Wind from the North by Ernle Bradford

Author:Ernle Bradford
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 1959-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

15

It is difficult for a man to be completely dedicated to a dream, or to an idea, without sacrificing something of his humanity. In Prince Henry’s attitude and conduct during the years immediately following the disaster of Tangier, the struggle between the man of simple human feelings and the man of ambition is painfully apparent. For he was far from being cold and insensitive by temperament. Incidents in his early youth show that he was more sensitive than most men of his time. After the capture of Ceuta, for instance, he had hardly been able to face the mother of one of his companions who had been killed in the struggle. His distress had been so great that the bereaved mother had herself to comfort the man who brought her the news. There is every evidence that he was more gentle and compassionate in his relations with other persons than was considered normal in that age. Azurara’s comments on this aspect of his nature are very relevant to the tragedy of Tangier and the fate of Henry’s youngest brother.

“Hatred or ill will toward others was never known in him, even though heavy faults had been committed against him. In this matter his generosity was such that practical men reproached him with weakness in dispensing justice, for he made no distinctions among persons. They thought this particularly the case because he inflicted no punishment on some of his servants who had abandoned him during the siege of Tangier. But, more than this, he even received them back into his service and gave them privileges, as many or more than those he gave to the men who had served him well. This is the only weakness which I have found possible to relate of him….”

If this was his attitude toward servants who had left him on the field of battle, it can be imagined what his feelings must have been in connection with Prince Fernando—the young brother entrusted to his care, who was now a hostage of the Moors. It was true that such things were the normal fortune of war, but Prince Henry was intelligent enough to realize that it was he alone who, by neglecting to “keep his flank on the sea,” had jeopardized the Portuguese army. Added to the bitterness of failure, he was now faced with the terrible problem of weighing Ceuta in the balance against his brother.

He hoped at first that in some way or another an exchange of hostages might be made with Sala-ben-Sala. The Moorish Governor’s son was held by the Portuguese, and surely he would be willing to effect an exchange if gold was added to the balance. Sala-ben-Sala quickly disillusioned him on this score. One son meant little to him; he had plenty of sons, he assured the envoys. If King Edward and Prince Henry set so great a store by this brother of theirs, then they must hand over Ceuta as they had agreed to in the terms of the treaty. But the treaty had not been kept, Henry protested.

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