at night on the twenty first of February 1680. and acquainted him with the good news No body had any reason to be surprized at the Duke's elevation It seems he had promised himself the place some time before whether it were because the King gave him his promise or that some outward appearances assured him of it However it was it was agreed upon by all hands at Court that the King could not have made a better choice He was a person in whom all good qualities were to be found his agreeable Conversation his obliging Character his noble and generous Deportment his free easie Temper made him beloved by all theâ— world People only wundered that being so great a Lord as he was he would sacrifice his repose to the administration of Affairs that were then in a miserable condition They could scarce imagine and perhaps he was of the same opinion himself how he could ever be able to remedy evils of so inveterate a malignity Before he could effect this he must in all appearance make an intire Change in the ordering of the Monarchy but this was an impracticable design and impossible to be executed As soon as the choice His Majesty had made in favour of the Duke came to be publickly known all Persons that were of any Quality went to complement him as well the Ministers of foreign Princes as the Grandees of Spain The next day being accompanied by all his Friends and Relations he repaired to Court to kiss his Majesty's hand and thank him most humbly for all his great favours On the following days he received visits in his Bed pretending a slight indisposition to exempt himself from the fatigue of Ceremonies His Apartment and Furniture were extreamly magnificent but it is an odd sight to see a Spaniard in his Bed of State because they wear no Morning Gowns here but only their Golilia and black Cloaks and have their Hats on or else are bare-headed for the Men as well as the Women wear no Caps He had enjoyed the place of Sumiller de Corps i. e. Lord Chamberlain for a long time and in this Quality he was the only person that commanded in the King's Chamber and lay there He did not delay to give publick Audience in the Hall which they call the Rubis and is the place where the Council of State uses to assemble 'T is under the King's Apartment Here it was that the Duke received the visit of the Nuncio and the Venetian Ambassador they did not seem to be pleased at the manner wherein the Chairs were disposed because it could not absolutely be determined whether either of them or he had the Chief Place of Honour Besides this he only reconducted them to the middle of the Hall of Audience They acquainted the Marquess de Villars with it who told them that he had designed to make that visit along with them because the Ambassadors of the Chappel generally acquit themselves of these sorts of devoirs together but that he was not displeased with himself for not being there since he was resolved to take direction by the fault they had committed and that he would not neglect as they did to use all necessary precautions about the Step Place and Rank and would be assured both of the one and the other before he performed that Ceremony In short he sent to the Duke to know whether he would not receive him as Don Louis de Haro used to receive the Ambassadors of France he immediately agreed to it and that there might be no mistakes committed the places were marked out and every thing was adjusted before the day of Audience The other Ambassadors were concerned at the oversight they had committed and by this visit of our Ambassador regulated those they continued to make to the Chief Minister The Count de Monterey kissed the Kings hand and the Queens he complemented them from the part of the City of St. Iago de Compostella the Marquess d' Astorgas did the same from the City of Avila About this time Don Francisco d' Agourto was nominated by the King to be Master of the Camp General of the Cavalry The Envoy extraordinary from England surprized all the Court by the strict prohibition he gave his Domesticks not to suffer any Ecclesiasticks or Religious to come within his Doors The young Queen was so taken up with the diversions of the Carnaval that she had scarce opportunity to perceive that this was a set time of mirth and jollity Her best days were spent in hunting with the King and the three last days of the Carnaval there was a Comedy represented upon the Theatre at Buen-Retiro which is a well-contrived Building The King and the Queen saw it on the Sunday the next day it was acted before the several Councils and on Tuesday before the Officers of the City The Queen being informed that the Dutchess de Bejar and the Marchioness de Castel Rodrigo who had never bore any Children before were each of them delivered of a Son begged leave of the King to send them word that she wished them joy I agree to it says the King smiling on condition that within nine months they will come in their turn to perform the same complement to you All Spain impatiently expected to see what remedies the New Ministers would apply to those disorders that seemed for a long time to be radicated in the Monarchy but whatever good intentions he had to rectifie them he found it a difficult matter to put them in execution The King's Treasury was exhausted several private Families ruined the price of all Commodities excessive high and these perplexities were heightned by the connivance of the Magistrates and the length of time During the Ministry of Don Iuan nothing had been set in order and since his death one would have thought they had affected to abandon all manner of business To this we may add that the Duke de Medina Celi had never been in any employ where he might learn that experience which is so necessary for Government He was born and bred in the Genius of Madrid which is so supine and careless that nothing almost is determined there Nay what is more he suffered the Master of the Council to deliberate about the Publick Affairs after the same manner as he did before his Ministry and submitted to take his Counsel he likewise erected Iunta's to debate of those things which he supposed to carry any great difficulty with them He erected one amongst the rest to which he nominated the Constable the Admiral and the Marquess d' Astorgas all which three were Councellors of State he also admitted three Divines whereof the King's Confessor was one and three Councellors of the King's Council to examine along with him the Affair of the President of Castile about which the Nuncio made so great a noise The occasion of this Dispute was this Monsieur Mellini the Nuncio had a mind to preside over a Chapter of Religious whom they call
Iuncta that was erected to determine the Affair between the Nuncio and Don Iuan de la Puente y Guebarra President of the Council of Castile decided it on the 12 th of April He was sentenced to be banished and turned out of his Office The Nuncio demanded of them that they would oblige him to go to Rome to take off the Suspension he had incurred but they thought they had punished him sufficiently Abundance of people said That these great Names he took upon him did not belong to him and that his true Name was Don Iuan de Montesillo and that he was barely a Gentleman of the Province of Castile He finished the Course of his Studies at Salamania and afterwards was made Canon of Toledo His Behaviour mightily pleased the Archbishop of Toledo who was at that time Cardinal of Arragon and taking a delight in his Conversation trusted him with the Management of all his Affairs He acquitted himself so well in this Station that the Archbishop took care to recommend and make him known to Don Iuan of Austria whom he extreamly pleased by the Suppleness of his Carriage and the Vivacity of his Genius And whether that Prince had any particular Designs upon him or only intended to prefer him to acquit himself of the Promise he had made to the Cardinal he made him President of the Chancery of Valladolid Some time after the Count de Villambrosa who was President of Castile happening to die the Prince gave his Place to Don Iuan de la Puente To say the truth he only executed that Office by a Commission but it was a very great Post and could not fail to draw the Envy of several Persons upon him And so it really did for few people were concerned at his Misfortunes They looked upon him as one of the Creatures of Don Iuan and those that were always looking out for an Object for their Hatred when that Prince was gone vented all their Spleen and Indignation upon him The people accused him of all their Grievances and pretended that he was the Cause of crying down the Money That being in a Place which rendered Chief of Justice and the Civil Government he might if he had been so minded have found out some way or other to relieve so many different Persons that suffered according to their Condition But the Complaints of private Men nay even those of the Publick in general could not have been able to hurt him if there had not been a necessity at that Juncture to oblige the Pope by reason of the Apprehensions they had of the Designs of the most Christian King upon Italy Although the Office of the President of Castile is the next in Dignity to that of the Chief Minister yet all People have not an equal desire to possess it Don Iuan Ascensio Bishop of Avila whom the King nominated to it refused it An Order was sent to him to come immediately but he desired the Duke de Medina Celi to excuse him and leave him in his Diocess He had formerly been a Religious of the Mercy and General of his Order However as it is a hard matter to resist the Will of one's Prince especially when it happens to be so advantageous as this was he obey'd the Second Order that was sent him and came without any delay He was a Person of great Discretion and 't is certain a Man cannot have too much to qualifie him for the Exercise of so considerable a Place for the Council of Castile regulates all the Affairs that respect the Government of the States of Castile it was first created in the Year 1245. by St. Ferdinand King of Castile it is composed of a President and sixteen Counsellors The President never makes any Visits and at his House gives the Right Hand to no body They summon to this Council the Chanceries of Granada and Vailladolid and the Courts of Judicature of Sevil and Gallicia which are the Four Seats of Justice where they determine by way of Appeal all the Suits that are judged by the Corrigidors in the Cities and by the Alcades in the Villages When the King speaks of the Council of Castile he barely calls it Our Council The Court was exceedingly troubled at the Advices they received That the Vice-Roy of Naples having with no small pains heaped together the Sum of two hundred thousand Crowns part of which he had borrowed to send to Piombino Portolongone Orbitelle and some other places which the King of Spain possesses on the Coasts of Tuscany the Money being embarked in a Felouque Eight Slaves found the opportunity to carry off the Vessel Two small Vessels and a Gally were sent after them to bring them back but they were gone too far to be recovered So all the pains of the Marquess de Los-Velez tended only to set Eight Slaves at liberty and enrich them for the remainder of their Lives The Ambassador of Venice seeing that he of France received Satisfaction upon the occasion of the Franchises and Immunities redoubled his Instances to have Justice done him upon the Alguazils who had killed two of his Attendants He received Satisfaction on the 17 th of April The Alcalde who led them on was banished and the Alguazils were sent to Prison and were not enlarged but by his Intreaty If the Count de Monterey was sensibly affected with Joy to be preferr'd to the Prince de Astillano as to the Presidentship of Flanders he was not a little disgusted to see several Persons made Counsellors of State before him and notwithstanding he earnestly desired to be one of the number he was disappointed The King named the Duke de Albuquerque General at Sea the Count Doropesa who was very Young and had no other Dignity as yet the Marquess de Los Velez Governour of Naples the Duke de Villa Hermosa Governour of Flanders Don Melchior Navarra who had been formerly Vice-Chancellor of Arragon the Marquess de Mansera Mayor Domo Major to the Q. Mother and the Inquisitor General to be Members of this Council It was commonly believed that the Q. Mother had a great influence in naming most of these Lords The Council of State was instituted by Charles the Fifth in 1526. Here it is that they examine the Merits and Services of those Persons that pretend to be made Vice-Roys or to possess any other great Employments They regulate the most important Affairs of the Monarchy the King only is the President of it and the number of the Counsellors is not fixed Most People were surprized that Don Carlos Ramirez de Arrellano was made President of the Finances on the 8 th of April after he had been so long chained and shut up for his Lunacy and Madness He was chosen in the room of Don Antonio de Monsalve No body could imagine for what Reason the Duke de Medina Celi thought fit to trust him with a Post of that Consequence for he had none of those Qualities that are necessary to make a Man
without any great trouble yet he did not fail to raise several secret enemies upon himself who envied his growing Fortune They beheld with a great disdain and impatience the extraordinary confidence that the Queen reposed in him for she determined nothing without advising with him and so great was his credit and interest with her that he durst offer to resolve things of the greatest importance without speaking a word about them to the Queen Don Iuan was one of those that was the most offended at the advancement of Father Nitard He was sensible that they would turn him out of all by little and little upon this score he gave way intirely to the Father Confessor whom the Q. had made Counsellor of State he then retired to Consuegra the ordinary residence of the Grand Prior of Castile of the order of Malta and said very imperiously that after he had seen himself President of the Privy Council of the King his Father he could never endure a Companion that was so much his inferior But the Queen who was wholly busied in advancing her chief Minister never disquieted her self with thinking what reflections people might make upon him so that without taking the least notice of Don Iuan's discontent she suffered him to depart and he continued a long time without visiting the Court until the Queen sent him particular orders at Aranjues whither he was gone to divert himself to come immediately for Madrid upon some important affairs which she was willing to communicate to him He was the natural Son of King Philip IV. and a certain Actress whose name was Maria Calderona He was privately brought up at Ocana near Madrid and of all the natural Sons that King had he only acknowledged him whether it were because he loved his Mother better than any of his other Mistresses and to say the truth she was the most charming person in the world or because Count d' Olivarez procured this good Fortune for him for 't is commonly given out that the Count had a Son named Don Iulian de Gusman whom he had a mind to own and therefore used this artifice of perswading the King to begin with Don Iuan that so he might follow his Example Whatever the matter was Philip loved this young Prince very tenderly altho some people suspected he was the Son of the Duke of Medina of the house of Gusman who had formerly been passionately in love with the young Calderona and was in his time the most accomplisht handsom Cavalier in Spain and Don Iuan very much resembled him But if some persons were of this opinion others could never believe it especially when they considered the great kindness and fatherly affection that the King had for him and besides reflected upon his extraordinary good qualities which declared him to be worthy to be the Son of so great a Monarch He was brave even to a contempt of all dangers whatever gallant and agreeable well-shaped obliging liberal and a person of great honour he had abundance of wit and was master of a Genius that extended it self to all Arts and Sciences As there is ne're a Court in Europe where natural Sons are treated with such advantageous distinctions as they are in Spain so this Prince could scarce perceive that the unhappiness of his birth did in the least prejudice his advancement and 't is indeed a certain truth that we see in this Country the legitimate Sons bred up with those that are not so in the same Father's house without any distinction between one and the other But this custom is not altogether observed with relation to the natural Sons of the Kings of Spain For example they never bestow the title of Infante upon them and Don Iuan who passionately desired to have it used his utmost efforts to accomplish it but had not the fortune to succeed in his designs From the year 1643 the King had given him the Government of the Low Countries of Burgundy and Charolois and he always enjoyed it excepting the time when the Arch-duke Leopold governed there Don Iuan contributed very much towards the reducing the Kingdom of Naples to the Spanish Obedience He took Piombino and Portolongone and in all his Campaigns he performed a world of actions that equally testified his bravery and conduct The King his Father having conceived no less an esteem than tenderness for him communicated to him the most weighty affairs of State and chose him to be chief of an Assembly of the chief Ministers of his Kingdom He was scarcely arrived at Madrid but a Council was held where he came to be informed that the King of France was resolved to espouse the interests of his Queen to whom Brabant and some other states of the Low Countries escheated by right of devolution upon the death of the Infant Don Balthazar her Brother that his most Christian Majesty had published a Manifesto wherein he proved the justice of his claim and that not thinking himself obliged to consume any time in unprofitable contestations he had turned his arms towards that side of the Country that he had matched his Troops with incredible diligence and made considerable conquests as soon as ever he appeared Upon a serious examination of the present state of the Monarchy they were convinced that it was impossible at the same time to maintain a war against France and Portugal and that it was necessary for them to lay hold of a certain conjuncture that made a very plausible appearance that Don Alphonso King of Portugal having by his extravagant conduct lost the hearts of his people was dispossest of the Government and his Subjects freed from the Allegiance they ow'd him that the Infanta Don Pedro his Brother had taken upon him the administration of affairs that things of this considerable importance could neither be begun nor ended without some disturbance during which they must have occasion for their own Troops and therefore if it was judged expedient they should lay hold of this opportunity to advance proposals for a peace After every one had delivered his own opinion of the matter the Queen came to this conclusion A Letter was dispatched to the Marquiss de Liche who was at that time Prisoner of war at Lisbon wherein he had all necessary instructions given him In fine he managed the affair so dexterously that the Regent Don Pedro listened favourably to the proposals and so a treaty of peace was concluded on the 13th of Ian. 1668. This news was entertained at Madrid with a great deal of satisfaction because the affairs of Flanders grew every day worse and worse and it was necessary to take some speedy measures to preserve it or else to abandon it for good and all New levies of Souldiers were ordered in Gallicia and elsewhere and the Queen cast her eyes upon Don Iuan to send him thither to command the Troops for besides that no body was more capable of so great a trust than he was she had observed that
Queen first on the Road but he dined with her and staid a long time in her company All the new Queens Family were just upon the point of going to meet her tâ—e Dutchess de Terra Nova made great preparations and since every body in a manner envyed her for having so advantagious a Post and Don Iuan her Protector was dead 't was commonly believed that she would be obliged to resign it but she foresaw and prevented all this by taking possession of her Apartment in the Palace from whence it was not so easie a matter to eject her now as it would have been before She departed on the twenty sixth of September with the Marquess d' Astâ—rgas and the whole Family of the Queen except the Duke d' Ossoâ—e whose equipage could not be got ready because he was but just returned from his banishment But before I carry on these Memoirs any farther I judge it not amiss to speak a few words of some of the Lords that belonged to the Court when I was there I shall particularly enlarge upon those that were of the Council of State for it will be no small satisfaction to the Râ—â—der to know the Characters of those persons whose names he meets so frequently I shall not here speak of the Duke de Mâ—dina Celi nor of the Consâ—able of Castile neither do I pretend to name them according to their rank and order but shall only place them as they occur first to my remembrance and shall begin with The Duke of Alva or Dalbe of the Family of Toledo he has a vast estate and a considerable revenue and yet for all that is not before hand in the world he enjoys several good places and a large pension at Court He was a witty obliging person and shew'd but little kindness to the Queen Mother He was 67. years old Don Pedro de Arragon was formerly known by the name of the Marquess de Pâ—bar he endeavoured to relieve Perpigâ—â—â— when he was General of the Horse but had the ill luck to fall into the hands of the French amongst whom he continued a Prisoner for some time At his return to Madrid the King made him Governour to the Prince Don Bakazar his Son who died by overheating himself and was afterwards let blood in vain The King upon this enraged against Don Pedro banished him When the King was dead the Queen Regent called him home and sent him Ambassador to Rome After this he was made Viceroy of Naples where according to the custom he heaped a great treasure together and what is more remarkable knew how to keep it for this is not the genius of that Nation He was 77. years old The Admiral of Castile of the family d' Henriâ—â—â— descended from a Bastard of the Kings of Castile was a great Lord and better shaped than any in the Court he was tall of statuâ—e and well proportioned the air of his face was great and noble and he had a world of wit was a of gentle easie deportment and had nothing to trouble him but only his being 58. years old He had an excellent talent at writing of Verses which flowed naturally from him and in these diversions he employed himself more than in his â—â—â—mestick affairs He was born a Libertine and lived private and could not fix himself so as to make a regular Court either to the King or the Chief Minister He was of opinion that whatever is done by constraint cannot be recompenced by all the favours of fortune he communicated himself to a very few persons whether it were because he had too exquisite and nice a tast to accommodate himself to all the world or because he was a lover of solitude which the most delicious Gardens and the finest House in Madrid recommended to him Formerly he kept some Mistresses for whose sakes he almost ruined himself He was Master of the Horse to the King The Marquess d' Astorgas of the family d' Ozorio was in his time a person of the greatest gallantry in the world and notwithstanding the disadvantage of being 68. years old continued still to be so He was of a chearful lively Spirit and talked justly and well upon all occasions He was Grand Master of the young Queens Horse his Lady having entertained an implacable jealousie and hatred against a young beautiful woman for whom he had an extraordinary affection found an occasion to kill her took out her heart and made a Ragoo of it When her Husband had eaten part of it she asked him how he liked it he answered very well I am much surprized at it says she for 't is the heart of your Mistress and immediately drew out her Head all bloody as it was from under her Farthingal and so threw it upon the Table where he was with several of his friends 'T is easie to imagine how â—â—eply he was concerned at so tragical a sight she saved her self in a Convent whither she retired full of rage and jealousie and never stirred out of it The Marquess's affliction was so great that it had like to have made an end of him He was exceeding rich The Prince de Stillano of the House of Gusman and Duke de Medina de las Torres had abundance of wit and if he had joyned a little more experience to his natural parts had assuredly been capable of the greatest things But he was never out of Madrid and lived an effeminate lazy life there which alienated his mind from all manner of business He lived at la Floride near the Gates of Madrid where he had charming Gardens and continued there under so unconcerned a state that he neither received nor made any visits and never endeavoured to draw any advantages from the Court he had a prodigious estate but for all that it was sufficiently intangled for want of putting every thing in order When he married the Daughter of Duke d' Albe he ordered a Sedan to be made for her all covered over with plates of Gold and garnished with Coral but when it was finished no body was found strong enough to carry it He was 42. years old and was deeply in the interests of the Queen Mother The Duke d' Ossone of the House de Giron was Master both of good and bad qualities that equally distinguished him He loved his friends passionately and served them freely with his credit and purse he was of a liberal temper and a great adorer of Ladies sparing no cost to ingratiate himself with them he was an irreconcileable enemy and withall was of a proud naughty imperious humour that made him insupportable to all the world and yet his conversation was diverting and pleasant enough when he could leave off his grandeur and Rhodomontadoes He was a man of an inflexible steadiness and always had some quarrel or other in Court or City He was one of the richest Noblemen in Spain and might be about 49. years old He had been Vice Roy of Catalonia Governour of
General and the Counsellors the Apostolick Inquisitors They are named by the Pope and there are in Spain above twenty thousand Officers belonging to the Holy Inquisition whose business it is to seize the persons of Criminals Every Council consists of six Inquisitors the word signifies Enquirers the Fiscal who is the Accuser two Secretaries and Alguazil Principal two Reporters a Receiver of the Fines four Porters and a Sollicitor The Inquisition keeps its Tribunals at Madrid at Toledo at Granada at Sevil at Cordova at Murcia at Guenza at Logrono at Lierena in Gallicia and at Vailladolid The Council of Orders This was erected in the year 1489. The Duke de Sessa of the House de Cordonne is now the President of it he has two Counsellors of the Order of St. Iago two of Calatrava two of Alcantara a Fiscal and a Secretary who are all Knights The King is Grand Master of these three Orders and is called the Perpetual Administrator of it This Council take Cognizance of the Temporal and Spiritual Government and of the Civil and and Criminal Justice of these Orders There are also Religious Men and Religious Women of it who bring their proofs and carry the mark of the Order 'T is in concert with this Council that the King examines those of his Subjects who are capable of filling the places and vacant governments that depend upon the Order The Sacred Royal and Supream Council of Arragon The King Don Ferdinand established this Council at Madrid in the year 1590. Charles the Fifth confirmed it in the year 1522. and appointed new Regulations of it in 1543. when he passed through Catalonia to go into Italy The Chief of this Council is called the Vice-Chancellor who at present is Don Pedro d' Arragon and the Prince de Stillano is Treasurer General This place is hereditary to the Family of the Duke de Medina de las Torres and this Duke is the Head of it Three of the Councellers are to be Natives of Valentia three of Arragon three of Catalonia a Protonotary a Fiscal four Secretaries four Scriveners a Procurator General nine Commissaries for the great Registers five for the little one for Letters four Porters and an Alguazil The Isles of Majorca Minorca Sardinia and Innica are under the jurisdiction of this Council they take cognizance of every thing that happens within the extent of their Authority and deliberate with the King about Ecclesiastick and Military Affairs Vice-Roy-ships Bishopricks the Finances and in short about whatsoever relates to the Civil Government The Council Royal of the Indies The Spaniards having had the good fortune to find out this part of the world which was unknown before and to reduce it under the Dominion of Spain His Catholick Majesty in the year 1511. established a Council of the Indies at Madrid Charles the Fifth in 1524. added a clause to it about the preserving of Religion and ordained that it should be composed of a Lord Chancellor a President eight Councellers of the Long Robe and four of the Sword with a Deputy to the Chancellor a Fiscal a Treasurer four Contadores an Alguazil Mayor two Secretaries who have each a dozen Commissaries under them two Agents to the Fiscal five Reporters one Historiographer one Geographer one Chaplain one Sacristan one Advocate and one Proctor for the Poor ten Porters one Scrivener and a Counceller of the Contratation at Sevil this last is commanded to preserve and keep together all the Ordinances and Laws for the Indies There is a Chief and an Under Commissary and four more under him This Council together with the King takes cognizance of every thing that has relation to the several Kingdoms and Provinces in the Indies of Navigation of War of Peace and of Civil and Criminal Affairs Philip the Fourth created a Chamber for the Indies in the year 1644. Before the Duke de Medina Celi was made Chief Minister he was President of the Council he still retains the Profits as well as the Title of it but he has placed in his room Don Vincente Gonzaga Councellor of State by a Commission He is called the Governor of the Council of the Indies The Council of Italy Charles the Fifth first erected this Council in the year 1555. and afterwards Philip the Second did cast it into a new Form It is composed of six Councellors and a President which Office at present is filled by the Duke of Alva of the House of Toledo They are called Councellors Regent and there are two for the affairs of Milan two for those of Sicily and two for those of Naples Of this number three are to be Spaniards and three Italians The last of these reside upon the place where their District is and have a Fiscal a Secretary two Reporters and four Porters The President has no voice in the Affairs of Justice His business is to propose persons to the King for military Employments This Council takes cognizance of matters of State of Grace and of Justice that lie within the reach of their jurisdiction as also of the Affairs of the Treasury They consult with the King about the disposing of Bishopricks and places of Justice as well as those of the Finances and the Civil List and in short about all Governments of places except some few that belong to the Council of State as for example the Castle of Naples does They deliberate about the Government of the Mildnese Naples and Sicily The Council of the Finances named de Hazienda Philip the Third in the year 1602. established this Council It consists of four Tribunals Don Carlos Ramirez de Atellano is President of it eight Councellors of the Sword and the President compose this Council Their chief business lies in the recovery and administration of the Finances in the raising and augmenting of the Rents Graces Priviledges and Concessions of the King They make Treaties for defraying the expence of the Houshold and of the Armies When there is occasion for advance-mony they are to find out people to do it The President signs all the expeditions alone by himself after he he has received the King's Order and the consult of the Council for all Gratifications Appointments Assignments Profits Pensions Ordinances and advances of Uundertakers Their expeditions are made in two Offices in each of which there is a Chief Commissary two Seconds and two that are called Entretenus There are a dozen Contadores that keep the Registers and Accounts of this Council The last Contador is called Ecrivain Major which signifies the Register of his Majesty's Rents They all go the Council of the Finances where they cover themselves after they have stood bare for some time They give them a sign to go when the Secretaries have a mind to come in In the regard of the Affairs and Trials belonging to the Tribunal of the Oydores and the Council of the Finances there is a great number of inferiour Officers whose Places are sold and four Reporters that are named
by the Council The Council of the Crusade Pope Iulius the Second in the year 1509. granted the priviledge of the Crusade to the Kings of Spain to make war against the Infidels the Revenue of it is so considerable that it brings in several millions and in the same year Queen Ioan and the King her Father who Governed in her name formed and erected the Council of the Cruzada The President thereof carries the Title of Commissary General and he is at present Don Henriquez de Benavides y Bazan Patriarch of the Indies It is composed of two Councellors of the Council of Castile and two Regents one of the Council of Arragon the other of that of the Indies a Fiscal two Treasurers a Reporter two Registers and three Sollicitors This Council gives permission or licence to publish Jubiles and to print Books all the States of his Catholick Majesty are under its jurisdiction except those of Flanders Milan and Naples who would never admit of its Authority They Judge without Appeal The Council of Flanders Philip the Fourth named the President and Councellors of it in the year 1628. This Council is superiour to all those that are established in Flanders The Prince de Stillano was President of it but the Count de Monterey is now preferred to this Post. It consists of no more than three Councellors The Council d' Aposento Since the first Floor that is raised in all the Houses in Madrid belongs to the King this Council may Rent it or Sell it until the Proprietors redeem it Don Alonzo the Eleventh of that Name erected in the year 1341. a Junto consisting of a President who is called the Aposentador Major of six Aposentadores of exercise because some others may be admited into it if they are Veteranes of a Fiscal a Secretary a Receiver an Alguazil and a Porter This Junto preserves His Majesty's Rights they take care likewise to lodge the Officers of the King's Houshold The Council of the Chamber of Castile Queen Ioan and Charles the Fifth her Son erected this Council in the year 1518. The President of Castile is the Chief Man of it with four Councellors of the same Council three Secretaries and a Reporter They meet toward night on Mundays and Wednesdays every week at the Presidents House and give him an account of all the Posts that are to be filled in the two Castiles They expedite all Remissions and deliver the Titles to Dukes Marquesses Counts and the names of the Villages They likewise look after all the Benefices that are in the King's Presentation by the Apostolick Commission The Iunto de Bosques Reale Charles the Fifth established it in the 1545 It consists of two Councellors an Alcalde a Fiscal and a Secretary Their business is to look after the Palace and the rest of the King's Houses as well in City as in Country and likewise to take care of His Majesty's Woods The Iunto of the Millions Philip the Fourth observing that the Council de Hazienda was overcharged with business in the year 1653. formed a Chamber composed of a President four Councellors of the Finances four Commissaries Deputies of the States a Fiscal and two Proctors of the Court This Chamber is called the Tribunal of the Millions because here they receive the Revenue that arises from Imposts upon Victuals Oyl Wine and Vinegar and amounts to a Prodigious Summ. The End of the First Part. MEMOIRS OF THE COURT OF SPAIN PAâ—T II. ON the Feaâ—â— of the Annunciation the Young Q. went to the Monastery of the Incarnation The French Ambassador's Lady accompanied her thither but tho' she never so earnestly desired to have an opportunity to entertain her in private she could not find one single moment to do it for the vigilant Camarera would not allow the Q. that Liberty At her return she served Nine Poor Women at Dinner and gave each of them a Suit of Apparel and five Pistols in their Purse The Maids of Honour carried the Dishes the Q. Mother performed the same Ceremony on her side But what infinitely surprized the Q. was to find a Billet privately slipt into her Pocket and thus Superscribed For the QUEEN Alone At first she was in doubt whether she ought to open it or no but presently after she had a mind to carry it to the King Nevertheless the uncertainty of what was contained in it and after what manner the K might take it prevailed with her at last to open it It seemed to be written in a disguised sort of an Hand and contained these Words in Spanish The Supreme Elevation of your Majesty and the mighty difference that 〈◊〉 between us has not been able to efface that Passioâ— which your admirable Qualities have infused into my Heart I adore you my Queen I die in adoring you and I dare say that I am not unworthy to adore you I see you I sigh after you but you don't know my Sighs you don't understand my secret Languishings nay you don't turn your Charming Eyes upon me Ab Madam how unhappy am I to be born a Subject who find my self possessed with the Inclinations of the greatest K. in the Universe The Queen continued some time surprized and astonished She could not imagine who this Rash Person was that had the hardiness to write to her in these Terms and did not question but that the Billet was slipt into her Pocket by one of the Poor Women whom she had served But then it appear'd very strange that a Man who seem'd to be of great Quality would trust his Life for nothing less was hazarded into the Hands of a poor needy Creature for such she must be that could approach the Q. that day It was true indeed that she had been amongst the Religious Women of the Incarnation but altho' some of them might undertake this business yet there was little probability to believe it by reason of the Consequences that would have proved fatal to the Party concerned if ever the matter came to be discovered Sometimes she thought that perhaps it might be a Trick of the Camarera Mayor to see what use she made of this Billet and then to acquaint the King with it and turn the most Innocent thing in the world into a wrong sense After these different Reflections at last she judged it would be the safest way to discover the Matter to the Q. Mother and follow her Advice She went the next day to dine with her and afterwards shew'd her the Letter beseeching her to keep it That if the K. came to know any thing of the matter she would be so kind as to testifie the whole Truth The Q. Mother seeing that she was discomposed at it assured her that it was not worth the while to torment her self about it and from whatever Hands the Letter came if the King was disquieted at it she would take care to acquaint him wiâ—â—â—ne Truth So that the Queen leâ—t her more at ease than she was before by
the Ecclesiastic State there was little probability that he should ever arrive to the Empire and marry as it since fell out the Eldest Daughter of the Queen his Sister Amongst several other persons whom the Emperor gave the Queen his Daughter to accompany her into Spain he chose Father Iohn Evrard Nitard a German Jesuit to be her Confessor His extraction was mean and obscure and he employed almost all his thoughts in the advancing of his fortune He was of a supple complaisant temper he exactly studied the respective characters of those persons to whom he belonged and took care never to differ much from them as to matters of opinion He finished his Studies in the Jesuits College at Vienna and there took upon him the Habit of his Order and afterwards was sent to govern one of their Seminaries in which office he acquitted himself very well When he came back again to Vienna he began to make himself known in the world and several Ladies of the Court desired him to be their Spiritual Director they omitted no opportunity to do him all the good offices they could with the Emperor and in fine spoke in such advantagious terms of him that he was well enough contented to let the Queen take him along with her This Princess was extreamly surprized at all the Spanish Customs which those who came to wait upon her from the King caused her to observe in the first days of her Voyage I have have been told that as she arrived to a certain City under the dominion of the King of Spain where the principal Commodities of the place consisted in Frocks Wastcoats and Silk Stockings they made her a present of a great quantity of them of different colours But her Major Domo Mayor who religiously observed the Spanish gravity despised the present and so taking up a bundle of Silk Stockins threw them at the heads of the Deputies of the Town Aveis de Saber says he to them in a very furious tone que las Reynas de Espagna no teinen piernas that is to say I would have you to know that the Queens of Spain have no Legs meaning that they are so far elevated above others by vertue of their rank that they have no Feet to touch the ground like the rest of their Sex However it was the young Queen who was not as yet acquainted with the niceties of the Spanish Language took it in the literal sense and began to weep saying that she was fully determined to go back to Vienna and if she had known before her departure from thence that they design'd to cut off her legs she would rather have died than stirred a foot It was no difficult matter to assure her of the contrary and she continued her Voyage When she came to Madrid they told the King of this innocent simplicity of his Queen he was so mightily pleased at the story that he vouchsafed to laugh a little at it and this was the most extraordinary thing in the world for him to do for whether it proceeded from affectation or was the effect of his constitution it was observed of him that he never laugh'd above thrice in all his Life The King show'd a great respect for Father Nitard because he was the Queen's Confessor who reposed an intire confidence in him but whatever desires she had to see him advanced he left him peaceably in his post without conferring any other Dignities upon him and he had unquestionably continued a long time in the same condition if the King had not hapned to die When that Prince found himself to be dangerously ill and saw he could not bequeath the care of his Kingdoms to Cardinal Sandoval upon whose management of affairs he always depended because he was at that time extremely sick and to say the truth died but 20 hours after him he made his will wherein he ordered that the Queen his Spouse should be Regent of the Kingdom and Governess of the young Prince who was then four years and an half old he named the Cardinal of Arragon Archbishop of Toledo and Inquisitor General the Count of Castrillo President of Castile the Count de Penarauda Don Cristoval Crespi Chancellor of Arragon and the Marquiss d' Aytona to the end that these six Ministers should assist the Queen in her Councils and thus the King died in the month of September 1665. The Queen resented the great loss she sustained with abundance of sorrow but she had been still more sensible of it if she had found her self in the condition of the other Queens of Spain who are obliged to enter into a Convent when they are Widows unless the King orders the contrary before his decease Nor was she insensible of the sweets of Governing The first use she made of her Authority was in favour of Father Nitard For Don Pascal of Arragon having been made Archbishop of Toledo and grand Inquisitor in the place of Cardinal Sandoval the Queen sent for him and by her repeated importunities prevailed with him to quit the last of these two Dignities He could not be brought to comply with this request without a great deal of trouble for he almost chose rather to be Inquisitor General than Archbishop of Toledo although that Archbishoprick is worth 366 thousand Crowns per annum But he was not able to refuse the Queen a thing she so passionately desired who as soon as she saw her self in a capacity to dispose of that important charge bestow'd it upon her Confessor As she engaged her self in this affair of her own proper inclination without consulting any thing else but the desire she had to see him made superior to the other Ministers so she took occasion to discourse of it to them who immediately began to murmur amongst themselves They read over the will of the late King where they found it expresly ordered that the Queen should do nothing without consulting their advice and yet notwithstanding all this precaution of the deceased they saw with no little concern that she had without ever communicating the matter to them disposed of one of the most considerable Offices in the Kingdom and that to a meer stranger who had been born and bred up in the Lutheran Religion till he was 14 years of age The desire they had to preserve their own authority and the jealousie which it is natural for all men to have of a Favourite made them speak very fiercely in the matter However the Queen being informed of their discontent took the true measures to appease them The charming manner of her deportment and particularly the obliging things she spoke to them upon this occasion prevailed with them to lay aside their murmurs so they agreed to dispatch Letters of Naturalization for the Confessor without which it was impossible for him to execute the office the Queen had given him Altho all those difficulties that at first threatned to hinder the Elevation of Father Nitard were removed
their Coaches the air was filled with nothing but the benedictions and praises they bestow'd upon him in a word the joy was universal in this great City The Queen and Father Confessor who received a faithful relation of the whole proceedings were sensibly concerned she to see the contempt wherewith her orders were entertain'd he to find himself so inveterately hated by the people The report of Iuan's extraordinary reception spread it self as far as Madrid and amongst several persons that receiv'd it with joy and satisfaction there were many that apprehended some disorder at the return of the Prince In order to prevent those evils that seemed to threaten them the Regidors and other Magistrates of that City assembled on the first of February They sent four of their body to the President of Castile to represent to him the great mischief that might be occasioned by Iuan's arrival with his Troops at a time when the Court was so weak and the people so insolent and disposed for a revolt that notwithstanding the Prince was well affectioned towards them yet he would not be able to prevent the lamentable effects they had reason to fear The President waited upon the Queen and the Council immediately met where it was ordered to dispatch a Courier to Don Iuan with her Majesty's Orders to send back his Guards without delay He received the Order but hastened his march making the Courier follow him two days on the third he gave him a Receipt for his Order and sent him back without any answer In the mean time that he delay'd the Couriers coming back they were alarm'd at Court with the ill success of his Voyage and their uneasiness was much increas'd in the Palace when they saw him sent back without any Letter Some of the Lords went thereupon to find out the President to desire him to tell the Queen that they were ready to undertake any thing in the world for her service The Cavalry was drawn up together and preparations were making at Madrid to sustain a siege the event whereof appeared very doubtful altho they had to deal with a Prince who was only attended by 300 Horse 'T was in effect this Guard that occasioned the greatest trouble the Queen ordered the Marquess de Penalva to assemble the reformed Officers together with those that should offer themselves to go upon this occasion and tell the Prince that her Majesty ordered him to send back the three Troops of Horse he had brought along with him The Marquess de Penalva was disposed to obey but he demanded an order of the Council Royal and the Secretary of State refused to expedite it alledging that the Queen could do nothing without the Council of the Government and that she had never consulted them about this affair The Queen being provoked sent the Secretary word That he ought seriously to consider what difficulties he was going to start at so ill an exigence and how little they were to the purpose The Cardinal Arragon the Count de Penarauda and the Vice-Chancellor came to wait upon her Majesty they represented to her that the Secretary was in the right and gave the President of Castile a severe Reprimand for giving way by his counsels to an Order that might have produced very evil consequences They resolved at last not to take up arms and to dissipate the apprehensions the people were under at Madrid 't was publickly proclaimed that Don Iuan had sent back his guards or that if he had not done it as yet yet he would send them back at the first warning The Queen having no hopes at all of seeing her self obeyed by force betook her self to more gentle methods to try if she could by that conduct oblige Don Iuan to send back his Soldiers She writ to him by Don Diego de Velasco who was his great Confident and the Letter was very courteous and civil The Prince who came secretly to Madrid to discover the state of affairs the dispositions of his friends and what he might be able to effect there very resolutely sent the Queen word again that there lay no obligation upon him to expose himself to the revenge of Father Nitard therefore he positively demanded to have him turned out of the Kingdom that after this were once done none of all her Subjects should pay a more dutiful submission to her Orders than himself This was to demand a thing of the Queen which she had no manner of inclination to grant The Noncio Borromée the Council of State and the Grandees gave themselves a great deal of trouble to no purpose to adjust the matter In the mean time the Prince appeared so firm in his resolution that all the world judged it would go very happy for the Confessor if he could escape with his life He himself was sensible enough of the danger he was in so he redoubled his importunities with the Queen to suffer him to depart She returned him no answer but by her Tears and Sighs insomuch that he chose rather to expose his own life to the utmost extremity than disoblige her by leaving her service News arrived that the Prince was come with his Troops to Torrejon-dardos which is but four leagues from Madrid Those that were of the Queens party were mightily disquieted at it and she her self was more afflicted than the rest They heard her several times repeat these words Oh Heavens this good Father will be the first Sacrifice The Council of the Government met and desired the Nuncio to carry Don Iuan the Letter the Pope had written to him wherein he conjured him to preserve those sentiments of respect and submission for the Queen which a subject ow'd his Soveraign The Nuncio went to find him and came back about midnight No body almost in this great City went to bed but attended his return with impatience for they knew the occasion of his journey and the people ran up and down the streets in great bodies asking each other who they were for The news the Nuncio brought back with him did not at all please the Queen he told her that he had earnestly requested the Prince to go to Guadalajara or at least to stay where he was a few days that new measures might be taken to satisfie him but that the Prince refused both the one and the other and said that if on the Monday following the Coâ—fâ—ssor would not go out of the Gate he would throw him out at the Window and enter Madrid on purpose to put it in execution It was afterwards known that this Negotiation passed after another manner viz. that the Prince had agreed to let Father Nitard be with the Queen provided she would grant some advantages to him which he proposed but that the Nuncio who had no kindness for the Father was resolved to break the Treaty all to pieces by concealing the favourable inclinations of Don Iuan. Father Nitard was informed of all that happened he Confessed the Queen the next morning and
tenderness and importunity she was not able to succeed in her desires He diverted himself every day with hunting and seeing Comedies either at Pardo or Zarzuela which are two Houses of Pleasure belonging the King of Spain The Opera d' Alcine was represented before him it cost a world of mony but was miserably performed There was likewise a Bull-feast kept where two young Cavaliers unfortunately perished On the following day there was running at the ring About this time the Prince de Ligne arrived and a day or two after kissed his Majestys hand and took his place at the Council of State Father Francis de Relux a Dominican came likewise from Salamanca where he had been Professor of Divinity and was chosen by Don Iuan to be the Kings Confessor The Duke of Alva had engaged that he should submit himself intirely to Don Iuan's will who accepted him upon his parole At this time the Cardinal de Portacarero Archbishop of Toledo returned from Rome The Court at Madrid was very full and numerous On the twentieth of Ianuary the King of France named the Marquess de Villars to be his Ambassador in Spain who was at that time under the same Character at Savoy He was known to the Court of Spain for in the year 1673. he resided there in quality of Ambassador he arrived at Madrid on the seventeenth of Iune and those persons that were well acquainted with the disposition of Don Iuan very much doubted whether he would meet with that reception which he might reasonably promise himself they knew well enough that the natural haughtiness of Don Iuan would never comply with the instructions of that Minister who to be sure would never go to visit the Prince unless he were assured beforehand of receiving the honour of the Hand the Step and the Chair that Don Iuan would never consent to this proposal because it was not to be imagined that he would easily give up the rights he had obtained over the other Ambassadors and that it would be an inconvenient thing for him of France not to treat directly with the chief Minister What people surmised upon this occasion really happened for the Prince would not bate him an ace and the Marquess de Villars kept fast to his instructions Therefore they looked upon one another with great coldness but nevertheless this did not hinder the Ambassador from having a private Audience of the King on the eighth of Iuly and a publick one a little after upon the conclusion of his Marriage with Mademoiselle Don Iuan had three fits of a Tertian Ague towards the beginning of Iuly On the thirteenth the Secretary of the Marquess de los Balbazez arrived who brought word that the King had consented to the marriage of Mademoiselle with the King of Spain Nothing is equal to the joy that he shew'd upon this account for he had expected the news with the greatest impatience He ordered Te Deum to be sung at our Ladies d' Atocha all the Houses in the City were illuminated with white Wax Tapers and Bonefires were to be seen in every street An hundred and fifty Cavaliers of the best Families in the Kingdom performed a Masquerade on horse-back that consisted only of some embroiderie Tiffany Ribbons and Feathers for they were apparalled in black as they used to be but were not masqued at all After this manner they ran all night every man carrying a Flambeaux in his hand all these divertisements lasted three days and three nights A Courier arrived soon after who brought the contract of the King's marriage this was soon communicated to the Queen Mother who exprest a great deal of joy at it The Ratification was presently sent back and Bonefires were made as before While the people did thus endeavour to express their zeal to the King the servants of the Queen Mother were busied in finding out some means or other to advance her return The Marquess de Villars had refused to follow the example of the other Ambassadors in the conduct they used towards Don Iuan upon the occasion of those new customs which they suffered him to establish and this seemed a favourable opportunity to perswade the enemies of the Prince that Monsieur de Villars had some secret instructions which were not favourable to him They flattered themselves immediately with the hopes of making him one of their party and believed it would extreamly strengthen their own side if they could once bring him over to them Upon this consideration the greater part of the Courtiers applauded him mightily for his constancy and made him abundance of complements upon that score He was respected at Madrid and had the good fortune to find out several of his friends again and the Queen Mother shewed a particular esteem for him She gave him a very obliging proof of this when he came to wait upon her at Toledo for after publick Audience was over she was pleased to entertain him in private about her own Affairs and testified what an entire confidence she reposed in him But altho several proposals were made to him to be of a party against the Prince and besides his own natural disposition led him to espouse the quarrel of those persons who opposed a Minister whose civilities he had no great reason to applaud yet he was of opinion that in this present conjuncture it would be his best way to remain Neuter He considered still that the marriage of the King of Spain with Mademoiselle would bring along with it some agreements that were not to be expected before the arrival of that Princess that it was a sure unfailing way to oppose one power to another that this young Princess would never suffer theMinister of France to be run down in that Court where she was to become the Mistress and sole delight that it was certain she would link her self to the interests of the Queen Mother that the most Christian Queen who loved both the one and the other very affectionately would be sure to give her this in charge before her departure amongst the other counsels which she was always to observe that their credit being united together and seconded by all those persons that desired another Government Don Iuan would without question find himself obliged to give way Most persons reasoned after the same manner upon this affair and encouraged one another to stand firm against the Favourite they now began to speak those things aloud which before they were almost afraid to mutter in private they complained of him and importuned the King to call the Exiles home and openly promoted the return of Queen Mother Don Iuan was now more disquieted than ever the appearance only of his fall had prevailed with several persons who ought to have been his Creatures to abandon him for good and all and as for those that remained they had neither authority nor merit enough to support him He could scarce find any comfort but when he was alone but this sort of conduct
considerable and possessed the Chief Offices and greatest employments There is another Class of Courtiers still behind which is only composed of young Lords who are there called Guaps as we call them in France les petits Mâ—â—tres The most witty and well-shaped among these are reckoned to be the Duke d' Vâ—zeda the Marquess de Penaranda the Count d' Altamire the Sons of the Duke de Cessa the Prince de Montoleon Don Antonio and Don Francisco de Toledo Sons of the Duke Dalbe and Don Fernand de Toledo his Nephew the two Silva Brothers to the Duke de Pastrane the Marquess de Leyva the Duke de Medina Sidonia the Marquess de Quintana and the Son of the Duke de Medina Celi Altho the eldest of these Lords is not above 25. years old yet they were most of them married for they take care in Spain to make themselves acquainted with his Godship Hymen as soon as is possible And now as for the Ladies I shall only say in general that there is no place in the world where they have a greater share of vivacity and wit and a better talent to please than they have in Spain amongst these without reckoning the Maids of Honour that belonged to the two Queens the most remarkable for wit were the Dutchesses Dalbuquerque de Terra Nova d' Ossone de Frias de Medina Celi d' Hijar de Pastrane and the Countesses de Monterey and de Villambrosa for beauty the Marchioness de Liche the Princess de Montelion the Marchioness de la Roche the Countess de Penaranda the Princess Stillano the Dutchess d' Osseda the Wife of Don Pedro of Arragon that of Don Henrique Henriques and the Marchioness de la Puebla The constraint wherein they live the climate of the Country and their own natural temper carry them to gallantry on course They are for the most part little lean and slender their skin is swarthy soft and painted their features regular their eyes full of fire their hair black and in great abundance and their feet small to admiration Their habit sits so ill upon them that unless one has been long accustomed to it she can scarce know how to endure it The men are no less disadvantageously apparalled they always come to Court in their Golilia and a black Cloak and hanging sleeves and altho they be never so well shaped and handsom with fine heads of hair and good features yet their awkward way of dressing and parting their hair on one side of their face and throwing it behind their ears does abominably disfigure them This digression has caused me to interrupt the series of these Memoirs but now to reassume my discourse I must inform my Reader that the good understanding which passed between the King and the Queen Mother occasioned abundance of people to make their court to the latter They looked upon her as a Princess who had assumed all her former Authority for the King was still young and had need of good counsel and his Mother being accustomed to Govern was for all sorts of reasons more capable to direct him than any one besides Nay it was commonly believed that she would not be displeased to take the Government again into her hands and so some by inclination and others out of policy endeavoured to get into her favour in order to obtain some place or other under the new Ministry that was going to be formed as well upon the score of her return as the arrival of the young Queen The world had reason to believe that the face of affairs would be absolutely changed and therefore every one thought of himself in the present conjuncture 'T is true abundance of persons that were very well read in politicks judged that the Queen Mother would not perhaps manage the Reins of the Government they pretended that this would be always a weighty and troublesom Charge that she had been of late years accustomed to ease and quietness and having undergone all the varieties of an uncertain fortune she was afraid of seeing her self exposed to them the second time that there was hopes she would disswade the King from taking a chief Minister and that she would be forward enough to make him conceive an aversion for one that to effect this she only needed to put him in mind of the sorry figure he made when Don Iuan had such an authority over him and that in fine she would endeavour to form a Junta which should be composed of her own Creatures that this would be the true way to Reign without making her self responsible for any events that all her Orders would be punctually executed and yet she not appear to have any hand in them I ought to acquaint my Reader that a Iunta is an extraordinary Council of State which the Kings of Spain erect to remedy the pressing necessities of the State For example Philip IV. by his last Will created a Iunta to serve and assist the Queens Council during the minority of the King his Son Thus people searched after and as easily found out the Lords who were to compose this Iunta the hatred or the friendship of those persons that made reflections upon the present affairs enriched or impoverished those they had a mind to they bestowed Offices and took them away they made vows to no purpose and had effectual fears and apprehensions upon them In a word all these busie Spirits were divided upon the point and the most quiet among them found themselves somewhat concerned for what was to come But the Queen Mother made no stir she seemed in appearance to have no other thoughts than how to establish her self in the favour of the King her Son and serve her self in the same condition This young Prince was passionately in love and was sensible of all the pleasure that accompanies those agreeable Ideas that love uses to inspire and flattered himself to see all his expectations suddenly crowned the possessing a Princess who was already become so dear to him employed his heart to such a degree that he could think of nothing else He pressed the time of his departure that he might be the sooner with her The arrival of the Courier who brought the news that the Queen was advanced towards the frontiers was expected with extream impatience The Marquess de los Balbazez sent them word exactly on what day she was to arrive at Irun while she was in the territories of France the Kings Houshold waited upon her The Prince d' Harcourt accompanied her in quality of Ambassador Extraordinary and the Princess his Wife likewise made the journey The Mareshal Clerambant's Lady who was Governness to her waited upon her as Lady of Honour Mademoiselle de Grance as Lady of the Wardrobe and this place has left her the name of Madam instead of that of Mademoiselle Nothing was omitted in any of the Cities through which her Majesty passed to receive her with a respect suitable to her high rank and we
all his Dominions He betook himself to the Ambassador of France and nothing more became of the matter 'T was expected that immediately after the King's return some sort of Government would be established to settle affairs in their old course which had been intirely suspended ever since the Death of Don Iuan. Just as his Death happened every thing was making ready for the Journey which employ'd all the Court and the King in particular his Marriage might well enough detain him some time from making those applications he ought to use in the choice of an able Minister And the world was not at all surprized to find him forget the concerns of the kingdom in general at a time when he was wholly possess'd with a Passion for his Queen and had his head full of those agreeable Ideas which all Lovers amuse themselves with But now when that business was over they impatiently expected to see him take up some fixed Resolutions The Queen Mother who was newly returned from her Exile thought of nothing else than how to preserve her self in the favourable Scituation she was in at present and no body in a manner was so interested with the King as to be able to pretend to the Ministry Thus the whole government was lodged in the hands of a Monarch who was but 17 years old and who was never so well versed in things of lesser consequence as to have any just knowledge in greater Affairs The only man that shared the Monarchy with him was Don Ieronimo d' Eguya who had been Secretary of State 4 years to which post he arrived from that of a simple Coâ—missary His address together with his good fortune render'd him agreeable to the King who had followed no other Counsel than his unless d' Eguya who was fearful of giving it sometimes had not advised him to consult the Constable of Castile and the Duke de Medina-Celi in certain affairs because he had no mind to answer for every thing himself It is indeed true that during the Journey nothing of importance was debated upon for they only busied themselves about that in particular and the orders that are necessary to be given upon such occasions The Court became now very full the Kings marriage and the return of the Q. Mother had brought together the most considerable persons of the Kingdom Every Family was consulting about the measures that were to advance some particular man amongst them to the Chief Ministry Some wished their Relations had it others desired it for their Friends and abundance of people wished to enjoy it themselves Among those that had the justest pretensions were reckoned the Constable of Castile and the Duke de Medina Celi They were both of them furnished with great personal qualities were both of an illustrious birth and considerable fortune they possessed the chief Offices of the Crown were Counsellors of State and their merits equally distinguished them But nothing was more opposite than these two Lords were to one another an old Spirit of hatred which they were not able to suppress and which they had testified in a thousand Rencounters increased their common emulation their humors and inclinations were as contrary as night is to day Several of their common Friends had endeavoured to reconcile them but their pains were to no purpose They were all sensible that if they concerted matters together they would reciprocally render good Offices to one another which might serve to advance their Fortune This was one of the reasons they used to accomodate the matter between them but sometimes we meet with aversions that are never to be surmounted and this I have mentioned was of that number The Duke de Medina-Celi was 45 years old his Humour sweet and good natur'd but too slow and careless in matters of moment of an insinuating agreeable Spirit He was descended of the illustrious Houses of Castile and de Foix he is seven times a Grandee of Spain His Wife was Heiress of the House of Arragon de Cardonne she is very rich on her side as well as he is on his He was President of the Council of the Indies Sommellor du Corps that is to say High Chamberlain he made his Court regularly and always testified a particular zeal for the person of the King and his Majesty as he never fails upon that point expressed a certain affection for him which he never show'd to any one besides This made the world believe that he stood fairer for the Ministry than all his Competitors The Constable of Castile descended of the House de Veâ—â—sco was 57 years old and was Master of a considerable estate nevertheless he did not live easy amidst all his wealth he is the tenth Hereditary Constable of Castile Dean of the Council of State and Grand Master of the King's Houshold His Genius is vast his Abilities and Knowledge are surprizing and he was always concern'd in employments where he acquired experience The last of his Governments was that of Flanders and altho these posts ought to have made him sociable and familiar yet he always preserved so severe and rigid a character that it rendred him terrible access to him is very difficult and his humour is naturally so imperious that he can never submit And this is the reason why he was embroiled so deeply with Don Iuan and hindered him from receiving several favours which that Prince would otherwise have willingly bestowed upon him to have brought him over to his own Party 'T is true he declared himself very violently for the Queen Mother and this might be one of the principal causes that kept him from being of Don Iuan's Faction No body doubted but that the King respected him very much for what the Queen Mother might say in favour of him and the world was perswaded that among those persons whose merits she would recommend to the King the Constable would be the first who besides this would unquestionably find himself supported by all the party that had been ill treated by Don Iuan and by all those that continued still in the Interests of the Queen Mother She was obliged for her own proper Interests to procure the King's favour and the Favourite's place for the Constable But amidst all these flattering appearances he seemed to be very indifferent in the matter whether it were because the ill posture of affairs and the tender Age of the King made him apprehend some danger to be in the chief post or because he was sensible that he had not a prospect of obtaining it at one step and so was willing to ascend it by degrees He seem'd to desire that a Junto were established for the Government wherein he wou'd bear his share with the Inquisitor General and the Marquess de Mansera He sometimes told his Friends that the weight of great affairs astonished him and that he found it a harder matter to adjust them than those persons who behold them only at a distance can well imagine and that
friends and what designs each of them drove in particular It is no difficult matter to imagine how a person of his Temper as I have already described resented this usage and his uneasiness to be sure was so much the more violent because he smother'd it for some time before he let it break out Don Ieronimo de Eguya was the first person whom he attacqued Having represented to them one day in a full Council and that with the greatest fierceness in the world how all affairs went from bad to worse he added that no body ought to be surprized to find it so since d' Eguya who pretended to manage every thing had neither Judgment nor Experience nor Capacity and that he ought to be confined to the Duties of his Post without medling with those things that had no relation at all to it When he had ended his discourse Don Manuel de Lira Secretary of State of the Council of Italy who was of the Constables Faction presented to them at the same time a large memorial in which he laid open the vast prejudice which the State of Affairs received from the ill conduct of de Eguya and most of them there had been well enough satisfied if these complaints had obliged the King to remove him Don Manuel de Lira did not act only out of Complaisance to the Constable but had his own private ends He imagined that if d' Eguya were once turned out of his Post he might perhaps succeed him in it Now nothing animates a man's zeal in any affair more than the prospect of some advantage or other to be gained by it However this same business did not meet with that success which he and the Constable proposed to themselves so after long consideration the Constable was obliged to come back to the Queen Mother and importune her to appear in favour of him He represented to her That if the Chief Minister was not one of her party her repose would not be of long continuance that the Duke de Medina Celi stood very fair for it and altho he advanced insensibly yet it was probable he would soon find himself possessed of a place where he would make his Enemies severely feel the weight of his Indignation that in spight of Politicks to which he pretended he would not fail to set up the President of Castile against her who was a Creature of Don Iuan and always ready to execute those resentments that had lodged in his breast so long that this Duke was the very person who formerly had the hardiness to carry her the Order for her Exile that he seem'd at that time to rejoyce at her misfortunes and perplexities that if ever he came to be Favourite she would find him to be a constant rub in her way and that this conjecture perhaps was not ill grounded since the Duke still possessed all the passions of Don Iuan. The Queen Mother was alarmed at what the Constable represented to her and gave him her word to act vigorously in his behalf but the Duke de Medina Celi being advertised of it was resolved to prevent the blow and judged it the best expedient to soften the Spirit of the Queen Mother by making a profound Submission to her In fine he went to her and told her That he was resolved to be oblig'd to her for all the King's favours and desired to depend upon her out of an obligation of Gratitude as he had done a long time ago out of Duty and Inclination that he humbly begged of her to do him the justice as to believe that his Heart his Birth and his Fortune were too great ever to suffer him to be one of Don Iuan's Creatures that he would never receive that title but from his own Master and that the Party must wear a Crown who commanded the Duke de Medina Celi that altho he had declared himself for the President of Castile yet it was not out of a Consideration of Don Iuan but the King's Service and he was ready to abandon his Interest at any time having no particular engagements of Friendship to him and that if he appeared in this affair it was only done with a design to defend the Authority of the King which the Nuncio had a mind to invade in the conduct which he used towards the President The Queen Mother answered him that she did not without a great satisfaction believe what he said to be true that she had a great esteem for him and would not fail to give him convincing proofs of it in a short time The Constable being informed on his side that Queen Mother had very favourably received the Submission of the Duke whether out of a Spirit of kindness or indifference to the choice the King might make of a Chief Minister dispaired at last of seeing himself succeed in any of his projects either of the Junto whereof he pretended to be a Member if one were erected or in the place of Favourite which he could have desired rather to fill alone He resolved to merit something at least of the Duke de Medina Celi by yielding up that Post with a good grace when he was in a capacity to dispute it with him still In short he laid hold of the first opportunity he could find to tell the King that no Person was fitter to serve his Majesty and preserve the Government in good order than the Duke de Medina Celi He bestowed wonderful commendations upon him for the good conduct he had ever used The free unconstrained manner wherein he spoke all this was exceeding remarkable especially in a man of the Constables haughty Temper who as the world imagined would dye a thousand times rather than offer this violence inwardly to himself But people at last believed that he design'd to render himself agreeable to the King by commending a man for whom his Majesty testified so great an Inclination After all it must be confessed that he showed a generosity which is not common in treating his declared Enemy after this manner It cannot be easily imagin'd what a great detriment the Republick received by these Factions of the Courtiers and the King's Irresolution to take or not take a Chief Minister Nothing was concluded nothing was done a Spirit of Lethargy seemed to be predominant at Court which helped to increase those perplexities under which the Kingdom laboured before Every body languished to see what would be the success of the smallest matters and business that had been carried into the Council tarried there whole years nay things that went directly into the King's hands were dispatched never the sooner Thus no one knew what Party to take or where to address himself Our Ambassador who promised himself to find a better treatment than he had met with a long while and which he dexterously dissembled in expectation of the Queen's arrival perceived at last that they designed to satisfie him no better than the other Ministers who made their Complaints About five
Clericos Minores who were going to choose a Provincial The President desired that one of his friends might be named now he knew that the Nuncio had a kindness for another so he went the shortest way to work and obtained a Decree of the King which forbad him to preside in that Assembly and because he did not exactly obey it he was fined a thousand Crowns The Nuncio suffered this strange treatment with indignation enough and complained of it to the Pope His Holiness writ to the King about it and Don Iuan promised him to get the Fine revoked but the many disorders that happened after his death hindred the execution of it The King thought the business was laid asleep because he writ a very submissive Letter to the Pope about it but for all that the Nuncio who was not to be appeased by a Letter renewed the quarrel after the Prince's death He saw that the King had not as yet pitched upon a Chief Minister and judged that the President of Castile was not well supported he knew he had abundance of enemies and that amongst the rest the Queen Mother was the most inveterate against him All these considerations served to perswade him that he should obtain an intire satisfaction without any trouble He pretended therefore that he ought to lose his Place and to go to Rome to have the suspension taken off which he had incurred in the year 1679. The Court absolutely refused to grant him what he demanded upon this he complained very highly to the King telling him that he ill performed what he had promised the Pope in his Letter The Duke de Medina Celi being advanced to the Ministry was willing to examine the reasons of the Nuncio and those of the President by a Iunta 'T was alledged in favour of the last that being a native of Spain the King could not abandon him to the Pope's resentments if at the bottom he did not deserve it that it was true indeed he had done irregular things upon several occasions but then his Place was of that nature that he could not forfeit it unless it were for reasons of the greatest importance The Chief Minister declared that he should keep his Place of being President of the Council of the Indies and that Don Vicente Gonzaga should perform all his Functions He received with extraordinary satisfaction the offer which the Admiral of Castile made to resign the Office of Master of the Horse to him which is generally possest by the Favourite but would not accept of it He gave order to Don Gabriel Quinones Secretary of the Council of War to bring in his accounts out of hopes of drawing some mony from thence and indeed the State was never in such extremity of want as now for since the publishing of the King's Declaration for sinking the value of mony all Commerce was intirely stopt the Shops continued shut up and the people groaned under the greatest necessities imaginable The Duke used all his power to remedy these pressing Grievances he designed to coin new mony and to lessen the price of all Commodities but the effect of his good intentions was long delayed and the publick misery increased more and more every day Hereupon a man of great business whose name was Marcos Dias presented a Memorial to the Duke wherein he proposed a method to raise the King's Revenue and yet ease the people he offered to prove that the Magistrates of the City of Madrid under pretence of reimbursing themselves of the mony they had lent the late King had raised considerable summs and had never given any account of them He proposed a way to force them to refund the overplus as well to supply the present want as to prevent the like exactions for the time to come The Duke hearkned to him and told him his advice was good Immediately after this Marcos Dias presented another Memorial to him wherein he shewed that his Majesty's Dues were considerably diminished that he offered to pay the full worth of them and yet to make an advance of two hundred thousand Crowns a present of a hundred thousand Crowns to the King and lessen the imposition of the Dues one half of what it amounted to the year 1664. when they were less by one third part than they were this present year For this he demanded that the Rents of the Guild-Hall of the City of Madrid the payments whereof were assigned for these funds should be reduced to five in the hundred whereas they were risen to eight and what is more he still offered to reimburse those persons who were not willing to suffer this diminution It is natural to believe that he knew his own accounts well enough not to lose any thing by his project and to say the truth he had been no loser for the disorders and rapines were at that time so great that not a ninth part of the King's rights came into his Coffers The Duke foreseeing the event of this affair advised Marcos Dias not to stir out of the Palace but he had a mind to go to Alcala and he returned with vomiting of blood and Convulsions which occasioned the belief that he was poisoned for this overture of accommodating the publick affaris disgusted some particular persons of great estates who got prodigious summs at the expence of the King and People These persons to avert this blow had written to Dias and threatned to have him infallibly stabbed if he continued his proposals He was very apprehensive of the danger he incurred and besides this these very Magistrates offered the same terms to his Majesty But the Duke saw there was all the reason in the world to prefer Dias and so he refused the others Upon a consideration of what these differences might produce the Duke advised him to have a care of himself till the Treaty was concluded The advice was good if he had had the good fortune to have followed it but as he came back from Alcala to Madrid he met some men in Masques who gave him several blows with little bags full of Sand so that he spit abundance of blood at his mouth and being seized with a violent Feavor died on the first day of April The Corrigidor and some other Officers of the City were the men that were principally exasperated against him because he had discovered their Villanies a little before nevertheless they were willing to submit to some beneficial alterations in matters and so they reduced the Rents of the Guild-Hall of the City from eight to five in the hundred There was also some small regulation made in the Civil Government but the Duke could not forbear to be sensibly touched for losing by the death of Dias an opportunity to serve the King and ease the People In the mean time the people who had fully flattered themselves that if the Proposals made by Dias had taken effect they should have met with plenty instead of want beiâ—g informed of his indisposition flocked
into his ear Don Melchior Navarra who had formerly been Vice-Chancellor of Arragon and whom Don Iuan banished to Cienpuzuâ—los was called home at the intreaties of the Queen Mother Nay it was even believed that the King would give him the Place of President of Castile in case the President who was then embroyled with the Nuncio were turned out of his Place The King and Queen had the pleasure of hearing Mass celebrated at the Jesuits College in the Chaldean language by a Priest of the City of Muzal which was heretofore called Ninive After it was over the Queen who was always desirous of informing herself in matters of Curiosity sent for him to come to her and by the means of an Interpreter she asked him several questions and amongst the rest whether the women were as severely lock'd up at Muzal as they were at Madrid This question altho there was nothing criminal in it was so maliciously explained by the Dutchess de Terra nova that the King was observed to look upon her with a great deal of Coldness for some days after This did not hinder the Queen Mother from going to visit her who assured her with all the Tenderness imaginable how sensibly she was concerned at these ill Offices that were done her They went together to St. Marie la Royalle where was celebrated the Beatification of Torribio Alphonso Mogrobejo Second Archbishop of Lima The Musick of the Chappel was there their Majesties were informed at their return that the Great Arch Deacon of Madrid was dead The Queen Mother seemed to be desirous of seeing this Dignity filled by one of her own Creatures and the Young Queen proposed to send to Cardinal Portocarero to demand it of him But now it was too late for the Cardinal to prevent all Sollicitations upon this point made haste to gratify his Nephew Don Pedro Portocarero with it In the mean time whilst these small things happened News was brought that a Squadron of French men of War commanded by the Marquess de Valbelle was arrived before the Isle of Majorca to demand of the Viceroy some Merchantmen that had been taken by the Corsairs since the peace and Monsieur Valbelle had in his hands an Order of the King of Spain for their Restitution The Viceroy would not restore these prizes alledging That the Persons who had taken them had already shared and divided them and that they were not all of them Majorcans that theEffects were all consumed and gone and for his part he demanded Damages for certain hostilities which these Corsairs had suffered Valbelle continued his instances but seeing they had no Effect he declared that he would not forget to make use of the Right of Reprisals That the Subjects of the King of Spain whenever he met them on the Sea should find it to their cost that the King his Master had reason to complain of the usage he found at their hands That several Governors and Viceroys dependant upon the King of Spain had taken liberty to commit all injustices against the French that it was almost to no purpose to demand satisfaction from those at Madrid where the Councils were filled with persons who had played the same Tricks when they were in the like posts and consequently durst not condemn and punish others for the very same crimes they had committed themselves that he was assured this was the reason that occasioned this impunity and all their frivolous pretences In a word that he was going to take another course with them and do himself Justice These Menaces one would have thought were sufficient to alarm those persons that were concerned in them but they have this Maxim in Spain that provided the danger is a little remote they never fear it whether this happens through insolence or temerity and they rather chuse to suffer the disorders that always fall out in military executions than give themselves the trouble to do justice upon the complaints that are made But before I finish the first part of my Memoirs I think it will not be altogether amiss to say something of the Councils of Spain according to the best information I have received concerning them The Council of State The number of these Counsellors is not â—ixed they don't observe the right of Seniority amongst themselves but take their Places as they happen to come into the Chamber The King administers the Oath to them and they sit as the Secretaries of State do upon benches with backs to them every man has his Cushion the Counsellors are in the middle near the Table the Secretaries of State at both ends When the King assists there he has a Table above that of the Counsellors who for that time have only places and the Secretaries of State stand This Council is held twice every Saturday and but once on Mondays and Tuesdays all of them are called his Counsellors and they deliberate here upon affairs of the greatest importance such as Peace and War Leagues and Truces Here they likewise treat of the Marriage of the Kings and Princes of the Royal Family and distribute the Viceroyships and all the Governments of the Provinces that are under the Obedience of the King of Spain and altho other affairs are examined in other Councils yet the Counsellors of State don't for all that omit to give the King their advice about them Behold a List of those that compose this Council at present The Constable of Castile who is the Dean of it The Duke of Alva Don Pedro d' Arragon The Admiral of Castile The Marquess d' Astorgas The Duke D' Ossone The Prince de Stillano Don Vincente Gonzaga Prince de Guastallo Don Lovis Portocarero Cardinal and Archbishop of Toledo The Marquess de Liche TheMarquess de loz Balbazez Don Diego Sarmiento The Prince de Ligne The Duke de Villa Hermosa Don Melchior Navarra The Marquess de los Velez The Count d' Oropesa The Marquess de Mansera And the Duke d' Albuquerque The Council Royal of Castile This Council is the chief of all and to distinguish it from the rest by a Title of Honour the King calls it Our Council It was established by St. Ferdinand the third of that name in the year 1246. There are in this Council a President Sixteen Counsellors a Fiscal Six Reporters Six Secretaries a Register and a Keeper of the Registers a Receiver of the Fines due to the Council another of the Fines adjudged to particular persons a Treasurer a Deputy and a dozen Porters The Council assembles every Friday in the Palace towards Evening the King comes there The Kings Don Ferdinand the Fourth and Don Alonzo the last of that name established this Custom This Council is divided into four Chambers where they distribute those Affairs that are under their Jurisdiction in Castile One of them goes by the name of the Chamber of the fifteen hundred Pistoles because such a Sum is to be consigned before any man can get a review of a process which
is pretended to be unjustly judged by the Parliaments of Vailladolid and Granada which are the two Parliaments of Castile When the President of Castile goes out of the Council the Counsellors follow him to his Chair he never makes any Visits never gives the Right hand to any at his House he is to give the King an account of the most important affairs that pass in Council where they name a Council every Week to report them When the King comes there they all uncover themselves and kneel down Afterwards they cover themselves and sit When Audience is over the King retires into his Cabinet with the President who discourses him about business of the greatest moment for which the King gives his Orders and this does not return any more to the Chamber for the Counsellors to deliberate upon it In the Year 1609. all Castile was divided into five Districts and every District is under a Counsellor of the Council Royal who takes cognizance of the conduct of the Judges the Lords Ecclesiasticks and other secular Persons Besides this there is a particular Council that is called the Council of the Chamber of Castile the President is the Chief and the King names a certain number of Counsellors of the Council Royal whether they be three or four that compose it Here it is that they dispatch all Benefices in the King's Nomination Titles and Patents for the most considerable Places Letters of Naturalization and the Ratification of Orders to arrest the Grandees of Spain and the Graces and Favours to which his Majesty is pleased to give his Consent The King receives prodigious Sums of Money for the Places that are sold by the means of these Counsellors He gives likewise the Patents and Commissions of several places of Justice and 't is commonly pretended that in the two Castiles the Kingdom of Leon Guypuscoa Biscay the Province de Hana and in Navarr there are above 72 thousand places of Judicature Secretary of State and of the Vniversal Dispatch This Secretary is in a condition to serve or injure people according as he stands affected to them for all the Requests and Petitions which they call Memorials here and are presented to the King or Chief Minister pass through his hands 'T is he who sends them to his Counsellors who are to give their advice concerning them After the consult is made for this is their Phrase in Spain these Petitions are sent back again to the Secretary of State and when he reports them to the King His Majesty orders what pleases him and this is called a Decree This Decree is expedited by persons proposed for that Office so that when these Requests are carried to the King they say the Memorial is mounted and when they are answered they say the Memorial falls down or else the Consult ascended and the Decree descended Without counting the Secretary of State whom I have been speaking of there are two more that enter the Council one of them dispatches the Affairs of Arragon of Italy and Sicily the other those of Castile and the North. One of these is named Don Manuel de Lira who was formerly Master of the Ceremonies and Envoy Extraordinary in Holland he was made at his return Secretary of State The other is called Don Pedro Colonna he is descended of a good Family and those of his House have always possest great places They may give their advice in writing in matters of consequence The King sends the Decrees to them and through their hands Affairs go to the Council of State They make a Report of them there and gather the voices and give an account of all to his Majesty who at last orders it as he thinks fit They have power to assemble the Council out of the appointed days when they judge it convenient and when the King has a mind that they should have any extraordinary meeting they send the Order immediately to all the Counsellors Every Secretary of State has a Chief Commissary who is called the Official Mayor and exercises his Masters Office when he happens to be absent The Secretary of State for Italy has eight Commissaries reckoning him that is the principal the King pays them And the Secretary of State for the North has seven under him They chuse them themselves and the King gives his consent These dispatch all Patents and generally those persons that get into these Employments advance their fortunes in the world The Council of War This began as soon as the Kingdoms of Castile and Leon were erected under King Pelagius in the year 720. It assembles on Mundays Wednesdays and Fridays As for what concerns the Government of it the King is always President of it and the Counsellers are men of the Sword They must be men of experience and service the number of them is not fixed and it depends upon the King's pleasure to augment or to diminish them Their places are not regulated in the Council but they sit as they they come It is indeed true that when the Counsellors of State are called thither they have the upper end but then they never come but at a time when a full Council of War is held They have two Secretaries who have each of them two Commissaries under them one of these is for the Sea-affairs and the others for those at Land When they debate about matters of justice an Assessor of the Council Royal makes a report of them who has likewise the priviledge to give his opinion before the Dean of the Council The King comes there almost most every day There are besides some other Chambers that depend upon this Council such as those of the Flota's the Gallies and the Garrisons The King nominates the Officers for these Chambers The Councils are the same with those of the Council of War and 't is the Chief Minister or the President of Castile that presides there Alcaldes of the Court. The word Alcalde signifies a Judge of any place This Tribunal is full as ancient as the Council Royal whoever is judged to be a criminal by it can make no appeals but is executed immediately For this reason it is named the Quinta Sala that is to say the fifth Hall Here they determine both Civil and Criminal Affairs but when these Councils were established in Castile the Judges thereof were reduced to four Alcaldes They have been augmented since and are nine at present two Reporters and four Registers Their Jurisdiction is divided into two parts one as I said before relates only to Criminal Matters the other is like that of ordinary Judges and is to direct the management of Civil Affairs The Supream Council of the Inquisition This Council was erected in the year 1483. by Don Ferdinand and Donna Isabella King and Queen of Castile to defend and preserve the Catholick Religion altho it is certain that this Tribunal of the Inquisition was established ever since the year 1478. The President of this Council is called the Inquisitor
the Name of the Family She was passionately devoted to the Queen-Mother's Party and People did not doubt but that she would use the Young Queen very well They were afterwards confirmed in this Opinion when they heard the King a little after her admittance to Court tell the Queen That he would have her take her Pleasure more than she had hitherto done That she must walk abroad and ride on Horse-back and that he was willing she might go to Bed late provided he might go to Bed at Eight a Clock as his Custom was Nay he was so very complaisant a few days after as to resolve not to go to Bed till Ten. This agreeable Alteration in his Conduct gave the World occasion to conjecture that the Dutchness de Albuquerque had engaged the Queen-Mother to speak to the King in favour of her and that the Severity which the Queen had hitherto undergone had been inspired into the King only by the means of the Dutchess de Terra Nova The Marquess de Caralvo who was of the Council of State died about this time He â—eft prodigious Sums of ready Money behind him and the Crown gained by his Death sixty seven thousand Crowns which was yearly given him by way of Pension The Admiral of Castile's Lady died likewise and as he had lived after a very indifferent manner with her always and was one of the greatest Admirers of the Fair Sex in all the World so he did not over-much complain for his Wive's Death nor was over-sorrowful to become a Widower He had accustomed her to see near fifteen or sixteen of his Mistrisses live in his House with him in very fine Apartments and all different and he was sometimes so malicious when she walked out in the Garden as to look out of a Window with one of these Creatures standing by him who let her Handkerchief or a Ribban drop and the Admiral would call to his Wife to take it up and bring it to the Person to whom it belonged which she submitted to do with a Respect and Patience that all the World admired It happened to be said at Court That a certain Man was found digging in the Ground very early in the Morning over-against the Imperial Colledge His Design was to take up some Money and Jewels which a Iew who had been burnt and whose Domestick he was had buried in that place The King ordered him to bring what he had found there It was all locked up in a little Iron Chest which was full of Pieces of Gold of several sorts and amongst the rest there were Two Pictures which I have seen bigger than my Hand and incircled round with Diamonds of a considerable Value about them were Two little Scrowls of Parchment with some Writing upon them upon one The Dutchess de Chevreuse and on the other The Dutchess de Montbazon It was judged that the Iews who traffick much and lend Money upon Pawns came perhaps by these Pictures after the same manner They were perfectly finished and the Ladies were both of admirable Beauty The King said that they ought to be sent to the Escurial I often had the happiness to see the Marchioness de Liche who was one of the most beautiful and agreeable Persons at Court her Husband was a Man of infinite Wit He was much against his Will Ambassador at Rome and when he was to go thither endeavoured all the ways in the World to break off his Voyage He tarried a long time upon the Coasts of Spain and was unwilling to depart pretending that he was ill and praying them to send another in his room to whom he offered to give all his Equipage as a free Gift or else to trust him for it at his choice But the Court was afraid of the Vivacity of his Genius and he was known to be a Man of Enterprise For this Reason it was thought convenient to keep him at a distance and so they sent him fresh Orders to depart and go to Rome He appeared there with a great Magnificence and supported the Honour of his Ministry very well When the Duke de Medina Celi was made Chief Minister he writ several Letters to him and employ'd the Interest of all his Family to get himself re-called It was positively denied him because he was feared now more than ever And it was apprehended in case he returned home that he would unite himself with his Brother the Count de Monterei To these Reasons of State the Duke de Medina Celi joyned some private ones that purely respected his own proper Interest for it was an easie matter to take Advantage of the Absence of the Marquess de Liche to have a certain Law-Suit determined which was depending between them The Marquess being informed of what had happened and despairing ever to surmount those Obstacles which the Duke laid in his way thought the surest Expedient to get himself re-called home would be to disgust the Pope upon all occasions And herein he acquitted himself so dexterously and did every thing to displease the Pope after so disobliging a manner that his Holiness sent the King Word That unless he would re-call the Marquess de Liche he must resolve to leave Rome intreating him to send another Ambassador in his Place since he had never seen so disagreeable a one as this in all his Life But they answered him That one of the Reasons which inclined them to continue him still at Rome was because his Holiness had declared That he would grant the Rights of the Franchises and the Immunities of their Quarter only to those Ambassadors who were then resident in Rome and that those who were to be sent in their room for the time to come should no more enjoy them The Pope perceiving that he tormented himself in vain and that if he for his part had good Reasons to demand the re-calling of the Marquess de Liche the Court of Spain had also theirs to deny it did not renew his Importunities any more but being resolved to do all the ill Offices he could to the Ambassador who had on purpose disobliged him as far as lay in his power he found an opportunity to quit Scores with him and he took his Advantage of it with pleasure It was about a Dispensation which the Marquess de Liche demanded of him in favour of Don Pedro de Arragon his Uncle to marry Donna Catalina de la Cerda Daughter to the Duke de Medina Celi This young Lady was Niece to Don Pedro de Arragon who was Brother to the Duke de Cardonne and to the Cardinal of Arragon and the Duke de Cardonne was Father to the Dutchess de Medina Celi so that there was an absolute necessity for a Dispensation The Marquess was intrusted with the procuring of it by his Uncle who writ him word That he should die contentedly if he could but leave an Heir of his Name and Estate behind him That after he had been twice married without getting any Children he
hoped his Third Match would prove more Fortunate to him and therefore he desired him not to lose a moment to obtain of the Pope what he desired The Ambassador omitted nothing to compass it and gave himself a great deal of Trouble and Pains to no purpose they still put him off and sent him sometimes to one and sometimes to another Cardinal In fine after having made him dance Attendance long enough till he had lost all manner of Patience they bluntly told him that they could by no means grant what he demanded and that the Pope made a Scruple of giving a Dispensation to a Man who was Seventy Years old to marry his Niece who was not yet Sixteen The Ambassador sensibly resented this Refusal and sent speedy notice of it to Don Pedro de Arragon but what gave him a new occasion to be more displeased was to hear That at the very moment when Don Pedro was reading his Letter at Madrid the Nuncio brought him a Dispensation that was expedited gratis and told him That he had received it much sooner if the Marquess de Liche had not appeared in the matter Don Pedro sent his Nephew word of all these Circumstances who was exceedingly vexed at it The Marriage was concluded on the 15 th of Iuly without any Ceremony at the House of the Duke de Medina Celi where Cardinal Portocarero married them All the Spanish Officers at Naples were enjoyn'd to reassume the Spanish Dress 'T was believed that the Neapolitans would soon imitate them but seeing they did it not in the least an Ordinance was published by Sound of Trumpet at the beginning of August commanding all the Officers of Justice to Apparel themselves after the Spanish Fashion This Conduct had never been used towards them had it not been to let them see how great a Heart-burning it was to them to behold them drest after the French way The Troops continued still to make Complaints because it was a long time since they had been paid off They spoke several times to the Vice-Roy about it who sent them to the Secretary of War and he to the Cash-Keeper or Pay-Master to the Army He answered them That the Military Funds were clearly exhausted and that he was not in a Condition to satisfie them This makes it sufficiently appear That the extream Misery which indeed oppressed the whole Spanish Monarchy was not only perceived at Madrid The King being fully resolved to endeavour as far as in him lay the Ease and Satisfaction of his People and thinking himself obliged to the Performance of it by those things which Father Francis de Relux had said to him at the time when he was his Confessor acquainted the Duke de Medina Celi with his Designs to establish a particular Council where all manner of Affairs should be debated and it should be composed of the Constable of Castile the Marquess de Los Balbazez the Inquisitor General and Don Melchior Navarra The Chief Minister was to be the Head of it but the King reserved to himself the last Resolutions of things and all Favours and Disposals of Places The Duke approved at first of the King's Project but after he had maturely deliberated upon it he went to the King on purpose to disswade him from it out of an Assurance that the Council of State would be Jealous of it which was composed of some of the most considerable Persons in the Kingdom that this would occasion a vexatious difference between them and rather hinder the Success and Advancement of Affairs than promote them Don Melchior Navarra Vice-Chancellor of Arragon obtained all the Appointments and Profits which the Presidents of that Council were formerly used to enjoy It was not at all questioned but that the Queen-Mother advanced the Dutchess de Albuquerque to the Place where now she was to be seen and People were as fully perswaded that it was she who got the Prince de Parma to be sent into Flanders to recompence the great Zeal he had always expressed in her Service But the Council of State began to be Alarmed at the great Power of this Princess What is the matter would they usually say one to another Are we going to have a new Regency and is the King resolved to be under Wardship again What gave them the greatest occasion to talk after this manner was as follows The Council having according to the Custom named Three Subjects for the Vice-Royship of Peru out of which number the King generally chuses one his Majesty without having any regard to it named Don Melchior Navarra wâ—o had advanced his Fortune by the means of the Queen-Mother and was absolutely devoted to her He was born in Arragon of an obscure Family and at first was an Advocate and afterwards a Counsellor at Naples Being come to Madrid he there became Fiscal to the Council of Arragon and had the good Fortune to please the Queen-Mother who was then Regent She made him Vice Chancellor of Arragon which is one of the most considerable Places out of pure Spight to the Council of State who opposed her so that she could not bestow this Office upon the Prince de Stillano The Iuncto of the Government refusing to admit him she put the other in his Place that she might always have one of her own Creatures in that Iuncto and besides this might always be informed for the time to come of what was transacted there The Queen had no sooner given this Testimony of her Affection to Don Melchior but every body stood surprized to see a Man of so mean a Birth advanced to so high a Post but when they knew him better they found him to be a Person of great Merit Experience and Probity Don Iuan of Austria who was mightily displeased at his Conduct banished him and he came not back to Court till after the Death of that Prince The Queen-Mother being desirous to make him compleatly happy got the Vice Royship of Peru for him which is a very Advantageous Post for in less than five Years time a Man may very well heap up Three Millions by it without wronging either his own Conscience or his Neighbour Just at his departure they charged him with very rigorous Orders against the Governours of that Kingdom who had made an ill use of their Power This Custom has been taken up of a long time the Poor and Unfortunate only are made Examples but the rest make a shift to escape well enough by giving a good round Sum of Money which perhaps they have extorted from other People But as it always happens that one Man's good Fortune proves an Obstacle to that of another the Marquess de Santa Crux died of Grief because he mist this Place He had been General of the Spanish Gallies and was a Man of Birth and Merit but so extreamly poor that he saw nothing else could set him up again but the Vice-Roy-ship of Peru. He did not question but that they would consider him for
with him or that his uneasiness to be kept there by force contributed to destroy his Health What makes the case harder is that she did not request to have him come back to Madrid but only that he might have permission to live in any of His Majesty's Dominions The greater part of the Councellors of State were agreed in favour of the Marchioness and her Prayers had certainly met with success if the Enemies of the Marquess de Liche had not taken all Opportunities to confirm the King in the Opinion he had already of him that he was a Man of the most incurable ill Temper in the World and that it was not possible for him to permit him to come home without hazarding the Peace of all the Court We may therefore easily apprehend that the Count de Monterey had reason enough to be angry with the Duke de Medina-Celi and d' Eguya and his Resentments as well as his Ambition made him passionately wish to see another in the Place that he might effectually Revenge himself upon the Duke whom he hated and might have Access enough to the New Favourite to be able through his means to be introduced into the Council of State and push on his own Fortune He imagined himself capable of doing it by his Merits and good Management but although he might with Justice aspire to the most high and difficult Posts he was obliged to conceal his desires and intentions because he found People's Eyes were still upon him and that several who made a Solemn Profession to be his Friends served only as so many Spies to watch him This consideration prevailed with him to put that restraint upon himself as to live in a sort of Retirement and that with so much circumspection as to discover his Designs almost to no body Nay he affected to Visit the Duke de Medina Celi and having found him one day more easie of Access than was usual with him he freely declared to him that it was not without the greatest impatience that he beheld the preference the Duke de Villa Hermosa met with to be made Privy-Counsellor and himself excluded The Duke answered him that he might expect his turn one day and upon this shewed him some Civility which perswaded the Count to believe that he had now perhaps a greater kindness for him than formerly This Reason engaged him to make his Court regularly to him and to devote himself to him at least in appearance The Duke de Veraguas sensible of the Affront he had received in losing the Vice-Roy-ship of Valentia had no other motive to induce him to think of the removal of the Chief Minister but only an expectation that he who succeeded him in that Place would do him more Justice than the Duke de Medina Celi had done For although the Duke de Veraguas was descended of an Illustrious Family as being of the House of Portugal and that besides his Youth he had a great deal of Merit and Capacity yet whatever importunities he made at Court to be restored to his Vice-Roy-ship again he was not able to obtain it He had received Absolution privately from the Apostolick Nuncio for having ordered the Monk to be executed who had quitted his Habit and was made Captain of the Banditti It was believed that having now appeased the Pope this would facilitate his re-establishment he daily presented his Petitions to the Council he demanded of them that if he were a Criminal they would treat him as such that his Tryal might come on and that his Head might answer for the faults he had committed but that if after a strict Examination of his Conduct they found he had served His Majesty well they would not deny him the Justice that is allowed to the meanest Souldier His Trouble and his Requests were always equally unsuccessful he found them perverse and prejudiced against him and so by this ill usage they obliged him to joyn with the Male-contents As for the Duke de Pastrane he had not in the least been ill used at Court however he thought it sufficient ill Treatment to be left without an Employ His Wife who was Sister to the Marquess de Liche and the Count de Monterey being provoked at what Indignities those of her Family had suffered perswaded him to use all his Efforts to get a new Ministery established The Duke de Pastrane voluntarily espoused this Party and his two Brothers whom he had made acquainted with the Design were resolved not to separate their Interests from his one of them was named Don Gaspar the other Don Ioseph de Silva the last of these had a very great share in the King's Affections and his Place of Chief Gentleman-Usher procured him a great Esteem and Approbation He had married the Daughter of the Marquess de Mansera But these three Noblemen were guilty of a great Solecism in this Affair for they communicated the matter to Don Sebastian Bibanco Secretary of the Chamber out of a presumption that he was of the same Opinion with themselves but herein they were mistaken for he was â—â—finitely more devoted to the Chief Minister â—â—an to them and consequently no sooner knew any thing of Importance but he immediately discovered it to him The Marquess de Mansera Grand Master of the Queen-Mother's Houshold and her Creature desired for her sake as well as his own to see the Government molded into another form He was a Man well advanced in years whose Merit and Experience might with Justice prompt him to believe that he was fit to possess whatever Place they would assign him in the Ministry He desired a Iuncto to be erected that he might be chosen a Member of it But knowing that his Zeal for the Queen-Mother rendred him strongly suspected and that he ran an extraordinary hazard if he appeared for himself he judged it expedient to employ the Marquess de Grana who was his Brother-in-law and Confident So he discoursed him about the matter and possessed him with a desire to take all necessary measures to effect it The other having nothing to fear by reason of his Quality of being Ambassador laboured very diligently in the Affair while the Marquess de Mansera expressed but a small concern for whatever happened at Court unless it were for the Marquess Grana's Endeavours to contribute to his Advancement He seemed to be of Opinion that for the Interests of the Emperour his Master he was obliged to procure the Prosperity of Spain which languished under an extream Misery that extended it self farther than the Limits of that Kingdom That it was impossible for the King to Second the Emperour in any of his Designs as long as the Members of that great body were declining and continued under the ill effects of a Consumption that made them utterly incapable of Action that it was to no purpose to make any Proposals to the Ministers because whatever they promised him was never executed All these Motives joyned together excited him
both their minds prepossessed against each other But at last when they could speak in cold Blood and came to examine what had been said on both sides they were sensible that some ill Persons had endeavoured to disunite them in order to Fortifie their own Party which was equally contrary to them both They gave one another an Account of the measures that had been taken of the Persons that were concerned in them of â—hose whom they ought to suspect for the tiâ—e to come and they resolved to employ all their Interest to destroy the opposite Cabal They staid together till it was Night and on the next day which was the fifth of February the Constable of Castile gave the King and the two Queens a Magnificent Collation accompanied with Musick The King's Dwarf who is one of the prettiest Creatures in the World whom the Constable brought with him from his Government of Flanders where he succeeded Don Iuan danced a Passa Cailla along with a young Girl whom the Queen had taken to her Service and was newly redeemed out of Slavery They were both of them dress'd after the Indian Fashion covered with Feathers of Birds of different colours they had little Tabors and played prettily upon them This Feast was followed by another at the House of Don Pedro d' Arragon where the Queen danced before the King which she had never done before although she acquitted her self that way to admiration She had purposely learned the Canaries and a Saraband so that the King was perfectly charmed to see her so expert in the Spanish Dances and told her several times as he pressed her Arms with his two Hands Mi Reina Mi Reina ere 's la mas perfeta de todo el Orbe That is to say My Queen My Queen you are the most accomplished Person in the whole World The Queen-Mother sent her that Evening a Watch all adorned with Diamonds and a Gold Chain of exquisite Work she writ a Letter to her wherein she wished that this Watch would only shew her happy and pleasant Hours The Queen returned her this Answer That they would be always so if she would continue to love her She afterwards desired the King to tell her some tender thing that she might send it to the Queen-Mother The King told her immediately No tengo que desir How Sir says the Queen have you nothing to say to the Queen your Mother I beseech you to give me a Complement that may please her The King studied a long time what to send her and at last said Ponga os mi Reina que jo tongo busna salud That is to say Write my Queen that I am well The King dispatched an Order to Prince Alexander Governour of the Low-Countries to make a grand Reform amongst the Officers of War and Justice He gave at the same time the Vice-Roy-ship of Navar to the Great Prior of Castile The Count de Fuen Salida who possessed that Post went to Gallicia whereof he was made Vice-Roy The Count de Palma Nephew to Cardinal Portocarero had the Government of Malaga and the Coasts of Granada in the room of the Count de Cifuentes and the Duke de Hijar Son-in-law to the Dutchess de Terra-Nova obtained the Vice-Roy-ship of Arragon This Dutchess had not appeared at Court ever since she had quitted it with so great a Disgust But her Son-in-law having now received this new Favour she was resolved to go and visit the Queen on the tenth of February She had already sent to her Majesty to demand her Permission and the Queen sent her word that she should be glad to see her The Dutchess at her entrance into the Queen's Chamber seemed at first a little disordered She excused her not coming to Court upon the account of a long Fit of Sickness and then added I assure your Majesty I did not think I should have been able to live after my misfortune to be separated from you The Queen told her that she had been informed of her Indisposition but that this was not a place for her to speak of what made her uneasie and in effect passed to some other Discourse The Dutchess de Terra Nova fixed her Eyes continually on the Dutchess d' Albuquerque as if she had a mind to devour her and the Dutchess d' Albuquerque whose Eyes were neither better nor sweeter than hers looked askew upon her and they let fall every other moment some Expressions that were a little eager One of the Footmen belonging to the Venetian Ambassador had committed some Insolence and the Justices ordered him to be Apprehended for it but this Minister pretending that it was against the Priviledge of Ambassadors complained of it to the Duke de Medina Celi but did not receive so favourable an Answer from him as he expected This so much disgusted him that he went to acquaint the rest of the Ambassadors with it who all agreed to represent the Consequences of such an Action to the Duke de Medina Celi in a large Memorial conceived in very harsh terms which they sent to him all at the same time The Chief Minister carried it to the Council of State who after they had maturely deliberated upon the Affair were of Advice that they should set the Footman immediately at liberty The Ambassadors were resolved in case they had refused them this Satisfaction to have forced the Prison to fetch him out Constable Colonna came back to Madrid in February The most important Affair that brought him thither was his desire to Accommodate Matters with his Lady and to find out a way for both of them to live in peace The Marriage of his Son with the Daughter of the Duke de Medina Celi did also take him up very much The Queen was concerned at the Misfortunes of his Wife and it was no small trouble to her to understand what ill Usage a Person of her Quality received in Prison Nay she was particularly obliged to protect her by reason of the Promise the Duke had made her and the Confidence the Constable's Lady reposed in it These Reasons engaged her to charge her Confessor to do all he could with the Constable in order to Negotiate an Accommodation and see whether he would carry her into Italy or suffer her to stay in some Religious Convent at Madrid as she had already been But the Constable and his Wife were strangely exasperated against one another She resented to the Life the unworthy Treatment she had received and the mutual occasions they had to complain hindered them from consenting to what might contribute to their common Satisfaction At last the Constable being earnestly importuned by the Queen and advised by the Marquess de Los Balbazez proposed that his Wife should turn a Religious and that he for his part should take the Habit of a Knight of Malta This at first appeared very surprising to all the World but indeed was more strange to the Constable's Lady than to any one for 't is
the quarrel between the two Rivals and succeeded in it however this Accident could not be kept so secret but that the King being informed of it forbid them the Court. The Duke de Sejar parted from hence to go and serve in Flanders in quality of a Volunteer He was a Person of Illustrious Birth very rich and very young the reason he did this was only because he was jealous of his Lady The Count de Talara had the Place of Judge of the Forrests conferred upon him which was vacant by the Death of the Marquess de la Garde and Don Francisco de Manserato obtained the Title of Marquess de Tamarit The King ordered the Council to discharge all the Receivers of the Impositions that are laid upon the Provinces These Officers were above a thousand and the suppressing of them must needs be of great advantage to his Catholick Majesty and to his Subjects A Vessel which came to Cales from the Honduras brought News that the Flota was happily arrived on the fifth of September and that the Merchants of Lima offered three hundred thousand Crowns to the King on condition that for an year and half he would not send the Gallions here In the mean time ill Weather hindred the Fleet which had set sail from Cales a little before from doubling the Cape of St. Vincent the bad effects of this Tempest were not only perceived at Sea for it was so violent in all parts of Castile that several Houses were beaten down and the exceeding Rains so swelled the Rivers that the Roads were o'reflown and almost all the Bridges carried away by the rapidity of the Waters This ill News was followed immediately by three Couriers one upon the neck of another and the first of them arrived on the 13 th of March from Abbot Masserati Envoy of Spain in Portugal He dispatched them to inform the Council that they had received Advice at Lisbon by a Vessel that the Governour of Buenosaires having got together abundance of Indians had joyned them to his Garrison that on the 15 th of August 1680. he had surprized the Fort which the Portugueses had began to build in the Isle of St. Gabriel that he had taken the Governour Prisoner and cut the Garrison in pieces that the Prince-Regent being provoked at this Insult had assembled the Council of State where the Queen of Portugal was present that they had reâ—olved to raise the Militia and send 400 Horse and four Regiments of Old Soldiers into Estramadura that it would be necessary to get Magazines ready on the Frontiers and to have a General Rendezvous at Eluas that having demanded Audience of the Prince-Regent he had refused it him and that in all probability a War would ensue 'T was expected at Court that the Envoy of Portugala would make his Complaints but they were extreamly surprized to see him take no noticâ— of it at all so now it was not doubted bu that this silence certainly presaged a surprize of the Spanish Territories like to that which the Governour of Buenosaires had committed in the Indies upon the Portugueses The Ministers judged it convenient to prevent this blow and spoke to the English Ambassador about it desiring him to represent to the Envoy of Portugal that the King of England would be obliged to take up Arms against him who first broke the Peace whereof he was Guarrantee that he had also a more particular Reason than this forasmuch as by the League that was concluded between the King his Master and his Catholick Majesty they had mutually engaged to Declare against the Enemy that fell upon either of them This Discourse was spoke with a great deal of heat but the Envoy of Portugal answered him That he looked upon him to be a Partisan of the Court of Spain rather than an Ambassador from the King of England that he knew very well he spoke without Order and of his own Head This Answer was followed by a Protestation in Writing wherein it was declared that the King of England could not upon any Reason whatever hinder the Prince of Portugal from using the Right of Reprisals and endeavouring to get Satisfaction from the Spaniards for the Injuries received A little after this the Envoy of Portugal received an Order from the Prince-Regent to demand Publick Audience upon this Occasion and told his Catholick Majesty that he demanded an entire Satisfaction from him and that the Prince-Regent desired that they would set the Souldiers and Governour at Liberty that they would punish those of Buenosaires that they would restore the Ammunition and Cannon that if the Fort were razed they would rebuild it or else surrender the place that in case the Prisoners were sent into Spain they would set them at Liberty that they would receive into the Fort of St. Gabriel the Garrison which the Prince of Portugal should send thither that the Governour of Buenosaires should be chastised and that an Answer be given in within Twenty Days or else they would begin Actions of Hostility Upon this the Council met and spent three days to deliberate about it They gave Orders for their Forces to march towards the most exposed defenceless places and Don Antonio Panyagua Master-General of the Camp was charged to stay there till he saw an end of this Affair Besides they set forth a great Memorial wherein were contained the Arguments which the Envoy of Spain had given in at Lisbon to make it appear by Authentick Papers that according to the Limits appointed by Pope Alexander VI. the Isle of St. Gabriel belongs to the Spaniards and that they have had it a hundred fourscore and six Years in their possession After this they took notice of the Declaration of the Envoy of Portugal and ended all with a Protestation signifying That they were desirous to preserve the Peace and that they would labour with all Application in this matter This Manifesto was sent to all the Foreign Ministers to communicate to their Masters but they had scarce given it to them when they sent in all hast back again for the Copies to Correct something or other and then they returned them again At the same time a Rumour was industriously dispersed that the Nuncio by an express Order from the Pope had moved them to send an Ambassador to Lisbon to treat about an Accomodation But this was really a Temperament they had found out to conceal the true motives which engaged them to make this Advance The Nuncio upon this said openly that he had never interposed in the business and that it was impossible to receive any Orders from Rome about so fresh an Affair The Duke de Giovenazzo was chosen for this Embassy As soon as he was arrived at Lisbon he saw the Prince-Regent who nominated the Duke de Cadaval and the Marquess de Fronteyra for Commissioners He would have made his Complaints at first and demanded Satisfaction But he was told that they were of a Humour clearly opposite to