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[267] When the prince was informed of the death of his beloved Inez, he
was transported into the most violent fury. He took arms against his
father. The country between the rivers Minho and Doura was laid
desolate: but, by the interposition of the queen and the Archbishop of
Braga, the prince relented, and the further horrors of a civil war were
prevented. Don Alonzo was not only reconciled to his son, but laboured
by every means to oblige him, and to efface from his memory the injury
and insult he had received. The prince, however, still continued to
discover the strongest marks of affection and grief. When he succeeded
to the crown, one of his first acts was a treaty with the King of
Castile, whereby each monarch engaged to give up such malcontents as
should take refuge in each other's dominions. In consequence of this,
Pedro Coello and Alvaro Gonsalez, who, on the death of Alonzo had fled
to Castile, were sent prisoners to Don Pedro. Diego Pacheco, the third
murderer, made his escape. The other two were put to death with the most
exquisite tortures, and most justly merited, if torture is in any
instance to be allowed. After this the king, Don Pedro, summoned an
assembly of the states at Cantanedes. Here, in the presence of the
Pope's nuncio, he solemnly swore on the holy Gospels, that having
obtained a dispensation from Rome, he had secretly, at Braganza,
espoused the Lady Inez de Castro, in the presence of the Bishop of
Guarda, and of his master of the wardrobe; both of whom confirmed the
truth of the oath. The Pope's Bull, containing the dispensation, was
published; the body of Inez was lifted from the grave, was placed on a
magnificent throne, and with the proper regalia, crowned Queen of
Portugal. The nobility did homage to her skeleton, and kissed the bones
of her hand. The corpse was then interred at the royal monastery of
Alcobaca, with a pomp before unknown in Portugal, and with all the
honours due to a queen. Her monument is still extant, where her statue
is adorned with the diadem and the royal robe.
This, with the
legitimation of her children, and the care he took of all who had been
in her service, consoled him in some degree, and rendered him more
conversable than he had hitherto been; but the cloud which the death of
Inez brought over the natural cheerfulness of his temper, was never
totally dispersed. ---- A circumstance strongly characteristic of the
rage of his resentment must not be omitted. When the murderers were
brought before him, he was so transported with indignation, that he
struck Pedro Coello several blows on the face with the shaft of his
whip.

[268] _Pedro the Just. _--History cannot afford an instance of any prince
who has a more eminent claim to the title of just than Pedro I. His
diligence to correct every abuse was indefatigable, and when guilt was
proved his justice was inexorable. He was dreadful to the evil, and
beloved by the good, for he respected no persons, and his inflexible
severity never digressed from the line of strict justice. An anecdote or
two will throw some light on his character. A priest having killed a
mason, the king dissembled his knowledge of the crime, and left the
issue to the ecclesiastical court, where the priest was punished by one
year's suspension from saying mass. The king on this privately ordered
the mason's son to revenge the murder of his father. The young man
obeyed, was apprehended, and condemned to death. When his sentence was
to be confirmed by the king, Pedro enquired, what was the young man's
trade. He was answered, that he followed his father's. "Well then," said
the king, "I shall commute his punishment, and interdict him from
meddling with stone or mortar for a twelve-month. " After this he fully
established the authority of the king's courts over the clergy, whom he
punished with death when their crimes were capital. When solicited to
refer the causes of such criminals to a higher tribunal, he would answer
very calmly, "That is what I intend to do: I will send them to the
highest of all tribunals, to that of their Maker and mine.