proofes that might easily confute his allegations this one shall serue to satisfie all men that haue any sparke of discretion or iudgement It is impossible that any man should by art force or skil make a mans right arme and leg bigger in all proportions then the left that is only reserued to God that made him And further this reuerend Lord would haue perswaded me that the religious man that so marked him was D. Sampayo which was impossible to be true for the said father neuer once saw the King since he departed from Lisbone to go into Afrike vntill the eleuenth of December last past when he was set at libertie by the Venetians Beside this D. Sampayo neuer knew any priuie marks of the Kings bodie vntil the yeare of our Lord 1599. that he went into Portugale to inquire of them Hearing so many reports so much differing and knowing how hardly this Archbishop could hide his owne errour and considering that to answer him peremptorily might rather hurt then further my purpose and to saue my selfe from perill being within his iurisdiction I was faine to suppresse my inward passions but said vnto him My Lord seeing you vnderstand that the imprisonment of this man was the chiefe cause of my arriual in these parts and as I vnderstand the honourable Knight came from thence being foure times sent for by letters frō Paris to the great Duke sithence I was in Loraine whatsoeuer is or shall become of his persō or affaires I resolue herafter to take litle care but meane to follow the other employment I recounted to your lordship Notwithstanding as one that hath some interest in the cause I will render your Lordship my censure and resolution in a word and make you partaker of my inward and secret contemplations Forasmuch as your lordship hath acquainted with this impostor and deluders confession dissimulation and trumperies I can do no lesse thē grieue thereat very much and the rather that he escaped without punishmēt being as your lordship assures me he is so vile and so notorious an offender maruelling you would suffer so pestilent and damnable a wretch to liue that hath bene the cause of so many mens disasters confiscation of goods ruines and extinguishments by vndertaking misaduentures by sea land and what not indemnities for his sake abandoning countrie father mother wife children house and home rest and safetie and I wonder it pleased God to suffer such a one to be borne that his mother in his conception before her deliuerance had not bene transformed into a stone or presently bin dissolued into smoke or aire What vnhappie man could haue caused me to forsake my place in Paris where I was well and quietly seated to thrust my life into perill but onely he that wicked and vngodly man I haue twise in this vnluckie iorney bene afflicted with the gout diuers times almost ouerwhelmed with snow drenched in waters tormented with clambring rocks and hils sustaining all hazards that sea and land might present me with thunder and lightning from clouds and is it iustice thinke you my good Lord that a man occasioning so many troubles should liue vnpunished This man hath troubled me much and grieued my very soule This noble Duke might by the aprouemēt of many haue caused him to haue bene indited arraigned and condemned and haue ministred to him some extraordinarie death to the terrible example of all others and haue manifested the same to all the world In my conceit my noble Lord this execution had bin most expedient conuenient to the commendation of equitie and iustice The Archbishop hearing these words pronounced with such vehement passion as though my soule had giuen franke consent to my passionate vtterance in lamentation of my hard successe said I am much grieued for your vexation notwithstanding I cānot so hainously accuse nor condemne the man but only for his folly to call himselfe Dom Sebastian king of Portugal for surely he was a reuerend man for vertue and sinceritie of life I could rather agree to accuse that Religious traitor by whom he was first perswaded and suborned to take the name of King vpon him These many such like words he vsed aswell to iustifie himselfe as to recouer me out of that affliction which he perceiued his speeches had thrust me into but in the end I took my leaue of his lordship and returned to my cloister of S. Mark where the religious fathers receiued with many curtesies and kind welcomes The like entertainment I found in all other couents as I went specially at Mantua where I was importuned to remaine many daies God giue me abilitie grace to requite them that I may not be found vnthankfull for I assure your Lordship I cannot expresse the merites and fauours I found at their hands much lesse see which way I may yeeld them due recompence From Mantua I thought best to go to Rome in hope by the friendship of the Cardinals and other noble Lords and Gentlemen to find some furtherance in my affaires to the bettering of my vnhappie Princes fortunes That he should be my very king and lord I am greatly fortified in hope find many good signes and apparant arguments amongst the most serious and religious men of estimation Princes Lords and others finding it not expedient to nominate all the fauorers of this enterprise desiring your Lordship to pardon me for not satisfying you in euery particular concerning my successe at this time according to your request which defects I will repaire in my intelligence from Rome from whence I hope to send your lordship more exact aduertisemēts concerning the life and successe of this Prince since the battell in Africke from whence he hardly escaped by flight with al that past here in the time of his imprisonmēt how in what maner what day houre he departed herehēce Fa. Seraphin Banchi hath hitherto much assisted me in the businesse was very ioyfull of the honourable greetings from your Lordship desiring his continuance in your honourable fauours By his meanes I am so much furthered as I trust to morrow morning to be dispatched hence The Almightie blesse your honourable person in all you desire Florence the third of Iuly 1601. Your noble Lordships humble seruant father Fr. IOSEPH TEXERE Portugueze c. A Letter written by the said Fr. Texere to the Bishop before saluted IN my last Letter written to your excellent Lordship from Florence I promised to performe as much or rather more at my arriuall at Rome wherein I feare I shall faile for many causes checking my will and endeuour to keepe touch with your Lordship First because I came not hither so soone as I intended being hindred by reason of my sicknesse which lengthned my iorney for being in Viterbe I soiourned seuen or eight dayes in the house of our Ladie De la Quercia a Monasterie of our order distant some halfe league from the towne where God by the intercession of the Virgin
A CONTINVATION OF THE LAMENTABLE AND ADMIRABLE ADVENTVRES OF DOM SEBASTIAN KING OF PORTVGALE With a declaration of all his time employed since the battell in Africke against the Infidels 1578. vntill this present yeare 1603. ANCHORA SPEI LONDON Printed for Iames Shaw and are to be sold at his shop neare Ludgate 1603. The Epistle to the Reader GEntle Reader in the entrance of this Discourse which followes you shall find three letters written by an auncient man called Doctor Texere a Portugal directed to a Bishop this fathers verie friend which I haue here compiled and expressed among other proofes to verifie the infortunate accidents this disasterous King hath sustained since he was taken prisoner by the great Duke of Tuscane vntill the last day of the yeare past 1601. You may also find within this Pamphlet two Letters translated one written by D. Raimond Marqueti a Knight of the order of S. Iohn borne in Messina in Sicile to Dom Sebastian the other sent from the said King to D. Prospero Baracco dwelling in Padua By the two last letters it will euidently appeare vnto you that the prisoner detained now in Naples is not that Marco Tullio Catizone whom the Spaniards in their libels haue so falsly proclaimed but the very true King of Portugale Dom Sebastian Immediatly after these letters followeth a discourse in the beginning whereof there is a Preface written by father Texere manifesting the naturall disposition of Portugals and witnessing how constantly they addresse themselues in loyaltie towards their Gouernours that raigne ouer them according to the sincere word of God and the vnfallible rules of honour You may also behold a most ample declaration about the end of this discourse ministring foure seuerall points worthie the reading and obseruing to proue vnto you assuredly that the prisoner for whom we trauell so industriously with perseuerance is the true and lawfull King of Portugale Dom Sebastian whom God of his diuine mercie will I trust restore to his former Crowne and dignitie for the good and propagation of the peace and welfare of all Christendome which the eternall God effect if it be his blessed will Amen The 26. of Feb. An. 1602. A Letter sent from father Fr. IOSEPH TEXERE to a Bishop POst acceptā benedictionem I wrote to your reuerend Lordship frō Paris to signifie vnto you the cause of my returne from Lions where I receiued a letter frō your L. dated the 20. of March In the which you gaue me in charge that if I had occasion to trauell into Laly I should giue you speciall intelligence of all the occurrents that should be presented to my vnderstanding in my iourney the 16. of Aprill in the same yeare I departed from Paris towards these parts passing through Campaigne the very first day the gout began to assaile me and ceassed not but accompanied me to Chalons which was wednesday being holyday where I remained in my couent vntill the wednesday after Easter The same day after dinner hauing vrgent occasion I was compelled by meanes of my sicknesse to vse the benefite of a coach and came the Friday following to Nance On Saterday following I vndertooke to walke faire and softly with much paine to visit his Highnesse and the Ladie sister to the King and her husband the Cardinall the Count of Vandemont and the Princesse his sister Beleeue me I cannot expresse in words the consolation I conceiued in beholding the inseparable bond of loue and amitie wherein these noble Princes seemed to be vnited and conformed from whom like one loaden and charged with honourable benefits giftes graces and fauours I departed to Basil on munday being the seuenth of May. Notwithstanding the great confort my entertainement gaue me occasion of yet bitter spell of discontentment wounded me inwardly for that the friday before I had particular intelligence by the post that the Calabrian the false and counterfeit Dom Sebastian as they termed him the pretended King of Portugale was rendred into the custodie of the gouernor of Orbetelo a towne in Tuscane bordering vpon the Mediterranian sea being a part of the King of Spaines territories from thence to be conueyed to the Viceroy of Naples so swift were those bloudie Spaniards in their cruel expeditions The poore Prince departed from that towne the 13 of Aprill at eleuen of the clocke at night passing by Siene the foure and twentieth and was deliuered the sixe and twentieth The manner of diuulging these newes was by intelligence that came to Nance by Milan in lesse then eight dayes The eleuenth of May I came to Basill the thirteenth I entred Soleurre where because I was ill at ease Monsieur de Vic your Lordships deare friend and worthie Ambassadour of his most Christian Maiestie in affaires to the Swissers and Grisons inforced me to stay and repose my selfe with him vntill the sixteenth day wherehence after the fruition of infinite courtesies I departed passing by the Swissers Grisons Valtoline and Valcamonica I entred into Italy the first towne I lodged in was Bresse the next Verona Vicence Padua The second of Iune I came to Venice where without delay I hasted to visit Monsieur Villiers Ambassador of his excellent Maiestie This noble gentleman I found in all respects as your Lordship had commended him to me most reuerend for honour vertue and wisedome as the world can iustly testifie From thence I retired my selfe in his Gundelo to a friend of mine an honourable gentleman by whom with diuers other of my friends that came to see me I was confirmed in my former knowledge concerning the mishaps before rehearsed vnderstanding in like maner how grieuously the nobles and citizens of Venice tooke the troubles of the worthie distressed King ascribing the blame to the negligence of the Portugals that vndertooke the managing of his libertie into whose hands they had committed him safe and sound for as much as in those Lords presence they seemed to acknowledge him vnder which pretence they preased before the Senate to signifie vnto them a truth beseeching them to allow him some other solemnitie in proceeding then they vse to a common or priuate person and to respect him as a King The fourth day I returned to Padua the seuenth I was at breakefast in Mantua where I was well entertained by the reuerend and vertuous Prelate the rare and honourable Lord Fr. Francis Gonzaga Bishop of the said citie And soone after I had bene in my couent and receiued the chiefe Prelates benediction I went to salute the Duke and the Duchesse to whom I caried certaine letters who receiued me with no lesse shew of account then they could haue made to an Ambassadour that had bene employed in the most Christian Kings affaires The selfe same day to accompanie this my glorious entertainement the despitefull gout made a returne into my feeble limmes and there soiourned with me seuenteene or eighteene dayes in the same citie In which space I drew a tree with branches expressing the genealogie of the
by my returne this by-way I gathered some certaintie of much that happened to Dom Sobastian the King since his slight out of Africke vntill he was discharged out of this common-weale and now I begin to make your Lordship a true relation certaine and without controlement When it was spread at Rome that I remained in this town and that by reason of my hurt I could not sodainly depart from hence a friend of mine certified me by letteers the sixth of August in what maner Paula Catizzone with her daughter arriued at Naples being shipped from Messina by the Catholike Kings agents to come and acknowledge this prisoner for her husbād and the said Paula meeting in the ship with a religious man of the order of S. Francis of her acquaintance she dicouering the cause of her trauel vnto him assuring him she knew vndoubtedly that that prisoner was not Marco Tullio Catizzone her husband saying that same prisoner that they cal D. Sebastiā king of Portugale had sent him into Portugal which she trusted would make wel for that prisoner and do him no hurt at al and that she came rather to iustifie then to condemne him The same man my friend promised me of particular aduertisements of whatsoeuer shal be effected in this businesse I beseech you consider the cunning the Castilians vse in the expedition of their enterprises who are both terrible and warie in all their practises Although they know that Marco Tullio Catizzone died in Portugale yet notwithstanding they continue their indirect and false course with inuentions and sleights colouring their proiects to seduce and blind the world This woman a subiect of the Spanish Kings was threatned vpon paine of death not to hinder any of the Kings proceedings therefore she must take vpon her to know this man and iustifie him to be her husband Marco Tullio c. though she had neuer seene him before be the matter neuer so false as it is most vntrue and so proued by many reasons and letters whereof I made mention to your Lordship in my letters from Florence I haue sent a copie to my friend in Rome to be deliuered to his Holinesse and another to your Lordship with these presents to controle all those that shall belye this action Beside this testimonie there newly arriued a graue Portugal a man of good authoritie and credit that vnderstāding at Rome which way I was departed tooke post horses came after me Beside that he was one of my old acquaintance he brought letters in his bosome of recommendation to induce me to trust him and that he might open his secrets vnto me which certaine Lords of Portugale that sent him charged him to doe This man named the house in which Marco Tullio Catizzone died to the owner whereof he brought and deliuered certaine letters from the King and there were counter letters written which were neuer as yet deliuered to the King In such sort that this falsitie that this prisoner is Marco Tullio Catizzone can by no meanes be prooued in fauour of the inuenters thereof Now forasmuch as from time to time I am in more liklihood to recouer this mishap I trust I shall not haue cause to stay in this towne to write any more letters vnto you but purpose by Gods helpe to make small delay to come my selfe to your Lorship and excuse all other messengers Beseeching the heauenly King to blesse your excellent lordship From Venice the thirteenth of August 1601. Most humbly at your excellent Lordships seruice father Fr. IOSEPH TEXERE The copie of a Letter written by D. Raimond Marqueti with this inscription To Dom Sebastian calling himselfe King of Portugal being at Venice I Receiued letters from your lordship the sift of September last past wherein I perceiue the resolution your Lordship hath taken to commit your care and trust to Marco Tullio Catizzone a man as worthie as able to manage such a businesse Further I render your Lordship a thousand thankes for the good opinion and confidence you haue reposed in my person in discharge of which trust I will repaire my diligence to learne newes of that Marco Tullio who as yet is not returned into these quarters But so soone as he shall I will giue him to vnderstand how sore your Lordship longeth for his returne and will also aduise him to execute your commaundements in all points with exceeding care diligence and secrecie and by him I will not faile to giue your Lordship to vnderstand that when it pleaseth your Lordship to satisfie your desire to see this countrey haiung alreadie runne through the greatest part of the world I shal procure your conference with these noble men companions to your aduentures which you so earnestly wish to behold viz. the Duke of Aueyro Christopher de Tauora and the rest If you please to send me some priuie markes or tokens that they may repose as much confidence in me as is necessarie for the dispatch of your Lordships dissignes in this seruice and any other I intend to performe to your Lordship both diligence and secrecie As for the letter to Donna Paula Catizzone I hold it no policie to deliuer it her considering it is a loose aduenture in such daungers to trust a woman Neither will I neglect to be carefull for the honour of the said Paula Catizzones house as your Lordship required me and in the end the effects shall shew To conclude I desire your Lordship to excuse me for not vsing so reuerent a stile to your Lordship as I could wish which I hope you conceiue I refraine to do because I would not be discouered in your weightier affaires holding this the best and safest course to do your seruice wherein I beseech the Almightie God to prosper your Lordship and grant you due successe to whose tuition with reuerend kissing your hands a thousand times I commit your Lordship From Messina the eighth of October 1598. Dom Raimond Marquetl The copie of a Letter written by Dom Sebastian King of Portugale while he was prisoner in Venice sent to Padua to the most reuerend D. Prospero Baracco Amner to the Cathedrall Church in that towne the originall remaining in the hands of Sr Georgio Bustarelli MOst reuerend D. Prospero I am to signifie vnto your Lordship how much I haue bene grieued for your meritlesse afflictions hauing suffered imprisonment for my sake by the poursuite of the Castilians mine enemies But seeing things past are irreuocable and are onely to be ouercome with patience considering you are not ignorant of the whole complotment And forasmuch as I am so restrained from writing at large that I cannot expresse vnto you my secret meaning I onely request you to send some trustie messenger to Messina diligently to enquire and search whether Marco Tullio Catizzone be returned thither with any directions or not And to that end purpose your reuerend Lordship may vse my name to D. Raimond Marqueti to whom I wrote heretofore being at Moran if you forget
vnto me at large that which he had oft recited to me in this town concerning the estate of that King And because his answer was that he could not agree to the satisfaction of my demaunds I ceased to importune him any further in that behalfe But forasmuch as at my being at Venice some of the chiefest of the Siegniorie of that State asking me if I were able to say any thing concerning that the King had answered vpon his examination saying that he had bene in Paris and there conferred with a Portugale fled out of his countrey for D. Antonioes cause being his cosin And further that he met with a gentlemā of Swisser-land at Soleurre departing from thēce towards Annissi by whom I sent a letter to D. Nouuelet in the which I most instantly desired him to set downe in writing all that he had declared to me at Paris concerning my maister D. Sebastiā c. At my great importunity it pleased him to grant me my desire and here I haue annexed the same copied out verbatim as it was written in maner and forme with the recommendations he assigned me to do to his friends named in the same originall men of good esteeme for birth office and popular affectation So that to his truth and sinceritie no man can take exception being a professor in his art both very learned and excellently experienced in his life and manners neuer detected Therefore all suspition either of the matter or the man is preuented The copie of a Letter sent from D. Nouuelet to Fr. Ioseph Texere SIR I receiued your last Letter dated the eighteenth of the moneth past whereby you make me recal to mind the griefe I conceiued by your letters preceding concerning the troubles of Emanuell Godigno a Gentleman borne in Portugale I had long since expressed in writing and sent it you if I had cōiectured your disposition had bene apt to entertaine newes So ready and willing I am to applie my endeuours to do you seruice in any thing you shall please to commaund me but the consideration of your rare perfection of memorie made me decline from doubt of any defect therein and so much the slower in committing that to writing which I had before so obseruantly vttered in your hearing and in the presence of many persons of good respect aswell of your countrey as of other nations imputing this imposition rather to your desire to be better assured Obsignatis tabulis then to any want of cariage in your vnderstanding parts I thus addresse my pen to confirme my tongues discourse In the yeare of our Lord 1588. being at Nance in emploiment and seruice of my Lord the Cardinall of Gondie about the affaires of my Lord the Bishop of Paris his nephew that was called Abbot of Buzai I tooke vp my lodging in the couent of the Iacobins where I found good oportunitie to ingraft my selfe in the fauour and friendship of the reuerend father D. Sampayo a man much commended for his liberall erudition in letters but recommended for his integritie and zeale one of your owne order and of your ancient and approued acquaintance and being both godly and learned vnited in more assured bonds of loue and amitie then are exercised among the vulgar Meane while that league of friendship then planted betweene that good Dr. Sampayo and me tooke so good roote in vs both as it continueth without perill of supplanting til this day and is like for your sake to fructifie aboundantly as well by increase of loue as of acquaintance with many other noble gentlemen of good sort and condition Among the rest of the ordinary frequenters came Sr. Emmanuell Godigno to visite Doctor Sampayo at my lodging and taking some acquaintance of me continued the same as long as I lay in Nance till I retired towards Paris leauing to my great sorrow the sweete conuersation betwixt Doctor Sampayo and my selfe louing each other dearely This Godigno loth to let slip out of vse the complements that had past betweene him and me at Nance at his comming to Paris frequented my lodging daily to vnderstand of Doctor Sampayoes health and welfare whereof I not being able to giue him any certaine intelligence he began to mourne and looke heauily whom I could not chuse but in that passion to accompanie enuying any mans affection should exceed mine in zeale to my friend It followed that vpon a sunday in what moneth I remember not this Sr. Godigno receiued the Communion very deuoutly ministred by the chiefe of the Iacobins which made me refraine for that time to salute him or he me for intruth I thinke he saw me not and I not willing to interrupt his deuotion let him passe without any ceremonie on my part performed Notwithstanding the same afternoone he repaired to my lodging and as his custome was demaunded what tidings I heard of his friend and mine Doctor Sampayo and I hauing no better means to informe him then before desired him to excuse my ignorance being vnable to giue him any contentment by intelligence of him or from him At which answer the kind gentleman seemed very pensiue and appaled sitting still a long while mute and silent whereby I imagined he had somwhat that inwardly distempered him for I might perceiue the teares trickle downe his cheekes Which perturbation breaking out at his eyes afforded him some libertie to vtter these words following Sir I consider the great loue that was betwixt Doctor Sampayo and you that maenifestly appeared to me at Nance withal the confidence he reposed in your fidelitie towards him which perswades me that I cannot commit a secret matter of great consequence to a man that can more assuredly conceale it then your selfe And I doubt not but the same shall be as safely guarded in the treasurie of your constancie as in his if you will vouchsafe to giue me your vnfained promise so to do Whereunto I answered Sir if it be a secret neuer as yet by you reuealed to any man but vnto me you may boldly speake it but if you haue alreadie trusted any man or shall hereafter declare the same to any other it may so fall out that you may lay some other mans deserued blame to my charge Therefore in this doubtfull case I beseech you trust your selfe and tell me nothing for I will not haue you ransacke your inclosure vpon my protestation although I presume so much vpon your honest sinceritie being a Gentleman both honest and religious you wil vtter nothing vnto me that shall not be like your selfe considering beside I haue seene you this day participate a sound mystery most reuerently and deuoutly among the Iacobins which assures me that you cannot produce any thing out of your mouth either prophane or wicked Whereunto he replied that he was expresly prepared to receiue the holy Communion vpon this day to the end God might inspire him with the vnderstanding what was fittest for him to do in this case and resolued absolutely
to tell it me that I might disclose it to Doctor Sampayo fearing least he might die burdened with so great a secret as concerned the good of all Christendome holding his conscience greatly charged with the weight thereof coniuring me seriously to deliuer it safe to Doctor Sampayo meane while if it please God to take him out of this transitorie world it might be lawfull for me to publish it openly before my death This and such other like speeches being ended he began to vnbosome his conceit in this manner It was my chaunce to meete with a Gentleman in this towne my countriman betweene the which and me there had bene auncient amitie after many dayes conference at secret meetings he told me that Dom Sebastian the King of Portugale was not dead wherat the said Godigno seemed to be astonished and said he did not beleeue it vntil he had seene him aliue with his owne eyes and then said he I may haue reason to be of your mind Which the other promised should be effected and to that purpose caried him to dinner to the house where Dom Sebastian was lodged which was as I remember in S. Iames his streete or in harpe streete whether the first or second day or shortly after he had vsed to that place he could not certainely name the time but a friend of his a Portugal came and inquired at the house for Dom Sebastian King of Portugal and as he was comming vp the stayers Godigno hasted downe the stayers to stop his passage and tooke occasion to carie away his friend faining some other affaires with him because he would preuent the King from discouery who was very iealous of publicke notice But the morrow after the same gentleman came againe about his former businesse and inquired earnestly for the King and being there denied him ceased not to aske of euery one he met throughout all the citie for Dom Sebastian King of Portugale but not preuailing at all he fell into an extreme agonie and desisted not from inquisition to litle purpose and surprised with great care what to do was at length inspired with a motion frō God to professe a solitarie life and take vpon him the habit of an hermite so being disguised trauelled towards Spaine and arriuing at the Court made meanes to speake with the Catholicke King saying that he had matters of great importance to reueale vnto him and to none but the King And after long attendance he was admitted to the Kings presence to haue audience to whom he protested he had lately seene Dom Sebastian in Paris and confirmed it by many signes and tokens of veritie The King presently forbad him by any meanes to vtter it to any man liuing and willed him to go abroade euery where to search out and discouer what he might possibly allowing him present money to beare his charges deliuering him a letter to D. Bernardin Mendosa then his ledger Ambassador in France to giue him any money he should haue cause to vse not signifying vnto him for what cause or intent and thereupon he shewed me letters which made the matter euident that he had bene in Spaine as is aforesaid but for the particularities of the said letters I do not well remember but that I hold my selfe satisfied thereby that he had bene in Spaine c. but to continue his tale he told he had trauelled so long that his money being well wasted he was forced to go to Mendosa to be supplied in his necessitie to whom when he would not reueale the cause of his comming into those parts and hauing letters of intelligence out of Spaine from some great man that he should deliuer that Godigno no more money being but an impostor and a deluder as they termed him Mendosa was soone confirmed in that parsimonie intending before to shut vp his liberalitie and to giue him neuer a deneere at which deniall this Godigno began to lament and burst forth into bitter teares as I iudge his lamentation was because he was crost and preuented for comming to the type of his enterprise In the end protesting before God and his Angels and by vertue of that holy Sacrament he had that day receiued that all that he had vttered to me was true in the end without protestation of beleeuing or shew of incredulitie I promised him my secrecie as he desired some few daies after this conference he returned vnto me as he vsed to do inquiring what news I heard of father Sampayo to whom I answered I vnderstood of him no more then before Meane while I was as it were distracted in conceit seeing this Gentlemans relation a paradoxe aduerse to the fame and vulgar opinion of Dom Sebastians death and weying this Gentlemans integritie zeale and communication with the lacobins could not in my cōscience condēne him for a lier But whether it were true or false according to my promise I concealed it though it were in some sort an offence so to do It came to passe in some litle space after in the house of an Apothecarie dwelling in the suburbes called S. Germaine neare the gate whose house was razed at the siege of Paris that this man died Here is all that I can say concerning this subiect which I neuer opened to any man sauing to Doctor Sampayo which was a good while after but the time I do not iustly remember and one cause why I was loth to speak of it was for that I was afraid to be thought deluded And me thinks this I haue written vnto you may seeme very strange notwithstanding the cōmon report at this houre is that Dom Sebastian was seene aliue two yeares after he was detained in Venice but I tell ye the greater part of the world suppose that he is a counterfeit suborned c. God knowes what he is who euer send you happie and long life so with my humble recommendations to your reuerend self I leaue you From Annisi the last of September anno 1601. I forgot to tell you that Emmanuel Godigno added to that before mentioned that the Catholicke King gaue him in especiall charge to tell Dom Sebastian that the Catholike King requested him by any meanes to hasten his returne without delay to him desiring nothing so much as to render him the possession of his Realme and kingdome and to bestow his eldest daughter vpon him in mariage I am farther to desire you of so much fauour as to send me these bookes from Lions here mentioned in a catalogue inclosed in this letter and I will faithfully repay whatsoeuer you shall lay out to that purpose Here follow the titles All the workes you can find De regno Christi temporali I beseech you salute for me Monsieur le Feure recommending my faithfull seruice vnto him of whom if it please you you may craue assistance in my businesse for he is a man multae lectionis Good Lord I had forgotten my dutie to Monsieur de Tyron to Monsieur Pelle jay to
Church These vsurers beleeuing this to be true and desirous to make gaine of any thing beganne to enter into the course of laying wagers as the Castilians had aduised them The witnesses hearing they offered so franckly a thousand for one if the prisoner were iudged to be Dom Sebastian c. knowing certainly that it was he beleeuing that the Senate in regard of such especiall markes tokens and proofes would not refuse to publish him what they had found him were easily drawne to bargaine with these bankers to some of the which the simple and honest men gaue out twentie some thirtie some fiftie some ten some fiue crownes in hope to be paid a thousand for one so that they had giuen out some three hundred crownes or more and shortly after they found out the wrong and hindrance they had done to the poore Kings cause by their mony they begun to repent themselues exceedingly of their folly the account was cast that the repaiment would amount to three hundred thousand crownes And the bankers seeing themselues ingaged for so great a sum of monie and if the Senate should chance to publish that which they knew to be true that they were like to be stripped of the greatest part of their substance began to complot and oppose themselues to counterchecke the truth which fell out to be a great preiudice and barre to the King my maisters cause for that many chiefe men and the factors of many principall houses were interested in this hazard of indemnitie as those of the house of Astroci Caponi Baglioni Labia Iacobo Begia Antonio Simone Pietro Tobon Bastian Garinoni and many others of their parents and allies for their sakes among which were diuers that bare office in the common-weale as Iacobo Fuscurini a proctor in S. Marke that was euer enemie to the King my maister In the end this diuellish inuention and Castilian pernicious pollicie wrought vs much woe and multiplied our enemies infinitely for it was so commonly knowne and spoken that litle children as they went for mustard could say that this was the principall cause why the Senators would haue had Dom Sebastian say he was not Dom Sebastian but a Calabrian and they promised straight to set him at libertie and not that fauour alone but they would do what else for him he could or would require Whereupon he wrote a letter to the Pope complaining iustly vpon the Senators of Venice for requiring at his hands so vnlawfull a thing to whom he declared in his letter that he answered them that he had rather die a tortured death then confesse so palpable an vntruth to gaine an ignominious life and libertie O that it were possible for me to speake all that is true in this case but I must let passe infinite iniuries least the reuealing all might rather aggraute then relieue my maisters miserie If I durst this discourse should haue bene more ample and better vnderstood if it were lawful that I might say what I could say that the Monarks and Princes of Christendome haue done the King my Lord secretly and openly much good and ill and are vnwilling either of both should be manifested to the world in writing Notwithstanding I will neuer burie in silence an answer that a grand Sabio of this commonwealth made to a magnificent Prince in Europe of great vnderstanding but of no great antiquitie This Sabio going to visite this Prince was intreated by him to tell him what ground the Seigniorie of Venice had to proceed vpon the prisoner in that forme which called himselfe Dom Sebastian King of Portugale for said he if they found him to be a Calabrian why did they set him at libertie without chastisement And if it were verified vnto them by good proofes and euidence that he was Dom Sebastian King of Portugal why did they vse him in that maner The grand Sabio publikely made this answer in the presence of many Sir forasmuch as the affaires concerned the estate of Spaine the Seigniorie would not presume to iudge whether it was he or not This man was committed for disobeying a commaundement the Seigniorie laid vpon him and therefore restrained two yeares of his libertie to the end he might repent him of his fault and after the expiration of two yeares againe dismissed him vpon the like commaundement And to be plaine with your Excellencie the man would follow no good aduice but was wilfull turbulent and of ill gouernement by which meanes much ill is come vnto him That word ill aduised might haue bene well interpreted for that he would not denie himselfe to be that which vndoubtedly he was It was not my fortune to be present at this act being elsewhere employed out of those parts but at my returne it was related to me by a learned person that was there in present which afterward the same Prince himselfe did ratifie vnto me assuring me that the answer of that Sabio grand did verily induce him to beleeue that that prisoner was Dom Sebastian the very true King of Portugale for if the Seigniorie had held this man to be a Calabrian said this Prince to what purpose did the Sabio hold me with such a long discourse publickely considering he knew the priuitie of the affaires if he had bene proued a Calabrian it had bene sufficient to haue said in a word Sir he was a Calabrian an impostor and a cosiner without any more ado But you see how the world fares and how it swayes abruptly and so ends my pitifull narration aduising intreating and coniuring you gentle Reader to shun the snares and trips of these subtill enemies for I can assure you by the testimonie of a good conscience that they be those that S. Chrysostome terme the Pharises Qui portabant mel in ore fel in corde they will flap you in the mouth with honie which when you begin to chew perhaps you shall taste sweete but in the digestion you shall find it most bitter in operation Farewell FINIS