Epila, but had the good fortune to be taken prisoner by some Castilian auxiliaries of Pedro IV., who, instead of delivering him up to his brother, brought him to the court of Don Alfonso. An alien to Castile by birth, and to Aragon by the banishment to which he was condemned after his unsuccessful enterprise, he still remained a distant pretender to those two crowns, and preserved his illusory importance by seeing every faction ready to make use of his name to advance its private interests.

The accession of a king only fifteen years of age,* could not but augment the authority of Alburquerque, who governed the queen-mother. Don Juan de Lara, then in Andalucia, and at a distance from the northern provinces, where his political influence most prevailed, was not in a position to contest the government with him. Moreover, the Lord of Lara was weary of civil dissensions, and feeling certain that his independence would be respected by a weak government, surrounded

as those then existing in Catalonia and Aragon. The leaguers, accusing the king of partiality for his Catalan subjects, obliged him to banish from his counsels Don Bernal de Cabrera, his minister, and most faithful servant, and to recognize Don Fernando as his heir, to the prejudice of his own daughter. They kept him for some time a prisoner within the walls of Valencia; but, during his captivity, Pedro IV. had the art to gain over the principal chiefs of the Union. Immediately after he had effected his escape, he revoked all the concessions which had been wrung from him, and soon after destroyed the league by totally defeating the rebels at Epila.

* Don Pedro was born at Burgos the 30th of August, 1333. Cronica de Don Alfonso XI. p. 269.

with perils, he relinquished all thoughts of raising fresh difficulties in the way of a son of the prince, whose most devoted admirer and subject he had been. Lastly, Alburquerque openly sought his alliance, and offered to share with him the authority which the death of Alfonso had placed in his hands.

CHAPTER III.

THE ACCESSION OF DON PEDRO.

1350.

I.

ALL parties were now united against the favourite and her family, and she was threatened with the most terrible reverse of fortune. Hardly had Don Alfonso breathed his last sigh, than Doña Leonor, who had probably followed him to the camp before Gibraltar, thought it advisable to fly the vengeance of the queenmother. Persuaded that henceforth Don Juan de Alburquerque would consider that he was no longer obliged to keep terms with her, she at once implored the protection of the Lord of Lara. But she was coldly received; and the only mark of interest Lara showed her, was the advice to provide for her personal safety by retiring to one of those fortified strongholds she had obtained from the late king. Leonor immediately hastened to Medina Sidonia.*

Whilst she remained shut up in the fortress, the

* Medina Sidonia, the city of Sidon, gives the ducal title to the descendants of Guzman el Bueno, Alcayde of Tarifa. Leonor, the mistress of Alfonso XI., and Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II. of England, were descended from this renowned chieftain.-T.

army which was bringing the body of Don Alfonso from Gibraltar to Seville, entered the lower town. The favourite could now perceive the change that a single day had made in her fortunes. The governor of Medina Sidonia, who, to use the expression peculiar to the Middle Ages, held the fortress for Doña Leonor, his relative,* requested, or rather summoned her to accept the renunciation of the homage which he owed her as the Señora proprietaria of that place. This was plainly announcing to her that her cause was desperate. The governor of Medina Sidonia, Alonso Fernandez Coronel, was however a gallant knight, renowned for his prowess and loyalty, besides being personally attached to the Lara faction. Leonor vainly endeavoured to retain him in her service, she was, however, unable to induce him to change his resolution, and which was still more strange, amongst so many Ricos Hombres and knights, who during Alfonso's lifetime had vied with each other in protesting their entire devotion to her, not one was found who would accept the command of her castle. Moreover, the most alarming intelligence was brought to her from all quarters. Alburquerque had just arrested her two sons, Don Enrique and Don Fadrique, apparently intending to sacrifice them to the hatred of Maria, the queen-mother. Some of the favourite's enemies even accused her of conspiring against the new king, and of claiming the crown for her eldest son, by virtue of a pretended marriage with Don Alfonso.+

Torres y Tapia, p. 65, Tome. 11.-Cron de Alcant.

Rades, "Cronica de Alcantara," p. 26, really attributes this extraordinary design to Doña Leonor. It seems to me evident that it was only an invention of her enemies; for at no period

Doña Leonor, terrified by this sudden and entire desertion, and trembling for her children, offered to deliver her castle up to Don Juan de Alburquerque, requesting only as the price of her submission a safeconduct to Seville. This was readily granted, and, according to her desire, the Lord of Lara guaranteed that it should be respected. By thus humbling herself, she perhaps hoped to conciliate her ancient rival or more probably she wished to secure the sums of money and the rich jewellery she had received from Don Alfonso, and which had been deposited at Seville. Her sons, who had accompanied the funeral procession as far as Medina Sidonia were seized with sudden terror, and secretly quitting the army, attended only by a few devoted followers, hastened without waiting their mother's concurrence to take refuge in the Castle of Moron, which belonged to their relative, Perez Ponce, the Master of Alcantara. Thence, after a short deliberation, Don Enrique hastily repaired to Algeziras, where the Lord of Marchena, Pero Ponce, brother to the Master of Alcantara, was governor, while at the same time Don Fadrique set out for Montanches, a fortress belonging to the order of Santiago, and in his character of Master, ordered the gates to be opened.* Alvar de Guzman, a cousin of Leonor, shut himself up in Olvera, and Perez Ponce assembled his knights and vassals at Moron, there to devise some

did Don Enrique seek to assert any rights that he would have had as legitimate son of Don Alfonso. Compare with Torres y Tapia.-Crón. de Alcántara, II. p. 70 and following.

* Rades, "Crón. de Alcántara." Compare with the "Cronica de Santiago" of the same author, p. 45.

VOL. I.

F