Books: Memoirs of Lady Fanshawe
L >>
Lady Fanshawe >> Memoirs of Lady Fanshawe
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 | 11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17
On Wednesday the 18th of June, my husband had his audience of his
Catholic Majesty; who sent the Marquis de Malpica to conduct him, and
brought with him a horse of his Majesty's for my husband to ride on,
and thirty more for his gentlemen, and his Majesty's coach with the
guard that he was captain of. No Ambassador's coach accompanied my
husband but the French, who did it contrary to the King's command; who
had before, upon my husband's demanding the custom of Ambassadors
accompanying all other Ambassadors that came into this Court at their
audience, replied, that although it had been so, it should be so no
more; saying, it was a custom brought into this Court within less than
these twenty-five years, and that it caused many disputes, for which
he would no more suffer it. To this order all the Ambassadors in this
Court submitted but the French, whose Secretary told my husband, at
his coming that morning, that his Master, the Ambassador, said that
his Catholic Majesty had nothing to do to give his Master orders, nor
would he obey any of them; and so great was this work of
supererogation on the part of the French, that they waited on my
husband from the palace home, a compliment till that time never seen
before.
About 11 o'clock set forth out of his lodgings my husband thus:--First
went all those gentlemen of the town and palace that came to accompany
him: then went twenty footmen all in new liveries of the same colour
we used to give, which is a dark green cloth with a frost upon green
lace; then went my husband's gentlemen, and next before himself his
camaradoes two and two:
Mr. Wycherley and Mr. Lorimer,
Mr. Godolphin, Sir Edward Turner,
Sir Andrew King, Sir Benjamin Wright,
Mr. Newport and Mr. Bertie.
Then my husband, in a very rich suit of clothes of a dark fillemorte
brocade laced with silver and gold lace, nine laces, every one as
broad as my hand, and a little silver and gold lace laid between them,
both of very curious workmanship; his suit was trimmed with scarlet
taffety ribbon; his stockings of white silk upon long scarlet silk
ones; his shoes black, with scarlet shoe-strings and garters; his
linen very fine, laced with very rich Flanders lace; a black beaver,
buttoned on the left side, with a jewel of twelve hundred pounds
value. A rich curious-wrought gold chain, made in the Indies, at which
hung the King his Master's picture, richly set with diamonds, cost 300
pounds which his Majesty, in great grace and favour, had been pleased
to give him at his coming home from Portugal. On his fingers he wore
two rich rings; his gloves trimmed with the same ribbon as his
clothes. All his whole family were very richly clothed, according to
their several qualities. Upon my husband's left hand rode the Marquis
of Malpica, Captain of the German guard, and the Mayor-domo to his
Majesty, being that week in waiting: by him went all the German guard,
and by them my husband's eight pages, clothed all in velvet, the same
colour as our liveries; next them followed his Catholic Majesty's
coach, and my husband's coach of state with four black horses, the
finest that ever came out of England, none going in this Court
[Footnote: i.e., Within the royal residence. Out of the city it was
allowed to use six horses, as will be presently seen. ] with six but
the King himself. The coach was of rich crimson velvet, laced with a
broad silver and gold lace, fringed round with a massy silver and gold
fringe, and the falls of the boot so rich that they hung almost down
to the ground: the very fringe cost almost four hundred pounds. The
coach was very richly gilt on the outside, and very richly adorned
with brass work, with rich tassels of gold and silver hanging round
the top of the curtains round about the coach. The curtains were of
rich damask, fringed with silver and gold; the harness for six horses
was richly embossed with brass work; the reins and tassels for the
horses of crimson silk, silver and gold. This coach is said to be the
finest that ever entered Madrid with any Ambassador whatsoever. Next
to this followed the French Ambassador's coach; then my husband's
second coach, which was of green figured velvet, with green damask
curtains, handsomely gilt, adorned on the outside, with harness for
six horses, suitable to the same. The four horses were fellows to
those that drew the rich coach when we went out of town, using always
six. After this followed my husband's third coach, with four mules,
being a very good one, according to the fashion of this country. Then
followed many coaches of particular persons of this Court.
Thus they rode through the greatest streets of Madrid, as the custom
is; and alighting within the palace, my husband was conducted up by
the Marquis, all the King's guards attending, through many rooms, in
which were infinite numbers of people, as there were in the streets to
see him pass to the palace up to a private drawing-room of his
Catholic Majesty's, where my husband was received with great grace and
favour by his Majesty. My husband, being covered, delivered his
message in English, interpreted afterwards by himself in Spanish.
After this my husband gave his Catholic Majesty thanks for his noble
entertainment from our landing to this Court, to which his Catholic
Majesty replied, 'That, as well for the great esteem he had ever had
for his person, as the greatness of his Master whom he served, he
would be always glad to be serviceable to him.'
After my husband's obeisance to the King, and saluting all the
grandees there waiting, he was conducted to the Queen; where having
stayed in company with her Majesty, the Empress,[Footnote: Philip the
Fourth of Spain succeeded his father Philip the Third in 1621, and
married his niece, Maria Anna, daughter of his sister of the
same name by the Emperor Ferdinand. By her he had issue a son, Charles
the Second, who succeeded him in 1665, and died in 1700, and two
daughters, Maria Theresa, who married Louis XIV. of France, and
Margaret, who was the wife of the Emperor Leopold, and who is
consequently spoken of in the Memoirs as the Empress. The ceremony of
her marriage by proxy, and her departure for her husband's dominions,
are afterwards fully noticed.] and the Prince, took his leave. He
returned home in his Majesty's coach, with the Marquis of Malpica
sitting at the same end, accompanied by the same persons that went
with him, having a banquet ready for them at their return. That day in
the evening my husband visited his Excellency the Duke de Medina de
las Torres; and the next morning, all the Council of State, as the
custom of this Court is.
Upon the 21st, all the Ambassadors at this Court, one after the other,
visited my husband, as did also the grandees and nobles; his
Excellency the Duke de Medina de las Torres beginning. On the 24th, my
husband had a private audience of his Catholic Majesty; on the 27th, I
waited on the Queen and the Empress, with my daughters and all my
train. I was received at the Buen Retiro by the guard, and afterwards,
when I came up-stairs, by the Marquesa of Isincessa,[Footnote: Qu.
Inojosa?] the Queen's Camarera Mayor, then in waiting. Through
infinite number of people I passed to the Queen's presence, where her
Majesty was seated at the upper end under a cloth of state, upon three
cushions, and on the left hand the Empress, and three more; the ladies
were all standing. After making my last reverence to the Queen, her
Majesty and the Empress rising up, and making me a little courtesy,
sat down again; then I, by my interpreter, Sir Benjamin Wright, said
those compliments that were due from me to her Majesty, to which her
Majesty made me a gracious and kind reply. Then I presented my
children, whom her Majesty received with great grace and favour; then
her Majesty speaking to me to sit, I sat down upon a cushion laid for
me, above all the ladies who sat, but below the Camarera Mayor, no
woman taking place of her Excellency but princesses. The children sat
on the other side, mingled with Court ladies that are maids of honour.
Thus having passed half an hour in discourse, I took my leave of her
Majesty and the Empress, making reverences to all the ladies in
passing. I returned home in the same manner as I came. The next day
the Camarera Mayor [Footnote: First Lady of the Queen's Household.]
sent to see how I did, in compliment from her Majesty.
On the 9th of July my husband sent Don Pedro Rocca, Master of the
Ceremonies, a gold chain, which cost four-score pounds; and, on the
22nd of July, the merchants of Alicant sent us a piece of purple
damask, of one hundred and thirty yards, for a present. On Saturday,
the 16th of August, we came to the house of Siete Chimeneas, which his
Majesty gave us to dwell in, having been the house where the Venetian
Ambassador dwelt, and who went out for our accommodation by the King's
command.
We settled now our family and tables in order: our own consisted of
two courses, of eight dishes each, and the steward's of four. We had
our money returned from England by Mr. Goddard, an English merchant
living in Madrid, a very honest man and an able merchant. Tuesday the
24th, we dined at the Casa del Campo, a house of his Majesty's, in the
garden of which stands a very brave statue of Philip the Second, on
horseback. October 4th, we dined at the Prado, another house of his
Majesty's, which is very fine, and hath a fine park well stored with
deer belonging to it.
October ----, we went privately to see Aranjuez, which was most part
of it built by Philip the Second, husband to Queen Mary of England.
There are the highest trees, and grow up the evenest, that ever I saw;
many of them are bored through with pipes for water to ascend and to
fall from the top down one against another; and likewise there are
many fountains in the side of this walk, and the longest walks of elms
I ever saw in my life. The park is well stored with English oaks and
elms, and deer; and the Tagus makes it an island. The gardens are
vastly large, with the most fountains, and the best, that ever I saw
in my life.
As soon as the Duke heard we were gone thither, he immediately sent
orders after us for our entertainment by a post; but we were gone
before. Going home by Esquivias, we saw those famous reputed cellars,
which are forty-four steps down, where that admirable wine is kept in
great tinajas, which are pots holding about five hundred gallons each;
and to let you know how strangely they clear their wine, it is by
putting some of the earth of the place in it, which way of refining
their wine is done no where but here.
October the 14th, the King proclaimed the lowering the vellon money
[Footnote: Properly, copper currency, as distinguished from the plata,
or silver coinage. Hence the English and French Billon, signifying
base money.] to the half; and the pistole, that was this morning at
eighty-two reals, was proclaimed to go but for forty-eight, which was
above eight hundred pounds loss to my husband.
October the 21st, we went to see the Buen Retiro. The Duke de Medina
de las Torres, who has the keeping of this house of the King's from
his Majesty, sent two of his gentlemen to show us all that belongs
thereunto. The place is adorned with much water and fountains, trees
and fine gardens, with many hermitages up and down the place, and a
very good house for his Majesty; yet the pictures therein did far
exceed the rest, they being many, and all very curious, done by the
best hand in the world in their times.
On the 27th of October we went, with all our train, to see the
Escurial, the Duke de Medina de las Torres having procured a letter
here from the Pope's Nuncio to give me leave to see the convent there,
which cannot be seen by any woman without his leave: likewise the Duke
did send letters to the Prior, commanding him to assist in showing all
the principal parts of that princely fabric, and to lodge us in the
lodging of the Duke de Montaldo, the Mayor-domo to her Majesty. We
were near eighty persons in company, and five coaches. As soon as we
were arrived there, the Prior sent two of his chief friars to welcome
us to the Escurial. The friar who met us by command a league before,
at a grange house of his Majesty's, and accompanied us to the
Escurial, being returned, these friars from the Prior brought us a
present of St. Martin's wine and melons, a calf, a kid, two great
turkeys, fine bread, apples, pears, cream, with some other fine things
of that place. On the 28th, being St. Simon's and Jude's day, we all
went early in the morning to see the church, where we were met by the
Prior at the door, with all the friars on both sides, who received us
with great kindness and respect, and all the choir singing till we
came up to the high altar; then all of them accompanied us to the
Pantheon, which was, for that purpose, hung full of lights in the
branches; there saw I the most glorious place for the covering of the
bones of their Kings of Spain that is possible to imagine. I will
briefly give you this description.
The descent is about thirty steps, all of polished marble, and arched
and lined on all sides with jasper polished; upon the left hand, in
the middle of the stairs, is a large vault, in which the bodies of
their Kings, and Queens that have been mothers of Kings, lie in silver
coffins for one year, until the moisture of their bodies be consumed.
Over against this is another vault, in which lie buried the bodies of
those Queens that had no sons at their death, and all the children of
their Kings that did not inherit. At the bottom of the stairs is the
Pantheon, built eighty feet square, and is, I guess, about sixty feet
over; the whole lining of it in all places is jasper, very curiously
carved, both in figures and flowers and imagery; and a branch for
forty lights, which is vastly rich, of silver, and hangs down from the
top by a silver chain, within three yards of the bottom, and is made
with great art, as is also this curious knot of jasper on the floor,
that the reflection of the branch and lights is perfectly there to be
seen. The bodies of their Kings lie in jasper stones, supported every
coffin by four lions of jasper at the four corners; three coffins and
three headstones are set in every arch, which arch is curiously
wrought in the roof, and supported by jasper pillars: there are seven
arches, and one in the middle at the upper end, and over against the
coming in, that contains a very curious altar and crucifix of jasper.
From thence we saw all the convent and the sacristia, in which there
were all the principal pieces that ever Titian made, and the hands of
many others of the most famous men that then were in the world.
After seeing the convent, and every part thereof, we saw the King's
palace, with the apothecary's shop, and all the stillatories, and all
belonging thereunto.
The Escurial stands under the side of a very high mountain; it has a
very fine river, and a very large park well stored with deer: it is
built upon a hill, and you ascend above half a mile through a double
row of elm-trees to the house, which is abundantly served with most
excellent water and wood for their use. The front has a large platform
paved with marble, and railed with a stone baluster round about; the
entry of the gate is supported by two marble pillars, each of them of
one entire marble, which are near twelve feet high. It is built with
seventeen courts and gardens thereunto; every court contains a
different office; the whole is built of rough marble, with pillars of
the same round the cloisters; and the walls thereof are made so
smooth, that the famous Titian hath painted them with stories all
over, among others, the story of the battle of Lepanto, and the
gallery of the palace also: they have infinite numbers of fountains,
both within and without house. It contains a very fine palace, a
convent, and a college and hospital, all which are exactly well kept
and royally furnished; but I cannot omit saying, that the finest
stillatory I ever saw is there, being a very large room shelved round,
with glasses sized and sorted upon the shelves, many of crystal gilt,
and the rest of Venice glasses, and some of vast sizes; the floor is
paved with black and white marble; and in the middle stands a furnace,
with five hundred stills around it, with glass like a pyramid, with
glass heads. The apothecary's shop is large, very richly adorned with
paint, and gilding, and marble; there is an inward room, in which the
medicines are made, as finely furnished and beautified as the shop;
all the vessels are silver, and so are all the instruments for
surgery: nothing is wanted there for that purpose that invention or
money can produce.
We were entertained with a banquet at the Prior's lodging; and
afterwards returned, accompanied by the friars, to our lodgings, where
the Prior made a visit to my husband, and my husband offered to repay
it again, sending to him to know if his Reverendissima Senoria would
give him leave to wait on him, that night, to thank him for his noble
entertainment, although both he and I had done it. The Prior excused
the visit, and so we rested that night.
I would not have you that read this book, wonder that I should not
more largely describe this so unparalleled fabric in the world; but I
do purposely omit the particulars, because they are exactly described
in a book written by the friars, and sold in that place, with all the
cuts of every particular of the place, and you have it among your
father's books. The friars of this convent are of the order of St.
Lawrence.
On the 29th, we returned home to our house at Madrid, where on
Saturday afternoon my little child, Betty, fell ill of the small-pox,
as had done my daughter Ann, in the month of September before; but
both of them, God's name be praised! recovered perfectly well, without
blemish: but as I could not receive, for want of capacity of room, the
ladies of the Court at my lodgings at the Conde de Irvias, so could I
not receive them here by reason of the smallpox in the family, and
they having twice offered to visit me, and I refused it upon that
account.
Thursday 27th November, I went to wait upon the Emperor's Ambassador's
lady, at her house; upon the 28th, I went to wait upon the Duchess de
Medina de las Torres; and on the 29th, the Emperor's Ambassador's lady
came to visit me. The same day the Duchess de Medina de las Torres
sent an excuse by Don Alonso, one of the Duke's secretaries, that she
could not visit that day, by reason her youngest daughter was fallen
sick of a fever. Sunday the 30th of November, I sent to thank the
Emperor's Ambassador's lady for the visit the day before, and to see
how she did.
Upon the 1st of December, we let our dispense for seventy-two thousand
reals vellon, a year, which, at forty-eight reals a pistole, is one
hundred and twenty-five pistoles a month: he (the contractor) paid me
this sum this day, as he is obliged to do the first day of every
month; and likewise to give me for the arrears of the dispense, which
was near eleven weeks, fourteen thousand reals.
Upon the 15th of December, was seen here at Madrid a very great
blazing star, which to our view appeared with a train of twelve or
fourteen yards long: it rose at first in the south-south-east, about
twelve o'clock at night, but altered its course during the continuance
thereof. Within a fortnight after its expiration, it appeared at six
o'clock at night with the rays reversed; it continued in our view till
the 23rd day of January.
December the 22nd, which is the Queen of Spain's birth-day, I went to
give her Majesty joy thereof, and to the Empress, and to the Prince of
Spain, in such form as the custom of this Court is. About this time I
had sent me by a Genoese merchant, that was a banker in Madrid, a box
of about a yard and a half long, and almost a yard and a half broad,
and a quarter and a half deep, covered with green taffety, and bound
with a silver lace, with lock and key; within, it was divided into
many partitions, garnished with gilt paper, and filled full of the
best and choicest sweetmeats, all dry. I never saw any so beautiful
and good before or since, besides the curiosity.
On the 23rd, we were invited to see a show, performed by forty-eight
of the chiefest of the nobility of this Court, who ran two and two on
horseback, as fast as the horses could run, in walks railed in on
purpose on both sides, before the palace-gate; over which, in a
balcony, sat the King, the Queen, and Empress; round about, in other
balconies, sat the nobility of the Court, and in an entre-suelo, at
the King's left hand, sat the chief of the Ambassadors. My husband and
I were with the Duke and Duchess de Medina de las Torres, in their own
particular quarter in the palace, which we chose as the best place,
and having the best view, whereupon we refused the balcony. The sight
was very fine, and the noblemen and horses very richly attired.
Upon the 1st of January, I received of our Dispensero, as was my due,
six thousand reals, for the month's dispense, and six thousand more in
part of arrears. Upon the 4th of January I waited on the Queen,
Prince, and Empress, to give them the buenas pascuas [Footnote:
Compliments of the season.] as the custom of this Court is.
On the 5th, here came, among other diversions of sports we had this
Christmas, Juan Arana, the famous comedian, who here acted about two
hours to the admiration of all that beheld him, considering that he
was near upon eighty years of age. About this time the Duke of Alva
sent my husband a fat buck; I never eat any better in England. We do
take it for granted in England that there is nothing good to eat in
Spain, but I assure you the want is money alone.
The 11th of December, the President of Castile gave a warrant to an
officer to execute upon Don Francisco de Ayala, to carry him prisoner
for some offences by him committed. This gentleman lived in a house
within the protection of my husband's barriers, very near to his own
dwelling-house; for which reason, no person can give or execute a
warrant for what crime soever, without the leave of the Ambassador;
but notwithstanding, the officer who executed this warrant, being
backed by the President of Castile, did seize the person of Don
Francisco de Ayala in his own house, and carried him to prison.
Notice whereof being given to my husband from him, my husband
immediately wrote a letter to the President of Castile, demanding the
prisoner to be immediately brought home to his house; that he would
not suffer the privilege of the King, his master, to be broken, making
further greater complaint of this usage to him; to which the next day,
in a letter, the President replied, that an Ambassador had no power to
protect out of his own house and household, with many other ridiculous
excuses; but all his allegations being proved against him, both by
ancient and modern custom, by hundred of examples, and nothing left
him to defend himself but his own peevish wilfulness, my husband
pursued the business with much vigour, telling the gentleman that
brought him the President's letter, that his master, the President, as
to him had once been very civil, but as to the King, his master, most
uncivil, both in the acting and defending so indecent a business; for
which reason he would not give an answer by letter to the President,
because his to the Ambassador did not deserve one; all which my
husband desired the gentleman to acquaint the President, his master,
with. Then my husband visited the gentleman in prison, a thing never
before known of an Ambassador; telling the prisoner openly, before
many gentlemen that were there accompanying of him, that he would have
him out, or else that he would immediately leave the Court. The great
number of gentlemen and servants of my husband's family gave
apprehensions to the keeper of the prison, when my husband demanded
leave to visit the prisoner.
The next day, being the 16th, Don Francisco de Ayala was visited, by
my husband's example, by most of the council and nobility of this
Court. In the evening, in a letter to the Duke de Medina de las
Torres, my husband inclosed a memorial to his Catholic Majesty,
demanding the prisoner, saying, he was very sorry that at one time, a
few years ago, in the year 1650, some English gentlemen, whereof Mr.
Sparks was one, did kill one Askew, an agent of Oliver's to the
Catholic King. When they had thus done, all those persons and degrees
made their escape but Mr. Sparks, who took sanctuary in one of their
churches; notwithstanding which, the privilege thereof being defended
both by the Archbishop of Toledo and the greatest prelates of this
kingdom, he was by the King and council pulled out of the church and
executed, so great at that time was the fear that this Court had of
Oliver; and now, violation of privileges should only have been used to
his Majesty, the King of England, assuring his Majesty he neither
could nor would put it up without ample restitution made.
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 | 11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17