original negotiations, all of which King Fernando now needed to approve, the count decided to return to Portugal to discuss the matter with the king and did so with the permission of the King of Aragon. Accordingly, he did not take his leave of the King of Aragon as the result of any disagreement or discord, but with his approval and payment and without any scandal arising.
Indeed, if the count had left Aragon disgruntled in some way, abandoning the entire negotiations as a lost cause, he would not have left instructions with Afonso Domingues Barateiro, the guardian of the treasure, such as he left in his letter to him, nor would further negotiations have taken place concerning preparations for the war, as in fact they later did do.
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- The Chronicles of Fernão LopesVolume 2. The Chronicle of King Fernando of Portugal, pp. 91 - 92Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2023