Alan Forey's Letter To The Spanish

Alan Forey wrote and intriguing journal article that questions the authentication of a letter supposedly written by St. Bernard in which he mentions Pedro Henriques the purported brother of King Alfonso. Because of mentioning of Pedro, Forey establishes the theory, that St. Bernard did not author the letter. Forey questions if St. Bernard provided any prior knowledge to King Afonso of Portugal regarding the crusaders siege of Lisbon in 1147. Forey states, the letter known simply as letter 308 is cryptic at best and does not provide any specific details of an invasion by crusaders or of the original author’s intent for writing the letter. Stating, letter 308 first appeared in Brito’s Chronica de Cister in 1602, in which Forey claims that articles printed in that particular chronical are often not genuine. Forey question the existence of Pedro Henriques, the supposed brother of the King. Forey is unable to substantiate the existence of Pedro the brother who is the dominate person mentioned in letter 308. According to the letter, Pedro will arrive in Lisbon with the northern fleet and rid the peninsula of Muslim invaders. In order to support his case against the authenticity of the letter, Forey eludes to another confusing aspect and that is whether King Alfonso had an illegitimate son named Pedro. Citing evidence that Alfonso and Queen Taresa had a daughter also named Taresa. However, Forey concludes that information presented in numerous chronicles of the

The sender advises on the naval campaign at Lisbon. Forey is uncertain about the timing of the letter. Forey concludes that the verbiage in the letter, and an additional printed narrative that appeared in the De Expugnatione Lyxbonensi, suggests that there is no substituted proof that King Alfonso received any prior knowledge to the siege of