When these words had been spoken and the discussion was over as has been described, Pedro Fernández de Velasco stood up, went to kneel before the king, and spoke in this manner:

‘Sire, you have taken advice and decided to fight against the Portuguese fleet here on the river rather than beyond the river mouth, contrary to the wishes of the admiral and the galley commanders who came with him. It seems to me that it does not make much difference whether you attack it in one place or the other, since both sides put forward very good reasons which, as they understand it, support their opinion. Therefore, wherever it is your wish that it is to be done, it is right that it should be done, without discussing the matter further. However, as to whether we should fight against the Portuguese fleet at all, then speaking by your leave and with all due respect to yourself and to all here, I have to say that this does not seem to me to be so sound a project that no better plan might be devised – and this for the following reasons.

‘It seems to me, sire, that you think that by fighting and defeating this fleet, you will thereby defeat and seize the whole kingdom. But things are not like that, because in the fleet there are many of Portugal's noblemen, as well as squires and citizens, and also many men of lowly estate, all of whom have many close relationships in this city and throughout the kingdom, whether relatives, criados or intimate friends. If those men die here, you will forever have the enmity of their blood relatives, as they may well be holding a good number of the castles in the kingdom. When they see that you have slain their sons, brothers and other relatives, and the lords on whom they depended, they will have no wish to obey you and will always give you as much trouble and do you wrong in whatever ways they can. Even if you rule over their bodies you will never win their hearts and their love, which is the best thing that a king can have when he wants to take possession of a country for the first time.