to haften to Seville ; for he was determined to enter Portugal with a force fufficient to conquer it and make it his own. His commands were obeyed ; and there were aflembled before Seville upwards of sixty thousand men of every descrip-tion. c Lorenzo d'Acunha, on hearing that his wife^ whom the late king of Portugal had ravifheid from him and made his queen, was arrived in Caftiile,1 waited on some of the king's council by whom he was beloved, and asked their advice in the follow-ing terms: s My lords and affured friends, have I any means to obtain poffeflion of my wife, who has left Portugal and is now in Seville ? I know that Ferdinand took her by forcé, arid againft her inclinations. He is, as you know, dead ; and injuftice,. therefore, I ought to have back my wife ; tell me, then, how I should act.' They re-plied,—* Lorenzo, there is not any chance of your ever having her again ; for you would rifk too much, and debafe the honour of the lady, as well as that of the queen of Caftiile, and efta-blifh her baftardy. You fee, that our*king is de-termined to conquer Portugal, and add it to his crown, as appertaining to him in right of his queen. Take care not to muddle more by your claims what is already troubled enough, for you will be put to death if yoii perfevere. You may judge yourfelf what may be expected, if you prove the queen a baftard, which we main-tain in this country to be falfe, and that fhe wai born 385 f