Reigning after Death

Reinar después de morir (Reigning after Death), by Luis Vélez de Guevara, tells the story of Inés de Castro. Inés was the natural daughter of Pedro Fernández de Castro and Aldonza Soares de Valladares; with certain kinship with the Castilian royal family. When her mother died as a child, Inés was taken to Valladolid, to the castle of Peñafiel. There he grew up in the company of Constanza Manuel, the daughter of the infante don Juan Manuel.
In 1341, Constanza married Pedro I of Portugal, known as the Justiciero, and soon after he became the lover of Inés de Castro. The relationship endangered the crown of Alfonso IV as the sons and brothers of Inés had ambitions of power.
Thus, with the approval of the court, Alfonso ordered that Inés be executed. After the assassination, Pedro led an uprising that plunged Portugal into a long civil war. It only ended shortly before he managed to reign, after the death of Alfonso IV in 1357.
Once on the throne, Peter made his marriage public and ordered the exhumation of Agnes’ body in 1360. In the midst of the general veneration she, dead, also received the crown.
Hence the title of this work: Reigning After Dying.

Day one

At the royal palace in Lisbon. Out come musicians singing, the prince dressing, and the constable.

Musicians “Suns, for you are so beautiful,
do not throw arrogant lightning bolts
who lives in your light,
content in such high employment.”

Prince The cape.

Musician 1 The prince exits.

Musician 2 Let’s continue.

Prince The hat.

(They sing.)

Musicians “Your benign influence
mitigate angry fires,
for the stream of my weeping
is little water to so much fire.”

Prince Oh, Agnes, soul of how much
I grieve and cry, I live and feel!
Go ahead, sing.

Musician 1 Let’s say
another letter and a new tone.

(They sing.)

Musicians “Shepherds of Manzanares,
I’m dying for Inés,
courtesan in the toilet,
tiller in keeping faith.”

Prince It seems that in my care
that letter wanted to do,
flattering my soul,
eternal in my breast to Inés.
Come back, come back for my life
to repeat again
this letter, sing,
I thought it was good.

(They sing.)

Musicians “Shepherds of Manzanares,
I’m dying for Inés,
courtesan in the toilet,
tiller in keeping faith.”

Prince As shepherds publish
that see so much beauty
in the deity of my lover,
with just cause I will say
that in losing myself I was happy,
in such a sovereign good.
Whenever you arrive at Mondego
it seems that only by seeing
to my beautiful Inés, the birds
would like to kiss his foot.
The plants of your deity
receive fruit. No month
that in seeing her it is not May;
there is no flower that to its rosicler
do not pay tribute to vassalage.
If this is true, if it is
owner of birds and plants
and of everything it sees
heaven on beautiful earth,
I do not flatter her in being
I am also your slave, love;
for I humbled myself to my Inés,
for I surrendered to its beauty
I will loudly confess,
saying with all my heart
to those who love me:
“Shepherds of Manzanares,
I’m dying for Inés,
courtesan in the toilet,
tiller in keeping faith.”

(Brito exits, on his way.)

Brito Give your highness to Brito,
prince, to kiss his feet.

Fragment of the work