[V] Of defiance.
CHAPTER XIV.
How Antam Gonçalvez, and afterwards Nuno Tristam, came before the Infant with their booty.
I cannot behold the arrival of these ships, with the novelty of the gain of those slaves before the face of our Prince, without finding some delight in the same. For meseemeth that I behold before my eyes that pleasure of his, of what kind it would be. For just in so far as things are more desired, and more numerous and heavy labours are undergone for them, so much the greater delight do they bring with them when a man obtaineth them. O holy prince, peradventure thy pleasure and delight might have some semblance of covetousness, at receiving the knowledge of such a sum of riches, even as great as those thou didst expend to arrive at that result? And now, seeing the beginnings of some recompense, may we not think thou didst feel joy, not so much for the number of the captives taken, as for the hope thou didst conceive of the others thou couldst take?
But of a surety it was not in thy noble heart to set store by such small wealth! And justly I may call it small, in comparison of thy greatness; without which thou wast not able, and knewest not how, to begin or finish any part of thy deeds. But thy joy was solely from that one holy purpose of thine to seek salvation for the lost souls of the heathen, as I have already said in the VIIth Chapter of this work. And in the light of this it seemed to thee, when thou sawest those captives brought into thy presence, that the expense and trouble thou hadst undergone was nothing: such was thy pleasure in beholding them. And yet the greater benefit was theirs, for though their bodies were now brought into some subjection, that was a small matter in comparison of their souls, which would now possess true freedom for evermore. Antam Gonçalvez was the first to come with his part of the booty, and then arrived Nuno Tristam, whose present reception and future reward answered to the toil he had undergone; just as a fruitful soil with but little sowing answereth the husbandman, when for however small a part it receiveth, it giveth back a great increase of fruit.
CHAPTER XV.
How the Infant Don Henry sent his embassy to the Holy Father, and of the answer that he had.
Although the language of those captives could not be understood by any of the other Moors who were in this kingdom, either as freemen or captives, it sufficed, for a beginning, that the noble whom Antam Gonçalvez had brought could recount for the understanding of the Infant a very great part of the matters of that land where the aforesaid noble dwelt. And considering how it was necessary that he should often send his ships, manned with his people, where of necessity they would have to fight with those infidels, he determined at once to send an embassy to the Holy Father, to ask of him to make a partition with himself of the treasures of Holy Church, for the salvation of the souls of those who in the toils of that conquest should meet their end.
And on this embassy he sent an honourable cavalier of the Order of Christ, called Fernam Lopez d'Azevedo, a man of great counsel and authority, on account of which he had been made Chief Commander in the same Order and was of the Council of the King and the Infant.
He had it in charge also to ask from the Supreme Pontiff other things of great importance, as for instance the indulgences of St. Mary of Africa, in Ceuta town, with many other graces that were to be requested of the Pope, the true form of which you can find in the general history of the kingdom.
And as for that part of the business that needeth to be recorded here, the Holy Father was very glad to grant him such a grace as he was requested; as you may see more fully in this transcript of his letter, which we have set down here for your better understanding.
"Eugenius the Bishop,[[67]] servant of the servants of God, etc. For an abiding memorial and remembrance. As, without any merit of ours we have the authority of Jesus Christ our Lord, who refused not to be sacrificed as the price of human salvation, by continual care we strive for those things that may destroy the errors and wickednesses of the infidels and by which the souls of good and Catholic Christians may the more speedily come to Salvation;
"And as it hath now been signified to us by our beloved son and noble baron Henry, Duke of Viseu, and Governor in spirituals and temporals of the Knighthood of the Order of Christ, that confiding firmly in the aid of God, for the destruction and confusion of the Moors and enemies of Christ, and for the exaltation of the Catholic faith, he purposeth to go in person, with his men at arms, to those lands that are held by them, and to guide his army against them; And howbeit that, for the time he is not personally in the field, yet as the knights and brethren of the said order, with all other faithful Christians, purpose to make war under the banner of the said order against the said Moors and other enemies of the faith—to the intent that these faithful Christians may bestir their minds with the greater fervour to the aforesaid war—
"We now do concede and grant, by apostolic authority and by the tenor of these present letters, to each and all of those who shall be engaged in the said war, Complete forgiveness of all their sins, of which they shall be truly penitent at heart and have made confession by their mouth. "And let no one break or contradict this letter of mandate, and whoever presumeth to do so let him lie under the curse of the Almighty God and of the blessed Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul. Given, etc."