_ 91 _ Lourenco. When the boatswain had the boat ready the nobles told Dom Lourenco that since it was impossible to save the ship, he should save himself. They said that they themselves did not deserve to be saved because of their sins, but that he was worth as much as all of them put together, and that the honor of Portugal depended on his survival. As for them, they would stay behind and fight to the death. When Dom Lourenco heard this, he replied that he knew how much they had always loved him; and since he also loved them in the same way, God forbid that he should save himself while they were in danger. And he told them not to lose hope and to place their trust in God’s mercy, which was great, because the fleets’ captains would come to his rescue. The nobles wanted to reply, but he told them not to speak to him about saving himself, otherwise he would hurl his halberd at whoever did. At once he ordered his men to defend themselves as well as they could, although he had no more than thirty healthy men, The remainder, numbering 70, were all badly wounded, in spite of this they all jumped to their feet. It broke one’s heart to see them all bandaged and hardly able to stand but determined to fight bravely. Dom Lourenco divided them into three groups
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