3 - How King Pedro met with the Prince of Wales and how they joined forces to enter Castile
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2024
Summary
We now go back to talking about King Pedro of Castile, which is where we left off when he passed through Portugal. He reached Bayonne, as you have heard, but could not find the Prince of Wales in that town. However, he met with him a few days later and told him how much he needed his help and that of his father. The Prince of Wales answered him, saying that the King of England, his lord and father, and he himself were indeed very ready to help him, and that he had already written to his father about it and was quite certain that he would agree. Delighted at this answer, King Pedro went meanwhile to meet the prince's wife, at a town called Angoulême, and gave her many jewels which he had brought with him. Then letters arrived for King Pedro from the King of England, in which he informed him that he had written to the prince his son and to the Duke of Lancaster, the prince’s brother, telling them to go in person with as many forces as possible to assist him in regaining his kingdom. Furthermore, other letters came for the prince in which King Edward informed him how pleased he would be at any support that he and his men could give to King Pedro. He also wrote to the prince's men, instructing them to join up with him. From that point onward, the prince began to send for his men, and many assembled for the campaign.
King Pedro and the prince agreed on how much pay their troops would receive, and King Pedro made his payment in jewels and in gold, both from the doblas which he had with him as well as from minted gold coins which the prince lent him against precious stones of great value. It was established in their agreements that King Pedro would give the land of Vizcaya and the town of Castro de Urdiales to the prince; the town of Soria would be awarded to Sir John Chandos, the Constable of Guyenne, who was a great and valiant knight and trusted counsellor of the prince. They also agreed that the three daughters of King Pedro should remain in Bayonne as pledges until the prince and all his troops received payment for the time they were to spend on military service in Castile.
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- The Chronicles of Fernão LopesVolume 2. The Chronicle of King Fernando of Portugal, pp. 19 - 20Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2023