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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2024
After the Master and Gonçalo Vasques were released from the irons in which they lay, they were taken from that house where they had been kept imprisoned all that while and were permitted to move freely within the walls of the castle, accompanied by men who guarded them all the time. When the Master saw himself free of irons, although he took it as a good sign, he thought about what Gonçalo Vasques had said to him and pondered on how he could escape.
One day, therefore, on a cold morning, the Master said to a son of that knight who had him in his keep, ‘Martinho, let's go to the top of that wall and warm ourselves in the sun there.’ The youth went with him, as well as the squires who guarded him. As they were walking at ease on the castle wall, the Master looked very diligently to see if there was a suitable place through which he could later escape and saw one that seemed handy for him to go through to safety, lower down than any of the others. Consequently, he made up his mind to escape through it as soon as he had a chance to do so.
After they were sufficiently warmed by the sunshine, they descended from the wall without anyone having the least suspicion about him. The next day, the Master went walking at the very same place as before and took with him one of his pages, to whom he had been given permission to speak privately. He showed him that place through which he intended to escape and said to him, ‘João, you’re to bring me my pellet bow with a good strong rope and two other ropes under your doublet. When you’ve brought them to me, you’ll saddle my horse and bring it to me promptly, pretending that you’re taking it to water. Have a stick in your hand, and a pair of spurs hidden under your clothes, but if you can't manage to fasten those on me quickly enough, then I’ll manage with the stick. I shall walk around here, shooting pigeons, then I’ll come to that spot and tie the ropes to the crossbow, and will let myself down by them.’
Then he told him the day and time he should do this, and to keep it absolutely secret.
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