Iuan of Austria to return out of an expectation that he was the fittest person to remove this universal grievance this new Creature Valenzuelae This Cabal of Malecontents increased so mightily that there was almost nothing to be seen but Pasquils Lampoons and Satyrs both in prose and verse against the Queen and against him Nay they had the boldness to give out that he hindered her Majesty from recompencing the services of several persons who otherwise might have expected considerable employments In short their insolence proceeded so far that one night very near the Palace they hung up the portraiture of the Queen with Valenzuela He had at his feet all the marks that represented his several places a Sword for Constable an Anchor for Admiral a Golden Key for Gentleman of the Bed Chamber a Collar of the Fleece for Knight of that Order and so of the rest He pointed at all these things with his hand and below was written Este se Vende that is to say all this is sold. And the Queen leaning her hand upon his heart with this inscription Yeste se da that is to say and this is given The report ran very strong that he sold all Office and Dignities at high rates at which some persons of the highest quality were extremely offended and his avarice drew upon him abundance of Enemies But what is still the most remarkable is this that all these various reports made not the least impression on the Queen She said That her rank placed her above these little contumelies and that she should be angry with her self if she were capable of being disquieted at such miserable reproaches that were so infinitely below her indignation that the most effectual way to punish and extinguish these licentious abuses was to take no notice of them that the reason why they were so inveterate against the Marquess de Valenzuela proceeded only from their envy that she was resolved not to abandon and sacrifice one of the best Subjects that the King her Son had to gratifie the insatiable humour of some Malecontents that were never to be satisfied So that now it was apparent that all the methods they took to destroy this Favourite served only to confirm him so much the deeper in the affections and good graces of the Queen Nevertheless he used all possible means to procure the good will of the people he took care that Madrid should be always plentifully supplied with provisions necessary for life and that all sorts of commodities should be sold at cheap easy rates He often entertained the City with Bull Feasts where he generally made his appearance in a black habit embroidered over with silver and wore black and white Plumes as being in second mourning because the Queen was a Widdow But as soon as ever he entred the Lists and according to the custom of those that design to combat the Bulls came under the Queen's Balcony making her a profound reverence and demanding permission de Taurear as they call it there she sent a Messenger to forbid him to expose himself 'T was observable in one of these courses that he wore a Scarf of black Taffata embroidered o're with Gold with the device of an Eagle gazing stedfastly upon the Sun and for the Motto these words Tengo solo Licentia that is to say it is only permitted to me Some days after he appeared at the running at the ring having an Eagle painted upon his Buckler for they always wear them at this sort of Course which is an ancient diversion of the Moors armed with Iupiter's thunder bearing the same Motto It is only permitted to me There being no hazard to run in this sport the Queen was willing that Valenzuela should show his dexterity which he did and carried away the prize from a great number of young Lords that disputed it with him and received from the Queen's hand a Sword beset with Diamonds They talked hotly at Court of the two devices of the Favourite and every one was ready to explain them according to his own fancy and inclination He caused some Comedies of his composing to be publickly represented on the Theatre and all the Town had the liberty of seeing them for nothing This was the most taking way in the world to gain the hearts of the Spaniards for they are such passionate admirers of all publick shows that they will lay up the mony which ought to be spent in maintaining their poor Families to purchase a dear seat at a Bull-feast Valenzuela was not satisfied to cultivate the affections of the people by these magnificences but sought other ways to win their hearts He set several noble buildings on foot rebuilt the great Square the better part of which had been consumed by fire and particularly the House where their Majesties went to behold the Courses at the Bull-feasts and running at the ring He caused a bridge to be built at the gate near Toledo over the Mancanares that cost a million of Ducats and another bridge over the same river at Pardo which is a house of pleasure belonging to the King The Frontispiece and place before the Palace was finished by his order as also the Tower of the Queen's Apartment was raised much higher He employed all his thoughts in contributing to the diversion of the Queen and the King her Son this young Prince now began to go to all the meetings of Sport and Pleasure that were kept at Aranjues the Escurial and the other Royal Houses One day when the Marquess de Valenzuela had received Orders of the King to prepare a Chase for him and the Court was then at the Escurial the King designing to shoot a Stag shot his Favourite and wounded him on the Thigh the Queen being terribly affrighted broke out into great Lamentations and fainted away between the arms of her Ladies This accident occasioned some people to predict the approaching ruine of Valenzuela whereof this odd adventure seemed to be a presage The time being now come to order the King's Houshold the Marquess made choice of all the Oâ—ficers He made the Duke d' Albuquerque Mayor-Dome Mayor the Admiral of Castile Cavallerizo Mayor and the Duke de Medina-celi Sumiller de Corps this Officer is the same in effect with High Chamberlain and puts on the Kings shirt The name is originally French and comes from the Dukes of Burgundy from whom the House of Austria is descended After the same manner he disposed of the other places Now as there were abundantly more pretenders than places to fill he drew upon him by this means a considerable number of Enemies who could not digest the affront of having nothing given them and were less inclined to pardon him for that which directly concerned themselves than for what related to the Interest of State At this time they thought more earnestly than ever of Don Iuan hoping that he would come to revenge their quarrel upon Valenzuela and besides they laboured underhand to convince the King how
tenderness and importunity she was not able to succeed in her desires He diverted himself every day with hunting and seeing Comedies either at Pardo or Zarzuela which are two Houses of Pleasure belonging the King of Spain The Opera d' Alcine was represented before him it cost a world of mony but was miserably performed There was likewise a Bull-feast kept where two young Cavaliers unfortunately perished On the following day there was running at the ring About this time the Prince de Ligne arrived and a day or two after kissed his Majestys hand and took his place at the Council of State Father Francis de Relux a Dominican came likewise from Salamanca where he had been Professor of Divinity and was chosen by Don Iuan to be the Kings Confessor The Duke of Alva had engaged that he should submit himself intirely to Don Iuan's will who accepted him upon his parole At this time the Cardinal de Portacarero Archbishop of Toledo returned from Rome The Court at Madrid was very full and numerous On the twentieth of Ianuary the King of France named the Marquess de Villars to be his Ambassador in Spain who was at that time under the same Character at Savoy He was known to the Court of Spain for in the year 1673. he resided there in quality of Ambassador he arrived at Madrid on the seventeenth of Iune and those persons that were well acquainted with the disposition of Don Iuan very much doubted whether he would meet with that reception which he might reasonably promise himself they knew well enough that the natural haughtiness of Don Iuan would never comply with the instructions of that Minister who to be sure would never go to visit the Prince unless he were assured beforehand of receiving the honour of the Hand the Step and the Chair that Don Iuan would never consent to this proposal because it was not to be imagined that he would easily give up the rights he had obtained over the other Ambassadors and that it would be an inconvenient thing for him of France not to treat directly with the chief Minister What people surmised upon this occasion really happened for the Prince would not bate him an ace and the Marquess de Villars kept fast to his instructions Therefore they looked upon one another with great coldness but nevertheless this did not hinder the Ambassador from having a private Audience of the King on the eighth of Iuly and a publick one a little after upon the conclusion of his Marriage with Mademoiselle Don Iuan had three fits of a Tertian Ague towards the beginning of Iuly On the thirteenth the Secretary of the Marquess de los Balbazez arrived who brought word that the King had consented to the marriage of Mademoiselle with the King of Spain Nothing is equal to the joy that he shew'd upon this account for he had expected the news with the greatest impatience He ordered Te Deum to be sung at our Ladies d' Atocha all the Houses in the City were illuminated with white Wax Tapers and Bonefires were to be seen in every street An hundred and fifty Cavaliers of the best Families in the Kingdom performed a Masquerade on horse-back that consisted only of some embroiderie Tiffany Ribbons and Feathers for they were apparalled in black as they used to be but were not masqued at all After this manner they ran all night every man carrying a Flambeaux in his hand all these divertisements lasted three days and three nights A Courier arrived soon after who brought the contract of the King's marriage this was soon communicated to the Queen Mother who exprest a great deal of joy at it The Ratification was presently sent back and Bonefires were made as before While the people did thus endeavour to express their zeal to the King the servants of the Queen Mother were busied in finding out some means or other to advance her return The Marquess de Villars had refused to follow the example of the other Ambassadors in the conduct they used towards Don Iuan upon the occasion of those new customs which they suffered him to establish and this seemed a favourable opportunity to perswade the enemies of the Prince that Monsieur de Villars had some secret instructions which were not favourable to him They flattered themselves immediately with the hopes of making him one of their party and believed it would extreamly strengthen their own side if they could once bring him over to them Upon this consideration the greater part of the Courtiers applauded him mightily for his constancy and made him abundance of complements upon that score He was respected at Madrid and had the good fortune to find out several of his friends again and the Queen Mother shewed a particular esteem for him She gave him a very obliging proof of this when he came to wait upon her at Toledo for after publick Audience was over she was pleased to entertain him in private about her own Affairs and testified what an entire confidence she reposed in him But altho several proposals were made to him to be of a party against the Prince and besides his own natural disposition led him to espouse the quarrel of those persons who opposed a Minister whose civilities he had no great reason to applaud yet he was of opinion that in this present conjuncture it would be his best way to remain Neuter He considered still that the marriage of the King of Spain with Mademoiselle would bring along with it some agreements that were not to be expected before the arrival of that Princess that it was a sure unfailing way to oppose one power to another that this young Princess would never suffer theMinister of France to be run down in that Court where she was to become the Mistress and sole delight that it was certain she would link her self to the interests of the Queen Mother that the most Christian Queen who loved both the one and the other very affectionately would be sure to give her this in charge before her departure amongst the other counsels which she was always to observe that their credit being united together and seconded by all those persons that desired another Government Don Iuan would without question find himself obliged to give way Most persons reasoned after the same manner upon this affair and encouraged one another to stand firm against the Favourite they now began to speak those things aloud which before they were almost afraid to mutter in private they complained of him and importuned the King to call the Exiles home and openly promoted the return of Queen Mother Don Iuan was now more disquieted than ever the appearance only of his fall had prevailed with several persons who ought to have been his Creatures to abandon him for good and all and as for those that remained they had neither authority nor merit enough to support him He could scarce find any comfort but when he was alone but this sort of conduct
does not always afford a man a Sanctuary for even the silence the retirement and the infinite reflections we make are rather apt to perplex and disturb than to relieve our spirits He was still more afflicted when he saw some of his friends or at least such as he believed to be so embrace the interests that were directly opposite to his and he knew they employed the Confessor's credit with the King to bring all these matters about I have already told you that Don Iuan was the man who caused him to come from Salamanca and after he had advanced him to this preferment thought he might ever after have him at his devotion Nevertheless whether he had promised him nothing or really broke his word 't is certain he quitted the Prince's party and caballed amongst his enemies Some people pretend that this proceeded from a principle of Conscience but it is impossible that ingratitude should ever flow from a good principle However it was he obtained for the Princess de Stillano who was the Duke of Alva's Daughter the return of her Husband Don Iuan had absolutely refused it and found so little credit upon this occasion that he was sensibly afflicted at it for the thing it seems was pushed so far that the King out of pure complaisance to his Confessor said it signifies nothing that Don Juan opposes it 't is enough that I would have it so These few words very much increased the Prince's melancholy but as misfortunes seldom come unattended there happened another mortification upon the account of the Duke of Ossone who was in the number of the Exiles The Prince had sent him notice by some of his friends that he desired him to throw up his place of Master of the Horse to the new Queen which he had lately bestowed upon him but he rejected his proposal with the greatest scorn imagiâ—able Don Iuan was mightily enraged at it and would have banished him farther off to make him sensible of his power and of the affront he had done him in pretending to oppose his intentions but he was so far from succeeding in his project that he saw the Duke de Medina Celi who hitherto kept fair measures with him had prevailed with the King to recall the Duke d' Ossone The Son of the Duke de Medina Celi had married the Daughter of the Duke d' Ossone and this occasioned the great friendship between them The pretence was that it was necessary for him to be with the Queen and the Duke de Medina Celi having found a favourable opportunity told the King that he was not a little concerned to see a man of the Duke Ossone's quality who had the honour to possess one of the highest Offices in the Queens House banished so far from Court at a time when all those persons that ought to serve her should be making preparations to meet her The King consented to his return as likewise to the Count de Montereys upon condition that they should neither make nor receive any visits at Madrid A general custom seldom fails to hold true for any particular person and 't is an usual observation that when we begin to receive any one misfortune we ought to expect another Don Iuan being perswaded that he was not happy enough to be excepted from this invidious rule was desirous to strengthen his party by the Authority of the Constable of Castile but he met with a very unlucky rub in his way for having engaged the Duke of Alva to propose an accommodation to him tâ—e Constable calling to mind the insupportable pride wherewith Don Iuan had formerly treated him and therefore still looking upon the Prince as his formidable enemy answered very coldly that the time was past To encrease his troubles all those that were exiled came into favour for they took an opportunity to solicit their return whilst he was sick and made such advantages of that conjuncture and pushed matters so home that the King was resolved to call home the Queen Mother While they were deliberating upon the conduct that was to be observed in this affair the King held a long Conversation with the Inquisitor General he sent his Confessor to acquaint the Duke de Medina Celi of the House de la Cerda and the Count d' Oropeza of the House of Braganza to meet at an appointed hour at the Inquisitors When they were met the King sent them word by the aforementioned Father Relux to advise him of the best method to remove Don Iuan and recall the Queen Mother The day was spent in Conference and after all it was unanimously agreed that the King should depart from the Palace as if he were going out to hunt and that before his return he should send word to the Prince to withdraw immediately This project was not put in execution the Prince knew not a syllable of the matter and for want of resolution and courage the design fell On the twenty sixth of Iune a Bull feast was kept where there was very good sport at the same time the Marquess de Fuentes got to be â—â—de Counseller of the military Affairs The Kâ—â—g gave Orders to the Gentlemen of his Bed-chamber who were to meet the Queen upon the way to furnish themselves with three suits of clothes a peice and two of them were to be after the French fashion Our Ambassador made his entry on the thirteenth of August and we did not fail to go to some of our Friends to behold the Show 'T is a custom there for the King to send the Ambassador a certain number of Horses out of his own Stable both for himself and his attendants for the Ambassadors make their entry on Horseback next morning the Major Domo in waiting the Conductor of the Ambassadors and his Deputy accompanied him from his own House to the Palace In his publick Audience which he had of the King he always spoke in French the procession of his Entry was a long time interrupted by the opiniatrete of the Ambassador of Malta who pretended that his Coach ought immediately to follow that of the Venetian Ambassador who was the last Ambassador of the Chappel in such manner that he was got before the second Coaches of the Marquess de Villars but to put an end to the dispute the Conductor of the Ambassadors was sent to the Palace where every thing was adjusted to the advantage of the Ambassador of France and the pretensions of him of Malta who was Don Diego de Bracamonte were adjudged to be ill grounded since the Ambassadors of Crowned Heads never gave him the Right Hand at their Houses After some instances on his side his Coach withdrew he is the first Ambassador of Malta that ever aspired to this honour Don Rodrigo de Silva de Mendoza Duke de Pastrane de l' Infantado having been named by the King to go Ambassador extraordinary into France and to carry the presents of Marriage to Mademoiselle went immediately to Toledo to
de 〈◊〉 Bâ—lbaraâ— arived at Madrid who brought the happy neâ—â— that the marriage of the King with Mademoiselle had been solemnized at Fountainbleau and this gave occasion to the Masquerades on Horseback and the bonefires that were to be seen for three days together All this publick rejoycing did not in the least diminish Don Iuan's melancholy and 't is certain the great perplexity of mind he was under very much impaired his health and the vigour of his constitution He was at a stand what party to take for as he had too much bravery ever to think of giving way to his enemies so his credit was not strong enough to put him in capacity of resisting them In this violent condition he was sensible enough thaâ— he should never be able to sustain the weight of his affliction and to say the truth it cost him his life at last But great men seldom complain when they become the sport of fortune and after their example Don Iuan expected his last day with the constancy and steadiness of a Heroe His Tertian Ague seized him again and on the seventh of September he found himself so extreamly ill that the Physitians acquainted the King that there was but little hopes of his recovery At this news his Majesty wept and testified a sensible grief He ordered Cardinal Pâ—rtocarerâ— to go to him and learn what condition he was in he appeared but little concerned and prepared himself for death like a â—ood Christian and Philosopher He comforted 〈◊〉 his friends with a wonderful presence of â—â—nd A man has lived long enough said he to â—â—em when he dies without having any thiâ—g to 〈◊〉 him I mean in râ—laâ—ion to Honour 〈◊〉 for what concerns my dâ—ty to God I have been too deficious and the time of my repentance cannot be too long He received the Holy Viaticum and the King almost every other moment came into his Chamber testifying a great deal of friendship for him and tenderly complained that he would abandon him at a juncture when his assistance was become so necessary to him Don Iuan made his Will by which he constituted the King his Heir he left almost all his Jewels to the young Queen and the Queen Mother and named Cardinal Portocarero the Duke de Medina Celi the Duke of Alva and the President of Castile to be his Executors He likewise gave order that as soon as ever he was dead they should remove his Cabinet which was filled with Papers of great importance out of his own Apartment to that of the King This extream illness of the Prince put some stop to the publick rejoycings that were resolved upon and particularly to a Bull-feast but however it did not hinder them from making fine artificial Fireworks in the Court of the Palace nay he desired it himself altho he was troubled with a furious pain in his Head that might very well be increased with the noise of Rockets and Crackers All this while his Physitians who knew nothing of the profound melancholy wherein he was plunged punished his body for an indisposition that was properly lodged in the mindâ— and made him suffer a sort of martyrdom by the several torments they inflicted upon him In fine this poor Prince died on the seventeenth of September 1679. on the very same day that his Father Philip IV. did He was born in 1626. and abounded with a thousand good qualities A little time after his birth his Mother received the habit of a Religious Woman from the hands of Pope Innocent X. who was then the Pope's Nuncio to King Philip IV. this action of her retiring out of the world justified her from abundance of suspicions which people entertained upon the score of her imprudent conduct The King did not acknowledge him till the year 1642. He had the Grand Priory of Malta in Castile bestowed upon him and was sent against the Portugueses with the Title of Generalissimo of the Armies by Sea and Land After this he reduced the City of Naples to its obedience and went to Flanders to command the Troops there He was Governour of the Low Countries of Burgundy and Charâ—lois but he came back to march once more against the Portugueses After the deâ—â—h of the King his Father he passed his time as it above mentioned at Consuegra the ordinary residence of the Grand Prior of Castile and when the present King came to be of age he continued near him On the twentyeth his body was carried to the Escurial and was interred in the Paâ—theon for so the place is called where they lay the bodies of the Kings of Spain but those of the Princes and Princesses of the Royal Family are placed in a Vault which is not far from it nay they don't lay the bodies of the Queens of Spain in the Pantheon unless they have had Children He left a very beautiful Daughtâ—r behind him whom he had by a Person of Grâ—â—t Quality She is a Religiouâ— among the Carmâ—litâ—â— at Madrid who are called las Descaltas Reâ—les The first journey the King made after the death of Don Iuan was to go and visit the Queen Mother he parted the very same day from Madrid and lay on the way at Araâ—juez and arrived the next day at Toledo The Queen received him with great testimonies of tenderness they mingled their Tears together as they embraced one another and dined and afterwards entertained one another a long time in private All those that accompanied the King kissed her Majesty's hand so after the day was agâ—eed upon for her to come back to Madrid he left her We may easily believe that she took but little time to prepare her self for a journey that was so welcome to her The King parted from Madrid on the twenty seventh he lay again at Aranjâ—â—z and the next day he set forward to meet the Qâ—een on the way that leads to Toledo As soon as they met he desired her to come into his Coach that they might discourse in private and so he brought her to Buen Râ—tâ—râ— which is one of the King's Houses scituate at the end of the City There she rested her self for some time till the House of the Duke Dâ—â—eda could be fitted up foâ— her which it seems she chose to reside in because the Palace was not spacious enough to lodge the two Queens It would be an endless piece of trouble to reckon up all the Persons of Quality besides the vast multitudes of people that accompanied their Majesties at their arrival and indeed this mighty alteration of fortune was very remarkable on the Queen Mothers side There was an universal joy for her return in the very same City where but two years ago Don Iuan was seen to enter as the Deliverer of his Country and the Queen to go out like a meer Fugitive under all the weight of the publick hatred The King â—arried there till evening and there scarce passed a day over his head from the time he went to meet the
may say she so much set off the grandeur of her Birth by her natural beauty and by her engaging and courteous deportment that all France was sensibly grieved to lose her One of the first persons that took the freedom to speak to the Queen and give her advice was a Religious Theatin called Father Vintimiglia He was born in Sicily of an Illustrious Family and was Brother to the Count de Prade who happened to be Governour of Palermo at the time when that City revolted in the late troubles He had been seized and people thought it would have cost him his head but he got the favour to be sent to Madrid to justifie himself his Brother the Theatin went along with him to assist him with his credit He was a bold hardy adventurous man and devoted himself entirely to Don Iuan and his zeal for that Prince carried him so far that in some of his Sermons he spoke of the Queen Mother with very little respect This Father departed from Madrid in company with the Duke d' Ossone and tho he had not now any hopes of being made the Queens Confessor as he had before the death of Don Iuan yet he could not forbear to go as far as Bayonne to salute her his deportment his birth and his knowledge of the French tongue which he spoke perfectly well because he had resided a long time at Paris procured him access enough to the young Queen to take his opportunity of prepossessing her with some suspicions and jealousies against the Queen her Mother in Law and the French Ambassador By this piece of conduct he did not only design to injure those persons who had formerly been enemies to Don Iuan but he had a particular aim that personally respected himself and wherein his ambition had by much the upper hand of his discretion and that was to perswade the Queen to endeavour the erecting of a Iunta that was to depend solely upon her He told her that in order to bring this design about she was to chuse the Duke d' Ossone to be a member of it because he was a person of consummate abilities and besides had a great zeal for her Majesty he took care to reckon himself in the number of the Ministers and could not forbear to write a Scheme of the Government the memoirs of which he gave to the Duke d' Harcourt to the end that he might present them to the Queen but 't is very probable he never showed them to her Majesty The Queen was now advanced as far as St. Iohn-de-Luz and she departed from thence about one a clock in the afternoon on the third of November followed by the Guards an Corps of the King She came to a wooden house that was purposely prepared for her it was gilded and painted within and without there was a great Hall in it a Chamber and a moveable Closet of Crimson-Damask with Galloon and a rich Lace of Gold and Silver This house was scituate upon the brink of the River de Bidassoa which parts France from Spain As soon as the Queen arrived there she put on a most sumptuous Habit then coming into the Hall she took part of a noble Collation There she staid a little and afterwards retired into her Chamber after this she ascended a Scaffold and placed her self in a Chair of State under a noble Canopy at this very moment she was seized with an air of melancholy which shewed what a regret she had to be so near leaving France The Prince d' Harcourt placed himself at her right hand the Princess d' Harcourt at her left the Mareshal Clerambaut's Lady and Madam de Grance behind her Chair Monsieur de Saintot went to inform the Marquess d' Astorgas of it who was Major Dâ—no to the Queen He was in a Boat upon the River near a little Island which the Treaty of the Pyrantes has rendred since so famous and which was joyned to the Queen's House by a Bridge of Communication The Guards de Corps formed themselves into several Squadrons in this place The Marquess was waiting for his orders in this Boat which was very magnificent and was prepared on purpose to carry her Majesty over to the other side As soon as he was informed that the Queen expected him he set foot upon the ground and fourscore persons Gentlemen Pages or Valets marched on foot before him he threw himself immediately at the feet of the Queen kissed her hand made her a Complement got up again and covered himself without staying for the Queen to say any thing to him The Prince d' Harcourt covered himself likewise at the same time The Marquess spoke to her all the while in Spanish and presented her Majesty with two Letters from the King and Queen Mother but before he gave them he touched them upon his Forehead his Eyes his Mouth and his Heart as the fashion is The Queen told him she was extreamly glad that the King her Husband had given him the charge of conducting her After this the old Marquess turned himself towards the Prince d' Harcourt and made him a Complement who answered that he had orders from the King his Master to deliver the Queen of Spain into his hands Monsieur de Chateanneuâ— Counsellor of the Parliament of Paris read the Act of Deliverance in French and Don Alançon Caruero Secretary of State read the Act of Reception in Spanish The Marquess presented several persons of Quality to her Majesty who kissed her hand kneeling down upon one Knee The Bishop of Pampelune kissed her hand but did not kneel The Queen did not press to depart but the Marquess informed her that it was high time to march she immediately arose placing him on her right hand and a Mâ—nin of Honour on her left upon whose shoulder she leaned for he was a young Boy and thus she advanced towards the Bridge The Dutchess de Terra Nova met her just about the middle and kissed her hand with the Ladies of the Palace that followed her who threw themselves all at her feet After the Dutchess had made her Complement she presented several Spanish Ladies to the Queen Monsieur de Repaire Lieutenant of the King'sGuards duCorps who carried the Queens Train gave it to the Dutchess The Queen entred into the Boat along with her her Chamber was glazed all over and thus being all alone with this old Dame she cast her eyes frequently towards that side of the Kingdom which she had quitted and her languishing air sufficiently testified by what commotions she was agitated within Twenty four Seamen placed in two Barques drew the Boat along and the Spanish Horse discharged their Musquetoons and Pistols as soon as it began to move the artillary of Fontarabia answered them with a great firing The Prince and Princess d' Harcourt the other Ladies and all the Queens Attendants passed over in Boats that were prepared on purpose The Queen setting foot upon the Ground towards the evening found
Months were passed since he demanded Justice for some violations of the Peace that were lately committed as well by the Governors of the Provinces as by the taking of several Vessels and the burning of others But at the time when he was urgent to have a positive answer he received a new injury by the insolence of an Alcalde and several Alguazils who passed before his House which was never done at Madrid in the quarter belonging to an Ambassador He was extremely surprized at it but was so far from receiving the satisfaction that was due to him for this affront that they told him His Majesty had given Order that his quarter should be no longer exempt This Resolution so much the more disgusted him because it affected only himself and all the other Ambassadors enjoyed their Priviledges as formerly Not but that they had several other complaints upon their Hands as for example the Envoy from the Elector of Brandenburgh made a great noise because they had amused him a long time with specious promises that had no effect at all they ow'd his Master a great Sum of money he demanded the payment of it but they shifted him off from time to time so that at last he perceived that they neither had the power nor inclination to satisfie him The Nuncio did not seem to be less disgusted for his part because he saw the President of Castile keep his Place and continue still in Favour altho the Pope had declared him suspended and he himself omitted no application to have justice done upon him In the mean time they wanted mony to raise four Spanish Regiments that were designed to be sent to Milain because they apprehended some motion from the Court of France but it was almost impossible to find any funds and besides this the Silver that came from the Indies in the Flota was so suddenly gone and with so little order that no body knew what was become of it so that it was a difficult matter to send any returns into Flanders or other places where there was occasion Those that used to advance mony upon these sorts of occasions would now do nothing at all they were all of them drained and the necessities were generally so great that they knew not where to take up mony to defray the ordinary expences of the King and Queens House This proceeded in part from the disorder of the mony a Pistole which ought to go for no more than fourty eight Reals de Vellon was raised up to a hundred and ten and the Patacoons that are only worth twelve Reals went at the rate of thirty The occasion of it was this a great part of the Reals de Vellon that are of Copper were bad and the common custom made them pass as well in commerce as if they had been good But at last they were called in all on the sudden by reason of the excessive price a Pistole was raised to and 't is impossible to recount the disorders and inconveniencies that attended this new Regulation The Court was of opinion in the month of February 1680. that there was a necessity to find out some remedy or other suddenly for it so a Pistole from a hundred and ten Reals was levelled to fourty eight the Patacoons to twelve and the other mony was so confounded one with the other that it was reduced to the eighth part of the ordinary value There was no body almost but lost more or less upon the account of this new Regulation and accordingly felt it that which before the sinking the value of the mony was worth fourty Reals which make four Livers of French mony since the reducing of it was worth a hundred and ten Reals which is ten Livers of our mony so that what Commodities a man could buy on Munday for fifty Sons went on the Tuesday for above a third part more and the Debtor who it may be on Saturday owed twenty thousand Reals de Vellon which made but two hundred Pistoles found to his sorrow the next day after that he owed near five hundred Pistoles This ruined a great number of Families and caused a mighty dejection in the spirits of the people for every thing a man has occasion to buy is dearer by much in Madrid than any where else because they are brought a great way off and there are few or no Manufactures at all in that part of the Country A kind of a mutiny happened at Toledo because after this sinking the value of mony no care was taken to regulate the price of Provisions for which they paid excessive rates It is still to be noted that the Civil Government in Spain is managed but after a very sorry manner and that the slow lazy humour of those persons who might if they pleased correct the ill conduct of others contributes exceedingly to the publick loss All these disorders and continual complaints which made a noise from all quarters began at last to shake and undermine Don Ieronimo d' Eguya He knew very well that the Post wherein he stood was ticklish and dangerous and that after all his endeavours to disgust the world in case he remedied nothing the oblige maledictions and hatred would fall upon the Favourite The present ill state of affairs was attributed to his ill conduct so he thought within himself that he could not too soon deliver himself from the torrent of the popular fury and therefore resolved to omit nothing whereby he might incline the King to choose a Chief Minister The consideration of his own interest soon determined him to act vigorously in favour of the Duke de Medina Celi he knew the King had a particular affection for him and besides he perswaded himself that when the Duke was informed what good offices he had done him he would maintain him still in his Post as well out of a principle of acknowledgment as for the great services he might do him in these affairs since he had managed them for so long a time and consequently was in a capaciâ—y to furnish him with some necessary lights which all those persons that newly enter into the Government are altogeâ—her unacquainted with And then he knew the natural sweetness of the Duke's temper would never permit him to turn him out of his place and he was certain that as long as he continued in it he could manage the King's favour the functions of his place giving him opportunity to approach near the King's person very often The Camarera Major and his Majesty's Confessor had each of them particular designs in their head however they were both agreed as to the Duke's advancement so that all the world concurring with the favourable dispositions which the King had for him he signed a Decree that is the usual term with them in Spain wherein he declared the Duke de Medina Celi to be Chief Minister He immediately commanded Father Relux to carry it to him who came to his House about ten a Clock
about his House and cryed out aloud that he was poisoned and that this business ought to be examined to the bottom because he suffered for the good will he had expressed towards them They added menaces against those persons who had opposed such profitable advice and as the King accidentally passed by them in his Coach a great body of them got about the Coach and followed it crying Vive el Roi y muera el mal Goviorno that is to say Let the King live and the ill Government dye There were great endeavours used to moderate the first motions of the popular fury which exceedingly increased on the day that Dias died Above six thousand were got together who ran up and down the Streets complaining and weeping bitterly every one of them said that they had murdered the only man that wished them well They accompanied his body to the place of burial and the Streets were so full of people that the King durst not stir out of his Palace altho he was to go to a great Festival that was celebrated by the Jesuits and he had a great desire to be there There was little probability that they would ever be appeased but as good fortune would have it the multitude was only made up of poor irresolute people whose spirits were broken by the miseries of which they complained All this Tempest past over in vain menaces and some injuries against some considerable persons but however it did not alter the State of Affairs At this same time word was sent to the Nuncio by an express Order from Court that he should enjoy no other priviledges than what the Ambassador of Spain did at Rome This was a new occasion of discontent to him but the Action was general and they took care to inform the other Forreign Ministers that for the future the would allow them only the same priviledges as their Princes allowed to the Ambassadors of his Catholick Majesty so that he had no reason to complain since he was treated but like the rest This resolution was taken upon this account Six Alguazils de Corte passing before the Hâ—use of the Venetian Ambassador it seems three of his Footmen knew them and demâ—nded of them how they durst have the impudence to go through their Quarter The Alguazels returned them a sawcy answer whereupon the servants drew their Swords but the Alguazels fired immediately upon them and killed them upon the place The Ambassador made great complaints about it they promised to give him full satisfaction but to avâ—id the doing of it they thought it more expedient to revoke all the Franchises The King received a Letter from the Vice-Roy of Naples and was extreamly glad to hear that he had found out a way to borrow three hundred thousand Crowns of the Merchants of Genoa for the raising four thousand men that were to be sent into the Milanese But they were perswaded at Court that it would be a long time before they could be in a condition to get there because they demanded a further supply of mony from Madrid and here they wanted it without exception for every thing However this did not hinder them from using all imaginable efforts to contribute towards the raising of these four thousand men because they were exceedingly alarmed at the Treaty of Casal which they pretended our King had bought of the Duke of Mantua They apprehended this was an open pass to render himself Master of Italy when he pleased and they were fully perswaded that he had sent an Army thither upon this score The Genoese first whispered and spread about these jealousies which at last reached the Venetians so that they drew their Soldiers out of their Garrisons in Dalmatia and bestowed them in their own Towns in Lumbardy where they made some new Fortifications The Emperor for his part was as much alarmed as the rest of his Neighbours for he sent his Troops to the Milanese to guard them and several Princes of Italy put themselves to a great deal of trouble out of an apprehension of a rupture But if there was any reason to fear one it was from the side of Bisca where the people of that Province who are under the dominion of Spain have almost every day some disputes with those that live under the dominion of France sometimes about the fishing at other times about other differences each of them appropriating the River de Bidâ—ssoa to themselves so that they seldom live in peace Matters came to that upshot at lâ—st that they burnt several Barques and took several of the French prisoners Our Ambassador was ordered to demand justice for these injuries and frequently spoke to the Ministers about it who continued deaf in these cases because they had no mind to redress them They persisted to be so stiff and obstinate upon this occasion that the Ambassador declared at last to Don Vincente Gonzaga that his Master would order his Troops to march towards the Frontiers by which meaâ—s it would be more easie to get satisfaction for the insolence of the Biscayneers than by sending to the Council at Madrid that His Majesty was concerned for the tranquility of his Subjects and that he â—ould take a due course to procure it Gonzâ—ga heard Monsieâ—â— de Villars very patiently â—nd tâ—lâ— him at laâ—â— that he was surprized to find him addâ—ess himself to him because he was no longer Commissary and that the Marquess de los Baâ—bazez had been nominated to his Place above a month before The Aâ—bassador acquainted him that generally these sorts of Changes are not made without inâ—oâ—ming those persons who are interested in them and that as for himself he had never heard the least mention of it Don Vincente replied that Don Pedro Colonna had been ordered to inform him of it but that in truth he was a negligent person and had showed hâ—mself so not only on this occasion Upon this he made some particular reflections that were not very obliging to the new Secretary of State Don Pedro Fernandez del Campo Marquess de Majorada who had been formerly Secretary of State and to whom the Marquess de Valenzuela when he became sole Favourite had an aversion because he would not blindly obey him died of grief for the loss of his Place and to see it still possessed by Don Ieronimo d' Eguya The number of the Maids of Honour belonging to the Queen was about this time augmented The King added to them the Daughter of the Princess Pio those of the Countess de Villambrosa the Marquess do Pouar the Duke d' Hijar Donna Eleonora of the House de Zapara the Niece of the Dutchess de Terra Nova and Mademoiselle de Lalain who was a Flemish woman But altho this was a Testimony of the particular consideration which the King had for his Young Queen because ordinarily the Queens of Spain have not so many yet he could not â—orbear to be sensibly tormented at the Stories which the Camarera continually buzzed
capable of discharging it well nay he had some that ought to have excluded him Amongst the rest he was Son-in-Law to a Corrigidor named Don Francisco de Herrera who was mortally hated by the People and 't is said not without just Grounds since he contributed not a little to the extream Miseries under which they groaned The Council of Finances which is there called de Hazienda was established in the Year 1602. by Philip III. It is their business to inspect the Tribunal which is called the Contaduria Mayor and was set up by Philip the Second in 1574. A certain Accident happened at Court which I cannot forbear to relate although it is of little Consequence The Queen had two of the prettiest Parrots in the World which she had brought along with her from France and loved mightily The Dutchess de Terra Nova thought to do a meritorious work in killing them because they could only talk French One day when the Queen was gone out to take a Walk and the Dutchess to avoid going with her and to put this Design in Execution had pretended a slight Indisposition she demanded the Parrots of the Woman that looked after them and so without any more a-do as soon as ever she had got them into her Hands wrung off their Necks in spight of all the Prayers and Intreaties that were used to prevent her from killing them This was a great Affliction to the poor French Women that waited upon the Queen who when she came back to her Apartment commanded them to bring her Parrots and Dogs as her custom was always when the King was not there for he could not endure any of these little creatures because they came from France and whenever he saw them he cry'd Fuera fuera Perros Frances that is to say Out out you French Dogs All the Queen's Women instead of going to fetch what she demanded stared upon one another and continued for some time immoveable without daring to speak a word but at last after a long silence one of them gave her an account of the Execution which the Camarera had made of them She was extreamly concerned although she took care not to discover it but as soon as the Dutchess entred the Room and according to her custom came to kiss her Hand The Queen without speaking a Syllable to her gave her two Boxes on the Ear with her Hand Never was any thing in the World in such a Rage and Surprize as the Dutchess was for she was one of the most haughty imperious Women living and carried as much State and Grandeur She possessed as I mentioned before a Kingdom in Mexico and now to be buffeted by a young Queen whom she had hitherto treated like a Child this appeared insupportable she immediately flew out of the Room saying all the impertinent things that her Anger suggested to her and assembled together her Relations and Friends and above four hundred Ladies With this numerous Train of Coaches she came to the King's Apartment to demand Justice of him for the Affront she pretended she had received from the Queen She made so great a Clamour and shed so many Tears that he sent for the Queen to come to him And as he represented to her the high Rank which the Camarera Mayor held in the World the Queen interrupted him and told him without any hesitation Senor esto es une antojo These few unexpected Words clearly changed the Face of Affairs The King embraced her with a thousand Testimonies of Joy adding That she had done very well and that if Two Blows were not enough to satisfie her he consented she should give the Dutchess Two Dozen more Now antojo signifies in the Spanish Tongue the Longing of a Woman with Child And they are it seems convinced by long Experience That if Women with Child in that Country have not what they desire and don't do what they have a mind to do they are delivered before their time of a dead Infant The King who believed the Queen was with Child was ravished with Joy and though he had a mighty kindness for the Dutchess yet he exceedingly approved of the Queen's Action So that all the Satisfaction she received from him was this Cailla os est as bofetadas son bii as del antojo That is to say Hold your peaceâ— these Blâ—ws are the Fruits of a Woman with Child The Queen had so much Prudence and Address as not to take the least notice of the Death of her Parrots So that she left the King no Room to imagine that the antojo of boxing the Old Dutchess proceeded from her own Resentments The Marquess de Villa Menrique obtain'd the Vice-Royship of Peru which is one of the most considerable Posts by the means of a pretty Lady of whom the Duke de Medina Celi was extreamly enamoured The King the Queen and the Queen-Mother went together to Buen-Retiro to pass the Holy Week there After Easter was over the King expressed a great desire to go to Aranjuez as it had always been the custom But the Queen-Mother who had no Inclinations to be at any great distance from Madrid because all Affairs were managed there and the Counsellors never stir out of it and likewise because the Neighbourhood of Toledo where she had been formerly confined against her Will revived a sort of Horror in her raised so many Obstacles that the King alter'd his Mind So he stay'd but a very inconsiderable time at Buen-Retiro and passed four days at the Escurial He would only suffer himself to be accompanied by the Duke de Medina Celi the Master of the Horse one of the Gentlemen of his Bed-Chamber and the Major domo The next day after he was arrived the Queen wrote a very tender Letter to him and sent him a Diamond Ring He sent her by way of râ—turn a Chaplet made of the Wood of Calambour garnished with Diamonds in a little Box of Gold Filagreen wherein he inclosed a Billet that had only these Words Madam there has been a great Wind I have killed six Wolves As soon as he returned to Madrid the desire of going to Aranjuez seized him again By a custom that had been established ever since the time of Philip II. the Kings of Spain were used to go to this Noble House some time after Easter This is appointed in the Ceremonial of the Palace which is a Rule they always follow In it are to be found all the Ceremonies that are to be observed the Habits which the Kings and Queens are to wear the Time of their going to their Royal Houses how long they are to continue there the Days of going to Chappel as also those for Bull Feasts and running at the Ring the Hour of their Majesties going to Bed and Rising and a thousand other things of the same Nature But as it happen'd there was so great a scarcity of Money that the King was obliged to stay at Madrid However to excuse and colour so extraordinary
and promised That if he would bestow that Princess upon him he would serve him as his Vastal The King scorned the Proposal treating him as a Revolted Subject whom he knew well enough how to chastise When the other saw that gentle Methods signified nothing he presently fell a Ravaging the Countrey of Visiapour from Surat to Goa except six or seven Places upon the Coasts so that his Conquests extended as far as Nâ—gapatan And this in all made near 250 Leagues in length He always carried his Fair Prisoner along with him hoping to gain her by his Respect and Complaisance but having had one day a very long Conversation with her upon this Topick wherein she declared That all the Injuries either she or those of her Family suffered at his Hands only served to provoke her the more and that she would never love any one but Cercan Loudi the Love of Sevagi was in a moment turned into Fury and he had the Cruelty to cause a Scaffold to be erected for her where with his own Hands he cut off the Head of the young Princess Famika and her Lover The Queen-Mother having a great kindness for the Marchioness de Grana received two of her Daughters who were very lovely and well shaped into the number of her Ladies A short time after the King the Two Queens and all the Court departed for Aranjuez but the House not being large enough to lodge half the Officers and Ladies they came back every Night and lay near it The Duke de Uzeda the Count de Altamire and the Two Sons of the Duke of Alva disguised themselves like Muleteers with Bonnets after the English Fashion pulled over their Heads to hide them and being drest after this Fashion they went every day on Foot by the Boot of the Coach of the Queen's Maids of Honour to Court their Mistresses as the Custom is there Although the King had Prohibited all Persons in General and Married People in Particular Los Galanteos de Palacio as they call it at Madrid yet he was not able to hinder it It has been a thing established time out of mind amongst them to entertain the Ladies of the Court with their Gallantry although they have not the least design to marry them And they wait upon them with as much Assiduity as if they were already betrothed to them But what is the strangest as well as the least pardonable thing of all is that they ruine themselves by it I have seen married men nay even those that were Grandfathers totally taken up in an Amour with one of the Ladies of the Court The Women whose Husbands are led away with these Extravagant Fancies are extreamly disgusted at it and this often occasions horrid Disorders in their Families but all that these Cavaliers pretend to reap by their Passion is only that their Mistresses will suffer them to come and stop under their Windows Here they sit in the back part of their Coaches and entertain them by their Fingers and the Ladies answer them after the same manner without speaking to them but only upon days of Ceremony for at that time they have the liberty to Accost them before all the World But what is very surprising and was never yet practised any where else the Ladies of Honour belonging to the Queen receive Jewels Apparel and considerable Sums of Money from their Gallants The Dukes de Montalte and de Medina Sidonia having no Office to oblige them to follow the Court to Aranjuez sent their Stewards Cooks and other Servants with Gold and Silver Plate to carry Magnificent Repasts to their Mistresses as long as they staid at Aranjuez The Diversion there is but little because the greatest pleasure one can take is to walk along the sides of the River Tagus which wash the Banks of the finest Walks in the World but the Rains were so great that no body could stir out When there was the least fair Weather the Queen rode on Horse-back with all her Ladies but one of them had the Mischance to be carried away by her Horse and received so much hurt by her Fall that she died within three days after This ill Accident troubled the King exceedingly so that by his good Will he would not suffer the Queen to ride When he saw her not he would still be crying Let some body go to see how my Queeen does and bring me word whether she is fallen off her Horse The King was informed at Aranjuez that Two Portuguesâ— Men of War in their return to Lisbon had met a French Vessâ—l commanded by the Chevalier de Leti He demanded the Salute of them and upon their refusing to do it gave them a Broad-side which they answered with all their Guns but after a long dispute he obliged them to strike the Flag After this the Vessel continued its course towards Villa Franca where the Ambassador of Savoy waited to be carried over to Portugal Upon this the King of Spâ—in told the Duke de Medina Celi that there was no question to be made but his Gallies would be served after the same manner if they were not better provided The King had a mighty desire when he parted from Madrid to go immediately to the Escurial but he could not fully resolve to carry the Queen along with him thither till he had staid some time at some of the other Houses belonging to the Kings of Spain He had been told That it was looked upon to be an ill Omen to go first to the place where the Royal Tombs are and since the Queen had as yet been only at Buen Retiro à la Casa del Campo at Pardo and Zarzuela which are so near Madrid that she just rested her self there a few hours after she came from hunting He was resolved to begin with Aranjuez to avert and frustrate those evil Presages Therefore he ordered every thing to be in readiness for his Journey by the beginning of September which is one of the finest Months of the Year in Spain but the Ministers not finding Money enough in the Treasury to defray the Expences of the Progress dexterously endeavoured to put it by though in all appearance they seem'd to desire it as much as the King did and daily ordered Mules to be got ready to carry the Baggage They pretended the Ways were dangerous and bad and at last that the great Rains had corrupted the Air. Nay they sent for some Physicians with whom they had been practising to confirm all they said Notwithstanding these Reasons the King still persisted in his Resolution to go to Aranjuez and did not know till the very Evening before he was to depart that he could not go He was the only Person that was ignorant of it for the Ministers had acquainted their Friends with it above Twelve Days before and all the City was informed that the King was to stay at Madrid still The Queen was not a little displeased at these Proceedings she spoke to the King about it and
so important an occasion he would always remember him for his Services and that if he did not govern by himself he should at least govern by his Friend In this he found both Repose and Security together he flattered himself with disposing of Favours and being defended from the Aversion of the People These Reflections engaged him to employ all his Wit and all his Credit with the King to declare the Duke his Chief Minister But for all this Obligation which was transcendent and for which he was highly indebted to him he did not act fairly with relation to the Daughter of the Duke de Montalte for altho the Count de Oropeza was her Uncle yet he knew nothing of her Marriage The Marchioness de Los Velez Grand-Mother to this young Lady was no better informed of it they were married privately without any Ceremony for fear least any one should come to disturb the Feast The King and Queen being willing to divert themselves went to Prado to hunt there till St. Andrews Day they came back from thence by reason the Queen-Mother had a slight indisposition upon her and they were desirous to visit her every day About this time Don Philip Vinzani an able Chymist who came from Naples to Madrid with Don Pedro de Arragon received Orders from the Chief Minister to examine the Money which had been cried down some Months before in order to separate the Silver from the Brass It was pretended that the King by this means would get Six Millions of Peices of Eight and that he would employ them to send considerable Forces to Sea for the Pope was willing that the Money which was to be collected by the Bulls of the Crusade should be laid out to equip a Fleet to make War against the Corsairs of Barbary At the same time they were apprehensive that the Vessels sent to the Indies had suffered Shipwrack because they had received Advice that one of them arrived very much shattered at Barbadoes and they could not hear any News of the rest Although it is the Custom of Spain for the King to dine with the Knights of the Golden Fleece on St. Andrew's day his Majesty dispensed with it to take the diversion of Hunting As he came back from Prado towards the Evening the two Queens went out to meet him and conducted him to the Admiral of Castile's House where they had passed the time ever since Noon This Nobleman who was always generous and magnificent being informed that he was to receive this Honour ordered the Basons of several Fountains to be encompassed with large silver Pots filled with all manner of Victuals Flowers and Fruits as the Season produced and the diversity joyned to the Order had a very agreeable effect upon the Eye In all the Summer-houses which terminated the walks there were little Tables set out with pieces of Cristal Agate Cornelian Tapistry of Gold and Vermilion having all sorts of things in Basons after the same manner as the Tables had He got all sorts of Fruit counterfeited particularly of Grapes which hung with their Leaves and Branches in the Grottas they were composed chiefly of little Carbuncles of a Pomgranet colour Topazes and Amethysts and nothing could look finer or prettier The two Queens received a mighty satisfaction at this walk As soon as the King was arrived they went into the House where fifteen Ladies and as many Cavaliers immediately appeared drest after the fashion of the Country The Ladies came at first in their Mantles Tabados that is to say all their Face was covered except one Eye The Cavaliers for their part wore their Cloaks up to their Noses and their Hats over their Eyes this was a sort of Masquerade and to divert their Majesties they talked with their Fingers and by signs for some time with all the several turns and Jestures that are used in this kind of dumb Conversation Afterwards the Ladies quitted their Mantles and the Lords their Cloaks and began to dance a Saraband after the Moorish fashion holding one another with Taffata Skarfs of different colours and quitting them sometimes to carry Flambeaus in their hands The Women wore little Caps on their Heads covered with Plumes that were raised up on the sides very high When the Saraband was finished the Ladies kissed the Queens Hand and the Cavaliers the King 's their Majesties were pleased to declare that they were extreamly satisfied with this pretty Entertainment The Duke de Medina Celi and the Constable of Castile knowing what Honour the King had done the Admiral desired him that he would condescend to come and divert himself at their Houses whither he went along with the two Queens There were Comedies there and Artificial Fire-works and a noble Collation they omitted nothing that might testifie their Joy upon this Occasion and their acknowledgment of so great a Favour On the second of December the King demanded a supply of Mony of all the Councils and a hundred thousand pieces of Eight of the Council of Italy He proposed to fell some Places to raise this Summ because it was impossible to be raised any other way The King being informed that abundance of People died of several Distempers at Port St. Mary which were chiefly occasioned by the great scarcity of Provisions told the Duke de Medina Celi that some way or other must be found out to remedy these Miseries and that he could not endure to hear any more talk of them that they had been of a long standing which made him inclined to believe that all this proceeded from meer negligence The Duke replied that he would not lose one moment to redress them and that if his Life would do the People any good he was free to sacrifice it He went home very melancholy and having retired into his Closet with his Dutchess I have a great desire says he to her to abandon every thing I slave and kill my self here with business and after all meet with nothing but Reproaches for my Pains When you have once brought things into a good Condition says she you may quit them if you please but if you leave them at present all the World will conclude that it is through weakness She added so many reasons to these that she made him take Courage again altho' he was mightily dejected The Marquiss de Priego his Son-in-law being come to Madrid to see him as he entred the Room hit himself a little blow on the Temples against the Edge of a Cabinet he was immediately seized with a bleeding at the Nose and died of it within a short time after Our Ambassador prevailed with the King to give his consent to appoint a Judge Conservator whose only business should be to look after all Affairs relating to the French Nation The business was decided at last in Madrid in favour of Constable Colonna upon the difference he had with the Roman Knights Subjects to the King of Spain about the Priority they pretended to dispute with
both their minds prepossessed against each other But at last when they could speak in cold Blood and came to examine what had been said on both sides they were sensible that some ill Persons had endeavoured to disunite them in order to Fortifie their own Party which was equally contrary to them both They gave one another an Account of the measures that had been taken of the Persons that were concerned in them of â—hose whom they ought to suspect for the tiâ—e to come and they resolved to employ all their Interest to destroy the opposite Cabal They staid together till it was Night and on the next day which was the fifth of February the Constable of Castile gave the King and the two Queens a Magnificent Collation accompanied with Musick The King's Dwarf who is one of the prettiest Creatures in the World whom the Constable brought with him from his Government of Flanders where he succeeded Don Iuan danced a Passa Cailla along with a young Girl whom the Queen had taken to her Service and was newly redeemed out of Slavery They were both of them dress'd after the Indian Fashion covered with Feathers of Birds of different colours they had little Tabors and played prettily upon them This Feast was followed by another at the House of Don Pedro d' Arragon where the Queen danced before the King which she had never done before although she acquitted her self that way to admiration She had purposely learned the Canaries and a Saraband so that the King was perfectly charmed to see her so expert in the Spanish Dances and told her several times as he pressed her Arms with his two Hands Mi Reina Mi Reina ere 's la mas perfeta de todo el Orbe That is to say My Queen My Queen you are the most accomplished Person in the whole World The Queen-Mother sent her that Evening a Watch all adorned with Diamonds and a Gold Chain of exquisite Work she writ a Letter to her wherein she wished that this Watch would only shew her happy and pleasant Hours The Queen returned her this Answer That they would be always so if she would continue to love her She afterwards desired the King to tell her some tender thing that she might send it to the Queen-Mother The King told her immediately No tengo que desir How Sir says the Queen have you nothing to say to the Queen your Mother I beseech you to give me a Complement that may please her The King studied a long time what to send her and at last said Ponga os mi Reina que jo tongo busna salud That is to say Write my Queen that I am well The King dispatched an Order to Prince Alexander Governour of the Low-Countries to make a grand Reform amongst the Officers of War and Justice He gave at the same time the Vice-Roy-ship of Navar to the Great Prior of Castile The Count de Fuen Salida who possessed that Post went to Gallicia whereof he was made Vice-Roy The Count de Palma Nephew to Cardinal Portocarero had the Government of Malaga and the Coasts of Granada in the room of the Count de Cifuentes and the Duke de Hijar Son-in-law to the Dutchess de Terra-Nova obtained the Vice-Roy-ship of Arragon This Dutchess had not appeared at Court ever since she had quitted it with so great a Disgust But her Son-in-law having now received this new Favour she was resolved to go and visit the Queen on the tenth of February She had already sent to her Majesty to demand her Permission and the Queen sent her word that she should be glad to see her The Dutchess at her entrance into the Queen's Chamber seemed at first a little disordered She excused her not coming to Court upon the account of a long Fit of Sickness and then added I assure your Majesty I did not think I should have been able to live after my misfortune to be separated from you The Queen told her that she had been informed of her Indisposition but that this was not a place for her to speak of what made her uneasie and in effect passed to some other Discourse The Dutchess de Terra Nova fixed her Eyes continually on the Dutchess d' Albuquerque as if she had a mind to devour her and the Dutchess d' Albuquerque whose Eyes were neither better nor sweeter than hers looked askew upon her and they let fall every other moment some Expressions that were a little eager One of the Footmen belonging to the Venetian Ambassador had committed some Insolence and the Justices ordered him to be Apprehended for it but this Minister pretending that it was against the Priviledge of Ambassadors complained of it to the Duke de Medina Celi but did not receive so favourable an Answer from him as he expected This so much disgusted him that he went to acquaint the rest of the Ambassadors with it who all agreed to represent the Consequences of such an Action to the Duke de Medina Celi in a large Memorial conceived in very harsh terms which they sent to him all at the same time The Chief Minister carried it to the Council of State who after they had maturely deliberated upon the Affair were of Advice that they should set the Footman immediately at liberty The Ambassadors were resolved in case they had refused them this Satisfaction to have forced the Prison to fetch him out Constable Colonna came back to Madrid in February The most important Affair that brought him thither was his desire to Accommodate Matters with his Lady and to find out a way for both of them to live in peace The Marriage of his Son with the Daughter of the Duke de Medina Celi did also take him up very much The Queen was concerned at the Misfortunes of his Wife and it was no small trouble to her to understand what ill Usage a Person of her Quality received in Prison Nay she was particularly obliged to protect her by reason of the Promise the Duke had made her and the Confidence the Constable's Lady reposed in it These Reasons engaged her to charge her Confessor to do all he could with the Constable in order to Negotiate an Accommodation and see whether he would carry her into Italy or suffer her to stay in some Religious Convent at Madrid as she had already been But the Constable and his Wife were strangely exasperated against one another She resented to the Life the unworthy Treatment she had received and the mutual occasions they had to complain hindered them from consenting to what might contribute to their common Satisfaction At last the Constable being earnestly importuned by the Queen and advised by the Marquess de Los Balbazez proposed that his Wife should turn a Religious and that he for his part should take the Habit of a Knight of Malta This at first appeared very surprising to all the World but indeed was more strange to the Constable's Lady than to any one for 't is
without any great trouble yet he did not fail to raise several secret enemies upon himself who envied his growing Fortune They beheld with a great disdain and impatience the extraordinary confidence that the Queen reposed in him for she determined nothing without advising with him and so great was his credit and interest with her that he durst offer to resolve things of the greatest importance without speaking a word about them to the Queen Don Iuan was one of those that was the most offended at the advancement of Father Nitard He was sensible that they would turn him out of all by little and little upon this score he gave way intirely to the Father Confessor whom the Q. had made Counsellor of State he then retired to Consuegra the ordinary residence of the Grand Prior of Castile of the order of Malta and said very imperiously that after he had seen himself President of the Privy Council of the King his Father he could never endure a Companion that was so much his inferior But the Queen who was wholly busied in advancing her chief Minister never disquieted her self with thinking what reflections people might make upon him so that without taking the least notice of Don Iuan's discontent she suffered him to depart and he continued a long time without visiting the Court until the Queen sent him particular orders at Aranjues whither he was gone to divert himself to come immediately for Madrid upon some important affairs which she was willing to communicate to him He was the natural Son of King Philip IV. and a certain Actress whose name was Maria Calderona He was privately brought up at Ocana near Madrid and of all the natural Sons that King had he only acknowledged him whether it were because he loved his Mother better than any of his other Mistresses and to say the truth she was the most charming person in the world or because Count d' Olivarez procured this good Fortune for him for 't is commonly given out that the Count had a Son named Don Iulian de Gusman whom he had a mind to own and therefore used this artifice of perswading the King to begin with Don Iuan that so he might follow his Example Whatever the matter was Philip loved this young Prince very tenderly altho some people suspected he was the Son of the Duke of Medina of the house of Gusman who had formerly been passionately in love with the young Calderona and was in his time the most accomplisht handsom Cavalier in Spain and Don Iuan very much resembled him But if some persons were of this opinion others could never believe it especially when they considered the great kindness and fatherly affection that the King had for him and besides reflected upon his extraordinary good qualities which declared him to be worthy to be the Son of so great a Monarch He was brave even to a contempt of all dangers whatever gallant and agreeable well-shaped obliging liberal and a person of great honour he had abundance of wit and was master of a Genius that extended it self to all Arts and Sciences As there is ne're a Court in Europe where natural Sons are treated with such advantageous distinctions as they are in Spain so this Prince could scarce perceive that the unhappiness of his birth did in the least prejudice his advancement and 't is indeed a certain truth that we see in this Country the legitimate Sons bred up with those that are not so in the same Father's house without any distinction between one and the other But this custom is not altogether observed with relation to the natural Sons of the Kings of Spain For example they never bestow the title of Infante upon them and Don Iuan who passionately desired to have it used his utmost efforts to accomplish it but had not the fortune to succeed in his designs From the year 1643 the King had given him the Government of the Low Countries of Burgundy and Charolois and he always enjoyed it excepting the time when the Arch-duke Leopold governed there Don Iuan contributed very much towards the reducing the Kingdom of Naples to the Spanish Obedience He took Piombino and Portolongone and in all his Campaigns he performed a world of actions that equally testified his bravery and conduct The King his Father having conceived no less an esteem than tenderness for him communicated to him the most weighty affairs of State and chose him to be chief of an Assembly of the chief Ministers of his Kingdom He was scarcely arrived at Madrid but a Council was held where he came to be informed that the King of France was resolved to espouse the interests of his Queen to whom Brabant and some other states of the Low Countries escheated by right of devolution upon the death of the Infant Don Balthazar her Brother that his most Christian Majesty had published a Manifesto wherein he proved the justice of his claim and that not thinking himself obliged to consume any time in unprofitable contestations he had turned his arms towards that side of the Country that he had matched his Troops with incredible diligence and made considerable conquests as soon as ever he appeared Upon a serious examination of the present state of the Monarchy they were convinced that it was impossible at the same time to maintain a war against France and Portugal and that it was necessary for them to lay hold of a certain conjuncture that made a very plausible appearance that Don Alphonso King of Portugal having by his extravagant conduct lost the hearts of his people was dispossest of the Government and his Subjects freed from the Allegiance they ow'd him that the Infanta Don Pedro his Brother had taken upon him the administration of affairs that things of this considerable importance could neither be begun nor ended without some disturbance during which they must have occasion for their own Troops and therefore if it was judged expedient they should lay hold of this opportunity to advance proposals for a peace After every one had delivered his own opinion of the matter the Queen came to this conclusion A Letter was dispatched to the Marquiss de Liche who was at that time Prisoner of war at Lisbon wherein he had all necessary instructions given him In fine he managed the affair so dexterously that the Regent Don Pedro listened favourably to the proposals and so a treaty of peace was concluded on the 13th of Ian. 1668. This news was entertained at Madrid with a great deal of satisfaction because the affairs of Flanders grew every day worse and worse and it was necessary to take some speedy measures to preserve it or else to abandon it for good and all New levies of Souldiers were ordered in Gallicia and elsewhere and the Queen cast her eyes upon Don Iuan to send him thither to command the Troops for besides that no body was more capable of so great a trust than he was she had observed that
necessary it was for the better management of affairs to have the Prince about him The Queen being informed of what was designed against her passed many sorrowful days and more melancholy nights altho she had almost continual conferences with the Marquess but she could never represent to her mind the killing thought that they would treat the Marquess after the same cruel manner as they had used Father Nitard but she fell a weeping and discovered all the signs of a real concern She knew very well that the Grandees frequently assembled together and that they spoke of the Government with all the freedom imaginable that the Libels and Pasquils that were insolently scattered abroad all tended to defame her administration were publickly owned and acknowledged by the Authors themselves and that she was obliged to seem as if she knew nothing of those matters because she was not in a capacity to punish them Valenzuela for his part was not without his uneasy moments the elevation of his fortune only served to make him sensible of the terrible precipice he was falling down from which he did not perceive any visible means to secure himself In the mean time Don Iuan who continued still at Saragossa was discontented at his banishment how honourable-soever it appeared it is sufficient that it was not voluntary and that was enough to make him disrelish it The Queen and he had still the same mutual aversion to one another as formerly and notwithstanding the fair appearances of his outward behaviour he laboured under hand with his friends to get himself declared Infant de Castile At least people report it of him 't is indeed very true that he was never able to accomplish that design but they pretend that he was not absolutely without hopes to effect it However it was he made so great a Faction by the means of some considerable persons about the King who were for promoting his return that his friends sent him word that the King desired it that every thing was disposed and ready to receive him and that the credit of the Queen would never be able to stand in competition against his This good news obliged him to quit Arragâ—n and make all the haste he could to arrive at Buenretiro 1677. To bring about this affair with more facility they gave the King to understand That he was not only under the Tutorage of the Queen his Mother but under that of Valenzuela They afterwards represented to him the constraint he lived under in such lively colours that he protested he would free himself immediately from this servitude And altho the Queen had always her eye upon him for fear he should be seduced by any ill Counsels and take contrary measures to what she prescribed him yet he found the opportunity one night to steal out of the Palace with only one Gentleman of his Bed-chamber who lay in his room and so muffled up in his Cloak he walk'd on foot to Retirâ— which was far enough off From thence he dispatched an Order immediately to the Queen not to stir out of the Palace It is easy to imagine what entertainment such mortifying news found with her and what effects this sudden reverse of fortune caused in a Princess who had been accustomed to govern She employed the remainder of the night in writing to the King conjuring him in the most tender terms to give her leave to visit him but he still refused it While the King tarried at Retiro the people being informed of his intentions flockt in multitudes to salute and acknowledge him All the Lords of the Court made him very considerable presents so that some persons valued them at a hundred thousand Crowns either in Mony Plate Tapistry or Diamonds There was an universal joy at Madrid upon this occasion and that for these two reasons which equally caused it The first is the exceeding affection the Spaniards have for their Prince the second because the Queen was so ill beloved and besides the people could never forget some words that dropt from her once viz. That she should never be at rest till she had brought them all to be cloathed with Esterac This is a sort of a course Matt made of Rushes that serves them for Mattresses and their bedding The next night after the King's retreat they made Illuminations in all the streets As soon as Don Iuan arrived he obliged the King to remove the Queen from thence so she was sent to Toledo with positive orders not to stir out of that City The unfortunate Valenzuela took his leave of her with all the Testimonies of grief and duty that so short a time would allow him and retired to the Escurial according to order Thus there being a new face of affairs every body made his Court and Application to Don Iuan and the King by his extraordinary caresses sufficiently testifyed how joyful he was to see him again He commanded him to take care of all his affairs and indeed Don Iuan rendred himself so absolute a Master that his authority became much greater than that of the Queen and her two chief Ministers Don Iuan earnestly desired to have Valenzuela's person in his power but could not tell whither he was gone At last being informed that he was to be found at the Escurial he showed a great deal of joy at the news This is one of the King's Houses and is of so prodigious an extent that if we take in the Buildings the Park and a Convent of Religious Ieronomites which is contained within the Precincts of it 't is thought it is several Leagues in compass and is all inclosed with Walls The King commanded Don Antonio de Toledo Son to the Duke of Alva to go thither in person and arrest Valenzuela he departed immediately with the Duke De Medina Sidonia and the Marquess de Valpa rayso Don Fernand de Toledo several persons of great quality and two hundred Horse The Marquess was then walking in an adjoyning Forrest full of heaviness and melancholy but hearing on a sudden a great noise about him and being informed at the same time of what had happened by a certain Messenger whom some of his Friends had sent in all speed to acquaint him with the news he returned hastily to the Escurial and finding out the Prior of the Convent of the Ieronomites who was a very honest man and particularly concerned at the misfortunes of this Favourite he told him in a few words what danger he was in and what reasons he had to apprehend the loss of his life in case he was taken praying and conjuring him with all imaginable earnestness to conceal him in some place of safety The Prior immediately ordered a hole to be contrived in a Cell belonging to one of the Religious of whose Confidence he was well assured This Cell it seems was all over wainscoted so that taking down one of the Pannels of the Wainscot and making a cavity in the wall which was of a considerable thickness
some of the Princes of the Empire followed their Example nay Spain could not hinder it self from doing the like The King of Denmark and Elector of Brandenburgh who as yet kept their Swords in their hands still laid them down likewise and a peace was concluded at Nimeguen that gave repose to all Europe In the mean time the King of Spain was upon the point of Marrying the Arch Dutchess the Emperor's Daughter this affair was so far advanced that the Articles were regulated and the Contract signed This marriage was of the Queen's doing who earnestly desired the accomplishment of it but Don Iuan at his return broke off this match not being desirous to strengthen his enemy's party as it must assuredly have been by the accession of this young Princess who was of the same Name and same Country with the Queen and besides all this was her Grand Daughter and Neice He too much feared the ill consequences of this affair to give his consent to it The King about his nineteenth year seemed to be setled in a healthful state of body which promised Successors to the Crown and he expressed a great inclination to be married he considered that of the House of Austria he alone was left remaining of the Spanish branch and that his whole Kingdom had an equal interest to see him have Children The circumstances of the Peace that hapned to be concluded at Nimeguen made him cast his eyes upon Mademoiselle Eldest Daughter of Monsieur who was the Kings only Brother She was almost of his own age amiable well-shaped of a sweet disposition witty and charming all her inclinations were noble and vertuous and Lewis the Great took an extraordinary affection to her because her humour so exactly suited with his so that all the Courtiers were surprized at it The King had accidentally seen some portraitures of this Princess and several Spanish Lords who had been at the Court of France spake of her as a Prodigy These advantagious testimonies so luckily concurring sensibly affected him he could not take his rest a nights he carried her Picture next his heart and held long conversations with it as if it understood him But what is the most incredible thing of all and yet is related for a certain truth is this that before he became enamoured he could not endure any woman near him but these dispositions were altered in him upon this occasion and he beheld the fair Sex never after with aversion All the people were ravished with joy to hear that the King desired Mademoiselle The memory of Queen Elizabeth of France the first Wife of Philip the IV. was so deeply imprinted upon the hearts of all the Spaniards that they desired to see one of the same blood sit upon the Throne again Don Iuan agreed with the King's inclinations as well as those of the people in relation to this Princess He sent orders to the Marquess de los Balbazez in Flanders who was come from Nimeguen where he had assisted at the treaty of peace to go and demand Mademoiselle for the King his Master Every one was surprized that the Prince lent his helping hand to this affair True policy would have required him to protract as long as he was able and to delay the Marriage because as it gave a Wife to the King so it might perhaps give an Enemy to the Favourite And here many people could not forbear to call to mind the first Ideas of that ambition of which he was suspected now it was for good and all to abandon the design of making himself declared Infant to content himself with reigning after the King in case he had no Children Many persons do likewise pretend that notwithstanding the great earnestness he showed in publick yet he had no over great desire to have the match succeed They alledge this for a reason that he ought to have done something before so open an Embassy by way of secret dispatches which might absolutely have had the success of a negotiation but that at the bottom whatever he did or whatever he said to the contrary he did not heartily desire it that he was afraid lest a French Queen supported by the authority of the greatest King in the world would never truckle to him that now he was Master but hereafter would become no more than a Companion Others were of the contrary opinion and said that he had a fair prospect of being well received by Mademoiselle especially since he had broke off the marriage with the Arch Dutchess and given the preference to her These different considerations embarrassed and perplexed Don Iuan to such a degree that he knew not which way to determine himself and even at the very time that the Marquess de los Balbazez demanded the Princess in France he very cunningly got the King at Madrid to see the portraiture of the Infanta of Portugal who was a Lady of admirable beauty He talked exceedingly of her charms and not knowing as yet that her marriage with the Duke of Savoy was agreed upon he underhand made a proposal to give her to the King but he was too deeply gone to alter his affections The Demand made by Don Balbazez was very agreeable to his Most Christian Majesty and Don Iuan who received advice of it did not at first doubt of its success Therefore he â—ow endeavoured to overshoot the favourable dispositions of France either to promote his own interest by it or else by demanding things that were too great to meet a refusal and by that means to find a plausible pretence to break off In effect he pretended that Mademoiselle not being the Daughter of a King they ought therefore for that reason on the side of the French Court to enter into particular considerations and restore to Spain some of those places that were yeilded up to France by the last Treaty of Nimeguen Upon this he held a Council where he was desirous to insinuate his own sentiments into them but he found no body inclined to hearken to them Every one concluded that they ought to have nothing else in view but the King's satisfaction that they were happy enough in finding out a Princess that was beautiful and capable to give them a Soveraign and that they ought not to take pains to destroy a thing of that consequence which all the world so earnestly desired to see accomplished The Queen who continued still very solitary at Toledo and who was consulted in no affairs wrote a Letter to the King wherein she told him she had received information that he was going to be married that she counselled him in the mean time while that affair was carrying on to go to Arragon and Catalonia to confirm the ancient priviledges of those people The King sent her barely word again that he would do it without explaining himself more openly upon his marriage Ever since the twenty fourth of Ianuary 1679. the King had nominated those persons who were to fill up the respective
command his Ambassadors and that they would obey him in every thing that if the King was not willing to have them assist at his Marriage he ought to signifie to them by an order in writing that they were not to be there The Camarera ravished with joy that she had an opportunity to show her zeal for the King of Spain altho this was a very improper time for it was so far transported with the matter and spoke several things so incoherent and so fierce that the Ambassadors left her and addressed themselves to the Marquess d' Astorgas he patiently listned to them and told them ingenuously that he would immediately dispatch a Gentleman to the King to know his pleasure herein This Gentleman found him on the way and he consented that the Messieurs d' Harcourt and Villars should assist at the Ceremony In short it was occasioned by the industrious diligence of some persons who had no inclination to the French that this thought was insinuated into the King They were of opinion that so August a Marriage ought not to be Celebrated in a poor Village where there were not above a dozen Houses and their Spanish vanity was so extreamly offended at it as to desire that the Ambassadors of so great a King might not be witnesses of so great a negligence not to say misery And now to excuse the matter they gave out that the King was young and amorous that every thing that hastned the pleasure of seeing his Spouse touched him so sensibly that he even forgot the magnificence and grandeur of his Rank that love alone made up the Honours of his Feast and that the King thought this alone sufficient The Queen having passed the night at Quintanapalla about ten a clock in the morning was told that the King was arrived this news caused a small emotion in her and spread a colour upon her Cheeks that made her still appear more beautiful and lovely She went to receive him in her Spanish dress and having met him as he was just going to enter her Anti-Chamber she would have thrown her self several times at his feet and kissed his hand but he hindered her still and saluted her after the Spanish fashion that is without kissing her but pressing her arms close with his two hands and calling her often Mireina Mireina my Queen my Queen They discoursed together a long time without being able to understand one another and this was certainly no little pain to them Monsieur Villars who perceived it advanced forward to serve as an Interpreter if he did not say every thing they said it is at least very certain that he spoiled nothing of their conversation and that he mingled a great deal of tenderness and passion with it The King was drest a la Scombergue which is properly after the French mode and all his attendants were clad after the same manner For the campagne habits of the Spaniards somewhat resemble ours The Marquess de Villars having observed that the Grandees of Spain took the right hand spoke to the King about it and represented to him the rank the Marquess de los Balbazez had given to him at Fountainbleau when the Queen was espoused there This reason prevailed so the King ordered the Ambassadors of France to be treated after the same manner The Constable of Castile could not be brought to quit his place without some trouble he had still a small dispute upon the point which continued a little time between the Ambassador and him however civility was still preserved on both sides and the rest of the Grandees placed themselves behind the King Don Antonio de Benavidez y Bazan Patriarch of the Indies and Grand Almoner gave them a second benediction the Ceremony was performed incognito in the Queens Anti-Chamber If the Arch-Bishop of Burgos had not been indisposed he had performed this Office Whilst Mass was saying they put a Ribbond of black Taffaty about the King and Queen tied up in a true Lovers knot and a white Gauze with a Silver Fringe upon the King's Shoulders and over the Queens Head The Dutchess de Terra Nova held up her Train When the Ceremony was over the King and Queen withdrew into a Chamber by themselves where they continued two hours alone they dined afterwards in publick and parted from thence to go and lie at Burgos There was no body with them in the Coach and since they did understand one another but very little one can scarce imagine what they said however the King appeared very amorous and affectionate several Grandees of Spain went before their Majesties with very stately Liveries and accompanied them to the Palace where a Comedy was acted and artificial Fireworks were to be seen The next day the King came to a rich Abby of Nuns that are called Las Huelgas which is not much beyond the Suburbs of Burgos She dined there and about three a Clock made her entry on Horseback being drest after the Spanish mode but appeared so beautiful and charming that she ravished the hearts of all the spectators Three Grandees marched before her the Marquess d' Astorgas followed her a Canopy was carried over her head the Old Dutchess de Terra Nova rode upon a Mule and the Maids of Honour accompanied her on Horseback On the twenty second of November Prince d' Harcourt made his entry and had Audience of the King and Queen after Dinner there was a Bull-feast which pleased the Queen exceedingly because the Cavaliers showed extraordinary dexterity and courage in the performance The day following she saw the Parejas that is to say an Horserace in which nothing is observeable but that two men who start together ride even without going a step one before the other altho they ride full speed Sixty Gentlemen clad in Silver Brocard ran after this manner After they had thus spent three days in different pleasures and diversions it was high time to think of going to Madrid most of the French Gentlemen and Ladies that followed the Queen took leave of her in this place so that the greatest part of the Houshold went back to France but this was not done without shedding abundance of Tears The Queen had the liberty still to keep with her her two Nurses two Women of the Chamber some Valets de Chambre a Gentleman to look after five or six English Horses she had ordered to be brought with her and some other Officers for her Table She presented the Prince and Princess d' Harcourt the Mareshal Clerembaut's Lady and Madam de Grance with her Picture enriched with Diamonds of different prices according to the Quality of the persons to whom she gave them and the obliging manner wherewith she knew how to accompany her liberalities augmented the price of them exceedingly They pretend that the present the King made the Prince d' Harcourt was worth twenty hundred thousand Crowns but it fell much short of it the Queen got a Pension of two thousand Crowns
all his Dominions He betook himself to the Ambassador of France and nothing more became of the matter 'T was expected that immediately after the King's return some sort of Government would be established to settle affairs in their old course which had been intirely suspended ever since the Death of Don Iuan. Just as his Death happened every thing was making ready for the Journey which employ'd all the Court and the King in particular his Marriage might well enough detain him some time from making those applications he ought to use in the choice of an able Minister And the world was not at all surprized to find him forget the concerns of the kingdom in general at a time when he was wholly possess'd with a Passion for his Queen and had his head full of those agreeable Ideas which all Lovers amuse themselves with But now when that business was over they impatiently expected to see him take up some fixed Resolutions The Queen Mother who was newly returned from her Exile thought of nothing else than how to preserve her self in the favourable Scituation she was in at present and no body in a manner was so interested with the King as to be able to pretend to the Ministry Thus the whole government was lodged in the hands of a Monarch who was but 17 years old and who was never so well versed in things of lesser consequence as to have any just knowledge in greater Affairs The only man that shared the Monarchy with him was Don Ieronimo d' Eguya who had been Secretary of State 4 years to which post he arrived from that of a simple Coâ—missary His address together with his good fortune render'd him agreeable to the King who had followed no other Counsel than his unless d' Eguya who was fearful of giving it sometimes had not advised him to consult the Constable of Castile and the Duke de Medina-Celi in certain affairs because he had no mind to answer for every thing himself It is indeed true that during the Journey nothing of importance was debated upon for they only busied themselves about that in particular and the orders that are necessary to be given upon such occasions The Court became now very full the Kings marriage and the return of the Q. Mother had brought together the most considerable persons of the Kingdom Every Family was consulting about the measures that were to advance some particular man amongst them to the Chief Ministry Some wished their Relations had it others desired it for their Friends and abundance of people wished to enjoy it themselves Among those that had the justest pretensions were reckoned the Constable of Castile and the Duke de Medina Celi They were both of them furnished with great personal qualities were both of an illustrious birth and considerable fortune they possessed the chief Offices of the Crown were Counsellors of State and their merits equally distinguished them But nothing was more opposite than these two Lords were to one another an old Spirit of hatred which they were not able to suppress and which they had testified in a thousand Rencounters increased their common emulation their humors and inclinations were as contrary as night is to day Several of their common Friends had endeavoured to reconcile them but their pains were to no purpose They were all sensible that if they concerted matters together they would reciprocally render good Offices to one another which might serve to advance their Fortune This was one of the reasons they used to accomodate the matter between them but sometimes we meet with aversions that are never to be surmounted and this I have mentioned was of that number The Duke de Medina-Celi was 45 years old his Humour sweet and good natur'd but too slow and careless in matters of moment of an insinuating agreeable Spirit He was descended of the illustrious Houses of Castile and de Foix he is seven times a Grandee of Spain His Wife was Heiress of the House of Arragon de Cardonne she is very rich on her side as well as he is on his He was President of the Council of the Indies Sommellor du Corps that is to say High Chamberlain he made his Court regularly and always testified a particular zeal for the person of the King and his Majesty as he never fails upon that point expressed a certain affection for him which he never show'd to any one besides This made the world believe that he stood fairer for the Ministry than all his Competitors The Constable of Castile descended of the House de Veâ—â—sco was 57 years old and was Master of a considerable estate nevertheless he did not live easy amidst all his wealth he is the tenth Hereditary Constable of Castile Dean of the Council of State and Grand Master of the King's Houshold His Genius is vast his Abilities and Knowledge are surprizing and he was always concern'd in employments where he acquired experience The last of his Governments was that of Flanders and altho these posts ought to have made him sociable and familiar yet he always preserved so severe and rigid a character that it rendred him terrible access to him is very difficult and his humour is naturally so imperious that he can never submit And this is the reason why he was embroiled so deeply with Don Iuan and hindered him from receiving several favours which that Prince would otherwise have willingly bestowed upon him to have brought him over to his own Party 'T is true he declared himself very violently for the Queen Mother and this might be one of the principal causes that kept him from being of Don Iuan's Faction No body doubted but that the King respected him very much for what the Queen Mother might say in favour of him and the world was perswaded that among those persons whose merits she would recommend to the King the Constable would be the first who besides this would unquestionably find himself supported by all the party that had been ill treated by Don Iuan and by all those that continued still in the Interests of the Queen Mother She was obliged for her own proper Interests to procure the King's favour and the Favourite's place for the Constable But amidst all these flattering appearances he seemed to be very indifferent in the matter whether it were because the ill posture of affairs and the tender Age of the King made him apprehend some danger to be in the chief post or because he was sensible that he had not a prospect of obtaining it at one step and so was willing to ascend it by degrees He seem'd to desire that a Junto were established for the Government wherein he wou'd bear his share with the Inquisitor General and the Marquess de Mansera He sometimes told his Friends that the weight of great affairs astonished him and that he found it a harder matter to adjust them than those persons who behold them only at a distance can well imagine and that
Queen Mother that she had been accustomed to govern and would easily come to be Mistress again by the help of a Junto composed of her own Creatures that since he was married and had Prudence and Wit sufficient he ought to manage himself and that if ever he was prevailed upon to do otherwise he would find himself by little and little reduc'd to those sufferings from which he desir'd to free him It is natural for a Young King to desire to be at large and independent so whilst he continued thus in suspence Eguya was Master of all affairs The Confessor possessed the King with the same sentiments to chuse no Chief Minister upon whom he must depend And the Dutchess de Terra nova found herself equally concerned to keep off the Queen Mother a Junto and a Favourite During this Interregnum she had opportunity enough to fix and settle herself in the King 's good opinion she did not question but if the Q. Mother hapned to be once more Mistress she would endeavour either by herself or by her Creatures to turn her out of the Court this consideration obliged her to discourse frequently with the King and her only care was to perswade him that he ought to be apprehensive of the Queen Mothers designs She likewise inspired him with the same distrust of the Queen whose Youth and Easiness of Temper made her uncapable of taking strict measures She constantly whispered some disagreeable things or other into his Ear that only tended to disquiet him but he preserved so great a Love for his Queen that notwithstanding he believed all the Stories this old Beldam told him he never had the less affection and tenderness for her The Court continued still at Buen-Retiro that is to say without Madrid expecting the Queen to make her Entry after which they were to go and lodge in the Palace the preparations for her Entry were very long it was commonly believed for some time that the Queen was with Child but all these hopes vanishing about the beginning of Ianuary 1680 She made her Entry on the 13th of the same Month The Queen Mother went in the morning to Buen-Retiro from whence she parted some time after along with the King they went together to see all the streets through which the Queen was to pass and stayed at the Countess Dognates in a Balcony made on purpose and having a Lattice-Window gilt all over the Avenues that led to Retiro were all shut up and a prohibition was issued out for any Coach to go that way About eleven the Queen mounted on Horseback those that were to go before began to march and passed through a marble Gate which was but lately built The Kettle Drums and the Trumpets of the City in their Habits used in these Ceremonies marched at the head of all after them the Alcaldes of the Court the Nobility the Knights of the three Military Orders the Gentlemen of the King's house the Mayor domo's to the Queen and the Grandees of Spain followed by a great number of Lacquays whose different Liveries of Brocard and Gallon of Gold and Silver of a mixt colour made an agreeable diversity the Querries of the Queen marched on foot immediately before her the Count de Villa Mayana was on her Right hand who was her Chief Gentleman Usher She was surrounded with her Menins and Pages of Honour when she walks on foot she always leans upon one of them the Dutchess de Terra nova followed her and Donna Laura de Alargon Governante of the Maids of Honour both of them mounted upon their Mules and in their Widdows habit which somewhat resembles that of Religious Women except that when they are on Horseback they wear great Hats on their Heads which made no less terrible a figure than the rest of their garb But People saw after this with a great deal of pleasure Donna Teresa de Toledo Donna Francisca Henriquez Donna Maria de Gusman Iosepha de Figueroa and Donna Manuela de Velasco Maids of Honour to the Queen all very beautiful and richly drest they were on Horseback each of them was accompanied by their Relations in the midst of whom they marched There were several led Horses admirably fine led by Grooms clad in rich Liveries and the passage was shut up by the Guards de la Lancilla At the Prado which is one of the most agreeeble walks in Madrid by reason of the several Fountains that water it continually was to be seen a Gallery open on every side with one and twenty Arches there were several jettings out in it on which the Armes of the several Kingdoms under the Dominion of Spain were affixed to Pillars that supported some gilt Statues which carried Devices in honour of the Queen with Crowns and Inscriptions that had a relation to the several Kingdoms The Queen found at the end of the Gallery a Triumphal Arch very magnificent and well design'd through which she entred into the City The Corrigidor and the Rigidors apparelled in Brocard of Gold of a red Crimson colour with Bonnets and Breeches such as the antient Castilians wore presented her with the Keys of the City and with a Canopy which they carried over her head during the procession The Streets were adorned with the richest Tapestries and the precious Stones that were to be seen in the Goldsmiths Row were valued at Eleven Millions It would take up too much time to describe all the magnificences of that day I shall only content my self to say that the Queen was mounted upon a fine Andaluzian Horse which in this noble march seemed proud to carry so beautiful and great a Princess Her Habit was so covered with Embroidery that the Stuff was not to be seen she wore on her Hat white Plumes mixt with red and a Pearl called there the Peregrina which is as big as a small Catherine Pear and is of an inestimable value hung below a Clasp of Diamonds with which her Hat was beset She wore on her finger the great Diamond of the King which as they pretend surpasses in beauty any thing of that nature that was ever set in a Ring But the graceful deportment of the Queen in all her actions and particularly in the management of her Horse and the charms of her person made a greater lustre than all the pretious Stones she wore altho it is certain that people could scarce behold the glittering of them She made an halt before the Balcony of the Countess Dognate to salute the King and Queen Mother they opened the Lattice about 4 broad fingers to see her and the K. taking hisHanderchief in his hand carried it several times to his Mouth his Eyes and his Heart which is the greatest piece of Gallantry in Spain She went on in her Procession and the King with the Queen Mother received her in the Court of the Pallace he helped her to light off her Horse and the other taking her by the hand conducted her to her Apartment where
by the Council The Council of the Crusade Pope Iulius the Second in the year 1509. granted the priviledge of the Crusade to the Kings of Spain to make war against the Infidels the Revenue of it is so considerable that it brings in several millions and in the same year Queen Ioan and the King her Father who Governed in her name formed and erected the Council of the Cruzada The President thereof carries the Title of Commissary General and he is at present Don Henriquez de Benavides y Bazan Patriarch of the Indies It is composed of two Councellors of the Council of Castile and two Regents one of the Council of Arragon the other of that of the Indies a Fiscal two Treasurers a Reporter two Registers and three Sollicitors This Council gives permission or licence to publish Jubiles and to print Books all the States of his Catholick Majesty are under its jurisdiction except those of Flanders Milan and Naples who would never admit of its Authority They Judge without Appeal The Council of Flanders Philip the Fourth named the President and Councellors of it in the year 1628. This Council is superiour to all those that are established in Flanders The Prince de Stillano was President of it but the Count de Monterey is now preferred to this Post. It consists of no more than three Councellors The Council d' Aposento Since the first Floor that is raised in all the Houses in Madrid belongs to the King this Council may Rent it or Sell it until the Proprietors redeem it Don Alonzo the Eleventh of that Name erected in the year 1341. a Junto consisting of a President who is called the Aposentador Major of six Aposentadores of exercise because some others may be admited into it if they are Veteranes of a Fiscal a Secretary a Receiver an Alguazil and a Porter This Junto preserves His Majesty's Rights they take care likewise to lodge the Officers of the King's Houshold The Council of the Chamber of Castile Queen Ioan and Charles the Fifth her Son erected this Council in the year 1518. The President of Castile is the Chief Man of it with four Councellors of the same Council three Secretaries and a Reporter They meet toward night on Mundays and Wednesdays every week at the Presidents House and give him an account of all the Posts that are to be filled in the two Castiles They expedite all Remissions and deliver the Titles to Dukes Marquesses Counts and the names of the Villages They likewise look after all the Benefices that are in the King's Presentation by the Apostolick Commission The Iunto de Bosques Reale Charles the Fifth established it in the 1545 It consists of two Councellors an Alcalde a Fiscal and a Secretary Their business is to look after the Palace and the rest of the King's Houses as well in City as in Country and likewise to take care of His Majesty's Woods The Iunto of the Millions Philip the Fourth observing that the Council de Hazienda was overcharged with business in the year 1653. formed a Chamber composed of a President four Councellors of the Finances four Commissaries Deputies of the States a Fiscal and two Proctors of the Court This Chamber is called the Tribunal of the Millions because here they receive the Revenue that arises from Imposts upon Victuals Oyl Wine and Vinegar and amounts to a Prodigious Summ. The End of the First Part. MEMOIRS OF THE COURT OF SPAIN PAâ—T II. ON the Feaâ—â— of the Annunciation the Young Q. went to the Monastery of the Incarnation The French Ambassador's Lady accompanied her thither but tho' she never so earnestly desired to have an opportunity to entertain her in private she could not find one single moment to do it for the vigilant Camarera would not allow the Q. that Liberty At her return she served Nine Poor Women at Dinner and gave each of them a Suit of Apparel and five Pistols in their Purse The Maids of Honour carried the Dishes the Q. Mother performed the same Ceremony on her side But what infinitely surprized the Q. was to find a Billet privately slipt into her Pocket and thus Superscribed For the QUEEN Alone At first she was in doubt whether she ought to open it or no but presently after she had a mind to carry it to the King Nevertheless the uncertainty of what was contained in it and after what manner the K might take it prevailed with her at last to open it It seemed to be written in a disguised sort of an Hand and contained these Words in Spanish The Supreme Elevation of your Majesty and the mighty difference that 〈◊〉 between us has not been able to efface that Passioâ— which your admirable Qualities have infused into my Heart I adore you my Queen I die in adoring you and I dare say that I am not unworthy to adore you I see you I sigh after you but you don't know my Sighs you don't understand my secret Languishings nay you don't turn your Charming Eyes upon me Ab Madam how unhappy am I to be born a Subject who find my self possessed with the Inclinations of the greatest K. in the Universe The Queen continued some time surprized and astonished She could not imagine who this Rash Person was that had the hardiness to write to her in these Terms and did not question but that the Billet was slipt into her Pocket by one of the Poor Women whom she had served But then it appear'd very strange that a Man who seem'd to be of great Quality would trust his Life for nothing less was hazarded into the Hands of a poor needy Creature for such she must be that could approach the Q. that day It was true indeed that she had been amongst the Religious Women of the Incarnation but altho' some of them might undertake this business yet there was little probability to believe it by reason of the Consequences that would have proved fatal to the Party concerned if ever the matter came to be discovered Sometimes she thought that perhaps it might be a Trick of the Camarera Mayor to see what use she made of this Billet and then to acquaint the King with it and turn the most Innocent thing in the world into a wrong sense After these different Reflections at last she judged it would be the safest way to discover the Matter to the Q. Mother and follow her Advice She went the next day to dine with her and afterwards shew'd her the Letter beseeching her to keep it That if the K. came to know any thing of the matter she would be so kind as to testifie the whole Truth The Q. Mother seeing that she was discomposed at it assured her that it was not worth the while to torment her self about it and from whatever Hands the Letter came if the King was disquieted at it she would take care to acquaint him wiâ—â—â—ne Truth So that the Queen leâ—t her more at ease than she was before by
Faults All the Queen-Mother's Faction joyned in the same Complaints but that did not hinder the Count de Monterey from continuing still in his Place It is true that considering him Personally he was more deserving than the Pâ—â—nce de Stillano that he had faithfully served the King in Flanders when he was Governour there at a time when Affairs were in a ticklish condition He is a well made agreeable Person of great Abilities and we ought to reckon amongst his other good Qualities his Alliance with the Duke de Medina Celi and this was no small consideration at a time when the Duke did whatever he pleased at Court For Example he nominated his Brother to be Vice Roy of Mexico which is a Post where they get a prodigious Wealth in a short time The President of the Council of Castile received about this time a Breve from the Pope whereby he was enjoyn'd to repair immediately to Rome to give an account of his Behaviour towards the Nuncio but they were of Opinion here that he was not obliged to obey it It was known at Madrid that the Visitor General of the Kingdom of Naples had sent word to the Duke de Saint-Angelo Dean of the Collateral Council to depart out of Naples within three days and to retire sixty Miles off He obey'd this Injunction after having taken his Leave of the Vice-Roy and the most considerable Persons of the City and afterwards went to Gaette with his whole Family The Vice-Roy who appeared in Favour of him was very glad that the City of Naples had Writ to the King of Spain about him with a great deal of Zeal and Affection The Visitor General enraged at the Course they had taken sent Orders immediately to the Duke de Monte Sardo his Son in Law to the Duke della Regina his Nephew and to all his other Relations to be gone within an hour The Duke Della Regina being a Magistrate of the City pretended that he could not be hindered from staying in it He summon'd his Friends together and after he had represented to them the Injury that was done to himself in particular he declared to them that the Visitor had a design to attack them too in general as appeared by his severe examining the Conduct of the Princes and Barons of that Kingdom although by their Priviledges they were exempted from it 'T was resolved in this Assembly to meet again the next day and accordingly a great number of people came there In short there came more than sixty who elected out of themselves the Prince Dotojano of the House de Mediciâ— the Prince de la Torella of the House of Caraccioli and the Duke de Matalone of the House de Caraffa They went to find out the Vice-Roy who voluntarily engaged to speak to the Visitor General but he coldly told him That he executed the Orders he had received from Spain Hereupon the Neapolitan Lords were extreamly dissatisfied and several of them wished that they had some Chief or other to head them who was capable of a great Resolution For the better understanding of these Memoirs I ought to acquaint the Reader That the Ambassadors and even the Envoys had a certain Right at Madrid which exempted them from paying any Toll at the City Gates for those things that were neceâ—sary for their Families This Custom had been observed time out of mind but it being discovered that some persons had extended this Priviledge farther than it ought to be and that hereby the King suffered exceedingly in his Dues the Council judged it expedient to convert it into a Sum of Money which was in effect paid to the Forreign Ministers and the Franquezas for so they call this Right were abolished There was likewise another Priviledge which is called Immunidad del Barrio that is to say the Ambassadors have a certain Precinct markt out about their Houses in which compass Justice is not to be performed without their permission and the Alcaldes dare not pass in the Ambassador's Quarter with their White Rods which is the Badge of their Authority Every Ambassador is so jealous to preserve this Priviledge that some Forreign Ministers have been so hardy as to hang the Alguazils at their Gates when they found them trespassing in this point I must confess very few of them have carried things to this extremity but several have ordered them to receive an hundred blows with a cudgel Notwithstanding the apparent Risque they ran and the Consequences that such Infractions might carry the Corrigidor accompanied with his Officers passed at mid-day through the Quarter belonging to our Ambassador They carried with them their White Rods but he not being informed of it till they were quite gone could only send to the Corrigidor to tell him that he was extreamly surprized at his procedure and that for the time to come he should remember his Duty better He answer'd That he was ignorant till he was now better informed that the Ambassador's Quarter extended so far as the place through which he had passed and that it was sufficient he knew it now But notwithstanding this sort of satisfaction the very same Corrigidor a few days after came by that way again and pass'd before the Ambassador's House at a time â—hen he was abroad The Marquiss de Villars being informed of it complained loudly of this Insolence He expected with Impatience what would be the Result of the matter when an Order from the King came to him wherein his Majesty revoked the Priviledges of his Quarter pretending it was not just that the Ambassador of France should be more favourably treated at Madrid than the Ambassador of Spain was at Paris It was said at Court that in that great City the Officers of Justice went when they pleased up to the very Gates of the Spanish Ambassador to perform the Functions of their respective Offices That in the Year 1671. there was issued out a Declaration of the same Nature with this that the renewing of it was no Novelty and that since the first Declaration the Ambassadors had only enjoy'd this Priviledge by Sufferance but that for the future they were resolved to connive at it no more Monsieur de Villars answer'd That he owed too great a respect to the King ever to remove himself from it That he was assured the King his Master would approve of the Proposal to â—â—eas their Ambassador as they did his in Spain but thâ—â— they ought to consider what Priviledges that Minister has at the Court of France That it was not necessary there to demand Audience and Permission which always retard Affairs in order to speak to the King and Queen to see them and accompany them that he went a hunting with the King that he assisted at Feasts and other Ceremonies as often as he pleased that he was allow'd to have Six Horses to his Coach and so to drive all about Paris That the Ambassador's Lady went in the Queen's Coach that she sometimes Dined with
Iuncta that was erected to determine the Affair between the Nuncio and Don Iuan de la Puente y Guebarra President of the Council of Castile decided it on the 12 th of April He was sentenced to be banished and turned out of his Office The Nuncio demanded of them that they would oblige him to go to Rome to take off the Suspension he had incurred but they thought they had punished him sufficiently Abundance of people said That these great Names he took upon him did not belong to him and that his true Name was Don Iuan de Montesillo and that he was barely a Gentleman of the Province of Castile He finished the Course of his Studies at Salamania and afterwards was made Canon of Toledo His Behaviour mightily pleased the Archbishop of Toledo who was at that time Cardinal of Arragon and taking a delight in his Conversation trusted him with the Management of all his Affairs He acquitted himself so well in this Station that the Archbishop took care to recommend and make him known to Don Iuan of Austria whom he extreamly pleased by the Suppleness of his Carriage and the Vivacity of his Genius And whether that Prince had any particular Designs upon him or only intended to prefer him to acquit himself of the Promise he had made to the Cardinal he made him President of the Chancery of Valladolid Some time after the Count de Villambrosa who was President of Castile happening to die the Prince gave his Place to Don Iuan de la Puente To say the truth he only executed that Office by a Commission but it was a very great Post and could not fail to draw the Envy of several Persons upon him And so it really did for few people were concerned at his Misfortunes They looked upon him as one of the Creatures of Don Iuan and those that were always looking out for an Object for their Hatred when that Prince was gone vented all their Spleen and Indignation upon him The people accused him of all their Grievances and pretended that he was the Cause of crying down the Money That being in a Place which rendered Chief of Justice and the Civil Government he might if he had been so minded have found out some way or other to relieve so many different Persons that suffered according to their Condition But the Complaints of private Men nay even those of the Publick in general could not have been able to hurt him if there had not been a necessity at that Juncture to oblige the Pope by reason of the Apprehensions they had of the Designs of the most Christian King upon Italy Although the Office of the President of Castile is the next in Dignity to that of the Chief Minister yet all People have not an equal desire to possess it Don Iuan Ascensio Bishop of Avila whom the King nominated to it refused it An Order was sent to him to come immediately but he desired the Duke de Medina Celi to excuse him and leave him in his Diocess He had formerly been a Religious of the Mercy and General of his Order However as it is a hard matter to resist the Will of one's Prince especially when it happens to be so advantageous as this was he obey'd the Second Order that was sent him and came without any delay He was a Person of great Discretion and 't is certain a Man cannot have too much to qualifie him for the Exercise of so considerable a Place for the Council of Castile regulates all the Affairs that respect the Government of the States of Castile it was first created in the Year 1245. by St. Ferdinand King of Castile it is composed of a President and sixteen Counsellors The President never makes any Visits and at his House gives the Right Hand to no body They summon to this Council the Chanceries of Granada and Vailladolid and the Courts of Judicature of Sevil and Gallicia which are the Four Seats of Justice where they determine by way of Appeal all the Suits that are judged by the Corrigidors in the Cities and by the Alcades in the Villages When the King speaks of the Council of Castile he barely calls it Our Council The Court was exceedingly troubled at the Advices they received That the Vice-Roy of Naples having with no small pains heaped together the Sum of two hundred thousand Crowns part of which he had borrowed to send to Piombino Portolongone Orbitelle and some other places which the King of Spain possesses on the Coasts of Tuscany the Money being embarked in a Felouque Eight Slaves found the opportunity to carry off the Vessel Two small Vessels and a Gally were sent after them to bring them back but they were gone too far to be recovered So all the pains of the Marquess de Los-Velez tended only to set Eight Slaves at liberty and enrich them for the remainder of their Lives The Ambassador of Venice seeing that he of France received Satisfaction upon the occasion of the Franchises and Immunities redoubled his Instances to have Justice done him upon the Alguazils who had killed two of his Attendants He received Satisfaction on the 17 th of April The Alcalde who led them on was banished and the Alguazils were sent to Prison and were not enlarged but by his Intreaty If the Count de Monterey was sensibly affected with Joy to be preferr'd to the Prince de Astillano as to the Presidentship of Flanders he was not a little disgusted to see several Persons made Counsellors of State before him and notwithstanding he earnestly desired to be one of the number he was disappointed The King named the Duke de Albuquerque General at Sea the Count Doropesa who was very Young and had no other Dignity as yet the Marquess de Los Velez Governour of Naples the Duke de Villa Hermosa Governour of Flanders Don Melchior Navarra who had been formerly Vice-Chancellor of Arragon the Marquess de Mansera Mayor Domo Major to the Q. Mother and the Inquisitor General to be Members of this Council It was commonly believed that the Q. Mother had a great influence in naming most of these Lords The Council of State was instituted by Charles the Fifth in 1526. Here it is that they examine the Merits and Services of those Persons that pretend to be made Vice-Roys or to possess any other great Employments They regulate the most important Affairs of the Monarchy the King only is the President of it and the number of the Counsellors is not fixed Most People were surprized that Don Carlos Ramirez de Arrellano was made President of the Finances on the 8 th of April after he had been so long chained and shut up for his Lunacy and Madness He was chosen in the room of Don Antonio de Monsalve No body could imagine for what Reason the Duke de Medina Celi thought fit to trust him with a Post of that Consequence for he had none of those Qualities that are necessary to make a Man
altho he was Master of a plentiful Fortune and might have lived after another manner without incommoding his Estate in the least He was a Genoese of the House of Spinola his Grandfather had formerly commanded the Spanish Army and this was likewise a great Captain but whether it were because he was a Stranger or for some other Reason the Grandees of Spain looked upon him as much inferiour to them although he was a Grandee as well as themselves and was of illustrious Birth They despised him because he made Advantage of his Money after the manner of a Banker which is so seldom practised in Spain by Persons of Quality that they cannot endure those that do it His Enemies pretended that he had committed notorious Oversights at the Treaty of Nimeguen and that they daily beheld new Inconveniences arise from his ill Conduct there That this was the Subject of perpetual quarrels between France and Spain because he had neglected to lay down in plain intelligible terms what things were yielded up and their Dependances and that every one made use of this Obscurity to interpret it to their own Advantage It is certain that what they alledged against the Marquess de Los Balbazez had foundation enough but the Constable of Castile was the Man that took the greatest pains to expose his Miscarriages to the World He had no kindness for him for Iuan's sake whose Favourite he had always been and for which Reason the Marquess declared against the Queen This was the true Cause of the Aversion that was between the Constable and him and it increased very much on the side of the former when he saw what a Respect and Esteem the Duke de Medina Celi testified for the other He needed no more than this to revive the Old Grudge he had against the Chief Minister and it proceeded so far that he incessantly heighten'd the Complaints that came from all parts under the Dominion of the King of Spain against the Duke It must be allowed that the Constable was one of the most dexterous prudent Men of his Age and that his Rank and great Abilities gave him vast Advantages over the rest so that whenever he gave his Advice few People were found so hardy as to oppose him The Duke was sensible that he directly thwarted him upon all occasions This together with his other Affairs made him extreamly uneasie to find himself perpetually engaged in a troublesome Combat and to dispute against a Man who as we may say took a Pleasure in chasing himself and who searched all occasions to perplex and disgust him Therefore in this Affair the Duke took the mildest course he courted the Constable's Friendship and made all Advances towards it He knew that he was fall'n ill and that though he was not in a condition to go to the Council he was not so much indisposed but that he might his have Advice in case it were demanded He sent constantly to the Constable's House to consult him upon all important occasions and this mark of distinction flatter'd his Vanity so agreeably that he found himself mightily obliged to the Duke He wanted very little of pretending to be always sick for the time to come as long as the Duke continued to give him so evident a Proof of Deference However 't is very certain that although he was as well as ever he would not stir abroad for a long time only to prolong a thing which filled him with so much Pleasure and Satisfaction He received another Obligation from the Duke which made no less an impression upon him a considerable Benefice happening to be vacant he bestow'd it immediately upon one of his Natural Sons without the Constable's ever demanding it So many unexpected Favours perfectly overcame him and made him desirous to do something on his side so he proposed to submit to a Reference in order to accommodate the business of the Duke Cardonne's Succession The Constable had espoused his Widow and the Duke his Daughter These Two Ladies had great Pretensions and as great Differences therefore they thought it the best way to determine them by the mutual consent of both Parties The Duke was sensible that the Constable who naturally loved long tedious Law-Suits shew'd a great deal of Complaisance in this matter and indeed the Constable was of Opinion that it would be better to put an end to this Affair than be engaged in an everlasting Contest with the Chief Minister This Chief Minister often assisted the King and denied Audience to no body but neither did his Endeavours or Audiences produce any advantageous Effects for the publick Interest and the smallest Affairs were as difficult for him to determine as the greatest The Marquess de Grana knew so well before hand what he was to expect upon this score that he could not be brought to accept the Embassy for Spain till he received express Orders from the Emperour although for his farther Encouragement he had several Relations and Friends at Madrid and that besides his having resided there formerly thâ— consideration of those Favours he might reasonably expect for his Master's sake ought to have overcome the unwillingness he expressed to come to this Court. It is true what served to increase it very much was the secret Advantage which he thought his Enemies and those that envied him might have upon him during his Absence from Vienna But for all this he found he had reason enough to be content with the manner of his usage the King allow'd him a double Franchise and paid all the Charges of his House at his Arrival The Two Queens honoured the Marchioness de Grana and her Daughters with several Presents they favoured him in every thing yet nevertheless he could not forbear to say proudly that he hoped he should not tarry there above a year and that it should not be his Fault if he did not depart sooner He was a fine Gentleman had abundance of Wit Penetration and Conduct but he was of a prodigious bigness and found himself mightily incommoded by it He sometimes could not help changing his Countenance when he happen'd to be in Company with People whom he was not well acquainted with when they looked stedfastly upon him The Court of Spain had such favourable Inclinations for him that they readily granted him whatever he desired but they could not forbear now and then to promise him some things which they never performed and he himself was sensible that they never would He was frequently vexed upon these Occasions saying That it was his Misfortune not to know what he might depend upon He was concerned at the Misery to which all sorts of People were reduced at Madrid and I have heard him frequently say That whatever Idea's a Man might form to himself of the Publick Grievances yet they infinitely fell short of what they really were when he came to see them and that for his part he could not imagine what Remedies they could apply to them It is
with all imaginable Application some means or other to furnish them with some and he tried several without meeting any Success Don Francisco de Castile immediately promis'd to remit Thirty Thousand Crowns thither and afterwards engaged to make a return of Eighteen Hundred Thousand Florins more upon which consideration they were to give him Two Hundred Thousand Crowns in Hand and to pay him the rest at different times upon Assignations which in all probability would never have been paid to him He questioning it very much was not willing to be their Fool and resolved to send no Money to Brussels but accordingly as he received it at Madrid They failed to perform the Promise they had made him to pay him Two Hundred Thousand Crowns down upon the Nail 〈◊〉 heâ— for his part failed them in the 〈◊〉 Now how was it possible to draw such 〈◊〉 Sum as this out of the King's Treasury â—hen it was totally exhausted The inferiâ—ur Officers of his House having tarried for â—heir Wages longer than they could well do except they reduced themselves to down-right-Beggary would have thrown up their Live ries being resolved to quit the Service unless they had been partly detained by Menaces and partly by fair Promises to see them paid if they continued in it still As for People of Quality they could not tell what to do After they had pawn'd their Jewels their Plate nay even their Canopies of State and their wearing Apparel they found they had now no more Money or Credit left The Bankers were not in a better condition and the Merchants had neither Merchandize nor Money The inconvenience of proclaiming Money to go at a lower Price was sensibly perceived every day more and more and the Publick Misery still increased A Man cannot sufficiently wonder that things of so great a consequence were managed with so little consideration Nay matters were come to that pass that in several Provinces they were forced to exchange Cattle for Corn and Cloath for Linnen because there was not Money enough to circulate in the way of Trade Heaven pitied the great Afflictions of those People and favoured them with a Plentiful Year but the Price of Bread was not in the least diminished either through the Negligence or Villany of the Magistrates who were so far from encouraging the Corn to be brought into the great Cities that they under-hand hindered it from being carried to those Places The Queen-Mother's Houshold began to find in their turn the Effects of these Disorders she had been hitherto very well paid and her Domesticks received their Racions that is to say their Allowances either in Money or Provisions and now when they prest the Treasurers to take care they might have them they were told that they might go and visit the Chests of the Treasury if they pleased which at present were all open because they had no Money within So many particular as well as private Calamities were yet increased by the Ravage and Desolation the Plague made in Andaluzia It is not long ago since it was altogether uninhabited along the Sea Coasts from Malaga to Alicant The Kingdom of Granada was not free from this Pestilence which spread it self about Sevil and Corduba and in Estramadura It was immediately perceived at Port St. Mary but they would not take any publick notice of it till after the departure of the Flota for the Indies for fear of spoiling Commerce If it had not been for this consideration it had been visibly perceived much sooner The difficulties still increased as to the business of Trade and People were apprehensive that their Letters Commodities and Goods carried the infection with them It is natural enough for Men to use all necessary Precaution against so dangerous a Distemper as this was I have already observed that the Duke de Medina Celi would have fain engaged the King to part with his Confessor but that finding so many difficulties appear in the way he desisted from his design But Father Francis de Relux had not for his part forgotten the ill Offices that the Duke endeavoured to do him He dissembled his Resentments because he was not as yet so well settled in the King 's good inclinations as to venture to cope with the Chief Minister But as soon as he found himself upon sure grounds he spoke to de Eguya and the Dutchess de Terra Nova to interest them in his quarrel out of a desire he had to make the Duke sensible of the Effects of his Power The old Dutchess was not ignorant that the Duke hated her and that he passionately desired to see another in her Place This inspired her with a mortal Aversion to him and so these Three Persons being always united raised a considerable Faction against him But that of the Confessor was carried on more secretly and consequently was more dangerous It often happens that a Man pursues his Revenge freely when he may safely do it under the Pretence of Devotion And this was the Case of Father de Relux for he incessantly attacked the King in his most tender part his Conscience He represented to him the Misery of his People the Extremity of the State the Disorder and Miscarriages which were so far from being remedied that they were openly encouraged that no Grievances were redrest that every thing came to ruine that if his Majesty was sensible that he had not Power and Experience enough to regulate Affairs of himself and to take the Reins of the Government into his own hands he ought at least to intrust them with a Minister who would give him an honest and faithful Account of his Employment That the debate was not now about a trivial matter but that his Everlasting Salvation lay at stake that God who makes and preserves Kings in their Sovereign Authority expects that Kings should perform their Duties that they are obliged to cherish their Subjects as their Children and to make them happy as far as it lies in their Power that the Duke de Medina Celi only regarded his own private Interests and minded nothing but his Family which was very numerous and the advancing of his Relations whilst the rest of Spain groaned under the heavy weight of Subsidies Imposts and a thousand other Vexations which were purposely raised to exhaust them that he was obliged in Conscience to inform him that unless he vigorously endeavoured to apply proper Remedies to these Evils it was his Duty to deny him Absolution The King who continued for some time astonished at these Menaces demanded of him whether he did not speak all these afflicting things only to try him The other answered That he was so far from entertaining any such thoughts that were so little conformable to the Respect he owed him that he would willingly have sacrificed his own Life to have been exempted from the cruel necessity of speaking to him after so frank a manner The King was very Pensive and spent several days in consulting himself without
told him that the Ministers might now very well forbear to use them any longer like Children that if there had been any important Reasons why they should not go to Aranjuez they ought to have given them timely notice of it but to put them off and speaking properly to fool them after this insufferable rate was never to be endured The King was vexed and told the Queen That this should be the last time he would suffer such things at their hands and that they should direct themselves for the future only by his Will and Pleasure This Discourse was over-heard by some of the Gentlemen of the Bed-Chamber who went presently to acquaint the Duke de Medina Celi with it to make their Court by this means He was terribly disheartned and feared least the Queen who was charming and witty might come to get a greater Ascendant over the King's Inclinations than he desired and therefore that he might not displease the King any more used all imaginable diligence to provide a Fund sufficient to bear the Expences of going to Aranjuez and the Escurial Till this very moment he had resolved to break off these Two Journeys but he apprehended a great deal of danger from the Queen's dissatisfaction and so to get a Sum necessary for the occasion he sold Two Offices of the Contador Major for Twenty five thousand Crowns and received Forty more for a Government in the Indies He took Fifty thousand Crowns out of an Hundred thousand that were to be laid out in Equipping of the Gallions He made use of the Money gathered for Custom that was to have paid off the the Rights of the Franchises and the Revenues of the Town-Hall In a word every thing was got ready by that time the Court came back from Aranjuez for them to go to the Escurial However the King was not able to go as soon as he desired by reason that the ill Weather increased ever since the beginning of September never a day passed without violent Tempests accompanied by dreadful Claps of Thunder The Lightning struck abundance of Persons in several Places and the Hail fell so thick and in such prodigious quantities in the Forrest of the Pardo which is an House of pleasure belonging to the King that it broke the Branches of the greatest Trees and killed so many Birds and Wild Fowl that both the Fields and the River of Mancanarez were covered with them and it was the most surprising sight in the World to behold the Ancient Bridge de Aranda de Ducro was carried away by the Waters of that River and the Tagus over-flow'd its Banks with that Impetuosity that it did an incredible Mischief to the pleasant Walks at Aranjuez So many Accidents of which they received fresh News daily troubled the Court exceedingly for there was scarce a place in Spain exempt from these continual Tempests One of them happened on the 26 th of September in so out-ragious a manner that the Gardens of the Countess de Ognate which are the finest in Madrid were overflown in a moment the Water entred into the lower Apartments of her House where she kept her Noblest Italian Paintings and her richest Moveables and all was intirely spoiled by this Inundation The Torrent to work out its passage threw down the Garden-Walls and broke into that belonging to our Ladies de Atocha The next Night we all thought that Madrid would be beaten down about our Ears by the Thuder claps the Lightning the Wind the Rain and the Hail I don't believe any body went to Bed in the whole City the Churches were full of People who confessed as if the hour of Death were approaching The Water of the Mancanarez swelled exceedingly and spread it self on all sides The King and the Queen who impatiently waited for day light went in Devotion to our Ladies de Atocha but at their return they found the Prado overflown And thoâ—gh a Coach had been overturned a little before by the Rapidity of the Torrent the King believed that his might pass it well enough and commanded the Coachman to advance speedily forward towards the Bridge of the bare-legged Augustines Within a few Paces of the Bridge the two fore Mules which in Spain are at a pretty distance from the hindmost were overturned by the Impetuosity of the Water The Postillion that led them 'scaped very narrowly the Mules recovered themselves twice and were thrown down as often The King was all alone in the Coach wiâ—h the Queen very much concerned and telling her that he was in pain only for her sake In the mean time some People got hold by the Traces and so drew out the Coach by meer Strength By this means the Mules got out of the Water but their Majesties could not reach the Palace and being affrighted at the great danger they had just escaped were obliged to go to Buen-Retiro where they tarried till mid-night and waited for the Waters to fall The Marquess de los Velez Vice-Roy of â—â—â—ples dispatched a Courier to Court to give them Advice That the Pope had demanded of them to send the Marquess Sera a Geroesâ— to him who was Excommunicated for falling foul upon the Apostolick Nuncio's Courier on Maunday Thursday The Brief specified That hâ—s Holiness grounded his Pretensions upon the Right of Soveraignty the Holy See had to the Kingdom of Naples The Officers of all the Courts of Judicature Assembled upon it and resolved not to comply with the Popes Desires by Reason of the ill Consequences that might attend such an Affair But the King and the Ministers here could not forbear to wonder that his Holiness spoke of renewing his Pretensions which seemed to be adjusted a long time ago The only Son of the Marquess de Castel-Rodrigo died about the beginning of October as did also Don Rui Gomez de Silva Brother to the Duke de Hijar We may say they were two of the most handsome and hopeful Lords at Court This last was mightily devoted to Donna Isabella de Mendoza a Lady of great Beauty who was not compleatly Seventeen Years old She took the Death of her Lover so much to heart that without acquainting her Mother with it she got out of her House covered in a Mantle and went to the Descalsas Reales there to take upon her the Religious Habit. Their Majesties parted from Madrid on the 7 th of October to go to the Escurial The King only carried with him the Duke de Medina Celi the Grand Master of the Houshold with two Masters of the House in Ordinary the Great Forrester and the First Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber and two other Lords in the same Office Don Geronimo de Eguya Secretary of State and the Marquess de Grana Ambassador from the Emperour The Admiral of Castile who was Master of the Horse did not arrive there till Fourteen Days after the King he was naturally so lazy even when he was obliged to make his Court that he could not resolve in a less
That in case she ever quitted the place of her Confinement he should deliver her into her Husband's Hands So without any more a-do she went to the Marchioness de Los Balbazez her Sister in Law who received her very kindly and the Marquess made her an Entertainment that might have deceived a Person of less Faith than her self Seeing these fair Appearances she thought no more of returning to Santo Domingo but staid with the Marchioness de Los Balbazez All this while he secretly endeavoured to get an Order from the King and as soon as he had procured it carried her to a Convent within Four Leagues of Madrid So severe a Procedure afflicted her as much as it is possible for a Woman to be afflicted She wrote to the Queen to demand her Protection and being informed that the Constable was come back from Arragon with his Sons she obtained a permission of the King to go into some Monastery or other at Madrid But whether it were that she was not content to be there or that she had some other Views in her Head she made her escape and went strait to her Husband's House She lived in one half of it made her Court very regularly to the Queen visited abundance of Ladies and diverted her self very well The Constable left her an intire Liberty to do what she pleased but when he was desirous to return to Rome he talked of carrying his Lady along with him thither She was mightily Alarmed at it and declared that she would not go The Reason was because she had got her Nativity to be Calculated and it was told her That if she had another Child she should die This Prediction was so fresh in her imagination that she would rather chuse to return to her old Place of Retreat The King was urgent with her to explain her meaning She sent him Word back again That she humbly requested him to grant her his Protection in the design she had to throw her self into a Convent The King judged it convenient That the Inquisitor General Don Melchior Navarra and his Confessor should meet to determine this difference between the Constable and his Lady The Marquess de Los Balbazez sollicited so powerfully that the Iuncto concluded to â—end her to the Castle of Segovia This he so passionately desired that all the last Year he was perpetually troubling his Brain how to do her some ill Office But the Constable of Castile and the Admiral set themselves all they could to oppose it and they were not able to obtain an Order for it They had never obtained one if the Duke de Medina Celi had not been an Enemy to the Constable's Lady She being informed of what had past against her and what Reasons she had to apprehend some Mischief from her Enemies cast her self at the Queen's Feet and conjured her with Tears in her Eyes not to abandon her in this distress but to engage the Chief Minister to pass his Word that nothing should be attempted against her as long as the Court was at the Escurial The Queen interposed in this Affair as I have already mentioned but notwithstanding all this Precaution within Eight Days after her departure a Counsellor of the Council Royal with his Officers Accompanied by the Constable Colonna and the Marquess de Los Balbazez who performed the Office of Bailiffs being all Armed as if they had been going to apprehend a Ring-Leader of Robbers rather than an unfortunate Lady who was not capable of making the least Resistance went about Eleven a Clock at Night to break open the Doors of her Apartment although it was within her Husband's House She was in her Chamber when immediately an Alcalde of the Court pretended to tie her Arms with a Cord Seeing her self used after so ignominious a manner she took up a little Knife which lay accidentally upon the Table and as she defended her self gave him a cut in the Hand This Resistance made the rest of the Company fall upon her with that barbarous Fury that they dragged the poor Lady half naked as she was by the Hairs of her Head and so they forced her away like one of the most miserable of her Sex She was conducted after this manner all Night long to the Castle of Segovia without expressing the least consideration either for her Birth or Reputation although she had given them no occasion to treat her thus for in fine she was actually at that time in her Husband's House and her only Crime was her refusing to return to Rome with the Constable although she offered to go into a Convent without having the liberty ever to leave it Most Persons pitied her sorrowful Condition and took it ill that they broke their Promise to the Queen and that they durst employ the King's Name only to satisfie the Malice and Animosity of the Marquess de Los Balbazez It was for his sake principally that they used this Persecution towards the Constable's Lady for her Husband was one of the best Conditioned Men in the World He loved her and as he had formerly given her his consent to stay several Years in a Religious House so without question he had not now opposed the Conditions she desired if it had not been for the Marquess de Los Balbazez He alone managed this Affair and sollicited the Duke de Medina Celi in the Constable's Name and that Minister thinking by this means to oblige both of them gave his consent to what was demanded of him Nevertheless it was a surprising thing that he used so rude a Conduct towards the Constable's Lady it had been a more Generous and Manly Part to endeavour to reconcile the present Differences than to imprison a Lady who was to be Mother in Law to his own Daughter He ought to have considered that a Husband and Wife are easily brought to accommodate matters and that if ever they came to be Friends again his Daughter would fall into the Hands of the Constable's Lady who would then be in a condition to revenge her self upon her for the Injuries he had done her He might reasonably imagine that as she was rich and had a great number of near Relations who made a considerable Figure in the World so they would never see her opprest without regretting her Misfortunes and interesting themselves in her Quarrel That they would vigorously endeavour to procure her her Liberty and that at the bottom when he came to cast up his Accounts he himself would get nothing but ill will by it This Affair made a great Noise in the World I knew every particular circumstance of the Story because I was intimately acquainted with this Unfortunate Lady and knew her to be of a good Disposition and not given to speak ill of other People and as it was truly said of her she was never an Enemy to any one but her self Indeed it were to be wished she had been Mistress of more Discretion and had not been of so easie a
difficulties which occasion'd so many Disorders or till they were regulated to consent to follow the decisions which the Commissioners of France had made after the Treaty of Peace A Person of the first Quality who had followed the King to the Escurial and came back from thence before him told us that he had strong conjectures to believe that the Duke de Medina Celi had fallen out with the Queen Mother However few Persons suspected it at that time but after the return of the Court to Madrid it was plain and visible Some People pretend that the Duke was wearied with the great number of Creatures whom the Queen-Mother daily recommended to him and to whom he was forced to distribute part of his Favours that now he did not look upon her as any longer necessary to support his fortune and therefore was not willing to grant the frequent demands she made him that in order to break off with her all at once he found it convenient to visit her no more but express a great coldness towards her On the contrary there were other Persons that said that it was occasion'd by the Queen-Mother her self who was not able to constrain her self so far as to suffer the presence of a Man who minded nothing but how to advance his Family or Friends and never show'd any Civilities to her There were others still that were of Opinion that the Duke's behaviour towards the Queen-Mother was not the result of his own Inclinations but proceeded from the Suggestions of Don Geronimo d' Eguya and indeed it might be so if it were not for the two following reasons the first is because there was not the least appearance of any particular motive to engage him to desire a rupture between the Queen-Mother and the Duke the other is that supposing he had such a Design yet d' Eguya did not at that time stand so firm in the King 's good Graces as that the Chief Minister should think it worth his while to give him so great a proof of his deference Nay 't is certain that they had a pique against one another for some time the subtle insinuating Humour of d' Eguya made him always embrace the Interests of the most fortunate and he found himself under certain Circumstances which advised him not to press too far for fear of disobliging the chief Minister But notwithstanding the coldness which passed between them the King when he was at the Escurial told d' Eguya one day very angrily that if he was not more punctual for the future to come and help him in the Dispatches he would do all the business with Vibanco who was Secretary to the Chamber and for whom the King shew'd Inclination enough The Duke immediately whether out of Generosity or Politick excused de Eguya so handsomely that he set him right in the King's Favour again and this Obligation for which de Eguya was indebted to him made them be in a good Understanding with one another De Eguya finding himself so well with the Duke confirmed him in all the dispositions he already had not only in regard to the Queen-Mother but also to the Young Queen He represented to him That these Two Princesses could do nothing for him That the King would take it well to find him testifie a Devotion only to his own Person and that he would answer him with his Affection better when he saw it was not divided His true Design in speaking to him after this manner was only to keep him to himself that so the Chief Minister might repose an intire confidence in him In fine they were both agreed that in order to render the Duke an absolute Master it would be necessary for him to resolve to refuse the Two Queens whatever Offices or Employments they begged for their Creatures The Duke imagined that this Counsel proceeded from a true Motive of Zeal which he thought abounded in De Eguya and believed him so heartily that he would do nothing but by his Advice The Duke was generally complained of for suffering himself to be managed like a Child by the only Man of Spain who as he was a Person of the greatest Courtship so he was likewise of the least Sincerity To pursue his Project of disgusting the Queen Mother the Chief Minister ordered Pensions to be given to several Persons who were directly opposite to her the Duke de Villa Hermosa who had got enough in Flanders and the Duke of Alva were in this number The Marquess de Astorgas was made Master of the Ordonance although he was Comptroller of the Queen's Houshold and that single Place with the Wealth he had heaped up in the Kingdom of Naples might very well suffice a Man of his Age. The Chief Minister afterwards assigned Pensions to the Women of the Dutchess de Medina Celi out of the Bolsillo which is a sort of a Privy Purse for the King's House and other Private Expences He gratified several of his own Domesticks after the same manner whilst those belonging to the King lay under such great Necessities that they found themselves obliged to quit his Service for meer Want and Poverty The Duke de Medina Celi gave one Proof of his Power which succeeded a great deal better than one could have believed On the 13 th of Nâ—vember he married one of his Relations whose Name was Don Augustine Henriquez de Gusman a Cadet of the House of Gusman very poor and of little or no Merit to Donna Laura only Daughter to the Duke de Montalte who was but fifteen years old and so rich that she was looked upon to be the best Match in all Spain as well upon the Account of her Fathers vast Estate as those of the Marquess de Los Velez and the Count de Oropeza whose Fortunes she was to inherit in case they had no Children This Affair was the Work of the Dutchess de Medina Celi Don Augustine de Gusman had waited upon her with so much Assiduity that to recompence his Services she procured this Marriage for him All the World was extreamly surprised at it but no body could comprehend upon what Considerations the Duke de Montalte consented to sacrifice his Daughter to Policy The Marquess de Los Velez the Count de Oropeza and all the rest of their Family were hereupon mightily enraged at the Duke de Medina Celi they quitted his Interests which they had hitherto embraced with Zeal and they openly declared That they would resent so dishonourable an Alliance as long as they lived The Count de Oropeza made particular Complaints against the Duke because he had contributed more than any one to his Elevation and that if he had been minded to have taken Advantage of the Favourable Dispositions his Majesty had to him it is certain that when Don Iuan was dead he might have been made Chief Minister notwithstanding he was so young But as he had a great Respect for the Duke he imagined that if he vigorously assisted him upon
him in the Cavalcade which is every year performed to present the Pope with a white Mare and a common Scedule for the Kingdom of Naples which the King of Spain holds in fief of the Holy See His Catholick Majesty's Council had delay'd to regulate this Affair ever since the year 1668. When the Roman Barons perceived that it was not determined in favour of them they searched new occasions to get the sentence revoked and to succeed in their designs they united themselves with the Heads of the Papal Families to write all of them together to Madrid about the Matter When the King was told of it he only answered What is judged is judged The Marquis de Liche Ambassador from Spain at Rome fell sick he sent immediately for the Pope's Physician to come to him and when his Friends demanded of him why he chose him before his own I am so weary of my Life says he that I purposely send for one who will soonest kill me if it were only to please his Master The Pope being informed of this answer sent one of the Gentlemen of his Chamber to visit him and ordered him to tell the Marquis that he desired his Health as much as he did his absence and by that he might judge whether he wished his recovery or no. About the beginning of December there was a great Earthquake in the Province of Salerne as also at Naples and the Places about it nevertheless it did no damage It was commonly said at Madrid that the Queen-Mother had engaged the King to nominate Cardinal Nitard to be Vice-Roy of Naples and that she hoped in a short time to see her two Favorites with her The Cardinal was the first and the Marquiss de Valenzuela the second The Marquiss de los Velez who had no desire to quit his place sent the King in order to six himself in his good Graces a stately Coach of admirable Sculpture and Embroidered all over most delicately But although the King had so many fine Coaches by him I never saw him in any of them he just cast his Eyes upon them and then they were shut up in a coach-Coach-house where time and the dust absolutely spoiled them the King rather loves to ride in great Coaches of green Linnen waxed over made after the same fashion with ours and which a simple Citizen of Paris would not vouchsafe to go in The Marquiss de los Velez sent him likewise some Neapolitan Horses but so finely shaped that nothing certainly ever came near them Few days passed wherein the King and Queen did not go a hunting or else to see a Play they went to Buen Retiro to behold some Dutchmen skate upon the Ice after the fashion of their Country Some Ladies sent to acquaint the Queen that if her Majesty would permit them to appear masked because they had no mind to be known they would show her better sport than she had hitherto seen They were told that they might come if they pleased and immediately they went upon the Ice in short Petticoats fine Shooes and Stockings and Pattins after the Dutch manner they danced a Saraband with Castanets to admiration moving as nimbly as the dance would allow them but the Ice not being equally thick in all Places broke under one of them and let her fall into the water where she had certainly been drowned if People had not come to her help immediately Having lost her Mask by this Mischance they saw she was a veâ—y deformed old Woman who was near threescore years old When the Queen was told of it she smiled and answered That at that Age it was lawful for any one to go masked The two Queens on St. Nicholas's day made a Present of precious Stones to the Dutchess d' Albuquerque because it was her Birth-day She offered them in way of return some Curiosities of great Value and particularly a Prayer-book to the young Queen which was incomparably well painted with golden Clasps and adorned with Diamonds It being now towards the end of the Year I went according to the Custom to wish her Majesty a happy New Year she was drest in a slight Stuff of white Wool and had a prodigious quantity of large Pearls about her she sat near a great Vessel full of Olive stones and turning over the Leaves of the Prayer-book which the Dutchess d' Albuquerque had given her did me the honour to shew it me See says she here are Henry the Fourth and Mary de Medicis on their Knees stretching out their Arms in their Oratory it is certain that this Book was made for one of them I was desirous to know by what accident it came into Spain and told her that perhaps Queen Elizabeth brought it thither Upon this she called for the Dutchess d' Albuquerque and asked her how she came by it The Dutchess told her she could not tell but only that she had received it of her Mother The Queen said to me afterwards Are you not surprized to find me drest in white Wollen 'T is a small sort of Devotion which the King and I perform but no body shall know the reason of it Ab Madam reply'd the Dutchess de Pastrane we all of us take the liberty to divine How says the Queen without mistaking No I am not positive said the Dutchess And for you said she to me have you guess'd at the true cause Yes Madam very easily reply'd I and all Spain joyns its Vows with yours Don't you know says the Queen smiling that this is none of the best Places in the World to play the Sorceress in and that we have a horrible Inquisition here The King entred the Room at that moment so the Queen rising up told him with a chearful Air that she had two Sorceresses to shew him and that the Dutchess de Pastrane and I had divined the Mystery of her white Habit. The King although in all appearance he seemed to be in a good Humour looked so angrily upon us and particularly upon my self whom he knew to be a French-Woman that I made a profound Reverence and went immediately out of the Queen's Apartment An Order was here published to raise the price of Money which was reduced to a fourth part of its value Although the Duke de Medina Celi was indisposed yet he did not neglect to inform himself diligently of every thing that happened and he was not a little troubled to hear that the Plague began to rage again at Port St. Mary The Scarcity and Poverty of this Country was so extreamly great that several Persons died daily for Want And the Duke de Medina-Cidonia was obliged to send Corn from Andaluzia thither The Misery was not less at Naples The Pope's Nuncio by his Holiness's Order Summoned the Superiours of all the Regular Houses hither to oblige them to give the City some Relief in Corn. They granted two in a hundred of their Revenue and it was hoped that what with this Money and what with the
wherein he was concerned But his Joy lasted but a short time for the President gave him an Order contained in a Billet from the King and signed by Don Geronimo d' Eguya wherein it was specified that he must instantly retire to one of his Country Houses He continued surprized for some time and told the President that he was ready to obey it but that being a Grandee of Spain he demanded an Order signed by the King 's own hand since it was the Custom and that while he tarried for it he would go to put his Affairs in Order In short he returned to his own House extreamly concerned and got his Equipage made ready not at all doubting but that the Order would be sent suddenly to him He received it next day which was the 15 th of Ianuary accompanied with a Permission to tarry three days longer in Madrid He passed them there amongst some of his Friends and afterwards parted for Salamanca Few People pittied his case because he was generally envied and when Fortune leaves a man few of his Friends have Generosity enough to declare themselves in favour of him or to espouse his Cause He was the first Person whom the Duke de Medina Celi treated ill and 't is believed he had not made him serve as an Example for the rest if d' Eguya by his violent Courses had not sowred that peaceable and sweet Disposition that was so natural to the Chief Minister for he advised him to punish the Count immediately to be a warning to others and he was banished rather because he was not agreeable to d' Eguya and had too much Merit than because he was an Enemy to the Duke The Queen-Mother secretly rejoyced at it but could not so well conceal her satisfaction but that it was evidently perceived The Count had quitted her Party in Iuan's time and 't is very well known that he had several pressing Obligations upon him to have used her after another manner for if he had been willing to have made the best advantage of his Fortune she had preferred him to Valenzuela and intrusted him with the management of her Affairs He had at least as many good Qualities as the other could pretend to and was of an illustrious Extraction but being a young man he neglected the advances the Queen-Mother made towards him A certain Person who knew the whole Proceedings very well told me that Father Nitard was scarce gone out of Spain when she began to cast her Eyes upon him intending to honour him with her Confidence On the Festival of St. Isidore who is the Patron of Madrid and on which day a Bull-feast was celebrated at the Expence of the City the Queen-Mother asked the Count whether he designed to combat the Bulls he told her no unless her Majesty would be pleased to order him No says she I will by no means command you to do it but is there ne'er a Lady here in Court who has laid any such Commands upon you If any of them had reply'd he your Majesty may well imagine that I would not fail to give her this mark of my Obedience The Queen cryed out Jesus Jesus Count Will you expose your Life thus A few days after this she let a Paper drop out of her hands as he was giving her an Account of some Affairs she had intrusted him with he took it up and kneeling upon one Knee presented it to her Perhaps says the Queen you believe it is a Paper of Importance come I 'll leave you to judge of that your self open it The Count found the following words there Estoy toda la noche despierta sola triste y deseando mis penas son Martirios mis Martirios son gustos That is to say I pass all the Night without sleeping alone pensive and forming desires to my self my Pain is a Martyrdom but my Martyrdom is a Pleasure The Count read these words with so careless an Air that the Queen who observed it snatched the Paper out of his hand and said to him go you insensible and say your Domine non sum dignus The Count was sensible of his fault and indeavoured to repair it but it succeeded a great deal worse with him The Queen-Mother did not doubt but that he had some other Engagement which he preferr'd to his Fortune she informed her self of his Conduct and at last knew that he was desperately in love with the Dutchess de Monteleon This was a young Widow beautiful and agreeable but the Queen prohibited her to come to Court The Dutchess de Terra Nova her Mother was extreamly disgusted at it and this was the occasion why she disengaged her self from the Interests of the Queen-Mother and joyned with Iuan's Faction In the mean time the Queen continued still enraged at the Procedure of the Count de Monterey so that passing from the extremity of Love to that of hatred she gave him during the remainder of her Regency all the Mortifications she could think of Most People were displeased with the Admiral of Castile and call him nothing but false Brother and false Friend Nevertheless he would have it received for a certain truth that he never had any intention to make the least Discoveries but that the King having sent for him told him that upon condition he would deal fairly and honestly by him he would forgive him whereas on the contrary if he went about to Excuse himself he was certainly undone that he knew every thing that had passed even to the least Circumstance that the Declaration he demanded of him was rather to know his Heart than to draw any new lights from him that when he would have denied every thing the King prest him more earnestly than before so that upon that score he resolved to discover what related personally to himself but that he had avoided as much as was possible to speak of his Friends To say the truth whether he really excused the Prince de Stillano or the Court looked upon him to have made but an inconsiderable Figure amongst the Party the Chief Minister did not make him feel the Effects of his Indignation It is indeed as certain that his Punishment preceded his Fault and that having already lost his Place of being President of the Council of Flanders which was bestowed upon the Count de Monterey he had some Justice on his side to expect that they would suffer him to live in quiet The Banishment of the Count de Monterey so terribly affrighted the Duke de Pastrane his Brother-in-law that he thought of nothing else but how to get handsomly out of the Intrigue He follow'd the Admiral 's steps that is to say he readily discovered whatever he knew of this Affair that he might better perswade the King of his Sincerity and Repentance Secretary Vibaneo to whom he opened himself had already discovered the whole Contrivance but in fine he came soon enough to be favourably received his two Brothers who were concerned
all the Profits to themselves And this is the Reason why Money is so often wanting even for the necessary occasions of the King's House But after all I can by no means be perswaded but that he is Richer than he is generally supposed to be for there is no probability that otherwise he could be able to give as he does such considerable Pensions and so much in standing Wages to so vast a number of People It is true these Liberalities so mightily incommoded him that about the beginning of the Year 1681. all the Livery-men of the Stables having waited Two Years together for their Wages left the King's Service on the same day and looked abroad to get a Livelihood so that his Horses had no body to look after them or give them Corn. This appeared so much the less surprising because the Table of the Gentlemen of his Bed-Chamber was absolutely laid aside although it was the only one the King kept in his Palace The Women that waited upon the Queen had no better luck and the Court could not be supplied with Money enough to defray the least Expences This Extremity lasted for a while and then things were established as formerly But what is very remarkable and deserves the last Commendation the Souldiers notwithstanding this Misery continued still in the Service although there were several Officers nay entire Regiments of them that had not received two Months pay in three Years However this was the reason that abundance of Garrisons were ill provided with men and in a very bad Condition and particularly on the side of Estra Madura where nevertheless it was their Interest to have been more careful because the Portugueses had very considerable Posts in that part of the Country We saw the Governours of St. Sebastian Bilboa and Fontarabia at Madrid who came on purpose to acquaint the Council of War that their Souldiers died of hunger that the youngest of them had deserted that none but the old and infirm were left behind in the Garrisons and that in a short time there would be none of these left unless they gave them a speedy Relief They had fair Promises made them they returned back but were forgotten as well as a great number of others It is indeed surprizing and cannot easily be believed that in this very Spain so excessively poor and exhausted as it seems to be the Flota from the Indies only in the year 1680. brought thirty Millions of Gold But of these prodigious Summs that arrive there every year we must deduct near two thirds which the Forreigners draw away for the several Goods they furnish them with and besides there is a way found to cheat the King of the fifth Penny which is due to him out of all the Silver that comes from the Indies There is another thing still behind that contributes exceedingly to make the Spaniards so destitute of Money as they are and that is the prodigious number of French and Dutch who come to help them whether in the tillage of the Ground or in their Buildings or any other things of a more servile Nature which the Don Diegos and the Don Rodriguez think so much below them either out of a Principle of Vanity or Idleness that they had rather chuse to starve than resolve to set about them But Foreigners are not so nice and delicate they come hither and when they have scraped a little Mony together they return to their own Country in the mean time others come in their room and are employed in the same work They are computed generally to be full forty thousand who come in and go out of the Kingdom after this manner and there is not one of them who does not carry away with him seven or eight Pistoles every year and sometimes more It is easie to judge that this arises to a prodigious Summ. The People still continued to cry out and exclaim and at last the Duke fatigu'd with the great business he had upon his hands and with these continual Complaints resolved to erect a Juncto to set things in Order again and endeavour to relieve the present Necessities He cast his Eyes upon a Person of great Abilities whose Name was Don Lopez de los Rios and whose Vertue and Experience were sufficiently known for he had always bore some Office either in the Civil Government or the Finances He at first shew'd a great Zeal and the heat of this Zeal did not at all abate in his Mind but he found himself not strong enough to cope with all the Enemies alone whom he must expect to create by a severe and steady Conduct Several Persons nay even the Ministers interested in these Affairs directly thwarted him and by this means destroyed all that he had established with so much Pains and Industry On the 23 d. of February a private Act of the Inquisition was performed in the Church of the Dominicans where twenty Persons were condemned for being guilty of Superstition Sorcery and Judaism The Duke de Villa Hermosa who came back from Flanders arrived about this time at Madrid and the Duke d' Hijar parted from thence to go to Saragossa and take Possession of the Viceroyship of Arragon Two days after this which was the 26 th of February the Marquess du Mondejar was made a Grandee of Spain The Duke d' Ossone who now began to be weary of not supplying his Place himself desired some of his Friends to intercede with the King in his behalf that he might come to Court and the King consented to it with this Proviso that he should perform his Duty better for the time to come The Count de Pouar and the Count de Montiel were forbidden the Court both of them were passionately in love with Donna Francisca d' Alcannicas Lady of Honour to the Queen and Niece to the Constable of Castile The Count de Pouar was under her Chamber Window and entertained her there with his Fingers as is the manner of Spain and told her a Story very much to the disadvantage of the Count de Montiel who lay hid in a corner where he saw and understood all so that coming towards the Count de Pouar all enraged with his hand upon the guard of the Sword he told him he was a persidious Villain and that he might thank his good Fortune for being in the Palace The Count de Pouar coldly answered that he would go out of it as soon as he had told Donna Francisca two or three things he had still to say to her and that he came seasonably enough to be a Witness of them because they concerned him The Count de Montiel transported with Choler was upon the point of drawing his Sword upon his Rival But the Duke d' Usseda Brother to Donna Francisca passing by that way with the Count d' Altamire she made them a sign to draw near and told them with her Fingers what had hapned The two Lords laboured all they could to make up
what he pretended and that matters were to be done conformable to the Memorial which the Envoy of Portugal had presented at Madrid or else let the Affair go whither it would for them After some slight contestations he gave his consent to it and dispatched a Courier to Madrid to inform the Court of what he had done Immediately the Ministers bellowed out against him as a Man of no Judgment who had violated his Fidelity to the King pretending that he had infringed all the Rules of Prudence and good Sense by a Conduct and an Accommodation so disadvantageous to Spain and that his Instructions furnished him with no such Power All these Circumstances of Indignation and Resentment were only offered to the Honour of the Nation But notwithstanding all this they did not lose a moment to conclude the Accommodation and the Ratification of it was speedily sent to the Duke de Giovenazzo Money still continued to be as scarce as ever at Madrid and certain it is that it was the greatest difficulty in the World for the Council to provide a hundred and fifty thousand Crowns for the King to go to Aranjuez The Ceremonial of the Palace whereof I have already made mention orders this Summ precisely to be spent in that small Journey and here they are so exact to follow it that they would not for all the World lay out a hundred Pistoles less But after the Money was once in the King's Coffers the Council thought to send it to the Forces that were kept on the Borders of Portugal by reason of the late difference about the Isle of St. Gabriel The Duke de Medina Celi spoke to the King about it and proposed that in this juncture they might take Money where ever they could find it but he roundly answered him Do what you will provided you don 't meddle with that which is designed for Aranjuez He was not able to go thither all the Autumn because such a Summ of Mony as is necessary for that purpose could not be then gotten ready He began his Journey about the beginning of April 1681. being not willing to break any of the Customs that are established in the Ceremonial of the Palace Philip II. observed it religiously and after him the Kings of Spain have look'd upon it as Sacred as a Law Every thing is there set down the Processions the Chases the Solemn days of Chappel the changing of their Apartments their Habits their Walks their Journeys the Presents the Kings make their Mistresses and what is to become of them when they cease to love them any longer In a word there is to be found every thing from the most essential circumstance of State down to the most insignificant Trifles The King tarried five Weeks at Aranjuez This Royal House is within seven Leagues of Madrid He goes no where all the year round but there and to the Escurial in October These are his two great Journeys I went thither along with a Relation of mine to take leave of the Queen and receive her Orders She had the goodness to promise me her Protection for a young Girl whom I was to leave behind me in Spain and was very dear to me She told me she would take her into the Number of her Menines and that I might assure my self she carried her own Recommendation along with her since she came from France She honoured me with her Picture in Enamel incircled with Diamonds and I sensibly regret the loss of it to this very day This is not a fit place to tell how this Misfortune hapned to me perhaps I may still write the Memoirs of another Court where I resided some time and which are no less particular than these and there I shall have a fit opportunity to speak concerning the Portraiture of this lovely Queen FINIS a Since the time of Don Loys de Haro the Kings of Spain have had no Privado or chief Minister The Duke di Medina de las Torres had the management of the Northern affairs and the Count de Castrillo of the rest b The six Ministers that composed the Junta were those that were or should be Archbishop of Toledo the President of Castile Vice-Cancellor of Arragon and Inquisitor General And besides these a Grandee of Spain and a Counsellor of State c The Cardinal of Arragon being Grand Inquisitor and afterwards named to the Archbishoprick of Toledo quitted the post of grand Inquisitor because he could not not have two places in the Junto d Altho 't is very true that he had been formerly a Lutheran and it was objected to him yet he vehemently denied it because it might have made him uncapable of that Office e He held as his proper right the Government of the Low Countries * Who is called in Spain Secretary del Defpacho Universal * These two Lords were not of the Junta of the Government (a) Don Enrique II. (b) Don Petro el cruel Matado por Don Enrique Suâ—rmâ—no natural a Henry the Bastard King of Gastile b Pedro the Cruel King of Castile turned out of his Kingdom by Henry the Bastard in 1366 and 1367. (a) Who is a kind of a Provost or Judge (b) These are Serjeants and Bayliffs * The Contration is a Council where they order all Affairs relating to the Indice We will see * These are much of the same value with the French Doubles and are scarce an English Farthing * A Monastery founded by Joanna Sister to Philip IV. * A Ground
offices of the House of the new Queen The Dutchess de Terra Nova was made Camarera Major that is first Lady of Honour but her power is of a greater extent than that of the other Ladies of Honour because she is Mistress of all the Women that serve the Queen in her Palace She is the Widow of the Duke de Terra Nova who was of the House of Pignatelli and a Grandee of Spain She in herited a vast fortune that descended to her from Fernando Cortez for her Mother bore the name of that famous Captain who left her a small Kingdom in the West Indies tho he might if he pleased have left her a more considerable one in that part of the world where he made so great a progress She is descended of a branch of the House of Arragon that setled a long while ago in Sicily she is extreamly rich of a fierce imperious humour towards persons that are above her insupportable to her equals but kind and obliging to her inferiours She has a world of wit is fixed in her resolutions and is of a deep penetrating â—pirit her temper cold and serious still preserving her Spanish gravity and never steps a foot backward or forward unless she has well considered of it before She thunders out her I will or I will not enough to make one tremble She is a meager pale woman of a long and wrinkled visage her eyes little and severe in short she makes a dangerous terrible Enemy Don Carlos of Arragon her Cousin German was assassinated by the Banditti whom she caused expresly for that purpose to come from Valentia because he demanded of her restitution of the Dutchy of Terra Nova which was in her possession altho of right it belonged to him The terrible noise this affair made in the world obliged her to retire into Arragon where Don Iuan resided at that time deeply afflicted at his misfortunes Both of them imagined that they had reason to complain of the severity of their fortune and this soon occasioned a certain friendship between them as it usually happens amongst persons of their Quality when they come to be involved in the same circumstances After they had frequently conversed with one another the Prince found out part of the Dutchesse's humour he knew she was ambitious but as all the other ill qualities of her soul were outwardly set off by the appearance of a great devotion he never took her for so malicious and spightful a Devil as she really was He therefore cast his eyes upon her to make her Camarera Major for the Young Queen The Marquess d' Astorgas was nominated at the same time to be Grand Master of her House Don Iuan had some thoughts at first of conferring this Office upon Don Vincente Gonzaga of the House of Mantua and made him quit his Viceroyship of Sicily to come and possess it which the other freely left in consideration of the place that was now offered him But his expectations were deceived for the Marquess d' Astorgas who had heaped up a prodigious wealth when he was Viceroy of Naples having profered the use of it to Don Iuan who mightily stood in need of mony at that time and accepted the profer was preferred to Don Vinâ—ente who was admitted however into the â—ouncil of State where his great abilities without question did great service Altho the Duke d' Ossone continued as yet in exile Don Iuan did not forget to nominate him for Master of the Horse to the Queen he bestowed that place upon him only that he might have an opportunity to take away from him that of the President of the Orders where his conduct it seems did not please him He affected a certain air of devotion that sate very disagreeably upon him because he mixed too much Bigotry with it and it was a strange sort of Bigotry too for this good Duke one evening caused the Count d' Humanez to be set upon in the streets by some men of Valencia who never come to Madrid but to commit murders and other crimes of that nature The occasion of the quarrel was this the Duke was passionately in love with a certain Lady and soon after came to discover that the Count was a more fortunate man than himself Nevertheless the Count escaped the danger This affair made a great bustle Don Iuan who was particularly disgusted at the Duke laid hold of this opportunity to banish him the Court but now procured this considerable post for him that he might gain over to his party a man of so great an importance besides it was his interest to see the Chief Offices of the Queen's House filled with those persons that were at his devotion and might prepossess the mind of that Young Princess in favour of him The other Officers of her House were likewise nominated about the beginning of March At the same time the Marquess de Mansera Mayor Domo to the Queen Mother was fined a hundred thousand Crowns which he paid upon the nail After this manner the King sometimes punishes the crimes that the Grandees commit against him He was soon after banished to the Castle de Cocchia and his place was given to the Count de Chinchoâ— But the Queen being highly incensed at these proceedings declared that she would never suffer it alledging that the Widow of Philip the fourth and Mother of Charles the second ought not to be treated after this unworthy manner so they were forced to let the matter drop and proceed no farther in it There happened a little after another business that occasioned a great clamour Don Francisco de Toledo second Son of the Duke of Alva the Count de Mirande Grandee of Spain the Marquess de Valero Son of the Duke de Bejar and the eldest Son of the Duke de Sessa occasioned the escape of a man that was accused of great crimes The manner whereby they brought it about was this They sent a woman with a basket of Fish to stand near the Prison she sold such good pennyworths there that a man appointed for the purpose having informed the Jaylor and the Keepers of it they presently ran to the place to buy some Fish The woman amused them with abundance of foolish stories so well that she succeeded in her design for in the mean time the above-mentioned Lords broke open the Prison Gates The King ordered all of them to be arrested however this affair like others of the same nature at Madrid brought no ill consequences upon them The King took all the care imaginable to have the young Queens Apartments in the Palace fitted up and made ready He was to have gone according to the usual custom in the month of April to Aranjues but Don Iuan hindred him because that place was too near Toledo so he went to Buen-Retiro The Queen Mother wrote to him thither desiring that he would be pleased to come and see her but tho she prest it with a great deal of
Clericos Minores who were going to choose a Provincial The President desired that one of his friends might be named now he knew that the Nuncio had a kindness for another so he went the shortest way to work and obtained a Decree of the King which forbad him to preside in that Assembly and because he did not exactly obey it he was fined a thousand Crowns The Nuncio suffered this strange treatment with indignation enough and complained of it to the Pope His Holiness writ to the King about it and Don Iuan promised him to get the Fine revoked but the many disorders that happened after his death hindred the execution of it The King thought the business was laid asleep because he writ a very submissive Letter to the Pope about it but for all that the Nuncio who was not to be appeased by a Letter renewed the quarrel after the Prince's death He saw that the King had not as yet pitched upon a Chief Minister and judged that the President of Castile was not well supported he knew he had abundance of enemies and that amongst the rest the Queen Mother was the most inveterate against him All these considerations served to perswade him that he should obtain an intire satisfaction without any trouble He pretended therefore that he ought to lose his Place and to go to Rome to have the suspension taken off which he had incurred in the year 1679. The Court absolutely refused to grant him what he demanded upon this he complained very highly to the King telling him that he ill performed what he had promised the Pope in his Letter The Duke de Medina Celi being advanced to the Ministry was willing to examine the reasons of the Nuncio and those of the President by a Iunta 'T was alledged in favour of the last that being a native of Spain the King could not abandon him to the Pope's resentments if at the bottom he did not deserve it that it was true indeed he had done irregular things upon several occasions but then his Place was of that nature that he could not forfeit it unless it were for reasons of the greatest importance The Chief Minister declared that he should keep his Place of being President of the Council of the Indies and that Don Vicente Gonzaga should perform all his Functions He received with extraordinary satisfaction the offer which the Admiral of Castile made to resign the Office of Master of the Horse to him which is generally possest by the Favourite but would not accept of it He gave order to Don Gabriel Quinones Secretary of the Council of War to bring in his accounts out of hopes of drawing some mony from thence and indeed the State was never in such extremity of want as now for since the publishing of the King's Declaration for sinking the value of mony all Commerce was intirely stopt the Shops continued shut up and the people groaned under the greatest necessities imaginable The Duke used all his power to remedy these pressing Grievances he designed to coin new mony and to lessen the price of all Commodities but the effect of his good intentions was long delayed and the publick misery increased more and more every day Hereupon a man of great business whose name was Marcos Dias presented a Memorial to the Duke wherein he proposed a method to raise the King's Revenue and yet ease the people he offered to prove that the Magistrates of the City of Madrid under pretence of reimbursing themselves of the mony they had lent the late King had raised considerable summs and had never given any account of them He proposed a way to force them to refund the overplus as well to supply the present want as to prevent the like exactions for the time to come The Duke hearkned to him and told him his advice was good Immediately after this Marcos Dias presented another Memorial to him wherein he shewed that his Majesty's Dues were considerably diminished that he offered to pay the full worth of them and yet to make an advance of two hundred thousand Crowns a present of a hundred thousand Crowns to the King and lessen the imposition of the Dues one half of what it amounted to the year 1664. when they were less by one third part than they were this present year For this he demanded that the Rents of the Guild-Hall of the City of Madrid the payments whereof were assigned for these funds should be reduced to five in the hundred whereas they were risen to eight and what is more he still offered to reimburse those persons who were not willing to suffer this diminution It is natural to believe that he knew his own accounts well enough not to lose any thing by his project and to say the truth he had been no loser for the disorders and rapines were at that time so great that not a ninth part of the King's rights came into his Coffers The Duke foreseeing the event of this affair advised Marcos Dias not to stir out of the Palace but he had a mind to go to Alcala and he returned with vomiting of blood and Convulsions which occasioned the belief that he was poisoned for this overture of accommodating the publick affaris disgusted some particular persons of great estates who got prodigious summs at the expence of the King and People These persons to avert this blow had written to Dias and threatned to have him infallibly stabbed if he continued his proposals He was very apprehensive of the danger he incurred and besides this these very Magistrates offered the same terms to his Majesty But the Duke saw there was all the reason in the world to prefer Dias and so he refused the others Upon a consideration of what these differences might produce the Duke advised him to have a care of himself till the Treaty was concluded The advice was good if he had had the good fortune to have followed it but as he came back from Alcala to Madrid he met some men in Masques who gave him several blows with little bags full of Sand so that he spit abundance of blood at his mouth and being seized with a violent Feavor died on the first day of April The Corrigidor and some other Officers of the City were the men that were principally exasperated against him because he had discovered their Villanies a little before nevertheless they were willing to submit to some beneficial alterations in matters and so they reduced the Rents of the Guild-Hall of the City from eight to five in the hundred There was also some small regulation made in the Civil Government but the Duke could not forbear to be sensibly touched for losing by the death of Dias an opportunity to serve the King and ease the People In the mean time the people who had fully flattered themselves that if the Proposals made by Dias had taken effect they should have met with plenty instead of want beiâ—g informed of his indisposition flocked
certain she had no great desire to that Life and her Inclination did not very well relish three mortifying Vows an austere Cloystering and a severe Rule Nevertheless the Constable was so positive that all his Wive's Friends were satisfied there was no other Way to deliver the Unfortunate Lady out of the Castle of Segovia but by obliging her to give her Consent to what he proposed Thus at last they prevailed upon her to consent to it so she was brought back to Madrid on the 15 th of February 1681. where she immediately was shut up amongst the Nuns of the Conception of the Order of St. Ierome She was so afflicted at her Misfortunes that she would see no body but her Children She told them she looked upon her self to be the most Unfortunate Creature in the World and that she was going to do a thing which might cost her the Repose of her Life That she beheld the Consequences of it with Terror but that nevertheless she was resolved to undergo it because she had given her Promise In effect she went down into the Quire where every thing was prepared for the Ceremony and she took upon her the Habit of a Novice but with a formal design to die rather than make Profession She wore a Petticoat of Gold and Silver Brocard under her Woollen Robe and when she was not in company with any of the Nuns she would throw her Veil aside and put a Coif upon her Head after the Spanish Mode drest with Ribbons of all Colours Sometimes it so happened that the Bell rung to Chappel where she was obliged to make her Appearance by the Rule of her Order and the Mistress of the Novices coming to inform her of it she clapt on her Frock and Veil over her Ribans and her loose Hair This made a very odd and Comical Figure and no body could have forborn laughing at it had not her Miseries on the other hand drawn the Compassion of all Persons that knew her for indeed her Condition was very necessitous she wanted Money had but mean Eating and yet worse Lodging One Day as I happened to be in the Queen's Retinue I entred into the Convent and the Constable's Lady carried me to her Chamber I was like to have been starved with the Cold there it was as high as a Tennis-Court and not to flatter the Place it was no better than a great Barn The Constable got a Dispensation from Rome to hasten the time of her Profession and he himself was obliged as I have already said to take the Vows of the Order of Malta but he was told every day that his Wife had an unconquerable Aversion to become a Religious and at last had no hopes of it The Marquess de Los Balbazez as well as the Marchioness were not a little concerned to be laught at by all the World The Constable concluded the Marriage of his Eldest Son with the Daughter of the Duke de Medina Celi and parted three days after to return to Rome He carried his Sister in Law and his two Sons along with him As for his Lady she still carried in the Convent where she wore the Habit of a Religious long enough and at last quitted it The King and Queen went to the Iesuites Colledge to see a Tragedy where a Young Scholar who Personated a Fury coming upon the Theatre with a lighted Torch in his Hand perceived his Tutor in a corner who Acted a Chymist in all appearance he bore him a Grudge for he run after him and burnt his Beard and Hair and pursued him like a real Fury indeed He play'd his part so well that the King was mightily pleased with him and would needs have them begin that Scene again because it was the prettiest in the Play The Scholar desired it with all his heart but neither his Tutor nor any of the Colledge had a mind to be concerned in the other part The Carnival approached and a Comedy was play'd the Three last Days of it at Court. On the 19 th of February which was Ash-Wednesday the King had a Solemn Service at the Chappel Royal and ordered the Ambassadors to be told that he would continue to have one every Week except Holyday-Week In the mean time the Duke de Medina Celi applied himself seriously to find out means to set a Fleet to Sea by the Spring and treated with some of the principal Bankers of Madrid whose Names were Dominico Grillo Francisco de Monserato and Ambrosio Dionis The first engaged to send a Hundred Thousand Piasters a Month to Flanders the second to remit Fifty Thousand to Catalonia and the third Thirty Thousand to Navar. But what signified all these Treaties since they were not in a Condition to furnish necessary Funds The Court received Advice from Naples from whence they expected some Supplies in Money That the Prince de Belvidere and several of the principal Barons were retired to their respective Countrey-Houses by Reason of the great Disorders and Misery of that City Besides this they were informed that the Inhabitants of Trapan and of Two other Cities in that Kingdom had made an Insurrection killed their Governour and Judges and at the same time had sent to demand Assistance of the Turks This News found but an Unwelcome Reception at Madrid There arrived also at Court a Deputy of the Commerce at Sevil with whom I had a long Conversation He assured me that that great and stately City was reduced to a condition which amazed all the World That there did not now remain one Fourth Part of its Inhabitants That the Imposts increased every day and that this City which but about Fifty years ago was one of the Richest in the Universe was now ready to sink for want of Relief although the Gallions arrived there and it still enjoy'd the most considerable Trade of any Place in Spain We may hence justly conclude in what a sad condition the rest of the Cities of Spain were reduced to since the best of them was almost ruined This Reason obliged me to enquire of a certain Gentleman who was well acquainted in those Affairs what the Revenues of the King of Spain might amount to He told me That in ready Money only which came from the Indies they amounted to Thirty Millions and Eight Hundred Thousand Ducats which in French Money is worth somewhat more than Seventy five Millions of Livres But then it ought to be observed that the King does not touch a third part of this Sum the greatest part of it being either otherwise engaged or purloined And yet out of this third part are to be defrayed the Expences of the Palace the Pensions his Majesty bestows and the Payment of his Armies He is likewise obliged to be still sending considerable Sums to Milan to Naples to Messina to Catalonia and to Flanders For the Vice-Roys and Governours take effectual care that the King shall not draw a Farthing out of those Kingdoms and Provinces they keep