design of changeing the commanders in cheife of all the Emperours armies and the Spanish thereby to make the people desperate because of the failing of faith and credit of the recruiting and arming the Gallies of Spain Sicily and Naples for the maintaining commerce secret intelligence in Toulon and Marseilles of the capitulation of the Venetian with the grand Turke and the meanes whereby they drew the Turke to assent to their demands and the little security the Turke had from them all which I invented feigned and contrived together with many more letters Cyphers Papers c. without any intelligence correspondence or amity with any officer or Minister of state of this kingdome but that I alone without the helpe or assistance of any other have feigned and invented all the foresaid designs whereof I gave information to the Nuntio and his secretary to the said Ambassadours and to Monsiuer de Peny with whom I have kept correspondence in France since the breaking forth of the warre the which as a truth I sweare before God and declare it for discharging my conscience I aske of God forgivenes also of the King our soveraign whom God preserve of the Emperour of the Lord Duke against whom I directed most of those forgeries of the Duke of Medina las Torres of the Marques of Leganés of the Duke of Villahernosa of the Count of Oniate of the Marques of Villa Franca of the Marques of Mirabel of the most illustrious Lord Inquisitour Generall the father Confessour of the most Eminent Cardinals the Cardinal Borgia and Cardinal Spinola and Cardinal of Sandoval of the Lord Don Geronimo of Villanueva Pronotary of Arragon and secretary of state of Don Andrew de Rojas secretary of state of the Ambassadour of Genoa and of all the rest whom I have falsely defamed by these forgeries and Impostures and also I aske pardon of all the faithfull and loyall subjects of these kingdomes charging them to take example by me And to the end that it may be manifested to all times I thus make declaration that God may pardon me and for the satisfaction of this and all other Nations which I have disturbed with the wickednes of my inventions In witnes whereof I have hereunto set my name Dated in the Plaça Mayor and place of Execution in Madrid the 3 of August 1641. Thus ended Michael de Molina in whom the Refran or Spanish proverbe was verified Quien en un ano quiere ser rico al medio le ahorcan He that will be rich in one year shall be hanged at halfe yeares end FINIS THE RIGHT TITLE OF The present KING OF PORTUGAL Don John the Fourth With the most Memorable Passages of his Reigne LONDON Printed for Tho. Heath 1653. THE RIGHT TITLE OF The present King OF PORTUGALL Don John the fourth With the most memorable Passages of his raigne FOr the more cleare discovery of the Title whereby the present King of Portugal holds that Crown it will be necessary to know the fundamental constitutions of that Kingdom as well as the peâ—igree of that King In the year of our Redemption 1139. an Army of four hundred thousand Moors under the conduct of five Kings threatning as a vast deluge to overflow at once all the Country of Portugal were totally discomsited by a small handfull of Christians in the plains of Ourique where immediatly before the battel the people chose their Generall Don Alfonso for their King for before they were under the protection of the King of Castile Leon who after the fight called an Assembly of the three Estates in the City of Lamego where was solemnely enacted as followeth In the name of the most holy Trinity Father Son and holy Ghost Amen I Alphonso sonn of Count Henry c. by the grace of God lately advanced to the Royall Throne have called together the Bishops Nobles and Deputies of Cities in the Church of Saint Mary Almacave in Lamego where sitting upon my Royal Throne without any ensignes of Royalty my Deputy Lorenzo Venegas stood up anâ— spake thus You are assembled by the Authority of King Alfonso to see the Popes letters and resolve to confirm him for your King whereat all with one voice cried We will that he be our King The Deputy demanded shall he only be King and not his sonns after him They answered he so long as he lives and his sonns after his death then said the Deputy give him the Royall ensignes we give them answered they in the name of God So the Archbishop of Braga placed the Crown upon the Kings head who drawing his sword said Blessed be God that hath been my helper with this sword have I delivered you and overcome our enemies and now that you have made me your King let us make lawes for the government of the Kingdome they answered so will wee dread soveraigne we wil make such lawes as shall seem good to you and wee and all our children and posterity are wholy at your command we will first make lawes for the succession of the Crown as followeth 1 God save King Alfonso let him be master of the Kingdome and after him that there may be no trouble of choosing a King let his sonn raigne after him his grand child and so from father to sonn in secula seculorum 2 If during the fathers life the eldest sonn die the next brother shall be King and so forward 3 If the King die without sonns having a brother he shall succeed but not his sonn after him unlesse the Parliament will have it so Then Lorenzo Venegas the Kings Deputy desired the States to aske the King if the daughters should enter into the Succession of the Kingdome after some debate thereon it was resolved Because the daughters are of the Royall stock as well as the Sonns they should succeed on this manner 4 If the King have only Daughters the eldest shall be Queen after her father upon condition that she be married to a native of the Kingdome and that he be a Nobleman who shall not take upon him the name of King untill he hath a sonn born nor wear a crown on his head nor take the right 〈◊〉 of his wife 5 Lastly which most concernes the ensuing discourse it was thus enacted Sit i st a Lex in sempiternum quod prima filia Regis accipiat maritum de Portugale ut non veniat Regnum ad extraneos si casaverit cum principe extraneo non sit Regina quia nunquam volumus nostrum Regnum ire for de Portugalensibus qui nos sua fortitudine Reges fecerunt sine adjutorio alieno per suam fortitudinem cum sangine suo That is Let it be a law for ever that the Kings eldest daughter marry a native of Portugal that so the Crown may never descend to strangers and in case she should marry to a Prince that is a stranger let her not be Queen for wee will never have our Kingdom goe out of the
were covered Amongst other discourse D. Francisco de Mello told her Majesty that he feared his Embassy would not be acceptable for that his Master had deprived her brother of one of his Kingdoms whereto her Majesty replyd that although she was sister to the King of Spain yet she was wife to the King of France and thereupon began to speak Spanish which the Ambassador observing demanded wherefore her Majesty had not vouchsafed them that favour sooner it being a language better understood by them the Queen answered for fear they should be daunted to hear her speak Spanish the Ambassador to improve the jest replyd Como a tam grande Senora si pero como a Castillana no. It was true considering her greatness but not her Countrey whereat her Majesty smiling went on promising them all favour and wishing many happy dayes to King John and the Prince his son thus having delivered to her Majesty a Letter from the Queen of Portugal they took leave to go visit the most Eminent Cardinal Richelieu who being advertised of their coming came forward to the third chamber to meet them and there received them with expressions of great affection after which he conducted them into his own Chamber where all three being sate his Eminence a personage for his most admirable abilities worthy to live many ages discovered divers affairs of importance to the Ambassadors and they oâ— the other side made his Eminence understand how highly it imported that the two Crowns of France and Portugal should be united by an indissoluble league and amity considering that the primary and principal aim of the house of Austria whose branches were spread over Europe was not only to be the greatest but the only Monarch of Christendom for which end it never made scruple to usurp Kingdoms and States upon the weakest pretences imaginable as have appeared in the Kingdoms of Naples Sicily and Navarre the Dutchy of Milan and several other States more lately in Germany the seizing upon the Valtelline that so being Master of that passage he may upon any opportunity lead an Army of high Germans into Italy Moreover considering the vast power and interest this Family hath not only in all the other States of Italy and Germany and in the Low Countries but also in almost all America it must be confessed that they have a large foundation of their imaginary universal Monarchy yet no one thing gave them so great hopes as the possession of Portugal First because by the addition of that Kingdom they became absolute Masters not only of all Spain but of all the East Indies of all the Eastern Trade of Ethiopia Persia Arabia China Iapan and all that incredible wealth that was raised out of the Portugal Traffique whereby the Austrian greatness if not their Monarchy was principally sustained therefore that it much concerned all States to endeavour not only to put a stop to the growth of that monstrous tree but to cut off some arms thereof that it may the less damnify and annoy the lesser trees that grow by it that to do this none was more concerned or more able then the Kingdom of France united with the Kingdom of Portugal which having bin reputed the right arm as Catalonia was the left of that huge Austrian Colossus and now separated from it and joyned with France will be able to do as great service against it as ever it hath been forced to do for it not only by assaulting the Spaniard at home in his own house but by intercepting the Plate-Fleet which coming from the West Indies must necessarily pass by the gates of their Enemies the Tereera Islands and so run a hazard to be lost or else be at the charges of an extraordinary Convoy Having thus discoursed with his Eminence of those and other weighty affairs he was pleased to offer not only all the assistance of the most Christian King but that he would disburse of his own for the Service of Portugal that he would presently send thither a Fleet of twenty Sail with his Nephews Admiral and Ambassador extraordinary whereupon the Ambassadors taking leave they were accompanied by his Eminence as far as the stairs which the Ambassadors endeavouring to hinder the Cardinal told them that the Ambassadors of Portugal were to be treated with no less respect then those of the Emperor or Pope Some few days after in the house of the Grand Chancellour there was appointed a Junta of the Ambassadors with his Majesties Commissioners together with the Secretary Chavigny where was soon concluded a peace and league between the Crown of France and Portugal and the Ambassadors with much courtesie and satisfaction dismissed It very much concerned the kingdome of Portugall to maintain amity and peace with the Crown of England not only for the Navigation and Commerce of both States but also for other particular ends in the present conjuncture of affairs principally to break the good correspondency that was at present maintained between the Crowns of Spain and England For this purpose in March 1641. were dispatcht for England Don Antonio de Almada and D r Francisco de Andrada Leiton personages of great abilities who arriving safe in spite of the Dunkerkers that chased them in England were received with demonstrations of great courtesie notwithstanding the earnest labouring of the Spanish Resident to the contrary It is true that his Majesty of England was so tender of his honour and conscience that he answered D r Antonio de Sosa Secretary to the Ambassadors sent before to make way that he would be first satisfied by what right and title his Master was made King of Portugal before he would accept of the Ambassage Whereupon the Secretary being one of the most exquisite wits of this age in the space of twenty four hours drew up and presented to his Majesty a writing which declared at large what here in substance ensueth Upon the death of King Henry the Cardinall without issue many pretended together with the Infanta Donna Catherine Dutchess of Braganza and Grandmother to this present King to the Crown of Portugal but all their pretences wanting foundation soon fell except that of Philip the second King of Spain who propt up his with force King Henry was Uncle equally neer to both but with this difference Catherine was the daughter of a son named Edward and Philip was sonne of a daughter named Isabella brother and sister to King Henry King Philip pleaded that he being in equall degree with Catherine was to be preferred for his sex Catherine replyed That the constitution of that kingdom allowing females to succeed and withall the benefit of representation in all Inheritances she representing Edward must exclude Philip by the very same right that her Father if he were living would exclude Philips mother This conclusion is infallible in jure whereto Philip answered That succession of kingdoms descending jure sanguinis there was allowed no representation Catherine destroyed that foundation alledging That the succession
other resistance but Don Antonio one of the forementioned pretenders in the head of a popular tumult rather then a regular Army which being soon discomfited and the suburbs of Lisbon sacked to gratifie the Souldiers he easily made himself Master of the whole kingdome But before this could be brought about Pope Gregory the 13 had sent Cardinal Riario Legat into Spain with order to disswade the Catholique King from raising Arms and so to passe into Portugall there to arbitrate the right between all pretenders Philip to avoid this and yet to approve himselfe as he always profest a most obedient son of the Church he gave secret order in all places where the Legat was to passe that he should be entertained with all respect and magnificence possible and thereby be so dexterously detained that the kingdom might be possessed by him before the Legat could arrive at Gourt which was acted accordingly and the Legat wel satisfied in his entertainment though not in his negotiation When the Nobility and people of Portugall saw themselves thus unawares yoked by the Castilians against whom above all other there was ever a certain antipathy of nature they were exceedingly discontented but seeing there was no hope to withstand so great a Potentate as Philip the second reputed at that time not onely the most prudent or rather crafty subtile man but the most puissant Monarch that later ages have produced they all submitted to the King who the better to win them condescended to meet that submission and be sworn in an Assembly of Estates to these capitulations following 1. That his Majesty should observe all Lawes Liberties Priviledges and Customes granted to the people by former Kings of Portugall 2. That the Vice King or Governor shall always be the Son Brother Uncle or Nephew of the King or else a Native of Portugall 3. That all chiefe Offices of the Church or State shall be bestowed upon the Natives of Portugal and not upon strangers Like wise the Governments of all Townes and Places That all Countries now belonging to Portugall shall so continue to the commodity and benefit of that Nation 5. That the Portugall Nation shall be admitted to all Offices in the Kings House as well as the Castilians 6. That because the King cannot conveniently be always in Portugal he shall send the Prince to be bred up amongst them At the end of these Articles was adjoyned a blessing to those Kings that should observe them and a curse to those that should violate them adding moreover That in case which God forbid that his Majesty which now is or his Successors should not observe this agreement or should procure a dispensation for this Oath the three States of the Kingdom might freely deny subjection and obedience to the King without being guilty either of perjury or treason This clause although it was not printed with the Capitulation made in the first Assembly of Estates yet is rehearsed by divers Authors amongst others by the Author della Legge Regia di Portogallo stampata in Madrid After this accord the Cardinal Albert Archduke of Austria son to the Empeour and nephâ—◠〈◊〉 King Philip was placed as Vice 〈◊〉 of Portugal yet durst not his Majesty leave the Kingdome so soon for he perceived a general discontent to continue amongst them insomuch that the Preachers would ordinarily in their Sermons vent speeches clearly tending to sedition which made the King oft complain that the Portugal Preachers had waged the hardest warre with him but yet that he looked upon them as crack't brain'd adding sometmes with much mildness and patience Pues dexaldos por que usan a los privilegios que han los locos Once Father Lewis Alvarez a Jesuit preaching before the King on St. Philips day about the time that it was argued by some Lawyers that the Dutchess of Braganza in the succession of this Crown did fully represent her Father turned towards his Majesty saying as it runs in the Gospel for that day Philippe qui videt me videt patrem meum making a discourse thereon in favour of the Dutchesse Title whereat the King not seeming to be moved at all keeping his wonted gravity said If the Pope who had Christned this Father another Saint Paul for so he was esteemed had known him better he would have stiled him rather a Spirituall mad man Another time the same Father preaching before the Arch. duke took his Text Surge tolle grabatum tuum ambula turning to the Duke said Sir the meaning hereof is Arise up take up your pack and be gone home Moreover in the Chappel of the Duke of Braganza they were wont to sing the Lamentations of Jeremy wherein the Prophet represents the oppression and scorn which the Israelites suffered while they were without a King of their own applying all to themselves and the Castilians as Aquam nostram pecunia bibimus because of the Excise upon their Drink and most other necessaries imposed by King Philip and Servi dominati sunt in nos And again Cecidit Corona capitis nostri alwayes ending with Recordare Domine quid acciderit nobis Intuere respice opprobrium nostrum Haereditas nostra versa est ad alienos In the mean time some comforted themselves with expectations of a change by the return of D. Sebastian whom they would not yet believe to be dead others believing that he was indeed killed in the battell of Africa yet that he should be restored miraculously Some gave great credit to old Prophesies especially to that of an Hermit to King Alfonso the first that he should overcome the Moors with their five Kings and that in the sixteenth Generation his line should fail for a time but that then God should have compassion on them And to a letter of St. Bernard wrot to the same King Alfonso the originall whereof was by the last King of France given to the Ambassadour of Portugall 1641. the tenor of it was that he rendred thanks for the lands bestowed upon him to build a Monastery that in recompence thereof God bad him declare unto him that there should not fail a native of Portugal to sit upon that Throne unlesse for the greatness of their sins God would chastise them for a time but that this time of chastisement should not last 60 years Other Prophesies there were of one St Gil a Dominican and Simon Gomez both living and reputed for Saints But whilst the people busied their heads with these expectations King Philip proceeded sensim sine sensu to establish and confirm his right and power over the kingdome and to break those shackles of Soveraignty wherewith he was fettered whose footsteps his son King Philip the third followed exactly though not with that craft and dissimulation as his Father had done yet during their reigns it must be acknowledged that of many Articles some were observed but as soon as Philip the fourth at present King of Spain was warm in his Throne it was resolved by the Count
by the death of the last King was derived jure haereditario non sanguinis because the succession of Kingdomes was to be regulated by that ancient way whereby all things descended by inheritance The other way of succession being not known until later Ages nor ever practised either in Spain or Portugal in such cases Briefly in behalf of Catherine it was urged which by the Castilians can never be denied or answered that she was no stranger but a Native of the kingdom to whom alone according to the Laws of Lamego the Crown of Portugal can appertain This is the simple Title of the House of Braganza against which the Castilians have forged a thousand Titles for the House of Austria as being the tenth or twentieth Grandchild of such a King or such a Prince c. which if sufficient Title against the next allies certainly the King of Castile is not onely King of Portugal but all Europe for there is scarce a Prince from whom he is not descended and happily this is the ground whereon he builds his hopes to be universal Monarch unless perchance he may esteem himselfe so by Will from Adam as some have imagined When the King had received and deliberated upon the writing he gave order that they should be conducted to London with all solemnity convenient disposed of in a Palace ready prepared for them after which with great ceremony they received audience of his Majesty in a most stately fair Hall where his Majesty was placed on a Throne raised two steps on each side Latices within which stood his Nobles at the Ambassadors entrance as they made their reverence the King uncovered himself and would not be covered untill the Ambassadors were so too To the Proposals made by Don Antonio de Almlda the King answered he should be very glad to find out a way to be friend to the King of Portugal and to renew the anâ—ient amity of the two Crowns without 〈◊〉 with Spain Some days following the Ambassadors went to visit the Queen who being placed under a cloath of State upon the entrance of the Ambassadors rose up and came forward down as farr as the Carpet extended making a low reverence at all three times that the Ambassadors bowed and being come neerer her Majesty made them be covered then uncovering themselves again they spake with their hats in their hands which ended the Queen told them that she much desired to keep strait amity with her Majesty the Queen of Portugall c. Don Alon so de Cardenas Ambassador Ordinary in the Court of England for the King of Spain laboured still by friends by moneys by promises even to to the restitution of the Palatinate so that the peace might not be made with Portugal but in vain for upon the 13 of June 1641 the peace was concluded The Commerce and correspondence that have always been between the kingdom of Portugal and Denmark induced King John to send Ambassadors thither but the greater correspondence with the House of Austria and some dependence upon the Emperour hindred the reception of that Ambassage yet the King and all the principal of the kingdom desiring not to break with Portugal gave all other satisfaction possible by extraordinary courtesies and respect to the Ambassadors who from thence went into Swethland where they were received with much solemnity and rejoycing by the whole kingdome Their reception at the young Queens Court at Stockholm was very magnificent where a league was soon concluded and the Ambassadors dismissed as the manner is there with chains of Gold and her Majesties portrait in a Medall of Gold With the like readiness did the States of the Low-Countries receive the Ambassage brought thither by that worthy personage Tristano de Mendoza Hurtada and a Truce of ten years made with Portugal not a peace because the Hollander having conquered many places in Brasil Angola c. whilst those countries were under the King of Spain that neither side might be prejudiced the King of Portugal would not approve of the conquests because they were places depending on the Crown of Portugal nor could the States promise restitution because they now belonged to their West Indy Company who since have often violated the Articles of this Truce to the great dishonor of the States to whom so long as they neglect to punish the transgressors of their own Capitulations no State will treat or trust for the future seeing them so shamefully break their word without the least occasion given It was long debated in the Court of Portugal whether an Ambassage should be sent to his Holiness at Rome or else a more opportune conjuncture of time expected Some were of opinion that an Ambassage was to be sent thither without further delay because thereby they clearly testifying their duty and respect to his Holiness as he was Head of the Catholick Church Portugal should gain his good favour and an acknowledgement that his Majesty Don John was rightfull King of Portugall which would be of very much importance to the affairs of the Kingdom But these considerations seemed to others rather things desirable then feasable First because the King of Spain was at present powerful at Rome to oppose the reception of their Ambassador Secondly because the Pope although he was never in heart a Spaniard yet he would never yeeld to shew himselfe an enemy to the Catholick King Moreover the Spaniard cunningly fomenting the opinion which all the world had entertained That his Holiness did in all things incline to the French interest would from such a reception draw as much as they could ever ask or desire for this cause the Pope that he might not seem their enemy alwayes granted them what ever they demanded Therefore it was alledged That it would be better first to sound the mind and inclinations of his Holiness then to run the hazard of some disgrace and afront to his Majesty and the whole Nation And in case the Pope should resolve not to receive the Ambassage to whom could they appeal for the injury done to the Crown We see many Popes so bewitched with the interest of their own families as to give occasion to the world to believe that their aim is not what is absolutly the best but what is best for themselves An example hereof we have in Pope Gregory the thirteenth so affectionate to the kingdom of Portugal at first that he imployed the utmost of his power to hinder King Philip the second from usurping it yet shortly after for the interest of his own family approved all that was done by the same King Who hath more to give or at least to promise then the Catholick King Therefore in any business of competition he must necessarily have the advantage against all others Nevertheless the French promising their assistance at Rome and their intercession with his holiness it was at length resolved by the major part that an Ambassage should be speedily sent to Rome His Majesty hereupon made
Majesty better service by staying at home when all the rest of the Nobility were gone forth This answer much augmented the former suspitions of the Conde Duke wherefore he resolved to make use of the most exquisite dissimulation that ever he had done in all his life and because it was a most ticklish affair an extraordinary caution and subtilty was necessary First then the Conde Duke by Letters assures the Duke of Braganza he was well satified with his reasons and of his good inclination to his Majesties service Secondly to make a shew of true amity seemed to be very compassionate of what regarded the Dukes Interest Thirdly he assured him that the King was very well content that he should continue there to restifie unto him the confidence and trust was reposd in him made him General of all the Militia of Portugall leaving it to his choice to reside in what place he pleased neer Lisbon and to supply his present necessity sent him 60000 Crowns This Intrigue of the Conde Dukes appeared to those that saw onely the outside of the business so strange and so prejudiciall to the Kings interest that they cryed out This was the very way to lose all the rather because by calling back the Duke from his retired life at his Countrey House he was now exposed to the view of the Lisbonians in whose thoughts the House of Braganza hath ever been represented as right heir to that Crown that his presence must needs augment the hopes of the Portugals and new kindle their desires to have a King of their own Lastly That the Militia of Portugall was put into those very hands that aspired to the Scepter but this kind of dealing was the Conde Dukes ordinary course who was oft heard to brag that he gained much more by such counterfeit Caresses then with downright threats It was never Olivarez intention to trust the Duke but to carry the business so that the Duke might trust him And indeed what greater testimony of confidence could have been imagined then to send the Duke neer Lisbon give him the command of all the Forces and supply him with moneys All these crafts and subtilties no doubt would had bin enough to have charmed the Dukes spirit and to have made him to confide in Olivarez but that the particular acquaintance hee had with his dealings had instructed him to stand upon his guard In the mean time the Infanta Margarita upon whole shoulders all the good and bad events of Portugall was like to fall amazed at these manifest opportunities of Revolt were offered to the Duke advertised the King thereof by divers Letters whereunto she received cold answers full of Riddles and darkness the obscurity whereof a little after seemed much greater For without giving her any notice all the Spaniards that kept Garison in Saint Johns Castle which commanded Lisbon were drawn forth at a time when the safety and security of the whole Kingdom depended upon that Castles strength and that strength upon the fidelity of those Spanish souldiers but it was a stratageme wherein consisted the last attempt of Olivarez to secure the Duke and that his cunning might not be discovered but lie hid for a time staid till Summer 1640. before he would invite afresh the Duke to come to Court which he did at length by a large Letter wherein after ample testimonies of affection he much commended the Loyalty of the Duke his vigilance and diligence in his Office of Generall and the happy effects of his authority over the Portugals then represented unto him the sad condition of the Monarchy by reason of the disorders of Flanders disasters of Italy and the great preparations of the Turk but chiefly because of the most powerfull Enemies the French already entred into Spain by the assistance of the Catalonians that the onely way to save the Kingdome was to chase away these last but that this could not be well effected but by a vigorous assistance of all the Grandees of Spain of which he was the chief He might by his presence and with a good number of his Tenants give example to others and that to this end his Majesty expected him every moment with design to Honour him and conferr upon him priviledges and dignities of high concernment Now although the Duke was reputed a man not very well versed in the world yet he carried himself with so much wisdom and discretion that after he had supplied the King with a considerable number of his Tenants and Friends he refused to goe in person but using craft against craft retired himself to his Countrey house that so he might take off all suspition of jealousie that he plotted any thing against the State The Conde Duke in all this used all fair means because he saw there was no hope of prevailing otherwise insomuch that by reciprocal dissimulation each of them laboured to give testimonie of singular affection and perfect confidence The Infanta vigilant upon all ocasions observing these proceedings and foreseeing what would be the issue wrote to the King and to Olivarez very urgent letters protesting that if speedy remedy were not taken the Kingdome must needs be lost The King hereunto gave no answer but Olivarez in his Letters useth her like a silly woman fitter to govern a Family then a Kingdom bidding her that if she comprehended not the mysteries of State at least she should not discover them In the mean time Olivarez sent secret Instructions to Don Lopez de Ossis and Don Antonio de Oquendo after they had relieved Flanders with men and money to put in with his whole Fleet upon the Coast of Portugall and so soon as the Duke of Braganza should come aboard the ships according to the duty of his place and new office they should set sail and bring him away to Cales but that great Fleet was ruined by the Hollander upon the Downs in the year 1639. Hereupon it being thought necessary to weaken the Portugals by draining the Kingdom of superfluous humours a great number of Souldiers were drawn forth which inflamed more those ill humors that had been much stirred by the divers discontents and distaste which generally was taken against Vasconzellos chief Secretary of State who taking upon him the manage of all affairs leaving to the Infanta onely the bare Title of Vice-Queen governed absolutely according to his own will and pleasure being a man of unsufferable petulancy and set as controller of his Mistress actions and in Madrid the Principall affairs of Portugall were menaged by Don Diego Suarez father in law to Vasconzellos These with some other miscarriages were the true occasions of that generall revolt which was contrived in few days and executed in fewer hours For as soon as some of the chiefe Nobility privatly met together began the discourse of the many grievances intollerable taxations pride and arrogancy of the Castillians that were Officers of State in particular of the tyranny of Vasconzellos their Liberties violated
the Conde Duke with some other of the principall Spaniards were secured as Hostages for those Portugals that should be found at Madrid or else where in the Catholique Kings dominion Thursday following the Duke made his entry into Lisbon with the generall acclamations of all sorts crying God save King John all the Canons discharging Bells ringing with Bonfires and Fireworks for three nights following And the more to gain the peoples affections divers impositions were taken off prisoners set at liberty and Offices confer'd upon the Race of those whose Ancestors had enjoyed the same under the naturall Kings of Portugall All sorts of Men Clergy or Laymen or women brought in their Plate Gold Jewels c. to make money for the maintenace of this new Kingdome The Clergy brought in as a gift six hundred thousand Crowns the Nobility four hundred thousand and the people one Million of Gold The 15 of December the King was sworn and January the 28 following was delared and confirmed in a generall Assembly or Parliament of the Three States Lords Spiritual Lords Temporal and Commons of that Kingdom The King sent a courteous Complement by some Nobles to the Infanta Margarit of Savoy assuring her of all civill usage befitting a Princess of her quality desiring her withall to forbear all discourse whereby she might instill into his subjects hearts any opinion prejudicial to his most just and righteous cause But she notwithstanding with much boldnesse after many expressions of thankfulnesse to the Duke fell into a large and grave exhortation to thoâ—e Nobles to lay aside all vain hopes and return to their true allegeance not doubting to obtain pardon but the Rubicon was already passed nor is any Rhetorick powerful enough to perswade a King to quit a Royal Scepter The King was about 37 years old when he was proclaimed King affecting always a plain Garb and sober diet often saying that great personages ought to be affable and that any clothes becom them and any diet nourisheth them he is very active of body few there are that can outrun him and indeed he hath run wel that hath gained a Crown He hath â—y his wife the sister of the Duke of Medina Sidonia many sons and daughters Thus was the Kingdom of Portugal the best pearl in the king of Spains Crown utterly lost It is for wealth power and commodity of situation above all other that Kings Dominions It is 350 miles long and about 12â— broad lying all along upon the Sea thick peopled and powerful at Sea With it revolted all the Tercera Islands all the East Indies all upon the coast of Africa but onely one Town called Ceuta which is the onely place that belonged to the Portugall Kings that is now in the hand of the Spaniard Immediatly Ambassadours were dispatched into England and Holland but chiefly into Catalonia to offer them all aide and assistance possible The newes of the generall Revolt of Portugall stroke a generall sadness in all the Court at Madrid onely the Conde Duke came laughing to the King some would thereby collect that the Duke took great delight in chastising the people and imposing new Laws and demanded of His Majesty las Albricias as they call it that is A reward for bringing of good news for that His Majesty was now absolute over Portugall the People having forfeited all their Priviledges by their Rebellion and lawfull Owner oâ— all the Estate of the duke of Braganza and all the Nobles his followers to dispâ—â—se amongst his Loyall Subjects Although others imagine with more reason that the Conde Duke inwardly resented that business more then any man but according to his manner would set a good face on it After so many principall Feathers had been pluckt out of the Austrian Eagle as if the world had conspired to leave Her staâ—k naked some nearer home began to be plucking likewise The Duke of Medina Sidonia whose sister was now Queen of Portugall with some other discontented Nobles of Andaluzia the next best Countrey that the King of Spain had at this time resolve by the help of the Portugall their next Neighbour and the assistance of the French and Dutch fleet then near upon that Coast to Cantonize all Andaluzia and Medina Sidonia to bee Head thereof unless the King would bee perswaded to change the present Ministers of â—tate and require a â—ust account of so many Millions gathered of the People which if He would doe they would then continue his Loyall Subjects But the Conde Duke by his cunning extinguished this fire in the Birth for with much sweetness and fair words without the least violence he drew the Duke of Medina Sidonia to Madrid and secured his person as he stands at this day in Valliadolid and sent another Govern ur with such instructions that he satisfied or terrified all turbulent spirits These many disasters one upon the neck of another awaked the Court of Spain and so startled them that they now began to double their diligence and circumspecti insomuch that the Councell of State sate constantly morning and Evening to provide against the many storms that threatned on every side Not long before the disgrace and death of the Conde Duke was discovered the unparaleld Forgery of Michael de Molina and his Treachery in giving informations some false and some true to most of the Ambassadors of Forraign States which for its extraordinary strangeness for it is Exemplum sine Exemplo shall after this Relation be fully rehearsed But to proceed nevertheless the Conde Duke cast all the miscarriages in Portugall upon the Infanta and laboured as much as possibly hee could to hinder her from coming to Court lest she should justifie her self and cast if not suspicion upon his Loyalty yet at least a foul blot upon his Reputation therefore she being sent out of Portugall was by Olivarez means confined in Estremadurae and afterwards at Ocania near Madrid where shee was not allowed necessaries which made her at length privately fly away to Madrid Besides the Infanta he had also much discontented the chief Nobility who afterward all helped to pull him out of his seat for he never thought himself sufficiently assured in the Kings favor and command of the Kingdome unless after Tarquins example he abased instead of cutting off the Heads of the Grandees the house of Lerma the house of Toledo the Duke of Alva the duke of Ferrandino the duke of Hijar the dukes of Maqueda Lemos Fuentecalida Altamire c. All either ruined or disgraced by the Dukes means Onely the Conde de Monterey and the Marquess de Leganes were thought worthy by Olivarez to have part in the Government two Men of mean extraction and Fortune by their prodigious exactions for which they were called Los dos Ladrones the two Theeves raised to incredible wealth Whereat the prime Nobility of Spain were so much incensed that they all withdrew themselves from Court none waiting upon the King at Table at Chappell nor in Hunting
so that Olivarez now was said to bee sole Servant as sole Master of his Catholique Majesty at which time he was in his third Seventh year or grand Climacterical of his Favor for he declined and fell soon after beyond the hopes and expectation but on this side the desires and wishes of the wâ—ole Monarchy Because the Fall of this huge tall Cedar was so late and eminent the manner of his Fall the Ropes and Engines made use of together with the Persons that put their Hands to this work shall bee more particularly related The favour of the Count Olivarez duke of St Lucar which had continued twenty two yeares had cast so deep roots in the heart of the King that all the world believed it to be as immoveable as the old Oak that resists all storms and that it was never to be shaken neither by the Winds of Envie nor the Whirlwinds of persecution nor yet by the Tempests which of ten arise in Kings Courts by the conspiracies and conjurations of those who are ambitious of rule that which upheld this common conceite was the naturall inclination which the King had from his youth to the person and rare endowments of the Lord Duke an inclination which proceeded as some judged rather out of a kinde of respect then bare amity because the affection towards him which upon all ocasions he expressed was not a token of singular love only but of a certain fear to doe any thing that might give the least disgust to him which was no small diminution of his Royal greatnes and seemed to overthrow the very order which Nature and the lawes doth establish twixt King and subject insomuch that some out of respect to his Majesty would not question his prudence but rather believe and publish that this so strong passion could not be effected without some kind of witchcraft but the Dukes known vertues were sufficient to convince such popular slanders The first motives of the disgrace of the Lord Duke were the unfortunate successes of the Monarchy of Spain whilst he had the managing thereof In the losse of Ormus Goa and all those other vast dominions in the East Indies the losse of Brasile and the Terceras Ilands of the Kingdome of Portugal and the Principality of Catalonia the two most populous and fertile parts of all that Continent of Rossillion and a part of Burgundy of Hesdin and Arras in Flanders of divers strong Towns in Luxemburg of that most important Place Brisach The impoverishment and almost ruin of the Kingdomes of Naples and Sicily and of the Dutchy of Milan the losse of above two hundred ships at sea the extorting from the subject by First fruits One part whereof was employed towards the raising of Armies that were soon lost and to rigge Navies that were soon destroyed the other part hoarded up in the Coffers of the Vice Royes Governours Generalls and other Ministers of state his creatures â—ll these things laid together made the world desire to see the recovery of these losses built upon his ruins by his fall to see the rise of the Monarchy and by his disgrace and ruin to set up the reputation of the King and reformation of the State But desires effect little there must be vigourous endeavours to remove such a favourit with a resolution to ruin or be ruined no medium there Chi vuoll appicar il sonaglio alla gatta when none other durst venture to hang the bell about the Cats neck it was undertaken by the Queen It happened that the King going in person to his Army in Catalonia the Queen was left Governesse at Madrid where she had opportunity to employ and make known her rare qualities and endowments for abateing the austere gravity of the Spanyard and mixing it with the courtesy of the French she oft visited the souldiery about Madrid discoursed with the Captains took order for their pay encouraged them to serve faithfully the King caused Justice to be administred with integrity gave often audience to all sortes discontented none in the raysing moneyes and in all affaires behaved her selfe with such an heroick discretion that all men esteemed her the most deserving Queen that ever Spain had the fame of her merit that had been buryed so many years arrived to the Kings eare at his return to Madrid where shee took occasion to speake of the Interest of the Monarchy of the losse of Kingdomes and ruin of Armyes the want of money the continuall complaints of subjects and that the King might not imagine she spake in opposition to the Duke shee authorized all with the testimonies of some of the principall Ministers of state who had already agreed to second her so soon as she had broken the ice amongst whom was the Count de Castrillo who was the more forward herein not only because he was a lover of the Publick but also because he was brother to the Marques de Carpio who maried the Dukes sister whereby he had Don Lewes de Haro the present favorit who was the only nephew of the Duke yet disinherited by him to the end he might advance his bastard The King considering their discourse began to be perswaded at length that if the Duke had any longer the Managery of the state all would come to ruin hereupon every day abateing the fervour of his affections towards him he would sometimes reproach the Duke that hee was ill informed and sometimes that hee was a most unfortunate man The Duke fore-seeing his declination demanded leave to retire himself from the Court whereto the King answered coldly my Lord we ought both of us to devise some remedy for these misfortunes In the mean time it was noysed abroad that the favour of the Duke was so shaken that one shock more would down with it to the ground all men blessing and commending the Queen crying that the Isabells were ever fortunat to the Monarchy of Spain Isabell of Portugall wife of King John the 2 d overthrew the insolent favour of Alvares de Luna and discharged her husbands Kingdom of the tyranny of that favorite Isabella de Castile demonstrated to Ferdinand her Husband that in the Kings Court the Kings favourite ought to be none but the Queen that the subjects were born only to obey and the King to command and that the happy removall of this most puissant favourite could bee hoped from no other hand but of Isabella de Burbon When a Tree is falling every one cryes Down with it A Lady that was once the Kings Nurce Donna Anna de Guevara partly out of zeal to the Kings service and partly to be revenged on the Dutchess as the King was to pass by night from his Lodgings to the Queens she put herself in the passage casting herself at the kings feet having protested that she was not there to demand any grace at his Majesties hands but to render to the Crown of Spain the greatest service that it could receive she said that her motherly
affection enforced her to discover to his Majesty what perhaps many others durst not for human respects The King giving her leave to speak freely she represented unto him the generall affliction of his people the calamity of his Kingdoms the abuses committed in his Revenues the many losses on every side and the sad condition of the whole Monarchy of Spain shewing him that these evils were the judgments of God upon him for suffering the government of his Kingdoms which God had appointed for him onely to continue in the hands of another that now it was high time that his Majesty should be out of his minority and that he should not incense the wrath of God against him by suffering his poor subjects to be abused at least that he would have compassion on the Prince his Son who ran an hazard to be simple King of Castile or lesse concluding that if she had offended his Majesty by her liberty of speech she was ready to receive punishment being well content having given her milk for the good of her King to sacrifice her blood for the good of the Realms of her Prince The King having hearkned unto her with much attention answered Haveis hablado verdades You have told me the truth After this appears upon the Stage for perfecting the Catastrophe of the Dukes Tragedy the Infanta Margarite de Savoy Dutchess of Savoy who had been so roughly handled by the Duke both before after her leaving Portugall being secretly come from Ocania where she had been in a manner confined and arrived at Court the Duke did his utmost to debar her audience with the King and to discredit her in the Councell of State and would not vouchsafe to visit her Neverthelesse the Queen invited her to come to her Lodgeings and took order that she should have opportuity to speak with the King for two hours space The Infanta gave God thanks for her safe deliverance out of the hands of the Portugals that after so great sufferings she might once more appear in the presence of his Majesty to make known her innocence and the failings and errors of others made a brief Relation of all things past in Portugall making it appear that she was innocent and that the losse of Portugall was to be attributed to the carelesnesse and negligence if not to the intention of the Duke The Queen in the mean time failed not to help out the Infanta in all her discourse which left so deep an impression in the heart of the King that it may truly be said That the mortall wound was given that very day to the favour of the Duke To dispatch him the sooner it was represented to the King what little respect the Grandees bare now to his Majesty not waiting upon him as they were wont but all retiring themselves The King asked the Marquess of Carpio what was the reason hereof Who replied That being little accounted of by the Duke they judged it more meet to forbear the services they owed to his Majesty then to lie under the suspition of the Duke and to give him occasion by their residence at Court to make them feel the effects of his jealousie To help forward there happened a memorable accident in Segovia where six men masked entring by force into the Governors house who imagining them to be Robbers offered them money and all that he had so they would not defile his wife and defloure his daughters One of them answered That they were not come to rob him but to serve the King and delivering a paper into his hands told him that if he would save his life t he should go immediatly to Madrid and present this Writing not to the Duke but to the King himself that it contained affairs very secret and of great importance to the State and to the service of his Majesty and would not depart till they saw him upon his way to Madrid threatning to kill him if he performed not that whereto he was obliged as a subject and as a Minister of the Kings Being arrived he had audience of the King and so was sent back to his Government It was judged by the circumstances that the contents of the Writing was very prejudiciall to the Duke Hereunto may be added one thing more that might probably have a strong influence upon the spirit of the King for the removall of his Favourite The Marquess of Grana Ambassador in Madrid for the Emperour bringing with him the hereditary valour of the House of Caretti the courage prudence and conduct of Affairs whereof he hath given sufficient testimonies in the military imployments which he hath had many years in Italy in Flanders and in Germany together with his great gift of five Languages which he speaks as if they were all naturall hath gained him a great esteem with all men And the liberty which he used in speaking of the affairs of the State although it proceeded from the natural ingenuity and zeal towards the interest of the House of Austria rendring him odious to the Duke whose ears had been accustomed to hear onely applauses full of flattery and not the plain sincere truth having now an opportunity to revenge himself with Justice did it to the purpose For having received a letter from the Emperour to the King that the affairs of the House of Austria grew worse and worse every day so that if speedy order were not taken all would be ruined that his Majesty ought to consider wel the quality of the person that had made him lose Portugall Catalonia and so many other Dominions c. He presently communicates the same to the Queen together with his instructions that he had a part of what he should doe therein for the Letter was open and so had audience of the King where it may well be imagined with what violence and ardor he prest the affair against his enemy To all these assaults that came upon the neck one of another this was none of the least that the Prince Don Balthazar Carlos the only son of the King was now going into the fourteenth year of his Age yet to the great astonishment of all the world he continued under the tuition of Women without any Officers and servants given him after the manner of Princes whereas at the same time one of the Kings base sons of the same age had a Court formed him was declared Generalissimo of Portugall Prince of the Sea and Grand Prior of Castile for the order of Malta and named Don John de Austria and had the Marquess of Castanieda given him for his Governor whereat the people murmured greatly For this Don John was begotten upon a Woman of base Extraction called la Calderona a Comedian not handsome but of extraordinary pleasantness who is since made a Nunne The Youth being of excellent parts and like to make a gallant Man was much affected by the King though he be quite of another complexion The King having before been earnest to have
race of the Portugals who have made us Kings by their own valour without forreign assistance by their own valour and with the effusion of their own blood This law was put in execution after the death of D. Fernando the 9 King of that race whose daughter Donna Beatrice being married out of Portugal to the King of Castile D. John the first was excluded from succession and a new election made from which new election that we may hasten to our purpose lineally descended D. Emanuel the fourteenth King of Portugal who had six sonns and two daughters in this following order 1 The Prince D. John 2 The Infanta Dona Beatrice married to the Emperour Charles the fift by whom she had Philip the second 3 The Infanta Dona Beatrice married to Emanuel Duke of Savoy by whom she had Philip Duke of Savoy 4 The Infanta D. Lewis who left only Don Antonio illegitimate 5 The Infante Don fernando died without issue 6 The Infante D. Alfonso Cardinal Archbishop of Lisbon and Abbot of Alcobaza never married 7 The Infante D. Henry Cardinal and Arch bishop of Braga 8 The Infante D. Edward who left two daughters the eldest was Mary married out of the Kingdom to Alexander Farnese Duke of Parma the yonger was Catherine married in the Kingdome to John Duke of Braganza After the death of King Emanuel succeeded his eldest sonne Don John called King John the third whose only sonne that had issue called Prince John dieing before his father left D. Sebastian who succeeding his Grandfather was slain before he was married in that Signal battell in Africa famous for the deaths of three Kings anno 1578. where were unfortunatly lost with their King most of the Nobility and Flower of Portugal Upon the death of King Sebastian the crown returned to the eldest survivour of his Granfathers brothers which was D. Henry the Cardinal whose function for he was a priest rendred him as uncapable of marrying as his age for he was 67. years old rendred him unable for generation so that during his raigne which lasted not two years the chief discourses and debates not only of Portugal but of all Christendome was who rightfully and who probably should succeed King Henry There were some pretended right but wanted power others had power but wanted right and there were some pretenders that had neither right nor power First The People claymed jure Regni to have the right to elect their own King Secondly the Pope challenged jure Divino to be the arbitratour if not donour in all controversies for Crownes and that Alfonso the first King to obtain the title of King became Tributary to the sea of Rome Thirdly Don Antonio illegitimate sonn to the Infant D. Lewis pretended that his mother was lawfully wedded as well as bedded with his father Fourthly Catherine de Medicis widow of Henry the 2. King of France as descended from the King of Portugal D. Alfonso the 3. and for that all since that King have raigned unjustly Fiftly Philbert Duke of Savoy sonne to Beatrice younger daughter to Emanuel would not lose a Crown for want of laying claym thereto knowing that of all the pretenders that were not natives he was looked on as the fittest to resist King Philip not only for his personal valour but also for his dominions bordering on the Dutchy of Milan which in case of need he might invade by the assistance of the French his neighbours upon the other side 7 Reinuce the yong Prince of Parma laid claim to this Crown in right of his Mother Mary lately deceased alleadging that jure primogeniturae the male line was to be served before the female so that untill the line of his Grandfather the Infante D. Edward were wholy extinct neither Philip the 2. nor the Duke of Savoy could have any right Seventhly Catherine Dutches of Braganza pleaded that in all successions there are to be considered these four qualityes in the persons pretending viz thâ— line the degree the sexe and the Age that the better line is first to take place although others should have advantage in the other three qualities That in succession of Crowâ—es the last possessour is to be succeeded jure hered latis which allowâ—s the benefit of representation that she representing the Infante D. Edward the better line did by her representation precede Rainuce for the law allows not a Grandchild that benefit and by her better line exclude King Philip who descended from a daughter lastly by the fundamental Lawes of the Kingdom she was to be preferred before all other the pretenders for that she was both born and married within the Kingdome Eighthly Philip the 2. after all resolved that so faire a Crown lyeing so conveniently for him should not escape him yet because force is of harder digestion first to make triall of the most gentle meanes to effect his proposed ends to this purpose he employes the best wits of all the Vniversityes in Christendom to prove his and disprove all other claymes After much bickering it was alledged in favour of King Philip first against the Prince of Parma and the Dutchess of Braganza that successions of Crowns were to be decided by the Law of Nations not of the Empire upon which onely her jus representandi patrem was grounded that the neerest male in degree to the last possessour ought to succeed that the Infante D. Édw. being deceased before his brother Henry was King could have no right in himself therefore could derive none to his posterity for nemo dat quod in se non habet That it was very unreasonable that Catherine should be lesse prejudiced in her self for her sex then King Philip should be in his Mother Next it was alledged against the Queen of France that prescription of above 300 years whereas Lawyers allow 100 years a sufficient Title for any Kingdome lay most evidently against her Against the people it was answered That untill the Royall Line of a Kingdome be quite extinct there can be no right of election in them But the main Argument whereby King Philip confuted these and all other pretenders was his sword wherewith like another Alexander he cut that Gordian knot wherefore not to lose time nor opportunity whilst the University invented the most powerful Arguments he made all preparations possible for a powerful Army to be ready in the mean time wrought so effectually with Father Leon Henriques a Jesuit and Confessor to King Henry and Frier Ferdinando Castillo a Dominican that all intentions prejudicial to King Philips designes were craftily diverted as from declaring the Dutchess of Braganza next heir whereunto King Henry was most inclinable also from marrying in hopes of issue whereto he was once so farre perswaded as to endeavour a dispensation from Rome but his hopes and intentions were soon after cut off by death the newes whereof arriving to King Philip he marched away immediatly with an Army of above twenty thousand old Souldiers towards Lisbon where he found no
de Olivarez Duke of Saint Lucar that the best way to continue that Nation in subjection and peace was to abolish all their priviledges which were but so many encouragements to oppose the Kings designes in pursuance whereof the Dutchess of Mantua was made Governor of Portugal although she was neither Daughter Sister Aunt or Neece to the King the great Offices were bestowed upon Castilians Italians and other Forreigners pensions out of the Bishopricks and other Ecclesiastical promotions were also given to strangers the governments of Castles and Towns were put into the hands of Castilians new Impositions were laid upon the people the Revenues of the kingdome were imployed for the use of the Court at Madrid c. And that this design of Olivarez might be no way hindred the Nobility and ablest men of the Kingdome were drawn forth some to Court some to employments in Warre and some to prisons where they were destined to slaughter as appeared by a Letter written from Madrid to Vasconzellos his Agent at Lisbon where he saith por los cuernos de los Fidalgos que ya stan aqui bien puede V. M. rezar un pater noster por sus almas mus por aquellos que no han querido venir me recomendo As for those rascally Gentlemen of Portugal which are here already you may bid God have mercy on their souls but commend me to those that would not come But this hard dealing with the Nobility already called forth of forth of the kingdome and the calling for more gave the first occasion to some of the Noblemen to assemble together where they resolve Not only to stay at home but to have a King at home whereupon the Duke of Braganza Grandchild of the fore-mentioned Katherine by the name of Don John the Fourth now raigning was advanced to the Crown as is at large related in the life of Olivarez and therefore needs not here to be repeated Only hereunto shall be annexed the most memorable passages that have happened since hee came to the Crown The Kingdome of Portugall having been possessed by three Kings of Spaine successively from the yeare 1580. untill the year 1640. not full sixty years according to the prophecy of St Bernard for before Philip the second was received and sworn their King it was April 1581. whereas the present king of Portugall Don John the fourth was proclaimed on the first of December 1640. being then at Villaviciosa his Country-house upon the fifth of the same Month without any pomp or guard he entred into Lisbon yet with so great security as if he had been guarded with a most invincible Army whereupon he said That to be King and Soveraign of the Portugall Nation there was no neeed off any other Guard or Armes then the hearts of the people So soon as it was known in Lisbon that the King was arrived the concourse of People was so great before the Palace and the joy so extreme that for a time they seemed to be transported out of themselves some leaping others dancing some kissing the Kings hand others throwing themselves down at his Foot all shouting and crying Viva viva el Rey Dom Joam el quarto nosso Senhor God save the king D. John the fourth our Soveraigne Lord. That Evening all the Cannons were discharged and so many Fireworks and Lights that the Night was turned into Day whereat a Spanish Gentleman said Es possible que se quita un Reyno a el Rey D Felipe con solas Luminarias y vivas sin mas exercito in poder Gran senal y efeto sin duda del brazo de Dios todo poderoso Is it possible that king Philip should be deprived of a whole kingdome with only Lights and Fire-works without a powerfull Army Certainly this is an evident token of the Almighties power Upon the fifteenth following was the King solemnly crowned in the great place before his Palace upon a Theater wheron was raised a great Scaffold and upon that a lesser whereon was placed three steps higher a Chaire of State under a Canopy all covered over with cloth of Gold about Midday came forth his Majesty in a Suit of Chesnut-coloured Velvet embroidered with Gold and Buttons of Diamonds about his Neck a Collar of great value whereunto hung the habit of the chief order of Knighthood called El Orden de Christo He was girded with a gilt Sword his Robe was cloth of Gold lined with White wrought with Gold flowers his Train was born up by the Lord Chamberlain D. John Roderiguez before his Majesty was the Sword borne by D. Francis de Mello Marquis of Ferreira high Constable of the kingdome and before him the kings Banner displayed by Fernando Telles de Meneses as knight Marshall and before him the Marquis of Govea D. Manrique de Sylva Steward of the kings House with all the Grandees Nobility and Gentry before all went Portugall king at Arms with the Heralds Pursevants c. His Majesty being sate in his Chaire with a Crystall Scepter in his right Hand whereon stood the high Constable and behind the Chair the Lord Chamberlain There was placed before him a Table covered with cloth of Gold with a Cushion thereon and upon the cushion a Cross of Gold with a Missall then the Archbishops of Lisbon and Braga with the Inquisitor-Generall kneeling down upon a Cushion made his Oath to the kingdome as followeth WE swear and promise by the grace of God to Rule and Govern you well and justly and to administer unto you Justice as far as Humane frailty will permit to maintain unto you your Customes Priviledges and Liberties granted unto you by the Kings our Predecessors So God help Us and this his holy Gospel After this taken by the King the three Estates Clergy Nobility and Commons swore Allegiance to his Majesty in these words One for every Estate said I Swear by this holy Gospell of God toucht corporally with my Hand that I receive for our King and lawfull Soveraign the High and Mighty King Don John the Fourth our Soveraigne and doe Homage unto him according to the use and custome of his Kingdome This Ceremony being past Francis de Lucena Secretary of State standing in the middle of the Scaffold with a lowd voyce declared That his Majesty accepted the Oath and Homage which they had made Then the King at Arms having cried O yez thrice Ferdinando Telles de Meneses knight Marshal with a lowd voyce said Royal Royal Royal for the high and mighty Lord King John the fourth our Soveraigne and the Heralds with all the people ecchoed Royal Royal Royal Then all the Drummes Trumpets and Fifes sounding his Majesty came off the Theater and mounting on Horseback rode under a most rich Cloth of State towards the great Church with all his Grandees and Nobles before him bare headed on foot By the way in a great open place were presented unto the King together with an eloquent Harangue the keyes of the Citie which being
returned his Majesty rode forward with incredible acclamations and applause the Ladies out of the Windowes throwing down Flowers and sweet Waters upon their heads with a thousand benedictions c. In this pomp his Majesty was received at the Cathedral Church by the Archbishop in his Pontificalibus whence his devotions being ended he returned to his Palace with the like solemn magnificence The kingdome of Portugall being thus established care was taken to give timely notice hereof to all places under their subjection in all parts of the world so that not long after the King was with unexpressible joy proclaimed in the Island Madera in Porto Santo in Mazagan and Aer upon the coast of Africa in the Island of St Michael in the kingdome of Angola in the Tercera Islands although the Governor there made some resistance at first in Brasile in all the East Indies and as far as China On the 8 of January following with the like pompous solemnity the three Estates took an oath to the Prince in these words We acknowledge and receive for our true and Naturall Prince the high and excellent Prince D. Theodosio Son Heir and successor of our soveraign Lord the King and as his true and naturall subjects and vassals we doe him homage in the hands of the King and after the death of our soveraign Lord the King we will acknowledge and receive him for our true and naturall King and Soveraign of those kingdomes of Portugal and Algarbe and beyond sea in Africa Lord of Guine of the Conquests Navigations and Commerce in Ethiopia Arabia Persia India c. we will obey his Commands and Decrees in all and through all both high and low we will make war and maintain peace with all those that his Highness shal command us And all this we swear to God upon the holy Crosse and the holy Gospel Next day the King being placed on his Royal Throne there was an Assembly of the three estates in their rich Robes where D. Emanuel de Acugna Bishop of Elvas made a most eloquent speech the substance whereof was That one of the first Laws of Nature was the uniting of men together from whence Cities and kingdomes had their original and by which they after defended themselves in warres and maintained themselves in peace that for this cause his Majesty had called this Assembly to consult for the better service of God defence in warre and government in peace that there could be no service of God without union in Religion no defence without union amongst Men no Regular government without union of Councels That his Majesty did expect to be informed by his loyal subjects what was for the good of the State That they were to render thankes to the Almighty who had given them a King that would govern by the known Laws That his Majesty did not esteem those Tributes lawful that were paid with tears and therefore did from this present take off from his subjects all tribute that ever have been imposed by the kings of Castile because his Majesty will not reign over our goods nor over our heads nor over our priviledges but over our hearts hoping that you will find out a more sweet expedient to defend your Countrey against your potent enemy who threatneth to make us all slaves and to destroy and annihilate our Nation Let us therefore considering his Majesties goodnesse and our own honour manifest at once unto the whole world that as never subjects had such a gracious king so never king had such loyal subjects Then standing up the most ancient officer of the Chamber of Lisbon in the name of the three Estates who all stood up likewise returned humble thanks to his Majesty for his gracious bounty professing withall that they did not onely offer up their goods but consecrate their lives to his Majesties service that his Majesty might freely dispose of the one and the other to his service according to his pleasure c. In pursuance whereof they voted that two millions should be presently levyed by the kingdome but his Majesty not being willing that any money should be imposed upon the subject as a tax all men strove who should advance most freely so that in few dayes there were brought in 4 millions of gold not to pay souldiers for all offered their service to pursue the war gratis at their own charges but to maintain the splendor of the King and Kingdom The next resolution of this Assembly was to dispatch Ambassadors to all States of Christendom to enter into confederations for the better establishment of the Kingdom and reputation of the King In the first place his Majesty considering how much it did import to correspond with Catalonia that so they might joyntly not only defend themselves but also molest Castile which being as it were between the two arms of Portugal and Catalonia must needs be easily incommodated by them both at Sea and Land thither was sent Ambassador Father Ignatius Mascarenas a Jesuit with another Father of the same Order to offer them all assistance and supplies for their maintenance and defence against the Catholick King which Ambassy did so incredibly rejoyce and encourage the Catalonians that the very next day they obtained a most signal victory by couragiously defending themselves against the Spanish Army of 25000. men under the conduct of the Marquiss de los Veles The next was a most solemn Ambassage to the most Christian King Lewis 13. for which high employment were chosen two personages of great worth D. Francisco de Mello and D. Antonio Coello de Caravallio the one for his exquisite judgment and experience in State affairs and the other for his noble spirit and eminent knowledg in the Civil Law most fit to undertake so important a charge These two personages attended with a magnificent train landed at Rochel and upon the 15 of March made a most solemn entrance into Paris being met and conducted by 134. Coaches besides much Nobility on Horseback unto the Palace appointed for Extraordinary Ambassadors where they were entertained in a sumptuous manner at the Kings charges from thence were they carried by the Duke of Cheureuse and the Count of Brulon in the Kings Coaches unto his Majesty then at St Germains to receive their first Audience which was performed with extraordinary respect for upon the Ambassadors entrance into the presence chamber his Majesty rose out of his Chair and came forward three steps to receive them nor would the King suffer them to deliver their Ambassy vncovered or to kiss his hand at their departure but insteed thereof embraced them in his arms with a chearfull countenance promising them all the assistance that lay in his power From the Kings presence they were conducted to a Dinner provided for them and after that to the Lodgings of the Queen who sitting in a chair without armes rose up and coming forward two or three steps received them most courteously not permitting them to speak untill they
he went to visit his Majesty he would go to receive the Duke as farr as the middle of the chamber Besides the Princes of this Family had always a guard of their own to wait upon them even in the Kings Court. This then was the reward of that unfortunate prince for having left his Countrey Kindred Friends Interest fot having served the Emperour eight yeares at his own proper charges for having ventured his life upon all occasions with the formost expecting no other pay then thanks and no other recompence then honor Yet there wanted not some to defend the Emperour in this action alledging that it was no new thing for that Charls Duke of Burgundy had in the same manner delivered up the Count de St. Paul to the King of France who put him to death whereunto it was answered That all the misfortune of that Prince is by Philip de Comines and others attributed to that foul fact Ex isto tempore saith one nihil Carolo prospere successit sed calamitati accessit calamitas donec victus ab Helvetiis ad Nanecium miserrime trucidatus est When D. John the present King of Portugal had been fully informed how his brother was treated he was resolved to revenge himselfe by Arms but the Castilians beginning to make incursions upon all the borders of Porougal diverting his thoughts made him look neerer home to put the kingdome into a posture of Defence to fortifie his chiefe Townes and to train up all the people to the use of Arms. The Castilians in the inroads that they made into Portugal laid all waste before them spared neither sex nor age upon the taking of any place which so inraged the Portugals that to revenge themselves they did the like in an incursion into Galitia During these extremities of Barbarisme upon the confines of the kingdome there was wonderful tranquillity and unanimity at home onely some few thought themselves so farre obliged to the Catholick King as to re-establish him in his Throne amongst whom D. Sebastian de Matos Archbishop of Braga a creature of the Count de Olivarez was the principal who at the beginning of the revolt opposed himself so much that divers Gentlemen were once resolved to send him after Vazconzellos This Prelat having imparted his designe to D. Lewis de Meneses Marquess de Villa Real an ambitious man and to his sonne the Duke de Camigna both discontented becaus they thought themselvs not preferred according to their merits perswaded them that it was a most unworthy thing to suffer themselves to be subject to a fellow-subject but rather return to the obedience and loyalty of their ancient Soveraign who is able to bestow upon a deserving man more in one day then the Duke of Braganza in an hundred years c. Insomuch that they were soon gained Next the Archbishop draws in D. Augustine Manuele a man of noble blood excellent parts necessitous and never yet employed in any business all notable motives to make a man embrace desperate designes After him was assaulted Pietro de Baeza an upstart Christian as they call those Christians whose ancestors were once Jewes this Gentleman famous for his vast riches and his great intimacy with that eminent Favourite the Count Olivarez was wont to say That Olivarez favour would one day advance him either to high honor or else to a high gallows which proved precisely true as will appear anon These with some few other Conspirators oft assembled themselves privatly to consider how their designs might be speedily put in execution for which purpose some were of opinion that many more were to be drawn into the plot But then it was feared on the one side that thereby the design might be discovered on the other side that there was a necessity thereof for that without communicating to others the business rested onely in the Idaea Others advised that the assistance of the King of Spain was to be got in readiness but that then the King of Portugal would make as great preparations and so render that way difficult yet some replied that thereby the Spaniard by way of intelligence might be the more easily let in but that seemed as difficult because the whole Militia was in the hands of persons most trusty to the King Another time they had thoughts of taking the King out of the way by some sudden violent death which by some more moderate was opposed and that rather some way was to be invented to cause his Majesty to renounce his title to the Crown and to retire himself out of the danger represented unto him In this wavering condition most of them inclined to a mediocrity although the same in all eminent attempts is the very stepmother of good success Moderate resolutions are the most of all pernitions where a designe is to begin with execution Yet some more valorous and less wary then the rest were of opinion that they should presently set upon the the work and leave the successe to the disposition of Fortune insomuch that of many Irons that were in the fire none was yet hot Amongst the conspirators divers of them notwithstanding his Majesties express prohibition kept secret correspondence with the Court at Madrid by the means of divers persons much suspected The King of Portugal who had alwayes an eye upon the Archbishop of Braga and the Marquess de Villa Real knowing their disaffection from the beginning at length intercepts some of their Letters wherein was discovered the names of the conspirators and the whole treaty wherefore his Majesty desiring to secure all their persons at once without any noyse gave order that by sound of Trumpet and Drum as the custome is it should be proclaimed That his Majesty intended to goe abroad forth of the Citie whereupon all the Nobility out of their great affection to his Majesty were soon assembled to wait upon him When the King saw them all ready he commanded first to call a Councell of State where some of the conspirators assisted being there sate he caused them all to be arrested one by one without the least disturbance which certainly could otherwise have been hardly prevented for if the conspiracy had been known before the persons were in custody there would not have been so much danger of their escape as to have been immediatly without expecting the course of justice torn in pieces by the people Besides the wisdome of his Majesty would that by the usual forms of Justice their crime might be as manifest to the world as their punishment So so on as these were safe in prison his Majesty proclaimed a pardon to all complices of this conspiracy that should come in within four days and confess their fault but the diligence of the King had been so exquisite that there was not one man left to take the benefit of that grace Not many days after they were all solemnly arraigned found guilty of high Treason condemned and executed in manner following Upon the last of August 1641.
the Marquis de Villa real the Duke de Camigna his son the Count de Armamac and D. Augustin Manuele were led along a Gallery made of purpose to the Scaffold whereupon were built two stories one above another upon the uppermost there were placed two chairs upon the second story one chair and upon the Skaffold it self another First was led forth the Marquiss in a long black baies cloak and his servants in mourning who after he had prayed for a good space upon his knees rose up and having made a long speech demanded if there were no hopes of pardon upon which all the people cryed out let him die let him die for a Traytor then the Executioner according to the manner with a loud voice proclaimed This is the Justice that the King our Soveraign Lord commands to be executed upon the person of Don Lewes de Meneses sometime Marquiss of Villa Real that his throat be cut as a Traytor to his Majesty Nobility and people of this Kingdom that for his crime his goods be confiscated and his memory banished out of the world Whereat all the people cryed Justice which the Marquiss hearing with much gravity demanded pardon of all the spectators desiring them to assist him with their prayers to God for a pardon of this and all his other sins then turning to a father Jesuit his Confessor prayed him that in his behalf he would present himself at his Majesties feet and beseech him out of his goodness that he would vouchsafe to forgive him this hainous offence committed against him and the whole Kingdom after which sitting down in the chair his arms and legs were tied to the arms and legs of the chair then leaning his head over the back of the chair the Executioner with a knife cut his throat after covering him with a black silk In the same manner upon the same Skaffold appeared his son the Duke of Camigna attended with all his servants in mourning passing by his fathers corps he kneeled down and several times kissed his feet begging of the people the suffrage of one Pater noster for his fathers soul then sitting down in the other chair after the proclamation of the Executioner received the same punishment The Judges would have had both their necks to be cut behind but his Majesty would not give way thereunto being a punishment too ignominious in Portugal for persons of their quality After these appeared the Count of Armamac attended with one only servant who in the chair placed in the lower story received the same punishment as also D. Augustin Manuele upon the skaffold below The same day Pietro de Baeza and one Melchior Correa de Franca being drawn at an horse tail to the place of execution were hanged upon a gallowes extraordinary high Upon a lower gallowes in the same place were hanged Diego de Brito Nabo and Antonio Valente the quarters of these four last mentioned were hung up at the gates of the City and their heads set up near the frontiers of the Kingdom In September following for the same crime were likewise executed Antonio Cogamigno and Antonio Correa the later of which all the time of his imprisonment was an example of penitence feeding only upon bread and water and whipping himself every day with continual prayers to God for pardon of that and his other sins The Archbishop of Braga the Bishop of Martiria and the Bishop of Malacca and Fryer Emanuel de Macedo although they were complices in the same conspiracy yet because they were Ecclesiastical persons were not put to death as they deserved but reserved in prison untill the Popes pleasure were known concerning them The Archbishop during his imprisonment did oft acknowledg his offence by Letters to his Majesty desiring that himself might suffer so that the others might be spared in regard that what they had done was rather in obedience to him then ill will to his Majesty Upon his death-bed in prison which happened about three years after the fact committed he gave order that so soon as he was dead his last Will and Testament should be carried to the King wherein he besought his Majesty that he would vouchsafe of his goodness to pardon him the Treason committed by him against his Majesty and his native Country and that he would let his body be buried without the Church of any parish of Lisbon without any inscription or tombe stone that so there might remain no memory of a man that had been a Traytor to his King and to his Country A good example of Christian humility and of admonition to others not to meddle with the like affairs for attempts of this nature are like hot irons which insteed of heating scorch the hands of those that handle them This so exemplary punishment and rigorous justice inflicted upon the forenamed delinquents did not only establish the Kingdom and secure the Family and Person of the King but also strook a terror into all the Kings Enemies if there were any left and excited the Kings friends to love him and watch over him the more diligently The mutual incursions upon the frontiers between the Castillians and Portugals still continued with great animosity and violence About this time although there was a truce concluded between Portugal and Holland as afore expressed and a great Navy sent from Holland to assist the Portugal against the Spaniard yet there passed high acts of hostility between the two Nations in Africa and America beyond the Line for the Hollanders seeing the disunion of Portugal from Castile made all possible haste to finish the conquest of those parts before a perfect peace should be concluded with Portugal that so in the Treaty they might pretend reason that all things should continue in the state they were then found to this end during all quiet and peaceable commerce between the two Nations in the Kingdom of Angola the Hollander surprised the Portugals that were Governors of the place killing divers and robbing all of the great wealth there found of which perfidiousnesse and of the barbarous usage towards the prisoners there taken complaint was made to the States at the Hague but without any satisfaction In the mean time the Catholick King was very sollicitous for the recovery of Portugal for the effecting whereof he did not consult only with his greatest Statists at home but also with those abroad from one of whom he received this ensuing Letter By the Letter which your Majesty was pleased to write unto me on the 6 of March past I am commanded to deliver my advice touching the best expedient for the recovery of Portugal Sir the Clemency used by King Philip the second your Majesties Grandfather towards the Kingdom of Portugal was a fatal presage of the present calamities and future destruct on not only of Spain but the whole Spanish Monarchy because that Kingdom was only in name but never really Conquered remaining rich and aboundant with the same if not greater priviledges then
before The Grandees and Nobles at home the people not at all crushed and which is more then all the Government in the hands of natives and all his Majesties other Subjects excluded from all places of power honor or profit Sir the holy Scripture which is the mirror and rule of our actions teacheth that when Salmanasar conquered the Kingdon of Israel he did carry away not only the Royal Family but transported all the Nobility and People into divers Provinces of his own kingdoms and into the new Conquests sent new inhabitants yet the Israelites were never such inveterate enemies to the Assyrians as the Portugals with Divellish madnesse have shewed themselves against the interest and conveniences of this Monarch Moreover in the same Scripture it is read That Nebuchadonosor having conquered Jerusalem transplanted all that he found in that kingdom leaving onely a few miserable inconsiderable people to remain there So Athalia Queen of Judah saw no other way to preserve a kingdom newly conquered but by extinguishing all the generation upon whom the Jews could cast their eyes in hopes of revolt And Jehu King elected by God extinguisht all the family of Ahab together with all his dependents friends and acquaintance not sparing so much as the Priests These Sir are the Rules that the holy Scripture teacheth to be practised upon the Families and People that abhor the dominion of their own Soveraignes It was Sir very fatall to stand expecting and hoping for better times and opportunities for the securing of Portugal In the year 1638. observing the ill affection of that Nation my advice was that without any delay that kingdome was to be secured by force of Armes others were of the same judgements but Fate would have it that for fear of new troubles by delayes way should be made for a Rebellion then which there could not have been a greater although that form of Government which was expedient for the Spanish Monarchy and was alwayes held necessary for preserving that Crown had been put in execution with the greatest violence imaginable But when a Jewel is gone the main inquiry should be by what means it may be found again not how it came to be lost The first means then of recovering that Crown may be what your Majesties Grandfather made use of to buy your rights of your own subjects by Gifts and Promises wherein your Majesty is to be as prodigall as the Portugals are insolent in expecting and demanding and indeed experience teacheth that that Nation is so addicted to their own interest that more may be effected this way then by a powerfull Army to him will they be subject who wil give most or from whom most can be expected herein prodigality wil be good husbandry For when Portugal shal be returned to the obedience of your Majesty all that wealth which hath been bestowed amongst them wil return likewise The second means is by force of Armes but this wil be difficult at present by reason of the severall engagements of this Monarchy elsewhere I suppose Sir that in case Portugal should be conquered by force all their conquests in the Indies c. wil remain in their hands for thither wil they all fly and from thence they wil be alwayes ready to assist our enemies wherefore it would be very expedient for your Majesties service that a Truce were first made with the Hollanders upon condition that they make warre upon the Portugal in the Indies and have what ever they can conquer Whence will arise this commodity that they will want the wealth of their conquests your Majesty being disengaged with the Hollander wil the sooner conquer them at home and the Hollander wil onely come to receive to day at the hand of your Majesty what to morrow the Portugal must deliver up unto them At the same time the Hollanders and Flemings may scour the Coasts of Portugal and the English be invited to a more frequent navigation into the East Indies and China whereby the Portugal Trade there may easily be ruined The third way is That the Pope be perswaded to thunder his Excommunications against the House of Braganza and against the whole Kingdom as perjured and perturbators of the publick peace animating all Christian Princes to assist in the regaining that kingdom upon pretence of advancing the Catholick Faith Moreover diffidencies and jealousies between the Duke of Braganza and the people may easily be fomented by the means of Merchants strangers and by Flemings and Burgundians under the name of French And to effect these diffidencies the better a Treaty may really be begun with the Duke which being discovered by the people though it be before the Duke could know therof they will destroy him and all his Family and in such case the civill dissentions will open a way for your Majesty to recover your right Desperate evils must have Desperate remedies the kingdome of Portugal is the canker of the Spanish Monarchy therefore Ense recidendum est ne pars syncera trahatur Let not your Majesty defer the right remedy the greatest rigor is here the greatest charity and to have no charity is to have much prudency to bury this Hydra in its own ashes will be triumph enogh to live without this arm is better then to have it employed against its own head Let your Majesty never believeor hope better of that nation then you have seen these 60 years past never think to keep that Countrey if not planted with other people the detestation against your Majesties government is hereditary The interest of the King Sir it very ample and hath no bounds against Rebels every action is just and honourable that tends to the recovery of the Kings right Moreover a Truce is to be made with the Catalonians wherby they being freed from the tumultuous courses of warre will have time to take notice of the French insolencies and growing weary of that yoke wil at length easily embrace the next opportunity to return to their obedience which once effected will make the whole people of Portugall waver between hopes and fears and beget variety of opinions amongst them which for the conquering of kingdoms the Emperour Julian was wont to say is much more advantageous then the power of an Army as the Grandfather of your Majesty found in the succession of Portugal To this may be added that it will be very expedient that your Majesty name Bishops to dispose of all Governments and Offices of that Crown to the the most confiding persons in that kingdom for this will beget distrust amongst them all and the ignorant people not knowing whom to trust will put all into confusion whereby your Majesties service will be more easily advanced Thus in obedience to your Majesties Com mands I have imparted my weak advice wherin if I have erred your Majesties goodness will attribute it to my want of abilities nâ—t of affection God preserve the Catholick and Royall person of your Majesty as the Christian world and
â—e your Majesties subjects have need But to return to the affairs of Portugal which were at this time a little discomposed by the generall discontent and distast taken at the Secretary of State Don Francisco de Lucena who having lived long in the Court of Spain was at length by Olivarez means made Under-Secretary to Vazconcellos and for his readiness to proclaim King John and his abilities in that place his Majesty continned him there relying upon him with so great affection and confidence that although some had advertised his Majesty that he held correspondence with the Court at Madrid yet he would not suspect his integrity untill the whole three Estates being again assembled upon urgent occasions openly fused all Acts that should passe the hands of Secretary Lucena and gave his Majesty to understand That untill Lucena were brought to triall there should be no further proceeding in the Assembly of Estates whereat his Majesty was much moved yet out of his prudency resolved to give satisfaction to his subjects by delivering his Secretary up to justice but that he might have a fair procceding the King sate in person during the examination of witnesses in the mean time by the Post came secret information to his Majesty whereupon were imprisoned the brocher and three servants of the Secretary together with an English Monk and a Cavalier of the habit Not long after Lucena was arraigned and found guilty of betraying his trust intelligence with the enemy negligence of timely advertising the Infante Don Duarte to retire out of Germany c. for which he was condemned and executed in a publick place in Lisbon where he protested to the very last his innocency touching any treachery towards his Majesty With the death of the Secretary the three Estates were satisfied and according to his Majesties command had assembled themselves Septem 18. 1643. taking their places in their wonted manner the Dukes upon velvet Chairs without Armes the Marquesses upon Forms covered with red Cloth the Earls upon Forms covered with ordinary Cloth the Prelats apart upon Forms covered with velvet and all the Deputies of Cities and Towns upon plain forms in order on both sides with a passage in the middle Being all sate Don Emanuel dâ— Acugna Dean of his Majesties Chappell rose up and after reverence made to the King placed upon his Throne delivered an elegant speech the sum whereof was That in the space of 60 years that the Kingdom was under the power of the Kings of Castile there had been but two assemblies of Estates the first to enslave them the next to abuse them But since they were under the obedience of the present King whom God preserve within the space of two years they have had two Assemblies the former to settle their liberties the present to beget a right understanding between the King and his people wherein they had all freedom to demand what ever was necessary that the world might see that they are now no longer slaves but children no longer strangers but natives and that they are under rather a loving father then a severe soveraign In the former Assembly said he his Majesty took all the Customs and left the defence of the kingdom to your hands you ordered what seemed good unto your selves you made choyce of a general assistance by way of contribution but in the levying thereof the first payment was found uneffectuall the second unequal the third unsufficient whence arose some complaints some imagining that the fault procceded from the unequal division of the contribution others from the change of value in money and commodities and others from the disorderly gathering and disbursing the whole I may easily say if there were any error committed yet it might be excusable for that Never had any weighty affair its conception and perfection at once Then shall errors cease to be in Government when men shall cease to be in the world These things are to be endured with the same patience that Drowths Dearths Inundations and such other disorders in Nature for the wit of man cannot hold forth a remedy for all diseases But certainly there will be no ground of reprehension though much of admiration to him that shall consider how his Majesty entred upon a Kingdom exhausted by the Castilians of money and other necessaries for offence or defence and yet how in lesse then one year and a halfe we should want neither shipping nor Artillery nor Horse nor Arms nor Fortifications nor Armies upon the Frontiers Three powerfull Fleets put to Sea divers honorable and extraordinary Ambassages besides many other secret yet necessary expences all which will astonish any understanding man Now toâ— the end that the people may have full satisfaction his Majesty commadded that before farther proceeding it be made appear particularly how all the money received hath been laid out and then it is expected and the present state of affairs requireth that we all contribute liberally considering that these charges are but for a time but our liberties are for ever that we shall never have a better opportunity to destroy our enemy that Nature teacheth to hazard an arm to save the whole body the Merchants at sea cast away one part of their goods sometimes to save the rest we are now on shipboard in a storm our goods our lives our liberties our honour our Countrey are all in danger Moreover the barbarous usage of the King of Castile towards the Infante Don Duarte calls upon this Assembly for revenge that we spend not onely our mony but our bloud in affection to him and that we make our enemies spend theirs in satisfaction for him c. The three Estates encouraged by this Harange took a good order for the redressing of all grievances and advancing his Majesties service that soon after an Army of twenty thousand Foot and three thousand Horse were upon their march with the King in the head thereof resolved to make the feat of war in Castile which was performed with much gallantry and as much success In the mean time news was brought to his Majesty of the birth of his second sonne but first child after he came to the Crown for which cause he was baptized with as great pomp as could be devised and was named Alfonso About the same time there arrived from the Indies some rich Galeons that brought news with what generall applause and excesse of joy his Majesty was proclaimed throughout all those Countries But because all men understand not how considerable the severall dominions belonging to the Crown of Portugal and now in the possession of King John are I thought fit here to make a brief narration thereof The Crown of Portugal at this day enjoys considerable estates in the East Indies that they may be called a mighty Empire for to say nothing of Madera Tercera and St Michael Islands so long time possessed by the Portugal nation they have made themselves masters of many strong places in Africa as in Guinea
in the kingdom of Congo and Angola the great Island of St. Laurence of Soffala and Mozambique on the Continent thence passing the mouth of the red Sea they have setled a Trade with Socatra and Calaiate thence passing the Bay of Persia and the mouth of the great river Indus which gave occasion of the name to those countries they subdued Calecut Cochim c. the Island of Goa Cial Daman c. thence towards the river Ganges they conquered Ceilam Malacca Sumatra Solor Larantuca c. thence farther forward they entred into the kingdome of Pegu into Juva major and minor into the kingdome of China where they held a strong place called Macao In summe the Kingdoms Provinces Islands Cities that the Nation of Portugal hath conquered abroad may be compared to the ancient Roman Empire nor hath their valour been much inferior to that of the Romans if we consider the warre they have made with the King of Cambaia who for puissance riches and military courage surpaspassed Xerxes Darius or Pyrrhus the warre they have made with Isamalucco Idalcam in the kingdom of Decam both equall to mighty Kings whose Armies consisted of Persians Turkes Janizaries Arabs Moors and the best warriers of all the East the warre they have waged with the Moores of Malacca Sumatra and Molucco who were as well provided of Artilry as any of the Princes of Europe also with the Kings of Bengala Peug Siam many other formidable powers It is true that during the time that Portugal was under the Catholick Kings many places were lost yet there remains to this day under the command of K. John the fourth above fifty Towns and Forts accounted impregnable as Mozambique Cuama Monomotapa Mombaza Mascale Diu Damam Bazain Chiaul Onor Barcelor Mangalor Cananor Cranganor Cochim Coulam Negapatan Meliapor the Isle of Ceilam the kingdome of Jafanapatan the Cities of Manac and Nombre de Jesu then more Northward Azarim Danu Agazim Maim Trapor and many other places in all which are maintained Governors and Souldiers besides in the head Citie Goa there is a Viceroy with all Courts of Justice whither many Kings of the East send Tribute and Ambassadors to maintain amity with the King of Portugall insomuch that the Portugall Trade extends itselfe into the East neer four thousand leagues by which are maintained all the Garrisons all the ships whereof there are oftimes two or three Fleets and much wealth sent home every yeare Upon the coast of Africa the Crown of Portugall yet possesseth divers places so well fortified that the neighbouring Moores could never yet recover them In America the famous country of Brasile belongs to the King of Portugall one thousand foure hundred leagues on the coast thereof containing 14. governements whereof the head City is Saint Salvadar But to return to the Frontiers of Portugal where we left the Portugals and Castillians making inrodes wasting the Country surprising the Towns ofts kirmishing but never yet in any set Battel untill the year 1644. where both Armies met upon the borders of Portugall in a plain called Campo-Mayor The Spanish Army consisting for the most part of strangers was under the conduct of the Marquess de Torrecusa and the Portugal Army consisting of Natives with some few Hollanders were under the command of Matthias de' Albuquerque The batail was fought with as much order as courage on both sides but the Spaniard being more numerous especially in Horse after severall furious charges put the whole Army of Portugal into disorder seised upon all their Artillery and Baggage killed Albuquerques horse under him and took many prisoners yet after all the Generall being mounted upon another horse rallied some of his best Souldiers and charging afresh recovered all put to flight the whole Army of their Enemies and chased them above 3 miles Of the Spanish Army there were slain 1600 men upon the place amongst whom was the Lieutenant General the General of the horse and the General of the Artillery 5 Campmasters 2 Adjutants of horse 3 Sergeant-Majors 23 Cornets the Count de Montixo together with very many Cavaliers of the Orders of Saint James Calatrava and Alcantara there were taken 4000 Armes and above 1000 Horse Of the Portugal Army were slain not above 300. amongst whom 2 Campmasters and one Sergeant Major one Captain of horse and eight of Foot but there were taken prisoners divers Noblemen Commanders and Officers which were hurryed away by the Castillians in their flight Not long after was imprisoned in Lisbon the Marquess de Montalban D. George Mascarenas Lord Treasurer President of the Councell of the Indies and a Councellor of State together with some others upon suspition of a conspiracy against his Majesty but upon Examination it being discovered that the suspicion was cunningly raised by the Castillians with intent to deprive his Majesty of the service of his most able Ministers and to make the World believe that the Portugall Nobility were discontented with their King they were set at liberty and their honors repaired by his Majesties Proclamation In this condition stood the King and Kingdom of Portugall in the year 1644. and in this condition it may probably continue for many years First because the Catholick King will not probably quit his pretences here sooner then he hath done in the Netherlands Secondly because the Nation of Portugall beareth such extraordinary affection to the whole Family of their present King and such exceeding hatred to the Castillians that they will choose rather to be extirpated and destroyed then bee brought again under the yoke of the Catholick King Thirdly because the Catholick King is not able during the warr with France to gain any thing upon that Kingdom either at home or abroad as hath bin evident ever since King John the Fourth came to that Crown Fourthly because it is so much the interest of France to keep the Crown of Portugall apart that the peace with Spain will never bee concluded without including Portugall Lastly supposing that by all the States of Christendom contrary to their owne interest the Kingdom of Portugal should be abandoned to the fury of the Spaniard and granting that Philip the second made himself master thereof by force yet if their then impuissance and distractions be remembred and their present power and unanimity be consider'd it must necessarily be concluded That the Re-union of Portugal with Castile is morally impossible FINIS * A Grandee of Spain is any Nobleman that hath the priviledg to be alwayes covered in the Kings presence as all Noblemen had before the time of Charls the fifth