Books: Memoirs of Lady Fanshawe
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Lady Fanshawe >> Memoirs of Lady Fanshawe
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My husband received the Governor upon deck, and carried him into the
round-house, who, as soon as he was there, told my husband, that
contrary to the usage of the King of Spain, his Majesty had commanded
that his ships and forts should first salute the King of England's
Ambassador, and that his Majesty had commanded that both in that place
of Cadiz and in all others to the Court of Madrid, my husband and all
his retinue should be entertained upon the King's account, in as full
and ample manner, both as to persons and conveyance of our goods and
persons, as if his Majesty were there in person. My husband and self
and children went in the barge, the rest in other barges provided for
that purpose.
At our setting off, Sir John Lawson saluted us with very many guns,
and as we went near the shore the cannon saluted us in great numbers.
When we landed we were carried on shore in a rich chair supported by
eight men: we were welcomed by many volleys of shot, and all the
persons of quality of that town by the sea-side, among whom was the
Governor, did conduct my husband with all his train. There were
infinite numbers of people, who with the soldiery did show us all the
respect and welcome imaginable. I was received by his Excellency Don
Melchor de la Cueva, the Duke of Albuquerque's brother, and the
Governor of the garrison, who both led me four or five paces to a rich
sedan, which carried me to the coach where the Governor's lady was,
who came out immediately to salute me, and whom, after some
compliments, I took into the coach with me and my children.
When we came to the house where we were to lodge, we were nobly
treated, and the Governor's wife did me the honour to sup with me.
That afternoon the Duke of Albuquerque came to visit my husband, and
afterwards me, with his brother Don Melchor de la Cueva. As soon as
the Duke was seated and covered, he said, 'Madam, I am Don Juan de la
Cueva, Duke of Albuquerque, Viceroy of Milan, of his Majesty's privy
council, General of the galleys, twice Grandee, the first Gentleman of
his Majesty's bed-chamber, and a near kinsman to his Catholic Majesty,
whom God long preserve!' and then rising up and making me a low
reverence with his hat off, said, 'These, with my family and life, I
lay at your Excellency's feet.'
They were accompanied by a very great train of gentlemen. At his going
away, he told me his Lady would suddenly visit me. We had a guard
constantly waited on us, and sentries at the gate below and at the
stairs' head above. We were visited by all the persons of quality in
that town. Our house was richly furnished, both my husband's quarter
and mine; the worst chamber and bed in my apartment being furnished
with damask, in which my chambermaid lay; and throughout all the
chambers the floors were covered with Persia carpets. The richness of
the gilt and silver plate, which we had in great abundance, as we had
likewise of all sorts of very fine household linen, was fit only for
the entertainment of so great a Prince as his Majesty, our Master, in
the representation of whose person my husband received this great
entertainment; yet, I assure you, notwithstanding this temptation,
that your father and myself both wished ourselves in a retired country
life in England, as more agreeable to both our inclinations.
I must not forget here the ceremony the Governor used to my husband.
After supper, the Governor brought the keys of the town to my husband,
saying, 'Whilst your Excellency is here, I am no Governor of this
town, and therefore desire your Excellency, from me your servant, to
receive these keys, and to begin and give the word to the garrison.'
This night my husband, with all the demonstrations of his sense of so
great an honour, returned his Catholic Majesty, by him, his humble
thanks, refusing the keys, and wishing the Governor much prosperity
with them, who so well deserved that honour the King had given him.
Then the Governor pressed my husband again for the word, which my
husband gave, and was this: 'Long live his Catholic Majesty!' Then the
Governor took his leave, and his Lady of me, whom I accompanied to the
stairs' head.
The next day we were visited by the Mayor and all the Burgesses of the
town. On the same day, Saturday the 8th, the Governor's Lady sent me a
very noble present of India plate and other commodities thereof. In
the afternoon the Duchess of Albuquerque sent a gentleman to me, to
know if with conveniency her Excellency might visit me the next day,
as the custom of the Court is.
On Sunday the 9th, her Excellency with her daughter, who was newly
married to her uncle Don Melchor de la Cueva, visited me. I met them
at the stairs' head, and at her Excellency's going, there parted with
her. Her Excellency had on, besides other very rich jewels, as I
guess, about two thousand pearls, the roundest, the whitest, and the
biggest that ever I saw in my life.
On Thursday the 13th, the English Consul with all the merchants
brought us a present of two silver basins and ewers, with a hundred
weight of chocolate, with crimson taffeta clothes, laced with silver
laces, and voiders, which were made in the Indies, as were also the
basins and ewers.
This afternoon I went to pay my visit to the Duchess of Albuquerque.
When I came to take coach, the soldiers stood to their arms, and the
Lieutenant that held the colours displaying them, which is never done
to any one but to Kings, or such as represent their persons. I stood
still all the while, then at the lowering of the colours to the
ground, they received for them a low courtesy from me, and for himself
a bow; then taking coach, with very many persons both in coaches and
on foot, I went to the Duke's palace, where I was again received by a
guard of his Excellency's, with the same ceremony of the King's
colours as before. Then I was received by the Duke's brother and near
a hundred persons of quality. I laid my hand upon the wrist of his
Excellency's right hand; he putting his cloak thereupon, as the
Spanish fashion is, went up the stairs, upon the top of which stood
the Duchess and her daughters, who received me with great civility,
putting me, into every door, and all my children, till we came to sit
down in her Excellency's chamber, where she placed me on her right
hand, upon cushions, as the fashion of this Court is, being very rich
and laid upon Persia carpets.
At my return, the Duchess and her daughter went out before me, and at
the door of her Excellency's chamber, I met the Duke, who with his
brother and the rest of the gentlemen that did accompany our gentlemen
during our stay there, went down together before me. When I took my
leave of the Duchess, in the same place where his Excellency received
me, the Duke led me down to the coach in the same manner as his
brother led me up the stairs; and having received the ceremony of the
soldiers, I returned home to my lodgings; where after I had been an
hour, Don Antonio de Pimentel, the Governor of Cadiz, who that day was
newly come to town, after having been to visit my husband, came to
visit me with great company, on the part of his Catholic Majesty, and
afterwards upon his own score. He sent me a very rich present of
perfumes, skins, gloves, and purses embroidered, with other nacks of
the same kind.
Sir John Lawson being now ready to depart from Cadiz, we presented him
with a pair of flagons, one hundred pounds, and a tun of Luzena wine,
which cost us forty pounds, and a hundred and forty pieces-of-eight
for his men. We sent Captain Ferne two hundred pieces-of-eight, and to
his men forty pieces-of-eight, they being very careful of our goods,
the most of which he brought. We sent Captain Berkeley a hundred
pieces-of-eight, and to his men twenty; he carried part of our horses,
as did Captain Utber, to whom we sent a like sum.
On the 19th of March, we took our leave of Cadiz, where we gave at our
coming away, to persons that attended on us in several offices, two
hundred and eighty pieces-of-eight. We were accompanied to the water-
side in the same manner. We were received on shore with all points of
formality, and having taken our leave, with many thanks and
compliments to the Governor, and Don Diego Ibara, his lady, and all
the rest of those persons there, to whom we were as much beholden for
their civility, we entered the King's barge, which was newly trimmed
up for the purpose by the Duke of Medina Celi, at Puerto de Sta Maria.
No person ever went in it before but the King. The Governor, Don
Antonio de Pimentel, went with us in the barge, and many other barges
were provided by him for all our train.
At our going we had many volleys of shot, afterwards many cannons, and
as we went, the guns of all the ships in the harbour. When we were
come over the bar, all the forts by St. Mary's Port saluted us; and
when we came to the shore-side, we found many thousand soldiers in
arms, in very great order, with their commanders, and a bridge made on
purpose for us, with great curiosity, so far into the river, that the
end of the bridge touched the side of the barge. At the end of the
bridge stood the Duke of Medina Celi and his son, the Duke of Alcala.
During the time of our landing, we had infinite volleys of shot,
presented with drums beating and trumpets sounding, and all the
demonstration of hearty welcome imaginable.
The two dukes embraced my husband with great kindness, welcoming him
to the place, and the Duke of Medina Celi led me to my coach, an
honour that he had never done any but once, when he waited on your
Queen to help her on the like occasion. The Duke d'Alcala led my
eldest daughter, and the younger led my second, and the Governor of
Cadiz, Don Antonio de Pimentel, led the third. Mrs. Kestian carried
Betty in her arms.
Thus I entered the Duchess of Alcala's coach, which conveyed me to my
lodging, the ceremony of the King's colours being performed as at
Cadiz. We passed through the streets, in which were an infinite number
of people, to a house provided for us, the best of all the place,
which was caused to be glazed by the Duke on purpose for us. At our
alighting out of the coaches, the Duke led me up into my apartment,
with an infinite number of noblemen and gentlemen, his relations;
there they took their leave of me, conducting my husband to his
quarter, with whom they stayed in visit about half an hour, and so
returned to his house. After I had been there three hours, the Duchess
of Alcala sent a gentleman to say her Excellency welcomed me to the
place, and that, as soon as I was reposed after my long voyage, she
would wait upon me: in like manner did the Marquis of Bayona and his
lady, and their son with his lady.
I must not pass by the description of the entertainment, which was
vastly great, tables being plentifully covered every meal for above
three hundred persons. The furniture was all rich tapestry,
embroideries of gold and silver upon velvet, cloth of tissue, both
gold and silver, with rich Persia carpets on the floors: none could
exceed them. Very delicate fine linen of all sorts, both for table and
beds, never washed, but new cut out of the piece, and all things
thereunto belonging. The plate was vastly great and beautiful, nor for
ornament were they fewer than the rest of the bravery, there being
very fine cabinets, looking-glasses, tables, and chairs.
On Thursday, at two in the afternoon, the Duchess of Alcala came to
visit me; she had lain in but three weeks of a daughter. The day
before she performed all the ceremonies and civilities, which is the
custom, of the Court to me and mine.
On the 21st I was visited by the Marquesa of Bayona, and all that
noble family. On the 23rd I went to repay the Duchess of Alcala her
Excellency's visit, and to give her thanks for my noble entertainment;
a part thereof being provided under the care of her Excellency.
I likewise went to pay the visit to the Marquesa de Bayona. On Monday
the 24th, [Footnote: The new style is here used.] we began our journey
from Port St. Mary to Madrid, and taking leave of all the company, we
gave one hundred pieces-of-eight to the servants of the family, and
fifty pieces-of-eight to the Duke's coachman and footmen. The Duke
accompanied me in the same manner as he did when he brought me to the
coachside when we landed; and afterwards my husband and the Duke
entering the Duke's coach, he brought us a mile out of town, as did
also the Marquis of Bayona, and his lady, with an infinite number of
persons of the best quality of that place.
That night we went to Xerez, being met, a league before we came to the
town, by the Corregidor, accompanied by many gentlemen and coaches of
that place, with many thousands of common people, who conducted us to
a house provided for us, as the King had commanded, with plenty of all
sorts of accommodation. My husband made his entry into the town in the
Corregidor's coach, as he did in all places up to Madrid.
At this town I was visited by my Lord Dongan's [Footnote: Sir William
Dongan, who was created Baron Dongan and Viscount Dongan of Claine, in
the county of Kildare, in the Peerage of Ireland, in 1661. He was
raised to the Earldom of Limerick, by James the Second, in 1685, and
was attainted in 1691. A letter from him to Sir Richard Fanshawe,
dated at Xeres, 1st June 1664, occurs among the Original Letters of
Sir Richard Fanshawe, printed in 1701, page 102; and in his
correspondence with Lord Arlington, in the British Museum, he thus
alluded to him:--MADRID, 3rd June, 1666, stilo loci. "Lord Dongan
intends to set forth from this Court to England upon Friday next."-
Harl. MS. 7010, f. 274. MADRID, 6th of June, 1665, stilo loci. "The
bearer hereof, my Lord Dongan, passing through this Court for England,
offered me an opportunity of congratulating your Excellency, &c."--
Ibid. f. 276.] lady, who lives there, and whose visit I repaid the
next day before I left the town. We received letters by a gentleman,
sent express from the Duke of Medina Celi, and the Duke of Alcala, who
both wrote to my husband, and his Duchess to me, all of them
expressing great civility and kindness. By the bearer of these letters
we returned the acknowledgment of their favours in our letters, to all
their Excellencies, and presented the knight that brought them with a
chain of gold that cost thirty pounds sterling.
At nine o'clock we left the pleasant town of Xerez, and lodged the
next night at Lebrija; and the next night at Utrera, where we saw the
ruins of a brave town, nothing remaining extraordinary, but the
fineness of the situation. We were met there by Don Lope de Mendoca,
who was sent with his troop of horse from Seville, by command of the
Asistente of that city, [Footnote: The Asistencia of Seville is a high
municipal office, peculiar to that city. Dic. de la Acad: Espan.] the
Conde de Molina. There came out to meet us also, the Corregidor of
Utrera, with an infinite number of persons of all qualities, who met
us a league from the town, as did also the English Consul of Seville,
with many English merchants, who had clothed twelve footmen in new
liveries, to show the more respect to my husband. We were lodged in a
priest's house, which was very nobly furnished for our reception, and
our treatment was answerable thereunto.
Thursday the 27th of March, we entered Seville, being met a league
from the city by the assistant, the Conde de Molina, with many hundred
coaches, with nobility and gentry in them, and very many thousands of
the burgesses and common people of the town. My husband, after usual
compliments passed, went into the Conde's coach. I followed my husband
in my own coach, as I ever did in all places; all the pages going next
my coach on horseback, and then our coach of state, and other coaches
and litters behind, many of the gentlemen and servants riding on
horseback, and many of the gentlemen did ride before the coach. Thus
we entered that great city that had been, of Seville, though now much
decayed. We lay in the King's palace, [Footnote: The Alcazar.] which
was very royally furnished on purpose for our reception, and all our
treatment during our stay. We were lodged in a silver bedstead, quilt,
curtains, valances, and counterpane of crimson damask, embroidered
richly with flowers of gold. The tables of precious stones, and the
looking-glasses bordered with the same; the chairs the same as the
bed, and the floor covered with rich Persia carpets, and a great
brasero of silver, filled full of delicate flowers, which was
replenished every day as long as we stayed. The hangings were of
tapestry full of gold, all which furniture was never lain in but two
nights, when his Majesty was at Seville. Within my chamber was a
dressing-room, and by that, a chamber very richly furnished, in which
my children lay, and within them all my women: on the other side of
the chamber as I came in, was my dining-room, in which I did
constantly eat. I and my children eating at a table alone, all the
way, without any company, till we came to our journey's end, where we
provided for ourselves at Ballecas, within a league of Madrid. In this
palace, the chief room of my husband's quarters was a gallery, wherein
were three pair of Indian cabinets of japan, the biggest and
beautifulest that ever I did see in my life: it was furnished with
rich tapestry hangings, rich looking-glasses, tables, Persia carpets,
and cloth of tissue chairs. This palace hath many princely rooms in
it, both above and underneath the ground, with many large gardens,
terraces, walks, fish-ponds, and statues, many large courts and
fountains, all of which were as well dressed for our reception as art
or money could make them.
During our stay in this palace, we were every day entertained with a
variety of recreations; as shows upon the river, stage plays, dancing,
men playing at legerdemain, which were constantly ushered in with very
great banquets, and so finished.
On the 30th, the Malaga merchants of the English presented my husband
with a very fine horse, that cost them three hundred pounds. On the
1st of April, the English merchants of Seville, with their Consul,
presented us with a quantity of chocolate and as much sugar, with
twelve fine sarcenet napkins laced thereunto belonging, with a very
large silver pot to make it in, and twelve very fine cups to drink it
out of, filigree, with covers of the same, with two very large salvers
to set them upon, of silver.
On Thursday the 3rd of April, 1664, we took our leave of the assistant
and the rest of that noble company at Seville. The Conde de Molina,
who was Asistente of Seville, presented me with a young lion; but I
desired his Excellency's pardon that I did not accept of it, saying I
was of so cowardly a nature, I durst not keep company with it. In the
same manner as they received us, so they accompanied us a league
onward on our way, whereupon my husband alighting out of the Conde's
coach, and having with me taken leave of all the company, both he and
I got upon horseback; and here we took our leave of my Lord Dongan,
who with great kindness brought us so far from Xerez. Some of the
Malaga merchants of Seville accompanied us on our journey. That night
we lay at Carmona; and on the 4th of April at Fuentes, the Onor of the
Marquis, who is now at Paris, Ambassador from the King of Spain to
that Court. On the 5th we lay at Ezija, where we received noble
entertainment from the noblemen and gentlemen of that town; where we
stayed till Thursday, the 8th of April, and after paying thanks to
those persons that had so well ordered that noble entertainment with
great civility to us, we went that night to Cordova, where, a league
before we came to the town, we were met by the Corregidor with near a
hundred coaches, and a foot company of soldiers stood on each side of
the way, giving volleys of shot, with displayed colours and trumpets,
with many thousands of people, who by fireworks and other expressions
showed much joy. Here we parted with Don Lope, a gentleman sent from
the Conde de Molina to this place to accompany us.
We were lodged at a very brave house, and as bravely furnished: at
night we had a play acted, and during our stay there we saw many
nunneries, and the best churches, as we had likewise done at Seville
and at all the other towns through which we had passed in our journey
from the seaside. We had there the feast of the bulls, called in the
Spanish tongue juego de toros. [Footnote: Properly "corridas de toros"
i.e., bull fights.] We had likewise another sport, called juego de
canas [Footnote: A kind of tournament played with canes instead of
lances.] in which appeared very many fine gentlemen, fine horses, and
very fine trappings. We had abundance of entertainments, and yet their
civility and good manners exceeded all, as likewise the fame of that
place, which is so highly renowned in the world for noble and well-
bred gentlemen. The Corregidor presented me with twelve great cases of
amber and orange-water, reputed to be the best in the world, with
twelve barrels of olives, which have likewise the same fame.
Upon Thursday the 15th of April we took our leave of Cordova, and all
those noble persons therein, lodging that night at Carpio, the
Marquisship of Don Lewis de Haro; and on the 16th, we lodged at
Andujar, and on the 17th at Linares; the 18th we entered the Sierra
Morena, and lodged at St. Estevan, the Onor of a Conde, who is at
present Vice-King of Peru; on the 19th, we came out of the Sierra
Morena, and lodged that night at la Torre de Juan-Abad; on the 20th we
lay at La Membrilla, and there stayed all day on Monday and Tuesday;
the 22nd at Villarta: here rises the river Guadiana, that goes under
ground seven leagues before. On the 23rd, we lay at Consuegra; here
Don John of Austria was nursed. The 24th, we lay at Mora; on the 25th,
we lay at the famous city of Toledo, two leagues from that town. The
Marquis of----, Governor of Toledo, met us, in whose coach my husband
went with him towards the town, where within half a league he was met
by four persons that represented the city, and all the city of Toledo,
with all the noblemen and gentlemen of that town. A little farther the
Marquis's lady met me, who alighting out of her coach, and I to meet
her, after some compliments passed, I entered her coach with my
children, and so passed through the streets, in which there were both
water-works and fire-works, and many thousand people of all sorts, and
companies of soldiers giving us volleys of shots.
We alighted at the gate, the Marquis leading me up into my lodgings.
This house, next to the King's Palace at Seville, was both the largest
and the noblest furnished that I saw in all my journey; and likewise
all the streets of the city were hung with rich tapestry and other
things of silver and gold embroidery, through which we passed. We were
there entertained, during our stay, with comedies and music, and juego
de toros, and with great plenty of provisions of all sorts, that were
necessary to demonstrate a princely entertainment. I eat constantly at
a table on purpose provided for me, at which the Marquesa kept me
company, as she did likewise whenever I went to visit any remarkable
place, of which there are many in Toledo, but none comparable to the
great church, which for the greatness and beauty of it I have not seen
many better, but for the riches therein never the like. Here my
husband received another message from the Duke de Medina las Torres,
desiring him to meet him at Valdemoro the Friday following, his
Catholic Majesty being then at Aranjuez. This message was sent by a
gentleman of his own, the other that he sent to welcome us into this
country, being under-gentleman of the horse to her Majesty.
Upon Thursday the 29th of April, we took our leave of the Marquis and
his lady, giving one hundred and eighty pieces-of-eight among his
family. The night we lay at Yllescas, and on the 30th we came to
Ballecas, where we found a house provided for us. Here the King's
entertainment ceased, and we provided for all the accommodations of
our family, the bare house only excepted. We continued at Ballecas
till the 8th of June following, during which time there happened
nothing extraordinary; the Duke often sending his secretary to my
husband about business, and the Master of the Ceremonies about our
constant endeavour to get a house, though at last we were glad to go
to a part of a house of the Conde de Irvias, [Footnote: Query] where
the Duke of St. Germain had lived before. Here we received many
messages of welcome to the Court from all the Ambassadors and all the
Grandees, and I from the Ambassadors' ladies, the Duchess de Medina
las Torres, with great numbers of the greatest persons of quality in
Madrid. The men visited my husband, but I could not suffer the ladies
to visit me, though they much desired it, because I was so straitened
in my lodgings, which in no sort were convenient to receive persons of
that quality in, not being capacious enough for our own family, for
whose accommodation we took Count Marcin's house close by this.
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