Don Pedro, King of Castille, having been excommunicated by the Pope, and his bastard brother, Don Henry, having been legitimated and declared king, a fierce contention commenced between them--Pedro seeking alliances among the Moors and Jews of Spain; and Henry assistance from the free companies of France and Brittany. After many vicissitudes and battles, gained and lost, on both sides, a decisive engagement took place near Montiel, which ended in the complete rout of the army of Pedro. Froissart thus commences his description of this famous battle:--“This battle, of Spaniards against Spaniards, and two brother kings with their allies, near Montiel, was very grand and horrible. Many were the good knights on King Henry’s side; such as Sir Bertrand du Guesclin, Sir Godfrey Ricon, Sir Arnold de Simonsin, Sir Gauvain de Bailleul, Le Bègue de Villaines, Alain de St. Pot, Aliot de Calais, and the Bretons who were there. From the kingdom of Arragon were the Viscount de Rocabarti, the Viscount de Rodais, and many other good knights and squires, whom I cannot name, who performed various gallant deeds of arms, as, in truth, they had full need: they had strange people to encounter, such as Moors and Portuguese. The Jews who were there very soon turned their backs, and would not fight; but those from Granada and Bellmarine fought valiantly: they were armed with bows and lances, of which they made good use, and behaved themselves right well. Don Pedro was in the midst, and, with intrepid courage, fought valiantly with his battle-axe, that scarcely any dared to come near him.” Seeing all hope of escape vain, Pedro surrendered himself to the Bègue de Villaines, who promised not to give him up to his brother, and concealed him in his own tent; but “he had not been there an hour, when King Henry and the Viscount de Rocabarti, with their attendants, but not in great numbers, came hither. As soon as King Henry had entered the chamber where Don Pedro was, he said, ‘Where is the son of a Jewish whore, who calls himself King of Castille!’ Don Pedro, who was a bold as well as a cruel man, stepped forward, and said, ‘Why, thou art the Son of a whore, and I am the son of Alphonso.’ On saying this, he caught hold of King Henry in his arms, began to wrestle with him, and being the strongest, threw him down under him upon a ‘materat de soye,’ and placing his hand on his poniard, he would infallibly have killed him, if the Viscount de Rocabarti had not been present, who, seizing Don Pedro by the legs, turned him over, by which means, King Henry being uppermost, immediately drew a long poniard, which he wore in his sash, and plunged it into his body. His attendants entered the tent, and helped to despatch him. * * * Thus died Don Pedro, King of Castille, who had formerly reigned in great prosperity. Those who had slain him, left him three days unburied, which was a pity, for the sake of humanity; and the Spaniards made their joke upon him.”