affable and exceeding vertuous behauiour and that he obserued his fasts very seuerely praying almost continually and said farther vnto me weeping Father I feare that Prince is much iniured I beseech the Almightie God to preserue him O that it were lawfull for me and for his safetie that I might keepe him within my simple habitation not as he is a Prince but in respect of his bountie and honour and if I should happen to die before him I could leaue him sufficient to liue on all the dayes of his life Trust me the simplicitie of this poore old man pleased me exceedingly and induced me the rather to beleeue him He also informed me by what title the Senate of Venice called him and inquired of him if euer he entertained him in his house and whether his answers to diuers interrogatories were true or not and whether all that he told the Lords were true or false To which he answered iustly and failed not a iot and he maintained him to be the true King of Portugale hauing many reasons so to perswade him the one was the confident assertion of the Portugal gentleman that dined in his company at Ferrara saying he departed out of Portugal secretly yet proued by many circumstances and this old man assisted me much when the Senate conuented him before them asking him how long he kept companie with him before he came to Ferrara and whether he were the same man that lodged in his house Then he kneeled downe before his feete embracing them and looking towards the Senate said This is Dom Sebastian King of Portugale which lodged in my house whom afterward I accompanied to Ferrara And when the king was asked of the Iudges whether he knew that old man or no he answered that he had neuer seen him before this day At which answer the old man told me he was more perplexed then he was with his sudden departure from him at Ferrara and wept most bitterly I must excuse the king for thus confuting the old man before the Senate for that he vnderstood at Venice and Padua a litle after he departed from the presence of the Senate that they had straightly imprisoned and punished one Monsieur Ieronimo at Venice for entertaining him into his house and had punished diuers other for doing him the like fauour And the King fearing that the like rigour might be offered this silly old man made him to disclaime his acquaintance which the King vpon his returne to prison reuealed incōtinently to Count Caesar Martinengo to Count Charles his brother and diuers other his fellow prisoners And the Lords said vnto me they called me to see one Iohn Baptista Sartori de Verona and asked me if I knew him and for that I was much bound to this good old man for many good offices done vnto me and for that I saw it turned them al to displeasure that did me any good I answered for his safetie that I knew him not nor had euer seene him which the poore old man digests very heauily and if any good friend would but deliuer this my excuse vnto him I wil acknowlege my self much bound to him for that friendly courtesie The selfe same act in the like words a Cannon of Bresse reported vnto me meeting me in that city accōpanying me as far as Lac hapning to speake of the king and of the opinion that was deliuered of them generally that had seene him that it was thought verily he was D. Sebastian the king most assuredly not knowing me to be any fauorer of his proceedings telling me that al he knew of the matter he heard of these Counts and gentlemen that were in prison with him for the space of fiue moneths whereof he recited vnto me many particulars and this Cannon as I take it was called De Lone so after long conference the night approching I tooke my leaue of him c. The King departing from Ferrara held on his way to Padua and being there he thought it fit he should attend the answer of his letters he sent into Portugale by Marco Tullio Catizzone his deuotion performed to S. Anthony he determined to go to Venice where all these things happened vnto him which we haue alreadie reported in the former treatise intituled Admirable Aduentures c. as you may reade in a letter sent to me from Iohn de Castro in that which the king wrote to his Holinesse where it is at large specified how he was betraied into the hands of the Castilians by one of his owne seruants for reward and so committed to prison This trecherous varlet being conuinced and reproued by some of the Kings friends that had vnderstanding of his perfidious seruice being already bought and corrupted with a few pence following the periured faction like a maisterlesse curre fell into the art of slandering and banding against his loyall maister with hote pursute and vehement accusations as sodomie cosinage in prison and abroade Notwithstanding all this villanie God that weyes all mens causes in equall ballance will not suffer his seruants euer to quaile vnder the burden of iniquitie the hearing of his cause was committed to Sr. Marco Quirini which was at that time Sabio de la terre firme and at this day is Sabio Grande one of the foure Iudges commissioners allotted for this circuite The said Quirini reporting to the Senate what he had heard concerning his accusations and what also was testified in his defence said That he not only found this man innocent and guiltlesse of the crimes laid to his charge but thought him generally to haue liued a harmelesse life This sentence was well approued and allowed by the Senators assoone as it was published which was in the beginning of the yere 1599 they freed the king from the dungion where he lay before and placed him in a more fauourable prison a place of some libertie You shall reade hereafter the paines and punishment Dom Sebastian the King my maister indured sithence his misaduenture in Africke vntill the day of his manifestation to the world I beseech you hold me excused though I satisfie you not so plentifully and so orderly as you expect or desire it is all I could learne and it is hard to gather so much in these parts where the truth hath bene so ingeniously laboured to be suppressed and smoothered beside the great hazard of my person in trauelling to obtaine this litle assuring you that our hope withers not but springs dayly to see my Lord Dom Sebastian to be as absolute King of Portugale as it is iustly due vnto him by the law of God and nations then shall my pen trample vpon the vale of tyrannie and oppression that now so imperiously curbes poore patience and equitie Seeing God hath hitherto bene both his lampe and shield to lighten and guard him through so many darke and dangerous ambushments why should we not be assured that he that can hath a purpose to make vs reioyce and wonder as much at
doth many miracles to the benefit of the wel-beleeuers So soone as I was entred into Rome which was Sunday the fourteenth of Iuly I sought out my very friend of whom I gathered that his Holinesse and all the Lords of the Court of Rome conceiued and were perswaded verily that the prisoner which the Duke of Florence caused to be sent therehence the three and twentith of Aprill at eleuen of the clock at night and deliuered into the hands of the gouernour of Orbetelo was D. Sebastian the true vnfallible King of Portugall Of him I learned how he was conducted from Orbetelo to Hercules port and from that port in a galley to Naples and last to Castelnouo This gally the enemies made the subiect to giue notice to the whole world that the said Dom Sebastian was condemned to the gallies and after to the castle Del ouo Further I was shewed the copie of a letter which the Count of Lemos Viceroy of Naples wrote to the Duke of Sessa Ambassadour from the King of Castile vnto his Holinesse giuing him to vnderstand that the same prisoner was Dom Sebastian the true King of Portugal I haue also found out which of the Cardinals and Prelates fauour the cause of that vertuous and holy Prince A friend of mine lent me his coach wherein I went directly to the most excellent Prince the Cardinall of Florence and kist his hand of whom I had the euidences your Lordship is aduised of and after an houre and halfes conference with him I departed in the same coach so visit sir Alexander Giusti Iustice de la Rota our deare friend From whom so soone as I was departed I met neare his gate with another of my familiar acquaintance that discouered vnto me certaine plots and circumuentions attempted and suggested by the Duke of Sesse informing against me in the Consistorie of Rome that I was a seditious man preiudiciall to the state of Christendome generally for that heretofore the Christian Princes had vsed to associate themselues in a league ioyntly to make warre against the Infidels which I had bene a cause to hinder by interposing diuision and contention betwixt those Princes and as a principall reason to induce them to beleeue the same he shewed publickly the discourse which I sent your Lordship from Lions intituled Admirable aduentures c. which for the more familiar vnderstanding was translated into Italian and Spanish The common dispersing of which discourse was like to breede much dishonour and damage to D. Philippo the third King of Castile his maister and so purchase vnto himselfe being his agent infinite disgrace and harme by his displeasure For my part I answered that I merited no punishment for traducing into writing such true accidents as they were the confirmation whereof increased with the time considering they were not of mine owne inuention or stamping Relinquishing this friend I hasted straight to the Cardinall of Ossat into whose owne hands when I had deliuered letters and informed him thoroughly of the cause of my repaire thither he aduised me not to shew my selfe so openly there vntill such time as I vnderstood what my enemies had conspired to obiect against me since my entrance into this city which could not be concealed for that the Patriarke of Constantinople who was and is Generall of the Order of S. Francis a Sicilian borne and so much the more my forcible enemie by how much he was zealous for the King of Castile his maister had a glance of me in the Cardinall of Florence his house My occasions detained me so long with this Cardinall till night grew on so that his Lordship caused me to remaine with him vntill the morrow wherehence after the hearing of his Masse I departed to my first friends house whither diuers persons of qualitie repaired to visit me signifying vnto me that the Ambassadour for Castile intended to work me all the mischiefe he could possible and seeing he found no sufficient meanes to indamage me before the estate he had a purpose to bring me within compasse of the Inquisition alleaging these accusations that follow First he obiected against me that I had bene in England sixe or seuen yeares and that I euer fauoured the proceedings of heretickes that I composed diuers bookes fraught with heresies that at Lions I made and began to imprint a booke against his Holinesse and the Inquisitors generall of Portugale with many other matters which I let passe for troubling your Lordship To all which I answered without blemish to my honour or reputation in this manner I thanke God all the time I was in England I liued amongst men that were religious as mine enemies can testifie and for my continance in France I hope to acquite my selfe easily from misdemeanure there To the most capitall matter and of greatest importance that I wrote and began to print a booke at Lions against his Holinesse and the Inquisitors generall of Portugale I can purge my selfe purely and passe as cleare as the most vnspotted innocent being alwayes approued religious and zealous wherein I appeale to the sincerie of al the brethren of mine own order In that he termes me a rebel and a traitor to the King his maister for shewing my self seruiceable and faithfull to a forein Prince his enemie in that he is assistant to my affaires recommending my estimation by opening a gap to discipher the traiterous in Portugale backsliders enemies to their owne friends and very Castilian hypocrites that I am a disperser of many lies in conuenticles at this instant That article is worthy of such mens preferring as they seem to be and not fitting men of worth and louers of Religion As it hapneth I haue the booke about me that was printed at Lions which shall confute and display the malice and impudencie of him that caused the rest of my bookes to be burnt The remainder that concernes these affaires is best knowne to your Lordship and therefore to conclude this point I craue pardon for being so tedious Now to returne to my former subiect Sunday being the 15. of Iuly and the Monday following after I had finished the principall part of my intention I determined by the counsel of my friends to returne directly to France And being aduertised that the Duke of Sessa had sent beforehand some of his people to way-ly me in the ordinarie way I changed my course by Vmbrie I departed out of Rome the fourth day after my arriuall and passing by the cities of Narne Tarne Spoleto Foligni and Assise I came to Peruse which I did onely passe thorough and shaped my course by Siene Florence Bologne thorough the confines of Modene and Mirandole and before I could reach to Mantua my horse fell vpon me and hurt one of my legs very grieuously which caused me to stay in this place where I might prouide the best meanes for my recouerie I assure your Lordship I tooke this mischance to be ominous that God would haue it so for that
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
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
Piemontoise borne also who often vsed to checke and reprooue his sonne in law for going so much to the King saying he was am impostor and a counterfeit and his son in law boldly defended the King by all the meanes and reasons he could deuise During this contention betwixt the father and the son in law the old man said Come hither heare me Emanuel Philibert Duke of Sauoy sent an Ambassador to Dom Sebastian king of Portugal his nephew sonne to his cosin germaine which Ambassador brought him a present and returned backe againe from the said King with answer and another present from the King to the Duke the Ambassadors name was Dominico Belli whose seruant I was at that very instant by meanes whereof I saw and was priuie to all the parcels and placed them my selfe in the casket and likewise saw aduisedly what was returned from the King Now sit if you can perswade that man that says he is D. Sebastiā c. to tel me what parcels those were that were sent to and fro directly you shall bring me to be of your mind and to confesse that he is the very same man he nominates himselfe to be Iohn Bassanesse hearing these words bethought himselfe which way he might come to haue conference with the King to vnderstand the right of this matter as he was studying how to bring his purpose about he dreamed of a stratageme which should effect his designe which was that he wold perpetrate some light crime in hope therfore to be cōmitted to the prison where the king was wherupō he resolued to take a cudgel vnder his cloake go to the Realto the chiefest place in Venice and there quarel with one or other and bastinado him vntil he had drawn bloud of him for which act he doubted not but to be committed he proceeded according to his secret determination and when he was come neare the Realto he met with a friend of his who perceiuing by his countenanee that he was troubled in mind said vnto him Sir I see by you there is somewhat amisse Iohn Bassanesse being wel assured that he was a faithfull seruant to the King laid open his intention vnto him who found a meanes to get a note in writing vnder the kings hand of all the parcels that passed from the one to the other This memorandum was put into the hands of one Lecnardo Donato one of the Sabio grande that first examined the King and was thought to owe him litle good will but after he surueyed his cause and found it so iust true trauelled earnestly to the Senate to pronounce him Dom Sebastian the true king of Portugal All this I haue heard confirmed by many very worthy persons the originall I could not bring with me for that Donato at my being there was employed as Generall of fiue and twentie thousand foote and fiue thousand horse in the countie of Brosse which force the Siegniorie had leauied the yeare before for their defence vpon some intelligence c. But as soone as Iohn Bassanesse had got the writing he hyed him home to his father in law and they agreed betweene them that one should stand at one end of the table and the other below and the father wrote the peeces he knew and the son by his note was able to informe the old man of diuers parcels that he had forgotten and the old man said it was hast made him ouerslip somewhat those foure white horses said he I did not well remember but I thinke verily it was true and the old man wondred not a little how his sonne came by this intelligence and said he had deuised it himselfe but seeing himselfe vanquished said to his sonne Visit the King my son at your pleasure and do him what good you may and I beseech God to assist him Forasmuch as I know the curious sort of people desire to view the particulars and to make our proofe the more autentical I haue here set thē down in order as they were inuentoried The parcels presented by the Duke to the King A case full of silkes of diuers colours Another full of cloth of siluer of diuers sorts and colours Another full of cloth of gold of diuers colours A diamond set in a ring An auncient garment of very great value being a trophe taken from the French at S. Quintaines embrodered garnished about the necke with many iewels foure white horses which the old man had forgotten and diuers other peeces not named Those parcels that were sent from the King to the Duke A great chaine of gold of very good value two peutrils two bits two paire of stirops all garnished with diamonds rubies and other stones of great price One diamond set in gold which Bartholomeo Veneti said was as big as the naile of his right thombe Many East-Indian dishes of sundrie colours with other rich things of good esteeme For the second of the last proofes being the fourth and last you shall vnderstand that there be foure merchants at Venice men indued with wealth honour estimation and charitie that in my hearing haue named these foure witnesses Barnaba Rizzo Iean Bassanesse Constantin Nicoli who keeps in his hand the original letter of D. Raimond Marqueti by which it is manifest that D. Sebastian is one man and Marco Tullio Catizzone another which letter he shewed publickely at S. Markes to conuince the falshood of the Castilians and their adherents for the which and such other like seruices the Spaniards could not be appeased without reuenge The nineteenth of October I had intelligence by letters that one came into this honest mans shop his seruants being sent all out of the way and cut him on the head with a curtelaxe and in diuers other places so dangerously that he was in great perill of his life The malefactor escaped vnknowne The fourth and last is called Baptiste Dolphine and these foure haue bene euer good friends to the King both by entertaining him and trauelling in his affaires to the vttermost of their power to set him at libertie without intermission of any minute of oportunitie that might be spent in his profitable seruice But the Castilian Agents considering and knowing the zeale of these personages and obseruing their constancie that both with all their might and maine defended the cause of the King my maister seeing that neither faire promises perswasions nor threatnings could make them desist from their vowed fidelitie and assistance entred into this diuellish practise First they beganne to publish these witnesses to be fooles cosiners and rogues and perswaded certaine bankers and brokers to lay wagers with them that the prisoner was not Dom Sebastian the King assuring them that they might offer to giue a thousand for one if euer it were prooued or published for that they knew assuredly that he was a Calabrian a Sodomite a theefe a cosiner and a counterfeit and that ere long they should see him hanged vpon one of the pillars of S. Markes