King, Georgiana Goddard: A brief account of the military orders in Spain (New York: The Hispanic Society of America, 1921)

56
“Whose
word of
might. . .
. . . winged
thee with
wings of
flame?”
MILITARY ORDERS
Master of the Order of Avis certain prop-
erties that the Convent held in Evora,
Avis in return acknowledged subjection to
Calatrava. The Portuguese order had
been founded as early as 1147, called then
after Evora, the castle of Avis being given
to it only in 1181. By this time Portugal
was so far dissevered from Spain that an
order needed independence: Calatrava
likewise had staked and won in the battle,
and being now rich and strong, was deter
mined for power. Throughout the thir-
teenth century all that they asserted they
secured: in 1238 the Master D. Martin
Ruiz was received as visitor at Evora,
conjointly with the Cistercian abbot of
Sotos Albos: in that year it was admitted
that his representative must be present at
an election. The arms of Avis were the
cross of Calatrava with a difference: two
little birds below, where Calatrava had
borne fetters till growing pride left them
off. The Portuguese remained thus sub-
ject to Calatrava until the Master D. John,
the bastard of a King of Portugal, con-
quered in the battle of Aljubarrota. Nor
HISPANIC NOTES