Books: Memoirs of Lady Fanshawe

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My Lord,

Your Excellency's most humble servant,

SANDWICH.-Ibid.

To LORD SANDWICH.

Madrid, April 1/11, 1666.

"My wife returns many humble services to your Excellency, hoping my
good Lady's health; and likewise to be sooner happy in waiting upon
her than your Excellency, as, taking her leave this very day hereof of
the Queen and Empress, bound for England, at her good old father's
long importunities, to have his dear daughter and all her children
rest with him before he dies."--Ibid.

FROM LORD SANDWICH to SIR RICHARD FANSHAWE. (ORIGINAL.)

From My Quinta, near the Corunna, April 9/19, 1666.

"It is my great misfortune that I am like to miss of the happiness of
kissing my good lady's hand at Madrid, to whom my wife and I are so
infinitely obliged. The best satisfaction I can have next, is to hear
that her ladyship hath good health and prosperity on her journey;
which I most heartily wish, as I do all sorts of occasions, whereby to
express unto her ladyship and yourself with what fidelity, I am,

My Lord,

Your Excellency's most humble and most obedient Servant,

SANDWICH.--Ibid.

TO THE LORD CHANCELLOR.

Madrid, Thursday, 15/29 April, 1666.

"The Empress, married by proxy, which was the Duke de Medina de las
Torres, upon Sunday last, did yesterday begin her journey from this
Court towards Vienna. Her Imperial Majesty carried along with her a
vast treasure in money, plate, and jewels; so, in that respect, will
much enfeeble this summer's preparation against Portugal: in another
regard the despatch of that great affair out of the way, which hath
wholly taken up these Councils in pro's and con's for many months
past, hath left them at liberty to prosecute with the more vigour this
war."--Ibid.

TO SIR PHILIP WARWICK.

Madrid, 3rd of May, 1666, s n.

DEAR BROTHER,

There was due to me on 6th of March last past, upon my ordinary
entertainment, the sum of two thousand pounds, of which I have not yet
received one shilling, notwithstanding that I was forced to run myself
in debt for my late journey to Portugal; as I have written long since
to my Lord Arlington, requesting I might, by his Lordship's means,
obtain a particular Privy Seal for the reimbursement of my laying-out
therein, as was promised when that case should arrive.

Moreover, I have both pawned and sold plate for my present
subsistence, and if immediately I do not receive a supply of all that
is due to me upon amount of ordinaries, the which I do hopefully
expect upon former addresses to that purpose, I cannot subsist longer
in this Court, nor yet know how to remove out of it, if such should be
his Majesty's orders of revocation, by my Lord of Sandwich: a thing
intimated to me here by more than common persons, whether with or
without ground I cannot say, having not heard one word from any
Minister of our Court for the space of above seven weeks last past, or
concerning myself anything out of England, save what I read in a
London diurnal, that letters from me out of Portugal, by sea,
signifying my then immediate return for Madrid, were come to hand. The
like whereof having never happened to me before, so much as for a
fortnight's time, I am utterly to seek what to impute it to, unless it
be interceptings in France since the war hath been declared. In the
meantime, it puts me to a great confusion in many respects,
particularly for the want of monies; and thus farther I crave leave to
inform you upon the same point, which is, that if my brother Turnor's
kindness had not advanced out of his own purse, to comply with my
bills, above a thousand pounds, before he received the last tallies on
my behalf, whereof I have not had any notice, I had been reduced to
yet greater extremities than these I am contending with.

Having thus delivered the truth of my condition in matter of fact, I
presume there will need nothing farther of argument, with so good a
friend and brother, to quicken and keep alive your constant endeavours
for me, or indeed with such others whose concurrence is necessary to
render your brotherly offices effectual, to afford the same
accordingly, upon the mere account of our Master's honour and service,
without other relation to the person that bears his image in this
particular.

I pray you, as you have done hitherto, permit my brother Turnor to
remind you of these things as often as occasion shall require.

My Lord Sandwich, according to our computation here, will begin his
journey towards us to-morrow from the Corunna, and if his Excellency
makes no stop by the way will arrive in this Court about twenty days
hence, hardly sooner. I rest, dear brother, your most affectionate
brother and faithful servant,

RICHARD FANSHAWE.--Ibid.

TO HIS MAJESTY.

Madrid, Thursday, 3rd of June, 1666, stilo loci.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY,

By the hands of my Lord of Sandwich, who arrived in this Court, upon
Friday last, was delivered to me a letter of Revocation from your
Majesty, directed to the Queen Regent; and at the same time another,
with which your Majesty honoured me for myself, implying the
principal, if not the only, motive of the former to have been, some
exceptions that had been made to the papers which I signed with the
Duke of Medina de las Torres, upon the 17th of December last
past;[Footnote: Sir Richard Fanshawe wrote in the margin of the rough
transcript, "Relating to the Commerce of this Crown, and the
establishing a Truce between these and Portugal."] a consideration
sufficient to have utterly cast down a soul less sensible than hath
ever been mine of your Majesty's least show of displeasure, though not
accompanied with other punishments, if your Majesty, according to the
accustomed tenderness of your royal disposition, in which you excel
all monarchs living, to comfort an old servant to your Majesty, had
not yourself broken the blow in the descent, by this gracious
expression in the same letter: That I may assure myself, your Majesty
believes I proceeded in the articles signed by me, as aforesaid, with
integrity and regard to your royal service, and that I may be farther
assured the same will justify me towards your Majesty, whatever
exceptions may have been made to my papers.

In obedience to your Majesty's letter above-mentioned, I make account,
God willing, to be upon my way towards England some time next month;
having in the interim performed to my Lord Sandwich, as I hope I shall
to full satisfaction, those offices which your Majesty commands me in
the same; whose royal person, council, and undertakings, God Almighty
preserve and prosper many years; the daily fervent prayer of

Your Majesty's ever loyal subject, ever faithful and most obedient
servant,

RICHARD FANSHAWE.

FROM LYONEL FANSHAWE, ESQ., TO JOSEPH WILLIAMSON, ESQ.

[See MEMOIRS, p. 217.]

Madrid, Thursday, 7/17 June, 1666.

My Lord having been taken with a very sharp fit of sickness two days
since, and not yet being well able either to write or dictate a letter
himself, hath commanded me to entreat you, that you will please to
present his most humble service to my Lord Arlington, and beseech his
Lordship to excuse his not writing by this post.

The Empress is said not to be yet embarked, though there are thirty
galleys ready to attend her in her voyage.

My Lord of Sandwich hath not, as yet, had his first public audience.
Sir Robert Southwell intends, within a day or two, to begin his
journey for Portugal.--Ibid.

THE FORM OF A PRAYER USED BY MY LORD'S CHAPLAIN,
IN THE DAILY SERVICE IN HIS EXCELLENCY'S CHAPELIN PORTUGAL AND SPAIN.

Blessed God, we beseech thee to be propitious in a singular manner to
my good Lord, his Excellency, his Majesty's Ambassador in this
kingdom; preserve him unto us in health and strength, and grant that
he may so manage those weighty affairs he is employed in, that the
issue of his negotiation may be to thy glory, the satisfaction of our
Sovereign, and the mutual good and benefit of all his subjects and
allies. Bless his most virtuous Lady; imbue her with the blessings of
this life, and that to come; make his children thy children, his
servants thy servants, that this family may be a Bethel, a house of
God; that we, all serving thee with one accord here on earth, may for
ever glorify thee in Heaven. Amen.

A PRAYER USED IN THE DAILY SERVICE OF THE CHAPEL,
AFTER THE DEATH OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE LORD AMBASSADOR.

Blessed God, which suppliest the wants and relievest the troubles of
thy servants, be particularly gracious to this family, and here, in a
special manner, bless my most virtuous Lady, and give her patience
under thy hand, submitting to thy will, and contentedness under every
change; and we beseech thee so continually to assist her in the course
of her life, that she may experimentally find thee a God all-
sufficient, though the helps of this world fail: make her children thy
children; bestow upon them thy choicest blessings, who hath promised
to be a father to the children's children of those that trust in thee;
make her servants thy servants, that this family may be a Bethel, a
house of God; that we, all serving thee with one accord here on earth,
may for ever hereafter glorify thee in Heaven. Amen.

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