THE HISTORY

OF

PETER THE CRUEL.

CHAPTER I.

CONTINUATION OF THE WAR AGAINST ARAGON-MURDER OF SEVERAL RICOS HOMBRES.

1359-1361.

I.

IT is difficult to explain why the Castilian army, which was still assembled upon the Aragonese frontier, should have remained inactive, not even making any show of seconding the operations of the fleet. The Castilians did not open their campaign until the beginning of autumn, and then only to repel an invasion. The Conde de Trastamara and Don Tello, with about 800 men-at-arms, having entered Castile by way of Agreda, were met by Don Fernando de Castro and Juan de Hinestrosa at the head of an army twice their number. A battle took place in the valley of Araviana,* at the foot of the mountains of Toranzo and

This same plain of Araviana was in 986 the scene of a tragedy, renowned alike in history and romance—the betrayal and slaughter of the Infantes of Lara.-T.

VOL. II.

B

Tablado. Notwithstanding their numerical superiority, Don Pedro's lieutenants were defeated at the first charge. It was not so much a battle as a total rout, the slain on either side were few, but the king lost some of his most faithful servants, and amongst them Hinestrosa, whose devotion had never failed, and whose counsels had often been useful to him.*

As it did not suit Castilian pride to admit that the Aragonese, who were greatly inferior in number, could have fairly gained the victory, several chiefs were suspected of treason, and it is probable that there was some foundation for the charge. The greater part of the knights and hidalgos who accompanied Hinestrosa, had ill performed their duty, and had shamefully abandoned him in the midst of the mêlée. Moreover, at the moment of the enemy's approach, Hinestrosa had sent orders to Diego Perez Sarmiento and Don Alonso de Benavides to join him with all their men-at-arms. Although their camp was near Araviana, they obeyed so slowly, that the conflict was over when they appeared upon the battle-field. On arriving with fresh troops, instead of making an effective charge upon the wearied enemy, they entrenched themselves upon a neighbouring height, not even attempting to rally the fugitives.

* Ayala, p. 290. "Don Gomez Suarez de Figueroa, a commander of the Order of Santiago, who was a great favourite of the king, and had been by him destined to succeed Don Fadrique in the Mastership of Santiago, and Don Gonzalo Sanchez de Ulloa, Alferez-Mayor to Fernando de Castro, both perished in this battle. De Castro owed his escape to the swiftness of his horse. His and Hinestrosa's associate in command, Iñigo Lopez de Orozco were amongst the prisoners."-Ayala, p. 291.-7.

They were consequently accused of having been seduced from their duty, there being no grounds for believing that the Conde, usually so prudent, would have ventured in the midst of several large bodies of men, if he had not had a secret understanding with their chiefs. Others, with perhaps more reason, attributed the conduct of the lieutenants of Hinestrosa to their jealousy of the man whom the king had delighted to honour. The event soon confirmed Don Pedro's suspicions. Two Ricos Hombres, who had been present in the engagement, Pero Nuñez de Guzman, Adelantado of the kingdom of Leon, and Pero Alvarez Osorio, abruptly quitted the army with all their vassals, giving out that they intended to procure reinforcements from their estates. The king was now firmly convinced that they had sold their general to the Conde de Trastamara, and that they were advancing into the heart of his kingdom only to organise a fresh rebellion. He vented his anger in threats against the lieutenants of Hinestrosa, who were too well aware of the direful consequences of the king's displeasure not to seek to escape them by an immediate flight. Benavides went into concealment; Sarmiento, after a little hesitation, crossed the frontier and offered his services to Don Enrique.* Perhaps they were only guilty of having doubted the justice of their master.+

Don Pedro could never hear of the defection of one

*"As also did Fernandez de Velasco, Commander-in-Chief in Murcia, on hearing that the king intended to arrest him."Ayala, p. 294.-T.

† Ayala, p. 291.

of his Ricos Hombres without imagining that the whole of his nobility were conspiring against him. His fury then conjured up enemies everywhere; he struck at random; now at a traitor, now at a faithful vassal. Not to be feared, seemed to him the greatest of reproaches; a few heads must fall in self-justification. The two youngest children of Doña Leonor de Guzman, who for many years had been kept prisoners in the castle of Carmona, were still in his power. One, named Don Juan, whom we have already seen at Toro, was nineteen years of age; the other, Don Pedro, hardly fourteen. But the king remembered that at nineteen Don Enrique was at the head of a formidable party, and he immediately decided upon the destruction of these unhappy princes. A ballestero of the guard, the usual bearer of secret orders, entered their prison and slew them both. "All those who loved the king's service," says Ayala, "heard with sorrow of this sanguinary execution, for what had these young princes done to deserve death? When had they failed in their duty to their brother?-in their allegiance to their sovereign?"*

This detestable cruelty was as serviceable to the Conde de Trastamara as the fortune of war. He had already numerous partisans throughout Castile, and the majority of the nobles looked upon him as the champion of their liberties and independence. The king had likewise many enemies amongst the clergy, whose privileges he seemed to take every opportunity of reducing. Ever regardless of the ordinances of the church, he

* Ayala, p. 292.

Pro

treated the pretensions of the Holy See, which were admitted without question by all other European states, as encroachments upon his own authority.* That very justice which he desired to administer so rigorously amongst all his subjects, without distinction of rank or creed, was imputed to him as a crime by those who believed themselves not amenable to the laws-that is to say, by those who possessed a fief, a prebendary, or vassals The number of these privileged persons was large in Castile He treated the Jews with humanity, and several of them filled high offices at court. bably he had granted this unhappy people some few franchises which they did not enjoy under his predecessors, for it has already been remarked that in all civil commotions the Jews invariably declared for Don Pedro. This was quite enough to occasion the most absurd reports concerning his impiety. Let him but give a courteous reception to some learned Arab, or treat with affability a Jew merchant whose industry enriched the state, and it was whispered, now that he was a Mohammedan, now that he was a Jew, planning the overthrow of Christianity in his kingdom. And, indeed, he had been heard to say more than once, that

*The Pope having by a bull taxed a tenth of the property belonging to the military orders, Don Pedro, by a rescript dated from Olmedo, the 5th of July, Era 1397, (1359), forbade its observance. We may remark in his words the caution peculiar to his character: "And because this thing is new, and was unknown in times past, and, if permitted, would destroy the said orders, the work of the kings, my ancestors, ay and my work too, whence great injury would accrue to me, &c." Bulario de Calatrava, p. 500.