the Conde Duke with some other of the principall Spaniards were secured as Hostages for those Portugals that should be found at Madrid or else where in the Catholique Kings dominion Thursday following the Duke made his entry into Lisbon with the generall acclamations of all sorts crying God save King John all the Canons discharging Bells ringing with Bonfires and Fireworks for three nights following And the more to gain the peoples affections divers impositions were taken off prisoners set at liberty and Offices confer'd upon the Race of those whose Ancestors had enjoyed the same under the naturall Kings of Portugall All sorts of Men Clergy or Laymen or women brought in their Plate Gold Jewels c. to make money for the maintenace of this new Kingdome The Clergy brought in as a gift six hundred thousand Crowns the Nobility four hundred thousand and the people one Million of Gold The 15 of December the King was sworn and January the 28 following was delared and confirmed in a generall Assembly or Parliament of the Three States Lords Spiritual Lords Temporal and Commons of that Kingdom The King sent a courteous Complement by some Nobles to the Infanta Margarit of Savoy assuring her of all civill usage befitting a Princess of her quality desiring her withall to forbear all discourse whereby she might instill into his subjects hearts any opinion prejudicial to his most just and righteous cause But she notwithstanding with much boldnesse after many expressions of thankfulnesse to the Duke fell into a large and grave exhortation to thoâ—e Nobles to lay aside all vain hopes and return to their true allegeance not doubting to obtain pardon but the Rubicon was already passed nor is any Rhetorick powerful enough to perswade a King to quit a Royal Scepter The King was about 37 years old when he was proclaimed King affecting always a plain Garb and sober diet often saying that great personages ought to be affable and that any clothes becom them and any diet nourisheth them he is very active of body few there are that can outrun him and indeed he hath run wel that hath gained a Crown He hath â—y his wife the sister of the Duke of Medina Sidonia many sons and daughters Thus was the Kingdom of Portugal the best pearl in the king of Spains Crown utterly lost It is for wealth power and commodity of situation above all other that Kings Dominions It is 350 miles long and about 12â— broad lying all along upon the Sea thick peopled and powerful at Sea With it revolted all the Tercera Islands all the East Indies all upon the coast of Africa but onely one Town called Ceuta which is the onely place that belonged to the Portugall Kings that is now in the hand of the Spaniard Immediatly Ambassadours were dispatched into England and Holland but chiefly into Catalonia to offer them all aide and assistance possible The newes of the generall Revolt of Portugall stroke a generall sadness in all the Court at Madrid onely the Conde Duke came laughing to the King some would thereby collect that the Duke took great delight in chastising the people and imposing new Laws and demanded of His Majesty las Albricias as they call it that is A reward for bringing of good news for that His Majesty was now absolute over Portugall the People having forfeited all their Priviledges by their Rebellion and lawfull Owner oâ— all the Estate of the duke of Braganza and all the Nobles his followers to dispâ—â—se amongst his Loyall Subjects Although others imagine with more reason that the Conde Duke inwardly resented that business more then any man but according to his manner would set a good face on it After so many principall Feathers had been pluckt out of the Austrian Eagle as if the world had conspired to leave Her staâ—k naked some nearer home began to be plucking likewise The Duke of Medina Sidonia whose sister was now Queen of Portugall with some other discontented Nobles of Andaluzia the next best Countrey that the King of Spain had at this time resolve by the help of the Portugall their next Neighbour and the assistance of the French and Dutch fleet then near upon that Coast to Cantonize all Andaluzia and Medina Sidonia to bee Head thereof unless the King would bee perswaded to change the present Ministers of â—tate and require a â—ust account of so many Millions gathered of the People which if He would doe they would then continue his Loyall Subjects But the Conde Duke by his cunning extinguished this fire in the Birth for with much sweetness and fair words without the least violence he drew the Duke of Medina Sidonia to Madrid and secured his person as he stands at this day in Valliadolid and sent another Govern ur with such instructions that he satisfied or terrified all turbulent spirits These many disasters one upon the neck of another awaked the Court of Spain and so startled them that they now began to double their diligence and circumspecti insomuch that the Councell of State sate constantly morning and Evening to provide against the many storms that threatned on every side Not long before the disgrace and death of the Conde Duke was discovered the unparaleld Forgery of Michael de Molina and his Treachery in giving informations some false and some true to most of the Ambassadors of Forraign States which for its extraordinary strangeness for it is Exemplum sine Exemplo shall after this Relation be fully rehearsed But to proceed nevertheless the Conde Duke cast all the miscarriages in Portugall upon the Infanta and laboured as much as possibly hee could to hinder her from coming to Court lest she should justifie her self and cast if not suspicion upon his Loyalty yet at least a foul blot upon his Reputation therefore she being sent out of Portugall was by Olivarez means confined in Estremadurae and afterwards at Ocania near Madrid where shee was not allowed necessaries which made her at length privately fly away to Madrid Besides the Infanta he had also much discontented the chief Nobility who afterward all helped to pull him out of his seat for he never thought himself sufficiently assured in the Kings favor and command of the Kingdome unless after Tarquins example he abased instead of cutting off the Heads of the Grandees the house of Lerma the house of Toledo the Duke of Alva the duke of Ferrandino the duke of Hijar the dukes of Maqueda Lemos Fuentecalida Altamire c. All either ruined or disgraced by the Dukes means Onely the Conde de Monterey and the Marquess de Leganes were thought worthy by Olivarez to have part in the Government two Men of mean extraction and Fortune by their prodigious exactions for which they were called Los dos Ladrones the two Theeves raised to incredible wealth Whereat the prime Nobility of Spain were so much incensed that they all withdrew themselves from Court none waiting upon the King at Table at Chappell nor in Hunting
were covered Amongst other discourse D. Francisco de Mello told her Majesty that he feared his Embassy would not be acceptable for that his Master had deprived her brother of one of his Kingdoms whereto her Majesty replyd that although she was sister to the King of Spain yet she was wife to the King of France and thereupon began to speak Spanish which the Ambassador observing demanded wherefore her Majesty had not vouchsafed them that favour sooner it being a language better understood by them the Queen answered for fear they should be daunted to hear her speak Spanish the Ambassador to improve the jest replyd Como a tam grande Senora si pero como a Castillana no. It was true considering her greatness but not her Countrey whereat her Majesty smiling went on promising them all favour and wishing many happy dayes to King John and the Prince his son thus having delivered to her Majesty a Letter from the Queen of Portugal they took leave to go visit the most Eminent Cardinal Richelieu who being advertised of their coming came forward to the third chamber to meet them and there received them with expressions of great affection after which he conducted them into his own Chamber where all three being sate his Eminence a personage for his most admirable abilities worthy to live many ages discovered divers affairs of importance to the Ambassadors and they oâ— the other side made his Eminence understand how highly it imported that the two Crowns of France and Portugal should be united by an indissoluble league and amity considering that the primary and principal aim of the house of Austria whose branches were spread over Europe was not only to be the greatest but the only Monarch of Christendom for which end it never made scruple to usurp Kingdoms and States upon the weakest pretences imaginable as have appeared in the Kingdoms of Naples Sicily and Navarre the Dutchy of Milan and several other States more lately in Germany the seizing upon the Valtelline that so being Master of that passage he may upon any opportunity lead an Army of high Germans into Italy Moreover considering the vast power and interest this Family hath not only in all the other States of Italy and Germany and in the Low Countries but also in almost all America it must be confessed that they have a large foundation of their imaginary universal Monarchy yet no one thing gave them so great hopes as the possession of Portugal First because by the addition of that Kingdom they became absolute Masters not only of all Spain but of all the East Indies of all the Eastern Trade of Ethiopia Persia Arabia China Iapan and all that incredible wealth that was raised out of the Portugal Traffique whereby the Austrian greatness if not their Monarchy was principally sustained therefore that it much concerned all States to endeavour not only to put a stop to the growth of that monstrous tree but to cut off some arms thereof that it may the less damnify and annoy the lesser trees that grow by it that to do this none was more concerned or more able then the Kingdom of France united with the Kingdom of Portugal which having bin reputed the right arm as Catalonia was the left of that huge Austrian Colossus and now separated from it and joyned with France will be able to do as great service against it as ever it hath been forced to do for it not only by assaulting the Spaniard at home in his own house but by intercepting the Plate-Fleet which coming from the West Indies must necessarily pass by the gates of their Enemies the Tereera Islands and so run a hazard to be lost or else be at the charges of an extraordinary Convoy Having thus discoursed with his Eminence of those and other weighty affairs he was pleased to offer not only all the assistance of the most Christian King but that he would disburse of his own for the Service of Portugal that he would presently send thither a Fleet of twenty Sail with his Nephews Admiral and Ambassador extraordinary whereupon the Ambassadors taking leave they were accompanied by his Eminence as far as the stairs which the Ambassadors endeavouring to hinder the Cardinal told them that the Ambassadors of Portugal were to be treated with no less respect then those of the Emperor or Pope Some few days after in the house of the Grand Chancellour there was appointed a Junta of the Ambassadors with his Majesties Commissioners together with the Secretary Chavigny where was soon concluded a peace and league between the Crown of France and Portugal and the Ambassadors with much courtesie and satisfaction dismissed It very much concerned the kingdome of Portugall to maintain amity and peace with the Crown of England not only for the Navigation and Commerce of both States but also for other particular ends in the present conjuncture of affairs principally to break the good correspondency that was at present maintained between the Crowns of Spain and England For this purpose in March 1641. were dispatcht for England Don Antonio de Almada and D r Francisco de Andrada Leiton personages of great abilities who arriving safe in spite of the Dunkerkers that chased them in England were received with demonstrations of great courtesie notwithstanding the earnest labouring of the Spanish Resident to the contrary It is true that his Majesty of England was so tender of his honour and conscience that he answered D r Antonio de Sosa Secretary to the Ambassadors sent before to make way that he would be first satisfied by what right and title his Master was made King of Portugal before he would accept of the Ambassage Whereupon the Secretary being one of the most exquisite wits of this age in the space of twenty four hours drew up and presented to his Majesty a writing which declared at large what here in substance ensueth Upon the death of King Henry the Cardinall without issue many pretended together with the Infanta Donna Catherine Dutchess of Braganza and Grandmother to this present King to the Crown of Portugal but all their pretences wanting foundation soon fell except that of Philip the second King of Spain who propt up his with force King Henry was Uncle equally neer to both but with this difference Catherine was the daughter of a son named Edward and Philip was sonne of a daughter named Isabella brother and sister to King Henry King Philip pleaded that he being in equall degree with Catherine was to be preferred for his sex Catherine replyed That the constitution of that kingdom allowing females to succeed and withall the benefit of representation in all Inheritances she representing Edward must exclude Philip by the very same right that her Father if he were living would exclude Philips mother This conclusion is infallible in jure whereto Philip answered That succession of kingdoms descending jure sanguinis there was allowed no representation Catherine destroyed that foundation alledging That the succession
by the death of the last King was derived jure haereditario non sanguinis because the succession of Kingdomes was to be regulated by that ancient way whereby all things descended by inheritance The other way of succession being not known until later Ages nor ever practised either in Spain or Portugal in such cases Briefly in behalf of Catherine it was urged which by the Castilians can never be denied or answered that she was no stranger but a Native of the kingdom to whom alone according to the Laws of Lamego the Crown of Portugal can appertain This is the simple Title of the House of Braganza against which the Castilians have forged a thousand Titles for the House of Austria as being the tenth or twentieth Grandchild of such a King or such a Prince c. which if sufficient Title against the next allies certainly the King of Castile is not onely King of Portugal but all Europe for there is scarce a Prince from whom he is not descended and happily this is the ground whereon he builds his hopes to be universal Monarch unless perchance he may esteem himselfe so by Will from Adam as some have imagined When the King had received and deliberated upon the writing he gave order that they should be conducted to London with all solemnity convenient disposed of in a Palace ready prepared for them after which with great ceremony they received audience of his Majesty in a most stately fair Hall where his Majesty was placed on a Throne raised two steps on each side Latices within which stood his Nobles at the Ambassadors entrance as they made their reverence the King uncovered himself and would not be covered untill the Ambassadors were so too To the Proposals made by Don Antonio de Almlda the King answered he should be very glad to find out a way to be friend to the King of Portugal and to renew the anâ—ient amity of the two Crowns without 〈◊〉 with Spain Some days following the Ambassadors went to visit the Queen who being placed under a cloath of State upon the entrance of the Ambassadors rose up and came forward down as farr as the Carpet extended making a low reverence at all three times that the Ambassadors bowed and being come neerer her Majesty made them be covered then uncovering themselves again they spake with their hats in their hands which ended the Queen told them that she much desired to keep strait amity with her Majesty the Queen of Portugall c. Don Alon so de Cardenas Ambassador Ordinary in the Court of England for the King of Spain laboured still by friends by moneys by promises even to to the restitution of the Palatinate so that the peace might not be made with Portugal but in vain for upon the 13 of June 1641 the peace was concluded The Commerce and correspondence that have always been between the kingdom of Portugal and Denmark induced King John to send Ambassadors thither but the greater correspondence with the House of Austria and some dependence upon the Emperour hindred the reception of that Ambassage yet the King and all the principal of the kingdom desiring not to break with Portugal gave all other satisfaction possible by extraordinary courtesies and respect to the Ambassadors who from thence went into Swethland where they were received with much solemnity and rejoycing by the whole kingdome Their reception at the young Queens Court at Stockholm was very magnificent where a league was soon concluded and the Ambassadors dismissed as the manner is there with chains of Gold and her Majesties portrait in a Medall of Gold With the like readiness did the States of the Low-Countries receive the Ambassage brought thither by that worthy personage Tristano de Mendoza Hurtada and a Truce of ten years made with Portugal not a peace because the Hollander having conquered many places in Brasil Angola c. whilst those countries were under the King of Spain that neither side might be prejudiced the King of Portugal would not approve of the conquests because they were places depending on the Crown of Portugal nor could the States promise restitution because they now belonged to their West Indy Company who since have often violated the Articles of this Truce to the great dishonor of the States to whom so long as they neglect to punish the transgressors of their own Capitulations no State will treat or trust for the future seeing them so shamefully break their word without the least occasion given It was long debated in the Court of Portugal whether an Ambassage should be sent to his Holiness at Rome or else a more opportune conjuncture of time expected Some were of opinion that an Ambassage was to be sent thither without further delay because thereby they clearly testifying their duty and respect to his Holiness as he was Head of the Catholick Church Portugal should gain his good favour and an acknowledgement that his Majesty Don John was rightfull King of Portugall which would be of very much importance to the affairs of the Kingdom But these considerations seemed to others rather things desirable then feasable First because the King of Spain was at present powerful at Rome to oppose the reception of their Ambassador Secondly because the Pope although he was never in heart a Spaniard yet he would never yeeld to shew himselfe an enemy to the Catholick King Moreover the Spaniard cunningly fomenting the opinion which all the world had entertained That his Holiness did in all things incline to the French interest would from such a reception draw as much as they could ever ask or desire for this cause the Pope that he might not seem their enemy alwayes granted them what ever they demanded Therefore it was alledged That it would be better first to sound the mind and inclinations of his Holiness then to run the hazard of some disgrace and afront to his Majesty and the whole Nation And in case the Pope should resolve not to receive the Ambassage to whom could they appeal for the injury done to the Crown We see many Popes so bewitched with the interest of their own families as to give occasion to the world to believe that their aim is not what is absolutly the best but what is best for themselves An example hereof we have in Pope Gregory the thirteenth so affectionate to the kingdom of Portugal at first that he imployed the utmost of his power to hinder King Philip the second from usurping it yet shortly after for the interest of his own family approved all that was done by the same King Who hath more to give or at least to promise then the Catholick King Therefore in any business of competition he must necessarily have the advantage against all others Nevertheless the French promising their assistance at Rome and their intercession with his holiness it was at length resolved by the major part that an Ambassage should be speedily sent to Rome His Majesty hereupon made
Michael Molina to be hanged on a gallowes and his goods to be confiscated to the Kings use the execution whereof they leave to the Lord Judge D. John de Quinnoues and this is their will and pleasure This sentence was made known to the prisoner upon the first of August and execution done accordingly in the Plaça Major of Madrid the third day following at which time and place the Proclamation usually made at the execution was thus THis is the Justice which the King our Soveraigne Lord commandeth to be done upon this man for having committed high treason and published falsities forgeries and horrible cheats on the affaires and grave ministers of state for which he commands that he be hanged by the neck till he die to the end that it may be to him for a punishment and to others an example then concludes Quien tal haze tal pague He that thus doeth let him thus pay for the same As he stood upon the ladder ready to be turned off he delivered in writing to father Andrew Emanuel of the Society of Jesus a declaration the contents whereof ensueth word for word LOyall subjects of our soveraigne Lord the King I am Michael de Molina born at Cuenca the grievousnes of my crimes is so great that a punishment can hardly be invented to equalize mine offences against God against our soveraigne Lord the King whom God preserve against the Emperour against my native country against the Lord Duke de Olivarez and Sant Lucar against the most grave faithfull and loyall Ministers of state whom I have discredited with my forgeries and lies The clemency of the King our soveraigne whom God preserve hath been very eminent in sentencing me so mercifully God grant to whom I now goe to render a strict account that there be found mercy for me in the life to come and that I then pay not for the clemency shewed me here I do here declare and confesse upon mine own free will that not having the feare of God nor man before mine eyes I have been the cause of the gretest part of the mischiefes that this Monarchy suffereth and of those calamities and miseryes which you faithfull people yet suffer for which I humbly beg pardon of all those that are absent as well as of you here present For I am the man that feigned that the King our soveraigne Lord whom God preserve and the Emperour instigated thereunto by the Lord Duke of Saint Lucar and fomented by him did plot the death of our most holy father Urban the 8 th Pope head of the Church and vicar of Christ for which purpose I invented and contrived orders of the King our soveraign and of the Emperour letters from the Duke Orders instructions and judgments of the Counsellours of State with letters from Vice Royes and Embassadours with purpose to abuse and deceive the Nuntio and the Embassadours of severall Princes and thereby to get money from them not caring for the dammage might arise and accrue from thence to the world and to this Monarchy and not contented here with I invented that in case the said death could not be effected that then endeavour should be to call a Councell and to depose the Pope or make a schisme in the Church I invented and forged that the Lord Duke did by order from the King the Emperour and the Counsell of state endevour to kill the Cardinal Richelieu Favorit to the most Christian King of France for which purpose and for the death of the Pope I feigned persons that were to have been instruments of the same I gave notice to the Ambassadours hereof shewing them letters and Orders which I feigned as I judged meet I made them believe that I was an Officer of the Counsell of state and that by that means I came to the knowledg of these plots and conspiracies whereby I have disturbed the world caused jealousyes and suspitions amongst all the Princes of Europe and the mischiefs that this Monarchy now suffereth I also advertised the Embassadours and the enemies of this state of letters consults orders and decrees made by the King and Counsell for driving the French out of Piemont the Correspondencies of the Cardinal of Savoy with the subjects of that state for effectuating the same the coming of Prince Thomas from Flanders to Savoy for the same purpose and to lay siege to Casal of an Army to be raysed and maintayned in Alsatia of an intention to kill Duke Bernard de Weimar General of the Swedes the intentions of the King our Soveraign with the states of Venice and Genoa concerning Piemont and Casal the purpose of supplies which both states of Venice and Genoa would send to France and Holland and the intentions of the Pope to assist France against Spain the intent of England to â—â—gue with Spain the purpose that the French and Hollanders had to joyn their fleets to hinder all succours of Flanders and to surprise the plate fleet and infect the coasts of Spain the design that the Hollander had upon Antwerp in the year 1638. the successe of Fontarabie whereupon I feigned letters from the Prince of Conde and from the Duchesse de Cheverâ—use also concerning the imprisonment of Don Gualterio Peni Secretary and Resident for France in this Court with whom I had intimate friendship which was the ground of all these disasters of the secret compliance between the Cardinall Infante and the Prince of Orenge of the conspirarcy by the Prince of Orenge to kill the Cardinal Richelieu the design of Holland that the States of Flanders should be independent of Spain and our King should renounce his right to the Cardinall Infanta to the end the Hollanders should receive him and subject themselves to him of the capitulations and agreement twixt the King our Sov and the Duke of Modena whereby I feigned that the said Duke was to assist with six thousand men at his own charge against France and that the King was to give him the charge of Viceroy of Catalonia and twenty thousand souldiers to enter into France by Catalonia which was the first ground of the warr at Salsas and Perpignian the key of Catalonia of the general resolutions of the year 1639. in order to the affayres of Germany Flanders and Italy of the purpose to take away the Nuntio's Court in these kingdomes for the disorders and excesses of the same of the great resentments of the King our soveraign against the King of France for his leagueing with the Swedes his confederation with the Turks and Protestant Princes of Germany for his protection and league with Holland for his commerce with Venice and Genoa to the great discommodity of Spain for the disunion which he endeavoured to make between Spain and England of the resentment that the King our Soverain had against the Pope for his amity and assisting of France and not his endeavouring rather as a father of the whole Church to pacify the warres by all meanes possible of the