all tô you, that you may defetad us, than haw the Castillans our masters. Accept* therefore, this crown as our gift, for we wHl have it fo.* 4 The master of Avis did not, however, ac-cept it at this, nor at a fécond offer; but re-plied,—c My good people, I know wçll your affection for me, you offer me the crown and realm of Portugal : a noWe offer, by declaring I have a better right to it than my niece Beatrice the queen of Caftille; in truth fhe is a bastard, the mother's first hufband being now in Castilie; but there is one point you have forgotten, which is, that you alone cannot act in this matter: it is necessary that the nobles of the kingdom join you. c Ha,' faid the Lifboners, ' we are fure of them; for feveral have opened to us their minds on this fubject, m well in this city, as in thofe of Coimbra, Oporto and Ourique.' c Don John replied,—c Well, be it fo then, I am willing to comply with your defires. Yon know that the lady Leonora, ' who ftiles herfetf queen of this country, is in the town, and with her her grand advifer, don Fernando Audere, who will want to preferve the crown for the queen of Castilie and her descendants ; far he broke off her marriage with the fon of the earl of Cam-bridge, to give her to the king of Castile, and patch up a peace. He will fend, or perhaps has already done fo, to the king of Castilie, to hasten hither with a fufficient force to overpower w. I 'know tbat don Fernanda kw in part act- .ed 877