We now go back to narrating the Master's actions, which we left off in order to take the queen to Santarém and to bring Nuno Álvares to serve him. In that very period when Nuno Álvares joined him, the Master was greatly troubled and torn by conflicting thoughts. That was because a number of members of his council asserted that he should not wait in Portugal for the advance of the King of Castile with his powerful army but should travel to England. They brought to bear many reasons why he ought to do so and predicted sundry profitable and assured outcomes that would ensue, declaring, among other matters, that as a result of departing in that way he could thereby count on such military support as would enable him to return to the country later and recover the realm with very great honour and without losses to the people nor harm to the land.

Others were completely opposed to this opinion, dismissing the reasoning of such counsellors with contrary arguments. Such were Nuno Álvares, Rui Pereira, Álvaro Vasques de Góis, Doctor João das Regras, Álvaro Pais and Doctor Martim Afonso, who all said that for the Master to leave would neither be honourable, nor in the service of Almighty God, nor in his own best interests because, if he were to leave the country, it would be forsaken and have nobody to defend it. Besides, the King of Castile would seize the city and the other townships which were opposed to the Master, and would give them to such individuals to defend them and would fortify them in such a way that they could not be recovered afterwards except by dint of great toil and the spilling of much blood. For those reasons they entreated him to remain in the kingdom and not to abandon it, for God had summoned and chosen him for this purpose and would direct his actions, adding greatly to his honour and to his renown.

The Master listened to these arguments from both sides. For all that those who were advising him to leave the country were advancing positive and reasonable arguments as to why he should do so, the Master's immense courage and great desire to perform acts of chivalry made him lean towards remaining in the country after all and towards undertaking any venture to defend the realm.