75 - How the citizens of Lisbon fixed their suspicions on certain people resident in the city, how some were imprisoned, and two men killed
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2024
Summary
It was generally known, and all confirmed it, that Diogo Lopes Pacheco had been the primary instigator in inducing King Enrique to come and lay siege to Lisbon, making him aware that there were people in the city who, to protect their own property, would give him such aid that he could capture it very quickly. There was great commotion in the city because of this suspicion, with the people accusing some residents of being on the side of the King of Castile, through the medium of Diogo Lopes, whose servants and allies they were, and claiming that the city had been betrayed for money by them. Among these were Lourenço Martins da Praça, who had brought up Dom João, the Master of Avis, and also Martim Taveira, Afonso Colaço, Afonso Peres and other honourable men who were in the city. Since some of them had the keys to certain gates, these were taken from them at once, and all of them made prisoner.
As often happens in such cases, which cause much fear, and where no excuse is accepted nor any time allowed to ascertain the truth, without further delay they were all subjected to torture. Although they did not confess to anything, some said that one of Lourenço Martins's men deserved to be dragged. Without troubling to find a beast to pull him, the people dragged him with their own hands through the city, tearing him to pieces, and thus he died. They took another man and put him in the pouch of a catapult that had been set up in front of the door of the cathedral. When it was fired, it hurled him over the church between the two bell towers. When he landed, they found him still alive, they seized him again and put him in the pouch of the catapult. It launched him towards the sea, as they wished, and thus ended his life. The others named, who were taken prisoner and wounded, were released without further punishment, but they were no longer trusted. From that time forward, the city was put under close watch and guard, and patrolled night and day, with great care and caution devoted to all actions and measures of defence.
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- Information
- The Chronicles of Fernão LopesVolume 2. The Chronicle of King Fernando of Portugal, pp. 134 - 135Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2023