The following
anecdote
is much to the honour of this prince when regent.
Camoes - Lusiades
The regent
reproved their ardour, exhorted them to repair to their churches, and
return thanks to God, to whose interposition he solely ascribed their
safety. This behaviour increased the admiration of the people; the
nobility of the first rank joined the regent's party, and many garrisons
in the interest of the king of Castile opened their gates to him. An
assembly of the states met at Coimbra, where it was proposed to invest
the regent with the regal dignity. This he pretended to decline. Don
John, son of Pedro the Just and the beautiful Inez de Castro, was by the
people esteemed their lawful sovereign, but was, and had been long,
detained a prisoner by the King of Castile. If the states would declare
the infant, Don John, their king, the regent professed his willingness
to swear allegiance to him, that he would continue to expose himself to
every danger, and act as regent, till Providence restored to Portugal
her lawful sovereign. The states, however, saw the necessity that the
nation should have a head. The regent was unanimously elected king, and
some articles in favour of liberty were added to those agreed upon at
the coronation of Don Alonzo Enriquez, the first king of Portugal.
Don John I. , one of the greatest of the Portuguese monarchs, was the
natural son of Pedro the Just, by Donna Teresa Lorenza, a Galician lady,
and was born some years after the death of Inez. At seven years of age
he was made grand master of Avis, where he received an excellent
education, which, joined to his great parts, brought him out early on
the political theatre. He was a brave commander, and a deep politician,
yet never forfeited the character of candour and honour. To be humble to
his friends, and haughty to his enemies, was his leading maxim. His
prudence gained him the confidence of the wise; his steadiness and
gratitude the friendship of the brave; his liberality the bulk of the
people. He was in the twenty-seventh year of his age when declared
protector, and in his twenty-eighth when proclaimed king.
The following anecdote is much to the honour of this prince when regent.
A Castilian officer, having six Portuguese gentleman prisoners, cut off
their noses and hands, and sent them to Don John. Highly incensed, the
protector commanded six Castilian gentlemen to be treated in the same
manner. But, before the officer, to whom he gave the orders, had quitted
the room, he relented. "I have given enough to resentment," said he, "in
giving such a command. It were infamous to put it in execution. See that
the Castilian prisoners receive no harm. "
[280] Beatrice.
[281] _By Rodrick given. _--The celebrated hero of Corneille's tragedy of
the Cid.
[282] [283] Cadiz: in ancient times a Phoenician colony, whose coins
bear the emblem of two pillars--the pillars of Hercules
(Alcides). --_Ed. _
[284] The Gascons or Basques, a very ancient and singular people. Their
language has no relation to that of any other people. They are regarded
as the earliest inhabitants of the Spanish peninsula. --_Ed.
reproved their ardour, exhorted them to repair to their churches, and
return thanks to God, to whose interposition he solely ascribed their
safety. This behaviour increased the admiration of the people; the
nobility of the first rank joined the regent's party, and many garrisons
in the interest of the king of Castile opened their gates to him. An
assembly of the states met at Coimbra, where it was proposed to invest
the regent with the regal dignity. This he pretended to decline. Don
John, son of Pedro the Just and the beautiful Inez de Castro, was by the
people esteemed their lawful sovereign, but was, and had been long,
detained a prisoner by the King of Castile. If the states would declare
the infant, Don John, their king, the regent professed his willingness
to swear allegiance to him, that he would continue to expose himself to
every danger, and act as regent, till Providence restored to Portugal
her lawful sovereign. The states, however, saw the necessity that the
nation should have a head. The regent was unanimously elected king, and
some articles in favour of liberty were added to those agreed upon at
the coronation of Don Alonzo Enriquez, the first king of Portugal.
Don John I. , one of the greatest of the Portuguese monarchs, was the
natural son of Pedro the Just, by Donna Teresa Lorenza, a Galician lady,
and was born some years after the death of Inez. At seven years of age
he was made grand master of Avis, where he received an excellent
education, which, joined to his great parts, brought him out early on
the political theatre. He was a brave commander, and a deep politician,
yet never forfeited the character of candour and honour. To be humble to
his friends, and haughty to his enemies, was his leading maxim. His
prudence gained him the confidence of the wise; his steadiness and
gratitude the friendship of the brave; his liberality the bulk of the
people. He was in the twenty-seventh year of his age when declared
protector, and in his twenty-eighth when proclaimed king.
The following anecdote is much to the honour of this prince when regent.
A Castilian officer, having six Portuguese gentleman prisoners, cut off
their noses and hands, and sent them to Don John. Highly incensed, the
protector commanded six Castilian gentlemen to be treated in the same
manner. But, before the officer, to whom he gave the orders, had quitted
the room, he relented. "I have given enough to resentment," said he, "in
giving such a command. It were infamous to put it in execution. See that
the Castilian prisoners receive no harm. "
[280] Beatrice.
[281] _By Rodrick given. _--The celebrated hero of Corneille's tragedy of
the Cid.
[282] [283] Cadiz: in ancient times a Phoenician colony, whose coins
bear the emblem of two pillars--the pillars of Hercules
(Alcides). --_Ed. _
[284] The Gascons or Basques, a very ancient and singular people. Their
language has no relation to that of any other people. They are regarded
as the earliest inhabitants of the Spanish peninsula. --_Ed.
