till he had a Son Born nor should wear a Crown on his Head nor take the Right-hand of his Wife 5. That it should be a binding Law for ever among the Portugals That the Crown might not descend to Forreigners if the Kings Eldest Daughter should Marry a Forreign Prince she should be be excluded from her right of Succession for that they would not have the Kingdom which they had obtained by their own Valour go out of the Race of the Portugals First Thus Alphonso the First obtained the Crown of the Kingdom of Porugal and within a while he added to his rown by Conquest after a five months iege the Rich and Populous City of Lisbon which ever since became the Capital City of his Kingdom and Place of Residence for him and his Successors He made divers other Acquists to the enlargment of his Dominions and being 90 years of Age in the year 1185 he Died leaving behind him Sancho his Son who succeeded in his Kingdom and two Daughters Uracca married to Ferdinand King of Leon and Therasia by some called Matiida Married to Philip the first Earl of Flanders These he had with Henry who dyed young by a second Wife for he had no Issue by Uracca the Daughter of Count Trastamarense Mafalda Sister to Amadeo Earl of Morenna Secondly Sancho the First and Second King of Portugal Son of Alphonso his only Legitimate Son that he had living born at Conimbra the 12th of November 1154 Succeeded his Father being Crowned the 12th of December 1185 three dayes after his Fathers Death He applyed himself much to the Setling of his Kingdom and to Tillage and Planting his Country therefore called the King of Husbandmen He by help of some Christian Souldiers put into Lisbon in their Voyage to the Holy Land Invaded Algarve and took the Chief City Sylva although he did not very long enjoy his Conquest but was driven thence by the Moors and had like to have lost his Kingdom of Portugal being furiously assaulted by the Moores He took to Wife the Daughter of Raymond Berengurio Count of Brachinona called Aldonsa by her he had 8 Children 3 Sons and 5 Daughters The Sons were Alphonso who succeeded in his Kingdom Ferdinand a Man of great Virtue and Parts Married to Joanna Countess of Flanders and Pietro Count of Irgelense The Daughters were Therasia Married to Alphonso King of Leon Mafalda to Henry the first King of Castile both after their Marriages turning Nuns Sancha became a Nun of the Order of Saint Francis who lived about this time Biancha and Beringilla who dyed young This King at 57 years of Age and in the 26th of his Reign dyed being accounted for his Virtue and Goodness among the best of the Portugal Kings Thirdly His Son Alphonso the second succeeded Born at Conimbra 1185 was about 27 years Old when Crowned King between whom and his Brothers and Sisters there were great Jarrs He was a Man of an high and very willful Spirit and in his latter dayes grew so unweldy and fat that he could not prosecute the Wars He Married Uracca the Daughter of Alphonso the Eighth King of Castile and Elenor Daughter of Henry King of England by her he had divers Children First Sancho who succeâ—ed him in his Kingdom Alphonso by Right of his Wife Duke of Bologna afterward also King of Portugal Ferdin and Count of Serpia Vincenzo dyed young Leonora a Daughter Married to the King of Dacia Alphonso in the 48 year of his Age and 21th of his Reign dyed Anno 1233. Fourthly Sancho the Second succeeded his Father and was Born in Conimbra the first of September 1207 being very sickly and unlikely to live but came to the Crown at twenty six years of Age spending most of his time in Baths and Hot-houses for the recovery of his Health He Married with Messa Lopez the Widdow of Alvaro de Castro She was accounted but an inferiour Match tho of Blood Royal being made by his Favourites who with the Assistance of the Queen by reason of the Kings weakness and indisposition made a Prey of the People and mightily oppressed them so that they were enforced to call to their Assistance Alphonsus the Kings Brother who coming from Bologna possest himself of the Kingdom Sancho being forced to retire to Toledo where addicting himself wholly to Devotion he dyed in the Year 1245 at 39 Years of his Age having reigned 13 Years Fifthly Alphonso the Third who succeeded his Brother was Born in Conimbra May 5. 1210 Educated with great Care and Diligence by his Father because of his Brothers Sickness He married Matilda Countess of Bologne Widow of Philipo Crispo and Daughter of Philipo Augustino He was a Man of great Parts but they were over shadowed by his Lusts For after he was setled in the Kingdom he repudiated his Wife and contracted a wicked Marriage with Beatrice the illegitimate Daughter of Alphonso the King of Castile and his Concubine Maria Villenia And notwithstanding the Threats of the Pope Alexander the 4th at the Tears and Complaints of the Dutchess of Bologne he caused her to be Crowned Queen and confirmed his Succession by the Birth of three Children Dionysio his eldest Son succeeded in the Kingdom Alphonso who married the Daughter of Prince Emanuel Son of Ferdinand King of Castile and Ferdinand who dyed young He very much infested the Moors increasing his Kingdom with the full Conquest of Algarve with much Glory and Reputation He died at Lisbon Anno 1279 at 69 Years of Age and 32 of his Reign accompting from his Brothers Death Sixthly Dionysius or Dennys his Son succeeded his Father He was born on the day of the Great Areopagite for whose sake they imposed that Name Anno 1260. He was a great and famous Poet. He was about 20 Years of Age when he came to the Crown and would by no means admit his Mother to the Administration of the Government He never oppressed his Subjects neither with Tribute or Taxes yet left to his Heir a full Exchequer He made many good Laws which are to this day observed The Order of the Templers was extinct in his Time and he first instituted the University at Conimbra He took to Wife Elizabeth Daughter to Peter King of Arragon who was most remarkable for her Sanctity by her he had Alphonso who succeeded him and Constance who was married to Ferdinand King of Castile After he had reigned 46 Years he dyed at the Age of 84 Years Anno 1235. Seventhly Alphonso the Fourth and the Seventh King of Portugal succeeded his Father and was born in Conimbria Anno 1290. He married with Beatrice Daughter to Sancho the Fourth King of Castile A Man given to hunting and disports to the neglect of his People but being at last made sensible of it he took the Reins into his hands and proved a good King About the Year 1340 Alboacen the potent Miramamolin of Morocco and Granada set himself against all Spain with an Army of 470000 Men but
The Queen desired ardently to see this Marriage accomplished the Infante declared Prince and the Government of the State in the hands of the King to the end that she might loose her self from all Affairs of the World and to retire her self to a Covent that she might there be at leisure to give her self up to Prayer and Contemplation For this end she wrote with her own hand in her Natural Language the Reasons which made her take this Resolution This she shewed to one of her Ministers to know his Opinion of her Design And for that this Writing refutes the Calumnies which the Enemies of that Princess made use of to sullie her Reputation in publishing she would have taken away the Crown from the King to have given it to the Infante I have judged it necessary to Report it here By reason of the Uncertainty of Life every one being Obliged to endeavour his Health I have wished I might be able to find out a way to overcome the great Difficulties which have hindred me from Acquitting my self of that Duty and have filled my Mind with trouble There is nothing more troublesome nor hard than this Life of mine in which I may say there is something Extraordinary since contrary to the Order and Nature of Monarchy we are two that Reign But to say better I do not Reign but in Appearance whilst the King Reigns in Effect for I am Obliged to consent to all his Desires because he is more than an Infant and the Kingdom is his Besides this I am perswaded he would loose the Respects which he owes to me if â— should contradict his Desires So though I would have Justice rendred to every one it is not done because the King doth oppose it or they who Govern him After this what can I do to defend my self from such an Unhappiness but to withdraw my self from his presence and demand that after having made a serious Reflection on my Design they would give me such Councel as is most proper in the Condition I am in My Inclination carrys me to enter into a Religious House not out of Design because I can bear it no longer to free my self from a Slavery so long and troublesome as my Regency hath been I would have nothing to do and while I should be there I would not desire many Attendants only some few necessary and I would the Abbess should take care of my Revenue and she her self should Sign all things for me though I have no design to dismiss my Officers nor my Domesticks The Reason that makes me desire that the Abbess should have the Administration of my Revenue without my Officers intermedling proceeds from the great desire that I have to live in great Retiredness If I would not at first become a Religious it is because I fear to be engaged to follow the Rules of a Superiour in all Obedience though they are more sweet than those I have prescribed to my self And if it happen that the King would write to me or desire to see me though it would Combat the Resolution of my Retreat what should I then do that I might not offend on this occasion against Decency I well know the Inclination that I have for a Covent of the Order of St. Teresa but Donna Maria is an Obstacle to my entering into that of Carnide It is not that I could not live in the House where she is without any Repugnancy but as the manner of Life I would choose will not suffer me to have Communication with any Body if I should be in the House where she is I could not civily dispence with my self from answering the Respects which she would pay me If by chance I should be Melancholy as it may very well happen she might be perswaded she was the cause of it at least I should do to my self some Violence to dissemble it which would render me unhappy So that it is easie to judg by this I should not live in this House with all the Freedom I would As to that of the Carmelites of St. Albert I there find this difficulty the fewness of the Lodgings which they have for it seems to me to make a good choice of a Retreat in which one intends to end their days or wholly to shut themselves up within the Walls of the Palace according to the Custome of the Country one should make Election of a spacious and pleasant Place and one that had a Prospect towards the Sea would please me extreamly If instead of St. Teresa I should have recourse to St. Dominie whom I revere as an unfortunate Relation I find the Covent of Good Success of that Order which is most Commodious both because of its fair Situation and large Extent Nevertheless it hath an Inconvenience for as it stands at the Mouth of a River it will be the first Covent that will be exposed to the Violences of War All things well considered I think that I had better be at Lisborn than in any other place because it is a City in which there is no want of any Commodity without speaking of the great number of the Religious Virtuous and Learned Men which are there to be found for the ease of ones Conscience In the Lands of my Apanage there is no Place proper for my Design And as for my Building a Covent I have not patience enough for such an Enterprise besides as I hope that my Retreat will be happy and finding my strength decaying I would very suddenly execute my Resolution Having therefore no further care than about the manner of executing my Design I ask not Counsel about it because I am assured that it will not be Approved and that very many will desire me not to Abandon the State and the King though the most part of them will wish the contrary in their Souls Being certain that they are capable of such Disguisements I may fear every day lest they should order me to withdraw and in this fear I think it would be much better for me to do it by my own Motion There is nothing but the Infancy of my Children could have kept me in the World which now will be well enough my Daughter being Married it remains that I see the Infante declared Prince which is a thing I have long desired it being necessary to Assemble the States for that Cause But I must yet wait nevertheless maugre my Impatience till the departure of the Queen of England then I shall give Order about it As for the Peace with Spain I have no hope I shall be able to conclude it before my Retirement however I shall do all my endeavours to bring it to pass Besides after the departure of the Queen of England there will be Speech of nothing but War the report of which will not penetrate my Retirement but if I should defer any long time to quit the World they would have Reason to reproach me for leaving the State embroiled They may
perhaps Object to me That I ought to stay that I may have the Pleasure of having ended all these Affairs of which I speak But I answer to that That I shall relish them more sweetly in my Retreat And if they should pretend that I may be necessary to the State and that whatsoever Inquietude and whatsoever Pain it should cost me I ought not to Abandon it I further answer If all the People were resolved to Die to benefit the State I would willingly Die with them but that I should only bear the whole Burthen of all Affairs for the Ease of others is the thing that I would not do Would they could find another Remedy or that God would provide one and as I have all my Confidence in him I am sure he will be fauourable to my Intentions It seems to me that they will have hence-forward sufficient Abatements For want of Time and through abundance of Affairs I have not Time to declare my self so fully by word of Mouth Therefore I have wrote these lines to the end they may be the more leisurely Examined that I may receive good Counsel in order to my Retreat If I should Retire secretly they would believe that I flie away if I should do it openly they would imagine perhaps that I endeavour to be hindered and there will be enough found who will think they are obliged to hinder me Once again I demand of you sincere Counsel of all these things and I pray Heaven he will inlighten the Mind of those who are to give it to me In the mean time while they were considering of these things all things were disposed for the Embarquement of the new Queen and on the 23d of April 1662. those Vessels in which she was to go into England set Sail under the Conduct of Francisco de Melle de Torres since made Marquess of Sande Assoon as she was gone the Queen Regent resolved to separate the Infante from the King it not being reasonable he should be without Education especially in a Time in which the King appeared incapable of Governing the Realm And as it was the Custome to give to the Princes and to the Infantes a House fit for their Quality she had a mind the Infante Don Pedro should have one of his own When the Queen had begun to prescribe what Officers she would have chosen for him the Order they should keep and that she had sought out for him a Governor they perswaded the King she had grand Designs against him and that the Governor she would give to his Brother was a sign she intended to make him King since they used to be given only to Kings They endeavoured farther to insinuate into him he had the Right of choosing those who were to serve the Infante and not the Queen Notwithstanding this they prepared for him the House of Christopher de Moura Morquess of Castlerodrigo situate in a place called Cortreul and nominated for Gentlemen of his Chamber Martin Alfonse de Mello Count of St. Laurence Don John de Acosta Count de Soure Ruy de Moura Telles Don Rodrigo de Menesses George de Mello John Nunes de Achuna Count of St. Vincent for his Almoner Rodrigo D' Acunha de Saldanha Chaunter of the Cathedral Church in Lisbon and â—or Secretary Antony de Tavares This Change gave a Jealousie to the King as if his Mother and his Brother had a Design to have taken away his Crown For they made him believe that never any Infante of Portugal had had so great a House nor had ever been serv'd by Officers so considerable The distrust of the King was increased the more by the number of those who continually rendered their respects to the Infante he found to himself very few and his Palace almost a Desert But the Infante for all that was not wanting in his Duty but on the contrary waited on the King with more diligence than before in all publick places and into the Country when he went thither to Divert himself As he did not imitate his Debauches his Modesty passed for a Crime in the minds of those who feared that all his good qualities were but reproaches against the King They endeavoured to perswade him that the Infante covered much Pride under that seeming Modesty and all he did was but to make believe he was more worthy of the Crown than he The King becoming every day more disordered the Queen resolved to execute the Design which she had to quit the Government ordering for that end Pedro Vieira de Silva Secretary of State to finish all those Dispaches necessary for it But that Minister full of Zeal did remonstrate to her that this Affair did very well merit a serious Reflection and that he ought to propose it to the Councel of State which being done they answered That it was true the Age of the King gave him a Right to the Government of the State but the Malady which he had received when young had rendered him uncapable That he did no ways bridle himself at these Years but shewed only the evil qualities of his Mind and those Maxims so contrary to those which are necessary for Princes who will Rule well That to leave to him the Rule of the Kingdom would be to Abandon all to the imprudence of his Favorites for he would infallibly discharge it by them That if she should execute her resolution and leave her Son in the midst of the Tempest she would render unprofitable all the Precautions of the late King and would not answer that which all the World expected from her Prudence and her Zeal When the King himself should be of more Age and have more Experience and more noble Inclinations than he hath at last when he shall be capable of reigning he would still have need of her Councel and more especialiy then when he wants all these things she should not quit the Government if she would not have that Curse fall upon the Realm which the Scripture mentions of a young King These Reasons were far from shaking the Queens Resolutions and did the rather confirm them for they did not a little contribute to the fear she had to see her Credit diminished so she thought this Retreat which would save her from a Discontent from giving offence to the King and a scandal to the State could not be blamed by Persons of good sense Upon this the Ministers conjure her That since she would not change her Resolution yet at least to defer the Execution of it until they had taken away from about the King those who corrupted his Mind and fomented his Debauches because so long as he should hearken to the Discourses of those People his Irregularities would never cease That she should consider if they troubled the Government of a Queen the Mother and Tutress of the King and Regent of the Realm she had much reason to believe they would oppose the Conduct of those Ministers who should be obliged to obey
the King as Subjects If her Majesty should retire for fear best the King should fail to pay that respect which he ows her how could the Ministers hope to maintain their Authority That her Majesty should before hand remove from the King those that were about him and fill up their places with others more capable that this was the only Remedy to correct his evil Inclinations But if this should not produce the wished for Effect and Heaven should not second her good Intentions her Majesty having at least let all the World see it was not her fault that things would be no better she might after this execute with more honour the Resolution which her Piety and those other Considerations had made her to undertake The Queen approved of this Councel as profitable to the King and to the State and her Resolution gave place to that which they had taken of calling the States to see what Remedy they could find for these present Disorders which might have a very ill Sequel for the Remonstrances of the Ministers of State the Advice of a Governour and of a Tutor had not made any Impression on the mind of the King and those cruel mischances the disgraces which had happened to him at the running at the Bulls the Perils that he had escaped in a thousand Rencounters had not rendred him more circumspect In sine That this was not to be wanting in any part of Duty to the King since it was the only means to bring him to himself that in extream and desperate evils violent Remedies are necessary to be used and as they had heretofore laboured with so much success for the recovery of the publick Liberty they ought still to go on with the same vigour to save the State from the Ruin with which it was threatned But as the Convocation of the Estates General would require a long time and their Assembling would be retarded by those who feared it they judged instead of that it might be supplied by the Assembly of the Council of State and Courts of Justice and by a Convocation of the Gentry and of the Commonalty of Lisbon as had been accustom'd to be done in pressing necessities It was then resolved that they should have recourse to this Remedy and whilst the King should be busie in dispatches with the Queeen they should arrest those whom they should think fit and all the Assembly should presently go to render an Accompt of it to the King and to conjure him to approve of the thing as done for the Service of his Majesty and the Good of his Realm This Project was communicated to the Duke de Cadaval to the Marquess of Govea to Don Antony de Meneses Marquess de Marialva to Don Francisco soto Mayor Bishop de Targa to the Count of St. Laurence to the Count of Soure Don Rodrigue de Meneses George de Mello Doctor Nioholas Monteiro to the Secretary Pedro Vieira de Sylva to Father Antony Vieira the Jesuit and to many other Persons of the Court. Antony de Conti was altogether Master of the Kings Mind and in such sort that he meddled with the greatest Affairs Gaspar de Faria private Secretary by order of the King put into his hands oftentimes papers of greatest Concerns and they attributed to his direction the Preparatives that were made for the Marriage of the Queen of England which Edward Montague Earl of Sandwich Ambassador for his Majesty of Great Britain and Admiral of the Fleet which was to convey the Queen seeing he made no difficulty to communicate to him Affairs of the greatest Importance as to a Minister of State and to treat him magnificently aboard his Vessel But whether that Conti had received any advice of what they were contriving against him or that he mistrusted it he began never to leave the Palace unless it were with the King or with those of whom he was very well assured This way he sometime averted the design they had upon his person For to arrest him in the City they could not find the opportunity neither was that very easie and to arrest him in the Palace there it was yet much more difficult for besides that good manners would not permit it they knew it would too much provoke the King Nevertheless they passed over all these scruples and it was resolved that he should be arrested in the Palace To facilitate the Execution of this Enterprise the Queen kept the King with her in the Chamber of Dispatches one Saturday Morning being the 16th of June 1662. and whilst they were there together the Duke de Cadaval Lewis de Mello Captain of the Port and his Son Emanuel de Mello followed by Edward Vas de Orta Osorio one of the Grand Provests of the Court came into the lower Apartment of the King Whilst the Duke stayed there to put Guards at the Door and gave Orders that none might go either in or out Lewis de Mello and his Son went up stairs Assoon as they were come to the Door by which they entered into the two Anti-Chambers of the King they perceived Conti in that next to them But Lewis de Mello seeing the Duke de Cadaval was not with those that followed him he asked aloud where he was Conti having by this discovered what he before had suspected flung himself into the second Anti-Chamber where he shut himself in At the same instant the Duke arrived and would have opened the Door with his seoret key but he could not do it for Conti had on his side put his into the key-hole So that the Duke and Lewis de Mello having push'd softly called to him to open the Door but he would not answer As they were afraid lest Conti should gain the Queens Appartment by the Door which gave Communication between the two Apartments Emanuel de Mello ran with all speed and possest himself of that In the mean time the Duke was got into the Tarrass which overlookt the Chamber of the Indies for fear Conti should save himself that way where finding him putting forth his head between the Bars of the Window he seiz'd him by the Hair Conti seeing himself laid hold on asked Wherefore they did that violence to him The Duke answered him That the King had given him order to Arrest him and that he would do well to open the Door Conti demanded if he would kill him To which the Duke replied No. Whereupon Conti pray'd him to let him go and he would open the Door to which the Duke yielded But so soon as he saw himself at Liberty he changed his mind The Duke and Lewis de Mello knowing the least Retardment was capable of ruining their Project they ordered Andrea de Leiria the keeper of the Kings Tapestry to fetch an Ax. In the mean time the Count de Castlemelhor having had an inkling of it either out of design to acquire the Friendship of Conti or to flatter the King he would have entered into the Chamber of
breath nothing but Blood and Slaughter These Braves the King named the one Fixos the other Porradas words invented in favour of this new Militia With these People he ran thorow the Streets and entered those scandalous Places where they did a thousand Violences to Women There was never a Night that they went out thus but on the Morning were recounted a hundred Tragick Stories In fine he was feared every where as a Wild Beast Although he saw these Prostitute Women at their Houses yet they did not forbear to bring them into the Palace to him He vaunted himself to have to do with them in such Excess that as it was above all likelihood so no Body believed any thing of it One Day being put in mind that he was to meet with a certain fair Gossip in the Church of our Lady de Rocher about one a Clock he went into his Litter with John de Conti and Francis de Sequeira the Groom of his Wardrobe to see for her there but missing of her she being gone to the Church of our Saviour he Commanded them to carry him thither passing through the narrow Street of St. Peter de Alfama they met the Coach of Martin Correa de Sa Vicout de Asseca The King being in great hast the Conductors of his Litter cried out to the Vicounts People to get out of the way with such Injurious words that they not being able to take it drew the others doing the like and the Combat grew so hot that the Vicount was forced to leave his Coach to help his People also Francis de Sequeira did the like from that of the Kings to help the others The King might with one word have made all this Disorder have ceased but however he would not but on the contrary being himself come forth of his Litter with John Conti he set a Pistol to the Throat of the Vicount who was already Wounded and had certainly kill'd him if the Pistol had taken fire So soon as the Vicount knew the King he kiss'd his Sword and falling upon his knees demanded Pardon but neither this Submission nor the Innocency of this Gentleman could hinder the King from giving him many outragious Speeches All the People were surprised to see the King was come abroad with so small a Company and that he would have kill'd one of his Subjects without any Cause and a Gentleman brought up with him in the Palace at Noon-day and in a publick place so that they perceived he took Pleasure to intermingle with these Quarrels and to Foment them which made every Body to fear the Danger to be general and every one to begin to be afraid for himself As the King increased in Age the more he was corrupted and the disorder came to that pass that by his example the more vertuous began to grow loose they began to quit virtue to embrace vice by example and emulation The Queen was obliged to have recourse to the Protection of Heaven having no other Remedy she was capable of for these misfortunes with which the Realm was threatned However she would try one human way more perswading her self if she could bring the King to the publick Audiences which she gave twice a week to the Subjects to the Councel and to Business he might be brought to be capable of governing the Realm but all was in vain for he was not able to apply himself to it for his pleasures They had perswaded him that he was not truly a King who parted with the Government to another and so long as the Queen hindred his Liberalities to those he loved the people believed that it was she who reigned and not he that he was now of age enough to govern the State himself for King Dennis had done it at the age of sixteen years and the Kings Alphonso at fifteen and Sebastian at fourteen and that it was insupportable they should refuse the King a thing that he had power to take himself By such discourses they filled the mind of the King with troublesom suspitions against the Queen The King was no sooner out of the Apartment they had given him but he let them know by what he did the kindness he had for Conti for he was not contented to have given him a Command a House in the Country and a right of Peerage but he also made him Gentleman of his House Knight of Christ and Groom of the Wardrobe Honours that were never granted but to persons that were illustrious by Birth and Merit He added at the same time to all these Favours an Apartment in the Palace that he might have communication with himself and the Arch-deaconry de Sobredello for John de Conti his Brother After this the Courtiers ran in heaps to render homage to Conti as a new Favourite and every one began to seek his Protection and to commend their most important Affairs to him The Queen her self was obliged to have recourse to his Credit in some Businesses which she was not able to effect of her self which was the only way to maintain him in that height to which Fortune had exalted him for this way he was able to manage the mind of that person who gave him most jealousy As the King was every day sensible of those infirmities which his sicknesses had caused the Physicians were of opinion that he should go again to the Baths of Obidus But he instead of bathing himself there did nothing but divert himself causing so much trouble and damage to all the Country about and committing himself such cruel actions that the people were fain to shut themselves up in their houses or else to fly and leave them that they might shun meeting him so much horror had they for him In the mean time the Queen falling sick and the Favorites and the King by some discourses having caused a suspition that he would take the Government they were afraid that this sickness would serve for a pretext to that design but instead of that he applyed himself to combat a Lion against a Bull but the Lion being so obstinate as not to be forced out of his Cage he made them bring so much wood and fire that they choak'd him with the smoak In the beginning of the Year 1661 the Count of Odemira his Governour dyed who was very much bewailed by all the people for the King after his death abandoned himself to all manner of evil Inclinations more than before although he was not Master of the Kings Spirit yet his Merit and his Address made those to stand in aw of him who had the most power over him They had about this time begun to treat of the Marriage of the most serene Infanta Catherine with his Majesty Charles the Second King of England not long before established in the Throne of his Ancestors Francisco de Mello de Torres Embassadour Extraordinary in England was charged with this Negotiation which the Spaniards endeavoured to hinder what they could