Books: Memoirs of Lady Fanshawe
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Lady Fanshawe >> Memoirs of Lady Fanshawe
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The 16th of January, 1666, being twelfth-day, English account, my
husband began his journey from Madrid to Portugal. The day before he
went, her Catholic Majesty sent the Marquis Aytona to offer a set of
her Majesty's machos to carry his litter, and another set for his
coach, but my husband refused both, with many humble thanks to her
Majesty for so great grace and honour done him, which he refused upon
no other score but the consideration of the length of the journey, and
the badness of the way, which the time of the year caused, which would
expose the beasts to that hazard, as he could not satisfy himself to
put them in; and although my husband was next day pressed again to
receive this favour, yet he refused it with much respect to her
Majesty, for the forenamed reasons. Likewise the Duke de Medina de las
Torres sent two sets of very brave machos to convey my husband to
Portugal, which he refused with many thanks to his Excellency, upon
the same account he had done those formerly to her Majesty. My husband
carried none of his own horses or mules, but hired all he used for
himself or his retinue. He went in his own litter, and carried one of
his own coaches with him, and five sumpters, covered with his own
sumpter cloths. His retinue were:--Mr. Fanshawe, Chief Secretary; Mr.
Price, gone before to Lisbon; Mr. Cooper, Gentleman of the Horse; Mr.
Bagshawe, Chaplain; Mr. Ashburnham, Mr. Parry, Mr. Creighton, Mr.
Eyres, Steward; Mr. Weeden, Mr. Jemmet, Mr. Bumstead, Pages; Mr.
Hellow, Butler; William, a Cook; Francis, a Groom; Frances, a
Laundress, and four Spanish footmen.
To every five mules went a moco, and a sobrestante over all. Her
Majesty sent an alguazil of the court with my husband through Spain,
to provide him lodgings, and to assist him in all other occasions
belonging to his journey. I accompanied my husband a league out of
town in our coach of state; then he entered his litter, and so began
his journey.
Within an hour after I was returned to my house, the Duke and Duchess
de Medina de las Torres sent each of them a gentleman with very kind
messages to me on the part of their Excellencies.
The 17th, came the Master of the Ceremonies to see me, and offered the
services of this Court, with high compliments and much kindness; the
18th, came the Duke of Aveyro to see me, and afterwards the Marquis of
Trucifal; the 19th, came to see me the Baron of L'Isola's lady; the
20th of January, I received a letter from my husband at Toledo; the
26th, the Marquis de Liche came to visit me; the 28th, the Duchess de
Aveyro sent a gentleman to me, to excuse her not coming to see me, by
reason of her being with child, and not having stirred out of her
chamber from the time she had conceived with child; the 29th I
received a letter from my husband, from Frexenal.
The 2nd of February, the Duke de Medina de las Torres sent to me Don
Nicolas Navas, with letters from her Catholic Majesty herself to my
husband, and putting up the packet here before me, inclosed my letters
therein, I giving a cover, and sealing it with my seal, and a passport
to the post that carried it, to come and go: all which was required of
me by his Excellency, who was pleased to continue this for me every
post that he sent during my husband's stay in Portugal.
The 12th of February, the Duchess of Albuquerque sent a gentleman to
excuse her not visiting me, her Excellency being sick of a fever. This
night likewise the Duke sent a second post to my husband as before.
The 13th, Father Patricio came to visit me, from the Duke; the 17th
died the Queen-mother of Portugal; the 20th, the Duke despatched a
third post to my husband. The 23rd, the Duke and his Duchess came to
visit me in very great state, having six coaches and two sedans to
wait on them, and above a hundred gentlemen and attendants. The 27th,
one of the three posts returned from my husband; another on the 2nd of
March; the third on the 10th.
On the 8th of March, 1666, stilo novo, my husband returned from Lisbon
to this Court, with all his family in very good health, God be
praised! I went with my children two leagues out of town, to Ricon, to
meet him. He brought in his company Sir Robert Southwell, an enviado
from our King to Portugal and Spain, if need so required. My husband
entertained him at his house three weeks and odd days.
Upon the 26th of March, came a letter from Coruna, advertising this
Court of the Earl of Sandwich's arrival, as Extraordinary Ambassador
from our King to his Catholic Majesty.
Sunday the 12th of April, I took my leave of the Queen of Spain, and
Empress, and the King, and the next day of the Camarera Mayor, and of
the King's Aya.
The 13th of April, returned from hence a gentleman named Mr. Weeden,
who came hither on the 6th of the same month, bringing letters to this
Court and my husband from his Lord, the Earl of Sandwich, and likewise
a list of the Extraordinary Ambassador's family, which was as
follows:--
Mr. Sidney Montague, his son; Sir Charles Herbert, Mr. Steward, Mr.
Godolphin, Secretary to the Embassy; Mr. Worden, Mr. Bedles, Mr.
Cotterrel, Mr. Bridges, Mr. Clarke, Mr. Melham, Mr. Stuard, Mr. Linch,
Mr. Boddie, Interpreter; Mr. Parker, Mr. Shere, Mr. Moore, Chaplain;
The Steward; Captain Ferrer, Gentleman of the Horse; Mr. William
Ferrer, Mr. Gateley, Clergyman; Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Boreman, Clerk of the
Kitchen; Mr. Lond, Mr. Veleam, Mr. Mallard; Mr. Richard Jarald, Mr.
Joseph Chaumond, Under Secretaries; Francis Paston, Confectioner;
Henry Pyman, Butler; Gentleman, Mr. Cooke; Balfoure and Attenchip, two
Cooks; Allion Thompson, Trumpeter; William Killegrew, Thomas Rice,
William Rich, Francis Warrington, James Ashton, Mr. Place, John
Beverley, Briggs, Richard Cooper, Mr. Kerke, Mr. Churchill, Mr.
Jeffereys, Mr. Crown, Pages, ten; Mr. Nicholas Neto, Mr. Righton,
Edward Hooton, Richard Russel, Andrew Daniel; Peacock, Dennis,
Footmen; Thomas Gibson, Thomas Williams, Josias Brown, Caspar, el
negro; Nathaniel Bennet; the Nurse, her Husband, two Maids, Nicholas
Bennet, Henry Mitchell, and John Goods.
On the 14th I took my leave of the Duchess de Medina de las Torres,
the Marquesa de Trucifal, and the Condessa de Torres Vedras. On the
15th, I took my leave of the Duchess de Aveiro, who gave my daughter
Katharine a jewel of twenty-seven emeralds; and to my daughter
Margaret a crystal box set in gold, and a large silver box of amber
pastilles to burn; and to my daughter Ann a crystal bottle, with a
gold neck, full of amber water, and a silver box of filagree; and to
my daughter Betty a little trunk of silver wire, made in the Indies.
This day I likewise visited the Marquesa de Liche, and daughter-in-law
of the Almirante of Castilla, the Baron de L'Isola's lady, and Don
Diego Tinoco's lady, who had all visited me.
On the 16th, I took my leave of the Duchess of Albuquerque, and her
Excellency Donna Maria de la Cueva. The Duchess showed me a large room
full of gilt and silver plate, which they said cost a hundred thousand
pistoles, though to my eye it did not seem of half the worth. It was
made for the Duke's journey into Germany, being the principal person
entrusted to dispose of her Imperial Majesty's family and money for a
voyage to that Court; and afterwards he and his lady are to return to
Sicily, and there to remain Viceroy. The same day I took my leave of
the German Ambassador's lady. Easterday being the 25th of April, 1666,
the Infanta Donna Maria was married to the Emperor by proxy, viz., the
Duke de Medina de las Torres.
THE CEREMONY
First went a great high coach of the Duke's, drawn by four black
Flanders' mares; in it were the Duchess's two sons, with other persons
of quality. In Madrid none can go with six horses but the King or
Queen, as I said before. Then went the Duke's coach, a most exceeding
rich one, drawn by four grey Flanders' mares, in the upper end whereof
the Duke himself sat, with the German Ambassador on his right hand,
the Duke of Alva on his left, in the other end the Conde de Penaranda,
between the Duke of Pastrana and his son. After this coach followed
immediately the Duke of Medina's Gentleman of the Horse, upon a very
fine white one. Then went a very rich new coach, empty, of the German
Ambassador's, made on purpose for the day, drawn by four horses. Then
followed another of the Duke's coaches with some of his gentlemen in
it; then the German Ambassador's second coach, with some of his
gentlemen in it. Then one of the Duke's coaches, in which was the
Baron de Lesley, Envoy Extraordinary from the Emperor, and one person
with him; then another of the Duke's coaches with more of his
gentlemen. Then another of the German Ambassador's coaches with more
of his family in it. The Duke's pages walked by his coach, and had
gold chains across their shoulders. The Baron de Lesley's went in some
of the before-named coaches.
On Monday the 26th, Don John of Austria came to Court to give the
Empress joy, but the ceremony performed, returned immediately, the
same day, to a retiring place his Highness had at Ocana, near
Aranjuez, which famous seat of royal recreation, for a farewell, the
Empress lay at night at, being in her way to Denia, where she was to
embark. Don John, from Ocana accompanied her Imperial Majesty two or
three days' journey.
On Tuesday the 27th, my husband, (invited there by the Master of the
Ceremonies, and then to come in short mourning, with something of
jewels,) gave to the Empress joy in his master's name, also to the
Queen jointly sent; and then giving her daughter the hand. Sir Robert
Southwell was admitted to accompany him in like manner, and perform
the same function.
On Wednesday the 18/28th of April, her Imperial Majesty went from the
palace to the Descalcas Reales, and from thence to the Atoche, from
whence she began her journey for Vienna. Her passing through the town
was in this manner.
First passed several persons of quality in their coaches, intermixed
with others. Then the two Lieutenants of her Catholic Majesty's
guards, on horseback; then the two Captains of the said guards, the
Marquis de Salina, and the Marquis de Malpica, on horseback. Then a
coach of respect, lined with cloth of gold, mixed with green. Then a
litter of respect lined with the same stuff; then four trumpeters on
horseback; then the Duke of Albuquerque, in a plain coach; then
twenty-four men upon horses and mules, with portmanteaus before them;
then two trumpeters more; then the Empress and her Camarera Mayor
(Condessa de Benavente), in a plain large coach; then eight men
without cloaks on horseback, who I presume were pages to her Catholic
Majesty; then the Empress's nurse, and four or five pretty children of
her's in a coach; then four young ladies with caps and white feathers
with black specks in them, in another coach; then duenas or ancient
ladies; then more young ladies with caps and black hats, pinned up
with rich jewels; then another coach with young ladies; then followed
many other coaches irregularly.
The Duke de Medina de las Torres, as also the German Ambassador, and
many of the nobility of Spain, went out of town, and stayed about a
league off for the Empress's coming that way. All the meaner sort of
her Imperial Majesty's train, and her carriages, as also the Duke of
Albuquerque's, went before.
On Monday the 26th, I wrote to the Camarera Mayor and the Empress's
Aya, giving both their Majesties joy of this marriage.
May the 5th, we dined at Salvatierra, two leagues from Madrid, and
returned again at night.
On Friday the 18/28th of May, 1666, came to Madrid the Earl of
Sandwich, Ambassador Extraordinary from our King to the Queen Regent
of this kingdom. My husband went with all his train two leagues to
welcome and conduct him to this Court. This day twenty-two years we
were married.
The 29th, my Lord of Sandwich delivered my husband the King's letters
of revocation, and therewith a private letter of great grace and
favour. This afternoon my Lord Sandwich, with most part of his train,
came to visit me.
June the 9th, stilo novo, being the King's birthday, my husband made
an entertainment for my Lord of Sandwich., with all his retinue and
the rest of the English at Madrid.
The next [Sun-] day, being Whit-Sunday, [Footnote: This was the last
time my husband received the communion.] my husband went with the Earl
of Sandwich to a private audience, where my husband introduced him to
the King of Spain. Monday the 14th, my husband went with the Earl of
Sandwich to the Duke de Medina de las Torres.
On the 15/25th, being Tuesday, [Footnote: Query, 5/15th June.] my
husband was taken ill with an ague, but turned to a malignant inward
fever, of which he lay until the 26th of the same month, being Sunday,
[Footnote: Query, Saturday, 16/26th June.] until eleven of the clock
at night, and then departed this life, fifteen days before his
intended journey to England.
'O all powerful good God, look down from Heaven upon the most
distressed wretch upon earth. See me with my soul divided, my glory
and my guide taken from me, and in him all my comfort in this life;
see me staggering in my path, which made me expect a temporal blessing
for a reward of the great integrity, innocence, and uprightness of his
whole life, and his patience in suffering the insolency of wicked men,
whom he had to converse with upon the public employment, which thou
thoughtest fit, in thy wisdom, to exercise him in. Have pity on me, O
Lord, and speak peace to my disquieted soul, now sinking under this
great weight, which, without thy support, cannot sustain itself. See
me, O Lord, with five children, a distressed family, the temptation of
the change of my religion, the want of all my friends, without
counsel, out of my country, without any means to return with my sad
family to our own country, now in war with most part of Christendom.
But, above all, my sins, O Lord, I do lament with shame and confusion,
believing it is for them that I receive this great punishment. Thou
hast showed me many judgments and mercies which did not reclaim me,
nor turn me to thy holy conversation, which the example of our blessed
Saviour taught. Lord, pardon me; O God, forgive whatsoever is amiss in
me; break not a bruised reed. I humbly submit to thy justice; I
confess my wretchedness, and know I have deserved not only this but
everlasting punishment; but, O my God, look upon me through the merits
of my Saviour, and for his sake save me: do with me and for me what
thou pleasest, for I do wholly rely on thy mercy, beseeching thee to
remember thy promises to the fatherless and widow, and enable me to
fulfil thy will cheerfully in this world; humbly beseeching thee that,
when this mortal life is ended, I may be joined with the soul of my
dear husband, and all thy servants departed this life in thy faith and
fear, in everlasting praises of thy Holy Name. Amen.'
The next day my husband was embalmed. The following day I began to
receive messages from the Queen and the Court of Spain.
July the 4th, stilo novo, 1666, my husband was buried by his own
Chaplain, with the ceremony of the Church of England, and a sermon
preached by him. In the evening I sent the body of my dear husband to
Bilbao, intending suddenly to follow him: he went out of town
privately, being accompanied only by a part of his own retinue. His
body arrived safe at Bilbao on the 14th of July 1666, and was laid in
the King's house. Mr. Cooper, Gentleman of his Horse; Mr. Jemett, who
waited on him in his bed-chamber; Mr. Rookes, Mr. Weeden, Mr. Carew,
Richard Batha, and Francis.
The 5th of July 1666, stilo novo, the Queen-Mother sent the Master of
the Ceremonies of Spain to invite me to stay with all my children in
her Court, promising me a pension of thirty thousand ducats a year,
and to provide for my children, if I and they would turn our religion
and become Roman Catholics. I answered, I humbly thanked her Majesty
for her great grace and favour, which I would ever esteem and pay with
my services, as far as I was able, all the days of my life; for the
latter I desired her Majesty to believe that I could not quit the
faith in which I had been born and bred, and in which God had pleased
to try me for many years in the greatest troubles our nation hath ever
seen; and that I do believe and hope that in the profession of my own
religion God would hear my prayers, and reward her Majesty, and all
the princes of that royal family, for this so great favour which her
Majesty was pleased to offer me in my greatest affliction.
The 6th and 7th days of this month I was visited by the German
Ambassador's lady, and several other ladies; also by the Ambassador
and the Duke de Medina de las Torres, de Aveiro, Marquis de Trucifal,
Conde de Monterey, with several others of that Court.
The Queen sent me, for a present, two thousand pistoles which her
Majesty sent me word was to buy my husband a jewel if he had lived.
The week following I gave the Secretary of State a gold watch and
chain, worth thirty pounds. I gave the Master of the Ceremonies, at my
coming away, a clock, which cost me forty pounds. I sold all my
coaches and horses, and lumber of the house, to the Earl of Sandwich,
for one thousand three hundred and eighty pistoles. I likewise sold
there one thousand pounds' worth of plate to several persons, all the
money I could make being little enough for my most sad journey to
England.
The 8th of July 1666, at night, I took my leave of Madrid, and of the
Siete Chimineas, the house so beloved of my husband and me formerly. I
carried with me all my jewels, and the best of my plate, and other
precious rarities, all the rest being gone before to Bilbao, with part
of my family. All the women went in litters, and the men on horseback.
Myself, my son, and four daughters, one gentlewoman, one chambermaid,
Mr. Fanshawe, my husband's Secretary; Mr. Price, the Chaplain; Mr.
Bagshawe, Mr. Creyton, Mr. White, Mr. Hellowe, John Burton, William,
the Cook; besides other Spanish attendants.
My Lord Sandwich came in the afternoon to accompany me out of town,
which offer, though earnestly pressed by my Lord, as well as by other
persons of quality, I refused, desiring to go out of that place as
privately as I could possibly; and I may truly say, never any
Ambassador's family came into Spain more gloriously, or went out so
sad.
July the 21st, after a tedious journey, we arrived at Bilbao, to which
place my dear husband's body came the 14th of this month, and was
lodged in the King's house, with some of his servants to attend him;
but I hired a house in the town during my stay there, in which I
received several letters from Madrid, from England, and from Paris.
The Queen-Mother was graciously pleased to procure me passes from the
King of France, which I received the 21st of September, stilo novo,
accompanied by a letter from my Lady Guilford, and several others of
her Majesty's Court; likewise I did receive a pass from the Duke of
Beaufort, then at Lixa.
October the 1st, I sent answers of letters to England, to my Lord
Arlington, my brother Warwick, my father, and to several other
persons. Here heard the sad news of the burning of London.
December the 3rd, being Sunday, I began my journey from Bilbao, with
the body of my dear husband, all my children, and all my family but
three, whom I left to come with my goods by sea. The 7th of October,
we came to Bayonne, in France, having had a dangerous passage between
Spain and France. October the 9th, we began our journey from Bayonne
towards Paris, where we arrived the 30th of October, being Saturday.
November the 2nd, the Queen-Mother sent my Lady Guilford to condole my
loss, and welcome me to Paris: many of her Majesty's family, of their
own accord, did the same. On the 26th, her Majesty sent Mr. Church, in
one of her coaches, to convey me to Chaillot, a nunnery, where the
Queen then was, who received me with great grace and favour, and
promised me much kindness, when her Majesty returned to England. Her
Majesty sent by me letters to the King, Queen, Duke and Duchess of
York, with a box of writings for her Majesty's Secretary, Sir John
Winter.
November the 11th, we began our journey towards Calais; and upon the
11th of November, old style, we embarked at Calais in a little French
man-of-war, which carried me to the Tower Wharf, where I landed the
next day, at night, being Monday, at twelve of the clock. I made a
little stay with my children at my father's house, on Tower-hill. The
next day, being the 13th, we all went to my own house in Lincoln's-inn
Fields, on the north side, where the widow Countess of Middlesex had
lived before; and the same day, likewise, was brought the body of my
dear husband.
On Saturday following, being the 16th of November 1666, I sent the
body of my dear husband to be laid in my father's vault in Allhallows
Church, in Hertford: none accompanied the hearse but seven of his own
gentlemen, who had taken care of his body all the way from Madrid to
London; being Mr. Fanshawe, Mr. Bagshawe, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Freyer, Mr.
Creyton, Mr. Tarret, and Mr. Rooks.
On the 18th, my Lord Arlington visited me, proffering me his
friendship, to be shown in the procuring of arrears of my husband's
pay, which was two thousand pounds, and to reimburse me five thousand
eight hundred and fifteen pounds my husband had laid out in his
Majesty's service. Likewise I was visited to welcome me into England,
and to condole my loss, by very many of the nobility and gentry, and
also by all my relations in these parts.
November the 23rd, I waited on the King, and delivered to his Majesty
my whole accounts. He was pleased to receive me very graciously, and
promised me they should be paid, and likewise that his Majesty would
take care of me and mine. Then I delivered his Majesty the letters I
brought from the Queen-Mother; then I did my duty to the Queen, who
with great sense condoled my loss, after which I delivered the Queen-
Mother's letter sent to her Majesty by me. After staying two hours
longer in her Majesty's bed-chamber, I waited on his Royal Highness,
who having condoled me on the loss of my dear husband, promised me a
ship to send for my goods and servants to Bilbao; then I waited on the
Duchess, who with great grace and favour received me, and having been
with her Highness about an hour, and delivered a letter from the
Queen-Mother, I took my leave. I presented the King, Queen, Duke of
York, and Duke of Cambridge, with two dozen of amber skins, and six
dozen of gloves. I likewise presented my Lord Arlington with amber
skins, gloves and chocolate, and a great picture, a copy of Titian's,
to the value of one hundred pounds; and I made presents to Sir William
Coventry, and several other persons then in office.
In February, the Duke ordered me the Victory frigate, to bring the
remainder of my goods and people from Bilbao, in Spain, which safely
arrived in the latter end of March 1667. I spent my time much in
soliciting and petitioning my Lord Treasurer Southampton, for the
present dispatch of my accounts, which did pass the Secretary, then
Lord Arlington, and within two months I got a privy seal for my money,
without either fee or present, which I could never fasten on my Lord.
Now I thought myself happy, and feared nothing less than further
trouble. God, that only knows what is to come, so disposed my fortune,
that losing that good man and friend, Lord Southampton, my money,
which was five thousand six hundred pounds, was not paid me until
December 1669, notwithstanding I had tallies for the money above two
years before. This was above two thousand pounds loss to me. Besides,
these commissioners, by the instigation of one of their fellow
commissioners, my Lord Shaftesbury, the worst of men, persuaded them
that I might pay for the Embassy plate, which I did, two thousand
pounds; and so maliciously did he oppress me, as if he hoped in me to
destroy that whole stock of honesty and innocence which he mortally
hates. In this great distress I had no remedy but patience: how far
that was from a reward, judge ye, for near thirty years' suffering by
land and sea, and the hazard of our lives over and over, with the many
services of your father, and the expense of all the monies we could
procure, and seven years' imprisonment, with the death and beggary of
many eminent persons of our family, who when they first entered the
King's service, had great and clear estates. Add to this the careful
management of the King's honour in the Spanish Court, after my
husband's death, which I thought myself bound to maintain, although I
had not, God is my witness, above twenty-five doubloons by me at my
husband's death, to bring home a family of three score servants, but
was forced to sell one thousand pounds' worth of our own plate, and to
spend the Queen's present of two thousand doubloons in my journey to
England, not owing nor leaving one shilling debt in Spain, I thank
God, nor did my husband leave any debt at home, which every Ambassador
cannot say. Neither did these circumstances following prevail to mend
my condition, much less found I that compassion I expected upon the
view of myself, that had lost at once my husband, and fortune in him,
with my son but twelve months old in my arms, four daughters, the
eldest but thirteen years of age, with the body of my dear husband
daily in my sight for near six months together, and a distressed
family, all to be by me in honour and honesty provided for, and to add
to my afflictions, neither persons sent to conduct me, nor pass, nor
ship, nor money to carry me one thousand miles, but some few letters
of compliment from the chief ministers, bidding, 'God help me!' as
they do to beggars, and they might have added, 'they had nothing for
me,' with great truth. But God did hear, and see, and help me, and
brought my soul out of trouble; and by his blessed providence, I and
you live, move, and have our being, and I humbly pray God that that
blessed providence may ever supply our wants. Amen.
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