who had disturbed almost every other reign, were so convinced of
the wisdom of his, that they confessed he ought to be supported out of
the treasures of the church, and granted him the church plate to be
coined. When the pope ordered a rigorous inquiry to be made into his
having brought ecclesiastics before lay tribunals, the clergy had the
singular honesty to desert what was styled the church immunities, and to
own that justice had been impartially administered. He died in the
seventy-sixth year of his age, and in the forty-eighth of his reign. His
affection to his queen, Philippa, made him fond of the English, whose
friendship he cultivated, and by whom he was frequently assisted.

[309] Camoens, in this instance, has raised the character of one brother
at the other's expense, to give his poem an air of solemnity. The siege
of Tangier was proposed. The king's brothers differed in their opinions:
that of Don Fernand, though a knight-errant adventure, was approved of
by the young nobility. The infants, Henry and Fernand, at the head of
7000 men, laid siege to Tangier, and were surrounded by a numerous army
of Moors, some writers say six hundred thousand. On condition that the
Portuguese army should be allowed to return home, the infants promised
to surrender Ceuta. The Moors gladly accepted of the terms, but demanded
one of the infants as a hostage. Fernand offered himself, and was left.
The king was willing to comply with the terms to relieve his brother,
but the court considered the value of Ceuta, and would not consent. The
pope also interposed his authority, that Ceuta should be kept as a check
on the infidels, and proposed to raise a crusade for the delivery of
Fernand. In the meanwhile large offers were made for his liberty. These
were rejected by the Moors, who would accept of nothing but Ceuta, to
whose vast importance they were no strangers. When negotiations failed,
King Edward assembled a large army to effect his brother's release, but,
just as he was setting out, he was seized with the plague, and died,
leaving orders with his queen to deliver up Ceuta for the release of his
brother. This, however, was never performed. Don Fernand remained with
the Moors till his death. The magnanimity of his behaviour gained him
their esteem and admiration, nor is there good proof that he received
any very rigorous treatment; the contrary is rather to be inferred from
the romantic notions of military honour which then prevail