During his life, this King Pedro was devoted to administering justice impartially, being so fair in applying the law that he forgave no one for the errors they committed, whether or not they had been raised in his household or he held them in high esteem. If it is true that blessed is the king who himself investigates the harm and the violence done against the poor, then this is one such king, for he was glad to listen to them and rejoiced in ensuring that justice was done to them, so that everyone lived in peace.

He was, moreover, so zealous in meting out justice, especially to those who persistently sought to evade the law, that he subjected them to torture in his presence. Indeed, if they refused to confess, he would take off his royal robes and with his own hand would whip the miscreants. Although his counsellors and certain others greatly rebuked him for this, he became irritated at their words, and there was no way they could make him change his mind.

He ordered that no criminal case be brought to a conclusion except in his presence; and if he had information regarding some thief or offender in some place far away from where he happened to be, he spoke to one of his men whom he trusted, promising favours if he went to fetch the offender, instructing his man not to return until he could bring the wrongdoer over to him. So it was that prisoners were brought to him from the far ends of the realm and were delivered to him wherever he was. If they arrived at a time when he was eating, he would rise from the table in order to put them to torture immediately. He would lay hands on them himself whenever he saw that they were unwilling to confess, cruelly striking them until they did so.

Wherever the king went, one would always find ready with a whip the man charged with that task, so that as soon as some offender was brought to the king and the latter said, ‘Let So-and-So bring the whip’, the man came forward without further delay.