further was represented the Golden Age accompany'd with the Law Rewards Protection and Punishments The Temple of Faith was exhibited in a Picture Honour and Fidelity open'd the Gate and Joy came forth to receive the new Queen There was besides a Picture which shew'd the Reception Solomon gave the Queen of Sheba and another where Deborah was giving of Laws to her People There were also the Statues of Ceres Astrea Vnion Vertue Life Safety Time the Earth Tranquility Peace Greatness Rest Themis and Liberality Amongst all the Paintings I took notice of that where Aeneas is descending into Hell Cerberus chain'd by the Sybile the Elysian Fields where Anchises shew'd his Son who should succeed him in his Posterity The rest were fill'd with an infinite number of Hierogliphicks The Queen stopt at the third Arch which was over against a very fine Parterre in her way in it were falls of Water Grottas Fountains and white Marble Statues Nothing could be more pleasant than this Garden It belong'd to the Fryars of St. Francis of Paulo who built it The fourth Gate was in the middle of the Place call'd Del Sol it was not less glorious than the others by the Gold Pictures Statues and Motto's about it The Street where the Furriers dwelt was all full of seeming Animals though their Skins was so artificially stufft that any Body would have taken them for liying Tygars Lions Bears and Panthers The fifth Gate which was that of Guadalajara had its peculiar Ornaments and after that the Queen past into the Goldsmiths Street the side of which was set full of Angels of pure Silver there were seen also divers Bucklers of Gold upon which were contriv'd the King and Queens Names with their Arms in Pearls Rubies Diamonds Emraulds and other Stones so fine and rich that the Skilful said there was to the value of above twelve Millions In the Placa Mayor there was an Amphitheater set full of Statues and adorn'd with Paintings The last Gate was near that in the middle of the first Front of the Queen Mothers Pallace was seen Apollo all the Muses the Picture of the King and Queen on Horseback and divers other things which I did not mind so much to give you an Account of them The Pallace Court was surrounded with young Men and Maids which represented all the Rivers both great and small of Spain they were Crowned with Reeds and Water lillies with Pots overturn'd and the rest of their Attire suitable They complimented the Queen in Latin and Spanish there were also erected in this Court two Castles of artificial Fire-works All the Pallace was hung with the richest Tapistry that belong'd to the Crown and there are but few Places in the World where there is finer seen two Chariots full of Muscians went before their Majesties The Magistrates of the City came out of their Publick House in their Robes which were made of Brocado embroider'd with Gold they wore little Hatts buttoned up with Plumes of Feathers and were mounted upon very fine Horses they came to present the Keys of the City to the Queen and to receive her under a Canopy The King and the Queen Mother went in a Coach all open that the People might see them as far as the Countess of Ognates House where the Queen came to them Six Trumpeters in black and red Suites in company of the City Kettle Drums mounted upon fine Horses whose Housings were of black Velvet march'd before the Alcade of the Court the Knights of the three Malitary Orders namely St. James Calatrava and Alcantara followed after in Cloaks all embroider'd with Gold and their Hatts covered with Plumes of Feathers after them went the Tutulados De Castille and the Officers of the King's Houshold they wore white Robes and most of them were Grandees of Spain their Hatts were trim'd with Diamonds and Pearl and their Magnificence appear'd every way they had most admirable Horses every one had abundance of Liveries and their Footmens Suits were of Gold and Silver Brocado mixt with colour'd Silk which lookt very well The Queen rid upon a curious Horse of Andalousia which the Marquis De Villa Mayna her first Gentleman Usher led by the Reins her Cloaths ware so richly embroider'd that one could see no Stuff she wore a Hat trim'd with a Plume of Feathers and the Pearl call'd the Peregrina which is as big as a small Pear and of an inestimable Value her Hair hung loose upon her Shoulders and upon her Forehead her neck was a little bare and she wore a small Fardingal she had upon her Finger the large Diamond of the King 's which is pretended to be the fairest in Europe But the Queens pretty Looks and her Charms shin'd much brighter than all the sparkling Jewels with which she was adorn'd behind her and without the Canopy went the Dutchess De Terranova drest in Duenna together with Donna Laura Maria D' Alarcon Governante of the Queens Maids they rid each of them upon a Mule Immediately after them the Queens Maids to the number of eight all cover'd with Diamonds and Embroidery appear'd upon very fine Horses every one having two of the Court walking by their side the Queens Coaches went after them and the Guards of the Lancilla brought up the Rear She stopt before the Countess of Ognate's House to salute the King and the Queen Mother she alighted at St. Maries where Cardinal Portocarero Archbishop of Tolleda waited for her and immediately Te Deum began as soon as it was ended she mounted her Horse again and rid to the Pallace where she was receiv'd by the King and Queen Mother the King help't her off her Horse and the Queen Mother taking her by the Hand led her to her Apartment where all the Ladies were waiting for her and fell on their Knees in all Humility to kiss her Hand While I am upon this Head of the Pallace I should tell you Dear Cousin that I have heard there are certain Laws or Rules establisht in the Pallace which have been observed there for above these hundred Years without the least Devotion they are call'd the Orders or Ceremonials of the Pallace they run thus That the Queen of Spain shall go to Bed at Ten a Clock in Summer and nine in Winter At the Queens first being here she did not consider the appointed Hour it seemed to her Reasonable that the Rule of going to Bed should be when one was sleepy but it frequently hapned that as she was eating her Supper some of her Women without saying a Word to her would begin to undress her Head and others to pull off her Shoes under the Table and so hurry her to Bed with that haste as made her very much wonder The King of Spain sleeps in one Apartment and the Queen in another but this loves his Queen too well to lie from her It is thus noted in the Orders That when the King comes out of his own Chamber in the Night to go into the
imbroider'd with Pearls and precious Stones and so are the Chalices and Vessels of precious Stones The Candlesticks and the Lamps are of pure Gold There are forty little Chappels and as many Altars upon which are put every day forty several Cloaths and Attires The forepart of the great Altar is compos'd of four Ranks of Jasper Pillars and one goes up to the Altar by seventeen Steps of Porphiry Stone The Tabernacle is beautify'd with several Pillars of Agat and divers curious Figures of Metal and Chrystal One can see nothing about the Tabernacle but Gold Azur Stone and other Stones so transparent that through them the Sacrament which is kept in an Agat Vessel is easily perceiv'd This Tabernacle is esteem'd at a Million of Crowns There are eight pair of Organs the Chairs or Seats in the Quire are made of rare Wood which comes from the Indies curiously wrought after the pattern of those of St. Dominick at Boulogne The Cloysters of the Monastery are extream fine in the middle there 's a Flower Garden and a Chappel which opens four ways whose Roof is supported with Porphiry Pillars between which there are Niches in which are placed the four Evangelists with an Angel and the several Creatures made of white Marble bigger than Nature who throw out Torrents of Water into Marble Basins The Chappel is arch'd with curious Architecture and pav'd with black and white Marble There are divers Pictures of an inestimable value and in the Chapter-Room which is very large there is besides most excellent Pictures two Bass-Reliefs all of Agat two foot and a half long which cannot be valued As to the Church it has nothing extraordinary in its Structure it is bigger than that of the Jesuits in St. Anthony's Street at Paris but of the same form except that like their House it is of the Dorick Order Bramanto the famous Italian Architect drew the Model and Design of it The King and Queen's Appartments are not stately but Philip II. intended this only for a House of Prayer and Retirement the Church and the Library were the things he took most care to adorn Titian the famous Painter and divers others besides have exhausted all their Art and Skill in curiously painting the Galleries of the Library which indeed are admirable not only for the excellent Painting but for a hundred thousand Volumes that are there without reckoning the Original Manuscripts of several Fathers and Doctors of the Church which are delicately bound and gilt You 'll easily guess at the bigness of the Escurial when I have told you that there are in it seventeen Cloysters two and twenty Courts eleven thousand Windows above eight hundred Pillars and an infinite number of Parlours Halls and Chambers A little after the Death of Philip II. there was taken from the Fryars of the Escurial a certain Estate in Lands call'd Campillo which the late King had given them and was worth eighteen thousand Crowns per Annum and this was done by virtue of a Clause in his Will by which he revok'd all the immense Donations which is his Life time he had given The Duke of Bragance being at Court in King Philip the Second's time he had a mind they should go with him to the Escurial that he might see that stately Pile of Building And as he that had the care of shewing it to him told him It was built in performance of a Vow which Philip II. made at the Battel of St. Quintin the Duke reply'd He that made so great a Vow must needs have a great Terror upon him And now in mentioning this King I remember to have heard that Charles V. recommended to him the preservation of the three Keys of Spain These were the Streights-mouth Flushing in Zealand and Cadiz The Turks or Moors have the first the Dutch the second and the English had the last but the King of Spain soon recover'd it from them The Escurial is built upon a descent of some Rocks in a desert and barren Place and environ'd with Hills the Village stands below it and has but few Houses in 't it 's in a manner always cold Weather there The extent of the Gardens and the Park is a prodigious thing to see in which one meets with Woods Plains and a vast House in the midst in which the Keepers lodge it abounds with all sorts of Deer and Fowl After having seen a Place which so highly deserves our admiration we all left it and as we had visited the Royal Houses of Pardo and Carcuela we return'd over the Mountains which is a nearer way but very troublesome We came by Colmenar and coasting along the little River of Guadarama we past through Rozas and Aravacâ— and arriv'd at Madrid where we learnt that the Queen's Houshold were just going away to meet her upon the Frontier We immediately went to the Palace to bid adiew to the Dutchess de Terra Nova and the other Ladies The King had made them all be mounted that he might see after what manner they would be on the day of her Entry for this reason all the Gardens and Doors every way were kept close shut and guarded and no Man was to enter there The young Court Ladies lookt well enough but good God! what figures were the Dutchess de Terra Nova and Donna Maria d' Alarcon who were the Governantes of the Queen's Maids they rid every one upon a Mule shod with Silver and all friz'd with a large housing of black Velvet like that the Physicians in Paris ride with upon their Horses These Ladies drest like Widdows which I have already describ'd to you very old and ugly with morose and imperious Looks wore broad Hats ty'd with strings under their Chins and twenty Gentlemen which walkt a foot by their sides held them up lest they should fall They would never have suffer'd these Men to have touch'd them in that manner had not they fear'd breaking their Necks For you must know dear Cousin that though every Lady has two Gentlemen Ushers and that they go with them where ever they go yet they never give them their Hand They walk by their sides and present to them their Elbows wrapt in their Cloaks which makes their Arms look monstrous thick The Ladies do not come near them but that which is yet more strange if the Queen in walking should happen to fall unless her Ladies were near her to help her up though there were an hundred Gentlemen there she must be pleas'd either to rise by her self or lie all day upon the Ground for none dare take her up We spent part of the Afternoon in looking at these Ladies the Equipage they had was indeed very rich but very poorly and dully contriv'd The Dutchess of Terra Nova had alone six Litters of Velvet of various colours and all embroider'd and forty Mules whose houssings were as costly as ever I saw any You will not hear from me again dear Cousin before the Queen is come hither
THE Ingenious and Diverting LETTERS OF THE Lady TRAVELS INTO SPAIN DESCRIBING The Devotions Nunneries Humours Customs Laws Militia Trade Diet and Recreations of that People Intermixt with Great Variety of Modern Adventures and Surprising Accidents being the Truest and Best REMARKS Extant on that Court and Country The Fourth Edition Corrected In Three PARTS Compleat Licensed and Entred according to Order LONDON Printed for Samuel Crouch at the Corner of Pope's Head-Alley next Cornhil 1697. To the much Honoured Mr. DAHE SIR FInding Encouragement for a new Edition of the Ladies Travels as I had just Reason from your Merits before to dedicate a part of them to you so the Continuation of your particular Favours makes me take this Opportunity to acknowledge them and now to Address the Whole I found the former Editions to have good Success under your Name so that both Profit and Gratitude oblige me again to beg you to take this Work of the Fair Sex into your further Protection and Patronage Your Great Skill in that Excellent Art which with so much Life and Pleasure represents the Ladies besides your other extraordinary Qualifications endears you to them and I hope will influence them to help me off with this Impression They will certainly for the Honour of their Sex contribute to let this Incomparable Lady's Productions have a more extensive Spread and Acquaintance Pardon me Sir and give me leave to conclude with my humble Thanks for all your Civilities and Kindnesses and my hearty Wishes for your Prosperity I am SIR Your most Obliged humble Servant Sam. Crouch A RELATION OF A Voyage to SPAIN IN Several Letters LETTER I. SEEING you are so earnest with me to let you know all my Adventures and whatsoever I have observ'd during my Travels you must therefore be contented my dear Cousin to bear with a great many trifling Occurrences before you can meet with what will please you I know your fancy is so nice and delicate that none but extraordinary Accidents can entertain you and I wish I had no others to relate but recounting things faithfully as they have hapned you must be contented therewith I gave you an Account in my last of what I met with as far as Bayonne you know this is a Town in France Frontier to Spain wash'd by the Rivers Dadour and Nivelle which joyn together and the Sea comes up to them The Port and Trade are considerable I came from Axe by Water and observ'd that the Boat-men of Adour have the same Custom as those of Caronne which is to say That in passing by one another they set up a Hollowing and they had rather lose their Wages than to forbear these sort of Shoutings although exceeding vexatious to those who are not used to them There are two Castles strong enough to defend the Town and there are about it several pleasant Walks At my Arrival there I intreated the Baron de Castlenau who had accompany'd me from Axe to bring me acquainted with some Women with whom I might spend my time with less impatience till the Litters came which were to be sent to me from St. Sebastian He readily complied with my Request for being a Person of Quality and Worth he is much esteem'd at Bayonne He fail'd not the next Morning to bring several Ladies to visit me These Women begin here to feel the scorching Heats of the Sun their Complexion is dark their Eyes sparkling they are charming enough their Wits are sharp And I could give you a farther Account of their Capacities could I have better understood what they said not but that they could all speak French yet with such a different Dialect as surpast my Understanding Some who came to see me brought little sucking Pigs under their Arms as we do little Dogs it 's true they were very spruce and several of 'em had Collars of Ribbons of various Colours However this Custom looks very odd and I cannot but think that several among themselves are disgusted at it When they danced they must set them down and let these grunting Animals run about the Chamber where they make a very pleasant Harmony These Ladies danc'd at my Intreaty the Baron of Castleneau having sent for Pipes and Tabors The Gentlemen who attended the Ladies took each of 'em her whom he had brought with him and the Dance began in a Round all holding Hands they had afterwards long Canes brought them and then each Spark taking hold of the Lady's Handkerchief which separated them from one another moved very gracefully at the Sound of this Martial sort of Musick which inspired them with such Heat that they seem'd not to be able to moderate it This seem'd to me to resemble the Pyrric Dance so much celebrated by the Ancients for these Gentlemen and Ladies made so many Turns Frisks and Capers their Canes being thrown up into the Air and dexterously caught again that it is impossible to describe their Art and Agility And I had a great deal of Pleasure in seeing 'em but methoughts it lasted too long and I began to grow weary of this ill-ordered Ball When the Baron de Castleneau who perceiv'd it caused several Baskets of dried Fruit to be brought in They are the Jews who past for Portuguises and dwell at Bayonne who transport them from Geroa and furnish all the Country with them We wanted not for Limonade and other refreshing Waters of which these Ladies drank heartily and so the Entertainment ended I was carry'd the next Morning to see the Synagogue of the Jews in the Suburb of the Holy Spirit but met with nothing remarkable there Monsieur de St. Pe the Kings Lieutenant who came to see me though much troubled with the Gout invited me to Dine at his House where I was most deliciously entertain'd for this is a Country abounding with good Cheer and at cheap Rates I found here Women of Quality that were very handsome whom he had invited to bear me Company The sight of the Castle which faces the River is very pleasant and has always a good Garrison in it At my return to my Lodging I was surpriz'd to find several Pieces of Linnen which were brought to me from the Ladies who came to see me with Baskets full of dried Sweet-meats This Treatment seem'd to me very obliging to a Lady whom they had not known above four or five Days But I must not forget to tell you there is not any finer Linnen in the World than that which is made in this Country some of which is open like Net-work and the Threads of it finer than Hair And I remember that travelling thro' the Villages of Bourdeaux which may be rather call'd Desarts the poor Peasants living so wretchedly yet I found among them as neat Napkins as those used amongst People of Quality at Paris I fail'd not to send these Ladies such little Presents which I thought might please them I perceiv'd they were great Admirers of Ribbons and wear a great many on their
was told the Marchioness was still asleep he immediately went into the Garden and entred into the Gallery through the same Window which he had found open and from thence came into the Chamber 'T was so dark that he was fain to walk warily when he felt something which had like to have made him fall he stooped down and found it was a dead Body he uttered a great Shriek and doubting not but it was that of his dear Mistress he sunk down with Grief Some of the Marchioness's Women walking under the Windows of her apartment heard Don-Lewis 's Crys they easily got up through the same Window and entred the Room What a sad Spectacle what a lamentable sight was this I cannot find Words to denote to you the Horror of this Spectacle Don Lewis was no sooner come to himself by the force of Remedies but his Grief Rage and Despair broke out with such Violence that it was impossible to calm him and I am perswaded he had not out-lived her whose loss he occasioned if the desire of Vengeance had not re-animated him He parted like one furious in search of the Marquess de Barbaran He sought him every-where without hearing any news of him He ran over Italy traverst Germany came into Flanders and past into France He was told that the Marquess was at Valentia in Spain he came there and met not with him In fine three Years being past without finding the means of sacrificing his Enemy to his Mistress's Ghost Divine Grace which is irresistible and particularly on great Souls toucht his so efficatiously that he immediately changed his Desire of Revenge into serious Desires of leaving the World and minding only the fitting himself for another Life Being fill'd with this Spirit he return'd into Sardagnia He sold all his Estate which he distributed among some of his Friends who with great Merit were yet very poor and by this means became so poor himself that he reduced himself to the begging of Alms. He had heretofore seen in going to Madrid a place very fit to make an Hermitage it is towards Mount Dragon this Mountain is almost inaccessible and you cannot pass to it but through an Overture which is in the midst of a great Rock it is stopt up when the Snow falls and the Hermitage lies buried more than six Months under it Don Lewis made one be built here where he was wont to pass whole Years without seeing any one He made such Provisions as were necessary having good Books and thus remain'd in this dismal Solitude but this Year his Friends forced him hither by reason of a great Sickness which had like to have cost him his Life It is four Years since he has led this Holy Spiritual Life and so different from that to which he was born that it is with great trouble he sees any of his Acquaintance As to the Marquess de Barbaran he has wholly left the Isle of Sardagnia where he has not the Liberty to return I am inform'd he is married again at Anvers to a Widow of a Spaniard named Fonceca And it is he himself that has related to one of my Friends the Particularities of his Crime and he is so furiously tortured with the remembrance of it that he imagines he continually sees his Wife dying and reproaching him with his Fury and Jealousie In a word he has contracted such a deep Melancholy that his Death is thought by every one to be near or at the least the loss of his Sences The Gentleman here was silent and I not being able to forbear weeping at so Tragical a Relation Don Fernand de Toledo who had observ'd it and would not take notice of it for fear of interrupting the Relation rally'd me about my Tenderness telling me how well he was pleased to find me so Compassionate and that I should not be long before I met with Objects fit to exercise it on I did not so much mind the returning an Answer to him as the Thanking this Gentleman who was pleas'd to entertain me with the Recital of so extraordinary an Adventure I intreated him to make my Compliments to Don Lewis and to give him from me two Pistols seeing he lived on Alms. Don Fernand and each of the Cavaliers gave as much Here is said the Gentleman to us wherewith to enrich the Poor of Victoria for Don Lewis appropriates not such great Charities as these to himself We told him he was the Master and might dispose of the Money as he pleased But to return to my Adventures Although I had a Pasport from the King of Spain the best specified and most general as is possible yet I was oblig'd to take a Billet from the toll-Toll-House for without this Precaution all my Cloaths had been confiscated To what purpose then is my Pasport said I to them To none at all replied they The Surveyers and Officers of the Customs would not so much as cast their Eyes on it they told me The King must come and assure them that this Order was from him It is to no purpose for any one to alledge his being a Stranger and ignorant of the Usages of the Country For they drily answer That the Stranger 's Ignorance makes the Spaniard 's Profit The ill weather has kept me here two Days during which I saw the Governess and the Play The principal Place of this Town is adorn'd with a very fair Fountain standing in the midst it is incircled with the Town-House the Prison two Convents and several well-built Houses Here is a New Town and an Old one every body forsakes this latter to dwell in the other Here are very rich Merchants their chief Trade is at St. Sebastian or Bilbo they send great store of Iron to Grenada Estremadour Galicia and other Parts of the Kingdom I observ'd that the great Streets are set with fine Trees which are watered with Streams running by them From Mount St. Adrian hither it is seven Leagues In fine I am just setting out and must end this long Letter it is late and I have spoke to you so much of what I have seen that I have said nothing of my Affections to you Believe me however Dear Cosin that I am and ever shall be From Victoria Feb. 24 1673. Yours LETTER III. MY Letters are so long that it is hard to believe when I finish them that I have any thing else more to tell you yet my dear Cosin I never close any but there remains still sufficient for another When I were only to speak to you of my Friendship this would be an inexhaustible Subject you may make some Judgment of it from the Pleasure I find in obeying your Commands You are desirous to know all the Particulars of my Voyage I will therefore go on to relate them I set out very late from Victoria by reason of my stay at the Governess's whom I before mention'd and we went to lie at Miranda the Country is very pleasant as far as Avigny
Relation of some Particulars of her humor You must know then said she that the King of Spain sent Don Antonio Pimentel in quality of Ambassador to Stockholm to discover as much as in him lay the Intentions of the Swedes They had been long Enemies to the House of Austria and it was not doubted but they would make new Attempts to thwart it in the design of making the Emperour's Son King of the Romans Pimentel was charged to carry on this Affair with great Circumspection He was a gallant witty and handsome Person and he succeeded better than could be expected He immediately discovered the Queen's Genius and easily made himself her Confident He soon perceived she was mightily charm'd with Novelties and that of the crowd of Strangers which she drew to the Court the last come was the most favoured He made it his Task to please her and gained so far on her Affections that he became inform'd by her self of the most secret Affairs and which she ought the most to conceal from him But what cannot he do who has found a way to the heart The Queen 's was so inclined to him that he became the sole Disposer of the Affections of this Princess and by this means was able to write to the Emperour and to the Electors things so certain and agreeable as made 'em easily judge that the Queen of Sweedland's Council had no part in the Declaration she made in favour of the King of Hungary This Intrigue being at an end 't was thought the King would recal Pimentel there appearing no occasion requiring the Presence of an Ambassador But if it were needless for the King of Spain that he should remain at Stockholm 't was not the same with the Queen she neglecting nothing whereby to retain him near her He attended her wherever she went since and many who were led by outward Appearances judged when she left the Crown to her Cosin she did it with great Satisfaction because she did it with dry Eyes and had the Courage to harangue the States with great Force and Eloquence but the People were greatly mistaken in the secret Motives of this Princess Her soul at that time was pierced with the most lovely sorrow she was not a little griev'd to yield to the Prince Palatine a Scepter which she thought her self worthy to wield alone and of which she was the lawful Heiress This Prince had the Address to get it declared that if she married she should choose him for her Husband Assoon as this Declaration was made she began to feel the weight of the subjection wherein she was placed and on the other hand the People did not well relish the being governed by a Woman They insisted more on her Defects than they minded her Vertues The Prince contributed under-hand thereto and the Queen who was penetrating soon perceiv'd it she observ'd the Inclination the People had to him and the wishes which were made to see him on the Throne she grew every day more and more jealous of this and past from hence to such a deadly Hatred that 't was impossible for her to stop the Course of it The Princes presence became so insupportable to her that perceiving it he withdrew into an Island which belong'd to him But he set not out till he had left good Memoires to his Creatures against the Queen's Conduct When she saw her self deliver'd from an Object whose sight was so great an Eye-sore she drew off her Mind from the too intent pursuit of the Affairs of the Kingdom and gave way to her Inclinations to Books Her marvellous Wit made in a short time admirable Progresses in the most profound Sciences but these were not so needful to her as a good Conduct in the management of her Honour and Interest It often happens that having spent several days in her Study she would appear disgusted with her Books saying They were good for nothing but to waste the Spirits and mislead Mens Judgments When the Great Men of the Court saw her in this Disposition they approacht her with more familiarity and then the whole Business was to follow the Pleasures of Love of Plays Balls Turneys Huntings and all other Diversions She gave up her self entirely to them and nothing cou'd bring her off them but she added to this Defect that of enriching Strangers at the Expence of her own Subjects The Swedes began to murmur at this the Queen was advertised of it their Complaints appear'd to be unjust and little respectful and being not a little offended at them she was so unwise as to take Vengeance on her self In effect at the time when 't was least expected and when she was in a Condition to find less violent Remedies she abandoned at one stroak her Crown and Kingdom to her Cosin to this Cosin I say whom she was so far from loving that she wish'd him all the ill she was able and yet to whom she did so much good she thought 't was impossible for any to penetrate into the Motives of this She pretended by this great stroak of Generosity to distinguish her self from among the Heroina's of the most famous Ages But in effect the Conduct she held afterwards distinguish'd her only to her Disadvantage She was seen to set out from Swedeland in a very odd Dress for a Woman with a kind of Justaucorps a short Petticoat with Boots and Cravat in a Perriwig a Hat covered with Feathers and this Perriwig tied up in a lock behind which seem'd then very ridiculous She forbad all her Women to folfow her choosing only Men to serve her and attend her She was wont ordinarily to say That she did not love Men as Men but because they were not Women So that she seem'd to have renounc'd her Sex in renouncing her States altho she had sometimes such Weaknesses as wou'd have made the meanest Women ashamed The trusty Pimentel past over into Flanders with her and I being then there continues she I saw him arrive he procured me the honour to kiss her hand and there needed no less than his Credit to obtain this for she sent word to all the Ladies of Brussels and Antwerpt she wou'd excuse them for their Visits Yet she receiv'd me very well and the little she said to me appear'd full of Wit and extraordinary Vivacity but she swore at every turn like a Souldier and her Words and Actions were so free not to say so dishonest that were it not for her Rank her Person wou'd have been little regarded She spake before every Body of the passionate desire she had to see the Prince of Conde that his great Actions had charm'd her and that she was desirous to learn the Trade of War under him The Prince had no less desire to see her than she testified to see him In the midst of this mutual Impatience the Queen stopt on a sudden on some Formalities and Steps which she refused to take when he shou'd come to salute her These
Reasons hindred him from seeing her with the usual Ceremonies But one day when the Queen's Chamber was full of Courtiers the Prince slipt therein whether she had seen his Picture or that his Martial Ayr had distinguish'd him from among others she had singled him out and knew him She wou'd immediately hereupon have testifi'd as much to him by extraordinary Civilities He presently retired and she follow'd to conduct him Then he stopt and contented himself with saying these words Either All or Nothing Some few days after an Interview was set on foot to be between them in the Mall in the Park at Brussels where they spake together with great Civility and much Coldness As to Don Antonio Pimentel the Favours she has had for him have made noise enough to come to your Ears and if you be ignorant of 'em Madam I believe I ought not to undertake to learn you the Particulars of which perhaps I my self may have been ill inform'd She held her peace and I made my profit of this moment to thank her for complaisance in giving me an account of a Queen who had ever giv'n me such a great Curiosity She askt me afterwards whether I had seen the Castle of Lerma He that build it said she was Favorite to Philip the Third whose Death hapned very strangely This Prince continued she was writing Letters in his Closet and it being very cold that day they had placed very near him a quick fire of Coals whose reverberation struck so much on his face that he was all in water as if a great quantity of it had been poured on his Head The easiness of his temper hindred him from complaining and even speaking of it for he never found fault with any thing The Marquis de Pobar having observ'd the incommodiousness which the King receiv'd by this extream heat advertised the Duke d' Alva's Gentleman of his Chamber of it to the end he might remove the Fire away He replied It was not his Office and that the Duke Duesda ought to be made acquainted with it whose proper Business it was The Marquis de Pobar being troubled to see the King thus suffer and not daring himself to ease him for fear of invading another's Province left the fire still in its place but he sent to give notice of it to the Duke Duesda who was by Misfortune gone near Madrid to see a stately House he was there building Word was brought of this again to the Marquis de Pobar who proposed again to the Duke de Alva the taking away the fire But he found him inflexible hereunto and chose rather to send into the Country to the Duke Duesda so that before he was come the King was almost spent and that very Night he fell into a violent Fever accompanied with an Erisipellis which inflamed and the Inflamation degenerated into the Purples which caused his Death I must confess said she that having seen when I was abroad in the World other Courts besides our own I cou'd not forbear blaming these kind of Ceremonies and Punctilio's which hinder the taking of one step faster than another thô life depended thereon The old Countess of Lemo's lov'd to talk and continuing her Discourse and among other names mention'd that of the Count de Villa Mediana I have heard said I interrupting her that this Gentleman being one day in the Church of our Lady d' Arocha and finding there a Religio's who begg'd for the Souls of Purgatory he gave him a piece of four pounds Ah my Lord said the good Father you have now deliver'd a Soul The Count drew out again alike piece and put it into the Bason Here 's continued the Religio another Soul delivered He gave him in this manner six one after another and at the dropping of each piece the Monk cry'd Here 's a Soul delivered from Purgatory Will you be positive in it reply'd the Count. Yes my Lord reply'd the Monk I am certain they are now in Heav'n Give me now then back again my six pieces said he for they signifie nothing to you seeing the Souls are already got to Heav'n there 's no danger of their returning again to Purgatory It was as you relate added the Countess but he took not again his Money for this wou'd have been among us an horrid Sacriledge And I knew a man of good quality who being much behind in the World yet when he was dying wou'd have fifteen thousand Masses to be said for him His last Will was executed and his poor Creditors defrauded for how just soever their Debts be they can expect to receive nothing till such time as all the Masses which are left in the Will be said And this has given occasion to that common saying among us That such a one has made his Soul his Heir whereby is meant that he has left his Estate to the Church to say Prayers for him King Philip the Fourth ordered in his Will an hundred thousand Masses to be said for him farther declaring That shou'd he cease needing them they shou'd serve for his Father and Mother and in case they were got to Heav'n they shou'd be applied to the Souls of those who were slain in the Wars of Spain But what I have already told you of the Count de Villa Mediana brings to my mind that he being one day at Church with Queen Elizabeth he saw a great deal of Money on the Altar which was giv'n for the Souls in Purgatory He drew near and took it up in his hand saying My Love will last for ever my Pains will be likewise Eternal those of the Souls in Purgatory will have an end alas mine will never end This hope comforts them as for me I am without hope and comfort so that these Charities are more due to me than they However he took nothing away only speaking these words as an occasion to bring in his Passion before this beautiful Queen who was there present For in effect his was so violent for her that there is some reason to think she was not wholly insensible of it if her rigid Virtue had not preserved her heart against the Count's Merit He was young well shaped handsome brave magnificent gallant and witty every Body knows how he appeared to his Misfortune in a Carosel at Madrid with a Suit embroidered with pieces of new Money called Realles and which he bore for a Device MIS AMORES SON REALES making an allusion to the word Reales which is to say Royal with the Passion he had for the Queen This is finer in Spanish and signifies in English My Love is Royal. The Count Duke d' Olivarez the Kings Favorite and the secret Enemy of the Queen and the Count made his Master take notice of the boldness of a Subject who dared even in his Presence declare the Sentiments he had for the Queen and in this moment he perswaded the King to be reveng'd on him An occasion was waited for which shou'd make no noise
But here 's what hastned his ruine applying his Mind only to divert the Queen he wrote a Comedy which every Body likes and the Queen more than others found therein such moving and delicate stroaks in it that she wou'd act apart in it her self on the King's Birth-day It was the Amorous Count who managed and took care of the Festival he ordered the Cloaths and provided Machines which cost him above Thirty thousand Crowns He had caused a great Cloud to be painted under which the Queen was concealed in a Machine He stood very near it and at a certain sign he gave a Man who was faithful to him he set fire to the linnen work of the Cloud The whole House valued at an hundred thousand Crowns was in a manner consumed but he comforted himself when making his advantage of this favourable Opportunity he took his Soveraign in his Arms carry'd her into a little by-place and there stole from her some Favours and that which is much taken notice of in this Country is that he touched her foot A little Page who saw him inform'd the Count Duke of it he did not doubt but when he saw the fire but this was an effect of the Count's Passion He made such an exact Enquiry that he laid before the King certain Proofs of it and his Proofs so greatly enraged the King that 't is pretended he caused him to be shot with a Pistol one night as he was in his Coach with Don Lewis de Haro Here 's a very Tragical end said I to her interrupting her but whilst said she I am speaking to you of Philip the Fourth I cannot but I must tell you that he was vehemently in love with the Dutchess Dalburkerke He cou'd never meet with a favourable opportunity of Entertaining her The Duke her Husband kept strict guard over her and the more Obstacles the King met with the more his Desires increased but when Night came and when he was at play he feign'd to call to mind he had a Letter to write of the greatest consequence He call'd the Duke Dalburkerke who was in his Chamber and desired him to take his place and continue his Game He immediately hereupon entred into his Closet disguised himself and went down by a back Stairs and came to the young Dutchess with the Count Duke his Favorite The Duke Dalburkerke whose mind ran on his Domestick Interests more then on his Game easily believ'd his Master wou'd not have committed it to him without some secret Design He began then to complain of an horrid Collick and uttering Cries and making Faces enough to fright one he gave the Cards to another and without any stop run home The King had only just arrived there without any Train he was then in the Court and seeing the Duke come he hid himself but there is nothing so clear sighted as a jealous Husband He perceiv'd the King and being not willing to have Lights brought that he might not be oblig'd to acknowledge him he made up to him with a great Cane which he commonly walked with Ha! Ha! Villain said he to him thou comest to rob my House and without more words he laid on him with all his strength The Count Duke was no more spared who fearing least worse might happen cried out several times 'T was the King to stop the Duke's Fury but this was so far from effecting it that he redoubled his blows both on the Prince and his Minister crying in his turn That this was a stroak of the greatest Insolence to make use of his Majesty's Name and his Favorites in such an occasion that he could find in his heart to send 'em to the Palace because he well knew the King would cause 'em to be hang'd In all this Fray the King said not a word and at length got away half mad in having received so many blows and not one favour from his Mistress This produced no ill Consequences to the Duke Dalburkerke but on the contrary the King being cured of his Love to the Dutchess made a Jest of it some time after I know not whether I do not abuse your patience by the length of this Conversation added the Countess de Lemos and I fall insensible into the defect of persons of my Age who forget themselves when they tell of things done in their time I saw she was for retiring and having again thankt her for the honour she had done me I took my leave of her and returned to my Inn. The Weather was so foul that we with great difficulty set out but being resolv'd on it we marcht as long as the day lasted falling down and getting up as well as we cou'd We cou'd hardly see four Paces before us the Storm was so great that it blew off several Stones off the Rocks which fell into our way and hurt one of our Company he had been kill'd had he not stept on one side In fine after having made about eight Leagues according to our reckoning we were much astonisht to find our selves at the Gates of Lerma without having advanced or gone back We had still turn'd about the Town without perceiving it as it were by Enchantment sometimes farther sometimes nearer and we were all of us not a little out of humor at having taken so much pains to so little purpose The Hostess transported at the sight of us she who cou'd have been glad with all her heart we shou'd thus Travel as long as we lived to return to lye at her House every night tarried for me at the top of her little Stair-case She told me she was very sorry she cou'd not let me have my Room again but wou'd give me another commodious enough and that mine was taken up by a Seignora the greatest in Spain Don Fernand askt her name she told him she was called Donna Eleonor of Toledo he as soon inform'd me she was his near Kinswoman He cou'd not comprehend by what chance she shou'd come there To be satisfied in the matter he sent his Gentleman to make her a Complement and to know whether his visit wou'd not be troublesome She sent word she had a great Satisfaction at this happy Meeting and that he wou'd do her a great deal of honour He went up immediately to her Chamber and was inform'd by her of several particulars which related to him He came afterwards to me and told me very civilly That where not Donna Eleonar excessive weary and indisposed she wou'd have given me the first Visit I in short desired him to conduct me to her Chamber where she receiv'd me in a most obliging manner and I observ'd in the first moment of our Conversation that she had a great deal of Wit and Politeness I found her very neat and handsome her Eyes were lively and so glistering that one cou'd not without pain endure their brightness Don Fernand told her who I was and that I went to see one of my near Relations at Madrid Her name
But she now mixes Italian English and Spanish with her own Natural Language and this makes such a Jargon as is very strange to one who knew her as I did to have the French Language in its purity and able to read Lectures of it to the Learned She cannot endure to be told that she has forgot it and indeed she does not believe it having never left off speaking it either with some of her own Women or with Ambassadors and Strangers who generally understood it Nevertheless she speaks very ill And if one is not at the Fountain-head it is difficult long to speak a Language well which is every day changing and continually making new progresses I found the Ladies which were with her extream pretty I do assure you that there are in this Countrey some very handsome and aimable We embraced each other often and went back to Madrid Before we came there we past over a Sandy Plain of about Four Leagues but so uneven that every moment we fell into holes big enough to bury the Coach and which hinder'd it for going very fast This uneven way lasted till we came to a little Village call'd Mandes which is but half a League from Madrid All the Countrey here is dry and very open you can scarcely see a Tree on any side you look The City is scituated in the middle of Spain which is New-Castile It is above an Age since the Kings of Spain have chosen to keep their Court in it because of the purity of the Air and the goodness of the Water which really is so good and so light that the Cardinal Infanta would drink no other when he was in Flanders and he caus'd it to be brought by Sea in Earthern Jars well stopt The Spaniards pretend that the Founder of Madrid was a Prince nam'd Ogno Bianor Son of Tiberino King of the Latines and of Manto who was a Queen more Famous for the Science of Astrology which she understood to a wonderful degree than for her Birth 'T is thought that Madrid must be in the Heart of Europe because the little Village of Pinto which is not above Three Leagues from it is call'd in Latine Punctum and that is reckon'd to be in the Center of Europe The first thing I observ'd was that the City is not enclos'd either with a Wall or Ditch the Gates as one may say are only made fast by a Latch those which I have already seen are all broken there is not seen any place of Defence neither Castle nor in a word any thing which might not be forced with throwing of Oranges and Lemons but yet it might be necessary to Fortifie this City The Mountains which are round it are of some use for its Defence I have pass'd through some places of them which are so narrow that one might shut them up with a good big Stone and with a hundred Men oppose the passage of a whole Army The Streets are long and straight and of a good largeness but there 's no place worse paved let one go as softly as 't is possible yet one is almost jumbl'd and shak'd to pieces there are more Ditches and dirty places than in any City in the World the Horses go up to the Bellies and the Coaches to the middle so that it dashes all upon you and you are spoyl'd unless you either pull up the Glasses or draw the Curtains which I have spoke of very often the Water comes into the Coaches at the bottom of the Boots which are open The Houses there have rarely any great Gates to them those which have are without Courts The Doors indeed are pretty large and for the Houses they are very graceful spacious and convenient though they are only built of Earth and Brick I think they are altogether as dear as at Paris The first Story which they raise belongs to the King and he can either let or sell it unless the Owner of the House buy it off which is almost constantly done and this is a considerable Revenue to the King There is commonly in every House Ten or Twelve Rooms on a Floor in some Twenty and more they have their Summer and their Winter Apartments and very often one for Autumn and another for Spring-time So that having very great Families they are forced to Lodge them in some Neighbouring Houses which they hire on purpose for them You must not wonder Dear Cousin that they have so many Domesticks There are two Reasons for it The first is that both for Food and Wages the Spaniards give but two Rials a day which is not above Six-pence of our Money I say the Spaniards do this for Strangers pay after the rate of four Rials which is about Twelve pence of our Money Neither do the Spaniards give to their Gentlemen above Fifteen Crowns a Month with which they must wear Velvet in Winter and Taffety in Summer But then they live only upon Onions Pease and such mean stuff and this makes the Pages and Footmen as greedy as Doggs But I should speak of the other Domesticks as well as the Pages for in this matter they are all alike let them have what Wages they will They are kept so very hungry that in carrying the Dishes to the Table they eat half the Victuals that is in them they throw it into their Mouths so burning hot that you shall observe their Teeth all rotten with the Practice I advis'd my Kinswoman to get a little Silver Stew-pan made and fastned with a Pad-lock like that I saw of the Arch Bishop of Burgos and she did so and now after the Cook hath fill'd it he looks through a little Grate to see whether the Soupe does well and thus the Pages get nothing of it but the Steam Before this Invention it happen'd a hundred times that when we thought to have taken up some Broth we found neither that nor any Flesh for you must know that if the Spaniards are Temperate 't is when the Expence is their own they are not so when they eat at another's cost I have seen Persons of the Highest Quality eat with us like so many Wolves they were so hungry They were sensible enough of it themselves and pray'd us not to wonder at it for they found the Ragoas after the French way so excellent that they could not forbear There are Cooks-shops almost at every corner of a Street These have great Kettles set upon Trevets There folks may have such ordinary things as Beans Garlick Leeks or a little Broth in which they steep their Bread The Gentlemen and Waiting-women go thither as other People for at home they only dress Victuals for the Master and Mistress and their Children They are strangely Temperate in Wine the Women never drink any and the Men so little that a quarter of a Pint will serve one a whole day You cannot affront a Man worse than to call him a Drunkard Here 's indeed a great many things to make up the first
Reason why they keep so many Servants Now follows the second When a great Man dies if he had a hundred Servants his Son keeps all he found in the House without putting one away When the Mother happens to dye either her own Daughter or her Daughter-in-law takes into her Service all the Women-Servants and this Custom holds to the fourth Generation for they are never turn'd away They are put as I have told you into Neighbouring Houses and have their Ration or Allowances They come often to their Master or Mistress's House but 't is rather to shew they are not dead than to do any Service I was to see the Dutchess of Ossona which is a very great Lady and I was amazed to see so many Chamber-maids and Women for every Room was full of them I askt her how many she had She told me she had now only 300 but that very lately she had 500 more If particular Persons have this Custom of keeping so many Servants the King must needs keep abundance more which without doubt is very chargeable to him and must hurt his Affairs I have been told that in Madrid only if the Pensions which he gives are reckoned he gives Ration or Allowances to above Ten Thousand Persons As to the King's House the Provision for it is daily brought in and it is regulated according to the Quality of the Persons There is distributed both tame and wild Fowl Fish Chocolate Fruit Ice Charcoal Wax-Chandles Oyl Bread and in a word every thing that is necessary for Life Embassadors have their certain Expences and so have some Grandees of Spain There are Persons appointed to Sell at their Houses whatever I have just now named and that without paying any Custom or Excise And this saves them a great deal of Money for the Duties upon all sorts of Goods and Wares are excessive high None but Embassadors and Strangers are allow'd to have a great many Footmen and Pages to follow them For by the Pragmatick by which name they call all their Edicts of Reformation they are forbidden to have any more than two Footmen to follow them It is somewhat strange that they who keep four or five hundred Persons may not be allow'd above three to accompany them This third you must know is a Groom which goes on foot and keeps near the Horses to hinder them from putting and intangling their Leggs in their long Traces and he does not wear a Sword as the Footmen do And I must needs say that if Age is a recommendable Quality these three Men have that in a good degree I have seen Footmen of Fifty Years of Age and never any under Thirty They are very unpleasant to look at being very tawny and of a Clownish Aspect They cut their Hair close on the top of their heads only let a Round be a little long but very greasie and seldom comb'd The Hair they cut on the top of their heads is done in the shape of a Wild Boar's Head They wear long Swords with Shoulder-Belts and Cloaks They are all cloath'd either in Blew or Green and often their green Cloth Cloaks are lined with blew Velvet cut in Flowers their Sleeves are either of Velvet Sattin or Damask One would think that these should be handsome Liveries but yet I assure you nothing is uglier and their ill Looks disparage their Clothes They wear Bands but without any Collar which is ridiculous And upon their Cloathes they have neither Galloons nor tufted Buttons and Loops nor any sort of Lace or Trimming Their Gentlemen and their Pages always go in a Coach that follows these wear black Cloathes in all Seasons In Winter they wear Velvet with Cloth Cloaks very long but when they Mourn they draw upon the ground Although they are Pages they wear no Swords only most of them have a little Poniard hid under their Cloaths In Summer they wear either Damask or Taffety with Cloaks of a black Stuff very light It is only the great Lords and the Titulado's or Men of Title which are permitted to have four Mules to their Coaches with those long Traces in the City If any Person without the distinction of some Character let him be as Rich as he will should appear in the same Equipage he would be affronted and abus'd in the open Street his Traces would be cut and himself Fin'd very high Here it is not enough to be Rich a Man must also be of some Quality The King only can have six Mules to his own Coach and to those of his Attendants which Coaches are not like others and are distinguish'd by this that they are covered with green Oyl-Cloth round as well as on the top just as the Stage-Coaches in France except that they are not of Wickers but the carved Work is very coarse and ill done and they have falling Boots and all is very ugly and one would wonder how so great a King can make use of them But I have been told that these fashion'd Coaches were in use in Charles the Fifth's time that his were just like them and that it is in imitation of so great an Emperour that all the Kings which have Reigned since will have no other Without doubt there must be some such great Reason for notwithstanding this the King has as fine Coaches as any are in the World some made in France and others in Italy and other Parts The great Persons have also very stately ones but after the King's Example they do not use them four times a Year All Coaches are kept in large Courts in which there are several Partitions enclosed There are it may be to the number of two hundred in one Yard and there are several of these Yards or Courts in divers parts of the City The Reason why they set them abroad is because they have no room for them at home their Houses being built as I have already said without Courts or great Gates Of late they begin to alter their Fashion and use Horses instead of Mules And to be just these Horses are extream beautiful there is nothing wanting to them and it would be difficult for the best Painters to draw any in greater Perfection But 't is a piece of Cruelty to make them draw such huge Coaches which are almost as heavy as a House besides the Streets are so very ill pav'd that their Feet are quite spoyl'd in two Years time They cost very dear and are not big enough for their Coaches But I have seen some draw their pretty little Calashes which were all painted and gilt like those which are made in Holland and nothing look'd more pleasant and by their swift running and handsom carrying of their Heads you would take them for Stags As soon as you are out of Town you may put six Horses to your Coach Their Harness are very neat and they trim their Manes which hang to the ground with Ribbons of divers colours and sometimes they dress up their Manes with a great
form of Allies which make a delightful sort of an Illumination The Women which go abroad to Mass hear a dozen of them but shew so much Distraction and wandring of Thoughts that one may easily perceive their Minds are employ'd on some other thing than their Prayers They wear Muffs that are above half an Ell long they are made of the finest Martins and Sables which can be seen and are worth 4 or 5 hundred Crowns apiece They must stretch back their Arms as far as possible they can to be able only to put their fingers ends into the entrance of their Muffs I fancy I have already told you that the Women are extream little and these Muffs are very little less than themselves They always wear a Fan too and be it in Summer or Winter they never cease fanning themselves all the time of Mass In the Church they all sit upon their Legs and are continually taking of Snuff and yet never smut themselves with it as 't is usual for in this as in all other things they have very neat and dextrous ways of management Every time the Elevation is made both the Women and Men give themselves a score of blows with their fists upon their Breasts which makes such a noise that the first time I heard it I was very much affrighted and thought they were beating one another As to the Cavalleros I mean those which by Profession are Gallants and wear a peice of Crape round their Hats as soon as Mass is ended they march up to the place where the Holy Water is kept and ranging themselves round it they present of it to all the Ladies who also come thither and at the same time say something to them that 's kind to which the Women make a pertinent answer in few words for it must needs be granted that they speak precisely what they should and that ex tempore without any trouble of studying for words But the Pope's Nuncio has upon pain of Excommunication forbid the Men to present the Women any Holy Water And 't is said that this Prohibition was obtain'd at the Intreaty of some jealous Husbands However it be it is observ'd and they say the Prohibition even forbids the Men to give each other any Holy Water Let the Spanish Women be of what quality they will they neither have Cushions in the Church nor any kind of Train held up For our parts as soon as we appear there in our French Cloaths every body gets round about us but the most troublesome of all are the big belly'd Women which are more inquisitive than the others and for whom they have here the greatest respect and complaisance for 't is pretended that if they long for any thing and miss of it they receive so much hurt that they immediately miscarry so that they have a liberty to pull off ones Gloves and to tugg hale and examine every body as they list At first I could not take such kind of Jesting and talkt to them so roughly that some of them went away weeping and durst not return But there were others which were not so easily put out of Countenance they would see my Shooes my Garters and what I had in my Pocket my Kinswomen seeing I would not permit them told me that if the People once took notice of me they would certainly stone us and bid me let them have their humour My Women and Chamber-maids were yet worse tormented than I and I am asham'd to tell you how far the curiosity of these big-belly'd Women proceeded I was told that there was a young man at Court who was desperately in love with a very fine Woman whose Husband continually kept under his Eyes so that finding no other way to speak to her he disguis'd himself like a Woman big with Child and so went to her House he address'd himself to the jealous Husband and told him he had the Lantajo which is the word for Longing to discourse with his Wife in private The Husband deceiv'd by this appearance made no question that this was a young big belly'd Woman and immediately consented that his Wife should make this Person happy with a long and pleasant audience When any of these Women long to see the King they give him notice of it and he has the Goodness to come into a great Balcon which looks into the Palace Court and there he tarries as long as they desire Not long since a Spanish Woman just come from Naples sent to beg the King that she might see him and when she had lookt upon him as long as she had a mind in a transport of Zeal with hands lifted up she said to him I beseech God Sir that of his Mercy he would one day make you Vice Roy of Naples 'T is said that this Passage was acted before the King to inform us that the Magnificence of the then Vice Roy who was not belov'd far exceeded his Very frequently there comes into my Relation's House Women which are perfect Strangers to whom nevertheless she is very kind and civil because they are big with Child and such we must not vex Thanks to Heaven Lent is over and though I only observ'd the Passion-Week yet that was more tedious to me than a whole Lent kept at Paris for there 's no Butter here that little which one meets with is brought about Thirty Leagues off wrapt up like Sausages in Hoggs Bladders It is full of Worms and very dear But the Oyl makes amends for 't is very excellent only you know every body loves it not and I am one of those which cannot eat it without being very sick That which makes it yet worse here is that Fish is very scarce it is impossible to have any sweet which is caught in the Sea for that is distant from Madrid above Fourscore Leagues Sometimes there is Salmon brought of which they make Pies which being season'd with Spice and Saffron is eatable There 's very little Fresh-water Fish and yet for all this they do not suffer much Inconvenience for indeed there 's hardly any body keeps Lent neither Master nor Servant because of the great want of Provisions They take a License from the Pope's Nuncio which costs about a Shilling which gives them leave to eat Butter and Cheese all Lent and the Heads Feet and Inwards of Fowl c. every Saturday throughout the Year And it seems to me pretty odd that on this day they should eat the Feet Head and Inwards and yet dare not eat of any other part of the same Creature The Shambles are as open in Lent as they are in the Carnaval Their way of selling Meat is very troublesom it is close shut up in the Butcher's Shop one speaks to him through a little Window and desires to buy of him half a Calf or the like he neither vouchsafes to answer you nor to shew you the least bit of Meat at last you are content with a Loyn of Veal but he
stands upon his Honour and Reputation marches with his great Company in the same Street This happen'd to these Persons I have now mentioned Each of them would have the upper hand and neither would yield it The Footmen with their Flamboys began to lay one another over the Faces and burn their Whiskers and Hair the Friends of each Party drew their Swords against one another Our two Heroes who were only Arm'd with this Instrument of Penance search for each other and being met being a most terrible Battel After they have us'd a little Discipline about one anothers Ears and cover'd the Ground with the ends of their Whip-cords they fall to down-right Fifty-cuffs like any Porters Though after all there 's but little matter to laugh at in this piece of Mummery for they beat one another well-favouredly they wound and often kill and here old Enmities revive and are reveng'd But at last the Duke de Vejar yielded to the Marquess De Villa Hermosa they gather'd up their broken Whips and mended them as well as they could The great Cap which was thrown into the Canal was wip'd and put upon the Penitent's Head again the wounded were carried home and the Procession began again and they walk'd more gravely than ever through a great part of the City The Duke had a great mind the next Morning to be reveng'd but the King commanded both him and the Marquess not to stir out of their Houses But to come to what they do upon these Occasions You must know that after these Servants of God are return'd home there 's a magnificent Supper prepar'd of all sorts of Meats and observe that this is on the last day of Passion-Week But after so good a Work they think they may do a little Evil. Immediately the Penitent causes his shoulders to be a long time rub'd with Sponges dipt in Vinegar and Salt lest there should remain any bruised Blood after that he sets himself at the Table with his Friends and receives from them the Elogies and Applauses which he believes he has merited Every one in his turn tells him that in the Memory of Man none was ever seen to to receive the Discipline with so good a grace They magnifie all his Actions but above all the Happiness of that Lady for whose sake all this Bravery was perform'd The whole Night is spent in such kind of Discourse and sometimes he that has been so well flog'd is so sick that he cannot go to Mass on Easter-day Do not think that I use any Art to set out the History of this matter to make you merry it is all literally true and I tell you nothing which you may not be satisfied in from every body that has been at Madrid But there are also true Penitents which indeed troubles one extreamly to look on them they are drest just as those who gives themselves the Discipline except that they are naked from the shoulders to the middle and with a kind of a narrow Matt are swadled and bound so very hard that all the Flesh which appears is black and blew their Arms stretch'd out are wrapt about with the same Matt. They carry to the number of seven Swords sticking in their Backs and Arms which hurt them grievously when they stir too much or happen to fall which they often do for they going bare-foot and the stones in the Streets being sharp and cutting their Feet they cannot possibly always keep themselves up There are others who instead of these Swords carry Crosses so very heavy that they are even born down with them neither would I have you think that these are of the ordinary People some of them are of the highest Quality They are forc'd to have several of their Servants to accompany them but they are disguised and their Faces covered lest they should be known These carry Wine Vinegar and other things to give their Master from time to time who very frequently drop down dead with the extream pain and toil they endure Generally these Penances are enjoyn'd by their Confessors and they are so very severe that he which undergoes them seldom out-lives the Year The Pope's Nuncio told me that he had forbid all Confessors to impose them yet I have seen divers though in likelihood it proceeded from their own Devotion From the beginning of Passion-Week to Low-Sunday one cannot stir out of Door without seeing an infinite number of Penitents of all sorts and on Good-Friday they all come to the Procession which is but one general one for all the City and is composed of all the Parishes and Convents Upon this day the Ladies are more finely dress'd than on their Wedding-days they place themselves in their Balconies which are set out with rich Carpets and Cushions Sometimes there 's above a hundred Women together The Procession begins about four a Clock and is not ended till past eight for I cannot express to you the numberless Number of People I have seen counting from the King Don John the Cardinals Embassadors the Grandees the Courtezans to all sorts of Folks both of the Court and City Every one holds a Wax-Candle in his Hand and all their Servants which are numerous carry Torches and Flamboys In the Procession all their Banners and Crosses are covered with Crape and there 's a vast number of Drums covered with the same and they beat as at the Death of a General The Trumpets sound some Melancholy Tune The King's Guards which are four Companies of different Nations to wit Burgundians Spaniards Germans and L'Ancillians have their Arms covered with Mourning and trail them upon the ground There are certain Machines set upon Theatres which represent the Mysteries of the Life and Death of our Lord the Figures are as big as Life but very ill made and drest There are some so heavy that a hundred Men can but lift them of which there 's a vast number for every Parish has some I observ'd that of the Blessed Virgin flying into Egypt she was upon an Ass which had good Furniture the Housing was all over embroider'd with fine Pearls the Figure was very great and heavy Here they are afraid lest sometimes the People should fail in their Devotion at Easter and therefore for that reason each Parish-Priest goes to every House and enquires of the Master how many Communicants he has Being informed he notes the Number in his Book To every one that has receiv'd the Communion they give a Printed Certificate After Low-Sunday they visit all the Houses again and demand to see the Certificates which they ought to have according to the first Account taken of them and if they can shew none there 's a strict enquiry made after him or her who has not Communicated At this time the Poor who are sick hang out a Carpet at their Door and the Sacrament is brought to them in a very fine and Devout Procession Since my being at Madrid I have seen very few stately Funerals except one
for the Duke of Medina Celi's Daughter Her Coffin was made of rare Indian Wood put into a blue Velvet Bag and crost with silver Mohair with Cords of silver Thred and the strings were of the same and fastned the Bag at each end like a stuff Cloak-bag The Coffin was in a Hearse cover'd with white Velvet set round with Garlands and Coronets curiously made of Flowers And thus they carried her to Medina Celi the capital City of the Dutchy of that Name Commonly they dress up the dead in the habit of some Religious Order and carry them all bare-fac'd into the Church where they are to be bury'd If it is a Woman they put her on the habit of the Carmelites This Order is in great Veneration here the Princesses of the Blood retire to their Convent The Queens themselves when they are Widows are oblig'd to spend the rest of their Life there unless the King otherwise appointed before his Death as Philip IV. did in favour of Queen Mary Ann of Austria his Wife And in case a Queen is Divorced she must go into a Religious House for Divorced or Widow she has not the Liberty to marry again The Kings of Spain presume so much above other Kings that they will not endure a Princess who has once been their Wife should ever be so to another let her have the greatest Passion in the World Don John hath a natural Daughter a profess'd Carmelite at Madrid She is wonderful handsom and 't is said she had no mind to take the Habit but it was her fate as 't is of divers others of her Quality who like it no more than she They call them the Descalcas Reales which is to say The Royal bare-feet This reaches even to the King's Mistresses whether they be unmarried or Widows when he can love them no longer they must turn Nunns I have seen some of the Works of St. Theresa writ with her own Hand the Character is Legible large and indifferent fair Donna Beatrix Carillo who is her Neece's Neece keeps them very choisely It was she that shew'd them to me They consist of a Collection of Letters I do not believe they were ever Printed there 's a great deal of Perfection in them and throughout one may discover a certain air of chearfulness and sweetness of Nature which sufficiently declares the Character of that great Saint All the time of Lent and even at other times one meets with Preachers at every corner of a street whose Sermons are ill enough contriv'd and do as little good but however in preaching as they do they both satisfie their zeal and their desire Their most constant Auditors are the blind Folks which resemble our fingers upon Pont-Neus Every one of them being led by a little Dog which does it very well they go about singing of Romances and Cacara which are certain old Stories or Modern Events which the People are very glad to know They have a little Drum and a Flute on which they play They often sing a Song on King Francis the First it beginning When the King left France to his Sorrow he left it c. Now I doubt you know it dear Cousin for who does not This Song is sung in very bad French and by Folks that do not understand one word of it All that they understand is That the King was taken by the Spaniards and as this Price was much for their Glory so they are willing to convey the Memory of it down to Posterity There 's a Flower-de-Luce all gilt upon the roof of the Chamber where this King was Prisoner and I must not omit telling you that the Prison is one of the fairest Buildings in Madrid the Windows are as large as those of other Houses There are indeed Iron Bars but they are all gilt and set at a distance great enough to make any one think they were not design'd to hinder escapes I stood amaz'd at the seeming neatness of a Place which in reality is unpleasant enough and I thought that in Spain they had a mind to contradict the French Proverb which says That There 's neither any handsome Prison nor ugly Love Pardon this Proverb I do not love them so well to trouble you often with them All the Houshold-stuff one sees here is extream rich but not so neatly made as ours in France and they come altogether short of our skill It consists of Tapistry Cabinets Paintings Looking-Glasses and Plate The Vice-Roys of Naples and the Governours of the Low-Countries have had most admirable Tapistry the Vice-Roys of Sicily and Sardinia shew most excellent Embroideries and Statues those of the Indies Precious Stones and Vessels of Gold and Silver So that several returning home from time to time laden with the Riches of another Kingdom cannot chuse but to have enrich'd this City with abundance of valuable things They change their Furniture several times a year their Winter-beds are of Velvet trim'd with thick Galoons of Gold but they are so low and the Valens so deep that one is as if they were bury'd in them and when one is in Bed the border of the Valens lying almost upon the Counterpain one can hardly be seen In Summer they have neither Curtains nor any thing else about the Bed this looks very ill Sometimes they hang colour'd Gauze to keep off the Gnats In Winter they have their Appartments very high sometimes in the fourth Story according as the cold encreases to keep them from it At present they use their Summer Lodgings which are low and very commodious All their Houses have a great many Rooms on a floor you go through a dozen or fifteen Parlours or Chambers one after another Those which are the worst lodg'd have six or seven the Rooms are generally longer than they are broad the Floors and Seelings are neither painted nor gilt they are made of Plaister quite plain but so white that they dazle ones Eyes for every year they are scrapt and whited as the Walls which look like Marble they are so well polisht The Court to their Summer Appartments is made of certain matter which after it has had ten Pails of Water thrown upon it yet is dry in half an hour after and leaves a pleasant coolness so that in the Morning they water all and a little while after they spread Matts or Carpets made of very fine Rushes which cover all the Pavement The whole Appartments are hung with the same small Matt about the depth of an Ell to hinder the coldness of the Walls from hurting those which lean against them On the top of these Matts there are hung Pictures and Looking-Glasses The Cushions which are of Gold and Silver Brocado are placed upon the Carpet and the Tables and Cabinets are very fine and at little distances there are set Silver Cases or Boxes fill'd with Orange and Jessemin-Trees In their Windows they set things made of Straw to keep the Sun out and in the Evenings they walk in
the Lord and his Creditors All Law-paper is mark'd and costs more than the other There 's a certain time when they make a distribution of Law-Suits they give the Instructions at Madrid but there are few judg'd there all the Papers of one side are put into a Bag and those of the other into another Bag and the Instructions into a third and when the time to distribute the Law-Suits is come they send them to some distant Parliaments so that very often one's Cause is try'd and judg'd without knowing any thing of it It is writ in a Register whether the Cause was sent which is kept very secret When Judgment is given it is sent back to Madrid and is signify'd to the Parties This Method saves a great deal of Trouble and Sollicitations which in my Opinion ought always to be forbidden As to business here it is excessive tedious whether it be at Court or in the City and ruines one in a little time The Spanish Practitioners are great Knaves in their Trade There are several different Councils all compos'd of Persons of Quality and the greatest part are Counsellors of the Sword The first is the Council of State the others are call'd the supream Council of War the Royal Council of Castille the Alcaides of Court the Council of the Holy Inquisition the Council of Orders the Sacred Supream and Royal Council of Arragon the Royal Council of the Indies the Council of the Chamber of Castille the Council of Italy the Council of the Finances the Council of the Croisado the Council of Flanders the Court for the Duty of Horse the Court for his Majesty's Woods and the Courts of the Millions They understand so little how to manage things to the best advantage that when a Father dyes and leaves ready Money and some Children under Age that they lock the Money up in a Chest and never put it out to be improv'd For Example The Duke de Frias whose Widow is marry'd to the Constable of Castille left three Daughters and six hundred thousand Crowns in ready Money they put it into three Chests with with the Name of each Daughter The Eldest was not seven years old she is now marry'd in Flanders to the Prince de Ligne The Guardians constantly kept the Keys of these Chests and never open'd that of the Eldest but to compt it to her Husband Observe what a loss there is of Interest But they tell you it would be much worse if the Principal happen'd to be lost that sometimes when one thinks they have put it securely out it proves quite otherwise That a Bankrupt makes one lose all so that it is better to gain nothing than to hazard the Pupil's Estate It is time to come to an end Dear Cousin I shall be afraid to tire you with a longer Letter I beseech you cause all those I send you to be deliver'd and pardon the freedom I take Adieu I embrace and constantly love you with all my Heart From Madrid this 27th of April 1679. The end of the Second Volume A RELATION OF A Voyage to SPAIN IN Several Letters The Last PART LETTER X. YOU did me a particular Kindness in letting me know that all my Letters come to your hands for I was a little concern'd for the Two last And since you still desire it dear Cousin I shall continue to inform you of every thing that passes and of all that I observe in this Countrey The Royal Palace is built upon a Hill which insensibly descends to the very Banks of the River call'd Mansanarez It looks several ways upon the Country which is very pleasant there One goes to it through the Callemayor that is to say the Great Street which indeed is both very long and broad several considerable Houses add to its Beauty There 's a large open place before the Palace no body of what Quality soever is allow'd to come with a Coach into the Court but they stop under the great Arch of the Porch except it be when Bonefires are made there or when there are Masquerades and then Coaches go in a very small number of Halbardeers stand at the Gate upon my asking why so great a King had so small a Guard why Madam says a Spaniard to me Are not we all his Guards He reigns too absolutely in the Hearts of his Subjects either to fear any thing or distrust them The Palace stands at the end of the City towards the South it is built of very white Stone Two Pavillions compleat the Front the rest is not regular Behind it there are two square Courts each consisting of four sides the first is adorn'd with two great Terrass-walks which run quite through they are rais'd upon high Arches and are beautified with Ballisters and Statues That which I observ'd very singular was that the Womens Statues had Red upon their Cheeks and Shoulders you go through fine Porches which bring you to the Stair-case which is extream large the Apartments are furnisht with excellent Pictures admirable Tapistry most rare Statues stately Houshold Goods and in a word with every thing suitable to a Royal Palace But there are divers of the Rooms dark I saw some which had no Window and receiv'd Light only when the Door open'd those which have Windows are but little lighter because of their smallness they alledge that the Heat is so excessive that they are willing to hinder the Sun from coming in as much as they can But there 's yet another Reason for Glass is very scarce and dear and as to other Houses there are many which have Windows without any Glass and when they would describe a compleat House they 'll tell you in one word that 't is Glaz'd This want of Glass does not appear without because of the Latices The Palace is addorn d with divers gilt Balconies which indeed look very fine All the Councils sit there and when the King has a mind to be present he passes through certain Galleries and little Entries unperceiv'd There 's a great many People perswaded that the Castle of Madrid which Francis the Fifth caus'd to be built near the Wood of Bologn was after the Model of the King of Spain's Palace but 't is a mistake and nothing is less alike The Gardens are not suitable to the Dignity of the Place they are neither large enough nor so well improv'd as they should be the Ground as I have observ'd reaches to the very Brink of Mansanarez the whole is inclos'd with Walls and if these Gardens have any Beauty they owe it purely to Nature They work hard to get the Young Queens Apartment ready for her Reception all her Servants are nam'd and the King expects her with the greatest Impatience The Buen Retiro is a Royal House near one of the Gates of the City the Count Duke caus'd at first a little house to be built there and call'd it Galinera it was for keeping his rare Poultry in which had been presented to him and
as he often went to see them and the Scituation of the Place was on the descent of a little Hill and there was a pleasant Prospect so he was invited to undertake a considerable Building Four great Apartments and four great Pavillions make a perfect Square In the middle there 's a Flower-Pot well furnish'd with Flowers and a Fountain whose Statue which throws the Water when they have a mind Sprinkles the Flowers and the Cross-Walks which goes from one Apartment to another This Building has the fault of being too low the Rooms are large stately and adorn'd with curious Paintings Every thing shines with Gold and lively Colours with which the Cielings and Floors are beautified I took notice in the great Gallery of the Entry of Queen Elizabeth Mother to the late Queen she 's on Horseback with a Ruff and Fardingal she has a Hat trimm'd with Jewels and a Plume of Feathers she is fat fair and pleasing she has fine Eyes and her Looks are sweet and ingenious The Room for acting Plays in is well design'd very large all well set out with Carving and Guilding there may be fifteen in a Box without inconvenience to each other they have all Latice Windows and the King 's is richly guilt there 's neither Galleries nor Amphitheatre every body sits upon Benches on the Floor On the side of the Terrass is the Statue of Philip the II. upon a Horse of Brass this Piece is of great Value those that are curious please themselves in taking a draught of him The Park is above a good League in compass there are in it divers separate Lodges very pretty and which have good Accomodation of room there 's a Canal which is supply'd with Water from Springs at a vast Charge and another square Place in which the King has little Gundoloes painted and gilt thither he goes during the great Heats of the Summer the Fountains Trees and Meadows making that Place more cool and pleasant than any other there 's Grottos Cataracts Ponds Shades and in some parts even something of the wild Fields which shews the simplicity of the Countrey and is extream delightful The Casa del Campo is for rural Affairs it is not great but its Scituation is fine being upon the Bank of Mansanarez the the Trees in 't are high and yield a Shade at all times I speak of the Trees of this Country because one finds very few of them there 's Water in divers parts of it particularly one Pond which is surrounded with great Oaks The Statue of Philip the IV. is in the Garden this Place is a little neglected here I saw Lions Bears Tigers and other wild Beasts which live very long in Spain because the Climate is little different from that from which they come many People go there to think and the Ladies usually choose this Place to walk in because 't is less frequented than others But to return to Mansanarez this River does not run up to the City at certain times it is neither River nor so much as a Brook tho at other times it is so big and rapid that it carries before it all that stands in its way all the Summer People walk in it there 's so little water in 't at this season that one can hardly wet ones foot and yet in Winter all on a sudden it overflows the adjacent Country this is caus'd by the melting of the great Quantities of Snow which covers the Hills and so descends into the Mansanarez in violent Torrents of Water Philip the II. caus'd a Bridge to be built over it which they call'd the Segovie Bridge it is a very lofty one and every way as fine as the Pont-neuf over the River Seine at Paris when Strangers see it they fall a laughing they think it ridiculous to have caus'd such a Bridge to be built where there 's no Water Hereupon there was one said wittily enough he would advise 'em to sell the Bridge and buy some Water The Florid is a most pleasant House and its Gardens are infinitely delightful there are in great numbers Italian Statues by the best Masters The Water there makes a pretty sort of a murmur which with the sweet smell of the Flowers of which they have a Collection of the rarest and best scent is very charming From thence we come to the Prado Nuevo where there are several spouting Fountains and Trees there are of an extraordinary height this is a Walk which though it be not even Ground yet is not less agreeable its descent is so easie that one hardly perceives the unevenness of the Place There is also the Carzuela which affords nothing but Contrary delights and some cool Rooms where the King comes and rests himself after Hunting but 't is the Prospect which yields the Pleasure and very fine things might be there made That I may tell you of something else besides the Kings Houses you must know dear Cousin that on May-day they resort to a Place without the gate of Toleda This is called El Sotillo and no body excuse themselves from going thither to be sure then I went but it was more to see then be seen thô my French-Dress made me very remarkable and drew a great many Eyes upon me The Women of great Quality never go abroad to take the Air in their whole Life except it be in the first year of their Marriage I mean into publick Walks and Places and then too 't is under the very noses of their Husbands the Wife at the lower and the Husband at the upper end of the Coach the Curtains all open and she finely adorn'd but 't is a rediculous thing to see these two Creatures sit like Statues looking at each other and without speaking a word in an hours time There are certain days set apart for walking and taking the Air all Madrid go abroad then the King is seldom there but except the King and a few Courtiers no body else fail of going That which makes it very troublesome is their long Traces which take up a great compass of Ground and occasion the Horses often to entangle Several Ladies which are not of the highest Rank resort thither but with their Curtains close drawn they only look through little Glasses which are fastned into the sides of the Coach but at Night the Ladies of great Quality come Incognito and when 't is dark they please themselves so far as to walk a foot They wear white Mantles upon their Heads these are a kind of a Hood made of Woolen stuff which covers them all over they Embroider them with black Silk they are only the ordinary Women and such as go upon some Intreague which wear them yet sometimes as I have said certain Court-Ladies will go in this Dress The Cavallero's also alight and walk and say some odd thing or other to them but they meet with their match The Count de Berka the German Enyoy told me that t'other Night as he was at Supper and
Warning from them for they are still forward to expose themselves at at every Baiting that's made The Bulls are fed and the best of them are pickt out for the Baiting they can even distinguish those that are either Sons or Brothers of those Bulls which made a great slaughter in former Feasts they tie to their horns a long Ribbon and by the colour of that every body knows them again and recites the History of their Ancestors that the Grandsire or great Grandsire of these Bulls bravely kill'd such and such a one and they expect no less from those that then appear When they have sufficiently rested the Placa Mayor is covered with Sand and round it are placed Bars as high as a Man upon which are painted the Arms of the King and his Kingdoms I fancy this Place to be larger than the Place Royal at Paris it is longer than it is broad and about it are Houses built upon Pillars and Arches like Towers five Stories high and to each a row of Balconies into which there are great Glass-doors The King 's stands more forward than the rest is more spacious and all gilt It is in the middle of one of the sides with a Canopy over it over against it are the Ambassadours Balconies who have place when the King goes to Chappel that is the Nuncio the Emperor's Ambassadours that of France of Poland the Venetian and that of Savoy those of England Holland Swedland Denmark and other Protestant Princes have none there The Councils of Castille Arragon the Inquisiton Italy Flanders the Indies the Orders War the Croisado and of the Finances are on the right hand of the King they are distinguisht by their Arms upon their Crimson Velvet Carpets which are all embroider'd with Gold After these are placed the city Companies the Judges the Grandees and Titulodos according to their severall Degrees and at the King's Charge or else at the City's who hire these Balconies of private Persons that dwell there For all those I have now nam'd the King makes a Collation and it is given in very neat Baskets to the Women as well as the Men it consists of Fruits dri'd Sweet-meats and Water cool'd with Ice of Gloves Ribbons Fans Pastiles Silk-stockings and Garters insomuch that these Feasts always cost above a hundred thousand Crowns and this Expence is defray'd out of the Fines and Forfeitures adjudg'd to the King or to the City this is a Fund which must not be medl'd with tho t' were to save the Kingdom from the greatest Danger the doing of it might cause a Sedition So bewitcht are the People with this kind of Pleasure From the Level of the Pavement to the first Balcony there are Scaffolds made for the rest of the People they give from Fifteen to twenty Pistols for a Balcony and there is not any but what are lett and adorn'd with rich Carpets and fine Canopies The People are not seated under the King's Balcony that Place is fill'd with his Guards there 's only Three Gates open into it through which the Persons of Quality pass in their richest Coaches and particularly the Ambassadors and they make several turns round it a little before the King comes The Cavaliers salute the Ladies who stand in the Balconies without being cover'd with their Mantles or Vails they are deck'd out with all their Jewels and whatever they have that is finest One can see nothing but extream rich Stuffs with Tapistry Cushions and Carpets all of rais'd work in Gold I never saw any thing more glorious the King's Balcony is hung round with Green and Gold Curtains which he draws when he will not be seen The King came about four a clock and immediately all the Coaches went out of the Place Generally the Ambassador of France is the most taken notice of because he and all his Train are dress'd after the French mode and he is the only Ambassador that has this Priviledge here for the others are in the Spanish Dress There 's five or six Coaches go before the King 's in which are the Officers the Gentlemen and Pages of his Chamber The Coach of Honour in which there goes no body marches immediatly before his Majesty's own whose Coachman and Postilion are always barehead a Footman carrying their Hats the Coach is surrounded with Foot-Guards Those which they call the Life-Guard have Partisans and march very near the Coach and next the Boots go a great many of the King's Pages cloath'd in Black and without Swords which is the only mark to know them from other Pages As the Ladies that are design'd to be about the young Queen are already nam'd so they all came under the Conduct of the Dutchess of Terra Nova in the King's Coaches they march by the Mens Boutes of the highest Quality some on Foot that they might be nearer others mounted on the finest Horses in the World train'd up for that purpose and which they call Horses of Motion That they may perform this piece of Gallantry they must have leave from their Mistresses otherwise 't is a great Blemish to their Reputation and even engages the Ladies Kindred in Trouble for they take their Honour to be concern'd in this Liberty But when she approves of it they may practise all the pleasant Humours for which these sort of Feasts minister occasion But though they need fear nothing from the Ladies they serve nor their Relations yet they are not freed from all uneasiness for the Duegno's or Women of Honour of which there 's too great a Provision in each Coach and the Guardadamas which go on Horseback are troublesome Observers hardly can one begin to discourse but these old Haggs will draw the Curtain and the Guardadamas will tell you that that Love which is fullest of Respect is the most discreet so that very often one must be content to let the Eyes speak and to sigh so loud that one may be heard at a Distance All things being thus dispos'd the Captains of the Guards and the other Officers mounted upon very fine Horses enter the Place at the head of the Spanish German and Burgundian Guards they are cloath'd in Yellow Velvet or Sattin which is the Livery of the King trim'd with tufted crimson Galoon mixt with Gold and Silver The Yeomen of the Guard which I call the Life-Guard wear only a short Cloak of the same Livery over black Cloaths The Spaniards wear Breeches tuckt up after the old way The Germans which are called Tudesques wear them like the Switzers they stand in Ranks near the King's Balcony while the two Captains and the two Lieutenants who carry each of them a Staff of command in their Hands and are follow'd by a great many in Liveries march all four in a Rank at the head of the Guards several times round the Place to give the necessary Orders and to salute the Ladies of their Acquaintance their Horses curvet and bound continually they are covered with knots of Ribbons and embroidered
like the Pages made up his Guard marching before and behind him The Courtiers Coaches indeed that accompany'd him were so numerous that they could hardly be told the People every where crowding even to the tops of the Houses cry'd out Viva el Roy Deos le Bendiga and several added Viva el Reina nuestra Seinnora There was not the least House or Street without its spread Tables every body had their Garlick Leeks and Onions in their hands insomuch that they perfum'd the Air with them and they were even debauch'd with drinking their Majesty's Health in Water For dear Cousin though I have already mentioned it to you yet methinks I may repeat it here That there never was People so temperate as these especially in Wine and they have so strange an abhorrence for those that are guilty of Intemperance that by their Law a Man that can be prov'd but once to have been drunk is refus'd for being a Witness in any Court of Justice where he is offer'd and after a sharp reproof is sent away And if it happen that one calls another Boracho that is Drunkard this Injury is sure to be reveng'd with Murther That Night the King was at Antocha we illuminated all our Houses with great Flamboys of white Wax which they call Hachas they are longer than those that are us'd at Paris to light the Coaches at night but withal they are a great deal dearer not only because the Wax is brought at great Charges from other Parts of the World but also because there is a prodigious quantity of it consum'd in Spain And when they make Illuminations they are not contented to set up four or six Flamboys but they must put two in every Balcony and two at each Window up to the highest Story there are some Houses which thus require four or five hundred Every where there were Bonefires made and we went to the Palace to see a Masquerade of a hundred and fifty Lords which they said was to be there I cannot imagine why they call this Diversion by that Name for they were not at all maskt commonly they choose the darkest Night All the Courtiers are mounted upon their finest Horses every Horse was covered with Silver Gauze and Housings embroider'd with Gold and Pearl The Cavalleros were cloath'd in Black with colour'd Taby Sleeves embroider'd with Silk and Bugles they wore little Hatts button'd up with Diamonds and in them a Plume of Feathers they had rich Scarfes and many Jewels but with all this their Black Cloaks and their ugly Collars strangely disfigure them They ride a Horseback like the Turks and Moors that is as they call it a Genita their Stirrups are so short that their knees are even with and rest upon the Tops of the Horses shoulders I cannot yet reconcile my Eyes to this Fashion they say that thus they can better raise and put themselves forth against any that assaults them But to return to the Masquerade they all met together at an appointed Place which usually is at one of the Gates of the City The Streets through which they were to go were all strewed with Sand and on each side there was a kind of Chaffing dishes set upon Poles which beside the white Wax Flamboys gave a great Light there were also placed several very clear Lanthorns in Windows which made a very fine Show Every Cavallero had a great many Footmen which were cloath'd in Cloath of Gold and Silver they went by their Masters sides with Flamboys The Masters marcht four in a rank very softly each holding a Flamboy also they went all over the City attended with Trumpets Timbrels Bagpipes and Flutes and when they came to the Palace which was illuminated and the Court covered with Sand they took several Turns and run and pusht against one another with a Design to throw each other down with these tricks Prince Alexander de Parma who is of a prodigious bigness fell down and the fall of him made as great a noise as the shooting of a moderate high-hill they had much ado to carry him off for he was grievously bruis'd with his Fall there were several of them with their great Spectacles on but particularly the Marquess D' Astorgas who does not only wear them for gravity sake but for need for he is old but yet for all that he is frolicksom he will be Meyor Domo to the young Queen and he is a Grandee of Spain And now I speak of a Grandee of Spain Don Fernand de Tolledo told me t'other day a thing pleasant enough His Father in Law who is the Marquess De Palacios lives at a horrid profuse rate for it seems he is one of those profest Gallants of the Ladies of the Pallace and to arrive to that one must both have a great deal of Wit and shew abundance of Magnificence I mean a certain peculiar sort of Wit that 's neat and refin'd he must have choice Phrases and Expressions and some ways and modes not common he must understand how to write both in Prose and Verse and that too better than another In a word one must both talk and do in this Pallace-Gallantry after quite another rate than is us'd in the City But to return to the Marquess De Palacios There was a publick Festival appointed by the King this Marquess wanted Money to appear there he is Lord of several Towns it came into his head to go down post to them assoon as he arriv'd at the first he caus'd Papers to be set up That all those of that Town which desir'd to be made Grandees should immediately come to him There was not either Justice Burgess or Tradesman which was not presently fill'd with vehement Ambitious desires for the Grandeza his House was crowded with all sorts of People he agreed with them every one severally in private and got as much as he could of them and afterwards he made them all be covered before him and gave them Patents in Form just as the King does when he makes any one a Grandee His Invention succeeded two well in the first Town not to practise it in the rest He found amongst them the same Disposition to give him Money that through his means they might be Grandees with this trick he got a considerable Sum and away he comes and makes a splendid Shew at Court But as a Man is never without Enemies so there were some Persons that had a mind to make use of this pleasant Frolick to put him out of the King's Favour His Majesty was told of it and the Marquis justified himself well enough in saying all those to whom he had granted permission to be covered before him being born his Vassals they ow'd more respect than to dare to take this liberty without his leave and that therefore he had made them Grandees as to himself And after this the thing was only lookt upon as a merry jest This Marquess comes often to see us and as he belong'd to the
spy'd him and gave him an Opportunity to speak to her After he had occosted her she began to thou him and 't is commonly in this familiar way that the Women in this Country make known their Inclinations He made a Proposal to her which she accepted but upon condition that he should not be desirous either to see her or know who she was he promised he would not and so led her to a Friend of his at their parting he assur'd her that he thought himself the happiest of Men and that Fortune had never been so kind to him before and then gave her a very fine Ring and begged her to keep it for his sake I 'll keep and love it dearly and will meet thee here again when thou wilt says she to him for I had as good have thy Jewels as another When she had ended these words she opened her Vail and the Husband seeing 't was his Wife was in the greatest confusion imaginable at his Adventure but he considered that since she had so well contriv'd the matter as to get out of her House to watch him she might also find a way to play him some other trick less pleasant and therefore to be secure of her he appointed two Duennas constantly to look after her and they never after left her It happens also sometimes that when a Man's House is not near the Place where by chance he meets his Mistress he goes without Ceremony into the next he comes at whether he is acquainted there or no he civilly intreats the Master to let him have a Room to himself because he has now an Opportunity to discourse with a Lady which if he loses he shall not have the like in a long time this is enough to make the Master grant an Accommodation to the Gallant and his Mistress and sometimes I assure you 't is the very Wife of the Fool that goes away so kindly in a word they will venture strangely for an Opportunity of seeing each other though but for a quarter of an hour I remember a French Lady discoursing of a certain Man to one of her Friends said Shew me an amorous Man and I 'll shew you one ruin'd This Maxim is verifi'd here more than in any place in the World a Lover or a Gallant has nothing that he can call his own It is no matter whether she either sees or has a real occasion for a thing 't is sufficient if she does but barely desire it they are never deny'd any thing and the manner of giving it enhaunses their Liberality I find them nothing near so amicable as our Frenchmen but 't is said they know how to love at a greater rate Besides their Behaviour is a thousand times more respectful nay this extends so far that when a Man let him be of what Quality he will presents any thing or gives a Letter to a Lady he kneels upon one knee and he does the same when he receives any thing from her hand I said I would tell you why so many Ladies went to the Dutchess of D' Vzeda's she is very amiable and Daughter to the Duke D' Ossone her Husband has had a Quarrel with the Prince De Stillano about a Lady which they both love they drew their Swords and 't is like to be an ill business The King has caus'd them to be arrested that is they are not made Prisoners but he has confin'd them to their Houses unless they privately go abroad in the Night to pursue their usual amorous Pleasures And that which is strange the poor Wife must not set her foot out of door as long as her Husband is under these Confinements though it is almost constantly for some piece of Infidelity he is guilty of towards her And it is the same also if they be banisht or sent to remain upon some of their own Estates in the Country which frequently happens In all the time of their Absence their Wives keep house without so much as once going abroad I have been told that the Dutchess D' Ossone was a Prisoner after this manner for above two Years this is the Custom but it makes ones Life very dull and tedious But 't is not only the Spanish Ladies who are so tir'd and uneasie here the French find but little diversion We are in a few days to go to Arranjues and Tolledo to kiss the Queen Mothers hand I 'll write you dear Cousin the particulars of that small Journey and I wish with all my Soul I were in a condition to give you more essential marks of my Affection From Madrid this 25 of July 1679. LETTER XIII BY my last Letter I told you Dear Cousin that we were to kiss the Queen Mother's Hand I have had this Honour but before I conduct you thither give me leave to tell you of something else I would not go from Madrid till I had seen the Entry of the Marquiss De Villars he made it on Horse-back which is the Custom here and if a Man be handsom it is very advantagious for him when the Venetian Embassador made his it was happy for him that he was not in his Coach he had one that was worth twelve thousand Crowns which in going from his House was overturn'd and as it was in Winter the Marée which is that nasty black dirt that stands in great puddles in the Streets and through which a Horse goes up to his Girts so spoil'd the Velvet with a Gold ground and the rich Embroidery it was set off with that it could never serve again I thought it strange that for such usual Sights as these Entrees are the Ladies should all be in their Balconies in their rich Apparel and with the same earnestness as if it was to see the greatest King upon earth but they have so little liberty that they are glad to embrace all Occasions to shew themselves and as their Lovers and Gallants hardly ever speak to them so they take care to place their Coaches as near their Mistresses Balcony as they can that so they may the more easily discourse with them by their Eyes and their Fingers this is a Practice that is very useful to them for the understanding one anothers Minds and they do it more readily than with their Voice this silent Language seems to me very difficult unless one were long us'd to it but they are early acquainted with it and but two days since I saw a Girl of about six years old and a Boy of the same Age which understood by this way to tell one another a thousand pretty things Don Frederick De Cordonna who observed them as well as I but understood them far better explained to me every thing they said and if he did not add to the Discourse of these two Children one must needs confess that in this Country they are born for Love and Courtship The Marchioness De Palacio the Mother of Don Fernand de Tolleda is one of my Kinswoman's best Friends she has
of Love this little God seems to rise with his Body all full of Darts from every one of which comes out a Spout of Water The three Graces sit at the Feet of the God of Love but that which is most extraordinary is the Water which falls from four high Trees like Fountains whose noise is very delighful and surprizing it not being natural for Water to come out of Trees I should be afraid to tire you did I undertake to tell you the vast number of Cataracts Falls and Fountains of Water which I have seen here I will only in general assure you that it is a Place worthy of the curiosity and attention of every body At eight a Clock the Sun began to be too hot and some went into the House which comes far short of that Beauty it should have justly to answer all the other things and when the King goes there those that attend him are so ill accommodated with Lodging that either he must be contented to go there in all haste and keep his Court a little or else go as far as Tolleda for there are only two bad Inns and a very few private Houses If we had not taken care before hand for Provisions even to Bread I am confident we had met with none unless the Alcade would have given us some of his And by the way I 'll inform you the difference there 's between the Alcade and Alcalde that so you may not confound them the first signifies the Governor of a Castle or Place and the other a Serjeant Although the most curious Pictures are at the Escurial yet I found some excellent ones in the King's Appartment at Arranjues it is furnisht according to the Season we are now in that is to say the Walls are all white have only a Matt that is very fine and thin about three foot deep with some Looking-glasses and Pictures In this Building there are divers little Courts which takes from the grace of it We eat our Breakfast all together and they perswaded me to eat some of a Fruit they call Pimento which is as long as one's finger but as hot as Pepper the least bit of which puts ones Mouth in a Flame they let it lie steeping in Vinegar and Salt to get out the Virtue this Fruit is brought into Spain growing upon a Plant and I never saw any of it in other Countrys where I have been We had an Ollio some Ragous made of cold Partridges with Oyl Canary Wine fat Pullets and Pigeons which are excellent here and also several sorts of Fruit which was extraordinary fair When this Repast which was worth a Dinner was ended we went to Bed and went not a walking till about seven a Clock in the Evening The Charms of this Place were as new to me as if I had not seen them in the Morning but particularly I still admir'd the Situation which indeed ravishes on what side soever one turns the Eyes The King is there with half a dozen of his Guards in great safety because there 's no getting at him but over Bridges which are all drawn up and the Xamara which in this Place swells the Waters of Tagas fortifies Arranjus After we had walkt till ten a Clock at Night we came back into a great Hall pav'd with Marble and supported with Pillars of the same It was all enlightned with divers brancht Candlesticks and Don Esteve de Carvajal had privately got thither several Musicians which were a pleasant sort of a surprize to us at least the Spanish Ladies and my Kinswoman were mightily delighted with them For my part I thought they sung too much in the Throat and their Divisions and Shakes were so long that they were tedious not but that their Voices are good but their manner of singing is not good and generally the greatest part in Spain do not sing as they do in France and Italy When Supper was done we went to the great Canal where there 's a small Gallion painted and gilt we went aboard her and tarry'd till two a Clock in the Morning and then we set forward on our way to Tolleda I took notice when we came out of Arranjues that the Ground was all Heath and Ling and yet the Air was perfum'd with wild and mother Tyme with which these Plains were all cover'd They told me there were a great many Rabits Stags Does and Fallow Deer but it was not then their time to appear Our Conversation was for sometime general and for two Leagues together from Arranjues I did not speak one word to Don Fernand thô he sat just close by me But being willing to imploy the time in thoroughly informing my self about all the Particulars of the cruel Inquisition which he had promis'd to acquaint me with I desir'd him to let me know something of it The Inquisition says he has not been known in Europe but since the beginning of the Thirteenth Century Before that time the Bishops and Civil Magistrates enquir'd after Hereticks and either condemn'd them to Banishment or to the Forfeiture of their Goods and Estates or else to some other Penalties which never almost extended to Death But the vast number of Heresies which appear'd towards the end of the Twelfth Age caus'd that Tribunal to be Establish'd The Pope sent several Religious Persons to the Catholick Princes and Bishops to exhort them to take an extraordinary care in the Extirpation of Heresies and to bring obstinate Hereticks to punishments and thus things continued till the Year 1250. In the Year 1251. Innocent IV. Authoriz'd the Dominican Fryars with the assistance of the Bishops to take Cognizance of these sort of Crimes Clement the IV. confirm'd these Tribunals in the Year 1265. Afterward there were several Courts erected in Italy and in the Kingdoms which were dependants of the Crown of Arragon till such time that the Inquisition was establish'd in the Kingdoms of Castille in the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabel and after that in Portugal by King John the III. in the Year 1557. To that time the Inquisitors had a limited Power and it was often contested by the Bishops to whom the Cognizance of Heritical Crimes belong'd According to the Canons it was contrary to the Rules of the Church for Priests to sentence any Criminals to Death much more for those Crimes which the Civil Laws often punish'd with far less severe Penalties But ancient Right yielding to new Power the Dominican Fryars by the Popes Bulls have been for these two Ages in possession of this extraordinary Jurisdiction from which the Bishops have been excluded the Inquisitors now only wanted the Authority of the Prince to enable them to execute their Sentences Before Isabella of Castille came to the Crown the Dominican John de Torquemada her Confessor and afterward Cardinal made her promise him to persecute all Infidels and Hereticks as soon as it should be in her Power to do so She pervail'd over Ferdinand her Husband to obtain in the Year
after that we took our leave of her It cannot be deny'd that this Queen has abundance of Understanding as well as Courage and Vertue to take as she does so tedious a Banishment I must not forget to tell you that the first Menine brings the Queens Patins and puts them on this is so great an Honour in this Country that they would not change it for the best place belonging to the Crown When the Ladies of the Palace marry and with the Queens consent she adds to their Portions fifty thousand Crowns and commonly some Government or Vice-Royalty is given to their Husbands When we came back to the Cardinal's House we found a Theater prepar'd in a mighty great Room and abundance of Ladies on one side and Cavalleros on the other and that which seem'd pretty odd to me was a Damask Curtain which was drawn all the length of the Room to the very Theater and so hindred the Men and the Women from seeing one another They only stay'd for us to begin the Comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe this was a new Play but the worst that I have yet seen in Spain Afterwards the Comedians danced very well and the Diversion lasted till after two a Clock in the Morning There was given a stately Supper in a great Hall where there were divers Tables and when the Cardinal had placed us he went back to the Cavalleros who had the same things on their side as we had There was an excellent Italian Consort of Musick for his Eminence had brought with him Musicians from Rome to whom he gave large Pensions It was six a Clock in the Morning before we could retire to our Appartment and as there were divers things for us yet to see instead of going to bed we went to the Placa Mayor which they call Secodebet the Houses which environ it are of Brick and all uniform with Balconies It is of a round Figure and has Piazzas about it under which People walk and this is a fine Place We went back to the Castle to view it better and more leisurely The Building is after the Gothick fashion and very ancient but there 's something in 't that looks so great that I do not wonder that Charles V. had rather have liv'd there than in any other City under his Obedience It contains in a square four great Appartments with their several Wings and Pavillions there 's room enough conveniently to lodge the whole Court of a great King We were shew'd a Machine that was very strange before it was broken it was to draw up the Water from the Tagus and to make it rise to the top of the Alcacar the House where it stood is yet whole though it be several Ages since it was built There 's above five hundred steps from it to the River side when the Water was come into the Receiver it ran by certain Channels into all parts of the City where there were Fountains This was a mighty Conveniency for now they are forced to draw their Water thirty fathom deep We went and heard Mass in the Church de Los Reys It is fair and large and all full of Oranges and Pomegranet Trees Jassemin and Mirtles that are very high they are set in Cases and are form'd into Walks up to the very high Altar whose Ornaments are extraordinary rich so that looking through all these green Boughs and the Flowers of different Colours upon the shining Gold Silver Embroidery and great lighted Candles which adorn the Altar it seems as if the Rays of the Sun play'd before your Eyes There are also some Cages painted and gilt and fill'd with Nightingales Canary Birds and others which make a charming noise I should be very glad that in France they would imitate them in adorning our Churches The Walls of this Church is all over cover'd on the outside with the Chains and Irons of the Captives which have been redeem'd out of Barbary In this part of the Town I observ'd that most of the Houses had upon their Doors a square piece of Earthen Ware upon which was set the Angelical Salutation in these words Maria sue concebida sin peca lo original I was told that these Houses belong'd to the Arch-bishop and that none but those that work in Silk dwell in them of which there are very many at Tolleda The two stone Bridges cross the River are very high broad and long If they would but take a little pains with the Tagus Boats might come up to the City this would be a considerable Conveniency but they are naturally too lazy to consider that the Profit and Advantage of a work is to be prefer'd before the trouble of undertaking it We also saw the Hospital of Los Linnos that is of Foundlings and the City-House which is near the Cathedral and at last our Curiosity being satisfy'd we came back to the Archiepiscopal Palace and we went to Bed and laid till Night when again we had another Feast as splendid as the former His Eminence eat with us and when we had return'd him all due thanks we set forward towards the Castle of Ignarica The Marquiss de Palacios with all his Family was there waiting for us so that we were so obligingly receiv'd that nothing can be added to the good Chear and to the Pleasure with which we were entertain'd for six days either in Fishing upon the River Xarama of in Hunting in Walking or in common Conversation Every one was Emulous to appear good humour'd and one may say that when the Spaniards go so far as to lay aside their Gravity and know and love you they contribute hugely to ease and recreate the Mind They become sociable obliging earnest to please you and the best Company in the World This is what I have found in this little Journey I have made of which I should not have given you so particular an Account but yet I am perswaded Dear Cousin you desire it so and that you set some value upon my Complaisance From Madrid this 30th of August 1679. LETTER XIV THE Ceremony of Swearing to the Treaty of Peace concluded at Nimmiguen between the Crawns of France and Spain was perform'd here the last of August I had a great desire to have seen what past then but as Women are not to be present there so the Connestable De Castille promis'd to get us into the King's Chamber as soon as he should be gone into the great Hall Madam Gueux the Danish Ambassador's Lady and Madam De Chais the Envoy of Holland's Lady were there also We went up at a grivate Pair of Stairs where one of the Constable's Gentlemen waited to receive us and we tarry'd for some time in a very fine Closet full of Spanish Books well bound and very diverting There amongst others I found the History of Don Quixot the famous Knight of the Manca in which the plainness and the subtilty of the Expression the weight and strength of Proverbs and that which the Spaniards
in a moment his Eyes were scarce clos'd before the King mov'd only by his own kind and easie Nature for the Queen his Mother run to Tolleda to see her and to intreat her to return she consented to it with all the Joy she had to see the King They wept not a little while they embrac'd each other and we saw 'em come back together All the Persons of Quality went to meet their Majesties and the People shew'd abundance of Joy I should inlarge a great deal more upon this return did I not intend to be very particular in the Memoirs I am writing Don John laid three days in his Bed of State and in the same Cloaths which he had made to go meet the young Queen after that he was carried to the Escurial The Funeral had nothing of Greatness the Officers of his House with a very few Friends accompany'd him He was laid in the little Vault near the Pantheon which is reserved solely for the Princes and Princesses of the Royal Blood for there are none bury'd in the Pantheon you must know but Kings and those Queens that have had Children those that have had none are bury'd in that particular Vault In a few days we are to go to the Escurial which will be when the King goes there but he is so taken up with his young Queen that he can think of nothing but going towards the Frontiers to meet her In every place where I come they are continually ringing it aloud in my Ears that she 'll quickly be Queen of two â—â—d twenty Kingdoms In all likelyhood there 's eleven of them in the Indies for I only know those of the old and new Castille Arragon Valentia Navarre Murcia Grenada Andalousia Gallicia Leon and the Isles Majorques In these Places there are some parts of them admirable upon which it seems as if Heaven had a mind to spread abroad its most benign Influences There are others again so barren that there is neither Corn Herbs Vines Fruit Meadows nor Springs and of these one may say there 's more than of the others But generally speaking the Air there is good and wholsome In certain parts the Heats are excessive and in others the Cold and the Winds are insupportable although 't is in the same Season There are a great many Rivers but that which is pretty singular is that the biggest of them is not Navigable particularly those of Tagus Guadiana Minchio Duero Guadalguiver and that of Ebre for either because of the Rocks the falls of Water the Gulphes or the Turnings Vessels cannot pass upon them and this is one of the greatest Difficulties of Trade and which most of all hinders those things from coming to Cities which there 's need of for if there was an easie Communication between them those Places and Towns that want a great many Wares and Goods might be supplyed from those that abound and so every body might be furnish'd with necessary things at a reasonable price whereas the Charges by Land-carriage being so high one must want divers Conveniences unless you are in a Condition to pay three times more for a thing than 't is worth Amongst the several Cities which belong to the King of Spain these are esteem'd either for Beauty or Riches viz. Madrid Seville Grenada Valentia Sarragousa Tolleda Vailladolid Cordoua Salamancha Cadiz Naples Milan Messina Palermo Cagliari Bruxelles Antwerp Gand and Mons. There are a great many others which nevertheless are very considerable and several of the Towns are as big as Cities but there are not in them those multitudes of People which are both the Riches and Strength of a King And there are divers Reasons to be given why there is this defect First When King Ferdinand drove away the Moors out of Spain and established the Inquisition what through the Punishments they inflicted upon some Jews and the banishing of others there dy'd and went out of the Kingdom in a little while above nine hundred thousand Persons besides the Indies draw away abundance the Unfortunate go there to enrich themselves and when they have done so they remain to enjoy the fruit of their Labour and the Pleasures of the Country Again Soldiers are rais'd in Spain and sent away to Garison other Cities under the obedience â—f the King these Soldiers marry and settle in the Places where they happen to be and never return to those from whence they came Add to this that the Spanish Woman bear but few Children if they have three 't is reckon'd abundance and Strangers do not come to inhabit there as in other parts of the World because they are not lov'd there and the Spaniards are naturally recatados that is singular and reserv'd to themselves and will not be communicative and open with other Nations which they either envy or scorn And thus having examin'd into all those means which help to depopulate the Country under his Catholick Majesty one may rather wonder that there are so many People remaining There grows but little Corn in Castille it is brought from Sicily France and Flanders and indeed how should it grow unless the Earth would produce it of it self as the Land of Promise did The Spaniards are too idle to take pains to Till and improve it for being the meanest Peasant is persuaded that he is Hidalgo that is to say a Gentleman that in every little Family there 's an Apocryphal History compos'd within an hundred Years which he leaves to the Children and Nephews of a Village as an Inheritance in which fabulous History they are all made to descend from ancient Chivalry whose Ancestors have done wonderful things reciting that their Great Grandfathers Don Pedro and Don John performed such and such Services to the Crown I say they having taking up these vain Conceits of themselves no wonder if they will neither derogate from the Gravidad nor Decendentia At this rate do they talk and they will more willingly endure Hunger and all Severities of Life than work say they like Mercinaries which belongs only to Slaves And thus Pride seconded by Sloth hinder the most part of them to sow their Land unless some Strangers come and help them to till their Ground which by a special direction and guidance of Providence always happens Strangers that are more labourious and worldly minded being mov'd thither by the gain they find so that you shall have a sorry Peasant sitting in his Chair reading of a mouldy Romance whilst these Strangers are working for him in order to carry away his Money There 's no Oats to be seen Hay is scarce their Horses and Mules eat Barley in the Straw chopt small The Hills and Mountains in these Kingdoms I speak of are of such a prodigious height and length that I do not believe there 's the like in any other part of the World one meets with some of an hundred Leagues in length which joyn one to another in a continu'd Chain and which without Hyperbole are higher than
had said our Prayers there we descended on the other side of the Hill to a certain Hermitage where there was a Recluse that would neither see us nor speak to us but he threw a Ticket to us through his Grate in which we found it writ that he would recommend us to God We were all extream weary for we were forced to walk afoot up the Hill and it was very hot Weather we perceiv'd in the bottom of the Hill a very little Cottage by the side of a Brook which runs amongst Willow Trees we steer'd our Course that way and when we were yet a great way off we could see a Man and a Woman very well drest rise up nimbly from the foot of a Tree where they were sett and run into that Cottage and shut the Door as hastily as if they had taken us for thieves but doubtless it was fear of being known which made them avoid us we went to the Place they had left being sett on the Grass we fell to eating some Fruit we brought with us we were so nigh this little House that they could easily see through their Windows what we were doing there came out a very pretty Country Lass and with a Sea-Rush Basket addrest her self to us and kneeling begg'd some of the Fruit of our Collation for a Big-belly'd Woman that would die if we refused her Immediately we sent her some of the fairest and quickly after the same young Girl came again with a Gold Snuff-box and told us the Senora of the Casita that is the Lady of the little House intreated us to accept of some Snuff for an Acknowledgment of the Favour we had done her It is the Fashion here to present Snuff when they have a mind to express their Friendship we stay'd so long by the Water-side that we resolved to go no further that the Carcuela which is another of the King's Houses but not so handsom as the Pardo and so neglected that there 's nothing worth commending but the Waters we were ill enough lodg'd there though we laid in the very same Beds his Majesty did and we were very lucky in taking along with us all Necessaries for Supper After that we went into the Gardens which are in bad Order the Fountains run Day and Night the Water there is so good and in such plenty that for as little almost as one would desire it might be made as pleasant a Dwelling as any is in the World But 't is not the Custom in this Country from the King to private Persons to keep several Country Houses in good Repair they let them go to ruin for want of some very small Reparations Our Beds were so ill that we were not loath to leave them early the next Morning to go to the Escurial We went by Monareco where the Woods begin and a little further is the Park which belongs to the Convent of the Escurial For in effect it is one which Philip the II. built among the Mountains that so he might the more easily get the Stone which he needed of which there is such a prodigious Quantity that without seeing it one cannot conceive it and certainly it is one of the vastest Buildings we have in Europe We went up to it through a very long Walk of Elm Trees which are planted in four Rows the great Gate is stately adorn'd with divers Marble Pillars rais'd one upon another till they reach up to the Statue of St. Lawrence which stands on the top the King's Arms are cut upon a certain Stone which is call'd the Thunder-Stone and is brought from Arabia the cutting of which cost threescore thousand Crowns It is easie to believe that having been at so considerable a Charge for a thing so little useful they would not spare any Cost for others which might be necessary and contribute to the Beauty of the Place It is a great Square Pile of Building but beyond the Square there runs out a Length which contains the Buildings of the Entrance and are contriv'd to represent the Form of the Gridiron on which St. Lawrence who is the Patron of the Monastry suffer'd Martyrdom It is built according to the Dorick Order and very plain the Square is divided in the middle and one of those Divisions which looks upon the Order opens it self both ways into four other lesser Squares which are four Cloysters built also according to the Dorick Order and who sees one of them sees all the rest the Building has nothing in it either as to its Design or Architecture that is extraordinary that which is to be admir'd is the Vastness of it being Three hundred and eighty Paces in the Square for besides those four Cloysters I have mentioned the other Division of the Square subdivided into two makes two other Piles of Building one of which is the King's Quarters and the other is the Colledge for there are in it abundance of Pensioners whom the King maintains to study The Friars that live in it are Hieronomites this Order is unknown in France and it is abolisht in Italy because a certain Hieronimite Fryar attempted at Milan the Life of St. Charles Borromeo But he did not hurt him though he shot at him and the Bullets pierced his Pontifical Habit but nevertheless this Order is here in great Esteem there are three hundred Monks in the Convent of the Escurial they live much after the same way of the Carthusians they speak little and pray much and Women never come into their Church but besides they ought to study and preach But there 's another thing yet which makes this Building considerable and that is the nature of the Stone of which it is built It was taken out of the neighbouring Quarries it is of a grayish colour the sharpest Air and severest Weather makes no impression on 't it does not soil or grow dirty but constantly preserves that colour it had when it was taken up Philip II. was two and twenty years in building it he enjoyed it thirteen and then dy'd in 't This Structure cost him six Millions of Gold Philip IV. added the Pantheon to it that is to say a Sepulchre like the Pantheon at Rome contriv'd under the great Altar of the Church all of Marble Jasper and Porphiry in which there are six and twenty most stately Tombs inchased in the Walls and one goes down into it by a pair of Stairs all of Jasper I fancy'd my self descending into some of those enchaunted places which our Romances and Books of Chevalry talk of The Tabernacle the Architecture of the Altar the steps by which one ascends to it the Pyx or Box in which the Host is kept and made all of one single Agat are so many Wonders The Riches that are there in precious Stones and Gold is incredible One single Cupboard of Relicks for there are four in the four Chappels of the Church infinitely exceeds the Treasure of St. Mark 's at Venice The Ornaments of the Church are
Queens He must wear his Shoes like Slippers for here they make none of these last his black Cloak upon his Shoulders instead of a Night-Gown of which no body makes use at Madrid his Broquel or Bucklar of which I have spoken in some of my Letters fastned under his Arm and his Bottle fastned by a String to the other But you must not think this Bottle holds drink to quench thirst it is for a quite contrary purpose which you must guess With all this Accoutrement the King has besides a long Rapier in one Hand and a dark Lanthorn in t'other and on this manner he is obliged to go all alone into the Queens Chamber There 's another Order in the Ceremonial which is That after the King has taken a Mistress and happens to forsake her she must be a Nun as I have already told you I have heard that the late King being in Love with a Lady of the Pallace he knockt one Night softly at her Chamber Door as she imagin'd it was he so she would not open it and only said to him through the Door Baya Baya con Dios no quiero ser Monja that is to say Go go God be with you I have no mind to be a Nun. It is also set down that the King every time he receives a Favour from his Mistress must give her four Pistols you perceive he will not ruin his Estate thus and that the Expence he is at for his Pleasure is very moderate To this purpose it is publickly known that Philip the IV. the Father of the present King having heard of the Beauty of a famous Courtezan went to see her at her House but being a religious Observer of the Orders he gave her but four Pistols she was very angry at so disproportionate a Recompense to her Merit but dissembling her Displeasure she drest her self like a Cavallero and went to see the King and after she had made her self known and had had a most particular Audience of him she pull'd out a Purse of four hundred Pistols and laid it up on the Table It is thus said she I pay my Mistresses so pretending that this time the King was her Mistress seeing she came in Man's Clothes to find him out By these Ceremonials the fixt Time of the King 's going to any of his Houses of Pleasure is known whether it be to the Escurial to Aranjues or to Buen Retiro so that without staying for his Orders all his Equipage is sent away and early in the Morning they go to awake him that he may rise and put on those Cloathes that are set down in the Orders according to the Season and after that he steps into his great Coach and so very contentedly goes where several Ages past it has been agreed on When the appointed time comes to return though the King is never so well pleas'd where he is yet he must go away that he may not alter the Custom It is also known when he is to go to Confession and to perform his Devotions at that Time the Confessor comes and presents himself Every Courtier and even the Embassadors are oblig'd when they go into the King's Chamber to put on certain little Lawn Cuffs which they wear quite flat upon their sleeves there are Shops in the Guard-room where the Lords hire them and return them when they come out In like manner all the Ladies are to wear Patins when they go into the Queens presence I think I have already told you that these are a kind of Sandals into which the Shoe is fastned and which raises them up very high if they should appear before the Queen without these Sandals she would take it very ill The Queens of Spain have none but Widdows and Maids about them the Pallace is so full of them that one can see nothing else through the Latices and in the Balconies And here 's one thing seems to me very singular which is That a Man although he be Married is allow'd to declare himself the Lover or Gallant of a Lady of the Pallace and for her sake to commit all the Follies and to spend all the Money he can without being in the least blam'd for it One shall see these Gallants in the Court and all the Ladies in the Windows where 't is their daily Employment to discourse with and entertain one another by their Fingers For you must know that their Hands speak a Language that is perfectly intelligible and as it might be guest at if it was always alike and that the same Signs always meant the same things so they agree with their Mistresses upon certain private Signs and Actions which no Body else understands This kind of Love is publick a Man must be of a peculiar sort of Wit and Humour dextrously to manage these Intrigues and to be accepted by the Ladies for they are wonderful delicate and nice they do not talk like other People In the Pallace there reigns a certain Genius and Strain of Wit quite different from that in the City and so peculiar that one must learn it as they do an Art or a Trade When the Queen goes abroad all or however the greatest part of the Ladies go with her then the Gallants who are constantly upon the Watch go a foot by their Coach sides that they may enjoy their Conversation It is really good Sport to see how these poor Lovers dirty themselves for the Streets are horrid nasty but then the more dirty the more gallant When the Queen returns home late there are carried before the Coaches where her Ladies are forty or fifty Flamboys of white Wax and this sometimes makes a very glorious Illumination for there are several Coaches and in every one divers Ladies so that frequently one may see a above a thousand Flamboys besides those the Queen has When the Ladies of the Pallace are let Blood the Chyrurgeon takes a mighty care of the Ligature Fillet or any Cloth or Handkerchief upon which any of the Blood of the fair one is has fallen for he never fails to make a rich Present of it to the Cavellero that loves her and this is lookt upon to be a worthy Occasion for a Man to ruine himself to all intents there have been some so extravagantly foolish as to give the Chyrurgeon the greatest part of their Plate you must not fancy this is only a Spoon a Fork or a Knife which may be the Stock of a great many we know No no I assure you this extends to the value of Three or four thousand Crowns and this is a Custom so rooted amongst them that a Man had rather feed upon nothing but Radishes and Leeks all the Year long than not to perform what he is oblig'd to do upon these sort of Occasions Few of the Ladies of the Palace leave it without being very advantagiously married there are also the Queens Menines who are so very Young when they come to her that she has some not above six